“Wow.” That was all Lucky could say. “Wow, now I’ve heard it all. Do you know how many people would love to be invisible, just for a day? My mind is going crazy with the fun people could have,” he said with a laugh.
“Lucky, this is serious,” the professor interrupted.
“Ah hum,” Lucky coughed and cleared his throat after having been scolded. “Why, yes, Dr. Lindstrom, it is, but you gotta admit, it’s funny – the possibilities, I mean. It’s really fun imagining . . . ”
“Imagining what, Lucky? This is about protection. This is about national security. This is about lives. . .”
“Lighten up, professor,” Lucky said, cutting him off. “Look, we’ll stay. This is far too good not to. But one day, when this is all over, I wanna see you loosen up a bit, for real. I mean, have a drink, get a little tipsy, laugh a bit. Life isn’t all propulsion systems and refracted light. Ya gotta live a little,” he said as he gave Lindstrom a little nudge.
“Thank you for your ‘yes’ to remain,” the professor said as he rose from his chair. “But I can do without your lecture on life, thank you very much,” he added as turned to walk away. “I’ll have a list of essentials to you in the morning.”
The following morning, Charlie headed out with the list of the professor’s required items. Most of what he needed, Charlie could purchase locally, but there were a few things that required overnight or express shipping. Day by day, the supplies trickled in. Lucky was beginning to think that he would have to build another barn just to hold them all. The professor got right to it, busying himself with working on circuit boards and other electronic devices with words barely pronounceable. To most of the gang, it appeared that he knew exactly what he was doing and as usual, seemed to be enjoying it immensely. Here at the ranch, he could work without interruption with all the money and resources he needed. It was the perfect scenario for any scientist. Lindstrom went about his business with purpose and clarity. It was something that Lucky admired in the man. Each day, Lucky observed as he worked at a frenetic pace. It was either his personality or perhaps the fear of Lucky one day pulling the plug on his little experiment, but work hard he did. He attacked his project with a passion.
Lucky and his friends had been here on the ranch for weeks now and Lucky, always considerate of his friends, asked if any of them felt like they were ready to return home. Dukie and Nicky expressed that they felt they weren’t of any further use here and would rather go back, unless Lucky had something for them to do. Living so far out in the “wilderness” was getting a little boring for these city boys now that the spacecraft was complete. Lucky agreed, but cautioned that their association with him might mean danger for them, but . . . danger was something that these two street guys understood.
Bobby Boots landed the jet at the abandoned South Hampton Air Force field and watched as Nicky and Dukie exited the aircraft and entered the waiting black Humvee driven by Casey, Lucky’s longtime driver. Once they were safely off, Bobby and his co-pilot, Tom Sheridan, closed the entryway steps and secured the plane. As per Lucky’s instructions, the handsomely paid Air Force skeleton crew at South Hampton Air Force base refueled the plane and made sure that the coast was clear of any “curiosity seekers.” Bobby and Tom took advantage of this time to get some needed rest after such a long flight. After several hours of sleep, Bobby awoke, walked to the galley, and made himself a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He woke Tom up and told him coffee was ready, then took a shower in the jet’s luxurious lavatory room and shaved. Tom followed suit. Once rejuvenated, they performed their pre-flight inspections, started the engines, and once again assumed the runway for the return trip to Australia.
Chapter Nine
President Vladimir Putin was livid.
“What do you mean by embarrassing me?” he said, berating his Head of Security, Oleg Karpov. “The Americans informed me that they have captured the men you sent to kidnap the two Americans. I spent an hour on the telephone denying any knowledge of this affair. How could things go so wrong? Maybe I have the wrong man as the head of my security, Oleg.”
“Mr. President, the men that I sent are professionals. I do not know what went wrong and I will not know what happened until they are released.”
Putin spoke slowly, harshly. “I want those men brought to me as soon as they return. Do you understand? Bring them to me as soon as they return!”
As Lucky and Charlie drove through the Outback, it was as seemingly endless as the ancient Aboriginal track Charlie was driving on. Swells of dusty clouds rose behind as the truck tread the dry ground. Lucky was determined to find another portal that he knew must exist somewhere on these endless plains. From past experience, the portals generally appeared in groups of two or more. He was determined to find the elusive third. Today he would re-explore the area near the outer edge of the woods where he had discovered the second portal. The second portal in this area had taken him to Wales in the 1800’s. If he couldn’t find a third portal, he would to return to Wales and look for portals there.
Lucky’s eyesight was unlike that of others. He could readily recognize something unusual. He viewed the energy emanating from every object and every living thing so a portal, living by itself, throwing off energy, was easy to spot. It was like a wormhole that only he could see; his little secret. As they continued, Lucky saw nothing remotely resembling a portal.
“Charlie,” Lucky finally said. “We might as well turn around. Let’s head back to the portal we found and look around there again.”
“Right, mate,” Charlie answered.
How fascinating it was out here in the wild, watching the herds of beautiful animals as they turned away from the oncoming truck; some leaping over hedges, others diving into furrows. Nesting colored birds took great offense to the impolite interruption and scattered, taking flight. The birds created a blanket of color creating a contrast against the red and blue hues of the brightening dawn. It was peaceful driving in the early dawn hours and Charlie was great company, pointing out the occasional skippy or a surprised jackrabbit hopping to its lair. Charlie took his time describing a tree or a plant’s history and the health benefits of its nutrients. A few times, he stopped the truck to pluck some rare medicinal plant or flower. As he drove, he was emphatic about the plants and their roles in the circle of life.
“Look at the Eremophilias. They’re growing like mad and look at all the little diosma; so pretty with such wonderful aroma,” he said as he inhaled a bit.
Charlie pointed to another group of flowers and said they were eucalypts that come in many different colors and forms; hardy, he said. He pointed to others, the Geraldton Wax, the Pink Peace hybrid roses, the other Pinky Apricot, and the Pascalli. With boyish enthusiasm, he explained them all, and to tell the truth, Lucky really enjoyed it. He was teaching him things he didn’t know. While Charlie was in his element, much of it was all alien to Lucky, even given his Navy Seal and Delta Team survival training, courtesy of the CIA. The plants addressed a variety of ailments from infection to fever to blood clotting, while others apparently were useful in vitamins or as food supplements. Far from being the simple man, Charlie was a fount of knowledge and Lucky enjoyed him a lot.
Charlie stopped once again, this time to point out a giant snake. He explained how to know if you’re approaching a snake’s lair. It was as though he knew Lucky would be around for a while and needed to understand the dangers of the Outback and how to interpret them.
The men arrived at a copse closest to the river where Lucky had originally spotted the second portal. Charlie parked the truck at the farthest point from the water. As they were walking, Charlie put out his hand and held Lucky back, guarding him from a large anthill partially covered with leaves and foliage. Nothing escaped his eyes. Halfway into the woods he grabbed Lucky once again, this time directing him to take another path.
Lucky asked, “Why the detour?”
“If we follow that path,” Charlie said, “we go through a dense growth of poisonous shrub
s – the same poison that the Aborigines put on the darts of their blow guns. Those leaves, brushing against our skin, can cause serious illness, even death. Better to avoid it, mate. Take a safer way.”
Lucky stopped for a moment to study the shrubbery for future reference.
They walked for a little while longer until they came upon a small pool of crystal clear water. Lucky asked Charlie if it was safe to drink. Rather than answer, Charlie bent down, scooped the water into his cupped hands, and slurped it. Lucky smiled and did the same. What a different world, he thought, being able to truly enjoy the finest that nature and its gifts have to offer, in their purest forms. The men leaned back against a red river gum tree and admired the wide variety of foliage and flowers, all displaying their newly budded flowers. The scene was tranquil, and with its groupings of color, looked much like a painter’s palette. Lucky breathed in the fragrance of the petals that filled the little glen. There he and Charlie sat, not saying a word, not wanting to speak so as not to interfere with the moment. Lucky was absorbed and before he knew it, minutes had passed. He reached his right hand onto the ground to hoist himself up and as he rose, he saw it. There is was – a third portal, hiding in plain sight, off to his right, a short distance beyond some foliage, partially hidden by some bushes in an area that the men had not yet explored.
Chapter Ten
Lucky leaned over and grabbed Charlie under the arm, pulling him to his feet.
“Let’s go. It’s there. I see it. It’s there,” he said as he took off toward the right, aiming for the brush.
Charlie moved surprisingly fast to catch up to Lucky and together they ran past branches and through the heavy foliage, using their hands to protect their eyes as they pushed through the dense growth, paying little attention to the branches brushing their faces. When Lucky reached the portal, he stopped so suddenly that Charlie ran into him, almost knocking him over. In no time, they were standing at the waiting portal. No wonder he hadn’t seen it. It was partly hidden by the large shooting leaves of some root plants growing at the base of the portal’s neighboring trees.
So far, every portal Lucky had discovered had a mate, another portal somewhere close by, and this was no exception. Lucky was learning more about the portals with each one he discovered. The first portals had made him a very rich man, but no matter what, most acted as gateways to something else, another time, or a century long past. He had found portals such as the one leading to the Valley of the Temples in Sicily or the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris and even a snowstorm portal where he found a quaint little settlement, nestled deep in a snow covered valley, in some yet unknown country. There was only one way to find out what awaited them at the other end, so Lucky once again grabbed Charlie’s arm and, together, they entered the portal. They took short, shuffling steps all the way to the end where Lucky peered outside to get an idea of where they were.
At first, Lucky was confused. He could see no one nearby, as outside was semi dark. There were long paths of light glowing from a ceiling, though. In the distance, there was a small window of light. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he began to see images forming in front of him. He stepped out of the portal, with Charlie, a bit afraid, still attached to his belt, and found himself and his Australian friend on a railroad track.
“What is this place?” Charlie asked.
Lucky could see rows of trains, very old trains, so old that they didn’t have glass windows. They had screens or shades, it appeared. There were no engines, just rows of old railroad cars spaced across an area spanning approximately a city block wide and about seven city blocks long, ending with a small, pinpoint of light in the distance. He counted at least six rows of them, with most likely more hidden in the tracks beyond his view. It looked like a graveyard for old, tired trains, a burial place for the rundown, used up machines. Where is this place he wondered? But time was of the essence and Lucky needed to investigate further by locating other portals. He and Charlie started to walk toward the light ahead of them.
Charlie nudged Lucky and asked, “What the hell is that?”
When Lucky turned to look, he saw a large object the size of a house making a loud sound, so he walked towards it. As he got closer to it, it looked like a large pump. He circled it, looking for a tag or a nameplate; something, anything that would tell him what year it was so he might identify the time period. There was a large valve with a tag on it hanging by a string. He picked up the tag and struggled with the light, trying to make out what it said. It was an inspection tag with the date of April 12, 1943 and New York City written on it. It appeared that the men were standing in front of a large water pump apparently used to pump water into the city mains. Lucky concluded that given the numerous prior inspection dates listed, that 1943 must be the year in which they stood. He was pretty sure that New York City was their location, but not certain of exactly where in New York City. As he looked away from the pump, he noticed a brick partition to the right of it, extending out about twenty feet. A door was situated in the middle of it. He tried the door, but it was locked. He peered around the door and there they stood – two portals. What a great discovery. There was no need to walk miles or search through dense forests as he had done in Australia. They were here. Lucky’s transportation had come to him. What a relief.
Once again, Charlie sunk his fingers around Lucky’s belt and obediently followed him until they reached the end of the new portal. What Lucky saw when he peered out was sheer chaos – a mob rioting, destruction, people fleeing for their lives. The beautiful building in front of them was being assaulted. It looked to be a palace and judging from the way they were dressed, the mob appeared to be villagers or peasants. Recklessly, the gang brandished their guns. The scene was utter turmoil.
Lucky glanced back at Charlie and said, “Charlie, it’s pretty rough out there. Now we’re both armed, but there’s a big scene of rioting, a village mutiny of sorts. I’ll let you make the call. Wanna risk stepping out into this mess or would you rather retreat while we can?”
“Lucky,” Charlie answered. “We’ve come this far – whatever you decide. I’ve never backed down from a fight. Besides, I don’t know what time period you’re seeing out there, but I doubt that many of them have seen or heard modern guns before. I’d venture to say that these things alone will create a path for us wherever we go. What say you, mate?”
Lucky nodded. “Hold on, Charlie,” he said as they stepped out of the portal and into a beautiful chandeliered room with portraits of nobility, queens and kings, being carved to shreds by an angry mob. Everything in the room was being torn down, ripped apart.
“Let’s go,” Lucky said, and he and Charlie stepped out in the room where they promptly got crammed right into the middle of a large, surging crowd, shoving and moving, taking them, unwillingly, towards the staircase leading to the upper floor. It was a groundswell, like a tide from the great ocean, moving them along the marble floor. Suddenly, Charlie found an opening and grabbed Lucky and shoved him to the side just as a large statue came slamming down from above, the victim of a cantankerous crowd. Lucky reciprocated. He took Charlie’s arm and ducked to the side of the staircase. Some members of the group were dressed as soldiers while others were in everyday street clothes. They split up, some going upstairs as others flooded the staircase and descended the steps leading to the cellar. Lucky elbowed his way to the edge of the group as Charlie followed his lead. Without discussion, Lucky began to follow the soldiers into the basement. As Charlie and Lucky stepped through the door, they heard blood-curdling screams and witnessed something unlike anything they had ever seen – soldiers slaughtering everyone in the room. In the center of the floor lay a man and a woman face down. In the corners, there were young women cowering, their hands covering their faces, arms outstretched, begging and pleading for their lives. Their words fell on deaf ears as each one fell victim to the soldiers’ knives or guns. Lucky felt sick as he watched what was unfolding before him. Charlie stood motionless; his eyes opened wide, speechl
ess at the sight before him. All the young girls lay dead except for one. A soldier eyed her with his wild eyes. He raised his knife and started toward her with a downward plunge and as he did, Lucky fired a shot taking him down immediately and then began firing at all the other savage men in the room. “You get the left, I’ll handle the right,” Charlie said as he joined in. The mobsters, with their own guns and knives, began lunging and shooting, but their bullets seemed to be missing their targets. Meanwhile, Lucky and Charlie picked off the murderers, one by one, each of the modern men shooting and hitting with exceptional accuracy.
The Time Portal 2: Escape in Time Page 7