Chapter 1

An Important Phone Call

Interconnected Timeline

9/11/01

3:09 AM

Maddy wiggled her way out of the hole in the brick wall and into the deserted alley. She walked a block-in case somebody found out she was gone-and made the call.

Even at this time in the morning, New York was still as loud as a battlefield. Yellow Taxis and cars zoomed by and loud and impatient people walked along the sidewalks. Sirens wailed in the distance.

They would almost all be at the Towers by 9:40. Those vehicles would be covered in dust soon. Those people might never be as loud again. Most of those sirens would ring no more.

Unless she could stop it.

*1 "Hello?" said a voice from the phone, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Yes, I'd like to report of a possible terrorist attack," said Maddy in a grown-up voice.

"Okay," said the man over the phone in a slow voice. "Ma'am, do work for the government?"

"The FAA," replied Maddy in the same voice as before.

"A terrorist attack through the air?" the man asked incredulously.

"Please!" Maddy almost shouted into the phone. "There's not much time!"

"Alright ma'am, tell me the emergency," the man said after a moment of silence.

Maddy told him all she knew. The descriptions, the airports, the planes, the targets, the times, and the people.

"Get all that?" Maddy asked when she was done.

A very long silence greeted her. This would be the hard part.

"You're sure about this?" the man asked in a tone that let Maddy know he didn't believe her, but he would listen if she answered the next question correctly. "Completely sure?"

Maddy nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "I am completely sure."

"All right," the man continued in the same tone. "I'll make a couple of calls so it can be investigated. Name, Miss?"

"Madelaine Carter. And you, good sir," Maddy said, knowing her name wouldn't even show up if he searched her. "Are about to save thousands of lives."

Then she hung up.

Next Time...

"This isn't happening!"

"A plane just hit the North Tower."

"Look!"

"What've you done?"

"It was supposed to happen hours ago!"