Death in Time

by Robyn Nyx

  “Is this about Ilsa?” Landry asked as she pulled down the street and headed toward the station.

  Delaney was busy contacting Garrett to ensure the train was at the mainland. She slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Yes.”

  “Talk to me.”

  Delaney swallowed hard. She was asking Landry too much. She should just try to do this on her own. Look how that turned out last time. “Being part of your chosen family tonight, watching you and Jade together, seeing Caitlin and Lizbeth with Priscilla, it was wonderful. And I was thankful to be a part of it…but it’s your life, not mine.” She stole a sideways glance to see how Landry was reacting, but her gaze was fixed on the road, her grip solid on the steering wheel. Delaney pressed on. “My life is with Ilsa. I love her, and I have to be with her.” Delaney unzipped her backpack, pulled out her Beretta M9, and balanced it on her thigh.

  Landry sighed heavily. “Do you think you need that?”

  “I think I need it so you can claim you were strong-armed into helping me.” Delaney retrieved a full magazine and closed her bag.

  “I was half hoping you were joking when you mentioned going back to 1942. I guess not, huh?”

  Delaney ran her hand through her hair. “For your sake or mine?”

  Landry shook her head. “Don’t be an ass. I told you I’ve got your back. I can handle this end.” She punched Delaney in the thigh and the gun dropped between her legs.

  Delaney lifted it back up. “Good thing the safety’s on. You were saying…”

  “That I’ve got this covered, no matter what. I’m just…you know. I’ll miss you around the place.”

  Delaney smiled. They’d come a long way since their fuck buddy days, even going as far as being open to seeing shrinks, but sharing emotions was still hard for both of them. She put her hand on the back of Landry’s head and ruffled her hair, something she knew Landry hated but figured she’d let her get away with. It’d be the last time she ever did it. Delaney swallowed the ball of despondency that began to climb up her throat. Giving up her best friend to be with her lover was a hell of a sacrifice. “Just know that this isn’t easy for me, Landry. Knowing that I’m never going to see you again…it hurts.”

  Landry nodded, and they drove on without speaking, needing time to compose themselves.

  “You’ve got a plan?” Landry slowed for the stop sign.

  Delaney nodded as she slid the clip into the butt of the gun. “Kind of. There’s a mission set to go off tomorrow morning at six. They always prepare everything the day before. Jump room one is prepped and ready to go. All we have to do is reset the destination.”

  Landry scoffed. “There’s a nice symmetry to that. Your first and last jump from the same place.”

  Delaney put her hand on Landry’s shoulder. “I love you, buddy.”

  Landry stopped at the light and turned to Delaney. “And I love you.” She bashed her hand against the steering wheel. “Are you absolutely fucking certain this is what you want to do? Because once we set this in motion, there’s no way you can go back from it.” The light changed, and Landry moved off. “They won’t give you another chance. They’ll take away everything you know, everything you take for granted.”

  Delaney held up her hand. “I don’t take anything for granted, Landry. Not anymore. But yes, I’m sure about this. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I can’t breathe without her…you know what that’s like. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at Jade.”

  Landry visibly softened. “I can’t deny that.”

  “You’d be doing the same thing if you had to. I don’t care that I’m going into a world war. We’ll get out of the country and head to the States, just like we did on the mission.”

  She nodded. “I just have to know that you’re sure, buddy. There’s no coming back from this.” Landry rolled her neck as they pulled up in the station parking lot. She switched off the engine and turned in her seat to face Delaney. “This is it.”

  Delaney nodded. “The second we step out of this car, you’re my prisoner, and I’m going to speak to you exactly like that. I’m going to say crap I don’t mean and shove you around where I need to.”

  “I know. Just don’t go over the top with it.”

  Delaney laughed. “I’m not Simson. I promise not to enjoy it. I’ve just got to make it look like you’re being forced to do this. I don’t want any of this coming back on you.”

  “I told you, I’ve got this. I can make up a shit-hot story when I need to. And I’ll give you hell back.”

  Delaney held out her hand and Landry clasped it in hers. “I know what I’m asking you to do is too much. You only have to say now if you can’t do it. I’ve got a backup plan.” It meant kidnapping an engineer, but it was still a decent plan.

  Landry shook her head. “No way. If you’re really going to do this, I want to be the one making sure you do it right. Someone else could close the circle while you’re still traveling.”

  “Damn. I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Landry smiled. “And that’s why you need me. What about money and papers?”

  Delaney patted her jacket. “I’ve refilled the lining of this with two hundred and fifty grand. I figure that can buy me whatever papers we need.”

  “So that’s what took you all that time to pick up from your place earlier this evening?”

  Delaney nodded. “You got it.”

  “You knew all this time you were going to do this?”

  Delaney held up her hands and tried to look contrite. “I’ve been thinking about an escape plan since I got back, you knew that. I wanted to cover all angles.”

  She leaned over, and they hugged tightly. Delaney closed her eyes against the tears that quickly formed the moment she felt Landry’s body against her own. The finality of the moment struck her, but she steeled her resolve. “I’m sorry for fucking up so monumentally.”

  Landry broke away and grinned. “It was monumental…Listen, I’ll show you how to program the PRU to come home, just in case.”

  Delaney smiled at her worst-case scenario planning. She’d play along, though she knew damn well there was no way she’d need to come back to Pulsus. Home was Ilsa. She’d take the PRU though. They could program it to go to another time and place, away from Germany and Hitler, somewhere safe. “Perfect. You need it back though, right?”

  “Preferably. Jenkin is going to be pissed enough with what you’re about to do, keeping her four-million-dollar time gadget wouldn’t be appreciated.”

  Delaney laughed. “I guess not. When I’m done with it, I’ll do like they did in that old movie and send it by UPS to you someday.”

  “I don’t have to be standing in the middle of the road in a thunderstorm though, do I?”

  Delaney shook her head. “Not unless you particularly want to.”

  “Okay, buddy. Let’s get this done.”

  * * *

  Delaney kept the gun in her jacket pocket and her hand wrapped around its handle for the duration of the train journey, and as they navigated their way across the island to the main building. Garrett didn’t appear to suspect a thing, but since so many new things had been happening on Pulsus, there was little wonder he didn’t question them. She occasionally shoved Landry around. To the untrained eye, it would look like soldiers roughhousing, but in the coming hours when the staff would pore over every second of this journey on video footage, it would be clear Landry was under duress.

  They entered the jump building and the security woman stood to greet them. “Hey, guys, what’re you two doing here so late?”

  “I left the keys to my mainland apartment in my locker. Landry offered to put me up for the night, but I’m desperate for my own bed. You know what that’s like, right?” Delaney knew damn well the woman had no idea what she was talking about. She hadn’t seen mission action and been away from home for years at a time, sleeping on the floor or in fleapit motels. The most excitement she ever got was when the bathrooms ran out of toile
t paper, but they all revered the operatives and extractors.

  She laughed. “Sure do. Go on up. No one else is up there.”

  They made their way to the jump room without speaking, and Delaney shoved Landry inside. She pulled a chain and padlock from her bag and secured the doors with them. She took her gun from her pocket and pushed Landry into the engineer’s chair. “Set it to ten thirty p.m., July 7, 1942. Ravensbrück.”

  “This is insane. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  Delaney shunted Landry’s chair closer to the console. “Just do it, Donovan. I know exactly what I’m doing.” She made sure to check the safety was still on before she pushed the barrel of the gun into Landry’s neck. “Don’t make me use this.”

  Landry only took a few minutes before the display showed Delaney’s intended destination and time.

  “All set, Delaney.”

  “And the PRU?” Staying in Nazi Germany wasn’t part of the plan. Once she had Ilsa safely away from the camp, they could figure out where and when they wanted to head to. The PRU was a one-trick pony with a single use shelf life. Their choice had to be perfect. Landry handed her the small unit. Delaney dropped it into her inside pocket and tapped it. “Just in case.” Delaney motioned to the time tunnel area with her gun. “Open the gateway.”

  Landry tapped furiously on the keyboard and a sixty-second countdown began on the screen. “It’s not too late to stop this.”

  Delaney shook her head. “There’s no life for me here. No one will trust me again, not like they did before. This is the only way I have a chance of a real life.”

  “That’s bullshit.” Landry slammed her fist on the desk. “The board has offered you everything you need, and you’re throwing it back in their face.”

  “No, they haven’t. This is everything I need, Donovan.” The screen clicked through to zero, and the familiar time circle opened with a single string beckoning Delaney to the past. To my future. “Get up. I don’t want you closing it when I’m only halfway there.”

  She led Landry to the jump platform, took two zip ties from her pocket, and secured Landry to the staircase handrail, knowing full well that Landry always carried a pocketknife.

  Landry looked a little irritated. “Is this necessary?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure the cute little security guard will be on her way to save you shortly.” She patted Landry on the back and gave her a knowing smile. Landry winked.

  Delaney made her way to the platform and grasped the luminescent string in her hand. She shoved her gun into the back of her jeans and took one last look back at Landry.

  “I’ll be seeing you, Landry Donovan.” Delaney saluted Landry with her other hand and saw a tear navigate a path down Landry’s cheek. She turned into the time circle and smiled. I’ll be with you soon, Ilsa.

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Landry watched as Delaney disappeared into the time circle and smiled. Regardless of the consequences and questions she’d have to deal with, knowing that Delaney was going to where she truly believed she should be made all of it worthwhile. She adjusted herself so she was able to reach into her pocket and pull out her folding knife. She sliced through the ties in seconds and jogged up the stairs, pulling up sharply when she saw the padlock. Damn it. She saw Delaney’s backpack on a chair and quickly found a key ring with three identical keys on it that Landry expected would fit the shiny new padlock on the jump room door. Just as she unfurled the chain from the handles and opened the door, Jenkin approached with four guys from the island security team.

  “What the fuck, Donovan? Where’s Delaney?”

  Landry offered a tight smile and shook her head, unsure of what Jenkin knew or had already seen. “I was wrong. Delaney played all of us.” The lie came easy. She didn’t want to deceive Jenkin, but the truth had to be just for her and Delaney.

  Jenkin pushed past her to look inside the room. The time circle had closed, and there was merely a distortion beyond where it had been.

  “Jesus, Donovan, you let her jump? This room was prepped for the Trump mission.”

  Landry clenched her jaw. “I didn’t let her do anything. I didn’t feel like arguing with the gun she had shoved in my face.”

  Jenkin turned to face Landry and rubbed her forehead so hard, she left red marks. “The board is going to go insane.” She walked back out into the corridor. “You guys may as well go back to your regular duty. There’s nothing you can do here.”

  The team nodded and wandered away, seemingly in no particular hurry to get back to their regular boring routine.

  “I’m sorry. I really believed we’d worked it out.”

  Jenkin grimaced and closed her eyes briefly. “Elena’s going to kill us both.”

  “Maybe, but can that not be tonight? I really want to get off this island and home to Jade. I’m desperately in need of my break, Jay.”

  Jenkin scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? Security called and told me this was about you. I just about managed to slip out of the house without telling her it was an emergency. You want me to go back and tell her what’s actually happened while you go off for your booty call?”

  Landry liked that Jenkin was still looking out for her with her mom. “It’s not like there’s anything we can do tonight—or tomorrow or the next day.” Landry put her arm around Jenkin’s shoulder. “She’s gone. Call it a sixty-million-dollar severance package.”

  “Jesus, Landry.” Jenkin shook off Landry’s arm. “This is going to shake every one of us. It doesn’t end tonight.”

  Jenkin was right. The board would go ballistic and invent all manner of new protocols to prevent something like this from happening again. Delaney’s disappearance would cause issues for operatives and extractors from here on in. But it’s nothing we can’t handle. “Talk it over with the board and figure out how you’re going to spin it. You’d made the decision to give Delaney another chance and she chose a different path. No one’s going to blame the board for what’s happened.”

  “And you won’t paint her as the lovelorn hero?”

  Landry laughed. “Poetic, but no.” I’d like to. It would’ve driven Delaney crazy. “I believed her story and maybe I’m a fool for that. I just want this all to be over so we can get back to doing what we do.”

  Jenkin began to walk down the corridor and Landry followed, taking it as a possibility she may just get back to Jade tonight. They walked in silence until they reached the front security guard.

  “Have a good night,” she said to Landry and Jenkin.

  She looked puzzled, but Landry was glad she didn’t ask any questions. They waved acknowledgement and pushed through the open doors into the crisp, fresh air of the night.

  Landry checked her watch. She’d promised to be back by midnight. She could still make it if Jenkin didn’t insist on a debrief right now. “I’ll come in for a debrief in a couple of days. I need some time to get over this, and acting quickly isn’t going to bring Delaney back. Can you stall the board for a few days and work on how you’re going to manage the impact this is going to have?”

  Jenkin sighed and nodded. “Okay, but make sure you remember every detail.”

  “Of course.” Landry moved to leave, but Jenkin caught hold of her arm firmly.

  Jenkin looked around and seemed to make sure she had her back to the building’s surveillance camera. “The video will back your story, correct?”

  Landry held her nerve. There was no point in involving Jenkin in this mess. “Yeah, it will.” She left it there, not wanting to add unnecessary detail.

  Jenkin released her arm. “I’ll be in touch in a few days. Enjoy your break.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  * * *

  Landry got into her car and rested her head against the steering wheel. Garrett hadn’t questioned why she was returning without Delaney or made any attempt at small talk, forcing Landry to spend the whole of the journey focusing on what had just happened and giving her time to allow it to sink in. I’ve said goo
d-bye to my best friend for the last time. She realized she wasn’t breathing properly, and she pressed a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm the heavy beat of her heart against her chest. I have to get back to Jade.

  She drove as fast as was safe to get to Jade’s place. She didn’t need an overzealous traffic cop keeping her from getting home to Jade. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, she knew that wrapping Jade in her arms and breathing her in would sooth her racing heart. Landry pulled into Jade’s driveway, got out of her car, and jogged to the door. She hesitated before knocking, trying to still the disquiet of emotions using her head as a race track. The door opened before Landry had pulled herself together, and Jade’s expression changed from seductively welcoming to worried. She pulled Landry into the house and closed the door behind her.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?”

  Landry enfolded Jade in her arms and pressed her face to Jade’s neck. She worked hard to stop trembling.

  “You’re scaring me, Landry. Why are you shaking? What happened?”

  Landry pulled the air into her lungs and lifted her head. She led Jade to her living room and sat, motioning for Jade to join her. Jade positioned herself beside Landry and clasped her hand over Landry’s thigh.

  “Delaney’s gone…to Ilsa.” Landry dredged the words from her throat with difficulty.

  Jade frowned, clearly not understanding how that was even possible. “I need more words, baby.”

  Landry leaned back and put her hands over her face. Jade reached over and gently pulled them down.

  “After dinner, Delaney took me back to Pulsus. There was a jump room ready for a mission in the morning. We reprogrammed it and sent her back to 1942, back to Ilsa.”

  Jade was silent for what seemed like minutes, before she finally said, “Wow. What if Ilsa doesn’t want the real Delaney?”