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

by Michael R. Stern

  Fritz

  LINDA SHOOK LIKE a sapling in a hurricane. I held her until we crossed into the school. She looked up at me asking question on question with her eyes. One emotion, fear, never materialized.

  “You know how I feel, don't you?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Like I felt rescuing the president in Geneva. Like when I killed the Kopplers.” The strangeness of saying that stuck in my head. “He had a lot of lives. Even in another universe.”

  “Will this feeling go away?”

  “It will, when you accept that he might have killed you.” Reassuring her, I refrained from saying she'd remember it. “But now, it's over. So let's get Jane and Ashley.” Once they were back in Riverboro, with four loaves of fresh bread, returning the president to the Oval Office topped the list.

  He said, “Before I go, who are you? Where are we? You just said you rescued the president, and killed Thomas Koppler. When? I just saw his body.”

  “Sir, my name won't mean anything, and it's safer that you don't know where you are. I killed Koppler in 2008 in another dimension. I've just returned after four years as an instructor at Robert E. Lee's college. The portal decides if I can be useful. Mr. President, you have just time traveled, watched a man die in the middle of the night in a city more than 4000 miles away. I set his location and we walked right into his house.” The blank stare in my direction made me believe that he still didn't understand.

  Ashley had set the brochure on his desk, and told me to open the door. “Wait. I want to do this again,” said the new president.

  “I'll be watching to see if you need me, sir. Good night.” I gently turned him and Bill Sharp patted my shoulder as they left.

  Isaac Martin chatted with the president, Jane and Linda, as Ashley and I moved up the hall. “Ike told me about the Caballeros after the cruise. With no chance to make contact then, he called me from the airport. He didn't know about you, Jane.”

  I asked him if the Wall Street genius story was true or a cover story. He told me that his background was real. When Koppler let slip that he had planned the White House attack, Martin determined how the story would have to end. “I bided my time, waiting for him to show up again. Although I avoid politics because people misinterpret, I have a personal stake with him. The president and I discussed the cruise and he asked me to keep an eye on Mr. Richemartel. Neither of us knew he was also Thomas Koppler, who most people believe to be a fictitious figure.”

  “What made it personal?” Jane asked.

  “My sister. Her name was Lily Evans.” In that moment, our shock and sadness matched his.

  The president said, “I'd never made the connection before. I didn't know Isaac Martin. I'd met Ike Martin, Lily's brother. When Declercq told us the names of the people at that first meeting, we investigated, but Ike isn't a public figure. I didn't tie them together until he called.”

  Jane asked, “Mr. Martin, did you suspect Florian?”

  “No. The group pushed him to take the lead. He had a prominent role in the Middle East development, had lost a major asset, and Richemartel played him, played each of us, looking for weaknesses to exploit. Declercq had daughters, young women. His attention to you, Ms. Sanderson, riled him. I have since learned the full story. I believe Richemartel threatened Declercq early on, and took advantage of him, knowing Florian wanted to protect you. In the end, he gave you up. What saved you on the cruise was the other woman, Joetta. Her late night walk changed their plan. You could be dealt with later. On land.”

  “Richemartel guessed right about each of his 'guests', except me. His one mistake. He and I talked about his investment plans. He openly analyzed each of our roles and who he thought would need more encouragement. As I listened, he became less cautious. He never said what he intended, but I didn't doubt his capacity for cruelty. When he repeated his expectation to influence government, with the election so near, I suggested that elections could be bought, results manipulated. He looked at me with those cold eyes and actually smiled. He said, 'We're going to have a change in policy, Mr. Martin.' I understood that the process had already begun.”

  “Where did you go when you left the ship?” Jane asked.

  “Straight to the airport. I took the first plane that left. The cab drove by just as Ms. Ahn was hit. Joe drove the murder vehicle. He slowed enough to see and then drove off.” Then Martin said that although he had enjoyed his evening, he wanted to go home.

  Ashley said, “You must be familiar with guns. Or you were lucky. Your shot barely missed Linda.”

  “Astute observation, Mr. Gilbert. I am an expert marksman. With many weapons. Ms. Sanderson, sorry, Barclay, you distracted him when you reached for your pistol. He jerked just a tiny bit away from you. A split second sooner, my shot hits his forehead.”

  A crash of thunder above us prompted me to ask where he wanted to go. The president handed me a new floor plan. As Martin stepped into his Paris apartment, he said, “Linda, tell your father I said hello.”

  Our mission ended. First, the president and his agents left us. Last once again, Tony waved as he drove away.

  As we all walked to the Mustang, Linda said, “It's finally over.”

  “Why don't you two come for breakfast,” I said.

  Linda squeezed my hand.

  Chapter 81

  Ashley

  JANE REACHED INTO her physics background. “We're surrounded throughout the universe by what's called “dark energy. The force that enabled us to travel across universes shouldn't have been seen. It's just there.”

  “I didn't see anything, but I had to battle the force when I opened the door, the portal. And once I pushed the portal open, it sucked me into another universe. Where I wanted to go. That energy was the bridge, I think. Jane, you understand the physics and the hypotheses, but the electricity/water angle is so elemental, literally.”

  “Do you think you and Fritz have some kind of genetic structure or the ability to tap a new energy source that allows you to open the portal?”

  “Honestly, I never thought of that. Are any tests capable of answering?”

  “None that I know of, but I'll be checking the literature. Both professional and the science fiction. The novelists have come up with some fascinating ideas.”

  At last, we were alone. The last time Jane and I had been alone … when was that? I'd always been accompanied by doubt, or some pending mission. The portal had loomed over us, ready to snatch those spare moments away. And she was always preoccupied. I'd become accustomed to early calls, late evenings and her focus on the events of the day. But now, as the adrenaline rush depleted, one hope, a single word shone ahead for us—normal. I hugged her, and our kiss could star in a movie. We sat on our new couch, well, mine anyway. And she started to laugh.

  “What?”

  “Everything is about to change. We've talked about how the portal changes us. How connected we all are. And right here, right now, it's all coming together.”

  I rubbed the couch cushion and glanced around my living room. The dining room table covered with small boxes had hosted the most powerful people in the world, and more parties would come. I put my arm around her and pulled her tight against my chest.

  “Will you marry me?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered, nuzzling her head into my shoulder.

  “Shall we set a date?”

  “I'll call my mother in the morning.”

  “Jane, I love you. I'm hungry.”

  Chapter 82

  Jane

  WITH ASH'S ARM around me, I looked out the dining room window, and a sunburst lit the sky, even though midnight closed in. I'd never been so comfortable. For the first time in my life, I sat still. The need to be doing something, anything, had evaporated. I studied his face, eyes closed, calm and content. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man.

  “Do you want kids?” I asked. We'd never really talked about children. I had avoided this conversation.

  “I think so. A couple mayb
e. I think I'd be a good father.”

  “You will be.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. A boy and a girl. And a husband I love enormously.”

  He tugged me closer, kissed my forehead, then said, “I've waited for you forever. Thank you for waiting for me.”

  I kissed him again.

  “We're alone,” he said. “I suspected that would never happen.”

  “Fritz has been a good friend, and I'll share you with him. If he needs to come back, we'll adjust. I can't imagine our life without him. But I hope that he and Linda will find the road back together.”

  “They will. They're both too stubborn, too strong, to accept defeat. Now let's get something to eat.”

  Chapter 83

  Linda

  “WE'RE HOME, MOM.”

  Mom smiled at Fritz when she came into the kitchen. Without a word, she gave him a long, tight hug. When she let go, she motioned to the table, wiping tears from her cheeks.

  “Don't cry, Emily. It's not that bad.”

  She brushed her eyes and blew her nose. “Maybe you're not stupid anymore.”

  “Mom!” Fritz just laughed.

  “Private joke, dear. Remind me to tell you sometime. Do you want a drink?”

  “I'll get it,” he said, and went to the liquor cabinet, moved a few bottles, and pulled out a dusty bottle of whiskey. “A newly acquired taste. Irish.” He poured three glasses.

  “Welcome home,” Mom said and clinked glasses.

  I said, “I'm the happiest woman in the world, Fritz. And I'm so sorry. TJ will be glad you're home, too.”

  He raised his glass again. “We have a lot to catch up on.” Fritz grabbed my hand. “Emily, you should have seen her. She was heroic.”

  I could feel the doubt exuding from my face. “I only ducked.”

  “He had a gun to your head, Lin.” Emily gasped. “You didn't flinch. When you backed up, you knocked him off balance. When you stood up, you pushed him backward over the railing.”

  “I did?”

  “When you're in the middle of a fight like that, a split second can seem like an hour. And you can't see yourself. You just react. That's what happened.”

  Mom said, “Drink up, you two. You've earned it. I hope this is over, once and for all. Fritz, pour me another.”

  “I invited Jane and Ashley for breakfast, Mom They'll probably be early. Oh, and do you remember Isaac Martin?”

  Mom chuckled. “I've known Ike all my life.”

  “Really?” I said. “You never told me that. He was there tonight.”

  “Daughter, some things you will never know.”

  “Ripples,” Fritz said.

  Chapter 84

  Fritz

  I'D SAT AT the kitchen table more times than I wanted to count, but never with Emily and Linda alone. I sipped my whiskey, savoring the warm and unique flavor. Being home felt, well, it felt right. I had a new friend in my mother-in-law, and I told her I was grateful for her time and patience. She said I owed her 'a hundred bucks,' that I'd lost the bet.

  “What bet?”

  “I bet myself that you would come home and you and Linda would get your heads on straight. And I bet a hundred dollars that you'd pay me if I was right. So pay up.”

  “How is that a bet with me?” Linda giggled softly at Emily's audacity.

  “Are you staying?” Emily asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then I won because I'm right.”

  Her logic defied argument, so I told her I'd pay her in the morning.

  “Good. That'll pay for the gas and tolls. Now that you're here, I can finally go home. Tim will be here tomorrow.” She glared, daring me to object. When I said nothing, she grinned. “Fritz, it's time to end the battle. I told him he'd always been wrong about you, and that if he wanted me home, he had to come here and apologize. Do you want to know what he said?”

  “I don't know. Do I?”

  “Stop it now. This minute. He said he was glad you were home safely. 'You're right,' he said. 'I underestimated him. I'll apologize and more. I've told Joe to come, that we are going to be a family again.' Fritz, I've never been so happy. But you need to pick Joe up at the airport.”

  I shook my head and chuckled. “I guess we're back to normal.”

  “So tell me where you've been.”

  “It's late, Emily.”

  “No time like the present. Besides, we won't have a chance to be alone or have this quiet again. I'll be gone.”

  Too much to tell in detail. No reason to save some for the morning because Ashley already knew most of it. I closed my eyes and called up an outline behind my eyelids for reference.

  When I finished, I said, “It's hard to believe I've only been gone five months, or that I've only been home for four days. But you have the story now. You can ask questions tomorrow.”

  Sleep beckoned and pulled me up the stairs. Before I climbed in to a favorite memory, I kissed Linda for the first time in thirteen years.

  Chapter 85

  Ashley

  NORMAL. MY FAVORITE word of the month continued to provide no surprises, no nuances, no disappointments. Life was returning to normal. I'd told George that I wouldn't be teaching again this year. Fritz and I would begin again after summer vacation, and I looked forward to catching up on the reading list I'd compiled. Science fiction led the way.

  Although I hadn't been Linda's first customer, Jane and I bought bikes and rode all over Riverboro. She even biked to work. We met the president occasionally on his bike with his entourage of family and agents. Even Rachel and Nicole rode to work. I noticed that bikers rode everywhere we went. Linda's store attracted customers from all around the area. To get back in racing form, she planned to sponsor a two-day event in mid-September when holidays were memories and school had begun again.

  When no one was paying attention, I rode. I rode with Jane to work daily and sprinted home. At the start, the workouts were painful. Muscles I hadn't used in a long time yelled for me to stop, but slowly they agreed we were doing the right thing. Fritz rode with me every few days, and we spent most of each day together. He said he wanted to adjust to being home, spending time bonding with TJ. He concentrated on writing a detailed memoir of all his experiences. When I told him I wanted to read it, he said I could proofread the manuscript when he completed his first rewrite. I think his reluctance meant he hesitated to tell the whole story. Even Linda hadn't seen any of it.

  The Sunday after we moved Jane's stuff, Emily invited us for breakfast, and an afternoon party. She said Tim and Joe would be there, and asked me to pick Joe up at the airport because Fritz was sleeping so deeply, she hated spoiling what he really needed.

  Jane and Linda helped set up for the party. Emily had invited everyone who had been a part of the portal adventures. “Except Ben Franklin,” she said, with a sad touch of nostalgia. Tim arrived while Fritz and I had gone to Hoffmann's for the party platters Emily had ordered. Enough for an army of party-goers. A real party needs a party atmosphere, and Emily made sure we were all in the mood. She had invited the president, and he said he wouldn't miss it. So a new level of noise greeted our delivery.

  Fritz excused himself when Emily said that Tim wanted to talk to him. Linda and Joe were sitting with him in the sunroom. “Come on in, Fritz,” Tim said. I hesitated at the entrance to gauge the battlefield, but both his kids were smiling. He asked Linda to get her mother.

  “Sure, Dad.”

  “Did you have a good trip?” I asked.

  “The best I've ever had. Sit down. I want to talk to you.”

  Emily must have already been near. Linda returned with her only a second later.

  “Fritz, now that we're all together, I want to say I'm sorry. I've been awful to you for a long time. No more excuses. I was wrong about you. You've done things I would never have had the courage to even consider. I hope you can forgive me. I even apologized to the president.”

  “Understand this, Tim,” I said with an edge. I watch
ed smiles fade. “I left to save Linda from what we've endured. To stop it before it happened. I married your daughter knowing full-well what you thought of me. I've always done what I thought was right, even when I was wrong. And you did the same. I respect that. I hope that we'll find other common ground. My son will want to see his grandpa often. And my wife will want her parents, and her brother,” I glanced at Joe, “to visit regularly. I accept your apology.” I stuck my hand out and he took it, and then gave me a genuine hug.

  Jane and I eavesdropped from the doorway. We smiled for our friends' happiness, and then at each other.

  With tears flowing, Emily said, “Lunch is served. I have to get the lasagna on the table, and I want a beer.”

  Two weeks later, we all went to the Riverboro commencement, where George announced his retirement and introduced his successor, Liz Chambers, Riverboro High's first woman principal. The audience abounded with former students, who all stopped to say hello. Rachel and Nicole had the final send-off speech, together, speaking about how important work can be done by individuals. Then, with a signal, students began to circulate with gallon jars. Nicole cheered them on, while those of us who appreciated her efforts just laughed. Ted O'Neil stopped in front of one parent who dropped a one dollar bill in the jar. Ted just stood there, not saying a thing, holding the jar out. A twenty finally landed on the pile, Ted said thanks and went to the next parent. Twenty dollar bills floated into the jar because no one wanted Ted to embarrass them as he had done to the superintendent.

  One afternoon, as the Fourth of July rushed up, my phone rang while Fritz and I lazed in the yard, reading.

  The first thing to hit my ear was, “Do you have a hundred dollars with you?”

  “I do.” I shook my shoulders to get loose. “I'll meet you at the high school in twenty minutes.”

  “Make it ten.”

  Fritz asked, “Game on?”

  “About time. Let's go.”

  The basketball court behind the school should have been deserted. Instead, surrounding the perimeter, kids and teachers had gathered to watch. Rachel and Nicole had sent out a text alert, and the crowd surge was immediate. Nat commanded in the front, interviewing spectators, ready to report the game. Cheers rose when we arrived, but the decibel level skyrocketed when the president came around the corner, dribbling a basketball. Chief Dempsey and a couple of Riverboro's finest followed him.