Work Text:
Status: new, complete
Archive: Feel free to include on any web page or archive. The truth must be known!
E-mail address for feedback: frankbparker@yahoo.com
Series: 7 Days
Disclaimers: I do not own the characters. I just report what's happened at NNL lately, which Christopher Crowe can't use because he is sworn to secrecy.
False Backstep
By David Lee Rickman II
"Agent Tesla, what went wrong with your mission?"
The new member to The Society gulped and opened his mouth, but the man in the shadows continued his inquiry.
"Was it really such a hard assassination to pull off? And you let one unidentified man stop you?"
"He has stopped me before..."
The agents in the room were taken aback by the sudden visitor into their New York headquarters.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?," The man in the shadows demanded.
"My name is Ben Jacobs and I wish to join the Illuminaties."
"Tell me why my men shouldn't kill you now."
"Because I know that man you spoke of a moment ago. His name is Frank Parker and he is what's stopping you..."
******************
"Hey Olga, do you have any sleeping pills?"
"Mr. Parker, are you having trouble sleeping?"
"Time lag."
"What is 'time lag'?"
"It's like jet lag. Imagine it being ten o'clock in the morning, and then you get in the sphere and it's almost midnight when you arrive."
"Here Parker, take two of these."
**************
The man in the dark part of the room sat back in the shadows thinking about what this foolish man was telling him. A man foolish enough to just walk into the most clandestine and most powerful group of men alive.
********************
"So this guy Frank Parker knows what we are going to do if he goes back through time?"
"He can stop you every time. I tried to frame their best scientist, and he went back to stop me."
"How do we stop a man who knows the future?"
"He only goes back when the NSA decides a situation is a risk to national security. If we can create one full threat the first time while expecting him, he'll be there the second time which will still be the first to us."
************
"What kind of idiot president would go to Ford's theatre on the anniversary of Lincoln's assassination?"
"One that has a point to make Ramsey, right Parker?"
"Right Donavan. The best thing about it is that Olga will be there with me at the theatre."
"Uh, Parker. She insisted on sitting at least three rows behind you."
"Yes, but that is two rows closer than last time."
"Oh, for crying out loud you infatuated jerk." Ramsey started shaking his head in disbelief.
Talmedge knocked on the door. "Bad news. The weather in D.C. won't let up anytime soon, so we can't take the plane to see the play."
"Can't we just take the plane most of the way, and then go by bus the rest of the trip?"
"Not enough advanced notice Frank. The best you can do is watch it on CSPAN."
*****************
The young agent with the radio transmitter hid in the hallway adjacent to the presidential balcony.
"Sir, the president's secretary just left for the bathroom. All that's protecting the president now is his wife and a secret service agent. That Parker guy hasn't showed up, so this must be the original history."
"Good.," the man in the shadows in New York responded over the radio. "Wait ten seconds and then burst into the balcony. Fire to right at first to hit the secret service agent, then the president."
The man waited, went to the door, and burst in firing six shots.
**************
Three days later Frank Parker walked toward the sphere quickly. Talmedge tried to keep abreast of Parker's pace. "Intel is still baffled by this Parker. The secretary was found bleeding in the men's bathroom. The president and his secret service agent were shot. His widow might die from internal bleeding anytime soon. As far as we can tell, the shooter or shooters don't exist."
"I'll get 'em sir."
"I know you will Mr. Parker."
*******************
The sphere was quickly energized. Parker hit the ENGAGE button, and was jostled violently back and forth. If there is an up and down direction when heading through time, he was probably shaken in those directions also. The images of the last few days flashed in his mind.
However, there was one image he didn't understand. A man standing in a room full of people. He knew that man, but he didn't remember from where. On the wall was the same symbol as a one dollar bill. A pyramid with an eye. Before he could think about in further, he lost control of the needles.
********************
Parker opened his eyes and was coughing mud on his visor. He took off his helmet, and shoke the rain off his hair. He pulled himself out of the mud puddle he fell in after leaving the sphere, and must have lost a few moments of consciousness. He saw the Washington monument in the distance, and a cab going down the street near him.
"Hey! Hey cab!" Parker shouted waving his arms.
The cab pulled up and the cab driver rolled down the window.
"Ey, you funny man in red suit. Going to party of costumes?"
Parker pulled out his gun. "I am sorry Mohammed, but I need your cab."
"Cash! Don't shoot!" Cash here!"
Parker reached forward and forced the man out of the cab.
*******************
Ramsey picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Conundrum. Get some guys to Ford's theatre now."
"Parker, what do you..."
"I don't have time Ramsey. I was unconscious after the backstep. I lost two hours, and I only have half an hour left."
Parker hung up the cell phone and sped down Kennedy Avenue.
******************
As Parker entered the back of Ford's theatre, he heard a person shout, "Parker!".
"What the..?"
"You remember me, right Parker?"
"Ben Jacobs? You're supposed...I mean you're.."
"Dead? No Mr. Parker. But you'll soon be."
*****************
Frank Parker found himself in a blue sky with white clouds passing by.
"He tricked us." Parker looked over at his mirror image.
"Yeah, I guess we should have made sure to find his body before deciding he died."
Parker's mirror image snapped his fingers and the white clouds went backwards.
"The burp effect doesn't work for just bubbles. Bubbles, rocks, dust, people. All matter is the same in the universe. What one can do, all are capable of."
Parker closed his eyes and pictured the clouds around him going forward again.
He opened his eyes, and the clouds were going forward. "I did that, right?"
His mirror image shook his head yes.
Parker closed his eyes, and went back through time.
*******************
Parker opened his eyes and was coughing mud on his visor. He took off his helmet, and shoke the rain off his hair. He was back in time again, and still had a half hour left. He saw the Washington monument in the distance, and the cab again coming down the street near him.
"Hey! Hey cab!" Parker shouted waving his arms. The cab pulled up and the cab driver rolled down the window.
"Ey, you funny man in red..."
Parker pulled out his gun and forced the man out of the cab.
*************************
Ramsey picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Conundrum. Get some guys to Ford's theatre now. Ben Jacobs is back from the dead."
"Parker, what do you..."
"I don't have time Ramsey. I only have half an hour left."
Parker hung up the cell phone and sped down Kennedy Avenue.
Ramsey looked at Mentnor. "Ben Jacobs survived that car crash?"
***********************
As Parker entered the back of Ford's theatre, he heard a person shout, "Parker!".
"Hi Ben."
"You do remember me."
"You should have died."
"You didn't kill me off. But I will kill you."
Parker shot Jacobs, but another man snuck up on Parker and shot him in the back.
***********************
"Didn't quite work the second time, huh?"
"No."
"Remember that night during desert storm when one of the soldiers was talking about the New World Order?"
"That was crazy talk."
"You're right. Even if one existed, Project Backstep wouldn't be a threat to them."
Parker's mirror image handed Parker a one dollar bill.
"The pyramid and eye symbol I saw during the backstep?"
Parker's mirror image floated into the clouds. "Think about it."
**********************
Parker opened his eyes and took off his helmet before he coughed mud on his visor. "Third times a charm," Parker quietly thought.
He saw the Washington monument in the distance, and the cab again coming down the street near him.
"Hey! Hey cab!" Parker shouted waving his arms.
The cab pulled up and the cab driver rolled down the window. Parker sighed, "I know, I know. I am a funny man in a red suit." Parker aimed his gun at the taxi driver. "I've had a bad day, so please get out of the cab."
Parker tossed the money from the cash box out of the cab and didn't look back to see the cab driver quickly trying to gather the money into his arms.
******************
Ramsey picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Conundrum. Get some guys to Ford's theatre now. Ben Jacobs is back from the dead."
"Parker, what do you..."
"Oh, forget it."
Parker tossed the cell phone out the window and sped down Kennedy Avenue.
****************
As Parker entered the back of Ford's theatre, he heard a person shout, "Parker!".
"Hi Ben. How's the Illuminaties?"
"So you found out about that in the future?"
"No, just from a friend."
Parker quickly shot Ben Jacob and the man trying to sneak up behind Parker.
********************
The young agent with the transmitter hid in the hallway adjacent to the presidential balcony.
"Sir, the president's secretary just left for the bathroom. All that's protecting the president is his wife and a secret service agent."
"Good.," the man in the shadows in New York responded over the radio. "Wait ten seconds, and then burst into the balcony. Fire to right at first to hit the secret service agent, then the president."
"Sorry, you've been disconnected," Parker's voice came over the radio transceiver.
"Who is this?"
"Santa Clause and you've been a bad boy."
Parker threw the transmitter against the wall and walked around the body of the agent he had just shot with a silencer on his gun.
"Sorry if this gets you in trouble with your boss."
****************
"Well Parker, I don't know quite what happened, but the president and his guests are safe." Talmedge chuckled. "But you created one mad taxi driver. You should read the police report."
"No thanks Talmedge. By the way Ramsey, thanks for sending the Delta forces so quickly."
"What are you talking about Parker? I thought you were insane and didn't send any."
"But there were delta team members."
"Not from me."
Parker slammed his fist on the table. "D---! Those stinking..."
"You're not going into this Illuminaties crap again, are you?" Ramsey shook his head.
Mentnor tried to reassure Parker. "If there were a secret organized body in America, I assure you I'd know about it."
*******************
Parker found himself sitting at the table with his mirror image.
"They impersonated the delta team and took all the evidence. I am not even positive Jacobs is really dead."
"I don't think Jacobs is still friends with them if he were. Care for a fried chicken?"
Frank Parker took a bite. "This tastes so real."
"Do you doubt it?"
Parker stared at the second Parker. "You tell me."
"I know only as much as you do."
"It must be true. No way a nightmare like Ramsey could have been created in my insane mind."
Parker felt something strange. His arms were restrained, and he thought he was laying flat on a metal bed. The image then left his mind and he was back in his room of Never-Never Land.
The End