“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.”