She laughed. “Formalities, Jaxx. You know I can’t give you a FULL report. I can tell you he’ll be back on missions and patrolling in no time.”
Branton smiled and thanked her, but could not help but start questioning all the secrecy. What he had heard on the video, and everything Ingrid had told him… it was all making him question everything. He knew he couldn’t tell Cap, because clearly Cap couldn’t be trusted.
He walked back to his quarters and found Ingrid awake and sitting quietly. He sat in front of her and told her about everything he’d discovered that day. She remained quiet, but he could tell she was thinking about something. Then she spoke.
“Your Cap was right. It was about 5 minutes for me to jump through the portals in time. I just… I can’t remember where it was that I entered. I know I arrived here in Sector 27, so maybe we should go back there.” She suggested.
“You may be right. I heard that the haze has vanished; that should mean that the fog creatures that followed you through the portal have left the area. Let’s go.” He instructed.
Upon entering Sector 27, everything seemed clear. Branton had been carrying a duffel bag of weapons, so he took out his AK-47 and handed Ingrid one as well. She looked at the gun and was confused.
“You don’t have these in your world?” Branton asked her, genuinely confused.
“No we do, I just… you barely know me. I could pull this on you. I could be the reason you don’t make it to Neocartopia.” She replied, matter-of-factly. He looked at her, and handed her the gun anyway.
“The fact that you told me that tells me I won’t have to worry.” He explains, and returns the smile she gives him. “Alright, stay close and don’t get lost.”
As they walked around Sector 27, it was eerily quiet. No voices could be heard in the distance, no scuffling sounds of rats in the garbage that lined the roadways. The sun shone down from above, and it was as though they were the only ones in the whole world.
“Something doesn’t feel right.” Ingrid looked at Branton.
“I found you just up here.” He pointed up an alleyway. They walked in, Branton first and Ingrid facing away but against his back. He suddenly heard a noise in the alley that was similar to electricity crackling between two posts. And there it was.
“What… what is that?” He looked closer, and Ingrid turned to see what he was looking at.
“That’s it… that’s the portal. Look…” She pointed to what looked like a tear in the atmosphere. “I don’t understand. This would have closed behind me… it should be closed. No wonder the Fogarthians got in!” Her voice had a sense of panic and urgency.
“If it was supposed to close, why is it open?” He asked. And suddenly a different noise filled the air. It was the cocking of guns and the whizzing sounds of darts flying through the air. Branton saw Ingrid fall to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Then he felt a prick sting the back of his neck, and as he fell to the ground, everything went black.
Chapter Eleven: What’s Real?
Branton opened his eyes and everything was blurred. He wasn’t sure where he was, or how he’d gotten there. He wasn’t even sure what had happened. The last thing he remembered was finding the portal in Sector 27, and Ingrid being unsure… Ingrid!
He rubbed his eyes so the blur would leave and then sat up and looked around. He was in the Medic Center, but there was no one around. “What time is it?” He thought to himself. “What day is it?”
“Hello?” He called out. No reply. He noticed that he had wires and sensors attached to his chest. He then noticed that he was in pants and was shirtless. He ripped the sensors off and got out of the bed.
“Hello?” He called again. He started to walk towards the door when it slid open and there stood Dr. Sanchez.
“Are you okay?” Sanchez asked, peering through her spectacles.
“Marta… what am I doing here?” Branton asked her, confused.
“Lieutenant, you don’t remember? ”
“I remember being in Sector 27 and that’s it.” He told her. Finally looking around, he realized he’d never been in this wing of the Medic Center before. “Where… where am I?”
“You’re in the psychiatric wing, Jaxx.” Sanchez looked at him with an odd look. He didn’t understand.
“Why am I here? Where’s Ingrid? Wait… Dash is here. Where is Dash?” Branton demanded. Sanchez took his arm and sat him down on the cot.
“Jaxx Branton, you calm down.” Sanchez helped him lay back in the cot, but he bolted upright anyway.
“No, Marta. Where are they?” He demanded.
“Dashel Kline was killed in action, Branton. We’re lucky we got you out of Sector 27 when we did.” She told him in a cold voice.
“What are you talking about? Dash was fine! I saw him the other day!” Branton could feel himself beginning to panic.
“Jaxx… Geoff, Tommy and Dash were all killed in that fog. We pulled you out of there unconscious. You’ve been in a comatose state for the last few days.” Sanchez told him.
“No, Marta! You have no idea what you are talking about! Where’s Ingrid?” Branton yelled at her.
“Jaxx, calm down - that’s an order!” She yelled back.
“NO! Where is Ingrid!?” He was screaming now. Sanchez lowered her voice, and looked at him very seriously.
“Who is Ingrid?”
Chapter Twelve: Piece By Piece, Things Become Clearer…
Branton found himself lying on the cot a few hours later. He’d gotten so worked up they had to sedate him. How could they say all these things? He knew what was real and what wasn’t… didn’t he? No, he definitely did. They were trying to make him think he was crazy, when in fact, they’re trying to keep him away from the portal. It must be a direct order from Cap, he thought. But where were they holding Ingrid, and was Dash really dead? Did they kill him?
So many questions left unanswered, but he knew where to get the answers.
When Sanchez seemed convinced he bought the story, she let him go. He played the part well, agreeing to come back to talk to a psychiatrist at least once a week.
He walked to HQ, and input all the right codes to get to the lower level. The doors opened, and it was still abandoned. There were papers all over, and no one to be found. Branton walked around, and he heard a clacking of keys. He looked over and there was one person sitting at a desk, working away at calculations.
It was Sayer.
He rushed over to her. “Sayer!” She jilted, making it obvious that he’d startled her.
“Lieutenant?” She looked at him curiously.
“When was the last time you saw me? And don’t say months ago!” He said, his voice panicked. She chuckled.
“Of course not. I saw you yesterday! You tackled me by the elevator, remember?” She laughed, but her voice was filled with worry.
Okay, he thought to himself, they clearly didn’t know that he talked to her. Either they’ve erased everyone’s memories, or they’re all in on the plot against him.
“Are you okay?” She asked him inquisitively. He began explaining everything to her. He remembered Ingrid’s words on being careful who to trust, but for some reason, he knew he could trust Sayer. So he tells her the story of finding Ingrid, and what had happened to them the night before.
“Wow. And you’re sure you can trust Ingrid? She sounds sketchy.” She asked him, concerned.
“She wasn’t the one who darted me, and she’s missing, too.” He told her. She pressed her lips together and he could tell she was thinking.
“I know about the portal. The calculations I’ve been doing have been for that. They’re trying to keep it open, but it’s not to go to another galaxy, they want to go to the past.” She confessed. He sat in a chair beside her. “They said it was to save our current planet, but I suspect that’s not exactly the intended goal.”
“What do you think?” He asked.
“Imagine knowing the future before the future happens. You know all the winning sports teams o
f the past, all the winning lotto numbers, all the winning stocks and all the crucial parts of history. You’d be filthy rich without having to do anything but placing your bets and being at the right places at the right times, which you would already have mapped out for yourself before crossing the portal.” She explained.
“So Cap is doing this because he’s money hungry?” Branton was furious.
“I’m not so sure Cap knows what’s really going on.” Sayer replied. She obviously had not been privy to the conversation that Cap had with Marvel Knox.
“I saw a recorded video conversation between Cap and Marvel Knox. They are definitely in this together. For money, power, everything. They’re both equally guilty.” He told her.
She smiled.
“Then it’s a good thing I’ve been making so many calculative errors.” She winked at him. He couldn’t even help the actions that happened next. He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, and by any miracle in the universe, she kissed him back. When he finally let go, she blushed.
“You need to save the world, Jaxx Branton.”
Chapter Thirteen: The Faceoff
Branton stormed out of the elevator and headed towards Cap’s chambers.
“Lieutenant, the Captain is busy at the moment… you cannot go in there!” Andrina shrieked. Branton ignored her and burst through Cap’s doors. Inside he found Marvel Knox, Marta Sanchez, Dashel Kline, the Captain and several other military personnel sitting around a table.
“What the hell is going on here? You’re all in on this?” Branton exclaimed astonished at the sight. Dash rose from his chair and put a hand up.
“Listen Branton, this is bigger than you. It’s bigger than all of us!” He told him. “We could go back and change the way the world turns out!”
“Is that what they’ve told you?” Branton smirked and then turned and looked at Cap. “You didn’t tell them about your need to be in control, and you didn’t tell them there was a way to another planet in another galaxy where we could all just start over?”
“Branton!” Cap shouted at him, and then turned to his group. “He clearly has no idea what he’s talking about. He’s been brainwashed by that girl!”
“So now you admit she’s real? Where is Ingrid and what have you done to her?” Branton demanded.
“That’s none of your concern. The only thing left to do is to keep you out of the way.” Marvel Knox added. Everyone got up and began moving towards him. Branton ran from the room and instead of taking the elevator, bolted down the stairwell.
“This must be why I didn’t make it to the new world,” he thinks to himself while running. “Do they kill me? Well, I’ll be damned if it happens this time. Maybe the old me gets killed, but not now. Not now that I know what’s going on.
He runs all the way to his quarters and rips open the nook in the wall. An emergency backpack was waiting for him; inside were several grenades, a spare AK-47, a handgun, pocket knife and many more useful weapons. He ran out the door and headed straight for Sector 27. He had no idea what would happen if he entered the portal, but he had to try.
He arrived at the gates and looked around. Was nobody following him or were they planning another sneak attack like before? He bolted to the alleyway, but there was nothing. No electrical sound, no void in the space-time continuum, no portal. It had been closed.
He turned around, and there were Dash and Marta Sanchez closing in. He knew how skilled Dash was. They had trained together. Rumor has it that Marta was pretty lethal as well, so this fight was not going to be an easy one, and he knew that one side might not survive.
“Jaxx, neither of us want to have to kill you. But you need to see that what the Cap is doing is for the good of all of us! We want to go back and live in a time where we didn’t have to worry about food and water! Don’t stop this from happening!”
“You don’t know what you are talking about Dash! This cannot happen! They are tricking you into believing that wrong is right and right is wrong!”
“You are the one who is wrong, Jaxx! We know the true path to take, and we’ve chosen to follow the Captain! He will lead us to prosperity and better growth! We will show the old civilization how to make right!”
Dash pulled out 2 hunting knives and lunged at Branton, who swiftly pulled to one side to avoid being stabbed. He threw up both of his arms and dropped his elbows hard on Dash’s back, causing Dash to drop to the ground. Marta flew at him in a kick but he ducked and flipped her on her back too. The two got up and lunged at once, but Branton had better physical skill than either of them. He dodged the attack, and slammed Dash in the gut and Marta to the ground again.
He jumped up and screamed at them.
“Listen to me!” He shouted. “Cap and Knox, they’re out for power and money! They are using you to get that! As soon as they are done with you, they’ll kill you!”
Dash got up and dragged himself toward a wall, and Marta screamed at Branton, “Liar! You are the one trying to control everything! You want to overthrow the Captain!” She threw a knife at him and it stuck in his thigh. Marta started toward him again. He realized he would have no choice but to do what came next.
He grabbed his backpack and pulled out the nearest gun he could grab, and shot Marta in the head. She fell to the ground with a thud, and he aimed the gun at Dash, who clearly had the wind knocked out of him and was lurched over a barrel against the wall.
“You know me, Dash. Who are you going to believe here?” He said sternly, while quickly wrapping his bleeding leg with a cloth.
“I… I know. I’ve never seen you fight for anything as much as you’ve fought to prove your point. And I know you would never kill anyone in cold blood.” Dash said. “I’m sorry it had to come to this.”
Branton lowered his gun and started walking toward Dash to help his friend. Suddenly, Dash pulled a gun of his own and aimed at Branton. Without warning, a shot blew through the air. But it didn’t hit Branton. Instead, a hole suddenly appeared in Dash’s forehead, and then he slumped to the ground. He spun around to see who had just saved his life, and half expected to see Ingrid standing there. But it wasn’t. It was Sayer.
Chapter Fourteen: Shocking Realities
“Oh my god, that was close! How did you know where I was or that I needed your help? How did you get here so fast?” He asked her, shocked over what just happened.
“I’ve been here trying to figure out how to re-open the portal. You need to get through, Jaxx. You need to lead us in the new world. It’s important. And I will die trying to get you through.” She told him.
He didn’t think anything of her words, other than her desperate need to help him succeed. This was his destiny, and he had to fulfill it.
“No one else is around.” She continued. She pulled out a small computer and brought up cameras in all of the sectors. Everyone was going about as if all was normal, and the rest of the group was still in Cap’s chambers, no doubt expecting that Dash’s and Marta’s mission of killing Jaxx was successful and planning the next attack. “We have some time.”
“Do you know where Ingrid is?” He asked her.
“I’m sorry… I don’t. Does she mean a lot to you?” she questioned. Branton wanted to profess his love for Sayer right then and there, but he didn’t.
“She’s a friend. I am fond of her, but I feel as though it’s a different way than…” He trailed off. It was a different sort of affection. Like a protective one, where he just wanted to keep her safe. “I need to go into hiding. It’s not safe for either of us. I know of a bunker in Sector 28 that will keep us close to here, but they won’t find us. Let’s go.” He led the way and Sayer followed him.
As they walked, he decided that everything the Cap ever told him was a waste of air. With Dash gone, there was no one holding him to this so called rule that he couldn’t tell Sayer how he felt. And now was as good a time as any.
“Sayer wait.” He stopped her. He looked at her and couldn’t believe her beauty. Even wearing glasses, with he
r blonde hair tied back in a bun, wearing what he was sure were men’s army boots and khaki’s, she was remarkably beautiful. He brushed a loose hair away from her face and got closer to her.
“Jaxx… not now.” She moved away, and looked away from him. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but it was lost on him. He didn’t know why she would push away after the kiss they’d shared.
“No, it has to be now or it won’t be at all. I don’t know what happens to me, and now more than ever we know that tomorrow is never promised.” He held her close. “I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. Do you remember?”
Before he ever talked to Cap about her, they had met in the most embarrassing way. Dash and Geoff had decided to team up and trip him into a mud puddle. It was all good fun normally; the day prior, Geoff and Jaxx put a rat in Dash’s pants and he danced around like a fool until it ran out. On this day in particular, Sayer and some of her girlfriends were watching. When the fifteen year old Branton fell into the mud, everyone laughed and walked away, leaving him there.
Sayer ran to his rescue. She picked him up and helped him dry off. They were friends ever since.
“Yes, I remember. Even covered in mud, you were handsome.” She smiled.
“Sayer, I love you. You are the only person in the world for me, and no matter what, I will never let go of you again.” He confessed. He kissed her again, but this time he felt reluctance on her side.
“Jaxx, no… you can’t love me. You don’t understand now, but you will. Just please, trust me on this.” She pleaded. This hurt Branton, but he respected her words. He nodded, put his head down and walked to the bunker quietly. That night, Sayer slept beside him on a small cot and he considered the events of the day. For the first time he started to question her actions. Why was she so adamant to get him to the new world? By the time the sun came up, he hadn’t slept. He only watched her sleep all night long, and her words finally dawned on him.
‘I will die trying to get you through.’ He woke her up instantly.
Military / Time Travel Romance: The Stranger In Sector 27 - A Post Apocalypse Love Story (Book 1) Page 3