1927: Redemption

Trouble

“Heat is required to forge anything, every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart.”

2021-DECEMBER-FLORIDA

Being troubled might be normal in a troubling environment. It was good to remain real and engaged in what was around you. So many who said that they were alright were in denial, masking their emotions to themselves and others.

But, did Adeline think like that? Maybe not, as she always kept one agenda in her mind, “I gotta stay with me. I gotta stay connected to my soul especially when it hurts. Because that's when I learn the most, that's when my empathy grows and creative solutions come.”

And, after looking at the harmless, clueless, or maybe thoughtless news clipping, she understood that she did not understand the gravity of the dangerous situation that she was thrown into five years back.

To trust yourself when all doubt. To lead from a danger only you could see clearly. To explain, enable the blind to see. To give people the power to hear the extraordinary in the ordinary, the everyday and normal encryption of the spoken word. To show them the messages and conversations that happened all around us to different levels of the brain, but could she?

Did Adeline trust anyone enough to show the documents that were left behind by her father and grandfather?

The documents that led to the opening of portals that might be hidden in the earth’s magnetic field and there might be a few places that could be time gates to the unknown.

That was quite the challenge. That was quite the challenge for Adeline, when until she could prove it to the world and that was what Jack tried to do, he wanted them to know that he made the impossible possible, and he died mysteriously. Again, her grandfather carried forward Jack’s work and ended up dead, mysteriously, well not to Adeline.

And, now, history repeating itself, Adeline was asked to stop her father from doing exactly what she would do, going back in time.

Was she mad?

Wasn’t she threatening her life with the consequences that could come to the insane? To speak and risk the twisting of the knaves of sophistry. That was what they asked.

The last time, Adeline encountered the challenge she almost died. She almost lost everything for nothing. So, tell her again why to tell her why this was the time because even if it was now or never she wouldn’t unless she could win. She knew more than most what these adventures into the world of the saviours' cost... and the cost was never to herself alone.

It was her family.

And you know what? She does trust herself. She does. It was every other bastard out there she didn’t trust. This was a world of monsters. So many monsters, disguised as humans.

Coming out of her ocean of thoughts, she looked at Ace, sitting on one of the chairs with a bottle of beer in his hand, and enjoying the view from inside.

Adeline slammed the news clipping and photo on the table in front of him with a loud bang! Yelling, “Ace! I don’t know what your actual name is, but I could use some help here!”

Sure, Adeline was acting juvenile, but she didn’t really care as she was in a very, very bad mood and she doubted anything would be able to bring her down anytime soon.

It was a good thing that Talia left, and she was alone with Ace because she highly doubted that Talia would be okay with the unwanted guest and her more or less going on a freaking rampage.

And, did her yelling bother Ace?

No! Not at all, he continues sipping over his beer, still looking at something.

“HELLO!” Adeline shouted. “CAN YOU HEAR ME, ACE?”

“Actually, I can hear you quite fine, thank you. I’d appreciate it if you stopped shouting and we don’t want your employer to barge in here, now do we?” Ace said, pulling out a cigarette between his fingers as he lit up.

“Oh, no,” Adeline said loudly when she managed to speak again, shaking a finger in his direction. “You are not smoking here.”

“Look, Adeline Martinez,” Ace sighed, blowing out a puff of smoke. “I told you to lay low and find out the answers for yourself, but I don’t think you have come a far way in figuring out the plan, and as I said I’ll help you find those three things, but clearly you don’t know how less of time you have left with, and you’re kicking me out? Why I don’t understand.”

Adeline seriously considered walking over to grab his cigarette and snub it where the sun doesn’t shine or in the sink, but Ace was right, he did ask her to lay low, whereas she issued a comment which became a headline and finally painted a target on her back. And he was here to help her.

“All right,” Adeline sighed heavily. “I need your help.”

“I figured that much out, Adeline Martinez,” he said with a snort, taking a drag in his cigarette. “Now, what do you need help with?”

She went hands on hips and gave him a steely glare. “You’re really going to ask that question?”

Ace shrugged, exhaling a bit of smoke. “I can’t read minds, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Taking several deep, calming breaths before Adeline forced herself to speak, it sounded like she was about to burst into tears.

“Fine,” exhaling, she continued, “I need you to answer some of my questions,” looking at Ace's features which totally said, go ahead, she continued, “Why does WIC want me?”

“Just because for the reason I want you, the difference is they want to rule over the world and I want you to stop it.”

And, that did not make any sense to Adeline as she asked, “That does make any sense Ace, and why do you keep talking in riddles?”

“Look for yourself, Adeline Martinez, we’re talking about a serious issue here in the open space, can you risk this information to reach everyone’s ears?” He asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

“Of course not, but aren’t we giving enough clues?”

“Believe me, I know the timings and you have ten minutes left, next question.”

Adeline knew she couldn’t clarify everything in ten minutes, and at last, she asked what she meant at the first time, “How do you expect me to do what my father wanted but ended up dead? He’s not exactly the role model around and I’m pretty sure he was crazy.”

Ace stared at her with his depthless black eyes while he took a drag on his cigarette. “Oh, believe me, Adeline Martinez. Jack Martinez was not crazy.”

“How do you know?” Adeline demanded, fighting back tears. “You didn’t even know him and you just said yourself you can’t read minds.”

He smirked, fiddling with the smoking cigarette between his fingers. “This isn’t about me meeting Jack Martinez. This is about how much you know your father.”

“But-”

“No buts.” Ace cut her off. “You either take my advice or you don’t.”

“That wasn’t advice!” Adeline exclaimed. “That was just downright bullshit!”

“If you’re just going to insult me, then there isn’t any reason for me to stay, is there?”

Ace slid off the chair and stood straight, making to walk towards the door on the other side of the coffee house.

“Fine! Fine!” Adeline yelped. “I’m sorry. It’s just that this isn’t exactly the easiest thing you have asked me to do.”

Ace turned back to stare at her with this look on his face that she couldn’t describe, the only thing she could think of was that cliche term, seeing straight into your soul or something like that.

Wow! Adeline!

“I know, Adeline Martinez,” he finally said.

He yanked open the door and chucked his cigarette out before taking a couple of steps towards her to put his I am on her shoulders, she couldn’t help but shudder at the contact because his hands were like freaking ice cubes.

“I wouldn’t have asked you to do this if I thought you wouldn’t be able to do it.” Ace said, a very serious look on his usually pale face. “The fact that you’re not finding a way is because you haven’t looked hard. And I did say, Adeline Martinez, all the answers are available here in Florida.”

Her hands flew to her face and sure enough, traitor tears were streaming down her cheeks. “I’m scared,” Adeline blurted out before she could stop herself. “How am I supposed to be able to do this when danger is lurking around my life?”

Ace sighed heavily, his weird smoky peppermint scent making her a bit lightheaded.

“I can’t help you there, Adeline Martinez,” he said as he dropped his hands from her shoulders. “I’m already putting some important people in danger just for this to happen, and to answer your previous question, I did keep an eye on you and knowing that you were kept safe, I didn’t have to meet you. But, the time has finally come.”

Nodding, Adeline knew what he was talking about, the span of five years was finally over and the time of opening of portals was close as mentioned by James Martinez in his report.

She started, “But-”

Adeline couldn’t even get her words out because Ace just cut her off again with a stern look.

“You are not a stupid girl, Adeline Martinez. Think. Really think, use that brain of yours.

“But I can’t understand-”

“Yes, you can.”

They embarked on a fierce stare down. Well, Adeline did. Ace just sort of stared back with his unnerving black eyes. And after about ten seconds of that, she had to look away. Bet no one would be able to look into his eyes for long.

“Did you plan on showing your face close to grandpa’s death date every time?” Adeline asked him wearily, taking a deep breath.

Ace laughed as a throw-back-your-head-and-laugh-hysterically laughed.

“I suppose you could think of a shoulder to rely on in tough times, Adeline Martinez,” he said.

Looking up at him, “Where was this shoulder in these five years?”

“The shoulder knew you didn’t need anyone, you had your own saviour.” Ace said as he turned back towards the exit.

Only if that saviour ever showed his face…

Adeline somehow managed to cut off her frantic thoughts and all but screamed at Ace. “How did you know? What kind of sick, twisted job do you do?”

Ace did not say anything, rather, he just smirked, and then left the place, leaving behind a scent of peppermint and smoke.

She just stood there and stared at the spot where only seconds before Ace had been standing. She wasn’t sure if Ace's visit had been more trouble than help.

Blowing out a sigh, Adeline turned backwards and gathered her belongings as it was the time she also left and went back to her apartment. Switching off the lights, Adeline locked the coffee house and kicked the road.

So, in all, she had only learned that apparently, Ace knew about the stranger, he knew that she hadn’t connected all the dots and that still she would be able to complete the task. Oh, and if she failed? She was going to die.

What the hell could possibly happen next?

Judging by everything that had been going on in her life lately, she had a sinking feeling that a couple of even more horrific events were in store for her.

While on her way, she felt like was being watched and she had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, knowing that she just met Ace, there might be a possibility of danger tonight.

Suddenly the …..