Revelation, p.5
Revelation, page 5
“Yes, sir. But someone else will need to approve this. What will your fee be?”
“No fee. But you need to get back to me within an hour, or I will go to one of your competitors. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. No fee. Contract in one hour or the deal goes to someone else.”
“Excellent. Thank you for your call, Shawn.”
“Thank you, Mr. Baker.”
Michael hung up, then started calling out to his team. “Elsie. We are headed to New York. Need to be there at 5:00 AM Eastern time. Sharp! Charles. Make sure we have at least three sample kits. I’d like to plan on making that many stops tomorrow, and I’d like you to join me.
“Kale, Noelani. I’d like you to join us also.”
DAVIS RESIDENCE, WAIMEA
“Thank you, Chief.” Agent Long hung up the phone.
“Director Davis. I’m sorry that we interrupted the kid’s soccer party. The Chief’s story on this matter is more-or-less the same as yours. I was hoping the two of you would be able to give us a little more insight into Michael’s motives so we could make a better assessment of the threat. But it is what it is.
“The Chief is going to swing by. We’re going down to Baker’s ranch to see if we can talk with him. Would you have any interest in coming along?”
“No, Agent Long. I’ve had enough of Michael Baker for one day, and the kids need their Mom here. Good luck with your investigation.”
“Stephanie. Here’s my card. Put it by your phone. If anything comes up, call me immediately. I’d also like to ask you to let us know if you decide to leave town. We may have more questions.”
Long turned as he heard a car come up the driveway. It was the chief. He rose and offered his hand. “Thanks again for your time. I can show myself out. Go enjoy what’s left of the barbeque.”
RESEARCH LAB, KOHALA MOUNTAIN
“Michael,” Sanjit called over the intercom. “The FBI team is on their way and the Chief is coming with them. The FBI agent, Long, told Ms. Davis that he’d hoped she could tell him more about you so he could, quote ‘get a better assessment of the threat’ unquote. He also invited her to come along with them, which she declined.”
“I’ll be over shortly.” Michael said.
…
“So, what have we got Sanjit?” Michael asked when he arrived.
“Same arrangements as before. Is that good enough?”
“Do you have a count on the number of FBI agents coming?”
“I think so. There were 12 agents in the group that came onto the island. Three cars arrived at the Davis’s, but we didn’t have the angle to know for sure that all 12 were in the three cars. The Chief is joining them. I’m not sure if he was bringing any of his own people. So, my guess is 13, maybe 14. I can do a tracking sweep while they’re on their way to get an exact count if you’d like.”
Michael paused to think… “This is all going exactly as we expected. They’re on their way, so go ahead and activate the planned defenses. Do we have an ETA?”
“About 20 minutes.”
“Is there a way we can evacuate Larry and Ralph, without the FBI seeing them?”
“If they get in their car within 10 minutes and head north, toward Hawi, they will be fine. Otherwise, we can cloak their car, and put them in the cloaked chamber in the residence basement.”
“Good. I’m going to go talk with them now. Call me when the FBI are 10 minutes out.” Michael headed toward the residence.
A few minutes later, Michael entered the residence and stepped into the den.
“Larry, Ralph… I see you’re still here. I have some bad news. Chief Henderson and some other officers are on their way here. If you leave now, you have time to escape to the north without being seen. We won’t tell the chief about your visit. Otherwise, I may be forced to turn you over to them.”
“Larry, what do you say we take off now while we can?” Ralph asked.
“But we never got any pictures?” Larry complained.
“We have about 5 minutes,” Michael said. “Let’s hustle out now and you can snap a few along the way.”
Kale walked in with their equipment, on which some excellent pictures had already been planted. Noelani was right behind them with Ralph’s clothes neatly folded in a bag, and some sandwiches packed for the road. Within a minute, they were out the door.
Michael let them get several paces ahead, where they turned and snapped some pictures of Michael walking in their direction with the residence in the background. As they approached the area where they had previously been trapped, Larry paused and said, “Is it safe for us to walk to the car from here?”
“Not without one of us going with you.” Michael started trotting toward them. “Let’s go before the Chief gets here.”
As the car started a moment later, Michael pointed toward Hawi and shouted, “Remember to go north.”
As the taillights faded around the corner, Sanjit called. “Michael, the FBI crew is about 2 miles away. They just passed the upper entrance to Kohala Ranch.”
“OK. The paparazzi are gone. I’ll be back in the residence by the time the FBI gets here. Turn on the holo-projectors and activate the defenses now. And put the lab on lock down. No more audio communication with me until the FBI leaves. Communicate by messaging my implant.”
As an Ascendant, Michael had multiple implants in his brain that allowed communication and information gathering directly by thought. When he enabled his inner vision, he could view images from almost any source, including text messaging.
A message from Sanjit popped up in Michael’s inner vision… “You’ve got it, boss.”
The sun was getting low in the sky. It would be sunset in about an hour. Then everything would be pitch black.
THE RAID
[02.02.2025 5:25 PM] KOHALA MOUNTAIN ROAD
Special Agent Long pulled off the road about a mile from Michael’s ranch. The plan was simple. One team of agents would continue ahead for about a mile and a half, where they would pull off the road. There was a trail marked on the map that was about 100 yards off the road. The agents would strike out on foot, crossing a small wooded area to the trail. From there, they would follow the trail south towards Michael’s property.
A second team of agents would park here, then cut through the woods on foot until they reached the same trail. From there, they would head north toward the property.
Long would give them a 15-minute head start, then he would continue along the road with the rest of the party. A third team of agents would remain along the roadside near the driveway to interdict if the suspect attempted to flee. Only Agent Long, Chief Henderson and Agent Rebecca Jackson would go up the driveway to the house. The Chief had been there before, so he would enter the property first and the others would follow.
He liked this plan. If Mr. Baker was cooperative, then they could conduct the interview. If Baker decided to fight or to run, then he had teams on the trails heading off the property and another team at the entrance. Mr. Baker would do this interview whether he wanted to or not and would probably be arrested either way.
While they waited for the first two teams to get into position, the Chief came up to Long and said, “Agent Long, I really don’t like this plan. You are sending those agents ahead on that trail toward the house, aren’t you?”
“Chief, I know this Baker fellow is a friend of yours. But he is likely to be taken into custody after the stunt he pulled today.”
“I don’t have a problem with that part. I do have a problem with this trail. You people should talk to the locals before doing stuff like this,” replied the Chief.
“Chief, this guy is a threat to national security. We’ve got to collar him. If a few locals see some law enforcement during their hike, they should feel more secure,” Long patiently explained.
“Agent Long. This trail is hazardous. It has cliffs, wind channels, bogs, centipedes, fire ants. This trail is a hazard.”
“Chief. My boys are not tourists; they are professionals. I get it. Tourists kill themselves on this island all the time because they don’t respect nature. But we’re pros, trained for this stuff.”
The Chief rolled his eyes and shook his head, then said, “OK. Your call. You don’t want local input, then I won’t bother you with any.”
He stomped back toward his car, then shouted over his shoulder, “Flash your lights when you want me to get moving.”
As he got in his car, the Chief’s only thought was… What dumb asses these feds are. Don’t know about the bogs. Don’t know about the centipede nests. I should probably call back to headquarters and get a rescue helicopter warmed up.
A few minutes later, the Chief saw the lights flash.
THE RESIDENCE
A message from Sanjit popped up in Michael’s inner vision… “Two teams of FBI agents are heading toward the house along the trail, one from the north, one from the south. Both teams are ignoring the warning signs.”
Michael smiled to himself, thinking… These government types are all the same. Above the law. Above common sense. Above Mother Nature.
ALONG THE NORTH TRAIL
Agent Johnson was point for the string of agents approaching the ranch from the North. Ahead were official state warning signs blocking the trail.
“Hey, Mark,” he whispered. “Should we call Agent Long about this? The signs say not to enter this area.”
Agent Mark Patterson replied. “Hell no. Nothing is marked on the map. The perp probably put the signs here himself, thinking he could scare us away.”
As they continued down the path, the ground started getting progressively softer.
THE RESIDENCE
Another message from Sanjit popped up… Agents along the north trail have entered the bog area.
Michael sent. Let me know when they start sinking.
Sanjit sent back. Two cars coming down the driveway.
THE RESIDENCE DRIVEWAY
“Not sure what’s up with the car.” The Chief said to himself. “It’s been running rough since we started up this road.” Squinting into the distance, the chief saw the entrance gate, greatly enhanced since the last time he was here. “Well. Look at that. Someone upgraded their security.”
Just then the radio buzzed. “Chief, what’s that I see ahead? Is that a security gate?”
“Sure enough is.”
“There’s no security gate on the map.”
“Agent Long. This guy is a straight arrow. If we see a security gate, then it would have been permitted. And if a gate is permitted on the Big Island, it will show up on the fancy, classified maps that you build from our databases in about 10 years.” The Chief knew that paperwork moved slowly on the Big Island. And changes were rarely reported to the Feds in a timely fashion.
“Same would be true for that trail,” the Chief added, only by now his finger had slipped off the transmit button.
The Chief got out of his car and walked up to the keypad and pushed the telephone button. A moment later, a light turned on above a video camera that the Chief hadn’t noticed. Michael’s voice came out of the speaker box in the keypad. “Hello Chief. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?”
“Michael, part of me was hoping you wouldn’t be here.” The Chief let out an audible sigh. “There are some people here that want to talk with you. Would you please open the gate so we can come in?”
“Sure Chief. You know the way. Be sure to take the left branch toward the house. The barn is shut down for the night. No need to disturb the horses.”
As the gate started to open, the Chief heard frantic screaming coming from the north.
ALONG THE NORTH TRAIL
Agent Mark Patterson could not believe the scene playing out in front of him. As the ground had continued to get softer, Johnson had begun getting more upset. One of the other team members, Darrel Baines, offered to go forward to talk with him. And suddenly…
RESEARCH LAB
Sanjit had been watching the north FBI team on the monitor. They had been moving very slowly. On the monitor, Sanjit noticed that the third guy in line had just gone up to talk with the guy that was in the lead. It was clear that the guy in the lead did not like how soft and wet the ground had become. He was sinking to the top of his shoes and the mud ahead churned like there was something in it.
After a few moments of talk and increasing hand gestures, the new guy threw up his hands and yelled something at the guy in the lead. Sanjit had a feeling that something was about to happen. Then it did. The lead guy punched the other guy right in the face.
As the man fell and hit the mud, the one who had been in the lead slowly sank, then fell over. Then, as the other guys came running forward, 100 large centipedes charged out of the bushes behind the team.
ALONG THE NORTH TRAIL
Baines had come forward hoping to help. He was one of the few guys on the team that got along with Johnson. But Johnson just would not stop whining. Baines finally snapped, and shouted, “Johnson, why did you sign up for the FBI? You are such a freaking sissy! Just go hide in the back. I’ll take the lead!”
That was the last straw for Johnson, who just turned and punched Baines in the face. Johnson was a big guy and he delivered a big punch, one that sent Baines flying.
Patterson could not believe what he was seeing. First the punch. Then Baines flying through the air and landing in what must have been a deep spot in the bog. He completely submerged. Then, Johnson just sinking into the Earth. He and the other agents lurched forward, hoping to rescue their partners. Then he heard a rustling sound, one he would never forget.
THE RESIDENCE
The last rays of the sun were sinking below the horizon when the two cars pulled up to the house. Michael opened the front door just as the Chief, Agent Long and Rebecca Jackson opened their car doors. They were all met by distant shrieking and cries for help.
Agent Long immediately put his hand on his gun. “What the hell is going on out there?”
The Chief looked at Michael. “The bog and the centipede nests are still there, aren’t they?”
Michael sighed. “Yes. The remediation was temporary at best. But we not only kept the signs up, we added additional signs and warnings.”
Long’s head swiveled between the two of them. “Signs?” Then it clicked. “What bog? What centipedes?”
The chief sneered, “The ones I told you about. The ones that will show up on your precious maps in a decade. The ones you don’t need local input on!”
Michael looked at one then the other, and said “Agent Long, you didn’t send a backup team down the trail from the north, did you? Hawaiian Civil Defense declared the bogs and insect infestation there a hazard to human life and blocked off the trail sometime last year! No one uses that trail. Only fools would ignore the signage.”
Agent Long looked down. “Yes. I sent a back-up team down that trail to cut off the expected attempt to escape.”
“Escape…” Michael shook his head. “God help us. You likely sent those men to their deaths. Chief, can you call in help from civil defense?” Pausing for a second, he added, “Agent Long. I have a helicopter near the barn. Can we launch a rescue of your men? I doubt they will survive until civil defense gets here.”
Then, looking at the Chief. “Um. No offence Chief. Just saying.”
About the same time, a long, terrorized scream came from the south. In the background, the wind howled.
“Let me guess,” Michael tried not to growl. “You also sent a team up an unstable Class 4 cliff in the midst of a Kohala windstorm?”
“This is Chief Henderson. Waimea branch. We have a major disaster developing up on Kohala Mountain. I need all available resources to descend on the Baker ranch immediately. Eight idiots tried to hike the Kohala trail this afternoon. It appears that all are down. Repeat, eight men down. Emergency airlift required!”
The Chief looked at Agent Long. “You arrogant fool!”
Michael quickly piped up. “Chief, let me rescue one or two of these men and bring them to the house. We have facilities here.”
The Chief nodded. “Do what you can, Michael.”
Long spoke up, “Chief, this man is a suspected terrorist. You can’t trust him.”
But the Chief looked Long straight in the eye. “Only one man here I don’t trust.”
ALONG THE SOUTH TRAIL
The south team felt the onslaught of the wind as they looked up at the 100-foot cliff on the rocky trail ahead. The junior agent, Ryan, looked up. “No way that can be climbed in 40 MPH winds.”
Wayne Marshall, the lead agent on the south trail answered, “I guess that means you volunteered. Go get it.”
“No way, boss. That’s suicide.”
Marshall glared. “Up that trail, or hand in your badge.”
Ryan unclipped the badge and handed it to Marshall. “Guess I’ll try to get an Uber back home.”
“Ryan, don’t throw away your career.”
“For a stupid mission like this, better my career than my life.” After a pause, Ryan added, “But I’ll hang around long enough to see you try it.”
The whole team’s eyes swiveled to Marshall.
“Well then, I guess I’ll give it a go.” Marshall looked less than convinced as he took off up the trail.
As he began climbing, Marshall started to understand Ryan’s concern. The wind made getting a handhold difficult. It was cold and moist, making every finger and toe hold slippery. As he looked closer, Marshall could see most of the handholds were covered in wet slippery moss. About a third of the way up, he lost his grip. With a long howl, he fell backwards. It was only 25 feet down, but he landed with a thump, his spine hitting a rock. There was a loud crack, intense pain, then everything faded to black.
