Wired (21 page)

The Bistro had quaint look with a large sign above the entrance and hanging plants in the windows. Waiters walked back and
forth with towels stuck in their belts for aprons. Graham paused and glanced through the large plate glass windows. The striking
black-haired woman was already sitting near the back sipping coffee. He hurried in.

A
DAH HONI
looked up from the restaurant table. “Ah, Mr. Peck, I hope you had no trouble in getting here.” She pointed at the chair
across from her. “Thank you for coming.”

“Make it Graham.” He quickly removed his topcoat and hung it on a rack behind them. “And I appreciate so much you're taking
the time to talk with me.” He slid into the chair.

“You are an important person,” Adah said. “Everyone knows of your relationship with the mayor. Talking to your is an honor
and for me a privilege.” A waiter walked up.

“I'll have a cup of espresso,” Graham said. “That'll do fine.” The waiter walked away as quickly as he had come.

Graham smiled. “Well, let's dig in. I have many questions.”

“I am not sure that I can answer, but I will try.”

“Have you seen the television today?”

Adah shook her head. “I must be frank. Much of your American news is manipulated, managed. The broadcasts and contents are
slanted to project a correct viewpoint politically. I avoid these government expressions so my mind clear will remain.”

Graham rubbed his chin. No one had ever put the matter so succinctly. She was right. The waiter set a cup of espresso in front
of him.

“I hope this does not offend a politician like yourself.”

Graham shook his head. “We must talk on a completely honest and open basis. Whether something you say offends me or not is
irrelevant. I want the truth.”

Adah sipped her coffee. “Good. This is the only way I can talk now to anyone.”

“You must tell me more about what the Bible said about the Anti-Christ forming a coalition of nations to promote his plans.
This is extremely important for me to understand.”

“I see,” Adah said slowly and carefully. “You see the Scripture is not clear about whether the Anti-Christ will be a political
leader like, say, the head of a country, or simply a person of great personal persuasion. However, let us read the book and
see.”

“You have a Bible?”

Adah reached in her purse and pulled out a small black leather-covered volume. “I study every time I get the chance, this
book. Right now I am trying to correlate the insights of the ancient prophet Daniel with the book of Revelation, the last
book in the New Testament. In these we find explanations about this kingdom coming.” She opened the Bible and quickly flipped
through the pages.

Graham leaned over the table to see. “Show me what you find?”

“In the seventh chapter, Daniel explains his vision of a terrible frightening beast with iron teeth. In the twenty-fourth
verse he says, ‘as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall
be different from the former ones.’”

“What does this mean?” Graham asked.

“Let us now turn to the Revelation and see what it says.” Adah quickly flipped through the pages. “Listen to how the thirteenth
chapter begins. ‘And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns,
and a blasphemous name upon its heads.’ Do you see the similarities?”

“Of course!”

“Even though Daniel was written centuries before, the writer of Revelation had surely studied his work.” Adah pushed back
her coal-black hair. “These passages written millenniums ago are now about to be fulfilled.”

“Your said the number ten might not be an exact head count?”

Adah nodded. “Yes. Ten is a Jewish symbol for completeness. The number could mean that this Anti-Christ simply assembles enough
nations his purposes to complete. I could accept that interpretation. The point is that talk of beasts, horns, and diadems
is a symbolic expression of what is coming. The original meaning had to be put in symbolic language because such talk was
politically dangerous. For this reason, both Daniel and John wrote their messages in a highly colorful language to confuse
spies watching them. Perhaps, you will remember that both the Jews of Daniel's time and John's day were under extreme political
oppression.”

“Yes, I studied history in college.”

“Now, Graham, this vision of ten nations has an extremely important point you must not miss. This final king will eventually
rule over the entire world and speak against the true God. This man will attempt to set aside the long-accepted laws and customs
that have stood for centuries.” She paused and shook her head emphatically. “This man will also attack and persecute God's
people.”

Graham took a long drink of espresso. “Persecution?”

“Indeed! Revelation chapter thirteen tells us more about the world government coming. We will not only have beast, but a false
prophet. I believe this may well mean that the Anti-Christ will have an assistant who will help him control society.” Adah
thumped on the table with her index finger. “This Anti-Christ man may be extraordinarily handsome, but never forget
he is a dragon
, a fire-breathing threat to righteous people.”

Graham could feel his stomach knotting. “I want you to hear something. Even though you don't listen to television newscasts,
you should hear what's happened today.” He reached inside the breast pocket of his coat and took out a small, flat device
the size of his cell phone. He pushed the “on” button. “This is a pocket television with the capacity to bring in everything
broadcast from satellites. I can get at least one hundred and fifty channels.” He pushed in several buttons. “Let's see what
we can bring up on CNN.” Graham pushed the tiny speakers into his ears and listened momentarily. Pictures appeared on the
small screen of an announcer sitting behind a desk. “Ah, they're about to replay what I heard at my office an hour ago. Listen
carefully.”

Adah placed the speakers in her ears. Leaning back against the chair, she closed her eyes to concentrate. Graham watched her
face intently. For thirty seconds, Adah listened with the visual would tuned out. Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at
the small screen. Her lips parted slightly and shock registered on her face. Adah took a deep breath and stared out the large
glass windows. Her chin dropped even further. As the pictures of reported Steve Miller faded, the Jewish woman pulled the
speakers from her ears.

“What do you think?” Graham asked.

Adah shook her head. “It has started!” Adah sounded stricken. “The end times tribulations have truly begun. The dragon is
now among us.”

G
RAHAM CONTINUALLY THOUGHT
about what Adah Honi had shown him in the Bible. Jackie found a copy of the book in Maria's possessions and Graham put a
newspaper cover over it to keep anyone from recognizing what he was reading. Everywhere he looked, Graham saw nothing but
disconcerting evidence that what this woman had told him was true.

Across the city of Chicago and throughout the suburbs workmen were climbing light poles and working over the entrances to
buildings to install more surveillance cameras and keep the city wired. Mayor Bridges had not wasted any time in upping the
ante on security. Television reports constantly blasted the public with stories of what Carson was reported to be planning
to protect oil production. Belgium and Hungary responded immediately, pledging their feeble support behind the Royal Arab
Petroleum Company's intentions to form an international union. The big guns in Germany and France were still pondering their
options, but Italy and Greece were assumed to be in because of their proximity to Turkey. Not once on the televised reports
did Carson show his face.

Chicago citizens seemed relieved that Frank Bridges would continue in office they were reported to be highly pleased with
the increased number of electronic eyes. Ships sailing in from Lake Michigan were inspected more often now, which put people
at greater ease. The smallpox outbreak in Israel was contained within the country and the United States did not appear threatened
for the moment.

However, no one could tie the explosion in the Museum of Science and Industry to any group. An assumption floated around the
city that the attack on the Computer Center that spilled over to Harding School and the blast at the museum were linked, but
no one could show solid evidence. After a thorough examination, the bodies of the gunmen killed in the school were identified
as Arab terrorists, but there was nothing new in the discovery. Middle Eastern terrorists had been attempting attacks for
decades. The general conclusion was that these onslaughts were simply the usual periodic episodes. Murder, attacks, explosions,
and terrorism had become so common that most of the people quickly forgot what just happened while waiting for another explosion.

Not Graham Peck.

Graham now had far more time to sit in his office and stew. He could order police reports and several times he reviewed all
the evidence compiled to date. Far from forgetting, he couldn't understand why any of the government security agencies hadn't
found something more significant. The FBI, Homeland Security Department, and the Chicago Police Department all used the best
electronic devices and the most far-reaching means of identifying terrorists. The fact that nothing had turned up left Graham
confounded.

However, Graham's mind was more unsettled about what was happening on the other side of the world. The dragon was indeed on
the loose. Yet what could he do? In a bizarre twist of events, he had been plunged into the center of an unwinding plot that
struck at the heart of the destiny of the world.

The buzzer on his computer sounded. Graham hit the buttons and Frank Bridges's face loomed on his screen.

“Graham, I want you to come down to my office immediately. Something important is about to occur.”

“Yes sir. It will take me a couple of minutes.”

“Good. No one knows you are coming. Knock on the panel entrance and I'll open it from the inside.”

“I'm on my way.”

Graham flipped the computer off and hurried out the back entrance. When he arrived in the mayor's office, the secretary was
not there. He gently tapped on the door panel and it quickly opened. He hastened down the hallway to Bridges's office.

“Graham, thanks for coming so quickly.” Bridges had on his formal attire with suspenders. “Time is important.” He slipped
on a suit coat.

Something important was imminent. With a quick glance, Graham could see that the holographic transmitter was open and ready
to be used. “Of course.” He forced a smile.

“I am going to talk with Carson in a moment and wanted you to be part of this conversation. Ready?”

Graham clenched his teeth and took a deep breath.

“Yes.”

“Relax. You are talking with a friend.”

Graham again made himself smile.

Bridges hit the buttons on his desk and a brilliant beam of light shot out of the base of the machine. In a few moments the
illumination took on a glow and the shape of a man emerged out of the column of light.

“Welcome to the fraternity of the Inner Circle,” Carson said. The green illumination solidified and Carson's black hair and
tanned face appeared in the three-dimensional shape of a person sitting across the room. Once again wearing the Nehru jacket,
Carson now appeared to be sitting behind a large wooden desk. “I am delighted we can talk this afternoon.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bridges bowed formally. “We are looking forward to your response to the adjustments we have recently made.”

“You have done what I expected you to do, Frank,” Carson began. “As I told you earlier, I was extremely pleased with your
solid validation in the election. We are now ready to move forward rapidly. I am also delighted with the speed with which
you are getting surveillance systems in place.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bridges maintained a solemn countenance. “We are moving ahead even as we speak today. The city is almost
wired.”

W
ATCHING THE CONVERSATION
between Carson and the mayor, Graham tried to listen as if he were a distant observer, but Borden Carson's magnetism almost
instantly drew Graham toward him with an aura of trust and affirmation. The man had an uncanny ability to present himself
as the embodiment of truth and hope. Even though he listened to what mayor said, Carson seemed to know everything before the
words were even spoken. He was the complete master of their conversation.

“Therefore,” Bridges concluded, “I believe our new level of electronic observation will be completely in place by this Friday
afternoon. If not, it will be done by Monday morning.”

Carson nodded his approval. “Excellent. I will present Your name before a national political council in twenty- four hours.
I anticipate your winning margin will add new weight to our future projections. It is mandatory if we are to meet our goals.”

“Yes sir,” Bridges said with a broad smile, “I am fully prepared. As you can see, today I have my associate Graham Peck with
me again. He is prepared to assist me in this work. Your suggestion is our command.”

Graham froze. Bridges had not yet asked him to do anything more than listen. He was being dragged toward a pit that Graham
desperately wanted to avoid. Bridges's casual commitment of Graham to tasks that he knew nothing about frightened him, but
it momentarily broke any hold Carson had over him. Graham could feel himself retreating.

“Good!” Carson said and turned his head toward Graham. “Mr. Peck, the time has come for immediate action.” Carson black eyes
stared at Graham with piercing intensity. “We will assemble a new governmental structure in Europe. It will require Mr. Bridges
to make a number of trips. I want you to be in control of all activities of government in the Chicago area during his absence.
Are you prepared to accept such important responsibilities?”