The Time Traveler

by Tej Pratap Singh

  And there stood KC, right outside his office, to put an end to his grand innings. Of course, the NCTA office had the facade of a telecom office. A disguise that KC didn’t even take a second to see through.

  Kamal arrived at this office in his old 1980 vintage car; it was a miracle it still moved. One could only wonder what must be under the hood of that car.

  Kamal walked up the stairs and went straight to his office. His office, as usual, was immaculate. Everything was where it was supposed to be. Interestingly though, as he walked across the room, he saw his coffee mug lying on one side of the table which was not where he usually kept it. Kamal coolly made his way to his coffee machine and stood there with his arm over the machine looking at his office.

  KC, hiding behind the curtains, knew exactly what Kamal was doing. He had kept his arm over the coffee machine to see whether it was still warm or not. And Kamal had got the answer he was looking for. The coffee machine was warm which meant that it must’ve been used just moments ago.

  Very calmly Kamal went to his table and sat down. He opened the drawer and kept his hand over his pistol and cocked it very slowly so as to not make any noise.

  “Steyr M9A1, 9mm,” said KC coming out from behind the curtain recognising the sound of the cocking of the pistol.

  “Of course, why am I not surprised,” said Kamal smiling. “Who else could have found out where my office was. Well, this is the first time in twenty years that anyone has managed to locate the NCTA office. So, I will presume that this is not a pleasure trip?”

  “No,” said KC as he picked up Kamal’s mug and moved to the coffee machine to have some more coffee. “I am here to kill you.”

  “Really?” said Kamal. “Then I must say you are not doing a very good job because the last time I checked I was still breathing.”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to finish my coffee first,” said KC as he sat down in front of Kamal.

  “Great,” said Kamal as he took another cup from his table and poured some hot coffee for himself.

  “So, KC, how was Hong Kong?” asked Kamal.

  KC kept his coffee mug on the table and looked at Kamal.

  “What?” said KC as Kamal stared at him. “Don’t look so surprised. You know that I like to keep a close watch over all my contacts.”

  “Hong Kong was good,” said KC. “You should go there too to unwind.”

  “Yes, I’ll consider that, thank you,” said Kamal sipping his coffee. “By the way I couldn’t help but notice that the entire week that you spent there you were always close to Lu Pin. It almost looked as if you were following him. Even on the last day, before you left Hong Kong, you were at the same restaurant as him.”

  “Hmm, you got contacts there too?” said KC raising his mug of coffee to his lips.

  “Contacts? Hell no. It’s the 21st century, we have satellites. Grant us this much, we might not be as modern as you in the 29th century but we are pretty much up with the times in this century.”

  Something clicked in KC’s mind as he suddenly got up and sat on Kamal’s desk right in front of him.

  “Wow,” said Kamal moving his chair back. “I surely got your attention, didn’t I?”

  “Pretty much,” said KC, “but you missed something and now I know that I want you to work on that part for me.”

  “I missed what?” asked Kamal.

  “You missed out on the fact that I was at two places at the same time. I don’t know how but we need to find that out,” said KC.

  “How is that even possible?” said Kamal in disbelief. “You at two places?”

  “Okay, I think it’s time I tell you a little story,” said KC sitting back on his chair. “Is this room secured?”

  “Don’t worry, whatever you say here stays here,” said Kamal.

  KC took a deep breath and told Kamal everything right from the beginning to the end, his whole life or whatever he remembered of it anyway.

  * * *

  “Wow,” said Kamal. “I don’t want to believe you but I know you are telling the truth.”

  “Well then let’s get started with it,” said KC. “If I called Jasmine from Hong Kong that means that I was at two places at the same time. Jasmine said that I had called from a public booth. That means that I travelled back in time again to change events from the past. I got to find how I did it?”

  “I am on it, but, it is going to take at least a day or two,” said Kamal scribbling something on his palmtop.

  “Well then, in the meantime I got to take care of my business,” said KC, “time for you to die Kamal.”

  “Well, I hope you remember I am not the one who time travels,” said Kamal sarcastically. “I can’t work if I am dead.”

  “Yes, that’s why, you have to die for the rest of the world,” said KC.

  “Oh great,” said Kamal. “Why is it that whenever we meet I am the one who ends up getting shot?”

  “Are you going out in public anytime soon?” asked KC.

  “Yes, I have a meeting at the embassy tomorrow. I’ll be taking the metro!” replied Kamal.

  “Splendid,” said KC. “Here is how we are going to play this. If you have to go to the embassy you will have to catch the metro from the Sixth Street, right?”

  “Yes,” said Kamal. “So?”

  “So, tomorrow exactly at 11:00 a.m, you will be standing over the metro bridge at Sixth Street towards the east side of the bridge. That’s where I’ll shoot you, best place where maximum number of people can see you get shot.”

  “Hello, am I missing something here? You are going to shoot me?” asked a surprised Kamal.

  “Come on, don’t worry Kamal, you’ll use an armored vest. It will hurt a bit but that’s all. You’ll live,” said KC.

  “Wow, what a concession! I’ll live, thank you,” chuckled Kamal. “Okay, to make the whole operation look real, I’ll place a 5”x 5” blood packet under my shirt, be sure to hit it. I’ll wear a white shirt over it, the spill will easily be visible that way. By the way, where will you be?”

  “Great, I’ll be on top of the radio tower. I’ll be posing as a repair team engineer and I’ll climb up the tower early in the morning. I’ll be in position by 11:00 a.m.”

  “We are talking about a distance of over 2.5 kilometers for the bullet’s flight, isn’t it a bit too much for a sniper shot?” asked Kamal.

  “That is the best place to take the shot, any other place closer than this and all other government agencies will easily get to catch us,” explained KC. “Don’t worry I won’t miss.”

  “You better not or my ghost will haunt you even in the 29th century,” said Kamal sarcastically as he opened his closet to take out two wireless mini communication sets. “Here, take this and put it inside your ear, I’ll use a similar one, we will be in communication tomorrow.”

  * * *

  It was early morning when KC wore his overalls and pinned the ID card on it provided to him by Kamal. He came out to the living room to grab a quick bite.

  “Hey, when did you become a mechanic?” asked a confused Jasmine as she came out of her room. “And wow, you got an id too.”

  “Yeah, I am a mechanic for today.” Replied KC.

  “Another of your avatars?” joked Jasmine. “Can I come along?”

  “No, it could get very dangerous,” replied KC. “Go to your clinic have fun with your patients.”

  “Right,” said Jasmine, “have fun with my patients? Really!”

  “Jasmine, I need an overcoat it’s getting pretty cold; it’s almost December. What do you say we get one for you and me in the evening?” said KC.

  “Now that sounds like fun,” said Jasmine. “Will do.”

  Half an hour later KC reached the radio tower; it was one tall tower. A quick show of the ID card and he got the clearance to climb up. It took him a good 35 minutes to climb up to
the platform at the top. A slight breeze was blowing, which was icy cold. Shivering, KC opened his bag and bit-by-bit started assembling his sniper rifle. His hands were shaking and he was finding it hard to put the fine parts together. KC kept the rifle parts on the platform and started rubbing his hands together vigorously, after a minute or so he picked up the parts again and assembled the rifle. He curled up on the platform to keep himself warm and looked at his watch, it was almost 11:00 a.m. Kamal would be over the bridge anytime now.

  He lied down on the platform and attached the sniper scope to the rifle and looked through it. Kamal was not there yet. KC kept the rifle at a side and started doing push-ups, trying desperately to keep himself warm.

  “A one… two… three… four… five…” said KC as he exercised on the platform.

  “Kilo for kilo, Charlie,” broke the voice of Kamal on the radio set.

  “Kilo, Charlie, for Kilo,” said KC as he stopped doing push-ups and tried to see Kamal through the sniper scope.

  “5 minutes are left for the train to come, this place is going to be swarming with people soon,” said Kamal. “I hope you are all set to rock and roll.”

  “You remember when I said I was sure about this shot from here,” said KC.

  “Yes,” said Kamal.

  “Well, I am not that sure right now,” said KC shivering. “It’s freezing out here, I can barely grip my rifle. I hope you are wearing Kevlar?”

  “You are joking right,” said Kamal nearly missing a heartbeat.

  “Nope, unfortunately, I am not, not this time. I’ll do a few more pushups, that oughta do it,” said KC keeping his rifle to a side and doing more pushups.

  “You got to be kidding me,” said Kamal pacing up and down the bridge.

  “Now don’t move around that much, Kamal,” said KC. “I want you to be really still when I take the shot.”

  “I swear, KC, if you miss I am going to…”

  “Yeah, I know you are going to haunt me,” interrupted KC as he continued with his push-ups.

  “Tell me one thing, Kamal,” asked KC, “what if I was actually serious when I walked into your office today and told you that I was there to kill you? What would you have done then? I know you are a smart guy; you surely must have had a plan to save yourself. Tell me, what was it?”

  “Of course, I had a plan,” said Kamal as he leaned on the bridge and looked at the train approaching. “The chair you were sitting on, that was an electric chair, when I had opened my drawer my hand was on a button, a slight push of that button and you would have become a ‘hot toast’ on that chair.”

  “Impressive,” said KC as he picked up his rifle and took an aim. “Okay, get ready, the train is going to stop now. Stay still don’t move.”

  “Are you sure about this shot?” asked Kamal. “I mean there is a breeze blowing too, you could easily miss my kevlar.”

  “I could, but, I won’t,” said KC. “By the way, Kamal, the next time you decide to put an electric chair in your office, try putting the wires to connect the chair under the floor, not just under the carpet. They are quite visible under the carpet.”

  “Dammit, you cut my wires before sitting,” laughed Kamal.

  “Survival,” said KC as he held his breath and placed his finger over the trigger and pressed it.

  The bullet left the rifle and it took well over three seconds, a very long three seconds as it dashed through the morning fog straight for Kamal’s kevlar.

  KC looked through his rifle scope, his eyes wide open, waiting for something, anything.

  The bullet hit Kamal bang on his kevlar as he was thrown back almost as if he was hit by a hammer.

  “Nailed it,” shouted KC as he rolled on his back laughing loudly. This was the extent of the happiness in KC’s life. He was just celebrating shooting someone from a two-kilometer distance.

  KC turned back around picked his rifle up and sat on his knees, he looked through the scope, Kamal lay on the ground as dead as a log.

  “Kamal, what’s up?” said KC. “Can you hear me?”

  There was no reply.

  “Goddammit, Kamal, say something,” yelled KC.

  Soon Kamal’s back up team arrived, they quickly picked him up and put him in a carry truck as the onlookers clicked pictures and videos from their cell phones.

  “Crap!” said KC as he focused his scope on the truck registration plate, he couldn’t read a thing.

  “Get the hell out of that tower,” Kamal’s voice cracked on the com set. “The cops will soon figure out where the shot came from.”

  “You son of a gun, what took you so long,” said KC as he quickly dissembled his gun and began climbing down the tower.

  “That bullet carried some punch,” said Kamal still coughing. “I can barely breathe.”

  “You are one tough bastard,” said KC almost laughing. “I’ll meet you at Jasmine’s place at the time we decided.”

  “Will do,” said Kamal as he turned off his com unit trying to remain as dead as possible.

  * * *

  It was evening by now, the news of the morning shoot out was all over the news channels. ‘How safe is your city?’ was the question being asked. Jasmine had just got back home from the clinic. She couldn’t help but notice how KC was glued to the television surfing all the news channels.

  “Please tell me you didn’t do this?” she asked him.

  “What?” said a very surprised KC.

  “Yup, you did it,” declared Jasmine. “I know that look.”

  “Wow,” said KC following Jasmine into the kitchen, “do I give a look when I lie?”

  “You totally do,” said Jasmine smiling. “What were you up to this time anyway?”

  “I was just findings answers,” said KC leaning back on the kitchen platform.

  “Really, so did you get any?” asked Jasmine.

  “I am close, very close,” replied KC.

  Just then there was a bell, KC rushed to the door knowing very well who it was.

  “I am not expecting anyone,” said Jasmine.

  “Actually, it’s Kamal,” explained KC as he moved towards the main door.

  “Kamal?” said Jasmine as she came into the living room. “I thought you shot him today.”

  “I did,” said KC as he opened the door.

  A very much ‘alive’ Kamal walked in as Jasmine looked on in disbelief.

  “Okay,” she said as she sat on the sofa. “So, guys don’t you want to tell me? Like, what the hell is going on?”

  “Pleasure to meet you too,” said Kamal smiling.

  “Ah, okay,” said Jasmine.

  “I am hungry,” declared Kamal. “This is the flip side of acting dead, you can’t go to your favorite restaurant for lunch.”

  “I have got some sandwiches,” said Jasmine. “I can heat them up, give me five minutes.”

  “Lovely,” said Kamal as he sat in front of KC. “So, what’s next?”

  “Now, we wait,” said KC. “Let’s see what Lurton has on his mind.”

  “Any luck finding the I.F.?” asked KC.

  “I believe, on the basis of what you told me about the A.P.U. sending you back as a bait for the MegaTech, the A.P.U. should be largely towards the west, and if that’s so, then the I.F. should be in the east or the south east probably,” explained Kamal as Jasmine joined them with some snacks.

  “It’ll just take a minute more,” said Jasmine. “The chicken sandwich is in the microwave.”

  “No problem,” smiled Kamal. “I’ll munch on to the snacks till them.”

  The doorbell rang once again. KC and Jasmine looked at each other.

  “I am not expecting anyone,” said Jasmine.

  “Neither am I,” said KC.

  Kamal and KC quickly took out their automatics.

  “Guys, guys,
what are you doing,” protested Jasmine. “This is my house, not your playground. No firing inside the house, please.”

  “Fine by me,” replied Kamal. “Try explaining that to the guy outside though.”

  KC quietly moved towards the door and looked outside from the peephole. It was Lurton with his bodyguards, all holding heavy machine guns and automatics.

  “Crap!” said KC as he ran back and jumped behind the dining table. “Guys, it’s Lurton, and, he doesn’t look very happy. Jasmine listen, stay away from the doors and the windows, stay low….”

  “He must have bugged your house, KC,” said Kamal, he knew that I was here.

  “Open the fucking door,” shouted Lurton. “God save you from me, you piece of shit. You thought you could outsmart me. Goddammit! I was in this business when you were not even peeing in your pants boy.”

  “Okay, correction, he is VERY angry,” said KC.

  Lurton’s boys opened fire ruthlessly. Spreading hot molten steel all over Jasmine’s house. There were a million holes all over the wall and her furniture.

  “Kamal, get hold of Jasmine and move behind the refrigerator, I am getting behind the microwave. There is too much of fire, we got to move or we are dead,” said KC as he crawled towards the microwave.

  “Hey, KC,” yelled Kamal from behind the fridge, “could you just open the micro and toss me the chicken sandwich?”