by Jill Cooper
Copyright 2016-2017, Jill Cooper
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
1: Present Day: Lara
I’ll never have a normal life.
I go about my day. I pretend. But inside my head is a tug of war. The ability to freeze time, to change time, wars with the constant need to be normal. To move on with my life.
“And it was then that Patricia James and her associates killed Joyce Meyers?”
I lean forward, toward the microphone and struggle to hold eye contact with the congressman on the panel who asked the question. “Yes.”
Every day is a struggle. Every day I lose the battle a bit more than I did the day before.
I’m Lara Crane.
“We have more than enough proof, Congressman that Senator James was covering up illegal activity at the Rewind Agency. Now it’s just a matter of what do about Rewind. Their corruption knows no bounds.” Senator Marcus O’Reily says and I’m grateful to have a friend. Being on Capitol Hill isn’t exactly a tropical vacation and it’s only increased my anxiety.
How can I be normal when I know so much? I spent two years in captivity that never happened. Not anymore, not since I changed the past.
Doesn’t change the fact I was a prisoner. Violated.
Senator Thompkins raises a finger and I know he’s going to address me. I sit up straighter and lick my lips as I wait for his question. “We’ve all seen what you can do. In person and on video. Some believe you’re a miracle. Some believe you’re a monster. Some want to stop you, while others want to control you.”
“Is there a question in there somewhere?” Senator O’Reily asks and his anger creeps into his voice. We’ve been allies for a year and friends even longer, if you consider the time travel.
I know him and I’ve come to depend on him.
He knows my secrets.
“The question is how can we turn our back on time travel as a way to fix a broken system, a broken society? You can go back and change things before wars are started before murders are committed?”
His question kills me. For two years, I’ve fought to expose Patricia James. My spirit and mind were broken and I’m still haunted by those who held me captive, pinned me down, and forced their will upon me. I changed time so those events never occurred, but the scars they left behind won’t heal.
It’s an itch I constantly scratch. .
A scab that can never be left alone.
Mostly because the politicians won’t let it. They won’t let me go.
The cage was easy compared to living like this, under a microscope.
“What Senator James did,” the anger in my voice struggles to break free. My vision is marred by streaks of red that blacken and obscure.
Time slows down around me. Those on the committee flip the pages in their hands at half speed. I take a deep breath and time skips a beat to catch up.
“Was wrong.” Thompkins is oblivious to what I’ve done. What I can barely stop from doing. “Clearly her methods and her moral compass were skewed. But the results…How do we put what you are back in the box and forget about it?”
“I didn’t suffer for two years so Rewind could get a pass. They’ve lied, hurt people. They can’t be allowed to continue.” I clench my jaw and beneath the table, my hands grip each other hard.
Time ticks by. I’m aware of each passing second. My mind is now like a clock, keeping them all in order, but sometimes they jumble. Sometimes I do things without meaning to.
The senators glance at one another and my resolve wanes. They aren’t going to listen to me. They are going to do whatever they want with Rewind, be damned the consequences. Patricia James might be in some prestigious all women’s prison, but her legacy remains.
And the U.S. government is going to run with it.
My brain surges with pain from a sudden headache. I suck in my breath and stroke the back of my neck without thinking about it. My finger pokes the metal port on the back of my neck that I still live with. I had been modified as if I were a freak experiment; it’s the only thing that has kept my brain from disintegrating into a pile of goo.
Except now, the technology that I was plugged into that soothed my brain hasn’t been invented yet.
I’m a ticking time bomb.
“Whether we like it or not, Ms. Montgomery, the new global arms race is time travel. Countries want what you have. Not only does that make the decision for us, it puts you in grave danger.”
My heart deflates. “It took me fifteen minutes to go in the past and save my mother’s life. Fifteen small minutes, it changed the course of not only my life, but also the lives of people I don’t even know. The course of the country changed, in ways, I’d never even thought of. What if countries use time travel to win wars? Assassinate leaders?” I shake my head and can’t even fathom what they’re all thinking, but I see it in their eyes.
They are practically foaming at the mouth.
“I’ll never be the same. I might never fully recover. Every time the effects grow harder to cope with.” I promised myself I would never admit it, but I can’t stop myself any longer. “My brain is evolving; it isn’t just time travel anymore. It’s pausing. Freezing. You really want an army of people like me walking around, unable to control what they’re doing?”
“Clearly we would need to work out the logistics. But an army? No. A squad? A few singular time travelers?” Thompkins glances at the panel before he nods his head. “Thank you for your time.”
Boom.
I’m dismissed.
Just like that, everything I say, everything I’ve gone through has been discarded. Thanks for your service, Lara Crane, but you’re no longer needed. Wanted.
I slide my chair back and stand. The agents are behind me, the ones that are there for my protection. The senators were right when they talked about my life being in danger. Those that don’t want to control me, fear me.
The agents are there to protect me, but also to protect the interest of the U.S. government. I can trust them to do their job, but trust them to tell me the truth. Not on my life.
“This way Ms. Montgomery.” They usher me through the back of the senate and into a closed-door room. I go inside, sit down and they pour me a glass of water. They say something, but I tune them out.
Instead, I stare out the window at the bright sun over DC. Spring is coming again and that at least lifts my spirits. The warm sun on my skin will be a welcome change and makes me glad I’m free of the cage. The Earth is still spinning; the seasons are still changing, so maybe—just maybe, there’s hope for us after all.
I sip my water and listen to the time tick by, but instead of coming from a clock, it comes from my mind. Always keenly aware that time is passing by; it’s a struggle to walk through time like someone normal. My brain won’t stop changing. And one day when I can’t control it anymore?
Maybe there’s no future for me. Maybe I should be stopped before I can’t control it. Before I destroy things that can never be put back together.
And the future?
It isn’t something I even want to think about.
The door opens. My heart skips a beat and my head snaps up before it swings all the way open. In slow motion, Marcus steps through and I breathe a sigh of relief. The world speeds into real time as the door shuts behind him.
No one notices the time shift but me. I rise to greet him as he offers me his hand.
I shake it and stare into hi
s blue eyes. I can still remember meeting him when he was a college boy and now, even though he’s thirty-two, he’s still handsome. “Marcus.”
“Ms. Montgomery,” Marcus says with a wink. “Leave us alone for a minute, would you?”
The agent blusters. “Sir, we have our orders.”
“And I’m a United States Senator. She won’t be going anywhere, trust me. She’ll be safe under my watch. Stand right outside the door. You can make sure no one goes in or out.”
They could refuse Marcus, but they don’t. When they’re gone and the door latches, I breathe a sigh of relief and sit on the desk.
Marcus takes my hand. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ve been better, but under the circumstances…” I shrug and glance up at him. There’s compassion and something else in his eye. I don’t want to think about what it could be.
When I went back in time to meet him, well let’s just say I might have flirted too much. I left behind a ghost of myself for him to search for. It threw the course of Marcus’ life off. He never married the woman he was supposed to and his children were never born. That’s on me. That’s on time travel and that’s one of the many reasons it’s wrong.
Why the government is playing a dangerous game.
“There’s nothing I can do to stop them.” My eyebrows crinkle as I say it and I watch the truth of my words transform his face.
“There never was much hope, was there?” Marcus whispers and he sits beside me. “There’s only one thing left for us to do to keep the technology of your brain from them.”
I nod and my stomach tightens. Desperation rolls through me, but I know he’s right. “Is everything set?”
Marcus nods. “I’ll play my part if you play yours.” He stands and adjusts his suit jacket. “I will miss our little talks, Lara. I will always…well; some things are better left unsaid.”
Our relationship is bittersweet, but I will always be thankful to him. He is a reminder of my time in the cage while at the same time he was my way out. When I stand, I kiss his cheek, even though I probably shouldn’t. “Be in touch with the signal when it’s time.”
“You’re returning to Boston tonight?”
“Two hours to be exact.” I feel genuine happiness for the first time since arriving in DC. I’m ready to see my family again.
Before I have to say good-bye.
****
I settle back on the government jet. Plus side, the seats are roomier than coach. They’re soft, tan leather and I can have as many packages of peanuts that I want. As the plane readies for takeoff, I take a quick call on my cell phone.
But I have to be careful because the suits are never far. They’re always listening, even if they look like they aren’t.
“Things looked pretty rough on CSPAN,” Donovan says. In the last year, his voice has husked up, grown—matured and the sound of it sends shivers down my spine. My skin tingles as if it’s come alive just to hear him.
I can picture him sitting in his new place on what was one day going to be our sofa, overlooking the city. Me, nestling against his chest with cups of coffee in our hands. It was supposed to be good. Supposed to be easy. Normal.
Instead, we got this. Our reality.
“You, watching CSPAN. Who knew?” I quip, but a tear forms in the corner of my eye. Blinking it away, I take a deep breath. “Things went the other way. Guess we always knew it could.”
His voice is soft. Sad. “I was hoping for better. For the world. For you, Lar.”
“I know.” My voice drifts off. “How about you? You ready?”
“Bags packed and ready to go,” Donovan says. “I’m going to miss this place.”
“Me too.” My mind floats right away to Mom and Molly. The ones I couldn’t wait to save and now the ones I was going to leave behind. But to keep them safe, to keep the world safe, I don’t have a choice. It’s the only move I have left on the board. “I love you.” The words are more to give me strength than him.
I glance out the window at the plane’s wing and see the runway is moving beneath us. It puts an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. “We’re going to take off now so I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
“I’ll be at your parent's place. Wait until you see the homecoming they have planned for you.” Donovan laughs. “I love you. Be safe, Rockstar.”
Rockstar. I certainly don’t feel like one anymore, but when he says it, my heart fills with love.
I slide my phone into my purple purse and lean my head back. The plane picks up speed to ascend into the clouds. The pressure pulses my head with pain and I hold my breath, I wait for it to pass, but it intensifies.
I taste metal and flashes of color dot my vision like July 4th fireworks. The sunlight streams in through my open window and the dust glowing in the beam dances at half speed. One of the agents stops at my seat and leans over. His voice is slow, twisted and sounds as if he is a demon rather than a man, thanks to the slowdown of time. “Are you okaaaay Laaaraaaa…?” His voice drones.
I begin to nod as his jacket falls open and I see the glint of a handgun. But he’s an agent. He’s there to protect me, so why do I feel so nervous?
So scared?
Like a clap of thunder, the headache is gone and time resumes like normal.
“I’m all right.” I force a short laugh. “Just scared of flying.”
“I could get you something to help you rest.”
“Nah.” I shake my head and turn my attention out to the window. The discussion is closed and the agent moves on, thank God.
If he knew how easily I can freeze, pause, or slow time, I’m afraid what it would mean. He would tell his bosses, the government would find out.
And then they’d never let me go.
****
The rest of the flight I spend eating peanuts and drinking soda.
When they’re gone, I watch a little television, and then check the time. We’ve been flying for almost forty minutes and we’ll be landing in fifteen. I take a deep relaxing breath. I don’t know why I was so worried, but part of me felt as if we’d never land. That somehow I’d never see my family again.
And I have to. At least one last time.
“Anxious to see everyone?” The agent sitting in front of me folds his hands across his lap. He’s probably not quite middle-aged and his wavy hair is thick.
“I’m that obvious, huh?”
He gives me a smile a dad would. “I know all these trips to DC are rough on your parents, but your cooperation is appreciated. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Unnoticed. But, unnoticed by whom? Rewind? The senate? Or does it go all the way to the top and straight to the president?
I force a smirk. “I live to cooperate. Especially if it means one day this will be over.”
With the chitchat done, I lean back in my seat and rest my eyes. Before I know it, the vibration of our wheels touching down stirs me. I unsnap my seatbelt and stand to grab my bag from the overhand bin.
It’s just a backpack so I swing it over my shoulder and head toward the front of the plane. In front and behind I’m flanked by agents. Agents at the front lean to each other and whisper, their eyes never leaving my face.
Well, that can’t be good.
Something is wrong and my fight or flight response triggers. I back up toward the galley where the peanuts and drinks are kept. I bump right into another agent and fear lines my face as I glance down and see a syringe in his hand. No. I won’t let them drug me. I won’t go through captivity again. I don’t care who it is or the reason. I can’t.
My heart skips a rapid beat and I spin as an agent steps into view. Terror is screaming in my heart and I don’t know what to do. How to escape.
“Lara, we don’t want to hurt you. We’re here to help you.”
“Help me?” My voice breaks. “Control me, you mean.” My eyes narrow into slits. “Use me. I’ve had enough help from people like you.”
The agent in front of me raises his hands as
if to show he means no harm, but I don’t believe him. Can’t trust him. “We know what you can do. We know it’s getting harder to control. We need to help you before it gets worse. Before the only solution is a bullet. Now if you can’t come with us quietly…”
I need to get out of there. I need to flee. My mind races as I turn to run and I think back to a safe time. Back at the capital with Marcus. He can find a way to get me out of there, so I don’t need to be on the plane.
Around me, my vision starts to swirl. I can feel the smooth chestnut table at my fingertips and smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Someone clamps my shoulders and I’m jarred like a fish hooked with live bait.
Ripped from its home. I’m ripped straight forward into time.
I gasp for breath and the vision fades like fresh morning dewdrops fall from springtime flowers. My vision blurs, but the face of one of the agents, with his snarling teeth and clenched jaw, becomes crystal clear.
I struggle under his arms and against my neck; I feel the cool tip of a needle slip beneath my skin.
Snarling, I grab at my neck as the agents let me go. I glare at both of them and their steel set faces. “You can’t do this to me,,” I whisper except it’s clear they can. Everything slows down around me. I walk between them like stepping through time itself.
But my vision spins like a Ferris wheel and soon I won’t be able to stand straight. I go through one of their pockets and I find a folded piece of paper.
Through the creases, I can make out the emblem of the Rewind Agency at the top. Quickly I unfold it and can barely make out the words, but the few I can make out horrify me.
Lara Montgomery…proprietary tech of the U.S. Government. Emergency custody.
No. Every muscle fiber in my body screams.
I’m no one’s property. My teeth clench and the cabin goes dark. I grab the back of a leather seat as my vision fades.
When I hit the carpet floor hard, time speeds up. The coarse hands of an agent heft me into his arms and my limbs are like rubber.
I can’t fight him.
“Sleep now, Lara.” He speaks to me as a father would and it revolts me. My father would never treat me this way. “Be calm. Soon it’ll all be over.”
