David walked around the table reading name cards until he finally saw his own. He pulled out the chair, sat down, and placed the laptop and file he had brought in front of him on the table. He looked around and saw the Cardinal on the other end of the table watching Bear News. He saw other figures there that he recognized from other meetings or from the news, but most he had not met personally. There were heads of state from the European Union, but he noticed several people were missing. He would have thought that more would be here. These were the people who really ran the world.
The smaller monitors on the surrounding walls started to flicker, in which case David knew that other members were probably logging in. Normally there were about one hundred attendees in total, but today, the larger number of them would be attending via video conference. There had not been enough time to get them all here. There were about thirty here so far.
One of the side doors opened and Aafre Waldger walked in and stood behind his chair at the end. He scanned the room and nodded to a person on the other side of the control booth. The news feed on the larger monitors were muted.
Aafre was an imposing figure. His Dutch heritage was apparent in his features. He was a large man, with fair complexion, and a full head of gray hair combed back. He had a Roman nose, strong cheekbones, and greenish eyes. His most noticeable feature was his hands. They were enormous.
Born into privilege, by the time Aafre was thirty his family-owned business had grown worldwide. By the early 90’s, he was assumed to be the richest man in the world with ties that reached almost every country and board room in the world. Known to be usually quiet about his affairs and rarely seen in public, he ruled the world’s commerce. However, he did so using his enormous powers, for if you crossed him, it would probably be the last thing you ever did. David’s attention was brought back from his observations as Aafre started speaking to the group.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” he said. “Unfortunately, several of our members will be attending by way of video conference. We will use the monitors you see on the outer walls, but since there are too many not here in person, we will have to switch to the person speaking remotely and the system will be able to handle about three at a time. On their end, also remotely, they will be able to see and hear each of you in the same way, that way, to everyone, it will be as they were here anyway. Our sources tell us that in less than thirty minutes, John Roddenburg on Bear News will be doing a one on one interview with Jack South.”
“Folders are now being passed out which have a certain amount of background on Jack South that we got today from Mr. Matthews,” as he looked at me. These include information about his childhood, upbringing, and certain events based in his adulthood. Provided from our security team, you will find a synopsis of what we have learned since 7:45 this morning EST, or 2:45 this afternoon here. Also note, there is a complete transcript of the entire interview with Brad Williams and his producer’s tirade from the video files uploaded to the internet. I might add that as this event unfolded this morning, it has done considerable damage to The Network.”
“I ask that as we watch the interview, take notes, and when it is through, we will discuss this matter and what we can do, or need to do about it.”
He hesitated, before speaking again. “For those of you not familiar with the term ‘end time plans,’ we have included a synopsis in your folders. These plans have been in existence for a considerably long time and have been modified as each generation passed and the membership changed. We have watched carefully for a person like Jack South. He may well be the key to the final countdown we have waited so long for, at least based on what we know so far.”
“On another note, we do know that Jack South ordered some graphics and a climatologist for the interview. So we are assuming that in addition to his prediction of the earthquake in California, he is going to use these graphics to display to the masses what else he is going to do or what he is predicting his God will do.”
“We think, and as many of you know, he is the first of the two witnesses we have been expecting now for thousands of years. This means that the destroyer is at our doorstep and will not stop using his powers until, like the great flood, he has wiped out a large portion of mankind; but we know this time that it will not be everyone, maybe thirty to forty percent of the world’s population.”
“However, we do know there are to be two witnesses, and so far, we only have Jack. He does seem to fit the deeds and description we would expect from the two witnesses. However, let me add that it is only the first day, and we do not yet have enough information to have a one hundred percent yes on this question. Also, keep in mind that if he is one of the witnesses, we are powerless to stop anything he or the other unnamed witness does for three and a half years. Therefore, what our goal needs to be is to minimize the damage to the earth, its people, and our assets. After the three and a half years, Jack and the other witness will no longer be safe. Their protectors will eventually leave them and then we will be able to destroy them once and for all.”
“But as I said, we do not know for sure that he is who we think he might be. Once again, for now all we can do is listen and learn. However, what he did today and recently is not luck with the lottery, nor is his prediction, which is not only one hundred percent, accurate, but uncanny. Earthquakes do not shake for 422 seconds.”
“I also want to reiterate that at this point, and we sent secure messages earlier to all participants, absolutely no one is to make a move against Mr. South without my approval. No assassination attempts, no incarceration to see if we can break him. Do not even pull him over for a parking ticket. He can go where he wants and do as he wishes for now. No one is to release any information about him including what we have here. If for some reason one of you, or your people, does make that mistake, we will deal with that person in a very unpleasant way.”
“Are there any questions?”
You might as well have asked a starving man if he was hungry. It seemed that everyone in the room started talking at once. With the added noise of the monitors, it was like chaos.
Aafre quickly quietened the room and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is not necessary for us to all talk at the same time. So with what time we have before the interview, I will start to my right and work my way around the table, then to our remote guests. I believe that makes Cardinal Richital first.”
“Thank you, Aafre,” the Cardinal said. “I want to make sure that I understand you in that you believe that this man may well be the first of the two witnesses as described in John’s Apocalypse?”
“Yes,” Aafre said. “And I know that you are going to say that he has no beard, he doesn’t look like Moses, Elijah or any other biblical prophet. However, I think that we put too much emphasis on expecting a Jewish zealot to show up instead of a man that has been selected by their God. Moreover, as you know Cardinal, their God always selected common people to do his work here on earth. Therefore, to answer your question, I think that a stereotypical description of physical looks or even personality is not relevant here. It’s the powers he is exercising that we are interested in.”
A hand went up and Aafre said, “Yes Marcell, do you have a comment on this?”
“Isn’t this guy supposed to be dressed in gunny sacks or sackcloth? I mean he has on designer shoes, shirt, slacks, and jacket and is very well groomed.”
Aafre smiled and said, “Marcell do you know what sackcloth means? I doubt it for very few do. Sackcloth means clothing of the people. In addition, he may well change his attire during the period he is to be here. Therefore, the way he is dressed is quite appropriate, because he looks just like everyone else. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes,” Marcell said, “I guess it does. But I have to tell you this guy, if he is who you think he is, has me worried.”
“In time, Marcell, we will explain how we will deal with Mr. Jack South.”
Aafre took a few more questions, and then said, “Let’s wrap i
t up for now. I understand they are starting and giving some background information on Jack. Let us watch the interview. I think it is now beginning.”
David looked up and the screen as the sound came back on. The Bear News logo was on the screen with a special report from Bear News scrolling along the bottom of the screen. Their ratings had to be going up. Jack South, for now, was the most interesting person on the planet, and if David guessed correctly, Jack was about to shock the world, yet again.
Chapter 28
10:15 AM EST New York - Bear News Interview Studio
A few minutes after John Roddenburg left, an older woman, who appeared to be in her 50s or later, came in. She had a very nice demeanor. She introduced herself as Sherry Stewart and said she was an assistant to John. She asked us to follow her and took us to another studio, which was almost a duplicate of the one we had been in at The Network earlier this morning.
Like The Network’s studio, it had a long leather couch, what appeared to be the interviewer’s chair, and thick carpeting on the floor of a pale crème color. Some differences though were a coffee table in front of the couch and a nice braided rug underneath it. Unlike The Network’s setup, it looked somewhat homey. There was even an end table on which sat a vase and flowers at the other end of the couch. I supposed it was to make the guest feel more comfortable while being interviewed.
Sherry told me that I would be sitting on the couch at the end next to John’s chair. She then took me over to the monitor and turned on the computer that was attached to it. While the PC booted, she started explaining how it worked and that all I had to do was play like my fingers were a mouse.
Once the PC was fully booted up, she placed a DVD in one of the drives saying it had been sent over by our advertising agency. As it loaded, she showed me some markings on the floor made from pieces of tape and said that I needed to stay behind these marks or I would block the monitor when I wanted the viewer to see what I had on the screen.
She showed me how I could use my finger to hit the start button on the screen, which I did. Once the image came up, she showed me how to drag and drop other things like icons and so on. She also showed me how to use two fingers to make a square around an area in order to enlarge the section. Once we were done, she then asked if I wanted to have any text scrolling at the bottom of the screen. I replied, “No, but thanks for asking.”
“Well, I hope it all works out for you,” she said. She called over to one of the techs and they came over, and affixed a microphone to my lapel and asked me to say something. She asked me to walk from the monitor to the couch and back while I spoke.
“Test, test, test,” I said as I walked back and forth. They made some adjustments. I was then directed back to the couch where I sat down.
Sherry said, “John will be here soon,” then left the area.
I saw Mark over by the cameras standing. I gave him the okay sign. He smiled at me and I smiled back. Well I guess I was ready. It was now or never.
John Roddenburg walked in and sat in the chair closest to the couch where I was seated. I thought about asking him if I could sit in the chair and he sit on the couch, but felt he probably would not be amused.
He leaned over to me, and said. “Are you ready?”
I in turn said, “Yep.”
At about the same time, Chester Nichols, the weatherman from Bear News walked in and sat on the couch next to me. Exchanging pleasantries, Chester asked if he could see the document before the show started. He said that he did not totally understand what John had been saying to him in his briefing earlier about what I was going to predict.
I said, “Sure,” and removed the pages from my breast pocket and handed them to him.
Like John earlier, his reaction was one of astonishment. He looked over at John and said, “You know John, it would be nice if we could get this over to some people who might be able to make more sense out of this than me.”
“I would,” John said, “but we don’t have time Chester. So I guess you will just have to wing it.”
Chester read it again then he turned to me and said, “You realize that this is not physically possible, at least with our knowledge of physics and the way the world’s weather patterns work.”
“All I can say is that God is in control. Neither he nor I have ever been wrong yet, have we?”
“But that means that the entire weather patterns of recorded history will completely change. That is almost impossible. You need a wobble change of the earth for this to even be remotely understandable from what history we have.”
“You’re right Chester. It is impossible for us, but not for him. I look at it this way; a hundred and fifty years ago, we thought electrical lights were impossible.”
He hesitated, and then replied, “Okay, I see your point.” He paused again, I assumed, in thought. Then he said, “I will do my best to relate the contents of your document to our viewers. I think I have a good idea how I can lay it out and what the results will be from there. But I have no idea how to explain any of it, scientifically.”
While we were still discussing the contents of the note, the lights in the studio came up and a person with a tape measure walked up to me, then walked back again. He did the same thing with Chester and then John. He then came back and said, “John, we are about ready to go live.”
“Thanks, Spencer,” he said. John then turned to me and said, “Watch the numbers on the digital display in back of me. Over there,” he pointed. “When it hits zero, then you will know we are live.”
I said, “Okay, let’s do it.”
As the countdown reached zero, I saw the camera pan to John’s face for a close up and then he started by saying, “People of America and of the world, I am John Roddenburg, News Anchor of Bear News, and we are transmitting live from our studios in New York with the promised interview today with Mr. Jack South.”
I could see the camera pan towards me then zoom into my face. Then John began talking again. “As many of you already know, Jack has astounded the world by winning two major lotteries in the U.S. in the same week, using the exact same numbers. According to some reports, the odds on that do not exist and stand at zero. In addition, this morning on our competitors network, Jack tried to warn us of an impending disaster in California, but the news team there felt he was either lying or making a fool out of them; and did not air that part of the segment. However, Mr. South’s lawyer, Mark Anderson, videotaped the entire interview and had it transmitted to the internet and several other news outlets, worldwide. But unfortunately, as we all know, we were unable to get any warning to the people of Southern California in time; and if you have been watching the news, you know that the carnage and destruction is of biblical proportions.”
“Jack has come here today for two reasons. Firstly, he has something to tell all of us and secondly, he has a warning for everyone. We also have our meteorologist, Chester Nichols, here today, who will help to give some clarification, in terms we can all understand, when Jack tells us what is going to happen next. We will also examine the implications of Jack’s new statements and the predictions he was unable to tell about at The Network. But before that, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Jack South.”
The camera now moved in towards me for a close shot, I assumed. For a brief moment, I wondered if anyone watching remembered me as a kid, and a messed up one at that. Some names and situations ran quickly through my thoughts; but then John Roddenburg’s voice broke as he said, “Jack, you are the most unique person the world has ever met, at least in our time. No one has ever predicted a disaster and been one hundred percent accurate as to time, casualties, property damage, and location. In addition, you also beat the odds and won not just won lottery, but two. Moreover, after taxes, you took home almost a half a billion dollars. Jack, the world, and I want to know. Who are you?”
“Just like you John, flesh and blood, heart that pumps, aches and pains. I am almost 59 now, but otherwise in good health. Like many of my generation, I grew up
building go-carts out of old wood and roller skates, putting together model cars and planes, chasing cheerleaders, and I was a musician for a time. I lead a pretty normal life I guess.”
“Where did you grow up, Jack?” he asked.
“In Kansas City and Independence areas of Missouri, where you are also from.”
“Family still alive?”
“Yes, my mother, stepfather, sister, and her family; and of course, my family.”
“Well it seems you are like the rest of us. Nevertheless, you are different Jack. So what is the source of your gift? Where did you learn to predict the future?”
“From God, through his messengers,” I replied.
“Messengers; as in angels?”
“No. Messengers like in Abraham, the messengers Abraham had dinner with, who came to his home, as in the story of Sarah and of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible.”
“I see. Do they come see you often, Jack?”
“Yes, they do, quite frequently.”
“When was the last time you saw these messengers?”
“In the limousine that brought me here.” I could see by looking at John and others in the studio that they were finding my answers difficult to believe.”
“What do they look like?”
“Just like you and me, as a matter of fact. They had on suits, ties, and wingtip shoes today. My insurance man and my banker would look the same.”
“So they don’t come at night, in dreams or fly in with wings, but they look just like us. Is that what you’re saying?”
“That is correct. That is what I am saying.”