Awakenings Epilogue: Daylight, Page 2

“Sir, I don’t like the way this is spinning.  I personally debriefed our agent who was in contact with the mind control people and I believe him.  That is a very serious situation that we should all treat with great importance.   We also do have the recordings from our deep plant.”

“Sandra, you and no one else in your group are any longer authorized to discuss that information in any way, shape, or form.  You would do best to forget that the system ever existed.  How is the patient?”

“When he reacted badly to the taser, he was fortunate to be with police officers who have trained as emergency medical technicians.  Of course it probably would have been more convenient for you if he had died.”

“Now Sandra, how could you say that?  There are enormous political expediencies that have been generated by these events, way beyond what you can imagine.  I have been given absolutely no choice but to handle the Port of Oakland attack this way.  You have no choice but to follow my lead.  The people who direct me play hardball.  I don’t think that you would want the public to know just how badly you failed at protecting the City of Oakland.  How many homes have burned so far?”

Sandra was getting very hot and was only barely able to mask her anger.  Agent Young and Derek just stared at Sandra.  “Yes Sir, I understand.”

The director smiled.  “Now don’t get me wrong, you are going to get a commendation, maybe even a medal for how much you achieved with so little.  You and your team showed some brilliant thinking when in the pinch.  Isn’t it about time for us to start our debriefing to the Department of Homeland Security senior staff?”

Sandra was very slow to answer, having trouble finding words, and finally just saying “Yes Sir.”

Pauline and Ed walked into the hospital lobby holding hands, with Joe and Elise close behind.  All were showered and in fresh clothes.  Two tall men in dark business suits and dark glasses escorted them to an elevator.  They soon walked into a private hospital room where one of the men closed the door behind them.  DeMario’s face lit up as he saw Ed along with his other new found friends walk in.  “Hello Ed.  They tell me that I can go home tomorrow.”  Looking closer at Ed.  “I see that you singed the hair on the side of your head.”

Ed smiled back at DeMario.  “I was standing behind the shed getting ready to run for it when that propane tank blew.”  Reaching over, he pulled Pauline over to his side.  “Pauline fished me out of the water, saving my life.  How bad is your wound?”

DeMario twisted his head slightly to look down at his bandaged shoulder.  “The doctors tell me the bullet didn’t hit any bone or major nerves.  They did have to stitch up some tendons.  I also now have one massive bruise.  Once the tissue heals, I will have to be in physical therapy for a while.”

DeMario looked over at Joe.  “Are you some kind of witch or sorcerer?  How were you able to ‘see’ what was going on?”

Joe was clearly uncomfortable.  “Just a gift I inherited from my Grandmother.  It really is nothing.”

DeMario looked over at Elise.  “Keep a close eye on him, my bosses would dearly love to have someone like him working for them.”

Turning his attention to Pauline, “Where did you learn to shoot an AK like that?”

Pauline blushed.  “My dad is a hunter.  I used to go hunting with him.  Also, back in college I was on the rifle team.  Some of the guys showed me how to shoot different guns.  There were some AK-47s.”

One of the dark suited men took off his dark glasses and then cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “The reason we are all gathered here is so that we can give you folks some specific directions regarding the events of the last 48 hours.   This case is still under investigation and will likely be for some time.  You are not to discuss this case or last night’s events with anyone that is not an approved agent, not even with each other.  To do so would violate this court order.”  He then passed out copies of the court order to everyone in attendance.

Pauline rose up on her tiptoes and whispered into Ed’s ear “Fat chance.”  Then she winked at him.  Ed put his arm back around her waist and pulled her tightly to his side.

Elsewhere in the same hospital, a police guard stood in front of another patient’s room.  Inside, five suited men and women were in the process of interrogating a Japanese man covered with tattoos and missing the first joints of his pinky fingers.

“What do you know about the boat that shot at the container ship?  What do you know about the Fairchild Group helicopter crash into the bay?  What do you know about the attack on the port facilities?”  Shindo just stared back in silence.
Continued ...