Blind Man's Bluff

       Blind Man’s Bluff

Suzanne Marsh

The blackness of the night drew him out of his cave dwelling. He had isolated himself years ago after the nuclear mishap at Yucca Flats. He had been twenty-three years old then he was now seventy-three. It was time to take revenge on the world that had cost him everything in his life that mattered. There were no mirrors in the cave; he did not want to be reminded of what had happened to him. His face was scared so badly even his family did not recognize him. That moment when he asked for a mirror, and he realized he looked more like the Phantom of the Opera than he did himself; James Quartas.

December 10, 1970

“Hey Jim, we need to clear the area of workers; that nuke is set to go off in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, I am coming. Since we are security for this nuke, I thought it would be prudent

to check everything over again. Those nukes you can’t be too careful.”

The ground began to shake, Jim grabbed his teammate Jack and together they began to run. It was too late. Jack was killed instantly along with another member of the security team Bob. When Jim Quartas was found, his face was a melted blob of white and red matter. The doctors spent months attempting to rebuild his face. He began to withdraw from everyone including his girlfriend, Alicia; he could not bring himself to see her not ever again. He was walking one afternoon when he saw an abandoned cave. He began to think this would be better since he did not want anyone to see the hideous disfigurement he had become. Time as is always so predictable went on. He acquired more wealth than he could possibly spend in a lifetime.

December 10, 2021

Yes, he remembered every detail of that fateful day. When he first began to reside in the cave, he had no lights, no type of amenities. He had some money, and he began to buy land near the test sight. His thoughts at the time had been to keep people away from the sight; there was still a great deal of radiation in the soil. The radiation had not yet been tied to cancer; most folks decided that it was safe to live in the area since there were no warnings about radiation sickness in a good many years. He sold the land in increments of half acres. It made him a millionaire; he turned millions into billions. He was a very wealthy man by the time he began to realize he was not getting any younger; it was time to plot his revenge upon a world gone mad.

He began his campaign to destroy the enemy within; the United States, then he would go after China and Russia. It was that three-way race for power that had caused him to become disfigured and a hermit. Now he would emerge as the new world leader; he would rule the entire world. The world, especially the countries with the nukes were going to pay for all he had suffered.

The first thing he knew had to be done was to shut down grids of electricity throughout the world. ‘Imagine all those people living in the dark like animals; just like I have for over fifty years.’

Clouds of darkness seemed to follow his thoughts of revenge.

Once again, he pulled out the world map; he had to make decisions as to where he was going to set off the nukes. His first thought was Russia, China, then the United States, France, Iran, India. All populated especially the capitols which was no doubt the best place to set the nukes off. He had contacts in all of those countries. Yes, now it was time to seek his revenge. He had planted nuclear bombs in Moscow, Beijing, Washington, DC, Paris, Tehran and New Delhi, quite an impressive list; he thought. He began to send emails to the capitals telling them of the impending disasters that would meet their countries if he did not receive the leadership of the world that he so aptly deserved.

Hot lines began to buzz, like angry hornets. Russia’s President, Sergei Markarov, was busy attempting to reach his counterpart in the United States President Michael O’Rourke. Markarov, was greatly disturbed by the threat he had received.

“Hello, President. Markarov.”

“Hello President O’Rourke.”

Before the conversation could go any further time suddenly began to stand still. Markarov stood looking dumbfounded out the window of his office as people began to run for their lives. The explosion had been a force that had been felt in the Kremlin. Then the report of the mushroom cloud forming over Moscow. Markarov, cringed, hoping that he could at least get a grip on the panic before anything worse happened:

“President O’Rouke, why did you use a nuclear bomb? Russia has done nothing to provoke

the United States.”

“President Markarov, I had no idea what you are talking about.”

“A nuclear device was just detonated in Moscow; I can see the mushroom could from my office

window.”

“Markarov, you must evacuate, there must be a bunker somewhere to keep you safe.”

“Da there is, and I will go soon. I just want to understand why your country would do this.”

“We didn’t, hold on for just a moment.” O’Rourke returns to the line completely flabbergasted:

“Markarov, we have been attacked also, downtown Washington has a mushroom cloud also.

We don’t have any renegade agents on either side, do we?”

“No, Russia gave that idea up long ago. We must determine who is setting these off. Hold on

I have a call from Beijing.”

O’Rourke opened an email earlier that morning demanding that he step down from office and allow a better man to take over. He had ignored it know he began to wonder if he should have.

“President O’Rourke, China just informed me that a nuclear device also went off in

Beijing. This must all be some kind of revenge perhaps.”

“I don’t know President Markarov but whoever it is has to be stopped. I have an FBI analyst

on his way over. We have evacuated Washington, as we speak, I am being rushed to a secure

bunker.”

“I am sending my niece Major Valentina Markarov to United States, perhaps she

can help in small way. She is flying over in MIG as we speak.”

“I will make sure there is a landing strip open at Dullas Air Force Base for her to land.

The Secret Service will meet her, with decontamination equipment to protect her.”

“Thank you, President O’Rourke that is much appreciated.”

The two world leaders hung up; now was the time to work together shortly after noon, President O’Rourke received a phone call from France, Tehran and New Delhi all had received the same email and all had mushroom clouds over their capitals.

In his cave where silence was supreme, he carefully watched the feed of the bombings and cackled to himself. He had done it soon; he would rule the entire world. He would do away with nuclear arms for a new beginning. Timing was everything now, as he began to realize the enormity of what he had just accomplished. He, a simple security guard had just bluffed the most powerful countries in the world into handing all their power over to him. His dream had finally come to fruition, he must begin to plan his revenge his miserable existence.

Suddenly he heard something way up above his head. Someone had discovered his hiding place. He had to escape now but where to? He would not be taken alive not while he had all the resources he had at his disposal. He went down to the bottom of the cave; it was cold and damp. He quickly went out the escape tunnel. Ran for his plane, he flew up into the clouds. The teams found only signs that someone had lived there. The question even today remains: where is the man who bluffed the world leaders?”