“What’s he doing with it?” Simon asked. “It’s the only one we have now.”
His words hit her like a fist to the solar plexus. The only one?
“What do you mean? Yours is…” and she put it together. “Ooohlaf. You used the second set of compounds on his cell door, didn’t you?”
“It seemed like the proper thing to do at the time.”
“Proper? Oh, Simon,” she said taking hold of his arm. He was such a doodle sometimes.
Simon frowned uncomfortably. “As long as your watch works,” he said, “it doesn’t really matter.”
She felt a sudden rush of swelling panic and the tingle of adrenaline coursing through her system. She hadn’t considered that her watch would be their only means of escape. She’d just stupidly assumed that Simon would have his. Now, they were going to be stuck here.
Oddly, the prospect didn’t frighten her as much as she thought it would. All she’d wanted since this crazy business had started was to have Simon safe and by her side. If they survived the night and had each other, none of the rest of it mattered. At least, it didn’t matter to her.
“It will work, won’t it?” Simon asked.
“Oh, it’ll work, sort of,” she assured him. “But it just won’t be working for us.”
“What exactly do you mean ‘not for us’,” Simon said pinching the bridge of his nose. “I think you’d better explain to me what’s going on here, Elizabeth. From the beginning.”
“Right.” She pulled one of the stools out from under the table. “You’ll probably want to sit down for this.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Max parked the car on a side street near the park. Elizabeth had trouble letting go of the seat and it wasn’t because of Max’s driving. As she’d told Simon about her plan, the enormity of what was at stake hit home. Again. Simon’s life was still at risk. And so was Mary Graham’s and her child’s. And Max’s.
After Max pulled on the emergency brake, Elizabeth turned to him and said, “You don’t have to do this.”
He smiled. “I know.”
“But you don’t even know what this is all about and yet—”
“I like you,” he said simply and then cast a glance at Simon and raised an eyebrow. “Both of you.”
He opened his car door and stepped out. “I learned a long time ago that life is vastly more interesting when you say yes to it.” He smiled that winning smile. “Even when no one asks the question.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, knowing it was hardly enough to give to someone who was about to risk his life for her.
They made their way across the street and into the grove of trees that lined the edge of the park. It was less than half an hour until the earthquake. The building anticipation was fraying her already well-frayed nerves. She could only hope that Travers had been right about Mrs. Eldridge’s house surviving the quake. She’d ordered Teddy to take his butler Donald there and wait until she returned. She wasn’t sure if she believed in God or not, but she prayed to whomever might be listening for their safety.
The park was beautiful, but eerie. It was always strange to be somewhere deserted that was usually so filled with life. In that last hour before dawn, it felt as if nature itself knew what was coming and forced itself be still in anticipation. They slipped in and out of the trees, as Max led them toward the Temple of Music.
They emerged from the grove of trees onto the large open music concourse. Several rows of large shade trees lined a wide path that led to the base of the Temple. It was impressive, but not the best place to ride out an earthquake. The Temple, an outdoor music theater, was really an immense marble colonnade. Corinthian columns lined either side of a large inset band-shell, a sort of coffered-arch shaped stage.
Three figures stood at the top of the steps – Madame Petrovka, Stryker and Mary Graham. Elizabeth felt her heart pounding against her ribcage. This was it. She and Simon and Max walked forward. The gravel under their feet seemed absurdly loud in the quiet of the park.
They stopped about ten feet from the bottom of the stairs. Elizabeth’s throat was dry and her voice sounded strained. “Are you all right, Mary?”
Mary Graham was visibly shaking, but appeared unharmed. She started to step forward, but Stryker grabbed her arm. “I’m…I’m fine,” Mary said.
Madame Petrovka eyed Simon and Max carefully before addressing Elizabeth. “As you can see, I’ve held up my end of the bargain. Do you have yours?”
Elizabeth pulled the watch from her coat pocket and held it out.
Madame Petrovka nearly reached out, but stopped herself. “Very good,” she said breathlessly. “Bring it here.”
Simon put a hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “Send Mrs. Graham down first.”
Madame Petrovka cocked her head to the side and made a show of thinking about it. “I don’t think so.”
“I’ll bring the watch as she comes down,” Elizabeth said. “That’s SOP for this sort of thing, isn’t it?” She held out her hands to show she didn’t have any weapons. “No tricks.”
Madame Petrovka laughed. “Yes, we don’t like tricks, do we?” She nodded to Stryker who started down the steps with Mary Graham.
“Let me go,” Simon said as he held out his hand for the watch.
“I can do this,” Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and started toward the steps. There were probably a dozen shallow steps between them. Stryker and Mary were nearing halfway. Elizabeth picked up her skirts, climbed the stairs and met them in the middle.
Mary Graham’s eyes were filled with tears and she looked like she might pass out at any moment.
“It’ll be all right,” Elizabeth said.
Stryker held out one hand, the other still gripped Mary’s arm. “The watch?”
Elizabeth held the watch out and waited until Stryker let go of Mary before she dropped it into his hand. He examined the cover quickly. Then, he turned and ran up the steps toward Madame Petrovka. She snatched it out of his hand and held it up to the moonlight.
Elizabeth put her arm around Mary’s waist and started down the steps. They were almost halfway down when Madame Petrovka spoke.
“Kill them.”
Just as Elizabeth turned she saw Stryker stride forward and pull a gun out of his pocket. Elizabeth shoved Mary toward Max as Simon leapt forward and grabbed Elizabeth’s arm, pulling her down to the ground. The gunshot echoed against the band-shell and Elizabeth heard a grunt.
Simon rolled on top of her. Was he hurt? Had he been shot? “Simon?”
Mary Graham screamed and a second shot rang out. But it wasn’t like the first. It was louder, and yet, farther away. Elizabeth saw Simon’s face above hers. His eyes were clear, worried, but he seemed to be all right. Thank God.
She looked toward the stairs and saw Stryker’s hand spasm. The gun slipped out of his fingers and fell onto the steps.
Stryker stood frozen in shock for a split-second before he fell backwards, his head hitting the stone steps with a loud crack.
Simon’s hands cupped Elizabeth’s cheek. “Are you all right?”
They’d hit the ground so hard it had knocked the wind out of her. All she could do was nod.
Simon hurriedly got up and lunged for Stryker’s gun. He stood above Stryker ready to fire when he slowly lowered his arm. He turned back and looked behind them, where the second shot had come from.
“Petrovka,” Elizabeth said, gaining her breath again.
Simon ran up the rest of the stairs gun at the ready.
Elizabeth got to her knees and turned toward the woods behind them. In the distance, a dark figure stepped out from behind one of the trees of the colonnade, smoke still curling out from the end of his rifle. She’d know him anywhere.
“Gerald.”
She was about to go to him, when she heard mixed in with Mary Graham’s sobs, Max’s groans. She hurried to them and found Mary Graham kneeling over Max.
“He’s been shot,” Mary said betw
een tearful sniffles.
Elizabeth saw the blood seeping through Max’s shirt. There was a splayed bullet hole in his shirt. Why was it splayed outward? Was he shot in the back? She rolled him onto his side and saw a small hole in his back just beneath his shoulder. Through and through was better. Wasn’t it? Or was it the other way around?
“Oh, Max,” she said. He shouldn’t have come with her. What had she done?
“Told you I’d see this through to the end.”
Elizabeth eased his jacket lapel back to see the wound. A dark red circle blossomed near the armhole of his waistcoat. She tried to carefully move his shirt material to the side, but he gasped when she did.
Mary Graham cried louder in response.
Gerald knelt down next to them and laid his large musket down on the ground. “Let me see.”
“Tell my Aunt Lillian I love her.”
“You can tell her yourself,” Gerald said.
Max frowned. “What?”
Gerald pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed it under Max’s jacket over the wound. “Keep pressure on it,” he told Mary. When she didn’t respond he took her wrist and placed her hand over the wound.
With the help of his rifle, Gerald stood.
“He’s not dying?” Elizabeth asked.
“Not even a little. I’ll clean the wound when we get him home,” Gerald said and joined Simon at the top of the stairs.
Max lifted his head off the ground. “I’m not? Really?”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh and despite the pain, Max grinned.
Mary Graham brushed some dirt off his cheek. “You were very brave.”
“I was?” Max said.
Elizabeth left them and started up the stairs toward Simon. She passed Stryker’s body. A thick puddle of blood spread out behind his head and a single tear of blood spilled out of the socket where his eye had been. Part of her wanted to look away, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. It was a sickening thing to see a man die and worse still to be glad of it.
“Gone.” She heard Gerald grumble.
Pulling herself away from Stryker, she joined Simon and Gerald at the back edge of the main platform. Both men stood staring out into the darkness.
She touched Gerald’s arm and when he turned to look at her, she didn’t know what to say. He’d saved all of their lives. She wanted to give him a huge, sloppy hug, but knew he probably wouldn’t like it. She tried to resist the urge, but she couldn’t and threw her arms around him and squeezed for all she was worth. “Thank you, Gerald. Thank you.”
After a moment, she felt him awkwardly pat her back and then clear his throat.
Eventually, she let him go. “That was one heck of a shot.”
Gerald allowed himself a small smile, but then turned his attention back to dark woods. Once a soldier always a soldier.
“I still don’t like the idea of her out there with a watch,” Simon said.
“If Teddy did his job, she’s got a one-way ticket.”
“Even so,” Simon said shaking his head.
“We did what we had to do.”
Simon turned to her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine, but I think we should get Max out of this chill.”
“What time is it?”
Gerald checked his watch. “Quarter till.”
Simon nodded. “We need to get Mary and Max back to Mrs. Eldridge’s. It’s safe, isn’t it?”
Elizabeth nodded. “That’s what Travers said.”
“It’ll have to do. As much as I’d rather not be inside, fissures can open anywhere. Too many unknowns.” He held out his hand for Elizabeth to help her down the steps. “I think we’ll be safest at the house, but we need to hurry.”
Gerald and Simon helped Max to stand.
“Can you walk?” Simon asked.
He nodded. “But I can’t drive.”
Under Max’s tutelage, Simon managed to get the car started and after a few false starts, he got them home.
They arrived at Mrs. Eldridge’s with just minutes to spare. Unfortunately, Simon wasn’t used to driving a car without power steering or power brakes and he parked the car in Max’s usual spot, in the begonias.
Mrs. Eldridge and Teddy ran out to meet them.
“Maxwell!” Mrs. Eldridge said when she saw that he was hurt.
“Just a scratch,” he said.
She pursed her lips. “You ruined your best suit.”
He grinned. “Good to see you too, Aunt Lillian.”
With Mrs. Eldridge on one side and Mary Graham on the other, Max made his way up the front steps and into the house.
Teddy ran to Elizabeth’s side. “I wanted to come and help, but Gerald locked me in the bathroom.”
“You did help. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Everyone into the main hallway. In the back, away from the chandelier,” Simon ordered in a voice that brooked no argument. “Take down all of those paintings and plants. Anything that can fall.”
“What’s going on?” Mary asked.
“In about one minute we’re going to have an earthquake, Mary,” Elizabeth said. “A really, really big earthquake. I need you to look after Max, can you do that for me?”
“Yes.” They both helped Max down to sit on the floor.
Max grimaced, but didn’t seem to be doing to badly. “About that earthquake…”
“I’m afraid, you’re just going to have to trust me on this one.”
Simon had grabbed cushions from the salon and handed them out. “Get down and cover your heads with these.”
Elizabeth had always thought the worst part of an earthquake was the surprise of it. Now, as she waited for one to come, she wasn’t so sure.
Teddy and Gerald helped Donald down to the floor. Teddy handed him a pillow and put his arm around the old man.
Gerald helped Mrs. Eldridge to the ground and took her hand. “Just hold onto to me, Lillian.”
Just as Simon was coming to Elizabeth, it struck. It started with a deep rumble just like the proverbial freight train. It grew louder and more insistent and then a loud boom ruptured the air and the entire house started to shake. Simon was nearly thrown off his feet. He held on to the wall and struggled to her side. He wrapped his arms around her as they fell to their knees together and held on to each for dear life.
She’d been through a few minor earthquakes before, but never anything like this. It was like a giant had shoved their entire house ten feet and then jerked it back again and then shook it like a baby’s rattle. And the sound was deafening. The walls shook and cracked and popped. She could hear cabinets opening, spilling out their contents to the floor and slamming shut again. The chandelier swayed back and forth, nearly touching the ceiling. The crystals clinked against each other and a few fell like icicles to the floor.
Glass shattered and each large jerk came with a horrible booming sound. And beneath it all was a deep, sickening roar. Elizabeth shut her eyes and tried push down the fear and dread in her chest.
She started to feel dizzy when she realized the entire house was rolling. Waves of earth undulated underneath them and then another vicious jolt came and another. What if they’d been wrong? What if the house shook apart around them?
Mary Graham cried out and Elizabeth heard Max telling her it would be all right. It felt like the shaking would never stop. It ebbed and flowed and each peak was more horrible than the last until, finally, the shaking began to slow. And eventually, it ended.
Elizabeth gripped Simon’s hand even tighter then, sure the earth was just playing with her and another worse tremor was sure to follow. There was something primal and deeply disturbing about an earthquake, like the planet itself was trying to shrug you off its shoulder. They waited for an anxious minute before believing it was truly over.
“Is everyone all right?” she asked. Frightened murmurs answered her.
Simon helped Elizabeth stand and they took stock of the house. It wasn’t b
adly damaged. At least Travers hadn’t lied about that. Some lamps had overturned, books were tossed from their shelves and several of the windows had shattered, but it could have been far worse. And, Elizabeth thought with a sinking feeling. It would be.
Like nearly everywhere else in the city, the survivors stumbled from their houses out into the street. Most people huddled in their nightclothes and chattered anxiously. Nob Hill had been spared the worst of it. Most of the houses were still intact, but she knew that the rest of city lay in ruins. Already, the smoke from dozens of fires filled the morning sky. The worst was yet to come.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Simon looked down the block in the direction of City Hall, but he couldn’t see much. The penumbral eclipse that would take them home was scheduled to begin in less than an hour. And he had no idea when the next would come. They had to try to get to his watch, which was still locked up in the jail at City Hall, before then.
He came back to Elizabeth’s side. “We should go.”
“What do you mean?”
“The watch. We have to at least try to retrieve it. It’s possible the earthquake destroyed it, but if there’s a chance we can return home, Elizabeth, we have to take it.”
He could tell from her expression that she knew he was right, but wasn’t ready to accept it just yet. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the luxury of time just now. When did they ever?
“Max is hurt,” Elizabeth said, but Simon could tell even she didn’t buy her own excuse.
“The others can take care of him. Elizabeth, we don’t belong here. You know that.” What he didn’t say, couldn’t say in front everyone else, was that he wanted to start again with her, to build a new life back home.
Elizabeth looked around at the others. “I just didn’t think it would be this hard.”
Much to his chagrin, he found himself feeling much the same way. He’d grown surprisingly attached to these people. He hated to press the issue, but they didn’t have time to spare. “We need to go. And if the watch has been destroyed you might get your wish anyway.”
“That isn’t what I’m wishing for,” she said. And he could see in her eyes, as difficult as it was, she’d made up her mind.
Out of Time Series Omnibus (Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance & When the Walls Fell) Page 50