Welcome again! Here are the legal statements. If you are not yet old enough or if it is not legal to read this type of material where you live, please leave now. If the subject of homosexual relations offends you please read no further. The following story is a work of fiction and with the exception of Andy and the brief mention of Terry, all persons in this story are fictional.
Any resemblance to persons living, dead or not yet born are completely accidental and unintentional.
The Author reserves all rights. copyright 2000 The Author is Andrew Simon van Ryan. Email me at Zlatazobo@aol.com
Visit me at my web page http://hometown.aol.com/zlatazobo/myhomepage/profile.html
Where no one owns the Rain....
By Andrew Simon van Ryan
Copyright 2000. All Rights Reserved
Part Thirteen
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bank offers nation's first eye-recognition system
DATELINE: HOUSTON (May 14, 1999) -- On Thursday, the Bank United of Texas became the first in the United States to offer iris recognition technology at automated teller machines, providing customers a cardless, password-free way to get their money out of an ATM. "It knows you just by looking at you," said Ron Koben, Bank United executive vice president.
The concept works because the intricate pattern of each person's iris is more distinctive than even a fingerprint. Iris identification is already used at 11 banks outside the United States and may eventually be extended to many other kinds of identification uses. Bank United hopes to have more eye-scanning ATMs up and running within the next year. Several other banks in the United States are expected to unveil iris identification teller machines later this year.
The iris recognition and software process was invented a by John Daughman of Cambridge University in England. It is marketed in this country to financial institutions by Sensar Inc. of Moorestown, N.J. "This event clearly establishes iris identification as the emerging standard in personal electronic identification," said Robert Van Naarden, Sensar vice president of marketing and customer service. "Iris identification is the most secure, robust and stable form of identification known to man." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After breakfast, Zeke and I returned to our hut, but not before Danny had reminded Zeke they would be leaving at sundown. Danny needed to get back no later than 10:00PM and he would be taking Noah and Gabriels group with him. The small group heading for Puerto Rico would leave late tonight at 11:00PM from the jungle airstrip close by. By midnight the main group would be somewhere deep into Mexico, heading north in the semi's. Zeke would be on his way to Brussels by way of London at 3:00AM, leaving from Philip Goldson International airport on a British Military Transport plane. Commander Raleigh had informed Danny that the stop in London would be for Zeke to meet with the Prime Ministers Office. The PM would be making the request to the Secretary General. It looked as if Zeke would have no problem going before the EU. Now, if everything else fell into place, we had it sewed up
I stepped close to Zeke and put my hand on his chest. He was starring intently into my eyes when a knock came at the door. I exhaled a deep sigh and turned.
"Yeah, who is it?" I called out. Danny opened the door.
"Here. Before you two get involved in anything private, I need to give you this." He said, stepping into the room. Danny handed me a Sat-link phone.
"I've programmed them so you can stay in contact with each other. Instant dial 1 is Gabriel and Noah. Dial 2 is the main group, 3 is the group heading for New Orleans, 4 the group bound for DC. This one's 5 and it's yours, Andy. Be sure to keep the encryption switch in the on position. I'll be able to keep track of everyone who's carrying one, too. We'll use the satellite locator back at the jungle base to track everyones movements." Danny instructed. "Sorry I interrupted." He finished and stepped out.
"Alone at last." I whispered. The door resounded with another knock.
"Yeah?" Zeke shouted. The door opened and Noah poked his head in.
"Andy can I see you for just a minute?"
"OK." I sighed looking into Zeke's eyes. "Wait right here."
Zeke smiled some what and flopped down on the bed. I followed Noah out. He motioned for me to follow him as he headed across the encampment. I followed him to the hut he shared with Gabriel. Once inside, they closed the door.
"Here's one of the four targeting devices. We're going to leave it under the mattress for you. One is going with someone in the New Orleans group, and one with each of the three going to DC. You're one of those three, Andy. That IS what you wanted, right?" Noah asked.
"Right." I replied bluntly.
"OK. It will be right here when you're ready for it." He said.
"Now here's what you'll do...." Gabriel said as he began to outline my assignment.
When Gabe was finished I made my way back to Zekes hut. I was surprised to find him not there. A note lay on the bed, which I picked up and read.
'Andy - Danny needed my help demonstrating the weapons. I should be back here by lunch. We'll get together then.'
I sighed deeply and sat down. I reached for my paper and pencil. Now was the time to finish the speech Ezekiel would be giving Saturday morning. I thought for a moment before I returned to writing. I reflected on all that Zeke and I had talked about in the last twenty-four hours. While I was doing so, an idea struck me. Picking up the pencil, I began to write at a fast clip. Within fifteen minutes I had finished a completely new speech. I reread it and smiled to myself. This was the one I would send with Zeke. This was a speech I was proud of.
I picked up a new piece of paper and swiftly wrote out a note. I took both the speech and the note and sealed them in an envelope, upon which I wrote 'Ezekiel'.
Now, I began to think about the task that lie ahead. Tomorrow would be a day of transit. Everyone would be traveling. Everyone except Isiah and Samuel the two youngest boys in the camp. The two were only fifteen and sixteen and had been a couple back home in Iowa. Discovered as homosexuals by their own parents, who then turned them in, the two boys had been sent to a 'correctional' facility in the Florida Keys. The boys went over the fence, stole a small sailboat and had eventually ended up here. Now they would be responsible for sending the last DatManDead file, which would open the link to the compiler code. Noah decided having the DatManDead strike about an hour and a half before zero hour, 'cutting' the power grid into the Capitol. This way when no one attacked it would appear to Conner we'd failed. The President would be thrown off guard.
Zeke would make Brussels by 7:00 AM day after tomorrow. His speech would begin as close to 8:00AM as possible, hopefully a minute or two before.
The main group concealed within the two semi's would try to make it as far as possible. There was no doubt they'd be stopped somewhere along the route to Washington. Hopefully, they wouldn't all be immediately shot by the armed forces they encountered. However, judging by Conner's' actions so far I didn't feel our main group would survive. The group heading for New Orleans would travel on well ahead of my group. They needed most of tomorrow to spread the rumor of the 'invasion'.
The three individuals heading to Washington National would fly to Miami, waste most of the day, then board a 'red eye' flight to the Capitol. From there we'd take separate taxicabs, waylay the drivers and head to the area surrounding the White House. On Swan Island Noah would be monitoring communications regarding the Presidents whereabouts and he'd keep us informed over the sat-link phones. The person closest to the Presidents known location would power up his SB-12 and the other two would head away in the taxis. Only the person with the best chance of getting close to Conner would stay.
I lay back on the bed. I hadn't slept much during the night and soon I was asleep. It was nearly lunch time when the door to the hut opened jarring me awake.
"Uhhh!" I cried.
"Andy! It's me, Zeke!"
I looked around the room frantically until I realized where I was.
"You OK?" Zeke asked softly.
"No.. " I said. "I was dreaming of Terry." My lower lip began to quiver and tears flooded from my eyes.
"Hey, it's OK." Zeke said as he sat down and took me into his arms.
"Zeke, I love you..." I said as I held him tightly.
"I love you, Andy." He replied. "Promise me you'll try and get to safety. I'll be devastated if anything happens to you in Washington."
I looked into his eyes, wondering who had told him. He must have read my thoughts through my expression.
"I knew you were going, Andy." He smiled nervously. "You want Conner stopped as bad as I do."
I starred into his eyes for a long moment before he kissed me. I returned his kiss with every bit of passion left in my being.