Suddenly he went totally rigid. He grimaced, breathing quickly, then convulsing; I ran over, pulled him out of the chair and laid him on the floor. I was afraid he was having a stroke or heart attack, but before I could do anything else, he stopped shaking and turned to look me dead in the eyes. Our faces were only inches apart, and immediately I knew he was no longer himself; someone else was controlling him. Then he spoke, but it was not his voice, and it wasn’t The Coward either. It was low and raspy, and had an accent I was unable to distinguish, even though it was evident. “Well, hello, Ferdie. You’ve caused me quite a few concerns recently, haven’t you? You even managed to do some rather significant damage to my usual emissary… you call him The Coward, I believe? Not very clever, Ferdie, you can do better, and it’s reasonable to expect more from the boy who would save the world, don’t you think?”
It’s him! Now’s my chance… got to get to him… I went down the hall in my mind and found Pasquale’s door… but I couldn’t get it open; somehow he had it blocked from the inside, and no matter how much force I used it wouldn’t budge. “Come on!” I screamed, shaking Pasquale by his shoulders, “Face me! Let’s end this right now!”
“Oh, Ferdie, please. Do you think it will be so easy to get to me, hurl one of your “energy bolts” my way? I’ll admit you are quite a challenge, but really… now listen closely, I will need to be leaving soon, but before I do, I have a little surprise for you. First, and this is terribly exciting: because of the trouble you have been causing, and because you continue to attempt to build a power base, as pitiful as it may be, I mean really, look at the misfit group you’ve assembled, I am going to step it up, go to the next level as it were. Oh, yes, it will be a sight to behold; human bodies strewn to and fro. There won’t be a thing you can do about it, and it will be your fault. You could end all of this, you know. I suggest using a knife, but of course that’s not for the squeamish, and you are that type, aren’t you? I’ll give you a sign in three days’ time to let you know where and when I will strike next. I suggest you go there and see the carnage first hand, although you could just watch it on the television. That’s for cowards though, isn’t it? And you’re no coward, are you Ferdie? Such a good boy, so tender, so… weak.”
Wait… that’s exactly the same speech as in my dream! Then, as if he knew my thoughts, he said, “Forgive me for repeating myself, Ferdie; I do have a habit of, oh, let’s call it predictability, although I’ve managed to stay ten steps ahead of you so far, eh? Do the right thing, Ferdie… if not, the killing will continue, or should I say, accelerate, and we will meet in the end. Oh, and don’t worry, I won’t kill this young fellow I am using here, he makes a good mouthpiece, and I think he will get a little something special out of the surprise I am cooking up. Ta ta, now.”
My whole body drooped; I was stunned and speechless. Pasquale shook his head, and quickly his eyes cleared up; he said, “Ferdie, my friend, what happen? Why you are so close?”
Chapter 23
We spent the next few minutes dissecting the message Pasquale delivered. Ling and Gabriella were their usual supportive selves, but Denise was just furious, and Rafael was surprisingly quiet. Aunt Martha sat back, taking it all in, as she had no point of reference for an event like this. Finally, I said, “Look, I think I have a pretty good idea about what we have to do at this point, but I need to go talk to Marsh-dog, get his advice. I’ll be right back.”
As I faded into the in-between, Marsh-dog said, “Dude, we’re in some deep doo-doo now. I know you have some ideas, so let’s hear them.”
“What, no crack about me being ugly?”
“No, the only ugly crack in here is you. Now what are you thinking?”
“I think we gotta get out of here. We need to go somewhere no other people are around. They tend to attack right around where we are, or where I am, so if we aren’t around other people it might make it harder for them.”
His hand went to his chin in his thinking pose. “Yeah, that makes sense. You got a few choices: you could go out in the ocean, like on a boat, although that might be tough to pull off quickly… you could go up into the mountains, but with all the trees and stuff it’s hard to know when other people are around. I think your best bet is to go out into the desert. The Mojave is really empty, and you would be able to see people coming from miles away if you get onto a high spot. I think that’s the best bet. By the way, I see you convinced Aunt Martha to join up. Tell her your very handsome buddy Marshall Nolan says hi.”
I stared at him and shook my head. “Dude, you are hopeless. Really.”
“Hey, man, I can’t help myself. And don’t try to sock me; I have the most powerful beings in the universe on my side.”
“Yeah, a lot of good that does you when they won’t help out. Yeah, yeah, free will, blah blah blah. I know. Still, they could help a little. It wouldn’t kill them, would it?”
“I don’t know, man, they’re, what do you call it… inscrutable. Oh yeah, another big word for me. I think I’m gonna pass you up in the big word department pretty soon.”
I stared at him again for a moment, and said, “I find your oration specious. Look it up, big word dude.”
“Alright, I’ll let you win this time. Go to the desert. That’s your best option. It won’t be pleasant, though, so you better take a generator and that big RV and you should be ok. I’ll be there too, I know you’re worried about that but don’t. Now get going, I’ve got something I’m trying to cook up with the Time Flies and it’s pretty tricky. I’ll keep a watch from here, though.”
“Thanks, Marsh.”
“Alright, don’t get all mushy again. Get going.”
I faded out of the in-between and gathered the rest of the group together. “We’ve got a lot to discuss. I have a plan that we’ll need to put into action right away, tonight.” Then I laid it all out: “We leave as immediately as possible for the Mojave Desert, find a remote location, and use that as our outpost. The point is that we need to avoid other people as much as possible so that they’re not in danger by being near us.”
“But Ferdie, won’t we be the, how you say, ducks sitting?” Ling interjected.
“Sitting ducks. And no, I don’t think so… we’re pretty well set up to defend ourselves with all these supernatural types around here. What do the rest of you think?”
“Well, Ferdie, you don’t want to be so far out there that you have trouble getting supplies. Suppose you run out of food or fuel? We could be twenty miles or so away from anything, but I don’t think it would be wise to be further away than that from at least some services,” Aunt Martha offered.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I think I know a place… I remember one time, I think it was when Uncle Mark came to Colorado to get Ariel and me, we drove through the desert, and there was a little town… it wasn’t really even a town, just a couple of service stations and a restaurant called The AstroBurger. I think if we go there and then turn north, go up that road twenty miles or so, we’ll literally be in the middle of nowhere.”
Rafael laughed in his resonant tone, and said, “Turn north at the AstroBurger. I love it, Mr. Ferdie. Of course, we must stop there and sample the cuisine, yes?”
“Well, I think it might be ok if we just send the humans in. We don’t want to take too many chances.”
We continued our discussion for a few minutes, and eventually we all just fell silent, looking around the old apartment that had been our home for months. Seems weird to say, but I think I’ll miss this crappy old place… suddenly there was a lot of eye contact, and the moment got… emotional. I think we all felt like it was the end of a chapter in our lives, and probably one step closer to the end of our final chapters as well.
Chapter 24
Once we recovered from our melancholy moment, we set about packing up all our belongings and shoving them into the large storage areas at the bottom of the RV, accessed through rectangular metal doors much the same as on a bus. The RV was outfitted with a satellite dish that would h
opefully provide us with an internet signal out in the desert, which would come in handy if we were able to continue Marsh-dog’s work of locating the last member of The Seven.
It was now just past midnight on day 742 and counting, and we had finally finished packing everything we could carry with us into the RV. “Ok, I think we’re ready to pull out,” said Aunt Martha. She both looked and sounded exhausted, and who could blame her. We all appeared the same, though; sweaty, dirty, and just plain tired.
“Hey, we’re not looking too swift right now. Does anyone feel up to driving?”
Rafael held up his hand and grinned broadly. “Please, allow me, Mr. Ferdie, Ms. Martha. I feel fine. Quite refreshed, actually. Would that be good for you?”
We looked at one another, and, seeing no disagreement, Aunt Martha said, “Well, climb on in, Stretch, and let’s get on down the road.”
Rafael laughed mightily, and intoned, “Please, after you, madame. Allow me to be your chauffeur.”
Ok, time to spring the last piece of this puzzle on them… “Before you leave, one last thing… Denise and I are staying here, at least until you get out to the desert. If you travel without me in the vehicle, there’s much less of a chance of an ambush or some other attack. We’ll wait until about noon, and then drive out there in the little car. Drive slow and steady, obey the traffic laws, and don’t do anything to attract attention. Get out there, take that north road, and when you find a likely place, like a dirt road, turn off and go as far to the east as you can. Get at least five miles off the main road. We’ll find you out there tomorrow night.”
They gazed at one another furtively; it was clear that they were unsure about what to do. “I understand your concern, but do you think this is really the best course of action? Won’t you be somewhat exposed here?” Gabriella asked.
I scratched my head to cover for my tapping, and said, “I have a really strong feeling that this is the best way to go. I feel almost certain if I’m with you in the RV, it will be attacked one way or another, but I don’t think they’ll make a play on me here, because they are watching just me. I’m not sure they will even know you’re gone. Go ahead and get going. We’ll catch up to you tomorrow evening.”
We said our goodbyes, and again I had the nagging feeling that another chapter in our story had just closed. As they were pulling away I said to Denise, out of the corner of my mouth, “Hey, Denise…”
She glanced at me, and said, “Yeah, I know. I feel it too.”
I turned to her and smiled wryly: “So do we have a, what do you call it… simpatico going on now?”
Denise smirked, and said, “Well, yeah, you know that. We’re tied together. Or maybe you don’t know. I, well I should have told you, obviously… anyway, I talked to Gabriella a while back, and eventually she agreed to share her connection to you with me. So now you have two angels attached to you. Sort of imprinted, if you know what I mean.”
I looked down at my shoes. “Well, I knew something was going on, and every time I needed to do something where I would need assistance I could only think of you. Am I imprinted on you too?”
Denise laughed heartily, saying, “No, I think that’s just you being your intuitive self. So you’re ok with this setup?”
“Well, how many people get to have two guardian angels?”
“Ah, up to this point, only one.”
“And that’s me.”
“Yep.”
“I’m not sure whether to be honored or scared.”
“Maybe you should be both.”
We turned and made our way back up the stairs to our little apartment, now almost completely empty except for a couch in the living room and a single bed in the girls’ bedroom. As we stood in the living room, I said, “You feel like getting something to eat?”
“Oh, Ferdie, even an angel needs some sleep every once in a while. How about in the morning?”
“Ok, I’ll check around and see if there’s anything left in the cupboards. Goodnight.”
I looked around, but the only thing I could find was a box of Animal Crackers and a half-empty can of Diet Pepsi. Well, better than nothing, I guess… I quickly downed my snack, laid down on the couch, and fell dead asleep.
Oh, thank you… no bad dreams… I awoke early, about six a.m., and Denise was already up doing some yoga-type exercises. “Hey, how is your wrist? You broke it like four days ago, remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” Denise grunted from a pretzel-like yoga position. “All better now.”
I shook my head. How do they do that? Oh, wait… I am one of two people in the universe who actually know how they do that, and it has to do with our little friends, the Time Flies… “Hey, what do you think about going over to the college and visiting Dr. Reyes? It makes sense to maintain that connection I think. We may need to ask for his help again if we ever get to looking for the last member of The Seven. We can account for six of them, but one is still out there.”
“Sure, that’d be fun. I haven’t seen the old guy for quite a while now. He’s one crazy dude, but super-smart, as you know.”
“Yeah, I liked him. Ok, when you get ready let me know and we’ll zip over there.”
An hour later, we were on our way to the college via Ling’s little car. We arrived right around eight a.m., and ran up the steps and to his second-floor office. After a quick knock, we heard the familiar, “Come in!” We bolted into the room, and there, behind his customary stack of folders, papers, and computer monitors, sat Dr. Reyes. “Just a moment,” he said, and after a flurry of keyboard clicks, his head popped around his screens. His eyes went wide behind his coke-bottle-thick glasses, and his mouth formed an excited O. He still had his signature long, graying ponytail, although he had a clean Slayer t-shirt on this time. “Denise, Ferdie! This is awesome… come, come, have a seat, tell me everything you know.”
Denise and I looked at one another, not knowing quite what he was referring to. “Uh, Dr. Reyes, do you mean…”
“Yes, yes, of course, tell me about the subject we located. Was it what I thought? Was he a mystic of some kind?”
We exchanged another glance, and thank goodness Denise responded: “We didn’t get a chance to find out. He passed away before we were able to get the information we were looking for.”
Dr. Reyes looked crestfallen, and he said, “Oh, that’s terrible. He didn’t suffer, I hope.”
“No, I think he went happy. Anyway, that’s kind of why we’re here…”
“You want to do it again? Look for another one, is that it? Oh, this is so exciting… Of course, there will be a ton of prep work to do but the hard part is already done. We mainly just need to replicate the previous experiment, with the additional point of reference gained from the previous iteration. It actually should go faster this time.”
My face lit with a smile. “Dr. Reyes, you’re amazing. I just never thought a college professor would be this… I don’t know, cool I guess.”
He bowed, and said, “It is my great pleasure to be considered cool. Another tribute to our old friend Marshall Nolan, eh?” and he reached out and pulled us both into a group hug.
“This will take a few days, even using some more time on the Cal Tech supercomputer, so contact me… oh, let’s see, this is Monday… try Friday, I should have something by then.”
Denise pulled Dr. Reyes into another bear hug. “Thanks so much Dr. Reyes. For everything.”
Denise got a little overzealous and squeezed a bit too hard, causing Dr. Reyes to cough and choke for a moment. Jerking his thumb toward Denise, he said, “Wow, Denise, you’re something else. Ferdie, you’d better watch out for this one, she’ll break your ribs.”
Dude, you got that right… in fact, you don’t know how right you are… “Thanks a million, Dr. Reyes. You’re the greatest.”
“Oh, think nothing of it. And remember, it’s Terry.”
“Ok, thanks again… Dr. Terry. Sorry, sounds weird.”
“Don’t worry, I get that all the time.”
Chapter 25
We got on the road right at noon on day 742. Denise drove us out of town, up through the Tehachapi pass, and on into the immense Mojave Desert. Dude, Bakersfield is hot, but this is a whole other level… my phone says the temperature is…one-fourteen? Is that possible? “Hey, Denise, maybe we should have re-thought when to drive out here. It’s one-thirty p.m. It’s like we’re driving through the world’s largest oven.”
Denise winked, and said, “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat.”
“Yeah, and you probably don’t even feel it. You get hot like that all the time.”
Denise guffawed heartily, slapping herself on the thigh. “Ferdie, is that another pick-up line?”
No, no, I… oh, I get it, very funny. I think we overestimated how long it was going to take to get out here. We’re only, let’s see… about an hour away from the AstroBurger, which means we should be within about two hours of the rest of the gang. Of course, it may take a little time to find them, so let’s say three hours from now on the outside. That means we should get there around four thirty.”
A sly smile crossed Denise’s face, and she said, “Oh, Ferdie, you’re so smart, you can tell time and everything!”
“Alright, knock it off. You’re starting to sound like Marsh-dog.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.”
We arrived at the AstroBurger at two-thirty-four p.m., and were mighty hungry. “Denise, do you think we should take a chance and stop for something to eat?”
“I think it would be ok if I just went in. I’ll park across the street, right by that abandoned motel, and then I’ll run over and get us something.”
We came to a stop in the shade of the only tree in the area, and Denise ran across the street. As she went, I admired the restaurant’s neon sign; a cartoon spaceship with the word “AstroBurger” curving above it. It wasn’t long before Denise returned. “You know, it’s funny… the name is AstroBurger but they have pretty much all Mexican food. That’s not a bad thing, it just seems weird. Guess what they did have, though?” and she handed me a frosty cup, and in it was… a vanilla milkshake.
Time Flies Page 16