Time Echoes

by Bryan Davis

  I halted. “You have no idea how dangerous this is.”

  “But I can help. I’ve studied stuff like this all my life!”

  “How could you study cross-world travel?”

  Daryl bit her lip. “I … well …”

  A deep voice entered the hallway. “Tell them, Daryl.” A tall man wearing a dark blazer stood at the corner, his eyes trained on us. “They already know about Interfinity.” As he drew closer, his piercing eyes and a pulsing vein on his forehead clarified. Dr. Gordon.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Daryl pushed past me and extended her hand. “Dr. Gordon. Why are you here?”

  He shook Daryl’s hand. “Because the new student fits the profile.”

  I looked at Dr. Gordon’s cheek. His skin was smooth, no sign of the cut he had suffered only a day earlier. “What profile?” I asked.

  “I know who you are, Nathan. Daryl alerted me to your presence on Friday when someone registered you under a false name.”

  Kelly glared at Daryl, her fists tight.

  Dr. Gordon waved a hand at Kelly. “No need to pour wrath on your friend. I am the head of research and development at Interfinity Labs. We handpick the brightest students in the country to come to my seminars. When Nathan’s father was murdered, I knew Nathan would go into hiding, so I asked my seminar graduates to be on the lookout for a new arrival in their schools. I told them that finding Nathan was a life-or-death emergency, so Daryl’s actions were not treacherous in the least.”

  Kelly bent toward Daryl. While the two girls whispered, I looked at the breast pocket on Dr. Gordon’s blazer. It carried an emblem embroidered in gold, three infinity symbols, just like the one he wore when he was with Mictar. “You’re right about life and death,” I said, glancing around for escape routes. “One of the people looking for me tried to kill me.”

  Dr. Gordon sighed. “Yes, my competition is quite aggressive.”

  “Why is it that one member of your competition looks very familiar?”

  “I know why you’re guarding your words. All I can say is that I am not who you think I am. We can discuss the particulars at my Chicago office, but it’s important that we go there immediately. There is much to be done and very little time to do it.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t go with you. My parents’ funeral is tomorrow.”

  “Yes, I know. I will arrange for overnight accommodations, and I will make sure you get to the service on time.”

  “Well …” I had to dodge him somehow, long enough to throw him off my trail. “I have to go home and pack some stuff.”

  “That’s not a problem. I will give you a ride.”

  Kelly set her hands on her hips. “Wait just a minute. I’m not letting a stranger come to my house. You talk a good talk, and you have an official-looking emblem on your bellhop blazer, but that doesn’t mean you’re anyone we can trust.”

  Standing straight, Daryl cleared her throat. “I’ll go home with them and make sure they come back here.”

  Dr. Gordon shook his head. “That won’t be good enough. I’m afraid I’ll have to insist — ”

  Kelly jabbed a finger at Daryl. “You just want to get your hooks into my new boyfriend.”

  Daryl shoved Kelly, making her backpedal into my arms. “You don’t have the brains to compete with me, you dumb jock.”

  I helped Kelly regain her balance. Their little act was too transparent to be believable. “Let’s just go and — ”

  A bell sounded. A second later, students poured out of classrooms. Kelly jerked away from me and shouted at Daryl. “Don’t call me a jock, you cyberspace geek. I’ll — ”

  “Cat fight!” a lanky boy yelled. Within seconds, students surrounded the combative females as they stood glaring at each other with their fists clenched.

  A muscular male adult pushed through the crowd, shouting, “What’s going on here?”

  Kelly thrust her finger toward Dr. Gordon. “Mr. Ryan, this pervert tried to kidnap me.”

  As excited chatter buzzed through the corridor, Kelly continued, her voice meek and trembling. “When I came out of the bathroom, he was standing at the water fountain. He said I had to go with him.”

  Mr. Ryan grabbed Dr. Gordon’s arm. “Let’s take a walk to the office.”

  Dr. Gordon tried to shake free. “This is absurd. I assure you — ”

  “Just shut up and come with me.” As he pushed Dr. Gordon along, the crowd of students funneled behind them. “Kelly,” Mr. Ryan called, looking back. “Meet us in the office. We’ll need your statement.”

  Kelly grabbed Daryl’s wrist and pulled her close to me. We stood against the lockers and waited for the students to disperse. Daryl folded her hands and renewed her begging stance. “Now you’re taking me with you to the other world, right? I mean, I did what you wanted. Don’t leave me here to face Dr. Gordon when they let him go.”

  “A promise is a promise.” Kelly tugged my sleeve. “We’d better hustle before they figure out what really happened.”

  “What really happened, Kelly?” Steven emerged from the restroom alcove. “I know when you’re putting on a show, and that was one of your better performances.”

  “Buzz off, Steven.” She turned toward the exit. “We’re in a hurry.”

  Steven grabbed Kelly’s arm and jerked her toward him. “Not so fast. I want to know what’s going on.”

  I pulled Kelly free and stepped between her and Steven. “You heard the lady. She said to buzz off.”

  He wrapped long fingers around my throat and pushed me against the lockers. “A lady?” He laughed. “She’s got you fooled.”

  “Steven!” Kelly pushed him, but he didn’t budge. “Just stop it.”

  I squeezed out a choked, “Get in the car. I’ll meet you outside.”

  “But — ”

  “Kelly.” I curled my hand into a fist. “Just do it.”

  Daryl picked up my violin, and Kelly grabbed my backpack. As they ran down the hall, Kelly called, “Don’t hurt him too badly.”

  Steven loosened his grip. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

  “She wasn’t talking to you,” I said, tilting my head up to look him in the eye.

  “Okay, smart guy.” He shoved me against the lockers and thrust a fist. I ducked out of the way. When his fist slammed into a locker, I grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm behind him, and bent back his thumb, applying pressure. He let out a yelp. “Let me go!”

  I spun him around face to face, still holding his thumb in a torture lock. I whispered, “Kelly asked me not to hurt you.” I pushed him back, releasing the hold. “Don’t make me disappoint her.”

  He massaged his thumb. “You’d better watch your back.” He then turned and hurried around a corner.

  I jogged toward the main entrance. Since the student drop-off site was the only place I knew to go, I would have to pass by the office … and Dr. Gordon.

  As I approached a throng of students gathered in the rotunda, I bent low and tried to sneak through the crowd. Just as I passed the office door and quick-stepped toward the exit, Dr. Gordon shouted, “There he is! That’s Nathan Shepherd!”

  I burst outside and sprinted past the flagpole. When I stopped at the curb, Kelly’s Toyota peeled out of its parking space and zoomed toward me. I looked back at the school. Mr. Ryan opened the door and ran toward me, yelling, “Hold it right there!”

  Kelly skidded to a stop in front of me. Daryl threw the passenger door open, and I dove headlong across the front seats. My chest landed on the center console, my legs curled across Daryl’s, and my head flopped face down in Kelly’s lap.

  I twisted face up, my knees near Daryl’s nose. As heat scorched my ears, I said, “Sorry about that.”

  Kelly pinned my chest with an elbow. “Just stay cool. You’re fine.”

  Mr. Ryan grabbed the door handle. “Don’t move.”

  “Sorry. Gotta run.” Kelly stomped the gas pedal. The car shot away, ripping the handle from Mr. Ryan’s grip. Daryl pulled the do
or closed and laughed, shaking me as her spasms pulsed.

  Kelly covered her mouth. As she held her breath, suppressed laughing spasms jiggled my head.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked, looking at her between her arms.

  A wide grin spread across her face. “Oh … nothing.”

  “You are!” Daryl’s cheeks turned redder than her hair. “You’re so embarrassed!”

  Heat spread to my own cheeks. “Well, I’m not used to being in such awkward positions.”

  “That’s perfect!” Daryl reached around my legs and clapped her hands. “That’s so perfect!”

  I rose and slid over the console toward the backseat, trying to keep my balance as the car swept around a curve. “What’s so perfect?”

  “You are.” Daryl turned in her seat and smiled. “I didn’t think such old-fashioned guys existed anymore.”

  “Old-fashioned?” I seated myself between my backpack and violin case but kept a foot on the console’s glove box. “I’ve been called that before.”

  “Daryl, you had it right the first time.” Kelly tugged on one of my shoelaces. “Perfect is the best word. He’s a perfect gentleman.”

  “Thanks.” The warmth in my cheeks spiked. “I guess.”

  “No problem.” She looked at me in the rearview mirror. “How did you get away from Steven? Did you have to hurt him?”

  “Let’s just say I’m not at the top of his friends list.” I looked out the windshield, trying to recognize the surroundings, but everything zipped by too fast. “Where are we heading?”

  “My house real quick, then I thought Chicago would be best. Catch up with Clara and see what’s going on at Interfinity. Dr. Gordon probably already knows where I live, but maybe we can grab some stuff and hit the road before he shows up.”

  “What about Daryl? Won’t she need some clothes?”

  “I’ll pack extra for her. She’s borrowed my clothes before.”

  Daryl touched Kelly’s shoulder. “You got a fresh toothbrush I can borrow? I’ll share jeans, underwear, and soda straws, but I gotta have my own toothbrush.”

  “Not a problem.”

  I pulled my foot down to the floorboard. “Kelly, what did you hear when we were in the stall?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” Her eyes locked with mine in the mirror. “It’s kind of … personal. It can wait.”

  I reached into the front pocket of my backpack and withdrew my phone. “I’ll call Clara and get her up to speed.”

  “Be sure to tell her about Dr. Gordon. He’ll probably head back to Interfinity.”

  I punched in Clara’s number and waited through the trill. After the third ring, her familiar voice buzzed through the earpiece. “Yes, Nathan?”

  “Where are you? At Interfinity?”

  Her voice dropped to a whisper. “We are. Francesca and I blended into a school group’s guided tour. I’m looking for a chance to sneak away, maybe get into the offices when they close.”

  “Make sure you look for the office of Dr. Gordon, the head of research and development. He showed up at the high school looking for me, so he can’t possibly get back there in time to walk in on you. I’ll tell you more later, but we need to stay away from him no matter what.”

  “Why was he looking for you?”

  “Not just looking. He was going to make me come back with him to his office, but Kelly and I got away.” As the car rounded a sharp curve, I clutched Daryl’s seat. “We’ll be heading toward Chicago soon. We have to come to the funeral anyway.”

  “I’ll figure out a place to meet. I assume you have your debit card, so you have plenty of money. Be sure to take care of all the travel expenses.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Don’t call again,” Clara said. “I’ll estimate the time of your arrival and call you.”

  “Sounds good. We’ll see you in a few hours.” I terminated the call.

  As the Camry roared down the country highway, Kelly explained our story to Daryl, cutting out enough details to keep it short.

  I added what happened when I first saw my parents in the coffins and the pursuit by the gunman in the Mustang, then finished with my suspicions about Dr. Gordon. “The guy who chased us in that other world looked exactly like him, but when he showed up at school he didn’t have a cut on his cheek. Until I know otherwise, he’s a murderer in my book.”

  Daryl interlaced her fingers behind her head. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m coming along. Let me tell you what I know.”

  “Cool your jets.” Kelly pressed the brakes and skidded into a turn down our cornfield-bordered road. “Let’s get our stuff. You can tell us the rest on the way to Chicago.”

  Kelly pushed the garage opener and zoomed inside. After screeching to a halt, she closed the door, jumped out, and ran into the house with Daryl hot on her heels. I slid my backpack on and followed them through the laundry area, across the kitchen, and into the formal living room.

  Kelly pointed down the hall. “Daryl, you first in the bathroom. We won’t have time for a lot of stops.”

  The moment Daryl scooted away, Kelly pulled me close. “When you played in the stall, I heard your mother and father talking.” She breathed a gentle sigh. “Nathan, I’ve never heard anything like it. They love each other so much.”

  I dipped my head. “Yeah. I know.”

  “Anyway, your father said he was being tortured to draw you to them. They think someone named Simon is behind it, but they’re not sure.”

  I refocused on her. “But Dr. Simon is dead. How could that be?”

  “Your parents are dead, too, but they still seem to be talking.”

  The sound of a toilet flushing came from down the hall, followed by a closing door. Kelly glanced that way and sped through her words. “They’re worried about you. Something’s gone wrong with their plan, and if you follow the clues they’ve left behind, you could be in big trouble. They said Simon might have set a trap, thinking you’ll respond to your father’s suffering and come to help him.”

  Daryl peeked around the corner. “That sounds like The Empire Strikes Back. Darth Vader tortured Han Solo to get Luke to show up. That was a trap, too.”

  I nodded. “And Luke went anyway. Just like I have to go now.”

  Daryl flashed a thumbs up. “That’s what heroes do.” Angling her thumb toward the hall, she grinned. “Speaking of having to go, who’s next in the bathroom?”

  Kelly pushed my backpack. “You go. I already went.”

  “In the guys’ bathroom at school?”

  “Why not?” She pushed me again. “Hurry. Then pack your stuff while I get mine. ”

  I rushed through my bathroom break and picked up my toothbrush on the way out. When I arrived at my bedroom, I flipped on the desk lamp and laptop computer, threw my suitcase on the bed, and hurriedly packed it. I glanced at the mirror on the wall. Everything seemed normal. The trunk was closed. The lights stayed constant.

  I pulled open a desk drawer and lifted Dad’s camera by its strap. No sense in leaving it behind for Gordon to steal. I laid it among my clothes, and, after zipping the suitcase, I slid into the desk chair and accessed the Internet. A quick search located Interfinity’s headquarters and a map to the location. Just as I clicked the print button, Kelly bustled into the room, a duffle bag strap over her shoulder and a pillow tucked under her arm.

  “You ready?” she asked.

  I nodded at the suitcase on the bed. “Yeah. I just sent a map to the printer.”

  She set her bag and pillow down. “I’ll get it.”

  I packed the laptop and grabbed my suitcase, then paused to get one more look at the mirror — still normal, a perfect reflection. This might be my last chance to see the big mirror for quite a while. Maybe I could try to get a final clue before leaving.

  Moving quickly, I slid off the backpack, fished out the mirror, and reapplied it in the blank corner section. It stuck in place and sent a shimmer of light across the glass. I pulled my new violin from under the bed and took
it out of its case. Then, with a few quick strokes, I played part of a Sibelius piece that had been running through my head — Finlandia.

  As I watched the mirror, my eyes glowed the same way Mom’s had, though not as brightly. Soon, the glass surface flickered and transformed into a close-up of Dr. Simon’s profile. He clutched a steering wheel and bounced as if driving over a bumpy road. Beyond him, farmland whisked by. Several black-and-white cows grazed in fenced, grassy fields, and, in another lot, a big-wheeled tractor dragged a plow through rich black earth.

  Simon’s lips moved. After a few seconds, his voice became audible, a slow, careful speech seemingly designed for recording.

  “Nathan Shepherd, if you can hear me, you have learned that music is the key to opening a video and audio portal between worlds. You might have also learned that flashes of light allow you to move between the worlds once the portal is open.”

  Kelly walked into the room and stared at the mirror. “What the — ”

  “It’s Dr. Simon. Shhh.”

  I played on as he continued in monotone. “You can use a flashlight, a flickering lamp, almost anything that surpasses a certain lumens minimum, but that is far too technical for this message. I need you to come here to help me stop a madman who is trying to manipulate these cross-world boundaries for his own purposes. I know you have lost your mother and father, but there is still hope. Come to this place so that we can prevent Interfinity from happening. The entire cosmos is at stake.”

  Simon took a deep breath and restarted the message.

  I lowered the bow and packed the violin. Within seconds, Dr. Simon’s image faded, and the mirror returned to normal. After sliding the violin case under the bed, I grabbed the screwdriver from the shelf and pried the mirror section loose again.

  Kelly shivered. “I don’t like how he said that.”

  “I didn’t like anything he said.” I stuffed the mirror into the backpack. “What part bothered you?”

  She mimicked his deadpan tone. “The entire cosmos is at stake.”

  “He’s baiting me.” I slid the backpack on and picked up my suitcase. “Listen, I saw Dr. Simon’s eyes get burned out. He’s dead, at least the guy I knew. So this one has to be a copy.”