Chapter 18: Can't Forget
The complex was empty when Casey returned from his interrogation. He flashed his badge and went into the Tracking room, only to find Wang, Simon, and Althea having big laughs over the antics on the monitor. Wang moved the tracker to the DVD aisle and Casey growled.
"Dammit! I busted that skater punk on Friday for stealing! He's at it again?"
"Correction Major, this is Friday's feed." Althea said.
"And here comes trouble now!" Wang chuckled.
They watched as Casey stormed to the aisle and aim his price scanner like a gun.
"Drop the inventory! And for God's sake pull up your pants! Prison chic does not suit you!"
The kid raised his skinny arms frightened and a bunch of DVDs fell from his oversized bubble jacket. He panicked and attempted to make a mad dash for the exit. Casey lunged. He lifted him up and gripped the chain near the seat of his pants, carrying him to the sliding doors.
"No, no, no…please man! I'm sorry!"
"Thank you for shopping at Buy More, have a pleasant day!"
The kid let out a shout of alarm and went soaring into a row of shopping carts. He landed in one face up with his legs askew. Chuck ran over and Casey stood by the entrance with a satisfied smile, noisily chewing gum.
"Casey! How many times have I asked you not to injure the customers?"
"That small fry? He wasn't a customer; he was about to make a break with the whole manga section. I'm doing my job, Bartowski and protecting the merchandise, no harm, no foul."
Chuck threw up his hands frustrated. "He could've broke his neck or back…or gotten a concussion!"
Casey blew a giant bubble and peeked outside, the kid stumbled through the parking lot, rubbing the green hair on the back of his head.
"Ehh…he's fine. Listen Chuck, he's gotten harder blows to the head with the dope he smokes."
Casey's gaze caught the appliance section and he patted Chuck's arm. "Gotta run! There's a gay divorcée roaming around and she's looking to score."
"What?" Chuck eyed him incredulous.
"A microwave you moron! Outta my way."
Casey winced as his past self scooted Chuck aside like he was a piece of garbage. It was easy to be cruel to the big-hearted nerd, but he had to admit ever since he nearly killed him, his conscience killed him almost daily. Casey looked around, but didn't see Rhea.
"Where's Jones?" He asked worried.
Simon began clearing the table and packing boxes. "Rhea's on the phone with the High-C! Looks like we can stick a fork in this mission, guys. The Buy More bomber has been caught and we can all pat ourselves on the back for a job well done."
"Here, here! I can't wait to get back to civilian life." Wang replied.
"I know. I miss my babies terribly." Althea started, but then clammed up when she remembered Casey's tragedy. Casey looked her way with a small smile.
"I'm sure they miss their mom too. That's where you need to be, not holed up in here pushing buttons all day."
Althea finished packing her box sadly. "Thank you, Major. I'm very sorry."
Casey nodded quietly and then shook his head with narrowed eyes. It wasn't over yet; Rhea promised she would help him. He excused himself and went to her quarters. She came out dissappointed.
"I suppose you heard. I got the direct order from Costa and his backers; we shut down operations tonight, no excuses."
Casey heaved a sigh and drew her back into the room, closing the door. "Listen to me. We can't shut down. Costa knows all about the time travel. He somehow used it to manipulate Lane Stevens into doing his will."
Rhea looked up at him horrified. "No, John, please don't tell me this!"
"Think about it! Your husband helped create this satellite, you don't think Costa may have stumbled on its capabilities much earlier?"
Rhea gazed up to control her tears. "Damn!…He must have…but Chris was a good man, he never would've never used it the way Costa wanted."
"And Costa knew that! That's why he had him on the roof when the planes hit the Twin towers…and Rhea, there's something else."
"What more can go wrong, John?"
"Lane didn't blow up the Buy More! He wouldn't tell me who did, but I have a feeling it was Costa himself! Lane's just a middle man. Maybe he planted the bomb. He certainly planted Chuck's body in the dumpster."
Rhea jumped up. "Why would he do that?"
"I said it before, he was trying to cover up Chuck's murder. Costa couldn't risk going into the Buy More and having Chuck flash on him. He plotted this whole inane scheme just to get rid of him. He needed something big enough to garner an investigation that could use his satellites, he needed to make sure they worked. This wasn't the first test. This was the final test. He's shutting operations here, but the first chance he gets he'll regroup and put those satellites back online. There's no stopping him then because the rest of the world's waiting."
Casey practically shook her. "Rhea, there's no more time! You have to send me back four days. I have to stop these lunatics!"
Rhea sank her head against his chest, her voice barely audible. "John, it could kill you…humans were never tested."
"Are you sure?"
"I don't know…but…I…I sent the letters!"
"What letters?"
She pulled away hopeful. "Letters to us! The others monitored their transport and they went through because the mass was light. The letters explain everything! That should be good enough!"
Casey stubbornly shook his head. "No! I thought about it and it won't be. Four days ago I don't know you from Eve. But I know me, I'll check every resource to find out where these letters came from, get Beckman involved, and by the time it's all settled, the whole place blows!"
Casey felt panic rising. He enveloped Rhea in a tight hug. "I never beg for anything…but I'm begging you now. You have to send me to the past!"
Rhea pulled back with a loving glare in her eyes. "John…damn you! I'll do it! But you have to leave the complex right now. We all do! I'll get us back in here after midnight. I can send you back no earlier than eight o'clock Saturday morning, but even that's no guarantee."
Casey tried to calculate exactly when Chuck would be killed…it had to be sometime after nine for Lane to make it back to the Buy More with his body by 10:50pm.
"Fine! But we won't know unless we try. I'm counting on you, Rhea."
Rhea's fingers dug into his arms. "I know. I said I'd do this."
She released him and backed into the door. "I…I don't want to forget you, John. I don't want to forget all this." She tearfully admitted.
Casey sighed. Rhea revealed deep sentiments because she knew their existence would end and the time machine machine would work. He gently cupped her chin. She closed her eyes, her lips parted.
Casey leaned down and kissed her until they passionately enveloped each other. He desired to go further, but then had to back away. A pain rose in his heart. He couldn't forget Julia, the woman he'd vowed to love a lifetime ago. The mother of his beautiful daughter. Before the tragedy he was slowly winning them back.
Casey opened the door. Rhea clutched her shirt and tenderly smiled. She sympathized with Casey's emotional battle. She had to let him go.
"Don't forget, at midnight. I'll be waiting near the steel door marked 'No entry' in red. That's where we keep the transporter."
"I'll be there, thank you. And Rhea, remember, we can't forget…what never happened."