A Year to Forget (The Accidental Time Travellers Book 2) (24 page)

“You look tired.”  Kennedy commented while pointing at the bed. 

Faraday watched his younger self, toss and turn in the bed.  He still had his longer messy hair and both of his eyes.  He looked at the two chairs, and saw that an elderly David Lewis was sitting beside Bobby Stinson.

“Why are we here Jack?”  Faraday asked.

“This was where your journey started.”

“It was not a happy time.”

He watched as his younger self woke up and was startled by David and Bobby’s presence, none of them seemed to notice the older Faraday or Kennedy.

Bobby pulled an hourglass from the bedside drawer and handed it to the younger Faraday.

“Where do you want to go Faraday?”

“I eh, don’t understand.” 

“You can go to any time and any place.”  David answered.

“I want to be with Jane.”  The younger Faraday replied.

Faraday felt so helpless as he watched the scene, why had he ever done what David and Bobby had wanted?  He had been so young and naive, he had thought that she loved him and that she always would.

“She was a bitch!”  Faraday screamed.  As he looked around, he was now in an empty room with Kennedy and a coffin.  There were rows of chairs on either side of an aisle, the coffin was at the far end of the room.

“Where are we Jack?”

Kennedy did not reply, he just pointed to the coffin.  Faraday walked slowly down the aisle, turning back occasionally to see Kennedy motionless, still pointing at the coffin. 

When he reached the coffin, there was a brass plate that had been engraved on the side.  It read “Jane Stuart”, beneath that were the years “1991-2014” and then “Always in our hearts.”  It was the exact same inscription that had been on the bench that Jane’s mother had donated, in Jane’s name at Loch Ness.  Faraday suddenly felt the pain of losing her all over again.  He pounded his fist on the top of the coffin.

“Why did you do this to me?”  He yelled at the top of his lungs.  He pounded the coffin again and then again.  The tears were coming now.  He felt an urge to open the coffin, to see her one last time.  He prised the lid open and stepped back in shock at what he saw.

“It’s me.”  He spoke softly, walking back to the coffin.  He saw the younger version of himself lying in the coffin, he was pale and he was dead.

“Jack what is this?”

Kennedy was suddenly beside Faraday, he hadn’t walked, he had just appeared.

“Are you dead too?”  Kennedy asked, one side of his face conveying shock, the other a mix of skull and flesh.

“I don’t think so.”  He replied.

He was suddenly startled by loud cheering emanating from a large crowd behind him.  He turned to look and saw thousands of people celebrating while looking at Faraday.  They were no longer in the empty room, but were now outside under a beautiful clear blue sky.

“Jack where are we?”  He turned back to see Kennedy, but he was gone now, so was the coffin.  It had been replaced by a stage.  There was a podium in the middle of the stage and standing behind it was a man dressed in an all green military uniform.  He wore a green hat with a star in the middle of it.  His face was obscured by a bushy black beard, and a huge cigar protruded from the man’s mouth.

He watched as the man angrily pounded his fist against the podium while shouting something in Spanish, at the end of each sentence the large crowd cheered and applauded the man.  He watched as two more men in military uniform walked onto the stage, dragging a man with a hood over his head.  The man wore a pair of light blue jeans and a white t-shirt. 

The man with the beard pulled a revolver from his holster, and the guards pulled the hood off the man’s head and forced him down on his knees.  The prisoner was Chase, he had been gagged and badly beaten.  He glanced at Faraday and his eyes seemed to be screaming.  When the shot was fired it struck Chase in the chest, he fell to the side as the crowd roared in approval.

Faraday awoke suddenly, Chase was shaking him.

“What the hell is going on?”  Faraday asked, dazed and confused.

“We’ve just landed.  You were out of it.”  Chase replied.

“Landed where?” 

“Havana.”  Chase replied.

The memories began coming back to Faraday as he took in his surroundings, he was on a small plane that only sat six people, not including the pilots.  Once he had escaped from Hoover’s he had gone home and drank heavily, Chase had come by at some stage to pick him up and take him to the airfield.

“What time is it?”  Faraday asked.

“05:00.” Chase replied.   

“What day?”

“Thursday 27
th
February.”  Chase replied, a little bemused.

Chase began to walk towards the open door of the plane as Faraday watched, he was wearing the white t-shirt and the light blue jeans from the dream.  Faraday could smell the alcohol on his own breath and the sweat on his clothes.  He was wearing a black shirt, black trousers and black shoes.  He rose to his feet, a little unsteadily and followed Chase out of the plane.  They were standing in the middle of a field, with nothing around for miles, except from the plane and a pickup truck.

“Where do we go?”  Faraday asked.

“We are starting out by going to the Plaza Vieja.”  Chase replied with a smile.

“Where’s that?”

“It’s part of old Havana, there is another larger square but Castro does his political speeches there, and I can’t see any rebels meeting there or recruiting new members.  It would be suicide.”

“Who’s driving?” 

As Chase looked at Faraday, he seemed to be swaying on the spot, he decided that perhaps he should drive the truck himself.  “I will.” 

Chapter 62

Bobby Stinson hobbled along the corridor in the Department of Justice building.  Within the next two years the FBI would be moving offices, to the J Edgar Hoover Building, but Bobby was starting out in the same place that Hoover had ended his reign. 

He was not yet officially the Director of the FBI, but it had been announced that he would be the next Director, once his duties in his own department had come to an end.  He was running on empty as he struggled along the corridor, he had been at the hospital all night and had come straight to the FBI offices.  He took a sip of the fresh cup of coffee, in the hope that it might wake him slightly.  He knew that for his first meeting of the day he would not be the only one that hadn’t slept, it was a meeting with J Edgar Hoovers lover and the temporary Director of the FBI, Clyde Tolson.

When he finally reached Tolson’s office it was just before 10:00.  He knocked politely on the door and heard the shout of “enter” coming from inside.  When he did enter the room he saw an elderly man sitting behind the desk, Clyde seemed to have aged considerably since he had briefly seen him at the hospital.  He was immaculately dressed, in a black suit, white shirt and a black tie.

“Take a seat Mr Stinson.”  Bobby nodded his thanks and sat across from Tolson, they were separated by a large mahogany desk.

“How are you feeling Mr Tolson?”  Bobby asked, feeling pity for the old man.

He managed a false smile.  “I’ve been better, he was a great man and a true patriot.  This country owes him a huge debt.

Bobby nodded his head, unsure as to whether or not he agreed.  “I would have expected you to take some time off?”

“Well the Bureau needs me here, I can mourn in my own time.”

“Well I’ll try not to take up too much of your time Mr Tolson.  Firstly I just wanted to make you aware that despite my being made Director, you will be quite welcome to continue in your role as Associate Director, you have a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding the FBI and I would appreciate your help.”

Tolson gave another forced smile.  “That is very kind, I must admit I was a little surprised by your appointment.”

Bobby tried not to take that as an insult.  “So was I.”

“What is to become of your own department?”

“It is being shut down.”

Clyde nodded his understanding.  “And what of your agents?”

“I haven’t decided that yet.  Perhaps one or two of them will make the switch, but certainly not all of them.”

“I see.  And what is it that I can do for you today?”

“Two things, Mr Tolson.  Firstly I would like to speak with Sarah Salmond, Hoover mentioned she was in custody?”

Clyde winced at the mention of Hoover’s name.  “Yes she is here that is not a problem.”

“Secondly I need access to Hoover’s files.”

“I’m afraid that is completely out of the question.”  Clyde barked.

“Why is that out of the question?”

“They were the Director’s personal files, they were not made to be viewed by others.”

“This is a federal agency Mr Tolson, the files belong to the Government, not to any individual.  This has been authorised by the President, I am to be given access to my new office.”

“The Director has not even been buried yet and you want his office?”  Clyde said in disgust.

“Clyde I am the new Director, you are my employee.”

“Not yet.”  Clyde replied.

“Phone the President, he will demand that you give me access to the office and the files.”

“I forgot what good friends you are, you look about twelve, you are not qualified to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“Well clearly the President thinks differently.”

Clyde sulked.  “Well I don’t have a key to the Director’s office.”

Bobby sighed.  “Who does?”

“Mrs Gandy.”

“Hoover’s secretary?”  Bobby asked.

“Yes.”

“Well lets go and see her.”

Clyde looked furious at Bobby, but reluctantly led him along the corridor.  At the end of the corridor sat an elderly woman behind a desk, she looked distraught.

“Oh Mr Tolson, it’s just terrible.”  She looked on the verge of tears.

“He was a great man Mrs Gandy.”

“He was a hero.”  Mrs Gandy sobbed.

Bobby could not believe people were this upset by Hoover’s death, Bobby hadn’t been sure if he had even liked Hoover and he seemed to be more fond of the man than anyone else he had met, until today. 

“Mrs Gandy this is the new Director, Mr Stinson.”

The old woman looked puzzled.  “I thought you were the new Director Mr Tolson?”

“Well I thought that myself but the President has appointed Mr Stinson, he is not officially the Director yet, but he claims the President has given him permission to use the Director’s office.”

“But I haven’t finished shredding the files?”  She replied, looking hurt.

“Why are you shredding files?”  Bobby barked.

The old woman looked stunned.  “They are Director Hoover’s personal files.”

Bobby could not believe these people, he was considering sacking both of them, although he was unsure if he could do that yet.  “Okay we need to get one thing straight.  None of the files in any FBI office belonged to Hoover.  They are the property of the FBI and therefore the American Government.”

“Not his personal files.”  Mrs Gandy replied.

“There are no personal files!  Where are they?”  Bobby could feel the lack of sleep causing him to become angry.

“In his office.”  She whimpered.

“It is now my office.  I am calling the President to see if I can be appointed today, I clearly can’t trust the establishment already in place.  No files are to be shredded unless I give you permission to do so.”

“Mr Stinson, watch your manners.  We have served this Bureau since long before you were born and we will be treated with the respect we deserve.”  Clyde barked.

“If I am Director by the end of today, both of you will be fired!” 

Both Clyde and Mrs Gandy looked as though they were about to cry.

“Where is the key?”

Mrs Gandy took it from a drawer and handed it to Bobby.  He snatched it from her and turned his back to them, he walked over to Hoovers door and slid the nameplate off of the door.  He unlocked the door and hobbled inside the office, before locking it behind him.

He looked around the office in disbelief, he was stood beside six huge filing cabinets.  To the right of them, were two grey couches with a coffee table in the middle.  They were by a large window.  The desk at the other side of the room was gigantic and was covered in boxes of files.  It was as if Mrs Gandy had been preparing for a Soviet invasion, and she had frantically scrambled to get rid of as many files as possible.

Bobby hobbled towards the desk and took his seat in a black leather swivel chair.  He lifted the receiver and called the Oval Office.

“Good morning Mr President.”

Kennedy laughed.  “Director.  How are you?”

“I’m exhausted, I’ve just got into Hoover’s office.”

“They actually let you in, I’m quite surprised.”

“It wasn’t easy.  His secretary was shredding files.”