by Jan Eira
“Neat,” said Ellie, already writing numbers of the flat rock surface.
“You can also change if you want permanent or erasable—” A sudden coughing spell interrupted him.
Ellie drew two spheres, one bigger than the other, and labeled them Earth and Moon. Underneath, she wrote some numbers. She mumbled to herself as she scribbled. “Nine hundred forty-seven divided by three point eight equals…” She looked at Valerie, who had finished listening to her cell phone. “It’s as if Earth aged approximately two hundred fifty years in the last year. I wonder what the global implications—”
“Holly shit,” said Valerie. “My dad’s pissed! Hospital security is looking for the four of us. They have pictures of us running away from the pharmacy with the Enoxadin research drug packet. And they know I destroyed the dose packet in the Cath Lab.”
CHAPTER 26
Chief Cunningham had another photo with him. “Dr. Rovine, as you might have guessed, the three kids who stole Enoxadin with Valerie were the same ones Valerie met in the ER earlier today. Those other three kids brought in the man with the heart attack you tried to save but couldn’t. They left together in this Lexus.” He gave Dr. Rovine the photo. “I looked it up; this vehicle is registered to you.” Dr. Rovine nodded. The chief continued. “A little while ago, five police officers were brought into our ER after they were found in the woods in a deep coma. They’re doing OK now but have total amnesia regarding the previous several hours.”
“All right. But what does all that have to do with my Valerie?”
“Not sure yet. But the cops had gone into the woods to look for four teenagers and an adult. I don’t believe in coincidences, do you?”
“So you think the four teenagers who destroyed Enoxadin here at the hospital are the same ones the cops were looking for in the woods?”
“Don’t you?”
The doctor nodded.
Chief Cunningham got up from his chair. “I’m going down to the ER and talk to the police to see what they know.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Brent, you’re perspiring heavy,” said Ellie.
“I’m OK, kids,” said older Brent, coughing and shivering. “Don’t worry about me. Let’s get back on task.”
“Well, things just got a little bit more complicated,” said William.
“Hospital security now knows we destroyed Enoxadin,” said younger Brent. “They have our picture and by now probably have identified us. I’m sure the police are looking for us.”
“That does complicate matters quite a bit,” said older Brent.
Ellie took a blanket from her backpack and put it around him. “You’re shivering bad.”
“How long do you have?” asked younger Brent.
“We need to concentrate on our mission,” said older Brent. “There’s nothing we can do for me.”
“How long?” said younger Brent.
“I was hoping for more time. But…”
“How long, Brent?” asked Ellie. “We need to know. We have to be prepared.”
“My viral counts are increasing faster than I’ve ever seen viral counts increase. Time travel somehow affected the viral replication process and increased its speed manyfold.”
“What does that mean?” asked Valerie.
“Most people we have examined just before death had viral particle counts in their sputum of around one hundred thousand. My count was almost seventy thousand about an hour ago. It’s increasing at about eight to ten thousand an hour.”
“Should we take you to the hospital?” asked Ellie. “There has to be something they can do to help you.”
“Kids, please promise me that however bad this gets that you will not take me to the hospital. Under no circumstances can anybody know about me. The whole world depends on that. Besides, there is nothing anyone can do to help me.”
“So, let’s talk about our next move,” said William. “What should we do now? We have to plan things out in case Brent here becomes incapacitated. For now, we need to do as much and as fast as possible. We don’t know for how much longer we can count on Brent’s ability to help us.”
“That’s right,” said Valerie.
“There’s one more thing,” said younger Brent. “I think there’s a couple from the future here.”
Older Brent frowned. “More time travelers? Why do you say that?”
“We were stopped by a cop car today,” said Valerie. “Two cops, a man and a woman, in their twenties.”
Ellie nodded. “They told us there was a man who was going around telling teenagers he was from the future to trick them into something.”
“What do you make of it?” asked William.
“I don’t know what to think,” said older Brent. “It’s not possible. You must be mistaken.” He took a deep breath and then coughed into a tissue. Large clumps of blood landed on Ellie’s shirt. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t want this to happen.” He began to shiver violently.
“That’s OK, Brent. Don’t worry—”
“Ellie, I can’t live without you, baby,” older Brent said, tears now flowing down his cheeks. “Please don’t leave me so soon.” He began to sob loudly. Slowly, he collapsed to the cave’s ground. “Ellie, I love you. You’re the love of my life. Don’t leave me.”
“Brent,” said Ellie, kneeling at his side. She looked to her friends. “He’s burning hot with an extremely high fever.”
“He’s confused,” said younger Brent. “We need to take him to the hospital.”
“Hold me, Ellie,” said older Brent, his level of consciousness waxing and waning. “Don’t ever let go of me.”
He began to convulse. Foam appeared at his mouth.
“Let’s take him to the hospital right now,” yelled younger Brent. “We can’t wait any longer.”
CHAPTER 27
Chief Cunningham and Dr. Rovine arrived in the Emergency Department.
“Detective Dan Sparks,” said the officer shaking the chief’s hand.
Chief Cunningham began the conversation. “We’re looking for four teenagers who stole a research medication from our hospital’s pharmacy earlier today. You’re looking for four teenagers and an adult. What are the chances we’re both looking for the same group of people?”
“This is a peaceful, small town, Chief,” said Detective Sparks. “This sort of situation is extremely rare. If four teenagers are involved in something awful on the same day in two places, it’s highly probable we’re all looking for the same kids. Have you been able to identify any of them?”
Dr. Rovine cleared his throat. “Detective, one of them is my daughter, Valerie. She’s a good girl, straight-A grades in school. She would never be involved with stealing drugs.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor,” said Detective Sparks. “Right now, everybody’s a suspect, and my job is to clear each possible suspect, one at a time. I need to talk to Chief Cunningham alone. If your daughter isn’t involved, I’ll clear her name off the list.” The detective gestured, and an officer arrived and escorted Dr. Rovine away. “Oh, and Doctor, the teenagers we’re looking for are not being charged with stealing a drug from a hospital. They’re being charged with murder.”
Dr. Rovine struggled to free himself from the massive policeman’s clutches. “No, my Valerie would never do that. She’s a good girl. You’re looking for the wrong…” His words dissipated as a door closed behind him.
“I have their pictures,” said Chief Cunningham. They both walked into an empty patient’s room. He displayed the photos on the bed. “This one is Valerie Rovine, the good-doctor’s daughter. The other three we still don’t know.”
The detective picked up the prints, studying the faces.
Chief Cunningham shook his head. “Stealing a research drug, as bizarre as that is, I can buy. Killing, I’m not too sure. They don’t look the type. A
ny of them. Come upstairs and look at the actual video footage of the incident in the pharmacy, as well as out in the parking lot. I want to see what your take is and if you really think these teenagers could have committed the murders.”
“Chief, I’ve been doing this for ten years. I never cease to be amazed about how innocent looking the people are who do these crimes. I vowed never to let looks deceive me. I want facts. Let’s see the footage. Let’s identify the other three kids. Next, I’ll be paying a visit to the medical examiner. I want to know what he’s discovered about the mysterious three dead bodies in the woods.”
Dr. O’Rourke entered the room. “Detective, I was told to report to you on the status of the police officers found in the forest.”
“Yes, Doctor? How are my men?”
“They’re in excellent physical condition. Perfect health, all of them. I can find no reason whatsoever as to why they were unconscious or why they have complete amnesia about what they were doing in the woods and what happened to them once they got there.” He shrugged. “Got me stumped. Incidentally, I just spoke with the vet. The police dogs are in perfect physical condition, too. They were a bit disoriented at first but are fine now. Weird. But in the ER, weird is something we get used to after a while.”
“Could they have been poisoned?” asked Detective Sparks.
“That’s my best guess for right now, though I’ve never heard of any poisons capable of doing this. I’ve sent blood and urine to the lab for a drug screen. We’ll see what that shows.”
Chief Cunningham and Detective Sparks walked to the Security Office.
“Hornsby,” the chief said. “The detective wants to view that security camera footage of the teenagers. Can you queue that up?”
“I was about to call you, Chief,” said Hornsby. “We now have the identity on all the kids.” He handed him four manila folders, each with a photo clipped on the cover. Chief Cunningham walked over to a nearby table and displayed the folders. He studied the files briefly. “Valerie Rovine, we knew her already. Brent Joseph Smithson. Lauren Elizabeth, alias Ellie, Januardy. William August Baten.” He looked at Detective Sparks. “No police records, straight-A students. Parents are all doctors, except one who is a prominent lawyer here in town. Valerie and Brent are local kids. The others are from out of town but attend the boarding school here.”
Detective Sparks thought for a moment. “This doesn’t add up. Why would they steal a research drug and kill three people?”
“What about your men, Detective? The kids probably had something to do with their amnesia and brief coma, huh?”
“Oh, I’m sure of it. But why? How? When we know that, we’ll solve this riddle. I’m going to enlist the county and state police on the search. We have to find those teenagers, and we have to get to the bottom of all this, pronto.”
“This whole thing seems to have to do with Enoxadin,” said Chief Cunningham. “We need to concentrate our search at Supreme Pharmaceuticals. I think the kids will try to get in there tonight.”
“I think you’re right. They’re after this research drug for some reason, and it seems they’ll stop at nothing to get it, even murder.”
CHAPTER 28
Brent dived into the Olympic-size pool. Nothing made him feel younger and healthier than his morning four-hundred-meter swims. Today was slotted for a combination of breaststroke and butterfly. He concentrated on the rhythmic strokes, hoping to improve his timing. He reached the wall of the opposite side of the pool and quickly performed his well-practiced direction change. As he pushed off the wall, he noticed first the bizarre, high-pitched sound. Koo eeky…koo eeky. He looked around and saw a blurry figure standing at the bottom of the pool. Intrigued, Brent swam slowly to it. As he approached, he saw the figure was Alexandra. Her albino features made her hard to see in the slightly murky water.
“Hello, Brent,” she said from under the water, her lips unmoving. Her mature, unemotional words resounded perfectly clear in Brent’s brain.
Confused at first, Brent soon deduced he was dreaming. He stopped swimming and hovered in the water over the child. From his vantage point, the little girl stood still, unwavering, undisturbed by the deep waters. Her hair, red dress, white socks, and black shoes remained pristine and dry, unaffected by the situation.
“Hello, Alexandra,” Brent said clearly in his mind.
“I came to wish you good fortune in your mission.”
“Your communication skills have improved. You can understand me much more now.”
The little girl nodded, unemotionally. “Yes.”
“Thank you for all your help, Alexandra.”
“I’m aware that you, too, have become contaminated. That complicates matters immensely.”
“Yes, it does,” said Brent. “Is there something you can do to reverse it? Can you save Ellie?”
“No,” said Alexandra coldly. “I cannot.”
Brent felt his consciousness suddenly transform. Within milliseconds, he was awake in a cold cavern. He immediately recognized he was back in the now.
“No, no hospitals,” he yelled as his mind slowly reconnected with reality. “I’m feeling much better.”
“But Brent, you’re dying,” said Ellie. “We have to do something.”
“Yes, Ellie, I am dying, and all we can do is save the world from collapse in only another five decades. There’s nothing anyone can do to help me. As painful as that is, please accept that. The quicker we all accept that fact, the quicker we can get on with our mission to taint Enoxadin production. That’s the only thing that matters right now. And we won’t have much more time.”
“While you were delirious with fever, you told us you—um, me—and Ellie are married,” said younger Brent.
“Yes, we get married and have the best thirty years of our lives,” said older Brent, a faint smile peeking through. “But I can’t say more. We have to get to Enoxadin. Take me over to Supreme Pharmaceuticals.” He peered outside the cave. “It’s starting to get dark out.”
“OK,” said William. “Let’s go.”
“I’m not sure you can make it even out to the car,” said Valerie. “It’s about a half-mile hike.”
“Yes, I have to make it. We don’t have much time left.” Older Brent attempted to get up. Instead, he collapsed to the ground. The teenagers rushed to his side.
“Why do you have to come with us?” asked younger Brent.
“You’re right. I’m not any good to you like this. If I go with you, I’ll be in the way and be easy prey for the security guards. I’ll stay here and direct your efforts over the communicators.” He reached for his backpack and fished out a small metal box. He removed four small earpieces. “Place these in your ear canals. I can communicate with you this way, and you can talk to each other. I can monitor police transmissions from here. I’m already set up to monitor the security systems at Supreme Pharmaceuticals and listen in on their transmissions.”
“I feel like a Ninja Turtle or a Spy Kid,” said William.
“Brent, take this device.” Older Brent handed his younger self a gadget the size of a small cordless phone. “Leave this on the dashboard of the car, just outside the building. It’ll let me detect temperature changes and particle motion in and around the building. With those data, I can give you pretty accurate information about the guards’ positions.”
“OK. I’ll do it.”
Valerie looked at her phone. “My dad keeps calling me. I’m going to turn it off.”
“Good idea,” said William. “The cops can probably figure out our position using GPS or something like that if the phone is on.”
“It’s dark enough,” said older Brent. “Before you go, I need to show you how some of these devices operate. You may need them.” He grabbed his backpack and pulled it toward him. “Here’s the drug to taint Enoxadin with.” He handed a small rectangular box with clear walls to Va
lerie. Inside was a clear liquid. “Throw it into the vat. It’ll fall to the bottom. This device is rigged to elute out the drug very slowly, which will render Enoxadin useless. The drug will stick to the container’s inner wall. It’s odorless and colorless. There’s a small door on top of the vat. You’ll have to climb up there and throw this thing in there.” He took a deep breath. “Remember, kids, the world depends on your success.”
Four flashlights sliced through the darkness of the woods. Valerie and William were in the front, with Brent and Ellie following several yards behind.
“So, Brent marries Ellie, and you marry me,” said Valerie. “Is that how it’s going to work?”
“That’s what’s in the cards,” said William.
“Well, there’s a teeny-tiny problem with this. I have a steady boyfriend.”
“Is he bigger than me?”
“Much bigger. He was my high school’s varsity quarterback. Several colleges want him and offered him full scholarships.”
“You said was. What happened?
“Football happened.” Valerie bit the inside of her lip. “Some three-hundred-pound ape wanted the ball more than Doug, so he broke his hip and gave him a terrible concussion.”
“Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Now what?”
“He’s bitter and angry. He won’t get any scholarship money, and his playing days are over. He blames the world for it. He really needs me right now.”
“He needs you as a friend, Valerie, not necessarily as a girlfriend.”
“Right now, Doug needs everything and everybody to get over this. He won’t go see a psychologist, take medications, or go for therapy. He gets attacks of PTSD. He bullies everybody. It’s his way of coping with the situation.”
“Not a very healthy way of coping, is it?” “I seem to be the only one who can reach him. He listens to me and only me. I have to help him through all this mess.”
“You can do that as a friend. I’ll help, too.”
