The home retired to the night sky.
Jackson and Matthew grew increasingly concerned about what Arthur mentioned earlier.
“What did you find out, Arthur?” There’s only little thing that Johnny can do especially when Arthur has medical episodes, that’s to divert their attention to the case.
“The- The terrorist group have long disbanded, b- but since one of the highest profile person that they have was already known and familiar with the investigation team of the SIS, they decided to lay low and replace him with someone that looks familiar, or rather, conducted an operation to look familiar.” Arthur continued to gasp for air, but reported first what he found out about the organization.
He got the full grasp of the history of the organization by the Vision of Life, but it cost him his body.
His human body still is of a child’s, unless he strengthens his body, it will continue to deteriorate upon use of his angelic powers.
“What about the connection of Pauls to the organization?” Eddie continued the query of Johnny as Arthur attempted his best to inform them of what he had learned.
SFX: Cough, cough, cough
Matthew brought out some few fresh towels for Arthur, and helped wiped the child’s face and mouth.
“Chief, the child collapsed again, and he’s coughing blood.” Mayer reported as soon as she saw what was happening from beyond the drapes at the window of the mansion.
“His intelligence is the only quality that he can offer… hmmmm, something’s strange.” The Chief can detect a whiff of mystery from beneath his nose.
He knows that there is more to Arthur than just his intelligence quotient.
“Pauls was their runner and connection to the outside world. Jones was already on the SIS list ever since they declared their first bombing, and to preserve his identity, they hired a man to live Jones’ life. They had the same height, weight, and almost similar facial features.” Arthur revealed more about their past.
It wasn’t long until conclusions were made due to these new discoveries.
“Then?” Jackson continued the questions. He didn’t want to be left out.
“For a price, this Andy personality became the Will Jones. Since the group broke out and broke apart the terrorist and they helped in testifying in many crimes, they were pardoned, but Will, the leader, was not spared.” Arthur normalized his breathing.
At least the bleeding stopped, and he’s no longer puking blood.
“They had their profile, but they don’t have a solid evidence that he is the leader as the group operates under no leader, but under a rule.” He clenched his chest and breath in and out, slowly, gently until his heartbeat normalized as well.
“Then why did the SIS assumed that he was the leader?” Eddie picked up this wonderful question upon hearing that the leader was not spared.
“He became their spokesperson, the middle person for negotiations between the group and the government.”
Arthur slowly picked himself up from where he was sitting and approached the board, nearly stumbling on the coffee table.
“So they needed a replacement, for what?” Johnny, Jackson, and Eddie got that puzzle in their mind they just couldn’t solve.
“Jones was already known as their mediator and supposed leader, so the SIS and Interpol put his life under much surveillance. I still have no clue yet why did needed to swtich to McCrain, but one thing’s for sure. They got a ton of evidence of the abuse that McCrain did to Jones’ family that the SIS and Interpol thought putting this man behind bars would be much safer and economical than having him out and about.” Arthur ran his finger to the thread that connected the Abaddon to Jones.
“They believed he was Jones?” Jackson tried to look at it in a medical perspective.
“Yeah.” Arthur confirmed Jackson’s suspicions as he looked back in the Vision of Life memories.
“They didn’t bother to check if he was the real one.” Jackson refuted Arthur’s deductions.
“They did, but Pauls had thought of everything before pulling this plan through.” Arthur recalled one of the memories of Jamison.
“Don’t tell me…” Jackson eye’s widened in shock. “Are you sure?” He wanted to confirm his suspicions.
“Yep.” Arthur’s straightforward answer closed all of their questions all at once.
“Surgery?” Eddie butted in to verify as well.
“Hmmm.” Arthur only nodded to corroborate every detail. “We need to get in touch with the one who was setting up the warnings, I’m still undecided who it is based on our investigation, but we’ll make sure to get closer to the truth.”
Everything came into light as Michael used the “Vision of Life” power.
While the true Will Jones hid for almost more than ten years, this Andy lived his life and even abused his wife but was imprisoned for ten years for it.
------------------------------ / / ------------------------------
The clones Arthur sent to the North Greenwich Pier also returned and their memory assimilated to him as he slept peacefully.
“Search the containers - they should have been used as a living quarter.” Michael told two of his clones to check for signs of life in a dead and abandoned place.
Once bustling with people, the coal pier witnessed the spike of workers in the 1970’s and a staggering decline in the 1980’s.
The place was overrun by weeds near the mountain, and barnacles and sea foam near the sea shore.
Michael laid his hand flat on the ground and saw the history of the place through Oracle and through Nature he ‘talked’ with the living plants.
“My liege, how can we help you?” Nature replied, he smiled sweetly, at least, he hasn’t lost touch with this power.
“I’m looking for a human. I believe he has been hiding and living here. Can you tell me where he was living?” He opened his eyes as the vines and the weeds pointed out a clean place inside the coal mine near the pier.
The three clones approached the coal mine, one from the north entrance, another at the southeast entrance, and another at the west entrance as to cover more space for further investigation.
As soon as the three entered the coal mine, Michael noticed that each of the entrances has detectors.
He visibly made himself scarce, but there were multiple sensors, heat sensors, motion sensors, and light sensors.
He’s truly careful in setting off any of those sensors.
Observing the entrance, there’s only one way to enter – through the mirror dimension – the spiritual realm.
A gust of the wind teleported the three clones in the spiritual realm. As Michael recalled where the sensors were placed, he carefully maneuvered to the place where the sensors’ reach end.
Another gust of wind teleported the three clones to the physical realm – out of reach from those detectors.
The entrance extended a mile before reaching the miner’s core camp. A centralized core camp was set-up before the descent to the main coal mine hundred miles underneath the Earth.
The place was riddled with dust, crawling with small rats and cockroaches, and infested with termites. The whole mine was set to collapse any minute but everything was left untouched.
From inside the core camp, a cave extends widely throughout with several cabin in place, deserted, possibly haunted as well.
The lines from the detectors at the entrance extend further in one of the buildings inside the core camp.
A distinct cabin wood, separated from the other cabins inside the core camp, he approached it with caution.
Riddled with dust and cobwebs, one clone stepped foot at the front porch – as soon as he put his weight on the first step, the sound of creaking wood reverberated inside the cave.
He closed his eyes and sighed at that one wrong step.
He tried to shift his weight on another step, but the same creaking sound echoed again. The wood that comprised the cabin were also eaten by termites.
He twisted the door knob, and tried to pry open the door forwards.
SFX: Creeeeeeeeakkkk
The same creaking sound came from the door opening. He could not believe his ears but everything he saw, everything he heard, it’s as if he’s being filmed in a haunted house movie.
Upon setting foot inside, he noticed a set of monitors attached on the wall in the living room. Broken glass imbued fear and chaos into the whole cabin.
The smashed glasses of the monitors reflected that the person who used to live there does not want any records of it leaking out.
There were definitely traces of a computer box as one of the clones went around and followed the wires, but there was nothing to be found.
He tried to touch anything, the couch, the kitchen, everything, but the Oracle does not show anything to him right now.
It was best to withdraw from that place.
------------------------------ / / ------------------------------
Michael steadfastly guarded Hagar in the shadows as she returned to Abram’s camp and to Sarai’s heavy hands.
Every day became frustratingly hell for both of them – being Hagar trying to suppress the urge to ran away again, and Michael observing her mischiefs from the shadows.
Months later, Ishmael was born into the camp of Abram, and Sarai, as time passed, softened her countenance and her treatment to Hagar.
“Hagar…” Michael whispered from the shadows.
Michael stepped in Hagar’s and Ishmael’s tent as midnight came to a close.
“Messenger of God.” She recognized his voice pretty quickly. She turned into the darkness as she weaned the baby.
“Are you doing okay?” He had been holding himself. The will of God does not want him to move carelessly amongst the humans, and there were no new orders, so he had to stay in the shadows.
“God has been so good to me.” The slave replied sweetly as she smiled at her newborn baby.
“How is he?” Michael did not show his face. He stayed in the shadows as he inquired about their situation.
“I’m going to raise Ishmael as God wanted me to. He will be loved by his father, and I will love him more.” She promised the angel of God.
Michael only sighed as he glanced at the mother and the baby enjoying their time together.
“Be safe, Hagar.” The last words that she heard from the shadows as a whiff of breeze took away the angel to a far off place from the camps.
------------------------------ / / ------------------------------
The night came to a close and on the 23rd of December 2009, a golden daybreak enveloped the whole city of London.
It was clear as day, no snow, no rain, no hail, only sunshine. Nature really loved Michael as much as he loved every living thing.
“Art, Art!” Johnny’s irritating voice woke up Arthur. He shook his twin awake as he lifted the curtains from the window, and opened the door of their bedroom.
“Breakfast is ready!” Matthew’s shout rang throughout the home.
The smell of hazelnut coffee embraced the nose of the two Americans at the second floor. While the chamomile tea that Matthew prepared melted as Eddie awoke to its aroma.
Jackson already prepared for his morning routine as he came out of the bathroom, drenched in bathtub water, and scratching his wet hair with a clean towel.
“Come on!” Johnny dragged Arthur out of the bedroom as soon as he got up and touched base his feet on the carpet.
They all sat down in the dining room, as Matthew set the plates and breakfast.
Arthur’s still visibly half-asleep and tired from everything that happened last night, while Johnny’s upbeat and awake, it’s as if he’d taken adrenaline and shot it directly through his bloodstream.
Jackson and Eddie were excited as well about their first outing in this winter break together, and the barrage of excitement came to a halt as soon as the front door opened.
“Good morning, people!” Irene barged in early in the morning.
The excited and happy faces in front of the dining table seemed to have vanished in just one second upon hearing Irene’s voice.
“Irene!” Matthew smiled happily as he greeted the lady. “My lady, good morning!” He hurried to the front door and bowed to the twelve year old princess.
“Good morning, Matthew.” She bowed back and entered the home nonchalantly.
As soon as she stepped inside the dining room floor, the boys were adamant to give her a chair to sit on.
Arthur continued to squint his eyes, and hold his right temple as his head aches.
“Arthur, are you okay?” Irene approached Arthur.
“I’ll be fine.” She tried to reach out her hand to caress his head, but his reply was just a sharp thorn to her heart.
It’s as if he swatted her hands away, but that’s not what happened.
Only a few days has passed and Irene already liked Arthur – to the point of escalating it to puppy love, but Irene’s more mature than any of that romantic drama- she knew Arthur’s purpose and she made a promise about their engagement. It will only stay as an agreement, no emotions, no feelings.
She jolted back to the other side of the table and seated herself beside Jackson.
Arthur had a hard time adjusting his eyes to the shining sunshine that penetrated the home through the large glass windows.
He curled his eyebrows and squinted as he tried to open his eyes.
“There’s so much more to do today. Make sure you’re ready and alert.” Said the guy who couldn’t stay awake completely for the duration of breakfast.
“Where do we start?” Jackson’s determination can be seen with the fiery passion in his eyes.
“We’ll start with the production floor.” He deeply sighed, knowing this would throw them into a spotlight later.
“Do we need to contact Dad’s connections?” Johnny suggestion quickly awakened Arthur and irritated him early in the morning.
He immediately turned his eyes to Johnny, looked at him sharply and exhaled through his nostrils, as if a bull ready to charge forward.
Thank goodness Johnny perceived it immediately as a sign of Arthur’s disgust and- “Never… mind.”
“I will check what I can do.” Irene tried to pull some strings beforehand.
“What will you do?” Arthur inquired persistently, just as he doesn’t want to use their father’s connections, he also doesn’t want to use the Icy Queen’s connections.
It was too risky for them to move without anyone in the MI-7 or the mafia to take notice.
“I found out that there were some directors and producers who owe my mom big time, I wanna use this opportunity to exploit those and we can be there as ‘guests’.” She put air quotes on that one.
“Are you sure this will work?” Eddie’s worried tone suddenly enveloped the team with dread.
“We only need to observe, I have a feeling that the last warning would be today in the London’s Eye, and we need to catch him red-handed, or else the true terrorist will be able to do what he wants on the twenty-fifth.” Arthur’s stern voice and his sharp glances appeared to the team that something was definitely up.
They only know part of what Arthur has deduced and somehow he doesn’t share it to the gang, maybe in fear that they’ll be in danger, or somehow entangled into this case.
Everyone got ready before ten in the morning, dawning their field trip best attire and-
“Hahahahhaha! What the heck are those?” Irene burst out laughing as soon as Johnny came out of their bedroom and into the hallway.
His clothing choice involved a red shirt, a leather jacket that covered the shirt, and a ripped-out jeans with leather boots sticking out like a sore thumb.
“What? I thought this might be appropriate for the ‘young get up look’?” Johnny’s confidence as he descended down the stairs was really amazing, until Arthur followed him to the living room.
His face visibly flustered at the young get up look of Arthur.
Covered in black-colored attire, Arthur wore a black polo worn untucked with white linings, his necktie also reflected the tar’s color with its silver accent, with a black leather jacket opened and a black cotton jeans and his black leather boots go well with his gothic look.
“Woooow! Are you sure you wanna go with that gothic look?” Johnny got the surprise of his life time, this is the first time that Arthur dressed up.
“You have any makeup?” Arthur wanted to step it up further and asked Irene about her luscious looks every time she visits.
“Yeah, I have something simple here.” She reached out of her purse and got a small case of make-up.
“Let’s finish this look.” He opened up the case, and got his eyes on the black powder and the brush, he immediately used it to create a black shadow effect with his eyelids.
“Damn! Hahhahahahahha…” Johnny bawled out his eyes just by looking into Arthur’s get up.
“That’s the right statement! We need to look as much as shining as ever, we have to divert the attention to us.” Jackson went out with another stunning handsome look.
Jackson had a professional look more like a secret service get up. A more mature take out with a white polo shirt tucked in, a red scarf, and a black suit, pants and shoes to boot the playboy outfit.
“Is that your bad boy look?” Eddie walked out of the shadows and astonished the team downstairs as he walked down the stairs gently and elegantly.
With a fedora hat, a bow tie, and a striking black suit with silver lining accent, and a black silky pant with a black dress shoes, Eddie stunned everyone at the living room – Johnny almost dropped his jaw just by looking at Eddie.
“Where did you get that fitted?” Johnny hovered as Eddie walked close to the team. He bent to see Eddie’s pants closely and inspected the silky threads by running his fingers at the silver lining accent.
“Is everyone ready?” Arthur stepped out of the shadows with his eyes filled with dark eyeliner.
“We’re ready.”