Message-ID: <6cd3114c.358ac531@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 16:08:15 EDT
From: Maryilee@aol.com
Subject: "And Then There Were Two" Part 5

Chapter 5


Sam shook his head in disbelief as he double-checked the dates and
stories yet again.  He was sure of it.  The paper that he had bought at
the new stand today, was the same paper that Gary had been carrying
around yesterday.  There was even the same picture of on the front
page.  His mind might swiss-cheese between leaps, but during a leap,
his photographic memory worked just fine.

He had been half-reading his paper, half tuned to Gary, when it had
dawned on him that he had seen some of these stories before.  While he
hadn't read Gary's paper cover to cover yesterday; Gary had seemed
strangely reluctant to share it with him, he had gotten enough glimpses
of it during the day to be sure. While Gary had searched through the
paper, holding it up in front of him, Sam had idly read the front
page.  It had been a story about President Clinton.  The exact same
story was on Sam's front page today.

Still unsure and wanting confirmation, Sam asked, "Gary, what's today's
date?"

"What's the matter with you, Chuck?"  Gary asked, giving Sam a dubious
look.  "The date is November, 7th."

Sam shook his head, "But, I thought yesterday was the seventh?  That's
what it said on your paper."

"Are you feelin' alright?" Gary asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Frustrated at not getting a straight answer, Sam sighed, "Gary, it's
very important that I know what the correct date is."  He pointed to
the two newspapers spread out before him, "Now, which of these paper's
is today's?"

"What do you think? Your paper is today's." Gary replied, observing Sam
with a wary look on his face; as though talking to someone a few cards
short of a deck.

Now totally confused, Sam started pacing.  What was going on here?  He
felt like he was in the Twilight Zone.  He paused in his pacing, and
rubbed his hands against his eyes.  He needed Al here.  Gesturing to
Gary's paper, Sam demanded, "How come your paper has tomorrow's date?"

Gary narrowed his eyes.  "Chuck, my paper always has tomorrow's date."

Sam could detect an underlying current of fear in Gary's voice, but he
had to push on and get to the bottom of this.  He started pacing again,
unsure how to proceed.

The kitchen door swung open, admitting Marissa and Spike.  Neither Gary
nor Sam acknowledged her.  They were too preoccupied.  Gary was
standing; his posture conveying his tenseness, Sam noted, as though he
thought Sam might go crazy at any moment. Sam continued his pacing,
thinking.

"Gary?  Chuck?"  Marissa said questioningly.  "Is that you, Gary?"

"Yeah, Marissa, it's me." Gary answered, his gaze never leaving Sam.

"Who is with you?"  Marissa asked apprehensively.

Sam started to answer, but Gary beat him to it.

"Don't worry, Marissa, it's just me and Chuck."

Marissa turned her head to the sound of Sam's pacing, her expression
puzzled.  "Chuck?  Did you get new shoes or something?  Your footsteps
sound different."

Sam's head shot up, as he paused in his pacing. He glanced at his feet,
he had no idea if these were new shoes or not.  "Um, yes, I did,
Marissa."

Gary's gaze dropped to Sam's feet, surprise in his eyes as he saw Sam's
shoes.

Sam swallowed, apparently these weren't new shoes, and Gary knew it.

"Sam!  We have to talk!"

Sam visibly jumped as Al appeared out of nowhere.  He had been so
preoccupied; he hadn't heard the Imaging Chamber door open.

Spike backpedaled suddenly, whining, causing Marissa to stumble.  Gary
rushed over and caught her elbow, steadying her.

"Spike, what's gotten in to you?"  Marissa said in confusion, as Spike
continued his whining and started growling at the hologram.

Al turned to Spike, and attempted to quiet him by talking softly.  Sam
watched, helpless.  Between Marissa and Al, Spike finally settled down,
though his attempt at sniffing Al's hand was almost comical, as his wet
nose went right through Al's hand.

"Sam, we have to find a place to talk.  I did a background check on
Gary, and turned up some interesting data."

Sam glanced at Al, unable to answer him in front of Marissa and Gary.
He nodded towards the bar area, and picked up his paper.  "I...I'm just
going to out there, and...um...just check on the stock behind the
bar."  Sam said weakly.

Gary nodded almost imperceptibly, a mixture of concern, fear and
confusion on his face.

Sam pushed through the doors, relieved to find the bar area deserted at
this time of day.  He collapsed onto a barstool, his head in his
hands.

Al looked at him in concern, "What's wrong, Sam?  The tension in there
was so thick," Al made a chopping motion with his hand, "you could
almost cut it with a knife."

Sam sighed, "I'm not sure I understand it myself, Al.  Remember the
confusion with the dates?"

Al nodded, puffing on a cigar, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Sam turned to face Al.  "I don't know how else to explain it, but Gary
has tomorrow's paper in there."

Al cocked his head to the side, not quite following what Sam was
saying.  "Huh?"


Sam quickly shook his head side to side, "Oh no, Al, don't you start
giving me those looks too!"  Gesturing towards the kitchen, Sam
continued defensively, "Gary's in there looking at me as though I've
just sprouted horns, but do you know why, Al?"  Not waiting for Al to
answer, Sam rose from the barstool and began his agitated pacing
again.  "It's not because I discovered that he has tomorrow's paper,
it's because apparently Chuck already knows about the paper."

Al studied Sam skeptically, "How can he have tomorrow's paper, Sam?"

"I...don't...know!" Sam ground out.  "Ask Ziggy, maybe she knows. I
mean, it makes about as much sense as me bouncing around in time,
doesn't it?"  Sam challenged. " All I know is what I saw.  The paper I
bought today, is the same one that Gary had yesterday.  Yesterday, Al!
How the hell could he have had today's paper yesterday, when most of
the events in it didn't even happen till later in the day?"

"Hmmm, that could explain a few things, though."  Al said
thoughtfully.

Sam stopped his pacing suddenly; his gaze riveted on Al.  "What do you
mean?"

"Well, after we finally got Ziggy back on line, I did a more thorough
background check on Gary Hobson.  It seems he has been brought in by
the police for questioning a time or two for mysteriously being in the
wrong place at the wrong time."

"And?" Sam prodded.

"In most of the cases, it involved Gary predicting some event that then
took place.  Unfortunately, his predictions also made him the primary
suspect in a few of the cases.  However, nothing was ever proven, and
no charges were ever filed. Which, by the way, is why nothing showed up
on the preliminary check we did."

Sam turned and faced the closed door leading to the kitchen, lost in
thought.  Crazy as it seemed, if Gary did get the paper a day early,
maybe that would explain the events of last night.  All the running
around, saving people in the nick of time; Gary knew what the outcomes
of those incidents would have been. Comprehension dawned.  Gary put
right what once went wrong. Sam sank into a chair at a nearby table,
his knees suddenly weak.