Chapter
13
A Serialized Story of the
Not So Distant Future
May 25, 2005
Part Thirty
Sam spent the next three days recovering his strength. The combination of Tai Chi, bike riding and hanging out until 3am had drained his resources to the point where everything he did took effort. The stress of worrying about psychic attacks while he slept wasn't helping him either.
The members of Chapter 13 researched theories as to how Sam might have been attacked. "The problem," said Pam, "is that there's so much junk to wade through in the realm of psychic experiences, that it's hard to find anything of substance."
Sam installed the anti-viral software on his computer, he was amazed to discover 150 viruses and worms, and thousands of spyware programs which had installed themselves on his system. The new software included an up-to-date firewall, that would hopefully keep new infections out (not to mention Robbie).
Sam also looked at the files that he had collected on Saturday night. He had phone numbers for Shotzie, Stubs, Dawn and Misty, as well as Baker and Dodge. Misty had also installed about a dozen poems, all of which were dark and morbid, except for glorifying the afterlife.
There were also files on the current state of U.S. civil rights, and what to do (and not do) if you are arrested. There was also a toll free number for the ACLU, which promised to help find an inexpensive lawyer even if they weren't interested in the case.
There were also some crudely drawn cartoons, many featuring the President in various sexual acts, some of which were physically impossible. Someone had also installed a version of the old arcade game "Berserk" which Sam got a kick out of and played way too much during the three day period.
Sam took car service to Tai Chi class and arranged in advance for a car to take him home. Alex greeted him at the door and introduced him to the class.
"Everyone, this is Sam, he'll be joining our little group. Sam this is Carl, Jane, Tyrone, Vicky, Penny and Stuart."
"Hi" Sam said, trying to casually survey the group. Each of them appeared to have some sort of physical difficulty although exactly what was hard to say. Most of them looked a lot older than Sam (although Sam's white hair made him fit in just fine.)
"So, what're ya in for?" Jane asked. She was a lady in her 60's, very slim and angular. She had a sharp nose and wiry gray hair.
"Um, recovering from a coma." Sam said.
"Well, that's a new one. I've got rhumatoid arthritis myself, Carl here has Parkinson's, Tyrone and Vicky are gettin' over strokes, poor Stuart's got some unknown war symptoms, and Penny's his wife, she's just along for moral support."
"Actually we're all auditioning for a remake of 'Night of the Living Dead' cracked Stuart. He was in his 40's and slightly heavyset. There was nothing outwardly wrong with his appearance, except for a very pale complexion.
"That's enough Stuart, you know how I feel about negativity in here." Alex said. "Why don't we all get started."
The class was actually fairly practiced in the moves, although each person had their challenges, and there were sections which nobody seemed to do correctly. Sam still felt stiff and awkward, but he certainly wasn't the only one feeling that way. By the end of the hour, everyone looked ready to either sit or fall down.
Everyone said their goodnights and Sam got into the car that was waiting for him. Sam gave the driver the address and sank into the seat, closing his eyes for a moment.
The car pulled into traffic and made it's way down 72nd street. At 6th avenue, a police car pulled up behind the car and flashed it's lights. The driver cursed under his breath and pulled over.
The officer approached the car and tapped on the back window. "Are you Samuel Quinn?" He asked.
"Yes I am." Sam said.
"Sir, I'll need you to step out of the car. I have orders to bring you back to the precinct."
"Am I under arrest." Sam asked.
"No sir, but the Deptarment of Homeland Security considers you a 'person of interest' and I am required to bring you in, by force if necessary."
"That's alright." Sam said. He handed the driver a five dollar bill. "This is for your trouble." He got out of the car and walked to the police car. "Can I make a phone call?"
"Yes sir." The cop was a fairly young man, about 25 years old. Sam realized that he was one of the few men in his twenties that he had seen since he woke up.
Sam took out his phone and punched his Mom's number.
"Hello." Martha said.
"Mom, it's me. I'm being called into Homeland Security for an interview."
"WHAT! Oh Sam! I'll call Robbie and find out what's going on."
"No Mom, wait. I need you to call a girl named Dawn, her number is in my PDA. Her father is a lawyer, I think she'll be able to help me."
"Your PDA? I don't even know how to use that thing?" Martha's voice was almost panicky
"Are you home Mom?"
"No, I'm with Mindy at her house."
Sam sighed. "Well go home as soon as you can, and call me back when you have my PDA, I'll give you instructions on how to use it."
"Sam, I want you to stay on the phone."
"I can't Mom, we're pulling up to the 62nd Precinct right now." Sam said. "I'll call you back as soon as I can."
The officer parked and got out of the car, he opened the door for Sam. Sam walked up the stairs and the officer followed him, once inside there was a man in suits waiting by one of the desks.
"Samuel Quinn. My name is Agent Simmons, Dept of Homeland Security." The man said. He bore a striking resemblence to Agent Smith from the movie: The Matrix. "Thank you for coming down tonight, please follow me."
Sam wanted to say something smart, but he held his tongue. There was something odd here, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Agent Simmons led him into an interrogation room and opened the door.
"Someone will be with you shortly." He said.
"Can't you tell me what this is all about?" Sam asked.
"No sir, another agent is handling this matter." Agent Simmons closed the door.
The room looked like it hadn't been painted in twenty years. There were several mismatched wooden chairs which looked like they were bought at an old garage sale. The table in the middle of the room was a cheap pressboard conference table, with chips and major scratches. Sam could see that someone had scratched a word or initials in it, and another person had used sandpaper to erase it.
Sam was surprised to see that there was no two way mirror, but there were three cameras mounted in the room which undoubtedly served the same function.
Sam sat down and tried to use his cellphone, but there was something blocking the signal. He hoped his mother would come through with some sort of legal aid for him.
The wait was getting kind of long, so long that Sam began playing with the idea of taking nap and going out of body. Then he realized that the members of Chapter 13 were probably watching, since they had been following him around for the last few days. This gave him a certain measure of comfort and he tried casually looking around the room to see if he could somehow spot Gaby or Rose looking in on him.
I have to figure out how to do that trick with my vision at will. He thought, careful not to mutter anything out loud.
Finally, the outside door opened, and who should walk in but Dean, carrying a briefcase.
"Sammy, whatcha been up to lately?" Dean asked, slamming the door behind him.
"Hello Dean." Sam did his best to sound bemused rather than nervous. "I've been getting my body back in shape, getting my life in order, how about you?"
"You been doing more than that Sammy, you been hanging around with some bad people." Dean opened his briefcase which had pictures of Sam talking to Dawn on Ocean Parkway, as well as him sitting at the table in the Red Eye with Stubs, Fix and Shotzie.
"Now Sammy, you were always a smart guy, but you've been out of circulation for a while, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." Dean's voice had a slightly booming quality in the room, as if he were speaking through a tuba. "You might think these people are your friends, but they're really recruiters. They sucker guys like you into performing illegal activities, while they keep their hands clean. Have you heard of Chapter 13?"
"As I understand it, there is no Chapter 13." Sam said.
Dean laughed a little and scowled, "yeah that's what they say isn't it? They exist Sammy, and they're the sneakiest terrorist organization we've ever seen." Dean pulled out a picture of an Arab man, he reminded Sam of Saddam Hussein, but aside from that he looked completely unfamiliar.
"Ever seen this guy?" Dean asked.
"No."
"It's ok Sammy, he's been in the news. You like watching the news don't you?"
"Yes."
"What the news doesn't say is that this man, Mohammed Hussein, a nephew of Saddam, and now the ruler of Pakistan, is the real brains behind Chapter 13 in America. All that crap you're hearing about your civil rights being violated, it's all anti-US propaganda being controlled by this man. He's trying to bring this country down from the inside."
"You tell me this, after dragging me in here against my will? Do you understand what irony means Dean?"
"The courts say we can interview anyone for up to three hours, and then you're free to go." Dean said, "you have to understand Sammy that your country is at war, and war requres sacrfices on everyone's part. In your case, I'm offering you something special here."
"What is that exactly?"
"Some of these individuals you met on Saturday are involved in deeper shit then you realize. Some of them are murderers, I don't think you're the kind of guy who hangs out with murderers, am I right?"
"Yeah." Sam watched Dean's face as he spoke, there was a practiced feeling to this whole pitch, as if he had rehearsed it many times before.
"Good, that's real good Sammy, I think you could be a real help to us. What we're looking to do, is to bring these murderers to justice, to get something on them so that we can arrest them. Like Al Capone, you heard of him right?"
"The gangster from the 30's?"
"Exactly. Now Al was a real SOB, a mob kingpin, a murderer, drug dealer, you name it, but do you know what they finally arrested him for?"
"No." Sam lied. He knew where this was going, but he decided to let Dean play it out and believe he was in control.
"Income tax evasion, they got this murdering criminal off the streets by busting him for not paying his taxes, do you follow me?"
"Not really, no."
"What I'm asking, no what your country is asking you to do Sammy, is just to report to us if one of your new buddies admits to commiting any crimes. It doesn't have to be murder, but if we can bust them on something minor, we'll take a murderer off the streets. If you do this for us, we'll help you with employment when you're ready for it. You're going to need a good job eventually, right?"
"Sorry Dean, I'm not interested." Sam stood up as if to leave.
"SIT DOWN SAMMY!" Dean moved to block the door. "You're here for at least another hour and a half, and I'm going to use that time to tell you what happens if you don't cooperate."
Sam stood his ground. "I'm not interested in hearing it Dean, so why don't you stop wasting both our time and just open that door."
Dean's brow furrowed, his look was pure anger as he shoved the pressboard conference table across the room and grabbed Sam's collar.
"You don't get it, do you smart guy. I'm giving you a chance here for a normal life. I'm only doing this for your brother, otherwise I'd bust your ass right now, do - you - understand?" He hissed the last part, getting right in Sam's face.
Sam felt like a rag doll under the larger man's grip, he knew damned well that Dean held all the cards here, but he also didn't care. He was formulating something to say when the door opened and Agent Simmons stepped in.
"Dean, I need to interrupt you for a moment." Agent Simmons said calmly.
Dean's muscles froze. He reluctantly released Sam and followed Agent Simmons out the door. Sam remained standing, his heart was beating a mile a minute but he didn't want to give Dean any sign of weakness.
A minute later, Agent Simmons opened the door, and said to Sam: "Mr. Quinn, you're free to go, sorry for any inconvienence."
Sam stepped outside and was immediately greeted by a tall, good looking man in a gray suit.
"Mr. Quinn, I am Joshua Weinstien, Dawn's father, your mother called me and retained me on your behalf."
"Oh, thanks, I'm glad my Mom was able to call you."
"Come, we'll talk more outside, can I give you a life home?" Joshua said. He had thinning light brown hair, and light blue eyes, he was at least in his forties, but he moved and sounded like a much younger man."
As they got outside, Joshua said: "No offense, but after talking to your mother on the phone, I had assumed you were a much younger man."
"Actually, I'm thirty." Sam said, "but I was in a coma for ten years and my mother has always been over protective."
"Oh, my apologies, it was the hair color that threw me."
Once they got into car Joshua said: "I got to the police station about 15 minutes before you were released, as soon as Agent Weltz assualted you, I was able to call an end to that interview."
"Thanks, things were getting a little scary in there." Sam said.
"You handled yourself marvelously, you couldn't have done any better if I had prepared you for such a meeting. Tell me, do you know that agent personally?"
"Yes, we grew up in the same neighborhood, and he and my brother are in the same ARF chapter."
Joshua made a little face, "I know all about those chapters, I take it you're not a member?"
"No, although they often came to the hospital and prayed for me while I was unconscious, I think it hurt some feelings since I've woken up and not wanted to participate."
"You're probably not aware of this, but the court's dictate that anyone who is in a physically challenged position can't be interviewed for more than one hour by Homeland Security. Since Agent Weltz obviously knew of your condition, I can file charges against him for holding you as well as for assaulting you."
Sam sighed, "I'd really rather forget the whole thing."
"I understand how you feel, but believe me, these guys are not going to quit. As you're probably aware by now, they follow Dawn pretty much everywhere, and hope she'll jay walk or something similar just so they can arrest her."
"Yeah, that figures." Sam said.
"What I can do is this: I'll file an Order of Protection against Agent Weltz for his treatment of you. If I can get the judge to sign it, which is about a 50/50 chance, he'll be taken off of your case. Even if he's not, we can use this incident as evidence of personal harrasment in any future cases."
"I see." Sam said, "and if you do nothing it all just gets swept under the rug?"
"Exactly, and the Agents will believe that they've intimidated you into silence. I know what I'm talking about Sam, I've been doing this for a long time. Every one of the local agents knows who I am, and curses my name on a regular basis."
Sam's phone started ringing. "Hello?" He said.
"Oh Sam, thank God!" It was Martha's voice. "Are you free? Was Mr. Weinstien able to help?"
"Yeah Mom, I'm with him now. Thanks for calling him."
"I was so worried, tell me what happened."
"I'll be home in a couple of minutes, and I'll tell you everythng." Sam said.
"You should probably come down to my office tomorrow." Joshua said, "I'll need you to sign some papers." He handed Sam a business card.
"Thank you so much." Sam said, "if you hadn't been there I don't know what would have happened."
"Oh I do." Joshua said, "Agent Weltz would have claimed that you tried to leave and that he was forced to restrain you. Then they would have threatened you with charges of "assualting a federal officer" and tried to get you to cooperate with them that way. They would hold you in prison until your arraignment, hoping that you would crack under the pressure."
"Sounds pleasant." Sam said.
"It works all too often." Joshua said. "Most people are scared to death of having a criminal record haunting them for the rest of their lives."
"I guess I'm not surprised," Sam said, "but it's all so damned twisted."
"We're fighting tyranny." Joshua said, "it's a dangerous business, and likely to get more dangerous as time goes on."
They reached Sam's block and Sam guided Joshua to his house. "Well thanks again for getting me out." Sam said, offering his hand.
"Your welcome. I specialize in these types of cases, it's what I live for." Joshua said. "Come down any time after lunch tomorrow and we'll work out some strategies."
Sam was greeted by a hug from his mother: "I've been so worried!" She said.
"I know Mom, it was pretty scary."
"Your friend Dawn sounds nice, she wants you to call her. Another man named Stubby called too."
"Oh, Stubs." Sam said. "Ok, thanks."
Sam recounted his experience, first to Martha, and then he called Dawn and Stubs as well. Apparently, Dawn had passed the word to the whole Red Eye crowd, since calls from Eve, Misty and Shotzie came in and Sam's voice was getting dry from all the talking.
When he was on the phone with Misty, he suddenly heard Gaby's voice say: "Sam, we need you now!" Sam apologized to Misty and told her he would call her tomorrow.
Sam was a little confused on what he should do, it was after 11, so he guessed that lying down as if he were going to bed would be the best plan. He turned off his cell phone so that no one would interupt.
He closed his eyes, and found himself slipping out of body very quickly. Gaby was standing in the room, waiting for him.
"That was faster than I expected." Sam said, looking at himself.
"I helped you." Gaby said. "it's easy when I can connect with you." She took Sam's hand and the world shifted around them, they were on what appeared to be a fairly quiet suburban street. Pamela and Rose were there as well.
"Hi Sam." Rose said, "I'm glad to see you escaped imprisonment."
"Thanks," Sam said, "what's going on, where are we?"
"Hartford Illinois" Pam said, "and if my vision is correct, there's about to be one hell of a fire here."
"What's that smell?" Zeba asked.
"Gasoline. It's been leaking from a nearby refinery and it's underground pipes for decades." Pam said. "The EPA thought they had sealed the fumes two years ago with a form of smart plastic that was pumped in as a liquid and then bonded to form a protective layer, but it's stretched like a balloon and it's about to pop."
"What do we do?" Sam asked, "can we prevent it from popping?"
"No." Pam said, "the best we can do is wake everyone up. Sam, we need you to pull alarms, and jump on cars, anything that makes noise."
"Rose, you'll have to appear and warn people. Everyone else, scout for signs of fire."
Sam felt a little silly at first, but he started with the nearest car, setting off it's alarm. It didn't help much, the man who owned it turned it off via remote control from his upstairs bedroom.
Sam went into the house, hoping to find an alarm system, but there was none. There were smoke alarms though, and a Carbon Monoxide detector mounted on the wall. With a little playing he set off the carbon monoxide detector and that got the family up.
"What the hell is going on tonight!" A man's voice said from the master bedroom, Sam flew out the wall and into the next house, doing the same thing there.
Sam made it through six houses, setting off the Carbon Monoxide detectors, this seemed to be working well because neighbors were leaving their houses and starting to talk to each other.
"The fumes are really strong tonight, maybe we should just leave." One man said.
"I thought the EPA fixed this," said another, "I bought this house last year because they said this problem was solved."
"Sam, this way, Gaby's found something." Zeba said. They flew to the next block of houses, and into a garage where a sweaty, grimy man in what was once a sleevless white t shirt, but now covered in car grease had an engine out on a workblock and was trying to start it. The man was short and stocky, and had the name Gus tattooed on his shoulder, he had a fresh can of beer on a nearby workbench, and several crushed ones on the garage floor around him.
"STOP!" Rose said, "you're going to cause an explosion!"
Gus jumped out of his skin at Rose's sudden appearance.
"Look lady, I don't know how you got in here, but I know what I'm doing. Now get out of my house!" Gus advanced on her and Rose disappeared. "What the..." was all he said before Sam left the area.
Sam took the opportunity to set off the man's carbon monoxide detector, it seemed every house had been equipped with the same model over the years as a precaution, the was making Sam's job easier as he now had the knack of making them go off.
"Son of a bitch!"
Sam went quickly through all the surrounding neighbors, setting off theirs as well. Then he heard a smoke alarm start shrieking on it's own from another house. He saw Gaby nearby and said: "Get Rose in here!"
He flew into the basement to see that flames had actually erupted from small cracks in the basement floor. The basement smoke alarm was screaming and Sam could hear the movements of family up ahead.
"Ok, everyone out of the house." A strong maternal voice said. "I'm calling the fire department now, nobody touch the basement door."
Sam drifted through as the mother led three children out of the house, aged between five and ten. He marveled at the calm and practiced manner this mother handled the situation.
Once again, neighbors were gathering in the streets, and commenting on how strong the fumes were tonight. Sirens could be heard in the distance as the fire trucks were dispatched.
Another basement alarm went off, only the occupant of this house wasn't so lucky. He had taken an extinguisher and opened the basement door creating a backdraft, because of the concentration of fumes in the outside air, his whole house erupted in flames and he was killed almost instantly.
This sad conflageration was followed only moments later by an explosion from Gus' garage. Apparently, he had gone back to what he was doing after Sam and Rose had left.
He was blown out of the garage by the blast and landed burning on the ground. Neighbors came with blankets in hand, rolling the man and smothering the flames. Gaby went over to offer whatever help she could.
Houses began evacuating en masse now, someone noticed that the sewers had caught fire and people began to evacuate in earnest. Sam was amazed at how disciplined most of these residents were, clearly many of them had been through this before, or at least drilled for it.
More and more fire trucks rolled in, as well as helicopters and airplanes normally used for forest fires. There was no stopping the fires though. The firemen were forced back when a pipeline exploded, sending a non-stop get of flame hundreds of feet into the night.
"How long will this burn?" Sam asked Pamela.
"Weeks," she said. "some time after dawn, one of the refineries will go, but we saved everyone we could. You did good work tonight Sam."
"Thanks, but we all did." Sam said. "If you didn't have these visions, we'd never get here on time."
They watched through the night, as the whole section of town went up in flames. They flew through the houses, making sure all of them were empty. Sam felt bad for a family of forgotten hamsters, but noticed later on that a fireman had actually carried the tank out to safety.
They watched as the refinery went. Fortunately, the place had been evacuated hours before so nobody was hurt, but the ensuing explosion was visible for over a hundred miles.
"There go the gasoline prices again." Pamela said.
posted by John at 3:15 PM | link |
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