by A J Kurtz
“It’s fine. Let’s go over and check out the weapons, and pray that there are bullets in case we end up in the center of the action. Honestly, I’m scared out of my mind. We could all die.”
They took their time walking across the store towards the weapons section, still chatting away.
“All of us are afraid, but we have to find the artifact before rogue agents or the Elite do,” he said while inspecting the rifles and muskets that were on the wall display.
“Listen, while we’re actually getting along, I don’t usually cuddle up to a strange man that I just met.”
He looked down at her with a grin. “You were comfortable in my arms and never complained once. Don’t worry, it’ll stay between us, but I’m certain that it’ll eventually happen again.”
Her lips parted, ready to say something, yet nothing came out, and the fact that she hadn’t protested led him to believe there may be something forming between them. Thinking it over made his heart beat faster while he stared at her. Did she feel something too or did he remind her too much of his twin brother?
His body moved closer to hers and he leaned down, thinking about kissing her lips, but knew he’d probably get slapped and have to explain why there was a handprint across his face, so instead, he gently kissed her cheek. To his surprise, she did not try to move out of the way or push him, nothing. When he pulled away, she looked stunned and he felt embarrassed for even doing it.
Instead of saying anything, they finished shopping, lost in their own thoughts. As they left the store and headed down the street carrying the bags, the silence started to get to him.
“Why didn’t you slap me? I’m a horrible person, at least that’s what everyone around me thinks.”
She came to an abrupt halt and he stopped, turning in her direction.
“You can pretend you’re this tough guy who doesn’t care and tries to push away everyone because you’re afraid to get close to anyone again since your mother passed away, but deflecting isn’t going to keep me from seeing who you really are, Jackson. And although you made me feel like I didn’t exist when we met, I care about what happens to you and the others. You can drop the act with me from here on out and trust me.” She gestured with her hands as she spoke. “You’re the most frustrating person I’ve ever met in my entire life.” She grabbed ahold of his shirt, pulling him to her; pressing her lips gently against his. He dropped the bags on the street and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other cradling her head, passionately kissing her with everything he had in him.
It was the most unexpected moment of his life, and the most beautiful. He hadn’t been intimate with anyone in such a long time. He’d only just realized how much he’d been holding back when he kissed her voluptuous lips.
She took a step back, nearly falling over, and he caught her in his arms. “Kensie, are you all right? I know my kiss wasn’t that powerful.” He chuckled. She started to laugh as he helped her stand back up, her face flushed.
“I got lightheaded for a second there. I’m good. We better get back before someone comes looking for us.” They kneeled down at the same time, picking up the bags with glowing smiles plastered across their faces.
“This is our secret as long as you don’t try having a relationship with me and my brother,” he joked.
She shook her head at him and gave him a playful smile. They stood back up and headed down the empty street with bags in hand.
“I haven’t even considered a relationship with anyone. I’m always so busy that I never have enough time for someone special in my life. I guess I push people away in that sense, a lot like you do,” she said, being honest with him. “I wanted a chance to get to know everyone and see where things led. I told Jaymes that and he was fine with it. If I turned around and said that I wanted to get to know you, just you, he wouldn’t be happy about that. The last thing I want to do is cause problems between you…” She trailed off when she saw him staring at her. “I’m overthinking it, I know.”
“You certainly are. I’ve been very wrong about you and I could never tell you how sorry I am, I can try to show you, but I know you understand why now. I don’t want to put any pressure on you. I don’t want to hurt my brother either. I think you should do whatever is best for you, even if that’s remaining friends with both of us or running off with Riah.” He laughed and she joined in.
Once they’d returned to the safe house, everyone took turns getting dressed into the itchy wool fabric. Stone had returned to let them know that they only had a few minutes of being safe before the battle came to them, and instructed Jackson and Kensie on where to go once they arrived.
“Kensie, as I’ve said prior, you’re a novice and you’re not going to be able to travel with anything with you,” Jaymes reminded.
The smile had faded and her eyes moved down to her pistol.
“She’s not like other travelers, Jaymes. Maybe she can?” Jackson suggested.
Jaymes shot him a warning glare. “It would be safer if she didn’t take anything.”
Jackson threw his hands into the air. “Whatever you say, Chief.” He loaded his musket up, ready to go.
“Jaymes is right,” Riah said to Jackson as she walked by him with an annoyed look on her face. That was always the expression she had when it came to Jackson, which he felt was undeserved. If they wanted to make him out to be this terrible person, he was going to roll with it.
Thankfully, Kensie had taken notice and shook her head slightly out of annoyance. Jackson shrugged like there wasn’t anything he could do to change it.
She came over to Jackson and handed over her pistol for safekeeping until they arrived back in 1863.
“I never noticed how you were treated, until now. Why do they do that to you?” she whispered to him.
“Someone has to be the bad guy and he’s everyone’s savior, so where’s that leave me? I just go along with it, even though I still help them. Don’t worry, I can take care of it on my own and it would make me look like a pussy if you stood up for me,” he whispered back to her.
“It’s time,” Stone announced.
Jaymes gave Kensie a quick hug and returned next to Riah and Agent Stone. The three of them held hands and in a blink of an eye, disappeared.
Kensie laced her fingers between Jackson’s. Her hand was trembling.
“Keep your eyes closed. Trust that I’ll protect you no matter what happens, okay?” He tried his best to help and reassure her that everything would turn out just fine.
She nodded and reached up, kissing him. “I trust you,” she said as their foreheads touched. He held onto her to keep her safe and for his own peace of mind. Knowing that she trusted him meant a lot.
“Concentrate with me on where we need to go, Northcrest 1863.”
They closed their eyes and concentrated on where they were heading. Air rushed around them, whipping her hair into his face, and with the feeling of freefalling with this beautiful human being who’s life was in his hands, he took his job very seriously.
When the air died down, they both opened their eyes to find themselves in the middle of NorthCrest’s town, but with nobody in sight. There was dead silence.
“Something’s not right. We need to head for cover.” He kept hold of her hand as they ran to the nearest building, a church. Thankfully, the doors were unlocked and they rushed inside. He shut the doors and Kensie handed him a wooden board to place through the handles so no one could get in. That was when they turned to find that they weren’t alone.
There was a group of people gathered together, hiding in the pews, peeking over them to see who had entered.
A man dressed as a priest came forward. He was an older gentleman with only a few white hairs on his head. Kensie remained frozen next to Jackson, not having expected other people to be there.
“Our troops have already left, but there’s news that Lee’s approah is drawing closer to our town,” he informed.
Jackson knew that by being there, he looked like he’d
deserted his post. That would be cause for punishment or even death.
“I’m here by command, to try to keep the people safe. Keep low. Do you know close the rebels are?”
“I’m not sure, but I assume they’re close.” The priest nodded. “Be careful. War is no place for a woman. She can stay here with us.”
Kensie slipped behind Jackson not wanting to leave his side. Jackson needed to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible.
“I am taking my wife to her family before I go,” he explained. The priest glanced at them both, looking as though he wanted to say more but decided against it.
“Go, be safe.” The priest helped them find a different way out of the building from the back. He shut the door behind them and left them on their own. They needed to hurry and make their next decision on what to do, and they had to act fast.
Jackson hadn’t been around a battle before. Deep down he was scared, and he knew he needed to be brave for Kensie’s sake. He coiled his arm around her, his eyes fixed on her. He saw the fear in her eyes and promised himself he would get them out alive, however he had to.
“Neither of us is used to being thrown into the middle of the civil war, but this is what’s going to happen if we don’t get that artifact. We’re going to focus on the mission.” He handed her the pistol she’d handed him before they traveled there. “Try not to shoot me,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “To be honest, you may not even need it, this is just in case.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s the last thing you should be worried about right now. I hope I don’t need to use it.”
He gave her a quick kiss, not knowing if he’d ever have the chance to do it again, and took hold of her hand. They started running to the south between buildings.
Eventually, they didn’t have any more buildings or trees for protection, and they needed to run for their lives towards a treeline up ahead, knowing that they were close to the creek and the artifact.
As they ran, they started to hear gunshots growing closer to where they were. BANG. BANG. BANG. Shots rang out, reverberating through the air.
Kensie suddenly let go of his hand and he quickly turned around to find the Confederate and Union armies fighting way too close for comfort. They were getting nearer to the town. Jackson grabbed her hand again, as she seemed to be in shock from everything going on, and he tugged her in the direction of the treeline once more.
“Kensie! Hurry! We have to go!” he yelled back to her. She finally came back to the predicament they were in and ran as fast as she could.
They heard something soaring through the air, then landing and causing an explosion near them. He continued keeping a firm grip on her hand, so they didn’t get separated.
Gunshots grew even louder. They weren’t going to have enough time to find the artifact when they were almost directly in the center of the battle.
Over the noise, he heard her sharp breaths, nearly gasping for air. Something wasn’t right. He slowed enough to see she’d gotten shot, and blood was coming through her dress sleeve.
Oh no, god no. He’d had a feeling they wouldn’t get through this traumatic experience unscathed, and he was right. He needed to help her, but stopping entirely would get them both killed.
She collapsed to the ground and he kneeled down to see she was bleeding from her upper left shoulder. He needed to get them back to safety.
“I’m so sorry, Kensie. We have to leave now.” He got choked up as he held back tears. He held onto her hands and concentrated on traveling back to the safe house in LA, 2082.
She reached out and touched his face. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered and then passed out.
He returned to the living room of the safe house with her in his arms. Jackson was in tears as Riah hurried into the room and he used part of his jacket to slow the bleeding from Kensie’s arm. Jackson explained what had happened.
Jaymes and Agent Stone both returned at the same time to find Kensie hurt and unconscious. They eased her onto the floor and Jaymes kneeled down beside her.
“Stay with us, Kensie,” Jaymes pleaded for her life.
“Jackson, what happened?” Stone asked him off to the side.
Jackson wiped his tears away. “We were running as fast as we could and the battle was coming closer. Cannonballs and bullets were flying through the air. I tried to protect her, I swear.” He got choked up again retelling what had happened. Not knowing if she would be okay weighed heavily on him.
Stone hugged Jackson, and that was when he fell apart. He’d failed to keep her safe, and everyone was going to blame him for it—just like he failed to save his mother from her car accident. It was too much for him to bear.
“Listen to me,” Agent Stone whispered to him. “You did your job. You brought her back. You were put in a difficult situation and you tried your best. Do not blame yourself like you always do. Riah will do everything she can to keep her alive.” He patted his back and let him go.
Not only had Agent Stone become their boss, but he was also a lot like a father to both brothers.
Jaymes marched over to them with his nostrils flaring, and clenched fists at his sides. “You were supposed to protect her!” he yelled. “Why would you let this happen?!” He raised his voice even more as he pointed at his brother.
Stone nodded towards the door, and Jaymes stomped off outside with Stone following him.
Jackson started to rip off his itchy uniform and brogans, stripping down to his boxers and t-shirt.
Riah called him over for him to shine a light over Kensie’s shoulder (who was partially undressed so Riah could tend to her wound.) She started to clean the area and then began to extract the bullet that was lodged beneath her skin.
By this point, Jackson got himself under control and was watching Riah do what she did best: save lives. He now understood how Jaymes felt about losing Cassidy, and he wished he could have gone back and been a better brother to him while he was grieving.
Jaymes and Agent Stone returned to the room. Jaymes seemed to be calmer than before.
Riah was able to extract the bullet and stitch Kensie back up. “I’m going to need to get her something for the pain and help to move her somewhere more comfortable.”
“We can take her up to Jackson’s room,” Stone said. All the guys carefully carried her upstairs and laid her on Jackson’s bed.
“Is she going to make it?” Jackson asked, biting his nails nervously.
“She’s not going to be able to go after the artifact again. Someone else is going to have to do it, and soon. Once she gets some medicine, I think she’ll be all right. Without proper x-rays, I can’t say for sure.”
“I will search for the medicine and Jaymes and Jackson will return to find the artifact,” Agent Stone announced.
“How are we going to find it without Kensie? Jaymes asked.
“Take something with you to cover the artifact up. Whatever you do, don’t touch it with your bare hands,” Stone told them. “You will be professional on this mission and put your feelings aside to get this completed,” he ordered and left the room.
Riah made herself comfortable in a chair next to the bed where Kensie was resting so she could keep an eye on her. She could see the guys hesitating to leave.
“Look, Jackson got her back here just in time. That’s what matters. Once you get the artifact and she’s feeling better, we’ll hopefully be able to find out where the orb is. She’s safe with me, promise,” she assured them both.
10
Jaymes
Jaymes tried to bury his anger deep down. Of course, the last thing he wanted to do was go anywhere with his brother.
“Thank you, Riah. We’ll be back as soon as we can.” He and Jackson headed downstairs to redress into uniforms, and Jackson spotted a blanket that they could take with them. With everything they needed, they traveled back to 1863.
Jackson led his brother every step that he had made with Kensie. Jaymes remained vigilant to their surroundings i
n case they were ambushed. Once they came to the open field, they bolted as fast as their legs could take them to get to the treeline up ahead. There were shots fired close to them.
Jaymes soon concluded that he couldn’t be upset with Jackson, realizing this mission was much harder than anticipated. And if anything would have happened to his brother, he would never forgive himself.
“Hurry!” Jackson shouted back at him, and Jaymes picked up his speed, catching up to him. The shooting sounds were growing closer than before, and time was running out for both of them. Cannonballs were soaring overhead, and the shots that were being fired were coming dangerously close.
At last, they made it to the tree line just as a cannonball landed nearby.
“Get down!” Jackson yelled to his brother. Both of them hit the ground just as canister shot of metal shrapnel went flying everywhere, along with dirt that it had hit.
Jaymes heard the shrapnel hitting nearby trees and the creek right in front of them. A yell came out of his brother’s mouth that shook him to his core. His brother was in trouble. Jackson was only a few feet away and Jaymes started crawling over to him. Jackson was holding onto his leg with blood pouring out between his fingers. He needed to help make a tourniquet for his brother’s leg before going to find the artifact. Jaymes shook off his jacket and tied it tightly around the leg above where the metal was sticking out. He knew better to remove it and make it even worse, he could bleed out and die. He pulled his brother over near the water and left him leaning against a large rock while Jaymes dove into the water to search for the artifact.
Jackson tried to ignore the pain and concentrate on listening to the soldiers who were too close for comfort. They had to find the artifact and get out of there before they could be captured.
The water was about three feet deep and Jaymes looked carefully with every step he took to see any unusual color that didn’t belong in the water. The water filled his boots, making it harder to walk in the mud at the bottom.
“I hear them,” Jackson called over to Jaymes, making him aware that time was almost up. Something shiny and blue stuck out a few feet away from Jackson, and that was when a hail of bullets flew in their direction…