CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

By Monday morning, there had been an announcement to Professor Gates' students that he would be on leave for a few weeks, and a new professor and her assistant would take over. They were instructed to attend their sessions as usual.

While Mary got herself settled into the lecture hall, she watched as Noah walked around the room, running a smooth hand over the walls.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"My watch is now equipped with a device that will pick up on audio or video feeds hidden in the room. It helps if I can run my hands over the surface. I feel an intense vibration in my wrist if something is there."

"Anything yet?" she asked, staring at him with some concern.

"Nothing. That is good. We are not dealing with someone who is viewing the class from the outside. Someone is seeing the class from the inside."

"What if it's Professor Gates? What then?" asked Mary.

"If it is him, we will find him and handle that as well."

The doors opened, and students began entering the lecture hall, taking their seats. Noah took a seat off to the side while Mary welcomed everyone, giving that reassuring smile that she was so very good at.

With each session, she casually mentioned that their professor was on leave for a few weeks but would return. She followed his curriculum, ensuring that she continued the learning that he had set out to do. When she was able to add something that could be of value, she did so, all the while scanning the room for possible suspects.

"The most common question I always get is, ‘what is fear?'. At the simplest definition, fear is an unpleasant response to a perceived threat or danger. It's a primal emotion that's programmed into our nervous system and can appear small, medium, or large in its intensity. The fear activates our fight-or-flight response. Something that's been around since caveman days.

"Typically, you will have physical symptoms. Increased heart rate, sweaty palms, shaking legs, upset stomach, and so on. It can appear quickly and is usually already well on its way to full-blown panic before we recognize or gain any control of it."

"So, you're saying that those responses are normal?" asked a young man.

"That's right," she smiled. "We all have those reactions to fear or an anxious, anxiety-filled moment. Typically, we would say that a phobia, which I know you've been speaking about with Professor Gates, and a fear are different."

"How?" asked a young woman.

"Phobias are irrational fears that trigger our anxiety, and the anxiety generally outweighs the threat it poses. On the other hand, fear is rational. It's rational to be afraid of a shark coming at you in the water. That's normal. It's irrational to be afraid of a shark at an aquarium."

"But what if you're afraid of the glass breaking and the shark coming at you?" asked a young man.

"Can the shark survive out of the water? Can he swim without water?" asked Mary.

"No," he said, frowning at her. "But what if the glass breaks and his body comes right toward me, its mouth open and bites me."

"His desire for oxygen and water will outweigh his desire to taste," she smiled. The audience chuckled, nodding their heads.

"I never thought of it like that," said the young man. "My older brother made me afraid of sharks when I was a kid. He let me watch Jaws when I was like eight or something. I've never gone swimming in salt water because of that."

"Listen, fears are natural. We all have them, but how you control them is the real key to living with them. Phobias, remember, are irrational. You have to pick them apart and find the logic in what you're believing."

"What about that kid that was afraid of dying in a fire and he did?" asked a young girl.

"Fire is a rational fear," she said. "But you counter that by understanding how to avoid hazardous fires, use smoke detectors, have an extinguisher, all of those things."

"That wouldn't have helped him," said the girl.

"No," said Mary, shaking her head. She noticed Noah staring at the young girl. "No, that wouldn't have helped him because someone did something horrible to him. Had he not been tied to the pipes, he might have found a way to escape."

There was silence in the room for a moment, and Mary looked at all the faces, scanning them for something. Some sign of remorse or regret.

"Is this why we're studying all of this?" asked a student. "We're studying to make sure that we deal with our own fears and phobias, get rid of them, and live productive lives."

"I would suspect that's partially why you're doing it, but it's also so that in your professional lives, you will be able to help others overcome their phobias." Again, she scanned the room, looking at the young faces before her. "Any questions?"

"What are your fears, Professor Jordan?" asked the young girl. Mary smiled at her.

"My fears are adult fears. My kids getting hurt, my husband getting hurt, not having enough money, getting critically sick, not having enough money to pay the mortgage," she grinned. The audience chuckled, but the young girl just stared at her. "I think I've overcome all of my fears, and I don't think I have any phobias. Not that I'm aware of. But if I think of one, I'll tell you in the next class."

The room emptied, and she turned, staring at Noah.

"Anything?" she asked.

"I am not sure. There were a few that seemed to ask good questions and a few that asked nothing at all. I did not get any strange vibes."

"The young woman was inquisitive. She seemed frightened, or maybe timid is the right word. The young man just seemed curious." He nodded.

"Either way, we are on the right track. We are going to find who is doing this and stop it. I took a few photos. I will get them printed with some clarity and give them to Sterling."

"Sounds good, big guy. What do you say I buy you a piece of pie and a cup of coffee before we go home?" said Mary with a grin.

"The coffee and pie are free, Mary. But I would enjoy sharing them with you."