Rise Of The Dreamer (7 page)

           
“The FBI?
Why would they want to do that you? That sounds so farfetched.”

            Dennis buried his head in his palms. He was certain that he and his attorney were being monitored at the prison, but he wasn’t sure they could hear what they were talking about. He remembered the trip he was supposed to make to Chicago. “Can I get bail?”

            “I’m afraid that will be next to impossible. You’re being charged with terrorism and the murder of three hundred people on American soil. This sort of case has serious political and emotional undertones. The judge and the Attorney General will certainly want to send a strong message to all terrorists, you’re a scapegoat now.”

            Dennis stood up in desperation, he was highly exasperated. “Oh, what am I going to do?”

            “I think you should come clean and make a deal.”

            Dennis was cross. “Have you been listening to me? I told you, I didn’t do it. I’m not a terrorist, I’m a scientist. You’re supposed to defend me, not accuse me. Can’t we get the FBI and police to investigate this?”

            “They’re convinced that you’re their man and their
hell bent on making sure you get
the electric chair. As far as their concerned, this investigation is closed. If you are willing to give up the rest of the members of the terrorist cell, a deal could be made with the Attorney General for leniency. You would just get life without parole.”

            Dennis wondered if his attorney was just being thick or was he determined to get him convicted. He began to wonder if he was working for The Rulers. “What? I’m not serving a life sentence for something I didn’t do.”

            “But the evidence so far points to you,” explained the attorney.

            “I don’t care, all I know is that I didn’t do it. If the police aren’t willing to investigate, then get a private investigator.”

            “That is going to cost a lot of money, a private investigator and all. A good one is pretty expensive, especially for a terrorism case. Besides, I don’t think too many investigators might be interested, there’s a lot of emotion in the air.”

            “Do you know you haven’t told me one encouraging thing today?”

            “I’m not here to encourage you,” said the attorney, “I’m here to tell you the truth, I’m being paid to tell you the truth and advise you on the best course of action, which is in your best interest. You’re going to the federal court tomorrow to be indicted before a grand jury. You’ll need to be prepared.” He stood up making his way to leave. “And think about what I told you.”

            The following day, Dennis
arrived
the court house in cuffs and leg chains wearing his orange prison overalls. He was close to tears and he felt like a dam of tears was about burst from his eyes. He was appalled about how the way his whole life had turned around in the space of three days. He went from being a research scientist, to America’s most hated person in history. The front of the court house was jam
packed,
it was like a media circus. Members of the crowd in front of the court house threw missiles at him and a couple of them were able to hurt him. The pain was excruciating. The policemen meant to protect him feigned ignorance. Dennis was sure from the expressions on their faces that the uniforms they were in were the only thing preventing them from joining the crowd to throw missiles at him as well. The paper and TV journalists bombarded him with questions, but he refused to answer them and ignored them. His attorney had advised him not to make any statements.

            On his way back from the court house, he sat quietly in chains cogitating over the events of the past few days. He felt helpless, but he also felt that there must be something he could do.
Should I pray?
But he had forgotten how to pray, he didn’t remember how to. The last person he had seen pray close up was his father.

            The only words that came out of Dennis’s mouth on the way back to the prison were “God help me, God help me.” He didn’t know how many times he said it, but he knew he must have said it enough for the Big Man up there to take notice of him. At this moment in his life, he was ready to believe in anything or anyone that could solve his problems.

            While musing in the armoured vehicle he noticed that the vehicle swerved a bit, but thought nothing of it as he briefly glanced at the armed FBI agents sitting next to him. He was too involved in self-pity to prepare for what happened next. Then everything happens in a flash and Dennis loses consciousness oblivious of his surrounding environment.

            There was a white unmarked civilian van driving not too far behind the armoured vehicle. There were three men and a woman inside including the driver. The driver was one of the men, while the woman sat at the front next to the passenger.

            The driver said, “It’s time Lucy.” as he gave her a quick side glance.

“Okay,” Lucy replied. She then began to chant some words that would sound like gibberish to the untrained ear. She then lifted up her right hand open palmed and the chants became accelerated and louder. At that very moment a car three vehicles ahead of the armoured vehicle had a tire burst on motion and the driver lost control. Two vehicles behind it crashed into the car and they all went up into flames.

There was just no way the armoured vehicle driver could avoid the collision. It was too late. He also rammed into the burning vehicles and ended up on its side. Several other vehicles joined in. Within fifteen seconds there had been a pile up of mangled vehicles and death everywhere. It was a horrific multiple car accident scene.

The white van parked on the hard shoulder of the road like several other good Samaritans to help out survivors. The two men at the back of the van got out and headed towards the armoured vehicle while Lucy and driver waited inside. After making their way to the vehicle, they met no resistance at all. All the occupants were either unconscious or dead. They were able to easily pry open the back of the vehicle with a crow bar and they saw Dennis lying in chains unconscious. The two hefty men carried him out of the vehicle and headed straight for the white van.

As soon as the driver of the white van spotted them, he starts the vehicle and waits for them to come in and drives off with Dennis Riley without a trace. When Dennis begins to regain consciousness, he starts to groan in pain, obviously not knowing where he was. Lucy lays her right hand on his forehead and immediately he sleeps back off.

Within a space of two hours, they arrive at their destination, Dennis was still asleep. The property was a secluded location with only trees and vegetation as the surrounding environment. It was some sort of large country home with a fenced compound and at least two dozen armed security guards patrolling the premises. Several closed circuit television cameras were placed in several locations in and around the premises almost making it impossible for a blind spot to exist. The compound comprised of three houses, with the one in the middle being a large mansion while the two other smaller buildings where on the right and left of the mansion. There were several exotic vehicles in the compound and there was a vast amount of open field attached to the back of the property.

Lucy looked at the men in the back. “Carry him inside, and keep him with the others, but handle him with care, he’s special, understood?” The two men nodded and carried him away. Then Lucy and the man who had driven the van walked hand in hand into the central structure.

“When do we do it?” asked the man.

“We’ll wait for instructions from the master,” replied Lucy.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” SSA Gates was on the phone discussing with the US Marshalls. “If it was a multiple car accident, and if it was as terrible as you say it is, he should have been found alive, injured or even dead. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Dennis remained silent as the man at the other end of the phone spoke. “The US Marshalls, is equipped to track down the fugitive. We’ll be coordinating with other agencies to recover the prisoner,” said the US Marshall. “As soon as we hear anything, we’ll let you know.”

“Please do,” said Gates and he hung up the phone. He was enraged. He turned to one of his subordinates. “Get me the Director on the phone, we have a manhunt.”

Dennis woke up two hours after arriving at the secluded compound with a very painful headache. He was lying down on the ground and he sat up placing his right hand to his head. He was highly disoriented and he was trying to recollect how he got to his current strange surroundings. It looked nothing like his prison cell room. He noticed that all his chains were gone but he was still wearing the orange prison overalls. He began to remember that he was being conveyed back to the prison on his way back from court when the armoured vehicle he
  was
being conveyed in was suddenly involved in a ghastly motor accident and that was all he remembered. He looked around where he had been sleeping and realised he was enclosed in a cage with the top reaching the ceiling. The cage had a door but it was locked. The environment within the cage was filthy and it had a very bad odour.

He saw that he wasn’t the only one in the cage. There were about a dozen other captives in the cage with him. They looked underfed and unkempt. They also looked very scared and Dennis wondered why.

Dennis looked at the environment outside the cage and realised he was in a basement. He suddenly felt a serious pang of hunger in his stomach and realised that he was extremely hungry. He wearily stood up tried to get his balance and realised he was still a bit dizzy as well. “What is the place
?,
Where are we and what am I doing here?”

A man answered. “We don’t know more than you.”

“What?” Dennis asked.

Another person said “None of us know how we got here. All of us were brought here at different times and we were all asleep or half awake.”

“Are you saying we’ve been kidnapped?”

“What do you think? Nobody tells us anything. When they need someone, they come and get us.”

“What do they do with you?”

“None of us know, when they take you, you don’t return.”

Dennis was frightened, but he tried not to show it. “What? How long have you been here?”

“I lost count, but I have been the longest here. Some don’t last up to week. What’s your name?”

“Dennis. What’s yours?”

“Lucas.”

“Does anyone come around?”

“Only when they bring our meals.”

“We’ve got to find out why their keeping us here against our will and what they’re doing with the others.”

“How do you want to do that?” asked Lucas.

Dennis just looked at Lucas and the others. He could see worry and fear in the expressions on their faces. He had nothing to say to that question, he kept quiet and decided to have a seat.

            After a few hours in captivity, a door that led out of the basement of cages finally open and four men make their way inside. One of them carried packs of food, two carried firearms while one that seemed to be their leader was the last to come in side.

            The one carrying packs of food started distributing the food packs to each person including Dennis. The captives hurriedly receive the packs of food and start consuming the food. They were obviously very hungry.

            Dennis wasn’t so keen on the food, he wanted answers. “What am I doing here, who brought me here?”

            The armed men and the meal man gave him a brief sideways glance and ignored him. Only their leader gave him attention. “You’ll find out soon enough Dr Riley. Why don’t you just sit down and relax.”

            “I demand to know now.”

            The armed men now gave him attention and pointed their firearms at him.