Chapter One...
***
Scattered applause.
“We have got to have the bravest audiences around. It’s true.”
Uneasy laughter.
“Don’t ya wanna know why?”
“WHY DAVE?” the crowd crowed in unison.
“Why, all those dead people,” he said.
“But that’s why ThruTheLight.com exists,” Mr. X said. “To connect—”
“I’m not talking about those dead people, Mr. X. The folks from the other side. I’m talking about the people dying on this side.”
Baldy got squirmy in his seat. “We have thousands and thousands of users. If someone coincidentally happens to –”
“So, it’s coincidence? To date, one hundred and forty-three people have died terrible, gruesome deaths—and guess which website police coincidentally found open on those poor souls’ computers?”
Silence.
“Need a little hint?” Dave tapped the title card and the microphone on the TV host’s desk picked up the sound.
The crowd shuffled some feet, cleared some throats, and watched and waited while the sweaty bald man sizzled on the famous, Face The Facts hot seat. This was always the best part. Why TV audiences stayed up late every night to watch. Dave Linkman’s talent for breaking guests down was legendary. Usually tears, sometimes screaming fits. Rare were the fistfights but Linkman had taken a punch or three over the years and his audience adored him for it.
“Hello? Mr. X the Webmaster?” Linkman made the word sound pornographic. “Time to Face The Facts Mr. X.”
TapTapTap went the finger on the card.
“One hundred and forty-three dead people,” Linkman whispered. “Fact.”
The crowd held its breath, wondering what sort of breakdown they would see tonight.
“Every one of them signed onto your website.” Linkman’s whispered quieter. “Fact.”
The camera zoomed in on the sweating man’s face. Fifty million people saw his eyes glance at the card Dave had propped on his desk then stare straight into the camera…and smile.
The director in the control booth cut to Camera Two, the one fixed tight on the card in Linkman’s hand. It held on the close-up for all America to see.
ThruTheLight.com....