SFO airport, 6.00 p.m.
“Attention Mr Vincent Lezier. Mr. Vincent Lezier. This is your last boarding call. Please head to gate G3 as soon as possible. Thank you”
Vincent doesn’t realize that his name has been called several times. He actually is sitting in front of the counter of the Delta airlines. Finally, an attendant walks toward him, touch him in the arm and ask “Excuse me, Mr Lezier ? Are you Mr Lezier?” Vincent is startled, as if he just wakes up from a dream. Staring blankly at the attendant, he says “Can I help you?”
“Haven’t you heard us calling your name? Your plane is about to leave now.”
Vincent jumps from his chair like it’s a scalding hot ember, running toward the gate yelling “Thank you” and “Wait up!!!” at the same time.
LAX, 8.15 p.m.
Vincent arrives at LA. He calls a cab and said “Holiday Inn, Santa Monica.” During the taxi ride, his mind is racing. “Who is Benjamin Rabinowitz? What is the Temple Guardians? Since he’s the fourth member, have I killed the first 3? Who am I?? “
As his mind is still in chaos, the taxi driver breaks the silence. “We’re here”. Vincent pays the driver, and begins to look around the hotel.
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Vincent walks toward a payphone across the street from the hotel. He calls the receptionist, and asks for room 205. The phone rings.
“Rabinowitz.”
Vincent asks “Peter Rabinowitz ?”
“No,Benjamin Rabinowitz”
“Oh sorry, wrong number”
“No problem”
“Thank you”
Click. “He’s here.”
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Vincent begins searching the hotel. He finds room 205, counts the number of room from the front to find the back window. He sneaks to the back of the hotel and sees the fire escape. But the ladder is hanging about 3 meters high above him. Vincent gauges the distance, and tries to jump to bring the ladder down. To his amazement, he jumps really high, and grabs the end of the ladder and brings it down. “Whoa…” he says in his breath. He can’t believe it himself. “How did I do that?”
He begins to climb the ladder to the 2nd floor, and sneaks in from the window of the room. The lamp is on. He readies his gun, looks around and finds Ben watching TV. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and then jumps inside. Ben is startled, almost fall from his bed.
“Don’t move OR scream, and I will make this as painless as possible” as Vincent points his silencer gun at Ben. Ben is trembling, and very scared. Suddenly, a really bright blue glow lights up. It’s coming from Ben’s bedside table. Ben looks at him, then the glow…then mutters “Zeriel…”
“What?”
The name is strangely familiar to him. Ben is inching towards him.
“Stay where you are!!!”
Ben ignores his warning, and keeps moving forward. Out of panic, Vincent closes his eyes and shoots him frantically. When he opens his eyes, Ben is on the floor, his body is still. Vincent moves closely. He looks at the old man, kneels beside him. In his dying breath, Ben takes Vincent hand and says. “Find Jenna Dayton in Berkeley…she has the answer that you’re looking for…and take the Manna Crystal in the drawer with you…so glad…to finally…find you….” Ben lets out a loud sigh, and his life fades away…
Vincent stares at the lifeless body for quite some time. He stands slowly, looking up at the night sky, and whispers “Zeriel?”
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