Mykal's Return to Towbar's World

by Dave Hazel

  He turned and ran into the van and was glad to see Boris ducked down behind the seat should the cameraman get too close.

  “Continue to stay down,” William instructed him.

  “Let’s go Roy,” Mykal shouted with excitement. They were the last vehicle to drive into the green fog.

  #######

  The National Guard, the state troopers and all others participating in the security kept the well-wishers and on-lookers back. Everyone watched the area of the green fog where all the vehicles drove into. They all waited anxiously to see what would happen. Would the vehicles turn around and come back out? Would they be a mile away on the other side of the fog after the green clears? Did the massive convoy really disappear?

  The green fog dissipated and there were no vehicles. They truly disappeared. Despite the enormous crowd, silence filled the air while everyone curiously watched to see if anything would happen. Other than the sound of vehicle engines and the slight whistling of the North Dakota wind blowing through the open plains, all stood quiet. All signs of Towbar One vanished.

  5.

  Mykal’s heart seemed to be thumping a million beats per minute. His anxiousness stemmed from the uncertainty of their destination. Towbar explained to him that he would have to concentrate on the location where he desired the green fog to transport them to. Towbar mentioned beforehand that he would focus on the plains east of the Pass. He would ensure it would be far enough east of the Pass to avoid the Sosos. They would need time to regroup and gather their bearings.

  The dizzying effect seemed like being drunk for the first time. Mykal felt like he spun in circles, identical to the two previous travels through the green fog. Mykal’s biggest fear was they would end up in another location around Towbar’s world and not be able to locate the Pass.

  Roy Jr. stopped the van and held tightly to the steering wheel. William held his head tightly waiting for the spinning to stop. Boris laid back into the seat. He held his head with his handcuffed hands. He laughed out loud, filled with joy that he returned to Towbar’s world.

  “Oh yeah,” Mykal laughed with excitement after the green cloud disappeared. “The Finger Mountains,” he pointed to the rock wall that was almost straight up and down. “You did it Towbar. This is where we need to be.”

  “Hot damn,” Boris shouted. “We’re here. Undo these for me.” Boris pushed his cuffed hands out for Mykal to use his key.

  “Are we really here?” William asked with disbelief. “From all the first person accounts I’ve heard, all the reports I read, and after all I’ve heard you and Towbar talk about, I can’t believe I’m really here. I see now with my own eyes that the strange and deadly place you’ve discussed is really genuine.”

  “Oh yeah, we’re here, and it’s real baby,” Boris laughed as he caught the keys Mykal tossed to him.

  “The mountains look familiar,” Roy Jr. said after he looked in all directions and readjusted his cowboy hat. “But this doesn’t seem right.”

  “You say this because you have never traveled this far east of the Pass,” Towbar replied. “You have been as far east as Pallomee when we warned my people. We are farther east than Pallomee, my friend. With the speed of your vehicles we should be in the Pass in less than a day.”

  Mykal looked all around him; to the north flat plains with hills in the far distance. The flat plains stretched as far as the eye could see both east and west. But to the south lay the range of mountains known as the Finger Mountains that stretch the entire length of the continent. The mountains were beautiful scenery with trees and vegetation dressing the base all along the rock wall. The rock skyscrapers were several hundred feet in height making it an impenetrable barrier for the Sosos. Only skilled rock climbers with the finest equipment would have any chance of reaching the top of the towering walls.

  Mykal grabbed the radio microphone. “Mykal and Towbar to Major Chick and the Battalion Commanders,” he called on the radio. “Please assemble on my location. We have our red lights flashing and sirens going,” he said and nodded for Roy Jr. to turn them on.

  “Myk, when you say Battalion Commanders,” Roy Jr. said and paused to turn on the red lights atop of the van. “I was told by that Jill guy that I’m in Third Battalion. That don’t mean I gotta follow the orders of some Battalion Commander, does it?”

  “No, not at all. They have you, William and all the returnees listed under Third Battalion which is the civilian and non-combatants. It’s just so they know where you are. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Phew, good. I was afraid I mighta signed my life away,” Roy Jr. laughed. “They gave me a buncha supplies, and I told them what weapons I was gonna bring and they got me ammo for my rifles. So I was just sitting here thinking I mighta signed up for the Army or something and didn’t know it.”

  They laughed with Roy Jr. and listened as a flurry of radio chatter took place while everyone tried to meet up with their designated leaders so they could account for every person and every vehicle. From the talk on the radio it sounded like they were spread out over a wide area. Some of the vehicles were as far away as three miles.

  William stood outside of the vehicle and stared in amazement in all directions. “Do you really know where we are?” He asked. “This is so surreal.”

  “Yeah, these are the Finger Mountains.” Mykal pointed to the wall of mountains about a half a mile away.

  Towbar looked at Mykal and smiled. “I am pleased. I was able to bring us where I intended. I did not choose to bring us close to the Pass for fear of being in the Soso camp.”

  “That’s great. That means when it comes time to go back home you should be able to get us there without any problems,” Mykal said and gave a sigh of relief. “Boris, I want you to stay hidden for a while. You’re supposed to be dead. If anyone starts to ask questions deny that you’re you and we’ll hide you away.”

  “I got it covered. That man named Jill gave me fake identification in case someone asked questions. Look, my last name is Jones. I’m Robert Jones,” he said and pointed to his name tag. “It was Kurt’s last name.”

  “We’ll talk about all that later,” Mykal said when he noticed Major Chick walking toward him.

  “Roy, you don’t have an issue with lying about Boris’s identity, do you?” William asked.

  “All I care about is my daddy and my brother. Boris is a friend of mine. Several times, he saved my life and the lives of my family. Whatever problems he has with the military or rest of the world, that’s their problem,” Roy Jr. said and winked.

  “Thanks buddy.” Boris smiled and winked back.

  “Wow, this is truly amazing,” Chick said when he joined them at their vehicle. “Is this really the place?” He asked and was struck with a childlike fascination. “Clearly this isn’t North Dakota. This sudden change, the mountains, the lack of snow and cold, the greenery,” he paused and took in the sights. “This is all extraordinarily mystifying.”

  “Yes, and we’re where we need to be,” Mykal said with undeniable excitement.

  “If I would not have experienced this, I don’t think I would really have believed it,” Chick said. “How close are we to encountering Sosos? I want to ensure the men are prepared and not in any danger.”

  “About a day away,” Towbar answered while staring at the mountain formation. “Unless, of course, there are roving bands of Sosos in the area.”

  They watched the vehicles group together in a general area. Once assembled, the men, like true soldiers formed up under their leaders. Four-man fire teams grouped together to form squads. Squads grouped together to form platoons and platoons grouped together as companies. The non-combatants grouped together so everyone could account for each other. They were not going to leave until each body had been accounted for.

  “Sir, I am not exaggerating when I tell you there will easily be three hundred thousand Sosos near the Pass. More than likely, it will be a lot more than that because they were building their force. Please, pass it on to your men t
o be ready for anything,” he said just as Innes, Taylor and Major Hansen, the three Battalion Commanders approached them.

  “It’s being done now,” Chick said. “First order of business men,” Chick said while turning to his Battalion Commanders. “Do a roll call and take a second roll call to confirm everyone is present. We will depart quickly after all are accounted for. The most important directive you can pass on to your Company Commanders is to be extremely vigilant. Mykal confirmed we are near our target location. We are near enemy territory and the numbers are in their favor. The potential for enemy contact is medium but will increase when we move out.”

  “Yes Sir,” they replied together and saluted Chick in a synchronized and professional manner.

  “Major Hansen, you have much to deal with as far as getting your people ready for arrival to the Pass,” Major Chick said. “Unless we need you personally you can do your own thing and we’ll leave you alone.”

  “Thank you Major,” Hansen replied and returned back to the main body.

  “Captain Taylor, I would like you to find out if there were any mishaps with the vehicles.” Chick turned to Mykal and Towbar. “Besides the safety of the men, my primary concern is for the fuel and supply vehicles and the trucks carrying the helicopters. There is a higher risk of those vehicles turning over during the, what would you call it? It’s not time travel, is it?”

  “Good question Sir,” Mykal answered and looked stunned. “I can’t confirm if we traveled in time, but we traveled to another world.”

  “We’ll just call it world travel,” Chick said. “If we find out that time travel had actually occurred,” Chick paused. “Damn, it’s going to keep me up at nights thinking about this,” Chick joked and laughed with Innes and Taylor. All three officers gave the appearance by the way they carried themselves that they were completely dedicated to the Marine Corps. “We’ll get back with you after we account for everyone,” Chick said and the three walked away.

  Towbar displayed a happy giddiness Mykal had never seen before. “He’s thrilled to be home,” Mykal chuckled to Boris. “He looks impatient to get back to the Pass.”

  “How come so many people came here with us?” Boris asked while trying to hide his face inside the van despite the fact that the windows were heavily tinted.

  “I’ll explain later,” Mykal answered. He didn’t want to talk about his private mission with William sitting there. He felt he couldn’t trust William. “Towbar, the last time you did your Mind Talk with Nidious he said the Sosos haven’t attacked yet, right?”

  “You are correct my friend. However, that was five days ago.”

  “Come on, we’re gonna go ahead of everyone to the Pass.”

  “How, my friend?” Towbar asked with great excitement.

  “We have some helicopters and we’ll fly there.” Mykal had to explain what a helicopter was. Towbar had been in a helicopter but only once.

  Some of Third Battalion, the civilian / non-combatant group, approached Mykal. They were the survivors from the original trip; Terry Burns, Big Jeff Cann, Baby Hulk Jordan, Lopez, Spencer and Douglas. “Are we close to the Pass Myk?” Baby Hulk Jordan asked for the group.

  “Yeah, we’ll get there pretty soon,” Mykal eyed the group. He believed four of them were threats to his freedom and wellbeing. ‘Friggin backstabbers,’ he thought but gave a friendly smile.

  “Do you know that we’re all here only as observers and technical experts?” Baby Hulk snickered. “But we’re all getting a bonus from the Air Force for our expertise.”

  Mykal wanted to laugh. ‘That’s how Jill got them to come along. Greed is dangerous.’ “Well good, I’m glad you all decided to come along. Your experience will be helpful.”

  “Hey, what the hell?” Terry Burns gasped when he saw Boris step out of the van to smoke a cigarette. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” He asked and quickly took a step back as if he saw a ghost.

  “I am dead,” Boris laughed. “I’m a friggin ghost if it matters.” He made a crazy expression to come across as insane and eyed them to see how they would respond to his presence. “Just don’t worry about me. As a matter of fact forget that you saw me or there will be some serious problems for you,” he threatened. “Do ya know what I mean?”

  “Sure, sure,” Terry Burns raised his hands in surrender. He sounded terrified and took another couple of steps back. “I was scheduled to work the day you--” he stopped himself, obviously fearful to mention the horrendous act Boris committed. “Man, good thing I had a tooth ache that day.”

  “Hey man, I’m just along for the ride, and a quick buck. Uncle Sam owes us anyway,” Baby Hulk said and gave a friendly smile. “You died in prison man, so I don’t know who you are and I don’t care as long as it don’t affect me. So are we at the right place Myk?” He changed the subject, unconcerned about Boris’s presence.

  Mykal caught himself reminiscing about his first meeting of Baby Hulk before he became Baby Hulk. He remembered when Jordan arrived on the Crew and he was a skinny kid just known as Jordan. Jordan had transformed himself into a body building machine, the muscular Baby Hulk.

  “Yeah, Towbar says we’re about a day away from the Pass. Is this crazy or what? Can you believe we’re back?” Mykal asked.

  “Na, I can’t. What the hell was I thinking?” Jordan laughed at himself for signing up to come along.

  “Yeah, but just think, you’re all a part of history,” Mykal sneered sarcastically. “But listen to me, all of you, Boris is serious. You never saw him. That’s from the very, very top. His name is Jones. Robert Jones. Don’t breathe a word of who you think he is or you’ll have the CIA hunt you down,” he said to put fear in them. “That’s not a joke.”

  “I don’t really care about the history making stuff,” Terry Burns laughed dryly. “I was kinda forced into coming.”

  “How is that?” Mykal asked.

  “It don’t matter,” Burns said and turned his head to brush it off. He was told not to reveal his reason for coming back. “We’re all being paid well for this little trip. But how did--” he stopped and looked at Boris.

  “I told them I wouldn’t come back unless Boris returned. As far as anyone knows, he is dead,” he said slowly. “He’ll never go back to the world. Forget you saw him or it’s your ass. Like I said, his name is A1C Jones. He’s got ID to prove it. This is a government thing.”

  “Not a problem here,” Burns laughed like he had just been clued in to a big secret.

  “Well look,” Mykal changed the subject. “You guys know how to get there. Just keep following the mountain wall until you come to the Pass and avoid the Sosos. I’m gonna take a helicopter and fly ahead and make sure all our people are there and see if we can see any signs of those who disappeared from D.C.”

  “Who are you gonna take with you, Myk?” Burns asked. Burns looked and sounded like he had never spoken a negative word of Mykal.

  Mykal looked at him and wanted to punch him in the head for being a ‘two faced back stabber’. He wanted to lash out, ‘Burns and the other three will get theirs when the time is right,’ he thought but continued his friendly smile.

  “Who?” Burns asked again when Mykal just looked at him.

  “I’m definitely taking Towbar and Boris. I need to get Boris outta here before someone recognizes him. I’ll also take Roy Jr. cuz hopefully his father and brother are still out there. I need the rest of you guys to lead them to the Pass. Towbar, come with me. I’m going to talk with Major Chick,” Mykal said and turned away to end his conversation with them.

  Mykal felt awkward approaching Major Chick who was in a brief meeting with a couple of Company Commanders and a few Platoon leaders. He still felt like a junior NCO who had no business interrupting officers. He stopped and waited until given permission to advance.

  When the officers saw him they all stopped talking and made sure Major Chick knew he and Towbar neared them. Suddenly it struck Mykal, ‘I really am the person in charge here.’ Mentally he struggle
d with it since he still saw himself as a junior NCO. It felt odd to see these higher ranked officers, stop everything because he came into their presence. They knew he and Towbar were the ‘big shots’. Mykal had to start carrying himself as such.

  “Good afternoon gentlemen,” Mykal said and gave a nervous smile. He felt so phony. The men before him were true military warriors and genuine leaders “Did you have a nice little trip here,” he chuckled and some of them laughed.

  “It’s unbelievable. Truly an exhilarating experience one must go through,” one of the lieutenants replied.

  Seven months ago these officers wouldn’t have given him the time of day. He wouldn’t have been worthy enough to tie their boot laces, but now he became, in essence, their commanding officer. Supposedly all the volunteers had to be in agreement that his former status as a junior NCO would be of no concern or they would be disqualified for the assignment. ‘Hopefully they’ve all been vetted. Wow, that’s hard to wrap my head around,’ he thought while looking at these true warriors.

  Major Chick introduced those present to Mykal and Towbar. All those present were leaders of 1st Battalion which had been comprised solely of US Marines. The leaders were all armed with a GAU 5A, the shorter version of the M-16 rifle. All the leaders had also been given a side arm, a military issue 9mm in a black leather holster.

  “Well Sir, I would like to officially meet all the leaders after we get to the Pass. We are about a day’s travel from the Pass,” he pointed to the west. “Some of the troops who were here the first time know where to go so I will have them direct you as you head out. What I would like to do is take one of the helicopters and fly ahead, if that is alright with you?”