The Portal At The End Of The Storm (Quantum Touch Book 6)

by Michael R. Stern

  “I know. I can't know all you've been through but when I came home…” He gave me a “who are you?” look. “Fritz, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I left. We've always been able to sort our disagreements. I don't know what happened.”

  “Ripples. You were right. The portal. It's changed us all. But even with the nicks and dings, our own basics are the same. That holds true even in other dimensions.”

  “Can you tell me?”

  “Not yet, Linda. Maybe someday, but not now.”

  “As I was saying, when I came home, what I missed most surrounded me … here. Except you weren't here. Us, our house, our dreams together. I'm glad I finally figured it out. Maybe the same will happen to you. Mom always knew Ashley would find you.”

  “That might happen,” he said, “but I have some things to think about. If all that's transpired is to have a finale, Koppler must be confronted. He's still a threat. It's up to me to end the destruction he's caused. Especially of our lives.”

  “I'll help.”

  “You may need to. What's happened here, neither Ash nor I know. I know this may sound strange, but I've learned how the ripples work. Eric Silver discovered the mechanisms, although he doesn't know it. I've had four years to map out the theory and its outcomes. I need to add in changes in this universe.”

  “Let me know what I can do.”

  I tried to hide the tears on the way home, and failed miserably. I told Mom that Fritz wasn't coming home yet.

  “He'll get here eventually, dear. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. He's the hero I always hoped you'd find. Just make it easy for him. When he comes home, everything will be back to normal.”

  “What about Dad? He hasn't changed his opinion of Fritz.”

  “Dad? What happened to Daddy?” Mom said. I wasn't sure, but I think my mother was mocking me.

  “Mom, I'm a thirty year old woman with a child, a husband, a house and a business. Don't you think the little girl thing is a bit old?”

  “I've thought that for about twenty years. It's been annoying. Maybe you finally deserve Fritz.”

  Chapter 75

  Jane

  I HAD EXPECTED, I don't know why, that Fritz would go home with Linda. I wanted a little time alone with Ashley. I'd decided about the job without discussing what the change meant to us. The money would be less, the retirement went away, at least until I had a chance to negotiate. The president said he hadn't finalized where the library would be built, so Ash and I needed to talk about possibly moving. The wedding needed organizing. And now, finally, I could close up my apartment and move everything here.

  But Fritz hadn't left. “Congratulations,” he said to me. “Awesome job.”

  I thanked the president and said how much I relished being back working with him, and being with Ashley as a benefit. As much to myself, I said I didn't see myself becoming a bureaucrat. “No one listens. They're not interested. The new people have a different worldview. A lot of good people, experts in their fields, with established relationships, have left or they're updating their CVs. I'm glad to be gone.”

  “I'm glad you're okay,” Fritz said. “I'm surprised Ashley didn't fuss more about your going through the portal.”

  “If General Beech hadn't brought my gear, I wouldn't have. But I'm still a soldier, Fritz. And duty called.”

  Ashley had been in the garage and came in the back door carrying a carton. “I forgot about this. Jane, it's your stuff from the Summit.” All the files for the leaders, news clippings from the attacks on the White House and Camp David, the booklet she'd prepared. On top, an illustrated copy of “A Christmas Carol.” I told him to leave it in the basement. “I'll go through it when I have my apartment cleared out.”

  “When are you doing that?” Fritz asked, surprisingly animated, more than packing usually makes people.

  “Sooner the better. Ash, my sofa would be a great replacement. The colors match, and we can get rid of this broken down thing.”

  “Are you gonna say the same thing about me someday?”

  I grinned at him, but made him wait for an answer. “Now that you mention it, probably.”

  “Tomorrow is trash day,” he said. “We can go tomorrow, rent a truck, and be back on Saturday. Fritz, if you come, I'll drive the truck, Jane can bring her car and you can bring the Mustang home.”

  “Or I could just drive away.”

  “Welcome home, wiseass.”

  We planned to leave early enough to miss the Philadelphia rush hour, and in time to skirt the back end of the Baltimore beltway merge. We reached the District before noon and headed to my place in northwest Washington. Not far from Georgetown, I had lucked into the place when a colleague got married. Expensive, but comfortable, and an easy trip to work. One flight up, or ride a tiny elevator, time to get working had arrived with us. I opened the door into my spacious living room. Only then did I recognize the workload, and the amount of stuff I had. So did Ashley.

  “I have two ideas,” he said. “Trash bags and movers.”

  Fritz said, “We'll pack. See if we can find a mover who'll do it in the next day or two. It might not cost much more than a one-way rental. You find the truck, Ash. I'll get the boxes and tape.”

  While Ashley looked for a mover, Fritz checked the rooms looking at what I had and guessing how many boxes we'd need. He said he had a sense of what we would need, found a DIY truck rental that sold boxes, and said he'd be back in a while.

  Chapter 76

  Fritz

  I WAS GLAD the rental place wasn't near, so I had time to do what I'd planned. I drove out of the ritzy neighborhood, and headed to my old job, Cindy's Cozy Kitchen in an offbeat residential-small shop section not far from K Street. I parked and ran across the street. With a deep breath, I walked in to the late lunch crowd. An older woman asked if I wanted a seat, as she swept a table clear of the most recent occupant's presence. I told her I was supposed to meet someone, but I was late.

  “Are you Cindy?” I asked.

  “There is no Cindy. She's long gone. This is my place. So what do you want to do?”

  “I'll try to find my friend. Maybe I'll be back.”

  “What's your name? If someone is looking, I'll let them know you were here.”

  “Fritz Russell. My friend might say Russ. Thanks.”

  My next port-of-call, McNamara's, had a new name. So I kept going. In spite of the disappointment, I pushed back in the cushioned bucket seat. I thought in that second that I'd always enjoyed riding in the Mustang. It took less time than I remembered to reach “Irish Lovelies.” Maybe Mary Connolly would still be there. In a posh shopping area of boutiques, the standout store was Italian leathers, not Irish linens.

  The easy part, revisiting, ended with no conclusion. If they were still here, I'd have to really search. I didn't have the time at present, so I steered toward the rental place, bought what I hoped would be enough boxes and supplies, and headed back. As if some fundamental force of nature had drawn me, I passed a sign pointing to Georgetown University. I made a quick right turn toward the Potomac.

  The security guard directed me to the main library, told me I would have to use the visitors' parking lot, and directed me to what would be a longer walk. When I finally reached the library, my phone rang. Ashley.

  “Where are you?” His voice mixed concern with irritation.

  Not being back kept us from packing, but my agenda included a few side trips. “I'm on the way. The first place didn't have enough boxes, so I kept going.”

  “Then, hurry up. I found a mover who says he'll take the job if we can load up tonight.”

  “I won't be long.”

  Once inside the Lauinger Library, I walked to the reference desk, and asked the young man behind it, a student I guessed, if they had records of former students. He said they had some, including yearbooks, university periodicals, theses and other material depending on how long ago.

  “I'd be happy to help you. We have some pretty serious cross-referencing software.
Who are you looking for?” His courteous customer service may have been real, but I couldn't help think that I had interrupted his boredom. A quick glance indicated a quiet afternoon. Next to me, a man about my age sighed. His casual attire was topped off by a stereotypical sport coat with leather arm patches.

  In order to reduce attention to my presence here, I said, “This might take a while. Why don't you help this gentleman first?”

  “Sir, give me the name, and I'll get the search started. Then, I'll help Professor McMillan.” The professor gestured to go ahead.

  “The name is Katie O'Hara.”

  Before the student had time to type the name, the professor asked, “You knew Katie?” The student looked up at us as I nodded to the man. He said, “If you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you. I'll be right back.”

  “Sir.” The student got my attention back. “Some university news articles referring to a Katie Scarlett O'Hara. From about seventeen years ago. If you'd like to use one of our computers, here's the Guest ID code and the reference URL to find the articles.”

  I thanked him and walked to the computers by the Pierce Reading Room, where I'd be able to observe the professor's return. When he walked in, the professor spotted me and stuck out his hand as he reached me. He apologized for the delay, and told me his name, Sean McMillan.

  “Fritz Russell. Nice to meet you. So you know Katie?”

  “I did.” He gazed past me, looked at his shoes, and then straight at me. “We were students here. She lit this place up. But why are you looking for a girl who's been dead almost twenty years?” I'm sure my gasp reflected my surprise and sadness. “Obviously, you didn't know? Why are you looking for her?”

  “Long story, professor. I won't bore you with it.” I started to leave.

  “You won't bore me. For years, I've kept the story to myself. I was in love with her.”

  I wanted to learn more, so I told him I'd like to hear his story.

  “Katie was a firebrand. The Troubles were over and Ireland was on the road to peace, but Katie wasn't ready to give up the fight for justice and caring for the poor, those who had suffered through the years of war. She told stories of her visits home, raised funds on campus, and online in the early days of computer marketing. But as riled up as she could make a crowd, she was that sweet and kind that nobody objected. And she was brilliant.”

  “What happened?”

  “She went home to visit her mother at Christmas, the middle of sophomore year. A bomb, left over and forgotten, blew up a building where she was standing. She was killed instantly. We had a memorial service here when school reopened. I helped organize it. We filled the quad outside, the paths in were all filled. No one could draw a crowd like she could.” He wiped his eyes. “Enough about me. How did you know Katie?”

  A buzz in my pocket gave me a brief second to fashion my answer. “Hi, Ash.”

  “I thought you said you'd be here. Where are you?”

  “Georgetown University. The main library. I'll be there soon. I'm not far away.” He asked me why I was there. I said he'd have to wait until I got there, and I hung up.

  The professor checked the time and said he had a class in ten minutes. “I wish we had more time.”

  “There's never enough time, Professor. We don't realize just how precious our time is, and we waste so much of it.”

  “Before you go, tell me how you knew her?”

  “I was a short order cook at a place where she was a waitress. She had an endearing way to be a real pain in the ass. I'm only here because a sign to Georgetown popped out of a black hole in my memory. But I've got to go. Nice talking with you.”

  “One more second. Black hole. I teach physics, and I've been fascinated with the spacetime theories since I was a kid. Like time travel. What do you do?”

  I told him I taught history. In New Jersey. But like him, I found time travel to be fascinating.

  “Small world,” he said.

  “This one is. We Earthlings are self-centered. The universe is a big place. But I really do need to go.” We shook hands and ten minutes later, I parked the Mustang.

  Jane and Ashley had been waiting outside for my arrival, and they were clearly annoyed. He said the truck would arrive around five-thirty and we needed to be finished. He asked what had taken me so long. As if my journey had been normal, I said I had visited all the places I might find Kate. “In this universe, she's dead. Almost twenty years ago. Jane, you're sense of how we are all so interconnected must be right, almost eerie. I met a professor who was standing next to me when I mentioned her name to the librarian. He said he was in love with her. And he teaches physics.”

  Jane asked, “Did you get his name?”

  “Sean McMillan.”

  She snorted and laughed. “Another interconnection for you. I know him.” Ashley asked how. “Well, besides the fact he teaches physics, he's the one I told you about, Ash.”

  “Your high school prom date?” Ashley asked. “The one your mom fixed you up with?” The grin on her face answered the question.

  “That's him. You know the saying, 'Nerds of a feather flock together'.”

  “And we all knew Katie,” I added. “Sorry it took so long. I had to find out if she was in this universe too. The Cozy Kitchen is owned by someone else. McNamara's and Irish Lovelies are gone. The Georgetown sign sucked me in like a giant magnet.”

  “He's a scifi geek too. Good thing you didn't get him started on that. He used to teach a course in 'experimental physics.' He told me once that the administration never found out that the real text books were science fiction novels.”

  The movers, four burly men, were on time and had the truck loaded, covered, and tied down in no time and said they would be back to pick us up in the morning in time to miss most of the day's traffic, and still be back home for dinner.

  “Damn,” Jane exclaimed as they pulled away. “They took the vacuum. So much for my security deposit.”

  Chapter 77

  Jane

  MORNING CAME IN a frontal attack. The floor didn't bother Fritz too much, but my back rebelled, which kept waking Ashley, so we tossed and turned until we gave up when the sky brightened. Ashley went for coffee, while Fritz and I finished packing and loading my car with my papers and the last-minute boxes.

  Shortly, the truck arrived and we were on our way. Ash drove my car, never allowing more than two cars between us and my things. Not far behind, Fritz cruised in the Mustang. As we took the slow lane up I-95, I guessed what the odds were of Fritz meeting Sean, each with a memory of the same woman in separate universes. As we passed the University of Delaware exit, I broke our silence.

  “Ash, do you think Sean plays a part in this story, or is his connection merely coincidence?”

  “Good question. I don't know. As for Fritz, I'm glad his curiosity about Kate is resolved. Getting normal just got easier.”

  We had just passed the Pennsylvania welcome sign when my phone rang. The president asked where I was. I told him we were about a half hour from home.

  “Thomas Koppler resurfaced about twenty minutes ago,” said the president. I asked where my torturer had been. He said he intended to find out, and finally end the Caballeros. “Is Fritz with you?”

  “He's following us, about a mile behind. So we'll reach Ash's house between one and two. Closer to one, I think.” Ash nodded. “We're following the moving truck.”

  “Call me as soon as you can when you get home. I'll have an update by then.”

  “This will complicate matters,” Ashley said, when I lowered my phone. “I don't know who wants to shoot that bastard more, Fritz or me.”

  “Or me. Or Linda. But Ash, the president will want to arrest him. We need to plan this. We can't go in guns blazing. He may be with other people.”

  “I don't care. If he's in this dimension, he doesn't get away this time.”

  Chapter 78

  Fritz

  ASHLEY LOVES HIS car and I understand why. The Mustang purrs. If I
'd hit the gas, I'd already be in Riverboro. I've stayed back to have some time alone, and just in case they might need me. The traffic on the interstate moved along at a relaxed pace. As Philadelphia came closer, science fiction distracted me. I was moving, the earth was moving, the universe was moving, so did Philadelphia actually come closer, or was I getting closer? Sometime, I'll have to ask Ash about my grammar.

  Confined to the silence of a three hour drive enabled me to examine my present situation. I'd returned to my world, but I hadn't returned home. Renormalizing my life had yet to occur, although a residue of the abrupt departure from the nineteenth century faded faster than I would have expected. In my previous trips into the portal, I returned unscathed by the past. But prolonged time in another world slipped into memory despite the time I'd been gone. Maybe spacetime affected only my physical body, not my mind. Something else to consider later. But my memories of then and now coexist.

  When we reached Wilmington, a plan finalized. I'd help Ash and Jane unload, and then I'd call Linda and ask to visit. I wanted the feeling of being in my house again. The time to go home had arrived. That decision came with less struggle than I had anticipated. I may never be able to explain my lengthy absence, even to myself, probably not to Linda. She's always been the pragmatic one. And just as I told Emily and Ashley so long ago, she did come home. I accepted then that somehow we'd work it out. I should have taken my own advice.

  I snapped out of my daze on the downslope of the bridge and passed the Philadelphia sports stadiums without a horn blaring at me. I ignored my brain trying to make me envision my car accident. How long ago was it? Only a year and a half in this universe. That memory could remain forgotten, so a quick glance in the rearview mirror left that day behind.

  Over the Betsy Ross, and a few minutes later, I pulled to the curb in front of Ashley's house. The truck had pulled into the driveway. Before I could climb out, Ashley had the front door open, and the movers had begun to unload.