Luke's Quest 01 - Prisoner Of Time (v5.0), page 27
I hadn’t told Willie about that day. I could hear the changes in his breathing. He was becoming very angry. The laser dot appeared on Richard's forehead.
"Polk became obsessed with Lisa," Richard continued. "He wanted her. He didn't want to have sex with her, but he would talk about her. He kept saying he had plans for her."
Now I knew what Polk had meant that day at the house when he had slashed open my jeans pocket with his knife. He intended to cut Lisa as a means of torture. I grew sick and angry at the same time.
Richard was very nervous now. "If I don't get the device back by the first of the year, Polk has told me he’s going to kill me. When you phoned tonight," he sobbed, "I thought you were one of his men. I’ve known he would kill Amy and me ever since he killed Jeff and Betty."
"Why did he kill them?" I asked.
"When Jeff went to your house, he thought it was just to look for the device. Betty really liked you when she met you at the party. Jeff told Betty about the beating Samuel had given you. They were going to leave because she was so terrified. They tried to walk away, so he killed them."
"What about Lisa's car that night in Batesville?" I asked.
"He must have just made a mistake is all I can guess," Richard shrugged. Richard appeared to calm down a little since he was no longer talking about himself being in danger. It seemed when he thought about things in a logical manner, he relaxed some and composed himself. "It was strange. Doug was driving Samuel’s Jeep at the time. I really think Doug may have wanted to kill Lisa before Samuel could harm her. I guess he does care about her in a twisted way.”
As the picture became clearer, I had to force myself to control my rage. I was ready to kill both Doug and Samuel right then. If I had seen them, I believe I’d have killed them. I was so angry with them, I forgot about Richard. Then I noticed Willie had the little laser dot on him again. I took a deep breath.
"Richard," I asked more calmly than I felt, "do you want out of this mess?"
"More than you can ever know! But Samuel will kill Amy and me if we try to leave," he whimpered.
"I can get you out of this mess," I told him.
"How?" he asked with his eyes growing wide. "What agency employs you?"
"Never mind," I told him. "You'll have to earn my help."
"Anything I can do, I will," he readily promised.
"First," I began, "Amy’s safe and fine. She hasn’t been hurt in any way. Furthermore, I give you my word I’ll not hurt her."
Richard sighed. "Thank God! I was so scared Samuel had her, and I knew she would be in danger then!"
"She and Lisa went out to eat. I asked Lisa to get Amy out of the way so I could talk to you. Honestly, I was ready to kill you when I put you in the van, but I’m going to give you one last chance."
"Anything," he said. "I’ll do anything."
"Disconnect the bug," I told him. "Keep watching the time devices for strange signals, as that may be the only way I have to signal you. Find a way not to let Polk monitor me." He nodded as I gave him his instructions. "You have my cell phone number," I continued. "If there is any problem, let me know as soon as you can."
"Sure," he replied.
"But," I said, putting my Berretta between his eyes and pressing the muzzle against his forehead, "if anything happens to Lisa, I’ll kill you and everyone else there."
"I believe you," he said, his eyes shut tight with fear.
"We would do it," Willie stressed, "in a matter of minutes."
Willie drove us back to town. I released Richard from his handcuffs and let him out at the courthouse square.
"Richard," I said, "I’m counting on you. I really believe you would rather cooperate with me than work for Samuel."
He nodded.
"Just remember, Samuel will kill you; I might."
Willie drove away with those words still ringing in Richard's ears.
"Drive back to his house, but keep hidden," I ordered Willie.
Willie did as I requested. It was getting late, but my hunch was correct. By the time Lisa and Amy drove into the driveway, Richard was waiting for them. He waved to Lisa and gave Amy a tight hug.
"He thought he had lost her tonight," Willie observed.
"I know that feeling," I said. "I hope he remembers forever the feeling of being reunited with her."
When Lisa pulled out, Willie started to follow her. "What are you doing?" I yelled.
"I thought we could visit with her for a few minutes." He was feeling me out after my earlier hateful actions toward her, I suspected.
"Hell, no! Turn off right now," I pleaded pointing toward a side road. He was stunned by my reaction. "She might think we are Polk's men about to run her off the road," I explained. "Let her go home. She needs her rest."
"We are this close," he said. "You can call her. She would meet us somewhere."
"Not tonight, Willie," I answered him. "Please, not tonight."
"No," he insisted. He took a firm stand. He flashed the headlights, then sped up to pull the van beside her. She was scared until she saw me. We stopped at the next parking lot. Willie looked at me. "Go to her," he ordered.
"You’re the one who stopped her, you go to her," I said being stubborn.
Willie got out of the van and walked over to Lisa keeping his back to me. She gave him a hug and a kiss. This time she kissed him on the lips and not the cheek. It wasn’t a light kiss, but a long, hard kiss. It upset me, so I got of the van and walked up to her as well.
"Willie told me you were not getting out of the van," she said coyly. "I thought kissing him might just get you moving."
"Look," I warned her, "I’m not sure about several things right now, but I know it isn’t the time to be playing games. Your life is in danger; your husband and Samuel Polk have recorded all your calls. I suspected someone was listening, which was why I was so rude to you earlier."
"You don't have to apologize," she said giving me a hug. "But if you had left town without giving me a few moments to hug and hold you, I’d never have forgiven you."
"Where’s your cell phone," I asked. Willie gave me a suspicious glance, but then I think he anticipated my plan as he nodded his head in agreement.
"In my purse in the car," she told me. "You told me to keep away from our cell phones until midnight and it’s a little later." She looked confused.
I took out my wallet and handed her all the cash I had. Willie did the same. She still had no idea what was about to happen. "Get your phone out, but do not say a word." While she went for the phone, I told Willie, "Find us a hammer."
Richard had given me his word he would turn off the bug, but I wasn’t taking any chances. In my mind I kept wondering if he was really working for Samuel Polk. He could have been giving me disinformation per Samuel's instructions. It also occurred to me that he could be on the telephone to Samuel telling him how Willie and I had just kidnapped him. It had taken me months to trust Lisa and I loved her, so I couldn’t totally trust a man willing to confess everything so quickly.
Lisa returned with her cell phone as Willie returned with a tire tool. I took the phone and dropped it to the ground. Willie began smashing it with the tire tool. I motioned Lisa to get inside the van. "All the times you and I have been together, your phone has been transmitting our sounds. They had you wired 24 hours a day." She gasped. "Take the money and buy a new phone first thing in the morning. Get a prepaid one and use a fake name if you can. NEVER let it out of you sight. Get a new number and give it only to Willie and me."
"Absolutely no one else!" added Willie who had joined us in the van. He was now being stern with her. “Do not let Richard have it for any reason,” he added.
"I had no idea," she told me as I held her. "Really, I never thought anyone would do that to me."
"We need to go. We are probably being watched right now."
Lisa gave me a goodbye kiss on the lips and Willie got one on the cheek. I smiled; Lisa still loved to play her games.
The drive back to Blissville was a quiet drive. An enjoyable thing about driving at night in Arkansas, especially in the winter, is the view of the stars. Houses are few, and the valleys give a good shield from the city lights. The stars seem so bright. Maybe I’ll use the time device to travel to a time when man had no lights, just so I can see the stars, I thought to myself.
Willie interrupted my flight of fantasy. "I hope you have a plan. You promised Richard to get Amy and him out of there."
"I know what I promised," I said as I stretched my arms. "I don't have a clue as to what I’m going to do, but when I have a plan, you will be the first to know." After a few more miles passed, I asked, “What about you? Do you have any suggestions?”
“Maybe. Let me work on it a little longer. But do you believe Richard?" he asked.
"I think I believe him, but it might be that he was telling us anything to stay alive," I answered. "I want to trust him. Lisa's life may depend on what he says and does, so he had better do the right thing."
"Would you kill him?" Willie asked me.
"If he tells Samuel what we did, then we’re dead and Lisa will have no one to protect her. Do you think I could kill him?"
"If you didn't, I would. I’ve never thought about killing anyone until tonight." Willie looked so intense, I thought he was about to vomit. "Luke, what has happened to us, we were never this way. We never thought about killing people, yet earlier this evening I was ready to kill Richard. I pointed a loaded gun at his head."
"I know." I turned in my seat so I could see his face in the lights from the dashboard. "Willie, I’d never ask you to kill anyone, but to save Lisa I’ll kill everyone at Time-Ops. And if they harm her –" I didn’t have to finish the thought. Willie was nodding in agreement.
Chapter 18
On Saturday morning, December 11, I was having coffee at Darlene's Diner with Rob Fulton. Rob is really a lovable character who surprises me occasionally. I was finishing my coffee when the little bells on the door jingled. A cheery voice said, "Good morning, Darlene. Can a girl still get some bacon and eggs?”
Darlene answered back, "Not only can you get some bacon and eggs, toast and coffee, but I’m certain we can find a handsome guy to buy it."
Before I could turn to greet Lisa, Rob spoke up, "Now, Darlene, you know I don't waste money on young ladies. Maybe Luke would buy her breakfast instead of me."
We all laughed. Rob never admitted to being tight with his money, but everyone in town knew he was. We made jokes about it, but I had never heard him admit to it.
Lisa sat next to me at the table. Rob politely spoke with her for a moment, but soon excused himself. “I need to buy some chicken feed before the feed store closes. It closes early on Saturday.”
“So how much of a farm do you have?” Lisa asked him.
“The best way for you to find out is to get Luke to bring you so you can see it for yourself. Have you ever milked a cow?” Rob asked.
“Never,” Lisa squealed. “That sounds fun.”
“Today would be a great time to learn. Just stop by this evening.”
Rob was walked away and didn’t hear Lisa whisper to me, "He’s right. I might have to milk a cow some time."
I thought about the journal for a moment. "Hey, Rob," I spoke up before he got out the door, "what time do you milk this evening?"
"Always at 5:30," he said. "Milking is at 5:30 twice a day."
Lisa looked at me in disbelief. "He’s up milking at 5:30 every morning?"
"He has done so every day of his life since he was a small boy," I told her. "Why change now?"
She nodded. Darlene brought her the two eggs over easy, bacon and toast, as Lisa was finishing her first cup of coffee. "I wanted to be here last night," Lisa explained, "but the mountain roads were icy, so I thought I’d wait for daylight."
"I don't mind that you’re late," I said watching her. "I just want you here with me in one piece. You have no idea what your safety means to me."
"I think I do know," she said. "Amy tells me that Richard talks in his sleep."
"Are you implying Richard has nightmares?" I inquired, playing innocent.
"I’m saying no such thing," she said. I felt a hard kick under the table. "When we get to your house, I want the truth and details."
"So do I," I told her. "And this weekend you will get the truth. But," I paused to make sure I had her undivided attention, “I hope you will trust me enough to answer my questions, as well.”
She drove us back to my house after breakfast. "I cannot get used to the idea of your walking everywhere," she said.
"Everywhere is only a few blocks," I replied. "Besides, I’ve walked every inch of this town since I was born."
"That’s something else," she said, "living in the same town all your life. I cannot imagine it."
"Can you imagine living the rest of your life here?" I asked.
"Surprisingly, yes," she said as we walked in the door. "When I first came here, I thought there was no way. I wanted to marry you and move you away. Now Blissville is growing on me."
She noticed I hadn’t reset the alarm system. "I cannot live behind the alarms," I explained. "If they want to kill me, they will not come through the door."
Lisa took me in her arms. "I know. I’ve always known they were behind the attack, but I was scared to admit it. At the hospital Willie tried to get me to realize it and to explain it to him. I just couldn’t admit the truth. Doug and Samuel want you dead."
"I can live with it," I told her. "It will be fine. Although I have been keeping one thing from you that I don’t think you’re expecting.”
She looked at me, “Go ahead, I’m ready for anything today.”
“It was two men who arrived at my house when Samuel tried to kill me. The other one was Jeff Lyons.”
“No!” she gasped. “You mean Jeff helped attack you?”
“Actually Jeff begged for my life. He was upset because Samuel had promised him I wouldn’t be hurt. All Jeff did was search my house. When Samuel struck my head with the beer bottle, I fell, ripping Jeff’s shirt. The tattoo of Taz was the last thing I saw until Willie revived me. I believe that is part of the reason Jeff and Betty were killed. Because he begged for my life, Samuel saw him as weak. Doug wasn’t here.”
"No, when they were attacking you, he had taken me out for a romantic meal. He was trying to convince me to stay married to him. My husband can been mean and cruel," she said, "but I never thought he could be a killer. He caught me with another lover once before and did nothing but laugh."
She had just referred to Doug as her husband. Normally, she called him by his first name. Even if it was just a casual slip, it hurt to be reminded they were still married.
She looked at me. "I know what you must think, and I know what you have said in the past. I just want you to know that while I’ve been married to Doug, I’ve had only one affair other than with you, and it was just a one-night stand. Doug walked into the room while we were making love. He looked at us and just laughed. I never had sex again with anyone, not even Doug, until you. Paul had a chance but couldn't perform."
"You didn't need to tell me that," I told her.
"You have wondered about it. I know you have. Besides I wanted you to know that Doug isn’t trying to kill you because of our affair."
"Are you ready for all the truth?" I asked her. "If you can't handle it, say so now."
"I think I’m ready," she said. "I promised myself I would never lie to you again."
"The first one may be the hardest," I said handing her an envelope.
She opened the envelope. There was the photograph of Darlene, my mother and Lisa. Lisa's mouth flew open. "Oh, my God!" she said. "How did you get this?"
"Technically, it’s a historical document," I told her. "Darlene had it. Someone took the photograph at a picnic in our back yard. I was 10 or 11, so the year was about 1988. You'll notice that behind me is my mother. Standing next to her is Darlene," I paused. "Care to tell me who is standing next to Darlene?"
"It appears to be me," she said. "But I cannot tell you anything about this photograph."
"This picture was taken 16 years ago. You look just as you look right now, and you’re even wearing the heart shaped necklace with the two diamonds."
"All right," she said, "it’s me in the photograph. I just cannot tell you about it."
"Cannot or will not?" I asked.
"Lucas," she pleaded, "please don't let this come between us now. I cannot handle any more stress between us. The truth is I know nothing about the photograph to tell you."
"Darlene recalls your visit when this photograph was taken. She told me you knew about her, my mother and even me. I remember you talking about wanting to travel back in time to meet my mother." I paused, trying to control my temper. "Did you travel back to check up on me? Is this some joke on your part?"
"I told you," she said, her temper now rising, "I have no idea when or how this was taken."
"Lisa," I exhorted her, "I did this as a test. I have to be able to trust you 100 percent from now on." I couldn’t continue.
"Luke," she replied a little more calmly, "I’ve done nothing like what you’re accusing me of. Maybe someone faked the photograph in order to split us apart. I have no idea. Maybe there is a time stream paradox at work. I can only tell you I have no memory of this event."
"Fine," I told her, taking the photograph back to my office. She followed me. "How much do you trust Richard?"
"He and Amy live together, and she’s my best friend, actually – my only friend at work."
"I didn't ask about Amy," I said. "You avoided my question."
"I think I can trust Richard," she said, but her eyes were downcast.
"He bugged your telephone," I pointed out. "Can you trust someone who does that?" She just kept looking at the floor. "He followed me to Scotland after he learned you were on your way to join me there. Again, can you trust someone who does that? He was the one who broke into my house the first time. Think about it Lisa, he bugged your phone and then let Samuel listen to us make love."
