CHAPTER TWO

"Cote, when am I going to see a return on my investment? My friendship with you will only go so far you know!"

Mr. Cote peered up over the top of his reading glasses at Mr. Malkin.

"Ah yes, your friendship. If I recall your terms were 24% interest compounded quarterly, an upfront fee of 15%, and 35% percent penalty if the return on said investment does not exceed the expected return. Mr. Malkin, I am only going to say this once. So far, all your outrageous demands have been met. However, if you come in here one more time demanding a progress report, our "friendship" will end up with you in the bottom of a swamp."

Mr. Cote went back to working at his desk.

"Typical Cote's family line. Your threats never have concerned me. I don't loan out this kind of cash without having several good ways of collecting from those who default."

Mr. Malkin's speech was interrupted by an alarm going off on one of Cote's computer banks.

"What is all that racket about?" Malkin asked.

"None of your concern, it appears we will be having company soon." Cote mumbled.

"TimeLine Agents?" Malkin asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Seriously? Come now Malkin, don't tell me you didn't expect them to show."

"Yes, but I expected for this plan to be almost completed before they figured things were wrong. You have hardly gotten started. What if..." Cote reached across the desk and covered Malkin's mouth.

"This is why you provide the funds, and I handle the rest!"

Malkin shook off Cote's hand.

"Very well Mr. cool, calm, and collected, Mr. Cote. Timeline agents or not, there will be no excuses for not meeting your financial deadlines." Malkin stated.

He headed out the door. Before he got out, their other two partners walked in, Gitdom and Neying. Cote told them that the alarm had gone off indicating that the TimeLine agents had entered this era. The two of them were extremely excited. Gitdom was one of the first agents that the director of the agency at that time not only fired, but successfully docked his final wages to pay for damages he did as one of his long lists of practical jokes gone wrong. He really did not care to much about this, because he did not care about much of anything but having a good time. Therefore, he jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this little adventure, because in his eyes it was an opportunity to have loads of practical joke fun. Having the TimeLine agents here was now a great time to "Thank" them for helping to choose a career path that more suited his abilities to cause chaos and revel in watching the results.

Neying first joined the agency to further his one and only passion, blowing up stuff. He had been thoroughly trained by the world police force (before that department was dissolved) in dismantling, defusing, and disarming about every explosive known to man at the time. After being the most successful bomb disarmer there ever was, Neying started designing explosives that even he could not defuse. Joining the TimeLine agents gave him real time experience with all materials ever used in creating explosives. It was not until Professor Kingsley discovered his file that he had been collecting outlawed materials over the years, that Neying was let go.

The Director at the time had all Neying files confiscated and destroyed. It took him years to rebuild all the information that was in that file. What made him madder was the trouble he had to go to replace all those hard-to-find materials. This would be his opportunity also to "thank" the agency that not only wasted years of his "research" but also put him on the top twenty most watched people list for all types of law enforcement around the globe.

"Gentlemen, I share your enthusiasm over having our TimeLine agent come to join our party, however let me remind you that you were hired to assist me in stopping the United States from putting a man on the moon."

Cote paused and flashed a smile.

"Now of course if in the process we can have a little fun at the expense of the TimeLine agency, well that would be an added bonus."

Malkin walked back in the room just in time to have Cote yell at him.

"Malkin, it was made perfectly clear to the ones you hired that they were being paid through the Russian government, correct?"

"Look Cote, I have been bribing..."

"A simple yes will do." Cote interrupted.

"Yes, I can see that in your case simple answers would be best." Malkin shot back.

Ignoring Malkin's sarcasm, Cote continued,

"So, once our mark is safely tucked away, Gitdom, you and Neying can start your part."

Gitdom giggled as he went over to a computer monitor.

"Cote, you promised me more materials to work with! Neying stated as he looked over his supply list.

"What's the problem Neying, I thought you could make a bomb out of anything." Cote said with a half-smile.

Cote then gave a sideways glance at Malkin.

"Mr. tightwad here sent the money late, so your supplies won't be here until tomorrow, but they are on their way." Cote reassured him.

"Let me warn you Cote, I plan on more than having a little fun with those TimeLine agents."

Neying paused and lowered his tone.

"Especially if Professor Bernard Kingsley is leading the assignment."

Cote grabbed Neying by the collar.

"Look Mr. blow them up, you need to stick to the plan!" Cote said through clenched teeth.

Neying released himself from Cote's grasp.

"I will do what I got paid to do, but what I do on my on my own time is none of your concern." Neying stated and walked away mumbling to himself.

For the first time since putting this group together, Cote felt a slip on the grip he felt necessary to pull off this job.

"Let me remind you that none of you have received payment and will not until the job is complete. All will be carried out to the letter as I have instructed, or I guarantee that these months of work you have done will be a free donation," Coat said with his eyes blazing.

"Cote, I just got a message that the bird is in his cage." Malkin stated excitedly.

The excitement was not because the men he had hire had successfully kidnapped John Glenn, the tone was a nervous one, because of now having to lay out more cash that he was not yet convinced he would receive a return on.

"Calm yourself Malkin, we are one step closer to you making all the profit you were promised." Cote told him.

"Right, and as I told you, the greater the number of steps, the greater the odds of a stumble and fall." Malkin retorted.

"Forty-eight hours from now Malkin you can check your B.I.N. account, and see the numbers begin to rise." Cote told him with raised eyebrows.

This seemed to calm Malkin for the time being. He went over to a vacant computer and set up a timetable where he would get hourly reports on the account that Cote had mentioned.

Cote went to check on Gitdom's progress. Gitdom was so much more than your run of the mill ordinary practical joker. He had made some of the smartest criminals, as well as the top TimeLine agents look foolish. However, this was when he was still with the TimeLine agency, now his talents were being used on a much higher plain. He still gets a good laugh at what he can pull off, but the "jokes" are of much more serious consequences.

Cote ran into him about two months after he had left the Agency. He was in a fancy restaurant having lunch with three "businessmen". Watching, from a distance, Cote watched as he shrewdly swindled all three out of thousands of dollars. If that alone was not impressive enough, at the end of the deals, the three men walked away honestly believing that they had come out of the discussions on top and felt sorry for poor Gitdom.

"Have you completed all your plans?" Cote asked.

Gitdom began to giggle,

"This time period is so much fun to work in."

Gitdom's giggle turned into full blown laughter as he continued to mess around with the program that was on his screen.

"Do you have all the..."

Cote began slowly and separated his words, the way a parent would speak to a child to try to get through to them.

Gitdom looked up at Cote.

"I will have everything ready on time, but make sure that you take some time to enjoy how good I am at making everyone, including our old TimeLine agent friends, look so bad."

Gitdom then broke out into hysterical laughter.

"Can you get him to shut up? How can anyone concentrate with him around?" Neying complained.

"Don't be so down Neying, let me lift your spirits,"

Gitdom giggled as he pushed a button on his keyboard and the chair that Neying was sitting in rose about a foot.

"Very funny, maybe next time I will use my talents on you, and you will die laughing!" Neying threatened as he lowered his seat back down.

"Speaking of dying, are you sure your plan will insure a minimum number of unnecessary deaths?" Cote asked.

"I am still working on it, but I still don't understand that if we are changing history, why we care about who lives and who dies?" Neying asked in an annoyed tone.

"Because we are manipulating the past to work in our advantage for the future. Details, it is all about the details. We will succeed where others have failed because I am seeing to it that all the i's are dotted, and all the t's, crossed." Cote replied.

"Personally, I like my t's dotted, and my i's crossed." Gitdom mumbled then crossed his eyes and giggled.

"Besides, if one of those you blow up turns out to be a distant relative of yours, you won't be around when we return to our time period too enjoy the fruits of your labor." Cote concluded.

Neying simply growled and went back to work.

Cote now hurried back over to his station. Besides trying to keep those he hired and the one backing the program focused, he had to finish up the a few last-minute details and keep an eye on what the TimeLine agents might pull. Now that word of John Glenn's disappearance was getting out, he knew they would be stepping up their efforts to fix things. He looked up from where he was working only long enough to remind everyone that phase two of his plan was to begin at eight am. tomorrow.