The Journal: A Prophecy, A President & Death
Page 25
“Yes,” answers Joanna, happy that someone finds this interesting again.
Lauren Reads out loud:
“February fifteen. Joe’s ability seems to be confirmed. He is not being told by anyone what to say, Robert has confirmed it today, deliberately standing out of site and watching him the entire service. He definitely seems to be just listening to people …” Lauren stops and looks at Joanna, then looks back at the page and continues, “speaking in tongues.”
She pauses. Joanna asks her softly, “Do you know what that means?”
Lauren just as quietly replies, “Yes.”
From that point forward the evening takes a very different tone from the fun and games earlier; a quieter and more poignant tone.
Hinton is in the kitchen, and Sandoval is outside doing something. Joseph is drifting off to sleep in his favorite chair, and James and Robert find themselves caught up in Lauren’s reading. It’s been a long while since either of them have heard this. It’s a special moment. Lauren feels it, and after a deep swallow, she reads on:
“I must confess that this is difficult to believe; yet everything in me tells me that it’s real. I could scarcely think of anything else in church, and did Pastor Harmon a real disservice. But what happened next I am really worried about. This Sunday, after we were sure, really sure that this was not a hoax, or any kind of game the boys are playing, Joey said he heard people saying the same prayer, or study talk, in church. Not everyone, but certainly many. It’s worth noting that Joe says that some people are saying things that he can’t understand, that they are all saying different things, but the ones he can understand are all saying the same thing, and it sounds like me studying Latin.”
Again, Lauren pauses and looks at Joanna, and then at James. No one says a word, but it’s clear that they all want her to keep reading:
“He said that they were saying, ‘Praise God for Agnes, He has blessed her with many years which are now complete, collect your family and friends one last time and celebrate me with them; then will I receive you hence.”
Lauren glances over at James, who had told her about this prophecy, and remembered it pretty well. She reads the last of what’s recorded for that date:
“Agnes. We don’t know anyone named Agnes, but I believe to my core that this is going to come true.”
Lauren looks up and says, “Wow.”
This seemed to be the permission to speak that everyone was waiting for. Joanna says, “See where I came back and put a little open star and a number?”
Lauren, “Yes.”
“Well, if you turn to the page number that matches, you’ll see a solid star that tells of the fulfillment of that prophecy.”
“Really!”
Joanna simply nods. Joseph is asleep, but Robert and James look on with expectation of hearing more.
With wide eyes, Lauren pages forward to find the corresponding page. She locates it and just begins reading:
“April eleven. Oh, my God, this is simply incredible! Today I spoke with Mrs. Phelps, who, to my utter shock, told me that she just returned home from burying her sister, Agnes! She said that her sister, who lived in Oklahoma, invited them all to celebrate her ninety-six birthday; which was more of a church worship service than anything else. But with the whole family there, the next morning she went upstairs and wrote out her will, then quietly passed away! She wrote, in her will, ‘I thanked Joanna for telling Ida about the prophecy, ’cause it confirmed a dream of mine!”
“Oh, my God!” Says Lauren who is genuinely stunned, but everyone else was feeling that exact sentiment.
Getting Serious
Meanwhile, Sandoval is standing outside the living room with his penlight on a green box sitting on the ground, where the suspicious wires come out of the house from the basement. His eyes are as wide as those who are reading the journal, inside, in the living room. He pulls on one of the wires leading through the hole and it pulls through easily. Stunned he comes around through the front door and walks up the hall back into the kitchen.
Hinton says to him, “Well, what it is? I’ve got my boss on the line right now.”
Sandoval, “It looks like there is a device of some sort. Could very likely be a bomb, but like you said I’m no expert.”
Hinton to Ramirez on the phone, “Did you hear that?”
Ramirez replies, “Yes. I’ll get an expert from the NSA team to go over it; you’ll have to pull the plug on your undercover right now.”
Hinton, “Got it.”
But Sandoval stops them saying, “Sirs, um, wait. I think you should know that it appears to be out of commission.”
“What?” Says confused Hinton.
“Follow me, please,” says Sandoval leading Hinton back downstairs to the basement, where they first spotted the suspicious wires. Standing on a step stool Sandoval reaches up and pulls down the wires that were leading to the device. “From what I can tell it’s radio triggered, right? But the fire heated up and melted all the wires leading to it! See?”
Hinton scratches his head and says, “Un-freaking-believable!”
Sandoval, “Pretty good fire wouldn’t you say?”
Hinton, who is starting to see something quite special in the Market family, simply says a distracted “Yeah.”
They call Ramirez back with this latest info. Ramirez makes an executive decision to call off the order to release their cover tonight. He will allow the case proceed as planned with a 10:00 a.m. uncover time.
While still on the phone with Ramirez, Hinton begins to examine the wires and asks Sandoval for a flash light. Something hasn’t sat right with him since the sniper entered the picture, so, he continues theorizing with both men as he follows the path of the wires along the side of the duct work. Then, finally, the missing pieces of what’s been puzzling him fall into place.
Hinton, “Wait a minute, wait a minute. Ramirez, Sandoval, what do you think of this? You’re a team tasked with taking a valuable asset out of the country. You cannot trigger any alarms, so you’ve got to do it quietly, meaning, without any police, or even neighbors seeing anything. So you can’t just shoot and grab, right? You work on this infiltration plan, a deep cover, and it’s years until you get everything into place. Finally, you’re sure, and you go to kidnap the kid in such a way that you’re sure to get away. But then, all of a sudden, you hear two government agents talking on a bug you’ve got planted.” Turning to Sandoval he says, “You only found the one right?”
Sandoval, “On this level, at any rate.”
Hinton, “Good. Okay, so you’ve heard that the government is involved. You assume they are looking for you; all of a sudden you’re on plan B.”
“What’s plan B,” asks Sandoval.
Hinton, “Well, I thought it would be to kill us all, but when I heard that NSA agent talking, she’s right, they wouldn’t so easily give up on six years of work. So the fire fight with us is likely plan C. Plan B is—I think—to knock us all out and come grab the kid”
Sandoval, “What?”
“Stay with me a minute. If they start shooting, they’re up against multiple trained government agents, that if they miss even once, they know they’ve got trouble. Besides they don’t want any bullets flying around where the kid might get killed. But if, instead, they can get us all in one place where they can take us all out at once, right?”
Sandoval, “They still might miss.”
Hinton, “No. I’m thinking some sort of air borne agent. They would want us all where they’ve planted a device. So what do they do? They show us that they’re out there by putting a laser sight beam on us, which predictably sends us all scurrying into the cover of the Market home, just where they want us. But, it would appear that this family has guardian angels pulling overtime, and the device doesn’t work because of the fire. Look right here.” He shines the light up where a small hose is coming into the main duct servicing the house. “Not only did the fire take out the device, but the lack of electricity kept the furnace off s
o there was no way to disperse the aerosol.”
Sandoval delivers a half serious, “Hallelujah!”
Hinton leans against the wall with a satisfaction that he hasn’t felt in a long time.
Over the phone, Ramirez brings him back to task, “That’s great work, but, what plan do you think they’re on now?”
“Well,” says Hinton, “I’m thinking they are on their way to either manually start plan B, or …” looking at Sandoval, “just skip to plan C.”
Sandoval says, “Yeah.”
With this new information, and having carefully surveyed possible shot angles and angles of assault, the three men work out a solid plan to keep the two agents in close to protect the house—albeit somewhat daring.
They close the phone conversation and go upstairs to find Lauren still reading, with James, Joanna, and Robert, hanging on her every word.
Hinton, all but startles them, “Well folks, that’s all for today. We’re essentially done, you’ll find that the kitchen and all the lights on this level are now working, but we’ll need to get a piece from the shop to get your upstairs light on.”
“That’s fine, that’s fine,” says Joanna, who is so intrigued by the reading of the journal that her concern about electricity has dulled considerably.
For the agents, the fact of the matter is the lower level rooms: the kitchen, the back room, the first floor pantry, the sunroom, and the back porch, did not afford a clean shot.
Sandoval, continuing with their plan, says, “I’d like to leave my truck here tonight. If I could park it back near your garage, it will be safe. Mr. Hinton will give me a ride to my house, and I’ll come back with him in the morning for what should be a ten-minute finishing.”
“Sounds fine with me.” Says Robert. “James, why don’t you help them move Mom’s car.”
But, before James can even get up, Hinton, still not wanting to chance any of them outside, quickly says, “No, you guys are all comfortable, stay in, just let me have the keys.”
And so, they place the electricians truck in the back, where Sandoval will later stow away to sit as sentry for the back of the house. They continue their ruse driving down the street, but when Sandoval gets out to sneak back to his truck, Hinton notices that the lights are still on at the Phelps home.
Thinking he might capitalize on Mary’s warm disposition towards him he thus alters his plan. Walking up the street he goes and knocks on the door. Ready for bed, but still quite awake, Mary answers the knock.
She sees him through the door side window and with a warm disposition opens the door with, “Mr. Hinton?”
“Hello again Mary, I’m so sorry to disturb you, I believe I left my tape in your VCR, and–” He yawns broadly. “Excuse me. Well, I’ll be back so very early, I didn’t want to disturb you all in the morning; so I thought I come get it now.” He yawns again.
“Mr. Hinton!” says Mary, “What time are you returning?”
Hinton, “Oh, about six a.m..”
“And you’re driving home to …”
“I live in the city.”
“New York? It’ll be one a.m. when you get there, only to come back here by six? Couldn’t you just grab a hotel here in town?”
“You know, I guess I could. Where would you suggest? I don’t need much, just a place to put my head down.”
“Well,” Mary rationalizes that it’s just for the night, and she does have his identification, “if you’re just needing a place to sleep for six hours, I haven’t pulled up the setup for Mr. Market from the front room. Why don’t you just lie down there? You can let yourself out in the morning.”
Hinton, who was hoping for this all along, says, “Thank you very much. You know you’re very kind to offer.”
The two enjoy pleasant conversation for about a half hour, and then Mary finally goes off to bed. Immediately Hinton gets on his cell phone to Agent Sandoval.
Sandoval, “What took you so long?”
Hinton, “I had to make sure I had a good angle to see on the front of the house.”
“Oh, okay. Do you do this kind of thing much, Hinton?”
“What, stake outs?”
“Yeah.”
“I try to keep it to a minimum.”
“I can believe it.”
“How about you?”
“This is the second time ever.”
“You’re kidding?”
“No.”
“Phew, how old are you?”
“Thirty-Two.”
“And you’ve only had to do this once?”
“What can I say.”
“All of a sudden I don’t feel so bad.”
“Feel bad about what?”
“Nothing. So, tell me, how’d your wife take the news she was going to have an empty bed?”
“Oh, she was none too thrilled.” Hinton just laughs. “Meanwhile, sir, don’t you owe me a picture of President Jackson?”
“No, no. Not yet. You gotta give me ’til morning at least.”
“I really don’t.”
“C’mon, I’ve been kinda busy you know. This is my first chance to even think about it.”
“Alright. Assuming the night is uneventful, the first thing you get to say to me tomorrow is why I have a ring tan line, but no ring.”
“Quiet, let me think.”
“You want a hint?”
“No.”
“Good. ’cause you weren’t gonna get one.”
“You know what, Sandoval? I hope you survive this case. I’d like to buy you a drink.”
“Thanks, but I don’t drink, sir.”
“Really?”
“No, not hardly; maybe a toast every once in a while.”
“What is the FBI coming to? No stakeouts, no drinking parties after the case? How are we ever going to live up to the name Fat Bellied Inebriates?”
Sandoval cracks up laughing at his abbreviation. “That’s a good one. You know, when I joined the Bureau I heard about a lot of drinking after cases, but they’ve really gotten more high tech than field smarts these days, so it doesn’t seem as much an occasion, you know?”
Hinton, “That’s too bad. Hey, let me ask you something. When you’re in your suit, do you wear a collar bar?”
“Definitely.”
“So, where do you keep it?”
“Sir.”
“Yeah? You see something?”
“No. You’re fishing for information so you can find what’s going on with my ring.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Come on.”
“Okay, I admit that I was. But now I know already.”
“Bull.”
“Agent Sandoval, let me ask you one question, and then I’ll tell you what’s up with that tan line.”
“Let me hear the question.”
“Okay, what brand watch do you wear when you take your wife out to dinner?”
“No dice.”
“What? You don’t want to answer?”
“No.”
“Well, then I know for sure.”
“Okay, let’s have it.”
“I’ll tell you when I see you in the morning.”
• • •
With Mr. Hinton’s and Mr. Sandoval’s departure, Robert Market breaks away from the journal long enough to suggest that they all turn in for the night. He had thanked the two men for their diligence, promising to be ready to receive them first thing in the morning.
Starting with Joseph who has been out like a light for the last hour, he begins the process. He nudges his son to sufficient coherency to get him to walk upstairs to his room. Then Robert calls down to Joanna asking, “Sweetheart, where do you want people? Do you want Miss Coles up here, and the boys downstairs?”
She gets up, walks over to the bottom of the stairs and says, “Since the downstairs guest room already has clean linen, I planned on giving that to Lauren, and figured the boys can bunk together in Joe’s room up there.”
Robert, “Okay, that makes sense.”
James and Lauren are left alone in the living room. James says, “So, how do you like my wacky family?”
Lauren smiles warmly, “As advertised, they are perhaps the nicest family in the world—outside of my own.”
“Thank you,” says James with a smile. Then his face changes from smiling and joy to slight discomfort, and looking at her seriously, says, “Lauren, I’ve been on pins and needles most of the evening. I wanted to say so much, but it’s been one thing after another, and I’ve not really had you alone until now.”
Lauren listens intently.
“What I wanted to say is that I’m sorry about how I acted earlier, about what I said.”
“No, James, I understand really. I actually see it for what it was, now.”
“Do you? Really? ’Cause I have been kicking myself for being so pushy and desperate.”
She laughs and then takes his hand and says, “James, I know how you meant it, and I understand, from your point of view, why you acted so desperate. I may not see things quite the way you do, but the fact that you came after me so urgently is, well, very caring.”
James’ smile returns. He closes his eyes and says to himself, “Thank God.”
Lauren then excuses herself, “I need to call my mom and let her know where I’ve wound up for the night, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Certainly, certainly.” James’ eyes follow her adoringly, as Lauren grabs her phone and goes to the restroom.
While there, she posts a text message to swiftly bring the team up to speed on the case, and listens to a message from Hinton saying that he and Sandoval are camped out with vantage points of the front and rear of the house and will return early the next morning. This presence of mind to get back to the case is a major step forward for the brand new field agent, as she has already gotten better at balancing her personal feelings with her professional assignment.
She tells the team that she plans to take and send digitals of Joanna’s journal in about an hour.