by Marc James
Faraday had nothing he could say to that.
“So why did you do it?”
“I didn’t really think it through, I just...”
“You don’t think anything through! That’s what Jane always used to say to me. You needlessly almost got yourself killed by the men that killed Officer Tippet. You were always antagonising Will, you said to your own wife that she had gotten herself pregnant on purpose. Then you betrayed your cripple friend for a chance to go through time, not knowing where you wanted to go, and you brought the two people in your life that you should protect back to today! You let them leave! You came with me rather than going back to help your wife!”
Faraday did not reply, he suddenly felt nothing but shame.
“Instead of worrying about what I am going to do, worry about yourself!” Jacob yelled. He turned away from Faraday and climbed the ladder.
Faraday did not follow. He took out his packet of cigarettes and lit one.
Chapter 56
Bobby Kennedy pulled up at the entrance to Turtle Creek Park, they had managed to escape the barrage of bullets that had battered the car following Hitler’s assassination. On the way to the park, they had seen many citizens of Dallas rising up and fighting against Nazi soldiers. But the revolution was not something that either of them cared about now.
Jane, having been shot in the leg had been crying for the entire journey. The pain was only a small part of what was making her cry. She worried firstly about her daughter and her husband. She was also worried sick about her near adopted son Clint.
Bobby’s attention had been split roughly three ways. Firstly he worried about his wife and children, they were in Hyannis Port, far from the troubles in Dallas, but they were never far from his mind. Secondly he worried about Jack, he just hoped that Scarlett and Clint had managed to save him. Thirdly he feared for the woman who was lying beside him with a bullet in her leg.
“Can you walk?” He asked Jane.
“I don’t think so.” She sobbed.
Bobby looked around in all directions, he couldn’t see anyone. “Jane no one is here. They might be in the park, will you be alright on your own? I’ll head into the park to look for them, I’ll be a couple of minutes at most?”
Jane nodded. “I still have the gun. Help me over to the driver’s seat, if anyone comes there’s not much I can do here.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Kennedy replied.
“Just bring my family back with you.” She sobbed.
“I will.” Kennedy replied.
He stepped from the car and helped Jane over to the driver’s seat.
“I’ll be as quick as I can.”
Chapter 57
Bobby Stinson lit another cigarette as he saw Chase run from the manhole cover. Sarah was sitting open mouthed staring at Chase, he seemed to be in pain.
“He needs us Bobby.”
Bobby stared at her and it brought to mind something that Jacob had said to Chase in the forest near Auschwitz. “Chase what have I told you, if you looked out for yourself you might have a chance with her.” Bobby continued looking at her, she seemed so concerned about Chase and yet they barely knew each other.
“Is there something going on between you two?” Bobby asked accusingly.
“What?” Sarah replied, evidently shocked.
“You and him, did something happen between you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just tell me?” Bobby insisted.
“No, nothing happened.”
“Then why do you care so much?”
“He saved your life Bobby!” She snapped.
He took a pull on his cigarette and sighed. “You go, I’ll catch up.”
Sarah frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Take the car, I’ll slow you down. Just pick him up and I’ll come out.” Bobby replied.
Chapter 58
Faraday took a deep pull on his cigarette and just stared at the wall, his mind was no longer here. He had never felt so down on himself in his entire life, he thought back to that day on the ward, David and Bobby had come to him in desperation, and they had then killed themselves. They had done the wrong thing over, and over again, and he was now the same.
He took another pull on a cigarette and thought of Jane. He had loved her from the moment that they had met, he had taken her to Loch Ness to propose and then she was gone. Maybe that’s how things were supposed to be, everything that they had done had only made things worse and a fair amount of it was his fault.
He removed the gun from his holster and just looked at it. Before he had travelled back here, he would never have dreamt of killing a man, or even holding a gun. Now here he was, sitting in the sewer holding a gun, he had murders on his conscience. Death had just become a natural part of life for him.
He stared at the gun, he could end it all in an instant. It wouldn’t matter anymore if Hitler was alive, or if Kennedy was alive, he would be gone. Jane was the only person he cared about and he was ashamed to even feel that way. He had a daughter, and if truth be told he cared about her as much as he cared about Chase. She was a friend, nothing more, nothing less.
Jane had changed, she was a mother, and she was responsible. He would always be a problem to them. Jacob was right he didn’t think anything through. It was similar to what Guy had said, he had told him that he was short sighted. Guy’s was another death that played on his conscience, he had only tried to kill Abaddon because he knew that was what Faraday had wanted.
“What was I doing?” He said under his breath, before taking another pull on a cigarette.
He looked at the gun again, it was the best thing he could do for Jane.
He raised it to his temple and spoke aloud. “God, well you probably aren’t there. But if you hear this, then just look after her for me. I am not a great man, probably not even a good man.” Faraday felt the tears gush out of his eye. “I have done my best.” He sobbed. “I am an idiot, and I don’t deserve her, so please just look after her.” He put his hands to his head, dropping the gun momentarily, and he cried. He cried for himself not for Jane, not for Scarlett, only for himself. “I just wanted to do what was right.” He moaned. “I never meant for any of this to happen.” The crying continued. “Just look after her. And if you can, make sure that she remembers the good times, not the shit we’ve been through. We had a great time before any of this, just try and make her remember that.” He wept into his left arm and grabbed the gun with his right, he raised it to his temple.
“What the hell are you doing James?”
Faraday was startled, he had thought he was alone. The old man looking back at him struggled down to the ground and lent against the opposing wall. Faraday recognised the old man instantly, it was David.
“David?”
“Put the gun down James.”
Faraday did as he was told.
“What are you doing?”
“What needs to be done.”
The old David looked sternly at him. “You are being stupid.”
“Are you alive?” Faraday asked.
“No, no. Not for a long time now. I came to visit you in the hospital, I killed myself in a toilet.”
“So why are you here?” Faraday asked, drying the tears from his eye.
“To stop you from being an idiot!” David snapped.
Faraday just stared at the old man.
“Why have you chosen to end your life? Because some idiot, you don’t even like tore you a new one? Get a grip!” David yelled.
Faraday jumped as the sound of gunfire came once again from the street above. “What the hell is going on up there?”
“Exactly what you were hoping would happen, revolution.”
“So we did it?”
“It certainly looks that way.” The old David smiled. “Why did you let Jacob go?”
“He was right. I should be worried about Jane, not Chase.”
David nodded. “And you think Jane would be better off if you
shot yourself?”
Faraday lit a cigarette and offered one to David.
“I can’t I’m afraid.” David smiled.
“Me and Jane, we are different people now.” Faraday explained. “She is in her forties, or fifties, she sees herself as a mother first.”
“Do you ever think that perhaps Jane deserves more from you?” David asked.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, just speaking as an observer, she has had to put up with a lot from you James.”
“What has she had to put up with?” Faraday snapped.
“Well, you see, before the Kennedy assassination when you were assaulted and you lost your eye, she sat by your side crying her eyes out the entire time. Then after the assassination when you were shot, she again had to sit by your bedside, crying her eyes out.”
“That isn’t my fault!” Faraday barked.
“I didn’t say that it was James. After the assassination, she asked you countless times to go back to Scotland with her, but you wouldn’t. When she told you she was pregnant you shouted at her and then she died, or well, didn’t as it turns out. She raised a child all alone, she built a life for them and you went to her and blew everything she had worked for to hell.”
“I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“I know you didn’t, but it did happen. She is stuck here now James, she needs to start over again. She needs help James, she needs you to be strong for her now.”
“So what do I do?”
“I can’t tell you that, you must decide that for yourself.”
“So why are you here?” Faraday asked.
“In my life I made many mistakes, and I got a second chance. Well, I didn’t, but the other version of me did. He got to see his daughter and his wife again. Jane has received a second, and a third chance. Bobby has also had a couple. But this is it, this is the end James.”
“How do you mean?”
“Come on James, you know what I mean. One wormhole generator was destroyed in the escape from Auschwitz. Bobby Kennedy destroyed the other. The last one will be destroyed within a day or two, there are no more do over’s. From now on whatever happened, happened.”
“So is there another you?” Faraday asked.
“No. My family were killed by the Nazis. I don’t get another chance. But you must seize yours.”
“So where do I go?”
Chapter 59
Scarlett drove on despite the tears, she couldn’t stop them. Jack had closed his eyes minutes previously. Clint had shown no sign of life since she had put him in the back, and the Nazi soldier was leaning forward with a bullet in his head.
The insides of the car were drenched in blood and Scarlett’s shoulder was excruciatingly painful. She just wanted to see her Mum. She wanted to tell her that she was sorry, her Mum had been right as mothers always are.
Jack had told her roughly where the park was, but he had passed out. She just hoped that she would be able to find it. As she drove, she listened to the radio.
“This is a breaking news report from Hugo Evans.
We reported earlier that our beloved Fuhrer has been shot by terrorists whilst travelling through Hitler Plaza.
It is with great sadness that I announce that the Fuhrer has died as a result of his injuries.
The terrorist cell that has carried out the assassination has also created uprisings in major cities around the globe.
Anyone who has any information regarding the terrorist cell is being urged to come forward.
The death total is already in the thousands.
Heil Hitler!”
Scarlett swerved to avoid a car that seemed to be performing a drive by, it was spraying bullets at members of the SS who were now lying dead in the street. As she swerved she crashed into the front of a red Volkswagen. She jolted violently forwards and let out a scream of pain, the wound in her shoulder was beyond any pain she had previously experienced.
Before she even considered looking forward, she pulled a cigarette from her jacket, she knew she probably didn’t have long to live. She lit it, took a quick draw and looked at the car in front, she was stunned to see her Mum looking back at her.
Chapter 60
Chase struggled on until he reached the park, his shoulder was in agony. It had only been days ago that he had been shot in the back. The wound that he had suffered that night was still painful, and now he had a new one. He could hear gunfire in almost every direction. He had passed wounded men, both in Nazi uniform and in plain clothes. The revolution had begun.
He struggled through the park but felt compelled to stop and look at the water. With the sun shining as it was today, the park looked incredibly beautiful. He looked at the water and put his weight on the wall that was in front of him, stopping to look at the Creek was only a convenient excuse, he was exhausted. He looked around but couldn’t see anyone that he recognised. They were meeting on the other side of the park, Chase needed a rest. He wasn’t sure if he could make it to the other end of the park.
He removed his hand from his shoulder and looked at the wound, he had lost a lot of blood.
“Chase!”
Chase turned at the sound of his name and saw Bobby Kennedy running towards him. “Where are the others?” Bobby asked.
“Jacob was shot, I never saw Faraday.” Chase replied. “Is Jane with you?”
Bobby nodded. “She’s in the car. She was shot in the leg, so I left her there. Have you been shot as well?” Bobby said, gesturing to the wound.
“I’ll be okay. What do we do now?”
“We need to wait for the others, but you and Jane need to get to the hospital. We can’t go to Parkland, it would be too risky.”
“I don’t know that it would be Bobby, people have been rising up, and there have been gunfights in the streets.”
“Chase!”
Chase froze as he heard Jacob’s voice, he was sure that the man was dead. He turned and watched as Jacob walked towards him, seemingly uninjured. He had his gun pointed at Chase’s head.
“You son of a bitch!” Jacob yelled.
“What is going on?” Bobby asked in terror.
“This son of a bitch shot me!” Jacob yelled.
“Calm down.” Bobby tried.
“Calm down? If he had shot Jack would you be telling him to calm down?”
Bobby did not reply.
Chase was terrified, he had never seen Jacob looking so angry.
Chapter 61
Bobby struggled from the diner, his mind in disarray. He had felt so sure that he was doing the right thing after he had spoken to Jane. He almost fell as he walked down the steps, he grasped onto the railing to keep himself upright. It was no wonder she liked Chase, he was handsome, brave, and he could walk without using a fucking cane.
He removed a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it. The car they had rented was nowhere to be seen, he had been made a fool of. Sarah and Chase had probably fled Dallas, he wouldn’t see her again.
He felt so stupid for ever having thought that he could have anything good, anything that would make him happy. He had never even slept with a woman, Jane had been right with what she had said to him.
He had had chances of course. When he was in the mob women had thrown themselves at him, but he was too scared. He may have looked young, but he had been far from it. The years had passed, and he had grown more, and more nervous.
The hell of Auschwitz had made him almost impulsive when he had seen Sarah. Jacob’s comment hadn’t actually made any sense until he had seen the way that she had looked at Chase from the diner.
He was stood beside the manhole cover and wondered where he would ever find a home, a home that he could enjoy without worrying about saving a life, or ending one. He looked up the street and saw the body of a Nazi soldier.
He wanted a gun. For so long he had never been without one and here he was on the most dangerous day, perhaps in world history, and he was unarmed.
He took a pull on his
cigarette and considered his options. He could wait here, hope that she would come back for him. He could leave, but where would he go? He could only wait and hope.
He was distracted by the sound of a familiar voice.
“Where should I go, just tell me?”
Bobby was stunned, he had never expected to hear that Scottish accent again. He listened for a reply, but there was none. He bent down and struggled to remove the manhole cover, but he succeeded.
“Faraday?” He shouted into the hole.
“Bobby?” Faraday replied stunned.
“Come up here.”
Chapter 62
Scarlett put the cigarette in her mouth and climbed out of the car. As she opened the door, she saw more blood pouring onto the roadside, just as she had when she had replaced Clint in the driver’s seat.
Before going to her mother, she opened the back door and looked down at the man that had been like a brother to her. He had never looked so pale, he was drenched in blood. She knew immediately from looking at him that he was dead. She felt for a pulse anyway, there was none.
She walked around the other side of the car and felt Kennedy’s pulse, it was strong, but he looked ghastly.
She raised her arm to her wounded shoulder and ran to her mother. She opened the passenger door and saw that the seat was covered in more blood. She climbed in anyway.
“Mum I’m so sorry!”
Jane pulled her daughter towards her and kissed her forehead. It was only then that she saw her daughter had also been shot.
“Jesus! Scarlett, are you okay?”
“They shot us.” Scarlett sobbed into her Mum’s shoulder.
“Have you seen your father?” Jane asked, not knowing if she wanted to know the answer.
“No. We got Kennedy and came back for you. They started shooting at us.” She continued crying.
“What about Clint and Jack?” Jane asked.
“Clint’s dead.”
Jane was crying now. “What about Jack?”
“He’s been shot, but he’s alive.”
