Apollo Project

by Brittany E Brinegar

  Kelly burst through the locker room door before Reagan could refute Jasper's claim. “Reagan, can you come here please.” Kelly’s gloved hand flailed. Reagan jogged to Kelly, who yanked her inside. “The radio worked. Travis Wayne’s talking to a woman right now. Hurry. Listen.”

  Reagan’s breath caught and her heart dropped as she strained to listen. It sounded as if she caught the beginning of their conversation. Or at least most of it.

  “We’re close to Bowman Lake. Can you tell me where you are?” Travis Wayne asked.

  “Uh, near the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. It’s on the Texas-Louisiana border,” the woman said.

  Reagan inched closer and sat on the bench next to Travis Wayne, surrounded by stacked metal lockers. The signal sounded faint and they missed some of the woman’s words. “Did she say Texas?”

  “Texas?” Travis Wayne said echoing Reagan. “Radios shouldn’t reach this far. I’m in Montana.”

  “Oh no. Somebody…came across said…in Montana when this thing happened.”

  Travis Wayne’s brows creased. “What’s happening there?”

  “I don’t know where to begin…” Loud static interrupted the woman, followed by a shrill beep. Ten seconds passed before she cut back in. “Hello, are you still there?”

  “I’m here. I don’t know if I believe you.”

  “We have a group of ten now,” the woman claimed. “Uh, weird things have been happening with the weather. We’re more or less stranded. Are you with anybody else?”

  Reagan shook her head. Travis Wayne understood not to answer. For all they knew, this woman could be trying to ferret out information. “What kind of weather?”

  “You might think I’m crazy if I said.”

  Travis Wayne sighed. “I’m communicating on a radio with a range of a hundred miles. You say you’re in Texas?”

  “Louisiana, but same issue,” the woman corrected. “I need you to trust me. We’re in grave danger.

  Travis Wayne paused for a moment. “No harm in admitting we are too, right?”

  “I guess not.” Reagan rested her hands atop her head finding it difficult to breathe.

  “Us too,” Travis Wayne admitted into the radio. “A psycho park ranger killed one of us. We’ve had odd weather.”

  “We met a park ranger. He disappeared, but he did help save one of my group,” the woman said.

  Kelly gasped. “Maybe park rangers are taking over the world.”

  Travis Wayne motioned for quiet. “That’s fishy,” he said into the radio.

  “It sounds like you may have some trust issues,” the woman said. “And maybe I should not be quite as free with information. But in this crazy new world, I’m going to take a leap and trust you. It is going to sound crazy. We embarked on a fishing boat from Mobile, Alabama when a freak storm hit.”

  “Lightning?”

  “Yes, among other things. Freakish snow. It's summer and we had snow out on the ocean.”

  “We had a blizzard. Odd for August.” Travis Wayne said.

  “The sky has been the color of mossy green since the storm,” the woman described.

  “Yep, same here. Can’t see stars.”

  “Listen, this is going to sound even crazier. We ran across a man who got separated from his brother. He said something about camping in Montana. We thought he was irrational from the storm.”

  Reagan bounded from her seat to pace. Could it be Scotty’s brother?

  “Ask if it’s Hunter,” Kelly said.

  “No don’t,” Reagan interjected. “Let her reveal information.”

  Travis Wayne nodded. “Does he have a mark?”

  “Do you know what it means?” the woman asked.

  “No idea but it hurts. Do you have anything working beside the radio?”

  “Nothing. We took this radio from Nate Campbell, a park ranger,” the woman said.

  Kelly squeezed Travis Wayne’s upper arm. “Did you hear what she said?”

  “Calm down, Kell.” He pressed the talk button on the radio. “What’s his name?”

  “Nate Campbell.”

  This time Reagan gasped. “Ask for a description.”

  Travis Wayne raked through his buzz cut. “Does he look like Vince Gill?”

  “Perhaps. He’s tall and husky with wavy dark hair. Yes, he does resemble Vince Gill, though Tom says he looks like the golfer Phil Mickelson.”

  Kelly slapped Reagan’s arm. “Oh my gosh did you hear that?”

  “Did she say Tom?” Reagan asked.

  “Ask her Tom who,” Kelly fired.

  Reagan held a hand to her mouth. “This can’t be real. Maybe she’s tricking us or working with Nate Campbell.”

  “She seems genuine,” Kelly said.

  “Did she give you her name?” Reagan asked.

  Travis Wayne could hardly follow one talking woman, much less three. “Hold on. What are you saying, Reagan?” He left the receiver on long enough for the woman to hear snippets of their conversation. “What am I asking her?”

  “Reagan? This is strange. Is Reagan Cassidy with you?” the woman asked.

  Reagan’s hands trembled. “Say yes.”

  Travis Wayne pressed the receiver but static filled the line. This time the woman didn’t return. Lonely static was the only sound in the locker room for the next few minutes.

  After careful deliberation, Travis Wayne, Kelly, and Reagan decided to share the information with the rest of the crew.

  “You talked with a woman in Texas on a radio no one else knew about?” Jasper folded his arms.

  “Junior was the one who brought Nate Campbell’s radio to our attention,” Reagan said. “He was a brave man.”

  “He was a kid. You shouldn’t have involved him,” Jasper said.

  “He’s only a year younger than Reagan.,” Granddad spun his cane on the hardwood.

  Jasper’s anger didn’t allow him to hear reason. “He’s dead because you involved him in this scheme, right?”

  “I'm trying to tell you he didn’t die for nothing. His actions will help us survive,” Reagan said.

  “Can you tell us what the radio woman said?” Annabeth asked.

  “Her name was Barbra something.” Travis Wayne scratched his chin. “She has a group of ten in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.”

  “Her group was in a boat wreck in the gulf,” Kelly said.

  “Fishing boat.”

  “Thank you for that important correction Travis. They were on a fishing boat when the storm hit.” Kelly leaned forward, rubbing her hands. “But I haven’t said the weird part. Barbara mentioned a park ranger named Nate Campbell.”

  “She knows Campbell?” Jasper punched his palm.

  “He’s there with them or was. Saved someone in her group,” Kelly said.

  “How could he be in Texas today when he was in Montana yesterday?” Scotty asked.

  “She also mentioned a man looking for his brother.” Reagan locked eyes with Scotty. “This man said he was hiking in Montana before the storm.”

  Scotty fisted his ball cap. “Hunter?”

  “This is crazy,” Granddad said. “Two people ending up on the other side of the country.”

  “Three.” Reagan motioned to Jon. “Do you want to tell them?”

  “I revealed to Reagan my partner and I were hunting a fugitive in Louisiana.” Jon stroked his stubble. “After the lightning, I woke up dangling from a cliff. Wasn’t until later I discovered I was in Montana.”

  Murmurs settled over the group as theories fired at machine-gun pace. “We must be dealing with a rip in space and time,” Granddad said. “The abnormal weather is a ripple effect.”

  “Just say wormhole, Tucker. It’s gotta be. Hunter, Jon, and Campbell must have found it and been teleported to the other side,” Kelly said.

  Jasper slapped his face. “They’re all crazy.”

  “Have you considered the woman may be lying?” Dawn spoke for the first time in an hour.

  “I think I know
her.” Reagan eased into her theory. “Throughout the conversation, there was a vague familiarity about her. She had a southern drawl.”

  “Tennessee,” Travis Wayne said.

  “I missed the introductions, but Travis Wayne said her name was Barbara.” Reagan rolled her shoulders. “Towards the end of the conversation, she mentioned a man named Tom.”

  Scotty’s blue eyes stared down at her. “Where are you going with this, Cassidy?”

  “My father’s name is Tom Cassidy. He was going fishing this week in the Gulf with a few of his friends and his girlfriend, Barb.”

  “Isn’t it coincidental two people on opposite ends of the country would have a radio allowing a daughter to communicate with her father?” Scotty asked.

  “And one brother landed here while the other one somehow made his way to Texas.” Reagan shrugged. “Crazy things keep happening; how can we continue dismissing them because they seem improbable?”

  “How did Barbara get a working radio?” Annabeth asked.

  “She said they took it from Nate Campbell.” Kelly leaned to Travis Wayne for confirmation.

  “We took the radio from Campbell,” Annabeth said. “How did they as well? If we took it before he teleported to Texas how could Barb get the same radio again?”

  The tension in Kelly’s shoulders faded. “Maybe Campbell is manipulating us.”

  Chapter 36 – In the Soup

  Tom

  As the hazy sky allowed sunlight to bleed through, Tom stirred awake. Emerson, charged with the last shift of the night, cast his eyes downward. “He got the jump on me, Yank.”

  Hunter grinned, wielding a shotgun. “It was a matter of time.” He lowered the shotgun and kicked it toward Tom. “I swear to you boys I’m not some kind of mole or in on anything. I could’ve killed all of you.”

  “I feel like an idiot.” Emerson dropped his chin to his chest.

  Tom rolled to his feet and kicked at Emerson’s foot. “You look like an idiot too.” Focusing on Hunter, Tom gripped the shotgun. “Untie him,” he ordered Hunter. Once the young man finished, Tom handed a weapon to Emerson and unwrapped the Glock. “You’re beginning to be too much trouble.”

  “I don’t get any brownie points for what I did?”

  “Yeah, but you’re still in a deficit position.” Tom jumped and leveled the pistol, but not at Hunter. “Don’t move a muscle, Campbell.”

  The ranger strolled into the hangar as if he never left and raised his hands. “Don’t shoot.”

  “Where have you been?” Hunter asked.

  “Went after somebody with a gun,” Campbell said.

  “Don’t make any sudden moves.” Tom spun. “Bull.”

  “I’m on it Yank.” Emerson kept the shotgun on Campbell. “I won’t slip up this time.”

  Within seconds Davidson pointed the Smith and Wesson, Dixie held the Winchester and Tom pointed Barb to the rifle. Robin crossed her arms and glared at Tom. Ignoring her, he sized up their mysterious visitor. “Things haven’t been going well for us, Campbell. Tell us about going after this gunman and why’d you’d risk it without a firearm.”

  “At first I didn’t see he had a gun. He was a chunky fellow, maybe six feet tall. I’d say in his early thirties. He wore a maroon hat from the University of Arkansas, a gray shirt and maroon polyester shorts. He looked miscast with his high, striped socks. He saw me behind him and showed a black pistol. Yelled out to leave him alone.”

  “Sounds like our resident tubby coach,” Dixie said.

  “No doubt,” Davidson blurted. “With my Sig Sauer pistol.”

  “Looks like you found another one.” Campbell clicked his tongue.

  “I did rearm myself, fellow. And I’m about to use my new weapon on you. We talked to somebody on your radio.”

  With a flinch, Campbell reached to check his pack.

  “Easy there,” Tom said. “We do have your radio.”

  “It doesn’t work. Or it didn’t. You say you talked to someone?”

  “We sure enough did.” Davidson leveled the Glock on the ranger. “Somebody who gave us a warning about you.”

  “About me?” After ten seconds of silence, Campbell sighed. “Did they claim to be in Montana?”

  “And they claimed you killed somebody in their group,” Tom said.

  “You’re being manipulated. What you have to ask yourself is…”

  “We don’t have to ask ourselves anything. You, the kid and the AFT agent are all a nuisance and I’m in favor of ending those nuisances right here and now.” Davidson gestured with a forefinger to Tom and Barb. “Both of you know I’m right. Let’s take them all out and quit having these worries.”

  Awkward with the rifle, Barb eased closer. “It would be to your benefit to answer our questions honestly and help yourself, Nate. We’re not a bad group of people, but we’ll only be pushed so far.”

  Robin put her hands in the pocket of the ATF windbreaker. “Hell, if you guys are gonna shoot me, then get it over with. Don’t drag it out.”

  “We can’t shoot her,” Tom said. “She might be of some help and she might fill us in on a few things. By and large, she told us the truth last night.” Tom swerved to Barb for the rifle. He returned Robin’s Glock. “She’s with us now.”

  Robin squeezed his arm and holstered her weapon. “We probably shouldn’t shoot the ranger, though I don’t trust him.”

  “Seriously?” Hunter squeaked. “Speaking of trust.” He slung his arms. “I disarmed the old geezer last night and I could have run off or killed all of you.”

  “Shut your trap,” Davidson said. “Cassidy may forgive you, but I won’t do it. I’m a heartbeat from blowing your fool head off.”

  “Relax, dude. I’ve apologized over and over.”

  “Quit your yapping,” Tom said. “Let’s concentrate on Campbell. What do you have to say about this radio conversation with Montana? Is this radio of yours capable?”

  “Under normal circumstances, it certainly is not. These are far from normal circumstances.” Campbell twitched his jaw, the only sign of worry.

  “Tell us more about this weather anomaly you claim you heard about on the news,” Tom said.

  “I’m afraid I stretched the truth. But it wasn’t as an act of deception, but as a way to endear me to all of you.”

  “It didn’t work, you idiot and you’ve got about ten seconds to say something before I plug you.” Davidson twitched his finger near the trigger. “One, two, three.”

  “Stop him, Tom,” Campbell said sweat flowing from his brow to his face.

  “Four, five.”

  “I’m inclined to let him keep going. Talk, Campbell.”

  “I know what happened. I know why the sky is green and I might know a way out.”

  “Six, seven.”

  “Hold on, Davidson,” Tom said. “Let’s see what he has to say.”

  “More lies, I’d guess. Eight.”

  “Wait a minute,” Campbell squealed, his easy southern accent raising an octave. “Many years ago, I worked with a colleague on a project.”

  “A government, secret project?” Emerson asked.

  “No, this was a for-profit thing. On our own.” Campbell gulped. “Among my many areas of specialty, I studied human behavior for the U.S. Navy.”

  “Did I fly you somewhere once?” Tom narrowed his eyes, a slight memory forming.

  “You did. About fifteen years ago on a carrier. You flew several of us to an island for experiments.”

  “Where’s this going Cassidy?” Davidson asked. “He’s delaying.”

  “Stop the delay, Campbell. You know me and I might remember you. Is this coincidence or something else?”

  “Something else. As I mentioned, I study human behavior. The Navy wanted profiles on some of their officers. Those who might be the best leaders. Your name was on my list. The trek to the island was more to observe you. My colleague at the time was also was quite impressed.”

  “Is this whole nightmare of a mess related t
o Cassidy?” Davidson gripped his pistol.

  Hibbert lumbered into the middle. “And explain this artificial weather. This isn’t a natural occurrence.”

  “No, the clouds, the snow, the tornado and perhaps the wind are something my old colleague churned out in this godforsaken dimension.”

  “Who’s your colleague?” The question came from Robin, who kept her pistol holstered.

  “Dr. Archibald Nottingham,” Campbell answered.

  Tom flinched and glowered at Robin. “Your boss, I’m assuming?”

  Robin rolled her eyes. “Yeah, the employer of the Merry Men. He sent us out here as he conducted tests.”

  “A weather experiment?” Hibbert asked. “He’s trying to control the weather and it got out of hand?”

  “Bigger,” Campbell said.

  “He’s trying to save himself. We can’t buy anything he’s selling.” Davidson put a hand on Barb’s shoulder. “Barbara, listen to me. This has to be done.”

  “Not until we get some answers.” Genevieve wedged between Barb and Davidson. “And stop looking to her for approval.” She spun to Campbell. “Come on, Campbell, make it quick or William will do what he says.”

  “I’m giving you the entire story.”

  “Not fast enough in my estimation and for my taste.” Davidson cut his eyes to Tom.

  “Keep talking and make it worth our while to keep you breathing.”

  Interrupting the inquisition, a snap, crackle, pop lit the tops of nearby trees. They cowered backward as sparks showered. Campbell used the diversion to his advantage and scurried for the burning branches cracking loose and reigning from the sky. Tom hesitated, anticipating the man might burst into flames. Shell-shocked, some scattered while others froze in place.

  Hibbert, of all people, hauled Tom upright. “It isn’t real, Tom. We can go right through as he did.”

  Skidding toward a stump, Tom aimed and squeezed the trigger at Campbell. “I hit him, but he’s still going.”

  Emerson loped beside Tom, Dixie near-by. Robin joined in, drawing her pistol. Barb zipped close behind. Genevieve struggled to lift Gus from the wheelbarrow. Spotting the problem, Hunter carried the kid. At the lead, Tom sprinted for a creek crossing, keeping Campbell in his sights.

  The train station lay ahead and Campbell dashed toward the gray, weathered building. Overgrown weeds crawled on a steam engine. Flames from licked toward Tom. The heat remained, but he stopped running and reached into one of the flames. Nothing but air – no real flame. He wondered how it happened; perhaps some kind of hologram. When Campbell scurried inside the door, Tom observed no backdoor or another way out. He waited for his entire group to join him.