“I’ll bet you’re excited,” Marc said, tossing his backpack on a chair. “The field exam is so unreal. I can’t believe you’re going to be leaping through a TV and traveling through time.”
Crystal pushed at her owlish glasses. “Time surfers don’t leap through televisions, Marc. The Staging Platform opens a small time portal right in front of a child’s TV, so it appears as if the surfer is going through the screen, but no one could really jump through a television. I’m afraid you’re falling for a common misconception.”
Marc pursed his lips. “Oh?”
She nodded. “Personally, I think the television paradigm is limiting TEMCO. Lab techs could attach a time portal to a wall just as easily, and I don’t see why the portals have to be so small. Although it takes a tremendous amount of energy to harness a timewave, I believe that with a few tweaks to GAP, a portal roughly the size of a doorway could be created. I have several ideas that I’d like to run past Director Matthews when he has a chance to listen.”
“I’m sure you do,” Marc said dryly. “I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have an expert like you explaining things to me—please continue.”
“Oh, I’m not an expert,” she said earnestly. “But I don’t mind clarifying things. Understanding portals can be tricky…”
Hearing Crystal’s voice trail away, Gil winced. She knew that Cris was finally figuring out that Marc was making fun of her.
With a bright red face, Crystal mumbled, “But you already know about portals, don’t you? I mean, we’re taking the same classes. I mean…” She turned away sharply and tripped over a chair.
Marc rolled his eyes. “Pack up your breakables—Klutzy Crystal’s on the loose.”
Ryan glared at Marc and put his hand on Crystal’s shoulder. “Don’t mind him.”
“I need to learn to keep my mouth shut,” she mumbled. “No one wants to hear me ramble on.”
“That’s not true. I like hearing you talk.” Ryan gave her a smile. “Are you going to the Bible study in Heisenberg Hall this week?”
Crystal shook her head so vigorously that her messy bun came undone.
“You haven’t attended for the last two months. We all miss you.”
“I’ve been really busy, Ryan, I’ve got…”
As Crystal and Ryan walked away and their conversation faded out of range, Gil turned on Marc. “Cris is a really nice girl. You should give her a chance.”
Marc didn’t reply. Instead, he looked over at the lab door. “Who are they?”
Gil glanced over at the group of people entering the lab. “My guess would be next year’s freshman recruits. I’ll bet they had their interviews today.” She groaned a little. “What a lousy afternoon for me to finish up my practicum scans. With a freshman tour slowing things down, I’ll never get a nap.”
“Don’t worry. I hear Director Matthew’s voice in the hall. He’ll get things running smoothly.”
At that moment, a tall man with brown hair and hazel eyes entered the lab. Tossing his lab coat over a chair, he addressed the milling crowd of students. “Freshman recruits, please take a seat. A time retrieval is about to take place, and I’m sure you’ll find it fascinating. Junior cadets, take your places at the GAP controls.” Director Peter Matthews motioned for Gil to join the freshmen. “After Zeke arrives home, the techs will finish your practicum scans.”
Gil nodded and grabbed a chair. Beside her, a woman with golden freckles sat down and said, “Isn’t this the most thrilling thing you’ve ever seen? I can’t wait to find out if I’ve been accepted into TEMCO.”
“Me either,” said a man on the other side of her.
Gil smiled. “I’m afraid you’ll both have to wait a little while. I don’t think the acceptance letters will be mailed for a few more weeks. By the way, I’m Gil.”
“Phoebe Reynolds,” the woman said with a dimpled grin.
“And I’m Drake Procerus,” the man said, offering his hand.
“I’m pleased to meet you both. Welcome to TEMCO.”
“Do you work here?” Drake asked as white-coated techs rushed around the room.
Gil shook her head. “I’m just a senior cadet, but if I pass my field exam I hope to become a professional time counselor.”
“I can’t believe it takes four years to get your master’s degree through TEMCO.”
“It’s not just a master’s degree,” Gil replied. “It’s also an internship and a chance to earn your Time-Counselor License. Once you earn that, you may be chosen to join TEMCO’s staff.”
“Is the program hard?”
Gil gave a snorting chuckle. “It’s murder, but it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I think I’ll die if I don’t earn my license.”
“Is that a possibility?”
She nodded. “Every senior cadet is required to take a practicum field exam, but not every cadet earns their license. The standards are pretty high.”
“It seems like a lot of work on a gamble,” Drake mumbled.
“Not really,” Gil said, pushing back her bangs. “Even without a license, once you earn your degree, you can pretty much choose your own job in the private sector. I’ve already had six job offers from firms around the country, and I haven’t even graduated yet.”
“Are they good jobs?”
“They are if you like earning a lot of money, but that’s not my goal. Some students use TEMCO as a stepping stone to fabulous careers in other fields, but I want to work here. Becoming a professional time counselor is…” Gil’s voice trailed as the Staging Platform began to shimmer with a faint blue glow.
“What’s happening?” Phoebe whispered.
“Last week, Zeke Masters traveled nineteen years into the past on a counseling assignment. He’s a professional time surfer, and he’s about to come home.”
Over the intercom Marc’s voice intoned, “Contact in three, two, one…”
The cloudy light on the platform brightened and swirled. Behind the captured timewave, Gil could see a large-nosed man with thick glasses standing beside a fifteen-year-old boy.
“Zeke,” Director Matthews said, “it’s good to see you.”
“You too. What’s the status?”
The director turned to a bank of computers on the adjacent wall. “I think I’ll let one of our third-year cadets tell us that.”
Crystal’s excited voice rang out, “You’re at a one hundred percent probability factor. Your case subject’s life is back on track.”
“Hey, Cris”—Zeke laughed—“have you finally got your hands on the controls?”
Crystal nodded. “I sure have, and I’m never going to budge now that I’m here.”
“You’d better watch out, Director.” Zeke chuckled. “Someone’s after your job.”
“I’m not worried.” Director Matthews smiled. “TEMCO has several positions available for someone with Miss Stuart’s qualifications.”
Zeke turned to the teenage boy on his left. “Well, Andy, it looks as if things are finally looking up. A one hundred percent probability factor means your future’s out of danger.”
“I’m so relieved,” the teenager said in a voice choked with emotion. “I never would’ve gotten through this without you. When I think about what I was planning—”
“Don’t think about it—it’s over now. You have a bright future ahead of you.” Zeke smiled through the time portal. “Cris, just for fun, why don’t you tell Andy what he becomes when he grows up.”
Crystal bent forward—her fingers flying across her keyboard. Suddenly, she motioned for the director to draw near. “GAP won’t let me see what Andy becomes. It keeps telling me to observe Condition Gold Protocol. I’ve never even heard of Condition Gold.”
“What does that mean?” Andy asked anxiously. “I thought I was in the clear.”
“You are,” Zeke said firmly. “Condition Gold means you’re going to become something so important that we don’t want it revealed to the public. I should’ve realized your future would be cl
assified. Trust me, Condition Gold is a very good thing.”
Andy bit his lip. “I’m never gonna see you again, am I?”
“That’s not necessarily true. Practice the racquet ball returns I taught you. If we come across each other in the future, I’ll challenge you to a game.”
“You’ve done so much for me,” Andy choked out. “I can never thank you enough.”
“You don’t need to try,” Zeke replied, putting a friendly hand on Andy’s shoulder. He looked through the portal at the people in the lab. “Are you ready for my retrieval?”
Ryan nodded. “Staging Platform is set and prepared. You can come through any time.”
Zeke smiled at Andy and stepped through the shimmering curtain of blue light. Several blinding flashes illuminated the platform as he entered the lab.
“Don’t forget the things we talked about,” Zeke said, looking back through the portal at the teenager. “Forgiveness is key. Bitterness will destroy you.”
Andy nodded and waved. The swirling blue light began to disperse. Within seconds, the timewave had vanished, leaving the platform dark and quiet.
Crystal jumped out of her chair and ran toward Zeke. “I really missed you!”
“The feeling’s mutual. How about grabbing a bite to eat? That is, if you can bear to rip yourself away from GAP controls.”
As Crystal nodded, Marc and Ryan strolled toward them.
“Would you two like to join us?” Zeke asked cheerfully. “After living on nothing but TEMCO energy bars, I can’t wait to get my teeth into a nice, juicy steak.”
“That’d be terrific,” Marc replied. “It’ll be my treat.”
Crystal fell back a step. “Zeke, I have an errand to run. You and the guys catch up. We’ll meet later, okay?”
“Sure,” Zeke said slowly, “if that’s what you’d prefer.”
As Zeke’s group moved to the other side of the lab, Phoebe looked at Gil with glowing eyes. “Time retrieval’s awesome!”
“It is pretty exciting.”
“I’ll bet you can’t wait for your turn to time surf,” Drake said as a tech invited the freshmen to begin touring the lab. “When will you get your chance?”
Giving a nervous giggle, Gil replied, “Tomorrow afternoon.”
“Oh, you lucky thing,” Phoebe gushed. “Who are you counseling?”
Gil smiled. “A ten-year-old boy named Danny.”
CHAPTER FIVE
At the unholy hour of 5:00 a.m., Gil drove to NSU’s fitness center and parked her car. Yawning widely, she scanned the barren lot for William’s car—it wasn’t there. Puffing out her cheeks, she tried to decide if she wanted to go to the bother of swimming after all. Suddenly, her eyes began to sparkle. Just because William’s car wasn’t in the lot didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t at the pool. Sometimes, he parked over at Hawking Hall and walked to the gym.
Grabbing her duffle bag, she went into the gym and saw Ryan, Marc, and Kyle Carson lifting weights. She waved at them and continued toward the women’s locker room.
“Hi, Gil,” Ryan said cheerfully. “Getting some exercise before your big afternoon?”
She nodded. “I have some nervous energy I need to expend. Are you the only ones here this morning?”
“Kailee and June are back on the ellipticals,” Marc replied, “and Jake’s in the sauna.”
Kyle smirked. “If you’re wondering about Dr. Ableman, we haven’t seen him this morning. Were you expecting him?”
“Not especially,” Gil replied in a frosty voice.
Kyle’s smirk deepened. “What’s up with you two?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, come on. I’ll bet there’s more than swimming going on during your early morning exercise sessions.”
Gil’s eyes shot sparks as she stepped toward him. “Just what do you mean by that snide comment?”
Kyle started to reply, but Ryan interrupted. “He didn’t mean anything. We all know that you and Dr. Ableman are straight arrows.”
“We are,” Gil said stiffly. “The doc’s my friend. That’s all.”
“Maybe so.” Kyle grinned. “But you want to be more than his friend, don’t you?”
“That’s none of your business!”
Kyle opened his mouth to make another comment, but Ryan gave his shoulder a rough shove. “Will you shut up? Leave her alone.”
“Don’t get testy. I’m just having a little fun.”
“Well, I’m not,” Gil snapped, stalking toward the locker rooms.
“Hey, don’t go away mad,” Kyle called out as she stormed past. “I’m just giving you a hard time.”
Ignoring him, Gil went into the locker room and slammed the door. After she had changed into her swimsuit and slipped into the empty pool, she looked over at the men’s locker room and sighed. She was hoping that William would join her, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t. If he’d heard a comment like Kyle’s, it might explain why he was avoiding too much private time with her. She grimaced. It might explain part of it—but not all of it. Something else was holding him back. She hoped it wasn’t anything major and that he worked it out soon. If she wasn’t put on staff, she’d be leaving D.C. at the end of the month to accept a job in Seattle.
As Gil floated across the pool, her thoughts drifted to Daniel’s execution. It had been horrible, but she’d get her chance to do something about it soon—in a few hours to be exact. Pushing the memory of the execution aside, she began making a mental to-do list. The first thing she needed to do was go home and clean out her fridge—boring but necessary. She sighed. What she was dying to do was talk to William—but she wouldn’t. For the next few days, she should be focusing all of her attention on ten-year-old Danny Winston.
CHAPTER SIX
Later that afternoon as Gil waited in the TEMCO lab for her field exam to begin, twenty-four years in the past, Danny Winston was riding his bicycle down Paradise Avenue in Charlesberg, Colorado. The autumn air was streaming past his ears and ruffling his hair. As he pedaled toward his house, he watched golden leaves dancing toward the ground in the fading October light. He smiled softly.
Suddenly, an angry voice shattered the peace around him. “Danny, come here!”
Danny wobbled and almost lost control of his bike. Across the street, a flock of startled blackbirds flew out of a tree.
“Danny! Now!”
Danny’s eyes widened in his pale face as he caught sight of his babysitter, Rick Olsen, standing impatiently on the curb. Avoiding eye contact, Danny pedaled as hard as he could toward his garage. Seeing Rick’s knotted fists, he winced and scrambled off his bike so quickly that his feet became tangled in the spokes. Desperately, he tried to chain his bike to a metal ring in the sidewalk. As his uncooperative fingers fumbled with the lock, he peeked over at Rick. It was obvious that he was drunk. It was also obvious that he was furious. A cold fear settled into the pit of his stomach.
“What are you? Spastic?” Rick growled. “How hard is it to chain a bike? Are you trying to make me mad?”
Danny anxiously shook his head. His breathing became ragged as he accidently dropped the lock.
“Can’t you do anything right?”
Danny didn’t reply. When the lock finally slid into place, he stood up. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans, he tried to hide his fear, but he was trembling so much that his dread was obvious.
“You’re such a wimp,” Rick said in a voice that made Danny flinch. “Your mother should’ve drowned you at birth.”
Hunching a shoulder, Danny climbed his front steps.
“Maybe I should dunk you in the bathtub until you quit kicking.”
As Danny tried to slip past him, Rick laid a massive hand on his shoulder. Putting his face next to Danny’s, he whispered, “Did you hear what I said?”
Shuddering, Danny looked up with eyes that held a mixture of shrinking terror and desperate courage. “You won’t kill me. You’d go to jail.”
“I’m too smart to get ca
ught.”
Rick pushed Danny into the house and slammed the door. Inside, the strong smell of beer and perspiration filled the air. Knowing what was coming next, Danny spun around and put his back to the wall. He felt a nauseous wave of overwhelming fear as Rick drew near.
“What are you looking at?” Rick snarled, giving him a stinging slap on the cheek.
Danny flinched and tried to get away, but Rick grabbed him by the collar and shook him.
“Let me go,” Danny begged. “Please.”
“Please?” Twisting his hand in the front of Danny’s shirt, Rick raised him off the ground. “Scrawny cowards make me sick.”
Desperately, Danny began to twist and squirm, clawing at Rick’s hands. Rick threw him against the opposite wall. As Danny fell in a crumpled heap, Rick kicked him in the ribs. Danny shuddered and drew his legs up to protect his stomach. Rick kicked him again and then reeled down the hall. From his vantage point on the floor, Danny watched as Rick lurched toward the couch and sat down. Holding his breath, he remained absolutely still as Rick flipped on a football game.
* * *
Willing the time to go faster, Gil tossed back her blonde hair and looked at the clock on the wall. Waiting for her field exam to begin was torture. Across the room, a glowing beam of blue light twisted on the GAP Staging Platform. Over the intercom, a tech began a countdown. In just twenty minutes, Danny would play the game and she would launch into the adventure of a lifetime.
Rising from her chair, she began pacing. She looked at the spiraling blue light and the white-coated techs hurrying around the room. There was so much to see. So much to anticipate. She felt adrenaline screaming its way through her veins. She couldn’t wait to get into the field and give Daniel Winston his second chance.
* * *
When Danny was sure that Rick was engrossed in the football game, he rolled to his feet and stole into the kitchen. If he was lucky, he could grab something to eat and hide in his room until Rick left. Being careful not to make a sound, he took a soda from the fridge and reached for some crackers.
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