by Bella Street
Fiona swore then screamed for a cleanup crew.
The guards spun on their heels and hustled from the room. Trent watched as Fiona surveyed the room, her fists clenching and unclenching. She turned and glared at him. “This is over.”
***
Trent left after medics had arrived to sedate and deal with Addison. Janitors had showed up and began clearing the room of debris. Men in Haz-Mat suits came with cleaning supplies to sterilize the floor. Trent didn't need to follow the trail to know where Seffy had headed. When he found her bedroom empty, his suspicions were confirmed.
Instead of dwelling on her and Gareth getting all cozy, he shifted his brain to figure out the meaning of Fiona's threat. She had a contingency plan in place and he needed to know what that was. Should he go to Fenn? His thoughts spun out of control as the realization sunk in that there was no getting back to 2006. There was no hope. They were stuck here.
Forever.
He held his head in his hands for several minutes listening to the dull thud of his heart. If he had to stay in 1980, he needed to figure a way to get the hell out of this compound.
With Seffy...whether she liked it or not.
***
Gareth looked up and caught his breath as Seffy entered his room. “Are you for real?”
Her quizzical expression answered his question. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He nodded and held out his hand, releasing a sigh as he felt the warmth of her fingers closing around his own. He drew her to the bed and stared at her as she sat in the chair next to him. “I'm having some crazy deja-vu here.”
“Of what?”
Her voice came out low, but rough, as if she'd been crying. Just like that time when she'd quietly told him her name back in sixth grade on the day they met. “Seeing you just now reminded me of the first time I laid eyes on you—you looked like an angel. A Botticelli angel.”
She tugged her hand away. “Don't say that. Besides I looked ridiculous with that pink cast on my arm.”
“You never did tell me how you broke it.”
Seffy looked at him, then at the floor. “Can't remember.”
“Well, the part about the angel...I thought it was a compliment.”
She glanced up. “Why Botticelli? Do you even know what that means?”
He studied her face and the unusual coloring that had captivated him from the first. “Most girls don't mind being compared to fine, angelic art, Seffy.”
Her brows furrowed and she shook her head. “Gareth—”
“Do you remember that day?”
After a moment, she nodded.
“Your brown eyes were so big. And your hair was about the length it is now.”
She touched her chin-length hair with a self-conscious movement before tucking it behind her ear.
“And you wore those fancy clothes. All the girls were so jealous. You never smiled. I remember making that my goal. To get you to smile.”
Seffy took a deep breath. “Gareth, something's happened.”
The tone of her voice stemmed the bright tide of memories. He studied her pale, worried expression. “Are you all right?”
“Things are bad. Things that affect all of us.”
“Then nothing's really changed, right?”
She grimaced. “This time it's worse.”
He took her hand again. “As long as you and I are together, it will be okay.”
She looked at their joined hands for several moments. Gareth wished he had the strength to pull her into his arms. He remembered her kiss before he'd fallen asleep. Surely it had been more than just an affectionate gesture. This time if she kissed him, he wouldn't fall asleep, and then he'd know for sure where they stood.
Seffy took a deep breath, looking up with sadness in her eyes. “Addison's not...well. She was very upset about what happened to you today—”
“Yeah, I'm upset about that, too.”
She covered his hand with her own. “And in an attempt to protect...us, she destroyed the computer equipment in the lab...the equipment needed to get us back to our time.”
Gareth stared at her, waiting for the words to make sense. “What does that mean?”
“It means—” Her voice broke on a sob and she covered her mouth with her hand. “It means we can't go home.”
He frowned. “Can't they just replace the equipment?”
“I'm guessing the hard drives are destroyed. Data has been lost. Eugene made it sound irrevocable.”
“Well...that's bad. Right?”
“Gareth, it's disastrous. Not only are we stuck here, but we're still in danger from the tangent people—the ones who want us dead.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “So maybe we just leave the compound and start fresh somewhere else in 1980.”
Seffy looked down, tears shining in her eyes. “What about all that Grandfather Paradox stuff?”
“We could find a deserted island or something—”
Her tone sharpened. “This is serious!”
Her anger surprised him. He dropped his voice to a soothing tone. “I meant it when I said as long as we're together, we'll be okay.”
She closed her eyes. “I don't know what to do. I just know I can't stay here.”
“It will work out, Sef.”
Pulling her hand from his, she shook her head. “How?
“Well, I don't have a detailed plan, but we'll work something out. You just need to calm down.”
“You know, I'm really getting tired of people telling me that. Trust me, if I'm freaking, it's for a really good reason.” She stood up. “I've been to hell and back—no, wait, what am I saying? I'm still there.”
“Seffy,” he whispered. “You're upset.”
“Damn right I'm upset! What I want to know is why haven't you gotten me out of this pit?” She began to cry. “I've waited and waited for you! Why didn't you get me out of hell?”
His eyes widened in confusion. Then he reached out his hand but she ignored it. “I tried, Sef.” He wasn't sure how, but he was certain he'd made some attempt. Right?
She took a deep breath. “Really? Since we've been here, you've been content to just hang out and maybe talk theory with Eugene, but it's been months.”
Gareth sighed. “There have been other factors. Your health, for instance.”
“Yeah, I know.” She snorted softly. “It all comes back to me, right? I'm the one holding everyone back.”
“I don't know where you're going with this.”
She shook her head. “You know what? I woke you up in the middle of the night and just dropped a bomb on you. I'm sorry, Gareth. You just need to rest and get well, okay?”
He frowned, unable to discern the undercurrents of her emotions. “Kiss me so I know you're not mad.”
The low light caught the glint of tears in her eyes. “I'm not mad,” she whispered. She leaned forward and dropped a light kiss on his cheek. “Get better.”
“I will.”
But she was already on her way out the door.
***
Trent regarded Seffy's empty room, his hands on his hips. She'd ignored his calls on the radio but after checking her bathroom, he'd noticed it was steamy from a recent shower. While knowing she'd been here recently blunted his worry, he still battled frustration made worse by exhaustion.
It was almost five in the morning and he'd been busy making arrangements under the radar, which meant everything took about five times longer to get done. Now all he needed was the girl. Was she back with Gareth? Trent reached for his radio to ask Malone if she was at Lani's. But when he pressed the button, he only got static. The dial must've been bumped from the prearranged channel.
Frowning, he began to go through each channel, although Malone probably wouldn't be on at precisely the same time.
“I told you I can't explain this over the radio.”
His eyes widened. Fiona.
“”But, there are difficulties—”
“Geez, Eugene, just do what you're tol
d for once!”
“There are some details we haven't gone over. I just want—”
“Never mind. I'm coming down.”
The radio went dead. Trent tried to discern what he'd just heard. He strode over and yanked Seffy's pillow off the bed, then did a quick sweep of the room. Her gun wasn't in sight, which hopefully meant she had it on her person. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the passageways that would get him near the computer lab. Fiona and Eugene's conversation couldn't be missed.
Trent didn't know if Fiona was heading to his room or the lab or somewhere in between. If she wanted the conversation to be private, would she talk to Eugene in the lab in front of the other techies while the workers cleaned up the mess? He decided to try Eugene's room first, then had to figure out the most logical route. It took all his concentration to stay oriented in the right direction. As he passed rooms, he heard muffled sounds of residents beginning their days. What did they think of Fiona and Fenn? What was the appeal of this place that kept them here?
Trent calculated that he must be getting close to Eugene's room. The slamming of a door guided him the last few steps. When he heard Fiona's voice, he froze and pressed his ear against the wall.
“I'm not trying to disobey a direct order, it's just that we haven't tested the agent widely enough to know how it will affect—”
“The subject had no reactions. It worked perfectly.”
“But not everyone has precisely the same chemistry, and as I'm no doctor—”
“Do you have your gas mask, Eugene? Because ready or not this thing is going down. I can't deal with the chaos and the outsiders' behavior is making the residents nervous. Something drastic has to be done.”
Sweat broke out on Trent's upper lip. God, what did the little Lady MacBeth have planned?
“Are you sure direct communication and openness wouldn't—?”
Trent could feel Fiona's glare all the way through the wall. “Do it. In fifteen minutes, this goes live. The principals have their gas masks ready and have been informed. Now quit stalling and do your job!”
Another door slam. Holy crap. Trent twisted around in the tight space and clambered back to his room as fast as he was able, his thoughts keeping pace. What did Fiona mean by drastic? He felt fairly confident she didn't actually plan to exterminate her own people. That defied her need to lord authority over someone. But she had some agent that did what? Reduced chaos? He knew the compound had experimented on the 'outsiders' before, tainting food and using subliminal messages, so they weren't faint about manipulation.
He wondered who to alert. Gareth couldn't leave his bed and Addison would never leave his side. Nor Seffy for that matter. Once he made it to his room, he grabbed a knapsack and shoved some clothes in it, then headed to Seffy's room. She was still gone. He checked his watch. He had mere minutes to get her out before something 'went live'. Trent considered telling Malone, but decided against it. Malone was a necessary evil—not exactly a trusted comrade. Fiona surely had some plan to simply subdue the residents until she brought the compound under control. But if today was going to be Jonestown II and he got Seffy out without her friends, she'd never forgive him. Ever.
Her room was still empty. He went to her dresser and pulled out a couple changes of clothing and grabbed her hairbrush and toothbrush. Anything else they could pick up on the road. Now, where had she gone to? A countdown clock was almost audible in his brain. Trent tried a few channels on the radio, hoping to raise the guard to Gareth's room, but failed to get anything more than static. Maybe Fiona had cut communications.
Seffy might be with her ex—but after a shower when she'd already been there earlier? He slipped the knapsack over his shoulders and jumped onto the desk. If she wasn't in the Light Room, they either were gonna get dead or be chemically clueless. Trent crawled through the attic space, cursing his slow progress. At least the lights told him she was probably up here.
She was, lying on the blankets like the last time. Trent shook off a feeling of dread and approached her. Her eyes lifted to his but her face was devoid of expression.
“I can't believe you're not afraid of coming up here after what happened.”
She moved her hands, revealing the Glock resting on her stomach.
He blew out a breath. “Seffy, this is going to sound crazy, but we have to leave.”
“Leave where?” she asked in a bored voice.
“The compound. Now.”
Her brows went up. “Why?”
“You're going to have to trust me on this.” He ignored her soft snort and reached up to open the latch to the skylight. The opening was small but it was their only way out. Trent pushed the window all the way open, tossed the knapsack onto the roof, then reached down to Seffy. “It's now or never, babe.”
She settled herself deeper on the blankets. “If you think I'm climbing out onto the roof into the freezing cold without some explanation, you're the crazy one.” She looked up at him. “In fact, between this and Addison's little outburst, I'm starting to think I'm getting a bad rap around here.”
Trent gripped the edges of the skylight and pulled himself up. Once he was braced, he crawled out onto the roof, getting scraped hard in the process. Cold wind stung his face, taking him a little by surprise. He looked down through the hole, trying to catch his breath. “So you've made your choice?”
She frowned. “What?”
“Seffy, I'm leaving now. I'll explain if you come with me.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “Trent, where are you going?”
He leaned down and reached his hand through the hole. “Are you with me or not?”
Seffy's eyes widened. “I'm not leaving without answers.”
“Fine.” Trent checked his watch. “Time's up.” He moved away from the opening, cursing all stubborn, boneheaded females to perdition. Aside from using a gun to coax her out, he could only hope curiosity would get her out of that hole.
Seffy blinked at the square of greenish-pink pre-dawn light. Was this the part where Trent said psych! Cold air wafted in the opening, smelling sweet. High up in the sky a bird wheeled against a violet-tinged cloud.
“Trent?” Her heart began to pound. What was the man up to? Hadn't she suffered enough in the last twenty-four hours to fill a lifetime trauma limit? Seffy remembered Fiona's scary response to the lab room wreckage. Was the little fascist planning something bad? Something Trent knew about? If so, she couldn't just leave her friends.
Seffy surveyed the shadowy gloom of the Light Room. Usually it was brighter, but the neon sun wasn't up yet. She looked at the dark corners, remembering how it felt to be choked. Had Brenda hidden in one of those corners waiting for her? A revulsion for the compound filled her. Maybe she could just sit up on the roof and breathe fresh air for a few minutes until her head cleared.
“Trent, are you still there?”
Silence.
“Trent?”
Suddenly a shadow blocked the opening. Seffy grabbed the outstretched hand and felt herself yanked from above. She wriggled through the skylight, scraping her hips. As soon as she was clear, she rolled away from the opening. Trent slammed the skylight closed and grabbed her hand.
“Wait a minute!” she gasped, unable to free her hand. “I thought we were just going to hang out here!”
He ignored her and headed across the roof. Seffy was disoriented from the sudden expanse above coupled with the height and cold. It took all her attention to keep up with Trent as they dashed toward the edge of the roof stretching at least fifty yards beyond. Her wrist bone was about ready to dislocate from his constant pulling.
Finally they reached the edge. Trent slid over and dropped from sight.
“Omigod, did you jump?” she shrieked.
His head popped back up for a moment. “Keep your voice down. There's a ladder. Hurry and get over the edge. I'll help you.”
“Why?”
Just do it! Geez!”
Gulping, she followed his instructions and soon
they were clambering down a long metal ladder attached to the side of the building. When Seffy caught her breath, she peeked toward the ground and saw a jeep just below the ladder.
They were driving somewhere? But what about her friends? What about Gareth? Her fingers clenched the cold steel and she froze, unable to continue. Somewhere below her she heard a soft thud.
“C'mon, Sef, you're almost at the bottom.”
Seffy shook her head, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. What had she done?
“Sef, I'm not kidding. We have to move before we're discovered.”
“You tricked me!”
“You made your choice. Now you have to follow through.”
Fury flooded her veins, galvanizing her to climb to the bottom of the ladder. Trent's hands gripped her waist as he helped her drop to the bottom. As soon as solid ground was under her feet, she twisted around and punched him hard in the arm.
His eyes darkened. “Get in the jeep.”
“Tell me what's going on first.”
He turned and headed toward the dusty military vehicle, sliding the knapsack from his shoulders and tossing it in the back.
“Answer me!”
Trent climbed into the jeep and fired up the motor. She watched in disbelief as he pulled away. No way. Seffy looked wildly around, having no idea where she was or what the hell she was running from. Dust boiled up behind the jeep, making her cough. Damn you, Trent.
Fear propelled her after him. She stumbled in the dirt as she ran. Suddenly red brake lights glowed through the dust cloud.
With the last of her reserves, Seffy ran up to the stopped jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. She glared at Trent, struggling to get enough oxygen into her lungs. “I hate you.”
He returned her look. “I know.”
Then he stomped on the gas.
Chapter Ten
Seffy huddled in her track suit, cursing Trent and his refusal to tell her anything. All he said was soon. She looked around at the pink-tinged patches of snow on the ground, lit by the glowing magenta sun now hovering well over the ridge.