by Mark Spaid
“Warren, you don’t need to apologize for what you’ve gone through,” Jozette said.
“It’s been bothering him; he doesn’t sleep,” Ariel said.
“I can understand that,” Andy said.
“What’re you going to do?” Justin asked.
“I refused the first time they asked but they said they’d be back. It’s my patriotic duty and that sort of stuff.”
“Look, Warren, if you have to do it then good luck and do what you think’s right,” Lexi said.
“I hope I can,” Warren said and no more was said about it.
“What happened to the notebook that started all of this?” Jozette asked.
“Oh, that, well I left in in the lab before I destroyed it,” Warren said but he was nervous and his eyes darted around. Dave saw this but said nothing. It was clear that Jozette’s question caught him off guard and he knew he fumbled the answer. Later when they were getting ready to leave Dave saw Warren walking towards his car and stopped him when no one else was around.
“Hey, Warren, thanks for saving the day for us…all of us, including the entire country and world for that matter.”
“Like I said, I did my part along with everyone else.”
“Yeah…it must’ve been hard destroying Tesla’s notebook.”
“Not really; you know as a scientist you dream of finding his notes then when I had them it wasn’t quite as sanctified as I thought it might be when I craved it.” He wasn’t looking at Dave while he answered and that confirmed what Dave was thinking. There was a silence as Warren fumbled with his coat. Dave reached out and tapped Warren on the shoulder and he turned around.
“The notebook wasn’t in the lab when it burned was it or your notes and all the work you did?” Warren lowered his head and sighed.
“I couldn’t do it, Dave.”
“I see.”
“I wanted to and I thought I could but when I turned it over in my mind I couldn’t. Some wonderful things could come out of the UFT if it’s used for good.”
“Einstein made that argument too, Warren.”
“I know that and I know what happed at Los Alamos but I just couldn’t do it.” Dave thought for a moment.
“No, I guess you couldn’t.”
“What would you have done?”
“I don’t know, probably what you did.”
“Please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t but where is it?”
“I can’t say and I won’t say. Please, don’t ask again.” Dave nodded.
“Alright, Warren, it’ll be our secret that you have it and your secret as to where it is. I won’t mention it again.”
“You don’t think less of me do you?”
“Of course not, you’re a friend and a colleague and that’s final.”
* * *
“This has been a crazy few days,” Jessica said. As the girls gathered around the hedge near the garden.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Paulita said.
“Zara, we’re so glad to have you back,” Dixie said.
“I’m glad you’re glad but to me I didn’t go anywhere. It’s really strange.”
“This Time Frame business is really creepy,” Melanie remarked.
“It sure is, Darcy said. “I lost my dad and my sister and I can tell you I was scared. So was Mom.”
“Should we do something to celebrate?” Mallory asked.
“Celebrate what?” Dixie asked.
“Being together and out of that horrible Nazi business, having Zara back and Mr. Will back with us,” Mallory replied.
“What should we do?” Jessica asked.
“Not a sleepover,” Paulita said.
“What’s wrong with that?” Darcy asked.
“Nothing for what it is but a sleepover isn’t the solution for every problem in the world,” Paulita replied.
“I didn’t say it was a solution for everything,” Darcy said irked.
“No, but you always use sleepovers as an answer,” Jessica said.
“Okay, what do you suggest?” Darcy asked.
“I know,” Melanie said.
“Not a trip to the museum is it?” Jessica asked.
“No, not a trip to the museum. I think we girls should make a meal…a nice meal for the adults so they don’t have to do any work and can relax for once,” Melanie said.
“I like it,” Darcy said.
“I do too,” Paulita said.
“We could make it an international meal. Foods from all over the world,” Dixie suggested.
“No, I have a better idea,” Paulita said.
“What?” Darcy asked.
“Let’s make the meal that we did at Edna’s.” They remembered and their faces lit up with approval.
“Yes, that’s it,” Mallory said and it was agreed. The cookout ended and everyone went home.
* * *
“Warren, how are you?” Ariel asked.
“I’m okay.”
“Are you really?” They were sitting on the edge of the bed and Warren had his head down. Ariel put her arm around him and pulled him close.
“I don’t know anymore. They’ll be coming back and they won’t quit until I agree to help them.”
“What would be worse, refusing and being tailed everywhere or helping them?”
“I don’t really know. If I help them then I’ll be theirs and I can never talk about any work that I do. If I stay out I can work on things in my lab and publish the results.”
“I take it if you work in your lab you won’t be doing UFT things?”
“No, I’d be free of that.”
“Well, it’s up to you; I won’t give an opinion unless you ask me.”
“I need to think about it but I’ll definitely be asking your opinion, Ariel. I won’t do anything unless you’re on board with it.” She looked at him and they kissed.
* * *
“I was so scared, Will. When they told me, you were dead I was afraid we might never change the Time Frame. I never felt so empty in my life.”
“I understand and I’m just glad we’re together again.”
“I remember our first date and we were both so nervous. I was shaking and I could tell you were. You sat in the café and bounced your foot up and down. The table was wobbling.”
“I know and your hands were shaking as you ate and so did mine.”
“Yeah, set up dates never worked for me before ours. Jo was determined that we should be together and she was right.”
“Yes, and I knew it the first night. As I drove home I said I was going to marry you,” Will said.
“You did…I said the same thing to myself.”
“I can’t imagine my life without you, Lexi.”
“Now you know how I felt with this Time Frame business.”
“Yes, I do. To think I’d never see you again would be torture. I’m sorry you went through that.”
“Let’s don’t do any more time traveling,” Lexi said and they both grinned at each other before embracing and going to sleep.
* * *
“Darcy, what’s wrong?” Zara said as the two sat on Zara’s bed.
“I was scared I’d never see you again…” Darcy’s voice cracked and she lowered her head into her hands.
“Darcy, don’t cry. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know but I just can’t get over almost losing you. I love you, Zara, and I don’t ever want to be away from you.”
“Okay, I’ll always be around for you…you’re my sister and that’ll never change.” Darcy broke out crying again and Zara hugged her sister while Darcy sobbed for what seemed to Zara was forever. Finally, she stopped and sat up. Zara chuckled.
“Look at you and my shirt is soaked with your tears.”
“Sorry.”
“Alright, you go in the bathroom and clean your face off and I’ll change shirts. They met back at Zara’s bed and sat looking at each other.
“I’m better now.”
“Good, because I don’t want another crying fit.”
“Okay but I was just scared of losing you.”
“And I guess I’d be scared of losing you too. Yes, I’m your sister and you’re my sister and we love each other and I’m glad but when I first saw you I hated you.”
“What?” Darcy said in disbelief.
“Yeah, I took one look at this tall, beautiful, sexy, blonde girl and I hated you. I just assumed you’d be a stuck-up preppy bitch. Boy was I wrong. I’ve never been so wrong in all my life. It was when I went to your house the first time…remember Paulita brought me over to meet her white girl friends?”
“Yes.”
“You guys were so nice and I felt bad. That’s one of the reasons I left. I thought all of you would snub me and treat me like dirt.”
“But we’re not that way.”
“I know that now but I didn’t know it going to your house for the first time.”
“I’m glad we didn’t disappoint you.”
“You didn’t and I realized that you girls were genuine. I had nice white girl friends. Not many black girls can say that.”
“They can’t?”
“You’re so naïve and trusting, Darcy… that’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”
“What’re the other reasons?”
“Well the number one reason are your giant melon breasts. When guys see you with me they think I’m hot too?”
“Zara,” Darcy said with a perturbed look.
“I’m kidding.”
“Oh. But is it true about black girls and white girl friends?”
“There’s some truth in it, probably intransigence on both sides. But, it’s certainly true that they grow up in different cultures.”
“So, they process things differently.”
“I think so but no matter what, I love you and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
“Okay, sorry I went to pieces.”
“That’s okay, I always knew you were unstable.”
“Unstab…okay I see, you’re trying to get a rise out of me.”
“You’re getting better.” Darcy chuckled then looked at Zara. “What?” Zara asked.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“Why?”
“I just want to be with you tonight. Just tonight, please?”
“Okay but I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of you rolling over and those giant melons smothering me.”
“Oh, very funny,” Darcy said and they both laughed.
* * *
“Brave, I was so busy, I didn’t have much time to worry about you.”
“Me either, I barely thought about anyone back here in 2020. I know that sounds bad but were running for our lives constantly and so were you guys.”
“We were and we had some anxious moments as I know you guys did. I talked to Tatiana at the cookout,” Julieta said.
“I assume with me gone they looked to you for guidance?”
“They did and I was glad to do it but I worry sometimes that I might fail them.”
“I don’t.”
“You never fail?”
“I may fail but I don’t worry about it. That can throw off your judgement and that’s bad.”
“I see, so it’s not more self-confidence stuff.”
“No, it’s that too. I rarely fail so I don’t think about it but it also helps to be confident in what you’re doing.”
“Did you miss me?”
“Only every minute.”
“I love you, Brave.”
“I love you Julieta Valeria Rodriguez, Kline.” She smiled and they held each other and kissed. They continued with foreplay and eventually…well...you know how these things go. They were very much in love and glad to be back together. They’d be tired in the morning but content.
* * *
“You did it. Love,” Dave Said as they sat on the edge of the bed relaxing after days of insanity. They were back in Pennsylvania.
“I didn’t do it alone.”
“I know but you led them just like you led all of us after we were snatched in that truck.”
“I do have that quality. It comes with being bossy.”
“No, I’d say more of a natural leader.”
“My head will begin to swell if you keep that up.”
“I’m proud of you, Tatiana. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” She said grinning.
“I mean it. I have this amazing wife who is a warrior, a leader, a super hero who sayes the day every time and she is a terrific lover.”
“You left out that I make the best cinnamon rolls.”
“Yes, I forgot that…sorry.” She put her hand to his face and he grinned.
“I love you, Dave and I hope you know that.”
“I do and I love you, Tatiana and I would like us to show that love tonight. What do you say?”
“I say yes.” They embraced then turned out the blights and…
* * *
Darcy and Zara became closer than ever and spent many of their evenings together. Darcy was in college and Zara in high school but they stayed very close. In general, the girls grew to appreciate their sisterhood even more after the “incident” which is what everyone called it.
Warren didn’t work for the government and yes, they kept a close eye on him but he was allowed to return to teaching and research at IU. Ariel adjusted to them being in a fish bowl but after a few months the surveillance slowed and finally stopped and both she and Warren were relieved.
Edna spent her time canning, baking for the neighbors and tending to her animals, especially Simon, who came back in the original Time Frame.
Dave, Tatiana and the girls returned to Pennsylvania. Dave and Sol resumed their research in electromagnetism and Tatiana continued to adjust to her life without the girls and spent more time at her church helping the pastor, Father Nikolai.
The FBI, CIA, NSA and a dozen other intelligence agencies kept their eyes on Thomas Rutherford, Donald Wright and the rest of the idiots who descended from Schensburg. They were more of a nuisance than a threat but the government was not one to forgive or forget and thank goodness when it came to the Nazis.
The old Time Frame had its problems to be sure but it sure beat the second one they experienced. The country needed some work. There were injustices, poverty and lack of opportunity for many. It was time to roll up the collective sleeves of everyone and help remedy those problems. But it wasn’t a time to seek extreme solutions like those proposed by the Nazis. So, things returned to normal…though normal for the group isn’t normal for everyone else and no doubt they’ll find themselves in the soup very soon as they always do. But let’s face the fact that it wouldn’t be normal for them to have a routine vacation or to avoid trouble…it seems to find them. They’re not addicted to disaster; they’re attracted to it or rather…it’s attracted to them.
EPILOGUE
In the next book an old nemesis…no nemesis isn’t a strong enough word. An old enemy of the gang and all of society raises his evil head. Stanley Burnham, has been incarcerated at the Crestwell Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Indianapolis. He’s been there for two years but now he’s restless and yes, you guessed it…he escapes. Leaving a bloody trail behind at the asylum he’s on the loose again. While at the asylum he plotted to escape so he could exact vengeance on the people who put him there; the judge, the lawyers, the police but mainly Will and Justin. The gang finds out and now what should they do? Move to Australia or the North Pole? No, that won’t work because there’s no place they could go that Stanley couldn’t find them. He’s a master of disguise and manipulation. He can outsmart, outguess and outmaneuver anyone. He’d find them and kill as many as he wanted. What will they do? Stanley Burnham is a relentless murderer and is never dissuaded from achieving his aim of killing. It’s what he craves, what he lives for, it’s what drives him when he gets the fever to kill. He’s a psychopath, he’s a paranoid
schizophrenic, he’s a serial killer but most of all…he’s a monster. Read Malevolence Unbound…to see what happens.
