Free The War Gate by Chris Stevenson

like a wet towel.
    “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” said the priest. “I’m Father Geminus from the local parish. I was just wondering if you were available.”
    “How did you get past security?” Drake asked. “My chief just left two minutes ago. You’re in a restricted area.”
    “Please forgive me.” The priest cornered the door, then clasped his hands prayer-like. “I must have walked right through him. Hah! On a serious note, I was told that I could find you here. One of your staff gave me directions.”
    “What staff? Look, I don’t have time for—please shut the door behind you. My visitor roster is very full right now.”
    “Not to worry.” The man held up his hand like a stop sign. “I’m so glad I found you. I’ve seen your picture in Fortune Five-Hundred, People, Computer Age . I’m Father Janus Geminus. You’re Drake Labrador, aren’t you?”
    “I suppose.”
    “It’s a pleasure, an honor to make your acquaintance.”
    Before he could stop him, the priest rounded the desk with his hand extended. Drake eyed him, knowing he was about to have the bite put on him. Why else would a man of the cloth be wandering around Cyberflow hallways without an escort or visitor’s badge? Drake refused the handshake.
    Janus raised his arms at the open window expanse. “A breathtaking view. Even if it is a parking lot. Nice garden planters though.”
    “Yeah, thanks.”
    “You know,” said Janus, spinning around and laying a palm on the phone book. “You strike me as the type of man who wouldn’t think twice about putting something back into the community. You have the potential to reach thousands, even millions of people less fortunate than yourself. Some of our greatest philanthropists have discovered this outlet. Their contributions have left an indelible mark on society, not to mention brought their names back up into the spotlight of notoriety. You could reserve a first class seat in the social register.”
    Drake winced. “Who do I write this check out to?”
    Janus began fanning the pages of the phone book with his thumb while thumping a finger on the cover. “You won’t regret this. I can’t begin to tell you how this will help our organization. You can make it out to the Boy Scouts of America. Regarding the amount? I’ll leave that up to you. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing. I just hope you’re feeling generous today.”
    Drake ripped a check out of his company binder and began filling it out, but he couldn’t take his eyes from the phone book, or the priest, who kept blathering away, smiling like an idiot. The man grinned like a dopey Samoyed dog,thought Drake, handing the check over. He thought that ended the visit. He was wrong.
    Janus eyed him, the grin vanished. “This will never quite make up for it. It never goes away, you know. Sometimes the severity of the repercussions can fall from the sky and land on us like a mountain. There’s nowhere to hide.”
    Drake shifted in his seat. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”
    Janus’s smile returned in all of its idiocy. He waved the check in the air. “I was talking about the financial trouble in the BSA. There! I think the ink is dry.” He looked at the check. “A whole ten dollars! Fabulous. What an impact that will make. You have no idea what you’ve done. But you will. I can’t thank you enough.”
    Drake didn’t want thanks. If the priest didn’t want the donation, he’d take it back. All he wanted was for the guy to get the hell out of Cyberflow. Drake started to say as much, but Janus turned away. In doing so, the priest knocked the phone book to the floor. Drake bent to retrieve it, noticing that the pages were splayed out. It was opened to the funeral section, the exact page he had been looking at earlier. He slapped the book back on his desk, but when he opened his mouth to say goodbye, he found the office empty. The priest had vanished.
    “I hope you choke on it,” Drake said to the