Stripping the rifle and putting the pieces into a briefcase lined with foam, Jon carried the case to the door leading to the stairway. He wasn’t worried about being stopped by the police. His credentials from the Monaco Police Department were still active, and there was no reason to suspect him anyway. To be on the safe side, he was going to dump the case in a sewer along the way back to the airport. Sirens wailed as he walked away from the prison to where he’d parked the car. He sat in the front seat, the gun and case beside him, as he stared out the windshield. This wasn’t the first time he’d killed a man, nor was it the first time he’d murdered anyone. The kidnapper who escaped and ruined his career would never be found. Strangely, he didn’t feel any remorse. A smile crept over his face as he started the car and drove to the airport.
He pulled the car into the rental lot and paid the bill with cash. The briefcase had vanished along the way. His suitcase was in the trunk, and he carried that into the departure area. Using his most pleasant smile, he checked through his luggage before going to find a telephone. The line to America was clear and when the person on the other end answered, he said, “All done,” and hung up.
Chapter 29
Paul set the receiver back in the cradle. The expression on his face never wavered. He turned to look at Michael and nodded. Michael felt like shouting with joy, but realized that a man had just been murdered. No matter what he thought of Tristan Dredger, he couldn’t condone killing, and he certainly didn’t want to celebrate murder.
All the same, he felt glad that he and Joe could finally be friends again if everything went the way they thought. Everyone had been camped at the house; anyone who knew about the situation was told what was happening. Even Billy showed up the day before, waiting to hear from Jon. Heather hugged Michael as they sat on the sofa; she knew the risk they were going to take.
“I think we should wait until tomorrow,” Joe said. There was real fear in his eyes.
“Why, he’s gone. Changing you back isn’t going to make him any less dead, is it?” The fear was contagious, and Michael could feel dread slipping into his brain like a cold fog.
“I’m not so sure I can come back, Michael. Follow me on this and then tell me I’m wrong. If I come back, then technically I will have never left. That means that you wouldn’t have any reason to develop time travel, which means you wouldn’t care about Tristan Dredger...likely wouldn’t ever hear of him until it was too late. None of these guys would be here. Jon wouldn’t have saved you and killed Tristan. Everything you’ve experienced in the last few weeks would be different. You might not even like Heather.” His face had gone pale and grim.
“But Randal told you everything would be okay,” Michael shouted. “You didn’t really jump through time; you just changed bodies with him.”
“I know, but I still don’t trust him. We don’t have any choice, really, but I’m worried that we could be doing something that can’t be undone.”
“There is another choice,” Paul said from his place at the table. All eyes turned to him. “You could just leave things the way they are. He doesn’t look like your friend, but who really knows he’s Joe outside of this room? Get used to calling him Randal again and live your lives. Why do you need to change him back?”
Michael looked at Joe. The eyes that stared back were filled with sadness. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t wanted to find his best friend. To be this close to having his wish realized and yet not was too much to bear. Obviously, this was the same feeling Joe had.
“I’m not risking anything, but you and the world are betting everything. The final decision is yours,” Michael said sadly. He wanted his friend to return, but he wouldn’t put the world in jeopardy. Joe understood as he rose slowly and walked out the patio doors.
He followed the path across the hill overlooking the valley. Grass and scrub brushed against his legs, birds chirped overhead, the sun was hot on his face, but he didn’t hear or feel anything. His imagination was painting images of what life would be like as Joe Solomon again.
The best outcome would be nothing changed, but that was a slim chance. He’d touched too many things in the years since he’d awakened in that alley six years ago. If he changed, so would they. Randal had been wrong.
In the worst case, he’d change back, and Tristan Dredger would rule the world, making everyone pay. How could he be certain there wouldn’t be any consequences? He imagined this was like waving his hand, and the breeze becomes a hurricane. Joe stopped and glanced back at the path. I’ve probably killed hundreds of bugs coming from the house. They’d still be alive if I weren’t here.
His head was starting to hurt with the struggle to figure out the time dilemma. The one hope they had was that Randal had been correct. If Joe was only occupying the same space as Randal and he was really Randal making the changes, then time wouldn’t be altered by shifting Joe back into the same space. It seemed too easy. The thought made him shake his head.
A crow called from a scrub pine on the ridge to his right. He scanned the tree until he found the bird among the branches. If I’d been born a bird, the most important thing in my life would be finding food, he thought glumly.
If he went back to the day he’d disappeared, all this would definitely change. How could Randal go back to 1957 and interact with me without making changes in time and history? There had to be some way he did that. Was he really there? His mind whispered.
Of course, he was there, Michael also saw him. The thought gave him an idea. He ran back to the house, nearly busting the screen door in his haste to get inside. Michael was standing by the kitchen sink and turned as Joe came running inside.
“Michael, I think I’ve got a solution,” he panted. Running wasn’t something he did on a regular basis.
“Okay, calm down and let me hear it,” Michael said, pouring a mug of coffee to give Joe a chance to catch his breath.
“I don’t think Randal was really back in the past when he approached me about this. I think he transmitted his image but not his body.” He saw the doubt on his friend’s face and hurried on with his idea. “Think about that. He went back in time but didn’t alter anything since. My life changed, but that’s all. The thing is I don’t think I really disappeared. Randal took my place in time, and he made me take his. There won’t be a change when I shift back to being me because neither of us left.” His face was beaming. Michael needed to think, but the idea made sense. Joe had always been smart, and if his mind and not Randal’s was operating in the body standing before him, then there was every reason to believe this could work.
“It’s still your choice, Joe. If you want to go ahead, we can do the switch right now.”
Joe nodded.
Chapter 30
Michael looked across at the man on the table in the computer room. There was fear on the features of the face he’d known as Randal for the last six years. They were about to do something that could result in the death of his best friend. Michael was sweating despite the coolness of the room.
He took a deep breath and pressed the enter key on the keyboard. The booth lit up, and lights flashed on the front of the computer. Joe and Michael had worked out the equation required to split Joe away from Randal and send the latter away permanently.
His gaze was locked on the booth. The man in there closed his eyes. Nothing was happening, and Michael began to worry. He looked down at his watch. The program was going to run for three minutes, and it had already been...ten seconds. He had a vague fear that time was changing, slowing outside the booth.
Randal’s features had altered slightly when Michael looked up. The hair had turned color, the face was thinner, and a dimple had started to form in the chin. More lights flashed across Dawn and the sound intensified. Thick and unruly red hair was replaced with thinning brown strands, the body shrank slightly, and the clothes became baggy. For a moment, Michael thought Joe would leave and go back in time. His body became transparent, ghostlike as the Randal side left the present.<
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The volume of sound in the room began to subside. Lights flashed less, and Joe became solid. Michael stood, impatient to find out if his friend was truly whole. When the sounds stopped, he went to the booth and the two men stared at each other.
“Okay?” he asked Joe softly.
He nodded and sat up on the table, remaining silent. Instead, waggling his fingers in front of his face and shaking his feet to make sure everything was still working. Apparently confident that he was intact; he looked at Michael and smiled, “I think it worked.”
Michael dragged him by the arm out to the living room. He couldn’t wait to share the news with Billy and Heather. There was nobody around. His head swiveled wildly looking for anyone. It’s changed, he thought, and his heart fell into his stomach. Motion on the deck attracted his attention. Paul, Billy, Heather, and Wells were outside watching the sunset.
They joined them. Someone had expected the best and brought out two extra bottles of beer to celebrate. Michael and Joe opened them, and all toasted to the success. What a relief Michael felt. He glanced at Joe. The change in appearance would take a while to sink in, but this was good. Billy couldn’t stop smiling either. The three amigos united again.
There was a general chatter as questions flew at Joe about his experiences. He declined to answer any of them, saying he was just glad to be here and his old self. Everyone was a bit disappointed, but not as sad as when Billy asked Michael what would happen to the machines now.
“I’m going to destroy them and any trace of the program that runs them. Nobody should get this technology. Tristan Dredger was a perfect example. All we need is another person like him to gain access to the secret and the world we know would end.”
“I guess that means I’ll be required to smash mine, too.” Joe said. All eyes turned toward him. Michael nodded and went to turn on the outside lights. They drank a dozen more bottles of beer between them before Billy stretched and said he was going home. Everyone walked him to the front door and said their goodbyes. Joe yawned and said he’d also better get going.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Heather stated flatly. “There’s a spare room, and you’ve only just appeared.” She giggled at her own joke. “We need some time to get used to the new you...” she continued. “Besides, tomorrow is Saturday, and even that workaholic Randal never went in on weekends.”
Joe nodded his acceptance and smiled. She led him down the hall to the room next to the computer room. There were towels on the dresser and a bathrobe on the back of the door. He was impressed and said so. She smiled and closed the door, leaving him to get ready for bed.
Michael was standing in the living room looking out at the lights in the valley. He felt as if years had passed since he’d done this. She wrapped her arms around his waist from the back and pressed her head between his shoulders. He took the hint and went down the hall, leaving Paul by himself out on the deck.
The following morning Jon showed up. He slumped into a chair exhausted but cheerful. Heather set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him, and Michael waited impatiently to hear the story of his trip while he ate.
Joe wandered out to join them, and Jon seemed surprised but didn’t say anything. Done eating, he pushed the plate away and sipped his coffee.
“I can see that all went well here,” he said looking at Joe.
Michael grinned. “Perfect, but this wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
“Well, he won’t be a problem anymore, which also means that you won’t need so much security from now on.”
“Yeah, that’s today, but what about tomorrow or the next day? Who knows when the next Dredger Company will appear? I can afford to keep you and all your men working even if all you do is play cards.”
Jon smiled. He was relieved to know that Michael was a man of his word.
Michael looked down at the table for a moment and then went to the bedroom. He came back red-faced and grinning. Heather was sitting at the table eating her breakfast when he stood beside her and bent to one knee.
She glared at him, a little shocked at what he was doing but said nothing. Her mind was trying to guess what was coming next.
“Heather, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” Michael asked and produced a small box from behind his back. His hands shook as he opened the lid and showed her the diamond ring inside. Her hands flew up to her face, covering the surprise. A noise that sounded like a cough came out of her mouth; her eyes searched his, trying to see if he was serious. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The other men at the table cheered and clapped. Michael’s face reddened, but Heather snatched the ring out of the box and placed it on her ring finger. She hugged him again and kissed him on the mouth.
EPILOGUE
Four months later, bells rang at the little Unitarian Church in San Jose. The bride and groom emerged and dashed to the limo at the bottom of the steps while the crowd pelted them with rice and confetti. Joe was Michael’s best man while Billy was a groomsman. Heather had chosen her best friend to be the maid of honor and a friend from work to be a bridesmaid. Otto drove the limo and Paul sat in the front passenger seat. Jon was at the reception hall, making sure the security was in place.
Since the death of Tristan Dredger, Eldridge Computers had become the largest technology company in the world. Joe took over the position Randal had occupied, Billy continued in his, and Heather had been replaced by a man. They hired sixty new people in manufacturing, but Michael suspected they’d need double that many soon.
The honeymoon would be in the Caribbean for at least a month. Oh, and there was also a little Michael on the way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Carter-Squire likes to write what he enjoys reading... thriller/mystery/horror. He's had the pleasure of reading most authors in these genres, from Doyle to Grisham, from Poe to King and everyone in between. The story is what compels him to read and continue reading. That's his plan when he writes and continues to develop his abilities to give you the reader, the best possible story to entertain you.
Mr. Carter-Squire has achieved a top ten placement in the Horror Fans Fiction Appreciation competition. Competed in the World's Best Fiction competition and received a top 200 placing. Rick's work is supported by his amazing wife and family, because they are his first audience.
Follow R.A. Carter-Squire at these locations:
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