Chapter 5

The scream had come from the front of the house and I sprinted around the house to see the cause. I noticed that the black sedan was at the curb again as I rounded the corner. I skidded to a halt and ducked into the bushes that trimmed the house. Two more goons were out in front of the house. They were holding on to a struggling body. A quick glance told me it wasn't Mom. I took a closer look and discovered it was Jackie McKenzie, you remember, next door Jackie? Naked, playing with her body Jackie? A teenage boy's wet dream Jackie? Good. Keep that picture in your mind.

I was certain they were also armed, so I pulled the watch out and backed up five minutes. I had to be careful since I was out in the pool at that time. The front was clear and I ran up to the attic. I reset the watch so I was back in real time. I knew what I wanted, but I needed to make a short time trip first. I got dressed and picked up the money, set the watch, and was off to Chicago. I saw the light hanging out front of the shop down Archer Avenue from Lake Shore Drive, at the other end of the Warshawski building. Three balls of light illuminated the sidewalk. I entered the dingy shop and stepped up to the cage.

Saul Mannheim was behind the teller cage and requested my pleasure. I explained what I needed to him. I also told him why. He was very sympathetic to my cause. He told me he had just what I needed for a price. I placed five gold coins on the counter in front of me. He nodded his head and disappeared into the murky depths of his storeroom. He returned with a dust-covered case.

"Here's what you need," he said, "Just don't be a schmuck and use it on yourself. It's ready to go."

I shook his hand and lifted the violin case off the counter. I could tell by the weight that it was ready. I quickly exited the building and headed back to the alley where I had entered this time period. No one was around and I instantly switched back to my time. I could hear the tussle still going on outside. I quickly stripped the disguise off and ran down the stairs two at a time.

I took the time to peer out the window of the door. They were still in the front yard. I opened the case and removed the Thompson 21AC and the fifty round drum magazine. I snapped it in place and "Primed the pump". A .45 caliber slug easily slid into the receiver and the infamous "Tommy Gun" of the roaring twenties Chicago, was ready to perform.

I'd shot a Colt 1911A .45 caliber service automatic that had belonged to Uncle Red, so I knew to expect a kick from the weapon. I pulled it tight to my shoulder and stepped out on the porch. I aimed at the tree in the front yard and pulled the trigger. I only shot a short burst, five or six rounds. It got their attention all right. They hit the dirt faster that a speeding bullet. Jackie saw me and rushed the stairs. I waved her to the side, and she complied with my hand signal.

"Alright, Scum, slowly ... and I mean, slowly ... one at a time removed your gun and throw it at the tree I just shot. We'll start with the idiot on the right. Use your left hand, the one you were pushing my woman around with," I added that last bit to see if Jackie objected. She came over and put her arms around me and squeezed. Her generous chest bored into my back. Back to the bad guys.

The first man complied with my demand, and I turned to the second. He was a bigger ass than the first and he actually tried to do something funny. I caught the motion and let another five or six rounds fly. He hollered his surrender and quickly tossed his gun at the tree. I told Jackie to go get them, staying as far from the muggers as possible. I checked the guns once she got back on the porch. Both were loaded with one in the slide and the safeties engaged. One of the guns was a Sig 9 mm and the other a Springfield XD-40.

Jackie knows how to handle firearms. Her father is an NRA gun instructor, and I know she participated in shooting sports. I'd heard she was pretty good, too. I held the two guns out and gave her that look, ; you know, choose your weapon. She smiled and took the XD. She half-jacked the slide to check the chamber and flicked the safety off. Her stance was stable and she held the gun ready with her trigger finger lying across the trigger guard. I told them to stay still or their intended victim might just slip. They knew the implication. I ran back inside, grabbing the violin case as I went. I ran up to the attic and laid it all down on a table. I then hurried to my room and picked up my Peerless handcuffs. I bought them from the "cop shop" to use for magic when I was in Jr. High. They are unaltered, law enforcement quality handcuffs. I took the three pairs and hustled myself back outside.

We stepped off the porch together. I had them put their hands behind their backs. I kept out of her direct line of fire and Jackie moved catlike in front of them. They were quickly handcuffed, with the spare cuffs linking the two men to each other. I glanced over in Jackie's direction as I moved back from the men. She was on the phone to 911. We heard sirens two minutes later, and two squad cars with full lights and sirens screeched to a halt in front of the house only seconds later. Two more arrived a minute later, as did an unmarked car.

The unmarked car held a detective and he took our statements. He also recognized the two muggers. They were a couple of three time losers. He was pretty sure he knew whom they worked for, but that would have to come out later down at the jail. He noticed we both held weapons and asked that we make them safe. We both dropped the clips and jacked the slug out of the chamber. We retrieved the bullet and handed the now empty weapons and the rest to the detective.

I explained we'd taken them from the bad guys. Their prints would be on the clips and bullets. He asked how I got them away from them and I told him I'd rather not say at this point. I had to play the Lt. Keeshan card to get him to back off. I figured I'd need a lawyer before it was all over. I had come up with a believable story before it was needed. 'I found it in the cellar, yesterday, and didn't have time to have Mom apply for the tax stamp'. That would do it. Mom could own it, but had to pay the tax for the privilege.

A couple of bad guys were hauled away from our home once more. I was getting a little teed off. I needed to find out who and why we were targeted. I thought I could use the watch to find out, but I needed to wait. I wanted to find out what Jackie wanted first, and I'd have to wait until I had a clear shot at going and coming back without discovery. I wanted to find out what brought Jackie out here in the meantime. Her bike lay on the ground by the mailbox. They must have grabbed her just as she hit the property line. I invited her in to hear her story.

I was just a bit nervous because Jackie is a goddess, as I explained before. I fumbled around a bit, but finally accessed a more secure portion of my brain and was able to find out what she would like to drink. Two Sprites later we were sitting on the deck chairs by the pool. I was relaxing a little and wasn't stuttering like a brain dead zombie. I relaxed even more as we talked. I got the full story from her. She'd have to go to the station with her dad to give an official statement, of course, since she couldn't do that as an unaccompanied minor. So we talked.

She commented about how nice the house and yard were and that the pool was great. I told her she could swim, sun, or whatever if she had only thought to bring her suit. She grinned and stood up. She started to strip and I was spellbound as the clothing was peeled from her body. I was hard as a rock by the time she got to the third button of her shirt. She slipped it off and her beige bikini came into view. She slipped her shorts off revealing a matching bottom. I just sat there staring.

"Oh, come on, Eugene," she said with a laugh, "You've seen this before. In fact, I know that you've seen even more than this. I know because I've been performing for you for the last three years. I know where you peek and I kept my shades open so you could watch me. It really turned me on, then you had to move and I thought I'd lost you, but I found out you moved over here and there's just one thing I want."

She quickly moved to my side. I was sitting on the deck chair and she quickly sat on my lap. She threw her arms around my neck and planted her soft pliant lips on mine. I was in heaven. I felt her tongue touch my lips and I opened up for her. We kissed for the next eternity. I couldn't tell you how long, but it was bliss. I held her and she was moving her body, rubbing it against me. I thought she was purring like a kitten for a little while there. She was turned on as much as I was.

The kiss ended and I felt empty. She noticed the look and took my hand. "There's plenty of time for that ... and more, if you want."

My heart skipped a beat or three. I couldn't believe what she was telling me. Jackie is one of the prettiest, well built girls in school, after all, and any of my classmates would fight tooth and nails to have a chance at her, yet here she was, literally giving herself to me.

"Don't fret," she said, "I won't bite, unless you want me to; but you can if you want because I like it. There is something we need to talk about first, though, so let's sit at that table and have a little talk."

I had no idea what she wanted to talk to me about, but I was ready and willing to submit to her demands if it meant more of what she was giving. I got us both another Sprite and brought it out to the table. I also snagged a bag of chips, Sayfert's, of course, and plopped down on my chair. I grabbed a handful and slid the bag over. Jackie helped herself and then looked directly into my eyes.

"How did you do it?" she directly asked.

I shook my head, not knowing what she was referring to. A slight frown crossed her face.

"What?" I asked.

"How did you do it?" she repeated. "I looked around for help after I screamed while I was struggling with those men. I saw you at the corner of the house. You dove into the bushes and came out on the porch with the machine gun about two seconds later, so you have to tell me how you did it."

I had to think quickly. "Oh, you must be mistaken on your timing. You were busy fighting the two and lost track of time. I ran back around the house and went in the back door. We keep the gun in the back closet and it was easy for me to get to. I was running, though, and it didn't take that long."

"Come on, don't bullshit me, Eugene. I know how long it took you from the time I first saw you until you were shooting that gun. Two seconds, if it was that long. Now tell me HOW YOU DID IT!"

I was in a quandary. I knew she wouldn't accept anything but the truth, but would she believe it? I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"You're not going to believe it, anyway, so I might as well tell you. I don't want to lose you, so this is the truth. I think you know that I don't lie, so you'll give me a chance if you're ready?"

She nodded and took a sip of soda and delicately took a bite of a chip. She sat back in her chair and stretched her legs out into the sun. I could see that she'd worked on her tan a lot as the golden brown skin almost matched the bikini's color. I'd bet it looked like she was bare from a distance, but I digress, so onward.

"I slipped back in time five minutes, changed clothes, picked up some money, and traveled back to 1928 Chicago. I bought the Tommy gun at Saul's Pawn on Archer Avenue. It's next to where J.C. Warshawski and Company has their warehouse/retail outlet. Warshawski now has a mail order business under the name, J.C. Whitney & Company."

"I explained what I needed to Saul, and he sold me the Thompson, complete with a loaded drum. It's the compensated model, too. It doesn't kick as much, but my shoulder is a little sore anyway. I timed it back and exited the house when I did. There, that's the truth."

Jackie sat there for a few minutes. She sipped on the Sprite and absently gnawed on the chips, one at a time. She was watching me all the while. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Jackie's not stupid, she has one of the highest grade point averages in our class. I think she's headed for valedictorian. She turned back at last, staring right into my eyes again.

"Take me someplace," was all she said.

"Are you sure?" I had to ask, "It might be dangerous. We could change history, or get hurt or killed. There is a lot of danger involved in this."

"No, it'll be alright."

"Okay, then where and when?" I asked. It's her trip, so I let her choose. She would have to believe me if she decided the when and where.

"Monday, August 18, 1969, 10 AM. White Lake, Bethel, New York. Max Yasgur's farm," she told me, with a determined look. I knew our clothes would be suitable so I had her stand. I told her to hold on, and she attached herself to me. Her bikini clad body molded against me like a wet t-shirt. I set the watch and we were there. The stage was up the hill, and we started walking up. No one seemed to notice as we just popped into view. The place was muddy from the rain, and we slipped and slid as we trudged. We came up over a rise and saw a huge puddle. There were people there getting muddy, and Jackie grabbed my hand and plunged into it.

We were instantly covered with mud. We wrestled a bit and her top slipped at one point. I still didn't get a good look because her treasures were covered with mud. I did notice that there were two pea-sized pebbles standing straight out from the top of the cones. She let me look for a bit, and then covered up again. She took my hand and we continued on. We finally got to within a hundred yards of the stage. There were people all around, but they were friendly enough. More than one offered us a toke as we passed, but we turned them all down.

I suddenly heard the strains of a song I recognized. A black guitarist, wearing a blue-beaded white leather jacket with fringe, and a red headband, was on stage. It could only be Jimi Hendrix. He was playing the Star Spangled Banner, the National Anthem. I'd heard it on the radio before, but it was indescribable here live. We hugged each other and she kissed me again. The hot muggy scene got hotter as she poured herself against me. She broke the kiss and whispered in my ear.

"I believe you. I've always wondered what it was like here, and now I know. Let's go back. I need to get this mud off. It's ALL over me, if you know what I mean. It's starting to itch in places it shouldn't. Can we please go?"

It was at that moment when I realized that the watch was in my pocket when we hit the mud hole. I unzipped the pocket of my cargo shorts and reached in. The pocket strangely was dry. I don't know why. I touched the watch and there wasn't a speck of mud on it. I kept the watch in my pocket and I pushed the return sequence as Jackie pushed her body up tight to mine. We were instantly standing on the pool deck again. We were covered with mud and all, but we were back. We both looked a sight and I suggested we use the hose before showering to keep the mud out. She agreed and took the first shot. She got the majority of visible mud off then handed the hose to me. I'd set the watch on the table and I rinsed the mud from my body and clothes.

The water was turning colder, so I stopped and joined Jackie. She had taken care of her mud problem while I was using the hose. She handed me the soap and said, "Do me."

I washed her back and she indicated I should do the back of her legs as well. I avoided her buttocks, but she reminded me as I stood up again. I told her to bend and I then washed her hair. I had her stand up again and I grabbed the shampoo and lathered up her tresses. I used my fingers to massage her scalp and she almost purred. She did close her eyes and I could tell by her expression that she definitely enjoyed the attention. She turned toward me after I rinsed her hair and said I hadn't washed her front yet.

I could feel the heat as the blood rushed to my face. I began stammering. She only laughed a little, and then told me it was okay, that she'd do it herself. She quickly washed the visible part. I guessed she had already taken care of the hidden parts. She shut off the water and took my hand once she finished. She led me over to the shallow end of the pool and jumped down into the warm water, pulling me along with her. She floated in the pool while hanging on to me. Her hair splayed out like those ads you see on TV. She was even more beautiful now.

Mom appeared at the door just then. "Oh, I didn't realize you had company. Hello, Jackie. It's nice to see you again. How are you getting along with us having moved out here?"

"I miss you all. That's why I came over today," she replied.

"She doesn't know," I whispered to her.

She pinched my butt in reply, but she was smiling at me while she did it.

"One thing, though," she said.

Mom came over and Jackie related the story of the attack, leaving out the part about the Thompson, wanting me to explain that.

I explained the gun to Mom and she accepted the explanation about it being in the basement. I suggested to Mom that she should go into Tactical Arms to purchase the tax stamp for the Tommy gun and make it legal. Tactical had the Class III license to sell and they could collect the tax. I told Mom the gun had probably been around since before registrations began, so she'd have to take it in to get it registered at the same time. We arranged to do that tomorrow afternoon.

We talked a little about Mom's setting up her own Realty office and Jackie seemed genuinely interested. That was nice. I surreptitiously retrieved the watch during our talk. I slipped it in my duffel bag. Mom left us to start dinner. She later called out, asking if Jackie was going to stay for dinner. It was at that point that Jackie confessed that her parents had gone away for the weekend and she was alone for the next five days. Jackie asked if she could stay. She said she really would like it if she could. I couldn't refuse her, of course. I had a feeling she had something else on her mind that she wanted to discuss. The job would be to get Mom to agree.

We swam and sunbathed. Jackie asked me, no demanded, that I put lotion on her back. I skipped her buttocks again, but she reminded me. I was in heaven; my hands were rubbing on her nicely rounded butt. She reached around and unclipped the hook on her bra. The strap snapped away as the tension on the material was relieved. I eagerly applied more tanning lotion to her back. She reminded me to not forget the sides and I felt her teenaged breasts, or at least the sides of those breasts, as I applied the lotion. I felt her body lift when I stroked the sides, as if she was telling me she wanted me to feel the rest of her.

When I was finished, I was just a tad uncomfortably erect. I quickly moved over to the other deck chair and flipped on my front, waiting for the problem to relieve itself. I closed my eyes and the heat of the sun and the excitement of the day caused me to drift off. I woke to soft hands gently stroking my back as someone was putting lotion on me. I hummed approval as the hands traveled up and down my body. I then felt those two objects of my desire drag across my back as two hands started down my opposite arm. I tensed up. I didn't feel any fabric; I felt hard points and soft flesh.

What if Mom saw? I'd be in so much trouble. The distraction dragged back across my back.

"Ooopsy" Jackie exclaimed, "Sorry about that. I guess I wasn't paying attention too closely. It won't happen again."

I turned over in time to see Jackie fastening her top again. Mom was over at the table grinning like Alice's Cheshire cat. I guess there had been some sort of camaraderie between the two that I didn't know about. Maybe Mom was playing matchmaker. I'm totally for it, whatever it is. Mom made meat loaf, since it turned out to be Jackie's favorite also. Mom got on the phone when she found out that Jackie would be alone and called her parents. They gave the okay for Jackie to stay over until they came home. I don't know about the rest of the world, but I was in seventh heaven at the prospect.

Mom, Jackie, and I got in the Mustang after dinner and headed back to our old homestead. We pulled into Jackie's drive and the three of us got out. I glanced over at the old house and saw the new owner standing at the window, watching. It gave me the willies based on what Jackie had told me before. It was fortunate that Mom came along. He closed the curtains when he saw her. Jackie commented on how creepy the guy was again. Jackie packed up a suitcase while I checked the house. All the windows and doors were locked tight. I turned a small light on over the stove. I also turned the stairway light on. It took care of both the lower and upper levels.