The Temporal (12 page)

To New Orleans

Paid for with a prepaid Visa from Marcus, Suteko and Sam left on an Amtrak from Penn Station directly to New Orleans. It was a thirty hour trip, but Sam was amazed that he only needed a few hours of sleep.

The train ride was enjoyable despite the recent traumatic events and the nightmare that Sam knew awaited them at their destination. Even after the long trip, he stepped off the train feeling energized. Suteko was back
—and physically, he was at the top of his game.

They began walking toward the taxi area as curiosity got the better of Sam.
“Suteko, do you know how many of the Temporal there are?”

She shook her head indicating the negative.
“I’ve, of course, met a number of us, maybe a dozen or so, but as for the exact number, I think only the old man knows.”

“
You’ve never asked him?”

“
No. I’ve never thought it necessary. The less we all know about each other the better. Of course, I enjoy meeting others—as I did you—but it is safer for us to be spread out.”

“
Safer? What do you mean?” Sam had a worried look that directly mirrored his inner feelings.

“
You do remember the dark creatures that attacked you in Japan, don’t you?”

“
How could I forget?”

“
Did you ask Marcus about them?”

“
He called them the Nephloc.”

“
Nephloc.” Her face flashed with recognition.

“
You know what they are?”

“
I’ve only heard stories. I wasn’t even sure they existed. But yes, I know of them.” She stopped walking as if to organize her thoughts before speaking, “That would explain the complexity of what we are up against. Sam,” she said, turning her full attention to him, “We will find and stop that bomb in New Orleans, but we must keep a sharp eye out for any danger. You must stay close to me.”

“
I will. I don’t know what’s going on, but I have no intention of leaving your side.”

She smiled, took his hand, and began walking again.
“The cab area should be just over there.”

Minutes later, Sam and Suteko were in a taxi and zooming toward their destination. Approaching the area, both Suteko and Sam were captivated by the scenery. They felt a familiarity and closeness to a place that neither of them had ever stepped foot in. Sam was with the woman of his dreams in a place he’d had nightmares about. It was a strange feeling, a mixture of completed joy with a dangerous puzzle yet to be solved.

“
That’ll be nine twenty,” said the cab driver to Sam as Suteko busily gathered her thoughts and continued to gaze at the strange scenery that was so familiar.

Suteko was still staring out
of her window when she realized the driver was swiping Sam’s credit card.

“
No!”

Suteko
’s shout startled both the driver and Sam.

“
Not by credit card.”

“
Sorry, Ma’am, but it already went through.”

Sam looked at her and suddenly realized how Agent Cobbs was able to find them in New York. He had used a credit card to get to LaGuardia and then for a cab to the old man
’s place.

“
My card... I’m sorry, Suteko. So sorry.”

“
It’s okay. I’ll pay next time,” she said with a smile mostly for the benefit of the driver. “Let’s get out and take a walk.”

Once the taxi left, Sam said,
“I didn’t think. I can’t believe how stupid I am. I forgot that credit card transactions leave a record.” Sam hung his head in defeat. “I wouldn’t make much of a spy, would I?”

“
Come on. Let’s just find the bomb and get out of here. The building is just up ahead.”

Sam
’s eyes focused on the surroundings. As sorry as he had been for potentially leading Agent Cobbs to them, the scenery’s familiarity overtook him. He lost any memory of his potentially dangerous mistake. It was like reliving the dream, the nightmare. He mentally replayed the events and began walking toward the building from which he knew at some point, people would drop down dead.

Sam had them cross the street. He wanted to get closer to the exact position he was at in the dream. Eventually, they found the spot from which they had witnessed the explosion in the dream. It startled Sam and Suteko that both of their perspectives had been from the same vantage point
—only two feet apart.

Suteko held her hand out and prevented him from walking farther.
“Shh... Listen. Close your eyes. Let’s stop a moment here and listen to the echoes.”

Suteko and Sam spent the next few minutes standing still, listening. People passed by making comments at the odd couple, but their words went unnoticed by the two.

Sam felt a breeze but not from the wind. His body was moving swiftly but his feet were stationary. It seemed there were a multitude of vehicles with sirens approaching and then receding from all directions. He heard the Doppler effect of a beautiful arrangement of frequencies coming and going all around.

Then it all stopped.

Suteko was in front of him pointing to some distant object. It was a puff of smoke. It poured out from a door, from some old building ahead—it was the building they had seen in that old Japanese book.

“
Do you see it?”

“
Yes, Suteko.”

Immediately, they were back in the present.

“Hurry. It will happen very soon.”

She took his hand and they began to run toward the building that would
—at some point in the near future—spew out deadly smoke.

“
Are you ready?” Suteko said, stopping short of the building.

“
No, I’ll never be ready, but let’s do it.”

The old
Anderson theater building had been converted into a multi-office complex. It was a Sunday and the offices were closed, but the building itself was left open daily from eight in the morning to ten at night. They entered the public area and, remembering their dreams, they realized the bomb would be detonated from there—it would be, at some point in the future.

No one was around and the two spent the next fifteen minutes searching. There was a large metal desk against a wall that could hide a
suitcase bomb, but a quick search revealed nothing out of the ordinary. The only other possible place for the bomb was behind and under a large stairwell. Above, there were three closed doors on the second floor. There were paintings on the walls and two potted plants near the entrance, but no other obvious place that could hide something larger than a mouse. Nothing had changed since Suteko had seen it days earlier. There was no bomb.

They tried the three office doors but
the doors were all locked.

Should we break in?
” Sam asked, hoping she would answer in the negative. Just the thought of an unlawful breaking and entering a month ago would have been absolutely absurd. Now, however, Sam would do anything to stop the bomb from going off.

“
No, I think the explosion will originate from this open room. Probably under the desk. I remember seeing a flash of fire and then smoke in the dream. We wouldn’t see that from any of the adjoining rooms.”

“
Then, what do we do?”

“
I don’t know,” she said while pushing the door open to walk outside.

“
You aren’t supposed to say that—you are supposed to know everything.”

She turned to look him in the eye.
“No, Sam. I know very little. I’m just like you even if I have more experience.”

“
What if the Nephloc win? What would happen?”

She smiled in a way that provided little comfort to Sam.
“Remember, we were given this gift and this vision to stop these senseless deaths from occurring. And if that isn’t comforting enough, just know that, ultimately, they can’t win the war.”

“
Yeah, that’s what RJ—Marcus believes. But can they win the battle?”

“
Yes,” Suteko sighed, “they can win the battle.”

She pointed across the street at a cafe.
“For now, let’s wait there. We can rest and keep an eye on the target.”

They settled into a padded, but still somehow uncomfortable, chair. With their coffees and beignets in hand, both sets of eyes kept watch. Traffic was heavy, people were taking Sunday strolls on the sidewalks.

It seemed so normal, so peaceful, as
mid-day turned to late afternoon. They had spent three hours watching from the cafe, walking up and down the block, and standing in front of a street-performer with a saxophone.

“
What are we looking for?” Sam asked.

“
Actually, you have more experience with Nephloc than I do. Perhaps you can tell me? I was a good distance when I scared those Nephloc away in front of the hospital that night. I only saw black shapes. At the time, I had no clue what they were.”

“
Neither did I. Black shapes... That is probably the best way to describe them. They wore dark clothes—heavy clothes even in the heat. Marcus said they are highly sensitive to light. I suppose the clothes are to protect their skin from any light.”

“
Did Marcus say anything more about them?”

“
Suteko, I was attacked by one of their leaders, a woman.”

“
A woman?”

“
Bright red hair, she looks to be no older than you appear, but I assume that too is an illusion.”

“
Red hair... So you saw her face?”

“
I saw her faces.”

Suteko just looked at Sam and waited for him to elaborate.

“She can change her appearance, Suteko. She approached me pretending to be Marcus. When I resisted, she changed into her—what I think is her natural or at least default appearance. Marcus said she was very dangerous, much more so than the regular Nephloc.”

“
This just doesn’t happen, Sam. I’ve heard stories, but in those stories the Nephloc are timid creatures who only attack the weak and helpless. They don’t risk discovery unless there is something they really, really want.”

Sam nodded but said nothing more.

The two waited one more hour sipping coffee and trying to appear as if they were two lovers waiting out the heat of the day.

“Let’s find a hotel,” Suteko said, seeing a heavy sleepy look cover Sam’s face. “I can’t be sure, but the timing in the dream seemed to be mid-day. Plus, the manager will lock the building soon, and we will draw suspicion if we loiter here too long.”

“
Yes, but it is strange they would choose mid-day since the Nephloc are creatures of the night.”

“
I suspect, Sam, that they have human allies.”

“
In that case, our job of spotting the bomber just became much harder. Now anyone who walks into that building is a suspect.”

They found an old hotel a block away. Suteko pulled the book from her backpack to study while Sam settled into the bed. The number of hours
he needed to sleep had greatly diminished, but when he became sleepy, he was intensely sleepy and became so quickly. It was a little after midnight when his eyes would no longer stay open.

New Orleans

Sam awoke a little before seven in the morning. Suteko was gone, but she had left a note saying she was off buying supplies and that he should stay there. She showed up shortly thereafter with two large cups of coffee and a bag of donuts, bagels, and waffles.

“
I didn’t know what you would want for breakfast, so I brought a few choices.”

“
Thanks,” he said, grabbing a bagel. “Did you check out the location this morning?”

“
Yes,” she said, shaking her head. “Nothing’s changed, but we need to go. The building will open at eight—thirty minutes from now. It won’t take someone experienced very long to plant a bomb.”

The two seated themselves in the coffee shop to watch for any activity across the street. They had seen only two people turn into the building. Both times, Sam or Suteko had walked outside to investigate and saw someone entering one of the locked rooms. Both individuals had clearly been tenants and not the bomber.

Sam was up
ordering a cup of black coffee when he saw someone walking across the street carrying a large bag with some department store logo on it. Even before the man turned into the old theater, he knew that was the bomber. Sam ran back to Suteko’s table before his coffee was ready. “It’s him.”

“
Who? No one has entered…”

“
Watch—that man will enter. He is the one.”

“
How do you know?” she said as they both began to rush toward the door.

Sam knew it was his gift. He could tell the man had been around and influenced by the Nephloc. The man was human, but it was clear to Sam that this was their guy.
The man, wearing round, antique-style glasses, looked to be in his sixties. He walked slumped over and with his head down, but even at that distance, Sam could see the evil intent in his eyes, the result of having come into contact with the Nephloc.

“
He was carrying a large bag that seemed heavy, and I think I’ve seen him in my dreams.” Remembering the old man’s warning, he didn’t go into detail about why he was able to sense the Nephloc’s presence. “It’s him. Let’s go.”

But before they could, a voice growled in front of them, blocking the exit.
“Stop where you are, Samuel Williams.”

They had been too engrossed in discovering the bomber. They had forgotten to watch for Agent Cobbs. He had found them and while it wasn
’t in sight, he was gripping his service pistol hidden in his coat pocket. His other hand held up his credentials. They were the only customers, but the barista meekly retreated to a back room.

“
You too, lady, whatever your real name is. Hands behind your back and on your knees. And lady, if you disappear, I’ll shoot your friend here.” Sam gave Suteko a puzzled look and then quickly obeyed the agent’s commands. “Being deported to Japanese justice is one thing, but you,” he pointed to Sam. “Assaulting a police officer is quite another. We don’t take too kindly to that. Get on the ground. NOW!”

Cobbs approached them with his gun now drawn.
Sam could see two plainclothes officers waiting outside flashing their credentials at passersby and warning them to stay clear.

“
You are making a mistake. There’s a bomb. We just saw the man entering the building across the street to plant the bomb.”

“
Sure there is. I suppose you brought the bomb from your checked luggage?”

Sam realized Agent Cobbs would never believe them.

“No,” Sam said with a voice trying to imagine how a terrorist might sound. “We… we are part of a terrorist cell. We were ordered here to set the bombs. Others brought the explosives. We haven’t any time! You must stop it.”

Suteko looked at Sam and nodded her approval.

“If you set the bombs, why do you want to stop them?” Cobb’s grin that had oozed superiority quickly switched to a grimace.

Seeing Sam
’s blank stare, Suteko spoke up. “The end plan was for us to escape. We are not doing that right now. I don’t want to die when the bomb goes off.”

“
All right you son-of-a-bitch, if you are lying—so help me God.” He leaned down, grabbed Sam’s arms, and cuffed them behind his back. “Lead me to your bomb.”

Sam nodded but looked at Suteko.

“Remember, I have a gun,” Agent Cobbs said and nudged him toward the door. “You,” he said, pointing at Suteko, “stay here with these two gentlemen. And remember if you disappear, I have your friend and these two officers aren’t fast enough to stop me from hurting him.” The two policemen entered and after flipping the open sign on the door to read “closed,” one of them motioned for Suteko to sit.

Heading to the door, Sam tried to relax enough to hear the voices. He had become fairly proficient at it, but in the present extreme situation, he was failing completely. He had to guess: the desk or the stairwell
—or was it there at all? Was the man he saw really the terrorist? He had been so sure, but now nothing seemed knowable. Just before stepping out, he turned back and asked, “The bomb, Suteko—where is it?”

“
It is under the stairwell,” Suteko said, listening to the echoes. “Be careful. There is an armed man in there.”

Sam nodded
as he turned to face a bomb in front of him; behind him was a federal officer holding a gun. Sam took a deep breath and then led Cobbs to the crosswalk.

“
Mr. Williams, you will go first and tell your goon to lower his weapon. Remember I have a weapon at your head and despite all this friendly chit-chat, I’m not in a good mood.”

“
The gunman doesn’t know me. He will shoot me if I go in first.”

“
You’re smart. You’ll think of something.” He nudged Sam forward. “Cross the street.”

McGregor had been too busy setting up the device to notice the commotion across the street. He screamed as Sam was pushed through the door followed by an agent with a gun. McGregor grabbed the SIG P226 the woman had given him and let off three shots before the two intruders could take shelter behind the desk.

McGregor had a
secret gun fetish. He had always dreamed of holding a smoking gun, imagining the smell and the pose to be something heroic.

Thankfully for Sam, dreaming was all the experience he
’d had. The three bullets lodged deep into the door frame.

Through the metal legs of the desk, Sam could see two canisters near a tiny mechanical device. The whole thing, canisters and all, could be held in two hands. On its side was an LED clock indicating the bomb was to go off in thirty-six hours.

Suddenly the 36:00:00 changed to 00:00:60 and a countdown began. McGregor had activated the panic button.

Grabbing a vase on the nearby table, Cobbs let it fly across the room, shattering against the ceramic tile. McGregor turned
in the direction of the crash and let off another shot. He was about to pull the trigger another time when Cobbs fired three rounds. McGregor crumbled to the floor.

But the countdown continued.
Forty-four seconds…

Cobbs grabbed Sam and shoved him toward the bomb. Sam toppled over without the full use of his hands
which were still cuffed behind his back. His face met the hard dirty tile floor.

Thirty-eight seconds...

“Disarm it—now!”

“
I can’t. I swear. This isn’t my bomb. We came here to stop the bomber! I can’t,” Sam shouted, struggling to lift himself off the floor with his arms bound by handcuffs.

The terrorist
had done a job. He had been in the process of bolting the device down. Although he only had one bolt in place, removing the bolt and finding a place for a safe explosion wasn’t an option. The bomb wasn’t about to move and Cobbs was no bomb guy.

Twenty-five seconds...

“Move it!” Cobbs said as one hand grabbed Sam’s arm and yanked him to his feet.

Sam and Cobbs ran out the door and back into the street yelling for people to evacuate.

Sixteen seconds...

Screams.
It’s a bomb!
A mother was frantically searching for her child.

Sam
’s shoulders bobbled back and forth with his hands still restrained behind. He ran to Suteko shaking his head. “The bomb... it is going to go off.”

Just as he finished speaking
—as if on cue—a bright light sparked out of the old theater. It seemed incredibly bright, but only for a moment. The flame withdrew as quickly as it appeared.

Sighs of relief echoed throughout the vicinity. The bomb had malfunctioned
, and other than the bomber, there had been no casualties. The dozen or so pedestrians nearby smiled and congratulated each other. They had escaped what seemed only seconds before to be a deadly situation.

Sam smiled at Suteko who
immediately held up her hand in a way that made his heart stop.

Sam watched in helpless horror as an elderly man in a wheelchair who happened to be nearest to the old theater curled up and fell off his chair. Next was a woman; she fell
dead almost as quickly.

Sam watched, completely unable to do anything as the domino of bodies began to topple toward them.