by Brandt Legg
“Then it’s probably a good idea to get in your truck as quickly as you can and head to Cervantes Island to meet Spencer.”
“And if we decided to go back to Ashland... ”
Crowd shook his head.
“Maybe head deep into the mountains to hide, or a few days lounging on the beach?” Dustin asked.
“Not a good idea,” Crowd said.
“What about multiple destinies?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, to be sure, you two, the dynamic duo,” he made quote marks with his fingers, “could go anywhere, do so many different things, but it’s a matter of your optimal destiny. That, and well... not getting your heads blown off.”
“Cervantes sounds cool.” Dustin said. “Where is it?”
“In the Pacific off the coast of Mexico somewhere. Know anyone with a boat?” Crowd winked.
“As a matter of fact, I do. Let’s go. I’m turned around. Which way to the truck?” I asked.
“Allow me to guide you,” Crowd bowed theatrically.
As we sprinted through the woods following him, I asked, “So if we haven’t gotten here yet how is Dustin’s truck here?”
“I had someone bring it from Ashland.”
“What happened to the two hours that we just erased?”
“The hours are still in there somewhere. Time is like a deck of cards, not linear; it’s a stack, an endless stack that can be shuffled every which way. The Nate and Dusty that were in Ashland this morning will cross into a space between cards falling in a shuffle, and that’s that.”
“That’s what?” Dustin asked. “And who’s shuffling?”
“Come on, do I look like some genius? Time has all these wrinkles, folds, and stuff. Nothing’s as definite as you think. Laws of physics are really more like guidelines.”
“Good. We’re counting on things not being definite, timewise that is,” I said.
We arrived at the truck. “You’re in California now, so you ought to have new plates,” he said, pointing to fresh tags. “Less attention if you’re ‘in-state.’ Lightyear had a GPS tracking device attached, I took the liberty of removing it. Didn’t think you’d mind.”
“No,” my mouth went dry.
“You guys need to realize the feds aren’t as dumb as you think. When it comes to police, spying, war, anything with guns, the government is pretty damn good at that kind of stuff. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating them.”
I felt dumb.
“Don’t sweat it,” Crowd saw my regret. “You’re playing out of your league, a couple of teenagers against the entire military-industrial complex. But I left a handful of books on the front seat that will help you—survival skills, military training, intelligence manuals, that type of thing. It’ll give you some good ideas; just take you a minute to read them with your Vising.
Dustin smiled. “Can’t wait to try out my new skills.”
I still felt more a part of Outin. Getting into the truck seemed like a strange dimension, but the reality of what was going to happen at Mall of America and to Amber and Linh sobered me up. I was back on earth.
“Hey Crowd, why is Outin here at Mount Shasta?” I asked, leaning out the window.
“It’s not just here, it’s everywhere. Shasta is just one of the entry points. Now you guys need every minute to get ahead of Lightyear, so shove off.”
“When do we see you next?” Dustin asked.
“Depends on which road you take.” Crowd smiled and waved.
“Which way?” Dustin asked.
“Head toward I-5, hopefully I’ll have an answer on north or south before we get there.”
I went onto the astral and found Trevor. In a past life we’d been married but died in a Nazi concentration camp. I knew he could be trusted and he had a boat. Communicating with him didn’t work, but I knew where he was. “We’re heading to San Diego.”
“South it is then. Shouldn’t we call our Ashland fan club right now?” Dustin asked.
“Yeah, but as much as I’ve thought about it, I don’t know what to say or who to call first.” Crowd assured us that the cell phones still weren’t traceable but warned that in the days to come that could change.
“Call Mom last, she’ll just frustrate you. You’re in love with Amber and Linh, too emotional there, so that leaves Kyle. Call him first.”
“I’m not in love with Amber and Linh.”
“Why not? You should be. I am,” Dustin said with a laugh.
Kyle remained typically calm, even when I told him what the future likely held. “So the multiverse is real? That’s reassuring since humans are totally screwing up this universe. I’ve read enough of the theories to know that tweaking forward time is definitely possible given that the multiverse exists.” He didn’t speak for a few moments. “We’ll figure out a way to save them. We have to. In the meantime, I think we should get Linh and Amber into hiding.”
6
There was no way I was ready to talk to Amber or Linh. I couldn’t call Mom because Outin’s reverse time meant Dustin and I were still at the hotel in Ashland with her, and hadn’t even been to Outin yet. I didn’t want to find out what a telephone call back through time could do to our present mess. After about an hour on the road, the strange sensation of hunger returned after having not eaten in two months. All I wanted to do was have a Cinnamon Caramel Catastrophe from the Station, Mom’s restaurant. But we were farther from Ashland than mere interstate miles. Dustin spotted a sign for the Wonderland Diner; we couldn’t resist the name. And it didn’t disappoint us. The food was fantastic and the waitress was a mystic.
At first we didn’t notice. Kirby, an attractive girl who couldn’t have been more than nineteen, took our order; Dustin was practicing his flirting. Then a lady, most likely in her seventies, brought the food. After three or four alternating encounters with them I realized they were the same person and Dustin agreed it was possible. Their identical nametags were the first giveaway, but they shared mannerisms and the same smile.
“Which one is the real you?” I asked the older one, as I finished my fries.
“Afraid it’s me, dear,” she smiled wide at our discovery. “If I was still that pretty young thing, I bet you’d like to take me along... and I suppose I’d want to go too.”
“So you know who I am?”
“Of course I do, Nate. But let’s talk outside,” she looked around as if Lightyear agents could be lurking in neighboring booths. She took care of our check and met us in the parking lot.
“Do you shapeshift for all your customers or was that special just for us?” I asked.
“I bet it’s great for tips,” Dustin said.
Kirby laughed. “This was my first day waitressing, so I practiced a bit before you boys showed up.” Right in front of us she switched back to her youthful form as we made our way to a worn path that led to a river. “The trail is easier to navigate with young legs,” she said with a wink at Dustin.
Once down by the river, she morphed back to the old lady. “I’ve got two things to show you today... Hmm, how to do this? Dustin, let’s start with Kellaring. It means to block and conceal, but it’s a form of Vising. When someone is trying to find you on the astral—remote viewing, reading your mind, using some type of Solteer on you, things like that—you can use Kellaring, which will prevent them from succeeding in almost all cases. However, if you use another soul-power, the Kellaring will be interrupted and you may be located or susceptible.”
“What if you start Kellaring again?” I asked.
“It will work. But keep in mind even a brief opening of seconds can allow a skilled individual to find you.”
“Okay.”
“This is a very useful ability, especially given your current predicament. Now Dustin, get an image of your eyes into your mind, then surround them in a white light until your eyes are no longer visible.”
“Okay, I think I’m there,” Dustin said.
“You did it. Congratulations. You’re now invisible to anyone searching t
he astral. Lightyear’s remote viewers will not be able to locate you as long as you refrain from using another soul-power. If you need to use Gogen or something do, then after, get the Kellaring back in place quick or they’ll be able to zero in on you.”
“Should I try it now?” I asked.
“I don’t expect you’ll have any trouble but you need it in place anyway, so give it a go.”
“Great,” she said, after a minute. “No trace of you on the astral either. Good boy. Now it’s time for shapeshifting.”
“How is that even possible?” Dustin asked.
“Think of it this way; your body is made up of fifty trillion living cells, and they join together in a specific order to form tissues, which form organs, and so on... it’s all energy, you’re just going to change the order.” She looked at me. “Now picture a football player on the San Francisco 49ers.” She went on about how we were moving energy and rearranging atoms. It took a while but I transformed into a 265-pound, six-foot-three, wide receiver in full uniform. The shocked look on Dustin’s face made me laugh.
Dustin was going to need weeks of practice to get this. In my excitement, I forgot how sensitive he was and made fun of him.
“Sure Nate, I’d like to see you do it if you weren’t one of the chosen seven. One day you’ll have to do some real work.”
“Boys, save your energy, the enemy is out there,” Kirby said, pointing away.
I changed back to my regular form and was left with a throbbing headache and a sore back.
“The side effects will ease up in a few hours,” she said, seeing me grimace. “And it can be done instantly. Once you get better at it, you’ll hardly feel a thing unless you depart radically from your current form, like trying to be a five-year-old or something.”
“Or like a football player?”
“That’s why your back hurts,” she chuckled.
“It’s a drag not being perfect, huh, Nate?” Dustin said.
“Now, I’d love to spend the whole day with you two handsome boys, and originally I did, but if things are going to turn out different this time then, well... you need to get back on that road.”
After a hundred miles or so Dustin said, “You better call Mom.”
“You call her.”
“I don’t think so.”
Once she was on the line I didn’t waste time. “Mom, I need to know once and for all if you trust me completely? Do you believe in me?”
“What is it Nate? What’s happened?”
“Yes or no? Or I’m hanging up now.”
“Nate... okay, yes, I do. I’m your mother, for God’s sake. Now tell me what’s happened.”
“It’s not what has happened; it’s what is going to happen. I’ve seen into the future, and it’s some scary stuff. Sometime in the next eight weeks you’ll be arrested... ”
“What? I’ve done nothing... ”
“That doesn’t matter. Quit acting like we live in a free country.”
“But... ”
“Think of Dad, Rose, and what they did to Dustin. You’re next. Get prepared. Gather as much cash as you can and stash it in several places, keep a bunch on you, and don’t put it in banks. If you have to run, don’t use your credit cards once you’re out of Ashland. Keep your car filled with gas, a backpack of clothes and packaged road food.”
“You’re really scaring me!”
“Good! It’s about time.”
“Nate?”
“Mom, Aunt Rose told me Dad fell in love with you because you were so smart. Show me he was right.”
She was quiet before finally asking if Dustin was okay.
“He’s fine. He’s driving. Mom, I’ll call when I can. It may be a few days. Try not to worry. And remember, always assume your calls and computer are being monitored. I’m not staying on long. Crowd claims the phones we’re all using are random and untraceable as long as we don’t say certain things, but I don’t think anyone knows how good the government has gotten at monitoring its citizens.” Mom frustrated me constantly—I was a teenager after all—but I needed her to believe and support what I was doing, and her safety was a big concern.
After that, I reached Amber. She was just driving home from school and pulled over to take the call. Before I could explain the future, she told me Kyle had already filled them in.
“Nate, why are they doing this?”
“It’s beyond any reasonable understanding. These kinds of people have existed throughout human history and have committed horrible atrocities. The repercussions echo through time, affecting lifetime after lifetime directly, delaying the awakening.”
“I want to be with you right now.”
“It’s not safe.”
“It’s not any safer without you.”
“I know. I just have to meet Spencer and try to sort everything out. We’re fighting time.”
“I need you.”
“I miss you. We need to go. Watch yourself.”
“We’re really up against some kind of evil,” I said to Dustin. “A mall full of teenagers, just to make us look like terrorists. Storch wants us dead so badly, it’s amazing we’re still here.”
“We wouldn’t be if not for our escape to Outin and the Kellaring that’s not letting their remote viewers locate us. Like Crowd said, we’re just kids against a whole army of super cops.”
“Hey Dustin, you’re the positive one, remember? We haven’t made it this far on our own. There are powers far greater than Lightyear. And if we can expose their corruption and the murders, their own system will hang them.”
“Are we smart enough to pull that off?”
“I’m working on it.”
Several hours later we were getting tired and hungry again. A chain restaurant roped us in with a billboard promising New York style pizza.
“I’d rather be eating pizza at the Station right now,” I said.
“Forget the pizza, I’d kill for a Vanilla Volcano.”
It became uncomfortably warm. Then my prepaid cell phone rang. It was Kyle. “Where are you?” his voice tense.
“I don’t know, still north of LA.”
“A story just broke on the evening news and all over the Internet. Two brothers wanted for killing a federal agent. The FBI is asking for the public’s help in locating them. They’re believed to be traveling south on I-5 in a silver Toyota pickup... ”
“Damn, I’ll call you back” I looked at Dustin. He read my face. Without a word he left a twenty and a ten on the table and grabbed his pack. I followed him toward the entrance. As soon as we stepped outside we saw the California Highway Patrol car next to the truck.
“How’d they find us so quick?” I asked. “Those are new plates... ”
“He’s checking the VIN number through the windshield. They’ll know we’re here in minutes!” Dustin said.
My body temperature was uncomfortably high. We were in a big interstate travel plaza with a major gas station, several fast food joints and a truck stop. Without thinking we moved around the side of the building away from our vehicle and toward a long line of semis.
The driver of a giant red Kenworth truck noticed us. “You kids looking for a ride?”
“Yeah,” Dustin answered. “You got room?”
“Where you heading?”
“San Diego.”
“I’m headin’ into Mexico via Tijuana, so I can get you there. Got twenty bucks to help with my diesel?”
“Yeah,” I said, reaching into my pocket.
“Each,” he eyed Dustin.
A few minutes later we were heading up the ramp to I-5.
“You boys runaways?” He asked, gazing at our packs.
“No. Nothing like that,” Dustin began. “We’ve got friends in college down there.”
“Ah,” he nodded.
It was small talk for the next hour or so, as we tried not to act nervous. I was glad we always kept our packs with us because, aside from a change of clothes, mine held Rose’s journal and the gold box from Dad’s de
sk.
Around San Clemente he pulled off into another truck stop. “Bathroom break. Those chili dogs didn’t work out too well with all the coffee.” He laughed gruffly. We decided not to go in for obvious reasons and after about ten minutes became worried. Dustin climbed out of the truck to get a view inside the windows. Then I felt the heat overtake me.
“Nate, he’s in there talking to a couple of guys, and they’re pointing out here.”
I was already getting down from the truck.
“He seemed suspicious from the start,” I said, following Dustin to the back of the truck. I was sweating. We had been stupid thinking we could just drive down to San Diego and hop a boat. Luther Storch was ruthless and wanted us dead. I was all that stood in his way to achieve his diabolical goals.
“Dustin, how are we going to get out of here?” I whispered loudly.
“Maybe you should shapeshift.”
“Then we’ll lose the Kellaring and they’ll know exactly where I am... ”
He raised an eyebrow, “A little late for that, wouldn’t you say?”
I heard a helicopter in the distance.
7
We crossed through another line of parked trucks, then at the fuel islands for regular-sized vehicles, a Mexican guy in a dirty green pickup made eye contact.
“We’re looking for a ride,” I said.
“Get in,” he answered in Spanish.
I looked at Dustin. We had no choice. Once we were southbound. I asked in Spanish, “Where are you going?”
“I’m taking you to San Diego Harbor,” he answered, smiling.
I translated for Dustin.
“Cool,” Dustin relaxed.
“Mystic?” I asked.
“Sí,” he answered, saying his name was Baca. He could have been mistaken for a prizefighter. For the next twenty or thirty miles we spoke Spanish, as he filled in the details we weren’t able to get from Kyle. Once we disappeared on Shasta and Crowd discovered the GPS tracking device, Luther Storch contacted the FBI and it was made public that I killed Agent Fitts. There was, of course, no mention that this sadistic bastard had killed Dad, my aunt and tried to kill Mom, Dustin and me. Suddenly the Ryder brothers were on the “Ten Most Wanted” list and being hunted along the I-5 corridor in California. Storch probably wasn’t too happy about getting law enforcement and citizens involved, but he needed the story out in order to convince Lightyear’s remote viewers I was an enemy of the state. And once we started using Kellaring, the public’s help was crucial.