Joe (2 page)

Zap.

How long had Robbie stood outside waiting? Waiting since he heard a person in the next trailer. He was supposed to be at the Communications room. He was getting called, he knew it. His phone buzzed on vibrate insistently. Heart pounding from anticipation, the phone was driving him nuts and knowing that Dan would arrive to get him at any second.

Come on, his mind beckoned.

Robbie back up more, pressing hard against the metal surface. He could see the door through the corner of his eyes.

It opened. No one was there.

He pulled out the Mist gun, beckoning in his mind that it would work.

Thinking, ‘Jason don’t fail me now’, Robbie eyed the screen door.

As if a ghost were in control, it opened.

A footstep on the wooden porch.

A footstep. But no one was there.

The screen door shut.

Another footstep, they hit the second step.

Robbie had to be fast and accurate.

He had to be. With an over extension of his leg, Robbie leapt forward to surpass the porch, pivoted his body, held out the gun, and in Dirty Harry action, Fired off five shots of the gun.

A blue mist, large and soaking emerged.

Within a split second, so did a figure directly before Robbie.

Robbie lowered the gun. His shoulders moved up and down, eyes focused wide and forward on the figure.

He pouted his thick lips, moistening them before speaking in a cracked voice. “Who?

One word. One word choked out until he got out another. This time he spoke his next word with passion and desperation. “Please.”

The ink started to disappear, but not before a recognizable arm reached up to the head. The figure became invisible quickly. The ink wasn’t lasting.

Robbie’s heart pounded harder, faster.

The figure removed the hood. Becoming nothing but a mere floating head. “Robert, Goddamn it,” he said with irritation. “Son of a bitch bastard.”

Happy, thrilled, relieved, angry, shocked. Whatever emotion it was. Even though he knew deep down inside, Robbie was still barreled over with his own revelation, and could only gasp out, “Dad.”

But in a second, a squeal of jeep tires was followed by a scream by Dan. A horrified scream, then silence.

Robbie turned. Dan lay slumped over in the jeep as it started to drift.

“Fuck!” As Robbie ran to the jeep he looked back to Joe, or rather the head of Joe. “No wonder he passed out. Stay … don’t go. Please. Stay. Ok?” Barely able to breathe, Robbie caught the jeep.

*****

Frank.

In the communications room, he stood alone. He sent everyone away. Not out of anger, but just out of needing a moment. The ten o’clock meeting didn’t take long, and what it revealed was more than Frank bargained for,
Of course, a part of him knew it was coming.

Ellen and Danny Hoi successfully got Jimmy away from the ALS3 program so Roy could figure it out. Now, Frank had to figure out how to tell Jimmy it was done without Jimmy knowing about Roy the clone.

Frank figured he would just tell Jimmy that he did it.

Yeah, Jimmy wouldn’t know.

Ellen already had him convinced he had a brain tumor, what was one more set of symptoms.

One problem solved.

Now the other.

Frank turned to the big screen on the wall, now silent, but still lit.

He grabbed a raisin cookie from the plate. Cookies Roy made for the occasion.

Twenty-four hundred plus troops sitting just hundreds of miles north of Beginnings. Not moving. Not making any hostile indications.

Then again, they did have one of Hal’s men. Was that an act of war?

What would his father do? How would his father handle it?

Frank hadn’t been the leader very long and already he was going to face something huge.

Like George Bush with 9/11.

Unlike him, Frank had some foreknowledge.

Frank stared at the lights that indicated the troops. Would he make the same mistakes his father supposedly did? The mistakes his father had to die to prevent.

“Frank.”

Ellen’s call drew Frank away from the board. “El.” He cleared his throat.

She stepped into the room, gently smiling. “How are you?”

“I thought you left with Danny and Roy.”

“They were chatting. I was worried.”

“Well, yeah. Danny and fuckin Roy together could be too much for one person.”

“Not about Danny and Roy...”

“Sorry.” Frank turned again to the board. “This is a pretty big fucking problem that’s only gonna get worse.”

“Not about that, Frank.”

Frank looked down as she approached him.

“About you.”

“El, please.” He scoffed.

“I know you. This is on your mind.”

“No shit.” He shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“And you’ll do the right thing. I’m certain of that and that’s why I am.”

“To tell me what to do?” Frank asked.

“No, to tell you that you’ll do the right thing.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know you,” Ellen stepped to him. “If anyone can save a situation, it’s you. I believe in you.” She embraced him.

Frank took that in, taking El into his arms.

“However, I can’t believe you’re eating raisin cookies.” She moved back. “You hate raisin cookies.”

“Yeah, I know but these are fuckin awesome.” Frank grabbed another cookie. “Plus, since I am now part jackrabbit, I like vegetables.”

“It’s a fruit.”

“Oh.” Frank laughed. “Still.” He took a bite.

“So have you figured out the ‘What now’?”

“Not yet. I wish, I wish my dad was here.”

“He is Frank. In spirit. He is.”

“I guess that will be enough.” Frank took her in his arms again. “It has to be.” Holding Ellen, his worried eyes traveled to the board and the massive amounts of dancing lights.

*****

There was a chill in the air that seeped into Hal’s bones. It wasn’t just the April coolness either. It was the revelation of what lay on the horizon.

He waited by the truck waiting for his right hand man, Elliott Ryder to return. Frank had told them there was no reason to stay in Beginnings. He’d have a meeting regarding everything the next day.

‘Let’s sleep on this,’ Frank had said.

Hal, leaning against the driver’s door of the truck, chuckled at that thought.

“Captain?” Elliott approached. “Remembering something funny?”

“You could say that, Elliott.” Hal opened the door. “I’m remembering what my brother said.”

“And that was?”

“Sleep on it.”

Elliott gave him a quizzical look then, he too got in the truck.

Hal started the truck and began to drive.

“Captain? Why is that funny?”

“Because Elliott. Sleep on it? It’s ten in the morning. It’s a long day to sleep on it. He’s retarded.”

Elliott hid his snicker. “I think you know what he meant.”

“I think he wants to play with the new toy by himself.”

“Your brother seemed rather …. Unemotional about all this.”

“We were expecting something.”

“Still, I think he just wants to absorb what is happening. Plus, we’ll have to have our own meeting regarding this.”

Hal nodded. “Our scouts did report the same thing. “

“What do you suppose Frank will want to do about it?”

”I couldn’t say.”

“What would you do if this lay on your shoulders?”

“I see them differently than everyone in that room,” Hal said. “I see them as a hostile threat. They took our man. I’d want to wipe them out.”

“But you wouldn’t?”

Hal shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to change anything history has planned. And trust me, if in the previous future my father was running things, he would have let them sit to see what they were up to.”

“They are setting up camp. Making plans for the long range game instead of short.”

“Like with Kuwait. Desert Shield.”

“Exactly.” Elliott agreed. “I think we should send a Special Forces team in there to rescue our man.”

“I agree.” Hal tapped his hand on the wheel. “One of the best to do so or at least set up the training and the mission would be my brother Robbie. He is …” Hal slowed down his speech and stared out.

“Captain? What is it?”

“Robbie.” Hal glanced at Elliott as he drove. “We had this huge meeting. About the impending invasion. Where was Robbie?”

*****

Robbie was quick. He ran to the jeep caught it, and guided it to Jason’s lab just a hundred feet away.

The front end rested against the side of the building, jeep running, while Dan, still passed out, slumped in the front.

When he was done. He looked back.

His father was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking, please don’t let him have put on that suit and left,’ Robbie trotted to the trailer.

The door was open and he stepped in.

Joe came from the hall wearing a tee shirt and boxer shorts.

“Dad.” Robbie gushed. “Oh my God.” He reached out. “I thought. I thought you were dead.” This was it. The big reunion. Robbie had waited for it. All the things Robbie wanted to say that were less-than-nice, he tossed aside for the moment. His father was back and he grabbed on to him in a long overdue embrace.

“Yeah. I know.” Joe hugged him. “And it was supposed to be that way.”

Ok, maybe it was Robbie’s imagination, but the hug wasn’t a long lost father hug. Joe seemed rather annoyed. Nah. Robbie grinned. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”

“That’s because I’ve seen you all the time.”

Like a kid, Robbie snickered. “True Dad.”

“Robert, what did you do with Dan?”

“Oh,” Robbie waved out his hand. “I put the jeep against the quantum lab like he ran into it.”

“And Dan is where?”

“In the jeep.”

“Uh ha.” Joe nodded. “If he’s out there, why are you in here?”

“To see you.”

“Yeah, but what happens if he wakes up and comes in here.”

“He’s fine. He’s just passed out,” Robbie said.

“So that means he doesn’t have a goddamn head injury, he can wake at any second.”

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Robbie reiterated.

“Robert.”

“Dad, what do you want me to do about it?”

“Deal with it. Damage control.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. Think of something,” Joe said irritated.

“But I want to talk to you. See you.”

“You will.”

“Not if you put that suit on.”

“Robert go deal with Dan.”

“Where will you be when I’m done?” Robbie asked.

“Right here.” Joe nodded. “I won’t go anywhere.”

“Are you sure.”

“Yes. Go.”

“Ok.” Robbie moved to the door, stopped, retracted and kissed Joe on the cheek. “I missed you.”

“I know. Go.”

Another step to the door. “I love you, Dad.”

“Robert.”

“What?”

“Go.”

“I am.” He paused at the door and grinned. “It is so great to have you back.”

“Go.”

“I’m gone. I’ll be back.”

“I’m sure.”

“Dad …”

“Go!” Joe pointed.

With a ‘Ha’ Robbie darted out, closing the door behind him.

Joe exhaled and plopped on the couch, shaking his head. “Christ.”

“Do you even feel the slightest bit guilty?” Danny Hoi asked, while walking with Roy back to the clinic. “I mean you have to face Jimmy. He was working so hard.”

“Yes, he was. Frank has phoned me and told me he would handle it.”

Danny stopped before the steps. “I wonder that that means.”

“I am sure Frank will handle it brilliantly. He is Frank.”

“He is,” Danny smirked. “That’s why I wonder. Roy, listen. You did great.”

“Thank you. It is an honor to get to know you as a young man Danny Hoi.”

“What will you do when this is done?” Danny asked.

“Done?”

“Yeah, obviously, in the whole scheme of things to make the future better, you have a time frame when you’ll know it will work.”

‘Yes.” Roy nodded. “I do. I suppose I will go to the future.”

“But if you were created for a needy future, then no one will know you.”

“That is not true. Are you not going to be securing that future? Good or bad for me.”

Danny grinned. “I am.” He exhaled. “So. Do you think it worked?”

“The ALS3, yes it …”

“No, whatever you and Joe did to get you here. Cause his death. Change the future.”

“Oh, I hope.” Roy wisped out. “I hope.”

“Did you ever think about cheating?”

“Cheating?”

“Yeah, sneaking into the future. Taking a peak, seeing if it is different.”

“Yes, I have.” Roy said. “Unfortunately, the HG Wells is broke. I have that trigger mechanism that makes it impossible to fix.”

Danny shrugged. “Build another. Then go to the future, see if it worked, and make your decision.”

Roy’s eyes lit up. “Danny. You are brilliant. I will make another.”

“Didn’t think of that, did you?”

“Not at all. Sometimes I lack simplicity?” Roy grinned. They headed to the steps. Just as they reached the doors, they heard the screech of tires.

Both men turned. Robbie was pulling up to the clinic with Dan, still out, in the jeep.

“Well, there’s Robbie,” Danny said. “Looks like Dan is injured.”

“Would explain where he was.” Roy watched Robbie lift Dan from the jeep. “I wonder what’s going on.”

“Find out soon enough I guess,” Danny said and opened the door. “Let’s go in and wait.”

“Sounds good.”

They went inside.

Robbie struggled to carry Dan. He was a much bigger man, heavy too. He paused half way up the steps in shock when he witnessed Danny and Roy just go into the clinic. “What the fuck?”

*****

Jason usually thought things through all the time. All the time. But why he didn’t think about the safety deposit box issue beforehand was beyond him. He thought he had it all worked out. Perfect. The bank in Bowman was still in existence. However, he had to deal with Ben from Fabrics to get into it. The old bank was the new coffee and poetry house, and Ben was in charge.

It took some convincing, going back and forth with Ben. But after to agreeing to a twenty-dollar Unique Boutique purchase Ben let Jason through to the vault with the old safety deposit boxes.

“I don’t know how you’re going to get into these boxes. They are locked. We’ve been dying to try forever.”

Jason, smugly, raised a key.

“How did you get that?” Ben asked.

“You can say. I thought ahead.”

Ben didn’t leave him alone to open the box, but it certainly was heavy.

‘Yes’, Jason thought, the book is in here. Of course, Jason was not pleasantly surprised when he opened the box.

Two packages were in there. One from Nancy Reagan, and the other from the Reagan Foundation. Postmarked decades apart. After quickly skimming the return addresses, Jason scooped up his packages, thanked Ben and left. He’d find somewhere private to examine what he had.

And he did. Then Jason went immediately back to the house where Dean was hiding.

“Dean.” Jason called out like a parent.

Dean was still sporting his tee shirt. Enthused he popped into the living room. “Did you go? Was it there?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent.”

“Dean...”

“Yes?”

“Shall I start calling you, ‘Frank’?” Jason asked.

“What do you mean?”

Jason held up the packages. “What did you do?”

*****

It actually ended up being a perfect thing. At first Robbie was pissed off that Danny and Roy just walked into the clinic without holding the door, but as Robbie entered and saw no one around, he figured it worked in his favor.

He carried Dan down the hall to the waiting room, which was empty, and he placed Dan on the couch. He propped up his feet, put a book on his chest, and took a good look.

Dan appeared as if he had taken a nap, and then Robbie left him.

He supposed there could be questions, but it was Dan. The last thing Dan would remember was seeing Robbie talking to a talking head then ended up in the clinic? Although it would make Dan seem a bit insane, it was Beginnings, so it was par for the course.

Walking down the hall from the waiting room, he saw Andrea leaving an exam room.

“Hey, Andrea.”

“Robbie.” She smiled brightly. “What brings you to the clinic?”

“I was here to see you.”

“Here I am.”

“Cool.” Robbie grinned. “But I didn’t see you now I have to go. I want to get a latte before the afternoon rush. See ya.” He darted a kiss to her cheek.

“Robbie.”

“Yeah,” he stopped with a squeak of his boots.

“Could you be a dear and get me one.”

He wanted to whine. Stomp his foot, and say no, he had to see his dad, but he was Robbie. “Sure, I’ll be right back.”

“You are a sweetheart. I’ll make you brownies.”

“You’re the best.”

“Thank you baby.”

Another smile, a nod and Robbie left. He’d rush, get the coffee, drop it off and hurry back to the trailer. He just wanted to spend time with Joe. Talk to him. Everything seemed to be getting in the way.

*****

She was humming a sweet tune, something Christian when she walked into the lab. “Dean, you’re back.” Andrea said brightly.

Roy faced her. “And I have all those results for you.”

“You are just a pip.” She grinned.

“Thank you.”

Roy handed the results to Andrea, she hummed as she read them.

“You’re in a good mood. Something happen?” Roy asked.

“No, no, just feeling the Holy Spirit.”

Roy looked around. “Here?”

“Everywhere.”

“Wow. How come I don’t feel it?”

“Dean. Really, you don’t live the Christian life.”

“I don’t?”

She chuckled. “I mean you haven’t let Jesus into your heart.”

“How does he get there? I mean, I want to feel this Holy Spirit and be happy like you.”

“But you don’t believe in God.”

Roy gasped. “I do too.”

“You do? Since when?”

Ropy fluttered his lips. “More so recently, I’ll tell you. I went to the church in Bowman.”

“And were moved?”

“Yes. Yes, is that the term?”

“Yes! Yes!” Andrea shouted. “Sweet Jesus, Dean, you are a believer.”

“I have even written a song.”

“No,” Andrea exhaled her word. “Dean this is wonderful. Do you think you’ll start going to church.”

“If it’ll make me sing like that.”

“Sweet Jesus you’re a Christian now.” Andrea laid her hand on her chest and gasped. “Praise.”

“Praise.”

“Amen.”

“Amen,” Roy repeated.

“Pray with me now?” Andrea asked. “Like sealing the deal.”

“Yes. That would be very good. Maybe then I can feel this Holy Spirit.”

Andrea reached for his hands. Just as she did, Melissa knocked on the door.

“Dr. Winters?” Melissa called out.

“Yes, dear?” Andrea turned around.

“I think we have a problem with Dan from Security.”

“What’s going on?”

Melissa breathed out, folded her arms and looked as if in debate.

“Well?” Andrea asked impatiently. “I’m not Ronald Reagan. What’s going on?”

Melissa said with a point backwards with her thumb. “I think we need to call Frank.”

*****

The Memoirs of Ronald Reagan. Hardback edition, autographed with a note from Nancy. That book, Jason expected. The other one he didn’t. It was with a note from Reagan’s family, saying that perhaps Jason wanted to see the book. The book released years after his death, was a diary that Ronald kept and had locked away until his death. He locked it away decades beforehand, before his disease took hold.

The book was titled, ‘Reagan Diaries. The Man, the Myth, the Next Nostradamus.’

Jason tossed the book on the table. “What did you do? Better yet, how much did you change? Hopefully not much.”

“I don’t understand.” Dean hunched.

“Dean. Reagan wrote this book in 1986, had it locked away in 1988. Sealed. It talks about how two visitors from the future told him of events, and other visions he had. Good thing for us, you didn’t mention the plague.”

Dean raised his shoulders. “I did. But maybe he forgot.”

“Dean, I can’t believe you told him things. What all did you tell him.”

“Nothing major.”

“September 11
th
wasn’t major.”

“Ok, that one was major.”

“Dean, I stopped at the Bowman Library to open this. After I skimmed through I asked the librarian what he knew of Ronald Reagan. Too young to even recall him, he said to me, ‘wasn’t that the famous psychic guy?’”

“Jason … maybe he was confused.”

“My thoughts exactly, so I approached someone older. Much older. Someone I was certain would know Ronald Reagan. So I asked him. And do you know what he said.”

Dean shrugged. “He was the president.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

“No.” Jason shook his head. “He preceded it with he was the psychic who once was president. Dean, we have proceeded to take a great political mind, a champion of politics, a man famous for tearing down the wall of communism and made him famous for predictions.”

“Wow that sucks.”

“Yes, it does.” Jason exhaled. “But I find it mildly amusing. Especially after reading some of the book. Seems we were two future men who visited him frequently.”

“We visited him frequently?” Dean asked. “Do we plan to see him again?”

Jason shrugged. “Who knows?” He lifted the book and started walking to the other room.

“Where are you going?”

“To see what all you told our guru former president.” Jason raised an eyebrow. “We’ll talk later.”

*****

What was up with the steaming thing at the bakery? Robbie made a mental note to tell Danny about it. Twice it clogged up on Gemma and fifteen minutes into getting two lattes, Robbie wanted to scream
He would had left long before if he wasn’t getting one for Andrea. Trying to focus elsewhere other than on Gemma’s fumbling, Robbie spotted Frank walking into the clinic. That was a good thing; Frank was out of the way. Of course he may ask why he wasn’t at that meeting, but it probably wasn’t important, since no one tried to get a hold of his since.

“Almost there now.” Gemma said. “Got the steamer steaming.”

Robbie smiled. “Thanks.” A few more moments, drop off the coffee, then off to see his father. How long had he waited.

*****

“Hysterical, Frank, just hysterical,” Melissa said in a rushed voice, urging Frank to the lab. “We found him passed out in the waiting room. He has no idea how he got there and only wants to speak to you. Thank God I called you, huh?”

“When did this start?”

“We don’t know.”

“If this is a medical emergency, why is he in the lab?”

“We couldn’t find anything wrong with him other than …”

“Hysterical.”

“Yep.” Melissa reached for the door. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

She opened the lab door.

Dan sat on a stool, Andrea holding his hand, while Roy kind of leaned on the counter, elbows down, staring at Dan in some sort of bewilderment.

“There, there,” Andrea patted his hand. “Frank’s here now.”

“Frank!” Dan stood, his legs wobbled. “Oh my God.” He gripped on to Frank, holding tight around his waist, head pressed to his chest. “Oh my God.”

“It’s all right,” Frank said looking to Andrea and mouthing the words, ‘What the fuck’?

Dan was shaking.

“Dan.” Frank called his name. Waited. Nothing. “Dan.” Again no response. “Fuck! Dan! Knock it off!”