George Hartmann Box Set

by Kelly Utt

  I have to compartmentalize in my mind if I'm going to get through this without losing my mind. Until I learn something different, I'm going to assume that the snake as a symbol of life force relates to Ali and that she's going to be okay. I'm even going to go as far as to believe that the baby she's carrying is also going to be okay. They have to be. They're both under the care of medical professionals now. Security at the hospital will keep anyone who may want to harm them out. So, I'm going to consider them squared away for the time being.

  Now, to again connect with the energy of a predator. I need to figure out how to make it work for me. It's time to go on the hunt for Clive in order to locate and rescue my uncle.

  "We should've asked Clive more questions when we had him,” I say. "We have no idea where he staying or where he's from."

  We have a plate number for his vehicle,” Roddy says.

  I'm not surprised by this news. I'm sure grateful my father-in-law had the wherewithal to record the number.

  "Good work!" I say. "That gives us something to go on. But how are we going to track a plate without involving the authorities?"

  "That's the dilemma,” Roddy says. “Even if we do track it, he could've ditched that vehicle by now. Same with their cell phones. If we do go to authorities, they can track the phones assuming they're in an area which gets cell phone coverage. But they could ditch those too. I'm not entirely sure how sophisticated a criminal Clive is. He doesn’t seem very sophisticated, but then again, he somehow untied himself and got Liam out of the hotel room, all while Liam had a loaded gun."

  "And we don't know whether or not he has people working with him,” I add.

  Without telling me where he's going, Roddy puts the Jeep in gear and pulls out of the Bi-Mart parking lot.

  "Where to?" I ask.

  “Back to the rental house. We don’t want to draw suspicion to ourselves by hanging around parking lots. We’ll some take time to regroup. We could both use a shower anyway.”

  "Okay," I say.

  It's not like we can discuss any of this very easily at the hospital, so I don't have any better ideas.

  As we drive back to the rental house, for some reason, I'm reminded of the day Liam and I picked up Lady from the animal hospital and the guy at the desk made an innocent mistake. For a few minutes, I thought Lady was dead and that he was trying to hand me her ashes. I lost my shit and almost beat the man. Liam calmed me down and put me in the passenger seat of my Tesla, then drove me around the Upstate New York countryside until I had collected myself and was ready to go home to my wife and kids. And I thought things were overwhelming back then. That was nothing compared to what we're facing now.

  I sit quietly as I ride, gazing out at the beautiful tall trees and the blue-green lake which comes into view every so often. I try to get more nature therapy like I did earlier when Liam and I ate lunch at the picnic table beside the lake. It feels like that was days ago now. I'm beginning to get physically fatigued and my mind isn't as sharp. I'm not going to be able to make it much longer without some sleep.

  The sun is low in the sky now and will be setting soon. Miss Tessa is, no doubt, long gone from the hospital, so she and Girard won't be able to help us get back in. Maybe the news crews have given up and gone home by now. Is an interview with me really worth the overtime the station must be paying? Maybe someone in charge finally developed a conscience and decided to leave my family be.

  When we arrive at the rental house, things appear to be peaceful. The SUV Duke and Taye rented aren’t here, so I assume that means they aren't either. I'm not sure what they're doing today, come to think of it. I notice both of their sets of luggage are still here. I can only assume they're immersed in various aspects of the investigations related to Clive and the break-in and my family being run off the road. Hopefully, our friends are making some good progress.

  Roddy and I go straight to our respective bedrooms and grab quick showers. He was right that I needed one. I have to think hard about when the last time I had a shower was. I finally remember that it was yesterday morning. That feels like weeks ago now. Things are happening so fast, they're making my head spin.

  Temperatures are dropping as the sun goes down, so I throw on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. I layer the heavy sweatshirt over top of the t-shirt, so I can peel some clothing off if needed. I'm not sure where I'll be sleeping tonight, but it strikes me that the hood might double as a pillow in a pinch.

  It saddens me to be back here where we were making good memories just a couple of days prior. Walking through the bedroom almost makes me cry as I think back to the afternoon we arrived when Ali and I made love multiple times on the stone bench below the windows. That lovemaking was mind-blowing like it always is with my wife. I hadn’t thought about it until now, but she was pregnant when we were making love. I'm kind of surprised I didn't notice. She's been pregnant three other times now and I thought I was able to pick up on the subtle changes in her body. Maybe my simultaneous memory of Greece and the lovemaking Ali and I shared with Isabel Madera had me too distracted to notice. That was intense. It was enjoyable though. Even though I'm terribly sad, just thinking about it makes the blood begin to rush between my legs.

  That gives me an idea. It may be a selfish one, but I’m pretty sure a little self-care never hurt anyone in my situation.

  Since my goal is to remember more of Greece and Joe is refusing to hypnotize me right now, maybe I should try to re-enter the memories the easiest way possible and then see if I can sort of fish around some more while I'm there.

  I lock my bedroom door and get comfortable on the bed as I gaze out to the view of the lake from my windows. The light is low now as the sun continues to retreat for the day. With the overhead light turned off in the room, the outdoor lighting and shade cast by the hills make for an ethereal, hazy scene. The scene kind of reminds me of the way it looks as past-life memories fade in and out, so it works well to set the mood.

  I tell myself to be quick, but to allow the memories from my subconscious mind a chance to surface. I spread my legs and unzip my jeans, placing one hand inside and taking hold of my phallus. By the time I touch it, it's already hard, standing tall at attention.

  I close my eyes and try to recall the scene in Ancient Greece where Ali, Isabel, and I made love together. It takes a few minutes of concentration alternated with letting go to get back into my Greece body. Finally, I arrive.

  This time, the memory is new. Ali, Isabel, and I are alone, frolicking playfully in the beautiful blue-green sea that surrounds our home in Ithaki. The sun is low in the sky and just about to set like it is right now at the vacation rental house in Lake Tahoe. Immersing myself in the memory fully, I can again feel my strong, youthful Greek body. My muscles are much bigger than they are in this lifetime, a result of my ongoing training as a soldier and my younger age.

  I look down and discover I'm not wearing any clothes. Neither are Ali and Isabel. I see a heap of white garments on the beach nearby. We must have decided to go skinny-dipping together. I look down again and see that my manhood is swollen and throbbing. It's aching for both of these beautiful ladies who are on display in front of me. I wrap one hand around my girth, just like I'm doing right now in the present day. I begin to stroke vigorously.

  Ali has her hair pinned high on her head and the remaining sunlight in the sky is highlighting her elegant silhouette. Isabel’s silhouette is highlighted, too. Her physique is a little different than Ali’s. She’s shorter. More stout and muscular, whereas Ali’s body is longer and more delicate. Both of these women are incredibly beautiful. They are world-class beauties for the ages. Few others even come close.

  I turn and look around at the jagged coastline and the high cliffs behind us. I'm not sure how we got down here, but I get the idea we come here often. As far as I can tell, no one else is around.

  I'm here to observe. I watch intently as Ali and Isabel lean towards each other while standing in knee-deep water and begin to kiss passionately on t
he mouth. The blood pumps harder as I stare. It's turning me on.

  I take a few steps closer to get a better view as Isabel places both hands around Ali's waist and lets her fingers dangle low on Ali’s backside. Isabel is the aggressor here. Ali is enjoying herself, allowing herself to be dominated.

  In a quick motion, Isabel hoists Ali’s hips towards hers and I can see their sensitive areas connect. Isabel pulls away from Ali’s kiss then looks her in the eye seductively before flipping her hair around the top of her head to the other side and letting it cascade down over her sun-kissed shoulders. Isabel continues the seduction by burying her mouth in Ali’s neck as she nuzzles and sucks, still pulling on Ali’s hips and refusing to release the connection where it burns brightest.

  As they move, I can see their perky breasts and firm nipples brushing against each other then parting, then brushing against each other again. The friction seems to be stimulating them both. Ali is arching her back like she always does when she's aroused. Neither of these luscious ladies looks at me at all. They know I’m here, but they’re entranced with each other. I squeeze my manhood and jerk it hard as I continue to feast my eyes on this titillating sight.

  Their passion escalates quickly. Ali lifts one long, delicate leg and wraps it around Isabel. I know that move because she does it to me. It's glorious. Isabel responds by moving one hand around to the front to rub and caress Ali’s sweet spot. She obviously knows exactly what Ali likes, because Ali leans her head back and moans in ecstasy. Ali works to regain her composure and places one of her hands on Isabel’s sweet spot, then rubs and caresses it just the same.

  I watch as these two enticing creatures jostle, rub, and grip each other while kissing and sucking with hungry mouths until they both cry out, climaxing with pleasure. I speed up the strokes on my member in order to climax with them, and I do, both here and in Greece. Warm fluid escapes me in a burst of an explosion which feels like a firehose. My entire body convulses with the aftershocks until every last drop has been released and every last wave of pleasure experienced.

  Now that it's over, I try to steer my memories towards something useful. I tell myself to think. We've confirmed that Ali, Isabel, and I had an ongoing sexual relationship. But I'm not sure what our threesomes have to do with anything. I tell my mind to show me something which will help me understand. At first, nothing happens. I feel sort of stuck in a strange limbo with one foot in Ancient Greece and one foot in the present.

  But after a moment, I feel pulled towards another scene and I let myself go there. This time, I'm in a fancy room within what appears to be some sort of mansion or palace. But I'm not here with my Greek body. I'm watching this scene from above. It feels as if someone wants to show me something important.

  Ali is here. I think this is her bedroom. She’s sleeping soundly in her bed. It's the middle of the night. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door and a tall, statuesque young man enters. He looks a lot like me. He's similar height with dark hair and blue eyes, although lots of people in Ancient Greece seem to have the same coloring. But this particular guy reminds me a lot of myself. He almost has the same mannerisms and the same movements. I'm not sure what he's doing in Ali’s bedroom, especially while she's asleep. She didn't invite him here.

  My curiosity turns to horror as I watch him take off his clothes and lay them in a pile on the floor beside the bed. He pulls back the blanket covering my Ali as his manhood swells to incredible heights. His phallus is bigger than mine was and I feel a pang of jealousy. He climbs into bed behind her and scoots up close so that his member reaches into her. I half expect her to be upset. Is she being violated? I begin to get angry. But then, Ali wakes up and turns to face this young man with a smile.

  She soon becomes fully alert as she sits up in bed and takes her clothing off over her head. The flirtatious motion she uses is the very same one as in the present day. The man rolls flat on his back as Ali climbs on top of him, mounting him and sitting up straight so he can enjoy the view of her luscious body. She looks like an elegant dancer as she slides up and down, grinding on him in the most sensual way. The moves are the same ones she uses with me. I'm jealous as I watch them.

  Maybe she hadn't met me yet at this point. The instant I think the question, I'm quickly met with an answer from a deeper part of myself which says that no, in fact, we had already met. Ali was seeing this man at the same time she was seeing me. And Isabel. I get the idea the three of us competed for Ali's affection.

  But this man is different than me because he's not a soldier. He's one of the wealthy elite. He’s one of the highly educated which our society’s most respectable members are proud of and look to as hope for the next generation of leaders. In a wave of knowing, I get the entire picture. This is the man better suited to Ali. This is the man the elders want her to be with. This is the man they believe she deserves.

  As I work to process the new and upsetting information, I tell myself to get a look at this man's eyes in case I recognize him from our present life. The memories cooperate and the man and I make eye contact as he turns his head my direction.

  In an instant, I recognize him.

  It's Clive.

  11

  Truth

  I'm beginning to understand that I'll never get a complete picture of my life in Ancient Greece in one sitting. It's as if my subconscious mind just can't take it all at once and so gives it to me piecemeal, little by little.

  That said, I'm grateful for the insight I received this evening.

  I clean myself up and straighten the blanket on the bed so it isn't too obvious what I was doing, then I go out into the living room and look for Roddy. When I don't see him anywhere inside, I assume he's out back. Being near the lake probably helps to clear his head, too. I grab a beer out of the fridge and then head out through the patio doors.

  I feel guilty about grabbing a beer, but I don't know how I'm supposed to act.

  When I get outside onto the back deck, I see that my father-in-law has the same idea. He’s sitting out on the dock with a beer in his hand. I quietly walk down the steps and dock, then sit down beside him. We stare into the blue lake together for a long while before we speak.

  "Why do they call it feeling blue when you're sad?" I ask.

  "Damned if I know,” Roddy replies. "Is that what's on your mind right now?"

  "Among other things,” I say. “I'm feeling blue. Looking at the blue lake made me ponder the phrase.”

  “Yeah, well,” Roddy begins. “If Marjorie were here, she’d tell you that blue is also associated with the fifth chakra which is located at the throat and linked to communication. That’s why someone who speaks the truth is called true blue. Maybe feeling blue is related to the truth somehow. Or maybe that’s all hogwash.”

  We chuckle together. It’s nice to have someone as spiritual as Marjorie in the family.

  "What's really on your mind?" Roddy asks.

  "A number of things. Same as you,” I reply.

  I take a drink of my beer. It's cold and it tastes good. I wish Liam was out here with us right now. He and I have spent so much time sitting and drinking beer on the dock of his house in D.C. I had planned for us to do the same thing here at Lake Tahoe before everything began to fall apart.

  "I had another Greece memory just now,” I say. "I want to tell you about it, but it's... shall we say, delicate."

  "I can handle it,” my father-in-law replies. "Go ahead."

  "I haven't told anyone else this part because it's kind of embarrassing," I begin. "I remember being back in Ancient Greece with Ali and also with Isabel Madera."

  "Oh, yeah?" Roddy asks.

  "Yeah,” I say. "The three of us had a sexual relationship."

  I'm not sure whether I expect my father-in-law to react to this information or not, but he doesn't flinch.

  "No big deal," he says. "The culture in Ancient Greece was much more open about that sort of thing. I doubt it was out of the ordinary."

  "I don't know about all that
,” I say. "But just now, I also saw Ali having a sexual relationship with a different man. He looked a lot like me. Although, I was a lowly soldier and he was a wealthy intellectual."

  "A lowly soldier, eh?" Roddy says, sounding skeptical. "You and I both know that soldiers have never been lowly. Soldiers have had one of the most important jobs on the planet throughout history."

  "I’m glad you think so," I say.

  "So, what?"

  "Remember how I told you that when you look into someone's eyes during a past life memory, there seems to be a soul recognition? Marjorie mentioned it, too. I’ve found that if it's someone I know in this present life and I look into their eyes during the memory, I can recognize them."

  "And?"

  "It was Clive,” I say, tapping one finger on the neck of my beer bottle.

  Roddy doesn't say anything as he works to consider the implications.

  "I still only remember pieces and fragments. It's difficult to put together a full picture when I'm only getting pieces.”

  "So maybe there was a feud between you and Clive back then?” Roddy asks, speculating along with me.

  "I'd say that's likely," I confirm. "Although, the scene I just remembered seems to have happened before I found out about it back then. As best I can tell anyway. I get the idea Ali and Clive were seeing each other for some time before I knew. What do you make of that?”

  "Well, based on what I've learned from Marjorie over the years, it seems like the conflicts which are unresolved will come back in subsequent lifetimes until they are resolved and put to rest. I’m talking about emotional things such as love triangles and babies and being banished and murders. The events you’ve told me about in your specific history sound like precisely the type of conflicts which would come back. Those type of events hurt a person for a lifetime. It only makes sense for the hurt to last more than one lifetime.”

  "Agreed," I say.

  "So what are we going to do about it?” Roddy asks.