Brink by Mikel Parry

CH – TO DIE ANEW

Thomas looked down just in time to see the bullet enter his chest. Jena’s screams filled the air. The searing pain of the heated lead pushing its way through his flesh was all he could feel. He fell to the ground. He watched as the man that had consumed his nightmares forever ran away, diamond ring in hand. He could see everything now, even their old apartment. Everything was just where they had left it that day—each item in its place—every detail, accounted for. He had come back. By some miracle he had altered the course of time; his time.

“Thomas! Thomas!”

Looking up as the world was fading away, he saw her angelic face. Jena looked as beautiful and pristine as ever. His heart overflowed with love for her. So much so, that the fear of his imminent death seemed inconsequential now. Using the little life he had left, he put up his hand to her trembling face. Their eyes met and he could feel her energy, her love. So many memories together, so many dreams. In the last moments of his life, he professed everything that meant anything to him.

“Jena, I love you and always will, no matter what.”

Her tears pelted his body as his last breathe was drawn. His heart took one last thunderous beat before falling deathly still. Jena’s sobs were all that remained.

Thomas felt himself suddenly feel peaceful and free. His tortured soul seemed to be a distant memory. He could sense himself floating through both time and space. The world was dark and yet there seemed to be a ray of light that pierced through the blackness. The light grew and grew until its intense ray had all but removed the darkness completely. He looked on in awe as his paralyzed self could only watch. As the light’s intensity grew to blinding white, he found himself being sucked into a spiraling vortex of energy. It jerked his essence around in its tumultuous sea before coming to a complete stop. Suddenly, the feeling of weightlessness was amplified; he was falling.

Thrashing around wildly in the air, he felt a brisk chill rush over him. He opened his eyes just in time to see himself plunge into ice cold water. His lungs immediately burst wide open in shock. The impact rang in his ears as he desperately tried to swim to stay alive. His efforts were rewarded as soon his head popped out of the water. He gasped for breath, his eyes the size of beach balls. What had just happened? Where was he? Looking around frantically, he could finally see where he had ultimately landed.

The river, the bridge, and the location that he had at one time carefully picked out lay before him. This was the exact location where he had once upon a time tried to commit suicide. But that was an age ago, wasn’t it? His head spun out of control as his memory became convoluted with so many different details, from so many different times. Forgoing his mental dilemma, he swam to shore. Reaching the shallows, he rolled onto the ground utterly exhausted. Without thinking, he reached for his chest. The bullet hole was gone. But that was impossible. He had felt it blast through him. He had been within inches of death.

What’s going on, Tommy? What’s happening?

Sprawling out on his back, he suddenly felt the warm embrace of a towel on his face, and a voice that he instantly recognized.

“You’d better dry off. That was quite the plunge. To be honest, I didn’t think you could do it. Guess I was wrong. But that fall, must’ve made a deal with the devil. Would’ve killed any other man I know.”

The voice belonged to Roslin, who stood proudly just a few feet away. He, as always, was adorned in his favorite dark suit. He looked over Thomas carefully, inspecting every detail.

“What are you doing here? What is this? What happened?”

Roslin put on a childlike smile.

“I told you things like this tend to get messy. But you’re not much of a listener are you, Tommy?”

Thomas gathered himself, wrapping the towel around his shaking body. He looked at Roslin head on. He could see the small pendant he wore; three triangles locked in the center; once Banks’s calling card, still shrouded in mystery. But that would have to wait for another time. A fluster of emotions filled his head, but he disregarded them for his curiosity

“Where are they? Where’s Barb, where’s Jena?”

Roslin sucked in a deep breath of air. He let his eyes gaze at the freezing river.

“Your lady friend, Barb, is fine, and I’m sure she, as does everyone else, thanks you. Jena, however, is a bit more complicated. But I’m sure you’ve already figured that out. Love sure is a tricky thing. Two separate lives in two separate places, and yet still so very much connected.”

Thomas let his mind dwell on Roslin’s words. He recalled it all at lightning speed. That’s when he realized that he’d been right. He couldn’t save both Jena and himself. But he had, through the grace and power of love, sacrificed his time and life to save hers. She would go on living in an alternate future, one without him. The ultimate goodbye and gift that he could give her.

“A paradox, I believe, is what Mr. Orson might call it. But that’s none of my business. Never quite been my cup of tea. Besides, due to your actions, our entire program has been blown to smithereens. So it’s the least of our concerns now.”

Roslin then began walking away, disappearing into the darkness. Thomas sprang to his feet, tossing the towel aside.

“What about Banks? What about all of those agents? He killed them . . . all of them.”

Roslin paused. He puckered his lips and whistled a catchy tune that made him smile.

“Mr. Mathers is taken care of, again, thanks to you. And those agents owe you their lives.”

Thomas shook his head. The horrific future that he had once known had been thwarted. Someway, somehow, he had done it. He had beaten back time itself and one of its most deviant manipulators.

“Now, I’d go play some catch up if I were you. Probably help you to see some familiar faces.”

Thomas was overcome with joy but with a tinge of sorrow. The few meaningful lives he had, had been saved. Although he could never see Jena again, it comforted him in some way to know that she was still living her life somewhere else.

Roslin took a few more steps before he came to an abrupt stop. He pulled something out of his trench coat pocket and tossed it at Thomas’ feet.

“Here, picked this up on the way over. I’ve got to admit, it’s kind of grown on you.”

Thomas watched with disbelief as a peculiar hat he knew well was plopped at his feet. Only this hat was untainted, in its original condition. The red feather looked as vivid as new. It was amazing. As Roslin was now almost completely out of sight, he yelled one last question.

“What now? Where are you going?”

From the shadows came the response.

“Around, Mr. Ghune. I’m always around.”

Thomas looked on as Roslin disappeared without a trace. Only his off-key whistling remained for a moment longer.

“Seriously, who is that guy?”

Thomas picked up the hat and looked it over. It had represented so many different things. It had been through the very furnaces of hell with him, in a cat and mouse chase throughout time. So much had changed. He had changed. He was no longer the man he used to be. Instinctively, he reached for his badge in his pocket only to find it empty. But he knew it would be; it was just an old habit. His hand landed on something else though, a piece of paper, neatly folded. He brought it out and opened it. In the dim evening’s light, he read what had been carefully inscribed there. His heart raced, and his mind was spinning wildly. He looked back at the hat. He picked it up and slowly put it on top of his head. Through all the losses and trials, he had become something more. He now had a direction and a choice to make. Breathing deeply and steadily, he began walking. He was Thomas Tommy Gun Ghune; washed-out detective, fugitive on the run, and rogue time traveler. With only the future now ahead, time would only tell what would come next. Adjusting his hat precisely, he spoke aloud, affirming his choice.

“Alright, Tommy. Let’s do this.”