Joe Read Free

9/11.
    Unlike him, Frank had some foreknowledge.
    Frank stared at the lights that indicated the troops. Would he make the same mistakes his father supposedly did? The mistakes his father had to die to prevent.
    “Frank.”
    Ellen’s call drew Frank away from the board. “El.” He cleared his throat.
    She stepped into the room, gently smiling. “How are you?”
    “I thought you left with Danny and Roy.”
    “They were chatting. I was worried.”
    “Well, yeah. Danny and fuckin Roy together could be too much for one person.”
    “Not about Danny and Roy...”
    “Sorry.” Frank turned again to the board. “This is a pretty big fucking problem that’s only gonna get worse.”
    “Not about that, Frank.”
    Frank looked down as she approached him.
    “About you.”
    “El, please.” He scoffed.
    “I know you. This is on your mind.”
    “No shit.” He shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”
    “And you’ll do the right thing. I’m certain of that and that’s why I am.”
    “To tell me what to do?” Frank asked.
    “No, to tell you that you’ll do the right thing.”
    “How can you be so sure?”
    “I know you,” Ellen stepped to him. “If anyone can save a situation, it’s you. I believe in you.” She embraced him.
    Frank took that in, taking El into his arms.
    “However, I can’t believe you’re eating raisin cookies.” She moved back. “You hate raisin cookies.”
    “Yeah, I know but these are fuckin awesome.” Frank grabbed another cookie. “Plus, since I am now part jackrabbit, I like vegetables.”
    “It’s a fruit.”
    “Oh.” Frank laughed. “Still.” He took a bite.
    “So have you figured out the ‘What now’?”
    “Not yet. I wish, I wish my dad was here.”
    “He is Frank. In spirit. He is.”
    “I guess that will be enough.” Frank took her in his arms again. “It has to be.” Holding Ellen, his worried eyes traveled to the board and the massive amounts of dancing lights.
    *****
    There was a chill in the air that seeped into Hal’s bones. It wasn’t just the April coolness either. It was the revelation of what lay on the horizon.
    He waited by the truck waiting for his right hand man, Elliott Ryder to return. Frank had told them there was no reason to stay in Beginnings. He’d have a meeting regarding everything the next day.
    ‘Let’s sleep on this,’ Frank had said.
    Hal, leaning against the driver’s door of the truck, chuckled at that thought.
    “Captain?” Elliott approached. “Remembering something funny?”
    “You could say that, Elliott.” Hal opened the door. “I’m remembering what my brother said.”
    “And that was?”
    “Sleep on it.”
    Elliott gave him a quizzical look then, he too got in the truck.
    Hal started the truck and began to drive.
    “Captain? Why is that funny?”
    “Because Elliott. Sleep on it? It’s ten in the morning. It’s a long day to sleep on it. He’s retarded.”
    Elliott hid his snicker. “I think you know what he meant.”
    “I think he wants to play with the new toy by himself.”
    “Your brother seemed rather …. Unemotional about all this.”
    “We were expecting something.”
    “Still, I think he just wants to absorb what is happening. Plus, we’ll have to have our own meeting regarding this.”
    Hal nodded. “Our scouts did report the same thing. “
    “What do you suppose Frank will want to do about it?”
    ”I couldn’t say.”
    “What would you do if this lay on your shoulders?”
    “I see them differently than everyone in that room,” Hal said. “I see them as a hostile threat. They took our man. I’d want to wipe them out.”
    “But you wouldn’t?”
    Hal shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to change anything history has planned. And trust me, if in the previous future my father was running things, he would have let them sit to see what they were up to.”
    “They are setting up camp. Making plans for the long range game instead of short.”
    “Like with Kuwait. Desert