28. The call

“What then happened on your way to the airport?”

“We packed our stuff hastily early in the morning and got a taxi. We didn’t know the city but his route was not the same we followed after we had landed. I don’t know whether you know how they drive in India and how dense the traffic is. For a foreigner it looks like a total, illegal chaos but over there it is ordinary.

“And just as I became worried, we took an open road along the riverside. A police vehicle passed us and behind us, another one closed in. I had the feeling we were being escorted. We then approached a temple complex on the river bank and the taxi driver took the road that led to it. I asked what was going on and he explained he would take us to the airport but as our flight would only be that evening, there was plenty of time. He wanted to show us the interesting temple.

“I asked him why the police were escorting us and insisted that he turned around and took us to the airport, but again he reminded me that I had said our flight was only that evening. I threatened him that I would phone the SA embassy because we were being kidnapped, but he said smartphones did not work at the temple and when I tried the phone was dead. I sat in front with the driver and Elizabeth, Johan and Tanya with Martie, were in the backseat. They had in the meantime become frightened and spoke to me in Afrikaans to share their fears.

The driver realized we had become nervous and he would have to deal with that. He explained that we needn’t be worried; the police escort us because we are VIPs and they would protect us on behalf of the guru of the temple. The guru would like to meet us quickly and he would personally take us into the temple and to the guru. He promised us that we were very privileged because everyone the guru had called was blessed afterwards. He then would take us to the airport. The taxi stopped in a parking space with the police vehicles opposite us and watching us. I evaluated our options quickly and decided I must talk to my family to see whether they agreed and would cooperate.

“I decided we would have to pretend we believed him and surprise him because the guru of the temple made everyone he met willing slaves of the occult and we had to get away with the taxi. That was the only option. I told him I wanted to put my family at ease and discuss his proposition to them in Afrikaans because I know he wouldn’t understand it at all. I appeased them and told them of my fears and my plan and they agreed that it was the only way out of our predicament. I argued that it was highly improbable that the whole country’s police force was in the service of this occult. The escort must have been false, corrupt police. If we could escape and put enough distance between them and us, it was highly possible that real police could save us somewhere on the road or at the airport.

We decided my family would wait in the backseat and I went and asked the driver to open the boot for me because Tanya wanted Martie’s dummy and baby food. She wanted to have her quiet and satisfied. We did not want to enter the holy temple with a crying baby. When he opened the boot, as I hoped, he left the keys in the lock and stood back. I gestured to him that the policeman behind him indicated that he wanted to see him. Just when he turned his head and started walking to the policeman, I grabbed the keys, ran and jumped into the driver’s seat and we locked the doors. I didn’t even close the boot and by the time he tried to grab on my locked door, I had already started the taxi.

“The ‘police motors’ reacted swiftly, shot forward and blocked us, but I had planned the escape route beforehand. I raced forward over rocks and the garden lawn and connected with the road in which we had arrived and the chase began. I managed to push one of the police motors into a ditch, but the other one tried to cut us off and unluckily at high speed, in a sharp bend, we collided and both vehicles lost control and the cars rolled wildly down a steep hillside.

“When I regained consciousness, I saw the faces of the inhabitants of a nearby village looking down on me while a lady was trying to nurse me. I rose and saw with shock that both vehicles had burnt out completely and Martie was crying in the arms of a lady who tried to soothe her. I yelled and inquired if someone understood English and a man came out of the crowd and tried to calm me in broken English. His name was Arjuna and he was our savior angel. He explained that Martie and I were the only survivors. The rest was trapped inside the vehicles that burnt out. He said I should wait for an ambulance and the police.

“After sitting there down in the dumps and heartbroken for a long time with Martie in my arms, I evaluated my situation when I slowly came to my senses. I decided we had to leave the scene because I did not know which police would show up first. I still had a purse full of money and I whispered to Arjuna that I would give him all the money if he could take us to the South African embassy.

“Arjuna got his three-wheel taxi and on the way he asked me what was going on and I briefly told him our whole story. When he heard that, he stopped dead and told me Ahmed was everywhere. I asked after Ahmed and he told me that he is the guru of the temple that wanted to see us, Vipracitti’s stinking rich stepson. Politicians, the army and police were all controlled by him. He was sure they would wait for us at the embassy. He then took us to an ashram where he had family and he told them the whole story. The rest I’ve already told you. I still believe today Vishnu sent Arjuna to save Martie and me from that devil’s claws.”

Nico is baffled. “An unbelievable story! Professor, what you are saying is: believers in India knew of the underground operations of a certain Ahmed and his guru. What were you able to find out during the time you stayed with Arjuna’s family about the occult?”

“The Vaishnavas worship Vishnu and they did not know much about the highly secretive Shaivist occult group that worships Shiva with the Aghori Vipracitti as the leader, but they knew they were very dangerous and sinister. Many people had vanished who came in contact with that strange occult. They only knew about Ahmed Gupta’s businesses all over the world and that enormous amounts of money were laundered daily through them. Vipracitti was legendary because of his wizardry and he turned over enemies to friends overnight. He was a very strange Aghori that was feared a lot and he preached a very strange end prophecy. The members of his occult group revealed no secrets to people that were not part of the occult and they saw themselves as the chosen ones.”

“Professor, what is this occult’s business?”

“Nico, I really don’t know for sure and everything I say might be wild speculation, but when I think back to the scientists I met and the knowledge that they required for which they probably needed me, I can only come to one conclusion. Already twelve years ago they were working on one or the other special project which revolved around a biological weapon and its application. I suspect they had already combined different viruses to mutate a terrible thing. I suspect they worked to make the virus extremely effective to fit their plans. It looks like they are only targeting human beings and want to annihilate mankind. It will not be an ordinary virus that kills people and then abate. I suspect they are planning something much more frightening.

“I suspect they are working at something that will plunge the world into chaos so that all institutions and controlling bodies will be wiped out. At the same time, they are working on the most effective way to spread the virus simultaneously and effectively all over the world so that no institution will have the opportunity to resist. I think that is why they need my knowledge to make the virus transferable by air because that is the one thing they couldn’t achieve thus far and they need me. And the fact that they are all here in the city let me believe everything is in place and my cooperation is the final step before this deadly weapon will be ready for production and distribution to resting terror cells that probably sit ready all over the world. But as I say, this is only wild speculation. Who really knows what is going on?”

“Professor, I really do not understand how a whole town of intelligent people willingly for years could be part of this occult and kept everything so secret. How do you think it is possible that secrets did not leak out?”

Despondently Johan shakes his head. “It doesn’t make sense to me as well, but everything points in the direction of their guru, Vipracitti. The man bewitches everyone he meets so that they wholeheartedly take part in the mission of the occult. How, don’t ask me!”

“Professor, you must realize that I, at any cost, cannot let you fall into the hands of these people! The knowledge you have is far too dangerous!”

They suddenly hear a sound and listen to where it comes from and Johan points to the smartphone on the grass. ”Wait, I think it is my smartphone. Maybe they finished earlier and it could be Martie who needs me.”

Nico jumps up and gets the phone and hands it over to Johan. He turns off the radio and sits down opposite him. Johan sees it is Martie calling and answers with a smile: “Hello, my girl. Did you finish earlier? Must I come and fetch you now?”

Johan freezes when a vaguely familiar male voice speaks over the phone. “Why did you act so irresponsible twelve years ago, Johan? You all could now have been happy members of our family. It was so unnecessary, my friend. You and Martie have only one chance and you must not again destroy this chance. Think about Martie, Johan, you don’t want to ruin her life as you did with Elizabeth, Johan junior, Tanya and those policemen and their families, my friend. You owe everyone your cooperation to, for once and for all, fulfill your duty for which you have been chosen and for those people who paid dearly with their lives!”