Invisible Touch

Invisible Touch

Chapter 20 ~ The Wedding

It had been a nightmare, unlike any dream Ernie had ever had. The brutal violence -- it was just terrible, he had told Kim. It was like a gruesome horror movie -- you just wanted to close your eyes and make it go away. But it had been no movie, and Ernie couldn't make it go away. And wouldn't have wanted to, he knew. His whole life had been full of dreams of the future, and they always came true -- that is, unless he did something to change them.

Kim and Ernie checked into the first place they could find, the Super 8 Motel near the Manchester Airport. How they would be able to sleep, they couldn't even begin to imagine.

"The President's in town," the clerk said, a man about fifty named Will, according to his name tag.

"Yes, we know," Ernie replied.

"Not a big fan?" Will asked.

"Well, yeah, actually," Ernie said. "Quite a guy, I understand."

"Best President we ever elected, and I never thought I'd ever be saying that."

"I'm not much for politics," Kim said. "But leadership, that's what he's about."

"That's what it is, all right," Will agreed.

Kim took the key from the clerk. Ernie carried their shopping bag luggage to the room.

The day had been stressful and Kim and Ernie found themselves exhausted from everything that had happened. They set an alarm for 7 AM and were delighted to find they had slept all night when they awoke to its beeping.

Ernie turned on the television and switched to Channel 9, the only local station.

"It's day two of President and Mrs. Jackson's visit to the Granite State," the announcer said as images of the First Couple flashed across the screen. "Yesterday, Rose Jackson gave an award for an educational program in Nashua, while the President was speaking to a veterans' group in Hudson. The two finished the day together in Bedford at a fundraiser for the state party."

Another announcer picked up the story. "Today, it's a day of celebration as the Jacksons help Governor Thomas celebrate her wedding day. She'll be married this morning to Edward Watkins, an attorney from Indiana, who just happens to be a life long friend of the President. The wedding will take place at the First Church in Goffstown, and then it will be back to the Wayfarer for a private reception."

A weather reporter appeared on the TV and Ernie turned it off.

"So what are we going to do?" He asked Kim.

"I was hoping you were going to tell me," she replied.

Ernie paced back and forth for five minutes before he said anything.

"What if we," he began. "No, I don't know if I even believe it."

"Believe what?" Kim asked.

"Forget it," Ernie replied. "It's just crazy. I don't know if..."

"We don't have anything right now, Ernie," Kim interrupted. "Crazy is at least something."

Ernie shook his head slowly. Maybe talking about this would help them think of something else.

"OK, but this is one of those tin foil hat ideas," Ernie said.

"You mean it's crazy like the idea of wearing hats made of tin foil to prevent the government from reading your thoughts?" Kim asked.

"No," Ernie said. "If this works, I'm going to start wearing one."

He told Kim the whole plan while she gazed at him in disbelief.

"You're right," Kim said. "It is crazy. You watch too many action thriller movies, Ernie."

"I told you so," Ernie said.

"You really think the government is reading everybody's e-mail messages?" Kim asked.

"At this point, I'm really hoping that it's not just an urband legend," Ernie said.

"How about this," she said. "We can try that, and it certainly can't do any harm. Heck, it might even be kind of fun to see you in disguise. And there will still be time afterwards to just call the authorities and tell them what you know.

Ernie could certainly picture that. How did he know? they would demand. If he didn't tell them the truth, he would be locked up as some kind of co-conspirator. If he did tell them about his dreams, he'd be locked up somewhere else.

"Let's get going," Kim said. "I need to eat some breakfast."

Kim and Ernie gathered up their belongings and checked out of the Super 8. They drove through a nearby donut shop and picked up bagel sandwiches for breakfast. Their coffee wasn't nearly as good as everybody said, Kim thought, but it would have to do.

Ernie used his phone's web browser to locate a party store in Manchester. They arrived twenty minutes before the store was scheduled to open, and finished their coffees in the car.

Once the store opened, Ernie quickly went inside. He returned to the car fifteen minutes later.

"What took you so long?" Kim asked.

"It was hard to find one as bushy as the one in my dream," Ernie said.

The price sticker on the black moustache disguise kit was ten dollars. What a rip off, Kim thought. She hoped it might mean it was of good enough quality that it would stay stuck to Ernie's face. Kim looked around the parking lot to make sure they didn't have an audience before Ernie removed the backing to reveal the adhesive.

"Make sure you get it right, so you only have to put it on once and it will stick better," she told him.

He looked in the mirror and carefully applied the disguise to his upper lip.

"How do I look?" Ernie asked Kim.

"Like some kind of evil terrorist," she replied. "It's not like you're robbing a bank or anything. I don't think your disguise needs to be perfect."

Ernie took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied.

She took a left out of the parking lot and drove west on South Willow Street. Ernie studied the map on his phone.

"Take a right when you get to Elm Street," he told Kim. "Then go a few blocks."

She dropped him off and continued up the street several blocks. Kim drove around the block and waited for Ernie at an intersection he had written down for her.

Ernie had continued on foot block on Elm before he turned down a side street. He found the Internet cafe he was looking for.

"This had better work," he told himself.

Ernie paid cash for an hour of time and sat down in front of one of the computers. He clicked on the welcome screen and entered the password he saw on his receipt.

"One hour remaining," Ernie read.

He hoped it wouldn't take anywhere near that long.

"www.yahoo.com" Ernie typed.

The web portal's main screen greeted him: "Welcome, Guest."

Ernie clicked on the envelope icon. He scanned the Yahoo E-mail screen and clicked on the "sign up" link. It was easy to sign up for a completely anonymous free account, he saw. This was going to be perfect.

Once he was signed in, he clicked the "compose" button. He addressed his message to an anonymous drop box. The message would never be read by its intended recipient, who was fictitious anyway. He just hoped somebody else would read it. He began typing.

"Subject: America dies this afternoon. I know that my instructions are that I contact you only in case of emergency, but I do not expect to be alive after 1300 this day of destiny. I have dreamed of this for twenty years. The device you implanted is ready. I can feel the blade in my wrist, but the hand functions just like a prothstetic. You are truly a genius. When I kill the President I will think of you and everything you have taught me. Please say a prayer for my soul."

When Ernie came to the end of the message, his hands were shaking. He hoped his words would trigger some kind of Big Brother reaction. And he hoped that the response would come quickly. He just hoped there was enough detail that the response would be accurate. He re-read the message and clicked the "send" button.

Ernie got up from the computer and walked out the door. He removed his disguise and made a phone call as he walked to the car.

Kim was waiting two blocks away and was glad to see that Ernie had taken off that silly moustache. He got into the car and Kim already knew where to drive them.

Helicopters were hovering overhead and traffic was at a standstill on South River Road on either side of the Wayfarer Inn. This was a good sign, Ernie knew. As they drove past on I-293 South, Ernie could see the State Police road blocks that were causing the backup. The reason for the commotion was in the Wayfarer parking lot. A man dressed in white was being led in chains to the back of an unmarked black sedan.

Kim took the 101 East exit and the crime scene was out of view. Ernie switched on the radio.

"...police are not saying why the man was taken into custody," an announcer said. "Wait," he said, and paused. "An AP report has just come across the wire. They are saying that the FBI has uncovered an assassination plot against President Ephraim Jackson. The President is safe and unharmed at this hour. He and Mrs. Jackson are attending the wedding of Governor Sally Thomas, which was delayed briefly during the incident."

Ernie turned off the radio. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," he said frantically.

"Look at the trouble you have caused, young man," Kim teased.

"I can't believe this worked," Ernie said. "I'm never sending another e-mail as long as I live."

"No kidding," she said. "Time to go home?"

"Not yet," Ernie said. "Another mile, take I-93 North."

"Are we going shopping again?" Kim said, hopefully.

"Umm, no," Ernie replied. "Franconia. The Bugle Hill Inn. I just have something to take care of there."

"Don't tell me you've got those nice people mixed up in all of this," she said.

Ernie was beginning to calm down as they drove north through Concord.

"Tell me," Kim said. "What would you have done if your little scheme hadn't worked?"

"Well," Ernie said thoughtfully. "I was going to take the bat hook and shoot a zip line to the kitchen door at the Wayfarer and..."

He just started laughing.

"I really thought I was going to have to give myself up, tell them about my... my condition," Ernie said. "They'd have either locked me up in the loony bin or turned me into some kind of science experiment, I guess. I was hoping for the other crazy plan."

"Me, too," Kim said.

It was just before one o'clock in the afternoon when Kim got off of the Interstate. It had been a few months, but she remembered the way to the Inn.

"I'll be right back," Ernie said.

He went inside and Kim waited in the car. He came out a few minutes later dangling the key to the Profile Suite.

"Aww, that's the same room we had before," Kim recalled. "But why are we..."

Ernie carried the shopping bags to the room. When they got there, Kim found a shopping bag on one of the beds.

"Underwear, socks, pajamas," she said as she looked through the bag. "How did they..."

"I called them this morning," Ernie confessed. "Mrs. Hutchins was kind enough to run out and buy us a little something to wear until we get home."

"Well, when are we..." Kim began to ask.

"Tomorrow," Ernie interrupted. "I just need to, uhh..."

His voice trailed off as he realized they should be watching the news. Ernie turned on the television.

"...had to be cancelled this afternoon amid fears of a wider conspiracy," the announcer said. "The wedding ceremony itself was able to continue once the President's safety at that location was secured. At this hour, we repeat, a lone suspect is in custody. The forty year old man was an employee of the kitchen staff at the Wayfarer Inn, where Governor Thomas' wedding reception was supposed to have taken place. The FBI is saying that they have no reason to believe that the President is in any further danger."

"The strangest part of this story," the report continued, "is the weapon involved. The suspect had a prosthetic arm which had a ten inch long dagger hidden inside. The FBI reports that the blade was detected during a routine security screening of employees at the site. Experts are saying, however, that it was a miracle that the blade was discovered at all."

Ernie turned off the TV.

"The Governor didn't get to eat her rubber chicken," Kim teased. "And you ruined her wedding reception."

"I'll have to send her a note and apologize," Ernie said.

Kim laughed. "So what are we doing here, anyway?" she asked.

"I told you, it's something I..." he said, and paused. "Well, I have to..."

"What's the matter, Ernie?" Kim asked.

"Oh, nothing," he replied. "I just..."

Ernie got down on one knee and looked up at Kim. He pulled a little white pouch from his pocket.

"Kim," he said. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh Ernie," she cried. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Tears filled her eyes, and then his. Ernie took an engagement ring from the white pouch and placed it on her finger.

"Oh Ernie," she said again.

He wrapped his arms around her and held his fianc&#eacute;e tight. He knew what would happen if he touched her. But that didn't matter. He already knew what was in her future.







The End

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