Prevention

[noazmale]

CHARMED
“Prevention”
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
Emails:
[e-mail] [e-mail]
Rating: K+

Disclaimer: “Charmed” and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

In order to prevent demons from being exposed to the mortal world, Cole must go after an impossible target.

* * *

ONE

Cole sat in his hotel room going over the information he had gathered on his latest target. He didn’t see anything of significance about this particular witch. By all accounts she was a peace lover and not of any great threat to the Underworld. But the Source had given him the assignment of killing her. The why wasn’t important.

He looked up at the television he had on for background noise. The news was just coming on and the lead story was about a visit by President Kennedy to Dallas, Texas the next day. He was on a political trip to smooth over frictions in the Democratic Party between liberals and conservatives.

Cole gave very little consideration to human politics. Unless he needed them to accomplish one of his assignments they held very little interest for him. And it wasn’t all that different from many of the other trips Kennedy had undertaken. National elections were coming up and there was always some news item about some politician trying to get elected or reelected. For the most part, Cole found them very boring. Besides, Dallas was a long way from San Francisco.

His more pressing problem at the moment was how to get close to the witch. He had considered a direct approach. Simply shimmer in while she was sleeping some night and strike before she knew he was there.

But there were complications. The witch was married and had a very young daughter. This meant the witch would rarely be alone. He had no problem taking out the husband. Collateral damage often occurred when killing a witch. But he was uneasy about killing a child. Even a child that might one day grow up to be a witch. Killing a witch was one thing. But killing a defenseless child was never part of the deal.

Suddenly he looked around the room. He had heard something. He couldn’t quite tell what it was. Like some distant echo barely at the range of his hearing. He got off the bed and walked over to the window. Looking out into the street he found nothing unusual.

The sun had set hours ago and the night denizens of the city were about whatever concerns brought them out in a night such as this. While it was late November, this part of California was still quite warm. One of the benefits of living on the west coast.

Suddenly he spun around. There was that sound again. He couldn’t identify it and he couldn’t quite place it. Like a name that was right on the tip on your tongue, it eluded him. He was sure he hadn’t imagined it. And he was sure it was nearby despite the fact that it sounded farther away.

Suddenly he began to get a strange feeling. A feeling as if he was moving. Not unlike the feeling one gets when riding an elevator. But that was ridiculous. He wasn’t in an elevator. As he looked around he couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Nothing but the strange sound and a vague feeling.

The feeling began to grow stronger and Cole’s vision began to blur. He shook his head to clear the sensation but to no avail. He put his hand on the window sill to steady himself. The feeling wasn’t uncomfortable. But it was unsettling. As he began to move back to the bed to sit down his head began to swim and his vision became less and less distinct.

Suddenly, without warning, everything went blank. Nothing but pitch blackness greeted him wherever he looked. And the feeling of moving intensified. As if he had suddenly stumbled over some great precipice and was falling. Within moments Cole lost consciousness.

* * *

Cole opened his eyes and found himself lying on a stone slab. He sat up and looked around. He was in some kind of a stone chamber. From all accounts it appeared to be one of the myriad chambers found in the Underworld. He was somewhat lightheaded but found the sensation beginning to pass.

Somehow he had been brought to this place. But he couldn’t think of why anyone would resort to magic to transport him there. If they had wanted to speak with him all they had to do was contact him. He could have shimmered to them. But someone had used a spell to bring him here. For what reason he could only guess at.

“Ah, you’re awake. Good. I trust your little trip wasn’t too unpleasant.”

Cole looked over and saw someone standing at the entrance to the chamber. It was a demon dressed in the familiar gray robes of the Underworld. The demon was tall and lanky and appeared to be about 60, although Cole knew this to be misleading. This demon was one of the oldest in the Underworld.

“Tempus?” questioned Cole, looking at the senior demon. “You brought me here? Why didn’t you just send for me?”

“That will take some explaining,” said Tempus. “First, you must recover from your . . . . transport. It can be somewhat unsettling especially the first time.”

“I’m fine,” said Cole, getting up and walking over to Tempus. “Why have you brought me here? I’m on a mission for the Source. He’s not going to be happy that you’ve interrupted that.”

“That is the least of my concerns for the moment.”

Cole found this an odd remark. Tempus was one of the Source’s most trusted subordinates. And no demon would risk the Source’s wrath by interrupting one of his plans. Not without very good reason.

“This must be very important if you’re willing to risk the Source’s wrath,” said Cole.

“More than you can know, Belthazor,” replied Tempus. “I have an assignment for you that must take precedence over even the assignment given you by the Source. Once I’ve explained, I’m sure you’ll agree.”

“What assignment could you possibly have that is more important than one given me by the Source himself? Your main power is time manipulation. I specialize in witches. I don’t see how the two would have any connection. Unless, of course, you want me to go back in time and deal with a witch.”

Tempus just smiled. “I’m afraid that, even if that were the case, it would do no good. The past cannot be altered. Not even I can accomplish that feat. But this does not have to do with a witch. Rather, it has to do with another demon.”

“So you want to hire me to kill another demon,” said Cole. “Well, it’s not the first time. And once I’ve completed my assignment for the Source I’ll be more than happy to consider your offer. But the Source has a witch he wants dealt with. And there is something of a time constraint. He wants her dealt with quickly. So I’m afraid I really don’t have the time to listen to you right now.”

“You have all the time in the world,” said Tempus. “Once I’m finished explaining what I need of you I will return you to precisely the moment when I first brought you here. So as you can see, you do have the time to listen to me.”

Cole thought for a moment. Of all the magical beings, only Tempus had the power to manipulate time. And he had done so for hundreds of years. If he claimed he could return Cole to the moment when he first brought him to the Underworld, he could do precisely that. Finally Cole decided to listen to him. After all, once Tempus was finished Cole could return to his assignment without even a second being lost.

“Very well,” said Cole. “But with the understanding that whatever it is you want done will have to wait until I finish with the witch. I do have a reputation to consider. I’ve never failed to complete an assignment. And by all accounts this one shouldn’t be all that difficult.”

“You will change your mind,” said Tempus matter-of-factly. “As I said, this is more important than any single witch.”

“We’ll see,” said Cole, not understanding how anything could be more important than a mission personally given him by the Source. “Why don’t you tell me what you have to tell me and I can make a decision then?”

“Very well,” said Tempus. “But it would be best if I show you. What is the human expression? A picture is worth a thousand words. I need you to come with me somewhere.”

“Lead on.”

“You can follow my shimmer. Once we get to our destination we must remain covert. What you see may surprise you. And there will be more than a few explanations needed. But as I said, it will become self-evident quite soon.”

Tempus shimmered and vanished from the chamber. Cole also shimmered and followed Tempus to this mysterious destination.

* * *

Cole and Tempus stood in the doorway to a building. Cole had no idea where they were. The sun was high overhead and it appeared they were on the outskirts of some large city. Cars and people traveled the streets obviously on whatever task they were about. By all accounts it looked like any scene from any city anywhere in the United States.

“Okay,” said Cole, looking about the street. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“Look closer,” said Tempus. “You have a reputation for attention to detail. Don’t look at simply the big picture. Look at the details in the picture.”

Cole looked around again. At first he didn’t notice anything unusual. People were walking the streets, going in and out of businesses. In the distance a couple of flags flapped in the wind. Cars, trucks, and a variety of other vehicles moved through the streets. It looked perfectly normal.

Then he noticed something odd. There were several police officers on the streets. Some were walking along with the crowds. Others seemed to be standing on corners looking around. He didn’t recognize the uniforms the police were wearing. But then, each jurisdiction had their own uniforms. And there were hundreds of different jurisdictions he had never even set foot in.

He also noticed the women’s hair styles. Normally this would not be something most people would notice unless it was something strange or unusual. Like someone with purple hair or the spiked hair style which Cole never cared much for. But the style many of the women were wearing was not indicative of the “society norms” that he was used to.

He also noticed that the clothes seemed a bit different. Many of the skirts were noticeably shorter than was considered acceptable. The suits the men were wearing were also different. As a very successful mercenary Cole normally had his suits professionally tailored. He rarely, if ever, “bought off the rack”. And he was very conversant with current styles and trends. These suits were definitely not the normal styles considered appropriate for successful businessmen.

He also noticed several types of cars that he was unfamiliar with. He wasn’t much of an expert on cars. With the ability to shimmer he rarely had need of any type of vehicle, except to maintain his cover as a human. But many of the cars he saw on the street were like nothing he had ever seen before. They were sleeker, more aerodynamic. And they were smaller than most of the cars currently in use. Many of them looked to be brand new.

He also noticed several street signs along the road. Not at all unusual especially in a large metropolitan area. They didn’t look any different from hundreds of signs he had seen in cities all over the world. But one in particular caught his attention. It read “Highway 101”.

He was familiar with that one. It was a major highway in San Francisco running from San Jose to San Francisco. It was also known as the Bayshore Freeway as it passed through Palo Alto and many other major communities along the San Francisco Peninsula.

But that was impossible. It was after 9:00 o’clock at night. And yet the sun hung high the sky. Cole estimated that it was just before noon.

“What’s going on?” Cole demanded.

Tempus just smiled. “I told you there would be a great many explanations. Let me begin with the first. Welcome to the year 1972.”

Cole could hardly believe it. Tempus had brought him forward in time nearly 9 years.

[noazmale]

TWO

“You brought me forward in time 9 years?” Cole questioned.

“Does that surprise you?” Tempus questioned. “Mine is the ability to manipulate time.”

“That’s not what I meant,” said Cole. “I know you can manipulate time. But why did you do it? What sort of mission could you have that would necessitate bringing me forward in time? There are any number of mercenaries who could help you with an assignment without having to resort to moving someone through time.”

“Ordinarily I might agree with you,” said Tempus. “But this is an unusual situation. Look about you. What do you see?”

“Well,” said Cole, looking around the street, “it appears to be one of the suburbs of San Francisco, assuming that street sign is right. Other than some changes in cars and fashion it looks like any other day. People busy about their business as they do every day of their lives.”

“And you would be correct,” said Tempus. “To a point. I’m sure you’ve noticed the law enforcement.”

“Yes. It seems a bit unusual to have so many in one place but nothing really out of the ordinary. I can’t say I recognize the uniforms. I guess styles have change in the last 9 years.”

“More than you might imagine,” said Tempus. “Those are not ordinary police. They belong to a special unit of the San Francisco area police departments. And they all have one thing in common. They are all witches.”

“Witches? That’s impossible. I’ll admit there may be witches on the police force. But to have them all in the same unit would be very unlikely. And all together out here. The odds of that happening are staggering. There have to be 5 officers on the streets right now.”

“Five that you can see. In fact, some of the ‘civilians’ are most likely what you would call ‘plainclothes detectives’. All belonging to the same special unit of the San Francisco Police Department. A department dedicated to supernatural security.”

“You make is sound like the police department has a special unit dedicated to fighting demons,” said Cole. “That wouldn’t be possible. Mortals aren’t aware of the existence of demons. We all know how important it is to maintain that secret. If the existence of demons were to become known to the mortal world there would be hysteria in the streets.”

“As there was in the beginning,” said Tempus. “When our existence first became known, many humans were thrown into a panic. Decades of believing we were simply myths and legends suddenly came crashing down. Panic reigned in many areas. Not just here. But across the globe. Many believed it was the end of their world.

“Then the witches came forward. Once our existence was exposed they had no reason to remain hidden. They quickly demonstrated their ability to fight us. To help protect the mortals from our powers and abilities.

“When our existence became known, martial law was declared in hundreds of countries around the world. Entire armies were mobilized to seek us out and eradicate us. Of course, the humans had little success in that area. Our powers made us more than a match for most humans.”

“But it would be different with witches,” said Cole. “They would have the ability to fight us.”

“And with their White Lighters, not even our shimmering proved much of a deterrent. They could follow us wherever we went. Save for the Underworld, of course. So witches were sought out. Not as they had been in times past. They were sought out become the protectors and saviors of the mortal world.”

“Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the mortal world is aware of our existence? That they know that witches and demons actually do exist? And that the witches have been organized into a fighting force to fight the demons? Openly?”

“That is precisely what I’m saying. We are no longer myths and legends. We are considered a very real threat to anything mortal. And we are normally vanquished whenever and wherever we are found. Coming to the mortal realm is a risky proposition for most demons. The humans have even developed technology to identify us.”

“And with witches helping them it wouldn’t be hard,” said Cole. “So what happened to this war? There are no signs of fighting or conflict. It looks pretty much like it always has.”

“The war still continues. The fighting is more sporadic than before. As I said, the police force has a special unit comprised of witches dedicated to one thing: protecting the mortal world from us. Much like special units all over the world in thousands of other locations. Cities all over the world have instituted these units as their front line of defense against us.”

“How did all this happen?” Cole questioned. “We all know – or knew – it was important to protect our secret from being discovered. I can’t believe any demon would be so foolish enough as to expose themselves to the mortal world.”

“Oh, it wasn’t deliberate, I assure you. It was one of the Source’s plans that went horribly wrong. He had wanted to escalate the tensions between two of the major political powers of the world. He claimed it would allow him to slip operatives into key locations to help further plans he had for the mortal world.”

“Which two major powers?” Cole asked.

“The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic,” replied Tempus.

“That was insane,” said Cole. “Both the U.S. and Russia have nuclear capabilities. Escalating tensions between the two could lead to nuclear war. That would be devastating.”

“He felt the risk was worth it. Fortunately nuclear war never occurred. But something just as devastating did occur. Our exposure to the mortal world.”

“How did he plan to escalate the tensions between the two?”

“Very simply. He planned to assassinate the United States president.”

“He killed President Kennedy?”

“Correct. Many conservatives felt that Kennedy was ‘soft’ on communism. As I’m sure you’re very aware, fear of the Soviet Union was rampant especially in the United States. Many politicians, as well as ordinary citizens, felt that Kennedy wasn’t as tough on communism as he should have been. Given his position as a world leader.”

“That’s true,” said Cole. “Communism is – or was – seen as ‘the great evil’. Senator McCarthy showed that a few years ago.”

“I remember. The Source planned to assassinate Kennedy and then let it ‘become known’ that it was a Soviet plot. His rationale was that such an act would polarize even the liberals in the government against the Soviet government.”

“And precipitate a nuclear war,” added Cole.

“Fortunately the Source had operatives in place to minimize that danger. Advisors and confidants of key world figures who would argue against the United States using nuclear weapons to avenge their president’s death. As it turned out, they weren’t needed.”

“What happened? You said the demonic world was exposed to the mortal world. I assume it had something to do with Kennedy’s assassination.”

“And you would be correct. The Source hired a mercenary to kill the president. A demon wouldn’t be hampered by the security measures the mortals have in place to protect their president. The mercenary decided that the best way to affect the Source’s plan was to assassinate the president in a public place. Some speech he was giving at the time. A public assassination would enflame the American people. Have them calling for retribution for the attack.”

“A mercenary?” questioned Cole. “Do you mean . . . ?”

“No, Belthazor, you were not that mercenary. As I recall you were busy dealing with the witch you mentioned earlier.”

“So the assassination is supposed to take place soon?” questioned Cole. “Relatively speaking.”

“You would be correct. The mercenary hired by the Source did his job admirably. The president was killed. But the mercenary made a fatal flaw. Like many world leaders, the president has a personal White Lighter to protect him against demonic attacks. The mercenary struck quickly, preventing the White Lighter from orbing the president out of danger. He died before even the White Lighter knew a demon was present.

“But there were also witches in the gathering listening to the president’s speech. One of them recognized the mercenary, having had dealings with him before. She attacked the demon but not before she could prevent Kennedy’s death. Two other witches were present at the gathering. Between the three of them, the mercenary was quickly vanquished.

“Unfortunately, the speech was being televised. Thousands of people watched the assassination of the president and the ensuing battle between the mercenary and the witches. And as many news reports are, the entire incident was captured on video. Allowing the tape to be shown over and over again on news programs. In a very short time the entire world became aware of what had happened.”

“And the witch was forced to admit the truth,” said Cole. “To explain what had happened.”

“Exactly. There was little she or the ones who had helped her could do. Very soon the existence of demons and witches spread everywhere. And the knowledge of the war that has existed between the two for centuries also spread.

“Most governments quickly realized that mankind’s only protection against the demons were witches. Witches were quickly sought out and formed into protective groups that would confront demons wherever they appeared. Since it was no longer necessary to maintain the secret, witches were free to seek out demons. Those groups have evolved into the special units present in most countries.”

“And demons risk being vanquished even coming to the mortal plane,” finished Cole.

“Yes. Each year we are able to make fewer and fewer forays out of the Underworld. The humans have developed technology that helps them in identifying demons. And as I said, demons are vanquished wherever they are found. It won’t be long before we will no longer be able to come to the mortal plane. We’ll be relegated to remaining in the Underworld.”

“And all this happened in just 9 years?” Cole questioned.

“Yes,” said Tempus, looking around. “Come. We must return to the Underworld before we are discovered here. I will continue once we are safe.”

Together the two shimmered and vanished from the building.

[noazmale]

THREE

“What does all of this have to do with me?” questioned Cole once they had returned to the Underworld. “And why bring me 9 years into the future to show me all this?”

“I’m coming to that,” said Tempus. “First, I brought you here to impress upon you how dire the situation is. It is not just the demonic world that has been thrown into turmoil. The mortal world is also in turmoil. Many freedoms that humans once took for granted are gone. Martial law exists almost everywhere.”

“So it’s a two-edged sword,” said Cole. “They don’t have to worry about demons but they also don’t have the freedoms that most of them grew up with. They’d be virtual prisoners.”

“Correct. Not that that part concerns me. They are only humans. But since we cannot leave the Underworld, we are also prisoners. And the war has taken its’ toll. Many demons you used to know have been vanquished. Especially early in the war. None of us believed that the witches could be so effective. But once they banded together they proved to be more than most demons were willing to admit. For many, it was a fatal mistake.”

“What of the Source?” questioned Cole. “He’s the most powerful of us. Surely there is something he can do about it.”

“The Source had decided to bide his time,” said Tempus. “He has ordered that no demons go to the mortal world without express orders from him. It is his belief that, in time, they hysteria will die down. Humans will eventually begin to believe we are not real. That we will go back to being myths and legends.”

“That could take years,” said Cole. “Maybe decades. Or longer. Does he just expect us to sit in the Underworld hoping the human world will forget about us?”

“Essentially, yes. But there is little else we can do. Many high level demons were vanquished in the first few years of the war. Your own Brotherhood of the Thorn suffered some of the heaviest casualties. It is all but extinct now.”

“So if there’s nothing that can be done, why am I here?” questioned Cole.

“You may be able to do what no other demon can do,” replied Tempus. “You may be able to put things back the way they were. Before our existence was exposed.”

“Me? If the Source with all his power can’t do that, how can I? And to put things back would mean to remove the knowledge that demons exist from the mortal world. I’m not even sure that’s possible.”

“Perhaps I misspoke. You won’t be putting things back as much as preventing what happened. Preventing the knowledge that we exist from being released to the mortal world.”

“Prevent it? This all happened 9 years ago. In the past. Even you have said that the past cannot be altered. Once it’s happened, it’s permanent.”

“That’s true,” said Tempus. “And ordinarily, I would agree with you. The past can’t be changed. But the future can.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Were I – or any demon – to return to the past, there would be little we could do to change things. When magic is used to transport someone to the past, they are anchored, of sorts, to their present. Everything that has ever happened has gone into making that person what they are. Those events can’t be changed without changing who – or what – that person is. Even events which happen years earlier and in far off places go into the timeline that make someone who and what they are.”

“I know the theories of cause and effect. A butterfly flaps its wings on one side of the world and several days later there’s a Tsunami on the other side of the world. Philosophers had debated the concept for centuries. But that still doesn’t explain how you think I can go into the past and change things.”

“Because for you, it’s not the past,” said Tempus, smiling at Cole. “It’s your future. That’s why I brought you here. To show you what has happened and figure out a way to prevent it. I cannot alter the past. For me, it is set in stone, so to speak. But to you, it is one possible future. A future that can be altered depending on your decisions and actions.”

“Even though they’re the same thing? My future and your past? Even though they’re the same thing, I can alter it but you can’t?”

“Yes. It is a difficult concept to grasp. I’m not sure most beings ever fully understand it. I do because of my ability. But essentially you’re correct. My past cannot be altered but your future can. Even if they are essentially the same.”

“So your plan is to return me to the past where, hopefully, I can prevent everything that’s happened in the past 9 years. But isn’t that the same thing? I’m here, now. Doesn’t that mean that whatever’s already happened is in my past? Which would preclude me from changing anything.”

“Those 9 years are what might be called a window of opportunity. You effectively did not exist for those 9 years. You cannot alter anything that happened before the time that I moved you out of the past. Nor can you change anything that has happened since you arrived here. In both instances they are part of your past.

“But those 9 years do not exist for you. Once I have returned you to the past, it will still be your future. And you can change that. Look at your being here something akin to the Seer’s visions. She sees what one possible future might be. Based on her visions, she or some other demon can alter that vision. Producing a new future. This is your ‘vision of the future’, if you will. Based on what you have learned here you could alter what will happen.”

“Why me?” questioned Cole. “There must be any number of demons you could have chosen for this. Why pick me for it?”

“Many reasons. First, you are high enough in the demonic echelon that you can get other demons to take your seriously. Imagine some low level underling trying to explain to his master that he was taken into the future. The master would probably not even listen to the underling. But you have audiences with the Source. Even demons higher than you would be willing to listen to you.

“Second, in order to change what you have seen, it will be necessary for you to plan what to do. You can’t just go out and hope you do the right thing. You have to know what to do and when to do it. Your plans for dealing with witches are quite well known in the Underworld. If anyone can concoct a plan to deal with the situation it’s the famed Belthazor. There is also a matter of trust.”

“Trust?” questioned Cole.

“You have learned what the future will be like. Knowledge of the future can be a very valuable asset. It was necessary that I choose someone who not only had the proper level in the hierarchy and the necessary power and skills to accomplish our goals, but someone who could be trusted to do what was needed. And not attempt to use what they have learned to advance themselves within the hierarchy.”

“And I’m that demon?”

“Quite frankly, yes. In fact, you may be the only demon that fits all the necessary qualifications. There may be other demons higher up or more powerful, but I would hardly call most of them trustworthy. Most demons, especially those higher up in the hierarchy, are continuously scheming to advance their position. And to be quite frank, I wouldn’t trust any of them in the least.”

“But you feel you can trust me?” questioned Cole.

“You are a member of the Brotherhood of the Thorn. Your allegiance to the Source is unquestionable. And you worked very hard to get to that position. Harder than most full demons would have had to. You needed to prove, not only to the Underworld, but to yourself, that you were as much a demon as any full- blooded demon. In that respect you have garnered a reputation for integrity. Something without which you would never have been offered membership in the Brotherhood.”

Tempus was right about that. The Brotherhood didn’t take just any demon. Even demons that were much more powerful than Belthazor were never even considered for membership in the Brotherhood.

“So if I say I’ll go back and change things you believe I’ll keep my word?”

“I believe you are more likely to than most demons. To be honest, trust is not something that most demons – myself included – have a great deal in abundance. But I have no choice. I cannot do it myself. I would accomplish nothing. So it is necessary that I chose a demon that is most likely to do it. And one that can be trusted to keep his word. I believe you are that demon, Belthazor.”

“Okay, let’s say I accept all this. That I can go back and change things. Frankly I don’t understand how this is different from trying to change anything else in the past, but let’s say for the moment I buy it. Exactly how am I supposed to accomplish it?

“I’m a mercenary. I specialize in killing witches. Usually at the behest of some higher level demon. And I’m very good at it. But this is something political. I have little experience and even less desire about things political. How am I supposed to enter that arena and change things?”

“Presumably by alter the events that transpired to expose us in the first place. We were exposed because a television news crew captured one of us on tape. Empirical evidence that demons – and witches – actually exist. Change that and theoretically you prevent us from being exposed.”

“Theoretically? So you’re not even sure I can do this.”

“Frankly, no. It’s never been tried before. It’s taken me nearly 9 years to come up with this. But I do believe there is a high chance of success. As I said. You’re not changing the past. You’re altering your future.”

“Okay. You said this all started when the U.S. president was killed by a demon. And that he was caught on tape doing it. It seems quite simple to me. Just prevent the assassination. If there’s no assassination there’s no demon to get caught on tape.”

“Ah, if only it were that simple. Unfortunately, it isn’t. You see, President Kennedy was assassinated partly due to the fact that it was his time to die. That cannot be altered. He will die on that day regardless if he’s assassinated by a demon or not.”

“How will he die if he’s not assassinated?”

“I can’t answer that. There are limits even to my power. I can only tell you that his death will cause major ripples across the mortal world. And the consequences of some of those ripples are going to be quite devastating. Possibly as devastating as things currently are.”

“Well, the assassination of any sitting U.S. president is going to cause some major ripples. And with the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the middle of this cold war it’s going to cast suspicion on the Soviet Union no matter what happens. And a nuclear war is a very real possibility under these circumstances.”

“You see the dilemma. President Kennedy is going to die no matter what you do. The key is to arrange his death in a way that will minimize any repercussions from it.”

“What do you mean ‘arrange his death’?” questioned Cole. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I believe we understand each other,” said Tempus, smiling at him. “Now you know why I chose you for this.”

Cole couldn’t believe what Tempus was saying. He was asking Cole to plan the assassination of a sitting United States president.

[noazmale]

FOUR

“Have you completely lost your mind?” Cole nearly shrieked.

“I can assure you,” said Tempus, smiling at him, “I am quite lucid.”

“That’s debatable,” said Cole. “Anyone who suggests trying to assassinate a sitting president has to be delusional. You have any idea how impossible that would be.”

“It has been done before.”

“Yeah, maybe a hundred years ago. But not today. Not with all the modern security devices they have in place. The President of the United States is arguably the most well protected man in the world. Getting close enough to assassinate him would be practically impossible. Not to mention getting away with it. As soon as I assassinated him the Secret Service would be all over me. I’d either be captured or I’d have to shimmer away. In which case we’d be right back where we are now.”

“Nothing is impossible. You’ve proven that. A lowly half human demon that has risen to be what some might call the pinnacle of a mercenary. You’ve done jobs for some of the highest members of the Underworld, including the Source himself. And you are a member of the Brotherhood of the Thorn. Compared to all that this should be child’s play.”

“The logistics of it alone would be a nightmare,” protested Cole. “And this isn’t something you just suddenly decide to do on a whim. It would take some very carefully planning. Weeks, maybe months of preparation. And if you wanted any chance at all of getting away with it you’d need help. A lot of it. A conspiracy of that magnitude could never be kept a secret for long. Eventually it would fall apart and then everyone would know who was involved.”

“But you have one very important point in your favor.”

“And just what would that be?”

“You have the advantage of knowing everything you need to know in advance. Where the president will be and when. What routes he will take to get there. The security measures in place. Even the security measures that weren’t known in 1963. And you will know exactly how the security forces will react once the assassination occurs. Everything you need to know to plan the perfect assassination.”

Tempus was right about that. They had the benefit of hindsight. They knew what the Secret Service and local police would do even before they did.

“Assuming I had access to all of that information,” said Cole.

“Come with me.”

Tempus turned and walked into an adjoining chamber. Cole followed and what greeted him in the chamber defied belief. The chamber was filled with books and newspapers and even reels of film. In one corner was a film projector.

“What is all this?” Cole asked.

“Everything that was written in the mortal world about the assassination that day,” replied Tempus. “There have been many books on the subject. There are also newspapers from over a dozen major news organizations with the reports of the assassination. I’ve even managed to gather a rather substantial collection of papers written on the subject. Including exactly what the authorities did when Kennedy was killed. It’s all here. Everything you could ever want to know about that particular day.”

“Well, you’ve certainly done your homework, I’ll grant you that. But my specialty is witches, not political figures. And certainly now one as high profile and as visible as the president.”

“You are a mercenary. It’s your job to study your prey and find their weaknesses. Obviously the mercenary the Source sent the first time was inadequate to the task. I believe you will have much better luck than he did.”

“But to kill a sitting president. What you’re asking is incredible.”

“Don’t think of it as killing him. As I’ve already told you, he will die that day no matter what. It is his destiny. But you have an opportunity that few rarely have. You’ll be giving us a second chance. You have the knowledge of what will happen if events transpire as they did in my past. This is greater knowledge than even one of the Seer’s visions. Her visions only show one possible future. Even if she doesn’t act on them, it is possible the future will unfold differently from the vision. You know exactly what will happen. And only you have the opportunity to change it.

“Kennedy is going to die. Nothing can change that. Nothing can alter that. But you do have the opportunity to decide on the type of death. And to use his death to further the ends of the Underworld. You can prevent all that has happened in the past 9 years. Think of it this way. If you do nothing, you know what the outcome will be. But if you can devise a plan to assassinate him, and prevent the demon from being exposed, you will have save a great many of your fellow demons. Including most of those of your Brotherhood.”

“I don’t know,” said Cole. “This could take a long time to plan. Even with all this information, it might take weeks before I come up with something that could work. What about Malevant? Why don’t you get him to plan this for you? I’m sure he’d love to do it.”

“Malevant is gone.”

“You mean he was vanquished?”

“No. When news of our existence was exposed to the mortal world, Malevant left the Underworld. No one knows where he went. He’s not been heard from since. But you specialize in covert plans. Malevant does not. Or rather didn’t. It is often necessary for you to devise a plan to kill a witch and make it appear to be something else. In order to protect the Underworld from exposure. That’s what’s needed here. Someone who can devise the assassination and make it appear to be the work of someone other than demons.”

“These witches. The ones that vanquished the first mercenary. Who are they? What were they doing at that speech Kennedy was giving?”

“One was a personal assistant of Kennedy’s. It was she that recognized the mercenary. The others were simply in the audience listening to the speech.”

“That’s going to make it difficult,” said Cole. “If the witch is a personal assistant to Kennedy, she’s probably going to be around him a great deal of the time. That’s going to complicate any attempt on him. And like I said, it could take a long time to come up with a workable plan.”

“You have all the time in the world,” said Tempus, smiling again. “Remember. Mine is the ability to manipulate time. You can devise your plan here, taking as long as you need. Once you are ready, I can return you to the past at precisely the moment I brought you here. There will be no noticeable passage of time once you have returned.”

“I’m not sure I can give you what you want. I’ve never attempted anything on this scale before. Most of my targets aren’t well known, for obvious reasons. Getting close enough to assassinate Kennedy will be difficult. There are always people nearby, even when he’s asleep.”

“We have nothing to lose by trying. And if you eventually decide it can’t be done, I will return you to your own time.”

“Well,” said Cole thoughtfully, “I don’t suppose it would hurt to take a look at the stuff you have. If nothing else it will let me know what to expect when – and if – the Underworld is exposed to the mortal world. I might be able to minimize some of the damage at least.”

“Excellent,” said Tempus. “These chambers are at your disposal for as long as you need them. I have already instructed several lower level demons to be at your beck and call constantly. Whatever you need, simply tell one of your attendants. It will be brought to you immediately.”

“Right now I need peace and quiet. I need to start going over all this stuff and see if there’s anything in it I can use. And don’t keep bothering me asking me if I’ve come up with anything yet. When I have something, I’ll let you know.”

“Certainly,” said Tempus. “I will also be available in case you need anything.”

Cole turned to the mountain of books and papers without having the vaguest idea where to start first.

* * *

Cole had spent three weeks pouring over the material Tempus had collected on the Kennedy assassination. Before he was finished he knew more about Kennedy and the assassination than he ever wanted to know. But he knew if he was going to formulate a plan he would have to know as much as possible.

Tempus was as good as his word. He left Cole alone to work on his plan. Cole dealt mostly with a small misshapen demon called Grimlor. Grimlor had once been an underling of Malevant. After Malevant had left the Underworld his underlings had to find new masters to serve. Tempus had taken in Grimlor since no “real” demon was interested in the little misshapen creature.

Cole felt a special affinity to the small creature. Both had been born with detriments that caused them to be outcasts in the Underworld. Grimlor had been lucky enough to find masters that protected him. Cole had been able to work his way up the hierarchy of the Underworld. But they still found a kinship in each other that none found in any other denizen of the Underworld.

Cole had already formulated several plans for Kennedy’s assassination. But each time he discarded them. Knowing in advance of all the security measures on Kennedy that day helped him to identify flaws in the plans that he might not otherwise be able to see. He had been right about one thing. This was not like going after a witch.

He discarded his latest plan and sat looking at the piles of books and papers gathered around him. It was beginning to look like a hopeless task. Usually it came down to one point. The witch who was one of Kennedy’s assistants. She was proving to be the main thorn in Cole’s plan.

He had considered taking out the witch first. With her out of the way she wouldn’t be there to identify any demon that might be sent to perform the assassination. But he quickly discarded that idea. If someone close to the president should suddenly die it might raise an alarm. Cole knew the best chance of getting to the president was with total surprise.

Or at least as total as possible. As the President of the United States, the Secret Service was always on the lookout for anyone who might want to harm him. Even leads that appeared to be baseless were checked out. The Secret Service was very serious about protecting the president.

“How are you doing?” Tempus came in to the chamber.

“Not good,” replied Cole. “I’m not sure I can come up with a plan to assassinate the president and get away with it. And as long as the witch is around there’s always the chance she’ll recognize the assassin as a demon.”

“What about taking out the witch? Without her in the picture a demon would have a greater chance of success.”

“And if someone that close to the president suddenly dies, even accidentally, it could cost us the element of surprise. If we’re going to have any chance of success we have to have the element of surprise. I can tell you from personal experience it’s much more difficult to kill someone if they know you’re coming for them.”

“I see. Have you considered something like a bomb? I would think that would be more effective than a surgical attack.”

“Maybe,” said Cole. “But there’s no guarantee Kennedy would be killed with a bomb. Several attempts were made against Hitler during the war and they all failed. He was injured but he always seemed to escape death.”

“And as I have already pointed out, Kennedy will die that day. It would seem to me that a bomb would simply help to facilitate that. Even if the bomb doesn’t kill him, he will still die. I imagine the humans would simply attribute his death to that.”

“That’s always a possibility. But then again, there are no guarantees. Let’s say he survives the bomb. Later, a Soviet infiltrator or Soviet sympathizer assassinates Kennedy separate from the bomb. Or it could be someone who wasn’t happy with Kennedy. Believing him to be ‘soft’ on communism.”

“Then it would seem our problem is solved.”

“Not exactly. Remember, the U.S. and the Soviet Union are in the middle of a cold war right now. If word should get out that Kennedy was assassinated by Soviet spies it could escalate to an actual war. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a nuclear war could be the result. And I think we both agree that’s something we want to avoid.”

“Of course,” said Tempus. “I assume you’re trying to plan for a demon to get close enough to assassinate with an athame or something along those lines.”

“Something like that. We can’t very well have a demon using a fireball or energy ball on Kennedy. It has to look like a ‘normal’ murder. No magic involved. Otherwise we risk exposing us to the mortal world. The problem is getting someone close enough to Kennedy to assassinate him and then allowing that person to get away.”

“Why do they need to escape? Once Kennedy is assassinated, the operative would be expendable.”

“Which means they will either shimmer away to avoid capture, or they will be killed by the Secret Service resisting arrest. Once the president is assassinated every law enforcement in the area is going to have their weapons drawn. It’s quite possible they may shoot the operative to stop him. I don’t think the operative is going to come quietly. And we both know what happens to demons when they’ve been vanquished. There would be no way to explain the body suddenly vanishing.”

“I see. Yes, it is quite a dilemma. Perhaps you may be right. There may be no way to solve this dilemma. Perhaps this has been a fools’ errand. Even considering my creative way around it, there may be no way to prevent what has already transpired.”

“Not necessarily,” said Cole thoughtfully, picking up a photograph from a pile on the table. “There is one thing I hadn’t taken into consideration. Excuse me, Tempus. It’s possible I may have just come up with something that might work. But I’ll need to work out some details on it.”

“Certainly,” said Tempus, turning and leaving the chamber. Cole barely noticed him leave as he began to pour over the material on the table.

[noazmale]

FIVE

“You’re sure this will work?” Tempus asked after Cole had out lined his plan.

“There are no guarantees,” said Cole. “A hundred things can go wrong. More so with something this big and important. I can tell you my plan will minimize any possibility of exposing demonic involvement in it.”

“Minimize? Not eliminate?”

“No. As I said, any number of things can go wrong. But this way we’ll have more control over it. It’s taken me a week to come up with this plan and work out all the particulars. But if I can pull this off, the mortal world will never know that demons were behind the assassination of one of their world leaders.”

“And prevent a nuclear holocaust?”

“All we can do is hope for that,” said Cole. “There’s no way to predict how the rest of the country’s leaders are going to react to Kennedy being killed. With my plan there may be a lot of speculation about what really happen. But without anything concrete I’m willing to bet the authorities will think twice before doing something rash.”

“I knew I had chosen the right demon for the job,” said Tempus, smiling at Cole. “All I need do now is return you to your own time. Then you can put your plan into action and this time line should cease to exist for what will hopefully be a better one.”

“About that,” said Cole. “Can you return me earlier than you took me out?”

“Of course. That would be a simple matter. But why would you wish to return earlier? As I’ve explained, it is still a part of your past. You can change nothing of significance before the time I initially brought you to this time.”

“My plan is going to take some preparation. I don’t think a few hours are going to be enough. I need enough time to get everything into place so that the plan works as it’s supposed to. I’ll need about a week or so to make those preparations.”

“A week? Well, that should not be a problem. And we do wish to have the greatest chance of success. Very well. I’ll return you to one week before I brought you here.”

“Now, all I need to do is convince the Source that I’ve really been here. And what the future is going to be like if he goes through with his plans. You said he was adamant about assassinating Kennedy. I only hope he listens to me otherwise all of my work will be for nothing.”

“I believe I can help in that respect,” said Tempus. “I can help verify your story for the Source. Or rather a former version of myself. One in the past. One of my abilities is to be able to discern individuals who have moved through time. Once you return to the past, contact me immediately. I will be able to tell that you have moved through time. That will help corroborate your story.”

“Good. That should be enough. And at least we aren’t trying to convince the Source not to assassinate Kennedy. Only to change his plans how to do it. My plan should fit in very nicely with his plans.”

“Then I believe you have finished what I brought you here for. If you are successful this future will change. You will retain the memories you have accumulated while you were here. But you will be the only one. For the rest of us, it will never have happened.”

“I understand,” said Cole. “Well, wish me luck.”

“Luck is a human term,” said Tempus, smiling at Cole.

Tempus pulled out the small hourglass he perpetually carried with him. It was the sand in the hourglass that allowed him to manipulate time. He poured some of the sand into his hand, and then poured it around Cole, forming a circle around him. After a moment he closed his eyes and began to tap into the magic that allowed him to manipulate time. After a moment Cole began to fade from the chamber. He vanished from the future as if he had never been there.

Tempus watched Belthazor vanish back into the past. Once Belthazor was gone he stood thinking for a moment. It was possible that even with a former version of himself vouching for Belthazor the Source may not believe Cole’s story. If that happened, all of their work and effort would have been wasted. Tempus thought for a moment. Perhaps a little help from someone who the Source would listen to even if he didn’t listen to Belthazor.

Tempus began to gather his power to send another “message” back into the past.

* * *

“That’s quite a story,” said Tempus after Cole had contacted him after returning to the past. “And you say I brought you forward in time to correct what went wrong?”

“That’s what you said,” said Cole. “You also said you would be able to tell I have been moved through time.”

“That’s certainly true. And I can see that you have moved through time. When you move through time your temporal signature is temporarily in flux. It eventually returns to normal but for a time I can see the flux. But I can’t tell what time frame you may have been moved to only that you have moved through time.”

“Well I can tell you everything I told you is true. If the Source goes through with his plan we’ll all be exposed to the mortal world. We can’t allow that to happen. You haven’t seen what I’ve seen. The entire demonic population virtual prisoners in the Underworld.”

“That is difficult to believe. Even if we were exposed to the mortal world it should be a simple matter to dispose of anyone who has seen us and whatever evidence they might have.”

“Which would be extremely difficult if that evidence were a live feed over national television.”

They both turned to see who had spoken. The Seer stood in the doorway to Tempus’s chambers. She walked into the chamber and stood next to the two.

“Seer,” said Tempus. “What brings you here?”

“You do,” she replied. “In a manner of speaking. I was in my chambers when I suddenly had a vision. One sent from the future by you. It was a vision of the events which Belthazor has described to you.”

“I sent you a vision of the future?” questioned Tempus.

“Apparently. At first I could not understand why you would send me a vision from the future. But I would imagine I am to corroborate what Belthazor has said. So that the Source will believe what he says.”

“That makes sense,” said Tempus. “We have only Belthazor’s word that he has been to the future. And as I said, I can only tell he has moved through time. Not to which time period he has been.”

“Why would I make it up?” questioned Cole. “What could I hope to gain from such a fabrication?”

“Your convoluted plans are quite well known in the Underworld,” said the Seer. “And it is no secret that most demons wish to advance their position in the hierarchy. Perhaps this is some scheme by you to rise higher in the hierarchy.”

“I can assure you that’s not the case,” said Cole. “You’ve had a vision of the future. You know what it’s going to be like. Advancing the hierarchy would be of little use if we’re trapped here in the Underworld.”

“Certainly,” said the Seer. “And I have no doubt my vision was genuine. I must inform the Source that his plan to assassinate the president of the United States must not take place. He will not be pleased. He has been planning this for a long time.”

“No,” said Cole. “Kennedy is going to die on the 22nd no matter what we do. Tempus told me that when I was in the future. And if the Soviet Union gets the blame for his death it could lead to nuclear war. That would be at least as bad as what I saw in the future.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Tempus asked. “If we can’t let nature take its course, so to speak, and we can’t send a demon to assassinate him, what else are we supposed to do?”

“That’s the reason you took me to the future,” said Cole. “You provided me with all the information about Kennedy’s visit to Dallas on the 22nd. I think I might have come up with a plan to assassinate Kennedy and minimize any fallout either demonically or for the Soviet Union. It’s risky. But I don’t see we have any other choice.”

“You came up with a plan to assassinate a sitting U.S. president?” questioned the Seer. “That’s adventurous even for you, Belthazor.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” replied Cole. “The way things were they couldn’t get much worse. Plus, I had the added advantage of knowing exactly what was going to happen and all of the security measures in place that day.”

“Still, it could not have been easy,” said the Seer. “The president is not like the witches you usually go after.”

“That’s certainly true,” said Tempus. “What I don’t understand is why the Source would want the president dead? What could be so important he would risk exposing us all to the mortal world?”

“He did not tell me,” said the Seer. “But we must go see him immediately. He must be made to see that his plan is destined for failure. And that we are all at risk because of it.”

“Well, at least we have my plan to substitute for his,” said Cole. “We won’t have to try and convince him not to go through with the plan. Just exchange mine for his.”

“That will placate him some,” said the Seer. “As long as he can still continue with his plans how they are accomplished should be secondary.”

“We need to get to the Source immediately,” said Cole. “If we’re going to put my plan into action we need to get started immediately. There’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.”

“Come,” said the Seer. “I will get us into him right away. He rarely turns me away.”

Together the three demons headed out of the chamber heading for the personal chambers of the Source of All Evil.

[noazmale]

SIX

“And you say if I continue with my plan we will be exposed to the mortal world?”

“That’s right, my liege,” Cole said to the Source. “I’ve seen the future. The mercenary you sent to kill Kennedy was killed by a witch in the audience. Our secret came out after that. Within 9 years we will be forced from the mortal plane.”

“And I have only your word for this,” said the Source.

“And mine, my lord,” said Tempus. “I will attest that he has moved through time.”

“And I have seen this future he has spoken of,” said the Seer. “Everything is as Belthazor has said. The U.S. president will be assassinated but our secret will be exposed to the mortal world. If you continue with things as you have planned it will mean our downfall.”

“I cannot alter my plans now,” said the Source. “I have several human operatives who will be placed in high levels within the government. I have spent years preparing for this.”

“We are not suggesting you alter your plans, sire,” said Cole. “In the future, Tempus told me that Kennedy will die on that day regardless of what we do. We are only suggesting that you alter the method of your plans. I have devised a plan that will accomplish your goals with a minimal risk of exposing us to the mortal world. All I am asking is that you let me use my plan instead of the one you were planning to use.”

“And how do I know your plan will be any more successful than mine?” questioned the Source.

“My lord,” said Cole. “I have had the benefit of knowing everything that will happen that day. Even more than one of the Seer’s visions. So I have been able to plan for every contingency. As I said, Kennedy is destined to die on that day regardless. We have the chance to manipulate this to our advantage. And even if something should go wrong, any demonic involvement will be minimized.”

“I see,” said the Source. “Belthazor, I have always been pleased with your work. You have rid me of many obstacles that others said was not possible. And yet you seem to work out a way to do it. The Seer’s visions have always been of great use to me. And when it comes to time, no one, demon or other, can compare to Tempus. When the three of you come to me and tell me that my plan is ill-conceived, I must take pause.

“Obviously, if there is a viable risk of exposing us to the mortal world I must rethink my plans. As I said, Kennedy must die. Too many things are riding on it. If he is destined to die anyway, why not just let nature take its’ course? He will die and there will be no chance of revealing us to the mortal world.”

“That is always a possibility,” said Cole. “However. If we do nothing, we have no control over the situation. By using my plan we will be able to control everything that happens. Kennedy will die, no demon involvement will be detected, and a possible volatile situation between the two major powers of the world will be averted. And,” he paused for a moment. “You will be responsible for directing a major event in world history. Something even you have trouble doing since most of our missions must be covert.”

“Yes,” said the Source smiling. “It would be quite a coup. We must of necessity work behind the scenes, as it were. In the shadows. This will allow us to work openly. That appeals to me.

“But what of your current assignment, Belthazor? The witch you are supposed to dispatch for me. How would you be able to deal with her and make sure your plan goes as you have designed?”

“I believe, my lord,” said Cole, “that under the circumstances, the witch must wait. This is too important. Once the situation with Kennedy is resolved, I can then take care of the witch. She won’t be going anywhere and surely you must agree that protecting us from being exposed to the mortal world is of greater importance than dealing with a single witch.”

“I would agree with Belthazor, my lord,” said the Seer. “The witch is a problem but of all the ones in her coven she is the only one with any powers. If we are to protect our secret from the mortal world and diffuse this situation, she must be secondary. As Belthazor says, once this situation is finished, he can then deal with the witch. She isn’t going anywhere.”

The Source thought for a moment. He had given the assignment to Belthazor because the witch had vanquished some of his underlings. He had not been happy about that. So he had decided to do away with her and stop her incessant interference with his plans.

But these three were right. Compared to that, protecting the Underworld from exposure to the mortal world was of greater importance. If Belthazor was successful, he could always kill the witch later. If what he had seen in the future came to pass, it wouldn’t matter if the witch lived or died. The entire Underworld would suffer.

“Very well,” said the Source finally. “You have my permission to go ahead with your plan to assassinate the United States president. But make sure that no demonic involvement is learned by the mortal world. I have spent many decades convincing the mortals that we do not exist. That we are only myths and legends of a more superstitious age. We cannot risk undoing all that.”

“Thank you, my lord,” said Cole, bowing slightly to the Source. “You won’t be disappointed.”

“If I am,” said the Source, “you will be more disappointed.”

“Of course,” said Cole. “I must begin immediately. There is much I must do if we are to be successful.”

“Then I shall wait to hear of your success,” said the Source.

Cole, Tempus, and the Seer all bowed to the Source and then left his chambers.

* * *

Cole stood on the loading platform of a six-story building in Dallas, Texas. He was dressed in ordinary work clothes and carried a pair of gloves in his hand. With him was another man, about his age, dressed in the same manner. As they waited, a man wearing a tie but no coat walked up to them.

“You here for the books for Woodrow Wilson high school?” the man asked, looking over a clipboard.

“Yeah,” replied Cole. “A water main burst over the weekend and ruined a bunch of the textbooks. The principal told us to come pick some more up.”

“Yeah, we got the order,” said the man. “Got them right here. I’ll need you to sign for them. One of my men is bringing them down now. Should be here any minute.”

Just then a man came up to them pushing a dolly with several boxes of books on them. He wheeled them over to the waiting truck Cole had driven in and slid them inside.

“They go in that truck, Lee,” said the supervisor. “Is that all of them?”

“No, there’s another stack,” responded Lee. “I’ll bring them down when I’m finished with this load.”

“Hank, go make sure they’re secured,” said Cole. “I’ll take care of the paperwork.”

The man with Cole followed the man with the dolly into the back of the truck as Cole finished the paperwork. The man named Lee brought the second load and they were secured in the truck. When they were finished, Cole and Hank climbed into the truck and drove away.

“What do you think will happen when they find out that purchase order was a fake?” Hank asked.

“It won’t matter,” replied Cole. “Did you take care of it?”

“Yeah,” said Hank, smiling. “That was a lucky break. We didn’t have to go looking for the guy or anything. He came right to us.”

“I’m just glad he was still there,” said Cole. “According to my information he’s just a holiday-rush temporary employee. Sometimes they’re not real reliable.”

“Well, he was there,” said Hank. “And it wasn’t difficult. He was pretty easy to manipulate. He’ll be in the building on Friday, just like you want. I still don’t see what you want with him. He’s a nobody. Just another mortal living his drab little existence. I don’t see what you hope to accomplish by making sure he’s in that building on Friday.”

“You know all you need to know,” said Cole. “I hired you because you can implant the suggestion in him to be there. Just take my word. I need him in that building on Friday. Your job is done. I’ll make sure you get your usual payment.”

“Well, as long as I get paid, I don’t need to know the whys,” said Hank. “Let me know if you need me for anything else. If your jobs are all this easy it’ll be a pleasure working with you.”

Cole just watched as Hank shimmered and disappeared from the cab of the truck. Now he needed to ditch the truck. Like Hank, it had served its purposes. It had gotten him into the Texas School Book Depository without suspicion. Now he needed to move onto the next phase of his plan. Only four more days until the president came to Dallas. By the time Kennedy’s plane touched down at the airport everything had to be in place.

* * *

Cole sat in the Carousel Club in Dallas, Texas. It was a small strip club, the kind that was common in big cities. And like many of those clubs, the clientele often consisted of members of organized crime. It was for precisely that reason Cole was here.

On paper, the club was owned by a man named Jack Ruby. But that was only on paper. As far as the authorities and most of the employees were concerned, Ruby was the boss. But Cole knew that was not entirely true. Like many places such as this, the real power was a demon. A demon that helped control much of the organized crime action in the city.

Ruby was the one Cole wanted to see. But he knew that would be useless initially. Like so many of his kind, he was simply an “honest businessman”. He didn’t know Cole. And even though law enforcement were also known to frequent the club, Ruby would have to be very careful about whom he associated with. It would make matters infinitely easier if Cole dealt with the real owner of the club from the beginning. As he sat nursing his drink, a man wearing a suit and tie walked over to his table.

“Well, I’ll be,” said the man, sitting down without invitation. “When Jenny told me you were here I didn’t really believe her. I thought it might be someone using your name. But here you sit, big as life. It’s been a long time, Belthazor.”

“Cole, please. Wouldn’t want the wrong people overhearing, Preston.”

“Oh, no chance of that,” said Preston. “This time of day it’s mostly regulars. And none of them are interested in us. They’re here for the girls, you know that. So, to what do I owe the honor of this visit? I haven’t seen you since, oh, when was it? 1936? You’ve come a long way.”

“So have you,” said Cole, looking around the club. “Nice little setup you have here. A long ways from the days when you served Kernian.”

“Yes, Mephistan is much more liberal than Kernian ever was. Of course, after that debacle during the war I naturally had to find someone else to serve. After the Source vanquished Kernian and the others for their betrayal I decided I didn’t want to hang around the Underworld for a while. Out of sight, out of mind, as the humans say. So, what brings you to my humble little club?”

“I need you to put me in touch with someone. I have a job I want them to do for me.”

“Well, I do have a fair number of underlings at my disposal. But I’m not sure any of them are of the caliber to go after a witch. I assume this is for one of your bounties.”

“In a manner of speaking,” said Cole. “Only I’m not after a witch this time. And I’m not looking for an underling. For reasons I won’t bother to bore you with, I can’t use a demon for this. I need a human.”

“A human? Well, that’s a little trickier. Humans can be unpredictable, as I know you are quite aware of. To be honest, I don’t really trust them, present company excluded, of course. Why don’t you tell me what you need them for and I’ll see if I have anyone who might fit your requirements?”

“Actually,” said Cole, “I already have someone in mind. Jack Ruby.”

“Ruby?” questioned Preston. “Why would you want him? To the mortal world he’s the owner of this club. But he’s not very reliable. And to be honest, he can’t seem to keep his mouth shut. He does okay running this place on a day to day basis, but quite frankly, I wouldn’t trust him with much of anything else.”

“I know,” said Cole. “It’s why I chose him. He’s known to have ties to organized crime but he’s not what you might call a serious player. Someone trying to work their way up the organization. What I need him to do needs to look like there could be ties to organized crime without being too overt about it.”

“I see. Someone with no ties to organized crime wouldn’t give that impression. And if you chose someone who was a well-known organized crime figure there would be an obvious connection. By choosing someone like Ruby you give the impression that it could be tied to organized crime without leaving any hard evidence. Very clever. Which probably means that someone else is behind whatever it is you’re planning. You need Ruby to misdirect the police.”

“Exactly. What I need to know is can Ruby be trusted to do what I need him to do?”

“Well that would depend on what it is you need him to do. Like I said, he has trouble keeping his mouth shut. We don’t trust him with a whole lot of serious responsibility. But if he’s convinced it will advance him in the organization he’ll do his best to accomplish whatever it is you need done.”

“What if he thought the orders came from higher up? Say, someone like Joseph Civello? I understand he’s head of the organization here in Dallas.”

“Civello? Yeah, he’s in charge here in Dallas. In fact he and Ruby are pretty close. Ruby keeps asking him for more responsibility but so far Civello doesn’t trust him anymore than I do. This must be very important if you want to involve Civello.”

“Not involve exactly,” said Cole. “Just make sure Ruby thinks he’s involved. I should think that would be sufficient motivation for Ruby to complete the mission. And maybe even keep his mouth shut afterwards.”

“Well,” said Preston thoughtfully, “I could tell Ruby it’s a sort of covert mission. And that it can’t get back to Civello. If he’s successful he’ll believe he’s impressing Civello. I think he could keep his mouth shut for something like that. Especially since he knows what Civello would do if word of it got out.”

“Good. Now. On Friday something is going to happen. Something very big. I can’t tell you what it is but I can say that when it happens, you’ll know it. I’ll need Ruby to perform his task two days later. I’m all ready making arrangements to get him into where he needs to be.”

“It sounds important,” said Preston. “Exactly what do you need him to do for you?”

“I need him to kill a man,” said Cole, very deliberately.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

“So,” said Preston, after Cole had explained exactly what he wanted Ruby to do, “you want him to walk into the Dallas Police Station and kill a prisoner in full view of any officers that might be present. That’s a tall order for Ruby. He’s sure to be captured.”

“Trust me,” said Cole. “Many people will consider him a hero for killing the prisoner. Now, he might have to spend a couple of years in jail. There’s no way he can kill someone and just walk away scot free. But it’s not like he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. And let’s face it; some of the top figures in organized crime have spent time in prison. Even Civello spent time in prison on a drug charge in the late 1930s from what I understand.”

“Well, that’s certainly true. Everyone gets pinched eventually. It’s what they do after the cops pick them up that tells the organization if they can be trusted. Like I said, Ruby has always wanted to have more responsibility in the organization. He knows if he keeps his mouth shut he’ll be rewarded.”

“That’s what I’m counting on,” said Cole. “Now, I’ll send word to you on Saturday who his target is going to be. In all likelihood you’ll know that already. And this has to go off without a hitch. And Preston. He needs to be alone for this. There can’t be any demons involved. It has to appear that he’s acting alone.”

“I understand. It’s not the first time we’ve had to make it look like a ‘lone gunman’ acted on their own. Now, what about payment? You certainly don’t expect me to do all this for you out of the goodness of my heart, do you?”

“As if there was any goodness in your heart,” said Cole, smiling at Preston. “As for payment, I’ve arranged for you to receive twice your usually fee. And there’s an added perk.”

“Twice my fee? This must be really important. Who’s willing to pay twice my fee for a simply murder? And what’s this added perk you mentioned?”

“I’m working on direct orders from the Source himself. As for the added perk, I’ll be sure he knows how helpful you’ve been. This is very important to him and anyone who helps is sure to find favor with him.”

“The Source?” exclaimed Preston, his eyes widening. “Well, that is an added perk. In that case I’ll take care of all the arrangements personally. You don’t have to worry about Ruby. He’ll do what you want. And he’ll keep his mouth shut afterwards.”

“That’s all I need,” said Cole. “I’ve arranged for you to receive half your payment up front. The other half will be paid when Ruby completes the assignment. And Preston. I cannot impress on you enough how important it is that no demons be involved. If and when people start to dig into this – and they will, trust me – there can’t be even a hint that a demon was behind it. It has to look like the act of a lone human.”

“Don’t worry,” said Preston, smiling. “No one else will be involved in this but me. Ruby doesn’t know I’m a demon. Just that I’m much higher in the ‘organization’ than he is. As far as he will be concerned, he’s doing a favor for someone very high up in the organization. Even on the off chance that he does say something all he’ll do is indicate that someone in the organization was behind it. Just as you want.”

“Excellent,” said Cole, taking a drink from his glass. “I guess that concludes our business then. And Preston. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if something goes wrong.”

“Don’t worry. Nothing will go wrong. As much as I’d like to impress the Source I’d just as much like not to have him angry at me. We both know what happens to demons that make him angry. Why don’t you hang around for a while and enjoy yourself? Drinks are on the house. And I happen to know this pretty little blond waitress whose shift starts in about half an hour. Just your type.”

“Sorry, Preston, I have too much to do right now. But I might take you up on it later. Once this assignment is over. Once this job is done I’m going to need a vacation.”

“Business before pleasure. You haven’t changed, Belthazor. Well, whenever you’re ready just stop by. I’ll make sure the bartender knows your money is no good here. You really will like the waitress. She’s very eager to please the real important customers, if you know what I mean. And I’ll make sure to let her know you’re one of our most important customers.”

“Thanks. I look forward to it. Well, I’d better get going. Still a hundred little details to attend to. And not a whole lot of time to get them done.”

Cole finished his drink and left the club. As he walked out the door, Preston turned to the bartender.

“Joe, get hold of Jack. Let him know I want to speak to him right away. Tell him it’s important. I’ll be in his office.”

“Right away, Mr. Stanton,” replied the bartender.

Preston got up and head for the office.

* * *

Cole sat in his hotel room going over his plan one last time. Everything seemed to be in place. Tomorrow, news of the assassination of a sitting president of the United States would be flashed around the world. He found he was tired. It had taken a great deal of work to get all of the pieces into place. Still, he knew a hundred things could go wrong to upset the plan. All he could do now was wait to see if things went as he had planned.

It had cost him more to organize the plan than he had originally intended. Bribes and payoffs to the right people had been higher than he had planned. But the Source didn’t seem to care. His only concern was that Kennedy die the next day and that no demonic involvement be detected. And Cole was sure that if someone did begin to dig – which, as he had told Preston, they would – the only thing they would be able to verify was that only humans had been involved in the murder of Kennedy. And of the aftermath.

It was just past 9:00 o’clock. Before, Tempus had taken him to the future by now. To let him know of what had originally happened that day and of the repercussions of those actions. Now he sat in his hotel room waiting to see if he had been able to change the past. Something everyone had always said was impossible.

He gathered all the papers he had into a single pile and then used an energy ball to incinerate them. Then he crumbled the ashes in the sink in the bathroom and washed them down the drain. They were the only physical evidence of his involvement in the plot. Without them, there wouldn’t be anything to connect him to Kennedy’s assassination.

Except for the people he had contacted to help with it. But he was reasonably sure those people would never talk. Whenever possible he had dealt with demons. Which meant there was no direct link between him and most of the humans who were involved. And the few humans he had been forced to deal with knew little or nothing about him. Which meant they couldn’t even identify him if they should be caught.

He had been right about what he had told Preston. He would need a vacation after this was over. He would also need to disappear for a while. To minimize any chance of his involvement being discovered. And he still had the witch to deal with. She was going to have to wait. People and even demons made mistakes when they were tired. He would have to be completely rested before he went after the witch. He was sure the Source would understand. Especially if the assassination of Kennedy was successful.

He turned on the television and lay on the bed watching the news. He ordered some room service and waited for it to be delivered. He had to admit he didn’t care much for New York City. But he had spent the past two days there at one of the finest five-star hotels in the city. And he was very careful to make sure that he left a very distinctive paper trail of his stay there.

Once Kennedy was assassinated, police forces all over the country would begin to investigate leads of the assassination. More than likely the F.B.I. would become involved and they would investigate anyone that even hinted at having been involved. By making his stay in New York so conspicuous, even if he were somehow identified as a “person of interest”, it would soon become apparent that he hadn’t been involved. Not when he was over 1,500 miles away.

He would have wanted to be in Dallas the next day to make sure everything went without a hitch. But he couldn’t risk being seen, even accidentally. He had gone to great lengths to make sure that everyone directly involved in the assassination was fully human. To preclude the possibility that there had been any demonic involvement. If he was seen in Dallas when it could be verified that he was in New York, it could expose him to the mortal world, no matter how remote that possibility was.

There was nothing he could do now but wait. He already had his spies ready to inform him of what happened immediately after the assassination. He knew the plan wouldn’t go off exactly as he had planned. They never did. But he also knew he had done everything within his power to make sure that any hitches that might arise could be dealt with by the people he had in place. With any luck, in about 16 hours he would get word that the plan had been put into action. He could only hope that the future Tempus had shown him would forever be altered.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

As Monday morning dawned over Dallas, Cole was moving through the tunnels of the Underworld. The Source was waiting on his report of the assassination of Kennedy. Cole had spent the weekend making sure that everything had gone as he had planned. But now it was time to inform the Source of how successful the plan had been.

As Cole entered the Source’s chamber, he changed to Belthazor. The guards outside the chamber had informed him that Malevant was with the Source. And Cole knew how much Malevant detested anything human, even the human form of demons. He entered the chamber and bowed slightly to the Source.

“Belthazor,” said Malevant. “The Source has told me of your trip to the future. And of your plan to alter that future. We had expected to see you earlier. To report on the success of your mission.”

“Forgive me,” said Belthazor. “I felt it best to make sure there were no unexpected setbacks. I felt this was too important to risk a premature report.”

“A wise decision,” said the Source. “My operatives tell me that the assassination went off without a hitch. That the American president was assassinated just as you planned.”

“Yes,” replied Belthazor. “At approximately 12:30 p.m. Dallas time President Kennedy was shot while moving through the streets of Dallas. He was pronounced dead about half an hour later. And so far there has been no hint of any demon involvement. As far as the mortal world is concerned, he was killed by a single gunman who was, himself, killed two days later by another single gunman.

”There were a couple of problems. Nothing major. Just something unexpected. I hadn’t planned on television news crews being present when Oswald was being transferred from the Dallas city jail to the county jail. His murder was caught on live television just as the president’s was. That’s going to complicate matters later on. But the shooter was a human so we don’t have to worry about exposure from that. And when the time is right we can deal with him.”

“Very efficient,” said the Source. “So the future of which you told me has been altered?”

“Yes, my lord,” said Belthazor. “As far as the world will know this will be a simple political assassination. With no connection to the Underworld.”

“Excellent,” said the Source. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am to hear this.”

“I am a bit confused,” said Malevant. “My spies tell me that already there is talk on the mortal plane of who was responsible. Some are saying it was spies from the Soviet Union. Others are claiming that members of organized crime were behind the assassination. And still others are convinced that anti-communist radicals assassinated the president. How do you plan to eventually lay the blame on someone while so many wild rumors abound?”

“I don’t,” said Belthazor, smiling. “That was the beauty of my plan. I planted just enough information indicating a certain group was involved without giving anything concrete. Then I planted other information elsewhere indicating a different group was involved. With so many radical groups supposedly involved – many of which who would never work with the others – it’s unlikely they’ll ever know who was really behind it. And since I’m the only one who knew the entire plan, there’s no way anyone could give away anything except for what they know.”

“Ingenious,” said Malevant. “And there are no connections between the various groups?”

“Only me,” said Belthazor. “And I made sure that most of them didn’t know my true identity. So even if someone should begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the pieces won’t fit. All I have to do is lay low for a while until the fervor dies down. Oh, they’ll talk about conspiracies for years. But they won’t be able to prove anything.”

“What of the assassin?” the Source asked. “What if he should talk?”

“He can’t,” said Belthazor. “His name was Oswald, the man I mentioned who had been murdered. He was killed yesterday. By a man who never met me. In truth, Oswald really had nothing to do with the assassination. But it appears he did. I was very careful in choosing just the right person. The official investigation will center on him. And with him now dead, he can never tell anyone what he really knows about the assassination.”

“What of the man who killed him?” Malevant asked. “Is he going to be a problem?”

“I don’t think so,” said Cole. “As I said, I never met him. So even if he should say something, he can’t implicate me. As far as he knows he was doing something for one of his superiors. Only his superior knows nothing of it. Only what they’ve read in the paper after the assassination. Any investigation into the area will be a dead end.”

“I must say,” said Malevant, “you’ve impressed me, Belthazor. I would never have thought it was possible to assassinate a sitting president and so thoroughly muddy the waters as to make identifying who was responsible impossible. I’m not sure even I could have done such an excellent job.”

“I must admit I had information that was not available to you,” said Belthazor. “But I appreciate the praise. I know you don’t give it often.”

“You’ve earned it,” said Malevant.

“I was especially impressed with the method of the assassination,” said the Source. “Using a rifle. I dare say no other mercenary would have thought of such a unique method.”

“Well, I realized that the key to altering the events that happened was to minimize any demonic involvement in the assassination,” said Belthazor. “The first time, that’s what exposed us to the mortal world. I reasoned that if demons weren’t involved, at least no more than was necessary, the chance of their exposure would be minimized. So I had to come up with a way to assassinate the president that would be possible for a human to do. The rifle was the most logical choice.”

“And assassinating him on the street,” said Malevant. “In view of hundreds of witnesses. No troublesome witch around to upset the plan.”

“I knew she was the main problem,” said Belthazor. “The witch was one of Kennedy’s personal assistants. She was always with him. But I also knew she wouldn’t be with him in the car. There wouldn’t be a chance for her to identify any demons involved. And using a human shooter also minimized demonic involvement. The only demons even present at the time were observers present to report on what happened. They had no active involvement at all.”

“So the president is dead, our secret is safe, and my plans can go forward as planned,” said the Source. “I had expected more complications from such an ambitious plan. But it seems you have thought of everything. I am very pleased. Now we can continue with our plans to stir up trouble in Vietnam.”

“Vietnam?” questioned Belthazor. “I never heard of it.”

“Most people haven’t,” said Malevant. “It’s a small peninsula country in southeast Asia. They are currently involved in some sort of civil conflict. The Source has plans to embroil the United States in that internal conflict.”

“While at the same time stirring up sentiments against the conflict in the United States,” interjected the Source. “It should prove most beneficial for future plans I have.”

“No doubt,” said Belthazor. “There is just one other thing I wish to discuss with you. The witch you sent me after before this all started.”

“And you wish to complete that assignment,” said the Source. “By all means, Belthazor, she is yours. I believe you’ve earned a bonus for this job. You may consider her your bonus.”

“Actually,” said Belthazor, “the past week has been rather grueling. Not to mention the previous weeks I spent in the future working on the plan. With your permission, I would like to put off going after the witch for a bit. I need to rest. I wouldn’t be at my best. If I’m not at my best there is a chance I could make mistakes. And I know how important the witch is to you.”

“If I may,” said Malevant. “Belthazor has provided us with a great service. More than most demons have been asked to do. And, I believe, more than most would have done. Without attempting to subvert it for their own goals. I don’t think it’s too much of him to ask for a little respite from his duties. He is a valuable asset, my lord.”

“Quite right, Malevant,” said the Source. “Don’t concern yourself with the witch, Belthazor. I shall assign another mercenary to deal with her. You may take your well deserved rest. And rest assured I will not forget what you have done for me and the Underworld.”

“I live to serve,” said Belthazor.

He turned and left the Source’s chamber. As he exited the chamber he changed back his human form. The two guards outside the chamber simply bowed to him. He bowed back and then headed to the chambers he usually resided in when he stayed in the Underworld. As he did, he saw Tempus walk up to him.

“I understand the Source was quite pleased with your work,” said Tempus.

“Yes,” said Cole. “And we don’t have to worry about being exposed to the mortal world anytime soon. Just one thing, Tempus. The next time you get an idea to change something in the past, find someone else to do it. Once is more than enough for me.”

“I doubt such a situation will arise again,” said Tempus, smiling at Cole. “At least not anytime soon. But I’ll endeavor to keep you out of it if at all possible.”

“I appreciate it,” said Cole.

“So, I suppose you’ll be going after the witch now,” said Tempus. “The one the Source wanted you to kill before I conscripted you for this mission.”

“Actually, he’s giving that assignment to someone else,” said Cole. “I’m going to take a long vacation. Somewhere bright and warm with lots of ocean and nothing to do but lie around in the sun. I think I’ve earned it.”

“I would not argue the point with you,” said Tempus.

“As for the witch,” said Cole, “she’s someone else’s problem. Another mercenary will be sent to deal with her. He’ll take care of her and I won’t ever have to worry about having anything to do with Penelope Halliwell ever again.”

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “Charmed” stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own “Charmed” stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.