by Marc James
Everyone managed to squeeze tightly into the booth, and Bonnie and Clyde’s apprehension was clearly visible.
“Some day they’ll go down together, and they’ll bury them side by side, to few it’ll be grief, to the law a relief, but it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.” Jacob said with glee.
“Hello again Jacob.” Clyde spoke with a tone of resentment.
“Hello Clyde, Hello Bonnie. How are you both?”
“A little confused Jacob.” Bonnie replied.
“Why is that?”
“You asked us to meet you here, you didn’t tell us why and you’ve shown up with four other people. What is going on?”
“Are you still writing the poems?” Jacob asked.
“Tell us why we are here!” Clyde barked.
“I told you to meet me here because unless you help me, today is the day that you’ll go down together.”
“Is that a threat?” Clyde barked.
“No Clyde it is not a threat, it is a fact. A few miles down the road a group of police officers are waiting to ambush you, they will not hesitate and when they see you, they will shoot to kill and they will succeed.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I am from the future Clyde, I am here to offer you an alternative.”
“The future?” Bonnie asked sarcastically.
“That’s right, only moments ago we were in the year 1963, isn’t that right?” Jacob asked the table as a whole.
“He is telling the truth.” Sarah said.
“So what is your alternative?” Bonnie asked.
“Well, I know how experienced you both are at organising jailbreaks, getaway driving and killing. I need your help with all three.”
“Which prison?” Clyde asked.
“You won’t know it, it hasn’t been built yet.”
“You want us to go to the future?” Bonnie asked.
“Yes, I want you to come with me to the 11th, May, 1943.”
“You want me to go back to Germany?” Wernher interrupted.
“Please give me a minute doctor.” Jacob replied glaring at the man.
“Germany?” Clyde asked in surprise.
“Yes, in a few years’ time the world will be at war once more and there is a man imprisoned in a German death camp. We want to bust him out.”
“Who?” Clyde asked.
“He was the head of the FBI.” Chase interrupted.
Bonnie and Clyde both laughed. “You want us to help the law?”
Jacob glared at Chase now. “He is ex FBI, he also spent time working with the Mafia. He was sent back in time to 1943 as a punishment for going against the President. He is no cop, he is a crook.” Jacob explained.
“Is that right?” Bonnie asked, directing the question at Sarah.
“Yes.”
“So what is the security like?” Clyde asked.
“Pretty heavy, guards with machine guns, electric fences, barbed wire, dogs.” Jacob surmised.
“Sounds pretty risky.” Bonnie replied.
“I will not lie to you, it is dangerous. I would not have come to you if I didn’t think we could do this. I have broken out of prisons before, Chase here is handy with a gun and both of you are the same.”
“What about the rest of you?” Clyde replied.
“This gentleman is Dr Teller, he created a time machine that we will use. This lovely young lady is Sarah Salmond, she is a friend of the man we are trying to save and this is Wernher Von Braun, who we have just busted out of jail.”
“Why am I here?” He asked in frustration.
“We need your help Wernher. Like Bonnie and Clyde here, you would be dead if we hadn’t intervened. We need you to tell us where you lived in Nazi Germany. We need to go and visit the younger you, and we need him to get us Nazi uniforms and access to Auschwitz. “
“You are out of your mind.” Wernher barked.
“Why?” Jacob asked, obviously irritated.
“I cannot get the seven of us and my younger self into Auschwitz.”
“Why not?”
“It will not work, plain and simple. Why would the younger me agree to help the enemy? Do any of you even speak German?”
“I speak a little.” Teller replied.
“As I recall you defected to the United States Wernher, I am a little surprised to hear you describe us as the enemy.” Jacob spoke with a smile.
Wernher blushed. “I just meant that at the time I worked for the Germans.”
“You mean the Nazis?” Jacob chuckled.
“I was not a Nazi, I am a scientist.”
“Where is your scientific curiosity?” Jacob laughed.
“You are out of your mind.”
“You and Dr Teller will do the talking, Chase with his blonde hair and blue eyes is the definition of the Aryan race, so the four of you will be in Nazi uniform. Myself and Sarah can come in as prisoners, whom you have chosen to work on your rockets. Bonnie and Clyde will have a getaway vehicle and enough fire power to kill anyone that get’s in our way.”
“You want me to walk you into Auschwitz as a prisoner, you really are crazy.”
“Wernher this is actually very simple, you either help us or you die.” Jacob smirked.
“This cannot be done, I will die either way. If you really think, you can walk in and out of Auschwitz as if it were a holiday camp then you are very mistaken.”
“The plan actually makes sense Wernher. You can walk into Auschwitz and if we are with you, I see no reason why this can’t work.” Chase interjected.
“That’s the first sensible thing you have ever said.” Jacob chuckled.
“What am I to do if a guard takes a dislike to one of you, I can’t stop him shooting a prisoner?” Wernher stressed.
“You won’t need to, just tell us where you lived and we shall go and talk to you from the past. You will persuade him to help us. Bonnie and Clyde, I need your answer, do you want to die today or help us?” Jacob barked.
“Thing is, we aren’t as able as we once were.” Clyde stated.
“How do you mean?” Jacob asked in confusion.
“Well, I have a pretty bad limp, I cut my toe off in prison. Bonnie had an accident recently and she struggles to walk at all.”
“As I said I want you both in the car, you can drive and you can both shoot.” Jacob smiled.
“I don’t know about this.” Clyde replied.
“Think of it this way. Neither of you are in your peak physical condition, this is the last job you will ever have to do. At the moment, you run, and you hide. You steel to survive, it is a life that you have become accustomed to.”
“How do you know so much?” Clyde barked.
“I know so much because I have been an outlaw, and I know what it is like. If you come with us, the police won’t be looking for you. No one will know where you are, you don’t even need to come back to America if you don’t want to.”
“We’ll help you.” Bonnie replied quickly, she seemed almost excited.
“Bonnie what are you saying?” Clyde spoke in astonishment.
“He’s right, how much longer can we outrun them? They will catch us eventually.” She pleaded.
“They will catch you in around half an hour. They will shoot you with everything they’ve got.” Jacob advised.
“I’m talking to Bonnie!” Clyde barked, Jacob stared at him with fury.
Chase couldn’t help but smile.
“Are you sure that this is what you want?” Clyde continued.
“We need to do this.” She replied.
“How do we get there?” Clyde asked.
“Dr Teller will generate a wormhole that will take us to Wernher’s home and then you just walk through it. Get any guns that you have.” Jacob demanded.
Bonnie and Clyde squeezed out of the booth and struggled out of the diner. Bonnie was almost hopping.
“So are we all in?” Jacob asked.
“It will not work.” Wernher insisted.
“Will you try?” Chase asked.
“What choice do I have?”
“You have no choice.” Jacob instructed.
“Well then I will try.” Wernher reluctantly agreed.
“Well, everyone out.” Jacob demanded.
As the others left the booth, Chase stayed where he was and stared at Jacob.
“Is there a problem?” Jacob asked with irritation.
“Just wanted to give you a word of warning.”
“Do not threaten me, you won’t like what happens.” Jacob spoke calmly.
“I wanted to tell you that if you are trying to lead us to certain death then Bonnie and Clyde will want you dead as much as I will. I know that you aren’t afraid of me, but something tells me you may be a little more afraid of them.”
Jacob laughed with joy. “Oh yes, they terrify me. A man who was stupid enough to cut his own toe off and a woman who hopped out of here. Frankly I consider you to be more of a threat. Also just in case you hadn’t realised, I consider you to be an idiot. We had better go out and join the others.”
Chapter 19
Faraday walked into the flat above the pub, it was a spacious three bedroom flat. The walls and carpets were cream, he nervously walked through the hallway towards the living room at the end. He could hear the song “Pet Cemetery” by The Ramones being played. He walked into the living room and saw that Jane was sitting at a table with her back to the door, she was typing something on her laptop.
“Jane.” Faraday said softly, he felt on the verge of tears.
She turned quickly and stared at him, she too looked as though she was going to cry. She was a middle aged woman now, her hair was brown with a few grey hairs dotted around. “Faraday.” She rose from her chair and they shared a hug.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Faraday said as he hugged her.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you again either.” She cried.
“You look beautiful.”
“I’m an old woman.” She replied, the tears were now soaking into Faraday’s grey suit jacket. He held her tightly, her once toned body was now a little puffy.
“I would love you if you were one hundred years old.” He replied.
She pulled away from him and he saw her pale blue eyes, they looked as though they had seen much misery. “You look so young.” Jane said looking at her husband.
“You look beautiful.” Faraday repeated, staring into her eyes.
“No I don’t.” Jane replied self-consciously.
“So what happened Jane? I thought you were dead?”
“Jacob saved us from the car bomb, and we went to 1995. I raised Scarlett and Nancy raised Clint. Nancy died a few months ago from lung cancer and Jacob left to find you. So it’s just been me and the kids.”
“Why didn’t you come back for me?” Faraday asked.
“I couldn’t, if Abaddon knew that we were alive he might have killed us, like he did David. He’s been trying to find you as well.”
“I went to see David before I came here. His wife blamed me for the death. At first I assumed Jacob might have killed him.”
“No, Jacob was going to, but that was before he saved us. Apparently after you and Edward visited him, David went to Abaddon to ask him to help you. Abaddon killed him.”
“Why would he do that? I asked David to help me and he turned me down. What need would Abaddon have to kill David?”
“David probably didn’t want to risk losing his family again. He probably knew too much and that’s why Abaddon killed him.”
“I can understand why he wouldn’t want to risk losing his family again.” Faraday agreed.
Jane smiled. “So you met Scarlett?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it.” Faraday replied.
“She looks like you.”
“That’s what she said.” Faraday laughed.
Jane led Faraday to the couch and they sat side by side holding hands. “She’s a really good kid, she pretty much runs the bar herself.”
“So do you own the bar?”
“Yes, it seemed fitting considering how often we came here.”
“That is very cool.” Faraday nodded. “So was it tough, raising her alone?”
“I wasn’t alone, Nancy helped, and Jacob even helped from time to time.”
“Jacob helped raise our daughter?” Faraday asked in disgust.
“He’s not as bad as you think.”
“He’s a mass murderer.” Faraday snapped.
“He’s killed far fewer people than Abaddon, who you helped.”
“I made a mistake.” Faraday acknowledged.
“So what do we do about us?” Jane asked.
“You are my wife Jane.”
“I’m an old woman.”
“I don’t care, I love you and I always will. We are not jeopardising this again.”
“How do you mean?”
“This Abaddon and Alex Salmond thing, it isn’t worth our lives trying to stop it.”
“This whole thing was our fault Faraday, I’m not letting it happen.”
“But Scarlett said you didn’t want to do anything like this again.”
“I’m not going out with a gun and looking for trouble, I will warn Alex.”
“Do you know him?”
“I’m one of his speech writers.” Jane replied. “It’s what I was working on when you came in.”
“Jacob asked me to bring guns.” Faraday stated, confused.
“He wants us to stop the assassination and kill Abaddon.”
“Yes I know, are you going to?”
“I will warn Salmond; that is all.”
“What about Scarlett and Clint?”
“They want to be like their family, and have a real impact on history. I have explained to them both that I have no intention of allowing them to do so, it is not worth it.”
“I would have to agree, we can ground them if they step out of line.” Faraday joked.
“They won’t listen, they’re headstrong. Think they know everything, like we did at that age.” Jane laughed. “Listen to me, you’re closer to their age than you are mine.”
Faraday didn’t reply to that statement, he could see that Jane was struggling to deal with the age gap.
“Did anyone else come with you?”
“Guy Fawkes came with me.”
Jane snorted with laughter. “Jacob thought you had saved him. Bonfire night doesn’t even exist anymore.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing, the guards showed up and Guy escaped with us.”
“Did Jacob go to save Bobby?”
“That was the plan the last time I saw them.”
“It’s suicide. Who else was with him?”
“Chase, Sarah Salmond and Dr Teller.”
“Sarah Salmond, she’s a bitch!”
“She’s not so bad.”
“Have you forgotten about the slanderous comments she made about Kennedy?”
“That was Jacob’s doing.”
“He is the reason I am alive.”
Faraday sighed. “I know.”
“Teller, is he the one who made the time machine?”
“Yes.”
“How do you think they’ll do it?”
“I have absolutely no idea.”
Chapter 20
Bobby was strapped back into the chair and once again he was left on his own with Josef Mengele. Mengele took his seat opposite Bobby and watched as a guard came into the room. To Bobby’s surprise the guard began to spoon feed him soup, it didn’t taste like Will and Emmerich had described. It was beautiful tomato soup.
“I have reconsidered the salt water testing, well on you anyway. The guards told me they overheard a conversation you were having with those disgusting cell mates of yours. They said that you claimed to be from the future and that you were sent here as some sort of punishment. At first I thought it must be a lie, but the way you appeared here, dressed in an exquisite suit makes me wonder whether there
isn’t some truth in the story.”
Bobby kept accepting mouthfuls of soup and didn’t reply.
“You said that the Allies would win the war and that this camp would be liberated. You said that Will Carter would kill me, is this true?”
Bobby swallowed his mouthful of soup and replied. “Yes.”
“Fascinating, tell me, how is it that you were able to travel through time?”
“I went through a wormhole.”
“So how do I do it?”
“I have no idea.”
“That’s enough soup!” Mengele snapped.
The guard stood up straight and left the room.
“I am willing to allow you to live if you help me.”
“Live where?”
“Well, here of course.”
“It’s not really worth it is it?”
“You would rather die?” Mengele asked.
“Yes. I am sure you are aware of this, but this place is death. I have never seen or met a more disgusting human being than you.”
“Those are strong words number 221163, I have killed people for far less.”
“You kill people for being a different race or religion.” Bobby snapped again.
Mengele laughed. “They deserve to die. When you have been here as long as I have you get used to how pathetic these people really are. They are frightened, they do not see the good that we are doing. They are like parasites to this world.”
“I would rather die than help you.” Bobby yelled.
“Would you like your two cellmates to die with you?” Mengele smiled.
Bobby wanted nothing more than to tear Mengele’s head off, he had been scum throughout his entire disgusting existence. “They would rather die than help you.” Bobby asked.
Mengele laughed. “If I drag them both through here and tell them that if you helped me I wouldn’t kill them, do you think they would rather you watched me shoot them?”
Bobby sighed, he hated Mengele so much. “What do you want from me?”
“I want to know how to travel through time.”
“I don’t know how to do it.”