LOST AND FORGOTTEN: Book 2 The Secret Path

by Maurice Barkley

“We know there are gray men on Omaha and presumably on the other four home worlds. We also know they sporadically travel to Paradise to collect taxes and I think we can assume that they collect from other agricultural worlds. I wish we know for sure. I did talk to Bob about this and he had never heard of gray men or tax collectors.

  “Apparently the gray men never knew of the existence of Enigma. Otherwise, there would be signs like a clean trolley track and little gray people running around. The Primes of Mary’s class have just disappeared. At the time of the great disaster, Enigma would have made a great place to go and hide. There are other cities there, but they show no signs of life. The place should have been teeming with Mary’s peers. As far as we know, the only Primes on that planet are the ones in the dormant chambers. I hope that when awakened, they have some of the answers.” I drained my glass. “This leaves me with two big questions: Why did they go and where did they go? Of course, I also have a few hundred other questions.”

  I burned up the last of my black cigar and then ground it out in the ashtray.

  “Funny thing,” Alice said. “At the very beginning of all of this we had to pick up a trail that was maybe fifty years old. The next trail we followed took us back over five thousand years and now this new one can take us back even farther. James, old buddy, if you have many more of these inspirations, we’ll soon be stalking dinosaurs.”

  That ended our business meeting and the rest of the evening was pleasant conversation and easy banter. When it was time to go, Batts vowed his undying love for our Alice and renewed his offer of Bovalino by the Sea. Lucky me, I got another butt squeeze from Angie. I was and still am unsure of her desires and motives. We said our farewells and left.

  CHAPTER 52

  It was another dark and rainy night all over Upstate New York, or at least where I was. Although it was spring, the evening was as warm as summer.

  “Say, James,” Alice said, “wasn’t it a rainy night like this when you first met M1 and M2?”

  “Indeed, it was, my dear,” I replied. “I’ll get in the car. You come sit on my lap and we’ll see if we can recapture the mood.”

  As we jammed into the back seat, M2 commented that I was now in competition with him for the title of das Schwein. The initial plan as we departed was for all of us to go back to my place for the night. After breakfast at the Silver Diner, we would board our helicopter and return to Washington. Yet, well before we reached my driveway, Alice had made some major changes. The reason was that she like me, did fall into the mood of a warm, rainy night.

  We hadn’t gone a full block before she put an arm around my shoulder and said, “James, as much as I’d love to sleep the night away on your living room floor, I’m just too antsy. We’ll be leaving in two or three days, depending on how fast you get back with Bebe. I know she won’t take much convincing because, apparently, she and I could be siblings. Anyway, the horse race or maybe morse race is about to begin and I’m anxious to get to the starting gate. So, how about we stop at your house long enough for you to pick up your gear, leave a note for Harriet and put out some cat chow for Jesus. I think you said that your house manager will be back sometime tomorrow. After that we’ll go, board our chopper and sleep away the remainder of the night. Any discussion?”

  “Hell no,” Harry said. “Let’s get moving.”

  “All those in favor just shut up,” she said.

  The only sound was the purr of the engine and the swish of the wipers as M1 flipped open his phone to alert the helicopter crew.

  “Were they upset at the change of plans?” Amy asked.

  “Not at all,” M1 said. “They’re just sitting around in back of the GPR plant with nothing to do. Had I thought, I would have invited them to Batts. Maybe next time.”

  The whole crew followed me into the house to say goodbye to Jesus. The girls filled the cat’s dishes while I went upstairs to pick up my bags. On the way down, I made a detour to my office to pick up the laptop, my hand-written manuscripts and the title to my Toyota.

  I sat down at the kitchen table to pen a note to Harriet. In it, I included instructions to give the title, the keys and a bundle of my Shenandoah cigars to Molly. I signed the title; put the keys and cigars on top of the paper and that was it. I had finished. I sighed way down deep, pushed back and started to get up when Joe spoke to me. Take the cat with you.

  “What? I exclaimed aloud.

  Everyone was looking at me. “The lonesome one just told me to take Jesus with us.”

  Several voices asked why.

  I spoke aloud. “Yes, tell us why and can you put your answer on speaker for the rest of my pals?”

  The high pitched voice seemed to come from the second button on my shirtfront. “Like the animal Blue, this cat has unique abilities. Some much more refined than even mine. We will be facing many unknowns and we should prepare ourselves as much as possible.”

  I leaned back for a good stretch. “All in favor say ‘meow’.”

  Jesus had joined our tribe. I rewrote my note to Harriet, added a box of cat chow to my baggage, let Alice carry Jesus and then we all got back in the Caddy.

  Once on board our chopper, we all slept until it touched down in front of Bill’s Garage. Alice told me that she would call Bebe in mere minutes. “I won’t tell her the reason for your trip,” she said. “Just grab her and get back here. I’ll keep Jesus with me. I’ll see if I can get him patterned, then I’ll get him a blue pill.”

  At Bill’s garage, Harry and I boarded our aircraft and flew off into the first hints of dawn. Harry joined me with a tray of coffee and some muffins.

  I count myself among the most privileged of people because Harry, after bumming one of my precious Shenandoah cigars and swearing me to secrecy, told me the story of Nora.

  CHAPTER 53

  We touched down at the Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport at mid-morning. The same taxi with the same driver was waiting for me and I left immediately for my rendezvous. The little popcorn machine was still at its post and as busy as ever. Bebe, with folded arms, was watching the little engine crank away as she had done before. Her dress was the same type of simple garment she usually wore, but this time it was a bright green. She glanced my way as I got out of my taxi then turned to meet me half way. Her eyes narrowed as we came close. I offered her the gold coin and she took it in a distracted manner then reached up to touch my face.

  “Have they this time sent me the son of James? When last you were here, you were older than me. Now you appear to be my junior by a decade or more. You must tell me of this miracle.”

  “First walk with me as we did before.” I said.

  There were people about, but very few of them on the walkway, which gave us a private space as we walked arm in arm.

  “I heard nothing from you for a very long time, James.”

  I took that as a question. “I had no choice. My employer sent me on a mission to a far place for reasons that I’ll tell you later. I had no way to call you or anyone else.”

  “I am happy to hear it was duty that took you away. Alice did not answer my calls. I feared it might be that you had lost interest in Bebe, or perhaps you returned to the woman who foolishly left you many years ago.”

  “No, Bebe, that lady has gone her own way, as have I.”

  We walked on in silence until we came to a small bench where we sat down facing each other. Without me asking, she answered the question that interested me only mildly. “Some time ago I asked Alice about your marital status and she told me about Jean. I must tell you something,” she said earnestly. “One or two days now and then are insufficient. It hurts too much when you go away.” She squared her shoulders as if to steel herself for something unpleasant. “I give you your choice. You may have Bebe every day or you may have Bebe never.”

  I answered after what I thought was an appropriate dramatic pause. “I choose Bebe every day.”

  The somber Bebe vanished. The original version bounced up and the arc of her descent landed her firm
ly on my lap. “That makes Bebe very happy, sailor. Now tell me your plans for this poor orphan from Colón.”

  “I’ll tell you,” I said, “but first tell me why your hazel eyes are now green? Are you wearing contacts?”

  “No contacts,” she said, “I am a chameleon. My friends have told me that my eyes seem to reflect the colors that are near me. Why this is I cannot say, but is this a flaw?”

  “Definitely not,” I said firmly. “A charming curiosity yes, but a flaw, never.”

  “Good,” she said, with scrunched up shoulders. “Now tell me where we go.”

  “Rather than tell you about it,” I said, “it is my intention to take you to that far place. That is, if you are willing.”

  “When do we leave?” she asked, without a flicker of hesitation.

  “Today, if you can arrange things here. There’s a private jet waiting for us at the airport.”

  Instead of answering, she jumped up and waved her arm. I looked back and saw Carlos in his bright yellow vehicle accelerating in our direction.

  “Call now for our ride to the airport,” she said.

  I had become accustomed to the unexpected and the unusual. So instead of asking why, I made the call. I advised Harry that there would be two passengers. Meanwhile, Carlos had arrived and Bebe was talking to him in Portuguese or maybe Spanish while hauling two suitcases from the back seat. He reached out to shake my hand then Bebe gave him a hug. The yellow vehicle, still festooned with flowers, swung around and drove off in the general direction of the Beachcomber.

  “You will learn, James, that Bebe has many facets. No big secrets, but many facets. I own some real estate here and among other small ventures I own the little popcorn machine. The man who operates it is a cousin of Carlos. Several people in this city owe their livelihoods to Bebe and it is my good fortune that Carlos is an honorable and capable man.”

  “How about your gold coins?” I asked.

  “He now has them,” she said, “and will use them if necessary. As of this moment, I no longer have concerns about Bebe’s empire in Colón. Why is your skin still brown?

  I don’t think that her abrupt change of topic was a deliberate ploy to throw me off balance. Rather it was one charming manifestation of a keen and busy mind. I told her that I didn’t know and that I hadn’t bothered to ask about it.

  “I like it so we shall leave things as they are and enjoy our good fortune, but look, I think I see our taxi approaching.”

  The cab pulled to a stop and the driver hopped out to put her luggage in the trunk. As soon as we settled ourselves in the back seat, our chauffeur let out the clutch with only a mild jerk and we drove off. Bebe turned around once to look back at the city and I heard her sigh, “Aye, Colón.”

  Harry was there to open the taxi door and after a short introduction, he herded us up the steps and into the aircraft. Halfway up the steps he gave me a thumb in the ribs. I knew that it was his way of silently telling me that I was one lucky hombre. I put the lady in a window seat and took a position opposite to observe her reaction to the jet experience. While we were taxiing out to the runway, she confided to me that this would be her first ride in an airplane.

  “I rode in a train once,” she said, “but I came to Panama by mule and on foot and there I have remained until today.”

  For the next twenty minutes, I left her alone to enjoy the moment. She took a full measure of the thrill with her face glued to the window the whole time. The only thing that drew her back from her post at the window was a stiff neck.

  She sat back, then leaned forward. “Rub my neck please. The beauty is almost too much, James. Just look at those clouds. The view could change a person.”

  I said nothing because I had no reply. I was just enjoying her reaction to the things that were new to her. She had cast aside her own safe and secure place to follow this man from the north. It was up to me to see that she would have no regrets.

  “This is not Arnaud’s,” she said, “but I need the comfort of a familiar Coca-Cola.”

  I rang up Harry to find out where the refreshments were. Instead of telling me, he came back and served us personally. We chatted for a few minutes then he excused himself to return to the cockpit. “I’m a little rusty at the controls,” he said, “so I need to practice as much as possible before we leave.”

  After he had gone, Bebe looked at me intently. “I take it Harry will be going with us to this far place.”

  “Yes,” I said, “he is a necessary part of our group.”

  “Are they all that young?” she asked.

  Since Harry and I had swallowed the same blue and yellow pill, he now looked like a man in his late twenties. Me, I think I looked mid-thirties.

  “Harry is older than you,” I said.

  I could almost see that mind at work as she looked at me with glowing eyes, her head tilted to one side.

  After a long moment she said, “You are about to tell me something very interesting, I’ll wager.”

  I took a vial with the pill from my shirt pocket and handed it to her.

  “This is something new,” I said. “All of us in our group have taken one of these. It will rid your body of all bad germs and protect you from all new ones you may encounter in our travels. In the process, it will extend your life by thirty years—guaranteed.”

  “With this, I too will look much younger?” she asked.

  “In a month or two you will look and be much younger.”

  She looked at me intently. “I believe you and I believe what I see. May I take it now?”

  “Please do,” I said.

  She rolled the pill from the vial, looked at it for a moment then placed it in her mouth and washed it down with a gulp of Coke.

  “The deed is done, James. You never knew Bebe when she was young. I hope you will like her.”

  “Am I different?” I asked her.

  “Point taken,” she said. “Oh… Here is a thought. Since I will soon be twentyish, can I have babies?”

  “Whoa, lady, slow down,” I said. “This is a new medication. No one has the answer yet.”

  “Could I be the first test subject?” she asked, as she floated onto my lap.

  “There’s a laboratory cabin in the back,” I said.

  We went.

  About one hour later we returned—Bebe to her window and me to ring Harry to inquire about lunch. After we ate, we sat face to face.

  “There is a thing that concerns me,” she said, as she gazed out of the window. “I am joining an existing family and I wish to fit as one of the group and not as your latest conquest.” She smiled. “You know what I mean. I do not think they should consider us a couple. I should stick with the girls at first and we should not sneak off into the bushes, much as I would like to. My greatest concern is that I become a real member of your group. Do you agree?”

  Just as I nodded, Harry told us to buckle up for landing.

  CHAPTER 54

  Our welcome at Camp David was delightful. The entire Band, including the Primes, was there to greet us. The chatter and laughter on the bus ride to our hotel reminded me of the noise generated by a successful cocktail party.

  At the M5282 Hotel, Alice, Amy and Shan took Bebe and her luggage off to their rooms for outfitting and further orientation. Blue tagged along, his tail bouncing up and down. When Bebe first saw our dog-like creature, she said that his face reminded her of an animal that she played with when she was very young. I picked up Jesus to hold him in the crook of my arm, but he climbed on up to my shoulder and flopped over like a sack of beans.

  Is this more of your work? I thought to my electronic assistant.

  You give me too much credit, he thought back. The cat knows what it wants—that is all.

  The Primes, other than Shan and Bob, left to continue their planning sessions until it was time to say farewell. The boys had all of our gear ready so our time was our own until the ladies came back. I went to take a quick shower and to change into my field uniform. It felt
good to pull on my boots. I noticed that in addition to the Dance Band patch on one shoulder, the other had a small American flag.

  Back in the lounge, Jesus parked himself on my lap and my right arm got a good workout as I kept looking at my Ralex out of habit. None too soon, the girls trooped in, dressed and ready to go with backpacks, new short haircuts and excited smiles.

  Bebe sat beside me. “Do you like my haircut?”

  I said that I hadn’t noticed and got a jab in the ribs.

  Alice joined in. “Bebe chose a code name. Care to guess what it is?”

  I thought for a long moment. “Beachcomber.”

  “Creepy,” Amy said. “He’s a mind reader.”

  “I don’t think so,” Alice said. “He’s just been to places we have yet to visit.”

  Bebe took my hand to squeeze it hard. “Alice has told me of the far place that you spoke about and there is nothing to say just now. It is too overwhelming and taxes my ability to believe. I do not worry because you have been there and have returned. I will just wait and see.”

  A new voice broke into our happy talk. “I see that the Gang’s all here.” It was the Director, followed by the Primes. He approached Bebe and took her hand. “I welcome you to our great adventure. You have been of great service to us in the past. My hope is that it will continue.” She spoke to him for a moment then drifted back to me. Another door opened and the President and his wife joined the gathering.

  “It’s time for you to go,” the Director said, “but before you pick up your gear, our President would like to say a few words. Make yourselves comfortable. Me—I need to sit down and relax for a few minutes. Alice, join me on the couch, won’t you?”

  We shuffled a few chairs around to sit in a close group. The President looked at his cell phone, then turned his attention to us. “This will be the third time that Director Monroe will send the Dance Band on a mission. Your first assignment was clear, if difficult. You were to find and recover the ground penetrating radar unit and that you did. The story of that hunt is remarkable, but it led you to your second mission. You had no road map, but you went with Moses to gather information. At the time, even Moses did not know where the trail would lead or even if the trail still existed. The result was that you gathered information that opened a doorway to the galaxy. Your efforts will give us a new and unimaginably dramatic future. I do however, hesitate to speculate on how it might unfold, but thanks to your discoveries, we have some direction. Instead of seeing you off on an open-ended exploration, you must engage the mysteries you have uncovered—especially the fate of the group of Nazis.