Free Alternating Current: A Tesla Novel by John Agostino

street.
    “Yeah, me too,”
Phillip said. “Maybe we should just forget the whole thing like my grandmother
wanted.”
    “I doubt my wife
would believe me.” Turbo opened the car door to get out. Carrie’s cell phone
rang. He could see that the caller I.D. displayed “Brad Pitt.” She answered it.
“Hey, Rudy.”
    Phillip perked up
at once and told Turbo to wait.
    As usual, Carrie
talked fast, but didn’t say much. “. . . uh huh, yes I understand . . . yes . .
. uh huh . . . oh my God, I knew it . . . yes, yes, okay . . .”
    Turbo wanted to
ask a question, but Phillip stopped him. “Just give her a minute, she’ll fizzle
out soon, it'll be worth the wait.”
    “. . . uh huh . .
. yes, we found him . . . that’s awesome . . . uh huh . . . yes . . . Rudy
that’s wonderful, call me as soon as you know.” Carrie hung up the phone.
    “What the hell---
    “Let her catch her
breath, first." Phillip warned. "But get ready; you don’t want to
miss anything.”
    “Very funny,
Phillip.” Carrie took a deep breath. “Okay, that was Rudy, and he got a new
iPhone, and yes, he registered it to Brad Pitt just like he said he would. Anyway,
he called a buddy of his---oh, shit, he told me not to say buddy, anyway he
called a friend of his at the agency that told him that just about everything
“Tesla” was classified level four or higher. Unfortunately, he only has access
to level three, but don’t worry, he’s working on getting clearance, at least
for level four and five, anything higher than that would be really hard, then
he asked if we had found Turbo and I told him we did.”
    “Not yet, almost.”
Phillip had his finger to his lip.
    “Oh, he also said
that Electrostatic Deuterium Oxide is serious stuff. Level Ten.”
    “Okay, now.”
Phillip lowered his hand.
    “Level ten. He
can’t even get to level four, how the hell is he gonna get to level ten?” Turbo
let it all out.
    “Rudy will figure
it out.” Carrie assured them. “Right now, I think we all need to get some
sleep.”
    Phillip agreed.
“Goodnight, Turbo. We’ll be in touch.”
    Turbo thanked them
both.
    ***
    Too tired to worry
if his grandmother saw Carrie drop him off, Phillip told her to pull up front.
“Thanks for driving me all over the world.”
    “Don’t mention it.
We’re in this together. Get some rest. I’ll call you later.”
    Phillip waved as
she drove away. He fumbled with his keys and half-wished his grandmother would
open the door. When he entered through the kitchen, his grandmother was laying
face down on the kitchen table. A coffee cup in her hand.
    Phillip nudged
her. “Grandma, I’m home.”
    She didn’t
respond.
    He tried again, a
little harder. “Grandma, I’m home.” Phillip lifted her head up from the table
and then gently put it back down. He sat next to her, released the coffee cup
from her hand, and bawled.

CHAPTER 13
    Turbo entered his
repair shop and screamed at Cosmo. “Why can’t you pull the damn string?” He had
already walked over to the sign before he noticed that Cosmo already had
customers. Two men wore dark suits, one man thin, and the other man stocky.
    The stocky man
spoke first. “Are you William Trbojevic?”
    “Who wants to
know?”
    The thinner man
showed credentials. “Agent Lawson, F.B.I.” He flashed his badge quickly, as if
it was a bother, a waste of time. “This is my partner, Agent Arnold.”
    “We need to ask
you a few questions about Alex Gaye.”
    “Who?”
    “The kid with the
shortwave.” Cosmo came from behind the counter. “You remember. He watched G.H.
with us.”
    “What's G.H.?”
Agent Arnold asked.
    “General
Hospital.”
    “Yeah, I remember,
nice kid, I fixed his radio.” Turbo took off his coat and went behind the
counter. “What about him?”
    “Do you have a
work order or a repair record? Something with an address or phone number?”
    “No, it was only a
transistor, I didn’t charge him.”
    “Mr. Trbojevic,
you expect me to believe that you