Chapter 15A: Jerusalem, December 2037

I was adding the finishing touches to my 25th novel. It was a splendid work of fiction, and I hoped that this would be my breakthrough. I have never heard about anyone having a breakthrough on their 25th novel, but I have never heard of the opposite either, so this was it.

The eight last years of my life had been both eventful and uneventful at the same time. I had travelled the world with James and Michael, looking for alien artefacts or clues to unlock the door in the Templar Tunnels. While exploring the corners of the world, we had also tried to recruit followers.

Neither of our objectives had been successful. I lacked the religious zeal to be a credible spiritual leader, and our strained relationship with the Vatican didn't help. When it came to our search for ancient artefacts, we hadn't found anything useful. In the tunnels below, that damn door still impeded our progress, stopping us from getting to the primordial the Zeto Crystal. In our desperation to get ahead, we had tried both explosives and lasers, without even denting the door. While this proved that something valuable was on the other side, it didn't get us closer to our goal.

I stopped writing, as Mossad agent Dov Dorevitch unexpectedly stormed into my office.

"Martin Al-Sham. I know that you are up to something bad." Dov shouted.

I was reflecting over Dov's statement. Was this a sign from the True Maker that my 25th book wouldn't be successful? Or was Dov talking about something else? 'Only one way to find out,' I thought, and I replied. "What are you talking about. I am writing a novel. What do you think I am up to?"

Dov shook his head and replied. "I don't care about your book. But you are the leader of a militant Christian faction in a contested region of the world. There are rumours about a terrorist attack taking place tomorrow."

I sighed and poured myself and Dov, a glass of red wine each from an ornamental golden carafe I had in my office.

"I am not drinking while performing my duty. Answer my question!" Dov growled.

"I didn't hear a question. I heard an unrelated statement." I argued.

"Al-Sham. You are the leader of a militant Christian order. Can you prove that your group isn't involved in the last few years' repeated attacks?" Dov insinuated.

"Proving innocence is an impossible task. That's why the justice system is about proving guilt. Can you prove that the Mossad isn't behind the rapid increase in terrorist attacks?" I replied and smirked.

I knew that the Yehuda Brothers, together with Pierre Beaumont and the World Bank, financed Islamic terrorism. The ruling elites wanted terrorism as a distraction to their own nefarious schemes. As for the Yehuda Brothers, they hoped that Islamic terrorism would unite the Jews to drive the Muslims away from the Holy Land.

"I cannot prove that the Mossad is innocent when it comes to this. As a matter of fact, I believe that elements within the Mossad are conspiring against the Israeli people." Dov disclosed.

"That's interesting. Unfortunately, I am sold out of tin foil hats. The Knights Templar is not a militant organisation in the sense that you describe us. The things we have in common with our precursor organisation is our discipline, our religious zeal, and our chastity." I stated.

"Weren't you too busy frequenting high-end brothels in Rome, to save pope Septimus life?" Dov insinuated.

I decided to not answer Dov's statement. His presence both annoyed and terrified me. He was an issue that I needed to deal with, but first, he needed to leave my office. "Was there anything else?" I asked.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, there is. This girl landed at the airport a few hours ago. An 18-year-old travelling from Australia, flying with expensive Orbit Flight tickets. Highly suspicious!" Dov said and put a document on my desk.

I was about to answer when I had a quick look at the document. The content of the document stunned me. A certain Sabina Hines had landed earlier today. I looked at her picture. It was the spitting image of Ellen Hines, the woman I had a short tryst with 18 years earlier. But hadn't Sabina and Ellen died in the South African Civil War in 2023?

I realised that I had never verified the deaths of Ellen and Sabina. I had been filled with guilt and terror and had not dared to face the truth. Instead, I had assumed that they were dead from seeing the dead girl on television news. If Sabina was alive and had come to Jerusalem, I had to see her. There were so many unresolved questions that I had. Among them, I needed to find out whether she was my daughter or not.

"As I thought. You know this girl, don't you? I'll be watching you, Al-Sham." Dov said, picked up the document, and left me speechless.

***

"Dov is coming after us. We need to act now." I said to Ben Yehuda over the encrypted phone.

"You worry about nothing, As-Sham. Let him believe that we involve ourselves with this Sabina Hines woman. It will direct his focus in the wrong direction. We will deal with Dov if it becomes necessary." Ben replied.

"So, what is going to happen tomorrow?" I asked.

"The bloodred sun will rise again. Hopefully, it will bring my people a better future." Ben replied. "Will there be another attack?" I asked.

"I hope so. But since I don't carry out the actual attacks, I cannot know for certain. Don't worry, Martin. Stay away from the Western Wall and focus on your books. Pierre or I will contact you about future assignments. Dismissed." Ben replied and hung up the phone.

After the phone call, I felt anxious. Ben knew that Sabina was in Jerusalem. While it was trivial knowledge to him, I would still feel more comfortable if he didn't know. I decided to arrange a meeting with James and Michael to discuss the matter further.

***

It was close to midnight when my fellow templars James and Michael entered my office. They got seated by my dining table, and I poured them each a goblet of red wine. As we drank the wine, we cheered and praised the Virgin Mary. After the usual formalities, Michael spoke.

"What is going on, Grandmaster. Why are we gathering like this, in the middle of the night?" Michael asked.

"There is going to be another attack tomorrow. A Salafist attack near the Western Wall." I revealed.

"Thanks for the warning, Grandmaster. But that doesn't explain why we are meeting like this. Let the infidels kill each other, for all I care." Michael replied.

I paused, took a large sip of my wine, and I spoke again. "There is a girl we need to look for. Both Dov and Ben mentioned her today. She might be crucial for the success of our mission here."

"Who is this girl, Grandmaster?" James asked.

"Her name is Sabina Hines; we need to find her and speak to her," I replied.

"Understood. We will start searching for the girl tomorrow. God bless you, Grandmaster." Michael said.

Michael and James got up and left the room. I hesitated for a moment. I wanted to start the search for Sabina tonight, but I didn't want to reveal to them why it was so urgent for me to see her.

Fortunately, I had another contact who didn't mind working in the middle of the night. I sent a message on the darknet, and I headed to our designated meeting spot.

***

"Did you bring the money?" Simona asked anxiously.

I chucked a stash of shekel notes on the floor, and I studied the girl. Simona was a skinny and black-haired girl. She was younger than 20, with very boyish looks and mannerism. I knew that she was a lesbian, but I didn't stop me from feeling attracted to her. I had never acted on this attraction, as I assumed that a 52-year-old man wouldn't be that attractive to an 18-year-old lesbian. Besides, I could get sex elsewhere but finding someone with Simona's talents was worth a fortune.

Simona had been my protégé for the last two years. Her family had disowned her when they discovered that she was a lesbian. This had forced Simona to move in with her girlfriend, Leah. Unfortunately, Leah had been an activist dedicated to bringing down the Yehuda Brothers. Once Ben Yehuda had found Leah's identity, he had decided to kill her himself. Simona had witnessed the murder from a hiding spot. I didn't know why Ben had left Simona alive, and I couldn't find out without compromising her identity.

Simona finished counting the money and turned towards me. "What do you need done?" Simona asked.

"There is someone I need you to find and contact. Her name is Sabina Hines, and I suspect that she is here on a mission." I replied.

"Why do you believe that?" Simona asked.

"18-year-old backpackers don't pay USD 30,000 for a one-way-ticket flying an Orbit Flight from Sydney. Besides, it's notoriously hard to get a tourist visa to Israel these days." I replied.

Simona nodded and replied. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find out everything you can about Sabina. If possible, try to meet her. Someone with your talents would be useful for her if she is in Jerusalem on a mission." I replied.

"And do you want me to help her?" Simona asked.

"Find out what she aims to do first, and then we can discuss the best course of action," I replied.

"And what about my payment?" Simona asked.

"You'll be well-compensated. Enough to leave this shithole and start a new life." I replied.

"Fair enough. I accept your offer." Simona said.

"Good. I expect your initial report by noontime tomorrow. Get to work, Simona" I said and left the safehouse.

***

*Kaboom*

The sound of a distant explosion woke me up. I looked at my phone. It was 1030 AM already. No early bird for me this morning, but to my defence I had been up late, hiring Simona to track down Sabina.

I got from my bed and made my way to the coffee machine when I heard a multitude of sirens from emergency vehicles. It was apparent to me that another big attack had taken place. I didn't mind, as it didn't affect me or my plans.

But then, anxiety gripped me. What if Sabina or Simona was among the killed? Sabina could be my daughter, and Simona was my protégé and crucial for my goals. I didn't want any of them to get injured in the blast. I called Simona.

"Hello?" Simona replied with a sleepy voice.

"I am waking you up for our meeting. See you in one hour, Simona!" I replied and hung up.

While I felt relieved that Simona was okay, I still didn't know about the fate of Sabina. I was getting ready for meeting Simona when I saw something that amazed me. The television news showed the CCTV footage from the terrorist attack. In the centre of the footage, I saw Sabina. I felt terrified when the explosion went off next to her, and the camera died.

'Don't focus on things you cannot change. Focus on what you can do,' I told myself, and I hurried to the safe house where I'd meet Simona.