CHAPTER 28

  "Tell me how you're feeling

  Now we're all alone

  I wanna whisper you something

  That you already know."

  -breathe.

  ...

  Five weeks later...

  Carl and Matt stood by the D7 mobile unit. The swat team was leading the hostage-takers to a paddy wagon. The bomb squad was already inside.

  Best case scenario, they defuse it and he and Matt aren't needed. Worst case...he didnt want to think about that.

  "How we doing up there Walt?"

  Walt was Walter Mcreedy, leader of the bomb squad.

  "Its not looking good."

  "How long do we have?"

  "Under five minutes."

  "Copy that. Standby."

  He switched channels on the radio on his waist.

  "Royles, we have less than five minutes. Bomb squad isn't having much luck. What are your orders?"

  "Assume command of the scene."

  "Yes sir."

  He switched channels again.

  "Send your team out, but you stay Walt, we may need your expertise."

  "Copy, sending them out now."

  Carl turned to Matt.

  "We're up. Stay behind me."

  Carl entered the building, Matt trailing behind with his gear. The two bomb squad members went running past and out the front door. Carl sprinted to the second floor to where Walt stood waiting.

  "We just hit four minutes."

  Carl nodded. Matt dropped his bag and unzipped it, he snatched some things out and went to work on the device.

  "Alright Walt, tell me what you know about this device."

  Walt knelt down and started explaining what he could.

  Carl was running around the room, checking exits, windows, any way to get it out if Matt and Walt couldn't disable it. His training kicked in, he had to keep loss of life to zero, and reduce property damage. They were just going to have to deal with a broken window.

  He smashed out the window to be ready. Then he went back over to the two men crouched over the device. Carl took a good look. It looked like something out of a cartoon. There were two tanks of liquid, one bright purple, the other bright green. He'd been told it was a chemical weapon, now he saw why.

  The timer said 3:06.

  They were running out of time.

  "If that timer gets to one minute, both of you leave the building."

  The both nodded but kept working.

  Good enough.

  Carl could feel the sweat running down his back. He went back over to the window and peered out. The police had moved the perimeter way out. Hopefully that was far enough.

  Now...

  No nearby bodies of water he could drop it in, that would just pollute the water anyways.

  What other options did he have?

  He looked up.

  He could fly it up and launch it into space. That would be the optimal path, zero collateral. Except him, maybe.

  Would a minute be enough time?

  He went back over to Matt and Walt.

  2:38

  "How we doing guys?"

  Matt gave him a thumbs up but didnt look up.

  He shouldn't bother them. He was getting antsy.

  2:15

  Goddammit...C'mon Matt, use that big brain of yours.

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  1:50

  They were arguing about which wire to cut.

  1:22

  Carls helmet snapped shut.

  "Nano, be ready to seal the suit and connect to the oxygen tank."

  "I'm ready Carl."

  1:05

  Matt looked up and shook his head.

  "Get out! NOW!"

  Carl grabbed the bulky device and jumped out the window. His boosters fired and he shot up into the sky.

  "Full power Nano!"

  The boosters surged. The air was getting thinner.

  "Switching to oxygen Carl."

  He heard the tank on his back hiss. It cooled the suit for a moment. The blue sky was disappearing. He looked down.

  O:23

  He’d never been this high in the atmosphere in the suit before. He hoped it would hold as he stared out into the cold, infinite void ahead of him.

  0:10

  This should be high enough it wouldn't fall back into the atmosphere.

  0:04

  He pulled his arm back and launched it into space as hard as he could.

  Hopefully theres no fallout.

  His thrusters cut off and he floated in silence for a moment.

  His eyes were glued to the device, he had to see it through.

  The explosion wasn't really much of an explosion at all.

  Just silence, as a cloud of grayish gas was released in the distance.

  Matt was shielding his eyes as he stared at the sky.

  "C'mon Carl. Come on."

  He couldn't see anything. How far up did he go?

  A minute passed. Two minutes. The sun was making his eyes water, but he wouldn't look away.

  "Dammit. Where are you Carl?"

  Still nothing.

  He looked back at the rest of the team. Penny was staring skyward, Andy looked down and they exchanged worried glances.

  Penny pointed.

  "There! I see him!"

  Matt looked back up.

  A tiny speck in the sky...barely discernible. It got bigger, and bigger, until they could see it was a man. They all collectively exhaled.

  He did it.

  He survived.

  Of course he did.

  It's Carl.

  Carl thumped to the ground. He knelt and put his hand flat on the ground. His helmet snapping back.

  He was back on solid ground.

  He didnt move except to look up, at Penny.

  He smiled.

  She ran towards him.

  He stood to meet her.

  They collided in a hug.

  It was over.

  Everyone was safe.

  They could go home.

  That night, Carl lay in bed, Penny next to him.

  "I mean, he runs the Time Enforcement Agency, he literally has all the time in the world. So, where the hell is he?"

  "Just be patient Carl. From what I know of the man, hes juggling two massive operations. Hes got the T.E.A. and this Council thing. Trust..."

  She stopped and laughed.

  "I was going to say "trust him", but hes you...so, trust yourself."

  Carl chuckled.

  "Yeah, I know. Its just so frustrating...my son is so close. I just have this feeling. Like I NEED to see him. To make sure my boys okay."

  "Its been what? Almost four years now? I get it. You've made it this far, just a little longer."

  "Yeah."

  He glanced at the Sentinel 26 patch tacked to the wall on his side of the bed.

  "I wanna know how everyone's been too. Like 26. I know its weird, missing myself. The last time I saw him, he was launching into space, headed for an alien planet."

  "You've had such a strange life."

  "Thats truer than you know. I used to think I'd grow old a loser, working some shit job, dying alone. I never thought I'd be jumping through time and dimensions with regularity. I still can't express how grateful I am that Royles saw something in me. He could have locked me up."

  "Well, not really."

  "No. I would have let him. I knew I was a danger to myself and others...I just didn't care. It took almost dying...and almost killing Andy, and Royles to see that."

  Penny sat up on her elbow.

  "Hey. Don't start torturing yourself about that again."

  "I'm not. I just wonder why I can only learn life lessons through failure."

  "Some people are just stubborn. You're not the only one like that. Though you might be the most dangerous."

  "Gee thanks."

  "You know what I mean."

  "Yeah."

  He focused his eyes on her. He ran his thumb along the scar next to her eye and down her soft cheek.

  "You really are beautiful."

  "Are you trying to change the subject?"

  "Just thinking out loud."

  "Hmm...keep it up. I like this line of thinking."

  He laughed.

  "Well, I was a mess when I got here. It was you that was there to keep me grounded. I owe you a lot."

  "I see. Well I have a few ideas about how you could pay me back."

  "Yeah?"

  Her hand went exploring under the blanket.

  "Yeah."

  The next morning Carl was cooking pancakes. Penny sat at the kitchen table in one of Carl's shirts sipping coffee.

  There was a knock at the door.

  "Its open!"

  Steve walked in.

  "Hey Carl, hey Penny...oh shit! Sorry!"

  He looked away.

  "I'm wearing underwear Steve...they're just legs, dont be such a prude."

  "Uh. Ok."

  His cheeks had a little color to them.

  He turned to Carl.

  "Hey when you get a minute, Matt and that engineer Royles brought in have almost finished the armor for me. You gotta see it. The engineer guy, uh Leon, I think his name is, well he scrapped the old heavy design. The new suit is made out of a thick carbon fiber. Super light and its supposed to be insanely strong."

  "Integrated jetpack?"

  "You know it."

  "The Kevlar bodysuit I suggested?"

  "Yep."

  "Cool."

  Penny set her coffee down.

  "Nerds."

  They both looked at her.

  "What?"

  She waved her hand at them.

  "Don't mind me. I'm going to go get dressed."

  She made a point to make a face at Steve as she said it. She disappeared into the bedroom.

  Carl flipped a pancake onto the stack on his plate.

  "You want a pancake?"

  "No, I'm good. I gotta go, they're putting the latches on the suit and I gotta be wearing it so they can fit for comfort."

  "After breakfast I'll head down there."

  "Ok, see ya then."

  Steve left and Carl poured another pancake into the griddle.

  "Well, what do you think?"

  Carl stood next to Steve looking at the black, carbon fiber suit.

  "It looks good. What's the impact rating?"

  "Anything over 7 is bad news."

  "Thats not bad."

  "Nah, its light enough I can move around with ease too."

  "Nice.

  "Royles told me why the other Carls were here. Was I not supposed to be using the suit?"

  "The hell with those guys. They dont get to tell me and Nano what we can and can't do. If I ever find a path home, I'll try and bring you your own suit."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah I know a guy."

  "Well, don't get in trouble for my sake."

  "No, Nothing like that."

  "When's the next jump?"

  "I don't know. The clipboards gone."

  "Oh, Royles updated that, we sign in on the computer now."

  Steve went to Matts terminal and logged in under his name.

  "Heres the schedule...you've got a jump...uh, in two days."

  Carl stood outside of Froggy's, the clothing store. He pulled his old belt with the broken buckle off and tossed it in a nearby trash can. He slid the new thick black belt through the loops and buckled it. Nice. It was mid September, the cold weather would be coming soon, he had bought a hoodie and a black leather jacket as well. He started walking back to the facility when his phone, the new one Royles had issued him after his last one mysteriously disappeared, buzzed in his pocket.

  "Hello?"

  "Where are you?"

  Royles had that hard edge to his voice, Carl was immediately on alert.

  "Headed back from Froggy's, whats up?"

  "You have a visitor."

  "Skeever? Is Robbie with him?"

  "Yes, Skeever, but hes alone."

  "I'm on my way."

  "I can send someone..."

  "Forget it, I'm running, I'll be there in a minute."

  Carl hung up, shoved the phone in his pocket and started running.

  At the facility he ran to Royles office, sweat dripping down his temples. He set his Froggy's bag down and collapsed in the chair next to Skeever, breathing heavily.

  "Where's Robbie?"

  Skeever had a sadness on his face that Carl didnt like.

  "He's been taken."

  "WHAT?!"

  "We don't know why or by who yet. 26 is searching for him with Chloe now."

  Carl was clenching his jaw so hard his teeth hurt. He spoke into the silver bracelet he wore.

  "Nano, Royles office, now!"

  "On my way Carl."

  Carl looked at Royles.

  "Boss I..."

  "Go. Find your boy."

  "Thank you sir. I promise you, I will be back."

  "I know."

  Nano entered the office,Carl stood and touched the back of the armor, it opened and he entered.

  He looked at Skeever as his helmet snapped shut.

  "Lets go."

  As they approached the rift Carl stopped.

  "I need a minute."

  He ran down the hall to Penny's door and knocked.

  She opened the door with a smile. Her eyes scanned the armor.

  "Hey. You going out?"

  He motioned with his head to Skeever at the end of the hall.

  "Someone abducted my son. I'm going to find him."

  "Oh my god. Uh...how long will you..."

  "Hey. I'll be back."

  He pulled her close and kissed her.

  "I have to do this."

  "I know. Be safe."

  "I will. And Penny?"

  "Yeah?"

  He kissed her again.

  They smiled at each other and he left. She stood in the doorway watching him walk away.

  Skeever and Carl stepped through the rift, both descended slowly to the ground. Skeever still wore his old chrome armor, Carl still sported the grey with the D7 insignia and nametag. Carl followed Skeever as he flew to a rift way past the ones they had explored, no red X under it.

  "Hold on a second. This rift goes home?"

  "It goes to the mirror dimension...close enough."

  Carl didn't have any spraypaint, a blade slid out of his gauntlet and he cut a circle of the fake grass. It left a big round spot of bare metal under the rift.

  "This way I can find it again."

  Skeever nodded and they flew through the rift.

  It came out in the mirror dimensions version of New Mexico.

  "Stand next to me."

  "What?"

  "Its a long way off, I have a teleporter."

  "When did you get that?"

  "Last year...not important, get over here."

  Carl stood right next to Skeever, who was tapping on a cell phone sized device.

  "Close your eyes."

  Carl did and then his stomach was in his throat. He felt like he was falling very fast. Then he stopped suddenly.

  "We're here."

  Carl looked around. He stood under some train tracks, in front of an apartment door. 26's apartment.

  Skeever entered, Carl behind him, they crossed the room and entered the dimensional door already created and waiting for them. They stepped into the gun room. 26 had been busy, his side had numerous weapons on the walls that hadn't been there four years ago. He turned to his side of the gun room, his workbench. His Deagle lay in its shoulder holster, right where he had left it. He picked it up, and slid the holster over his shoulders. He pulled the gun out and racked the slide, still smooth as butter. He grabbed six magazines from the pile and started loading them. Skeever had gone across the room and through the door. Carl knew that his old life lay on the other side of that door. As he finished loading each mag, he stuck them to his waist, they sunk into the nanotech.

  He was ready.

  He stepped through the door, into the world he thought he'd never return to.