Play It Right ……..

I was pretty freaked out about Wells' appearance on August 17th, but even more so about his greeting from Jones. I spent a few days being Paranoid about the change to their vehicles of choice and a scene like this would shake me up.

After a couple of days sort of hiding out in my apartment, I realized that I had things I had to do and I went out to do them.

Monday, August 26th, I had a follow-up with one of my Doctor's and everything was still looking good.

Wednesday, the 28th, I was down in New Brunswick for some Blood Work and a visit with the Cardiologist. Again, all was well. I enjoyed the ride home and stopped at the Dunkin's on Amboy Avenue. It's the only one I know that has their Apple Fritter. It's very good and I need the calories. As usual, I went to Shoprite to check out what was on sale. That's when I saw this.

I'm usually not a fan of people who take up more then one parking space but this guy did a really good job. I picked up a few things and went home.

I checked my calendar and I had no doctor's appointments for September. That's the first time this has happened in almost 11 years.

Monday the 2nd was Labor Day. We had a family gathering scheduled for the afternoon but I was out early and stopped by my local Dunkin's. When I pulled in I saw this truck.

This parking job really annoyed me and I was tempted, but the guys got into the truck and drove away just as I was rolling down the window. I sat in the car for a few minutes calming down then went in to get my breakfast.

Wednesday, the 10th, I was running some errands and cut through a strip mall parking lot to get to Avenel Street so I could get back to Amboy Avenue. Schools are back in session and the drivers are parking wherever and however they please.

I'd let the moving truck slide previously but this was too much.

Point, press, Flash.

I drove away, thinking about how the driver was going to explain this. I knew it meant that the kids on that route would be late but I didn't think they'd mind.

We actually had a Friday the 13th this month. Since I was parked facing down Claire Street, I had to drive around the block to head towards Main. I stopped at the light on Rahway and this guy crossed in front of me.

I've seen this guy almost every morning for years. He's usually jogging but it looked like he was limping a little. I give him a lot of credit because I don't think I have the dedication for something like that.

Tuesday the 17th we lost a member of my extended family. I had committed to dog-sit for a friend for a few days so I drove up into Avenel. Cutting through another lot I stopped before making a right to make sure that things were clear, I noticed this.

There had been an older man who sat in that chair in front of that building every time I passed for as far back as I can remember. Now he wasn't there. Reminded me of the "Missing Man" formation and darkened my mood.

As I said, I was committed to dog-sit for a friend so I spent the last few days there but had to swing by my house every day to pick up my mail and feed the cat. Every day I was there, I could see this through the front window.

That white SUV has been parked the wrong way on Remsen. I think because whoever it was could keep an eye on me.

OK.

I've decided to play the game but, to paraphrase Kenny Rogers,

 I'm gonna learn to play it right.

Very Wrong ...........

I thought when I took out their vehicle in the Shoprite parking lot that it wouldn't take long for them to retaliate. Fooled me.

The next day, Tuesday July 23rd, I went on a food run. I stopped at FoodTown in Colonia and looked around before getting out of my car.

There were no white SUV's to be seen. Their Deli Department had the Ham Salad I like so I bought a half-pound.

Friday, the 26th, I headed up to RWJ Hospital to finally get this feeding tube taken out. I had to drive around the block to get to Amboy Avenue and I saw these guys at work.

My local Quik Check closed yesterday because the Landlord sold the property to the Township so they could build apartments. They were already taking the name down. I'm gonna miss this place.

The tube procedure went quickly and I was out earlier then I thought. When I got back in my car I saw this.

I was trying to figure out what to do when someone in scrubs approached the SUV, got in, and drove
away. I had to wait until my hands stopped shaking before I started the car.

August began pretty much like July ended - hazy, hot, and humid with the occasional thunder storm. When the heat broke, I would take a leisurely drive with the windows down and the radio up. Sunday the 11th was one of those days.

I was on New Dover Road heading towards Edison when I stopped at the light. That's where I saw this guy.

He was actually giving the Hand Signal for a left turn. I can't remember ever seeing anyone do that, not even a car driver. I was so distracted that I forgot to put my blinker on for my intended right turn and had to drive on straight.

I had an early follow-up appointment with my Radiologist on Tuesday the 13th and I took the main streets to get there, for a change. With the schools off I can usually get there in about 15 minutes. I was early, he saw me early, and I left early.

This morning, as usual, I stopped at Dunkin's for breakfast. I bought an Egg-and-cheese Croissant and an unsweetened Iced Tea. I'd just gotten back in my car when I saw a black SUV park across from me and someone got out.

I actually laughed out loud because I should've recognized the car and driver. We're both regulars here at this Dunkin's and know each other by sight. I waved, he acknowledged, and I left.

I stopped at Shoprite and went in to check out what they had on sale. I picked up a few things and went back to my car. I put the bags in the back, got in, and started the car. Then this black pickup truck pulled up very close to my driver's side.

The passenger side window slid down and Wells leaned out.

"Mr. Jones sends his respects."

Then he grinned, raised the window, and drove away.

I thought that I had a handle on things but I was wrong.

Very wrong.

It's Not Paranoia ....

I've been paying more attention to what's been going on in my life lately. Of course, by "lately" I mean since Jones upped the pressure last month. I'm beginning to notice patterns or co-incidences in things I would normally ignore.

Because of the Tracker, I've known for years that I'm being followed. For the first few years it was physical. There was always someone close by but they stayed out of sight. Over time things changed and they were satisfied just monitoring my signal. Then they asked me to stop but I'm pretty sure they always knew where I was. Now that they want me to start up again I'm pretty sure they'll tighten up on watching me.

Monday, July 1st, I had a 9:00 Appointment with my Cardiologist. It was raining, but I got a spot close to the Entrance. He saw me right away and said everything looked good and I was out quickly. I drove through Edison to the Target on Parsonage Avenue to check what their price was on something. When I came out, I noticed this.

The car was sitting far back in the lot but started blinking his lights when I came out. That's when I realized that they weren't going to be subtle.

The next day, Tuesday the 2nd, I went up to RWJ Rahway for a Chest X-ray. I parked in the usual lot and went in. You don't need an appointment for an X-ray but you do have to deal with the paperwork. I was there for about an hour and a half. When I got back to the lot I saw this.

It looked like the white SUV that Jones had been in. Was this going to be the new vehicle-of-choice? I looked around but didn't see anyone that appeared to be watching me. I had a bad feeling anyway.

The next few weeks went by smoothly. I had no appointments to keep and the weather continued to be changeable. Everywhere I went I was conscious of white SUV's. Was I being paranoid? Maybe.

Saturday, I drove up to my Primary Physician for a routine follow-up. It was a beautiful morning and I was enjoying the drive. I stopped at the light on New Dover right beside this woman.

I've said before that I don't like bicyclists and I particularly don't like the ones who wear the "outfit". I find them to be arrogant. Still, I was in a good mood and rode on by. My Primary was happy with my progress so I don't have to go back for 2 months. It was hot and I headed home early. It was hotter Sunday but we got some heavy rain that night and it cooled things off a little.

I slept in a little this morning but was still out by 8:30. I stopped at Dunkin's for breakfast. I drove up to Walmart and picked up a prescription that was ready. I drove down to Route 1 and stopped at the Hobby Lobby. I'm not a hobbyist but I do have a Granddaughter who likes to make things. I was impressed with the variety of stuff they had and the prices, I thought, were reasonable. To make things better, the 2 things I bought qualified for their 40% off sale. I was feeling good as I walked back to my car when I saw this.

This car stopped in the entryway. I continued walking to my car and it didn't move. Other cars coming in honked but had to drive around him. Was it a white SUV? I couldn't tell. I got into my car and drove out of the lot eyeing my rearview more then I should have.

I would've driven straight home but I needed a few things so I got back on Route 1 and headed towards Shoprite. I didn't relax or stop checking my mirrors until I'd been parked in the lot for half an hour. Maybe I was getting a little paranoid, I thought.

I picked up what I needed and bought a piece of cake I didn't but felt I deserved. I use the self-checkout so I don't have to deal with lines. I was waiting for my card to be approved and I glanced up, more to stretch my neck then to look around. I thought I saw someone I recognized out of the corner of my eye but the system beeped and I took my card and purchases and left. I walked back to my car and noticed this.

A white SUV that wasn't there when I got here. Was it part of the crew that Jones had following me? Was it simply some other shopper? Was paranoia getting the better of me? I got in my car and started it. I put it in gear, rolled down the window and ….

Point, press, Flash.

I heard someone yelling my name as I drove away.

I know I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble but I figure if they really are hounding you ….

it's not Paranoia.

Feeling The Heat ………….

I had blood work scheduled down at RWJUH New Brunswick for 8 AM on Wednesday May 29th. I drove down early, as usual, and got a good spot in the garage next door. I signed in and was reading while I waited when the lab tech came out and told me that he didn't have any instructions for what to do and I'd have to wait for someone from the Cardio staff to come in. I didn't like that but I had no choice. After about 1/2 an hour someone showed up but she didn't know why I was there either - even though she was the one who set up the appointment. I was so pissed off that I stormed out and headed home.

I had the radio on and had calmed down by the time I'd turned on to Amboy Avenue. I was almost up to the turn off for Route 1 when this other driver cut me off. I reacted quickly and, thank God, correctly and avoided getting hit but now there was a rattling noise coming from the back. I was angry again. If there'd been an opportunity I just might have done what Jones and Doyle wanted - start staging Events again. Fortunately, there was no one and I calmed down again as I continued my homeward trip.

It was some time that afternoon that the Nurse Practitioner from the Cardiologist's called. She apologized and set me up to go back in the next morning.

I drove back down on Thursday the 30th and the blood work went smoothly. I was actually on my way back by 8:15. Just passed the spot where I'd almost had that accident I saw this guy.

The conditions were ideal. If I'd seen him yesterday I probably would've used the Flasher. As it was, I just continued on.

We've had more rain then sun in June - some of it very heavy - but there were still places to go and things to do so I had to be out and about. Most of my days would start with a stop at my local Dunkin's for a decaf coffee. Lately that's been an iced, decaf coffee. Tuesday, June 4th, it was raining again.  I'd picked up my drink and was sitting quietly in my car when I noticed this woman.

I watched her as she ran across the lot probably going to catch a bus or train to work. I gave a quick toast that I was retired and had a car.

Wednesday the 12th, the weather still hadn't cleared but I decided to make a library run anyway. Since the Metuchen one doesn't open until 10, I headed down to the main one in Edison which is just off Route 27. I browsed around for a while and found something that looked interesting. It's a non-fiction book about how the history of the world was affected by what we drink. It was only $.50 so I bought it. On the way out, I noticed this.

I don't remember ever having seen a Bookmobile before and it made me smile. I got to Metuchen around 10:15 and picked up 4 more books at $.50 apiece.

Saturday the 15th, I had a 9:30 appointment with my primary. She was dealing with an emergency involving a hospitalized patient so my exam was a bit perfunctory but everything looked good to her and I agreed to follow-up in a month.

My car was due for inspection so, even though the rattling noise was still there, I drove up to the Inspection Station on Tuesday the 18th. They open at 8 AM and I got there about 20 to. There were a few cars ahead of me.

They opened on time and I was called very quickly. They even let me stay in the car. I could hear the rattling but the inspector didn't seem to notice and I passed. I'm good for 2 years. If the noise is still there in July, I'll go to my mechanic.

Yesterday - Friday the 21st - was the first day of Summer but you wouldn't know it by the weather that morning. It was the heaviest rain I'd seen in a while. I stopped at Shoprite, picked up a few things during a lull in the storm, and was just waiting in the car for another lull when I noticed this.

The car across from me started blinking it's lights. On/off/on/off for several minutes. If he was trying to get my attention, it worked. I wasn't sure what to do when their passenger side door opened and a medium-sized black man in a black raincoat got out and walked towards me. He had no umbrella and wasn't wearing a hat so the rain ran down his face from the top of his shaven head. When he got to me, he held a folder against my window. I was his badge and ID from DHS. I lowered the window.

"Mr. O'Neill, I am SA Dwayne Wells from the DHS and I have a message for you from Mr. Jones."
"Where's Doyle? I usually deal with Doyle?"
"SAC Doyle is on special assignment and Mr. Jones chose not to wait."
I was frustrated but what could I do. "Alright, what does Jones want?"
"He would like to speak with you personally. He was hoping to take care of this today but the weather has caused a change of plans. He will stop here in this lot tomorrow morning at 9 and would like to speak with you then."
"That's sorta odd don't you think? Meeting in a parking lot?"
"Mr. Jones has a tight schedule tomorrow so he'll be stopping here on his way from one meeting to another. I will meet you and escort you to Mr. Jones' vehicle. Can I assure him of your cooperation?" If the rain was bothering him, he didn't show it.
"OK. I'll be here." I went to shake his hand but he'd already turned away.

This morning I dressed a bit more formal then usual and was drinking my iced coffee in the parking lot when I saw Wells get out of this vehicle and head in my direction.

I was surprised that it was a white instead of a black SUV but I got out and walked back with him. The rear window was lowered just enough so that we could have a conversation but not far enough for me to get a good look at whoever was back there.

"Thank you, Mr. O'Neill, for agreeing to see me on such short notice." I recognized the voice as belonging to the man Doyle had introduced as Jones back in April.
"What's this about? Where's Doyle?"
"SAC Doyle has been temporarily reassigned to DC due to a situation involving POTUS. He will be back when things are resolved. In the meantime, I will be taking a more hand's on approach to the Gordon matter."
"What? …. You? …. How?" I was sputtering.
"I'm aware, Mr. O'Neill, that you know of my 'involvement' with Gordon so it should not surprise you that I need to get it resolved as quickly and quietly as possible. That's where you come in."
"You want me back using the Flasher, right?"
"To put it simply, yes. Gordon's tracker has been popping up a lot. In many cases where POTUS is appearing or there is a rally to support him. We've tried predicting his appearances but, even when we get it right, we can't pick him out from the crowd. It's time for a more direct approach."
"Me?"
"You. We believe that if you get back out there Gordon will be attracted to your activity. We know he has some way to know what you are doing and we believe it will attract him like a moth to a flame."
"What if I don't want to do it?"
"There is an old saying that 'you get what you pay for'. As applied to me and the medical expenses we absorbed for your transplant and subsequent treatment I'm afraid I didn't get my money's worth. When you turn the phrase around and apply it to you then it would be 'you pay for what you get'. Your decision not to continue with our agreement has changed that. I have to insist that you resume your activities."

I was confused and was beginning to get a bad feeling about things. I had to ask.
"The transplant was 10 years ago. What can you do about it now?"

He leaned back in his seat and I could see his face clearly. His green eyes were bright and his mouth was twisted into a sneer.

"You do remember that your donor was an agent of ours and, as such, had a tracker implanted? That's how we've been able to follow you all these years. But do you realize that the tracker is a mechanical device and can be tampered with? You are aware that Gordon is able to turn his signal on and off at will? Can you guess at what else can be done remotely?"

The impact of what he said was sudden and physical. I couldn't speak and staggered a bit. Wells grabbed my arm and steadied me.

"I see that I have your attention, Mr. O'Neill. I have to leave now but SA Wells will be monitoring your progress going forward and will report directly to me. Have a good day."

The window rolled up, Wells got in the front, and they drove away.

I was left standing out alone in the parking lot under the Summer sun. I was sweating and I was feeling the heat.

You Never Know ………….

Saturday, April 27th, started off as overcast and I was cranky when I got out of bed. I hadn't slept well the night before, partly due to the insomnia after-effect from the chemo and partly due to that whole Gordon/Doyle/Jones situation at the Library yesterday. As the day progressed it began to brighten up and so did I. While out driving around I decided to go back to the Library since their sale was still going on.

I wound up buying 6 more books at $.50 each which brought my 2 day total to 12 books for $6. Not a bad deal. Plus there wasn't an appearance from Gordon, Doyle, or Jones which made the day more enjoyable. Did I expect any of them to show up? Not really but you never know.

Monday, the 29th, I had an 11:15 appointment with my Urologist. The last time I was there - 6 months ago - my PSA Level was 28 and he was pushing for a biopsy and/or radiation. Since I was already gearing up for the radiation treatment for something else I put him off. This time my PSA was 15.8, almost 1/2 of what it had been, and everybody was happy. I have a follow-up in 6 months.

That was the last sunny day we had for a while.

Thursday, May 2, I was running some errands when I came across this.

I don't like drivers who take up more then 1 space and I particularly don't like these landscapers with their extra machinery. I was tempted but I decided against it. I would have to make a few turns to get into position and I didn't want to draw any attention.

Tuesday, the 7th, it was kind of chilly so I had a jacket on when I drove to Wegman's to check out their prices on a few things. Just before the Route 9 overpass I saw this guy.

Seriously? Shorts and a T-shirt? I was tempted again but passed him anyway. This time because I didn't want Doyle to think he'd persuaded me.

Wednesday, the 8th, was still rainy and chilly. I stopped at the Dunkin Donuts counter in Shoprite for a Decaf French Vanilla.

I was a couple of blocks away when I tried it and found out that it was the wrong flavor. She gave me Hazelnut which I don't like. I had to go back to get the right one. At least she offered me a free donut. I guess I should've tried it before I left the counter but I trusted them. You never know.

Saturday, the 11th, I had a 9:15 appointment with my Primary. She was happy with my progress and renewed a prescription for me which I took right away to my Pharmacy. They didn't have enough on hand to fill the 3-month request so I agreed to wait a few days.

Tuesday, the 14th, I was going to go to my Pharmacy to pick up my prescription and stopped at the Shoprite Dunkin Donuts again. I  ordered a large. I realized on my way that I'd gotten a medium. I picked up my meds and had to go back to get the right size.

 By Thursday, the 16th, the sun had finally made an appearance. One of the things I've noticed is that the sun also brings out an increase in street repairs.

These guys were replacing a wooden pole at an intersection that had a left turn arrow. Of course, they closed that lane to do their work which backed up traffic in the thru lane. I was frustrated but it was too open a space and there were too many workers to do anything.

Saturday, the 18th, was another warm, sunny day. I went out early because I wanted to check the washer fluid and antifreeze levels in the car. I couldn't get the hood open. As I sat there trying to figure out what to do I saw this guy.

I'm pretty sure he lives in the Senior Citizen's building just up the street. I've seen him before, rolling along in his chair, going back and forth to the local stores. Good for him, I thought. If he can do what he needs to do, so can I. Maybe the lever was rusted or maybe I'd gotten weaker recently. I'd take care of it.

Tuesday, the 21st, I had another follow-up with my Primary and I continue to improve. I swung by to see my Granddaughter and asked my Son-in-law to try to open my car hood since he's a big, husky guy. No luck. When I got home, I looked up the local Honda dealers and left messages. No one called back. There was only 1 thing left to do.

This morning I stopped at a few supermarkets to stock up on some things. I dropped these off at my place and drove to my mechanics who's pretty close by.

I told him what the problem was and he and one of his assistants took a shot at it with no luck. He said he'd check it out when he could which was what I expected. I left the car and walked home. I was hoping he could fix it and that it wouldn't cost too much.

It took about 15 minutes to get to my house and I was about to take off my jacket when the phone rang. It was my mechanic. He'd gotten the hood open. I walked back. When I got there I saw this other vehicle.

A black SUV. It wasn't there before and I noticed that there was no one in it. I was looking around when the mechanic came out. He showed me how to get the hood open which is now a 2 man job involving someone inside pulling on the lever and someone on the outside lifting the hood. We tried it together and I got the hang of it. He didn't charge me but I gave him $20. At least he could get lunch.

I put in the fluids I needed while continuing to look around. I was still looking when I drove home but I hadn't seen anyone go near the SUV.

Did I think Doyle or one of his associates was around? Not really, but you never know.