Chapter 22

I had put the two people who were bound and gagged, into storage. In other words, I put them in the NTZ (No Time Zone). Right now, I could care less if they died there, starved, or if it was the time-suspended place I thought it was. I had other things on my mind.

I was scared.

After going home, I had back-timed. I had watched "me" come in, and take out the two persons sent to break in and steal my computer software and hardware.

I saw "me" take out the two intruders, question them, and then make a phone call. Then "me" was gone, just like that. So what was I supposed to do? I was prepared to come to the rescue of my computer, but it had already been done, apparently. No, what scared me was the fact that when I back-timed, there was no need for me to go back.

Time had been changed.

That left me wondering what the outcome was going to be! How had it changed? Well, I had apparently back-timed already, and had captured the two before they had a chance to steal the computer; which had caused me to back-time in the first place. There was now no need to go back, since everything had been taken care of.

Was there now a new time-line that led off on a slightly different tangent? No matter how I tried, I could not time-dive to when the other "me" was taking care of the two intruders! This meant that something had changed, and something was preventing me from interfering!

This was where I now was, drinking some very old Sherry, and wondering why I had bothered to mess with time. I had been very careful not to make obvious, blatant changes. Stopping the theft of my computer and its software was apparently significant enough to cause some scary side effects!

I promised myself fervently not to interfere in time again! Well, at least in this kind of thing. But there was a danger. Any time I went back in time, I could be interfering unknowingly! This was driving me nuts! I really needed to talk to someone who was a math whiz, and I didn't know anyone that I trusted with the knowledge of my abilities.

This did serve as a wake up call, though. I needed some sort of security, and I needed full time investigators tracking down the 'council' and all its members. I could set them on the right track, but I needed very good investigators.

That meant people professionally trained by the government. Either ex-military, or ex-FBI, CIA, or NSA. I wanted and needed specially trained people. Therefore, I needed to expand my computer access, to include the military and intelligence communities.

After I got firmly ensconced into our glorious military and intelligence computer systems, it was not difficult to print out a list of candidates. I decided on twenty-five candidates from each branch of service, to start out with, for security. I knew not all of them would accept my job offer, and I had to be sure of those that did.

I was going to need an office for this new business. It would be totally legal and above board. I was thinking of a front man, too. I did not want my name associated with this new venture, either on paper or anywhere else, if I could help it.

From the FBI, I had two possible administrators to run my new business; if I managed to get it going. Both had had shining careers, until they got derailed due to office politics. They were both very smart and I wanted them!

One was retiring after a thirty-year career. The other had gone as far as she was likely to go, due to embarrassing her superiors by proving them wrong in a public way. Structured governmental agencies did not take lightly their bosses being proved wrong.

I printed out several pages of likely candidates for the two different functions of this new business. One was 'investigation'; the other would be 'security'. I would need to trust the senior staff of my new business venture. Oh, not with revealing what I could do, of course. But they would be handling the 'council' problem, and would be using the equipment I was going to procure for the business.

I would also have to trust a few of the security personnel, and a few of the investigators. Again, not because I was going to reveal who or what I was, or what I could do; but because of the nature of the material they would be handling. Some would be handling secrets that cried out for government intervention or knowledge, and some would be handling highly illegal items, such as weapons and explosives.

While I thought about the two guys I had put on ice in the NTZ, I was not too worried about them. No one came to see what had happened to them. Apparently, Mr. Jennings and Mr. Lampard did not want it known I had countered their move. At least, that was my conjecture.

I did do something about both of them, though. I spent a day back-timing and following them to their homes. I also listened in to several conversations that they'd had, and made sure that I had opened a way to and from their respective offices through the NTZ. It's always a good idea to have an alternate way into and/or out of a place.

I did a small time-dive to send letters to my prospective employee's. I did the two admins from the FBI, first. If I succeeded with at least one of those, then he or she could do the interviews for the next level.

I also back-timed and procured enough evidence to show them that I was not without resources, myself; and that I had good reason not to trust my government totally, because of what I knew.

I welcomed the first applicant. Her name was Rachael Vintner. She had been with the FBI for a little over 15 years, and was now stuck with no hope of advancement. I met her at a hotel in Washington D.C.

She was dressed very conservatively, and her hair was worn shoulder length. She had clear blue eyes that seemed to take in everything around her. She had an olive complexion that bespoke a Hispanic heritage. She had a firm handshake, and was only a couple inches shorter than my 5 foot 10 inches.

We were in the hotel bar, and I told her I had a serious job offer for her. I told her a little of what it entailed. She listened with a thoughtful expression.

"The bottom line, Rachael, is that I need an experienced administrator; and you are one of two that I am considering. The pay is 75,000.00 dollars a year to start. You would be required to sign a confidentiality contract, but I think when we get into the meat of the whys, you will understand," I told her.

"I see. I must say I am intrigued with your offer. Why so much money? Surely there are others more qualified than I am,"

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