Guardian of Time

by Linda Hawley

  “You have?” I asked. “But I wasn’t even GOG when I was with the CIA,” I said, confused. “How would you have even known about my work?”

  “I was trained by the CSIS.”

  “You are full of surprises, Chow,” I said, impressed that he had worked for Canada’s version of the CIA. “Did your agency really have paranormal projects going on at the same time we did?”

  “Yes. But what I did was a little different. I was trained by the Canadian government in astral projection.”

  “What were you trained to do with it?” I asked, puzzled.

  “I was trained to control my spirit, so that I could leave my body at will. The project I was involved in explored co-dreaming, using astral projection to enter another person’s dream…”

  “Hold on,” I said with shock in my voice, interrupting Chow. “That’s how you joined me in Shanghai,” I said, suddenly making sense of it all.

  “Yes, he confirmed, nodding at me. “While I was a CSIS agent, I did have success, but it was limited. We learned that spontaneous astral projection while dreaming occurs with dreamers with paranormal gifts themselves. It also occurs more frequently with those who have had vivid near-death experiences. Eventually, CSIS scrapped the program because they couldn’t see a covert use for it in the near term. After I left them, I continued exploring astral projection on my own, using targets who were known for their paranormal abilities and who had reported near-death experiences. I learned about you when I was still with the Intelligence Service, so after I became involved with GOG, I asked them to track you down…”

  “Let me guess, you wanted to practice co-dreaming with me, because I fit the profile?”

  Chow acted like I had caught him doing something naughty. “I had a gut feeling that you would be important to our cause. Then, not long after that, you joined GOG. That freed my conscience…”

  “You were entering my dreams even before Shanghai, weren’t you?” I asked him directly.

  He paused, then nodded. “Yes.” His lips pursed in confession.

  “That’s why I feel like I know you and can trust you,” I said emphatically, looking into his soft eyes.

  “Yes. I know you, Ann. I know you well,” he said directly. “I’ve been co-dreaming with you for about ten years.”

  “Ten years! Holy cow,” I said in shock. “How come I don’t remember ever seeing you before Shanghai?”

  “I purposefully stayed in the background of your dreams, watching, but not participating…”

  “Until Shanghai,” I said, wonder filling the edges of my statement.

  “Yes.”

  “Why Shanghai?” I asked.

  “It was a GOG decision. Armond had passed. Elinor had gone to college. You had less to risk. It was time…”

  “You could have just asked me, Chow,” I shook my head, slightly annoyed.

  “You’re right. I should have,” he said, looking ashamed, eyes down at the table.

  “Thank you for admitting that,” I said, knowing it was difficult for him.

  “Ann, now that you’re in real danger, Chow will be your partner from here on.”

  “Partner?”

  “He will travel with you at times, and other times he will be shadowing you. His job is to protect you at all costs. You’re extremely important to the organization, especially now that we know about your time travel abilities, and we’ll do everything possible to make sure the government doesn’t capture or kill you.”

  “You know, Vanessa, there’s something about you I really like. You don’t mince words. You just tell it like it is…”

  “You have no idea, Ann. It’s like spending time with a 24/7 truth-sayer,” Calvin said, exasperated.

  “Very funny,” Vanessa said, staring Calvin down.

  “Well, I’d rather know exactly what I’m up against, instead of having some politically-correct, watered-down version of the truth,” I responded.

  “Thank you, Ann. At least someone around here gives me respect,” Vanessa mocked.

  “Since you’re gonna be hanging around me all the time, maybe we can practice some co-dreaming. I don’t like not having full control of my abilities,” I confided in Chow, looking at him.

  “Yes,” he nodded emphatically, seemingly relieved that I wanted to co-dream with him.

  “Besides, your Soo Bahk Do may come in handy,” I said, smiling at him.

  Chow slightly bowed to me from his chair and then said, “It is my honor, Ann.”

  “How about we go into the kitchen and make some sandwiches, and then we can talk about the other issues on a full stomach,” Calvin suggested.

  “Thank you, Calvin. Ever since I dumped my hot dog, I’ve been hungry.”

  Calvin laughed. “You don’t know how it grieved me to see that dumped, Ann.”

  “I do love a good hot dog,” I told him.

  We all stood and walked into the kitchen.

  “So do you work there, or own it?”

  “I own it, of course. I always did want to own an Orange Julius. Now I get to have my dream and an excellent cover.”

  He made me laugh again. “I think our sandwiches will be a little healthier than your hot dogs, Calvin,” Chow remarked.

  “Touché!” Calvin said, with a slightly sardonic grin.

  I turned to Chow in the kitchen, as Vanessa handed ingredients to Calvin. “So you’re Canadian, eh?” the edge off my voice, making it a joke, not an accusation.

  “Yes. Which makes me even more appreciative of your Canadian hack,” Chow said with a smile.

  “And Edwin is your brother?” I asked him.

  “How did you know that?” he said, surprise showing on his face.

  “He wrote it on a piece of paper the day Bennett fired me, then handed it to me when he shook my hand in farewell.”

  “That sounds like my brother. He is also…well he was…your guardian at AlterHydro.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Remember he went to work there the same time you did?”

  “Yeah. But he’s barely said two words to me in three years.”

  “He’s a quiet guy. He volunteered to be your guardian, Ann. Didn’t you notice he was keeping an eye on Paul?”

  “You know…I never noticed that, but now that you say it, I remember a handful of times that the two were gone at the same time.”

  “He was tailing Paul, trying to find out who his contacts were, while keeping an eye on you, too.”

  “Wow. I never knew.”

  “You think my Soo Bahk Do is good…you should see Edwin’s. He puts me to shame.”

  “I’m sorry I won’t have a chance to see you two spar.”

  “You never know,” Calvin said excitedly.

  I smiled at the idea of seeing the two of them spar.

  Looking at all the fresh ingredients on the kitchen counter, I said, “Oh man, you’ve got every ingredient I love: fresh sourdough bread, avocado, sprouts, Virginia ham, turkey, spinach, and fresh tomato. Woohoo!” Before I could continue, my stomach growled.

  Chow started to laugh, “Do you realize how much you dream of food, Ann?”

  “I don’t expect you’ll be telling all my personal secrets, right Chow?” I said, pressing him playfully.

  “No ma’am,” Chow replied, serious. “But you do love food,” he added.

  I grinned. He’s right.

  We all made our sandwiches; my mouth was salivating as I cut it in half.

  “Let’s sit and talk while we eat.” Vanessa gestured to the table and chairs.

  “Later I want you to tell me everything you know about co-dreaming, okay?” I asked Chow quietly as we moved to the table.

  “Of course. I’ll teach you.”

  I nodded my head, satisfied, as I took a bite of my enormous sandwich.

  “Now that we know you can go back in time and change things, our work just became a whole new ballgame,” Vanessa said flatly. “Let’s go over what we know you can do. You can bring an object back with
you from your dream. You can travel back in time while dreaming. You can alter current events by altering something in the past while dreaming. While remote viewing, you can alter digital information. Is there anything else?” Vanessa asked.

  I swallowed my sandwich. “While remote viewing, I can move physical objects,” I answered, going in for another bite.

  “And you can move physical objects while remote viewing,” she repeated, then continued after a brief pause. “Very good. What other abilities are you exploring?” Vanessa asked me.

  I swallowed again. “I haven’t tried bringing anything with me into the dream, but I have been able to get resources while in the dream…”

  “Like the fake IRS credentials,” Calvin interjected.

  “Yeah. I seem to be very resourceful while dreaming.”

  “I know,” Chow confirmed.

  I smacked him on the arm playfully. He smiled.

  “I only brought something back that one time…the Herkimer…but I’d like to try to bring physical things back again.”

  “So it sounds like you need to start practicing that, and you should also practice dreaming with the intent to change something,” Vanessa said, nibbling at an edge of crust, watching me closely.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

  “Once your skill is tightened up, I can already see how we can use you. I want all of you to think about this for a minute. Consider Senator Johnathan Talbot,” Vanessa began.

  Calvin and I both frowned at the name, while Chow got his stone-face on. Talbot was an enemy of GOG. It was he who introduced, then spearheaded, RFID chipping in America. He also vehemently supported the Patriot Act and the über control of government over the rights of the people. He was known to be in bed with Homeland Security. He also sat on the executive board of Hitachi, who produces the Mu chip, the most advanced RFID chip on the planet.

  “What if Talbot never became a Senator?” she asked, letting it sink in. “What if…what if Talbot died in an accident while still in college?” she said, looking at us.

  We all sat in silence.

  “What is it that Madonna said when she was a guest on Wayne’s World? ‘And what if monkeys flew out of my butt?’” asked Calvin.

  Vanessa frowned at him. “The things that come out of your mouth will never cease to amaze me, Calvin.”

  Calvin guffawed, thoroughly enjoying her reaction.

  “What I meant was…what if Ann traveled back in time and assassinated Talbot in college, before he ever started his rampage against the people? She could change history, and…”

  “I hate to interrupt the monkey and assassin-talk, but I want you to understand one thing,” I started, looking intently into Vanessa’s eyes. “I am willing to alter events in the past to change history for the better. I obviously will defend myself if someone intends to do me harm. But something I will never do is be an assassin for GOG or anyone else.” I paused. “The day I die—no matter how it happens—I will die with a clear conscience.”

  “Well that clears that up,” Vanessa said, clipped disappointment dripping from her words.

  “Nothing you can ever do or say will convince me to overtly kill Talbot, even though I believe him to be one of the most evil men on earth.”

  “Enough said, Ann. I get it,” Vanessa overrode me, her voice loud and brassy.

  “Let’s consider what I could do to harm his reputation to change the course of events,” I offered, attempting to lessen the tension in the room.

  “You could expose some behavior…affairs…most of these Senator’s have secret affairs,” Calvin offered.

  “But everyone expects that from politicians now. We need something else,” Chow said.

  “I’ll take this as a GOG action item,” Vanessa began. “We’ll find something in his personal or professional history, and we’ll figure out how to use it against him,” Vanessa said categorically. “We’ll get back to you on this one. Chow will be communicating with us regularly, so we’ll update you through him, unless he’s missing or killed.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, ignoring her bluntness.

  “Now we need to put together a plan on how to deal with Paul,” Vanessa said.

  “I know how I would like to deal with him,” Chow replied.

  I looked at him, surprised by his comment.

  “And I’ll help you…not that you need any help, my friend,” Calvin added.

  “I was thinking of something a little more…interesting. Ann, how would you like some answers?” Vanessa asked me with an excited look in her eyes.

  “I do have a number of questions for him,” I said, pondering my mental list.

  “Chow, we’ve got Joe near Bellingham, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “There is some risk, Ann. Are you up for it…with Chow nearby of course?” she asked, nodding to Chow.

  “To get some answers from the liar, I’ll willingly trade significant personal risk,” I snarled.

  “Joe happens to have been government trained in interrogation techniques using drugs. I’m sure he’d be happy to lead Paul’s interrogation,” Vanessa suggested. “The only question is, how do we get Paul to your house?”

  “As long as Paul doesn’t know what Bennett revealed to me about him, then I’m sure I could get him to meet me at my house for dinner…”

  “But even if he does know, he’ll probably meet you to close the net around you,” Chow added. “So if we’re doing the interrogation in your house—which makes sense, since government peekers can’t listen in—then I’ll need help in outer surveillance. I’m sure that Edwin and I can handle it.”

  “Then let’s set everything up for tomorrow night. Agreed?” Vanessa asked.

  Chow and I nodded.

  “Yes. Agreed. I’ll give him a call.” I considered the scenario, as I rose from the table and relocated to the living room sofa.

  I dialed his number from my cell phone. It rang three times.

  “Ann?”

  “Hi, Paul.”

  “Where have you been?” he nearly shouted. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I even stopped by your house, but you didn’t answer. Are you okay?” he said with worry. I knew it was insincere. Under it though, I thought I could hear genuine fear—just a slight line of it—like poor stitching that could unpick at any second.

  “I’ve been thinking,” I said somberly.

  “Did you hear what happened to Bennett?”

  “Let’s talk about that and other stuff tomorrow night, huh? Dinner at my house at seven?”

  “Okay…yeah. Where are you?”

  “Let’s talk tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay. I’ll see you at seven. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  I hung up the phone, thankful that he was going with the flow. My friends joined me in the living room.

  “All set?” Vanessa asked.

  “Yes. No problem.”

  “Good. I’ll contact Joe and have him arrive at your house mid-day, so you two can talk through some questions and planning,” she instructed.

  “But my flight won’t be in until later.”

  “Actually, you’re leaving tonight on the red-eye. As soon as we knew you were being followed today, we moved your flight up. Chow will shadow you there, in the back of the plane.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve got about a half-hour before you need to leave for the airport.”

  “I better get to my hotel to get my stuff.”

  “Already got it,” Chow replied.

  “You seem to keep sneaking into my hotel rooms,” I teased Chow.

  “Let’s cover a few other things,” Vanessa said, bringing us to order.

  “Okay,” I agreed, as I faux punched Chow on the arm.

  “After you and Joe interrogate Paul, it’s time for you to say bye-bye to Bellingham and your ties there.”

  “Underground?” I asked, soberly knowing what I was about to leave behind.

  “Yep. It’s time. You’re in too much danger to be out in the open,�
� she said, matter of fact.

  “Okay, where to?” I asked, knowing my life was forever changed.

  “How does India sound, via Canada?” Vanessa asked.

  Chapter 18

  BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON

  The Year 2015

  With help from my trusty Tylenol, I was able to sleep on the red-eye. After landing, I caught a glimpse of Chow as I left the Bellingham airport, which reassured me that I was being looked after. I swung by Aunt Saundra’s to pick up Lulu and made sure to give her a sincere goodbye, unsure when I would see her again.

  In anticipation of the events to come, Lulu and I went for a run through our Fairhaven neighborhood, expecting it would be our last. After our run, I stood in my bathroom, stripping off my sweat-laden clothes, then stepped into the shower. I thought about my departure. Leaving Bellingham was bittersweet. I grew up here. Armond died here, and I healed from his death in this place. It was here that we refitted the Woohoo and sailed her in the islands. My Aunt lives here. I have friends here. The more I thought about it, the more loss I felt. I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my cheeks. It seemed like a whole lot to sacrifice.

  “What do ya think, baby? Is it right?” I asked Armond out loud—needing reassurance—as the water poured over me. I felt a flow of peace come over me, and I knew that was my answer. “Okay then. Help Eliott watch over Elinor,” I told him, then stepped out of the shower.

  I emptied the ground safe under my house into a travel bag, along with my bedroom wall safe. Since I already shipped Elinor all the photos and sentimental things in the house, there wasn’t much more for me to pack, except clothes. I did find some old journals and burned them in the fireplace.

  “You’ve been good to me, Sinéad,” I said out loud to my SmartWired computer. Even though she was a computer entity, she had helped keep me safe; she felt more like a friend.

  It seemed to me that it was with emotion that she replied, “Thank you, Ann.”

  Hearing a car pull up the driveway, I saw through the window that it was Joe’s van. Lulu popped up from her nap and moved to the front window to look out. “Sinéad, open the garage door.”

  “It’s opening, Ann.”

  I looked at my watch; it was two in the afternoon. With Joe’s arrival, I closed the room-darkening shades in the front of the house. Joe pulled his van into the garage, and the outer door closed. Walking through the side door into the garage, I met Joe as he was closing his van door. He was holding his workbag. I waved him inside. He followed me into the house before we spoke, since it was the only unsecured part of the house. Lulu forwardly sniffed Joe. He bent down to pet her, and she wagged her bottom.