Time Skip (Book 2): The Time Skippers

by Craig L. Seymour

  During their time together, Lovelle had been reluctant to share the details of his work with her. So this was the first opportunity for Maria to learn much of anything about his targets. And, although he did not really need it to complete his work, he always listed as much detail about his quarry as he could remember. Just because he had no current use for it, he would not assume that he would never need it. And any information, once lost, could only be re-acquired by letting his subjects’ murderous lives play out. That was not something he was prepared to do. The gruesome facts served not only as a reminder of why he chose to do this work, but, as a gauge for comparison of current and future targets. At some future time he might reach a point of saturation and have to choose among killers. However important it was for Lovelle to keep this information, for Maria, it was a disturbing introduction to the world of serial killers and molesters. It was something she had never desired to see, and had not enquired about for that reason. She had trusted Lovelle implicitly to determine who should be on the list. But, seeing the atrocities perpetrated by these monsters bolstered her resolve.

  “Ohh!” Maria groaned, “It turns my stomach to read these. Some of these men aren't just killers, they are demons. This one...” She pointed at the file on his desk that she had been reading. “It’s so disgusting. It’s hard to believe a person would do those sorts of things to someone. Especially a little child. It’s more like a horror movie than something real.”

  “I'm sorry.” Lovelle said sympathetically. “You don't have to read those. I'll take care of it.”

  “No, it's okay. You need to know this, and I'm going to help you remember it. If you can face the monsters, then I guess I can read about them. Although, I don't know how you can do it.”

  “Facing them is not so hard, when you know you're going to kill them.”

  “I suppose.” She paused. “Knowing what they‘ve done, or will do if you don’t stop them, don't you ever feel like torturing them?”

  “It’s crossed my mind. But, I’m pretty good at keeping my emotions in check.” That was an understatement. He was downright detached when he was working. “Being emotional makes you sloppy. And sloppy, gets you caught. And of course, the life where I get caught will be the life that finally moves on. Hey, do they have Murphy’s law in Cuba?” Lovelle asked.

  “Not that I've ever heard.” Maria answered. “What is it?”

  “It’s just a saying. But, a lot of people put a lot of stock in it. It goes, ‘Anything that can go wrong will, and at the worst possible time.’”

  “That sounds pretty cynical.”

  “Yeah, Americans can be a pretty cynical lot. But, sometimes it's hard not to believe in things like that. I know it’s just perception, but, sometimes it just seems like everything is going against you.”

  “Yes, I guess we all feel that way sometimes. I've just never heard a saying to express it. So, who was this Murphy person?”

  “Oh, heck, I have no idea. I don't know where the saying got its name. I don't even know if there was a Murphy. It's just one of those things you grow up with. Everybody here just knows the saying.”

  “So do you believe it?”

  “You know I'm not really the superstitious type. I always believe there is a logical explanation for everything, even if I can’t figure it out. Heck, I believe there's a logical explanation for the skips. I'm just afraid we'll all go to our graves without knowing it.” He lamented.

  “That's assuming we ever go to our graves.”

  ***

  The time arrived for the next skip and Baker had failed to ask Maria to stay in Cuba. Although Maria had expressed her doubt that Baker would make such a request until the vigilante had been dealt with, Lovelle still felt as though Baker’s failure to broach the subject evidenced a lack of sincerity. If he truly believed that changes made by the Skippers were the cause of time resetting, he should be preparing his people for what was to come. Even if he didn’t think it was necessary just yet, he should have let Maria know that he would eventually expect her to remain in Cuba. Not knowing how her precarious migration might turn out in the future, it was short sighted not to discuss this with her while he had the opportunity, assuming he believed what he professed. He had to wonder what Baker’s true motivation was. What were his objectives? Was he trying to move time in some way that he did not want to explain to his followers? Or did he simply enjoy manipulating them. Maybe Baker had given up on the idea of time continuing and had decided to entertain himself.

  What Lovelle could not understand was why anyone, including Baker, would believe they knew what would move time forward. Or, more importantly, if his motivation were something other than moving time, how could his disciples come to believe that Baker knew something more than they did? As far as anyone had indicated to Maria, Baker laid no claim to any special knowledge. Yet somehow, they all fell in line. It reminded Lovelle of a doomsday cult. Only by all accounts these people were not the type to go for such a thing. However, seeing the world stuck in a time loop can change the perspective of the most grounded of people. He supposed that might make them susceptible to a charismatic James Jones type figure, and Baker was happy to receive the mantle.

  ***

  The expected final night of life number seven was a unique experience for Lovelle and Maria. Never before had they gone into that evening with someone else to share the experience. Not since the second life when he went to bed with his wife Trina had Lovelle even been with another person on that night. He had stayed awake on one occasion only to find the experience anti-climactic. He had expected some sort of fireworks at the moment of the skip but had simply gone from watching the clock in his bedroom to waking up in the past. As far as he could have told he might have drifted off to sleep a single moment, or hours before the skip.

  On this night, however, they had no intention of anticipating the moment. They sat down to a quiet dinner at home. Discussion eventually turned to their plans for after the skip. With no way to leave themselves a reminder, they had gone over and over their plans, being sure that each remembered the timing and location of their rendezvous precisely.

  “If you don’t show up the first night, I’ll be there every night until you do.” She kidded him.

  “And if you don’t show up the first night, you should look for me first on the beach, and then in a Cuban jail, because I won’t be leaving without you.” His tone was a bit less jovial.

  “I’ll be there.” She reassured him. “I’ve got the easy part.”

  “I don’t know about that. I’ll be in and out in no time. You’ve got to deal with family the whole time. You never know what they’re going to throw at you. You won’t be a responsible adult in their eyes this time.”

  “You have family to worry about too.”

  “Yes, but, I’ve been sneaking off on them for the last four lives. You’re trying something new, and you can’t predict how they’re going to act.”

  That night they made love for what they expected to be the last time for a while. They went to bed like any other night, only hoping, more than ever, that they would wake up right where they were.

  Life 8

  Chapter 9

  When newly 16 year-old Lovelle told his parents he was taking a break from school, and going away for a while, there was a lot of yelling, crying, and threats. While it was true that he had lots of experience in sneaking off, those were always quick trips which he could explain away. Not wanting Maria to be concerned, he had downplayed the fact that he would be dealing with things differently this time. This was going to be an extended absence which would be seriously disruptive of their lives and his own. But, as he planned to return and rejoin his family when he was done, he thought it best to exit with some type of explanation. That was a miscalculation. No explanation, no matter how well crafted, was going to convince the parents of a high school junior that it was okay for him to leave school and town for an undetermined length of time. Certainly his admonishment not to worry, and promise to
return, would not suffice. He decided right then that the next time around he was going to just leave a note. He had gotten used to his parents reacting badly when he did something out of character for the teenager they knew him to be. His failure to go to college always caused a lot of gnashing of teeth. But, they had never reacted like this, and he didn’t want to go through it ever again.

  His parents had always come around once they saw that he had not, in fact, ruined his life. They were understanding people, and he had always been able to reconcile with them before. And he was sure that would be the case this time as well, once he came back and finished school like he promised. Still, he always hated to upset them, and this was the worst it had ever been. But, his girl was stuck in communist Cuba and he wouldn’t have her there any longer than he absolutely had to.

  As soon as they skipped back to 1985 Lovelle had set their plan in motion. Right away he went out and secured his extra identity. Nineteen year-old Mark Ridge would have a much easier time doing what had to be done than would a minor. With his new identity, he made a big score at the horse track, certainly the biggest single score he’d ever risked for fear of drawing too much attention. But time was of the essence and he would need a lot of money for what he had planned.

  Once the money was in hand and his flight was booked he broke the news to his folks and took off. He landed in Miami and went straight to work. For the better part of the last two years he and Maria had lived in Miami, laying the groundwork for the plan. He already knew right where he was going and who he had to see. During their prep work they had identified people who had been in business back in the 80’s and could be counted on for discretion. Within a few days he had procured a cargo van, a cache of weapons, a small yacht with a big engine, and a couple of associates. The latter were a pair of Cuban exiles who would do most things for the right price, but, were particularly enthusiastic about doing anything that might undermine Castro.

  ***

  Manuel and Juan were 61 and 58 respectively when Lovelle and Maria had met them in the last life. They were a couple of fiery older guys who were more than happy to regale a beautiful woman with tales of their adventures as younger men. Lovelle was sure that there was plenty of embellishment within those stories, but, he had checked the men out and they were legitimate. He had the feeling that, even as they approached retirement age, they would have taken on the job he was going to approach them with. They sure hadn’t hesitated in accepting his offer here in 1985.

  They had been a little skeptical when Lovelle laid out the details. The plan called for one of them to man the yacht while the other accompanied Lovelle going ashore to retrieve Maria. “Why don’t you let Manuel and I get your girl? We have been trained for this sort of thing.”

  Lovelle let out a short laugh, “Oh, I’ve been training for this.”

  “Really, how old are you my young friend?” Juan asked, a little condescension in his tone.

  “Much older than I appear." He told them quite truthfully. He sighed “Look, I know how to handle myself in a fight. More importantly, I know how to stay out of one. If I thought it would work better for me to stay on the boat, then that’s what I’d do." That probably wasn’t true, but, what he said next was, “I can handle myself just fine and I know Maria. But, I don’t even have a picture to give to you." The two were still clearly unsure, so he offered a demonstration, “Do you want to see me handle a weapon?”

  Manuel shrugged then nodded toward the AK-47s lying on a table behind Lovelle. Lovelle turned and picked one up. He deftly disassembled and reassembled it, something he had done a thousand times, as he had always kept one in his personal arsenal. He inserted a clip and chambered a round, shouldered the rifle, and aimed it at imaginary target in the corner. Then he lowered the weapon removed the clip and ejected the round.

  Manuel nodded. "Okay, you can handle your gun, but, how do you shoot with it?”

  “Even better,” Lovelle answered, “I can out shoot anyone we are likely to run into." He paused, "Hey, I understand you guys are putting your lives in my hands just as much as I am yours. Believe me I don’t want to wind up killing myself or my girl. I can handle myself or I wouldn’t be doing this.”

  His compatriots could see his commitment to the plan and realized the futility of arguing any more. They didn’t raise the subject again. For Lovelle’s part he hoped that this was all unnecessary. He intended to go in quietly, get Maria, and depart even more quietly. But he was a firm believer in the old saying “hope for the best and prepare for the worst”. In his many missions, that philosophy had served him well. It was about to serve him well again.

  ***

  A little more than a week later the predetermined day for Maria’s extraction arrived. Thanks to the internet, they had been able to pick what they hoped would be the optimum night. It was a new moon so there would be near perfect darkness for cover. The weather would be clear and the water calm. And in past lives it had been a quiet day with no news out of the island. Unfortunately, that was about to change.

  The men were able to move the yacht into Cuban waters without incident and had anchored just outside a quiet little cove. Lovelle checked his watch and they were precisely on time. He took a little pen light from a holder in his belt and flashed it three times towards the shore. His signal was answered by three quick winks of light from the blackness ahead and to the right. His heart raced. He had their bearing and he was a few minutes from holding her in his arms.

  ***

  They lowered a dingy into the water and Lovelle and Juan climbed aboard. Manuel handed down a pair of AKs and a bag with extra magazines and a few grenades. They set off, moving stealthily through the cove with a nearly silent electric motor.

  They reached land quickly and Juan ran the dingy up onto the beach. The men clambered out. Juan held his rifle at the ready while Lovelle flashed his pen light again. Maria came running from out of the tree line. “Curtis!” she said breathily then enveloped him in her arms. They kissed deeply then he pulled back and took her face in his hands.

  “God, I’ve missed you.” He said and kissed her again.

  “Ahem…” Juan interrupted, reminding them that time was not their friend.

  “Okay.” Lovelle responded, letting her go. He pulled a Colt 1911 pistol from its holster and handed it to her. He had taught her to shoot one just like it as soon as they had hatched this plan a couple of years earlier.

  Maria and Juan boarded the dinghy and Lovelle shoved it back into the water before climbing in himself. Juan steered the boat around to the right course then questioned “Curtis?” He had known Lovelle only as Mark.

  “It’s a story for another time.” Lovelle answered

  Almost as soon as he finished speaking, their plans fell apart. The sound of a fast moving boat came into earshot. “I don’t think we can beat it.” Juan said resignedly.

  “We better hang back then. See what it is.” Lovelle stated.

  "We cannot leave Manuel.” Juan announced almost matter of factly.

  “I don’t intend to. I just don’t see how much good we can do if they spot us in this thing.”

  Juan didn’t say anything else. He swung the dinghy around and back up onto the beach. As he did, A Cuban patrol came alongside the yacht. A pair of spotlights illuminated the deck of the yacht and a voice warned over a loudspeaker in Spanish that the soldiers were coming aboard. The three on the beach crouched low behind their dinghy, each training their weapon on the patrol boat. Lovelle spoke softly in Maria’s ear, “Go back to the trees.” He instructed. She answered with one stubborn shake of her head. He put his hand on her pistol and forced it down. “That thing isn’t going to do us any good unless they come ashore. If they do, we’ll be right behind you.” She sighed and retreated to her hiding place.

  With Maria out of the way Lovelle said to Juan, “We’ve gotta draw them away from the yacht if Manuel is going to have a chance.”

  “I hope you are as good a shot as you claim,” Was Juan�
�s response. The boat was in fact at the outer end of the AK’s effective range for accuracy. But, Lovelle had tested the half dozen rifles he’d purchased and made sure he had the most accurate of the bunch. Then he had sighted it in very carefully. The glow of the lights trained on his yacht also served to give him a clear target on the deck of the patrol boat. His only answer for Juan was to put a round through the back of the Cuban’s shoulder, toppling him over the rail.

  Juan followed this by firing a pair of three round bursts. Wood splintered around the cabin and chaos erupted on the deck. The spots swung away from the yacht and started searching the shoreline. The cove wasn’t all that large and it didn’t take long to locate the dinghy. Although Lovelle and Juan had ducked completely out of sight the soldiers opened fire. Most of their rounds fell harmlessly into the water and none managed to hit their cover. When there was no return fire the patrol boat turned and began to move in their direction. At that, Manuel swung into action. He managed to lob a grenade right into the cabin. The soldier at the helm saw it, but too late for it to do him any good. He was thrown into the wheel and it turned sharply. The boat veered off and then straightened back out as the body slid to the floor. Before anyone on board could do anything about it, the patrol boat ran aground near the outer edge of the cove.

  To their credit, the remaining soldiers wasted no time in training the undamaged of the two spotlights on the dinghy. To their detriment they launched their own boarding craft off the back of the swamped boat then steered it right along the beam and ruined any advantage they could have gained from staying in the shadows. Compounding their error, they did not seem to realize where the grenade that had been the undoing of their boat had come from.

  Manuel opened up on them from behind a storage box on the deck. One of the four remaining soldiers was hit and dropped his weapon. Although he would survive, he passed out and would stay that way for the duration. With the only available light now out of reach, the soldiers could only use Manuel’s muzzle flashes to sight in on. And as soon as they turned to deal with him Lovelle and Juan opened up on them. Juan laid down a barrage while Lovelle sighted each shot, knowing that he had the advantage. They had already proven their inaccuracy to him, and now they were firing at him from a rocking boat with no cover at all while he was still mostly concealed by the dinghy.