Jack and the Beanstalk [SF YA]

CHAPTER THREE - Running Away with the Spoon - Part 1

Brian returned with a smile on his face. "I don't know who you're guardian angel is, but she's looking out for you. I got through to Father Time, my contact. I've never met him but he said your case was special, so he's stepping in personally. We may be able to help you get out of the country, and get you into a more challenging line of work."

"You're kidding, right?"

Brian shook his head. "We're not talking about a picnic."

"I don't care. Whatever it takes."

"We'll have the arrangements in a few hours."

The only people I'd miss would be Brian, Mike and his family. Jill. Damn. "I've got to get over to the end of the Old Market run. I'm supposed to meet Jill there. I may still need her help, and she at least deserves to hear what happened from me."

"Relax. You crash here. My bed's in there. I'll send out Kaz to meet her. I promise I'll wake you when anyone gets here."

#

I woke. A dark figure loomed over me, grabbing my shoulder. I flung away the arms and rolled out of bed taking my assailant's knees out from under him. He fell down.

"Jack," the voice pleaded.

Mike? "Mike? Is that you? I'm sorry. I can't see a thing." Lights? "Lights to half." Soft light now illuminated my surrogate father sitting on the floor, rubbing his elbow and watching me with a perplexed look.

"I would have turned on the lights and yelled if I knew you would be doing that."

"I'm sorry," I repeated, helping him to his feet. "I'm a little jumpy. Where's Jill?"

"I told Jill I would take care of it." He chuckled. "She was genuinely worried that I might get lost around here."

I would be too. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I had business in the area. And your message came in at about the same time, so here I am. Your friend, Brian, seems to be a most gracious host."

Business in the area? What kind of business could Mike have in the Underground? "Then you've talked."

Mike nodded.

"You know what happened?"

"Yes. And I think it would be a good idea if you get out of the country for a while. Your juvenile records..." His voice faded.

"Yeah, I know." Once again I felt guilty for all the trouble I'd caused Mike and Jill.

"You trust this American?"

"With my life, Mike."

"Then do what you need to do." He looked a bit uncomfortable, but this wasn't his kind of place.

"Look, Mike, tell Jill and the girls I'll miss them. And I'll miss you."

"Jackie." Mike's jaw clenched as he used the name he'd raised me with. "Jack. Let us get back to what is important. I have been checking up on your... conflict." Under stress his Russian accent reasserted itself in his voice. "Dodgson is alive. But they cannot tell if he will remain so. You haven't been officially charged yet. Someone, a friend of yours perhaps, Katherine Delany, filed a complaint on your behalf, but it still does not look good."

Thanks, Kate. This morning you wanted to protect him. "Right, there were no witnesses to the argument. And what happened earlier..."

"I will do what I can, but I have little power here." He hugged me impulsively. "I must go. As do you." He wrenched open the door into Brian's office.

Brian bounced to his feet. "Mr. Petrovich, Jax. Is everything all right?"

Mike extended his hand. "Mr. Seneca, take care of him."

"I will. You needn't leave."

"No, I must. Thank you." He turned to me his stoic face refusing to show his worry or his love. "Jack, contact us when you can." He turned away. "Good luck and God be with you."

"Wait." When Mike, a devout agnostic, fell back into his early religious indoctrination I'd learned that trouble usually followed. "Mike. Thank you. I..." I wasn't any better than he at saying these things. "I've always wished you were my father."

He turned back and grabbed me in a big Russian bear hug, kissed both my cheeks and left.

"Jax?"

"Huh?"

"We need to do this now. No sleeping while you're still standing."

"Right. What do I have to do?"

"Decide where you want to go first. We can get you just about anywhere you want to go--Tahiti, New Zealand, even the Hawaiian Republic."

"Anywhere on the planet? How about off-planet?"

"It is..." He halted, looking uncomfortable. "No. I'm sorry. It wouldn't work."

"I don't understand."

"I can't get you into space."

"It sounds more like you won't get me into space. Is that accurate?" My voice containing more accusation and anger than I'd intended. "Look, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be ungrateful. I need whatever help I can get."

Worry appeared on Brian's face. "The work I do must remain a closely guarded secret. If you were to become involved... And that's what it would take to get into space." He shook his head. "This is not some school boy game, Jax."

What in the Hell had I fallen into? "Brian, I'm not a schoolboy anymore."

"Sorry, Jax. You're right. I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but this is serious."

I'd heard enough. "Look, I know you want to protect me, but let's get to the point. What do I need to do?" I laughed, "Who do I have to kill?"

Our eyes met. Brian didn't laugh.

"I was kidding, Brian. Look, lighten up."

"To get you off-planet you would have to become a part of something Big. Your life would not be yours to do with as you wish." His frown deepened. "Of course, there is always room for someone with your skills."

"My skills?"

"Prevarication? Physically phit. Your everyman look. Your brain, undeveloped as it is."

"Thanks a lot." Some friend.

"Your biggest problem is your temper."

He had me there. I took a deep breath. "I'm ready for whatever it is."

Brian sighed heavily before speaking. "I'm not sure that I'm doing you a favor, Jax. I..." He stopped struggling to get words out. He seemed to change his mind. "I think of you as my kid brother. This is dangerous." He stared into my eyes as if to measure my resolve.

I returned his gaze--an eye for an eye.

"All right. I'll see what I can do, but realize that although the organization sometimes operates outside the law, it still follows a code. If you choose to join you must follow orders. It's not the military, but in most ways it's more binding." Brian continued to scrutinize me. Finally he broke away and left.