BOOK 2: COMMUNITY / CH. 3: TROUBLE FOR ARNOLD AND PRISCILLA

MONDAY MID-MORNING

Running was good. Arnold felt alive when he was running. That's what had got him into the army in the first place. The recruiting officer had said they did plenty of running in the army. It was true too. Not quite as much running as Arnold would have liked, but he did like the discipline in the army too. So why had he disobeyed? What was he doing going AWOL? Well, that was obvious, he'd broken into a house. Karen's house, a witch's house, full of evil plots and schemes, find the evidence, Harry had said. Find what they're planning, see what she does in her spare time, what she studies, what interests her. Looked like what interested her was geology, science and ethical studies. That didn't sound like the witch Harry had said she was. Sounded like a normal sort of student from what little Arnold had seen when Teresa had been one. Had Harry been wrong? Harry had also said the house was unguarded, just a normal house. Harry had been wrong about that, that's for sure. Normal houses don't have glass you can bounce off. They don't have people in smart suits holding stunners coming in either. They didn't look like police. Internal security? Should he have just let himself be taken? He'd been in the wrong and been caught. Geneva convention? No, it didn't apply. Not to spies out of uniform. Not that he was in enemy territory in wartime either. He'd been in a suburb of his home town. How had Harry made him think this was justifiable at all? Stupid gullible Arnold. Just as gullible as Karen. Oh yes, that was how, she was a witch so everything was justified. What sort of morality was that, Arnold?

Those men, they could have been anyone. Private security guards, organised crime. Ha, where had Harry got that device? Couldn't have been legitimate. Why didn't I go for a good long run before doing this? Oh yes, confined to quarters for yelling at Teresa. He'd earned that. And the telling off from the big man. He'd dishonoured his uniform and so couldn't run and couldn't think. And Karen had tried to defend him. Then Harry came for one of their little chats. He'd told him what had happened, rescuing a stupid girl who'd gone into the tunnels and been heard praying by so called mind-reading Christians. Contradiction in terms. And how had she heard their response? Normal people didn't hear mind-readers. That was backwards, she must be one of them. But now, thinking for once, one of what? A witch or a mind-reading Christian? No way God would let a prayer from one of his people be an instrument to turn them to evil, surely! That didn't make sense. Had she prayed to the devil to be rescued? Very godly sounding little sermon she gave about the cost of the cross. So was she really a witch? Hard to tell. Didn't sound like one on Friday. Defending him to his C.O., imagine that! The devil masquerading as an angel, Harry had said. But Henry had turned to Christ through that girl Harry was calling a devil worshipper.

So where did that leave him? Running from security or the maffia, and the military police by now probably. Stupid Arnold, should have said I need to think about it. But no, it had to be now, Harry said. A strike for the forces of goodness. So where had the forces of goodness got that device? So. Harry gets a device from presumed criminals, Arnold goes AWOL and breaks into a house. People with stunners come and try to stop him. Don't kill him, come and see if he's all right after charging the window. Pathetic from an operational perspective, they're surely going to be in trouble. Probably not criminals then, criminals wouldn't bother with stunners unless they wanted you to talk. Mind readers didn't need that. Killers might, but surely not inept men with stunners. So those guys were probably security, out to catch a thief and caught Arnold. Wonder why they were interested in Karen.

A car shrieked round the corner. Not a computer driven transport. Either ancient or military. Human driver in a hurry. No military markings. Duck this way into the woods. Evasion. Good thick cover here. Who was in it? They looked serious trouble too. Guns were out, not stunners. Oh Arnold, you idiot, that's Maffia style. Where are you, anyway? Oh clever feet, very clever. Running my normal route, I'm almost at the base. Ten minutes maybe. Unknown people with guns after me, unknown people with stunners after me. At least in a court marshal it'll be people with military law after me. Know where you are with military law. Big trouble but alive. Maybe they'll let me run in prison, it's better than dead. Best option is get back to barracks. Which way? That way. The fence, gateway that way. Friends with guns, but near the road. Oh well, can't be helped. Pull this stupid disguise off here, stop looking like a thief, look like a squaddie out for a run instead. AWOL squaddie running for home! Me, AWOL! They'll have a laugh at that. Pursuit still coming. Stay out of sight of the fence and they might get caught too, that'd be good. I'll have to duck, dive, then a sprint finish maybe yelling, ‘Enemy pursuing, cover me!’ dive behind the sandbags. Military police are lovely friendly chaps compared to the Maffia.

Hey, lots of activity. Were they expecting him? Flicker of movement to the left, had someone had a tip off? Maybe they'd heard that car or a camera had spotted him and his pursuers. Maybe he'd be OK after all. Flicker to the right too. Good to see.

“Halt, sergeant!” Hands up. Friendly M.P.'s all round in full body armour. Gunfire behind him. Enemy engaged, I'm safe. I wonder how.

Karen hadn't caught all of it. She'd been dropping in and out, reporting to the others what was happening. Then Sarah had said she'd link minds and relay, so Karen had got all the last bit. Maria had been relaying to someone, probably base command for the last bit, from what Arnold had witnessed.

[Karen, focus on peace now.] Sarah advised. [If there's heat, wait for it to go.]

There was heat. [Is this a scary amount of heat {image}?]

[Slightly, but not deadly, Karen, rest easy.]

“I've told Karen to rest a while, Maria. She's been working hard, but she should be fine in ten minutes or so.”

“You said more than a few seconds could be deadly. I realise this must be different, but I was getting worried.”

“Oh, yes,” Sarah responded, “very different. Karen was only reading his surface thoughts. It takes some concentration, but it's nothing like the deep scan we can do of someone nearby. Much less information to process. I guess one way of describing what we can do is getting a script, like she's been doing just now, or take stills from the film, or get the full cinema experience. That last one is really risky. Oh, it's kind of fiddly, but we can also check up on someone without listening to their thoughts. I think that's what Karen tried to do at the beginning, but missed and got some idea of what he was doing as well.”

“But as long as you don't miss, you could do a health check on someone, and you wouldn't consider it mind-reading?”

“Yes. That's right.”

“So, next question,” Maria asked, “how do you pick up one person out of millions? That doesn't sound possible.”

“We're not sure. Except we know this is a spiritual gift. We guess that somehow God enables us to connect to the person, or he's given us access to some kind of spiritual version of the network.”

“So all you need is a name?”

“We didn't even have a name for Karen, just her voice. We tried to focus on ‘that voice’ but that didn't work, so we tried calling her ‘Damsel in distress’ and that was enough of a name to do it.”

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“So if you named the two people who were chasing Arnold as Gunman1 and Gunman2, it might work?”

“Urm, it might. You want us to check on the health of the would-be assassins?”

John asked. “I don't know if I care about them enough to bother. I'm sure the army guys have caught them by now.”

“Just think of it as a test, please, John,” Maria asked.

“OK, I'll try it,” he sighed. He tried checking on Gunman 1's health — nothing. Gunman driver — nothing. He had an idea. Karen's uncle — nothing, Karen’s evil uncle — nothing, Karen's uncle Roland — healthy, impatient.

Call the man driving that car Norbert, John decided. Norbert's health — worried. “Names are important. I guess it affects how we think of someone. I got nothing for Gunman 1, Gunman driver, Karen's uncle, Karen's evil uncle. I got results for Karen's uncle Roland, and Norbert.”

“Who's Norbert?”

“I decided the man driving the car was called Norbert. Norbert's worried and uncle Roland is impatient.”

“Interesting. And if I told you there was someone called Priscilla Robertson who I know, could you tell me how she is? I haven't heard from her in a while and I was expecting to.”

“Urm, OK. I'll try.”

John tried, not really believing it would work. So he was rather surprised when it did. “She's alive. Hurt, I think. Cold. She's hurt and cold.”

“Where is she? Can you tell me?”

“Not unless I scan her and she happens to think I'm at such and such a place. Are you expecting her to be in danger, or has she just stubbed her toe after going out in the rain without her coat? I can't tell.”

“She should have been meeting me at the airport when I arrived. So yes, considering her job, I’m concerned for her health.”

[Sarah, Kate, can I scan her on that basis?]

[Another sworn statement?] Sarah suggested.

[Yes. On that basis, I think.] Kate agreed. [Karen, could you hold your mum's hand please. Someone called Priscilla Robertson is in trouble, maybe.] “Mummy, where have you been sending Priscilla to now?”

“I haven't. She should have met me at the airport, but she never turned up. Still hasn't checked in. Another statement?”

“Yes please,” John said.

After those formalities were completed, John listened to Priscilla's surface thoughts, with Sarah relaying to the others. She was in a lot of pain. [Stupid stupid stupid. Didn't think. Use the eye hole next time, stupid. Idiot way to end up. Maria will laugh herself silly. My own freezer. Stupid place to die. Bundled up like a turkey. Good strong knots these. Can't even reach my panic button. Fingers stopped working a long time ago anyway.]

[Help's on the way, John. Please keep listening.] Sarah thought to him.

[Thanks for letting me know, love.]

He thought of something. [Sarah, could Maria get the house to turn off the freezer?] John tried shouting to her that help was coming, but she didn't hear. Then he realised he could pray while he was listening, so he prayed for her life and her soul too.

[It's cold in here and I don't want to die. I'm too young! Not too stupid of course. Oh God, get me out of here, please, don't let me freeze to death! What's changed? It's got quieter. Compressor turned off. Does that mean the power's got too low, or they wanted to let me freeze slowly, I wonder. Everything hurts, God! Are you there? I didn't use to want to believe in you, God. I'll believe in you if you get me out of this. Maybe I believe in you now. Thank you for turning off the compressor, God. Or was it just coincidence? Doesn't matter. God, I'm sorry. Forgive me. Forgive me for making fun of Karen's faith. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. ‘Secret agent found dead in freezer bound like turkey. Fowl play suspected.' Who was that man anyway? How did he find me? What did he mean, try to send Maria a message for him? How can I get a message to Maria if I'm dead? And why booby-trap the freezer anyway? I'm sure that's what they were doing. Some kind of sick joke? Insurance in case I got found? Make sure I can tell them the message but not identify him? That doesn't make sense. My mouth is gagged. It doesn't make sense, God, and I'm supposed to be good at riddles! Please get me out of here God! I want to be alive and I want to follow you. Let someone rescue me, please! Don't let them get blown up trying! And what a stupid message. 'Don't let them spill the beans.' Let who spill what beans? Where? Why give me a message I can't deliver without getting out of here which I can't do and live? I'm so cold, God. Am I dying? Is that why I'm hearing things? Someone's here? Don't let them blow us up, God. What does he mean someone's listening to my thoughts? Why is he asking me which end my head is? Oh, that's nice of him, he doesn't want to drill into my skull. How did he know I'm here? Hey, that's Karen's voice. She's saying what I just thought. Hi Karen, are you dead too? I'm hallucinating! No, he's tapping at my feet end. Why were you almost dead? You what? I didn't hear that, you broke your egg? Your leg, oh. And God heard your prayer and you got rescued? I can't hear you, Karen it sounds someone's drilling into my freezer. This is so bizarre. I must be hallucinating. Never had such real hallucinations though.]

The drilling stopped, and warm air entered the freezer. Now some kind of cutting tool was being used. “Hello, Priscilla, we'll soon have you out. Lovely booby trap by the way, thanks for the warning or we'd have both been blown to pieces at the same time. How did you get into this mess?”

“Mmm-Mmm-MM-MM Mmm-mm-mmm!” [This is too weird. Who is that?] “She tried to say, 'This is too weird. Who is that?’ Tell her she doesn't need to try and talk, Bob.”

“Did you hear that, Priscilla? Karen's on my wrist unit and says you don't need to talk. Here, have a nice chat while I cut you out.” And he put his wrist unit into the hole he'd drilled.

[So how can you hear me, Karen?]

“She asked how I can hear her, Bob. Actually John's concentrating on listening to your thoughts, and I'm sort of listening in on the line. It's easier that way on both of us. It leaves more of my brain free so I can do the talking, and John doesn't get so tired. John's one of the people who heard me when I was screaming for help down in the tunnel. How's Bob doing?”

[My freezer's never going to be the same. I think he's about half way done cutting the end off.]

“The end? Oh yes, you've got one of those new chest freezers, haven't you? Are they really more efficient? Sorry, wrong time to ask. How are you really?” [I'm alive, my friends are here, no one's actively trying to kill me. My extremities are possibly gone, and I promised your God I'd follow Him if He got me out of this alive.]

“Yes, I heard. Your God too now.”

[Going to need a nice long chat about that sometime. Very soon. What does He want me to do?]

“Do you mean in the generic, or the right now?”

[Right now.]

“I heard you say sorry, I heard you say you wanted to follow Him. Trust Him, thank Him for saving you from death and for saving you from sin, which is the much much bigger one, really. Urm, do you remember me telling you about the biggest commandment?”

[Something about loving Him lots.]

“Yes, with all your heart, strength and mind. Good basis for your life. That and loving others like you love yourself.”

[Sounds tricky. I'm not going to be good at that, Karen.]

“None of us are, but we keep trying. And it stops us getting proud. Not much point being proud in front of real perfection.”

[Ooh, Bob's got the end off. How's he planning to get me out? I'm still a lump of ice.]

“I don't know. Bob, how are you going to get her out?”

“Like this!”

[He's got some kind of crazy fork lift thing. Ow, I'm glued down.]

“Bob, I'm going to speak for her. She's glued down.”

“OK, Priscilla, we'll unstick you. These forks have warm air jets see? I don't know who came up with it, but it's been in the stores for years, labled ice rescue kit.”

[Oooh warmth. Nice. But you need to warm my core first, you know that? Extremities really slowly.]

“I've done Arctic rescue before, Pris, I know. What time did they put you in there?”

[I was just leaving to meet Maria, about 8 A.M.]

Bob did some quick guesses about frost-bite, given she was only wearing a summer dress. “Oh. Sorry.”

The arms were slowly working their way in underneath her, leaving an insulating blanket where they'd passed. Eventually they'd be able to simply slide her half-frozen form out. [I'm alive, Bob, even if I won't have fingers and things for a while.]

“Well, let's get you out of there.”

“Ambulance standing by,” Karen passed on.

“OK, Priscilla, out you come. I'll try and remove the gag, but if it's stuck I'm not going to hurt you more.” He carefully cut the gag. The gag seemed to have stopped her lips from freezing, and she was able to move her jaw. ‘Thanks Bob.’

The ambulance crew took her away, leaving the booby trap to Bob and the bomb squad. They in turn told Bob he wasn't really needed, and they'd much rather he let them take over. Defusing it took the rest of the day and made rather a mess of her kitchen, but it didn't seem likely she'd live here again any time soon, anyway.