777 Rebourne - The 300!!!

The Final Recap: The 777 Saga comes full circle in this final chapter! Samuel is in his hospital bed in San José, Costa Rica, recuperating after waking up from 2 years in a coma. He and his friends were holidaying in the country on the 7th of July 2007 when they suffered a horrific car accident.It appears life has moved on for everyone else and before long Samuel realises that his friends are desperately trying to keep the truth of hislost years from him. While Deji and Dami must hide from him the fact that they are now married, Afua inadvertently lets slip to Samuel that perhaps the 777 scripture and the 300 that it speaks of may be the key to unlocking the dark, hidden secrets that he struggles to uncover. And finally, there is the mysterious figure of Miguel Barbosa, the Director of Special Ops for the SJPD, who saved them from a drug cartel in a small town called Jacó. However with Barbosa, there appears to be more than meets the eye…


There was a knock on Samuel’s door and before he could respond a man in police uniform he recognised almost immediately walked into the room.

“Hi Samuel, It’s good to have you back. Do you remember who I am?”

“Yes Señor Barbosa, I remember. I never got the chance to thank you for rescuing us in Jacó.”

“Don’t mention it. I have a few questions for you if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, go ahead."

“What happened after you left Jacó?” He took out his notepad and pen in preparation for Samuel’s response.

“We continued on our way back to San José. We were almost there when we reached a crossroad and a car jumped the light and collided with us. I remember our car somersaulting several times and then I lost consciousness.”

“Do you remember anything else after that?”

Samuel thought hard for a moment and then responded, “No, the next thing I remember was waking up in this hospital bed two days ago and realising that I’d lost two years.”

There was a short pause as Barbosa scribbled diligently into his notebook everything that Samuel said. “Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?” he asked looking at Samuel intently.

“I don’t. Is there something else I ought to remember?” Samuel said returning his stare.

“No, of course not. Thank you for your time. Here’s my card. If you remember anything else about that day, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

“Sure.”

As Barbosa turned to leaving the room, Samuel kept his eyes suspiciously locked on the man. He had the distinct impression that Barbosa wasn’t being entirely truthful. And he felt troubled by strange images. Though he knew that these images couldn’t be anything but vivid dreams, Barbosa’s visit had only served to question whether these dreams were more real than he had thought they were.


Two Years Ago

Dami, Deji and Afua stood over Samuel’s hospital bed as he lay there motionless and unconscious. He was strapped up with all sorts of pins and wires attached to him and he was connected to a life support machine to the left of his bed. Green intermittent zig zag lines across the machine emphasised the fragility of the life that it supported. And the doctor’s prognosis wasn’t positive.

“Samuel has suffered heavy internal bleeding and has a blood clot in the brain. I’m afraid to say that it’s impossible to say for how long he will be in a coma, and he may well never wake up again.”

They were stunned into silence by the doctor’s revelation. He stood with them quietly without saying another word, allowing the friends to come to terms with the gravity of Samuel’s condition. The brief silence was broken by a knock on the open door, and a man in a police uniform walked in. It was Officer Barbosa, the Director of Special Operations for the San José police. Only two days earlier, before their fateful accident, he had saved them after being kidnapped by a tyrannical drug lord in Jacó.

“Good afternoon, Señores y Señoras. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, that’s fine,” Deji said responding for the group, “What can we do for you Officer?”

“Well, I appreciate that you haven’t been able to come to the station since the accident. I was hoping that I could take your statements about the drug ring we busted in Jacó.”

“Sure that shouldn’t be a problem...” Deji started, but then he was interrupted by the sharp ring of his mobile. He pulled the phone from his side pocket and checked to see who the caller was before continuing. “Sorry, I need to take this call. It’s work.”

Officer Barbosa, the doctor and his friends all nodded at him as he stepped out into the corridor. He found a secluded area down the hall from Samuel’s room, looked round to make sure no one could overhear him, and then he answered the call.

“Hello, Deji speaking.” After a short pause, he continued speaking. “Yes, Samuel’s condition doesn’t look very good. Perhaps we were wrong about him. He’s not one of them.”

After listening to the voice on the other end of the phone he responded, “Something is not quite right about this scenario. I don’t trust this
Barbosa character – there is something rather suspicious about him. Have you been able to pull the files on him yet?”

He listened intently for another minute, as if he was mentally taking downvery detailed specific orders.

“Understood. I’ll make it so and report back to you at 07:00 hours. Over and out.”

Deji flipped his phone shut. He stood contemplating his next course of action for a few seconds before returning to Samuel’s room where Officer Barbosa had already started questioning his friends.


Two Days Earlier

Samuel awoke to the noise of blaring sirens. The room was dark, he could barely see anything. He tried to move but his hands were strapped to the narrow bed on which he lay. He felt the ground moving underneath him, and it was bumpy. As far as he could tell he was in an ambulance. A man, who he could hardly recognise in the dim lighting, towered over him and he could hear him say, “He’s waking up; we’re going to have to do this now or never”. His voice was unmistakeable. It was Officer Miguel Barbosa.

“Officer Barbosa,” he managed to get the words out, “Where am I?”

“Actually, the name is Agent Shenouda. My team was only working undercover as San José Police. You’ve just been in an accident on the road from Quepos. Do you remember?”

“Of course I remember – my head still hurts.” Samuel responded. “So, who are you, really?”

“Egyptian Secret Service. I’m the head of Unit 777, the counter-terrorism unit of the Egyptian armed forces. We have three hundred operatives across the globe dedicated to preserving the safety and security of not just our country but the world we live in today.”

Almost immediately, Samuel recalled Judges 7:7, the scripture they had discovered just before their accident. The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." Was this the answer to the 777 riddle they had frantically been searching for?

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Have you heard of Phase-one memory wipes?” On seeing the blank look on Samuel’s face, Agent Shenouda continued, “It is the most basic form of memory manipulation – specific memories, dates and occurrences can be extracted from a person’s mind by use of invasive techniques. The reason you’ve never heard of this is because you have been subjected to the procedure yourself.”

“What do you mean? When did this happen?”

“A long time ago, in your childhood. In 1977, the year that The Unit was set up, a group of ten thousand children born on the 7th of July were purported to have physical and mental abilities beyond that of the average human being. We felt compelled to act on this information and over a number of years, we recruited these children for extensive testing and monitoring.

Most of them did not manifest these abilities, but the few that did were tagged and returned to their normal lives until they were ready for

re-integration into The Unit. You were one of the children that we tagged!”

“This all sounds very fantastic, but even though I was born in ’77, the 7th of July is not my birthday!”

“This is exactly what you’ve been led to believe, thanks to the Phase-one memory wipe. This was necessary for your own protection from other agencies and terrorist cells that may have been privy to the same Intel that we possessed.”

All this was incredulous. Samuel paused to digest the information overload for a moment before he spoke again. “What if I am not interested in being reintegrated as you put it?”

“Well, you have two options. If you choose not to accept our proposal, you will wake up in San José general hospital tomorrow morning with a bump on the head and no recollection that this conversation ever took place. On the other hand, your mission, if you choose to accept it, will take you through rigorous high physical fitness and combat training, deep cover reconnaissance and ultimately a part in bringing down the biggest terrorist threat that mankind has ever faced!”

Samuel stared at him directly and thought for a long, hard moment. He was being given the choice to lose his present life and gain a whole new one. And as dangerously exciting as the new one sounded, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to let go of the one he had already.

“What about my friends – what will happen to them?”

“Well, do you think that the ability of Afua’s dreams to predict the future is purely coincidental? She was also tagged and we have been tracking her too. Look, don’t worry about your friends. Besides, they aren’t all exactly who you think they are. Deji is MI6, for example. If he knew of our links to the British SAS, he probably wouldn’t be trying to interfere so much.”

“How can that be possible? He doesn’t even have a British passport!”

“That’s all part of the act. I’m sure whenever he’s travelling he tells you he needs to go to some embassy or the other to get a visa. An easy way of covering up what he’s really doing.”

“That’s difficult to believe. This all sounds very improbable!”

“How improbable is it really? He’s told you he works for an Investment Bank
but has he ever really told you what he does?”

“Yes, many times.”

“But have you ever understood what he told you when he explained?”

“Never.”

“And haven’t you noticed the frequency with which he excuses himself to take calls from work, even on holiday?”

“That’s not unusual for investment bankers...”

Shenouda started to grow impatient. “Look, we don’t have very much time. We’re less than 5 minutes from the hospital and we need to be in place by then to cover our tracks. So what will it be?”

“Will I ever get my old life back?”

“Depending on the success of your mission, you may be returned to your old life after a two year period.”

Samuel considered his options and in that moment, his desire to know the truth about his upbringing and everything happening around him far outweighed his fear of venturing into the unknown. “Okay, I’ll do it. What do you need me to do?”

“We’re going to inject you with a controlled dose of a cocktail of pentobarbital and thiopental – drugs that will induce a coma-like state. Once we’re satisfied that your friends and the relevant authorities are convinced that your coma is permanent and that your condition is too precarious for you to be moved from Costa Rica, we’ll revive you.”

Before Samuel could even give his consent to the plan, he felt a sharp pain shoot into his right arm. As he lost consciousness he contemplated the loss of his old life and the beginning of a new life he was about to discover. His rebirth.

THE END

Judges 7:7 (New International Version)

777 - Bourne Again!!!

Recap: Samuel, Deji and their friends were travelling on holiday through Costa Rica on the 7th of July 2007, when it occurred to them that the date was of some major significance to their destinies. They had figured that it referred to the 7th verse of the 7th chapter of the 7th book of the Bible, but just when they were on the verge of discovering the implication of Judges 7:7 they were involved in a terrible road accident. When Samuel awoke two years later Dami, the woman he loved, had gotten married and he had no recollection of any events since the accident...
When Samuel woke, Deji and Afua were at his bedside. He sat up and observed them cautiously.

It was Deji who broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine thanks," he replied, but he had things other than his wellbeing on his mind. "What is today's date?"

Deji and Afua looked at each other, but before either of them could respond, Samuel continued. "Let me see your phone," he said. Deji took his phone out of his pocket and passed it to him. He immediately checked the date. 09/07/2009. So he hadn’t been dreaming; he’d been unconscious for exactly two years…and two extra days.

"Dami told us that you had already found out," Afua said.

"We weren’t meant to tell you," Deji added, "the doctors thought that the shock would be too much."

"Where am I? Are we still in Costa Rica?"

"Yes, you’re in San José hospital’s special patients ward," Deji replied. "We flew in from London a couple of days ago when we heard your condition had improved. Your mother had to return to London to sort out a couple of things but she will be back here tomorrow."

"How is she?"

"I spoke to her this morning," Afua said. "She absolutely can’t wait to see you!"

There was a long pause before Samuel finally said, "So what have I missed these past couple of years?"

"Where to even begin..." Afua started.

"Well, let’s start with you lovebirds. Are you married yet?"

Afua wasn't very good at disguising her feelings and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Go on," Deji said, trying to lighten the mood. "I think you can tell him. After all, he already knows he’s lost two years. What's the worst that could happen?"

She looked him in the eye, as if hoping to gain strength from him, and then nodded.

"Well," she said to Samuel, "we broke up shortly after the accident."

"Really, what happened?"

"I had a dream that it wasn’t meant to be."

"Let’s just say that we both realised that we weren’t compatible," Deji explained.

"Wow!" Samuel exclaimed. There was a barely noticeable pause before he continued. "What about Dami – who is she married to?"

Deji hesitated. "I think it’s probably best if you heard that from her directly..."

Samuel was satisfied with the response, at least for the moment. After a short ponder he continued, “You know Quepos reminds me of the word ‘queso’ in Spanish.”

“Really, what does that mean?”

“It means cheese. Have you read the book ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’”

“Yes,” Afua said, “it’s about two mice and two little people in a maze going around looking for cheese. Why do you ask?”

“Well,” he continued, “the cheese signified what they wanted out of life. Our trip to Quepos reminds me of their journey to find the cheese.”

“Really,” she responded, “how so?”

“The unpredictability of everything. It’s like our passage through life. You embark on a journey to a certain place you aspire to but on the way things barely turn out the way you plan them.”

“And when you reach your destination or achieve your goal," Deji added, “it never feels quite how you expected it to.”

“Yes,” Samuel agreed, “and the people you start your journey with aren’t necessarily the people that you complete it with.”

Afua also chips in. “So it’s like an underground network where people get on and get off at different stops?”

“Exactly,” Samuel continued, “and most times you have no control over when and how they come into your life, or indeed when they leave.”

“That’s certainly interesting,” Deji concluded. “Anyway, I brought you some books to read. We ought to leave so that the doctors can see to you. You’ve been out for a long time! The good thing I guess is that on this journey of life, God always gives us second chances!”

Deji put the books on the coffee table as they left the room. When Samuel turned his head he noticed that a Bible sat on top of the pile. It was bound in black leather and had the words “NUEVO TESTAMENTO” inscribed on it.

Second chances, Samuel thought. The Bible is made up of two testaments. Two years, two days, he thought. Second chances. What if the seventh verse of the seventh chapter of the seventh book is in the New Testament and not the Old Testament? It was an epiphanic moment. Samuel jumped out of bed and grabbed the New Testament Bible, shaking his head at the irony of it all when he realised they had found similar Bibles in Quepos but didn’t check them because they only contained the New Testament. He looked at the contents page and counted to the seventh book. It was 1 Corinthians. He hurriedly turned to 1 Corinthians 7:7. Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

Oh no, not the gift! Samuel thought. What if this was the path he was meant to take in life? Perhaps this discovery was to help him overcome the struggles from his past. Perhaps this all made sense, considering that the woman he loved was now married - God gives some, like him, the gift of single life while others, like Dami, the gift of married life. He couldn’t help but feel that this was a second birth and he determined that he was going to live it to the fullest. In that moment, Samuel knew what his calling was – at least he thought that he did.

When Deji and Afua left Samuel’s room, they returned to the hospital reception, where Dami and Officer Barbosa were waiting for them. Officer Miguel Barbosa was the head of Special Operations for the San José police who had rescued the four friends from a kidnapping by a Costa Rican drug lord shortly before the accident. When Dami saw them emerge, she ran into Deji’s arms and hugged him tightly.

"How is he doing?" she asked. "Did you tell him about us?"

"No, I didn’t," Deji replied. "The doctors think the shock might be too much for him to take if we told him too soon."

Afua agreed. "If he fainted for two whole days when he found out you were married, who knows what will happen when he finds out who you’re married to!" she said.

"I’m really worried how he’s going to take it," Dami admitted.

Deji held her reassuringly. "Remember that this is for the best. The alternative would have been much worse. We have to keep reminding ourselves of that even if Samuel never learns the truth."

“Speaking of the truth,” Barbosa interrupted somewhat impatiently, “did he take the bait?”

“Only time will tell,” Deji responded, “Like we agreed, I made sure the New Testament was top of the pile of books, so we’ll have to see if he bought it.”

“You do realise that I’m going to have to ask him some questions to make sure that he doesn’t remember anything that’s happened?”

“Of course,” Deji replied, “take all the time you need.”

As Barbosa left for Samuel’s room, Afua turned to Dami and Deji. "Since we're not telling Samuel about you guys yet I think it would be a good idea for you to lay low while he recovers. Why don’t you return to London for now until he is well enough to leave Costa Rica? I can stay back here for a few days to keep him company."

"Okay," Dami said, with some reluctance. "But make sure you keep us updated on his progress and let us know when it’s okay to come back out here – we’ll have to tell him sooner or later."

They hugged Afua, said their goodbyes and left the hospital, taking their rental car back to their hotel room.

The mood in the car was sombre and neither said a word for ten minutes. The tension in the air was palpable; Dami had noticed a change in Deji’s body language the moment they left the hospital, and she knew him well enough to detect when he was keeping up appearances in public. Something was clearly troubling him. She tried to put her hand on his but he chose that moment to place his free hand on the steering wheel.

"What’s the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I just feel guilty about what happened to Samuel, and what’s happened since"

"Deji, we’ve been through this a thousand times, you’re not responsible for what happened to Samuel!"

"I know, but it doesn’t make this any easier. I knew how Samuel felt about you and that’s all he’s going to care about when he finds out about us!"

"Hold on, weren’t you the one reassuring me at the hospital that this was a small price to pay given the alternative?"

“Yes, but it seems like I’m the fall guy in all of this. I just wish there was an easy way of getting him to understand the circumstances.”

Dami pondered for a moment and then continued, “So would you rather we told him about the 300 and what really happened to him?”

“Of course we can’t do that. Remember that it’s in his best interest that he doesn’t remember all that?”

“Not to mention that it’s classified information?”

“That’s also true.”

“Look, don’t worry about Samuel. He’s mentally strong. He’ll get over this in no time.”

“You’re right, and once Barbosa confirms that he doesn’t remember anything, we can all move on.”

Dami was silent for a while, staring out of the window at the passing scenery. "Don’t you believe that we would have gotten married even if Samuel hadn't gone into a coma?" she eventually asked.

Deji didn't respond, but that was as much an answer as anything he could have said. She shifted her body ever so slightly so that she was now turned to face the window. They continued their journey to the hotel exactly as they had begun it – in complete silence.

When Samuel woke up later that evening, Afua alone was sitting by his bedside. She was crying. He quietly observed her for a minute, noticing that she was holding some documents. Looking closely he could see the phrase ‘The 300’ written in bold on the file on her lap. Unbidden, his mind immediately shot back to Judges 7:7, the scripture they had discovered just seconds before their fateful crash. He didn't know how, or why, but he could remember it verbatim. The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."

"What’s wrong?" he asked, once he was ready to let her know he was awake.

She hurriedly reached up to wipe the tears from her face.

"Nothing…nothing at all." She wasn’t very convincing, as she barely managed to get the words out.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, if you insist." He stared at her for a moment to see if she would change her mind. She didn't so he continued. "Something has been bothering me since I came out of my coma. I had these very vivid dreams about being in an ambulance after the crash. So vivid that they felt real. Barbosa was there. He asked me several questions. He said his name was actually Agent Shenouda. It's not a name I'm familiar with but I remember it so well. Ordinarily I could have dismissed this as a meaningless dream but his coming in to see me this afternoon seemed to confirm it. He asked if I remembered anything about the crash. Of course I told him I remembered nothing."

Again she did a poor job of concealing her thoughts. Her hesitation and the slight worry on her face betrayed the fact that she knew something she wasn’t willing to say.

"Afua, is there something that you’re not telling me? Do you know anything about my dream?"

When she remained silent, he continued, "What is that you’re holding? It says something about three hundred."

"Oh, that’s nothing," she replied, putting the file away more hurriedly than she would have liked. "Didn't we see the movie together? The one about the 300 Spartans who fought against the vast Persian army. You said it was a classic tale of the underdog emerging victorious despite overwhelming odds."

"Didn’t they lose that battle?"

"I think you meant they gained personal victory despite being defeated. You remember Judges 7:7 don't you? Gideon’s valiant 300 defeated the Midianite army numbering tens of thousands. You used it as a comparative story. You said they gained a public, as well as personal, victory. I think you were using it to highlight the difference when God is on your side. Didn't you say that's what the story of our whole episode has been about?"

Samuel couldn't remember saying any of the things she now attributed to him, though they sounded like statements he could have made. And he couldn't remember Afua being a convincing liar so it had to have been true. Didn't it?

"So you're saying that everything we’ve been through - the 777 riddle, your dreams and the two years I’ve lost all have something to do with 300 men?"

"No Samuel. I’m saying you said that. Look, I have to leave. You really should get some rest."

"Wait," Samuel said as she made her way for the door. "I don't remember any of the stuff you just said. Tell me about the 300? And why do I have memories from after the crash if I’ve been in a coma all this time? What really happened to me? You have to tell me."

Afua got to the door and paused. Her friend was more formidable than any of them had given him credit for.

"The answers you’re looking for are somewhere in your subconscious. To find them you have to go back to the beginning, where it all started." And then she left the room.

The beginning, Samuel thought. Whatever the future held, he knew that it would involve digging for the missing pieces of his fractured past. A past so mysterious that even those closest to him were intent on keeping it from him.

THE END

1 Corinthians 7:7 (The Message)
Judges 7:7 (New International Version)

777 - The Final Destination

Recap: Samuel and friends were on holiday in Costa Rica. On the morning of the 7th of July 2007, the seven of them left the capital city San José on a trip to a beach town called Quepos, little knowing that this particular road trip would change the course of their lives forever. Daniel, Belinda and Brenda had lost their way early on in the trip and returned to San José, while Afua, Dami, Deji and Samuel had continued on to Quepos. The signs were unmistakeable. From the Boeing 777 plane they had boarded for Costa Rica, to their room 777 at the San José Marriott and various other signs they had encountered on their journey that morning, it was clear that the number 777 was intricately linked to their collective destinies. And if Afua’s dream the night before was anything to go by, they had until 7pm to figure this riddle out. The seventh verse or the seventh chapter of the seventh book of the Bible was the best clue they had to go on so far...


Deji and Samuel tried to make light hearted conversation as they sat locked in a small jail cell in Jacó, a small town near the mountains in Costa Rica. They had been lured there under false pretences by a gang who had taken them to what they had thought was a police station.


“So, how are things going with you and Afua?” Samuel asked.


“Well, I’m not sure,” Deji responded, “she’s smart, beautiful, intelligent and God-fearing. Everything a guy could want in a woman.”


“So what’s the problem?”


“Well, we do have our differences. And also I think I had always imagined I’d marry a Nigerian.”


“So what if she is Ghanaian? Look I don’t think you should be so picky. My mother is Nigerian. My dad was from Equatorial Guinea. I don’t really care where my future wife will come from and I don’t think you should either.”


“Okay, I’m working on it. So have you made a move on Dami yet?”


“Well, no I haven’t. I just haven’t found the courage to do it yet. I just have the impression that she’ll only be interested in the Investment Banker types like herself and you of course. And I'm a bit worried that my rather wild escapades in the past might put her off!”


“My friend, there is nothing wrong with Freelance Photography. And forget about the past, old things have passed away, behold all things are new! I suggest that if we ever make it out of this mess alive you waste no time in asking her out!”


They continued talking for another half hour, and it was while they were wondering whether their predicament was somehow linked to the July 7 bombings in London exactly two years before, that a series of explosions shook the building. After a ten minute shootout outside their cell came to an abrupt halt, about a dozen men in commando black burst into their prison cell and led them back to the reception room of the building which they now knew was actually a drug cartel operation fronting as a police station. There, they were reunited with Afua and Dami. The friends hugged each other with a deep sense of relief, but an uneasing air of uncertainty persisted as they sought to understand the intentions of this mysterious new group of men.


As the four friends stood in the reception their contemplating their fate with their new captors, the scar-faced drug baron, a picture of invincibility only an hour ago emerged from a room in handcuffs, flanked by four heavily armed men. They lead him outside into a black van with tinted windows. On the sirens went, and the van left hurriedly escorted by two black police vehicles. Their gaze at the ensuing scene was interrupted by one of the men who approached them.


“Buenos Dias, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Officer Miguel Barbosa. I am the director of the special operations unit for the San José Police Department. We’d like to thank you immensely for helping us apprehend Senor Cordoba. He’s been on our most wanted list for a long time and you helped lead us to his hideout.” He continued as they stood there dumbfounded. “Our country owes you a great deal of gratitude. For now, you’re free to return to San José this evening to rest but please do come into the police station tomorrow morning so that we can take your full statements.”


They were soon on their way back to San José but before getting there, they once again had to navigate the dangerous bends on the high altitude mountain roads. Deji looked at his wrist-watch. It was nearly 5pm, and as they ascended into the mountains a burly mist descended around them, seemingly from the heavens themselves. They could hardly see 10 metres ahead of them and by now Samuel was driving the jeep along at barely 5mph. He was very careful to stay in the centre of the road – a tiny slip towards the right could easily result in a freefall of thousands of feet down the side of the mountains. The local drivers, undeterred by the hazardous driving conditions, were speeding past them and overtaking at dangerous bends despite being blind to oncoming traffic. Samuel let each one through, cars and trucks alike.


As they turned a corner they approached a nasty looking accident. A car had plunged into the rocks on side of the road bordered by the rising hills. As they drove past in what felt like slow motion, they could see the driver of the vehicle still strapped in, trapped between his seat and the inflated airbag in front of him, blood trickling down his face. There were amateur paramedics at the scene but they hadn’t bothered to remove him from his vehicle. The friends feared the worst for him. They continued on their journey in the most reverent of moods.


“Guys, do you think everything that has happened today is connected to this puzzle we’re trying to solve?” Dami said, breaking the eerie silence that had filled the vehicle.


“They probably are,” Deji responded, “I am a bit surprised that we weren’t held for questioning immediately or that we didn’t at least get a police escort back home”.


“That’s true,” Afua added. “Since we don’t have a Bible on us, does anyone know what Judges 7:7 says from memory?”


“We should be asking you that,” Samuel said, making eye contact with her through his rear view mirror. “Wait a minute guys, can’t we check on the internet from one of our phones? Why didn’t we think of that before?”


“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Deji responded, “we’ve been out of any Wi-Fi network coverage since we left San José in the morning.” By this time they had descended from the mountains and were nearing their final destination. As Deji spoke, they passed a sign post which said 7km to San José. He checked his phone. There was no coverage yet. After looking at the time he exclaimed, “Samuel, I think you need to step on it. It’s seven minutes to seven!”


Samuel put his foot on the gas, and Deji constantly kept rechecking his phone, waiting impatiently for the precise moment it would reconnect to the internet. 5 minutes later, as they approached the city centre, he got connected.


“Quick,” Deji said, where do I need to go?”


“Try Biblegateway.com,” Afua responded frantically, “type in Judges 7:7 and hit search!”


It took him seconds to enter the website and punch in the scripture. “OK, I’ve got it! This is what is says,” He read the scripture out loud – The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."*


“So what does that mean?” Dami asked. They all looked at each other and silence once again engulfed the jeep. It lasted only moments as the silence was broken by the high pitched shrill of the alarm on Deji’s phone.


“Is that the alarm for 7pm?” Samuel asked as he looked back towards Deji.


Before Deji could answer, Dami screamed “Samuel, look out! There’s a...”


But she wasn’t able to finish her sentence. In the split second that Samuel had taken his eye off the road, another car jumping the red light at the intersection was about to collide straight into them from the left. Samuel managed to swerve sharply but they skidded, hit the central reservation and were thrown into the air.


They say when you are about to die your life flashes before your eyes. As the car spun in the air, they seemed for a moment suspended in time. It wasn’t so much a flash that Samuel saw, but rather like a slow movie reel cutting from one shot of his all too short life to the next. And then there was impact! The Prado jeep hit the floor and rolled over several times before coming to rest in a ditch by the road side. Samuel turned to look up as he felt something warm trickle down his face. All he could see was bright white lights.
When Samuel opened his eyes, he looked up. He was in a white room. He looked down and saw that he was wearing a white robe. He tried to move but he couldn’t. It was just when he was beginning to wonder if he was in heaven and why his head hurt so much if he was that he heard a familiar voice.


“Samuel, how are you feeling?” It was Dami. He turned his head and saw her sitting at his bedside. He may not be in heaven yet, but she was the one person he would have liked to wake up beside.


“Where am I?” he asked as he tried to sit up.


“You’re in hospital,” Dami responded, “don’t try to get up, you were hurt pretty badly.” She gently placed her hand on his arm to restrain him.


“How long have I been here for?”


She hesitated before she responded, “…just a couple of days. You were in a critical condition, but your progress has been great.”


His head was still throbbing. “How about Deji and Afua, how are they doing?”


“They’re fine. They escaped the accident with minor injuries. We’ve been taking it in turns to sit with you.”


Samuel closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up again. “How about you, how are you feeling?”


“I was pretty shaken, but I’m doing okay.”


Samuel smiled as their eyes met. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Dami smiled back and then there was an awkward pause as Samuel’s penetrating gaze caught her slightly off guard.


“Look, I’ll be right back,” she said, looking away. “I need to let the nurses know that you’ve woken up.”


“Wait…before you go, there is so much I want to say to you that I thought I’d never get the chance to with the day we had on Saturday…”


He placed his hand into hers and squeezed it gently. Before he could continue, he felt something metallic on her ring finger. He lifted her hand up slightly to meet his line of sight to see that she was wearing a silver wedding band. A million thoughts ran through Samuel’s mind in a second.


“How long did you say I was unconscious for?” he blurted out, as she pulled her hand away in a somewhat delayed reflex action.


“Don’t worry yourself with that,” she responded as she got up to leave. “I’ll go and get the nurses…”


“No, wait!” Samuel looked to his right and saw a newspaper sitting on the coffee table. “Could you pass me that paper?”


Dami was hesitant once again.


“Please pass me the newspaper or I’ll get up and get it myself!” he said raising his voice slightly as he started to become visibly distressed.


She reluctantly passed him the broadsheet and his eyes shot straight to the top right hand corner. Tuesday July 7 2009. His head was spinning. He closed his eyes as he struggled to digest what he’d just seen. He looked up at her again. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She held his hand again as his vision slowly blurred and he drifted into unconsciousness.





What happened during those missing two years? Find out next week as the story continues in 777 – Bourne Again!!!