The Beginning of Hope

Chapter 1

Vincent Senn stood at the airline ticket counter at LAX, wondering why the ticket agent had called his name.

 "Mr. Senn? Mr. Whiddon would like to talk to you.”

A man dressed in a dark suit stood next to the counter. He held up his badge and ID card. “Mr. Senn, I’m Detective Chuck Whiddon with airport security, please come with me.”

 “But, I’ll be late for my flight.”

 Whiddon took Vince by the arm. “I’ll have you back in time for your flight, I promise.”

 “Why do you need to speak to me?”

 “Don’t worry, it’s a routine matter.” He led Vince through the terminal.

 Soon, they arrived at a steel door, and Whiddon punched a code on a number pad. The door lock clicked, and they entered.

 The room was brightly lit, bare except for a small table and two chairs.

 “Sit down, Mr. Senn, or should I call you Aaron Carne?” Whiddon sat on a corner of the table and smiled. At that moment, the door slammed, and a suited man, arms folded, stood near the door.

 “Who is Aaron Carne?”

 Whiddon held up a tablet. “Isn’t this you, Aaron Carne, wanted for murder in Texas?”

 “That’s not me. I’m Vincent Senn, and I must be in New York by noon.”

 “Really? What business do you have in New York?”

 “If you must know, the United Nations called me to attend a conference.”

 “Who at the UN contacted you?”

 “The office of the Secretary General.”

 Whiddon’s eyes widened, and he jumped to his feet. “Very well, stay here, and we will make a couple of calls.”

 “But, I’m going to miss my flight.”

 “If your story checks out, I will release you, Mr. Carne, Mr. Senn, or whatever your name is, but not until then. Meanwhile, make yourself comfortable.”

 Vince looked about the room. “I suppose there is no point in checking the door,” he thought. “Where would I go, anyway? They’d merely nab me again, and who knows where I’d end up?”

 Minutes ticked away. Vince paced the floor, glancing at his watch. “That’s it. I’ll never catch that plane.”

 Some long minutes later, the door opened. Detective Whiddon grumbled and cleared his throat. “Mr. Senn, my apologies, it seems that you’ve set off a fire storm. Not only did the New York City Chief of Police call to vouch for you, I also got an angry call from the mayor of Los Angeles.”

 “Right, and I’ve missed my flight to New York.”

 “Were you flying to JFK? All flights to Kennedy have been canceled. The runways are flooded.”

 Vince sat down and sighed. “This certainly isn’t my day, is it?”

 “No, it isn’t, but don’t worry.” Whiddon handed Vince a boarding pass. “I have some pull at the ticket counter. I booked you on the next flight to Newark, New Jersey. The flight leaves in thirty minutes.”

 Vince smiled and vigorously shook Whiddon’s hand. “Thank you, but tell me; what’s this business with Aaron Carne?”

 “Someone doesn’t want you to go to that meeting at the UN. Do you have any idea why?”