Chapter Twenty-Three
Billie sat on top of a skid of boxes. One box was opened, revealing the paper towels inside. Marcus was covering her hair with hair dye, making her a redhead. They had been hiding in the employee hall that wrapped around the mall for the last half an hour. Other than the one janitor, no one else paid any attention to them. She was happy about that. The area wasn’t as lit up, so their faces were hidden in the shadows.
There was a crick in her neck, and she needed to move. “Are you almost done?” she asked him.
“Just a little in the back, yes.”
“Good.”
Ryan stood by the door, watching through the window. There were bathrooms just outside the door, the sounds of tapping feet, murmured talking, and people impatiently waiting in line carried to where they sat.
Ray sat down next to Billie. “How long does that take?” he asked as he watched Marcus add the last touch to her hair.
“It should only take 20 minutes. As long as Charles doesn’t show up while this is in my hair, we’ll be all right,” Billie said. She had never dyed her hair before and she would miss the blond, but her life was more important. So, she decided it had to be done.
“Finished.” Marcus tossed the used bottle in a trashcan and pulled off the gloves, disposing them as well. “It’s going to be different, Billie.”
“Good. If it prolongs my life, it’ll be worth it.” She tried to smile but couldn’t force one to appear. Her hand began to shake again. “Marcus?”
“Yeah,” he said as he sat down.
“I’m ready to make that phone call. There’s nothing in my house that can’t be replaced, even my family’s pictures.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking it over and I need to get rid of the house now before I change my mind.”
“Okay, the next person to walk through the door who has a phone, you’ll borrow it.”
She looked Marcus in the eye. “Thank you.” She looked down and folded her hands together, hoping that would stop the shaking. It worked for a moment. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am to you. If we pull through,” she began to say.
Marcus knelt closer to her. “Billie, I don’t want to hear talk like that. You are going to survive through this. I will risk my life to ensure yours goes on.”
She felt her face redden. “I hope it doesn’t go that far.”
“Believe me, I don’t either.” He chuckled softly. Marcus turned towards Ryan. “You need a break over there?”
“Yeah, let me sit down for a few minutes,” Ryan answered.
“I got this,” Ray said as he jumped up and took Ryan’s place by the doors. Just as Ray reached them, a woman entered. She was wearing a uniform from one of the restaurants just around the corner.
Billie jumped up. “I’m sorry to bother you, but is there any way I could borrow your phone for a moment?”
“You’re not going to run off with it, are you?” the woman asked as she held onto her phone.
“No, I promise. I just need to call a friend really quick. It’s even a local call,” Billie told her.
“All right.” The woman handed her cell phone to Billie, and stood next to her as she waited for her phone back.
Billie dialed the number to her best friend. He lived around the corner from her, and she knew he’d be home this time of day because he worked from home. He picked up on the third ring. “Jerry?”
“Yeah. Billie?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I’m sorry, I had to borrow this phone to call you. Can I ask a big favor from you?”
“Anything. What’s going on?”
“This is really hard to explain, but I will explain as soon as the time is right. I’m in trouble and I need you to burn my house down.”
“Wow. You really must be in trouble if you want your house burnt down. What’s going on?” There was a pause. “You aren’t running from the law, are you?”
Billie forced a laugh. “Jerry, if I was running from the law, why would I burn my house down? I would just run. Right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Do you want me to take anything out of the house before I burn it?”
“Actually, can you grab any pictures that got left behind? Again, I’ll explain later but right now I don’t have the time.”
“Of course. You know I’d do anything for you.”
“Yes, I do. Thank you so much. I’ll call you when I get the chance. Okay?”
“Got it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Marcus watched Billie speak to her friend and thought this guy was wrapped around her finger. Here she was, asking him to destroy her home, and he was going along with it. She may as well tell the man to jump off a bridge because he’d do it—if it pleased her.
Marcus shook his head trying to shake these thoughts about her that had taken up residence in his head. An agent doesn’t jump to conclusions. He lists the facts and makes an educated guess based on those facts.
As Billie was speaking to her friend about burning the house down, Marcus caught a glimpse of the woman. The expression on her face was priceless. If only she knew what was going on. Damn, she’d be running away from them as fast as her legs could carry her.
And then he noticed Billie watching the woman as she hung up the phone. “It’s a joke between us. It just means to get over here in a pronto and pick us up,” Billie told the woman.
Marcus wanted to laugh at the impulsive explanation, but Billie beat him to it. He could tell it wasn’t a real laugh, since it sounded forced. He couldn’t blame her. She’d already been through a lot.
Billie handed the phone back to the woman. She looked at it, and then back at Billie. “That’s a strange way of saying ‘come pick me up’ but who am I to judge? If everything is okay, I need to get to work before I’m late again.”
Marcus cut in. “Thank you. You were a big help to us.”
The woman blushed. “You are very welcome. I get off work at 5, if you don’t get that ride.”
“Thank you. I think we’ll be all right.” If he knew any better, he would think she was flirting. Came with the job at times. He just gave her a smile and thanked her again. She returned the smile and walked away. Her shoes echoed against the concrete floor and walls.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Billie turned and faced Marcus. “Do you really think destroying my house will stop Charles from killing me in the future?”
“I do. He’s only killed you in that house. No house, no murder.”
Billie felt relieved hearing it, but things were still intense. Charles was still chasing after her. If he only killed her in the house, she shouldn’t be in danger now, yet she was. Maybe now it was just the thrill of the chase he longed for. That made her worry some more.
Billie saw the time and knew it was time to rinse out her hair. Ray checked the doors and gave the clear, so she hurried to the bathroom and did her best to rinse out the dye.
Billie could hear the women coming and going as her head was in the sink. Most of them snickered and made rude remarks. Then one woman surprised her. As she was drying her hands from washing them in another sink, she patted Billie on the shoulder. “Running from a man?”
Billie straightened her back and gazed into the woman’s eyes. She began crying. She just couldn’t hold it in any longer. She nodded.
“You’re doing the right thing—leaving. I’ve been there, so I know. Let me help you.”
The woman helped Billie rinse the rest of her hair out as two women stared. “What, you haven’t seen a woman dye her hair before? Go away.” The woman was calm as she scared off the two onlookers. Billie was impressed.
When they were finished, the woman handed her some paper towels to dry her hair. “You’re going to be okay. Stand tall. Just remember, it isn’t your fault. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re strong.” She cupped her hands around Billie’s face. “You got this.”
Finally, Billie could speak. “Thank you so much. I don’t know wha
t I’d do without you.”
“It was my pleasure. Keep your head up. Are you going to be okay now?”
“Yes, thank you. I need to meet with someone who is going to take me to a safe place. Thank you so much for what you’ve done.” Billie tried to be as nice as she could. The woman had it all wrong, but she was glad she helped her. It did make her feel a little better. Getting it all out of her system made it easier to deal with, and this woman saying those words, did more than she would ever know or understand.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Charles waited at the dock for his time chamber to arrive. It was a beautiful day, and he was anxious to return because today was the day he’d get his home-cooked dinner. His mouth watered over the thought. The last time someone cooked a dinner for him was probably his mother when he last visited her. It was before he knew he had a sister, when his father was still alive, too.
A woman approached Charles as he sat there, waiting. She was short, heavy-set, had long curly hair, and spoke with a southern accent. “Excuse me, sir, are you Charles Ramsey?” the woman asked.
“Yes, is anything the matter?” he asked, feeling worried that his chamber was going to be late.
“Oh, no. Nothing is wrong. Your chamber will be ready in a few minutes. I was just sent to confirm you had your shot.”
“Oh, yes. Everything was taken care of. Thank you, young lady.”
The woman began to blush, and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe she wasn’t as young as he thought she was.
The chamber arrived and was quickly cleaned to his specifications. Didn’t take as long as he thought it would because there were extra employees working on his chamber. He was given the green light to go, so he boarded. He did his systems checks and left to visit the year 2030.
When he arrived on Superior Street, something was different. He couldn’t put his finger on it until he arrived to where Billie’s house was supposed to be. An empty lot where a flower garden had been growing replaced the house. There was no evidence of a house ever being there.
Charles had been there a countless number of times, so it wasn’t like he accidentally took a wrong turn, somewhere. He knew where he was. At least, he thought he was. He double-checked the street name, checked the numbers on the houses, and recognized all the surrounding houses including one that he knew belonged to a friend of Billie’s, so he knew he was at the correct address.
He felt confused as he took in the morning air. He could smell a fresh apple pie cooling off in someone’s window. That was something people did in this time. Bakers stopped doing that long before he was born so when he smelled the pie, he stopped for a moment and took it in. He met a woman once who lived on this street who told him she loved baking apple pies. His mouth began to water, almost distracting him. He made a note to himself to grab a slice when he returned home, maybe get a whole pie. He had to get his mind back to where it belonged and do what he came here for.
He walked to the center of the street and looked down the narrow road. There were a couple cars parked on the side of the street, but that was normal for this neighborhood since some of the houses didn’t have garages. Charles turned and looked down the other way. It was the same. Something happened and he couldn’t believe it. Did Marcus get the upper hand? He wasn’t that smart—couldn’t be.
Charles began to laugh as he stood there, in the middle of the street. If they knew he began these killings right at the same time Marcus had left to find Ryan, they’d be mystified. Even while they were stuck in 2022, he was free to go anywhere he wanted thanks to the time pirates. Yes, it was more dangerous, but he had something they didn’t. But alas, they found a way to stop him. Or did they?
His mind began to work over-time as he thought of new ideas. He still knew her routine, and according to that, Billie would be on her morning run, and she always stayed with her routine, rain or sunshine. And since she hadn’t been doing her runs in her neighborhood to begin with, there’s no reason for that to change. So, Charles called a taxi.
The yellow cab arrived in front of the neighbor's house. “Where to, sir,” the man said as he kept his eyes forward. He didn’t even bother looking at Charles.
“Downtown, please. The corner of Harrison and Wayne.”
“Oh, by the bridge?”
“Yes.”
The trip downtown was a quiet one. Charles had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t believe Marcus pulled a fast one on him. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to allow something as simple as the murder location to stop him from committing murder. He just had to come up with a new plan.
He waited for Billie under the Harrison Street Bridge. He watched her sit down on the bench. He was excited as he watched her. Killing her in a new location was such a beautiful idea. Now he would have even more fun, and this got him even more excited.
It was a Saturday, mid-fall, and he knew there would be another jogger coming around the corner soon, so it was now or never. He stepped out of the shadows from the bridge and approached Billie. She was looking in the other direction, so she hadn’t seen him yet. When she saw him, it appeared to take her a moment to remember who he was. She didn’t smile this time. “Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“Oh, I had to change my routine. So where are you living now, Billie?” He sat down next to her.
“Same place I’ve lived for a couple years now. I need to go, Charles.” She stood up.
Charles jumped up and grabbed her arm. He didn’t have time to turn on his camera, so he decided at the last minute to change that, since the location had been moved. “Come with me, dear sister.”
“Sister?” She looked confused.
He figured she would. Since the news of their relationship was still being played out in 2022, it was possible this information hadn’t sunk into her history yet. Maybe the next time jump, she’ll remember that tidbit. Oh, that’ll be the day. He smiled as the thought entered his mind.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“Oh, because you’ve been told before. I can’t believe you don’t remember. But hey, time travel can be a tricky thing.”
“Time travel? Okay, you must be on drugs or something, Charles. You need to let my arm go.” She tried to pull away.
“I will in a moment. Come with me.” He pulled her up the hill of rocks and stopped where the bridge touched the ground at the top of the hill. He could hear another jogger coming so he put his hand over her mouth and held it until the jogger disappeared, heading east on the path. Billie tried to scream, but he shook her to silence her. “If you scream again, I’ll make you suffer. I don’t want to do that, Billie.”
She nodded.
When the jogger was gone, he removed his hand. They were never seen.
“Why are you doing this, Charles?”
“Because mother made a new life with her new husband, leaving me alone to watch my father die. She will pay for what she did to me.”
“But mother has been gone for a long time. How is she paying for what she did to you if she’s dead?”
“In my mind, she isn’t gone. That’s the beauty of time travel, dear. I can visit her anytime I want and tell her what I did to her darling little baby girl. I am the one who killed her, you know.”
Billie’s eyes lit up. She had no idea. If she wasn’t scared before, she was now.
Charles pulled out Ryan’s weapon and pointed it at her.
“I thought you weren’t going to make me suffer if I didn’t scream.”
“That’s right. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to kill you.” He pulled the trigger. Billie dropped to the ground. Charles checked to make sure there weren’t any witnesses. He put the weapon away and ran down the hill of rocks, checking his feet to make sure none of the rocks had been turned with each step. When he reached the sidewalk, he casually walked away, leaving the scene of the crime, as if nothing had happened.
He felt alive—something he hadn’t felt before. The rush was like a drug, and he wanted that feeling to come over hi
m again. He returned to 2244, signed out at the dock and rushed home where the other time chamber was waiting for him. Soon, time travel would be suspended in this time, so he would have to have a new unit to make his leave from 2244. And he knew that time would be upon him soon.
On the way home, Charles made a stop at the floating bakery and bought himself that apple pie. When he arrived home, he had a visitor waiting for him in his backyard. He was happy to see John.
“What can I do for you, John?”
“There’s a new form of time chambers. I thought I’d come by and show you. This is going to make it possible for quick getaways.”
“Oh, really?” Charles asked as he rubbed his chin.
“Yes. I was just given word back in 2022 that time travel has been halted due to a stream that has been destroyed. It doesn’t look like it will be repaired anytime soon, so this device will be the only means of transporting back and forth.”
“That’s great, John. You better return before they know you’re missing. I’ll reach out to you again soon.” Charles waited for John to leave before getting in the shower. He rinsed away the day and prepared for his dinner.
On the way out the door, he snatched the pie, and arrived at the woman’s house on time. He had to take an air-taxi to reach her floating apartment. It was a nice residence with all-natural wood on the floor and some of the paneling on the walls. The woman led Charles through the apartment on a brief tour, showing him all the rooms. There were four bedrooms, two full baths, and a dining room that appeared to have come out of a magazine. He’d seen one once, back in the year 2022.
Murder Through Time (World Bureau Legacy Book 1) Page 14