“Let me get you another. That’s pretty much it. No demands, like this was just a warning that we should obey when the demands start coming.”
“What kind of sick bastard crashes a plane full of people just to make a point? I can still hear the screams. I heard them right before it went down, women, kids, grown men crying for their mothers…dude…I’m never getting that sound out of my head. One second I can hear them, the next they’re gone. If I would have gotten there a few seconds sooner…”
“You can’t blame yourself. You did the best you could. I think they were going to take one down either way. You said the first plane was diving, and you stopped it.”
“Yeah, it was going straight down. I didn’t know I was that strong. How many people were on the one that went down?”
“328.”
“Oh Lord…”
“Listen Walter, that wasn’t your fault. There are almost six hundred other people who are alive now because of you. Sure, those three hundred are dead, but that’s not on you. You can’t be in three places at once.”
“No, but we can keep a sharp eye out for any more of these kinds of things, and I know what the device looks like. Is there any way to counter these things?”
“Not that we’re aware of. I’m going to talk to Stan later—”
“Stan?”
“My friend in Dayton. Colonel Stan Gordon. He’s got people working on it, and he’s contacting the contractor that made the damn things. Hopefully we’ll come up with something.”
“In the meantime, maybe I’ll fly lower and try to keep in cell range.”
Catherine Mixon watched the video feed of the diving jet until the view was filled by the rapidly approaching ground and then went blank when the plane crashed.
“That should send just the message we want,” she said, turning her attention to the other monitor.
“It will certainly get their attention,” Trent Salazar said.
“Will it? Maybe we should take the other one down too.”
“Somehow, I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“Maybe I should make another comment, to assure everyone that we mean business.”
“Uh…maybe you want to hold off on that.”
“What’s going on?”
“I think our friend is at the last plane…yep…just lost control. He found the device.”
“Well, I’ll hold off on another address for now. Is our man in place for the next phase?”
“In place and awaiting orders.”
“Okay, tell him to hold on for now. Losing this last one is most unfortunate, but still, we know the system works. We just have to account for Walter in our plans. Thankfully there’s only one of him.”
Mixon was suddenly startled by the sound of clapping behind her. She turned to see a handsome middle aged white man standing there clapping his hands.
“Bravo,” the man exclaimed, “Might I congratulate you on the senseless killing of 328 souls. You should be so proud.”
“Who are you? How did you get in here?”
“All in good time, my dear. So, you know how to take lives? But can you take them when it matters, when it actually accomplishes something?”
“I can take them when I need to, like right now,” Mixon said, drawing her pistol and firing at the intruder’s head.
The bullet stopped about six inches in front of his face and hovered in the air. He reached out his hand and took it between his thumb and forefinger, turning it back and forth to inspect it, and then set it down on the edge of Mixon’s desk.
“Such a quaint little device. It’s amazing how many of your people manage to get killed by it. Now, where were we?”
“You were about to tell me who you are and how you managed to get in here.”
“My dear, you don’t seem to be in much of a position to make demands at the moment.”
“These doors are locked and you just show up out of nowhere, I’d like to know how you managed that.”
“I’d like to know what you thought to accomplish by killing 328 innocent souls.”
“Leverage.”
“Leverage? You really are a pathetic creature. What leverage do you want? What power do you seek? You know nothing of real power. You seek to increase your material position by defrauding your fellow humans, by peddling intoxicating substances that keep them dependent on your suppliers. What kind of power is that? What kind of influence is that? You’re pitiful.”
Salazar fired off three shots from his pistol and all three bullets stopped in the air, to be picked up and set down by the intruder.
“Nice try. You’re fortunate I am a forgiving man. I wouldn’t advise trying that again, if you know what’s best. Now, Ms. Mixon, what do you really know of real power?”
“I have real power. I have people who do what I wish—”
“Because you threaten their lives. Come on, you know nothing.”
“What do you know of power, other than your impressive tricks with the bullets?”
“I can teach you of power you can never imagine. Not the power you think you have, but real power, the power to hold an entire planet in your hands, to control the lives of billions. That’s power, not whatever you think you have amassed in your trifling existence. I can give you such power, and I can take it away.”
“Why would you want to give me that kind of power?”
“Because someone else has already done it. Such power needs to be balanced. Allowing it to remain in the hands of one, unchallenged, is not healthy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, I know you’re familiar with the one you call Walter.”
“Oh, him. Of course I’m familiar with him. He’s starting to become a thorn in my side.”
“And if he is left unchecked, he can become much more. One person having all that power is not good.”
“Are you saying you know how Walter got his power?”
“I know how, and I know who.”
“Someone gave him that power?”
“Someone I know all too well. Of course Walter doesn’t know anything. He just woke up with it. Why
