by Keith Hughes
A quick trip to the library had revealed the collapse of Intellisys after the death of John Fletcher. He tried to satisfy his curiosity about who had inherited his research, but the newspaper accounts held no details on the firm’s beneficiaries. He wouldn't be surprised if some branch of the government had taken possession of it, a notion that produced no little amount of unease.
He had one last thing to check before going to his doom. How did Ness and his wife fare after the second altercation with Intellisys? As he left the alley and emerged on the main street, Francis peered toward Ness's apartment. His former student stood on the balcony, camera in hand, focused on a different part of the street. Ness would never know his former professor had come to check on him. That is as it should be.
They had said their goodbyes at the diner in Kalamazoo, and he did not wish to cause Ness further pain by appearing yet again to reopen the wound of his imminent passing. By that time, his student would have come to accept the need for his departure, and Francis did not want to disturb him further.
Angie came out on the balcony to stand beside her husband, and Francis beamed at seeing the couple together. She carried a couple of steaming mugs, and Ness set aside his camera to take one from her. As they stood together, looking over the view of the waning autumn sunlight and sipping from their mugs, Francis enjoyed the view of them together, whole, and free. Having satisfied the urge to check on the well-being of his friends, he could complete his final tasks before time claimed him.
He raised his hand to an approaching cab, and it swung to the curb. Inside, he gave the address for Intellisys. Only a few more errands remained for him to complete. When the PDA left his hands, he would gladly face his fate. Thanks to Ness's efforts, the world would get along fine without him, and he looked forward to seeing his Evelyn again in their eternal home.
Riding in a cab away from Ness and his beautiful wife, Francis silently prayed that they would have a safe and happy life together. They had an uncountable amount of sand yet to fall in the hourglass of their lives, and he had no doubts that they cherished their most precious commodity — the time they had together.
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The Timehunt Series
Timehunt: Borrowed Time
Timehunt: Stolen Time
Timehunt: Wayward Time (Coming 2020)
Acknowledgments
I must recognize the vast support I have received from my wife, Julayne, in all of my work as an author. She has read so many versions of this story over the years, edited several of them, and acted as a sounding board whenever I needed one. I truly could not do this without her.
I also want to thank the many fans of this series in its previous forms: as an audio serial on Podiobooks.com and the first-edition ebook. It was your interest in the series that led me to give this title a refreshed second version.
Finally, whether you are a returning reader or a new one, thank you for picking up Timehunt: Stolen Time. I hope you enjoyed the book and will check out the next installment of Ness’s story.
About Keith
An author and podcaster, Keith has participated in and won National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) six times. He hosts a quasi-daily podcast where he talks about a variety of topics on his commute. You can find more information about him and his works at www.Penslinger.com, and he can be found on Facebook at the Penslinger page (www.Facebook.com/KeithHughesAuthor/), Twitter (@edgizmo), and Instagram (PenslingerKeith).
Table of Contents
Dedication
Copyright Notices
Keith’s Books
CHAPTER ONE: Guilty
CHAPTER TWO: Suspicion
CHAPTER THREE: Happiness and Sadness
CHAPTER FOUR: A Dish Best Served Cold
CHAPTER FIVE: Redux
CHAPTER SIX: Grim Discoveries
CHAPTER SEVEN: Information and Ramifications
CHAPTER EIGHT: Future Imperfect
CHAPTER NINE: Despair
CHAPTER TEN: Hitching a Ride
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Seeing Double
CHAPTER TWELVE: Danger!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: On the Run
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Elusive Results
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Explanations
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Regrouping
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Restless Respite
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Discoveries
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Success
CHAPTER TWENTY: Raising the Stakes
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: So Close
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Explanations
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The Best Defense
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Duplicate Danger
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: A Missing Ride
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Setbacks
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Gearing Up
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Hacker Heaven
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Frustration
CHAPTER THIRTY: Deployment
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: Attack of the Doppelgangers
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Resolution
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Closure
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Preventative Measure
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Epilogue
Keith’s Mailing List and More
Acknowledgments
About Keith