Chapter Nine
One year later.
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Agent Spencer pulled up in front of Michaels apartment building to find Michael standing on the front walk receiving people. Other cars and other women bringing their children up to Michael, and Michael confidently greeting them, exchanging a few words and saying goodbye as the women then turned to leave. Their child would go to the house where an older woman collected them on the stoop and ushered them inside. The apartment house was different than it was a year ago. It had been modified to look more like a business on the ground floor. She decided to wait for a break in the flow of people before getting out. She pretended to be on her phone.
When the time was right she got out of her vehicle and walked towards Michael who gave her a warm smile. "Good Morning Agent Spencer."
"Please, call me Anna now that this isn't official business."
"Very well Anna. How have you been?"
"Alright, considering the mess that you created." She said jokingly. "I don't know how any of this is going to turn out. People can't see it by how things appear on the news, but everything is falling apart. There is a small part of our government that wants everything investigated and out in the open. Then there are the multiple parts that are working viciously against us,.. and against each other, it seems. The hard part is that it is impossible to tell who is working for who." She let a moment pass and decided to take the chance, but Michael started before her.
"We've talked about all this before. I would rather spend my time teaching the future than fighting the past,.. there is no future in the past." A big smile came to his face.
"But it really seems like it's going to all fall apart." She said pleadingly, "We could really use someone that could navigate the lies and stories."
"Of course it is going to fall apart, eventually. There is no way to stop it; study your history." She gave him a wry look. "It is very simple Agent... Anna, since you arrested that mercenary they are not threatened by me. But if I started playing the game you ask of me? They will eventually find a way to kill me, and I will not be able to teach everything I know to the people who need the information. However, if I ignore the game and simply teach? Those bad people will never realize that I am fighting against them,.. and winning. Not here and now, but in the future."
Michael let a moment pass and said, "Imagine what would have happened if Jesus never got caught up in the politics of Jerusalem? What would this world be like if he simply stayed in a quiet village and peacefully taught those who sought his help? How many disciples would he have had then? And how much more would we have known today? It is right for you to fight this battle, but it is not right for me."
Agent Spencer let it go with a big sigh and gave him a smile. "The place looks great."
"Thank you. It does. But the credit goes to my mother and landlady who have quit their jobs to help out and take care of the business end of this. I wouldn't be able to get the proper licenses and permits myself."
"So, is this him?" Michael gestured towards the car.
"Yes, that is Stephen. I am sorry to say that it will be a little difficult to get him out of the car." Agent Spencer was about to go on and say more, but she was interrupted by the car door opening and her brother getting out. Stephen, in his late-twenties, approached them on the sidewalk looking down at the sidewalk and carrying his backpack in one hand. Agent Spencer was stunned silent.
Michael said, "Hello Stephen, my name is Michael."
Agent Spencer almost passed out when she heard her bother quietly say "Hi Michael" with his head still bent to the ground.
Quietly, a small boy came from the house and stood next to Michael. "Stephen, this is Darren. He will show you around and show you where you can put your backpack." Again, Agent Spencer stared in disbelief as she watched Darren put out his hand for Stephen to take, and he did. Stephen took his hand and followed Darren into the house.
"So, he is not going to be a bother?"
Michael didn't answer, he just looked at her with a confident smile. When she understood he said, "see you in the evening."
"Yes, I should be here around six-ish."
"Have a good day, Anna." And Michael turned around, leaving Agent Spencer looking nervously at the house.
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About The Author
Craig A Maciolek lives and writes in the Northeast of the United States. There is nothing particularly special about him. In fact, if you saw him sitting at a table in one of his local coffee shops, intently writing in the ancient technology of pen and paper, you would probably elbow your companion and nod in his direction saying, "look at that pretentious idiot... he's writing upside down." Then your companion, who is undoubtedly way smarter than you are, would say, "No, he's left handed. I think he is writing from the bottom-up so he doesn't get ink all over his hand." After that, you would think to yourself, "Whatever, he still looks like a pretentious idiot." And neither of you would ever know that (a) you were both right, and (b) you could find out more about him and his crazy way of thinking at this location (https://camaciolek.wordpress.com/).
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