by Brad Raylend
“Like a rat, you’d do anything to survive,” York said, pulling him up. He grabbed the cable lanyard from Bohden’s belt and let go of it. It retracted back into its housing towards the pillar.
From his hip, Bohden pulled a small blade. He turned quickly and plunged the knife into York’s side. York quickly grabbed Bohden’s wrist as he grunted and collapsed to his knee. In a crouched scramble, he quickly retrieved his pistol and turned and aimed at York, who was clutching the knife buried in his rib cage. He raised his shaking hand to his eyes, looking at his blood-drenched, trembling fingers. He then looked up at Bohden.
“You’re not going to undo everything we’ve fought so hard to achieve. I won’t let you,” Bohden said. He paused for a second, looking around for Michael, who was nowhere to be seen. He turned back towards York and pulled the trigger. Click. It was only then that he realized the slide of the pistol had been locked back and it was empty.
York gave him a bloody grin. “You never were that smart either.” He raised his hand, revealing the MTX which he had snagged off of Bohden’s wrist. Bohden snarled and in one last desperate attempt he charged him. He smashed his shoulder into York, knocking him to the ground. He reached down, pulling the MTX from his fingers. He quickly reconnected it to his wrist and tapped the screen. The “INITIATE” button was pulsing.
Breathing heavily, Bohden looked down at York and sneered. Then he walked over to the pillar, retrieved the cable lanyard, and clipped it to his harness. He strode toward the edge of the roof. He stopped, looking over at Kara, who continued to hold Todd, and then at York, who was on his knees, cradling his bloody abdomen.
Bohden chuckled. “Looks like I didn’t need to be. You’re both dead anyway.” He turned and leapt off the roof, pressing the button once in freefall. The screen transitioned back to the year wheel which was set on 1648. Bohden’s eyes widened. He looked at the ground below him which was now a dense forest a hundred feet below. The cable lanyard was no longer attached to anything, as it was now a ten-foot cable simply trailing behind him, and he fell to his death, screaming.
York looked down at his hand which was drenched in his own blood. He picked himself up and limped over to Kara, who was still holding an almost incoherent Todd. He gently pulled her away, placing his hand on Todd’s chest. Only one half of his chest cavity was rising, meaning his chest cavity was filling with air and collapsing his lung. If he didn’t hurry, the other could collapse as well. He reached into his web gear and pulled out a small syringe that had an electronic valve on the end of it. He grunted as he pulled the knife from his side and used it to cut open Todd’s shirt.
“Please help him,” Kara pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
York didn’t respond. He pulled a small occlusive dressing from his web gear and peeled away the backing, then stuck it over the bullet wound and ensured it wasn’t slipping on Todd’s bloody chest. He paused for a moment, gritting his teeth. The bullet wound Bohden had inflicted was beginning to take hold of him. It was in his low abdomen and, combined with the knife wound and the many other injuries he had, he didn’t have much time.
Using his teeth, he pulled the cap off the syringe and spat it to the side. He then jabbed the needle into Todd’s chest, in between the ribs. Todd’s chest instantly inflated as a whoosh of air was released out of the syringe. Todd took in a deep breath, his eyes widening as he could finally breathe. York pulled the needle from the catheter, leaving it in his chest with the valve, and discarded the needle.
Todd looked up at Kara, who had the look of hope in her eyes. He then looked over at York, who was kneeling above him, blood dripping from his hands.
Studying him, York instantly could tell that it was the same person he had encountered in the Old West. He could simply see it in his eyes. York sat down and scooted backwards until he could lean up against a concrete pillar. He searched in his webbing for anything he could use to patch his own wounds but found nothing. He breathed out somberly, yet almost in a way that displayed relief, for a life of suffering was almost over.
Kara helped Todd to his feet; she put his arm around her and the two slowly walked over to where York sat propped up against the concrete pillar. Todd leaned up against a tall bundle of rebar as Kara knelt in front of York. York slowly looked at her, and he reached his hand out towards her. She took it, trying to shake the tears from her eyes.
“Kara …” he said with a small smile. He shook his head. “You are beautiful in every way.” He looked at Todd, who leaned on his arm against the rebar, holding his chest with the other arm.
“The rancher … did he survive?” York asked.
Todd nodded.
York then turned back towards Kara. “God … I’d give anything to be him,” he said, nodding towards Todd. “Don’t ever let the world change who you are.”
She stood and buried her head in Todd’s shoulder. Todd closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. York watched as his younger self held the most beautiful girl in the world, and a smile spread across his face. “Perfect,” He said. His smile then faded, and his eyes began to drift.
His head slowly drooped down to his chest and he was dead.
THE FUTURE
Albrecht stood on the hinge of the Odin’s ramp above the slowly passing clouds. The shimmering blue of the endless ocean peeked through the scattered openings in the thick white ceiling. He looked up from the MTX which displayed the message he had just received from Kara.
He gazed out into the dawn of a new day. He felt the sadness of a man who had to let go, yet he felt the joy of someone who had found a new beginning and foresaw a bright future. He took in a deep breath of the cool air. The last forty-eight hours had been the most stressful of his entire life. Knowing that Kara’s life was in danger and there was simply nothing he could do to protect her. Knowing now what Todd had done to protect her, and what York had done to save the both of them, it brought a warm feeling of reassurance that Todd York, no matter the circumstances, was not only a good man, but the right man for Kara.
Amber approached from behind him, her demeanor displaying her excitement. “Professor!” she said over the howling winds.
She came to his side, and the two gazed out into the vast skies in front of them. “What about Kara?”
“She is where she belongs,” he said.
Amber looked down at the ground. “What about us?” she asked softly. “What do we do now?”
Albrecht turned towards her, took her hands, and smiled. “We go home … our new home.”
* * *
Michael stood in the airport terminal with only the clothes he was wearing and what cash he had left. He studied the board displaying the outgoing flights, unsure of where to go. He continued to look over his shoulder, waiting to be grabbed by somebody who knew what kind of a person he was. He had spent the early morning hours at the local police station answering a barrage of questions as to his involvement at the night club. However, due to the fact that he had been unarmed, his car had been stolen, and he had no illegal substances on his person, he was an innocent man. People passed him by as if he were a statue. In all his days, never had he yearned for a home that could bring him the isolation that he now desired. No longer did he want to live the lavish life of a selfish individual taking advantage of a loose justice system. All he wanted was the security of an honest living, and the feeling of never having to look over his shoulder everywhere he went.
“Attention all passengers for Flight 485 to Seattle. We are now boarding at Gate 3C. Please make your way to check in.”
* * *
It had been four weeks since that night. The night when Todd’s life would change forever. He had witnessed York do something that gave him a new understanding of himself. He no longer feared the future, for it was an ever-changing reality that had no set end. He had spent four weeks in a Miami hospital with a chest tube inside him. His mind had drifted in and out during his time there and it had blurred together like one painful dream. However, dur
ing his brief moments of consciousness, he would see Kara beside him. Her blue eyes never leaving him, and her smile giving him hope. She had become the reason for his existence, and he now knew what to do with the time he had.
He stood now on an isolated beach in Northern Florida, looking out at the ocean. In the hinterland behind him stood the small, unmarked grave of a man who had never existed during this time. Todd stood with his hands deep in his pockets, the crashing waves causing him to daydream and think of the many possibilities of the bright future. He took a few more moments to pay respects to a great warrior, a man he had hated, yet who had saved his life.
“Thank you,” he said to himself.
He turned, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of Kara leaning against the Mustang on the side of the road. He approached her and felt warm air in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her, then pulled back to see her hope-filled eyes meet his. He held her for what seemed like ages. The radio behind her was emitting a deep vibrant tone that made him pause for a moment in an attempt to recognize the song that had just started.
“What now, Todd?” she asked.
The radio announcer came to life. “You’re listening to 99.7. This one is for all you outlaws out there, living life day by day, always on the run. This is ‘I Ran’ from ‘A Flock of Seagulls.’”
Todd grinned and looked out at the long stretch of road ahead of them. It then occurred to him that he had made a promise that he fully intended to keep. “I was thinking Colorado. There’s a little boy I think you’d love to meet.”
She smiled and kissed him once more. She then opened the passenger side door and jumped in. Todd chuckled and walked around to the back of the Mustang where the trunk was propped open. He pulled the MTX from his pocket and looked at it for a moment, contemplating the endless possibilities of the journey ahead. He dropped it inside, where it landed on both their time traveling suits.
Below the suits were multiple black cases filled with cash that Michael had no doubt intended to use for his retirement. He shut the trunk and hopped into the driver’s seat, firing up the engine to the sleek black beast.
They sped down the long stretch of road with the sun rising to the east above crystal waters. The beautiful setting gave him a sense of hope that reflected a different kind of future in front of them.
A future in the past, where he would not be alone.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Whether you loved it or hated it, I’d really appreciate your feedback. Please leave a review on Amazon.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Brad Raylend developed a love for the outdoors and adventure at a young age. He would eventually become a member of Marine Force Recon, and would take advantage of downtime aboard ship and on overseas deployments to write fictional stories. His extensive knowledge of firearms and combat tactics combine with his experiences in special operations to inject a level of technical authenticity into his work.
SAME SELF is his first novel. It won’t be his last.