~~~
As they exited the Safe Haven through hatch number one, their clothing changed to the clothing they were wearing on trek number one.
“Look,” Jeremy said as he came down the ladder. “The black cloud is still heading back to Gandoral.”
The ominous black cloud far into the distance continued to get smaller and smaller. There was no sign of Oliver and the band of twenty.
“They’re gone,” Jesse said.
“I’ll get them back,” Steve said as he flew into the sky toward the Black Canyon.
Only ten minutes later and they had already left, Jesse thought. I hope he still loves me. He must. For him, it’s only been ten minutes, for me months. He has to remember me and still love me.
Ten minutes later, Steve came riding up on a horse, followed by Oliver and the band of twenty. Oliver jumped off his horse and into Jesse’s arms. They hugged and kissed until it was uncomfortable to watch.
“Jesse, Jesse,” Jeremy said. “We’re watching you.”
Jesse didn’t ride her horse back to Oliver’s village. She rode behind Oliver on his horse, hugging him all the way.
~~~
“I know, I know, but we’ve been here two days,” Jesse pleaded with Oliver. “We have to go. I know you’ll have a great time in the twenty-first century. Because the Safe Haven is a time machine, we can come back any time. Believe me . . . it’s a short trip.”
“Let’s go,” Oliver said. “I’m never letting you leave my side again.”
“She’s crazy about you,” Jeremy said to Oliver as he was about to follow Matt up the ladder.
Oliver waved goodbye to his family and went through the hatch.
Chapter 57
Kate and Jane
Jesse was coming back down from the bedroom upstairs. “He’s out, just like Brian. We’re taking them with us, right?”
“I don’t see why not,” Steve said. “They’ll all be our partners in the Alliance.”
“You know we have a lot of issues that have to be settled on Four Peaks Island,” Matt said.
“I don’t,” Steve said, smiling at Jeremy. “You have issues. Which girl will you pick? Jane or Adaeze.” Steve’s smile widened. “I don’t envy you, they are both great girls.”
“You’re right,” Jeremy said. “I have decisions to make.”
“You’ve said in the past that you’ve already made your decision, right?” Matt asked.
“Yes, Adaeze,” Jeremy said. “I’ve really fallen in love with Adaeze, but I don’t know how to break it to Jane.”
Matt consoled Jeremy by putting his arm over his shoulder. “I think Jane will be understanding.”
~~~
Jesse sat at the Visualizer with her head in her hands. I hope we’re doing the right thing by bringing Oliver and the others into the twenty-first century. It’s going to be such a shock to all of them. I don’t know if they’ll be excited or confused. I think the fast pace of the twenty-first century will be the biggest adjustment.
“You okay?” Jeremy asked.
“Yeah,” Jesse said.
“Let’s go,” Steve said. “Matt, what was the return time from Four Peaks Island?”
“It was day one hundred forty-three, hour six, minute forty, and second twenty-five,” Matt said and looked at Jesse for the conversion.
“That would be Wednesday, January twenty-seventh, at three hours, two minutes, forty-two seconds in the morning,” Jesse said.
“I think we should push it out an hour and set down in the town square,” Steve said. “I don’t want to go back to the Madagascar and run into George.”
“I agree,” Jeremy said. “Push it an hour and dial it in.”
“Dial in January twenty-seventh at four hours, two minutes, and forty-two seconds in the morning,” Jesse said.
“Okay,” Steve said as he dialed it in, then turned to Jeremy. “You call out the place.”
Jeremy put his hand on the black stone. “Take us to the town square in Jaba Village on Four Peaks Island.”
“Oliver, you and Brian come with us,” Jesse said. “There will likely be a celebration, and you might just as well join us.”
~~~
The Alliance, Brian, and Oliver stood next to the large oak tree in the middle of the town square.
“How do I tell her?” Jeremy said nervously.
“Look, there’s only one way,” Jesse said. “You must tear the Band-Aid off all at once. Don’t sugarcoat it, but also, don’t be mean about it. These things happen all the time.”
“Yeah, but not to me and not to Jane,” Jeremy said. “She’s a real sweetheart, and I don’t want to hurt her.” He looked over Jesse’s shoulder to see Kate and Jane running from the dock.
Kate jumped into Steve’s arms. They kissed and then they kissed again.
Jane ran up to Jeremy and hugged him tightly. “Are you hungry?”
“Actually, I am,” Jeremy said.
“Matt, Brian, Oliver, and I are going to look at the portal,” Jesse said. “We’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Jeremy and Jane walked hand in hand to the pub located on the square.
Steve and Kate walked toward the sawmill.
~~~
The small pub was quiet and quaint. It was dimly lit, with a bar along one side and half a dozen tables in the dining area. The smell of great food being cooked permeated the room. Jane and Jeremy quietly sat down at a corner table and ordered their meal. They finished eating without much conversation, uncomfortable for both, throughout the short meal.
“I need to talk to you about coming home with me,” Jeremy said. “I . . .”
“I’m not going to go with you,” Jane blurted, interrupting him. “I really like you, Jeremy, as a good friend, but I’m not in love with you. I have feelings for someone else, and it would be unfair to me, to you, and to him if I were to go with you.”
“I . . .”
Jane interrupted him again. “I’m so sorry.” She began to cry. “You deserve someone who will be in love with you all the way. Not me.”
“I . . .” Jeremy was interrupted again.
“I’m so stupid,” Jane said as tears continued to flow. “I think I’m in love with someone else,”
“I . . .” This time, Jeremy gently put his fingers over Jane’s mouth to get her to stop talking. She tried to talk through his fingers, so he pressed a little harder and put a finger up to his own lips to get her to be quiet. “I came here to tell you the same thing.”
Jane looked shocked.
“I really like you and want to be your friend, but I’ve found my true love. You’re sweet and kind. Anyone would be lucky to have you. I hope this other guy wakes up and sees the sweetheart you are.” Jeremy scooted his chair around the table next to hers and gave her a big hug.
~~~
“Why are we here?” Matt asked Jesse.
“We’re here to let Steve and Jeremy spend a little time with Kate and Jane,” Jesse said.
“Oh.”
“Ever since we got back from picking up Oliver, you’ve been a little distant,” Jesse said. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” Matt said unconvincingly. “Everything is fine. Let’s get out of this cave.”
Matt, Brian, Oliver, and Jesse walked out into the sunlight. When they reached the square, Steve and Kate were coming from the sawmill.
“Kate has invited all of us for dinner at her dad’s house,” Steve announced. “We’ll see you there at dusk.”
~~~
Jeremy said Jane has a boyfriend, Jesse thought. She never mentioned him all the time we were here. Maybe I misjudged her. She watched as Jane laughed and talked with Jeremy and Matt. She seems comfortable now. I wonder who her boyfriend is and why he isn’t here.
Brian was sitting in the corner talking to Jane’s father. They were having quite a discussion. Hands were flailing and laughter was boisterous. Jesse and Oliver sat in another corner having a discussion with Steve and Kate.
&nbs
p; “Dinner was more like a party than a dinner,” Matt said to Jane as they stepped out into the cool night air.
“You heard about Jeremy and me, didn’t you?” Jane asked.
“Yeah, I thought you and Jeremy made a real great couple,” Matt said.
“Hey,” Steve said, “we’re headed to the pub. They’re having a victory party. You know, for them the battle against Torron ended a couple of days ago and we’re the heroes, so they’re throwing a big celebration in our honor. Let’s go.”
The party went on for hours, with fun had by all.
“Oliver, Brian, and the Alliance will sleep in the Safe Haven,” Matt explained to Jane as they walked toward Jane’s father’s house. “I had a great time tonight.”
“So did I,” Jane said.
“Ahh . . . Jeremy said you have someone special in your life,” Matt said, but then saw the surprised look on Jane’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.”
“Well . . . it might be. I mean it could be.” Jane seemed flustered. “Yes, unfortunately I wasn’t in love with Jeremy.”
“Good news, bad news,” Matt said. “I guess it worked out good for both you and Jeremy.”
“Well, almost,” Jane said. She stopped walking and turned to Matt. She looked deep into his eyes. “I’ve fallen in love with you. You’re leaving in the morning, and I couldn’t let you go without telling you.”
Stunned, Matt stood silent. Jane waited for a reply. When none came, tears welled up in her eyes. She turned and started to run toward her father’s home.
Matt caught up with her, gently grabbed her arm, and turned her around. “I’ve loved you from the first time I saw you. But Jeremy is my best friend. I couldn’t step between the two of you. I couldn’t do that to him.”
Jane jumped into Matt’s arms and gave him a quick kiss. She backed off a little. “We need to do that again.” She jumped again into his arms, and this time the kiss lasted almost too long.
Next morning, the entire village gathered around the giant oak tree to watch the Alliance, Oliver, Brian, Kate, and Jane leave on their journey into the future.
Chapter 58
Adaeze
This is the last pickup, Jesse thought. I hope this goes as well as the others. Oliver and I will date for a couple of years, then get married. We’ll have a great life. She laughed. I can’t believe how it worked out with Jeremy, Matt, and Jane. I guess it was meant to be.
“How are they?” she asked Matt as he came down the stairs.
“They’re out like a light,” Matt said. “We’re running out of bed space.”
“Well, if all goes well, we won’t need the bed space before we get home,” Jesse said.
“Hey, Matt,” Steve said. “Let’s get going.”
“Not until the girls wake up,” Matt said. “We want them to go with us into Africa.”
Several hours later, Kate came down the stairway.
“Sleeping Beauty has risen,” Steve said. “Is Jane awake?”
“Yes, she’ll be right down,” Kate said.
“Matt and Jesse, let’s get going,” Steve said. “I want to get home.”
“One hundred sixty-nine days, one hour, twenty minutes, and seventeen seconds.” Matt looked up from the log at Jesse.
“Jeremy, that translates to February twenty-first at nine hours, forty-two minutes, thirty-four seconds in the evening,” Jesse said. “Set the clock for February twenty-first at nine hours, fifty-two minutes, and thirty-four seconds.” She watched him set the clock.
Jeremy laid his hand on the stone. “Take us to the last place we were at the end of trek number four.”
~~~
Adaeze was still standing in the same place when the giant oak tree rematerialized.
Jeremy was the first to come down the ladder.
“Did you forget something?” Adaeze asked.
Jeremy smiled. “Yes, I forgot you.”
The others were climbing down the ladder.
“But I can’t go through the hatch, remember?” She had a puzzled look on her face. “I bumped my head on the hatch ten minutes ago.” She saw Brian, Oliver, Kate, and Jane coming down the ladder. She turned to Jeremy, and tears welled up in her eyes. “You’ve come back for me.” She squealed, ran into Jeremy’s arms, and kissed him. She looked at the others and then kissed him again.
They celebrated the union of the four couples the rest of the day, and that evening, the tribes of the area joined in a massive celebration that lasted until the sun came up the next morning.
At midmorning they entered the Safe Haven.
~~~
They were all there: the four fathers, the four mothers, the new Alliance, Oliver, Kate, Jane, and Adaeze.
They were laughing and having a good time when Matt asked a question. “How can we possibly have a normal life when the world knows we have great powers?”
Everyone went silent.
Ed cleared his throat and looked at the other fathers. “It works like this. When you go into the past, the people you come into contact with, in time, forget. They vaguely remember what happened. The memories become a story, a legend, a myth. In present time, it works a little different. During the event, like the war that just took place, you’re remembered throughout the event. Once the event ends, you’re forgotten.”
“Photos and videos become blurry,” Marcus said. “When I heal a patient of some catastrophic illness, the records are changed and the illness on record becomes minor in nature.”
“Your identity is completely protected,” John said. “This allows you to perform great feats and still have a life.”
“If everyone knew Jesse could heal, she’d have a never-ending line at her door,” Brian said. “The powers you have were developed to save mankind from the evils of Torron and Zolog, not to save the world from the tests of life itself. Yes, you can do miracles that can change the course of history, but that’s a responsibility you want to take seriously. Try to avoid changing history. Another thing, these gifts you have come from God. Misuse them and they will be taken from you.”
“Use your powers to fight real evil when you see it,” Ed said. “Use them occasionally to help the helpless, but be careful. You hold great powers and must recognize the responsibility that goes with those powers.”
The End
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Glossary
US Characters Present Time
Captain Caroline Strong
Pilot of F-16, part of the Alpha-6 team
Captain Joey Jordan
JJ - Special forces
Captain Starritt
Technician debugging alien cloaking signal
Colonel Smith
Helping the Alpha-6 teak at Travis AFB
Corporal Bobby Raymond
Rocky - Special forces
Cotton
Horkin guide in New Cambridge
Enro
King of the Imphogs
Flox
Horkin guide inside the Capitol Compound
Gary Hyatt
Hunter - Afghanistan Army Vet
General Small
General at the New Base Camp (NBC)
General Thomas
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Wisecoff
Commanding General at Travis AFB
Haven
13-year-old girl with hearing loss
Jasor
King of the Nectorians
Johnny
Hunter - Afghanistan Army Vet
Kinser
Horkin guide inside Torron’s castle
Mark Byrd
White House Chief of Staff
Master Sergeant Barr
Helping escape at
Travis AFB
Mumford
King of the Rocpeans
Pankor
King of the Horkins
President Davidson
President of the United States
Sammy
Hunter - Afghanistan Army Vet
Sargent Jack O'Rinski
Sargent helped at NBC, Alpha-6 team
Sergeant Patricia Martin
Trish - Special forces
Sergeant Scott Henning
Scotty - Special forces
Torron's Leaders
Dieter Schmidt
Mayer of New Cambridge
Drake
Torron's grown son
General Haflyf
Torron's general at the lake dome
General Hasmin
Torron's general at the lake dome
General Tyd
Torron’s general on Gandoral
General Warsett
In charge of 4 Portals
General Wormlet
In charge of 3 Portals
Hans Schmidt
Dieter Smith's younger brother on Gandoral
Kondyk
Torron’s High Priest on Gandoral
Panard
Torron's High Priest at the lake dome
Smalik
Torron's chief high priest - Grand Wizard
Starfire
Torron's dragon, Jeremy's pet - Hunter
Thomas Jensen
Torron's Technology Specialist from MIT
White Eagle
Smalik's Firebird
Winds of War Page 33