The Dream Jumper's Secret

by Kim Hornsby

  Maybe Jamey couldn’t jump out of dreams on his own anymore. But what about the soccer dream with Jasmine? He’d jumped in on his own and come out when the dream ended. The memory of that dream gave him hope. He’d wait until it got dark to try the portal again. Or hope he’d wake when Atash woke.

  If the dreamer was still drugged, it might be a long time before the sedation wore off.

  ***

  Tina dialed Pops’ number. He needed to know that it worked. She’d dream jumped all the way to frickin’ Afghanistan! Pops answered on two rings. Would a man like Pops have call display?

  “I jumped, and I saw Jamey.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Pops’ voice was hushed.

  It was hard to keep her voice even. “I talked to him. I wasn’t trying to jump. That’s the weird part. It came on as I was getting out of the shower. I landed in a bazaar or marketplace. Maybe Afghanistan. I walked through the bazaar but didn’t see him. Then, I bumped into a local guy in the crowd and he saw my eyes. I was wearing a burqa, with my face all covered, just my eyes showing,” she explained.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know what it is.”

  “And the guy I bumped into was Jamey. He was in a different body, but his voice was the same. He called me “Tina,” and told me to follow him. We went behind a building until his friend went off to steal a car and Jamey told me to go back to the portal and leave. He said to tell you hello. He was on a dangerous mission, and said I needed to leave.”

  “Did you?”

  “I told him I loved him, and was waiting for him, and left.”

  There was a long pause on Pops’ end and then he spoke. “Hot damn. Wow. Well, that’s all you can do, Kiddo. He has his job to do.”

  “They were on their way somewhere. I ended up back in my house here.”

  “I can’t believe you did it.” He whistled. “You actually jumped all the way to Afghanistan.”

  “I know.”

  “Is there any chance you were just dreaming, not jumping?”

  “No, I wasn’t even lying down or trying to jump. The dream found me. I never could’ve made this up.” She’d thought of that. “I think Jamey will be home in a few days.”

  “That would be good news,” Pops said. They talked for a few minutes, mostly Tina describing the market, the dream, and they hung up soon after.

  But, when she fell asleep that night, Tina had a lucid dream that Jamey was scrunched under a hot metal piece of roofing, trapped. She saw him from a distance, as though she hadn’t really arrived in the dream. And what she saw made her question if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her, or a jump. Maybe like the balcony dream, it was her mind manifesting the fear she felt for him over there. If not, if Jamey was actually still in the dream, this would be very bad news. She woke with a start and sat up in bed.

  Like the dock dream, he was hiding somewhere, unable to wake up.

  ***

  Jamey sat under the corrugated metal roof wondering where else he could go until Atash woke. Sweat had soaked through his uniform. Then he realized that he was no longer the young insurgent, but back to his physical form. If that had happened when he tried to jump out, no wonder Atash fired at him. It was like an oven under the roof, and Jamey needed to find a more comfortable place to wait, just in case this took a while.

  When the sun slipped behind the horizon and darkness fell, Jamey crawled out and sprinted to the nearest house. He hadn’t seen anyone come or go in this neighborhood all day, and the place looked deserted. The windows were crudely boarded. Circling the house, he saw a portion of the boarding had been torn away at one of the back windows, and he was able to see inside. It didn’t look like anyone had been in the house for a while, judging from the state of the kitchen. He tore off another piece of wood planking and hoisted himself through the window. He didn’t even have a weapon if someone started shooting. Maybe the kitchen had knives he could stick in his army boot. Most of the young Taliban fighters used semi-automatics now that AK47’s were being mass-manufactured and sold for about thirty bucks. The Jihadists who were terrorizing Afghanistan had mostly been trained in Pakistani camps, allegedly under the watchful eye, and funding, of Osama Bin Laden. Wherever that prick, Bin Laden, was hiding, was anyone’s guess. Hell, he could be in this house, for all Jamey knew.

  He grabbed the sharpest knives from the kitchen drawer and crept through the house, looking for signs of life. If anyone was still here, he hoped they were civilians without weapons. Judging from the dust, the last occupants were on the outside now. Then he remembered he was in a dream. This wasn’t real. Regardless, he had to keep acting like it was. Thing was, there were dangers in dreams too. Atash probably would’ve seen to that.

  Uncle Don had died during a dream. That’s what they thought anyhow. According to Don’s partner, who was sworn to secrecy about this dream jumping shit, when the dreamer woke, he’d bragged about having a great dream about killing a cop, and they’d assumed that’s what put Don into the coma. The official cause of death was heart failure.

  Moving through the house, checking rooms, Jamey thought about his uncle’s death. Was it possible that Don got stuck in a dream like this, and never got out? Shit. Jamey couldn’t think that way. He had to believe he’d escape from this.

  There was no one in the house. The layer of sand and dust on everything gave away the fact that no one had walked around on the floors for at least a few days, if not weeks. If someone broke in now, there’d be no hiding the fact that his army issued boots had gone tromping all over the house.

  Back downstairs, he stuck a board in the window opening he’d made. Heading back upstairs, he swept the floor behind him, scattering the sand around. Just in case. Atash was still out there, as far as he knew. Hunkering down in the back bedroom, the one that led to the outside fire escape metal stairs, he sat on the bed and waited.

  All night he distracted himself with thoughts of Tina. How the hell had she jumped in to this dream from Maui? Her ability was much better than anything he ever had. Freaking amazing. Funny thing was, at the time he saw her, he’d just been thinking Tina would never survive in a culture that makes their women cover up in burqas. He was thinking how good she looked in a bikini when suddenly, she was behind him. Maybe he summoned her somehow. Seeing her eyes inside that burqa was frightening. At first he thought he was imagining her saying “sorry”. But then he grabbed her arm and saw the expression of relief in her eyes, and knew. She’d jumped in from across the world to find him. To tell him she loved him. Damn, she was talented, and tenacious.

  Once he got back home, they’d have to sit down to map out all this crazy shit about dream jumping. When it was just him, it was so simple, but now that Tina was doing it with her own playbook, jumping was crazy. They needed to figure out what happened when Jamey couldn’t get out of a dream. When the dreamer left and the portal didn’t work.

  In the snow dream, Tina had intentionally wanted to leave him when she jumped out. Maybe her will was so strong that it held him in the dream until she came back to get him. If that was true and Atash was out of the dream, he was screwed. He thought about another dream jump he’d had with Tina on Maui. The one where he’d piggybacked Tina’s jump into Noble’s dream. When he arrived to help her, she didn’t want to leave through her portal because she’d have to get back in bed with Noble. They’d tried his portal instead, and it worked.

  Maybe he should lose consciousness and see if he could find Tina, get her to help him. Could he lose consciousness when he was already in a dream? He’d try.

  Closing his eyes, he slowed his breathing, concentrated on Tina, her voice, the feel of her skin, her scent, and attempted to summon her. Then he opened his eyes quickly. He stopped, hoping he hadn’t just pulled the love of his life into the dream, only to land in the market area where Atash could shoot her.

  Chapter 24

  Tina cranked the radio on her mother’s car as it sped along I-90 towards the Fall City turnoff. A popular tune sung from the p
erspective of Superman played and Tina sang along until she thought about Jamey and how his abilities complicated his life. “It’s not easy, to be me,” the song said. Tears sprang to her eyes as she listened to the words and realized what a different life Jamey must’ve had. “Even heroes have the right to bleed.” When the song ended, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and pulled herself together, for Pops’ sake.

  A minivan was parked in Pops’ pebble driveway. He had a visitor. Should she go in anyhow? Tina sat in the car thinking about what to do when a little boy ran around the side of the house with a red plastic sword in his hands. A mangy-looking mutt shadowed him. Following closely behind was a woman with curly red hair, holding a baby. Carrie was here.

  Tina had to meet the ex-wife sometime, and there was no backing out now that her car had been spotted.

  Pops came out the front door, as Tina stepped from the car. She waved at him and advanced to Carrie. The little boy had run back to his mother and grabbed her leg, which made walking more difficult for Carrie. She wore a stylish spring coat with jeans and Tina was surprised she was so pretty. And fashionable. Somehow, she’d expected dowdy with four children. Jamey had left out the part about her stunning looks.

  Carrie stopped walking to watch Tina approach.

  “Hello. You must be Carrie and Mango and Wyatt.” Had Jamey told Carrie he had a girlfriend? Surely, the twins would’ve let something leak.

  From the front porch Pops watched, a big grin on his face.

  “We are. Wyatt, please let go of my leg and take my hand instead.” Carrie shifted the baby to her other side and held out her hand for the shy little boy.

  There’d be no shaking hands. Carrie’s were busy. Tina looked down at the boy. “I know your sisters, Jade and Jasmine,” she said to him, then looked up to Carrie’s questioning face. “I’m Tina, from Maui. Jamey’s friend. I hope this isn’t awkward.”

  A look of recognition crossed Carrie’s face and she broke out into a lovely, warm smile. “Oh, no it isn’t, at all. Sorry, I thought you’d left for Maui. I wish I could hug you, I’m a hugger, but my arms are taken.” She nodded to the house. “Are you going in?”

  She looked over to where Pops was petting the small dog. “Yes.”

  “Hello Ladies,” Pops called from the porch. “And Wyatt.”

  They walked to the front door. Carrie and her youngest children looked like they were cut from the same cloth with their pale coloring and red hair. No wonder Jamey called them the Three Musketeers.

  “Did you get yourself a dog?” Tina asked while she hugged Pops.

  “Carrie’s castoff.” The grey mutt trotted into the house like he owned the place. “The twins found him two weeks ago at the soccer field. Nobody’s claimed him.”

  “He was skinny and matted when we found him. I doubt anyone is going to, Pops,” Carrie added. “We’re here to make you lunch, by the way.” She looked over at Tina, this time scrutinizing her. “So you’re Tina. You’re a tiny thing, aren’t you?”

  Tina laughed to hear it put that way. “I’m five feet two inches.”

  Carrie chuckled, more to herself. “I’m just tall, and I pictured Jamey’s girlfriend to be tall like him. And me. Sorry.” She laid a hand on Tina’s shoulder. “I’m really happy for you and Jamey. And short is good,” she said as they walked to the kitchen. “I always wanted to be shorter, but ended up five feet eleven inches.” She set the baby on the kitchen floor to crawl and like a wind-up toy, she was off.

  Carrie hadn’t heard from Jamey that they’d broken up then. Good. That meant Jamey hadn’t told his kids. “I always wanted to be tall.” She smiled. Looking at Pops, Tina saw a grin that reminded her of Jamey.

  “Guess you two already did the introductions, didn’t you?” Pops leaned down to tickle Wyatt as he ran by swinging his sword.

  “Don’t hit anyone with that thing,” Carrie called, as the curly-haired boy swung wide and clipped Pops on the hip.

  “Oh, you got me.” Pops pretended to be injured and fell into the nearest chair, while Wyatt looked from his mother to his grandfather, horrified.

  “Wyatt. You hurt Grandpops. Say you’re sorry and put the sword down for now. You can have it when you go back outside.” Carrie pointed to a table by the door, and moved a pair of dirty boots by the back door that Mango was going for.

  “She’s a good crawler,” Tina said then looked over at Pops. “I decided to drive out to see you.”

  “Glad you did. Carrie, can we include one more for lunch?”

  The dog scooted away from the tail-pulling baby. “See, this is partly why we couldn’t keep Harry. He’s much better off over here with you, Pops.” Carrie picked up the baby and set her in the high chair. “Sorry Tina. Once I get everyone eating, I can be more present.”

  Tina reached over to help clip Mango in the chair. “I can do this Carrie, if you like.” She was itching to hold the baby, but would wait until after lunch now.

  “I’m going to make us a sandwich if that’s okay.” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Wyatt do you want a PB ‘n J?”

  The little boy hoisted himself onto a chair and nodded.

  “Use your words,” Carrie instructed.

  “Yes, please,” he whispered.

  “That’s better.” Carrie looked over to Tina. “What do you think of the twins?”

  Tina swiveled in the chair to face Carrie who was washing her hands at the sink. “They are amazing. So sweet.” Tina nodded. “And very polite. You and Jamey have done a great job with them.” She didn’t want to leave Jamey out of this compliment, especially because he’d said how controlling Carrie was.

  “Jamey is a fantastic dad,” Carrie said. “Simply stellar.”

  Wyatt looked puzzled. “Where’s Jamey?”

  “He’s gone back to the war,” Pops said, matter-of-factly.

  Wyatt’s eyes grew large. “Oh, the war!”

  Carrie pulled things from the fridge to make sandwiches. “Pops, please don’t glorify it.”

  “He doesn’t know.” Pops smiled at Tina. “Wyatt thinks it’s like going to the park to play. We’ll set him straight in about ten years, but for now, let’s allow him to think his Uncle Jamey is having fun.”

  Wyatt made a gun with his finger and began shooting around the room. Carrie rolled her eyes at Pops. Wyatt was a sweet looking little guy and probably a typical four-year-old with his fascination for weapons. Jamey would be surprised to hear that Tina had driven out to Carnation and ran into Carrie and kids. “Have you heard anything?” she asked Pops.

  He shook his head. “Sorry, Kiddo.”

  Carrie looked over while she placed some small pieces of cheese on Mango’s tray. “Ah. I remember waiting for Jamey like this.” She shook her head. “It was hard.”

  Tina knew that was one of the issues Carrie and Jamey had, and wanted to speak up in his defense. “I expected a call.” She shrugged at Pops who was reaching to give Wyatt a banana from the fruit bowl.

  “Yeah, I know the drill.” She shot Pops a disapproving look. “Wyatt, I’m making you a sandwich and I want you to eat that. Not the banana.”

  Pops grinned at the little boy “Bananas go great with peanut butter. Even monkeys say so.”

  Wyatt laughed a hearty little chuckle.

  “You’re a better woman than me if you can wait for Jamey like this.” Carrie placed a sandwich in front of Wyatt that was cut into bite-sized pieces, and then one on Mango’s tray. “It drove me nuts, waiting and wondering. And that was when he was just downtown, working with SPD.”

  Tina wasn’t sure what to say to that, but luckily didn’t have to when Pops broke the awkward silence. “Tina has a scuba business on Maui.”

  “Oh, I love Maui. Chris and I want to take the kids there someday. We’ll need that condo, Pops.” She nodded to him and winked. “But in the meantime, I hear you and Jamey are hosting the girls for July. That is awfully nice of you. They’ll have an absolute blast.”

  Tina didn’t know that permissio
n had already been granted for the girls to visit. Now she was sure that Jamey hadn’t told Carrie about their breakup. “I’m really looking forward to it.” Knowing Jamey’s relationship with Carrie was strained, she didn’t want to talk about the trampoline.

  “Two words,” Carrie said. “Sunblock and sunhats.” Carrie placed ham and cheese sandwiches in front of them and then laughed at herself. “Oh, Tina. I never asked if you wanted ham and cheese. I’m so used to making things for children.” Carrie leaned over to Tina. “I’ll just give you a tiny hug now.” Once back in her seat, she stopped, looked at Tina, and spoke. “Jamey loves you so much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy.” She smiled warmly. “He’ll call soon, and then he’ll be home, and you’ll wonder what the big concern was all about.”

  On the third day of Amy’s visit, Tina, her mother, and Amy drove over to Bellevue’s Main Street boutiques. It was a beautiful spring day, high sixties, and Amy insisted they needed some sunshine. “We don’t have to buy anything Liz, but let’s go outside and see the world.”

  Tina wanted to hug Amy. She was such a good person to have around. Millie was making a roast for dinner with all the trimmings, and the house smelled almost too good to leave.

  As the three women strolled along Main Street, wandering in and out of shops, Tina was tentatively happy, considering what was going on in her life. Happier than she had been in a week, anyhow. Soon, she and Jamey would be together. Finally, things would be good again, like when she’d flown to Seattle weeks earlier. Except that flight had been filled with worry about her father. And hope.

  Following behind her mother and Amy on the sidewalk, Tina thought of Jamey and the twins coming to Maui for July, like they’d originally planned. It was hard not to fantasize how fun it would be. To have a little family, do family things. They’d get the girls snorkel gear from the shop, take picnics to the beach, watch movies at her house with bowls of popcorn and M&M’s. Hopefully Jamey would stay on Maui when the girls left. Or come back after he took them home. He’d said that he would move to Maui, make it his home base, and she hoped that hadn’t changed. Her ideas about their future never involved Sixth Force. They hadn’t talked about children yet, but she knew he wanted more kids. At least she thought he did.