Memories flooded back to Jack as he pulled up to the front gate of the military base where he had once worked. So many times he had been saluted through without hesitation, but this time the soldier on duty demanded that he stop. He rolled his window down as the soldier approached his car.
“Hi there.” Jack said. “My name is Jack King. I believe that a pass should be waiting here for me.”
“One second, sir.” The soldier said, as his eyes scanned the inside of Jack’s car before he turned back to the guard house. After a few uneasy moments, the soldier returned with a piece of paper which he presented to Jack.
“Put this on your dashboard and leave it there, sir.” He stepped back and waived Jack through. Jack pulled onto the main road, and followed the directions that Ted had given him. After a few turns, he saw the building that was his destination, and turned into the parking lot. He drove through the parking lot, aisle after aisle, and finally parked in the first empty spot that he found.
His conversation with Ted the night before constantly played back through his mind as he pulled himself from his car, and headed towards the entrance. Even as he had showered earlier, he had tried to pick apart the words, as he sought some hidden truth or meaning. Though he had no real hope that he would ever be able to see or touch his children again, Ted’s statement, ‘take care of our own’ had driven him to the point that he did not feel he could have said no. Ted had left shortly after that, but Jack had stayed almost all night. He had gone aimlessly from room to room, and often had to feel his way along as the torrent of tears flooded his vision. He had held Bella’s favorite teddy bear for almost an hour, before he entered Brandon’s room. He had buried his face in his beloved son’s baseball glove, as if he drew some kind of remote strength from the scent of the leather. Later, he had touched every single thing in his own room, as he remembered that at some time and some place, his wife Tracey, his only love, had at one time touched it too. As the hours passed, he had began to pull himself together and make some type of peace with himself, but in the early morning light, that peace had begun to slip away. Clouded out by the hope that there might be some possibility that he might see them again. It began to drive him harder and harder.
As he approached the front of the plain looking building, his mind wondered to a conversation that he and Tracey had had well before there had been any thoughts of children. On the beach in Florida while on vacation, they had sat and listened to the surf, and felt the soft sand with their toes. As they stared up into the moonlit night, they had talked of love, of dreams, and of desires. They had talked of past wrongs, things they wished they had done differently, and of how much they enjoyed one another. And they had talked of God. Jack had never had a God in his life. He had been raised by a single father whose agnostic viewpoint left little in the way of faith. But Tracey had been raised in a God fearing, church going environment, and knew her God with conviction. She had had no doubts about what would become of her when she died. She knew whole heartedly that the gates of Heaven would open gracefully and accept her soul without hesitation. He wondered if she was right, and if so, if she was happy now. How we wished he had a God to believe in. How he wished he believed in her God.
“Yeah, and then I told him...hold on just a second.” The uniformed man pushed the hold button on his telephone and looked up at Jack. “Yes sir, may I help-” The soldier stopped in mid sentence with a puzzled look on his face as he stared up from behind his desk at Jack. “Mr. King?” Jack was shocked that the man had called him by name.
“Yes.” He said as he stepped towards the man’s wooden desk. “I’m here to see-”
“Yes, sir. Ted has been waiting for you.” The young soldier continued to look at Jack as if he was perplexed by Jack’s presence, and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. “Just follow this hallway straight back and through the door at the end. Take the first elevator on the left to level Delta.” As the soldier pointed down the hallway, he picked up the telephone and punched a button. “Okay, now where were we?”
Jack lingered for a moment more, but the soldier quickly became engrossed in the conversation on the phone. Occasionally he stared back up at Jack as if he were a circus freak. Hesitantly he headed down the hallway, towards the only door at the end. As he reached the door and opened it, he was surprised to see that it opened into a lobby filled with a bank of elevators, yet no other doorways at all. As instructed he went to the first elevator on the left, and pushed the only button on the drab blue wall beside it. Presently the door opened quietly, and Jack entered the small steel carriage. As the doors closed behind him, Jack couldn’t help but feel slightly claustrophobic, though normally this type of thing never bothered him. He reached over and pushed the button marked Delta, and then waited as nothing happened. A second or two passed before a series of beeps sounded, and then the bottom of the elevator fell out from under him. The sudden accelerated descent left his stomach in his throat, as the elevator seemed to go faster and faster, before it finally began to slow down slightly. Though Jack had driven past this building many times when in the military, he had had no idea that it was linked to any type of subterranean installation.
Finally the elevator slowed to an abrupt stop and the doors slid open. Jack looked into the vast aircraft hanger sized room in front of him and was amazed. There were people every where, as they milled about likes ants. He exited the elevator, and the doors slid shut behind him. He shifted his gaze across the expanse until his eye caught Ted just a few feet away. He was in conversation with a uniformed soldier. Ted saw him, and stepped towards him.
“I see you found the place all right.”
“Yeah, pretty much right where I left it, but I don’t remember any of this.”
“We did a little remodeling. Come on, there’s someone that you need to meet.” Ted led the way across the hanger, and Jack followed close behind. Jack couldn’t help but continue to gawk at the throng of people that moved constantly throughout the complex. So consumed was he with the excitement that he almost ran into Ted when he stopped abruptly at the other side. Ted opened one of the many doors, and held it open for Jack. As Jack entered he couldn’t help but see the letters C.O. on the door. Ted had led him to the Commanding Officer’s office. Ted paused and spoke briefly with the soldier seated behind the desk in the front office, before he waived to Jack for him to follow him again as he headed for a door to the rear of the room. Ted knocked once then opened the door for Jack.
“I’ll wait out here, Jack.” Jack looked at him, concerned that he was being left alone. “It’s okay. He can explain it better than I can. Go on.” Hesitantly, Jack entered the office, which to his surprise, was empty. He turned back to Ted, but the door was already shut.
“Have a seat Jack. I’ll be out in a minute.” A voice echoed into the office from an open doorway on the side.
“Sir. Yes, sir.” Jack responded automatically before he realized that he himself was no longer a soldier. He sat down in front of the large desk in the center of the room, he heard a faint chuckle echo into the room.
“Once a solder, always a soldier. Is that true, Jack?”
“I guess so, sir. In a way.” A large framed man appeared through the doorway. Jack sized him up more from habit than any conscious effort on his part. Middle aged, fit, large stature, a slight premature graying, receding hairline, but definitely the man in charge. And Jack knew that this man expected everyone to know that he was in charge, just by the way that he carried himself. As the man walked behind his desk he leaned over and extended his hand.
“General Steven Atwater. Nice to finally meet you, Jack.” Jack took his hand absentmindedly, and shook it. He rose slightly out of his chair. “Sit down. I’ve heard a lot of things about you, Jack. Most of it good, a little bad, and a lot of bullshit...but then, you know Truman.” He laughed as he sat down behind the desk, and propped his feet on the corner. Jack smiled, but was still slightly
uncomfortable.
“Ted is a unique person.” Jack replied.
“That he is, my friend...that he is. But for all of his short comings, he’s one of my best agents. And quite frankly, Jack, he speaks very highly of you.” Atwater said as he dropped his feet to the ground and leaned forward. “He tells me that you have had some troubles lately. A family problem?”
“Yes, sir. My family was-”
“I know what happened, son. Don’t drag yourself through it again. I’m sure you’ve been through enough lately. He also told me that he said that we might be able to help you.”
“Yes, sir. But I don’t see how.”
“You’re absolutely right, son. What’s done is done and nothing in the world can change what you’ve been through or what you’ve seen.” Jack’s mouth suddenly fell open. Ted had lured him here with the tease that maybe he could somehow resurrect the dead. How foolish he suddenly felt, as the anger that had been squelched began to boil inside him. Atwater saw the surprise in his actions, and identified the rage as it began to grow. “Yep, you’re absolutely right.” Atwater said smugly, a smile on his face. Jack fought harder and harder to hold back his sudden anger.
“Then I guess I’ve got no reason to be here, sir. This has all been a mistake.” Jack said as he rose and immediately headed for the door. As he reached it and grabbed for the handle, Atwater called after him.
“I could still use a good agent.” Atwater said. Jack hesitated as he began to realize that Ted wouldn’t have led him on, not after what had happened the night before. Not after last night. Not after the deaths of his whole family. There had to be something more to this whole thing. The huge building, the subterranean installation, and the secrecy. There had to be something more. Jack turned back to Atwater.
“Why are you doing this?” Jack asked. The question surprised Atwater.
“Whatever are you talking about?”
“Cut the bullshit!” Jack said as he began to approach the desk. “This is not an interview for a job at some fast food chain. What? You want my undying loyalty before we talk turkey? Is that it?" Jack reached the desk, threw his hands down hard on its surface and leaned over it. He crowded Atwater back.
“Look, Jack, I-”
“Shut up! You said your little piece, now it’s my turn! I’m not here to play your little mind games, or jump through your damn hoops. I’m here for one reason and one reason alone. My family. If there is a single chance in hell that you can help me, then you better damn well spit it out and make it believable, or I’m going to mop this tidy little office of yours with your ass!” At first shocked, Atwater began to sit back in his chair and smile.
“Sit down, Jack. We’ll talk.”
“Answer me!” Jack fired back. In a fraction of a second Atwater was on his feet and had Jack firmly grasped by the throat.
“I said sit down, soldier!” Jack began to sit. Atwater released him and returned to his chair. A few seconds passed of awkward silence, before Atwater began to speak. “I guess Ted was right. You do have the fire in your belly after all these years.” Jack stared coldly across the desk. “That’s okay, son. You don’t have to like me at all. What I told you earlier is true. Though I didn’t quite finish what I should have said. What’s done is done and nothing can change what you’ve been through or what you’ve seen.” Jack still stared across the desk. He did not move nor flinch. He did not even blink his eyes. But after a pause from Atwater he spoke.
“And?”
“Well to explain that, I need to back up a little. We’ve been working on this project for over ten years, Jack. But then you already knew that. What you don’t know is what the project was, or what it is now. What I’m about to tell you is beyond secrecy. Our organization itself is so secret in its existence that none of the branches of the military even really know who we belong to. The Army thinks we’re part of the Marines. The Navy thinks we’re part of the Air Force. Hell, the CIA thinks we’re part of the NSA, and even they don’t know where we belong. But the reality of it is, they all know we exist, they just don’t know why.
“Originally we were developing the ultimate weapon. One that would make war truly obsolete and protect our borders from any possible invasion. Ever. A crack tool for assassination of errant leaders of terrorist nations. The ultimate solution for elimination of the proverbial thorns in our side. But what should have taken a relatively short time from concept to usefulness, turned into a ten year string of failures. Those failures and delays over the years have shifted our focus to smaller issues for now. At least until we have a running track record and recruit a large enough team. In the last few days, after ten years of failures, our systems went online for a few trial test runs. And today, our project works.”
“I still don’t get it. What’s this got to do with-”
“I’m not done. You see, our little project revolves around a concept originally theorized by Einstein, but never really extrapolated upon. We can travel back in time, Jack.”
“Back in time? You mean really? Go back in time?”
“Exactly. We done it a few times so far, and aside from a few issues about sanity, we’ve had no real problems.”
“Sanity?”
“We’ve had to develop a distinct psychological profile to protect our agents. It appears as though only a certain type of mind set can handle this time travel thing without cracking up.”
“How many agents do you have that fit this psycho profile?” Jack asked, as he suddenly realized why he was here, and why they needed him.
“Including Ted?” Atwater asked, and Jack nodded in response. “One.”
“So Ted is currently the only sane person to have completed this travel?” Jack asked. Atwater nodded. “And for whatever reason, you believe that I fit this profile?”
“As closely as we can determine, you’re almost an exact match.”
“And if you’re wrong.”
“Then I’ll say I’m sorry now, because later you’ll never understand a word I say.”
“So you need me.”
“You’re a hard man, Jack. Yeah. We need you. But in exchange for your help. In exchange for joining the team, we’re willing to help you. So far, we can travel back to a very specific time frame. A time that is exactly eighteen hundred and forty five hours on seven June.”
“That’s two days ago. You’ve only been online for two days?”
“It works Jack. Do you want an opportunity to save your family?” Jack didn’t even have to think, but he was still leery.
“But what do you want out of me after I get what I want.”
“We’re a covert operation, Jack. Our business is a tough one.”
“Am I selling my soul?”
“In a way, yes. But not to the devil. To the good ole U.S. of A. Our intentions are good, and as time progresses, our focus will expand. For now, let’s say that you’re part of the experimental team, and the opportunity to save your family is a test of our facility.”
“Why just June seventh?” Jack asked.
“At first, we had no idea. But as it turns out it had something to do with the portal being accidentally in synch on that day, at that time. As far as we know, that’s the only link back, at least for now.”
Suddenly Jack’s cell phone began to ring. He removed it from his pocket and excused himself from Atwater. As he answered the phone he stepped to the corner of the room.
“King here.”
“Jack. This is Captain Howe. I need to see you.”
“What’s up, Cap?”
“I need you in here right away Jack.”
“You’ve got a lead on the killer?” Jack asked, but silence responded. “Cap? Are you there?”
“The blood tests came back, Jack. The blood they found on the door...your blood. It was fresh. I’ve had to issue a warrant for your arrest, Jack.”
“But Captain-”
“With instructions that you are armed and dangerous. Do you understand, Jack. Turn yourself in, son.”
“There’s no way that I was there, Captain. And you know it.”
“It doesn’t matter, Jack. Come in now. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Jack hung up in disbelief.
“Problems?” Atwater asked.
“Yeah. You could say that.”
“They think that you had something to do with the murders?” Jack turned towards him. “Something about your blood...fresh blood...being at the crime scene?”
“How did you know that?”
“We have contacts everywhere, Jack. I knew before you came in here that the warrant was being issued. You didn’t have anything to do with those murders, did you Jack?”
“No. God, no. I couldn’t have.”
“But your blood was there. How did it get there?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“What if you were there.” Atwater asked. Jack looked at him, puzzled. “But you just haven’t been there yet.”
“I don’t get it.”
“Eighteen hundred forty five, seven June.”
“What? You’re saying that I will be there?”
“It’s your decision now, Jack. It’s all up to you.”
“What about what you said to start with...about ‘what’s done is done’ and all that crap. Are you changing your story now?”
“No, Jack. No matter what happens from here forward, you will always remember the loss and pain of the last few days. Nothing will erase that from your mind, even if we change the actual outcome.” Jack sat back down. He stared at his feet for a few seconds, and then looked up and caught Atwater’s fiery blue eyes.
“I’m in.”
“Welcome aboard, son.” Atwater rose up from his chair and shook his hand before he pressed a button on his desk. In response, the door to his office opened, and Ted entered.
“Good call, Ted. He’s a good man. Debrief him, and let’s get this ball rolling.” Ted nodded and led Jack out of the office. Once they were back in the hanger complex, and headed back across to the other side, Jack tapped him on the shoulder.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me, Jack. This is just a quirk of fate. I’m glad that I can help, but you don’t owe me any gratitude, not after what we’ve been through over the years.” Jack nodded and they continued to another office. The door was unmarked. Once inside, Ted placed his hand on a scanner by a door at the far end. The scanner lit up, and the door slid open. He led Jack down a hallway into an empty conference room. Again Ted placed his hand on a scanner, and the door slid open. He walked across the room and accessed the computer terminal against the wall. He typed a few commands, and then pressed his thumb on a flat spot on the side of the keypad. The words ACCESS GRANTED, appeared on the screen. A video screen on the wall came to life. The lights dimmed as the two sat down. An image of a man appeared on the far wall.
“This is our man, Jack”
“Hey, that’s the same guy!” Jack blurted out, as he recognized the image of the tall man in the restaurant parking lot. The man who had killed the two victims, and took a couple of pot shots at him.
“You know this guy?”
“Let’s just say that we’ve met. He pulled a double homicide the night that the murders occurred. How do you know it’s him?”
“Well. We were not exactly sure, to be honest with you. The no DNA M.O. is pretty unique, and he’s the only professional hit man with that kind of M.O. that is currently in the region. But the facial recognition software that we ran on the surveillance video from your home confirmed it.”
“Professional hit man?”
“Yeah. No, we don’t know why a hired gun took out your family. But when we get this son-of-a-bitch, I’m damned sure going to find out. Unfortunately all we have is a picture, and his hired name, Mr. Smith. We’ve checked with the other agencies and nobody has any other information. Hey, did you say that your altercation with this scumbag happened the same night that they were killed?”
“Yeah. About seven or seven thirty. Somewhere around there.”
“Then that’s it! That’s where we’ll get the bastard. We’ll set up and catch him in the parking lot. That’s going to make our job a lot easier.”
Chapter 21