Zero Day, стр. 16
“Me?” Yona laughed.
“You didn’t know, I guess, that Kelvin was interested in you when you were observing some of his colleagues in Project Pericarp.”
“He invited me to coffee. I said no.”
“Because you were in a relationship at that time,” Reuel reminded her. “Since your ex-boyfriend is no longer in the picture, you’re single and free.”
“I’m not for sale.” Yona blurted.
“You don’t have to do anything, really.” Issachar laughed. “Kelvin would bend over backwards if he thinks any harm would come to you.”
“Of course, brother.” Reuel shook hands with Issachar. “Anything for the cause.”
“What cause?” Yona asked.
"Shall we tell her?” Issachar asked.
“She won’t live long to tell others, you mean?” Reuel rubbed his chin.
Yona blinked.
I’m dreaming. Wake up, wake up.
Something was wrong with the conversation, but Yona couldn’t pin it down.
“Our cause is to make MedusaNet available to all organizations,” Issachar said.
“Let me guess. You don’t mean run-of-the-mill organizations.”
“Aren’t we altruistic, you might wonder?” Reuel seemed disappointed that Yona wasn’t happier.
“I trusted the two of you like my own father—you’re like the father I lost.” Yona tried to keep her emotions in check.
When her parents had died in some roadside bombing that took out the bus they were riding on, Issachar had been kind to Yona, supporting her through university, reminding her that her father would have done the same thing for Issachar’s children.
Issachar had encouraged Yona to serve her country beyond the mandatory military enlistment. He ended up recruiting her for the Mossad.
Just like he had recruited Yona’s father when the latter had been in university.
“You look disappointed,” Issachar said. “I won’t ask you what it’s about, but disappointments are a part of life—”
Yona’s palm went up to stop him. “Just don’t. I don’t want to hear any more of your advice.”
Reuel opened his mouth to speak.
“You too.” Yona pointed her finger at him. “You ply me with Bible verses, making yourself sound like you’re a holy man of God. How does what you’re doing now square with being a Christian?”
“Fair question.” Issachar curled his lips and nodded.
“Well, I think I’ve fallen away from the faith.” Reuel shrugged.
“Or perhaps you never had faith in Jesus Christ in the first place?” Yona asked.
II Timothy 3:4-5 came to her mind.
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
“Maybe you’re Judas,” Yona added.
“That has a nice ring to it.” Issachar laughed.
“Maybe so.” Reuel looked more serious. “But do we care, really?”
“God cares.”
Reuel laughed. “That’s where we part ways, Yona.”
“You’ve been your own god this entire time, using bits and pieces of the Bible to back you up.” Yona’s voice broke.
Issachar moved toward the door. “You two can talk all you want, but I’m going to lunch.”
Reuel ordered his guards to take Yona away.
“Wait. Aren’t you going to invite me to lunch?” Yona asked. Three can play crazy. “For old times’ sake?”
“No!” They both said at once.
Yona wanted them to keep talking, but that would have to wait. If they talked and told her enough, she could bring all that evidence home to Mossad—
Oh wait.
I quit.
She felt alone. So alone.
Chapter 13
Kelvin hadn’t seen Yona in the last twenty-four hours, and he was beginning to worry. No, freak out. No, worry. Probably both.
The last time he had seen her, they were both tied up on some warehouse floor. They took him away and put him in a shipping container. He had fallen asleep for who knew how long.
They woke him up sometime later, and drove him around with a hood over his head. He fell asleep again in the vehicle.
And woke up in this dungeon. For the most part, it was a dry basement of some sort, with stone walls all around. The ceiling lights shone on rows of computer workstations, but he was the only one deposited in this room.
There was a small bathroom—a toilet and sink—to one end. He washed his face in the sink. No paper towel. He let his face air dry because his shirt was too dirty to be used to wipe his face.
For a man who was probably going to die, he hadn’t lost his sense of hygiene.
He found a comfortable chair to sit in. They were all alike, but this one didn’t squeak. Also, it was in front of the largest screen in the room.
He figured if he was dropped off here, they—whoever they were—would want him to work, and he’d take the biggest screen, thank you.
As he waited, his thoughts kept turning back to Yona. And the more he thought of her, the more anxious he became.
He closed his eyes to recall some scripture he had studied in his scattered past. A long time ago, Cayson invited him to church at Midtown Chapel. Kelvin went because he had been saved as a teenager, although he hadn’t been serious about it.
In the several years he had worked for Binary Systems, he attended sporadic church services with Cayson. His faith wasn’t as strong as Cayson’s either.
And then Mother’s cancer came and ruined his life.
Well, in retrospect, he had forgotten God. He had gone his own way.
“Am I a prodigal son, Lord?” Kelvin mumbled. “I want to come back to You, Lord. Please forgive me, and take me back.”
His words echoed in the silent room.
“It’s my fault that Yona is in trouble. It will be ugly if they use her against me,” Kelvin whispered to himself.
He felt a headache coming. It usually came when he felt stressed. “Yes, I’m worried.”
Philippians 4:6 reminded him not to be anxious, but to pray and trust God.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Kelvin liked the old meaning of “careful” because it spoke of being full of care or worries. He felt like he was bursting with worry for Yona.
And she probably had no idea he had any thought of her.
She probably thought all he ever considered was his own selfish