by Bob Blink
Susan looked at Jake oddly.
"You're telling me that I was killed, and that you and Jim were able to capture those who did it, and now you expect that if we do exactly the same thing as before, this time it won't work? There will be no attempt on my life?"
Jake nodded.
"That's what I half expect. I might be wrong, but that's what I see as the likely outcome."
"Jake, are you all right?" Jim asked, suddenly concerned. "This kidnapping thing seems to have affected you somehow."
"Look, we have to assume the attempt might be made, since it was carried out successfully in the original timeline. It's also the only opportunity we have at the moment to try to capture those who are making the attempt. I might be wrong, and we might capture them just as we did the last time you and I did this. In that case, I'm going to be as concerned as you about the older kidnapping event. But if I'm right, we'll do all the preparations, and come up empty again."
"And you don't want to say why?" Susan asked.
"Not yet," Jake admitted. "I'm concerned that revealing too much might have an effect on the outcome. I can't see how, but I'd rather let things go to their conclusion. I promise, however it comes out, I'll tell you what I am thinking."
Susan looked at Jim.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Jake's right. We have to take action, just in case. He admits this could turn out either way, and if someone is actually after you, we need to put a stop to it right away."
Susan nodded slowly.
"I agree, but Jake, this is one of the oddest situations I've been in with you for a long time. I feel like the first time we met and you told me to do things that didn't make sense not knowing about your ability. I hope you know what you are doing."
They did the same exact things they had done the first time around. When the day of the expected shooting arrived, they were ready. Jake was perhaps the most surprised when the call to Susan for the luncheon meetings came on schedule. They were in place at the time, but she contacted them via a special throw away phone Jake had purchased just for the purpose. The fact the call had come made him wonder if he had this figured out as well as he thought. He would have been willing to bet that the whole attempt would be aborted, and that included the unplanned lunch meeting.
Jim looked meaningfully at Jake when the call came through, but didn't say anything. Agent Hardy, who waited with them, wasn't aware of the alternate aspects of the operation.
"We'll know soon enough if they are going to show," Hardy said. They had been monitoring the stairwell for several hours, and unless someone had gone up to the roof unusually early, the place was deserted at the moment.
By the time the spotter indicated that Susan had arrived, there had been no action at either of the locations.
"This doesn't look promising," Laney said softly, earning a nod from Agent Hardy.
Jake was suddenly confident once again that he had this read correctly.
"What will Agent Carlson do if we don't call her?" Hardy asked.
"She's supposed to go on with the lunch, but insist that it be held indoors." There would be no opportunity for someone to take a shot if she was inside.
"Do you think they set up in the other building?" Hardy asked.
Jim knew that Hardy was referring to the only other building that had a view of the courtyard.
"Not a chance," Jake said confidently. "The roof there doesn't have a view of the target area."
Jim looked at him sharply. They had discussed the only other structure, but given that Jake was bringing after-the-fact intelligence, they hadn't gone there to investigate.
"I looked," Jake said, letting Jim know there was more to this than he knew.
"It's been too long," Jim said finally. "Susan has been in the restaurant for ten minutes. If someone is waiting, they'll realize she isn't going to come outside where they have a shot at her. The other stakeout is reporting no activity either. I think we should check the roof and be certain no one is there."
"Let's do it," Jake agreed as he withdrew his Sig from his holster.
Jim informed the other group of their plan, then the three agents made their way to the rooftop. They set off the alarms when they pushed through onto the roof, but as suspected, no one was there.
"Bad intelligence," Hardy said as he looked over the edge toward the distance restaurant. "No one's been up here recently."
When the second team of agents reported a similar lack of success, the agents explained to management who they were and then left for Headquarters.
More than an hour and a half later, Susan Carlson returned to her office where Jake and Laney waited.
"Nothing, as you predicted," she said, looking at Jake. "Are you sure this was ever real, Jake? There's no evidence there was ever an attempt anymore than there was with the kidnapping that didn't happen."
"That's how it has always been," Jake reminded her. "Whenever I told you of one of these events, there was no evidence. It's all in my head. I can't bring anything physical with me. But in the past, it has always worked out just as I warned you. Now, two times it hasn't, and you're no longer certain of what I'm telling you."
"It's not that, but . . . Ah, hell, I just don't know what to believe," she said as she slipped in behind her desk and took off her holstered pistol
"How about the meeting?" Jim asked. "Was that legitimate? Maybe there's something we can trace back from those involved."
"The meeting was real. The man I met was given the assignment by the White House chief of staff. We were met by an informant that will be critical in the case we have to make. If Jake is right and there was to be an attempt, somehow someone learned of the meeting, or helped make it happen, but it wasn't the people I met."
Susan turned toward Jake.
"Okay, you promised to tell us what you have been thinking, however this turned out. I think it's time. You owe us an explanation, revealing what you are thinking about all of this."
"Yeah," Jim said eagerly. "What's the explanation for what's going on?"
Jake could tell his friend was wondering if he might be having problems of some kind. Karin had also questioned if longer Back-Tracking loops might be having some effect on his memory when the kidnapping hadn't materialized as he'd warned. It was time to see how they reacted to his theory.
"It's pretty obvious once you realize the likely possibility," Jake replied.
He stood where he could watch both of them to gauge their reaction to what he was about to say.
"It's either something wrong with me, which I'm convinced isn't the case, or there's someone else who can do what I do. There's another Back-Tracker. And that person is working for those who are after Susan."
Neither Susan nor Jim said a word for a long moment. Jake could see they hadn't even considered the possibility. Finally, Susan spoke.
"Jake, that's a little hard to believe?"
"Why?" Jake asked. "You know what I can do. Why couldn't there be another like me?"
"You don't think we would have some indication of such a person?" Jim asked.
"Not if the person was careful," Jake replied. "You would never have known about me if I hadn't been pushing the situation to deal with problems that couldn't be solved any other way. If the person is only interested in protecting his identity, then there's little to give him away."
"How would he gain his ability?" Susan asked.
"How did I gain mine?" Jake countered. "One day I just realized I had it. It could be the same with whoever this is."
"Wait," Jim protested. "Explain to me how you come to this conclusion."
"Good idea," Jake agreed. "See if you can find fault in my logic. Let's go back to the kidnapping situation."
Jake stood and walked over to the white board that Susan kept handy for making notes when she and Jim brainstormed. He drew a horizontal line across the middle and place a dot on the line two-thirds of the way across. This he labeled kidnapping. A short distance more to the right
he placed another dot and labeled it with the words, 'Jim informs Jake'.
"Let's assume for the moment the kidnapping took place as I described. Up until this point, where the kidnapping took place, none of us had any knowledge there was a plan to make the attempt. Afterwards, Jim and several agents knew, and at this point, marked by this dot, I became aware when Jim called."
"According to you, you then Back-Tracked a few days and called us," Jim said.
"After you gathered some preliminary information to aid our planning," Jake agreed. "That would put me here, and at this point, now a couple of days before the attack, where the three of us were aware what was going to happen."
"But it didn't," Susan protested.
"Actually, it did," Jake corrected her. "We went through the routine to capture the perpetrators, and while neither you nor Jim recall, you caught four individuals who made the attempt. Jim later transmitted their pictures to me in California."
Jake could tell that Jim wanted to protest, but he cut him off saying, "Hear me out."
"Okay," Susan said. "Then what do you think happened?"
"Then, just by chance because I had something to do for Karin, I Back-Tracked again, a full six weeks, and that's what made all of this interesting. When I relived those weeks, and came back to the time I informed you about the attempted kidnapping that was about to happen, we did the same planning, except when the day came, there were no kidnappers. That's what you and Jim recall."
"So what happened?" Jim asked.
"I wasn't the only one who Back-Tracked. Suppose someone who was involved in the attempt, realized that they had been discovered and the people caught, so he Back-Tracked far enough to call off the attempt. Say to a point here," and Jake drew another mark on the line with a loop from after the attempt to several days before. He also added a point far to the left to show where he had gone with his loop to help Karin's problem.
"Now what happens?" Jake asked. "This time as I travel through the days, I still retain my memories of what happened, but when we get to the point where the kidnapping is to take place, nothing happens. That's because the bad guys are aware they would be caught, and no longer make the attempt. To you and Jim, this is the only time these events have taken place, and it seems like my prediction is false. I know otherwise, because I looped back far enough to retain my memories of the original events. Had I not made that special trip for Karin, I would have been caught just like both of you."
Jim stared at the drawing and used his finger to trace the various loops as he worked out the sequence in his mind.
"So what about the snipers?" Jim asked finally.
"More of the same," Jake replied. "When the kidnapping failed, they must have thought that somehow you caught wind of their plan. They would be concerned and confused about how, and have taken time to ensure any leaks were dealt with. Then they decided to take a different tack. They would simply forgo the kidnapping and eliminate Susan."
"Which you said succeeded."
"That's right," Jake agreed. "Once again you called me, and once I had the relevant information, I traveled back and brought it to you, although this time I came to Washington with the information. We set up the trap, and according to my memories, we caught the shooters, one of whom was one of the four I recall from the pictures of the kidnappers."
"The man who you think can Back-Track," Jim said.
"Not necessarily," Jake disagreed, "but it suggests the same people are behind both actions."
"If someone Back-Tracked, how come you didn't get caught in the loop just like Jim and myself?" Susan asked.
"Because I immediately Back-Tracked again after we caught them. I had a suspicion what might be happening, and I wanted to retain my memories, which meant I had to go back far enough not to be affected. I hoped whoever was doing this wouldn't go farther back than necessary, and I believe I have been proven correct."
"How far did you go?" Susan asked.
"Not as far as before, but close to a month. I wanted to minimize the chances Karin was right that longer Back-Tracking was having some effect on me. A month felt safe. I've done that before in the months since the long loop problem. And when I came back, and relived the days again, just as before, there was no attempt."
"Wait a minute," Susan said. "Something about this bothers me. If you Back-Tracked, then you were back at an earlier time, it would be too late for this other person to do so. If he Back-Tracked before you, then you would never have a chance to do what you did. Whoever acts first, wins, or am I confused?"
"I think you are right," Jake said. "What actually happened is probably far more complicated than I have explained. I believe that I Back-Tracked, which preserved my memories, and when I reached the day of the shooting once again, Jim and I actually captured the culprits a second time, just as before. After that, we probably locked them up and at some point their Back-Tracker realized what had happened, and then looped back. That's when all of us, myself included, lost the memories of that last iteration and what we now all recall is the last attempt failing, because the shooters called it off after they learned from their Back-Tracker that we somehow knew their plans again."
"I'm getting lost," Jim admitted.
"I believe I see what you are getting at," Susan said, her eyes pinched somewhat in thought. "This has got to be the only time you have experienced what the rest of us always feel with your looping. Events that happened are gone. But if this is true, and there is someone out there with your ability, what's to stop them from going back far enough they can loop around all of your memories and redo this so none of us know what really happened?"
"That's the key question," Jake agreed. "I was lucky the first time to be outside the loops this person is making, so still have most of my memories of events. I think that's because this person doesn't know I exist, and can't see the reason to make his loops larger."
"Are you certain his abilities match your own?" Jim asked.
"There's no way to know," Jake admitted. "I think we have to assume they are similar, with the same kinds of restrictions, but that doesn't have to be the case. We don't know what gave me the ability, and whether someone else could be stronger or more capable."
"This is not good at all," Susan said. She continued to think about the problem. "Assuming all this is as you say, if this person were to loop back farther than you already have, they could eliminate all of our knowledge of what has happened. It's imperative they don't learn about your existence, or they could loop back before you had reason to be cautious, and have you killed. You are a great risk to them. Once they eliminated you, they would be free to act as they want. Damn it, Jake. We need to find this person and somehow stop them. I had forgotten just how dangerous someone with your ability could be if they wanted to misuse their gift."
"I don't think it wise for me to attempt to go back farther," Jake said. "You recall the issues I had the last time. Karin was already convinced the most recent trip might have been too far and was responsible for my misremembering events."
"I think your current belief is the more likely case," Susan said. "Especially since your recent loop wasn't as large, and you claim the same thing happened."
"How would we find him?" Jim asked, "especially without revealing Jake has the same ability."
"That's what we need to figure out," Jake said.
Chapter 6
Natalie Rineri stepped from her bedroom into the large, expensively furnished living room of her fashionable apartment in one of the more desirable areas of Washington, DC. It was morning, late for her if she'd been going to work, but she'd taken a couple of days off, so she could afford to linger. She was alone, which meant Jeff and Paul had had more difficulties than they had planned when they left the evening before. She hoped whatever had prevented their return wasn't serious. She'd expected Paul at least, to return at some point.
Suddenly she felt cold. All she wore over the thin panties was an oversized T-shirt, which wasn't up to the task of concealing or w
arming a surprisingly curvaceous body on a slender and fit frame. She stepped back into the bedroom and grabbed a robe she'd discarded the night before when she'd crawled into bed, in which she now wrapped around herself, hugging her arms around her chest after belting the garment in place. She was cold, and it wasn't because of the temperature of the room, which she always kept comfortable. She felt a little sick to her stomach with the remaining dull pounding of the headache that had settled solidly into the base of her skull.
Her bare feet sunk into the rich carpeting as she made her way to the large window at the front of the main room. The sun shone golden through her rich blond hair as she pushed aside the thin sheer curtain that masked the view outside. The sun was high enough to shine into the room, and the street outside showed the early morning bustle of those who were hurrying off to their day's activities, be it work, or school, or in some cases early shopping. She spotted Angie, making her way back from the fresh bakery she visited every morning with a bundle that was certain to contain bread and a number of still warm muffins.
Today looked to be another very nice one, with the sky clear of clouds and the already sun bright in the sky. It was spring, and the oppressive heat and humidity of the Washington summer was still weeks away. Of course, Natalie had known what kind of day it would be, but despite the cheery look there was an ominous overtone to the morning she couldn't set aside. It was due to far more than the absence of her brother and her lover who had set off together late the evening before.
She let her eyes roam the street all the way to the distant corner, scanning the sidewalks and the cars parked along the side of the thoroughfare for anything that looked amiss. She wasn't certain what she was looking for, or expecting to see, but whatever it might have been she didn't spot it. A few cars were parked along the far side of the street, two of which she thought she recognized, but truthfully she had paid little attention in the past so she couldn't be certain. In addition to Angie she spotted an older woman walking a small poodle, and two men hurrying in opposite directions as they headed to some destination that demanded their presence. Otherwise the street was empty. Looking the other way, she saw much the same. It was that kind of neighborhood. Those that lived here were well off, and those who worked, had their vehicles securely parked in the special garages under the apartments that lined the street. The exits from those garages let out on the back streets on the opposite side of the building, leaving the street below unmarred by unsightly ramps leading into the darkness below.
