The Temporal (11 page)

“Sir, if I may ask, how old are you?”

The question seemed to startle him. He pulled the pipe from his mouth and repositioned his body to
face Sam more directly.

“
How old am I, you ask? Well, son, I’m old like Tithonus, whom the Greeks said was granted eternal life but not eternal youth. At least, that is how I’ve felt for the past millennium.”

Sam would have thought the man a loon had it not been for the past few days and... Suteko.

“What do we do? Suteko is gone.”

“
She will be here soon.”

“
How do you know? They might deport her.”

“
Have patience and... faith. She will come, my son.”

Sam remembered Suteko
’s note and somehow suspected the old man was right. Sam suspected, but he did not wholeheartedly believe.

Over the next few days, Sam stayed with the old man, learning and waiting. He discovered much about a type of reality he hadn’t known even to exist a month before.

The old man
’s skin was pale as if he rarely—if ever—got any sun. But by his knowledge of obscure places around the world, Sam knew he was no hermit. And yet, Sam never saw him leave the apartment. Twice, someone came to the door and the man had Sam hide in a closet in the back. As soon as he was allowed to come out of hiding, Sam saw groceries on the kitchen floor, but the old man was alone.

“
I know,” Sam said one evening after a light meal, “that you and Suteko are incredibly strong and we can hear these echoes and all that, but what other super powers do you, we, have?”

The old man laughed.
“Super powers, eh?” He began flapping his hands like a bird. “Do you expect me to fly and have X-Ray vision?” He squinted his eyes, pretending to see through Sam.

“
No, I mean…”

“
Of course. From a human perspective it may seem to be super power, all this. But it is simply the influence—a side effect—of contact with eternity, timelessness.”

“
What… can we do besides hearing the echoes? Will I also become strong and not need sleep?”

“
In time.” He laughed at his own joke eliciting a polite smile from Sam’s confused face. “Yes, as time slows its ravaging of your body, you will become strong. And I believe you have noticed your need for sleep has diminished greatly during the few days you have been here.”

“
Yes, I think I am almost normal—I mean, what used to be normal. Last night, I slept eight hours and I feel great. It seemed only a few days ago that I needed twenty-five hours.”

Sam told the old man of his experiences in that Japanese hospital. The horrific experience of a man with a face upon which he could not focus. How he was attacked by several of these men outside the hospital. How the old man who changed into an agile woman attacked him.

“
What were these creatures? Suteko just guessed they were ‘angels of darkness’ whatever that means.”

“
They are Nephloc. The woman who attacked you, however, is different. She is a leader over the Nephloc.”

“
Nephloc?”

“
Nephloc are creatures who cannot abide light.”

Images of RJ fighting the red-headed woman came back to Sam
’s mind. RJ had defeated his attacker with an awesomely bright light.

“
I remember now—you used light to repel the creature who attacked me.”

“
If it had been a Nephloc, she would have screamed from the pain. We were lucky that it was enough to startle her, to reveal who she really is,” the old man said while reaching into his pocket. “Take this.” He tossed his cigarette lighter to Sam.

“
This? This is what you used?”

“
A little light dispels great darkness. Insurance and a mighty weapon, it is.”

Sam marveled that the powerfully bright light he had witnessed had simply been the flickering flame of a tiny lighter. He slipped it into his pocket with a nod of thanks to RJ.

“Tell me more about these Nephloc. Where do they come from? Why did they draw my blood—what do they want from me?”

“
Dark, vile creatures. They are damned, cruel, and twisted. Lost, they are and their only purpose is to keep men lost, to enslave them. They roam the earth and the temporal universe in search of a way to sate their thirst and lusts. As for their interest in your blood… I do not know, but you have piqued my curiosity. I will research and meditate on this.”

“
And that smell. The Nephloc that attacked me had a stench that started very slight, but quickly became unbearable.”

“
Yes. The smell of rotting flesh. These are spiritual creatures locked in a dying physical world.”

“
But the woman, she had no foul smell—at least, none that I noticed.”

“
Yes,” the old man said, turning to the bookcase for his pipe. “This was a different sort.”

“
Is that why she could appear as you and then as that young woman?”

“
Yes. She is very dangerous. The Nephloc are servants of darkness—they do not think for themselves, only for their masters and their lusts. Young Nephloc with flesh still to rot are easily startled and tend to go out in groups. But mature Nephloc and others such as the one we encountered are different. Be careful. The creature had great interest in you.”

Sam thought back to that night when a few of the weaker Nephloc overpowered him
with ease.

Seeing the concern wrinkle Sam
’s face, the old man said, “There are always options for the good guys.” He had a twinkle in his eyes. “Even the Nephloc know they will lose.”

The old man turned to his bookcase again and finished stuffing his pipe.

“It is, however, very disturbing how bold these creatures have become. To come out in the open and risk so much to get to you. Perhaps they know time grows short.” The old man turned back to Sam, looking him over as if inspecting a high-priced item and wondering by what measure its worth was determined. “There is something about you that they want. I’m blind to it now, but take care of yourself, Sam. You are a wanted man. And you are wanted by the most vile creatures imaginable.” Seeing Sam’s face fill with concern, he added, “Do not worry too deeply, Sam. You are among friends. Suteko and I will protect you. And soon, you will be more than able to protect yourself.”

Suteko.
How can this old man know for sure she will come? Sam moved over to the corner that contained the stand-alone globe. It was set on a four foot metallic stand.

“
How many of the Temporal are there?” Sam asked while fingering Spain. Waiting for an answer, he let the globe spin, blurring countries and oceans into a bluish gray hue.

“
There are very few. It seems one of us appears about once or twice every hundred years. You, my son, are our newest member. It is always quite exciting when we find a new member.”

“
Are there others here in the States?” He stopped the globe and the tip of his index finger covered New York City. Sam’s eyes widened as he saw what appeared to be the old man’s face materializing over the dot that represented the City.

“
Other than me, there are four that I know of.”

“
No.” Sam spoke with conviction and kept his eyes locked on the green colored land mass representing the United States on the globe. His mouth opened and shut while wordlessly counting.

“
No?”

“
Sorry... I don’t understand it, but looking at this globe, I see faces. I see your face here and another face nearby. There are four other faces. Wisconsin, Florida, California, and in Texas. And I know their names, their addresses, their... I know their favorite color.”

“
Most extraordinary.” The old man flew to Sam’s side with the eagerness of a schoolboy having discovered a new way to torment girls. “Yes. Yes. I know of the ones in Wisconsin, California, and in Texas, but I was not aware of anyone in Florida.”

Sam
’s face showed a mix of horror and confusion. “What is happening to me? What does this mean?”

“
It means, my boy, that you have a special gift, a very special gift.”

“
Is this what the Nephloc wanted of me?”

“
There is no doubt this information would be most desirable to them. The woman demon must have known. But you told her nothing, right?”

Sam nodded in the affirmative.

The old man relaxed slightly. “Perhaps she isn’t certain that you have this gift. But I doubt she will give up. They would be very interested in you even if they only suspected you possessed such a gift. That blood. They may have ways of confirming your abilities with a blood sample.” The old man paused to light his pipe. After a few puffs, he continued. “A list of the Temporal in their hands would be devastating. I think it would be wise for you to keep this gift to yourself. Don’t even tell Suteko unless you feel you need to. The fewer who know, the less likely the knowledge will seep out.”

Sam nodded that he understood.

“Can the Temporal—can we be killed?”

“
Most assuredly. We are not immortal and we do age. I was in my thirties when I was initiated into the Temporal, but by my wrinkles and wizened features, one would assume I am in my seventies. However, instead of killing us, I suspect that they would try to turn us.”

“
Turn us... into one of them?”

“
Yes. Evil seeks more evil partly to validate themselves, partly to become stronger as a group. In the end, it will be of no matter. They will lose. But much unnecessary death and destruction would result should your talents be discovered. Much death.”

They spoke no more that day. Sam read
—at least attempted to read—while the old man seemed content to sit against a wall for hours at a time meditating or perhaps sleeping. RJ would often close his eyes like that. Sam wasn’t sure if he was just thinking or if his aged body simply needed more sleep even if he was one of the Temporal.

Sam waited and looked for Suteko
’s appearance. Every day, the old man assured him she was coming. Every day, she failed to appear.

But Sam learned to listen. The old man would tell
him to breathe slowly and listen between breaths. Listen for the Echoes of Eternity. As the days came and went, Sam’s ears grew sharper; his control became stronger and more accurate. One day, he realized he could tune his ears to have the echoes sound on command. The old man was ecstatic with glee saying he had never heard of a young Temporal who had progressed so far, so quickly.

But
this brought Sam no satisfaction. The one voice he yearned to hear was silent. He could not hear her.

New York City

Agent Cobbs had names. Sam Williams was the guy who got away but didn
’t disappear. Yoko Aoki was the woman who got away by disappearing. This was undoubtedly an alias. Her American passport was a fake—hence the reason for pulling her aside at customs.

But Cobbs knew Sam Williams was a real name.

The man had used his credit card—a card that had a ten year history—to get to New York City. More importantly, Williams had used that same card to get a taxi to his destination. After tracking down the cab driver, Cobbs knew which building the man had entered into a few days before. The delays in attaining a warrant had irritated Cobbs to no end. He knew if he had received it when he asked for it, the two—or at least Williams—would already be in his custody.

Now, however, any activity on William
’s card went straight to Cobbs.

While waiting for the warrant, he had two plainclothes NYPD officers staked out across the street watching everyone who came in and out of that building. He figured even if the man wasn
’t there, it was possible that the woman still might come.

Meanwhile, Cobbs spent his time at the library or scouring the internet for anything that could explain what he saw on that video feed from New Orleans.

The closest thing he found was a website that reportedly taught the ancient Egyptian art of invisibility. One, it claimed, could will oneself invisible. All the website required to unlock the mystery was a $49 charge to a credit card.

As before, Sam was told to hide in the back closet. Someone was knocking at the old man
’s apartment door.

The other two times took less than a minute before the old man came to get him. This time, it
was taking longer. Sam heard noises made indistinct and muffled by the many coats around him. He strained his ear to the wall that separated him from the rest of the apartment, but he couldn’t make out anything. Minutes passed. A distinct fear began to creep within Sam.

He heard a scream
—or something like a scream from the other room.

The old man was in trouble
.

Sam made the decision to help RJ. The old man
had, after all, saved his life. Rushing out, Sam no longer tried to keep quiet but hoped his loud footsteps would be enough to scare the attacker away. It could be a young Nephloc. Young Nephloc, he had been told, were easily frightened. He pulled out the lighter that he had kept religiously in his right pocket and readied himself.

Flinging the door to the front room open, Sam
nearly tripped over himself. It was not an attacker. The sounds he had heard were not screams at all. They were sounds of merriment and great relief.

Suteko was back.

“Oh, Sam,” she said rushing from the old man’s arms and into Sam’s. “I so desperately wanted to see you these past few days.”

“
You, you’re alive!”

“
Of course. Didn’t Marcus tell you I was coming?” She gave the old man a mildly reprimanding look. The old man held up his hands as if he was blameless in the matter.

“
Marcus? Well, RJ here told me you were coming but he gave me no reason why he knew that. Did you call him to tell him you were on your way?” Sam realized he hadn’t seen a phone, cell phone, or any communication device—not even a computer. It seemed the highest technology around was the bound book.

“
Marcus is the most experienced of us. He has a closer relationship with eternity than I or anyone else I know. Sometimes it causes him to forget social etiquette within time and this mundane world,” Suteko said, stepping back to give Marcus a loving pat on the back.

“
Why did it take you so long?” asked Sam.

“
I couldn’t have gone with you. I left you a note—did you not get it?”

“
A note? Oh, I thought... I thought you had placed that in my pocket while I was sleeping on the plane—before we landed.”

“
I am sorry. I could have explained more, but I did not want to do anything that could have endangered you. Being seen with me before the incident was dangerous enough. And I couldn’t have joined you on the plane to Manhattan.”

She pulled the two men in closer, forming a triangular huddle.
“Sam, I found the building, the one with the bomb.”

“
Did you disarm the bomb, child?” asked Marcus.

“
There was nothing there. The explosion we saw in our visions is yet to come. I waited a few days to see if the place was being watched, but I saw nothing unusual.”

“
I wish I could have been with you,” Sam said, feeling his emotions building within.

She took Sam
’s hand, causing every ounce of fear and uncertainty to disappear. He marveled how her touch always seemed to immediately dispel stress and pain. No one else had ever had that effect on him.

“
You needed to spend time with Marcus. He is an excellent teacher. I can see already that you have learned control. I didn’t mean to stay away so long, but I decided to hitch-hike most of the way—just to be safe. I had very little cash and the last safe credit card I had, I had already used once in Japan. It was too risky to use a quicker mode of transportation.”

“
My dear children,” Marcus said with a suddenly pale face. “I am sorry to interrupt... But you must leave. You must leave now.” Marcus’ voice wavered as he warned them of the echoes he had just heard.

“
What is it Marcus?” Suteko asked sensing the urgency in his face and cracking voice.

“
An Agent Cobbs is searching for you. If you are to stop the bomb, you must make sure he doesn’t find you here. Later, yes, but not here, not now.”

“
Where is he?”

“
Near. He has two policemen waiting for you downstairs. Undoubtedly they reported Suteko’s arrival. Quick, to the fire escape.”

Suteko followed Sam as he lifted the window open and began to climb out onto the outside open steel grating. Sam hesitated. They were only on the
second floor, but it seemed much higher from the window than it had from the ground.

There were knocks on Marcus
’ door.

“
Hurry!”

Sam swallowed his fear and rushed outside and then down to the second floor platform followed closely by Suteko. Sam grabbed either side of the metal and began to slide the lowest level ladder on its track
, falling down with it.

“
Stop! You are under arrest!”

Sam saw
a police officer running into view just under the ladder. Without much thought, Sam grabbed the railing and kicked his legs out to his right while holding onto the falling ladder with his hands. His legs swung into the police officer, knocking the officer to the ground. His head bounced on asphalt and made a horribly loud cracking noise.

Sam, now also on the ground, paused when he saw the officer was not getting up. Suteko was at the officer
’s side before Sam could blink. Her hand was spread wide, covering the man’s face.

“
He will be okay. Let’s go.”

Sam paused before following Suteko
’s lead. He looked back at the unconscious officer.

“
Sorry!” Sam said and then rushed to catch up with Suteko.