08: Scavenging Clues

III: Fate Won’t be Denied

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy,
for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves;
we must die to one life before we can enter into another.

Anatole France

Who has never killed an hour?...
The violence comes from a combination of giving up, not caring,
and a resignation that getting past it is
all you can hope to accomplish...
You do not work, you do not read, you do not daydream...
And when at last it is over, there is no evidence:
no weapon, no blood, and no body. The only clue might be
the shadows beneath your eyes or a terribly thin line
near the corner of your mouth indicating something has been suffered,
that in the privacy of your life you have lost something
and the loss is too empty to share.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

“All right,” Thomas Lawrence said. “How should we proceed? Do we know how many bombs they’ll be? Do we have the location of any of them? In short, do we have anywhere to begin?”

“We don’t have much,” Dan conceded, “but we have a few parameters. One of Alison’s aunts is impacted, and she’s bloody after the theater that evening. So, it’s likely the first explosion, but since she lived, it’s not the primary goal.”

“Seeing as it houses a lot of wealthy patrons, they wouldn’t,” Michael agreed. “Having so many notable people fleeing at once would spread terror. Thus, I’m guessing the initial target it likely behind them. Close enough to cause everyone to run, but ensuring they head in the same direction.”

“Which means we’ll need to determine what it is,” Thomas emphasized, “but because it’s a definite, we’ll leave it for later. What else do you know?”

“When I saw the emergency responders come under attack, I didn’t recognize the site, but I recognized the skyline, it’s somewhere further up the street ahead of us. Since I was specifically paying attention to it, I’m confident I’ll determine the location once we encounter it.”

“What about the other bombs?” Michael pressed.

“Before they began firing on the police, the emergency workers were already helping people there, so I suppose the final explosion also happens there. But I assume there’s a second one just to keep everyone guessing.”

“Could you tell whether they were running north when the blast caught them, or south? If they were fleeing uptown, then there was probably one just to keep them moving, or one on a side street, just to add to the people going in that direction. If they were heading south, then it was farther up, creating a chaotic mix with two groups trying to pass each other. Thus, I expect it’s the more likely choice.”

“Though there could easily be another one too,” Laura suggested.

“Possibly, but I doubt it,” Michael continued. “Planting bombs is complicated, and every one you add significantly increases the detection risk. Three the optimal number for this sort of scenario, though most terrorist would be happy with the two. Any more is overkill, will make the cops skittish, which diminishes their strategy.”

“Good,” Thomas said. “That makes three bombs, and we have a general parameter for where they’re located. So, once we determine where the final firefight occurs, we’ll check out the other sites. But now, we’re primarily concerned with the last since it’ll be the location of the final explosion and the subsequent attack. You’ve done an excellent job before we even started.”

“Pay attention whenever we pass a side street though,” Mike suggested. “You may be able to determine the second bomb site.”

Michael shook his head. “No, they’ll want maximum confusion, as it dramatically increases the terror. An attack on a side street would add more people but wouldn’t be much scarier. If anything, that many people would only reinforce those already running. Besides, those fleeing from another direction would be more likely to continue down the cross street rather than turning up the main avenue.”

“That’s reassuring, but it’s not how my visions work. I just don’t see random attacks—aside from the first, instead, they are centered on people. Thus, I need a personal connection to the people involved, even if it’s only superficial or indirect.”

“All right. Dan, you and Laura remain back here. Pretend to window shop, but keep your eyes peeled and hopefully you’ll see someone who’ll trigger another vision. Mike and Jacob are on the streets east and west of us. I’ll take the lead, while Michael and Shortie will follow, scoping out any potential targets. Since they know how these situations unfold, they’ll know the buildings to consider. Alison, you’re our liaison. Most importantly, no one is to take any photos! While it seems useful, it will only attract more attention, which we can’t afford. Right now, we’re getting the lay of the land. We’ll gather the necessary details once we’ve nailed the locations down.”

With that, the others headed out, each walking casually, apparently not focusing on much of anything. In fact, both Michael and Shortie seemed to be paying more attention to the ladies strolling by than anything else. Laura pointedly avoided glancing north, instead holding Dan’s arm as she pointed out the items in one shop window after another. And like any boyfriend, he listened patiently, while occasionally desperately looked around, seeking a possible escape while checking out the pedestrians by looking past them.

“We’re in the right vicinity,” Dan said, scratching the back of his neck as he glanced down, minimizing the strength of his voice. Laura fiddled with her earing while remaining focused on the items on display. “Right location,” she advised. Michael and Will seemed to spend more time admiring the local architecture than the attractive uptown ladies, but they were far enough away it was hard to tell.

She directed them to the next shop, a stationary store, withplenty of greeting cards in the window, which she excitedly pointed out. “Ooh, Adam would love that one!”

“Yeah, it’s definitely the one,” Dan agreed.

She once more adjusted her earing. “X makes it,” she whispered. The other men continued moving forward, though their pace slowed slightly.

“If you don’t mind, dear, I’d like to check out the shops further down the street.”

“It’s fine. I know you’re getting impatient, but don’t leave me behind.”

They strolled along arm in arm, as Laura glanced at the nearby shop windows, while Dan’s eyes panned back and forth, checking out the girls, his eyes never zeroing on anyone.

As they drew closer, Shortie and Michael were now standing still, staring up at the surrounding buildings discussing the architecture and lighting. Thomas moved ahead of the others. Alison was window shopping, much as Laura was, though they never once glanced at one another.

“Shouldn’t we be thinking of turning back?” Laura coyly inquired.

“No, there’s a shop I want to check up here,” Dan replied, feeling ridiculous putting on such an act when it was unlikely anyone was interested in them. But they continued on, bringing everyone closer to the central location of the future attack.

He finally stopped, glancing back and forth. “No, I guess I was wrong. The shops not here after all.”

“Are you sure?”

Dan double checked, memorizing the nearby details. “Yeah, apparently it’s closed since the last time we visited. Let’s head back, I’m ready for something to drink.” Laura considered him. She thought advancing so quickly might compromise them but abandoning the scene didn’t make much sense either.

“Do you have our tickets?” he asked, stopping between stores while standing on the sidewalk.

“Uh, I guess so,” she asked, confused what he was up to.

When she handed him a stray piece of paper—a business card—Dan took a pen out of his jacket pocket and started scribbling notes. “I wanted to note the one store, so Peter can check it out himself. I think he’d like it.”

She watched as he continued, noting his rough sketch and marking the address of one establishment on the east side and adding several vehicles parked haphazardly in the middle of the street.

Intrigues, she ignored everything else. “Yeah, Peter will definitely be interested in that one. It’s right up his aisle.”

Dan then drew rough stick figures, with attached arrows. She wasn’t sure what he was up to but had a few suspicions.

“Well, that’ll do,” he said, retracting his pen and putting it, and the messy business card, into his pocket for safekeeping. Laura rubbed her ear. “Heading back home,” she said, smiling a relieved smile and leaving the rest to their own devices.

They were well away from the others when he froze, his eyes becoming glassy, so she held him steady. But he shivered.

“See anything?”

He shook his head. “No. Well, I did, but it’s not related to this,” and they continued. When they reached the stationary shop, Dan directed them in, which only further confused her, but it didn’t seem appropriate to question him. He perused the cards on display and after checking it out, picked the one she commented on. Purchasing it, they departed again, but only got as far as a nearby coffeehouse.

Concerned the others would worry, she again fiddled with her ear. “What a surprise, stopping at a coffee shop, this late in the day.”

“No,” he corrected. “Not just any java hut. The Rustic Bean.”

So, she again, tapped her ear. “You’re right, the Rustic Bean.”

He grinned. “Would you like to send Peter the address?” he teased. She shook her head, staring out the window, when he asked her to order them both some coffee. Staring at him, she relented, grinning. “Please?”

So, she stood in line, which given the time of day, wasn’t long. Laura was busy watching whoever walked through the door, unsure what she was looking for, when Alison entered. Laura waved, though Dan never even glanced up, huddled over his table, and she approached much too quickly for a normal encounter.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alison insisted, her voicepitched low. He looked up, only then noticing her.

“Oh, have a seat. Signal Laura, and she’ll order you a coffee,” and he resumed scribbling in his card.

“We have people waiting,” she stressed, glaring at him.

Without glancing up, he replied. “Given your tone, maybe more caffeine is the last thing you need. Perhaps some Chai tea is more appropriate?” Frustrated, she stood and went to ask Laura.

“If you’re interested in why we’re here, look at what he’s writing?” she suggested. That earned her a glare, so she continued. “I only figured it out after I’d been standing here a while, but I’ll order your normal sweet tan.”

When she returned, he was still hunched over, making detailed noted in the card, not allowing anyone to see what he was doing. But after sitting patiently, she saw enough to determine what he was up to, and grinned. “I’ll tell the others to take their time.”

“Why did you slink away?” Thomas hissed, sotto voice.

In reply, Dan handed him an envelope addressed to him. Wary, he opened it, his head snapping up, and hurriedly closed it, placing it back in the sheath.

“It’s not precise. Since I only got a quick glance, the individual elements might be off. The image was seared in my memory, but you know how memories are. You know what happened, but everyone reports something slightly different. So, while the specific facts may not be exact, the overall details are, as I recall seeing each of the ... leaves fall, and the direction they were blowing when they did.”

“It’s quite detailed, and I appreciate you taking the time to record them. We’ll need to double back. I’m sure we can now determine where every person needs to concentrate.”

“Speaking of which,” Dan said, leading him away so they wouldn’t be overheard, “do me a favor. Swap Mike and Jacob’s assigned streets.”

“Did you observe more fatalities?”

Dan nodded. “However, I want to test something. I’m no longer sure these visions mean what I did. Given the response of the voices, I’m confident my fate is sealed, I’m not so sure about Mike’s. So simply shift them to different streets, and I’ll see if anything changes. Their futures might not be determined, but I’m guessing it’s because we’re taking a more active role, the chance of our dying grows more likely. So maybe shifting a few things up will alter the future I’m envisioning.”

“It sounds sensible. Not only will we gain more insight into your visions, but it’ll affect everyone if they know. So, if your insights don’t change, I’d rather drop him from the team, as informing him will modify everyone’s response, potentially compromising us all.”

“Trust me, I wasn’t planning on telling him. Somethings are worth knowing, but your fate isn’t one of them.”

“Then why do you continue?” he pressed, curious where his mind was.

“Everyone needs to believe in what they’re doing. For me, it’s still probable we can change things, but we won’t succeed until we know more. Thus, I’m concentrating on learning as much as we can, while we’re able. I’m afraid it’ll have to be enough, but I still have time before that future unfolds. While I’m sure Mike is dedicated, he may not be after hearing this. I already feel myself changing, withdrawing emotionally from Laura and Alison.”

“Don’t,” he urged. “They know what’s going to happen, remain here among them so they’ll remember your last moments fondly. If you withdraw, they’ll assume it’s something personal, and will forever cloud their perceptions of you. You can either quit this mission or stay engaged, but as long as you’re here, keep focused, and don’t obsess over the outcome. Hopefully, knowing what’s likely to happen, we can alter what eventually occurs, but if you’re unfocused, it’ll only heighten its likelihood.

“In the meantime, I’ll show this to Shortie and Michael. We’ll commit the details to memory and head back and reconnoiter, determining the best defenses. You three take a break, head off somewhere and relax. While you need to be present to observe what you can, the less time you’re here, the less things will go astray.”

Thomas paused. “How did Mike perish? Maybe it’ll help determine how we respond, and whether we inform him or not.”

“It wasn’t dramatic or prolonged. I saw him get shot and fall, but the scene didn’t linger, indicating it was a clean kill. I’m not sure this is a fair interpretation, but for some reason, I see those lingering deaths as an indication we can somehow save them. Say I saw a truck barreling towards him, I’d feel his fate was malleable. But once I see him dead, I’m more likely to mourn his passing rather than trying to prevent it.”

“I can see the reaction, but without actual evidence, it’s hardly clear how ‘set’ the future is. If it was predetermined, I doubt whatever is triggering these events would even reveal them to you. The only rational explanation is you’re observing them for a purpose, and it provides insights into how to affect the outcome, not announce their fates are preordained, even yours. That’s why we don’t like you taking off without someone nearby. When you do, we can’t intervene if something happens.”

“Thanks, I’ll consider it. Hopefully, if simply switching Mike to a different street affects his outcome, it will help document just how set my premonitions are. If moving him changes whether he’s exposed to our enemies, then I’ll know how to respond to these visions in the future.

“But in my case, it’s not just the nature of the vision, it’s the absence of the spiritual ‘chatter’ that worries me. I’ve learned to note what these spirits are able to say and what they’re not, so I’m paying more attention to their sudden silences.”

“Better you than me,” he responded. “If I heard your constant babble in my skull, I’d rip my hair out. At least for us military men, sometimes it’s best not knowing what’s likely to happen. We get a mission and tackle it, whatever we think of it. However, it’s often how we approach the engagement that determines our success or failure, not the likelihood of survival.”

“Maybe we should investigate the theater instead? It’ll probably turn up more useful evidence, especially as it provides more data to consider.”

“No, I not sure it’s safe. I’d rather have us nearby, taking the lead, while you merely observe from a reasonable distance, reducing your chances of exposure. As this sketch shows, you can gather a lot without having to stand on the front line.”

“No, what it reveals is I need to confront my fears. If I hadn’t ignored you and checked out the site itself, I couldn’t have determined the precise location of the final attack on the police. That information will save more lives than my vision alone would. As significant as it is, it’s the concluding act and our best hope is concentrating on the instigating event, preventing the entire thing, rather than hoping to clean up the ending.”

“Should we really be doing this?” Laura asked.

“No, he definitely shouldn’t,” Alison insisted. “If the others aren’t here, you shouldn’t be stirring the pot. You’re too essential to charge in like a rhino. You’re like a general in this battle, your role is to hold back, maintaining an objective position where you can view the entire scenario. You make lousy cannon fodder, as none of us can achieve anything if you don’t live long enough to reveal how this plays out!”

“I’m sorry, I refuse to back down and take a secondary role in my own fate. If I survive, or my death is to have any significance, I need to gather information quickly, not waiting around for permission to act. The rest of the team is figuring out how to prevent the final battle, but the more critical aspect is how it begins. If we avert the initial incident, saving lives, it’ll reduce the panic, preclude even more from getting injured, and rattle those planning these attacks. Thus, my role is here, where the information is, not twiddling my thumbs in some coffee shot.”

“Look, I agree about your not wanting to be tied down,” she argued. “But we’re talking about saving your life! You may have accepted your death, but it doesn’t mean we have. We’re working to ensure you have a long, full life. Hopefully, if we do, not only will you stick around, but maybe these constant psychic distractions will fade once you’ve accomplished this central goal.”

“It’s not that I’ve—” Dan froze, his eyes glazing as he swayed for a moment before looking around rapidly.

“What did you see?” Laura asked. “We haven’t reached the theater yet.”

“It’s...” He paused, biting his lip while glancing between the two women. “Alison, could you give us a moment, please?”

“Nothing doing,” she insisted. “If this impacts any of us, then I want to know too. I’d want her to know if it impacted me, and just as we aren’t abandoning you to your fate, we’ll stick by each other, whatever happens. It’s what defines us. We had our chance to cut and run when you first described what you’re experiencing. And as far as we can determine, we’re the only ones to stuck around. So no, we’re not about to abandon any of us at this stage when we’re needed most.”