by West, Shay
She was so caught up thinking about Chandon that she nearly ran into Christoph’s back. He had stopped, head cocked to the side. Alex was about to ask him why he stopped when she caught the sound of voices ahead.
She gripped her metal rod tighter, worried that her sweaty hands would lose their grip. There was so much that could go wrong with this plan. Alex wanted to back out, rethink things, maybe give up all together.
Get a grip, Alex!
Christoph had his ear pressed up against the door. Alex wished there was a window so she could see where the man were and what they were doing. The plan depended on taking the men by surprise. Christoph and Alex couldn’t do that if they couldn’t see where the men were.
The voices moved away and silence soon followed. Without hesitation, Christoph pushed the door open and threw his body behind a desk. Alex followed, nearly tripping over her feet. She kept the metal rod close to her body, knowing that if she dropped it, the men would hear it and she and Christoph would be killed.
Christoph motioned for her to stay where she was and crawled from behind the desk. Alex wanted to follow but she knew she would just be in the way. She smiled when she remembered what it had been like being in the body of Arachidamia. The woman had been strong and fierce. Alex could use a little of that right about now.
When Christoph appeared on her left, she nearly squealed in fright.
“The men are in the next room. There’s a window so we can see exactly where they are.”
Alex followed Christoph, hoping Stygian and the two doctors would stay where they were and not come back to this room. They crouched low and stayed underneath the bottom sill of the window. The voices were too low for Alex to be able to hear anything. She took a risk and peeked over the edge of the sill.
She spotted Stygian right away. He was standing behind the two doctors while they worked at a bench. As far as Alex could see, there were only the three men in the room.
And they had their backs to her and Christoph.
“The man standing behind the other two is the one I need.”
“Okay. If we are quiet enough, we should be able to sneak up behind them and dispatch them fairly easily. Do you need this one particular man alive?”
Alex hesitated. If Stygian was dead, all her troubles would be over. But the man that Stygian was inside of would also die. And she didn’t want to be responsible for his death.
“Alive is better,” Alex said.
“I’ll do my best. I will take out the man you need, then go after the man on the left. You go for the one on the right. We need to do this quickly so hit him on the back of the head. If they make noise, the guards will come in. This won’t do much good against guns.” Christoph pointed to the extinguisher.
Alex nodded.
Christoph moved through the door so quickly that Alex didn’t have time to rethink her plan. She rushed after him, panic moving her forward. She wanted to keep her eyes on Stygian but the man she was supposed to dispatch was already turning to face her and Christoph.
Alex swung the heavy metal bar, eyes squeezing closed as it connected with the side of his face with a dull thwack. She hadn’t swung very hard, only wanting to knock him unconscious. The man dropped like a sack of potatoes. Christoph was next to her and swinging the fire extinguisher at the other doctor. Alex winced as the extinguisher connected with much more force than she was comfortable with. But she didn’t have time to worry.
She turned and was relieved to see Stygian on the floor, blood staining his white-blonde hair. Just as she reached him, he groaned and reached a feeble hand up to his head.
“Christoph, I need you!” Alex said breathlessly.
Christoph knelt next to her and used his body to keep Stygian on the floor.
“Whas going on?” Stygian’s speech was slurred.
With shaking hands, Alex placed the head mirror in front of Stygian’s eyes. She didn’t want to recite the strange words that would send Stygian back into his own body until the other man’s eyes could stay open for longer than a few seconds. Her stomach roiled and she swallowed hard. The stench coming off the man was worse than she imagined death would be.
“What are you doing with that?” Christoph asked.
“I can’t tell you. But I promise you that Der Fuehrer will be safe very soon,” Alex said.
She gasped as Stygian’s eyes flew open and stared into her own. Pure rage and hate were all she could see in their icy blue depths. Head wound forgotten, Stygian bucked and twisted his body in a desperate attempt to throw Christoph.
“You think this is over? Do you?” Stygian snarled. “The second I get back your uncle is a dead man! And you will follow soon thereafter.”
Alex closed her eyes and bit back a sob. She wished she could tell her uncle Mark that she was sorry she’d gotten him involved. She wasn’t even worried about herself, at least not yet. All she could picture was her Aunt Karen’s face when she was told her husband was dead. She knew Max Poder could do it and make it look like an accident. No one would ever know the truth.
I’ll know.
Anger like she’d never felt flooded her veins. She wanted to punch Stygian’s face until it and her hands were bloody and torn. This man had ruined her life, was threatening her family. He’d put the entire world at risk for some selfish plan and didn’t care who he killed to accomplish it.
“I have friends that you can’t even possibly imagine. They know about you and they know about Max Poder. If you lay a finger on my uncle, you will regret it.” Alex leaned forward and smiled a little as she saw Stygian almost imperceptibly try to move away. “And just try to come after me. I dare you. My friends and I already have a plan.”
Alex had no idea why she said what she did. She had no idea what Sean and Gavin would or could do if her uncle was killed. Probably nothing. And she had no idea what she could do to protect herself from Stygian. But the look of doubt that flickered across his eyes gave her confidence.
She held up the hand mirror and began the chant. Stygian tried to close his eyes but the minute she spoke the words, his eyes flew open.
“Falvetch inksashekbum!”
Alex was surprised she remembered the words. She had only used the incantation once back in Egypt, the first time she had met Sean. He had explained that it was possible to force a Traveler from a body using those words and a mirror or other reflective surface.
Stygian howled in fury. Christoph shouted in dismay as it appeared that Stygian was about to succeed in shoving Christoph to the side. But the doctor’s body went limp as Stygian’s spirit departed.
“Agnes, what in the world was all that about?” Christoph said as he slowly lifted himself off the now unconscious doctor.
“I can’t explain. I’m sorry, Christoph.”
Alex’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Her arm came up of its own accord and the head mirror filled her vision. With a sigh, she reached out with her other hand and touched the mirror.
***
Drifter awoke in his own bed, fear and rage burning through him. He couldn’t believe the girl had managed to stop him yet again. He remembered her face from encounters in the hospital and yet he never suspected her. She had managed to walk around right under his nose and he hadn’t suspected a thing.
He stood and threw on some clothes. He was dreading the visit to Master. Poder would be most displeased that his pupil had failed again. The plan to restore his family name was everything to Poder. That dream slipping away would drive his Master mad.
He would have to break the news to Master. Putting it off would only make things worse. All Drifter wanted to do was find Mark Reynolds and wrap his hands around the man’s throat, to feel it disintegrate beneath his grip. But unless the man was out of the brig, Drifter knew he’d never get close enough to choke the life out of Mark.
Drifter made his way to Poder’s quarters knowing his commanding officer would be at home in bed at this hour of the night. He’s got to let me go after the girl, now. The one pers
on he wanted dead more than Mark Reynolds was the man’s meddling niece, the girl who had thwarted his plans at every turn. It would be a sweet sensation, taking her life. He knocked loudly and waited for Poder to open the door.
He stepped back in shock when the door opened almost immediately. Poder was still in uniform and looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Get in here.” Poder moved to a small desk with a decanter of scotch and two glasses on top. He poured himself one, not bothering to offer one to Drifter. “Mark will be out of the brig in a few short hours. The authorities want to question you about the death of Lance Corporal Jensen. They will want a handwriting sample and that alone will prove your guilt. I suggest you leave the base immediately.”
Drifter waited for Poder to mention his failure in WWII Germany. “Where shall I go?”
“Go? Does it matter?”
“I want the girl.”
“You may do whatever you wish.” Poder gulped down a second glass of scotch. “You need to leave immediately.”
“If the CID wants me for questioning, I can’t simply walk off the base.”
“Then I suggest you put your skills to work and leave undetected.”
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. Now go before the MPs come looking for you.”
Drifter left the house, guilt forcing his shoulders to slump. He had failed his Master miserably. Poder had never looked or sounded so dejected. Drifter considered going back inside, to offer to try again. He couldn’t go back to the exact time and place he had traveled before, but he could go back to a sooner time point, try again.
You can’t do anything unless the girl is out of the way.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Drifter made for a deserted part of the base to make good his escape.
CHAPTER 36
ALEX AWOKE standing in front of the sink in her own bathroom. She gasped and hung on, fighting the nausea that threatened to unhinge her knees.
“Alexis Davenport! If you don’t open this door this instant, I’ll break it down!”
Thinking quickly, Alex opened the toilet lid and seat. She fumbled with the door lock and flung open the door. Keeping up the pretense that she was ill, Alex knelt down next to the toilet.
“Why didn’t you answer me?” her mom asked.
“Sorry, Mom. Having my head buried in the toilet makes it kind of difficult to talk.”
“Chandon is here and waiting for you. I suppose I’ll have to tell him you can’t make it.”
“No, I’ll tell him.”
Her mom nodded, then left, closing the door.
Alex cursed the timing of her return. A few more minutes and she wouldn’t have had to play sick to keep her mom from breaking down the door. She had been looking forward to the date with Chandon for so long. Now she had another reason to hate Stygian.
Stygian.
She very nearly vomited for real when the realization hit her that she may be dead very soon and wouldn’t be going on any dates with anyone. Ever.
Alex hurried to the living room and she nearly wept when she saw Chandon Rose standing there talking to her mom. He looked completely at ease. When he spotted her, his eyes held nothing but concern.
“Guess you’re not over the stomach bug, huh?” he asked.
Alex held her hands over her stomach and shook her head. “I’m really sorry. Maybe some other time?”
As Alex stood there, the impact of what she had done hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her legs started shaking and her vision narrowed. I think I might faint. She almost laughed at the calm voice. Her legs buckled and she pitched forward, right into Chandon’s arms.
“Let me help you to the couch.”
Alex barely heard his voice and was too distracted by the terror threatening to choke her to register that she was in his arms. She needed to get rid of him and get back to her room so she could email Gavin and text Jenn. And she had to somehow find a way to contact her uncle to warn him.
“Alex, do we need to go to the hospital?”
Her mom’s suggestions broke through her fear. The last thing she needed was to be in a hospital room away from her computer and phone.
“I’m okay. Just weak I think. Haven’t been able to eat much the last few days,” she said.
“Are you sure? You could have something worse than just a stomach bug,” her mom said.
“Mom, don’t overreact. I have been puking for days. It’s a wonder I didn’t pass out sooner than this.”
“There’s been some stuff going around school,” Chandon said.
Alex could have kissed him. Her mom glanced at Chandon and nodded. “Well, it’s off to bed with you, young lady. And if you aren’t showing signs of improvement by tomorrow, I’ll take you in to see the doctor.”
Alex nodded, eager to be back in her room. She regretted not being able to go on a date but her life was in danger. She didn’t have time to waste indulging in a romantic evening out.
She got off the couch slowly, still acting the part, but moving more confidently than she had before. “See? I don’t feel faint anymore. I’m fine,” she said as her mom reached out to her.
“I’ll see you Monday at school,” Chandon said as he made his way to the front door.
“I’m so sorry about this,’ Alex said.
“It’s no big. We’ll plan something for next weekend.”
If I’m even alive next weekend. “Sure thing!” Alex said a little too cheerfully, trying to beat down the morbid thought threatening to unhinge her legs again.
Her heart hurt as she watched Chandon walk out the front door. The unfairness of it all made her want to scream and throw something. All she wanted was to go out on a date and be a normal girl for the first time since she had found out she could travel back in time. She didn’t think it was too much to ask for. Apparently, the universe had other plans.
“Off to bed with you.”
Alex nodded to her mom and walked slowly back to her room, fighting the urge to sprint. Every second counted. For all she knew, Stygian was on some military jet on his way to kill her right now. And Alex knew it wasn’t a very long flight from Camp Pendleton to Grand Junction.
She grabbed her phone off the desk and carried it to her bed. Her fingers shook so badly she could barely dial Gavin’s number. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision.
“Alex! Is everything okay?”
At hearing Gavin’s voice, she finally gave in to her emotions. She somehow managed to tell Gavin about Stygian’s plan, his defeat, and his threat. She hoped her mom couldn’t hear her through the closed door.
“What do I do? He’s going to come here and kill me. How can I fight a guy that’s military trained?” Alex asked.
“You can’t. You don’t fight, Alex. You run.”
“Run where? And what about mom and Karen? My friends? Do I bring them all with me?”
“There’s no plan yet, Alex. I need time to think—”
“I don’t have time! For all I know he could be on his way here right now.”
Alex fought the urge to throw her phone against the wall. She had hoped Gavin would tell her exactly what to do. A mad man was coming for her, had probably already killed her uncle, and the one man she counted on to help her had no idea what to do.
“I know, Alex and I’m sorry. I wish I had an answer. My first instinct is to have you come with Sean and I to Scotland. He’ll never find you there. But you don’t have a passport and we can’t wait for you to get one.” Gavin sighed loudly. “You’re right about your family and friends. Do they all come? And for how long? And what do we tell them? The truth? A lie? What if they suggest calling the police? I doubt we could convince them of your ability to travel through time.”
Alex lay back against the headboard, the enormity of what she faced weighing on her shoulders. Gavin was right. There was no easy answer. She had been so focused on how Stygian was going to ruin her life that she hadn’t considered the implications to those around her and
that there was no easy answer.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought of all that. All I can think about is my uncle lying dead in a jail cell.”
“This is all so unfair. A girl your age should never have to deal with this. But you are not alone, Alex. Do you hear me? You are not alone! Stygian will have to get through Sean and I before he gets to you. I’ll die before I let him touch you.”
His words brought another fresh onslaught of tears. Some of the terror left with the conviction in his voice and she felt a little better.
“Is there any way for me to contact my uncle?” she asked.
“I don’t think so. I will look into it and see what I can find but unless he’s out of the brig, I doubt he can have phone calls.”
Alex sighed miserably. “I thought so.”
“Try to get some rest and I’ll call you in the morning. I doubt Stygian can come after you tonight. People can’t just up and leave a military base whenever they feel like it. It will take a little time for Stygian and Poder to come up with a plan that won’t arouse suspicions.”
“I guess so. But being in the military didn’t stop them from killing someone and framing my uncle.”
“I promise that I will have a plan by tomorrow.”
They said their good-byes and Alex hung up. She called Jenn next.
“Oh my God, Alex, what are you going to do? Are you really going to wait for tomorrow? I know Gavin is old and wise and all but I wouldn’t put it past this Stygian guy to say ‘screw it’ to military protocol,” Jenn said.
“I agree. But what do I do? I had to play sick so it’s not like I can leave the house.”
“Alex, you may have to leave anyway. You can deal with being grounded after this guy is stopped.”
“How do I stop him? Let’s face it. The only way this will be over is if Stygian and Poder are dead. Are you going to be the one to do it?” Alex asked.
“If it was my life on the line, I think I could, yeah,” Jenn said hesitantly.
“And how do I go up against two grown men with all that military training? Stygian could probably kill me without me even seeing him.”