A Year to Forget (The Accidental Time Travellers Book 2) (16 page)

“There must be a way, we all got here and we can all get back.  We just need to find out where the wormhole will be.”

“I understand your point but how are we supposed to do that?”

“Maybe it will appear in Dallas?”

“I don’t think it works that way, I lived there for years and the only times it ever appeared was when you guys came through it.”

“So we’re just stuck here!  I have nothing left to stay for!”

“The three of us are in the same boat Faraday.  David lost Sharon, you lost Jane and I have lost Nancy.  We have each other.”

Faraday nodded his understanding.  “Then the three of us need to get back home, we need to help David get her back.”

“We have to be realistic, we are stuck here.  There is no way back, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

“We don’t belong here.”

“I’ve been living in the past much longer than I lived in the time after I was born.  I’m used to it and look at you Faraday, you haven’t aged a day since you got here.  I know you’re still young but I noticed that Jane had aged a little, and David has aged.  You might be like me and if you are it means we have all the time in the world.”

Faraday had considered this previously, he too had noticed Jane age slightly.  Perhaps he was immortal, but even if he was he didn’t want to wait all that time to see his family again.

“So what do you think we should do?”  Faraday asked.

“I think we should find Jacob Cohen, it’s our job and he’s still the only lead we have.”

“He didn’t do it Bobby and I’m more concerned with that fucking Will.  I don’t give a shit about our job.”

Chapter 33

Richard Nixon took his seat in the Oval Office, it was 15:00 on Tuesday 25
th
February.  He resented the fact that this was still not his office but he had no intention of giving up the hunt, the next election would be his.  He waited for Kennedy to explain why he had been invited, he presumed it wouldn’t be anything positive.

Bobby Kennedy looked at his old adversary, he had a face that made him impossible to trust.  He was the type of man that if he sold you a used car or even a new car for that matter, you could be sure that a half mile down the road the wheels would fall off.  His top lip was wet with perspiration, this had been a key reason his brother Jack had won a television debate against Nixon.  He just didn’t look like a President, far less did he act like a President.  He was as dodgy as they come.

“So Richard, do you know why I asked you here today?”  Bobby asked jovially.

“No I can’t say that I do.”

“Well Richard as you may be aware we are currently trying to track down a man named Jacob Cohen, he caused the death of Lee Harvey Oswald and is a former CIA agent.  We are aware he is receiving financial support from someone wealthy, someone that has an interest in my not being President anymore.”

“And you assume it must be me?”  Nixon asked angrily.

“No of course not, but you do fit the bill Richard.  You have done well in your life to go from humble beginnings to where you are now.  I am not trying to suggest you have dodgy dealings or anything of the sort but I wanted to ask you man to man if you knew anything about it?”

“Mr President allow me to speak frankly.  I did not grow up with the same benefits that you did, my Daddy hadn’t made his millions through illegal activities.  He led a good honest life and we had to work for everything we got.  Your Daddy spent the prohibition era sidling up to the Mafia and cutting crooked deals.  I know why you got into the White House, and why your brother was here before you, you got here because your Daddy bought the votes.  I have worked for everything I have achieved, I went to law school and worked hard and over the years, and I moved up the ladder myself.  I am a self made man Mr President, and I didn’t get here by lying or cheating as your family did.  So to answer your question, I know absolutely nothing about it, but what I would warn you is that you shouldn’t be surprised when people criticize you for the immoral things you and your family have done.”  Nixon smiled as he finished speaking.

Bobby had no idea how to respond to that statement, Nixon had just blown him out of the water. 

“Well I am glad to hear that Richard because whoever it is will not get away with it.  Thank you for coming in.  It must be nice for you to see the inside of the Oval Office and to think of what might have been.”

“I wouldn’t be so smug Mr President, the people have lost faith in your hippie, free love reign.  Now is the time for action, but we all know that you are not a man of action, are you?”

“Richard I have run for President twice and won both times, whereas you have run twice and lost both times, I think that should tell you what the people want.”

“You were elected because of your brother’s death, the people seem to think that he was a good President.”

“He was the greatest President this country has ever had.”

“Which is why he was assassinated by the people.”  Nixon added sarcastically.

“He wasn’t assassinated by the people, he was murdered by men like you Richard.”

“Well I’m sorry to say that you may well be assassinated by the people if you don’t begin to do what is best for the nation.”

“Are you involved in this?”  Kennedy asked again.

“I don’t need to plot your downfall Mr President, you seem to be doing a good job of that yourself.”

“If this country was in your hands we would already be involved in a nuclear war!”  Kennedy shouted.

“Your damn right we would!  I wouldn’t let the Russians attack us, or place nuclear warheads in Cuba.  What the hell is Castro still doing in Cuba?”

“I don’t want him there either, but I don’t think it is worth risking a nuclear holocaust.”

“Communism must be destroyed.”

“I couldn’t agree more Richard, but not through war.  People must see that democracy works and then they will want democracy, the people have the power.”

“You are beginning to sound like a communist, Mr President.”

“You are beginning to sound like a Nazi, Mr Nixon.”

Chapter 34

The man was crying on the bed in the studio apartment, he had taken quite some time to track down, which had annoyed Jacob greatly.

“Stop your snivelling Garrett!”  Jacob shouted.

“I’m sorry, please you don’t have to do this.”  Garrett tried.  He knew there was no use in pleading for mercy, he had known Jacob Cohen for many years.

“I do have to do this Garrett because you betrayed us.  You betrayed the CIA you piece of shit!”

“I didn’t know what else to do!”  Garrett cried.

“I’ll tell you what you should have done.  You should have kept your mouth shut, do you have any idea of the damage you have done to this country?”

Garrett nodded as the tears ran down his face.  He tried to scan the room for any weapons that were lying around, but there were none, his only way out was the one small window in the tiny apartment.  Jacob was blocking the door and he knew he was no match for Jacob.

“Who helped you?”  Jacob asked.

“No one, I’ve told you I worked everything out myself.”

“So you only told Bobby Stinson?”

Garrett nodded again.

“Have you spoken to him since then?”

“No honestly, I know nothing.”

“You’re not here for what you know Garrett, if you had just kept your mouth shut there would be no need for you to die.”

“We serve the President, I was doing the right thing!”  Garrett yelled.

Jacob laughed hysterically at Garrett’s words.  “We serve the country, not the President.  I would like you to make a phone call for me, if you do it I’ll let you live.”

Garrett looked up at the man, he didn’t believe him but there was no other choice.  “Who do you want me to phone?”

“Bobby Stinson.”  Jacob replied with a smile.  He removed a piece of paper from his the pocket of his black trousers, he was wearing a matching black shirt.  “Everything I want you to say is on there, his number is at the top.  Just say what is written down and I will let you live, if you say anything else, then I will kill you.”

Garrett nodded his understanding.  He read the letter briefly and then picked up the phone, his hand shaking.  Once he had dialled he waited for the voice of the only man who would be able to save him.

“Hello.”

“Is that Bobby Stinson?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“This is Garrett Underhill, we met just before the Kennedy assassination.”

“I remember, how are you?”

“I’m calling to let you know that Jacob Cohen is with me, he has been highly amused watching you and your idiot, eye patch wearing friend.  He was amused when he found out that your family had died.  He said that it is probably Karma for everything you have both done to our country.  He said that he expected better from you, and that you seem to have no idea what you are doing, perhaps it would be better to hand in your resignation now, before anyone else is killed.”

“Where are you?”

“I can’t answer any questions, will you resign and admit to the media what you have done?”

“What have I done?”

“You framed the CIA and Lyndon Johnson.”

“No I didn’t.”

“If you don’t say you are going to resign, more people will die.”

“Tell him I’m coming for him.”

Bobby did not hear a response on the line, all he heard was a gunshot, followed by laughter.

Once Jacob had pulled the trigger he lifted the receiver.  “Hello Bobby it’s nice to finally talk to you.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No you did.”

“Did you kill Nancy, Clint and Jane?”

Jacob laughed.  “Maybe.”

“I will kill you!”

Jacob laughed again.  “I think not.  I wanted to give you a chance to do the right thing, we both know Hoover will join the winning side, but you seem loyal to that idiot in the White House.  If you and your friend resign, we will leave you alone.”

“You think I’m going to let you kill my family and get away with it?”  Bobby shouted.

“I’ll keep killing if you don’t!”

Bobby thought for a moment, if he would stop, perhaps resigning wouldn’t be the worst idea.  “No one else will die?”  

Jacob laughed.  “I didn’t say that, but I’ll let you, the pirate and your doctor friend live.”

“Who else will die?”

Jacob laughed again.  “I can’t tell you that.  Thousands, maybe even millions.  But no one else needs to die if both you and Kennedy resign.”

“Kennedy is going nowhere.”  Bobby answered

“Well then I can’t stop yet.”

“Well then neither can I.”

Jacob laughed.  “Good, I want to kill you anyway.  Just to give you a little clue, look to the sky and there you’ll see me.”

“What does that mean?”

The line went dead.

Chapter 35

David knocked gently on the cabin door, he heard Howard’s response and then entered.

“Dr Lewis, how are you this evening?”

“I’m looking forward to getting home to tell you the truth.  May I sit down?”

Howard stared at David’s clothing, he had not changed since he got here.  “I’d rather you didn’t.”

David was slightly taken aback.  Howard rose from the table holding a box of tissues in one hand and a tissue in the other.  He lifted the waste paper basket with the tissue and slowly walked over to David, as if David were a lion. 

“Take three tissues.”  He instructed.

David went to do it.

“Don’t touch the box!”  Howard shouted.

David gently removed three tissues.

“Use one for each hand and use the other to wipe the door handle when you leave.”

“No problem.”  David replied, slightly bewildered.

Howard slowly walked back to his desk, not once taking his eyes from David.  He sat down and watched for a moment before speaking.

“What can I do for you?”

“I was just wondering how much longer this is going to take?”

“We should be there in a few hours.  Hopefully the Russian will be able to tell us which portions of the ship have the warheads and the codes, and we will carefully remove it.  Once that is done we will be able to head back.”