“You okay?” she asked the reporter.
He rubbed his head like he was hurt, but there was no obvious blood or bruising.
“Yeah. Fine. A wheel came through the wall about five feet from my head, and I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
She smiled. “We were at the front windows. The glass could have cut us down, but the general knew enough to push me out of the way.”
“Wow. Two damned miracles. Hey, can I report this?”
“No!” the general snapped. “We have to know who did this first. They might be waiting for reporting to determine if they killed anyone of importance.”
She and Benny exchanged glances, but she wasn’t going to argue with the man who had saved her.
Before she and General Smith could move on, an armed contingent of soldiers ran into the hallway and came right up to her and the general.
“Are you okay, sir?” one of them asked.
“We’re just fine,” she snarked.
European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), Switzerland
Phil watched intently as the Fox drove up to the front steps of the main building at CERN. The driver parked it so when the back doors opened, they were shielded from the target by the body of the six-wheeled truck. Two soldiers hopped down from the back and took up positions at the rear corners. The rest of the unit went past them and bounded up the well-lit marble stairs.
Ethan went up too. He walked through the double doors like he owned the place.
“Now we wait some more,” Phil said quietly.
He’d begun to think the energy disturbance was simple nerves. Maybe the bomb blast at his command bunker back in Bagram had done more damage than he wanted to admit, because it was unusual for him to feel such anxiety during an op.
“Sir, look at this,” Corporal Grafton whispered.
Phil didn’t want to take his eyes off the mission. “What is it?” he said without turning around.
“I’m getting more of that static. I can actually see a blue spark if I hold two pieces of metal close to each other. It’s like my whole body has been dragged across a shag carpet and now I’m super-charged.”
He glanced back as fast as he could. Sure enough, there was a two-inch line of electrical charge between the barrel of his rifle and a spare mag he held in his hand.
“Ignore it,” he suggested. There was nothing to be done about it while they huddled in the cover of the leafy hedge.
Grafton’s radio came to life. “This is Blue 7 actual. We’re inside. Situation appears normal. Rally on me. Over.”
Phil went to key the mic and noticed that a burst of static came off his fingers as he touched it. “This is Blue 6. We’ll be there in two mikes. Out.”
“Shit, I don’t know what’s going on, guys, but this electrical discharge is pissing me off. We’re going to cross this parking lot and rejoin the unit. If your hair starts standing on end and your helmet rises with it, try cinching it down, okay?”
“Hooah,” they all replied.
The three men prepared to move out, standing and adopting fields of fire while engaged in movement to contact, even if the contact was supposed to be friendly. Phil planned their route. Ethan said everything was good, and he had no reason to doubt him, but it was his job to plan for the safety of his men. As far as he was concerned, there were snipers in every window across the lot.
“Keep your eyes on those windows and report if you see a weapon, but do not engage. My order only unless we’re fired upon, and then I want you to make them sorry they were ever born. Follow me,” he said dryly as he stepped out of the hedge and headed for the nearest parked car.
The crackling of electricity was as loud as a swarm of bees by the time he made it halfway across the lot, but he followed his own advice and kept it to himself.
What did I get myself into?
I-80, Wyoming
After hearing from Mr. Williams, Buck became interested in the news again. He and Connie listened to the radio. She pressed the preset button each time a broadcast went to commercial, so they kept up on multiple sources at the same time.
All of the old news was still being discussed, including the Presidential speech and the time anomalies, but he soon became consumed by a story only mentioned on local Wyoming stations. Sections of Interstate I-25 in eastern Wyoming were being closed off for construction projects.
“This ain’t good,” he said when he heard the words “I-25” again.
“What does it mean? Are they doing construction on the whole highway?”
“We’ve heard reports of closures in three towns now. I figured it was more buffalo crossing up there, but they didn’t mention animals.”
Buck reached next to his seat for the atlas.
“So? Maybe time is out of whack, and construction is happening all at once.”
He briefly gave her a smile. “Yeah, it’s one possibility. Here, open this to Wyoming. Let’s take a look.”
She grabbed the atlas and flipped it open. “What do you want to know?”
“Interstate 25 goes through Denver. That’s a fact. I bet if you follow it north through Wyoming, you’ll find it goes into Montana, and probably close to Great Falls.”
“The air base on the news is in Great Falls, isn’t it?” she asked while leafing the pages.
“Yep,” he answered.
She paged through the atlas until she had Montana and Wyoming bookmarked with her fingers. As she switched back and forth, he began to wonder if he remembered the geography correctly. Since it was his job, he wanted to sound like he knew his stuff.
“Well,” she said with hesitation, “you are right and wrong. I-25 goes through most of Wyoming, but then it turns into another highway.”
“Does that highway go to Great Falls?”
She traced her fingers on the page. “It winds around, but you can get there. I-25 is the only major interstate linking Colorado and Montana, though. You think that airbase has something to do with the road shutdown?”
He wasn’t sure he was right, but the pieces seemed to line up.
“Yeah. Malmstrom is in Great Falls. They’ve been talking about it being on lockdown, but they don’t give any other information. Now the main highway between the base and that SNAKE place near Denver is being shut down for construction. If I were running an operation between the two cities, I’d make sure I owned the interstate.”
She put her elbow on the armrest and held her chin while looking over to him. “We’re heading right for I-25, Buck.”
“I know.” He sighed.
Twenty
Princess Anne, Maryland
“Garth, can I ask you a personal question?”
They sped along Hwy 13 going south, and he kept it at the sixty-five-miles-per-hour speed limit. Lydia had her window most of the way up because the blast of air between the two open front windows was too much even for her.
His window was still broken, however, so they both had to speak loudly.
“Sure, go ahead.”
She shifted in her seat, pulling one leg under her body so she sat on it, allowing her to face him.
“If we can’t get me back to where I came from, could I stay with you?”
“Like, get married?” It fell out of his mouth.
She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about his etiquette fail. “I will need to find somewhere to stay so I don’t become a burden.”
Secretly, it was flattering, but he was only fifteen. He imagined what it would be like to walk into Mrs. Anderson’s math class and have to explain that he was married to a pioneer girl who dressed like it was 170 years ago. It would be deliciously scandalous. Sam would never talk to him again, or maybe he would. “Take my eyes off you for two minutes and look what happens?”
Not to mention what his dad would say.
“I, uh, don’t know what will happen, but I promise you won’t be a burden to my dad or me. He will make sure you get somewhere safe, maybe with family living in our time. Hell, I wonder…�
��
His mind journeyed down a strange road that led him to imagine the possibility he was her descendant.
Yuck. Gross.
“Your last name isn’t Meadows, is it?” he asked.
She smiled. “My family name is Masterson.”
Phew! Not related.
Upon reflection, he couldn’t quite grasp why that was important to him. He didn’t want to marry her, certainly, but she was pretty in her own way. If she wore modern clothes and learned a few things about modern life, such as using smartphones, he wouldn’t be embarrassed to be around her. He found that he wouldn’t mind that at all.
And he wouldn’t be embarrassed. She needed a knight in shining armor to protect her from his world, and that was the most embarrassing thing of all.
“Anyway, you wouldn’t be a burden. Girls, uh, women today can do whatever they want. You could go to college and be a doctor if you felt like it.”
“Wow,” she said in a distracted way.
The roadway was lined with tall, straight trees until they ended at the edge of a new town. A tasteful brick welcome sign greeted them.
“We’re entering Princess Anne,” he announced. “I think we should try to get some more gas. Two gallons didn’t get us very far, and the line shows we are sitting on empty already. I hate stopping so much.”
She giggled. “You amaze me, Garth. We’ve crossed more land in the past hour than Pa and I would have crossed in two days with our wagon.”
“I think I would have killed myself if I had to move so slow.”
Lydia huffed. “You shouldn’t talk like that. It brings bad luck.”
“No, it’s a joke. I never would do it. It only means I hate it more than anything.”
“Oh, well, still. I would hate to see you hurt yourself.”
Once again, he imagined being in school and explaining the weird things she said. Sam would never let him live it down. He’d look for ways to confuse the poor girl with modern sayings. Not because Sam would be mean about it, but because he was always joking with everyone. And then Garth would have to fight him.
Where did that come from?
The town of Princess Anne came up fast, and he saw a few gas stations right away. However, he picked a location closest to one of his favorite fast food joints because he wanted to show the pioneer teenager real modern dining.
“I’ve got a treat for you,” he said as he pulled into the lot. “Wait just a minute.”
Garth stopped next to the drive-through order board, giddy with anticipation. “If you think those candy bars were good, wait until you taste this. We can eat in the car.”
He ordered and drove around the side. Lydia leaned almost over his lap as she tried to look inside the drive-through window. The smartly-dressed workers moved from station to station, doing their jobs.
“Wow. They are making our food?”
“Yeah, sort of. The food is already there. They assemble it, I think.” A couple of schoolmates worked in fast food restaurants. He’d heard horror stories about cleanliness, but he wasn’t going to ruin the moment. He figured she probably ate with her hands over campfires, so this couldn’t be any worse.
The clerk took his money and handed over his order. Garth maneuvered into a parking space. The gas station next door looked extremely busy, so the food gave them an excuse to wait for things to die down.
“I give you…the Big Mac.” He pulled the cheeseburger out of the bag and handed it to her with a couple of napkins. “This is my favorite burger in the whole world. I hope you like it.”
“It’s huge! How do you eat it?”
He laughed uproariously because it was all coming together. They’d made good time, put some miles on the taxi, and were heading for Dad. He let himself enjoy being with Lydia. But most of all, he wanted to see her face when she got a taste of it.
Garth pulled out a second burger he’d purchased for himself. “Like this.” He squeezed the top and bottom buns so all the materials in between squished a bit tighter, then stuffed it in his mouth.
“Ahhh,” he mumbled with a full mouth. “So good.”
She looked at him sideways.
He nodded emphatically, his eyes pointed at her sandwich.
Lydia studied her burger, then followed his lead. She stuffed it between her hands, then took the biggest bite she could.
A moment later, her eyes lit up.
“I told you!” he bubbled excitedly.
She exaggerated her chewing like she wanted to get done as fast as possible. When she came up for air, her radiant smile gave him hope that she found it as satisfying as he did.
“This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” she cooed. “Thank you for getting this for me, Garth. You really are a provider.”
She tore into the rest of her burger with grunts and sighs rivaling his own enthusiasm. He joined her in the ritual with glee, but his mood was tempered somewhat by being so close to the gas station.
He wondered how many times he’d have to fill up the tank two gallons at a time before he made it to his dad.
I-80, Wyoming
Buck and Connie listened to the radio for another thirty minutes as they continued toward the eastern half of Wyoming. The terrain became slightly hillier, but it remained desolate. He was starting to doubt he’d make it into Nebraska by nightfall because of all the stoppages and slowdowns of the day. He decided that, if nothing else, he wanted to get past the I-25 intersection at Cheyenne, because he worried they’d shut both highways down at the same time.
He led the convoy, doing eighty miles per hour.
“Buck Rogers, you got your ears on?”
He plucked the CB mic from its holder. “Yeah, Sparky, come on.”
“I-70 just got shut down a hundred miles on each side of Denver. Glad we didn’t take the southern route to the east.” Sparky laughed.
Buck looked at Connie, then at Mac. His decisions during the past few days had been lucky.
“Did they say why they closed the boulevard down there?”
“Road construction,” Sparky deadpanned.
He grinned at Connie, then spoke to the other driver. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“Hell, no. Something is going on. First, a bunch of the 25 goes down for construction. Now the 70 is being worked on. It ain’t right, to be sure, but I’ll be damned if I know what’s going on.”
“Let me know if you hear anything more about I-25 closing.” Buck placed the mic back in its cradle and glanced between the road and the radio.
“Roger, Rogers,” Sparky replied, using the last part of Buck’s handle.
Connie had her feet back up on the dashboard, and she held Buck’s phone in her lap. “Well, I guess we’re heading into more trouble. I may never get hold of Philip.”
He watched the yellow-striped line ahead, unsure how to respond.
“I believe you, by the way,” she went on. “I think he did just fine in the Iraq War and is alive and safe here in 2020.” She held up the phone. “I’ve been sneaky about it, but I’ve been trying his phone number all day.”
“Nothing?” he asked.
“Not a damned thing. It rings and rings. That doesn’t sound right, does it? I’m sure he would have an answering machine or someone, a neighbor maybe, would get sick of a phone ringing all the time.”
She sighed heavily. “All I want is to hear his voice. I want to know what he’s doing with his life. I want to know he’s living his dreams and being a good person. Is that too much to ask?”
He smiled. “It’s what every parent wants.”
“I was so nervous when he went overseas. For me, it was only a few months ago, but for him, it’s been seventeen years. Do you think he hates me for leaving him?”
“Fuck, no!” he blurted. Then, with more restraint, he added, “No one could possibly hate you.”
“Thanks,” she replied sadly. “I guess I’ll never know.”
“Hey, you can’t be sure of that. This whole thing with the blue
and red lights might be like a storm passing overhead. It could clear up tomorrow, and everything will go back to the way it was. It’s what we’re hoping for, right?”
More than ever, a selfish part of him wanted her to remain, even if the rest of the world went back to normal.
“Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to work that way. Maybe the universe doesn’t allow family members to talk to each other when one of them skips through time.”
She sniffled.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you,” he said in a respectful tone, “but you and I are a team now, right? You’ve said you needed me a few times. Well, I need you, too. Someone’s got to yell at me when I drive through floods and cut across medians.”
He laughed, hoping it would spark a response in her.
“Yeah, maybe. I am lucky to be with you, and I know Phil is a strong young man. Whatever he’s doing, he’ll be wonderful at it. I’m a mom. I’m programmed to worry.”
“You’re not alone. I worry about my boy all the time, too. He’s a good kid, no doubt, but he has a lot of maturing to do. Now he’s with a girl...”
Connie guffawed. “Still on about girls, are you? What is it that worries you so much about us ladies?”
He glanced over, to find her wiping away tears.
“It’s not the girls I fear. It’s my boy. He’s right at the age when he’s going to discover the wonders of the fairer sex, and I’m afraid he’s going to get so distracted by this Lydia person that he drives into the Atlantic Ocean instead of heading west to meet us.”
“Don’t we make a fine pair?” She grinned. “We’re both worrying about things we have absolutely no control over.”
“I have a lot of time to think while I drive. It’s probably led to more lost sleep than I could ever make up. I’ll try to get out of my head while I’m with you.”
“Well, I do know one thing that can take your mind off the heavy stuff for a while.” She dropped her feet off the dash and brushed her red hair back a little. He’d been caught off-guard and couldn’t imagine what she had in mind.
He caught a twinkle in her eye, but then she called, “Mac!”
The Golden barked and hopped off the rear sleeper bed.
End Days Series Box Set [Books 1-4] Page 62