Dulce Truths

He nods after saying the words, and Mark glances over his shoulder to see one of the base guards nod as well. After that the man turns around and hits something on the wall, perhaps a hidden button there. The wall begins to slide away, revealing an open doorway. From that doorway comes a Gray, its long spindly arms reaching down well past its waist, those big black eyes as empty and lifeless as ever. Mark is in shock, but not as much as he finds himself in a moment later. After the Gray steps into the room, a Reptilian comes into view behind it. The creature’s snout is long and scaled, and as it opens Mark can see two long rows of razor sharp teeth. The Reptilian gnashes those teeth, emitting a guttural series of sounds in the process. Besides that it has a flashgun in one hand… as if it needs the thing. Mark also glances at those razor sharp claws on its hands, claws that can rip a man’s face off in one clean swipe.

The Gray shifts a little on its feet a moment after that, seemingly directing its attention to Carl. Then Carl nods, and as he turns from the Gray back to Mark, a smile edges up one corner of his mouth.

“It tells me you’re filing all this information away, planning on how to use it later to stop us.” Carl chuckles. “As if there’s gonna be a ‘later’.”

“There will be,” Mark says, giving a hard look Carl’s way before doing the same to Anderholt and even the two aliens present, “there’s no way you’re going to cover up my father’s murder, or pin his death on me. Too many people will ask questions. Dad had too many friends.”

“You mean friends like Carl?” Anderholt says, chuckling for a moment as he rolls his eyes. “No, Mark, I’m not worried about anyone talking, for who would they talk to? Carl here… maybe a base guard?” He chuckles again. “No, I think it’s far more likely they’ll come straight to me, the top rank on this base… don’t you?”

When Anderholt looks at him, Mark just rolls his eyes and looks down to the floor. Hearing the general speak is making him sick. Anderholt laughs and continues speaking.

“’Cover up your father’s death,’ you say? Why, Mark… why would I need to do that when I can pin it on you? And hould anyone come and ask, I can pin it on them. Hell, the more I look at it like that, it might be best just to kill you now!” He chuckles. “There are lots of dumb flyboys like you that’ll unwittingly take the blame, when the evidence I plant leads to them, that is.”

“You’ll never kill me,” Mark says. “You need me for whatever plan you have. With me dead people will begin asking who killed my father, and who killed me.”

“I’m not worried about that, Mark, because I have your friend Jake to pin the blame on.”

“Jake?” Mark says. “What’s he got to do with this?”

“Saw you taken away, went around talking, and then made the mistake of coming to see me.” Anderholt chuckles as he looks down at the gun in his hand. “He said we had traitors in our midst, ones that might go all the way to the top.”

He looks over at Carl as he says that last, and both men have a good laugh. A moment later Anderholt turns back to Mark. “So when he told me everything, I simply couldn’t believe this opportunity — a real life patsy just knockin’ on my door.” The smile fades and is replaced with seriousness. “Pulled a gun out right then and there and zapped him. Poof — he’s no more!”

Mark turns away, sickened at what he’s hearing. Anderholt and Carl just laugh, while the two aliens stand by looking impatient and the base guards ignore it all.

“Killin’ him might make more sense… if you really can pin it all on Jake,” Carl says.

“And why can’t I pin it all on him? Hell, I recruited him into this program, I brought him into this timeframe — why can’t I do with him as I please?”

Anderholt looks over at Carl, but the man only shrugs, as if to say, ‘sounds fine by me, boss.’

“You know, the more I think of it…” Anderholt says as he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a flashgun, “…why not? Why not take out both of the Richards in one day?”

He points the flashgun at Mark, a sinister smile coming to his face.

Part IV

17 — Out of Time

Blue Lake

Friday, May 25, 1979

10:07 AM

Mark stares at the flashgun pointing at him, knowing he’s about to die.

“Any last words?” Anderholt asks, a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, I’ll see you in Hell.”

Anderholt scoffs and then looks over at the Reptilian before looking back to Mark. “You know, maybe being zapped into nothingness is too kind. Perhaps having your face ripped off would be better.”

He looks back to the Reptilian and nods. The Reptilian gives about as close to it can come to a smile, and takes another step forward. Mark closes his eyes and silently begins to pray.

BZZ… ZZB… BZZ…

Mark opens his eyes at the sound. It’s the unmistakable sound of a teleporter keying-in to their very spot! He looks up and sees both Anderholt’s and Carl’s brows furrowing, a confused look coming to their faces. Even the Reptilian looks confused, as well as the Grays standing by the door.