Jack Cooper is an agent employed by the government to analyze surveillance footage and identify potential civilian security threats. Over a short period, Jack narrowly 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 explain the premonition he has deep down inside that his survival could 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 near death experience, whatever it may be. Destiny then places him in the middle of a terrorist plot. In order to save his family he must sacrifice his own life. Is the myth real or just a fable? Jack has only seconds to answer this question.

9 Lives

By Mark Bellino

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Mark Bellino
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-8098-7

Chapter 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.

Chapter 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 little more.

Tina is their only child, and is in her final year of studies at the University of Virginia, where she is working hard to become a Chemical Engineer. Tina is an intelligent person, who is also privileged with beauty. She has long, straight brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her mother thinks that she is far too thin and is constantly on her case about eating properly. Tina is the apple of her father's eye and she is certain he will protect her no matter the circumstance.

It is obvious that Jack is blessed in many respects and he is grateful for his rich life. In fact, knowing how easily this can be taken away from him fuels his motivation to serve his nation...