Mykal's Return to Towbar's World

by Dave Hazel

  “Yes Sir Mister President,” William jumped to his feet and rushed to the door.

  “Please stick around outside the doors Will. I would like to do some catching up when we conclude our business here.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Mister President, may I please say, that I had nothing to do with the things these people are accusing me of,” Mykal said and looked at Jill. “I swear it.”

  “I believe you. That is why you are here,” the President said as he rounded his oak furniture to sit on the corner of the desk in a casual manner. He positioned himself so he could look down on Mykal and tower over him. “If you had the capability to return to Towbar’s world would you do so?”

  “Uh, I really don’t know Sir.”

  “If the situation presented itself, would you do it for your country if the country needed you to go back there?” Edmonds asked. He didn’t blink and never took his eyes from Mykal’s eyes.

  “I honestly can’t answer that Sir. I would have to give it a great deal of thought. And it would depend on my reason for going back there. I just don’t want to be separated from my family again,” he answered and had to turn away to avoid the glare of the most powerful man in the free world.

  “Would you do it for yourself?”

  “For myself Sir? To be honest Sir, I don’t think I would. I almost died the last time and I don’t wanna go through that again. I don’t want to be separated from my family again,” he repeated and hoped his reason would get through to them. Mykal fought just to avoid looking into the piercing gaze of Edmonds.

  “Would anything lure you to go back to Towbar’s world?”

  “I lost a lot of friends there, Sir. A number who were killed, but I believe there are some who are still alive there. That would be the only thing I could think of that would lure me back. To get the friends I think are still alive. But I have many more reasons that tell me not to ever go back there. Those reasons far outweigh any reasons that would make me want to go back.”

  “Mykal, do you have the capability to go back to Towbar’s world?” The President’s eyes as well as his words drilled deep inside him. “I need to know.”

  “No Sir, I don’t. I honestly don’t know if it’s possible. And if it was possible to go there, I don’t know if we would ever be able to come back again.”

  “Okay Mykal, let’s cut the bullshit,” President Edmonds erupted into a new character. The tone and words was of a man the American public had never seen before. “I’m going to tell you what I want and we’ll see what you can do about it,” Edmonds said as if there were no options for Mykal to choose. “Several people disappeared today through a green fog that you have some ties to or are somehow connected with,” he explained as he picked a small piece of lint from his trouser leg. “Some of those people are very important people. In the big scheme of things people come and people go and these people can be replaced. That is just the nature of this business. I would rather they not be replaced,” he said coldly. “These next words are in strictest confidence.”

  “Yes Sir,” Mykal promised out of fear. He knew he sat face to face with the most powerful man on earth.

  “One of the people who disappeared today had an attaché case attached to his wrist. I need that case,” the President said, almost snarling his words. “I need that brief case more than you could ever imagine young man. I need you and Towbar to get it back. I don’t know how, but I need it done.”

  “I, I, um, I don’t know what to say Sir,” Mykal started to squirm in his seat.

  “That is not the right answer,” Jill replied sternly.

  “Can I ask why it is so important?” Mykal asked and almost flinched. He wished he wouldn’t have been so bold.

  The President looked at Jill to see if Jill would prevent him from speaking. “The monetary value of the contents inside that box is the equivalent of one hundred and thirty-seven million dollars. It is a priceless treasure that is legitimate and it is mine. One hundred and thirty-seven million dollars,” he repeated. “Do you understand what I just said to you?”

  “Yes Sir,” Mykal replied with a gulp and couldn’t imagine having, let alone losing, that kind of money.

  “That item worth all that wealth, millions of dollars, means nothing to me. The other contents in that attaché case are far more valuable than one hundred and thirty-seven million dollars, and that is why I need that one little box back. It must be returned,” he emphasized as he moved in closer to Mykal. “I would gladly throw away my item worth multiple millions of dollars to get the other contents of that brief case. The other items and documents are for the nation’s future and benefit,” he paused again. “I hope you can appreciate how important this is. I need you to go back to Towbar’s world and retrieve that special little box. Not for me, but for our country. You have no idea how important this is for our future.”

  An overwhelming fear rolled through Mykal. He didn’t know how to tell the most powerful man in the world he couldn’t do it. And if he could do it, he wouldn’t want to. “Sir, I’m telling you the truth,” Mykal hesitated. “I honestly don’t know how we would go back to Towbar’s world.”

  “That’s not good enough!” Jill snapped making Mykal jerk with surprised fright. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Mykal couldn’t keep from blinking nervously. He suddenly grew angry. The sudden pressure compressed with his trembling fear forced him to rage inside. ‘Friggin greedy bastard like all friggin politicians,’ he thought. “Well whadda ya want me to tell ya?” Mykal slightly raised his voice to Jill. “That’s like demanding me to make it rain. How the hell am I gonna do that?”

  “We know Towbar is trying to make something happen to get himself back to his world,” Jill declared and called Mykal out.

  “Yeah, Towbar wants to go home,” Mykal replied to Jill, but knew not to be sharp with the President. “The key word there is wants. If he knew how to get home he’d been long gone already. And besides that, why the hell would I go? I don’t think I could ever make myself go. I almost died there and watched many friends get killed there,” he repeated in hopes of making it clear that it didn’t make sense to risk his life again. “I have a family here who needs me. We wouldn’t even know if there would be a way to come back. Excuse my tone Mister President, but why should I go through all that once again? You’re asking me to possibly lose my family, and to risk my life again and for what? For someone else’s money?”

  “It’s not about the money son,” the President corrected him calmly. “It is about national security and far more. That little box has the potential to save or destroy our country. As I have plainly stated, I’m not concerned with the monetary value. Hell boy, I’ll give you a big cash reward. I’ll give you one quarter of the hundred and thirty-seven million dollars. Damn son, I’ll give you half. You will never have to work another day in your life and then you will be able to spend the rest of your days with your family.” His smile came across as sinister. “That precious ‘lil family you have can grow as large as you like.”

  “Set aside the generous reward for a minute,” Jill piped in. “You’ll be able to bring back those who were left behind. You could save the lives of your friends listed as missing.”

  “Mykal, you have no idea the number of lives you will be saving if that special little case is returned,” the President said with a calm steady confidence. “The contents of that simple little brief case will keep the world safe from a Soviet initiated nuclear holocaust. You will be a hero once again.”

  “Pretty soon we’ll be calling you a career hero,” Jill said sarcastically. “We’ll have to change your name to Superman.”

  “Sir, please understand my tone is not meant to be rude or unappreciative. I don’t care about a cash reward. I definitely don’t care about this hero label nonsense either,” he glanced at Jill. “As a matter of fact with all this hero stuff, my life has been miserable. I just wanna grow old with my wife and watch our children grow up.”


  “Son, I truly appreciate all that you’re saying, but your country needs you. In turn that means your wife and children need you,” the President declared in an unflinching confidence that Mykal would accept the challenge. “Whether you accept a cash reward or not, I can guarantee that after this mission is completed and you return that little brief case to me, you will never have to work another day in your life again. You and your wife will be able to do, and to go anywhere you would like for the rest of your days. I will give, and I will grant any request you desire if you get this done.”

  Mykal had an uneasy feeling he was being lied to. “Sir, that’s all well and good, but I can’t promise that Towbar will ever be able to go back to his--”

  “He told us he is working on a plan to go back home,” Jill cut him off. “While Jack and I were interviewing you, he was being interviewed by others.” Jill pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. “Towbar clearly revealed he is trying to do a “Mind Talk” with a Niddy, or a Niddy-o, who will give him proper instructions to conjure the green fog. This is something he was going to attempt when the two of you returned to your home in North Dakota. He said there is a special reason he would have to wait until he is back in North Dakota.”

  Mykal was shocked. Only Towbar would have been able to disclose that information. “I know that, but he hasn’t been able to make contact with Nidious through his Mind Talk since we have returned here. Sir, I can never promise or assure you that we’d be able to go back there and what’s really important Sir,” Mykal paused and looked directly at President Edmonds. “We don’t know where your people ended up. They could have been transported to where we were or they may have been sent somewhere around Towbar’s world. Trying to find a needle in a haystack would be far easier.”

  “Searching where you were before would be a start,” Jill offered. “They have to be somewhere.”

  “I’m not trying to sound negative Sir,” he turned back to the President. “But if they are where we were, they’re screwed. There are well over three hundred thousand Sosos waiting to go to war and they are vicious, cruel, sadistic bastards.”

  “Mykal,” the President leaned in to Mykal to imply these words will never be spoken outside of this room. “I would never say this publicly. Those people are expendable. The contents of that attaché case are not. If you can find those people and bring them home safe and sound, all the better, my boy.”

  “Sir, I just don’t know if I could do it again.” He said but felt he whined like a child in his head.

  “The President gave you a number of great reasons why you should go,” Jill replied. “Now pull up your big boy pants and stop your whining. Don’t make me have to give you a list of reasons why you will go or else.”

  “Like what?” Mykal suddenly feared they may have more on him and some of his questionable actions from the first visit to Towbar’s world.

  “Let me just say for starters,” Jill paused and gave a diabolical expression through his grin. Jill’s black eyes looked cold and mean. “I know how much your family means to you and I would hate--”

  “Are you threatening me through my family?” He snapped back harshly. “You stay the hell away from my family.”

  “Hold it, hold it.” President Edmonds held his hand up. “This is not needed. There are far too many positive reasons for you to reconsider and accept such an important assignment for your country and for me.”

  Mykal’s inside seemed to collapse and sink while seated on the chair. He felt his heart racing. He heard the words of the President, he saw the man’s lips move, but it didn’t register. ‘Stuck between a rock and a hard place would be easier,’ he thought. His mind raced over what choices were before him. If he refused, his life or the lives of his loved ones were at risk. ‘But would they really do something to my family?’ He wondered. ‘Or is this just a scare tactic?’

  “Just to ease your mind Mykal,” Jill spoke to the crumbling expression in Mykal’s face. “I would never threaten to harm your family. But there are some legitimate ways to keep you from enjoying the presence of your family for the rest of your life. There have been some rumors spread, and if those rumors were to go public, there would most certainly have to be an investigation. And then trumped up charges could make their way to the public and things would turn ugly for the great Mykal Graves,” Jill said and then exaggerated his smirk.

  President Edmonds smiled. “I don’t hear any of this.”

  “Either way, there could be cause to keep you locked up while investigation after investigation takes place. If you were locked up for any length of time, there would be no one there to physically protect your family.”

  “You are threatening my family,” he jumped up, taking both of them by surprise. “I’m not gonna--”

  “Sit down!” Jill snarled after jumping to his feet. He pointed a finger in Mykal’s face and grabbed the butt of his handgun.

  “Don’t you mess with my family you piece of shit,” Mykal threatened. He no longer cared that he lost his cool in front of the President. His frustration pushed him to the verge of rage filled tears. ‘This just isn’t fair!’ His mind screamed while he slowly returned to the chair. They had so much power and control over him.

  “I’m not threatening your family, so don’t act stupid. But you need to do this for the President, for your country, for your friends, for your family, and for your freedom. Bottom line Mykal, you need to do this.”

  “Wait a minute. I need time to think,” he said as he ran his hand through his hair and grabbed a handful of hair. He needed to think this through. ‘I want to go back and this would be a perfect excuse, I’m being forced to go. What about Pam and the boys?’ He wondered while his leg shook nervously out of control. ‘It’s just not fair that they have all this power over me,’ he thought angrily.

  “Mykal, think of it like this,” Jill said. He sat down, smiled and crossed his legs. “We’re approaching you with many positive incentives.” Jill spoke softly and he gently folded his hands on his lap. All Jill’s gentle actions contradicted what he was doing to Mykal.

  Mykal realized Jill reminded him of a Mafia boss from some of the gangster movies he watched. Without yelling or physical pressure, the government Don ‘made him an offer he couldn’t refuse’. Trapped in their clutches, Mykal knew the United States government to be in a different league than the fictitious Corleone crime family of the Godfather saga.

  “Okay, but what if we really can’t get back to Towbar’s world? What if it’s really something beyond our control?”

  “Tisk, tisk, tisk,” Jill chuckled and stared at him coldly while gently shaking his head. “Mykal, all I have to say, if that brief case is not returned to the President, you will be held accountable.”

  “What!?” Mykal gasped with shocked incredulity. “That’s not right,” Mykal pleaded desperately. “You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”

  “No, I know what I’m telling you,” Jill replied with a smug insensitivity. “You are the only key we have to unlock this big locked door.”

  “Wait a minute, what if we do go back and I do everything I can to find these people and there is no sign of them anywhere? What if the Sosos got to them? What if the Sosos destroy the case and all of the contents? What if they got sent to a different part of Towbar’s world? If you say I’m still screwed even after I do all that I can within my power then I might as well not even bother. I might as well just let you do to me all that you’re going to do and get it over with. My chances of success are near impossible as it stands.”

  “Mykal, my boy,” Edmonds interrupted and terminated Jill’s bullying approach. “This shouldn’t be a fearful proposition,” he said in a friendly manner displaying the voice of reason. “If you do all that you can, if you exhaust every means possible and show me you have done all that could possibly be done, I will wipe the slate clean. I’m allowing Jill to play hardball because that’s how urgently I need that brief case. My desire is not to have us at odds with each
other.”

  Mykal humbly lowered his head as he quickly allowed ideas to run through his brain. “Sir, Mister President, I have always admired you. I have always respected you and I voted for you. I will do whatever you need me to do. But I won’t put up with someone like him threatening me with my family. So, I too, would like to start this off on different terms.”

  “I appreciate that Mykal, thank you. Our country needs more patriots like you. Let us leave those harsh words aside. I’ll not allow anything bad to happen to your family. I’ve read the reports and have been briefed on how important your family was to your frame of mind in your survival process. I don’t want there to be a hint of worry where they are concerned.”

  “Thank you Mister President,” Mykal said and let a sigh escape. “Now, am I expected to go all by myself? Because there is no way I could do this alone. There is an army of Sosos waiting to go on an all-out assault.”

  “I will give you whatever you request. You tell me what you need and I will make sure you have it,” the President responded with a smile as he clapped his hands together. “I will give you an army, tanks, aircraft, artillery. I will give you whatever it will take to accomplish this mission. If it would help I would give you an aircraft carrier,” he exaggerated with a friendly smile. “I need that case back at all costs.”

  “Yes Sir.” The wheels of his brain began turning.

  “One thing Mykal,” Jill spoke from his seated position. “The three of us in this room are the only people who know of the attaché case and the contents that are inside. If the press gets wind of any of this conversation it could only be you.”

  Mykal knew Jill just threatened him though no threatening words had been uttered. Mykal nodded. “That’s not an issue. I will give it my all,” he vowed. “But I want a couple of things in return to make this work. I want you to understand Sir, when I’m on someone’s side, I’m the most loyal and most dependable person you will ever find.”