“You can have it,” I told her.
Her expression suggested she didn’t believe me. “Good. Where is it?”
I stood, moving from the living room. “My phone. It’s in my jacket.”
“Hands where I can see them.”
I stopped at our brandy, and slid her cup toward her. I took mine, drinking the rest of the brown liquor, and set the glass down slowly. Before I went to my coat, I refilled it, adding a splash to hers. The powder was gone. “To new friendships. I want to be in this with you, Jessica. I do.”
She picked up her glass, and I hoped exploiting her loneliness worked to my advantage. She’d spoken of it a few times, and I had no other chance.
My heart skipped a beat as Jessica picked up the glass, her gun constantly aiming at me, and downed the contents. She licked her lips, and I saw her differently. She was a monster, callously killing innocent people in order to save her own hide. After threatening Bev’s kids, there was no redemption. I headed for the coat rack and heard her glass slip from her fingers, shattering.
“What did you do to me?” The words came out sloppily, like she’d been stung in the mouth by a bee.
Her arm drooped, the weapon lowering. It clattered to the hardwood, falling from her loose grip. She tried to hold herself on the island but tumbled, striking her head on the cabinets before hitting the floor.
“Wha…”
I rushed to her side, grabbing the gun. “Where is the circle? The Token? Where is it?”
Her eyes opened wider for a second, and she glanced at the hallway. It was enough of a tell. I searched her purse and retrieved her cell phone while her eyes closed. Her scalp was bleeding, but I didn’t bother to check on her.
I sent Tripp a text from my phone and ran to the first door in the hallway. I pressed my back to the wall across from it and kicked out. The door swung inward, pieces of the white frame splintering around the handle.
This was an office, with a few books on a wooden shelf and a laptop on the desk. I scanned the titles for anything out of place. They were all traditionally published hardcovers, some familiar books on ancient cultures. Others were only leadership and self-help volumes.
I took the computer, bringing it to the hallway, and checked the next room, finding it unlocked. Her bedroom. A different dress lay on the bed, alongside matching underwear. I continued my search.
I duplicated my entrance to the first room, breaking through the lock, and gasped as I flicked the light on. The room was piled with treasures. There were shrunken heads, African necklaces, Peruvian stone weapons, and stacked near the door were the items from the Palm Springs house. I didn’t see anything I thought might be the Book she’d referenced, but the Token was in plain sight.
It was heavy, and I wrapped my fingers around it, staring at the etching of the sun on the metallic surface. This was it. Our guide to the second Bridge.
I had the seventh Token.
My phone buzzed, and I checked the message.
It was Tripp.
Jessica’s building was surrounded by Believers.
Part III
The Unknown
1
I replied to Tripp, asking how he knew that detail.
He said they were outside, and added a photo from across the street. The image was blurry, but the cloaked figures were easy to recognize, despite the poor lighting and falling snow.
What do I do? I sent the text, and waited for the response. I thought I heard the elevator beep from outside Jessica’s unit.
Tripp – Fire escape. Get to the roof. Jump next door. We’ll meet you on the east side.
Easy for him to say. Jessica was still out cold on the floor, and I crouched near her, checking her pulse. She was alive. Part of me felt guilty for hurting her, until I remembered her recent threats. Don’t let her demure exterior trick you. She’s a devil in disguise. I grabbed my jacket, the laptop, and secured the Token in my pocket. With a gun in my hand, I twisted the patio window lock, climbing onto the fire escape. It was cold and icy. Someone shouted below me, and I saw the front entrance to Jessica’s apartment swing open.
I raced up the escape, making for the rooftop, and climbed over the ledge. A gunshot rang out, and I heard the bullet clink off the staircase. The roof was flat, with a foot of snow settled on top, and I jogged across it, instantly feeling the briskness of the cold winter’s night. Steam rose from the building’s vents as I hurried by them, running to the edge of the top.
Another van arrived out front, and five men climbed from it, all of them heavily armed. How the hell was I supposed to escape? I judged the drop to the building over was a good ten feet, and the apartment complexes were at least that far apart. There was no way I was making that leap.
A gun discharged again, and I peered over my shoulder, realizing I wasn’t alone. I tossed the computer across, and it landed in a puff of snow. Maybe I could do this. It was better than the alternative. I kept the gun in my hand, backed up a few yards, and tried to convince myself I’d be okay.
“Stay where you are!” the man shouted.
I raised my hands, pretending to comply.
The guy’s footsteps came closer. It was now or never. I braced myself and darted forward as fast as I could. Using the ledge of the building, I kicked off, sailing through the air toward the next building. I went farther than I’d expected, and landed hard, my knees buckling at the impact. The man started firing at me as I skidded on the snow.
Despite the pain in my ankle, I hurried, scrambling over the wet and scratchy blanket. I’d managed to drop the gun, but there was no going back for it. I did find the laptop, and snagged it as I hobbled across the rooftop. There I was greeted by another fire escape, and a figure running up it.
“Rex, it’s me!” Tripp shouted.
I scurried down, Tripp staying where he was for a moment before following me.
“Are you alone?” I asked, and he led me past the garbage cans to a parking lot down the block. The van’s lights turned on, and the side door opened.
“Rex, you okay?” Veronica asked, sliding over on the bench.
Tripp slammed the door shut behind himself, and we were off. Evan drove the van, sliding in a fishtail as he sped through the alley.
I glanced through the rear window as someone shot at us from a hundred yards away.
We’d done it.
“How did you find me?” I asked, out of breath. My lungs were burning, and my palms were raw and red from the fall.
“Marcus had a GPS on your phone,” my dad said from the passenger seat up front.
“He did?” Of course he’d had the foresight to trail me. I owed him one.
“What’s that?” Veronica asked, and I’d almost forgotten I was clutching Jessica’s personal laptop.
“Hopefully, it’s not damaged too much. It’s hers.”
Veronica took it but didn’t dare open it yet. “We’ll let Marcus work on this later.”
“Rex, we’re sorry we came up empty-handed,” Evan said. “We were so sure it would have been there. The place was empty, like she’d deserted it years ago.”
“That makes sense.” I reached into my pocket, making sure the Token was still there.
“Why?” Tripp asked.
“I think she’s been living at that apartment.” I held the Token out, dropping it into Veronica’s outstretched hand first.
She accepted it, and recognition crossed her face. “Incredible! You did it!”
I smiled, enjoying this moment. Evan craned his neck, and so did Dirk. My dad’s hand trembled as he reached for it, but I grabbed it before he could take it from Veronica. “We have to get out of town. Let Marcus know we’re coming for the Case, and then we’re off.”
“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” Tripp growled.
“Without a doubt,” I told him. “We’re going to the Bridge.”
We reached the mansion in thirty minutes, and Marcus greeted us at the door. He had our bags ready, and I double-checked to e
nsure the contents of the Case were there.
“Rex, you should take a few minutes to calm yourself. You had a big night.” Veronica guided me inside, and I nodded, my stomach growling despite the gnawing concern in my gut.
I showed Bev and Marcus the Token, and set the laptop on the kitchen table, asking Marcus to see what he could do with it.
“I’ll make sure to cut off any GPS devices before I try to break in. What am I looking for?” he asked me.
“She mentioned a book. She thought we were after it. Jessica had no idea we sought the Token. I have a feeling this Book might be important.” It reminded me of the other one I’d found in Palm Springs but hadn’t finished reading. It was packed in my carry-on, and I planned on finishing it during our flight.
“A book?” My dad huddled around us, and his gaze drifted to the suitcase with the Case in it.
“That’s what she said. She was talking about the Bridge, saying that we couldn’t open it. We were doomed if we did. That the beings across would poison the Unknowns,” I told them.
“Good,” Tripp said. “Isn’t that what we’re after?”
“Yeah, I think so. Dad, does it make sense?”
I appraised Dirk. He was dressed in a black jacket, with faded blue jeans and hiking boots. His green sweater was exposed where the zipper had been undone. “I have my own concerns where it comes to the second Bridge,” he admitted.
“And you’re telling us now?” Veronica barked.
“You saw what they did to your father,” he retorted. “It’s possible Clay was infected with an entity from across the Bridge.”
“But you said they were there to help us,” I told him. “You said it was an Unknown inside him.”
“I… that’s what I think. Clay did too. He used to tell me it was imperative we open the Bridge. But…”
Tripp grabbed Dirk by the collar. “Out with it, Dirk. We’re losing time here. Planes are about to be grounded, and these damned Objects are getting closer. If you have something to say, spit it out.”
Dirk shoved at the other man’s hands, straightening his jacket. “Clayton was sure it was an Unknown, but I had another theory. Maybe it was a being from the Bridge.”
“Don’t change your mind on us today,” I said. “You’ve been so adamant about returning to Rimia, and you choose this moment to throw another theory at us?”
“Are we going through the Bridge or not?” Tripp asked me. They were all looking at me for an answer, and the pressure was mounting.
I considered the Unknowns’ imminent arrival, and the Believers killing innocent people in an attempt at attuning with them, and knew we needed a defense. “We don’t have much of a choice. I vote we go.”
“Is this a democracy suddenly?” Marcus asked.
“It’s never been up to me.” I frowned at him but could tell he meant to be helpful. “We each have a vote.”
“Even me?” Bev asked.
I nodded. “Of course.”
Marcus stared and pursed his lips. “It’s tough, Rex. This is so convoluted. We risked everything for this Token, but what if it’s not the right thing to do? What if it was so difficult to get to these people across the Bridge for a reason?” He sighed, pacing into the living room. Without looking us in the eye, he said his answer. “I vote we go.”
Veronica glanced at Tripp, and our ex-SEAL went next. “I don’t like it. Too many variables. I’d rather be here, near the head of the snake, keep an eye on what they do when the Objects arrive. Maybe we can be more useful that way.”
“That’s two for, one against,” I said.
Dirk and Bev watched each other. “I vote everyone stays here. We work together to figure this out.” Bev went first. “Dad, we can’t lose you again, and Rex, we need you to stay alive.”
Two-two.
With Veronica, Evan, and Dirk remaining.
“We go,” she said firmly.
All eyes settled on my dad. His gaze lingered at the Token I’d put on the table. “We stay. Now that we have it, I can’t bring myself to go back. She told me never to return. I should have known there was more to it than our relationship.” He seemed at war with himself, but I knew in my heart Dirk Walker wanted to go to Rimia.
“What are you…?” Marcus stopped his query when I shook my head.
“That’s a tie. Three-three.”
“I haven’t been around since the start like all of you, but I feel as invested as anyone,” Evan said. He sat on a table chair, elbows resting on his knees. “I wanted to figure this out from the moment my wife joined them, and I barely cracked the surface until I met Rex. If I hadn’t been in Colorado myself, I would never believe any of this, but they’re ruthless. They hold power: not only here, but I suspect in a lot of the world. This cult will stop at nothing to assist the aliens in dominance, and though I don’t know what that looks like, I won’t sit by while they do it. I vote you guys travel to Porto. Get through that Bridge, enter the second, and bring us help. Because all signs are indicating we’re going to need it.”
And it was settled. Four-three. “Okay, then I guess we’re leaving.”
Bev hugged me tightly. “Will we be safe here?”
I wanted to think so. “They’ll know we’re gone. Plus, I have a feeling they’ll be busy.”
“Do you think she’s alive?” Tripp was referring to how I’d left Jessica.
“Tough to say. Between the blood and the drugs, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t make it, but I doubt we got so lucky.”
“You should have shot her,” Tripp muttered.
“Enough, Tripp.” Veronica stood between us. “Can’t we stop with all the violence?”
“I have a feeling we haven’t even started.” Tripp went to the door, carrying two bags with him. Snow drifted through the entrance, landing on the floor mat.
Dirk had a bag over his shoulder, and I cornered him outside. “Dad, you were obsessed with returning to Rimia. I saw you with the Case in my room before… what’s changed?”
His eyes were haunted. “Clayton. The way he died. I don’t think he succumbed to his injuries.”
Tripp was returning from the van. “Are you saying there was more to it?”
“It appears so. The Wanderers are dying off. I… something about this isn’t right. And now that Clayton is gone, everything’s different.” Dirk stepped aside, letting Tripp pass. He glared at us inquisitively and grabbed the last few bags. We waited until he was out of earshot to keep talking.
“What should I expect when we cross?” I analyzed him, but he gave nothing away.
“It’s only been a few weeks here, a handful of days on Rimia. But the direction things were going…”
“We ready?” Veronica had her jacket on, and I watched her hugging Marcus and Bev in the foyer.
Evan stood with the two we were leaving behind, and the kids were in bed, saving us the trouble of an emotional goodbye. For their sakes, I hoped we managed to stop the Unknowns and Believers from succeeding.
Marcus caught my gaze, and I walked with him into the living room. He set a hand on my shoulder. “Rex, I wish I was going with you. Be careful over there. I’ll do my best with the laptop, okay?”
There was so much I wanted to say to my good friend, but I held off, giving him a hug instead. “I’ll be home soon. You can count on that.”
Evan waited by the door, still in a gray suit, the tie removed and the jacket hanging on the back of a kitchen chair. He rubbed his stubble and stuck his hand out. “Rex Walker, it’s been a pleasure. Tell me if there’s anything else I can do. I’ll help Marcus with his research and keep tabs on them where possible.”
“I know you will.” We shook firmly.
They waited respectfully while Beverly embraced our dad, and it was time to go.
We piled into the van. Veronica, Tripp, Dirk, and I were going to Portugal. The Case was safely in a duffel bag, and I held the seventh Token in my jeans pocket, unwilling to part with it.
I waved at Beverly
’s shadow in the window, until it faded into the distance.
2
“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to wait…” The woman held a finger up in front of my face. She held the phone to her ear and nodded, giving the person on the other line a series of hems and haws. “Okay, thank you.”
She hung up, taking her sweet time before addressing me. “It seems like your flight is leaving after all.” She pointed at the clock. “As of six AM, all flights are grounded.”
It was five-forty-seven.
I showed her my boarding pass, and she scanned it, letting me by.
The airport was a disaster. The news revealed the chances of the Objects arriving near or at Earth were ninety-seven percent, causing a series of drastic restrictions around the world, and everyone was in a panic. They were almost a month away, according to the latest predictions, but their speed was unpredictable.
“Thank God they let us on,” Veronica said. “I didn’t want to have to steal a ride.” She smiled at me, keeping her voice low as we walked toward the airplane. People behind us were shouting, trying to get the airline to transfer their tickets for other European destinations. With the restrictions, there would be thousands of people stuck in foreign countries all around the world.
“I kind of wish I was in Hawaii,” Tripp said. “Wouldn’t mind having a flight ban there.”
“The sun and sand. A nice slushy drink on the beach.” Veronica played along.
“And pulled pork… pineapple. I love pineapple,” Tripp said. The flight attendant was friendly and showed us to our business class seats. Marcus had splurged on the tickets; it was Hunter’s money, after all. Remembering the man reminded me of the strange device we’d found in his home. I still hadn’t shown it to my father, and decided he’d need to see it soon. Before we traveled the Bridge, if possible. Now that he’d explained what had really happened, I could trust him with the information.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those ham and pineapple people,” Veronica told Tripp.
“Why not? They’re the perfect combination.” I hadn’t seen Tripp this engaged in a conversation for a while. He’d been bitter and cold since we’d returned from Porto, and even worse after being captured in Palm Springs.
Lost Time (The Bridge Sequence Book Two) Page 23
