Joe (34 page)

Chaka hadn’t noticed any holding areas at all. No pits. And though it was distinctively the scent, it wasn’t strong.

What if in this place things were different? What if there were no laws governing the devouring? What if, in this world he was permitted to have a pet?

Chaka knew the chances of that. It was wishful thinking he and many others have had. A perfect world would be to work, fight, then come home to a willful pet. To divulge and desire not once or twice a cycle, but once or twice before the rising sun.

But then again, that was a perfect world and they did not exist. That was what he thought until he spotted the small dim light of fire. Just a small fire, one designed to not draw attention. As he darted back, he spotted the source of the scent.

No others around. No owner. Alone?

Perhaps things were different in this world, Chaka thought, and if a pet of scent could roam so free and peaceful, then his approach should mark it.

In was bred in him to follow that scent and he did.

****

Hal would have preferred to shut the doors of the Mausoleum, but knew if he didn’t he and Elliott would never hear an approach.

Hal dealt with Elliott’s fear over what they did. But like Robbie, Hal had to see for himself. It took a lot, but they released the lid to the tomb and carefully placed it askew on top of the concrete vault.

Enough to expose the coffin and enough for them to open the lid to the coffin.

“Someone’s coming.” Elliott said.

Hal jolted a look over his shoulder, catching the headlights. “Quick, close and secure the doors.”

Moving as if he didn’t want to Elliott hurried to the doors, he reached to close them but before he could a hand slammed into the door stopping him.

“Shit.” Elliott whispered.

“What?” Hal asked.

“Frank.”

Hal stepped back.

“Hal,” Frank walked in. “What are you doing?”

Hal hid his grin, it was Frank. He knew he could tell Frank anything and he’d buy it. “Well, Frank, I was . . .” His eyes shifted. Robbie walked in. “Fuck.”

Elliott sort of backed up, raised hands in surrender, shifting his eyes to Hal who looked angry.

“Hal, put the vault lid back on. Let’s go.” Robbie said.

“Not until I look,” Hal said.

“Captain.”

“Hal.” Frank walked nearer to Hal, speaking low. “This is, you know, kind of fucked up and weird.”

“Robbie did it,” Hal defended.

“You got a point, but does it make it right?” Frank asked.

“No. And I am in the wrong? But I am not going anywhere until I open the coffin.”

Robbie shook his head. “Hal, you aren’t opening the coffin.”

“Yes, Robbie, I am.”

“Why?” Frank asked. “Tell me why this is so important to you.”

“Because I have to see for myself, Frank. I have to.”

“See what?”

“Dad.”

“Trust me, Hal, he’s in there,” Frank said. “You don’t need to open the coffin.”

“I do.” Hal looked at Frank with pleading eyes.

“Ryder,” Frank gave an up motion of his head. “What do you make of this? You’re here.”

“I stand firm with the Captain and believe he has valid reasons for wanting to open the coffin.”

“What reasons?” Robbie blasted. “I have yet to hear a reason. And there is no reason for opening that coffin.”

“Did you?” Hal asked hard. “Did you Robbie.”

Robbie’s jaw twitched.

“Robbie, I think you of all people know exactly why I am opening this coffin, and I’m opening it.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“Why, Robbie? Afraid I’ll see exactly what you’ll see?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Robbie inched to Hal.

“I think you know exactly what that means.”

“Ok, Stop.” Frank said, intervening in the stare down. “Robbie let’s put this to rest. If Hal . . . if Hal feels the need to open that coffin, fine, he opens the coffin.”

‘‘Thank you, Frank.” Hal reached for the lid.

“No!” Robbie shouted.

“Why the fuck not?” Frank asked.

“Yes, Robbie, why not?” Hal seconded the question.

“Because . . . because . . . it’s not a pretty sight. It’s disturbing.”

“Hal’s a big boy. It’s a dead body.” Frank said. “Listen, Hal is not an irrational person. Fuckin eccentric, but I haven’t known him to fly off and want to do something this fucked up without a reason . . .”

“But he hasn’t given a reason,” Robbie argued.

“I don’t need one. He has one,” Frank said. “It’s Hal. If he feels strongly about it. He can open the coffin. But this shit . . .” Frank’s finger moved around. “Ends here. I will seal this place up so I don’t have to deal with the next fuckin person who doesn’t think Dad is dead.”

Hal and Robbie both looked at Frank.

“Frank?” Hal asked. “Why did you say that?”

“Cause I read your fuckin mind. Now open the coffin.”

Robbie stepped back. Elliott moved closer to the coffin to aid Hal. Frank hovered close.

Elliott locked eyes with Hal. “Are you ready for what you’ll see, Captain. Emotionally?”

Hal nodded and purchased a grip with Elliott. On three they inched open the lid.

There was only about four seconds of silence. Then, Frank spoke up.

“Shut it. Shut it now.” His huge hand reached around and shut the coffin. “Seal it up, Hal. Ryder, find a way to lock this place up.”

“Yes, Frank,” Elliott replied.

Hal, eyes wide, turned slowly. “You saw.”

“I didn’t see anything. I saw our father.”

“Yes, but you saw . . .”

“I didn’t see anything!” Frank snapped. “Seal it. Now! Ryder, this coffin does not get open again, and that’s an order. Make sure of it . . . Robbie.” Frank gave a twitch. “Let’s go.”

With an air of anger, Frank and Robbie left.

“Captain, let’s put the vault on.”

“He saw Elliott.” Hal stated, reaching with Elliott. “That’s why he’s upset.”

“He saw the corpse of his father, it was an emotional . . .”

“Oh, bullshit, Elliott. Bullshit. He saw, I saw . . . you saw.”

“What would that be, Captain?” Elliott, with a grunt, lifted the vault lid with Hal. “I saw your father’s body.”

“But it wasn’t my father. Since when, Elliott, did corpse get gray hair while buried? We didn’t notice the gray hair the day of the explosion, because he was covered with black soot, and ash, and burned. The body was cleaned up by someone who didn’t know my dad. You noticed it, too.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“It makes brilliant sense.”

“How?” Elliott asked. “If your father is alive, how did we get a Joe body?”

“Think about it. If I made a mistake right now, and you had the ability to time travel. When would be the best time to convince me that I had made a grave error?”

“After the effects of that error were evident.”

“Exactly. Or else I wouldn’t believe it. So a time traveler, simply tells my future self the mistake could have been averted if I were to die. Killing me in the future would have no bearing, but what if we didn’t want to kill me? Just make it look like I was dead in present time. How would we pull that off? How would I look like I die, but there’s my body?”

“By having two of you.”

Hal nodded. “One from the future, one from the present. You kill the future me as a body, it effects nothing.”

“How are you going to prove that? Do you want to prove that? I mean there is a reason that your father faked his death. Perhaps it should be left that way.”

“I need to know. I just need to know.”

Elliott nodded. “So just confirmation will do it?”

“Yes.”

“And you know how to get that.”

“I know where to start,” Hal stated. “Let’s finish this up, seal this place, I want to take you back to town. I have a brother to speak to.”

****

Elliott had convinced Hal that he needed to clear his mind, think of what he wanted to say, have a drink, then embark on his quest.

The short trip back to Bowman was time enough to convince Hal that maybe Elliott was right.

But he wasn’t in Hoi Hoi on the Range that long before even Elliott was convinced of where Hal could get his confirmation.

The general buzz about the return of the brain flu was bad enough, but what struck them both was the fact that the newest victim was none other than Elvis. Elvis diagnosis didn’t just come from seeing the typical floating head of Joe, but rather midnight visits from Joe’s ghost in full body.

That alone was enough to send Hal straight to the clinic and a visit with the King.

****

“Are you sure we’ll be all right out here?” Christopher Columbus asked.

Jenny giggled. “Of course we will be. We’re like a hop, skip and a jump away from Bowman. Don’t be silly.” Jenny adjusted the small fire and blanket.

“Why did we come out this way?”

“Well, we have to. It’s part of scenario so I enjoy it, understand.”

Christopher tilted his head.

“I’m helping you out,” Jenny huffed. “Really Christopher. You are attracted to me and you are still a virgin.”

“Yes. Yes. I am to both.”

“Then let’s do this.”

“Yes, we will. I am very excited.”

“Obviously, not enough yet, you are still you.” She giggled “Now, go in the distance and spy on me. Watch me. I’ll undress, get myself aroused, which should make you aroused and when you have transformed, find me. Now, I’ll be blindfolded, so we’ll pretend I am your prisoner and you are taking me.”

“Why are we doing that?”

“Sometimes fantasy helps us to achieve as women.”

“Achieve what?”

She sighed out. “Something you wouldn’t understand. Now go. Go.”

“I cannot wait.”

“Me either.” Jenny shooed him away as if he were a bug, then once out of her eyesight, with thoughts of a really arousing night on mind, she began to undress.

****

“Thank you for taking time to talk to me,” Hal pulled up a chair near the bed for Elvis.

“No problem, sir.”

“I’m sorry that I woke you.”

“I’m used to it. The brain flu has been waking me up frequently.”

“By that you mean?” Hal asked.

“Visions.”

Hal nodded. “Who all have you seen visions of?”

“Just one man. Joe.”

“My father.”

“Wow,” Elvis said. “Your father is a great man.”

“Yes, yes he is. Now, am I correct in saying that you saw his whole body and not just a floating head like everyone else?”

“Yes. Which tells the doctors that I have a real bad case of the brain flu.”

“So the visions of my father are very real?”

“Real enough to touch. I shook his hand, or rather, thought I did.”

“Did he say anything to you?” asked Hal.

“When he first showed up he just wanted to meet me. Then he made me sing, then we talked. He spoke about my mistakes in life. Sort of thing.”

“When did you know they were illusions brought on by the brain flu?”

“When Chester-Chester told me Joe was dead, then told me Joe was dead. Then he suggested twice mind you that I had the brain flu and if Joe came back I’d know.”

“And did he?”

“Yep. I asked him if he was dead and he told me people know he is dead and that’s when he confirmed it.”

“Confirmed what?”

“That I had the brain flu. He said, ‘You don’t really see me, you have the brain flu. Roy will confirm.”

“I see. He actually said Roy will confirm it.”

Elvis nodded.

“Odd.” Hal stood up. “Thank you for your time, you have been most helpful.” He moved to the door.

“Mr. Slagel? I mean Captain?”

“Yes, Elvis.”

“You look just like him.” Elvis winked.

“Thanks.” With a deep breath, Hal walked from the clinic room, immediately outside of the clinic he retrieved his phone and began to dial. “Elliott.”

“Did you get confirmation, Captain?” Elliott asked.

“In a way, yes, but there’s one more place I need to go. Do me a favor, Elliott, call Roy and occupy him.”

“The clone? Why?”

“I want to check out his stuff. Surely he’s a part of this and he wouldn’t fake my father’s death nor confirm it without proof of why. I’m going to find that proof.”

Elliott wished him luck, Hal didn’t need it. He felt strongly that he was going to get what he needed. Closure felt imminent.

****

The nearer Chaka drew the nearer the scent, the pet looked ready, yet wasn’t bound in anyway, something wasn’t right. A pet alone, unbound. Then Chaka saw. Off to the side, deep in the foliage, a tiny primal. Meek, pacing. But even small, the primals exhibited intelligence. They were cunning and Chaka knew it was a trap. Lure him in with the pet, and when he indulged in the pet, they’d get him. But Chaka was certain the measly primal didn’t see him.