My thoughts were interrupted by Veronica, who asked if I was okay and if I wanted anything. She offered some bottled water, a beer, and of course, cigarettes. She wanted to know if I was hungry or if I just wanted to sleep.
I just stared at her and wondered if she also was from heaven. “Veronica,” I said, “Who are you?”
“I am God’s servant and that is all you need to know for now. I am here to help you as best I can under these circumstances. I am your helper for whatever you may need, for I have been told what to do and I will faithfully do all that I can for you, and for my God and Savior.” She then again offered me the drinks. I took the beer. As she moved away, I wondered who she really was.
I opened the beer and gulped a big swallow. I did not realize how thirsty I was. Then I picked up the package of cigarettes and lit one. How funny I thought. I could not smoke on a commercial airline anymore, but here, I could. I was drinking a beer, smoking a cigarette, moving across the skies in a multimillion-dollar jet, and anything I wanted right now, I guessed that I could have. However, all I wanted was rest. Yes, I wanted to go to sleep and wake up and for all of this to have been taken from me. At this time, I would rather have been at home with my family, looking for a job and worrying about money tomorrow. Instead, I was flying high, meeting with God’s messengers, and moving forward to ‘I do not know where or what’.
I thought of Shraya and the power he had, and how he had said who he really was. He was Elijah, the prophet, who was taken up by God in a chariot of fire. I also thought of our conversation; about who I really was. With the rocking of the plane and the effects of the beer, I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper into sleep, which was my only escape from the tasks at hand.
Chapter 67
8:35 AM PST Day two of 1260 Pasadena, California - Near Epicenter
Samuel Jordan, Director of FEMA, was in California near the epicenter of the devastating quake. It was an Army controlled sector of Pasadena, which had sustained a lot of the damage. They were set up in the middle of Colorado Boulevard by the community college grounds, which was now fenced in. One of the buildings that had not sustained very much damage, for it was a single floor concrete structure, was housing the communications area he was in now. Around him was every conceivable type of information system. This equipment was in constant contact via satellite to not only the ground troops that were trying to keep some sort of order, but also to various government agencies, including the White House.
The carnage and destruction was more than he had ever seen or imagined. Entire buildings had collapsed into piles of rubble. Fires were everywhere. The air itself was almost stifling from the effects of fire, dust, and death. He could smell and taste it.
The entire San Gabriel Valley was in disarray from as far north as La Canada, and as far south as Orange County. Los Angeles had sustained a lot of damage, but since the quake was more centered in the Valley along the Sierra Madre Fault, most of the critical damage was limited to just beyond Rosemead, East LA, to the south, and San Bernardino to the east, all the way to the coast. Most of the 210, 10, and 5 highways were not passable in any direction. The Pasadena Freeway, built in early 1900, was destroyed.
However, in all his imagination, he could not even comprehend the devastation. It was as if a nuclear bomb had exploded. The roads were ripped in half. Colorado Boulevard, home of the Rose Parade, looked like the bombed out cities of Europe after World War II. The mountains seemed to have settled on Hasting Ranch, Sierra Madre. La Canada, San Dimas, and Anaheim, to the south, were almost leveled.
It was estimated that there were almost four million people homeless and in disarray. The death toll thus far was extremely close to what Jack South had predicted.
Now he had another problem. According to Jack South’s interview with Bear News – if he were really telling the truth – there would be numerous hurricanes to devastate the U.S. Most of the Gulf Coast from Houston to Florida, then up the east coast, and all the way to New York, would be hit by category four and five hurricanes.
He knew there was no way, that if that really happened, his agency or the entire resources of the U.S. could service it all. It was mathematically impossible. There were not enough emergency equipment, shelters or work force to deal with anything of that magnitude.
He could not fathom the result of such a disaster. If Mother Nature, at the bequest of Jack South, had decided to destroy the infrastructure of the country, then what he predicted would do just that. That destruction would make what he was seeing now in California seem like a mosquito bite compared to a gunshot wound.
His thoughts were interrupted by an aide, who said there was a call from Washington. Samuel knew that it would be either Homeland Director, Jamal Jones, or the President himself; and they probably wanted a plan in place now for the new disasters about to befall the country. He did not know what he’d say. He just prayed they had some options.
Chapter 68
11:45 AM EST Day two of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - Conference Room
Jamal, Michael, and the Senate Majority Leader, Nancy Withers, of California, were in conference at Camp David with the President, discussing the disaster in California and the upcoming predictions Jack South had made. The door opened and the Chief of Staff of the Army, General David Stoups, entered. He was followed by representatives from the armed forces including Navy Admiral, Robert Parrish, Marine General, Joseph Raced, and Air Force General, Jerry Poloski. After the greetings were made the President told everyone that they were now waiting for the House Majority Leader, David Karach, the Speaker of the House, Robert Cain, and both Minority Leaders of both chambers in Congress.
As each person sized up the other, the President suggested that they all move to the conference room. They started moving into the large room that had been recently redone with the last administration. It could house over a hundred people and still have room. It was a perfect fit for today.
As they waited, Jamal asked General Stoups if he had managed to gather the logistics for troop movements in and around the world, in light of the circumstances. General Stoups said they had a plan and he was ready to discuss it as soon as everyone arrived.
President Stevenson was staring out the partially covered window into the woods, not saying anything and not even moving a muscle. It was as if he was in a trance. His pose made some of the group uneasy and concerned that this man of power was about to erupt and that they would be the recipients of that rage.
The door opened again and the minority leaders of both the House and Senate entered with David Karach and Speaker Robert Cain.
As they sat down, President Stevenson turned from the window and said, “Thank you for coming. I think all of you know why we are here and that is to avoid a total meltdown of the United States of America.” He then motioned to a stack of folders on the end of the conference table and asked Jamal to distribute a copy to each of them.
As they sat facing the President, he said, “In these folders are the necessary steps to ensure continuity of the United States Government. Since it appears that we are under attack by Mother Nature or unknown forces such as Jack South, we need to prepare ourselves and the nation for what may be an attempt to destroy a large portion of our infrastructure as we know it. Therefore, gentlemen and ladies, this document you have before you is already signed. At the first hint of disaster, even close to the magnitude described by Jack South, this document will put the entire nation under martial law. Copies have already been sent to the Justice Department for validation. I do not foresee any issue with it being validated, or any political issues from any of you. I also do not believe that it is in our best interest to bicker on partisan issues at this time. This document will not be executed in the event that this Jack South and his predictions are wrong. However, based on as much as we can see so far, the Atlantic is starting to boil and it is already raining over the Sahara in Northern Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Therefore, effective as of next Monday morning, I
am ordering a temporary relocation of the entire government to Cheyenne Mountain, ahead of the first hurricane to hit Houston, Texas.”
The President continued, “Before you say anything, I want you to know that I will be attending the rally in Kansas City. I know it is a risk and could be considered politically incorrect. Nevertheless, if Jack South is the enemy, then I personally need to see him and maybe, if possible, talk to him. My immediate staff and I will be there in the event we get to meet with him personally.”
“Also, I have spoken to the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Weiymer Weinstadt, and due to the volatility of the market, which at last glance was at an unprecedented minus nine-hundred and fifty points, trading will be suspended not only at the NYSE, but all American exchanges effective in thirty minutes or so. Oil futures have gone from seventy-one dollars to over two hundred dollars a barrel overnight. Oil trading will also be suspended.”
“We will be relocating all strategic companies with Wall Street ties to Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas, temporarily.” He paused before continuing. “Naval facilities in the Atlantic seaboard and the southern coast in the Gulf and the Atlantic have been instructed to move all ships and military personnel as far south as the South American waters and Mexican Ports. We feel that Jack South is right and we cannot take chances.”
“According to our analysts, we must move every person in every city along the strike paths to inland areas of at least 150 miles. This will require a massive movement of people and materials. Members of the government are requested to immediately move their families and office personnel to other parts of the country. We will run the country, as I stated earlier, by martial law, and the Constitution will be temporarily suspended.”
“I have also issued orders that the cities affected will have military troops in the area and any attempts at looting, arson, other crimes of violence will be handled according to Article Nine. Therefore, the press releases we issue will be as such, ‘Get caught, get shot.’ We are going to attempt to totally evacuate the population of Washington, D.C. and New York City to FEMA Camps in and around the country until we can assess the damage and return people to their homes. Since most people live in high rises in Manhattan, that may well take some time. Just to replace glass in all of those buildings, let alone fix the basic infrastructure, may well take months if not years. The other Burroughs have more detached homes, but with a category five hurricane, they will not be habitable.”
Wanting to finish up, but knowing the importance of all this, he added, “No citizens is allowed to bring more than one suitcase and one bag to the camps. All bags will be inspected and anything that can possibly be used for criminal activity will be confiscated. The City of New York and Washington will be cordoned off and no one will be allowed back in the areas until further notice, following the evacuation.”
“Now, I had wanted to go to California, but at this time it really does not matter. California will be a drop in the bucket compared to these storms predicted that would likely cause the utter destruction of our eastern and Gulf coasts. This does not take into account the flooding in the Midwest. I have spoken to Samuel Jordan in California and told him to stay there. We will let the military take care of the new devastations we are expecting in the Gulf and Atlantic states. So with all this in mind, where are we on stabilization plans, and how we react in the event someone decides to take advantage of this situation?”
Chapter 69
6:45 PM CEST Day two of 1260 Somewhere over the Mediterranean
I was dreaming when I felt my arm being shaken. While I tried to shake off the remnants of sleep, I heard Veronica saying, “Jack you need to wake up. You need to wake up now.” As I slowly focused, she said, “Look out the window Jack.”
I squinted as I looked out the small windows of the aircraft. I could see the fighter jets off the wing and asked, “Both sides?”
She said, “Yes.”
“Israeli?”
“Yes.”
“What do they want?”
“They want us to land at Ben Gurion Airport and any deviation of course will be considered evasive and we will be shot down.”
“Okay, so that does not leave us with a whole lot of choice does it? Tell the pilot to do as they say. Also, do we still have phone communication?”
“Yes.”
I reached into my pocket and got Mark Anderson’s card out. I looked at Veronica and said, “I need to talk to Mark before we land.”
Chapter 70
6:45 PM CEST Day two of 1260 Tel Aviv, Israel - Mossad Headquarters
Director Meyer Branlin of Mossad looked over at General Ben Gladdins of the Israeli Air Force and asked him, “Are they rerouted back into our airspace?”
“Yes. Two of our fighters intercepted their private jet around two-hundred miles off our coast in the Mediterranean and we are escorting them to Ramat David Air Base. We chose that one so that the western press does not overwhelm us at Ben Gurion.”
“How did you find out they were in Israel?” Branlin asked.
“We got a communication from Washington, D.C., from the Attorney General’s office. They had tracked them from New York to here. They thought originally they were going to Tel Aviv, but evidently, they had used a private airstrip in Zefa near the Jordanian border.”
“What were they doing out in the middle of nowhere, do we know?”
“No we don’t. All we know for sure is that they took a two-hour drive into the desert and the driver waited in the truck for several hours while they went up into the hills. They came back, the driver took them to the airstrip, and they took off. Once again, we received the information and dispatched the fighters to bring the plane in. In addition, we found a man dead at the airstrip. All we know is he was a contract security guard from New York, but was here in Israel legally. I’m not sure why he was there or who killed him.”
“We’ll try and find out who he was and why he was killed. It does not make sense. Now, regarding this Jack person, what do you think we should do with him? I am not sure that bringing them here is such a good idea. There are rumors that this person is hands off for everyone, but then of course, that usually only applies to the westerners, not us.”
“I think we should find out where they went and why. Then we can hold them based on illegal entry into our country until we find out those answers. From there, we can make a decision about them.”
“You keep saying them. Who else is on that plane?”
“A woman named Veronica. She is actually an Israeli citizen who lives in America most of the time. At one time, she was one of our best agents, but she resigned several years ago and moved to the States. It appears she went into private security consulting in and around D.C. and New York. We never paid much attention to her in the past, because the work she did had nothing to do with our security and she knew very few secrets about us. I think the man killed was working for her firm.”
“Alright, let’s keep this low and out of the press. Moreover, try not to make this an international incident. Let us find out what we can, scare them a little and see what we get. I have a feeling we should have just let them go back to the States. But, since the communication came from Washington, we need to follow through.
“On another note, since they are here, supposedly Jack has a special document with him. Our friend who does business with us would like the originals. If he has it, copy it, and only give back the copy, so I can forward the original to our associate. He wants to analyze the contents, paper, and ink.”
Chapter 71
7:30 PM CEST Day two of 1260 Ramat David Air Force Base, Hangar
The jet taxied to a hangar after it landed. Eventually, the engines were shut down. I looked out the window and saw armed guards surrounding the plane. Then I heard the bullhorn that told us to open the cabin door of the jet. I doubted we were at Ben Gurion Airport. Veronica got up and released the hatch door. The steps unfolded out onto the floor of the hangar.
The voice on the bullhorn
then instructed us to exit the aircraft, with our hands on our heads. They wanted the pilots to come out first. The cockpit door opened and our pilot and his copilot did as they were told. Looking out the window, I saw that as the pilots reached the bottom step, they were grabbed, spun around, and handcuffed. They were searched by a couple of the soldiers there, then moved rather roughly off to another area where I could no longer see them.
Veronica was called out of the plane, but it was in Hebrew, not English; so I only understood that they called her name. When she got to the bottom step, they did not cuff her. Instead, she was placed in a car, which took off immediately.
The voice continued, “Mr. South, please come out of the plane with your hands above your head.”
I complied and started down the steps with my hands high above my head. As I stepped onto the ground, I was spun around and cuffs put on. I watched as several troops ran up the steps fully armed and started, I supposed, going through the plane. It dawned on me right then that the binder from Gabriel was in there, and I was not sure if that might be a problem later or not.
They started pushing me in the direction of what looked like a state car. I was placed in the back seat and pushed to the middle. A soldier got on either side of me. A black hood was placed over my head before the driver took off. They were dead quiet. This is great, I was a witness for only a day, and now I was in the clutches of the most secret group of people in the world.
Chapter 72
7:45 PM CEST Day two of 1260 Ramat David Air Force Base, Level I Interrogation Room
Veronica knew she was being taken to what was known as an interview room, at least not an interview cell. She had been on the other side of her predicament when she was with the Army and Intelligence agency herself. The car pulled up to a nondescript building and she was escorted up the steps. When the door opened, she was pushed into the room, and then it closed behind her. She heard a very distinct voice she had not heard in years.
“Welcome back to Israel, Veronica; nice to see you in our midst, again.” In the dim light, she followed the voice over to a chair behind a desk. It belonged to Moshe Landers. He had been her superior officer when she was still a part of the Israeli Security Forces several years ago, until she had moved to the States. She looked at the uniform and noticed that he was now a Colonel. He had only been a captain when she knew him before. So obviously, he had moved up in rank.