Chapter 2

Grant ran to John to learn what had caused such a reaction. At the same time, in the kitchen he heard some girl screaming about being blind and a loud crash as if someone had fallen. He would have to leave those issues to Sioux at the moment because John’s expletive demanded his immediate attention. Primarily because he was Grant’s second in command, but also because John did not curse, nor did he get excited easily.

“What happened?” asked Grant.

“According to the radar, there is no sign of the hurricane, not even a thunderstorm or a rain band.”

“That’s impossible.”

“That’s not all. The video shows the entire mouth of the river has changed and there’s an ancient sailing ship anchored off shore, with several boats being rowed toward the point on the southern bank. In addition, I see no sign of US 17, the bridge over the Cooper River, the gun club, McClellanville or any development around Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island. Even the lighthouses at Cape Romain and Sullivan’s Island are gone. Charleston’s skyline is drastically altered and Mount Pleasant seems to be nothing more than a fort guarding the entrance of the harbor ... a harbor that appears to be full of sailing ships like you would see in the eighteenth century.”

“Keep a watch on that ship off the coast and make sure no one is headed this way. I’ll get Mike and Brad to take our duck blind up river and gather intelligence, but make sure you or someone covers the radio. What about electrical power?”

John answered, “I’ve closed the downstream gates as much as possible and the upstream gates by more than half. I also have the second unit shut down and its turbine is spinning freely. We’re at twenty percent and still producing more power than we can use. I don’t think anything will be harmed under this configuration.”

“What is your assessment?”

“Do you remember the movie The Final Countdown?”

Grant replied, “The one with Kirk Douglas?”

“Yep, I think we may have just had a similar experience.”

“Shit! A similar thought was also forming in my mind. Okay, keep things under control here and let me go check on the chaos in the kitchen.”

Grant entered the kitchen to find that Sioux had things well under control, or as much as they could be under the circumstances. One of the first things he noticed was Tracy sitting on the lap of a chestnut haired beauty. His son was sitting on the lap of a large young man in his mid twenties.

“Sioux, can you bring me up to date?”

“I don’t know what was so shocking to my husband, but we’ve had a few miracles in here.”

“Such as?”

“Did you hear Sam screaming about being blind?”

“I heard someone, but I didn’t know who. I haven’t met any of our guests other than Eric, Michael, and Drew, and considering the situation, I hope no one considers me rude for putting off the introductions until we have things more under control.”

Sioux responded, “Grant, though none of us have much of a clue as to what has happened, I think we all know that something significant has occurred. Thus, I doubt anyone would consider you rude at the moment.”

“Good. Now, I need Mike and Jerry to take the duck blind up river and report by radio anything you observe out of the ordinary. Try not to let anyone see you and go no further upstream than ten miles.”

“Will do, Skipper,” answered Mike, “but you need to see one thing before we go.”

Little Tracy’s curiosity got to her, and she had to ask, “Daddy, what’s a duck blind?”

“Princess, it’s a small flat bottomed boat the guys have camouflaged with paint, plastic plants, silk plants, and clumps of dried reeds fastened around the edges of the boat. This allows it to blend into the shore along the river to help them hide from the ducks during the hunting season.”

“Are they afraid of the ducks?”

“No darling, why would you ask that?”

“Well, you said that it was to help keep the ducks from hunting them?”

The laughter filled the room as Grant explained, “Actually, it’s to help Mister Mike and the others get closer to the ducks before shooting them.”

“Oh,” answered the little seven year old thoughtfully.

Turning back to the others Grant asked, “Now, what was Mike insisting I see?”

Sioux answered, “All of Mike’s tats are gone, including the anchor.”

Mike added, “It’s not like I’ll miss them at this point, but even a laser doesn’t get it all. There is no sign that they were ever there.”

“I don’t have an explanation at the moment, but I’m glad that you won’t miss them.”

Jenifer, Mike’s wife interjected, “I’ll make sure he doesn’t. One of them included his first wife’s name. As for an explanation, Mike’s tats are just the beginning. For the rest, I think you need to sit down with something to calm your nerves.”

As Mike and Jerry left the building, Sioux set a glass of ice and a bottle of Gentleman Jack at the head of the table, and said, “Already done. Now sit, pour yourself a drink and take a sip or two. You’re going to need it.”

Grant did as she asked and closed his eyes as he savored the flavor of this fine Tennessee Sipping Whiskey.

After three good sips, he looked up at her and said “I’m ready.”

“I doubt that, but I guess it’s time to start. There will be some introductions as we go, with additional ones at the end.”

“Okay.” Grant replied after taking another sip.

“First, I want you to look at Brad’s hands.”

Even with everything else, Grant was truly surprised by what he saw.

“Your pinky stub, it’s restored!”

“Even the coloring matches the rest of the finger,” added Brad.

“Feeling?”

“It’s like it’s never been missing. I’ve lived without it for so long that I’m going to have to be careful I don’t accidentally lose it again.”

“Wow. Having it slowly re-grow would have been amazing, but this goes far beyond that.”

Sioux moved to stand behind a blond teen whom he had not seen before. John’s wife reached forward and slid a set of glasses toward Grant. They looked like they were made from the bottoms of the old glass Coke bottles.

“Grant, this beautiful young lady is Sam. She’s been wearing glasses like these since she was four. Suddenly, when all hell broke loose, everything she saw was a huge blur.”

“Which was why she shouted that she was blind?”

“Exactly. When I ran to her, my first reaction was to remove her glasses and immediately she could see clearer than she ever had. In fact, I suspect that her vision may be better than twenty-twenty. In addition, her crooked teeth are now straight, and the last of her baby fat has disappeared. Once Barbara removes those braces, she will be flawless.”

Brad’s wife Barbara interjected, “I plan on having my husband make me some tools as soon as he can. I know how to remove the braces, but for some reason, I doubt I can get to the tools in my office.”

Grant nodded, and said, “I suspect you’re right, but how did you reach that conclusion?”

“I was born in this area. Trees like those we can see out the windows are far older than anything I’ve seen throughout my life. I think we’re now in the middle of a forest that has never known an ax.”

“That’s part of why I sent Mike and Jerry out like I did. It appears that we’re in the same spot, but in Colonial times. I don’t know if the Revolution has occurred yet, but I suspect we’re in that general time frame.”

Momentarily surprised by everyone’s calm reaction to his statement, Grant added, “Of course, that’s probably not too far fetched after seeing fingers and eyesight restored.”

“I think you’re right,” stated the woman who was tenderly holding his daughter. “By the way, I’m Beth Anderson, and this is my daughter Alicia. I was taking Alicia and Sam to start classes at the College of Charleston when we followed the vehicles in front of us down to your home.”

“Welcome Beth, Alicia and Sam. I know this was not what you had planned, but I hope we can provide a safe and secure home in this time of turmoil. I also want to thank you for taking up with my daughter. I never saw her mother show such tenderness.”

“I hope I won’t upset you, but I think the two of us have already begun to bond.”

“No, that doesn’t upset me, unless you try to push me out of her life. She needs a mother as well as a father, and I have enough trouble just doing my part.”

“Daddy, Miss Beth could never replace you, but I really won’t miss Mommy or Aunt Teresa. To them, Mark and I were little more than show dogs.”

“Wow,” exclaimed Alicia. “That says a lot coming from a seven year old. Did your daddy explain that to you?”

“No, Daddy would bite his lip to keep from saying anything negative about Mommy. That was what Aunt Teresa would tell us. Daddy did call Mommy’s sister a self-centered bitch a few times.”

Everyone at the table chuckled at Tracy’s revelation. The last part was said with such conviction that no one was left doubting as to the child’s agreement with her father’s statement. Tracy’s statement also had a significant influence on Beth’s opinion of Grant.

Mark tearfully added, “Actually, Aunt Teresa repeatedly told us that we were a real bother and were worthless for anything other than to be Mommy’s ‘show dogs.’“

Mark’s statement moved the group even more than Tracy’s, and the two adults holding the children hugged them tightly for comfort.

Sioux moved next to the young man who was holding Mark, and said, “Grant, this is Charles Young. He was behind Beth and followed her lights to our compound. He played football at Clemson and has a degree in Forestry Management. He also had scarring from a knee injury that’s now gone.”

“Welcome to our home, Charles. Where is your home and what brought you out in such a miserable storm?”

“I live, or guess you could say lived with my mother in Conway. My father did bulldozer work before he died. After I had trouble finding a forestry job, I decided to take his low boy and the Cat and do what he’d done. I started bidding on jobs along the coast and have done rather well. I had a deadline to start on a job at the edge of the old Navy base, but it looks like I won’t make it.”

“Don’t worry, I suspect we’ll be able to keep you busy. What about your mother?”

“She’ll miss me, of course, but she’s fixed financially.”

“There is at least that,” responded Grant in a tone that expressed both concern and relief.

Grant turned to Eric, and asked, “With all this healing going on, what about your health issues?”

“We’ll have to monitor my sugar and my heart for a while, but I suspect you’re right. Drew has limped for more than ten years due to the bullet wound to his knee, but now even the scar is gone. When he first tried to stand after the alarm sounded, his leg gave way, and he fell against the fridge. Beth suspects the repairs had not been fully completed, but now everything seems fine.”

Grant turned back to Beth, and asked, “Beth, from Eric’s statement, can I assume you have medical experience?”

“I’m an OB / GYN with a practice in Landover, Maryland, but as an intern I did rotations in several areas, including surgery.”

“I have a feeling your knowledge is going to be very important in our future, so I’m even more pleased that you were led here by this reprobate and his crew of jolly cutthroats.”

“I resemble that remark,” Eric answered with a hearty laugh that would have made any evil movie pirate green with envy.

“Since we’re into introductions, Eric, I know you, Michael and Drew. Do you want to introduce the rest of your people?”

“Sure. The guy sitting on the bar-stool is a ‘coasty’ petty officer second class named Cal Peterson. He’s the coxswain of the cutter Yellowfin and is considered the best boat driver in the area. He also had a bullet scar disappear from his left arm.”

“Cal, we’re glad to have you, as I suspect Mike could use the help. Do you go by ‘Boats’ also?”

“Actually, a CPO, even retired would have the title, but we don’t tend to use it in the Coast Guard, anyway. Cal will be fine.”

“Then Cal it is, and I go by Grant or Skipper. I’m too informal a person to be a Doctor Maxwell.”

After a pause, Eric continued, “The sandy redhead in the shadows is Gunners Mate Second Class Zeke Adams. He was trained as a SEAL as well as a sniper.”

“Welcome Zeke. How did you end up with Eric?”

“I was TDY at the Weapons Station while waiting for a new team to be formed. A buddy told me that Eric needed a part-timer, so I applied. I’ve been working about twenty hours a week at the gun shop, but this was my first gun show.”

“I’m sorry that your career got cut short, but we’re glad to have you.”

“Thank you, Skipper. I sought adventure in the Navy, and I suspect I’ll get plenty of it with you.”

Eric pointed to the large teen standing near his son, Michael, and said, “This young man is Bobby Johnson, Michael’s best friend. He was about to start his senior season as Wando High’s center. He was also supposed to graduate in December and start at South Carolina in January.”

“Bobby, as with the others, I’m sorry your plans got disrupted. Believe me, it wasn’t anything I planned.”

“I understand that. I don’t know if this was an act of God, aliens or a freak of nature, but I know that the Bible says that God works all things together for good to those that love him. Therefore, I have to believe that there is a purpose for all of us to be here.”

“Bobby, I may not be the man of faith that you appear to be, but I also think there is a purpose behind this. Just look at our resources, and the knowledge and training in this group of people. We’ve a history teacher who has extensive knowledge of South Carolina history. We’ve the only electrical power in the world. We’ve marksmen who can hit a target at close to a mile. We’ve smokeless powder and modern weapons. We’ve radar, sonar, radio and even a modern doctor. One of my biggest concerns, at the moment, involves how much our presence might change this time-line, or are we in a parallel universe.”

It was obvious from the look on the different faces that Grant’s statement had struck them deeply. He could also sense that his questions would be going around and around in everyone’s mind for a long time.

One of the two men he hadn’t met stepped forward, snapped to attention, and said, “Sir, we’re delighted that we’ve a leader that even knows the questions to ask.”

“Marine?” asked Grant.

“Yes, Sir. I’m Lance Corporal Marcel Ingram and my bud is PFC Trey Taylor.”

“We’re glad to have you both on board, and like I told one of the others, I’m Grant, or Skipper, so forget all the Leatherneck spit and polish. Now, I don’t mind an occasional Semper Fi and ooh-rah, but the first time you jump to attention and say ‘Sir, Yes, Sir,’ I’ll wash your mouth out with soap.”

Both Marines looked rather sheepish as the rest of the adults in the room burst into laughter. Of course, most everyone thought the whole idea was a joke, but the two young Marines weren’t sure and certainly didn’t want to give Grant an excuse to prove everyone wrong.

“Grant, you’ve learned a lot about us, how about giving us your background, as well as that of your people?” asked Beth Anderson. “I think we would all like to know more about what you were doing here.”