Timtown

by Ronald Zastre

  “What, John, you sure, the same one from Fox base? That’s him. . .are you positive?” The Sergeant had gotten the officer’s attention.

  “Geez LT, he’s standing out there, telling you to shove it. Either he’s physco, or he’s the kid. I was there and I can guarantee you that is him!”

  “Whoops, what the hell should I do?’ the Lieutenant asked.

  “He’s here for a reason, so you’d better find out what he wants,” the Sergeant said. “I’m telling you, I’m not shooting at that son-of-a-bitch and I’m not ordering any of my men to either.”

  “Okay, okay John, I believe you. Conners,” the Lieutenant said as he turned to another soldier, “get on the phone, and get me command.”

  “Damn, he wasn’t supposed to be out here. What the hell went wrong?” the Lieutenant exclaimed.

  “Lieutenant, this kid operates on his own. He goes where he wants, shows up when he wants. Look at him, he’s not even afraid. And, for god sakes, I want to make it clear,” the Sergeant shouted out as loud as he could, “don’t anyone shoot!” He turned back to the Lieutenant, and said quietly. “If we start anything, he’s going to make us wish we hadn’t, trust me!”

  *

  “Look kid, we don’t mean you any harm,” the Lieutenant turned with the bullhorn, and spoke to Tim again, “but we have our orders. Please, will you raise your hands?”

  “I will not!” Tim shouted. “You get in touch with Ed Adams, or get your commanding officer up here, and then we we’ll go from there.”

  It’s amazing how much confidence the toys of Timtown are giving me. It’s in my voice, and I can tell, the soldiers are backing down.

  “Just a minute, Sir, we’re working on it. Please remain there,” the Lieutenant responded, and his tone of voice had definitely softened.

  “Sir, we don’t know who this Ed Adams is, but General Miser is on his way. Is that satisfactory?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “That’s what I asked for,” Tim replied.

  *

  It’s a standoff, for the moment, but that’s okay because the longer it takes the better. If someone reacts too quickly, that’s when I have to show my cards, and I want to save my surprises until the best time.

  *

  Tim moved over to one of the rocks and sat up against it. He could see the soldiers had relaxed somewhat, also. The gun-ship was still hovering three hundred yards to his left its nose still pointed directly at him.

  *

  “That little shit is back?” General Miser bellowed as he got the news about Tim being with the soldiers. “Put a cordon around him, cuff him, and he doesn’t move, do you understand? Good, I’m on my way!” he shouted into the cellular phone.

  “He wants to see who? Like hell! You tell that little bastard he’s going to deal with me and only me. No wait, don’t tell him anything.” The General thought better. He wanted to get Tim face to face, and then he could apply the pressure because he had the cards now. He had been informed, a couple of hours earlier, that the operation to get the girl back would be finalized soon.

  *

  General Miser was huffing as he finally made his way over the top of the canyon rim.

  “Lieutenant!” he yelled, causing the young officer to jump. “Where do you have the prisoner?”

  “The prisoner. . .Sir?” the Lieutenant questioned.

  “Yes, Lieutenant, the kid, you do have him under custody? Lieutenant, where the fuck is the kid?”

  “He’s right there Sir.” The Lieutenant turned and pointed to Tim, who was still sitting on the rock a couple of hundred feet away.

  “Lieutenant, that man is supposed to be under arrest. You get some men out there and apprehend him, immediately,” Miser yelled.

  “Yes, Sir!” The Lieutenant spun around and started shouting orders. Soldiers began to move toward Tim, who sat on the rock and watched. He waved at the General when the officer looked his way and pointed. He knew it had made Miser mad because he could hear him yelling at everyone.

  The soldiers began to make their way toward Tim, being real careful. Evidently, stories of his last encounter with the Army had circulated. He chuckled as the first two came close.

  If I yelled boo right now, they’d probably shit in their pants. Tim was laughing to himself.

  “Would you come with us, please?” a Corporal that had gotten the closest to Tim asked.

  “Yup, let’s go,” Tim said as he stood up and started toward the canyon.

  He had gotten about half way when he heard the General yelling in his direction. “You men there, that man is under arrest, you cuff him this instant!”

  “I’m sorry kid, but an order is an order.” The Corporal pulled a plastic tie off his belt and moved toward Tim. Just as he was about to grab Tim’s arm, Tim fired the stun weapon in his right hand at the soldiers extended hand. Before he had left the Whuc Seaacki he had set the weapon max-low to produce an uncomfortable jolt.

  The Corporal yelped and jumped back with a surprised look on his face, holding his hand.

  “What’s the problem?” General Miser shouted. “You cuff that man, now soldier, or you’re in a world of shit.”

  “He gave me a hell of a shock Sir!” the Corporal yelled back.

  “I don’t care if he gave you a kiss, you get those goddamn cuffs on him, right now,” Miser screamed.

  “Yes, Sir!” The Corporal looked at Tim with a perturbed look on his face. “Look kid, I don’t want to do this, but you heard the man! If I don’t put these on, I’m in big trouble.”

  “Geez, you’ve got yourself a real ugly situation then. If you try to put those things on, I’m going to zap you again.”

  “Ah shit! Why can’t you just go along?” the Corporal said as he reached for Tim’s hand again.

  Just as the Corporal was about to touch flesh, Tim zapped him again.

  “He did it again!” the Corporal yelled as he jumped back, holding his hand.

  “Corporal, I repeat, I will have your ass if you don’t get those cuffs on that prisoner!” It was Miser yelling again.

  “Come on kid, please?” the Corporal begged as he reached out again. This time he didn’t try too hard because he knew he was going to get it again. He pulled his hand back before Tim even shocked him. He looked at Tim, and then shook his head. Then he tried to grab Tim’s arm fast.

  Tim zapped him again.

  “That’s it!” the Corporal screamed. “Someone else put the goddamn things on him.”

  “Lieutenant, put that man under arrest!” General Miser shouted. “And get someone who can follow orders.” Then he yelled, deranged. “Cuff that man!” so hard Tim was sure he had hurt himself.

  The other soldier that had walked up with the Corporal was the only other soldier close to Tim. All the others were keeping their distance. Both the General and the Lieutenant were yelling at the poor guy to get the handcuffs from the Corporal, and put them on Tim. Tim wasn’t sure what the soldier’s rank was, but he could see that the guy didn’t have his heart in it. He took the handcuffs the Corporal had given him and reached out for Tim’s hand.

  The soldier laughed as he jumped back, after Tim had given him the expected jolt.

  “I don’t think he’s going for this!” the second soldier shouted.

  “Look, you’re going to get us in a hell of a lot of trouble if you keep this up. What do you want?” the Corporal asked Tim.

  “I want to talk to the idiot General, and I will not be handcuffed when I do,” Tim answered.

  “I’ll go tell the idiot that. No hard feelings, huh?” The soldier winked as he started to go toward the yelling officers.

  “No problems here,” Tim agreed.

  *

  Tim sat back down on the rock and watched, as the Corporal and the General were having a discussion. Tim had to give the guy credit, he was standing rigid, at attention, while the irate Miser yelled and flung his arms around, but Tim could hear the Corporal arguing the point.

  Finally, after a couple
of minutes of discussion the young soldier, and the Lieutenant came walking back toward Tim.

  “Hi,” the Lieutenant said as he approached Tim. “Look, we have a problem here. Why won’t you let us put the cuffs on? It would make everything a lot easier.”

  “If you want to make things easy, forget the hand cuffs. I came here to talk. If you guys want to talk, forget the under arrest bullshit, okay?”

  “I don’t think the General is going to go for that,” the Lieutenant explained.

  “Then you tell the General, he’s got five minutes. I will go where he wants on my own accord, but I am not a prisoner, and if he tries to detain me, I will zap him.”

  “Oh gosh, don’t say that. Do you know how much trouble you’re causing?” the exasperated Lieutenant said.

  “Oh excuse me, Sir, but you don’t think handcuffing me is not a little shitty, from my point of view. I mean, guys, come on.”

  “You’re not going to cooperate then?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “Hey, I’m here, and I’m cooperating. Go tell the General to stop pissing around, and let’s get on with it. Hey, and tell him, if this crap about the handcuffs isn’t dropped, I’m outta here.”

  The Lieutenant let out a sigh and turned, headed for the General who was standing, watching with his hands on his hips and a nasty look on his face.

  *

  Tim backed up to a rock close behind him and slid down its side until just his head was showing.

  The soldiers watching, figured he was just tired of standing up because no one reacted.

  *

  He was sitting there about two minutes before he spotted the Lieutenant on his way back.

  *

  “Well?” Tim said to the officer.

  “Ah shit, I tried, but he’s being a real asshole about it,” the Lieutenant returned. “He said if we don’t put on the cuffs, he’s going to get tough.” The Lieutenant just shrugged.

  “What’s he doing now?” Tim asked.

  “Ah?” the Lieutenant said as he turned back to look in the General’s direction.

  At that moment, Tim initiated the cloaking program. He didn’t know what to expect, and realized, I’m so confident in the dependability of Timtown, I’m not even testing any of the gimmicks the computer is supplying me.

  He was watching his hand when he switched on the program and his hand disappeared instantaneous. Wow, normally, vision includes the outlines of my nose, cheeks, and eyebrows. They are always just fuzzy images and shadows, but still there. Now my eyes are completely clear of my body, and this is definitely strange.

  *

  The Lieutenant turned back toward Tim and did a double take as he looked down to where Tim had been moments before. At first, there was a puzzled look on his face, but it turned into panic as he realized Tim was gone. The officer ran around to the back of the rock, hoping Tim had just gone around it also. The Lieutenant stood at the back of the rock looking around. After a moment, the Lieutenant apparently realized what had happened because he began to smile.

  “You little shit!” the Lieutenant exclaimed. “I’ll bet you can hear me. Good trick, but the General is going to be livid. Of course it’s not my fault, but I’m going to catch the crap anyway. You owe me for this. If you want to even things up, give him a good swift kick in his pompous ass.”

  “Oh General,” the Lieutenant yelled, turning, “you’ll never guess what just happened?” The Lieutenant started toward Miser.

  *

  Tim remained still until the Lieutenant had gone. Although no one could see him, Et had stressed that he still could be heard. The computer offered to remedy that also, but Tim said no.

  The best way to really rattle them, if I want to, is to make noises when they can’t see me.

  Tim waited, and then got up and moved a short distance toward where the Lieutenant was just getting to the General.

  “Goddammit, Lieutenant,” huffed and puffed the General, “now what? I told you to get the kid cuffed, and to bring him here. What’s your excuse now?”

  “Ah, Sir, I don’t quite know how to explain this.”

  “Well, try, you damn screw up!” the General shouted.

  “Well, Sir, the kid just disappeared,” said the Lieutenant with an apprehensive tone.

  “What! You incompetent boob! Sergeant, get your men out there, and get that kid!” the General yelled at another soldier. “You Lieutenant, are fucked. Consider yourself under arrest.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the Lieutenant answered.

  Within moments, the first Sergeant came running up. “Sir, we can’t find him anywhere. He just disappeared, just like the Lieutenant said, Sir.”

  “Bullshit soldier, people don’t just disappear,” the General bellowed.

  “Sir,” said the Sergeant, “that’s the kid from Fox, the one that did all the freaky shit.”

  “I know that, what’s your point soldier?”

  “Sir, I was standing out there,” the Sergeant pointed back, “no more than fifty feet from where he was, and I didn’t take my eyes off of him. Sir, he just disappeared into thin air.”

  The General stood looking at the Sergeant for a moment. “Son-of-a-Bitch. When I get my hands on that little fucker, he’s going to be sorry,” Miser growled.

  At that moment, everyone standing around the General heard a loud, “Whop,” and the General’s midsection popped out forward.

  General Miser spun around with a nasty, awful look on his face, and bellowed. “Who did that? You insubordinate Suns-a—Who hit me? God-Dammit I—”

  The General was interrupted by a second “Whop” that caused his stomach to pop out again.

  “You bastards!” the General shouted as he reached for his pistol in its holster.

  “Sir!” the Lieutenant shouted back. “No one hit you; I can see all the men.”

  “Lieute—” Another “Whop” interrupted the General. This time, most of the men could see the indentation produced on the General’s butt as something definitely made contact there.

  “Sir, it’s the kid!” the Sergeant shouted.

  “Where?” The General had pulled his pistol out and was swinging it around.

  “No, Sir, it’s the kid that’s hitting you,” the Sergeant tried to explain.

  “What?” The General had a bewildered look on his face, and most of the men were beginning to chuckle.

  The Sergeant turned and gave them a cold stare.

  “General, I think the kid’s made himself invisible, and he’s here, kicking you in the ass,” the Lieutenant added.

  There was another loud, “Whop,” as Miser was hit hard in the butt again.

  “Goddammit,” he roared, “stop that! That’s an—”

  Miser was again interrupted by another, “Whop,” and the giggles from the men started again, this time the Sergeant was included. The General was spinning around with one hand protecting his ass and the other hand swinging the pistol around in wild arcs.

  All the soldiers nearby were starting to duck to get out of the line of fire from the pistol.

  Something hit the General in the rear again, causing the pistol to discharge. The bullet struck a rock right next to one of the scurrying soldiers. The soldier dove in between the rocks. The Lieutenant and the Sergeant were grabbing at the General, trying to get the pistol away from him. The General had lost his cool, cursing and threatening everyone.

  Finally, the two soldiers were able to restrain Miser enough to be able to talk with him.

  “Goddammit General, it’s the fuckin kid!” the Sergeant shouted. “Will you listen! I saw the kid disappear into thin air, trust me!”

  Miser looked at him with rage in his eyes. “Let me up!” Spittle flew from his mouth. “Let me go, or I’ll have your asses up on charges so fast that—”

  “Sir, listen to us, you’ve got to settle down,” the Lieutenant interrupted.

  The General continued to curse and was trying to pull the pistol free of the Sergeant’s grip.

  “Fuck
this shit! Sir, the Lieutenant is trying to tell you something!” The Sergeant was getting really angry; it was showing on his face. “If you don’t listen, I’m going to shove this pistol up your ass and fire it. Got that, Sir?”

  “Get this bastard’s name! Now!” the General shouted.

  “That’s it!” The Sergeant grabbed General Miser by both cheeks and pulled the General’s face to his own. “General, I was at Fox when we had the altercation with this same kid. Now think, Sir! Here, we try to cuff him, and he shocks the shit out of anyone that tries to touch him. At Fox, we shot him, and nothing happened, and we didn’t miss, you know that. Now he’s back, and now we can’t see him, but he’s still here. Your sore butt is proof of that.”

  General Miser had finally calmed down and was listening to the Sergeant.

  “We’ve got to get that Son-of-a-Bitch,” the General responded, much calmer now. “If we don’t, it will be the end of all of us. He’s going to destroy us, if we don’t get him first. You know that, don’t you Sergeant?”

  “Yes, Sir, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along, this kid is a real problem.”

  *

  General Miser was still certain that Tim had somehow escaped and he made all the soldiers search the entire area, over and over. The helicopter gun-ship circled the surrounding hills and canyons joining in on the search.

  *

  General Miser returned to his command post and was putting together a digging patrol, equipped with metal detectors and sonar sensors. Miser was sure Tim had a cave or something that he had slipped into and was going to get him back.

  *

  General Miser was in his tent laying down because it had been a long day of humiliation for him. He was sure about there being something inside the mountain and finding the kid there proved it. If only he had some dependable men, someone he could count on. Those fools he had under his command were a bunch of idiots. They had let the kid slip through their fingers. The next time he would make sure he got the kid himself.

  The door of his tent opened, and he looked toward it. It closed again without anyone coming through. The General watched the door for a few more seconds and then turned away.

  “Can we talk now?” Tim asked as he reappeared inside the door of the tent.

  “I thought I told you, I didn’t want anyone to disturb me. This better be good,” the General answered without looking toward the door

  “It won’t get any better,” Tim said with a sarcastic tone.