“All right Trinity Test Site! Do your worst! I’m calling you out! Angel of Death!”
The last bell of the day rang, time to get down to business. I met up with Erin and we walked together out of the school. “Alright Erin, you know the plan right? We need to hurry and meet up with your dad.” This will be very interesting! Grinning mischievously, I turned and began walking away. Erin followed me and kicked me in the back of the knee. It didn’t buckle.
"Is this really a good idea? Should we be involving Bill/Ted? He couldn't defend himself from a rabid dog. Without someone to look after him he is dead meat, and I don't trust Grayson." Awww Erin is worried about him.
"Don't worry about it, we are the ones going into the most danger. Grayson can be trusted with little things like Bill/Ted." With that said I took out my phone and pressed the summon John app. The little John avatar started running and, unlike last time, got in a car and started to drive. The flashing ETA showed 30 seconds. This really was an interesting little app. Right when the timer ran out John parked next to us in a silver minivan.
"I apologize for the delay Joshua." Said John in a gravely respectful voice. Turning his attention to his daughter John's demeanor changed to that of a doting father. "Hi honey, how was school?"
"It was fine, the teacher in math class called me up to do a math problem in front of the whole class."
"Did you kill it?"
"Yes dad."
"Atta girl! Did you do it with a red marker? I love it when you do it with a red marker!"
"Yeah, it was easy. I also impressed everyone in PE! The teacher said to do as many push-ups as I could but I didn’t manage to finish before the bell rang."
"...." This family...
".... Oookay, much as I love the whole father daughter ritual thing you got going on, we are kind of in a hurry. Alfonso could discover our location at any time now." I admit, usually I am all for killing time. But time right now is more valuable than it typically is. "Is Marsha back yet?" I inquired as Erin and I clambered into the van.
"Yes, she is waiting with a vehicle at a gas station on the edge of town. We should arrive there in a few minutes. From there she will escort you and Erin to the Airport for your private flight to Historian HeadQuarters. Grayson notified me that he is in position and I'll of course soon be off to my hidey hole, all according to your instructions."
"Excellent! Well, I guess all the preparations have been made, we might as well have a little fun with Alfy. Tell Grayson to make his move." I laughed evilly as I put my phone in untraceable mode. Let's call an old friend.
.........................................................................
Alfonso sipped at his coffee. He hadn't slept since he knew Joshua was out and about, he couldn't afford to. The headquarters of the Historians was a beehive of activity. Technicians and programmers were running everywhere replacing and rebooting the whole system. Soon they would have it up and running and they would be able to follow the digital trail of breadcrumbs back to the hacker who had trashed the network. They wouldn't have been able to pull off even that much if it weren’t for the excellent cyber security the resident ace programmer John Sterling had designed.
Alfonso smiled ruefully when his thoughts turned to John Sterling and his family. So much talent in that family, unfortunately they were all thoroughly devoted to Joshua and couldn't be trusted to be part of his inner circle. Ah well, it can't be helped. Suddenly Alfonso felt his pocket buzz, his personal cell phone was receiving a call.
Calmly, Alfonos slipped his vibrating phone out of his pocket. Caller I.D. showed undefined. A rush of blood hit Alfonso's brain and he could feel his pulse skyrocket.
Alfonso knew that despite his raging unease and worry his face was the picture of composure. Carefully, calculatingly, Alfonso lifted the phone to his ear. "Hello Joshua."
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"Hello! Alfy, dear, dear, Alfy. How are you?"
"I am rather troubled by your existence and am pondering how I can end it."
"You and me both buddy. Let me know if you make any headway. Anyways, You should probably be about done repairing your tech right? Well I'll spare you the trouble of using your fancy little programs and answer your questions for you. So ask away!" Joshua’s voice was jeering and arrogant from the phone.
What is his game? "You won't lie to me Joshua?"
"Hah! Will I lie to you? What do you think?"
"I think the truth is more interesting," said Alfonso grimly.
"Bingo! But forgive me for being surprised, that a liar like you actually understands that….." Ignore the jibe Alfonso.
"...Where are you?"
"Traveling. Ah, sorry, that wasn't very specific. I am coming to see you! Think you can show me around your town? I’ve been looking for a good chinese place."
Alfonso used sign language to tell his secretary to get every cop in the city and their own private security team to start searching the streets for Joshua. Without breaking pace he immediately proceeded to his next question.
"Who are you working with?"
"A shining silver family, a blank canvas, and an old friend."
A little bit of composure fell from Alfonso. Shining silver, sterling silver, the Sterlings. Joshua was in contact with the bloody Sterlings! For how long? It made perfect sense for them to be hacked so easily when it was done by the very programmer who designed the defenses. Then there is Marsha, we are truly lucky she is in the hands of a pacifist like Joshua as we don't need to fear her assassinations, but Marsha was still plenty troublesome to deal with. This was bad. This changed everything. But this did not mean the situation was unmanageable.
Old friend. That could be a few different people, whoever it was they were an immortal. That was a headache. Alfonso, like any sane man, tried his best to stay away from the likes of them. Determining who the old friend was would be vital to composing a plan to deal with Joshua. Worst case scenario the Pact may need to be contacted. That would make things really complicated.
Then there was the blank canvas, Alfonso grinned a little to himself at the term. Some poor soul was randomly caught up in this mess. Despite his fervent denial, Joshua definitely had a god complex.
"How long has it been since you escaped your little trench prison?" Alfonso knew he had to take advantage of this opportunity to get answers from Joshua before he got bored of showing off.
"Please, I escaped that as soon as I hit the ocean floor."
"Who helped you escape?" There was no way Joshua pulled that off solo, Alfonso didn't care what anyone said. Even Joshua had limits.
"Good question. I don't know, any ideas?"
"What have you been doing for ten years?"
"I took a really long nap."
"Tell me the name of your old friend with you."
"Seriously? You aren't going to react to me being asleep for ten years? I think it is pretty remarkable."
"Fine. I'm shocked. Now will you answer the question or not?"
"Tsk tsk, you used to be much livelier Alfy. Besides, you really should have been able to guess who it is, Grayson. You can have one more question, make it a good one. All your other questions have been so boring and predictable."
"Why did you call me?"
"HAH! So glad to see you aren’t a total simpleton! Why, I called to rob you of your sense of accomplishment at figuring things out of course, oh, and one more thing."
"Which is?"
"To distract you!" cackling maliciously Joshua hung up.
Distract me? Wait, Grayson. GRAYSON. Grayson = BAD. That was when a figure burst through the office door spraying a rain of splintered wood down all over the room. Alfonso tried to get into a defensive position but was slow. Too slow. Getting old, hah, jealous Joshua? He recognized Grayson as he snatched him under his arm and jumped through the office window.
Glass shards flew all around them, they fell twenty stories and abruptly decelerated as Grayson stuck the landing. Blood surged with the momentum, my vision went dark. As my wits fled me I dimly cursed old age. Then everything was black.