The weapons were transferred from the freighter Sea Bounder, a known smuggling ship, to a luxury yacht, the 85-foot Andiamo, off the south shore of Long Island three days ago. After delivering one bomb to a location in lower Manhattan, Andiamo continued its journey up the Hudson River, presumably headed to the St. Lawrence Seaway to deliver the other bombs to land based transportation. The Manhattan bomb was taken to a secure location. A team of 18 SEALs attacked the yacht last night with tear gas grenades and small arms. The battle was over in a matter of minutes. Of the 12 men aboard, only two survived, including Captain Mike McDonald, an American yacht captain who had been kidnapped and forced to operate the vessel. There were no SEAL injuries or deaths.
In a terrifying twist to the story, one of the bombs was armed and its timer set to detonate three hours after the SEALs secured the yacht. The weapon was transferred to an Air
Force helicopter and dropped into the ocean off the continental shelf about 400 miles southwest of New York City.
Helicopter Lost
The story also includes a tragedy. The Air Force helicopter that carried nuclear bomb expert, Professor Molly MacDevitt, fell from the sky, apparently having been caught in the nuclear blast, even though the detonation occurred hundreds of feet below the ocean surface. According to an Air Force spokesman, Professor MacDevitt insisted that the helicopter wait until the last moments before releasing its deadly cargo in order to place the explosion as far from land as possible. The names of the other crewmembers of the helicopter have yet to be released, pending notification of next of kin. Professor MacDevitt is survived by her parents and two daughters.
The Civilian Deputies
The operation was assisted by a group of four civilians who were deputized as CIA agents. They called themselves The Thanksgiving Gang. For security reasons, their names have not been disclosed, nor have the names of the SEALs been made public.
How a nuclear attack on the United States could have come so close to fruition is a question that will linger into the months ahead, as a Congressional commission is sure to be empanelled. What could have been the largest disaster in American history came close to succeeding.
Chapter 80
Bennie Weinberg here.
It's November 27, 2015, the day after Thanksgiving. Buster, as we all expected, wanted to exercise, as he put it, “an abundance of caution,” so we all remained on duty throughout the holiday even though operation Tango Delta 2 was a success.
I'm here at my mom and dad's house in New Jersey along with, get this, my fiancée, the beautiful and brilliant Professor Maggie Cohen. I proposed to Maggie the day after the Andiamo operation. I wanted to wait until I was sure we'd all be alive for the foreseeable future. I'm not a terribly emotional guy, well at least not outwardly. But when Maggie accepted I thought I'd pass out for joy.
I'm supposed to feel happy, and well, I am happy. But, like detective Colombo used to say every week on TV, “Something's bothering me.”
What a wonderful Thanksgiving, if a day late. We, meaning the Thanksgiving Gang and our circle of helpers, put our two cents in and prevented an unimaginable disaster. I've had good friends all my life, but never like these people. My good buddy Jack Thurber, Mr. Time Magnet himself, is reunited with his wife Captain Ashley Patterson. Janice Monahan, multitalented, beautiful, and tough as nails, is engaged to a wonderful guy, Admiral Frank Thompson. They expect to marry as soon as Janice's divorce decree becomes final. Joe Monahan, Janice's estranged husband, who we thought was a terrorist maggot a few short weeks ago, did a turnaround that spun our heads. We couldn't have done it without his help. I’ve heard a rumor that his sentence will be commuted. I hope the rumor’s true. Wally Burton, a star New York Times reporter, put in everything he could for his country, and for us. Buster, the amazing and enigmatic CIA agent is on a well-deserved vacation. CIA Director Bill Carlini is rumored to be a possible pick as a vice-presidential candidate in the next election. A great guy, a calm leader, and a fine American. And then, of course, there's Maggie and me. It's not like I fell in love after a brief fling. I've known Maggie for over 25 years. I don't think I ever stopped loving her. And soon she'll be my bride, and I couldn't be happier with the thought.
But, something's bothering me.
Grandpa Abraham Weinberg was my favorite grownup when I was a kid. A Rabbi, he was never short on giving advice, but he did it in a way that made you feel better, not scolded. I think I was about 10 years old when Grandpa Abe sat me down for a talk.
“Bennie,” Grandpa Abe said, “one of the reasons God put the Jews on earth was to do His worrying for Him. That's one of our jobs, Ben, to worry. I don't mean you should feel bad or unhappy, you just have to worry. It helps keep the world safe.”
So, ever the obedient grandson, I'm worried.
Our country came within a filament of a disaster. Okay, we stopped it, but it was close. There are so many “what if's” that Grandpa Abe's advice will never get old, at least not for me. So okay, Grandpa Abe, Bennie's listening to you. I'm worried. Why?
Maggie provided the answer. While I sat in the den with my folks, Maggie was in the kitchen, listening to the radio and putting together some appetizers. She came running, not walking fast –
running. Without saying a word, she grabbed the remote off the coffee table and clicked it at the TV.
“For those viewers who have just joined us, this is Shepard Smith reporting. Fox News has just learned that a nuclear suitcase bomb has been discovered in a van near the Parliament Building in London. Apparently the weapon has not yet been armed, and no timing device has been set. This news comes just days after a terrorist plot to set off nuclear bombs in five American cities was thwarted. Details are still coming in. We turn now to our affiliate in London...”
Bennie's listening, Grandpa.
THE END
Welcome to The Gang!
The book you’ve just read, A Time of Fear, is Book Three of The Time Magnet Series.
The Gray Ship, Book One of the series, is a tale about an African American woman Navy Captain who, along with her nuclear guided missile cruiser, finds herself and her crew transported through time from 2013 to 1861, just before the start of the Civil War. “wildly entertaining, but also profoundly moving.” Kirkus Reviews
The Thanksgiving Gang, Book Two of the series, finds Jack Thurber once again travelling through time, but this time into the future, where he learns that both he and his wife were killed in a terrorist attack. Jack has to go back to the past, to save his wife, as well as himself. “It’s always nice to find a new voice in fiction and to enjoy creativity at its best."
You can find The Gray Ship and The Thanksgiving Gang on Kindle and paperback on amazon.com
I hope you enjoyed A Time of Fear. Please consider giving it a review on amazon.com.
The next book is The Skies of Time, Book Four of the series
Want to be updated on the next book in the series? Please copy this link and paste it in your browser to be added to my update list as well as a free subscription to my weekly blog on writing tips, The Write Stuff. http://www.morancom.com/
When you get to the site, just click on “Subscribe" and get updates in the right hand column.
About the Author
I'm the author of The Gray Ship (Coddington Press 2013), book one of The Time Magnet series. It's a story of time travel, romance, and a nuclear warship that finds itself in the Civil War. The Thanksgiving Gang is the sequel, and A Time of Fear is Book Three in the series. The next is Book Four, The Skies of Time.
I have also published five nonfiction books: Justice in America: How it Works—How it Fails. (Coddington Press, 2011); The APT Principle — The Business Plan That You Carry in Your Head. (Coddington Press, 2012); Boating Basics, the Boattalk Book of Boating Tips( Coddington Press, 2013); How to Create More Time (Coddington Press, 2014). I'm a lawyer and a veteran of the United States Navy. I live in Long Island, New York with my wife Lynda.
The Skies of Time
Book Four in The Time Magnet Series
Russell F. Moran
The Skies of Time
Book Four of the Time Magnet Series
Copyright © 2014 by Russell F. Moran – All Rights Reserved
Coddington Press.
Kindle Edition - ASIN: B00R8IPHOG
ISBN: 978-0-9895546-8-8
Acknowledgements
As always I thank my wife, Lynda Moran, for being my first editor, critic, and contributor of great ideas. I also thank my friend and editor, John White for his eagle eye reading of the book.
I also thank my readers, the ones I’ve spoken to who have read one or more books of The Time Magnet Series. Their input was invaluable, and helped me shape the story of The Skies of Time.
Preface
The Skies of Time is book four of The Time Magnet Series.
The Gray Ship – Book One – http://amzn.to/16GPumH
“This provocative, intensely powerful novel is a must-read for sci-fi fans and Civil War aficionados, though mainstream fiction readers will find it heart-rending and inspiring as well. A rare read that’s not only wildly entertaining, but also profoundly moving.” Kirkus Reviews.
The Thanksgiving Gang – Book Two – http://amzn.to/1zdjaG9
"I had never read a book before written in an efficient, minimalistic prose... Instead of writing what most readers want to read, he gives voice to life-like characters, with their flaws and prejudices. They are not infallible superheroes. It’s always nice to find a new voice in fiction and to enjoy creativity at its best." C. Ludewig
A Time of Fear – Book Three – http://amzn.to/1rRcVFg
“His story is fascinating, and adds even more depth to this already cavernously deep novel. Amazingly unique, chilling and well written, Moran weaves a future that is both desperate and hopeful. Blending modern fears with science fiction results in a tale that will keep you reading long into the night. Five stars!” Heather
In The Skies of Time you will recognize the two main characters, Ashley Patterson, now an admiral, and her husband, Jack Thurber. They met and fell in love in The Gray Ship, and now they’re in for the adventure of their lives in The Skies of Time. Ashley and Jack have been such prominent characters in all four books of The Time Magnet Series that I feel like they’re old friends. You will also recognized some of the other characters. But if I told you who they are, it would ruin the fun.
The Skies of Time is a novel of time travel. Naturally, the book is fiction, but I’ve tried to make it as realistic as possible. Ashley and Jack are faced with the big question that troubles all time travelers – dare they change history? As the author, I’m the last one to be a spoiler, so I’ll leave the answer to the characters in the book. Enjoy! I would greatly appreciate it if you leave a review on Amazon.
As I do in all of my novels, I include a cast of characters. Sometimes, life pulls you away from a book for a few days. Nothing is more frustrating to come back to a book and encounter a character whose identity you can’t recall.
Characters – The Skies of Time
Akhbar, Gamal – CIA Agent (Buster)
Agransky, Jim – Scientist at Blake Industries
Angus – Nigel Blake’s butler
Atkins, George – See Akhbar, Gamal
Blake, Nigel – Industrialist, inventor, and time traveler
Burton, Jerome – Commanding Officer, USS Wasp
Burton, Mike – Farmer, Yaphank, Long Island
Carnegie – One of Nigel Blake’s Golden Retrievers
Clark, Matt – Announcer, Radio Station WOV
Donovan, William – Future head of the OSS
Edison, Charles – Secretary of the Navy
Ferguson, Michael – Lieutenant, US Army
Goering, Herman – Commandant of the Luftwaffe
Hitler, Adolf – The Fuehrer
Howell, Bill – Scientist at Blake Industries
Johansson, Wesley – Deputy Public Affairs Officer, The Pentagon
Johnson, Dave – Farmer, Yaphank, Long Island
Johnston, Timothy – Major, US Army Headquarters LaGuardia Airport
Jurgen, Hanse – Toolmaker
Magnussen, Jerome – United States Senator
McLaughlin, William – Admiral, Commander of Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station
Mumford, Dominic – General, USAF, Pentagon Public Affairs Officer
Patterson, Ashley – Rear Admiral, United States Navy and wife of Jack Thurber
Rockefeller – One of Nigel Blake’s Golden Retrievers
Roosevelt, Franklin – President of the United States
Schweitzer, Kurt – Nazi spy chief
Tanner, Dwight – Rear Admiral, United States Navy, Commandant Brooklyn Navy Yard
Tanner, Margaret – Wife of Dwight Tanner and Professor at NYU
Tanner, Sylvia – Admiral Tanner's mother, and mathematician
Thurber, Jack – Ashley Patterson’s husband – Journalist and Naval Reserve Officer
Townsend, Philip – Deputy Charge D’Affaires to Germany
Yamamoto, Isoroku – Admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy,
Yamamoto, Reiko – Admiral Yamamoto’s wife
Youseff, Ahmad – A Muslim Brotherhood leader
Yuri, Mohammed – A Muslim Brotherhood member
Ugaki, Matome – Admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy, Chief of Staff to Admiral Yamamoto
The Skies of Time – Book Four of The Time Magnet Series
Chapter 1
“Are you ready, honey?” I asked Jack.
“Honey? Hey, Ashley, you're an admiral. Aren't you supposed to call me ‘lieutenant’ or something?”
“You're my husband, dammit, and I'll call you whatever I want – honey.”
“Aye aye, sweetheart.”
A flight crewman hooked the launch bar on my F/A-18 F Super Hornet’s nose gear to the catapult shuttle. The catapult officer gave the launch signal to the operator sitting in his “cat house,” the control pod that's recessed into the flight deck. He opened a valve to fill the catapult's cylinder with high pressure steam. On a signal from one of the flight crew, I eased the throttle forward to full power, and then signaled that I was ready to launch. The catapult operator released the pistons, causing a “holdback” to drop away, and we shot off the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln at a speed of 165 miles per hour. I felt the same exhilaration as I did the first time I took off from a carrier deck, a feeling that's never left me.
“How was that, hon?” I asked, as we gained speed and altitude.
“Well, I'm still holding in my breakfast, if that's what you mean.”
“Any regrets about our flight so far, Jack?”
“Yeah, I regret that I married such a boring woman.”
“No problem, babe, I can fix that.”
I looked to see if we were beyond sight of the carrier, and told my escorts to fall back. I pulled back and put the nose of the Hornet into a vertical climb. I heard Jack say, “Oh, my God!”
After a 2000-foot ascent, I turned the plane and dove, swinging the Hornet into 360-degree rolls. I leveled off and executed a couple more rolls.
“How's that, Jack? Still find me boring?”
“I take it back, Ashley. You're not boring. You're crazy.”
“Still love me?”
“Yes, and I’ll love you even more if you knock off the roller coaster crap.”
Chapter 2
So what was I doing flying a 60-million dollar airplane with my husband as a passenger? Public relations is the answer. Some guy in the Public Affairs Office at the Pentagon thought it would be a great Navy recruiting tool to send the Navy's newest admiral (that's me) on a highly publicized “family” flight with her Naval Reservist husband.
Jack Thurber and I married three years ago in 2013, the happiest day of my life. I don't know if ours is a unique relationship, but it is for me, and I think it is for Jack too. Jack was a reserve officer on temporary active duty for our PR stunt. I had a hard time calling him “lieut
enant,” so I usually defaulted to my normal “honey.” And he is my honey. Jack and I share something that few other couples in the world do: we're both time travelers. Sounds insane, I know, but it's true.
I enjoyed our PR flight to keep the Pentagon happy, and I looked forward to the second part of my career as a flag officer. Jack looked forward to his too. Besides writing best-selling books, Jack is a famous journalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner, facts that the Pentagon Public Affairs Office thought were too cool not to take advantage of. One of Jack's books, his biggest seller, was entitled, Living History – Stories of Time Travel through the Ages. The world thinks of Jack as a time travel expert, but he denies it. He just time travels occasionally, and is the first to admit that he doesn't understand the phenomenon. I sure as hell don't.
But that's all history, okay recent history. I'm sure all of that is behind us.
I'm sure.
Chapter 3
Our plan, or I should say the Pentagon's plan, was for us to land at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, at 0930 (9:30 AM) about an hour from our location off the coast of Delaware. Makes sense. If you're looking for good public relations, why not go to the country's biggest media market.
We even had two escort jets, a couple of other Hornets. The Pentagon knows how to spend (waste?) taxpayer money.
***
“Hey, Jack, we're supposed to be chatting so the Pentagon types can make recordings of our words for posterity, not to mention selective broadcasting. Everything we say is on the Cockpit Voice Recorder.”
Box Set - The Time Magnet Series Page 56