by Marc James
“He is a communist sir, he is a threat to the American way of life.”
“I want the bugs in his premises removed.”
William looked stunned. “Yes sir.”
“Now with regards to the Black Panthers, I understand that they may be threatening.”
“They are most certainly threatening. In Oakland last year they deliberately set about provoking the police into a shootout. One Black Panther named Bobby Hutton was killed as a result, and they used it to incite other members to rally around the cause.”
“So who is the main cause for concern?”
“They are all a cause for concern. We have agents that have infiltrated the party, but they are beginning to get suspicious about us monitoring them. They had a purge of members earlier this year to get rid of any informers, but we still have a few in there. There was a shootout in Los Angeles in January. We have people monitoring Fred Hampton, he is the head of the party in Illinois and he is Deputy Chairman of the National Black Panther Party.”
“What’s so bad about him?”
“Last year he tried to merge the party with a street gang with thousands of members. He is a serious threat. We have a man undercover in Chicago, William O’Neill. He has told us that Fred Hampton has a huge stockpile of weapons. We need to take him out.”
“Take him out?” Bobby asked stunned. “We are law enforcement, we do not take people out.”
“These niggers cannot be allowed to preach their racist teachings sir.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, we do not say that word!” Bobby yelled.
William looked baffled. “What word?”
“How can you call them racist, when you use words like that?”
“That’s what they’re called.”
“No from now on you call them black people.”
William looked to be on the verge of laughter.
“I’m not joking.”
“Everyone says it.”
“Well they shouldn’t, you can tell the other agents that if I hear that word, I will see it as a valid reason to fire them.”
“What?”
“You heard, I will not run a racist organisation.”
William was scarlet. “Sorry sir. But as I said we must take out Fred Hampton.”
“We do not take people out.”
“Sir it is in the people’s best interest, just like Malcolm X.”
“The FBI killed Malcolm X?” Bobby asked stunned.
“Yes sir.”
“Well no more. We do not kill people unless we absolutely have to.”
“We have to kill Fred Hampton.”
“No, when I said have to, I meant in self defence.”
William didn’t respond.
“Keep me updated on Hampton.” Bobby instructed.
William rose from his chair and walked out of the office, his irritation was perfectly obvious.
Bobby lit another cigarette and took a long deep pull. He hated this place, these men are supposed to be the best of the best. The whole organisation is corrupt. He lifted the receiver of the telephone and called Meyer Lansky.
“Meyer, it’s Bobby Stinson.”
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Have you found out anymore about Jacob?”
“As a matter of fact I have. It seems one of your agents has joined him.”
“David?” Bobby asked horrified.
“Will Carter.”
“Will has joined him?”
“So I am informed, he flew to Havana last night.”
“Do you know anything about Faraday or Chase?”
“Why? Don’t you?”
“They haven’t checked in once.”
“Well that certainly is not a good sign. Jacob Cohen is a tough son of a bitch.”
“Do you have anyone in Havana?” Bobby asked in desperation.
“I have a few friends.”
“Would they help me?”
Meyer chuckled. “Bobby you are the director of the FBI, my friends hate Castro, but they don’t like the FBI either.”
“I don’t like the FBI, I’m worried about my friends Meyer.”
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”
Bobby slammed down the receiver.
Chapter 75
Will had been standing in the larger room for what felt like hours. In the time that he had been there the hoards of Cuban’s had left the building, they said they had to go and spread the message, whatever that meant. Jacob had been speaking with the doctor for the majority of that time, Will had managed to overhear snippets of conversation, and he was sure he had heard Chase speaking at one point.
He was startled when the door opened suddenly and Jacob Cohen walked into the room. He had changed his clothes and he was not dressed all in white. He chuckled as he closed the door behind him. He seemed surprised that Will was alone in the room.
“Where is everyone Will?” Jacob asked with a smirk.
“It’s Bill.” Will replied, he was not as scared as he had been earlier. One on one he knew he could take Jacob.
Jacob laughed. “Oh that’s right, Bill Buchanan.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you here Bill?”
“I’m here to help.” Will replied, not once breaking eye contact with Jacob. His dead eyes gave the impression that he had no feelings, no warmth or compassion. He had seen eyes like those in Auschwitz.
“I don’t trust you Bill.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are lying to me. Your name is Will Carter, you work for Bobby Stinson.”
Will couldn’t stop his hand from shaking slightly. “You are mistaken.”
Jacob suddenly looked furious. “I have files on all of you! It was you that arrested Mengele. Did you really think I wouldn’t know who you are?”
Will didn’t know what to say.
“But I’m a little curious, why would you come here?”
“I want to help you.”
“Why would that be?” Jacob asked.
“Bobby Stinson fired me. I have no loyalty to him.”
“I thought you might say that. I heard you murdered Mengele.”
“Who told you that?”
“I have friends Will. But you don’t, the only friends you ever had all despise you.” Jacob laughed again.
Will knew that he was right, he had no one now. “I don’t need friends.”
“Oh no?”
“No, I can look after myself.” He stepped towards Jacob, not breaking eye contact for a minute.
“Is that so?” Jacob asked.
“Yes.”
Jacob stepped towards Will now, their faces only inches apart. “Am I supposed to be worried?”
“I’ve offered you my help, if you don’t want it then that’s fine. If you think you can hurt me, then you are wrong.”
Jacob burst into a fit of laughter. Will didn’t know what to do, before he could react Jacob grabbed Will’s left wrist and twisted his arm behind his back, forcing Will to the floor. He was sure his arm was about to be broken, he let out a whale of pain. He tried to move but if he did the arm would snap for sure.
“Why are you here!” Jacob yelled.
Will could only moan in pain, as Jacob twisted his arm further.
“Why are you here!” He repeated.
“To help you!” Will shouted through the pain.
Jacob laughed and let go of the arm, Will almost fell on to his front but managed to stay on his hands and knees, before receiving a hard kick to his face.
“I don’t want your help!” Jacob screamed, before laughing again.
Will lay on the stone floor, putting his hand up to his eye. The kick had burst his eyebrow open.
“You have two choices Will Carter. You can either go into the same cell as your former friends, or you can try to get out of Cuba before tomorrow. If you don’t manage to get out, you will be killed by Castro. If you stay here, you will be killed by Castro. What would you like t
o do?”
Will didn’t answer.
“So you’re staying?”
“No... I’ll leave.” Will groaned.
Chapter 76
Faraday awoke in his room, in the halls of residence at Stirling University. He looked towards his desk and saw the picture of the family Christmas he had enjoyed the year before he met Jane. What year is it? He wondered. He raised his hand to his eye, there was no eye patch. He ran his hand through his hair, it was long, he was back in the future.
He sat up and looked at himself in the mirror, no eye patch. The door of his room was thrown open and Nancy walked in. She took a seat in his desk chair.
“Nancy? What’s going on?”
“Why are you angry Faraday?” She replied.
“What?”
“You are angry with Jane. She wanted me to ask you why?”
“Where is she?”
“She’s not ready to see you yet.”
“Why not?”
“She asked me to talk to you first. Why are you angry with her?”
Faraday couldn’t believe that she would even ask this question. “She had sex with Will!” He yelled.
Nancy shook her head. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts her that you would think that.”
Faraday stared at Nancy, she wasn’t joking. “He told me that!”
Nancy shook her head again. “You know deep down that she wouldn’t do that to you.”
“So what are you saying, that he was lying!” Faraday shouted.
“Do you trust him, more than you do Jane?”
“Why would he lie?”
“Why would you believe him?”
Faraday shook his head in annoyance. “He told me that they slept together, what am I supposed to think?”
Nancy was the one that looked annoyed now. “You really think that after everything you both went through, that she would do that to you?”
“Why would he lie?” Faraday repeated.
“He’s human Faraday! Humans lie every single day, look at what you’re doing to my grandson.”
“So you know that he’s your grandson?”
“I know now, I wish I’d known when I still had time.”
“How do you know?” Faraday asked, genuinely curious.
“I know because I have the wisdom that comes with death. Things that people do when they are alive make very little sense.”
“How do you mean?”
Nancy smirked. “Look at you Faraday, what are you doing? It’s a small world after all.”
“So this is a dream?”
“This is no dream, I’m surprised you haven’t realised that yet.”
“Sorry?”
“You don’t dream Faraday, you live.”
Faraday was baffled by this statement. “I don’t understand Nancy.”
“Do you realise that this is the longest conversation that you and I have ever had?”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“You suppose I am? You never gave me the time of day.”
“Well you didn’t seem particularly enamoured by me.”
“I was in love with Bobby, from the day I met him. No matter what I did, it was never enough for him to even consider me as anything other than a friend. I understand why that is now, but I didn’t then. When you and Jane arrived I felt threatened, all of a sudden he had new friends and I wasn’t important. I felt the same about David at first.”
“Okay, but how do you mean I don’t dream?”
“Why would you have a dream about me, a woman that meant nothing to you?”
“Dreams never make sense.”
“Perhaps not, but this is not a dream, you are alive Faraday. I know where you are, I know what you are doing, but I don’t understand why.”
“What?”
“Why are you helping Abaddon?”
Faraday had to admit, he wasn’t even sure why he was doing it. “He can help me.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“So is this because of Jane?”
“It’s because of Jane that I’m here in the first place.”
“Did she ask you to come?”
“I loved her!” Faraday replied, Nancy was even more annoying now that she was dead.
“You don’t love her anymore?”
“I do, of course I do, but she has hurt me. You must understand that.”
“She has done nothing to you Faraday.”
“What about Will!” Faraday shouted.
“He raped her Faraday!” Nancy shouted back.
Faraday almost wanted to throw up. “Is that true?”
“Yes it’s true, she loved you Faraday!”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“It is not my place Faraday. She wanted me to speak to you first, she is traumatised about the whole thing.”
What the hell was going on? “Nancy what is this?”
“You brought me here.”
“That’s what Kennedy always says.”
“What do we have in common?”
“Me and you?”
Nancy almost laughed. “Me and Kennedy.”
“You’re both dead?” Faraday guessed.
“Exactly!” Nancy said with a smile.
“So I can get dead people to visit me when I sleep?”
“No, you are not asleep. This is real Faraday. You have come to visit me.”
“So why isn’t Jane here?”
“She’s not ready yet.”
“What does that mean?” Faraday pleaded.
“Where are you going Faraday?”
“I told you, I don’t know yet.”
“Then why betray Bobby?”
“He betrayed me!” Faraday yelled.
“He is doing what he thinks is right.”
“So am I.”
“Are you? You attacked a woman with a vase, do you think that was right? You don’t even know what you are running to?”
“I need to get away from here. I don’t belong here!”
“I think Jane used to say that to you.”
Faraday felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart. “I made a mistake, I should have listened to her.”
“So are you going to try and save her?”
“Can I do that?” Faraday asked hopefully.
“It hasn’t happened yet, how could I know?”
“So what am I supposed to do?” Faraday asked, almost shouting.
“I am not here to tell you what to do.”
“Then why are you here!”
“It’s a small world after all James, where would I be?”
The room began to spin, it almost felt as though he was being sucked through the wormhole again. Nancy seemed to start fading out of sight.
“You have to save....” He heard her yell.
She was gone.
He opened his eyes and he was back in the small, damp, darkened room. Chase was sitting in the corner shaking. “It’s a small world” was still booming into the room.
Faraday sat up, his vision was now confined to one eye. He managed to raise himself to his feet, although his legs were weak. The lack of food and water was beginning to take its toll. He managed to make his way over to where Chase sat, swaying as he did so. He slumped down beside the shaking, and evidently petrified Chase.
“What happened Chase?”
Chase turned his head to look at Faraday. “Who are you?”
“It’s Faraday, I’m your friend Chase.”
“I’ve never met you in my life. Get away from me!” Chase yelled.
Faraday was more confused now than he had been when he had been speaking to Nancy.
“Chase you do know me, we were captured.”
“Captured?” Chase laughed.
“Yes, Jacob Cohen captured us both and locked us in this room.”
Chase laughed again. “This is my bedroom, Jacob Cohen is my father.”
Faraday had no clue as to how to respond to Cha
se. “No, he is the enemy.”
Chase pushed Faraday as hard as he could, Faraday stretched out his arm and it squelched into the pile of faeces. The stench almost made Faraday vomit. He sat himself back up straight.
“What did they do to you?”
Chase laughed again. “Who are they?”
“Chase where are we?” Faraday tried.
“In my home, why are you here?”
“Where is your home Chase?”
“Well I have two homes.”
“Where?” Faraday tried.
“Well I have this home in Havana for work, and my other home is in Washington.”
“Why are we here?” Faraday asked.
“I’m working.”
“What are you doing though?”
“What the President told me to.”
“Which is?”
“I am here to overthrow the communist regime.”
“No Chase, we are here to stop Jacob Cohen!”
“Why would I stop my dad from doing anything?”
“He is not your dad!” Faraday yelled in frustration.
Chase looked hurt by Faraday’s words. “What are you saying?”
“Chase you are my friend, Jacob Cohen is trying to overthrow Kennedy.”
“My father is working for Kennedy.”
“He’s not your father!”
Chase looked furious. He got to his feet and grabbed Faraday by his shirt. He hauled him up from the ground and pushed him into the rancid pile faeces. When Faraday landed he couldn’t stop himself from throwing up this time. His clothing was drenched in human excrement.
Chapter 77
Bobby and David were sat in the living room together, for what felt like the first time in a long time. They were brothers, but everything had changed. Every time Bobby looked at David he felt angry, but David had made one good suggestion, they had opened a bottle of whisky.
David looked at his former best friend and could see nothing beyond the man’s arrogance, he took a sip from his whisky and lit a cigarette. As he took a draw of the cigarette he watched Bobby cautiously, what did he know? He had wondered for long enough.
“Why did you have Will follow me Bobby?”
Bobby couldn’t believe that David would ask that question. “What are you talking about?”
David frowned. “Tell me the truth Bobby, you owe me that much.”
“I owe you? What about you owing me? You are the one that has suddenly gone against us!”
