Alternative 3, p.34
Alternative 3, page 34
He stepped down out of the bus, and began walking to where Gina had pulled over just ahead. And as he approached the Hummer, he couldn’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, things weren’t going to be so bad after all.
EPILOGUE
Cut to a tropical paradise. Blue skies, blue seas and white sand. And Curtis’s bright red body stretched out on a recliner. The regulation shades and headphones are still present, but the sea air and sun, and especially Gina, has speeded his recovery. Most of the scratches and bruises have faded, but the shades still hide a bright red scar above his left eye. A permanent memento from Alternative 3.
The scars inside are going to take a little longer to heal. He knows that, but he’s in no hurry. He and Gina aren’t pushing things, just taking each day as it comes. Sometimes he wonders about the security guard facing the rest of his life with one eye. But as each day passes, the burning desire to somehow get his message out to the world grows. He knows that while he remains discreet, Alternative 3 are going to leave him alone. He is a non-person. He doesn’t exist. It’ll just end up being his word against theirs, with any evidence or proof forever erased. And despite what Roly and Turk have done to him, he doesn’t want revenge. Just to be left alone. He’s vowed never to contact them again. Maybe he will one day, but that day is a long, long way off.
In between dozing at the beach and spending time with Gina, he’s taken to going for long walks. Just himself, the birds, and Alternative 3. He can’t let it rest. After a particularly long walk, he’d come back with an idea. He’ll write a book. Gina encourages him. Maybe she doesn’t think he’s serious. Maybe she thinks it will help him deal with stuff. So for two days now, he’s sat on the recliner with a new laptop on his knee, bought specifically for the purpose, while Gina reads thrillers and sunbakes. Her skin is quick to tan, and she’s looking great. They’ve had a few talks about things, in their beachfront bungalow cottage, late at night. She actually laughed out loud when he told her that he thought she was a Fed. He’s started calling her Clarice, and making that lip-smacking Chianti and fava-bean sound. She keeps ordering him martinis, shaken not stirred, and calling herself his Bond girl. The stupidity helps. They have a lot to work through, and though neither of them are pushing things, they’re both keen to put it behind them.
He watches her as she walks up the beach towards him after a swim in the sea. She’s ringing her short hair out. Even now, his heart skips a beat when he watches her like this. The same way it did back in the train. Before Alternative 3.
‘Waitress!’ he says, as she sits down beside him, shaking his empty glass.
‘What did your last slave die of?’ she smiles, with no intention of getting back up off the recliner.
‘Service is shocking out here,’ he mumbles under his breath.
‘How’s the book going?’ she asks. She’s noticed there are some words on the previously blank screen.
‘OK, I think,’ he says, lifting the laptop over to her. ‘Have a read while I’m gone. Tell me what you think.’ Curtis threads his way past the pool to the bar, basically a little thatched shed with coconut leaves for a roof. Very ‘Temptation Island’. He waits for the barman to notice him, and pushes his glass forward.
‘Another lime and soda, please,’ he says. He turns back to the pool and soaks up the scene. He’s still pinching himself every day, afraid it will all disappear and he’ll find himself back in Vegas. Or worse. But time is everything. They haven’t made any plans. They’re living for the moment. He’s earned it, he figures.
As he turns back to pay for the drink, the barman signals that someone else has paid for it already. He looks over to the other side of the bar, where a man is sipping on an iced tea, his sunglasses and wide-brimmed straw hat obscuring his face. As he lifts his head, Curtis realises he knows the man. It’s Terry Hay. What the hell is he doing out here? And more importantly, how did he find them? With a sinking feeling he walks around to meet him.
‘Don’t tell me you’re here on vacation,’ says Curtis.
‘Nice place,’ says Terry. He looks over towards where Gina is sunbathing. ‘Nice view too.’
‘What do you want, Terry? You come to take me back?’ says Curtis. But much to his surprise, and considerable relief, Terry just shakes his head.
‘No, Curtis, this is a social call. I’ve resigned from the force.’
Curtis blinks. ‘You’ve resigned? Did it have something to do with me?’
‘It had a lot to do with you,’ says Terry emphatically.
‘I’m sorry.’ That’s about all Curtis can think of to say. He’d had no idea that Terry had put himself so far on the line for him.
‘Don’t be. I’m working for myself now. I just came to tell you that as long as you don’t return to the States, you’ll be left alone.’
Curtis snorts. ‘Be a long time before I’d even want to go back.’
‘There’s another condition though, Curtis,’ says Terry. Seriously.
Curtis’s eyes narrow behind his Randolphs. Wait for it.
‘Let’s just say it concerns issues of confidentiality,’ says Terry, sipping his drink. Curtis understands immediately. As long as he keeps his mouth shut about Alternative 3, he’s safe. Maybe that’s all that’s keeping him alive.
‘They’ll leave us alone?’ asks Curtis warily.
‘They’ll leave you alone, and so will I.’
‘What’s happened to Turk and Roly?’ Not that he cares. Just curious.
‘Oh, they’re fine,’ says Terry. ‘Just fine. They send their regards.’ Sure they do. Assholes. ‘What are your plans?’
Curtis shrugs. ‘Don’t have any yet.’ Of course they’ve been talking about places they want to visit, and things they want to do, but at the moment it’s all pie-in-the-sky stuff. Daydreaming.
‘You’d have a hell of a future in computers,’ says Terry. There’s a sparkle in his eye that Curtis doesn’t quite understand. ‘You’re something else, you know. I knew you had it in you. Pity no one will ever get to hear about it.’ Curtis watches him silently. What’s his game?
‘The money won’t last forever. Have you thought about that?’ he asks.
Curtis shakes his head. ‘Haven’t thought about much, to be honest.’ He’s getting better at lying now.
‘Of course, if you were ever inclined to go back to the computer-security game, you’d give me a call, wouldn’t you?’ It’s the way he says it, as much as what he’s said. But he’s said enough. Curtis blinks. The realisation dawns on him.
‘You’re Prometheus,’ he says. And suddenly it all makes sense. Roly and Turk. They could never have masterminded something like that. No way. And they wouldn’t have just used him like that. Terry looks away. That says plenty.
‘I’m someone who understands you,’ he says. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, Curtis. It’s not worth it.’
‘You’ll go down with them,’ says Curtis. ‘What you did was wrong, Terry.’ Curtis shakes his head in disbelief. Roly, Turk. They had all been supervised by Terry. He had fostered a gang of computer-security ‘consultants’ from the very hackers he was supposed to be turning around. All except him.
‘Forget it, Curtis. Forget me, forget the job, and forget Alternative 3. It doesn’t exist. It never did, and it never will. If you know what’s good for you, just walk away. You’ve got money and your life. Don’t push it.’
‘Are you threatening me, you asshole?’ says Curtis. Fucking nerve.
‘I’m watching out for you, you stupid son of a bitch,’ says Terry. ‘Someone with your ability will always be a threat. Don’t make them nervous, is all I’m saying. Use your head, be grateful for what you’ve got.’
‘You’re no better than them,’ says Curtis. ‘You’re a fucking psycho. Do you know what you put me through? Do you know what you made me do?’ He jabs his finger into Terry’s chest to punctuate his sentence. He should be grateful it isn’t a fist in his face. Or a finger in his eye.
‘Must be time I was heading off,’ he says vacantly. ‘You’re a smart kid, Curtis. Don’t do anything dumb.’ Terry gets up off the bar stool and holds his empty glass out for the barman. Curtis’s mind is still reeling. So much finally makes sense, but it’s hard to swallow. And hard to fathom.
‘You look after her,’ he adds, nodding over towards Gina. Curtis follows his eyes back towards Gina. She’s oblivious to their conversation. ‘She’s a good kid. You both are.’ He gives Curtis a wink, and then lowers his hat back down over his eyes, and heads towards the hotel complex. Curtis stands leaning against the bar for a few moments. He draws a deep breath and forces himself to relax, then takes his glass and heads back to Gina.
‘They got you squeezing the fruit now?’ she says, without looking up from her novel.
‘Huh?’
‘You were gone for ages,’ she says, lifting her sunglasses. ‘I was about to send out a search party.’
‘Oh . . . just catching up on things,’ he replies. ‘Still can’t believe it, really.’
‘I read your writing,’ says Gina. ‘I think you need to make it more interesting.’
‘Yeah? What do you mean?’ says Curtis, lifting the laptop back onto his lap.
‘Well, for starters, any book that starts with “My name is Curtis Hatch, and this is my story” would put me straight off. You have to make it more involving or you’re just going to end up sounding like another wacko conspiracy theorist.’
Curtis re-reads his intro. She’s right. He needs to make people live what he’s lived. Feel what he’s felt. Only then will they understand what has happened. And why.
‘Yeah,’ he says finally. ‘Maybe you’re right. Back to the drawing board.’ Gina goes back to her book, as Curtis deletes what he’d written. The cursor flashes at him, daring him to try again. He sits lost in thought. And as the sun slowly creeps across the cloudless sky and the waves lap at the shore, his mind goes back to where it all began. To the start. To the mpegs. His fingers begin to flick across the keyboard . . .
Berlin, April 1945
The Russian soldiers aren’t taking any risks. Their progress into the heart of Berlin’s central district is slow, deliberate and cautious . . .
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Alternative 3 is a new breed of thriller genre I call ‘fact-shun’. I’ve done what conspiracy theorists do best — taken some facts, and shunned the rest. Enough to make any true conspiracy theorist proud. None of the conspiracies in Alternative 3 were of my invention. All actually exist and most can be found on the net. All have elements of plausibility — the Nazi’s did invent a working flying disc. A UFO was spotted over LA during WWII. President Truman did order a huge military expedition to Antarctica in 1946/47. Cheat codes are available on the net. Hackers can do everything Curtis and Gina do.
Ken Mitchell, 2003
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To the fabulous team at HarperCollins — Tracey, Vanessa, Rod and Shona — thanks a bundle for your patience, guidance and support. And to Lorain –— it probably wouldn’t have been finished without you!
To Lisa — see what I was up to all those nights in the study? And I bet you thought I was just surfing! Thanks for your wonderful loving support, cups of tea, honest criticism and incredible patience in putting up with the mad ravings of an overactive imagination.
To Joanne and Paul — every writer needs a personal fan club while they’re writing, and you’re the Pres and Vice-Pres of mine! Thanks for your help, support and encouragement.
To Mark — damn fine matchmaker and bloody good mate. Your positivity is truly contagious. Thanks for everything.
To Steve — this is to make up for all those nights when all you wanted was a few quiets, and all I did was talk UFOs and conspiracy theories. Next one’s on me.
CREDITS
Cover design by Antart
Internal design by HarperCollins Design Studio
PERFECTBOUND SPECIAL FEATURE
Website links to the conspiracy theories in Alternative 3
Hitler’s survival
www.think-aboutit.com/Omega/files/omega18.htm
Nazis and Antarctica
www.think-aboutit.com/Underground/german_grasping_at_the_antarctic1.htm
www.think-aboutit.com/Omega/files/omega2.htm
www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/3351/campaigns/antact.html
Nazi UFOs/flying discs
www.magonia.demon.co.uk/abwatch/naziufo/naziufo5.html
http://ufoarea.bravepages.com/nazi_ufo.html
www.naziufos.com/
http://members.tripod.com/uforeview/nazi2.html
www.karenlyster.com/german.html
www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/z/zundel-ernst/flying-saucers/whats-new.html
www.beyondweird.com/ufos/Bruce_Walton_The_Underground_Nazi_Invasion_20.html
www.geocities.com/secretzonegr/naziufo.htm
http://members.tripod.com/uforeview/naziufo.html
www.qtm.net/~geibdan/newse/may/nazi.html
U-Boat 977
http://english.pravda.ru/main/2003/02/27/43768_.html
www.sacred-texts.com/ufo/nazi2.htm
www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/togo/dic/data/1945.html
Area 51
www.think-aboutit.com/area51.htm
www.think-aboutit.com/AREA51/area_51.htm
Astronauts and UFO sightings
www.think-aboutit.com/ufo/apollo_12_sightings.htm
www.think-aboutit.com/ufo/us_astronauts_see_ufos.htm
http://ufoarea.bravepages.com/main_nasa.html
US expedition to Antarctica
www.rense.com/general35/op.htm
www.south-pole.com/p0000150.htm
www.south-pole.com/northwind.htm
www.violations.dabsol.co.uk/enigma/enigmapart1.htm
www.thule.org/highjump.html
www.think-aboutit.com/Omega/files/omega17.htm
www.think-aboutit.com/aliens/operation_highjump.htm
www.alienobserver.com/files/text/omega17.htm
Foo fighters
www.qtm.net/~geibdan/newse/foo/
www.qtm.net/~geibdan/newse/foo/foo2.html
www.crystalinks.com/foo.html
http://ufoarea.bravepages.com/events_foofighters.html
www.project1947.com/articles/arwwr.htm
UFOs over Los Angeles, 1942
www.rense.com/general38/top.htm
www.nicap.dabsol.co.uk/losangrense.htm
www.nicap.dabsol.co.uk/losang2.htm
Sinking of the Lusitania
www.ralphmag.org/BT/lusitania.html
www.mrmontano.com/mcn/WWI/the_sinking_of_the_luisita.htm
Pearl Harbour
http://members.willinet.net/mewilley/
www.geocities.com/individualistanarchist/html/pearlharbor.html
Princess Diana
www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/talk/news/diana_conspiracy_theories.html
www.netowne.com/conspiracy/diana/diana1.htm
www.greatdreams.com/princess.htm
Alternative 3
www.forteantimes.com/articles/121_a3.shtml
www.thule.org/alt3.html
http://ufos.about.com/library/weekly/aa050399.htm
www.anomalous-images.com/text/ALT3-1.TXT
www.zetatalk.com/govmt/g13.htm
www.debunker.com/texts/alternative3.html
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.
ALTERNATIVE 3 Copyright © 2003 by Ken Mitchell All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
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Microsoft Reader 09/2003 ISBN 0-7322-7856-2
Print edition first published in 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
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Ken Mitchell, Alternative 3
