Good News, Bad News....

Nothing's happened in the past few weeks that has any effect on these entries. As I've mentioned before, I've reached the 2 year mark with the transplant. Now there are certain tests that I had to go through to make sure everything is still good. Besides the usual blood tests, that is.

They decided to put me on the brand name Progrof instead of the generic tacrolimus, and to add Celcept. These can be controlled better, and will provide more protection against rejection. Since that happened, my tac level has been consistently where they want it. At the end of January, I went through a Stress Test. I expected to be on a tread mill, but they use drugs now so I spent the time on my back while they caused my heart to race artificially. I gotta say I was pretty shaky when it was over. They called me the next week to tell me I'd passed.

At the beginning of February, I had a CT Scan, and a Bone Density Scan. The CT is standard, but the Bone Density is done every 2 years. The first one I'd had - two years ago - caused them to put me on Fosomax for Osteoporosis. I was hoping there'd be no change, but I anticipated the worst.

They called me yesterday saying, "We've got good news". The Bone Density came back better then it was 2 years ago. How about that. Of course I have to go for blood work on Monday to make sure this change hasn't decreased my Vitamin D level.

I was feeling good, and things were getting better since the weather reports show a warming trend with no storms on the horizon. After 9 pretty bad ones, we could use the break. I went out this morning, just to take a drive around in the sunshine.

I headed up Main Street with the idea of ending up in Metuchen. Just passed Amboy Avenue, a black SUV pulled up behind me. Normally, I don't pay too much attention to the car behind me, but the DHS guys use black SUV's and it caught my eye. Of course, the trackers on me wouldn't get this close. And he was close. Too close.

I passed under Route 9 with the SUV on my tail. We were in the right lane, and when the road opened up to 2 lanes I'd hoped he'd pull to the left and pass me. He didn't. Instead, he put on his lights - high beams - almost blinding me.

Trying to get away, I turned right into the strip mall where Lowe's and Wegmans is. He stayed right behind me, not giving an inch. Through the mall and out onto Woodbridge Center Drive we went, turning right.

The next light, I took a fast right into Woodbridge Center, and a another fast right around onto the Fortunoff side. I thought - as I turned - that I could see another black SUV catching up to us.

My pursuer didn't budge, just kept coming. As we rounded the first curve, he started to blast his horn. Between the bright lights and the blaring horn I was getting disoriented. Pulling out of the curve, it would be an almost straight run past J. C. Penny's towards Sears. 2 lanes on both sides, with both of us now in the left lane.  I still couldn't see through the lights, but I took a chance and pulled suddenly into the right lane.

He didn't react as fast, but shot by me. As he passed, he stuck his hand out of the driver's side window and gave me the customary gesture. I raised my hand and gestured back...

Point, press, Flash.

I didn't expect anything to happen, to be honest about it. It was just a knee-jerk reaction to the situation. But something did happen.

The SUV suddenly spun to its right, into my lane. I stopped, heedless of anyone behind me. He kept spinning. Back into the left lane, then into the oncoming ones. Luck was with us, as the only car coming towards us was far enough away to turn into one of the other lots.

He didn't slow down. Just kept spinning, with no obvious attempt at correcting the skid. He hit one of the snow mounds piled up at the ends of the various parking lots. He hit at top speed, and at an angle. The momentum flipped him on his side, and the SUV just lay there, wheels spinning.

Just then, the black SUV that I thought I'd seen earlier pulled up beside me, and the DHS agent who'd saluted me at the Givings site got out.

"You OK, Mr. O'Neill?" He really did look worried.
I realized that I was shaking, but otherwise unhurt. I rolled down the window, turned off my car, and leaned back in the seat.
"Yeah....yeah....I'm OK. Looks like the cavalry showed up a little too late this time."
"What? I'm afraid I don't understand. Are you sure you're OK?"
"Never mind. Bad joke. I'm OK. Just shaken up is all. This is, like, the 3rd time we've met and I still don't know your name."
"Craig, sir."
"First name or last?"
"Yes, sir." He said, smiling.

An ambulance had arrived, probably part of the tracking team and notified by Craig. The EMT's and Craig's driver were at the overturned SUV.
"Please wait here, Mr. O'Neill. I'll just be a minute." He walked over and spoke to the other guys. Then he made a phone call.

When he came back, he looked very, very serious.
"Mr. O'Neill, I have some bad news."
"What? Is there a problem?"
"No. Well, not here, but overall, we think so. That driver and vehicle are ours. They're DHS."
"Jeez!..Are you kidding me? DHS? I thought you guys were on my side!"
"We are, Mr. O'Neall, but we now have reason to believe that there are some people who weren't too happy about what happened to Givings after all."
"Givings? Are you serious? I thought we were good with that."
"Apparently not. This is something that's just now coming to light. We don't know how wide spread it is and we're trying to get a handle on the situation."
"What about the guy in that car?" I said, pointing to the wreck.
"He's dead, so the best we can do is find out who he is and, if we're lucky, why he did it. But we're trained in hiding things, so it won't be easy."
"How could my using the Flasher have caused this?"
"It's possible that you hit his mirror and blinded him, or maybe you caused some kind of electrical short. We just don't know, right now. As I said, we're trying to get a handle on the situation"
"Oh great...Trying to get a handle on it, are you? What about me? What am I supposed to do?"

He was quiet for a minute or two. Running through the options in his head, I supposed.
"We don't think this is widespread, but we are going to double up on your security. We'll go round the clock, and move the tracker units in closer. Possibly close enough for you to see. I'm not sure yet. I have to talk to my superiors."
"The People Upstairs?"
"Oh, no, Mr. O'Neill. I'm not that high up. Probably someone on Agent Doyle's level. I'll find out when I get back. Reports have already been filed, and I'm sure actions are being taken. You'll just have to be a little more aware of your surroundings."
"Great. Just great. I guess I have no choice, right? Since Doyle isn't around, who should I contact if I have a question, or a problem."
He took a card out of his inside pocket.
"This has my cell number. Call me, for now. It may be that they'll pull Agent Doyle back, since that other operation seems to have gone south."
"What? Now I don't understand."
"Sorry. I can't say anything else. If you're feeling better, I would suggest that you leave the area. We've got it closed off for now, but we're going to have to let the local cops in soon. Apparently, someone called in the accident."
The other car I saw earlier.
"OK. I'm going. Do me a favor and keep a real close eye on things, OK?"
He smiled, nodded, and walked back to the wreck.

I drove home. Not feeling like a drive on a sunny day anymore.

Arc 4

What Happens Next............

Doyle had called me on the night of the Givings incident. He wanted me to know that everything was good. That we'd speak soon. That "soon" was supposed to have been Tuesday, but another snow storm screwed that up. We agreed on this morning.

I had some blood work scheduled early, so we agreed to meet at the Woodbridge Mall Burger King when I got back. I always park at the Mall and take the bus to the hospital because it's just easier. We didn't set a time, but he'd know when I was on my way back. They keep a close eye on me.

Things went smoothly at the hospital, and I caught the 9:00 AM bus back, which got me in at 10:00. Doyle was standing beside my car, talking on his cell. As I got closer, he put the phone away, opened the passenger door and got in, which kinda pissed me off. I got in on the driver's side.

"What the..? How did you...?"
"Calm down, Denny. We arranged for you to get this car, remember? Anyway, I warmed her up and put gas in. You should be thanking me."
"Yeah, well.." I was calming down. Actually, I should've expected it. "I thought you wanted to meet at the Burger King?"
"Don't have the time today. Kinda on a tight leash. Besides, they don't have decaf coffee." His cell went off. He glanced at it, but didn't answer. "Things going on, and all. Just wanted to let you know that all is well with the Givings situation."
"Really? No one's the least bit put out that I did that?"
"Not really. She wasn't liked by many people. She was definitely not liked by the people who had to work with her."
"Then how did she get the job? You know, taking over for you?"
"Politics, Denny. See, there are two factions within the People Upstairs. Mr. Smith represents one. Mr., ah,.."
"Jones?"
"Yeah, Jones..Mr. Jones. He represents the other. It was to appease Mr. Jones that Givings got the job. Mr. Smith never really thought she could handle it. Apparently, he was right."
"OK. But.. how was it that I was able to use the Flasher on her? I thought..you told me once.. that it wasn't effective on DHS personnel. That you all had implants, like mine."


His phone went off again. Again, he looked but didn't answer.
"What I meant by that," he said, " was that field agents wouldn't be affected. Givings was not a field agent. She was strictly back office but got pushed forward by Mr. Jones, like I said. I never thought you'd run into anyone other then field agents."

His phone, again.

"Someone really want to get in touch with you. Maybe you should answer?"
"Nah. They know where I am and why I'm here. There's nothing I can do from here anyway."

The phone.
"Look I gotta wrap this up. Everyone is good with the Givings situation. Mr. Smith actually told me that you solved a problem for him, so that should go far."
"So what happens now? Are you coming back, or will someone else take over? What do I do now?"
"I don't know. I'm kinda out of the loop. Things are happening with my Delaware assignment that I need to take care of. For now, just keep staging Random Events until someone contacts you. Mr. Smith has plans, and I expect something soon, but I don't know what or when."

He got out of the car, and his phone went off again. A black SUV pulled up behind me.

"Gotta go now, Denny. I think Mr. Smith feels like he owes you one. We'll see. Take care of yourself."
He turned, got into the SUV, and drove off.

I sat there for a while, then drove off myself.

I was confused. The only thing I was sure about was that I was hungry.

Didn't See That Coming...............

I knew it would be just a matter of time before Givings called, especially after the conversation I'd had with Smith the other day. Of course, she wanted to meet at the Menlo Park Mall, in the center of the Food Court again. I got there about a half-hour early. This time, I parked around the back, in the garage area which is where I think Givings parks herself. I wanted to see if I could catch her, then gauge her mood by how she got out. I was in luck. I only had to wait about 15 minutes.  I could see her from where I'd parked. She pulled in, got her briefcase and laptop from the back seat, and headed for the Mall entrance. She didn't look around at all, or she probably would have recognized my car. She just walked - quickly - straight ahead.

She was not in a good mood. I gave her a head start, then followed her in.

It think most people tend to look at themselves in store windows as they pass by - I know I do. Givings didn't. She headed straight down the hall and up to the escalator to the Second Level and the Food Court. I followed along (and I did glance at myself).

She sat there at a table in the center of the Court, in the slightly raised area, surrounded by plants and trees. There is a bit of privacy here. She had her laptop open in front of her. She didn't have a cup of coffee or a muffin. Not a good sign.

"Hey, Givings. What gives? No coffee?"
She barely glanced at me. "No, Mr. O'Neill. Not today. There won't be time for any."
"Really? So I shouldn't get anything?" Trying to lighten the mood. Didn't work.
"I'll get right to the point, Mr. O'Neill. As, I understand, you've been made aware, the Random Fire Events process has been terminated. The last one, which took place without my supervision, was poorly handled and, unfortunately, drew media attention. The People Upstairs were not happy."
She bent down to her laptop, pretending to look something up. I knew she was just trying to keep me from seeing how upset and angry she was.
"Well, we knew it was a short-term thing, didn't we?"
"Yes, Mr. O'Neill. We did. But the People Upstairs thought we could have gone for 1 or 2 more due to the severity of the winter so far. They were disappointed that this did not prove to be the case."
"Fire is unpredictable, you know. At least that's what they say on the TV programs."
She wasn't going to be calmed so easily.

"I met for several hours yesterday with the People Upstairs. Met? No...It was more of a Kangaroo Court. I was blamed for this. They see it as a failure. And coupled with the Adams Tower attempt, I am, apparently, on "Probation". They are going to give me one more chance to prove my effectiveness."
"OK. At least you get another chance. We'll come up with something."
"No, Mr. O'Neill. WE will not. This Fire Event scenario was your idea, and I still believe that the Adams Tower Event would have worked but you did something wrong in the placement of the canister. I will be doing this on my own."
I was speechless. Now I knew what dumbstruck meant.

"You're blaming me? Are you kidding? Adams Tower was your idea, and, yes, this Fire stuff was my idea, but you set them up. You set it all up." I was trying to keep from yelling, from attracting attention. She just looked at me and smirked.
"Well, you won't be setting ME up, I'll tell you that. I'm outta here." I stood up and turned towards the exit. "If you guys want to reach me, have Doyle do it."

I stormed off, back to my car, where I sat there seething. Last time we met, everything was all smiles. She met me after church, all giddy about how good things were going, and even wished me a Merry Christmas. Now, because things had gone South, she wanted to pin it all on me. Well, no way, sister.

As I sat there, I found that I was watching her car. I saw her come back, replace the briefcase and laptop in the back seat, and get in. I opened my door and walked over, taking the Flasher from my pocket.

I wanted to shake her up.

She was looking down, rummaging in her purse for something, as I tapped on her window. She looked up, startled, but saw it was me and the smirk came back. I lifted the Flasher.

Point, press, Flash.
 Her head slid to the right, the smirk still there, her eyes open but empty.

That wasn't supposed to happen. Doyle had told me when we'd first met that the Flasher would not be effective on DHS employees. I just wanted to show her how mad I was.

I looked around. I didn't see anyone, so I walked back to my car. I sat there a while, trying to decide what to do. Obviously, DHS knows where I am and what just happened. They always do. Something to do with the tracking mechanisms they use.

Should I call them? What would they think? What could they do?

Moot questions. Just then, an EMS vehicle pulled into the lot area, followed by a black SUV. An EMT got out, opened Givings' car door, and looked to be feeling for a pulse. He straightened up, pulled out a cell phone, and dialed a number.

My cell went off. Confirmed.

The EMT nodded towards the black SUV. Two men got out - of course, dressed in black. One went to the EMT and one came towards me. I lowered my window.

"No reason to hang around, Mr. O'Neill." He said with a smile. "We can take it from here."

I must've looked like at idiot, staring at him, but I started the car and pulled away. As I raised the window he said...

"Have a nice day, Sir!" and snapped off a quick salute. That's when I recognized him - he was the "cop" by the fake Water Department dig outside the Adams Towers who gave me the canister.

I'm guessing someone will let me know what happens next.

Back to Basics.............

I woke up early this morning. No particular reason, but I was feeling good. All the post-holiday obligations have been tended to, the "decorations" have been put away, and what can be returned has been. We had a little more snow over the weekend, but it didn't really add anything to what we still have left over from the Big Storm just after Christmas. There is, however, the prediction for another big storm coming in tomorrow night.

Outside of a quick trip tomorrow morning for another blood test, I have no medical tests until the end of the month.

Today is a good day to do something.

I decided that I should take this opportunity to take some of those pictures that I want to add to previous posts. I went through my usual routine, then headed for the Menlo Park Mall. Almost all of my meetings with Givings have been held there, and I figured to get some shots before the mall opened and the shoppers showed up. I drove over, parked by Barnes & Nobles, and entered the mall on that side. There were a few mall walkers here, but I had no problem taking several shots in the Food Court - we sat in several different areas over the last few months. I tried not to be too obvious, and no one seemed to be interested in what I was doing. I ended my session with a photo of the small snack area outside of Nordstrom's, on the lower level, and headed back to the exit by Barnes & Nobles. When I got there, I saw a woman, sitting by herself, on one of the benches. There was no one walking in this end of the mall, and she couldn't be seen from the main corridor, anyway. I took out the Flasher.

I walked into the hallway leading to the exit. I stopped, listening for any sounds of someone approaching. Nothing. I couldn't see if anyone was in the main corridor, but, then again, they couldn't see me. I hurried up. Closer. Closer. Almost right behind her. She hadn't appeared to move. Still bent over as if she were reading something. Point, press, Flash.

I kept walked - quickly - through the two exit doors, then turned right into Barnes & Nobles. I waited just inside the door there, but no one walked by, and no one came rushing out. I walked through the store, out into the parking lot, and got into my car. I had some prescriptions to pick up at the WalMart pharmacy on Route 9. As I drove away, my phone chimed. When I got to WalMart I checked. Confirmed.

I was hungry, so I ate a quick breakfast at the Dunkin' Donuts next to the WalMart. I was feeling good, and it was still early, so I decided to check out a couple of the Woodbridge Library satellites. I started at the one on Ford's Avenue, then went to Route 1, turned off on Green Street, and stopped at the Iselin branch.

On my way out, I found I was behind an older man who was obviously going to the parking lot - just like me. I kept the distance between us and looked around. We were the only ones in sight. The parking lot is on the side of the building without windows, and set in far enough off Green Street that it's not easily visible. I took out the Flasher.

The man was parked on the far side between 2 other cars. He stopped to open his door, and I closed the distance. He never looked my way. Just got into his car, and leaned over to put his books on the passenger seat. I got closer. He sat up and reached over to pull his door closed. Point, press, Flash. I turned to my car and heard the "click" as his door shut. No one was around. I didn't see any cars drive by. I got in my car, and drove out. Green Street to Oak Tree Lane to Wood Avenue to Iselin Avenue. Confirmed at the Colonia branch.

Time to head home.

.............................................................................................................................................................

I was sitting in the living room around 5:00, trying to decide how to write this up, when my phone rang. James. I answered.
"Mr. O'Neill do you have your television on?" Surprisingly, it was the man I knew as Smith - one of the People Upstairs.
"What? I'm sorry. I don't.."
"It's very simple, Mr. O'Neill. Do you have your television on?"
"Yes."
"Good. Please turn it to Channel 7. The news is on, and there is a segment coming up in approximately 2 minutes."
I used the remote. The female commentator was doing a lead-in.
"Just in time, Mr. O'Neill. These are pictures of a large fire that took place this morning. No loss of life, but it sprerad to 3 adjoining homes causing a great deal of damage."

"And you wanted me to see this because..?"
"Because it is one of ours, Mr. O'Neill. It was set in motion by Ms. Givings on Friday. Unfortunately, there has been a death in her family and she had to go back to Indiana. This was left in the "capable" hands of her team. It is now under investigation due to the property damage."
"Is that a problem?"
"No. They won't find anything. But these Fire Events are starting to get media attention, and that can't be tolerated."
"Again, I have to ask, why are you telling me?"
"Because Ms. Givings is not here. I felt you should be made aware of the end of this particular effort. Givings is due back on Wednesday, and we will meet to discuss what should be done next. Frankly, I am not happy with her performance to date, but that is a matter for the full committee. I want you to know that this in no way reflects badly on you. We are pleased with your contributions. In fact, I see that you were out and about this morning. Please keep up the good work."

He hung up before I could say anything.

I guess I'll have to wait to hear from Givings. Or someone. 

Get the Picture..........

This is going to be a shorter entry then the ones that I've recently added to this extract. I haven't staged an Event recently, and I don't expect to hear from Givings, Doyle, or the People Upstairs until after the first of the year.

I don't intend to mention that the pre-Christmas season started before Halloween. I don't intend to mention that the post-Christmas season ended pretty abruptly on the 26th with The Snowstorm that Covered the East Coast.

Nor will I mention that I finally got my car dug out and on the road today - the 30th. Nor will I mention the trouble I had trying to return a pound of Starbucks Holiday Blend Coffee to a Barnes & Noble (actually, 2 Barnes & Nobles).

What I do intend to tell about is something that I've been thinking of doing for a while.......

ADD PICTURES TO THESE POSTINGS.

This is not a New Year's resolution. I don't believe in those. I do, however, have a new phone with a camera option and I think adding pictures is a good way to reinforce the reality of what I've written here.

To prove the point, here is the view from my living room window....

The building in the middle, back is the Adams Towers that I've mentioned in several previous postings.

I hope to have a picture for any new posting, where I think it might be helpful, in the future.

They do say that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Hark, the Herald.................
In the last two weeks, the entries I've made have been personal and have not had any impact on these matters. As I mentioned the last time, I had a biopsy done on the 2nd. I got the results on Friday, the 3rd - no signs of rejection. So far, two years and all is well. Except...they're playing with my tacrolimus level again. I've been for blood work on the 7th and the 14th and I'm scheduled for the 21st. If that's the only thing I have to worry about, it's all good.

There has also been Christmas shopping to do.

Oh, and I'm a Great-uncle (Grand-uncle?). My niece had a baby boy. We went to see them on the 12th. Cute kid. Just eats, sleeps, and - I presume - poops. Definitely one of the family.

Today is Sunday. I go to the 8:00 AM Mass on Sundays. It's not really altruistic. I get up every day around 7:00, do my routine (weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature), take my pills and get on with my day. Sunday is different. I take my osteoporosis pill on Sunday, first thing. After that, I can't lie down for 45 minutes, and can't take any other pills for an hour. So I go to Mass. I do have a lot to be grateful for.

When I came out, there was Givings standing by my car. When I got within range, I used the remote to unlock the car and she got in on the passenger side. When I got in, I started up the heat - it was cold outside and in.

"This is a surprise." I said. "And you notice that I didn't say 'pleasant'. Are you here to hassle me for not doing anything for the last 2 weeks?"
"No, Mr. O'Neill. I'm not. We understand that it is the Holiday Season, and it has been unusually cold. It must not be easy to find someone out alone."
"To be honest, I haven't been looking. But you're right about the season. I did have some personal stuff to take care of."
"We know. Congratulations on the results of your biopsy, and the birth of your niece's son. Also, I am glad to see that you took care of your brakes."
Letting me know they still have a close watch on me.

"Anyway," She said, "I thought you should know of the progress that has been made since our last meeting."
"Progress? What progress? I didn't know you'd moved forward on anything."
"The People Upstairs liked your suggestion from last time. About fires...? You do remember?"
"Yeah. Of course. Just hold on a minute, OK? It's 9:00. Time for my pills."

She waited while I took them, then I gestured that she should go on.

"Over the last two weeks, we have staged two separate Random Fire Events - one in Perth Amboy and one in Rahway. Do you recall seeing anything in the papers?
 I thought for a minute or two.
"No. No, I don't remember seeing anything."
"Exactly. I believe the one in Perth Amboy was in the News Tribune. You read the Star Ledger, right? The one in Rahway wasn't mentioned at all. The People Upstairs were very impressed."
"Really? What happened? How did you set them up?"
"As I am sure you are aware, DHS consists of many previously independent groups. ICE has agents in many areas where the immigrant population converges."
"Wait. ICE? You mentioned them last time. I mentioned INS, and you said ICE. What's that?"
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It sounds tougher then Immigration and Naturalization Service. They are still responsible for seeking out and deporting undocumented immigrants."
"You mean Illegal Aliens."
"Whatever. They identified buildings in both locations that would make good targets, then we sent in an operative to stage the Events. Perth Amboy's was determined by the authorities to be a faulty space heater, and Rahway's was a Christmas tree too close to a heat source. Pretty much as you had predicted."
"Yeah, well, they happen every year, you know."
"Three people died in Perth Amboy and two in Rahway. Additionally, ICE has identified what appears to be five families that are now in custody awaiting extradition. There are a total of 22 family members."

She paused to let that sink in. I'd been watching the rest of the church-goers leave. We were the only ones left, but that would change when the 10:00 crowd started to arrive soon. I had no comment to make. She continued.

"Our agreement was for $1500 per person per Event. A $7500 deposit has been made to your account. The People Upstairs are debating about a monetary value for deportees, but no decision has been reached. Since they have recessed for the Holidays, I don't expect to have a resolution for this until after the First of January. Any questions?"

I looked at her. She sat there, calmly, her hands folded in her lap.
"Why did you come here? Why didn't you call for a meeting?"
She looked at me.
"I knew where you would be. If you hadn't showed up here, I would have called for a meeting, which would have postponed you're hearing this until tomorrow, at the earliest. This made sense."
"Oh. I see....So, what now?"
"Now, Mr. O'Neill, you go back to preparing for your Holidays, and we go back to preparations of our own. I believe that there will be 3 or 4 more Random Fires over the next month and a half."

She opened the door preparing to leave, then turned.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. O'Neill."

She got out, closed the door, and crossed to a black sedan parked across the street.

"Merry Christmas, Miss Givings." I said, even though she couldn't hear me.

I waited till she drove off before I left also.

I Read the News Today..............

I was waiting for this - Givings' call. I heard from her on Wednesday. She wanted to meet Thursday - yesterday - but I couldn't. I had a biopsy scheduled. Being scheduled for 8 AM doesn't mean anything because once you enter a hospital you're on "doctor's time". I got there at 7:20, and was out by 12:30 - biopsy, x-ray, and office visit all in 5 hours. That's enough for one day. I agreed to meet Givings this morning.

Usually, she likes to meet around 9 AM at the Menlo Park Mall. But since I put her off, we agreed on 11. I got there early so I figured that I'd pick the table. I got some decaf and a muffin, picked up the paper, and staked out a table in the back of the Food Court.

The local paper has a funny way of treating personal interest stories that happen in the area. The hopeful, happy ones make the front page with a nice picture. The not-so-hopeful ones get buried. I usually just read the banners, photo captions, and the location line. If it grabs me, maybe I'll read the opening paragraph. Today's paper had the follow up to an article I'd seen a day or so ago. Not a happy ending for the family.

It seems that a week ago Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, a man disappeared while out taking his morning exercise walk. There was a Silver Alert issued. Apparently he was an older guy with a history of heart-related problems. They found him Tuesday, or rather some guy walking his dog found him. He was found down the side of an embankment off Chain-of-Hills Road where it rises over a small stream. The coroner says it looks like a seizure, or heart attack. No signs of violence. No sign of a struggle. No sign of a guy with a Flasher or a bright light. First time I'd seen anything Event-related

Givings showed up and I put away the paper.

"Sorry I didn't get you any coffee. I didn't want it to get cold." I smiled. She got something from the Starbucks, and sat down.
"Mr. O'Neill, I want to apologize for the Adam's Tower situation. It didn't turn out the way I'd projected. In fact, it didn't do anything."
I kept smiling, and shrugged. I didn't think I needed to add anything.
"Anyway, Mr. Smith has informed me that he spoke to you.."
"Wait. Mr. Smith? Is that his name? Is he the guy who called me last week? He's one of the People Upstairs, right?"
"Yes. That's the name I know him by. He is one of the more important members, and the one that I get my instructions from. And Doyle, as well. I mean, he gives Doyle his instructions, too."
"What does he look like?"
"I don't know. I've never met him. I get my instructions via phone conversations and e-mails mostly. When we do meet, he tends to remain in the shadows. I take it that it's a security thing with him. But that's not the reason for this meeting. We need to discuss how to proceed."
"Discuss? You want to discuss proceeding with me? That's interesting. Usually you just have instructions."
"That has changed, at least for now. Mr. Smith feels that you might have some ideas on how to progress with Phase 2."
I sat back, using my coffee to stall a little.
"Let me see if I remember...Phase 2 was supposed to be an attempt to increase the number of victims per Event, correct?"
"Correct." She looked annoyed.
"And the Adam's Tower thing, you know, using Legionnaire's Disease, was supposed to do that only it didn't work, right?"
"Correct, again." Annoyed and a little angry. I let her stew a little, picking up my trash and dumping it in the nearest basket.
"OK. I've actually given this some thought. Do you know what you read a lot about this time of year?"
"The Holidays?..No..No, I don't recall anything specific."
"Fire. You read about fire a lot."
"Fire?"
"Yes. Fire. Caused by faulty wiring and dry Christmas trees, or candles, or space heaters in unheated rooms. There's always reports of tragic fires happening during the Holidays."
I paused and looked at her. She looked sceptical, but interested.
"Go on."
"There has to be any number of overcrowded homes in Perth Amboy, Rahway, Linden, even Edison and Woodbridge. Illegal aliens crowded into poorly ventilated, unheated houses. Any number of potential fire-traps. All you need to do is have someone who fits in - and I certainly wouldn't - go around and "Prime" the chosen sites. Then when a fire starts, an anonymous call to the Fire Department. I'd bet there'd be some loss of life."
"That does sound like it would work, but wouldn't they look suspicious?"
"I don't think so. You spread them out from now through, say, February, and I'd bet they'd only get some local coverage and they'd never be connected. And there may be a side benefit."
I left that idea dangling. She bit right away.
"What side benefit?"
"Since you'd know what was going to happen, you could have INS handy to round up the suddenly homeless. Those without papers get deported. Another reduction to the drain on our resources."
"ICE. They're known as ICE now. Not INS." But she said that distractedly.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter what they call themselves. They're still answerable to DHS, right?"
No answer. She was slowly nodding to herself, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, she pushed back her chair.
"Very interesting, Mr. O'Neill. It has a great deal of potential. Very little exposure on our part, instant results, good upside. I'll have to run this by the People Upstairs, of course, but I'm sure Mr. Smith will like it, and he carries a lot of weight with the rest."

She stood, and looked at me for a minute. Then she stuck out her hand. I shook it.

"Thank you, Mr. O'Neill".
She walked away.

Oh boy.