The Mandela Effect

Chapter 77

Jon was back in his room watching TV. Wolfe told him to expect the tailor around 3, so he had some time to burn.

Jon had walked around the hotel, checking out the grounds and the conference center. That had burned an hour or so. He stopped by the front desk to speak to Anika. Wolfe was right, she was excited. That frustrated Jon more.

Jon was flipping channels when his cellphone rang. He tossed the remote down, got up, and crossed the room to the desk and his phone.

He picked it up without checking the display.

"Hello?" Jon answers.

"See," a mechanical voice says to someone away from the phone, "I told you he'd pick up."

"Hello?" Jon says again, confused.

"Jon," the voice continues, addressing him, "it's T."

"T?" Jon says, "oh wow. Long time, no speak."

"Yea," T sighed, "I know. You went off the grid!"

"I takes a sabbatical," Jon explained, "and ended up in Turkey."

"I know," T chuckles, "but it got hard to track you there. Things are a lot tighter."

"Right," Jon realized, "of course."

There was a moment of silence on the line.

"So," Jon says finally, "what's up?"

"Oh!" T says, continuing his train of thinks, "right. So, can you get to Europe from there?"

"Europe?" Jon asks, "why?"

"C and I are headed that way," T explained.

"To Europe?" Jon asks again, "why?"

"Bilderberg?" T continues, "I know you lost interest but I didn't realize it was that bad."

"Right," Jon smirked, "no, I remember."

"So can you meet us?" T asks, "we're on our way to the airport now, but it should be way easier for you."

"Well..." Jon started, searching for words.

"Listen, man," T says, "no pressure. But we started this mission together and I, for one, would like to finish it together."

"Just for clarity," another voice came through the call, "I don't care. Do what you want!"

"Is that C?" Jon asks.

"Yea," T says, "but ignore him. We both want you to come."

"Well, funny thing guys," Jon chuckles, "I'm already here."

There is silence for a moment.

"Here like," T asks, "Europe?"

"Here like Holland," Jon explained.

There was another short pause.

"Where?" T asks.

"Oosterbeek," Jon says, "I think that's what they says."

Another pause.

"Wait," T asks, "are you..."

"I'm at the Hotel de Bilderberg," Jon chuckles again, "literally at this moment. Speaking to you from my room."

There is a longer pause this time.

"Hello?" Jon says into the phone.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" T shouted into the phone, "you're already there? What the fuck man?"

"Oh I wasn't planning on it," Jon started.

"Did your secret Bildaberg boyfriend get you there?" T asks.

Jon could hear C laughing in the background.

"I mean," Jon grimaced but pushed on, "he picked me up in a helicopter from the archaeological site in Turkey."

There is silence again. Then, both C and T burst out laughing.

"Ok," Jon sighed, "yuck it up."

Finally, the laughter calmed down.

"Ok," T says, "so you're already there."

"Yea," Jon says.

"Ok," T added, "great. Well, we'll be in the country later today and over to Oosterbeek by the end of the day. Do you want to meet and chat?"

"Yea," Jon answers, "we can do that. I'm going to the meetings tomorrow, but we can talk about what I hear and see. And, boy, do I have a story to tell you."

"A story?" T asks.

"The rift," Jon smiled as he spoke, "I saw it. I touched it. I used the machine."

"Whaaaaat?!" both T and C shout.

"Yea," Jon added, "last night."

"I can't wait to hear," T says, excitedly.

"Tomorrow night then," Jon says.

"We'll call you when we're in Oosterbeek," T clarified.

"Sounds good," Jon added, "have a safe flight."

"Thanks," T says, "see you soon."

Jon could hear T and C talking about the machine as the line went dead.