by Karl Morgan
He stood and shook Agent Anderson's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sadie. Yes, of course, please sit down."
"Josh, first let me apologize. We had a meeting that overran its schedule, which is why you were left here so long," Steve said.
"That's okay, but I'd like to go home as soon as I can."
"We'll see what we can do about that," Steve replied. "Sadie is an expert at detecting falsified images and videos. We've had her checking the LIFE feeds that have been popping up about you. Sadie?"
"Josh, I was surprised not to find any tell-tale signs of editing on those videos, which we all know are clearly fake. Why don't you tell us how you did it?"
"You completely discount the evidence because you don't understand it? That seems pretty flippant, if you ask me."
"Mr. Carpenter, do you expect me to believe those videos are genuine?" she chuckled. "Just because your associates have developed better editing software doesn't make you a miracle worker. The things in those videos are beyond human capabilities. Next thing you'll be walking on water and then turning that water into wine. Is that what we're supposed to believe?"
"Frankly, I couldn't care less what you believe, Agent Anderson. Your partner said you wanted to discuss other people's postings on LIFE. Okay, we discussed it, so I'm leaving," Josh said while standing up.
"Josh, please sit down," Steve begged. "Sadie's just upset that she couldn't find how you faked the feeds, that's all."
Josh remained standing and replied, "This kind of circular conversation won't get us anywhere. First, you have no evidence of forgery, but because you don't understand, you assume I'm the best forger in the world. Second, all the videos were posted by LIFE's own cameras, police officers, and others I've never met in my life. Are you accusing those who posted the videos of fraud, or just me because I was in them? What did I do? Did I hack into LIFE and upload special, staged videos? Has anyone ever hacked into LIFE? Wouldn't the FBI be the first to know if someone did?"
"I'm done," Sadie said as she rose and walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
Agent Trance sat quietly, holding his head in his hands. Josh sat again and said, "You're friend is on quite the ego trip."
Steve glowered at him and replied, "Don't you think you're the one on the ego trip? Those images show impossible things happening, and you think she should just accept that it's all true? Tell me what's going on, Josh!"
"I wish I knew, Steve, I wish I knew. Believe me, I didn't plan any of this either. It's like the wars breaking out everywhere now. None of us had anything to do with them, but sooner or later, we'll find ourselves drawn into them. Steve, honestly, I had nothing to do with those videos."
"You are free to go, Josh. But believe me, when we found out how those images were adulterated, we are going to jump all over those responsible."
"If someone faked them, I hope you do, but the odds aren't so great. You know, I see phony videos every day, and they never seem to be taken down."
"Just go already, okay?"
Josh rose and walked out of the room. Steve pulled out his phone and pressed some keys. "Hey, it's Trance. That Carpenter guy wouldn't tell us anything . . . Yes, I think we need to put a tail on him too . . . Eventually, he'll screw up, and then we'll have him . . . Bye."
Chapter 6
In the two days following the suicide bombing in the Guadalupe Valley, hundreds more occurred around the world in every region and country. The two major conflicts continued to escalate and the threat of nuclear war was looming. At the same time, tens of thousands of fake miracle videos appeared on LIFE, starting an entire new genre on the social media giant. With so many new videos to ridicule, the level of interest in the original images of Joshua Carpenter plummeted. The world had moved on.
That obscurity was welcomed by the Carpenter family. When he left the FBI office to return home, he found hundreds of people waiting for him outside. A neighbor helped him climb the fence between the houses and sneak in the back door. Today, the street was empty and all seemed to be back to normal. It was two o'clock in the afternoon and Josh was watching coverage of the front lines of the African war. His father was still at work, and his mother was running errands. According to the reporter on screen, the destruction of Kano had been the only nuclear blast, but both sides were struggling in the conflict. While the caliphate was still making gains in the western regions, the Empire was moving north towards the Nile River in the east. If Cairo, the capital of the Western Caliphate fell, the continuity of the caliphate region and the will of the people would crumble. The Central Caliphate remained out of the conflict, choosing to protect their own territory rather than join the others in their Holy War against the infidels. Josh switched the channel and saw a reporter sitting at a desk. He said, "Today, the FBI and CIA announced Operation Purge, which has resulted in the detainment of several hundred accused of posting false miracle videos on LIFE. Apparently, many more warrants have been issued for persons of interest in the Western and Eastern Caliphates. According to an FBI spokesperson, it is unlikely those warrants will be served."
The doorbell chimed and Josh turned off the set, rose and went to see who it could be. He looked through the peephole, and then opened the door. “Hi, Ted!”
"Hello, Josh," Ted Dixon said. "Can I come in?" Josh moved aside to let Ted enter and sit on a couch in the living room. Josh then sat on a side chair. "Josh, we have a real problem."
"What's happening?"
"None of this is public knowledge yet, but there is an airliner heading from San Diego to Honolulu with a man on board threatening to detonate a bomb."
"Wow, that is terrible, but why is that our problem?"
Ted leaned forward and put his hand on Josh's knee. "Shirley Cambridge is on that flight."
All the color drained out of Josh's face and he slouched down as though all the strength had been sucked out of his body. "Shirley?" he stammered. "How? Why?"
"I don't know if you remember the doctor she had in the hospital. Her name is Diane French. The three of us had dinner two nights ago. Diane had wanted to see how Shirley was doing, and I sort of like Diane, so I arranged it. Well, the two of them really hit it off, and then Shirley told Diane about a symposium she was attending in Hawaii for a few days. Diane asked if she could join her and she said yes."
"What can we do, Ted? We're here, thousands of miles away."
Ted looked down, and replied, "Josh, I don't know. I was hoping you might be able to do something, after those other things. I'm sorry, I was just hoping against hope."
"You really like the doctor, don't you?"
"This was a mistake. I'm sorry, Josh. It was stupid of me to come here. I just didn't know where else to go." Ted stood up and walked out the door.
Josh slumped down on the chair, feeling totally helpless and alone. He had only known Shirley a few days, but his feelings toward her were strong already. He had not realized it himself until Ted told him about the situation in the air over the Pacific. He could see her face in his mind, and remembered the kiss she gave him when she arrived at Ted's apartment. It seemed like years ago, but it had been only four days. He wondered why she had not invited him to go to Hawaii. Perhaps he could have stopped the bomber if he was there. He felt overwhelmed with grief and self-doubt and closed his eyes and prayed for her.
Josh suddenly felt dizzy and his stomach churned; something was terribly wrong. A loud rumbling sound filled his ears. He opened his eyes to see himself inside an airliner. He could hear people nearby praying out loud. The woman in the next seat did not notice his sudden appearance. Her eyes were closed tightly and tears ran down her face. Two attendants brushed past him. One said to the other, "He has a passenger in the lavatory with him. The captain is descending, but we don't have much time."
Josh did not know if this was real or just a dream created by his despair, but he stood and followed the two attendants toward the rear of the plane. As he walked, he looked at the terrified faces of the passengers. Mothers were trying to ca
lm their children. Men's eyes were hollow and red from crying. Two male attendants blocked the end of the cabin. Both raised their arms to stop Josh. "Go back to your seat, sir. There is nothing you can do here." Josh raised one hand and the two men moved aside, as though they could not control their bodies.
Two female attendants stood at the lavatory door, listening to the bomber list his demands. "Please relax, sir, the captain is relaying your message to the ground." One of the women turned to face Josh, blocking his way.
"Please let me pass," Josh said.
"There's nothing you can so, sir. Please go back to your seat," the attendant said.
"It's okay," Josh said. "I will stop the madness, please trust me." The two women moved back, seemingly against their own will. Josh put his ear to the door and listened.
"Please don't do this," Shirley's voice said. "While there is life, there is hope. We all have a higher purpose. Have faith."
"Your friend is here now. He has passed the first part of the test," the bomber said.
"What are you talking about?" Shirley asked.
Josh raised his right arm and pushed it through the door as though it was an illusion. He grabbed Shirley's arm and pulled her back into the cabin. He took her in his arms and kissed her lips. "It's going to be okay. You're safe now." She was dumbstruck and almost fainted. Josh handed her to the male attendants who were watching in amazement. Then he stepped through the door to face the bomber.
"It's about time you showed up, Joshua," the bomber said. He was a tall, thin man with a shaven head and thin mustache. The backpack bomb was sitting on the sink. "But I am still here with the detonator, so you have lost and failed." He showed the small detonator to Josh and grinned. Josh lurched forward, slipping his arm through the strap on the backpack and grabbing the bomber and holding him tightly. They both fell backward and slipped through the fuselage of the plane as if it was not there.
The blast of the wind sent the two men tumbling wildly as the jet zoomed ahead. The force of the wind knocked off both men's shoes as they dropped out of control toward the ocean twenty thousand feet below. Josh managed to free his right arm long enough for the backpack to be pulled off by the wind and it flew out of sight. The men quickly lost forward momentum and plummeted toward the sea. "So, you think you passed the test, right Joshua?" the bomber said.
"Shirley is alive, that's all I wanted."
"Everybody dies; Joshua, and now you're headed to a quick death down there."
"I'm okay with that, as long as I take you with me."
"Then you have failed the test, as I knew you would," the bomber said. His body began to twitch and expand, breaking through his clothing and bulging with new muscles. The flesh began to darken and his arms and legs twisted and contorted. Large boney wings sprouted from his back. "I will not die today, Joshua, and you should pray your friends can find something of you to bury." The beast clawed at Josh with his talons, ripping his clothing and tearing his flesh. Then it pushed him away and began to flap its wings. Josh continued dropping as the monster flew away.
Josh fell and fell, seemingly without end, although he knew the impact with the ocean would kill him and splatter his remains to feed the fish. But Shirley was alive, and that was good enough for him. Then he wondered if this really was a dream. Shirley was still in danger and he would wake up at home, still helpless. He began to feel warm and calm. He was enveloped in a light so bright that he had to close his eyes. He could no longer feel the wind or hear the screeching sound of the air passing by. But there was a sound, barely perceptible. He concentrated and tried to focus his senses on it. Was it God? Perhaps he was already dead. Maybe that would be for the best. He focused his mind on the sound and it started to become clearer. A man's voice was talking about used cars. How odd, he thought.
Josh opened his eyes. He was sitting on the couch in the family room of his house. The salesman on the television announced their latest close out sale on used vehicles. It had been a dream! He looked at his body. His clothes were torn to shreds and blood oozed from claw marks on his chest and arms. His shoes were gone. He sat up and winced from pain from the cuts. A man walked out of the kitchen carrying two coffee mugs, walked over and offered one to Josh. "This will make you feel better, Josh," Chris said.
"Why are you here? I remember you from the FBI building. Do you sneak up on people all the time?"
Chris sat on the couch and sipped his drink. "It's just coffee, Josh. You were just flying through freezing air, and I thought you could use some warmth."
"Wait! You're the bomber, aren't you? You were testing me." He took a sip of coffee and did feel much better.
"I was not the bomber! My family doesn't work that way."
"Then what was that thing, and why was it testing me?"
"We already had this conversation, didn't we?"
"Are you talking about me saving the world again? That seems pretty outrageous." Josh sat back and drank his coffee.
"Everything I've been telling you is true. The Earth is headed toward the ultimate conflict between good and evil. I suppose you can guess which side the demon on the plane represents. If you thought things were complicated for you before, just think what will happen when that plane lands? All the attendants saw what you did. You saved their lives, and you weren't even on the passenger manifest. How do you think the world will react to that?" Chris asked.
"Do you think I should have let them all die?"
"Of course not, Josh. As I told you earlier, you are being drawn into this series of events for a reason. I believe you will decide the fate of the planet, but you will have many choices. Some will want you to go one way. Others will prefer another way, but it will be your choice."
"You know, I'm not sure I want to be in that position. Can't I just be a normal person? That's all I really want."
"I'm sorry, but no. This has always been your destiny, but don't worry yourself sick. Just keep moving and face what happens day by day. I still believe that everything will work out for the best."
The front door opened and Josh's mother entered the house. She walked over to the family room and was surprised to see a guest. "Mom, this is Chris, a man I met at the FBI office."
"How do you do, Chris? Just call me Maggie. So, you're with the FBI? How exciting that must be!"
"To be honest, I'm not with the FBI. I just wanted to talk to Josh for a few minutes. I'll be leaving now."
"Why don't you stay for dinner? Joe and I always like to meet Josh’s friends," Maggie asked.
"I don't want to be an imposition."
Josh stood and said, "No, I think that's a great idea. Perhaps Chris can tell you and Dad about his plans for me?"
"My God, Josh, what happened to your clothes?"
"Let me go change and Chris can tell you all about it," Josh smiled as he walked out of the room.
§
A mob of reporters met the flight arriving in Honolulu; however the passengers and crew were diverted to a secure area of the terminal to be debriefed by police and FBI agents. The first surprise was that every passenger and crew member on the manifest arrived safely. The gate crew in San Diego was immediately summoned for questioning on how the bomber and hero had gained access to the jet. Within minutes, most passengers were released, but Shirley and the attendants near the lavatory were kept for more detailed questioning, since they had witnessed the events unfolding.
"Ms. Cambridge, you must realize this story does not make sense," Agent Carl Field noted. "A man who was not on the plane made a bomb threat, and then another man not on the plane pulled you through a solid door, walked back through it, and they both disappeared."
"When will you release me? I need to talk to Josh and thank him for saving us."
"Joshua Carpenter, isn't he the one you're talking about?"
"Yes! I don't know how he did it, but we're alive because he did. The attendants saw everything. Didn't they tell you the same thing?"
Carl stood and began to pace back and forth
. He was rubbing his temples to fight the headache that was pulsing after hearing so many impossible tales. "Ms. Cambridge, this is all some kind of a joke, right? You and the attendants did this for attention. People do not suddenly appear in an airliner, or walk through doors or disappear into thin air. This is the real world."
Shirley smiled and pushed back her chair, casually putting her feet up on the table. “Agent Field, you can believe whatever you want, but you will find no connection between me and any of the crew members. I wasn’t the one who notified the captain about the hijacking. I only went back to use the lavatory when that bastard grabbed me and pulled me inside.” The door opened and three more agents entered the room. They glanced around at one another.
“Okay, Ms. Cambridge,” Carl said. “I think that’s all we need right now. You are free to go, and we will be in touch if we need anything else.” She stood and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. “Please don’t tell me that we got nothing from anyone.”
Agent Tom Winters replied, “Sorry, Carl. All the attendants remembered the hijacker boarding the flight in San Diego, although none can explain his absence from the manifest. The other man, this Carpenter fellow, did not board in San Diego. He just appeared out of nowhere.”
“And no one saw him popping out of thin air?”
“No, but there was Ms. Cambridge’s traveling companion, a Dr. Diane French. She did not see him appear, because she and many others were crying and despondent. She remembered hearing someone standing and felt the row of seats move. She opened her eyes and saw a man stand up at the aisle seat and head down the aisle.”
“So?”
“The seat where the man was sitting had been Ms. Cambridge’s seat. It was vacant.”
“Okay, I think I’ve had enough for one day. Let’s write up our reports and give this problem to Washington to deal with,” Carl said as he opened the door and walked away.
§
Hammond Finch was sitting quietly at his desk on the executive floor of Finch Incorporated in mid-town Manhattan. He was checking the front page of the Wall Street Journal for global news when his intercom buzzed. He pressed the flashing button and said, “Yes, Millie?”
