The Time Travel Directorate (11 page)

“
What you are saying is impossible. As you are well aware, endpoints are required for all time travel,” he said.

“
Kanon, I mean, Inspector Hay used the web to rescue me,” Vin responded firmly.

It was
late, Vin was disoriented from being pulled back to the present. As soon as he had returned to headquarters, he looked around for Kanon, and not finding her, kept calling Chief Smiley until he grudgingly agreed to come back into the office.

Vin
could hardly believe himself as he tried, once again, to convince Chief Smiley of what had occurred.

“
Inspector Habit . . . ”

“I keep telling you. Habit
hasn’t worked here for years.”

“
I had a message on my reading pane to meet a contact, if it wasn’t him who else was it?”

“Vin
, the tip we received was from an inspector located in Ireland, it had nothing to do with Inspector Habit. And as to a message . . . ” He looked at Vin skeptically. “Can you show it to me?”

“It disappeared from my reading pane after I read it
,” Vin snapped, frustrated. “I’m telling you, Inspector Habit is the one helping Julius Arnold.”

“
Habit’s travel code has been suspended—matter of course for any inspector once they leave the Directorate. They are forbidden from traveling, for pleasure or otherwise—both scenarios that would put him in the location you described. Here, see for yourself.”

Chief Smiley
activated the 3D screen on his reading pane. He entered in Inspector Habit’s name, bringing up his case file.

“Habit
was de-authorized years ago,” Chief Smiley said, pointing to the “inactive” flag.

“
Where was his last trip?” Vin directed, mildly astonished when Chief Smiley complied.

Middle
Ages, Europe.

“Look at the
location,” Vin stated accusingly.

“
Hmmm, it must be a keystroke error,” Chief Smiley replied, looking at the screen with a frown.

“I think you have a flaw in your internal controls
, because Inspector Habit never came home.”

“
I’m sure we could summon Inspector Habit here, which will be quite an embarrassment to your little theory,” Chief Smiley responded, closing the screen.

“Have you told Director Hay about this?”
Vin asked.

“No,
nevertheless . . . ” Chief Smiley began, bringing his hands together in a pyramid. He looked tired, not surprising since it was the middle of the night. “We might have to bring these latest events to his attention,” he finished. “Kanon Hay is in violation of federal law by traveling, however she is doing it. We will have to bring him up to speed before I assign you to her case.”

Vin’s
stomach dropped.

“What do you mean?
Julius Arnold . . . ”

“
Has proven himself very difficult to capture—as your latest experience proves. Vin, think it through. The government shutdown won’t last much longer, Director Hay has been in talks all week—once a deal has been made, we’ll be able to send every inspector available to find Julius,” he paused, clearing his throat.

“
What I’m more concerned about are rogue agents. What you’ve described to me about Kanon Hay’s abilities is startling. I also find her appearance on the scene, the timing, quite suspicious.”

Vin
blinked, as he looked at Chief Smiley with astonishment.

“You think that
Kanon is aligned with Julius in some way? I can assure you that’s impossible,” he said carefully, hopefully putting this outrageous claim to rest.

Chief
Smiley eased back in his chair, looking intrigued.

“
Her capture from the start was suspicious. There was no way Julius could have coincidentally found her in time. Unfortunately, it lines up with other classified information I’m privy to. But it’s hard to bring bad news to your boss, especially as it concerns his daughter.”

“What you are
describing,” Vin began, rubbing his temples, “is impossible. Kanon would no sooner work for Julius than I would.”

“
Oh, spare me your naive sentiments, think about it,” Chief Smiley snapped. “What did Inspector Habit do after he incarcerated you?”

“H
e took my web,” Vin responded.

“
They’re obviously luring our inspectors to them in order to collect webs—selling them later on the black market. Really, Vin. Even a rookie inspector like you should have suspected this.”

“But
Kanon?” Vin asked, still unconvinced. “She rescued me. They were going to kill me.”

“
An elaborate scheme to help earn your trust. Do you have any idea how much they would make from selling unadulterated webs? The fortune he’s made is pennies in comparison.”

Vin
couldn’t argue, it strangely made sense on paper. He felt disoriented, unable to formulate a good argument.

“I know I’m not convincing you, and it’s clear I’m going to have to do a bet
ter job at telling Director Hay,” Vin said.

“
You won’t tell him anything. I’ll handle this.” Chief Smiley said, tapping his fingers together.

“My head hurts,”
Vin said, feeling exhausted.

“Early sign of
PTS. Why don’t you take a few days off, by the time you get back, I’ll have your new orders ready.”

“Orders?”
Vin asked, momentarily confused again.

“
Yes, we need begin a new case file on Kanon Hay.”

“Do you have any idea how many laws I’m breaking by being here,” Quill asked.

“I need to
access to Central Computer,” Vin stated, pacing in his cubicle.

He
had used all his negotiating tactics to bring Quill into the office. As only essential employees were allowed to work during a government shutdown, Quill could be thrown in jail for even entering the building. His agitated state seemed to suggest that he knew this.

“Are you out of your mind?
” Quill cried, sitting up in his chair. “Only VIPs have access. Why do you need it?” he asked belatedly.

“I need to figure out how
Kanon uses the web.”

“Vin
. . . ” Quill began, looking at him in confusion.

“
Please believe me,” Vin demanded, his voice rising, “she was there—without anyone from the Directorate knowing. Saved my head—right before Inspector Habit chopped it off.”

“
Inspector, who? Okay.” Quill held his hands up in front of him before slapping them on his knees. “Assuming this all really happened, and you aren’t suffering from a PTS incident . . . ”

“
You can check my case files,” Vin snapped angrily.

“
Tell me more about Inspector Habit.”

“
He was at my location when I landed. Habit is the one working with Julius. They are luring inspectors to them in order to steal their webs. They were about to do the same to me until Kanon arrived on the scene.”

“I get it
, Vin,” Quill began. “It’s just the dramatic nature of your rescue—very similar to how you rescued Kanon. PTS is really strong in these kinds of situations, sometimes people report crazy stories like this.”

“
I told you,” Vin said, before stopping suddenly.

Turning, he looked
directly at Quill.

“What do you
mean, other reports?”

“
Inspectors have reported similar stories,” Quill replied, easing back in his chair. “People appearing in random places, no record of it in Central Computer, stuff like that.”

“
Tell me more,” Vin commanded, sitting down heavily.

“
They came in as reports—alerting Central Computer that there were interlopers in restricted areas.” Quill paused to take a sip of water. “In every instance, there was no one else traveling.”

“So all you really do is run the information
against Central Computer?”

“That’s
how this works, Vin,” Quill responded, smiling to blunt the harshness of his tone. “Central Computer tracks all the codes issued—you can’t travel without one, and if you do, we know about it.”

“The Directorate doesn’t value
eyewitness accounts from its inspectors?” Vin asked, incredulous. “All this time spent training their inspectors only to have them overruled by a computer.”

“The system has been in
place for years, Vin!”

“Two words,”
Vin retorted. “Julius Arnold.”

Quill p
ushed back in his chair, looking thoughtful.

“Ok
ay, I’ll grant you that point. The fact that Julius is traveling undetected is interesting. But in that case, it’s clear he’s using someone who can manipulate Central Computer.”

“
Well then it must be the people with access,” Vin said.

“
Wow, Vin, are you accusing Director Hay and Chief Smiley?” Quill asked, laughing slightly. “Are you feeling okay?”

“
If not them, who?”

Quill looked down at his hands
and then up at Vin.

“Do you have to
make me spell it out for you?” he asked softly.

Vin
felt blood rush to his face.

“
Kanon?” Vin asked, confused.

“
When she joined the Directorate, they gave her the highest level of authorization.”

“Why
?” Vin asked, still not understanding.

“I
assume it’s what Director Hay wanted. To tell you the truth, I don’t really know why anyone does anything around here. Whenever you ask, they tell you it’s need-to-know.”

“
It’s a great way to avoid questions, that’s for sure. So if only three people have access, wouldn’t you assume we’ve just identified the three people who are assisting Julius Arnold?” Vin asked, his head spinning.

“
Chief Smiley gave you a new mission, I’d say he’s focusing on just one,” Quill said.

“
It’s impossible,” Vin responded, heartbroken that Quill had arrived at the same conclusion.

Vin
sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. He needed to see Kanon again, if only to find out if the flicker of attraction between them was real, and not just his imagination. He didn’t need amorous feelings right now. What he needed was to clear all this up, before Chief Smiley got serious about his new case.

Quill sat up, oblivious to
Vin’s reflections.

“
We are lucky in one respect—the government shutdown has distracted everyone from the conclusion that there is a mole in the Directorate,” he said glibly.

“
And when the government is back online?” Vin asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from someone he trusted.

“
Then every inspector will go after Kanon,” Quill replied with a shrug. “Sorry, man, I know you like her.”

Vin
studied Quill closely.

“You are sure it’s her
?”

Quill
’s eyes took on a dull tone, as he folded his hands in front of him calmly.

“
Vin, you are an old-fashioned romantic and I like that about you, but it’s clear that Kanon is the mole. I mean, you were sent to rescue her as a rookie inspector. Does your resounding success smell fishy to you? I’m sure Julius Arnold wanted her to win your trust. Man, I feel like I have to spell it out for you.”

“Maybe you do, I’m sorry. It ju
st doesn’t feel right,” Vin said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“When are you briefing
Director Hay? Man, would I like to see the look on his face when that happens.”

“
Chief Smiley briefed him this morning,” Vin responded. “I wasn’t invited.”

“If I were you, I’d make yourself scarce,
” Quill responded, looking at his friend stoically.

“That will be difficult,
since everyone else is sent home.” Vin said, an idea springing to mind. Avoiding Director Hay was the last thing he intended to do. “That reminds me, thanks again for coming in.”

“
No worries. I was on my way anyhow. Chief Smiley can’t find a file.”

“
That’s nice of you, to risk a prison sentence to help him,” Vin said.

“
So, that means you keep this between us,” Quill replied, his tone not altogether friendly.

Vin
nodded, watching as Quill rose, leaving the drab confines of his cube and proceeding down the hallway to Chief Smiley’s office.

Vin
waited until he heard a door slam. Director Hay’s office was across from Chief Smiley’s. Using Quill as a distraction, he could easily slip inside without Smiley knowing.

Walking
quickly down the hall, Vin stopped before Director Hay’s office—hand on the doorknob. It was a risky move, but he had no other options. If this act of insubordination backfired, he would be sent home—the whole scheme at risk. Trying not to think about it, he opened the door.

Director Hay was sitting
at his desk, head in his hands. The news that his daughter was now public enemy number one must have gone over like a lead balloon. He looked up and, seeing who it was, gestured for Vin to enter.

“Close the door
,” he said.

Vin
took a seat, unsure as to how to start the conversation. Director Hay broke the silence.

“
What’s on your mind, son?”

“Sir, I know
Chief Smiley briefed you on, er, my sighting of Inspector Hay.”

The room was so silent
Vin could hear the coffee machine brewing in the break room.

Swallowing heavily, he continued.

“I know he didn’t believe me, but I have to ask, sir, do you?”

Director Hay didn’t respond
immediately, looking down at his hands, as if in a trance. Finally, he spoke.

“
I’ve been working this job this since time travel started,” he stated simply. “Before that, I was in Interpol. Before that, I was a police chief—got my start as a beat cop in Baltimore.” He looked up at Vin, continuing in earnest.

“There was nothing I wanted more than for Kanon to go to school and have all those opportunities that weren’t granted to me. I wanted her to be president of a corporation, a non-profit, that sort of thing. Instead, she wanted to work here.”

“Sir
, this isn’t your fault,” Vin cut in.

Director Hay continued as if
he hadn’t spoken.

“I didn’t treat her like the rest of
you. She was still my baby. As a result, she became susceptible to the worst kind of temptation.”

“Director Hay,
” Vin interrupted, putting his hand on the desk to press his point. “I don’t believe your daughter is in league with Julius Arnold. If anything, I think she is one of the few inspectors who can bring him in. She’s learned how to manipulate webs, moving through time unrestricted.”

“No, son, I’m afraid that’s not possible, I appreciate
you coming in here . . . ”

“Sir,
you must believe me. I can prove it. Open Central Computer.”

“
It’s a law enforcement system,” Director Hay began.

Vin
was quick to counter.

“And this is an ongoing investigation
incited by me, who is the lead inspector on the case. Pull it up, please.”

After a few tense moments, Director Hay pulled
out his reading pane.

“The last place we sent her was
training camp,” Director Hay said, activating the 3D screen.

“The last place you sent her
,” Vin corrected, attempting to make his other point.

Director Hay
stared blankly at the screen, forehead wrinkled.

“I saw
Kanon twice since that time. Once during training,” Vin said, hoping Director Hay wouldn’t notice his expression. He thought about that night frequently, and not all of his musings were PG-rated. “And once when I was recently deployed in the Middle Ages. Neither of those trips,” Vin pointed to the information before him, “are listed here. Your daughter has found a loophole in the web, and I think Julius is exploiting a similar mechanism.”

Satisfied with his
explanation, Vin pushed back in his seat—hands resting on his knees. Director Hay stared at the reading pane. After dismissing the screen, he fixed Vin with a stare.

“
Ok, Inspector Damato. I’ll play along. Chief Smiley was just in here, laying an impressive case for the fact that Julius Arnold is working with a mole in the Directorate—specifically, my daughter. What is your alternate opinion?”

Vin
sat up, ready to duel.

“
Someone within the Directorate is indeed helping Julius Arnold. Someone who knows the web could be utilized without Central Computer.”

“What do you mean?” Director Hay asked, drumming his fingers on his desk.

“An old Inspector, goes by the name of Habit.”

“The name is familiar.”

“I think he met Julius during his travels, and was recruited from there. They’ve obviously been enjoying themselves, doing what Julius does best.”

“Wre
aking havoc,” Director Hay signed. “Spare me the details, I can hardly stomach the report on what he did in France . . . ”

“I think he’s been up to this for quite some time. Julius thinks he represents a new world order
, and I don’t think he’s strictly in it for the money.”

“What do you mean,
he’s already rich,” Director Hay said gruffly.

“
Think about it, sir. Unregulated time travel. It’s a gold mine—if it’s true,” Vin said.

Director Hay was silent for a few moments before he gestured to his reading pane.

“I don’t know what’s more terrifying. The fact that he has committed these atrocities for this long or that it hasn’t impacted Standard D.”

“It certainly makes our
mission awkward, if it’s true. Web technology is inexpensive, they cost less than a reading pane—I know because I used to order them for inspectors.” Vin shot him a look. “I’m an analyst, remember? He hasn’t impacted Standard D yet, but if we had a thousand Julius Arnolds running around, they might.”