My novel also describes torture and the use of chemical and biological weapons. Most disturbingly, in 1995 I added a section to the original manuscript that detailed how invaders hijacked passenger airliners and killed the president. In my 1995 revision, the man behind the hijacking was Osama bin Laden.
Originally, Moon Shadow focused on the actions of the first President Bush. With each passing year up until the present time and the George W. Bush presidency, I molded the novel and added sections to keep up with current events. The events described in Moon Shadow have played out with shocking accuracy and similarities that are terrifying.
On September 11, 2001, I was on a flight from Seattle to Houston when word reached us about the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Less than thirty minutes out, the captain made an announcement saying a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. At first people laughed — including me — as we all wondered how a small plane might have hit one of the towers. Then, a few minutes later the captain made another announcement.
“We have terrible news,” he said. “Another commercial airliner has hit the other Twin Tower in New York. We’re sorry but when we land in Houston this flight will not continue and you will need to reschedule your flight.”
I can still remember the shock, horror and terror on the faces of many of the passengers on that flight. Speculation ran rampant on the plane as to who had done this terrible thing. We still knew nothing. One of the passengers thought China had attacked us, another thought it might be Russia, while a few guessed it to be drug dealers from Colombia since we had just arrested the leader from one of their major cartels.
I assured them it wasn’t Russia or China since they depended on our business to help their countries. There was also no way it could have been Colombia because whoever had done such a thing committed suicide and no drug dealer was willing to sacrifice his life.
“Then who could have done this?” someone asked me.
I responded with my own thoughts. “Whoever did this was someone who was willing to die for what he wanted. I’m probably wrong because the last time something like this happened it was Oklahoma City and many thought it was someone from the Middle East when it actually turned out to be an American. But I think I know who might have been involved. I’ve been reading and writing about a man, Osama bin Laden. His dream has been to destroy the World Trade Center. It is said he was associated with the Twin Towers bombing a few years ago. I’m probably wrong, but if I were to pick someone who was responsible for what has happened, Osama bin Laden would be my first choice.”
Most of those listening looked at me like I was crazy.
Again the captain made an announcement that sent fear and chills through everyone. “Ladies and Gentlemen, another airliner has crashed into the Pentagon. President Bush has ordered all aircraft to return to their points of origin. We are to return to Seattle immediately. You will need to make arrangements for your connecting flights.”
Everyone was talking, all were scared, and each time the plane hit a bump in the sky, some of the passengers would scream.
To me it was obvious there would be no more flights. I spoke loudly to those around me, “Think about this. The president has ordered us to return. Whatever has happened, it’s very serious. Before there can be any more flights they must first figure out who did it, how they did it and how do we stop it? There won’t be any flights today, tomorrow or for days. When I get back to Seattle I’m driving back to Houston. Who wants to go with me?”
Again they looked at me like I was some kind of nut, but many were lost in their own chaotic thoughts and fears. Something tragic and terrible had happened and we only knew what we had heard from the captain.
I added, “And when the flights do start again do you really want to be the first to test the airways? I don’t. I’m driving back to Houston.”
The flight returned to Seattle and when we disembarked it looked like the people were running from a fire. Fear and terror showed in all their faces. Everyone was deserting the airport. I went to the closest phone and started dialing. Two people, Rich and Maggie Pyle, approached me and asked if I was really driving back to Houston. I assured them I was. They also started calling for a car. In less than thirty minutes we were getting into one of the last rentals. It was so strange to see the rental garage void of all but two cars. It was empty. Never in my life have I ever seen an airport so deserted. We started our journey to Houston.
Upon arriving in Houston I contacted the FBI and told them what I had written and that I believed there were plans to do even more hideous things to America. They never returned my call. The reason I contacted them was simple. For more than fourteen years I had been putting together my novel Moon Shadow, studying the minds of terrorists and what they might do. In my book I had detailed numerous terrorist acts against our country.
There are things described in Moon Shadow that have not yet occurred. Will some of these events be like Desert Storm, the Aurora Project and the September 11, 2001, attacks? Will they too come to pass?
Our American military marches to victory not much differently than did the British troops in their bright red uniforms more than two hundred years ago. At that time the British were unbeatable, but they lost. Now America is unbeatable but has exposed its Achilles’ heel. There is still time to correct it before it’s too late. Not unlike the British Empire, George W. Bush and his American Empire are headed for the same fate.
You say, “Impossible! You are wrong!” I hope so. After all, Moon Shadow is only a work of fiction, but it is said truth is stranger than fiction. And don’t forget what we were taught when we were in schooclass="underline" History repeats itself.
I have always believed history repeats. Man is an intelligent animal but he refuses to learn from his mistakes. What truly terrifies me are not the terrorists but the political and business leaders of our country. They have lost their honor and integrity.
Two and two is four, always has been and always will be. But that is not true for the politicians that run our country. You can pay them to make two and two equal something else. Our congressmen can look us in the face and swear two and two is five and we’ll believe them, while at the same time another congressman will tell us two and two is three, and we’ll believe him. Because of this, unless our leaders change their ways, our country is doomed. I believe we are now looking at a president that is capable of destroying our country.
Abraham Lincoln could see this and summed it up best when he said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
I finished the original version of Moon Shadow in 1990 and continued to update the manuscript to stay true to current events. As the years passed, I watched with amazement as many of the fictional scenarios I’d created became true events. Today, my old novel Moon Shadow is as fresh and true as if it had been written only yesterday. In a terrifying way this only reinforces the old adage, “History repeats itself.” Today we see our leaders at a point in time where they can learn from their mistakes and change history, but instead they continue to repeat the same mistakes. Has anything really changed?
From the beginning of time every empire has collapsed. There have been no exceptions.