Same Self

by Brad Raylend

  “Is it York?” she asked bluntly.

  His eyes shot up to meet hers. She continued. “Is it because I told you that I love him … or perhaps because of our conversation last night?”

  Todd didn’t say a word; he continued to stare at her somberly, lips pressed together, his heart pounding in his chest.

  She looked down at the table, shaking her head. “I was wrong to say you and he are alike. You’re two completely different people indeed. But the one thing you two have in common is your self-induced guilt. You both spend so much time criticizing and critiquing your every action so harshly … so focused inward …” She looked up at him, lowering her voice. “That you miss what is right in front of you.”

  She canted her head. “Like our conversation last night … and how you most certainly misinterpreted it, and perhaps you have misinterpreted my love for ‘him’ as well.” She exhaled and her eyes briefly traced around him then back to him, as if her chips had run out, forcing her to finally confess to something. “I asked you what you felt last night, but not because I am interested in what York feels towards me.”

  The creases on Todd’s forehead disappeared, and he slowly slid back into his chair.

  A small smile formed on her face, and her eyes softened. “I suppose … I too am not very good at socializing.”

  Todd’s heart fluttered in his chest and his mind began to race, but before he could completely process her statement, a man wearing a white linen suit walked up to Kara.

  “Would you like to dance?” the man asked.

  Under no circumstance would Kara agree to such an offer. Especially since it was given by a stranger and was far unlike her personality. But for some odd reason, when she looked up to see the man asking the question, it appeared as if something inside her clicked, and she nodded in agreement. Todd snapped out of his motionless state and looked up at the man with irritation. Beneath his white blazer, he wore a pink shirt with the collar popped up and practically every button undone. He wore dark aviators, the rims hidden by his shaggy blonde hair. Todd felt like pummeling him for even thinking he had the right to be in Kara’s presence. He felt his body begin to tense up as he scrutinized every movement he made towards her.

  The man reached out his hand and she took it, seeming as if she were not acting out of her own will. She gave Todd one last look before she turned away. A look that both concerned and confused him, appearing as if she were trying to tell him something. He stood up quickly, watching as they made their way to the dance floor, the man holding her hand. Todd watched them push through the thick crowd beneath the beams of different colored light. His jaw and fists flexed. He looked up across the room, motion catching his attention. On the far wall in the private booth sat a large group of well-dressed Hispanic men. Their eyes were fixated on Kara. He leaned up against the steel railing, watching them closely.

  The music changed to “What is Love” by Haddaway, and the crowd roared in excitement. Todd watched as the Hispanic men spoke in each other’s ear, no doubt talking about Kara and the man who accompanied her. He began following the railing, slowly circling the dance floor, his eyes not leaving Kara’s observers.

  But then his attention was stolen as the man with Kara closed the gap between her and himself, dancing in a conservative manner, as if he were merely warming up to his true potential. Kara seemed nervous; she stood in front of him, watching him, her hands nervously moving from her hips to fumbling in front of her. Her hips then began swaying back and forth and she slowly ran her hands up her body. A clear sense of enjoyment seemed to present itself as her movements became more fluid.

  Todd moved laterally through the observing crowd, his eyes not leaving her. His first instinct had been to go down to her, but upon seeing that she was now enjoying herself he maintained his distance and her smile brought out his own. She ran her hands up her body, then into her hair, stopping near the top of her head. She continued to sway back and forth, her hips and head flowing side to side. Her smile grew and her eyes were closed as if she would have been content being the only person dancing. There wasn’t a single thing about her that Todd wasn’t attracted to. Her ability to step out of her comfort zone to either blend in or make Todd jealous had him hypnotized.

  The Hispanic men then chuckled to one another, and the man who was dancing with Kara gave them a quick wave. Suddenly, Todd had a realization. The men in the corner were no doubt dealers, and the man with Kara was clearly an acquaintance. Todd stepped up to the railing and looked at the man closely. As if it had been rehearsed, while continuing to move her body, in a brilliant and smooth fashion, Kara moved the man’s glasses to the top of his head, combing his long hair out of his eyes at the same time. It was then that Todd realized that Kara was far more observant than even he was. The man she was with was his twenty-five-year-old father.

  Todd’s eyes widened as he began to recognize him. No doubt interpreting her action as attraction, Michael pulled Kara in close, holding her by the small of her back. Kara seemed slightly uncomfortable by his advance, yet she placed her hand on his abdomen between his jacket and his shirt, then ran it down to his hip.

  Michael looked down at her hand and smiled. “What’s your name, babe?”

  Kara pulled her hand away from his hip quickly, her hand in a fist. “Kara,” she said sweetly.

  “Nice to meet you, Kara. So, tell me … who’s the stiff you came with?” He chuckled. “Boyfriend?”

  “Just a friend,” she said, looking up at Todd, who observed them like a hawk. She could see his surprised expression. She desperately wanted him to come down to them.

  Michael looked up at Todd with an arrogant glare. “Looks like he’s a little upset.”

  Todd was so fixated that it took him a moment before he felt a small vibration in his pocket. He reached down, pulling the MTX from his coat. Shielding it in his hands in an effort to conceal it, he pressed the screen to see that a new message had been received.

  URGENT!

  TODD, BE ADVISED. BOHDEN HAS FOLLOWED YOU AND INTENDS TO INTERVENE. I’M NOT SURE WHAT HE IS PLANNING TO DO, BUT HE FEELS THAT HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER AND THERE IS NO TELLING HOW FAR HE WILL GO TO ENSURE MICHAEL’S SAFETY. PLEASE BE CAREFUL, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF KARA.

  ~BRIAN

  Todd felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. He looked up at Kara, and their eyes met briefly. Michael turned her away from him, forcing her attention towards himself.

  “Well, my name is …”

  “Michael,” she interrupted.

  Their movements ceased, and Michael stared at her suspiciously, his dark eyes shadowed by the flashing lights. “What the … how do you know my name?”

  The center of the crowd behind them seemed to stop moving in sections, as it was split down the center, someone hastily forcing their way through towards Kara and Michael.

  Bohden sidestepped his way through the heart of the dancing crowd, the pink and purple lights making it difficult to maintain visual of his target. He had tracked him since he had arrived at the club and figured it was now or never. Michael had his back to him, concealing Kara. He ensured his pistol was accessible in the back of his waist band beneath his leather jacket. Once he was within arm’s reach, he grabbed Michael by the shoulder and turned him around quickly.

  “Michael York?” he yelled over the loud music.

  Michael looked shocked; he looked at Kara and then at Bohden once more.

  “Kara?” Bohden said, surprised to see her.

  Michael quickly broke away from Bohden’s grip and began shoving people out of his way as he headed towards the back exit. Bohden quickly turned and started after him. Todd was now forcing his way past the large group at the bar to get down to the dance floor. The large group of Hispanics stood up and yelled to one another, seeing that one of their traffickers had most likely been caught by law enforcement. One pulled a MAC 10 from his coat. Holding it down at his waist, he leveled it at Bohden who was still in the center of the crowd.

  “Kara
, get down!” Todd screamed.

  Bohden pulled his Five Seven from his waist and quickly shot the man in the head, spraying the mirror behind him with brain matter. Screams erupted throughout the club, and people began running for the exit in a half-crouch. Bohden held his pistol at the ready, pushing people out of his way to get a clear shot at the cartel members. However, one of their posse had been at the bar during the confrontation and was now drawing a silver 1911 from his waist. Holding it in one hand, he aimed at Bohden.

  Todd grabbed his arm right as he fired and forced the gun up towards the ceiling, then smashed his elbow into his nose. Todd quickly glanced back towards the dance floor, trying to find Kara, but the panicking crowd obscured his line of sight. Rotating the man’s arm backwards, Todd forced the man’s shoulder to the ground, prying the gun from his hand at the same time. While forcefully stepping down on the back of his neck, he quickly pulled back the slide just enough to see the brass casing of a fresh round and then fired it into the back of the man’s head.

  Todd turned just in time to see one of the bouncer’s fists coming at him. He ducked but just slightly too late, as the man’s knuckles scraped the back of his head, causing him to drop to his hands and knees. Bullets from a MAC 10 submachine gun began shattering the mirrors and bottles of liquor behind the bar and cut through the bouncer’s chest and neck. A cartel member had retrieved the submachine gun from the ground and was now firing wildly. Assuming he had hit Todd, he orientated himself towards Kara, who he must have believed was undercover. Kara was picking herself up when she noticed the man aiming at her. In a matter of milliseconds Todd had seen this panning out and was on his feet, sprinting towards her. Kara gasped as the MAC 10 started spitting rounds at her. She moved her arm up to her face and flinched. Todd felt his heart stop as he was only a few feet from her and he came skidding to a stop.

  The bullets seemed to spark and ricochet off of thin air in front of her. She lowered her arm, unsure of what had just happened. The sprinkler system within the building burst on, showering the interior of the flashy club. The shifting beams of light shone through the water-drenched outline of a transparent figure standing above her. Her eyes widened. Suddenly, in one smooth motion, Todd swooped her up and sprinted for the back door. The man dropped the MAC 10, staring in horror at York’s wet outline. A double barrel raised towards him and unloaded both tubes into his chest. The man was sent backwards into the glass table. York looked back to see Todd carrying Kara, utter confusion causing him to freeze. Rounds sparked off the steel railing behind him. York opened the chamber, sending two smoking cartridges twirling into the air. He quickly loaded two more cartridges and another criminal opened fire on him from behind a large speaker. York quickly dove for cover.

  Todd carried Kara down the back steps and rushed through the parking lot. He spotted a black Mercedes, its tires squealing as it tore out of the lot. He could just faintly see Bohden in the driver’s seat.

  “I’m alright,” Kara said.

  Todd seemed unable to let her go. His arms were like a steel frame. He knelt, still cradling her. He examined her limbs frantically, checking for wounds. Cool drops of rain began to tap the dark pavement.

  “Todd …” she said softly, “I’m okay.” She smiled. “Do all your dates end this way?”

  His hands stopped combing over her, and he brushed the wet hair out of her eyes. “Scared me.” He exhaled, his breathing starting to slow. “We need a car … quick!” he said, looking up at the few cars still left in the parking lot.

  Kara held up a closed fist to him. She opened her fingers, revealing a set of keys. Todd looked at them and then at her in shock. Her lips pursed as she held back a smile. Todd chuckled at her cunning, realizing she had snatched Michael’s keys during their dance. He took the keys from her and helped her to her feet. He examined the keys in his hand. It was a single ring with only two keys attached to it. One being a car key, the other most likely belonged to some sort of lock box. Attached to the ring was a silver horse in mid-sprint.

  “Now we just have to figure out which car it belongs to,” Kara said.

  Todd looked up at the back of the lot. His eyes instantly fixated upon something. He didn’t bother examining the other vehicles for he already knew the answer to their problem. A grin crept onto Todd’s face. Kara looked at him with a confused expression, then looked where he was staring.

  “Hello, Esprit,” he said.

  In the back corner of the lot, concealed by the shadows and assisted by its sleek black color was a 1967 Shelby Mustang. A smile grew on Todd’s face, as if Esprit Libre had returned, reincarnated into this powerful machine to assist him once again only in a different era. He took Kara’s hand and they ran to the car. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, Kara ran around and got in the passenger seat. He quickly turned the engine over, and it roared to life. He backed out of the enclosed lot and shifted into first gear, bolting down the road in the direction Bohden had gone. The car emitted a deep rumble as he coasted to an intersection. Traffic was scarce and he glanced to his front and to his left down the adjacent streets.

  “I see him!” Kara said, looking out her window.

  Todd tore through the intersection and sped down the two-lane street, weaving in between traffic on both sides. Horns blared and headlights flashed him as he swerved in and out of oncoming vehicles.

  “It’s a miracle you are alive. That guy must have been a terrible shot!” Todd said over the loud engine, continuing to jerk the wheel to each side and work the manual transmission.

  “It was York,” she said.

  Todd briefly looked over at her, to the road and then at her again. “What? He was there?”

  “Yes.”

  * * *

  York dropped the empty shotgun and ran for the back exit. He cleared the doorway with his M9 then hopped the railing, absorbing the fall with a roll. He could hear sirens not too far off. He desperately searched for an accessible vehicle. The high-pitched whine of a street bike could be heard approaching. He sprinted to the sidewalk to see a rider speeding towards him. Balling up his fist, York lowered his center of gravity and, just as the rider passed him, he rammed his forearm into the rider’s visor, knocking him off of the bike. He picked the bike up and jumped on, then sped off down the road following the multiple tire marks. He could faintly see the taillights of what he assumed was his target swerving between cars a half mile ahead of him.

  He was still in disbelief that he had seen Kara. Why on earth would she be here? And who had been the man with her? Had Brian found another Todd York after the last one had died in the fall in 1887?

  His mind was in utter chaos as he was overwhelmed with confusion. He also thought he had seen Bohden. What was going on?

  CHASE

  The sirens were becoming louder in the distance, and he could faintly see the flashing of blue and red lights on the sides of buildings as he turned each tight corner in an effort to lose his pursuers. Michael was panicking in the backseat, sliding from window to window, watching for the cops.

  “Man, I really owe you one,” he said, gazing out the back window. “So, who are you? You work for Mrs. Blanco?”

  “No,” Bohden snapped. “I’m with the CIA, and I’m here to ensure your safety.”

  “Me?” he asked with utter confusion. “Why would the CIA want to protect me?”

  “I know about what you do, Mr. York, and I’m not interested in your choice of employment. All I care about is you not getting killed tonight.”

  “Oh fuck … fuck!” Michael cried out. “I knew I should have called it after the last job. Goddamnit!” he yelled, his breathing beginning to speed up to the point of nearly hyperventilating.

  “Calm down!” Bohden screamed as he stepped on the gas as he came out of a turn and straightened out on a long stretch of road. “I’m not letting anything bad happen to you.”

  “Who were those people back there … at the club?” Michael asked. “What do they want with me?

&nbs
p; Bohden refrained from answering out of annoyance and considering he would have to concoct an elaborate lie to avoid the unbelievable truth. “All you need to know is I’m your best chance of survival tonight.”

  * * *

  The engine’s high-pitch cry echoed through the streets as York leaned side to side to achieve the tight turns that his target was making. His HUD was beginning to cut in and out with dark static. The large crack down the left side of the visor let in drops of rain, spraying his exposed eye and forced him to squint, further impairing his eyesight. The cloaking ability on the suit was no longer functioning due to the amount of external damage to the suit’s outer skin. The armored chest of the suit was all but diminished due to the hail of bullets he had received in the club. He now even doubted the suit’s ability to time travel. Yet it didn’t matter, for he did not intend to utilize it.

  His mission had not changed, yet his state of mind was not as it should be. Seeing Kara at the nightclub was all he could think about. What was she doing there? Had she come along with Bohden and the other Todd York? Even if that was so, why would Brian send three people? He was still dedicated to his agenda and would do anything to achieve his goal; however, the thought of Kara’s life being put in jeopardy deeply troubled him. He gripped the throttle tightly, and the taillights of the Mustang came into view. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to his rear-view mirror above the throttle. The flashing lights of a police cruiser reflected off the circular mirror. He looked back over his shoulder briefly. He could see two police officers within the vehicle.

  Drawing his M9 from his hip holster, maintaining control of the handle bars and gas with his right hand, he leaned back and presented the weapon at the car. The officers inside began to frantically adjust in their seats, attempting to draw their service pistols. York fired five rounds at the front left tire. It exploded and the cruiser was sent into a hard-left turn, the hood engulfing a light post on the sidewalk. He turned around, reclaiming both handles, and lifted the gear lever with his left toe, shifting into the next gear and speeding up along the straightaway.