Until Time Stands Still

by Scott, Lona

  “What about the others?” Johnny’s woman, Chloe said quietly.

  “What others?” Johnny asked.

  “Well…what if the General doesn’t actually know anything? Could it be one of the other men, Captain?” She asked Graham.

  “He knows something.” Mykel said.

  “She’s got a point though.” Graham said. “Colonel Davis and Major Ruiz have to know something about all this too.” He sighed. “We have to investigate all of them.”

  “I just want Isabelle back.” He sighed and went to the window. “I have to find her.” These last several months without her had been hell on him. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. Most nights he stayed up working out, because it was the only thing he could do that didn’t remind him of her in some way. When he did sleep, he crashed on the couch because he couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping in the same bed she had slept in. Every time he looked to her side of the bed, her pillow, he was filled with rage, guilt and grief. Most nights he didn’t even come home, because even looking at his dishes reminded him of the night they buried Jacob and the way she had given herself over to him, made love to him until nothing else mattered, and finally admitted that she loved him. No matter how mad she got at him, he knew she loved him.

  He barely ate. He had lost thirty pounds in the last couple of weeks and he looked haggard. Johnny was constantly trying to force food on him, but he threw up most of it from stress. Apparently he had an ulcer. Not knowing if she was eating well, or if she was okay ate him up inside. Literally. He would never be whole again, until he had her in his arms again and knew that she and his baby were safe from harm. “We have to find her and bring her home.”

  “We will man.” Bryant came up behind him and put his arm on his shoulder.

  **********

  Isabelle paced her glass cage in irritation. Every day someone came to give her more of those awful green drinks, but they stopped answering her questions whenever she asked about Mykel. Eventually she stopped asking and started noticing the patterns. The same nurse at the same time each day came to check her blood pressure and temperature and ask her how she was feeling. An hour later, someone else brought her breakfast. Oatmeal, fruit and nuts, a slice of ham, scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms and peppers in it, and milk. Eventually she was able to eat without puking.

  At noon, they brought her lunch of vegetable soup, an apple, and a sandwich. Sometimes they added a salad with chicken or turkey in it. In the afternoons, she got a snack. Usually it was carrots and celery with peanut butter, and more fruit. Dinner was usually chicken or beef, with a baked potato or rice, with some kind of vegetable and a roll. For dessert they gave her yogurt and berries, or peaches and cottage cheese. What she really wanted was a brownie or a piece of cheesecake, but the nurse scolded her and told her it wasn’t healthy for the baby. There was always a bottle of water or a container of milk or apple juice.

  There was always a vitamin pill at each meal, which she was suspicious of. They told her it was a prenatal vitamin and it would help make the baby healthy. When she questioned taking it so many times a day, with the green drink, the nurse got mad and yelled at her, calling her ungrateful and told her she was selfish and not thinking of her baby. Every time she saw the woman, she felt like crying.

  She didn’t say anything to the woman, but after that she only took the pill once a day. She flushed the rest of them when the guards changed shifts. Something about it seemed too weird, so she only took the morning dose when the mean nurse was watching her. The rest of the time, she was alone and no one spoke to her. She spent days and weeks trying to talk to the guards that monitored the video feeds, but none of them ever spoke to her. They rarely ever looked up at all. Eventually she stopped trying to talk to them.

  The nights were the worst. She missed Mykel fiercely. Sometimes she just laid in bed and cried, wishing he could hold her at night. She missed his smell, the way he laughed, the way he teased her and joked around, the intense look in his eyes when she knew he wanted her. She missed the body heat that radiated off him in the cold of the night, and the way he would spoon up against her with his hands all over her. He knew she was his, and he touched her in a way that left no doubt in her mind that she belonged to him. She even missed his snoring. Sometimes she would just lay awake at night and wonder if he was even looking for her. He had told her one time that if she ever left him, he wouldn’t come for her. Maybe he just thought she left him. Who knows what they had told him. She’d have to find a way to come back to him herself. She was determined to get free, before the baby was born and find Mykel. She wanted him to be there to see his child born. She needed him to be there. She needed him to keep them both safe and to help her raise the baby.

  She spent most of her days reading books and magazines and talking to the baby. Her belly was growing bigger and bigger by the day, and she got excited every time she felt the baby move, which seemed to happen constantly. She would sing to the baby some of the lullaby’s she remembered, and told the baby about Mykel. She would read to the baby out loud, the same way she had done with Mykel. Or sing along with some of the music she was allowed to have.

  She requested several baby and parenting books. At first they refused to give them to her. When she pointed out that most parents in her time read books to prepare for the birth and learn about childcare, they finally relented, but the initial refusal was odd. Why wouldn’t they want her reading books on how to take care of her child? Wouldn’t they want her to take good care of the baby they were so concerned about? The nurse got mad at her for pointing this out too. It was then that she realized there was so much more going on. Call it women’s intuition or mother’s instinct, but she got the distinct impression that the nurse didn’t care about her at all. All she cared about was the health of the baby. Not her. Isabelle knew that once the baby was born, she was expendable.

  She did not want that nurse anywhere near her and refused to speak to her after that day. She totally ignored the woman and would not submit to her daily monitoring. She just glared at her. One time, she even hit the woman when she grabbed her arm too hard and tried to force her to sit down for the blood pressure test. Beyond irritated, Isabelle hit her, and busted the woman’s nose. She screamed and began kicking her, until the guards came in and removed the nurse. She cursed viciously at all of them, and for two days they left her alone. Someone brought her meals but did not enter the room. They were simply slid through the small hatch on the locked door. The next time a nurse entered the room, it wasn’t the mean one, but another woman. She smiled and behaved much more kindly to her. Not that it eased her mind any.

  Today she was anxious because the doctor was going to examine her again and this time, do an ultrasound to find out the sex of her baby. She wanted to know. She was hoping for a boy because she had seen first-hand how women were treated in the future, and she didn’t want that for her child if she was a girl. The thought made her blood run cold. She paced the floor, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach to sooth the baby, who kicked viciously while she paced. It was as if her baby was just as anxious.

  “It’s okay little one.” She whispered. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Daddy won’t either.” She promised. She sat in the chair in the corner and rocked, rubbing her growing stomach, waiting for the doctor to come.

  When the doctor came in, he was scribbling something on a clipboard as he came through the door. Isabelle watched him as he slid his keycard through a scanner against the wall and the glass panel slid sideways.

  “How are you feeling today Isabelle?” He asked kindly.

  “Fine, Doctor Fitzer.”

  “Good. Good.” He said smiling. “Shall we go take some pictures of the baby?” He helped her to stand up, which she found mildly irritating. She wasn’t that pregnant yet. She could still stand up and walk just fine, but she let him lead her out of her glass cage and down the hallway. There were no other doors, and no color on the walls. It was all grey cement, like an undergrou
nd bunker. At least now she knew why there were no windows.

  “Where am I anyway?” She asked the doctor.

  “Why, you’re still on the base, Ma’am. Just a separate space.” He led her to a small room that was set up like an exam space. He led her to the raised exam table and helped her to lay down.

  He asked her some basic questions and felt around her belly, pushing this way and that. He measured her stomach and listened to the baby’s heartbeat and hers.

  “Ok, all that looks good.” He said. “You’re blood pressure is perfect. Let’s get a look at that baby now, shall we?”

  He helped her to lay back and raised her shirt. He flipped a switch on the ultrasound machine and squirted the cold gel on her tummy. He began to move the wand over her raised bump. It kind of tickled.

  “There we go.” He said, he pointed to the screen. “There’s the baby’s spine, and head.” He clicked a button on the machine and the image froze. He moved the wand again. “Wow…Would you like to know the sex?” He asked.

  “Yes please.” She said, looking up at the monitor.

  “Well, it looks as if you are having twins, Miss Carter. A boy for sure.” He said. He moved the wand a bit to the left, and found the second baby. “Here’s your son. He’s giving us a pretty good full frontal view at the moment. The first baby is laying with his or her back to us, so we can’t see the genital region. If your twins are identical, it’s another boy, but if they aren’t identical, then it could be a girl.”

  “Oh.” She gasped. Her heart lurched as she watched the screen. Her babies were in there, and they were in danger. “I wish Mykel could see this.” She whispered. “He would be so happy to know he’s having a son. And twins. He should know. Can you tell him?” She asked, as tears began to fall.

  “Of course I can Ma’am.” He said, “And we can try another ultrasound in a few weeks to see if we can get a good view of the sex of your other baby.” He said excitedly. She stared at the doctor suspiciously, but chose not to speak. She focused instead on her babies and asked him for pictures.

  They took her back to her glass box. Her lunch was waiting there for her. She ate without really tasting, lost in thoughts of Mykel, and willing him to find her. She drifted off to sleep thinking of his arms around her, holding her, and his babies. More than anything, she just wanted to see him one more time.

  ******************

  “We got it.” Will said, clicking a few more buttons on the Generals computer.

  “You’re in?” Mykel asked, coming up behind him.

  “Yep. I’m searching his files for Isabelle’s name, or yours, and any mention of underground facilities or blueprints.”

  “How long will that take?” Mykel asked.

  “I’m not sure.” He said. “It depends on what we find.”

  Mykel sighed and went back to stand lookout at the door. The house was silent. He was amazed that they had gotten in again undetected. It was obvious the General had not suspected anything out of the ordinary happened the night before. They had been lucky. He was just hoping their luck held until he could find Isabelle and get her to safety. He had been clinging to that one last thread of hope to keep him breathing. So many times, late at night, he had put his sidearm to his head and almost swallowed a bullet. The one thought that stopped him was her being alive, waiting for him to come find her. Again. This time, he was never going to let her out of his sight, and she wasn’t going anywhere without him ever again.

  “Found it.” Will said suddenly. He put a memory stick in the machine and copied the files.

  “Where is she?” Mykel demanded, a little too loudly.

  “Hush.” Will hissed. “Let’s just get the files and get out of here, then we can formulate a plan and get your girl back. Be cool man.”

  Mykel grinned for the first time in weeks.

  Chapter 12

  “Mykel, do you want to lead this mission?” Graham said. “She’s your woman, after all.” The group gathered at his house to share information and discover where Isabelle was hiding. “We’ll follow your lead.” The others looked at him in surprise. Graham never offered such a thing. Ever. He was a born leader and they would all follow him into hell if he asked.

  “I’d rather not.” Mykel said. “I’m going to be focused on Isabelle…I don’t want to have to worry about everyone else too. Thanks for that though.”

  “You sure man?” Bryant asked. “I’d follow you just as much as Graham, you know. Besides, it’s not very often one of us gets a chance to boss the Boss man.”

  “I’m sure. This will go better if we keep the group dynamic how it’s always been. We can’t fuck this one up.” He shrugged. “Besides, we won’t be here much longer anyway.”

  “I’m just looking forward to all the good eats.” Bryant said, smacking his lips. They all laughed.

  “The ration packs are really nasty.” Johnny agreed.

  “Okay, here’s how it will go. I’ll take point. Mykel, you’re going to go with Johnny to find Isabelle. She may need a medic since she’s pregnant, just in case.”

  “Bryant, I want you laying down cover as we make our way out. I don’t care if you have to blow the whole place, so long as we have a clear path out. Got it?”

  “Ooohh goody!” He said, rubbing his hands with glee. His eyes lit up and he grinned. “Like the Fourth of July, Top!”

  “Only if you have too, you little pyro freak.” Graham laughed.

  “Graham…I have an idea.” Will said, clicking a few buttons on the computer.

  “Before we leave, I’m going to need at least twenty minutes in the Portal room computer system.”

  “What for?” Graham asked.

  “Well, since they can track us with the Nanites…I need to erase all traces of us from the mainframe. Someone needs to go into the medical lab and destroy all our blood samples, and burn any paper files, so they can’t re-input our genetic profiles. Then, I can imbed a virus that activates as soon as we jump through…and eats away at our electronic files as soon as the portal closes behind us.”

  “You can do that?” Mykel asked.

  “In theory.” Will shrugged. “If I can get enough time.”

  “We’ll make sure you get it. Your job is to gain us that room and make sure we can’t be tracked.” Graham said. “I’ll handle the blood samples. Then we hit the sublevel. Questions?”

  “What about our women? Where will they be?” Bryant asked.

  “We can take them through while Graham is doing his thing.” Johnny suggested.

  “No. We don’t want to alarm anyone by activating the portal twice. We all go together at the same time. We can have them waiting with Will, ready to go as soon as we get Isabelle.” Graham said. “If this goes sideways, Will, you’ll need to get the women out first.”

  “No matter what happens to us.” Mykel said. “Get Isabelle safe. Whatever it takes.”

  “Okay boys, let’s keep this quiet as long as possible. Let’s move out.” Graham said.

  They had their gear spread across Mykel’s kitchen table and all over the floor. Handguns, knives, explosives, sniper rifles, swords, gps, night vision, medical supplies, food, water, all disappeared within minutes, carefully packed away in pouches, pockets and bags. Armour and weapons secured, the team split up each going their separate directions.

  Johnny and Mykel made their way to the unsecured storeroom that, according to the top secret blueprints on the Generals computer, was the old entrance to the sublevel. They found the locked manhole cover buried under a pile of boxes that looked like they hadn’t been touched in the last fifty years or more.

  “I wonder what’s in these boxes.” Johnny said, shoving a stack of them out of the way. “They are kind of heavy.”

  “We don’t have time to look.” Mykel said, heaving another pile off to the side.

  “The lock is rusted. It shouldn’t be hard to break.” Johnny said, kneeling down.

  “Are we sure this is the best way in?” Mykel asked, cu
tting the lock smoothly. He tossed the broken lock off to the side.

  “That’s what Will said. This tunnel connects to the elevator shaft. If we can get in there, we can gain any floor we want.”

  “We don’t even know which floor she’s on.” He said, motioning for Johnny to help him lift the heavy manhole cover.

  “Let’s just get in, first.” He said.

  “I just hope Will had disabled the cameras.” Mykel said, before he dropped carefully into the tunnel.

  *********

  “What do you mean the power went out?” Alexander Palmer shouted

  “The cameras and security alarms are down. No one knows how or why.” Major Ruiz said.