How long had he been out? Two minutes, an hour? His heart pounded, and his mouth went dry. He lifted his watch and hit the timer, setting it for forty-eight hours. The chances of finding her alive after that greatly diminished. He. Would. Find. Her.
“I promised to take care of you, Elizabeth. Hang on.” Will shoved his gun into the waistband of his pants. He winced as another jolt of sharp pain raced across his ribs.
Will lifted his T-shirt and unfastened his vest, examining a large round bruise the color of violets. Assured the bullet hadn’t gotten through the ballistics material, he re-secured the Velcro and dropped his tee to cover it. Asshole should’ve killed him when he’d had the chance. As it stood, the bruise hurt like a bitch—far from a mortal injury, and just enough pain to piss him off.
Retrieving his pack, he stuffed three full canteens inside it and went outside to examine the crime scene. Slowly, he moved out in a circle from where he went down until he found two sets of tracks moving away.
He examined Elizabeth’s tiny boot prints and Alexander’s larger tracks behind hers, some overlapping hers. He went about ten feet and came to where they’d scuffled. Then Alexander’s prints were the only ones to be seen. Since Elizabeth wasn’t anywhere around, he had to assume her abductor was carrying her.
Not rocket science.
Brass from a .45 lay in the dirt nearby. Will picked up the casing, rolling it between his fingers. Not something a man from 1905 would carry. His great-great uncle had a modern weapon, which meant he knew about the portals, maybe even more about them than Will did. Not good.
Will walked forward about five feet, taking in everything. From the length of Alexander’s stride, he knew exactly where he wanted to go. Will didn’t need to follow the tracks. Instinct told him they were headed for the ruins where his uncle had already dumped one body.
He didn’t have forty-eight hours. If Alexander managed to make it into the past with Elizabeth, he’d kill her along with everyone in the expeditionary party. History would repeat. The pieces of the puzzle began to drop into place. Headhunters hadn’t gotten Elizabeth and her father. Alexander Davidson had, wanting to keep the secrets and treasures of the future for himself. But how had he gotten back to the past without the journal or the skull?
Will jogged through the jungle, picking his way along the trail and splitting off onto the faint path he’d followed when he’d first wandered into the sunken city and found his grandfather’s body. Ahead, the entrance of the ancient ruins. The dark hole in the ground yawned like a giant’s mouth, ready to devour any who entered.
“Get your big clubs off me, you brute,” Elizabeth screamed.
Will ducked behind a tree and peered around.
“You fucked my brother. Why shouldn’t you give me a little of what you gave him?”
“He’s my husband.” Elizabeth twisted her wrist and yanked, breaking away from Alexander and retreating at the same time. “And not your brother, you bastard.”
“Right. You can’t marry a man who’s already married, Elizabeth. That’s bigamy. I know my own flesh and blood. I thought for certain I’d killed him. I don’t know how you resurrected him, but, I assure you, I put a bullet right through his heart this time. He won’t magically rise from his deathbed again. Now come over here. When I’m done with you, I’m going to torch his body and finish him off for good.”
“Fuck you.”
“Not very ladylike, Elizabeth. Your father would be displeased. I do believe I told you to bring your pretty ass over here. Now, do it!”
Elizabeth pulled out a small Derringer from her shorts. “Not going to happen, Alexander. I know what you are. I know you killed your brother, and you killed my husband. If you come a step closer, I swear to God, I’ll shoot you.”
“Ah, darling. You haven’t got it in you. You couldn’t do it before to save him, and you won’t be able to do it this time with that little pea-shooter.” Alexander took a couple of steps closer. “Give me the iron, Elizabeth.”
“How about some lead?” She lifted it and pointed the business end of the gun at Alexander. “Don’t come any closer.”
That’s my girl. Will retrieved his .45. One in the chamber already. Seconds counted. He slid his thumb over the safety. Until Elizabeth got out of the way, he couldn’t get a clean shot at the bastard. Move, sweetheart.
Alexander rushed her.
Elizabeth fired.
And missed.
“Cunt.” Alexander shoved her, sending her to the ground. “If you’re going to pull a gun, you need to learn how to use it. Now you die.” He raised his pistol and pointed it at her.
Will fired.
Alexander yelped and dropped his weapon, glancing toward where Will hid before fleeing into the jungle. Will headed for Elizabeth.
“I’m fine.” She dusted herself off after climbing to her feet. “We have to stop him before he gets to the chamber. He told me he’s going to kill everyone.”
Will reached down and touched a drop of blood on a large ficus leaf. Still wet. He’d clipped Alexander with the shot, but judging from the stretch of his stride, not enough to slow him down or kill him. Damn.
Using the blood droplets to track him, Will and Elizabeth followed Alexander into the jungle. The bright color of the blood confirmed Will’s suspicions he’d only clipped the man. The drops weren’t the dark red of a gut shot, and there weren’t enough of them for a large chest wound.
The drops grew smaller and more infrequent, but Will thought he must have lost enough blood to become confused. Instead of heading for the ruins or circling back to the entrance, he’d turned and traveled toward the river. Will could only think of one reason why he would do that. Backup.
“He’s moving for the river.”
Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “Why?”
“Not sure. Could be the loss of blood has disoriented him or could be intentional.” God forbid he’d gone to get henchmen. “Whatever it is, he’s given us a chance to get to the ruins first.”
Elizabeth put her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes. “He came forward in time. He might have the journal. How can we travel without it?”
“The skull. It’s the common denominator. You touched it; I touched it. Let’s hope it works in reverse. I don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling about him heading for the river. So….” He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the ancient trail and the place where their adventure had started. “The faster we get to that room, the better.”
***
Will dug in his pack for a flashlight while she stared down into the sunken city. “Let’s do this.” He looked up from where he kneeled.
Elizabeth peered around him and rubbed her arms. “I don’t remember the way. I followed something down there.”
“Not a problem. There will be signs of my passing through, torn cobwebs, displaced dirt. Plus, do you remember the tiles? You seemed to have a grasp on the dates. Once we find them, we can go from there.” He clicked the light on and rose, slinging his pack over his shoulder. He grabbed her hand and guided her down the stone steps.
Left. Right. A fork. Which way? Will stooped down and brushed the dirt from the floor. Both routes had been traveled recently. Just when he decided to go right, he noticed the same tile he’d seen in the plaza. 2015. Ha! A starting point. “It’s the same pictograph we stood on when we traveled before. I’d say we go that way.”
“I’d say you’re correct.” Elizabeth gave him a heart-stopping smile.
Will and Elizabeth followed the tiles until they entered a round room with thirteen passageways. He turned around, taking it all in. “Shit. I don’t remember this.”
“Likewise.” She dusted the floor with her fingertips. “No map. The pictographs are gone, and it doesn’t look like anyone has traveled this way in a very long time. Maybe we should start over?”
“No. I think this is the place if we read the date on that last tile correctly. A test, perhaps?” He went from door to door, scanning the area for clues. Which
way? He turned and started toward where they’d come in and stepped on a trigger plate, or at least he assumed he had. The loud click told him they were about to sink neck deep in an ocean of shit.
“Uh oh.” Elizabeth froze in place.
“You heard that, too, didn’t you?”
She swallowed and nodded.
Stone ground on stone, and the room groaned. The walls shook, and dust rained down from the ceiling. “I think we’d better get the hell out of here,” he said.
The grinding sound grew louder, and Elizabeth dropped to her hands and knees. “Too late.”
William’s sense of balance fled, and the room spun like a merry-go-round. He joined her on the floor, no longer able to maintain his balance. The room whirled for about two minutes before it came to a sudden stop, throwing them both onto their bellies. He closed his eyes to collect his bearings then opened them, swallowing hard. He’d no clue if he faced north or south. Now even if he’d wanted to retrace his steps to get out of the underground city, it would be impossible.
“Which one?”
“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe.” Will pointed toward one of the doors. “That looks as good as any. What do you think?”
As if in answer to his question, one of the doorways glowed with light and filled with a strange red mist, not the one he’d picked.
“I think you picked the wrong one.”
Will blinked. “Is someone there?” Rising to his knees, he grabbed Elizabeth and shoved her behind him, pulling his gun. “Show yourself.”
An outline of a man materialized. It gestured for them to follow.
“It’s him,” Elizabeth whispered. “The spirit that showed me how to find you before.”
“Spirit? Okay, so ghosts exist, too. Shall we jump down the rabbit hole, Alice?” Will dusted his khakis off and held her gaze.
“Pardon?” She scrunched up her nose. “Was that a joke?”
“Bad timing, huh?”
“A little bit.”
Will pointed at the ghost. “Do you think we should follow?”
“Yes.” She bit her lip. “I think the ghost is trying to help. But if we run into the Mad Hatter down here, too, you’re on your own, Mr. Davidson.”
The spirit nodded.
Will stared at the glowing figure. “Can you get us to the expedition party? To save them?”
The apparition nodded again and pointed down the corridor. Hurry, a voice echoed in Will’s head. He’s coming.
“Who are you?”
The ghost shook his head, his presence fading.
“Wait! Don’t go.”
The man grew thinner and thinner until he vanished.
“All right. We get it. Go this way. You better not lead us into a trap.”
Will and Elizabeth headed down the narrow passage and, a few minutes later, came to another room. On an altar against the far wall sat a crystal skull. It appeared to be made of obsidian, but when they approached, it glowed, turning a deep crimson. At first is seemed a buzz, like an insect, but then muffled sounds slowly emerged from the scarlet glass, growing louder and clearer with each second that passed. Will reached down and grabbed Elizabeth’s hand. “I’d say this is our portal.”
“The door to the City of Gold is this way,” someone said.
“You found it?” another man asked.
“It’s not what you think. You have to see this. I can’t explain. Only a little bit farther. This is so…incredible.”
Will and Elizabeth stopped in their tracks and stared at each other. “Do you hear that?” Elizabeth said. “One of them sounds like Alexander.”
Did Will dare announce their presence? What if one of the voices belonged to his nemesis as Elizabeth stated? He’d only guessed that Alexander headed for the river. Perhaps he’d backtracked, trying to throw them off his trail.
“What are you doing, Alexander? Put the machete down.”
“Thanks for taking me to the find of the century. Too bad you won’t be around to share the glory.”
“What are you talking about? You’re my brother.”
“And it’s gotten old, always being second. Allow me to let you in on a little secret. I’m your half-brother. Our whore mother was already pregnant with another man’s seed, you, when Father married her. He had some noble belief he could save her, but her family still cast her out. Disowned her and disinherited her, so she wouldn’t see a cent of their fortune. You are a bastard, and if anyone deserves to raise the family name up the ranks of society, it’s me. I won’t let you take this from me, too. I’m the only legitimate son, the only legitimate grandson, of an industrial baron, and I will reclaim what belongs to me.”
Will had to do something, had to try to stop it. He let go of her hand and stepped toward the skull, his gut telling him everything would be okay. He lived by his instincts, and they hadn’t let him down yet.
“Don’t,” Elizabeth said.
Will glanced at her. “Sorry, baby. Gotta do this.” He dove for the skull. He had a chance to save his grandfather, if fate stayed on his side. This time, when he touched the relic, he didn’t black out, proving he’d made the right choice. Passing through a distortion, he tucked and rolled, landing on his feet. When he stood, he faced a man who could be his mirror reflection. Holding a machete above his head, another man, who could only be Alexander, had his back to him.
Will yanked his .45 from the holster and aimed. “Hey, asshole.” Hopefully, what he was about to do wouldn’t fuck up the future and put one of those rips in the fabric of time that they always talked about on the science fiction channel. He had no way to gauge the consequences of his actions.
Alexander spun around.
“Put the machete down.”
His uncle dropped the blade and pulled a pistol.
Will fired. This time he didn’t clip his shoulder.
Chapter Twelve
“Who are you, and why do you look like me?” The man in the cowboy hat circled, studying him as though he’d just climbed out of a flying saucer.
How to explain? As Elizabeth said, the truth never hurt. “I’m your great grandson, William Davidson. I’ve come from the future. My wife, Elizabeth Dodge, er, Davidson, is on the other side of the door in my time. We came to rescue her father and the expeditionary party. I went through one of your time portals.”
“The portals. I didn’t think anyone else knew about them. I’m grateful you found them, though. I think my brother intended to kill me.”
Will eyed the whimpering man lying on the floor in a ball. “He fully intended to murder you and claim your find for himself. I first found you as a corpse.” He ran his hand through his hair. “You’ll need to deliver him to the authorities and get him some medical care.”
“Who did you say your wife was again?”
“Elizabeth Dodge.”
“Henry Dodge’s daughter?”
“Yes. You know her?” Finally, someone knew his wife.
“I knew her. But she vanished in London a couple of years ago. The bobbies suspected foul play, but they never recovered her body to prove it. Henry was devastated. Sold all his holdings there and bought a cattle ranch in the United States. Haven’t heard from him since. So she off and eloped? She isn’t dead?”
“I’m not sure. I know what happened to her in another time, but not in your time, and I’m certain your brother had something to do with her disappearance. Perhaps we should go back farther, so Henry knows what happened to her.”
“We who?”
“Elizabeth.”
“I don’t think you want to go messing with the portals too much. The first time I traveled to the future, I met my current wife and brought her home with me. She has since ceased to exist in her time. Her family doesn’t even know who she is. The same could happen to Elizabeth or you.”
“It may have happened already, but that doesn’t matter. I made a promise I intend to keep.”
“We all make promises to the women we love. I understand.”
Will shook his head and smiled. “Hold that thought. I’m going to retrieve my wife.” He turned and touched the skull, stepped through the distortion, expecting to find Elizabeth waiting for him. Instead, a hammer cocked, and his flashlight beam landed on Alexander, his arm wrapped around Elizabeth’s neck and the barrel of a weapon pressed against her temple.
“Did you really think I work alone? You’re going to pay for the damage you did to my shoulder two years ago. I escaped from jail, and I have something special planned for my brother this time when I go home to get another chance at him. When I’m done with you, I’m going to take care of my brother’s pregnant wife. You’ll never exist.” He smiled. “That’s right. I figured out who you really are, and to get rid of the future you, I merely have to pull up the weed’s roots before it produces seed.”
“Let Elizabeth go.”
Alexander licked her cheek. “No. I’ve got something special planned for this dollymop after I’m done with you. I only spared you, so you’ll know.” He squeezed her cheeks, puckering her mouth. “I’ve waited a long time for it, haven’t I, my love?”
“This is the last time I’m going to ask you to release my wife.”
“The thing about time travel? I can go back and change events to the way I’d like them to happen. I could marry her, or maybe not. Just fuck her instead. I can do whatever the hell I want with her. I could do it over and over as many times as I like.” Alexander snorted. “Say good-bye, Elizabeth.” He pulled the gun from her temple and pointed his weapon at Will. Alexander’s action gave him all the time he needed to get off a shot at the bastard, and this time, he aimed for a spot between the eyes.
Two shots went off. Something shattered, and rocks pinged off the walls.
The Willfully Wedded Virgin (Beyond Fairytales) Page 11