It was dark outside, the moon reflecting off the snow, but not bright enough for her to be able to see anything clearly, let alone the approach of a wild animal. Nervously, she perused the landscape. On the small chance that he might just be telling the truth, she hesitated. “Maybe it would be better if I waited until morning.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, rolling the rock back into place, “but that’s the last time tonight I push that rock back.” He turned and re-entered the living area of the cave. Riley waited for a few minutes, unsure what to do.
“You might as well come on back in here,” he called, “it’s going to get cold out there.”
Bemused and disgruntled, Riley followed him in. “Fine, but I expect you to help me find the research team in the morning.”
Shaking his head in frustration, he began pulling out plates, cups and eating utensils and then started to prepare a meal. “Take off your coat and stay awhile,” he instructed. “You’ll roast if you don’t.”
She thankfully shrugged off the heavy outer coat, relieved to be free of it for awhile.
“I hate to ask this,” she said hesitantly, “but I need to go to the bathroom. Where do I go?”
Motioning her to the far room, he pulled the skin aside and held it for her to enter. A bed covered by skins nestled against one wall of the cave along with a small log table holding a number of personal items and pegs on the walls for clothing. The cave stretched further back and she could hear running water. In a smaller enclave, a spring emptied into a clear pool, draining down through a hole in the rock wall. On the other side of the rock wall, Nathan had fashioned a toilet, complete with running water. “Uh, sorry, but no toilet paper. There is a good selection of leaves in the box to the right,” he apologized.
“No, that’s okay. I’m not complaining. This is so impressive,” she exclaimed, surprised by his ingenuity. “What gave you the idea?”
“Didn’t take much to figure it out and the stream ran out of here anyway, so it just seemed like the perfect answer. I even have a shower over here,” he said, motioning to an area by the pool. “You have to heat water though, and then pour it into the recess above. Works pretty good but you have to shower fast.”
“Aren’t you polluting the environment?”
He laughed. “It’s an underground stream, doesn’t seem to ever run to the surface, not anywhere close that is. By the time it does reach the surface, I’m sure natural filters have cleansed it completely.”
Riley nodded, impressed in spite of herself, almost all the comforts of home. “You’ve done well.”
He returned to the outer area, allowing her some privacy.
Food was on the table by the time she re-entered the living area. The dog was stretched out by the fireplace and barely acknowledged her as she entered. That was a positive sign—not being bitten was a good thing. Nathan ladled out stew and poured some sort of hot tea, both of which tasted wonderful. They ate in companionable silence, the dog interested but his manners were impeccable. After they were finished, Nathan scooped a bowl out and gave it to the dog, who made short work of it, then licked his chops, his eyes hoping for more.
Riley moved to give him the rest of hers, but Nathan stopped her. “Don’t over-feed him or he won’t hunt, and I need him to hunt. Half the food we eat is from his efforts.”
Respect for the dog slowly dawned. He might appear to be the demon from hell but she had to give it to him, he was her first defender and if he was also a provider, he obviously deserved some consideration. As if sensing her mental acceptance, Demon again growled at her, reiterating his dislike, she was just sure.
“Fine,” she said, deciding to ignore the dog. “I don’t like dogs anyway—they usually stink.” Demon growled again, laying back his ears.
Nathan laughed. “Sometimes, I actually think he understands everything that is said, so be careful.”
Riley huffed rudely; he was just a dog after all. “So tell me again, and please try to be more realistic. What is this place and how do I go home?”
Nathan ran his hands through his hair. “Okay, maybe if I start from the beginning, you’ll understand better.”
Riley nodded, settling down to listen.
“As you know, my aunt is Dr. Collins. She and Miles were working on a project that involved, not really time travel, but bending time.” Riley nodded, she had heard of this theory, but it was pure speculation. “Anyway, from all accounts, they succeeded, at least succeeded in going one direction. As far as I know, they haven’t figured out how to bend it from this end. But let me get back. They had reached a point where they decided it was time to try a human volunteer, but they needed a specific type; one who was mentally able to handle the change, physically capable, intelligent and eager for a change, that sort of thing.” He paused. “Enter me. Before I came here, I was a member of a Black Ops team for the Government.”
Riley nodded. “Jonas told me that much.”
“Yeah. Jonas was also part of that team. I’ve known him all my life. Anyway, I need to back up a bit. I was married then. I had a beautiful, loving young wife, Emily, who just happened to be Jonas’ younger sister. The team had gone on a mission and when we got back, I learned that Emily had been raped and murdered. She had been dead for two weeks before I even knew about it.” His voice roughened and he turned away, stopping the recital.
A lump grew in Riley’s throat, but she couldn’t think of anything sympathetic to say but, “I’m so sorry.”
He nodded, clearing his throat. “Anyway, it took me awhile, but I found the murderer and I executed him.”
Startled, Riley stared at his back, nervous again.
“You executed someone? What do you mean, you executed him?”
“I mean, I found the bastard and I became his judge, jury and executioner. I gave him the same chance he gave my Emily.” His face hardened, remembered pain reflecting in his tortured eyes.
Riley chose her words carefully. “Well, I can’t say that I disagree with what you did, but what does that have to do with you being here?”
“Unfortunately, Emily’s murderer was the son and grandson of some pretty important people, Senators, Congressmen, that sort of thing. I found out that he had seen Emily at some high ranking party, she was a Congressional Aide. He followed her home and did the deed. I wouldn’t have had a chance in any court of law and Aunt Bethany knew that. She offered me this chance, and I took it. I’ve been here since.”
“Surely, the law would have been on your side. He murdered your wife, after all.”
His words came bitterly. “He was the son and grandson of very important people. The law wouldn’t have even entered the picture. If he had actually gone to trial, he would have gotten off on some technicality. If I had been tried, I would have gotten the death penalty, if I lasted long enough to get to trial.”
She couldn’t think of anything to say again but, “I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “Bethany offered me the chance to come here. She knew I needed to hide and I had nothing to lose, so she sent me through.”
“But why am I here?” Riley waited for an answer.
He paced the room, his face unreadable. “I think that’s partly my fault.”
“Your fault! How could it be your fault?”
“Sometimes, if Aunt Bethany happens to be monitoring from that end, and I’m down by the drop point, she must be able to hear me, because equipment, food, that sort of thing will be waiting,” he paused, drawing a breath. “It’s lonely here, no one to talk to. You’ve seen the others, they’re the only other humanoids in the area. They don’t like me and I don’t like them. We keep away from each other as much as possible. I had to teach them a lesson a time or two, but they respect me. They leave me alone and I return the favor.”
“Okay, so we’ve established why you’re here. Now, what about me?” Riley waited, fearful of his response.
He fidgeted, seemingly uneasy about answering. “I think Aunt Bethany sent you here for me. I think
she sent you here to be my mate.”
Stunned, Riley stared blankly at him for what seemed like hours, her mind refusing to accept what he had said. She was here in this God-forsaken wilderness because he needed a girlfriend? What kind of crap was that?
Finally, he broke the silence. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“What do you expect me to say? Thank you? If even a small part of what you say is true, then I’m stuck here for eternity with a guy I don’t even know, in a place I hate and with no future. Yeah, I guess that comes under ‘thank you!’” She rubbed her hands across her face. This was a nightmare! And not for a minute did she believe what he told her, at least not most of it. The guy was probably crazy, but if he was crazy, she must be too, because she had seen that bunch of strange looking humans and they didn’t look like any people existing in her world.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know Bethany would go this far. I made the mistake of saying at the drop point that I didn’t think I would be able to last here alone much longer. She must have heard it.” His face was a mask of regret.
“And that’s supposed to make it all better?”
“I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry. I wish I could change the outcome, but there’s nothing I can do. Maybe, if nothing else, they’ll be able to figure out a way to bend time back so we can go home.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but one of the things I noticed while I was at the facility was that it was really understaffed and it looked like it was being closed down. At the time, Dr. Collins said they keep a small staff until a new research team came on board, but now I’m beginning to believe that’s not the case. I think they are shutting down.” Suddenly remembering, “Wait a minute, I have something for you.” Rummaging around in her pack, she found the envelope Dr. Collins had instructed she give to the research team. Nathan took the envelope and opened it, his eyes scanning the contents.
“You’re right! They are closing down the facility.” His eyes found hers, something flickered in the depths. “We’re both stuck here, there’s no going back now and no hope of that changing.”
Riley dropped down, her stomach knotting in anger. “This is just great! I really appreciate being put in this situation. Thanks a whole heck of a lot! Right now, I hate Dr. Collins and I wish I’d never met you!”
Demon rose up growling ominously, displeased at her tone of voice.
“Oh shut up, you dumb dog!” She growled back. “I don’t need your attitude right now.”
The dog sat down on his haunches, his tongue lolling out, head tilted to the side considering her, but not showing any aggression. At least she had accomplished something in this nightmare. She turned away, refusing to look at Nathan or talk any further. Right now she had nothing to say and even though he was pretty good to look at, she wasn’t feeling charitable. She grabbed the skin out of her pack and arranged it on the floor, preparing to sleep. He and his stupid dog could drop dead for all she cared.
“I have some extra pelts. They’ll make the floor easier on you,” he offered.
“Don’t do me any favors,” she grumbled. “I think I’ve had enough of those for one day.”
A few minutes later, he dropped a number of skins next to her. “You’ll be stiff in the morning if you don’t use these.” Without acknowledging his gifts, she rearranged her bed on the skins and then lay back down, refusing to speak. She listened to him cleaning up and then going back into the far room. She closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Boy, someone really had bad breath! Her eyes opened. Demon was stretched out beside her, his head on her makeshift pillow, snoring in her face. Sheesh! Shoving him away, she stood up, and tip-toed to the bathroom.
Nathan was asleep, face down on the bed, his arms flung wide. She slipped quietly to the toilet, took care of that little business and was just sneaking back out when the dog came in and jumped on Nathan, waking him up. His eyes sleepily regarded her, his mouth curving in a slight smile, erased quickly as he remembered.
Her nose in the air, she stomped out, managing to stub her toe on the uneven ground and ended up hopping around, cursing in pain. So much for her grand exit! She glared at Nathan, one more black mark on his long list. His mouth twitching, he returned her glare, laughter lurking in the depths of his caramel eyes.
“Don’t you dare laugh, or I’ll have to hurt you,” she threatened him.
“I wouldn’t think of it.” His face was suspiciously devoid of expression.
Stomping out, successfully this time, Riley went to the kitchen area and began making tea. At least she could do that. Nathan came into the kitchen moving carefully around her.
“Are we talking this morning?” He began.
“If I have something to say to you, I’ll say it. Otherwise, no!” She retorted.
“Whatever.” He began preparing food. “Hey, Demon, want to go for a run?” The dog went crazy, jumping up and down and whirling in anticipation. Nathan slid the door open and Demon dashed out. A few minutes later, they both returned, cold air hanging about them.
“If you’re interested, I’ll take you for a look at the others’ place. We can look down on it from a safe spot I found. Maybe you’ll believe me more if you see the evidence. If we get really lucky, we might even see a herd of Woolly Mammoths.” He waited for her answer.
Curious in spite of herself, she relented. “I might be interested.”
Satisfied with her answer, he put breakfast on the table, more of the same from last night. “Sorry, we don’t have a lot of variety, but it’s good and filling.”
“What is it, anyway?” She should have asked last night.
“Do you really want to know?” He grinned. “All I know is it looks like some sort of a big rat.”
“Rat! We’re eating rat?” The bite choked her on the way down, starting a coughing fit.
He laughed as he pounded her on the back. “More like a really, really big rat, almost the size of a small deer.”
The coughing fit over with, Riley glared at him. “Don’t ever do that again!”
“Do what?” he asked innocently. “You asked what it was and I told you.”
“Don’t ever tell me what I’m eating if it’s something creepy!”
“How do I know if you’ll think it’s something creepy?”
The whole conversation was going downhill. “Never mind! Just don’t tell me what it is next time.”
Breakfast over, they dressed warmly, back into the heavy outerwear of yesterday. Riley’s boots had dried, but were stiff and uncomfortable.
“Next time,” Nathan observed, “dry them by the fire and try to shape them while their wet, they’re more pliable if you do.”
“Next time, why don’t you mention that?” She countered with a huff, disgusted by the fact that he hadn’t pointed it out sooner. Now her boots were stiff as boards.
“You didn’t act like you were too interested in hearing anything I had to say,” he defended himself. “As I recall, you made it very clear you didn’t want to talk to me in any way, shape or form.”
“Do you blame me? How would you feel if a stranger just told you that the life you had worked hard for and wanted was over!” Warming to her tirade, she continued, “All because somebody indiscriminately decided to hand you over as a life partner to a stranger living in some God-forsaken place, and didn’t warn you beforehand! Doesn’t exactly leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling, now does it?” She angrily stomped around in the boots, hoping to loosen them up. They did seem to feel a little less stiff the more she walked in them. Grabbing her fur parka, she threw it on, pointedly ignoring any assistance from him.
Guilt overwhelming him, Nathan pushed the door open and waited for her to exit, careful not to irritate her further. The dog ran ahead and waited impatiently at the rock blocking the cave entrance. As Nathan rolled the rock back, Demon dashed out, delighted at being in the open. Nathan stepped out and hesitated, searching the landscape
for any potential threats. After assuring himself that the way was clear, he stepped out, motioned her to follow and then rolled the rock back into place. Although she knew a cave existed behind the rock, Nathan had done a clever job of disguising it from the outside. Had she not known it was there, she would never have guessed it even existed. It would have taken sharper eyes than she had to detect it.
Nathan plodded off through the knee-deep snow, leaving her to follow behind. Although the sun was shining, it was very cold and Riley moved quickly to catch up, intent on generating some body heat by the exercise. They hiked for a long time, eventually climbing up a steep incline. Her legs were trembling by the time they reached a stopping point. Nathan gestured for her to duck down and then he and the dog crawled forward, waving her to do the same. They cautiously moved to the edge of an overhang, peering down into the valley below. In an open space in front of a large rock opening, a group of the others moved about; some preparing food, some stretching skins on racks, while others fanned out to the surrounding hills and river area.
“Why are we hiding?”
“Because they don’t like strangers and I don’t want to draw their attention. We get along better if we stay away from each other. See those over there.” Nathan pointed to a far group, talking softly. “Those are the males. Probably leaving right now on a hunting trip. The ones staying in camp are the females, the adolescent males and the children. The young males aren’t taken on hunting trips until they are nine or so.”
“Nine years old! Good grief!” She whispered, taking his cue. “I can’t imagine any child hunting at that age!” She watched the group until they disappeared in the distance.
“Not too surprising,” he said, “when you consider that twenty-five is pretty mature for them. I’m not sure of their lifespan but life here is hard and old age is probably 40 or less. Most of the females are married by the time they are eleven, maybe even have a child by then.”
“Really makes a person think, doesn’t it?” She lay there for some time, watching the group. Everything was primitive beyond belief. What tools she was able to see from this distance appeared to be made of stone and wood, held together with leather lashings.
Riley's Journey Page 4