Chapter 2: A Midnight's Stroll
It was now 10 o'clock at night and time for bed, but something was keeping Jack up. He tried to fall asleep but it just didn't come. After another 10 minutes of deliberating what to do, Jack decided to take a quick walk. It had helped before and hoped it would yet again come through in the clutch. He picked up his black jacket he received the Christmas before, walked downstairs and left a note on the kitchen table before he left. His parents were always worrying about him.
He stepped out into the brisk fall night and quickly made his way down his driveway. Jack lived in the suburbs of Buffalo, a well off neighborhood by many standards. His father Michael was a banker, his mother Shannon was an accountant, and they both made enough to send their son to a Jesuit school, and their eldest daughter to Georgetown. It was a nice life and Jack wouldn't have it any other way. He turned right from Snowbrook to Dale and continued north into the strong winds. Though it was still relatively early, he didn't see any cars out, let alone any other fellow insomniacs out for a relaxing stroll before bed. Yet he couldn't help but feel that someone was watching him from somewhere.
"Yes, I see him. Yes, he is alone. No sir, we will wait for your order," These words were spoken over an open channel radio, which made the man uneasy. He was worried that someone could be listening in. Yet his superiors told him that it was nothing to worry about. He was a member of the F.B.I, and his name was James Ulrich. His parents had emigrated directly from Denmark to the U.S. and he was sure glad they did. He was dispatched by the F.B.I. office in Buffalo to pick up a young, white, blond haired boy and told to take him into the office. As he waited for the order to move in, he thought of all quirks of the night's dispatch. First off, Ulrich was alone; not only alone, but with no backup. Secondly, he was following a 15 year old kid with a completely clean record from what he could see. Everything was strange about this takedown. Then again, everything about the Bartlett administration, the current President was strange. That was the biggest quirk; the order to take the kind in came directly from the President. "What could this kid possibly have done to piss the high up guys enough to have him brought in," he quietly asked himself. However, he didn't have the time to answer his question as the order to "move in" was given. He quietly maneuvered his 2003 Ford Taurus behind the "mystery kid" and put on his red flashing cop light. Jack was taken aback, but stopped his walk and approached the car to see what was wrong. James stepped out of the car and approached Jack. Though he was pretty sure that the kid was unarmed, James kept his hand on his hip where he could quickly grab his Berretta 9mm if necessary.
"Are you Jack Lewis?" said the F.B.I. agent.
"Yea," replied Jack. "What's the matter officer," Jack wasn't really sure if this guy was a cop but he decided to play it safe and be respectful.
"I'm special agent James Ulrich and I'm here to bring you down to our HQ. We just need to ask you a few questions." It was at this point that both parties involved in the confrontation realized that neither knew what the hell was going on. Ulrich hadn't been given any description of what the kid had done to get him in such deep shit, and Jack hadn't done anything illegal in his life at all.
After a brief pause, Jack finally said, "Yes sir. But can you call my parents and tell them where I'll be?"
"Sure" replied the agent, "We'll call them when we get downtown."
The drive to the station was a quiet one. Ulrich had decided to stop thinking about the situation as he had no other choice but to do his job. Jack on the other hand, was full of thoughts. He had no criminal record, no offenses, hell he hadn't even talked to a cop prior to the night's happenings. His thoughts then wandered to what his parents might say. Taken in by the Feds at 10 at night probably wouldn't sit well with them. He started to wonder what would happen to him when they arrived at their destination; the F.B.I. building. Jack had seen the building many times before from the outside while on his daily run, but it was his first time on the inside. Everything about the building said government. The whole building was made some kind of pale stone with windows in the shape of blocks every few yards on every side of the building. The inside was, unsurprisingly, very similar; plain walls, a few plants here and there, but mainly just a boring office building. Once inside, Ulrich was allowed to leave Jack, and he quickly made his way back to his car and whizzed home. He would be transferred to the Sacramento branch the next week. The cover up was already beginning to take place. Jack's next escort was another agent who led him to a white Chevy van in the rear of the building. Rather forcefully, Jack was pushed into the van which immediately departed after it had its special cargo.
"What's going on?" asked Jack.
"Nothing" was the reply from someone Jack didn't see. However along with the response, went a needle into Jack's arm. He was out 5 seconds after.