Guns And Dogs Read online

  Above him he heard the strange sound. It sounded like a cross between a jet engine and a loud hiss. As if a thousand rattlers were hovering above him.

  When he looked up he almost wet his pants.

  A car was floating above him. Its wheels were retracted and in their place were strange turbofan-like engines, only more futuristic looking. They throbbed as they maneuvered the car closer to him. He heard a loud pop and seconds later he was entangled in a net that grew tighter around him the more he struggled. Soon he was rising quickly into the air, above the workers. Dammit! Johnny started screaming for help, hoping one of the men below would catch a glimpse of him. None did. Instead, he found himself being pulled higher and higher into the air, before the car launched itself forward and accelerated towards Route 10.

  A few minutes later, Johnny felt himself being lowered towards the ground. He looked around, hoping to see any signs of life other than him and this blasted car that had abducted him. He felt the net loosen around him before it dropped him on the shoulder of Route 10. The car touched down ten feet away from him before its turbofan engines reverted back to standard wheels. Johnny then took off again. Behind him Gina’s door opened and the two Dobermans jumped out before chasing after Johnny. Seconds later, they’d pinned him to the ground.

  “Get off me, you creepy mutts!” Johnny said as he struggled to push off both dogs. They felt like they weighed a ton. A shadow loomed over Johnny and Argos’ judgmental face stared down at him.

  “Now that wasn’t a nice thing to say to my dogs.”

  (3)

  Johnny glared at Argos. “There are laws against what you’re doing… this is abduction.”

  “You told me you were going to take a leak and then next thing I knew you’d ran off like a jackrabbit.” Argos whistled and Jessie and Studs stepped away from Johnny.

  Johnny slowly stood up and brushed himself off. “Can you blame me? You claim to know my Dad, then drop all this BS on me and expect me to believe you?”

  The dogs growled, but Johnny was too spent to care. It wasn’t even noon, yet he felt as if two days had gone by without a wink of sleep.

  Argos nodded solemnly and for a moment Johnny thought the strange man with the muscular frame was regretful for what he had done. “I know, I should’ve told you more, but I was under orders, and the agency I belong to isn’t keen on releasing information about itself to the general public.”

  “Yeah, what’s up with your car, man?” Johnny stared at the Camaro. It was the first time he got a good look at it and its sleek crimson paint job featured a dual white stripe across its hood. “Looks like it’s been refurbished. Gina I presume?”

  Argos pressed a button on a keyless entry remote and the doors hissed open. It sounded like an airlock opening in one of those sci-fi flicks Johnny watched on cable.

  “Yep, that’s Gina—a 1968 Camaro—my pride and joy. I suppose I should tell you more about AL and why we want you to help us. Can I trust you not to disappear on me again?”

  “I guess.” Johnny inched closer to the strange flying car. It’s alloy rally wheels were so finely-polished Johnny could see his reflection. He remembered his father had once taken him to an auto show in Phoenix a few years back. The memory soured his stomach and he turned away from the reflection.

  “What’s wrong?” Argos asked. Jessie and Studs approached Johnny and eyed him with concern.

  “Ohh, just remembering my old man. He used to like classic cars.”

  Argos smiled. “I know.” The Dobermans barked their agreement.

  “I just wish I knew what happened.” Johnny fought back the painful emptiness in his chest.

  “Like I told you earlier, it was on an AL mission. We were partners. But he was assigned on a solo mission. That’s how it happened. But this really isn’t the place to be discussing AL material.” Argos whistled and Jessie and Studs dashed into Gina before taking their place on the rear seat. From inside Gina, they looked at Johnny and Argos expectantly. “Why don’t you get inside the car? If you don’t like what I have to say, I’ll take you home and you’ll never see me again.”

  Johnny exhaled. “Fine.”

  ***

  As soon as Johnny slipped inside Gina he was amazed at her interior. An impressive looking dashboard featured various digital screen readouts of various onboard systems. Some were basic readings like air and engine temperature. But others contained readouts of unfamiliar systems labeled “Heal-Time” and “Nuclear Coasting.”

  The door hissed shut as soon as Johnny and Argos had strapped themselves in. Argos pressed a button on the steering wheel and Gina lifted off the ground like a Harrier Jet. Argos pressed his foot down on the accelerator and they were off.

  Johnny held on to the sides of his leather seat. Looking out the window and eyed the scenery beneath him. The desert landscape was a mixture of rust red dotted with jagged hills and brushland.

  “Impressive, huh?” Argos said as Gina climbed higher into the clouds. Johnny nodded, while his stomach tried adjusting to the new altitude. He hoped it would not betray him by expelling his breakfast. “So now that we’re by ourselves, what do you want to know?”

  Johnny turned away from the window. “Tell me more about Time-Healing.”

  Argos scratched the stubble on his chin. “I had a feeling you’d ask about that. Well, like the term implies, operatives like me are called Time-Healers. We’re sent back in time to make adjustments in history; to make sure everything turns out the way it’s supposed to.”

  Johnny exhaled. “Wow…so time-travel is possible? Hard to believe.”

  Argos pulled out two dog treats from inside the armrest and Jessie and Studs went to work on them. As the dogs munched on their snacks he thought about his next question. “How is it done? I mean…time-travel?”

  “Very carefully Johnny.” Argos paused for a second to collect his thoughts. “There’re these folks who work for American Legends, TMCs, which is short for Time Manipulation Crunchers. We call them Eyeballs for short cause they’re constantly eying all the timeline permutations. As you can imagine, it’s a stressful job, and one miscalculation can foul up an entire Time-Heal.” He rapped his knuckles on Gina’s dashboard. “So far I’ve been on five missions and have five THCs.”

  “THCs?” Johnny said.

  Argos smiled. “Ohh right, I meant Time-Heal Completions. It’s how AL designates successful time-travel missions.”

  “What happens if you mess up?” Johnny and Argos eyed each other. Johnny wanted to know more about Argos’ experiences. He was also curious how the dogs fitted into all of this. Perhaps he could also learn more about his father’s secret life through this experience.

  “It hasn’t really happened…yet,” Argos answered. “We have RMs—which stand for Rewind Missions—but that’s to go further back if any mission errors occur. They retract the agent who cannot complete a mission with a Time-Heal Completion, and send in another agent to go slightly further back and clean up the mess. But those rarely happen. AL Eyeballs keep close tabs on Time-Healers and there hasn’t been any issues yet.”

  “These Eyeballs sound like bad-asses.”

  “They’re impressive alright. Only the top recruits who score perfectly on their aptitude tests make it to the final round of selection, and then they compete against one another in computer simulations. The winners of these simulations graduate to TMC status: the best of the best. When we get to AL Command, you’ll meet our best Eyeball, Patrice Waters. She’s a little older than you. A real bright light she is. Graduated Harvard at 16, earned her PHD at MIT at 18. Director Mitchell snatched her up as soon as he could. Her scores in the simulation were phenomenal.”

  “Sounds like someone you’d want on your team.”

  Argos looked amused. “I’m glad you think so Johnny, because she’s been assigned to train you.”

  Chapter 5

  After greeting a pocket of turbulence, Gina shook as they rose higher and higher amongst the clouds. To Johnny it felt as i
f he was sitting inside a commercial passenger jet. Yet this wasn’t like any flying experience he remembered.

  “Are there any other cars like Gina?”

  “Nope. She’s the first Time-Incursion Vehicle. Besides, AL is still in its early stages of operation—it wouldn’t be economical to build too many cars like Gina. In addition to the exuberant amount of antimatter needed to power the Time-Displacement modulator, the risk of a Time-Splinter Paradox is too great.”

  Johnny’s eyes narrowed. “Time-Splinter Paradox?”

  Argos grinned sharply. “Let me explain: say someone with malevolent intentions was able to overpower an AL Time-Healer and take control of a TIV, they could conceivably manipulate the timeline to their benefit. Become someone with enough power that can change the course of history for their own benefit. That’s why it’s called a TSP.”

  Johnny nodded. “Splinters would form within the timeline.”

  “Right,” Argos replied. “I knew you’d catch on quick. My recruiting skills are still top notch.” Both Dobermans barked in agreement with Argos. Johnny found it quaint how the dogs were so in tune with their handler. Must be an owner-dog thing, he thought.

  He looked out the window and saw an airliner cruising below them before disappearing into a thick field of clouds. Then he turned towards Argos. “I still don’t know anything about you.”

  (2)

  Argos Better laughed. “Alright, Johnny.” Gina shook for a second before he piloted her out of the turbulence. “But I warn you, I’m really not that interesting.”

  “I think you owe me that much Argos; I’ve agreed to come along with you so I’d like some answers.”

  “Fair enough.” Argos paused for a second and spoke a code word directed towards Gina’s dashboard. Her computer voice responded and stated that autopilot mode had been engaged. “Now what do you want to know about me?”

  “How’d you go from being a dog breeder to an AL operative?”

  Argos scratched his cheek and smiled. “That’s a long story, Johnny…a very long story.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “Alright. Well, after the Gulf War ended I tried my hand at being an electrician. I worked hard to build a small business and I did alright. But after ten years of that I decided to follow my true passion—dogs.”

  “Why Red Dobermans?”

  “After I sold my business, my Dad gave me a Red Doberman as a retirement gift. I took to the dog and it to me. His name was Rusty and he quickly became my best friend, much to the dismay of my ex-wife.” Johnny noticed Jessie and Studs were listening intently to the conversation. For a second he could’ve sworn that they even understood what Argos was saying.

  “Anyhow, a few months after graduation, war came to the Middle East in August 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s army invaded Kuwait.”

  “Yeah, I learned about that in school—late 20th century history.”

  Argos nodded. “I lived through that Johnny. I had two choices after high school: go to community college and get a job, or join the army and get some skills I could use after the war. So I went to a local recruiting office and signed up. The next thing I knew I was placed in boot camp and soon after, they’d taught me all sorts of stuff. I found myself working in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield as an electrical technician fixing all sorts of army vehicles. I already knew a lot about fixing cars before I joined the Army, so while I was stationed there I soon became one of their top technicians.” Argos paused for a moment and swallowed before continuing. “It was there that I met your Dad.”

  Johnny felt a jolt of excitement course through his chest when Argos mentioned his father.

  “He was an Army captain, and I was repairing one of the jeeps he and his men used to drive around the base. He valued my technical skills and we quickly became friends. After speaking to his commanding officer, I received a generous promotion from Specialist to Warrant Officer. Apparently my technical expertise had something to do with it. After Desert Shield became Desert Storm I advised your father and his superiors with all issues regarding vehicle maintenance. I also trained various other promising enlisted officers in mechanical and electrical repairs.

  After the Coalition forces won, and the war ended, your father and I went our separate ways. Though we kept in touch, it was after I’d started my electrician business that your parents came to visit me. Your mother was pregnant with you at the time, and I agreed to be your godfather.”

  Johnny retraced Argos’ words, trying to get a feel for the life he had lived. He remembered asking his father once who his godfather was. His father had answered, “a very good man.” But Johnny had never imagined he’d meet his godfather under these circumstances.

  “After that I got married and had two kids. It was shortly after I had sold my electrical business that AL approached me, and guess who came to see me to offer the position?”

  Without even uttering a syllable, Johnny already knew. Argos read Johnny’s thoughts and nodded, a warm look in his eyes. “That’s right, son, it was your father. I ended up accepting his offer, first as an AL technician working on various pieces of technology. Then, I was trained to become a field operative. I started going on Time-Healing missions with your Dad. AL then temporarily reassigned me to recruiting because of my experience in running my electrical business. One day after I’d been reassigned, he was sent on a solo Time-Healing mission. I volunteered to go back and see if I could locate him but AL had already closed the books on the mission. Said it was too risky to keep looking for a missing agent. Even for an agent as valuable as your father.”

  “Why would they do that?” he yelled. He shook his head ruefully and let out a few expletives. “So you’re saying he still could’ve been alive? Did my Mother know about this?”

  Argos nodded solemnly. “Yes. She did, it was kept from you, for your own good, Johnny.”

  Johnny clenched his fist so hard that it began to shake, then did his best to calm himself. But the fact that this had been kept from him hurt, he wanted closure regarding his father and wasn’t getting it. “We had a chat one night on the phone. She took it hard.” Johnny remembered the mysterious phone call. “So you were the co-worker my mom spoke to? The one offering his condolences?”

  Argos nodded before repeating his verbal code. Gina relinquished control of the autopilot. “I’m sorry Johnny. That’s how clandestine government agencies operate. I’ve lost a lot too. My job with AL took its toll on my marriage and one day my wife asked for a divorce. It was hard, especially since I was still in love with her, but I honored her request. I didn’t want to make her any more miserable than she already was. It also cost me my kids. I hardly ever see them now.” A moment of silence descended between them, as if they each were paying tribute to the loved ones they’d lost.

  (3)

  Johnny wanted to ask Argos if it’d been worth losing his family by continuing his employment with AL. But right as he was about to utter his question he stopped and swallowed.

  “Were you gonna say something?” Argos asked.

  “Yeah, I was,” Johnny replied abashedly, “but perhaps…um…another time…it was kinda personal.”

  Jessie and Studs barked. Johnny looked at them and wondered if they’d been a silent audience in his conversation with Argos. He shifted his glance towards the windshield as they passed through a dense cloud. “No, go ahead, ask.”

  “Did you ever consider leaving AL? I mean before the divorce?”

  “There were warning signs that my marriage was on the rocks, yes, and I thought about it from time to time. But the work I was doing for AL was critical to both Homeland Security, not to mention Earth itself. I’d also made a commitment to your father when he recruited me and I wasn’t about to resign. Don’t get me wrong, my family meant the world to me, but I also felt that if I’d left AL I’d be jeopardizing their safety as well as millions of other families. After your father disappeared I buried the thought of leaving AL.”

  “Ok
.”

  “America is a great country Johnny, you know that, but she’s got new problems these days, both domestic and abroad: obesity, school-shootings, drugs; and that’s just within our borders. The world’s ecological stability is melting like the polar ice caps and meanwhile every terrorist group in the world wants to spread fear or detonate a nuclear bomb inside a major American city. Plus the newest danger— Time-Splinter Paradoxes—as I mentioned earlier. So while the CIA is busy dealing with international terror organizations bent on turning America into a radioactive wasteland, AL is trying to make sure that TSPs are nipped in the bud.”

  Johnny pondered Argos’ words as Gina continued cruised through the heavens. There would always be problems with the world. His father had told him about the Cold War which had lasted from the mid-1940s up until the early 1990s. But now America had bigger issues. He thought about the school-shootings that were common these days and was glad that his school hadn’t experienced such a calamitous event. There was bullying, but school security and teachers were always on the lookout for violators, and apart from the occasional school fight, things were as normal as any regular high school. He thought about all the terms Argos had dropped on him, Time-Healers, Time-Splinter Paradoxes and now Time-Killers. No wonder his father had kept his AL job a secret from him. He probably didn’t want to worry me, Johnny thought. Soon another question popped into his mind. “There’s still one thing I have to ask you Argos.”

  Argos shot a side glance at Johnny before turning his attention back to “driving.”

  “I’m curious, whatever happened to Rusty?”

  Argos sighed deeply and began the tale from his past.