The Time Portal 5: The Nazi

by Joe Corso

  Flackstein seemed genuinely glad to see Lucky, who was dressed like a prince with a $3000 Valentino Maximus custom-made suit and all the appropriate accessories that went with the ensemble. Flackstein had been waiting for this moment. He was eager to show Lucky how the company had prospered since its inception.

  “Come on; let me take you on a tour. I know that you’re going to be impressed. Hell I’m impressed, and I work here every day.”

  Lucky laughed, showing a perfect set of white teeth. The small entourage walked along the floor, stopping every once in a while at a cubicle for an update on what he or she was working on. Murmurs were heard as employees whispered and pointed to the handsome, enigmatic billionaire founder of the company as he stopped to talk to someone. He was a legend among his employees, and now that he was here walking amongst them, everyone could see that he was charismatic as well.

  After speaking with Flackstein, Lucky was satisfied that the corporation was progressing nicely; all that was left for him to do now was to visit the Compound to say goodbye to Jack Kinsey. He wanted to bring Jack up to date on what he was doing for the past year, while at the same time he wanted to make sure that Jack had everything that at the Compound under control. The Compound was a secretive black ops unit of the CIA, which handled the distasteful operations that our government preferred to keep hidden. When Lucky was almost killed in an assassination attempt, the Compound, under Dirk Sommerville, was taken in a direction that was not in our government’s best interest. But Lucky converted Jack Kinsey into a reliable asset, and a loyal and patriotic member of his team.

  The purpose of Lucky’s visit today was to bring Jack up to date on his latest adventure with the Nazi, and what he had been doing for the past year.

  Lucky left Jack feeling good, and now that he was outside of the Compound’s command structure, he walked with a knot in his gut as he approached the parade field. He hoped against hope that the field portal still lived there, and he could still access it. The field portal had been the first portal he had discovered. He used that portal to escape when Dirk Sommerville was holding him prisoner while recovering from the assassination attempt.

  CHAPTER 30

  PRESENT

  Lucky’s heart was beating fast as he approached the field grounds, since he was afraid the portal wouldn’t be there, and he’d never get back to the 12th Century and to the woman he loved. But to his relief, the portal glimmered above the green manicured grassy field, where men marched and military bands played. He took a deep breath to clear his mind and he held it for a few seconds, and then he let it out, and just stood there collecting his thoughts. When he thought about how he had to travel in such a roundabout way to get to this exact spot in this green field, his feet suddenly felt like lead and he felt drained. He was tired, and it was only natural to feel tired after what he had been through, but that was over now and he was heading home. Yes, that’s right - home . . . to the 12th Century, He was about to step into the portal, but instead, he turned away from it and walked over to the bench by the path and sat down. He had to take a moment to think. In his haste to get back to his wife and child, he neglected to tell Jack about the items he needed bring back with him. Items such as medicines, drugs, and the list of items that Dr. Grossman brought with him when Princess Krystina was recovering from surgery. Lucky took out his cell phone, called Jack, and gave him the list of items he needed, and he said that he’d postpone his trip until the items were rounded up. Jack assured him that he’d have them for him within the hour. Since Lucky had to wait, he took a walk over to the armory, but found it was closed for the weekend. He called Jack back, and asked him to have someone run down and unlock it, explaining that he wanted some weapons to take back with him.

  The guard spotted Lucky waiting for him by the door to the armory.

  “You must be Lucky Campo, correct?”

  “Yes. I’m Campo.”

  The soldier held a clipboard in his hand and introduced himself as Sergeant Rivers.

  “The director instructed me to open the armory and let you take whatever items you want, but I’m going to have to record all the serial numbers on my clipboard, and have you sign it for our records. Understood?”

  Lucky liked this no-nonsense soldier. “Understood. Come on’ open the door and let’s get started.”

  The two men entered the armory, but the sergeant stood by the door while Lucky took a cart and walked up and down the aisles, selecting which items he wanted. The Hershel FN 5.7s were back in stock, so he grabbed one off the shelf, and he took thirty fifty-round boxes of the armor-piercing ammo, and placed them on the cart. He didn’t know how long he’d be staying in the 12th Century, so he wanted to be sure he had enough ammo, especially since he could no longer create a portal whenever he wanted to. He made a mental note to practice creating them when his life returned to normal. He was sure his portal-creating skills would someday return to the state it was before Mueller introduced titanium into his system, which had minimized his abilities. He managed to create a portal that allowed him and his friends to escape Mueller’s manmade titanium prison, but it wasn’t easy and the effort left him drained.

  Lucky took a Bianci government-issue holster made for the FN and clipped it to his belt and holstered his gun. It was a perfect fit and it felt good around his waist. He reached down and removed the gun from the holster, then he removed the clip. He put a round in the chamber and then loaded twenty rounds into the clip. He removed the other two clips from the carrying case and loaded twenty rounds into them too. The Hershel shipped with three twenty-round clips, and he wanted all three clips loaded and ready for whatever dangers he might have to face.

  His eyes searched each shelf for anything he might need. The bottom shelf in the next aisle had boxes of hand grenades, so he took six of them. A few shelves over, he noticed three boxes labeled “smoke grenades” and Lucky thought of Angelo and how he had used smoke, allowing them to escape from the German soldiers who were searching for them. So he took six smoke grenades from the box and placed them on the cart. He looked in the corner and found a small section containing special items and one of the items that caught his attention and made him smile was a military hunting bow complete with quiver and arrows. He placed that on the cart. His smile remained as he picked up a fine fishing rod. The last two items were for Tor.

  Lucky walked over to the clothing section and took three sets of black delta outfits and two baklava ski masks. He used the masks for shock effect to put fear in the mind of an enemy. His cell phone rang. It was Jack, telling him the items he requested were waiting for him by the portal.

  While he was placing the black clothes on the cart, a feeling of dread came over him and he couldn’t explain why he felt this way, but for some reason, he felt that it was important to change into a delta outfit. His mind and body were screaming danger - danger - danger, and he learned a long time ago to always heed that feeling, and he wasn’t about to disregard it now.

  Sergeant Rivers wondered why Lucky was dressed like he was going on a mission. But his job wasn’t to question the man. His job was to give him access to the armory, then record the items and their serial numbers, and make sure that he got his signature before he left.

  Lucky rolled the cart to the door, and just as he was about to call it a day, he noticed shoulder holsters hanging along the wall behind the table. He took one down and put the Hershel in the holster to see if it fit and was pleased to see that it fit perfectly. Sergeant Rivers had finished recording the serial number and was putting all of the items Lucky had selected from the cart into a duffle bag.

  “I’ll take one of these too, so put it in the duffle bag with the rest of the stuff.”

  The sergeant took the shoulder holster from Lucky, made a note on his clipboard, and placed it in the duffle bag, which he closed tight and handed to Lucky.

  Lucky signed the clipboard and thanked the sergeant for his help. He watched the sergeant leave, knowing he’d record the items and serial numb
ers, and before the day was over, he’d give Jack a copy. Lucky headed back toward the field, still feeling uncertain that the portal might not be there for him. Once again, he was relieved to see the portal still beckoning him like an alluring woman enticing an enamored suitor. The portal was very alluring and Lucky would be entering it very soon. He’d love to enter it now, but it wasn’t the right time for that. He had to wait until it was dark and everyone was ready for sleep. He waited this long, he could wait a little longer.

  Jack posted a guard near the sixteen boxes stacked in the middle of the field near the portal. The soldier was ordered to remain there until midnight, and then he could leave. The soldier wondered why he had to stand guard until midnight and then leave, when it made more sense to guard the items during the night when it would be easy for someone to take them. But he had his orders and he’d obey them.

  At midnight, the soldier left the field, leaving no one there to watch the items. But it didn’t matter, because the moment he was out of sight, Lucky began carrying the boxes through the portal.

  CHAPTER 31

  12TH CENTURY ENGLAND

  Princess Krystina couldn’t take the isolation of never leaving the castle. One morning, after dressing, she left her room with her son without taking any of her ladies-in-waiting, and without any guards to escort her. She walked straight down the hall, past the guards who were spaced along the castle’s walls at varying intervals and, as she was about to walk across the moat, Tor appeared out of nowhere and stepped silently beside her, keeping pace with her as she crossed over the moat, having left the safety of the castle.

  She stopped to talk to vendors who were setting up their tents and stalls, filling them with the goods they hoped to sell. Krystina looked up at the sky and was pleased to see that there were no rain clouds that would spoil her day. The vendors worked hard to eke out a small living, selling wares in their colorful stalls. She turned her gaze to the vendor stalls and tents, which were stacked up one against another throughout the castle’s keep, looking very much like toy blocks. Tor watched from behind and never spoke a word unless she asked him a question, or if he was concerned about her safety. Today, Tor had a bad feeling, so he was extra cautious. He wished the princess hadn’t left the safety of the castle, but against his wishes, she had left. Now it was his job to make sure nothing happened to her while she was away from the protection of the castles guards. She was now his responsibility.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  Keisling had finally approached the outskirts of King Robert’s borders. Now it was just a matter of hours before he reached the castle. He estimated the better part of a day, and then he would have arrived. He was worried that the king might not give him an audience. And it was of utmost importance to him and, for that matter, the princess, that he did speak to the king. The princess was in grave danger and king must be told.

  After he left the blacksmith, he had a lot of time to think. It occurred to him that the inquisition wouldn’t trust one man to accomplish this difficult mission. No, they’d most likely send a second, and possibly a third team, in case he failed. If they discovered that he failed, then they would finish the job that he never really intended to do. He knew failure wasn’t an option to them, and to him personally, because failure meant certain death to him, either by the inquisition themselves, or by a prisoner was who was promised his freedom if he killed him. Keisling wasn’t afraid of any man, but he was smart enough to know that the person they sent to kill him would be an assassin who wouldn’t play by any rules. No, the man they sent to kill him would lie in wait, and when Keisling was at his most vulnerable, that was when he would strike. He would most likely be killed from behind in an ambush. Yes, that made the most sense. Now that he had reached that conclusion, he made a vow to reach the king to tell him of the danger the princess was in, and then he’d prepare to fight whoever it was that they sent to kill him. A weight had been lifted the way one can see clearly after a fog has lifted, and he could see clearly how the assassin would strike.

  He urged his horse on, and while he didn’t want to tire the beast, he wanted to put more roads behind him this day than he had on other days. He decided to push his strong horse more than he would have liked to. When he arrived at the castle, he would make sure that Vortice was brushed, groomed, and fed properly. He kicked his spurs, and the horse lurched ahead, eager to run. Keisling was impressed with Vortice; the horse was young with boundless energy, and he would need all of his energy for the final run to the castle.

  The sun was sinking below the horizon when Keisling finally reached the castle. A guard stopped him as he was about to cross over the moat.

  “What is your business, stranger?”

  “I have an urgent message for King Robert.”

  “What is this message you have that is so urgent it can’t wait until tomorrow?”

  “It concerns the inquisition and Princess Krystina. I warn you, if you do not allow me to see the king, then what ever happens to the princess will be on your head.”

  The guard thought about what the stranger said to him and it was important enough to act on, so he agreed to tell the king of Keisling’s request for an audience with him.

  Keisling was admitted into the great room. The king was seated on his throne with his men-at-arms standing by his side. King Robert was anxious to hear what this stranger had to say about the princess and the inquisition. The king’s guards, always suspicious of strangers, watched the stranger’s hands carefully as he and the sergeant-at-arms approached the throne. The king’s men would strike the man down without hesitation if the stranger’s hand moved toward his sword. But the man didn’t reach for his sword; instead, he bowed and thanked the king for granting him an audience.

  “What is this news I’m told you have that concerns the inquisition and the princess?”

  Keisling told the king about his capture by the inquisition, and his subsequent incarceration and how he expected to be hanged, and he told him the reason why he was pardoned. He explained in detail how he was coerced by the inquisition to help them kidnap the princess. He explained that his mission was to kidnap the princess and bring her back to Spain.

  “Why did you change your mind, and instead come here to tell me?”

  “Your Highness, I’m a soldier, an officer in a Germanic tribe and it is beneath the dignity of me, as an officer, to fight civilians. I agreed because I saw it as a means to escape from the inquisition, and an opportunity to regain my freedom.”

  The king was confused. “But why did you come here, when you could have escaped and rejoined your Germanic troops?”

  “As I said before, Your Majesty. I am a soldier with honor, and I am bound by my code of ethics, and I could not in good conscience let the inquisition kidnap the princess from her king and her family. They intend to try her in their court, where her fate is already sealed. From what I was told by priests of the church of the inquisition, your wizard frightened the last inquisitor general so badly that he fled the country, and now no one knows where to find him. The new chief inquisitor doesn’t believe the tales told of your wizard. He thinks they are fabrications of a frightened and superstitious people. I have heard with my own ears the tales told to the new chief inquisitor by those that have experienced the power of your wizard, and I must say that he intrigues and interests me. With Your Majesty’s permission, I would like to meet your wizard someday.”

  The king, deep in thought at hearing those words, rubbed his chin absently. “Alas, if only I could.”

  Keisling listened to the words, which were not meant for his ears.

  “Pardon, Your Majesty. If you could only - what?”

  “The wizard is away at present and I do not know when he will return. I will try summoning him, but I do not know if he will hear my prayer. I can only pray that he does.” The king beckoned the sergeant, who had been standing beside Keisling, to come forward. “Take some men and search the keep, and then the countryside for the princess. She has b
een gone too long, and if what this man told us is true, then I worry for her safety. Go in haste and find the princess. Then bring her back here, where she will be safe from the inquisition. I only hope that Tor is up to the challenges he might face this day.”

  Keisling looked at the despair on the king’s face. “Your Majesty, with your permission, please allow me to accompany your men. I may recognize the man that the inquisition has sent to kidnap the princess, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be in a position to act before he can cause harm to her.”

  The king pondered his words and, after considering if it was indeed wise to send the stranger with his men, he nodded.

  “Go then. You may indeed be able to recognize the scoundrel and stop him before he can cause harm to the princess.”

  As the sergeant was about to leave, the king called to him and, with a short wave of his hand, beckoned him to approach the throne. When the sergeant was within arm’s length of the king, the king whispered to him. “Keep your eye on the stranger. I do not trust him yet. I feel he is honest and can help, but I want you to be wary. His story rings true, but it could be a lie, and I cannot take that chance with the princess’s life, so watch him carefully for any deception on his part. If he is true, then bring him back with you.”

  “And if he is not true?”

  The king gave a tight-lipped smile and said grimly, “Then you will know what to do.”

  “Yes, your Majesty.”

  CHAPTER 32

  12TH CENTURY ENGLAND

  Keisling watched as the sergeant gave the six men-at-arms their instructions. They spread out and immediately began a search of all of the vendors, starting with the nearest and the furthest from the keep. The men-at-arms worked their way toward the middle, questioning the owner of each stall for any information they could provide regarding Princess Krystina. Some of the people they questioned remembered the princess and told the men how she stopped in their booth accompanied by a big man, who appeared to be her bodyguard, and she examined the items that interested her and then she left. Some venders were curious and watched her as she entered the adjacent stall, where she proceeded to look at the wares they were selling. The sergeant acknowledged their information and then rushed to see what his men discovered.