November 22nd, 1963

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

Skorzenzy led Muki and the others back to the main control room.

“Muki, I need to go over a few things before we begin. When the machine starts working, according to Captain Christopher you’ll feel a little nauseous at first. This is a result of the magnetic forces pushing on the suit. Within a few seconds, the power pack will detect the pressure and start compensating the effects. The second thing you’ll notice is an electric field of static electricity dancing around you. According to the captain, it is some type of illusionary field. None of the instruments or video feeds have picked it up. Since the project was shut down, I haven’t had the resources for further investigation of this phenomena, but I assure you, it is also harmless. Thirdly, and most importantly, is don’t move for any reason. Once the field has detected your presence and measurements, the field is set. Any movements will disrupt it and send you into the vortex of magnetism. The results will be most detrimental.

“What do you mean detrimental?” questioned Larry. His protective nature was on high alert as his suspicions appeared to be correct.

“Larry, the first experiment was performed with a dummy. One of the technicians didn’t properly secure the subject to the chair. We were fifty percent into power up when the bindings started loosening. The dummy fell forward disrupting the field. Within the blink of an eye, the dummy disintegrated. What was left wouldn’t fill an ash tray. Any other questions?” There were none.

“Muki, remain calm and breathe normally. I trust everything will be alright. Are you ready?”

Muki digested the information and nodded in the affirmative. “Wait, I do have one question—the emergency button. If I get in trouble, all I have to do is press the red button, and that will send a signal back here alerting you I’m in danger and need to be extracted immediately, correct?”

“Correct.” His words were sound and reassuring, yet he knew no such system was in place. If there were a failure, he could easily explain why the system failed, and no one would know otherwise.

“Muki, John Kennedy was shot at 12:30pm CST. I believe for a first run, we will send you back to Dallas at 9:30am. That should provide you plenty of time to examine the square, and all of the activities before the motorcade arrives. Are you ready?”

“Yes. One other question. When will I return?”

Skorzenzy thought about this for a moment. If she actually figures out who shot Kennedy, the repercussions could have a dire effect on his career. The chances of her unraveling the clues were a long shot at best. “Muki, you will return here at 12:32pm. Hopefully, you won’t be noticed, and your extraction will be undetected. Any other questions?”

“No, I’m ready.”

“Good. Climb down the ladder and place your feet in the middle of the “X.” Larry, Abdul – I watched you two initiate the last start-up. Are you ready to try it again?”

Without a word, Abdul took his station.”Aye Captain. Abdul reporting for duty.”

“Larry?”

“Professor, I have my doubts about this venture. I really believe—” The professor wasn’t interested in another debate.

“Judith, you read through the instructions with no problems. Do you think you can operate the second half of the panel? Muki’s life depends on a timely sequence.” Judith stared at Muki, jealous she wasn’t going first and hurt that she would have to wait to correct the evils of the past.

“Judith?”

Before she could answer, Larry stepped up.

“I’ll do it, Professor. Under protest, but I’ll do it. I don’t think Judith’s mind is in proper sync to accomplish the procedure.”

“Good. Then let’s begin.”

Skorzenzy leaned over and spoke into the microphone. “Muki, just relax. You are in good hands. Boys, are you ready?

In unison they responded. “Yes.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Skorzenzy started calling out the orders one by one. The boys flawlessly executed the task with no problems.

The final command was issued, and Larry depressed the slip initiate button. Muki disappeared.

* * *

The bright sun shone beautifully in Dealey Plaza. Throngs of people were waiting to catch a glimpse of the promising young 35th President of the United States—John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and his lovely wife Jacqueline Kennedy. JFK had refused to listen to his advisers about skipping Dallas completely. There were numerous articles in the paper warning Kennedy to stay home. He wasn’t welcome in Dallas. He brushed the concerns aside and continued with his nationwide tour.

It was just as she remembered from the history books. From her perch in the bell tower of the Records Building, she could easily make out the Grassy Knoll and the Book Depository Building. She had the perfect advantage point to view everything. Her thoughts were filled with elation. She was going to witness history firsthand.

As she adjusted to get comfortable, her ears detected a voice over a two-way radio.

“Eagle One, this is Firefox. Are you in position?”

She couldn’t detect where the radio was located. She assumed it was the Secret Service doing a perimeter sweep.

“Eagle Two, this is Firefox. Are you in position?”

Why couldn’t she detect the source of the message? They were close, yet she couldn’t see anyone.

“Eagle Three, this is Firefox. Are you in position?”

Dammit, where are they? They have to be close. She leaned over the rail of the bell tower and scanned the plaza. It was filled with hundreds of well-wishers waiting to welcome the couple from Camelot. Nothing unusual. She heard the voice again.

“Eagle Four, this is Firefox. Are you prepared?”

“Roger. In position and awaiting orders.”

“Roger, Eagle Four. Remain in place. Code word Knight will initiate plan. Repeat, code word Knight.

“Roger. Out.”

Code word Knight, thought Muki. What and who are talking to each other? It must be the Secret Service. Who else would be communicating with each other? The history books never made mention of a code word Knight. She shrugged off the cryptic message and settled in to enjoy the view. Like many others that bright sunny autumn day, a new chapter was going to fill the history books for decades.

12:15pm

Her daydreaming was broken by the static of the two-way radio.

“This is Firefox. Initiate plan. Code word KNIGHT, repeat, code word KNIGHT is a go.”

This time the voice was much closer. She leaned out to view the square. There was no unusual activity at first glance. Everything appeared normal. She could hear the throngs of people on Main Street yelling and cheering as the motorcade slowly made its way towards the plaza. She removed the small Nikon hand-held camera and started filming. She started with the Grassy Knoll and moved to the Book Depository. Nothing out of the ordinary. Wait, what was glinting in the sunlight on the roof? She pushed the zoom button. On the roof were two men in painter’s coveralls. Why would painters be on the roof? She kept filming. “Oh no,” she gasped to herself. One of the painters removed a rifle with a scope on it. The second painter was scanning the plaza with a pair of binoculars. His main focus was on the intersection of Main and Houston. She could see him pick up a two-way walkie-talkie.

“Firefox. Eagle Two in position. Operation Knight is in motion.” He placed the device back in its belt holster. If that’s Eagle Two, where are the other three? She panned to the Grassy Knoll and zoomed in.

12:20pm

The camera settled on two policemen behind the wall. They appeared to be making sure there were no unwanted persons behind the fence. Again, she saw one of the men remove a walkie-talkie. “Firefox. Eagle Three in position. Operation Knight is in motion.”

“Roger” came the words from the radio close to her, yet still unseen. Where are they?

12:25pm

She could hear the motorcade getting closer. The thunderous applause and cheers were intensifying. Any minute the caravan would turn onto Houston Street. What could she do to warn the president of the impending doom?

12:26pm

The motorcade turned onto Houston Street. Her throat choked up. She could see John and Jackie waving to the crowd. They were such a handsome couple. John was using the smile that launched his political career. Women swooned over John and his good looks. They also admired Jackie as a true mother, a first lady, and fashion trendsetter. Jackie always kept up appearances in public even though she was aware of her husband’s extracurricular activities. Despite John’s infidelities, she very much loved him, or so it appeared.

The crowd waved back and cheered with a welcome reserved only for Southerners. Even though he was a hated “Northerner,” he was the President of the United States and by the greeting he was receiving from the crowd, one would have thought he was a native son. But not everyone.

“Firefox, Eagle Four. Knight is now in view.”

“Roger Eagle Four. Proceed with plan. Out.”

“Roger.”

12:28pm

Where are they? They have to be close. She panned the camera back to the Depository. The painters were still on the roof. One of them was aiming his rifle at Kennedy’s car. Another glint caught her attention. There was another rifle pointing out of the sixth floor, two windows from the east end of the building. She panned to the Grassy Knoll. One of the officers was also holding a rifle. He wasn’t panning the crowd though. She could tell his gaze was centered on Kennedy’s car. It is a conspiracy. The theories were right. Oswald could never have fired six shots that rapidly with an Italian bolt-action rifle. But who are they and why Kennedy? Why did he deserve to die? She needed to know. But how?

She leaned a little farther over the banister looking for a clue. The sound of a window being opened all the way was discernible over the roar of the crowd. Directly below her, she could see two men with binoculars watching the motorcade move by.

“Firefox. Eagle Four. Target is approaching kill zone. All units stand by.”

“Roger Eagle Four.”

“Eagle One. Any activity in your sector?”

“Negative. Eagle One is clear. Knight is a go.”

“Roger.”

Where is Eagle One? One area she hadn’t examined was the grass plaza to the south of Main Street. She backed the zoom angle out and peered hard into the viewfinder. Nothing, Nothing, Noth...wait. What are they doing? The camera settled on two men who were deliberately standing behind the crowd on the high bank. They looked like Secret Service but weren’t acting like it. One of the men was training his set of binoculars on Kennedy’s car. The picture Muki developed in her mind was frightening. It literally was a killing zone Kennedy was moving into. The word hurry was caught in her throat. She started sweating profusely as the motorcade approached Commerce.

12:29:30pm

The black limousine inched onto Commerce Street. She felt as if everything were going in slow motion. Why are they slowing down? Why? Someone has to warn them. Her suit was plastered to her from the sweat pouring out of her pores. Her respiration and heartbeat were reaching new highs, as she tried to warn the president and will the driver to speed up.

12:29:45pm

She slowed her heartbeat enough so she could form the words and scream as the camera kept filming. “Mr. President! Mr. President!”

John Kennedy turned his head to his right and looked up. Muki couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She felt as if he were looking straight at her. His smile was one of reassurance and goodwill. She screamed again as he moved his head back to the left.

12:30:00pm

The sound of rifle shots echoed back and forth across the plaza as the deadly lead bore into Kennedy. His body rocked back and forth as each new bullet entered the frail human body, shattering bone and sending deadly fragments into his vital organs. It was the last shot from the Depository that sealed his fate. She watched as the back of his skull exploded. Pieces of brain and blood splattered all over Jackie.

Muki screamed without hearing herself. “They’ve shot the president! They’ve shot the president!” None of the bystanders could hear her screams. They were all cowering on the ground trying to understand what had just happened. She kept screaming and pointing in all directions trying to get the attention of the Dallas police officers who stood in shock. She pointed wildly at the Depository rooftop, the Grassy Knoll and the Grassy Plaza.

“Firefox. We have a problem. Eagle Four. Target directly above you. Take her out.”

Muki looked down at Houston Street in disbelief. She could feel four pairs of eyes boring in on her. Two pair came from the Grassy Plaza; the other pair came from the men directly below her.

“Eagle One, Firefox. Do you have a shot? Over.”

“Negative. Eagle Four is moving in.”

“Roger.”

Muki didn’t realize at first what was happening until one of the men disappeared from the window. She panned the camera back to the Depository. The two men were still there. One with binoculars, the other with the rifle—pointing straight at her.

“Firefox, Eagle Two, We have a shot.”

“Negative Eagle Two. Pack up and observe. Eagle Four is dealing with the problem.

Muki now knew she was the target! She carried the evidence that would prove Oswald didn’t act on his own. In fact, she didn’t remember seeing a rifle pointing out of the room Oswald was supposedly in. Hopefully, she had captured enough evidence to prove her theory. But now was not the time for reflection. She was trapped in the bell tower of the Records Building with no escape route.

12:31:15pm

The door burst open. Before her stood a man over six feet tall and at least two-hundred and fifty pounds. He wore white painter’s clothing, identical to the men on the Depository roof. She couldn’t see the evil in his eyes behind his reflective sunglasses.

“Give me the camera and you won’t be harmed.” His tone was threatening.

Muki remembered the stories her father had told her of the North Vietnamese police and their tactics. Do what they ask, and they will let you go. She thought about it for a few seconds looking at her watch. “And if I don’t?”

The man said not a word and removed a pistol with a silencer on it. “Any more questions?”

12:31:50pm

Muki slowly handed the camera over to the imposing man. “This is Eagle Four, tell Skorzenzy we have...”

His words were followed by a bloodcurdling scream as she disappeared.

12:32:00pm

The control panel came to life as the automatic sequential timer marked 12:32pm. Abdul and Larry only monitored the panel to ensure everything was working perfectly.

Muki reappeared in the middle of the floor. According to the monitor, she was entirely intact and alive. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief except Judith. “My God, what’s all over her suit?”

Judith waited for the machine to power down and then bounded down the stairs. Muki crumpled to the floor.

“My God, it’s blood. She’s covered in blood.”

Judith quickly started examining Muki for any injuries.

Even though the left side of the suit and her face was covered in blood, she couldn’t find an injury. What she did find made her jump back. The remains of an index finger were wrapped around the camera she held with a death grip.

“Muki? Muki? Are you alright?” pleaded Judith.

Abdul and Larry were now down the ladder and stood over their comrade. “Muki,” called Abdul. “Muki, wake up. Are you okay?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes. They were filled with terror. “No, No. Get away. You murdered the president! Get away!”

“Muki, it’s Aby. Aby. You’re safe. You came back.” His tone wasn’t overlooked by Larry and Judith.

“Aby?”

“Muki, it’s okay. You came back. You’re safe now,” he reassured her.

She fixed her eyes on Abdul, and realizing she was safe, put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She whispered into Abdul’s ear as she regained her senses. “It was horrible, just horrible. I saw the whole thing. They killed Kennedy in cold blood, and a man was going to kill me. I was handing over the camera when I was pulled back. But, there’s more.” Tears were streaming down her face. “But there’s more. Skorz—”

The loudspeaker interrupted her thoughts. “I’m glad you are safe, my dear. Please come and tell us what you’ve learned.”

Muki waved at the professor indicating she was okay. As she steadied her feet with the help of Abdul, she whispered a warning. “Skorzenzy was somehow connected.”

Again the loudspeaker crackled. “Muki, please come and share your experience.” She nodded again.

Skorzenzy had been against traveling to this portal. If what he thought was true, then Muki and her friends would never be allowed to leave the premises alive, but not until he gained his revenge. After all, he had nothing but time on his hands.

* * *

“Firefox, Eagle Four. We have a problem. Tell Skorzenzy the subject escaped. Eagle Four needs a doctor. Right hand is obliterated. Request a doctor.”

The voice on the other end was cold and calculating. “Negative. Eliminate him. Out.”

“Roger. Out.”