Sprinting to his hideout, Danny carefully put the shattered cartridge into his PlayFest system. When he turned on the console, broken blue bars and wavy black lines filled the television screen. Dimly, in the background, he could see the mangled outlines of people and hear happy voices cheering.
“Is anyone there?” he shouted. “I got an emergency! Gil’s hurt. She’s not breathing! We gotta get her home!”
Through the portal, Danny could hear the cheering stop. He saw the distorted, wavy image of William rushing toward him. “D—ny? What did—say?”
“Gil’s dying! You gotta help!”
Extreme Exam began to crackle and spark. As the cartridge sent out an acrid puff of smoke, the image of the lab died away.
Danny pulled the cartridge from his gaming console and dropped it as it burned his fingers. “Guys,” he shouted, “I think we’re on our own.”
* * *
William looked in dismay at the empty Staging Platform. Although Danny’s words had been garbled, the message was clear enough. Ripping off his suit jacket, he ran across the lab.
The director grabbed his arm as he flew past. “What are you doing?”
“It’s after midnight,” William said, shaking off his hand. “I’m going in!”
“Gil requires more help than you can give. We need the Facilitator.”
* * *
Continuing to put pressure on Gil’s wounds, Danny looked up as Nathan ran into the room. His bare chest was glistening with sweat, and he was breathing hard.
“I lost Rick in the woods,” Nathan said, gulping for air. “He had a car by the creek.”
“Did you get the license number?” Sam asked, administering compressions.
“I couldn’t get a good look at it. I wasn’t able to keep up with Rick in my bare feet. It was stupid of me not to put on shoes. I kept tripping.”
Danny saw Zara’s face filling with concern. “Na’tan, yuh be fine?”
“Sure, honey. I’m not hurt. I came back as quickly as I could to see about the girl. How is she? Have you called an ambulance?” Looking down at the mangled mass of flour, Nathan gasped. “What on earth’s that?”
“It’s Gil,” Danny replied. “She came from the future to help us with Rick.”
Danny watched as his mother’s eyes found Sam’s. “My invisible helper,” she whispered.
As Sam nodded, the doorbell rang.
“Stay here,” Nathan said. “I’ll get it.”
Holding the T-shirt tight, Danny strained to hear what was happening. There was a low murmur of voices and then Nathan returned, stumbling as he stepped on glass.
“Yuh, okay?” Zara asked in a worried tone.
Catching his balance, he nodded. “Fine, honey, I just wish I had shoes.”
“Wah yuh ’ave inna your hand?” she asked.
“A package for Danny,” he replied, holding up a brown box. “The deliveryman said it was a matter of life-and-death. But who delivers packages at midnight? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Take over for me,” Danny said urgently. “It makes perfect sense.”
When Nathan knelt beside Gil, Danny ripped open the package. Inside was a new game cartridge and a note that read, Play me now. Move out of the way.
Running to his hideout, Danny slid the game into his PlayFest console. As he turned it on and backed away, the TV glimmered with blue light. Immediately, a bag was thrown through the screen. A scant second later, William sailed through the portal in a running nosedive. He landed heavily on the beanbag, causing the seams to split and stuffing to skitter across the floor.
Danny plucked frantically at William’s shirt. “You gotta help Gil! Hurry up, she’s dying!”
William picked up his bag and sprinted across the room. When he approached, Zara and Nathan stared at him with open mouths.
“Give me room,” William ordered, kneeling beside Gil and unbuttoning her shirt. Taking a long, wicked-looking needle from his bag, he plunged it into her chest.
“What are you doing?” Danny yelled, trying to push William away.
“It is adrenalin,” his mother said, grabbing his hands. “He’s helping. Leave him alone.”
Danny watched as William took another needle and inserted it into Gil’s vein.
“You did well,” William said. “You got through D-day. Death row’s gone.”
“It won’t matter a bit if she dies,” Danny cried, trying to clutch Gil’s arm.
“Stay back,” William ordered harshly, taking paddles out of his bag and placing them on Gil’s chest.
When Danny backed away, William administered a shock. Danny started to cry as Gil’s body jolted violently. He watched with a sick stomach as William checked for a pulse, and not finding one, administered another shock.
Suddenly, Gil gave a ragged breath. As she started to cough, William took an oxygen mask out of his bag and put it on her. After starting an IV, he grabbed a unit of blood and passed it to Sam. Sam scrambled to his feet and hung the bag on the back of a chair. William took rolls of gauze and began binding up Gil’s bleeding wounds.
“Is she gonna be all right?” Danny asked in a shaky voice.
“Only if we get her to medical aid,” William replied, adjusting Gil’s oxygen mask with blood-covered hands.
“You mean back through GAP?”
William shook his head. “Her cartridge was destroyed, and mine isn’t calibrated for her. We need to take her to the Facilitator and his wife.”
“Who are they?” Danny asked.
“They’re the ones who mail the games. They’re from further into the future than I am.”
Suddenly, Danny noticed that everyone could see William. “Hey, why can everyone see you if you didn’t scan their brains? Did you—”
“If you want to help,” William barked, “stop asking questions!”
Danny nodded and backed toward his mother.
William bandaged Gil’s chest wound and said gruffly, “I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to talk. We need to move fast to save Gil and keep you all safe.”
“This is unbelievable,” Nathan muttered.
“Unbelievable or not, it’s happening. I need you to deal with it.” William began winding gauze around a hideous wound to Gil’s stomach. “In twenty minutes, there’s a 94.9 percent chance that Rick’s going to enter Mr. Jacobson’s house with a gun.”
Danny watched as William locked eyes with Nathan. “You and Zara need to get your grandpa and go to Westfield. Take Maple Lane to Highway 33—no other route. Check into the Cunningham Hotel under an assumed name and park your car in their covered garage.”
As Nathan nodded, William continued, “After you get on the road, call Chief Rogers and tell him that Rick’s back and that Sam and the Winstons are staying with friends in the country.”
William stared over his shoulder at Zara. “You and Mr. Jacobson need to remain in the hotel at all times. If you do, there’s a one hundred percent probability factor that you’ll be safe. If you leave the room, your odds go down to 5.2 percent. Do you understand?”
“Yeh mon, wi won leave di room.”
William handed Nathan a folder. “You’re going to need this. We’ve discovered more of Rick’s victims—women whose red-cord hangings were pronounced suicides.”
Nathan gasped. “The files Danny gave me came from the future? How did—”
“That’s not important!” William rolled gauze around Gil’s forehead. “You only have fifteen minutes before Rick arrives. Get your grandpa and come back here. Now move!”
As Zara and Nathan ran out the door, William wrapped a six-inch gash on Gil’s thigh and said to Sam, “Go to Grandpop’s and load Sue and Danny’s boxes in your trunk. Pack some of your grandfather’s clothes for yourself. Call your associate pastor and tell him he’ll be taking over for a while. When you’re finished, drive back here and park close to the door. Now move!”
Sam hesitated. “Will Sue and Danny be safe if I leave?”
William checke
d his watch. “Only if you’re back within thirteen minutes.”
Sam raced out the door, and William turned to Sue. “Grab your photo albums, the cedar chest your husband built, your orange shoes, and your jewelry box. Set them by the front door. Call the hospital and Stubby and tell them you’ll be missing work for a while. Call Danny’s school and leave a similar message. You have twelve minutes.”
Sue scurried away, and Danny watched as William focused on him. “Put your Bible and the framed photo of your dad in your pillowcase.”
As Danny obeyed, he heard the low murmur of his mother’s voice as she made her calls. He looked over at William—his hands were shaking as he wrapped another layer of gauze over Gil’s chest wound. “Anything else I should pack?” Danny asked.
“Your father’s pocket watch. It’s in your dresser under your blue jeans.”
Danny heard cars coming to a screeching halt outside the house as William bandaged Gil’s lacerated hands and put her arm in a sling.
“Sue,” William bellowed, “put your things and Danny’s pillowcase in Sam’s trunk.”
When Sam and Nathan entered the room, William turned to Danny. “Show the guys Gil’s luggage. They won’t be able to see it, but they will be able to feel it.”
Danny smiled for the first time in what felt like years. “Now I know why you wanted them to come back.”
“Hey, I’m no dummy,” William replied with half a smile. “Have you tried to lift that suitcase?” As Danny chuckled, William said, “After showing them the luggage, grab some wet wash clothes and a few bath towels. Get into the backseat of Sam’s car and put my bag on your lap. You have five minutes. Now scoot!”
After the trunk was loaded, Danny watched anxiously as Sam and Nathan laid Gil in Sam’s backseat with her head on William’s lap.
“Keep her feet elevated on my bag,” William said to Danny. “She’s in shock.”
As Danny nodded, William shouted out his window at Nathan, “You have less than two minutes to get your family off this street. Keep Zara and your grandfather inside the hotel!”
Nathan nodded and ran over to his car where Zara was trying to calm Mr. Jacobson.
“Sam,” William said tersely, “go to Ozark Street and turn left. You have only one minute and twenty seconds to get us out of here.”
Behind him, Danny could hear the squeal of Nathan’s tires as he turned onto Maple Lane and into GAP’s predicted safety zone. Sam punched the accelerator, and in less than a minute, they turned onto Ozark.
“Pull into the driveway of the green house on your left and turn off your lights and engine,” William ordered. “Everyone, lie down in your seats and be still.”
As Danny crouched down, he heard the soft whisper of tires passing behind him. He held his breath as a car halted at the stop sign and turned onto Paradise Avenue.
“Start the car, Sam,” William whispered, “but don’t turn on your lights for another block. Go down Ozark and take a right onto Hunnington. I’ll feed you more directions as we drive.”
“Where are we going?” Sam asked.
“To a private estate. You can turn on your lights now, but don’t speed. If you do, we have a 66.2 percent chance of being pulled over, and that’ll delay us too much for Gil’s sake.”
The car filled with tense silence. The only sound was Gil’s labored breathing.
As Sam turned onto Hunnington Avenue, Danny whimpered. “Is she gonna make it?”
William looked him in the eye. “Gil said you liked things straight. Is that true?”
Danny hesitated and then nodded.
“She has a fifty-four percent chance.”
“That’s not good, is it?”
“No,” William said with a crack in his voice, “it’s not good at all. But you only had a fifty percent chance earlier tonight, and you made it. Gil had faith in you despite the odds, and we’re going to have faith in her.” Taking a wet washcloth, William began to wipe the blood gently from Gil’s face. “She’s going to live,” he murmured in a choked voice. “She has to!”
As Danny gave a watery sniff, William asked, “What stopped you from stabbing Rick?”
Wiping his nose with the back of his hand, Danny mumbled, “I was gonna stab him. He was on top of Gil, cutting her. She was all bloody and couldn’t move. It was awful. She kept telling me to drop the knife, but I wanted to save her. Then Gil yelled that if I stabbed Rick, she’d never forgive me. She said she’d hate me.” Danny put his hand on William’s arm. “I couldn’t have her hate me—I love her. She was so mad. I never heard her sound that way before.”
“I know the tone of voice you’re talking about. She used it on me this afternoon.”
“Do you think she’s still mad?” Danny asked tearfully. “Do you think she hates me?”
William pulled him close. “I can promise she doesn’t.”
Danny’s voice became thick with tears. “It’s all my fault. I put her in danger.”
“It’s no one’s fault but Rick’s. Gil said what she did to get you out of harm’s way and to keep you off death row. Rick belongs there—not you. When she wakes up, she’ll be proud of you. You kept your head and brought help. Not only that, you helped her pass her exam. She’s earned an Alpha-Blue License—the best TEMCO offers. She’s graduating with honors.”
“She deserves it,” Danny said, brushing tears from his face. “She’s the best.”
As a road sign flashed past Danny’s window, William stiffened. “Sam, our exit’s coming up. Get off the highway and turn onto Timberfield Lane. Head west for sixteen miles and turn left onto County Line Road.”
“Sixteen miles is so far away,” Danny moaned. “Are we gonna make it?”
“We’re going to try,” William replied. “That’s all we can do.”
* * *
Twenty-five minutes later as the car was heading deep into farming country, Gil began to groan. Leaning down eagerly, William whispered, “Gil, can you hear me?”
“Doc,” she said weakly as her eyes fluttered open. “I knew you’d come. Is Danny safe?”
“I’m fine,” the boy replied. “I didn’t stab Rick. We won!”
“Good,” Gil said in a slurred voice. “I knew we would.”
Leaning down, William brushed her forehead with a kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Brillo pad,” she whispered.
“What?” he asked softly, cradling her face with his hands.
“Brillo pad or a wire brush. You gotta get rid of that beard.”
“What a thing to say at a time like this.” William chuckled, stroking her cheeks gently with his thumbs.
As Gil smiled into his eyes, she began to cough—deep coughs that shook her entire body. Her face turned ghastly white. “It hurts,” she whimpered. “Doc, it hurts so much.”
“I know,” he said in a tortured voice. “Just hold on. I’m taking you to meet the Wizard.”
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Everyone’s gonna be so jealous.”
Suddenly, Gil’s body began to shake. Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head. A trickle of blood slipped out of her mouth and slid down her chin.
“Gil!” Danny shrieked.
“Quiet!” William barked. “Hand me a towel.”
William put pressure on the fresh blood pouring from Gil’s chest wound. “Step on it, Sam! We have to speed now, or we won’t make it. In a few miles, we’ll come to Country Road 7. It’s a dirt road by a big barn. Sue, help him look for it—we can’t afford to miss the turn. Danny, take over for me. Keep the towel firm.”
The car picked up speed. William held onto Gil’s flour-covered form as it shook wildly in the backseat. “I want you all to start praying. We’re going to make it! We have to!”
As everyone prayed beneath their breath, Gil’s shaking slowly stopped. William held onto both sides of Gil’s face as tears flowed from her eyes and her breathing became shallow.
“Please don’t leave me,” William whispered tremulously, brushing her
hair away from her forehead. “Just concentrate on breathing. I know you can be pig-headed and stubborn as a mule. Please, be stubborn about this.”
Giving a wobbly smile, Gil put a hand to his cheek. “I’m not pig-headed. I’m focused.”
Taking her hand in his, he murmured, “Be focused then. Very focused.”
“There!” Sue shouted. “There it is!”
“Sam, turn right,” William said, keeping his eyes locked with Gil’s. “Sue, watch for the second road to the left. It’s called Painted Pony Drive, but it won’t have a marker.”
“Doc,” Gil whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve done nothing to be sorry about.”
“Yes, I have,” she said with a faint smile. “I filled your office with balloons last week.”
“That was you? You minx, I’m going to take it out of your skin later.”
Gil smiled. Her eyes slowly rolled back and closed.
“What’s wrong with her?” Danny asked anxiously.
“She’s lost consciousness again. Keep the towel firm.”
“There!” Sue yelled. “There it is!”
As Sam turned onto the road, William said in a tense voice, “Go down the third driveway to your right.” Stroking Gil’s hair, he whispered in her ear, “Hold on. Please, just hold on.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
William clutched Gil to his chest as Sam’s car bumped through an orchard. Minutes later, the dirt road forked. At William’s instruction, Sam turned left onto a paved driveway.
“Get as close to the door as you can,” William urged as they reached a large house.
Sam nodded, pulling onto the sidewalk and parking in a flowerbed.
William and Sam eased Gil out of the backseat as Sue sprinted to the porch. Before Sue could ring the doorbell, an elderly woman with white, candy-floss hair and twinkling eyes popped the door open.
“Come in,” the Facilitator’s wife said. “We’ve been expecting you.” She turned around and shouted to someone inside, “Get ready, Poppa. They’re here.”
As William carried Gil into the house, he could hear Sam and Sue gasp.
Time Tsunami Page 21
