15 Minutes- The Complete Saga Boxset

by Jill Cooper

  Daniels pulls the safety from the gun and I raise my hands. He’s saying that some how I pull myself out of this bottomless pit? That some how I will rise above it all? It must have been because of Molly. Somehow seeing her—

  “I won’t. I promise.” I grovel and stare up at him. A pathetic, lonely, middle-aged man, with no one coming to help him. No one to come and save him.

  Daniels laughs. “I’ve heard promises like that before. Good night, Donovan James.”

  He fires the gun and there’s warmth between my eyes like the comfort of a blanket, a good shower. And then there’s just nothing.

  The stillness and blankness of nothing.

  It’s a welcome relief.

  12: Future: Cassidy

  Morning comes fast when you can’t sleep until well after 2A.M. With it comes the steady pulse of a headache. So much has happened. There’s so much information to parse, to analyze, that I can’t think about anything but brewing the first pot of coffee.

  Dressed, except for an unbuttoned dress shirt, I pour the hot liquid gold into travel mugs, slosh it with some heavy cream, and tighten the lids.

  “Thanks, sweetheart.” Jeff kisses my cheek as he takes his travel mug from me and my fingers quickly get busy buttoning up my shirt. By the time I reach for my Rewind jacket, he’s sipping his coffee and giving me a level stare.

  Neither of us dares say what we want.

  Instead, the little moments between us are cordial and filled with whispers of tenderness.

  Quickly, I style my hair so my blond curls are freshened and I apply some lip-gloss. When I return to the kitchen, Jeff is still there and he’s put lunch into a bag for me.

  “Awfully nice of you.”

  He pulls me into his arms. “Today, I think you’re going to need it.” Jeff’s lips find mine and his hand slips into my pocket, leaving something behind. “Try to find me for lunch if you can.”

  My promise is a smile and my hand finds my pocket, feeling the note left behind. I don’t pull it out then. Instead, I grab my travel mug and head into the office.

  Into Rewind. Belly of the beast.

  The subway seems to take forever and the walk to my desk feels as if it’s a walk of shame; the other officers watching me from behind their morning coffees. I keep my head high, even though it’s painful, and slide into my chair.

  I sip my coffee and finally unfold the note. Please be careful today in everything you do. Tonight, quiet dinner by the fire. Love you forever.

  Biting my lip, I crumble the note and slide it back into my jacket pocket. I can’t deny I’m terrified and want to give it all up. Leave Rewind and Daniels alone. However, if I do…if I do and the system is corrupt, then how can I sleep at night? I’m supposed to be an officer of the law; the evidence is images from the future. If they can be manipulated, all hope is lost.

  The captain sticks his head out from his office and waves me in. “Winters, come.”

  “Yes, captain.” I take a deep breath and stand, smoothing my pants to steady my nerves, but there’s no calming the rapid pace of my heart.

  Mahoney, one of the older officers here, nods his head. “You’ll be okay, Cass. You’re a good cop.”

  I just hope that’s enough.

  ****

  Captain Franklin Davis’s office is clutter free, just the way he expects all of his officers to operate. He’s a stickler for details and while I have great respect for him and the authority he wields, I’ve always been a little terrified of him.

  It’s hard to swallow the lump in my throat as I close the door. When I stand by his desk with my wrists crossed behind my back, Davis points to a chair. “Sit.”

  I sit, even though I’m jumping with nerves. My back is straight and my hands are balanced on my knees, to keep them from rocking all over the place. “Sir.”

  Davis regards me as he leans back in his chair and his fingers net together. If he’s trying to unnerve me, he’s doing a good job. “Quite the little stink we had last night, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry about that, sir.”

  He crosses his arms. “I’m sure you are. Mistakes happen. Doesn’t explain why you ran from the security guard at the office, though. You could have explained it all away with a few simple words. Instead, you ran like a fugitive. And your boyfriend didn’t help any.”

  “Guess I didn’t want to explain myself to a lowly security guard. Just wanted to get home.”

  Our eyes lock. Davis says, “Hmmm,” and rubs his chin as he considers believing me. I want to know if he’s buying my story at all but he doesn’t give any clues one way or the other.

  “When I spoke with Jeff on the phone, he sounded pretty upset. Worried about you. Turns out he just forgot he asked you to go to his office and retrieve his computer?”

  “He asked me earlier at dinner. After a few drinks and bed, well, he was just forgetful.”

  Davis sighs; big and drawn out, as if he wants me to know what a headache I’m causing him. “I’m trying to determine which of you need the mental health check-up.”

  “Yes, Sir.” My eyes slide away, focusing downward, at the desk.

  “As an officer of the law you know you can’t just borrow someone’s ID to grab something at his office, even if it’s with consent. Not without first notifying security. Especially at Rewind. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’re stirring up for this precinct? For me?” Davis stands and paces over to the window.

  “Officers must be above reproach, no matter the circumstances. No matter what, Winters. There are eyes staring down at us that go above Rewind. If one of us does something above the law, then it makes us all appear above the law. And when that happens, Global Law will suffer.”

  “It won’t happen again, Sir.” I stand to face him, cross my wrists in front of me.

  Our eyes lock and his say they believe me.

  “I’d never want to bring judgment down upon you or our office.”

  Davis holds up his hand. “Good. I don’t want to have to go to bat for you again with Rewind. Not this year. Not ever. I only have so many favors I can call in.”

  I dodged a bullet today. “I’ll stay out of their line of sight from now on.”

  Davis nods his approval. “Whatever you were really doing there, it ends today. I don’t want to see you doing anything outside of what’s on your docket.”

  My eyes fall away as I nod. As I make a promise, I know I can’t keep. I turn toward the door and Davis asks me one more question.

  “Why did you run a search on that name? Where did you hear it?”

  “Sir?” I turn with a head tilt.

  “Lara Montgomery.” He says the name with disdain. “Where did you hear her name?”

  “Where did you hear it?” I whisper my response.

  Anger swells in his eyes as his chest puffs out. “You will leave her alone, do you hear me? Forget you’ve ever heard that name. If you don’t…I can’t protect you, Cass. Not from that.”

  I wish I could talk to Davis off the record, away from the cameras and the prying eyes that always surround us. What does he know about a woman who went missing seventy years ago and why is she so important? What secrets did she keep that would scare Rewind so thoroughly?

  “I better get to work.”

  “Make sure that’s all you get to.” The captain’s warning words resound in my ears. Warning heard, but heeded?

  I don’t think I can walk away no matter what.

  ****

  I count myself lucky, I still have a job. Back at my desk, I file some paperwork and review who needs to be apprehended for the day. I flag some cases that I have time to handle and put in a quick call to Katie Jackson, to arrange a time that I can ask some follow-up questions.

  “Sure,” Katie coughs. “I’ll be here most of the day.”

  “This afternoon. I promise it won’t take long. I just have a few things I need to wrap up first.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then. Do you want me to put on some tea?�
�

  “No thanks,” I push my hair back and watch the other officers move around the room, as if them just being there they are able to read my mind. My intentions. “I’ll pick up something special for you, though. A snack.”

  Katie laughs and I think it’s been awhile, a long while since she’s done so.

  Hanging up, I head out to catch up on my caseload, but first I head across the street to the small convenience store for a snack. Maybe even a soda. Nothing says I’m treating myself like carbonation.

  I pull the door open and someone pins me from behind. Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I see a man in a trench coat rounding into the alley. He’s wearing a super old-school fedora and when he turns to look at me; he lifts his sunglasses to give me a penetrating stare.

  What the hell is this about?

  Letting go of the door, I follow him into the alley. It smells like rotten fish and mildewed laundry, as if wet clothes have been left in the washer too long. Against the outside walls of the buildings are discarded boxes and trash blows in the breeze.

  The man walks toward the fence as if he’s going to go through it. I put my hand on the baton at my waist and call out to him. “Stop in accordance with Global Law.”

  He stops and spins around slowly. His hands are up and in the air. “Is there something wrong, officer?”

  Damn straight there’s something wrong. “Hold out your hands. And do it slow.” I flip my wrist over to activate my Link and bring up the TTD database, but my eyes are drawn toward the pavement.

  There’s a growing shadow approaching from behind. I unclip my baton at my waist and pivot to clash with whoever is behind me, but I take a blow to the head.

  I crumble to the ground and stare up at whoever it is, but I can’t see anything as the sun’s glare is shinning right into my eyes. Squinting, I take another strong blow to the back of the head and fall unconscious.

  ****

  Water.

  There’s the sound of running water. Dripping. Splashing.

  I snort awake and sit up. My neck clenches as if I have whiplash and I moan, grabbing the back of my head. The room I’m in splits in two and I rub my temples.

  Gazing around, I see I’m not in a room so much as a cargo bay stacked with boxes. There’s a small table with empty chairs slid beneath. Over in the corner is a counter stacked with boxes of shelf stable food—cereal, canned stew, and something horrible called spam.

  Swinging my legs around, I try to stand, but realize they won’t support my weight yet. Frightened, my chest clenching with anxiety, I try my comm, swiping my fingers across my wrist.

  Red and yellow flashes against my skin: BLOCKED

  Blocked? Whoever heard of such a thing??

  I use the table to pull myself up and my fingers feel along the calluses of the wall; it’s almost like stucco. The windows are round and small.

  A boat.

  I’m in the cargo hold of a boat and my nose burns with the scent of salt. The pain floats into the front of my head and I pinch the skin between two fingers and roll it. I need to figure out where I am and how to get off.

  Behind me, I hear the sliding of the door and the click of footsteps. I expect the sound is from their high heels. On instinct, my hand reaches for my baton, but it’s long gone. I slap my hands on my hips. “I might appear to be at your mercy, but when Rewind discovers what you’ve done…”

  I turn and I stutter into silence. I haven’t seen the woman in front of me in ten years, but there’s no mistaking the silver curly hair pinned to her head or the soft wrinkles of time that line her lips and nose. She’s dressed in all black from her boots to her pants and even the light jacket she wears. Her bright red lips beam at me and tears shine in her eyes. “My dear Cassidy.”

  For a dead woman, her makeup is flawless. “Granny?” My voice is a mere whisper, maybe something even shallower.

  She nods slowly and reaches for me. “I had no choice but to leave you ten years ago. If I hadn’t I’d be dead. Real. I had no choice, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.”

  I stare at her wrinkled hand that still waits for me to accept it, but I can’t. “You lied to me. I lost Mom and Dad. And then…” my chin quivers, “and then you too.”

  Tears twinkle as she gazes at me. “It was hard but it had to be done. I was needed, but now I’m back to help you. I’m back to teach you everything. Who you really are in all of this.”

  “In all of what?” I don’t understand any of it and if Granny doesn’t start explaining soon, I think I might lose my mind.

  “Out of everyone, you always had questions, but for a long time,” Granny sighs like the weight of the world is on her shoulder, “a long time I remained silent. When I couldn’t deny what was happening anymore, I knew I had to act. Too many people were getting hurt.”

  I have no idea what Granny is talking about and I wish I did. Maybe she’s losing her mind and there’s nothing of important for her to tell me, but inside I’m twisted up. “Granny—.”

  “Then your parents died and I was terrified. Terrified I’d lose you too. You became so close to him and if I hadn’t left when I did, I would have been dealt with.” Granny’s face is sad as she stares off at the wall.

  “Who are you talking about?” I ask quietly.

  She pats my hand. “Who do you think I’m talking about? You know, don’t you? How he’s manipulating everyone and everything. He’s seen the future and now…now he controls it. He’ll do whatever he has to in order to protect his empire. Stay in control.”

  Daniels. But how…I dare not say his name aloud. “You were friends. When I was little you were friends.”

  “I was deceived. Mislead.” Granny’s eyes darken. “He looked into your future and he saw everything he needed. He saw how you would be his undoing. And he kept you close. He knew your parents, my sweet Julie, would stop him. That’s why they’re no longer here.”

  I try to digest what she’s saying, but I can’t. It’s seems the ranting of a mad woman. My parents died in an accident. They weren’t killed. “I have no future.”

  “Or,” Granny’s mouth twists with sadistic sour, “he had them deleted. Haven’t you ever wondered if the data is being manipulated?”

  My heart patters along. I don’t know how Granny knows so much, suspects so much, but it can’t be a coincidence.

  “Reynold Jackson--.”

  Granny nods. “My friend and an enemy of his. And now Reynold is dead. Convenient or something worse, don’t you say?”

  I gaze around the ship. We’re on the open water in a boat with no tracking or Rewind cameras that I can see. The open sea is one of the few places Rewind can’t watch everything. We’re on a floating privacy vessel.

  “You’re with the resistance.” I hold my breath when I say it. I can’t believe my granny is alive and worst of all has been working against Rewind all this time.

  Why didn’t she tell me? Why couldn’t I know?

  Would I have turned her in, back then, when I believed in Rewind so thoroughly?

  She nods. “I’m their leader, for lack of a better word.”

  My face flushes red. “I always knew Maria James was a figurehead, speaking for someone else. So does Daniels, he’s said as much to me.”

  Granny crosses her wrists in front of herself. “Maria James is a good friend and…like family. I wish I could say more about her, but there’s no time, Cassidy, to go into everything we know. I hope someday, but not today. Not if we’re going to stop Daniels.”

  Stop him? There’s no stopping him. I laugh at how absurd it sounds. “There’s no proof. Never is. Just my word against his.”

  “The proof is everywhere. It’s around us all the time, Cassidy. You’re smart. You know everything, even this is being cataloged. Just have to find where. The source files.”

  She’s right. But even if I can get it before Daniels catches me, I’ll never get it in the hands of someone who can do something about it.

  Granny smiles. “She’s wait
ing for you already. You just have to find her.”

  “Who?” I’m on the edge of my seat.

  Granny doesn’t answer. I understand why she doesn’t come out and tell me. Could it be so horrible she can’t even say it aloud? Instead, she reaches around her neck, and takes off her necklace and places it in my hand. She’s worn it for as long as I can remember. A heart shaped pendant.

  “When you find her, show her. She’ll trust you if she sees that. She’ll help you stop Daniels.”

  I’m about to ask her something else when a knock comes from the closed door. “Molly, we’re ready.”

  Granny nods. “Leave us.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”

  “We have to return you before you’re missed. We can do a lot of things, but accounting for large chunks of time isn’t one of them.

  “None of this should be possible. Daniels should have been able to see you were going to abduct me and stop it before it happened.”

  She smirks as if she holds a secret. “The future is always in flux. That most important truth is one Daniels doesn’t want to get out. Things we do now, affect the future and sometimes the trail can’t be so easily followed. Some people are able to affect the future just by merely existing. We Montgomery’s are better at it than most.”

  Her maiden name. It’s been such a long time since I’ve heard it, I almost forgot it.

  “I have a lot of regrets, Cassidy. My husband. You. My daughter,” Granny takes a deep sigh. “I lost your great Uncle Mike so many years ago now. I just wanted you to be safe. But none of us are safe. None of us has ever been safe. If we’re going to fix this, if you’re going to fix it, you have to be quick.”

  But how can I leave her here? How can I just get up and go? My heart is heavy as she squeezes my hand and I hug her. “I just got you back.” The truth of my words paralyzes me. I don’t want to let her go.

  “I’ll be just fine if you fix this problem. Maybe one day, we’ll even get to have another cup of tea. But for now,” Granny closes my hand around the locket. “Go do your job and don’t forget, tell Lara how much I’ve missed her these last fifty years.”