Stepping cautiously to one side, she peeked in the laundry room. Peter’s suitcase had been emptied and its contents flung around the room. With bated breath, she looked into Nicki’s bedroom. The room had been tossed and her bedroll torn to shreds.
Expecting Drake to attack at any moment, she made her way slowly to the living room. The TV was on, bathing the couch with a faint blue glow. Through the timewave, she could see into the TEMCO lab. She lowered her fists. Drake had obviously gone through the temporal portal.
Footsteps rang out behind her. She swung around. Peter was standing in the doorway, swaying on his feet. He clutched the wall, leaving bloody handprints on the wallpaper.
“I told you to stay put!” Laura said, running to his side.
His eyes twinkled in his pale face. “And I told you to wait. I guess we’re both a little hard of hearing.”
“Oh, shush up! And put your arms around my shoulders before you fall.”
Peter gave her a swift peck on the cheek. “So bossy! It’s a good thing I like domineering women.”
“You’ll see how domineering I can be if you don’t sit down,” she muttered, helping him over to the sofa. She stole a peek at his face. He looked like death warmed over. She knew he was in desperate need of medical care.
Peter collapsed on the cushions. “Do you think Drake went home?”
Nodding, she retrieved their game cartridge from behind the china hutch. “I’m glad we hid our cartridge before we went to the factory. Drake tossed our rooms. If he’d found our game, I’m sure he would’ve destroyed it.”
Peter motioned toward the TV. “The connection’s still viable—that isn’t a good sign.”
“I know,” she mumbled, removing Drake’s cartridge and plugging theirs into the PlayFest console. Immediately, a swirl of blue light filled the room as the temporal portal reestablished.
Peter’s breath hissed in his throat. “And that’s an even worse sign. Establishing contact without a lab tech’s assistance means the disengaging sequence wasn’t entered after Drake’s arrival. Something’s seriously wrong at TEMCO.”
Laura turned and looked at him. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to wait here while I check things out?”
“You’ve got that right,” he replied, struggling to his feet.
Laura looked at him sternly. “You’re in no condition to take on Drake. If he’s lurking in the lab, I’ll need to fight him again.”
“That’s why I’m going.”
Laura steadied him as he swayed. “In your condition, just what do you expect to do?”
Peter grinned. “I can always fall on him and squash him flat.” He tugged the red curl dancing beside her ear. “Come on, love, let’s go catch ourselves a spider.”
* * *
Under the shining stars, Zeke sat next to Nicole and watched their fire crumbling into burning embers. Nicole sighed and cuddled against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm gently around her.
“Zeke, what do you see?” she asked.
He smiled at her upturned face. “I’ll bet I should be seeing more than fire, shouldn’t I?”
She nodded. “I see a unicorn.”
“Where?”
Nicole pointed out the unicorn, and they began tracing pictures in the glowing coals just as they had in the clouds the day before. Suddenly, Zeke caught a glimpse of his shadow. His nose looked incredibly long. Wincing, he muttered, “My honker’s a dreadful sight, isn’t it? I’m glad you’re getting used to it.”
Nicole’s lips twitched. “Actually, I’m becoming quite fond of it.”
Blinking rapidly, he laughed. “Now that’s some serious progress!” Resting his head against her hair, he murmured, “It was a good day, wasn’t it?”
Her face was radiant in the flickering light. “It was the best!”
Zeke’s eyes gleamed as she cuddled closer. He could tell by the look in her eye that she wanted a kiss. He hesitated.
“Something wrong?” she asked, raising her hand to his cheek.
He sighed. “I probably better get you home.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “The firelight’s intoxicating, and we’re too tired to make smart decisions.”
Stroking his cheek, she murmured, “I don’t feel tired at all.”
He chuckled and captured her hand. “You’ve been up since 4:00 a.m. Trust me, you’re exhausted.”
“Afraid to be alone with me?” she asked, wrapping her fingers around his palm.
Laughing, Zeke rose to his feet. “Absolutely!”
“Afraid I’ll kiss you before you’re ready?” she asked, giving him a flirty glance.
“Nope,” he replied, helping her stand. “I’m afraid I’ll make the first move.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did,” she grumbled as he started packing their supplies. “I don’t want this to end.”
Leaning his guitar against a tree, he stepped close and reached for her hand. “This isn’t the end of anything. Our life together is just beginning.”
Biting her lip, Nicole turned her head. Her hair slipped over her cheek and hid her face.
Brushing her hair behind her ear, Zeke gently inquired, “You aren’t going to tell me that I’m taking a lot on myself seeing this is just our second date?”
He watched as she blushed and slowly shook her head—it was a beautiful sight.
“I know where this relationship is headed,” Nicole said softly. “And, Zeke, so do you.”
Triumph surged through his veins. He gently squeezed her hand.
Her blush deepened. “I suppose by admitting that, I’ve just lost the upper hand.”
Zeke’s booming laugh echoed over the forest. “Babe, you don’t need to worry about that. You’ll always have it.”
* * *
Holding Phoebe close, Alex sang about their home on the meadow. His stomach churned as he studied the bruises on her face—he couldn’t imagine the suffering she’d endured.
Phoebe sighed as he sang the final note. “We’ll go there soon?”
Brushing a stray curl from her forehead, he murmured, “Very soon. Your meadow home is waiting for you. Right now, the moon is shining through the trees, and the crickets are singing a soft lullaby. Shep’s lying by the fireplace, and everything is peaceful. Scary things are far away.”
Nestling her cheek against his chest, she whispered, “Sing it again.”
Suddenly, someone knocked at the door.
Alex felt Phoebe jump. He kept a calming arm around her shoulders as Katie peeked in and said, “Alex, your parents are here.”
His face lit up. “Already? I didn’t expect them for a few more hours.”
Phoebe frowned and carefully straightened his collar. “Your mom sure didn’t waste any time. She must really want a hug.”
Hearing a faint note of jealousy in her voice, Alex hugged her tight. “Here’s one for you.”
“I’ll take it.” She sighed. “Have fun, but hurry back.”
He looked at her in concern. “I won’t go if you feel unsafe.”
“I’m perfectly safe, and I know it. I’m just selfish. I don’t want to share you.”
“Feeling greedy over me?” Alex laughed. “Wow! Does that ever make me proud!”
She gave his shoulder a gentle shove. “Vain man! Go say hello to your mother.”
Smiling, Alex rose to his feet. “I’ll be right back. Promise.”
* * *
Drake glared at the brightly lit hospital. With smoldering eyes, he crept through a shadowed alley. Before reaching the hospital, he punched himself in the nose. Fresh blood began to gush. Smearing it with his thumbs, he made his appearance as gory as possible. Stumbling into a deserted courtyard, he approached a doctor who was smoking a cigarette.
“Help!” Drake groaned, collapsing against a retaining wall.
The doctor sprinted to his side. “What happened to you?”
“I was attacked,” he mumbled as the doctor held him up. “I feel like I’m
blacking out.”
“Don’t worry,” the doctor said, helping him into a side entrance. “I’m Dr. Ember. I’ll take good care of you.”
Drake’s eyes gleamed under partially closed lids. “I’m sure you will,” he purred.
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
A soft moan escaped Crystal’s lips. Cold tiles pressed against her cheek. Moving her hand, she felt something warm and sticky. Forcing her eyes open, she realized she was lying on the file room floor in a pool of her own blood.
Smelling smoke, she crawled slowly to her knees—her hands slipping in the gore. Her head felt like a squashed melon. Cautiously, she felt the wound. Her fingers traced over an object embedded in her scalp. She pulled it out and stared at it in disbelief.
“You have to be kidding!” she spat. “A staple? Not only did Drake hit me, he actually hit me with a stapler? Sheesh! Why couldn’t that ugly cretin whack me with something more dignified? I can already hear the campus jokes.” Rolling her eyes, she groaned and mumbled, “How many Klutzy Crystal’s does it take to staple a report? Answer: only one. She just needs to pull a few staples from her head first.”
Crystal tried to stand but ended up falling against a file cabinet. A stack of folders slid to the floor. The smell of smoke increased as grayish puffs crept under the door. Taking off her sweater quickly, she stuffed it in the crack. She twisted the doorknob frantically. Panic smothered her as she realized she was trapped inside a burning building.
“Hey!” she yelled, kicking the door. “Anyone out there? Help! I nee—!” Her voice collapsed into a violent spasm of coughing.
Looking around the claustrophobic room, she weighed her options. There weren’t many. The smoke was increasing. It was getting harder to breathe. Shuddering, she wondered if the smoke would get her before the flames. She hoped so. She hated the thought of burning alive.
Shivering violently, she began clawing at the door with bloody fingers. “Help!” she screamed. “Help me! I’m locked in here! Get me out!”
Pounding against the door, she yelled for all she was worth. She knew it was futile. She’d always hoped that if she faced a life-threatening situation she’d be able to do it bravely, but as she choked back a sob, she realized she didn’t feel brave at all—she felt nauseous. Turning to one side, she vomited. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t imagine a more gruesome way to die than the one she was facing. Banging on the door again, she began picturing her funeral. She wondered if Marc would be sad. She wondered if he’d even bother coming.
Suddenly, the door swung open, taking her with it.
Losing her balance, Crystal fell into Laura’s arms. Blinking in surprise, she sputtered, “For goodness sake, where’d you come from?”
“Through the portal,” Laura hastily replied. “Are you okay?”
“Just p-peachy,” Crystal stuttered, choking on smoke. “C-couldn’t be better.”
“What a whopper.” Laura muttered, grabbing Crystal’s sweater from the floor and pressing it to her scalp. “You’re bleeding like a sieve. Are you going to pass out, or can you help me?”
“I’m fine,” Crystal said, wiping the tears from her face. “What do you need?”
“Take care of Peter,” Laura replied, running across the room. “I must stop the flames.”
Turning, Crystal saw Peter propped against the wall next to the Staging Platform. She could see Nicki’s living room through the blue wave. Suddenly, Peter started sliding sideways, his wrists leaving arcs of red against the paint. Crystal helped him quickly to a chair.
“Thanks,” he mumbled. He pointed at her head. “You ran into Drake?”
Crystal nodded, grimacing at the pain the movement caused. “The crummy jerk clobbered me from behind and left me to burn alive. Speaking of which, shouldn’t we be getting out of here?”
“No, it’s okay,” Peter said, wincing as she grabbed his hands and held them above his heart.
“If you think this is okay,” she grumbled, “you seriously need to consult a dictionary and study some vocabulary. There’s nothing passible, acceptable, or tolerable about any of this!”
Peter laughed. Crystal couldn’t understand why. Smoke was pouring into the lab. The hallway was engulfed in flames. Coughs racked her body as she watched Laura pulling the lab door shut and sealing it from inside.
“Do you need me?” Crystal called.
“No,” Laura shouted above the roar of the fire. She grabbed a portrait of Stephen Hawking and threw it to the floor. “Just keep Peter’s hands elevated.”
“What on earth is she doing?” Crystal whispered to Peter. “Why is she messing with the artwork? Has she gone off the deep end?”
He chuckled. “She’s thinking clearly, I assure you. Remember when Poppa had Dan renovate the lab?”
“I should,” Crystal replied. “Hawking Hall was off limits for-ever.”
Peter coughed. “Poppa had Dan install a fire suppression system at the same time. The controls are behind Hawking’s portrait.”
Over the loudspeaker, a voice intoned, “Accelerated countdown. Two minutes to TEMCO emergency lockdown. Please exit the building. One minute and fifty seconds to TEMCO emergency lockdown.”
“What’s going on?” Crystal asked, her eyes widening in fear.
“In less than two minutes, vault doors will begin closing and carbon dioxide and halotron will be pumped into the burning parts of the building.”
“Sixty seconds to TEMCO emergency lockdown.”
Crystal clutched Peter’s arm. “Halotron! Are we safe in here?”
“We will be unless Laura forgets the manual override for the lab.” He shouted across the room, “Love, did you hit the override?”
“Twenty seconds to TEMCO emergency lockdown.”
Laura looked over her shoulder, her fingers flying over the wall’s keypad. “Do you think I’ve gone mushy brained? Of course I hit the override! Stop backseat driving and concentrate on not bleeding!”
Peter laughed.
“Five seconds to TEMCO emergency lockdown.”
“Better hold your breath, Cris,” Peter said with twinkling eyes.
Crystal knew he was joking, but she couldn’t stop her heart from lurching when she heard vault doors closing and the sharp hiss of gas. “I can’t believe Dan received permission for such a major renovation to Hawking Hall,” she said, trying to act causal while surreptitiously testing each breath for poison.
Peter smiled. “The dean was time counseled as a boy. When both Poppa and Dan showed up in his office and said the renovations were necessary, it was a forgone conclusion he’d agree.”
Laura walked over to them. Her hands were trembling, but her voice was steady. “While we’re waiting for the gas to clear, tell us what happened, Cris.”
Trying to look calm—and failing utterly—Crystal said, “When Drake came home, he said he’d been held prisoner. He was all beaten up, so I didn’t question him.”
Peter’s lips twitched. “He looked pretty bad, huh?”
“Someone really worked him over.” Crystal smiled. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
“No.” Peter laughed. “Laura had that honor.”
Whistling softly, Crystal looked at Laura in admiration.
“Go on, Cris,” Laura mumbled with red cheeks. “What happened then?”
“I filled him in on what’s been happening. I thought he was on our side.”
Laura’s breath hissed. “What do you mean exactly—filled him in?”
“I told him Gil and Phoebe were in the hospital…” Seeing Laura’s grim expression, Crystal’s words stumbled to a halt. “I shouldn’t have done that, should I?”
Peter squeezed her arm. “There’s no way you could’ve known.” He turned to Laura, but she was already at the phone, trying to contact the hospital.
“The line’s dead,” Laura said in a worried voice. “He must’ve cut the wires.”
“Do you have your cell phone, Cris?” Peter asked, struggling to his feet. “We le
ft ours at Nicki’s.”
Crystal steadied him as he swayed. “I’m afraid I misplaced it again. I don’t know why I bother having one at all. I’m always losing it.”
Laura ducked under Peter’s arm to support him. “In that case, we need to get to the hospital and sound the alarm.”
“I’m coming too!” Crystal exclaimed, quickly turning to her computer and typing the disengaging sequence for the Staging Platform. “It’s my fault Drake knows about the hospital.”
“I’ll admit we could use your help,” Laura said as Peter’s knees buckled.
“Atmosphere stabilized,” a voice intoned. “Lockdown terminated.”
Crystal heard the vault doors opening. “Will it be safe out there?” she asked.
Laura nodded. “The fire’s out. We’ll just need to be careful about the floor.”
Crystal helped Laura maneuver Peter through the lab door. The corridor was a blackened shell. Taking into account melting points and tensile strength, Crystal began calculating the stability of the charred boards beneath her feet.
Laura interrupted her thoughts. “Why are you still in town? I thought you were taking a cruise.”
“I was, but Zeke needed someone to spell him at the computer.” Crystal wrinkled her nose at the stench of burned plastic. “He was getting migraines.”
“We’ll make it up to you,” Peter said, leaning heavily on her shoulder.
“No need,” she replied. “If I’d gone sailing, I probably would’ve fallen overboard. Besides, there’s a glitzy charity ball coming up that sounds like a blast. I traded the cruise for a couple of tickets to the dance. If I’m going to spend a pint of money, it might as well be for a good cause.”
Laura paused as they passed by Dan’s office. Her body slumped when she looked inside.
Wondering what was wrong, Crystal peeked around the door and saw Dan’s safe hanging open. She gasped. “Drake was after the Wave Trapper, wasn’t he?”
Laura nodded. “It looks like he may have stolen it.”
Horror wrapped around Crystal’s heart. For the first time in her life, she was speechless. It was unthinkable for someone like Drake to be able to time travel at will.
Testing every step, they went down the marble staircase in silence. Miraculously, the first floor seemed untouched by fire.
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