by Karl Morgan
Chapter 9
Zeke groaned as he climbed out of bed. It had been a long evening with too many drinks. He walked out onto the balcony and looked out on the compound. Two large trucks had arrived and several dozen more armed men were sitting on the ground listening to El Tigre update them on the situation. All evening, Tigre tried to get Zeke to tell his children's future. Every time Zeke would think about them, all he could see was their bullet-riddled bodies. He would look away and find himself staring at Evelyn. He saw her hanging from one of the trees in front of the house, which was ablaze. Then he pictured a tall, dark-skinned man slitting her throat from ear to ear. Zeke was startled by someone yelling, "Profeta!" He looked down and noticed that Tigre was motioning for him to join them. He rushed back into his room and pulled on his clothes and then headed downstairs.
As he was about to walk out the door, Evelyn saw him and said, "I need to talk to you later, Zeke. It's important."
"I'll be right back," he told her as he stepped out onto the broad veranda and down the steps and toward the group of men.
When he arrived at Tigre's side, Tigre put his arm around Zeke's shoulder. "Este hombre es el profeta," he said. The men applauded. "Look at him closely and memorize his face. Your job is to keep this man alive and well. His job is to protect my children and let us know when the attack will come. What news do you have, profeta?"
Zeke had not thought about the attack since he sat under the tree yesterday. His mind was a blank, but images began to flash across his mind and he spoke, "The attack will come tomorrow at noon. There will be one hundred and twenty men. Half will storm the rear wall to draw all of you from the front of the house. The others will then attack the uncovered front entrance and try to surround you."
"How do you know it's at noon, profeta?" Steve asked.
"The leader of the others knows that the rest of your reinforcements can't get here until mid-afternoon. He can't get any more men either, so they attack at noon," he replied.
"How did you know that?" Tigre asked. "I just found out about the arrival delay fifteen minutes ago. Who did you talk to?"
"Jefe, you know I don't have a phone and all of your lines are tapped. These images are just coming to me now."
Tigre looked dumbfounded. He stared at Zeke but said, "Esteban, you know the details now. Start making preparations while I go chat with el profeta." Tigre grabbed Zeke's arm and pulled him back toward the house. Once inside, Tigre called his wife and the three of them walked down a staircase into the basement. At one end of the open room was a heavy metal door. He pulled it open and the three of them walked inside. "Sit down, Zeke." After they sat, Tigre held his wife's hand and looked at her lovingly. He kissed her on the cheek and then turned to Zeke. "This is our safe room, Zeke. Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., I want you, Evelyn, and the kids to lock yourselves in here. You'll be safe here. There is a satellite phone over there. Once things cool down, one of my men will come for you all. There is enough food, air, and water for three months, if necessary. You got all of that?"
"I can't do that, jefe," Zeke replied.
"What the hell are you talking about, Zeke? You do what I say if you want to stay alive."
"Please listen to me, Tigre," Zeke begged. "All last night, I kept having images of Evelyn and the children dead. Not once did I see how they could survive."
"Oh, no," Evelyn groaned.
"They are just dreams, darling. Zeke doesn't know what he's talking about. Tell her you made it up, Zeke!" Tigre bellowed.
"No, I won't do that. You told me my job was to protect Miguel and Maggie. If I do what you ask, they will both die tomorrow, along with you and your wife!"
"So, what do you want me to do, profeta? Are you going to surrender to the Koreans? Will that save my family?"
"I don't think that matters anymore. The Koreans will take me to Pyongyang where I will likely be executed when I don't give their leader the fortune he wants to hear. But the men who will attack tomorrow want you dead. Their leader wants your territory."
"Who is this man? Who is their leader?"
Zeke thought for a moment and then said, "I think they call him the shark."
"El Tiburon?" Tigre laughed. "That old man doesn't have the balls to attack me."
"That's what I see, jefe," Zeke answered. "Please send your family away. That is their only chance."
"I'm not leaving," Evelyn said.
"Listen to her! Where could I send them if she agreed anyway, profeta? Tiburon or my other enemies will find them wherever they are."
"I have friends in Hawaii who can help," Zeke said as he pulled the card for the Sacred Life Tranquility Retreat from his pocket and handed it to Tigre.
"You want them to go to a retreat? How can they be safe there?"
"I'm not going!" Evelyn exclaimed.
Zeke stood up and walked over to the door and closed it. He turned back to the couple and said, "Jefe, you have traitors in your group. Tiburon knows about this safe room. After the attack starts, half of your men will change sides. Your friend Nacho will kill you himself."
"I don't believe you," Tigre scoffed. Evelyn had started sobbing softly.
"I don't care if you believe me or not. You'll believe it when he shoots you in the back, but then it will be too late."
"Jaime, I don't want our babies to die," Evelyn cried.
"After the battle is over and the children are dead and the Koreans leave with me, Tiburon's men will rape Evelyn and then hang her from one of the trees in front of the house," Zeke reported. He turned to the woman and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"What are we supposed to do?" Tigre moaned.
"I have a plan, but only you, Evelyn, and Steve can know anything about it," Zeke announced.
"I'm not leaving my husband alone to die, Zeke," Evelyn said.
"Don't worry, Evelyn, he's going with you," Zeke replied.
"What?" Tigre exclaimed.
§
"I think we should delay the attack," Colonel Park said. "You heard what your man said, Tiburon. They have more than one hundred men there. It will turn into a battle of attrition lasting long enough for the authorities to intercede."
Tiburon sat back and chewed on the end of his cigar. He studied the fear in the eyes of the two Koreans. His own men sat quiet and expressionless. "Mr. Park, please leave the situation up to me. The longer we wait, the more time El Tigre has to amass his army. In a week, he could have five thousand men there. There is no way I can compete with that!"
"Sir, you have to know the likelihood of Mr. Thompson being killed is much higher when the two sides are evenly matched. We need an overwhelming strike to insure that he is alive when we take him to our Dear Leader," Han argued.
Tiburon put his cigar into an ashtray and looked at one of his men. "Paco, send the men back to finalize the assault plan."
Paco was short and very thin with black eyes and a dark complexion. He had a scar across his right cheek from a previous encounter with El Tigre's men. He stood and said, "Okay, compadres, you heard the boss. Get out." The other four men stood and quickly filed out of the room. Paco followed them to the door and closed it after the last man left, and then turned the lock. He walked back to the table and sat next to his mentor and best friend.
El Tiburon leaned across the table and said, "You see, my friends, we have some of our men inside El Tigre's army. They are getting detailed defensive instructions right now and will know where every man is stationed. I even know where Tigre's safe room is and have a copy of the key."
Park looked startled. He blinked for several seconds before he could speak. "How many of your men are in his army?"
Tiburon looked over at Paco, who said, "Forty. When El Tigre sent out his desperate call for support, those men volunteered immediately." He chuckled and continued, "He would have been better served by only having his loyal troops there. Now they will all die."
"Is there any chance Tigre knows of this deception?" Han asked.
"Could some of his me
n be in your contingent?" Park queried.
Paco stared back at his boss. Tiburon sat back and replied, "No one can be certain of these things until the lead starts to fly. I think it is doubtful he knows about the spies. If he did, his men would have killed them already. As far as Tigre having men in my group, he probably does. If I were you, I wouldn't let any of them stand behind you. If they turn to shoot you, at least you will have a chance to defend yourself."
"None of the revelations are very comforting, Tiburon," Colonel Park noted.
"War is a messy business, my friends. Let's go to my ranch. We are having a carne asada in honor of our new friendship," Tiburon said as he headed for the door.
Two blocks away from El Tiburon's office, Fola Untor pulled his headset off and then walked over to the window and disengaged the suction device on his listening pod. He set it on the table and walked over to the hotel bed where he sat. He pulled a small cube from his pocket and set it on the bed. He pressed the top of the cube and said, "Tomorrow at noon, Ezekiel Thompson dies at my hand. When I see his head explode, this misbegotten timeline should end. I never will have been to Earth 47 nor had the misfortune to meet Dave Brewster. If by some chance, this attempt fails; my transiting sleeve will have just enough power to jump me to San Diego for my meeting with Dave." He chuckled to himself. "In an odd way, it would be better if I did not kill Thompson. That young man never did anything to me. Dave Brewster is the enemy. Is it better to sacrifice this planet, or just to run Dave over in the parking lot?" He thought about the collapse of the Society of Humanity. As leader of the Brotherhood, he had directed and carried out innumerable assassinations. The good of the many had to take priority over one man's life, or even one planet's history. "No, my plan is solid. Both men must die to insure the survival of the Society. Now is not the time to be softhearted and weak. If I let one of these men live, I would not be worthy of my job. My next narration will occur after the assassination attempt tomorrow. Untor out." He pressed the top of the cube to stop the recording. He stood up and walked over to the mini refrigerator and removed a Dos Equis beer. He took off the bottle top and took a long drink. He stepped over to the window and looked out on central Guanajuato. It was going to be a sultry night, he thought. As he watched the sun dipping toward the horizon, he heard a faint chirping sound. When he realized what it was, he ran over to his backpack and began rummaging through it. He found the offending device, his small tablet, removed it and began to tap on the screen. The screen turned red. He gasped and sat on the bed. "Oh, shit! There's another traveler close by."
Bea Watson sat under an umbrella at a sidewalk cafe across the street from Untor's hotel room. She too had been listening in on the conversation in El Tiburon's office, but did not know what else to do. She had no way to find Zeke or El Tigre's ranch. She did know the Koreans were with El Tiburon and planned to follow them to the ranch tomorrow. She pulled the book out of her purse and thumbed through it again. The pages that told of Zeke's escape from the ranch were blurry and unreadable. Bea had never seen that before and stared at the pages. Was her past changing before her eyes? She put the book back in her bag and tried to calm down. Now was not the time to lose her head. Untor was in town, and he likely knew another traveler was here as well, although she had never met him or seen his picture. He was from the Zu race, so he would stand out in a crowd here, being over six feet tall with platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes. She scanned the area, but did not see anyone unusual. The future of the Earth was in the balance. Ezekiel Thompson was the key to insuring the eventual arrival of the Kalideans, and now there was a Mexican gang, North Koreans, and even a time traveler, all here to stop him from becoming the man he was destined to be. Bea felt weak and alone. She thought about calling Kally for support, but did not want to risk another life. She considered crying, but decided instead to order a glass of wine. As she looked for the waiter, a man's voice said, "Excuse me, miss, are you American?" She turned to see Fola Untor standing two feet away from her, smiling.
"No, senor," she said. "No hablo ingles." She could feel her body starting to sweat and her breathing was rapid and shallow.
Untor sat down at her table. "I know who you are. You're a traveler, aren't you?"
"No intiendo, senor," she squeaked.
"Cut the crap, sister," he barked. "You look a lot like a Pa, but you're pretty short. Do you have a disease or something?"
"I'm just a tourist on vacation, pal. Why don't you leave me alone?" she said.
"If you want me to leave, just tell me who you are and why you are here," he demanded. "I have a blaster in my hand and will use it."
"I'm Ensign Beatrice Watt of the Society Temporal Command. I am learning the trade and on an expeditionary mission. Who the hell are you?"
"None of your damned business," he replied. "What year is it where you're from?"
"It's April 3185," she said. Her eyes widened and she smiled. "What a minute, I've seen your picture. You're Fola Untor, Supreme Leader of the Brotherhood, aren't you?"
"There aren't any pictures of me," he replied.
"That's what you think, sir. The Temporal Command knows what everyone who is trained for traveling looks like. That's how we keep from track of each other. It is an honor to meet you," she said as she extended her hand.
He did not shake her hand. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"Sir, you are welcome to discuss my position with any of the senior leaders in the Temporal Command when you return to our time," she noted.
"I will do that, Ms. Watt," he replied. "How much longer will you be here?"
"Can you believe it; my boss wants me to be immersed in this time for two weeks. Ugh. Everything is so primitive here, and most of the people stink."
"Ms. Watt, this is a different time. These people will live seventy or eighty years. Life is hard and short. I fully understand your boss's intention. The universe is a big place. There are all kinds of life-forms out there. We must remember our roots."
"Sir, I appreciate your thoughts, but our roots are in another galaxy," she replied.
"Okay, Ms. Watt, I'll leave you now. Please do not mention that you met me, and stay away from me while I'm in this time."
"Yes, sir! I meant no disrespect." Untor rose and smiled slightly at her, and then walked across the street and into his hotel.
Bea ordered her wine and drank it while sitting and trembling for several minutes. She had a second glass of wine and waited for it to be quite dark before she walked across the street and returned to her room. As soon as she was inside, she put her intruder alert module on the door and barricaded it with a bureau. She sat on the bed with a blaster in her hand. "Where the hell are you Zeke?" she whispered. After several more hours, she fell asleep.
Chapter 10
The line of black vans followed the white SUV down the highway. El Tiburon sat in the front passenger seat with his elbow resting on the open window frame. Paco drove and kept an eye on the vans behind him. From time to time, he glanced at the two Koreans in the back seat. He thought they looked too nervous and considered mentioning that to El Tiburon until he realized that their families were probably being held in a labor camp to insure their loyalty and success on this mission. The vehicle turned right onto a gravel road and proceeded up a slight incline toward the top of the hill that stood between them and El Tigre's ranch. Half of the vans followed while the others continued on the main road. The stand of trees began halfway up the hill. The SUV continued through the dappled sunlight of the tree-shaded road. The sun was almost at zenith now. "Aqui, Paco," Tiburon said. Paco pulled over and stopped the vehicle just before the top of the hill.
"Why are we stopping?" Colonel Park asked.
Tiburon unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face the two men. "As soon as we crest this hill, El Tigre's men will be able to see us. We have to wait for the others to attack the rear and draw his men behind the house. Then we attack."
"How long do we wait?" Han asked.
"As long as it takes, my friend," Tiburon laughed. "When the gunfire starts, we wait two or three minutes, and then we go."
Park was examining his pistols and only nodded in response.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Colonel," Han admitted.
"No choice now, Ji-hun. If we do not take Thompson back to our Dear Leader, our lives and those of our families are over," Park replied.
Two hundred yards away and high up in a tall tree, Fola Untor sat with his blaster rifle pointed at the SUV. He examined the vans, but could see little through the dark window tinting. He swiveled around to look on the ranch. At least fifty armed men had staked out positions in front of the house. From his vantage point, he had a limited view of the back of the house, but knew an equal number were in position there. Suddenly, he became very nervous. He had enough power pods for his rifle to take on an even larger army, but knew he could not survive the hail of bullets if they spotted his location. He looked at his transiting sleeve. The power readout said ten percent. The jump to San Diego would take at least half of that. Without a minimum of fifty percent, he knew he could not risk a temporal jump. He thought about leaving this place. If he killed Dave Brewster, this attempt was totally unnecessary, maybe. He wondered whether Divine Providence would give that same role to another. That line of thought became too difficult to control, so he pushed it out of his mind. He had thought this plan out clearly and now was not the time to second-guess it. If it was Dave's fate to destroy the Society of Humanity, all of his attempts would fail, but that would not be his fault. "They are just two men out of trillions," he whispered. "People die every day."
He pointed his rifle at the house and looked through the scope. He was shocked to see Zeke Thompson standing outside talking to another man. Zeke was unarmed, but appeared to be wearing a ballistic jacket. Untor had been convinced that El Tigre would hide him and his own family in a safe room somewhere in the house. His plan was to wait until the Mexicans passed Zeke over to the Koreans for his attack. If those three could be separated from the group for even a few seconds, he could kill the Koreans and Zeke and press the launch button on his sleeve. It would be simple if he had that moment to act.