Incursion (The Narrows of Time Series Book 2)

by Jay J. Falconer

  “Power adapters are provided after the trade session is complete.”

  “Fair enough,” Lucas said, realizing that the low-level power charge was a planned maneuver by the shrewd businessman. He wondered if the Google Glasses were purposefully undercharged as well. That would be a major stroke of luck if Reece couldn’t use them on him.

  “The cloaking device?” Reece asked, pointing at an empty spot on his skeleton-thin wrist.

  “The girl?” Lucas answered, cupping his hands in front of his chest to signal a big pair of breasts.

  Reece used a quick hand gesture that was directed to one of the men on his right. The guard left the room and returned a minute later with Carrie Anne. She was dressed in six-inch stripper heels, a revealing evening gown, and her face was beautified with makeup and lipstick. She looked smoking hot, even for her.

  Her face lit up the moment she walked into the room and recognized him. “Lucas!”

  “You two are acquainted?” Reece asked.

  Lucas knew she would respond the way she did, which is why he’d decided to only change his last name as part of this undercover op. He looked at her with a deep, soulful gaze, hoping she would understand the words he was about to say next. If she said his last name or reacted improperly, the exchange would spin sideways. “Yes. I’ve eaten at her father’s bakery a few times. But I’m surprised the girl even knows my name.”

  “Well, Mr. Nicoli, I must say I’m a bit surprised.”

  “Trust me. So am I.”

  “Maybe we should renegotiate the price?”

  “Not if you still want the watch. Besides, you’re the one that offered her as part of the transaction. It wasn’t my idea. I had no idea she was part of your inventory.”

  Reece paused, then nodded. He waved at his guard to bring Carrie Anne forward. He did, pushing her close to Lucas, as he let go of her arm. “Now that I’ve completed my obligations, it’s time for you to demonstrate the cloaking device.”

  The guards tightened their circle, as if to say, we’re going to beat you silly if you don’t comply. Lucas knew resistance was futile.

  “Let me demonstrate,” Lucas said, wrapping his arms around Carrie Anne, pressing and holding three of the eight orange buttons on the watch.

  Reece stood up from his chair and screamed, “Stop him!”

  Milliseconds later, the area around Lucas and the girl went pitch black and the temperature dropped. They had made it. He released his arms from around Carrie Anne and touched his finger to the face of the watch to activate its proximity display. The faint glow of the sensor unit provided enough light to see her face.

  She opened her eyes and looked around the void. Almost instantly, she started screaming and crying hysterically.

  He put the tips of his fingers under her chin, lifting her face and eyes up to meet his. “Everything is okay. You’re safe.”

  Her crying continued, then she starting punching him with her chubby fists.

  He grabbed her hands and pulled her in, tight. “Carrie Anne. It’s me, Lucas. I need you to calm down or you’re going to hurt yourself.”

  It took a few seconds for the panic to subside. “What’s going on, Lucas?” she asked, with tears dripping down her rosy-colored cheeks. “Where are we?”

  “My watch brought us here. We’re inside a subspace rift.”

  “A what?”

  “Think of it as a hidden bubble in space, where nobody can see or hear us.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “We’re standing in a section of subspace that’s straddling the interconnecting membrane between two parallel universes. It’s like an invisible envelope wedged into a door jamb. Nobody can hurt us in here, nobody.”

  She sucked in a few extra gulps of air. It slowed her breathing. “Why did he call you Mr. Nicoli?”

  “That’s my undercover name. I’m here to rescue you, but Reece can’t know it’s me.”

  “We’re going back?”

  “Yes, my watch has a limited power supply. We can’t stay in here very long.”

  “How is this even possible?”

  “Look, sweetie. I really don’t have time to explain everything. This watch is one of our inventions and I’ve used it before. We’re perfectly safe. But now, we need to return before Reece blows a valve.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  Lucas stared deep into her eyes and spoke in his most sincere voice. “You know I’m a scientist, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Trust me. This is what I do. I’m good at this. Just play along and everything will work out. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” she said, smacking her arm against the sidewall of the rift, as she tried to step backward. Her face lit up with panic again.

  “That’s the force field protecting us. It won’t hurt you. Stay calm and focus on your breathing.”

  “Okay, but I really have problems with small spaces,” she said, breathing hard and teeth chattering.

  Lucas rubbed her back with both hands. “I know it’s cold in here, but my watch won’t let us freeze before we leave. Are you ready?”

  “No,” she said, with sarcasm and anger mixed together.

  He cupped her face with the palms of his hands, rubbing his thumbs against her smooth skin. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. But I can’t get you home unless we go back and finish this. That means you and I need to work together.”

  “Okay,” she said, sniffing twice and rubbing her eyes. “What do I need to do?”

  “Just pretend we’re casual friends from the bakery and nothing more. But, whatever you do, don’t say my last name or tell Reece what I do for a living. Act like you barely know me, otherwise he might hurt you. Okay? Just play it cool. Things will probably get a little intense, but I need you to keep it together, no matter what happens. Everything is going according to my plan.”

  She nodded.

  Lucas wiped the tears from her cheeks, then pressed another set of buttons on his watch to begin the reintegration process. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for what must come next. He prayed Carrie Anne would survive.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Reece’s temper fumed, as he positioned all of his men around the spot where Lucas and Carrie Anne had disappeared. He vowed not to be fooled again. “Nobody gets the best of me, nobody.”

  The tallest of the guards turned to Reece. “Rules of engagement, sir?”

  “When they return, I want the male secured immediately. If he resists, terminate him. But don’t harm the girl. She still has value.”

  “And if they don’t return?”

  “They will. They can’t stay hidden forever. I want everyone primed and ready. We may only get one shot at this.”

  The guard nodded.

  Moments later, the area inside the circle of guards filled with random static discharges, as a hovering, two-foot-long vertical slit appeared in the center. The slit soon stretched its height to over seven feet, as it burned a deep orange color. Then it changed shape, widening into a faded, orange-colored sphere with a diameter of about five feet. A momentary flash of swirling white light appeared inside the orange, then vanished along with the sphere, leaving behind both occupants.

  “Now!” Reece yelled.

  The tallest guard jumped on Lucas’ back, knocking him to the floor. He grabbed Lucas’ arms, pulling them together behind his back. He leaned forward, pressing one of his knees into the back of the visitor’s neck. “Tango one, secure!” the guard reported.

  Two of the other guards moved three steps closer, aiming their sidearms at Lucas’ head, while the remaining pair of men snatched the girl by the arms and rushed her away to the corner of the room. “Tango two, secure!”

  Reece limped to Lucas’ position and bent down to look at his face. “I really don’t like surprises.”

  “You wanted a demonstration so I gave you one,” Lucas said with half breath—his right cheek flat against the floor. “As you can clearly see, the technology w
orks.”

  “That much is true,” Reece said. “But sudden moves demand swift and immediate retaliation.”

  “Yeah, okay. But can you get Gigantor off my back? I can’t breathe.”

  “Not until you tell me who you really are.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you who I am.”

  “You must take me for a fool.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Jennifer Warren doesn’t consume alcohol, so it’s doubtful you made her introduction at a cocktail party. Plus, she doesn’t possess a loving heart—she’s a cold-hearted, evil bitch who despises men, especially me. Then there were your flawed movie comments. Buddy, I detected you a mile away. I just played along in order to uncover your end game. It’s obvious you’re here for the girl—she’s a love interest—that much is more than clear, because no man in his right mind would pass on my stable of beauties and pick the beast. But what I’m really interested in is your tech,” Reece said, standing upright. He turned to the guard kneeling on Lucas’ back. “The watch?”

  The man slid the watch off Lucas’ wrist and gave it to Reece.

  Reece kicked Lucas in the ribs with his good leg. “What’s the activation sequence?”

  Lucas’ breath was short and choppy; obviously, he was struggling to breathe. “Just press and hold the top three buttons for two seconds. Ignore the other five. But it’s not going to work for you.”

  “Explain?”

  “It’s low on power and needs to be recharged. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to bend light—even more for two occupants.”

  Reece examined the watch’s exterior. He didn’t see any type of recharge port. “That, my friend, is another lie.” He kicked Lucas in the ribs a second time.

  Lucas winced and coughed. His words were slow and deliberate. “No, it’s true. It will auto-recharge. Just needs about an hour.”

  “Bullshit. There’s no external port for a power adapter.”

  “Doesn’t need one. It draws energy directly from subspace.”

  “I doubt that,” Reece said, slipping the watch onto his wrist. He pressed the top three buttons together and held them. Nothing happened.

  “Just like I said. It needs to recharge.”

  Reece heard footsteps behind him coming from the door. He turned. “Welcome, Mr. Rutherford,” he said to the newcomer.

  “Did I interrupt something?”

  “I’m just about finished here, Wyatt. I need you to wait outside for few minutes.”

  Wyatt looked at the prisoner being restrained on the floor. “Ramsay?”

  The day’s facts were starting to make sense to Reece. “Kleezebee’s Ramsay?”

  “He must have me confused with someone else,” Lucas said painfully.

  “No, I’m sure. You’re Dr. Lucas Ramsay. I’ve been wanting to meet you,” Wyatt said.

  Reece grabbed a handgun from the guard standing closest to him. “Stand him up!”

  The guard slid off Lucas and tugged him to his feet, still restraining his arms behind his back.

  “Your man is wrong. He doesn’t know me. My name is Nicoli, not Ramsay.”

  Reece looked at Carrie Anne. “So which is it?”

  She started crying and didn’t answer.

  Reece scoffed. “You know, Ramsay, only a fool meets with a stranger without backup. And you never, ever, bring full payment with you—not without a clear exit strategy.” He shook his head. “Amateur.” He aimed his weapon at Lucas.

  “Wait!” Wyatt yelled, as Reece fired three shots from the shredder pistol, hitting Lucas center mass in the chest.

  Lucas dropped to his knees, gasping for air. “Who said I came without backup?” he asked weakly, as his eyes closed. A second later, he hit the floor in a heap, blood pouring out from the wounds, his chest unmoving.

  Carrie Anne screamed. “Lucas! No! No! No!”

  “So, I was correct. You two are lovers. Well, I guess now the correct phrase would be ‘you were lovers.’”

  Her knees wilted, making the guards reposition their grip on her in order to keep her upright. It worked.

  Reece stood next to the lifeless body, to admire the kill. Then the corpse started shaking and jiggling. “What the hell?” he asked, taking a step back as the body began to contort its shape, rising up and down at random locations across its surface, elongating into a seven-foot blob of scarlet material much like warm Play Doh and then, all at once, it appeared to break apart at the seams, turning itself into a running mass of liquid goo that spread out and covered the floor like runny gelatin.

  “What was that?” Carrie Anne asked.

  “I’m not sure, but it wasn’t human,” Reece answered, picking his goo-covered feet up one at a time. “I hope this material isn’t toxic.”

  “That’s BioTex,” Wyatt said. “Perfectly safe.”

  “Bio what?”

  “Bio-mimetic latex. He was a replica—one of Kleezebee’s inventions. But I didn’t think it was operational.”

  Reece spun around with the shredder pistol still in hand. “You couldn’t have known that unless you work for the professor, or possibly Cyrus. Who the hell are you and why are you here?”

  Wyatt raised his hands. “Easy now. Let’s talk about this. I can explain.”

  Just then another flash that was intense and blinding appeared in the room, this time from the corner to the right of the door. Reece tried to cover his eyes with his hands, but the damage was already done. A sharp, pinpoint headache invaded his eyes and stuck in his brain, sending him to the floor in pain.

  Once the flash subsided, so did the pain. He looked up to see a glowing, six-foot-tall man wearing a skin-tight bodysuit with a matrix of symmetrical gold lines etched into it, much like the underside of a computer circuit board from ancient Earth. The man’s face wasn’t visible. It, too, was covered in the energized material.

  The glowing man reached inside his suit and pulled out a handheld weapon that resembled a right-angled Taser gun. He recognized the weapon—it was one of Kleezebee’s stunners—the same make and model that someone had stolen from him earlier. The invader aimed the gun and fired a single burst of energy toward the middle of the room. The wide-angle beam spread apart and made contact with everything in the room, including Reece. It felt like a million needles penetrating his skin all at once. His head went dizzy as the electric charge took control of his muscular system, sending him into convulsions. The pain was intense, making it difficult to think straight or control his limbs. Two breaths later, his vision faded to black and his eyes closed.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Wyatt opened his eyes after being stunned by the glowing man in the suit to find that he was hogtied to a chair. He pulled at his arms and legs, but the rope securing him was much too strong to break free. He looked around the room and saw several more prisoners bound and secure: the woman from earlier, Gaylon Reece, and all of his men. None of them appeared to be awake. There was no sign of the scarlet blob on the floor.

  The rest of the room was filled with a squad of men dressed in military garb, each with a weapon in hand and based on their position and stance, they were standing watch. Most of the men were fit and trim, except for one who sported a keg-sized belly and a series of creature tattoos on his forearms.

  “You’d think he’d be here by now. The cabin isn’t that far away,” the tattooed fat man said to a handsome man with perfectly combed hair and white teeth—easily the tallest man in the room.

  “He needed to let the suit cool down after the incursion.” His ego was evident in the way he moved and spoke. He approached Wyatt. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Wyatt Rutherford.”

  “I’m Major Rico Renaldi. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

  “Yes, I have. The Avanti Prime incident. So, where’s your sidekick, T-Rex?”

  Rico unleashed a full backhand that landed on Wyatt’s lower cheek, sending a stinging jolt of pain into his jaw. “I’m the one asking questions.�
�

  Wyatt nodded, flexing his jaw. It was sore, but didn’t feel broken.

  “What are you doing here, Rutherford?”

  “I need to speak with Dr. Ramsay.”

  “He’ll arrive shortly. In the meantime, you will talk to me. Explain your presence.”

  “Cyrus sent me to retrieve Dr. Kleezebee’s power modules. My boss accidentally traded them away to Reece before he knew what they were. I had just arrived when Reece decommissioned your replica.”

  “What do you want with Lucas Ramsay?”

  “I have urgent information for him. It’s a matter of life or death for all of you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Wyatt shook his head, pushing out his jaw. “Only with Ramsay. The real Ramsay. Not some copy.”

  Rico walked to the screen door and stood in front of it. “Looks like he’s pulling up now.” He returned to Wyatt’s position and bent down close. Wyatt could smell his breath. “If you try anything, I will end you.”

  “My intentions are honorable. I just need a few minutes of his time, that’s all.”

  Lucas walked into the room, wearing the orange-colored suit, though his face wasn’t covered. “Where is she?” he asked, before looking around. He must have spotted the girl on his own, because he didn’t wait for a response. He ran to her position. “Who tied her up?”

  “I did,” said the tattooed man.

  “Why? She’s a friendly.”

  “Force of habit, I guess. Needed to contain the scene.”

  “Untie her now!”

  Bruno pulled out a knife and reached behind the still-unconscious girl. He yanked the knife up. Her hands fell to her sides.

  Lucas knelt down in front of her, tapping her on her cheek, gently. “Carrie Anne. Carrie Anne. Wake up. Please, wake up. It’s me, Lucas.”

  Moments later, her head moved and her eyes opened. She was a little dazed. “Lucas? You’re alive?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “How?”

  “That wasn’t me earlier. It was a BioTex replica of me.”