Always and Forever

by L. A. Fiore

  Her thoughts turned to her friend's phone call, the conversation that had her catching the company plane to Mexico. It was because of a book, a very old book that had her catching a red-eye. The Dresden Codex was a Mayan book so old it was written in glyphs. It contained astronomical tables that were frighteningly accurate. The two most notable were the Lunar series, that mapped the cycles of the moon, and the Venus cycle, that detailed the schedule of sightings of Venus in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

  Using these tables the Mayans made predictions on the success of agricultural crops, of wars, coming illnesses and the like. But the Codex covered another topic, though not in the same detail as the other two: time travel. There was another chart in the Codex that plotted out the stars and their alignment in the sky during the various phases of the moon's cycle and the location of Venus.

  What her friend Tessa, an anthropologist who specialized in Mayan culture, recently uncovered was a link to this mapping and their meditative rituals: rituals that involved transcending one's current consciousness. She'd uncovered accounts where the meditator was successful in projecting their soul onto a spot on the celestial line when the stars were lined up in such a manner with the moon and Venus as to create a rip in the space-time continuum or, in layman's terms, the Mayans had actually discovered time travel.

  The glyphs on Derek's necklace corresponded to the celestial alignment most conducive for projecting through time. However, there seemed to be some negative effect on the human body from the travel. Tessa had yet to quantify it but it was so devastating that the Mayans quickly abandoned the practice almost as soon as they started it. Quinn was eager to learn more and so she dropped everything and caught a plane.

  Tessa met Quinn at the airport and as soon as they saw each other it was as if all the years since graduation dissolved away. Time in Mexico made Tessa's mocha-colored skin darker than ever, making her pale green eyes even more dynamic. Her tall willowy body was sculpted with more muscles from work in the field but the expression on her face and her voice were exactly as Quinn remembered.

  "It's so good to see you," Quinn whispered as she embraced her friend.

  "I was so glad when you called me. It has been too long, Quinn. Way too long."

  "I couldn't agree more."

  Tessa stepped back and admired her friend. "I've known you a long time. Business first?"

  As they drove toward the temple, Quinn studied it with awe. It was unbelievable to her how well preserved they were considering their age. She loved it here, had planned to study the temples with Tessa until she stumbled onto a forgotten castle in England and everything changed.

  "So how's your work at Whispering Winds? I heard the Duke is a hottie."

  Quinn didn't know if Nicholas was a hottie since she had avoided any contact with him, but even if he was, it wasn't Nicholas that made her heart beat faster.

  "I haven't met him yet," Quinn confessed.

  "That's interesting," Tessa replied curiously.

  "I finally met my boss," Quinn added.

  "No way!" Tessa shouted.

  "His name's Gabriel McCabe."

  "The Gabriel McCabe?" Tessa looked almost star struck.

  "I don't know what that means. Is he famous?"

  "Is he famous? How many altruistic billionaires do you know? He took over my study, when the powers that be threatened to close me down. He stepped up and took over and is fully funding us."

  Quinn didn't know that but then she didn't really know very much about Gabriel, despite all the time they'd spent together both in person and via email. She felt a pang of something like jealousy but pushed it away and grinned at Tessa. "So technically we work for the same person."

  "Oh, yeah, we do and I met your Cole. Quinn, you didn't tell me he was so beautiful. I swear I almost drooled on myself when I met him that first time."

  Quinn turned in her chair. "First time? How often does he visit?"

  "Never and then this month he's been here three times."

  "Really? And his interest?"

  "Same as you but he has nothing. It's a fishing expedition."

  "Sons of bitches. And you didn't share, right?"

  "Of course not but what am I missing?" Tessa glanced over and saw that Quinn's anger was making her eyes look more silver than grey.

  "Did you mention my inquiry to Cole when he was here?"

  "No. I figured if you wanted him to know, you would have told him."

  "Thank you."

  "What's up, Quinn?"

  "Nothing, just two over-protective men being high-handed. Are you any closer to understanding time travel's negative effects on the body?"

  Tessa pulled her car into the lot and parked. "This is all conjecture but I think it has to do with aging, potentially very rapid aging, as the body and mind re-sync."

  "Like the effect of a fountain of youth that is suddenly taken away, leaving the body to come back to its appropriate age... very quickly?"

  "Yeah, something like that. Whatever it was had the Mayans burying their knowledge of time travel so deeply that it's only now being uncovered. What I'm curious to know is how did Derek realize what he found? To most his necklace would be a valuable artifact but certainly not a map to travel time."

  Quinn hadn't thought of that but he must've known someone who was knowledgeable enough with the Mayans to recognize the glyphs when they saw it. "He has to be working with someone. You'd know better than anyone else in your field who would have that kind of knowledge."

  "There are a few," Tessa speculated, "I'll have to think about it." They climbed from the car and headed to the trailer located in trees that surrounded the temples.

  "Don't want to throw off the scene with a big old double-wide sitting out in plain sight," Tessa teased from over her shoulder before she keyed into the trailer and held the door for Quinn.

  Inside the place was as neat as a pin, which didn't surprise Quinn. Tessa was organized, almost pathologically so. Quinn followed her to the small office in the back where she settled at the desk, unlocked a drawer and pulled out a file.

  "I took the dates of Derek's digs, specifically when his discoveries were made, and referenced those dates to the celestial mappings of the Mayans. You can see for yourself, the celestial sky looks the same for each discovery, the same pattern detailed on his necklace. This is proof, Quinn, that the Mayans did discover time travel."

  "It's unreal but scary, Tessa, because going back in time alters the future. And when someone is doing so for personal gain, he isn't thinking at all about what he's messing up."

  "True."

  "And how is he learning of these finds? It's almost like he's working with someone, someone who's doing all the leg work and he just claims the prize."

  "Takes the idea of team work to a whole new level, but I agree. There has to be someone else. This is for you." Tessa handed Quinn a sheet of paper. "Based on the mapping of the sky, I've charted the future dates when the celestial pattern will be the same."

  Quinn looked up at Tessa. "When Derek, or his accomplice, can slip back in time."

  "Exactly."

  After business came pleasure. Tessa and Quinn decided on one of the many outdoor bars on the beach. Tessa dressed in a one piece silk sarong in the vibrant colors of red, pink, green and blue. Her hair was pulled up into a messy knot and her feet were bare. Quinn decided "when in Rome" and wore an amethyst silk sarong paired with a black tube top. She left her hair down and went barefoot, too.

  The outdoor bar had grass umbrellas scattered along the beach and the bar, itself, was massive. There was a makeshift dance floor on the sand and a band was just setting up.

  "Live music, sweet," Tessa said as she called the waiter over.

  "That's Enrique. Hot as hell and as sweet as can be. Grad student who works for me so..." Tessa threw up her hands and grinned, "...I have to keep my hands off."

  Quinn shook her head. "Don't look at me!"

  "Why not? You're young, beautiful, single. You a
re single, right?"

  How did she answer that?

  Luckily, she didn't have to because in that moment Enrique appeared. Quinn had to give it to Tessa, the woman had taste. He looked like a darker version of Johnny Depp and his body was Brad Pitt, circa Thelma and Louise. Simply beautiful.

  "Enrique, this is my good friend Quinn."

  He reached for Quinn's hand and lifted it to his lips. "A pleasure."

  "It's nice to meet you, Enrique."

  "Quinn's an archaeologist and anthropologist currently working the Whispering Winds castle."

  Enrique's expression changed to one of fascination.

  "Is the place as grand as it looks in all those magazines?"

  "More so and when you walk through the halls you can practically feel the others that have walked there before you."

  "Amazing. I'd like to talk later when my shift ends," Enrique said enthusiastically.

  "I'd like that."

  "Great. What can I get you?"

  It was Tessa who answered. "Two frozen margaritas with salt."

  Enrique grinned. "Coming up."

  Quinn had lost track of how many margaritas she'd consumed but she was pretty sure it was more than four which explained why she was feeling nine feet tall and bullet proof. She wasn't drunk but she was very, very happy. The band had started a set just after the second margarita which immediately had both she and Tessa moving onto the dance floor.

  It was sort of liberating being in a different country, knowing no one, and allowing herself to just have fun. Enrique had finished his shift and, as promised, they chatted about Whispering Winds.

  But now, after drink four, he was her dance partner. She didn't know what Latin dance he was currently leading her through but she couldn't deny that there was something altogether sexy about Latin dancing and she suspected it had to do with all of the hip action.

  Tessa was dancing with a man who could easily pass for Dwayne Johnson's twin and boy, did he have moves for being such a big guy. When the dance was over, Enrique led Quinn to a stool then took another lady out on the floor.

  Quinn signaled for a glass of water as she watched Tessa. The music was so loud she almost didn't hear her cell phone. She answered it without looking at the display.

  "Hello."

  "Quinn?"

  And that quickly the happy buzz faded. "Gabriel."

  "Where are you?"

  "Visiting a friend."

  She heard his frustrated exhale before he asked again, "Where are you?"

  "The last time I checked it was the weekend and I don't work over the weekends. So where I am, what I'm doing, and who I'm with is none of your damn business."

  "You didn't leave word, Quinn. People have been looking for you," his tone softened.

  Déjà vu swamped her remembering a similar instance with Archer. The conversation was almost word-for-word.

  "I informed Cole of my plans being that he is the person to whom I've always coordinated my activities," she said coldly.

  "Why didn't you call me?"

  Quinn leaned back in her chair as she signaled for another drink. "Let me think? Maybe because the last time I saw you, you were storming out of my house like a spoiled child."

  Silence.

  "Look, Gabriel, I'm working a very nice buzz while being in the middle of paradise so if you don't mind I'd rather hold this conversation until I get back. Is there anything else you wanted?"

  The click in her ear was her clue that, no, he didn't want to discuss anything else.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "Cole, I need a meeting with Nicholas."

  Cole lifted his bottle of beer to his lips but his focus was completely on Quinn. "To share with him what you're about to share with us?"

  "Yes."

  "All right, so what's up?"

  Charles and Cole sat across from Quinn in her kitchen. She invited them over for lunch to fill them in on what she'd learned so far about Derek. She wanted to include Gabriel but he was not returning her phone calls. She couldn't blame him. She hadn't been very nice when he called her while she was in Mexico.

  "Derek has figured out a way to travel through time and before you tell me that's insane, I can prove it."

  "How?" Charles asked as he leaned up and rested his elbows on the table.

  She pulled Archer's journal from her lap and placed it on the table in front of Cole. She knew it was real but she had carbon dated it anyway to prove its age and placed that report next to it on the table.

  "Read it."

  Charles was looking at the report and when he saw the date he looked up at Quinn. "1700s? Really?"

  "Yes, but it isn't so much the age of the journal that's important but its contents. Please just read it."

  Cole moved the journal so that it rested between himself and Charles and for the next two hours they sat and read Archer's words, a story that starred Quinn. Charles looked dumbstruck when he leaned back in his chair but it was Cole's expression that drew Quinn's attention.

  "What was it like?" he asked.

  A tear rolled down her cheek which she immediately wiped away. "Magical."

  "When?"

  "Just before the accident."

  "Jesus. So to you this just happened, but to him it happened over three hundred years ago."

  Quinn didn't answer since she really didn't need to.

  "There's more but we need Nicholas. I also suspect that Archer got wise to Derek's movements which is why he's digging where he is."

  "I don't understand?" Cole said as he again reached for his beer.

  "I think they're leaving Derek false clues hence the four kilometer requirement for his digs."

  A smile spread over Cole's face. "This is unreal, Quinn."

  "I don't want it shared with anyone else but Nicholas and Gabriel."

  Cole stared her from across the table. "Speaking of Gabriel why is he missing from this little gathering?"

  "He's angry with me."

  She didn't offer more and Cole knew her well enough to know that pushing the point was useless. He looked to Charles who seemed to be taking the unbelievable news in stride.

  "How are you doing with all this?"

  "Surprisingly well but then I've been working with Quinn for a while now and knew what it was she was trying to prove." Charles looked over at Quinn. "So where does this leave us with Derek?"

  Quinn grabbed a folder from behind her and placed it on the table.

  "These are the dates that Tessa identified as potential days Derek will jump through time. Stopping him is priority because every time he goes back he's changing history. How we stop him, though, I don't know." Quinn hesitated a moment before she looked to Charles and added, "I think his partner, the one you can't find, may still be working with him. We need to find her."

  "I'm working on it," Charles acknowledged.

  Quinn continued, "Secondly, we need to figure out what the hell he's after at Whispering Winds and how he learned of it. I think Nicholas can help us with that too."

  "Derek is mentioned in the journal." Charles offered quietly.

  "Yes, and through his interference, there was a plot to murder Archer and Nickie. If he's done it once there's no reason to believe he won't again."

  "Why you? Why did you go back?" Cole asked.

  Quinn pulled out the portrait that Colleen had slipped into Morgan's journal and handed it to Cole.

  "Oh my God. This looks just like you." Cole met her stare. "Who is this?"

  "Morgan Quinn Scarcliff, Archer's wife."

  "Holy shit."

  "Yes, that's pretty much what I thought too."

  Cole handed the picture to Charles who studied it a minute before turning his attention to Quinn.

  "What aren't you telling us?"

  Quinn rubbed her forehead at the start of a headache before she met Charles imploring gaze.

  "I have a suspicion but I don't want to get into it yet. If I'm right then it explains why I was sent back but what it doesn't
explain is how I was sent back." Quinn turned her attention to Cole. "There was a woman who lived in a cottage just outside of the village. Her name was Maude. Do you know if she's still there?"

  "Not that I'm aware of but I can certainly look into it."

  Quinn looked from Cole to Charles before she added, "I think Maude just might have the rest of the answers."

  Gabriel sat in his Aston Marten and waited for Quinn. Nicholas had called to inform him of the meeting that Quinn had requested. The others were already inside but he needed a minute alone with her to apologize.

  He'd been acting like a high schooler and he really couldn't even begin to explain why. Never in his life had he lost his temper, prided himself on his control, but all it had taken was one hell of a kiss by this sleeping woman who thought she was kissing someone else.

  He knew he was slipping into madness but her kiss, well, it had undone him and not just because he wanted her but because she was his. Why the hell her kiss made him think of Mozart's Sonata in G, he had no bloody clue. But he was so shaken from what he was beginning to believe was true that he hid.

  Yes, he wasn't proud to admit that a slip of woman, with one kiss, was able to turn him into a caveman whose only instinct was a primal urge to claim her. His need for her though was about more than sex. Sex he could handle. No, he was drawn to her on every single level and always had been.

  He'd given himself a few weeks to think it all through but more to pull himself together so he could once again be in her company and not resort to his baser needs. He needed to keep his emotions and his temper in check; the rest would work itself out.

  The sound of a loud engine drew his attention and when he turned he watched a sleek black and chrome Harley make its way toward the castle. It was a wicked ride and he wondered who could be riding it since the place was now closed to tourists. It wasn't until the bike stopped and the driver threw her leg over the machine that recognition slammed into him and with that recognition came a mind-numbing fury.