Chapter 5: A New Reality

Late-October, 1986

We decided to call it a night and planned on meeting back here first thing in the morning. I teleported or ‘popped’, as JB and I have started calling it, home.

Since it was still fairly early in the day I decided to take a nap and set my alarm for 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

I was planning to try to teleport out to Arizona by going through Ibera’s rather than have Sarah come and get me.

Charlie and Bob were really becoming like brothers to me. It was Bob who gave me the idea that I could really teleport anywhere I wanted to as long as I went through Ibera’s first. He said the only real problem I would have, was that there were a couple abilities he and the rest of the family had that I, as yet, did not.

Like the ability to become invisible.

He told me that teleporting without being invisible was a bit hazardous. He stressed that I needed to be sure I knew exactly where I was going and who was likely to be there. He also said I needed to warn anybody that I was planning on using to ‘locate’ my teleport.

(He told me I could teleport from Ibera’s place to anyone I knew or any place I’d ever been!)

I thought about that for a bit as I was dozing off. Before I started I would need to get a hold of Sarah and make sure she was in a place that would be safe for me to teleport to.

It made sense to me now why Lenny made it so JB and I had to teleport to our bedrooms or living rooms. He knew we both lived alone and therefore wouldn’t be ‘popping in’ out of nowhere in front of someone.

When I woke up, I contacted Sarah and she told me she’d be in a safe spot for the next 15 minutes. Ibera was surprised to see me and kinda gave me the mother look when I told her I was going to go to be with Sarah.

She giggled, “I’ll bet my Bobby gave you the idea to do that, didn’t he?”

I kissed her on the cheek, “He sure did! How did you know?”

“It’s simple, I just know that that’s something he would do! My Bobby never met a rule he couldn’t figure out a way to circumvent!”

I was still chuckling when I popped in right in front of Sarah. I discovered that we were at Charlene’s house again and were ordering Chinese for dinner.

Bob and Mary were already there and we were just waiting on Charlie and Linda who were finishing-up getting their new home site ready for their trailers to be delivered.

Everyone ordered their favorite entrée’s to share along with a dozen eggrolls and some wonton soup. I thought it was some of the best Chinese I’d ever had. Bob, Charlie and Mary chuckled just before Charlie said, “Sarah will have to take you to Mama Sans in Carpentersville, Darren. If you think this is good, her food will blow you away!

Sarah was grinning and nodding before Bob laughed, “The next time you’re up at Ibera’s, ask her for some Chinese. We brought her some of everything on Mama San’s menu. I’m sorry I never told you to order Chinese from her.”

I grinned, “So you’re the ones who’ve been supplying Ibera with all of the ‘delicacies’, she keeps talking about?”

Bob and Charlie just nodded and grinned.

They urged me to tell them some of the things that were going on with prisoners. I told them a little about each group that we set off today and then what happened when we went to feed the Normistronzo group.

When I told them about how Elmer had been forcing Vincent’s kids to give up their food for the three bitches, Charlie’s reaction surprised me.

He was grinning, almost evilly, then said, “Now that’s karmic justice if I ever heard it!”

I was confused, “What do you mean by that, Charlie?”

He was still grinning when he said, “Mario, Vincent’s oldest one, was the one that killed a member of our family! Her name was Sally. Mario, his two brothers and sister were trying to kidnap Sally to force her husband, Bill to create a bunch of illegal shell companies to launder all the Normistronzo’s and the Co-op’s money. It’s a long story, but, the more those four bastards have to suffer the happier I’ll be.”

Okay, I was shocked to the core that I had no idea they’d done that. I sighed deeply then told him, “Well then, you’re probably not gonna like the fact that Brad and I separated them from the family so they wouldn’t become their slaves on the island. E Norm was planning on forcing the four of them to do all the work as far as building shelters, collecting food and things like that were concerned. Brad didn’t think that would be right, especially after what we learned from Markus and Sonny.”

Charlie had a confused expression on his face when he asked, “And what might that be?”

I sighed again, “Markus explained to us that ever since they were very young the entire Normistronzo organization forced Vincent to use his kids to do all their dirty work. Many times Mario and his siblings would refuse only to be beaten senseless. They were told if they ever wanted another meal, they had to perform whatever it was they were told to do. I talked with Mario myself and have a hard time picturing him as a cold-blooded killer. I do believe they killed people while under orders, but, I don’t think they ever really wanted to.”

Charlie looked very taken aback and asked for a minute to think. After a bit, he looked at me intently, “You said they haven’t left yet, is that correct?”

I nodded, “Yes, they’re scheduled to go first thing in the morning.”

“Is there any way you could hold off until I have a chance to talk to Mario? I need to ask him some questions, myself. I wasn’t one of the ones who interrogated that group when they were captured and brought up to Ibera’s. I just want to know why he felt he needed to kill Sally.”

His eyes were getting moist, which told me all I needed to know about how much he still cared for that lady, Sally. When I looked around, Sarah, Bob, Linda and Mary didn’t look much better. It was obvious just how much losing a member of their family hurt them.

The family that Charlie and Sarah had invited me to join.

I assured him we wouldn’t send Mario off until he had a chance to talk to him.

He nodded, saying, “There’s just some things about the whole event that I don’t understand. Sally had abilities, nearly as good as what the rest of the family has. I don’t understand why she didn’t defend herself. She certainly could have.”

Bob asked if anything else interesting happened, and I told him some of the lighter hearted stories about the group that got put ashore in the middle of a downpour and how Lucinda McEvil was getting ‘delightfully’ gangbanged and ‘DP’d by her four group members. When I told them they weren’t making her completely ‘airtight’, Linda giggled, “No Guts, No Glory!”

That had everyone cracking up.

We were all just relaxing, discussing ‘sleeping arrangements’, when suddenly Charlie and Bob got a disturbing ‘call’ from someone.

While Charlene seemed oblivious, it was obvious to me, since they had this disconnected look on their faces. Yeah, I’ve ‘been there and done that’!

You can’t help it, even as long as these guys have been doing it.

Soon, it was apparent that Sarah, Mary and Linda were in their guys’ heads and it became very quiet for a couple minutes.

I REALLY wish I’d have been a part of it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t invited.

And, when I tried mentally asking Sarah, she shushed me and asked me to just talk to Charlene so she wouldn’t think we were dissing her.

I knew how that would feel, since I was currently feeling it!

Whatever this was about, as soon as it ended, both Bob and Charlie said they had something they absolutely had to do and they disappeared!

I figured they just about had to have gone up to Ibera’s place, since they were back within 10 minutes. That IS, however, a long time if they were up there! They both had ‘guilty’ looks on their faces when they returned.

Their excuse was that they’d been working on a surprise for the group going to ‘Greg’s Island’ tomorrow, after the closing on the new property.

I wasn’t exactly sure what ‘Greg’s Island’ was, but Charlie had mentioned it the day he and Bob were showing JB and me ‘the ropes’. I think it’s similar to where the prisoners were going, only on a different planet.

I couldn’t wait to see it for myself.

This got strange, because, Charlene had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. They had to assure her that she would be invited to go too, but that it would have to be kept a secret.

I just relaxed, still trying to guess what was truly going on, knowing I’d at least be there for that event!

Things between Bob, Charlie and, Linda, Sarah and Mary remained somewhat strained all evening. I had a feeling Linda, Sarah and Mary weren’t privy to whatever was discussed at the ‘Emergency’ meeting!

There was subterfuge afoot and I could feel it.

My investigative juices were flowing like molten lava!

In the morning, Sarah told me she’d see me up at Ibera’s. She was helping get those going to the island ready. She said Bob and Mary were going and taking CJ and Sarah’s little Abby with them. There were also two other ‘Little Ones’ going.

Everyone was meeting up at Ibera’s later this afternoon. He told me I’d be meeting the entire Family as even the East Coast branch had promised to be there.

Charlie reminded me to hold off on sending Mario’s group till last, if I could, so he could talk to him.

I told him that was no problem and after shaking hands, I went straight to Ibera’s.

I could finally relax.

Except ... my ‘investigative juices’ were still flowing.

I noticed that Ibera wasn’t quite as bubbly as usual. She still gave me a lusty kiss and took JB’s breath away when he showed up, seconds behind me. But, she seemed a little subdued, afterwards.

“Did you sleep okay last night, Ibera?” JB asked.

She shrugged, “Alright, I guess. It would have been better if I had more company, like you two.”

I tried to sneak in a question, “Oh? Didn’t you have at least some company last night?”

Yipes! Okay, maybe that wasn’t so subtle.

She was now giving me the ‘Mother-look’, “And just how might you be thinking that?”

My heart was racing when she smirked, knowingly, “You were with Charlie and Bob last night, weren’t you!?”

I exhaled loudly, slumping my shoulders, “Yes. I know it’s none of my business, but, I just wondered if they’d come up here when they suddenly said they had to be somewhere. That’s all.”

She had a sly look on her face, “Curiosity killed the itty, bitty, kitty, Baby, remember that!” She snickered, “Besides, I was sworn to secrecy ... and so were THEY.”

Now I was thoroughly confused.

Who could possibly tell Ibera anything she didn’t already know? And, ask HER to keep something secret!?

Now I REALLY wished I’d been invited! I figured it almost had to be the guys from Charlie’s ‘East Coast’ part of the Family.

From the pictures I got from the cruise, I had to figure they were probably in one of the ‘Alphabet Soup’ Agencies like the CIA or maybe the NSA.

Whatever it was, it had to be serious if they needed Bob and Charlie to be in on it.

Anyway, that’s what I was thinking when Brad and Brenda popped in, wanting to get right down to business.

When Brad suggested we start with Mario and Markus’s group, I told him that Charlie wanted to talk to Mario before they were sent off.

He nodded his consent then said, “Alright, then let’s go ahead and get Elmer’s group out of the way first. I really hope they don’t give us any shit this morning, because I’m in no mood to play nice with them.”

We popped into Elmer’s cell area only to find them all in the midst of a huge argument.

Brad had to whistle to get their attention.

Surprisingly, they froze in their tracks and darn near stood at attention.

Brenda began giggling as did Ibera.

I could see that Lola and her two daughters desperately wanted to say something nasty only to have Elmer glare and point at them, menacingly.

Elmer was cute, “Missy Ibera, dear, my sister and her two girls, they see the error of their ways and they desperate to say how sorry they be for how they treat you!”

Brad was smirking, “Lola, would you and your daughters like to apologize to Ibera?”

If you thought Annie Hunt was incorrigible, these three bitches were several magnitudes past impossible.

Even though Elmer was glaring at them with fire in his eyes, all they could manage was a very soft, highly insincere, “soar-ry.”

Ibera squeezed her eyes shut before angrily smirking at Brad.

Brad was just shaking his head and after kissing her on the cheek, whispered to Ibera, “I was not impressed, my dear. As far as I’m concerned that was not an apology. Just know, I’m behind you in whatever it is you decide to do about them and anything you allow or don’t allow them to take to the island.”

Brad told them to line up, starting with Elmer.

Elmer got his one duffel bag and backpack. He looked perplexed when he was told he could fill them with whatever he wanted, as long as it wasn’t a weapon.

He grinned, “I wants, five cases of Johnny Walker Black and two cases of top shelf cognac!”

He wasn’t smiling when he saw that seven cases of booze was nearly 3 times more than he had room for. Especially since each case of 12 bottles had to be emptied out, just due to the size of the box. When his guys tried to help him, they were told Elmer had to do this on his own and he only had about eight more minutes.

Yeah, he wasn’t getting the same treatment any of the others got. He just learned the penalty for being a defiant asshole!

We watched him desperately trying to cram them all in even putting half of them in upside down to take up the gaps in space between the necks. He got just a little more than three cases in his duffel bag before he began cramming four more bottles and two bottles of cognac into his knapsack.

The next thing that happened was comical.

He blustered, “I no have room for clothes! How are my clothes going to fit?”

Brad laughed, “You can always just wear them, you know?”

Elmer grinned, “Good idea, I want five Armani suits, five pairs of shorts and five undershirts.”

We all began laughing when suddenly he looked just like the Michelin man! The arrogant bastard couldn’t hardly even bend his arms.

It was even funnier when Brad told him he had to take his duffel bag and backpack and get on the boat. He tried to get his guys to help him, but Brad just wagged his finger back and forth, “Nope, you have to get it on there, yourself. That or you have to leave some of it behind.”

I thought he was going to bust his balls as he slowly dragged the duffel bag, which had to weigh close to 200 pounds, up and into the boat. Just by the sound of glass breaking, I had a feeling he lost about half of his booty. Before he could start screaming Brad had the rest of his goons requesting their items.

Just as they looked at Elmer’s leftover bottles, they all disappeared.

When the first guy, Hugo, asked for a case of Johnny Walker Black, Brad just looked at him, “Is this for you or for Elmer?”

You’da thought Brad just asked him to calculate the square root of 113!

“Um, it’s for the Boss. I hate scotch, I’m more of a beer drinker myself.”

Brad chuckled, “I would suggest you get what you want, and forget about what your boss wants. In case you haven’t realized it yet, he’s never going to be able to pay you guys again, so is he really your boss anymore?”

DING! And the light came on.

He grinned, “Can I have one duffel bag full of Old-Style long necks, with cardboard in between so they don’t break?”

Ibera patted him on the cheek, “You’re much smarter than your Boss, sweetie! Of course you can. Don’t you think you need some clothes though, too?”

“Duh-huh, yeah, five pairs of Bermuda shorts, three pairs of sandals and ten T-shirts. Do I have any room left?”

Ibera looked at him sadly, “I’m afraid that just about does it, my man. You’ve got just enough room for a big bag of beef jerky if you’d like?”

He nodded gratefully and then hauled his knapsack and duffel bag over to join Elmer in the boat. The other two goons simply seconded and ‘thirded’ Hugo’s request and then joined their buddies.

Vinnie went next and requested real necessities, like three sets of sandals, deck shoes, 8 pairs of Bermuda shorts, a lot of T-shirts as well as 3 large jars of instant coffee, tea bags, tin mugs and even an Army mess-kit. He even remembered to get a sleeping bag and pillow, that he tied to his backpack. He only asked for two bottles of vodka and a large can of instant lemonade. He also asked for a fully-loaded Swiss-Army knife.

Lola’s goons, Brutus and Otis, were paying rapt attention to their counterparts and both opted for nearly the same items that Hugo had.

Marcella was next.

She asked for a sleeping bag and pillow, then wanted 7 cocktail dresses! She also opted for Elmer’s mode of carrying them and Ms Michelin Ma’am finished filling her bags with freaking high-heeled shoes! And one pair of flip-flops! (She was just as ignorant and ego-maniacal as Elmer!)

When the three little bitches were the only ones left, suddenly their defiance seemed to leave them. One of the daughters, Precious, asked timidly, “Could I at least have a knapsack full of Snickers bars? Please?”

Ibera said, kindly, “Sure, and if I could suggest, I think you need a sleeping bag and pillow, also.” Precious nodded, “Thank you. I suppose one sundress would be too much to ask for, too?”

Ibera snickered, “You don’t think a few pairs of shorts and lightweight T-shirts would be a better choice? I’ll even toss in a pair of sandals.”

Her sister, who was already glowering next to her, snarked, “Just give my sister what she wants, you bitch. Who are you to tell her what she needs?”

I about choked to death, when Precious hauled off and slapped her sister, right across the face. “Cecelia, you ignorant bitch! She doesn’t have to give us a GOD damn thing!” She looked at Ibera, apologetically, “I’m sorry for my sister’s rude attitude. I like your suggestion and I appreciate anything I can get, thank you.”

Lola appeared fit to be tied that her oldest daughter had stood up for Ibera. A small bag appeared in Precious’s hand and Ibera announced it was time to go and Lola and Cecelia found themselves on the boat with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing.

Precious made sure to take a spot on the boat as far away from her mother and sister as she could get.

I had to wonder just how long it would be before Precious was relieved of her meager belongings.

Lola and Cecelia were both still screaming as the boat disappeared into the portal.

Franklin’s group was comprised of himself, AL Hunt, Annie Hunt, Howard Humbacker, Jasmine Tran, Sam Sparks, and Maxwell Lester.

They were nearly as organized and insightful about their requests as Murdock and his crew.

With Annie and Jasmine having made nice with Ibera, they were also getting a lot of leeway with the various things they asked for. Their toolkits were heavily modified with obvious weapons-making items but also many truly useful woodworking items as well. Their choices of clothing, boots and shoes were well thought out as were their additional cooking supplies and requests for a fourth full fishing kit. They requested a high-power hand held telescope and six, six-foot lengths of one-inch hickory rods that they just wanted to put in the boat.

They appeared to be finished when Franklin asked, slowly and timidly, “Miss Ibera, can I please have a ‘Terry-you-crah-vat’?”

Ibera began giggling then chortled, “You want a, say what?”

Franklin blushed, all in a fluster, “I want a ... Oh hell, it’s like a transistor radio, I think. It’s spelled, ‘Teryukravat’. Do you know what one of those is?”

Ibera had to catch her breath as she was laughing so hard, “Oh, you mean a ‘Treyukravat’ (pronounced Trey-ucra-vaht), you must be slightly dyslexic.” She gave us a sly smile, “You have no idea what this really is, do you, Mister Franklin?”

Franklin was giving her the evil eye, “I have a pretty good idea, so, can I have one or not? It’s NOT a weapon, is it?”

She was conferring with Brad, but it was so soft I couldn’t hear. Brad’s eyes got huge and he said, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ibera. I understand it’s not a weapon, I just don’t know if we shouldn’t ask Jonah about this, if you know what I mean?”

They conferred a second time, then Brad shrugged his shoulders and said, “If you’re sure he won’t get into trouble with it, go ahead and give it to him. It might prove to be interesting seeing what he tries to do with it.”

Ibera looked Franklin in the eyes, “I’ll let you have it, under one condition. You must make me believe you know what this thing really is.”

Franklin looked desperate, “SHIT! All right, it’s like a two-way radio of some kind that communicates with a species of aliens.”