Time Rebound
Page 26
Phillips scrubbed at the dirt with the toe of his boot. “The stone beat you to it, Mr. Poole.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It was dark, of course, but the voodoo man held a flame in his hand so I could see a bit of what happened.”
“Held a flame in his hand? Do you mean a candle?”
“Didn’t look like no candle to me, but maybe. It was dark.”
Gordon shook his head. It didn’t matter if the man could conjure flames. What mattered was that anyone who harmed a member of the Poole family paid for that crime. “How can a stone kill someone, Mr. Phillips?”
“He threw the uh, candle, at it and there was some sort of explosion.” Phillips swallowed and grew pale, the scratches on his face standing out in contrast. “He screamed. I’ll never forget that scream.”
“So he was killed in the explosion? Set afire? Did you see his body? Are you sure he’s dead?”
“There was no body. It must have been blown to bits.”
Or he got away. But would he have left without the necklace? Not likely. “You’ve done well, Phillips.” He handed the man a heavy purse. “With Frost dead, I’ll probably have more work for you, but in the meantime, you can grab something to eat. You’re welcome to return to Virginia with us or remain here.”
“I’ll take you up on both offers, sir. I’ve seen enough of the wilderness to last me for a while.”
Gordon leaned against the railing as Phillips headed for the kitchen area. In a few minutes, he would tell the captain to resume their course upstream. He had business to take care of in St. Louis and needed to reach the city before Bryce, assuming his son still lived. It would be easier to unlock the power of the stone with Bryce’s help, but Bryce might not be willing to work with his father any time soon.
No matter. Gordon would take things one step at a time. First, he would discover whether Bryce had survived. If so, he would work towards bringing Bryce back into his web. If not, he would have to find someone else, like the voodoo priest, to assist him in uncovering the stone’s secrets.
The sun peaked out from behind a cloud, but the air was still cold, the sky a pale blue arch. “Resume course,” he called out to the captain. A couple members of the crew raised the gangplank while others took up their poles. Even in daylight, progress would be painfully slow as the boat inched forward, driven by manpower and the occasional breeze.
Gordon would no longer chafe at the slow speed, however. The trip west had been successful beyond his wildest dreams. He’d found Bryce, although he may have lost him again. More importantly, however, he’d acquired a valuable artifact. A hint of warmth clung to the stone and he could almost feel it humming in his pocket. The world was filled with wondrous things.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Earth Shattering. Please consider leaving a review. It helps me, as the author, get exposure for my books, and helps other readers find books they love to read.
Cathy Peper lives in the Midwest with her husband, three children and a very spoiled mid-sized dog named Tiny. A lifelong reader, she is now enjoying her lifelong dream of being an author and bringing the types of stories she loves to read to other readers. In the rare moments when it's not too hot, too cold, or raining, you might find her bicycling to the winery to kick back, relax and drink wine.
In addition to time travel romances, Cathy enjoys writing historical and paranormal romances as well as mystery and suspense novels.
Sign up for my newsletter at:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ybav4ur5 and receive a Free Regency short story as well as news about upcoming releases.
Connect with me:
Email: clpeper@charter.net
Website: cathypeper.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/cathy.peper.9http://eepurl.com/bBiwvj