In this action-packed adventure, America's most believable superhero must find a way to save thousands of lives without causing a disastrous war between Russia and the United States.
THE SHADOW messenger
By J.G. SumnerTRAFFORD PUBLISHING
Copyright © 2008 J. G. Sumner
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4251-8699-9Chapter One
Professor Damon Hawker had listened in on many conversations taking place in the White House, but he had never actually been inside before. And, he wasn't actually
inside now: He had been ushered into the Rose Garden and told to wait there for the First Lady.
He was curious about why she had sent for him. It had to be connected in some way to his nonacademic activities because plain Professor Hawker wouldn't warrant an audience with the First Lady. That would mean she knew about the life he had desperately tried to keep secret. It was reasonable to expect that she would know about it, however, because her husband did-and had tried to end it.
Hawker stood at the foot of the steps looking out across the garden. It was larger than he would have guessed. To him, it looked more like a small park. There were numerous flower beds and trees, and though the month was October, many of the plants still decorated the scene with eye-catching colors. Many important events had taken place here. It was difficult for him to put into words exactly what he was feeling at the moment. It was some combination of veneration, inspiration and the sense that he was part of something grand. Hawker had not yet been born when President John F. Kennedy hosted the Mercury astronauts in this garden, but Kennedy was his favorite president of recent times, and standing in the spot where his heroes had once stood was more than an honor; it made him want to do something great.
From behind him, a pleasant feminine voice broke into his thoughts, "Welcome to the Rose Garden, Professor Hawker."
Hawker turned to see the First Lady approaching. She was more attractive than she appeared on television. Her medium brown hair was cut about two inches above her shoulders and her green eyes shone with intelligence. He knew she was fifty, but she looked more like early forties. "Thank you, Mrs. uh ... what do I call you, Mrs. First Lady, Mrs. Bradshaw, or what?"
He thought to himself: For a physics professor, I'm not showing much intelligence.
She smiled and said, "Lena."
Hawker smiled back. "I don't think I could get used to addressing you by your first name. I'm still having trouble accepting that you want to talk with me."
She continued past him. "Come along," she said. "Let's take a tour of the Garden." After several more steps, she added, "Relax ... I'm just as much awed by your presence as you are by mine. I suspect you'd be welcome at any gathering of kings and presidents. That is, if they knew who you really are."
"What're you talking about?" asked Hawker.
The First Lady smiled again. "The hostage rescues in Iraq, the bombings that didn't happen, earthquake victims in Pakistan.... Don't be modest, Professor Hawker. I know who you are."
"I suspected you might," he said. She looked him up and down. "They told me you were tall with blue eyes and blond hair, but they didn't say how handsome you are."
Hawker's face broke into a shy grin. "It's kind of you to say that."
"It isn't kindness. I pride myself in always telling the truth."
The First Lady scanned the Garden and added, "I asked you to meet me out here because I wanted your secret to remain secret. The President and a couple of other people know, but I don't think you have to worry about them."
"And I have you to thank for that," said Hawker. "I never thought I would be able to say this to you in person, but you took quite a load off my shoulders when you prevented the President from attacking Iran. I'm really grateful for that."
The First Lady looked puzzled. "Well ... it sounds like each of us knows the other's secret. How could you know about that?"
Hawker didn't answer. He wondered if he had talked too much again.
The First Lady continued, "But considering the other impossible things you've done, I guess I'm not surprised that you could know about it. Who else knows?"
"Nobody," said Hawker. "It's to my advantage to keep that a secret."
She nodded approval; then a questioning look spread over her face. "I'm curious. What would you have done if I hadn't prevented the attack on Iran?"
He certainly didn't want to tell her that his boss, Dr. Ben Huron, had proposed kidnapping the President and Vice President, so he looked away and said, "I hadn't decided."
"I guess I don't really want to know," she said. "Let me tell you why I asked you to come here."
He looked back at her. "Yes. That's what I'm curious about."
"There are two very specific things," she said. "But let me start by saying that I believe it would be very advantageous to both of us if we could cooperate on projects of mutual interest. I'll begin the cooperation by giving you some information that I believe you need.... Jason Bragg has escaped."
"Who's Jason Bragg?"
"One of the men you marooned on that island. I have reason to believe that he'll make another attempt to obtain your toy ... but not for the President this time. I had been told that you never leave home without it."
Through a sheepish grin, he said, "I was afraid to bring it. I was afraid this was a trap. I didn't think you were trying to trap me, but I thought the President might be."
The First Lady frowned. "That might have been a really big mistake. I hope it's well secured."
Being in the presence of the First Lady, he had been a little slow to grasp the significance of what he was hearing, but suddenly Hawker realized that the person he loved most was in danger-and he had placed her there. "I'm afraid you're right. I'm afraid I've made a big mistake."
The First Lady could only guess at what he meant. "This is partly my fault," she said. "I now wish I had handled this meeting differently, but it never occurred to me that you would come without your bag. That's why I had Hank meet you out front ... to make sure nobody looked inside it."
Hank was the Secret Service agent that had ushered Hawker into the Rose Garden.
Hawker was now anxious to leave. "I hope you don't think I'm being rude, but I need to go. I have to get back to Gainesville."
As Hawker turned away, the First Lady said, "Wait ... I can have you flown back much faster than anything you could arrange. But before I do, I want to tell you the other reason I sent for you."
His anxiety was intensifying, but he knew the First Lady was right about the transportation. He stopped.
She continued, "Our intelligence guys have picked up on a plot that's being hatched in Russia. It's a plot that would cause great harm in the United States, but we haven't been able to learn anything beyond that. I was hoping you would check it out."
He shook his head. "I think I should tell you up front that I will not become a spy for the United States."
"I don't expect that," she countered. "This is about saving lives. According to the information that I do have, the civilian population of this country is being targeted. You don't have to report anything back to me. Just check it out for yourself."
"I'll have to think about that later," he said. "Right now, let's get me to Gainesville."
The First Lady did a come-hither wave to Hank, who was watching them, but out of hearing range. Then she reached into a pocket and removed a small object. "This is a special cell phone," she said. "You can reach me anytime of the day or night. Just press the button marked 'FL' if you need help of any kind."
She handed Hawker the phone; then turned to the Secret Service agent. "Hank, get Professor Hawker back to Gainesville by the fastest means possible."
As he and the agent turned to leave, Hawker said, "Thanks. I'll be in touch."
What have I done? he thought. I've placed a higher value on that suit than on the safety of my own fiance.
Since acquiring his special suit, he had carried it with him at all times, stuffed in a small canvas bag. For the visit to the White House, he had made an exception and left it with Teala, his fiance. The man the First Lady said had escaped from the island was one of the few people who knew about Hawker's connection to the suit. He was also the only person who had ever tried to steal it. Hawker knew the man was ruthless and would stop at nothing to get the suit.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the Alachua County Courthouse in downtown Gainesville, Florida, Teala was having her own problems. A friendly deputy clerk by the name of Jackie had mispronounced her name. Trying to be tactful, Teala said, "That's pronounced Tay-AH-lah."
"I'm sorry, Miss Tay-AH-lah," the Deputy Clerk said, mimicking her pronunciation. "But I can't accept this application without your fianc being present. According to the law, both parties have to appear when making an application for a marriage license."
Showing disappointment, Teala said, "What if I tell you he's in a meeting with the First Lady of the United States?"
"Well that's impressive," said the Deputy Clerk. "And, there are allowances for special circumstances. But unfortunately, that one isn't listed. Surely he can take a little time out of his busy schedule for something as important as marriage."
If you only knew, thought Teala. Aloud she said, "You're right. And you've been very nice about all this. When he returns from Washington, I'll grab him by the ears and drag him down here." Then she smiled. "I'm kidding. It won't take that."
With that, she picked up the canvas bag and left the office. The ladies in the outer office smiled at her as she went through. In the lobby, she passed the security checkpoint again, but didn't have to stop on her way out. That checkpoint had been a surprise to her when she entered the building. She was so afraid they were going to open the canvas bag. But they didn't; they just placed it on the belt with her keys and jewelry. The security guard remarked that the bag looked empty as he ran it through the X-ray machine. "It's just a suit," she had truthfully responded.
She knew that Hawker always placed the helmet inside the rest of the suit to achieve maximum radiation absorption. That's why nothing appeared on the screen: The suit had absorbed all of the X-rays. She had briefly considered leaving the bag in the car during her visit to the courthouse, but Hawker had instructed her not to let it out of her sight even for a minute. He had been reluctant to leave it with her, but he was afraid the invitation to the White House was just a ruse concocted by the President to gain possession of the suit.
To avoid feeding a parking meter, Teala had parked in a space behind the Commerce Building, which was located across the street and the next block down from the courthouse. Deep in thought, she walked that distance and arrived at her car without realizing how she had got there. Her parking space was at the back edge of a large area where many other cars were parked. She wasn't even sure this space belonged to the Commerce Building, but she hadn't seen a "no parking" sign. She checked the windshield for a ticket anyway.
The month was October, but in this part of Florida, a car could still get hot inside when parked in the sun. When she opened the door she was surprised to find that wasn't the case this time. It was as if she had left the windows open, which she hadn't.
Before Teala could start the engine, her cell phone jingled. It was Hawker. "Is everything okay?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "You have to go with me to apply for the license."
"That's the least of our worries right now," he said. "Where are you?"
"I just got into my car behind the Commerce Building. I'm on my way home."
"Don't do that," he said. "One of those men that kidnapped you before managed to get off the island where I left him. I guess it's foolish to ask if you've seen him."
"I haven't been looking," she said.
"You should start. The guy's name is Jason Bragg, and I have reason to believe he's gonna be stalking you. In fact, he may be tailing you right now."
"Okay. I'll go someplace where there's a lot of people. How soon will you be back?"
"Soon ... I'm catching a ride on a Harrier jet."
"What's a Harrier jet?"
"It has vertical take off and landing capability.... But let's get back to your situation. Being around other people isn't going to stop that guy. He'll just flash a badge and convince everybody that he's a federal agent and you're a law breaker. And you can't go to the police for the same reason. You're gonna have to protect yourself until I can get there. That'll be just over an hour. In the meantime, I want you to drive straight to my house, get my rifle out of the closet and park yourself where you can see both doors. Make sure there's a round in the chamber and the safety's off. Don't take any chances with this guy. If he comes through the door, shoot 'im. Legally, you'll be within your rights under those conditions. I'll be there soon. Can you do that?"
"You're scaring me. What makes you think he's looking for me?"
"He wants what you're carrying. And when he discovers he can't control it, he'll keep you around to use as leverage against me."
"Okay. But hurry up. I don't know if I could shoot a person."
"I'm on my way."
Teala was nervously scanning the area even before she disconnected. During the drive to Hawker's house, she kept a constant vigil in the rearview mirror, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She felt some degree of relief after turning into the driveway and closing the electric gate behind her. She knew the gate would delay an intruder long enough for her to get situated in the house.
Hawker's house was well buffered from the road. It was at the end of a two hundred-foot driveway and completely hidden by trees. He had cleared an area at the center of a five-acre plot to provide space for the house and a large yard. Most of the yard was behind the house. For the most part, the rest of the property remained in its natural wooded state.
Teala parked in front of the house and switched off the engine. That's when she got a surprise. Suddenly, a man's head popped up over the back of her seat. She screamed.
"Whoa ... don't do that," he said. "It hurts my ears."
She tried to open her door and jump out, but he held her with his left hand and showed her a gun with his right. "Just be calm," he said. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded.
The man feigned a pout. "I'm hurt. After all the time we spent together, and you don't remember me?"
She twisted her body for a better look. "You look different," she said.
"Well, a lot of time in the sun without sufficient food does that to a person. Now I want you to slowly slide over to the passenger's side, and please remember that this gun is on you every second. After what your boyfriend did to me, I wouldn't mind causing him a little grief."
Teala did as instructed, and Bragg leaned the seat back forward and opened the door. Without removing his eyes from her, he slid out and returned the seat back to its upright position. "Now you slide out this way and bring that bag with you," he ordered.
He backed up as she slid slowly toward him.
They stepped onto the wooden deck that ran the length of the front of the house and he ordered her to unlock the door. When she did, he pushed her inside and followed close behind. The room they had entered was long and open, and comprised the living area, dining area and kitchen.
"Turn off the alarm," he said. "And don't worry about me seeing the code. He can change it."
After she did as he ordered, he sat her down at the dining table and handcuffed her to the chair with her hands behind her.
"This is uncomfortable," she said.
"You won't be there long," he responded, as he pressed a button on a small device and shoved it back into his pocket.
He opened the canvas bag she had been carrying and removed its contents. Each item that he lifted appeared as a flat black pattern with no three-dimensional features. "This thing looks weird," he said. "How does he know where the openings for his arms and legs are?"
"He just knows."
"You're gonna have to be a little more cooperative than that, gorgeous. How does it work? How does he make it do what he wants?"
"I guess there's no harm in telling you," she said. "He controls it with thought commands, and it won't respond to anybody but him."
He picked up the item that he reasoned was the helmet. Remembering the shape it had when Hawker was wearing it, he felt along the bottom and found an opening. As he pulled it down onto his head, he felt a band slide into place across his forehead and he could see again. He formed the thoughts of several words such as ". y" and "hover," but nothing happened.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE SHADOW messengerby J.G. Sumner Copyright © 2008 by J. G. Sumner. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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