Caught In The Act Of Time

I had grown up in eastern Oregon. My dad and uncle grew alfalfa and they were also part of the volunteer fire department. We lived in a tiny ranch house in the edge of one of the fields. When I was about 5 I got a brother. It wasn't my parents deciding to have a baby, it was my dad coming home with a boy my age because his parents had moved away in the middle of the night and inexplicably left their kid at the department. His name was William Jackson and by the end of the next day we were brothers.

Will and I would follow my dad and uncle around all day long during the growing season and dream we were helping. Often we would sneak off into the fields to look for a patch of grass that the deer had slept on and use the pressed down spot to make our fort for the day. We knew enough not to press down the grass ourselves since that would invite hard labor or even a belt to the backside. We would stay out until we heard my mom shouting from the house for dinner. It was usually very dark by the time we got home and the lack of light pollution dazzled our imagination.

Will wanted to be an astronaut. I had learned in school that while we all hated doing math, there were people so good at it, they could tell you where the stars would be tomorrow, next week, or even ten years from now. I wanted to be one of those people.

We helped my dad move sprinkler pipe when we were big enough, he knew we weren't farmers. He also was clear he couldn't afford for both of us to go to college. Those last two years of school were intense but I ended with a full-ride math scholarship and Will was going to the Navy with hopes of getting into flight school someday. He had enough of the hay and dirt and that's how he decided.

I eventually got my masters and Will graduated flight school. We would see each other about once a year.

It was about a year ago he had a layover in the city so I went out to the hotel near the airport to have a drink with him. He told me a nutty story.

It started with the first week he was at flight school and he was at a bar just off base.

"I'm two drinks in right? And this old geezer walks up and puts his arm around me right?"

"How old?"

"Have no clue but his face had more lines on it than a map."

I laughed, "ok I get it"

"He says 'Jackson? Right?'"

"I'm all, can I buy you one my friend? Trying to be polite, you never know when uniforms are off who you might addressing."

He went on. "So he sits down. And we close that fucking place down. Even my buddy left."

"Something something don't leave your wing man?"

Will laughed. "Funny asshole. But yeah, me on my own with this guy."

"Ok so what happened? How did he guess your last name?"

"This is why it's nuts right? He says he knew my mom and that she was 'a fucking smokeshow' but also one of the toughest assholes he flew with."

"Wait, your mom was a pilot? I don't know anything about your mom. But also, a bit creepy to tell a kid how hot his mom used to be?"

"Yeah well. Until this moment, I didn't know she was a pilot either. Like when we learned she had died, it was never mentioned. It's not like I remember much from before anyways."

"Yeah that was weird. Sad and weird. Guy just showed up one day and told us. Said there wasn't any property or anything."

"Well, I still had that lawyers business card."

"You kept that?"

"I did. It was all I had really. And I called him."

"He is still around?"

"Well wait, this old guy told me some other shit."

"Like what? Wait, back up, how did he know you?"

"Well he said he kept in touch with my mom for a while. Said my dad was a dick--shocker--and when he saw my application to the school, he was waiting to see me."

"So wait, he was doing admissions? I don't even know how it works for flight school."

"Well, yeah. Exactly. Looked older in other words than he was. His final post I guess."

"Ok so what was his big story."

"My granddad, who I never met."

"Ok? Don't tell me a pilot also?"

"Nah worse."

"What's worse?" A lesser service?" I knew the branches teased each other but never knew the social dynamics of when it was ok to crack a joke or not--especially since I couldn't lay any direct claim to one myself.

Will chuckled, "no. Alphabet stuff."

"What do you mean?"

"You know? One of those departments that are known by their acronym."

"Oh so like a spy or something?"

"Yeah. Like the worst of the worst. Espionage, assassinations--movie shit."

"Your grandad?"

"Yup."

"Who you never heard of?"

"And your mom was some 'bad-ass' navy pilot?"

"Yup, flew in the Gulf back when it was rare to have female pilots."

"And you just happen to decide--on your fucking own--that you needed to be a pilot too?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck me. Ok. So he knew your granddad somehow?"

"Stationed somewhere in the 80s together. He said he couldn't tell me where. But he was also getting a bit hammered."

"Surprised he couldn't drink you under the table."

"Fuck, no one can dude."

Will stared at his beer bottle for a while. "It's not good Mike."

"How so?"

"He said he stole some classified shit."

"Bad?"

"Yeah. Apparently when my mom died in the car wreck with her new boyfriend, my grandad just walked away from the base. Like literally into the desert. Years later they noticed some shit was gone. But my granddad was one of those guys who could be a ghost."

"Ever seen since?"

"No one heard from him. Not until after he died."

I whistled softly and singled the waitress we needed another round.

"That's not all."

"Oh come on Will. This is already hard to swallow."

"My mom had a baby girl."

"No shit?!"

"My granddad raised her."

"So if he is a ghost, how the fuck do you know that?"

"Apparently that lawyer was a family lawyer and my granddad still kept in touch. So when I showed up on his doorstep asking around, he told me a few things. I've been piecing the rest together on my own."

"Damn dude."

Will straightened up, "hey what's going on with you? How is the start-up world?"

"Oh fuck." I relished the change in subject. "Shitty business model. But fucking great IP. We just sold our stuff to a big-ass tech firm. I got a tiny golden parachute. Just bought a little house."

"In this area? In this market? Fuck congrats man."

"Thanks. Sent some home to dad too, he is hiring a guy to do the heavy lifting now that he's getting old. I'm starting to get bored tho, need to find my next gig."

Will brightened, "was hoping you would say that."

I raised my eyebrow at him. I got pitched lots of ideas to spend my money--this city got real small when people learned you cashed out of a start-up. Never before though from an active duty pilot.

"Ever heard of a company in the city call Fintech Fusion?"

"No. Not a memorable name really. Give me a mascot or something any day."

"Yeah. Well."

"Why? What's up with them?"

"I've tried tracing my half sister and I think she works there. Different last name but it all checks out. I just not sure I want to pop out of the blue and introduce myself."

"Email her? I mean, if you found her--isn't it less hard to get an email? Why though?"

"Well. I'm worried that someone other than me might also figure out who she is."

I frowned and stared. "Like because of the stuff that was stolen?"

"Yeah."

"So wait, why didn't this reflect badly on you? Isn't it hard to get into flight school?"

"I guess my history checks out. I never knew him. I'm now afraid to ask to be honest. Maybe this old captain vouched for me since he knew my mom?"

"Fair. But you hear so much about legacies."

Will shrugged and played with his bottle.

"Besides," I continued, "Why would a woman keep classified documents from her granddad? Most people wouldn't have the knowledge to grasp what they had, right?"

"It's not documents. It's tech." Will was quiet.

"Can you say?"

"No"

"But you know what it is?"

He nodded.

I just looked at him hoping to see some sort of tell.

"I've even used the current version of it."

"Fuck dude."

"Like when I'm training with it, like 3 scary dudes I don't know come kit me out. And then different ones check me back in. Two of them stay back with hands on their service weapons like in case someone fucks up. No names. It's def bizarre but seeing it work, I totally get it--in the wrong hands it could be bad bad shit. I sorta think they are nuts about it because if my granddad."

"All rules are because someone ruined it for the rest of us."

That got a laugh from Will. "Yup."

"So wait. Are you wanting me to go check out that place? How would I know if I saw her? And do what exactly?"

He slid a photo across the bar at me. "This is all I got, if my math or right, it's from 10-12 years ago."

It was a photo of a man and a teenager sitting in front of a fountain in a dense city. As I studied it, it was clear it was not an American city. There was a consistent reddish hue in the buildings that felt foreign. And the mountains rising up in the background were severe.

I looked back at Will. "Geography isn't my strong suit, but that doesn't look like it's from around here."

"Nope."

"South America?"

"Bolivia... La Paz."

I looked back at the photo. The man looked like he was maybe mid to late 70s? The girl seemed like a typical teenager, sunglasses, bucket hat, but wide smile--otherwise nothing else was notable.

"You want me to pick out someone based on this? Jump forward in time 10 years? What is she 25-27?"

"I think she is 28. Her name is Ashley. Last name has changed a lot but I think she goes by Gibson now."

I snorted but Will was dead serious. "Ok fine, I'll poke around. Maybe they are hiring a data scientist." I tried laughing but Will seemed super relieved.

He looked around. "Now, I need to get laid."

I winked at him. "Those two ladies at the end of the bar seem interested in your uniform, Lieutenant."

"You in?"

"Nah. All you."

"You still seeing that woman? Tammy? Tommy?"

"Fuck you." I laughed. "Tamiko. Tah-me-ko"

"You guys going to get married?"

"Ahhhhhh. I asked her to move in a while back. Sometimes it's great, sometimes not so much."

"Kick her to the curb my friend."

I didn't want to get into it. "We will see. We will see."

I left him that night at the bar. Watching him sidle over to the women who seemed totally into him, and noting how at ease he seemed.

It wasn't until I had walked out of the bathroom that day in the office after I first collided with Ashley that I had recognized her. The smile was the same. And when she told me of her back story--it was nearly exactly the way Will at told it. The plan wasn't to get involved with her. I certainly didn't expect her to chase me.

I was also wondering if the man in the dark that Ashley had dreamed of was Will. That would be better than some evil doer. I was confused though about if he knew what the amulet did, and it was stolen tech that was making things risky for her, why not take it back right then and there? Why wait a few years and get me involved? Other than check to see if she was happy and healthy, he hadn't asked me to do anything. I don't know why I kept coming back to that. Occam's razor would lead me to not a giant cabal of evil alien or government scientists but their granddad had stolen more than one of these things? I hadn't asked Will about that and he had been vague about what the 'it' was anyway.

Could more than one person have stolen these things? Did the granddad have a partner or was the safe just left open? Or did this just the mysterious granddad?

.....

My head was screaming. My jaw hurt, the back of my head hurt, and the inside felt like it was trying to get out. I tried to get away from it by burying myself into the soft bed.

It didn't work.

Also as I came to, I realized this was a much nicer bed than I was used to. I opened my eyes slowly. The light was on low thankfully. I also wasn't alone. There was a woman sitting in a chair near the foot at the bed thumbing through her phone apparently ignoring me.

I tried to look around without drawing any attention to myself. If this was a hotel room, it was pretty swank, but could also be someone's house I guessed. There was a large mirror on the dresser but at my angle all I could see in it was the ceiling fan which was currently off. The light was in warm yellow hues. I think if I knew where I was and how I got here, I might think it was cool.

I looked back at the woman. Short wavy hair, in full make-up. Her top was low cut in a u-shape to reveal lovely pillowy cleavage. Her legs were crossed as she blankly looked at her phone.

I heard water running outside the room as if someone was washing their hands. No one came in but made me realize I needed to pee so finally decided to admit to my minder that I was awake and slowly rolled over to sit up.

"Slowly there, you took a bad fall." She said.

I just grunted. My head was screaming even louder.

She slid her phone into her pocket and came over to me.

"Maybe don't get up?"

I found my voice, "bathroom." Was all I could muster.

"Sure, let me help you."

She held out her arm and I took the offer. She led me out the room and across the hall was an equally opulent bathroom. This was certainly not a hotel, this must be someone's house.

"Do you have it from here? Not sure I want to help with..."

I waved her off since shaking my head would have hurt and shut the door. My memory wasn't filling in any blanks so I after I finished I went back out and with lack of any other ideas, I went back into the room.

The woman wasn't there so I noted a glass of water on the nightstand so I drank it down and crawled back into bed.

I'm not sure how long I slept, there wasn't a clock but when I woke up my head felt much better. I slowly sat up and looked around. The room was minimally decorated, it seemed modern or at least recently done. Rich blue contrasting with desert tones and off-white colors. The chair the woman had sat in had been pushed back to the wall with the dresser and mirror. There were curtains closed along one wall. I slowly stood up and went over to them to look out.

Pushing the curtains back, I could see a yard landscaped with rocks and different cactus plants, a low stone wall, and then over the wall I could see a vast valley with mountains off on the horizon.

I had no clue. I had been headed towards Nevada to see my brother so maybe I wasn't far from where I had been? But I was in fields of nut orchards and vegetables before and this was much more desolate.

I was still struggling with what happened. I swear I heard Ashley and someone or something had hit me. My jaw ached and the back of head was tender. The necklace was gone, I kept absentmindedly checking but it was gone. I wasn't too surprised by this really.

I heard the door open and in walked the woman from last night. She was in the same clothes which I hadn't fully appreciated. The low scooped top still made her chest look inviting but she also has on these loose flowing pants that accentuated her flat belly by contrast--they were also a little see through since the color changed slightly from where her skin ended and panties began. This time her make up was removed and her hair was pulled back in a tiny pony. I did notice she had a necklace on that was similar to Ashley's, the stone was differently shaped but the same quality to it.

She smiled and said brightly, "you're up!"

"Yeah ... wher..."

She cut me off in a flurry of words. "You've got questions I'm sure. The EMT said you had a minor concussion and to let you rest a bit before driving on your own. So we brought you here. When she comes back later I'm sure she will fill you all in. If you are ok walking, I can show you the kitchen, you can help yourself but don't ask me to make you anything or your head will hurt worse."

It seemed like she was trying to sound funny and almost seemed nervous, maybe I was concussed but she sounded a little flirty the way she looked at me and her eyes darted away?

"Um sure I guess."

EMTs? Concussion? Who was the she in this case? Ugh.

After getting shown around the massive kitchen, the woman disappeared and I was on my own. I walked around. It was nicely appointed but not terribly large by evil lair standards. The front had a driveway what circled and a detached garage and what looked like a guest house. There was tons of noise like a saw or something coming from there so I steered away.

One room had a massive tv, I tried the remote that was sitting there but it blinked red like the battery was weak. I sighed and after making some eggs, I went out on the patio. I watched a lizard run around but not much for hours. A few clouds doing art. That was about it.

"Mike?"

It was Ashley. She had appeared on the patio behind me.

"Ashley? What the fuck?" I sat up from the lounge chair.

She sat down next to me. She was wearing what looked like hiking clothes, cargo pants and sports tank with a unbutton shirt over it. Her hair was in a braid and looked so different than the woman I had left that night.

"I'm so sorry I hit you so hard."

"You hit me?" I touched my jaw.

"Seriously, I didn't mean to but I guess I was a little angry when I finally saw you."

I was pretty pissed suddenly but Ashley looked genuinely horrified and concerned. I mean I did sort of deserve something, just not getting knocked cold.

"I immediately got help and the club guy called the ambulance. When I had to leave I got Kris to watch you to make sure you were ok." She paused, "I feel terrible."

"You do?" I said wryly as I touched my head.

"So you hit me and knocked me out?"

"Well... I hit you and your head hit the door of your car then you wilted like a flower."

"Jeezus." We were quiet for a few minutes. Then I asked, "where have you been anyway?"

"I went to get your things from that car. That was a little tricky since it was reported stolen. Then wipe your prints from it. It took a while to be careful." Then as somewhat between an afterthought and a reminder, "can't use machinery or electronics with the amulet."

"So now what? where am I? We? Am I kidnapped?"

"No." She snorted. "I've been looking for you and caught up to you at that bar. I think I know why you stole my necklace but..." She trailed off like she didn't want to get into it. "This is my granddads old place." As if she answered the easy part of my questions.

I looked around. Not what I had expected when she said he lived out near the Mojave.

"I guess I pictured a little shack or something."

"Yeah I left out some details. Kris is my friend from college, she lives here in the guest house and takes care of the place. I come back every so often."

"But where is here?"

She waved her hands around as she talked. "Civilization is that way, the harshest desert in North America is that way."

"Look. I guess I need to explain." I had been dreading this moment but in my mind this would come after I found Will and got his help with the amulet--not before.

"I need to as well." She looked at me before going on. "Did Kris give you any pain meds? I really didn't expect you to fall and knock yourself out. I guess those boxing classes were good for something."

"Look.." I started again.

She cut me off. "I didn't tell you everything."

I blurted out, "my brother, your brother... he can help."

Ashley looked at me quizzically. "Your brother?" She emphasizes the "your."

"Yeah, he's in the military and knows about the necklace. Asked me to find you. He's your half brother."

Her reaction wasn't what I expected but I wasn't also telling the story in a coherent fashion.

She laughed.

"You've met William?"

"Yeah Will. Wait.. you already know about him?"

"He sure the hell isn't related to me at all."