9781940740065

by Paul B. Kohler

  Peter knew, and he wasn’t comfortable with the thought.

  Seeing his eyes intensify, Julie asked, “What are you thinking, Peter?”

  “I don’t know. The thought of them being taken makes my blood boil. I didn’t sign up for this expecting my friends to be hurt.” He paused to catch his breath “I’m gonna march right over there and. . .”

  “Peter, be careful. Whatever you’re thinking, please be careful with the general. He is not the man you think he is.”

  Peter contemplated Julie’s warning. He leaned back, wine glass in hand, and thought. General Applegate was not the man he once thought he was. That was obvious.

  “What do you think?” Peter asked sincerely.

  “I don’t know what to think. If he lured you into this mission like he did with me, we don’t have a lot of options. Part of me wants to be right there with you, and march right into his office and junk-punch him until he gives us our lives back. . .”

  Peter raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard Julie’s choice of torture. “Junk-punch?” asked Peter, with a smile.

  Julie shyly smiled back “Well yeah. What were you thinking of doing to him?”

  “I want to get to the bottom of this, but punching another man in the twig and berries seems a little over the edge.” Peter winked. “Perhaps a more diplomatic approach is in order. I think I’ll have a talk with our fearless leader tomorrow.”

  He was having a fantastic evening with a beautiful woman. A rarity, for sure. Unfortunately, now all he could focus on was Applegate. Peter wanted the truth, no matter how he had to get it.

  CHAPTER 8

  Seven days to Linear Shift

  Peter sat in the kitchen thinking about last night with Julie. He couldn’t shake their conversation about how Applegate was probably responsible for Benny and Stella’s disappearance. As he waited for Trevor to pick him up, he ran through a number of scenarios about what might have happened, and each result pointed at Applegate. He stressed about the inevitable confrontation with the general and jeopardizing his place on the team. Then he wondered if Trevor knew anything about their sudden vanishing. He made a point of asking him on the drive in.

  Lost in thought, he didn’t hear the car pull up or the first rap on the door. It was the second knock that got his attention. Peter sprang from his chair and answered the door.

  Trevor was standing patiently on the edge of the porch when Peter opened the door. “Morning, Trevor.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Cooper. Ready to go?”

  “Just about. Come on in while I grab a jacket and my keys,” Peter said, hoping to have a moment with him before they left for the warehouse.

  “That’s all right. I’ll just wait in the car. You won’t be long I trust?” replied Trevor.

  Peter retraced his steps to the kitchen to grab his jacket off the back of his chair. He turned off the lights and made his way back to the foyer. He scooped his keys from the table and locked the door on his way out.

  Trevor was still driving the town car from the night before. Peter fastened the seatbelt as Trevor pulled away from the curb.

  “I wanted to thank you again for last night. You really went beyond the call of duty dressing up in that chauffeur outfit. Julie was quite impressed as well,” Peter said, hoping to soften Trevor’s usually rigid demeanor with flattery.

  “It was my pleasure, Mr. Coop . . . Peter,” Trevor replied.

  “You seemed to handle the role of chauffeur quite well. Did you used to drive limos or something?”

  “No, sir. I’ve been in security for the last four years after spending twenty years in the marines.”

  “Wow. Twenty years as a jarhead?”

  Trevor took his eyes of the road momentarily and glared at Peter. Oops.

  “Sorry, Trevor. Nothing meant by it. Old habits, I guess. I was an army guy myself.” Peter felt relieved when Trevor’s expression returned to its usual passive state. Trevor was a guy that stood six two and was clearly pushing 275 pounds. Peter did not want to piss him off.

  “It’s all right, Peter. Army guys and marines have never really seen eye to eye.”

  You speak no lies, Peter thought to himself. He then pounced on the opportunity to shift the conversation.

  “Security for four years? All with General Applegate?”

  “Nope. I’ve been independent for most of that time, contracting occasionally with the secret service. I’ve only been with the general for a few months.”

  Holy shit, thought Peter. This guy worked for the secret service? Applegate didn’t fuck around.

  “So, you were probably involved with that whole situation at Herb’s a few weeks ago?” Peter asked, hoping that his frankness wasn’t out of line.

  Trevor continued to focus on the road for a few moments before replying, “I’m not at liberty to discuss details of my position without General Applegate’s approval.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to pry,” Peter interjected. “It’s just that I remember seeing Mark and Julie there, and I was just curious if you were part of my recruitment.”

  “I’m sorry, Peter. I can’t talk about the mission,” Trevor said with such finality that Peter knew the door just slammed shut. The rest of the ride passed in silence. Peter decided that Applegate was the only person who could answer his questions. Lucy’s got some splainin’ to do, he thought.

  After Trevor dropped him off, he made his way up to the ops center. He hoped that he was early enough to have some time alone with the general before the morning briefing.

  When Peter walked in, the room was vacant. The computers were humming, probably processing some mission scenarios.

  Returning to the mezzanine gangway, he walked down to the break room. It was also devoid of any personnel. Strange, Peter thought. There is usually at least one of the doctors around.

  He continued down the walkway and decided to try the unmarked offices. The first door was locked, and after a series of unanswered knocks, he moved on. The second door was unlocked, but the office was empty. Peter moved to the third door, also unlocked. He popped his head in and found Applegate and the two doctors. Applegate looked up at the sound of the door opening.

  “Peter. Is there something you need? Briefing is still twenty minutes from now.”

  Stepping fully into the office, Peter said “I was hoping to have a few words with you, General. Before the briefing.”

  “Can’t it wait? We’re really quite busy,” Applegate said.

  “No, I think we should talk now,” Peter pressed, as he moved over to the general’s desk.

  “All right then.” Applegate looked at Drs. Lamb and Larsson. “Can you two finish this report and have it ready for the briefing?”

  They nodded in unison and extricated themselves from the two chairs in front of Applegate’s desk. They walked out, closing the door behind them.

  “OK, Peter. You have my full attention. What is so important?”

  Peter sat across from General Applegate and paused. He had stressed about how he was going to confront the general on the drive into the warehouse. Now that he was there, he froze.

  “Peter?” prompted the general.

  “Uh, yeah. I wanted to talk to you about something that’s been bothering me.”

  General Applegate sat silent, waiting.

  “Well, it has to do with my friend Benny; actually, it has to do with my friends Benny and Stella. I cannot seem to find either one of them.”

  “Why would you concern yourself with either of them?” inquired Applegate.

  “Well, they’re my friends. That’s what friends do—they talk to each other from time to time,” Peter replied. As the words left his mouth, he began to get upset again. He had hoped to maintain a cool demeanor, but he quickly realized that it was going to be difficult.

  “Talking to them put us all in an uncomfortable position in the first place. I understand your desire to maintain your friendships, but after the shift, they may or may not even be an acquaintance.”r />
  “What the hell kind of answer is that?” demanded Peter. “You can train me and send me on this mission, but to hell with you for telling me who I can or cannot have as friends.”

  “That’s not what I said. I merely suggested that you forget about maintaining friendships that might not be the same after you return from your mission,” Applegate said.

  Peter sat a moment while the general’s words sank in. When he spoke, he tried his hardest to not snap. “I know for a fact that both Benny and Stella are missing. I think you have something to do with it. I ask,” Peter raised his voice, “no, I demand that you tell me what happened to them!” Peter pounded his fist on the edge of the desk.

  Barely flinching at the outburst, Applegate maintained his composure. He stared Peter directly in the eye as he said, “Yes, they are missing, but not lost. I have them here in the warehouse.”

  Peter was speechless.

  “Trust me Peter, they are unharmed. Actually, they are being well cared for.”

  “You took them? That’s kidnapping! What gives you the right to take people against their will?” Peter snapped.

  “You gave us that right when you talked about the mission, Peter.” Applegate snapped back. “You gave us no other choice. Besides, they were not kidnapped. They are just our extended guests.” General Applegate leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands across his ample belly.

  Peter, in turn, leaned back in his chair. He supposed he always knew the general was involved, but it was still shocking to hear him admit it.

  “Call it what you will. You took them without their consent. What are you going to do with them? People will start asking questions sooner or later.”

  “Oh, that will never happen. They are our guests until the mission launches. At that point, they will be released,” Applegate stated.

  “So until then, they are just rotting in some cell here?”

  “They’re not in a cell, Peter. They are in two small apartments in the basement. The apartments are fully furnished and I assure you, they are quite comfortable.”

  “Do they know what is going on? I am sure they must be confused or scared, or both for that matter.”

  “They have been told that it was for their own safety that they remain here and that it was a security precaution linked to your new job.”

  Calming minutely, Peter asked “So, they’re OK with everything?”

  “They are coping with the changes as expected. Would they be happier in their own homes? Certainly, but that’s not an option.”

  Peter paused in contemplation. General Applegate didn’t offer anything further. The room was silent; the tension thick. Peter pressed on with his next round of questions.

  “I’m curious, general. Why is it so important that we not talk about the mission? Why all the hush-hush? If we’re going back to make this big shift, why would it matter if people know?”

  “It’s not that simple. There are organizations in the world that don’t take time travel lightly. These people will stop at nothing to prevent our success. Once the team has departed, the threat will disappear.”

  The reasons from the general seemed valid enough, but Peter was still not satisfied with the situation with his friends. “Do I have your word that they will be released when we leave for 1942?”

  “Yes, Peter. They will be released unharmed. If I did not plan on releasing them, why would I keep them alive?”

  Peter’s blood ran cold. Keep them alive? He was afraid to push the subject any further.

  “All right then. If they are aware of the situation, can I see them? A friendly face might go a long way.”

  Now it was Applegate’s turn to contemplate. He sat motionless for a moment before replying, “I don’t see a problem with that. However, we will be listening to insure that you do not divulge anything about the mission.”

  He thought about arguing that it wouldn’t matter because of the shift but recanted. “Fine. It will be just a friendly visit, and I’ll tell them that it’s all top secret and I can’t say anything. Deal?”

  “That is acceptable. I’ll set something up at the end of today. I need your focus on training. Also, I ask that you please keep this between us. No need to involve the rest of the team.”

  “Agreed.” Peter stood up and strode out of Applegate’s office without another word.

  CHAPTER 9

  Seven days to Linear Shift

  After another arduous day of training, Applegate led Peter through the mock village. They arrived at the basement door within minutes—the same door where the confrontation with Mark had occurred just a few days before. Peter wondered if Mark had talked to Applegate about the incident. He decided to not ask.

  Applegate opened the door and motioned Peter to lead the way down the steps. At the bottom, he stepped up and swiped his RFID badge across a reader hidden behind a wall panel. A metallic whine and click sounded as the door popped open.

  “Well. This is as far as I go. I have far too much going on at the moment to accompany you down to sublevel 10,” Applegate said as his left eye blinked rapidly, and his neck tensed up causing his head to tilt to the side.

  Making a mental note of Applegates bizarre reaction, he asked “Should I be concerned?”

  “Oh, no. Not at all. It’s just that this facility is a decommissioned military bunker, and where you are headed is several stories down. This warehouse was built over the bunker entrance, where we are standing right now. You will understand my hesitation once you’ve arrived.”

  “If you’re not coming, how will I find my way?”

  Just as Peter asked the question, Trevor stepped through the security door. “I’ll be taking you down, Mr. Cooper.”

  Peter looked up at the behemoth and felt a little more at ease. Despite Trevor being a bit odd, he actually liked the guy.

  “Great. We’re back to Mr. Cooper again,” Peter teased. Before Trevor could reply, Peter stepped through the door and nodded to General Applegate as he disappeared out of sight.

  Trevor closed the door behind them and took the lead down the corridor. Peter could smell the scent of fresh paint and new vinyl flooring.

  “So. We’re going to see Benny and Stella,” Peter said pointedly. Trevor was quiet but not stupid.

  “Yeah, sorry about this morning, Mr. uh . . . Peter. I wanted to talk to you about it, but you know. I was just doin’ my job.”

  “Don’t sweat it, big guy. Where are we going anyway?”

  “We’re going pretty deep. Ten floors down. I don’t enjoy going down there myself, but it’s part of the job, you know.”

  Trevor stopped at the end of the corridor and swiped his own RFID card across a reader and the door opened. Trevor pressed on, barely waiting for Peter to keep up. On the other side of the steel door, their environment changed. It was like the door itself was the time machine. They walked into something out of an old military movie: a long, semi-circular shaped tunnel with pipes and conduit running along the apex of the curve and old jelly jar light fixtures hung every fifty feet or so. From what Peter could tell, the tunnel went on for several hundred feet.

  They continued down the tunnel until they came to an older steel door that looked like a blast door. It was more than a foot thick and was wide open. Peter imagined it probably hadn’t been closed in many years due to rust. Trevor turned into the wide opening and followed a new passage another thirty feet before coming to a stairway heading down.

  “You ready?” Trevor asked, pausing only a moment for Peter to reply.

  “Really? Stairs? Isn’t there an elevator or something? You said ten floors down, right?”

  “Yes, sir. Ten floors down—no elevator. This place is a relic from the cold war. It’s pretty much essentials only down here. You’re not concerned, are you?”

  “Me? No. I’m not worried about the trip down. Just the trip back up.”

  Trevor laughed, and Peter couldn’t recall the big man laughing at any other point since meeting him.

&n
bsp; Trevor started the descent, and, fortunately, took the stairs at a relatively leisurely pace. The stair treads were diamond embossed steel. The original army green paint was mostly worn away from years of use, and even the diamond pattern had significant wear near the center of the stairs.

  The stairwell consisted of three tiers per floor, with a landing on the fourth side. In the center of the tiers was a large shaft that Peter assumed was meant for a lift during construction. But try as he might, he could not see through the wire metal screen, most likely installed to prevent a fall.

  As they passed each landing, Peter mentally noted the approximate floor height. Based on the number of risers per floor, he estimated that each level was about twenty-four feet tall. A door at each landing had the associated level stenciled in black paint. They started at SUB-1, and as they descended, the number increased consecutively.

  Some fifteen minutes later, they arrived at SUB-10, and from what Peter could see, the stairway continued to drop down farther. He also felt the temperature drop. Ten degrees, he guessed.

  Breaking the silence, Peter asked, “You have to make this trip every day?”

  “Nope. Mark and I alternate every other day. It’s not too bad. Great exercise, if you ask me.”

  Trevor walked up to the door, slid a large steel shaft to the side, and pulled the heavy door open. The door squeaked in protest, but the offending noise was short lived. Peter could instantly smell something baking. The aroma of cookies or maybe a cake permeated his nostrils. Trevor stepped through the door and then to the side. Peter followed, and as he did so, Trevor pointed toward a light at the end of yet another corridor.

  “That’s where your friends are. They have this entire level, and I think they will be happy to see you.”

  “Thanks, Trevor. How long do I have with them?” Peter asked.

  “The general didn’t give me a time limit. Seeing as I’m your ride home, you can take your time.”

  Trevor stepped back into the stairwell and began climbing the stairs two at a time. Peter was surprised at being left alone with his buddies.