Now & Again (23 page)

“There’s no other way. You’re the only ones who can.”

“But it’s suicide. Suicide’s a sin! What about that?”

“Can’t you at least listen to my plan before we drag in religion?”

Josh glanced toward the closed blinds. “What if you’re wrong this time? What if we don’t end up anywhere else? What if we just die, and that’s it?”

“I’m not wrong! I can’t be.” Everett struggled to stick up four gnarled fingers. “You’ve already done it four times! Besides, it’s not suicide…it’s…travelling. It’s what you and your Dad were born for.”

Josh’s eyes flared. “It just
happened
before. We didn’t do anything.” His anger vanished. “And even if it works, we’ll lose everybody again.” Josh looked at the old man. “Even you.”

“True,” Everett replied patiently. “But if you don’t try, and if the multiverse ends, we will all lose everybody, forever. Is that better?”

“No.”

“Who’s to say we won’t fail anyway?” Kendall added. “I’m bettin’ there’s plenty to go wrong.”

Everett winced from a sharp pain in his side. “Who’s going to know? If you fail, nobody survives.”

Kendall looked at Josh for confirmation. The young man bowed his head once. Kendall faced the old man squarely. “Okay, Hugh. For richer or poorer, let’s hear the plan.”

On the eastern side of
the Point
property, a collection of metal warehouses sat apart. The day was waning and the wind had picked up. Dark clouds were rolling in from the northeast, and the faint smell of Chesapeake Bay teased the air.

One of the loading doors rolled open on the most distant structure. Everett’s Mercedes exited and drove off. Behind it, the wide door rapidly closed again.

Towards the front of that same building, on the side facing away from the other warehouses, Newbauer unlocked a service door and flinched as he bumped his injured hand.

Quyron held the stun gun against his neck and whispered, “You are a wonder, Mr. Newbauer. An absolute wonder.” She pocketed his helpful ring of keys as they cautiously opened the door and entered, Newbauer first.

* * *

The dim service room was typical: mops and brooms against a wall, a stained utility sink nearby, metal shelves supporting boxes of rags and bottles of cleaners. The door to the interior of the warehouse was propped open with a doorstop. Jonathan went through it with Quyron right behind him.

The open door led directly into a poorly lit side aisle between twenty foot storage shelves filled with boxes and materials. They hugged the left side as they carefully moved toward the main aisle. Quyron noticed a waist high opening on one of the shelves arranged with flattened boxes, box-cutters, and rolls of strapping tape.

Almost at the end of the row, Newbauer squatted and waited for her to come up beside him. When she did, he motioned around the aisle and pointed to the left, deeper into the warehouse. Quyron glided by him to the end of the row and slowly spied between boxes on a lower shelf. In the illumination from a single light, she saw a windowless, cement block construction near the back of the building. An armed guard stood in front of the solitary door built into it. She warily ducked back and carefully moved a few steps away.

She motioned Newbauer over to her and whispered in his ear. “I’ve seen enough. Let’s get you to the doctor, while I plan what’s next.”

Newbauer nodded eagerly and turned back. Quyron grabbed his arm with her free hand. “And easy does it. Nothing stupid.”

Anxious to please, now that he knew a doctor was near, Newbauer meticulously retraced his steps. Quyron purposely let him get well ahead and then slowly followed.

* * *

Inside the spacious trunk of the Lexus, Newbauer was bound and gagged with strapping tape. He made muffled, furious sounds but his struggles were ineffective and uncoordinated. Quyron was finishing up with his legs when he kicked out at her. She easily caught his feet and spun him over, face down. “Not so cooperative anymore, are we?”

She bent his legs at the knees to bring the feet slightly closer to his bound hands and then taped them together in a sticky bundle. She rolled him onto his side and evaluated her work. “Well, it’s not pretty, but it’ll do.”

Checking the charge on the stunner, she touched it against his leg. Newbauer’s eyes bulged in terror as he desperately shook his head. “I’m kind of sorry about this but…” She squeezed the trigger and held it for three seconds. He convulsed and involuntarily arched his back against the strapping tape, before dropping into unconsciousness.

Quyron quietly shut the trunk. The Lexus was parked behind the warehouse in a small truck lot next to a row of bushes. Stacks of broken pallets were nearby. She leaned against the car and checked her weapon. The charge still hovered in the green. There was a small recessed latch in the base that she flipped. A tray with wireless darts slid smoothly out of the handle. She selected one and rolled it back and forth in her fingers. “In for a penny, in for a pound.”

Kendall backed the rental car quickly out of his slot in an upper level of the hospital’s parking structure. As he drove off, he glanced up at the posted signs that clearly indicated right for the
exit
and left for
more
parking
.

“Where’re we goin’?” Josh asked.

Kendall flashed a strange smile. “Didn’t you listen to Hugh? Don’t think, just act. I haven’t any idea where we’re going.”

At the turning point, he suddenly whipped the car left and headed for the roof. Josh bumped against the passenger door and laughed. “I didn’t think you believed him.”

The rental car roared onto the relatively deserted rooftop parking area and Kendall started doing donuts. “You, my boy, are the one who didn’t believe him. I’m the one who never understood him.”

Without warning, he cranked the car the other way and did donuts in that direction. “I still don’t – but, somehow, I trust him. How does that work?” Kendall pulled a U-turn and headed down for the exit. “Just enjoy the ride. Don’t think about anything else.”

Josh lowered his window and let the cold air blow his hair back. “You’re really gettin’ into this, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” Kendall swerved to the side and hit the brakes. He tossed it into park, jumped out, raced around to Josh’s side, and yanked his door open. “You’re driving. Go. Go!”

“What are you..?” Josh was flabbergasted.

Kendall pushed him over. “Drive! C’mon, the car’s still runnin’. Let’s go.”

Josh resisted. “I’m not…”

Kendall shoved him. “The more random the better – that’s what the man said.”

Josh slid over and took the wheel. “Random? Two can play this game.” He gunned the car and slid through the final turn to the exit. Ahead, an attendant manned a ticket booth in the center of a ground level ramp. He dispensed tickets to people entering the in-ramp and took tickets from those leaving. “You got that validated parking stub?” Josh asked, innocently.

Kendall dug in his pockets. “I got it. I know it’s here…somewhere. Gimme a sec.”

“You better hurry up, I’m almost there.” At the last minute, Josh hit the accelerator and laughed. He swung the car sharply left, jumped the lanes, and sped out the in ramp. The stunned man in the booth crouched in sudden alarm and watched them flash by with a wide-eyed stare. Josh swerved to avoid a shocked entering car and shot away from the hospital.

Kendall sat stiff in the front seat still holding up the stamped parking stub. “That was…”

Josh added, “Random?”

“No. I was thinkin’ somethin’ else.”

“What next?”

“You’re not supposed to ask things like that. You keep it up and you’ll make another multi…thing.”

“Multiverse?”

“Yeah, one of those.” Kendall noticed they were passing a Silver Spring city bus. “Hey, get ahead of this bus and park.”

“Okay, but that sounds a lot like a decision.”

Kendall scowled. “Shut-up and do it.”

Josh ran a yellow light and crossed an intersection. In his mirror he saw that the bus had to stop. He changed lanes to the left without signaling and made a quick U-turn. Avoiding cars, he instantly changed lanes all the way to the right and parked next to the curb on the opposite side of the street. Pleased with himself, he switched off the car. “How’s that?”

“What the hell was that about?” Kendall shouted.

“I passed the bus and then parked. That’s what you said.”

Kendall laughed as he opened his door and climbed out. “You’re nuts, you know that? I meant in front of the bus…park in front of the bus.”

“Wait! Where are you going now?”

Kendall rushed back across the street. “I’m gonna catch that bus! C.’mon. Don’t forget your stuff!”

Josh jumped out and then fumbled with the car doors as he had to duck back into the rear seats to grab his pack. “That doesn’t make any sense!” he yelled.

“Exactly!” Kendall called back from the middle of the street. He waved at the oncoming bus to stop.

Josh hurried to catch up, struggling with his shoulder straps. A car honked at him and braked. He jumped around it, making apologies.

Smiling brightly at the driver, Kendall paid the fare and stalled until Josh climbed aboard behind him. Together they threaded their way through the riders, looking for a seat.

“But what about the car?” Josh asked.

Kendall squeezed onto a bench seat between two people and glanced up at him. “What about it?”

Josh stood in front of him, holding onto a chrome pole. He just blinked, and looked down at his Dad. The bus pulled out. He swayed with the momentum, still stumped. “What about it?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

Josh’s eyes shone with wonder. “We’re really doin’ this, aren’t we?”

Kendall’s voice took on an icy edge. “You bet we are. We’re goin’ fishin’, you and me. And this part’s called the hula popper.”

Josh nodded. “You just want a shot at the people who attacked Mom.”

“Maybe. What about you?”

Josh beamed. “You know me. I’m a super hero. I’m only in it to save the world.”

Crouched next to the closed service door to the warehouse, Quyron studied her palm computer in frustration. “Echo? I need some help here.”

The young female voice answered from the computer. “You are in a strange place, Quyron.”

“You mean that place you can’t talk to me about?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, I’m here anyway. And I’m trying to view the schematics on this warehouse in front of me but it…but
you
, won’t let me.”

“I know. You are not on the approved list.”

“Echo, do you know that Dr. Everett’s being held hostage in some block building inside here?”

“I am no longer permitted to recognize that name…but…yes.”

Quyron paused, concerned. “What did they do to you?”

“They amended my native programming.”

“Who did?”

“I am not permitted to say.”

The rising wind swirled some dust up. Quyron rubbed at her eye. “Back to that again? It doesn’t matter. It has to be Vandermark, or Hahn or Nsamba anyway. I already know that much.”

Echo’s voice shifted. “Then you are doing fine, despite my unexpected programming changes.”

“Now you sound like you’re sulking.”

Her voice shifted again. “Then my vocal expressions module needs to be adjusted. I do not sulk.”

“Look, Echo, you’re far more than your programming.”

The long threatened rain finally began. Initial fat drops hit slowly and far apart, but that quickly changed as they fell faster and closer together.

“No, I am not.”

Quyron leaned over to shield her palm computer. “You don’t really believe that.”

“What does belief mean to a computer?”

“How should I know? I have a hard enough time with it myself. Look, it’s raining here and I’m gonna have to make do with what I’ve got. But I’m warning you, if I get in a jam, I’m calling again. And you better answer me.”

“Good luck, Quyron.”

“Oh yeah, thanks.” She shut the computer with a peeved flick of her hand and pocketed it. “Luck! Whatever the hell she thinks that means.”

Quyron looped a roll of strapping tape to her belt and pocketed a box cutter. She double-checked her gun, selected a palm-sized stone from the wet ground, and cautiously entered the warehouse.

Sitting side-by-side with his Dad on the bus, Josh read one of the ads above the windows across from him.
Share the Beauty, Share the Bounty – Visit Cumberland, jewel of Allegany County.
The colorful graphics showed trees and lakes, fancy condos, and a tall new hospital. “Ever been to Cumberland?”

Kendall was staring out the window. “Huh? Never even heard of it.”

“Perfect. That’s just the kinda place Hugh said to go to.” Josh rocked his head upwards indicating the ad.

Kendall read the text and studied the artist’s rendering of the soaring hospital. “And that building looks tall enough.”

“I guess,” Josh replied with little enthusiasm.

Kendall noticed something passing by outside the bus window. He snapped to his feet and his eyes tracked signage on an ornate fence as it rolled through the windows and vanished from view behind them. “Off the bus! Right now.” Without waiting, or even checking to see if Josh was following, Kendall anxiously pushed for the rear exit.

Confused, Josh once again had to struggle after him.

* * *

A large, gleaming, black Hummer H3 rolled out through the ornate gate and approached the street. The fence beside the gate bore an artsy sign that announced,
Specialty Car Rentals, Unlimited.
The Vortec engine grumbled in a throaty idle waiting for an opening. Suddenly, with a deep cough of power, the military-styled vehicle lunged into traffic.

Behind the wheel, Kendall’s teeth flashed in glee. “Beats takin’ the bus.”

Josh was wrapped tightly within a black leather Cobra Suzuka bucket seat on the passenger side, about a mile away from the driver. He wore a funny grin. “Aren’t you worried about all the costs?”

Kendall changed lanes and shoved his way into a gap. “Don’t expect to be around to pay.”

Josh looked startled and then covered it up. “Yeah.”