“We’re going back to Nashville tonight.”
~~~
“Are you absolutely set on this?” Todd said, fidgeting with the key.
Maria sighed and looked up at him. “I’m absolutely set on it, just like I was when you asked me five minutes ago.”
“Maybe we should stay for a few more days, just to be sure. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Todd,” Maria said, getting agitated, “The car is packed, the house is locked up, and we’ve been sitting in this car, in the driveway, for half an hour. We should be screaming towards Omaha right now.”
“I just thought we might want to wait for a spell—”
“Wait for what?”
“I just thought if we hung out here long enough you might forget we’re moving to Omaha and go in the house and build me a sandwich.”
“I won’t forget. let’s go!”
“I’m sorry Baby, but this is just nuts. I wish you’d think this thing over.”
Maria smiled and put her hand on his arm. “Todd,” she said softly, “if we don’t start driving soon I’m going to choke you to death.”
“But what would be wrong with waiting ‘till tommor—”
“GO!”
“I just thought we should talk—”
“GO!”
Todd started the car and began slowly backing out of the driveway. “One more night in our soft, warm bed would—”
“GO!”
They backed out, drove north towards the interstate silently passing through the neighborhood and on out into the main road heading east. They cruised by all the familiar stores and shops they had grown accustomed to.
“Why Omaha?” Todd said, breaking a long silent spell.
“I have no idea. I just know we have to go there.”
“What if we go there and you start having problems with the pregnancy?”
“I’m positive everything is gonna’ work out.”
“But how you know all that?”
“It’s hard to say how I know,” Maria said. “It’s kinda’…It’s like a nesting instinct…sort of.”
Todd shrugged. “Who am I to argue with instinct?”
Maria reached and turned on the radio.
“What sort of impact will the loss of Commander Gunnarson have on the mission?” a woman’s voice asked.
“None whatsoever,” the president’s familiar voice answered. “The accident was tragic, but the mission is still right on schedule; nothing has changed.”
Todd and Maria looked at each other and yelled in unison, “What happened?!” Maria reached and quickly turned up the radio.
“Will Commander Gunnarson receive proper medical care prior to the Trawler’s return?”
“The best; they are as equipped up there as a well-stocked hospital emergency room.”
Todd was suddenly forced to brake narrowly missing a metro police cruiser. “Whoa,” he barked. “You get a load of that? That cop pulled right in front of me.”
Maria seemed too involved in the radio to notice.
“NASA announced that the accident would postpone the rendezvous by a week. Could you comment on that, Mr. President?”
“You have to realize that Dante657 is sixty billion miles away. We still have plenty of time.”
Maria looked up at Todd. “He’s lying.”
“How you figure that?”
“All politicians lie.”
“It’s just one guy,” Todd said. “There’s a bunch of astronauts up there.”
“Still, I don’t trust them.”
“Damn,” Todd said, watching another police cruiser pass traveling in the opposite direction. “There are a lot of cops out tonight.”
“Maybe they’re expecting trouble because of the space station thing.”
“I wouldn’t blame them,” Todd said. “The night the rocket blew up everything went haywire.”
“Ohh,” Maria said, shifting in her seat, “the baby is active tonight.”
Todd put his hand on Maria’s belly and smiled as the baby kicked. “He wants out of there.”
“That’s ok with me,” Maria said. “I want him out too—”
“What the!” Todd yelled.
Maria glanced up as a kaleidoscope of red and blue flashes of light illuminated the interior of the car. “What’s happening?” she said as a police cruiser pulled close to the driver side.
Two squad cars had taken up position in front and two had pulled up tight behind them. They all slowed in formation as the cruiser alongside forced them to the side of the road.
“It’s cool,” Todd said. “We haven’t done anything wrong. This must be a mistake.”
The procession came to a stop. Suddenly, two glaring white lights illuminated the interior of the car.
“Todd, I’m scared,” Maria said, pressing herself against him.
“They’ve made a mistake,” he said, “just do as they ask. We’ll straighten it all out in a minute.”
“Driver!” A voice echoed through a PA system. “Put your hands out of the window where we can see them!”
Todd smiled at Maria. “They must think we robbed a bank or something.”
“Do what they say,” Maria said anxiously.
Todd put his hands out the open driver’s side window. “I think you boys made a mistake—”
“Driver, shut up. Open the door and step out of the vehicle!”
Todd shook his head, reached down, opened the outer door latch and stepped out. From this new vantage point, he could see the car was completely surrounded by officers pointing their weapons at him.
“Driver, put your hands on your head and turn around!”
Todd obeyed.
“Slowly walk backwards, keeping your hands on your head!”
Todd walked backwards until he was violently jerked onto his back. Someone rolled him over and he found himself face down on the blacktop with an officer’s foot on his head. Another officer dropped one knee into the center of his back and snapped handcuffs on his wrists. “Hey!” Todd barked. “What are you doing?”
“Shut up!” the cop growled, increasing the pressure on Todd’s back.
“You’re making a mista—” Without warning, Todd was viciously jerked to his feet. “Damn it!” he yelped, wincing.
“Passenger!” the voice on the PA boomed. “Put your hands out the window!”
“She’s pregnant!” Todd yelled.
“Step out of the vehicle!”
“It’s alright Maria!” Todd hollered. A swift uppercut to the solar plexus forced the wind from his lungs. He dropped to his knees gasping.
“Passenger, put your hands on top of your head and slowly back toward us!”
“I, I’m coming,” Maria said.
Todd could hear the terror in her voice. “Pregnant,” he groaned, still trying to catch his breath, “she’s pregnant.”
She backed into a small crowd of officers who turned her and pushed her face down on the hood of a patrol car. Todd was thankful they hadn’t slammed her to the ground as they had done with him.
“Todd!” she cried as the handcuffs clicked onto her wrists.
“If you morons hurt her,” Todd yelled, “we’ll sue you for everything we can! We’ll own this city!”
“Is that right?” the cop on his left said.
“Yeah that’s right Officer…” he looked down at the cop’s name plate, “…Officer Tate. You don’t have any idea what you’re into here. That lady over there; the one you shit-heads are groping, is eight months pregnant with a very, very special child!”
The officer pulled him to the back of a police cruiser, opened the door and pushed him in.
“Am I under arrest?” Todd asked, “On what charge?”
The officer slammed the door.
“I want to see a lawyer!” Todd hollered through the closed back window. “I haven’t been read my Miranda rights!”
No one was listening.
Chapter Five
~~~
“This is Mimi of the Holy Way Astrology Clinic. How may I help you?”
“Hi Mimi, is Meredith in?”
“Yes, she is. May I ask who’s calling?”
“Tell her Terrance is calling from the wind.”
“Please hold.”
“Terrance, is that you?”
“Hello, Meredith.”
“I can’t tell you how good it is to hear your voice again. How is Stephen?”
“Mean as ever, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, you two….You boys simply thrive on melodrama. What, pray tell, is he doing to you now?”
“It’s not what he’s doing to me, Meredith. It’s what he’s supposed to be doing with me.”
“Stop right there, Terrance. I need not hear another word. One of these days he’s gonna’ stop putting up with your bitching and run off with some stud-muffin, then where will you be?”
“What am I, Meredith…a codfish? I’m perfectly capable of getting any man I want.”
“Yes, that’s true, but the man you want is Stephen. Am I right or am I right?”
“I don’t want to talk about this, Meredith. Believe it or not, I called you for a reason.”
“And what would that reason be, sweet prince?”
“I need your counsel.”
“How may I help?”
“Do you remember little Gwen Freed?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“She’s with child.”
“Oh, isn’t that sweet?”
“She commissioned me to chart the child’s horoscope based on its due date, about two months from today, as a matter of fact.”
“And?”
“I did as she asked but, I found something very strange. I’d appreciate it if you’d check it out for me to be sure I’m not having a computer meltdown or something.”
“Of course I will, Terrance. Send the chart over.”
“Yes, well, this is the thing, the chart I want you to see doesn’t belong to Gwen Freed’s child.”
“I’m sorry, Terrance. I’m not following.”
“Uh Meredith…thirty-three days from today…Aries…go to the first house cusp, Jupiter is 13° Libra, which would place Jupiter in the 12th house, right?”
“Hold on, Terrance, let me check… Yes, Terrance. I see Jupiter being in conjunction with the Ascendant.”
“Right, that’s what I have, but look at the first house.”
“I’m not seeing…wait…that’s strange.”
“Do you see it dear? Tell me you see it.”
“Yes, I see it.”
“That’s what has me so freaked, Meredith.”
“That is very strange.”
“The thing is, Meredith, I’ve seen this before. It was so odd I remembered it.”
“And, when was that?”
“Do you remember my mentor, Benjamin Nesbitt?”
“Of course I do. He was a great teacher.”
“Yes, he was, and one of the things he had me do as a student, was to find and read the horoscopes of historical figures. He wanted us to check their accuracy against individual life stories. It was amazing how accurate the charts turned out to be. At any rate, there was one chart in particular that was very strange. As a matter of fact, it was identical to this one, Meredith.”
“And whose chart was that?”
“I had to go back two thousand years.”
“Whose chart was it, Terrance?”
“Jesus.”
“Who?”
“Jesus Christ, Meredith. It was Jesus Christ’s chart.”
“So, what are you saying, Terrance?”
“One of the things Benjamin always told us is the planets modify the tone of affairs told by the sign on the cusp of the house.”
“Yes I agree.”
“Look at the cluster of planets in the northwestern quarter.”
“Yes, I see them.”
“Sit down, and truly study them, Meredith.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you think they’re telling us, Terrance?”
“That’s why I need a second opinion. What I’m getting simply can’t be right.”
“What are you getting, Terrance?”
“Oh Meredith…you’ll think I’m crazy.”
“Just tell me what you’re getting, Terrance.”
“It doesn’t make any sense but I think the charts indicate that…Jesus Christ…the Messiah…will be re-born thirty-eight days from today.”
~~~
“Riley!” a morose voice shouted through the tiny barred window, “front and center!”
After considerable effort Todd stood. He had been occupying a corner of the fifty by thirty foot cell. Earlier, he had discovered that each of the twenty-four bunks had been staked out and vigorously defended. “It’s about time,” he said. He stomped on the floor, trying to revive his numb legs and staggered to the cell entrance.
The guard opened the steel door. “Somebody wants to see you.”
“It’s about time,” Todd repeated. “I was afraid I might have to spend the night in here.”
The guard chuckled and grabbed his arm.
He was led down a long corridor of cells and into a small room where he was pushed into a metal folding chair. The guard turned and left the room, locking the door behind him. Todd sat staring at the walls, wondering what was happening to Maria. He couldn’t wait to talk to his lawyer. After a few moments, the lock on the door clanged and the guard walked into the room followed by a towering priest.
“Father Jenkins! Thank God! These people just threw me in here. There were no charges, no Miranda rights, nothing. I don’t even know where Maria is.”
“Maria’s in the hospital,” Father Jenkins said.
“What? What happened?”
“She’s in the psychiatric hospital at Vanderbilt.”
“What do you mean? Why is she in the psychiatric hospital?”
Father Jenkins didn’t answer.
Todd’s eyes narrowed. “Father Jenki…Blaze…what’s going on?”
“Did you really think you could just go?”
Todd stared in disbelief. “The Vinces? They did this?”
Father Jenkins glanced at the guard and turned his attention back to Todd. “Officer, could we have a little privacy please?”
“Of course,” the guard said. He opened the door and walked out.
“You made a big mistake trying to leave,” Blaze said the moment the door slammed shut.
Todd raised his hand to his forehead and sat staring back at Blaze.
“Did you think we’d simply let you go on about your merry way?”
“But the police…how…what charges?”
“The charge is kidnapping, and I told you, the Vinces are well represented.”
“Kidnapping? Who did I kidnap?”
“Maria,” Blaze said. “She filed charges against you.”
“You’re crazy!” Todd growled. “You’re a damn liar. You’ve always been a liar. You said the Vinces wouldn’t mess with our personal lives. You had our house bugged. That’s how you knew everything we talked about.”
“The Vinces had their house under surveillance.”
“Ok,” Todd said, “you made your point. I think I could talk Maria into staying here. It was just a whim anyway.”
Father Jenkins held out his palm. “It’s too late for that, I’m afraid. Another couple has been chosen to raise the child.”
“What do you mean another couple?” Todd said through his teeth.
“Once Maria has given birth, the child will be adopted out to the other couple. I’m sorry, but you and Maria have proven yourselves irresponsible.”
“No, wait.” Todd said stammering. “We’ll stay here. I promise you….We didn’t know we weren’t supposed to leave. Let me talk to Maria. We can straighten this whole thing out.”
Blaze stood to leave.
“Wait!” Todd yelled, “I want to see my lawyer….You can’t do this!”
Blaze
rapped on the door. The guard appeared and Blaze moved to leave.
“Wait Blaze…Father Jenkins…Please give us another chance!”
Blaze walked out the door and it slammed shut behind him.
“Wait!” Todd screamed. “You can’t do this…This is America…I want to see a lawyer!”
The door burst open and the guard reappeared.
“I need to see a lawyer,” Todd said softly, breaking into tears.
The guard wrestled him to his feet and dragged him back to his cell, opened the door and pushed him in.
~~~
“How you feeling, John?”
John Gunnarson opened his eyes. Commander Joyce Shipley was standing over him. “I’m afraid I might live,” he said, still groggy.
Shipley smiled. “We finished the main propulsion assembly. We’re leaving soon. I wanted to check up on you before I left.”
“Did we make it in time?” Gunnarson said.
“We made it a day earlier than we thought we would. It’s been five days instead of six.”
“Yeah,” John said, “but I still wonder if we made it in time.”
Shipley hung her head. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for not catching the obstruction on camera.”
“Was that you?” Gunnarson asked. “Is all this your fault?”
Shipley swallowed hard. “Yeah, I was running the Canadarm. It’s my fault.”
“Good,” Gunnarson said.
Shipley glanced up at him, surprised.
“I thought it was the idiot who stuck his hand in the PDGF.”
Shipley smiled. “No, I should’ve seen—”
“Joyce,” Gunnarson said, “it was the hand slush that mucked up the PDGFs. If my hand hadn’t been there, the PDGFs would’ve coupled and you would have been standing on that damn asteroid right now.”
Shipley smiled and began quietly fidgeting with the blanket covering Gunnarson’s legs.
“What does it look like?” Gunnarson asked finally breaking the silence.
“The main propulsion assembly?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s big,” she said, “real big. It makes the space station look like a toy.”
“I wish I could see it.”
“Yeah, I wish you could too, but we’re leaving within the hour.”
“Will you make it in fifteen days, do you think?”
“As far as I know, everything is still on schedule.”
“I think we’ve pushed it to the limit. We better get that thing moved soon or it’ll be too late.”
“I know,” Shipley said.
“First the two SRBs explode and now this,” Gunnarson continued. “It’s getting down to it.”
The two astronauts stopped talking for a moment.
“I bet you’ll be glad to get back to the world,” Shipley said, finally. “I think the Edmonton is scheduled to leave for home tomorrow.”