Near Sighted (A Jake Townsend Science Fiction, Action and Adventure, Thriller Series Book 2)

by Richard C Hale

  Too bad time meant nothing here. Nothing at all.

  ~ ~ ~

  Maddy stared at the man who held her arm in a gloved hand and she shook herself loose. “Who are you?” she said.

  “Bartholomew Guillott. At your service.”

  “You have no right to be here.”

  “That may be so, but I think I have more of a right than your husband. May I ask where he is?”

  “I don’t know,” she lied.

  He stepped closer to her and whispered. “I think you do and even though you don’t know it yet, you will tell me.” He grabbed her again in a vice like grip and pulled her toward the console.

  Benjamin Tolaver grinned at her. “I know her,” Benjamin said. “She was here before.”

  She warily watched the portal shimmer in the chamber and marveled at how it could stay open. She expected some violent upheaval to shake the building to the foundation at any moment, but it actually seemed to quiet down and some of the energy it put out subsided. “Did you open that?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Bart said. “We did. We had to make a hasty departure.”

  “From Jackson Hole?”

  Bart froze and stared at her. “How, my dear, do you know that?”

  She had made a mistake. He squeezed her arm until she thought she would scream and he signaled the man with the scarred face who walked over and glared at her.

  “How do you know that?” Bart repeated.

  “My husband guessed,” she said, pain shooting up her other arm as the disfigured man gripped her bicep. It was a deep pain that made her legs quiver and she thought she would collapse from it.

  “And how might your husband ‘guess’ at something so specific. He shouldn’t even know we exist.”

  “Why shouldn’t he?” she said through clenched teeth. “She,” Maddy nodded at Elise, “disappears through the portal that only we knew about and then creep show here shows up in her place. Of course we want to know who is using our very dangerous discovery. Please. You’re hurting me.”

  “That’s the point, Maddy,” he emphasized her name as if it were spoiled food and he was spitting it from his mouth. “How does your husband know we exist?” he repeated.

  The pain in her arms was all that existed. The question he asked faded into the back of her mind and she didn’t even hear herself moaning as her legs gave out. Her arms were on fire and she was on the verge of screaming. The pain eased a bit and the room came back into focus. She tried to concentrate on what was being said to her, but things were a little fuzzy.

  “Has Bodey Jenson been here?” Bart asked and she nodded without thinking. “Did he discover our bugs?”

  She nodded again and the grips on her arms were released. She collapsed to the floor, smacking her head on a chair since her arms wouldn’t respond to her brains commands for them to support her. She lay with her cheek on the cold tile, blood leaking from a cut on her head. She was taking huge gulps of air as the pain started to subside. Her arms felt useless.

  “They know about the lab in Jackson Hole,” Bart said to Elise, who nodded but remained silent. “If they know about the lab, then they may also know about our ‘condition.’”

  “They would have no knowledge of that,” Elise said. “How could they?” She turned to Maddy and knelt next to her. “What happens when we die?”

  “You cross over into another existence,” she said in a whisper.

  “No, what happens when WE die?” Elise gestured to herself and to her friends.

  Maddy glared at her. “You go to hell, I hope. Have fun there.”

  Elise stood. “She knows nothing and I would bet they know nothing either.”

  Maddy watched Bart pace a bit and then a sound caught their attention. The portal made a giant exhale and then clapped shut and disappeared.

  “Shit!” Bart said. “Dammit!” He stepped to the chamber and went inside. “That was not supposed to close.”

  Elise turned to the computer console and typed something in. “The system is still running, but the program is not producing the desired effect.”

  Bart came up behind her and began manipulating the computer. Maddy sat up and watched, not sure what was happening.

  Bart cursed again and then turned to her. “I’ll ask you again. Where is your husband? And if I were to guess, I would say Bodey Jenson is with him.”

  “Jackson Hole,” she said.

  He turned to Elise. “We can’t stay here and we can’t go back. Benjamin, grab her. John, you handle our other friends there. We’re leaving.”

  “Where are we going?” Benjamin asked. “My place?”

  “No. I’m sure some faction of the police force is watching your place. We’re going to stay under the radar for a little while. Until I can figure out what to do next. I’m sure Jake Townsend had something to do with the portal closing and that means they will be back here soon.”

  Benjamin helped Maddy to her feet and pushed her in front of him. “We’ll take her vehicle,” Bart said. “I’m sure it’s some kind of family car.” He sneered and a chill went up her spine.

  Chapter 34

  Eight hours later, Peter and a small contingent of his men entered the lab in Orange Park, weapons drawn, and found it empty. Bodey and Winslow entered behind them and started working on the system. They found a small amount of blood on the floor by the console and Bodey worried something may have happened to Jake’s wife, Maddy.

  “Jake said he wanted Maddy here while we did our thing in Wyoming,” Bodey said. “Just in case he needed something from the computer system. She must have been here when the portal opened and the assholes stepped out.”

  “They’ve probably taken her with them,” Peter said. At the rate Bartholomew Guillott and his group were going, they would have more hostages than they could handle. He wondered if Lucky and Ginny were even alive. No evidence was here that they even made it through with them and there were no bodies at the Jackson Hole home except for some unknown young woman with her head caved in. Presumably some type of experiment that went grossly wrong. Or right. Peter had no way of knowing. She had been stuffed into a freezer in the garage.

  Jake, of course, had not been here either and no one had had any contact with him. Peter assumed Bodey was right. Jake was trapped in limbo in some other dimension.

  Bodey approached Peter with a printout. “We’ve figured out how the portal was opened here and in Jackson Hole.” He handed the printout to Peter. “This Trojan program was installed within the last week and it allows the system to be controlled remotely from any type of device. Even a cell phone.”

  “All of our cell phones, with the exception of mine, were not functioning. I would assume their phones would not work either.”

  “Right. They probably used the Internet, but they have the capability to access it from anywhere and anytime.”

  “Even if the system is off?”

  He nodded. “The system is never really ‘off’ unless the power has been cut. It may be powered down, but it remains in standby mode. The computer can be brought up on line within minutes.”

  “So this system can be turned on even now while we are standing here?”

  “Yes—no—I mean it could have been. At least until a few minutes ago. I defeated the Trojan and now it will not work.” He grinned, proud of himself.

  “How was the portal opened without a catalyst?”

  “There was a catalyst,” Bodey said. “It just wasn’t one we knew about.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “When the portal was discovered, ANDEE was looking into the mind of a Near Death Survivor as they relived the experience. The system could read the individual’s signature musical chord, decipher it digitally, and thus unlock and augment the portal that occurs naturally when we die. The average human cannot detect the portal opening nor does it affect its surrounding except minutely. ANDEE’s ability to augment the portal greatly increases the visibility and power of the dimensional rip and magnifies the result.”
r />   “Okay…”

  “Without the Near Death Experience and the associated ‘musical key,’ the portal will not open nor will it be visible. Until now. They discovered that if they play back the recorded session with a boost in power, mainly capturing the power surge of a previous event and adding it to the recording, digitally, the catalyst can occur without the assistance of an actual NDE subject. Pretty cool.”

  Peter didn’t agree. He considered it highly dangerous. Who knew what other effects the disruption was having on the environment not to mention any spiritual effects it may have. Peter handed the printout back to him and headed for the door. “I want the power cut to this building. Now.”

  “I told you, it can’t be accessed any longer.”

  “I don’t care. I won’t take any chances. Shut it down.” Peter left Bodey standing in the lab. He had things to do and didn’t want anything interrupting him.

  ~ ~ ~

  Maddy sat on the floor in one of two adjoining hotel rooms on Wells Road in Orange Park. Thank God they didn’t want to take her to her house or even to her parents.’ She had been worried they would use her children against her and though that didn’t seem to be the case at the moment, she prayed that it would not come to that. These people, she knew, were not beyond something like that and though they seemed to have forgotten about her for the moment, she knew their plans probably involved some type of hostage situation or maybe even her and the other two captives’ deaths. They seemed to be able to toss life and death around like a ball batted around by a group of unruly adolescents.

  The girl sitting next to her with her hands bound in front of her was Ginny and the man next to her was Lucky. She had been able to gather that they had been at the lab in Wyoming. And though this made sense, since Bart and Elise didn’t know about Jake, it did little to help her feel better. Something had happened to him and she was worried sick about it.

  “You two came through the portal?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Is that what you call it?” Lucky said. “I’d call it hell.”

  “You are probably closer to being correct on that than you know.”

  Lucky just stared at her.

  “You know all about their machine and this dimensional travel they’ve developed?” Ginny asked.

  “They didn’t develop it. They stole it. My husband discovered it.”

  “So, your husband is a monster too?” Lucky asked. Ginny glared at him.

  Maddy felt a tear track down her face and her voice broke as she spoke. “My husband is no monster. He discovered it by accident. We’ve worked very hard over the last five years to keep it under wraps.” She looked down at her bound wrists and shook her head. “Apparently, we didn’t do a good enough job.”

  “Well, whatever your husband discovered, I don’t think he meant for people to be invincible. But if he was working for the government, anything is possible.”

  “Nobody’s invincible,” Maddy said.

  “They are if they’re immortal.”

  “Nobody’s immortal.”

  “That guy is,” Lucky gestured with his chin to the man with all the facial scars.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I killed him. Back in Wyoming. I shot him in the chest three times and watched him die at my feet. Then one of those portal things opened up and he disappeared. When we entered that empty void, he was in there and exited into your lovely lab without a scratch on him. It was like he was reborn.”

  “That can’t be,” Maddy said.

  “Look at him. He’s standing right there. We’re not hallucinating—at least I don’t think so.”

  “He’s right,” Ginny said. “I saw him die too.”

  Maddy turned away and mumbled, “That’s why she asked me if I know what happens to them when they die. They wanted to know if Jake knew this. I don’t think he does.”

  “Where is Jake?” Ginny asked.

  “I don’t know. He went to Jackson Hole to stop this.”

  “Oh—I don’t think he succeeded.”

  Chapter 35

  Benjamin stared at the two redheads and listened to the voice in his head. It had been talking to him for a few days now. At first it was just whispers. A stealthy tickle in his head that he mistook for ringing in his ears. But as the days passed, it grew to a steady, demanding voice. One that was not going to be denied much longer. It spoke to him of blood, and flesh, and all the things he himself liked, so he listened with great interest as it told him what he would do.

  The two redheads, Ginny and Maddy, were talking with the asshole and he knew they spoke about him. They kept turning their heads his way and smiling. Well, at least it looked to him like they were smiling. Something didn’t quite jive when Maddy started to cry, but maybe it was because she wanted him to do his thing so badly she wept. He could understand that. It was like a release to him when his chosen tool found its home lodged in the cranium of some unsuspecting girl. The release must be just as good for them. And he was sure they were hearing the voice too. They must. Ginny had been inside the portal like he had and Maddy must have been inside at some time. Her husband had invented it. The voice was telling them what needed to be done and they were waiting with great anticipation. They wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

  Benjamin approached Bart and Elise, who were discussing what to do next and he interrupted them without hesitation. “I need them.”

  Bart looked annoyed. Benjamin didn’t like his look and knew that soon he would fix it too. The voice had said so. But that was for later. “I need them,” he repeated and he felt his face jerk ever so slightly. It was a tic he had developed since the voice and it bothered him he could not control it. It made him feel weak.

  Bart sighed. “Who do you need and why?”

  Benjamin looked at the two redheads and Bart followed his stare. “No.” Bart said and dismissed him.

  “You don’t understand,” Benjamin said. “They need me too.”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Ben. We don’t have time for this. If you’re horny, go jack off in the bathroom or something. I’m not going to let you have your way with them.”

  Elise chuckled at this and Benjamin felt his face turn red. Bart and Elise still did not understand him. His craft had nothing to do with sexual satisfaction and the voice did not ever speak of such things. How could they be so stupid? The voice spoke up in his head, then, and urged him on. ‘Don’t let them beat you,’ it said. ‘Stand up to them.’

  Benjamin slammed his fist into the table and almost knocked over Elise’s drink. She stood abruptly shouting, “Hey!”

  “I won’t ask again,” Benjamin said. “I need them—now.”

  “Fuck you!” Elise said.

  Benjamin’s arm flew of its own accord and struck her across the face. Before he could move to strike her again or even consider what he had just done, Elise drove her foot into his groin and as he bent over in pain, her knee came up and smashed into his face. He felt something crunch and then he was staring up at the ceiling. Apparently he was now on his back on the floor. Elise fell on him and pressed her forearm into his throat.

  “Don’t ever touch me again,” she hissed and applied pressure to his neck. He couldn’t breathe.

  Bart was smiling, bent over him now looking down into his face. “You’re wasting your time Elise. You can’t kill him.”

  “For a little while I can,” she said and applied more pressure.

  “Enough,” Bart said, and touched her shoulder. She hesitated and then spat in his face. She picked herself up and he breathed deeply, remembering the feeling of suffocating as a boy. The voice was suspiciously quiet at the moment.

  “Go clean yourself up,” Bart said and pointed to the door.

  “She broke my nose,” Benjamin said.

  “You’re lucky that’s all she did.”

  Benjamin limped into the other room and went to the bathroom, his balls feeling as if they had swelled to ten times their normal size. He
stared at his bloody face and the rage built within him. He would have his moment. Soon. He would have his moment. You couldn’t handle a wet dream, the voice said. “I’ve killed!” Benjamin shouted and John Miller yelled through the adjoining door at him. “Shut up!”

  Benjamin turned from the bathroom and exited the room. He had the keys to the minivan and he headed straight for the vehicle. He could hear Bart shouting to Miller behind him.

  “Go get him.”

  Benjamin got behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking spot. Miller raced to catch him, but was too late. He accelerated away leaving him waving his arms in his rear view mirror. He had stuff to do. He’d silence the voice one way or another.

  ~ ~ ~

  Bodey and Winslow arrived at Maddy’s parents’ and knocked on the door. Maddy’s father, Mike, answered and smiled when he recognized Bodey. “What the heck are you doing here?” He reached out and grabbed his hand, pumping it up and down in a grip that could crush concrete. Bodey winced.

  “Maddy’s not here, is she?”

  “No. The kids are. She left them here in the middle of the night and went to the lab to help Jake. Something about it being important and she was sorry. Come on in.”

  He stood to the side and they both entered. “Hi, I’m Winslow,” she said. “I work for Jake.”

  “Nice to meet you, young lady. Welcome. Honey, you won’t believe who’s here!”

  Sara McClaughlin came in from the kitchen, saw Bodey, and gave him a big hug. “Why didn’t Maddy tell us you were here?”

  “It probably slipped her mind, that’s all.”

  “That’s not like her,” she said. “But then again, she’s been a little preoccupied lately.”

  “Yes, ma’am, she has.”

  Winslow introduced herself and Sara led them into the kitchen. “We were just about to eat. We’ve got plenty if you would like some. It’s nothing fancy, just ham and macaroni and cheese. It’s the kid’s favorite.”