In the Beginning: Mars Origin "I" Series Book I by Abby L. Vandiver

made a mini vacation out
of it.
    The campus was beautiful. Located on a
hill overlooking downtown Nashville, the old, august buildings on campus had
placed the University on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks. I told
Courtney if she dyed her hair here like she did at home they would arrest her
for defacing a living history. I helped Courtney pick out her classes and get
registered. We all helped her unpack and set up her room.
    After that, she was ready for us to go.
But before we left for home me, Mase, Micah and Logan visited local museums,
Opryland and the Music Valley Wax Museum of the Stars. I didn’t enjoy it as
much as everyone else, though. I cried as we left the campus, left Nashville,
left Tennessee, and when we drove up in the driveway at home. I really was
going to miss my child. I slept in Courtney’s room that night.
    I was soon over that, though. October
couldn’t come fast enough. Claire acted like a kid in a candy store she was so
happy to go with me. She just knew we were going to solve the whole mystery and
that I would be famous afterwards. She trusted me completely, which as I’m sure
Greg would note, doesn’t say much for Claire.
    And, Claire was excited about the seminar,
too. She got to do what she loved and help me, too. According to Claire nothing
could be better. When I called to make the arrangements for her to attend the
seminar they said, “Oh, Dr. Jackson, very good, we’ll be looking forward to
having her.” It’s like they knew Claire or something. When I mentioned it to
her she said, “They should know me, I’m pretty special.” Who knew what that
meant? ‘Special’ as in mentally challenged? Because that I could agree with. I
know that she has been invited to colleges and seminars as a guest lecturer,
but who could ever imagine Claire could say anything worthwhile? I made a
mental note to go with her next time she spoke so I could hear for myself.
    Me, Greg and Claire pretty much ran our
own show and could take off from work without any problem. Michael’s vacation
time was during the summer, so he had to call in sick. Claire could write him a
medical excuse when we got back. I paid for Michael’s trip. I didn’t want him
taking off from work and paying out of his pocket, too, for my conspiracy
theory.
    I told my assistant, Nichelle, that I was
going to Israel, but left strict instructions not to tell anyone, especially
Dr. Margulies. I hated not telling the truth to Dr. Margulies. But I didn’t
want him to think I was being foolish.
    Was I being foolish?
    Well, we would soon find out. I figured
once I found out what was going on, then I would present all the evidence (Greg
told me that) to Dr. Margulies. Then he would be willing to go after those
‘history destroyers.’
    The research seminar, The Effects of
Altering the Peptide Bond Sequence in Immunotherapy , whatever that meant,
was from October third to the tenth. It was at the Scopus Campus where the
journals were kept.
    Claire left for Jerusalem on the first, a
week before me, Greg and Michael. She was being quite the detective and
reasoned that she would have extra time to find out what she could before we
got there. She said it wouldn’t look so suspicious for her to arrive early and
poke around. Now, if only Greg turned out to be that helpful.
    I finally spoke to Ghazi again. He tried
to assure me that he had been legitimately sent away on business and that everything
was okay. I told him of my plans to come back to Jerusalem. He told me he was
willing to help us anyway he could. So, I had him pick up Claire from the
airport. Even though Claire made friends easily wherever she went, I felt much
more comfortable knowing that she wouldn’t be there not knowing anyone. After
all, I was the reason she was there in the first place. If anything happened to
her, I wouldn’t ever forgive myself. I knew Ghazi wouldn’t let her out of his
sight.
    We arrived in the middle of the week and
three days before the