Counting Up To Infinity Read online

  “Even better.”

  Rod then asked, “What would happen if one of these units hit at 200 mph with an activated force field.

  David smiled, “It would sting. However, if we turned it on at the last millisecond, anything inside the radius would be cut in two.”

  Roderick put two cameras on the tip of the chimney, then on the other corners of the building.

  “Do you have a working force field?”

  David nodded, “On me, my family, our houses and this building.”

  “You’re wearing one?”

  “Yes, of course. Assassins have tried to attack my family eight times already. I’ve been kidnapped once. Most attempts were stopped before they got sight of me. Sniffer is fantastic.” David’s hand started to pet a space in front of him. Rod was able to make out the bare outline of a dog’s head.

  “What are the characteristics of this force field?”

  “For personal use, it has to be spherical and all encompassing. Therefore, I would need to be in the air at the time, and the ceiling can’t be too low, otherwise I’d be clunked in the head, and the downstairs neighbors might complain about their new skylight. On the other hand, for something large and motionless, like this building, we can engage an n-space spline warping field to make it practically a rectangle.”

  ***

  A small piece of news hit the newspapers that an experimental missile was stolen from Aberdeen Proving Grounds. A corporal DeCruz, who claimed to have fallen asleep, was under investigation.

  ***

  Rod was leaning back thinking about international charities and how to subsidize local manufacturing when, out of the corner of his eye; he noticed the sky grow dark. He looked out the window. No light came from the sky. There was no sun. There was no light from the sky. No, it wasn’t dark; the ‘sky’ reflected the lights of the building. He stood up and stepped up to the window. The building lights lit up an area forty feet from the building, after that the rest was reflected. He saw two street lamps, where there should have been one. There was no sky or parking lot. It took him a second when he realized that there was a huge smooth mirror wrapping all around the building. One of the street lamps was a perfect reflection.

  Suddenly, the darkness and mirror were gone. Over his earphone, he heard David’s voice. “We have an emergency folks. Everything is completely fine. However, I recommend you all stay in your office until it is safe to leave. No one was hurt. There was no damage to any property.” Rod was able to smell a slight whiff of a high ordinance explosion.

  ***

  The cell phone rang, “Daphne St. John? How would you like to break a bigger story than Watergate?”

  “Who is this?”

  “My name, isn’t important. I have some quite illegal tapes that can’t be used but exonerates Corporal DeCruz, and will go straight up to the president and the entire chain of command. Interested?”

  ***

  “Matt, this is David. We have a situation. I was attacked. They were foiled, but I know where the hit men went. Meet me at 178 Crestview at the corner of Greene, with as large a group as you can get, have them all wearing gloves and the firepower to take down a small nation. Bring your best locksmiths too.”

  “Uhh, sure David, will they be there in fifteen minutes?”

  “If they aren’t I’ll bring you to where they will be. I’ll see you then.”

  ***

  Five vans rolled up to David’s car. He was sitting against the fender. Matt noticed David holding a small notebook computer. Matt jumped out of his car and ran up to David, two large men followed.

  David said, “Thanks for making it so fast. Here’s the situation, there are two men in a building around the corner. They just fired a rocket at my building. We were lucky. It blew up in midair. If it had actually hit, I and my entire operation would have been destroyed.”

  Matt grinned, “Would you like us to make an example of them?”

  “No, they’re the small fry. I want the people all the way at the top. I’ve already made some phone calls. I want your men to enter the building as silently as possible and get the drop on them. I want them disarmed and I want to speak to them, when you give me the all-safe sign.”

  “David, don’t be stupid. This is not a job for amateurs. I know you mean well, but you need some big guns if you want to scare them shitless.”

  “Oh, I have the big guns. And I will use them. Just make sure your people don’t leave any fingerprints or anything else. The FBI will be scrubbing this place carefully. Can you pass the word we roll in five minutes? You get your lock pickers ready, but make it clean. Remember, the best of the FBI.”

  In eight minutes, Matt motioned for David to come forward. The assassins were still in the building, three swarms of ‘eyes’ were already dispatched. One was already in the building. David strode forward through the opened door. On the ground were the two assassins with four of Matt’s men with automatic rifles standing above them. David motioned for a heavyset balding older man to stand.

  Upon standing, “I know my rights, I’m not talking.”

  David smirked, “Do I look like the police? Do these guys look like members of the Supreme Court?” A number of Matt’s men laughed aloud. “I’m here as a messenger, just a messenger.” David opened the laptop and held it up. The face of Charlie Haines appeared. Charlie Haines looked at the standing man. “Seymour Wright. You just tried to kill me. I’m going to propose something. I’m going to play good-cop and bad-cop. Good cop first. You do things my way and I’ll give your attorney a numbered Swiss account with five hundred thousand dollars in it – all for you. I’ll also make a deal with the cops that you get a fantastic plea. You’ll do some time, but it will be minimal. You’re a nothing. I’m only concerned about your bosses’ boss. That’s the good cop, now the bad cop. You don’t cooperate and you’re family will suffer. You will suffer. First call your daughter Cecily.”

  David motioned for Matt to hand back Seymour’s phone. Hesitantly, Seymour called. Cecily answered, “Hi Dad. I’m glad you called. I just had the fright of my life. I was driving on I-85 when all of a sudden my car jumped in the air and almost hit a tree. It must have gone up a hundred feet. Then as fast as it happened, it fell. It stopped about two feet from the pavement. I was so scared I soiled myself. But the baby and I are fine.”

  “Any idea what happened CeeCee?”

  “No Dad. I’ll bring it in tomorrow.”

  Charlie Haines made a motion with his finger across his throat to cut the conversation.

  “Listen CeeCee, you bring the car in for a check-up. I got to go.”

  “But Dad why did you call?”

  Seymour closed the circuit.

  Charlie Haines looked at Seymour, “Do you have any idea where your wife is now?”

  Seymour felt his throat turn dry, he shook his head no. Charlie continued, “I do. Call 555-4112. Tell her you’re going to be delayed tonight.”

  Seymour’s fingers trembled as he dialed the phone number. He heard “Eloquence Hair Salon.” Seymour was at a loss for words.

  Seymour saw the words ‘your wife’ appear below Charlie’s face.

  Seymour said, “Is my wife there? Tammy Wright?”

  “One second, let me check.”

  Forty seconds later he heard a woman answer in a slightly angry voice, “Who is this?”

  “Tammy, it’s me, Sy.”

  In a completely confused voice, “How did you know I was here, I just made the appointment this morning. Even I didn’t even know I was going to …”

  Seymour interrupted, “Tammy, this is important, I’m going to be detained. I’ll try to call you later. Is everything alright?”

  “Of course everything is alright. What’s wrong? Were you following me?”

  Charlie indicated to cut the call.

  “Listen I have to run. I just wanted to tell you that I love you. No matter
what.” Seymour hung up.

  Charlie continued, “Now everyone knows me as the wonderful philanthropist, the one who solved the energy crisis, the one who solved the pollution problem. Well I also know that to make an omelet you need to crack some eggs. Your family is now forfeit. They are dead. I’m going to start as an example of my power with your parent’s graves. The graves were just mysteriously destroyed. Then I’m going to exterminate your brothers, your sisters, your wife, your kids, and your grandchildren. I’m going to make it so that your entire line is wiped off the earth. You will be the last. I will pay good money to keep you in jail and in constant pain, but alive. You’re going to be the last one to die. You can either cooperate with me, or the first time you talk to someone else I WILL know. I know everything. I know where your wife is. I know what road your daughter is on. I know what planes are flying above her at this very moment. If you talk to anyone except someone of my choosing they are all dead.”

  Charlie glanced backward. “David, give the man the number.” David handed Seymour a piece of paper. “This number is the phone number of your attorney. He will arrange a plea agreement. You will agree to talk directly to the Chief of Police in Atlanta and only the Chief of Police. He has agreed to keep you there and resist any attempts by the Feds to extradite you. The mayor and the governor are completely in my back pocket and will fight any change of venue. Just remember, I’m the richest man in the world. I’m going to bust this open by the end of the week. Now are you going to cooperate or do you want you and your family to all die?”

  “Ahh, yes sir. Did you say five hundred thousand, if I cooperate?”

  “Yes, your attorney has the account already.”

  “Ah, how can I trust him?”

  “Talk to him. I’m going to tell you it once. I never lie. If I say you cooperate and get a check, you get a check. If I say that your parent’s grave has been destroyed, it has been destroyed. If I say your family will be wiped off the planet, they will be wiped off the planet. There won’t be a corner for them to hide. No witness protection program can ever protect them. None. Now, first and last time, cooperate or not?”

  “Yes, I’ll cooperate.”

  “On the floor. Michael Crockett you stand up.”

  The second, younger man with the dirty blond hair, stood.

  “You, I don’t know if I can trust. But you heard what I had to say. Call your mother, Anne. She hasn’t left work yet. She’s still at the luggage shop.”

  Michael dialed the number. “It’s me Michael, Mom.”

  “Michael, I can’t talk, a policemen just told me that some woman just had an accident with my car. I need to go see it. I’ll call you later.”

  “I love you too, Ma.”

  Charlie indicated for Matt to collect the phone. “Angela, your girl is just leaving school, her chemistry class just ended. I can have you talk to her, but you guys already wasted enough of my time. Now, I can arrange to get you a nice safe cell for a short time, or you’re going to be placed into the cell of the hairiest, biggest motherfucker they have and your family including your parents are dead. We already have a stoolie and we’ll have more by the end of the week. I’m going to offer three hundred thousand dollars for every usable lead. Cooperate or not?”

  “Yes.”

  David handed Crockett a piece of paper, “your attorney.”

  “OK, we’re going to leave, quietly. You’re going to stay here. When the police come, you say you want to speak to your lawyer. That’s it. No complications, no resistance. You suicide, I’ll still kill your entire line and your girlfriend. You heard what I said about your friend’s parent’s grave. It was just obliterated.”

  “Now, just one question. Who hired you?”

  “It was a big beefy guy, he said his name was Paulie. That’s it. I received the missile from some old guy with short hair at a place near Aberdeen. He just said his name is Mark.”

  Charlie grinned, “Paulie huh. Did he look like this? This is Paul Warez from the Sunoco Oil company security department, another small fry.” There were two pictures of Paul Warez. One at a company office party, and one with his wife in a more casual setting.

  Both Seymour and Michael nodded agreement.

  “Now for Mark. Is this him?” There were two pictures of a man wearing an army uniform. “His real name is Herman Mitchell, a one star general. They said he was on the way up. Like I said I know almost everything.”

  Both men shook their heads yes. They were both trembling.

  “I’ll have a few newspaper articles given to your attorney that you both could have recognized them from.”

  David closed the computer and walked out. Matt’s men followed.

  Neither man noticed the ‘dust’ above their heads watching them as David left.

  In ten minutes, the Atlanta police arrived. The doors were conveniently unlocked. The police were pleasantly surprised to see the two not offer any resistance. They were read their rights and they demanded to speak to a lawyer. The warehouse had drums of empty missile fuel. On the table were training and guidance manuals. Treads matching the missile launcher were apparent.

  At the police station, they were again read their rights and each was given their one phone call. Seymour was first.

  “Hello?”

  Seymour heard a southern drawl although the area code was for New York City, he recognized the voice, but couldn’t place it.

  “My name is Seymour Wright; I was told you might represent me.”

  “Yes, I’m available. I should be there in six hours. I’ll be flying in from New York. I don’t want you to say anything until I get there.”

  “OK. You know why I was arrested, and you’ll help me?”

  “Sure ‘nough. Your retainer has already been paid for.”

  “Uh, OK. And you have a numbered thingee if I cooperate.”

  “It’s been arranged. Listen, I need to catch a flight to get to you. Remember, don’t talk until I speak to you.”

  “By the way, what is your name?”

  The attorney chuckled, “William Jefferson Clinton, but you can call me Bill. I’ll be leaving as soon as your other friend calls me.”

  ***

  WRQZ news: In the midst of all this national news today, we had a strange local event. Something crushed the headstones and some graves in Follett Cemetery. It looked like a 30 foot crater with the headstones pulverized. The caretaker did not hear anything, but he did notice that a number of the books in his house shifted a few inches around the same time as the earthquake we just had. Local officials think it may have been a freak meteorite. There were no injuries. And now to other local news, …

  ***

  The initial news focused on the near disaster of the attack, the miracle that saved the office building. Close ups were made of the Al Queida and the jihadist literature. Two Korans were also filmed being removed by the police.

  Later that evening, it was divulged that the office building was actually owned by C H Electricity. A spokesperson from the company said that Charlie Haines was not present and no one was injured.

  That evening a presidential spokesperson made a special report. He said that this was a heinous crime that these Al Queida terrorists will be located. Steps were being made to protect the United States from any attack on its energy supply The Nation Guard was being mobilized to protect C H Electricity. A code red alert was declared.

  ***

  This is WBUZZ news at 7 O’Clock. Gooood morning Y’all. The breaking story is the mysterious attack on C H Electricity here in South Atlanta yesterday. At three AM this morning, we were able to film a confrontation between a dozen Federal Agents and one hundred Atlanta City Police, the Mayor, the Governor, and former President William Clinton. You can see the footage on our sister channel WRUZ TV channel 4. It was later stated that there was a misunderstanding. The Federal Agents were unaware that this attempted murder
was a local affair.

  The president has declared a code red alert and is sending National Guard to power plants around the country.

  Our lead story is that Police Commissioner Rodriguez has captured the two men alleged to have fired the missile and they will remain in police custody. These two are fully cooperating with the Atlanta Police Department. The Police Commissioner himself successfully arranged a plea-bargain with the complete cooperation of our District Attorney’s Office. The two men, identified as Seymour Wright and Michael Crockett, admitted that no Al Queida individuals were involved, that they had planted the literature to throw off the search. The literature was given to them by their boss. This was an on-going investigation and the ringleaders were now being identified. Police Commissioner Rodriguez said that due to the evolving nature of the investigation, the names of the co-conspirators would not be named until apprehended.

  We also have a special statement from Charlie Haines, inventor of the anti-gravity machinery that powers our energy and cars. You can also see it live on WRUZ TV.

  “Good morning. As you know, I have reduced your heating, cooling and automobile costs down by 90%, along with eliminating pollution and car thefts. There are forces at work that would love to continue bleeding America and the world dry with inflated oil prices and poison it with pollution. These insidious forces have bought people and politicians to destroy me and my companies, your livelihood, and the economy. In order to get to the bottom of this attempt on my life, and the potential hijacking of the almost free public energy I provide, I will offer a half million dollars to anyone who could provide information leading to the apprehension of the criminals behind the attempted murder. I, and your way of life, could have been killed due to their greed. I am only interested in the people on the top of this terror chain. For a change, it will not be the small fry, the underlings, and the minions who should concern us. America is beyond such evasions. The organized crime kingpins, the brains, will be apprehended. I ask your help. I have spoken to the Governor of Georgia and recommended that the driver and triggermen be given only a one year sentence, if they agree to name names. I have been told that the two felons have already agreed. Their chain of command is being identified as I speak. Please call the special number 800-235-5555 if you have any information on the theft of the missile used to attack me, any sudden payment of a very large amount in cash used to pay Wright and Crockett, or any plot on my life. I will give a $500,000 reward to any tip that is useful in apprehending these terror leaders. No matter where the trail might lead, we will stop them.