Mystery of the Covenant Stones

Jakob removed the earbuds from their case and quickly inserted them into his ears, a small smile gracing his lips. With a satisfying zip of his bag, he made sure the overhead compartment was closed. Lizbet, with dark eyes boring into Jakob, spoke before returning to the front, ensuring only Jakob could hear her words. “Professor, you must be vigilant. You must get seated promptly for immediate departure.” Jakob nodded, not sure he appreciated her rebuff. He made sure his earbuds were inserted fully before glancing to his left, noticing the familiar face of Brick Dover seated on the aisle. Jakob had previously dubbed the man ‘Frequent Flyer’. Groaning within, he knew it was going to be a long flight home. Dover, eyes fixed on Jakob, made a guttural noise and mimed slitting his throat. Jakob shook his head, muttering his disapproval. Brick’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as piercing blue eyes glared at him. A single gray hair drifted onto Jakob’s forehead as he averted his gaze. “Such a child,” Jakob mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes. Jakob added something about Brick being a dork as he took his seat. A sound to his right caught his attention. Apparently, his seatmate in 7B was scrolling through the list of movies provided while munching on a bag of snack mix. It’s gonna be a long flight. Fatigued and hypersensitive, Jakob found even minor sounds painfully loud, adding to his excruciating headache. The incessant rummaging of his seatmate in 7B for the Gardetto's rye chips finally ceased, allowing the man to begin his movie. Jakob's attention was immediately drawn to the opening scene of the 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Terminator© playing on 7B’s screen. The screen displayed Los Angeles, AD 2029, and the Brit settled into his seat. Wow, I bet Arnold didn’t realize how close to reality things would be by 2029. After syncing his music, Jakob droned out the noise with Chicago's ‘Wishing You Were Here’ via his earbuds. Reclining in his seat, he closed his eyes, thinking of Deborah as he heard the music. He began his routine of decompressing his mind, taking several deep breaths, the music relaxing him. He finished by counting backwards from fifty as he breathed in and out, finally being able to rest. Jakob drifted off, but a sudden commotion caught his attention, causing him to blink and look up. He remembered Bet’s words from earlier. Jakob paused the serene sounds of ocean waves and Terry Kath's melodic guitar chords, his focus now shifting to an IDF officer briskly approaching his seat. The officer made his way toward Jakob and stopped. Startled by the officer, Jakob’s gaze met his seatmate’s in disbelief. Gesturing with his outstretched arm, the officer stepped aside, motioning for Jakob to stand. He spoke in a deep voice. “Hurry. You need to follow me.” Jakob’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the man, trying to collect his thoughts. Jakob emitted a groan that was filled with exhaustion and annoyance. “Why? What’s happening?” “We must hurry. You need to move. I don’t have time to explain or waste.” Standing and annoyed, Jakob followed the man toward the front. Looking back at Brick, open hands conveyed his genuine bafflement. Brick did the same finger swipe across his throat. Disgusted, Jakob shook his head, his eyes crinkling as he hurried after the officer. Suddenly panicked, Jakob realized he had left his bag in the overhead compartment. He couldn't leave without it. “Wait, I need to go back. I’ll only be a minute.” “Forget it. There’s no time.” Grabbing Jakob’s elbow firmly, the officer pulled him forward, then effortlessly pushed open the door, which was already closing on the EL AL 787 Dreamliner. The officer guided them through the flight tunnel. Jakob tried to pry his elbow from the officer’s grasp, but could only stare in disbelief. Concerned about his lack of vigilance, Jakob went over his morning routine, wondering if he had forgotten something. Man, I knew everything had gone way too smooth boarding that plane.