Infinite Testament by Greg Ness Page A

preventing
anyone from getting in. “She’s in a gated community?”
    “Yes,” Balwant replied, “To keep stalkers out.” He
glanced at Stephen with a “like you” tilt of the head.
    “What do we do?” Campbell wondered aloud.
    “Pull up to the security booth,” Balwant said.
    Stephen complied and drove to the security booth. He
glanced at the gate. It was steel with narrowly spaced bars. He
considered driving through it, but would likely walk away with a crushed
minivan and a sore neck.
    The man in the booth was dressed like a police
officer. He was a chubby, dark-skinned Indian man. He walked out an
open door and approached Stephen. He raised his eyebrows and waited for
Stephen to initiate the conversation. Stephen obliged and stated, “We
need to get in.”
    “You on the list?” the guard retorted.
    “Well, not officially, no.”
    “Can’t let you in.”
    “Galav?” Balwant asked from the back.
    The expression from the security guard went from stern to
lighthearted in a flash. He peeked in Stephen’s window and looked toward
the backseat.
    “Balwant!”
    Balwant forced open the door of the minivan and hopped out
to approach Galav the Guard. “You didn’t tell me you were working security!”
    “I’ve been here for almost five years now! Trying to
keep out people like you!”
    Balwant hugged Galav. Overjoyed, he turned to
Stephen. “This is my brother! I have not seen him in ages!” They
jubilantly spoke to each other in their native tongue that Stephen couldn’t
understand.
    Stephen, Campbell, and Miles waited in silence while
Balwant and Galav were soaking up their reunion. Stephen looked at the
clock on the minivan dashboard: 3:23. “Hey Balwant,” Stephen said, “Can
you tell your brother we need to get moving here?” Balwant spoke to Galav
in a more serious tone, presumably asking him to let Stephen and his minivan
pass.
    Galav nodded. He turned to Stephen and said, “I will
let you in for bringing my brother to me. But don’t you start any trouble
in there.”
    The gate creaked open. “Lucky break,” Campbell
asserted. “You want to tell me why we’re going to see Lisa Binsby?”
    Stephen watched with great anticipation as the gate
continued to open. “We were in love once. I need to talk to her.”
    The statement stuck Campbell right in the face.
    The gate was open. It was time to find the woman he
had always loved. All he could hope was that she would be home.
    Lisa Binsby sat on a couch in Gina’s living room.
Gina was in the other room talking to her mother on the phone. Lisa
watched the reporter on television. He blared, “With only minutes left
until the 3:33 deadline, the world waits with anticipation to see if the
mysterious man who interrupted yesterday’s speech by Stephen Pandora will
fulfill his promise. The world has been turned on its head by this simple
threat. And shortly, skeptics and believers alike will learn the truth.”
    Lisa’s eyes strained. End of the world or not, she
had reason to feel dismal. She had money and fame but so much was
missing. Years ago, Stephen asked to marry her. What happened after
that changed the course of their history. Looking back, her handling of
the situation was her biggest regret. She had hurt Stephen and lost him
forever.
    For the first time in a long time, Lisa prayed. She
leaned forward, put her head in her hands and, in her confinement, whispered,
“It’s been a long time since I’ve asked you for anything. I’ve been
blessed with a lot in my life. But I need to ask one thing of you.
Please protect the ones I love. If this actually is the end, let them
know in their hearts that I love them. I love them more anything in the
world. I haven’t always made the best choices, but I tried my best.
If only Stephen could know how sorry I am…”
    Stephen leaned against Lisa’s front door. “She’s not
here,” he despaired. Campbell stood a few feet behind him with Miles in
hand. He felt for his friend. What torment