by R J Johnson
Tate looked back and forth between Scott and Ted. “You can’t be serious.”
“As a heart attack my friend,” Scott pressed on, undeterred by Tate’s unenthusiastic reaction. “There’s nothing but upside growth potential here, and we believe that Onyx is a great place to start with your…”
Scott began laying out the plans for the timeshare as Tate leaned back, shaking his head.
“I appreciate your…” Tate struggled to be diplomatic, “Enthusiasm for this project, but Mr. Kline does not go for timeshare type agreements. He has mostly concerned himself with the buying and selling of actual real estate – not shares of real estate.”
“Take a look at the numbers,” Scott offered Tate. “Look them over and ask Mr. Kline if he’s willing to give up a guaranteed rate of 10% return on an initial investment with us.”
Tate’s eyes flickered down to the spreadsheets in front of him, the interest beginning to show.
“I’m quite sure you and your people will be successful in your endeavor,” Tate said standing. “However, as I said, this is not the type of thing that Mr. Kline likes to invest in.”
Scott stopped his pitch and shrugged, “There’s no harm in asking.”
Tate paused and looked back at the spreadsheets. “We’ll take a look and get back to you as soon as we can. That’s about all I can promise right now.”
“Hey, it is what it is,” Scott said cheerily. “We’ll take a promise of you looking it over. Better than nothing right?”
Tate gave him a strange look, but nodded and shook his hand. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other appointments I must keep.”
“By all means, we’ll clean up here,” Scott said nodding to mess of papers on the conference table.
Tate paused at the door. “Ms. Yessina will see you out when you’re ready.”
“Of course!” Scott called out. Tate grimaced once again, and moved out of the conference room.
“That took forever,” Scott said he was sure Tate was gone.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Ted asked Scott.
“We better hope so,” Scott replied. “It’s on Chrissy’s shoulders now.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
While Scott and Ted were busy distracting Tate in the conference room, she had taken the shape shifting stone and had disguised herself as Tate.
Her shapely body had turned into the lump of muscles Tate was which meant she needed a few moments to get used to her new body and how it moved. One of the office workers shot her (as Tate) a strange look as she lumbered down the hallway toward what she had learned was Kline’s private office.
She knocked lightly on the door, hoping that Kline was away on other business.
There was no answer and she pressed the door open, finding it unlocked.
Christina looked around the room, withdrawing a folder filled with the ancient documents and diagrams she, Scott and Ted had created back in their kitchen. The documents were meant to throw Kline off the scent of the stones, sending him on a variety of wild-goose chases all over the world.
But would it be enough to keep Kline off their trail?
“Good morning Mr. Tate,” a voice called out from the door. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Christina felt her heart fill with dread as she turned. She already knew who would be standing at the door having recognized his voice.
However, the man she saw was not the same man she had last seen twisted and nearly destroyed by the stones. This was a much younger Rupert Kline, a man undamaged by the stones.
Except for the stone of strength, he kept on the ring.
Christina immediately noticed it, and swallowed.
“Mr. Tate?” Kline asked, his voice filling with a quiet rage and doubt, “Is there a problem?”
Christina remembered who she was impersonating and cleared her throat, “Of course not, I was just coming into your office with some paperwork I thought you would be interested in.”
Kline cocked his head, “Is that so?”
He moved closer to her closing the distance. Christina felt herself move behind the desk hoping to keep some distance between her and the nascent billionaire.
“Yes sir,” Christina responded, feeling the deep timber of Tate’s voice echo through the office.
“Mr. Kline,” a voice called out from the hallway, “There are some investors here with a potential sale that I think could be profitable if their figures hold up.”
“Who are you really?” Kline asked, his eyes narrowing and the stone of strength in his ring flashing.
Christina decided the jig was up. There was nothing she could do besides survive this madman now.
“Someone who will stop you from becoming a monster,” Christina replied quietly.
Kline sidled closer to Christina, reaching out quickly with his hand, and grabbing her tight, “My dear,” he whispered. “I’m already a monster.”
“Mr. Kline?” A voice called out from the hallway, “I believe you might want to take a look at this opportunity that just came into…” Tate entered the office his eyes going wide when he saw his doppelganger being manhandled by Kline. “What… what the hell…?”
Christina smiled and took the opportunity to morph into a huge tiger. Kline looked down in shock as Christina’s body expanded and changed into a powerful jungle animal that leapt past him, crashing into Tate. The tiger took a swipe at Tate, the claws leaving a huge tear in his face. Tate screamed out in pain as Kline looked on dumbfounded at the tiger that escaped out of his office.
Tate screamed in pain as blood began gushing freely down his face.
“Did you see that?” Kline gasped in wonder.
Tate could only moan as the blood continued to pour out of the wound. Kline stood, and called out into the hallway where several secretaries and office workers were beginning to gather to see what all the commotion was.
“Get help you cow-eyed morons!” Kline hissed. “I’d rather our Mr. Tate did not bleed out all over my carpet!”
Kline’s tone if anything was the only thing that provoked his terrified looking employees into action. One man took off his jacket to create a makeshift pillow for Tate as another dashed off to the phone to call for the paramedics.
Kline, stood and began to give chase after the tiger that mysteriously appeared in his office. She was dashing back and forth through the cubicles as if searching for something. Kline smashed through the office, ignoring what it looked like to the people around him. Most weren’t used to seeing him demonstrate that kind of strength. But Kline didn’t care. If his hunch was right, that woman was carrying another stone just like his. And the thought that there was more than one had never occurred to him before now.
He HAD to catch that woman!
Christina was busy leaping through the office trying to make as much noise as possible. She needed Kline to see that there was more than one stone out there. Scott had brought up a good point that the Kline of 1988 may not know that there were more than the one stone he already possessed out there.
And based on Kline’s reaction when he saw Christina morph, she was beginning to believe Scott was right.
Which was totally hot, but Christina wasn’t going to admit that to him anytime soon.
Kline bashed his way through the office walls, catching up to Christina who was cornered.
She turned, and smiled at Kline allowing him to catch a glimpse of the stone. He roared out and lunged forward to grab at Christina, but he was too late. She had already made her move, jumping through the office window, fifty stories above the street.
Kline gasped in surprise and rushed forward to the window to see what had happened to her. To his surprise, Christina had already shifted into an eagle, narrowly escaping Kline as he grabbed at her from inside the building.
She beat her wings against the twilight air and sailed off into the sunset, making it difficult for Kline to track her.
But instead of the usual anger he felt when defea
ted, he was energized. There were more stones out there! This woman and her ability to shapeshift into whatever she wanted proved as much.
Kline walked into the office and watched as Tate was taken away on a stretcher by paramedics. Kline watched his assistant go, without any emotion.
He turned and moved back to his office, where he had discovered the woman. He entered, looking around at the disheveled state of affairs. She had torn through all his things, and even opened up one of his safes.
He moved quickly to the other end of the office, pushing a painting aside. There, the safe remained untouched. Kline smiled. At least she was unable to touch his money.
He looked down at the desk and the scattered papers she had been reading. They were mostly boring facts and figures about the state of the real estate industry across the United States.
However, there was one binder that seemed out of place. Kline leaned down and began rifling through it, quickly realizing what he was holding.
Kline clutched the documents close and began to chuckle. He knew what he needed to do now.
He turned on his heel and strode quickly out into the hallway and down to his car. He had a new mission – and fortunately, he knew just where to begin.
Chapter Forty
London in the 1400’s was nothing like what they taught in the history books – or maybe it was, Alex had never been all that great at history.
One thing he was sure the books hadn’t mentioned was the smell.
Alex had nearly retched several times thanks to the fact indoor plumbing hadn’t been invented yet. People just seemed to go whenever, and wherever they felt the need.
The stones would protect Alex from any diseases that the Middle Ages would offer, but the stench surrounding him was not making it easy.
First things first. He needed to find a good place to store the stones. He was certain that if he held onto too many, the temptation to use the powers would be too great, and he didn’t need that kind of attention.
Besides, Alex felt safe if he held on to the healing stone and the fire stone. One for defense, one for offense. Anything more than that could be a recipe for disaster.
And he had no intention of creating another paradox.
Once Alex reached the outskirts of the city, he began to feel more at home. There were fewer people for him to avoid, which meant he could allow himself a moment to appreciate the scenery.
As he passed the dirty men and women who rarely looked up from their work, Alex found himself wondering if any of his ancestors were around him. The odds that even one person around him was his great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather were vanishingly small, but, still… it made a man wonder.
The path began taking him through some hills and he stopped, looking around him.
“This looks as likely as a place as any other…” he muttered to himself.
He took out the flat round pendant that contained the twelve stones he had taken from the Patrons. The twelve stones glistened in the waning sunlight of the day and he stared at them, wondering once again if he was really making the right move.
He reminded himself about what happens when you placed all your eggs in one basket and sighed. Six stones was still plenty of power – but which six to take?
The first four were easy enough. The stone of strength, the shapeshifting stone, his healing stone, and the stone of control were all stones that had been found when Alex was around. The rest, if lost or not properly put in place, could create a paradox that Alex wouldn’t be able to stop.
But that’s only if he did something as stupid as lose them.
Alex swallowed, feeling the weight of history fall on his shoulders. He sighed, and pulled two more stones. The willpower and the earth stone were the only other ones he felt comfortable taking. Anything else, and he’d be putting the whole world at risk.
Alex closed his eyes and held out a hand in front of him. He moved his hand up, before turning it and clenching it into a fist.
Suddenly, there was a roar as the earth opened up, as if ripped apart by some unseen force. Alex looked at the circular pendant in his hands and removed the six stones he had decided to hang onto, placing them in his pocket.
So long as he kept his head low and his nose out of trouble, there shouldn’t be any need for him to even think about the stones in his pocket.
He straightened his back, standing up at the edge of the hole he had created. He placed the circular pendant with the six remaining stones back in the hole, feeling a powerful urge to lean down and pick them back up.
But he couldn’t. If he somehow lost a stone – whether by accident or someone getting the drop on him, he’d be putting the timeline at risk.
Besides, they would be safe here until after he had gotten some food and sleep.
Alex concentrated briefly and the earth stone flashed in his hand. The earth sewed itself back up, hiding the eight stones he had left behind from anyone but the most dedicated digger.
With the stones safely buried, he felt comfortable looking for a place to sit and eat. He turned and began walking down the country road, heading for what looked like an inn not too far off in the distance.
He stepped inside the inn and looked around. A low fire burned in the corner, as several men and women looked up from whatever they were eating. Alex didn’t belong, a stranger, and those weren’t exactly welcome in this time of plague and suspicion.
A guttural voice sounded through the cramped room, calling out to Alex. He turned, to see a squat woman, with stringy brown hair strung all over babbling at him, demanding what sounded like payment.
“I’m… I’m sorry…” Alex stammered. “I don’t understand what you’re saying….”
Other patrons in the bar stood, looking at Alex with hostile expressions. They too began to sound out demands to Alex in the strange almost English. But it didn’t sound like any English he had heard before.
Alex grasped at the stone plate in his robe, rubbing the stone of control. The power rolled through him and the voices of the townsfolk began making sense to him at last.
“Who do ye be stranger?” the barroom maid demanded of him. “You’d best say something in your favor lest the boys ‘round here take you apart just for the fun of it.”
Alex held up his hand, where he was surprised to see several gold pieces appear. The willpower stone had sensed what he needed and given him cash from the period.
The barroom maid looked at the gold in his hand suspiciously, grabbing it deftly from between his fingers. She bit into it, and looked back at Alex.
“Gold’s good,” she muttered back at the crowd. They seemed to visibly relax, and one by one, began returning to their drinks.
“My name’s Alex,” he said, looking around at the barroom patrons. “Just wanted a peaceful place to rest my head for a few nights.” He nodded to the gold piece. “How long will that get me?”
“A meal and a bed will cost you a haf’penny a day,” the woman said, crinkling her eyes at the gold piece. “Though flashin’ coin like that can keep you in good favor for the rest of the season.”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked Alex up and down, “You’ve got a strange accent to you stranger…”
Alex swallowed and looked around at the people who surrounded him in the bar, “I’m, uhh… French.”
She spat at his feet, and shook her head. “Curse to ya then. But, so long as your money is good, you’ll have no trouble from me or the boys. What do you want?”
“A room to myself,” Alex said quickly. “And I’ll take my meals there, alone.”
“Whatever pleases you,” the maid replied, still entranced by the gold piece. “I’ll have the girl bring you a half a mutton and bread to your room.”
“Where…?” Alex asked.
“Second floor, first room on the right. You won’t miss it.” The barmaid moved quickly to the fire pit where she put a pan on the coals, and a slice of mutton in the pan. “Won’t be but a minute.”
“Thank you,” Alex said.
He moved slowly up to the second floor. For some reason, he was moving slowly a lot more often these days. He just chalked it up to after effects from The Channel.
He entered the room, taking stock of it. The short small bed in the corner stuffed with straw and likely filled with rodents and other bugs. A tiny chair and desk on the side, where Alex imagined an 8-year-old having trouble finding enough room.
All in all, it was a terrible place, and reminding him of all the things he was missing out on back in his own time.
A light knocking at his door interrupted his reverie.
“Sire, the meal you requested,” the small brunette kitchen maid he had scared was standing outside his room, holding a tray of food. She lowered her head as she shuffled forward in the room.
Alex watched her, and found himself attracted to her. He thought of Emily and quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. He groaned. It had been too long since he had even seen Emily, and while the holographic renderings of her back in the Channel had been real enough to him, he had been without real human companionship for years now.
And now, he had no idea if he’d even see Emily again. Not when there was so much work to be done, and with so much time separating them.
He nodded to the food, and back at the kitchen maid, “Thank you miss…?”
“Liza,” she said, her voice sounding more confident. Her eyes began darting up and down Alex’s body, taking in his strange clothing and appearance. “You’re not like most who travel through here.”
Alex sighed, and looked down at the slice of mutton and hunk of brown bread she had brought to him. The bread was hard, stale, and generally unappetizing.
But again, it was the first real food besides the protein slurry the Patrons had fed him, which made it better than ambrosia so far as Alex was concerned.
“You could say I’m from a faraway place,” Alex replied after a few moments of chewing.
“Where?” she asked, her eyes brightening up. “I’ve always wanted to travel, see more of the world.”
