Morning Star/Alignment

Copyright 2012 Keith Trimm Publishing keithtrimm.com

Table of contents
Morning Star..................Page 1
Alignment...................Page 267
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except
where permitted by law.
1
Morning Star
Prologue
Phelps Kansas
April 23, 1947
Part 1
The crash of the screen door, raced through the house like a shotgun
blast. Loud footsteps tromped through the entrance hallway, waking the
sleeping cat contently napping on the steam radiator. The footsteps
stopped and the room fell still. Only the sound of the rain tapping on
the tin shed outside broke the silence. In the center of the room stood a
terrified young man, dripping water on the floor and shaking from the
cold. For a moment, the room was quiet and the cat laid its head back
down, squeezing its eyes shut for another nap.
"Mother!" screamed the boy from the kitchen. "Mother help! Dads
been hurt!"
The stillness was again broken, but this time by the sound of hurried,
muffled footsteps from above. He looked up and listened to the
footsteps scrambling from the upstairs bedroom, across the hallway and
down the staircase. The door swung open at the bottom of the staircase
striking the wall behind. His mother entered the kitchen and stood,
panicked, winded and wide-eyed. Before her stood a boy of fifteen
years of age, soaked from head to toe, and covered in mud. His
horrified mother looked into his eyes perceived his fear, and hot lead
shot through her veins.
2
"What is it Jesse?" she asked. It was hard for her to remain calm.
"Its Pa!" he cried. "The tractor rolled him over and hes stuck
underneath!"
She stared at him in disbelief, lost in the moment of confusion, keeping
her eyes riveted to his.
"Is he alright?" she asked. Her hands began to tremble, and she tingled
all over.
"I dont know," he replied. He looks real bad, you need to call the
sheriff," he cried, "And the neighbors." The boy looked out the
window at the storm. He was lost in a daze. " I need to get
back out there," he said with a tremble in his voice.
"Go!" his mother, yelled at him. "Do what you can, Ill get help!"
He scrambled back out of the kitchen letting the screen door slam
behind him. Quickly, he dashed through the front gate, through the
mud, to his pick-up truck idling outside the house. He opened the door
and jumped inside slamming the door shut behind him.
His mother ran to the phone and turned the crank until the operator
came on the line.
"Central, how may I place your call?" the operator asked.
"I need the sheriff!" she cried. "My husbands been in an accident!"
"Hold the line and I will connect you," the operator replied.
Depressing the clutch, the boy shifted the truck into gear and spun out
on the mud-covered driveway. His hands gripped the steering wheel
tight, and his heart began to race as he turned the corner, heading
towards the barn. The windshield wiper swished back and forth
3
clearing the rain from his view, and he strained to keep control of the
vehicle on the soft ground. The boy passed the woodshed and drove to
the barn.
He slid to a halt, put on the brake, and jumped out of the truck letting it
idle on the muddy roadway. His first steps were uneasy, slipping on the
rain soaked ground finding it difficult to balance. Steadying himself, he
ran to the tool shed attached to the hay barn. Once inside, he pushed
aside a wheelbarrow and knocked over several pitchforks in attempting
to locate a section of tow chain that he knew was buried under a pile of
sheet metal stored inside.
Pushing an oil barrel aside, he located the chain under a pile of rusted
machine parts and gripped it firmly. He stood and pulled hard. The
chain dislodged abruptly from under the pile knocking him off balance,
knocking him to the ground. He reached up to get a grip on the
workbench, and cut his hand on a sharp edge of angle iron. With no
time to waste, he gathered the chain into his arms and lifted.
The chains massive weight strained his shoulders and back and its
length was awkward to control. Scrambling to his feet, he darted out
into the rain and lifted the chain into the back of the truck. The liquid
steel mass of chain landed with the rattle of a metallic snake. He
opened the truck door and jumped inside, wiping the water from his
eyes, smearing blood and grease across his face and neck.
Looking in his rear view mirror, the boy saw his mother standing at the
doorway of the house watching him. He knew the phone call to the
sheriff was made and help must be on its way. This comforted him
some as he slammed his foot down on the clutch and grabbed the
gearshift. Mud shot out from under the rear tires and he spun out down
the road towards his father.
4
"Hold on dad!" he said out loud. His attempts to keep the truck
centered on the road ahead were strained by the abnormal slant of the
surface, combined with the slippery mud. Past the barn, the road dipped
slightly, declining past the bullpen towards the pasture. The road then
evened off for a hundred yards to the cattle gate at the far end. He
scanned out his drivers side window noticing the bull, ankle deep in
water, standing in its pen by the feed troth. The bulls dark eyes
followed the truck as it past by seemingly unaffected by the storm. His
father was feeding the cattle when the accident happened, and seeing
the bull reminded him of what his father was doing, making him flush
with anger.
It was over a mile though the pasture to where his father was lying
pinned under his John Deere. He past through the open gate to the
pasture, finding the ground more solid. He was able to drive alongside
the road, on the grass avoiding sinking in any farther, making better
time to the accident scene.
The sky was gray, and the rain continued to pour as flashes of lightning
and crashes of thunder shot across the countryside. Scanning through
the windshield, he could see his fathers cattle gathered together in a
huddle. The cattle had been congregated around the tractor while his
father was dumping hay on the ground, but for some reason they had
now moved off some distance from where they once were.
As he came over the hill, he now realized why the cattle had moved
off. The John Deere tractor was scarcely visible over the horizon, and
sinking slowly into the soft ground. He parked the truck thirty feet from
the accident scene, and exited the vehicle. Running as close to the
tractor as he could, he searched for his father who was pinned
underneath. To his astonishment, he could no longer see him.
5
A large sinkhole had formed, and the tractor was slowly being
swallowed up along with his father. Mud and water were puddled at the
bottom threatening to drown his father before he would be saved.
"Dad!" Jesse yelled down to his father.
Silence. Then a moan and cry of pain.
"Dad! The sheriff is on the way."
Jesse stepped in closer and felt the ground start to give way under his
feet near the edge of the crater. He backed off and watched the mud
sliding down the embankment, into the hole from where he had stepped
and moved back a safe distance. Jesse ran around the edge to get a
better look at his father and realized he was no longer making any
sounds. The hole, already six feet deep, was visibly getting deeper by
the minute, and his father was difficult to see under the tractor.
Surrounding the John Deere were bubbles that surfaced from below the
water, creating the illusion of the tractor boiling in a pond. His father
was no longer visible and he struggled to get a better view running
back and forth near the edge of the hole. The splatter of rain on the
pasture and the beating of his heart were the only sounds audible now.
He needed to act now or lose his father forever.
Wiping his hands on his jacket, he turned around and ran back towards
the truck, which was idling quietly alone in the rain. He found it
difficult to run, slipping and sliding on the wet ground falling to his
knees, muddying his trousers. Once reaching the truck, he lifted the
door handle, got inside and stepped on the clutch. The gearshift was
pushed into first gear and he slowly moved the truck forward towards
the hole. Edging at a snails pace, feeling out the soft ground, he drove
6
until he could no longer see the hole over the hood of the truck and
stopped.
Letting the truck idle, he jumped out, ran to the back and dropped the
tailgate. He leaned over and grasped the tow chain with both hands,
pulling it to the open end with a loud scraping sound. The cuts in his
hand burned as he lifted the chain out and drug it around to the front of
the truck where he fastened one end to the bumper with the hook. The
other end of the chain he dropped down the edge of the hole, letting it
splash in the puddle of water next to the tractor. He noticed the tractor
was now nine feet deep and still sinking.
"Hold on Pa!" the boy, yelled as he shimmied down the chain to the
tractor below. The mud and water made his grip on the chain shaky at
best. Holding tightly, he slid slowly down the embankment to the
overturned tractor at the bottom. Near the bottom, he reached out to the
axle of the John Deere and used it as leverage to put his leg on the
frame. He pulled himself on top of the only solid object around him
and balanced on the narrow frame.
"Dad! Are you ok?" Jesse asked, craning his neck to look under the
tractor. With no response, he grabbed the chain and started wrapping it
around the axle, pulling out as much slack as he could. When the slack
was completely used, he connected the hook on the end to the chain
itself and looked back up at the edge of the hole, which was getting
further and further away. The chain became taut as they slowly
descended deeper into the hole, causing the tractor to shift with the
moving ground.
Jesse grabbed the chain and with all his strength began to climb up;
knowing at any moment the chain could give way and snap back at him
injuring him severely. The grease of the chain in combination with the
7
mud, water and blood made his journey difficult at best, impossible at
worst. Hand over hand he continued upwards unwilling to let his father
die this way, not looking back.
At the rim he was belly flat on the mud kicking and straining to find
solid ground. Every bit of struggle sent more mud and rock sliding
down to the bottom of the hole splashing water on the tractor and his
father. He could hear plopping sounds from below as the mud clods
broke the plane of the water surface.
At the top of the hole, he rolled over on his back and struggled to stand.
He ran back to the truck, which was still in idle, and put it in reverse.
Slowly he gave it gas attempting to pull the tractor out of the hole.
Maybe from a lack of experience, maybe from the excitement of the
moment, the boy did not realize that this chain had no way of ever
pulling the massive weight of the tractor out of the hole. He did not
even realize that he may be injuring his father, or even be killing him.
The tires spun and lost traction. The truck slid forward, closer and
closer to the hole while the tires spun in the opposite direction. The
boys heart now was in his throat and he felt a hot flush now realizing
his mistake. He immediately turned off the engine, leaving it in gear,
and stopped the wheels from moving. He then set the parking break and
looked out his window to see if this stopped his forward progress. The
movement had slowed, but he now heard the sound of the bolts in the
bumper starting to creak and snap.
From behind, he heard the unmistakable sounds of police sirens and
turned to see two vehicles passing through the pasture gate. An
overwhelming feeling of relief struck him, knowing help was on its
way. Sheriffs car was followed by his neighbors red grain truck,
which was more suited to the muddy ground with its wide tires.
8
Just then, the bottom gave way in the sinkhole, and the rear of the
tractor fell in leaving the entire support of its weight on the chain. The
pickup truck jolted, quickly picked up momentum and slid towards the
hole. The closer it slid, the quicker the pace picked up, and the more
terrified the boy became.
Grasping the door handle, he lifted it and shoved out. He was too late
to get out, and the truck was pulled into the hole disappearing from
view. Jesses mother, riding in the patrol car, could hear the sound of
metal on metal as tears welled up in her eyes again.
Part 2
Two hours passed until the sheriff could locate a construction crane and
transport it out to the accident scene. The rural fire fighters did not
have the type of heavy equipment necessary to retrieve such a heavy
object from so far below, and had to scramble to find something suited
for a job of this nature. The pickup truck had come to rest on top of the
submerged tractor; the truck half buried in the soft mud.
By this time the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the scene was a mess
of emergency vehicles, emergency personnel, and horrified bystanders.
The hole receded twenty-five feet and the vehicles at the bottom came
to a final rest, no longer sinking deeper into the Earth. The crane was
belching black smoke and the operator swung it into position over the
pickup truck. A hook was attached to the cable, and a man hung from a
strap attached to the hook, dangling precariously above the hole.
Jesses mother cried as she watched the man descend into the hole to
retrieve her son.
"Ten more feet!" a fireman yelled to the crane operator. The cable
slowed its descent and everyone watched the action unfold. "Hold it!"
9
he yelled and the cable came to a halt. The man on the cable unhooked
himself and balanced on the drivers side of the truck cab. He bent over
and wiped mud away from the window trying to see the boy inside.
A moment later he yelled, "Hes alive!" to the amazement of the
crowd. The man tried in vain to open the door, which was jammed shut
in the crash.
"We have to take the whole thing out!" he yelled to the sheriff standing
watch over the entire operation. Hearing this, the sheriff ran to the
crane operator and spoke with him briefly. The operator nodded his
head and the sheriff returned to his post alongside the sinkhole.
"Can you tie the cable around the axle?" the sheriff yelled to the man in
the hole.
"Yes," he replied and he returned to the task at hand.
Minutes later the rescuer gave the ok and he climbed back up onto the
cable, keeping his feet on the steel ball above the hook. The sheriff
gave the signal and the submerged truck jerked hard almost knocking
off the man on the cable. A moment later the truck gave out a groan as
it lifted out of the pool. Mud poured out from the bed and cab as it
slowly rose from the depths below.
"Hold it!" yelled the sheriff to the crane operator, noticing the chain
was still attached to the bumper of the pickup truck and sunken tractor.
The sheriff gave the signal to lower the truck again and stopped it when
the chain went slack. The rescuer then leaned out over the hood and
disconnected the chain letting it disappear into the mud below. The
crane lifted again taking up cable, until the truck was clear of the hole.
It then slowly swung to the left, hovering over solid ground. The sheriff
waved his hand and the crane operator gently set the truck down.
10
The firemen and sheriffs deputies rushed to the vehicle and tried in
vain to open the doors that were jammed shut from the force of impact.
One of the firemen, axe in tow, broke out the glass on the passenger
side window allowing the firemen to extract Jesse to safety. The boy
was laid to the ground conscious and lucid.
"Mother!" he yelled to the crowd wiping mud from his eyes.
"Jesse!" his mother shouted back as she pushed through the crowd. She
knelt down; her heart filled with relief as a huge weight was lifted from
her spirits.
"Im sorry," he cried. "I tried to get him out."
"I know," his mother replied, tears streamed down her face.
The boy was set on a stretcher and placed into the ambulance. His
mother watched as the ambulance drove away with her son. She
wandered back over to the sinkhole and looked down into the pool
knowing her husband was still under the tractor beneath the pool of
muddy brown water.
It was getting late and the gray skies had started to turn red. It was
difficult to see anything now and she asked for a ride to the hospital.
Over the horizon the sun, hidden behind the clouds, was setting for the
evening. The task of body recovery would have to wait until morning.
The crowd dispersed and night set in.
Part 3
The next morning an attempt was made to recover the dead mans
body. The skies were now clear and the storm had blown over the night
before. The sun, rising over the horizon, reflected in the pool at the
11
bottom of the sinkhole shooting a shimmer of red light against the side
of the pit. The water was still.
Two men were lowered into the hole on the crane wearing fishing
waders and rubber boots. Attached to the giant hook on the end of the
cable were several heavy-duty construction chains capable of
supporting the weight of the tractor.
Penetrating the surface of the mud, the men felt around in the slime for
key places to attach the chains to the frame securing it as best they
could. They signaled the crane to lift, and it groaned and whined as it
pulled the massive beast out of the sucking mud, into daylight.
The tractor rose out of the hole dripping mud and water back into the
pit from whence it came. It was swung out of the hole and was placed
next to the smashed pickup truck. The truck was still covered with
drying mud and dents covered its surface. Frustrated, the sheriff stood
alongside the rim of the hole with his hands on his hips, shaking his
head in dismay. He stared blankly down at the muddy pool below
where the tractor once was.
On the left bank of the hole something caught his eye. It looked like a
cavern carved into the north bank of the crater. The cavern was
revealed when the mud level dropped after the tractor was removed
from the pool. The tunnel was a graceful half-moon shape penetrating
into the side extending less then ten feet above the surface. Mud had
entered into the cavern, and it was slowly draining back into the main
sinkhole. "Was this the reason for the sinkhole?" the sheriff thought to
himself. "An underground cavern?" This required more investigation
than he was capable of.
12
A bucket attachment originally designed to haul concrete was
connected to the crane and dropped into the mud below with a splash.
They found it useful in removing the sediments one cubic yard at a
time quickening the pace of recovery considerably. The bucket took out
large bites reducing the quantities of mud very quickly, draining the
cavern even faster, and revealing how massive it actually was.
It wasnt long before the bucket found pay dirt grabbing the dead
mans leg in its steel jaws. The sheriff gave a signal and the body was
hauled from its Earthly grave, dripping and lifeless. Its arms dangled
down like a rag doll in a dogs mouth shaking back and forth with the
motion of the crane. The long arm swung to the right and hovered
above solid ground, releasing the body, letting it crumple to the ground.
The sheriff called the ambulance to pick up the body, meanwhile
covering it with a tarp so bystanders and family members would not
see it.
With the remains recovered, the situation was now officially over as far
as the law was concerned. The sheriff though had a personal curiosity
as to the nature of the cavern carved into the side of the hole. The
amount of mud extracted from it led him to believe it was of a massive
size needing to be investigated by someone with knowledge of
geology.
A call was made to the University of Kansas geology department to see
if he could contact an interested party.
Part 4
Two days later a car with Kansas State plates and a university logo
painted on the side pulled up to the farmhouse to meet the sheriff. Two
13
men exited the vehicle and approached the sheriff who was standing
alone in his brown and black uniform. One man put out his hand.
"Dr. Stan West," he stated shaking the officers hand.
"Chad Hine, grad assistant," the other man said. He did not offer his
hand.
"Im glad you decided to come out," the sheriff told them, "This is a
long way from Manhattan."
"No problem," Dr. West replied, "This is my favorite part of the job,"
he said with a smile.
The men walked to the sheriffs car, which was parked in front of the
farmhouse and crawled inside. The sheriff started the car and pulled
away from the farmhouse, driving down the narrow gravel road. The
tires made a grinding sound as the passed over the rocks and gravel.
"I dont suppose you guys get to many calls like this?" the sheriff asked
as he drove past the hay-barn.
"We get calls on all sorts of things," the grad student replied, "Usually
someone thinking they have struck oil or gold, looking for
confirmation,"
"This is no gold," the officer said laughing, "But damn peculiar!"
"This cavern you mentioned. Is there anything out of the ordinary about
it?" the grad student asked.
"Two things," The sheriff replied extending his first two fingers on his
right hand. " First you dont get many sinkholes in good pasture land,
and two, the cavern is too symmetrical."
14
The two teachers from the university were quite impressed with the
backwater sheriffs scientific curiosity and judgment.
"Symmetrical?" the doctor asked.
"Shaped like a thirty foot pear, skinny on the top and wide at the
bottom," he replied, keeping his eyes on the pasture ahead through the
windshield. They had just past through the cattle gate and were on the
last leg of the journey to the work site.
All that remained at the accident scene were the crane, and a backhoe.
The backhoe was equipped with a front mount blade that aided in
dispersing the extracted mud across the pastureland. The only sounds
they could hear as they approached the scene were the clanking of
metal machines and the rumble of the engines on the wind swept
prairie.
"What a mess," the doctor thought to himself as they parked alongside
the crane. The men exited the car and the sheriff walked to the rear of
the vehicle, popping the trunk, revealing three sets of waders and boots
inside piled in a heap.
"Youll want to grab a pair," he said to the men and they all reached in
and took a set for themselves. They struggled with the bulky rubber
suits finding it awkward to move in them easily. The men walked over
to the rim of the crater and stared down in disbelief.
"I have never seen anything like this before," the doctor said adjusting
his waders.
"Were going down, right?" the grad student asked with his head tilted
in curiosity.
15
"Thats why I called you here," the sheriff answered. "Follow me," he
added and they walked the edge of the crater to where the crane was
located.
"We attached the bucket so we could go down inside," the sheriff told
them. "Well need to take some supplies with us," he added pointing to
two gas lanterns and two square end shovels leaning up against the
bucket. The men gathered up the gear and strained to climb into the
bucket that created quite a tight fit for the three of them. With a signal
from the sheriff, the crane operator pushed a lever and the bucket raised
them off the ground with a noticeable jerk, knocking them off balance.
The long arm swung them over the crater until they were centered over
the cavern on the north side. Once in place, the sheriff waved to the
crane operator and they slowly descended thirty feet into the hole.
Moments later the bucket struck ground, sinking a foot into the mud.
"Here we are," the sheriff said swinging his legs over the bucket. He
slid off the side and landed knee deep in sucking mud. "Crap!" he
yelled, and waddled slowly out of the deep end towards the cavern like
a penguin. The other two men quickly followed climbing to higher
ground at the mouth of the cavern.
The grad student trudged to the side of the tunnel and scraped the mud
off his boots with the shovel. He stepped to the side of the tunnel and
touched it with his hand like it was an eggshell. Wiping off an area at
eye level, he examined it close and backed off. He looked at the mud
on his palm and then to the sheriff.
"This has too many even shapes and straight lines," he said to the men.
"The shape is too perfect, too man made," he added turning back to
face the other two. The space reminded him of the inside of a railroad
16
passenger car with windows running the length of both sides. He
noticed what looked like rows of evenly spaced seats receding into the
darkness. All three men stood dumbfounded as they craned their necks
looking up at the vastness of the cavern.
"Lets get these lanterns lit," the sheriff said producing a flip top
lighter. The doctor turned on the gas, lifted the globe, and allowed the
sheriff to ignite the mantels. With a tweak of a screw, the globes
burned a brilliant white, illuminating the entrance and shooting dark
shadows dancing on the walls. The sheriff then lit the grad students
lantern and turned to journey inside.
"Are we going to be safe in there?" the doctor asked.
"We have no idea if the structure is sound," the grad student added. "It
could cave in at any time."
"Im willing to take that risk," the sheriff replied and went forth into
the cavern. A moment later he was joined by the other two men,
lanterns and shovels in tow. The deeper they went the darker it became.
The only natural light visible was that seeping in from the mouth of the
tunnel. The lanterns cast a harsh glow on everything they touched
projecting black shadows that moved as they did.
"These look like chairs," the grad student stated in a matter of fact tone.
He moved closer to one of them and wiped the mud away from the top
of one of the objects. "Trans Pacific Airlines," he said aloud as he read
the writing illuminated by the lantern.
"Airlines?" the doctor asked. "Let me see that!" The doctor moved in
closer and put his lantern right up to the writing and read it for himself.
"This is a plane?" he asked out loud. "The only planes of this size I
know of are all military, not civilian use," he added.
17
They made their way further into the structure. "That explains a lot,"
the grad student said. "The regularities, the symmetry. Those cut outs
up there must be rows of windows."
"This is impossible," the doctor replied. "We are twenty feet below the
surface of the Earth! How could a plane find its way under the ground?
Did it crash? Where are the passengers?"
"Down there," the sheriff answered, pointing to the floor. Assorted
bones were scattered all over the floor in a mix match of body parts.
Long bones, ribs, and skulls were the most noticeable remains littering
the ground.
"Watch where you step!" the sheriff instructed the men.
"We have to get the authorities!" the doctor yelled to the sheriff. "I
refuse to go on any further!"
" I am the authorities!" the sheriff yelled back. "Now follow me or get
out!" he barked at the two men. A moment of tension and silence filled
the room, as they tried to make sense of the events unfolding. The
sheriff turned and proceeding into the cavern followed by the two
worried college teachers.
"If this is an airplane then there should be a cock pit," the sheriff said
coldly. "Maybe we can get some information there,"
The lights continued to dance on the walls as they moved onward,
deeper and deeper inside.
"This is it I think," the sheriff said pointing to a closed door a few feet
in front of them. He grabbed the handle and gave it a hard pull
knocking mud and water into the air as he freed it from the grip of its
18
tight hinges. The door broke loose and fell to the floor splashing mud
in all directions, covering the men. The hinges snapped under the
pressure and the doctor took notice of there rusted condition.
"Bring the light over here," the sheriff said directing them to move in
closer. "What the?" the sheriff asked as he reached into the cockpit
extracting an object from the floor. In his hands he held the skull of a
dog, its fangs long and sharp, and its eyes hollow and empty. "Now this
is one for the papers," the sheriff said looking back at the men. To his
amazement they did not seem surprised by this discovery at all.
"Doesnt this seem a bit odd to you?" he asked with his brow furled in
a questioning look.
"Were no longer playing this game," the doctor replied.
"What game?" the sheriff asked. "You think I planted this here?"
"Absolutely," the doctor replied. The mood in the room was noticeably
changed.
"You dont recognize us?" the grad student asked the sheriff.
"Should I?" the sheriff responded.
The grad student stepped forward and set his lantern on the floor.
"Your leader has fallen because he is a flawed spirit. He was given free
will and used it to turn from his creator, only to be cast from heaven
and forced to dwell here for eternity. You as well, cast from heaven
along with a third of the angels are flawed, and unable to see the truth
and the light standing before you."
The sheriff panicked, but held his ground. The two men standing before
him raised their shovels in an attack posture. With a graceful and swift
19
motion, the grad student took a swing at the sheriff striking him hard
on the shoulder, knocking him down, crashing to the ground. Stunned
and dazed, the sheriff pulled his 38-caliber pistol, raised the gun and
popped off six rounds into the men, dropping them to the ground. The
lanterns fell and the lights went out, and in the darkness the sheriffs
eyes glowed red. "You should never bring a knife to a gun fight," he
said out loud.
20
Chapter 1
October 24, 1999
Dr. Tony Rhine stood at the bottom of the lecture hall looking up into
the faces of his students. To his right was an overhead projector with a
transparency illuminated on the silver screen propped up against the
black board. He stood at the podium dressed in a white shirt, slacks and
a tie. Not too daring for a twenty-nine year old college professor in a
mid-western university.
The students sat, notebooks ready, waiting for the lecture to begin.
Faces of interest, faces of lethargy, and faces of hangover looked down
upon him as he paced back and forth across the cream tile floor. He
shuffled some transparencies in his hands, settling for a different one,
focusing the projector for the third time.
He looked up at the student body and switched on his microphone.
"Today I have a special treat for you" he said. The faces did not
change. It was too early in the morning. "I have written a paper.
Something I hope to have published soon." He straightened his podium
out acting unusually nervous for someone who speaks in public for a
living.
"We are not currently working on the topic I have chosen," he said
scanning back and forth. "You will not be tested on this material. I am
looking for some feedback."
The sound of notebooks closing reverberated throughout the hall and a
collective sigh-of-relieve swept the students hovering above.
21
"Think of this as kind of a day off and relax," he said with a rare smile.
"Is this extra credit?" a voice perked up from the rear followed by
chuckling.
"No Brad, this is not extra credit. Maybe for your brain, but that is
about it." He answered. "Well hold it!" he said scratching his ear. "If
any of you want to submit a paper based on todays lecture, I will
consider it extra credit. It must though, be on the same subject as what I
am going to be speaking about," he added. "Ok Brad?"
"Alright Dr. Rhine" Brad said and the class erupted with laughter.
"For those of you who want the extra credit, I advise you to open your
notebooks again and get you pencils ready. I will make copies for
anyone who wants one. Of my lecture that is."
Tony took a deep breath and faced his audience with his original
material. Just like working a stand up gig he thought. He looked down
to his prepared paper and spoke aloud.
"I believe that most people have in inaccurate perception of the passage
of time," he started off, keeping his eye on his best student. "People
tend to think of it as a highway, the past disappearing quickly behind us
with the future lying just ahead. We are like passengers in a car
watching the landscape move past as we move down the road. If we
wish, we could turn the vehicle around visiting our past, or speed up
visiting our future. This is based on our human need to place a
measuring stick on everything around us, and to explain concepts
beyond our comprehension. Take for example the outdated need to
explain life and death by creating an all-powerful God, who watches
over us and rewards us with an afterlife.
22
The human animal, only a few steps out of the jungle, has already
mastered the technology to travel in space, invented machines to do his
labor and discovered many of the secrets of physics. Yet he prays to his
creator like his ancient ancestors did and credits all of creation to an
omnipotent being. He cites the first theory of thermodynamics which
states "matter can not be created nor destroyed" to justify this belief.
His yardstick firmly in place gives him the confidence to meet each
new day without the anxiety or fear of death. Thanks to his creator he
will have a seat waiting for him in heaven.
Like many of his outdated ideas, his perception of the passage of time
is skewed by rules of science written by men, who had limited
knowledge of the discipline, and lived during the age of discovery. If it
is possible to record actions then it must be possible to move through
the story and travel to different chapters. If he only had the technology
to travel through a magic door, which could propel him through time,
he could land in his past or visit his future.
Once again, I believe that most people have in inaccurate perception of
the passage of time. Time is not a river. It does not flow, and you
cannot travel to and from as you wish. The distant past is just as close
to you as the recent past. Your future is just as close to you as the
present. There are no destinations in time; there is just our human
explanation of a concept, which we have no true idea of. We have to
make sense of it in a way we can understand. How can we possibly
understand the concept of infinity? Time has no beginning, nor end.
Time is here and now, we are in it. The age of the dinosaurs is just as
close as the age of man. The creation of the universe is just as close as
the current day.
23
We try to visualize the many births of the universe, seeing mass
explosions of matter creating the area we call space. We tend to think
of it as something far and away. So far away it is beyond our
comprehension. Time is not just a series of events caught on film to
review with a beginning middle and end. It is here and now. It is a
sliver of existence. If you could reach out of it you could touch the gas
clouds that formed our galaxy as easily as touching the robes of Jesus.
Infinity is an easy concept to understand if you release the outdated
rules of science as man has envisioned it. As far as time is concerned,
time is not infinite. There was no beginning and there will be no end.
Mans yardstick was a good tool to help explain this concept but it is
now time to throw it away and rethink the laws of physics. People
justify God by saying, "Something cant come from nothing." The
answer is that there never was "Nothing". Matter was not created; it has
always been here. If you throw away the yardstick and stop thinking of
time as a river it will start to make sense.
You may ask then, how do we explain the aging process of the
universe? Plants grow, changing shape and color showing a definite
difference from month to month, and year to year. Animals grow old,
reproducing in order to continue the line. If there is no such thing as
time then why is there a physical change we can observe in the world
around us. To answer the question you must realize that aging is the
process by which matter and energy change physical from, at a
consistent or inconsistent rate.
This rate will be incorrectly assumed as the concept of time, because
different objects do age at different rates according to the speed they
are traveling in relation to each other. Moving objects age at a lesser
rate than stationary objects. By this time you will think that I have
24
contradicted my first statement about the concept of time. I have not."
Dr Rhine said pointing his finger to the ceiling, not taking his eyes off
his manuscript. "My argument is that objects do age, it is just that we
humans do not comprehend aging and have created a theory about it
called time, in order to explain it.
With this new understanding, it is then possible to be able to move
through the aging process. I will call the process time in order to make
it more understandable. As I stated before, aging has different rates for
different objects which makes it possible to be able to travel forward at
a different pace. If you slow down and the world around you continues
at your old rate, it would appear you were traveling forward.
To those around you it would appear you have frozen in time. If you
met up again at a later moment it would appear as though you traveled
forwards in time. In fact all you have done is slow your aging process.
The physical body one once occupied in 1956 no longer exists. The
Earth at that point of aging is not stored somewhere to be retrieved at a
later time. Once something has passed a certain point in the aging
process it has ceased to exist. We can record light waves of the period
on film and record sounds on tape; this is but a collection of images
and not the object itself. The film itself will age and turn yellow and
crack eventually returning to the elements which made it.
It is now that we should rethink and reexamine how we perceive the
theories of physics laid down centuries ago. At an earlier age,
supernatural explanations were used along with scientific theories in
order to understand the physical world around us. We no longer believe
the world is flat and that the Earth is the center of the universe. Many
of these outdated ideas were created at the same age as the discovery of
gravity and electricity. At one point it was believed that man could not
25
fly, but we know this now to be untrue. Witches were created to
explain death and disease, and black cats were considered evil. These
concepts of magic are from the same time period as the people who
first created many of the scientific theories we think of today as fact.
The problem with this thinking is that black cats are not evil, and many
of these facts are untrue.
I can believe in the concept of time if it is used only as a measuring
tool. A way of placing events into history in relation to other events.
On paper we can establish a frame of reference using plotting points of
years and months. This is still plagued with the problem that different
objects do age at different rates, but since the rate is so minimal it can
be overlooked for recording purposes. If we were interstellar travelers
we would need one calendar for us, and one for all of the places around
us. Since we travel little in comparison to each other, the aging
difference is almost undetectable, maybe a few minutes over a
lifetime." Dr. Rhine stated.
The class was dismissed early, allowing the professor to his office
where he could make some typographical corrections. It was now lunch
break.
Two hours later
The doctor moved his mouse button to the file box, saving the
document to his hard-drive. Clicking on the print icon, he slid back
across the room in his office chair to the printer, flicking the unit to the
on position. A buzzing sound indicated the printer was warming up and
soon out popped a hard copy of the paper he had read to his students. It
always seemed easier to proof the documents on real paper verses
reading it off the screen. He had been working for weeks on this paper
with the deadline closely approaching. He was to submit the report for
26
approval the next day and he wanted the opinion of his colleagues in
the science department before he sent it off. If it were accepted it would
be printed in the university scientific journal.
Dr. Rhine was under the same pressure to have his work published as
any other college level professor knowing well it was "publish or
perish". If you werent creating new ideas and publishing them your
career as a teacher could be shortened greatly. A subject very close to
his heart inspired his current paper. For the concept of time and time
travel were subjects he had been interested since boyhood. He had
theorized that time travel was an impossibility of physics and the
fascination of science fiction.
He had been an instructor at the university for two years and was
assigned one of the smallest offices in the science department. He
called it "the closet" and for good reasons. It was narrow and long and
could only be accessed by way of another adjoining office. Although
he had been there almost three years, he was still one of the newest
faculty in the department. The man whos office he walked through to
get to his was only a year in seniority and only had a slightly larger
office.
After proofing the paper and reading his students reviews, he looked
through the glass that separated his office from his neighbor seeing him
sitting behind his desk. "I need a second opinion," he thought to
himself walking to the other room. Professor Alex Parsons, a rather
short unattractive man in his fifties occupied the other office and was
currently buried in the Opinion page of the local paper when Dr. Tony
entered the room.
"Whats the crisis today Doc?" Tony asked.
27
"Alphabetical order or by importance," he replied, eyes glued to the
paper.
"Sounds like more than I care to deal withuh, would you consider
doing me a favor?" he, asked. "I need to have my submission critiqued
for the Journal, and I was wondering"
"Why waste your timeno one really reads those things," Alex
replied.
"I know," Tony said. "But I think I have some good points, and was
actually interested in your opinion." Alex paused and took a deep
breath. He set down his newspaper and folded it in a haphazard
manner.
Tony took notice of the front cover headlines concerning a story about
the abduction and murder of several coeds from the University. One of
the names seemed vaguely familiar to him. He bent over to take a
closer look when Alex interrupted pulling the paper away.
"Surejust leave it on my desk, Ill give it a once over," Alex said.
"Are you still on that kick about time, and the meaning of the universe
crap?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, at least I have a hobby, all you do is put in your time around
here, waiting for retirement," Tony said jokingly.
"I think you get a kick out of offending the Christians," Alex said.
"I just tell it like it is, if they want to believe in tall tales and fables, it is
there own business. God is a number you know," Tony said.
"Dont be too sure of yourself professor. You are just dealing in
theories, and yours is no better than anyone elses," Alex replied
28
"I have science to back me up. Reliable, repeatable, provable science."
"Your so called science is far less reliable as you think."
"How can you say that when you yourself are a teacher of science?"
"As a man of science and a teacher I must realize that we are dealing
with theories and not facts. No one was around to record the beginnings
of life," Alex said confidently.
"Yes, but man was around when Jesus Christ walked the Earth, and
man still endowed him with supernatural powers," Tony said. "Man
recorded Jesus work and failed to make an accurate journal of his life.
He has become the object of fables and fairy tales."
"You may find out different one day young man," Alex said smugly.
"I just might," Tony replied and returned to his office.
Tony glanced up to the clock on the wall. It was forty-five minutes till
his next lecture and he had to prepare. He sifted through the large stack
of papers on his desk and tried to make sense of his lesson plans.
Todays lesson was on the formation of the planets and the force of
gravity and inertia that holds them all in orbit. Astronomy was also one
of his favorite subjects and taught it with enthusiasm.
A familiar voice from the science secretary piped over his intercom.
"Professor Rhinethere are a couple of men here in my office that
would like to speak with you." She said, "Shall I send them in?"
He again glanced up at the clock and pressed the communication
button. "Yes Mary, send them on in," he replied. "What now?" he
thought. "I hope Im not in trouble. Probably some salesman were here
to sell me siding." He was actually well prepared and could give this
29
lecture with little preparation. He approached his work with great
eagerness.
Through the window he could see two well-dressed men carrying
briefcases at their sides. "Now Im in for it," he thought to himself. He
followed them with his eye as they walked though the other office, into
his office and stood silent before him. They had a no nonsense look
about them seeming quite anxious to speak with the doctor. Tony
waited for them to speak not even considering introducing himself.
"Dr. Rhine?" asked the man on the left.
"Yes I am Tony Rhine, what can I do for you?" he replied.
"I am sorry to bother you doctor but we are here concerning a matter of
national security," the man said.
Tony looked at him with puzzlement.
"You sure know how to cut through the bull dont you?" Tony asked.
"We wouldnt be here if it werent for the importance of the matter," he
said. "And we are not able to discuss it here you understand?" stated
the other man.
"Not reallyI do have a class in thirty minutes." Tony said.
"I dont think you realize the gravity of the situation doctor. You need
to cancel your classes for at least today, and reschedule the next week
with another instructor."
"I cant just pick up and leave!" Tony exclaimed.
30
"We cannot force you to go with us, but please give us the chance to
show you what this is all about," the man said.
Tony reclined back in his chair taking a deep breath. He studied the
men before him and scratched his ear. He reached over picking up his
warm coffee and took a sip. He sat for a minute thinking about what
they had said. It was evident that the two men before him were ready to
explode, waiting impatiently for an answer.
"Who are you again?" he asked.
"We cannot say," the man replied.
"This is damn strange. Why me?"
"You are an expert in a certain scientific field, and that is all I can say,"
the man said.
"Give me an hour," Tony said.
"We have a car waiting for you outside, and a plane at the airport. Time
is critical. You can make arrangements after you have arrived."
"Arrived where?"
***
The trip to the airport was awkwardly quiet. Tony knew he would get
no answers from them and was content to stay in the dark. The car was
an unmarked government vehicle with several modifications made to
the interior including a mesh steel barrier between him and the driver.
He felt like a prisoner. Tony was single and did not need to inform
anyone of his whereabouts. He did make arrangements for the
Government to come in take care of his house.
31
At the airport he was driven straight to a small two-engine passenger
plane with the capacity to hold twelve people. On board he discovered
his fellow professor Alex Parsons reading the newspaper sitting
alongside with several military types dressed in tan camouflage. It
seemed strange that they were dressed this way. He felt like he was
going to war. He didnt bother to address Alex because he knew he had
no more information that he. He just nodded at Alex in
acknowledgment
"You will be briefed upon arrival doctor," the man said. "Just sit back
and enjoy the ride."
Tony watched out the window as the plane quickly rose into the air and
the ground became smaller and smaller. His mind wandered as he tried
to make out the tiny objects far below. He scanned the horizon and it
amazed him how the Earth met the sky. It was hard to believe that this
was all an accidental act of nature but in his mind he knew this it was.
***
An older man met Tony at the destination airport He was in his sixties,
rugged with age, unlike the military personnel he had been with for the
last two hours. He looked intelligent and somewhat classy with just a
little gray hair. The older gentleman seemed different, and as out-of
place in this situation as Tony. The small mid-west airport was
brimming with military vehicles and soldiers. It looked like the United
States were preparing to go off to war. "What was so special about this
place?" he thought to himself. Alex joined him by his side and waited
for the gentleman to speak.
32
"Good afternoon Dr. Rhine and Dr. Parsons," he said in an authoritative
tone. "Im glad you were able to come today. We would not have sent
for you if this werent of the utmost importance," he said.
"I hope we can get some information soon, I am starting to get agitated
with all this cloak and dagger stuff," Alex stated.
"Follow me," he said, "My name is Jesse Brinkman. I recommended
you both to consult with this project. I contract with the US
government as a consulting scientist in the field of physics and other
related fields."
"What are we here to consult on?" Tony asked.
"You wont have to wait long. We are taking you to it now," Jesse said.
He directed them to another military vehicle and they got in. The car
sped off smoothly on the airport Tarmac driving out the gate to the
airport exit. The first four miles were paved asphalt roads that quickly
deteriorated the further they drove. They then followed county roads
for miles kicking up dust and racing by fields of corn, milo and wheat.
The windows were down and the smell of the dust and crops vented
into the car. It was over eighty degrees and they were sweating
profusely. The sky was mostly clear and the sun beat down like a
hammer.
In the distance they saw a Hummer parked alongside a barricade pulled
across the road. A soldier was baking in the heat holding a rifle in his
arms and another was sitting in the passenger seat. Behind the
Hummer, in the distance was a cloud of dust and smoke rising behind a
hill. As they approached they could hear the sounds of heavy
machinery clanking and moving. The tops of trucks could be seen
belching smoke and rising and falling behind the horizon.
33
When they arrived at the checkpoint the guard passed them through
maintaining the same speed. "They must come here often," Tony
thought. The closer they drove the louder the sounds became. At the
top of the hill, Tony could make out a small city of tents and shelters.
Machines and men were all around, like at a construction site. There
were cranes; dump trucks, backhoes and bulldozers scattered all about
the area.
They parked in an impromptu parking lot adjacent to one of the tents.
The tent was itself just a top of canvas suspended on twelve poles with
tie downs. They exited the car and were directed to seats under the tent.
The heat was still roasting, but the shade was nice.
Jesse Brinkman stood before the men, and offered them a drink. Both
men eagerly took them up on it.
"Now gentlemen, I will explain everything." Jesse said.
"We have, or shall I say the owner of this property, discovered
something quite fascinating." Jesse said. "Fifty some odd years ago, my
father owned this land. He and I were out on this very pasture feeding
the cattle," he stated pointing out towards the work area. "Back in those
days, we had to take the hay out on a scoop loader on the old John
Deere. Maybe its the same today. I dont know for sure, Im a bit out
of touch on modern farming practices," he paused and sipped from a
glass of water on the table. "It had been raining like a son of a gun for a
week and the ground was just soaked."
Tony and Alex sat patiently on the folding chairs as Jesse spoke;
swatting bugs and wiping sweat from their brows as he talked. Tony
had a difficult time paying attention watching out the corner of his eye,
the machinery working nearby.
34
Jesse spoke on. "I lost my father that day," he said looking to the
ground. "He drove over some soft ground and he tipped. I mean the
tractor of course."
"Im so sorry," Tony said feeling solidarity with the man.
"Thank you. You never get over that kind of thing. Even at my age."
"Did he hit a buried pipeline?" Alex asked.
"No," Brinkman answered. "It was a sinkhole of a magnificent size. It
dropped twenty-five feet before it stopped.
"Oh my God!" Tony gasped. "How old were you when this happened?"
"Fifteen," Jesse Brinkman answered. "I ended up in that hole myself. I
tried to save him but the ground was to soft."
"What does this have to do with anything?" Alex asked. Tony was
shocked at his rudeness.
"A discovery was made that day Dr. Parsons!" Jesse barked at him.
"The most significant scientific discovery of all time."
"I apologize," Alex said. "Go on."
"It was because of this discovery that I chose to leave farming and
pursue science as my career. I will let you know that you are not the
only PhD under this tent Dr. Parsons," he paused for a moment and
took another drink. "We found a time machine."
"Time machine?" Tony asked.
"Not an H.G. Wells time machine. It was, and still is, a civilian wide
body airliner. A Boeing 747 to be exact."
35
Silence.
"Where is it now?" Tony asked Jesse.
"See that hanger over there?" he asked pointing past the heavy
machinery.
"Yes," both men answered.
"It has been excavated, studied, cataloged and everything else you can
think of, right in there."
"It was never moved?" Alex asked.
"Couldnt. It would have fallen apart."
"Why?"
"It was way too old and in such a poor condition. It would not have
stood up to reassembling process."
"How old is this thing?" Alex asked.
"Let me take you down and show it to you. Ill let you take a guess."
Jesse said.
They climbed into a transport vehicle and drove closer to where the
heavy machines were working. They drove over rough pasture
grassland attaining top speed of 35 mph heading towards the hanger
across the field. The closer they got the larger the building became.
Minutes past as they surveyed the area wondering how an operation of
this size could remain a secret for so long. The farm had been turned
into a secret military base and they were about to get to see one of the
biggest secrets they had.
36
As they approached the building, they noticed a drop off getting closer
to the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle stopped, letting them all out.
As they walked closer to the hanger, they could start to make out the
writing on a sign, posted by the front entrance reading "Keep out,
violators will be shot on site."
Jesse led the men to the front door flashing his papers for the guard to
read. Two men, armed with M-16 semi-machine guns stood guard
outside the main door with two more men stationed at the ends of the
building. The door swooshed open and the three men entered into the
air-conditioned building shivering.
"We keep it at sixty-eight degrees at all times. Wed like it cooler, but
the men find it difficult to work in those conditions," Jesse said leading
them through the foyer to the hallway.
"Is this some sort of museum?
"You could say that I suppose. I never thought of it that way," Jesse
replied.
"This has been here since, since when?" Alex asked.
"My father came upon it in 1947. They estimate the planes actual age at
50,000 years give or take century."
"The plane?"
"Yes. I said it was a time machine."
They past a vending machine room and bathrooms finding themselves
at a check in desk by a large black sliding door. A soldier manned the
post with a clipboard and a .45 pistol at his side.
37
"Brinkman, Rhine and Parsons," Jesse stated to the man. The pages
flipped, names were checked, and the door slid open. The scene was
unreal.
Tony and Alex stepped forward into a huge room filled with lights,
machines and personnel scurrying around like mice. They were taken
aback, having to absorb what they were seeing. Looking down into a
gigantic pit was the skeletal remains of a Boeing 747, aged and
decaying.
"Why the urgency?" Alex asked. "If this thing has been here as long as
you say it has, I dont think it is going anywhere."
"That is true," Jesse replied. "That brings us to the reason why we
called you. I will explain later."
The men rode an elevator to the bottom of the excavation. The mesh
doors slid open clanging as they separated.
"Dr. Brinkman," Alex said.
"Call me Jesse, I prefer it, less formal you know," Brinkman
interrupted.
"Ok then, Jesse," Alex said scanning the massive dig site. "I am
curious. You say this plane has been here somewhere around 50,000
years. How can you be so sure of that date?" he asked.
"We cant be positive Alex. As a man of science I am well aware of
your knowledge in the dating process of ancient artifacts. Carbon tests
are fallible and we are well aware of that. We had to take in
consideration, the biology we found surrounding the plane in the rock
and soil layers."
38
"You did a comparison?" Tony piped up.
"Absolutely, I hear you are quite an expert on this sort of thing,"
Brinkman said.
"It is my preferred field of study. Is that why you asked me here?"
Tony asked.
"Not really. The reason why you and Alex were asked here will be
made clear to you very soon. I promise."
Along the sides of the deep walls, were office and work spaces built for
the scientist to conduct their study. The dig had been here over fifty
years and the plane was taken apart painfully slow over time, in order
to allow for proper study. The work spaces were very modern with the
best equipment the United States could afford. The men entered into a
room with a sign on the door reading "Director."
Jesse sat at his desk and offered the other two a seat and coffee. The
work site was plainly visible through the large glass window in the
office.
"What are those?" Alex asked pointing to a box of bones on the bottom
shelf of a storage cabinet.
"Remains," Brinkman replied.
"There were people on that thing?" Tony asked.
"Of course. 232 to be exact," Brinkman answered.
Alex Parsons picked out one of the short bones from the box and
examined it. He squinted and turned it over and over, looking intently
at it.
39
"I am not an expert in biology or archeology, but I think your
conclusions on age are inaccurate Mr. Brinkman." Alex said.
"I am an expert Alex, and I assure you the tests brought back the results
I spoke of," Brinkman replied.
Alex shuffled in his seat uncomfortably.
"You have had this plane for over fifty years? Were you able to
identify the call number, or the owner of it?" Tony asked.
"Yes we did."
"Hold it!" Alex interrupted. "You have not explained how this thing
ended up this far underground."
Brinkman leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head
looking at the skeptic before him. "Im sorry. Let me explain," he said
as he pointed over to a huge map on his wall. "Somewhere between
50,000 and 100,000 years ago the center of the United States was
covered by what is referred to as the Niobrara Sea. It split the North
American continent into two separate land masses."
The men looked at the map on the wall and saw the large body of water
filling the center basin of the continent. Jesse stood up and walked over
to the map, pointing to the central area of the sea and looked back to
the men. "We are right about here, in central Kansas. At this time in
history, we would be under about fifty to seventy-five feet of salt
water."
"I see where this is going," Tony spoke up.
"You think this plane crashed in the Niobrara Sea 50,000 years ago?"
Alex asked sarcastically.
40
"Yes I do," Brinkman replied. "And so do about twenty other scientists
that have worked on this project for the last fifty years."
"There must be a hundred different reasons why this thing ended up
here."
"I agree Alex, probably more. This will become painfully obvious very
soon. I guarantee it."
"You still havent explained how it ended up under the ground," Tony
spoke up.
"Im sorry, let me get to that," Brinkman said. "We believe the plane
made a somewhat controlled landing on the surface of the sea but
quickly took on water and sank. When it struck the bottom of the sea it
plowed a good twenty feet into the soft mud floor and lodged there.
Over time, and I dont think it took very long from the evidence, it was
completely covered."
"Fossilized?" Tony asked.
"In a way," Brinkman answered. "Over time the continent rose and the
sea drained off the land leaving the plane trapped in the soil as it
solidified. The water leached out over time leaving the plane intact
inside."
Alex sat with his arms crossed.
"Jesse, you said you were able to identify the plane," Tony said.
"Oh yes, that is right. This is a Trans Pacific Airlines 747," he stated
matter-of-factly.
"Did they ever report one missing?" Tony asked.
41
"They didnt have to," Brinkman said. "This plane is currently flying
over Denver as we speak."
" That is impossible." Tony said. "Everything I know is wrong."
42
Chapter 2
July 1, 1969
Two boys walked heel to toe atop the hot steel railroad tracks racing to
see who could get to the bridge first. With arms extended, both boys
balanced precariously on their own narrow rail, keeping a watchful eye
on the other. The older of the two young men outdistanced the younger
one with his slightly longer strides, and circus like high wire technique.
Turning to see how far he led the other boy, he miss stepped and
stubbed his foot on railroad tie, tripping, and falling hard to the ground.
"Damn!" yelled the injured boy, as he turned over holding his knee in
pain. He looked at the injury and noticed a large blood soaked tear in
the denim of his jeans. Gently, he peeled the cloth back and exposed a
sizable bloody cut on his kneecap. The other boy stepped off the track
and came to see what he was yelling about.
"Moms going to be mad," the younger boy said, staring at the blood
soaked wound. "She told us not to go out here and now were in big
trouble."
"No were not!" his older brother replied. "She isnt going to know how
this happened. Ill just tell her it happened while I was riding home on
my bike."
"Youre such a liar."
"So? Beats the hell out of being grounded!"
"I dont like lying to mom,"
43
"Then dont!" he barked back. "Let me do the talking."
Matt, the older boy, closed both of his eyes and clenched his teeth
together. Wincing from the pain, he leaned back, and waited for the
burning to stop. "Give me a minute," he said, wiping the sweat from his
brow. He rocked back and forth on his hips leaning his forehead up
against his thigh allowing the pain to subside.
"Hurry up!" Robby yelled impatiently. The younger boy paced up and
down the tracks like a nervous bird. Matt rolled around on his behind,
and with his hands supporting him, struggled to stand. Taking a hop on
his good leg, he attempted to put weight on the injured knee and felt a
burning pain. He bit down hard, and clenched his jaw again as he
maneuvered and balanced along the tracks. His gate was unsteady, but
he could walk with the sharp pain limping along as he went.
"Lets get the hell out of here," Robby said to his brother, and they
continued back down the tracks from whence they came. Walking on
the railroad ties was difficult at best with his odd gate and limp. The
going was slow and tedious, compounded by the hot sun beating down
on them, and the thick stagnant humid air surrounding them. The
overgrown vegetation alongside the tracks brought forth a wide variety
of smells and flying insects, which constantly buzzed about and
bothered them.
The two brothers had walked these tracks many times before. The
trains passing by could be seen and heard from the boys doublewide
trailer, located on the outside perimeter of the trailer park. It was the
boys only escape and adventure to walk the tracks down to the bridge
were they could climb down to the creek below, and explore the stream
bed. Many times they had come across an Indian arrowhead, or a
sample of petrified wood. Many times they just broke bottles and
44
vandalized the bridge. Either way they found a way to get away and
have a place of their own.
"You ok?" Robby asked.
"What does it look like!" Matt barked back. "Hurts like a son of a gun!"
"You want to stop?"
"No, I have to get home and change before mom gets home."
Robby looked at his brothers knee as he tried to keep his footing on
the odd spaced ties. He saw the blood soaking into his brothers pant
leg running down the side of his shoe.
"Youre bleeding pretty badly."
"What am I supposed to do about it!" Matt yelled at him. He stopped
and turned to his brother. "Wait here till a train comes by and hop a
ride?"
"Youre a jerk!" Robby replied. "Do whatever you want," he added and
walked back down the tracks without him. Matt hobbled slowly behind,
groaning with each step he took. Minutes past by and the boys trudged
onward, the tracks seemed to go on forever. Up ahead was a curve in
the tracks bordered on both sides by tall trees and weeds for as far as
the eye could see. The two boys, fourteen and sixteen years of age, had
walked almost three miles to the bridge in relatively short period of
time. The return was slow and agonizing.
"What time is it?" Matt asked.
"4:00," Robby replied.
45
"Crap! Well never make it back in time."
"We have an hour."
"Itll take that long to get to our bikes. I cant even ride with my knee
like this. Plus its starting to hurt more." Matt stopped and bent over
grasping above his thigh, attempting to stop the pain from traveling to
his brain. "Ive got to sit down," he said and stepped off the tracks to
the gravel along side the tracks. Putting his hands down carefully, he
leaned over without bending his knee, sat down and cried in pain. His
eyes closed and he squeezed his leg tight taking a deep breath. A tear
trickled down his face.
"You want me to go get help?" Robby asked. He looked down upon his
brothers injury and his stomach began to turn.
"Hold on," Matt replied. "Let me think a minute."
"Think about what?"
"I need to figure out what you will tell mom."
"Ill tell her the truth!"
"Give me a second!" he barked back. "You will not tell her anything,
but what I tell you to."
"I am sick of this, and I am sick of your crap. I am leaving and I am
getting help whether you like it or not."
A moment passed as Matt looked about at his surroundings and dire
straits. "Go ahead," he said. "And hurry."
46
Robby took one last look at his brother and turned back to the tracks.
Walking away he said. "I can go faster without you anyway. If I can get
help we still might beat mom home." He picked up the pace and ran
down the tracks stepping on every other tie in an awkward sprint home.
Matt sat there in pain with his hands smeared with blood. He wiped the
dirt from the cut and let out a yell as the pain shot though his knee. The
sun was still high above, and it beat down on him like fire from the sky.
He again wiped the sweat from his brow, and smeared blood across his
forehead in the process. He needed to get out of the heat.
The two boys had lived in the area since theyre family moved there in
sixty-five. Many a time they make this journey, but they never veered
from the steel tracks and the path it cut through the woods. The trees
and brush surrounding them were virgin territory, and off limits, even
to them. Tics, animals, and the threat of poison ivy kept them on their
narrow path to the bridge, and the woods made these two brave
explorers nervous.
A yellow jacket flew by and Matt froze in place. His eyes moved, but
his head stood firm as he watched it buzz back towards the trees. He
tried not to bother the insect as it flew by in fear of being stung and
compounding his problem. "Damn bugs," he thought.
In his right ear he heard a mosquito buzzing and swung at the insect
with his hand, missing it completely, smearing more blood on his face.
The mosquito flew away and landed on his sweaty back away from his
view. The heat was unbearable and the hot air around him was stagnant
and stale. He needed to get into the shade before he died of heat
exhaustion he thought, and scanned the vegetation for a place to rest.
47
Slowly standing, he limped over to a stand of marijuana growing freely
along side the tracks. Parting the plants he spied a run-down wood
shed, fifty feet into the woods under a canopy of branches. The shed
had grayed with exposure to the elements and part of the roof had
fallen into itself, exposing the interior. The path to the shed was
covered with low growing shrubs and thistle, not an impossible journey
for the injured boy, but a difficult one he needed to make. Along side
the shed, surrounded by weeds, was a cement platform covered from
the shade of the trees above. "A place to sit," he thought, and stepped
through the marijuana into the woods.
His first steps were uneasy. The thistle scraped his leg as he past by,
stinging with their sharp bristly flowers. The pain was still sharp as he
bent his knee with each step, but the bleeding was beginning to stop
and the air was starting to cool. The shade felt better than the hot sun
that had burned his neck red.
An unrecognizable putrid smell carried in his direction with the slight
breeze that had picked up as the afternoon wore on. The smell hung in
the air like a cloud surrounding him, making him gag. For a second he
thought of turning back, but moved on towards the cool shade on the
cement slab.
It was the season for mid-summer thunderstorms, and he could feel the
weather changing since noon, and the sky began to fill with clouds. The
heat and humidity had become overwhelming and a cool breeze had
begun tossing the leaves about on the ground. He knew it would storm
soon and hoped he would be home before it began to rain. The cool
breeze also carried the smell of death.
"Something must have died out here," he thought, gagging on the
stench. He would just sit tight on the cement slab and keep watch and
48
listen for his brother till he came back to get him. The smell was just an
inconvenience he would have to put up with until help arrived.
Light trickled down from the foliage above dancing on the weeds that
covered the ground for as far as the eye could see. The tracks he had
made through the weeds were hard to follow as they disappeared from
his view, swallowed up by the vegetation.
The concrete was warm to the touch in the mid-summer heat. The
shade did little to keep it cool and heat radiated from it like the burner
on a stove. He sat down on the slab letting his bad leg rest on the
concrete, his good leg hanging over the edge. He leaned back and put
his weight on the heels of his hands letting his face point straight up
into the sky. Sweat dripped onto the concrete slab and insects buzzed
near, curious about the new visitor.
Forty-five minutes passed, and there was no sign of his brother. By
now the sun had begun its journey to the west, and was casting long
shadows across the wooded area. Huge cumulous clouds had moved in
threatening to block the light, dropping rain as each minute past.
Cracks of thunder echoed from a distance signaling the presence of an
impending storm. Matt had leaned back and was resting comfortably on
his back looking into the trees above watching the leaves dance back
and forth. The heat from the cement slab felt good on his back and for
the first time he felt better. The pain in his knee was starting to subside,
and now was no more than a dull ache.
Jest then, he heard a rustling in the weeds. An animal he thought.
Sitting back up, Matt cocking his head in the direction of the sound.
Twenty feet to his left stood a coyote in a defensive posture, teeth
exposed, growling at the boy. On the ground under the animals head
was a torn piece of meat, shredded by the jaws of the beast. To his
49
horror he noticed that the animal had torn the flesh from a human leg
partially hidden under a bush. "Oh God!" he said aloud pushing himself
away from the animal. All of a sudden, he realized where the horrid
smell had come from, and he held back throwing up, finding it difficult
to stop gagging.
The two made hard eye contact and froze in their tracks. The coyote
gave out a long low growl, its fur bristling on its neck solid as a rock.
Matt moved his eyes slowly around looking for a stick or branch he
could use as a weapon to defend himself. There was plenty of broken
branches all around on the ground, but he feared moving and setting the
animal off opting to wait him out.
The wind picked up and sent the stench his way making his eyes water.
The leaves in the trees started to rustle in the breeze, waving in unison
above him, signaling the start of the thunderstorm. A lightning bolt
flashed and a crack of thunder shot through the woods, which spooked
the coyote as well as Matt. Neither moved and neither sent a signal to
the other. It was a stand off of the worst kind.
The sky was getting darker, as it was now past 5:30 p.m. The air was
noticeably cooler and a breeze shot past Matt giving him the shivers. A
cold front had blown in, and changed the hot humid air into a
thunderstorm. Sprinkles landed on the cement slab, creating dark spots
wherever they landed and drops of water landed on the leaves of the
vegetation. The sound of the rain on the leaves tapped all around him
and sizzled like bacon in a frying pan.
Minutes past and the coyote stepped forward. Then stopped. Forward
again smelling the blood on Matts pant leg. Fresh meat was better than
rotten meat he seemed to be saying.
50
"Get the hell away from me!" Matt said under his breath trying not to
alarm the animal. The last thing he wanted was to spook the animal and
send it attacking. He was ready to put up his arms and defend himself,
but did not know how much good it would do. He planned to grab the
animal by its neck if it attacked and strike it in its face and eyes. He
really hoped it wouldnt come to this.
The vegetation was now being tossed back and forth in the wind; the
sound of leaves whipping around was almost as loud as the snarls of
the coyote. He was petrified and shaking in the cool air awaiting the
imminent attack of the canine.
From out of the woods, the sound of a rifle crack broke above the
sounds of the wind, and the animal took off running in a sprint through
the trees. Matt looked to his right to where the sound came from. He
saw his father, running through the weeds towards him, with rifle in
tow followed closely by his brother. A sigh of relief came over the boy
as his father came to a halt next him.
"Are you alright?" Matts father asked.
"Yeah," Matt replied. The boy squinted in fear, looking towards his
father who was holding his rifle in ready position. He could see his
father was very upset and the look in his eyes was that of pure anger.
The rifle was leaned up against the cement slab and his father moved in
closer. Looking down at his sons injured knee, his father took a deep
breath, reeled back his hand and slapped the boy across his face.
"I told you not to come out here!" he barked at the boy. "You dont
know how to listen do you?"
Matt put his hand to his face and looked away from his father.
51
"Its going to get real nasty out here in the next hour. Supposed to
storm all night. Tornados and all kinds of crap," his father yelled
angrily. "Lets get the hell out of here!"
"Hold it," Matt interrupted expecting another swat. He looked to his
dad and judged his reaction before speaking.
"What is it?" his father asked impatiently.
"Theres something I got to show you," he added, pointing to where the
coyote was before.
"This better be good boy!" his father said. His teeth were gritting, and
his jaw was clenched.
"Look over there," Matt said pointing to the bush where the coyote
was.
His father picked up the rifle from against the cement slab and walked
through the brush towards the area Matt was pointing.
"What the hell is that smell?" he shouted over the wind. He stopped in
his tracks at the bush and covered his mouth gagging. He looked down
and pushed the leaves aside exposing what was underneath. He was
shocked and horrified at the site.
He was a hunter but nothing could prepare him for what he saw. Under
the shrub, lay the half-eaten body of a small child. She was maybe
eight years old, naked, and vacant of life.
52
Chapter 3
July 1, 1969
The boys father turned back to face his children. Next to the cement
slab his two boys were sitting upon, he spied the door of the shack
swinging open in the wind. He noticed drag marks in the dirt and
weeds that were bent towards him, leading from the doorway to the
dead child at his feet. Along the pathway were bits of flesh and torn
clothing that had been strewn about by the coyote, as it shook meat
loose from the dead child.
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes,
smacking the pack repeatedly against his left palm. Extracting a single
cigarette, he placed the butt end in between his lips and lit a match
cupping the flame from the wind. He brought the flame to the end of
cigarette and sucked the fire till the end glowed red. Smoke shot from
his nose, which was quickly dashed off by the wind into the woods.
The cigarette helped conceal the odor of the rotted carcass and the
actions helped him change focus for a moment while he gathered his
thoughts.
He looked up and a raindrop stung his eye. The sky was turning dark.
He took another drag off his cigarette and walked to the shed, careful
not to step on any of the body parts strewn about the area. Grasping the
door, he stepped up into the building, grabbed his shirt and covered his
nose. The smell was overpowering.
The spaces between the slats let in a trickle of light that allowed him to
see contours of the interior of the shack. He no longer felt the sprinkle
53
of rain on his face, and the wind was subdued in the structure, only
whistling through the cracks as it past through the building. He again
reached into his shirt pocket and grabbed the matches out of his
cigarette pack tearing one free from the rest. He lit the match, and it
immediately went out in the breeze. For a fleeting moment he saw, in
the corner, a trap door in the floor with its lid open.
Stepping lightly in the dark, he crossed the creaking floor and knelt
down. He grasped the lid, and looked into the darkness of the hole
through the floor.
"Dad?" Robby asked from the doorway.
Startled, the father turned his head to the boy and yelled, "Go back and
sit with your brother!"
"I want to leave!" the boy cried.
"Did you hear me boy!" the father barked back. "Well go when I say
its time to go. Now go back and sit with your brother!"
The boy hung his head low and sulked off back to the concrete slab.
With the matches still in his hand, he struck up another flame,
illuminating the hole, showing a set of steps heading down to a lower
level. He sat on the floor and hung his feet down reaching the second
step, putting on weight to see if it was in condition to support him.
Standing erect, he felt it was safe and took a step down, then another
until his head was even with the floor. He placed his hands on the edge
of the hole and continued down four more steps till he felt his foot step
onto a dirt floor.
Again, a match was lit with a dim yellow dancing flame. Down under
the floorboards, the burning match was like the sun. He was able to see
54
clearly with the small flame, the stonework foundation surrounding
him, and he was taken aback by its condition. The basement was in
much better shape than the building led him to believe. It was also
much larger than he suspected from above.
The room was six sided, stone wall construction with a single door
centered on each wall. All of the doors were closed with the exception
of one to his far-left swung wide open. The doors seemed oddly out of
place, as if they were new additions to the structure. The cellar did not
show the wear of the years, like the building above had. The match
went out. Another took its place, and he walked to the open door
noticing right away that there was a padlock dangling from the door
left in the open position. The lock looked brand new.
He stepped through the doorway into pure darkness. By now the odor
was second nature to him, and he no longer felt nauseous. Another
match was lit, illuminating the interior space revealing a long hallway
receding far enough back that the match light was unable to penetrate.
It reminded him of a mausoleum. He noticed along the sides of the hall,
rows and rows of hinged doors, five high, spaced evenly down the
length of the underground passage.
The doors were all closed and locked shut with a padlock hanging next
to the door pull. The hinges were galvanized steel, gate style, and
looked the same age as the other new hardware. The doors were
unpainted cedar of simple construction, with a symbol carved in the
center, which was unrecognizable to the man holding the match.
He leaned in close to examine the writing and burned his finger. He
dropped the match to the floor leaving him standing in the dark digging
in his pocket for his matchbook. He was down to his last three and
struck up another match, then walked further into the chamber,
55
examining more of the doors as he went. The deeper he moved the
cooler the air became, unusually dry for a cellar he thought, and he
moved slowly further into the dark passageway.
The hall seemed to go on and on as he walked deeper and deeper. He
looked to the ceiling surprised to see the wood beam supports free of
spider webs and rot that he would expect in such a place. He finally
stopped in his tracks. Thirty feet into the long hallway, he came across
one of the doors on the bottom row, seemingly torn open and hanging
from its hinges. Teeth marks were visible in the wood and splinters
were strewn all around the door. Mixed into the debris was the rest of
the body from the little girl in the woods.
Shivers ran down his spine now that he realized he was standing in
some sort of graveyard. "How many bodies were stored down here?" he
thought, while lighting one more match. "How come I have never
heard of this place?" It was time to go. He had only been a resident in
this town for four years and was not totally familiar with the local
customs and traditions. He knew of the city cemetery, but it was
entirely possible that this was a private one. Anyway he now felt he
was trespassing on the dead and needed to get out.
From the main room, he heard the creaking of footsteps on the
staircase. He turned to see a light bouncing about the entrance getting
brighter and then dimmer. The light brightened again then dimmed
through the doorway in the larger main room.
"Damn kids!" he said aloud and walked back up the hallway to the
main room where he was greeted with a bright flashlight beam in the
eyes. Squinting in the glare, he raised his hand to block the light and
yelled, "Get that damn thing out of my face!"
56
The beam lowered down enough for him to see there were more than
two people standing before him, and he put down his hand. The beam
of light moved to the right illuminating his two sons standing together
at gunpoint.
"What the hell is going on here?" he exclaimed.
They boys were silent. His eyes began to adjust back to the dark and he
could now see a man standing before him wearing camouflage
coveralls and a cap. In his hands he was holding a deer rifle. He
scrambled for something to say.
"Hey Im sorry mister, thats my gun outside but I wasnt hunting on
your land. I dont hunt out-of-season. Thats not my style."
The man was silent. Only the breathing of the boys penetrated the air.
"Whats your name?" the man asked.
"Johnson. Dennis Johnson," he replied.
"Does anyone else know you are here?"
"No. My wife is at work and my daughter is at home." For a second he
hesitated. He knew he should have lied. .
"You live in the trailer park. Dont you?"
"Yeah, Do I know you?" he asked.
"I dont know. Do you?" the stranger chuckled, and his companion
joined in.
For a moment the Dennis felt better, thinking the situation was more
relaxed, more in control.
57
"Get back in there," the stranger said. He was soft-spoken in his tone,
but pointing the rifle back down the hallway letting him know who was
in control.
"What?" Dennis replied, curling his brow.
"Turn around and march your behind back in there."
He looked to his sons for a second, then backed into the hall. He kept
his face pointing at the man with the gun.
"You too!" the stranger barked at the boys, and the other man gave
them a shove. The two boys followed their father into the hallway and
the two-armed men stood in the doorway blocking their escape.
"What do you want with us?" the father asked.
"Nothing," he replied. "What are you doing in here?" the stranger asked
bringing his rifle to eye level. The captives flushed with heat and fear.
Dennis swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say. "I just
saw the shedand"
"And what?"
Dennis scratched the back of his neck and looked around at the ground.
"Hey, we didnt mean anything."
"You just like to trespass?" the stranger said
"No."
With a squeeze of the trigger, the rifle muzzle lit the room, flashing
with a loud bang. The father fell to the ground clutching his neck.
Before the boys could move the second man fired four shots from his
58
twelve gauge shotgun, spraying the boys with lead shot, tearing into
them, ending their short lives. The man with the rifle handed his
weapon to the other man and stepped forward pulling a pistol from his
belt. Chambering a round he aimed it at the man on the ground and
fired a single shot into his head. A flash and a bang ended his life.
"Someone is going to pay for this," the first man said. "Who ever left
this place open is gonna get it bad. Real bad."
"Seth isnt going to like this," the second man said.
"Seth will never know."
***
Anne Johnson was on the phone when she heard a loud knock at the
door. She excused herself from the call and answered the front door of
the double-wide trailer. Standing on the landing, draped in plastic rain
wear, was the sheriff and a deputy. They stood back lit from the street
lamp in the driveway.
By this time the thunderstorm was in full force, the rain sizzling on the
ground like bacon in a frying pan and lightning flashing across the sky.
Seeing the two officers at this time of night surprised the girl. She was
home alone, her mother not back from searching for her father and
brothers, missing since before suppertime. Her worries now turned to
anxiety as she tried to make out the features of the men in shadow.
"Hi, Im Sheriff Lester Spade and this is my deputy Leroy Barnes," the
taller man stated to the girl. Rain pelted him from above. "Is your
mother home?" he asked silhouetted in the darkness.
"No," she replied, "My mom and grandma are out looking for my dad
and two brothers."
59
The sheriff turned to his deputy for a moment and then back to the girl
saying, "We need to get a hold of her as soon as possible."
"Is this about my dad and brothers? Are they ok?" she asked.
"Yes it is, it is important we get a hold of her. There has been an
accident."
She opened her eyes wide and swallowed hard. "Are they alright?" she
asked.
The sheriff hesitated, then said; "Your brother was hurt this afternoon
in a two car collision. He has been taken to Topeka. Your father and
other brother are at the hospital here in town. I have come to offer your
mother a ride to Topeka."
Her body relaxed and the tension released its grip on her allowing her
to sigh in relief.
"Thank God no one died!" she said smiling back.
"Maybe we can find her at your grandmothers," the officer said, "Can
you tell us where she lives?"
"I can call her if you wait a second," she replied, heading back into the
living room.
"No, it would save time if we just drove over there. I can take all of you
to Topeka at the same time. Youd like that, wouldnt you?" he asked
the girl.
The question struck her odd. She hesitated then answered, "Yeah,
sure."
60
"You grab a coat and we will wait for you in the car," the officer said
and the two men turned and walked back into the rain, down the steps
to the car idling in the driveway. The men opened the doors and got
inside watching all a while through the swishing wiper blades. Minutes
later the front door opened and the girl came out turning to lock the
door. She ducked her head trying to dodge the rain quickly jumping
inside the patrol car in the back seat.
"Ever been in a patrol car before?" the sheriff asked her, looking
through the rear view mirror, backing out of the driveway.
"No," she answered nervously. She shivered in the cold looking out the
window as they traversed the narrow streets of the trailer park.
The interior of the car was dark. Voices cracked and sputtered from the
car radio, and red dots of light zipped back and forth on the scanner
mounted under the dash.
"Whats the address?" he asked her, picking up the radio microphone.
"825 west 25th street," she replied.
The officer depressed his microphone button and stated to the
dispatcher " Denton, twenty-six in escort, white female, Anne Johnson
to 825 west 25th street." The phrase ended with a squawk from the
radio.
"10-4 on escort, Denton out," the dispatcher replied.
She sat back and watched the houses pass by. Watching the raindrops
fall through the bright lights, she wandered off in a trance as the water
past through the street lamps above. Thunder crashed from behind, then
again, over and over. She felt uneasy sitting in the back seat of the
61
patrol car feeling like a criminal herself, staring at the back of the two
officers heads. Their uniforms made her feel secure and nervous at the
same time.
The car came to an intersection and dipped in the rut. The car raised,
and dipped again as they past through over the bumpy brick streets.
The bright lights of downtown were distorted through the rain speckled
side window as she was peering through.
Minutes past and they finally reached their destination. Her mothers
car was parked in front of her grandmothers and lights were on in front
of the house.
"Stay here, well be right back," the sheriff said to the girl and they
exited the vehicle, walking up the steps to the house. The interior of the
car was slowly getting brighter as a car pulled up pulled up from
behind. The car turned off its lights and the patrol car was once again
dark inside.
From the other direction she watched as a pickup truck, and a van
pulled up to the curb across the street and park. This struck her as odd
considering the time of night and the fact she knew most of her
grandmothers neighbors. These vehicles did not seem familiar to her.
Looking back out her side window, through the rain smeared glass she
saw her mother and grandmother hurrying as fast as they could to the
patrol car, with umbrellas held above them for protection. Close
behind, followed the two lawmen, which were herding the two women
like shepherds. The rear door opened and Anne scooted over allowing
the other two women to enter the car.
"It is sure nice of you to offer us a ride," the grandmother said.
62
"No problem maam, thats what your tax dollars pay for," he said with
a chuckle. He put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb driving
down the rain covered brick streets.
"What happened?" the mother asked, worried and shivering in the cold.
"Was anyone in the other car hurt?" she asked.
"No, the other party was not injured," he replied. "Just a few bumps
and bruises."
"Who was it?" she asked.
The officer hesitated and looked to his deputy. "They were from out-of-
town," he responded nervously.
"You dont know their names?"
"Were not able to release that information."
"Even if no one died?"
"Thats correct, plus the state troopers are handling this. I am not at
liberty to discuss the details right now."
"I see."
"I can ask them when we see them if I can release the information."
"Thank you officer."
The car turned and headed down Main Street towards the city hospital.
***
Back at the grandmothers house, a man was directing the van, helping
it back up to the side door. A group of people had already entered the
63
house and began gathering up the household items and possessions. It
was imperative they remove all traces of its former occupants before
dawn. They had to be erased.
***
Mrs. Johnson sat between her mother and daughter Anne in the back
seat. It was a tight and uncomfortable fit for the three of them, bumpy
at times, claustrophobic at times. The car stressed and groaned under
the heavy load.
"We past the hospital back there," Mrs. Johnson said, craning her neck
to see it pass by her window.
"I know," the sheriff said. "I have to make a quick stop first, itll just
take a minute."
The three ladies became anxious awaiting their stop at the hospital.
They did not appreciating the hold up.
"Cant you just drop us off?" she asked.
"Were almost there. It wont take but a second. I promise"
"Id rather not wait if its ok with you?" she asked.
By this time they were blocks past the hospital and heading quickly to
the edge of town. The sheriff stopped talking to the women and it
became awkwardly quiet in the car.
"I dont mean to be rude, but I think we should head back," the
grandmother said in a stern tone.
64
"Maybe you should be quiet," the deputy said with a smile. He glanced
back and then turned back to face out the front.
"Quiet?" mother asked in shock. "My family is hurt and you want me
to be quiet?" She became angry and tried to keep it inside.
"Shut up!" the deputy yelled back while turning around to face her.
"You hear me!" He reached out to grab her by the coat and she jerked
back out of his reach. Giving her a stern look, he turned back around
and shook his head in disgust.
The women were stunned by his words. The car was now a half-mile
outside the city limits and starting to slow and turn to the right. The car
drove onto a gravel road speeding out into the country, picking up
speed as it went along.
The car flew over the hills and valleys attaining 60 mph scaring the
passengers in the backseat, just as the officers wanted to do. Rows of
corn and milo sped past the car illuminated by the high beam
headlights in a blur, confusing them as to their location.
Ahead in the distance, sprung an outcrop of trees just past Sandy Creek
Bridge. The car again slowed and turned into the grove of trees
disappearing from the roadway. Fifty yards inside, the car stopped and
the men got out leaving the headlights on. They both moved to the rear
of the car and opened the back doors simultaneously.
"Get out," the sheriff said calmly trying not to alarm the women. They
hesitated. The sheriff pulled his revolver and pointed it at the
grandmother, " I said get out," he reiterated. The older woman exited
the drivers side and the other two the passengers side.
65
"What is this?" the grandmother asked, keeping her eye on the sheriffs
gun.
"Shut up and go stand in front of the car," he stated. "About ten feet
away." He pointing his free hand in that direction. The women obeyed
and walked to the front of the car, standing illuminated in the headlight
beams. The raindrops were visible as they past through the bright lights
along with the mist from their breaths. They shivered in the cold,
scared and shaking.
"Turn and face the car," the sheriff ordered them in a military tone.
They obeyed. "On your knees."
The women again obeyed and dropped to their knees blinded by the
bright light ten feet before them.
"What are you going to do?" the mother asked.
She was answered with a hard pull to her hair and a kick in the ribs.
The other women kept their eyes front, afraid of drawing his attention
and a repeat of the treatment.
The deputy squatted down behind the mother and grabbed her arms,
pulling them back around her and cuffing them. He did the same to the
daughter. The sheriff stood behind the grandmother and pointed his
pistol at the back of her head. In an execution style, he popped off a
shot dropping her flat to the ground. The deputy followed quickly with
the mother before she had a chance to scream. The sheriff took care of
the daughter. On the ground lie the last remains of the Johnson family.
"Collect the cuffs," the sheriff said to his deputy as he walked to the
rear of his patrol car. Popping the trunk, he pulled out a two-gallon gas
can and carried to back to the death scene. He waited till the cuffs were
66
confiscated then poured gasoline on the three bodies until the can was
empty. He backed up, lit a cigarette and tossed it in the fumes. He
backed away from the heat and stood behind the trunk of the car with
the deputy. In the dark, the sheriffs eyes glowed red in the night
67
Chapter 4
Sonja Penner and Dorothy Larson joined Tony and Alex at the site,
both of which were staff scientists brought in by Robert Brinkman to
assist on the investigation. Sonja and Dorothy were also experts in the
field of physics, Sonja holding a minor in history and ancient
civilizations. She was a woman in her forties, a very stuffy professional
type of individual with a no no-nonsense approach to her work. She
was a strong female who stood on her own giving off an aura of power
and intelligence. Dorothy was a more docile woman not imposing her
ideas on others staying in the background until called upon. She was in
her mid-twenties having only been out of school for a few years
working her first teaching job in a small community college prior to
working for the government.
It had been a week since they had arrived and Jesse Brinkman refused
to tell the men of their true purpose until he thought the time was right.
Sonja was helpful explaining some of the details of the operation and
how the remains were identified.
"At this time the government has a large DNA database which they
could use to identify the remains of the passengers by sampling the
skeletal remains and letting a super computer search the files of current
US citizens," she stated. "This database was unknown to most all
citizens, the samples gathered at birth and sent to a secret government
agency in order to keep track of the goings on of its people."
Tony knew this searching was not necessary. He had worked the
paradoxes over and over in his mind trying to figure out how and why
they were even able to find the plane. He knew there was no reason to
68
identify the passengers, because it would be impossible to stop the
events from happening again. If it were, the plane would not be there.
The team met for lunch in Robert Brinkmans tent.
"Ive been thinking this over." Tony said.
"And" Jesse added.
"You realize the answer is already here," he said.
"The answer?" Jesse asked.
"Yes, we are dealing with a time paradox," Tony said. "The answer was
planted in the wreckage and I am sure you have already found it,"
"Explain."
"If you were able to stop the plane from departing in on the day it
crashed, it would not be sitting over there now. The second you do
anything that could stop it from taking off, time will shift and we will
too."
"I think Im starting to understand," Alex said.
"For example, if we were to find the names of all the passengers and
lets say kill one of them, the event could shift the flow of time and may
possibly change the path of the plane. It also could possibly change the
departure time or do something that would prevent it from coming in
contact with whatever sent it hurling back in time," Tony said.
"As of now no such thing has happened," Alex said. "Because it is still
here. If we did something to change time, we wouldnt even know it."
69
"Correct!" Tony said. "I think we have already been through this time
line. I think we have our answer somewhere on this site. We sent
ourselves the answer. We just need to find it."
"Answer?" Brinkman asked. "In what form?"
"A recording device." Tony replied.
"And how do you know this?"
"You would have sent it. You would have made this as easy as you
could. You realized we would sit around and brainstorm. We would
have picked the most obvious answer."
"I see," Alex said. "If what you say is true, Im surprised you havent
tripped over it already."
Everyone looked puzzled trying to imagine what kind device Tony was
referring to.
"We did," Brinkman said. Brinkman stared blankly for a moment
thinking hard. "I was shown something about thirty years ago, on the
first day of cataloging, that was very odd."
Dorothy perked up. "Youre telling me in the future we planted a
recording device on this plane and sent two hundred and thirty two
passengers to their deaths?"
All were silent for a moment.
"Yes but now it is possible to save them," Tony said. "We have
discovered a recording device which explained how this happened, the
event can now be prevented it from occurring again."
70
"I think your theory is flawed." Alex Parsons said.
"If it is Alex, we have four years to think of another." Brinkman said.
"Let me show you what we found that day. It is in the morgue."
The group climbed into a military transport vehicle and drove across
the camp to the metal shed, which housed the many boxes of remains
found at the site. An armed guard stood at the door and several
personnel were shuttling boxes into the building non-stop. Brinkman
showed his identification to the guard and the group entered the
building. Large shelving units held the boxes into well-organized
groups and each was labeled with a date and approximate location of
excavation.
Brinkman walked along the rows of boxes looking for the ones dated to
the first day. He asked a clerk to assist him in finding the correct
container and was led to a box with red writing and a label printed on
it. It was marked because of a special artifact found with the remains.
The clerk unlocked the lid of the box and opened it exposing the
contents inside. The group huddled around peering inside looking for
whatever Brinkman had been referring to back at the office. Carefully
Brinkman reached into the box and started placing the remains of one
of the crash victims on the counter top in a random fashion. After a few
moments he produced the artifact in question and set is aside the pile of
remains.
"Oh my God!" Tony said in amazement. Upon the table set polished
chrome humorous bone with a snake of wires protruding from several
locations along its length. The wires connected to several unidentified
objects resembling sensors. Engraved on the shaft of the artificial bone
read the date September 28, 2008 and the name Tony Rhine
underneath. Tony looked in shock as he viewed his own remains laid
71
out on the table. He now realized how this went down and understood
that he had volunteered for a suicide mission knowing he would
discover the device at the wreck site and somehow learn what had
happened. It was a strange sensation coming to know he had been here
before and this was the second time he had been through the timeline.
He did not know for sure this was the second time through; it could
very well have been the 3000th time for all he knew. He might be
caught up in a continuous time loop forever reliving these events over
and over again.
Tony reached out and picked up the skull and held it in his hands. He
was horrified peering into its hollow eyes and thinking one day this
would be all thats left of him. "How did it feel to die" he wondered?
"How could he and this pile of bones occupy the same space in the
same time?" Everything he knew about physics was wrong.
"Did you see this?" Sonja asked. Pointing to the back of the skull.
"What the hell!" Tony said as he turned it around. "What could have
done this?" he asked examining an indentation and crack at the rear of
the skull. "Something bashed in the back of my head and left a huge
fracture."
Alex peered over his shoulder and took a look. "Looks like you went
fast. Probably dead before the plane hit the water." He said with a grin.
"I can see that Doctor, I was just wondering out loud what could have
done this to me," Tony said in a sarcastic tone.
"There are also burn marks there, see them," Sonja said pointing at the
same area.
72
"Maybe the plane caught fire," Alex Parsons said. "Happens all the
time. A fuel tank explodes and the whole thing gets ripped into a
million pieces."
"Thats true," Tony said. "But this plane is intact."
"Mostly intact," Brinkman said. "A large section of the rear of the
plane is missing."
"Missing?" Tony asked.
"We think the plane may have had to make a forced controlled landing.
We know the area was covered by a sea, but a plane with its fuel
capacity could have flown five hundred miles in search of land."
Robert Brinkman placed the metallic humorous bone and sensors into a
box heading off for the lab. Tony, lost in a trance, stood staring at his
bones piled up in a mix match of different parts, some missing some
broken. He had to tear himself away and follow the rest of the group to
the research vehicle. At the last moment he grabbed a bone from the
table and placed it in his pocket. A good luck charm.
His mind raced as he made his way out of the building and into the
transport vehicle. As it sped across the complex he thought about what
he would have done if he knew he would find himself at a later time.
He knew he would have to use todays technology and make it as
obvious as possible. They had stumbled upon this on purpose and he
was hoping to keep right on stumbling. He thought it would be difficult
to make a record of anything because over time it would deteriorate
into an indistinguishable decayed mess.
The only object that stood the test of time that he knew of was bone,
but that was if it had the opportunity to fossilize, and he knew the
73
conditions were too poor for this to happen. The stainless surgical steel
would not rust having the best chance of protecting anything electronic
inside.
He knew this was some sort of recording device surgically implanted
into his body just prior to boarding the plane. There were no places to
attach the tendons to the device so he could imagine his arm was
useless after the surgery. Most likely it had to be put into a sling or it
would have dangled limply at his side looking unnatural. It would have
been easy to get past the metal detectors and onto the plane, he would
just have had to explain he was injured and had pins put in his arm to
help the bone heal correct.
The sensors must have been hooked up to his optical nerve or light pin
receivers were inserted into his retina to record the actual light entering
the eye. The resolution would be poor due to the low number of sensors
that could be safely implanted. Maybe ten by ten making it one
hundred pixels per square inch. Poor even by todays standards. The
units size told him that the recording time must have been very limited
due to the ability of the memory circuits to hold much information. No
more than an hour of streaming video or one thousand stills collected.
The image timer must have either been preset, or he was able to record
using a remote radio device that started at a push of a button. Audio
sensors could have been placed anywhere with small microphones just
breaking through the skin.
They reached the lab and everyone gathered around the recording
device.
"Look for a portal," Tony said.
"How would you know?" Sonja said.
74
"I would have planned it that way," Tony said. "With a simple hookup
to a computer of todays speed."
Brinkman flipped it around till he found an indentation in the shape of
a square with the word "Port" engraved on it. He grabbed a pair of
needle nose pliers and peeled off the tab exposing a standard telephone
jack.
"A modem connection," Alex said. "Clever, Im surprised the sensor
wires did not double as an output."
"Im sure they did." Tony added.
"We have known for a long time what this was," Brinkman said to the
group. "We have interfaced with the recording device through the
sensor wires finding we were unable to tap into the memory chip
without a password."
"Password?" Alex asked.
"Most likely put there so we would not access the information without
the good doctor present," Brinkman said. "I can image that you made
that a condition before you made the trip on the plane in the first
place."
"How did I ever get involved in this in the first place?" Tony asked.
"The time line has already shifted we think. Whatever events occurred
prior to this that led you on this path have disappeared. It is now a moot
point."
Tony looked down at the mess of wires and stainless steel.
75
"What is the password Tony?" Brinkman asked. "You have the key to
unlock the whole thing. That is why you were brought here."
"How about Alex? Why is he here?" Tony asked.
"Dr. Parsons," Brinkman said addressing Alex.
"Yes?"
"We have a box in the morgue with your name on it also."
76
Chapter 5
July 2, 1969
Viola Mae Johnsons home was clutter of photographs, trinkets and
various other odd decorative items. They were her memories of a
lifetime swept up into boxes and disposed of into the back of an
awaiting van. The pile grew, as her possessions were tosses aside,
broken and discarded like common trash.
It was well past midnight and the house was a buzz with a diverse crew
of workers emptying the house as fast as they were able. The lights
were on and sounds reverberated from the house but no one was
listening. Not really. The neighbors knew what was going on. Many
were participating in the work. It was a cleaning, the duty of the
members to eradicate any sign of their presence to the outside world.
The majority of the towns folk were members, but not all. Some long-
standing residents of the town were unaware of the membership,
unaware of the underlying motives of the people in the community. It
was a secret society of like-minded people with a common
understanding; God and religion that made up the membership. The
membership of the church.
This neighborhood was all church. All except for Viola Mae Johnson
who moved here in 1942 with her husband Richard and son Dennis.
The cleaning crew was a committee referred to as the "Sword", whos
sole purpose is to erase any signs of the church.
77
This was a job they had not done often, only a dozen or so times since
the church was founded in Denton Kansas in 1932. The church, a secret
society for the preservation of Lucifer, depended on anonymity to
insure its survival. A good one fourth of the town was not church, but a
strict code of silence and secrecy insured the church would not be
discovered.
New members were carefully cultivated and absorbed through a
process of teachings. The teachings were harmlessly spread through the
missionary work of young members, deceiving the public, disguised as
Christian missionaries. Potential new members were interviewed,
questioned and then evaluated to see if they would be good candidates
for membership. Those who showed an interest were asked to pray, and
join the church, slowly being introduced to the true purpose and nature
of the church. No one quit. No one had to.
The official name of the church was "The Children of the Morning
Star." Morning Star, being the true interpretation of the name of
Lucifer, the beautiful light bearing angel whom was cast from heaven.
The church resembled any other church in town. They had a large
Gothic style building in the center of town topped off with a cross and
many stained glass windows portraying scenes from the bible. To all
that passed by it was a Christian church, no different than any other
church they would see in any town.
The only difference being the building was a front only used to deceive
the rest of the town. Cars lined the streets near the church every
Sunday, but no service was held inside. Services were held in a special
place out in the country under the stars. Every Saturday evening, the
church members would gather at the church building and park their
cars along the streets. The members would then car pool together
78
leaving as many empty cars in front of the church as possible. The next
day the church would appear to be filled with parishioners, but the
church would remain empty. Ushers kept strangers out of the building.
Brother Follett and Brother Thomas stacked boxes on a two-wheel
dolly for the others to roll outside to the awaiting trucks. The men filled
and stacked boxes repeatedly keeping focused on the task at hand,
refraining from wasteful conversation.
"Brother Follett! Brother Thomas!" shouted a faint voice from the
basement below. The two men ran to the stairwell and stopped at the
open door.
"What is it?" Follett shouted down the staircase into the dark.
"Come quickly!" the voice replied, and the two men scrambled down
the steps as fast as they could. At the bottom they turned only to be
blinded by a single sixty-watt bulb next to the breaker box in the
electrical room.
"Where are you?" Thomas asked, looking around for the source of the
voice.
"Over here in the furnace room!" the voice shouted.
The men followed the sound around the corner then stopped in their
tracks. Holding a flashlight, Brother Davis shined a beam of light into a
small dark room illuminating a naked young man cowering in the
corner. Around the mans neck was a collar of iron, welded shut with a
chain attached to it leading to an iron pipe sticking out of the cement in
the center of the floor. The room smelled of rotted food and feces. The
walls were cracked and mildewed, stained with dark streaks running
from ceiling to floor.
79
The man did not speak. He looked maybe twenty years old, unshaven
with hair running the length of his back. He held his hand up to block
the light from the flashlight blinding him, squinting as if he had never
seen light before.
"Has he said anything?" Thomas asked.
"No, I just arrived here myself." Davis replied.
"He looks like a Goddamn monkey boy." Thomas added taking the
flashlight. He stepped into the room, keeping the beam on the creature
before him.
"What is your name?" Thomas asked.
The creature just stared back. The other two men stepped in closer
blocking the doorway.
"What is your name?" he asked again.
The creature shifted, dragging its chain across the floor like an animal
in a cage. As it moved Thomas noticed the name Alex scarred across
its right shoulder and chest.
"Alex?" he asked looking down upon the monster before him. "Is that
your name?"
No response.
"Alex, I am here to help you," Thomas said taking another step closer.
The creature gripped the chain tied to his collar and pulled trying to get
away. There was nowhere to go.
80
"What do we have here men?" Thomas whispered to the two behind
him.
"I have no idea." Davis replied.
Let me see!" boomed a familiar voice from behind. Everyone stood
back and allowed the dark figure to enter the room.
"Looks like an ape." Seth stated.
"Yes sir." Thomas replied, shaken by Seths sudden appearance.
"You werent going to invite me to your party?" Seth asked Thomas.
"I didnt think you wanted to be bothered by this," was his lame reply,
and he knew it.
"You didnt?"
"Yes sir."
"Who is the high priest my son? Who is your spiritual leader? Who do
you answer to here on Earth?" Seth asked condescendingly.
"You sir."
"Then why are you making decisions for me?"
A moment passed. "I am sorry sir."
"Just pray my son that your actions do not keep you from your plan of
salvation."
"I beg repentance."
81
"That is a wise choice." Seth stated, glaring at Thomas. "Now go get
me five men! We will need help here!" he yelled at Davis and Follett.
The sheriffs car pulled up to the house; the two men just back from
their morbid duty. Two officers exited the vehicle and went separate
directions. The deputy headed off to the end of the street where
barricades were placed so non-church members could not drive past the
house. A yellow work truck with the words "Denton Light and Water
Dept." was parked by one of the barricades and workmen pretended to
be hard at work running a hose down a manhole.
The sheriff walked across the terrace and up the steps to the house. By
this time the house was on its way to being empty. The sheriff looked
to his wristwatch, 2:00 a.m. it read, and he proceeded into the living
room. He scanned the bare walls and patterns left by the furniture in the
carpet satisfied with the progress.
"Hello Brother," said one of the cleaning crew to the sheriff. This was
the common church greeting.
"Hello Brother," was the sheriffs response, he said it like without
thinking. "I see Seths car parked out front. Do you know where he is?"
"In the basement," he answered.
The sheriff rubbed his chin, gritting his teeth in anticipation of his
encounter with Seth.
The sheriff walked into the kitchen to the stairwell and looked down
the steps to the basement floor. A faint jingle of metal and the sounds
of muffled voices reverberated from below. He stepped down one slat
at a time as the boards creaked under his feet. He was listening, trying
82
to make out what the voices were saying. He noted Seths voice
immediately
"Sheriff!" Seths voice boomed from around the corner. "Your services
are required here."
The sheriff came around the corner and joined the men standing at the
doorway. Seeing Seth, the sheriff bowed his head and said, "How may I
serve you father?"
"Have you seen this creature before?" Seth asked, pointing into the
small dark room.
The sheriff raised his head and took a look at the man illuminated in
the beam of the flashlight.
"No sir, this thing is unfamiliar to me," he replied.
"I thought we owned the market on keeping secrets," Seth said, and
walked back out to the main basement room followed by the three
other men. "Take him to the church," he added as he turned to the men.
"I beg your pardon father, but we know nothing of this creature. Are
you sure this is the wise thing to do?" Follett asked.
"Am I sure?" Seth asked, his brow low on his forehead. "It is this kind
of dissonance that will be our downfall!" he barked at Follett.
"I am sorry," Follett said back swallowing hard.
"I require no apologies, only obedience!" Seth yelled at the man now
cowering down shaking. "I see no reason not to inform the council of
your words."
83
"No. Please! Father I shall repent!"
"Yes you shall. I will see to that," he stated. "There is a faction among
the flock, a dangerous splitting of the members which is detrimental to
the survival of the church. If I find you are among them I shall see that
you join our Father post haste."
"I shall obey." Follett said.
"Take him to the church! Now!" Seth barked to the three men before
him.
84
Chapter 6
The group gathered in the laboratory, with the stainless steel artifact,
ready to attempt to extract the recorded information locked inside. The
room was lined on the inside with multiple computer terminals hooked
to a mini mainframe processor and a satellite hookup to a larger faster
system. All the electronics imagined for field exploration were
incorporated into this lab and was manned with some of the militarys
top on site research personnel.
Jesse Brinkman asked one of the technicians to hook up the phone plug
to the recording device and attempt to download what information was
on it. The group watched intently as the line clicked in and the tech
started working on the computer trying to draw forth what was hidden
for so many thousands of years. The sound of a modem connection was
emanating from somewhere above and a box appeared on the screen of
the computer terminal with the prompt "Password" above a row of four
spaces, blank spot and then another five spaces.
"Show time," Jesse said to Tony. "We ran our computers on this for
years, running the entire dictionary, random numbers and the kitchen
sink trying to crack this passkey. We figured we had a five- percent
chance of breaking it without your assistance. We could have saved a
whole lot of time if it werent for this damn code."
"Come on Tony," Alex piped up. "Whats the password?"
Tony looked at the screen and recounted the number of spaces he had
to fill and looked at the blank spot between the two segments. He
hummed, rubbing his nose and closed his eyes.
85
"Its ok to guess," Brinkman said. "I dont think your going to break it,
or we would have a long time ago."
Tony leaned over and typed "Jack, space Emily" then hit the return key.
The computer answered with a beep and a prompt reading "Access
granted."
"This was too easy," the technician said. Tony just smiled knowing it
would be a very simple process. The window simply stated "Saved to
disc drive." Below it said "Best viewed with any media playing
software created after 1997 and before 2008, click here to view file."
The tech turned to Brinkman looking for directions.
"Who is Jack and Emily?" Brinkman asked.
"My parents," Tony replied.
"Lets see it." Brinkman said and the technician clicked on the box.
The screen went blank for a moment and a prompt box came up stating
the file was being read. From a set of speakers mounted on the wall
came the sounds of people chatting in real time and on the screen was a
still frame of the back of an airliner seat and the back of someones
head.
A digital clock was counting backwards from thirty minutes on the
upper right hand corner of the screen as the sound of glasses clinking
and music came from the speakers. Every thirty seconds a new still
appeared on the screen showing different views of the back of this
persons head and sometimes a shot of a magazine in the viewers lap. It
was evident that the recording device was constantly recording and was
probably looping every thirty minutes recording over the previous
recording keeping the images current.
86
Tony got shivers down his spine seeing images he made realizing he
was viewing the last thirty minutes of his life. It made sense to him that
the recorder was set up to stop recording after the electric current in his
body was determined to be no longer detectable. This way they could
get an accurate determination of what it was that sent the plane to its
watery death.
"I want copies of this," Brinkman said to the tech as the he watched the
screen intently. There was almost no degradation in the quality of the
picture and sound making the playback crystal clear. The video was
only hampered by the low resolution of the camera sensor placed in
Tonys eye and a slight motion blur that occurred when a still was
made in the turning of his head.
Minutes passed and the images were very uneventful other than the
sound of distant thunder crashes and an occasional glimpse of a flash of
lightning. It seemed the weather was poor and some of the passengers
could be overheard talking about it remarking about the rain and
lightning outside their windows.
The group listened intently for anything unusual, hoping to find out
what it was that sent the airliner crashing into the sea. Tony was on the
edge of his seat straining to listen to the sounds from the speaker and
looking for anything out-of-the ordinary on the computer screen. Jesse,
Sonja and Dorothy all had strained looks upon their collective faces as
this bizarre movie unfolded before them. Only Alex stood in the back
almost seeming uninterested by what was happening and made no
effort to join in the group acting like he had better things to do with his
time elsewhere.
More sounds of thunder shot over the speakers as a view of the storm
appeared on the screen. Louder crashes became more frequent, seeming
87
to interfere with the electronics of the recording device. The clouds in
the distance seemed to light up in the still frame and the reflection of
Tonys face could be seen in the glass of the window. His breathing
became more noticeable and rapid and he could be heard murmuring
getting more and more agitated as the file played on.
"This weather might be something important," Tonys voice said
emanating from the speakers in a low-key tone. Tonys jaw started to
ache as he clenched his teeth listening to himself speak. He could feel
the terror in his trembling voice becoming scared with each passing
moment. He could feel the panic in his own voice and now could feel
what it was like to face immanent death.
Sonja noticed Tonys behavior and came over placing her arm around
him to try to make him more comfortable. Tony didnt seem to notice
with his eyes fixated on the screen, his ears glued to the speakers.
Brinkman leaned back against the counter and watched Tonys reaction
feeling like he should just lay low and let this thing ride out. He was
not an overly emotional man and felt it was best to not try to comfort
Tony.
On the screen the images began to download at a faster pace. The
device must have been programmed to read Tonys heart rate and
adjust recording speed accordingly creating more documentation of the
moment of crisis. The images jumped from one area to another as Tony
spun his head in all directions in a panic. The audio led them to believe
that the other passengers were worried about the weather, but had no
clue as to what was about to happen to them.
Then it happened in an instant, as one thunderous crash of sound
distorted the speakers causing everyone in the room jump. For a second
88
everyone was startled and Tony lost his breath as they waited for the
next image to dump. What they saw shocked and amazed them.
The cabin was flooded with clear bright daylight and all signs of the
storm disappeared as the sound of cabin changed and the thunder was
gone. The next few images were from Tony peering outside his
window at a bright blue sky and an ocean of blue water that stretched
for as far as the eye could see. The clouds were high and wispy and not
of the type that created the storm they had just been in a fraction of a
second ago.
"The water," Sonja said. "Oh my God." She couldnt get a grasp on
what she was seeing.
The clock on the screen read three minutes twenty five seconds and
counting backwards to the end of the file and of Tonys life.
"This is it," came from the speakers as Tony started to speak. "I hope
everyone at home is getting this," he continued. "It was a bolt of
lightning that sent us back. I can see that now. Outside my window I
can see the ocean but I cant see anything that would cause the plane to
go down. It is very clear outside." His tone changed to a very scientific
almost detached manner. It was like he was the announcer of a football
game and he was describing someone else other than himself running
down the field. The clock now read two minutes and fifteen seconds
and the passengers now seemed in bewilderment but no longer in a
panic over the thunderstorm.
"Im going to look around," he said through the speakers and the
images showed his view as he stood up and walked down the aisle
noticing rows and rows of people sitting in their seats watching him.
89
"SirSir!" could be heard from a female voice and the view turned as
his head spun to face the sound. "You cant go in there!" she
exclaimed. The clock now read one minute thirty seconds on the screen
as a picture of a short man in the isle carrying a bag appeared with a
woman walking towards him. The images remained on the view as the
images began to dump at a rate of one per second. Tony was in a panic,
his breathing was loud and audible and he seemed to freeze in the isle.
The man was partially blocked out by the woman on the screen but
something familiar rang out about his manner and overall demeanor. A
moment later the man seemed to pull something out of his bag, and the
flight attendant began to struggle with him. The view turned again
away from the skirmish and it sounded like Tony was running in the
opposite direction from the skirmish, panting noises reverberated from
the speakers.
Just then a loud pop was heard followed by a crash as Tony struck the
floor of the plane. The countdown read five seconds and counting.
Then the screen turned black and a new window prompt came up
asking if we wanted to exit the program. Tony was dead.
***
Later that evening, each member went to his or her own respective
rooms to retire for the day with a copy of the file to play on their
personal computer. Dorothy had run the file several times as she got
ready for bed listening to the audio and occasionally glancing at the
screen to coordinate the action as it unfolded over and over. She sat
down at the computer desk and started to brush her hair when
something caught her eye. On one of the screen dumps she could see a
group of passengers heads, as Tony had turned to see behind him.
90
She peered closely at the monitor thinking she recognized the face of
Alex Parsons sitting several rows behind Tony, looking away from him
towards the right. She stopped the program and froze the screen as it
appeared at that moment and attempted to enlarge the image. As she
did it got more and more distorted as the pixels became bigger squares.
She reduced it back to normal size and just sat looking at the image
becoming more and more convinced it was Alex. She prompted the
computer to the next image and the hair on her legs stood up as she saw
the face of Alex looking right at her. Tony must have known he was on
board she thought. This was odd that they werent sitting next to each
other she concluded making a note of her findings in her journal. She
took note of the color of his shirt and the approximate location of his
seat. It was possible that Alexs remains also contained a recording
device somewhere in the morgue. Maybe they split up in order to
obtain different points of view for the records and they knew each other
were on the plane. It made sense now.
Dorothy picked up her cell phone and dialed Tonys number. She was
going to ask him over to show him her findings when she heard a
knock on the door of her room. On the other end of the phone Tony
answered hello as she made her way to the door with t he phone curled
up under her neck.
"One second" she said, as she opening the door.
From across the campus the loud screams of a woman could be heard
startling Tony, causing him to drop the phone. He scrambled out the
door towards the sound seeing a bright glow emanating from the
direction of Dorothys building and ran in that direction yelling for
help. A large group of military personnel came running with fire
extinguishers and any tool available to put out a massive blaze.
91
Dorothy had made it outside the burning building and managed to
escape the hottest part of the fire but was her caught in a blaze of
yellow flames. Several men forced her to the ground and the flames
were put out, she was horribly burned, but still alive. She had been
doused with gasoline and set afire.
92
Chapter 7
July 2, 1969
By dawn, all traces of Viola Mae Johnson were gone. All that remained
was the empty shell of her house and the ghosts that remained behind.
The house was cleaned with bleach, the carpet shampooed, and acid
misted on any surface that may retain any biological traces such as hair
or fingerprints. Soon no one would remember Viola, and her memories
would be dashed away by the members of the church. No one would
remember her name or speak of her in public again, washing her from
existence.
It just so happened that the double-wide trailer owned by Dennis
Johnson caught fire, burning to the ground, killing all the members of
family that same evening. A strange coincidence anywhere else except
for this town.
Brother Follett sat patiently in his car three blocks from the church
building watching as Seth and the sheriff exited the North entrance of
the church and get in a white Ford sedan. A moment later they pulled
out of the church parking lot and turned down the street, driving in the
opposite direction. Brother Follett had been sweating out this moment
since they first discovered the man creature in the basement of the
house the night before. He was exhausted and feeling sick to his
stomach from lack of sleep and stress induced by the anxiety dwelling
deep in his head. Seth did not know it for sure, but Brother Follett was
one of the rebellious church members he was talking about.
93
Brother Follett put his car in gear and drove down the street to the
church. He turned into the gravel lot and parked his car under a silver
maple tree across from the back door of the church. He turned his key,
shutting off the engine and reached into the glove box pulling out a
seven inch serrated hunting knife covered securely within a leather
sheath. He pulled the knife free and used it to cut a length of twine
from a roll he had lying on the seat. He ran the twine through the
leather of the sheath and wrapped the rest around his calf under his pant
leg fastening it so it would not move as he walked.
He stepped out of his car and gave his leg a good shake to check the
knife to make sure it was secure and well hidden. His eyes squinted in
the bright morning light as he scanned the church lot for any other
members he might come across. Gathering his courage, he walked
across the grounds making scrunching sounds as his heels scraped
across the gravel lot. Reaching the back of the church, he grabbed his
key set from his belt and unlocked the padlock.
With a tug and a click, it opened allowing him to open the door and
gain entrance. The church layout was familiar to him as all the brothers
took turns maintaining the faade, doing chores and cleaning the
premises all for the good of the church.
The morning sun lit the interior of the building well illuminating the
bare white walls and hallways. Every step he took echoed off the walls
and throughout the empty rooms to his dismay, as he tried to maneuver
covertly about inside the huge building.
Peering through the hallway, he peeked into the large room on the main
floor used for services in most Christian churches. In this building it
was a barren wood floor from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. He did not
expect to see anyone here, but had to check anyway. Back down the
94
hallway he went and turned to face the staircase leading to the lower
level.
Faint voices could be heard conversing from below. He took his first
step down the stairs stopping at the landing half way down. From there
he moved like a stealthy cat after a mouse keeping an open ear to the
voices he was following. He peered around the corner to see two of his
fellow brothers guarding the wild man who sat naked, chained to a
sewer pipe that ran the length of the wall, floor to ceiling.
The prisoner sat still and silent as he watched the two men sitting on
fold out chairs chatting. He seemed mildly interested but afraid at the
same time. Just then Follett saw one of the keepers get off his chair and
walk to the captive.
"Hey monkey boy!" the keeper said as he taunted his victim and raised
his leg as if to kick him. He turned to his friend and said "Watch this,"
and he took a swing at the prisoners head. The swing connected and
the man fell back to the wall.
"Kick him in the ribs!" his partner shouted.
"What is your name Monkey boy?" he yelled again to the prisoner who
was now cowering against the wall. "I dont know what Seth has
planned for you monkey boy, but if I had my way I would have you on
the slab tonight," he said laughing.
Brother Follett, feeling more at ease, came around the corner from
which he was hiding, clicking his heels on the tile floor.
"Brother Jake, Brother Paul, how is our friend this morning?" Follett
said, crossing the floor. His voice caught them off guard.
95
"He is a dirty filthy animal." Brother Jake responded stepping towards
Brother Follett meeting him half way across the room. "It does not
matter how he is. He is just lucky to be at all."
"Yes he is," Brother Follett stated looking down upon the terrified
creature chained to the wall. "Do we know why Seth decided to spare
him?" he asked.
"He has not said anything to us," was the reply.
"This man looks retarded," Follett scoffed pointing at it. "Does Seth
now show compassion for the weak and helpless?" he asked
rhetorically. "Lucifer demands a sacrifice! Who are we to deny him?"
From behind Follett, a low booming voice replied, "I do not deny my
Lord!"
Follett turned his head and reached down to his pant leg pulling the
knife from its sheath. The sheriff, standing next to Seth in the doorway,
pulled out his revolver.
"You lead the resistance?" Seth questioned as he looked to Follett. "I
assumed it was you and now I know."
"Lead?" he asked back. "There are no others. I stand-alone. I have seen
the truth, the light and the way," his voice echoed off the walls.
"Oh there are others Brother Follett, that is one thing I am sure of. I
have seen a change in the heart of many members and now I know who
instigated it."
"Why do you save this man?" Follett asked Seth pointing to the
helpless creature. "I see change in your heart Seth. Something in your
heart made you spare this mans life."
96
"Yes something did, but not what you think,"
"Seth, you can repent, it is not too late."
Seth chuckled at Folletts attempts to point fingers in his direction and
said, "No Brother Follett, I have not changed. I shall not repent. I have
seen to it that our Lord Lucifer has his sacrifice."
"You dont mean this creature? He is too old for the sacrifice. You
know the doctrine!"
"You think I am going to sacrifice him?" Seth said laughing. "You
fool!" he added taking a step forward. "This creature as you call him is
no sacrifice. He is your Messiah. The chosen one."
Follett clutched his knife harder as he listened to these words.
"It has been written that he would be delivered as an empty shell that
we would fill with the spirit we maintained in the secret vessel of the
church."
"Secret Vessel?" Follett asked, "I have never heard of such a thing."
"Of course not. I am the sole keeper of the doctrine."
"What is the vessel?"
"Not what my Brother," Seth replied stretching out his arm. "Let me
introduce you to the vessel."
The sheriff took a step forward, and his eyes glowed red.
97
Chapter 8

"I find it interesting that in the age of cavemen, we invented a God in
order to explain the supernatural, and now that we are modern man we
have chosen do disbelieve our own past, and choose to continue to
believe in the God," Tony said.
"Dont be so sure young man," Brinkman replied. "We have some new
results on the skeletal remains that may change your mind."
"You sound like old man Parsons," Tony added. "Hes into that kind of
stuff too, like creationism, God and all that miracle mumbo jumbo.
What do you have thats so interesting anyway?" he asked.
Brinkman paused and rubbed his chin." You know about the DNA
database that weve been checking all remains against?" Brinkman
asked.
"Yeah, Its all that CIA, DOD, NSA crap spy stuff," Tony said.
"Crap?" Brinkman asked. "You wont think so for very long."
"Im listening" Tony said.
"We checked the DNA from your remains in storage against a sample
we took recently."
"Youve been digging through my hairbrush?" Tony asked.
"Its all necessary and quite legal," Brinkman replied. "And the results
were beyond belief."
98
Tony sat confused waiting for an explanation like a dumb dog staring
at its master waiting for a treat.
"You dont have DNA," Brinkman said. "At least like any I have ever
seen before."
Tony thought he was joking and waited for the real answer. After a
moment he spoke up and asked, "You think I am an alien or
something?"
"You have sequences and strands that no other man woman or child
has" Brinkman said. "Beyond the normal set."
Tony did not know what to say. He rubbed his hands together and
contorted his face as he absorbed this information. He looked at
Brinkman, then at the floor, and back again scratching his ear as he
twisted and bobbed his head like a bird.
"Nope, dont get it," he said. I dont have any extra body parts
growing out of me. Sorry."
"Not all DNA has to do with physical make up you know," Brinkman
said. "It may have something to do with your talents or mental
abilities."
"Mental abilities?" Tony asked. "I cant levitate spoons. I wish I could.
Neat party trick."
"Or it could be a by-product of your travels through time," Brinkman
said. "Like a mutation made from radiation bombardment."
Tony stumbled for the right words to say. "You dont think thats it do
you?" he asked.
99
"No," Brinkman answered. "I think there is a much larger story going
on than either of us understand. You are special Tony."
"If I were special I could have stopped Dorothy from being attacked
and almost burned to death," Tony replied.
Both Tony and Brinkman sipped their coffee and headed back out into
the field ready for another days work at the site. Tonys mind was full
of the images of Dorothy running through the dark of night in a ball of
flame being trampled on and put out by military men. The smell of her
burned hair and skin still sickened him and he felt guilty for feeling this
way.
The two men caught a ride to the site on a Hummer feeling the extreme
heat once again burn their skin like fire. Brinkman wore shorts and
sunglasses and Tony opted, for a wide brim hat, and jean shorts, to go
along with his sandals. In the back of the vehicle were there work
uniforms strangely suited for work in the cold.
Alex and a crew of many men, met Tony and Brinkman at the entrance
of the building smoking a cigarette. Alex wore a tank style T- shirt,
allowing a long scar to be visible, running the length of his chest from
shoulder to opposite hip. The scar was almost invisible hidden behind a
mat of dark chest hair and glistening sweat
"So did you learn anything from the download?" Alex asked Tony.
"Yeah, I did," Tony responded. "Something became painfully obvious
to me after viewing the recording."
"What was that?" Brinkman asked as he blocked the sun from his eyes.
"That time travel is a naturally occurring event," Tony replied.
100
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow and took a drag off his cigarette,
squinting as the bright sunlight beat down upon him. He put his hands
on his hips and shuffled his feet as if he were nervous.
"Naturally occurring? Alex asked not believing what he had just
heard.
"Just like life in the universe," he said. " If the conditions are right, it
just happens, spontaneously, no God, no miracles."
Both men just looked at him waiting for him to tell them it was a joke.
Even though they were all men of science, to make such a claim was to
stab at ones faith and belief systems, obviously Tony had no such
beliefs. The temperature was approaching ninety degrees and there was
no breeze as the men continued to try to understand the problems they
were facing.
"And what is your theory Doctor?," Alex asked.
Tony turned and looked at Alex like the skeptic he was. There was no
use trying to convince this man for he had predetermined values and
beliefs that no one, especially Tony could shake. Alex had the look of
an opponent waiting to do battle. No matter what Tony said it would
not pass the judgment of his senior colleague.
"It was the lightning," Brinkman said.
"That is correct," Tony said as he quickly turned his head in
amazement. "It stood out like a sore thumb."
"Are you trying to tell me lightning somehow sent that plane back in
time?" Alex asked. "You didnt even believe traveling back in time was
101
even possible two weeks ago and now you have stamped your seal of
approval on your own theory."
"The video proved it," Tony said.
"The video proved nothing," Alex replied. "I saw nothing that would
lead me to believe lightning had anything to do with this. It was an act
of God."
Tony started to get agitated and argumentative with Alex hoping to
prove him wrong. The only problem was that he only had a theory and
had little evidence past the recording, which was average to poor at
best.
"Somehow the electricity effected the plane at the molecular level,
changing its properties enough to phase it out of our space and time. I
will need time to work out the details but it isnt important now
anyway," Tony said.
"And why not?" Alex asked.
"Its not like we are planning to duplicate it. Now that we know what
happened we can stop these passengers from facing the same fate
twice."
"Twice? You assume this is only the second time this loop has
occurred?"
"You are correct. We may be in a forever looping chain of events, but
let us hope it is not and we can stop it before it recycles again."
"How do you propose to do that?" Alex asked.
"Retire the plane, I dont know. It cant be that hard."
102
"If this a never ending time loop, there will be no way to stop it from
repeating. If we are the only three men who know of the truth of the
matter, then it is not possible, that we would be able to stop it from
continuing to the same fate," Alex said, "The most plausible scenario is
that we will be unable to stop it. Most likely we wont live long enough
to try."
"All we really have to do is clean up this mess and bury it under some
secret military installation and pretend it never happened," Tony said.
"As far as I am concerned this is a closed book. I am satisfied with my
findings, I am sorry you are not Dr. Parsons."
"What makes you so positive?" Alex asked.
"I have studied time travel since I first read science fiction comic books
as a child. I have spent twenty years on and off researching and
formulating ideas and concepts concerning its likelihood and had come
to the conclusion as a grad student that time travel into the future was
not only plausible but possible and happened all the time. Time travel
into the past is another story all together."
"Go on," Alex said. "You seem to be contradicting your own research
paper."
"I will admit I dont know all the answers. I just think the popular
concept of time travel is incorrect." Tony said. "From the stand point of
physics you can draw some conclusions that I will stand behind as
fact."
"Like what?" Alex asked.
" If you approach the speed of light, your body in relation to whence
you came slows the aging process," Tony replied. "In effect, allowing
103
your home base to continue to age at a faster rate. Once you again
incorporate with once you once left you will have found yourself in
your future and you will appear to them from the distant past," Tony
explained.
"What on Earth travels at the speed of light? How can this be a
naturally occurring event? Youre theory is flawed," Alex said.
"Not everything has to move very far or in the same direction," Tony
rebutted.
Brinkman just watched the men go at it. Alex was set aback by this last
comment and had no answer. Tony felt he had finally got him on that
point.
"It would be like a microwave oven," Alex said. "Like a burned instant
burrito."
"True, but not if all the matter was moving in the same direction. You
dont burn up when you walk do you? All your molecules head in the
same direction."
"I see," Said Brinkman. "Makes more sense to me now."
"Sounds like science fiction to me," Alex said, and he headed off
leaving Tony and Brinkman to discuss the issue further.
"I may have a job offer for you." Brinkman said to Tony as he watched
Parsons disappear behind into the building. "If you dont mind working
for the government that is."
104
Chapter 9
July 5, 1969
It was the first Saturday night of the month, the night reserved for the
New Moon Sacrifice. Torches were lit and the members of the church
huddled around the concrete slab, next to the run-down shack, like
sharks in a feeding frenzy. Standing next to the slab, dressed in black
and red was Seth, the high priest of the church. To his left, two sheriffs
deputies restrained Brother Follett from behind, forcing him to kneel in
a twisted, contorted, painful position. The sheriff stood silently by
watching. The torchlight flickered on the men dancing in and out
shooting shadows that danced on the trees surrounding them.
"Welcome children," Seth said to the flock, his arms raised up to the
sky. "We have once again come to show reverence to out father, the
Morning Star." He looked out to the attentive audience, silent and
hungry for each word he spoke. "This is a special night," he said
pausing, scanning the crowd. "Not only because it is the mass of the
Sacrifice, but because the prophecy has been fulfilled!" he shouted.
The crowd gasped and a collective murmur resonated throughout the
mass of astonished parishioners.
"Our savior has come, and tonight we will be with him," Seth said
bowing his head with the words. The crowd was silent; the only sounds
penetrating were those of the crickets chirping in the midsummer night
heat.
105
"Not all is well," he added. He slowly turned to face Brother Follett
who was restrained and bound. "Some among you have turned your
backs to the church. Some among you have plotted to destroy the very
foundation that keeps us together. Some of you no longer speak the
truth!"
Folletts eyes burned through Seths as he spoke about him to the
crowd, their mutual stare locked them together, like the horns of two
fighting rams. He pulled and tugged, but was unable to free himself
from his captors wanting desperately to attack his accuser just ten feet
away.
"No! It is all a lie!" Follett yelled to the crowd. He was answered with a
punch in the kidney from behind. He gasped for air as he reeled from
the pain.
Seth seemed to glide on air as he walked over to Brother Follett who
now was doubled over in agony. "Brother Follett has graciously named
all of his coconspirators," Seth said sweeping his hand across the
crowd. "During a moment of repentance he reflected on his actions and
prayed for forgiveness. As you can see he has once fallen again," he
added looking down upon the prisoner.
"You" Brother Follett yelled. Before he could get out another word
he was again punched from behind.
"Brother Follett had decided to repent for his sins to the father. I shall
make sure he keeps his promise," Seth said and took a single step
away. "If any of you decide to confess your sins I will again baptize
you releasing you of your sins. All the father asks is repentance."
Faces in the crowd turned to look at each other, members trying to
decide who among them were of the rebellion.
106
"If you come forward now, I will spare you of our fallen brothers
punishment." Seth said to the crowd. "If you make me force you out
like rats in a sewer, you will feel the punishment."
"I gave no names!" Follett screamed. He was immediately shoved to
the ground, gagged and beaten before the mass of church members.
"He lies!" Seth yelled. He again turned to the crowd. "I will give you
but one chance to confess freely! Those of you who refuse will pay the
ultimate price!"
From the crowd, a small group of members approached the slab and
climbed up onto it. The faces of the congregation twisted to hate as
they witnessed these few come forth and proclaim their disdain for the
church.
"What crime am I being accused of?" a woman from the small group
asked. "Is it a crime to speak the truth?"
Seth turned away from the woman ignoring her and addressed the
mass. "Three days ago, this sacred ground was violated. Our burial
vault, hidden for over thirty years, was discovered and then desecrated
by an outsider. One of you unlocked the entrance to the chamber and
allowed this to occur. One of you was trying to subvert the church and
sabotage our mission."
"We are guilty of nothing I say! You have no proof any one of us doing
this."
"If you are not guilty, then why do you come forth?"
"We come forth to expose you!" she yelled.
The crowd churned and voices grumbled throughout.
107
"Me? How dare you?" Seth asked.
"You are such a fool!" she yelled to him. "A blind fool so self-absorbed
with your own glory and power to see that Brother Follett was coming
to kill you!"
"Kill me? I am the great protector! Youre"
"You are the great deceiver, the prince of lies incarnate!" she yelled
now looking to the crowd. "You unlocked the gate to the chamber
allowing the intruders inside! You wanted the church discovered so
you could expose the secret to the whole world. Brother Follett was
only trying to protect what you were trying to destroy!"
Seth stood dumbfounded on the slab, his eyes glued to the women
accuser before him. He looked to the crowd and again raised his hands.
"She is trying to save herself. I am the keeper of the doctrine, the high
priest. Why would I want to expose it to the outside?" He asked.
"Youre power hungry, and a mad man!" she barked back at him. Your
love of power is only dwarfed by your hate of keeping the secret."
"You are insane." Seth said calmly and called for his deacons to
silence her. They gagged her and dragged her off the slab before she
could do any more damage and insight the crowd into an uncontrollable
mass. He looked to the sheriff standing by the shed and said "Tonight I
shall present to you the son of our Lord, but first I must make a
sacrifice to his holiness worthy of him." He held out his hand and the
sheriff walked over presenting him with Folletts hunting knife. "With
this I shall show reverence to my Lord."
The crowd was now silent as they watched the ceremony-taking place
on the concrete slab before them. The calm night air, rest upon the
108
hundreds of parishioners, as they stood in awe of the power of the
sacrament about to unfold, unshaken by the previous scandal.
"All souls he takes he claims as his own." Seth said looking down at
the knife in his hand. He looked up and held the knife above his head.
The crowd yelled in approval. He walked over to Follett and motioned
the two deputies restraining him to bring him to his feet. "Brother
Follett!" he proclaimed to the crowd. "The decision of sacrifice has
been made in the name of our Lord Lucifer. In his name I thee
baptize!"
The knife plunged deep into Folletts heart and remained there as Seth
watched him fall to the ground, striking the slab with his skull.
"Our Lord is pleased!" he stated to the crowd as blood drained from
Folletts body onto the concrete. "It is now time for the prophecy to be
fulfilled."
The sheriff deputies, now freed from restraining Follett, walked over
and helped haul up the wild man they had found in the basement of the
Johnson house, onto the slab. The man looked about wildly at the many
faces staring back at him from below like a scared helpless child. His
arms were forced out to his sides, held fast by the deputies, his pose
resembling that of Christ on the cross, his body resembling a tortured
soul. He tried to pull free, but the four men holding him gave little as
he struggled to get away.
"Dont be afraid my son." Seth said to the prisoner touching his face
with the back of his hand. "You are a caterpillar waiting to be reborn
into a beautiful butterfly." Seth nodded to the sheriff standing close and
said, "The time is now."
109
The sheriff stepped in front of the prisoner and faced out to the crowd,
blocking the man from view. He knelt down on one knee and drew his
service revolver, placing it in his mouth with his thumb on the trigger.
His eyes grew red for a second. He then he pulled the trigger. Pop went
the gun, and the sheriff fell to the side landing hard on the slab. The
prisoner standing behind was released from his captors grip and
grabbed his abdomen as blood poured forth from the bullet wound.
The prisoner dropped to his knees and stared at the blood on the slab,
mute and bewildered. His long dirty hair fell back as he lost his life,
collapsing back to the concrete slab. Both the sheriff and the prisoner
lied flat on the concrete lifeless and limp. The crowd began to rumble
and Seth raised his hand to silence it without taking his eyes off the two
dead men at his feet.
110
Chapter 10
July 5, 1969
The wild man rose up, standing before the crowd, healed of its bullet
wound. Its eyes were now the same color red the sheriffs eyes had
been a moment before. There had been a transformation of body and
soul. The monster, mute from the day it was discovered, now opened
his mouth before the astonished crowd and proclaimed," I am the son
of the Morning Star!" The crowd stood silent in fear.
Seth backed away in his masters presence bowing down on one knee.
I have not come to judge the living nor the dead," the wild man said,
addressing the crowd. "I am here to fulfill a promise to my father, to
fill his kingdom with faithful, reverent, souls. Your only purpose is to
assist me with my task."
Standing naked and dirty, the Son of the Morning Star gripped the iron
collar from around his neck and tore it off with both hands letting it,
and the chain fall to the concrete with a clang and a rattle. "I stand
before you as your savior, your God on Earth," he stated scanning the
mass before him. "My father has given me a name. A name for which
you shall all call me by. My name is Alex!" he yelled to the silent
group while pointing to the scar on his shoulder and chest. "My father
branded me, putting forth my name for all to see." He paced the slab
becoming more animated. "From this day forward you shall call me
master. You shall call me your savior. The outside world will know me
as Alex. I shall know you as my slaves."
111
His red eyes darted back and forth making hard eye contact with
several members of the church. "Your only goal is to die and be reborn
into an eternity with my father, you have no higher purpose than that!"
he said raising his hand to the crowd. "Scorn me and you scorn the
father. Please me and you do the same." He walked over to Folletts
dead body and placed his foot on his chest. "This man now dwells in
my fathers home. He lives in eternal bliss!" He paused. "You too will
one day know of my fathers love, but before then you will go forth and
collect souls for his kingdom. This is your one and sole purpose! To
love, reverence and populate the kingdom of my father!"
The crowd shouted and cheered back.
"Bring me some clothes," Alex, the Son of the Morning Star demanded,
"For I know now that I am naked."
Seth stood and grabbed a robe off one of the church members standing
close by. He turned and walked to Alex bowing and offering it to him.
Alex just looked down upon him.
"You wish to control me?" Alex asked Seth.
"No my Lord! I only wish to obey you," he replied, looking up to him.
"You cannot lie to me. I am the King of Lies. I know what dwells in
your heart."
"I do not lie to you."
Alex paused for a moment. "Stand before me and repent."
"Repent?"
"Stand!"
112
Seth stood and faced Alex terrified. "Why do you fear me? Is it not
your only desire to reside in my kingdom? Do you fear leaving this
place?" Alex asked.
"I, I dont"
"Thats right. You dont know. Your mouth speaks, but your heart
deceives."
"I have always led the way for your coming."
"You have used me for your own personal gain. Until now you ruled
over these people. Now they are mine. What purpose do you serve
now?"
"I will serve you. You are my master now."
"For how long? At what point will your envy take over? I need not a
conspirator in my ranks. For you I have no trust, or need." Alex stated.
"What is it you crave most?" he asked.
"To please you." Seth answered.
"Your dishonesty pleases me," he replied as he reached out and
grabbed Seths head, twisting it until his neck snapped. He joined
Brother Follett and the sheriff on the slab.
"Tonight was a good sacrifice," Alex stated to the crowd. "My father is
pleased tonight."
113
Chapter 11
April 12, 2000
6 months later
Jennifer Davis stepped out of the university library into the cold dark
night after an evening of study and research for a paper in biology
class. The light emanating from the building faded quickly as she paced
down the sidewalk towards her off campus apartment. She could see
her breath as she huffed and puffed, always keeping an eye out for
strangers and looking back over her shoulder on a regular basis. It was
well known that several coeds had been killed at the university but
none in the last seven months or so.
Her destination was ten blocks off campus mainly down poorly lit
residential streets, and she hadnt planned to stay at the library after
sundown. With her books in tow she counted her steps as they danced
in a rhythmic pattern. She tried not to concentrate on the stars in the
sky above, or the bite of the cold air on her face. She was trying to
listen for any sounds that were out of the ordinary and looked for any
movement that might be a signal trouble lurking in the shadows.
Across the street she could see the brightly lit up sign from a gas
station/ quick mart and several people moving about inside. It gave her
a bit of comfort knowing she could call out for help if needed and she
continued briskly across the parking lot towards the roadway. Her
books seemed to grow heavy in her arms and her fingers began to
tingle as the cold night air nipped at them. She wore only a light jacket
not realizing the temperature would drop so suddenly after sundown.
114
From out of the shadows of the science hall building, came forth a
familiar male voice calling out her name. She listened as the voice
called out to her again.
"Hold up a minute," the voice yelled and the sound of fast paced
footsteps became louder as her pulse began to speed. She froze in her
tracks waiting to see whos face matched up with the voice.
A sigh of relief came over her as she saw Prof. Alex Parsons emerge
from the darkness in an almost cartoon fashion waving his arms and
waddling like a penguin.
"Do you need a ride?" he asked her. "I am heading home myself and I
saw you heading off campus, thought you might like the inside of a
warm car instead of freezing your toes off out here."
She didnt even hesitate. "Sure, Id really appreciate it Dr.. Parsons."
"You can call me Alex, honey. My car is right over here," he replied as
he directed her to his four-door navy sedan parked at the far end of the
lot. They made their way through the lot passing between cars not
saying anything to each other. She felt comfortable with this man for he
was the Professor in her Physics class and had a very fatherly appeal
about him.
He unlocked the door and hit the automatic unlock button making a
click in the remaining three doors. The lock on her door raised into the
up position and she opened the door and got in. Once inside it seemed
very quiet and the car smelled to her like it had been well cleaned and
well kept. She figured he must have been obsessed with neatness
except that his pants were always too baggy and his hair was constantly
messed up.
115
He turned the key and the car started up hardly making a sound. It
seemed to purr like a kitten as he put it into reverse backing out, then
switching gears and making his way down the lot towards the entrance
to the street. Jennifer watched out the passenger window as the gas
station grew further and further away from her. After looking both
ways Alex pushed on the gas and headed down the street.
Jennifer watched as the car made its way to the first turn towards her
apartment and she wondered how he knew when to turn, maybe he
knew someone else who lived in the building and they had mentioned
her name. The radio was turned off and she tried to think of something
to say to break the silence and end this awkward moment. He kept his
eyes facing out the front of the car with his hands on the three and nine
oclock position on the steering wheel and she just stared out the side
window watching the streetlights pass by as the car sped along.
"How are you doing in your other classes?" he asked her. She almost
was startled by the sound of his low booming voice.
"Uhfine, I guess," she struggled for an intelligent answer. She
clenched her books tighter as she looked at him.
"I wish more students spent time in the library instead of the clubs," he
said. "Youre doing the right thing with your free time."
Jennifer thought about how she was actually planning to go out to the
clubs after she got home, but had no intention of telling him. They were
four blocks from her apartment and she was starting to get anxious
about getting out of the car. He was beginning to get a little creepy and
she didnt really like talking to him as much as she thought she would.
The heat from the vents did feel better than the nipping of the cold
night air and she was content to ride this out for four more blocks.
116
As they approached her apartment he suddenly turned to the right
taking her by surprise down the wrong street. She felt a hot flash and a
moment of panic as she was forced by the turn to lean towards the
Professor and grip the passenger door handle. He didnt even flinch as
continued down the side street in the wrong direction, which made her
feel obligated to speak up.
"My apartment was in the middle of that block back there," she said.
"I know honey; I was just going to drop you off in the alley behind the
apartments. There is a driveway leading to the backdoor."
She puzzled a moment wondering how he would know this, but then
realized he has been a teacher in this town for almost a decade and may
have been there before. She had only lived in the city for the two years
she was a student. For all she know he had lived in the apartments
before. He made the turn into the alley and drove to her driveway
putting the car into park.
"Thank you Professor," she said and got of the car shutting the door
behind her. She turned as she walked towards the apartments and saw
him staring at her and it again, started to creep her out. She was glad to
be home, she thought to herself. The headlights from his car shot her
shadow harshly against the side of the building as she sauntered
towards the door, hearing him put the car in reverse and pull out of the
driveway. A sigh of relief came over her.
Jennifer pulled her keys from her jacket pocket and unlocked the door
to a long steep set of stairs that led to her apartment at the top of the
building. It was a chore to climb all the steps and she couldnt wait to
move somewhere else or find a house needing another roommate. The
books in her arms felt like sacks of rocks as she trudged up the steps
117
each one creaking and groaning with each stride One sixty watt bulb lit
the entire staircase illuminating the cracks and yellow stains on the
walls.
At the top of the stairs she produced another key to her door, unlocked
it and entered setting her books on the kitchen table next to her dirty
dishes and disheveled papers and magazines. She checked her
answering machine and headed to the kitchen to look for something to
eat peering inside her empty refrigerator. The cupboards were almost as
barren and she searched the freezer for anything to toss in the
microwave oven.
The clock on the wall read nine thirty five and she thought she could
run to a cash machine and to a fast food restaurant, still having time to
make it to one of her favorite clubs on the edge of campus. All she
needed to do was con one of her friends into driving her, which she did,
on a semi-regular basis. She picked up the wall- mounted phone in the
hall next to the kitchen and dialed up one of her friends. A busy tone
greeted her and she hung up again heading for the kitchen.
Again she searched in vain for anything to eat in case she could not
locate a patsy to chauffeur her around tonight, because she dreaded
walking in that dark cold night again. She leaned back against the
counter and put her hands on the edge, hanging her head as she
thought. The idea of ordering a pizza came to mind until she looked at
her trash can and saw a pile of stacked empty pizza boxes sitting there
that should have gone to the trash two weeks ago.
Frustrated she made her way back into the living room where her heart
skipped a beat and her breathe made a gasping sound seeing Professor
Alex Parsons, standing behind her dining room table. His briefcase lay
open on the table with the lid propped up and his right hand hidden
118
behind the top of the case. He didnt look surprised by her reaction and
was quite calm, almost business like in a way as he looked at her across
the room.
"What?" she bellowed out.
"I think you forgot something in my car Jennifer," he said and lifted a
pair of her underwear from the case, tossing it out on the table. She
looked at it in bewilderment realizing he had been in her apartment and
had stolen this. She froze in her tracks as he pulled a pistol from the
case and approached her. He grabbing her by the back of her ponytail
and yanking her head back hard. He placed the barrel, of the pistol
under her chin and sent a knee into her stomach dropping her to the
ground in one swift motion.
On the floor he placed his shin on the back of her neck constricting her
windpipe, and aimed the pistol just to the right of her ear squeezing off
two quick shots making a pop, pop sound like a cap gun. He grabbed
the back of a chair and lifted himself up not looking at what he had
done. In a flash he was out the door and down the steps racing back to
his car in the back lot of the apartments.
119
Chapter 12
The back door of the house opened into the garage and Alex stepped
through it letting the screen door slam behind him. Light leaked in
around the edges of the garage door allowing enough light for him to
search for what he needed. Around the car, he walked to a rack full of
garden tools hanging off the unfinished wall. He stood scanning the
selection.
Running his hand back in forth along the long tools, he grasped a
garden shovel, a hoe, and tree saw. Carrying the tools under one arm,
he walked around to the back of his four-door sedan and unlocked the
trunk allowing it to pop open. Pushing aside a roll of plastic lawn bags
and his tire iron, he let the tools fall into the trunk with a clatter of
metal on metal.
He placed his hands on the lid of the trunk looking down at the
selection, pondering his choice. This was not the first time he had done
this, but he was always looking to perfect his craft. "Rope!" he
remembered and went to his workbench, unraveling it from a peg hook
by the work light. The rope was tossed on top of the shovel and hoe. He
once again took hold of the trunk and slammed it shut. "There, that will
do it," he thought.
He looked to his watch reading, 3:10 p.m. in digital numbers. "Time to
go!" he thought and scrambled into the drivers seat. Reaching to his
visor, he pushed the door opener button watching in his rear view
mirror, as the door climbed up allowing in the bright sunshine from
outside.
120
The car was started and put in reverse. He pulled out into his driveway
checking for cross traffic, making his way onto the residential street.
The sounds of children screaming and yelling could be heard
emanating from the local elementary school three blocks away and
Alex sped off in that direction.
The gray skies above did little to illuminate the dead dried leaves and
brown grass left by the changing of the seasons. Alex Parsons drove
slowly past the elementary school watching carefully as the children
played on the swings, running, chasing each other kicking and
screaming. He had circled the school several times and was starting to
get nervous as one of the playground monitors took notice of him. He
did not vary from his course continuing to watch the children as he
slowly sped by.
It was 3:20 p.m. and school was to be let out in ten minutes. He parked
his car a block from the playground hiding behind a group of trees and
waited for the children to pass on their way home. He had been here
and done this before, planning it in his mind over and over. All the
pieces were in place. It was time for another catch.
In the distance he saw several groups of children walking away from
the school and his heart began to pound. He looked in all directions
trying to see if anyone was around to notice him and started the car. He
had one child in particular in mind and set off to capture him
The car sped off with almost no sound, and after a few passes, pulled
alongside a small child walking alone. His eyes met the boys and the
car came to a stop. Alex got out of the car, came up to the boy and
knelt down in front of him.
121
"Ryan?" he said to the small boy. "Your mother asked me to give you a
ride home from school today."
The boy looked into Alexs eyes turning to the car without saying a
word. Alex had the look of someones father and the disposition of a
kind older man. He seemed very trust worthy and the boy believed him
without question. Alex ran ahead of the boy and opened the passenger
side door and let him in pushing the door lock just before shutting it.
Alex got in, put the car in drive and sped off down the street. He turned
quickly away from the school so that no one would spot the boy in his
car and told him to slide down in the seat so he would be protected in
case of an accident. He smiled at the boy and told him he would be
home soon. The boy sat silent just staring out the side windows,
watching the trees pass by, as they drove onward.
"How are you doing?" Alex asked the small child.
"Fine," he replied looking at the door handle.
"Ill have you home in five minutes, dont you worry."
The child did not answer. He just sat quietly staring up to the window.
"How old are you?" Alex asked trying to make conversation keeping
the boy calm.
"Six," he replied.
"You sure dont talk much do you?" Alex asked with a smile.
"My mommy says we are going out to eat."
122
"Really?" Alex said trying to sound interested. "Where are you going
to?"
The boy shrugged his shoulders and refused to make eye contact.
"You like pizza?" Alex asked.
"Yes."
"Me too. Pepperoni is my favorite."
Alex took notice of a car in his rearview mirror speeding up quickly,
closing the distance between them. Hot lead shot through his veins and
he had to struggle to keep his composure with the boy. Through the
windshield of the car behind him he saw a woman waving her arms
frantically and then heard the sounds of her horn honking. He had to
think fast.
Up ahead, he spied between the rows of parked cars, an alley cutting
the block in two. He reached out and turned on his blinker, signaling a
right turn. Slowing to a crawl, he made the turn, driving down the
narrow path. He tried not to make any abrupt moves that might set her
off. The woman behind him stopped honking, turning to following him
just a few feet off his bumper.
He came to a stop, put the car in park and let it idle. She stopped
behind him and turned her car off. Exiting the car quickly in a panic the
woman raced over to Alex before he was able to get all the way out of
his car and stood before him out of breath.
"Who are you?" she said trying not to yell.
Scrambling for the right lie he stated, "Im a friend of the family and
Im doing a favor for his mother."
123
She looked at him with disbelief. "And your name is?" she asked.
He knew he was caught and said "Alex." He paused looking in her
eyes. "And what is your name, you nosy woman?" he asked.
She was taken aback by his comment now fearing being alone in the
alley with him. Her thoughts rested with the child, knowing she had to
take him from this stranger.
"Cathy Anderson if you must know," she said back to him, thinking she
should just scream for help.
"Well Cathy, I see we have a problem here."
She looked into his car and looked at the small child huddled down in
the passenger seat. "Let me have the child" she stated firmly, "I dont
care where you go after that."
"Really? Why dont I believe you?"
"The child is my only concern."
"I believe you," he said calmly, "You seem very sincere, I bet you have
children of your own."
She refused to tell this man about her own family trying to keep the
conversation on the matter at hand. "Give me the child," she reiterated.
"I dont think I can do that."
She stepped back and looked around the alley. "There is no way you
are leaving here with that child."
"I wouldnt be so sure Cathy."
124
His use of her first name angered her. She stepped to the front of his
car and looked down at his license plate trying to memorize it. She then
looked behind his car noticing hers parked there.
"Do you think you can block me in here?" he said with a smug grin.
"Are you willing to risk your life for this child?"
She didnt think anyone would really be capable of driving over
someone, playing on what compassion this man may still have. "Yes I
am," she said.
"How about your three young ones at home?"
Her eyes shot open wide. "How do you know? Have you been stalking
my family?"
"Absolutely not Cathy. At least not yet," he said as his eyes began to
tint red.
She stepped around to the passenger side of his car and grabbed the
door handle finding it locked. He entered the car and slammed the door
shut. He quickly put in the key and turned the car on. She ran to the
rear of his car attempting to get to her own car. Alex put his car in
reverse and waited for her to run between his rear and her front
bumpers. At the right moment he slammed on his gas and rammed the
woman in the legs. With a crash of metal and breaking bone the woman
screamed in agony. The cars separated and she fell to the ground in a
heap. He hit the gas again and crushed her torso between the cars
killing her instantly.
"I guess you were willing to die for the boy," he said under his breath
putting the car in drive, speeding down the alley. The young boy
looked to Alex not saying a word. He just looked out his window at the
125
trees passing by. They made it to the end of the alley, then turning out
onto the brick-street.
Up ahead, Alex spotted a police car coming down the street in his
direction. He kept his eyes forward and his hands firmly on the wheel,
driving like the police car wasnt there. As he neared the patrol car, he
happened to make eye contact with the officer, seeing that he was
locked in a stare with him. He felt that the officer had recognized him.
They passed. Immediately, Alex watched in his rear view mirror, as the
patrol car made a quick U-turn in the middle of the street. The patrol
cars lights turned on flashing red and blue in a rhythmic pattern and
the siren blared throughout the neighborhood.
Alex panicked. He stomped on the accelerator pedal, forcing it to the
floor, and spun his front wheels, shooting the car down the residential
street at over 60 mph. He ran stop sign after stop sign missing several
cars by inches as the patrol car followed closely behind him. The police
sirens blared, as the two vehicles were shot through the streets like
bullets heading for an unknown target. Alex knew he was heading for a
dead end and needed to go eight blocks north in order to hit the
highway and make it out of town.
He slammed on the breaks, sending the car into a slow spin. The car
slid on the pavement turning slowly until it was perpendicular with the
police car. It caught the brick-street and flipped repeatedly over and
over, coming to rest on its roof.
126
Chapter 13
Tony set the newspaper on Brinkmans desk and just shook his head.
"I had no idea." He said in disbelief. "Parsons was the one the whole
time. I sat next to him for years, and the whole time he was the one!
Sick bastard, I never liked him."
Brinkman sat back in his leather chair and puffed out cigar smoke
watching Tony rub his forehead and squint his eyes.
"His DNA was all over the place Most of them do," Tony replied. He
thought for a moment. "Dorothy!" he exclaimed.
Brinkman nodded. "We suspected him the whole time. We found skin
under her fingernails and the DNA matched his."
"And you did nothing?" Tony asked.
"We had no other proof," Brinkman said. "No witnesses. Nothing."
"This has been a very strange week," Tony said as he tilted his head
back and closed his eyes. " I need sleep."
"Im sorry to tell you this, under your stress, but it gets a lot stranger."
"What now?" He asked.
"Speaking of DNA my friend. If you remember our last conversation
about your DNA, I said it was unlike any other string I have ever seen.
Well, I wasnt exactly telling the whole truth."
"Im not surprised," Tony said sarcastically. "Go on."
127
"As you know the US government has accesses to information that the
general public does not, in order to insure and maintain national
security."
"Of course."
"This goes no further than this office."
"I understand."
"Ok," Brinkman said tapping a pen on his lower lip. "I dont know how
much you know about ancient artifacts and religious relics. You have
heard of the shroud of Turin havent you?"
"Yes, it supposedly has the burned on image of Christ on it."
"Well this has nothing to do with that fake."
"Fake? How do you know?"
"Weve known the truth for the last thirty years. All this study they are
doing now is just for show."
"How do you know?"
"Lets say that the technology we use is probably fifteen to twenty
years ahead of the private sector. Do you think Bigfoot is running
around in the forests of Washington State? We have known the truth
ever since the first spy satellite was put into orbit."
"Is he?"
"I would tell you, but I would have to kill you." Brinkman said with a
smile. "But I digress."
128
"What does this have to do with me?"
"Many old European churches keep artifacts in their churches as
shrines. They are usually only brought out for special ceremonies and
such."
"I am familiar with this," Tony stated
"Not all of the relics are, you see."
"Youre just full of secrets arent you?"
"Thats my business." Brinkman said leaning forward in his chair.
"We have had an on and off relationship with the Vatican for years.
During WWII we were able to gain access to their private vaults and
collections."
"Why?"
"Doesnt matter, its all politics anyway. Fact is though, we were given
access to something the church holds as probably its most prized
possession."
"The Holy Grail?" Tony asked.
"That fails in comparison my son. In a air-conditioned, vault seventy-
feet below the popes chamber, lie the crown of thorns."
Tony sat dumbfounded. "They still exist?"
"Yes, and many other things that I will not go into now."
"Why are you telling me this?
"I cant go into the details, but we were allowed a sample."
129
"You desecrated it?"
"No, we took a very small sample from one of the blood stained thorns.
At the time we were only interested in blood typing the sample. Hoping
to see if the blood was indeed human."
"Was it?" Tony asked.
Brinkman paused and leaned back in his chair. "Yes and no," he stated.
"In what way?" Tony asked.
"Ill get to that," he said standing. He walked over to the coffee
machine and poured a cup of steaming hot coffee. "Would you like
some?"
"No, please go on."
"DNA testing was thirty-five years away. When it was available we
tested the sample. It was amazing, absolutely astonishing. The sample
showed most of the same patterns of human DNA and some we had
never seen before. Until now."
"What are you getting at?" Tony asked.
"Remember when we picked through your comb, as you put it? Your
tests match those tests to a one hundred million to one degree of error."
130
Chapter 14
Saturday, October 23, 1973
Pastor Jack Rhine stood in the wind, blocking the sun from his eyes,
gazing upon the stone brick Gothic style church before him. On the
marquee was written in white letters, the name of the Minister, the
Reverend Alex Parsons, and the schedule of services. Above his name,
carved in stone, was the name of the church written across the top in
tall letters. It read "Freedom Church."
In his hand the pastor held a crumpled envelope, and a photograph with
a picture of his missing brother Seth, bordered by several unidentified
men. In his other hand he held a brass key which came in the envelope
with the photograph.
He turned over the picture and read the writing on the back as he had
done so many times before. It read, "If you want to know the truth, here
is the key. Im sorry I can not tell you anything more. Be careful." At
the bottom was the address of the church scribbled in red ink.
He walked across the street into the shadow cast from the huge
building. His pace quickened and he ran up the steps to the front doors.
He looked around to see if there was anyone on the grounds that could
assist him. He saw no one. He turned to the door again and knocked
several times and stood back waiting for a response. It was the middle
of the day on a Saturday and he realized, as a Pastor himself, that the
chances of anyone being here now were slim.
131
He pulled on the door and was surprised to find it locked. His own
church was rarely if ever inaccessible to the public making him wonder
why it was closed. He looked down at the key as he rolled it between
his fingers. He thought for a moment and placed the key in the lock
turning it with a click.
The door pulled out easily and he stepped inside the narthex, which
was filled with stacks of boxes, taped shut and neatly arranged
alongside the walls. He did not dare look inside he thought as he
stepped over to the next set of doors.
The doors to the main room were dark stained glass with artwork
portraying the birth and death of Jesus. He noticed right away that they
were covered in dust and had lost their shine, no longer shimmering
from the light that passed through the window.
He tried these doors first giving a little tug to see if they were locked. .
They opened with some resistance as he shoved boxes across the floor
on the other side. The scraping sound of cardboard on wood was the
only sound he heard besides his own breathing.
Standing in the main hall, he looked out to the vastness of the room and
stood numb staring out at the scene before him. His veins turned to ice
as he saw rows and rows of childrens skulls facing away from him
towards the altar. The positions of the skulls resembled the game pieces
of a chess game on a chessboard. From one side of the room to the
other, and from the back of the room to the front, they lined up neatly
spaced one foot apart. The only thing interrupting the pattern was a
two-foot pathway running the length down the center to the altar.
A twenty-foot cross-hung upside down above the altar at the far end of
the room sending terror throughout this man of God. Pastor Rhine, his
132
heart in his throat, walked lightly forward keeping his feet within the
narrow path, horrified at the site, as he neared the altar. Halfway to the
altar, he looked back at the many vacant eyes looking to him and said
out loud, "The poor children."
He noticed along the walls, stacked four high, were more boxes neatly
arranged and taped shut. It scared him to know what lie inside. He
turned back and walked to the altar stepping up onto the platform
beneath the overturned cross. Before him, set side by side on the altar,
were six adult skulls facing out to the crowd of faceless children. They
seemed to be addressing the congregation in a silent, spiritual cry.
The pastor walked around the altar and stood behind it looking out
upon the many vacant faces looking back to him and his eyes began to
water. He placed his hands on the altar and bowed to say a prayer for
the dead. Looking down upon the skulls he noticed writing engraved on
the back of them. He read as he scanned across them, "Follett, Davis,
Thomas, Rhine!" The voice screamed in his head. It was Seth!
A hot flash came over him and he looked to the ceiling closing his
eyes. Bible verses shot through his mind in an attempt to calm him.
"Though I walk through the valley of the" He stopped, "No!" he
screamed in his head as he opened his eyes.
He reached out without thinking and grabbed Seths skull, and stuffed
it in under his jacket. In a panic, he shot around the altar and darted out
onto the main floor tripping and landing in the midst of the childrens
skulls, sending them across the floor in all directions. He looked down
to see the helpless, innocent, empty eyes looking back at him and
scrambled to his feet.
133
Regaining his balance, he took off down the center aisle, pushing his
way through the narthex. He stopped winded, with the skull tightly
clutched under his jacket doubled over feeling ill. Taking a calming
breath he moved to one of the boxes stacked alongside the wall and
tore open the lid. His energy drained from his body as he looked upon
the mismatched assortment of childrens bones within the box.
Stepping back he found the main door and pushed it open running out
into daylight. Outside the building, he stopped and attempted to regain
his composure trying not to attract attention to his find. Quickly, he
trotted down the steps, walked across the grass, and kept out a watchful
eye for anyone who may be watching.
He pulled out his car keys and unlocked the drivers door while
grasping the skull under his jacket. The door swung open and he
quickly tossed the skull on the passengers seat covering it with a stack
of papers from the backseat. Once inside, he shut the door and started
the ignition only to see a teenage boy on the sidewalk watching him.
The boy darted into the alley. Pastor Rhine put the car in drive,
stomped on the gas pedal, and spun the tires as he left the church
behind.
***
His heart pounding in his chest, the Pastor pulled his sedan into the
parking lot of the Denton Valley Inn putting the car in park. Turning
off the car, he opened the door, skull in tow, and ran to the staircase
along the side of the building. Climbing to the second story landing, he
proceeding down the walkway to his room at the end of the Inn. He
fumbled for his Inn key, facing the bright red door keeping a firm grip
on the skull now under his jacket.
134
The door opened before he could get the key inside. Standing before
him in the doorway was his wife Emily, holding their three-year-old
son Tony in her arms. She looked him in the eye and said, "Is
something wrong Jack?" curling her brow.
"Grab everything!" he cried as he raced inside gathering up clothes and
bags. He found an open suitcase, and with his back turned to his wife,
placed the skull under a shirt, zipping the bag closed. He turned to see
if she saw him do this noticing a grave look of concern on her face.
"Where are we going?" she asked, clutching Tony tight to her. "We just
got her two hours ago!"
"I know! Something came up and we cant stay," he said, gathering up
the bags on the bed. "Get down to the car. Ill be right behind you!"
She hesitated, then turned grabbing her purse and walked out of the
room with her child in tow. He tossed the room key on the bed and left
the room with their baggage under his arms. He left the door open. "We
need to hurry!" he said to her as he came up from behind. She picked
up the pace and they both ran as fast as they could down the black iron
staircase to the ground below.
Far off in the distance Pastor Rhine could make out the sounds of
police sirens breaking over the horizon. His heart was now a humming
bird in his chest. The bags were tossed haphazardly in the back seat and
the three of them entered the car.
To his right the Pastor saw the Inn clerk dash out of his office waving
his arms and shouting incoherently. "Forgive me Lord," he said out
loud, put the car in reverse, and stomped on the gas pedal. He then
threw the car into drive and took off out of the parking lot watching the
clerk in his rear view mirror through the dust.
135
"Whats going on?" Emily yelled to Jack as little Tony began to cry.
"I will explain later!" Jack yelled back keeping his eyes glued to the
road ahead.
The scenery zipped by at 70 mph as the cool October wind blew in
through the open window. Keeping an eye in his rear view mirror he
saw the tiny flashes of police lights and the faint sounds of sirens
racing from behind him.
By this time they were clear of Denton Kansas and were well on their
way out of the county. Still the city police pursued him.
"What did you do?" Emily yelled. "Why are they chasing us?"
Pastor Jack looked over to his wife and son and said, "I found
something."
"Is this about Seth?"
"Yes. Thats all I can say for now."
The four-door sedan was at top speed at 85 mph. The police behind
him made up for lost time and were in the process of overtaking him
any minute.
"Whats that up ahead?" Emily asked, pointing out the front
windshield.
Pastor Jack squinted as he peered down the road at the two specks on
the path ahead. "Its a roadblock!" he shouted and slammed his hand
down on the steering wheel. He applied the breaks and brought the car
down to 35 mph until he was about fifty feet from the deputys cars
136
blocking his path. It took only seconds for the city police to pull up
from behind and block his retreat.
Sweat dripped from Jacks forehead. He looked to his wife who was
holding Tony tight to her chest and clenched his jaw. He spun his head
around looking for a way out mumbling to himself.
"Youre scaring me!" his wife said.
The deputies in front of him exited their vehicles and approached the
Pastor and his wife with pistols drawn. The police in the rear were
coming from behind, shotguns in tow.
Jack gripped the wheel, and with his eyes closed raised his head to the
heavens above and said, "Lord, if you can hear my prayer. I ask thee
for thy divine assistance in our time of need."
Pastor Jack Rhines young son reached out and touched him on the
arm. Jack looked over to the boy without saying a word and a calm
came over him. The look in the three-year-olds eyes took the fear from
his heart, and for the first real time felt the presence of his Lord God.
"Daddy," the young child said. "I hear you."
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the two patrol cars blocking their path
separated, shooting off the roadway like toys to a child. Flying end
over end, the patrol cars landed in the pasture hundreds of feet apart, in
a cloud of dust.
Without hesitation Pastor Jack Rhine spun his tires and charged the
men before him. His confidence restored by the power of his God, he
drove down the centerline as the deputies unloaded shot after shot into
the car. Glass broke, steam shot out from under the hood and pieces of
137
metal flew off the car with each blast, but the car sailed on past out of
reach of the lawmen.
138
Chapter 15
Sunday, October 24, 1973
"The body of Christ," Pastor Rhine stated, holding the host before the
parishioner.
"Amen," the woman said, accepting the sacrament on her tongue. She
turned to the right, and walked away, allowing the next person in line
to accept communion.
"The body of Christ," he stated again, receiving the same response
from the man standing before him. Holding out his hand, the Pastor
placed the host on his palm and the man stepped to the side placing the
host in his mouth.
"The body of Christ," Pastor Rhine said to the woman before him.
Then a loud commotion from the fifth row disrupted the ceremony.
"Help!" shouted a woman from the left side of the church. More voices
raised, and people began to stir uneasy. From the other side of the
church a man yelled "Somebody call an ambulance!"
Pastor Rhine stepped off his pulpit, running to the front pew, leaving
the line unattended. Holding the plate of hosts in his hand, he scanned
the crowd watching people collapse and fall, before his eyes.
By this time, the church was a mass of confusion and fear. The line
waiting for the sacrament dispersed running back to his or her
perspective seats, looking to see if anything was wrong or anyone was
hurt.
139
Pastor Rhine darted to the other side of the pulpit and looked out onto
the other side of the church. He spun his head around and looked to his
deacon who was as dumbfounded as he.
"My husband!" someone yelled.
"My daughter!" a voice shouted above the crowd.
The front doors of the church opened as parishioners ran out the
building terrified of what was going on inside. A group of men lifted a
woman to their shoulders and carried her down the isle, out the front
door into the bright sunshine outside.
Pastor Rhine ran back up to the altar and looked down to the hosts in
the chalice he was holding in his hand. Fearing he had somehow
poisoned his parishioners, in a panic he tossed the hosts onto the
tabletop spilling them, knocking some to the floor. He stopped, dazed
and confused, looked at what he had done. The deacon ran to him and
grabbed his arm.
"Pastor! Are you alright?" he asked the confused clergyman.
"Mike, whats happening?" he asked the deacon.
"The people are getting sick Jack!" he stated. "Ill call for help!"
"No! Let me," the Pastor said in a daze, and ran through the side door
to the prep room. He picked up the telephone and spun the dial, calling
the police department. The phone rang, then again.
"Philips police department," the voice on the phone stated.
"This is Pastor Jack Rhine, the pastor of Trinity Church. I need an
ambulance here. Something has happened."
140
"One moment, hold the line," the voice stated and the phone went
silent.
Pastor Rhine stood with the phone to his ear listening as people shouted
and screamed from the main hall just outside the prep room. It felt like
minutes passing as he held fast to the silence on the line.
Deacon Mike Vostler ran to the doorway and stood panting, trying to
catch his breath.
"What is it Mike?" the Pastor asked trembling.
"People are dying Pastor!" he shouted.
Pastor Rhine set the phone down, running past Mike to the altar. He
looked out upon the small group still left in the church, seeing bodies
lying in the isles. Running down from the altar, he scanned the pews
moving towards the back of the church. In his mind, he did a quick
count and added up more than two dozen dead, or dying people.
"Pastor!" Mike shouted from the doorway to the prep room. "The
police are on the phone. They want to talk to you!"
Pastor Rhine turned, running back up the aisle, robes flowing in the
wind, jumping onto the raised platform of the altar in one leap. He
darted into the prep room and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" Pastor Rhine asked with the phone to his lips.
"Pastor," the unfamiliar voice addressed him. "This is a little reminder
to keep your mouth shut!"
The phone went dead. Then a dial tone. He did not know if the voice on
the phone was the police or someone else he did not know. It did not
141
matter now, for he needed to call his wife, who was home with their
son Tony.
He dialed his home phone number and let it ring. Four, five, then six
times it rang. Nothing. He quickly put the phone back down on the
cradle and bowed his head. Placing his hands on the table top, he grit
his teeth and squinted his eyes. He was in shock.
"Pastor!" Mike shouted from the altar outside. "Come quickly!"
Pastor Rhine ran out of the prep room to the altar, and looked out to
where Mike was pointing.
Standing at the back of the church, holding their son, was Emily
covered in blood. The Pastor took off in a sprint running to his wife,
adrenaline pumping through his veins like a steam engine. He stopped
a few feet short and reached out to take the young boy from her red
blood stained arms. The Pastor used his white robe to wipe blood from
Tonys face and he set the boy on the carpet.
He stood up and looked his wife in the eye. She was in a daze.
"Emily?" he asked.
"Jack," she said staring off into space.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"They told me. They told me to tell you."
"What Emily? Tell me what."
"Not to tell the secret," she replied, then fell to the floor limp.
"Emily!" he yelled and dropped down to his knee to help her.
142
"Jack, please do as they say, for Tony," she whispered, blood bubbles
coming from her lips.
"I promise Emily, I will tell no one."
A smile came across her face, then she was gone.
143
Chapter 16
An array of halogen lights glared down from the forty-foot ceiling,
brightly illuminating the open bay in the secret US government
research facility. The building was sectioned off into different
investigation departments with laboratories; offices and field
experiment areas set aside inside to test ideas and theories. Dr. Tony
Rhine was assigned one of these areas and was leaning back in his
chair sipping his coffee with one hand and tapping a pen on is desk
with his other
Twenty feet from him sat what resembled a train boxcar. The ends
were cut off and a plethora of wires and electronics ran in all directions
meeting up to a single snake conduit. The snake connected to a large
terminal, which in turn connected to his personal computer on his desk.
His office consisted of this open area set up with no walls; doors or
windows, and he loved the freedom of movement and space it provided
him to work in.
He was working on a time portal based on his theory that time travel
was a naturally occurring event brought about by sudden charges of
electricity. He was trying to duplicate in the laboratory, what had
happened on the recording using a safe area and controlled conditions.
He theorized that all areas struck by lightning were altered time wise,
and that over the billions of years the Earth was pock marked with
small areas of time shifted matter. In theory, the Earth was not one
consistent age, but was many billions of different ages separated by
tiny variations, depending on the power of the lightning strikes.
144
Tony had given up his job at the university in order to study the
phenomenon for the US government full time, biding time until the his
true purpose would be realized. The Pacific Airliner is due to disappear
in a few months and Brinkman informed Tony that he would be a part
of the research team assembled to investigate the event when it
occurred. The last date recorded on the airliner was June 14, 2001.
They found various timepieces among the possessions of the
passengers and were able to correlate the date to that day. He did not
know if he would be included in any real research concerning the
flight, even admitting that his presence may interfere sending the loop
around once again.
Today was like most days, sitting idle trying to imagine how the
process worked. He had been working on the problem for several
months now with no visible results to speak of and was beyond
frustration. Somehow he needed to be able to reverse the natural
vibration of matter in a way to send it into an alternate path heading
backward into time. He theorized that the amount of electricity was
proportional to the actual distance traveled backwards and any amount
of current would start the process.
"Why dont you just unhook all that stuff and send a natural bolt of
lightning through the damn thing?" his lab assistant said.
"Natural? We are in a building," Tony replied with a smirk. He looked
to the ceiling and wandered off in thought.
On the television monitor by his desk, was a picture of a digital clock
positioned within the chamber with the correct date and time showing.
If anything happened, videotape would record any time shifts and a
comparison of electrical power and time variance could be calculated.
145
As of this time, no shifts had been recorded and the tape continued to
loop over and over.
"I might as well pray to God!" Tony said under his breath. " Thats the
only thing I havent tried yet,"
"Maybe we need some divine intervention," his lab assistant said
slurping his coffee. "Too bad youre a heathen. We could use the help."
"What?"
"I read your paper."
"What paper?"
"You published that paper on your personal theory of time travel back
when you were teaching."
"That paper! Usually those things get filed away in a library and no one
reads them."
"True. My sister was in your class. She said you were a real ass."
"Me?"
"You pissed her off with all your anti-God rhetoric. She thought she
was in a religion class."
"Rhetoric? I dont think so." Tony stated. "I dont discount God. That
would be unscientific. I must consider all variables."
"Sure doctor."
"Are you patronizing me?" Tony said with a grin.
"God is a variable to you. I find that funny."
146
"And why do you say that?
"To most people, God is their savior. To you God is a math calculation.
Two plus two equals God."
"Two plus infinity actually," Tony said with a chuckle. He shuffled in
his seat and leaned forward. "I admit I can get a little preachy
sometimes, but as long as I can find no direct evidence of God,"
"No evidence!" his assistant spoke up. "What do you call the trees and
the oceans and all of the animals?"
"That is a result! That is not evidence of what spawned it."
"Spawned? You mean evolved?" the assistant asked.
"Yes, evolved."
"You are a Darwin fanatic."
"Darwin had the right idea you know. Pretty damn smart for back
then."
"Its only a theory you know."
"Did I say it wasnt?" Tony asked. " I realize it cannot be proven. As a
man of science I realize that our theories evolve also. That is the magic
of science."
"Magic? You sound more religious than you let on," the assistant said
smugly. "You have to have faith to believe in evolution."
"Common sense."
"One mans common sense is another mans foolishness."
147
"Philosopher?" Tony asked, "You must have had a double major?"
"No, I had a minor in religion."
"Isnt that a conflict of interest?"
"Not to me. Science and religion can work hand in hand."
"More like stabbing each other in the back." Tony sipped from his
coffee again and grinned at his assistant sitting across the room.
"Would it make you feel better if I tried the unknown variable?"
"A little prayer never hurt?"
"Telepathy."
"Huh?"
"Thats what prayer is. Telepathy to God."
"You make me laugh," the assistant said grinning. "You analyze
everything to death. No wonder youre not married."
"Now thats below the belt." Tony said. "Ok, Im willing to walk on the
other side for the sake of science. How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Pray."
"Youre kidding?"
"No." Tony said shrugging his shoulders. "I never had a reason to
practice before."
148
"This is nuts. Havent you ever been to a church before? Didnt youre
parents ever take you?"
"When I was very young. My dad was a Pastor. They both died when I
was still a kid."
"Oh! Im sorry, I crossed the line there."
"Its ok, you didnt know. Now what am I supposed to do? Get down
on my knees and put my hands together?"
"There is no set pattern. It is a personal thing between you and God."
"Ok, Ill give it a shot."
"Go for it!"
Tony tried to keep a straight face, looking to the ceiling, and stated out
loud, "Oh God in heaven, please show me the way," Tony said hitting
the run key on his keyboard. His assistants eyes lit up seeing the image
on the screen change and stood up pointing to the television monitor
speechless. He ran to Tonys monitor to make sure it wasnt a technical
glitch and then to the clock itself, holding his head with his hands. He
turned to Tony.
"What did you do?" the assistant asked.
"Nothing!" Tony said looking up at the skylights above. He smiled at
his antics and then jumped out of his chair as he focused on the clock
and saw the time and date were off by over twelve hours. "What
the?" he said. "I did it. I really did it." The readouts on the computer
screen showed that less than the power in a single D cell battery sent
the clock over twelve hours back in time. The clock had been sitting
there for over four months before they even started so they would be
149
able to calculate the time in case the experiment worked. It was now
the time to call Brinkman.
150
Chapter 17
July 18, 1980
Rain poured down from the sky in heavy pounding drops, stinging
when they struck bare skin. The sky was dark and the stars were hidden
behind a thick blanket of clouds shooting forth bolts of lightning and
crashes of thunder. The wind was whipping by at a brisk 20-mph.
Making visibility very poor. It was all he could do just to keep an eye
on the yellow lines that divided the highway. In the car with him was
his young son Tony, who was gripping his seat in terror, watching his
father try to get them home.
"Daddy Im scared," Tony said.
"Its ok son, Im taking it slow" his father replied.
It was difficult to see the road when the headlights from the oncoming
cars created a blinding glare on the windshield, finding the vehicle
slightly veering off to the right whenever a car approached. He knew he
was scared too, wanting to get home as soon as possible. They were
fifteen miles from the edge of town, nearing the worst stretch of
highway so far. The road dipped and turned making driving a chore,
even on a good day. The road had ruts in them from the semi-trucks
that used the road, forming long lakes of rainwater, which sometimes
caused the car to hydroplane. He compensated by driving to the left,
staying just outside the puddles of water. This sometimes brought him
close to oncoming traffic, which used the same trick to keep out of the
ruts.
151
Pastor Jack Rhine kept a tight grip on the wheel and leaned forward in
a ready, ridged stance waiting for the worst. Tony was strapped in with
a seatbelt, his father not using one. Minutes passed by so slowly as he
kept trudging along through the downpour, nervously scanning the road
ahead.
How much longer?" Tony asked.
"About ten minutes," Jack replied nervously, not wanting to speak.
Tony turned and stared outside the window, watching the rain streak
by, listening to the sound of the wiper blades swooshing by in a
rhythmic pattern. Tony had confidence in his dad knowing his father
would get him home. Tony was ten years old, still very dependent on
his father. His father, the Reverend Jack Rhine, was a strong man in
spirit and a good father; he would not let his son down. He knew the
rain had to let up soon.
"Im pulling over," Tonys father said. "I need to let this cool off for a
while."
The car slowly veered to the side of the highway finding its way to the
shoulder. The car remained running as the wipers zipped back and forth
cleaning the windshield for a second at a time. Tony could see his
father was more relaxed now, prying his white knuckles off of the
steering wheel.
"Well just wait here for a few minutes until this lightens up. Ok?"
he asked Tony.
"Sure dad, I dont like the rain either," Tony replied.
Tony noticed the reflection from the rear view mirror on his dads face.
The rectangle of light now flashed with red and blue lights. He turned
152
to look though the back window at a blur of police lights approaching
right behind them slowing down. Tonys father turned also.
"Oh no!" he said. "I bet they think Ive broken down."
He waited as the car came to a stop and a patrolman in a yellow rain
coat exited and approached the side of the car. He could see the glare of
a flashlight bouncing along the glass of the door. The officer came to
the side window and tapped on it with the light. Pastor Rhine rolled
down the window, and bullets of rain found its way into the car.
Squinting at the blinding flashlight and the wind swept rain he asked,
"Is there a problem officer?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing mister," the patrolman
replied rudely.
"I was just waiting out the rain."
"Parking on the shoulder is against the law you know."
"No, I didnt. I had no idea. Plus this is kind of an emergency."
"Emergency? Lots of folks drive in worse weather than this."
Young Tony watched as the officer and his father carried on the
conversation. He watched intensely the way the policeman argued with
his dad and became angry. He saw the police officer point the light in
his fathers face trying to intimidate him. He took a good look at the
face of the man, burning his image into his brain. He did not want to
forget this.
"If you dont move right along Ill have to issue you a citation," the
officer stated.
153
Tonys father took a deep breath and looked out the windshield. The
rain had not let up and in fact intensified. He took a quick look over at
Tony and turned to the officer.
"Im going," he said. Under his breath he added, "Bastard."
From out of the corner of Tonys eye, in a flash, he saw the officer
slam down his flashlight on the side of his fathers face. His head
reeled and spun towards Tony sprinkling him with blood drops. His
dad lay there in his seat knocked out and bleeding. Tony froze as he
saw the officer pull out his gun and unload several shots into his father.
Spurts of blood landed on the dash and windshield as the shots rang
out. The flash from the pistol left images in his eyes and the sound
shocked him. As soon as it started, it ended and the policeman was
gone. Only rain showed through the drivers side window. His father
was dead.
Tony opened his door and stood out in the rain. He looked to his father
slumped over in his seat, then back at the police car parked behind his
father car. He watched the officer sit in the car, slam the door shut, and
turn off his overhead light. Through the windshield Tony watched the
mans eyes glow red and he began to tremble.
The officer looked over to Tony and turned reaching behind his seat.
He pulled an object forward and opened his drivers side door again.
Stepping out, he stood and yelled to Tony, "Hey! Dont move!"
Tony bolted and ran down into the ditch heading out to the farm field
bordering the highway. The grass was slick and he scrambled to climb
up the other side of the embankment grabbing a hold of the fence post
for leverage. He turned to see the officer standing backlit in his
headlights with police lights flashing, holding a rifle to his eye. A shot
154
fired. Then another shot broke through the air striking the ground at
Tonys feet. "
The police officer jumped into the ditch taking off after the boy.
Striking the wet grass he fell and rolled to the bottom, splashing into
the cold water collected there. The flashing of red and blue lights made
it difficult to get his footing in the water, bouncing light in all
directions. He reached under the water, unholstered his pistol, and
brought it to head level looking for a target.
Tony fell through the barb wire fence, slicing his calf in the process. He
felt the sting of the cut, but had little time for the pain. His only escape
was to hide out in the tall corn in the dark. He ran to the edge of the
field and sunk his foot up to his ankle in the mud. It was slow going
from now on, but the small boy had the dark on his side. Rain poured
and thunder cracked all around, but no one, not even the police officer
could find the small ten year old Tony Rhine in this corn field.
Moments later the police lights were turned off and the car drove off
down the highway leaving his dead father and the car behind. Tony
watched it all from the rain soaked field and his tears added to the rain
on the ground.
The face of the man was forever etched in Tonys memory.
It was determined that the man responsible for the incident was posing
as a police officer, because no officers were in the area at the time of
the shooting. Tonys description of the man was to vague to fit any of
the local, county, or state patrol officers on duty that evening, and the
case was set aside. Tony struggled to understand the reason for the
brutal murder. The man took nothing from them, saying nothing that
would give a clue. His father had no enemies, owing no one any favors.
155
Tony spent many days and nights pondering the senselessness of the
killing trying to remember if there was any reason why the man made
such a waste of his father. Did his dad provoke him? What did he miss?
It happened so fast that he wasnt even sure he could remember exactly
what took place or if his description of the impostor was accurate
156
Chapter 18
14 Months later
Tony sat silent, strapped tight into his web seat, across the isle from
commander, Capt. John Ramsey. Feeling nauseous from the turbulent
ride, he closed his eyes, and clenched his jaw tight, trying to keep his
mind on his mission. To his right, lined on both sides of the C-130
Hercules, were rows of seats occupied by marine paratroopers in ready
status. Sixty-four men sat ready like sardines in a can, waiting to be let
out
The inside the massive transport plane was dark, except for the dim
lights that dotted the long passageway back to the cargo hold. To his
left, a radar center manned by two men kept track of data coming in
over the monitors. They sat diligently staring and scanning the dials
and readouts keeping in constant radio contact with the navigator and
pilots.
"Radar contact," one of them said into his headset microphone.
"Bearing two-niner, niner."
"I have confirmation," the other man said tapping on a button at his
console.
Tony could feel the plane roll as it slowly banked into a turn. He
looked to his watch to confirm the time. According to the information
gathered at the excavation, the Trans Pacific Airliner they were
following was to disappear in ten minutes.
157
"We are tracking," the radar operator stated. "Maintain present course,"
he added.
Capt. Ramsey unbuckled his seat belt and motioned Tony to do the
same. The drone of the turboprops made speaking difficult, so the he
used hand signals when possible when communicating with his men.
With a motion of his hand, he signaled Tony to follow him to the
control center of the plane, between the cockpit and the radar station.
Both men squeezed past the radar panel and the sound lessened, as the
moved away from the massive engines located midway through the
plane. The two men joined the mission specialists who were sitting at a
television monitor, watching an unobstructed view of the outside.
Cameras were placed in strategic locations on the inside, and outside of
the plane, allowing the men to keep track of any strange phenomenon
that may occur. The pictures on the screen changed every two seconds,
sliding through all of the views every half minute.
"Bring up the cockpit," Ramsey said to the men.
With a touch of a button, the screen froze on a full color view from a
camera mounted over the pilots shoulder pointing out the window. On
the screen was the aft end of the Boeing 747 airliner surrounded by
dark storm clouds and dark skies.
"How close can we get and still be safe?" Ramsey asked the specialist.
"In these conditions," he said pausing to think. "One mile minimum."
"Make it a quarter mile. We cant afford to miss this chance."
158
The specialist, stone faced, called up to the pilot and co pilot to make
the change. The four men watched on the monitor, as the plane they
were following grew larger on the screen.
"Wont they know they are being followed?" Tony asked.
"Normally yes," Ramsey replied. "But we have control of their
communications. The tower only tells them what we want them to."
"The backwash from the 747 caused the C-130 to shake in its wake.
Tony watched the monitor shake and shimmy as the plane rocked
making him feel more nauseous.
"Do a scan," Ramsey said and the pictures on the monitor changed in a
pattern. All outside mounted cameras showed dark skies and occasional
lightning strikes. Above the monitor sat a recording device making a
visual document of the mission.
"Time? Ramsey asked aloud.
"Coming up on three minutes sir," said the mission specialist pointing
to a digital clock mounted in the console.
Ramsey turned to Tony and said, "Time to get strapped back in." The
men squeezed through the narrow path and the noise became louder
again. Ramsey yelled to Tony, "Once you sit down, plug the lead wire
from your helmet into the jack on the armrest. Then pull down your
blast shield and flick the switch on the right side of your visor. You
will see a projection on your shield from their station."
Tony gave Ramsey the ok sign with his hand and shuffled back to his
web seat along the side of the fuselage. Reaching the seat he sat and
buckled in and put the plug into his armrest. He switched the button on
159
his visor, pulled down his blast shield and a view of the 747 popped on
his shield.
He shook in his seat, as the turbulence became worse. His stomach
began to feel queasy and he swallowed hard. This was the moment he
had been waiting for. He was going to witness time travel, a
phenomenon he did not believe in three years ago.
The upper right corner of his view showed a digital clock counting
backwards from forty-five seconds. He was feeling flush with
anticipation and fear as the images of his remains from the excavation
flashed in his mind.
Thirty seconds and counting. The lightning flashed more frequently
and the thunder sounded in the plane.
Fifteen seconds. Ten seconds. Flashes of light, crashes of thunder. Five
seconds, four, three, two then one.
His monitor went black as the plane bolted violently with a thunderous
crash. He was tossed about, only held in by his seatbelt. The plane
came to a rest and his monitor came on again. The next thing Tony saw
on the screen was the aft end of the 747 surrounded by beautiful blue
skies and wispy white clouds. The storm was gone. It was just like he
was reliving the recording found at the excavation, only he was on a
different plane.
Both men flipped up their visors and unbuckled their seatbelts. Down
the line sat sixty men patiently awaiting orders from their commander.
Ramsey walked quickly back to the control center followed by Tony on
his heels. Ramsey leaned over the shoulder of the mission specialist
and looked into his monitor.
160
"Ok boys," he said calmly. "I think weve done it."
"What do we do now?" Tony asked.
"We have to contact the airliner," Ramsey said looking Tony in the
eye.
"Can you do that from here?"
"Yes sir. This is the mission operation center. I supposed you werent
briefed on this?"
"Im just glad they let me come along," Tony said with a grin.
"You know this may be a one way trip?"
"I was made very aware of that," he replied.
Ramsey was a tall, broad shouldered man with a dark mustache and
stubble. Tony felt inadequate being in the same room with this man.
Ramsey put a wireless head set microphone on his head and tapped a
button on the control panel. Talking into his microphone he said,
"Trans Pacific one two one come in."
The speakers in the cabin crackled and a voice answered, "Trans
Pacific one two one here. Over."
"This is Capt. John Ramsey, U.S. Marines commander. We are
currently one mile aft of your current position tracking. Over."
A moment passed with only the humming of the engines.
"We have no radar contact, no confirmation. Over."
161
"Affirmative Pacific. We are tracking you on radar at this time and
have you on visual. Over," Ramsey said.
The room was silent as the pilots of the 747 strained to make sense of
the situation. "We have lost contact with the tower," the pilot
responded. "We have lost track of our current position. Can you
assist?" he asked.
"Yes Trans Pacific," Ramsey said.
"What the hell is going on?" crackled the voice across the speakers.
"Captain, can you leave you cabin microphone on? I need to brief you
on the situation."
"Affirmative," he replied. A moment later he said, "Cabin microphone
on. What is the current situation Captain?"
"We need to get you on the ground as soon as possible Trans Pacific."
"That is not possible at this time."
"What is the problem?"
"We will have to locate a suitable landing area."
"Of course, we will guide you to Kansas City International."
"Kansas?" the 747 pilot asked. "Do you still have me on visual?"
"Yes Pacific."
"Then how do you expect me to land this bird?"
From the cockpit of the C-130, a voice broke over the speakers. "Capt.
Ramsey, you may want to come into the cockpit and make hard visual."
162
Ramsey turned and pulled on the door to the cockpit and stepped
inside. He looked out the front window and saw the 747 in clear view
over an ocean of blue water below.
"Where did this water come from?" he asked out loud.
"We dont know sir," was the reply from the pilot.
"Can we talk to them in here?" Ramsey asked the crew.
The pilot flicked a switch and said, "Go ahead sir."
"Trans Pacific do you read?" Ramsey asked on the open-air
microphone.
"We havent gone anywhere Captain," the pilot said with a nervous
chuckle.
"We need to assess the situation."
"Ill say," was his reply, as the pilot became more nervous and less
professional in his speech patterns.
On the speakers, shuffling sounds emitted from the 747. A clang, then a
crash and some muffled voices popped and hissed in the air.
"Trans Pacific?" Ramsey asked out loud.
Over the speakers the faint voice of the co-pilot said, "Let me check."
A moment later, in a much louder voice he was heard saying, "What
are you doing in here?"
"Trans Pacific? Come in," Ramsey said trying to stay calm.
163
A loud crash shot out of the speakers and the sounds of men screaming
followed. Silence.
"Trans Pacific!" Ramsey shouted looking out the windshield. "Trans
Pacific, you are emitting a smoke trail!" he shouted as the dark streak
past by his view.
The speaker again crackled and in the background the pilot could be
heard yelling, "We have explosive decompression! We are reducing
altitude!"
Tony joined Ramsey in the cockpit watching in dismay. He knew what
fate the Trans Pacific airliner was facing from the remains at the
excavation. Someone had set off a bomb in the plane, dropping it from
the sky. "History is repeating!" he thought. "Only I am not in the
plane."
The 747 sank quickly from the sky and the C-130 attempted to keep up
with it as it fell.
"Hold on!" the C-130 pilot yelled as he pushed the yoke forward
dropping the nose of the plane into a dive. The Smoke emanating from
the 747 became thicker and darker shooting out in a huge plume.
"They are not going to recover!" the pilot yelled. "Im leveling off."
The C-130 raised its nose and regained its level flight. The G-forces of
the bank made Tony ill as it pulled him to the floor.
"Pacific come in!" Ramsey shouted. "Pacific come in!"
"Over the speakers the signal sputtered and spit crackling sounds
intermittently laced with the sounds of screaming men.
164
Then unexpectedly an unfamiliar voice shot forth from the speakers
and yelled, "Welcome to Hell!" as the plane ditched into the sea with a
massive spray of water.
"We have lost radar contact," said the radar operator over the intercom.
The mood became sullen as the crew realized the fate of the passengers
of the 747. They were shocked by the massive loss of life and the
strange last comment from the planes radio.
165
Chapter 19
"What is our position?" Ramsey asked the pilot.
"We have lost GPS," he replied.
"I bet," Tony said with a smirk.
"What does that supposed to mean?" Ramsey snapped at Tony.
"The GPS, its history."
"Is there something you want to share with the rest of us?" Ramsey
asked.
Tony took a deep breath and scratched the back of his neck biding
time. "We have no GPS because the satellites are no longer there."
"No longer there? Where did they go?" Ramsey asked.
"They didnt go anywhere. They havent been put up there yet."
Ramsey stood dumbfounded. "What the hell are talking about doctor?"
Tony pointed out the window at the vast open sea and looked to
Ramsey saying, "Twenty minutes ago we were flying over central
Kansas. Do you have any idea where Kansas went?"
"No, but I bet you do."
"Yes I do commander. That Trans Pacific 747 is settling on it right
about now."
166
Ramsey paused for a moment as he tried to figure out what he was
saying. "Are you saying Kansas is under that water?"
"Ask the pilot."
The pilot cocked his head towards Ramsey standing behind him and
said, "Yes sir. Our last reading puts us two hundred miles west of
Kansas City International."
"You last readings must be wrong," Ramsey said hanging his head. He
turned and looked to Tony. "How do you know?"
"Brinkman explained it all to me. He didnt brief you on this?"
"Who the hell is Brinkman?"
Tony stood dumbfounded wondering if Brinkman informed the crew of
their true mission. How else would he get seventy-five men to
volunteer for a suicide mission?
"Captain, can I speak to you in private?" he said pointing to the mission
control room.
They walked through the door and the Captain asked the controllers to
leave for a moment. Tony hesitated, as he looked the commander in the
eye.
"Captain, what is the purpose of this mission?" Tony asked.
Ramsey looked at him with an odd curiosity. "Surveillance of the Trans
Pacific Airliner," he replied.
"Thats it? Just watch it and report back your findings?"
"Thats correct. Why? Is there something else I should know about?"
167
Tony felt the whole responsibility falling on his shoulders. He hated
Brinkman right now for putting him in this position. "I dont know how
to tell you this." He hesitated and looked to the floor. "We are no
longer, no longer, I cant explain this right," he said waving his hand
around nervously in front of Ramsey
"Spill it mister!"
Tony looked up and faced him eye to eye. "We have jumped. Jumped
in time," he said disbelieving his own words. Ramsey closed his eyes,
turning his head towards the cockpit. He turned back to Tony and said,
"I dont believe it, but it would explain a few things if it were true."
"They lied to you. Im sorry, I had nothing to do with the mission, I
swear. They just asked me if I wanted to go."
"You knew this was going to happen and came along anyway? What is
wrong with you?"
"Its a long story. We need to get this plane headed in the right
direction."
Tony walked back into the cockpit followed by Ramsey. He squatted
down on one knee and got the pilots attention. "How far can this thing
go?" he asked.
The pilot replied, "two thousand miles with our current fuel levels."
"How far would it be to, lets say, Ohio?"
"Well within our range if our last coordinates are correct."
"We need to head that way before we run out of fuel."
168
The pilot looked up to Ramsey for confirmation then hand plotted the
course to the best of his recollection. Tony stood and rubbed his chin
thinking. He asked, "How long will it take to get to our destination?"
"Our current cruising speed is three hundred seventy miles per hour. I
estimate four hours," the pilot replied.
"We have four hours to form a plan captain," he said to Ramsey.
The plane banked to the left and leveled out heading into the sun. For
as far as the eye could see, a flat plane of water stretched, from horizon
to horizon. The glare of the sun reflected off the C-130s windows
blinding the men standing behind the pilots.
"Where did all this water come from?" Ramsey asked.
"Niobrara Sea, ever hear of it in marine school?"
"No, just how to take out smart jerks like you with one shot," Ramsey
said with a toothy grin.
169
Chapter 20
Four hours later
"Capt. Ramsey!" yelled the pilot over the intercom speaker.
"Go ahead," Ramsey said over his headset microphone.
"We have land in site,"
"Ill be right there!" he stated signaling Tony to follow him. They
squeezed past the rows of anxious marines sitting patiently awaiting
orders from their commanding officer. Tony looked at the men and
wondered why they would need paratroopers for a surveillance
mission? He stopped Ramsey before entering the cockpit and asked
him, "Whats all the hardware for?"
"What are you talking about?" Ramsey asked.
"You have six pallets of who knows what loaded in the cargo hold, and
a platoon of men waiting to jump out of this plane. Seems a bit much
for a surveillance mission."
"You didnt think I was going to tell you the truth did you?" Ramsey
asked. "I take orders, and these orders did not include briefing you on
the true nature of our mission."
"Now that the mission seems to be a moot point, are you going to fill
me in now?"
"The mission may not be moot. Yet," he replied. "Lets get in here and
get this thing on the ground."
170
The two men entered the cockpit and stood behind the pilot and co pilot
in the center of the small room. Before them they saw the vast expanse
of untouched land. For as far as the eye could see, from horizon to
horizon, lay a prairie of dark green grassland.
"This is beautiful," Tony said scanning the view.
"Should this be hard to land on?" Ramsey asked the pilot.
"Better than landing on a mountain I guess," the pilot replied.
Over the intercom the radar operator broke in, "We have made radar
contact with an unknown object currently on intercept."
The pilot spoke up on the microphone asking, "Best guess radar?"
"No best at this time," the radar operator replied.
"Track and report," the pilot said. "Did you get all that commander?"
the pilot asked Ramsey.
"Yes," he said staring out the window lost in thought. He shook his
head, regaining his bearings. "We do not need a threat at this time. I
want you to turn east and avoid what ever this contact is. Search for a
possible landing site and get back to me."
"Yes sir," the pilot replied and Ramsey and Tony left the cockpit.
The two men walked out to the area between the radar station and the
paratroopers, turning to face each other.
"Since we both seem to have information vital to this mission I suggest
that we start briefing each other on what we know," Ramsey said.
171
"I think it is your turn captain. I have already filled you in on what I
know."
"I think you skimmed the surface Dr. Rhine," Ramsey said sternly. "I
need to know what happened to Kansas?"
Tony bit down on his lip and hesitated. "It seems you have become the
unwitting pawn in a science experiment the U.S. Government was
conducting."
"Go on."
"You first. I want to know what all this crap is doing on this plane.
Why all the men and gear? That was an American plane wasnt it?
Why would we be spying on our own planes?"
Ramsey shook his head looking to the ceiling. He looked to Tony and
said, "The Trans Pacific Airliner was in a hi-jack alert status. It was a
domestic terrorist we were after."
"Oh," Tony said making sense of the situation. "Thats how they did
it."
"Did what?"
"One second captain," Tony said. "What was the name of the terrorist
in question?"
"Alex Parsons," he replied.
Tony took a step back and rolled his eyes. "Alex Parsons is in federal
prison. Has been for nine months now."
172
Ramsey looked dumbfounded. "What the hell!" he yelled. "What is
going on here?" he barked at Tony.
The intercom broke in and the pilot said, "We have a possible collision
threat! Emergency maneuvers!"
The plane banked hard and the two men were flung against the hull of
the plane knocking them to the floor. Just then a dull thud sounded
throughout the fuselage and the pilot once again spoke over the
speakers, "Engine two out!"
Ramsey stood and tried to regain balance as the plane rocked back and
forth. He turned to the paratroopers sitting in ready status and yelled,
"Everyone up! Get ready to abort!"
The troops stood and attached their static line hooks to the wire and
awaited the cargo door to open. At this speed they were unable to use
the side doors in fear of being injured or killed.
Ramsey pointed to the troops and told Tony to join them as he made
his way up to the cockpit. "Get ready to abort!" he yelled to the radar
operators and mission specialists manning their posts. The men left
their chairs and filed past Ramsey as he slid past their stations. Just
then, a massive crash and sounds of breaking glass shot forth from the
cockpit, and the door before him buckled with an impact. The sound of
rushing wind whistled under the door and the sound of the wind
became deafening as he stood staring at the buckled metal door of the
cockpit.
Grasping the door handle, he unlatching the lock, allowing the door to
strike him, sending him shooting down the hallway. The wind carried
blood, bone, and flesh down the hall of the plane, as well as glass
shards and broken twisted metal. He strained to stand grasping
173
anything he could to regain his balance. Shielding the wind from his
eyes, he looked down to the cockpit seeing the massive hole in the
windshield made from some sort of impact. The inside of the cockpit
was covered in blood. He assumed whatever came through struck the
back wall and exploded all over the place. The pilots had to be gone.
He turned and scurried back to the troops standing awaiting orders.
"Lower the hatch!" he yelled over the sound of the rushing wind and
pointed to the release lever on the side of the plane. With a grumble of
hydraulics, the back lift lowered and the cabin lit up with the light from
outside. Down the ramp went until it locked into place giving the men a
clear path to escape. Grabbing his parachute and buckling it, he barked
out orders to his waiting men. "Go!" he yelled and the men began
diving out of the plane allowing the static lines to pop open their chutes
moments after exiting the plane.
Ramsey stood watching his men leave the plane holding tight to the
webbing along side the fuselage of the plane. Once all the troops were
gone he approached the ramp and fought falling out watching his men
float to the ground. He immediately noticed something out of the
ordinary as he scanned the scene before him. There were birds, or what
looked like vultures gliding about his men slowly flapping huge wings
darting in and out. He then watched in horror as his men were one by
one being attacked by these creatures as they floated to the ground
below.
He knew the plane was falling to the ground feeling it shake and
shimmy as the plane made its death plunge. He reached over to a lever
attached to the rail loading system and pulled it unlocking the pallets
allowing them to freely roll out the back of the plane. Moments after
174
leaving the plane, the chutes on the pallets caught air and slowed down
their descent.
The plane was now empty and falling to the ground below. It was time
to go Ramsey thought and stepped towards the ramp ready to jump.
All of a sudden something grabbed one of the hydraulic arms and
pulled itself onto the ramp. It stood tall and dark, flapping its massive
leathery wings behind it in the wind. With its two bony clawed fingers,
it grasped the edge of the opening and pulled itself into the plane. It had
the face of a canine with red eyes and thin gangly legs that held up its
massive seven-foot frame.
Ramsey swallowed hard and using his well-honed reflexes pulled his
M-16 machine gun from his side. With a three shot burst, he blasted the
beast in the chest sending it falling back out the opening of the plane. It
was now or never.
He attached his static line hook to the wire and jumped from the plane
watching it fly away as he fell. The chute opened like a giant
mushroom and he was yanked, slowed in descent. He held his rifle in a
ready position.
From above, a second beast swooped down and hovered twenty feet off
of Ramsey gently flapping its immense leathery wings. It matched
Ramseys decent keeping an eye on him as he gently floated
downward. Blinking its red eyes, the beast moved its head in closer and
smelled the air around the man, flaring its nostrils in and out.
Ramsey examined the creature while keeping his finger on the rifle
trigger. He sensed intelligence in its mannerisms and behavior,
allowing the beast to come close enough to get a good close look in its
eyes.
175
The creature then folded its wings and dove out of Ramseys view. He
looked down and watched the beast power-dive two thousand feet
below, gracefully landing among a flock of its own kind. Ramsey tried
to maneuver his chute away from where the creatures were below,
hoping to land in a safe place far away. His men were scattered along a
five-mile stretch of land, armed only with their rifles and training to
help them survive. He felt like they were fish in a barrel to these
creatures and he hoped desperately that some of his men would make it
to safety
Minutes passed and he was now two hundred feet above the ground and
could see his men running along the ground being chased by the
creatures. The pops of rifle fire could be heard from below like
firecrackers on the 4th of July. At one hundred feet, he was able to spy
an open section of land and pulled on his parachute chords to steer
himself in that direction The creatures below herded some of his men
into a large group surrounding them like sheep in a pen.
Ramsey clenched his teeth preparing his body to land hard on the
ground below. Holding the parachute straps with both hands, he
awaited the imminent impact only seconds away. The ground rushed up
at him quickly. He was ready to slam feet first into the hard surface
below. Closer and closer he came, his view filled with the green grass
of the prairie.
He struck the ground hard rolling to a stop, tangled in his parachute
chords. Unbuckling the pack, Ramsey scrambled to his feet pulling the
M-16 from behind his back holding it in ready position. Spinning in a
circle, he scanned the area looking for any threats, keeping the machine
gun out in front. For the moment, he was alone. He then pulled a knife
176
and cut away the chute from around him, allowing the breeze to carry it
away. He stood alone, miles away from his men.
His hand reached to his belt and grasped the two-way radio releasing it
from its snaps. He brought the radio to his lips and said, "Fox one come
in, this is Fox commander, over." He waited for a reply scanning the
horizon for any sign of his men. Again he said into the radio, "Fox one
come in! This is Fox commander, over!" There was no reply. He
needed to rejoin his men at any cost and took off running in the
direction that he last saw his men from the air. Sixty pounds of gear on
his back wore on him as he sprinted across the tall grass prairie towards
his men. His throat was dry and his shoulder stung as the strap dug into
his muscles.
One hundred and fifty yards into his run he came to a stop panting,
trying to regain his breath. He buckled over with his hands on his knees
ready to vomit any second. He saw out of the corner of his eye a
shadow on the grass cross his path then dart away. He raised his head
and swallowed hard as he saw one of the beasts circling above him like
a vulture. His gun was in ready position with half of the thirty round
clip left unspent.
Another beast joined and then another until there was twenty or so of
them above him silhouetted against the bright sun in the blue sky. He
again grasped his radio and made a plea for help. "Fox one leader come
in! This is Fox commander I am under attack, I repeat, I am under
attack!" He placed the radio back on his belt and held the rifle in ready
position.
With the grace of a school of fish, the entire group of beasts came
down from the sky like a tornado touching the ground. They landed
with the elegance of a flock of birds completely surrounding him,
177
blocking any chance for escape. They all stood tall and lanky with
wrinkled brown skin and massive leathery wings. Their eyes all glowed
red and they blinked with an odd curiosity as the beasts examined him.
One of them stepped forward and folded its wings behind its back. It
cocked its head as if it were confused by the soldiers appearance. The
nostrils on the beast flared and took a deep sniff. It took another step
forward. Ramsey stood still, trying not to spook it waiting for it to
make a move. He had fifteen shots left in the clip and another full clip
on his belt that he could exchange in two seconds. He might be able to
take out ten of them before he was ripped to pieces.
"Are you the Son of Man?" the lead creature asked in a high pitched
whine.
Ramsey just stood dumbfounded looking into its red eyes. "What?"
Ramsey asked, furling his brow.
"Are you the Son of Man?" it asked again in the same tone.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," he replied. "What the hell
are you?" he asked the creature.
"You are not the Son of Man?" the creature asked with a single-minded
curiosity.
"I am the son of my father if that is what you mean," he replied.
"The father?" the creature asked.
"This is getting pretty stupid," Ramsey replied raising his rifle to the
creature. "Back the hell up!" he yelled and put his finger on the trigger.
"Back up and let me out of here!"
178
The creature looked to its right then to its left. Looking back at
Ramsey, it raised its wings and took a step forward. Ramsey let loose a
three shot burst into the creature killing it instantly. It fell to the ground
in a crumpled mass of flesh and blood. The surrounding creatures
jumped on it and tore it to pieces devouring it mercilessly, twenty feet
from Ramsey. Until now, he had felt he could control the situation and
escape. Now he felt it was only a matter of time before he would meet
the same fate.
The mass of blood and flesh before him sickened him and the smell of
the creature made him gag. Another creature stepped towards him and
he raised his rifle to greet it. It stopped and backed off. He now knew
the creatures indeed knew fear.
From behind, he heard the rapid popping sounds of machine gun fire
and the engine sound of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) approaching. He
spun around to see the beasts scattering and taking flight as the ATV
approached, guns blazing. The mass of creatures took off like a flock of
dove scared by the sounds of the rifle fire. The machine gunner took
aim and took out one of the creatures, thirty feet off the ground,
sending it crashing to the ground only feet from Ramsey.
Ramsey waived his arms and got the attention of the ATV driver. The
vehicle cut through the tall grass and stopped next to him allowing him
to jump into the backseat. The ATV had two bucket seats in front, a
bench seat in the back and a machine gun mounted behind the back
seat. The vehicle was now filled to capacity with the addition of the
captain.
"Are you alright captain?" the driver asked.
"I am now," he replied.
179
"We received your transmission sir, our radio is not transmitting. It
must have been damaged when it touched ground."
"Is the other ATV running?"
"Yes sir, they are setting up a command post now sir."
"Lets get there!" Ramsey yelled and the ATV spun its tires taking off
towards the post.
180
Chapter 21
"Over here!" yelled the sergeant from across the command post. Tony
helped unpack one of the pallets and scrambled to stack the supplies
where the sergeant told him. The second ATV was used to haul the
pallets to the campsite by use of a hitch on the rear bumper. Wheels
dropped from the underside of the pallets allowing the pallets to be
pulled behind the ATV. They had managed to locate a wooded area
along a creek close enough to the drop zone for all the remaining men
to collect.
"Its the other ATV!" one of the lookouts shouted peering through his
binoculars Tony paused and looked in the direction of the ATV and
saw they were making good progress cutting through the tall grass.
Behind them the winged creatures kept their distance, afraid of the fire
from the machine gun mounted on the back.
Closer and closer the ATV drove growing larger in his view, humming
louder as it approached the post. Fifty yards and closing the gap, the
ATV began to bounce in a rut uncontrollably coming to an abrupt halt.
Steam escaped from under the hood and the glow of yellow flames shot
forth from the engine compartment. The soldiers jumped off the
vehicle and made a dead sprint for camp leaving the ATV behind.
"Get some cover out there!" someone yelled and some of the men ran
out into the field to assist those running for their lives as if they could
sense something was wrong, the creatures dropped from the sky and
swooped down on the men. Rifle fire popped from different areas and
two of the creatures fell dead to the ground.
181
"Run!" Tony yelled as the men closed the gap, now twenty feet from
the camp. The popping of gunfire and muzzle flashes filled the air all
around camp. Ramsey and his rescuers were waist high in tall grass
running for their lives holding their guns over their heads just feet from
safety.
Just as they reached the edge of camp two of the men disappeared into
the tall grass without a sound. Then another and another until only
Ramsey and two others were left. Ramsey stopped, seeing his men
vanish before him, and yelled for the other two to do the same. They
were no more than ten feet from safety, but something stood between
them and the woodlands.
"Halt!" he yelled and everyone stopped in their tracks. "Sergeant, I
need this area cleared!" he yelled pointing to the strip of grass before
him. The sergeant waved his hands and pointed to the area before the
three stranded men. Five soldiers stood on the perimeter of camp and
proceeded to blast their guns into the grass clearing the area of
whatever stood between them and safety. The sergeant waved his hands
and the firing stopped.
Ramsey looked to the man standing to his right and then to the one on
his left. "On three we are going to run," he stated calmly. "Got it?"
The two men nodded and Ramsey looked to the sergeant. "If anything
moves, kill it." The sergeant nodded and the five soldiers stood ready to
blast anything that moved in the grass. "Ready?" he asked. "One, two,
three," he said and the men in unison, took off running.
Guns blazed as two of the men were pulled down into the grass.
Ramsey dove and fell to the ground in the wooded area pulled to safety
182
by his men. He stood and looked back at the tall grass. "Where are
they?" he screamed.
"I dont see them," the sergeant replied.
"Me neither," replied one of the soldiers scanning the area.
"Something is wrong here," Ramsey said and looked to his sergeant.
"How many men do we have?"
"Thirty seven now," he replied.
"Thats it?" Ramsey asked looking to camp. "What happened to the
rest?"
"We were strung out quite a distance. I suspect there are another thirty
or so still out there."
"How long will they last alone?" Ramsey asked. "Where is doctor
Rhine?"
Tony ran up to the captain and stood out of breath. "Right here sir,"
Tony said.
Ramsey pointed to the five armed soldiers and then to the tall grass.
"Keep this area under heavy guard." He then motioned for Tony to
follow him into the woods. They stopped and Ramsey stood with his
arms crossed staring into Tonys eyes. "Brief me doctor," he stated
angrily.
Tony hesitated and looked away from Ramsey. He took a deep breath
and looked him in the eye. "This was all an experiment," he said.
"Experiment?" Ramsey asked grinding his teeth afterward.
183
"This was an experiment to see if time travel was possible."
"I dont believe you for a second."
"Then how do you explain what is going on?"
"I dont," Ramsey said. "Something is not right, I do know that. What it
is I do not know."
"You have to trust me. We were supposed to end up fifty thousand
years in the past. I think we did it," Tony said gesturing with his hand
pointing to the area around them.
"Are you saying fifty thousand years ago there were huge bat dog
things flying around?" Ramsey asked.
"Yes and no," Tony replied. "I dont think we are exactly where we
thought we would be."
"You seemed to know back on the plane. You told the pilot where to
go."
"I will say that I think we are in the right place. I just dont know if we
are in the right time."
Ramsey paced in the dirt looking to the ground. He turned and faced
Tony again. "One of them sons of jerks spoke to me,"
Tonys eyes opened wide. "What did it say?" he asked.
"Dont ask me what it means, but it asked me if I were the Son of
Man."
Tony processed the information. "Son of Man?" he asked looking to the
side.
184
"Jesus Christ," someone spoke up from camp.
Ramsey looked over to one of his snipers standing next to a tree
relaxing. "What did you say private?"
"Jesus Christ," he replied again.
"I hope youre not trying to be funny. I have no funny left in me,"
Ramsey said to the man. "Who are you son?" he asked.
Pvt. Jackson sir," he replied.
"And what do you know about this Pvt. Jackson?" Ramsey asked.
"Do you know your bible sir?"
"I guess not private. Wont you please fill us in?" Ramsey said
sarcastically.
The private stepped away from the tree and approached the men. "For
the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath day. Mathew twelve-
eight," he said to the men before him.
"You know your verses well," Tony said to the private holding his
sniper rifle at his side. "Does your religious convictions interfere with
your duties?" he asked.
"The sixth commandment reads, "Thou shalt not kill." It is improperly
translated from the Hebrew word for murder. It is alright to kill for
riotous purposes."
"You do your homework private," Tony said. "So youre saying this
thing was asking the captain here if he were Jesus?"
"Yes sir."
185
"Thank you private," Ramsey said shaking his head. "I want you to set
up a post in one of these trees. Keep an eye out for those damn things."
"Yes sir!" the private said and headed out to scout out the best location.
"What do you think now?" Ramsey asked Tony.
"If I didnt know better, I would say those things look an awful lot like
demons to me."
"Lets get on the same page," Ramsey responded coldly. "We have
time travel and now demons. What will be next?"
"Captain, in all your years, have you ever seen anything like those
things before? Can you explain what happened to your men just feet
from the edge of camp?"
"No, and neither can you!" he barked back.
"At least Im willing to try!" Tony snapped back. "One of the damn
things spoke to you. We know theyre intelligent. Why dont you try to
speak to one of them?"
"They killed half my men!"
"You dont know that for sure!"
"The hell I dont!" Ramsey yelled and stormed off towards his men
working in the camp.
Tony couldnt help but make the connection between what Brinkman
had said earlier and what this creature had supposedly said. Brinkman
said Tony shared the same DNA pattern with blood remains of Jesus
Christ. This creature seemed to be seeking out Jesus Christ. Were they
186
looking for him? He put the thought out of his mind and walked back
to camp.
187
Chapter 22
That evening, Tony looked to the sky above examining the stars,
puzzled by what he saw. Sitting on a fallen tree, he unpacked an
electronic instrument from a steel box and placed it on a tripod. He
pressed a switch and the gadget began to hum. Lights blinked in a
rhythmic pattern darting back and forth across the illuminated screen.
He pressed another button and the internal compass spun until it found
North.
He waited for the machine to read the stars above through its camera
and give him a readout. It blinked an error message and asked to be
reset. "What the hell?" he thought and pressed the reset button. Again it
came out with the same message. Tony stood up and craned his neck
looking to the black sky above. His eyes caught the problem and a
shiver went down his spine. There was a bright orange object just to the
left of the center star of Orions belt.
"Hey you! Come over here," Tony yelled to one of the guards
motioning with his hand. The guard ran over and stood holding his rifle
in ready position.
"Did you see something sir?" he asked looking off into the pasture.
"No, I mean yes, I want you to look straight up and tell me what you
see."
The guard looked up and said, "Stars sir."
"Anything out of the ordinary?" Tony asked.
188
"Yeah, theres an orange moon up there. I didnt know we had two of
them."
"We dont," Tony responded. "I was just curious if you were seeing the
same thing I was. Thank you. You can go now."
"Yes sir," he replied and ran back to his post.
Tony now realized his machine was reading an error because it did not
recognize the star pattern with this object in view. He leaned over and
punched in an override code. "Just tell me what I need to know," he
said to the machine watching it blink. The machines readout glowed
green in the dark making reading it quite easy. A long beep followed
by a short one told Tony it had finished its computation. Tony sat back
on his rear as he finished reading the display. It read plus or minus fifty
years of the date 2010. He now knew they did not time travel at all.
Other than the strange orange object high above him, the star pattern
looked as familiar to him as it did a week ago before the mission. He
suspected it all the time. We went nowhere. Or did we? He sat and
rubbed his temples thinking about the possibilities.
"Rhine!" he heard from camp and looked up at Ramsey coming
towards him. "What have you found out?"
Tony chuckled under his breath and closed his eyes. Looking up at
Ramsey he said, "I can only guess at this point."
"Alright then, guess."
Tony picked up a rock and tossed it at the tree next to Ramsey. "Best
guess would be" he said and paused thinking how to say it.We
jumped dimensions."
189
"Dimensions?" Ramsey asked unconvinced.
"My star time calculator tells me we have not jumped in time at all. At
least not within fifty years."
"Fifty years ago there were no seven foot tall bat things running around
on the Earth. Are you telling me these things sprung up in fifty years?"
"No I am not. We are in a different reality."
"Yes you are Doctor Rhine. Where are the rest of us?"
"I dont know."
"How do I get my men home?"
"You dont," Tony said firmly.
Ramsey stood silent. He paced back and forth thinking of what to say.
"Are you telling me that this hi-jacking has turned into a suicide
mission?"
"Looks that way," Tony replied leaning back on his palms. "You said
this might be a one way trip."
"At least we had a fighting chance against a hi-jacker. You knew about
this all the time?"
"Yes I did. I had no idea you werent in on it. I realized back on the
plane when you told me about this hi-jacking scam, that they used this
as a cover story to get your team on the mission."
"Cover story?"
"They knew you would never volunteer for a suicide mission."
190
"Why the hell did you doctor?"
"I knew my fate. I had nothing to lose. I am sorry."
"I bet you are," Ramsey said and turned back to camp. Tony sat alone
in the dark with his machine contemplating the fate of the men. He was
truly sorry.
Ramsey stood behind a group of his men sitting around a campfire and
looked at their faces afraid to tell them the truth. He chose not to. "I
need five men to volunteer for a recognizance mission."
"Where to captain?" one of the men asked.
"There is some kind of settlement due East from here about twenty
miles. Two of the men identified it from the air on the way down to this
God forsaken hell hole."
"What kind of settlement sir?"
" Thats what we need to find out. Any volunteers?"
No one raised their hand or spoke up. Ramsey pointed to the first five
closest to him and told them to ready the ATV. "I want this mission
going in fifteen minutes!"
Tony came up from behind Ramsey and asked, "How much fuel do you
have?"
"Over half a tank. They can go two hundred miles I estimate."
"Where are your reserves?"
"We had five hundred gallons on the C-130. The other ATV ruptured
its fuel tank and burned. That is it."
191
"Maybe we should wait until light? That is our only working vehicle."
"Doctor!" Ramsey shouted losing patience. "Maybe you havent
figured it out yet, so let me make this perfectly clear. I am the
commanding officer; I make all the decisions concerning where we eat,
where we crap, where we take a leak. If you dont like it I would ask
you to take a long walk out in that field. Do you understand me?"
Tony stepped back and swallowed hard. "Yes sir," he replied and
walked back to his tent.
The sounds of gunfire shot forth from the far end of camp. Machine
guns and rifle fire filled the air, along with the muzzle discharge
flashing against the trees like a strobe light. Ramseys radio crackled
and sputtered finally uttering forth a voice from within.
"We need support in section three! Were under attack!"
Ramsey put the radio to his lips and yelled, "Air support to section
three!"
"Negative on the air support!" the voice, said across the radio. "We
need ground support! This is something different!"
Ramsey took off running towards section three yelling for the
recognizance team to be ready to roll on his command. The closer he
came to section three the louder the gunfire became. He squatted down
behind the sergeant in command of section three and tapped him on the
shoulder.
"What do we have?" Ramsey asked ducking down behind a fallen tree.
192
"Dont know sir," the sergeant answered. "Whatever it was took out
two of my men standing guard. They werent the same as those things
before."
"You didnt see them?
"I got a quick look sir. It is awful dark out there."
"What did you see?"
"About six feet tall, on four legs. Looked like a buffalo or something."
"A buffalo?"
"Crap I dont know. It came out of the tall grass and took them out."
"Are you using your night vision?"
"Yes sir. I cant explain it."
"Alright sergeant, do not let this perimeter get compromised again!"
"Yes sir," the sergeant said and scurried around the fallen tree to assist
his men.
Ramsey peeked over his cover and looked out into the darkness. The
rifle fire had subdued to a few pops here and there. He ducked back
down and checked his rifle clip making sure he had adequate rounds
available to defend himself if necessary.
From Ramseys radio, a voice yelled, "Recognizance team ready to roll
on your command sir!"
"Go! Repeat go!" Ramsey yelled into his radio and clipped it back on
his belt.
193
"Affirmative, team out," came from the radio, then silence. Ramsey
looked to his sergeant keeping his head ducked behind the fallen tree.
"Do you have night vision?" Ramsey whispered.
"Yes sir," the sergeant replied and handed over his night vision goggles
to the captain. Ramsey put the glasses to his eyes and peeked over the
log. For as far as the eye could see, the area was clear.
"Sergeant," Ramsey said, "Is there anyone posted on the other side of
camp?"
"I have two men posted."
"Send ten more to assist. I have a feeling they are checking for weak
spots."
"Who is checking?"
"You tell me sergeant," Ramsey replied and took off running towards
the other end of camp with the night vision goggles in tow. He ran
through the brush and over ground clutter passing the campsite on his
way to the other side of the woods. He could hear the footsteps of the
ten men reassigned to the other end of the woods behind him.
Minutes later, he stopped at the edge of the woods and looked out onto
the vast dark grassland before him. His men gathered around waiting
for his orders. He placed the goggles to his eyes for the second time
and his heart began to pound. "I need five men in a line over there," he
said pointing to his left, "and five over there," pointing to his right.
"We have an enemy threat approximately two hundred yards out spread
across the field." He stood silent for a moment listening to the sounds
of the night trying to see if they were making any sounds. "Do we have
a flare gun?" he asked his men.
194
"Yes sir," replied a man from the right side.
"Let me have it," Ramsey said holding out his hand. The private
handed Ramsey the flare gun and stepped back. Ramsey pointed the
gun at the sky above his perceived threat and pulled the trigger. The
flair shot fifty yards into the night sky and popped open with a brilliant
yellow flame that lit up the night like day. For the first time the men
could see something on the horizon. A few men stepped forward
gawking in amazement as they observed the strange sight before them.
"What the hell is that?" one of the men asked.
"Looks like some sort of extinct dinosaur," another answered.
"What is that on top of it?"
"I dont know," he replied as he strained to make sense of the creatures
standing out in the field.
"I need a tripod mount machine gun here ASAP!" Ramsey shouted.
"What ever those things are, they are not compromising out position!"
Two of the men took off running back to base camp to retrieve the gun.
Ramsey motioned for one of his men to come over. "Take these," he
said and handed the man his night vision goggles. "I want you to
inform me the second those things start to move. If they attack, take as
many out as you can. Got it?
"Yes sir!" the private replied and put the glasses to his eyes.
Ramsey took off running back to base camp to organize the defense of
his position. Dashing through the woods, he could hear the distant
sound of machine gun fire in front of him. "Ive been decoyed!" he
thought and picked up the pace sprinting back to his first position. He
195
ran through base camp and yelled to his men to guard the supplies and
stay put. Back into the woods he ran breathing heavy and tiring as he
weaved between the tall trees.
Back at his old position he again ducked behind the fallen tree, locking
a full clip into his rifle. All around him were the sounds of gunfire and
the smell of smoke. He poked his head over the log to see two dead
creatures, bloody and shot up, lying next to two dead riders. The riders
looked human.
He reached to his belt and unclipped the flare gun. He quickly reloaded
it and shot a round into the sky above. With a pop and a fizz the flare
opened up and illuminated the scene for all to see. Ramsey watched as
one of the creatures ran from the tall grass onto the clearing at the edge
of the woods. Its long fur whipped around as it spun in a circle guided
by a sword-wielding rider. The human atop the creature tried in vain to
cut down the soldiers hiding in the woods, only to be shot by a volley
of machine gun fire and sent crashing to the ground.
In the light of the flare, Ramsey could see the other creatures retreat
back into the tall grass. A moment of silence followed as the men
waited for their orders.
"Collect the dead!" Ramsey shouted to his men. "Take the bodies back
to camp!"
Back at base camp the bodies of the human warriors were laid out side
by side, riddled with bullet holes and covered in blood. The soldiers
gathered about and looked upon the dead at their feet. The three were
human males between twenty and forty years of age dressed in rags and
skins.
196
"They look like people," one of the soldiers remarked. "Or at least they
used to," he added with a chuckle.
"Get some light over here," Ramsey said and knelt down beside one of
the dead men.
"Who are they captain?" one of the men asked.
"How the hell should I know," Ramsey replied not taking his eyes from
the body before him. "Why dont you ask him yourself?"
Tony pushed his way through the crowd gathered around and stood
facing Ramsey across from the dead men. Tony held a flashlight on the
bodies reflecting the light in the wet blood. Tony knelt down and stared
at one of the men with a curious look upon his face.
"What is it Rhine?" Ramsey asked.
"Ive seen this man before," Tony replied.
"Where?"
"I think I have seen his picture before."
"Go on!"
"This sounds strange, but I remember a picture hanging in my
grandmothers house. This guy looks like" Tony stopped and
scratched his chin looking to Ramsey. "Dont get me wrong here. He
just looks familiar."
"Like who?"
"My Uncle Seth," Tony replied.
197
"You know this guy?"
"No. He died before I was born."
"You think this is your dead uncle?"
"Of course not! I said it just looks like a picture Ive seen before.
Thats all."
"How can you tell anything with all that blood?" one of the soldiers
asked. "Hes shot up pretty bad."
Tony leaned over the dead man and wiped the blood from his face.
"Youre right, this cant be my Uncle Seth" Tony said.
The dead mans eyes opened and Tony shot back.
"Watch out!" Ramsey yelled and stood, stepping back from the body.
The blood covered body sat up and braced itself against the ground
with its palms down on the dirt. "Did someone say my name?" it asked
looking around at the crowd gathered around.
"Is that your name? Is Seth your name?" Tony asked.
He turned his head to Tony and said, "Yes, Seth is my name. Who are
you?"
"Tony," he replied. "Tony Rhine."
Seths eyes opened wide as he looked upon Tony. "My brothers son?"
he asked.
"Yes, I think, but how?" Tony asked.
198
"It is beyond you my nephew. It is good that you have made the
journey."
"Journey to where?"
"Hell my dear nephew. You have come to Hell!"
199
Chapter 23
Private first class Jack Adams looked to his watch. It read 0535. The
recognizance team had been out for more than six hours and had settled
in for the surveillance of the city. The sun had cracked the plane of the
horizon and shot forth-long shadows across the tall grass prairie.
"How long have we been sitting here?" Pvt. Easton asked.
"About three hours," Adams replied.
"How long are we supposed to sit here?"
"Until the captain contacts us on the radio with orders."
"What if he is dead? What if his radio is broken?"
Adams sat silent for a moment looking out upon the city two miles
before him. He again looked to his watch and took a deep breath. "Ill
give him till 0600."
"Then what?"
"Then well head back!" Adams shouted.
"Why dont you just contact him?" another man asked.
"We have strict radio protocol we follow. I am just following orders!"
The ATV sat quiet, parked in the tall grass close enough to observe the
city, but not close enough to be detected. Movement could be seen
around the city and a steady stream of smoke rose from one of the
200
buildings inside. Through the binoculars, Adams could make out tiny
figures all about the city. He could not tell if they were human.
"How many rounds do we have left for the pop gun?" Adams asked the
machine gunner at the back of the ATV.
"About eight hundred rounds I think. They wont last long at thirty
rounds a second," the gunner replied.
"I have movement!" Easton yelled pointing to the sky above. The men
looked up and strained to find the object he was pointing at. "Its one of
those flying things that attacked us when we parachuted!"
"Keep down!" Adams whispered. "I dont think it has seen us."
The winged creature flapped its great leathery wings in graceful arcs as
it slid though the blue sky above. Nothing but wispy clouds surrounded
the creature overhead.
"Crap!" Easton said as he watched the creature slowly bank to the right
and circle above the ATV like a vulture. "Kill it!" he whispered to his
commander.
"No!" Adams whispered back. "Not until it is a direct threat. I dont
want to alert anymore of these things to our position."
The creature broke off its circling pattern and slowly descended to the
ground landing thirty feet in front of the ATV. It folded its wings and
stepped forward parting the tall grass with its seven-foot frame. The
gunner held it in his sights.
Adams stood in his seat and drew his pistol on the creature and yelled.
"Stop!" The creature stood still, blinking its red eyes, examining the
ATV. Sniffing the air around the men, it flared its nostrils and dipped
201
its head examining the ground. The creature raised its canine head and
looked at Adams in a curious way, as if he were trying to place his
face.
"Its a freaking animal! Shoot it!" Easton yelled.
"Shut up!" Adams barked back not taking his eyes off the creature. His
gun sighted on its massive head.
"I may be many things, but an animal I am not," the creature spoke
through its toothy jaw.
Adams lowered his gun a few inches and curled his brow, shocked that
the creature just spoke to him. He waited a moment to suck this all in
and then asked, "What are you?"
The creature stepped forward, then stood on its thin gangly hind legs
raising its wings. "What do you think I am?" it asked.
Adams thought for a moment. "I have no idea what you are, but if you
take one more step forward you will be a dead one for sure."
"Who are you?" it asked.
"Pvt. First class Jack Adams U.S. Marines," he replied.
"Are you the son of man?"
One of the men in the back seat spoke up and said to Adams, "I think
hes talking about"
"I know what hes talking about. I spent more time in Sunday school
than I care to remember. I never thought it would actually come in
handy someday," he replied to the solder. Adams raised the gun again
202
to the creature and pointed it between his red eyes and said, "No, I am
not the son of man. Are you supposed to be some sort of demon?"
"Some sort you ask? I am the real thing Pvt. First class Jack Adams."
"Youre searching for the messiah? What makes you think he is here?"
"He is here, somewhere. The Morning Star has seen to that."
"Morning Star? Who the hell is the Morning Star?"
"He is the master of this domain."
"Satan?"
"That is one of his many names," it replied.
"So this is Hell?" Adams said with a chuckle.
"You find this funny?"
"No I dont. If this is Hell then what is that city doing over there?"
The creature turned its head and looked over its shoulder at the city
behind it. "Have you ever heard of Sodom?"
"The city destroyed by God? Youre telling me that he sent the city of
Sodom into Hell?"
"You will soon see for yourself. It is just a matter of time."
"What do you mean by that?" Adams asked, his arms aching from
holding up his pistol.
"You will soon become a permanent resident of the city."
203
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"I do not plan anything. It is the masters plan."
"Looks like I can do pretty much as I please. I could put a bullet in
your skull if I wanted."
"True. You still have free will. God gave that to you. Once you are
reborn into Hell, all freedoms will be rescinded."
"How does one become reborn?"
The creature licked its lips and bared its teeth. "All souls he takes, he
claims for his own."
"Takes? So you are saying as long as I am alive he has no power over
me."
"Correct, but it is only a matter of time for you are trapped here for
eternity. You can not live forever."
Adams felt a hot flush as the message struck home. Gritting his teeth,
he pulled off a single shot between the creatures eyes knocking it back
to the ground. It sat motionless.
"Is it dead?" Easton yelled.
"I dont know. Get us the hell out of here!" Adams shouted to the
driver and sat back in his seat.
The driver started the ATV and put it into gear. With a spin of the tires
on the grass, they turned around trying to avoid running over the
creature on their way back to camp. The gunner sat on his pedestal
204
locked into position ready to fire upon any other creatures that may
follow.
"Theres another one! Turn around!" one of the men yelled.
"There all around us!" another screamed.
From all directions, swooping down were the leathery winged creatures
attacking the ATV. The men pulled their guns and fired at them as the
ATV bounced along the uneven surface.
"Were not going to make it back to camp!" Easton yelled.
"Head for the city!" Adams yelled to the driver. "If were going down
then were taking out as many of them as we can!"
With that order, the driver turned the ATV around and headed towards
the city at 50 mph.
205
Chapter 24
"Do we have contact from the recon team?" Ramsey asked his
radioman.
"Not yet sir," he replied.
"Keep me posted," he barked back and rejoined Tony who was sitting
next to the three prisoners tied to a tree. By now all three were alive
and their wounds were healed. Tony was dumbfounded.
"So you say this is Hell?" Tony asked Seth looking around at the
surroundings. "Looks like Kansas to me," he added with a chuckle.
"Of course my son," Seth replied.
"Dont call me son!" Tony snapped at him. "There is no Hell!" he
barked at Seth and stood up. "Hell is a product of Christian rhetoric.
That is all. A means to keep the masses in line, the ultimate punitive
punishment. Not a real place."
"Then how do you explain what you have seen before your very eyes?"
Seth asked.
"I am sure there is a reasonable scientific explanation," Tony replied.
"Then how do you explain me?"
Tony looked down at Seth bound to the tree with nylon rope. He licked
his lips and scratched his chin thinking. "I dont claim to have the
answers,"
206
"You said yourself that I had died before you were born," Seth said.
"That is what my grandmother told me. I never saw your body. I have
no proof."
"Of course not. Your father would never have let you see it."
"Leave my father out of this!" Tony said angrily.
"He is my brother as well as your father. I can speak of him if I wish."
Tony got down on one knee and faced Seth staring into his eyes with
anger only he knew. "My father was everything to me. I would do
anything to see him again."
"Maybe you will," Seth said under his breath. "Why are you so angry at
me?"
Tony leaned back and took a deep breath. "I am not. I am just tired and
confused. Thats all." Tony stood again and paced back and forth
before Seth thinking. "If this is Hell, how did you come to be here? My
grandmother never spoke ill of you."
"Your grandmother hid the truth from you. Your father was a man of
God. I was a man of Satan. The family did not know until it was too
late."
Tony stepped forward. "You were a Satan worshiper?" Tony asked.
"Let me explain my dear nephew. There are two ways to enter the
kingdom of the Morning Star. One is to live a life of unrepentant sin,
the other is to be stolen from God by Satan himself." Seth paused and
looked into Tonys eyes. "All souls he steals, he claims for his own."
207
"What about judgment day? I thought no one went anywhere until God
judged the living and the dead?"
"Some have been prejudged. Some have been stolen. Not all wait until
the Day of Judgment."
"That doesnt sound very biblical," Tony said.
"What do you know of the bible?" Seth asked. "I can feel in your heart
you are a non believer."
"I may not be a believer, but I have made it a point to study"
"Study? You have turned the scriptures into a school project," Seth said
mocking Tony.
"All I have to have is proof. I admit these events have turned my point
of view."
"I see," Seth said and paused to read Tonys face. "Some have crossed
over. Some, the Morning Star has judged for himself. He is jealous of
his creator. He does not want the Messiah to come and judge the living
and the dead. He is selfish, wanting to keep what he has stolen."
"What has he stolen? What are you talking about?"
"You for one thing," Seth replied.
Tony could not believe his ears.
"He has tricked you and these men into traveling here. The Prince of
Lies planted the airliner you discovered. You followed it here and now
you are trapped. You shall be baptized into Hell."
208
"Satan planted the airliner? I knew time travel was impossible. I was
correct."
"Not that being correct has done anything for you now. You will soon
be baptized into his kingdom."
"How is that done?" Tony asked.
"You have come as a living spirit. Once you have been released you
will be trapped here forever."
"Released wouldnt be the same as killed would it?"
"Yes it would," Seth replied.
From the side Ramsey stepped in and interrupted saying, "What
happened to my men. The ones who didnt make it to base camp?"
Seth looked to him and said, "They have been baptized, as you will be
soon."
"Why us?" Tony asked.
"One among you is the son of man."
"The son of man?" Ramsey asked. "That is the second time I have
heard that one."
"I see now," Tony said. "If you manage to trap the Messiah in Hell, he
would be unable to judge the living and the dead. Satan would in effect
stop the Second Coming of Christ."
"You are correct," Seth replied.
"Which one of us is the Christ?" Tony asked.
209
"It is you," Seth replied.
Tony became flush and he swallowed hard. "Me?" Tony asked
remembering what Brinkman had said about his DNA and the blood on
the crown of thorns. It started to come together in his mind.
"What are those flying monsters that keep attacking us?" Ramsey
asked.
"If you are familiar with your bible commander, you will remember
that one third of the angels were swept from heaven when the Morning
Star was banished."
"They are fallen angels? Why dont you look like them?" Ramsey
asked.
" I am not an angel. I have given myself willingly to my Lord. I was
once human like yourself commander."
210
Chapter 25
The gunner set his machine gun to shoot in three shot bursts to try to
conserve ammunition. With a flick of a lever, the gun went from full
automatic to semi-automatic.
The ATV bounced along the uneven ground parallel to the city
boundary, two miles away. Without warning, they burst out of the tall
grass onto a dirt road, then back into the tall grass on the other side.
"Turn around!" Adams yelled to the driver. "Get on that road and head
towards the city!"
The ATV made a wide arch in the grass and turned back to the road.
Once they found the dirt path they pressed through the gears attaining
80 mph. The road was smoother and the men were able to fire with
more precision at the flying creatures attacking them. Behind the ATV,
a trail of dust kicked up alerting all to their location.
With the wind in his hair, Adams turned to his gunner and looked back.
Seeing one of the creatures swooping down at them from behind he
yelled, "Look out!" to his gunner. Spinning on his turret, the gunner
pulled the trigger and three shots fired out of his gun in rapid
succession. He pulled the trigger again, and three more shots burst forth
striking the creature, sending it rolling to a stop in a cloud of dust.
Adams turned again to face forward watching, as the city became
larger in his view. "Get ready!" he yelled. "Take out as many as you
can!"
211
In the distance, they could see that a crowd of humans blocked the
entrance to the city. The closer they got, the more the crowd parted
until they cleared a path through the main gate.
Shifting down, the ATV slowed to 40 mph as it passed through the
crowd and drove into the city. Slamming on the breaks, the ATV
skidded to a halt kicking up a plume of dust that drifted in the breeze.
"Fire!" Adams yelled and all five men shot into the mass of people
surrounding the ATV at random. Easton jumped onto the hood and
fired his machine gun from his hip spraying the crowd as he spun in a
wide arch. Blood, flesh and bone shot into the air as the bullets made
contact with the city dwellers running for their lives.
The crowd shifted and many fell as they were struck down by gunfire.
Many pushed closer, fearless of the barrage of bullets spraying in their
direction.
In a panic the rear gunner flicked the switch on his gun resetting it to
full automatic. Without looking, he pulled the trigger and swept the
area in one smooth motion cutting down Easton who was still standing
on the hood. Easton fell dead almost cut in half. To the rear gunners
horror he watched as Easton bounced off the hood of the ATV and fell
to the ground with a thud.
Moments later the ATV was swamped and the remaining four men
were pulled off the vehicle and carried away. Along the entrance gate,
twelve long poles jutted forth from the ground rising twenty feet into
the air. The men were hauled to the poles and strung up, tied by leather
straps, lifting them a foot off the ground. Eastons dead body was laid
at their feet.
212
"What are you going to do with us?" Adams yelled to the crowd. There
was no response, just murmuring. "Who is in charge?" he yelled in vain
scanning the faces in the crowd. He looked to his right at the two men
hanging beside him then to the man on his left.
The leather dug into his wrists and the pain was unbearable. He knew
this was going to end up bad but he did not plan on the suffering.
"Look!" one of the men, shouted. "Easton is moving!"
At their feet Easton pushed off the ground and stood erect. "What the
hell?" Adams thought. "Easton! Cut us down!" Adams yelled to the
man standing before him.
Easton looked blankly at Adams as if he did not know who he was. He
turned to the crowd and a man walked forth and handed him a long
knife. He took the knife and approached Adams hanging before him.
"Cut me down Easton," Adams whispered.
Easton took the knife and cut Adams across the belly spilling his
insides onto the dirt below. Adams gasped for air and looked into
Eastons lifeless eyes waiting to die.
213
Chapter 26
Three days had passed with no word from the recognizance team. The
burned out ATV was salvaged and pulled into camp. Its rear mounted
machine gun, still in working condition, was set up as the main defense
for camp. Four tripod-mounted machine guns were flanked around the
ATV manned at all times.
"Hey captain! When are we going to eat?" one of the men yelled out.
"Im working on it!" Ramsey shouted back.
The food supply was gone and sixteen men remained at camp growing
hungrier each hour. Ramsey needed to find food in a hurry. "Rhine!
Get over here!" he shouted across camp.
Tony came running over and stood before the captain. "What is it?" he
asked.
"Youre a doctor right?" Ramsey asked.
"Yes I am."
"I guess youre pretty damn smart, what around here do you think is
safe to eat?"
Tony frowned at Ramsey and said, "Dont they teach you survival
skills in boot camp?"
Ramsey chuckled at Tonys ignorance. "Yes they do," he responded.
"But this place isnt normal. I have no idea what is safe and what may
be poison."
214
"And you think I do?"
"This was your mission. I expect you have some answers."
"I dont know any more than you do commander," Tony snapped back
and turned to the tall grass prairie. "What would you usually eat in a
situation like this?
"You dont want to know."
"I may not be military, but I am in this just the same as you."
Ramsey bent over and picked up something from the dirt. In his fingers
was a six-legged insect squirming, trying to escape. "If it comes down
to it, these make a pretty good lunch," Ramsey said tossing the bug at
Tony. The captain laughed at Tony when he jumped away from the
insect. "Do you wonder why there would be bugs in Hell?"
"I suppose they sinned against God," Tony said
"You should know," Ramsey said sarcastically. "If you are who our
prisoner says you are, you should be able to break bread and feed us
all. Why dont you give it a try?"
"I am not who he says I am. I am sorry."
"Too bad," Ramsey said sighing. "Id like a free ticket out of here."
One of the soldiers walked over from the campfire and stood next to
Ramsey. "Captain?" he asked.
"Yes private."
"I have an idea," the soldier said looking to the ground.
215
"Go on."
"When we captured those three, they were riding some big hairy cow
or something," the private said.
"You want to eat one of those things?" Tony asked. "They have been
sitting out in the sun for four days!"
"Me and the other men are hungry sir," the private said.
"I realize that. Eating rotted meat will kill you!" Tony snapped back.
"We plan to cook it sir."
Tony looked to Ramsey. "I would advise against it," Tony said.
"Desperate times doctor," he said to Tony. Looking to the private he
said, "Get three other men, go out and retrieve some of it. We will
make a determination then." Looking back to Tony he said, "If you get
hungry enough, you will eat your own arm. Believe me, you dont want
to know what I know."
The private took off to camp to gather a party.
***
Twenty minutes later a voice cracked over Ramseys radio.
"Commander come in."
"Ramsey here," he responded.
"Sir, one of them is gone.
"Probably some scavengers dragged it away. Is there a problem?"
216
"It just seemed strange sir. There are no remains. It is if it got up and
walked away."
"The other one is still there?"
"Yes, it is in better condition than I thought it would be."
Ramsey thought for a moment. "Continue with the mission. Contact me
if there are any problems, over." Ramsey put the radio back on his belt
and scratched his forehead.
"I nailed both of those things dead," Pvt. Jackson said startling Ramsey
from behind.
"I know. I saw them myself." Ramsey said, his heart still pounding in
his chest. "Who knows what they have for scavengers around here. It
may have been drug off."
***
An hour passed and Tony sat on the ground next to Seth and the other
two prisoners. "Who are your friends there?" Tony asked Seth.
"Thats rude Tony. You can ask them, they wont bite," Seth replied.
"If you dont mind, Id rather speak to you," he said to Seth. "I hope
you guys dont mind," he said looking to the other two bound to the
tree.
"If thats the way you want it fine. This is Brother Follett, and next to
him Brother Thomas."
217
Tony smiled at them and said, "Glad to meet you," with a sarcastic grin
The two men looked over at Tony and glared at him. "Whats wrong
with them?" he asked Seth.
"You are the enemy, remember?" Seth replied.
"Yeah, thats right," he said laughing. "So how long have you been
here uncle?" Tony asked.
"I crossed over in 1970. I believe that was the year of your birth?"
"Yes it is. What an odd coincidence," Tony said.
"Maybe not as odd as you think," Seth said.
Tony smiled at Seth and dug his foot into the dirt. "So you have been
here thirty years now?"
"Doesnt feel like it," Seth replied. "Seems like only yesterday."
"I bet it does." Tony smiling at his uncle. "Is this place all you dreamed
it would be?"
"And more my nephew. You can not fathom the glory of his presence."
"Who are you talking about?" Tony asked.
"The Morning Star of course," Seth replied.
"Satan?" Tony asked.
"If that is what you wish to call him."
Tony looked over to camp watching the men eating. The smell of the
roasting meat sickened him and the sight of the massive beasts leg
218
cooking over the fire made him ill. Ramsey walked over and stood
before the prisoners and looked down to Tony.
"Are you going to eat?" Ramsey asked.
"I think I will take my chances on the vegetation," Tony replied.
"I agree," Ramsey said. "The maggots make me sick. Jackson isnt
touching it either."
"Why not?" Tony asked.
"Jackson is a farm boy. He said spoiled meat is like poison. He is out
scrounging in the woods for some nuts and berries."
"That is a wise choice," Seth said.
"Why? Is there something we should know?" Ramsey asked Seth.
"If you have been observing Commander Ramsey, nothing here stays
dead for long."
"Oh my!" Tony spoke up. His eyes wide open.
"What is it?" Ramsey asked.
Tony looked to Ramsey and said, "The other beast. It wasnt dragged
off. It got up on its own and left."
"Very good nephew," Seth said with a grin.
Ramsey looked back at his men and then back at Tony. "Are you
saying that thing will come back to life?"
"Inside them. If they eat the meat it will come back to life inside the
men. It will kill them!"
219
Seth began to laugh out loud. Then Follett and Thomas joined in.
Ramsey ran back to the campfire and yelled for the men to stop eating.
Tony watched from his seat becoming flush with heat. He jumped as he
saw the massive leg of the beast twitch as it cooked above the fire. Its
clawed feet jerked back and forth knocking it off the rack and into the
hot coals kicking up sparks and embers.
"Throw it up!" Ramsey yelled to his men. "It is poison!"
The leg now in full motion jerked violently trying to get out of the fire
disembodied. From the edge of the woods the agonizing screams of the
animal shot across camp.
The men scattered in all directions buckled over in pain. Some were
trying to throw up and others were falling to the ground dead as the
reanimated meat inside them killed them like poison.
Bursting forth from the woods, the massive longhaired beast lumbered
into camp on its remaining three legs. It hobbled towards the campfire
and with its open jaws, clenched down upon its remaining leg and
pulled it from the fire. With the leg in tow, it limped back into the
woods disappearing from view.
Tony looked in horror as one by one all of the remaining men fell
lifeless to the ground. Ramsey was helpless to stop it.
***
Twenty minutes later after the commotion died down, Tony, Ramsey
and Jackson walked among the dead. The strained horrified looks on
the dead mens faces sickened them. Seth and the other two prisoners
sat silent watching them survey camp. Tony walked over to Seth and
kicked dirt on him. "You bastard! You knew this would happen!"
220
Seth spit out dirt and blinked his eyes clearing his vision. He looked up
to Tony hovering above him. "Of course I knew. I have come to baptize
you all. I only have three more and my mission is fulfilled."
"We ought to put a bullet in him!" Jackson yelled.
"What good what that do?" Tony asked. "You cant kill the dead. We
found that out the hard way."
"There must be something we can do," Jackson said. "We have some
control over them. If you can tie them up you must be able to kill them
for good."
Tony looked to Seth. "How about it uncle? Is there a death beyond
this?"
"Do you think I would tell you?" Seth replied.
"There must be," Jackson said. "There must be something beyond this.
We just need to find out what it is."
"We better find out fast," Ramsey said. "I dont think our men will stay
dead long."
"What are you saying?" Jackson asked.
"Nothing stays dead here Jackson!" Ramsey yelled. "Werent you
paying attention?"
"These are our men. They wouldnt do anything to us," Jackson said.
"Our men are gone. We need to dispose of these bodies before it is too
late."
"Too late for what?" Jackson asked.
221
"Before they stand up and kill us!" Ramsey yelled. " I for one want to
stay just the way I am." Ramsey pointed to the camp and said, "Start
grabbing bodies and pile them up by the ATV."
With that order the three men dragged the bodies to a central point
twenty feet from the ATV and lined them next to each other. The
thirteen soldiers fell dead in the same area making gathering them an
easy task. Taking turns, the three men grabbed the dead men by their
hands and feet and tossed them onto an ever-growing heap of bodies. It
took fifteen minutes to complete the pile and the men gathered around
the ATV.
"What do you think happened to our other men? The ones who didnt
make it to camp and the ones who died during the attack?" Jackson
asked. "Are they out in the tall grass watching us?"
"Maybe, I dont know. They may have been waiting for our numbers to
thin down a little before attacking." Ramsey replied.
"Our own men trying to kill us? That sounds so wrong."
"They stopped being our men as soon as they died."
"Jesus Christ this sucks!" Jackson said. "What are you going to do with
them?"
"Just watch," Ramsey said and jumped up onto the ATV. With a flick
of a switch the safety was turned off and the commander aimed the
machine gun at the pile of bodies. "Stand back!" he yelled. "This is
going to get messy!"
Pulling the trigger, the gun shot thirty rounds per second into the pile of
bodies sending flesh and bone flying into the air in all directions. Blood
222
covered everything in a twenty-foot radius of the pile, dripping off the
vegetation and streaming down the sides of trees. The sound of the
machine gun bounced off the trees and rattled in the heads of those
standing by. The flash at the end of the gun shot forth twelve inches
illuminating the area like a strobe light.
Tony looked away not being able to stomach the horrific sight before
him. Splatters of blood and chunks of flesh sprayed his body and
everything around him making him gag. A moment later the firing
stopped and the barrel of the gun was allowed to slump down and
smoke. Tony uncovered his face and looked to the pile now reduced to
a blend of flesh and bone mixed with blood and hair. Tony bent over
and tried to throw up only producing dry heaves.
"That ought to do it," Ramsey said looking down upon his work. He
jumped off the ATV and stepped over to the pile and kicked some of
the body parts around looking for anything needing cut up. Ramsey
looked to Tony seeing him visible shaken by the sight. "Get over it.
The faster you do the better you will be."
Jackson looked at the pile and shook his head with disgust. "What a
waste," he said and joined Tony. "Youre a mess," he said looking at
Tonys face. "Next time dont stand so close."
"There had better not be a next time," Tony said wiping the blood
away. Tony walked over to Seth and bent down on one knee next to
him. "I dont think they will be coming back to haunt us."
"Dont be so sure of yourself," Seth replied. "You do not know the
power you are dealing with."
"If Satan is so powerful why doesnt he just come get us and get this
over?" Tony asked.
223
"He is, in his own way," Seth replied.
"I dont think he is all so powerful. We got you tied up pretty good."
"Yes you do, I will admit that."
Tony sat back on his rear looking at Seth. "I dont get it," Tony said.
"Why all the games?"
"Games? I find your choice of words interesting."
"What would you call it?"
"It is the way it has to be."
"That is a cop out if I ever heard one. If I am the Messiah like you say I
am, Satan would never be able to capture me."
"He would if you lacked faith."
"The Son of God would not lack faith."
"How is your faith?"
Tony stopped dumbfounded. He had no answer.
"Whats the plan now?" Jackson asked.
"With our numbers down, we need to prepare for attack."
"Three against a whole city. That is just freaking fantastic! It is just a
matter of time!" Jackson yelled. "No one is coming to rescue us!"
Ramsey chose not to speak for he knew Jackson was correct.
224
Tony stood and faced the other two soldiers. "They want me and we
have no way to defend ourselves. Maybe I should surrender. It could
save you two."
"Save us? We have no food. We are outnumbered. It is a matter of
time. I think we have twenty four hours at best," Ramsey said.
"Twenty four hours," Jackson shadowed. "This sucks!"
225
Chapter 27
Jackson tossed roots and berries on the ground next to Tony. "You
better eat this," Jackson said, looking down upon his starving
companion.
"Do you think this thing is safe?" Tony said, examining the long stiff
root. He looked up to Jackson and blocked the sun from his eyes. "Im
not sure about this."
"If you dont eat, you wont last long. You better take your chances on
these." Jackson bit down on a root, tearing off a piece.
"Hows it taste?" Tony asked.
"Like plastic," Jackson replied laughing. The root crunched in his
mouth as he chewed it like a cow.
"Youre a brave man Jackson." Tony said, picking up a root from the
dirt.
"The Lord will carry me through."
"You really believe that dont you?"
"Of course, only a fool would choose not to believe in God. He is my
protector."
" How does he do that? Protect you?" Tony asked snapping the root in
two.
"Pray my friend. Just pray," Jackson replied.
226
"I envy you in a way, private."
"Me? Im just a grunt. You are a doctor. You cant possibly want
anything I have."
"You have something to believe in," Tony said "That is more than I
have. Right now my qualifications dont seem to be helping to much."
"I see your point sir."
Tony held the root in his hand and looked at it again. "I suppose you
prayed before you ate?" Tony asked smiling.
"I was brought up that way. I always give thanks. You ought to try it
some time."
Tony sniffed the root and nibbled a piece off the end. "Im not sure
what I have to give thanks for," Tony said discontentedly.
"You see that?" Jackson said pointing to the dead corpses across camp.
"You can give thanks that you are not in that pile."
"I cant. I dont have the sincerity in my heart." Tony said looking
away.
"Thats ok doctor," Jackson said. "I prayed for you already."
Tony looked to Jackson and took a bite of the root he had been nibbling
on. It tasted like wood. He did not care, for it felt good in his belly.
"What about the commander?" Tony asked.
"He gave me the roots. He wanted you to test them out."
Tonys eyes opened wide.
227
"Im just kidding, now eat." Jackson said laughing.
Tony picked up a handful of the red berries covered in dirt and wiped
them clean. He tossed one in his mouth and his face puckered like he
had just tasted a lemon. "Damn thats sour!" he said then swallowed. "I
need something to drink."
"So do I. Ill grab some water."
"No, Ill do it," Tony said and stood up shaking the dust off his pants.
"I cant wait that long," he added and walked over to the water storage
bin at the other side of camp. Tony moved ever closer to the remains of
the men scattered about the camp, keeping his eyes away from the site.
The main pile had settled with gravity and spread out covering a thirty
feet area. Flies swarmed about and the smell of death drifted upwards
from the rotting flesh.
Grabbing the aluminum cup from the side of the plastic water bin,
Tony pushed the button at the bottom of the container allowing the cup
to fill with warm stale water. His back to the death scene, he could still
see remains splattered before him on the trees and ground. The water
bin had spots of blood on it that Tony tried to ignore as he filled his
cup.
"Hurry up!" Jackson yelled from across camp.
"Ill be there" Tony said, and stopped frozen in mid-sentence. Before
him, smeared on the water bin, he saw one of the bloodstains pulsating.
About the size of a quarter, the stain collected itself like a water spot on
wax paper. With a steady vibration it slowly slid down the side of the
container as if it was seeking out a destination.
228
Tony backed up and looked around noticing more of the blood moving
on its own. He turned to the trees and saw large sections of blood and
flesh crawling on its own, down the sides of the trees and moving
towards the body pile behind him. He was too scared to turn and face
the pile alone. "Jackson! Get over here now!" he yelled and set the cup
back on top of the water bin.
"Jackson ran over to Tony and stopped by the water bin. "What is it?"
he asked.
"Look," Tony said pointing to the blood crawling down the leg of the
table.
"What? Its just blood," Jackson said.
"Look closer."
Jackson bent over and examined the blood. "Oh my God!" he said and
stood up. "That thing has a mind of its own."
"If that is moving" Tony said and again stopped his sentence. He
looked to Jackson and then turned to face the pile of bodies behind
him. Jackson followed his direction and gazed upon the pile.
Both men noticed right away a severed head lying on the ground
looking up at them. Its eyes blinked and its mouth moved but no sound
came out. "Oh Shit," Tony said. "Theyre coming back."
"It didnt take as long as the others," Jackson said staring at the eyes of
the severed head.
The men could see the pile moving, as body parts reformed and
reanimated. Flesh and blood crawled across the ground collecting in the
229
ever-growing mass of bodies. Coherent shapes were forming as the
body parts reconnected and wounds healed.
Jackson grabbed his radio and called his commander. "Ramsey! We
have an emergency! Get over to the water bin ASAP!"
"Roger!" the commander snapped over the radio.
"We have to do something now!" Jackson said scared.
"We have no gasoline! What should we do? Shoot them again?"
"We have to buy some time. I have an idea," Jackson said and grabbed
his radio again. "Ramsey, meet us at the ammunition depot!"
"What is it Jackson?" Ramsey asked over the radio.
"Ill explain when we get there. Jackson replied.
Jackson and Tony both ran across camp into the woods where the
ammunition was stored. Ramsey met them there a few minutes later.
"Grab everything you can carry!" Jackson yelled.
"What is it?" Ramsey asked again.
"Ill show you in a second," Jackson said grabbing up boxes of shells
and clips. "We need grenades. Stuff them in your back pack."
Tony stuffed his pack with grenades and Ramsey filled up on shells
and clips.
"Ive got all I can carry," Tony said.
"Me too," Ramsey said.
230
"Ok lets go," Jackson said and he led the other men back to the water
bin at a full sprint. The weight of the ammunition wore on them like a
ton of bricks but the adrenaline powered them onward.
At the water bin, Ramsey looked on in shock. By this time many of the
bodies were well formed and on their way to regeneration. Ramsey
stood close to the pile and did a quick survey of the situation.
"Everyone grab a grenade," he barked and reached into his pack.
"When I count three, we pull pins, toss and duck. Got it?"
Both men nodded in agreement.
Ramsey counted off, "One, two, three," and they pulled pins and tossed
the grenades into the pile. Diving to the ground, the men covered their
heads as the grenades exploded. The blast sent debris flying, covering
the men in flesh and blood as the three explosives exploded in the heap.
Ramsey stood and looked at the bodies again. "Once more!" he yelled
and all three men grabbed for another grenade. Ramsey looked at the
doctor and said, "You look like shit," with a grin on his face. "Ready,
one, two three," Ramsey yelled and they again tossed the explosives
into the pile. Three explosions rocked the area sending more body parts
flying in all directions.
Wiping the blood from his face Tony asked Ramsey, "Now what are
we going to do?"
"We are going to make a run for it," Ramsey replied.
"Run to where?"
"Does it matter?" Ramsey barked back at Tony. Ramsey pulled his M-
16 from behind his back and swept the pile in a wide arch mixing up
the body parts one final time. Allowing the smoke to clear, he
231
examined the pile looking for any bodies that were far along enough to
cause them trouble. He stepped in close and got down on one knee
poking the remains with his rifle barrel.
"Do you have to do that?" Tony asked.
Ramsey looked over his shoulder at Tony and said, "Yes, why dont
you give me a hand?"
"I think we should just get the hell out of here!" Tony snapped back.
Ramsey turned back to the pile before him and watched a hand and
forearm crawl out from under the pile. He put the barrel next to the
hand and let it grab onto the end lifting it into the air. The hand gripped
tightly to the hot metal. Ramsey turned to Tony and flung the arm at
Tony letting it land at his feet. The hand grabbed Tonys ankle hard
scaring him, sending him into a panic. Kicking his leg, the hand lost its
grip on Tony and landed three feet away from him. Tony pulled his
pistol and shot the arm several times. The arm continued to move in his
direction crawling on its fingertips.
"Youre a real jerk!" Tony said to Ramsey.
"Youre a real chicken shit!" Ramsey snapped back. Ramsey walked
over and picked the arm up off the ground and flung it back on the pile
of body parts. "Lets get out of here before anymore of these things
come back!" Ramsey yelled
The three men took off across camp into the tall grass prairie. The
grass, three feet tall was easy enough to maneuver in, but did not allow
them to see the ground they were running on. In a sprint the three men
ran through the field in a single file. Ramsey led, followed by Tony and
Jackson.
232
In less than a minute, the woods became a distant spot on the horizon.
The men stopped for a rest bending over and panting like dogs. Trying
to catch his breath, Tony asked, "Where to commander?"
Ramsey scanned the horizon looking over the endless sea of tall grass.
"Well continue on this direction until we come across a landmark."
"Fine, lets go," Tony said and they continued on at a slower jog ever
mindful of the uneven surfaces of the ground. Further and further they
ran, carving a path through the untouched grasslands. The blue sky met
the green grass on the horizon, dotted with intermittent clouds and a
bright sun that glared in their eyes.
Two miles had passed since they abandoned camp and Ramsey once
again stopped to catch his breath. Tony and Jackson pulled up behind
him and released their packs, letting them fall to the ground.
"Do either of you have field glasses?" Ramsey asked between breaths.
"Yes captain," Jackson said and dug through his pack producing a pair.
He handed them to Ramsey.
Ramsey scanned the area ahead of them and then swept back looking
towards camp now five miles away. "Shit!" he said looking through the
glasses.
The other two men looked back to camp, squinting, trying to see what
he was looking at.
"What is it?" Tony asked in a panic. Ramsey handed him the glasses.
Tony looked back to camp and saw tiny figures of men cutting through
the tall grass running towards them. The figures grew larger and larger
233
in his view, seeming to be running at a full sprint. "Theyre not slowing
down!" Tony yelled.
Jackson could now make out tiny figures with his naked eye. With
mechanical precision, he dug through his backpack and retrieved a
powerful rifle scope. In seconds he had the scope mounted and a clip
inserted in his sniper rifle. Chambering a round he placed the sights to
his eyes and snapped off three shots. Pop, pop, pop went his gun
without a hint of a flinch. Tony saw three men fall in the tall grass.
"Damn youre good!" Tony said under his breath.
Three more shots and three more disappeared into the tall grass. The
smoke from the rifle dispersed into the wind. In rapid succession
another three shots popped.
"Thats nine, there should only be four left," Ramsey said.
"Theres more than four!" Tony said looking through the glasses.
"What?" Ramsey asked.
"There not staying down very long. The first three are already back
up!"
Jackson shot until his clip was empty and dropped it with a flick of a
lever. Wasting no motion he placed in a new clip and began firing
again.
"Theyre getting back up as fast as they drop!" Tony yelled.
"How close are they?" Ramsey asked.
"Mile and a half at the most," Jackson replied between shots.
234
Ramsey looked around trying to find shelter. It was if they were in the
middle of the ocean and the sharks were bearing down on them with no
place to hide. "We got to run!" Ramsey yelled.
Tony stood fast, watching the action unfold through the field glasses.
His heart began to sink as he realized it was only a matter of time
before the enemy caught up with them.
"Come on!" Ramsey yelled taking a few steps away. He stopped
amazed that the other two did not follow. "Whats wrong with you?"
Tony put down the glasses and looked to Ramsey. "We need another
plan if we are going to get out of this."
"Getting the hell out of here is my plan!"
"Where are we going to go?" Tony yelled at Ramsey. "Maybe it is time
to surrender."
"Surrender?" Ramsey shot back. "I will never surrender! Do what you
want doctor. Its your hide, not mine!"
Ramsey turned and took off running leaving Tony and Jackson to
defend their position alone. Jackson brought his gun down and let it
dangle at his side. Looking to Tony he said, "I never liked that bastard
anyway." Jackson turned to face the enemy. "I have one last plan
before we surrender."
"What? You cant kill them!"
"We dont know for sure. Maybe they can only regenerate so many
times. Maybe we are using the wrong approach."
"What else is there? I dont think harsh language will work."
235
"I have nerve gas." Jackson said. "In a grenade."
"Nerve gas? Are you kidding?" Tony asked.
"Do you have a better idea?" Jackson asked.
"Yes. Lets just give up."
"Maybe Ramsey was right. Anyway we have about thirty seconds
before they get here."
"Wont the nerve gas kill us too?" Tony asked.
"Only if you get some on you. Just make sure you throw as hard as you
can and then duck. Put your head in your backpack if you have to."
Jackson reached into his bag and pulled out two nerve gas grenades. He
handed one to Tony and kept one for himself. "We need to lead them a
little. Pull the pin and wait for me to yell "now". Toss that thing as far
as you can, then hit the ground and hold your breath."
"I thought nerve gas"
"Youre right. Forget the breathing thing. If it gets on your skin you are
dead. Get ready." The enemy was now within a hundred yards and
closing fast. "On three," Jackson said calmly. Fifty yards and closing
fast. "One, two, three" Jackson said. "Now!" he yelled and the two
men threw their explosives as far as they could. Tony and Jackson both
hit the ground hard and waited for the sound of the detonations.
Two loud explosions rocked the area. The sprinkling sound of dirt
falling back to the ground surrounded them in all directions as they
listened to hear if anyone was still running through the tall grass. All
236
they could hear was their own breathing and the sound of the breeze
blowing above them.
Minutes passed and still no sound of their pursuers. Jackson and Tony
could see each other through the grass and Jackson signaled to Tony to
keep silent. Jackson looked up through the grass to the sky keeping an
eye for anyone that may come along. More time passed and they both
began to feel better about their predicament. A cool breeze blew over
the prairie bending the tall grass over like the waves on the ocean
creating the only sound besides their own breathing.
Then from a distance they heard a familiar voice calling out to them.
"Doctor Rhine! Jackson!" Jackson signaled to Tony not to move. The
voice was that of Captain Ramsey, somewhere off in the distance.
Tony whispered, "Its Ramsey!"
Jackson used his hand to signal Tony to be silent.
Once again the voice called out to them, "Doctor Rhine! Jackson!"
"It may be a trick!" Jackson whispered back.
"Thats Ramseys voice! I would know it anywhere!" Tony whispered
back.
"We cannot expose ourselves."
"He might get killed!"
"That is not our problem!" Jackson snapped back. "Now shut up!"
Tony lay silent on the ground listening to the voice call his name,
feeling guilty about not coming to his aid. He looked at Jackson, two
237
feet away, and became angry with him for not helping the commander.
The voice continued. Tony shuffled in the grass and got into position to
stand. Seeing this, Jackson reached over and grabbed Tony by the cuff
of his pants and tugged at him. Tony pulled away and slowly rose until
he could see over the top of the grass. He looked around in the
direction of the voice and saw Ramsey standing fifty yards away alone.
Tony sank back down and said, "Hes alone! I dont see anyone else
around."
"Its a trick!" Jackson whispered as loud as he could.
Tony stood up and took the field glasses from around his neck. He
looked through them finding Ramsey standing with his back to him.
Ramsey continued to call out their names slowly turning like a
lighthouse beacon. Tony yelled, "Over here commander!"
Ramsey turned around to greet the voice calling back to him. Tonys
heart sank as he saw the commanders neck slit from ear to ear.
Ramsey called out in an undistinguishable growl and forty men rose
from the tall grass, surrounding Tony and Jackson in all directions.
"Jackson! Get up!" Tony yelled.
Jackson rose above the grass and spun around observing the soldiers
surrounding them. "Damn!" he said realizing they had no way out.
"Who are those men?" Tony asked.
"We lost track of over half the platoon. They never made it to base
camp. Now I see why," Jackson replied.
Ramsey signaled to the soldiers and they closed in on the two captives.
Tony and Jackson looked around watching the men get closer, walking
238
calmly through the grass covering all escape routes. In a few minutes
they were completely surrounded. The soldiers were shoulder to
shoulder in a circle facing the two men cowering for their lives.
Ramsey approached. "You are the last," he said to the frightened men.
"The last what?" Jackson asked looking at the gash across his throat.
"The last to be baptized," Ramsey replied.
Tony looked around at the men surrounding them and tried to see some
life in their eyes. They were all alive, but they seemed distant and
vacant inside. Tony looked back to Ramsey and noticed he was looking
past them into the field behind them. Tony turned to see three huge
hairy beasts lumbering through the tall grass, each carrying a rider
atop. The closer they came, the louder the sound of the massive
creatures became.
A section of the circle opened and the beasts stepped inside. The circle
again closed trapping all inside. The three beasts came to a stop twenty
feet from Tony and Jackson and the riders dismounted. Tony knew
right away that it was Seth, Follett and Thomas.
"My nephew!" Seth said as he walked over to Tony. "It was only a
matter of time."
Tony looked to Seth and felt helpless to save himself. "What do you
want from me?" he asked.
"The ultimate sacrifice," Seth replied.
"I dont want to die," Tony said calmly.
239
"Look around nephew," Seth said holding out his hand. "Does anyone
here look dead to you?"
Tony looked around at the men. He looked to Ramsey and said, " His
throat is slit. What kind of life is that?"
Seth looked to Ramsey. "Are you in pain?" he asked.
"I feel no pain," Ramsey replied.
Tony noticed that the cut was healing and was considerably smaller
than it was a few minutes before. "What about his mind?"
"What about it?" Seth asked.
"He looks like Ramsey," Tony said and then paused. "But there is
something different about him."
"Like what?"
"Ramsey would never give up. He would never trick his own men into
giving up," Tony said.
"Is that true?" Seth asked Ramsey.
"That is not true," Ramsey replied.
"See nephew, you are wrong about that. I imagine you are wrong about
quite a few things."
Tony brought his pistol out of his holster and chambered a round.
"What are you going to do with that?" Seth asked. "Dont you realize
by now your bullets do not kill us?"
240
Tony put the gun to his temple. "It is not for you. I will not let you take
me. If I go it will be by my own hand."
Seth looked at Tony in shock. "Do not do this my nephew," Seth said
trying not to alarm him.
"What do you care? You get me either way."
"It is not time yet."
Tony took the gun from his head and pointed it at Seths forehead. He
pulled the trigger and the gun popped with a puff of smoke. Seths head
jerked back and then recoiled back to its original position. Seth looked
to Tony with a bullet hole in his skull.
"What did that prove?" Seth said angrily.
"Nothing," Tony replied. "It just made me feel better."
From behind, Tony and Jackson were tackled and wrestled to the
ground. The soldiers they once relied on now bound them and tossed
them on the backs of the great hairy beasts like they were saddlebags.
241
Chapter 28
The captives entered the city of Sodom strapped to the back of two
great beasts. Both men were bound with leather straps, encircled
completely, guarded closely by their former comrades. The two
massive hairy beasts lumbered through the main gate of the city parting
the crowd like oil and water. The long dangling hair of the animals
swayed with each long stride in a graceful dance giving a sort of
strange elegance to such an ugly creature.
The beasts were brought to a halt with a crack of a whip and the crowd
closed in for a closer look. The city was a flurry of excitement with the
arrival of the new prisoners and everyone came to see the new captives.
"Cut them down!" Seth yelled. The city inhabitants, dressed only in
skins and rags, converged on the prisoners like a pack of wolves on
prey. Tony and Jackson were cut loose, pulled from the backs of the
beasts and allowed to fall to the ground with a crash and a plume of
dust. "On your feet!" Seth barked at the two men. Tony stood holding
his left wrist, grimacing in pain. Jackson rose and brushed off the dirt
from his face.
"What are you going to do with us?" Tony asked. He held his hand up
and shaded the sun from his eyes. The crowd was all in silhouette.
"It is time. He wants to see you," Seth replied. "He has been waiting a
long time for this moment." Seth waved his arm to the crowd and
yelled, "Bring them!"
242
The prisoners were grabbed and forced to walk along with the mob
through the crowded city streets. Tonys wrist hurt more with the
pressure placed on it to make him comply. He scanned the area around
him looking at the faces of the crowd trying to place them, trying to tell
where he was. The faces gave no clue to location or to culture. It was as
if it were a mix of all men and women, a melting pot of all kinds of
people. Only the wrinkles in their skin and the rags they wore gave
them any kind of continuity of character.
They walked past stone buildings and hay filled carts to an open
courtyard where Tony and Jackson were shoved to the ground. Once
again Tony struck his wrist and he turned over on his back holding his
arm in agony.
Seth walked over and kicked Tony in the ribs. "Face down!" he yelled
and kicked some dirt in Tonys face.
Tony turned over and looked to Jackson lying beside him. He dared not
speak. Tony spit the dirt from his mouth and wiped out his eyes with
his shirtsleeve, blinking rapidly. Scanning the area around, Tony saw
they were completely surrounded by the crowd. There was about
twenty feet between him and the perimeter, creating a natural boundary
that encircled them.
Seth stood before the prisoners, now joined by Follett and Thomas.
Tony had to strain his neck to look up to see their faces. The three were
speaking amongst themselves periodically looking down at the two
lying on the ground. Seth left the group and walked over to Tony. He
held out his hand to the crowd and someone tossed him a tall wooden
staff. Seth raised the staff and brought it down upon Tonys back
striking him hard. "Do not gaze your eyes upon me!" Seth yelled.
243
Tony lowered his head and rested his face on his right hand. He looked
to his right and saw a man kneel down on Jacksons back restricting his
abdomen. Jackson wheezed trying to get a breath. "What are you
doing?" Tony asked. "What do you want with us?"
Seth knelt down and grabbed Tony by his hair and jerked his head
back. "You will learn to show respect!"
Tony glared at Seth and pushed off the ground with his good hand. In a
flash Tony had his hand around Seths throat and forced him back in a
fit of rage. Tony pinned Seth on his back and began beating him in the
face. To his astonishment no one stopped him. Tony stopped and
backed off. He looked at Seths face and watched blood trickle from his
smiling face. Seth sat up and looked to Tony. "You will never learn my
nephew," Seth said with a grin. "Do you think you can hurt me
anymore?"
Tony saw the blood reverse and reenter the wound. In a second Seth
was healed. "You son of a gun!" Tony yelled.
Tony was struck from behind and forced again to the ground. Several
men held his arms and legs restricting his movements and pinned him
to the ground.
"You are correct. I am a son of a gun," Seth replied.
"Why do you do this? If I cannot hurt you, why do you fear me so?"
Tony asked.
"Let him go!" said a voice from the crowd. Tony was released and his
captors melted back into the crowd.
244
Tony once again pushed off the ground and stumbled to his feet.
Jackson quickly joined him at his side. The crowd parted and a single
man entered the circle. A man Tony had not seen for almost two years
stood before him dressed in the purple robes of royalty.
"Alex?" Tony asked. "Is that you?"
"Yes doctor, it is I. Alex Parsons," he replied.
"But how?"
"It is so simple my friend. You had all the information you needed.
You just chose not to believe."
"What are you talking about? You should be in Federal prison."
"I am," Alex replied. "In another time."
Tony stood silent thinking. "What other time? I have calculated no time
difference."
"Maybe time is not the best word to explain what I mean. Think of it as
a slice of reality."
"Another dimension?" Tony asked.
"Yes and no," Alex replied. "I live in all times at the same time. I am in
Federal prison. I am teaching college. I am hear with you now, and I
am killing your father at this very moment."
"My father?" Tony asked in shock. "What are you talking about? He
died almost twenty years ago."
"To you maybe. To me it was yesterday."
245
"What do you mean you killed him?" Tony asked. "He was murdered
by a highway patrolman. I saw him with my own eyes."
"Whos eyes did you see?" Alex asked.
"The patrolmans," Tony replied.
"Look into my eyes and tell me what you see."
Tony looked into Alexs eyes and saw the man who killed his father.
"It was you," Tony said. "You killed my father."
"Killed is such a harsh word. I like to say I claimed him for my own."
"I dont understand this. I worked alongside you at the university for
years. Why didnt I recognize you then?"
"You tell me," Alex said with a grin. "If you werent so cynical and
blind to the truth, my plan would have never worked."
"Plan? What plan," Tony asked.
Alex paused and rubbed his chin. "I have someone I would like for you
to meet," Alex said. Alex snapped his finger and the crown parted
behind him. A single figure stepped out of the opening and stood
beside Alex.
"Dad?" Tony asked in amazement and shock. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Tony, it is I." Pastor Jack Rhine replied.
"You are dead. I saw you get shot," Tony said.
"I have been reborn my son, and soon you will join me,"
246
Tony was in too much shock to try to make sense of the situation. He
grasped for straws and his heart began to pound. He needed answers.
"You are not my father!" Tony shouted.
"I will not argue with you son," Jack Rhine said. "If you choose not to
believe, there is nothing I can do to change that."
"If you are my father then you are dead. If you are dead then this must
be heaven. As far as I know I am still very much alive, and I dont
think they allow living people into heaven!" Tony shouted.
Jackson whispered to Tony, "Jesus rose into heaven as a whole being,
body and all."
"Very good," Alex said. "You could take a lesson from your friend here
Tony."
"Ok, lets say Jesus did go to heaven as a whole live man. There are
two of us here. I dont think either one of us qualify as the Son of
God."
Alex smiled. "I would not be so sure of yourself Tony," Alex said. "But
then if you were, my plan would have failed."
Jackson stepped in closer to Tony and nudged him on the arm. "I dont
think this is heaven," he whispered.
Tony looked to Jackson. "Of course not. This is some sort of second
dimension. A dimension where time has taken a different course. That
explains why my father is still alive. In this dimension, he never died."
"If that is so, Tony," Jack Rhine said. "Then you should run into
yourself here somewhere. There must be two of you."
247
"Absolutely," Tony replied. "That only makes sense."
"Call out Tony," his father said. "See if you are correct."
Tony knew he was being played for a fool. "Ok father," Tony said
pausing to collect his thoughts. "Tell me where I am, and what I am
doing here."
Pastor Jack Rhine stepped forward and stood before his son. "It is time
to believe Tony. It is time to cast away your skepticism and believe.
Look around you. Look at me."
Tony looked around and examined the people and the buildings
surrounding him. He looked back to his father standing before him.
"This is Hell my son, and you are never getting out," Jack Rhine said
shoving his son to the ground. "You had better get used to it fast."
Tony looked up to his father in horror as he walked back and rejoined
Alex. "My father would never hurt me!" Tony screamed.
"Your father is now mine," Alex said. "All souls I take I claim as my
own. He is your father in body, but not in spirit. Not anymore."
Tony looked at the pair in horror, forgetting for a moment the
agonizing pain in his wrist. All his life he wished he could have done
something to save his father that fateful day, now reunited, he hated the
man he used to love. It sickened him. "Why father?" Tony asked lying
on his back.
Pastor Jack Rhine smiled at his son and said, "You will find out soon
enough."
248
Alex stepped away from the Pastor and held his hands up to the crowd.
His purple robes hung from his arms hovering inches from the dirt he
stood upon. "Hear me now!" he yelled to the crowd. "In ten days we
shall gather at the coliseum." Alex turned slowly as he continued, "And
we shall baptize these men before the eyes off all." Alex looked down
at Tony and pointed at him. "Tomorrow we shall end the Second
Coming forever! Tomorrow the savior is mine!" Alex paused and
scanned the crowd. A smile crossed his face and he raised both hands
to the sky. "Take them to the prison!" he yelled and turned away. The
crowd parted like the Red Sea as Alex and Pastor Jack Rhine walked
through the masses disappearing into the crowd.
Tony and Jackson were picked up and carried overhead by the crowd
across the courtyard to a doorway in a large stone building. The wood
doors were unlocked and opened allowing the mob to carry the two
prisoners inside. Tony and Jackson were shackled to the wall with
heavy chains and locked behind an interior door. Only a sliver of light
penetrated the darkness illuminating the dust that swirled in the air.
The exterior door was shut with a crash of wood and stone and locked
from outside. The men were in almost total darkness. The stone walls
concealed any sounds from the outside world.
The sliver of light shot a dot on the far wall and Tonys eyes began to
adjust to the dark. He could make out the faint outline of Jackson
shackled on the wall next to him. "How are you doing Jackson?" Tony
asked.
"Considering the circumstances I would say Im doing wonderful,"
Jackson replied sarcastically. "Since we arent going anywhere soon, I
have a few questions for you."
249
Tony shuffled in his restraints and the metal clinked against the stone
wall. "Go ahead," he replied.
"Who are you?"
Tony paused thinking the question was ridiculous. "I am professor, Dr.
Tony Rhine," he replied.
"Ok, now who are you really?" Jackson asked. "They sure seem happy
to have you hear for some reason." Jackson waited for the answer. A
moment passed and he added, "And why did he call you the savior?"
"I would rather not get into that," Tony replied.
Becoming angry, Jackson said, "I am in this too. I would appreciate it if
you clued me in."
"Jackson could not see it, but Tony was shaking his head in disgust.
"Fine!" Tony said and rested his head against the stone behind him.
"They seem to think I am Jesus."
"They do?" Jackson asked. "I kind of got that vibe myself."
"Youre kidding, right?" Tony asked.
"I am a very religious man," Jackson replied. "Unlike you, I dont
require absolute proof. I have faith."
"What makes you think I am him?"
"I have seen demons. I have seen the dead rise. I believe I am in Hell,
and I believe I have seen Satan in the flesh."
"No you have not!"
250
"Was that your father?" Jackson asked.
Tony was silent. He had no answer. "I dont know," Tony replied. "I
still think I we have jumped dimensions somehow."
"Did you ever consider that maybe Heaven and Hell are dimensions?"
Jackson asked. "Maybe the world we came from is just one of three
dimensions. We just ping pong back and forth between them."
"And maybe monkeys fly out my behind!" Tony replied. "I will never
believe I am in Hell and there is no way I will ever believe I am Jesus
Christ."
"Ramsey said the demons asked if he were the son of man. Who do you
think they were talking about? There are only two of us left and I am
sure it is not me."
"If I were the Son of God, I could free myself from these restraints
right now," Tony said. "Or maybe not. Even Jesus could not get
himself off that cross."
Jackson shook his head. "Jesus had to die that day. It was prophesized.
If he had come down off the cross, the ransom would have never been
paid. He died for our sins. He was the sacrifice."
"He chose to die? I find that hard to believe," Tony said smugly.
"We are going to die and be reborn into Hell just because you are to
cynical to even try to believe it."
"What do you want me to do? Just toss out my common sense?"
"I want you to get some faith. What will it hurt? We get baptized in ten
days!"
251
"Why ten days?" Tony asked. "Why dont they just get it over?"
"It makes sense."
"How?"
"Its in Revelations 2:10" Jackson replied.
"I dont suppose you want to share it with me?"
"What good will it do. You dont believe anyway."
"Just tell me the verse!"
Jackson paused a moment then sighed. "I dont know it exactly. It has
something to do with the devil putting some souls in prison for ten days
and tormenting them. Those who are faithful to God will not suffer the
second death."
"We are living out a prophecy in Revelations?"
"Well, not exactly. You, I mean Jesus is supposed to be on the other
side of the fence. It looks to me like your friend Alex there made a
plan."
"A plan?" Tony asked.
"To stop the Second Coming. To keep Jesus from judging the living
and the dead." Jackson replied.
Tony thought a moment. "It would make sense," Tony said. "How else
would my father, a riotous man of God be trapped in Hell?"
"He did say that every soul he stole he kept for his own," Jackson said.
"Maybe he has no intentions of giving up what he has stolen."
252
"At judgment day, this place would fill up with sinners. Why would he
want just these pitiful few?" Tony asked.
"Maybe he likes stealing from God. He has pride. At the judgment he
would have to give up his spoils."
"Yeah I see, I think he prefers to steal from God rather than fill this
place with sinners."
"We have ten days to figure something out doctor. I hope you get some
faith before then." Jackson said.
253
Chapter 29
On the tenth day of captivity, the prison door swung open filling the
small room with bright light. Tony and Jackson were blinded as they
were hauled out into the courtyard tripping over their food bowls
scattered on the floor. It took a while for their eyes to readjust to the
sun and to the presence of their captors.
Four guards armed with long spears prodded the men into the back of
an enclosed cart and then closed the door, tying it closed with rope. The
two captives looked out between the slats of the cage and saw that the
courtyard was vacant except for the guards posted nearby.
A crack of a whip sent the cart moving. The massive beast that pulled
the cart lumbered in a slow yet steady pace along the dirt courtyard.
The wheels made a grinding sound as they ground over the loose sand
and rock strewn about the area.
"Where are you taking us?" Jackson yelled.
His answer was a stab in the leg from one of the guards walking
behind. There would be no talking. Tony scanned the area, surprised to
see no one around. The city seemed deserted. He looked to Jackson
who was holding the bloody wound with his hand grimacing in pain.
"That jerk!" Jackson whispered.
"Are you alright?" Tony asked.
254
"Hell no," he said surprisingly calmly, and wiped sweat from his brow
with his free hand. "Were going to die today," he added looking off in
a daze. "I should enjoy the pain. It may be the last feeling I have."
Tony looked to the floor of the cage. His head began to ache and his
skin became hot and sweaty. "It must be ninety five degrees in here,"
Tony said.
"I expected Hell to be a lot hotter than that," Jackson said almost
jokingly.
"I didnt expect Hell to have blue skies and green grass either," Tony
responded. "I think most people have it wrong."
"Why dont you write a book about it," Jackson said with a smile.
The cart rolled further across the courtyard down the main street
towards the coliseum. They were now rolling over cobblestone and the
cart rattled with each stone they moved over. They were flanked on
both sides by stone buildings and strange animals not familiar to either
of them. Behind them, keeping pace with the lumbering beast, were the
guards ready to strike at them at any moment.
"I didnt think Hell was a place," Tony said. "My grandmother told me
Hell was an eternity from God. Thats what my dad used to say when
he preached."
"I dont know what to tell you friend. Maybe this is another sacrifice."
Jackson said. "I guess you havent been to prolific in the miracle
department so far."
"There arent any lepers around for me to heal," Tony said with a grin.
"I got one for you."
255
"Whats that?" Tony asked.
"My leg," Jackson said looking at the blood running down his calf. "It
would be a great test."
"Test your Lord? That is blasphemous!" Tony said.
One of the guards struck the side of the cage with his spear startling the
two men. Tony moved away from the door and sulked into a corner. He
looked to Jackson and closed his eyes. He reached over and placed his
hand on Jacksons wounded leg. Moments passed with only the sounds
of the cart rolling and the guards footsteps behind them. Tony opened
his eyes and looked at Jacksons wound. There was no difference.
Jackson whispered, "You have to believe. You have to have faith."
Tony retracted his hand and folded his arms across his chest. Frustrated
he turned and looked outside the cart at the buildings passing by.
In the distance they could hear the sounds of a massive crowd. They
knew the coliseum was close and soon they would meet their fate.
Louder and louder the sounds became as they heard cheers and yelling
bouncing off buildings in all directions. Tony turned and looked over
the beast pulling the cart at the huge building before them.
A moment later they were in a dark tunnel entering the building. The
sounds of the cart bounced off the stone walls echoing back and forth.
The opening of the tunnel grew smaller and smaller as they moved
deeper inside the building. The door to the entrance was closing and the
tunnel became very dark. Clanking and clopping sounds were the only
things the two men could hear now. The crowd was to far away. The
further they moved the more the tunnel lightened. The crowd noise
became louder as they neared the exit moving ever onward.
256
Exiting the tunnel they broke into the bright daylight and the crowd
roared with excitement. The show had arrived. Tony and Jackson
scanned the stadium looking at the people in the stands surrounding
them. It reminded Tony of a bull-fighting arena, the way the high walls
prevented anything from escaping into the crowd. The coliseum was
massive. It was three times the size of a football stadium, but in a
perfect circle. They were wheeled out to the center of the field and
stopped next to a sixty-foot tall obelisk where the beast was unhitched
and led away.
The cart was untied and the two captives were pulled out and brought
around to face in the direction of Alex who was sitting on the kings
throne. Alex sat flanked on each side by two leathery winged demons
that kept watch over him like a hawk. Surrounding them were many
servants and guards who tended to Alex like the royalty he was.
Tony looked up to Alex, who was sitting high on the royal platform.
Restrained from behind, Tony was forced to stand at attention as Alex
looked down upon him. Jackson joined Tony at his side and both men
felt spears at their backs.
"Tony!" Alex said leaning back in his throne chair. "The time has
come." Alex slowly stood and walked to the edge of the platform. "We
have gathered to rejoice at your baptism." Alex raised his arms to the
crowd and the masses cheered. He pivoted at his waist as he turned to
face everyone in attendance. His arms fell to his sides and the crowd
went silent. "You should be very happy. Not everyone gets this kind of
special treatment." Alex said.
"You call this special!" Tony yelled.
257
The guard on Tonys right slammed his fist into Tonys abdomen
sending him to the ground wheezing.
Alex turned to the demon on his right and motioned for it to come
close. The great winged creature walked over on its thin gangly legs
and stopped beside Alex. Alex spoke quietly to the creature and then
turned his attention back to Tony who was now back on his feet. The
creature spread its wings and glided down off the stage landing ten feet
from Tony and Jackson. The breeze from its landing blew a sick stench
towards the men that made them gag.
Tony looked into the creatures red eyes and his heart began to pound.
He did not want to die this way. "What do you want from me?" Tony
said to Alex not taking his eyes off the creature.
"Your life," Alex said.
"Then get this over and stop playing games with me!" Tony barked
back.
Jackson was stone silent too scared to speak up.
"Soon enough," Alex said. "But first I want to do something I have
been waiting for, for all eternity."
The guards pushed Tony forward. The winged demon took flight and
grasped Tony at his shoulders lifting him up to the stage and depositing
him at Alexs feet. Tony fell with a thud and rolled to a stop two feet
from the end of the stage. He looked down at Jackson who was still
being held by the four-armed guards. Behind him stood the sixty-foot
tall stone obelisk rising into the sky.
"Stand," Alex said softly. "I need to have a moment alone with you."
258
Tony stood and faced Alex. This was the same man he worked side by
side with for years at the university. He was also the man who was put
into prison for the killing of college students on the same campus. Tony
hated this man with all his heart. "What do you want, you son of a
gun?"
Alex stepped in close. Close enough to touch Tony. "I want to see the
eyes of the Son of God for the last time. This is the revenge I have been
waiting for since I was cast out of heaven." Alex stared deep into
Tonys eyes. The crowd was silent.
Alex stepped back and grinned. "Turn around," he commanded Tony.
Tony trembling in fear, turned to face the crowd which was seated in
the ever rising rows of the stadium. Before him was his last comrade.
The last person he knew was alive. Tony felt pressure on his back, and
with a forceful shove was knocked off the stage to the ground thirty
feet below. Tony landed hard, but the ground was unusually soft. The
crowd cheered and Tony was carried off by the guards to another
holding cage alongside the obelisk.
The cage door was opened and Tony and Jackson were both forced
inside. A rope above the cage connected to a yardarm at the top of the
obelisk that pulled them off the ground and up towards the top. One of
the hairy four legged beasts walked away from the obelisk with a rope
tied to it that connected to a pulley on the yardarm. With each step, the
cage lunged slowly upwards into the sky.
Jackson looked down at the ground getting further and further away.
"This is it," Jackson said.
Tony tried to comfort Jackson, but he knew he was correct. "My death
is a God damn spectator sport?" Tony asked.
259
"How can you say that?" Jackson asked.
"What am I supposed to say?" Tony cried. "Im about to die!"
Jackson lunged forward at Tony and grabbed him by the collar. "You
stupid son of a gun! If you just opened your mind for one second you
might just get us the hell out of here!" With that Jackson slapped Tony
across the face and sulked back to the other side of the cage. They were
now almost to the top. Tony stood dumbfounded and turned away
watching the crowd encircling them.
The cage rose above the deck of the obelisk and the yardarm swung
over. Two guards opened the door and let the men out. The top of the
obelisk was forty feet by forty feet square, about the size of a tennis
court. At the corners of the surface were four winged creatures standing
like gargoyles, keeping watch over the men. Standing in the center of
the platform was Seth and Tonys father Pastor Jack Rhine.
Tony and Jackson stepped forward approaching the two other men.
Jackson noticed right away that they were both armed. Seth had a
dagger in his right hand and Jack had spear.
Tony stopped ten feet from his father. "So this is how it is going to
end?"
Jack stood silent.
Tony was at his end. He cared no longer. He looked over to the edge of
the platform and though about jumping off. He turned to his father.
"Will you gain any pleasure from this?"
"What I gain is not important," Jack replied.
"You are a tool?" Tony shouted. "You are a pawn for the devil?"
260
Jackson noticed this was the first time Tony used the word "devil."
Tony lunged forward and grabbed the spear from his father before he
had a chance to react. Seth stepped forward only to receive a kick in the
ribs from Jackson. Seth rolled on his back. Tony ran to the edge of the
obelisk and tossed the spear over the edge to the dismay of the crowd.
He walked back over and said to his father, "I will not fight my own
father!" Tony shouted. He turned to face Alex sitting on his throne
across the stadium. " I will not fight my father!" he shouted loud
enough for Alex to hear.
"Watch out!" Jackson yelled and Tony turned in time to see Seth
running at him at full speed. Tony stepped aside and allowed Seths
momentum to carry him off the edge of the obelisk. He fell sixty feet to
the ground and landed hard. His body broke apart upon impact.
One of the demons approached Tony. With anger only he knew, Tony
walked to the center of the platform and stood with Jackson. Tonys
father stood defenseless only ten feet away. The demon moved in close
and squatted down on its thin hind legs.
"You can do it," Jackson said. "Just believe."
Tony looked to Jackson. "I do, with God as my witness I believe."
Tony stepped in next to the demon and stood fearless before it. "Do
with me what you wish," Tony said. The beast looked at him with
surprise. It backed up frightened. Tony approached and it backed up
further. Tony raised his arm and pointed to the sun. He said," I am the
Son of Man! And all of you will fall before me!" He spun and moved
his arm across the sky. As his hand passed the demon, the demon was
shot off the obelisk and exploded in midair falling to the ground in a
mass of blood and entrails.
261
Tony walked to the edge of the platform and looked down upon the
beast. He looked to Alex who was now horrified, standing before his
throne. "It will not come back," Tony said calmly. He did not raise his
voice, but Alex heard him loud and clear. Tony breathed hard. He was
angry. He was angry with Alex and it was time to pay.
Tony turned and walked back to the center of the platform. He looked
to Jackson and said, "You will be saved my son."
Jackson saw the Lord before him. "I believe you!" Jackson said and fell
to his knees.
Tony turned to his father and stepped in close. He put his arms around
the man and hugged him with a love he held for twenty years. Tony
stepped back and looked into his fathers eyes. "I now know the path I
must take. I shall return and judge the living and the dead. I shall
revenge your death."
Tony raised his arms to the sky and spoke aloud a prayer to the sky
above. He had the faith.
262
Chapter 30
July 18, 1980

Rain poured down from the sky in heavy drops that stung when they
struck bare skin. The sky was dark and the stars were hidden behind a
thick blanket of clouds which shot forth bolts of lightning and crashes
of thunder. The wind was whipping by at a brisk 20-mph. Making
visibility very poor. It was all he could do just to keep an eye on the
yellow lines that divided the highway. In the car with him was his
young son Tony who was gripping his seat in terror watching his father
try to get them home.
"Daddy Im scared," Tony said.
"Its ok son, Im taking it slow," his father replied.
Up ahead in the distance, illuminated by his headlights, Pastor Jack
Rhine saw a figure of a man standing on the road. The windshield
wipers swooshed back and forth clearing his view, but visibility was
still poor and he slowed down pulling off to the side of the road.
Tonys father was not used to picking up hitchhikers, but was willing to
help out a stranded motorist in need of assistance in the rain. The man
came to the drivers side of the car and Jack rolled down his side
window letting raindrops shoot inside the car like pellets of sand. The
man was soaked and shivering. He looked like he had been out in the
rain for sometime.
"You need a lift?" Jack asked the stranger. The man peered inside,
looking at Tony.
"Yeah, my car broke down about a mile down that gravel road. Can I
get a ride to the next town?" he asked.
263
"Get in the back," Jack said to the man and rolled up his window,
stopping the rain from entering the car. The sound of the door shutting
startled young Tony and he turned to look back at the man. Tonys
father put the car back into drive and slowly headed back out onto the
dangerous highway.
Jack kept a tight grip on the wheel and leaned forward in a ready,
ridged stance peering out into the storm ahead. Tony was strapped in
with a seat belt; his father was not using one himself. Minutes passed
by so slowly as he trudged along through the downpour nervously
scanning the road ahead.
" How much longer?" Tony asked.
"About ten minutes," Jack replied nervously, not wanting to speak.
Tony turned and stared outside the window watching the rain streak by
and listened to the sound of the wiper blades as they swooshed by in a
rhythmic pattern. Tony had confidence in his dad and knew he would
get him home. Tony was ten years old and was still very dependent on
his father. His father was a strong man in spirit and a good man; he
would not let his son down. He knew the rain had to let up soon.
"Im pulling over," Jack said. "I need to let this cool off for a while. I
hope you dont mind?" he asked the passenger in the rear.
"Thats fine," he replied. "Im just glad to be out of the rain."
The car slowly veered to the side of the highway and found its way to
the shoulder. The car remained running as the wipers zipped back and
forth cleaning the windshield just for a second at a time. Tony could
see his father was more relaxed now prying his white knuckles off of
the steering wheel.
264
"Well just wait here for a few minutes until this lightens up. Ok?"
he asked Tony.
"Sure dad, I dont like the rain either," Tony replied.
Tony noticed the reflection from the rear view mirror on his dads face.
The rectangle of light now starting to flash with red and blue lights. He
turned to look past the man in the back seat and though the back
window at a blur of police lights as they approached right behind them
slowing down. Tonys father and the passenger turned also.
"Oh no! Jack said. "I bet they think Ive broken down."
He waited as the car came to a stop and a patrolman in a yellow rain
coat exited, and approached the side of his car. He could see the glare
of a flashlight bouncing along the glass of the door. The man came to
the side window and tapped on it with the light. Pastor Rhine rolled
down the window and again bullets of water found its way into the car.
Squinting at the glare of the blinding flashlight and the wind swept rain
he asked, "Is there a problem officer?"
The back door of the car opened and the passenger stepped out into the
rain startling the policeman. The officer, Alex Parsons, was shocked as
he looked into the eyes of an adult Tony Rhine standing before him
only a few feet from a much younger 10-year-old Tony in the
passenger seat of the car. Pouring rain fell upon Tony and Alex as both
men stood on the edge of the roadway with traffic whipping by at 50
mph in both directions. Alex pulled his gun and aimed it at Tony;
Alexs eyes were wide open in disbelief.
"You said you live in all times at once," Tony said defiantly. "So do I."
265
Alex stood dumbfounded for a moment not knowing what to do and
then turned his gun to Tonys father. In an instant Tony jumped Alex
and knocked him to the asphalt beside the idling car. Jack rolled down
his window and watched the men, shifting the car into reverse and
getting out of the way. The two men struggled for the gun, rolling
around, scuffling and striking each other in an attempt to gain control.
Pastor Jack exited the vehicle and ran over and grabbed the gun from
Alexs hand and pointed it at Tony.
"Dont move!" he yelled at Tony. "Ill blow your head clean off."
Tony and Alex parted and Tony lay on the ground with his hands open
and away from his body. Alex rose to his feet and approached Jack to
reclaim his gun. Alex met the end of the gun in his face.
"Dont move. Neither of you," Jack said to both men. The rain still
poured and the sound of it sizzled on the hard asphalt. Time stood still,
as he stared both men down with the gun, the rain ran like a river down
his cheeks. "As God as my witness! As God almighty above watches
down on us! This will be over!" Jack said, and threw the gun into the
ditch. Alex watched the gun as it flew through the air and was once
again blind-sided by Tony knocking him to the ground. Tony punched
him repeatedly in the face beating him with a vengeance of twenty
years of pain.
Tony rose to his knees and grabbed Alex by the collar, dragging him to
his feet. He looked him straight in the eye and said, "You failed Satan.
I am the Christ, and I have come to judge the living and the dead."
Tony pulled Alex out onto the roadway and grabbed him around the
waist tripping him with his feet. Both men hit the ground with a thump
and Tony pressed all his weight on Alex. Up ahead in the distance,
266
Tony could see the headlights and hear the sounds of a semi-tractor
trailer speeding down the road coming at them at speeds to fast for the
rainy conditions. Alex squirmed and tried to toss Tony aside in an
attempt to escape and managed to pull free. The semi came closer and
Tony feared he might miss his opportunity to save humanity.
At the last moment, Tony heard a gunshot and saw Alex stumble to the
asphalt grabbing his knee. At the side of the road was young ten year
old Tony holding the gun in his hand, standing motionless next to his
father. The older Tony grabbed Alex by his arms once again lifting him
up and putting his arms around his chest dragging him back out onto
the roadway. The semi was only moments from them and Tony gave
one final lurch, pulling both men in front of the speeding truck killing
them both instantly and sending their bodies flying outwardly in two
different directions.
***
Tony and his father never told the true story of what really happened
that cold and rainy night. Neither of the two dead men could be
identified and the case was never really closed. Tony grew up with his
father never knowing of the other fate for which Tony saved them
from, and Tony one day fulfilled the prophecy for which he was born.
But that is another story.

The End
267
Alignment
Chapter 1
April 6, 1997

The Ambulance came to an abrupt halt just behind the deputys car in a
blaze of flashing lights and wailing sirens. With the flick of a switch,
the sirens fell silent and the paramedics scurried to the back of the
vehicle. The two large doors swung open and in an instant a gurney
stood ready,its narrow wheels sinking into the muddy ground.
Over here! the deputy shouted. Youre going to need a backboard,
youll never get that thing where we need it.
In the dark of night, it was difficult to see the terrain beyond the
headlights. The spinning blue and reds from the emergency vehicles
illuminated the scene with an eerie strobe effect. The woods were thick
and the river was a quarter mile away down a sloping hill and uneven
ground. Only the embers of a dying campfire sputtered and glowed in
the dark of the pasture. A trail of smoke drifted into the night sky
carrying the unmistakable odor of burned wood.
The paramedics abandoned the gurney and pulled a backboard from the
ambulance. They caught up with the deputy who appeared anxious to
move out.
268
We have two, maybe three sick or dead down by the river, the deputy
said. Is there another ambulance coming?
Youll have to call dispatch, I dont know.
The deputy pulled his radio to his mouth and depressed the call button,
Dispatch, this is Penner, do we have another ambulance in route?
Negative on ambulance, the dispatcher replied, her voice stopping
with a crackle.
Let me know when the other one is in route Mary Sue, letting his
thumb briefly from the call switch, And tell them to get their behinds
down here ASAP!
Whats your name? the deputy asked the taller paramedic.
Easton, he replied.
The deputy again spoke into his microphone. Mary Sue, wheres my
backup?
The sheriff and Deputy Stutzman are at the scene, she replied.
10-4, Penner out.
Dispatch out.
The clean cut rookie deputy turned his attention to the paramedics and
he confidently said, Easton, when that other ambulance shows up, we
need someone to show them where we are.
Easton turned to his partner, If this is what I think it is we wont be
needing another squad, well need the Feds but anyhow, Carl can you
stay behind?
269
Carl nodded in agreement as Easton turned quickly back to the deputy.
Penner is it? You carry the medical kit. Ill get the backboard and the
biochemical suits, said Easton.
Fine, lets go, the deputy replied.
The deputy took the medical kit from Carl and took off towards the
woods followed by Easton with the backboard tucked under his arm
and a pair of yellow coverall type hazardous material suits draped over
his shoulder. Deputy Penner led Easton into the woods, ducking and
darting low hanging branches, his flashlight beam darting back and
forth, up and down as it pierced the misty night air. Bubbling sounds
from the river filtered in from the other side of the woods as they
moved closer to the flat sandy bank. The flashlight danced around
shooting harsh dark shadows in all directions. It was hard for Easton to
see where he was going.
Suddenly, with a crash he was face down in the mud and leaves, his
boot wedged in a downed limb.
Hold up! Easton yelled. The deputy stopped and turned around,
he shined the flashlight on Easton. He was struggling to standing up,
holding his arm in pain. He had a long scratch running the length of his
forearm.
Get that damn light out of my eyes, Easton uttered in embarrassed
frustration.
You OK? the deputy asked.
Son of a gun! Easton said wincing and gritting his teeth. He dangled
his injured arm trying to work the pain out of it. Im fine, lets go, he
270
said picking up the backboard with his good hand. Just take it a little
slower.
At the edge of the woods the men emerged onto the sandy bank of the
river. The deputy spied the beam of light from the sheriffs flashlight
downstream and the two men took off towards it. The wet sand under
their feet made running difficult, especially in the dark.
It was sixty feet across the rock-strewn terrain and wet sand. Stopping
about 30 feet short of where the sheriff and Stutzman stood they
dropped everything but the suits.
You know the drill, Easton said, handing one of the shiny suits to
Penner.
After securing the drawstrings around their faces and wrists, they both
pulled on rubber gloves and airtight helmets with breathing filters.
They slowly approached the sheriff and deputy, already outfitted in
yellow suits, being careful not to rupture the plastic foot protectors on
the rocks. The sheriff, short and overweight stood along side deputy
Stutzman who was squatting down examining two bodies.
Whats going on Mark? Deputy Penner asked.
The sheriff turned and faced his young officer. These two have been
dead at least two hours by the looks of them.
Easton came around and kneeled next to Stutzman. Together, they
examined the body. These men have shotgun wounds, Easton said.
Id say so, Stutzman said. The one over there looks self inflicted,
he said pointing to the edge of the river. They look like theyve been
exposed.
271
Easton stood and held his hand out for Penners flashlight. After
propping the backboard on an old waterlogged stump, he walked over
to the third body and shined the light down starting from the feet and
working his way up. Fresh blood trickled into the river from his nose
and left ear. His eyes were swollen shut and his face was covered with
open sores. The sight sickened even the seasoned paramedic, who had
become accustomed to seeing such horrific sights over the past months.
This one must have put the other two out of their misery. Wheres the
weapon? Easton asked.
Its over there, pointing at a tangle of weeds on the edge of the beach
with the flashlight beam, the sheriff replied.
He must had shot himself and stumbled over here, Stutzman chimed
in suddenly. We dont have time to figure out went on here, lets take
care of this mess and get back to town.
Right, confirmed the sheriff. Theyre all infected, burn em.
Stutzman carefully walked over to the john boat he and the Sheriff had
arrived in and pulled out a two-gallon container of gasoline. He
proceeded to douse the two bodies that were lying beside each other
with at least a gallon of gas. Dumping the rest on the badly infected
body by the river he let every last drip fall from the spout before
placing the empty jug in the boat.
You want to do the honors? the sheriff said to the paramedic, lightly
elbowing him in the ribs.
Jesus Christ, Easton said under his breath. How many times do I
have to say this. My job is to save lives, infection control, thats your
gig.
272
You know you ambulance jockeys are pathetic. Weve been tracking
down infected corpses for months now. Always its the same, us cops
end up tossing the match, the sheriff said with a snicker.
Well maybe this is the last of them. Its been at least two weeks since
the last call, Stutzman said while pulling a box of stick matches from
the zippered breast pocket of his suit.
Stutzman slid the box open exposing a row of wooden matches. He
had the usual difficulty getting a grip on one with his gloved fingers.
So as usual he dumped part of them into his free hand. Penner shined
his flashlight at Stutzmans palm while he pinched a single match. He
discarded the rest except one, which he saved for the other body.
I better do these two first, Stutzman said, Theyll be downwind that
way.
Good idea, the sheriff replied.
Stutzman, without fanfare or any real thought, lit the match and flicked
it onto the two gas soaked bodies. Immediately they burst into flames
lighting up a large circle on the beach and river casting long dancing
shadows across the river onto the opposite bank. Quickly he struck the
other match and tossed it at the remaining corpse. The match struck
the mans face where it caught fire and quickly spread to the feet.
Penner, the sheriff said, Radio dispatch and cancel that second
squad and call the feds, well need these bodies transported for burial in
the morning.
Yes sir, Penner replied, responding to the sheriffs order.
273
Have they covered that mass grave south of town yet? Stutzman
asked.
Nah, its still open, Easton interjected.
Are there any others? Stutzman asked.
The sheriff turned upstream and looked at an old wood and steel bridge
about two hundred yards upstream, which had now become
illuminated.
Well its been two weeks since the last report. We did all we could to
keep it contained locally. If there are no further cases the government
should lift the quarantine in about six weeks - well now with these
three itll be more like eight weeks, the sheriff replied shaking his
head.
Easton squinted and looked to the bridge. Only the light from the two
fires reflecting off the steel structure cut through the darkness. It could
have been a lot worse I guess. Last I heard we had just under 50
fatalities.
.It would have been a lot worse if it werent for Noah Black. I dont
know how he knew about the Ebola but he saved millions of lives. No
doubt about it.
Damn right, replied Stutzman, I guarantee wed all been maggot
bait if it werent for Black.
274
Chapter 2
Three hours earlier.
The heat from the campfire felt good on this cool spring evening. The
flames danced and flickered atop the burning branches and hot coals.
Along side the embers sat two beer cans turning black from the heat
and smoke.
Around the fire sat Marty and twin brothers Lester and Randy, kicking
back and enjoying the evening. The sky was black and clear, dotted
with a panorama of twinkling stars. Only the smoke from the fire
drifting upwards occasionally blocked their view of the heavens above.
A full moon low on the horizon provided just enough light to get
around.
Anybody want another? Marty asked.
Yeah, Lester answered, finishing the can in his hand.
Marty stood and walked to the car behind them and popped the trunk.
He lifted the lid of the trunk and pulled out two beers from the
cardboard box inside. The trunk slammed shut and Lee stepped over to
Lester popping his beer open and handing it to him. You cant beat the
service, he said with a smile.
Lester reached out his hand to grab the beer but suddenly he doubled
over coughing. Hope its just the flu, he said. Popping the top and
taking a swig he said, Warm beer again, what a treat.
Its that or nothing, you know we cant risk going into town for ice,
Marty answered.
275
It wont be much longer, Lester said, taking a drink.
Yea I heard on the radio today that there hadnt been a reported case
in two weeks, Marty replied cheerfully.
Marty looked intently at his old friends Lester and Randy. They had
shown up a couple of days ago. They appeared to be in good health but
there was no way to tell if they were infected. He wondered now
whether it was such a good idea to let them join him here.
This camping crap is getting real old, Lester said turning to his twin
brother Randy.
How did you ever find this place Martin? Randy asked.
The twins were almost identical not so much now but when they were
kids. When the boys were growing up, to keep the two straight, Marty
asked Randy to always address him as Martin whereas Lester was to
always use the more familiar Marty. It wasnt necessary now that
Randy had the beginnings of a beard and Lester had long hair and an
earring but old habits die hard.
Marty turned to Randy and took a sip of his beer. He thought for a
moment and said, My dad is a part owner of this farmland.
Cool! Randy spoke up. Why doesnt he farm it?
You got to be kidding, Marty replied. He rents it out and thats
about it.
Does he hunt on it?
I dont think he has been out here for five years. The rent he gets is
enough to pay the property taxes.
276
Then why does he keep it? Lester asked from across the fire.
Marty tossed his empty beer can into the flames and it kicked up sparks
that flew into the air. He watched one of the airborne embers until it
burned into darkness and laughed to himself. He has to, Marty
replied.
Is it part of the will? Randy asked.
You could say that.
What? He has to keep it for a certain amount of time before he can sell
it?
Oh, hell never sell it, I guarantee you that.
Why all the secrecy?
Marty whod been leaning back on his palms thought to himself for a
moment. Leaning forward again he looked around at his friends,
rubbing his hands slowly together both for effect and to remove the
sandy soil sticking to them, he said, You want to hear a real life ghost
story?
Sure Martin, Randy replied, getting to his feet. Hold on a minute
though, Ive had a few too many, I gotta hurl.
Randy walked around behind the car and spilled his guts on the ground.
Thats better, he cheerfully exclaimed. He continued to spit and
wipe his mouth on a handkerchief as he rejoined his friends at the fire.
As he tucked the cloth in his back pocket Marty could see it was
stained blood red.
277
OK, ready Marty said looking them in the eyes. Have you ever
heard of Noah Black?
Randy sat dumbfounded. Noah Black? He was in the news just a few
months ago. Hes the one that saved this sorry town! And they said he
murdered some people like twenty years ago, he followed.
Yea thats him, Marty replied. They say hes the reason we are alive
today.
Go ahead, tell it. Randy said, So its a true story?
Well you can say its true if you believe this guy I met at the bar last
January. Professor Salam or Samara or something - he said was his
name and he was half crocked when he told me this story over whiskey
shots.
Go on, lets here it, I got plenty of time to kill, said Lester.
Marty sat thinking reflectively about Lesters statement. He had hoped
by camping here outside town that the three would be safe from the
Ebola virus. Now he was seeing signs that these two were infected and
if they were infected so was he. Marty had seen pictures and read
about the horrific death people with Ebola suffered. Out here with no
one to care for them, the suffering would be compounded. He decided
to go ahead and tell the story, they deserved that much. If the signs
continued he had made plans to end their suffering quickly. He had
hidden his shotgun in some weeds down by the river. If it came down
to it he was prepared to put the two brothers out of their misery and
take his own life.
278
They say Noah Black lived on a farm. He paused. You know its
not really that far from here, just over the river past the old bridge,
Marty said with certainty.
Marty tossed another branch on the fire and more embers shot into the
air. Back in the seventies, Noah Black was accused of killing over
forty people in this community.
Accused? Lester chimed in. They found almost all those bodies on
his property.
True, but they never proved anything, Marty said soberly.
Thats because he disappeared - without a trace - he was never
prosecuted, Randy contributed.
All three of the young men were familiar with this aspect of the story.
It had been in the news how Noah Black was suspected of all these
murders in the area. The police were closing in on him when he
suddenly disappeared. There had been a nation wide manhunt out for
Black for decades.
Lester added, I thought they said he killed over a hundred? They just
never found more than forty.
Im sure he did, Marty said matter-of-factly.
You sound like you know more then your letting out, Randy said.
I do.
Everyone was silent as they looked at Marty. He just stared into the fire
and smiled like he had a secret he was bursting to tell. Actually Marty
was just dreaming up an embellishment to the story that would make it
279
that much more frightening. After all, this could be their last night
together and he loved nothing more than telling a good ghost story
around the campfire.
Were waiting, Randy said.
Marty looked up and faced Randy. Noah Black was my great uncle.
A look of disbelief crossed Randys face as he looked into Martys
eyes. No way! Why didnt you mention that before?
Its not the sort of thing that makes a family proud. I learned early on
from my father never to mention anything about it to anybody. He
continued trying to think on his feet.
Why? I think its sort of cool, Randy said.
Now the scary part. Marty continued.
What? Randy replied.
Great Uncle Noah Black used to rent this land from my grandfather.
So?
They only found forty bodies on Noahs land right? Where do you
think he stashed the other sixty or so?
The group fell silent. They looked around into the darkness
surrounding them and realized they very well could be sitting in a
makeshift graveyard. They sat quiet and still for a moment soaking this
all in.
This is giving me the creeps. Randy said softly.
280
I thought you wanted to hear a ghost story? Marty asked with an evil
smile.
This is not what I meant.
Marty looked around the group watching the firelight flicker on their
faces. Suddenly the wind shifted and the smoke from the fire blew into
Martys face. He felt a tears well up in his eyes from the sting of the
smoke. Using his sleeve to wipe his cheek he noticed the tears were
discolored. After adjusting his chair he cleared his throat and began to
tell the story slowly and deliberately knowing it would be their last.
Doctor. he paused to think, Samara tells it like this.....
281
Chapter 3
January 6, 1997

.three months earlier.
Can we get some heat in here? Doctor Samara asked impatiently. I
dont want this equipment freezing up.
Aquarius looked at Samara, a Ph.D. in physics, out of the corner of his
eye and turned away. His face was flush with anger from being
badgered all evening by his professor. Give me one second, he
replied, crawling to the front of the truck. He turned the key in the
ignition and cranked heat on full. Itll take a minute to warm up.
You think so? Samara asked condescendingly. He stared into a video
monitor and watched his breath hang in the air. Turning to Aquarius he
said sarcastically, What is your undergraduate in again? I forgot?
Auto-mechanics?
Aquarius did all he could to keep from strangling Samara. He could do
nothing but take this mans abuse, for he needed this research project to
finish his graduate studies. At least thats what he told everyone. He
really had ulterior motives for hooking up with Dr. Samara. Only time
would tell if he was wasting his time. Interning under this monster of a
man was a nightmare and he hated every minute. But he knew he could
be replaced in a whim if Samara chose - so he kept his cool.
What do you want me to do now? Aquarius asked. He knew if he
didnt ask Samara for directions on a minute by minute basis, he would
get mad for not reading his mind and doing the wrong thing. One
chewing out too many taught him this.
282
Donald, you need to learn to become an independent thinker, Samara
replied. I cant make every decision for you.
Donald was his given name but Aquarius hadnt gone by that name
since freshman year in high school. Samara knew he preferred
Aquarius but he delighted in tormenting him with Donald from time to
time since thats what appeared on his enrollment records.
But
No buts, Samara snapped. Now go out and set up the lights. And
hurry, it will be dark soon. Get Bobby to help you.
Aquarius moved forward, out of the box of the truck into the drivers
compartment. He popped open the door and crawled out, standing in
the snow. The chill bit his skin like ice picks.
Close the door! Samara yelled.
With a fit of anger, Aquarius slammed the door shut and secretly
flipped off his supervisor, who was sitting inside snug and warm. He
wanted to do this to his face but was not willing to screw up his
mission. He walked over to the horse trailer parked behind the truck
and banged on the side of it. A moment later Bobby stepped out of the
attached pickup truck and came around to the back.
Damn its cold! Bobby said with a puff of steam that rose into the
cold air. He kept his gloved hands tucked inside his coat pockets.
Professor JackJerk wants us to put up the lights.
Why didnt we do this an hour ago when there was more light?
283
Aquarius chuckled and looked back to the command truck parked
behind him. The smell of the exhaust sickened him. That man suffers
from a lack of common sense. He could calculate pi in his head, but
forget how to flush the toilet.
He doesnt have to be such a prick all the time, Bobby said.
Sure he does, Psychology 101, low self esteem and low self image can
be compensated for by humiliating those under you. Works every
time.
Bobby opened the back of the horse trailer and swung the doors wide.
Inside lay long poles and stands along side electrical chords and special
nightvision lights. It would take forty-five minutes to assemble the
array and hook up all the connections to the command truck.
The horse trailer sat parked twenty-five yards from an old wood and
steel bridge that crossed the now frozen Lakota River. The cables were
laid on the bridge along the sides in the event a vehicle should pass.
The chances were slim this time of year and time of night.
The aluminum stands were set up and the light fixtures atop were
aimed at the center of the two lane bridge. One stand stood tall on each
of the four-corners keeping watch like gargoyles over a courtyard. The
work was slow and tedious in the cold and dimming light, complicated
by the stiff, heavy cables that had to be connected to the truck and by
the overall length of the bridge itself.
Upon finishing the wiring, the two assistants came back to the
command truck and climbed inside the drivers compartment. The heat
from the fan felt good.
Everything in place? Samara asked.
284
Were here arent we? Aquarius replied.
Samara did not respond, realizing Aquarius was correct. The truck was
silent and tension filled the area.
Now what do you want us to do? Aquarius asked. I cant read your
mind.
Just get ready, OK?
Aquarius settled into his position in the truck as hed done dozens of
times before and awaited the usual checklist from Samara. Bobby, who
was here for the first time had a ten-inch monitor before him and a
keyboard. Aquarius put on a headset and watched a digital audio
readout on his monitor.
Is the microphone working? Samara asked.
One second, Aquarius replied, flicking on a switch. The lights on his
panel danced on a display in front of him. I have audio.
Hows the video resolution? Samara asked, looking to Bobby.
Looks fine here, I guess.
OK, turn off the truck. We dont want to spook anybody.
Bobby leaned over into the drivers compartment and turned off the
ignition. The truck fell silent in the dark.
How long is this going to take? Bobby asked.
Samara looked over to Bobby with disgust. I hate nothing more than
having to explain everything to the new help.
285
Bobby looked to Aquarius and shrugged his shoulders.
You tell him Donald, I have better things to do.
Aquarius glared at Samara and his teeth ground in his clenched jaw. He
wanted to tell him what he could do with his project. He shook his head
and tried to calm down long enough to explain the program to Bobby.
And keep it quiet, Samara added.
Aquarius leaned over and tried to keep his voice down as he spoke to
Bobby. Were chasing ghosts. A moment of silence followed as
Aquarius waited for Bobbys predictable response. He was surprised
when he did not get it.
Cool! Bobby replied. I thought this was some sort of field test for
some lame ecology class.
How did you get hooked up into this project? Aquarius asked. You
had no idea what this was about?
I signed up for tuition assistance. They assigned this to me for work-
study. So, what the hell are we doing?
We are trying to get evidence of an electrical paranormal aberration
on audio and video tape.
What does that mean?
Laymans terms? Ghosts, Aquarius whispered with a spooky lift
of his eyebrows.
Dont you have some scientific acronym for ghosts? I mean like
poltergeists or EPAs or something?
286
Theres all sorts of things we could call them, I just think its funny
we call them ghosts.
Aquarius opened a new video cassette tape from the storage bin and
placed it in the VCR. Making an adjustment, he closed his eyes and
listened to his headphones. After a moment he opened his eyes and
turned a dial to the right.
Everything all right? Bobby asked.
Just checking levels.
So whats this project all about?
Ill try to make this as simple as I can, Aquarius said leaning back in
his chair. It is Samaras theory that all life lives on two planes of
existence.
Alternate reality?
Thats a good way to put it, Aquarius replied. There is the plane of
existence that we live in each day and there is the plane where the dead
live.
The dead?
Thats the only way to explain it to someone not familiar with the
science, Aquarius said, scratching his chin with the empty tape box.
All right, think of it this way, all matter is energy vibrating at a certain
frequency. We just think it moves back and forth between two planes
of existence.
So heaven and hell are just other planes of existence?
287
We are trying to stay out of any religious connotations here. We just
call them reality A and reality B.
I take it we are in reality A? Bobby asked.
Kind of presumptuous but yes, this is reality A and we are hoping to
see someone from reality B soon.
Out here? In this weather?
Aquarius smiled and rocked in his chair. This spot is prime for the
kind of activity we are trying to record.
And why is that?
You have never heard the story of this bridge, the story of Noah
Black? Never mind, I can tell you havent. Let me digress. Aquarius
pointed at Bobbys monitor motioning for him to look at the picture on
the screen. You see that? That bridge has the most prolific sightings of
unidentified aberrations in a four - state region, maybe the country.
There have been sightings of a woman walking this bridge for years.
The story is that she committed suicide by jumping off the bridge.
Creepy, Bobby replied. Jilted lover syndrome?
No one knows for sure. No one even knows if any of the stories are
true. The only thing we know for sure is that there is a local legend that
she walks this bridge trying to find someone who knows where her
brother is.
And you believe this?
The stories? I have seen the aberrations with my own eyes!
288
Youve seen this woman?
Briefly, two night ago.
Does she have a name?
Yes she does. Weve learned through research that her name is
probably Alice Black. Her father Noah Black owns a farm near here.
He disappeared twenty years ago. We have a hunch that she has been
searching for him since then.
You are willing to sit out here in the cold on a hunch?
Aquarius leaned over and pulled a piece of paper off the wall. In one
swift motion he handed it to Bobby and watched him examine the
picture.
Its more than a hunch my friend.
Whats this?
Its a picture of the bridge, taken in 1977. It was a feature shot for the
local paper. See those fisherman?
Sure.
Look in the upper right hand corner.
In the picture, in the upper right hand corner was the faint blurred
image of a woman leaning on the railing of the bridge.
Yeah, so what?
There was no one else on the bridge when this picture was taken.
Probably a malfunction or a camera trick, Bobby replied.
289
I told you, we saw her here two night ago. This is no fools errand.
Samara rolled back in his chair and turned towards the other two men.
It took ten years to come up with the funding for this project. Are you
done chatting?
Yeah, were done chatting, Aquarius replied.
Good, now get ready, Im turning on the system.
With a flick of two breakers, the command center lit up with a variety
of different colored buttons and lights. Machines warmed up and a high
pitched wining sound hung in the air. You have signal? Samara
asked.
Aquarius adjusted a dial and nodded his head. Its starting to get cold
in here again.
Youll have to tuff it out, Im not scaring my lady away.
You dont even know if she can see us, Aquarius said.
If you dont want to play, I know two other grad students who would
give their right arms to sit in your chair.
It was forty minutes of silence later when the sensor sounded in the
command center. A ding, ding, ding sound bounced off the walls and
brought everyone to attention.
Whats that? Bobby asked.
Shut up! Samara said clenching his teeth. He quickly reached up and
flicked off the alarm switch. Check audio and video.
For what? Bobby whispered.
290
For anything! Samara whispered back clenching his fist. Just look at
your monitor and make sure youre recording.
Bobby looked intently into his monitor and kept silent. He was looking
for anything he could find in the dark. After a moment he couldnt help
but speak up. Why dont you turn on the lights?
Aquarius chimed in before Samara could. The lights are for later.
I see something! Bobby whispered.
Say again, Samara said.
There is something on my monitor.
Recording?
Yes, Bobby said looking at the red light on the VCR.
The back door of the truck opened and cold air rushed inside. In a
flash, Samara was outside standing next to the truck looking to the
bridge with his field glasses. Snowflakes drifted inside the truck and
landed on the equipment, melting on impact. The cold air now turned
their breaths back into steam.
What is it? Bobby asked.
Its her, Aquarius replied.
Hes making hard visual confirmation.
Samara poked his head back inside the truck and said, I have
confirmation, get a reading.
Reading? How? Bobby asked.
291
Move over! Aquarius said shifting over to Bobbys seat. He tapped
on the keyboard and watched for a read out. Got it! he yelled. He
then realized he needed to keep it down.
Punch it in! Samara yelled back in the excitement of the moment.
With a click of a few keys the reserve batteries were tapped and power
was sent to the lights on the four-corners of the bridge.
The lady on the bridge lit up like the sun. The area around her remained
as dark as before. The lights worked perfectly only lighting the woman
as if she were being viewed though a night vision scope.
It worked! Samara yelled. Keep the camera on her at all times.
What the hell do you think Im doing in here Doctor? Aquarius
snapped back. He was no longer putting up with Samaras crap.
How did you do that? Bobby asked. Why is she glowing?
Aquarius was high on adrenaline and his heart was pounding, In his
monitor he saw the woman as if she were standing in the daylight. Her
image was scanned by the video and her harmonic frequency was
computed. We just calibrated the lights for her frequency. Kind of like
a black light and a florescent poster. Only her image was clearly
visible.
Does she know we can see her? Bobby asked.
I dont know, why dont you go ask her?
Samara again leaned into the truck and whispered to the men at the
controls. Im going in, do a headset check. Clipped on his belt was a
2-way radio transmitter that was wired up to a headset. With a click of
292
a switch, static crackled over the speakers of the headset blocking out
all other sounds around him. Aquarius turned on his set and the static
cleared the line.
Check one, two, three
Gotcha, Samara replied. Confirmed.
Confirmed, Aquarius replied back.
Keep the camera on her at all times, Ill be in frame in less than a
minute, Samara said as he quietly shut the door and walked out of
sight. His voice also filled the truck from the wall-mounted speakers.
The image on the video monitor was that of a woman leaning against
the guardrail of the bridge. She seemed to glow in the dark against the
pale moonlit bridge. Moments passed and Samara slowly emerged into
the frame.
There he is, Bobby said aloud. His breath hung in the air.
Samaras breathing see sawed in and out. He was nervous and scared
trying not to spook the aberration standing on the bridge before him.
He stepped in closer, like a cat stalking its prey. His footsteps gently
crunched in the soft snow as he moved ever closer.
Slow down Samara, Aquarius said in his headset. She started to
move.
Samara stopped in his tracks and looked at her intently. It was almost
like she knew he was there. Again he stepped closer. He was now on
the bridge and making progress towards her ever mindful of her stance
and actions.
293
Twenty feet away he stopped and stared at her. He was in awe of her
presence. Then she turned her head and looked him right in the eye.
She seemed to be surprised that he returned her glance. They had made
hard eye contact.
Oh my God! Aquarius said across the microphone. He could see her
caught in a trance. Like two rams ready for a face-off. He used the
joystick on the console to zoom the roof - mounted camera. He fine
tuned the focus and continued to stare at his monitor.
The woman stepped back from the rail and faced Samara head on. She
was perplexed and confused by his presence and by his knowledge of
her. She squinted and craned her neck to get a better look at him, not
moving closer or further away.
Bobby took notice she was wearing winter clothing. How odd it
seemed that a ghost would be weather conscience. Did she feel cold?
Say something to her Samara, Aquarius said into his microphone.
For a moment time stood still and no one said anything. Just hot breath
and steam shot out of everyones mouth and nose. Everyones but hers.
Samara raised his hands to his sides and opened his gloved fingers. For
some reason, he felt like he needed to prove he was unarmed. When he
felt the time was right he spoke out, Hello.
She looked at him. A curious look fell upon her face as if she could not
hear what he had just said. Again he repeated the greeting. She again
made the face of confusion.
She cant hear you, Aquarius said over his microphone to Samara.
Try to get her to say something to you.
294
Samara motioned with his hands to try to coax her into speaking. She
understood right away and her lips began to move but no sound came
forth.
I was afraid of this, Aquarius said aloud.
Afraid of what? Bobby asked.
Shes not of this world. She cant make sound waves on our plane.
She can make the motions but she cant produce sound because she
cant move air over her vocal chords.
There must be another way.
There is, but it wont do us any good tonight.
Why not?
We have to tape this and take it to be analyzed. We will need a lip
reader to decipher what she is saying.
Kind of makes communication suck doesnt it?
We have a protocol for just the occasion.
And what is that?
He has predetermined questions he asks. We analyze and come back
later with some sort of solution to the problem.
What questions, Bobby asked.
Then suddenly a gunshot sounded from outside the truck.
Holy Jesus! Aquarius said aloud. In the monitor he could see Samara
bolting from the bridge back to the truck. It only took a few seconds for
295
him to reach the cabin door and open it wide. He got in and slammed it
shut.
Who the hells shooting at me? Samara asked, out of breath.
Let me check infrared, Aquarius said as calmly as he could. The
camera zoomed out and with a flick of a switch the image changed to a
heat sensing infrared signal. The lights on the bridge spiked the
infrared signal instantly.
Kill the lights! Samara yelled. Bobby flicked the switch to the lights
and the image on the monitor changed to a single bright green shaded
figure on the edge of the screen.
Weve got company all right, Bobby said.
No crap, Samara said smugly.
What are we going to do? Aquarius asked looking to Samara. In the
monitor the green shaded figure was getting larger in the view and was
starting to look more and more like a man. In his hand was the glowing
hot barrel of a recently fired rifle.
Just sit tight. We cant go anywhere with all this gear hooked up. If
we take off, we will drag the lights and ruin them, Samara said trying
to keep calm.
There just lights! Bobby yelled. Screw the lights!
Bobby stood up and grabbed Samara by his coat and shoved him
against the wall of the truck. Aquarius did nothing to stop him. Ive
had about as much of your crap as Im going to take.
296
With a sudden series of loud bangs the three scientists quickly had their
attention focused on the back doors of the vehicle.
Forget it, Aquarius said as banging quickly stopped , then started
again.. Hes knocking on our back door. A moment of silence
ensued. Whos going to get the door? Aquarius asked.
Its his project, Bobby said, pointing at the doc. Let him get it.
Samara took charge and stepped to the back door of the truck. He
swung open the latch and pushed the door open to the dark cold night
and to an angry man holding a rifle in his arms. Snowflakes gently fell
from the sky and landed on the ground all around the truck in an eerily
beautiful but terrifying sight.
Is there something I can do for you? Samara asked. It was the first
time all night he was nice to anyone.
Yeah, you can get this piece of crap off my property, the rifleman
replied.
Samara looked out the back of the truck onto the land surrounding
them. But sir, the road and the bridge are county property.
Youre not parked on the road. Youre on my land and I want you
off.
What if we move the truck back onto the road. Were only a few feet
on your property.
What if I shove this gun up your behind and pull the trigger?
297
Samara had stood his ground and lost. Aquarius and Bobby were ready
to hand him over any second. All right, just let us gather up our gear.
Samara said in resignation.
The rifleman turned and looked behind him at the snakes of cables and
aluminum stands on the bridge. What the hell are you doing here
anyway? the rifleman asked.
Samara noticed his coveralls, and instantly thought this man was no
hunter. This man must be a local farmer. Were doing a study for the
university. We are doing a wildlife survey of this area. Samara was a
terrible liar and he knew it.
You must think Im a dumb son of a gun dont you?
No sir, I do not, Samara said, trying to think his way out of this.
I don t cotton to liars. I think it best you just take off down the road
now!
Itll get ruined! Its wired to the truck, Samara said at a higher pitch.
This equipment is very expensive.
Teach you a lesson, trespassing and all.
I said wed move the truck.
The rifleman chambered a round and aimed the barrel at one of the
computer terminals in the truck. With a tug of the trigger the rifle
popped off a single shot that pierced the machine like it wasnt even
there. The bullet went thought the wall of the truck, though the cab and
out the front windshield into the woods beyond. He brought the gun
back down and chambered another round. Get down off there, the
rifleman said.
298
Samara looked down upon him with disbelief. I am not leaving this
truck.
You better do what he says, Aquarius said from deep inside the
truck. Samara looked back and bit his lip.
You heard me, now get down off there before I take you off the hard
way, the rifleman said.
Samara complied and jumped down into the snow. He was now face
level with the rifleman, staring at the gun he kept close and under tight
grip. What are you going to do with me? he asked.
Im going to teach you respect and some manners, the rifleman
replied, looking into the back of the truck. One of you get in the
drivers seat and take off, you hear me?
With no hesitation Bobby jumped into the drivers seat, started the
engine and put the truck into gear. Aquarius, still in the back suddenly
found the open door slammed in his face. With a little shot of snow
and gravel from the rear tires, the truck took off dragging the cables
behind it. It only took a second for the slack to become taut and for the
lights to be snapped off the stands. They slid down the snow-covered
road kicking up white powder as they slid by like water skis.
Watch yourself, the rifleman said with a chuckle. I wouldnt want
you to get caught up in the wires.
The truck sped off down the road and over the hill out of site. The only
traces left was a trail of exhaust and the hum of the engine. In the dark
of night, Samara was scared, cold and no longer in control.
299
I dont want to die, Samara said aloud. The rifleman looked to him
and shook his head.
Ah its not so bad, he replied. Death isnt the worst thing in the
world.
Why else would you bring me down off the truck and send them
away?
I said I was going to teach you a lesson. You cant teach a lesson to a
dead man, now can you?
I suppose not.
Youre pretty stupid for a college man. You think I dont know what
youre doing out here?
Everything was still as the rifleman awaited an answer. He received
none.
Wildlife survey? That was actually pretty smart of you. Damn quick
thinking, I like that. What kind of wildlife do you survey college man?
Samara shook his head and looked up rolling his eyes. He knew he was
caught in a lie and couldnt think of another one to get out this one.
There is no survey, Samara admitted.
Thats right, youre out here looking for spooks arent you?
Samara rolled his tongue over his front teeth under his lips. He snorted
out a puff of steam and replied, You could say that.
300
The rifleman scratched his beard and adjusted his cap. Youre in over
your head. You have no idea what youre getting yourself into, he said
deliberately word by word.
I have a theory.
Youre a real smart jerk you know? You and you fancy pants college
friends, snooping around in other peoples business. Theres no reason
for you all parkin out here in the middle of the night.
I meant no offense, Samara interjected. Just let me drive that truck
out of here and youll never see me again.
I had a couple of eggheads snooping around here - itd been 10 years
ago, askin a bunch of snoopy questions. I dont know why the
alignment..., The rifleman paused suddenly realizing he was saying
too much. Any way it was a real mess now beat it.
What mess? Samara asked.
Forget I said anything about a mess. Now I want you to turn your
college behind around and start walking. It aint that far to town.
What about my pickup and trailer?
The rifleman hesitated and looked to the side of the road where the
other vehicle was parked. He didnt want them coming back for it later
so he gave in. You get that piece of crap out of here, and I dont want
you coming back here again. You hear me? he said holding the rifle in
an offensive position.
I cant turn it around on the road. I will have to cross the bridge and
take the first gravel road so I can head back.
301
The rifleman stepped forward and looked Samara dead in the eye. Ill
keep my sights on you mister. One wrong turn and I will fill you and
your truck with lead.
Samara stepped back without saying a word. He turned and walked to
the pickup, keeping an ear to what was going on behind him. He pulled
the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door with a click. Slowly, he
slid into the drivers seat and watched the rifleman who was standing
guard over him twenty feet away. The rifleman did not move.
Putting the key in the ignition, he turned it starting the truck. It hardly
made a sound as it began to purr and exhaust poured out the back in a
billow of white steam. Samara flipped the headlights on and slowly
pulled out of the ditch onto the snow covered gravel road. The
headlights lit up the rifleman and shot his shadow across the woods
behind him. Samara headed for the bridge.
The wood slats moaned and creaked under the weight of the truck. The
headlights illuminated the rusted steel structure and the steady stream
of snowflakes that seemed to be getting heavier. Looking in the side
mirror, Samara watched the rifleman, glowing red in his taillights, slip
further and further away. He began to feel better about the situation.
The trailer rolled up onto the wood slats of the bridge with a thump and
a tug that he could feel from the cab. The pickup moved along the
bridge at a slow even pace. Samara did not want to spook the man with
the rifle. He feared for his life. Onward he drove, watching the rivets in
the steel as he moved past them. Old paint had chipped off and the
rusted metal shown through where the snow wasnt clinging to it. He
imagined the bridge must be at least forty or fifty years old.
302
He had made it just over half way when the engine began to sputter and
choke. The lights on the dash blinked on and off and the headlights
dimmed. Samara began to panic, trying to figure out what was wrong.
He did not want the rifleman to come back and blame him for this.
Just then the pickup died. The headlights remained on and a dinging
sound came from the dash. Samara tried the key, only to get the starter,
the engine would not engage. He looked in his side mirror for the
rifleman behind him. He could not see anything but the side of his
trailer and the rails from the bridge.
Just then, Samara got a sudden chill and an uneasy feeling. For some
reason he was compelled to turn to his right. His heart skipped a beat
and he felt a rush in his veins. He took a deep breath and slowly
released it as he turned his eyes, then finally his head to find in his
startled amazement - the ghost woman sitting in his passenger seat.
She was semi transparent, but still quite visible to him. She looked at
him, staring into his eyes, trying to make contact again.
She spoke, but again, no words came from her mouth, her hands moved
but he had no idea what she was trying to say. Samaras eyes opened
wide and he turned to face her head on. What? he asked, like he was
talking to a foreigner who could not speak English.
She stopped and tried to listen to him speak. She could not hear him
either. She made a motion with her hand, a sort of gesture that he could
understand. She pointed to the bridge and then to herself. She then
pointed her finger at Samara and back to her making the connection
between the three of them. She wanted him to stay.
Suddenly there was a knock at the side of his window and Samara
turned to see the rifle barrel tapping on the glass. He opened the door a
303
crack and looked to the man holding the gun standing next to the bridge
rail.
What the hell are you doing mister? the rifleman asked.
The truck died. Give me a second, Samara replied. The key was
again turned and the truck started. Samara looked for his companion to
his right, but she was gone. Putting the truck back in gear, Samara
depressed the gas pedal and again the truck was on its way. Looking
out his windows, Samara desperately searched for the woman he was in
contact with a moment ago; the angry rifleman was the furthest thing
from his mind.
He made it to the end of the bridge and back onto the gravel at the
other side. Samara had to get back to the office as soon as possible. He
needed to check his recordings and data. He needed to talk to someone
about what had just happened. He needed to make plans and check to
see how much of his gear was destroyed. He also needed to contact the
sheriff.
304
Chapter 4
A half-mile down the gravel road, Samara had a change of plans. He
quickly unhitched the trailer leaving it along the side of the road and
turned the truck around, flipped off his headlights and followed the
riflemans taillights back to his farm. He wanted to know why he was
chased off and what the man meant about spooks. If he knew
something that might be a clue, it was important to follow up. He
would have to be devious about it.
Samara kept a good distance from the stranger, ever mindful of being
caught. Not long after, the rifleman turned onto a long driveway to a
farmstead very near the bridge. No wonder he knew about their
presence. He most likely saw them from his home.
Moving on past the driveway, Samara found a place to park his truck
on the entrance to a field within walking distance of the farm. He took
the headset from around his neck and put in on his head, clicking the on
button on the transmitter strapped to his belt. Aquarius come in, he
said awaiting an answer. Aquarius come in this is Samara. No
answer, he was well out of range by now. The transmitter could only
work within a two-mile radius of the base unit.
He placed the headset back around his neck and turned off the
transmitter. Looking out the window, he could see the snow
shimmering in the moonlight and the glow of the mercury light by the
farmhouse. He leaned over and opened the glove compartment and
pulled out an emergency flashlight. Clicking it on, he saw it was still
working and placed it inside the pocket of his coat. The door opened
and he stepped out onto the snow covered gravel road. The breeze
whipped by and bit him with a chill that stung his bare skin.
305
Samara pulled the hood over his head and walked briskly down the
road to the entrance of the farm property. It was dark enough that he
thought it would be difficult to see so he walked on the driveway,
keeping an eye on the farmhouse ahead. To the side of the road sat a
row of round hay bales stretching forty feet, covered on top by a
coating of white. On the other side sat on old combine and several
barrels lying on their sides.
What was he hiding? Samara wanted to know. Why had he chased
them off the bridge? The farm property consisted of a house; a barn, a
shed and three-grain bins that stood tall, illuminated by the light from a
tall, wooden pole by the house. Around the property sat various
machines and vehicles along with piles of silage and brush. Nothing
seemed abnormal about the place, nothing except the man with a rifle
inside the warm house.
Samara moved in the shadows of the hay bales using them for cover as
he looked to the house for movement. He could see someone in the
house through the window talking to someone he could not see. The
man was sitting at a table holding a cup of coffee and chatting away.
This made Samara feel better knowing he had a chance to look around
without looking over his shoulder.
From the hay bales, he crept over to the grain bins and stood in the
shadows. He grasped his field glasses from around his neck untangling
them from his headset microphone. Scanning the area, he noticed
nothing that seemed worthy of investigating. Everything looked
normal. But then of course it would, who in his or her right mind would
leave anything of consequence out in the open for everyone to see? He
needed to get inside the shed and take a look.
306
Squatting down, he darted over to the shed and slipped inside the
sliding door. In the dark, he was as invisible as the night itself. The
flashlight clicked on and the beam illuminated the inside of the shed, it
was uneventful at best. Piles of metal and junk along with tools were
scattered in all directions with no sense of order. A typical tool shed, he
thought. He was starting to get frustrated and very cold.
He peered out of the shed and looked back to the house. The stranger
was no longer visible in the window and Samara stood silent for a
while seeing if he would reappear. A light turned on in an upstairs
window and he felt better. The stranger must be getting ready for bed.
Early to bed early to rise they say.
The barn was across the yard and the only way to get there, other than
to venture out into the farm field, was to walk exposed near the light.
He left the shed and crossed the barbed wire fence into the empty field.
It was a longer journey but a safer one.
Walking on the old corn stubble and the uneven surface of the
cornrows was difficult, especially with the snow cover. It was several
minutes before he found his way to the rear of the barn hidden in the
dark shadows cast by the light.
He put his back to the barn and walked sideways along the narrow
shadow towards the front. The barn faced the farmhouse and the
mercury light almost lit the side he was on. Only a sliver of darkness
concealed him from view from the porch of the house. He needed to
get inside the barn to take a look around.
As he made it to the corner, he peeked around to get a view of the front
of the barn only to be greeted by a shocking sight. Oh my God! he
said under his breath. Bobby, his young assistant, was tied to the
307
lamppost with his hands high above him. He was hanging from one of
the steel pegs that the linesmen used to climb the pole. He was
completely naked and Samara could just barely see steam from his
breath drifting from his partially open mouth. His head hung low and
he wasabsolutely motionless, apparently unconscious. His toes touched
the ground but his heels were raised inches off the ground. The scene
eerily reminded him of the crucifixion of Christ.
Samara realized his two assistants must have followed the stranger
also. Only they got caught. He scanned for Aquarius but found no trace
of him. Samara knew he couldnt just leave the man there to die. He
also knew if he tried to free him, he would most likely meet a similar
fate. Every minute that passed brought Bobby closer to death.
From behind Samara heard a click. He did not need to look, for he
knew he was caught. Hesitating, he turned ever so slowly, and was
shocked to face Aquarius holding a rifle at his head.
What the hell is going on? Samara asked, his breath drifting upwards
into the night.
Move out into the light, Aquarius said. His eyes were dark and
piercing.
Samara moved out from the shadows and the yard light shown upon
him in the courtyard. His shadow was long and blended into the
darkness of the field behind him.
Turn around, Aquarius said.
Samara turned and faced Aquarius holding the rifle at his midsection.
He was dumbfounded and surprised at this turn of events.
308
Whats this all about? Samara asked.
Its all about science, Aquarius replied. You want to see spooks and
I am here to show you just that.
What are you doing to Bobby? Youre going to kill him! Samara
spoke up.
I think you will find differently.
How long has he been there?
A good twenty minutes I suppose, why do you ask?
He has to be hypothermic by now!
Aquarius looked past Samara at Bobby hanging from the pole. No, I
dont think so. He looks dead to me.
Samara spun his head around and saw that Bobby was no longer
breathing. His color was chalky. What are you doing? Samara asked.
I have something I need to do, you were just an ends to my means. I
thank you for that.
Samara was at a loss for words. He had no where to turn and nothing
up his sleeve. He reverted back to his old self. I always thought you
were an incompetent son of a gun Donald. I guess maybe I was wrong.
Youre a crazy son of a gun!
Thats what I hate about you Professor. You are a condescending Jerk
and an overall dummy.
Im getting cold! Kill me and get it over with.
309
Aquarius smirked at Samara enjoying his petty revenge. He would
grant Samara his wish soon enough but first he felt the need to become
the teacher in this situation. He motioned with his gun for Samara to
start walking. Get in the barn.
Without saying a word, Samara moved towards the barn keeping his
eyes glued to Aquarius. The journey was short and the entrance was
dark and foreboding.
Theres a light switch to your right, Aquarius said.
Samara reached out and flicked on the switch that lit several lights
throughout the interior. Entering the building, he immediately noticed a
large stone structure in the center of the floor. It was a large circle,
about thirty feet in diameter made up of tall stones, taller than a man
was, evenly spaced about five feet apart. Inside the circle at ground
level appeared a glassy, semi transparent, almost metallic surface.
Outside the circle it was clean and dry, just dirt floor.
What is this? Samara asked, turning to face Aquarius.
Its what you have been seeking all along and didnt even know it.
It looks like Stonehenge.
And there is a very good reason for that, Aquarius replied. Its an
updated version.
Samara thought for a moment. He wondered to himself about the
whereabouts of the rifleman or the farmer or whatever he was.
Wheres the guy who owns this place? The guy I followed?
Come here and Ill show you, Aquarius replied. He led Samara,
keeping the rifle pointing at him at all times. It only took a second for
310
Samara to realize the rifle belonged to the stranger. Look, Aquarius
said, pointing inside the circle between two of the great stones.
Lying on his face in the oily dirt of the barn was the stranger who was
motionless on the edge of the circle.
Is he dead? Samara asked.
Why dont you go see? Aquarius replied, pointing to the man. Im
sure he needs medical attention.
You sick bastard! Samara said under his breath. He walked over and
stepped up to the edge of the circle, bending over to check the man. He
rolled him over, toward the circle. He was alive but hurt. Suddenly
from behind as Samara started to stand, Aquarius used his boot to
shove him out onto the glassy surface of the circle. The injured man,
semi conscious, soon followed.
Samara had a strange sensation as he tumbled through the air for a
moment. Then without warning he landed shoulder first into some
snow.
Samara turned to find Aquarius but he was gone. Everything was gone.
He was no longer in the barn, but was apparently somewhere in a farm
field. The barn was no longer there.
Samara stood and spun around looking again for Aquarius. A hot flash
came over him. He was confused and disoriented. He swallowed hard
and took a step, then he stepped back. He didnt know where he was
and he didnt know where to go. Nothing looked familiar to him.
311
Then Aquarius head and shoulders popped out of nowhere. His
disembodied upper trunk hung in mid space above the ground and
seemed to hover. Are you lost, Aquarius asked.
Samara could not believe his eyes. He was so shocked at the sight that
he couldnt answer.
Come on Samara, make sense of it. You are a scientist, just make a
hypothesis.
This is some sort of gateway?
Very good, you get a gold star, Aquarius replied. Ive dumped you
into the middle of your worst nightmare. You and that old man will be
lucky to live through the night.
Dont do this Aquarius, I beg you, let me go home!
You shouldnt have snooped in other peoples business professor.
Now you must pay for your ineptitude along with that old man there.
Aquarius replied. Now I have things to do. I have to make
preparations. In a flash, Aquarius pulled his head back out of the
gateway and Samara was again alone with the stranger lying at his feet.
Aquarius stood proudly back in the barn, satisfied that he had gotten rid
of two of his least favorite people if not forever for a least a few
months. He knew the gate was misaligned. When he started this
mission five months ago he knew his task would be difficult. He never
counted on being transported thousands of miles away in the blue
reality. He was fortunate to find an alternate gateway there within a
couple of days but and his sudden return here to the blue reality had
somehow affected his long - term memory. He had a very difficult time
finding his way back to the farm. He assumed it would be the same for
312
Samara and the old man. Little did he know that they had been
transported just a few hundred yards from the barn containing the gate
in the yellow reality.
Samara had more questions than answers and needed to find shelter as
soon as possible. It was in his best interest to help this man who earlier
threatened him with a gun, for he was in a situation where he had no
control, no information, no idea what to do next.
Samara turned and slowly scanned the horizon for any landmarks like a
road or buildings or something. The countryside was snow-covered
hills and fields, just like he had been in before. The air smelled a bit
stale and he noticed that the moon had a strange yellow haze. The
gateway, he thought, must not have taken him too far. If he could just
get his bearings he could get back to his truck and get an ambulance for
the stranger.
Samara knelt down and examined the stranger lying on his back in the
snow. Steam puffed from his nostrils and Samara knew he was alive.
Looking him over, Samara saw that he was hurt, but still very much
alive. Who are you? Samara asked. He kept a firm grip on the
strangers shoulders as he spoke.
The stranger, lying on his back, strained to see Samaras face in the
dark of night. He was cold and shivering and in obvious pain. Noah
Black, the stranger replied with a spit and a groan.
Noah, you have some explaining to do. Samara reached out his hand
to the bearded man who was struggling to sit up. Taking his hand,
Samara assisted Noah to his feet and helped brush off the snow
clinging to his overalls. Now that you no longer have a gun pointed at
me, you can tell me what that thing was I fell through. Samara paused
313
and awaited an answer. Receiving none he added, And why the hell
did you chase me off the bridge?
To stop you from doing just what you have done, the man replied.
Just what? What did I do?
You passed through the gate!
Samara was confused and the look on his face showed it well. How
was I to know? I was forced through
by my assistant!
Noah had his back up against a wall. It was no longer in his best
interest to keep secrets and he needed the assistance of the man who he
had threatened only a few hours earlier. Taking a deep breath Noah
spoke, I am a gatekeeper. He awaited Samaras response. Samara
looked at him as if he was examining his every word. It looked like a
light bulb was going off over his head. It is my job to keep people
from passing through. Only spirits may pass.
Samara stepped back and looked to the snow thinking about his
situation not knowing where to start, he turned his head back to Noah
and asked, Who gave you this job?
My father, was the reply. My family has guarded the gate since my
family acquired it back in the 1800s.
From who? Samara asked impatiently.
The Indians.
The Indians? What were the Indians using it for?
314
Same as us, Noah replied. They guarded this gate with their lives
since the dawn of man in these parts. Its an unknown fact of history
that some of the bloodiest Indian battles where fought near these gates.
It wasnt until the white man pushed them out, they were forced to
abandon it. My great great grandfather built the barn over the gate to
hide it from the others.
OK, Samara said, thinking about what Noah had just said. Why
does it have to be guarded? It should be studied and explored.
Noah shook his head in disagreement. Absolutely not, no one can
know about the gate.
Why? Samara said in disgust.
Its dangerous! You dont know anything about it! You dont know
where it has brought you!
Samara was becoming angry. Kicking the snow in anger he asked,
Well, where the hell are we?
Noah motioned for Samara to keep his voice down. He looked around
and listened for anyone who could be listening. He stepped in closer
and whispered, The way it was explained to me as a child, was that
there are two planes of existence. The land of the living and the land of
the dead.
Ill be damned, Samara exclaimed. My theory exactly!
There are only two ways to get to the other side. Either you die and
pass through or you pass through the gate as we have.
315
So, were in the land of the dead? Samara said looking around. He
bent down and picked up a handful of snow and tossed it in the air.
Looks pretty much the same to me.
This is nothing to make light of young man, Noah replied with a
scowl.
Realizing he was pushing the envelope with this man, Samara backed
off and asked, Are we the only ones alive here?
You are the only one here from what we call the blue reality, anyone
else you may see here passed from death on your world to a new life on
this side. Noah replied. Even I am of this side, the yellow reality, I
guard the gate here, I passed through the gate earlier this evening
when I sensed you on the bridge. The gates are out of alignment. My
children are lost. I must make amends.
Your children, the woman on the bridge, shes your daughter?
Very perceptive, the older man replied, She is the gatekeeper on
your side. Others have passed, from this side to your side and I am
afraid their motives are not pure. The misalignment allowed the damn
Weeds to pass through when our guards were down.
Samara was on information overload; this had to be a dream. He
continued with his questions, Now what do you mean about the land
of the dead? What do you mean by that?
All the souls live in two planes. The one we just came from and the
one we are in now. When you die, your spirit will be reborn into this
plane.
So no one really ever dies?
316
On the blue side they do. People are born and live their normal lives.
When they die their soul transfers to the other side and is reborn. They
look the same as they did in their prime, say 20 40 years old.
This is preposterous, I must be having a nightmare! Samara
exclaimed.
This is too much for you to comprehend. It was for me also. Taking a
deep breath Noah led Samara out into a clearing so he could take a look
around. The sky was now yellow gray and flakes of snow danced from
the sky onto the frozen ground. As they walked Noah explained.
When someone dies, their soul transfers over and they are born again
into a new family, with a history. They have no memory of their former
life.
And no one wonders how they just show up?
No one knows, to them they were always there. You never know if the
brother you thought you knew for your whole life appeared yesterday.
When youre gone nobody cares.
But you said people pass through the gate. Samara said, trying to
understand.
Yes, and we retain all knowledge from the previous plane. We have
knowledge of both and that is why only gatekeepers are permitted to
pass through the gate, their job is to maintain the balance. Your
passage has further thrown the gates out of alignment. When you are
returned, hopefully you will have no memory of this place and balance
will be restored.
Balance? questioned Samara as they walked.
317
Until now I havent had to protect the balance in twenty years. All
gatekeepers from around the world are summoned to protect the
balance when the need arises.
Samara stopped and turned to Noah. What is it were hiding from?
Why all the whispering?
This plane is different. You are not of this place and because of that
you do not fit in. It is a different culture and a different society with
their own ways of life, their own set of morals and standards. We are in
danger so we must not be detected.
To get back we just need to find the gate on this side, Samara said
looking around.
I am a bit disoriented, Noah replied. I am the gatekeeper in this
region but I cant figure out where we are. If the gates are aligned you
simply pass from one gate to the other. In its present condition you
can be dropped many miles away.
Why is all this happening, why am I involved? Samara asked.
You got yourself involved by investigating the bridge. I dont know
why I bother explaining this to you. Im a tired old man and Ive lost
my drive. Everythings falling apart and I dont really give a damn.

Come on, please dont give up on me now. You have to get me back
or fix whatevers gone wrong. Receiving no response he continued.
So, Aquarius whats his story? I take it that he is more than just a grad
student.
318
Of course youre right. He was lost and needed help to find the gate.
Youre experiments caught his attention and led him here and now he
has silenced you as well. But that is not the worst of it.
What can be worse than this?
He is my son. Noah said.
Ill be go to hell, Samara said in disbelief.
When I saw him in the truck, I had hoped he would not recognize
me! Noah said. Thats why I sent him away so quickly. You see, I
lost my son five months ago when the gates began to misalign. He
passed through the gate to your side against my wishes and the journey
through must have placed him far from the gate on the other side. I
wasnt able to tell him in the barn that now I think he is right. He struck
me down from behind. The boy is upset with me. He blames me for
the Weeds.
A tear welled up in Noahs eye as he spoke about Aquarius. My son is
of this side and lived here with me. Now I have lost his allegiance and
its all my fault.
Wait a minute, you mentioned something about weeds, what are you
talking about? Samara asked.
You could think of them as suicidal terrorists, we call them Weeds.
Until recently they were docile and subservient. They were unwanted,
disruptive neer-do-wells. They are treated worse than dogs, Noah
offered. We feed them to the dogs, he said under his breath.
And you say they, these Weeds, are loose on my world?
319
Five maybe six passed through to the other side. Like I said they are
organized they are suicidal and their mission is total human
extinction.
By crossing through the gate they retain full knowledge of both
worlds? Samara asked.
Yes and Aquarius is hunting for them, he answered with a nod. He
has worked as a hunter on our world, he is also a purest and an heir to
my job as gatekeeper. Ive become a drunk over the past years and
Aquarius is upset with me. If I werent his father hed have killed me
at the farm. Instead he just used me as bait to get rid of us both.
320
Chapter 5
Samara took off walking, leaving Noah standing behind.
Where are you going? Noah asked.
Im freezing my behind off! I need to find shelter and some food.
Samara replied.
Do you know what will happen if you get caught? Noah asked. He
looked at Samara and realized his companion was way out of his
element. Samara looked dumbfounded. Of course not, Noah added
rubbing his forehead.
Well? Whats the problem? Samara asked.
These people are different from you, and they dont follow your rules.
We are in great danger.
Cut to the chase or I will just leave you behind. Samara said, jutting
his finger in Noahs face.
I can not tell you! Noah snapped back. You are not prepared to
learn the vial secrets of this place!
Samara was silent, he decided it was a useless exercise to pursue the
subject any longer.
Is anybody in your family still alive on this side?
Alice and Aquarius are my only family now. Aquarius has passed to
the blue world butAlice, bless her heart, comes to visit me. She spends
most of her time on the bridge here, she loves how the yellow
moonlight reflects off the river.
321
I was watching her try to speak to you on the bridge. Thats when I
passed through the gate to stop you.
What do we do now?
Survive? Noah snapped.
This is getting old fast, Samara said walking in a circle. He looked up
and examined the stars above, finding them no different than he
remembered from before. He spun his head and looked to the woods.
He kicked the snow and looked at his companion. Holding his hands
out to his sides, Samara asked, Does any of this look familiar to you at
all?
Noah looked around and nodded. If I didnt know better, Id say we
were back on my own property. I have some woodlands like this to the
north of my house.
If that were so, and we were on your property, where would the bridge
be? Samara asked.
Noah spun and looked around, he had totally recovered from the blow
to the head hed suffered earlier at the hands of his son. Suddenly it all
became clear and his eyes opened wide. Jesus Christ! he said.
Placing his left palm against his cheek he confidently said, I know this
place!
The bridge, Samara said. Where is it?
Over there, Noah replied, pointing to the west. A couple of hundred
yards.
Whats so important about the bridge? Noah asked.
322
I must to meet your daughter.
Stepping onto the snow covered gravel road, both of the men could see
the bridge and the farm. This farm was similar in most ways to the one
on the other side. Balance was maintained from yellow to blue.
Buildings and infrastructure were quite similar but werent always used
for the same purposes or destroyed for the same reasons.
This is strange, everything is the same, Samara said. Are you sure
that thing was a gate?
Noah paused without replying as he scanned the landscape. It took only
a second for him to lock onto something. Over there, Noah said
looking to the farmstead.
Who is that walking across the yard? Samara asked.
I have no idea, let me use your glasses.
Samara handed Noah his field glasses allowing him to take a much
closer look at the man in question.
I have never seen that man before, Noah said as the stranger entered
his barn. We can not go that way.
Why not? The gate to my world is in that barn.
Do you think the Weeds will ask you for a ticket and let you pass
though? Noah asked sarcastically. Youd be lucky if you werent not
shot on sight!
We have to do something. Its cold and we need food and shelter,
Samara replied angrily. Lets head down the road and try to find a
place to get some food and warm up.
323
Without saying a word, Noah began walking down the road, away from
the farm followed closely by Samara. With each step, the farm became
more and more distant and the bridge grew larger in their sight. It was a
good three-quarters of a mile between the where they started off and
the bridge. The farm was a half-mile behind them by now. It took five
minutes of walking in the cold to get to the bridge and now Samara was
spooked.
He raised his hand to get Noahs attention. Hold up, he whispered
with his eyes locked on the bridge ahead. I saw something move.
Noah put the field glasses to his eyes and looked hard at the figure
leaning on the rail of the bridge. Its Alice, he said.
Let me see those! Samara snapped back, grabbing the glasses. With
the glasses he could make out her figure and he grew confident that it
was the ghostly figure he was trying to communicate with before. I
cant wait to speak to her, Samara said.
We have to turn around, Noah said.
Turn around my behind, this is the chance Ive been waiting for.
Maybe she can help us.
Shes a simple minded girl, I dont want her involved.
This wont take long. Samara said. She and I have unfinished
business.
They once again began the journey down the road towards the bridge.
Noah had spent many nights on the bridge with his daughter. At the
edge of the bridge they stopped. The woman did not take notice at first.
Hello? Samara asked aloud.
324
The woman leaned back, away from the railing and stood facing the
two men. She was a whole person, no longer transparent. She was
bundled in a coat and scarf and didnt seem to be too affected by the
cold.
Hello father, she said. She recognized Samara immediately. Can
you hear me? she asked.
Yes I can, Samara replied, taking a step closer. She did not seem
afraid of him at all.
You were but a ghost when I saw you earlier. You must have passed
through the gate, she said.
Yes, we have passed through the gate. A gate into your world,
Samara replied.
This isnt my world. Im just here to visit father and my river.
He now realized that Noah was correct and that they had actually past
through a gateway into a different plane of existence.
Why have you come? Alice asked. She began to walk towards the
men.
I prefer you stay back, Samara said to the woman. She came to a stop
and Noah turned to Samara with a sour look on his face.
This is my daughter. Have some respect! Noah barked.
How long have you been here Alice Black, here on the bridge,
Samara asked.
Since this morning, she replied.
325
Noah leaned over and whispered to Samara, Shes been coming here
for 5 months.
Together Noah and Samara walked toward Alice. Samara now could
see colors where he could only see a glowing white before. It was so
odd seeing a real ghost up close and he now knew he could at least
explain them without some paranormal theory. Ghosts were real and he
could put out his hand and touch one if he wanted to.
It was true that ghosts lived on a different plane of existence and it
was just a matter of getting across to that other plane to make contact.
The gateway was discovered by accident, and in a way he was grateful
Aquarius had pushing him through. This was an incredible scientific
breakthrough. Hed win the Nobel Prize for sure. All he needed to do
now was find the other gate and get back to his side.
Weve got to get back to the gate, Samara said.
We cant go back to the house, Alice said calmly. They have taken
it over.
Thats why you are standing here on the bridge? her father asked.
Because you are afraid to go back home?
The Weeds are in control of the gate now. I thought you were dead
father.
Noah, Samara said keeping his eyes glued to Alice. Can I speak
with you in private?
Noah turned and followed Samara back to the road, just off the bridge.
Using his hand as a shield he leaned in and whispered to Noah. She
thought you were dead? She barely acknowledged you were here?
326
Death has little meaning here, besides shes in shock, shes always
been a simple girl. She has never had to deal with a crisis like this.
Noah turned away from Samara and knelt on the icy road facing his
farm. He stared into the night sky in silence for several minutes. He
then stood and faced Samara struggling for a moment. I have asked the
gatemaster for guidance. My mission is now clear. We must leave my
daughter behind, she must survive this ordeal. You and I must return to
the farm and capture the gate from the Weeds.
He turned and faced his daughter who was standing alone. She looked
back at him and he pondered her existence. He pondered his own
existence. His family had been gatekeepers for over one hundred fifty
years, and nothing like this had ever happened before. There was no
prehistory to explain the strange events, or any family tales of the
Indians having any similar experiences.
Their family was the first to allow a man to enter from the other side,
the first to allow Weed infiltrators and the first to start a chain of events
that could bring everything to an end. No one knew what would
happen, for this was a precedent setting event of a magnitude that was
unknown even to them.
Noah left Samara and walked back to Alice. He looked into her eyes
and wondered if she was long for this world. Instinctively he knew she
was, he just needed some reassurance and the look in her eye did it for
him. Alice, he asked. Will you stay here until we return? Can you
do that for me honey?
Yes father, Alice replied.
327
Chapter 6
The front door of the farmhouse swung open and Aquarius stepped out
onto the snow-covered yard with the rifle in his hands. He had passed
through the gate into the yellow world to check on the status of the
gate. It had been months since he had been home. It was quite
probable that his father and Samara had been taken many miles from
the farm on the other side. He was freezing cold and hungry and he
had spent about an hour in the house regaining his strength for the
mission ahead.
A blanket of white lay untouched between the house and the barn
seventy feet away. A gently breeze blew by carrying along snowflakes
that twinkled in the bright light from the farmhouse. He needed to
focus on his task.
Unlatching the clip from his rifle, Aquarius counted three unspent
shells, not enough to do any real damage, but enough to get his point
across. The clip was locked into place with a snap as Aquarius took off
in a brisk walk towards the barn. Each step he took brought him closer
to the gate to the blue reality where he hoped to confront the Weed
terrorists.
As he approached the barn door he heard the sudden sound of footsteps
in the snow from around the side. It was a group of three Weeds
making a break for the house. He didnt know if this was new group or
the same group who had passed earlier but he could tell by their
clothing and demeanor that they were definitely Weeds. He shouldered
his rifle and fire two shots in quick succession. Two of them fell
immediately to the ground. The other, a woman, continued into the
front door of the house barely taking notice of her downed comrades as
the gunshots echoed through the hills.
328
A light went on in the kitchen window. Aquarius stopped in his tracks
and waited for movement. He watched his breath drift like the smoke
that rose out of the chimney into the cold night air. For a moment the
house was still.
The living room light came on, then went off again. Now that he knew
the house was occupied, he had to find a way to get in and clear it out.
Ducking down, he took off in a sprint to the house kicking up snow as
he went. Panting steam from his lungs, it took only a few seconds to
reach the house and hide in the shadow by the side door.
Aquarius leaned towards the door and listened for any sounds coming
from inside. He could hear nothing. It was imperative he get back in the
house and take it over.
Taking a deep breath, he walked to the window next to the door and
used the butt of his rifle to break out the glass. With a crash the
window broke into pieces and fell to the ground landing in the snow at
his feet. Using his gloved hand, he reached in and pulled out the broken
glass lodged in the frame, clearing a path for him to enter. With one
large shard of glass, he stabbed the screen and sliced it wide enough for
him to grasp it and tear a hole in it large enough for him to pass.
The warm air from inside the house poured out of the broken window
as he stepped through into the light of the kitchen. Once inside, he
scanned the area for any threats and turned off the light. The only thing
breaking the darkness, was a light from the living room that crept into
the kitchen allowing him to make out his surroundings.
Carefully, with his gun out in front of him, Aquarius lightly stepped
across the kitchen to the doorway and stopped cold. Holding his breath,
329
he listened for any sounds coming from the other rooms. He could hear
nothing. Then a womans voice called out to him.
Sean? the woman called.
Aquarius stepped boldly out into the living room and aimed the rifle at
the womans face. He tried not to spook her. She was standing midway
across the room and was an easy target.
Who are you talking to? Aquarius asked.
The woman paused and tried to calm him down with her demeanor.
She stood motionless with her arms dangling down to her sides. Her
hands were cupped with her fingers tucked out of sight. It was an
unnatural position for her to be in, but Aquarius did not take immediate
notice.
You are Aquarius, the hunter, she said.
My name is Aquarius.
You will fail, she said spitefully. Our plan is in motion, there is
nothing you can do to stop us.
Well see, he said as he held the gun tightly to his shoulder never
letting her get out of his sights.
Tell me Aquarius, tell me of your father. The woman was trying to
engage him in conversation while her other companion in the barn
made preparations for their suicide mission on the other side. She knew
the answer before he did.
He donned a curious look as he pondered her question. She was
mocking his father Noah for allowing all this to happen. He had no
330
answer. He became angry and confused for a moment realizing these
Weeds were ruthless and cunning.
I have no father, he replied. He has disgraced me and my family, I
want nothing to do with him again.
How can that be? she asked. You cant divorce you flesh and
blood.
I will atone for his mistakes and put everything right again.
Why? she asked. Who instructed you to do that?
I have been receiving messages from the gatemaster. I am sure it will
come clear to me later, Aquarius replied.
The woman slowly raised her left hand and pointed to a portrait on the
wall. Look at that picture, she said.
Aquarius looked at the picture then back to her. What about it? he
asked.
The boy on the right. That is you. That was from a happier time, eh?
The picture looked familiar to him. He recognized his picture in the
portrait. He hadnt live on the farm for years but his dad still displayed
a family portrait. He knew instinctively that she was trying to distract
him again and quickly turned back towards her. His life and future
happiness depended on him completing his mission. He was aware now
more than ever he had to do it.
You are the son of a gatekeeper, she said. You are not like the
others who pass over. You are special. You are a gatekeeper too!
331
A smile crossed Aquariuss face. Nothing you say will save you, you
must die! he said raising the gun again. He wondered to himself how
this Weed knew so much about the gates and gatekeepers.
Look at me hunter! she shouted. Join us, help us put an end to all
this!
Aquarius just smiled and stared intently at the woman. He didnt know
why he hadnt shot her on sight. Aquarius leaned into the door jam and
took careful aim at the womans head. He thought for a moment and let
the gun drop a few inches as he looked upon her. Why didnt you try
to stop me from breaking in to the house? he asked.
I needed to distract you. We ran here to draw you away from the
gate.
Aquarius looked around the room. Something did not seem right. He
now knew that he had been set up, this was all a diversion. He scanned
her again this time he noticed something he didnt see before. Coming
out of her cupped hand was a twisted wire that led into her shirtsleeve.
He looked at her hand then back up to her face. He didnt want to
startle her or let on he knew she was hiding something.
Slowly he backed into the kitchen keeping the rifle on the woman.
Where are you going? she asked. The partys not over yet.
Stay back! he shouted. I dont want you coming anywhere near
me!
She knew then he was onto her. In a flash she ran towards Aquarius
making it half way across the room before he shot her in the face. She
fell to the floor in a heap. Her right hand opened up revealing a spring
332
loaded trigger device that clicked just before she exploded all over the
living room. The woman had a six-inch pipe bomb strapped to her
midsection.
With a loud bang, the room was covered with blood, bone and flesh
that ricocheted in all directions spraying Aquarius as he fell back onto
the linoleum kitchen floor. The light was now out in the living room
and Aquarius struggled to find a way to his feet. The blood blinded him
and the sound of the blast echoed in his ears.
Finding the kitchen light switch, he flicked it on and the room lit up.
The light showed the blood that ran down the side of the door jam and
clung to the refrigerator door. He stepped into the dark living room and
surveyed the carnage. The scene sickened him.
From behind he heard the creak of a door hinge and his head turned to
greet the sound. He knew he was still not alone. He listened again and
could hear faint footsteps through the walls creaking on the wood
floors. He could not make out what room it was coming from and
stepped through the living room to the door that led upstairs.
Leaning in he listened carefully and took a step checking to see if the
steps creaked under the strain of his weight. The old wood gave out a
groan as he stepped up onto the first step. He knew if he went any
further, he would be given away by the sound. He stood still and
listened again holding his breath.
More muffled footsteps, then a clicking sound came through the walls.
The steps were slow and deliberate, as if they were trying to conceal
themselves from him. He pulled the gun in close and remembered that
he had used all of his ammunition. It was dark and finding the intruder
would be difficult at best.
333
The sound stopped and he proceeded up another step. This one made
less noise than the last and he stepped to the side by the wall to keep
the sound as low as possible. Looking up into the dark stairwell, he
could make out nothing but a few faint images illuminated by the
outside light by the upstairs window.
He took two more steps and stopped again.. Moments later a faint odor
of propane found its way to the staircase and he took a deep breath and
held it. Now he could hear the sound of something hissing like a snake.
In a panic he stepped back down to the living room and listened
intently to the sound of the hissing. It sounded like it was coming from
below.
Then a door slammed in the kitchen with a loud bang. Aquarius took
off into the kitchen and opened the door to the outside in time to see
another woman running through the snow at full speed towards one of
the out buildings. Aquarius raised his gun and fired. Remembering the
gun was empty he tossed it aside. Besides, he suddenly realized, firing
the gun might have sparked the propane now thick in the house. This
must be my lucky day, he quipped to himself.
He abandoned the woman and ran back inside to see if he could stop
the gas leak. This was his home, his great grandfather built it over 100
years ago and he couldnt let it be destroyed. Running to the basement,
he looked out the window and saw her disappear into the darkness. The
hiss was much louder and the rotten egg smell of propane was
overwhelming. Aquarius soon found himself becoming dizzy and
needing fresh air.
Scanning the iron piping that ran the length of the basement, he could
not trace down the source of the hissing, nor did he have any tools to
334
turn valves if needed. His only hope was to go outside and find a shut
off valve on the propane tank outside the farmhouse.
Then he heard it. The sound of the furnace fan warming up. It would
just be a few moments before the electric ignition ignited the gas in the
furnace setting off the entire house. If he heard clicking it would be the
last thing he ever heard.
In a sprint, he dashed up the basement stairs into the kitchen and out
the front door. With all the grit he could muster, he ran towards the
barn, his progress slowed by the deepening snow, his heavy coveralls
and pack boots. It was as if he were stuck in molasses, but every stride
moved him further from the immanent blast. Then suddenly he felt a
tremendous push from the rear followed quickly by the sound of a huge
explosion. He was knocked over face first into the snow-covered
gravel of the farmyard by the force of the blast. Chunks of wood, glass
and stone peppered his backside and lay strewn in a pattern around the
burning house.
His face buried in snow, he turned over to see his home in ruins and on
fire. He pounded his fist on the snow-covered ground cursing the
woman who had interfered with his mission. The Weeds were more
ruthless than even he had imagined. He knew now his operation was in
peril and that his opponents were strong.
The fire from the house rose into the air. There were no neighbors for
miles and he knew the fire would receive no attention from the rural
fire department on this world. He needed a plan to recapture the stone
circle in the barn.
The glow from the fire lit up the barn and all the surrounding buildings,
flickering and dancing in the dark of night casting eerie shadows into
335
the fields beyond. The snow turned yellow in the glow of the flames
and the smell turned from that of fresh winters night to that of burning
wood and plastic.
Aquarius stood and checked himself for injury. Finding none, he
headed to the farm truck parked along side the grain bins. He planned
to use the truck as a battering ram to penetrate the barn to battle the
Weeds and get access to the gate. Opening the door to the truck,
Aquarius froze as he saw a figure sitting silhouetted in the passenger
seat pointing a pistol at him. The stranger spoke out and said, Ive
been waiting for you.
336
Chapter 7
A flash of light and a plume of fire caught Samaras eye, followed by a
great cracking sound like thunder. He looked away from Noah long
enough to see the flames dissipate into the night sky. Noah also turned
his head and looked upon the disturbance over a rise in the terrain.
What was that? Samara asked, looking at Noah.
The farm, Noah replied. Thats where the farm, the gate is.
It is the farm all right. I told you the truth, I said they had taken it
over! Alice shouted as the men walked away.
Samara stepped back and looked to Noah who was just as perplexed as
he was. What do you think? he asked.
This is new to me. I dont know what has happened.
We only have one choice as I see it, Samara said looking about. We
have to get to the gate and get it back. I dont like it here one bit.
Youre nuts! Something just blew up over there. Didnt you hear
that?
Tell you what Mr. Gatekeeper. You stay here with Alice and I will get
my own self home, Samara said, turning on a dime walking down the
gravel road.
You cant just leave us here! Noah yelled.
Youre on you own, Samara replied as he continued to walk.
It took only a couple of seconds for Noah to follow Samara down the
gravel road. Alice stood her ground. Noah motioned for her to follow
337
but she leaned back onto the rail and looked out onto the frozen river. It
was if she was in a trance.
Hold up! Noah shouted as he picked up the pace. Samara did not
slow down. It took a few seconds for Noah to catch up with Samara
and walk beside him.
Alice faded into the distance as the two men walked side by side down
the gravel road towards the farmhouse. Cutting across the field, they
made better time walking over corncob stubble than they would staying
on the gravel road. Plus the field gave them the advantage of not being
so obvious to those who might be keeping an eye out.
After a long walk along the frozen crop rows and corn stubble, the
farmhouse was now visibly burning as a pile of wood. The flickering
light illuminated various farm buildings and machines. There was no
light visible other than the flames.
Coming to a halt Samara said, That looks like your place all right.
Except your house was a little taller. A grin crossed his face as he
spoke.
The gate has to be in that barn. Samara said wishfully.
It is, Noah confirmed, I dont think we are going to get in there
tonight.
The fire is a perfect cover for us. We can just sneak in around back.
We couldnt have asked for a better opportunity.
And what if the gate is guarded?
We run like hell, Samara replied.
338
From behind they heard Alice speak out to them, Wait for me!
Both men turned around to see Alice stumbling along the cornrows
towards them in the dark. She had followed their path in the snow.
Damn! Samara said under his breath. Get rid of her!
We cant just leave her out here alone, Noah replied as Alice joined
them.
Samara was angry at this turn of events and his expression let it show.
What are you doing here? he barked at the woman. She backed away
and cowered behind Noah.
Youre scaring her! Noah snapped back.
Samara pointed his finger at Noah and his jaw stiffened as he said, I
am not taking responsibility for either of you. Especially her! You can
find your own way home for all I care!
Noah remembered the words of the gatemaster and decided to remain
here in the field withAlice. He had been told that she was a key in the
ultimate resolution of this crisis.
With that off his chest Samara left them. He took off walking towards
the farm heading around towards the back of the barn. It was a good
hundred yards from where he was now and he knew the sun would be
up soon. As he walked along the cornrows and stubble, he noticed a
semi-tractor trailer pull up into the farm down the long driveway and
park. It left its headlights on and steam billowed out the stacks behind
the cab. It looked like it was pulling a cattle trailer behind it.
A sense of urgency fell upon Samara as he saw several people get out
of the truck and walk to the barn. He had no idea how many people
339
were in the barn or how difficult it would be to get inside the gateway.
It didnt even cross his mind how the house caught fire. It did not
matter anyway for he wasnt planning on staying long enough to care.
Samara took off in a dash for the barn moving as fast as possible over
the uneven surface and ankle deep snow. Each moment brought him
closer and closer to his one chance of getting home and leaving this
place. His lungs burned as he ran through the chilled air and he was
quickly out of breath.
After a few minutes, he pulled up in the shadow of the barn and hid in
the dark. He was very cautious remembering how he was caught from
behind at the other barn on the other side. He knew Aquarius was not
here, at least he hoped he wasnt. He looked around for anyone who
might be standing behind him. He had a sense of dj vu standing
there, as if he had lived this exact moment before. Only this time he
wanted to enter the gate. He was taking control of his own destiny now.
He didnt have much of a plan. All he could do is make his way to the
front door and make a mad dash to the gate before anyone knew what
was happening. He had the element of surprise on his side. With the
farmyard light gone, the only light around was the dying flame from
the burning house, and the headlights of the truck, which were pointed
in another direction.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around the corner and ran to the front
door. Gripping the handle, he pulled the door out and ran inside
towards the center of the barn. There it was, just like he remembered it,
the gateway to the other side. To his shock and horror, standing before
the gate were three men.
340
Samara had no time to think. He ran to the left and tried to get around
only to be tackled to the ground by one of the strange men. Then the
two other men joined in and held Samara down and kept him from
thrashing about and escaping.
Let me go! Samara yelled. His request was met with a punch in the
ribs and a forearm across his throat. His muffled voice was silenced
when a pistol was thrust in his face as he was turned over to face his
captors.
Let him speak, the leader said.
Samaras head was released and his throat was let go. He gagged and
coughed trying to regain his breath and senses. He looked up into the
mans face and saw another standing just behind him to the right.
You son of a gunses let me go. Just let me pass and Ill never bother
you again!
Samara was lifted to his feet and forced to walk along with the three
men to the door of the barn. He looked back at the circle and yelled,
Let me pass I say, Im no threat to you, this is all a mistake!
Stop! the leader yelled to his men. They stopped and he stepped over
to Samara who was being restrained from behind. Nothing will stop us
from completing our task, not Aquarius, not Noah Black, not a
meddling gate crasher.
Suddenly everyone in the barn was startled by a single gunshot from
outside the barn,Samara shook it off as did the others.
I have no desire to interfere just let me go home, Samara continued.
Take him away! the leader said to his men.
341
What should we do with him Sean? one of them asked.
Throw him in that rig you stole and lock the door. Unless the cops
recover it, hell die of exposure before long, Sean replied.
Samara was muscled out the front door and stumbled face down into
the snow. He was picked up and escorted by force to the stolen semi-
tractor trailer parked across the farmyard. By this time, the fire was
dwindling down to embers and the only source of light came from a
yellow moon and the truck headlights that streaked across the snow.
Pulled around to the back, he was shoved up against the cold metal of
the trailer, as the door was slid open. He was unceremoniously picked
up, tossed into the back of the truck where he landed on top of a frozen
body.
342
Chapter 8
The stranger slid across the bench seat of the farm truck, keeping her
pistol aimed at Aquarius. Aquarius did not move. By this time the
flames from the house fire had dwindled down to coals and embers and
the light they produced was minimal. Aquarius could not make out the
strangers face in the dark, just the yellow shine of the moon off the
pistol barrel.
Get out, the stranger ordered with a waving motion of her handgun.
Who the hell are you? Aquarius asked as he stepped down out of the
truck, careful not to step on a chunk of smoldering debris. In the back
of his mind was escape and as his foot hit the ground he thought this
might be his best chance. With the stranger still behind him, Aquarius
took off in a full sprint toward the cornfield behind the barn.
He came to a halt when the gun fired, scaring him into submission.
This was the same shot heard inside the barn by Samara and his
captors.
Try that again and I wont give you a second chance! a womans
voice yelled. Now get in the barn!
Aquarius hung his head low and walked slowly out of the shadows of
the grain bin towards the barn across the yard. The filtered light from a
new sun on the horizon began to illuminate the landscape. He could
hear the footsteps of the stranger behind him crunching in the snow and
knew just about how far behind she was. It did not matter though, for
he had no intentions of running again. He had a mission to complete
and he could not do it if he was dead.
343
What do you want with me? Aquarius asked. He did not turn around
to look for an answer.
Just keep moving, she replied. We have plenty of time to discuss
anything you want. You arent going anywhere.
Aquarius stopped and shook his head. The stranger behind stopped and
watched him as his demeanor changed and he became agitated.
Aquarius seemed to have come to a decision and the Weed behind him
felt he was in for a confrontation.
Get a move on! the stranger said.
Aquarius turned around and looked hard at the womans face. The
woman stood directly in front of the rising sun making it difficult to
make out any features. All he could tell is that the woman had dark hair
and was somewhere in her twenties.
Im not moving until I get some answers, Aquarius said.
Youre lucky youre not already dead, she said with a puff of steam.
You blew up the house you stupid jerk, you could have killed me then.
If youre intent is to kill me, do it now.
If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it back at the truck.
If youre looking for information, you might as well shoot now. I have
nothing to say to you.
Thats fine, the stranger said. Sean has plenty to say to you. She
awaited an answer from Aquarius but was surprised to see him turn
back around and head towards the barn. She knew he did not really
want to die and she was calling his bluff. The stranger had every
344
intention of shooting if it came to it and her confidence must have
gotten to Aquarius sending him on his way.
Aquarius, followed closely by his captor was within a few yards of the
barn doors when suddenly they flew open. Face first onto the ground
flopped a man followed closely by two others. Aquarius and the
woman stood by as the downed man slowly rolled over to regain his
feet. As he stood Aquarius immediately recognized him as Samara.
Their eyes met briefly, both with looks of terror and panic.
Immediately the two men gave Samara a push in the back and the three
continued off into the distance. At the same time the woman poked
Aquarius in the back with her gun forcing him inside.
The power lines from the house had been severed in the explosion and
the inside of the barn was lit with kerosene lamps. The stranger behind
clicked on a flashlight and shined it on Aquarius back.
Make a right, the strange woman said.
Aquarius walked through a doorway into a room with a woodburning
stove, a desk and cabinets. A kerosene lamp and the flashlight
illuminated a tall young man standing in the corner.
Sit over there, the stranger said pointing her light to a chair next to
the wall.
Aquarius sat down quietly and watched as the young man struck a
match and tossed it in the stove.
Theres no wood in there, Aquarius said with a grin.
345
Its also a gas stove, Aquarius, the stranger said. Stepping to the
right, he turned a valve and the flames in the stove ignited in a flash
and grew bright and warm. Theres much we need to discuss, he said.
Who the hell are you! Aquarius shouted with false bravado. And
how do you know my name?
Please forgive me and my friends for our rude introduction. My name
is Sean, just Sean, no last name, and no family. You know who I
represent. And you sir are a legend.
The Weed leader! Aquarius thought to himself, What is this all
about. He said feigning ignorance.
Aquarius knew all about the Weeds, they were his prey and apparently
they knew it. Why he wasnt killed on sight he didnt know. The
Weeds were the lowest class of humans on the yellow world. They
were looked down upon and were often treated worse than animals.
Normally they were a docile breed who accepted their lot in life but
now many of them were getting organized. It was rare for any of them
to live past age twenty. These two had to be close to thirty.
Apparently they had managed to avoid capture for many years.
Sean turned to Aquarius with a steely look of confidence. You are
interfering in our business Aquarius and that will not be tolerated. We
are resolved to bring this nightmare to an end. Our people have
organized and our mission is clear. No one, not even a gatekeepers
son, a hunter no less, will foil our plan.
Frustration built up in Aquarius mind. Hed been captured by his prey
and escape seemed impossible. If he was unsuccessful in stopping
them and realigning the gate all humanity would surly perish.
346
Even though he knew the Weeds were on a mission to kill the
population of the blue world he did not know the specifics of their plan.
He decided to try to engage Sean in a conversation. He wasnt dead yet
and there was always a chance he might ultimately be successful.
Why have you come here Sean, Aquarius asked.
Soon my comrades and I will pass to the other side. We will send
millions of souls into the flux. They will have no where to go here, the
farms here will not be able to handle the capacity. We figure one of
two things will happen. Either humanity dies or a whole race of Weeds
will be born and we will rule both realities. One way or the other, it
doesnt matter, we can no longer tolerate existence as we know it.
Aquarius was at a loss for words. He knew he was up against the wall
and that he could supply no argument to mollify his captor. Aquarius
thought for a moment and raised his eyebrows to the man standing
above him. This is insane you know.
Lets not get into a battle of whos insane now. I think you have plenty
to answer for.
Im sure I do. I dont claim to be perfect, and I know nature has dealt
you a bad hand.
Aquarius pulled his hands from his pockets warmed them over the fire
from the stove. The heat felt good after a long night of running around
in the cold. You know, you sound just like that woman in the house.
What woman? Sean asked.
The one who tried to kill me with a body bomb.
347
Sean ran to the window and looked out upon the remains of the burned
house across the yard. His heart began to pound in his chest and he felt
flush with heat. He ran back to Aquarius who was now squatting next
to the stove. Where is she? Sean asked in a panic.
Without turning away from the fire, Aquarius replied, Spread all over
the farmyard I would suspect.
Sean ran up to Aquarius grabbing him by the lapels and pushed him
towards the stove. The hot metal burned Aquarius hands as he braced
himself from impacting the iron. He fell to the ground and yelled in
pain at the burns he had sustained. What the hell is wrong with you?
Aquarius screamed.
What did you do to my wife? Sean yelled, looking down upon the
man on the floor.
Nothing! Aquarius replied. She blew herself up! She had a bomb on
her. She tried to kill me!
Sean backed off, knowing he was correct. His wife was a patriot, a
rebel and now a martyr. It was a prime objective to kill all gatekeepers
or their heirs. She was just doing her duty, following her orders, trying
to do what hed instructed her to do weeks earlier. It was well known
by the gatekeepers that if Weed infiltrators ever found the gate and
passed to the blue world all humanity would surely find the path to
extinction.
She went fast, Aquarius stated. He did not tell Sean that he had put a
bullet in her head before she died. Looking up, Aquarius noticed Sean
wiping a tear from his cheek while his jaw clenched tightly.
Why did she do that? Aquarius continued.
348
It is, was her job to kill those who interfere, Sean replied.
But why did she blow herself up like that? She could have just shot
me or something.
Sean, ignoring the question, pulled his pistol and ordered Aquarius to
stand. He pointed him out the door and picked up the flashlight from
the bench.
Go stand by the gate, Sean said directing Aquarius where to go with
its beam. Once they made it to the gateway, Sean turned off the
flashlight placed the pistol to his Aquarius head and he pulled the
trigger. Aquarius felt the blow to the back of his head like he was
being struck with a baseball bat. He slumped to his knees flopping
uncontrollably into the gate. Sean knew he had to kill Aquarius. No
man could disrupt his plan, especially not the man who was responsible
for his wifes death.
Sean motioned to the woman, Brenda and his three male comrades to
enter the barn. They sat in the office and warmed themselves by the
fire. They finalized their plans to make the crossover to the blue world
and complete their mission. Like soldiers they confidently approached
the stone obelisks surrounding the circle and one by one and stepped in,
disappearing through the metallic surface. Sean was the last. He
picked up a large nap sack, slung it over his shoulder and jumped into
the void.
The five Weeds materialized near a road just south of town. Sean
instructed the three men to find the farm and the gate here in the blue
reality. He gave them last minute instructions while Brenda organized
their packs. The two groups parted as Sean and Brenda began the short
hike to the heart of the city. Sean was surprised not to see Aquarius
349
body lying near the road. Apparently with the gates out of alignment
the body had been deposited elsewhere.
Meanwhile back at the empty barn, suddenly there was movement.
There was a ripple in the glassy metallic surface as a forearm and then
a head slowly emerged onto the dirt floor. Somehow his skull had
stopped Seans bullet from entering his brain. Although he bled
profusely through an exit wound above his right eye and his head hurt
like never before, Aquarius was still alive. As he tumbled into the gate
he had somehow managed to keep a grip on the edge of the barn floor
undetected by the others.
After giving himself several minutes to recover, he left the barn and
hiked across the pasture away from the farmyard toward town. Before
he continued his mission to stop the Weeds he decided that hed better
take time to completely recover from his injuries. On this yellow
world wounds and injuries healed at an amazing rate. Suddenly it
dawned on him why he hadnt been killed in the barn earlier. On this
world people lived forever, at least until they were taken to slaughter.
Aquarius didnt know now whether his skull had stopped the bullet of
if it had passed through his brain. Sean must have figured that by
pushing him through the gate he would surly die on the blue world.
As Aquarius approached the city limits a Humvee approached him
from behind. It came to a skidding stop and two men jumped out.
Both unholstered their sidearm quickly training their sights on
Aquarius.
What do you want? Aquarius asked them as they approached.
We need to talk to you, one of them replied out of breath.
Ive done nothing wrong, I am a hunter just like you!
350
Yeah, sure buddy and were the king and queen of France! the other
one said with a snicker.
Aquarius knew he wasnt getting anywhere with these too and he
voluntarily allowed his hands to be cuffed. They secured him in the
back seat of the military style vehicle and slammed the door. Aquarius
heard the familiar sound of an electric lock as he looked up to see
himself surrounded in a steel mesh cage.
Aquarius hoped that he could talk the men out of taking him to be
processed but behind the steel mesh was what looked like a thick slab
of plexiglas. Probably sound proof and bullet proof, he thought.
The vehicle pulled into the plant entrance and parked near the dock.
The man sitting in the passenger seat stepped out and walked to the
back of the truck where he leaned over and grabbed a two-foot long
electric prod. With the prod hidden behind his back, he joined his
partner who was preparing to release Aquarius from the cage.
Get out, the man with the prod said. He brought it around for
Aquarius to see.
Aquariuss eyes opened wide realizing this was a dangerous weapon
that would incapacitate him immediately if he came into contact. He
turned to the men and his heart began to pound in his chest. A sense of
panic filled his whole body. His situation seemed hopeless. It was just
him verses two armed hunters, one with a stun stick. He had no
vehicle, no weapon, and no way to outrun these men. He was at their
mercy. Without saying a word, he began walking toward the plant.
Turn around, one of the men said. We need to tie your feet.
351
Aquarius turned, feeling helpless, and was shoved to the ground face
down, his hands were already cuffed behind his back. His feet were
bound and the men lifted him up onto a four-wheel floor truck.
One of them grabbed the handle and pushed the flatbed cart along the
plant floor. Please dont do this? Aquarius begged. His pleas fell on
deaf ears.
They continued to an opening in the plant wall that apparently was a
freight elevator. They went up one flight and into a room with shiny
metal walls and Aquarius was lifted up onto a stainless steel table in
the center. The door slammed as the men exited leaving him alone. As
he surveyed his situation he couldnt help but notice the array of
butchering tools in racks along the walls.
352
Chapter 9
Samara lay shivering in the back of the semi-tractor trailer for about an
hour when some men arrived in a government vehicle. One of them
jumped out and started the semi. Samara was afraid to call out to them
so he sat tight and hoped for the best. After a 20-minute ride on bumpy
gravel roads the truck finally backed into a loading dock at a
warehouse at the edge of town. For two hours, it sat idling as the
yellow dawn continued over the horizon. The trailer had vents all
along the sides, allowing for free circulation of air. They also allowed
light to enter and illuminate the three frozen bodies he had been
trapped with. The air was still freezing and his breath drifted with the
breeze that filtered in through the vents.
He had no idea where he was or what he was doing here. He only knew
he had no way to escape and that no one had come around to check on
him since he was locked in the trailer. He had a feeling that no one
knew he was there. He had been up all night and the sleep deprivation
and fatigue was setting in. He had always been a difficult person to
deal with, but now he was ready to snap at anyone who came his way.
From inside the building, he heard the rattling of a chain and the
mechanical whine of a motor in motion. Then the rumble of a metal
garage door being pulled up came from inside. Something was about to
happen and he stood awaiting the trailer door to open. He did not know
what to expect as the door began to lift and the cement floor inside the
building became visible.
Standing back about fifteen feet, he saw as the door lifted, the legs and
feet of a large group of people standing inside. They were all moving
about in a frantic attempt to move away from the door as it opened.
Samara quickly surveyed escape options but found a huge rubber
353
gasket provided a tight seal between the trailer and the building. As he
moved back to the far end of the trailer, the door opened completely,
allowing him to see what was inside the room.
It was filled with people, huddled together in the center, surrounded by
armed guards and heavy machinery. Behind the crowd of people, two
front load trucks slowly forced the crowd from the building into the
back of the semi tractor-trailer. The guards on the sides shocked those
who stepped out of formation with electric prods that sparked on
impact. The screams from the crowd echoed and reverberated inside
the expanse of the nearly empty tractor-trailer.
The trailer quickly filled to capacity as the crowd trampled the dead
bodies lying frozen by the entrance. The door was shut, sealing them
all inside. There was little room to move as everyone was packed in
shoulder to shoulder the entire length of the trailer. Samara kept his
back to the wall as he surveyed his situation and tried to find someone
to speak to.
The people looked normal to him and they seemed to be dressed for the
weather. He just had no idea why they were all packed into a cattle
truck. The sounds of voices filled the trailer and the people began to
converse and cry out to each other. Samara was lost and confused.
Becoming anxious, he asked the woman crammed up next to him,
What the hell is going on?
She looked at him like he was crazy. What are you talking about? she
asked in disbelief. We are going to slaughter!
Samara swallowed hard and looked her in the eye. Slaughter? he
asked back. Where is this truck going?
354
The woman looked away and ignored Samaras question. She was in
tears and unable to speak.
Were going to the slaughter house you idiot! a man behind her
yelled. How can you be so stupid? We are all going to die!
Samara felt a flash of panic and a shiver ran down his spine. What was
going on in this yellow reality - a war a mass execution were these
people infected with something? He looked to the side out the vent and
tried to see someone outside the truck. He was too high in the air and
he could see no one. Pushing away from the wall of the truck, he tried
to make his way to the rear. He was not letting anyone take him to
slaughter without a fight. He could not get anywhere though, for they
were packed too tight and there was no room to maneuver. He settled
back against the wall and thought hard about his situation.
Just then the truck slipped into gear and moved forward with a jerk that
sent everyone in the back off balance. With the sudden lunge forward,
the entire group was jolted towards the back. Within moments
everyone had regained his or her balance. Samara began to become
aware of the unbearable stench of bad breath, body odor and vomit.
The group, especially the women continued to moan and sob
uncontrollably. For the moment Samara was glad he had not made it
to the rear of the trailer.
The rattle of the truck and the sound of the diesel engine increased as
they picked up speed and moved away from the loading dock out onto
the main street. At the end of the block the air brakes took hold and the
truck came to a quick stop. The weight of the bodies from behind
squeezed the wind out of him until the breaks hissed and the truck
again began to move forward. He now knew what it felt like to be an
animal taken to the slaughterhouse.
355
The truck found the highway and picked up speed as it moved along
unabated in its journey. The cold air from outside became almost
intolerable, whipping inside the truck through the air vents on the side.
Samara began to shiver and the cold wind bit at his exposed skin. The
crowd was now silent trying to stay warm and huddling as close
together as possible. His one solace was that the stench had subsided
with the increased airflow.
How long? Samara asked, his teeth chattering.
Its over fifty miles to the plant, an unidentified voice spoke out of
the crowd.
We have to do something! Samara shouted over the silence. He was
greeted by more silence. Are you going to let yourself be killed? he
asked.
There is nothing we can do! another voice called out. It is pointless
to try to escape!
Samara shook his head in disgust. Never had he met anyone who was
so willing to give up so soon. He peered out the vent and watched the
fields of snow pass by at highway speeds.
The woman next to him again spoke to him, this time she whispered,
This is just the way it is. It is our time, theres nothing we can do.
Samara peered at her. Time for what? What is this all about? he
asked.
She looked at him with confusion in her eyes. How is it you dont
know what is happening? Is there something wrong with you?
Im not from around here, he snapped back without thinking.
356
It is this way everywhere. We are all called to service eventually I
dont understand how you were unaware of this. she said.
Called to service?! What the hell are you babbling about? Suddenly
he realized he was going to get nowhere with this attitude. Samara
looked to the roof of the trailer to mentally regroup and then back down
to her. Pardon my ignorance, but why is this happening?
For the survival of mankind, she replied.
Mankind? Samara asked as calmly as possible. How is this
benefiting me?
It is not for you, it is for the preservation of our society. The
population must be maintained.
Pardon me, but I dont find much about your society worth preserving
if this is how you treat your citizens.
Your society? she asked. What do you mean by that?
Samara had no reason to lie to this woman. He knew his life was over
as soon as they reached the slaughterhouse anyway. I am not from
here, he said expecting her disbelief. Her eyes opened wide but that
was about all the reaction she had.
I thought they had cleaned out the mental wards a long time ago, she
said dismissing him. They must have missed you.
You think Im crazy? Samara asked.
Oh yeah, we get those folks who claim they are from a different world
all the time. They used to house them in the institutions. Ever since we
ran low, they have been cleaned out.
357
What do you mean by ran low? Samara asked.
She shook her head at him and looked away. She was tired of his
ignorance. A man listening from behind her chimed in and replied, of
food you dumb crap!
Food? Samara asked, looking to the man. Were food?
You are nuts! the man said ignoring anything further from Samara.
Samara secretly thought the same of them but kept his mouth shut. The
mood in the truck was dark, filled with anxiety and despair. No one
wanted to talk.
The semi crossed a set of railroad tracks and rocked side to side as it
regained equilibrium. Samara could see and smell the processing plant,
a mile or so parallel to the side of the truck. Hot steam billowed out of
several tall smokestacks. He had been on the road for over an hour and
they were huddled together to block the cold wind and regain some
body heat. The truck turned down the service road for the last leg of the
journey. Everyone was quiet and still.
The air breaks hissed and the truck began to slow its pace as they
moved slowly closer to the unloading docks in the rear of the plant.
Samara could see pallets and barrels stacked in a haphazard manner
along side the brick walls of the massive building. Workers wearing
hard hats and protective overcoats moved about the concrete slab
surrounding the entrance.
The truck made a tight turn that sent the people scrambling for footing.
Screams and moaning came forth from the crushed masses. The truck
stopped and the people were forced again towards the front,
momentarily squeezing Samara to the wall. He lost his wind as his
lungs were constricted, forcing him to hold his breath.
358
Get off me! Samara shouted as he tried to push the crowd away. It
took only a moment for the truck to change direction and send
everyone crashing towards the back of the truck, including Samara. He
could not stop himself as he fell forward onto the woman who was
smashing into him a moment ago. The truck moved slowly as it
reversed into the plant through a large door in the side. Once inside, the
air breaks again hissed, this time with an echo and the truck came to an
abrupt halt forcing Samara once again into the woman.
Samara could see workers running around to the sides of the truck and
secure chains and cables to various connecting points along the side of
the trailer. With a noticeable clank, the cab disconnected from the
trailer and drove off leaving them sitting alone in the cold. More
banging metal sounds reverberated around them from all directions and
the entire trailer shuttered as they were bounced about by something
underneath.
Then it fell silent and everyone in the trailer looked about at each other.
Hot steam from their breaths collected at the top of the trailer and
dissipated outside through the vents. Samara was beyond scared and
felt totally helpless to free himself. None of the workers outside even
acknowledged the passengers inside, treating them like they were
animals.
Whats happening? Samara asked. He did not expect an answer. He
swallowed hard and braced for the worst.
The sound of an electric motor startled Samara and the rest of the
captives followed by a clank and a shutter from below. The trailer
began to rattle and Samara noticed that his end of the trailer was
starting to rise and the other side was starting to lower. Just then the
trailer door slid open and Samara watched the crowd backup towards
359
him away from the exit. He could not understand why they werent
leaving.
Higher and higher the front end rose and people began falling out the
back door, disappearing from his view. Screams and yelling filled the
trailer and Samara reached back to grasp onto the wall behind him. His
hand was met with an electric shock that burned when he touched the
metal with his gloved hand. He looked at his glove and saw it had
enough tears and holes in it to allow of an arc to find its way to his
skin. He looked up and saw that others too were avoiding the sides of
the box and were crowded towards the middle. By now he was feeling
gravity pulling him down and did not have time to formulate another
plan. The increasingly sloping floor was slick with vomit and urine and
he began to lose footing. He fell on his rear and his slide into the
unknown began. It was just a matter of moments before he slid out the
end of the trailer like everyone else.
Everything seemed to go in slow motion for Samara but in reality it
took only seconds for the entire contents of the trailer to empty into a
cement pit in the center of this large warehouse facility.
Samara was lucky to be one of the last ones into the pit. Many others
had suffered a 15 20 foot - falls from the back of the truck plus a rain
of bodies on top of them. There was plenty of blood and a few
compound fractures but none of that mattered now.
A few moments later the trailer began its journey back to level. The
sounds of the motors were almost deafening in the pit; the motors
themselves were housed just over the edge. As Samara began to regain
his bearings he noticed that the walls of the pit were far to high and
smooth for anyone to climb out of. He had ended up on top of a pile of
squirming and screaming bodies. Many were being crushed under the
360
great weight from above. For a moment, Samara thought of standing on
the pile to try to jump to the edge of the wall to climb out. His thoughts
were quickly dashed when he saw two armed guards approach the rim
and look down upon them. One of them almost pulled his rifle, but
backed down when he saw Samara fall back on the pile and slide down
the pyramid to the bottom.
Samara found room to stand along the edge of the hole, against the cold
concrete wall that rose some twenty feet above him. He quickly found
himself jammed between the rest of the captives who had now begun to
stand and the wall that held him imprisoned. Under his feet, lay a mesh
of steel slats that made up the floor. Under the slats, he could hear the
sounds of water splashing up against the concrete along the sides. A
gentle steam rose from the water.
Again, he heard the whining of electric motors and he looked around
for their source. From above, he saw something protruding out of a
groove in the wall. It was some sort of canopy made of the same
interlocking mesh slats that he stood on. From the other side of the
bunker, he watched as another horizontal slab slid towards the center of
the bunker above him. The slabs slowly crawled out of the sides and
met in the center with a startling clank. Then the machines stopped
whining, leaving them in an errie silence.
Samara could see now that they were all trapped in the bunker with no
way to escape. The mesh slats, above and below were just wide enough
for him to push his hand through but nothing more. The walls were
finished slick concrete, rising too far above for him to jump to the mesh
and check it for weakness. The mesh slats below allowed the water to
rise up enough to lick at his feet and fill his shoes.
361
Above the mesh canopy, he now could see a solid steel cover sliding
over the entire bunker. With each passing second, the steel slab moved
over the top of them and the pit became darker and darker and the
screams of the people trapped inside became louder and louder. To
those standing outside watching, the screams became more and more
muffled.
Less than a minute later, the pit was dark and Samara could no longer
see anyone. The echoing of screams, and the pushing and shoving of
hysterical people were overwhelming. He wanted to cry out himself
but he knew it was useless. He felt alone.
Just then, he heard the high pitched, muffled whine of an electric motor
and the sounds of pistons pumping along at tremendous speed. A rush
of wind blew over him as he felt the water rise up around his legs. The
water swirled and rushed around from all directions encompassing him
and moving him about like a rag doll in a washing machine. The sound
of the water was almost loud enough to drown out the screams of the
captives that were quickly being overcome by fear.
The water rose and Samara could feel people all around him moving,
bobbing and reaching out for anything they could get a hold of. He was
grabbed and pulled under as the water quickly rose above his head.
Reaching out, used all his strength to free himself long enough to push
back up to the surface. The surface, now five feet from the mesh
canopy, would be difficult to reach as he contended with the panicked
swimmers and the swirling water and he struggle to swim burdened by
the weight of his clothing.
Seconds later, Samara had reached the mesh canopy and realized he
had no where else to go. He was trapped and his air was running out
fast. He could feel the kicking and tugging of frantic people trying to
362
fight for a breath of air all around him. It remained pitch black and
Samara continued to fight the impulse to panic.
Samara grabbed his final breaths as he clutched the upper grate by
pressing his mouth and nose through the small opening. He took five
or six of the deepest breaths he could muster under the conditions. He
held his breath for what seemed forever. The pain and fear coursed
through him at lightning speed, jolting his body in wild spasms while
trying to get free from the bunker. He thought maybe he could beat
this thing, this couldnt be the end. He dove to the bottom of the tank
and grasped the steel grate and laid motionless as others above him
struggled and kicked, one by one succumbing to their fate. He closed
his eyes and preyed for his heart to calm to preserve whatever oxygen
he could. A minute passed, maybe two. Soon he realized he was the
only person alive in the tank.
His air completely depleted he allowed his body to drifted to the top.
He felt lifeless legs and motionless bodies adrift as he ascended to what
was sure to be his final moment. As he ran his hands up the sides of
what felt like a muscular middle aged man he began to become
entangled in what must have been a long overcoat. He proceeded up or
what seemed to be up in the darkness. Then suddenly, air, precious air.
What had happened, had the grate opened, surely not. It was so dark,
so cold now but there was air. He inhaled deeply several times in a
row, coughing and spitting and calming down from his mixture of
panic and joy. He felt the back of the man in front of him. He was
lifeless yet still warm. Then in a flash it came to him. He had risen into
an air pocket trapped in the shoulders of the mans overcoat. It was a
good-sized pocket maybe twice as big as his head. Samara continued
to breathe as shallowly as possible again conserving oxygen. It was
very difficult as he shivered uncontrollably.
363
After five minutes a buzzer sounded and the top lid was quickly
removed. The workers above did a quick check of the dead, poking and
prodding with long wooden sticks. After making sure no one was left
alive, the top mesh canopy was slid back into the walls of the bunker
and the water was allowed to drain back down to the original level.
Samara lay motionless. What was a life saving pocket of air now was a
wet blanket over his face. He slowly moved his hand up to the mans
neck and lifted the coat near his hairline to reveal a streak of light and
some fresh air. He couldnt see much, just the sides of the pit and the
side of the face of the woman hed spoken to earlier. Then with a jolt
and the whir of electric motors he felt the sensation like when an
elevator begins to rise. He could see the walls of the pit move
downward. Slow and steady Samara surmised the floor of the pit was
rising to meet the level of the plant floor.
He knew he was near the top of the pile of dead human beings. He also
new that even the slightest movement would alert whoever might be
watching that he was still alive. So he breathed as shallowly as
possible, trying not to move a muscle even though his leg was pinned
at an odd angle and he was slowly beginning to lose feeling.
As the floor of the pit reached level with the concrete floor above,
bodies piled near the edges including Samaras flopped out of the pit.
In one swift motion during the tumble he did his best to free himself
from the overcoat while trying to look as lifeless and natural as
possible. He was successful as soon he found himself lying on his side
in a semi fetal position facing toward the pile.
Samara decided that if he was going to live he had to get a look at what
he was up against. Gradually he opened his eyes until they were wide
364
open. After all he thought, didnt people sometimes die with their eyes
open? The trick would be to not let anyone see him blink.
The workers were dressed in identical uniforms and headgear, with
gloves and plastic face shields. From what he could see and hear he
surmised there were maybe four workers in the room. It seemed three
were pulling clothing off the bodies, using what appeared to be box
knifes to cut what wouldnt come off easily. They tossed the clothes,
shoes and belts into separate metal bins on wheels located all around
the pit. The other worker was driving a medium size bulldozer with a
front-end loader. Samara noticed the bulldozer was quiet though
because it had tires instead of metal tracks.
As the bodies were stripped, thankfully at the far end of the pile, they
were scooped up by the loader. Sometimes as many as five or six
bodies were scooped up, sometime as few as two, depending on how
lucky the driver was. As soon as hed gotten what was an acceptable
load, the vehicle would swivel around with one set of wheels locked,
the other set quickly facing the opposite direction. The bodies were
then unceremoniously dumped onto a slow moving conveyor belt that
crept through an opening in the side of the room.
The three men on the floor were getting closer and closer to Samara. It
seemed to him that in fact he might just be the final body to be
stripped. He sneaked in occasional blinks as the men approached but
continued to lay motionless. Then it was finally his turn. He felt his
legs get straightened out, then with one efficient move his belt was
unfastened and removed. The white clad man above him then grabbed
the waistband of his pants and lifted his mid section off the cement just
briefly as he ran the box knife down the length of his leg. In another
sweeping motion he cut the other side and suddenly Samara was naked
365
from the waist down. Soon the rest of his clothes were stripped off and
his head hit the pavement in a thud as he slumped to the side. He had
too much adrenaline pumping through his system now to shiver. Even
though he breathed slowly to avoid detection he felt quite warm in
what was obviously a refrigerated room.
Thankfully the man was good at his job and he hadnt cut Samaras
flesh. The man knew that damaging the produce in any way might lead
to him getting fired or worse, eaten. The three workers soon
disappeared through a set of double doors that opened automatically
when they approached. The man on the bulldozer continued to scoop
up the remaining bodies two and three at a time. Samara knew it
wouldnt be long before he was on the conveyor belt. He needed a
plan, what could he do now? Then suddenly it came to him. There
was no way hed get anywhere in his present condition. He watched
the dozer approach once again and plow into the remaining corpses.
The force push Samara about three feet across the cold concrete floor
but when the scoop raised he was still there.
The driver managed to gather up four this time and as the scoop
swiveled around to head to the conveyor, Samara jumped to his feet
and ran naked toward the back of the dozer careful not to step on the
metal grate. He quickly made his way up the back of the vehicle
undetected. There he was standing behind the driver, who was
oblivious to his presence. Only a windowless opening separated them.
He knew he couldnt just kill the driver, he had to maintain control of
the loader as well. The last thing he need now was for it to crash into
the wall or the conveyor. So after taking a deep breath Samara reached
into the cab through the opening with his right arm and cinched the
inner joint of his elbow around the mans neck and applied as much
366
pressure as he could muster. With his left hand he reached around the
other side and turned the wheel. The dozer began to turn fairly tight
circles causing enough centrifugal force to dump two of the bodies out
of the loader onto the concrete. The driver struggled for a relatively
short time. It was surprising at how easy it was to kill someone.
He pushed the drivers limp body to the side and reached down and
flipped the gearshift into neutral. He jumped down and made his way
around to the side of the now idling machine. He stepped up and
grabbed the driver by the collar and quickly pulled him down to the
ground. Samara suddenly got the shivers as he started to remove the
mans clothing and equipment. The cloths were surprisingly a good fit
for Samara, even the boots were comfortable.
He grabbed the driver by the wrists and dragged him around to the
front-end loader and rolled him up onto the two remaining bodies. He
knew that he had to finish what the driver had started to avoid
suspicion. He jumped up into the cab and after fiddling with the
controls for a moment, he popped the clutch and proceed to dump the
bodies onto the conveyor. He swung around and headed for the three
remaining bodies. He angled the dozer so as to scoop them up in one
pass. He cringed as the scoop hit the first corpse but proceeded on to
pick up the other two. After a quick dump he turned the dozer off and
jumped down from the cab.
Houser! a voice shouted from behind. Samara turned to see a large
man with a clipboard in his hand walking towards him.
Samara quickly turned his face to the side so the man couldnt see him.
He put his hands in his pockets where he found a knife that must have
belonged to the driver. He slowly withdrew the knife and looked down
at it and bit down on his lip contemplating killing another man.
367
What the hell are you doing? the strange man asked. Get back on
the line!
Samara glanced at him. He had no idea what it meant to go back on the
line. He turned away from the man and then looked back at him.
By this time the man was no longer looked at Samara but he yelled
again,Get back on the line before I put you in the line!
This time Samara knew he meant business. Yes sir, Samara said
walking to the conveyer belt behind him. As he approached the double
doors, he was overcome with the smell of blood and he shivered in the
cold. Standing on the other side, in a long line were men in uniforms
cutting meat as it came down the line. They placed the bones onto
another belt going the opposite direction. Everyone carried a knife and
used it at a speed that impressed even Samara as he watched them
work. Occasionally, the men would run their knives through a
sharpener attached to the bench. Fat went into a tub that was replaced
as soon as if filled and the cut meat was allowed to move on down the
line into another room.
Samara stepped up to the line and gagged. He backed up and dropped
his knife seeing what was coming down the line. He spun around and
looked up at the racks of meat hanging above him and noticed they
were human carcasses. He stepped away and walked quickly down the
line towards where the bodies were coming from.
Houser! he heard again. The sounds of heavy footsteps came up from
behind him and he felt a hand grab his arm. You get your ass up to the
office right now! the man said.
368
Samara shook his head holding back his nausea. The office? Right!
Samara said, getting his act together. He had no idea why the man
didnt recognize him as an imposter.
The strange man shoved Samara away from the line towards the office.
He slipped on the greasy floor then steadied himself against a barrel of
fat. He noticed the grease draining out of a crack in the barrel onto the
floor. Instinctively, Samara walked to a staircase and began walking up
them to what he perceived as an office on the second floor.
Upon reaching the office door, he knocked and stood awaiting a reply.
For a moment he heard nothing but the sounds of machines and the
grinding of metal. Get in here! a disembodied voice, said from within
the office. Samara opened the door and stepped into a dark foreboding
room lined with tables and office equipment. Atop the tables were
scattered papers, cups and a pile of metal parts from what looked like
one of the machines outside.
You wanted to see me? Samara asked.
No crap! the man said, not concerning himself with the workers
identity. He was the boss. Samara could tell right away. I need you to
go to the special processing room. I have a special order tied up in there
and I need it done right away. I have two others there already.
Samara inadvertently shook his head. He had no idea he was even
doing it.
Do you have a problem with that? the boss yelled.
No sir! Samara replied. Ill get right on it.
369
At the special processing room, Samara was in a situation he did not
know how to get out of. He had to go along until he could make sense
of what was happening and escape from this place. The door swung
open and two guards stood over a man strapped down on a stainless
steel cutting table. Samara knew right away that this was Aquarius.
Samara looked over at Aquarius in horror. He was half out of it,
shivering on the metal table. Across the table were the two other men
wearing the same uniform he was wearing. He had no love for
Aquarius, but he was the only person that he recognized and thought
maybe that he could be of some help.
Leave me alone with him for a moment, Samara said to the other
men. His request was met with odd looks from his work mates. He
seemed to be out of order.
What are you going to do? one of them asked. He is nothing but
product you know. We dont go around conversing with livestock. It is
policy.
Im changing policy, Samara replied. He stood, knife in hand,
waiting for them to comply.
Where are we supposed to go? the man asked. Boss man is standing
outside the door along with security. I have no intentions of joining this
thing. At least not yet.
Samara did not know what to do. If he couldnt get them to leave, he
had to do his conversing with them standing by. It was his only choice.
How are you Donald? Samara asked. Aquarius looked up at him in a
daze and read his name tag.
Houser? Do I know you from somewhere?
370
Dont you recognize me? It is me, Samara.
Aquarius opened his eyes wide and his mouth hung open. Samara?
he asked.
Youve got to stop them, theyre going to butcher me! he whispered
forcefully.
The two other meat cutters backed away and slowly stepped towards
the door. Aquarius took notice and brought it to Samaras attention
with a nod and a glance.
Stop! Samara said to the men. Get back over here!
The two workers ran to the door and opened it. They ran outside and
left the two men alone inside.
Quick! Cut the ties! Aquarius yelled.
Samara took his razor sharp knife and sliced through the restraints like
they were butter. In a second, Aquarius was on his feet grasping two
cutting knives from the knife rack on the wall.
Weve got to get out of here before they bring back help! Aquarius
yelled.
How? Samara yelled back. I have no idea how to get out of here!
Just then the door busted opened and two security guards ran into the
room brandishing pistols. Aquarius grabbed a meat hook from the knife
rack and flung it at the nearest guard sticking him in the neck. Aquarius
ran over and grabbed the bleeding guard who was struggling to remove
the hook and stop the bleeding. Aquarius used him as a shield as the
second guard unloaded his gun at him. Without thinking, Samara
371
grabbed a meat cleaver from the knife rack and came around behind the
second guard. With one swift motion, Samara brought the cleaver
down upon the guards right forearm, its hand still firing, cutting it off
with razor precision. The arm, along with the gun struck the ground
with a thud and a clank. Blood shot out of the open wound, spilling all
over the floor. Samara kicked the guard in the groin and pushed him
back through the doorway onto the catwalk floor. His head struck the
rail hard and he slumped unconscious onto the metal walkway.
Lets get the hell out of here! Aquarius yelled, stepping over the
guard who had apparently succumbed to the blood loss from his neck
and multiple gunshot wounds. Samara followed him out the door and
ran down the catwalk keeping one hand on the guardrail and the other
sliding along the wall. Looking over his shoulder as he ran, Samara
could see workers down on the floor and bodies hanging from hooks
above their heads. As far as he could tell, no one noticed them up on
the catwalk running for their lives.
This way, Aquarius yelled darting down a long hallway. On the side
of the wall a sign read, Kill Floor, and an arrow pointed in the
direction they were running. Coming out of the hallway, they stopped
at a T intersection and hesitated. One hallway had a sign reading Kill
Floor, and the other sign read, Packaging. Samara looked to
Aquarius for an answer; he could not find it in his eyes.
Kill Floor! Samara yelled. It was almost like he knew something
about this place.
Aquarius shook his head in disagreement. No, I think we should go
that way.
372
With a solemn look of confidence Samara calmly looked Aquarius in
the eye and said, I know this is the right way, dont argue with me!
He maintained the stare until finally Aquarius gave in.
OK, Aquarius said. Lets go, and you better be right. We only have
one shot.
Samara led at first, then Aquarius overtook him and they both
scrambled down some stairs toward the kill floor. Once they entered
the room, they turned and ran along a walkway along the outer edge
towards a large open door. A quick glance at the pit and the metal grate
sent shivers down his spine as he recalled his prior experience.
The men then continued to run until again Samara came to a complete
stop. Aquarius turned and yelled back to him, Get your behind
moving!
Samara was lost in the moment as he looked up at the body of the
woman he had spoken to in the trailer, hanging upside down from two
meat hooks placed in her calves. Her neck was slit and she was chalky
white from having her blood drained. Looking into her eyes, he saw the
vacant lifeless stare of the dead and he stomach began to churn. He
now realized that this dream was no dream.
Samara touched his lips as he looked at the blue tint of the lips on the
body before him. Looking down upon the kill floor, he saw pools of
blood in vats and men using wide brooms to push water and blood into
a drain in the center of the room. He could not stay any longer.
Aquarius unexpectedly took off down the walkway without Samara. A
second later, Samara gathered his wits and took off after Aquarius
shuffling his feet to maintain his balance on the slippery floor. The
light from the doorway became brighter and brighter as they
373
approached the outside world. Samaras work coat was thin and
covered in blood which chilled in the breeze making him feel worse
than Aquarius who was only wearing a thin shirt and jeans.
We have to find some shelter! Samara yelled as they exited the
building.
Keep it down! Aquarius said as he turned back. We cant get caught
again. Ill be fine till we get out of here.
In a sprint, they ran to the far end of the building looking out for
workers who putted around in forklifts and work vehicles. Parked along
side were empty tractor-trailers and pallets that could be used to hide
behind. They needed heat. Dodging behind a trash dumpster, Aquarius
whispered to Samara, We need to hitch a ride.
With his jaw hanging open, Samara asked, On what?
Pointing to the loading dock, Aquarius replied, One of those semis
Samara hesitated and was struck with a memory. He flashed back to
when he was trapped in the back of one of those trailers and was unable
to escape. The thought of entering one again scared him beyond words.
Isnt there another way to get out? he asked. Other than in the back
of one of those trucks.
We could hang out in this dumpster until they pick it up, Aquarius
said sarcastically.
How about plan C? Samara asked.
Looking at Samara, Aquarius had an idea. You look like one of them
now, Aquarius said. All you have to do is go up there and ask for a
ride. You have identification right there.
374
Samara looked at his name tag on his chest and for a moment the idea
made perfect sense. Only he would need the courage to pretend to be
someone he was not.
How about we just walk out to the parking lot, grab a car and drive
right on out, Samara replied worrying that a face to face meeting with
a truck driver would be risky.
Now youre being ridiculous, Aquarius laughed. Im sure youre not
going to find any keys left in the cars. How do you plan to unlock the
car?
Samara reached into his pocket and with a wry smile, pulled out a set
of car keys.
We just need to find a way to make sure they dont notice you,
Samara said.
Yeah, youre right. I dont have identification.
If you walk with me, they may not ask anything. If they do, well need
a good story. I dont think they will accept that you forgot your ID at
home.
No, I dont suppose they would. Aquarius was now lost in thought.
He needed a better idea and felt it was his responsibility to come up
with one. His eyes lit up for a second then he went back to the same
intense expression.
You have an idea? Samara asked.
Well, Aquarius hesitated. You could just go get your car and come
back around here and pick me up. Just pop your trunk and Ill get
inside and close it.
375
That might work, Samara said scratching his chin. As long as no
one asks me what Im doing driving behind the building.
Security is a bit lax here.
I think youre right, it might just be a matter of luck.
Samara rose to his feet and bent down behind the dumpster looking
around for a chance to start walking. He didnt want to draw attention
to Aquarius who was hiding behind.
Aquarius reached over and tugged on Samaras coat. Youre not going
to drive off without me are you? he asked with a concerned look. Im
sorry about pushing you into the gate and all. At the time I had to.
Samara looked back down to Aquarius and the memories came rushing
back to him. Thats right! he said. You son of a gun!
Aquarius now knew he should have kept his mouth shut. Im on
youre side now! Aquarius pleaded. I am here because of my father
incompetence. The gate master and I need your help now, we must
complete the mission!
Samara just stood there staring and thinking about what Aquarius had
done to him. He did not know the circumstances of why Aquarius was
even here at the meat packing plant but he knew he was in trouble.
Ill come back for you, Samara said. Dont worry, Ill give you a
chance to make it up to me.
A smile crossed Aquarius face and Samara departed. Aquarius leaned
back against the wall and watched Samara walk to the end of the
building and turned the corner towards the employee parking lot.
376
Samara walked confidently along the side of the building scanning the
rows of cars. He pulled his keys from his pocket and looked to see if he
could identify his car from something printed on them. They only print
on the keys were the letters GM and the letter A engraved underneath.
He was going to have to think hard and let his intuition take over,
leading him to his vehicle among the hundreds parked in the lot.
He looked about and kept walking trying not to look out of place. Rows
and rows of cars passed by as he moved along scanning for something
that looked familiar.
Just then he heard a voice call to him. Hey! You need a clean coat?
Samara was startled and his heart skipped a beat. He turned to see a
man running to him with a clean coat in his hands. He was one of the
meat packing plant employees.
With a smile Samara replied, Sure, I could use a clean coat, holding
out his arms.
The man stopped running and handed Samara the coat. Steam panted
from his mouth and nose as he read Samaras name tag.
Houser? he asked. Samara was hoping he was just trying to make
conversation.
Yes, thats me, Samara said. He swallowed hard and tried to look
calm.
You taking off early? the man asked.
Samara was about to explode. He had no idea what to say. He bit down
on his lip and replied, Yes.
377
The man expected more of an answer and for a moment it was
awkwardly quiet. Samara looked around trying not to make eye contact
with the man using the time to look for an escape route if he had to
make a run for it. He immediately saw the razor wire fence and the two
guard towers by the exit.
Do you want me to take your old coat? I can send it to laundry, the
man said.
To Samaras relief he replied, Yes, I would appreciate it, pulling off
his bloodstained coat. He handed it to the stranger.
You might want this back, the man said with Samaras name tag in
his hand. Youll never get out the gate without it. The stranger had a
smile on his face. Samara felt odd about the nice way he was treated
considering how those people hauled in the trucks were treated.
Samara pulled on his new coat and clipped his name tag on the collar.
As he clipped it he read the writing on the name tag again and this time
noticed a number letter combination below the words Hawthorne
Meat Packing Inc. It read F-56.
Samara looked out to the parking lot and saw signs posted on the light
poles with large black letters written on them. He seemed to be
standing in section B according to the nearest sign, and assumed the
letters on his name tag was a parking assignment. Now he had a clue
and started walking again following the signs.
Cars and trucks seemed to be coming and going quite often in and out
of the compound, which made him feel escaping may not be a problem.
As he moved along, he watched semis pull into a special gate and kick
up snow as they drove around back. Employees seemed to come in a
378
different entrance. The smell out here was less overpowering than
inside.
From section to section he moved, until he found the pole with the
letter F attached to it. He then walked down the rows of cars, noticing
each stall had a sign and a number assigned to it. He had fifty more
stalls to walk past until he found out what kind of a car he drove. He
pulled his keys out of his pocket and let them jingle as he walked. He
was feeling better about his situation with each step.
As he walked, another employee was exiting her car and rushing down
the driveway towards the plant. He assumed she was late for work and
smiled and waved as she passed by. To his horror she stopped and
approached him.
Hey, where are you going? she asked. She seemed to be sticking her
nose into his business but apparently didnt know who he was.
Samara again swallowed hard as he stopped. I have to get home. My
wife called and she said there was a problem with my baby daughter.
Your baby daughter? she asked. She had the look of confusion on her
face. The woman knew something was amiss for there were no babies.
She assumed this guy was crazy so she excused herself as amicably as
possible.
He wasnt actually sure why the woman was so quickly put off, but he
was sure he didnt want to stick around to find out. The woman turned
and jogged down the driveway towards the plant to Samaras relief. He
didnt need anymore distractions.
At stall fifty-six, Samara found a ninety-one, Chevy 4-door sedan
parked with a Hawthorneparking permit in the back window. He
379
approached the side of the car and placed the key in the lock. With an
easy turn the lock clicked and the door opened allowing him to climb
inside. He placed the key in the ignition and started the car. It purred
like a cat.
Now it was decision time. He thought to himself, Do I pick up
Aquarius and risk being captured or do I just take off and leave the
sorry son of a gun to fend for his own life. It was Aquariuss fault he
came to this place in the first place. If it werent for him, Aquarius
would be dead now anyway. Havent I done enough already?
The thoughts raced in his mind while he scanned his dashboard. He had
plenty of gasoline and a parking permit on his rearview mirror. He
didnt think it would be a problem to just take off and leave. He would
just have to hand his name badge to the gatekeeper and they would
scan it and hand it back. He would then be on his way out of this place.
But to where? he thought. He now knew he needed Aquarius help.
He found this world very difficult to understand. He knew this would
soon turn into more problems.
Samara put the car in reverse and backed out of his stall. He then put
the car in drive and moved down between the rows of cars until he
reached the end, pausing to look for cross traffic. Finding the path
clear, he continued on making a right turn heading on towards the side
of the building. Once he made it to the side, he drove on around to the
back and stopped along side the dumpster where Aquarius was hiding.
Nervously, he waited for Aquarius to step out from behind and run to
the car. Reaching over he unlatched the glove compartment door, and
found the trunk release button. As he pressed it he heard the trunk door
pop open and he leaned back upright. To his shock he saw a pickup
380
truck bear down on him and come to a halt just in front of his bumper.
In his rear view mirror he saw a car pull up behind him and box him in.
Aquarius was no where to be found.
The two vehicles moved in close and made contact with his front and
rear bumper. He could not gain any momentum and ram either one of
them. He opened his door and jumped outside the car. Running past the
dumpster, he dodged the door of the car behind him as the driver
stepped out.
Before he made it to the end of the building, Samara heard a siren start
to wail from atop the building and the sounds of individual car sirens
from all around him. As he made the corner, a patrol car spun around
and screeched to a halt.
Samara ran around the corner and sprinted down the side of the
building, pursued by security who were now on foot. The building was
huge and the side of it ran for over two hundred yards. From the
parking lot ahead, he saw two more patrol cars turn the corner and head
in his direction. He was now boxed in on all sides, by the building on
one side, razor wire on the other side, two cars in front of him, and
three men behind him.
Samara knew he was out of options and stopped running. It took only a
few seconds for the men behind him to catch up with him and tackle
him to the ground. His hands were pulled behind him and cuffed and
his feet were bound with leather straps.
One of the patrolmen said into his radio, Get the wagon over here.
He barely even acknowledge Samaras presence. A moment later, the
wagon pulled up along side Samara and he was hauled up and tossed
inside. He now knew what it felt like to be an animal in the minds of
381
men. As he was being pushed back away from the door he screamed
out. You son of a gunses!
The door was slammed shut and darkness fell upon Samara. He felt the
truck move off with a jerk and used the momentum to roll over onto his
stomach. The cuffs behind him dug into his back.
He wondered where Aquarius was. They must have found him behind
the dumpster he thought. He surmised that the woman in the parking
lot had reported suspicious activity and sent security after him.
382
Chapter 10
Taking one last look at the amazingly blue sky Sean entered the
municipal hospital in town through the automatic doors and approached
the nurse stationed at the front desk. Behind his back, tucked under his
jacket, rested a 9mm pistol chambered and ready to fire. The nurse at
the desk looked up from her chart and greeted Sean as he leaned on the
counter. She was taken back by his dirty appearance and tattered
survivalist clothing.
Can I help you? the nurse asked.
Yes, I am looking for the quarantine ward, Sean replied.
The nurse was surprised by his question and a look of confusion
crossed her face. The quarantine ward? She asked back. She looked
around the desk and locked onto a pile of charts lying on the desk. She
tried to hide a wince as a wave of body odor from the man hit he in the
face. You cant go up there you know, she said trying to hold back a
cough.
I know, Sean replied. I was just curious where it was. This building
is huge.
Do you have a relative in the quarantine ward? she asked.
Sean looked at her name tag and back up to her face. So youre an
RN? Sean asked.
Yes I am, she replied, becoming agitated by his avoidance of the
question. Can I have the name of your relative? she asked, picking up
the phone.
383
Watching her lift the receiver, Sean backed off the counter and stood
back a step. I have no relatives here, he replied. If its a big deal just
forget it.
The nurse held the phone and did not move all the while keeping her
eye on the obviously agitated man. She didnt know whether to call
quarantine or security. She slowly put the phone back in its cradle and
Sean backed away and turned from her. Something did not seem right
about this man but she didnt know what to do about it.
There were a lot of strange people in and out of here every day so she
simply dismissed the incident as usual.
Down the hall, Sean walked through the sliding glass doors and back
out to the parking area. He was now outside the hospital in the winter
air. He reached up and scratched his neck as he thought about his plan.
Looking to his right, Sean spied a maintenance worker pushing a snow
shovel along the sidewalk next to the building. Seeing an opportunity,
Sean walked down the narrow path and approached the worker from
behind, careful not to spook him.
Excuse me, Sean said.
The hospital worker, dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit turned to face
Sean with the shovel in his hands. Is there something I can do for
you? the man asked.
Yes there is, Sean replied. Would you happen to know were the
quarantine ward is?
384
Its on the seventh floor, east side, end of the hall, he replied. Cant
get in without a passkey though. Youll have to see the nurse at the
front desk to get one.
Oh, dont work here, Sean said. I am just here to visit a sick friend.
Well in that case you can have them buzz you in. Just press the button
at the first set of doors and the charge nurse will let you in.
Great! Sean replied. Thanks for the help. Sean turned and took a
few steps away. He turned back and asked the worker, By the way,
what does a passkey look like?
The worker reached down the front of his coat and pulled out a
laminated picture ID card that was suspended from a chain. On the
back was a bar code. Itll look like this, only it will be blue and have
the number seven printed in the corner.
Thanks again, Sean said turning back to the main entrance of the
hospital. A few seconds later Sean was walking through the electric
doors and down the hall past the nurses station that he had been at
before. The nurse watched him as he passed by.
Excuse me, the nurse said looking over the counter at Sean.
Sean kept his pace and walked to the elevator and pressed the up
button. Again the nurse spoke to him. Again he ignored her.
Sir, can I help you? she asked. Sir? Her voice began to gain
urgency.
Sean watched the numbers drop on the display above the elevator as it
descended down to the ground floor. With a ding, the doors slid open
and he entered, pressing the button for the seventh floor. From where
385
he was standing, he could see the nurse stand up and pick up the phone.
As the doors to the elevator closed shut, he read her lips as she uttered
the word security into the phone.
With a tug, the elevator rose into the air, humming as it slid upward to
the seventh floor. It only took a few seconds for the elevator to gain
speed and shoot Sean up towards the quarantine ward. The numbers
flashed in sequence from three on up, until the seventh floor was
reached and the cabin stopped. The doors slid open and Sean stepped
out into an anapestic white hospital corridor. On the floor were two
colored stripes, one blue and one red. On the wall was a sign that read,
Authorized Personnel Only! Quarantine Ward! Hazardous Area!
He was close and he knew it. He also knew it was only a matter of time
before security found him and thwarted his mission. He had to think for
a second and figure out which way was east. Looking to his left, he
read the words, Quarantine on a sign halfway down the hall with an
arrow pointing down another hall.
He jogged down the hallway keeping as silent as possible. At the
intersection he turned and ran down another hall towards a set of doors
without handles. Mounted on the wall next to the doors were two video
cameras pointing back at him recording his every move. Seeing the
cameras, he darted into a doorway and pressed his body tight against
the door so he wouldnt be seen. He only hoped it wasnt too late
already.
Just then he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. He knew
security was on its way and that he would be caught any second. He
sucked in his gut and held his breath trying to make himself as thin as
possible, hiding in the narrow opening. His heart pounded in his chest
and his forehead began to drip sweat.
386
The footsteps became louder and louder and he knew it was only a
moment away from the guards catching him in the doorway. The
louder the steps clattered the more nervous he became. Click, click,
click went the heels as they pounded along the linoleum surface.
All of a sudden, he saw a man dressed in a white lab coat walk right in
front of him. The man did not even notice him tucked away in the
doorway. Sean reached around behind his back, pulled out his 9mm
pistol and stepped out from the doorway brining the gun out in front of
him. Taking careful aim, Sean popped off one shot into the mans head
dropping him like a deer.
The bullet passed through his head and entered the doors to the
quarantine unit. A fine mist of blood followed along the path. The man
fell to the ground a good twenty feet from the main doors, collapsing
on his face with his arms spread out to his sides.
Sean rushed over and knelt down, turning the man over onto his back.
Pulling back on his lab coat, Sean reached down and pulled out his
passkey and flipped it over reading it as fast as he could. It was blue
and had the number seven printed in the corner like the maintenance
worker said it would. With a sudden yank, Sean jerked the passkey and
chain from around the dead mans neck.
In a dash, Sean ran to the lock and passed the key through it, changing
the red light to green. With a ding, the doors swung open wide and he
entered the first set of double doors. Once the doors closed, Sean heard
a rushing of wind from vents above and smelled some sort of antiseptic
in the air. After what seemed forever, in what must have been some
sort of decontamination chamber, the second set of doors swung open
and Sean entered the quarantine ward, armed and prepared to fulfill his
mission.
387
What are you doing! a womans voice shouted from the left.
Sean turned to see a nurse coming around her station into the hall
walking towards him. He felt a flush of heat run through his body.
This is quarantine! You cant be in here! she shouted as she walked.
Her right arm waved in a circular motion as she spoke.
Sean stepped towards her and greeted her midway with a bullet to the
face. With a pop and a puff of smoke, she fell to the floor with a
noticeable cracking of her skull as it hit the hard floor. By now he knew
the entire hospital was onto him. It did not matter though, for he was
too close to completing his mission now.
Sean stepped around the nurses station, and scanned the doors to the
individual patients rooms. He did not know which room he needed to
enter, and didnt want to waste any time searching. He looked down at
the desk and pushed aside a stack of papers looking for a name. A
name he had read in the papers two days earlier.
Just then he heard a noise from behind. He turned to see another nurse
duck down behind the counter on the other side of the station. Hold
it! Sean yelled running around the counter. On the floor, the nurse
knelt on all fours hiding. Stand up! he commanded her and she
slowly rose to her feet.
What do you want? she asked shaking. Sean had his pistol drawn on
her.
Wheres the guy with Ebola? Sean asked.
Her eyes opened wide and she couldnt help but take a step back. She
couldnt speak.
388
Sean extended his arm and pressed the barrel of the gun up against the
nursed forehead. You got five seconds lady, he said.
Room three, she said just before she fell in a lifeless heap to the
floor. Spinning around, Sean ran to room three and pulled on the door
finding it locked. He noticed right away there was no sliding passkey
slot or any other kind of key slot. He ran back to the nurses station and
stood behind the counter. Scanning the electronics, he noticed a panel
of lights with push buttons under them labeled one through five. He
pressed the button under the number three and the vacuum locked door
popped open with a hiss of air.
Above the door, a light blinked over and over and a timer counted
down from ten. He knew he had to enter the room before the counter
reached zero or he would miss the second set of doors when they
opened.
Darting around the counter, Sean ran through the first set of open doors
and stood panting. A ding sounded from outside and the first set of
doors closed. Once again he smelled the antiseptic and a breeze
whipped past him blowing his hair about. A moment later, the second
set of doors opened and he entered the quarantined room he had been
so desperate to get into.
Pushing back the cloth divider, he laid his eyes upon a man laid out in a
hospital bed who was connected to a collection of monitors and
machines. He seemed to be in a state of living death. His eyes were red
and puffy, his gums were bleeding and his ears drained red liquid onto
his pillow. This man was infected with Ebola, one of the most deadly
viruss known.
389
Sean stepped in close to the man and pulled his pocketknife out
exposing a long blade. He placed it in his left palm and pulled the
point along it, slicing a thin cut through his flesh that bled instantly.
Sean reached out and grabbed the arm of the man in the bed, pulling it
close to him. He then raised and turned the arm, exposing the patients
wrist. Again, using his knife in his good hand, Sean slit the patients
wrist, slicing the muscles and arteries deep enough to cause bleeding.
The fresh blood then ran down the patients arm, over Seans cut hand,
and onto the bed staining the white sheets red. This allowed the
infected blood to mix with his own. Sean had originally intended to
draw a syringe of blood from the man but things had not gone as
smoothly as he had hoped. With his wife now dead he had absolutely
nothing to live for. He had now infect himself with Ebola virus and
now he had become the vessel for the destruction of mankind.
He knew that he had no more than ten days to spread his infection,
most people failed to survive past that time. At best he had three to five
days where he could still be mobile, but first had to get out of the
hospital alive. It was his mission to flood his world with as many souls
as possible and he knew he had to escape the hospital to complete his
task. With this deadly, highly contagious disease, he could flood the
yellow reality with millions, maybe billions of dead at a time.
Sean ran out of the room and back down the hall to the elevator. He
pushed the down button and waited for the door to open. He brought
out his pistol, raised it and prepared to fire upon any security that may
be behind the sliding doors. A few seconds later the door opened and
Sean lowered his gun. The compartment was empty.
Sean entered the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor.
The doors slid closed and the elevator descended. He looked up and
390
watched the floor numbers change until suddenly it came to a sudden
halt somewhere between four and three. Apparently hospital security
had protocols for intrusions such as this and they had frozen the
elevator at mid floor to prevent and escape and contamination of the
public.
Theres no way that hospital security is going to take on a breech like
this, Sean whispered to himself. This will be a job for a Federal
Hazardous Materials and Decontamination Unit which could take some
time to arrive. He had to escape the elevator as quickly as possible.
After considering going up through the service hatch and
contemplating all the trouble and time that would entail, he decided
getting the sliding doors open was his best option. He pulled the
bloody knife from his coat pocket and jammed it in the space between
the two doors but he couldnt get enough leverage to budge them at all.
Next he pull his pistol and while shielding his face with his left arm he
turned away a he fire point blank into the control panel. Immediately
the overhead lights in the elevator car went out and electric sparks flew
from the panel onto the floor. The elevator seemed to suddenly drop
several feet and again come to a sudden stop in the dark. Smoke began
to fill the car as the sparks smoldered on the carpeted floor and Sean
began to choke. His eyes watered up as he tried in futility to stomp out
the small fire now burning in the corner. Then there was a bang as his
knife, which was still stuck between the doors fell and hit the floor.
The mechanism had loosened enough for the knife to be released,
maybe now he could somehow force them open. He braced himself
along one side of the car away from the fire and forced as much of his
fingers on both hands into the crack. Blood from his self inflicted
wound continued to pour and dripped slowly down the elevator door.
391
With all his might he pulled on the one door and by some miracle it
gave way leaving just enough room for his escape. More importantly
however was the fresh air that rushed into the car which was halfway
between floors. Above him was the second floor and below was the
ground floor.
He decided to draw his pistol and take his chances on the ground floor.
He jumped down to the lobby floor where he fell to the floor causing a
big blood smear on the shiny white floor. He was surprised as he
looked around to see no one was standing in his way. He regained his
footing and took off in a sprint down the hall, past the nurses station
towards the sliding doors at the entrance of the hospital. Reaching the
doors, he slowed to allow them to automatically open and then came to
a halt when they failed to move. Someone had turned them off. He
spun around and noticed that the lobby was clear. Someone was trying
to trap him inside the hospital.
He brought the gun up to the glass doors and popped off two shots in
rapid succession. The glass absorbed the bullets and failed to shatter as
he expected.
Hold it! Sean heard from behind. He knew it was security. By this
time, the blood from his cut had puddled on the linoleum floor and
stained his clothes red. He turned to face the threat and slipped on the
wet floor, falling on his back, striking his head on the ground. After the
initial shock and sting, he sat back up in time to be pounced on by two
security guards wearing protective suits. He was wrestled and turned
over and his hands were restrained behind him with handcuffs. His
pistol was kicked away, far enough away that he could not get it back.
From a truck parked outside, Brenda watched as Sean was taken down
by security. Quickly, she turned the key in the ignition and shoved the
392
gearshift into reverse. Putting pressure to the gas pedal, she backed out
and changed the gear to drive, spinning out on the concrete she drove
towards the front entrance. It took only a moment for her to crash
through the sliding glass door and shower Sean and the security
officers with flying glass and twisted metal.
Brenda jumped out of the truck and ran to Sean with a pistol drawn.
She aimed the gun at one of the security guards lying on the floor
beside Sean. Take those cuffs off him, now! she yelled at the officer.
The security guard grabbed his keys and unlocked Seans hands,
allowing him to stand. Looking around, Sean tried to find the pistol that
was sent skidding across the slick floor. Finding nothing, he grabbed
the gun from Brenda and aimed it at the security guard closest to him.
Please dont! the guard yelled.
Before he could say another word, Sean popped him in the temple with
a bullet. Without hesitation, he pointed the gun at the other guard and
did the same with a shot to the chest.
Body count, thats the name of the game, he said in the direction of
the two guards. Brenda hopped back into the drivers seat and Sean
tried to open the passengers side door finding it blocked against the
steel of the door jam.
Youll have to back up! he yelled, waving his arms towards the door.
She nodded her head and put the gearshift into reverse. Once again
pushing on the gas, she backed out into the driveway and waited for
Sean to join her. Sean ran to the truck and opened the passenger door
and jumped inside. Lets go! he yelled.
393
Brenda took off down the parking lot, pieces of shattered glass
scattered off the car onto the ground. She made a quick left turn and
headed away from the hospital as fast as she could. Where should I
go? she asked.
Back to the hotel, Sean replied as he wiped the blood from his hand
on the car seat.
The moment was tense and quiet for a second as Brenda shot down the
street, she was moving too fast for the posted speed limit.
Slow down! Sean yelled. We dont want get pulled over!
You want to drive? she yelled back.
Sean looked at his cut hand and squeezed it shut. The pain was nearly
unbearable. No, I dont want to drive. Just dont drive like a maniac!
Why did you get those cops involved? You said this would be easy.
They werent cops! They were hospital security. Sean replied.
Same thing! Brenda said as she scanned the intersection ahead for
side traffic. Now what are we going to do?
We are going to follow through with the plan. I did what I had to do,
Sean replied.
You got a syringe full? she asked.
I did better than that, Sean replied. I got it inside me.
Brenda looked to Sean in horror. What? she yelled. Youre
infected?
394
Yes I am, and now so are you, he replied smugly.
Brenda was in a daze. She knew what it meant to be infected with
Ebola virus. She had less than ten days to live at best. You son of
a.
Save it! We didnt come this far to argue the finer parts of the plan. I
came here to change the future, good or bad, things will change.
Of coarse your right. she agreed with resignation.
395
Chapter 11
After all the commotion was settled in the farmyard Noah and Alice
approached the barn from the field Samara had left them in earlier.
The place was now abandoned with the intruders passing through the
gate and Aquarius walking toward town.
The sky was now bright yellow a beautiful winter day. A quick glance
at his pocket watch confirmed it was just after 11a.m. The farmhouse
had burned to the ground so they were forced to use the spare room in
the barn.
Noah had a new found sense that he must reconcile his mistakes of the
past. It was his incompetence and drunkenness that allowed the gates
to go out of alignment, permitting the Weeds to pass. He made up his
mind to cross through the gate to the other side to do whatever he
could. He and Alice remained in the office warming themselves by the
fire, which was lit when they arrived.
Alice prepared a warm meal for the two from the limited supply of
goods in the cabinets. She went outside and filled an old coffee can
with snow and placed it on top of the iron stove. Soon the snow had
melted into drinkable water. It took several trips to quench their thirsts.
Finally ready after preparing himself both physically and mentally
Noah began to gather supplies for his journey. He grabbed his deer
rifle from the cabinet. In his coat pocket, he placed four full clips and a
box of shells. He checked to make sure his rifle had a full clip and
chambered a round, looking down the barrel at the sights. He was a fair
shot and was ready to use the gun when he had to.
396
Alice packed some other supplies for her father. The two remained
mostly silent as they worked together to make preparations.
Noah and Alice approached the gate and looked into it. He was not sure
if any of the Weeds were posted on the other side. This was a risk he
had to take.
You stay here my love, this is a journey for me, for me only.
No father, You may need my help, she pleaded.
You stay here and wait for my return sweet Alice, he implored,
knowing full well it was unlikely he would ever see her again.
Very well father, she now agreed, obediently.
Alice stepped closer to her father and sweetly kissed him on the cheek.
He gave a reassuring smile and he stepped toward the gate. Without
hesitation he walked in and in a flash he was gone. Alice returned to
the warm office sitting down on the old wooden chair calmly staring
into the fire. A tear welled up in her eye as she realized that was
probably the last time she would ever see her father. His mission was
dangerous and the people he pursued were ruthless.
Upon his arrival, using his field glasses, Noah scanned the woods
looking for any signs of human life. The sky was bluer than hed
remembered. It had been twenty years since he existed as a gatekeeper
on this side. He shouldered his pack and began the tedious journey to
the nearby town.
397
398
Chapter 12
What are you doing? Sean asked from the doorway. His voice
startled Brenda.
Nothing! she snapped back, caught off guard. She spun around to
face him.
Who were you trying to call? Sean asked.
I was thinking of ordering food.
Sean shook his head not knowing whether to believe her. He then
scanned the bedroom looking for anything that might be out of place. It
was evident by her tone with him now that she could not be trusted.
Come in the front room. We need to talk, Sean said.
Brenda fell in line and followed Sean into the living room where she
started unpacking several military style packs onto the hotel room
floor. Sean directed her to sit across from him on the couch so he could
keep an eye on her.
Whats all this? Brenda asked. She scanned the various objects laid
out on the floor.
Were going to make a bomb. This is all the stuff we need to blow this
world away, Sean replied.
Picking up a foot long section of galvanized pipe, Sean screwed on a
matching cap he held in his other hand. He looked to Brenda as he
attached the parts and judged her reaction. He suspected she was no
longer in allegiance with his mission. She looked tired and depressed.
399
Isnt it dangerous putting that thing together in here? Brenda asked.
Sean hit his boiling point in an instant. Of course its dangerous! He
shook his head and mumbled to himself. Thats the point, he added.
He tried to calm himself. It had been just hours since Sean had infected
himself with Ebola and he was already starting to feel the signs. He had
a fever, his muscles ached and his stomach was on fire. He showed
signs of fatigue and his temper flared at the first sign of agitation. He
had no patience for Brenda now.
Brenda leaned over and put her head in her hand. She seemed
exhausted from the trip. Have you figured out how youre going to
drill the cap yet? she asked, looking to Sean.
Ill just have to try it on the counter top, he replied. He closed his
eyes and tried to force the pain from his head. Just take all this stuff to
the kitchen. Ill work on it there.
If Id of known that, I wouldnt have unpacked it all on the floor!
Brenda snapped.
Sean stood and pointed to the kitchen as he looked down upon Brenda.
You just do as I say! he shouted. Brenda stood her ground.
What are you going to do to me? she barked back. You already
infected me with that crap!
Brenda swallowed hard knowing she was now feeling the symptoms.
You son of a gun! she yelled storming over to gather the bomb parts.
Sean looked back over at Brenda. In disgust, he walked into the
kitchen and dug through one of the packs looking for his drill. He
needed to put a small hole in one of the caps so he could insert the
400
wires into the gunpowder inside. This was the only difficult task he had
in assembling the bomb, the rest of it went together with electrical tape
and wire nuts. After locating a wireless drill and a small drill bit in the
pack he brought, he quickly tightened the bit and grabbed the pipe cap.
The light in the kitchen was poor, but the task wouldnt be that
difficult.
Brenda entered the kitchen and dropped the bag of other supplies on
the counter. There you go asshole, she said walking back out into the
bedroom. Sean watched her walk out as he dug through the bag. He
located the other end cap and placed in on the counter top. With the
drill in the wounded hand hed wrapped in cloth and the cap in the
other, he started the bit into the rounded top. The bit slipped about at
first but then took hold, drilling through, into the counter top before he
had a chance to stop it. He carefully poured the gunpowder from a
rectangular can into the mouth of a funnel he had placed in the open
end of the pipe. From behind Sean heard Brenda enter the kitchen.
I cant let you do this, Brenda said calmly. Sean didnt have to turn
around to know what she was doing. This is wrong and you know it!
she added.
Sean, with his back to her, raised his head and looked to the ceiling. He
was thinking of the right thing to say. Its too late Brenda. Turning his
head to face her he confirmed that she was holding a pistol in her hand,
pointing it at him.
We have infected enough people on our way here to do the job, she
said.
Sean knew she was probably correct. They had done the research on
Ebola in preparation for their plan. I cant do anything about that, she
401
said. But maybe its not too late to keep you from doing anymore
harm. All this is just a theory anyway, you dont know the eventual
outcome. Lets forget the yellow world, were safe here. Lets start a
new life here.
The wheels are in motion, he snapped back, Nothing will change
my mind now.
Remembering that they were both already infected she lowered the
pistol. She thought to herself in a brief moment of clarity that she must
have been losing it to confront Sean.
This isnt some sort of stupid revenge? Do you think I give a crap
about my life? I am here for the greater cause. I know my destiny now,
I thought you knew yours.
Hearing Sean say this took the punch out of her anger. Knowing he
wanted to die made her retribution much less sweet. She now regretted
not confronting him right after they passed through the gate.
This is all too much for me, Im not cut out for martyrdom, she said
as tears welled up in her eyes.
At least youll have the pleasure now to watch me die a slow painful
death. That bullet would have been too easy, Sean said. Look at me, I
have the symptoms. I can barely stand the pain.
For a moment he made sense. She knew the bullet would only end his
suffering.
What is the bomb for? Brenda asked.
It is to spread the virus, what do you think you dumb jerk?
402
Suddenly he stood and he grabbed his stomach and heaved until he
vomited on the kitchen floor. In the discharge was a large amount of
infected blood.
Forty minutes later, Sean entered the living room with the bomb. He set
it on the coffee table and buckled over in pain. Grab the tape, he said
to Brenda. He didnt even look at her.
Sean stood up straight and pulled the pistol from his belt and checked
the clip. Brenda sat in a straight back wood chair, pressed up against
the wall. She sat silent contemplating her existence.
Sean smiled. He knew what she was up to. Just give me the knife. Ill
do it.
Sean stepped in towards Brenda, and she handed him the knife. He
brought the knife down close to her wrists. In one quick motion he slit
one of her wrists to the bone. Ebola infected blood poured from the
wound onto the carpet as she screamed in pain.
Finish me! she implored. Put me down.
Sean no longer needed Brenda or the others to complete his plan.
Without thinking twice, Sean stepped behind her and finished the job
by slitting her throat. She slumped over and her body twitched a little
until the gurgling stopped.
Sean jumped back and grabbed his bomb from the table and shoved it
under his jacket. He quickly picked up the phone and called 911
summoning the police and ambulance over to the room in order to start
a chain of infection here. He was planning to use Brenda in his mission
later, but with the new turn of events, this was just as good.
403
It took a minute or two for Sean to limp down the staircase, and out the
front door of the hotel. He eased into his car and carefully placed the
bomb in the passenger seat along with his jacket. Starting the car, he
took off down the road.
A half-hour later, Sean stood inside the foyer of the mid town mall. His
eyes were puffy and red, draining down his cheeks onto his shirt. His
tears were stained blood red. He pushed open the door to the main
corridor and found a public bathroom where he made his way to an
empty stall. From there, he pulled out the bomb from under his jacket
and secured it to his body with several strips of duct tape.
Once the bomb was secure, he ran the wires through his jacket sleeve
until the detonation trigger rested outside. When the green military
style jacket was pulled back on, the trigger would set right in his palm.
It was his ingenious idea to place the nine-volt battery inside the bomb
itself, instead of creating a bulky mess that he would have a hard time
controlling.
Sean stepped out of the bathroom and approached the line to the movie
theater complex inside the mall. He waited his turn in line, hiding his
face from those standing around him, trying not to let on his sickness.
A few minutes later, he placed his money on the counter. The clerk
took the money from his hand and noticed blood dripping onto the
counter.
Are you all right? asked the ticket clerk.
Sean knew right then that he was not getting into the theater, and all at
once an idea struck him. An idea that would give him a better bang for
his buck.
404
Chapter 13
Samara could feel the security wagon moving along from the inside. It
was dark, but he could feel the floor bounce and hear the sounds of the
engine. The truck took sharp turns and Samara was rolled across the
floor towards the wall of the compartment. He was terrified.
Just then, the tires screeched and Samara was flung towards the front of
the truck as it crashed headlong into an unknown object. With his
hands shackled behind him, he was unable to protect his head from
striking the wall. He came to a rest after being flung back with the
recoil of the impact. For a moment there was just silence.
The pain in Samaras head stung like nothing hed felt before. The
cabin was lined with steel and it felt as if a rivet had punctured his
scalp. He couldnt think of anything but the pain reeling throughout his
head.
From outside, Samara thought he heard the sound of the drivers door
slamming shut and the sounds of muffled voices shouting. Something
was happening and he was helpless to defend himself. For the longest
time, he waited for a sign that someone would remember him back
here. He thought any moment the back door would slide up, and that he
would be hauled out to be slaughtered.
In a reign of gunfire the voices stopped. Several of the bullets whizzed
through the compartment leaving tiny holes, which let in a small
amount of light. He held his breath and listened for any sounds that
might indicate what was happening outside. There were none. Not even
the sounds of the engine broke the silence. Images danced in his mind
while he lay bound on the floor. He needed to escape in his mind as
well as with his body. The waiting was horrific.
405
From behind, he heard the latch on the door clicking and his heart
began to race. He had horrifying memories of being tossed in the pit
and had no desire to enter it again. The door rose quickly, with the
sounds of metal sliding on metal and the light from outside poured into
the windowless compartment. Adjusting his eyes once again to the
light, Samara looked out to see the familiar face of his accomplice
Aquarius. A sense of relief came over Samara as Aquarius entered the
bed of the truck and released the leather restraint from around his
ankles.
On your feet! Aquarius yelled. We dont have much time.
Without thinking twice, Samara kicked his way to the edge of the truck
and hopped down onto the concrete below.
Follow me! Aquarius yelled, disappearing around the side of the
truck.
Samara took off running with his hands bound behind him. It was
difficult to maintain balance without the use of his arms. Coming
around the truck he saw where the truck had slammed into the rear of
Housers car. It was evident that Aquarius had used the car to stop the
truck from delivering him as cargo. The truck driver was slumped over
the wheel, blood was spattered all over the inside of the windshield.
Get in the passenger side! Aquarius yelled.
As Samara ran to the passengers side, Aquarius hopped in the drivers
side leaning over to open the door. After getting seated Samara was
able to squeeze his feet through the chains that held his hands together.
This allowed him to bring his hands out front and was much more
comfortable.
406
We got to make the front gate before the guards figure out whats
happened, Aquarius said. He put the car in reverse and backed out.
The car thumped as they drove over something on the concrete.
Wheres the other guard? Samara asked. He did not need an answer
as they continued back and he saw the dead man squashed on the road.
Oh God! he said, holding himself back from vomiting at he sight of
exposed brains. Regaining his composure he said, I thought you left
me hanging out to dry.
I thought the same of you, Aquarius said as he spun down the
driveway into the parking lot.
Are you going to try to use the pass to get out?
Are you kidding? Aquarius replied. Im ramming the gate. Well be
lucky if they dont have the barricades up by the time we get there.
Just run through them.
Aquarius looked to Samara as he spun around between the cars. Im
not talking about the bar they raise up and down. Im talking about the
concrete bunker they raise with hydraulics.
Oh I see, Samara said sheepishly.
You sure didnt blend well, Aquarius said, now with his eyes on
target.
The car was up to forty miles per hour as Aquarius zipped down
between the parked cars towards the gate. Put you feet on the dash!
Samara put up his feet and watched the gate come closer and closer.
The car was up to fifty miles per hour and on a collision course with
407
the striped cross bar. Atop the guard post a light began to flash and a
guard stepped out to take a look at the oncoming car.
Were not going to make it! Samara yelled gritting his teeth, awaiting
impact with the concrete barrier.
Well make it! Dont worry, Aquarius shouted as they broke through
the arm bar. It shattered and crashed through the windshield, spraying
both Samara and Aquarius with small bits of broken glass. The impact
was less forceful than Samara thought, but the glass breaking almost
sent him into shock. Apparently, the guards were unable to raise the
concrete barrier in time.
Aquarius looked over to Samara who was spitting glass out of his
mouth. Are you all right? he asked.
Im bleeding! Samara replied. And I got glass in my hair.
Aquarius had to hold back from laughing at that comment.
You seem awful calm for someone about to be chased halfway across
the country side.
What are you talking about. Were free men!
Free men? How? Samara asked.
Think man.
A grin crossed Aquariuss face, and he slowed to a comfortable
cruising speed. The wind passing through the windshield was freezing
cold, but the hint of freedom warmed his heart. He shook his head and
took pleasure at finally one upping his former supervisor.
408
The car sped down the road, putting miles between them and the meat
packing plant. In the distance, Samara could see a city on the horizon
growing ever larger in his view. The heat was cranked on the dash, but
the cold wind blowing through the broken glass obliterated its
effectiveness. His teeth chattered and his skin became numb.
I owe you my life, Samara said in gratitude.
Were even, Aquarius relied. Just do me a favor its Aquarius not
Donald got it?
Samara nodded in agreement.
Now you didnt explain why every cop car in the county isnt chasing
us right now? Samara asked.
Cops dont chase food, Aquarius said, laughing out loud.
We killed people back there!
Those workers just got processed in our places. They dont have the
resources to send guards after us. Were considered like rogue steers at
this point.
Come on! Samara yelled in disbelief.
All right, Aquarius said. He was still grinning. We are considered a
commodity. We are nothing more than food.
Were like cattle? Samara asked.
Yes, just like cattle. Only we dont have cattle here, Aquarius
replied.
Are you saying they farm people over here?
409
Not exactly. Aquarius said, pausing to gather his thoughts, People
on your side live full lives and when they die they come here.
How the hell? Samara said with his jaw on the floor.
You think this is a joke?
Samara looked out the passenger side window trying to process what
hed been told and what hed scene this nightmarish day.
I may have over simplified it a little. Not everyone passes. There are
rules.
Then how can you be excluded? Samara asked.
Let me start from the beginning, first off, children and old people
cross over to this side and are reborn into new bodies. Children are
reborn as they would have appeared at age 20. With old people its
more like 40, Everyone including criminals and sick people make the
journey after death. Once you get here, theres a clock that starts
ticking. You have three years, more or less, before The Calling.
You mean no one is excluded? Samara asked.
Well everyone but the gatekeepers.
How does the government tell the difference? How do they know
when youve been here three years?
People here are just called. Its an internal voice that draws them to
certain collection areas.
Where? How?
410
Let me explain. When an adult dies on your world their spirit is
transferred to their new body in this world. Remember I said we dont
have cattle here? Well, we dont have hardly any edible crops,
Aquarius chuckled. Just human flesh, that all weve got. You see,
when you die and come to this world you never die, you never age.
Left unchecked you are immortal.
Immortality!? Samara exclaimed, My God, in all mans history, all
those souls have come here!
You got it, Aquarius acknowledged with a look that mocked
Samaras enlightenment. Now you see why the balance must be
maintained, why there is little other food, why we are called, why we
must consume each other to stay alive. This place would be
overpopulated into starvation if everyone were allowed to live, he said
in a manner that helped Samara put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Dont ask me why this is the way it is, it just is.
There must be thousands of arrivals every day, Samara said. Where
do they go, how does the transformation take place? he asked.
Spuds, Aquarius said with a giggle, Its like growing potatoes on
your world. Look out your window, see that field?
Yea, what of it, Samara answered. Looks like the tundra, looks like
any farmers field in the dead of winter.
Its a farmers field all right, but they just grow receptacles, they grow
underground, Aquarius said matter of factly. Not in a pod or a shell
or anything, they just grow there in the dirt, like a potato, he added.
They dont really have a face or anything, kinda like an organic blob
just waiting for an identity.
411
Samara just sat there, still handcuffed and cold taking in what Aquarius
was saying. Tell me more, he said with a sense of dread.
I dont know everything, just that when someone dies on your side
their spirit passes through the gate and is reborn into a receptacle of
matching size here in the ground. It matures for a couple of weeks and
then voila, they dig themselves out and instinctively walk to the
indoctrination center. The centers are all over. See theres one there,
pointing to an out building on what appeared to Samara to be a normal
farmyard.
Thats where theyre given clothes and are assigned a job and a place to
live. Theyre drones, sure they can get married and can even have sex
but theyre all sterile.
So everyone is just called by a mysterious force? Samara asked
jumping ahead.
Yea, except for the Weeds. They grow in ditches and along the rivers.
They never make it to the indoctrination centers - theyre usually
homeless and nameless. Theyll kill you for your meat. Theyll eat you
raw.
What happens to them? Samara asked.
If theyre caught they are sent to the rendering plant automatically.
They arent fit for human consumption.
Switching to yet another line of thought Samara said, None of those
people in the pit had gunshots. How do you gather these people without
shooting them?
412
Anxious to get Samara up to speed on all his questions, Aquarius
replied, Well first of all, you cant shoot the meat before hand like
that. All meat brought to the plant is alive and in good condition.
Nothing is wasted.
They dont use guns?
Dont get me wrong. They do use guns. The ones that are shot or
damaged are just disposed of differently.
Why do I get the feeling you are going to tell me you send them to be
made into dog food? Samara asked.
Waste not, want not. Damaged goods and Weeds go to the pet food
plant. We love our pets so wed never ever harm them, God knows
theyre completely inedible.
Whats God got to do with this? There is no God that would allow for
all this, Samara said.
Youre probably right, Aquarius jumped in, There is no religion on
this side, Ive just let my experience on your side influence my
speech.
There was a brief pause as Samara processed the information.
Arent you curious about the alignment, about our mission, Aquarius
asked.
Go on.
The worlds maintain a natural balance. The alignment is necessary
every 10 years
413
Why, Samara interjected, Why me?
Upset at being interrupted by the curious Samara, Aquarius abruptly
ended the conversation, Ill explain that later, Aquarius answered,
For now weve got to lay low.
Fifteen minutes past and Samara was starting to get very nervous. He
had not been a free man for very long and did not want to give it up as
they approached the city.
What now, Samara spoke softly breaking the long silence.
Dont worry, Aquarius said. Being a gatekeeper does have some
pull. I have lots of friends out here. Ive been switching sides for five
years now. I can pull in a few favors. And dont forget, I can spot a
hunter a mile away. I know most of them around here. Hell, technically
I am one.
Youre hunting the Weeds who passed the gate? Samara asked
putting things together in his mind.
Yes, that became my new mission after the incident. The
misalignment allowed the Weeds to pass. You see my father
convinced me that my calling was to become gatekeeper. He contacted
me too late however, the damage was done.
I still dont understand why its so important to align the damn gate.
Samara said.
Balance, doctor, the key is balance. There is a crisis and its
happening as we speak. We must work together - the existence of man
on this planet is in our hands. You see my father told me about a small
band of Weeds who are trying to flood this side with millions of
414
bodies. A small group intent on making the human race extinct. They
are desperate and ruthless, tired of their nomadic life on this world.
Theyre suicidal now. They are attempting to kill millions in your
reality to ultimately destroy life as we know it.
How were they able to pass? Samara asked.
The gates, Aquarius proclaimed, how many damn times do I have to
tell you, they are out of alignment. The Weeds are sneaky, they
discovered the gate and slipped through the gates into your reality
when they were out of alignment.
I have spent most of my adult life battling the damn Weeds, Ive
killed hundreds, I dont know maybe thousands if you include the ones
that were still in the ground.
OK, I get it now - what do we do now?
Weve got two problems, one, we have to stop the Weeds who have
passed through the gate to your side and two, we have to align the gates
so this doesnt happen again. They are still out there, making plans to
inflict carnage on your world. They would like nothing more than to
kill everyone on your Earth. If they are successful, this side will be
overrun and we will all eventually perish. Aquarius replied. Millions
of spirits will be trapped in the flux. Many will be drawn to dormant
Weed receptacles in the ground here.
I understand completely, Samara said. If we stop them and align the
gates the Weeds will no longer be able to pass and balance will be
maintained. The Weeds are our enemy, the enemy of all mankind!
Yes, and thats why I have taken over for my father. He is old and
going insane. He is too incompetent to be a gatekeeper. The alignment
415
is long overdue and he doesnt have the resources to get it fixed any
time soon.
He seemed alright to me yesterday. In fact I think he may have had a
change of heart.
Aquarius hesitated hoping Samara was right. He dismissed the notion
for the moment and continued, Noah feels that equilibrium will be
restored naturally even if there are millions of deaths on your side. He
feels nature should be allowed to take its course.
How?
He says nature always finds a way. Look at the plagues of the past.
The Black Death, small pox, AIDS. He says we dont need to help
nature. Nature does a fine job without us. Maybe nature wants man to
be extinct. I say that maybe there is a God and this is His retribution
for mans sins. Who knows, I only know that my father, Noah Black is
going to let this thing happen and you and I my friend must stop them.
Why dont you become the new gatekeeper? Samara asked.
I have every intention becoming a gatekeeper, Aquarius replied. Not
just a gatekeeper in this region, but the supreme gatemaster.
You know, I still dont get this whole thing. When dying people on
my side have a near death experience, you know with the white light
and all that, you mean there is no heaven? Samara asked.
Dont let out the secret, Aquarius said with a grin. You are the only
person on the planet, other than the gatekeepers and their families who
knows that.
416
This is too much, exclaimed Samara, I must be dreaming or Im in a
coma. When I wake up this might make a hell of a book or movie,
he thought to himself.
Whatever the explanation, Samara had no choice but to go with the
flow. He convinced himself that this ordeal was no dream, no fantasy,
no joke, it was real and his only course of action had to be to help
Aquarius.
One other thing, Aquarius offered. The Ritual.
Gatekeepers are vegetarians but once every ten years, before the gates
can be aligned, they are driven to eat human flesh.
Samaras mind flashed back to his young assistant Bobby hanging
naked on the light pole in the farmyard. It was obvious to him now that
Bobby was being prepared for slaughter by Noah Black. Or perhaps
Aquarius himself was going to cut up Bobby for the ritual. He was still
confused about Noah and Aquarius and their relationship and he
definitely had a difficult time trusting either one of them. It was all too
much to fathom.
Aquarius looked in his rear view mirror for the third time. His head
bobbed back and forth from the road to the mirror. Samara took notice.
What are you looking at? he asked.
I dont think its anything, Aquarius replied, keeping his eyes on the
rear view.
Samara started to turn his head.
Dont! Aquarius said. Keep your head facing forward.
Why? Samara asked, Whats back there?
417
Aquarius swallowed hard and tried to concentrate. He scanned the
streets ahead looking for an escape route.
You said we were safe here! Samara said.
We are. Just shut up and let me drive! Aquarius snapped back. I just
need to get away from down town.
Whats wrong with down town?
Sometimes bounty hunters hang out here.
You saw one? Samara asked.
Maybe, Aquarius replied. I dont know for sure.
Well get us the hell out of here before we get caught!
Aquarius took a deep breath and stopped at the traffic light. He turned
his head ever so slightly, looking both ways down the cross street,
looking for the car he had seen a moment ago. If he made good time, he
could be far enough away that the men in that car wouldnt find them.
Aquarius knew they were bounty hunters. Just give me a minute and
well be away from down town, he said trying to sound as calm as
possible.
Then, just ahead, Aquarius spotted the vehicle turning onto his street
from a side ally and steer towards him. If he proceeded forward he
would pass right by them. Hold on, he said, and they made an abrupt
right turn.
Why are you going this way? Samara asked.
Its a short cut, Aquarius replied.
418
The hell it is.
Do you know this town?
Yes I do, Samara replied. This is where we stopped to gas up when
we working on the ghost project together.
Aquarius knew he was correct. They had stopped here to gas up the
research vehicle and the truck that towed the trailer before heading off
to the bridge on the other side.
You dont know this town any better than I do, Samara said.
Not true, Aquarius replied. Remember, I used to live around here. I
only joined your research project to find the gate. I needed you to help
me get my memory back.
Why did you need me? Samara asked. If you were the gatekeeper,
you should have known where the gate was.
Again, not true. I was sent through the gate while it was out of
alignment and I ended up hundreds of miles from the gate. I lost a lot
of what I knew. It was your research project that led me here. I was
too late though - the Weeds had already passed.
Why did you make the journey to my reality in the first place?
I went to find my sister Alice. I needed her to help me align the gates.
Without a direct heir from the opposite side it is impossible to align
them. My father abandoned his post and refused to take part in the
ceremony.
Aquarius drove onward down the side street ever mindful of the road
behind him. He was intent on watching for anyone following him. My
419
father had intended to let nature run its course. He failed in his duty as
gatekeeper, he is to blame for all of this.
Why did Noah take such a risk, humanity was at stake for Christs
sake?
He was willing to risk death to cover his incompetence. He was a
poor gatekeeper he was a lazy drunk.
I see, Samara said. And the Weeds forced you onto this world.
Well sort of. They caught me here and tried to kill me and force me
onto your side. I guess I have a hard head, he said rubbing his
forehead where a scar had started to form.
Can my life ever be restored to normal? Samara asked.
Just because you are now of this side doesnt mean things cant be
restored to the way they were.
Samara said a silent prayer, God or not, if only Aquarius were right.
Aquarius pulled down a residential street and slowly moved along
looking at the houses as they passed. As he drove he spoke to Samara.
There are two ways we maintain all memories of our experiences on
both sides. One is by being a gatekeeper. We retain our memory no
matter how many times we cross. The other is when someone passed
through the gate to his or her unnatural side, like you, without actually
dying. It is not known whether you will remember your experiences
her if you are able to return home. Regular folks like you are not
supposed to pass through the gate alive.
420
Looking out his side window Samara couldnt help but spy a fast food
restaurant down the street. Can we stop and get something to eat? I
havent had a meal in days, and Im starving,
I think the last time you ate was when you, Bobby and I stopped at
that gas station, Aquarius said.
Hearing Bobbys name again brought up the memory of his assistant
hanging from the light pole, dangling naked in the snow. The memory
angered Samara. Explain again, why did you kill Bobby? Samara
asked. He did nothing to you!
Aquarius took a deep breath as he drove on down the street. He had to
think of the right thing to say. There was no correct answer that would
satisfy the professor. He was part of a ritual The Feast of the
Alignment. The gatekeepers must feast on human flesh prior to the
alignment. He was to be shared between Alice and I.
Why didnt you kill me? Samara asked.
We had a feeling I might need your help. I dont know why,
Aquarius replied.
Samara could not fathom any reason why he was involved with all this,
You are sure you dont know why?
The gatemaster thought you were necessary for my mission. You have
saved my life here and that alone might explain your presence. You
have proven yourself, you could become the greatest unsung hero of all
time my friend.
Samara drummed his fingertips on his knee as he watched the houses
pass by. When can we get something to eat?
421
We can go through a drive through if you want. Do you have any
cash?
Samara reached behind and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. It
was difficult with his cuffed hands. He opened the pouch and counted
over two hundred dollars inside. Damn! he said aloud. This Houser
must get paid pretty good back at the plant.
Aquarius smiled and held out his hand. Give me ten bucks.
With the cash in hand, Aquarius pulled up to the fast food restaurant
and stopped at the speaker. He turned to Samara who was
reading the menu. What do you want? he asked.
I want two hamburgers and a root beer, Samara said.
Aquarius ordered for the both of them and pulled around to the side
where he paid for the order and handed Samara the bag. The clerk at
the window paid them no attention as they blended in well. There was
no real way for anyone to know they were being pursued. The car
pulled away and Samara dove into his meal. He bit off large bites and
washed them down with the root beer he held in his right hand. It felt
good to eat.
With that wad of cash I think we should get a room at a hotel for the
night, Aquarius said. We can use the time to make a plan.
With his mouth full, Samara replied, What kind of plan? All we can
do is go back to the gate and get back to where we belong.
Where we belong? Where you belong my friend. I am of neither
world, I am of both worlds. I am comfortable either place. I am an
apprentice gatekeeper after all.
422
I dont feel comfortable here, Samara said. This side gives me the
creeps.
Aquarius looked at Samara and watched him finish his meal. He didnt
have the heart or the guts to tell him he just ate human flesh.
Damn that hit the spot, Samara said. I like the hotel idea. I need a
shower real bad. Maybe they have a washer and a dryer there too.
Maybe, Aquarius replied.
Aquarius drove to the outskirts of town and located a small hotel near
the highway. The driveway was still covered with snow and the walls
of the building were stained and dirty. Just the kind of place they
needed to hide out.
You stay in here, Aquarius said as he pulled up to the office. Just
give me the cash.
Samara handed Aquarius fifty dollars. He did not trust him with the
rest. I want my own bed, he said placing the wallet back in his front
shirt pocket.
Aquarius opened the door and a rush of cold air entered the car. With
the slam of the door, he was gone. Samara turned up the heat of the
idling car and settled in for the moment. He watched Aquarius through
the windshield walking up to the office door and entering the building.
It was too dark inside for him to see what was happening.
Samara began to fidget, awaiting Aquariuss return with the room keys.
He tapped his hands on his knees making a rhythm that seemed to help
pass the time. Minutes passed and still no Aquarius. The drumming
became faster and faster, catching up to the beating of his heart. Any
423
minute now, he would have to exit the car and check to see if Aquarius
abandoned him.
Just then the office door swung open and Aquarius stepped out of the
building. He walked around the car and opened the door. With a slam,
the door closed and Aquarius was back inside the car.
What took you so long? Samara asked.
They wanted some identification.
Oh crap! What did you do?
I told them I was going to get it from my car, Aquarius replied.
This is my car, Samara said. What are you going to do?
Aquarius paused and shook his head. He looked to Samara and said,
You have to go in there and get the room. You have identification in
your wallet. Ill just meet you at the room.
Samara swallowed hard and his heart began to pound. Are you nuts?
he asked. I am not going in there. Samara raised his hands and
showed Aquarius his handcuffs. And how am I supposed to explain
these?
Aquarius forgot all about the cuffs. Damn! he yelled. I would use
your identification if I thought I could get away with it. Aquarius
looked nothing like Houser or Samara for that matter.
Samara knew he was right. He looked out to the snow-covered parking
lot and thought about the comfort of the shower. Wont they think its
strange if I came in?
424
I would if I were them, Aquarius replied. Forget it. We just have to
find a way to take those cuffs off you. Well come back later.
Aquarius put the car in reverse and started to back out of the driveway.
Just then he heard the thump of his bumper striking something solid.
He spun his head around and saw another car behind him boxing him
in. He turned and looked out his drivers side window and caught site
of someone standing there with a stun gun in his hand.
Oh Crap! Aquarius yelled. Its a bounty hunter! Get out and run!
Samara opened his door and Aquarius slid over jumping out behind
him. Both men made a mad dash down the sidewalk pursued on foot by
two bounty hunters. Move it, Move it! Aquarius yelled from behind
Samara. Samaras hands were still bound in front of him, making it
difficult to maintain and sustain any sort of speed. He had to rock his
arms back and forth in order to keep proper balance. It did not take
long for Aquarius to surpass Samara and leave him trailing in the snow.
Wait up God damn it! Samara yelled. He felt winded and knew it
was only a matter of time before he was caught.
Aquarius darted around the corner and ran between two buildings
disappearing from Samaras view. Now he knew he was on his own
and could hear the sounds of footsteps gaining on him. Closer and
closer the footsteps grew until he felt something grab at his ankles and
trip him up. Samara fell face first into the snow-covered concrete. The
pain of the impact shot through his body like lightning.
Samara was quickly subdued and lifted to his feet. A man stood there
and checked him for injury. He looks fine to me, the man said. I
think hell fetch eight hundred, take him to the wagon.
425
Aquarius came around the side of the building and saw the two men
escorting Samara to the truck. He didnt know if he should risk his
neck trying to free him or not. Aquarius knew a trick. It wasnt a
pleasant thing but it was one way to save Samaras life. Aquarius knew
the plant would not take dead, contaminated or desecrated live bodies.
If he could some how maim Samara enough, they would have no
choice but to free him. It wouldnt be worth their time to take him
across state to the rendering plant.
He thought about taking the out two men himself. This was a risky
option. The last plan was to leave Samara and take off without him.
Then he remembered his earlier premonition and besides they would
take the car also. The property of all livestock became the property of
the bounty hunter. It was part of his pay.
Aquarius darted out from behind the building and charged headlong
into the taller bounty hunter. Aquarius knew most bounty hunters did
not use firearms because of the potential damage theyd do to the
product. They were not above carrying them for protection however.
He needed to use the element of surprise.
Striking the man in midsection, he knocked him to the ground. Using
his fist, he began to beat on his face repeatedly until the other man
came up from behind and grabbed him by the neck.
Samara used this opportunity to put the chains of his wrist cuffs around
the hunters neck. He pulled back hard enough to get him off of
Aquarius. Once Aquarius caught his breath, he again began punching
the downed hunter in the face until he no longer fought back. Aquarius
turned and looked to Samara who had his man on the ground, choking
him to death. Finish him now! Aquarius yelled in a rage of
adrenaline. Moments passed and the dying man gave up resistance as
426
he faded away. Samara let go and the mans face disappeared into the
snow.
Are you all right? Aquarius asked.
Samara was shaken and visibly scared. I just killed a man, he replied.
Its neither your first and probably not your last this day my friend, it
was either him or you. You had no choice! Aquarius replied as he
searched the dead hunter for his handcuff keys.
I never thought
Hey! Aquarius interrupted. This is survival man, get over it. He
freed Samaras hands and tossed the cuffs on the ground.
Samara followed Aquarius down a frozen street to a park bench where
they sat down. People all around them stood watching each other as if
they had no idea whom each other were. They appeared in state of
confusion, but a controlled state it seemed.
Where do we look first? Samara asked.
Im thinking about it, Aquarius replied. He had no real plan.
Just then, Aquarius raised his hand to shush Samara.
What is it? Samara whispered. Do you see them?
Keeping his voice low, and his face pointed at the ground, Aquarius
answered, Keep your head down, I just saw a bounty hunter.
Aquarius turned his head slowly and peered out the corner of his eye.
I see two more by the steps.
What do you want to do? Samara whispered.
427
We need to stand up and walk away without bringing attention to
ourselves, Aquarius replied. If we act calm, we can get away from
the crowd and away from them.
Im ready when you are, Samara whispered.
All right then, lets go, Aquarius stated, and both men stood up and
started walking across the snow to the sidewalk. Keep your eyes up
front and do not look anyone in the eye.
It was a short walk to the sidewalk where they turned and walked on to
the end of the block. They were greeted by a traffic light and a group of
people huddled around a trash can. Samara looked to Aquarius who
was giving him a signal with his eyes that he was standing next to one
of the bounty hunters. Samara winked his eye in acknowledgment and
kept his face away from the bounty hunter.
The light turned green and both men started walking across the street. It
was then that Aquarius noticed to his left, the large semi tractor-trailer
slowly moving down the street in their direction. The truck was a few
blocks away and moving along at an even pace. Aquarius then turned
to his right and saw a bulldozer coming from the other direction
moving people along as it traversed the street.
These people have been called theyre being herded for slaughter,
Aquarius whispered.
Samara looked both directions and saw the massive machines
converging in on them.
Samara was starting to become nervous, not understanding what was
happening and listening to the urgency in Aquariuss voice. They made
it to the other side of the street where they had to part a crowd of
428
bystanders to continue on down the sidewalk. How much further?
Samara asked.
We need to get about four blocks away to be safe.
What are they going to do? Samara asked.
They are going to round up as many people as they can and put them
in the back of that semi.
Samara was well aquatinted by now with how things work on this
harsh world.
Aquarius was well aware that Samara had been captured once before
and had been taken to the meat packing plant. Trust me friend, if you
dont want to become a hamburger we better book. Now lets go.
Samara picked up the pace as he walked along. When Aquarius
mentioned hamburger Samara suddenly realized what he had done.
The thought caused him to drop to his knees and spontaneously vomit.
The rush of human flesh and root beer passed up through his mouth and
nose burning all the way up and out.
You shouldnt have said that , Samara uttered with a gurgle. He spit
and gagged and wiped his face with his coat and struggled to stand.
You do not want to draw attention to yourself. If they see you on the
ground, they will investigate, Aquarius said.
Samara got up, walking slower now, occasionally coughing and
spitting. Minutes later, both Samara and Aquarius were blocks away
from downtown.
Where to now? Samara asked. Were wasting of time.
429
I didnt realize there would be so many bounty hunters around town. I
forgot about The Calling today. Aquarius tried to keep his voice down
as he spoke.
So its back to the car? Samara asked.
Its our only choice now, Aquarius replied.
The two men, after surviving the most difficult ordeal of their lives,
were now back on the road heading to the farm where the gate was
located. Their mission was not yet complete. The Weeds had to be
stopped and the gate had to be aligned.
Eventually, the car pulled up into the farmyard, which appeared
abandoned. The ashes of the burned down house were blown around in
the snow.
430
Chapter 14
Sean backed away from the ticket booth and pulled back the cash from
the clerks hand. He grabbed a napkin from the concession stand and
wiped the blood from the ticket counter.
Let me call the manager, maybe he can get some help for you, the
ticket clerk said.
No, Sean said. Then he thought for a moment. He looked behind him
at the line and saw that some of the people behind him were becoming
agitated. He looked back to the ticket clerk and swallowed hard. He felt
like he might throw up again. Call the manager, he said.
The clerk picked up a phone from behind the counter and pressed a few
buttons. In a moment he spoke into the receiver. Yeah, Steve, could
you come down to the booth. I have a customer that may need some
medical help. The clerk listened to the response of the manager then
spoke again. No, Its not an emergency. You just need to get here. All
right?
The clerk hung up the phone and spoke again to Sean. Hell be here in
a second. Could you wait over there? He pointed to a bench along the
wall.
No problem, Sean replied, stepping out of the line. He moved over to
the bench and collapsed onto the floor. The man who was standing
behind Sean ran over and knelt down beside him. Looking into Seans
red puffy eyes, the man realized he needed immediate medical
attention. He turned back to the ticket clerk and shouted, Call an
ambulance!
431
By this time, the theater manager had made it to the lobby and saw the
man kneeling down beside Sean. Standing over his shoulder, the
manager saw the dire straits of the man laid out on the floor and saw
puked up blood soaking into the carpet. Oh crap! he said running
over to the ticket booth. He stepped behind the counter and grabbed the
telephone, quickly dialing 911.
A moment later, the 911 operator came on the line. Please state your
emergency, she said flatly.
We need an ambulance, there is a man bleeding to death on my floor!
The 911 operator had the address up on her screen. Is this Cinema 3,
at Lake Park Mall? she asked.
Yes, I am the manager!
Can you describe your emergency?
The manager looked over and saw a crowd forming around the dying
man. He could no longer see him to describe him to the operator. Hes
bleeding. He looks really sick and hes lying on the floor.
We have an ambulance on the way, she said in a monotone.
Can you send police too?
We have a patrol car in route. Please hold the line until the police
arrive.
All right, he replied and sitting the phone on the counter. Watch the
phone, he said to the ticket clerk and ran back over to the crowd. He
parted the spectators and yelled for everyone to backup.
432
Hes got a bomb! someone yelled and the crowd backed off
immediately.
Someone had moved his jacket back and exposed the pipe bomb taped
to his chest. Sean was sick, but still awake and able to think and move.
His plan was working. He wanted to attract a large crowd, a crowd
larger than he would have if he just walked into the theater and
detonated the bomb.
Nobody move a muscle, I have all the exits covered! Sean bluffed to
the terrified crowd.
Deputy McGinnes pulled up to the curb and turned off his siren. He
could see a crowd forming outside the entrance of the theater and
jumped out of the patrol car. Coming through! he yelled, pushing his
way between the people. As he made it inside the theater lobby, he
could see the faces of the horrified crowd reflecting the blue and red
lights from the patrol car. Standing behind the counter, now looking
like death warmed over was Sean, holding his pistol to the managers
head.
McGinnes pulled his Glock 9mm from his holster and aimed it at Sean.
It was terribly uncomfortable for the deputy among all the spectators
who watched his every move. Put down the gun, the deputy said
calmly.
Im not putting down the gun, Sean replied. His nose drained blood
that dripped onto his shirt. The Ebola was turning his insides into jelly.
We can end this peaceful son.
I dont want to end this peaceful, Sean replied.
433
McGinnes figured he had a real wacko here intending to commit
suicide. What can we do to get you to put down that gun? the deputy
asked.
Sean blinked his eyes rapidly, as blood stained tears ran down his
cheeks. Make me an offer I cant refuse.
Just tell me what you want son. I dont want anyone getting hurt.
Im sure you dont. Sean replied. Wheres the ambulance? he
asked.
There in route right now. If you wait a few minutes we can get you to
the hospital and get you taken care of.
Sean blinked again and wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve.
I want you to call the television station.
Deputy McGinnes was taken by surprise by this request. I cant
authorize that.
Sean pushed the barrel of his pistol closer to the managers head and
moved out so the deputy could see the bomb taped to his chest. Then he
moved back and put the manager between him and the deputy. I have
something I need to say to the people.
Just tell me son, Ill relay the message.
If you call me son one more time, I will put a hole in this mans
head, Sean said, thrusting the gun into the managers ear.
Sean cocked his head towards the large glass window and saw the news
van pull up to the curb. A smile crossed his sick face. Well just wait
till they get in here, he said. Then well see who gets to go.
434
A few minutes later, the news crew broke through the crowd and stood
behind the deputy with cameras recording.
Is this live? Sean yelled.
No, this is tape! the reporter shouted back.
I want this live! Do you understand!
Calm down! McGinnes yelled back.
Sean took a deep breath and composed his thoughts. He was becoming
weaker and it was harder for him to concentrate. Toss your gun on the
floor, Sean said.
The deputy had no intentions of giving up his firearm.
Do you think I am kidding? Sean asked. This is no time to play
hero. Why dont you just toss down your gun and get the hell out of
here.
I cant do that and you know it.
Sean raised his left arm, and with his thumb on the trigger, showed the
deputy the detonation device for the bomb on his chest. If you shoot
me, and I let go of this trigger, everyone in this room will be dead.
Sean really knew that everyone for miles around would be dead within
two weeks. It wasnt the explosion itself that would do the damage.
Seeing the trigger device, McGinnes had to think twice. There was only
one of him and a lobby full of bystanders. He needed to make the right
decision, or be forever known as the deputy that screwed up this job.
435
The deputy needed to calm the situation down. It was against his better
judgment, but he decided it would be best to leave the scene and try to
evacuate the building from the outside. But then he changed his mind
when his backup arrived. From where he stood in the lobby, he could
see two other patrol cars pull up outside the theater. Now he had to
think fast. Im going to step out of the building, McGinnes said. I
am going to get you help.
Yeah, why dont you, Sean said. And dont hurry back.
The television crew had the bright lights turned on and the cameras
rolling. The reporter stepped before the camera and began to speak.
Then Sean spoke out, Are you live yet?
The reporter turned around and looked to Sean. For the first time she
was scared. Yes we are now live, she replied.
Whats your name? Sean asked.
Mary Carpenter, she replied. Channel Six News.
Well, hello Mary Carpenter, Channel Six News, welcome to your last
day.
The reporter felt a rush of panic as she realized he might detonate the
bomb right now. She thought he would at least grant her an interview
before he did anything like that.
Sean could see the fear in her eyes. Come over here Mary, Sean said.
And bring your camera crew. I will not do anything until we are
finished.
436
Mary was still unsettled by Sean but felt she had no real choice. She
approached, followed closely by her cameraman. The light mounted on
his camera reflected brightly off the chrome of the vending machines.
May I get a word with you? she asked politely.
Sean had to smile as he listened to her tiptoe around him. He knew she
was afraid of him. Go ahead, Sean replied. I have plenty to say.
Mary placed a wireless microphone on the counter beside Sean and
backed away. She motioned for him to clip it to his collar. Sean picked
up the microphone and did as she suggested. Can you tell us what you
are trying to accomplish here? she asked. She didnt even think of
asking him his name. She was far too nervous to cover the basics.
What cause are you supporting?
Sean had to smile. He was wondering how the public would react to
this. They had no idea what his true intentions were and that they
would soon be infected with a deadly disease that had no known cure.
I am supporting no cause. I am only hear to complete my mission.
Mission? Mary asked. What mission is that?
Sean didnt think he should tell her the truth. He only wanted the
publicity so he could gather a larger crowd outside the theater. There
were probably one hundred and fifty people in the lobby now and he
wanted an additional two hundred people outside before he was too
weak to hold the trigger.
My mission to rule the world. Sean replied. It was all he could come
up with. He thought he would play the part of a mad man, play this
situation for all its worth.
437
You think by blowing up this theater that you will rule the Earth?
Mary asked. She moved in closer.
Dont you? Sean replied.
Mary was confused and felt put on the spot by his question. What are
you demands? she asked. Just then she realized she didnt know his
name. Can I get your name? she asked.
My name is not important Mary. What is important is that I spread my
message to all the people of this world before I go.
Before you go? she asked. All of a sudden she realized what he
meant by that. She scrambled for something to ask to keep his
attention. If you wont give us your name, could you tell us where you
are from?
I am from another world, he replied.
What is this world called?
Earth, he replied.
Now she was really confused. But this is Earth. You are on Earth right
now.
Sean looked around and pressed the barrel of his gun deeper into the
managers ear. Are you sure? he asked. He knew the answer but was
in need of buying more time. The crowd outside was not as large as he
had hoped for. He looked into the camera and spoke aloud to the home
viewers, I want all of you to come down here and join in my
celebration!
438
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bearded man stepped forth from the
crowd. Sean recognized him immediately as the old man whod
guarded the gate in the yellow world.
Noah Black, Sean shouted. Out of your element arent you?
Noah stepped forward and faced Sean. They stood three feet apart,
eyes locked, like in an old west shoot-out.
You cant do this, Noah said dryly.
Its my destiny old man.
Your destiny is my destiny then, I must make things right.
Noah turned 180 degrees to the television reporter and said, Call the
CDC, theres an Ebola outbreak here.
Without warning, without even turning his head, Noah suddenly leaped
forward surprising Sean who was about to put a bullet in the back of
his head. Noah wrapped his arms around Seans chest and arms,
pinning them to his sides. Seans knees buckled and the two men
crashed to the ground, Sean flat on his back, Noah chest to chest on
top. A second later, the bomb exploded with a muffled boom barely
audible to the nearby crowd.
In a mad panic caused more by Noahs statement than the muffled
explosion, the people turned, making a mad dash for the exits. They
came to a sudden halt as they came face to face with a line of police
officers who had been monitoring the live broadcast from the street.
The entire mall was quarantined. It would be months before this
community would be the same.
439
Chapter 15
Aquarius killed the ignition as the car entered the farmyard. They
coasted quietly to a halt beside the barn. Both men briefly relived past
experiences there in their minds. After three days of avoiding the
authorities and the packing plant they finally found their way back to
the place where their ordeal began. Their mission was clearer than
ever, they needed to enter the gate to the blue world to stop Sean and
the Weeds from performing their terrorist acts and then realign the
gate.
They both exited onto the snow packed yard. Aquarius motioned to
Samara with a finger to the lips to remain quiet. With as much care as
possible they closed the car doors with nothing more than a click.
Walking with their backs to the side of the barn they reached a pair of
dirty windows mounted in a rotten frame. Sections of glass were
broken out allowing the two men to look inside. With a quick peek
Aquarius spied two young men in the barn. He recognized them as
Seans henchmen, Weed terrorists.
The two sat smoking cigarettes doing little more than talking between
themselves. As Aquarius kept them under surveillance Samara
checked out the rest of the farmyard and circled the barn to make sure
no one else was around.
All clear, Samara whispered as he returned to Aquarius side.
Theyre guarding the gate, he replied.
What do we do?
440
Weve got to get in there without being detected. It would be best if
we could just enter the gate before they see us.
What if we get caught, Samara asked.
Well cross that bridge when we come to it.
Is there another way in? Samara asked.
Aquarius thought back to his childhood on the farm and with a waving
motion he directed Samara to the back of the barn. There was a steel
mesh fence attached to the backside of the barn. The fence had
openings big enough for a foot to slip in. They got over the fence very
quietly but had some difficulty getting across the untouched snow in
the pen without making some noise. There were several stable doors
into the barn, the type that are horizontally split for horses. All the
doors except the last one on the left were sealed with plywood. As they
approached the last one they could see there was an broken out opening
along the ground just big enough for a man to crawl through.
You wait outside Professor, Aquarius whispered.
Aquarius dropped to his belly and inched through the opening onto the
dirt floor of the barn. He found himself standing in an enclosed room
which was illuminated only by the light entering through missing
sections of the roof.
I used to shoot pigeons in here, Aquarius thought to himself with a
smile.
He made his way to a wooden door outlined by light from the other
side, which lead to the main section of the barn. Aquarius knelt down
and peered through the vertical crack on the latch side.
441
I was afraid of that, he mouthed in silence. He had noticed that the
wooden block on the outside of the door that acted as a latch was in the
horizontal position.
Aquarius could still see the men through the crack along the door edge.
One of them appeared to be asleep now, the other keeping watch from
his perch on some hay bales. The gate was a good 15 strides from the
door and the two Weeds were in a good position to stop him if he made
a break for the gate.
Aquarius went back to the outside opening and spoke to Samara. After
a few minutes of discussion they decided that they might as well take
on the Weeds here since it was probable that the two men would just
follow them through.
Aquarius returned to the stable door and gave Samara some last minute
instructions. He made his way back to the interior door. With a few
strides and a lowered shoulder he barreled into the old wooden door.
With a crash it slammed open and Aquarius sprinted across the barn
floor with a section of two by four in his hands. Before he reached his
target the man who had been awake sprayed the ground in front of him
with machine gun fire, stopping him in his tracks. The sleeping man
quickly got to his feet grabbing the microphone of his headsets, which
had been lying on his chest. He fumbled with the call button for a
moment.
We have a breach! he nervously yelled into the mic. Get in here
now!
Aquarius stood quietly, hands held high. It was obvious to Aquarius
that these men were young and inexperienced and he was upset that
they were able to get the drop on him. The men were in a panic, they
442
had no idea if the intruder was a hunter or if others would follow, only
that their orders from Sean were to destroy the gate at the first sign of
trouble.
Easy now, Aquarius said knowing that he may soon be riddled with
bullets.
Away from the gate! the man with the gun yelled.
Just then they heard the sound of a motor turning over from outside the
barn. After several attempts, the familiar sound of a diesel engine
came from across the farmyard. Apparently the pleas of the man with
the headset hadnt fallen on deaf ears. It was obvious to Aquarius that
there were more than four men at the farm.
As the gunman led him away from the gate with a wave of his weapon,
Aquarius searched the surroundings for a way to escape. The sound of
the tractor approaching became louder and louder. Suddenly the doors
broke open as what appeared to be a yellow backhoe burst into the
barn.
Do it, the man with the headset yelled to the driver.
Sean had instructed the three men to guard the gate and destroy it if
there were any problems whatsoever.
Aquarius watched as the man with the headsets waved at the driver
instructing him to approach the gateway. The gunman ran to the
workbench along side a gas barrel and pulled out a large section of
heavy-duty tow chain. He dragged it back across the floor and wrapped
one end of it around the scoop of the backhoe. The other side, he
dragged to one of the large stone obelisks surrounding the circle. He
swung the end around grabbing it when it came being careful not to
443
accidentally enter the gate himself. It was an interesting phenomenon
to see the end of the chain disappear as it swung through the space
above the gate.
The chain was connected by sliding the hook on the end over one of the
links. The man with the microphone tossed it aside turning to face the
driver telling him to slowly back up, taking up the slack on the chain.
The chain went taut and the backhoe came to a sudden halt.
Floor it! he yelled to the driver motioning for him to reverse. The
chain quivered under the great stress. The backhoe groaned and began
to dig into the dirt floor of the barn. No one knew how deep the stones
were buried into the ground, but he was determined to topple them.
Stop! he yelled instructing the driver to move forward, being mindful
of the chain. Try pushing it!
The backhoe moved forward and the teeth of the scoop made contact
with the stone. Pressing on the gas, the driver spun his tires trying to
force the stone to move away and fall back into the gate. It did not
seem to budge.
Aquarius stood by quietly as the third man kept the machine gun
trained on him.
Hit it! the leader said. This was his last option.
The backhoe moved off a few feet and the driver put the huge machine
into second. Popping the clutch, the backhoe lurched forward and
rammed the stone. The tall stone cracked and popped as the backhoe
struck.
One more time!
444
The driver put the backhoe in reverse and backed up then put the
backhoe in gear and let out the clutch, forcing the back tires to spin.
The backhoe struck the stone and the rock broke free and tilted over,
almost falling to the ground.
Again!
The backhoe moved back, the scoop was lowered a few feet and then it
charged forward again striking the stone and knocking it through the
gate. The chain was still attached and became immediately taut, jerking
the backhoe forward. The driver was now standing on the breaks
struggling to keep the machine from following.
Pull back! the other man yelled, pointing away from the gate.
The driver pressed the clutch and put the backhoe in reverse moving
ever so slowly backward until inch by inch the chain, then the top of
the stone appeared from inside the gate. Eventually the stone popped
up over the edge and flopped out onto the barn floor. The stone began
to slide along the ground, the broken end still dangling over the edge.
Since it was half way in and half way out of the gate, the back half was
not yet visible.
The backhoe dragged the huge stone back across the floor, carving a
path through the soft dirt, piling it up in front as it moved along. The
man motioned for the driver to come down and assist him. The backhoe
driver turned off the engine and turned in his seat.
Suddenly the remains of the barn doors splintered everywhere with a
tremendous crash as the front end of a large grain truck collided with
the back of the backhoe. The backhoe driver was catapulted out of his
seat onto the engine compartment and into the gate never to be seen
again. The truck came to a halt with the rear tires continuing to spin in
445
the soft dirt floor. Samara sat in the drivers seat. His foot depressed
the gas pedal all the way to the floor, the look in his eyes, those of a
madman. The vehicle was driverless as far as the leader could see and
the trucks doublewide tires continued to spin.
As the engine continued to roar the front end of the truck started to
jump around, up and down, back and forth pushing slowly onward.
The Weed leader on the floor grabbed the double barreled shot gun
laying on the hay bales where he had been sitting and fired both barrels
into the windshield of the truck. Most of the pellets just ricocheted
harmlessly away. Samara continued to ram the backhoe with the truck
until finally the backhoe broke free and flipped end over end into the
gate through the new opening. The broken obelisk remained there as
the chain had somehow become disconnected.
During all the commotion Aquarius was able to wrestle the automatic
weapon from the other man. As the backhoe went out of sight he
unloaded the weapon on the two remaining Weeds. Without a word to
each other Samara and Aquarius grabbed the wrists of the two
unconscious men. It was important to dispose of the Weeds to prevent
them from recovering from their wounds in this world. Dragging them
to the gate left a trail of bloody mud on the barn floor. They rolled the
bodies up to the edge and with a kick they tumbled over the edge.
Without the protections of the yellow world, the men would surly die
when they reached the other side.
I didnt know you had it in you! Aquarius exclaimed as both men
started laughing. Aquarius couldnt believe the doctor had the balls to
come to the rescue.
Thats twice Ive saved your ass, Samara replied with a chuckle.
446
The two men quickly made preparations for their journey to the blue
world. They gathered the weapons left behind by the Weeds, wrapping
the larger ones in blankets. The smaller arms were tucked into their
belts and into their coat pockets.
Aquarius knew that the gate, still out of alignment, would deposit them
randomly in the blue world hopefully somewhere within 5 miles of the
gate there. It was unlikely that they would materialize anywhere near
the other Weed whod been tossed into the gate or near the backhoe.
One thing he wasnt sure of was if the broken obelisk would have a
detrimental effect on where they were sent. But it was a chance they
would have to take.
The two stood ready, perched on the edge of the void, preparing to step
out into the glassy metallic surface. Steam pulsed out of Samaras
mouth and nose as he was nervous about the journey. To Aquarius this
was old hat. Hed made the journey dozens of times as the
gatekeepers son and a resident of the farm on both sides.
We better step in together, Aquarius said, Even a moments
difference could send us miles apart on the other side.
Right, maybe we ought to hold hands, Samara said with a nervous
quiver in his voice.
I dont think thats necessary, Aquarius replies sarcastically. Then
suddenly he grabbed Samaras hand shouting, Lets go.
The men leaped feet first and quickly disappeared from the yellow
world. Soon they found themselves in the center of a major highway,
in the middle of a traffic jam. Hundreds of cars were lined up end to
end in all four lanes of traffic, even the oncoming lanes were filled with
vehicles heading away from the city. Some were turned off, others
447
were running. Bright white clouds drifted across the beautiful richly
blue sky.
As the two men appeared out of thin air into the traffic Samara noticed
several of the motorists and their passengers give them a strange look.
They were in disbelief of what they had just witnessed. It appeared
that most just shook it off and went about their business.
Were too late, Aquarius said, Its already happened.
What, Samara replied.
These people are fleeing the city, the Weeds have already struck.
Knocking on the passenger side window of one of the nearby by cars
Aquarius demanded information from the man sitting there, Whats
happened, what are you running from?
At first the man shirked away in fear, averting his eyes and covering
his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Aquarius persisted until
finally the man held up the front page of the local newspaper. It read
Plague: Ebola Unleashed. Samara was looking the other way,
toward the city and did not see the headline.
My God, Aquarius said in disbelief.
The two men started off on foot walking against traffic in the space
between cars. As they walked they couldnt help notice to looks the
fear and panic in peoples eyes. Occasionally they met others on foot
who were walking in the direction of traffic. They too were in a state
of panic apparently abandoning the city.
As Samara and Aquarius approached the outskirts they left the highway
and headed across a field toward a group of buildings.
448
What are those tents doing there? Samara asked.
I have no idea, Aquarius replied knowing full well what they were.
As they moved on, they noticed a fence surrounding a large snow
covered field and barricades blocking off the road. Walking along the
tents, making muddy trails, were guards dressed in airtight rubber suits
holding rifles.
Something is not right here, Samara said. Look at that sign!
At the entrance of the field, a sign rested across the driveway with the
word Quarantine spray painted across it. On both sides a guard was
posted, each with a gun.
Were not going in there, Aquarius said. This place is hot.
Why the rubber suits, is it radioactivity? Samara asked.
No, its biological, this whole town must be infected, Aquarius
replied.
It looks like the authorities have a pretty good handle on things here,
Samara said. Maybe they have it contained.
Aquarius had to be sure so they approached the quarantine camp.
Finally, they reached the perimeter fence which obviously was just
recently installed. Constantina wire was coiled along the ground inside
the fence and on top. A military style sign was posted on the fence
every 100 yards. The signs read Quarantine Area - Do Not Enter -
50,000 Volts. Dozens of military tents and vehicles were lined up
inside the compound. There was little movement other than the
occasional rubber suited soldier walking between the rows.
449
Samara got the attention of one of them with a wave of his scarf. Soon
the soldier approached the fence where he stopped twenty feet short of
the coiled barbwire.
Whats going on here? Samara yelled.
Death camp! the soldier shouted, muffled by the protective helmet he
was wearing.
Two hundred dead - fifteen hundred sick! he added, pointing to
some excavation equipment on the side of a hill in the distance.
The men turned to see bulldozers and earth movers creating and filling
mass graves. Many soldiers in protective suits milled about the site.
They wore oxygen tanks on their backs like the soldier here. Several
mounds of fresh dirt marked completed graves.
Under control? Aquarius shouted, trying to be as brief as possible in
this dangerous situation.
Yes, quarantine for 20 square miles, the soldier replied clutching his
automatic weapon. Crisis window eight weeks now.
With a wave of thanks the two men turned away and began walking
toward the crowded highway. The government was not allowing
anyone out of the quarantine area but the motorists seemed to have
escaped in time. They were content to stay in their cars as far away
from the city as possible.
My God, Samara exclaimed as they walked, Seventeen hundred,
what a nightmare.
Thats nothing, Aquarius said reassuringly, The other side can
absorb that number, no problem.
450
Im not concerned with the other side, Samara snapped back, This
community is devastated, the town is nearly wiped out!
With half their mission already under control the two continued to walk
along in the direction of the jammed traffic. Aquarius continued to
explain to Samara the importance of aligning the gates. Incidents like
this or worse would happen again and again if the undead and Weeds
were allowed to pass before their time.
Samara was reflective about the experiences hed endured these past
days, I never want to go back there, to the yellow world, not now, not
when I die. How can I avoid it? he asked.
There is no way to avoid it. Someday you will die and some day you
will pass over. Its the way things work. The best you can do now is
hope you live to be an old man. Just prey you arent reborn as a Weed.
The two men stopped to rest from time to time on their journey to the
farm. As they sat near a roadside ditch they ate scraps and leftovers
discarded by the motorists. Samara found an old newspaper in a wad
by the edge of the road. He straightened it out and began to read the
front page story from several days ago.
Says here the Ebola outbreak started at the mall in town, outside the
movie theater. Says there was a suicidal terrorist, an unidentified man
in shabby cloths held the place hostage.
Our friend Sean, Aquarius replied sarcastically. Let me see that,
Aquarius ordered while ripping the paper from Samaras hand.
Aquarius had noticed while Samara was reading the story, a picture
below the fold on the front page. He recognized the man in the photo
451
immediately, My father, he said pointing to the picture. This
picture is twenty five years old but theres no doubt this is him.
It couldnt be, Samara argued, Hes on the other side!
Not anymore, says here... Aquarius read verbatim, Noah Black,
former resident and suspected mass murder was hailed today by Mayor
Johnson as a hero. According to police reports, Black entered the Lake
Park Mall and confronted an unknown terrorist infected with the deadly
Ebola virus. After warning officials of the Ebola outbreak, Black
tackled the man to the ground. A small bomb attached to the terrorists
chest had little effect in spreading the contamination. Officials were
able to quarantine the entire region. According to Mayor Johnson the
worst is past. Continuing on Aquarius said, Ill be damned, my old
man, a hero!
Thats an understatement, he saved the whole damn world, Samara
said. Why do they call Noah a suspected mass murderer?
He lived here on the blue side when he was younger. Twenty years
ago there was a dangerous imbalance between the worlds. Gatekeepers
all over the world were ordered by the gatemaster to go out and kill
hundreds here. He accomplished his mission but someone figured out
it was him. Thats when he passed through the gate to the other side
permanently, to avoid being caught.
And he left Alice to tend this side.
Thats right.
I guess you could say his debt to society is repaid, in both realities,
said Samara.
452
This whole damn thing was his fault anyway, Aquarius said with a
quiver in his voice and a tear welling up in his eye. Aquarius knew that
as a gatekeeper his fathers death was now permanent. He was now
more proud of his father than ever before. Now he had to complete the
mission and realign the gateway.
Its not far now, lets get moving, he said.
Samara jumped up, dusting the snow off his pants he said, So how
does this alignment thing work?
Ill need you help and Ill need my sister.
Alice, shes got a screw loose.
Shes the gatekeeper here. I only hope she hasnt left her post at the
gate.
Last I saw of her she was in the cornfield outside the farm on the other
side, Samara said.
453
Chapter 16
At last the men spotted the farmyard in the distance. The placed
looked hollow with the farmhouse reduced to ashes.
So will you have to rebuild the houses on both sides when this is all
over, Samara asked.
The gate master will see to it that the houses are rebuilt. Im surprised
that the house here hasnt been started already. Must be the epidemic.
The men approached the barn carefully as before, weary of any
remaining Weed terrorists. This barn was in much better shape than the
one on the other side. Still armed with the weapons theyd stolen
earlier, they entered quietly.
The inside of the barn was pristine, neatly organized and tranquil. All
the stone obelisks stood proud surrounding the entrance to the gate.
The broken one from the other side had no effect here.
Suddenly, Alice appeared from the office doorway. Hello brother,
Ive been waiting for you. We must align the gate, we are still in
danger.
Aquarius knew his sister was correct, every minute counted during this
unstable condition. An army of Weeds could be entering the gate on the
other side right now, their bodies materializing all over this highly
infected region.
Lets begin, Aquarius said solemnly to Alice. All will be as it
should be, he said quite prophetically to Samara.
454
Alice pointed to several slabs of flesh laying on a tin platter on the
floor of the barn. To begin the ritual it was required they both eat the
flesh.
I prepared this for us brother. The young man in the farmyard was
still frozen, his flesh is very tender.
Samara felt a sudden flutter in his stomach. He couldnt decide
weather it was nausea, his own hunger pang or a nervous reaction to
what seemed to be building up to be a monumental ceremony, an
unprecedented historical event. He stepped to the side finding a seat on
a stack of bales. Let me know if I can help, he said.
After consuming a handful of Bobbys flesh, Aquarius and Alice
walked toward each other slowly until they were within arms reach.
They stood just a few feet from the edge of the gate between two of the
huge stones protruding from the ground. They faced each other and
slowly raised their arms until they held hands, their eyes were locked
on one another. They stood there for what seemed to Samara, an
eternity. To him it seemed the pair was in some meditation or hypnosis
or something. He remained quite and continued to watch.
The siblings were calling on the gate master to help them realign the
gates. They had never done this before. The ceremony had been
passed down through the generations and they knew it like they were
born with the knowledge. The ceremony was the subject of folklore
passed down from the native Indians who lived here as guardians of the
gate.
After several minutes of meditation, Alice and Aquarius
simultaneously began to hum quietly. Gradually it got louder and to
Samara, it began to sound like the chanting of Native American
455
Indians. A few minutes passed and the chants became louder and more
intense. They continued to hold hands and their icy stares.
Suddenly as Samara sat watching he noticed the glassy metallic surface
of the gate began to produce its own luminescence, it glowed brighter
and brighter until its light shone on the ceiling of the barn like the
huge spotlight outside a movie premiere. Along with the light came the
sound of a heavy wind. At first Samara thought it was coming from
outside the barn but as it increased with the now flashing light he
realized the sound was coming from the gate. Even though he could
hear the wind, the air in the barn remained calm.
As he turned his attention from the barns ceiling back to Aquarius and
his sister he suddenly realized that they were no longer there even
though he could still hear their chants increasing in intensity.
Samara jumped to his feet looked from side to side, up and down as the
intensity of the light and the sound of the wind increased. From his
new angle he could see the surface of the gate had become a vortex, a
whirlpool. He followed the sounds of the chants and suddenly realized
that Aquarius and Alice were now perched high on top of the stone
obelisks, 180 degrees opposite of each other. Their hands remained
outstretched, their eyes unblinking, fixed on each other.
Their Indian chanting was hypnotic, getting louder and louder. The
harmony the two produced was entrancing and the volume produced
was amplified by the vortex to levels well above what is humanly
possible.
The light continued to blink erratically producing a strobe light effect
in the barn. Bits of straw and other debris filled the air in the now
swirling wind. Samara became disoriented and dizzy.
456
Without warning the giant stones began to simultaneously rotate in
place. All 12 slowly turned 180 degrees. Samara could see Aquarius,
who was closer to him than Alice, maintain his footing on top of the
stone as if he were expecting it to turn. After turning one half
revolution, Aquarius and Alice were now facing outward from the gate
on opposite sides. The stone Samara had his eye on now amazingly
began to move counter clockwise along the ground. It appeared the
gate was now a huge turntable rotating slowly.
Soon the stone Alice was standing on was closer to Samara as the gate
continued to spin like a top picking up speed. It appeared to Samara
that the stones were rotating in the opposite direction of the internal
vortex.
Samaras senses were beginning to become overwhelmed with the
spinning, the strobe light, the chanting and the wind. He felt uneasy,
loosing his balance and falling onto the bales of hay. He laid there for
a moment his head spinning until he drifted into unconsciousness.
457
Chapter 17
Samara snapped out of what seemed like a trance, staring blankly at the
inside wall of the research vehicle. All of the readouts and electronic
gear that he remembered from before were still sitting in front of him.
He felt like he had just awoke from a dream.
Whats going on? Samara mumbled to himself.
Samara turned to see Aquarius stationed behind him in the back of the
truck.
He had the feeling like hed awakened in a strange bed and didnt know
where he was.
The alignment of the gate had created a time vortex of sorts, which
partially restored the world to as it was before. Samara sat looking at
the equipment shaking his head to clear the cobwebs as Aquarius
calmly sat watching. Aquarius knew exactly what had just transpired
and had retained all memories from before.
You nodded off? Aquarius said.
Samara blinked his eyes and searched his thoughts for something to
say. What time is it? was all he could muster.
Aquarius remembered the grad student, Bobby. He was no longer here
- his soul permanently adrift, an unfortunate victim of the ordeal. He
also remembered the confrontation at the gate and everything that had
transpired including the death of his father. Like real life dj vu they
were again stationed inside the research vehicle parked along the road
458
next to the bridge. It took only a moment more for Samara to remember
why they were here.
The readouts? Samara asked aloud.
What readouts? Aquarius asked back.
We were testing the equipment a second ago. What are your
readouts?
Aquarius looked blankly at his screen. There was no answer. He was
familiar with the equipment, but felt a strange sensation when
confronted with Samaras questions.
The more time that passed by, the more Samara remembered of what
he thought was a dream. Samara looked back at Aquarius and tossed
his headset back at him. How is your audio?
Aquarius set down the headset on the desk and shut off his receiver.
What are you doing? Samara asked. I need audio, and I need it
now!
No you dont, Aquarius replied. This is all wrong. We dont belong
here.
I have no idea what you are talking about. All I know is if you dont
give me audio I will find a grad student who will! Samara barked. He
was still somewhat confused and his tirade helped hide it from his
student.
I dont know what I am doing here, Aquarius stated while standing
up from his chair. He pulled on his coat and stepped to the rear of the
truck and pulled on the latch to open the door.
459
Where are you going? Samara asked.
I dont belong here anymore, Aquarius replied while pushing the
door wide open. The cabin filled with cold air and snowflakes
continued to fall just outside.
Get back in here! Samara snapped. He stood and followed Aquarius
out the back door onto the snow-covered road below.
Do not follow me, Aquarius stated. It is not safe where I travel.
Its not safe for you to be running around in the dark and the cold!
I can not explain it to you. Trust me when I say your mission is over.
You need to go home and forget this research.
You know something I dont? Samara asked.
Aquarius was now drawn to the gate. He now knew it was his mission
to take over for his father on the other side. He did not know that the
alignment of the gates was successful until that moment, but now that it
was, his stint as a grad student was over.
You will find no ghosts, Aquarius said. There are no ghosts
anymore.
Aquarius began to walk off, leaving the truck behind. Samara needed to
know what he was talking about and took off after him. What do you
mean there are no ghosts anymore?
Aquarius kept his eyes forward and did not look at Samara as he
walked onward along the road. I can not answer your questions, you
must go now.
460
Go where? This is federally funded research! Samara yelled.
Aquarius turned and faced Samara for several seconds. Without saying
another word he continued on without Samara towards the bridge.
Samara quickly caught up with Aquarius and ran up onto the bridge
with him. Where are you going? Samara asked.
I am going home. Aquarius replied.
Where is home?
Aquarius stopped again for a moment saying, Doctor Samara, you are
a friend and even if you dont know it you are a hero.
Just then, a voice called out through the darkness from the bridge
ahead. Aquarius knew right away that it was the voice of his sister
Alice. He picked up the pace, and ran towards the sounds, Samara close
behind.
Who is that?
Aquarius stopped and grabbed Samara by his coat. Go back! he
yelled. Do not follow me any further!
Samara stood motionless as Aquarius darted off across the bridge in the
dark. He could faintly make out Aquariuss image as his former
assistant ran to the far end of the bridge, where he stopped and hooked
his arm over the womans shoulder. Samara took a few steps forward
and pulled his field glasses from around his neck. In the dark, he could
only make out a faint shadow of two figures walking away crossing the
bridge.
461
He was dumbfounded by his assistant, suddenly leaving in the night, in
the middle of an important research project. Samara was cold and
tired, snowflakes began to gather on his coat. Just then his stomach let
out a growl you could hear through his heavy coat.
I dont think I have ever felt this hungry! he remarked out loud.
As Samara drove the research vehicle toward town he spotted a small
bar and grill along the highway. He walked in and sat at the bar next to
a young man and ordered a double shot of whiskey and some food.
Turning to the young man he introduced himself.
Nice to meet you, Im Marty Valentine, the stranger replied.
After a few more shots, Doctor Samara began to tell the greatest story
ever told.
462
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents
either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except
where permitted by law.
Morning Star written by Keith Trimm
Alignment written by Keith Trimm, edited by Greg Trimm
Copyright 2012 keithtrimm.com
.
463
This book was distributed courtesy of:
For your own Unlimited Reading and FREE eBooks today, visit:
http://www.Free-eBooks.net
Share this eBook with anyone and everyone automatically by selecting any of the
options below:
To show your appreciation to the author and help others have
wonderful reading experiences and find helpful information too,
we'd be very grateful if you'd kindly
post your comments for this book here.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Free-eBooks.net respects the intellectual property of others. When a book's copyright owner submits their work to Free-eBooks.net, they are granting us permission to distribute such material. Unless
otherwise stated in this book, this permission is not passed onto others. As such, redistributing this book without the copyright owner's permission can constitute copyright infringement. If you
believe that your work has been used in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, please follow our Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement as seen in our Terms
of Service here:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/tos.html