Our Very Own God (part 1)

"This is going to be hard for you to understand John but try and keep an open mind." Tobias paused. "I know everything."

"John Conway?"

John Conway lowered his coffee mug and looked up to see a man standing over him, a man he had never seen before.

The man was wearing a clean, long-sleeved buttoned up white shirt and jeans. He appeared to be dry from head to toe which was odd.

It was the middle of winter in Chicago and it had been raining since the time John opened his eyes that morning. This man had not been in the diner when John entered so how was he dry.

"Did he change in the back?" John thought to himself.

"Do I know you?" John asked.

"No, we've never met" replied the stranger. "Do you mind if I sit down? We need to talk."

John fixed his gaze on the stranger's blank face. He couldn't tell much but one thing was obvious, this man, whoever he was, should be taken seriously.

On a bright summer's day in 1975, a baby boy was born at Hoboken University Medical Center in New Jersey. Martha and Dominic Conway were both exhausted but the wide smiles across their faces told the world that this didn't matter. Their son would be named John after Martha's father.

John Conway was a bright child and quickly outpaced his peers. He was a loner and instead of playing sports, chose instead to consume books and play chess with his father and uncle.

By the time John had finished high school it was clear to everyone who knew him that he was brilliant and gifted. Many guessed that he would go on to do amazing things.

By the time he finished high school, John had a pile of acceptance letters and scholarships on his desk and was torn between Colombia Business School or MIT. He considered a business degree a safe bet but was truly passionate about physics and how the world worked. Studying engineering at MIT would make John happy but he wasn't sure if it would be the best decision in the long term.

As fate would have it, John chose neither.

"Sit down" John said firmly to the stranger.

The stranger sat down in the booth opposite John.

"Thank you."

John knew from a long career that sometimes you got lucky. Sometimes the bad guys made a mistake and important information just appeared out of the blue. You never knew who would deliver this information so when a stranger approaches you in a diner on an average Thursday morning, you listen.

"What's your name?", asked John.

"My name is Tobias Brown".

Tobias was tall, thin and well groomed. He was cleanly shaven and had good posture. He didn't wear a watch or any jewellery. He had good skin but needed more sun.

"So Tobias, how do you know my name?" John asked with a stern look on his face.

"This is going to be hard for you to understand John but try and keep an open mind." Tobias paused. "I know everything."

John relaxed his back and shoulders and took a big sip of coffee.

"I don't have time for bullshit. I have no time for loons or conspiracy theorists. Did you get my name from that god damn book... what's it called?"

"John, I need a favor. I need you to introduce me to your boss, George Manning", said Tobias calmly.

John's eyes lit up and he regained his composure. John realized he might have judged Tobias too quickly. John had been exposed as an employee of the CIA by an over zealous reporter a few years earlier. This led to the occasional encounter with the-tin-foil-hat people, as John liked to call them.

"Answer my question", John demanded.

Tobias let out a sigh and dropped his head. John could tell that Tobias was trying to form an answer and waited patiently. A few seconds later Tobias raised his head, this time with a much more serious look in his eyes.

"Yesterday at 9:54pm you called your granddaughter to wish her happy birthday. After the call, you opened the fridge and took out a beer and a slice of pie which you had left over from the game night at the O'Brian's. This morning you woke up at 7:15, later than normal. You got dressed quickly and left the house at 7:33. You drove to this diner and ordered your regular breakfast, an egg and bacon bagel, and a cup of black coffee."

"Who the hell are you?" John asked in astonishment.

"I told you, my name is Tobias Brown. I told you it would be hard for you to believe me but I honestly know everything" Tobias said slowly emphasizing his point.

"For example, I know that yesterday afternoon at 1:34pm, Lucy, the secretary in your office dropped an important report on your desk. That report was from Mike O'Callaghan, the CIA station chief in Colombia. In it he covered the reasons behind the failed assault by your team on a terrorist cell hiding somewhere in the Colombian jungle."

Tobias waiting a few seconds before continuing.

"There are exactly three people still alive who know about that mission. Your boss, Mike O'Callaghan, and you."

"Even if I was some kind of spy and managed to bug your phone, install cameras throughout your home and watch your every move, there's no way I could know what I just told you."

Tobias was leaning forward now, looking straight at John with an almost childlike look on his face. He was pleased with himself. He was one step closer to convincing the great John Conway that he was a god.

Tobias remembers the day everything changed. He woke up feeling different. He rarely woke up fresh and energized but for some reason this morning was different.

He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to empty his bladder and brush his teeth. He realized something was different but he couldn't put his finger on it. He made his bed and got dressed.

Today was an important day for Tobias. He had been working for weeks on an important presentation and today was the day he would share it with the leadership of his company. He was well prepared and confident.

He picked up his briefcase and opened the front door of his upmarket apartment.

Jane, his neighbor was just coming out of her own apartment when the two caught each other's eye. Jane smiled and Tobias smiled back as they stepped into the elevator.

"Hey Tobias, how you doing?", Jane asked.

"I'm good thanks. How are you?", Tobias replied.

"I've been better to be honest. My cat died yesterday. I was at the vet until god knows what time."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Did you know Bella had cancer?", asked Tobias.

"What? No, I didn't know... and how did you know she had cancer?", asked Jane.

Tobias had no idea how he knew that Bella the cat had cancer. He couldn't even recall Jane telling him she had a cat. She had only moved into the building a month earlier and he had never seen her apartment or the cat.

"Lucky guess, I suppose. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you", answered Jane with a sad look in her eyes.

Tobias took out his cellphone and dialled 0234.

"Can I ask you a strange question?", Tobias asked Jane.

"I guess", replied Jane.

"I heard some noise late last night. I thought it was those kids from across the street but I couldn't be sure. Do you remember when you got home last night?"

"Mmm, it must have been around 2:30 in the morning."

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped out of the temporary metal confinement.

Tobias stood for a moment in the lobby and looked down on his phone.

The numbers 0234 looked back at him.

"She got back to her apartment at 34 minutes past two in the morning. How the hell did I know that?", Tobias asked himself.

"Why do you need to see my boss?", John asked Tobias.

John wasn't sure what to make of the information he had just received. There was still a chance that Tobias had been sent by one of the heads of the CIA to test him.

A year prior the agency had discovered a mole that had been sending information to the Chinese for years. It was a huge embarrassment and not one taken lightly by the top leadership of the organization.

One of the major changes which took place after the scandal was the formation of a new department dedicated to identifying moles and individuals that had been flipped by foreign governments. This department had a lot of free reign and access. Tobias might just be an agent from that department.

"Your boss will appreciate my gift and he can take advantage of it better than anyone else. He could also give me what I want."

John was intrigued. "What do you want exactly, Tobias?"

"I want two hundred million dollars every year for the rest of my life... and to make the world a better place."

John let out a laugh so loud and powerful that the lady behind the register almost jumped out of her own skin.

"That's a good one. I've never heard that one before." John took a bite of his now cold bagel. He was buying time. He couldn't give anything away and wanted Tobias to play the next card before he made his next move.

"You don't have to worry about that John. All I need from you is an introduction to your boss."

Tobias looked away towards the window. John could see that the wheels were turning. After a minute, he turned back and looked John in the eye and said.

"Look John, I've got to get going. Here's my number. Please call me when you're ready to introduce me to your boss, George Manning." Tobias took out a piece of paper with his phone number written on it and slid it over to John.

Tobias got up from the booth and turned to John.

"Yesterday a young girl was killed a few miles outside of Fort Worth. She's the third one this year. The FBI has no active leads and the killer has already identified his next victim."

Tobias paused and waited for John to respond.

"I'm listening Tobias".

"The killer's name is Kyle Walker. He lives at 23 Park Avenue in Dallas. He's six-foot-one, two hundred and seventy pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes", Tobias said slowly. John noticed a sadness in his eyes as he described the merciless serial killer that had snatched the life from three young girls.

"He keeps his victims underwear as trophies. He has them in a shoebox under the floorboards in his bedroom. Did you get all of that, John?".

"I did."

Tobias turned and left the diner.

John watched the man through the hazy windows as he disappeared into the greyness of Chicago.

"Hey Tim, I need a favor. Can you find out who is the lead FBI investigator on those child murders outside of Fort Worth?"

"Sure, John."

"Thanks and send it up to me as soon as you get it."

"Will do."

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Donald Smith of the FBI?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"Hi Donald, my name is John Conway of the CIA."

"How can I help you John?"

"Donald, I understand you're the lead on the murders of those three girls in Texas. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Donald, I have some information that might help you. It might be nothing but a source of mine told me today that he believes that someone by the name of Kyle Walker is the killer you're looking for. He's six-foot-one, two..."

"Sorry to cut you off John but we've already considered Kyle and he isn't the killer. We spoke to him last week for over two hours and we don't think its him."

"I see. Well, my source tells me that Kyle has the girls' underwear in a shoebox under the floorboards in his bedroom."

"How the hell would he know that?", asked Donald.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but what do you have to lose?"

FBI agents searched Kyle Walkers' apartment and found the shoebox under the floorboards. DNA testing proved they belonged to the victims and Kyle Walker was charged with the murders of all three young girls.

The newspapers applauded the impressive investigative work done by the FBI, and Donald Smith received praise from his bosses.

Tobias read the news and waited patiently for his phone to ring.

"George, I'd like to introduce you to Tobias Brown."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tobias. John told me a bit about you and the fact that you helped us catch Kyle Walker."

"Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Manning."

"Tobias, John told me that you relayed some highly classified information to him that only a few people in the government know about. We did a background check on you and have been watching you for weeks. And from what we gather you're just a regular guy. How did you know about Operation Juggernaut and Kyle Walker?"

"Don't you mean Operation Phoenix?"

George Manning was no fool and had laid a trap to see how much Tobias really knew. Tobias did not fall for it.

"Yes, that's right, Operation Phoenix." George couldn't help himself and had to smile at the lunacy of all of this. Operation Phoenix was so highly classified that very few people knew about it.

"How did you know about Kyle Walker?"

"I know it's difficult to understand, Mr. Manning, but I can't answer that question because I don't know the answer. I don't understand it myself. The truth is I woke up on the 2nd January of this year and had access to every piece of information I needed. I can't see into the future but it seems I am aware of and can recall everything that has happened anywhere and at anytime since the day I was born." Tobias paused and took a breath. He knew deep down that he sounded crazy and felt the need to hold himself back and not appear like a ranting lunatic."

He continued. "I know what your neighbor Jenny had for breakfast last week, and what your sick mother told her roommate, Dorothy before falling asleep last night. I have access to it all."

George Manning was a rational man. He had led the CIA for the past five years and was proud of his career which spanned over 30 years. He looked at Tobias and for the first time in a long time was truly dumbstruck.

"John tells me you want money."

"I have an incredible gift and want to work with you to make the world a better place. In return I want enough money to help my friends and family to never have to worry about money again. Trust me, the information I can provide will be well worth the two hundred million a year I'm requesting."

"Here's my issue, Tobias. What you're telling me is incredible and hard to believe. You've given us enough proof that we can't dismiss your claim outright, but at the same time... are you telling us that you're some sort of god?"

"I'm not god but I do have godlike powers."

George looked at John and then back at Tobias. George picked up the phone sitting on his desk and pushed a single button on the dial pad.

"Janice, can you call in Mike and Jackson?"

Moments later the door swung open and two tall CIA agents walked into the room.

"Gentlemen, this is Tobias Brown. Let's just say that Tobias is a friend of the agency."

The two men looked at Tobias and then back at their boss.

"I have a strange request of each of you. I need you to come up with one question which, if answered, would significantly help you with your most high priority mission."

"What's this all about?", asked Mike.

"Mike, just do what I asked."

Both them went deep into thought. Jackson was the first to share his question.

"I've love to know where Abdul Aziz's sister will be tomorrow afternoon. Intel has narrowed it down to either her aunt or the clinic where she volunteers. I don't have the manpower to cover both options."

"She's planning on going to the clinic", said Tobias.

All the men in the room turned to Tobias.

"How do you know that?", asked Jackson.

"The question you really wanted to ask is where is Abdul Aziz. Isn't he your main target?"

"Yes but he's like a ghost. No one has seen him in years."

"That's because he's dead. He died in a skirmish with US troops over five years ago." Tobias turned his head and looked straight at Jackson. "I can give you the coordinates to his final resting place."

"That's bullshit. I've got numerous sources telling me that he's somewhere in Afghanistan or Pakistan."

"If you're talking about your friends in Pakistan and the three remaining detainees at Gitmo then I'm sorry to tell you but you've been lied to. A man living in Berlin who goes by the name Rashi was with Abdul when he died. He buried him along with three others and is the only man alive today who knows where. Other than me of course."

"How do you know who my sources are?" Jackson asked loudly.

"Jackson, lower your voice and relax", the CIA Director demanded.

"Mike, now it's your turn."

Mike O'Callaghan had run the Colombia station for three years and had seen it all. His main mission was to monitor the growing influence of Hezbollah and other smaller terrorist groups in the country. The fear was that these groups would join forces with certain radical groups in Colombia and destabilize the entire region. Mike had the full cooperation of US special forces on his side but two covert missions had already been botched which had led to the death of ten navy seals and green berets. He was losing control and the decision-makers at the CIA knew it.

"We know there is a high profile Hezbollah asset in Colombia who has helped them counter our efforts since the start of the year. Who is this asset and where does he sleep at night?"

The Director of the CIA turned away from Mike and looked at Tobias. Tobias took a deep breath.

"Mr O'Callaghan, the man you are looking for is Jose Garrera. He's an American-Colombian. He was born in Bogota in 1984 but has lived most of his life in DC. He has two kids, Melissa and Michael. He lives on Calle 45E in the Laureles neighborhood in Medellin. That's where he sleeps at night. My advice would be to get him when he is at his mistress's house. Her name is Isabella Rodriguez. He's with her every Wednesday night, usually from around 10pm."

Mike looked at Tobias in disbelief. "That can't be true. Jose is one of our guys."

TO BE CONTINUED