Chapter 27
I could not convince my two erstwhile 'guardians' that I needed no federal protection. They had their instructions, and it was to keep me safe while I was out in public. I told them I had not requested, nor wanted this protection. They just said they would be as discrete as they could be, but they had their orders.
I changed my destination, and drove to my lawyer's office. I only waited five minutes before Richard saw me.
"I seem to have two problems. One, the federal government invalidated my passport. The other is I seem to have picked up at least two federal guards," I said bitterly.
"Ok, calm down. Now then, how do you know the feds invalidated your passport?" Richard asked me.
I explained my planned trip, and the subsequent computer flag that was in the airlines computer, along with the 1-800 number I was given to call, which routed me to the US Attorney General's office.
I told him my conversation with the Fed on the other end of the line, and what I had been told. Then I told him about being followed, about stopping and watching the two agents pull up behind me and wait by my car, 'till I came back to it. I regaled him with the conversation I had with the two agents, whom were even now waiting outside somewhere, to 'protect' me.
"What do you want me to do for you about this?" Richard asked.
"I want the rights a normal everyday citizen has. I want to be able to go on vacation when I want, and where I want. I do have enough money to not work and travel full time if I want... for the rest of my life, if I so desire!
"I also do not want nor do I need these federal agents who have just showed up all concerned with protecting me. Protecting me from what? I told them to leave me alone, they won't. That's harassment.
"People call the police and the feds everyday with complaints about threats, and the answer is always the same. They can't do anything until an actual crime is committed. Yet here I am, your average Joe blow (albeit with a twist: I can do something that the government obviously wants control over), and I get this protection unsolicited!" I nearly screamed the last.
"Give me a day to contact the government and find out what they think they are doing. Do you still have that 800 number?" Richard asked.
I was back home, and I turned on my phone. It started ringing almost right away.
"Hello?" I answered it.
"Mr. Wilshire? I'm the producer of NBC's..." I hung up.
I picked up the phone again and called the phone company. I explained I wanted to change my private number for another private number, as this one seemed to have become public knowledge. I was told a new number would be assigned, and the costs associated with changing the number. I told them fine, and hung up.
I looked out the window at my two federal guards. I sighed and went to my study. I could always go to Europe by using the NTZ to wherever I had accessed the NTZ from my previous visits to Europe; but I was really pissed. Damn the federal government, anyway! I fired up my computer. After checking to make sure it was safe, and that nothing was trying to piggyback onto or into my system, I went through a couple back doors, and into the fed's computers. I started giving them instructions.
Two hours later I yawned and stretched. I disconnected from the internet and ran my own security check and anti-virus program. It was much more comprehensive than the commercial programs.
I had thought it was about time for my 'erstwhile dissatisfied federal employee', the one who sent me and twenty other people that list that exposed the government's illegal activities, to strike again. So I had looked into several places in the government's computers, and chortled as they were about to disclose more embarrassing items for public consumption.
This time it was legal cases where the government had been ordered to turn over all information to the defense attorneys. I had found several cases where exculpatory evidence had been deliberately hidden or withheld, in violation of the law. That should raise some ire in several places.
I had also told the Passport control computer to go ahead and leave my passport as it was; but the next time I tried to buy a ticket, a 'glitch' would let me use it, thereby letting me travel out of the country. Before the government even knew it, I would be long gone, and they would be able to do absolutely nothing about it. If they even knew I had left, that is. The 'glitch' would not let itself be known unless someone deliberately looked at my passport in the Passport's computer, and saw the 'glitch', via their computer.
The next day I called my attorney. He said that he had not been able to get anywhere with the US attorneys office, and that the protection was likely to stay until a judge ordered it removed. As for the passport problem; while I was a tax paying law abiding citizen, the government owned the passport, and they could cancel it when they wanted. This, too, would have to have a federal judge countermanding the US Attorney's orders.
I gave the go ahead, and Richard said he would file in federal court first thing in the morning. In the meantime, he had tried to call me, but my phone number had been changed. I told him that my phone was ringing off the hook. I'd had to have it changed, to get some peace. I said I would tell him my new number, as soon as I found out what it was.
I turned on the TV, and there was a breaking news story that did not involve me! How cool was that? I turned up the sound.
"- apparently done by a whistle blowing employee. Whoever did it, has exposed a serious breach of ethics in our Federal Justice Department. Again: Files forwarded from the US Justice Department to this news agency have revealed that the federal government's US Attorney General's office has been withholding key pieces of evidence, despite judges' orders, and motions of 'discovery'. More on this tonight, on the 10PM news. We now return you to our regularly scheduled program."
The scene was replaced by Gilligan climbing a tree. I turned off the TV.
Well, this was good news for me, and good news for attorneys across America. Bad news for the government, though. Their credibility was going to take a big nose-dive. For a country that claimed to be built on law and justice, this was really going to give them a black eye.
I chortled a little. I loved it when a plan came together. I started thinking about my trip overseas. I needed to be in whatever country I was going to, legally. That was why I flummoxed the computer at passport control. I wanted to have sites from different countries other than Germany or England. True, I also had one point in France I could go to, but I planned on doing a lot of foreign country traveling, and getting a lot of places located with NTZ.
Days went by, and the public slowly started forgetting me. My fed protection was still there, as were my own security forces. I was able to go to work without being mobbed. I decided to get ten thousand dollars in traveler's checks.
I knew that the federal government was keeping track of me, and if I used one of my credit cards anywhere, they would know. How did I know this? I saw the tracking order in the government's computer of course. I left it there. If I used my credit cards, then it would be because I had already spent my ten grand down to nothing, and that would mean I had lots of places entered into NTZ.
Bright an early the next day, after the Justice Department news story broke, I took money out of my safe. I went to a bank that I normally did not frequent. I asked to buy traveler's checks. I soon had ten thousand dollars in travelers checks in my briefcase.
I then continued on to work. I dodged the few remaining reporters who were still hanging around, and a couple crazies that thought I was the devil's disciple. I waved to my staff, and went into my office. I had a ton of messages to wade through.
This was exactly why I had kept my abilities a secret. Two hours later, I had one stack of thirty-four requests to help locate missing family members. I had already deposited at least that many more in the trashcan. I thought about it, and retrieved them. I needed to visit John, and smack him down good for what he did to me.
I asked Rachael track down John for me. I had the information quickly. Rachael was good!
Surprise of surprises, I was able to fly domestically with no problem. I had booked a flight, and was on it the next day, to New York. That was where John had settled and worked. I waylaid him outside his office building.
"Hello, John," I said, waving my coffee cup at him.
"Tom! You're the last person I expected to see. Especially after, well, you know," he said in an embarrassed voice.
"You would not believe the amount of mail and messages I get. I decided to let you see the fruits of your labor," I said.
Putting my cup down, I opened my briefcase.
I took out two fairly thick paper clipped piles of phone messages. I handed them to him. The top one is of people requesting my help locating family, friends, and loved ones who died. And yes, they think I can talk to the spirits.
"The second pile is a list of threats from people who think I am a danger. Let's go through them and figure out what I should do. You made sure my choices were limited, and I had no rights, is that not correct Mr. Gilchrist?" I asked with contempt in my voice.
"Listen, I didn't know this would happen to you," John began when I interrupted him.
"Didn't we have this discussion in college? Didn't I tell you that if people found out, and I did as you wanted, I would have no time for myself? The top list represents a whole list of peoples' hopes, dreads, and hundreds if not thousands of hours of my time, if I even wanted to help. Read them," I told him.
"I really don't have time Tom, I'm busy right now," John told me.
"Ok, let me get this straight. When you're inconvenienced, its not fair, but you feel I should not be afforded the same consideration, is that what you're saying?" I asked with contempt.
"Ok, I get it," John said nervously.
"To bad you didn't 'get it' before you disrupted my life, and sicced the government on me. Now let me tell you something. You mess with me again, and I will make it my total mission in life, to destroy you! Do you understand me, you fucking asshole?" I said, putting as much threat in my voice as possible.
His mouth dropped open, and I turned and stalked away from him. Damn that man. He started this whole mess, and he was getting off with no punishment at all. I stomped my way to a cab, and told him to take me to the airport.
Three days later, I was at the airport again, going through check in. I had sidestepped my guards, and everyone else, by going to the airport through NTZ. I came out in the restroom. I took my bags, and checked them through. Again, I was putting my passport through for validation, but this time there was no trouble. Great! My program was working like a charm.
It would be interesting to see what happened tomorrow, when my story about the 'council' hit the papers, nationwide. This should really stir shit up. I would be well on my way to Spain, if not already there, when the excrement impacted the oscillating cooling device (as the saying goes).
I had decided I needed to take government attention off of me, and put it where it should do some good. The 'council' was dangerous, and very powerful. It was time to shine the daylight of truth upon them.
I had taken what I knew, and had combined it with what Rachael had found out. And with her information, I had done even more investigating. The gist of it was, that I had a long list of names, many of whom were listed in Who's Who. Very important families were listed; as well as members of congress, government employees, and a whole host of others. I gave out enough information on the 'council' to make the press, the government, and even average people curious and worried.
Spain was a great place. I called my attorney, and he informed me we had a court date in eight days. I told him I would be there. I said that I was in hiding, but would not say where. I spent a couple days in Spain, and sent several items into NTZ to establish entry ports here in Spain.
I then spent several days traveling to and through Portugal, Lisbon, Czechoslovakia, and back to England. I stored things in NTZ, to establish connections to all the places I had been.
I had several days till my court date. I was getting ready to board a plane to Australia, when I was asked to accompany a couple of British security people to a private lounge. I was almost a hundred percent sure it was going to be Lord Avery-Smythe, but I was wrong. I went through a door, and there were three men waiting for me, none of whom I recognized.
"Mr. Wilshire? You have certainly led us a merry chase. I am Edward Danvers, ambassador to Great Britain from the US. These two gentleman are from the justice department and are here to escort you back to the US," the ambassador said.
"No, thank you. I have an appointment with a beach in Australia, and I would hate to disappoint it," I said sourly.
"Ah, I'm afraid your passport is canceled. Since it is now worthless, you cannot travel anywhere, except back to the US. We have made arrangements to fly you back aboard a US Military transport. It leaves here in forty-five minutes. I just wanted you to know, it is a pleasure to meet you, Sir!" Edward said, finally shaking my hand.
"NO! I am not their damned slave! There is no way you can make me!" I shouted at them, jerking my hand from the ambassador's.
Edited by TeNderLoin