A Year to Forget (The Accidental Time Travellers Book 2) (8 page)

“He asked me to take care of it.”  Abaddon replied.  He turned his attention towards Hoover and Bobby.  “So would you care to fill us in on what happened?”

“Before I do I’d like to point out that if you hadn’t restricted my wire tapping this would never have happened.”  Hoover said, obviously irritated.

“Are you for real?  You were using them to blackmail people, just like Oswald said you were.”

“I only used them on legitimate threats to our country.”

“Like Martin Luther King?”  Abaddon yelled.

“I think it is important people know that he is a communist and that he has sex with any woman that will allow it.”

The room was in stunned silence, Hoover had previously released information to the media regarding Martin Luther King’s affairs.

“What is the truth about the Kennedy assassination?”  Abaddon asked.

“The truth is what everyone already knows.”  Teddy barked, a little emotional about the way his dead brother was being discussed.

“Well we all thought Oswald was dead?”  Abaddon continued.

“I helped him get out of the country because he is an innocent man, it was the only way.”  Hoover replied.

“Was he one of your agents?”

“No, he was CIA.”

“I must say I will be recommending that the CIA be re-established, this would not have been allowed to happen if they were still in existence.”  Abaddon stated.

“You can’t be serious!”  Bobby interjected.

“They killed my brother.”  Teddy protested. 

“Do we know that as a fact?”  Abaddon replied.

“Yes we do.”  Hoover responded.

“Well regardless, do we know how Oswald got back into the country?”  Abaddon asked.

“I believe I know.”  Hoover replied.

“Please explain?”

“Okay well in order to explain I have to go back to 1962, are you all familiar with the prisoners that escaped from Alcatraz?”

Everyone nodded.

“Well the escape was led by a man named Frank Morris, he was joined by two brothers, John and Clarence Anglin.  The official story is that the three men drowned in their attempts to escape, but no bodies have ever been recovered, that is because they successfully escaped and that is why Alcatraz was closed.”

“I was under the impression that Alcatraz was closed due to the high costs of running the place?”  Abaddon replied.

“Well in the interest of national security that is what the public were told.  The public also didn’t learn about a fourth escapee, a man named Jacob Cohen.”

“You’re kidding?”  Marty asked angrily.

“Sadly not.”

“Who is Jacob Cohen?”  Bobby asked.

“He previously served in the US Army and was a CIA agent.  He was initially imprisoned for war crimes, he killed thirteen Vietnamese civilians.  Whilst he was imprisoned in Alcatraz, he killed a guard by biting his throat out.  He is the most dangerous man in the country and he is highly intelligent.  We have been tracking him for years but he always seems to be one step ahead.  Someone must be funding him, as I have said I would know more if my wire tapping ability hadn’t been removed from me.”  Hoover gave Abaddon a dirty look.  “Anyway we received intelligence that he flew to Cuba, accompanied by two other men and two pilots.  We believe he brought Oswald back to the States.  I can only guess that Oswald was forced to cooperate by speaking to the press.”

“But why is this Cohen trying to bring down the government?”  Teddy asked.

“As I mentioned he was in the CIA and he was in Vietnam.  In short, he despises the Kennedy’s.”

“So what would you suggest we do Edgar?”  Abaddon asked.

“Well obviously we need to track them down.  But as I mentioned with the funding he is receiving he has a lot of resources at his disposal, we don’t know the identity of the people with him other than Oswald.”

“Could Lyndon Johnson be the one backing him?”  Bobby asked.

“It’s doubtful.  I can’t see what he would get from it.”

“He may well bring down the men that put him in jail.”  Abaddon stated.

“I assure you whoever is behind this will not cause my downfall.”  Hoover replied arrogantly.

“Well I would suggest that both the FBI and the National Security and Major Crime Prevention department pull your resources and find these men.”

“What about Apollo 8?”  Bobby asked.

“I will deal with that until the President is available.”

“I’m telling you Abaddon, I believe it could only have been someone within NASA.”

“And I’m telling you that you are wrong.”

Bobby stared into Abaddon’s brown eyes, he was unflinching.  Bobby had never come to blows with Abaddon but at the moment he couldn’t believe Abaddon’s response to Apollo 8.  “You’re not even going to entertain the possibility that you are mistaken.”

“No I’m not, I have worked closely with Wernher and his team, and I trust them one hundred percent.  That should be enough for you.”

“Half of the team are Nazis!”  Bobby yelled.

“No some members in the team defected from Germany, that does not make them Nazis.  Anyway you have been assigned your duties.  Robert and Marty, I am sorry we can’t reach a decision yet but you understand without President Kennedy I cannot authorize any retaliatory response.  I will certainly be recommending that we do take an aggressive route in dealing with the Russians and as I mentioned earlier I will be recommending the CIA be re-established.  Failing that I will recommend that the Office of Strategic Services be given more power.  Wernher as the President ordered, we will need to liaise with Howard Hughes with regards to the Apollo program.  But for now that will conclude the meeting, so thank you all for attending.”

Everyone rose around the table and Bobby hobbled as quickly as his hip would allow towards the door.  He headed in the direction of his office, he needed a cigarette after that fiasco.  Once he had reached his office, he sat in his leather chair behind the desk and lit a cigarette.  During his third inhale his door opened and Edgar entered the room.  He took a seat at the opposite side of the desk and Bobby could see he was pissed off.

“Can you believe that idiot?”  Hoover asked.

Bobby exhaled the smoke through his nose.  “I’m pretty surprised if I’m honest, he’s not usually like that.”

“He’s always like that with me.”

“He doesn’t trust you.”  Bobby stated bluntly.

“I don’t trust him either.”

“Because of the wire tapping?”

“Well partly, it makes me wonder if he has something to hide.”

“I think you are being a little paranoid, you were breaking the law.”

“In the interest of national security.”

They were interrupted by the ring of the telephone.  After the second ring Bobby answered the phone.

“Hello, Bobby Stinson.”

“Bobby its Jane, how are you?”

“I’ve been better, how are things there?”

“Terrible.”

“What’s happened?”

“Well David tried to commit suicide, he’s in hospital, but don’t worry he should be fine.”

“He did what?”  Bobby yelled.  Hoover looked suddenly concerned.

“It happened last night.”

“How did he do it?”

“He slit his wrist.”

“Fucking hell!”

“Yeah, when we left the hospital he was about to see the Psychiatrist but we haven’t been to see him yet today.  We thought we’d better give you a call before we do anything.

“Did you see Oswald?”

“Yes.  So did Ethel.”

“How did she take it?”

“As to be expected, Nancy is sat with her just now.  I’m surprised Kennedy never called.”

“He’s on his way to you.”

“He left the White House?”

“Yes I must say I was a little surprised but Ethel means the world to him, he is doing right by her.”

“I suppose so.  Will and Chase are in New York, they found Josef Mengele.”

“In New York?”

“Yup.”

“Why didn’t one of you go?”

“Well we couldn’t when David was in hospital.”

“So he took Chase?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not sure that was a good idea.”

“There was no one else.”

“We can’t afford anymore members of staff, the funding just isn’t there.”

“Have you spoken to Hoover?”

“He’s with me now.” 

“What does he think?”

“Well he believes that Oswald was brought back in the country by a former CIA man, Jacob Cohen.  I’m wondering if Mengele is with them.”

“It would make sense.”

“Have you heard from Will or Chase?”

“No I was hoping you had.”

“No, not yet.  Well I’ll wait until I hear from them before I do go anywhere.  You guys go and see David and tell him I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

“Will do.”

“Okay I’ll speak to you later.”

Bobby hung up just as his office door opened, Abaddon walked into the room looking like a dog chewing a wasp.

“Who was that?”  He asked.

“Jane, apparently David tried to commit suicide last night.”

“Jesus, is he alright?”

“He’s in the hospital.  Her and Faraday are about to go and visit him.”

“What about Oswald?”

“Well Chase and Will are in New York, they found Josef Mengele, we believe he may be with Oswald and this Jacob Cohen.”

“Have they apprehended them?”

“I don’t know, we haven’t heard from them.”

“You run a real tight ship.”  Abaddon stated sarcastically, Hoover made a face so that only Bobby could see.  He was beginning to agree with Hoover.

“What did you want?”

“I wanted to warn you never to speak like that to me again.” Abaddon stated angrily.

“Are you joking?”

“Not at all.”

Bobby really wanted to smack Abaddon, but he thought better of it.  “No problem.”

“Edgar what are the FBI doing?”

“Well as I said we are tracking Jacob Cohen, if he is with Mengele then when Bobby’s team get in touch I’ll send agents out there.”

“Good, keep me posted.”

Chapter 14

Jane and Faraday arrived at Cape Cod Hospital just before 15:00.  They were taken to the Psychiatric Ward where David was being kept.  As Faraday walked along the corridor it brought back many painful memories, it was hard to believe that as important a person as Jane was to him, she had never known him when he was in the hospital.  It was certainly a blessing but he had never really discussed it with her in detail, which just seemed odd to him.

When they reached David’s room they were both surprised to discover that he looked worse than he had when he was admitted.  They entered the room and David looked absolutely terrified of them.

“Who are you?”  He yelled.

Jane looked to Faraday, he was as surprised as she was.  “It’s Jane and Faraday, you remember us.”  She explained.

“Stay back!  You’re not them!”

“We are David.”  Faraday clarified.

David leapt from the bed and moved to the far corner of the room, when he got there he crouched down.

“Stay back!”  He yelled.

They did as they were told.  “David we are your friends, we are not here to hurt you.”  Faraday spoke softly.

“Where is he?” 

“Who?”

“The man with the dogs, they killed her!”

Faraday was much more worried now, he had never experienced anything like this.  Jane also had no idea how to respond to David’s behaviour.  “Killed who?”  Faraday asked.

“The woman.”

“What woman?”

“Are you him?”

“Am I who?”

“The Dal-Tex man.  You’ve come for revenge!”

“David no one is here to hurt you.”

“Get out!”

Faraday pulled Jane by the arm and they went back in to the corridor.

“What the hell was that?”  Jane asked.

“I have no idea, I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

They walked towards the nurses’ station.  There was a brunette nurse sitting there filling out paperwork.

“Is there a doctor we can talk to about David Lewis?”

The nurse looked as if they were interrupting her from something far more important.  “Yes if you go back to the entrance of the ward and take a seat, I’ll send Dr Gottlieb along to you.”

“Thanks.”  Jane replied.

They did as they were instructed and headed towards the entrance of the ward.  They walked in silence, both of them still stunned by what they had seen.  The silence was only broken when David sprinted by them, being chased by the nurse they had just spoken to.