Fury From Within

Chapter Six

Peter had little trouble locating the bustling supermarket—open 24 hours a day as its banner proudly proclaimed — precisely where his Syrian handler said it would be.

He picked a spot on the right-hand side of the well-lit lot to park.

Retrieving his Koran from his overnight bag, he turned to the east and said his nightly prayers, thanking Allah for his good fortune. When he finished, he placed the Koran on his lap and reclined his seat, falling off to sleep.

A car door closing roused him. He quickly checked his watch then re-checked the ferries schedule to confirm the departure times. Peter realized he had an hour to kill before boarding, deciding to drive to a local McDonalds for some breakfast. He had picked up a taste for Egg Mc Muffins during his short stay in the United States. He wondered how he could satisfy his craving when he returned home? His country had nothing similar to this decadence in America.

Driving to the parking lot’s exit, he spied a local police car approaching from the opposite direction. Peter panicked for a split second until he saw the police officer turn his cruiser into the same McDonalds. Peter instinctively turned his car in the opposite direction. With his own breakfast plans on hold, he decided it would be prudent to head straight for the ferry. The presence of the police car suppressed his desire for food. His mission took precedence over his own needs, the needs of his people.

How selfish, he thought. I have become tainted by this American style of living after only three weeks.

Spying the massive ferry from the road, Peter drove onto the gravel lot before noticing a cardboard sign haphazardly nailed to a wooden post announcing “ticket sales this way.” Steering his vehicle in the direction of the crudely drawn arrow, Peter was able to spot a teenager who sported a roll of paper tickets almost the width of his skinny chest.

The line of cars in front of him was surprisingly short due to most of the vehicles having already pre-boarded. This being the busy summer season people wanted to be assured a space on the ferry with some people even arriving two hours early to await boarding. Peter didn’t take this into account with his back-up plan. Luckily for him tickets were still for sale.

“One-way or roundtrip sir,” the lanky teenager said, leaning in on Peters rolled down car window for support. “$43 roundtrip or $25 one way,” anticipating the question from Peter. He stood there looking back at the remaining cars in line, than to Peter.

“One way,” Peter said, handing over the exact change, in return receiving a white paper ticket. That was easy, he thought as he drove forward, easing his car into the line as it snaked its way aboard the massive ferry. Any other country would have police checking identification before boarding such a large ship. The lazy infidel Americans will soon learn the error of their ways. Everything would change after today.

Peter maneuvered his car up the ten meter wide steel ramp that announced the entrance to the ferry. At 25,000 Tons, the “Lady of the Delaware” was one of the largest car ferries operating in the lower 48 states. Peter carefully followed the uniformed workers hand signals that aligned his vehicle towards her center. After safely parking his car, Peter tuned his wheels inward as instructed by one of the ships crewmen. He waited until the crewmen moved on to the next vehicle in line before silently praying to Allah for his good fortune. After several minutes, he finished his prayer, turning to see a woman of probably 70 or 80 years of age who just smiled at him as she proceeded to make the sign of the cross, obviously ending a short prayer herself. Peter waved to her.

After being cooped up all night, Peter decided to walk topside. He also needed a suitable spot where the ships electronics would not interfere with a satellite phone call.

The top deck of the ferry lay crowded with passengers heading to the on-board coffee shop to feed their morning caffeine addiction. Peter decided to forgo the long line and walked to the stern of the ferry. He waited until the steel grated ramp was raised and locked in place.

Satisfied, Peter pulled out his satellite phone. He had to inform his superiors of their new status,…….. that of a nuclear power.