The Prophecy - 21. Chapter 21

Alec questioned them on their way. Jason told him of the French company and of the thought that had formed in his mind. Alec gave him a sideway glance and a smile.

"It seems I arrived just in time," he said.

"What do you think, Alec? Are you able to do it? I think it's our only chance," Jason said.

Alec gave him a nod. "Sure," he said in a self-assured voice.

Gary leaned forward and asked what they were talking about. Alec ignored his grandfather's question, but Jason turned his head back and looked at the two men in the back seat.

"We have devised a plan," he said. "We must act fast. Time is running out."

Leonard looked at his watch nervously and Gary just looked back in confusion.

It was getting dark when they arrived at London. Alec drove into a suburb and stopped the car in front of a multi-storey building. They climbed out of the car, Alec hurried towards the entrance door and the others followed him. Alec pulled a key from the pocket of his jeans and opened the door. They entered the building and Alec led them to the elevator. They drove up to the ninth floor and then walked down a dark and smelly corridor. Alec stopped in front of an apartment and unlocked the door.

"It seems you have a second life, Alec," Gary said in disbelief. "Who is that friend of yours and why do you have the key to his apartment?"

Alec glanced at his grandfather. "Like I said, I can use his lab while he's away," he replied.

"Does the man have a name?" Gary asked in an annoyed voice.

"Dave," Alec said shortly.

He switched on the light in the hallway. Polythene bags and empty cartons, packing materials, filled the corridor. Two flat screens leaned against the wall and user manuals and leaflets were spread on the floor. The air was stale and smelled of cigarettes. Leonard coughed and Gary gave a disgusted grunt. Unimpressed, Alec walked on and opened a door. He entered the room and switched on the light. Jason, Leonard, and Gary followed him and then stopped short at the unexpected sight. The room was stuffed with tables, computers, notebooks, and other electronic devices and the floor was covered with cables, switch boards and unused drives. The room looked like the computer centre of a major company. The three men looked around in disbelief.

"What’s this?" Gary asked in bewilderment.

"Dave’s lab," Alec replied.

He moved into the room and started booting the computers.

"A secret operation centre," Jason said excitedly. He joined Alec. "How fast can you get into their system?" he asked.

"What?" Gary asked, stepping closer.

"Alec will hack into Lefèvre Industries’ computer system,” Jason explained.

"This is illegal," Gary replied in an indignant voice.

"The dark order’s plan is lethal," Leonard said.

"Think of the end of the world," Jason added.

"The end justifies the means," Alec said drily.

Gary gazed at him, but finally gave him a nod. Alec started typing on a keyboard. The others watched him for a while. Time passed by. Jason finally went and checked Dave’s messy kitchen for something to eat and drink. Gary and Leonard sat down on a worn couch in the rear of the room. Jason provided them with instant coffee and biscuits. Leonard seized the latter thankfully. Jason took a chair and sat down beside Alec. The young man had meanwhile booted and activated all computers and electronic devices. Several windows showed on two screens. Alec turned to a third computer and opened a browser.

"Again, what's the name of the company?" he asked.

"Lefèvre Industries," Jason said.

Alec opened the company's website and studied it for a minute. "All right," he said. " I’m pretty certain I'll be able to connect to their computer system. Dave wrote a fantastic programme. I will track them down."

He opened a few programmes and entered the URL and the company’s IP-address into several input windows. The programmes started their work. Bars and windows showed the progress of the analysis. Time passed by. Suddenly, Alec leaned forward and pressed a key. A window popped up. It showed an input field and Alec typed in a few numbers. Jason watched him curiously. Alec pressed keys and typed more numbers. A larger window opened. Alec nodded contentedly and pointed at the screen. He turned his head to Jason. His lips showed a devilish grin.

"It was not too difficult. My computer is now connected to the company’s server," he said.

"Will they notice the intrusion?" Jason asked, leaning forward and studying the screen.

Alec snickered. "No way," he said. He gave a sideway glance at Jason. "I’ll start a programme now that will check the server’s directories. It will be looking for hidden and protected sections. Provided they use the company’s server for their secret activities, we’ll find out about them soon. Dave’s programmes are fantastic. It’s simply a question of time."

"I’m just wondering where you learned all this and why?" Gary asked from the background. "The circumstances are exceptional and I won’t stop you, but when this is done I want an honest answer, Alec."

Alec turned his head and smiled at his grandfather. "This means you trust in my abilities, Grandpa. Promised, when all this is done, I’ll tell you the truth," he said.

Gary shook his head slightly. "I think I have finally realized that this is not a game," he said. "Our activities are illegal. We’re breaking laws. Who knows where all this will lead us to?"

Jason swallowed, but then turned away and continued looking at Alec’s screens. Alec ignored his grandfather's words entirely and focused on his hacking activities.

Time passed by. Alec worked quietly and totally focused. Jason finally gave up looking at the screens and joined Gary and Leonard on the couch. Leonard handed him the cookie box and then looked at his watch.
"If they really plan a global disaster, then the operation must be long under way," he said.

"Two protected sections," Alec called out excitedly and turned to the others. "I’ve cracked them open. Do you want to have a look?"

Jason jumped to his feet and Gary and Leonard stood also. Alec pointed at a window on the screen.

"Section one," he said.

They all leaned forward.

"How fast can you check them?" Jason asked anxiously.

"It could take some time," Alec replied. He pointed at another screen. "Section two. I’ll be checking the sections simultaneously. But I need to enter a few key words. What are we looking for?"

"Goodness," Gary said.

"Goodness?" Alec asked in confusion.

"What?" Gary asked back.

"You want me to enter ‘goodness’?" Alec asked with a puzzled look.

"No," Gary replied. "The word slipped my mouth."

"Ah," Alec said.

"What kind of words?" Leonard asked.

"Well, what kind of stuff are you looking for?" Alec asked, rolling his eyes.

"Well, criminal activities," Gary replied.

"The secret order’s activities. The end of the world," Leonard said.

"I see," Alec replied, turning back to his computer screen. He started to type. "Dark, occult, secret, global, disaster, catastrophe, end of the world, doomsday," he said.

"Apocalypse," Gary suggested.

"Prophecy," Leonard said.

"Concerted action," Jason added. "Biological weapons, virus, H1N1, attack." He paused, thinking. "Jason," he said.

All eyes turned to him.

"Jason?" Alec asked in bewilderment. "Your first name, why?"

"Hell, yes," Leonard exclaimed.

"God," Gary said.

Alec looked from one to the other. "Now what?" he asked.

"Type them all. Hell, god, Jason, saviour, angel, foe, enemy, archenemy," Jason said.

"Opponent," Gary suggested.

"Antagonist," Leonard said.

Alec gave them a questioning look, but then entered the key words.

"Any more?" he asked.

"Devil, Lucifer, Satan," Gary said. "We suspect the order is a satanic order. So why not type the words?"

"True," Leonard confirmed. "Let me think. Demon."

"Black angel," Jason added.

"The demons have names," Gary said.

"Right, Gary," Leonard said excitedly. "I came across their names also while researching supernatural stuff." He scratched his head. "But I’m afraid I don’t remember them."

Alec eyed Leonard and then turned to a computer. He opened a web browser and searched for the names. A minute later, he gave them a triumphant look. He pointed at the screen.

"Lucifer, Abaddon, Asmodeus, Azrael, Leviathan, Arakiel, Azazel, Belial, Ezequeel, Lilith, Malphas, Marbas, Naamah, Semjasa,” Alec read. “Quite a number.” He copied the names into the input field. "Any more?" he asked.

Jason shrugged and Leonard shook his head.

"Nothing more comes to mind," Gary said.

"All right. Let’s see what the programme will find," Alec said. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the screens. "This will take a while. I guess I’m having a Coke or so. Is any food left?" he asked.

Jason searched the kitchen again. He found cans of Coke, chips, spaghetti, and tomato sauce. Half an hour later, the four of them were eating spaghetti in Dave’s lab.

"I've only just now realized how hungry I was," Jason said.

"I did so earlier," Leonard replied drily, pointing at the empty cookie box.

"I don’t particularly like Italian dishes," Gary said, "but this one was truly delicious."

"Yes," Alec said. "I’m...."

A high-pitched sound interrupted him.

Alec jumped to his feet. "We’ve scored a hit," he called out. He hurried to the computers and pointed at a screen. "The programme found a protected folder," he said.

He leaned forward and typed on the keyboard. A window popped up and showed two words, black letters on a white background.

"Operation Abbadon," Alec said.