The Time Stone (31 page)

A few kilometers away from the hangar
base, James, Tina, and Mercedes are continuing forward in their
stolen cargo van. They ride forward along many miles and stretches
of road not heading in any particular direction but trying to get
as far out of town as possible. They each think in the silence that
became the tense nature of their lives now, pondering about the
whimsical realities of life and time as well as the hidden purposes
of men, the stretches of where their individual destinies lay and
what time had in store for them. Then they approached a tall
building, with tall towers on either side, turrets surrounding
them, and flags fluttering in different shapes and colors, faded
with weathering and wear and tear holes over the decades, as its
red brick surroundings formed a miles long complex that protruded
above ominously to passersby long from any signs of civilization. A
long stretch of brick road made its way around the perimeter. The
backdrop of the Amnesty woods, known to locals as a haunted
complication, resided around it and behind it; shrubbery growing
into the brick structure as nature slowly took over the signs of
manmade architecture unkempt and unmaintained as well as around the
large lawn before it and surrounding arched portal. The van slowly
came up to the long road leading up to the front door.

“
Wow,” said Tina with a
sense of ambiguous wonder hinting of fear. “It’s
beautiful.”

“
It looks like a midlevel
story tale castle” said Mercedes.

“
It looks like trouble.”
Said James as he opened his eyes and took control of the wheel
bringing the van around the long stretch of road looming to the
side of the building. The van drove up the side of the
castle.

Meanwhile, Drax drove his
stolen police transport across the grassy lawns and knolls nearby
and he spotted the castle and recognized it. “Magnitude fortress”
he uttered angrily under his breath as he approached the narrowing
brick road towards the castle entranceway and around the back way.
He retrieved the time stone and knew now that he needed to get in
there as the top secret projects and technologies would be kept
there and he needed to get a hold of them to get out of town and
leave the machinations of his former employer once and for all.
They froze his bank accounts and credit cards and dried up his
assets as was customary for their standard procedure as he was
familiar with them. He stopped the van after pulling around the
corner and saw another van pulling up near the side of the
structure and stopping suddenly. “
How
odd?
” He wondered as he figured there
weren’t any deliveries at this time of day. “
Who could that be?
” He uttered to
himself. He saw the front side passenger door open and a young
woman exit the car, long dark brown flowing hair and a radiant
smile of innocence that hid a more ominous composure. He saw
another young woman exit from the side door also, tan complexion
and knotted black hair, she pushed up her rolled up sleeves higher
and held her right hand to her eyes as a visor looking around in
the intense heat. The driver side door opened and a young man with
tattered clothing exited the car. He looked around and joined his
companions. He drove up a little closer to discern their facial
expressions and identities. He stopped the van as his jaw dropped.
“I can’t believe this!” He parked the van and exited. He walked
towards them with his hands in his jumpsuit pocket casually. He
noticed the trio began to circle into the structure and were
knocking on the big metal door on the side of the building. He
followed them up the curving pathway near a courtyard keeping his
distance to avoid detection. He saw them turn away from the door
then and without warning a number of men in dark suits appeared
from all sides and drew their weapons on the trio forcing them to
raise their hands above their heads and lower themselves to their
knees. The men in dark suits wore dark sunglasses and held long
cylindrical silvery shining metallic tubes with small openings on
the end and with a protruding handle resembling that of a gun. The
trio did not recognize it but knew it was a weapon and submitted to
their captors. The men in dark suits gathered around them, one
leader approaching and starting to pat them down when suddenly
shots fired toward their direction and the men scattered. The trio
rose to their feet and hid behind the van meters away.

The shots continued and the men in
dark suits looked around trying to find the source but it seemed
the shots came from all sides and the leader yelled out “it’s an
ambush… let’s get out of here.” None of the men in dark suits were
struck but they scattered about the streets. The trio came out of
their hiding spaces after seeing the last dark suited man run off
into the distance.

“
What the hell was that?”
Said James.

“
Shots fired” said
Tina.

“
Are you a cop?” Asked
Mercedes with a curious grin.

“
Ha” laughed Tina. “We
should get out of here before whoever fired those shots comes
back.”

“
It’s too late.” Drax
emerged from his vantage point across the courtyard. “It wouldn’t
be safe to run off alone in these parts, now knowing that you are
wanted man and women.” Said Drax.

“
Who are you?” Asked
James.

“
Consider me your
benefactor. Drax walked forward nonchalantly with his arms hanging
by his sides, sleeves pushed up to his elbows and he stopped before
them with a grin.

“
What?” Asked
Tina.

“
Milton Drax, attorney at
law. I noticed you guys from over there. I couldn’t believe it was
you.”

“
Huh?” James gasped as the
three of them looked perplexing at Drax.

“
I recognized you guys
from the Intel reports. We get them periodically on our handheld
GREETS RD.”

“
GREETS RD?” Asked James
curiously. “Standard issue Generator Remote Electromagnetic Energy
Telecommunications Scanning Radar Detectors,” he held up his wrist
revealing a square device with a screen and knobs and buttons. “But
this one doesn’t work as I have been officially disconnected from
the network.” He said ashamed. “But I know things that can help you
and have connections inside and know how things operate. I noticed
you guys were part of our Project Relic even though you never knew
about that. I know things about you your own mothers do not
know.”

“
What are you?” Asked
Tina.

“
I am one of them …or I
was.” Drax said.

“
Why do you need us?”
Asked Tina.

“
Because I admit my
chances of taking them down are better with help, a small army
rather than solo. Also I know about your powers James as the
legendary Holder of Stones.”

“
That’s what Broad called
you, the Holder.” Said Tina. “And the Awondel tribe in Brazil
called you that too.”

“
What do you know about
that?” Asked James.

“
Not much but what I do
know I will share with you in time. We must go.” Drax
said.

“
And what do you mean you
were one of them?” Asked James.

“
I was one of them. The
men in dark suits you have been running from and just encountered.
They are a very ominous organization with ties to the high echelons
of government and private corporations known as the Machination.
Everything about them is classified top secret and they vanish as
quickly as they appear leaving no evidence of their existence.
Anyone who encounters them and talks ends up looking crazy because
of the lack of proof.” Drax said.

“
They are part of the
government?” Asked Tina.

“
They are an ancient order
and brotherhood who banded together long ago to preserve the best
kept secret in all of history and know more and more as each time
progresses.” Drax said.

“
Why did they want to harm
us and you as one of them also?” Asked Mercedes.

“
It is hard to explain but
it was just a job for me. I had no choice. Orders come and go and
had to be followed. It is pretty militaristic in there, even for
civilian personnel. I was saddened by the necessary evil that I was
involved in.” Drax replied.

“
And you know us?” Asked
Tina.

“
I know more about your
lives than your own mothers do. For example,” he turns to each one
and addresses them without expecting a response. “James Timewalker,
born and raised in Chronix Bay, high school flunkout, unemployed
and unemployable most of your adult life, single, no children,
homeless as of recently, and fugitive from justice as of the same.
I happen to know the charges against you are bogus and you were
meant to be set up to accommodate a bigger cover-up that the
Machination wants to employ.”

“
No way” said Tina and
Drax turned to her.

“
His partner in crime,
Tina Mildred Prescott, college flunkout, rap sheet a mile long
mostly for prostitution and petty larceny, some drug offenses, also
single, no children, unemployable, and fugitive from justice. Ditto
on the charges against you too as you both were meant to be patsies
for the Machination.”

“
That is incredible.” Said
Mercedes.

“
Actually incredible
literally means not credible so I beg to differ but while we’re on
the subject, Mercedes Alma Gonzalez, born and in raised in Palo
Alto, California and resided in Chronix Bay for a while then went
back home, worked for a pharmaceutical company named Mercan-Tech as
a lab aide and recently deported south of the border to Juarez
City, Mexico but you are a natural born United States Citizen. Ever
wonder how that little mix-up occurred?” Drax questioned them with
a smirk.

“
The Machination!” Said
Mercedes confidently.

“
Exactly. They can be your
best friend or your worst enemy if you let them and the latter is
pure hell as they control the resources of this country’s economy,
politics, and social welfare so they can make people, things, even
places disappear or suffer all at their whim. They want to make
someone disappear and it’s done. They can make happen whatever they
want. They answer to no one yet somehow are accountable to
everyone. They are them, it, they, the powers that be. They are
beyond good and evil, above the law, and powerful beyond all in the
cores of everyday affairs and one hundred percent untouchable. They
are the unstoppable ones.” Drax said.

“
And you used to work for
them?” Asked James.

“
We all have our drawbacks
in life, don’t we?” “That is amazing how you know so much about us
and never met us before.” Said Mercedes.

“
It is unexplainable!”
Exclaimed Tina.

“
Nothing is beyond
explanation … or doubt.” Drax said. “Just like when you used your
powers to get out of jail, right James?”

“
Wow how did you know
that?” Asked James.

“
I told you… I know more
than your own mothers know about you including the fact that you
each had encounters with beasts.” Drax finished his sentence at the
sight of the trio’s shocked faces.

“
Who are they?” Asked
Mercedes.

“
I wish I knew. I am not
privy to everything they do.” Drax said rolling his
eyes.

“
You knew about that
though?” Asked James.

“
It was no accident. They
were all planned by a common foe you all have who appeared to you
and continues to threaten your livelihood and your lives, Broad
Staffnight.”

“
How do you know him?”
Asked Tina.

“
I knew him for a long
time. We were classmates together and recruited by the resurgence
group that precedes the Machination’s legitimate corporate face,
Temporo Inc.” Broad said.

“
What do they want with us
now?” James asked almost knowing the answer.

“
You found something, a
small crystalline device that fits in the palm of your hand, a
green pentagonal emerald that shines in the sunlight and has five
orbs glistening within it in circular formation. It is the secret
of the ages and power infinitely beyond measure, a source of great
turmoil that has been battled for by forces on both sides of the
good-evil controversy and historically a treasure of the
infiniteness and power of the universe. It is more valuable than
anything. It is the Time Stone!” Drax said.

“
Time Stone? Is that what
they want?” Asked Tina clutching her handbag with a perplexing
look.

“
We do not have a lot of
time. Bottom line is that if you want to live and clear your names,
you have to trust me.” Drax said.

“
Why should we trust one
of them and why would you help us know?” Asked James.

“
Call it destiny, kid. I
don’t know but it was somehow meant for me to meet you at this
point or we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I just gave you a
lot of information. Consider it a gesture of good faith. You have
to trust me.” Drax pleaded.

“
Do we?” Tina asked with a
curious gaze.

“
Look… Broad Staffnight
ruined each of your lives and he did the same to me. There is an
old saying that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ We have a
common enemy people so let’s work together. I have resources you
don’t and can get you inside their operation.” Drax
said.