The Dharma Revelation

Chapter 35

With Vincent at the wheel, Petra, Daniel and Dharma left for Donatelli's restaurant. Lassiter dealt with the cancelation paperwork, and the four drove off immediately, eager to get Caleb back and hopefully reschedule the experiment.

The late-afternoon sky was dark with clouds. The forecast had called for storms, but it seemed as if they still had some time before then.

Daniel looked at the girls in the back seat. They were talking quietly to each other. It seemed as if Dharma was giving Petra some advice on her centering technique.

Daniel found it interesting how Dharma spoke to each of them in their own theological language. Even in the case of Vincent, she shifted her oratory to a scientific tone. And with all of them, she often used metaphors and parables to make her points, as if direct communication were not good enough.

"I still think we should have brought BJ Turner," Vincent said to Daniel.

"Bringing muscle isn't going to help us today," Daniel disagreed. "Neither will guns or any sort of fighting. Cavanaugh's group will be prepared for anything we have."

"Nasir doesn't think they'll let either of them go. He thinks they're going to kill all of us."

"I know. He might be right."

Vincent glanced at Daniel, "Do you think he'll leave us, like Kushan?"

"I doubt it," Daniel answered. "Nasir is anxious to reset the experiment. It's a good thing he agreed to stay behind, so someone else can take the lead, should anything happen to us."

"There it is," Vincent announced.

The restaurant was easy to spot, despite the fact that its signs were unlit against the cloudy sky. It sat in a remote corner of a large parking lot, which originally appeared to belong to a strip mall.

There were four cars parked nearby. Vincent pulled up next to a silver Toyota Tundra and stopped the car.

"Closed, just like he said it would be," Vincent said.

Daniel turned toward Dharma. He wanted to ask her if she was sure about this, but before he could even ask, she nodded to him with a small smile. Sighing, he turned to Petra. She looked back at him without fear. Her beautiful face projected the confidence of someone at peace with their destiny, whatever that may be.

They exited the car and walked into the restaurant. The rumbling of thunder cascaded from a distant storm just as a cool wind blew over them. The sky above was far darker than it should have been for this time of day. Daniel thought about the warm air moving in, colliding with the cool autumn air, causing the clouds to boil overhead. He couldn't help but think that bringing young Dharma into this place of evil men was a similar clash of opposites.

Dharma's hand slipped into Vincent's as Daniel opened the door. Vincent and Dharma entered, followed by Petra and Daniel.

There was nobody there to greet them by the door, although faint aromas of cooking wafted toward them, verifying that people were here. It was dimly lit, but as they walked in they could make out some men huddled by a square shaped bar in the center of the restaurant. One man was behind the bar, three were sitting on stools, and two more were standing nearby.

Daniel grabbed Petra's hand in order to get her attention. She turned to look at him, and he gently pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "If something happens, I want you to stay close to Vincent and get back to the car as fast as possible."

She didn't answer him. Instead, she took advantage of how close they were, pulling him next to her, and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips lingered a bit long, almost as though she were saying goodbye. The smell of her hair and the curve of her body against his made him momentarily forget where they were.