Chapter 26
My attorney was GOOD! I woke up the next morning with a court date. Richard had managed to get an emergency hearing over the hold order, and we won!
Particularly interesting were the exact transcripts of my interview with the doctor who interviewed me the day before. The doctor had taped the interview, and we had subpoenaed the tape. We played the tape, and compared it to what the doctor had written down. It was an obvious railroad attempt from the start. Also, my attorney had written a statement as to what had transpired in the office of the deputy director. The government's attorneys tried to have it excluded as privileged, but no one from their side had been introduced as an attorney, so no client attorney privilege attached. Oddly, I was willing to wave mine.
The final nail in their coffin was when they asked that this entire hearing be classified, and the judge disqualify himself as not having the proper clearance to 'hear' sensitive information.
My attorney objected, saying we had nothing to hide, that the so called sensitive information belonged to his client, IE ME. The government could not ask that information and abilities not belonging to it could be classified. The judge asked my lawyer what he meant. The lawyers for the government objected, but the judge overruled them. My lawyer said this whole business started when the government found out that I had the ability to view past events, as if I were there.
This took a little explanation, and a demonstration. The judge said that while he saw where the government might consider such an ability as something to keep secret, it was not their ability. They did not discover it, manufacture it, train it, invest in it, or any of the other reasons someone under contract might be held to a 'secrets act'.
The judge also mentioned that he saw a predominance of governmental favoritism in the doctors' written evaluation to date. One was a question where I had been asked if I'd heard voices. I had responded that only when I thought I saw someone's mouth moving, or if I were in a setting where voices might be heard. The doctor had written, "Patient refuses to admit he hears voices."
That kind of statement is the system, rubber-stamping something. In my case, they were on the road to committing me, so they could control my gift and me. The judge recognized it, and ruled that the previous order was vacated. In his stated 'opinion', he said that these proceedings were a thinly disguised attempt by the federal government to circumvent the law, and a person's individual rights. Court was adjourned.
"You know that these things are public record," Richard told me as he was driving me home.
"I know," I replied with a sigh. "But it was the only way I could think of to counter the feds, without getting violent," I said with a grin.
"I still can't believe you can do the things they say! Even after I saw you demonstrate it in court! My god! The things you could find out. The secrets exposed..." he went on for some time in that vein.
"That's why I kept this ability secret for so long. The government will want me to spy for them. So will corporations and other governments. All sorts of people will want me, and just as many will consider me a danger," I said sadly.
"Damn, that hadn't crossed my mind as yet. What are you going to do?" Richard asked me.
"Well, I have a few places I have bought under assumed names. I can always go there, and I have my security home here in Boston, and a very secure home in North Dakota. Most of this should blow over soon.
"What worries me the most is, will the feds give up, or will they try something else? They really hate losing, and I have something they are drooling to control. I imagine they will be contacting me again, one way or another. They will present offers, or threats, or a combination of both. Luckily, I have the money to fight them," I lectured.
It wasn't until later that evening that the news media started asking for interviews. I refused all interviews, and turned my phone off. I was about to exit the main gate the following morning, and was stunned to see a crowd of people, news trucks, and cars all over the place. Local police were out trying to control the crowd and keep the road clear.
Well, I knew logically that this would happen, but it was still disconcerting to see it. I knew I was in for a rough few days or even weeks. I turned around, and drove back home. There was no way I was going to make it to the office today.
After I got back home, I called the office. The line was busy, so I called on the line that, while not private, was hardly known.
"Wilshire philanthropic agency," I heard Lisa, my researcher/secretary say.
"Hey, Lisa, what's the office look like? Particularly the outside?" I asked her.
"Tom! It's a madhouse out there. It was a madhouse in here until I called the police. They cleared the inside, but can't do much about the crowd outside. Is it true? Can you do everything they say you can do?" She asked me.
"I'm not sure. What do they say I can do?" I asked curiously.
"Well, the local channels say you can view past events as if you were right there, even though it happened in the past. Others say you can change the past, and should be locked up for everyone's safety," she continued on for a bit.
I was amazed at what was being attributed to me. Some of it was damn close, but most was just unbelievable. I could: fly using my mind, jump in time, change time, kill people in time, manipulate time. I could cause people to age faster than they should. I dealt with the devil, and so on. I would have laughed, if it hadn't been so serious a situation.
"Well, tell everyone waiting for me to show up, that I am not coming in, today. I am turning my phone off, as people seem to have discovered my phone number, unlisted as it is," I said and hung up.
I told my house security that I was going to fly to Germany for about a week. I called the airport, and booked a flight. Before I left for the airport, I called my half sister, Debra.
"Well, you have been making the news of late, Tom!" my sister said excitedly.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I never told you before about what I could do, but I never knew how to bring something like this up," I told her.
We talked for a while. I asked her if she had experienced anything like this, and she said no. I told her that things were kind of complicated because of this situation, and I was going into hiding for a while. I told her she should consider having security for herself, as she was my sister. She was surprised, but quickly agreed to make some sort of arrangements.
"I will give you a call after things have settled down a bit. Now that I have found you, I don't want to loose you," I told her.
The next day I was at the airport checking in for the flight to Germany, when I was told there was something wrong with my passport.
"What do you mean there is something wrong with it?" I asked confused.
"I'm sorry sir, but whenever I submit your passport number into the computer, it rejects it. Let me get a supervisor," the lady said.
I nodded agreement and moved to the side so the next person could check in. About three minutes later a man showed up and the check in girl pointed me out.
"Sir? Would you come with me please?" said an airline rep.
"Certainly. What seems to be the problem anyway?" I asked.
"I'll know more once I access my computer in my office. It won't take to long," the man said as I followed him into the depths of the airport the paying public never sees.
We entered his office, little more than a glorified hole in the wall with a door, desk, and computer terminal.
"I see your company is pulling out the stops here," I said, looking around.
He grinned. "I'm just a midget who works for a giant. The giant feels bad if to much profit is used for other than the giants comfort," he finished and concentrated taping on his keyboard.
"Ok, it has your passport listed as invalid, and gives a 1-800 number to call. You can use my phone if you like," the guy said.
I thanked him and dialed the number he had written on a piece of paper for me.
"Passport control, how may I direct your call," I heard.
"Hi. I have used my passport several times with no problem, then all of a sudden it is not valid for some reason," I began.
"Passport number please?" the voice asked me.
I gave her my number, and was told: 'hold, please'.
"Mr. Tom Wilshire?" A male voice asked me.
"Yes," I answered.
"My name is Gary Baxter. I am with the US Justice Department. I'm sorry, but we have flagged your passport. It is for your own protection you understand," the voice said insincerely.
"You had my passport flagged for my own protection? Is there a death threat against me that I don't know about?" I asked curiously.
"No, Sir. You are considered too valuable to risk the chance of loosing you in an accident or to a foreign country," the voice told me
"I see. I am so valuable that you continue to antagonize and harass me. What's to stop me from going to an embassy of a foreign land and requesting asylum from you people?" I asked interestedly.
There was silence for a long moment.
"Thats not a good idea, Mr. Wilshire. I certainly understand how you could be a little angry with the high handed method our deputy director used, but I can assure you that when you deal with me, you are dealing with a totally higher level of government," the voice finished in an obvious threat.
"Well, tell you what. You make my passport valid. I'll take my little vacation to get away from the media. When I get back, we'll talk," I told him.
"I'm sorry, that won't be acceptable. Perhaps we can meet in our downtown office in two days and discuss a mutually beneficial proposition," Baxter told me.
"I'll think about it," I said and hung up.
Damn! More interference via Big Brother. Now why did the government always think it 'knew better', or its priorities were so earth shattering? I thanked the guy who had solved the mystery of my passport for me, and left.
I was halfway home when I noticed I was being followed. I waited till I came to a curvy stretch of wooded road, and pulled off. I quickly went 'between', and waited. Sure enough, the car that had been following pulled up behind mine, and two men got out. They moved, one on each side of my car and checked to see if it were empty.
"Wonder where he went?" one asked.
"Probably off into the woods to answer the call of nature," the second guy answered.
I walked over to their car. There was a radio in it, so they were official. Now were they state, or feds? The plates didn't tell me anything at all. This was really starting to piss me off.
I walked back and listened to their conversation a little more. After about three minutes, they let slip the words 'director' and 'attorney general'. So... they were feds. They were leaning against the passenger door, watching the woods, waiting for me to show up. I came back into 'real time', on the driver's side.
"You men want to get off my car?" I asked quietly.
"Jesus!" exploded one of them.
The other guy just started, and turned, his hand going into his jacket.
"Good way to get yourself killed," the other guy said.
"Why should I get killed, walking up to my own car? Are you muggers?" I asked.
"No. We are the agents assigned as your protection. I'm Haney, and this is Trent," Haney said.
"Funny, I don't recall asking for any protection from the government," I said musingly.
"This is a 'courtesy'. You will be watched, 24/7, compliments of the federal government," Haney said with a smile.
Edited by TeNderLoin