Light of the Last

by Chuck Black

  “WMN and, in particular, Sophia Bryant has taken great risk to bring you this story. Sophia is, in fact, right now being detained by White House officials,” Vincent said with an edge of anger in his voice. “In anticipation of such a response, we prerecorded an interview with our own Sophia Bryant in order to help you, the American people, understand both the scope and the legitimacy of this alarming information. Here it is.”

  The image of Sophia Bryant filled the screen, eyes filled with concern, eyes that Americans had come to trust regardless of race or political affiliation.

  “America, what I’m about to share with you will change the course of our nation forever. Agent Drew Carter, the man who both saved the president from an assassination attempt and also saved America from bioterrorist annihilation, met with me two nights ago.” She held up the drive Drew had given her. “He gave me information that exposes the corruption of President Harden and his administration.” Sophia’s face sobered even further. “I can only report the truth. What the people of this great nation do with that truth shall be determined in the days, weeks, years, and centuries to come. The response of this present generation of Americans will determine whether this is to be our worst hour or our finest hour.”

  Sophia went on to explain how Drew had met with her and how Operation Torrent had discovered irrefutable ties of terrorist activities to the IGA and Premier Jabbar. Over the course of the next few hours, all major news networks throughout the world were replaying the video, and the entire nation was turned on its head.

  The outcry from the American people quickly reached a frenzy, with immediate demands of impeachment of President Harden. There were riots in two of the cities that had been hit the hardest by the previous terrorist attacks. Islamic nations that had earlier seemed pacified by Premier Jabbar’s rhetoric and political maneuvering seemed to turn vicious, with cries of “Death to America.”

  By evening, the United States of America’s political, economic, and military systems were being shaken at their very foundations, and Sophia Bryant and WMN were at the epicenter. The White House had no choice but to release Bryant for fear of riots in the streets of Washington. President Harden attempted to implement marshal law, but he quickly retracted the order when he learned that both Congress and the Pentagon fiercely opposed him on the basis that it could initiate the complete collapse of the government. Placing the people under military rule when they already felt betrayed would not stop anarchy but ignite it.

  Both the House of Representatives and the Senate, led by the Patriots, called emergency sessions to launch formal chamber investigations into the actions of the president and the director of National Intelligence. As more was revealed, the momentum of the collapse of Harden’s regime became inevitable.

  High-ranking officials in numerous agencies began to come forward. Many were subpoenaed to testify before Congress. The list of those who had planned to flee the country surfaced in the hands of Senator Sarah Boyd and was presented to the congressional investigating committees. Evidence tying the IGA to terrorist activities was publicized, which shook the political powers throughout the world.

  And through it all, the question that kept being asked was, Who is Agent Carter, the man who single-handedly saved the president from assassination and the United States of America from annihilation? The world turned to Sophia Bryant for an answer, but she could not offer one.

  “The corruption in Harden’s administration runs deep, and impeachment is an eventuality,” Tom Vincent said as news banners scrolled across the bottom of the WMN screen, updating the public on dozens of breaking stories regarding the Harden scandal.

  “This goes beyond impeachment, Tom. We are talking criminal charges and possible time in prison for the man holding the highest office of the United States,” Sophia Bryant said. “We may never know how deep the corruption went. If this administration was willing to commit murder, who’s to say what else has been done.”

  Tom shook his head. “Is it possible, Sophia, that President Harden took action to eliminate Agent Carter as part of the cover-up? Could the man who saved the president’s life and pulled America back from the brink of annihilation have been killed by the very man he saved?”

  Bryant’s eyes captured the sadness and the anger at the heart of Americans from coast to coast. “It’s chilling to imagine, especially coming from a man whose rhetoric these past years has been filled with talk of world peace and unification,” Sophia replied. “We’ve also just learned that Senator Boyd from Oklahoma was privy to Agent Carter’s task force planning to take out the bioterrorists. She testifies before the Senate and House over the next two days, and I think that we are going to learn a lot about those final hours.”

  “And what about NexTech Corporation, the company that was supposedly destroyed by terrorist bombs?” Vincent added. “Senator Boyd has stated that NexTech was actually the base of operations for Agent Carter and his team. That seems much more than coincidental. If this was a cover-up, I can only imagine the public outcry against such further blatant disregard for life and liberty coming from the highest office of the United States. It is simply unthinkable!”

  32

  THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

  “Do you want to explain to me how we ended up on an island somewhere in the Caribbean Sea?” Crypt exclaimed. “There’s no tech worth looking at in this place.”

  “I like it,” Piper said. “If the US government wants to give us a vacation on the beach, I’m all for it.”

  “You would be,” Ridge said. “Crypt is as white as a ghost and gets sunburned from a 40-watt bulb, and Jester thinks the only thing a beach is good for is the silicon we get from it to make integrated chips.”

  “Yeah…and what about you, Ridge?” Jester asked.

  Ridge smiled wide and crossed his arms behind his head as he stretched out on the towel beside Jester. “I already have the perfect tan, so what do I need a beach for? Admit it, you’re all just trying to look like me.”

  Sydney rolled over next to Drew and whispered in his ear. “You know, when I asked for a vacation with a beach, I really didn’t picture them being here with us.”

  Drew opened his eyes and turned his head toward Sydney. He raised himself up on one elbow and looked over her to see Ben typing away on a laptop next to his four geeky and out-of-place friends. The Caye Island Resort Hotel in Belize was just behind them.

  “Do you think we should have left them at NexTech?” he asked with a sly smile.

  “No, but we could have dropped them off on a different island.” Sydney lifted one eyebrow as she glanced toward the odd crew.

  “Hey, a guy can only plan so far. Next time there’s a national emergency and we have to run from the president, Homeland Security, the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, and every other alphabet agency there is, I’ll plan that in.”

  “Deal,” Sydney said. “Actually, they’re not so bad. It’s a little like having built-in entertainment.” She looked back at Drew with narrowed eyes. “How did you know they would try to take us out?”

  “Alice told me,” Drew replied.

  “Really?”

  “Indirectly. She helped me interpret a silent conversation between President Harden and Director Ward by reading their lips,” Drew said. “Knowing what they had done to other agents, I figured their way of ‘fixing’ things would be drastic. Ben and I arranged to transfer the LASOK and all our critical equipment and data via a moving company to a warehouse in another part of the city, then had Alice bounce our calls through NexTech to make it look like I was at that location when I was talking to Ward. Reed helped arrange things to protect Jake and his men. Your protection was the most elaborate and expensive. I chartered two jets. One with you on a flight plan to New York, piloted remotely. The other to Belize. The owner of the charter company was a friend of Mick’s, otherwise I would have never been able to pull it off.” He leaned close to Sydney. “I couldn’t take any chances…not with you.”

  Sydney touched his chee
k. “So what’s your plan now, mystery man?”

  He leaned into her a little closer. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips; then he smiled and leaned back on his towel and closed his eyes. “You’re lookin’ at it. I’ve done my job. It’s time for the rest of America to do theirs.”

  Sydney was silent for a long time. He opened one eye to see if she was still there. She was glaring at him.

  “What?” he exclaimed. “You want me to do more? Seriously? What more can I do, Syd?”

  “You just dropped a bombshell that is rocking our entire nation’s political system and then disappeared. America needs you now more than ever, Drew Carter. You have to see this through to the end.”

  He frowned.

  “Congress needs your testimony, and the people need your hope.” Her voice softened with each syllable until Drew was putty in her hands.

  “You know I don’t do well speaking in front of people. It’s not my thing,” Drew petitioned.

  Sydney leaned close to him and his heart skipped a beat. “Well, you weren’t my thing either.” She smiled, and then her voice almost became a whisper. “But you are now. People can change, Special Agent Carter. And maybe God is asking you to change one more time.”

  “Just so you know, I don’t like you anymore. You don’t play fair.”

  Sydney smiled. She knew she had won. She jumped up and looked down at Drew, then yelled, “Last one to the water buys food tonight!”

  She took off running, and Drew just watched her. She always surprised him. How could a person be that amazing? And how could he be this blessed?

  Piper pulled a resistant Ben up off his towel and away from his laptop. Jester and Ridge joined in the race too. When Crypt saw he was the only one left, he made a halfhearted attempt to join in as well. Within a few minutes, all seven of them were laughing as they attempted to body surf the four-foot waves rolling in over the reef and onto the white sands.

  For a few hours, Drew forgot about the burden he was obligated to bear.

  —

  One week after the infamous presidential press conference, Drew and his crew were on a flight back to New York City.

  “It’s going to take a lot of time and money to rebuild NexTech,” Ben said, showing Drew the estimates and his plan for their new facility. “But I think we can make some significant improvements.”

  “What about the LASOK?” Drew asked. “Planning that in?”

  “Of course. Once our new facility is ready, we’ll pull the components out of the warehouse we’re renting and rebuild.”

  “Sounds like a plan, partner. I have to say, I am impressed with how fast you got the machine disassembled and transported out of there.”

  “Actually, you gave me plenty of time to arrange it all. Once the building was clear, I changed all the security codes so no one could get back in. I still can’t believe Harden would actually bomb our facility—right in downtown New York! I hope it’s safe to go back.”

  Drew nodded. “Me too. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Ben went back to his seat, and Sydney came to sit by Drew. She reached for his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for saving me again,” she said.

  Drew squeezed her hand. “You’ve got it wrong, Syd. You’re the one who saved me.”

  When they reached New York City, they were not prepared for the state of political, economic, and military chaos that surrounded them. And the impact of the last week’s events reached much further. People all over the world were angry with the United States for the “conspiracy” America had conjured against the IGA, Premier Jabbar, and the UN. It seemed the only allies America had left in the world were Israel and a couple of NATO countries.

  Within the borders of the US, there was unrest and mayhem like the nation had never seen before. From the White House to Congress, from the Pentagon to the local police force, from Wall Street to the corner coffee shops, emotional turmoil was everywhere. And the range of emotions and attitudes was as varied as the people displaying them—anger, fear, gratitude, sadness, joy, disgust. The one emotion not present, however, was apathy. The country had catapulted into a period of reevaluation and sober reflection. In awe, Drew and his team watched the transformation, both good and bad, as a result of what they had done.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re in big trouble,” Jester said, watching the news in the airport.

  “You’d better contact Senator Boyd,” Sydney said to Drew as they caught a taxi to a hotel.

  Throughout their escape from Harden’s execution attempt, Validus and his warriors had never left Drew’s side. Even now Validus was sitting in the front seat of the taxi, which was reassuring, as the cabbie kept looking at Drew in the rearview mirror. Drew watched his hands closely. Perhaps it wasn’t safe to come back yet after all.

  “I owe the first phone call to Miss Bryant,” Drew said. “Then they can do with me what they want.” He looked at Sydney. “You sure this is a good idea?”

  Sydney grabbed his hand. “Look at the state the country is in. You’re the only one who can give them answers right now. It’s the right thing to do.”

  “Maybe, but I’ve broken so many laws they could crucify me if they had a mind to.”

  The cabbie looked over his shoulder and Drew tensed, ready to make a move. He hadn’t seen a gun, but maybe this guy was that good. He glanced at Validus to see if the angel was preparing for action, but he wasn’t paying attention to the driver at all.

  “You’re the guy!” The cabbie’s face lit up. “You’re the guy they’re all talking about! The guy with the video! The agent who saved America.”

  Drew looked at Sydney, concern in his eyes; then he dialed Sophia Bryant’s number. After a short conversation, Drew called Senator Boyd and told her his plan. She tried to persuade him to come directly to Washington.

  “I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon,” he told her.

  —

  By the next morning, Drew was at the WMN studio prepping for an interview. When he first saw Miss Bryant, she looked relieved and nearly gave him a hug.

  “You had us worried, Agent Carter,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m sure glad to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Miss Bry—” Drew caught the disappointed look in her eye. “Sophia. Are we ready to do this?”

  She grabbed his elbow. “Let’s go. This is what you can expect.” She explained the interview procedure as she led him to their chairs in the studio.

  When the cameras went live, Drew wondered if he was going to sound as much like an idiot as he felt.

  Sophia opened with a heartfelt call to every American watching. “America has been turned upside down by a tidal wave of terrorism and corruption.” The camera slowly zoomed in to show her perfect olive complexion and penetrating, trustworthy brown eyes. “Many Americans have been left feeling like the very foundation of our great country has been damaged. For a country that has been pulled back from the brink of calamity, we are left to ask, how do we move forward? This morning we are privileged to talk to the man who may have some answers.”

  Bryant turned to look at Drew as the camera zoomed out to frame them both.

  “First, let’s settle the question that’s on everyone’s mind right now. Are you the Drew Carter who single-handedly saved the president from assassination and the United States of America from terrorist attacks that would have resulted in biological annihilation?”

  Drew instantly regretted agreeing to this interview. He looked at Bryant, angry that she would pull this right off the bat. He had thought he could trust her. He took a moment to form his careful reply.

  “Sophia, I’m just an average guy from Kansas who wanted to play college football, find a wife, get a good job, and raise a family. There’s nothing special about me except for the opportunities I’ve been given to serve my country. Yes, my name is Drew Carter, and I worked for the CIA, but there was nothing ‘single-handed’ in any of these missions. Hundreds of people
sacrificed, some with their lives, and they are the ones who deserve our praise and thanks.” Drew thought of Mr. Ross and was saddened. “There are thousands of men and women who serve our country every day whose names we will never know. They are the true heroes, defending our country with their lives to protect the freedom we still enjoy. Given the same opportunity, all of them would have done exactly the same thing.”

  Bryant’s eyes glowed with satisfaction. “You’re right, Agent Carter, but I think what America needs right now is a person to whom they can offer their thanks. So on behalf of grateful Americans everywhere, we thank you and all of the nameless men and women who have risked so much to save so many.”

  Drew pursed his lips and lowered his head in humility. There was no adequate reply to such a statement. Bryant let the moment stand for a few seconds, then began the story.

  “I first met you in Chicago at the suicide bombing of the bistro on Seventh Street. Was that attack the beginning of your investigation into the IGA?”

  Drew shared his story as Bryant strategically navigated them through the details of a saga that would expose the most corrupt administration the country had ever seen. But it also exposed President Harden’s ignorance of the plots of Premier Jabbar and Secretary-General De Luca.

  After two hours of gripping interview, Drew was finally done and ready to wash his hands of this life.

  “Thanks, Agent Carter. America needed that,” Bryant said with a gleam in her eye once the cameras were off.

  “Why did you start out with that question?” Drew asked, still a little perturbed. “I thought we agreed—no undue hero-making.”

  She didn’t hesitate. “You know spy stuff, and I know media. With the answer to that single question, you captured the heart of every American, and they believed everything else you said after that.”