by Jones, D. F.
Charlie lowered her voice and said, “Hold on tight, lover boy.”
Andy braced himself against the dashboard with one hand while the other hand reached for the overhead grip.
Rarely did Andy ever break the law, but since he’d met Julia, Ruben, and Charlie the infractions kept piling up. Julia had turned his sane and very predictable world into a made for TV science fiction series.
Charlie sped through the campus streets. “Change of plans, sweetheart.” She pulled behind the school cafeteria and parked the Jeep next to the dumpsters. “Get out now and try to keep up.”
Running down the sidewalk, Charlie dashed into the library before Andy caught up. She turned to him and said, “I’ll explain later, but right now, you have to trust me. We’re going to slip through several buildings until I can find a place for us to hide out for a while.”
Andy didn’t ask any questions.
Three buildings and multiple stairways later, Charlie found an old cloakroom on the top floor of the English department. “Climb the bookshelves. It looks like there’s a ledge next to the transom window. It’ll give us cover, and the window will give us access to look for Monica and her cohorts.”
With a tilt of his head, Andy said, “You first.”
She let out a sigh and hugged him. “I’m so sorry, Andy. You could’ve died.”
“I didn’t. Now, scoot.”
The shelves were nailed securely into the wall frame. Charlie climbed to the top shelf and looked down. “It’s okay. The shelves are sturdy, climb on up, and we’ll wait until it gets dark before we leave.”
Andy made his way up to the ledge and crawled to the back corner. Dust floated in the air and made him sneeze. “So, what’s the plan?” He leaned against the wall and drew one knee to his chest, draping his forearm over it.
“Monica’s team has probably found the Jeep. So, she’s probably logged onto the internet and found the police report on the stolen vehicle. She’ll think we’ve taken another car which is what I intend to do once it gets dark. That’ll give us time to slip out of here.”
Andy hit the back of his head against the wall. “I’ve become a criminal. Breaking and entering with Julia, stealing cars, and some psycho slit my throat.”
“Believe me, if Stormy had wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be here. You’d be on a slab in the morgue.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
Turning her head, Charlie pressed her forefinger to her lips and pointed at the door. Johnnie came into the room, moving clothing and knocking over chairs. Charlie had her weapon drawn.
Andy’s heart skipped a few beats while they waited. Charlie’s back straightened, and her jawline tightened. It was the first time he’d seen what looked like rage in Charlie’s face.
After a few tense minutes, Johnnie left the room, and a few moments after that, Charlie let out a breath. “Good. We have a shot at making the Chalet undetected. Let me look at your field dressing.”
He chuckled. “This reminds me of a scene in the first Terminator when Sarah Connor is concerned for Kyle Reese.”
With a one-shoulder shrug, Charlie looked in Andy’s eyes and said nonchalantly, “I’ve never seen the movie.” Carefully, she unrolled the gauze around his neck.
Brows raised, eyes widening, Andy exclaimed, “You’ve never seen The Terminator? Well, young lady, we have eight months to watch it, and I have a shelf full of other DVDs.”
“I can’t wait. Hmm, you did a pretty good job. I don’t think you need the bandage, though. The bleeding has stopped. I guess I went a little crazy when I thought Stormy could’ve killed you. She’s going to pay for hurting you.”
Andy draped an arm over Charlie's shoulders, and she leaned into his embrace. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal.
“I like having a badass girlfriend.”
She grinned, then kissed Andy chastely on the lips. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”
Holding Charlie tight, he felt the tension release out of her shoulders. He chuckled again and teased her. “Lucky girl, you have me.”
Andy straightened his back and took his arm away from Charlie. Thoughts of time travel, portals, and the formula ran through his mind when suddenly he had a breakthrough, his ah-ha moment, the freaking Doc Brown from the Back to the Future’s flux capacitor moment.
Except, Andy didn’t need a flux capacitor. “I need paper and something to write with fast.”
He climbed down the bookshelves and peeked into the classroom. Andy looked inside the instructor’s desk drawer and found a legal pad and several pens. Feverishly, Andy wrote down the remaining sequence to the formula. If his theory proved correct and the method completed on his laptop, then with the help of his new time travel friends, Andy would create a prototype simulator during his stay at the Chalet.
Charlie stepped up behind him, and he grinned. “By George, I think I have it. I’ve cracked the formula, Charlie.”
She hugged him then leaned her head on his shoulder. “That’s wonderful. The Plates of Prophecy had the discovery right but the wrong son. How long do you think it’ll take?”
Extending his fingers, and shaking his head, he said, “You can’t ask a physicist how long. It adds too much pressure, but if the sequencing works, I should be able to work on your ship or Ruben’s this fall. Maybe, before the baby is born we’ll take her for a spin.” He laughed and said, “Get it? My theory is called, Spinning Time.”
“Oh, I get it, genius. It’s dusk. Just another thirty minutes or so and we’ll get out of here.”
“We probably need to stop by the grocery store and stock up on non-perishables before heading back. Maybe in Mount Rieve.”
Her fingers intertwined with Andy’s. “Let’s go steal a car.”
Chapter 14
Monica clenched her fingers into fists and gritted her teeth. “You’re impotent and worthless. We’ve lost them.” She let out an agonizing cry. “Do you understand I have to go back to the command center? If I stay gone too much longer, the Lord Supreme will come a-calling.”
Monica paced the empty classroom on the campus where her elite team lost Andy and Charlie. “Zane, you’ll have to stay behind. Conduct another search around campus and then methodically go from town to town until we find someone, somewhere, who’ll recognize one of them. They’ll have to buy supplies. Check grocery stores and pharmacies. We have a little over eight months to find Ms. Boatwright. We will find her. There is no other option. Are we cool?”
Zane stood, wringing his hands, nervously, chattering. “Yes, uh-huh, we will find them. We will find them.”
“Shut the hell up, Zane. You’re acting like a freak-a-zoid, again. Did you bring your meds? If not, I’ll send some via a courier. Keep your devices linked to my secure site. We’ll communicate on a need-only basis. I’m leaving, so please, don’t disappoint me again.”
Stormy picked under her fingernails using a trailing point knife. “I could’ve killed Phillip’s grandson, but you said no.”
Impatient with the lot of them, Monica calmly stated, “Stormy, darling, we need Phillip’s grandson. He’s what I call leverage.”
Johnnie came over and circled his arm around Monica’s waist. “Baby, I’ll find them for you. I vow to you. I’ll find them.” He leaned in to kiss her and Monica shrugged out of his grasp.
“Johnnie, not now, I have a headache.” The old catch phrase still worked. The moron was gorgeous. He just didn’t have a lot upstairs. As if talking to a toddler, she said, “Maybe when I return, if you make good on your promise, you can spend the whole night with me.” She patted his cheek. “I’ll touch base soon.”
Monica left campus and drove into the mountains where she’d left the ATTRA warship. She pressed on the wristband, and the Cloak Shield released, and she entered the time machine, synchronized her time pattern, then clicked on the system controls. Once she arrived at the docking station in the Gateway, she exited the time machine and caught one of the hover crafts powe
red by Lunar City’s automated road system.
Monica never tired of the incredible aerial view from the free-flowing architectural design with a myriad of circular and vertical buildings that shimmered and gleamed. In between each building were perfect proportionate green spaces created by the nuclear energy of the sun through retractable solar panel windows that went undetected by Earth’s satellites. The panel tinting adjusted to the light conditions within Lunar City.
Further away from the building lay large areas of green space filled with organic vegetation providing food for the population. Ice caps on the dark side of the moon provided clean and usable water in the pipelines.
Yes, Monica thought, Lunar City ran at optimum efficiency both day and night. The natural time portals on Earth gave the city the necessary workforce to continue its existence. In exchange, Lunar City inhabitants had every conceivable luxury with incomes to match.
Zane, Stormy, and even Johnnie weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, but they were loyal and lethal. It was a shame Azaria and Kalsan were killed. Monica would find new specialists that would deactivate any protective shields or Security Breach Beams once they located Julia’s whereabouts.
Monica wished Ruben was still on her team. The youth of yesteryear was oh-so-hot, strong as an ox, and in bed, well, let’s just say, she’d met no other male or female with his lovemaking skills.
Monica had known before Ruben left on the Lord’s Supreme’s mission she had lost him. Exactly like when she decided to kill Commander Drummond Prescott.
Monica arrived at her penthouse suite; the automatic doors opened when the sensor scanned her retina. She went straight to her bedroom, stripped, and fell onto the bed. Some days were so hard she didn’t want to get up much less work. Today had been one of them. Monica was so close to realizing her dreams. Exhausted, she drifted into a restless sleep.
Chapter 15
The stars twinkled in the velvety night sky as Julia walked over to the rail of the front porch. There was no sign of Andy or Charlie. Ruben sat in one of the rockers rubbing Klock’s back, and she said, “Something must’ve happened.”
Ruben lowered Klock to the wooden plank floor. “Go check the perimeters again. If you see any sign of Charlie and Andy, come back to me.”
Klock barked, trotting down the stairs. “Yes sir, Boss.” Klock disappeared into the dense forest.
Ruben stepped over to Julia and leaned against the railing, gripping the overlay. “I agree, but I have every confidence in Charlie. She’ll get them back here safe.”
“What if they don’t come back? What happens then?”
“Don’t be so pessimistic. I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Let’s give Andy and Charlie some more time before we fall into panic mode. Besides, it’s not good for you or the baby.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re right. So much has happened that I’m not very optimistic at the moment.”
Klock came running back, his tongue hanging out, barking in between deep breaths. “They’re here. Andy and Charlie are here and driving a stolen car. We’ll need to ditch the evidence.”
Ruben ran down the steps. “I don’t see them.”
Julia yelled, “What’s Klock saying? Hey, look, down the driveway. I see lights. They’re in the woods.”
A sleek black car drove up the road leading to the Chalet. “How does Klock know it’s them?”
“Remember, Klock isn’t like Earth dogs. He’s an alien and sees through the darkness. You saw them, didn’t you, Klock?”
Klock looked up at Ruben and barked again. “Yup. It’s them.”
Julia walked down the steps to Ruben, and he held her hand. “Everything is going to be okay.”
The car pulled to a stop, and Andy and Charlie exited through the doors. Julia yelped, “Oh my God. What happened, Andy?” Horrified at seeing the blood covering Andy’s shirt, she also noticed the gash in his neck. Giving him a hug, she exclaimed, “Oh, Andy, I wish I’d never traveled through time.”
After Julia released him, Andy looked at Charlie then Ruben. “Stormy attacked me, but Charlie saved us. She’s incredible. Hey, we bought groceries too. A little help, please?”
Charlie popped the trunk, and each person loaded up with the groceries in one trip. Inside the kitchen, Julia and Ruben began to store the non-perishables in the large walk-in pantry.
Julia asked, “Who is Stormy?”
Ruben stacked cans of tuna and salmon on the top shelf. “She’s one of Monica’s enforcers. She lives to torture and kill. Stormy loves the chase.”
Inside the main room, Andy took off his shirt and yelled out, “Hey, I also found out that Monica is my ex-fiancée.”
Julia stuck her head around the corner. “You have got to be kidding?”
“Charlie can fill y’all in. I have to wash off this dried blood. It’s itching me to death.” He grabbed a beer out of the fridge, then went up the steps, taking them two at a time.
Charlie sat on the bar stool swiveling back and forth. “Is there any whiskey in the house? I need a stiff drink.”
Julia went to the wet bar and raised a bottle. “Is Gentleman Jack all right?”
Charlie nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” She looked at Ruben and straightened her spine.
Ruben joined her at the bar placing his hand over hers. “What happened?”
Charlie went through the details, not leaving out one morsel of information. “Stormy attacked Andy in the Science department. We lost them on campus and didn’t leave BFU until dark. Ruben, I wouldn’t have come back here unless I was sure. I wouldn’t put Julia or Andy in any danger.”
Ruben looked frazzled, shaking his head, stalking around the room like a bull. “I have to add more safeguards. Charlie, you did well.” He went out the door and down the steps.
Julia handed Charlie the whiskey shot, and she drank it in one gulp.
“Thank you for saving my grandson’s life. Words aren’t enough, but I thank you just the same. Are you hungry? I kept plates of spaghetti warm in the oven for you and Andy.”
Charlie walked to the fireplace and extended her fingers over the flames. “Man, it gets chilly at night in the mountains. Oh, I’ll wait on Andy to eat.”
Julia went over to Charlie and brushed the hair away from Charlie’s face. “You have a love bite on your neck.”
Charlie let out a laugh. “Busted. I slept with your grandson.” She raised her brow and laughed again. “And I’ll probably keep on sleeping with him too.”
“I can tell you’re in love with Ruben. It’s written all over your face when he’s in the room. He loves you too. He just doesn’t know it yet. So, be kind to Andy and please don’t hurt him.”
Charlie rolled her eyes, then walked to the bar for another drink. “Yeah, right, Ruben loves me, and I’m the Pope. I like Andy very much, and I told him how I felt about Ruben.”
Andy jogged down the stairs, each step shaking the photos on the stairwell wall. He dipped Charlie in a dramatic gesture, then kissed her on the lips. After a long second, he broke away but still held Charlie in a dip. “Hey, sweetness, I left you plenty of hot water if you want to take a shower.”
Charlie giggled, and her arms circled Andy’s neck. “Let me see.” He raised them to a standing position, and Charlie tilted his chin and inspected his wound. “I think you’ll live.” He pulled her off the ground, kissing her again when Ruben walked in and slammed the door.
Andy slowly released Charlie, and she said, “I’m taking a shower. Wait for me, and we’ll eat dinner together.” She kissed him again, then turned to Ruben and smiled before running up the stairs.
Julia watched the interaction with much interest. She’d been right, Ruben was jealous of Andy.
Andy was completely oblivious to the undercurrent and grabbed another beer from the fridge. “Anyone else want one?”
Ruben snarled and said, “Sure, but get Julia a ginger ale.”
Julia smiled and sat on the couch. She hadn’t watched so much dra
ma unfold since the first semester of college when she pledged her sorority.
Andy tossed the beer to Ruben and plopped down next to Julia on the couch with his feet on the square pinewood coffee table.
Ruben smacked Andy’s feet off the table and sat down. He tilted Andy’s chin. At first, Ruben had a look of concern, then his nostrils flared.
Julia leaned over and looked at Andy’s neck. She giggled and said, “You have a love bite on your neck.”
“Yeah, so what?” Andy shrugged and took a pull from his beer. Ruben turned and stormed out of the house again. Andy said, “What’s his problem?”
She stretched out on the couch and placed her feet in Andy’s lap. “I believe Ruben’s just figured out he has feelings for Charlie that aren’t brotherly, if you know what I mean.”
“The hell you say. Ruben and Charlie? She loves him too, damn it. I think I’m falling in love with Charlie, and I’m not letting her go without a fight.”
Charlie came down the stairs in a pair of pink silk pajamas. Andy’s eyes widened, and he guzzled the rest of his beer. “Day-yum, girl. You look good.”
Ruben came back inside and laughed sarcastically. “Really, Charlie? Pink? You look like a teenager.”
Charlie’s cheeks reddened. “I bought a few items at the superstore. Pink was all they had in my size, asshole.” She pushed Ruben out of her way and held her hand out to Andy. “Eat dinner with me, Boo.” Charlie accentuated the word Boo.
Julia laughed so hard her sides ached. “Oh, y’all are killing me.
Ruben grunted and sat down in the recliner, kicking up the footrest. Crossing his arms over his chest, he pouted. “Keeping you and your baby safe is all that matters.”
Julia picked up a pillow and threw it in Ruben’s face. “Nothing matters except the baby and me. That’s a bunch of malarkey. I told you that you had feelings for Charlie. You just didn’t believe it until you saw their hickeys.”
Ruben threw the pillow back. He leaned in and whispered, “Their hickeys? Let’s get something straight. I care about Charlie, but I’m not in love with her. You seem to forget, you and Andy are living in an alternate reality. When Charlie and I see this scenario through, Charlie won’t have Andy. Don’t you get it? She’ll only have me. I can’t risk Charlie’s emotional ties to someone who’s not in her future.”