”Nice you could show up,” Esperanza says.
”Why are you here?” Juan screams.
”We have to eat, that’s why - where am I supposed to shop?” she says.
”The NYPD departmental store, it’s guarded. Let's get you and the kids out of here, we can discuss this at home,” Juan says.
”I’m going with Chase,” Maria says and she runs into his arms. Chase picks her up like a small twig. Esperanza and Juan look at each other and Juan says,” it’s like the Hulk meets Tinker Bell. “
”I hate it,” she says with obvious disapproval. ”He makes Maria feel safe, it’s harmless. Maybe his strength nourishes her,” Juan says.
”I love you Chase - will you marry me?” Maria asks. ”No, you’re a child,” Chase responds.
”I’ll go first,” Chase says. He picks up Jorge with the other arm. Maria hung around his neck with both arms. Juan holds baby Hector,” as Chase parts the crowd while exiting the supermarket with Juan and family in tow. No one challenges their exit. Juan calls the riot squad as they pull out of the parking lot in a two car convoy.
Chapter 3 After Juan and Chase accompany Esperanza and the children to their home it's late but they have to go back to work.
It was 3 AM when their real story began, they were driving down Fifth Avenue when an old woman suddenly jumped out of the bushes of Central Park, screaming "I’ve been raped, I've been raped.” Juan slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car. "Are you alright lady?" he blurted out.
"Of course I'm not alright, I was just raped!" The old woman bellowed.
"Excuse me lady, but we are the police."
"Really, then get out there and find him," she scolds. "Can you give us a description?” Chase entered in. "Small skinny man on a bicycle carrying a large red purse, my purse," she snorted.”
Chase helped her into the back of the cab and Juan got back behind the steering wheel. At the 72nd Street entrance into Central Park Juan eased the car into the park and started uptown on the park drive. In the distance on the sidewalk pedaling uptown, was a small man on a bicycle with a large flat red purse draped from the handle bars.
“There he is!” she shouted, "Get him, he violated me... I'm ruined!"
Juan stepped on the gas and the car squealed as it leaped over the curb onto the grass and onto the sidewalk. The alleged rapist tried peddling harder but he couldn't out-pedal a speeding car. He dumped the bike and proceeded on foot into the bushes. Chase jumped out of the car and tackled him quickly. He went down without a fight. Chase was sitting on him with a gun at his throat when Juan turned on his flashlight.
“Chase, its Willie, Willie the Putz! We sent this guy up five or six months ago," said Juan incredulously. Juan couldn't believe his eyes saying, "Chase, this guy almost killed you the last time we arrested him for raping a seventy year old granny from Oxford, England, and he’s out on the street after 5 months!" Chase says, “Interesting, I don’t remember that at all.”
The old lady gets out of the car and says, "That's the man officer... he's the one that did it... aren’t you going to arrest him?"
Willie looked up, saying, "Hey Juan, what's happening man. I surrender... read me my rights!" “I’m in the mood for a little justice,” Chase says. He felt a little snap in his emotions as though something had broken free or let go. He stood up and walked to the car, got in and put it in gear. Then he drove right over Willie and then backed up and did it again. Juan was horrified, but the old lady cheered. “Run over him again, officer!" she yelled.
Chase was out of control and he knew it, but there was a kind of serenity in his violence. Something in him seemed to be in perfect control as though he was watching from a far off place. He then stopped the car, got out, took his gun out of its holster and shot Willie in the right leg.
"You have the right to remain silent, "he said as he shot him in the other leg, continuing, "You have the right to an attorney."
Juan pushed the gun away before Chase could fire a third fatal shot, saying, "Chase, you're out of control... put the gun down.”
Chase swung the gun to Juan's head and pulled back the large hammer of the Glock. Juan's eyes flooded with fear, sweat streamed down his face. He looked into Juan’s white face. Suddenly Chase imagined he was looking through the scope of a rifle and realized it was a dream. He saw Juan’s eye in the crosshairs of the scope. He was in another world, serene, at peace, just squeeze the trigger and you can go home, your mission is over, he heard in his head. But then a very serene round face appeared in front of him smiling kindly with benevolence.
"Chase, you're out of control... put the gun down," Juan said in a firm but calm voice.
Juan’s face came into Chase's focus. “Oh my God,” he said and slowly lowered the gun. ”I’m sorry Juan, I’m so sorry,” Chase cried.
The old woman looked disappointed. “Aren't you going to finish him officer, he raped me, an 87 year old woman. I’m fragile," she screamed.
Chase wasn't listening to her. “Juan, let's get this guy to the hospital before he bleeds to death," he said. Juan was shaking like a leaf. "What came over you man, you almost killed me? I got three kids you piece of garbage."
"I wouldn't have killed you," Chase calmly replied. “I don’t believe you. You’re nuts and you’re dangerous, Jesus Christ! You scared me to death. What the hell happened?” Juan screamed.
“I don’t know, but something in my subconscious intervened,” Chase replied.
Really, are you kidding me? Juan screamed.
Chase had just acted as judge, jury and executioner, and that is against the law, and they were both going to have to explain this to the Lieutenant. Chase wasn't in the habit of lying, and Juan would tell the truth no matter what happened. Chase was in deep-deep. There he was sitting in the back seat of a taxi with Willie bleeding all over him, Juan up in the front seat with an eighty year old granny scolding them for not killing the little thief. He drifted away into thoughts about a tropical paradise that he somehow knew, although he had never been there.
Juan took a cigarette and laid it on his lips, his hands still shaking, and asked, “Lady, just answer me one question. What were you doing in Central Park at three AM?"
"Why, I was taking a walk.” the old lady replied. "Did you know Central Park is a dangerous place after sunset?" Juan replied.
"Yes, but I felt lucky"
“Lucky! You got raped,” Juan said, “I guess we were both lucky,” looking pointedly at Chase.
Willie raised his head and said: " You shot me man, isn’t that illegal? But I won't tell nobody if you take me to Bellevue and not Metro Hospital."
Juan and Chase left Willie in the emergency room at Bellevue and took the old lady back to the precinct after she had been inspected by the doctors. It seems that she had indeed been raped. They couldn’t imagine why or how someone could rape an 87 year old woman. Juan was quiet and was obviously upset as they filled out the endless paperwork.
"I'm not protecting you," Juan said emphatically. "I'm not expecting you to," replied Chase, "Juan; I have no idea why I behaved that way. I've been having nightmares lately."
"Tell it to your shrink," Juan blustered as he got up went to get the old lady to sign her statement. *****
Chase lived in Sloatsburg, NY about an hour out of the city; a little far for a daily commute into Manhattan, but he liked the serenity at his small ‘A’ frame on two secluded acres.
Chase thought to himself, “I don't know how I own this house, I don’t remember buying it but I was just told it was mine.” He drove up the short driveway, stopped the car and just sat behind the wheel trying to realize the possible consequences of his actions. There was a good chance that he was going to be suspended, maybe worse.”
He felt the sharp pain in his head return. It was as though someone was drilling directly into the front of his head and then the illusion appeared clearly. Chase was seeing a man walking towards him, his head in the crosshairs of a sniper-scope. He was very calm
and slowly pulled the trigger. The man's head exploded and then as suddenly as it had begun the illusion vanished and he was back in his car breathing hard. He got out and walked up the stairs to his porch, through the front door and into the house. There was mail all over the floor. His mailman got his kicks out of opening the mail slot and flicking the mail as far as he could into the room. He picked it all up in good spirits and stacked it neatly next to the phone then noticed there were messages on his old fashioned answering machine and listened to them.
“Chase, this is Bryan. Appear in my office at 9 am. You really messed up, and call me tonight if you get in, are you all right?"
Chase liked Bryan; a typical lieutenant: a total schizoid. One minute you’re a piece of crap and the next he wants to be your father. He waited for the next message. "Chase, are you alright, this is Susan. I heard what happened? I want you here in my office tomorrow at 10 AM, got it! Are you alright? Are you there?”
The last message was, “Chase 1428571.” It was a deep voice and then they hung up. He erased it with the rest of them.
Chase was tired but he needed to feed his fish. Watching his aquarium relaxed him in times of stress which was all the time lately. He had a 230 gallon tank across the back of the living room with only two fish; one a Lionfish, a rather large creature with feather-like protrusions on its back side. Each spine was highly venomous and could give a very painful and even fatal sting to humans. The Lionfish liked to eat live food, usually live goldfish or anything else alive that will fit into its large expansive mouth. He fed it guppies; sometimes even roaches. The only other fish that had been able to live with it was Trixie, a Clown Trigger fish, also very nasty, but beautiful and colorful. It hated company and has killed after long and merciless torture any other fish large or small that Chase put in the tank with him. They both liked guppies and goldfish. Chase made his way to the bedroom, fell back on the bed and looked up at the high ceiling with a small fan that was turning slowly. He fixated on the fan and it slowly became the beating blades of a helicopter. The sound of the blades was deafening.
The phone rang. He automatically picked it up. "Yes," he said
"Chase, are you all right man?" It was Juan.
"Yeah, But I've been having these dreams, like flashes; maybe I’m trying to remember something, but Juan they're so real. It's scary. Everyone tells me I was in a coma, but I don’t believe it. Something else happened."
Juan says, "Chase maybe you need a vacation or your shrink. Call Susan, she's a shrink and she's free, compliments of NYPD."
"Maybe you're right, Juan, I don't know. I’m also still having these headaches. Did you talk to Bryan?" Chase says.
"Yeah, he's concerned. It was weird though. He wasn't angry, he was scared. I mean what you did really spooked him. Anyway boss man I'll see you at nine. He wants me there too. Listen; tomorrow Esperanza is making chicken and rice with those beans you like. You’ll come to dinner?" Juan said affectionately.
"Juan I have to go, I've got to sleep... I'm only getting two hours."
"Yeah, see you soon, Chase.” There’s a short pause and Juan asks pleadingly “Would you have done it - I mean, shot me, I’ve got a family man?”
“I don’t think so, no – It was like I was ordered to do it, I don’t know. We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” Chase says quietly.
“What do you mean you were ordered to do it?” Juan asked nervously.
“A slip of the tongue, I guess, I think, I don't know, but I didn't do it,” Chase replied and hung up the phone. He set his alarm and started to close the shades to guard against the rising morning light, looked out into the yard and then like magic was seeing himself in a jungle. It was hot and he was alone lying on the ground looking through a sniperscope. As he finished closing the shades he felt a sharp pain in his neck like a bee sting. His hand moved instinctively to the area of the pain, but there was nothing there, not even a small bump. His head started to throb; he was having the worst headache of his life. It felt like someone was trying to get into his head, trying to pry it open with a can opener. He heard it again 1428571, over and over again, and then he heard a voice speaking, it was soothing, and he began to listen closely.
Chapter 4 Congressman Charles Dean, Speaker of the House of Representatives from Texas is a large man. He had the look of an ex-military man who had let himself go to seed. His complexion showed years of indulgence, he was red cheeked with heavy small slit eyes. He sat by his wife's bedside at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. She was dying and Charles was sitting quietly, sobbing as she stroked his large head. "Charles, don't mourn for me. I'm going to a better place," Doris said, lovingly.
"Please let me help you, I can save you Doris. You know I have the power to do that," Charles pleads. "I know you do Charles, but that's not what I want. It's my time, it’s what God intended. I know that's not what you believe, but it's what I believe. Please respect that Charles," Doris says.
Charles nods his head that he understands. He gets up and goes out of the room and stands with Sam Nichols and Beneizen looking through the large glass window into Doris's room. Beneizen is a man with a round, strangely childlike face. Sam also looks exmilitary, but in sharp contrast to Charles. He's thin, tall, and clear complexioned with sharp black eyes. Sam and Beneizen have been working with Charles and Doris for years. They are all old friends with a lifetime of experiences shared.
Charles is angry and looks at both Sam and Beneizen saying, "I don't care what she says. I want you to save her. I can't live without her, and if I can't live without her I…" he trails off before finishing his sentence. Beneizen places his hand under Charles’ chin, lifts it up and speaks: "She does not wish our help Charles. She has asked me personally not to interfere with her passing."
"I don't care what she says. I'm ordering you to save her," Charles says.
"We can't save her Charles, she's too sick," Sam says. "Yes you can make her a Guard. Put her brain in one of those androids of yours. You don't understand. She is all that I have. Without her, I have nothing," pleads Charles.
"I can't and I won't Charles. Doris was a close friend and she had different beliefs from us. But I must respect her beliefs, and besides the synthetic life form program is new, it's not proven, it would take away her sense of being,” Beneizen says.
"That's crap, you have those things wandering all over the place, fix her, Beneizen, please do it, put her in a synthetic body. I can't live without her. Do it Beneizen, I'm ordering you to do it," Charles screams. "No, that is not the technology of our Guards, what you're asking for is something else entirely. Putting someone’s personality into a digital environment has never been tried here," Beneizen says calmly. Something snaps in Charles's mind. He looks up coldly and says, "But you could do it, couldn’t you? Get out of my sight, both of you, you'll pay." Charles goes back into Doris's room to be by her side. She weakly takes Charles’ arm and asks him, “Please Charles accept my wishes, Could I have a few minutes alone with Beneizen?”
Charles nods, leaves the room and signals to Beneizen to go in…
For the last 20 years Beneizen had been working tirelessly to bring balance back to mankind, but everything he had tried had failed. He keenly felt the loss of his mate Tamalin who had been destroyed accidently in traveling to another universe. In a Kalactin's world working with others was a fundamental law and disobeying this law had once again proved that working alone had not produced the result he had desired and now his most advanced student had become very sick and was dying. He had tried to create a mate from among humans, but they were too imbalanced to assist in or carry on his work. He suffered deeply as he sat quietly by Doris's hospital bed. He looked at her serene and kind face. The hospital room was barren except for a bouquet of Cymbidium orchids sitting on the table next to her bed. She had always loved orchids. Charles was looking through the window with tears in his eyes. Beneizen had brought a technology to earth that was eons ahead of their time. He had built androids that were, simply pu
t, genetically enhanced humans and were called Guards. As extraordinary as this technology was he could see it was regrettably in the hands of very imbalanced creatures. Beneizen suffered in the knowledge of what he had done and now his closest student did not want his technology and her husband who was a very powerful but unstable man could prove to be a great danger to the planet.
"I don't have much time my friend," Doris said with great effort.
Beneizen smiled and took her hand gently. "I could extend your life if you wanted me to, by many years in fact, all you have to do is ask."
Doris smiles at Beneizen, saying "No thank you, it's my time. You have prepared me well Beneizen, I finally understand what you are and what you represent, but I still wish to die at my time. You have taken away my false beliefs, my illusions and shown me the world as it is. I accept that. But I know there is an energy in me that connects to everything in the universe. I know I am part of everything - I ‘am everything’ and because of you and the work we have done together something very special has been deposited in me. I suspect my passing is a kind of selfishness considering that you have had to live for over a 1,000,000 years. You're the objective angel," Doris says.
"It's not you that I worry about, it's your husband. The force in him is very strong and destructive. I'm not sure he can ever be balanced without you," Beneizen comments.
"You must take care of him. Promise me you will not kill him," Doris pleads.
"I don't make promises. I will agree to try, but we must all pay for our behavior," Beneizen replies. "Fair enough" Doris says as she coughs and wheezes, "One day you're here and then one you're not, it’s hard to get your mind around that."
Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy Page 2