Immanuel Gabriel is on the verge of panic. He is about to leap into the pool when he sees Jacob’s fingers loosen their grip on the ladder rung.

The white-haired twin floats to the surface, then suddenly snaps awake. His head breaks the water, his azure-blue eyes searching for the digital clock. ‘Seven minutes. Convinced now?’

Immanuel shakes his head. ‘I can’t do that. I’m not like you.’

‘Yes you are.’ Jacob climbs out of the pool, his eyes catching sight of a passenger jet as it streaks north across the afternoon sky.

ZAP!

White light … presidential seal … the interior cabin of a private plane … Ennis Chaney at his desk … the open cockpit door … a man in uniform at the controls … an identification badge … a glint of steel … blood splatters the control panel … nosedive … a sickening descent … bursting into flames …

ZAP!

‘Jake … hey Jake, wake up!’

Jacob opens his eyes. He is on his back, lying on the pool deck. He sits up, confused. Looks at his brother. ‘What happened?’

‘You fainted, dickhead. Serves you right for staying under so long.’

‘No … it wasn’t that. I had a vision.’

‘What kind of vision?’

‘A plane crash. I think it was Air Force One.’

‘You’re such a freak.’ Immanuel heads back toward the house.

‘Manny, wait—’ Jacob hurries after his brother. ‘That never happened to me before. It must have something to do with the light. I entered the light for the first time. The vision just latched on to me!’

‘Leave me alone!’ The thermoimager above the rear security door tracks the dark-haired twin as he approaches. Positively identifying Immanuel, the system opens the sliding bulletproof doors.

Immanuel enters the kitchen, Jacob right behind him.

‘You can’t ignore this, Manny, you’re my twin. At some point, these things will happen to you, too.’

‘Shut up—’

‘We have to be ready. Years from now you and me are going to leave this world and—’

‘I said, shut up!’ Immanuel races through the hallway and into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

‘It’s our destiny, Manny!’ Jacob presses his face to the closed door. ‘If you’re too much of a wuss to go, maybe I’ll go with Lilith!’

‘Jacob Gabriel!’ Dominique grabs her son by the arm, dragging him away from his brother’s door. ‘What did I tell you about teasing Manny?’

‘I wasn’t teasing.’

‘Go to your room.’

‘No.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I have to call Uncle Ennis. I have to warn him—’

‘Young man, you’re grounded!’ She drags him into his bedroom. ‘You stay in there until I say you can come out.’ Dominique slams his door shut, then knocks on Immanuel’s door. ‘Manny? Manny, sweetheart, you okay?’

Hearing the sobs, she enters.

In a corner of his bedroom, Immanuel Gabriel sits on the floor, pulling out clumps of his dark black hair.

Belle Glade, Florida