9 Lives

By Mark Bellino

Jack Cooper is an agent employed by the government to analyze surveillance footage and identify potential civilian security threats. Over a short period, Jacknarrowly survives several horrendous accidents. He grows paranoid of his extra-ordinary circumstances, and searches through secret archives in an attempt to find anything that can explainthe premonition he has deep down inside thathis survivalcould not be simply due to pure luck.

He stumbles across information which tells of an ancient Amazonian myth, called Madariwa-Madariwa. The myth promises him survival of his next neardeath experience, whatever it may be.

Destinythen places him in the middle of a terrorist plot. In order to save his family he must sacrificehis own life. Isthe myth real or just a fable? Jack has only seconds to answer this question.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452081007

Mark Bellino

MARK BELLINO is a creative, ambitious individual with a positive outlook on life. Mark has travelled the world extensively, which has given him the opportunity to satisfy his appreciation of cultures, described through architectural, literary and artistic works. These intimate experiences have led him to realize the power that art and literature have over influencing the world. He began writing twenty years ago, expressing himself through various poetic creations. Over the years, Mark has developed a desire to write fictional stories, which culminated to the authorship of his first novel, A Chance of Rain. This was quickly followed by the creation of 9 Lives, which takes his readers to the edge of Sci-Fi thrillers. As part of a deal he made with one of his children, he went on to write My Tiny Green Time Machine, which is a full blown children's book! Mark is currently busy with many other concepts, and hopes to continue producing captivating tales for his growing audience.   To find out more about Mark Bellino please visit:   www.markbellino.741.com

Book preview

Contents

-Prologue-

PART ONE

- One -

- Two -

- Three -

- Four -

- Five -

- Six -

- Seven -

- Eight -

- Nine -

- Ten -

- Eleven -

- Twelve -

- Thirteen -

- Fourteen -

- Fifteen -

- Sixteen -

- Seventeen -

- Eighteen -

- Nineteen -

- Twenty -

PART TWO

- Twenty One -

- Twenty Two -

- Twenty Three -

- Twenty Four -

- Twenty Five -

- Twenty Six -

- Twenty Seven -

- Twenty Eight -

- Twenty Nine -

- Thirty -

- Thirty One -

- Thirty Two -

- Thirty Three -

- Thirty Four -

- Thirty Five -

- Thirty Six -

- Thirty Seven -

- Thirty Eight -

- Thirty Nine -

- Forty -

PART THREE

- Forty One -

- Forty Two -

- Forty Three -

- Forty Four -

- Forty Five -

- Forty Six -

- Forty Seven -

- Forty Eight -

- Forty Nine -

- Fifty -

- Fifty One -

- Fifty Two -

- Fifty Three -

- Fifty Four -

- Fifty Five -

- Fifty Six -

- Fifty Seven -

- Fifty Eight -

- Fifty Nine -

- Sixty -

-Epilogue-

- About the Author -

ALSO AVAILABLE BY MARK BELLINO

COMING SOON

-Prologue-

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The sun shines brightly through the kitchen window, causing a radiant beam to strike a photo that is pegged to the fridge door. A seemingly excited child dressed in a baseball uniform is portrayed in the picture.

Where did you find this? asks Jack Cooper.

Your mother gave it to me, replies Susan, his wife.

Jack stares at the photo and allows his mind to wander back in time to the day of that horrible accident when he witnessed a reality that challenged his understanding of Heaven and Earth. Jack’s curiosity grows, as he ponders which Primary was ended that day.

The weather is simply perfect for the baseball game that is about to get underway at Lockmount Primary School. A station wagon travels down a rural road on its way to the game, moving slightly above the speed limit. The driver of the vehicle looks at the clock on her dashboard and confirms it is 4:24 p.m. before increasing the throttle slightly.

Mom, are we going to be late again? asks a blond haired boy sitting in the back seat of the car.

No Jack. We’ll be there on time, replies Janet, the boy’s mother.

Why do we always have to rush to get to my baseball games?

Jack, it’s difficult for me to leave work on time, baby. But I promise we’ll get there before the game starts.

Janet turns sharply into the parking lot at the baseball grounds, and skids to a stop in an empty parking space. The brisk screech created by the sudden stop catches the attention of several parents sitting in the bleachers.

Okay Jack, please unbuckle your belt and run over to your team bench, instructs Janet.

Jack follows her instructions and greets his coach seconds later.

Hey Jack! says Jack’s coach, Eric. I’d like you to take the outfield today. Remember what we went through in training. Make sure your glove is up and keep your elbow slightly bent, continues Eric. Alright team, are we ready?

The team gathers around in a circle and each player extends their right hand into the center, creating a growing pile of hands. In perfect timing, they all raise their hands and yell, Go Eagles, go! The players make their way onto the field and wait for the umpire to start the game. Several parents shout words of encouragement to the young boys occupying the field.

A line up of boys from the opposite team forms to the right of home plate. The boys are all overly eager to get up to the batting plate, requiring their coach to apply his diligent management skills.

Okay Bobby, you’re up! says the coach.

Bobby grabs a bat and walks up to home plate.

Let’s get this game started! shouts the umpire.

Jack’s heart rate begins to race. He takes a deep breath to try and calm his nerves, but is unable to shake off the tension in the air.

Seconds later the pitcher throws an impressive looking ball at the batter, who ends up swinging and missing, officially marking the start of the game. The pitcher throws a second ball and it is struck well by the batter, straight towards Jack. Jack holds his glove out as he learned in last week’s practice. The ball hits the tip of his glove and bounces over his head. Jack takes far too long to spot where the ball has landed, giving the batter more than sufficient time to score.

The rest of the inning is fairly uneventful for Jack, as each batter either misses the ball or hits the ball into the short field. Their opponents do not manage to score any more runs before the third batter strikes out, and they are dismissed from the batting plate.

The Eagles make their way off the field and prepare to bat. Jack’s teammate Brian is first up.

Go Brian! Hit it out of the park! says his coach, Eric.

Brian walks up to the plate and takes a long, hard look at the pitcher standing before him.

The pitcher winds back and quickly launches the ball.

Brian’s eyes lock onto the target. He swings the bat and makes perfect contact with the ball. The ball travels well into the outfield and lands between two boys, who run frantically to reach it. By the time the ball is picked up, Brian has nearly reached third base. He runs into home base with ease, well before the ball is thrown to the back catcher, which evens the score.

Jack prepares to bat next and walks past Brian on his way to the home plate.

Get a run for once, Jacky, whispers Brian, in a condescending tone.

Jack knows that a run would more than make up for his dropped catch a few moments ago.

Janet spots her son at the plate and yells, Go Jack! Hit one, baby!

The pitcher sharpens his eyes and suddenly releases the ball. Jack swings and misses.

The back catcher throws the ball back to the pitcher before saying, Hit another one like that, baby.

The pitcher throws the ball, and once again Jack swings and misses.

The back catcher giggles as he lobs the ball to the pitcher. Jack’s nerves suddenly make him feel queasy, as the pitcher prepares for the next throw.

The ball leaves the pitcher’s hands, and Jack closes his eyes before swinging the bat. The bat makes partial contact with the ball, causing the ball to pop up high into the air. Jack opens his eyes and realizes he has managed to hit the ball. After a momentary pause, Jack begins to run, but before he can reach first base, the ball is caught by the pitcher.

You’re out! yells the umpire.

Jack makes his way to the bench, where Brian is waiting, ready to ridicule him.

Nice going, Jacky, says Brian.

Jack does not utter a word for the remainder of the inning, trying hard to ignore the hurtful words coming from Brian’s mouth.

Several innings pass, and following numerous well hit balls and catches, the score is still tied.

Okay, let’s get out on the field and hold them off again, boys, instructs Eric.

Jack takes his position in the outfield once again.

Hey Jacky! Look who’s up at the plate! shouts Brian, who is situated in the left outfield, beside Jack.

Jack recognizes the boy as the Bobby character who cracked the ball towards him in the first inning, which he failed to catch. Bobby glares at Jack and waves his bat towards him, signaling him to get ready for a repeat of events.

I hope you can catch this one, butter fingers! shouts Brian.

Jack’s heart begins to race once again and his breathing becomes heavy.

Butter fingers! Butter fingers! continues Brian, over and over.

Shut up! I won’t drop it, replies Jack.

Jack watches carefully as the pitcher releases the ball. Suddenly everything slows down for Jack. The sound around him is muffled as he focuses on the ball’s flight. The ball reaches the batter, seemingly in slow motion, and it passes just above the bat as it is swung.

Strike one! exclaims the umpire.

Bobby! Focus! shouts the batter’s coach.

The batter looks towards the pitcher and stares sharply at him.

The pitcher releases the ball and can see the batter’s eyes grow wide with confidence. The bat makes perfect contact with the ball and rises into the air at an incredible rate, once again towards Jack.

Jack watches as the ball approaches him and quickly realizes it will fall well behind him. He begins to run in order to stay ahead of the ball. Jack remains focused on the ball and runs with all his strength to ensure he catches it, in order to regain his pride. Jack steps over the side walk and reaches the road curb before jumping to catch the ball. The ball lands safely in his glove before Jack falls on the hard asphalt of the road. He looks up and is suddenly struck by a car. Jack’s world goes black.

Jack can hear mumbling and then everything goes quiet again. Several hours seem to pass before the sounds come back and eventually become louder. He tries to open his eyes. Everything is blurry, but he can make out that he is in a room surrounded by people in white clothes. His head hurts tremendously.

I think he’s coming out of it, says the nurse, who is holding his hand.

Jack? Can you hear me? asks Jack’s mother, Janet. Oh my baby…you’re going to be okay, she continues to say, now starting to cry.

Jack turns his head slowly and says, Mom…momma?

Yes baby. It’s me, your momma. You’re in a hospital, baby. Do you remember anything?

Jack thinks hard and eventually recalls the baseball game. The last thing he can remember is running for the ball that was hurtling towards him. After that, his memory draws a blank. Mom, I was playing baseball right? asks Jack.

Yes, baby. That’s right. You rest now, so you can get better. Alright? asks Janet.

Jack shuts his eyes and goes back to sleep. He starts dreaming about the day of the accident. The ball flies through the air, crossing into the bright sun. Jack is running as hard as he can. He jumps and catches the ball, subsequently falling to the road. He looks up and sees the headlights of a car. Everything goes bright and suddenly dark again.

Several hours pass before he eventually wakes up again, this time with much more energy.

There’s my baby, says Janet, who is waiting faithfully by Jack’s side.

Jack’s father, Ted, is standing on the other side of the hospital bed. He strokes Jack’s cheek and says, Hello son.

Hey dad, replies Jack.

I love you, says Ted.

Jack smiles and replies, I love you too dad.

Jack’s parents spend the next couple of days helping their son regain his strength. They are amazed at how quickly he recuperates. One day they feel Jack is strong enough to discuss his accident in more details.

How much do you remember, baby? ask Janet.

Well, I remember trying to catch that ball, replies Jack.

Yes, that’s right. Thank goodness you tripped just before you reached the street. If you hadn’t you would have been hit head on by that car, instead of running into the side of the car, explains Janet.

Tripped? I don’t remember tripping mamma. I thought the car did hit me head on, replies Jack, who is clearly confused.

You took a pretty big hit to the head, baby. You might not be remembering everything correctly, she replies.

Jack reluctantly accepts this reason and says, Yes momma. You’re probably right.

We’re all glad you’re still alive, my angel, continues Janet.

Jack closes his eyes that night, but is bothered by his mother’s version of the events that transpired that day. He is certain that the car hit him head on. But how is that possible? Jack thinks. If that car did hit me head on, I would have been killed. Maybe momma’s right. Maybe I am not remembering things correctly. I am just happy to be alive.

Little did Jack know that this was the beginning of a new understanding.

PART ONE

Curiosity Killed the Cat

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 - One -

Morning, says a middle-aged man while stretching his arms as he wakes from a very deep sleep.

Morning, husband, replies the woman lying next to him in bed. She smiles at him and says, Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just lie here all day.

The Lord knows I need the rest. But I’ve got some big bad guys to catch.

Jack, what time will you be home from work tonight? asks Jack’s wife, Susan.

I should be home at around six. Why? replies Jack.

Remember we have your folks coming for dinner. Please don’t be late this time!

Jack rolls his eyes as he leaves the bed and says, Susan, I’ll try my best.

Jack, please promise me you won’t be late, replies Susan.

He turns to face Susan and smiles mischievously, saying, I promise…

A few minutes later the couple is in their en-suite bathroom preparing themselves for the workday ahead. Jack takes out his shaving cream bottle and squirts a dash of gel into the cup of his right hand. He lathers up the gel before applying it to his face. In smooth strokes he shaves the thick facial hair growth from his face and neck.

So, any new terror threats I should know about? questions Susan.

Well, you know those four terrorists in Florida we identified two months ago?

Yes, what about them?

They’re going to be sentenced today. I’m sure they’re going to be locked away for a long time.

I hope they throw away the key, says Susan, after stepping out of the shower and towel drying her hair.

Once the couple is dressed they descend the steps of their home.

Jack walks up to a pretty young lady seated on the couch in the family room. Good morning baby, says Jack.

Good morning daddy, replies the girl.

Jack walks into the kitchen and takes an apple out of the bowl sitting on the kitchen table. After polishing it on his shirt, he takes a large bite out of the juicy fruit.

Susan walks into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee. She turns to the young lady seated on the couch and says, Have you eaten, Tina?

Yes mom. Stop bugging me about the same thing all the time! replies Tina.

Tina, I’m your mother. I’m allowed to ask questions about your health. You are as stubborn as your father!

I’ve eaten. Okay? says Tina, in an attempt to conclude the conversation.

Susan reluctantly accepts Tina’s response and continues to drink her coffee.

Has the paper arrived? asks Jack, looking towards Tina.

Yes, here it is daddy.

Thank you baby. Jack picks up the paper and begins reading it. Oh, it made the front page.

What made the front page? asks Susan.

The trial of those four terrorists, replies Jack. Jack holds up the newspaper to show Susan. Mug shots of the four men accused of terrorist activities appear under a headline that reads, ‘Court Decides Fate of Terrorists Today.’

Susan stares at the pictures for a few seconds before replying, Like I said, I hope they throw away the key.

Did you have something to do with that, daddy? asks Tina.

Yes, I came across some surveillance footage that raised a few alarm bells. We decided to listen in on their correspondence and ended up obtaining information which eventually led to their arrest.

Are you in any danger, daddy? Tina continues to question.

No. They have no idea who I am or that I work for Homeland Security. I never come in direct contact with the terrorists. Although, on some days I wish I could, to show them exactly what I think of them.

Well, I worry sometimes. It sounds like a dangerous job, says Tina.

You don’t need to worry, baby. I’m safe. It’s the police and FBI, as well as the prosecutors who have to be cautious, reaffirms Jack. They’ll be locked away soon enough, and there will be no chance of them getting out anytime soon. Jack walks over to his daughter and gives her a reassuring kiss on the forehead.

Oh, is it eight already? says Susan, who suddenly picks up her pace.

Susan and Jack both walk over to the closet next to the front door of the house. Jack reaches into the closet and hands Susan her coat before getting his own. Jack grabs his car keys hanging from a hook fixed to the wall next to the closet.

See you guys later, says Jack, who leans in to kiss his wife.

Susan kisses him and responds, Don’t be late!

Jack turns to Tina and winks before glancing back at Susan to say, Stop bugging me about the same thing all the time!

That’s not funny, replies Susan.

 - Two -

It is 2017 and Jack lives in a reasonably large, double story home in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. The street he lives on is situated along the James River, and is occupied by several beautifully manicured houses mainly owned by lawyers, doctors and successful engineers. Several houses feature stone clad walls, oversized windows, and landscaped gardens. Each house is custom designed, and set on a large property. Tall, mature trees line the street and induce a feeling of tranquility.

Jack works at Homeland Security in Richmond, Virginia. He is in charge of a team of surveillance analysts and threat detection statisticians. Jack’s team reviews video footage, telephone conversations and written correspondence to detect terrorist threats to the United States of America. His job requires specialized training and a high level of intelligence in order to learn and apply the techniques necessary to identify potential security threats, evaluate and rate the risk, and report or document the findings appropriately. His team is efficient at analyzing massive amounts of information and filtering these to report only threats with realistic probabilities, in order to avoid flooding the police and FBI with false alarms.

His parents, Janet and Ted, are still alive and live approximately thirty minutes away from his home. They have raised Jack to be a respectful, responsible person, and have taught him that honesty and integrity are the most important virtues in life. Jack remains close to his parents and sees them on a regular basis.

A few traumatic experiences in life have shaped Jack to be a cautious and somewhat tough individual, who puts his trust in only a handful of people.

Jack has been happily married to Susan for twenty four years. They first met while attending the same university, and started dating soon after. Susan works at a nearby school as an office administrator, and enjoys her job. She is a fit lady who believes in regular aerobic exercise and a wholesome diet to keep her healthy. Susan is also a dedicated mother and wife, and loves her family more than anything else. She sometimes thinks Jack takes life too seriously and wishes he could relax a