The Dharma Revelation

Chapter 47

Cavanaugh clapped his phone shut.

"Raines, get over here."

"What is it?" he said, joining Cavanaugh out on the balcony.

Cavanaugh ignored the question for a moment, "Heller, wake up the girl. We're leaving." He looked back at Raines, "I just got off the phone with Mr. Darcie. He wants us to take the girl to Devon Joseph."

Raines looked confused, "Why?"

"It was the whole reason for coming here. Joseph lives here in town, and Mr. Darcie trusts his opinion."

Raines shrugged, "Fine."

Cavanaugh looked at Raines, considering how to phrase his next thought. "There's more."

He closed the sliding door to shield their voices from the inside. Turning toward the view of the street below, he leaned on the railing. From their hotel room on the ninth floor, they could see many people beginning their day, scrambling to get to work on time. Distant sounds of taxis laying on their horns, and the distant sounds of unseen truck engines blazing down the interstate were prominent at this hour.

"Our instructions are very clear," Cavanaugh told him. "And I don't completely trust Heller, so I am entrusting this to you. If the girl somehow gets away, escapes, or otherwise leaves our sight, we must hunt her down and kill her immediately. Do you understand?"

Raines rough face broke into a frown, and he nodded, "I understand."

"Heller is right-minded," Cavanaugh said. "But he's weak. He doesn't have the stomach for this sort of thing. It will be up to you and me to do the job, if it comes to that."

"Did Mr. Darcie say why?"

"He did. He said that she is extremely dangerous. Osiris will no doubt begin spreading misinformation about a mystery girl with powers and insight. The plan, for now, is to let people think what they want, and when it dies down Mr. Darcie will launch counter information to derail and debunk their fanatical propaganda."

"Dangerous?" he asked, incredulously. "That little girl?"

"Even a tiny spark can ignite the fires of chaos," Cavanaugh said. "We must be vigilant in our work; we must hold true to our mission."

"Well, if what you're saying is true," Raines speculated. "Then we're going to have to kill the girl anyway. What difference does it make what Devon thinks?"

Cavanaugh cracked a small smile, "Devon is a Biblical scholar. He can debunk most of what she is saying. By questioning her firsthand, Devon can determine exactly the best way we can put this fire out." Cavanaugh took out his handgun and examined the cartridge. "If we can take care of this problem without bloodshed, then so be it. But if not, we'll do it the other way." He slapped the cartridge back into the handle.

Jason Heller pulled the car up around the front of the hotel. Raines hopped in the front, and Dharma and Cavanaugh in the back. They sped away from the building, making a sharp right turn onto a busy street.

Cavanaugh leaned forward toward Heller, "Make sure to stay around the speed limit. Devon may be busy, and his time valuable, but he will wait."

Heller nodded.

Cavanaugh adjusted his tie and looked over at the girl. She had changed into some new clothes, but still looked too young. He had hoped with more mature and conservative attire, she would look more like an adult and less like a child. Her mature demeanor did not match her age, and that bothered Cavanaugh.