by Teya Tapler
The team was extremely cautious when choosing the location of their next hideout and how to shield the locket from its surroundings. When selecting the location they insured that it wasn’t on any of the charts for past or upcoming TTA visits. Local conflicts, population density and demographic characteristics were considered as well. It resulted in what looked like random moves through time and space ranging from the 16th to the 25th century.
In the beginning, the Cambridge house seemed more promising than most of the other locations. Zander found Carmen to look after Andy during the day and, even though it was hard to admit, the girls recently moving in on the second floor were making the place livelier than any of the others. Andy liked the house, his neighbors were good people and for once he hoped to stay at one location a little bit longer. He was gradually adjusting to the new place, the only constant thing being Zander’s regular visits.
“This holo-activity… might be from Zander,” Andy said reluctantly.
“He doesn’t know, but I’ve left the black framed glasses for him to find so that we know when he visits you.” Emil said. “That activity’s different, it has different digital signature and different origin. We suspect it's one of the black-hoods. We don't want to risk you or the item. Let's go.” Emil said.
“There's a small complication,” Andy hesitated, “the item's upstairs.”
“I'll go pick it up, and then we leave.” Emil said.
Andy spread his arms indicating that he cannot easily move. Emil smiled and tapped his left ear.
“Zander you may come in.” Emil said.
Andy heard the backdoor open and Zander ran to hug him. “Hi dad!” he was there in person, not as a half-human half-digitalized holo-reality image.
“See you upstairs in a bit.” Emil said and left.
“Let me get you ready for the trip.” Zander piled the medical pillows, the jars with colorful gel from the dining room table and the wheelchair on the sofa next to his father.
“Did you know that Evan likes medium hot peach salsa?” Andy said.
“We don’t have time for that now, dad.” Zander said.
“I thought you’d know. It’s your favorite too, isn’t it?” Andy said then continued talking about his meeting with the girls earlier that night.
Zander ignored him. Busy preparing his father for the hasty departure his thoughts were focused on not forgetting anything important and not leaving too many traces behind. Having done that exercise many times before, he was moving mechanically from room to room going through the checklist in his mind. Every time they moved his father and the golden locket to a new location, Andy agreed to use only certain rooms and pieces of furniture; bedroom, bathroom, living room and corridor. The kitchen and the rest of the rooms, if any, were always off limits for him. It was making the sudden departures easier and had significantly reduced the number of items left behind. Zander quickly emptied the closet and dresser from the bedroom, the bathroom shelves and the shoe box from the corridor stacking their content on the couch. He put a cookie in his mouth and placed the latest mail on the top of the heap.
“Do you need anything else?” Zander asked.
“How about a few minutes conversation with you, in private?” Andy said.
“Yeah, how about we do that later?” Zander said.
“Deal?” Andy smiled.
“Deal.” Zander transcated Andy and his belongings.
***
When the blue haze disappeared Zander ran to the second floor and stood in the middle of the landing next to Emil who had his ear pressed at the front door. He had been listening to the sounds in the second floor apartment for a while. Not having the right equipment with him to see what was going on behind the closed door was slowing him down.
“So what'll be our excuse for this late visit?” Emil asked when Zander showed up.
“Sorry for the interruption ladies,” Peter’s voice came to them in the communicators,” but there’s been a transcasting activity in your area. You have to speed up.”
“Understood.” Emil said and tapped his ear.
“We'll think of something, right?” Zander knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Brittany's voice approached the door.
“It's me Emil.” Emil spoke before Zander could even open his mouth. “You forgot the salsa jar downstairs and Andy asked me to bring it to you.”
The moment Brittany opened the door; Emil pulled her out on the landing and hit her on the head. She silently collapsed in his arms and he laid her softly on the floor inside the apartment.
“Sorry! You'll thank us later,” he said.
The two men quickly and quietly entered the apartment, their eyes scanning the area as they walked. The living room was empty. They couldn’t see anyone in the kitchen or the bathroom through the open doors. One of the bedroom doors was closed, the other one was opened. That room was empty, decorated in the same shade and hue of pink as Brittany’s pajama. Most likely that was her room.
“Where is it?” Emil asked.
“In there.” Zander nodded towards the closed bedroom door.
“I’ll look around.” Emil said then tapped at his ear as he headed to the kitchen. ”Peter, send me the coordinates of the recent activities.”
Zander opened the door of Evan’s bedroom and peeked inside. The light from the living room fell on the Van Gough’s reproduction on the opposite wall. The room was dark and the stars on the picture seemed to shine brighter than intended by the artist. The outlines of the furniture stood out under the thin light beam coming through the opened door. Zander’s eyes adjusted slowly.
***
Evan couldn’t fall asleep. She was drawing parallels between her life and the story they were watching. Scenes from the movie and her restless thoughts about the guys around her and her life in general kept her occupied. She tossed and turned in the bed a few times when she felt the presence of somebody else in her room. Disheveled locks covered her forehead as she turned face towards the door to face the other person. She spoke with eyes closed without lifting her head from the pillow.
“Brit, is everything okay?” Evan said half asleep. She lay in her bed wondering whether to sit and speak with her friend or leave the girl talk for the morning and continue sleeping.
“Sh-sh. Everything's fi-ine.” An unfamiliar low baritone said quietly. “I just need to look around and then I'm leaving.”
The words were benign but the tone sounded threatening. Evan felt the hair on the back of her neck raise.
That wasn’t Brittany.
Terror rushed into her mind and she screamed in the dark. Her cry got muffled.
“Sh-sh!” the owner of the voice had his palm over her mouth and pressed her head against the pillow. His silhouette implied he was wearing a hood over his head. His hushed voice tried to calm her down. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I only -”
He did not have a chance to finish. Someone opened the bedroom door and the light from the living room fell on Evan’s face. She was horrified. Not knowing the hooded man in front of her she saw another stranger entering the room and started kicking the covers and moving her arms erratically attempting to free herself from the first intruder. The first man pulled Evan out of the bed and took her with him as he hid behind the far side of the bed, all the time keeping his face hidden under the dark hood. He took out a laser gun and shot at the newcomer. The man at the bedroom door avoided the red flash and shot back in blue.
The shootout continued in the now semi-dark room; the newcomer trying to move into the shadows and the black-hooded man pushing Evan’s inquisitive head to stay low every time she tried to peek out.
Then all of a sudden the black-hooded man saw how the newcomer dropped on the floor and Evan came on top of him beating him with one of her shoes. She had crawled under the bed and pulled him down by his legs. The pointy heels in her hands were leaving painful marks on his body.
“Hey! Hey! It’s me. Zander.” Her victim said between th
e hits. The husky voice was familiar to her. It brought back good memories. Evan slowed down and Zander caught her arms. She gradually opened her eyes and met his. He was looking at her with a mixture of pain, hope and happiness. She threw the shoe under the bed and smiled sheepishly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you-” she started when Zander pulled her down and grabbed his transcaster gun. The black-hooded man was climbing on the bed towards them - gun first. He was wobbling, having trouble to aim properly from the bed’s soft and unsteady surface. Zander shot first. The buzz of the transcast followed and the black-hooded intruder was engulfed in the blue haze.
“Zander, Emil needs help in the other room.” Peter’s voice came to Zander in the communicator. ”It’s two against one there.”
“Are you okay?” Zander turned towards Evan when a sharp pain hit his left cheek. Her answer came in an unexpected way.
“You should switch your communicator to listen only mode!” Peter yelled back. “My ears hurt. What are you doing out there?”
Zander’s cheek began to pulsate. The initial sharp pain from the hit was giving in to the warmth as the blood rushed into the place. He touched his cheek and looked at her.
“What are you doing here? Why did you come back? Who was that hooded man?” Evan started yelling her questions at Zander one after another. She was still frightened by the intrusion and empowered by being able to defend herself with her hands and shoes. She was upset for seeing him without a notice, upset from him - not calling her for the last three years. She was happy to see him, happy that he was all right, that he saved her - again. Mixed feelings and thoughts entered her heart and mind. Her voice quieted down as she sat down on the floor and started sobbing.
“Are you okay?” Zander kneeled next to Evan. He wasn’t sure what would be the right distance between them that would prevent her from hitting him again. Wondering whether he had to calm her down first or sooth the pain in his burning cheek he was puzzled, worried and confused at the same time.
“Ye-yes.” Evan said between sobs without looking at him. She seemed to be okay; shattered but in one piece.
Zander pulled the Van Gogh's reproduction off the wall and placed it on the bed face down. He tore the manila colored paper that covered the back of the painting and took a three by two inch black box attached at its bottom right corner. As he was putting the box in his pocket Evan tugged his T-shirt. He looked at her.
“Where's Brittany?” Evan asked.
“She'll be okay. Don't worry. Stay here. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to get out.” Zander said then tapped his ear. “I’m coming.”
He went into the living room where Emil was caught in an uneven fight. He was wrestling on the floor with one black-hooded intruder while another one was aiming at him from the far end of the room. The storage ottomans were flattened, opened or broken and their content was spread around; the rug was half pulled from under the sofa and one of the standing lamps was in pieces.
No one heard Zander enter the room. Keeping close to the wall, in the shade by the curtains, he fired at the shooter. The guy flashed in blue and disappeared. During that time the fight on the floor had moved towards the far end of the living room and the black-hooded man was pushing Emil towards the bathroom door. Zander approached them and surprised Emil’s adversary with a blow on the head. The guy fell heavily hitting the bathroom tiles with his head first. Zander turned him face up and pulled his hood. The dark rimmed glasses indicated that was a half-human holo-reality image. The real person was far away and could return at any moment.
“Peter, this isn’t the usual group,” Emil tapped his communicator. “These use both holo-reality and transcasters. We haven’t seen them before.”
“The one I met in the bedroom was new too. He had that weird baritone voice.” Zander said.
“You have to leave while I capture their organic signatures for further analysis.” Peter steadied his voice. “I think they might do something crazy like the last time. There is an increased activity in the basement and in the backyard.”
Emil looked around. Next to the apartment entrance he saw Evan kneeling over Brittany. She shook her gently, calling her name over and over, “Bri-it, wake up!”
“W-what happened?” Brittany opened her eyes and touched her head.
“Get up and go outside as soon as possible!” Emil pulled Brittany up. He grabbed the blonde girl and carried her down the stairs.
Evan followed them with her eyes for a few steps then turned back to find Zander. He had stopped to reload his transcaster gun fumbling with the blue lifesavers in the middle of their living room.
“Where are you going?” The low baritone voice met Evan as she turned around and bumped into its black-hooded owner. It was the same voice that woke her up in the dark.
This is him! He’s back!
The hair on the back of her neck rose. That was the first intruder in her bedroom tonight, the one that Zander transcasted away. She focused on his face trying to remember his features but they were hidden under a heavy black-hood and only his mouth was visible in the modestly lit corridor. His lips barely moved as he spoke slowly. His voice was threatening.
“Where's the ‘reader maker’? It was in your room, wasn't it?” The man spoke as Evan felt her right arm being grabbed and twisted.
“Zander, your friend from earlier is back.” Peter’s voice came to Zander in the communicator. “He’s at the apartment entrance.” Zander turned to face the enemy; hands scrambling to close the magazine, fingers dropping the transcaster gun on the floor, blue bullets scattering around, as the black-hooded man bent Evan’s right arm behind her back. “Be careful. He’s loaded.” Peter’s voice got muffled by the sound of the items spreading on the hardwood floor.
“Let her go!” Zander yelled at the black hood.
The man turned towards him pushing Evan between them. She grimaced as the pain in her twisted arm increased. Her tears hid in the corner of her eyes. She was barefooted, her hair falling freely on her shoulders. The man pushed her ruthlessly towards Zander and then rudely pulled her back to protect himself. Evan felt something hard against her ribs.
It didn’t feel sharp and thin. Its surface was wider than the knife’s point. It was… a gun. Evan froze. She had a gun at her back.
“Don’t hurt her!” Zander said.
“Initially I was only looking for the ‘reader maker’ but now that she’s here you’ll give it to me or I will kill her.” The low baritone stressed the last four words. He pushed Evan ahead forcing Zander to withdraw into the kitchen. There was no way out. “Or, I may kill her first and then kill you and take the locket. Ha-ha-ha.”
“Emil, Zander needs help in the kitchen,” Peter’s voice echoed in Zander’s ear.
“On my way!” Emil’s response came muffled.
They were moving along the wall with the kitchen cabinets, passing the fridge. Zander was retreating slowly towards the gas stove at the end of the kitchen, step by step, followed by Evan and the black-hooded man who was still twisting her right arm pushing her to move forward. As they approached the dishwasher, Evan noticed that the wooden cube was still propping its door, keeping it from opening accidentally. Obviously the bathroom leak was more than what Zak could fix the previous day. Evan waited for Zander to go pass the dishwasher then quickly kicked the wooded cube and the dishwasher door gaped opened in front of her. Being pushed to move forward, she tripped and fell on top of it surprising the black-hooded man. The pain from her twisted arm moved to her knees as they met the dishwasher door. Surprised by her maneuver, her captor let her go and retreated a few steps back to avoid stumbling over her. That was enough for Emil to to fire his transcaster gun; the man flashed in blue and disappeared.
“What happened there?” Peter’s voice asked in Zander’s ear. ”The space is too small and the readings overlay each other.”
“They are all right.” Emil lowered his transcaster gun and leaned on the kitchen door frame.
&nbs
p; “Sweep the area and then leave. The activity’s increasing. Now they are in the first floor apartment as well.” Peter’s voice said.
“You take her, I’ll check the rest,” Emil started the sweep moving counter-clock-wise in the apartment, opening closets, peeking under the furniture and behind the doors for anyone or anything that needed to be evacuated before the black-hooded men blew the building. He knew it was going to happen. The black-hoods had done it every time when they’ve discovered an Anaconda team hideout in any time and space dimension. It wasn’t enough for them to scatter the people and technology; they needed to make sure that the place was unusable except maybe for gardening. Each time they had prepped for the detonation for about ten minutes and then the result looked like an accident. Gas stations had exploded and trains had been derailed by the black-hoods to start the chain of events leading to the destruction of a hide out.
“Are you okay?” Zander said and knelt to help Evan get up. The black box fell out of his pocket and slid under the lower drawer of the opened dishwasher.
“I'll get it for you.” Evan said and without rolling the bottom drawer out moved inside the empty dishwasher to grab the small box. Her loose hair spread around her hugging the wire drawers and the water outlets inside. After a while she stretched her hand back with the black box inside.
“Here it is.” She said. “Could you help me get out? I think that I’m stuck.”
“What are you still doing here?” Emil shouted from the living room.
Zander silently waved him to leave.
“We are running out of time. They'll do it any minute. You have to leave. Now!” Peter’s voice came in the communicator.
“I think that my hair’s entangled. I can't get out.” Evan cried. She pushed with her hands and wiggled her legs trying to get out. “I can’t get out!” she screamed.
Zander shooed Emil away, switched off his communicator and knelt closer to Evan.