“Send me back a few days earlier and I’ll stop the Mystic before they activate the device.”
Paladin shook his head. “To many variables between the time you arrive and when you can stop the event. It has to be a matter of minutes, not days, nor even hours.”
“Just make sure I come out near a phone.” Alex noticed Paladin’s sly grin. “Something funny?”
Paladin continued to grin as he shook his head. “Amusing, perhaps. When you arrive, you will be naked.”
“Won’t I be wearing the suit?”
“The suit allows you to pass through the sphere. Once inside, your memories will be accessed by the computer for a specific location from your recent past. Somewhere secluded. I can’t allow you to keep the suit, Alex, so you must remove it prior to my sending you back.”
“Can’t I wear it over my clothes?”
“No. The suit reacts to living tissue. It must be against your skin.”
“Fine. Send me home and I’ll call Okana.”
“We’ve been through this before, Alex. Do you know the precise time of the activation?”
“Damn! Okana told me when I was on the Mystic. Just give me a moment to remember. Everything is so cluttered in my head right now. Everything has happened so differently each time, it’s difficult separating each event.” Alex stared off into space for a moment, and then grinned. “Monday, two weeks ago. 9:00 AM.”
“Exactly 9:00 AM?”
“It’s the best I can do.”
“I can get you within five minutes of either side, but that’s the best I can do. This is the last attempt, Alex. According to our time travel laws, I’m not allowed to interfere. I have violated the law twice for you already. When I return, I will be forced to face the consequences for my actions. Our governing council is not very forgiving in these matters.”
“Like I said. Just get me close to a phone.” Another thought crossed his mind. “Oh, make sure it’s not a pay phone. I won’t have any change when I arrive.”
“Where were you on Monday at eight fifty-five AM? Perhaps your college. It should amuse your students when you instantly become naked right in front of their eyes.”
“True, but I don’t leave the house until ten on Mondays. My first class starts at eleven.”
Paladin stood from his chair. “Very well. Your home it is. Are you ready?”
Alex grabbed the suit as he stood. “I’d better not change before we get to the hanger. You can get away with walking around in a pretty suit. Nobody knows who you are. According to a young nurse, some misguided people around here think I’m some kind of a legend.”
David stood and grinned. “I wonder why?”
“That will change if I can stop the Mystic. Okay. Let’s do this.”
Lewis led the way as they headed over to the hanger, entering through a door near the massive front doors.
Alex glanced over at the spaceship. “Did you figure out why it crashed?”
“No, the first traveler didn’t return, remember. I was sent to find her and recover the devices. When I learned what was happening on this planet, I decided to break our law and help you.”
When Alex turned and headed for a private office to change, Henry turned to Paladin and realized they were nearly the same height. “Forgive my curiosity, but are you of normal stature among your people? The spaceship seems much larger than necessary for your physical size.”
“Yes. Over eons of evolution, our need for physical size to survive became unnecessary. Fewer resources are required to accommodate our needs.”
“That makes sense. What happened to this planet that forced you to leave?”
“An asteroid impact of such force every volcano on the planet erupted within hours of each other. The atmosphere became too toxic to support any life form.”
“Are you saying that even with all their advanced technology they could not change the asteroids trajectory?”
Paladin shook his head slowly. “They tried. They managed to construct an anti-gravity device in time, but the composition of the asteroid was considerably more dense than anyone had imagined. It’s gravitational pull on this planet overwhelmed the counter gravity created by the anti-gravity device. They can only be stopped by a planetary impact, so now we study them as they pass through the galaxy. We call them Quintirogen asteriodis. It means green asteroids because of the jade color.”
Everyone turned when the door to the office opened and Alex stepped out.
When Alex stopped in front of the group, he received applause from David.
“Now you look like a real superhero, Alex.”
Alex grinned. “You’re a funny man, David. Let’s get this over with, all right?”
When everyone stopped next to the sphere, Alex looked at his friends. “I guess it’s not really goodbye. I’ll see you later.”
David held out his hand. “Good luck, Alex.”
Alex gave the Doc a hug, and then nodded at Lewis, who never shook hands. “When I get back, we’ll go get this spaceship again. See you soon.”
Paladin hesitated to step into the sphere. “I must warn you, Alex. Knowledge of future events can be dangerous to you and those who will take advantage of your knowledge. You must not tell anyone how you acquired your information.”
“What? No one will do what I ask if I can’t tell them why. They will want to know how I know.”
“You must rely on the people who will trust you without reservation.”
“All right. I know of two people who can help me. Let’s go.”
Paladin stared at Alex. “Even if this works, it will be a new timeline. Be very careful about changing things that should not be changed. The events you set in motion could result in a worse scenario than what should have happened. You may believe everything will return to normal, but in my limited experience with time travel, it never turns out the way I planned.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Paladin gave Alex a stern look. “Stop thinking about yourself, Alex. You must think about how your actions will affect the rest of humanity. Do not take this responsibility lightly.”
Alex knew Paladin was right. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
“One moment, Paladin.” Henry interrupted. “What about those devices? What is the secret for making them work?”
“They do not work as intended, Henry. Now I suspect they were the reason the spaceship crashed. Return them to the ship. Once they are in close proximity to each other, I will receive a signal and come back to get them.”
When Paladin stepped into the sphere, Alex gave his friends a brief wave and followed him through the surface.
* * *
Chapter 28
BOZEMAN, MONTANA:
“Damn!” Alex moaned. It felt as if someone had sliced open his forearm. In an instant, the pain was gone and Alex brought his arm up, knowing exactly why. It was from the scar from the nail when he threw the board away in a fit of rage. The new pink skin formed a ragged sword slicing through a lightning storm. To anyone but himself, there was no message.
Suddenly it dawned on him where he had arrived. A meadow down near the pond behind his house. And naked.
As he ran up the hill toward the house, his big dog, Barney, barked once to let him know he was watching. “Hey, boy. It’s just me.”
When he reached the porch, he gave Barney a quick hello and ran into the living room. When the wall clock showed 8:59, he grabbed his phone off the counter and entered Okana’s number.
Four rings went by without an answer as the clock chimed 9:00 AM. After eight rings, he got Okana’s voice mail. “Okana, it’s Alex. I know you’re on the Mystic, but do not use the ultra sound. I repeat, do not use the ultrasound, and call me immediately when you get this message. It’s extremely important, so don’t let me down. I’ll explain later.” He glanced up and the clock showed 9:02. “Damn! Come on Okana. Call me.”
When he glanced in the mirror, Alex realized he was still naked and hurried down the hall to his bedr
oom. When he returned to the living room, the clock showed 9:08. “Damn! Come on, do not let me down, buddy. Call me.”
He slipped the phone into his shirt pocket and went out on the back porch with Barney. He searched every idea he could think of, but there was no other way to stop the Mystic. When he looked, his wristwatch showed 9:15.
*
DARRINGTON, WASHINGTON:
Sasha held an envelope out to Boris. “Here is a photograph of the boy, Derek, but I can’t find one for the girl.”
“They are brother and sister, so if the boy is eighteen, she will be sixteen or seventeen. They will both be at the high school. Take Mikhail and bring them here. I’ll pay a visit to Cave’s father.”
“Rudolf is watching Cave’s house in Montana. He’ll let us know if Cave leaves his house.”
“Good. After Rudolf calls, tell him to stay there. I don’t want him screwing things up out here.”
*
MONTANA:
Alex was beginning to lose hope he would succeed and slumped down on to a porch chair. Barney licked his fingers, but it was of little comfort. His watch now showed 9:20.
When he heard the first ring, he leapt out of the chair and answered. “Okana? Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, just a second ago. What’s going on?”
“Did you shut it down? The ultra sound. Is it off now?”
“It’s off, okay. Now tell me what’s going on. How did you know I was on the Mystic?”
Alex let his shoulders relax. “It’s a long story, my friend. One better told in private. For now, do not activate the ultra sound no matter what anyone says, okay?”
“I could have Mike head back into port if you like?”
“Where’s the nearest marina?”
“Anacortes, but even so, he’s going to want to know why I stopped his new project. I’d better have a damn good excuse when I get off this phone.”
“It’s a matter of national security, and I mean that in a big way. You have no idea how big. And don’t trust Dieter, Bartram, or Rita. Keep an eye on Harrison, too.”
“That’s most of the crew, Alex, but I’ll deal with it. I don’t know if national security will fly as a reason to stop, either.”
“Tell him to expect a call from the Director of National Security this afternoon. I’m headed to DC in a few minutes, and then I plan to fly out to join you. I’ll give you the details when I arrive.”
“You’re starting to scare me, Alex. How do you know everyone on the Mystic?”
“I’ll explain everything when I get there, so have a cold one waiting for me. See you this afternoon.”
*
Rudolf had been watching Cave’s house since early this morning, but what he thought happened half an hour ago was not possible. He knew for sure Cave was in the house, but suddenly he was running up from the field, naked.
He thought about calling Sasha and telling her what happened, but knew she would not believe him. He wouldn’t want her to tell Boris he was seeing things. Boris was already looking for an excuse to get rid of him. No, he decided. It would be his secret.
*
Alex knew it still wasn’t over. By the time Okana had managed to turn off the ultra sound it might have already been too late. He entered Wesley Patterson’s number and was asked to leave a message. “Hello,” he almost said Wesley. “Mister Patterson. My name is Alex Cave. We met at a conference in Iceland a few months ago. Could you please give me a call?”
It only took a few seconds before Alex’s phone rang. “Thanks for calling back.”
“I remember you, Alex. We sat with that attractive blond woman, Sonja.”
“That’s right. Did you notice any seismic activity over the past hour?”
“Nothing here. Why do you ask?”
“I used to live in that area, and I was just curious.”
“I know your father, Robert. As far as I know, everything’s quiet around here.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll stop and see you when I get the chance. Bye.”
His next call was to Marsha Story to inform her he would be gone for a while. Next, he called Donner and arranged for a jet to pick him up in Bozeman to fly him to DC. He also gave him the names of the Mystic’s crew for a background check.
*
Rudolf followed Cave to the airport, but when a private jet picked him up, he could no longer follow him and called Boris.
*
WASHINGTON DC:
Martin Donner stood from behind his desk when Alex walked in. “This is an unexpected surprise. You seemed a little anxious on the phone.”
“I know, and thanks for the use of your jet.”
“Have a seat and tell me what’s so urgent.”
“Last year during the debriefing of the Dead Energy operation I told you about a spaceship that had crashed with some strange devices. Do you remember?”
“How could I forget? The circumstances were bizarre, to say the least. They were going to use them to clean the atmosphere.”
“That’s right. I’ve found it, Martin. I know the location of the alien ship and the location of the devices.” He grinned when Donner’s mouth opened slightly.
“How? Where are they?”
Alex stopped grinning. Now the big question. “The how is the problem. No disrespect, but I cannot tell you. I can only ask that you trust me on this.”
Donner leaned back in his chair as he stared across the desk at Alex. “What are you asking me to do, Alex?”
“Okana is working for a man named Mike Tanner, a wealthy researcher with good intentions. I want to use his research equipment to retrieve two of the devices. One is off the coast of Washington State, and I know the exact location. The other is in the Arctic Ocean. I don’t know where exactly, but with the help of the crew on Tanner’s research ship, Mystic, we can pinpoint the location and use his equipment to retrieve the device.”
“What do you need from me?”
“For the moment, only a phone call. Call Tanner and ask for his assistance, but only tell him it’s top secret and a matter of national security. Tell him who I am and everything will be coordinated through Okana and me.”
“Won’t he want to be paid for his services?”
Alex grinned and shook his head. “He’s a rare breed, Martin. He doesn’t care about wealth. He has plenty of money and uses it for the benefit of humanity. Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. Okana has the necessary security clearance. He’ll be in charge of the operation. He’ll be dealing directly with me, so your involvement with that part of the operation will be minimal.
“What’s the other part?”
“I need complete secrecy for the recovery of the spaceship. It’s in an isolated location and we’ll fly it to Nevada at night.”
Donner sat up straight. “You mean it works? How do you know all this, Alex?”
“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to trust me.”
Donner leaned back again. “If I ask for military support, I need a good reason.”
“No military involvement, Martin. Too many people will need to know what I’m doing. All I need is Henry Heinz, Lewis Norton, and a helicopter. And your approval, of course. Oh, and temporary use of your jet while I get everything organized.”
Donner stared skeptically across the desk. “If it was anyone but you, Alex, I’d demand an explanation. You did a great job on the Dead Energy project, so I’ll leave it in your capable hands.” He stood and held out his hand. “Keep me informed.”
Alex stood. “Thanks, Martin.”
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Donner grabbed an envelope off the desk. “Here are the background checks you asked for. Interesting read.”
Alex slid the pages from the envelope and began reading. A few moments later, he looked at Donner and grinned. “Thanks.” He turned and hurried out of the room.
On his flight to Seattle, Alex thought about how to repair his relationship with his father. Now everything had changed, so there was n
o longer a desperate situation to bring them together. His only option would be to talk to Derek and Kristy about what had happened to their parents. Perhaps they would help mend the pain in his father’s heart so they could be a family again. He would love them to meet Fala and Halona. That is if he and Fala would still have a relationship this time. No way of telling how things would develop in this new timeline.
* * *
Chapter 29
SPARROW VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL:
Sasha stared through the tinted window of the van. The bells had rang nearly fifteen minutes ago, but the boy’s motorcycle was still in the parking lot. She looked over at Mikhail in the passenger seat. “Boris should be with Cave’s father by now. I’m sure he’s telling him we already have the children, so we had better not fail or he’ll kill us.”
*
When Robert Cave heard a vehicle coming up the road, he looked out through the screened door as a dark blue sedan stopped in the driveway. He stood from the kitchen table and went out onto the porch. The car door opened, and a tall, slender man climbed out. From his profile, he would be considered handsome. When he turned, Robert saw an oval shaped ring of scar tissue encircling a large area of his left cheek. “What can I do for you?”
Boris took his time looking around before staring at Robert. “I have your grandchildren, Robert. I came here to repay a debt. One owed to me by your son, Alex.”
Robert felt numbed by his answer. “Who are you?”
“I’m Boris Kinski, and your son killed my brother.”
Robert’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Did you kill my other son, Ken?”
“Of course. A brother for a brother, but it’s just not enough. He ruined my life, and now I will ruin his by watching him see his family tortured before his eyes.”
“Then take me, Damn it! This is between you and me, because I raised him. Leave my grandkids out of this.”
“The way I hear it, you hate Alex anyway, so torturing you won’t have the same effect.”
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 78
