CHAPTER 9 – Meet Peter Parsons
Peter Parsons, a tall, athletic 46-year-old man with short dark brown hair, pulled his navy-blue van into the driveway of the Zimmermans’ house. Inside, Ruby glanced out the living room window. Candy beside her.
“Look who decided to show up fashionably late,” Ruby said as she pulled the curtain aside with dramatic flair. She then turned to the others in the room.
“Uncle P is here!”
Catching Ruby’s announcement, everyone in the living room perked up. Candy rushed to the door like an excited puppy while Chris stood coolly from the couch and followed. Linda and Paul Zimmerman exchanged a look, then also headed toward the door where the group eagerly gathered to greet Peter.
Peter stepped out of the van, holding a leather messenger bag stuffed with documents. His dark jeans and weathered jacket gave him the air of an experienced investigator. His sharp eyes swept over the family as they came out to meet him.
"Welcome to our home," Linda said.
"I'm Linda Zimmerman and this is my husband, Paul, and my daughter, Candy."
Linda extended her hand; Peter grabbed it and shook it. He also shook Paul and Candy's hands while saying it was nice to meet them.
"Come on in," Paul politely commanded.
"Would you care for a beer?"
Peter smiled and nodded his head.
"I'd love a beer."
Everyone files back into the house, settling in the living room. Paul grabbed his favorite recliner while Linda sat beside Candy on the couch. Peter perched on the armrest closest to Chris and Ruby, exuding an air of urgency as he dove straight into the topic at hand.
“Let’s get straight to it. This isn’t just about two random soldiers. Zeke Haywood and Amma Enki were much more than that... they were high-ranking Pentagon officers with access to some of the most classified intel in the country. If they’re claiming corruption at the top, it isn’t just your average greed or complacency.”
He leaned forward, locking eyes with Paul and then Linda.
“Chances are, they saw something so big... so monstrous... that whoever’s involved has pulled every string to silence them. We’re talking about someone with a lot of power, maybe even involving a general.”
Paul's eyebrows furrowed.
“If that’s true, then we can’t just stand here and talk about it. We need to do something.”
Peter nodded and then said with a measured tone, “I agree. But we need two things if we’re going to succeed: solid evidence and a practical plan. This isn’t something we can stumble through and hope for the best.”
As he finished, the television screen suddenly blared to life. The news channel, left on from earlier, displayed an urgent "Breaking News" banner. The familiar voice of the anchor, Diane Carter, filled the room as everyone turned their attention to the TV.
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"This just in," Diane began her report.
"Former Pentagon Major Amma Enki has escaped from custody. Authorities have launched a city-wide manhunt in the greater Washington D.C. area to apprehend her. Law enforcement stressed that Enki is considered mentally unstable and potentially dangerous. Meanwhile, General Ralph Berg spoke earlier with Channel 7 regarding this incident.”
The screen switched to a live clip of General Berg, his gray hair neatly combed, his posture stiff with the forced authority of a man hiding something.
"Major Enki exhibited troubling signs of mental instability prior to her arrest, including conspiracy claims about corruption and financial impropriety within the Pentagon. We believe she is confused and overwhelmed, and we want to safely apprehend her so she can receive the mental health treatment she desperately needs.”
General Berg appeared to be feigning concern in order to win over the public.
The screen cut back to Diane Carter, but Peter quickly muted the TV. The family exchanged a tense glance.
“Oh, please!" Ruby said, rolling her eyes with aggravation.
"That guy is as shady as an umbrella factory in a thunderstorm.”
Chris nodded in agreement.
“No kidding. The way he talks about her ‘mental instability’? Classic misdirection.”
“I know we don’t have hard evidence," Linda said firmly but hesitant.
"But something rubs me wrong about this Berg guy.”
Peter's jaw tightened.
“I feel it too. Something’s definitely wrong here, and we need to find Amma Enki. If she really is on the run, there’s a chance she can tell us the truth.”
“Don’t forget about Zeke Haywood," Chris added.
"He’s still locked up, and we’ll need him too if we’re going to blow this thing wide open.”
Peter stood up and addressed the group.
“Here’s the deal: our mission is clear. We need to find Major Amma Enki before the authorities do. Once we have her, we’ll figure out how to get to Zeke Haywood and spring him.”
Paul crossed his arms skeptically.
“Sounds great, but... where do we even start? We don’t have a single lead.”
Peter turned to Ruby and Chris with a sly smile.
“It’s about time we put your living mathematics skills to the test,” he said to his nephew and niece.
Ruby grinned like a cat with a canary in its mouth. She then smacked the coffee table with dramatic flair.
“Let us calculate!”
“Hold on,” Linda interrupted as she leaned forward, adopting a bewildered expression.
“How do you plan to use math to find someone when we have nothing to work with?”
Peter motioned towards Chris and Ruby.
“It’s not about direct evidence... it’s about probability, patterns, and resonance to narrow things down. Ruby, why don’t you start with the thesis?”
Ruby took over, her sharp mind firing on all cylinders. She began presenting her thesis
“Okay, here’s the deal: Amma Enki has a unique frequency... let’s call it her ‘morphic resonance field.’ If her mental state is as heightened as we suspect, she’s likely giving off a specific resonant signal that overlaps with high emotional or strategic hotspots. Using Sheldrake’s morphic resonance theory, we can map out areas where her energy could spike. This gives us an initial radius to work within.”
"Okay, Chris," Peter said.
"Let's hear the antithesis."
Chris began presenting his antithesis.
“That’s a good start, but it’s too broad. We need to pinpoint her movements. That’s where Euler’s Formula and differential calculus come into play. We can analyze movement trends among local traffic data, escape routes, and safe zones like abandoned buildings. Then, using a combination of the Fourier transform... forward and inverse... we can harmonize her resonant signature with overlapping time and space data. Basically, we track her rhythm through the city like a musical wave.”
Peter completed the plan by presenting the synthesis.
“And when we have that data? We combine it with the metaphysical principles of Leibniz’s Monadology. The universe operates in pre-established harmony, so no action happens in isolation. If we chart intersections where Major Enki’s resonance and movement data sync up... using Fourier sampling and calculus projections... we’ll isolate the only probable location where she could be hiding.”
Paul's eyes lit up.
"I see. You three are using the Hegelian Dialectic, combined with living mathematics, in order to fine-tune your plan. Amazing!"
Linda interjected, “I don’t fully get it, but it sounds genius. Let’s do it.”
Peter grabbed his bag.
“Then it’s settled. Let’s move before the authorities get there first.”
Everyone scrambled to get ready. The group piled into Peter’s van; the tension palpable. As they sped off into the night, the faint glow of the city beyond their neighborhood suggested that this is just the beginning.
Meet Peter Parsons! This chapter has woven together a tapestry of suspense and intellect, setting the stage for the gripping journey ahead. We witnessed Peter Parsons not just as an investigator, but as a catalyst for change within the Zimmerman household, who galvanized the family around a common cause.
Which strategy proposed by Peter Parsons do you find most intriguing for locating Major Amma Enki?
