Chapter 27
5:05 PM CEST Brussels - The Waldger Group Corporate Headquarters, 42nd Floor
As their car drew up to the headquarters building in the center of the campus of The Waldger Group, David looked over at the Cardinal. There still was not a word or an expression from him, nothing. He just sat staring out the window. If it were not the fact that he could see him breathing, David would have thought he was dead.
The car stopped at the entrance and as David opened the door, the Cardinal made the sign of the cross, and then reached for a briefcase he had lying on the floor. He then exited the car and followed David into the building.
Once inside, a stern looking security guard asked, “Names, please?”
“David Mathews.”
He then asked for an ID and David handed him his corporate ID card. The guard ran it through a scanner, looked down at the screen, and then as he handed the ID back said, “Thank you, Mr. Matthews.”
The security guard then turned to the Cardinal and said again, “Name please?”
“Cardinal Luke Richital, from Rome,” he said, and handed him a card, which was also scanned. The guard politely asked the Cardinal to remove his head covering, since in his picture, he did not have one. The Cardinal removed his hat, and then immediately placed it back on his head.
The guard said, “Thank you, Cardinal.” He told them that they were to go to the elevators to his right and proceed to the 42nd floor where they would get further directions.
As they moved towards the elevator, David noticed the Cardinal looking at him in a strange way. Finally, he asked, “Who are you? What do you do for the company? I have never seen you before.”
David politely replied, “As you heard, my name is David Matthews, but the rest you will have to ask someone else. What I do for the company, I am not allowed tell you, as per corporate instructions.” This seemed to pacify the Cardinal as both men stepped into the elevator.
They rode non-stop up to the 42nd floor. Actually, there were no other floor buttons on the elevator, but for the 42nd floor. When the doors opened, they were met by a man fully armed with an automatic rifle, which was strapped across his shoulder and a small handgun at his waist. He looked like GI Joe in a suit. Like the security guard at the reception area downstairs, he seemed as if he could eat them both for dinner if he chose to do so. He must have noticed David staring at his armaments. He quickly got his attention by looking directly at David and then, with a swagger only a man like that could have, said, “Please follow me.”
They went into a large room with various other doors that had numbers displayed in the center of each. These doors surrounded the room, all the way around. He addressed the Cardinal, “You can use room number three.” Then, turning to David, he said, “You can use room number seven.” He followed up with, “Someone will be here shortly to direct you to where you need to go.”
David walked into Room 7, which was empty except for a chair and a small table. Having been there before on the day he was hired, and remembering what to do, he put his laptop and files on the table, and undressed down to his skivvies. He had just finished, when two men came in and without a word, went through the laptop, his clothes, pants, and shirt pockets. They asked him to stand on the chair and then passed a wand over his body to make sure that he did not have any contraband, weapons, listening devices, and so forth. It was worse than an airport. David then instinctively bent over and pulled down his underwear while they poked into his anus. Finally, they told him to get dressed. There was some toilet paper and disinfectant on the table, and a trash receptacle for him to use. When David was finished, he got dressed and sat in the chair. A few moments later, another military, beefy like man came and said, “Please follow me.”
David was led into a very large conference room in a different part of the 42nd floor. It was lit up with TV monitors all over the walls and a very large one in the center. It looked as if there were around seventy-five to eighty seats. There were microphones set up at each seating place, along with a green writing pad, a small desk light, pens, a drinking glass, pitcher of ice and sparkling water. There was also a receptacle for power and an internet connection. The chairs were very comfortable looking, done in a soft green felt with solid walnut wood frames. The table seemed to be almost thirty feet in length, going down two sides and enclosed by about ten feet on the ends making a rectangle. He was definitely impressed.
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 it 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.