After about ten minutes, they circled back again, but no one was outside this time.


“What? Where’d they go?! Sir, no one is here anymore. They are all gone,” the pilot said through the comms.


“Gone? What do you mean, gone? Were they not all sprawled across the yard of the White House ten minutes ago?” Trovo asked.


“Yes sir, but I promise you. No one is here,” the pilot said.


Trovo got silent.


“What do you want me to do, sir?” The pilot asked.


“Bomb it,” Trovo said.


What? But sir,” the pilot couldn’t believe what he was hearing.


“Just do it. Both of you. Bomb the fuckin’ White House. We will send a ground team in once you’re done.” Trovo gave the orders, and they followed.


The two pilots performed a lightning strike bombing on the White House. There was nothing but rubble. Trovo sent about 20 men to investigate the aftermath of the bombing. They found nothing—no trace of any bodies.  They searched for hours. It’s early morning now.


“There are no signs of Luther or anyone. We’ve searched and searched and searched,” Lieutenant Bennett said to Trovo over the radio comms.


Trovo again was silent. He suddenly had an epiphany. “Damn it. The tunnel that leads to the bunker underneath the White House. I bet they are in there. That bastard. He knew I’d call for the bombing of the White House,” Trovo said.


“A bunker? Underground?” Bennett asked, clearly confused.


“You didn’t know?” Trovo asked.


“Above my pay grade. The government doesn’t tell us shit, apparently. I wouldn’t even know the first damn spot to look for no shit like that,” Bennett said, annoyed.


“Just find it and find them and kill the bastards,” Trovo demanded.


It was now 8 a.m., and Ayvah was awakened by her phone going off. She grabbed her phone and adjusted her eyes to open. She was shocked. “Is the internet back up?” she called her mom, who was in her room.


“It's ringing!” Ayvah said to herself. She was elated.


“The phone works?” Lynn answered. 


“Yea, it’s all back up!” Ayvah said.


“Thank God!” Lynn said. “You want to go to the hospital with me? See if your dad is awake.”


“Yea!!” Ayvah got excited.


They hung up the phone, and both began getting ready to go. Ayvah got prepared before her mom and was in the front room waiting. While waiting, she scrolled through her social media feed, looking at all the videos people were creating, mostly discussing how happy they were that the cell service was working again. Her feed was then interrupted.


“Good morning, America,” Luther said. He was not wearing a mask, but his background was dark.


Ayvah hurried to Lynn’s room so she could watch with her.


“Mama, mama! Look!” Ayvah showed Lynn her phone, and they watched it together.


“Ahh, yes. You idiots could not wait to get back on the internet, could you? But hey, I’m a fair guy. We all have our vices and escapes from the dark and cruel world we have come to love. For so long, they waved these things in your faces, and you couldn't tell they were dismantling you right in your face. And guess what you did? You aided them. Hahahahaaa. You lose your humanity, your self-respect, your common sense, your morals, and your values. 


“Paying attention only to the most ignorant things this world has ever seen, but how can I blame you? This country is but one big TV series. The only place where fact is stranger than any fiction that anyone could ever write. If I were the devil, I’d do exactly what has been done to you. No God, no morals, no love, no humanity. Only greed, pride, selfishness, vanity, money-worshiping, and sex. Beware….the vultures…they’re here…hahahahahahaha….hahaha…hahahahahahahahaha,” Luther pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head. The camera dropped and cut off. The video ended.