The Third Ten

by Jacqueline Druga

  He had just arrived at Joe’s office and pulled out the extra Beginnings map, marking it for places they had checked for Johnny. Places they would check again.

  Security didn’t show the perimeters going down at all the night before, so that told Danny, Johnny was within the walls.

  He got a text from Jess, saying he would there in a minute and that he had news, at the same time, there was a knock on the office door.

  “Come in,” Danny yelled.

  The door opened and George stepped in.

  It surprised Danny. He didn’t expect George to rush to Beginnings, then again, he always viewed Johnny as a son.

  “George.”

  “Hey, Danny. Anything?” George shut the door.

  “Nothing. We’re trying. Beginnings is a big place. There is no blood, no signs of a struggle, we combed that warehouse area.”

  George lowered his head. “Did Joe say why he didn’t pull Johnny or send back up.”

  “Far as I know, Johnny didn’t think it was a big deal.”

  “Like his father. Believes he can handle things.”

  “He can, George. He’s fine.”

  “A part of me believes that too.”

  “So what brings you?” Danny asked.

  “Hal sent a message that I was right.” George put his phone on the desk. “That the would be killer or killers would use the time machine to leave.”

  “They did. There were three.”

  “And Hal wanted us to get names of anyone who was missing. Or not in town. I sent my list to Jess, he sent a list to me to cross check.”

  “And …” Danny looked at the door when there was a knock. “Come on in.”

  Jess walked in. “Hey, George, Danny.” He shut the door.

  Danny looked at them both. “Are we here to compare cross checks?”

  Heavily, George exhaled and sat down. “I checked the names with our town and the other provinces.”

  “Me, too,” Jess said. “All missing. All unaccounted for.”

  “So we found the three?” Danny asked.

  “Danny,” George said. “Whoever did this was one step ahead. They wanted to throw us. They knew we’d figure it out the second they went through the machine. And I believe that’s why Johnny is missing along with …” he laid a sheet of paper down.

  Danny’s eyes widened. “John Matoose, Creed?”

  “He was in Bowman last night for line dancing. Never made it back.”

  “Jesus there’s five names on this list.”

  “And …” Jess handed him a list.

  Danny peeped out a shocked scream. “Jenny Matoose, too? There’s six on this.”

  “With Johnny,” George said. “That’s twelve people unaccounted for. Half those people had the intelligence to pull off the time trip.”

  “So they take a few people, make us scratch our heads. Now, the question is, which of these twelve are the killers?”

  Jess said, “The only way to know for sure is to go through the machine and find them. Is that even possible.”

  “Yeah, yeah, it is. That’s what Joe’s dealing with now.” Danny nodded, staring at the list. “In the meantime. Where the hell are our people?”

  <><><><>

  Joe heard Hal and Robbie enter the quantum lab, but his back was to them, standing in the far corner, taking a telephone call from Danny. He rubbed his eyes “This isn’t happening,” Joe said in a soft voice. “Ok, well, we’re doing this. So hopefully, we’ll have at least one of them to tell us where the others are. I’ll be in touch.” He hung up and regained his composure.

  “Dad?” Hal called out. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Joe turned around and cocked back when he saw Hal and Robbie both with backpacks, and both heavily armed. “Jesus Christ, you two look like militant hunters.”

  “Best to be prepared,” Hal said.

  “That’s why I thought you were bringing Dean.” Joe walked to them.

  “Dean can’t do it all,” Robbie added. “This is all stuff we think we needed.”

  “How long do you think you’ll be there?” Joe asked.

  “As long as it takes,” Hal answered. “So we gauged what we needed.”

  “How exactly did you gauge that? Based on what?”

  They answered, but they murmured.

  Joe tugged his ear. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  Jason replied as he stepped away from the computer. “They said based on Planet of the Apes.”

  “Oh, dear god.” Joe shook his head and turned when the door opened. “Finally, I thought …” He froze when Frank walked in with Dean and Chaka. “Why … why are those two wearing life jackets.”

  “Because Dean only sort of swims and Chaka fears water. The LEPS stay away from water. I have him convinced we have his back.” Frank winked.

  “Okay,” Joe said calmly. “Why do they need life jackets?”

  “For when we drop in the lake.”

  “And that will be when?”

  “Uh, Dad, when we get to the future. We’ll land in a lake.”

  “Uh, Frank? You aren’t landing in a lake.”

  “You don’t know.”

  “I do know. You’re not falling in a lake and why…” Joe smacked himself in the head. “Is Chaka wearing that?”

  Frank glanced over at the clothes Chaka wore. A deep green jacket, a lighter green tee shirt over a pair of purple military style pants. “His clothes were dirty and those were the only things that fit. Ben made them for Creed.”

  “This is insane. All of you are packed for vacation. You think you’re going to be there a week.”

  “We may,” Frank said. “We have to find my murders. Plus, take a look around.”

  “It’s a time machine,” Joe said. “I would think you would arrive the same time as them. Jason?”

  Jason shook his head. ‘I think there will be a minute or two delays, so they could have a head start. There also will be a slight delay on your return.”

  Roy explained. “Both times I went back to my time, there was a delay of one minute. Meaning a minute had passed, when you go less than ten years it is thirty seconds. So there may be a delay on this side, how long, we can’t predict because a trip of this length has never been officially recorded.”

  Jason passed out the pendants. “There are four of these. Each is able to activate their own time door and they are automatically set to return to right now. I would suggest, once you arrive, hiding one in case something happens. That way, if need be, you all hold on, and go through.”

  Frank raised his hand. “So we don’t have to return to the same spot.”

  Jason shook his head. “No.”

  “That’s good,” Frank said. “They work as an emergency escape.”

  “Yes.”

  “And we don’t have to worry about losing the door when we land in the lake.”

  “Frank!” Joe shouted. “You are landing in a lake.”

  “You don’t know!”

  “I do know. You’re landing twenty miles northwest of Kansas City not a lake in sight.”

  “And you know this how?” Frank asked.

  “By looking at a goddamn map!” Joe yelled.

  “But …” Frank lifted his finger. “Is it a map of the future? A thousand years, a lot can happen. Think Pandora.”

  “What?” Joe asked.

  “Pandora. When the continents were all together.”

  Hal spoke up. “That was Pangaea. And that took millions of years to break apart. I think we’re good. We not dropping in a lake.”

  “Oh, okay. However …” Frank reached in his backpack, “I have extra super large baggies in case …”

  Whap!

  Joe smacked his hand. “Stop.”

  “Ow.”

  “Just stop. You aren’t falling into a lake. Put the goddamn baggies away.”

  “Fine, I was just …”

  “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Man, so mean to me when I blew up.
And to think, a couple hours ago you were crying over me.”

  “That’s because I didn’t realize the extent that Dean made you into a monster.”

  Frank gasped.

  Dean snickered. “Joe, please, a monster …”

  “Shut up. Mad scientist,” Joe said. “When this is done, you and I are having a little talk. But for now … if we can. Let’s set our strategy and get on our way. Clear?”

  Hal and Robbie said, “Clear.”

  “Frank? Clear?”

  “Yeah, I just wish you’d let me pass out the baggies so …”

  Joe walked to the door.

  “Dad?” Hal called. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m stepping out before I kill Frank in a way Dean’s mad scientist potion won’t bring him back.” Joe walked out.

  The door slammed.

  Chaka looked at Frank with question.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Frank waved his hand. “Fathers.”

  For some odd reason, Chaka nodded very knowingly.

  <><><><>

  “Morning, Elliott,” Melissa pushed her cart into Elliott’s room. “Your color looks better today. And guess what … we’re weaning you off the medication. You’ll be awake this time tomorrow. I have to tell you, I am amazed.” She walked to his bed side and stopped. “Why is this monitor not working?” She pressed a few buttons on the vital signs monitor, the digits still blinked. “We should have gotten an alarm. Damn it.” She checked his connections on the patches, they were still on, then lifted his chart. “Patrick didn’t note the monitor. Okay. I’ll do this the old fashioned way and get this fixed.”

  She grabbed his wrist and looked at her watch, keeping an eye on his breathing to count his respirations. When she noticed his pulse was fast, too fast.

  Pausing, she tried again, only his heart beat out of control and that was when she noticed his chest. Elliott started breathing rapidly and each breath moved his chest predominantly.

  “Shit.” As she reached across the bed to call, Elliott wheezed a deep breath. His back arched up and then he fell still.

  Only for a second.

  Instantly, he started to shake and convulse, his face turned purple as his arms flailed and body shook out of control. Just above the headboard of the bed was a blue button and Melissa smacked it.

  “Ellen,” she hit the call button, holding down Elliott so he did sail from the bed. “Code blue, Elliott. Stat.”

  Ellen and Andrea were at the nurses’ station down the hall from Elliott’s room. They had just started laughing about Roy singing all morning, when the alarm sounded.

  “Ellen. Code blue. Elliott. Stat.”

  They both sped off down the hall, cut off by Patrick with a crash cart just as they made it to Elliott’s room.

  Elliott thrashed some, his back arched, raising his chest upward as his arms extended and his mouth was open wide.

  “Pulse is one ninety,” Melissa said. “It’s not cardiac arrest.”

  Andrea pushed through with a stethoscope. “Patrick, hold him down.”

  “He’s seizing,” Ellen said. “I’ll go get the anti-seizure.”

  “No,” Andrea said. “He’s not seizing. There’s no airflow.” She tossed off the stethoscope, slammed her foot on the pedal by the bed, lowering it completely. “He’s choking.”

  “Choking?” Melissa said. “How could he choke?”

  “Something is obstructing. He’s choking. I’m telling you. Ellen, prepare for a trach,” Andrea ordered, then climbed on the bed. She dug her knees in next to Elliott, clutched her hands together, placed him on his stomach and proceeded to do abdominal thirsts. “Come on.”

  On the fourth thrust, Elliott shot to a sitting position and coughed.

  Water shot from his mouth.

  Andrea got off the bed. “Elliott breathe.”

  “Is that... is that water?” Patrick asked.

  Ellen shook her head. ‘How is that water?”

  Elliott coughed and choked again, spitting out large amounts of water with each choke until he stopped.

  “Elliott?” Ellen rushed to him,

  “Easy,” Andrea told him. “Let’s get him some O2.”

  His hand swung away the oxygen as he grasped Ellen’s hand. “They couldn’t …they …” He spoke confused and breathless.

  “Elliott, please,” Andrea said.

  Elliott heaved out breaths and gripped Ellen hand tight. He lifted up enough to lock eyes. “They knew they could … kill him. Stop. Stop.” He coughed, “Stop Frank. Don’t go…time trip.” Another wheezing breath. “It’s a trap. It’s a trap.”

  On those words, Elliott released Ellen’s hand and passed out.

  “He’s stabilizing,” Andrea said. “Get me another line.”

  Ellen backed up slowly. Andrea’s orders to Melissa and Patrick echoed in her mind as if a dream when she backed out of the room.

  What had happened? It was something Ellen had never seen. Elliott choked on water.

  How?

  Then his words, “They knew they couldn’t kill him. Stop Frank. Time trip. It’s a trap.”

  It was almost as if he were possessed. Just as she was about to dismiss what he said as a delusion or part of a coma dream, she remembered her last conversation not long ago with Dean.

  He had a bag of items, bandages, healing agent, and water pills.

  “Jason needs to speak to me at the quantum lab. I’ll be gone about an hour.”

  The Quantum lab.

  Immediately, Ellen panicked and just to be on the safe side, she ran to the nurse’s station to get her phone.

  <><><><>

  “Goddamn it,” Joe looked down to the phone. Ellen was calling. He shut it off. “I’ll deal with her in a minute,” He placed the phone in his pocket, then looked up to the time traveling crew.

  “Thanks, Frank.” Dean shoved the plastic bag in his pack, “Better safe than sorry.”

  “That’s what I say.”

  “Okay, are we all done sealing our items in plastic?” Joe asked with sarcasm. “We have the pendants.”

  “In my bag, safe from water,” Frank said, “Oh! Shit. Almost forgot.” He turned to Chaka. “Give me the earpiece. I don’t want them ruined by water. I promise we won’t say mean things about you that you don’t understand.”

  Chaka removed the ear piece and handed it to Frank. He placed his and Chaka’s in the bag. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

  “Good. Let’s do this. First and foremost, find Frank’s hit men,” Joe said. “If you need to explore and get samples…” He looked at Dean. “That’s fine, but get our guys. Most importantly, you don’t know what you are going to face. Be careful and come back.”

  “Good luck,” Jason said. “See you in a few.”

  The machine powered up

  “And remember,” Frank said. “Legs straight Dean, hold your breath, you’ll pop right back up.”

  The doorway illuminated.

  “Frank, you’re not falling in water,” Joe spoke loud, his voice going over the noise of the time machine. “Good luck!”

  “Be ready for the other side!” Frank shouted as Hal stepped through, then Robbie, Chaka, and Dean. Frank made eye contact with his father, then he finally stepped through.

  The doorway closed.

  Silence.

  “They’re through,” Jason said. “Now, we wait. Anywhere from thirty seconds on.”

  “So don’t get discouraged if they aren’t back in ten minutes?” Joe asked.

  Roy shook his head. “I am preparing for up to an hour if not more.”

  “Good. I’m gonna head out, grab a smoke and call Ellen back.” Joe walked over to the door. No sooner did he reach for the handle, the room lit up with not only the sound of an electric charge, but a long, deep painful scream that preceded the arrival of Robbie.

  He appeared in the center room, his arms outstretch and bound to the two posts that arrived with him. He was stripped of almost all clothing, except a cloth that covered h
is midsection. The bionics of his right arm were exposed and his body was beaten. He still screamed in shock even seconds after he made it back.

  Joe raced over to him. “Help me untie him.” He reached for Robbie’s arm and the pendant dropped from his hand.

  “You’re back. You’re okay,” Joe said, he lifted Robbie’s face.

  “Dad,” Robbie said weakly.

  “Dear God.” Joe placed his hand on Robbie’s cheek. “What happened to you?”

  EIGHTEEN – ONE MINUTE EARLIER

  The doorway illuminated.

  “Frank, you’re not falling in water,” Joe spoke loud, his voice going over the noise of the time machine. “Good luck!”

  “Be ready for the other side!” Frank shouted as Hal stepped through, then Robbie, Chaka, and Dean. Frank made eye contact with his father, then he finally stepped through.

  Frank was ready. He supposed the others should have been, after all, he warned them to be prepared. In a way, even Frank was a bit shocked.

  Going from a firm footing to nothing but air, did startle him a bit. Still, he kept his wits about him. He was the only one who didn’t make a sound.

  Robbie, Hal, Dean and even Chaka, all screamed out, “Ah!”

  The last thing Frank wanted to do was have his mouth open when he landed. If they wanted their arrival to be a surprise, they blew it. Their long cries out probably echoed across the valley as they free-fell from the sky, landing … in a body of water.

  Splash, splash, splash … splash, splash.

  The water was warm, that was a good thing. Frank saw it before he landed and took a deep breath. He sunk down far and immediately swam to the surface. He looked around, Dean shot up like a bobber.

  “You okay?” Frank asked.

  “Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine.”

  Robbie came up with a ‘Whew’ and a laugh,

  Hal emerged. “Frank.” He coughed. “You son of a bitch. You’re were right.”

  “I told you. I saw Planet of the Apes enough to know.” Frank looked around. Chaka was the final one to come up. He swung his arms and made a strange grunting noise. Frank swam over to him. “Calm.” He told him, then grabbed his arm. “Shh.”