Going Back

by Gene P. Abel

  “You don’t believe I’m a professor?”

  “Oh, you are. But I’ve noted that you’ve avoided stating which university you’re from, which in itself is a little unusual. Most people take a certain amount of pompous pride in stating which prestigious university they’re out of; in fact, you can’t shut them up about it. But you’ve said nothing, which as I said I find . . . curious. Or maybe you’d care to tell me where you grew up? Give me some good hometown stories for background on the article I’ll write.”

  “Well I . . . it’s a little town I’m sure you’re never heard of.”

  “Try me.”

  “And as far as which university . . . for the same reason why we, uh, don’t use last names‍—you know, for security and all‍—that is, we‍—‍”

  “There,” Agent Harris suddenly cut in.

  “Oh, thank God,” Professor Stein breathed out.

  “One of the Germans,” Agent Harris said. “Or at least he’s a close enough match to one of the dossiers. The one in the brown fedora trying painfully hard to look normal.”

  “You’re right,” Claire agreed when she caught sight of the one Agent Harris was pointing at. “Who wears a hat standing in line for a ride like this? But what’s he doing?”

  The ride started into full motion as the three peered closely, bringing them down from the aerial view just as the German was pushing his way through the crowd in the direction of the same Wonder Wheel they rode upon. When they passed by ground level on their first rotation, Agent Harris shouted out to Agent Hessman and the others, “Spotted one of the Germans!”

  Agent Hessman’s response was lost to the winds as the wheel brought them around and back up into the sky, soon hovering briefly above it all once again.

  “There.” Claire was the first to see. “But he’s stopped and taking something small out of his pocket. I can’t see what it is.”

  “I don’t need to,” Agent Harris suddenly realized. “Anyone else in his line of sight?”

  “Just . . . our people,” Professor Stein said.

  After a brief exchange of looks, three voices shouted as the wheel brought them down through another rotation.

  “Lou,” Professor Stein shouted, “the man has a gun.”

  “He’s coming for you!” Claire exclaimed.

  Agent Harris kept it more basic. She made a motion with her right hand as if working a pistol, while using her other hand to gesture desperately off into the crowd behind them. “Enemy!” she screamed.

  The giant wheel was again passing by ground level when at least one of the others caught enough of what the riders were saying to act. Lieutenant Phelps spun around, eyes searching the crowd, then spotted the man holding up both hands tight around something small and gun-like. He performed a flying tackle, arms spread wide to include both Agent Hessman and Dr. Weiss, as a sharp snap of thunder sounded out.

  The giant wheel once again brought the three back up into the air, away from the scene of sudden shouting and screaming. Up to the height for a new view, this time they saw one man running away from the scene while Lieutenant Phelps lay unmoving atop Hessman and Weiss.

  “David!” Agent Harris shouted.

  “Oh my God, I think he was shot,” Professor Stein said.

  “I don’t know what type of gun that guy used, but it looks like the entire back half of David’s head just got blown off.” Claire’s voice wavered as she made the declaration.

  Below them the surrounding people were screaming and working themselves up into a good stampede, while those on the Wonder Wheel were demanding to be let off before the shooter might take aim at their own helpless positions. The giant wheel stopped its stately turning and resumed its slow staccato rhythm as passengers disembarked one bench at a time.

  By the time the three finally hit the ground running, it was all over but for the prayers. They were greeted by a hand each from Agent Hessman to Harris and Stein and some quiet words.

  “Phelps is dead. Sue, did you see—”

  “This way, and I got first dibs!” She ran off into the crowd, not waiting to see who was following. Agent Hessman was the first behind her, while Dr. Weiss stood over the fallen man and said a quick prayer. A stunned Professor Stein walked over to see for himself, then simply stood there looking. Captain Beck was squatting beside the body, searching for something in the man’s jacket.

  “He saved me and Lou,” Dr. Weiss quietly stated.

  “We . . . saw,” Professor Stein stammered. “I never thought that‍—‍”

  With a hand still in the lieutenant’s jacket, Captain Beck looked up to address them. “You guys go on and get him. I’ll finish up here.”

  “If . . . if I turn around,” Claire began, “you’re going to make him disappear just like the others.”

  “This isn’t your story, Miss Hill,” Dr. Weiss gently told her, “save to say that a hero died protecting his charges and there was nothing that you or anyone else could do to change it at the time. Now I suggest we get moving before Lou and Sue lose us in the crowd.”

  “Uh, right,” Professor Stein replied. “I saw where he ran to as well. I . . . Goodbye, David.”

  After a last look and a quick breath, he turned and ran off, Claire and Dr. Weiss fast on his heels. Captain Beck waited until the reporter was out of sight, and no one else looking, before he activated the beacon and backed away. He stayed only long enough to witness the body dissolve into an implosion of sparks, then joined in with the chase.

  22

  Steeplechase

  Agent Harris didn’t care anymore how many offended white people she pushed her way through, nor was Agent Hessman in a mood to correct her even if he could catch up to her. She paused only long enough to verify which way he was headed, and ran after him.

  They ran past gaming booths, where the pursued man leapt into one booth where the object was to knock over a stack of metal bottles. He picked up an armload of them and hurled them along the ground in his wake. Now, besides dodging people, Agent Harris had to leap over rolling bottles as well. After that, he threw a handful of balls at her from another booth and ducked into an entrance to something else. She had nearly caught up to him when another shot whizzed past her ear, but this one without the report of thunder as before.

  Silencer, she realized. Definitely not period.

  She ducked behind the tall pillar of a ring-the-bell-with-the-hammer strength challenge and, using that as cover as someone slammed the hammer down, had a better look at where the shooter had ducked into. It was a place labeled “Pavilion of Fun.” She witnessed him ducking around the corner of the ornate pavilion entry; then another man came up behind him to whisper in his ear just as Agent Hessman ran up to join her.

  “Status?” he asked tersely.

  “Looks like he’s just joined up with his teammates. Using a silencer now.”

  “That’s violating all sorts of rules. Where?”

  “Pavilion of Fun,” she indicated. “Know of it?”

  “From the history books, maybe.” Agent Hessman looked back over his shoulder to see Professor Stein and the others quickly making their way through the crowd to join them.

  Meanwhile, Agent Harris had something else in mind. The barker for the strength challenge was holding up the large sledgehammer for the next contestant when she bolted straight at him, yanking the hammer out of his hand while shoving him away and continuing on with it in a dead run. Both arms gripping it, she swung it around and around, screaming at the top of her lungs while doing so. Seeing a crazy black lady running around loose with a large sledgehammer in her hands was enough to quickly clear the crowd, leaving a nice open avenue between her and her targets.

  The one who had shot Lieutenant Phelps was taking aim at her when she released the hammer to send it flying straight for him. With wide eyes, the man dove out of the way as the hammer came crashing
past the edge of the entry wall and into the shin of the one who had been whispering in the man’s ear.

  Unfortunately, that was apparently not the only member of the German’s team to have joined him. When she saw a third man raising a pistol as a fourth tended to the one hit by the sledgehammer, Agent Harris dove for the ground. The bullet sped over her head and ricocheted off the ground behind her. By the next shot, Agent Hessman and Captain Beck had joined her on the ground, while Claire and Professor Stein had taken cover behind one of the other gaming booths, along with Dr. Weiss.

  “As soon as they move, we charge them,” Agent Hessman decided. “Let’s see if we can try for a German prisoner this time and get their side of things.”

  “Love to,” Sue replied, “as soon as the one with the artillery stops shooting.”

  “From the looks of it, they all brought hardware with them,” Captain Beck noted. “Is anybody obeying the rules?”

  One more shot came, then nothing, and the three ventured to glance up. The Germans were gone from the entrance.

  “They ducked into the Pavilion of Fun,” Agent Harris said.

  “That’s an enclosed space,” Captain Beck told them. “We can catch them there.”

  Up to their feet and into a run, Beck and Harris were quickly joined by Claire, and the other two men by the time they got there.

  “We saw them go inside that place,” Dr. Weiss called out as they now all ran together. “Looks like a little arcade or something.”

  “The Palace of Fun is anything but little,” Claire countered. “They’ll lose us in there for sure.”

  The Palace of Fun turned out to be the most immense indoor attraction that anyone from that time period had seen. Game machines, smaller indoor roller coasters, a carousel, side shows aplenty, a sunken garden by the vast entry, and even attached ballrooms‍—all were encircled by the Steeplechase Horse Race ride. In short, the fun palace was a nearly three-acre enclosure of steel and glass that bragged a life-size decorative elephant to top things off. And all of it was quite crowded.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Professor Stein remarked as he took in the breadth and grandeur of the place. “I’ve never seen anything like this place.”

  “Never?” Claire questioned. “Exactly how far out of town are you from?”

  Through the surging masses, the barkers called out any of a hundred different games or a dozen different rides, including one who directed his attention at Professor Stein as he was passing by. “Perhaps you, my young man. Show your girlfriend here a good time on the ride of her life.”

  “My gir—no,” he said after a glance back to Claire. “We’re just‍—long story.” He then grabbed Claire’s hand to pull her along, more so as not to lose track of her than anything else, but the sight got the barker grinning before he went on to the next passerby.

  The Americans almost completely missed the German team’s next shot. Between the use of silencers and the noise of the crowd and attractions, a German was able to aim unseen at Agent Hessman, who missed getting hit only by a chance ducking behind the elephant. Immediately everyone took cover, Harris with Hessman, Beck with Weiss behind a large gong placed as a set decoration for some coming attraction, and Stein and Claire behind a small stage sporting a group of girls performing a dance number supposedly from the court of Queen Cleopatra.

  Two more shots rang out, this time attracting some attention when one of them hit the gong behind which a now-deaf Weiss and Beck hid. “Ouch! There went my hearing,” Dr. Weiss remarked.

  “What?” Captain Beck replied.

  “I said—never mind.”

  “So they got guns and we got nothing,” Agent Hessman said to Agent Harris. “Besides Beck’s little one-shot derringer‍—do you mean to tell me that you didn’t violate the rules like everyone else seems to be doing?”

  “Not that I’d care to reveal just yet,” she replied.

  “Okay, got it. But that still means we need—”

  Another shot rang out, but this time a cry in German was followed by a man tumbling out from behind one of the gaming machine and into the open, holding a freshly wounded arm.

  “Now where did that shot come from?” Agent Harris pondered aloud.

  The wounded German lifted his good arm, staggered in the direction of the large elephant statue Agents Hessman and Harris were hiding behind, then let off a shot. The bullet, however, went wide of hitting either of them. Then a moment later a body dropped from atop the elephant above them, landing not more than a yard in front of them. The body was a Japanese-looking man.

  “Answer your question?” Agent Hessman asked. “Looks like the Japanese team’s here as well.”

  Two other men dressed similarly as the wounded German ducked behind one of the roller coasters, while Captain Beck dashed out from behind the gong, heading someplace else. A group that looked like Japanese tourists casually making their way through the crowd, or Japanese team members, tried to close in.

  Behind the stage, Professor Stein and Claire were trying to differentiate between possible enemies and fun-seekers.

  “Two over there,” Claire pointed.

  “No, they’re Chinese.

  “How can you tell? Oh, they all look alike to me.”

  “German over there.” The professor now pointed.

  “Not unless he’s suddenly taken up speaking Italian as his native language.”

  “Then what’s he doing skulking around behind that Human Wheel exhibit?”

  “Probably a Fascist looking to make trouble,” Claire replied. “Either way, that’s someone else’s problem.”

  Another man with a European appearance suddenly came running out into the open, making a mad dash for his wounded comrade. A Japanese man also leapt out, seemingly from nowhere, screaming at the top of his lungs. He went airborne for a moment as he dove off the top of the passing roller-coaster car he’d been on to tackle the running man amid a mixture of screams of terror and cries of delight, depending on who thought it was part of some show or not. The pair wrestled there briefly, while the wounded man continued nursing his arm and backed up nearly into the carousel.

  “Hey, One-Arm!”

  The man spun around in time to see Captain Beck standing on the carousel, one hand holding on to the pole of one of the wooden horses while the other held his derringer. He only had time for a single shot before the ride carried him away, but when you’re only four feet away, a single shot is all you need. The German fell to the ground, never to move again.

  The pair wrestling on the ground paused, facing each other, for a moment. People screamed, in the distance local police sirens closed in, and two bodies lay out in the open. “Hey, you two, first things first.” They glanced over to see Agent Harris now holding the pistol the Japanese man who’d been shot from the elephant had been holding, while Agent Hessman squatted beside the body, holding the man’s beacon over his chest and looking significantly at the man’s teammate.

  The Japanese man replied with a single nod to the German he now faced, and placed fist into palm for a short bow, which the German replied to with a slight nod. Agent Hessman slapped the beacon down onto the chest before him. The German ran for the one that Captain Beck had just shot, fished around in his jacket, and produced a similar-looking beacon.

  At that moment, Professor Stein took Claire out from behind their stage cover by way of the Human Niagara exhibition booth to block anything she might see of what would come next.

  Dr. Weiss joined Agent Harris, Captain Beck still huffing from his run off the carousel, just as the Japanese body before them was imploding upon itself. By the time it was finished, so was the German with his own teammate, while the other Japanese man had already run off. Professor Stein made sure not to rejoin them with Claire until after all lights had stopped flashing and sparkling.

  “For a second it looked like everyone wa
s going to kill everyone else,” Claire remarked. “What happened?”

  “We’re in a shadow war, Miss Hill,” Agent Hessman replied. “Whatever anyone’s motives, none of us can afford to get caught by the local police, or pretty much anyone else around here. That’s the one rule that none of us dares violate, even if it means covering the others’ rears while trying to kill them. Now, what’s our weapon count?”

  “That was my last spare bullet,” Captain Beck reported.

  “I got the Japanese guy’s gun,” Agent Harris said, tucking it away before Claire could get a good look at it. “Looks like about three shots left.”

  “And I hear the police coming,” Claire added. “We need to take your shadow war somewhere else.”

  “Recommendations?” Agent Hessman asked.

  “Ever been to the boardwalk?”

  “Only on a certain board game,” Dr. Weiss remarked, then quickly amended, “which I guess hasn’t come out quite yet.”

  “Lead on,” Agent Hessman ordered. “And the boardwalk you’re referring to is in Atlantic City, not here,” he whispered to Dr. Weiss.

  As the police were coming in through one entrance, Claire was leading the team out through another. By the time the American team made it out of Steeplechase Park and onto the boardwalk, all sign of both the German and Japanese teams had been lost. Of course, the same could be said of them versus either of the other teams looking for them.

  Even more puzzled were the police, who could find nothing of the reported bodies people had sworn they’d seen shot during a firefight.

  23

  City Hall

  After losing themselves from view along the boardwalk, another half hour passed before they could make their way discreetly back onto the main streets again without being spotted by either the police now swarming Steeplechase Park or any potential witnesses to the fight. Then they had to spend another twenty minutes traveling by taxi before they were anywhere near their original destination.