She put the microphone to her mouth and fought hard to hold back her tears.
“Jackie Phillips reporting live at Dover’s Cliff, just outside of Manhattan. We…we have just witnessed a freak accident here during what appeared to be a peaceful rally.
“It seems that an unidentified man lost control of his truck and ran into a natural-gas metering station, causing what can only be described as complete and utter decimation. Hundreds are dead or seriously injured. Remarkably, with the exception of the driver, all of the injuries occurred inside the building that housed the international delegates.”
Another reporter stood closer to the truck.
“This is Matt Brennen reporting live from Buffalo Creek, where we’ve witnessed an unprecedented series of events. Behind me, you can see the cause of the explosion.” The camera panned toward the truck and the reporter pointed at a pile of rubble.
“This is all that’s left of the truck that crashed into the metering terminal. And the man driving that truck is now dead. It seems he crashed into this terminal, causing a huge explosion that traveled nearly three miles until it literally ran out of gas at what’s known as The Palace, a private health club for the affluent.
“Witnesses say the driver drove at excessive speeds and appeared to be intoxicated. The coroner declared the driver to be DOA, but insists that an autopsy will be conducted to determine if he was driving under the influence. With many questions yet to be asked, we will bring you more after these messages from our sponsors. I’m Matt Brennen, and you saw it first on NYC 13 News.”
• • •
Blake sat on a guardrail looking down into Dover’s Cliff. From a distance, Sarah saw him with his shoulders slouched over. She stood with Dr. Liggin and Dale, discussing the implications of all that had happened.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, I’m going to have a word with Mr. Driscole over there.” She casually walked over to Blake. She put her hand on his shoulder and stepped over the railing and sat down.
He didn’t acknowledge her at first. The sun broke through the clouds, but inside Blake was stone cold.
“I’m so sorry, Blake.”
Sarah waited for a response.
Blake gave none.
“Listen, I want you to know that I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Just let me know.”
She watched the sunset and sat in silence. “Nobody’s asking…but do you know how that happened?”
Blake turned his head to answer. “Maybe.”
Sarah sighed. “Retribution?”
“Damn right!” said Blake, holding back his darker emotions. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for that to happen. I mean, I didn’t plan for Dennis to get caught up in it. Yeah, it was my plan. I had it all figured out, but had to screw up—like always.” Blake couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.
Sarah sat there quietly next to him.
“I should’ve never let him go out there! I should’ve taken care of it myself!” Blake wiped his eyes with his hand. “Why did all of this have to happen? Why Dennis? Why Penny and the girls?” Sniffling through his tears. “Why did they have to—” Blake turned away from Sarah and resumed sobbing, breathing rapidly, trying to regain his composure.
There wasn’t anything Sarah could say to make Blake feel better. She sat with him until the sun went down. Eventually, the remaining fire trucks and police cars vacated the scene.
When everyone had left, Blake stood up and walked toward the crash site. Sarah followed him. When he arrived at the scene of the crash, he walked around the back of the smoldering metering station and looked deep into the wreckage. Sarah kept her distance and observed. Blake turned from the carnage and shuffled his feet on the ground until one foot came to an abrupt stop. He reached down and grabbed a copper tube.
He pulled the tubing up and began to form a circle, rolling the tubing as if he were making a copper snowman. The farther he went, the bigger the circle got. As soon as he rolled the copper a hundred feet, he twisted and bent it until it broke. He began rolling the next hundred feet.
Sarah walked toward Blake and rolled with him. They discarded the evidence that the terminal had been tampered with. They returned the following day to pick up and discard the canisters under the bridge.
They justified their actions by weighing the cost of the damage already done by Caesar and other groups like the Trilateral Commission. Blake and Sarah concluded that with all of the fabricated wars, political manipulation and global exploitation of third-world peoples that the Giants had engaged in, this one act of righteous anger justified the end result. In her heart, Sarah knew that what they did was wrong. Blake felt indifferent.
• • •
After Dr. Liggin experienced that small revolution, he grew even more committed to disarming the Giants. He retired from MIT and accepted the presidency of the newly formed UIM—United Independent Militia. The group formed after Dr. Liggin’s gathering because the militias realized how much power they could actually have if they banded together. They decided to create a more visible presence among Americans. Dr. Liggin accepted the position mainly because he believed in the power of the militia to secure America from its internal enemies and potential tyrants as outlined in the Bill of Rights.
• • •
Blake never forgave himself for what happened to Dennis. Dale Roslow placed him in the Witness Protection Program. He received US citizenship a few years later. He joined the UIM and lives alone in an undisclosed city. He never remarried.
• • •
Sarah continued her work with the ATF. Eventually, she became the ATF’s chief analyst. As difficult as it was, she testified against the power brokers and secret-society members implicated in the investigation, including Thomas Radisson and Jonathan Stalwart, who suffered third-degree burns. Although she received many death threats, she pressed on, dedicated to her civic duty.
She never forgot Blake, Dennis or Gill. She never let the reality of their plight stray far from her mind. Their memory keeps her moving. They are the reason she continues serving her country. They are the reason she fights for justice, serving the victims of questionable corporate activity. They are the reason she continues chasing the Giants.
The End
Bibliography
Basler, P, Roy (Editor). Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln . The Abraham Lincoln Association, 1953. Also found at www.abrahamlincolnonline.org—First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861: Washington, D.C., and The Gettysburg Address, Nov. 19, 1863: Gettysburg, PA.
Wikipedia. Source of Declaration of independence, www.wikipedia.org
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 • On Strike
Chapter 2 • Behind the Wheel
Chapter 3 • Geusto’s Ferry
Chapter 4 • The Hall
Chapter 5 • Le Grande Pub
Chapter 6 • Bereavement
Chapter 7 • Another Long Island, Please!
Chapter 8 • GAP
Chapter 9 • The Palace
Chapter 10 • C-4
Chapter 11 • Oxygen
Chapter 12 • MIT
Chapter 13 • Little Girl
Chapter 14 • Radisson
Chapter 15 • My Girls
Chapter 16 • I’m Done!
Chapter 17 • Road Trip
Chapter 18 • Grande Isle Interrogation
Chapter 19 • Lunchtime
Chapter 20 • The Empire State
Chapter 21 • Another Visitor
Chapter 22 • The Lobby
Chapter 23 • Madame Speaker
Chapter 24 • Capitol Hill
Chapter 25 • The Good Old Days
Chapter 26 • Jack
Chapter 27 • The Meek
Chapter 28 • Flight 340
Chapter 29 • You’re Dead
Chapter 30 • Coq Au Vin?
Chapter 31 • Seven Hundred
Chapter 32 • Lean-to
Chapter 33 • 1340 AM
Chapter 34
• Oasis
Chapter 35 • CAR
Chapter 36 • Exposed
Chapter 37 • One Thousand Feet of Copper
Chapter 38 • Details
Chapter 39 • White Knuckles
Chapter 40 • Never Forget
Chapter 41 • Plea Bargain
Chapter 42 • Cryptocracy
Chapter 43 • Righty Tighty
Chapter 44 • Something’s Missing
Chapter 45 • Crypto Elites
Chapter 46 • Welcome
Chapter 47 • The Giants
Chapter 48 • Memory after Memory
Chapter 49 • Frozen in Time
Chapter 50 • Everything You Have
Bibliography
Killing the Giants Page 25
