Chapter 26:
The trio slid out of the portal and landed on the ground. They stood up and brushed themselves off. Rebecca picked popcorn out of her hair.
"New rule, no food in the vortex!" Rebecca shouted.
"What?" Sam asked. "We landed on the world where they made Ghostbusters III! What was I supposed to do? Not see it?"
"You didn't have to take your popcorn tub into the vortex." Michael said. "That could do serious damage to the fabric of the universe!"
"Really?" Sam asked.
"I don't know, maybe." Michael replied.
"Anyway, I'm thirsty, let's stop at that diner." Rebecca said. "We'll be here for two days anyway."
"Good idea." Michael said, as they walked toward the diner.
They walked into the diner and the patrons turned to look at them. They were the stereotypical rednecks, who'd fit better on the Southern East Coast, and not San Francisco.
"Hello there, pretty lady." a large man said in a southern drawl.
"I'm not interested." Rebecca said.
"Come on, girlie!" the man said.
"The lady said that she wasn't interested." Michael said, standing in front of Rebecca defensively.
"You sound like a Yankee!" the man shouted.
"Is that a problem?" Michael asked.
"Can we just get three cokes to go?" Sam asked the woman at the counter, taking out his wallet.
"That'll be three fifty." the woman said.
"Got it." Sam said, handing the money to her. She reeled her hand back.
"That's Yankee money!" the man said, as he saw what was in Sam's hand.
"Let's get out of here." Michael said.
The trio ran out of the diner and towards Golden Gate Park. They ran into the gates and went to the back woods. A group of navy blue clad people carrying guns walked up to them. One of them grabbed Rebecca.
"Hey! Let her go!" Michael shouted running at them. One of the soldiers hit Michael in the eye with the butt of his gun. Michael clutched his eye, and the soldiers dropped their guns and released Rebecca.
"Sir!" one of the soldiers shouted, as they stood at attention.
"Sir?" Michael asked, putting his hand down.
"General Josephson! What did those gray backs do to you?" the soldier asked.
"Listen, I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm not your general, I just look exactly like him." Michael replied. "At ease."
"They must've brainwashed him, George." another soldier said.
"Sir, you gotta remember, we're your pals! We're your infantry in the Union Rebellion!" George said.
"I'm not brainwashed. I'm just a guy that has a similar look to your general, that's all." Michael said.
"Then you're a Confederate spy?" George asked.
"No! I'm not on either side, we're just passing through." Michael said. "We'll be gone in two days time."
"Until then, you've been drafted." George said.
"You can't do that!" Sam shouted.
"As long as the Confederate States of America is still in power, I can do what I want." George said. "You two can come as well, we can always use a few more hands."
The trio was led to a cabin in the woods and took an elevator down into a secret chamber. They walked into a room filled with computers.
"Where are we?" Rebecca asked.
"Union HQ, the Southwest Division anyway. They have another one of these bases down in Gettysburg." George said.
"And you never introduced yourself." Michael said.
"Forgive me, we've been under a lot of pressure lately. I'm Captain George Fox. One of my ancestors was General George Meade." George said.
"And what exactly is my position in all this?" Michael asked.
"General Michael Josephson is the current leader of this regiment of the rebellion." George replied.
"But I'm pretty young to be a general aren't I?"
"You do your job well."
"Anyway, I'll be honest. I'm not your General. I'm his doppelganger from an alternate universe."
"Not anymore. Put this on." George said, tossing a bundle of clothes at Michael.
"What is it?"
"Your uniform. You might not be him, but you look like him. That's enough for our purposes."
"Fine..."
Michael walked back into the room wearing the uniform. It was a navy blue military uniform. Michael shifted uncomfortably.
"This is very bulky." Michael said.
"It's lined with kevlar." George said. "Put this on."
"Eyepatch? Really? Does he really wear an eyepatch?" Michael asked. "That's so cliché!"
"Yep. And you are going to help us get him back." George replied.
"How?" Rebecca asked.
"By recording a message for the Confederates to see. Once they think you somehow escaped, we can bargain for the General's freedom."
"If I have to." Michael said. "But you have to hold up your end of the bargain and not interfere when we have to leave."
"If we get our General back, you can do whatever you please."
"Good."
Michael sat in a chair, tapping his fingers on the arm as George set the camera up.
"Are we ready yet?" Michael asked.
"Not yet. We have to patch the feed to the Confederates." George replied.
"You know, this reminds me of that thing you told me when you started taking that American History class, didn't you say you'd want to be a Union Soldier?" Sam asked.
"I meant in a re-enactment, not in an actual war." Michael replied.
"Okay, we got it patched up." George said. "Just tell them you're back, and that if they don't follow your demands that they'll pay for it."
"Fine..." Michael sat up straight. "Alright, listen here you Confederate scum. I'm back, and if you don't give into my demands, you'll pay very dearly for it."
"And we're off." George said. "Wow, that was good. You sounded just like our General."
"I figured he sounded like that. Very grizzled war hero like." Michael said.
"Now, you guys seem tired, you can rest in the barracks if you'd like." George said.
Rebecca woke up and rubbed her neck, wincing. She stood up and walked up to the chair in the corner and kicked it.
"Eh?" Michael asked, waking up.
"Still have the timer?" she asked.
"Yeah, it hasn't left my sight." he replied.
"These beds are terrible."
"It's not the Dominion Hotel, but since we don't have valid money, it'll have to do."
"Well, I'm glad we're out of here in a day."
"So am I. I don't want to live my double's life. Too dangerous."
Michael and Rebecca walked into the main room and George walked up to them.
"It didn't work, they think it's archive footage." George said. "We need to come up with another plan."
"What if we try a prison break?" Michael asked.
"Too risky, we'd lose more men than it's worth." George replied.
"I've got it! Where am I being held?" Michael asked.
"The General is being held in the Confederate Prison Facility, at Fort Point." George said.
"Fort Point, that's only five miles away from Golden Gate Park. Right in our sliding range." Michael said.
"What do you mean?" George asked.
"I propose that instead of a breakout, we perform the old switcheroo." Michael said. "You put me in prison, and get your General out."
"And what about you?" Rebecca asked.
"At the end of our time here, we slide out there, and they have no prisoner." Michael said. "You and Sam will pose as guards."
"How fast can you rally up these guys?" Rebecca asked.
"It'll take a few hours, but I'd prefer to do this at night." George replied.
"Good idea, that minimizes my time in the prison. Can we do it early morning, say about three or four in the morning?" Michael asked.
"That works for me." George said. "I'll get everything ready."
The trio loaded up into a truck, Michael was wearing his double's uniform once again, and Rebecca and Sam were in gray uniforms.
"So, all we have to do is get in there, get your double out, and then hang out there until the slide?" Sam asked.
"Yep." Michael said. "I just hope it works."
"It will," George said. "I really appreciate this."
"Don't mention it." Michael said.
"Okay, we're almost there. Once we get out, you two use your forged passes to get into the gates, and turn the alarm off. Then we sneak into the cell, and perform the switch." George said.
"Easy enough." Rebecca said.
"I just hope suspicion isn't aroused." Sam said. "I don't want to be in the cell with him."
"We're here. Let's get moving." George said.
Sam and Rebecca stepped out of the truck and walked up to the gates, holding the ID cards up to the person sitting in the booth. The person nodded and they walked into the fort. The truck drove around the fort and up to a wall.
"Here's our stop." George said. "Get ready."
"Got it." Michael said.
They exited the truck and walked past the wall, to a gate. George fiddled with the lock and opened it. They walked through, and up to a door. George put his ear up to it.
"Alarms off. I'd of heard it humming." George said, and opened the door. They ran in and down a corridor.
"Where are we heading?" Michael asked.
"The solitary confinement cells, in Block F." George said.
They ran into a room and saw Sam and Rebecca standing in front of a figure in a chair.
"You found him!" George said.
"Yep, we figured we'd get the room ready." Sam said.
"Good, let's switch them." George said, undoing the handcuffs on the General's wrists. "You okay, sir?"
"Of course I'm fine." he said. "Who are these clowns?"
"These clowns are going to get you out of this place." Michael said. "I'm putting my neck on the line for you!"
"He looks just like me..." The General said. "How did you do it?"
"He's from another universe." George said.
"Well, thank you very much, sir." The General said. "I'll see to it you get a commendation for this."
"No need. We'll be gone in a few hours." Michael said.
"Well then, that'll give us enough time to fortify the base and plan a real attack." The General said.
"Go on, we'll cuff him back up." Rebecca said.
"Good luck with your fight." Sam said.
"Thank you." George said, as he and The General walked out of the room.
"And now... we wait." Michael said.
Sam ran into the room and locked the door.
"Bad news, they just got word from the Union that the General escaped. They're coming here with guns." Sam said.
"Good timing, we have thirty seconds left. Uncuff me." Michael said.
"Got it." Rebecca said, taking the cuffs off and taking the timer out.
"Let's roll." Michael said. The portal opened and the trio jumped in as a group of soldiers stormed the room.
"Where is he?" one of them asked.
To Be Continued...