Dave went to the parking lot and for a moment just looked at the Ferrari. It was the joy of his heart. Owning one had always been the dream of his life, and now it was all his! He opened both wings just for the joy of seeing them fly open, and then slipped behind the wheel.
He was about to close the doors when a man stepped out of the shadows and before Dave could blink was inside the car with him. He had a gun in his hand, and Dave went cold. He knew that there were people in this town who would kill you for a pair of tennis shoes, for a Ferrari, and for the cash he carried. Sudden fear ran through him.
“Drive out of here!”
“You won’t get away with this,” Dave said hoarsely.
“Well, you won’t be around to see me not get away with it.” He leveled the gun at Dave’s head, and the voice came again in a Southern accent: “Get out of here before I shoot your ears right off, fella.”
There was no choice for Dave. He started the powerful engine and asked, “Where are we going?”
“I’ll tell you when we get out of here. Now, drive out of this parking lot—and don’t try anything funny when we pass the attendant.”
That had been in Dave’s mind—to make some kind of a signal—but as they approached the entrance, he felt the gun touch his ribs. So when he passed the attendant on duty, all he could do was say, “Good night, George.”
“Good night, Mr. Cooper. Congratulations, you was the greatest.”
The Ferrari slipped out into the streets, and the Southern voice said, “Turn right and go until I tell you to stop.”
It was a long journey for Dave Cooper. He half expected to be shot and his body left in a ditch somewhere outside of Dallas. But no matter how hard he thought, he could not think of how to get out of this mess that he was in.
“How’s it feel like to be a Cowboy, a big football hero?”
Dave shook his head. “Look, you can have the car. Just let me out,” he said.
“Keep driving.” There was a cold threat in the voice, and Dave knew better than to argue.
The trip was confusing. Dave did not know this part of Dallas well, but his captor directed him until they were outside the city. He headed him down a country road to a shabby shack that stood all alone. There was a garage, and the man commanded him brusquely, “Drive into that garage.”
Dave pulled the Ferrari inside and sat there feeling sick. “It won’t do you any good to kill me,” he said. “I can get money for you if that’s what you want.”
“Get out of the car.”
Dave got out and watched as the tall young man shut the ramshackle door, concealing the car. “Get right in there and be careful.”
Dave walked out of the garage and to the house. The door was unlocked, but as soon as they were inside the gunman lit a kerosene lantern and shut the door. “Now,” he said, “we can get acquainted.”
He pulled off the sombrero that had been down over his eyes and said, “Take a good look at me, Dave.”
Dave Cooper stared at the young man’s blue eyes and fair hair. “I’ve seen you somewhere before,” he said slowly.
“Shore have. Do you remember where?”
“No, I see so many people. Any way, what do you want? You’re going to rob me, I guess.”
A smile touched the youth’s lips. “You football players are pretty tough. I saw you make that last run.”
Dave could not think of anything to say to this. “Look, you’re letting yourself in for a lot of trouble. You’re going to wind up in the penitentiary.”
“Nope, I won’t do that. What I want is for us to have a nice long talk together. I got some things to say to you, Dave.”
Dave was accustomed to fans wanting his attention. But this guy’s a maniac, he thought with panic. I’ve got to get out of here, but he’s got the gun.
“Would you mind pointing that gun the other way?” he said. “It could go off.”
The gunman laughed suddenly, and he did not look, at that moment, dangerous. “It won’t go off,” he said. “Look.” He held it to his own head, and to Dave Cooper’s astonishment pulled the trigger. There was a click, and then the young man tossed the gun at him. “Here, look for yourself.”
Dave caught the pistol and stared at it. “A toy gun!” he exclaimed.
“I had to get your attention, and real guns can be dangerous.”
Dave suddenly felt a streak of anger go over him. “I’m getting out of here, and you’re not going with me.”
“Well, you can try, but I wish you would listen to me before we have some trouble. All I want is some talk for your own good, Dave.”
Dave lunged at him. His fist shot out, aimed straight at the point of his captor’s chin, but the chin was not there, and suddenly a blow caught Dave right in the stomach.
“Oooph!” he grunted, and suddenly he could not breathe. He held his stomach, and a blow caught him right in the chest that drove him backwards.
“My name’s Reb,” the stranger said. “I reckon we’re going to get a lot better acquainted, but we got to get this settled. You may be a big, tough football player, but the only way you’re going to get out of that door is to beat me to a pulp. So if you got to try it, come on.”
What followed was amusing in a way. Dave Cooper was hard and fast and strong. Time and time again he threw himself at Reb, who was taller and faster and stronger. It went on for a long time, until both boys were gasping for breath.
Finally, Dave asked through bruised swollen lips, “What do you want? What’s your last name?”
“Reb Jackson. Just a little talk, Dave. That’s all. Nothing’s going to happen. I promise you that.”
Suddenly Dave began to laugh harshly. “Well, it looks like you got the best of the argument. Is there any water around here?”
“I brought some out the other day when I found this place, and some food too. We can make a fire and cook up a little grub.”
Dave Cooper was suddenly intensely curious. “I have seen you before,” he said slowly. He studied the battered face of the tall young man and said, “Well, I’m gonna celebrate. It won’t be what I planned, but I’m starving to death. Let’s fix something to eat, and we can have this talk you want.”
It was Dave’s second day of captivity. At first he had thought he could talk his way out of the situation. He had listened quietly while Reb Jackson had told his wild story. At first, of course, he thought that Reb was insane, but, if so, there seemed to be a method in his madness. What began to convince Dave was the fact that he had dreamed about most of the events that Reb described taking place in Nuworld.
Reb had been calm and patient, but watchful.
Now the sun was setting. The boys sat outside the shack, watching the huge red globe go down, while Reb talked about Goél and Nuworld. “Like I’ve said, Dave, all this is just make-believe. Those ‘dreams’ you’ve been having, they’re what’s real. Goél is real, and Sarah, and most of all for you, I guess, Abbey.”
“Abbey.” This name caught Dave’s attention, and he lifted his head. “What about Abbey?”
“I reckon she’s a goner if you don’t come and help us. We all are. You and Abbey fight a lot, but I reckon you’re going to be pretty close one of these days. As a matter of fact, I think you’re just about half in love with her.”
Despite himself, a picture floated into Dave Cooper’s mind. He saw the face of the young girl he had dreamed about constantly. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pretty. He remembered that in the dreams he would get aggravated with her for acting foolishly sometimes, but then there were other dreams in which the sweetness of the girl just almost overwhelmed him.
Reb said quickly, “It’s up to you, Dave. You don’t have to come back. I can’t make you. Nobody can make you. Sooner or later you’ll wear me out here, and you can go back to being a big football hero. You can drive fancy cars and all that, but just remember, Dave, it’s not real.”
All night long, after the two went to bed, Dave thought of what Reb had said. His mind was in tu
rmoil, but again and again he heard those words It’s not real.
When the sun came up, the boys ate the last of the supplies, then Reb said, “Well, I can’t hold you here forever. You know that, Dave. Sooner or later a man’s got to stand for what’s right. I’ve told you what’s right. Now what are you going to do?”
Dave Cooper had already made his decision. He said slowly, “I don’t know, Reb. I think I’m crazy, and I think you’re crazy. If all this is a dream, it’s been a lot of fun, but a man can’t spend his life dreaming, can he?”
“No, he can’t. Does that mean you’re going back?”
Dave Cooper, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys—at least in his dreams—nodded slowly. “I guess it does, Reb. Let’s get back and do what has to be done.”
14
Ensign Jake Garfield
Would you like to join me in the lounge after you’re off duty, Ensign Garfield?”
Jake Garfield, of the spaceship Avenger, turned quickly.
Commander Ceri Tirion stood watching him, her lips turned upward in a welcoming smile. Her enormous eyes always seemed to hold an invitation, and her long, glossy black hair was exactly the shade that Jake had always liked.
“Why, I’d be glad to, Commander.” Jake always felt bashful and ill at ease with this superior officer.
Her smile widened. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Ensign Garfield!”
Jake whirled the other direction and found an extremely tall man with a pair of intense eyes fixed upon him. “Yes, sir, Captain Drystan.”
Hugo Drystan, commanding officer of the Avenger, was not a man one could ignore. Jake had admired him from afar, and now, as communications officer on the Avenger, he was anxious to please his new chief.
“We will be leaving this galaxy in exactly seven minutes, Ensign. You will take the helm.”
“Me, sir?”
Drystan’s eyes narrowed. “That’s what you’ve come aboard for—to learn how to command a spaceship of the Imperial Fleet. Have you changed your mind?”
“Oh, no, sir,” Jake said quickly. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve under you.”
Drystan smiled slightly. “It’s a little bit frightening being a young ensign. I remember when I was one myself in the Dark Ages. Do your duty, and we will see how it goes.”
Nervously, Jake sat in the chair that the captain had vacated. He was aware of the sinister Lieutenant Zeno, the Avenger’s chief gunner, glaring at him. It made him nervous, and he tried to ignore Zeno’s smoldering eyes.
He handled the starship acceptably, however, and gave a sigh of satisfaction when Captain Drystan finally said, “You’re relieved. Good job, Ensign Garfield.”
Jake left the bridge. As he walked down an outside corridor toward the lounge, he was surprised to find Lieutenant Zeno beside him. He always felt like a child beside the huge man. Clearing his throat, he said, “It’s good to serve on the Avenger, Lieutenant Zeno.”
“I would advise you not to get too friendly with Commander Tirion.”
Jake stopped, surprised by Zeno’s harsh remark. “Why do you say that, Lieutenant?”
“You’re not her kind.” There was an almost cruel gleam in the man’s eyes.
Jake started to reply when suddenly the loudspeaker said, “Ensign Garfield, report to the bridge at once.”
Holding up his wrist radio, Jake said quickly, “Yes, sir!” He left Zeno, glad to be out from under the baleful scrutiny of the man’s brooding eyes.
When he arrived back at the bridge, Captain Drystan turned to him. “We have a problem, Ensign. An alien has just been scanned aboard ship. Take care of him. Be certain that he is not free to roam the ship. I will see him when I am free from my duties here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jake took the elevator down to the master macroscanner’s station. The dark-haired officer gave him an odd smile. “Well, there’s your alien, Ensign. Doesn’t look too dangerous, I’d say.”
Some young women stood just to the left of the platform where crew members and others were beamed out and returned through a transcarrier.
Stepping forward, he said, “What’s your name?”
“My name is Sarah.”
“Sarah?” The name had a familiar ring, and Jake’s forehead wrinkled. “What is your business aboard the Avenger?”
“I came to find you, Jake.”
The lieutenant who operated the macroscanner could not suppress a slight laugh.
But Jake asked, “What do you mean, you’ve come to find me?”
“I’ve come such a long way, Jake,” Sarah said. She moved closer to him, put her hand on his chest. “Don’t you remember me at all?”
Lieutenant Zeno suddenly entered and towered over both of them. “Is this the alien?” he demanded.
“Why, yes, Lieutenant, but—”
“I will take charge of her.”
“But Captain Drystan ordered me—”
Zeno gave Jake a killing look, then turned and walked stiffly away.
“What’s the matter with him? Why is he so angry?” Sarah asked.
Jake didn’t know how to answer that. He knew that Lieutenant Zeno was in love with Ceri Tirion, and it had occurred to him that the man was jealous. “Never mind that,” he said quickly. “Come with me. I’ll see that you have proper quarters until Captain Drystan can speak with you.”
As he began to lead her out of the room, the macroscanner operator turned to his assistant. “Well,” he said, with raised eyebrows. “Sarah, is it? Pretty little thing, and she knows Ensign Garfield. Now, that is interesting . . .”
Jake thought it was interesting too, but it troubled him. He strode quickly down the corridor until he came to a door that opened as he approached it. Stepping inside, he waited for the girl and said, “These will be your quarters.”
He turned to leave, but she said, “Please, Jake, let me talk with you awhile.”
“How do you know my name?” Jake said curiously. He studied her features carefully. She was small, graceful, had large brown eyes and very black hair. She was wearing a strange costume, a simple dress, and he tried to identify it. “I’ve seen someone dressed like that before. Perhaps I saw a picture in a book?”
“It comes from a long time ago. How long have you been on this spaceship?”
“Not too long,” Jake said. “Why do you keep asking about me—and why do you keep looking at me in such a strange way?”
“Jake, we’ve known each other in another time and in another place.” Sarah came close and put her hand on his arm. She whispered, “We were friends in another life.”
“What are you talking about?” Jake asked. “You look familiar, but what’s this about another life?”
Sarah hesitated, then said, “I don’t know any way, Jake, to get at this thing except just to tell you the truth.” She waved her hand around the room. “All of this is just a dream. You’re dreaming that you’re on a spaceship. Back home you always liked those old TV programs and the science-fiction movies.”
“What do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“There is no Avenger. I know that’s hard for you to believe.” She reached out and tapped the bulkhead. “See. It makes a noise, but that’s the way dreams are. Sit down, Jake, and let me tell you who I am and who you are.”
Jake suddenly clamped his lips together. “I know who I am. I’m Ensign Jake Garfield of the spaceship Avenger. What I don’t know is who you are and why you are lying to me like this.”
At that moment the door opened, and three people entered: Captain Drystan, Commander Tirion, and Lieutenant Zeno.
“Oh, Captain,” Jake said, stepping back. “This young lady says her name is Sarah.”
“Has she told you why she has come aboard my ship?” Drystan asked, looking at Sarah suspiciously.
Jake’s face flushed. “Well, sir, she says she’s come to find me.”
Drystan smiled slightly. “I didn’t know you were such an attract
ive fellow that beautiful young ladies would come into space seeking you.” He must have seen Jake’s confusion. He turned to Ceri Tirion. “What do you make of this, Commander?”
Ceri Tirion fixed her enormous dark eyes on Sarah. She studied her carefully, and the room grew very quiet. Finally she said, “I think the girl is telling the truth. There’s no evil in her. She has truly come on board seeking Ensign Garfield.”
Zeno growled, “And what would you want with an officer of the Imperial Space Fleet?”
Sarah said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Ceri Tirion put an arm around her. “I might believe you, Sarah. Why don’t you come with me to my quarters? We can talk there.”
Drystan nodded slightly, and the two women left.
Zeno said immediately, “She’s obviously a spy of some sort, Captain.” He turned to glare at Jake. “And you know her, you say?”
“No, I don’t. She claims to know me,” Jake blurted.
“Well, Commander Tirion will sort it all out, I’m sure,” Drystan said. “After she has finished with her examination, perhaps you’ll know a little more about why this woman has come through deep space to seek you out.”
Jake watched the captain and Zeno leave, then followed them outside. They seemed to have forgotten him, however, and he wandered back to his own quarters. When he was inside, he called forth a glass of pink lemonade, which was created merely by the sound of his voice. It was a drink that he alone on the Avenger loved. He went over and looked out the space window at the millions of stars that sailed by, turning into fine points of light as the Avenger flashed past them at light speed. He never tired of watching the heavens.
Finally he went back and lay down on his bed. “Sarah . . .” he said. For a while he thought of the girl and at last dropped off into sleep.
Sarah almost despaired of ever convincing Jake that everything about him was merely an illusion. For more than a week she had seen him every day, but nothing changed his mind. He would sit and stare at her as she recounted adventure after adventure that the two had shared in Nuworld. His eyes would grow thoughtful, but there was a stubborn line through his lips, and he would either say nothing or else shake his head and insist, “Those are dreams you are talking about. This—” he would knock on the floor or tap the ceiling “—this is reality, Sarah.”
Escape with the Dream Maker Page 12