by Amber Kell
“You’ve put some thought into this, haven’t you?”
“Just a bit.”
“Anything else?”
“The rest of the staff gets to choose if they come with us.”
“And what do I do with no staff?”
“Make do. Hire more.”
Blake shook his head firmly. “No deal. They don’t know anything about the portal, unless you’re lying about telling them. I’d rather keep it that way.”
AJ turned to look at the kitchen door and saw it was securely closed. The rest of the staff seemed mostly content with their lives here. It wasn’t as though they went without and despite his temper Blake did seem to take care of them. AJ had no idea what they might find in the past, assuming Blake agreed to Ryder’s terms. Perhaps the others were better off here, at least for now.
Blake stood up and stalked towards the door leading out of the apartment. “Come with me, both of you.”
AJ looked at Ryder who appeared as startled as he was. Did Blake intend to give them what they wanted so easily? Blake didn’t wait to see if they followed and they had to hurry to catch him up.
AJ soon recognised the route as the one he had taken with Blake on the first morning when he’d taken him to work with him. Sure enough, they soon arrived at the laboratory, which was empty of everyone now that the working day had ended.
“You want to see blue skies?” Blake snarled. “You think life was so bloody marvellous back then? You’re in for a nasty shock, both of you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryder asked. “How bad can the past be compared to a world mankind has destroyed?” AJ silently agreed. Anything had to be better than the labyrinth.
AJ inched closer to Ryder as Blake pushed one button after another on the console in front him. The dim laboratory lit up with a silvery white light that shimmered along the length of the opposite wall. AJ had never seen anything like it. The sight was both beautiful and terrifying.
“Is that what I think it is?” AJ whispered.
“It looks like a portal to me,” Ryder replied.
“One portal to the twenty-first century,” Blake declared with a wave of his hand towards the light. “You want to see the blue skies over your heads, then here’s your chance. All you have to do is walk through the portal and you get your wish. Just remember what they say about being careful what you wish for.”
“How have you kept this a secret?” Ryder asked. “The power this must be consuming has to show up on the records somewhere.”
“It’s not as big a secret as you think,” Blake replied. “The science teams know about the portals and have used them frequently to bring in supplies to support our world, including electric generators. Each team concentrates on a particular product and monopolises the market by buying in bulk in the past and selling at a profit here in the future.”
“Why not just let everyone travel to the past instead?”
“Because back there we’re no one. Here we have control and we intend to keep it.”
“Why don’t you bring back enough food and goods to support everyone?” AJ asked. “There are thousands of people starving in the labyrinth.”
Blake snorted with contempt. “If you want to save the world, why not go through the portal and start by trying to prevent a few wars? There were plenty of them back then.”
“Maybe we should stay here and expose Blake and the rest of the scientists?” AJ suggested to Ryder. “They’re taking advantage of the portals to get rich.”
“Do you really think a whoring lab rat and an unemployed servant can change things?” Blake pulled out a stun gun and turned it on the two of them. “Walk through the portal or I’ll stun you both and push you through the damn thing myself.”
Ryder took AJ’s hand and guided him towards the portal.
“We can’t let him get away with this,” AJ whispered.
“We have no choice right now,” Ryder replied. “Just go with it and we’ll think of something later.”
“What later? We’ll be in the past.”
Blake coughed to get their attention and silently reminded them of the stun gun he held.
Ryder nodded and pulled AJ into the portal with him.
Chapter Eleven
The laboratory disappeared from sight as they stepped through the portal. AJ felt a cold breeze wash over him and he broke out in goose bumps. Despite the bright light the wormhole gave off, AJ could see nothing until they tumbled out the other side a moment later. Their arrival in the past was pretty uneventful, apart from AJ promptly falling into the small stream they appeared at the edge of. Thankfully the water was shallow and all he suffered was some wet clothes and a few more bruises on his already battered arse. Ryder reached down and pulled him up.
They took stock of their surroundings, or at least as much as they could since they had arrived in the middle of the night and a thick fog surrounded them.
“How do we know Blake won’t double-cross us?” AJ asked.
“We don’t. Come on, let’s get out of here and see if we can find shelter for the night.”
“Which way?”
Ryder shrugged. “Let’s follow the stream. Villages and towns were often built next to water sources.”
It seemed as good a plan as any and they set off along a path running parallel to the stream. The ground felt strange under AJ’s feet. It was softer than anything he had walked on before and he said as much to Ryder.
“It’s grass,” Ryder explained.
AJ crouched down on the floor to touch the strange substance. The greenery he had longed to see was right beneath his feet. Only the darkness of the night prevented him seeing the fragile blades.
“Do you think the ocean might be close by?” he asked, having been fascinated with the great body of water since his visit to the archives.
“I don’t know,” Ryder admitted. “You’re supposed to be able to smell the sea in the air when you’re nearby.”
AJ sniffed loudly. “Everything smells different here. How are we supposed to know what the sea smells like?”
“Exactly. Come on, let’s keep walking. It’s too cold to be standing around.”
They had barely gone more than a few paces when the first spots of rain began to fall. AJ squealed in surprised horror, unsure of what he had felt.
“What is it?”
“I think it’s rain,” Ryder replied, his face turned to the sky above.
“It feels strange,” AJ said as he wiped a spot from his cheek.
Ryder jumped as a spot hit him right in the eye. “I don’t think I like it much myself,” he muttered. “Let’s keep walking. There has to be shelter round here somewhere.”
They continued on their way until eventually they came to a small stone construction stretching over the stream. The light shower of rain had become heavier as they walked and AJ was only too glad to crawl into the dry space under the bridge with Ryder. His clothing, damp from his fall into the stream and then the rain, clung to his shivering body.
“Things will look better in the morning,” Ryder promised. “We just have to find somewhere to stay.”
“Do they accept credits here?”
“No. I’m not sure what they use to buy things here. Different countries have different types of money. We’ll figure it out when we know where we are.”
“What shall we do for jobs?”
“I don’t know, but I can tell you one thing I don’t want you doing.”
AJ sighed and cuddled closer to Ryder’s warmth. “I know, and you don’t have to worry about that.”
“You weren’t so sure before. What’s changed your mind?”
“This new start, in a new world. In the future I couldn’t see any other choice for me. Here the possibilities are endless. I want none except you and I won’t lose you by choosing to walk the path of a whore again.”
“Good.” Ryder eased AJ away just far enough for him to look at the collar. “I really hate this thing.”
&nbs
p; AJ reached up and tried the clasp which opened immediately. One way or another, the contract between himself and Blake had broken. Ryder took the collar from him and shoved it into his pocket.
“I’m going to burn this thing first chance I get.”
AJ didn’t argue with him. He’d take great pleasure in helping him get rid of it. It wasn’t as though he could return it to Landon, and the employment agent was hardly likely to turn up wandering around in the twenty-first century, if that was indeed where Blake had sent them. His neck felt slightly bare without the collar, but the feeling was soon remedied by Ryder gently massaging the exposed skin. The touch was nice and calming and AJ curled up against Ryder once again.
“Do you think Corrine and the others are going to be okay?”
“I hope so.”
“I’m kind of glad they aren’t here with us if we’re going to be living rough. This is almost as bad as the labyrinth.”
“We’ll be okay,” Ryder promised. “Try to get some sleep.”
AJ closed his eyes for only a moment. A loud and unfamiliar cry made him jump and he looked about the dark wildly.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know,” Ryder whispered. “Some sort of animal, I guess.”
“Do you think it’s dangerous?”
“I hope not.”
Ryder’s words weren’t exactly reassuring. The cry echoed through the night again, this time followed by another strange noise, this one seeming to come from somewhere nearer.
“I’m not sure I like it here,” AJ admitted. “It’s too strange.”
“Like it or not, we’re stuck here,” Ryder pointed out. “Try to sleep and tomorrow we’ll go explore a little. We’ll probably find these noisy creatures are nothing to worry about.”
AJ snuggled even closer and rested his head on Ryder’s chest. The quick pounding of Ryder’s heartbeat told AJ his lover was more scared than he had admitted. They would have to take care of each other.
* * * *
AJ woke the next morning to the glorious sight of a twenty-first century dawn. The colours of the sky were like nothing he had ever seen before. Untainted by gases, the only clouds in the sky were tinged a pale pink, with hints of orange on those towards the horizon. He still couldn’t see the bright green grass he remembered from the picture, but there was enough light to recognise the short blades on the ground. The frightening sounds of the night had been replaced by other noises—chirping and cawing. He wondered what was making them. He yawned and stretched, startled when he realised he was alone. “Ryder? Where are you?”
“Up here,” Ryder called back from somewhere above him.
AJ got up and walked out from under the bridge. He turned to see Ryder sitting above him on the stone wall, staring out towards the light on the horizon.
“It’s kind of bright,” AJ said as he joined him. The light actually hurt his eyes quite a bit when he looked directly at it. It hadn’t seemed so bright in the movie.
“It’s the sunrise,” Ryder whispered. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
AJ nodded and they sat together to watch the sun appear over the horizon for the very first time. They didn’t move from their spot until the sky above them was a brilliant blue, the only clouds small and white.
“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?” AJ said as they took in their surroundings.
The green grass AJ had so longed to view was just as lush as in the pictures he had seen and there were plants and trees dotted about the area in every direction. The road that passed over the bridge led towards some sort of settlement. The houses were clustered together and seemed oddly welcoming after their frightening night.
“We’re going to be great,” Ryder declared as he swung round and down from the wall. He reached for AJ and pulled him down beside him. “Let’s go find breakfast and I’ll tell you all about my plans for surviving in the past.”
“I thought you didn’t have a plan?”
“I didn’t until last night. I’ve been thinking while you were napping and now you’re awake we can get started.”
Ryder pulled AJ down the road towards the quaint little buildings and what they hoped would be their future home. AJ let Ryder lead the way, happy to follow him wherever he wished to go.
As they approached the first of the houses, they heard again one of the sounds of the previous night. This time they could see what made the noise. A small, four-legged animal stood on its hind legs, with its front legs resting on the gate.
“See, not so scary after all,” Ryder said as they drew near to the strange creature.
“What is it?” AJ whispered.
“I think it’s called a dog,” Ryder replied as they stopped at the gate. “I saw one in a movie once, though it looked different to this one.”
“Dog,” AJ said, testing the strange word as he looked at the animal, who stared back at him and continued to make the loud barking noise.
“Get down, Jasper,” a woman called out the window of the house. “Sorry,” she added. “He doesn’t take to strangers too well. Were you looking for me?”
“Just passing through,” Ryder replied, giving the woman a wave.
AJ gave the loud dog a wide berth and they continued on down the road. AJ looked around as they walked farther into the community. Everything was so new and strange. He had no idea what most of the things he saw even were and when he reached down to greet another new animal—a cat according to Ryder—he found not everyone in this time was so friendly. He rubbed at the scratch on his hand and glared at the animal as it dashed off behind a house.
“Can you see any facilities?” AJ finally asked the question that had been on his mind ever since he’d woken. The fullness of his bladder was becoming quite desperate now and he had yet to see anything resembling a sign for somewhere to relieve himself.
Ryder sighed. “No. I’m looking for them myself.”
“We really need to find some soon. Can’t we stop and ask someone?”
“We might have to. I had hoped we could avoid drawing attention to ourselves by asking something everyone else already knows.”
Across the other side of the road, a young woman walking her dog halted whilst the animal did its business.
“Go and ask her,” AJ whispered, nudging Ryder in her direction.
Ryder, despite the risk of looking foolish, ran across the road while AJ hopped from one foot to the other. He couldn’t hide his relief when Ryder returned and told him there were public toilets at the park just down the street. Apparently the woman hadn’t thought it an odd question and had been only too happy to offer directions.
They found the facilities without too much trouble and were both relieved to find they were not so dissimilar from those in the future.
Both men were rather dirty from their night under the bridge and they did their best to clean up before they headed back outside.
“Breakfast?” AJ asked hopefully.
“And somewhere to stay tonight,” Ryder added. “Come on. Let’s go find something to eat. With all the plants and stuff in this time we’re sure to find something edible. I just hope I can remember which ones are poisonous.”
“Poisonous?”
“Some plants are dangerous to eat,” Ryder explained. “We’ll play it safe and look for things we recognise. Blake always had fresh fruit available. It was supposed to be from the greenhouses and conservatories in the caverns, but I’m guessing he got a lot of supplies from here in the past. If he can do it, so can we.”
“He probably had some funds to pay for the food,” AJ reminded him. “We’ve got nothing.”
Ryder shook his head and grinned. “Wrong! We’ve got our brains and each other. We’ll manage. I promise.”
AJ, despite everything, believed Ryder. He trusted his lover had their best interests at heart. When they stumbled across a cluster of apple trees a short while later, AJ was extremely thankful Ryder was so well read and spotted the fruit hanging above their heads immediately.
AJ would probably have walked straight under them, not having any idea where such things came from.
With their breakfast sorted they found a relatively dry spot on the grass under the trees and discussed the problem of where to stay while munching on the apples.
“We need jobs,” Ryder said. “I just don’t know what we’re qualified to do in this time.”
“I’m not qualified to do much in any time,” AJ muttered.
Ryder nudged AJ affectionately. “Stop thinking like that. We’ll both find something before you know it.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Can you cook?”
“Not really. Essie always prepared our meals.”
“Guess I’m the one who’s going to be slaving over the stove,” Ryder teased.
AJ chuckled. “You’ll have to teach me.”
Ryder continued to make suggestions for what they could do for jobs, even though they had no idea if anyone was even looking for employees. AJ tried to remain optimistic despite his reservations.
“You do know I love you?” AJ said when Ryder paused for a few moments.
Ryder gazed at him in surprise. “Blake was wrong, you know?” he finally replied. He pulled AJ towards him and kissed him deep and long. “I love you, AJ. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you before, but it wasn’t because I didn’t feel it.”
AJ wrapped his arms around Ryder’s neck and kissed him again. “We need to find somewhere to stay.”
“I know.”
AJ rained kisses along Ryder’s jaw. “I mean now.”
Reaching down between them, AJ palmed Ryder’s erection through the thin material of his trousers. His own cock ached for attention and Ryder slipped his hand into AJ’s trousers, fondling him gently.
Suddenly, someone coughed behind them and AJ jumped back, mildly embarrassed to be caught in such a position.
“Sorry,” the stranger said, as he approached them. “I guess you don’t know you’re on private property?”
AJ shook his head. “We’re new to the area,” he explained.
“I guessed as much. There’s a sign on the edge of the land about trespassers but the hedge has overgrown so much it’s blocked it from view. I keep meaning to cut it back, but we’re short-staffed at the moment and I’ve not found the time yet.”
