He Is Not Alone

The trip to Florida is pretty uneventful. Not much traffic once you leave the DC Metropolitan area. I will take 95 down till I hit I-4 and follow it West to Orlando area. My first stop is Lake Gaston, NC. It is about halfway between I-95 and I-85. This was supposed to be a 4-hour trip, but with traffic and getting out of Campers’ Place around noon, I pull into the campground just about 7 pm.

Driving an RV is a trip when the biggest thing you have ever driven is a pickup truck. I-95 wasn’t too bad, other than the people who pass and then cut in front of the RV with little room between your bumper and theirs. I used a lot of air with the air horn. Even trying to stay back and increasing the following distance was no help. At 26,000 lbs., the RV takes a while to stop.

After checking in, one of the rangers took me to the site and helped me back in, since this was my first time ever backing up. The sites are all back in. Luckily, my RV has a backup camera which made pulling into the site pretty easy. I’m sure that with practice I will be able to do it myself. I meant to stop for some groceries before getting to the campground as I don’t have a car with me but forgot. My jeep is still in Washington, DC in the garage. Tim, the ranger, offered to take me to the store after his shift. I told him that would be great.

Lake Gaston is on a manmade lake so naturally, there are a lot of water sports activities available. Being kind of late in the day, I was glad to just stretch my legs with a walk around the park. Around 8 pm, Tim stopped by and we went to the grocery store. Along with the food, I picked up some Coors. Tim had some firewood in the trunk of the car and we started a nice little fire and drank the beer. By 11 pm, I was ready to “hit the sack”.

Tuesday and Wednesday are kind of down days. It is pretty nice as no one knows who I am or what I have been doing. Daily campfires and Tim stopping by with beer and some fast food make for a very relaxing time, although I do miss having the car.

Thursday morning, I start packing up. This is only the second time getting ready to pull out with the RV. Inside is not much of an issue. I don’t have much to do but wash the dishes and put them away. Pulling in the slides is easy and nothing bad happens. Outside is another issue. Most of you have probably seen the movie RV, with Robin Williams. The scene with the sewer hose comes to mind. One of the things I did not purchase was a sewer line donut. This is a rubber seal that goes into the sewer hole and the drain line is inserted into it. It keeps the gases from escaping and also helps to hold the hose in the hole when dumping the tanks. For me, my sewer line went into an elbow and was placed into the sewer hole. I had a rock on top of the elbow. First, I started with the grey tank; I opened the valve and remembered that the black tank was first. So, I closed the valve and opened the black tank. Well, the pressure from the black tank blew the elbow out of the hole and, yes, crap went everywhere! I quickly closed the valve and called the office. After they finished laughing, I was told that Tim would be over to help clean up the mess. Tim arrived about 10 minutes later. With gloves in hand we cleaned up what we could, rinsed down the area and Tim put some lime around the sewer hole. With his help, I managed to dump the tanks without any more issues. Tim also suggested that I fill my water tank, so I could use it while on the road. With all of that done, I say goodbye to Tim and pull out of the campground. Happy that I may never see Tim or Lake Gaston again. Hopefully, Thousand Trails doesn’t have some kind of messaging system between campgrounds. I would hate to have this follow me to the next stop.

My next stop is a place called Oaks at South Point in South Carolina. I have the GPS set and it says a little over 335 miles. No problems until I get off of I-95. I follow the GPS and end up in a parking lot for some kind of museum. After talking to the staff, I find out that the campground is actually behind the museum property. Next problem is there is no sign for the campground, only one for a campground called KOA. I pull in there and they tell me to go back out of the campground and head the other direction, Oaks is the other end of the road. Once I get to the right campground, check-in is easy. They have all my information and assign me a site. These are all pull-through sites, which means no backing up. Setup is done within 20 minutes and I get to walk around. There is very little here, a lake out back and a nice recreation room. I have plenty of food, which is a good thing as there are no stores nearby. Around 4 pm, I start a campfire and cook some hotdogs. Sitting around the fire is very relaxing. Several other campers stop by and say hi. Driving seems to take a lot out of me, so by 8 pm, I am ready for bed. The fire is out and I fall asleep and have a great night‘s rest.

Friday morning and most of the day seems to be a busy time for campers. The sites in the campground fill up and everyone is having fun. There are games and other activities in the recreation center and the other campers seem to feel that since I am a single guy camping alone, I can’t fend for myself. I am invited to every campsite it seems for drinks, food, or games. It is after midnight before I crawl into bed. This camping life is beginning to feel like the best thing that could have happened to me.

Sunday morning and it is time to hit the road. Good thing too, I am running low on some foodstuff and need more things to drink. Tear down happens without any issues and I pull out of the campsite around 9:30 am. Being a Sunday, there isn’t much traffic and I am into Georgia in no time, well it is only 30 miles. The trip through Georgia is uneventful. Soon I am into FL. First stop is a rest stop. They have free Orange Juice and restrooms. After a quick stop, I’m back on the road heading to Orlando, FL.

I know I said Disney, but I really didn’t want to be around all those people, so I continued south to a little town call Wauchula. Before finding a campground, I pull into Winn Dixie and buy my groceries. I was looking at the book that Derek gave me for Thousand Trails and find that Peace River Campground is only a few miles from here.

This was the spot I was looking for. Hardly anyone here and I got a spot right by the river. What a great place. It was Sunday early evening by the time I got set up. Pulled out the chairs and sat with the sun on my back and the river in front of me, birds singing, a momma raccoon and two little ones playing down by the river. People behind me are walking their dogs, cleaning and packing for their next journey. I sipped my coffee and watch the river go by. For the first time in a long time, my mind was quiet. I was at peace sitting along the Peace River.

I don’t know how long I was sitting there, an hour maybe two. The folks from the site next to me came over and introduced themselves. He was Dave and she was Donna. Friendly folks, Dave is retired and also wanted to get away from it all. Donna was kind of quiet. I got the feeling she was along for the ride. They were full-timers, Dave said. Apparently, they stay in the RV all year round. Traveling when they want and where they want. I can see the reason for that, given the last couple of hours watching the river. There was a musical group playing that night in the recreational hall. Dave said that they were really good and it was free. The husband and wife team called Mercy Seat.

After dinner, I went up to the recreation room and sat in the back of the room. Dave and Donna were upfront. Dave came back and said hi, just as an older gentleman stood upfront. He started by saying that it had been a rough few months. He had lost a good friend and then lost his wife in November. He was sitting in NY and decided he had to get on the road. People needed him and to hear his message. For the next hour, we listened to his music. Apparently, Jennifer, his wife also was part of the band and you could tell at times he still found it hard to sing some of the songs. After the show, I realized that he and I had a lot in common. I walked up and, after Bill finished talking to his fans, I introduced myself and told him that we had a lot in common. We both lost our wives and we both had special skills that needed to be shared. Over the next several hours, I help him clean up as we talked. At the end of the night, Bill said that he believed that my gift was given to me by God and that I had to be careful with what I did with it. He said the Lord would guide me if I let him.

That night as I walked back to the RV, I thought hard about what Bill had said. I am not an overly religious person, but I am not an atheist either. For the first time since this all started, I had a direction. The next week or so was great. I felt so relaxed and at peace. I really enjoyed camping, but it was time to get back to work. I noticed that I had not been “hearing voices” for quite a while. Even my mind was sharper.

I packed up the next day and headed back to Washington. As I left the campground, I called Susan and told her I would be back in town in a few days. When I returned to DC, I found a campground and old KOA called Americamp just outside of DC.

When I was all set up I called Susan and told her I would be available on Monday and where I was staying. I told her not to tell anyone my location. I was back in the real world and didn’t trust our government just yet.

Monday morning, Susan was at the office waiting for me. She said I had an appointment with the President at Noon. We arrived about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. When I was escorted into the Oval Office, only three people were there besides Susan and me. The President, Secretary of State John Kimberly and a secret service agent.

“Mr. Smythe, thank you for coming. How was your vacation?” the President said as he came around the desk to shake my hand. This was not what I expected; his thoughts and comments were sincere.

“The vacation was just what I needed to recharge and get my mind together, thank you.”

“I would like to introduce the Secretary of State, John Kimberly.”

“How do you do, sir?”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. The President has told me of your, ah, capabilities.”

“Yes, I am sure he has.” I smiled.

It is funny, I can read their thoughts and moods and the only one concerned is the secret service agent. He doesn’t know if he is being controlled or not.

“Agent, I would be more comfortable as well if I knew what was going on. In the meantime, since you are aware that I can control minds, I think it would be best if you either put your weapons in plain view or leave the room.”

The agent looked at the President, who told him to wait outside.

“Will, your last visit was not a very good one. Quite frankly, you scared the shit out of us and we didn’t know how to handle it. I do apologize. You were offering us services that cannot be found anywhere else in the world and we blew it. After you left, I was shaking in my boots and it took time for me to realize what a wonderful gift you have. It took even longer for us to figure out how we might best use your skills to better not only the Country but mankind as well.”

“It took me a long time to understand what my capabilities are and I am still trying to figure out how to best use them.”

“Well, I think we have a suggestion. We would like for you to work with our diplomatic corps as they negotiate with other countries for treaties that affect the Country. You would be an adviser to the team, informing them of the thoughts and fears of the people on the other side of the table. With this inside information, we will be in a better position to act in the best interest of everyone.”

“That is an interesting suggestion. I have not had a chance to see how my skills interact with others of different faiths and nationalities.”

“You would only report to Mr. Kimberly, although you will work with a number of people at different times. They will not know what you are capable of, only that you will provide insight into the mind of the other negotiators.”

“That sounds good. Is this on an as-needed basis or are you looking for something more permanent? When would you want me to be available?”

“I think it would be more on an as-needed basis. We don’t have negotiations all of the time. We would also want to do some training with you to see how best to use what information you can supply,” said Kimberly.

“How much notice will you provide? After this little vacation, I think I would like to travel some more.”

“We know at least several months in advance, I would think we could say at least 45 day’s notice would be acceptable.”

“When would you like to start the training and are there any events upcoming?”

“Give us a month or so to put a team together to work with you. At this time the first negotiations aren’t scheduled until the summer, so we have a few months to work with.”

“Mr. President, thank you for reaching out to me. I hope we can have a good working relationship. If you need to get in touch with me, Susan has my number. I would like to keep her in the loop and restrict access to her.”

“Will, you haven’t asked how much this is going to pay?” said the President.

“As long as you cover my expenses that will be fine. I got a good deal of money when my wife died several years ago. So, I really don’t need anything extra. I look forward to your phone call. Nice to meet you, Mr. Kimberly. Mr. President.”

As I leave the office I sense the relief in both men as well as security. Susan follows me outside.

“Susan, please do not give my number to anyone. If you need to get in touch with me, email me first and I will turn on the phone otherwise it will be off.”

“Where will you be going?”

“I’m not sure. I really like the travel and camping I did for vacation. I’m thinking of doing some more, just don’t know where I am going to start or end up.”

Before leaving DC, I pick up the Jeep and head back down to Campers Place. Derek is on duty and I ask him how to take the car with me. Since it is a Jeep, I can tow it four wheels down he says. He shows me some of the different setups. Turns out my Jeep already has the tow bar attachments. All I need are the tow bar, chains, and electrical cables. The previous owner must have used the Jeep for towing behind a camper before. I purchase the extra gear and head back to the campsite. Tuesday morning, I spend most of the time trying to figure out how to hook everything up. YouTube isn’t as much help as you would think especially if you don’t know what you are doing, to begin with. As I am sitting there with the cell phone in one hand, wires in another and pieces of the setup all over the ground, an older man comes over and asks what I am doing. Thirty minutes later, the jeep is connected to the RV, the lights all work and I am about as embarrassed as a man could be. I disconnect the jeep and pull it around front. Put the cover on the tow bar and head out for some food. I want to be ready to hit the road tomorrow morning.

For the next three weeks, I just went from campground to campground traveling generally west, nothing in mind to do except to stay away from Washington, DC. I met a lot of great people, friendly and totally unaware of my capabilities or notoriety. On tax day, Susan sends me an email. I turned on the phone and the next day she called.

“Hello, Susan.”

“Hi, Will. How is the trip going? Where are you?”

“The trip is great. I never realized what it was like to travel like this. The people I meet are wonderful and they have no idea who I am. I didn’t get as far as I hoped. I stopped in Gettysburg, PA for a week, then over to Ohio and Illinois. Right now, I am in South Dakota. So, when do they want me back?”

“Two weeks. They have a half a dozen people, mainly lead negotiators. They want you to get together and then convince them of what benefit you can be and provide a demonstration.”

“Okay, set it up for at the Marriott at Mall of America. Book the rooms and a conference room for a few days. I will be there on May 2nd.”

“Will, they wanted you to meet at Langley.”

“Well, I’m not coming back to DC for a week. Besides this will keep us out from under prying eyes.

“I’ll see what I can do. I will call you tomorrow morning.”

“Cool, talk to you tomorrow. I’m off to see Mt. Rushmore.”

I’m walking around the landing at Mt. Rushmore and a group of three men are talking to each other and watching the park ranger pretty closely. I quickly tune in and find out they plan to destroy the monument in a three-prong attack. They are not armed but are very alert. There is only one ranger in the area and he is also unarmed.

I walk over the ranger.

“Excuse me sir, but I need to talk to you and it is VERY important.”

“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?”

“Do you have a means to call for help?”

“What kind of help and why?” he asks.

“Armed response type of help, because there is a plot forming to bomb the monument.”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“No sir, I work with the government and have received information that there will be an attempt to bomb the monument. You have to act fast as the individuals are very nervous and will bolt at any moment. Do you have a way of calling for help or not?”

With that, he pulls out a walkie-talkie and talks to someone. Within a few minutes, there are 10 rangers with weapons rushing onto the landing. The three men begin to separate and leave the area. It is a simple matter to have them turn themselves into the nearest ranger. They also confess what they are planning to do. In the confusion, I make my way to the jeep.

The next morning, Susan calls.

“Was that you?” are the first words out of her mouth.

“Well, good morning to you, too. Was what me?” I say playing dumb.

“The incident at Mt. Rushmore, were you the one who alerted the rangers?”

“I guess you have heard.”

“They are looking for you. We received a description and the local office is investigating.”

“What do they want me for? Can you tell them to leave me alone or should I do it?”

“What do you mean, should you do it?”

“I can tell them to leave me alone. It is a simple matter for me. All I have to do is stop in see them and they will tell me to leave. Although, someone up the chain might wonder what happened. If headquarters tells them to drop it, no one will question it.”

“Let me tell the boss. He can decide. In the meantime, everything will be set up for the Marriott at the Mall of America starting May 3. Your room will be available for the 2nd. There will be a list of attendees waiting for you when you check-in. This is an open agenda. Once you meet the people and do your demonstration, the rest is up to you and the group.”

“Thanks, Susan. Send me an email if you need anything else.”

“Why are you turning off the phone?”

“Let’s just say, I don’t trust the powers that be. Bye!” and I hang up and turn off the phone.

I’m sitting outside of the RV having a cup of coffee when I hear “Will, you are not alone!” I quickly look around, but nobody is there. I get up and walk around the rig, still nobody around. The closest campers are a couple of rows over and they are walking their dog. I try to connect to anybody close and nothing. All I know is that a female voice told me I am not alone.

For the next couple of days, I take in the sights of Rapid City. I drive through the Wild Animal Farm, out to Cluster State Park, over to see Wall Drug and then home again for the last dinner in Rapid City. Then it is off to the Mall of America.

Driving the RV is kind of cool. You sit up high and have a huge window to the world that you are passing by. Set the cruise control and stay in the right lane. Before you know it, your travel time is done for the day. I stopped at Cabala’s in Sidney, NE. This was the first Cabala’s; it is huge, over 85,000 square feet. I camp for the night in the parking lot. Dinner is in the restaurant and a little shopping before I “hit the sack”.

Next morning, I am off, heading towards the Mall of America. It will take a few days to get there, but I’m in no rush. The drive across I-80 is pretty boring. Cars are passing me like I am standing still. What makes people think they can break the law like that? To pass the time, I watch each driver and then “make” them pull into the right lane and go the speed limit, kind of satisfying to watch all these speeders slow down and obey the speed limit at least. After a while, even that becomes boring and I give up on stopping them. With stops in Omaha, then up I-35 to Mall of America, I make it in a couple of days. Still, have a week before the conference. I find a campsite near a zoo.

While waiting for the conference, I spend the time walking around the zoo and Mall of America. It is amazing what I find myself doing. While at the zoo, I find I can easily talk to the animals. I’m an old Harry Potter fan; I had to recreate the scene where Harry finds he can talk to snakes. I sat in the snake exhibit and had all the snakes performing for me. After a while, even the staff sat there watching the snakes wondering what was going on. Monkeys were another great attraction. They are more intelligent than most people realize and they are bored. I taught them how to play keep away and the basics of football. With only 6 monkeys there wasn’t much more than throw the ball and run to the wall without getting touched.

At the campground, I enjoy messing with people as they walk their dogs. The dogs sit, jump, bark, roll over and crawl all while their owners are trying to figure out what is wrong. A few of them are amazed at the dogs doing all the tricks.

If you have never been to Mall of America, it is a small city under one roof. There are over 500 stores, 120 restaurants and an amusement park in the center of the mall. I hear they have their own zip code, fire and medical services. It is a mile around each floor. On the top floor, they have electronic games and on the ground floor, they have a huge Lego section and an amusement park. In the basement is supposed to be an aquarium, but I didn’t get to see that.

Sunday morning, I pull out of the campground and park the rig at the Marriott and check into my room. There will be 6 high-level negotiators that I will be meeting in the morning. Susan has booked a private conference room as well as a Continental breakfast. All I have to do is convince these folks that I can be of help in their negotiations.

Monday morning, I am in the conference room before anyone else shows up. All 6 negotiators show up together. Their mindset is pretty negative. Joseph seems to be the so-called leader or senior guy.

“Joseph, please come up here and sit on the floor.” Everyone looks at me and then Joseph as he walks to the front of the room and sits on the floor. He is looking at me, questioning why he is sitting here instead of at the table.

“Gentlemen, I do not have time to play games. I am here to help you with negotiations. I have the ability to read and control the minds of anyone. When I place a thought in someone’s mind they act on it as if it is their own and without question. Joseph, you may take a seat at the table. We can begin. My name is Will Smythe. Several years ago, I became aware of my abilities and have offered them to our government. For the next two days, we will explore how I can help you. I think the best way is to break into two teams. One will be the opposing team and one the home team. Each will write down what they want from the other. Initially, I will not know what the opposing team wants. I will work with the home team and guide the negotiations to ensure we get what we want at all costs, any questions?”

As they are looking at each other, I sense that someone is outside the room.

“Susan! Please come in.” Susan enters the room, a little in shock as she still doesn’t understand all that I can do. “Why did you leave Mr. Kimberly outside?” I walk to the door and invite Mr. Kimberly inside.

“Please, tell us why you are both here. This was supposed to be a private meeting.” I sense two other people in the hall, they are nervous. “Susan, please tell the security people to go to the coffee shop or this session is over.”

Susan looks at Mr. Kimberly, he nods his head and Susan leaves the room returning a few seconds later.

“Now, Mr. Kimberly, why are you here?”

Kerry starts to speak “I wanted to see how you and our negotiators are going to work”

“BULLSHIT! Perhaps you would like me to tell these people why you are here, John. Remember what happened that last time someone tried to pull something on me! Now, please tell us the truth.”

There is silence in the room. Nobody says anything for several long minutes. Finally, I decide that politicians cannot speak the truth and help John get started.

“Susan, you need to leave. I don’t want anyone that is armed in the room while I demonstrate some of my abilities. I promise no medical teams will be needed. I will call you and the other agents back in a few minutes.”

“Gentlemen, what you are about to see and hear cannot leave this room. If I hear of any of this, you will personally suffer my wrath. Is that understood?” They all shake their heads.

“Now John, before we begin, would you like to tell us the real reason you are here.”

“No. That is classified information direct from the President.”

“Gentlemen, if you remember, I was telling you that I can read and control minds. Now is a prime time to demonstrate that. It appears that Mr. Kimberly has a hidden agenda for being here. He apparently does not want us, or should I say me, to know what it is. I think it is time that we all find out what it is. Remember nothing that you see or hear in this room can ever be repeated to anyone.”

“John, one more time, why are you here?”

“Will, I cannot tell you.”

I quickly take a peek into John’s mind and find out why he is here. I now know that I should be very concerned for my life. It seems my own government wants me out of the picture as I cannot be controlled or trusted.

“John, please tell us what the real reason is for you being here.”

Within a few seconds, John begins. “I am here to see for myself what you are capable of doing and to determine if you are a threat to the government if so, I am authorized by the President to terminate you and all others like you.”

The color drains out of the negotiator’s faces.

“Gentlemen, I am afraid that I will no longer be offering my services in your negotiations. Mr. Kimberly and the President of the United States have made it clear that I cannot trust them. Mr. Kimberly is going to report back to the President that I am a fake. This is all some sort of parlor trick. Mr. Kimberly is then going to resign and tell the press that he was ordered by the President to terminate an honest American citizen and he could no longer work for the government. He will tell the Congress what happened and you will be brought in to testify. You will tell them what you heard here and nothing more. Due to the stress of the office, the President will suffer a heart attack when he next meets the press to discuss these allegations. The Vice President will take over as President and all of this will disappear.”

With that, I call Susan and the other agents back into the room. After a few minutes, they enter.

“Please take Mr. Kimberly and these gentlemen back to Washington. I will no longer be needed and am going to travel the country. Susan, you know how to contact me. But, I will no longer be working for the government.”

“Will, what happened?”

“You will know soon enough. Goodbye.”

As I leave the hotel, I hear the voice again. “Will, you are not alone.” Again, I look around and no one is there. But I can feel the presence.

I return to the RV and decide to hit the road today, putting as much distance as I can from the Mall of America and the government.

Wednesday, the shit hits the fan. Mr. Kimberly resigns from office and holds a press conference. He tells the American people that he was told by the President to terminate an American citizen and at the last moment he could not go through with it and has decided to leave the government for good. Congress immediately starts hearings into the matter. The President and Kimberly are both subpoenaed. Thursday evening on national TV, the President steps up to the podium and begins to address the American people. Ten seconds later he passes out and is rushed to the hospital where he dies of a heart attack. Within minutes, the Vice President is sworn in as the President of the United States. Later that night, my Gmail account dings letting me know I have a new message. Susan wants to talk.

That phone stays off and I throw it in the trash. I delete the Gmail account and the last tie with my past is gone.