The Time Stone

by Jeffrey Estrella

  CHAPTER 28

  Tina sat in a local coffee shop on the corner of Main Street with Ester Avenue across from the train station. She talked herself into a free cup of coffee from a handsome bachelor who talked to her for a quick moment before heading off to an important business meeting. He left his card and number with her, “Mark Taft, Esq. Attorney and Counselor at Law”; she read it and sighed thinking “no thanks.” She thought to herself that “the last time I saw an attorney I was hauled off in shackles and tossed in the lock up.” She tossed the card and sipped her café latte awaiting her partner in crime hopefully who had gone across the street to the train station to try to get tickets with an antique ring that Tina stole from the second-hand store and which she cautioned him to lie and say it was handed down to them by their grandmother and which they did not want to part with but felt they had no choice as it was their only way out of town and they needed to get out of town fast. She suspected that negotiations of such may fail and had a backup plan if negotiations failed and that is to find a way to use more desperate yet certain measures to get what they need. She thought they would have to do something drastic.

  Tina looked around at her surroundings in the coffee shop what was a typical array of urbanites in their customary garbs from leisure wear sport shorts, other shorts, to full on Armani suits or the multicolored jackets of old world fabric flown in from impoverished areas. She sipped her coffee and then nearly choked on a gulp in her throat as her eyes nearly collapsed out in shock when she saw the man in the dark suit she remembered from the bar approaching her. This one from the biker bar, he was there. “How did he get here?” She wondered as he continued to approach in the crowded room unseen and unnoticed to the busy people in their own lives. He was tall, thin, snakingly, and thirty feet away, He walked slowly in what appeared to be an endless distance to her as time seemed all to slow to her as her jaw dropped and she reached for the chair behind her and started to rise waiting to scream but all that came out was a slight fearful whimper as she acted on her natural instinct to get away. He was familiar as if she had seen him before but she felt a strange aura of something not quite right and felt the need to run. The chair moved against the hard wood floor making a screeching sound that startled her and she started to move and turn to it and then quickly turned back to find the man stood right in front of her in what was a breathless moment and calling devoted as she fumbled to catch her breath. She fell back. The man reached out to her but someone else reached out to her from behind and grabbed her hand pulling her back. “Come on!” Said James in a matter of seconds and they were running out the door hand in hand. “What was that?” James asked outside.

  “I wish I knew,” she replied. “I think he found us. It was him. The guy I told you about at the biker bar.”

  “Your father? Or the one who you said looks him.”

  She nodded frantically in response. “What the hell is going on here? Why did he come after me? How did he find us?”

  “Good questions, but we will find out the answers. Why were you running instead of facing him?” James asked.

  “I just felt a gut instinct. I never knew my father but heard some horrible things. It’s a super long story, James. Let’s get to the train station. Did you get the tickets?”

  “Yeah about that I couldn’t get the tickets.”

  “What? I told you…”Tina scolded but stopped herself as they looked round happily as not to draw too much attention to themselves.

  “They wouldn’t take the ring you gave me. Plus I saw some cops looking around and they have wanted posters with our photos on them. We’re wanted for murder.” James sheepishly turned trying to hide his dumbfounded look.

  “Murder? Of that guard?” Tina looked at her colleague in shock.

  “Just says murder but we can imagine. This is absolutely crazy. They’re trying to pin something big on us.” James appeared bewildered.

  “We’ll have to figure this out to clear our names. Any luck even scalping some tickets or thieving them?” Tina inquired.

  “No.” James uttered skeptically.

  “Great do I have to do everything in this relationship?” Yelled Tina.

  “Hey I got us out of jail didn’t I…” he stopped short noticing her humor, “since when did we become engaged? “He joked.

  “Yeah right,” she smiled at the ground and implied laughingly. “Don’t worry bud; I’ll get us a way out of town. I think I know just the place.” Tina looked up and smiled as she pointed James towards the tall glistening towers near a roaring 747 engine flying overhead and both knew she meant, The Chronix Bay City Airport. “It’s only two miles away.”

  “OK, let’s hail a cab.” He said.

  CHAPTER 29

  Moments later, they exited the cab they took right to the front of the airport. Within moments of distracting the driver, Tina and James take off at the behest of the driver, an Indian national with a turban who gets out and yells obscenities at them in Punjabi while shaking his fist angrily in midair. “Get back here, you thieves. Damn you.”

  Tina and James stopped running behind a stone pillar near the terminal entranceway to catch their breath.

  “Ooh close call.” James whispered exhaustedly.

  “You never beat fare before, homey?” Asked Tina bending over breathing heavily.

  James merely shook his head.

  “Oh right, I’m dealing with an amateur.” She nodded smiling at him.

  “Look,” James pointed to a live ninety-inch plasma television set in the window of the airport showing the local news broadcast to passengers. The due looked in together and observed.

  “Top of the hour afternoon news in Chronix Bay, Channel Nine, Anchor Sylvia Armstrong reporting, we bring you live coverage from downtown Chronix Bay where a demonstration just broke out near the Chronix Bay City Airport. Thousands of angry protesters march down Main Street singing “we shall overcome” as they hold banners and picket signs in stern protest against the Mayor’s new policy against the immigrant community in Chronix Bay. One of them is quoting segments into the crowd from the famous Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘I have a dream speech’.” The well dressed and radiant anchor spoke out in front of the terminal building as a barrage of spectators witnessed the movement unfold before them. “This is one for the history books as never in our small city’s history has there been such a large scale demonstration. And this is the second demonstration this week in the city, the first a couple of days ago about the great depression-like-economy faced by law school graduates. Local police, federal agencies, and private security forces have been dispatched in case this escalates into a violent riot but for now it seems these movements are peaceful marches spawning massive discourse in academic and business circles. We have community leader, PhD recipient, and well-known activist at only the age of twenty-two, Dr. Yolanda Veracruz here. Doctor, tell us about this movement.”

  “Yes, we have been silent for far too long and now we are being threatened by corruption and inner workings that threaten our way of life. We are not illegal and we are not items of objectification. The Mayor’s policies are against the fabric of our moral society, our humanity, and our nation’s constitutional principles. We will not submit and will resist to the end. Let us bring power to our people!” She yelled into the camera, a fiery dark haired vixen with a glare in her dark brown eyes and mocha colored complexion, and lectured with an indignation recognizing her deep rooted Central American heritage and pride in the principles of diversity and freedom embodied by the United States of America. “There you have it,” yelled Anchor Armstrong. “The spark has been set and the fire for equality and freedom for our growing immigrant population continues to rage on and may do so for generations to come. It will continue for all of time as a symbol of freedom and technological innovation in the hearts of the people."

  “Wow, that’s a serious problem” said Tina.

  “You don’t know the half of it. Let’s get a move on” said James.

 
; CHAPTER 30

  Broad Staffnight and his entourage arrived as their limousine descended out of the dark tunnel from their metropolitan centers to the downtown Chronix Bay City Airport area and they were shocked at the series of figures occupying the city streets and storming out into the skyward futures they envisioned. They quickly realized they would not make it to the terminal in time. They exited the car and headed towards the mid-air shuttle tram waiting to transport passengers to their scheduled flights.

  “We can’t miss the flight. We are running out of time as this will be the last time we can do this.” He walked proudly in his three piece Armani suit and ray ban sunglasses followed by his secretary Elizabeth Peters, Chief of Police Brent Hightower, and CFO Mr. Mark Cumberberry, the team of four he put together at the last directors meeting of Temporo, Inc.

  “Don’t worry, Sir. Our private jet is ready and fueled on the runway. I just spoke to the tower operator and we have full clearance to launch at any time.” Elizabeth Peters uttered her words with confidence.

  The team of four entered the tram and Broad touched the on screen monitor activating the “go” computer and the tram was off into the air above the city strung on electrical wires and steel cables.

  “Are you sure we are gonna make it in time, Liz?” Asked Broad nervously.

  “We shall, Sir.” She smiled as each of them stood in their position.

  Broad regained his sense of confidence and clasped his arms behind his back and spread legs astride facing forward with his chin up. Within seconds, the tram turned onto a secondary set of cables higher up than the other cables and the tram headed straight for a brick wall on the side of the terminal building separating it from the cables. To the sudden shock of the team except for Broad, the tram pass through the brick wall as if it were a liquid surface and the wall erupted with ripples and waves like having a stone tossed into a pond, subsequently fading to the apparent solid surface again.

  CHAPTER 31

  A homeless man walked by the main entrance to the airport terminal with a battered coat and full beard, covered with dirt and filth, smelling of a foul body odor. He wore a sign around his neck that quoted the popular bible verse John 3:16 that read underneath it “the end of time approaches.” Having trouble ignoring the chanting from the protesters outside, but managing their way through the crowd starting to block the entrance, James and Tina ran into the terminal building passing the poor man and feeling empathetic as they understood his plight but had bigger things to handle now.

  “I wish we could help him somehow.” James whispered.

  “We got to help ourselves. I can get us aboard a flight. We got to sneak aboard from someone on the standby list.” Tina commented.

  “Where are we headed?” James asked.

  “Does it matter? As long as it’s away from here. We’re wanted folks so outside of the country should be ideal.” Tina observed from her common sense.

  “True.” Replied James.

  “I will be right back, wait here.” Tina whispered and ran off.

  “Right, be right back. I will wait here” echoed James calmly and coolly. James sat on the ground by the café where he waited patiently for Tina to return. He was grateful that they made it past the security screening without incident. He thought to himself. “It’s a miracle we weren’t recognized.” Then he saw a man in a black suit and sunglasses come out of the elevator in the airport lobby. He recognized him as the man Tina had pointed out in the bar and who she then saw in the coffee shop. He felt like following his gut instinct to run but he sat and waited for a moment, sucking his teeth trying to act tough. He kept an eye on the man who walked along the corridor to the airport gates as if waiting for someone and stopped at a sudden spot. The man did not even take a seat but stood there motionless like an object with no sudden jerks or movements. Tina walked over to James and plopped down beside him. James nudged her elbow slightly with his before she could open her mouth and motioned her in the direction of the gates and she looked over at the man standing there and froze.

  “Oh my God. What does he want with us?” Tina spoke with her eyes widening.

  “I don’t think it’s us he wants.” James answered.

  Tina looked at him puzzled. “I’m scared.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” James smiled.

  “My hero” she whispered in a sarcastic tone.

  They both calmed down quickly as the man in the black suit walked away towards a nearby gate and took a seat, opening a newspaper that rested on the seat nearby. “Phew, that was close” gasped Tina.

  “Did you get us on a flight?” James inquired.

  “Yes, Flight 842 to Brazil… you know the one in South America?” Asked Tina rhetorically.

  “I know. How did you manage that? And why did you get us to Brazil?” James asked.

  “Easy… anything is possible if you know how to talk to people. We’re going to be subbing in for a couple on standbys that are supposedly eagerly waiting over by gate 11 but the flight is actually over there at gate 8. I switched documents on them after a quick distraction.”

  “You’re such a criminal.” He joked.

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures buddy.” She shrugged. “Also, Brazil was the furthest country on the current manifest. I figured its best we get as far away as possible. But we should know that Brazil has an extradition treaty with the United States of America for fugitives facing murder charges here.”

  “How’d you know that?” He asked. “Wait, never mind… Great so we can’t get caught there either.” James spoke fearfully.

  “It’s only temporary, Dude. We will find someplace else to go later? It is one step at a time.” Tina added confidently.

  “When did you become a legal scholar, Tina?”

  “I was a student at Chronix Bay University and took some law courses for elective credit before I dropped out. I always wanted to go to law school… but it wasn’t in the cards.”

  “And you sell yourself on the street for a living?” Asked James.

  “Well, I never graduated… life happens I guess.” She replied. “I guess I should count my blessings after hearing about how all those kids are having trouble finding jobs even with a law degree.”

  “Oh” James acknowledged. “Why do you think we became what we became, Tina?” James asked curiously as they waited for the flight to be called and looking at their tattered clothing, disheveled exterior, dirty faces, and drained personalities.

  “I guess it is because we do not have a place to call home, no place to go, no place to sleep, no vehicle, low income or no income, no strong family support, friends, or even a regular meal. That seems to fit the adequate definition of homeless and destitute” said Tina nonchalantly. “I’m used to living on the streets as I spent most of my adult life walking around the streets of this God forsaken town and seeing the same stuff over and over again, looking for food in trash cans and dumpsters, or just struggling to find a place to put my head down for the night, usually a cardboard box.”

  “I know. I’ve been there. I envied those who lived in rat infested housing because at least they had a roof over their heads” replied James jokingly.

  “It sucks living like this but we are so at the bottom. You develop a sense of low self-esteem and worthlessness tied to emotional abuse from others and society in general but that goes with the territory of being flat broke all your life. I remember sitting on the street corner rocking myself to sleep in tears. Some people took pity on me and gave me the occasional handout but some were pretty cruel with their nasty remarks” said Tina.

  “The good thing about being at the bottom is that you cannot sink any lower and you have nowhere to go but up. “ James added.

  “That is what I thought at first but I realized that you could always sink lower. I met a guy when I was twenty-two who seemed like a real good person. He did volunteer work for the Salvation Army and I met him at an event where I was attending to get free food like many othe
r homeless people. We started talking, he said I was pretty, and we started to go out regularly. He let me stay with him for a little while and said he would help me get my own place and a job. But I was unwillingly becoming a glorified prostitute.”

  “Like your day job” James joked.

  “How do you think I got started?” She said. “And that he had many others he was doing this to as well? I soon started to see him for who he really was, a real jerk who convinced me to give up my innocence and hurt my feelings for his own selfish purposes.”

  “I’m sorry,” James said.

  “I’m not,” she shook her head brushing off the bad memories as she continued “he drank a lot, abused drugs, and gambled, not successfully, so he came home angry and took it out on me with his fists and at first I thought it was my fault and so I took it without complaining but I couldn’t take it too long and one day I had enough and ran out. His mother was a sweet old lady who I met and who helped me dearly so we still look out for one another from time to time. However, about him, I found out from others on the street that he was still volunteering with the homeless shelters and was still with other women and was likely preying on their helplessness like he did to me. I can’t believe I almost married the ass. I hope to God that our paths never cross again. And that after being sexually abused at home by the man my mother married and shipped me off to the orphanage when she passed. No wonder I developed sort of low self-esteem and hid myself in books. The library became a solace place for me to hide from the discipline of the teachers and nuns who punished me for acting out. I just enjoyed to lose myself in books and learning was an adventure, like travelling to other worlds. That is how I know so much now but it didn’t prevent me from ending up in the lifestyle I chose. The company I kept was responsible for that but ultimately I know the choice was mine. Was it my fate? Maybe but it all comes down to choices in the end.”