Guardian of the Stone

by Amity Grays

  She belongs with me.

  “Yes,” he replied, still struggling to get his bearings as he made it to his feet. The lights were doing very little to relieve his pounding headache, which was in turn doing very little to relieve his nauseous state. He narrowed his eyes and looked to the floor.

  A new pair of boots landed beside the general’s. “You all right, Dane?” asked Professor Blaine.

  “Will be once my stomach lands.”

  “Rough ride back, was it? It must be the portal. It’s weakened substantially. You’re probably lucky you managed to make it back when you did.”

  “Dane, where’s Laur?” the general asked.

  “Safe. It’s all right. She’s in trustworthy hands.”

  “What? Shit, Dane. What do you mean ‘trustworthy hands’?”

  He knew there’d be numerous questions, but he had only one. “How’s Edeline?”

  “Edeline’s fine, Dane. What do you mean by ‘trustworthy hands’?”

  “Are you sure? Who’s watching her? Where is she?”

  “She’s fine, Dane. See for yourself.” The general pointed to the room behind the glass pane.

  Dane followed the finger toward the room, his breath catching as his heart once again expanded with life.

  Edeline.

  Eyes he knew to be a beautiful blue stared directly his way—bold, curious, and void of any recognition.

  It was true. How could she now deny it? The proof stood right before her. Her whole life was a lie, her world a sham. The stranger on the other side of the glass knew more of her world than she. He turned her way, his eyes seeming to almost search her out. Meeting his stare, she couldn’t look away. He was handsome, shockingly so, but it wasn’t his looks that caught her attention as much as the way he looked at her.

  What had they lived? What had they shared? She had to know. She had to speak with him. Was that her name upon his lips?

  He was far enough away she couldn’t tell, but she’d bet her last nickel those piercing eyes were the darkest of brown. Unshaven, haggard, and covered with soot, he was still a magnificent sight. A soldier, without question—he was tall, his shoulders broad, and beneath his cover undoubtedly lay a wall of might. Beyond the beaten exterior of his impressive frame, she sensed strength like no other, a fierce honor and determination working as a backbone to a man who would not be broken.

  Yes, she wanted to meet this warrior—her rescuer. With any luck, he held the answers she needed, the sanity she hoped for. How could so many believe something so foolish? Perhaps she and her father had jumped the invisible barriers of time, but her—special, blessed, some kind of gatekeeper? Really, how could they believe such ludicrous nonsense? It was folklore, mythology, all coming from a time when absurdity ruled. Sure, she understood it made the situation no less dangerous. Still, she’d love to hear even one person speak some sense, echo her reason.

  The man, Dane Walker was his name, had lived the truth of her time for days. Certainly he’d see reality and stand on her side.

  The general pulled the soldier’s attention away, motioning toward the door. As the small group made their way out of the lab, Dane once again looked back her way. No one had ever looked at her with such intensity. It was as though he believed she could read his mind, and he wanted her to. She wanted to, but all she could sense was pain.

  “He’s hurt,” she said, looking to her father for explanation once the group disappeared.

  Federic’s attention had followed the men. He seemed almost surprised to find her still standing at his side, which was odd considering he hadn’t let her leave it the last few days. “It could be the portal,” he replied, nodding through the glass toward the raised platform. It was surrounded by dozens of metal panels holding complicated circuit boards with tall oblong blades in the center.

  “It’s not as strong as it used to be,” he explained. “I know they’ve been somewhat worried about his return.” He took a deep breath and looked back her way. “It wasn’t that way for us. It was jolting, of course, but not brutal. Even Braguard came through unscathed.” He halfheartedly chuckled. “He wasn’t happy by any means, but he wasn’t hurt. I believe our greatest danger was perhaps his reaction to having landed in the lab. It frightened him, and he let it be known. He’d had no problem jumping from the edge of a cliff into a monstrous storm, but he wanted no part of this unfamiliar world.”

  She smiled. “I miss him.”

  To what had been the best of her knowledge, Braguard had belonged to a good friend of Father Tom’s who owned a ranch near the top ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains. They had gone there often for years, to visit the horse her father called his friend. As a child, she’d never thought it odd, her father’s devotion to the animal. Looking back, it should have raised some questions. At the time, she was too thrilled to be taken to her favorite pastime. She was thirteen when their dear friend passed.

  “He was a fine horse, a true friend,” Federic said, rubbing his eyes as his brows pulled with obvious exhaustion. The last few days had been rough ones for her father, and he was no longer a young man.

  It was the first time in her life she could recall her father seeming less than sturdy. “Perhaps now you can rest,” she suggested, looking back through the glass.

  “I’ll sleep better anyhow.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his gaze following hers to the lab. “It’s really something, isn’t it?”

  One electrical board after another stretched nearly the entire length of the room. Large panels, hanging high above the boards and displaying one odd mathematical equation after another, were scattered throughout. A handful of technicians still stood carefully watching various monitors as at least a dozen soldiers stood guard over the room.

  “It’s…odd,” she said, with a shrug of her shoulders. “Everything is simply…odd. It’s a lot to grasp.”

  Looking down, Federic’s face grew solemn. “I’m sorry, Edeline, for not telling you sooner. The best course was never clear to me. I knew only that I wanted you to be happy.”

  “I am happy. I have always been happy.” She squeezed him tight. “You’re a good father—the best. We’ll be all right. We always get by. You and me, remember?”

  Hugging her back, he chuckled. “Yes, you and me.”

  “With plenty of room for Alison,” she added, looking up and grinning.

  “You are relentless,” her father said with a quick flick to the end of her upturned nose.

  “And you are in love.”

  He stared at her a moment before shaking his head. “It’s complicated. We’re complicated, Edeline. And I have much in my past, much she may not understand. If I ask her into my world, I will first have to tell her it all. I will never again betray one I so love.”

  The pain in his eyes nearly ripped her apart. “Daddy, you didn’t betray me. You protected me. I see the difference.” She took his downcast face in her hands. “I love you. You’re my father. You always will be.”

  Covering her hands with his, he patted them affectionately. “How can one man be so blessed?”

  Bright lights suddenly flashed from inside the lab. They both turned to see the men hurrying back to their individual machines as a siren rang through the halls behind them, echoing with the pounding of hurried feet.

  Through the window they saw the general and the professor emerge, each running to two individual machines.

  “What’s happening?”

  “I’m not certain,” he said, stepping closer to the window.

  The men scurried back and forth between the machines, entering data and diligently watching the boards. Finally the room seemed to calm. The professor visibly sighed as the general appeared to commend the men around him.

  “Problem solved apparently,” Federic said, still watching carefully the room. He looked back over his shoulder her way. “I’d give a pretty penny to get my hands on one of those machines.”

  “What for?”

  He looked at her as though surprised. �
��Well, to see how they work of course.”

  She smiled. “Of course.”

  General Matthews walked into the room. “The day’s travels seem to have worn the portal thin. It’s rapidly declining.” He looked past them into the lab. “I imagine that last surge belonged to our anonymous friends.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m guessing their journey ended shortly after this port.”

  Federic’s brows rose in question. “Sorry?”

  “We’ve changed the future. Once they hit that curve in time, they simply would have disappeared into the here and now. The past few days for them will have never even happened. Good news for a couple of them.”

  “Why do you say that?” she asked.

  “Two were put down, a state that, sadly, won’t cross the borders of time. In this day, the two are very much alive and very much a threat. Our altering the future will inadvertently offer them a second chance.”

  Put down. The words sat like a chill along her spine. “They were…killed?” Her gaze drifted past the general to the door behind him. “He killed them?”

  It was hard for her to believe. Men had actually died in this ridiculous affair? What had happened? A part of her wanted more than ever to talk with the soldier, Lieutenant Colonel Walker. Another part was starting to think distance might be wise.

  “They left him no choice,” the general said, as though no further explanation was required. Looking her way, he sighed. “Are you still having doubts?”

  “They’ve all been replaced with questions. Can I see him?”

  “Sorry, Edeline, no. He’s in debriefing.”

  “Debriefing?” Federic suddenly perked up. “I’d like to be there. I’d like to know what happened.”

  “I know you would,” the general said with a humored smile. “Just…give us some time with him. It’s easy to forget the little details when you’ve been through something like this. But sometimes it’s the little details that give the clearest picture. Our experts know what they’re doing, but they need this time alone.”

  “I understand.” Her father looked as disappointed as she felt. “Have you found out anything you can tell us?”

  “There were at least three, but he heard them mention a fourth. He said it sounded as though the man was actually there. If he was, Dane never saw him.”

  “Did he know any of her captors?”

  The general hesitated.

  “What?” Federic asked.

  “We possibly have an ID on one, but…”

  “But?”

  “But I doubt he turns out to be our man.”

  “Because?”

  “Because the guy’s a good guy, not particularly materialistic and not fond enough of the past to willingly go back.”

  “Go back?” Federic scowled. “You mean he’s been there before?”

  “As I said, I don’t believe we’re talking about the same man, but yes. The description does somewhat match a former time traveler. But the description’s pretty general and most likely a coincidence. We’ll have Dane look through some photos. If it is him, we’ll know soon enough.

  “Look, I’m really sorry. I know you both have questions you want answered, but right now I have to find some answers of my own. I’ve arranged for you a place to stay here on the base. It’s not much, but it will have to do.” His gaze darted back toward the lab. “It’s probably good that you’re here. Things are about to change for all of us. We’ll need to make plans.”

  Edeline exchanged a curious look with her father before they both turned back to the general. “Change?”

  “The base was created to manage the portal. If the portal closes…” He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m not exactly sure what will happen.” Shifting his weight, he looked back toward the door. “I need to go. They’re waiting for me. I promise, as soon as I can, I’ll see you get your answers. Now, if you’ll both come with me.” Turning, he motioned for them to follow.

  Leading them out the door, he then escorted them down the long hallway to the elevators where two armed guards waited.

  It was a strange world—the lab, the base, even the ride to the base had been bizarre. The road toward her past had been lined with nothing but the peculiar—long, deserted desert roads; eerie signs warning of extraterrestrials; military restrictions and low flying, unidentified objects; guarded gates; and well-armed escorts with strictly no-nonsense demeanors.

  All of it seemed as surreal as the knowledge that she was somewhere else living another reality in another time. She wanted it to end. She wanted to wake up and find it had all been a dream, a ridiculous fantasy. But she’d long ago realized she was wide awake, and the only dream she’d been living had been her life up until that point.

  She needed answers, and she wasn’t at all happy about being left in the dark. Yes, she got that the risks were a matter of national security. But this was her life. She wasn’t just another pawn in this bizarre game of past and present. She was the prize and would therefore stand at the mercy of the strongest hand. She had every right to know the risks. She had every right to know the game.

  The general stopped and passed them forward to the guards. “I’ll be in touch soon,” he promised, then turning on his perfectly polished heels, headed directly into the room behind them. It opened only a brief moment as he hurried inside, but it was enough time for her eyes to land squarely on the face of the soldier.

  Once again his eyes locked with hers. And there it was—that look, the one that would continue to haunt her. The one that said clearly he believed her to be his.

  Curiosity etched with skepticism—he’d seen the look before. But this time the anger and frustration were gone. This time there was no other emotion there at all. She neither feared him nor trusted him. He was simply a link to her past. It was a truth he’d have to accept, but it was hard. No, it was impossible not to hope, search, long for recognition.

  “Sorry I kept you waiting,” the general said, stepping inside the room and pushing the door closed behind him.

  The connection was broken. As weak as it was, Dane still missed it when it was gone. Any connection, any at all, instantly gave him hope. He stared at the entrance, tempted to run after her, tempted to…

  There was nothing he could do. They were no more.

  He looked back toward the men sitting around the debriefing table, they’d all been with the base for years—General Matthews; Professor Blaine; Lieutenant General Corbin, second in base command right under General Matthews; General Thompson, Head of Special Intelligence; and Dr. Hatcher, Lead Psychiatrist for the Special Ops Division.

  Moving to the head of the table, the general stood behind his seat but never actually sat down. He looked Dane’s direction and then down to the manila folder lying on the table underneath his arms. “Well?”

  Dane opened the folder and tapped his finger against the photo inside. “It’s him.”

  Shock played across the general’s face. It was the same reaction he’d gotten from every other man in the room upon first confirmation.

  “Are you sure?” General Matthews asked, his brows pulling with doubt.

  “I’m sure.”

  Releasing a long, troubled breath, the general bent his head and sighed. “Sorry, Dane, of course you’re sure.” He tapped his fingers against the back of his chair and then turned to pace the floor. “You’ll have to forgive me my reluctance. I worked with the man for several years and would never have questioned his character. Shit!” he said, looking away as he raked his hand roughly through his hair. “I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am.”

  “I knew something wasn’t right when he left,” Dr. Hatcher said, regret apparent on his face. “But as hard as I tried, he wouldn’t let me inside that head of his to do any good. I figured he was burned out, ready to make a clean break. I should’ve known better. I have a feeling whatever it is he’s gotten himself into, he feels it’s out of his control…and maybe it is.”

  “Look.” General Thompson
leaned forward. “I think it would be best if we kept this knowledge under wraps for a while. It’s the only lead we have, and it might end up being our lucky break. I’d certainly hate to lose the advantage by having it leaked to the wrong ears.”

  “He’s right,” Dr. Hatcher agreed. “If the wrong people were to find out we know about Graham, he’d disappear just like those who wired the security cameras. This should stay between us and us alone for now.”

  “What a mess.” The general sighed. “Who can we trust? We have someone from inside rigging our security. In fact, for all we know, it could be countless someones. Now there’s a former traveler gone rogue, walking around with enough knowledge to bring this base to the ground. And somewhere out there is an army of mercenaries with the balls and backing to storm the nation’s most highly-secured base. I feel like a damn sitting duck floating in a pond surrounded by shotguns.”

  “You’re going to have to catch me up,” Dane said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  The professor looked his way. “We know how they did it, or at least most of it. They accessed our tunnels and came in from underneath the base.”

  “How in the world would they have managed that?”

  The tunnels, built more than a mile underground, had been drilled by an enormous machine nicknamed Bulldog which cost well over a billion dollars and, if ever inquired upon, didn’t exist. It dug burrows through the earth, melting rock in the process and then distributing it back into the walls of the newly constructed channels. Tougher than steel, the passages were believed to be impenetrable.

  “That’s the part we’re not sure of,” the general said. “There are two entrances from here to Los Angeles—one in LA and one just outside of Las Vegas. We’ve investigated both and come up empty. Of course, it’s a little difficult to investigate a crime that hasn’t yet happened.”

  “But you’re certain they used the tunnels?”

  “We’re certain. When we learned of the breech, we called in Colonel Martin to help us figure out what could have happened. It was Martin who figured it out.”