by Marc James
“That would be an impossible shot.” Chase countered.
“No, it has been done. All we need is a shooter in the drain and someone to signal to the shooter.”
“I can take the shot.” Jacob replied.
“How many guns do we have?” Clint asked.
“I have one.” Jacob stated.
“I have two.” Faraday replied.
“Where the hell is Guy?” Jacob asked, only now realising his absence.
“Dead.” Scarlett answered.
“Shame.” Jacob replied genuinely.
“Well, if we have three guns, then we can have three shooters.” Jack interjected, ignoring the mention of Guy.
“So who are the best shots?” Scarlett asked.
“I can do it.” Faraday announced.
“So can I.” Chase volunteered.
Jacob snorted in derision. “I think that we should ask Bobby first, he is better than you at everything else.”
Chase went to get up, but Scarlett put her hand over his and smiled.
Bobby and Jane entered the room, Jane was almost smiling, and Bobby hobbled over to Faraday.
“Whatever happened, happened.” He put out a hand, which Faraday shook.
“We are going to kill Hitler.” Jack announced.
“Yes I told him. Jacob is taking the shot.” Jane replied.
“Well, he is taking one of the shots, but we have three guns.” Jack replied. “Faraday has volunteered to take one shot, Chase has also volunteered.”
At hearing Jack’s words, Jane was once again furious with Faraday.
“But Bobby would be more reliable.” Jacob stated.
Chase looked at Scarlett, who again tried to force a smile at him. He had never hated anyone as much as he hated Jacob.
Bobby looked towards Jane, and then to Sarah. “I think I’ve done enough.”
“What?” Jack asked in surprise.
“I don’t want to put my life at risk anymore. In fact Sarah, if you will come with me then I would like to leave.”
“But you caused this!” Bobby Kennedy interjected.
“That’s right, I should have left well alone to begin with, and if I had then we wouldn’t be in this situation. I wish you all the best of luck, but I’m done.”
“You don’t want to get to know Clint?” Scarlett interjected. Clint looked hurt as he stared at his future son.
“Without wishing to offend you Clint, no I have no desire to get to know you. My family has caused me nothing but pain, I want to start a fresh with you Sarah.”
Sarah blushed. “You don’t need me anyway.” She said to the others. “The longer you all stay here, the more likely you are to be killed.” She rose to her feet and walked towards the hallway, Bobby hobbled behind her.
“Good luck to you all.” He said before hugging Jane goodbye. “Thank you.” He whispered in her ear.
“Good luck Bobby.” She whispered back.
Sarah and Bobby left the condo, Faraday could not believe Bobby was walking away from everything.
“Well, I suppose that means you are taking the third gun.” Jack said to Chase.
“I would like to have a word with my husband.” Jane declared.
Chapter 42
Faraday sat down on the bed once again and Jane sat beside him, she looked at him and sighed. How could he be so thoughtless? He looked back at her and realised they were totally different people now.
“How many times are you going to put me through this?” Jane began.
“We have to do this.” Faraday protested.
“No, we don’t. We can leave it to Jacob, he is more than capable. This isn’t just about your life or my life anymore, we have a daughter.”
“Jane she is hardly my daughter. You raised her, she is only a few years younger than me.”
“So you don’t care? You don’t want to get to know her? To get to know me again?”
“Of course I care when this is over I can get to know her. But we caused this Jane, we can’t walk away.”
“Yes we can. Bobby did it, David did it.”
“Well I’m not walking away. I’m staying until it’s done!”
“You’ll be staying alone then.”
“Fine.”
Jane had tears in her eyes now, she had no idea how their lives had turned out this way. She rose from the bed and walked towards the door, she turned back to face him.
“I wish you had never come back.” She carried on and went back through to the living room. Scarlett was still at the table, sitting beside Chase. Jacob and Clint were still standing where they had been previously, and both of the Kennedy’s were now sat beside one another on the couch.
“Scarlett we are leaving.” She stated.
“To go where?” Scarlett asked in bemusement.
“We are going home.”
“We can’t leave Mum.” She protested.
“We are leaving.” Jane snapped. “Come on.”
“Mum I’m not leaving.”
Jane stormed towards Scarlett and grabbed her by the arm. “You are coming with me! Clint I think you should do the same!”
“He’ll be okay here.” Jacob interjected.
Clint blushed, he looked towards Jacob. “I’m going with them.”
“We need your help.” Jack said.
“They are my family, I need to make sure they are safe.” He explained. “Good luck Jacob.” He smiled.
Jacob nodded and watched as Clint followed Jane and Scarlett out of the condo. When Faraday heard the front door close, he re-entered the living room.
“Can we not cover him up?” He asked, gesturing to where Abaddon’s body was lying.
Chase stood up from the table and took down one of the Swastikas that were covering the window, he walked over to Abaddon’s body and covered him up.
“So what do we do now?” Bobby Kennedy asked.
Faraday joined Chase at the table and lit a cigarette.
“One of you will need to give us the signal.” Jacob stated.
“I can do it.” Jack said.
“Hey, now don’t be so hasty Jack.” Bobby protested.
“Come on Bobby, I served in the Navy, I can look after myself.”
“What if you get killed? You are supposed to be our President.”
“If I get killed then you will need to be the President.” Jack smiled.
“How touching.” Jacob said sarcastically. “If they captured that spineless coward Oswald then we need to get moving. If they find us here then we are all dead. You should probably change your clothes.” Jacob said, staring at Chase, who was still dressed in his Nazi uniform.
“Help yourself to something from my wardrobe.” Jack said.
Chase rose to his feet and went through to the bedroom.
“We still have seven hours until he gets here.” Bobby stated.
“We can’t stay here. I will get into position in the storm drain. You will need to signal me from above.” Jacob said, staring at Jack.
“Do you have an umbrella?” Faraday asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, raise it when Jacob can take a shot. You will need to raise it before the car reaches the storm drain or it will be too late, give him plenty of time. I will be on the grassy knoll. We have one shot each. Any more than that will give away our positions.”
“How do you intend to escape?” Jack asked.
Faraday had not even considered a getaway. “Well, if you are going to be free Bobby, I could use a driver.”
“I can wait in the car park.” Bobby suggested.
“Perfect.” Faraday smiled.
“Where will Chase be?” Jack asked.
“I’m going with Jacob.” Chase announced walking into the room. He was now dressed in a white shirt and grey trousers.
Jacob couldn’t help but laugh.
“I don’t trust him to do it himself.” Chase stated.
“I think it would be better if you came to the knoll with me.” Faraday stated. “It is an ea
sier shot.”
“Well, if it’s an easy shot then you can manage alone. It will be harder for two of us to go unnoticed. The sewers provide an easy escape.”
“We could use those Walkie Talkies.” Bobby suggested.
“Good idea.” Jack replied, he walked out of the living room and returned a minute later with four black Walkie Talkies. He handed one to Bobby, one to Faraday, and the other to Jacob.
“Shall we go then?” Faraday asked.
Chapter 43
Jacob and Chase sat down under the storm drain, it was 06:15. Jacob placed the Walkie Talkie on the ground and lay his gun down beside it. Jacob was still dressed in the clothing he had worn to Auschwitz, he was dressed all in black, but there were huge muddy stains all over him. They still had six hours and fifteen minutes to wait until Hitler’s motorcade would pass by. Chase sighed and placed his gun down on the ground.
“Why are you here?” Jacob asked.
Chase couldn’t bear to even look at the man. “I’m here to kill Hitler.”
Jacob laughed. “You could have done that on the knoll, why are you here?”
“I told you already, I don’t trust you.”
Jacob laughed again. “What did you think I would do?”
Chase did not reply.
“From down here all I can do is try to shoot Hitler. So what did you think I would do?”
Chase again chose not to reply.
“You wouldn’t be here to try and get me captured would you?”
His words were met with silence.
“Look at me.” He said calmly. “Look at me!” He yelled.
Chase reluctantly turned his head to face Jacob. “What?”
“Why are you here?”
Chase sighed. “You are scum Jacob. Nobody trusts you, nobody!”
Jacob was no longer smiling, he remained stony-faced and stared at Chase with his cold dead eyes. “Jane, Clint, and Scarlett trust me.”
“And they left, they apparently don’t care much for you.”
Jacob nodded. “Well, not everyone has friends or a family. Look at you Chase, is there anyone that would be genuinely upset if you died?”
Chase considered Jacob’s words, they hurt. He had nobody, nothing. He had always tried to do what was right and yet here he was sat in a drain with a man he detested and a man who despised him. He had thought Sarah might have cared, she hadn’t. As soon as Bobby had gotten out of Auschwitz she had forgotten about everything Chase had done. “Maybe that’s the one thing we have in common.”
“Maybe it is.” Jacob replied, still stony faced.
“But that’s where it ends.”
Jacob smirked. “I suppose you’re right. You are weak.”
“No, Jacob I’m not weak, you are.”
“How do you figure?” He asked, the smile returning to his face.
“Just because you don’t care about other people it doesn’t make you strong. You helped get Bobby out of Auschwitz purely for revenge. That isn’t strength that is a weakness.”
“And why did you help?” Jacob snapped.
“I wanted to save him.”
“Is that strength? You saved him even though you knew that Sarah wanted to be with him, you couldn’t just let him die. That is a weakness, you are too scared to do what is best for you. I do what benefits me, do you think I would save a man who stood between me and something I want?”
“No, not for a second.” Chase replied.
Jacob chuckled. “So tell me Chase, we have hours to kill. What will you do with your future?”
Chase managed a laugh this time. “Why do you care?”
“I don’t, but it may help to pass the time.”
“You tell me and then I’ll tell you.” Chase replied.
“I am going to be the head of the newly formed CIA.”
“How do you work that out?”
“I’m about to be the man that killed Adolf Hitler, and regardless of who becomes President, I will make sure that they are aware of that fact. I will get exactly what I want.”
“Time will tell.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just saying, you never know what the future holds.”
“And what will your future hold?”
“I have no plans.”
“No thoughts?”
“Well, I guess we’re stuck in 1963 so I need a job and a place to live.”
“Back to law enforcement?”
“No, I’ve had my fill of guns and death.”
“You’re a lover, not a fighter.” Jacob laughed.
“Something like that.”
“I think Scarlett was making eyes at you.”
Chase was baffled by the statement. “Why would you tell me that?”
Jacob looked confused. “Why wouldn’t I tell you?”
“Well, you never usually say anything nice.”
Jacob chuckled. “I say what I think, if more people were like me the world would be a better place. She’s a good kid, you could do worse.”
Chase was gobsmacked. “You should be careful Jacob, you’re starting to sound like a normal person.”
“They are the closest thing to a family I’ve got. When I saved Jane, Nancy, and Clint, I took them to Scotland. I gave them the money to buy a bar and I lived with them. I was there when she was born, she was an adorable child. She deserves the best, if you ever do ask her out you had better be good to her. If not her father will be the least of your worries.”
“She’s a beautiful looking girl but I doubt I’ll see her again.”
Jacob chuckled. “Yes I suppose if this doesn’t go as planned our lives will be shortened considerably.”
“Why are you being nice to me?” Chase asked.
Jacob smirked. “I don’t hate you Chase, you are clearly a nice guy. I just think you are highly incompetent and incredibly idealistic. I find it odd that you don’t do what is best for you. You have antagonized me from the moment I came to see you. I really do not know why you wanted to save Bobby, and I think it is strange that you chose to come down here with me, the most dangerous man you have ever met. Rather than go with that other idiot.”
“Faraday?” Chase asked.
“Yes.”
“Why do you call him an idiot?”
“He is like you Chase, only he already has what he wants, he just continually puts himself into a position where he can lose it. I never liked him, but I sent him into the future for Jane and the kids. I never thought I would see him again, but he brought them back here. Why in the hell would he do that?”
“They said Scotland was under Nazi control.”
“So why come back to the sixties? He would have been just as well staying there with his family. But he comes back here and then lets them go.” Jacob chuckled again. “Strange.”
“He is doing what is right. So are the Kennedy’s and so am I. You are doing what is best for you.”
“I think the Kennedy’s are doing the same as me. They want power, I want power.”
“They want power to do good.”
“Don’t be so naive, they are no different to any other politician at any other time. They are doing what is in their best interest. It is people like me that have built this country.”
“Oh God.” Chase muttered.
“I fought in Vietnam.”
“And you were imprisoned for war crimes!”
“They would have done the same if it were the other way around. We go to these places to help them fight communism and they fight us, they are terrorists.”
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”
Jacob smiled. “That may be the most profound thing you have ever said. In the war, I was trying to give the people freedom and yet I was imprisoned. When I got out I was branded a terrorist, yet I was still attempting to fight communism. And that has led me here, to kill fascism.”
“You are deluded. You shot civilians. That is not what a freedom fighter would do. And your
definition of fighting communism does not actually reflect the innocent Americans you killed on that plane. You were guilty of treason. You are not here to destroy fascism, you are here to help yourself.”
“Well, if I’m so bad, why don’t you do something about it?”
Chase turned away from Jacob, he knew that prolonging the conversation would only make it worse.
Chapter 44
“I can’t believe you Mum.” Scarlett snapped.
Jane took a sip from her coffee and stared at her daughter, Clint was sat beside Scarlett on the other side of the table. They were the only customers in the diner. “I won’t have you getting dragged into this mess.”
“Your Mum is trying to do what’s right.” Clint said, putting his arm around Scarlett.
“Oh piss off!” Scarlett snapped.
Clint withdrew his arm from around her and blushed.
“Look at what has happened to you in one week of having your father back in our lives. You tried to kill someone, then Guy died, then we ended up here, and you saw Abaddon die. In the last twenty-one years, I have done what is best for you and nothing like that has ever happened.” Jane explained.
“So you are just leaving him?”
“Did I say that?” Jane snapped. “I’m just not going to be putting any of our lives in danger.”
“So we are waiting for him?”
“Yes, we can go to Dealey, I mean Hitler Plaza, but we are not getting involved. Is that understood?”
“Yes.” Scarlett said with a smile.
Chapter 45
They had been sat in the red Volkswagen for hours, it was now 11:30. Both of the Kennedy brothers were in the front seat and Faraday was in the back. He had been trying to stay with the conversation, but his mind kept drifting to Jane. He understood why she had chosen to leave him, she was a mother now, and the problem was that he was not a father, not really.
The sun was shining brightly in the morning sky and Hitler Plaza was already filling up with spectators. They were parked in the car park behind the grassy knoll and the radio was giving endless broadcasts about Hitler’s visit. To Faraday’s surprise he was being spoken about like a God, the Kennedy’s had explained to him that the reporters had to praise him for fear of death.
“You feeling alright back there?” Bobby asked.