Jo-el

Chapter 38 CNN

Sally put her arms around my neck and made as if to kiss me. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“You think he’ll do what you said?” she asked.

“Nope!”

“So we slice him tomorrow?” she was ecstatic.

I nodded, then left her in the family-room to make a cup of tea. I guess I should have felt more excitement but I didn’t. Even though this man was evil and what I was doing was truly a good thing, carrying out the threat, for me, I knew would be difficult.

When I returned to the family room, tea in hand, I asked Sally what Felix Espinosa was doing.

“Shall I show you?” she asked.

“No, just tell me.” I didn’t want to see him.

“Nothing. He threw the bodyguards out of the office and poured himself a drink. Now he’s just sitting at the desk with his feet up, sipping his drink.”

“Well, I guess he has to consider his next move?”

“He has been touching his left wrist, rolling it around in the palm of his right hand, bet you can guess why he’s doing that?” She shrieked with what I thought was way too much excitement.

“I can’t imagine what he must be feeling. Just seeing me disappear out of his office must have scared the shit out of him.”

“He genuflected, as soon as you were gone.”

“Right, well let’s leave him to his misery.” I sat down and sipped at my tea.

“You going to see Yerchenkov?”

“Maybe,” I said, “update me on CNN.”

“They caved, you’re on at seven. They’re frantically searching around for data on you. About fifteen minutes ago they announced that Jo-el, the man with wings would be interviewed on the seven o’clock show. I think that Cathy Vogel is worried you just won’t appear. She’s emailed four times with questions. When, exactly you’ll be there? Do you need a chair? What about makeup? What do you want to say, she repeated that one, she’s worried you’ll say something that could result in legal problems for the network?”

“Tell her not to worry, I’ll be there at seven.”

“She asked that you come through security on the second floor then ask for Bob Sanders, he’ll take you to the studio.”

“Oh, crap, more security. Tell her I’ll come straight to the studio, but don’t tell her how. That’ll generate some attention. What does the US press know about me?”

“Only that you can fly. Nothing’s out about the meetings with the CIA etc. They don’t know you were behind all the intel on the children kidnapped or the terrorists that have been arrested. But there’s tremendous speculation and many people have concluded that you must be connected.”

“This is really going to open a can of worms.”

I checked the time, I only had a little more than one hour. Did I have time to deal with Yerchenkov? This Superhero job was demanding. I really wanted to spend the next hour thinking about what I should or shouldn’t say on CNN.

Sally said. “The FBI are reacting. They’ve called CNN and told them that you’re a wanted criminal and that you will be arrested as soon as you enter the studio.”

“So I assume they’re sending a squad of commandos or whatever?”

Sally looked surprised, I could tell she was reviewing something.

“What?”

“They’re going nuts. Fifty men, Delta force, Marines, anybody they’ve got in Ney York right now.”

“What does it matter?”

“Wow! They’re sending in guys with shoulder, rocket launchers. I don’t think they want you alive, Jo-el. They’re clearing out the building and some of the surrounding buildings. I don’t think you’re getting any air time. Wait a minute, Cathy Vogel just sent an email. She says it’s off. FBI and Homeland Security just shut them down.”

“Damn, I assume the FBI are monitoring our emails to Vogel?”

Sally nodded. I sat back down on the sofa. This wasn’t working at all. So much for freedom of speech. I just didn’t understand why the authorities were so frightened of me?

“Jo-el, another email from Vogel, she asked if you would meet a reporter in Australia?”

I remained silent for a moment, thinking. “When?” I asked, racking my brain, trying to figure out what the downside might be, but came up with nothing. The media hated being told they couldn’t talk to somebody, they were adamant beyond reason that their First Amendment rights were paramount. “Sally, can’t I talk to Vogel without the rest of those idiots listening in?”

“I could overwrite her computer. She might freak out.”

“Let’s do that, I don’t like the eavesdroppers. Tell her that the FBI are monitoring her emails and that’s why I changed how I’m communicating.”

“Do you want me to put her on the monitor?” Sally asked.

“Sure.”

Sally placed the disc monitor in the air and almost instantly a Three-D hologram of Cathy Vogel appeared in my family room. She was crouched over a laptop computer in a small office. The office was cluttered, with papers strewn all over her desk. I could see a framed picture of a female, college student, amongst the mess and a mug of what was probably coffee. A solitary plant that looked plastic, broke up the line of dull grey filling cabinets around the office edge. One chair faced the desk. Not a lot of space for anything else.

Vogel was plain, her short, brown hair, unkempt and her face contained little makeup. Her eyes were grey-green, the signs of long hours beginning to show in the crescent bulges beneath the lids. She appeared to be late forties and dressed simply in a dark blue pant suit. There was no wedding ring.

I viewed her expression as she read the words that now overwrote everything else on her computer. The font was large and the type face white. Her fingers instinctively raised off the keyboard, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open just a little. She pushed back slightly from the screen, Sally typed ‘just type, it will reach me.’ I stood behind her looking over her shoulder, I could read the type. She began typing again. ‘What happened?’

“Type, ‘please don’t be alarmed.’” I told Sally.

I looked around her office, there were no windows to the corridor just windows behind her chair, to the outside. I noticed a simple turn lock in her door.

“Add, ‘I would like to come to your office.’”

Vogel typed, ‘there are agents all over the place.’

“Type, ‘Cathy, I can bounce into your office.’” I immediately worried I’d scare her.

She typed, ‘what do you mean?’

“Tell her I want to speak face to face, if she agreed, she should lock her door and then sit back at her desk.” This was it, the telling moment, let’s see how tough you are, Cathy Vogel?

She hesitated and just gaped at her computer screen, then she looked up and around the little room as if someone was watching. She rose from her chair and locked the door, then took her seat again. I could see her take a deep breath. She typed, ‘okay.’

I smiled at Sally. “Let’s do it, Sally.”

I bounced into her office, sans wings, but as Jo-el, right in front of her desk. I sat down in the solitary guest chair.

Cathy Vogel jerked back, her arms came up and her hands wrapped around her face.

“Good God! How did you do that? Oh, my God, who are you?”

“I’m sorry to startle you, but please don’t be frightened, I’m friendly.” When she heard my voice, she regained her composure and breathed a little easier. “Cathy, there is a lot to understand about me, but I’m not sure I or you have the time right now. If someone comes to your door, I’ll leave, okay?”

She nodded. “Why are the FBI and God knows who else out there? Are they after you?”

“Because of what you just witnessed. I met with the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and the Marines, they’re having difficulty believing my story and what I can do. They’re frightened, or that’s my best explanation. They are trying to accept me, based only on known technology in 2016.”

“Are you…. are you what some people are saying, an Alien?” She found it difficult to ask, it just went against all normal beliefs.

“No, I’m an average human who’s been given technology far advanced from what is currently available now. But I haven’t time to explain everything yet, I just want an opportunity to begin showing the world who I am and what I can do.”

“My God, just what I’ve seen so far makes you the biggest story on the planet.”

“Obviously I can’t appear on a show in the US right now so I’m happy to do the show in Australia, I can be there any time. I can travel at almost the speed of light, so whenever you can set it up I’ll be there.”

There was a pause as Vogel digested what I just said. “You can travel at the speed of light?”

“Almost, yes.”

“Good God! How?”

“Not now, okay?”

She nodded.

“How did you know where to come, here, this office.”

“I can see most areas of the earth; I’ll explain another time.”

“Can I report what I’ve seen?”

“Sure,” I replied.

“Troops coming, Jo-el.” Sally in my ear.

“Get ready to get me out.”

There was rattle at the door, I stood up. “Miss Vogel, we need you to open your door.”

I turned to Cathy Vogel, “time for me to go.” I smiled and bounced back to my family room.

“Sally put it on the monitor.”

Cathy Vogel’s office came back on the Three-D screen. She was still sitting at her desk, a stark look of bewilderment across her expression. The door rattled and the voice said. “Miss Vogel, please open the door.”

Vogel rose and in a trance-like state crossed to the door and unlocked it. Two men in full combat gear came into her office and glanced around the small space. “You need to leave the building, Miss Vogel.”

She looked at the two men for a few seconds, picked up her laptop, power cord and handbag and walked out of the office not saying a word.

“Follow her, Sally.”

My view changed, I followed her down a corridor. It was mostly empty except for a few guys in military uniforms.

“This is nuts, Sally. Don’t they know I can bounce out of anywhere? Is doesn’t make sense to me.” I was fraught with incredulity.

“They don’t know any other way, Jo-el. Whoever is running the show probably can’t explain who you are to all the troops, they just have to go with what they know.”

“What on earth do they expect to gain from this?”

“Keep you away from the media and try and capture you before you say too much. That’s would seem to be the direction they’re taking.”

“But I can just go to another country?” I sat down on the sofa and marveled at the spectacle. The confusion I’d instigated just amazed me. I thought it was going to be relatively straightforward to educate the world about who I was and why I was here, but the reaction had been totally contrary to what I imagined.

“Turn it off, Sally.” I wanted to think.

I shut my eyes and pictured my life two weeks ago, prior to the events that had upended my existence. Fifty-seven-year-old widower, well-off, lonely, two children, motorcycle fan, enjoys an evening whisky. Okay, so now I’m watching TV and a reporter is describing a rescue in the Caribbean by a man with wings. I would be skeptical, a hoax but a great video to see. Then this winged man is in Shanghai rescuing people from a burning building. I pressed deeper into my sofa and wondered what I would think of that? Perhaps there is a man with wings, incredible. I want to see an interview on TV. I want to hear how he came to have wings. But nothing, just fascinating video. Then there’s a report that he rescued three hikers in Southern California. Man, this guy gets about, perhaps there’s two of them? The TV has a myriad of loony people claiming everything from, Aliens to the second coming of Christ. I want the truth; I don’t believe any of the crazy people. The talking heads are just repeating what happened, they don’t have anything new. The winged man doesn’t appear in public, no interviews, no more rescues, where did he go? Perhaps he died. The media has nothing new so the story starts to drop in the standings. Perhaps it was all just a hoax? There’s reports of sightings but no pictures. Everybody is claiming to be the guy; billionaires are offering stupid money to have dinner with him. I’d lose interest.

I opened my eyes and stared into space. I screwed up, I should have stayed with the media. How the hell was I supposed to know? All that crap with the CIA and FBI was a waste of time, they just freaked. But why they freaked out I couldn’t understand unless it’s too much to believe that there is someone out there with the powers I possess. Trouble is guys, there is and it’s moi.

Now things were heating up again. The goings-on at CNN were bound to solicit worldwide attention. I asked Sally to update me on what the media was saying about the happenings in New York.

“Most channels have reporters in the street outside the CNN studio in New York, they’re filming the military action and the FBI and Homeland Security agents but no one has managed to get an interview with a spokesman from any of the services. They’re all speculating and the most popular spiel is terrorist threat. Actually, they’re starting to pull out now.”

“So they’ll fob the whole episode off, jeez!”

“Your former girlfriend came out of her hole a little while ago.”

“Does she have the bug?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” I queried.

“I can’t see inside her handbag. You’ll have to go check when she puts it down.”

“Where is she headed?”

“Looks like she’s going home, she keeps saying goodbye to people.”

“Let me know when I can get the bug?”

“Okay. What about Yerchenkov, you going to see him?” Sally asked, expectantly.

“What’s the time over there now?”

“Eleven-twenty p.m.”

“What’s he doing.”

“Asleep, he’s fucked,” she laughed.

I thought about Yerchenkov and Espinosa. Would I get any credit for shutting down their enterprise? Maybe that had to come later. I liked the way the media thing was going.

“Another time, Sally, let’s keep with the CNN approach.”

“Oh, you’re no fun.” She was pouting.

“What’s Cathy Vogel doing?”

“She in a coffee shop with a colleague finishing up. They just got word they can go back to their offices.”

“Were they off the air all this time?”

“No, they were covering it from their European desk.”

“She hasn’t contacted me again?”

“Not yet, no.”

I made tea in the kitchen and found some chips and humus to snack. I made a salmon and cucumber sandwich and sat at the kitchen table to eat.

Sally came in as I devoured my last bite.

“She’s in the shower.”

“Who?”

“Pipper, her bag is on the table in the kitchen.”

“Okay, let’s go check it out.”

I bounced into her living area and found Pippa’s handbag. I could hear the shower in the background. Nothing, the bug was gone. Damn! I was about to leave when Pippa came into the main living area of her apartment in a toweling robe.

“They found it. I guess you are blind underground?” she said, smugly.

I shrugged. “Did they believe you?”

“No. What did you expect? Too farfetched.”

“And you?”

“I’m scared, Jo-el. We all are. Who are you?”

“I told you.”

“It’s crazy. Too much to take in.”

“What do they want?”

“You. They want you, to study you and examine and understand what you do.”

“I’m not a laboratory animal?”

“That’s not how they see it. To them you are.”

I looked around the room, “where’s Billy?”

“At my Dad’s”

I nodded. “Are they listening?”

“No, I’m cleared, but I have to report the contact.”

“So why aren’t you calling them or whatever?”

“I believe you, Jo-el,” she took a pace closer.

“Don’t you dare, Joey, you can’t trust her.” Sally in my ear.

“Keep back, Pippa, we’re done. You betrayed me, I can’t forgive you for that.”

“I’m sorry, it’s my job, it’s for Billy,” there was pleading in her voice.

“They can’t catch me; you know that?”

“Be careful, they have a lot of ideas. I told them everything you said to me. They reckon your network must be sparse and probably very weak in certain places. The earth has transformed in two hundred and forty-eight million years.”

“But why not be friendly and listen to what I have to say? Is this how we should treat an extraterrestrial contact?”

“Some think they should, but most are simply scared. They wonder why you turned up now if what you told me is correct.”

“I was about to tell you.”

She was quiet, as if I was going to explain now. “I’m not telling you, Pippa. Their attitude has totally offended me. They are wrong and I’m not going to talk to them anymore. I can’t believe what they’ve done. I gave them the terrorists, the pedophiles, the child kidnapers. Where’s the appreciation for that?”

“They think you are just trying to win their confidence, worming your way in so to speak, before you do something awful. They don’t trust you.”

I guess that was it. No trust.

“Well, I’ll just have to work harder. I think it’s time for me to go?”

“Wait,” she put out a hand, but didn’t step closer. “I loved our time together, Jo-el. I wish it had turned out differently, please believe me.”

“Oh, please, I think I’m going to barf.”

I didn’t reply, I just asked Sally to bounce me home.