Time Control

by Rex Bolt

  “Should I go through with this?” Pike said.

  “Of course you should,” Cathy said, “why wouldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know … he doesn’t seem all there … The aliens. The brother time traveling … Guys like this, they could have easily just been released from a mental hospital, and then they, like, find a job driving a big rig.”

  Cathy said quietly, “I think you know you should go.”

  Pike knew it too, of course. “Are you coming with me?” he said.

  “No,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m not comfortable, being more involved … than I already am.”

  There was nothing Pike could say to that. He’d put it on her plate, the whole enchilada, when he let his emotion get the better of him. He regretted it, big-time

  Cathy gave Pike Reggie’s number. “I won’t be in contact with him anymore,” she said. “I feel like I did what I could.”

  “You’re not kidding,” Pike said. “C’mere.” They hugged, and he hoped she knew how much he appreciated it, though the hug wasn’t like the old days, and soon enough she was back with her friends at one of the tables in the quad, and they were laughing about something, so that was that.

  On Wednesday morning word spread around school that Mr. Milburn had encountered Mr. Foxe at the supermarket, Safeway, last night. Apparently Mr. Milburn spotted him in the meat section and took a run at him from about twenty yards away, with his cart.

  It didn’t sound like Mr. Foxe was seriously injured, but the police came. You couldn’t blame Audrey’s dad one iota, he was just reacting, but this would only make matters worse, and reinforce the injustice that might be developing. Foxe, the murderer, with a slick lawyer, and Mr. Milburn, insanely, maybe paying the bigger price.

  Pike tried Reggie Riley first thing out of bed Thursday morning. The guy picked up, and sure enough he said he’d be in Woodling today, ‘running’ the Interstate there as he put it.

  Pike asked when, if there was a ballpark, and Reggie said he’d let him know, and got off.

  This was starting to feel important, now that it might really be happening, and Pike was tossing around how he’d handle it if the guy got there during practice. Today was a walk-through, everything light, the day before the game. But you couldn’t miss it.

  Fortunately he wasn’t confronted with that decision. During physiology, 2nd period, Pike standing over a lab bench with his partner, Reggie gets back to him, he’ll be there in 45 minutes.

  Pike tore out of the classroom, didn’t say a word to anyone, including Mr. Becker up there, and as he hustled to the car he texted Reggie to PLEASE wait for him.

  He kept it at the speed limit and it did take slightly over an hour, but Reggie had said look for him inside at the counter, he’d have a Clemson cap on. And there he was.

  Reggie wasn’t what Pike expected. He was a little guy, neatly groomed, no facial hair, a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and running shoes. He could have been a guy who worked a regular corporate job, sitting there in his casual weekend attire.

  But then Reggie opened his mouth, “Howdy pardner, how you?”, which is more what Pike expected.

  Pike had always been curious about long distance truckers, the thought of being on the open road all day appealed to him, and he couldn’t help himself, he had a few questions.

  “You own your truck,” he asked Reggie, “or how’s that work?’

  “In my case I do,” Reggie said. “Finance charges’ll do you wrong though. Wouldn’t recommend it.”

  “Well what are the best routes?

  “Earnings-wise that’d be 95. New York to Florida … All-around nice though? Well you’ve got 80 through the mid states. Then you have your 101 out here. North out of Frisco to Seattle/Portland.”

  Pike said, “How is it sleeping in the truck?”

  “I can sleep like a baby, or not,” Reggie said. “Depending.”

  “Do you ever get, like a full 7 or 8 hours? Or is it all broken up?”

  “Broke up,” Reggie said. “This why we’re meetin’ though?’

  “No,” Pike said. “I didn’t mean to be stalling … if that’s what you think.” Even though that’s what he was doing. “Could you please tell me a little more about your brother?”

  “Why’s that?” Oh no.

  Pike said, “I have to level with you then. I’m not at all saying I am, but it’s possible I’m experiencing some of the same stuff.”

  “What same stuff? Going backwards in years?”

  “I don’t know … how’s that work … or how did that work, for Billy?”

  “All’s he tells me, one day he’s in the mess hall. Breakfast. They’d just done their morning run, like the Marines makes you do. Straight out of bed … You considering the service, son?”

  “I don’t know,” Pike said, praying that’s not the end of the story.

  “Confusing after that, what did happen. All I picked up from my brother, he’s bussing his tray, and then somebody asks him to go outside and do something, or bring something in. Don’t really know … Then he says he’s back in Charlotte, where we spent the summer as kids. Playing catch with our grandpa.”

  “This was … just in his head though, right?” Pike said.

  “He said it was real,” Reggie said. “My brother was a straight shooter. I believe him.”

  “Okay, and you say it happened another time? He went further back … more years?”

  “Yeah, but I give you enough, I believe. Something to work with … Or maybe it isn’t. No skin off my back either way.”

  “Did he … lose time when he went back? I mean the same amount both places?”

  “That was the funny thing about it. He said he lost an hour.”

  Pike wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t want to irritate the guy any more by over-asking stuff. He said, “But aliens caused it, you think? All of it? The extra strength … and the going back?”

  “Most definitely,” Reggie said. “They screwed with his teeth. There you go.”

  This was unnerving for Pike, since some of it was starting to ring true, even if the rest was ludicrous. “Do you mean … people from outer space, they abducted your brother, and implanted him or something, like you see them talking about on the internet?”

  “No idea. He just told me they got to his teeth … This was from over there, he told me this. On Skype … Got beat by a roadsider, my little brother … not long after … Rest in peace.” Reggie stared at the counter for a moment and composed himself.

  “Well I appreciate this,” Pike said.

  “Glad to be of help. Was it any?”

  “Oh yeah. You gave me plenty to think about.”

  “What’s your deal again? You say you got a super-strong thing going on?”

  Pike wondered how much Cathy had told him, but again, what could it hurt. “I seem to, yeah … Something to do with my teeth, also.”

  “Well I gots to hit the road,” Reggie said. “Good luck with it. And watch out for those little fuckers.” He got up and headed to the bathroom, and Pike figured that was his signal to leave.

  He drove the twenty minutes down the Interstate, got off at the exit for 121 which took you to back to Beacon, but there was In-N-Out and he was starving.

  Before he went in he called Mitch. “You okay?” Pike said.

  “Yeah,” Mitch said. “I’m running around a little more than I’m used to’s all.”

  “I hope it’s not on my account.” Which it was.

  “Don’t worry about it. I have a vested interest here as well.”

  Pike told him the basics of his meet-up with Reggie Riley. Plus how Cathy had discovered that first posting on Mitch’s website in the middle of the night. Which was what led Pike to Mitch, Pike pointed out. Not that any of that logistical stuff mattered

  Mitch worked it around. “So what we’ve got, as the dust is settling … Four now, more or less confirmed. Right? … The Florida and Utah ones,
my Texas guy, and now this Mr. Riley’s brother … Oh, plus you of course. Am I missing anyone else?”

  There was Dani but forget that for now. “This one, it could be different,” Pike said. “The alien part.”

  “Well did you ask him if his brother had been in a recent dental office?”

  “I should have. I was kind of afraid to.”

  “Now why’s that?” Mitch said.

  “He was a strange dude. All business. And like he may have had a short fuse.”

  “I’d put money on it that he was, at this point,” Mitch said.

  “Something else too … he claims the guy went back in time. To when they were kids … Which I chalk up to the brother hallucinating over there in Iraq, or whatever, which is where he told Reggie this from.”

  “Very interesting,” Mitch said. “So that’s why you were asking me about traveling, whether it’s theoretically possible … It seemed a bit odd for you to be concerned with.”

  Pike left it alone.

  “How’d he do it?” Mitch said.

  “No idea. Reggie didn’t know either. They did their morning run, and then he went in back of the mess hall or something … Why am I even telling you, this is so lame.”

  “Might or might not be,” Mitch said. “Okay, anyhow … Our news is we got the filling today. I had to sign for it and such, which was good.”

  “Jeez Louise. Already?”

  “What, you got some problem with that now?”

  “Not at all, I just didn’t think it was a done deal, so quick.”

  “What can I tell you, he wanted to get paid … Now I have to find the right lab.”

  “How’s that work?”

  “Not sure, not something I do every day … I’m looking at trustworthy, as the main criteria.”

  “You’re worried about them not being thorough, you mean, with the test?’

  “I’m thinking more, they don’t get a notion to make off with the item. Should it actually happen to be … unique.”

  “That sounds very improbable,” Pike said.

  “Yeah? Well let me worry about that … What else you got?”

  “That’s it. Everything else, it’s pretty routine.”

  “Keep your radar up,” Mitch said.

  Chapter 32 Ambidextrous

  Friday night a half hour before kickoff Mr. Hill the principal got out there and did his thing, and the seniors all lined up on the fifty-yard-line and were introduced one by one, and after each introduction that senior’s parents would run onto the field and join them.

  Pike told his parents, bring Bo and Jackie on the field too, don’t worry about any rules. They did, and it was a nice moment having the family together out there. Some of the players had girlfriends joining them as well, but Pike didn’t have to worry about that at the moment. Though he was happy to see Hannamaker, when he got introduced, wasn’t joined by Audrey. He wondered did that mean anything, but probably it didn’t.

  Miramar had a decent quarterback, Pike had to admit. The truth was, the guy was much better than he was, if you take away the advantage.

  But hey, you were out here and you did what you had to do, and Hamilton got up 21-7 early, and then nursed it home. Pike didn’t feel like he had a particularly big game, but when he saw the stats he’d only had 4 incompletions and he threw for three touchdowns, so he had to call it good enough.

  The team went for ice cream after the game. There was a big place on McClellan Boulevard, a skate rink, that had party rooms and all that. It’s where you went for team get-togethers, from Little League through kids’ soccer and CYO basketball on up.

  Tonight Hamilton had booked the whole joint, including the skating. There were a surprising number of parents, not just the parents of the seniors but plenty of others. About an hour into it, Pike was very surprised to see Mr. Foxe out there on the rink, skating around with his wife.

  Pike stood at the railing watching them and contemplated this. Under normal circumstances, Foxe would be recognized tonight too, on Senior Night. And under real normal circumstances, he would still be the starting quarterback also, but that’s getting off track.

  Mr. Foxe had been coming to these team events since his kid was a freshman, and maybe this was just another one of those. And whatever happened had nothing to do with him still supporting the team.

  Except it was all wrong. Mr. Foxe shouldn’t be here tonight.

  Pike watched him circle around, looking like he was having some fun out there, bopping a little bit to the music. They were playing oldies, and Pike guessed he and Mrs. Foxe knew the words too.

  Finally they took a break and Mr. Foxe took off his skates and told his wife he was going to the men’s room.

  Pike followed him.

  Mr. Foxe was at one of sinks. He’d just rinsed off his face and was washing his hands when he saw Pike in the mirror, standing behind him.

  He dried his hands and turned around. “Hello son,” he said.

  Pike was silent.

  “I know you replaced my boy and all,” Mr. Foxe continued, “but that has no bearing on the fact you’ve had a helluva season … So congratulations. You’ve earned it, you deserve it.” He offered to shake hands.

  Pike didn’t answer, but took a step-and-a-half forward and grabbed Mr. Foxe by the hair. With his other hand he grabbed his neck. He squeezed his windpipe. Mr. Foxe gasped and turned red, and then began to turn white.

  Someone started yelling for Pike to let him go. It was one of the players, Pike didn’t know who, and he didn’t pay attention.

  Soon three or four players were yelling at him, grabbing at him. He heard Marty Clarke’s voice in there now: “Gillette, it’s not worth it!” … and Pike let go of Mr. Foxe.

  A couple things occurred to him driving home.

  One, that felt good, no point denying it.

  Two, he could have killed Mr. Foxe. Easily. Without realizing it, without meaning to … This needed to be a wake-up call.

  ***

  Pike was sitting on his bed debating, should he call Audrey. It was twenty to twelve. Not call her to tell her about the thing with Foxe’s dad tonight, though she may have already heard about it. But to feel her out, is it still hot and heavy with Hannamaker.

  Part of him wanted to call Cathy too. He’d never thanked her after he met Reggie Riley, didn’t give her any report on it, didn’t even confirm that it happened. He was pretty damn sure she wasn’t interested in a report though.

  Cathy looked to be going with Julio Sandoval now, a Venezuelan kid who for whatever reason ended up at school this year. He was a nice guy, played soccer, and smart, was taking AP courses, which Pike could never touch with a ten foot pole.

  It was hard to tell if it was serious, but it was still tough seeing them together. Of course the other side of it was Cathy was better off, he knew that.

  So he ruled out calling her, but was still debating should he at least touch base with Audrey … when the phone buzzed and it was Mitch. God dang it.

  “What handed are you?” Mitch said.

  ‘Huh?”

  “Righty or lefty, come on.”

  “Anyone tell you you’ve got weird questions late at night? … Well I throw right-handed.”

  “Oh,” Mitch said. He sounded deflated

  “Why?”

  “Ah it’s nothing then. Thought I was onto a little something … But back to the drawing board.”

  Pike said, “To answer you more completely, I’m ambidextrous.”

  “Oh yeah?” Mitch was perking back up. “How about batting, in baseball?’

  “Leftie.”

  “Writing?”

  ”Left.”

  “Painting?”

  “Well, painting a picture, left … painting a house, right.”

  “Kicking a ball?”

  “Both.”

  “Eating?”

  “Right.” Pike was wondering now if Mitch was going to ask him how
he wiped his ass too.

  “Cause what we got,” Mitch said, “is all lefties so far, and you, who’s in the ballpark … The Texas guy, plus Florida plus Utah … All southpaws.”

  “Sheesh,” Pike said. “This is what you needed to wake me up for?”

  “I believe it may hold some significance. Not sure what, yet.”

  “Did you … place … that thing?”

  “Yeah I got a guy. Lab in Culver City … We’ll find out. Talk to you later.”

  Pike remembered Pocatello was on Mountain Time, which was an hour ahead. That meant instead of it being around midnight here, it would be five to one out there.

  Still, for a Friday night that didn’t seem too late, did it?

  Dani sounded sleepy. “Ooh, I woke you up,” Pike said. “Don’t be lying to me that I didn’t.”

  “You did,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “Are you lefthanded?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh. Okay,” he said.

  “Okay?”

  “Not a big deal,” he said. “Just thought I’d check on that.”

  “Has anyone told you you’re peculiar?” Dani said. But there was a familiar playfulness in her voice, and it was good to hear.

  Chapter 33 Nestled In

  Kids were looking at Pike funny Monday morning, as word obviously got around about the incident at the skating place.

  By lunchtime the topic had started to wane and by the end of the day it was a non-issue.

  Pike feared something out of Coach at practice regarding it, especially since Coach had warned him after the Hannameker thing. But Coach didn’t bring it up. Pike thought either Coach didn’t want to screw up the sectionals now by following through and disciplining him, or, more likely, Coach probably agreed with what he did, even though he would never say so.

  Pike never did speak to Audrey Friday night. He got thrown off when Mitch called, and then before he knew it Sunday rolled around, and he had to do this family thing in Bakersfield which took forever, and by then it seemed like a good idea to leave her alone.

  He saw her a couple times on Tuesday, but she didn’t make eye contact with him. Same thing on Wednesday, when he saw her in the school library after seventh period. Pike was killing time before practice, checking Facebook but also googling ‘left handed brain’. He’d tried a few general left-handed searches after Mitch dropped that thing on him but the results were way too complicated. So he was trying to narrow it down to left-handed something or others.