“How can he get normal if he won't talk?” I asked.
“I don't know if he can. So don't make it harder for him. When he's ready, we'll find out.”
“Linda, remember what happened when you finally came home?” Mom asked. “You said you couldn't believe you'd left. And you were gone almost six months.”
“He's been gone that long now,” I said.
Ashley interrupted. “I keep telling you, so pay attention, Linda. I've been to places in the portal where he's spent time. I've seen some of the people he's known. Not just in his mind and memory, he's relived years, day by day. Time has no meaning to him right now. He's been gone thirteen years, and you need to accept that. He has a lot of catching up to do. And a lot of forgetting.”
After forty-five minutes, Mom said we should go home. She said that Ashley could bring Fritz home. Jane had been unusually quiet, but she said not to expect Fritz quite yet. She told me to let him find his world his own way.
“If he wants to come home tonight, I'll call you. Don't stay up past midnight though.”
“What if he doesn't come back?” I asked.
“He'll be back,” Ashley said.
Chapter 65
Ashley
WHEN LINDA FINALLY pulled away, Fritz had been gone for more than an hour. Jane and I sat down again. Each plate had uneaten pancakes and none of the second batch had been touched.
“What makes you so sure he'll come back?” Jane asked.
“I'm not. But Linda being here makes his transition back difficult. He's just been rejected by Kate. I spent a few months with him. The portal has changed him. But now that he's back in our time, our universe, and without a way to escape, we're the only familiar faces he knows, the only fixed place he can latch onto. If he's not back soon, I'll go get him.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“Like you said, we're connected. He's walking, absorbing the Riverboro he may or may not remember.” I checked my watch. “Unless I've guessed wrong, he'll be at Lou's Midtown around midnight. That'll be the only place open by the time he walks to downtown.”
“Do you think he went home?”
“Absolutely. That's one of the first places. But he'll be cold soon. And tired. So he'll be inside. Do you want to come with me?”
“I should stay here in case he comes back while you're searching. Ash, do you think he and Linda can patch things up? I mean he hardly looked at her, or said a word to TJ.”
“What you don't know is that he's carried a photo of them in his wallet all this time. TJ will be two, and has seen Fritz for less than a year. Coming home can't be easy. But to answer your question, Fritz and Linda are smart and resilient. They need time, each of them. When he remembers why he left in the first place, the pieces will begin to come together. I may need to remind him, but yes, I think they'll be able to patch things up.”
At quarter to twelve, I grabbed an extra jacket, told Jane I wouldn't be long, and headed to find Fritz. Somehow, and I didn't know for sure why, Fritz would show up. As I slowed for a parking spot, I saw him, standing in front of Linda's store. At an open spot in front of the bar, I parked and adjusted the mirror to watch him. As I had predicted, he crossed his arms and rubbed each to get some warmth, then turned in my direction, and walked in the bar. I rushed in behind him and sat in the next seat. He nodded to me, like I was a stranger.
“I brought a jacket, Fritz. It's in the car.” He glanced at me.
“Oh hello, Ashley. Didn't know you'd be here.”
“Let's have a drink. Want a sandwich?”
“Sandwich?” He turned on the bar stool. “Lou's?” he asked.
“Yeah. Lou's. It's too late for something hot.” I ordered two roast beef sandwiches and two beers. Fritz said he wanted a shot of Jack. “Make it two,” I told the barman.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“It's strange. I'm used to the smell of horse dung and country air. And you can't imagine how quiet nighttime is.”
“Did you go to your house?”
“Walked past. After I went to the school. I looked into my classroom. Pretty much like I remember it. Do you remember going after the president when they took him hostage? And the Summit, taking Putin to see his childhood home?”
“I remember. Obviously, so do you. Little by little, Fritz. We can talk about all we've done tomorrow, or after.”
The bartender placed our sandwiches on the bar, and slid the shots and beers in front of us. I lifted the shot glass. “Slainte,” he said. We tapped our glasses and downed the golden shots. Between bites, he asked me what would happen next. Sleep first, I said, then we'd deal with whatever tomorrow placed on the table. As we left, Fritz turned right. I told him the car was in front of us.
“We met Rachel and Nicole here with Ben Franklin,” he said.
“I remember. They exist in the other dimension, too. I had a few interesting, that's not a strong enough word, months with them. You spent time with me there too, Fritz. After we reversed the Koppler killings. Before you disappeared again with General Lee. I'll tell you more tomorrow.”
Instead of a U-turn, I drove around the block, past other shops that might help jog his memory. On the way, he asked where I was taking him.
“To my house, for tonight. You need to find yourself and get your bearings.”
“Good. I'm not sure what to do. Linda is a stranger right now.” For the rest of the short drive, he looked out the window.
In all the years that we've been friends, he's been the stable, reliable one. I know that I've caused more than one sleepless night for him. But I would never hurt him or desert him. Our roles reversed as the portal took over so much of our lives. He became less predictable, and in retrospect, bolder, braver, and more erratic. He's my friend, so I've joined him in these escapades and adventures, but now, I feel like his older brother, trying to keep him safe. Not like I did with my own younger brother on that awful hunting trip. Seeing Fritz as he is now, well, it's a painful reminder of how badly I've done.
As I pulled in my driveway, Jane opened the door. Fritz saw her and asked, “Are you married?”
“Not yet. I've been waiting for you.” I reminded him that he had agreed to be my best man.
Before he climbed out, he said, “That was such a long time ago.”
Chapter 66
Jane
WHEN FRITZ WALKED in, I thought of Peter Pan and the lost boys. His puffed out shirt and pants belted tight, his jutting cheek bones over a sharp jaw reflected a man in need of care. His brown eyes were blank, and I would say unaware. Even walking, he stepped carefully, trying to avoid some unseen obstacle.
“Fritz, come in the kitchen,” I said. Without a word, he shifted direction and sat where he'd been earlier. I asked him if he wanted something to eat. He shook his head. Ash sat next to him and said that tomorrow would be a better day.
“What are you going to do about work?” Ashley asked me.
I told him I would call and tell them I had a family emergency, or something. I had until morning to invent an excuse. “I have to talk to the president.”
“Then let's get Fritz settled, and get some sleep. I think we're going to need it.”
Morning came too quickly. Ashley's phone rang at six a.m. Linda wanted a report, which started an argument. Ashley told her that Fritz was asleep and that she'd awakened us. He listened to what she had to say but told her not to come here.
“Linda, I won't let you in. Give him a chance to acclimate.”
By the time he ended the call, I had a towel drying my face. Cold water works wonders this early in the morning. Fritz had left the door open to an empty room. When I told Ashley, he sighed heavily, dressed and walked out, while I put on a shirt and jeans. Hearing them talking erased my concern. At least, Ash didn't have to chase him again.
“Good morning, Jane,” Fritz said, as I showed myself. “Thank you both for letting me stay here.” In front of him, a half-full bowl of puffed rice still popped, a mil
k carton stood in the middle of the table next to his coffee cup.
“You're up early,” I said. His light-hearted cheeriness confounded me after his actions of the previous night. “Did you sleep well?”
“I'd forgotten how comfortable a mattress can be. But this is my normal morning time. At least, it was.”
I anticipated a frown or a return of the fog in his eyes. That didn't happen. Instead, he smiled, his eyes twinkled, the bad episode having vanished.
“You look rested. Are you ready to take on the new world? How do you feel?”
“Like a different person. Not exactly myself, whoever that is or was or will be. But we have a lot to talk about.”
So I poured coffee, while Ashley whipped up scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Fritz talked. First, he led us on his previous night's journey, then he talked about mornings with General Lee. How he collected freshly-laid eggs, the bread he baked and would bring as his gift, and which Mrs. Lee made into a meal.
“You had breakfast with the general every day?” I asked.
“Most days. Then we would walk to the campus. In the beginning, I asked a lot of questions about how I would learn to live. He always said the same thing, 'Patience, Mr. Russell.' The second day, he said I would begin teaching the next day, and showed me my classroom, and the handful of books I had available. For the past four years, I've been instructing those young men.”
“What did you teach?” Ash asked.
“History, government, civics, geography, current events. Current events presented a different perspective for me. I had only read about some of the things that my students experienced firsthand. With so few books and limited access to research, I had to rely on old habits. My lists, and copious note-taking. Just like the old days.” He halted his story as the words struck.
“Which old days?” Ashley asked.
“You know, I'm not sure.” Although the comment wasn't funny, we all laughed at the irony.
At quarter to eight, I called work and said I'd be out for a few days. My supervisor wished me well and told me to take as much time as I needed.
“I think I'm about to lose my job,” I said.
“Why?” Ash asked.
“He told me to take all the time I need. I expected him to yell about leaving him with all kinds of extra work. I don't have that much to do, but he was too nice.”
“Then you need to call the Man.”
I sat down with another cup of coffee. I didn't want to call the president so early, so Fritz continued his tale. He said that he'd become comfortable riding a horse, and began to venture further away, looking for books, magazines and newspapers to buy or borrow. He said that after a few months, he rode to Richmond and collected as much material as he could.
“I bought a couple of copies of Harper's Weekly, and a copy of Goday's Lady's Book for Mrs. Lee. Did you know that the editor of Goday's, Sarah Hale, convinced Lincoln to proclaim Thanksgiving a national holiday? I also borrowed a copy of the National Police Gazette. That's what gave me the idea to start writing science fiction stories.”
“Did you publish any of them?” I asked.
“No. But I've kept them all. Can you imagine how that would screw up time?”
“I think I can imagine it just fine,” Ashley said.
I said, “I'd like to read them, but right now, I need to call the president.”
“Hi Jane. Where are you?”
“Hi, Mr. President. I'm with Ashley. Fritz is here.”
“Here, where?”
“Ash's house.”
“Good. I'll be right over.”
The abrupt end of our call cut short Fritz's history lesson. “He's on his way. Ash, make another pot of coffee.”
Chapter 67
Ashley
IN LESS THAN twenty minutes, a black Suburban parked in front, and Mel Zack and two other agents hopped out. After a careful scan of the neighborhood, the door opened. Surrounding the president, they all came up the steps. I held the storm door open.
“Come in. But what's with all the security? This is Riverboro.”
“That's why I wanted to talk with you. Hi, Fritz. Glad you're home. I'm going to need your help.”
Jane asked, “What's happened?”
The president turned on my TV. The news reported that a North Korean, warhead-topped missile had exploded over Hawaii. “We don't know if the explosion was intentional or an accident. We need to stop a response until we know. Jim Beech called. The military is on the move. As a result, the Russians have heightened their defense alerts and are sending troops toward Europe. The Israelis have activated the Iron Dome, which has set the entire Middle East on a war footing. The Chinese are trying to open communication with North Korea. The Japanese have called for our help, so the Navy is repositioning ships.”
“Mr. President, are you asking to use the portal,” I asked. “The new president doesn't know about it, does he?”
“No. That's why I need you. He has no idea how to deal with this. The wrong decision can set off a nuclear holocaust. We have almost 30,000 troops in South Korea, plus civilians, in imminent danger. Mr. Kim has said he'll launch against the South if we attack.”
“That didn't take long.” Fritz's quiet voice filled the room. “What do you want to do?”
In one question, Fritz had calmed the obviously upset former Commander-in-Chief. “What's the damage in Hawaii? Could it have been accidental?” Before the president could answer, Fritz held up his hand to stop him. “We need to shut down the school, empty it, not a lockdown. Ash, get me a pad.” Fritz stared unblinking at the far wall. I'd seen that same look on Jane's face plenty of times, so I ran and found a yellow pad and pen.
Fritz continued his list, so rather than hand him the pad, I wrote. He looked at me when he saw, and said, “We'll need to call George right now. Mr. President, we'll need General Beech here, and Colonel Mitchell needs to get his team here. Then you're going to need to visit the Oval Office. It might help to contact some of your Cabinet members.” As the list started to take shape, I handed the pad to Fritz.
“Are you back with us,” I asked him. This new version of my old friend rose taller and straighter than I think I have ever seen him. His immediate adjustment to this crisis added confidence to all of us listening.
He asked, “Have you tried to contact any of the people who were at the Summit?”
“I have no authority to act, Fritz. I can only offer advice, so, no, I haven't.”
“The world saw what happens when you all work together. Call Putin. Tell him you're coming to get him. As I recall, the new guy likes him. We'll bring them to the conference room. And we may need to get some others.”
“Do you want me to call George?” I asked.
“Yes, Ash. Tell him to get teachers to take the kids home. They can take three or four each. The kids who can walk don't need a ride. Have all the kids call their parents. George will say what we're doing is irregular. Tell George he's back on the team, and the team is about to take the field. Tell him he needs to call Mr. Chatham first, and don't ask, tell, the superintendent that he's closing the school and the rest of the town's schools should be closed, too. Tell George to keep Tom, Al, and Liz. And Rachel and Nicole.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked. He raised his hand again.
“Tell George to keep Ms. Sweeney and Joe Pettinelli close. We don't have time for George to dither. Okay, do it now. Mr. President, can you call Putin from here?”
“No, but I can from my house. I'll go now.”
“Wait. Jane, please copy the list. I'll need a handful. Ash's printer makes copies. Mr. President, we need the Australians, the New Zealanders and the Indonesians on this.”
The president pursed his lips, and his brow furrowed. Fritz offered a brief grin. Both men were battle-tested comrades-in-arms. Jane ran to my office while I talked to George. To my astonishment, he told me to hold on while he wrote down each item. No argument, no questioning.
“Got it,” George said
. “I'll get started now.”
Jane passed a copy to the president. He said he'd make the calls and meet us at the school as fast as possible.
Fritz said, “Tell Beech we need the planes. Where's Tony?”
“Washington,” Jane said.
“Call him and tell him to get ready. We're coming.”
“How are you going to open the portal?” I asked.
“What did you do with the stuff I left behind?”
“It's in the basement.”
“That's how. Jane, do you have copies of the Summit connections?”
“With the rest of your stuff, Fritz. We cleaned out your desk.”
“Good. Where's the White House brochure?”
I said, “I have it.”
“Good. Okay, let's move. Hi, Mel.”
Chapter 68
Fritz
NOTHING I HAD said required lots of thought. I could see every step. After so many trips through, what we needed was like riding the proverbial bicycle. “It's just past eight-thirty. Mr. President, if you can get me planes, I'll have the portal ready.”
“Okay. Jane, I'll keep you informed. I have your number.”
I asked if one of the agents could stay. I wanted to be sure we had the hands we needed to set up everything in the school.
“Jon Charles, nice to meet you,” the agent said, as the president ran to the Suburban.
“Ash, get the stuff from the basement. I need to get dressed.” A strange memory struck me. Quiet had returned and left. I'd been here before. The portal resumed its role in our lives. I looked in the mirror in my bedroom, and an older model of the skinny kid from North Jersey jumped out at me. My woolen pants had escaped from the mid-1800s. The baggy shirt made me look like a human parachute. I called to Ashley. “Call Linda. Tell her to bring me clothes. I'm going to grab a quick shower.” A shower. I hadn't had one in years. Adjusting the water temperature, a bar of soap not made from animal fat in the backyard, thick, fluffy towels, were all reminders of how the world would change, or how it had changed. Lee had once said to me that we take so much for granted.
The Portal At The End Of The Storm (Quantum Touch Book 6) Page 32