by West, Shay
Alex slammed the phone down and put her head in her hands. There was nothing else she could do. At least I have less chance of running into the evil Traveler if I’m stuck here.
She jumped up and paced the length of the barracks and hoped her luck would hold out and the place would remain empty. Every time she approached a window, she peered out and looked for her uncle. When he didn’t appear, she threw up her hands in disgust and paced again. Alex feared that if he didn’t get here soon she would have AJ’s fingernails chewed down to nubs.
The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps stopped Alex in her tracks. She held her breath as she waited for the door to open. And yet she hoped that whoever it was would keep on walking.
She had kept her secret for so long that the thought of telling someone terrified her. Jenn found out by accident so Alex didn’t have a choice but to tell her.
He can help you.
The footsteps stopped outside the door and the door handle turned ever so slowly. Alex backed away, gripped by sudden fear. Her legs hit the bed behind her and she fell backward gracelessly. As the door opened, she stood and tried to look casual in case it was someone coming back to the barracks.
Alex wanted to weep when she saw her uncle’s familiar face. They had never been super close but just seeing him standing there in his fatigues made her feel safer.
“I want answers and I want them now, Lance Corporal.”
She blinked a few times. His brusque statement left her bewildered. She had hoped there would be some awkward stammering, perhaps even an uncomfortable silence but this right-out-of-the-gate demand had her flustered.
“I’m not sure you’re going to believe me—”
“Don’t worry about what I won’t or won’t believe. Just spit it out.” He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his facial expression was nothing but angry.
“I’m not who you think I am,” Alex said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.
Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s me, Uncle Mark. It’s Alex.”
CHAPTER 18
“COME AGAIN?”
Alex wiped her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. “It really is me. It’s Alex.”
“I don’t know what kind of stunt you’re pulling, but I don’t like it.”
Alex took an involuntary step backward as her uncle advanced on her. He was all military at that moment, graceful and deadly. She side-stepped the bed as she moved away from him but he kept coming and had her pinned against the wall in seconds.
“Please, Uncle Mark, you have to believe me. You’re married to Karen who owns two clothing stores in Grand Junction, mom and I came to live with you guys when dad left us.”
Alex spoke so quickly the words tumbled over themselves. As she spoke Mark’s eyes grew larger and he backed further away until Alex was the one chasing him down. She told him things AJ couldn’t possibly know.
She stood as her uncle sat on the edge of one of the bunks looking rather shell-shocked. He ran his hands through his hair and mumbled to himself.
“So do you believe me?” Alex asked.
“I need time—”
“I don’t have time. That’s why I came back. I need your help.”
“If I’m going to help, you need to start at the beginning. I need to have all the facts before I can even begin to deal with this.”
Alex grabbed a chair, sat in front of her uncle, and told him everything that had happened since she had seen Aine in the mirror in the Burger King off I-70. As she spoke, she kept a watch on the door in case someone wandered into the barracks. She ended with the reason behind the last trip that she had blundered so badly.
“I was trying to locate the evil Traveler and that’s how I ended up in AJ. Which is strange since I always thought the traveling thing could only occur to the past,” Alex said, staring off into space. She shook her head and continued. “Anyway, I knew that AJ lived in somewhat recent times as soon as I saw the modern facilities in the bathroom. I figured I had traveled back a few years at most. When I spotted you and that guy, I lost all sense of control and blurted out your name without thinking.”
Mark gave a small smile. “Imagine what I was thinking.”
“So here’s the thing. That guy you were with? I think he’s the evil Traveler I’ve been fighting all these years.”
“I wish I could say that I didn’t believe you or that you must be mistaken, but I actually think you’re right.”
Of all the things her uncle could have said, Alex never expected that. “What do you mean?”
“I think I interrupted one of his missions back in time. He played it off like it was some sort of medical condition but I knew better. He was ice cold. The only medical condition I know of that has that symptom is death.”
Alex nodded. “That’s what happens to me. Poor Jenn nearly lost her mind when she found me in one of my episodes.”
“I’m glad you’ve had someone to open up to. I still think you need to tell you mom. I don’t like the idea of you being home and dealing with this without an adult.”
Alex shook her head. “I’m not ready. The only reason I came to you was because Sean and Gavin suggested it.”
“And they are time travelers like you?” Mark asked.
“Sean is. Gavin is his Master. This guy I’ve been dealing with has killed most of the others. Which is why Gavin thinks I don’t have one.”
Her uncle jumped to his feet so suddenly Alex gave a squeak of fear. “So does Gavin think this evil Traveler has a Master?”
A chill raced down Alex’s spine at the look in her uncle’s eyes. “I suppose so.”
“Because I think I know who it is.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“And if it’s who I think it is, we’re in big trouble.”
***
Alex rubbed her eyes. She had shared years of information with her uncle in a very short period of time and the bombshell he had dropped on her about the identity of the evil Traveler and his Master had her more scared than ever.
“I can’t believe this is happening. How am I supposed to fight a top military official? I bet he has connections I never even dreamed of.”
“There’s more. Your little outburst didn’t go unnoticed. Lane will put two and two together, if he hasn’t already. I can keep an eye on him here but if he can do what you do and travel into someone close to you in the present time, he could harm you and I couldn’t do a thing about it.”
“Just don’t let the guy around any mirrors then, okay?”
“I’ll watch Stygian like a hawk, but I can’t draw suspicion to myself or do something that will get me discharged.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble, Uncle Mark. But I admit confiding in you makes me feel a hell of a lot better and ... What are you laughing at?” Alex raised her eyebrows.
“I’ve worked with Lance Corporal Jensen before and she is so different from you. It’s so weird seeing her sitting here and yet all of your mannerisms manifesting themselves. Even the way you talk is different.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re having fun with all of this. I have a madman after me and all you can do is laugh.”
“I’m sorry, kiddo. Look, we’ll figure something out, okay? You focus on finding out who that nurse is and I’ll keep an eye on Lane Stygian. I’ll keep you apprised of everything he does and if I see him with a piece of mirror, I’ll take it away like you said. Maybe he’ll give up.”
Alex sighed. “I don’t think that will be enough to stop him. I’ve beat him more times than I can count and he still keeps coming. This Max Poder you told me about has him doing something big, so big that he won’t let anyone stop him. Not me and not you.”
“Don’t worry about me. You have enough to worry about.”
“I can’t help it. I’ve put you in danger just by telling you the truth. If you interfere with Lane, he’ll try to take you out.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a M
arine. Rumor has it we’re pretty bad ass. I can handle Lane.”
“Yeah, but can you handle your superior officer? Couldn’t he send you on a mission to Russia or something just to get you out of the way?”
“That’s a very real possibility. But we’ll deal with that when we get to it. Right now, focus on the nurse and what time she’s from. It may give us a clue as to what Max’s plan is.”
Mark glanced at his watch and stood. “I have to run. Duty calls.”
Alex stood and raised her arms to give him a hug but remembered she was in the body of an older woman and someone that her uncle knew. He scratched his head, aware of the awkwardness and they both ended up laughing and shaking hands instead.
“Keep in touch. And stay safe.” Mark walked out of the barracks and closed the door softly behind him.
Alex sat on AJ’s bed and sagged with relief. Her uncle was in her corner. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she would be able to beat this guy. She made her way into the bathroom and stared at AJ’s reflection in the mirror. She focused on her own face and in seconds the reflection in the mirror shimmered. She reached out to touch the mirror.
I hope Uncle Mark will help cover for poor AJ.
CHAPTER 19
ALEX SAT UP in bed and turned at a squeal of fright just to her left.
“It’s just me, Jenn.”
“I’m aware of that. But when you’ve been lying still for a while and you all of a sudden sit up, it’s a little scary,” Jenn said sarcastically.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.” Alex sat up and rubbed her hands across her face. Even though traveling like this was easier on her, it still took a few minutes to acclimate to being back in her own body again. She turned at an impatient tapping sound.
Jenn drummed a rhythm on the time travel notebook with her pen. “Spill it, Alex. And don’t forget to tell me everything.”
Alex filled Jenn in on the conversation she had had with her uncle, trying to remember the details. She would rather gloss over everything and just get right to the point but Jenn would bug her until she recalled the color of the paint on the walls of the barracks, the positioning of everything, the sounds she heard.
“Lane Stygian? That’s the guy’s name? It sounds creepy.” Jenn shuddered.
“Yeah, and we think his Master is a General named Max Poder.”
“I can’t believe that the evil Traveler is at the same base as your uncle. At least he can keep an eye on the guy for us. Give us a head’s up if he leaves.”
“Mark said Lane isn’t due for leave for a while. But that doesn’t mean that the General can’t have Lane go away on some fake mission so he can do whatever it is he is going to do.” Alex waved her hands vaguely in the air.
She grabbed her laptop and sent an email to Gavin. For the first time in a long time, she felt hopeful about the future. She had other people in her corner, adult people who wielded far more power than she had. And with Mark keeping an eye on Lane Stygian, she figured she would focus her attention on trying to find out more about the nurse she had seen. She was tied to Max and Lane’s plans, Alex was certain of it.
Alex glanced at the alarm clock sitting on her end table and groaned. “I gotta get ready for work. Wanna drive me and we can figure out our next move?”
“Sure. It’s not like I have anything else to do.”
Alex jumped in the shower and threw on some clothes, hardly giving any thought to what it was she was wearing. Her mind was so distracted. She threw her hair up in a quick bun and put on a little make-up.
“Alex, you ready to head into work?” Patricia rapped on Alex’s door.
“Jenn’s taking me.”
“Okay. Better hurry or you’ll be late.”
Alex rolled her eyes. She’d never been late to work a day so far and her mom was treating her like a child. Like usual.
On the way to the store, Jenn grilled Alex one last time to make sure she didn’t leave anything out. Alex assured Jenn that she had told her everything.
“I need the details if I’m ever going to write the books about this stuff. I’m tellin’ ya, they will be big. Maybe even have movies made out of them. Which reminds me, I need to get online and figure out what actors I want to play our parts.”
Alex laughed. “I think you’re dreaming, girl.”
“You’ll change your tune when I’m walking on the red carpet. I need to get online and pick out my dress and shoes!”
The two girls chatted about dresses they had seen their favorite stars wearing, what kind of shoes they would wear, what accessories they would have on. They even went so far as to dream about what male actors would accompany them down the red carpet. With each passing moment, their imaginations got more and more carried away until they were walking arm-in-arm with top A-list actors.
Jenn braked hard in front of the store. “Need a lift after?”
Alex shook her head. “Mom and I are supposed to go driving after work but who knows. She’ll probably blow me off again for Bruce.”
“Well, if you need a ride, give me a holler.” Jenn gave a quick wave before she drove away.
Alex walked into the store and stopped short. Catelyn Montgomery was browsing through the store with her mom. Alex hadn’t seen her arch nemesis all school year and it had been a truly blissful year because of it. She had been sent away to a private school when her parents had come home from vacation early and caught her and Beau in a rather embarrassing situation.
Catelyn looked up and met Alex’s eyes. Alex wanted to look away but her hazel eyes were locked onto the girl’s blue ones. Catelyn’s face grew redder by the second until finally she broke contact and stalked past Alex, brushing her so hard she nearly knocked Alex over. Catelyn’s mom looked up at the sound of the door opening and followed after her daughter, shouting and gesturing.
“What was that about?” Karen asked as she came from the stockroom at the back of the store.
“Just a little mother-daughter spat. Nothing to worry about,” Alex said.
“I got some new stock in the back. Want to take a look?” Karen asked.
“Sure. Need me to inventory it?”
“Not yet. I don’t have room for it anyway. But there’s some new stuff in the men’s store that needs sorting through if you wouldn’t mind doing that.”
“Sure.”
Alex walked back into the stockroom to see the new stuff that had arrived yesterday. She loved looking at the new clothing all wrapped in plastic, so pristine and perfect. Although she received some items for birthdays and Christmas, she couldn’t afford to shop here herself. Alex walked down the length of the back room until she came to the back entry into Downtown Boy. When her aunt had purchased the neighboring building, she had the construction crew knock out the wall between the stockrooms so she, Patricia, and Alex could move between stores without having to go outside first.
She looked at the rows of boxes and sighed. The men’s store had really taken off and moved quite a lot more inventory than did the women’s store, which meant a lot more boxes to open and clothing to inventory. Alex turned on the small radio and got to work.
At first it seemed as though she wasn’t making a dent in the rows of boxes but as the hours wore on, the pile of broken down boxes grew ever taller and the racks more full. When the last box had been unpacked and counted, Alex wheeled the first of several full racks over near the doorway into the store. When the squeaking of the wheels stopped, she heard voices coming from the store.
Oh, great, it’s him.
Alex rolled her eyes as she caught the sound of Bruce’s voice, laughing at something her mom was saying. She tiptoed closer to the doorway to eavesdrop, face burning when she imagined what her mom would do if she caught her. And part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what they were talking about.
“...not sure what to do,” Alex heard her mom say when she got within earshot.
“She needs time,” Bruce said.
“How much time? How long
do I continue to choose between the two of you?”
“I never meant for you to have to choose between me and your daughter. Maybe it’s best if I stay out of the picture for a while.”
Alex felt a little guilty at the sadness in Bruce’s voice at the thought of not spending time with her mom and yet she couldn’t help but grin. She and her mom were better off without a man in their lives. Her mom would see it in time.
“That’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let my head-strong teenager decide who I spend time with.”
“Not to make things worse, but when you are supposed to be spending time with me, you’re not really there because you’re thinking about Alex.”
“Oh, Bruce, I’m sorry about that.” Her mom sighed loudly. “I just wish she would come around so we could spend time together.”
“Just so you know I’m okay with doing dinner and such even if her behavior is less than exemplary.”
Alex sputtered. She couldn’t believe the man had the nerve to bad-mouth her in front of her own mom.
“I’m not okay with her behavior and I won’t subject you to it. She is going to learn one way or the other that I have a right to live my own life.”
Alex gripped the doorway so hard her hand hurt. Before she knew quite what she was doing, she barged into the store and stormed over to where her mom and Bruce were standing. Her mom turned with a smile but it faded just as quickly.
“How dare you talk about me like this behind my back?”
Her mom’s face turned red but refused to look away. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, Alex, but perhaps that will teach you not to eavesdrop on conversations that don’t concern you.”
“Doesn’t concern me?” Alex shook her head. “You were talking about me! I’d say it concerns me.”
“I won’t allow you to talk to me like this, young lady, and certainly not in front of Bruce.”
“Why not? He was in on it too. Who the hell is he to talk about my behavior?”
Alex nearly screamed in rage when her mom actually broke into laughter. “Maybe you should head in back and watch the store security tape. Maybe you’ll understand.”