CHAPTER 149: THE SECOND CHECK

Marcus Chen woke up exhausted.

Driving twelve hours in one day had drained him completely. His back ached from the car seat. His eyes were dry from staring at the road. His hands still felt the vibration of the steering wheel.

But his internal mood was through the roof.

Through his nightly vision he had seen everything his counterpart experienced. The ancient site of Göbeklitepe rising from the Turkish earth. The feeling of raw energy beneath those twelve-thousand-year-old stones. Tom pinpointing the location of the Earth seed itself.

They had found it. The source.

And here in Chicago he had made a deal with Gerald for a modern mind protection machine that could affect the air. Freeing minds in a small area without physical contact. Real technology born from otherworldly designs.

On top of all that he was looking at an email asking for more business.

Robert Callahan had written again. "Your pieces sold wonderfully! My customers are delighted. I'd like to increase the order to $5,000 this time."

Five thousand dollars. More than double the last order.

Marcus should have been suspicious. The jump was significant. The timing convenient. But he was so happy, riding so high on the combined successes of both his lives, that he didn't bother to check more deeply.

And the previous certified check had cleared. The money had been real. Deposited and available.

He needed capital desperately. The prototype costs were mounting. Every day brought new expenses.

"What do you think?" He asked Irene.

She was curled up on the couch next to him, looking at the email over his shoulder. Her hair smelled like lavender shampoo. She had been doing better lately. The color had returned to her cheeks.

"Maybe verify his store? Look him up?"

Marcus googled "Callahan Fine Jewelry Boston."

A website existed. Professional. Sleek. Featuring jewelry similar to his designs. High-quality photographs. Testimonials from satisfied customers. A physical address listed in the Back Bay area. A phone number.

He called. A pleasant woman answered on the third ring.

"Callahan Fine Jewelry, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm calling to verify a wholesale account? I've been working with Mr. Callahan."

"Oh yes! Mr. Callahan handles all our wholesale accounts personally. He's mentioned your pieces several times. Our customers love them."

It seemed legitimate.

"Okay," Marcus decided. He closed his laptop. "One more order."

Irene smiled and kissed his cheek. "See? Things are working out."

The next few days passed in a blur of productivity. The second check arrived by overnight mail. A certified check for five thousand dollars, just as promised. Marcus deposited it immediately. Waited for clearance. Watched his balance increase.

Then he shipped the product. Carefully packaged jewelry pieces heading to Boston.

With the money situation temporarily stable Marcus allowed himself something he hadn't done in weeks. A normal day.

"Let's go out," he said to Irene one afternoon. "Like actual people. On an actual date."

Her face lit up. "Really? You're not going to check your email seventeen times?"

"Maybe only sixteen." He grinned.

They drove to downtown Chicago. The city sparkled in the late afternoon light. They walked along the Riverwalk, watching boats pass beneath the bridges. Street musicians played jazz. The smell of food from nearby restaurants made Marcus's stomach growl.

"When did you last eat?" Irene asked.

Marcus had to think about it. "This morning? Maybe yesterday?"

"Marcus Chen." She grabbed his arm and steered him toward a small Italian place. "You're buying me dinner and you're eating whether you like it or not."

The restaurant was cozy. White tablecloths. Candles. The kind of place Marcus couldn't have afforded a month ago and probably still couldn't but he didn't care. Just this once he wanted to pretend he was normal. A normal guy on a normal date with his girlfriend.

They ordered pasta and wine. They talked about everything except the business. Movies they wanted to see. Places they wanted to visit. Irene's therapy progress. Tyler's latest streaming drama.

"He got into a fight with his chat about whether pineapple belongs on pizza," Irene explained. "Lost like a hundred subscribers."

"That's a hill worth dying on," Marcus said seriously. "Pineapple is an abomination."

"You're wrong and I hate you." Irene threw a breadstick at him.

For a few hours Marcus forgot about Malachar. Forgot about portal construction and mind-freeing machines. Forgot about the fate of an entire world resting on his shoulders.

He was just Marcus. Eating dinner with the woman he loved.

After dinner they walked some more. The city lights reflected off the river. Irene leaned against him, her head on his shoulder.

"I could get used to this," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. When all this is over. When other Marcus goes back. Maybe we could do this more often."

Marcus wrapped his arm around her. Pulled her close. "I'd like that."

He meant it. With everything he had he meant it.

But somewhere in the back of his mind a voice whispered that things were going too well. That something would go wrong. That it always did.

He pushed the voice down and kissed her instead.

Tomorrow would bring whatever it brought. Tonight he was happy.

It would have to be enough.