To read from the beginning, click the photos on the right.
Chapter XXXV pgs. 227-229
He watched her reactions, and he watched the monitor. He tapped the syringe again, and waited, and then tapped it one more time. Johanna began to stir. He got up and moved behind her head so that she couldn’t see him.
“Johanna.” He spoke slowly, his voice deep and low.
She barely blinked in answer.
“Johanna.”
Johanna said nothing.
“Johanna, I love you,” he said.
She didn’t acknowledge.
“I love you and I’ll always be with you.”
Johanna stirred.
“I’ll always be with you.” While the lines on the monitors rose and fell in rhythm, Dr. Heckleweit repeated the words “I love you. I’ll always be with you.”
Through the fog, Johanna heard a man’s voice. Soothing, caring, the sound caressed her, melting the pain away. Johanna smiled. Dr. Heckleweit periodically tapped the syringe, and as he did so, Johanna saw flashes of her life play out like scenes from a movie.
“Do you know who I am?”
Johanna just smiled.
“I’m God, Johanna.”
“No.”
Dr. Heckleweit thought for a minute. “I’m your Daddy.”
“Don’t leave me.” In her mind she saw her father, and she felt his arm around her shoulders, holding her the way he had so very long ago. She remembered the sensation of snuggling against his chest while he had read marvelous stories of princes and pipers, and tigers melting into butter. It felt real, as though she were reliving a night with her father.
“I’ll always be with you,” he said. And he stroked her cheek gently, saying nothing. Her breathing steadied and her hands released their hold on the sheets.
“Tell me about your friends, Johanna.” The ones who told you security secrets.” Every few seconds he tapped the syringe.
“No one,” said Johanna. “No one told me.” She felt strong now. God on her right, Daddy on her left. She snuggled against the pillow, which, in her mind, became her father’s arm.
“Anthrax. FBI,” said the doctor.
“Gary Brown,” said Johanna. She saw the class as clearly as on the day that it happened.
Dr. Heckleweit was astounded. A name - an informant’s name. “How did you meet Gary Brown?” He reached forward and injected the remaining stimulant into her vein.
Johanna’s words became more distinct and her train of thought followed a logical sequence. “He taught a class on terrorism – way back before anyone ever thought of flying a plane into the World Trade Center.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Terrorists control by fear. And our military has more chemical weapons than anyone else. And it’s not that easy to use a chemical as a weapon. And, it’s not that easy to build a nuclear bomb.”
Johanna rubbed her face against her pillow. “So, when all’s said and done, our leaders did all the controlling and all the benefitting. And two of the targets were Tom Daschel and Pat Leahy, outspoken, overachieving political opponents. And does anyone really believe Sadaam Hussein building a nuclear bomb – oh, please!”
Dr. Heckleweit breathed a sigh of relief. “Go to sleep now,” he said and administered a sedative.
Back in Washington, waiting for the phone call, Alex could barely sit still. He reread his notes, and listened to Johanna’s tapes, drumming his fingers on his desk all the while.
“She learned all that from terrorism 1A?” Alex was stunned. He wrote a memo to himself – investigate Gary Brown.
“So it appears.”
“You know what this means?”
“We can’t let her live.”
“Keep her sedated for, say, three more days, just to make sure we haven’t missed anything. If you don’t hear from me by Thursday, get rid of her. I’ll make sure that there’s no autopsy.”
Chapter XXXV pgs. 227-229
He watched her reactions, and he watched the monitor. He tapped the syringe again, and waited, and then tapped it one more time. Johanna began to stir. He got up and moved behind her head so that she couldn’t see him.
“Johanna.” He spoke slowly, his voice deep and low.
She barely blinked in answer.
“Johanna.”
Johanna said nothing.
“Johanna, I love you,” he said.
She didn’t acknowledge.
“I love you and I’ll always be with you.”
Johanna stirred.
“I’ll always be with you.” While the lines on the monitors rose and fell in rhythm, Dr. Heckleweit repeated the words “I love you. I’ll always be with you.”
Through the fog, Johanna heard a man’s voice. Soothing, caring, the sound caressed her, melting the pain away. Johanna smiled. Dr. Heckleweit periodically tapped the syringe, and as he did so, Johanna saw flashes of her life play out like scenes from a movie.
“Do you know who I am?”
Johanna just smiled.
“I’m God, Johanna.”
“No.”
Dr. Heckleweit thought for a minute. “I’m your Daddy.”
“Don’t leave me.” In her mind she saw her father, and she felt his arm around her shoulders, holding her the way he had so very long ago. She remembered the sensation of snuggling against his chest while he had read marvelous stories of princes and pipers, and tigers melting into butter. It felt real, as though she were reliving a night with her father.
“I’ll always be with you,” he said. And he stroked her cheek gently, saying nothing. Her breathing steadied and her hands released their hold on the sheets.
“Tell me about your friends, Johanna.” The ones who told you security secrets.” Every few seconds he tapped the syringe.
“No one,” said Johanna. “No one told me.” She felt strong now. God on her right, Daddy on her left. She snuggled against the pillow, which, in her mind, became her father’s arm.
“Anthrax. FBI,” said the doctor.
“Gary Brown,” said Johanna. She saw the class as clearly as on the day that it happened.
Dr. Heckleweit was astounded. A name - an informant’s name. “How did you meet Gary Brown?” He reached forward and injected the remaining stimulant into her vein.
Johanna’s words became more distinct and her train of thought followed a logical sequence. “He taught a class on terrorism – way back before anyone ever thought of flying a plane into the World Trade Center.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Terrorists control by fear. And our military has more chemical weapons than anyone else. And it’s not that easy to use a chemical as a weapon. And, it’s not that easy to build a nuclear bomb.”
Johanna rubbed her face against her pillow. “So, when all’s said and done, our leaders did all the controlling and all the benefitting. And two of the targets were Tom Daschel and Pat Leahy, outspoken, overachieving political opponents. And does anyone really believe Sadaam Hussein building a nuclear bomb – oh, please!”
Dr. Heckleweit breathed a sigh of relief. “Go to sleep now,” he said and administered a sedative.
Back in Washington, waiting for the phone call, Alex could barely sit still. He reread his notes, and listened to Johanna’s tapes, drumming his fingers on his desk all the while.
“She learned all that from terrorism 1A?” Alex was stunned. He wrote a memo to himself – investigate Gary Brown.
“So it appears.”
“You know what this means?”
“We can’t let her live.”
“Keep her sedated for, say, three more days, just to make sure we haven’t missed anything. If you don’t hear from me by Thursday, get rid of her. I’ll make sure that there’s no autopsy.”
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