“For example?”
“Let’s say, when you were threatened by their interrogator, you said something like, ‘You really do not look well sir. In fact, I think that inside of you, your arteries have hardened, maybe from too much good food, and you look pale. It appears that the stress of having to deal with people like me will possibly cause you a heart attack.’”
“Okay. I make him feel inferior.”
“No, because you said it, then it will happen. He would have had a heart attack right then and the other person in the room would have told the commander what happened. They probably would have flown you out themselves. They know you are a man of God and fear of death is exactly that, the fear of death.”
“So how do you know this Veronica?”
“Because Shraya has the same power, but he has had over 2800 years to develop it.” She hesitated, and then started speaking again, “Do you remember when you were angry at The Network, and you shouted out the lottery numbers to them?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“None of us gave you that information. When the numbers were drawn, those were the numbers.”
I sat back in the seat and as I looked at her, I remembered saying it. She was right. No one had given those numbers to me.”
“Are you telling me that if I say it, then it will happen?”
“Yes, Jack. You have that power.”
“Then the earthquake, the rains, and the hurricanes, are happening because I said it?”
“Yes. That is right.”
“I don’t believe it. Why go through all this trouble to give me information from angels or messengers and go on TV when I am the one who had the power all along.”
“Because you would not have done it Jack. You are too sentimental and caring. In time, that will change also. Here let me prove something to you.”
She pulled a cigarette out of the pack by me and handed it to me.
“Now, hold that like you are going to smoke it, but do not light it. Close your eyes and say I want this cigarette to be lit. Do it now.”
I closed my eyes and thought I wanted it lit and I really wanted to smoke it. I was nervous. Then, opening my eyes, I saw the flame on the end of the cigarette. I almost fainted.
“Jack, your training is now over. There are no more instructions for you. The agenda has been set. You are ready to be on your own as God’s Witness. I will be here with you, so will those you have chosen, and those you will choose.”
“Who have I chosen?” I asked.
She smiled, looked at me, and said, “Your friends, Jack. You know who they are, your only friends. Now think who they are.” She looked at me as if I was suffering from brain lock, then said, “Mark, Luke, John, Thomas, and now me. Look for the others. They will help you. There will be eight more, but one will try to hurt you and eventually will, just like they did with our Christ.”
“But I am not Christ. I am a man.”
“No, you’re not Christ. Nor are you God. Nor are you his son. However, Jack, read the scriptures and you will understand. Now we have about an hour and a half or so before we land in Kansas City. I think you need some time alone.”
I gazed at her as she started towards the galley. Then I called out to her, “Veronica, what is your whole name?”
She looked at me, leaned her head against the doorway to the galley, and said, “Mary Veronica Magdalene. I go by Veronica by choice. Jack, you really need time alone.” She went through the cabin door and closed it.
Chapter 106
5:00 PM CST Day three of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - City Center, The Waldger Group Suites
“David, how did the phone call go?” Aafre asked.
“You mean to Reverend Marks?”
“Yes, the one I asked you to make.”
“It went okay. He would not commit one way or the other to a meeting with us on Friday, but he did not say no either.”
“In your opinion then, do you think he is receptive?”
“I don’t know if he is or not. I think he was somewhat shocked that I called. Even when I told him that he was selected to be just like Jack, I thought he would jump, but he didn’t.”
“Alright then, let’s go to plan B, just in case he turns us down. For unlike Jack, he has some skeletons hidden in his closet. Doesn’t he?”
“Yes he does. He had some issues with drugs at a younger age and he is divorced. There is a rumor that he is very sexually active with some of his flock.”
“Any proof?”
“Not yet. I didn’t go too far into his everyday habits.”
“Then look and do so quickly. If nothing else, we will use it to convince him to leave Jack’s little band and join us. Maybe it will work. He is a proud man, I see. Moreover, proud men are just that. Most will sell their soul’s to keep being proud.”
“I will get in touch with my contacts and see what we can dig up.”
“I know you will David. You always come through for me. Also, do me a favor, when Stevenson gets into town tomorrow, tell him I want to see him please.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks David. You can go now.”
Chapter 107
5: 10 PM CST Day three of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Airspace, Jack South’s Private Jet
“Jack we are landing in about ten minutes or so.” Veronica started putting on her seatbelt and I followed suit. “When we get to the airport, a military transport will pick us up and move us from the airport to City Center, where our rooms are. We are on the same floor with the Reverend, or Thomas as you call him, John Roddenburg, and Luke from Anthony Williams Advertising. We also have another larger room that has been set up as a conference room.”
“And Jack, they are saying for security purposes they will go and get your family from Independence, and bring them down to the hotel. Their homes are guarded and the area cordoned off, but having you out there is too risky for them and the neighbors. So unfortunately Jack, till you leave on Friday, it is the hotel. You cannot go anywhere other than to the Rally tomorrow night.”
“Thanks, just what I wanted to hear. Could be worse though, I could be back in that cell in Israel,” as I winked at her.
“Funny Jack, real funny.”
“Well, hopefully they still have that Japanese Restaurant there, the one where you sit down on the floor and eat Sushi. I would love that. It was very good the last time I was here. Will I at least be able to go there?”
“I don’t know. We will have to see what the security people say.”
“Who are the security people?”
“My people, Jack. You should know that by now.”
Chapter 108
5:25 PM CST Day three of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
“John, here are your notes,” the page said as he sat down to the makeshift anchor desk at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. He was looking at the clock realizing he only had about four minutes to go. The techs were all over him making sure things were right and when they finished, including straightening his tie, He looked over at his producer who gave him the high sign, which meant that he looked okay. John looked back at the clock. When it hit zero the camera came up. After the announcer’s greetings, he began his broadcast.
“Today, we are picking up where we left off yesterday with our special two hour event, including the day’s headlines. As I am sure all of you know, the rains in Northern Africa have been pouring down steadily now for the past two days. For an update, we have Chester, our Meteorologist, here to tell us exactly what is happening in the continent of Africa and South East Asia”
“Chester?”
“Thanks, John,” the camera zoomed into him and the monitor, which displayed the radar from Northern Africa.
“As most of you know, the rain started Tuesday morning around 4:00 a.m. EST time starting in the Middle East, then quickly spread across all of Northern Africa. Since then, some places have received as much as 14 inches of rain, others, no less than eight to ten inc
hes. The rain itself has now slowed down to about a 1/4 inch per hour over the entire area, as was predicted.”
“Flooding has become rampant in several cities. There are concerns, especially in Egypt with the Nile and the Aswan Dam. At this rate, the Nile will flood and continue flooding until the rains stop. If our calculations are correct, a large portion of Northern Africa will be under water. The backside of this is also that the rivers will flood all the way to the ocean and could very well create havoc along the entire courses of the Nile, the Tigris, and other rivers in the area, closing ports that are vital to their economy.”
“The global temperature today has been eight degrees warmer than normal. Temperature readings are breaking records everywhere. With the best models we can come up with, at this rate twenty to thirty percent of both pole’s ice sheets could melt if this continues for at least thirty days, resulting in massive flooding in coastal cities worldwide.”
As another graphic came up, he continued his report, “Hurricane Alex is picking up speed, and according to our models could very well be exactly how the prediction was foretold. A direct hit on the Houston, Galveston area will happen and is now being forecast to make landfall early Monday. This is based on current computer models from the National Hurricane Center. Also, right behind it we have another tropical depression forming, which, within 24 hours we will most likely be able to say it is going to be a hurricane and start tracking it on to Mississippi, as per Jack’s predictions.”
“Chester, do you see any chance of a variance from the predictions?”
“No I don’t, but then I don’t have any way of knowing if this pattern will continue or not. It has never happened before; but the data we have and from the document Jack gave us, there is no variation at all.”
“Thanks, Chester.”
“Moving on, we have one of our correspondents in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, with a live report.” Turning to the monitor, John said, “Eric?”
“Yes, John. This is Eric Kuhl in Cairo. As you can see behind me, the rain is still coming down and has not stopped since yesterday morning. In the footage we took about three hours ago, you will see that the Nile is raging and has already filled with debris from upstream. One of the concerns is whether the Aswan Dam will continue to hold. If not, then the Nile will definitely be out of control and flooding will be even more rampant. Lake Nasser can hold quite a bit of the water, but if this keeps up for thirty days, there is a good chance the dam will not hold and the entire city of Cairo will be flooded.”
“Eric, are there any evacuation plans that have been announced for the area?”
“No John, not at this time.”
“Well Eric, please be safe and we will get back to you soon.”
“Thanks, John. This is Eric Kuhl reporting from Cairo, Egypt.”
“Now we will go to Baghdad, Iraq, where the Tigris River flows through the city and only a few miles away is the Euphrates River. Now, let’s turn to our chief correspondent Carlene Roach in Baghdad.”
“Carlene?”
“Hello John. This is Carlene Roach reporting from Baghdad. As you can see behind me, it is raining and it has been steadily raining for two days. You will notice by the bridge behind me that the river is rising, and at this rate, according to our sources, will start flooding areas within the next twelve to twenty hours. They are starting to move people and assets from the river areas further inland, but no mass evacuations have been ordered as of yet. Also, in Northern Iraq and Turkey, especially Mosul, the river is rising rapidly.”
“Carlene, the Euphrates is not far from there and the Jordan on the Israeli Jordan border. Any, word from anyone on conditions there?”
“Yes John. From Syria, down to Ar Ramdi, to the Persian Gulf, flood watches are in effect and as best we can tell, like the Tigris, eventually they will need to be evacuated. It is also flooding on both the borders of Israel and Jordan. On another note though John, we had spoken to some local Sunni leaders here in Baghdad and some of them are forming an idea that since Jack South is an American, he has put a curse on them of some sort and that it is our fault this is happening. How that reasoning may have occurred, I have no idea, but ‘blame it all on America’ is brewing in the area it seems.”
“Is the source the government, and if so are they projecting it to the people or is it just coming from the people themselves?”
“No, it’s a few of the Sunni Clerics who are putting this claim forth, it seems. They are trying to figure out how to blame us, because the people hear that it is Jack’s Hebrew God, which is doing it. Even though both the Hebrew God and Allah are to some extent, considered the same by some people, the prophets and salvation are believed to be different. Therefore, that leaves a division between the sects. We are not sure what the outcome or how the blame will be placed in the people’s minds.”
“Thanks Carlene. We appreciate your input.”
“Thanks John. This is Carlene Roach reporting from Baghdad, Iraq.”
“As you can see in the Middle East and Northern Africa, the rains are causing havoc.” John paused. “We will be going to Houston, Texas after the break.”
As he leaned back in his chair to stretch, he could feel his muscles tightening. In a very few days, he would be reporting about his own country going through the same ordeals as those happening in Africa. He could only hope that the damage would not be as drastic as it seemed it was going to be. Millions were going to die.
Chapter 109
6:45 PM EST Day three of 1260 Camp David, Maryland - President Richard Stevenson’s Office
“Jamal, what do you think of the rains in Northern Africa?” They were watching the Bear News at Camp David.”
“I can only say that if it does continue to rain like that, the cities along the rivers are going to be totally destroyed or at least close to it. This is very scary, Mr. President, very scary.”
“I agree Jamal. In a few days, we will be dealing with similar problems just as bad, if not worse. They are used to flooding every few years, but we are not used to what we have in store for us. Yes, we had our Katrina and we failed at that initially, but what is coming is ten times worse, and there is really no way to stop it. We can’t control the weather or Mother Nature, or Jack either, I suppose.”
“Mr. President, I think we really need make a National address to on TV after the Friday and Saturday meetings in Kansas City with The Waldger Group; which most people think is an economic summit, by the way. Do you think Jack does it himself Richard, and has that kind of power? Or is he really just predicting and warning us?”
“I am not sure if he is warning us or causing it, but I would assume when this is all said and done, he will be the most hated man in the world. In politics, people have a tendency to blame the person regardless of the intentions. For instance, Katrina; that was an act of nature, but before it was all said and done, the Republicans took the heat for it. Therefore, Jack will take the heat for this also, be forewarned. He is popular for now because he is new and appears to most, at least for now, to come from God himself. But when people cannot get gas for their cars or food for their table, they will turn on him quickly.”
“On another note, Jamal, anything on Brad Williams’ broadcast about the Israelis and the bomber issue?”
“No, for some reason there has been little or nothing said about it since the press conference late last night. I do not know if normal politics are on the shelf, due to the concerns of the expected destruction, or if Jack is creating so much news that no one really cares. However, I really think that it was not to get a congressional inquiry right now, but more that you befriended Jack. As you said earlier, if the public turns on him, they will remember that you kept him out of the clutches of the Israelis. And that, Mr. President, may well have been the idea.”
“Didn’t think of it that way Jamal, but you may well be right. You know, if it were not for you sometimes, I think I would just go off the deep end. However, you keep me straight. You have made a great D
irector of Homeland Security, and also a friend.”
“Thanks,” said Jamal. If only you really knew, he thought to himself, what I really think.
Chapter 110
5:45 PM CST Day three of 1260 Kansas City, Missouri - Liberty Memorial, Anchor Desk
“We are back with our two hour special on the events happening since Jack South appeared in our studios on Monday.”
“We are now going to Houston, Texas, which along with Galveston, is supposed to receive a direct hit from Hurricane Alex, a category four storm, in the early morning Monday. According to the Saffir-Simpson scale, a category four storm has wind speeds of 131 to 155 mph, and storm surges of up to eighteen feet. Based on that, this type of hurricane can produce complete roof structural failure on small residences, gas station canopies, and other types of overhanging structures. Mobile and manufactured homes will be, leveled. There will be extensive beach erosion and flooding inland. Now let us go to our correspondent in Houston, Maria Schroeder. Maria, can you hear us?”
“Yes John.”
“What is happening there in Houston in preparation for what appears to be the largest hurricane to hit that area in over a century?”
“The difference right now compared to the past, is that normally where the hurricane was expected to land would not be known and several cities would be put on a hurricane watch. The experts at the National Hurricane Center would issue warnings and then wait and see in which direction the hurricane would eventually take. Normally, hurricanes are not very predictable. Then, within a day or two of knowing, within a certain margin of error, that the hurricane was on its way to a specific area, the evacuations would start to take place.”
“Now, with Jack South’s predictions being at one-hundred percent accuracy, some people are taking heed and leaving the area earlier than normal. They are moving inland towards San Antonio, across I-10 and north toward Dallas on I-45. Both highways today are jammed. You may note, that in normal evacuations, the highways would be closed going east, and traffic would flow towards the west in all lanes. This corridor has yet to be opened, mainly because they usually are not until a day or two before the storm is expected and the authorities authorize it. It is the same with I-45.”
“Maria, has the Mayor of Houston or surrounding cities made any comments yet?”