The Rewind Series Boxset

by Jill Cooper

  “I’ll help you, but first please let me see my baby. Just let me hold her for a little while.” I swallow hard after saying the words because I really don’t want to go back. I don’t want to have the perfect life only to have it ripped away again, but I can’t let Rex know that’s how I feel about everything. I can’t have him on to my little game.

  Rex nods. “You’ve earned it. Finish your cake and…”

  “Oh and Rex, you promised I could see the others. I could see the other time travelers.”

  He scowls. “Well, yes I know I said that—”

  “—Were you lying? How can I trust you if you’re always lying?”

  He sighs. “I can show you, Lara. But you might not like it.”

  “If you tell me something you have to keep your word, Rex. You can’t keep playing me like I’m some sort of toy. I’m a person. A human being with feelings. I need to see them, please.”

  Rex gazes off and slowly he nods. “Yes, fine. You can see them, but after that we plug you back in. After that, you deserve some time with your family.”

  I watch him as he heads off to make arrangements. Family. Like he knows what that word means. My gaze follows my mother across the room.

  Family is everything.

  And I have to get it back.

  ****

  I follow Rex down a long hall and at an intersection we turn left. There are steel doors in either side and he puts his hand on one of the doorknobs. “You may not like what you see, and I will need you to stay calm. Can you do that?”

  Biting my lip, I nod that I can.

  “I’m enjoying this new relationship we’re entering into and I would hate to see that coming to an end.”

  My smile has to be convincing and, as the corners of my mouth turn up, Rex’s face relaxes. “I’ll do my best. I have a lot to look forward to when I get home. I don’t want to mess that up.”

  He squeezes my shoulder and snickers. For a split second I imagine my fist colliding with the smug jerk’s face. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself.

  The click of the door unlocking draws me back. I gather the strength to open my eyes and I step inside to a viewing room. There are a few chairs inside and the opposite wall is lined with glass. I suspect they are one way mirrors as Rex edges me on deeper into the room.

  The glass is dark and I can’t see inside. Rex pushes a button on the wall and everything brightens like the sun shines on the darkest corner of the earth.

  There are three separate rooms beyond the glass. Each room is white with padded walls with no personal effects except for a bed with simple white sheets. My eyes train on the center room at the little girl sitting on the floor.

  Her legs are crossed under her white, flowing night gown and her brown, curly hair obscures her face. My heart clenches and I place my hand on the glass. “Molly,” I whisper.

  She glances up like she can hear me and her eyes are sad. They are lined with dark circles and there are electrodes on her temples. Under constant monitoring and surveillance. In her hand is a simple stuffed bunny. I recognize it from her old room.

  Thick tears gather in my eyes. “You bastard,” I whisper and Rex leans over my shoulder and laughs.

  “Think I would fall for your little game? Your little tricks? Keep up the charade if you want, Lara, but just keep her in mind. If you fight us, if you mess anything up moving forward, we will hurt her. Mike’s training is coming along, slower than Molly’s but he’s proving to be obedient.”

  My eyes dart to his profile and I just want to smash him into pieces. “Leave him alone.”

  “I know you don’t feel as protective of him as dear Molly here, but she is beautiful, isn’t she? So sad with those deep brown eyes. She fought us at first, but we broke her spirit and we’ll break her further if you don’t stay in line.” Rex grits his teeth.

  I nod and my head falls forward, but I peer up so I can see her. Molly’s gone back to playing with her bunny and I can barely see her face. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Good.” Rex straightens out his suit jacket and we start out of the room. I glance back over my shoulder to get a final glance at Molly before the windows darken.

  “Does she have a brain port like me?”

  Rex’s shoulders round up briefly. “Not yet. We thought it might be too dangerous for her developing brain, but it’s next. Don’t you worry.”

  “I’m surprised you care.” I wrap my arms around myself as we step out into the hallway.

  “I don’t want all our work to go to waste, plus she is my niece.” His smile sickens me. “Speaking of my niece…” Rex motions me further down the hall.

  But it’s a dead end with a metal door at the end. He twists the knob and edges me inside. It’s dark and there’s only a narrow stream of light coming from a barred window in the corner, but I can make out the profile of someone sitting in the corner.

  “Hello?” His voice croaks out and it’s familiar.

  It chills me to even hear it.

  “Go take a look,” Rex says with a mocking jeer in his voice.

  I’m afraid, but I make my way forward. Whoever is in that room, I can see he’s wearing brown loafers and socks scrunched around his ankles. When I get closer, he jerks his leg away like he’s afraid. Like he’s used to being hurt.

  My eyes adjust to the dark and I can tell his body is turned into the corner and he’s hugging his arms around himself. On his head is a brown winter cap like he’s cold. When he moves, there’s the noise of clanking chains. It’s like Rex has Frankenstein’s monster in here.

  “Is that really necessary?” I ask Rex and he doesn’t say anything so I turn my attention to the man—the prisoner, there’s no doubt in my mind he can be anything else but.

  “It’s okay. I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m not exactly a guest here either..”

  The man doesn’t answer and I can’t begin to understand why Rex wants me to see him. I get it, Rex is an evil SOB and he has no regard for human life. This isn’t Earth-shattering news to me.

  I put my hand on the man’s shoulder and he flinches. I hear the sniffle of a sob beginning his throat and I feel for him. Whoever he is, I want him to know he’s not alone. To know that if I ever get out of this place, he’ll be out of this place too.

  “It’s okay,” I whisper. “Don’t let them take your spirit.”

  His rocking shoulders stop. He sniffles and he sits up a little straighter. “Is that you, Lara?”

  My heart skips a beat. I know that voice and I instantly place it as he turns around and I stare into the face of Jax Montgomery.

  ****

  “Jax?” My eyes widen and, incredulously, my heart pounds with rapid excitement. I can’t believe it’s him.

  His face is covered in a full beard and his blond hair is shaggy and longer than I’ve ever seen it, but there’s no question that it’s him. His blue eyes are the same except now they are pale. Withdrawn. Defeated.

  I can’t believe what’s happened to him as I fall into his arms. I want to promise that everything will be all right, but I can’t. I don’t even know if it’s the truth, but I feel the burning rage in my heart that it is. “Oh Jax.” Tears slip from my cheeks down onto his shoulders.

  Jax strokes my hair, but he can barely move as his arms are tethered with chains to the wall. “I can’t… I thought you were dead. I thought you were all dead.”

  I shake my head frantically. “We’re not dead. We’re not. We’re going to get out of this somehow.”

  Over by the door Rex laughs a bellowing laugh. Jax stiffens upon hearing it and I wonder what Rex has done to him. All this time and Jax has been locked up, being treated worse than a lab rat, so what did Rex want? What was his plan anyway?

  I storm over to him and demand answers. “Why show me this? What are you going to do with Jax?”

  “He’s a liability.” He cleans dirt out from under his fingernails like our conversation means nothing to him. “He can’t time travel, s
hows no promise whatsoever. But he’s also resistant to the memory wipes so we can’t allow him to go free, can we?”

  I stare at him with an unasked question.

  “Why not kill him?” Rex shrugs. “We thought about that but then people might start to ask where you and your family are. Now everyone believes you’re just … relocated. If Jax’s dead body were to turn up, that would turn everything on its heels. Like I said, he’s a liability.”

  “Why show me?’ My nose flares.

  “I need you to understand the stakes. What your future holds if you resist us. If Patricia decides you aren’t worth the effort. You’re walking a fine line, Lara. But I can tell her now that you’ve helped us.” Rex gives me a chilling smile. “That you’re on our side.”

  I glance back at Jax. He’s gone back to lying against the wall. There’s so much I want to say to him. So much.

  “Come now, Lara. Say your goodbyes. It’s time to go back to your room. There’s a baby waiting to see you…”

  I tug my hand away and back up. He’s so gross and so disgusting. I can’t believe he would even begin to touch me.

  “What, you don’t want your happy ever after anymore?”

  “Not with him suffering. Not with everyone suffering.”

  Rex approaches me and I take a step backwards even farther. He holds his hands out. “Now Lara. Let’s be reasonable for just a moment. I know it’s not your strong suit.”

  I wish I had a way to fight him. I wish there was a way I could hurt him and get away. My mind drifts to my time in the lab.

  The golden pen.

  I don’t even complete my thought before I grab the pen from my pocket and jam it into Rex’s jugular vein. He screams and his hand goes to it as I yank it free and blood sprays out. I grab his shoulder, knee him in the crotch and he collapses.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” Rex snarls and struggles to get up.

  “No she’s not,” Jax whispers, his voice hoarse and dry. He takes his chains and wraps them around Rex’s throat.

  My eyes widen and I stare at them as Rex starts to fight, his limbs flailing as blood gurgles inside of his scream.

  “Go, Lara.” Jax’s eyes meet mine and I freeze. “Find your mother and get her out of here before they realize what’s happened.”

  I can’t believe this. I go down on my knees and pull the keys on Rex’s belt free. I find the ones for Jax’s cuffs and undo them. “Get out of here as soon as you can.” I glance at Jax one last time before I sprint for the door.

  Slamming it shut, I pocket the keys and I walk through the hallway. I act like everything is fine, with my hand in my pocket. A few techs and nurses glance at me from the corner of their eyes, but no one seems alarmed.

  If Jax’s prison is under surveillance I don’t see signs of it. Thank God. If they knew what we have just done, I’d be in serious trouble. But since no one seems clued in, I continue to walk calmly back to my hospital room.

  The door closes and I lock it. I let out a deep, trembling breath and collapse on the bed. I put my head in my hands and I rock back and forth. I don’t know what to do. How to get everyone out of this mess. But I can’t stay here anymore. If they catch me, I might be plugged back into the system and I’ll never get back out.

  But if I leave now, with the chip still activated in my brain, Jax might be dead. Once they figure out what we did to Rex…

  If only I could try time travel, but what if they catch me? What would happen to my little sister and brother? If I fail, I would never forgive myself. But I have to try, don’t I? If I don’t try I will be a prisoner here.

  Forever.

  Or worse. I’ll be dead.

  I can’t let them plug me back in. I was supposed to wait for Marcus to send the authorities to our location and then we’d be free, but how long could I wait? How long could I resist Rex without him realizing I was up to no good?

  Glancing up, I wipe away my tears and on the mirror across the way my reflection is obscured by a sticky note. I go over to it and take it off.

  Donovan

  The handwriting isn’t mine so who left it for me? Was it a trap? A warning? Or something else?

  I’m not sure, but I want to see him so bad….

  When the door to my room unlocks I crumple the note up and stuff it inside my pocket. I back away from whoever it is. Delilah enters and she checks the hallway before closing the door. “I’m supposed to hook you back up to the system.”

  “Who gave the order?” I ask and hold my breath. “Have you seen Rex?”

  She shakes her head. “He hasn’t been around in ten minutes, which is why we have to make this quick.”

  “Quick?” I lead her on and anxiety builds in the pit of my stomach.

  .“I’m going to deactivate your chip, but we have to be fast. If they figure out what I’m up to, we’ll both be dead. And there’ll be no time traveling around that,” Delilah says.

  “Why are you helping me?”

  She takes my arm and helps me lay down on the bed. “This isn’t what we wanted. Me or your mother. Rex and Patricia have perverted everything. I need to help you.”

  I want to know more, but now isn’t the time to ask her. I lay my head back against the headrest. I study her face as she readies her tools and I don’t see any deception. All I see is purity. Someone who is being honest with me.

  I don’t remember what that’s really like, not in this place.

  “This is going to pinch, I’m sorry.”

  Signaling I’m okay with it, my leg bounces up with a nervous rhythm. I grip my leg and squeeze my mouth shut and wait for it. The metal prongs clip my port and it sends a metallic vibration through my head. I gasp, mouth parted, and she jams the cable into my brain.

  “It’ll just be a second.” Her voice is distracted as she types on the keyboard. “It’s done.”

  I hold my breath as she yanks the cable out and I see stars. I really hope we don’t need to do this again anytime soon. She grips my hand and helps me sit up.

  “Find a way out of this mess, but when you return make sure it’s to this exact moment in time when we are talking. Go back too far and your chip will need to be turned off again. Go ahead too far and who knows what you’ll miss. If Rex catches you unaware about what’s going on, he’ll know,” Delilah says.

  The door opens and Mom enters. Delilah backs away like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but it’s like Mom doesn’t see her assistant. Her eyes fall on me and they shine different than before. My breath is silent, still, as she edges closer to me. “Pink streamers. A banner. It read Happy birthday, Lara.” Her chin quivers and her hand reaches out to stroke my hair. She touches my ringlets and her face scrunches into a full on sob. “Oh, baby.”

  Mom.

  She’s back.

  “Mom,” I croak and I am in her arms crying against her shoulder, grabbing on to her like a life raft. I’m afraid she’ll be gone again—that Rex will rip her away from me in a heartbeat. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. All I can do is hold her.

  “Oh Lara.” Mom strokes my hair with tender pressure. She kisses my cheek. “What they’ve put you through. What they’ve done to you.” She caresses my cheeks with both hands and her eyes search my face. “We have to get you out of here. They found Rex.”

  My voice warbles. “Rex?”

  “He’s dead and they think you did it. I was sent here to get you for Patricia. She wants to talk to you and it isn’t going to be pleasant. That’s when I knew I couldn’t. And that’s when I remembered why.”

  She grabs my hand, but I shake my head and stand firm, rooted to my spot. “We can’t. They’ll stop us.”

  “We’ll run. We’ll hide.” Mom’s eyebrows arch. “We’ll change our names. We can’t stay here, Lara.”

  “But Molly. Mike.” I take a deep, laborious breath. “We can’t leave them behind.”

  Mom covers her mouth with her hands. I can tell how she is feeling from the way she arches
her eyebrows and the sheer amount of panic in her eyes. Her body rocks with a sob and is moments away from freaking out, from drawing more nurses and staff toward my room.

  We can’t be discovered having a moment together that goes beyond lab scientist and lab rat so I grip her arms. “It’s okay,” I whisper. “Take a deep breath, you have to stay calm.”

  “My babies.” She closes her eyes and tears drip from her eyelashes. She holds on to my arm for support, to bring her back down from the violent pain I know she must be feeling. “How could I forget my babies?”

  Her babies. For a split second it’s like I’ve been sucker punched. I’m no longer a kid, but aren’t I still one of her babies? Am I no longer worthy of a mother—a father?

  But then Mom caresses my hair. “All my babies.”

  “Mom…” My lip quivers, but I don’t let myself cry. I’m done being a victim. It’s time to turn the tables on this entire place. “You can’t tell anyone you remember us. You have to pretend we’re nothing more than part of this experiment. If you can’t—”

  Mom’s eyes still and a sea of calm washes over her. We take a deep breath together. “What do we do?”

  “I time travel back to a point in time when I can fix this.” I study my mother’s eyes. “I go back to the point when we weren’t kidnapped. When there was danger but no one had acted yet. I get the information I need, bring it to Senator Marcus O’Reily and have him bring the information to the authorities so they can shut Patricia down. Shut this whole place down.”

  Mom nods, but her eyes hold fear. “What if you can’t? What if you fail?”

  “Then I’ll try again. And again. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get us out of this situation. It’s my fault we’re in it to begin with.” The weight of my words makes my heart ache.

  Her face clouds with confusion but she says, “Good luck. I hope we don’t meet again in this room.”

  That goes for both of us.

  I head back into the past, but this time I am armed with knowledge and information. This time I will be able to anticipate Rex and Patricia’s moves and they won’t know why.