Out of Time (The Adventures of Eric and Ursula Book 4)

by A. D. Winch

  There was no changing Eric's mind and as soon as Johan saw the look on the boy's face, he navigated to a folder entitled 'Meyer' and then handed the laptop to him.

  "I will go downstairs for breakfast. Come down when you have finished."

  Eric sat against the cool wall and looked at the files. He picked 'Intelligence' and clicked on it. A new window opened requesting the encryption code. The request did not concern Eric, what worried him was that he already knew it.

  Before entering the code, he tried to figure out how it was stored in his brain. A number of different options presented themselves, but his thoughts kept coming back to one moment – when the alien, if that's what it was, tried to enter his mind. The code must have been left there. There was no other way.

  Eric typed the sixteen digits, and the document opened. At first, his eyes were drawn to the Xs that littered the pages and blanked out the dates. No matter what he tried, he could not remove them but in the end decided that it didn't matter. He began to read.

  INTELLIGENCE REPORT

  Roswell, New Mexico, USA Date: XX/XX/XXXX

  Rogue DNA Analysis

  Summary:

  A sample of DNA from an unknown terror suspect and a threat to national security was discovered in a possible weapon of mass destruction. This sample was passed to Team Omega. It was imperative that the source of this DNA was traced back to the suspect who would be located and removed permanently from all terror activities.

  On XX/XX/XXXX, matching DNA was found in records at a hospital in Paris. It had been discarded as an anomaly but kept on file. After careful questioning of this medical institution, and necessary subterfuge, the patient's name was retrieved. The suspect is named Eric Meyer. He is the son of Martin Meyer, a well-known poker player and his wife Maria Torre, a former Miss World. It is rumoured that the Meyer family are worth approximately half a billion dollars.

  The Meyer family are currently touring the world on their yacht the 'Queen of Hearts.'

  The report stopped there, and Eric closed it. The next file was entitled 'Queen of Hearts.'

  INTELLIGENCE REPORT

  Dubai, UAE Date: XX/XX/XXXX

  Operation 'Queen of Hearts'

  Summary:

  At 15:28 on XX/XX/XXXX, Team Omega arrived in Dubai and immediately ran intelligence gathering activities around the Dubai Yacht Club and Dubai Creek Marina. It was discovered the 'Queen of Hearts' had left the Marina two hours before Team Omega's arrival.

  Team Omega used an inflatable speed boat to pursue the 'Queen of Hearts.' They intercepted it at 18:41, under the pretext of a fishing trip gone wrong. It was already dark. Martin Meyer and Maria Torre reluctantly welcomed Team Omega on board. They agreed to assist Team Omega back to Dubai and offered food.

  While food was prepared, Agents Delta and Zeta searched the yacht. Eric Meyer was not onboard.

  Agent Alpha asked Martin Meyer and Maria Torre where their son was. This was an error. Maria Torre was about to answer, but Martin Meyer stopped her and said, to quote, "We don't have a son."

  The question was asked again, and the same response given. This time both Martin Meyer and Maria Torre answered.

  Agent Delta retrieved a large photo of Eric Meyer that was hanging in the bedroom. Other photos of the terror suspect were located in the lounge area and kitchen area.

  Martin Meyer and Maria Torre proceeded to say nothing. Despite the use of persuasive techniques, Martin Meyer refused to answer any of our questions and lost consciousness after nearly fifteen minutes. Maria Torre lost consciousness after the first question was asked.

  At 19:11 a cargo vessel was spotted on the horizon. Martin Meyer and Maria Torre were locked in their cabin. Charges were placed around the hull. The inflatable speedboat was sunk, and Team Omega entered the water in wetsuits.

  At 19:35, Team Omega swam to a safe distance from the 'Queen of Hearts' and the charges were detonated. Holes were blown into the hull, and the yacht sank below the surface instantly. At 19:36 there was an unplanned explosion.

  Team Omega returned to the location of the 'Queen of Hearts' and used thermal imaging goggles to search the sea for wreckage. Most had sunk below the waves. All items from the yacht that were floating on the surface were collected.

  When the cargo vessel, 'Gulf Steam,' arrived, Team Omega were one kilometre from the location of the explosion. The sailors on board searched unsuccessfully for survivors. Their search lasted for two hours. During this time, Team Omega secured passage on the hull of the cargo vessel.

  Team Omega reported back at 21:41. The communication was as follows: "Target has been destroyed but no sign of the boy. I repeat, no sign of the boy."

  Report Additional:

  It has come to light that Maria Torre and probably her husband escaped from their cabin and managed to get to the radio before the 'Queen of Hearts' sank. She issued a plea for help to the nearby cargo vessel, 'Gulf Steam,' before the unplanned explosion at 19:36. The cause of this second explosion is unknown. Maria Torre's message did not implicate the OSS.

  Eric had no idea that his parents had hung so many pictures of him around their yacht. The last time he had been aboard, paintings by an orangutan had adorned the walls. He was surprised that his parents had replaced these with pictures of him.

  Eric had always felt that his parents had been murdered, but to see it written down on an OSS report made it more real. The OSS had killed them. They had killed them because of him.

  His parents had refused to tell the OSS where Eric was located. At the cost of their own lives, they had protected him. As this thought played on his mind, Eric felt his eyes fill with tears. A second later, he was sobbing uncontrollably. He buried his head in Johan's pillow so that no one would hear him, and his body shook as the tears flowed.

  When he thought he was finished, he sat up. The report on his parents' last night together came back to him immediately. He fell back onto the pillow, and all his pent-up emotions were finally released.

  It took over twenty minutes for Eric to gradually calm himself down and return to the laptop. There were other files but, before he read them he wanted to watch something on the internet. He typed 'Meyer Obituary' and selected the video that had played that terrible Christmas on the news. Last time, he had not really watched it. The words and images had swum away from him. This time, he gazed intently at the screen with a growing respect and admiration for his parents.

  A compassionate voice spoke over a series of old photos and some poor quality television footage of a poker game against a man with a moustache.

  "His chips have been cashed in, the game is over and Martin Meyer, probably the best poker player in the history of the game, has left the green velvet table of life."

  As Eric watched, certain phrases stuck with him. 'He dedicated his time to running the Meyer Foundation and investing his millions.' 'It is believed that millions each year go to worthwhile causes worldwide.' 'With the death of their son, the Meyers have no surviving relatives.'

  They may not have been the best parents in the world, but Eric realised slowly that they were not bad people. He did not want their good work to go to waste. Since their deaths, Eric wondered what had happened to the Meyer Foundation. Who was running it? What was its purpose? What did it do? He would ask Andrea once he finished reading a couple more files. He opened one named 'Pest Control.' Like the others, all the dates had been replaced with Xs.

  INTELLIGENCE REPORT

  Prague, Czech Republic Date: XX/XX/XXXX

  Operation 'Pest Control'

  Summary:

  The search for Eric Meyer took an unexpected turn on XX/XX/XXXX, when the following was published in newspapers around the world.

  TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

  MY NAME IS ERIC MEYER AND I AM ALIVE. I AM PERFECTLY SAFE AS I WAS NOT ON THE YACHT WITH MY PARENTS. HOWEVER I FEAR THAT THEY WERE KILLED AND THAT I MAY BE NEXT.

  AS PROOF THAT I AM ALIVE, PLEASE FIND ATTACHED A PHOTO OF MYSELF HOLDING MY PASSPORT AND THE
NEWSPAPERS FROM THE MORNING AFTER THE EXPLOSION.

  I AM BEING LOOKED AFTER AND I WILL BE RETURNING TO SCHOOL SHORTLY.

  I WOULD APPRECIATE BEING LEFT IN PEACE AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

  YOURS SINCERELY, ERIC MEYER

  Eric Meyer attends Prague Anglo International School. Posing as journalists, Team Omega tracked his movements. It was impossible to enter the school or act without attracting unwanted attention. During a routine cross-country run, Eric Meyer separated himself from the group and we suspect that he took a tram into the Old Town of Prague. This provided the perfect opportunity to eradicate the terror suspect and the source of the abnormal DNA, but he vanished before OSS agents reached him.

  Eric remembered that moment clearly. He had gone to the ice-cream shop, and Alexander had kidnapped him. At the time, he had no idea that he was being saved. If it hadn't been for Alexander's smart thinking and action, he would have ended up in the OSS's clutches far earlier and would probably be dead.

  There were numerous files left, but many of the names were off-putting, and Eric knew that he had no desire to read them. Instead, he decided to read one last report.

  INTELLIGENCE REPORT

  Roswell, New Mexico, USA Date: XX/XX/XXXX

  Operation 'Pest Control' / Operation 'Stray Dogs'

  Summary:

  Operation Pest Control has been scrapped and will be replaced with Operation Stray Dogs.

  Operation Stray Dogs' objective is the rendition of Eric Meyer and his companion - only known at this time as Ursula.

  Unless personnel are placed in a life-threatening situation by these targets, the targets must not be mortally wounded. Their value for scientific research is potentially far greater if they are living.

  Eric closed the laptop and looked out of the window at the blue sky. If he had to go back to Roswell, he would go. He would not let his parents' deaths be in vain, and as he had said on various occasions, he wanted revenge. Yet, before that happened, there were things he had to do. He wiped his eyes and walked out of Johan's room.

  On the hotel terrace, Eric found Johan and Mémé. Johan was happily eating a large chunk of melon. When he saw Eric, he stopped and stared at the boy, concerned that his slip of the tongue had caused irreparable damage.

  Eric put this thumb up, and Johan relaxed slightly.

  "Bonjour," Eric greeted.

  Mémé stopped knitting and greeted him warmly.

  "Did you sleep well, mon cheri?" she asked in French, beckoning him towards her and taking his hand.

  "Yes, thanks."

  Mémé looked at his face closely. Before she had opened her mouth, Eric knew what she was about to say.

  "Have you been crying?" she gripped his hand tighter.

  Eric considered lying but could not find a reason to do so. This was Mémé, and he knew she wouldn't think anything bad of him if he told her the truth.

  "I was thinking about my parents. It upset me. I never had a chance to say goodbye," he spoke quickly in French, worried that the tears may return, but they stayed away.

  "You didn't say goodbye," Mémé replied, stroking his hand with her thumb, "but there is no reason why you can't. It is easy to fix. They were lost on the great ocean, so I suggest we say our goodbyes near to the sea. Pick a place, and we will do it. We will have a memorial service for them. What do you think?"

  "What would I have to do?"

  "Just speak from your heart, mon cheri. Nothing else. I will support you."

  Eric thanked her, said he would think about it and asked if anyone else was awake.

  "Alexander went off somewhere before daybreak. Ursula and her grandfather are two peas in a pod and are both still in bed. And Andrea is in the kitchen."

  It was cooler indoors than outside, and Eric found Andrea sat in front of a computer screen on the kitchen table. An old fridge whirred softly in the corner, and Eric took a yogurt from it before sitting opposite Andrea.

  "Can I speak to you?"

  "Yes," she replied but her eyes remained glued on the screen.

  "I will go back to Roswell if needed."

  "I did not know that you would not."

  "But before I go, there are some things that I want to find out and some things that I wish to do."

  "What are these things?"

  Eric ate a mouthful of yogurt before replying.

  "What is the Meyer Foundation?"

  "The Meyer Foundation is an organisation. Its role is to coordinate investments and distribute the wealth accumulated to charities and other worthy benefactors."

  "Now my parents are dead, who is running it?"

  "The Meyer Foundation has one employee who oversees all transactions, dealings and communications."

  "Who is that?"

  "Me."

  Eric was not surprised by the answer and considered his next question while tapping the spoon lightly against his lips.

  "Will it always be you?"

  "No. Your parents wrote a last Will and Testament, which is stored with the Meyer family lawyers. The Will reads, 'The Meyer Foundation will be administered by Eric Meyer from his eighteenth birthday, or before if his guardian, Andrea Duna, states in writing that this is appropriate. In the event of Eric Meyer's death, all administration will remain with Andrea Duna. In the event of the death of Andrea Duna and Eric Meyer, the Meyer Foundation's administration and all its assets shall be passed to Douglas Hudson to do with as he sees fit.'

  "Captain Hudson?"

  "To quote your father, 'Douglas Hudson was the only man who ever helped me and he never asked for anything.'"

  It was strange that his father had never mentioned Captain Hudson, but he had had great difficulty in telling Eric anything of real importance.

  "Didn't my father have any family anywhere?"

  "His parents are deceased. He has no siblings. There is no extended family that I am aware of."

  "What about my mother?"

  "She is estranged from her family. She once said to me that there is no one in whom she trusts except for your father."

  "But she had loads of friends, she was always meeting people."

  "I do not understand how quantity relates to quality."

  Eric finished the yogurt.

  "Mémé suggested that we have a memorial service for my parents. If we do, I would like you to speak about them."

  Andrea's head rose from the computer screen, and she stared at Eric.

  "What would you like me to say? My memories are extensive. How long would you like me to speak for?"

  Eric smiled and thought about what she should say. "Tell us how you met them. I have never asked you that before. You only need to speak for one or two minutes."

  "If that is what you want then I shall do that," Andrea replied and returned to the screen.

  Back to Contents

  ***

  Chapter 5 – The Memorial Service

  It was early evening by the time they had all reached the cliff edge overlooking the Mediterranean. Waves broke against the rocks below, and an end of summer breeze kept them cool. Eric had decided on this place as it was ringed by trees and provided the seclusion that he desired. They formed a silent semi-circle looking out over the ocean, and Mémé stepped forward. She spoke in French, and Granddad Benjamin translated into English.

  "Welcome to the Memorial Service for Martin Meyer and Maria Torre, the parents of Eric Meyer, who were tragically lost at sea. We are here today to remember them and say au revoir as we will meet again in heaven, in the presence of our God, our father.

  "I never had the pleasure of meeting Martin and Maria, but I am grateful to them. They changed our lives and, even though our lives are uncertain at the moment, I am sure that in the future normality will return, and we can enjoy their generosity fully. Without them, we would not be standing here today, showing our respect.

  "I would like to thank them for supplying us with medicines for Jerome and his continued good health. I would like to thank them for giving our granddaughter
, Ursula Benjamin, the opportunity to see the world and study in a private school. I would like to thank them for inviting us to their home in Switzerland, for ensuring that we arrived safely and that all our cares were met while we were guests. But most of all I would like to thank them for Eric."

  Eric had not expected to hear his name. Mémé had startled him.

  "I have known Eric only a short time, and I wish to know him longer. His life may have seemed easy to the outside world, but I don't believe that it was. Since the death of his parents, he has stood tall and gone through events that no one should have to go through. In spite of his pain, he has saved my Ursula and helped to rescue myself and Jerome. Thank you, Martin and Maria." She paused respectfully. "Now, Ursula would like to say a few words."

  Ursula lifted her head and looked around at the assembled group. All their heads were bowed respectfully.

  "I grew up in a place very different to Eric. At my school, no cared if you were clever… unless you showed it. If you did, you got bullied. To make friends, I had to pretend to be like everyone else. To not worry the teachers, I also had to pretend to be like everyone else. When I went to Eric's school, this all changed. I know that I wasn't there very long, but it was the happiest I have ever been in a school, even if I did have some problems."

  Ursula paused and peered over at Eric, who glanced up guiltily.

  "I hope that I will get back there with Eric. I think I would appreciate every minute of it, and I know that if I had any problems, Eric would be there to help me. Without Eric's parents, I would never have done this. And perhaps, in some way, they were my parents too. Thank you."

  Ursula bowed her head. She was relieved that she had finished.