Paranoia ✓

XII: Daniel - Inaction Meets Action (Part 1)

This can't be happening again.

Daniel couldn't help wanting to toss his desk and thrash his computer on the ground after finding out what happened at the Chicago Hospital. But it wasn't until the next day at work that his fury unleashed into a consequential action that would eventually change the way the world looks at the world's most powerful nation.

Initially, Daniel was having PTSD. Immediately he started making dangerous comparisons with the recent attacks on the Chicago Hospital and 9/11. It made him want to run away and find some place these terrorists couldn't find him—but Daniel knew that hiding in this country was nearly impossible.

Plus, his job needed him now. The most recent conversation, between the two men Richard and Raj, somehow knew that the attacks were going to happen. Not only were they aware of the impending attacks in Chicago, but they also hinted at two other locations where more attacks may occur soon or in the near future. One location seemed to be centered in London, specifically near Big Ben. The other was in Madrid, centralizing around the Royal Palace.

So he flagged the conversation and reported it immediately to his supervisor, Kyle. He rushed passed the cubicles along the isles and over to Kyle's office. He knocked on the door and walked in.

"Sir, I got something important."

"Kinda busy right now Mason—our nation has just been hit again."

"That's what I'm here to talk about sir," he said as he held forth a printed transcript of the discussion between Richard and Raj. "I got a conversation between two men in separate countries who knew beforehand about the attacks on Chicago. They're planning to target London and Madrid next."

"Kinda late on that one. Have you read the news—not U.S. or top news? That shit's flooded with the Chicago Bombings. I mean world news. London and Madrid have already been hit."

Daniel was stunned. He was hoping he had at least a couple of hours before the next attacks occurred. They must have occurred simultaneously.

"So, unless you have any other locations they're planning to hit, then your information is old news."

Old news? Daniel thought. How could it be old news when I just found out about an hour ago?

"Sir—if you don't mind me asking, how long have we've know about these attacks?"

"Mason I do mind. I got the State Department and Homeland Security up my ass right now wondering what the fuck we're doing over here. I don't have time for any bullshit. Now leave me be."

"Yes—sorry," Daniel apologized as he closed the door. He headed back to his chair, leaving a trail of fear. They say bosses can smell fear—well Daniel reeked of it.

Why was Kyle so pissed off? Sure what happened has taken a toll on this nation, but he seemed perfectly fine until I started questioning him on how long the NSA had known of this plot.

Then he started wondering—if the NSA picked up this conversation, and since the NSA deals primarily with domestic affairs, then what did the CIA or the FBI have on the attacks? The way Kyle just threw out the words "old news," he acted like the events happened a week ago. If London and Madrid were struck at the same time as Chicago, then that makes the news only an hour young not old. The media was still unraveling what was going on.

No this was breaking news, not old news.

And that means Kyle knew something about these attacks—something substantial before they were going to occur. Yet he did nothing. Now he's facing heat from the State and Homeland Security Departments.

No. This couldn't be right. Kyle was paid with taxpayers' money to 'check-in' on the lives of the American people and those abroad to make sure nothing like this would happen. If a computer flags a conversation between two teenagers erotically in love, then it must certainly flag a conversation between two men from different nations referencing major cities in ruins. Then again, they did disguise their language in CTS video game terminology. Maybe that was what made the computer not flag the message with such a high priority for human inspection.

Whatever the case, we must have more evidence that this attack was going to happen. Something that goes far back—beyond the recent conversation between Richard and Raj. Whatever that message or information was—that's the "old news" Kyle was talking about—and that's what Daniel needed to find.

So he grabbed his work laptop and called it a day early. It was time that Daniel did a little research.