Chapter 17: You Can't Change It

"The guy refuses to talk to anyone, he just sits there examining the cracks in the walls. He knows we're back here, so he stares. It's freaky. Maybe you can get him to speak."

Casey stroked his chin and observed Lane Stevens from behind the two-way mirror. The man wore grimy, oil, and blood-stained clothing. His black hair stood in crooked spikes and his blue eyes roved about, absorbing the secrets of the universe. Casey walked to the door, deciding that strong outbursts and threats were not the way to handle this man.

"I'll try. I have a feeling he'll want to open up to me."

Casey entered the room and Lane barely acknowledged him. He pulled up a metal chair and took a seat. He put on his most threatening expression.

"We can beat around the bush for hours, or you can tell me what I want to know. First off, do you know who I am?" Casey demanded.

Lane sighed indifferently and gave no answer. Casey pulled his badge and rapped it on the table.

"Major John Casey, NSA. If you don't know what that stands for its …"

"National Security Agency. I'm not a dumb yokel, Major. I was in the army, I served my country just as you did."

"That's commendable, but that's not what we need to discuss. Do you know why I'm here?"

Lane crossed his arms with a conspiratorial smile. "Yes, I was warned of your coming, Major."

"Warned, huh? By whom?"

"That's not for me to say."

Casey bristled. "You better say something, otherwise you, and you alone, will go down for the murders of over two hundred innocent people, including women and children." He faltered, as his daughter's image came to mind.

Lane leaned forward with false sympathy. "Oh, I'm so sorry! All those poor, innocent people! Nobody is innocent, Major Casey. We're all born sinners and we make the demand to live according to our own standards. We choose to live by our own hedonistic and fleshly desires, then we cry and moan when everything goes wrong! We refuse to take responsibility for our degraded actions, and we teach our children to be the same! Don't talk to me about innocence. I'm not, any more than you are. Major, how much blood do you have on your hands? The same hands that you used to tuck your little daughter in at night?"

Casey's eyes flared and he was tempted to lurch across the table, but he kept calm.

"My record is of no consequence here."

"Isn't it?" Lane chortled. "How do you sleep at night, Major? You're a killer just like I am. But at least I can admit it! I don't hide behind the All-mighty Government."

Casey was tired of psychological games. He bounded from his chair and slammed the table.

"Why did you blow up the Buy More?"

Lane tossed his head back and laughed softly. "I didn't blow up anything, Major."

Casey tried to hide the shock flitting across his face. "Then what did you did do? Either way, we have you pegged for two murders."

Lane scratched the back of his head and rubbed his neck. "It's getting hot in here, Think I can get some water?"

Casey wanted to strangle him, but he went to the door and tapped the window.

"Alright … now tell me."

"Sorry, my throat's parched, first things first."

Casey stood in the corner impatient. The guard finally returned with a pitcher of water and two glasses. Lane poured it out and sniffed around the glass and water.

"What the heck are you doing?"

"I can't trust anyone, you know how it is. Could be some kind of poison or truth serum in there."

Casey slid into his seat and poured himself a glass. He gulped it down. "There! Are you happy? If it's poison, I'll die first! Now answer my question!"

Lane took a few sips and smiled. "Ahh, that's refreshing. Oh okay. I don't know why this is so difficult for you to comprehend, Major. I destroyed a threat to National Security just like any good soldier would do. I killed Chuck Bartowski to obliterate the seed of destruction planted in his brain. I was given an assignment and I carried it out. I obeyed my orders."

"Whose orders?"

"I can't say. That's top secret." He laughed.

Casey forced his chair back and paced the claustrophobic room.

"Why so tense? Because I succeeded in doing something you couldn't? I know all about you, Major. You're just an assassin doing the NSA's dirty work. They don't care about Chuck any more than I do, or my superior. As soon as that new Intersect was up and running Chuck would've been history anyway, by your hand. Am I right?"

"You don't know a thing about it!" Casey fumed.

Lane stared venomously. "Don't I? You should thank me. I did it practically for free! Nobody has access to those secrets now, except my superior."

"If you didn't blow up the Buy More, then who did? Who put you up to killing Chuck?" Casey tried to wrangle the confession out of him, though he knew very well the man responsible.

"I'm not going to tell you. It's over, Major. He won. He who has the eyes like God. You may succeed in stopping me, but you can't stop him. He knows all."

"Like hell he does!" Casey snarled. "I'm glad we had this little chat, Mr. Stephens. God's eyes are watching the man with eyes like his, but this man forgets that God has no equals and he will be eliminated."

"I didn't know you go to church, Major. That's a joke." Lane chuckled.

Casey banged on the door. The guards opened and escorted Lane out of the room.

"Seriously, that was well put, Major. It's funny how people get religious when the things they hold precious are stripped away from them. Otherwise, they couldn't care less about the man upstairs. That's sad." Lane hung his head as if in prayer but when he looked up a wicked grin crossed his face.

"You can't win. You can't stop what's already taken place, Major! History always repeats itself no matter what changes we make! Remember that!" Lane shouted, losing his passivity. "You can't change it! You can't change it!"

Casey watched Lane kick and scream down the corridor to the jail cells. Something was very wrong. Did Rhea actually believe that Costa wouldn't know about the time travel discovery? He had to get back to her before Costa returned. He chewed his inner cheeks and glanced at his usually rigid hands, he couldn't stop them from shaking.

"I will change it. I will change everything."