Timtown

by Ronald Zastre

  The General started to rise. “Apparently soldier; you have forgotten how to address a General.”

  “I’m not one of your rinky dink, soldier boys, you butt head.”

  “Jesus H Caarist, so it is you!” The General came all the way around and looked at Tim.

  “Yup it’s me, and if you want to have an intelligent conversation, I’m willing.”

  “I should consider any kind of request from you?”

  “If you want me to stay, you will.”

  “Bullshit Sonny.” The General had a smile on his face. There had been a pistol under his pillow and it was now pointed straight at Tim.

  “But, Sir,” Tim laughed as he put his hands up in a mock surrender. “General, didn’t you learn anything from the last time your soldier boys tried to shoot me? That gun doesn’t mean a thing to me. Go ahead, shoot me!”

  “You’re a cocky little bastard, I’ll give you that, but you’re not going to bluff me,” the General said as he reached for his phone.

  “It’s no bluff, but that’s not important. I need to talk to Ed Adams; can you get in touch with him?”

  “You little wise ass, neither Adams or any of his cronies has anything to say about what goes on here. I’m in charge, and you’d do well to learn that as quickly as possible.”

  The General spoke into the phone, calling men to his tent. He wasn’t taking his eyes or the pistol off Tim.

  This approach is going to get me nowhere with this idiot.

  “Hey look, can we discuss this thing rationally or—”

  “Shut up!” the General interrupted Tim. “You talk when I ask you to and only then. You will also address me as Sir! You got that soldier?” Spittle was dribbling from the General’s clenched mouth.

  “I’m not in your army, so fuck off!” Tim said and pointed his right hand at the General. He had upped the power a little before he entered the tent.

  The General jumped up from his cot and swung the pistol at Tim’s head. Tim instinctively ducked, so the pistol just glanced off the side of his head. The momentum of the attack drew the General forward and off balance, allowing Tim to straighten up and move away from the enraged man. The General had stumbled, but caught himself on one knee and was turning back toward Tim. He had a deranged look on his face as he slowly stood up with the pistol pointed at Tim’s head. His hand was shaking.

  “You little fucker! You insolent Son-of-a-Bitch! I should shoot your wise ass right on the spot.”

  Tim was about to say something, but figured it wouldn’t do any good, so instead he gave the General a laser shot to the middle of his chest. The General jumped back with a loud, “Hump,” sound escaping from his mouth and fell back onto the floor, ending in a sitting position. There was a surprised look on his face and he just stared at Tim for a moment, with the pistol pointing down.

  In a moment, the surprise changed to anger again and he started to raise the pistol. Tim pointed his right hand at the General’s pistol hand and fired, causing the officer to drop the gun.

  “You just don’t get it, do you?” Tim said.

  “What are you doing to me? Do you know who I am? You are going to pay dearly, believe me.” The General’s voice was unsteady, and it sounded like he was on the verge of crying.

  “General, I’m just trying to save you and your men a lot of trouble,” Tim said, as the Lieutenant stuck his head through the door of the tent.

  “Is there a problem, Sir, I heard you yell—” The Lieutenant stopped his sentence when he spotted Tim.

  “You’re back,” he sounded excited. “I figured we’d be seeing more of you. Hey, could you explain to me how you do all that crazy stuff? I mean sometime when it’s convenient. Oh, Sir, I’m sorry,” the Lieutenant continued as he looked back at the General, who was holding his arm and was about to spout some more of his pompous rhetoric. “Sir, are you all right?” the Lieutenant cut him off. “What’s wrong with your arm?”

  “He did it; the, the kid did something to me.” The General’s voice sounded weak and confused. “He shot me with something. Get some men in here. . .and restrain him.”

  “I don’t think that would do any good, Sir. It might be a good time to listen to him, Sir. I think he has something he wants to discuss, at least that’s what he said,” The Lieutenant said, as the same Sergeant also entered the tent.

  “I want him tied up Lieutenant.” Miser’s voice was barely audible. “If you had done your job before, he wouldn’t have been able to hurt me. This is all your fault. I’ll see to it that—”

  “Oh for Christ sakes Miser!” Tim interrupted. “Just how damn dumb are you?” Tim said with exasperation. “The Lieutenant is trying to tell you the same thing, I’ve been trying to tell you.”

  “You can’t call me Miser. You can’t do that. You have to address me the correct way. You have to,” the General wheezed and whined.

  “Oh geeeeeez!” Tim exclaimed. “Is there anyone here I can make some sense to? Hey guys.” He turned to the two other soldiers. “I’m telling you, if you don’t give up this operation, or whatever you want to call it, real soon, you are all going to be, really, really sorry. Time is running out fellows.”

  “You can’t threaten us like that,” gasped General Miser. “I won’t stand for it.” He started to get up from the floor, but Tim zapped him again in the other arm. The General slumped back and rolled over on his side.

  “Is that really necessary?” the Lieutenant asked annoyed.

  “Yes it is!” Tim shouted. “I want your illustrious leader to understand; this is nothing compared to what will happen to all of you if you stay here and continue with this shit.”

  “Now I don’t understand?” the Lieutenant said. “I don’t have the slightest idea what has you so bothered. We’re here on a training mission. What kind of threat is that to you?”

  “Nuclear training, no doubt,” Tim said.

  “No, why would you say that?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “Because Lieutenant, you have a thermonuclear device with you,” Tim stated.

  “That’s ludicrous, we don’t have anything like that,” the Lieutenant said with a little laugh.

  “Wanna bet? Go check the container that’s sitting down past the rock slide, at the bottom end of this canyon. The one with the guards. It has got a bomb inside.”

  “That’s crazy I tell you, and besides, how would you know that?”

  “Trust me, I’m telling you the truth and I can also tell you that the bomb will not go off.”

  “If you’re so sure about that, what are you so worried about?” the Lieutenant asked. “Check it out!” he said to the Sergeant in the next breath.

  The Sergeant ducked out the door as quick as he had come in.

  “The fact that you brought it here is enough,” Tim said.

  “I still don’t understand. Who are you and what do you want?” the Lieutenant asked.

  “It wouldn’t really do any good to explain, but I need to get in contact with an Ed Adams. Can you help me?”

  “I don’t even know who he is, how could I help you?”

  “Somebody has to! Christ this thing is getting ridiculous. I ‘have’ to get in touch with somebody that can stop it!”

  “What thing?” the Lieutenant yelled. “You still haven’t told me what this is all about! How can I help you if I don’t know what this is all about?”

  “Phew, look, what’s your name?” Tim asked.

  “Jeff Matusca, what’s yours?”

  “Tim Randell. Look, Jeff, there is something inside this mountain the General and his group want. They will never get it because there is ‘someone’ inside this same mountain that is waiting to fry them; to make a point,” Tim paused for a breath. “The barbecue includes, you, the Sergeant, and all your men, if this thing is allowed to go on.”

  “You’re dead serious, aren’t you,” the Lieutenant said quietly.

  “Would I be pissing around with that asshole,” Tim pointed to the General who was still ly
ing on his side, “if it was not serious?”

  Evidently the three stuns had compounded their effect, and Miser was really out of it.

  “This Ed, what was his last name?” Jeff asked.

  “Adams, he’s the President’s adviser. We made a deal that no one would try this stunt, and look what happened.”

  “The President, as in President of the United States?” the Lieutenant asked with a surprised look on his face.

  “Yes, can you get in touch with him?”

  “I doubt it. Look Tim, I’m just a lowly Lieutenant. Hell, I’d be totally lost if it wasn’t for Blake.”

  “Blake?” Tim asked.

  “Yeah, the guy that just left, the Sergeant. Incidentally, he’s totally convinced that you’re from off planet. Is he nuts?”

  “Is he usually right?” Tim asked.

  “Too often.” Lieutenant Matusca looked at Tim. “Oh great! You mean to tell me you’re from outer space?”

  “No, not me, but the crazy stuff I can do, is!”

  “Wow!” was all the Lieutenant said as he stared at Tim. It was a look of admiration and interest. “Oh wow!” he said again.

  *

  “He’s right,” said the Sergeant as he rushed into the tent out of breath. “There is definitely some kind of nuclear device in that container. Jeff, one of the techs said it was some kind of bunker buster.”

  “Oh great! Now what the hell do we do?” Jeff asked.

  “Get me in touch with Ed Adams, quickly,” Tim pleaded.

  “Blake, we have to act fast!” Lieutenant Matusca instructed. “Oh, and you were right about Tim here. Oh excuse me, John Blake, Tim Randell. Tim says we have a problem if we stay here.”

  Lieutenant Matusca turned to Tim. “You mentioned there was someone that didn’t want us here?” Jeff continued.

  “It’s not important right now, just get the hell away.”

  “Goddamn, hey Tim, Jeff, we are not thinking here,” Blake said.

  “What are you saying?” Tim asked.

  “Ah, who do you think you’re talking to?” Blake motioned to himself and the Lieutenant. “We don’t matter. That’s the guy there that can do something.” Blake pointed to the General who had rolled partially on to his back, but still had a blank look on his face. “Number one, no one is going to listen to us, and number two, we are probably committing treason as we speak. They are probably going to shoot us.”

  “If you don’t get the hell out of here what’s the difference, you’ll still be dead,” Tim added.

  “Hey, hey, I’ll tell you the difference! We’re soldiers,” said Blake and he sounded mad, “and we are ‘American’ soldiers. I’m not big on the idea of dying; that’s not why I signed up for this stupid, soldier shit, but I can tell you that I don’t want to be an embarrassment to myself or my family.”

  “This isn’t the ten o’clock news Blake. You don’t want to know it’s coming, tell the truth,” Jeff said. “Besides, you already threatened to stick a pistol up his ass,” he indicated General Miser, “and fire it.”

  “Is that what I was trying to say, whatever? But, we’re dammed if we do and dammed if we don’t. Am I correct?” Blake directed the question to Tim.

  “I don’t see it that way, unless you consider damning all these men here also.” Tim motioned outside the tent. “The way I look at it, the military would expect you to do your best to save lives, rather than throw them away on a hopeless mission. Get my point?”

  “I agree, but what the hell can I do?” Jeff asked. “I’m still a damn Junior Grade Officer. No one is going to listen to me!”

  “They will, if I’m with you and I back you up,” Tim said. “It’s me and what I’ve got that they want.”

  “He’s got a darn good point Jeffery,” Blake commented.

  The Lieutenant looked Tim straight in the eyes and said. “As long as you back us all the way. If we stick our necks out, and you back off, they will hang us out to dry, and I’m using the term lightly.”

  “You have my word. I will see to it they listen. You just get me there. Deal?” Tim said.

  “Deal. Now, who is this guy that you need to see?” Jeff Matusca asked.

  *

  Sergeant Blake and Lieutenant Matusca put their heads together and began to formulate a plan. They were in big trouble if they didn’t pull this one off and they knew it. Jeff had a friend that was a chopper pilot and was on standby for med-evac’s. Jeff called his friend and arranged for him to pilot a med-evac chopper for General Miser who had taken ill. His plan was to contact the necessary people from the helo.

  *

  The general started coming around while they were waiting for the chopper. The company medic offered to give the General a shot, but Jeff was worried about it showing up on any medical tests the hospital would run when they got Miser. Lieutenant Matusca asked Tim if he would hit the General with another charge and Tim delightfully agreed.

  *

  Tim would wait for the two men to contact Ed. He wondered how resourceful they would be as he watched the helo with them and the General disappear into the darkening sky.

  Chapter 24

  The President

  Ed Adams stood outside an important looking office, talking to Sergeant Blake who had been rushed to Washington to attend an important meeting with the President of the United States.

  “I’m worried about Matusca, man,” Blake said to Ed.

  “I’ve talked to the President, and he assures me he can keep the wolves off your buddy. Incidentally, that was some ballsy stuff you two pulled out there.”

  “We didn’t have too much choice, the General flipped out, man,” Blake returned.

  “Yeah, well, the flipped out General is all tied up at the moment. Anyway, I’d like to thank you again,” Ed said.

  “Hey man, can you tell me what the H is going on?” Blake asked.

  “No need to hear it from me, just pay attention in the meeting.”

  “I am really going to sit in on a meeting with the real President?” Blake asked, holding his breath.

  “Yes, you earned it,” Ed answered.

  “This is strange, man, really weird. Where did that kid come from?”

  “That’s what the meeting is all about.”

  *

  “My recommendation, concerning order TE2-77809-A-113, is based upon my direct involvement with the situation. It is my opinion that this situation is beyond our ability to compromise. Factually, we are dealing with powers far beyond what we can comprehend. It is my recommendation that we retreat,” Ed Adams said to open the meeting in the President’s office.

  “Oh horse pucky! For Christ sakes Ed, what the hell is going on in your head? You’re getting to old for the job,” Samuel Steiner, the Secretary of State of the United States said.

  “Mr. President, I don’t have to take this,” Ed said as he moved up in his chair.

  “No, you don’t,” the President agreed. “Dammit Samuel, we brought Ed here because we asked him to try to sort this out for us. He didn’t have to do it, but he’s here, and now we should listen.”

  “I am listening Mr. President, but do you think we should even consider this recommendation?” Samuel commented with disdain in his voice.

  “Ed has been the closest to this situation, and he has interviewed the main principle. I think his reasoning is meant for the best outcome, for us all. Would you disagree with that Samuel?” the President asked sternly.

  “No, no.” Samuel turned to Ed. “I apologize Ed, but I just cannot stand with this line of action. We have got to know what is in there. We have to try,” the Secretary lamented.

  “Try what? We can’t detect anything down there. The sonar, the radar, the x-rays won’t penetrate,” the President said.

  “That proves that there is something down there,” Samuel said with confidence.

  “Oh shit Samuel, no one is disputing that. The argument is, what do we do?” the President asked.

  “The military solution!�
� Samuel declared.

  “Samuel, starting a war is one thing, but we have no intelligence at all,” the President said. We don’t know a thing about our enemy, or if they are even our enemy?”

  “Yes we do,” the Secretary of State stated.

  “What do we know?” the President asked. “No, let me tell ‘you’. There are two planes, minimum, or whatever they are that can hit over four thousand knots in level flight, can turn on a dime, and can fire laser beams that disintegrated our planes at will. And a person on a vehicle without wheels. What did he call it Eddie?”

  “A Sky-bike Sir.”

  “Yes, Sky-bikes, thank you. I’d like to have one of those by the way. What else do we have?”

  “Well, the kid Mr. President,” Ed responded.

  “Ah, and what did we learn there? Well, let’s see, ah here it is.” The President read from a paper he had pick up off his desk. “He’s impervious to bullets, disappears at will, and possesses laser weapons in his hands. That’s some intelligence we’ve gathered. Do you know what Admiral Smithers has advised me?”

  “He’s looking at the situation from a different prospective Mr. President,” Samuel complained.

  “Sam, his prospective is, ‘can we assault this place and hope to win’? He says no, and he’s scared to hell. He is a fine military man that looks at the risk his men must take to accomplish a mission. This one, to him, is all risk and nothing to gain. What is there to ‘gain’ Samuel?” the President asked.

  “I can’t say exactly,” the Secretary answered.

  “In your opinion?” the President continued.

  “I still can’t say Mr. President, we just don’t know,” Samuel conceded.

  “And what decision should I make, based on that?”

  “Mr. President, I think we must know. If we get in there—”

  “Samuel, Samuel,” the President interrupted, “from what I discern from my advisors, we will not be able to breach their defenses. We will never be able to gain access, and even if we did, what might we be up against then. In a nut shell Samuel, any incursion would be disastrous. We have over one hundred thousand personnel in that area, and that is what I have to consider.”

  “Mr. President, we have millions that are in desperate need of help. Help that we can’t provide. What if that fortification—?”

  “Fortification—Sam you just reinforced my main concern,” the President returned quickly.

  “Sorry, wrong word Mr. President, I meant installation.”