“How’ll we explain it to them? That won’t work, but we could go to the coffee shop just before the airport. It’s public and maybe they’ll back off.” Her solution was not much better than his.
“That would work, but how long do we stay there?” He had a knot in his gut and knew the goons had backed them into a corner. Fuck, why didn’t I let Martin know that these guys were nearby? It was a good thought, but too late now.
The coffee shop might be a good immediate solution. They still had more than an hour and a half before their flight. Just maybe, the bad guys would take off and leave them once they stopped, although he didn’t believe that. At least a stop would give them some time to think.
All but one vehicle was still behind them. He could see two men in the front seat. They stayed within fifty feet behind. Joe slowed down more than once and each time the car behind slowed to match their speed. They were running out of time, the turnoff to the airport was just ahead.
“I think we better see if we can get close to the entrance. Stopping won’t solve anything.” Joe had run out of ideas, short of turning around and going home. This waiting game was excruciating. There was little doubt the agents were there and had been watching them. They’d both had enough of looking over their shoulders.
“Oh, dear God, I don’t know what to do either. Maybe we should call Martin and let him know. We could go to the coffee shop until we get some feedback. He might have an idea. Do you have the stun gun with you?” Harriet’s mind was racing.
“No, we can’t take that on the plane with us. They catch us with any kind of weapon and we’d be on their blacklist forever. It looks like our rings are it in the weapons department. Calling Martin is a good idea, though.” He slowed the vehicle while Harriet spoke with Martin. She explained the situation. “We don’t know what to do… we don’t want to miss our plane.”
“I should have come with you.” Martin was angry for falling down on his job.
“It would take you at least forty minutes to get here if you could get a cab?
“Have you got the stun gun with you?” He wasn’t aware of the airline laws of today.
“No we’re not allowed to carry any weapons on the aircraft. Even our rings, if they knew they were weapons, they’d confiscate them. We’ll keep our mouths shut.”
“We’ll try to get close to the departures entrance from the parking lot. If we can get inside fast enough, they won’t do anything with so many people around.”
“Okay, but make sure there’s someone else parking and try to get close to where they park and follow them inside. If you can’t do that, I’d recommend that you return to the city. I shouldn’t have left you on your own.” At the moment Martin was stumped. This was a desperate situation. He’d give anything for one of the high-speed vehicles from the future but recognized there was no safe way out of the situation right then.
“We’ll try that, Martin, but I think you should head straight to Bentwood if you don’t hear from us in the next twenty minutes. We’ll try to call you as soon as we get inside. Neither Joe nor I want to lose the cost of our tickets. We’ll try to stay close to other people.”
“I think that’s the best idea so far. I’m not sure you’d make it back to the city even if you tried. These guys want you two. I’ll call the helicopter company and see if there’s one of them on the waterfront. It’s Sunday, they do their harbor tours today.”
“That’s a good idea, Martin. Don’t waste any time.” Harriet disconnected.
Joe heard the whole conversation as Harriet had the speaker on.
“Martin doesn’t figure these guys will attack us while anyone’s around us. I guess we can only try.” Harriet was clenching her sweater as her stress level soared.
“That sounds like a good plan.” Joe remained calm and hoped that if he stayed cool, it would rub off on her. He had turned into the long airport road and was nearing the turnoff to the parking lot. Their tail was right behind them.
There wasn’t a soul around them, but Joe did as Martin had instructed and drove around the parking lot twice. There was still no one. Then, as he started around for the third time, he drove out of the lower parking lot and headed for the drop-off and pick-up area on the roadway above the parking area.
“Where are you going?”
“To departures, I’ll drop you off there where there are lots of people and once you’re inside I can park below and run in and I’ll meet you in the gift shop.” He was smiling, realizing this was a plan that could work. Divide and conquer.
“Oh, are you sure? I don’t want to split up. I’m scared to death right now.”
“Slick, it’s the only way we can do this and have any chance at all of eluding these two. They won’t do anything in a crowd. Make sure you stay where there are lots of people. The gift shop is always busy. Stand inside by the counter. I’ll be up in a minute. I’ll leave the bags with you, so I can get out of the car after I park it and make a run for the entrance.”
“Okay, get ready, as soon as I stop, I’ll open the hatch and grab the bags. They’re already strapped into our luggage cart. You can handle that and your carry-on. I’ll take mine and meet you in two minutes. I love you and be careful!” He pulled up to the departure doors.
Chapter 20
Caught
There were cars with people getting their luggage out in front and behind. He could see the SPA agents, pull in two cars back. Joe got out of the vehicle, went around to the back and pulled out the luggage cart with their bags. He loaded Harriet down with her compact carry-on along with her shoulder purse figuring she was in no danger at this point. She kissed him, grabbed the cart and took off into the terminal while Joe hopped back into the car and moved out, heading back to the lower parking lot. In his rear-view mirror, he could see one of the two agents had got out of their car and was heading into the terminal behind Harriet. “Damn!”
Joe found a spot close to the doors which opened to the underground area below the terminal. He still had to either go up the stairs or take the elevator to the next level. There was no one in the area when the automatic door opened allowing him to head straight for the stairway with the other agent close on his heels.
He figured he would make it to the terminal level with no problems when a burning jolt seared through his back, causing him to collapse on the landing halfway up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Harriet entered the building and went straight to the gift shop to wait for Joe.
She hadn’t seen the faces of the SPA agents, so she didn’t know who the enemy was. Every guy in the building was suspect.
There were several people in the gift shop, some browsing and two at the counter waiting to pay for their purchases. She watched as a woman came in to look at gifts. Then a man followed and went to the magazines, selecting one and taking it to the counter to pay. He turned and walked toward her, smiling, as if he recognized her, “Well, look who it is. How are you, Harriet? Where’s Joe?” He moved closer and she could see he had a weapon in his hand concealed under the jacket he had over his arm.
Leaning close so only she could hear, he said, “Make one sound and you’re dead. I have nothing to lose. My partner has your husband and if I kill you, I tell him to kill Joe. We need both of you or no one. Now be a good girl and take your bags so we can walk out of here to my car, and smile, I’m an old friend.”
Harriet’s first instinct was to scream, but that could mean the end of Joe. Her knees had turned to jelly. She grabbed the luggage cart, which helped to steady her and tried to smile as instructed. It was more of a sneer. Terrified, and not sure she’d make it out of the building, she did as instructed and headed for the door. Trying to reach Joe telepathically, she failed—something was blocking the signal, at least she prayed that’s what it was. Her mind was racing. She thought of fainting, but that could end with both of them dead. If she nailed him with her ring, it would be the end of Joe.
Their car was right in front of the departures doors. Harriet could see Joe getting out
of the front with the other agent then she and Joe were both forced into the back. Their captors smiled and chatted, all the while giving them orders. Once their bags were stowed in the trunk, the two agents got into the front seats and activated the child security locks, so neither of them could bolt. They took off northward toward Truro and no doubt Bentwood. Harriet wondered how they planned to get them past other people to the cave. She tried her telepathy again.
What are we going to do? I’m terrified! How do they think they’ll get us back to the portal with us dressed like this? Harriet’s brain was racing trying to come up with a viable solution to their predicament.
I don’t doubt they have that all worked out, Slick. Have you tried to contact Martin? Your AI always seems stronger than mine. I’ve been trying but so far no luck.
I told him if he didn’t hear from us in twenty minutes, to head for Bentwood. It’s just about that long now. He’s too far away to make telepathic contact. By the time he orders the helicopter and they fly to Bentwood, we could already be in the future. That was not a well thought out plan on our part. This is becoming serious.
Do you think you can call Martin without them hearing? He was your last call, so his number will still be on your phone screen. Make sure the volume is off. He’ll hear us talking and will know we’re in trouble. Don’t let the goons see the phone. Joe’s mind was working at warp speed.
He figured the best thing he could do now, was to distract the two agents while Harriet tried to make the call.
“Who are you and where are you taking us?” He figured he might just as well start with the basics, although he wasn’t expecting an answer.
The guy in the passenger seat spoke up first, “We’re here on the orders of the commander. He wants you returned to the SPA. You have unfinished business with him.”
Both men were huge, well over six feet and had the frames of well-conditioned athletes. They weren’t all that different from the two that had tried to kidnap them on the ski hill. The men wore jeans and T-shirts and boots suitable for hiking.
Joe could see that this was not a spur-of-the-moment move on their captors part. Every move had been choreographed carefully. Now, it made sense why there had been no contact earlier. The men had used the end of school and their wedding plans against them. She and Joe had been distracted and this had played right into their hands. Joe kicked himself for not being better prepared.
“We have no business with the commander. We told him what we thought of his plan, and we have no intention of taking part in it.” Joe tried to sound like he had no fear of the madman that had sent out these thugs to kidnap them.
Meanwhile, he could see Harriet had connected with Martin. The phone peeked out from under the sweater on her lap.
“People will know what happened to us if we disappear again. They know about this mad scheme. They’ll know we’re kidnapped.” This time it was Harriet who made the plea knowing full well it would fall on deaf ears.
The other agent, who was driving well for someone used to far more sophisticated vehicles, spoke up, “You know that’s a lie. We know you haven’t told the whole truth. They will try to find this place and because of the shield you invented, they will never find us. No one knows about the portal except the guy who raped your friend and disappeared.”
These men had done their homework. Joe wondered if he and Harriet had been defeated by their own lies. Their only hope was Martin. They were thankful the two agents were not all that familiar with cell phones or hadn’t thought about the fact that just about every twenty-first century citizen owned one.
Both of them decided it would be smart to stay calm and keep the men engaged in chatter. Agent one was driving at the speed limit, no doubt not wanting to draw any attention.
The passenger-side agent spoke up. “We will stop at the refueling center in Truro. You will open your bags and find some clothes more suitable for a walk in the woods. We know that you planned on a trip through the historic part of old Quebec City, so no doubt you will have clothes more suitable for walking.
Jesus, these two guys must have followed us into the travel agents and got a copy of the package we booked. This would have impressed Joe if it wasn’t such a dire situation.
Weatherby must have sent them right after the other two left. There doesn’t seem much they don’t know about us. This made Harriet’s skin crawl. She felt almost as violated as when the SPA doctor had put her out and examined her uterus without her permission.
Joe reached over and took her hand. He could see this was stressing her.
If you don’t have clothes suitable for walking, there is a store right across the street and you can buy what you need there. If you want to arrive alive, you had better think twice about pulling anything.”
“You haven’t given us much choice,” Joe snapped back.
They pulled into the large service center and parked. There wasn’t much going on at this time of the day. There were only two cars getting gas and a few more cars in the parking lot that most likely belonged to the employees. Business would pick up as the day progressed but this early on a Sunday morning, most of the local folk were in bed or at church.
Harriet had slipped the phone into the outside pocket of her shoulder bag where no one could see it. But it also blocked their voices. Martin had stayed connected though. Her battery was draining, but she felt it important that they let him know what was happening as long as was possible.
The passenger-side agent got out of the car and opened the door and told Harriet to get out. He led her to the trunk and she went through her bag to find her jeans and a matching shirt and socks and sneakers. He told her to pick out something similar for Joe from his bag, which she did. Then they got back in the car with the clothes and they got underway.
“Change,” the passenger agent ordered.
“Here?” Harriet said, more surprised that angry.
“Yes, we can’t take any chances with you trying to bolt. Now do as you’re told and get into your other clothes. And try to be discreet when we’re near other vehicles.”
I guess we better go along with them. There’s no sense taking any chances. I don’t think they’ll hurt us, and I don’t believe their threats. It’s all bullshit… the commander wants us too bad. Life wouldn’t be worth living for these idiots if they let anything happen to us. Have you still got the phone on?
I shut it down… Martin would have heard enough to know the situation. And it’s out of tower range now. But even if he didn’t, when he didn’t hear from us at the airport, he would know that we’re in trouble. Knowing him, he’d order the helicopter right away. We don’t know if he got the one on the waterfront, or if he had to get a cab to the airport. That’s the one that worries me. That extra forty minutes could delay him. I can only hope he’s waiting for us when we get there. We still have to walk from the ski lift to the cave and that’s a three-hour hike at the rate I plan to walk. Harriet smiled at Joe.
I’m proud of you Slick—you’re keeping your head on straight. I know you’re as scared as me, but there’s no point in either of us losing it. The calmer we stay, the more chance we have of getting out of this okay.
Shit, hon, I’m terrified. But you’re right panic won’t help. Just knowing Martin’s on the job and you’re here beside me is enough for now. Harriet looked at her new husband and gave him a reassuring smile.
They’d changed their clothes and were ready for the trail—if they got that far. They prayed that Martin would be there ahead of them, but neither believed that would happen.
Chapter 21
Terror on the Trail
They arrived at the gate to Bentwood and turned into the familiar parking lot. There were four cars, no doubt belonging to the employees.
The driver pulled in behind a utility shed between the car and the office. He looked in the rear-view mirror at them. “When we get out, I want you to go to the back of the vehicle. We have two empty backpacks in the trunk. You will open your bags and
transfer whatever clothes and personal things you think you will need and leave the rest. We are four friends going hiking for the weekend. You have hiking gear, a bedroll, and ropes in your backpacks. We’ll be at the cave in two hours. So don’t try anything and the trip will be easy. Remember if one of you makes a break, the other dies. This is all or nothing. The commander is tired of games. Do you understand?”
“Yes, we understand.” Joe spoke for both of them. He gave Harriet a helpless look. Don’t hurry with the packing. We have to give Martin as much time as we can. These guys are tough, but I still don’t think they will kill us. We won’t mess with them though… I think they’d enjoy hurting us. Our rings may be our only salvation. He didn’t feel as courageous as he’d tried to sound. He figured he was running on adrenalin.
I’m sure Martin will contact us as soon as he’s near. I hope these guys don’t see the helicopter… they’re not stupid, they’ll figure it out. Harriet was a lot calmer than Joe had imagined. She gave him a quick smile.
They all got out and went to the back of the car. The men pulled out their own backpacks and the two empty ones, handing one to each of them.
Harriet unzipped her bag and made the transfer as instructed. Joe did the same. Harriet slowed down the process, by changing her mind two or three times with certain items. She dropped things and had to retrieve them, shaking them off and re-folding them before stowing them in her backpack. They burned off twenty minutes.
The goons grabbed their arms and steered them toward the office, warning them that one wrong move would mean death.
Red, the jovial little manager, was on duty again, but he didn’t acknowledge that he knew them from four years ago or any of their ski trips since then. This was a good thing. If he asked questions, they’d all be in danger.
After they’d paid their trail fees, Red said, “I should warn ya, there’s a gover’ment chopper in the park doin’ an eagle count. You’ll see it hoverin’ over some of the taller trees and cliffs. They’re lookin’ to see how many chicks have survived. The babies will try to fly in a few weeks, and the gover’ment likes to keep track.”
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