Donald sat up in a cold sweat. The dream which had so persistently haunted his nights had been replaced by another, more malevolent vision.

Before he woke, he saw himself moving in slow motion; walking in the sunshine on some unnamed and unknowable street. The shadows from nearby trees fluttered across his face as he moved with some hidden purpose. Cars rolled slowly by as he walked and he seemed to be carrying a great weight.

His feet stopped moving and he saw himself glance upward at the front of a building. It looked familiar in that way nondescript buildings always do, especially when you know their purpose. This one was an elementary school. The sign was oddly out of focus and he could not make the name out.

There were no children there; the school was empty. A holiday maybe. Yes, that seemed right somehow.  He walked through a gate into the playground area and made his way to the rear of the school. His head pivoted endlessly, searching for he knew not what.  Witnesses, his mind supplied ominously.

With detached awe, he watched himself expertly pinhole the glass of a classroom window using a screwdriver; he had no idea where it came from, it was simply in his hand. He poked the tool through the hole and slipped the lock open. This was a skill he knew he did not possess. One final glance around confirmed he was alone. No witnesses, his mind supplied again.

He was inside the school now, walking down an unfamiliar hallway and looking for something. He stopped in front of the cafeteria and shrugged off a small backpack he suddenly realized he'd been wearing. The cafeteria was large and the tables were already in place, waiting for the children to fill them with lunch boxes, spilled milk, and gleeful shouts.

He opened the backpack and took out the bomb. That was when he awoke.

*     *     *

Half a world away a telephone rang. Two men spoke in unhurried, but serious tones

"What is it?"

"Problem with a remote. Suppression failure..."

"Handle it."

Click