Seek Ye First (book 5 of Genesis 64)

Chapter 9 - Search for Faith

U.S. Interstate highway 18 in Pennsylvania heading south toward Virginia and Washington, D.C. - still that afternoon

song by Boston 'Don't Look Back' continues to play:

It's a bright horizon and I'm awakin' now

Oh I see myself in a brand new way

The sun is shinin' ooh the clouds are breakin'

'Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play

I can tell there's no more time left to criticize

I've seen what I could not recognize

Everything in my life was leading me on

But I can be strong, oh yes I can

I finally see the dawn arrivin'

I see beyond the road I'm drivin'

Far away and left behind, left behind

"So, you were going to tell me about meeting my mom?" Chris starts remembering their conversation in the county clerk's office.

"It was sixteen years ago. I had to pick her up at the Los Angeles airport and take her to 'The Island' to meet with the Elders," begins Jonah.

"Wait, what island and who are the Elders?" inquires Chris.

"They're who I work for --- the owners and founders of Black Knights Oil & Gas, and 'The Island' is where they live," responds Jonah.

"But why her ...," begins Chris.

"Because she was on the run from the Chinese government and they wanted to question her before other legal authorities got involved," Jonah explains.

"But why...?" Chris asks again.

"Because someone in her family had close ties to 'The Island'. Sorry, that's all I know. They wouldn't even tell me everything," Jonah further explains.

"So, what happened on The Island?" Chris asks.

"It started out pretty straight forward. I turned her over to 'The Island' security guard and went to the Festival?" Jonah says.

"The Festival?" Chris asks.

"Yes, it's a celebration that only happens once every eight years. There were many leaders, administrators, and bosses from the mainland there. There was a lot of Island wine there too, and I had way too much. I was feeling pretty good when I finally got back to my room. I could sense there was a least two people in the room when I walked in. One of them cracked me in the back of the head with something heavy, and when I woke up the next morning I was in the bed with a massive headache." Jonah further explains.

"Oh my...!" Chris exclaims. "Did they ever find out who did it?"

"There were only two people missing the next day - your mom, and a man, whom I've never trusted, named Malachi. I searched for them, on my off-time, for a few years, but someone must've been helping them because I couldn't track them down. Eventually I got official word from the Elders to stop looking - so I did," Jonah says.

With most of her questions answered, the rest of the ride to Washington, D.C. is quiet. As they got closer to the city and begin seeing the signs, Chris asks, "So why are we coming here?"

Jonah answers, "Only Malachi knows where your mom is - and there's only one person in the world who can tell us where Malachi is."

"And they're here in Washington?" questions Chris.