by Cate Dean
Now Kane stared at her. “You do have an encyclopedia of knowledge in that quick mind of yours. How many did he evacuate?”
“The number I found the most was 338,000.”
“Thousand?” Kane let out a low whistle. “He must have been an impressive man.”
“You may find out personally.” When he looked at her, a question in his eyes, she clarified. “If that’s the reason Guy is here, you have to stop it. You have to protect Ramsay.” She tried to keep her voice calm, but her heart was pounding so hard at just the thought of Ramsay being threatened, she had trouble breathing. “You have to believe me, Kane. Without him, there won’t be an evacuation.”
“Hey.” He reached out, brushed her cheek. “I am here to stop whatever Guy thinks he is going to do. I will see Helaine safe, and then deal with Guy. She’s an innocent in all this, and I’ll not see her hurt because she met me.”
His words had an angry edge, like it had happened before. Elizabeth agreed, even though she itched to sprint straight up the steep hill to Dover Castle and stand between Admiral Ramsay and any possible threat.
Jane Eyre let out an excited yip and took off.
They followed the little dog across the high street, and into a much less populated street. It sniffed madly at the dirt path leading off to the left, out to a field, and strained against the scarf leash. Elizabeth was right. From here, she saw the single building, weathered and abandoned.
“I believe she has found her mistress’ scent.” Kane moved faster, giving the dog slack, and room to run. He also pulled out his sleek silver pistol, kept it tight against his side.
Elizabeth stayed behind him without being told; standing between Guy and Kane once before ended with Kane injured and her life turned upside down.
Kane forced the little dog to slow. It headed straight for the building. Kane picked up the dog, soothed it with his quiet voice, then handed it to her.
“Hold tight to her,” he whispered. “I want you to stay here. If you hear anything that sounds like fighting, run as fast as you can back to the high street and ask for help. They will help you, Beth,” he said. Her doubt must have shown. “This is not your time; people take care of each other here.” He unbuckled the transport, strapped it to her wrist. “In case something happens to me—”
“It’s not—”
He pressed his finger to her lips. “I want you to take it and find a way to go back. Mac will make sure you get home.”
“Okay.” She tightened her grip on the dog. It wanted to go with Kane. “Please be careful.”
He cupped her chin, kissed her before she could evade it, his lips warm, soft, incredible. As short as it was, it left her breathless. “Thank you, love.”
She clutched the warm, wriggling body, watched him stalk toward the building, pistol aimed and ready. Her heart jumped when he disappeared around the side.
“He’ll be okay,” she whispered, tucking the little dog under her chin. Its presence helped calm her. “I have to believe he’ll be—”
A gunshot shattered the afternoon silence.
Seven
Kane froze, the gunshot echoing around him.
It was from an archaic weapon, not Guy’s laser pistol. He pressed his back to the wall, inched along it until he found an open doorway, the door long gone, hinges rusty from exposure. Guy’s voice carried out to him.
“Try that again, and I will shoot you instead of the wall.”
He strained to hear Helaine’s voice, and relaxed when it followed right after.
“Go ahead, you sorry excuse for a human being. You will not leave Dover alive if you harm anyone here. Did you miss the soldiers we passed? All I have to do is scream and you will lose that smug demeanor, in a hurry.” She sounded spitting mad, but under it Kane heard the slight tremble.
“Scream all you like. No one will bother us out here. You should have done the screaming when you had a better opportunity.”
Their voices gave Kane a good idea of their location. He took a chance, eased his head past the doorjamb and risked a quick look inside.
Helaine was tied to the chair Guy mentioned—the only piece of furniture in the abandoned building. He stood in front of her, his back to Kane, rubbing his shin. Kane’s gaze moved down to her feet; Guy had neglected to tie her legs. She must have kicked him when he moved close enough.
Another feisty woman. Kane seemed to be collecting them. First Elizabeth, now this fierce brunette. A dramatic change from the usual female who clung to him.
While Guy was distracted, Kane had the perfect chance to sneak inside and jump him—
Kane swung around when he heard a noise behind him, pistol set to charge.
Elizabeth held up her hand, the dog tucked under her other arm. What the bloody hell was she thinking?
He backed down before his temper took hold. The gunshot. It would have scared her, knowing the only person who could send her home may have been the victim of it. He held one finger up to his lips. She nodded and glided silently to the wall, out of the line of fire. Jane Eyre trembled in her grip, but stayed quiet, her nose sniffing the air, obviously scenting her mistress.
Certain his chance for surprise had passed, he inched back to the edge of the doorway. Guy muttered to himself as he paced. He was frustrated, and Kane knew he was less attentive in that state.
He took a quick glance inside just as Helaine looked up. Her eyes widened, then she lowered her head.
“I don’t feel well. I think I may—oh—” She doubled over, as much as she could, being strapped to a chair.
Guy stalked over to her and crouched down to eye level, careful this time to stay out of kicking range. “What is it now?”
“Cramps,” she whispered.
Kane shuddered. She brought out the female problems card, guaranteed to make any man flinch and want to leave the room. As quickly as possible. Guy stood so fast he nearly fell backward, and Kane took advantage of the distraction.
He flipped the pistol and ran forward, ready to crack Guy on the back of the head. At the last moment, Guy turned around. Kane crashed into him and they toppled to the ground. The archaic pistol flew out of Guy’s hand.
“Son of a bitch—” Guy snapped his fist up, and got in a lucky punch, hitting Kane in the one sensitive spot on his face—squarely on his scarred right cheek.
With a pained roar, Kane pounded his elbow into Guy’s stomach and rolled out of range, his face throbbing. Guy got one last whack in. His fist bounced off Kane’s injured shoulder.
Pain scorched him. He wanted to curl around it and not move until the agony let him go. Instead he pushed off the ground, caught Guy’s ankle and yanked. The angry shout was incredibly satisfying.
Kane groaned, and carefully lowered himself to the ground. A familiar figure darted past him, headed straight for Guy’s hunched figure.
“Beth, no—”
She flashed him a smile and set down Jane Eyre.
That slip of a dog growled low in her throat, the rumble more suited to a German Shepherd. She let out one sharp bark and leapt at Guy’s head.
“Down, Jane Eyre!” Helaine’s voice kept the dog from further attack, but the damage was done. Her small but sharp claws scraped across Guy’s cheek when she landed on him. She let out a last growl and jumped to the ground, then trotted over to Helaine, licking every inch of skin she could reach.
Elizabeth crouched beside Kane and picked up the pistol, aiming it at Guy. “Move wrong, and I swear to God I’ll shoot you. I don’t quite know how to aim this thing, so I may hit something—important.” He froze, his fingers inches from his own weapon. “Now stand up, back against the wall, all parts in view and unmoving.”
He obeyed, one hand pressed to his gut. Elizabeth followed him with the pistol. Guy was too far away to notice, but Kane saw her fingers shake against the grip.
“That’s good. Now spread your arms out, palms facing the wall.” Guy gave her a glare that should have dropped her, but he did it.
Imp
ressed, Kane moved to her, eased the pistol out of her grip before she realized what she’d done—then he stalked across the room and shoved the pistol under Guy’s chin.
“Why are you here?”
“Kill me, old friend, and you’ll never be finding out, will you?”
“I’m going to stop you.”
“You could do so right now. Pull the trigger.”
Elizabeth’s gasp made him glance over his shoulder. She stood beside Helaine, the length of rope in her hand. How did she unknot it so quickly? The answer flashed in her other hand—a small, familiar knife. Mac’s favorite pocket knife.
“Get her out of here, Beth.” He waited long enough to see Elizabeth lead Helaine out the door, whispering to her. He turned back to Guy, forced a calm he did not feel, and finally noticed what Guy wore. An RAF uniform, with the rank of a flight lieutenant. “What happened to you?”
Pain flashed in his friend’s eyes. “I didn’t want you to know. I wanted to deal with it alone, keep you out of it—”
“Stop talking in riddles. Tell me why.”
“I’ve been shown the future—a future we created, Kane, with that unholy technology.”
“That’s impossible.” Something close to panic shot through him. “We can only go to the past through the portal.”
“That is what we were told. So much more information was kept from us. Dangerous information. I can’t let him win—I won’t let him win—”
“Who, Guy?” Kane lowered the pistol. “Please, let me help you.”
“Too late for me, old friend.” He gripped Kane’s good shoulder. “I’ve done something, to the past—something that may not be fixable. Promise me you will try.”
“What are you talking about?” Dread fisted his gut. “What have you done?”
“Whatever happens to me, whatever you learn about me, promise me you’ll find the truth, Kane.” This was the Guy he remembered, the friend he thought he lost. “I was supposed to take your Elizabeth, deliver her to—” He cut himself off. “Just stop me, Kane. Whatever you have to do, stop me.”
“Tell me what you’ve done—”
A high-pitched alarm cut him off, coming from Guy’s transport. He shut it off and looked back at Kane. “I realized too late it was exactly what he wanted me to do. What he expected me to do. This is where we say goodbye.”
“Guy—”
“Promise me you will stop it—stop me.” He glanced over at his transport. “You have to go. I set a timer on yours, one that I can’t reverse. I am sorry; I made a bad move, and the knight will have to sacrifice himself. Don’t give me any quarter, do you understand? When you go back to find me, I will still be under his thumb.”
“What—”
Kane spun at the second beep—this one a loud warning coming from the transport on Elizabeth’s wrist. She stood next to the door, staring down at her wrist, her face pale. “Oh, God—”
“Five.” Guy started counting down. “Four, three—”
Kane bolted across the room. With a shout he lunged for Elizabeth, his fingers closing over her wrist just as the portal opened behind her. Gold light snapped out, dragged them both in—
And threw them out on a dark, rubble strewn street.
They both stumbled, headed for the wall less than a foot away. Kane caught Elizabeth around the waist, taking the brunt of impact on his right shoulder.
“Bloody hell—”
“Kane—”
“All right.”
“Of course you are. Did Guy—”
“Yes.” He clenched his jaw, eased his shoulder off the wall. Guy’s confession, and his cryptic plea, had Kane doubting everything he knew about TimeSearch.
He lifted his left wrist, the light from the small screen offering a little illumination. It highlighted Elizabeth’s dark blue eyes as she looked up at him.
“Where did he send us…” Her voice faded as she stared over his shoulder. “Oh, no—oh, God no—”
“Beth.” She had gone white. Her fingers gripped the lapel of his greatcoat. “Talk to me, Beth.”
“Barrage balloons,” she whispered. Kane glanced up and saw them, black, hulking shadows against a dark sky. “We’re in London.”
A quick check of his transport confirmed it. “How did you know?”
“The balloons. I recognize them from the hundreds of photos I’ve collected.” She swallowed. “We’re in London, probably late 1940.”
“10 May, 1941.”
“Oh, God.” Her fingers shook against his chest. “Guy dropped us in the middle of the Blitz.”
Eight
Mac tapped furiously on the screen.
“No—no, no, no—” He almost had them both in his grasp, before he lost Kane completely, along with the ghost tag that was Elizabeth. They just zapped out of existence. “Damn this free thinking technology—I’ll find them.”
It was the middle of the night, and Mac couldn’t remember when he’d slept last. He slurped more of his high-octane soda, set the mega size go-cup on the floor, and slid his chair over to a secondary screen. Time to do some free thinking of his own.
But before he buried himself deeper in code, he needed the bathroom.
With a giant yawn, he wandered over to the main doors, and pushed one open. He stopped when he heard voices in the hall.
Colette’s low voice had him smiling. It faded as he realized who she was talking to.
“Damn it, Harper—this has gone too far. You said no one would get hurt—”
“These are acceptable losses, Sergeant.”
Mac clenched both hands into fists. Harper’s slimy voice always ignited violence. The man was a menace. If Doc hadn’t sanctioned his smirking presence, Mac would have booted him a long time ago. He was still tempted to—
Colette’s voice crashed into his thoughts.
“—think Guy will succeed?”
“We will have the answer to that soon. I must go.”
His designer shoes tapped on the floor. Headed straight for Mac.
He ducked back inside the lab and grabbed the door before the latch engaged. Harper’s slick backed profile appeared in the round window, halted for heart stopping seconds, before he moved out of sight.
Mac sprinted back to the console, his need for the bathroom gone. He just made it to the chair, hunched over the console, when he heard the door open.
“Hey, Mac.” Even though he expected it, the voice still made him jump. He glanced up; Colette stood just inside the doorway, one hand on the grip of her pistol. “A little late for portal jumps, isn’t it? I thought we were on lockdown.”
“Colette. Hey.”
She let out a sigh. “Sergeant, Mac. At least while we’re both on duty.”
“Got it.” He inched the chair over as he talked, until his body blocked the smaller screen. “I’m tracking Kane. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone out there, not with Guy jumping whenever the hell he feels like it.”
He watched her closely for a reaction. Her lips tightened, but that could have been her usual annoyance with him. If she whipped her pistol out and shot him—well, then he’d know for sure she heard him in the hall.
For now, he’d play stupid, good ole boy. At least until he got more evidence. And, oh, he planned on following up, sniffing out Harper’s real motives—as soon as he made sure Kane and Elizabeth were safe.
Colette wandered over to the platform. Like most people, she seemed to be drawn to the portal, even when it was dormant. “Have you ever wanted to,” she waved at the portal. “You know.”
Not even if they shoved a fiery brand up my— “No. I’m all tech, all the time.” He smiled, cursing silently. The longer she stayed in the lab, the tighter his nerves wound as he waited for her to confront him. “If you don’t mind, I’m working on some sensitive—calculations.”
“You can just tell me to get out, Mac.” The smile she gave him lit up her face, and he blinked at how—pretty—she looked. So, no gut shooting tonight. Not when she smiled a
t him like that. Man, he really needed some sleep. Now he was lusting after the ball busting Security— “Hello, Earth to Mac.”
“Here.” He rubbed his face. “I’ll be shuffling off myself in a few.” Hours. “Go on, so I can finish here without creating an international incident.”
“Gotcha.” She strode to the door, and paused before she closed it. “Don’t lose Kane, Mac. He’s one of the good guys.”
“Don’t plan on it.”
Once the door closed behind her, he slumped against the chair, his heart pounding faster than a jackrabbit. “Damn, that was close.”
Now that he was in the clear, his bladder couldn’t wait any longer. He bolted across the lab, and straight to the men’s room around the corner.
Once he relieved himself, he felt his energy surge. He had a mission, and he refused to let Kane and Elizabeth down. “Come on, you free thinking mother.” He slid into his chair, hunkered over the small screen. “Let me in.”
Nine
Elizabeth pressed her hands against the wall.
I will not panic.
She focused on Kane, hunched over the transport, cursing under his breath every time his entry failed.
I refuse to panic.
The attack she expected didn’t come, even though they were standing in London, on the worst-hit night of the months long Blitz. She should have been a quivering mess. Instead, she felt incredibly focused.
A siren screamed through the night air. Kane’s head snapped up.
“Oh, God,” she whispered.
“What the bloody hell is that?” He sounded like he already knew.
“Air raid siren. They’re coming.” She clutched his sleeve. “We have to find shelter. Now.”
“This building should—”
“It won’t.” She forced a calm into her voice she didn’t feel. She had to make Kane understand. “Thousands of people were killed and injured in this air raid. We have to get underground. As far as possible, as fast as possible.”