Chapter 29
Thursday morning dawned a dank and drearily overcast day. It was one of those mornings that made you want to stay home and laze in bed all day. Something I could not afford to do. I had a lot of things planned for this day.
I glanced out my front window, and noticed my erstwhile guards from the fed were still there. I brewed some coffee, and thought about my situation. In a way, I could understand the government's position.
I had something that could prove to be a life saving ability at the very least. I could inform the government of disasters that had happened, go back and warn them, and have them take preemptive measures to avert them.
In all honesty, there were all sorts of things I could do for them, and for the people. That was the problem. I just knew if I caved, it would be little things at first, but then it would escalate. That was the way with any governmental organization.
They all start out well meaning, but as they became more and more powerful, they start doing more, and expecting more from the people in return. The expectations the government had, were basically taxes and more taxes, and a reduction and erosion of your rights.
More and more the courts have decided in favor of federal governments rights, above a citizens rights. It was all for the public good, and welfare. But it's a slippery slope that had been started years ago, and it seemed to be picking up speed.
It would be nice to work with a place that had funds and people who could help me with my ability. I might be able to do still more with it. For all I knew, I still had more abilities hiding, just needing a little nudge or training to bring them out. It was a nice thought, but it would also act to put me into the government's debt.
No, having the government know all my abilities was not something I wanted. I would keep the rest hidden. Just them knowing that I could 'view' the past, was already problem enough, for me.
I turned on the local news, and discovered that further repercussions were taking place all over. My story about the 'council' that I had released nationally, was making some decent sized waves. I drank my coffee and listened as congress was reportedly going to investigate this so called 'council'. Good. It was about time that this group was taken to task and made responsible for it's actions.
I had put enough information in the article that even the newspapers were investigating. As it turned out; whoever had fudged their computer system, had also given them the story of the year, possibly the decade!
Several public figures were already resigning, and others were being asked hard questions. Some were saying it was no more than joining a political party, or a club of some sort. But when confronted with certain facts that I had laid at this group's doorstep, they were hard pressed to defend those actions; or, they claimed they knew nothing about said actions.
The phone rang and I picked it up. "Hello?"
"Ok, how did you do it," Rachael asked me over the phone.
"Do what?" I asked, pretending to be confused.
"Come off it, Tom. It's all over the news. 'Council' this, 'council' that... council being investigated for the other thing. People resigning from public office, and highly placed positions in the government. That story had everything I gave you, and more. It had to be you," Rachael said over the phone.
"I don't think this is a subject for a conversation over the phone. You did know I am in a court battle with the federal government, now? You know that they are in violation of certain of my rights? Do you think that they might be listening to this phone call, not because I am guilty of anything, but just because they can?" I pounded that point home.
It was too late, though. She had already informed the feds she thought I had done it... if they were listening... and I wouldn't put it past them.
"Well, we need to get together for a face to face. I want to know who I am working for," she finished grimly, and hung up on me.
Well, while not unexpected, it was a little disappointing to have someone you trust treat you like this. Of course, her thinking that I had something to do with this, was totally accurate. Damn, but she was good. I just hoped the feds had not been listening.
I went out, told my personal security I would be gone for most of the day, and got into my car. I pulled around and stopped by my government 'protection', and rolled my window down.
"Ok, I am going to the courthouse, to my office, to my bank, and a few other places as well. Just a heads up," I said to the passenger in the car that was going to follow me.
I pulled away. I was soon out the gate and making my way into Boston proper. I parked my car in a downtown lot, and started walking. It was a brisk five-minute walk to the courthouse building.
The only reason I had walked, was to force the federal protection out of their car and onto their feet. If I was going to have this protection, unasked for, I was going to make it difficult for them.
I entered the court building. I made my way into and through several courtrooms, and placed objects into the NTZ to have access points handy. One thing a courtroom had, that the regular hallways didn't, was that door that led to the judge's chambers, and I wanted access to those chambers.
I had plans on breaking and entering into my judge's chambers, and reading his decision a little early. It would give me a feel on how to treat the government's offers and the counter offers, which would no doubt be flying high, today.
I went to my attorney's office, and told him to keep the dialog going. If the government actually came up with something I could live with, I didn't mind helping on a 'once in a blue moon' time frame.
Richard asked what I meant, exactly. I sighed.
"Ok. I want my freedom from the feds. I don't want to have twenty-four hour guards. I want my passport back, and the freedoms accorded to any honest law abiding citizen. I will not sign a secrets act concerning my ability, nor will I let them dictate how or when I use my ability. It does not belong to them. They don't own it, and they don't own me. In exchange, I will help out the government with my ability two, maybe three times a year, tops," I explained in clear concise language.
"Thank you. Now that I have a more precise set of instructions, I can deal better with my counterpart in the feds. If it makes any difference to you, I want you to know I think you're doing the right thing.
"This ability of yours is an intriguing and wonderful thing. It is also something that could easily be abused. I can understand the government's concerns," Richard said earnestly.
"It concerns me too. Particularly the government's wanting to DICTATE my life to me. Sounds like a pretty big abuse of power to me," I said a bit grimly.
"Agreements are better than forced resolutions. The judge was right about that. Someone is going to go home a loser in this case, and whoever that is, is going to be dissatisfied," Richard said quietly.
I nodded to him. We talked a bit more and covered a few more 'what if' situations. Mostly, though, he had his marching orders and a clear objective in view. I left him to do his thing, and I went back to my own work.
Things had really piled up. I spent a good two hours just clearing messages and requests for help in using my powers to find missing people. I sighed and filed those away. I felt sorry for them, but there were to many for me to help, pure and simple.
I did receive one call that pissed me off. It came in over my private line and simply said, "We are not amused, and you will regret this," then they hung up.
I did not recognize the voice at all. I could count the people on one hand who had this private number, and I would have recognized those voices. So it was either the government, or it was the 'council'. I was banking the 'council' was the party on the other end.
It was time to take my two prisoners out of storage, and get as much info as I could from them. First, I would need period clothing for where I was going. As for the prisoners, I would dress them in rags. The local authorities would take care of the rest. I grinned to myself. I left the office, got into my car, and drove home.
My home security told me all clear, no one had been by and I thanked them. I closed and locked all my doors, and teleported through the NTZ to my North Dakota home, where I had taken all my treasures and period clothing.
I picked out something that was close to the period I wanted, and I put it on. I pocketed a couple other items and a lighter. I then teleported myself to Spain. I was out of sight, and close to a local church which had all the power I could wish for.
I 'time dived' back to 1595 Spain. A good time for the church to question strangely clad people. Especially ones that were going to be caught in suspicious circumstances. At best, my two prisoners would spend the rest of their lives locked in a place for the insane. At worst, they would be killed during the Inquisition's interrogation. Either way, I would be done with these two. While I could not bring myself to kill them by my own hand, placing them in the hands of others who were the same level as they were, seemed like poetic justice to me.
What did I mean: 'same level'? Simple. At least one man was a highly placed local police officer, who thought nothing of abusing his authority. The other had refused to say who he was. It was poetic justice that the local authorities of this time in Spain, handle a local authority of my time. They would be treated like a criminal, and with the same contempt they had shown towards me.
I found an area that was perfect. It was far enough away from the local town, but close enough to have someone come and investigate the coming attractions. There was an additional benefit that a castle was within site on a local hill. Perfect!
I reached into the NTZ, and pulled out my two prisoners. They immediately noticed the difference from being in my living room and then being here. I had put them into storage from my living room after all.
I removed their gags. I then cut their clothing to ribbons. When they were found by the locals, their clothing would not draw attention, well, not much anyway. I removed their watches and wallets, and anything else that pointed at the future.
"Gentleman. We are here to answer questions and enlighten me," I said in my most jovial tone of voice.
"Go fuck yourself... and fuck you," was the response I got.
"Well, let's see. What do I already know? I know that our erstwhile police Lieutenant is an operative of the 'council'. Does this mean you are, too," I asked the other guy.
So went the questioning. It was getting dark, and I didn't want to spend too much time with these two. The police officer said point-blank, that I was going to regret this, as Mr. Smith would take care of me.
I prodded them a few times with a taser, but didn't get too much except threats from them. I sighed. So they were part of an enforcement arm of some sort, within the 'council'. That was all I could figure out.
I put my taser away, and walked off a short distance. I pulled out my lighter, and a roman candle. I lit the roman candle, and it went off nicely. I could hear yelling in the distance. I waited a couple minutes, then lit a couple of 'black cat' firecrackers. They made a nice little series of explosions. Finally, I set off a smoke bomb.
I could hear the sound of voice and horses getting closer. I walked over to my two companions, and I cut the plastic restraints from their hands. I knew they had to be numb, as the future me had tightened them down, hard!
I grabbed up the plastic I had cut off their hands and feet, and waited until the local people were almost upon us.
"Oh, by the way. You might be interested to know, we are in 1595 Spain. I think you're in for a rough time. Your own fault, though. Have a nice life, what's left of it," I said.
I ignored them, and waited until people on horses were close. I shouted and gesticulated at them. I intoned a chant I had once heard. They yelled and started coming at me. Some had huge old style muskets, but most had spears or swords. I backed up to my two ex-prisoners who were struggling to get to their feet, and then I stepped into the 'between'.
To the people who had been closing on me, it seemed as if I had disappeared into thin air. Both the group on horseback sent to investigate the mysterious lights and explosions coming from here, and my two prisoners, were stunned at my leaving as I did.
It took me a little while to make it back to my own time. I had to jump back in increments. I finally arrived at the point when I was leaving. Good. I stepped into the NTZ and through it back to my home. Well, that solved one problem. It had been solved, for some four hundred years, if I was counting right!
Edited by TeNderLoin