Portals in Time 2

by Michael Beals

  And then Jock burst out of the water like an avenging shark. Grabbing the gunwale, he tipped the boat on its side, hurling the man headfirst into the lake. For a few moments, the water boiled, arms and legs shooting out as the man struggled to stay above water. And then all was quiet, the empty rowing boat bobbing in the swell, Jock swimming back towards her with easy strokes.

  “How did you kill him?” Kat asked as Dore as he reached the boat.

  “Poor little sod drowned.” he spluttered as he hauled himself into the boat.

  “Lucky you took your jacket off,” Kat said. “At least you won’t look like a drowned rat when we take the boat back.”

  Taking off his boots to empty the water, Dore said, “We’re not taking the boat back. I’m going to moor up on the far side of the lake. I’m sure the artifact will work from there.”

  Dore took his time rowing to the far side of the lake. There was a troubled expression on his face, and Kat became aware that he hadn’t shaved for a few days. Not that she blamed him, she doubted he’d had time to buy a shaving kit.

  “Are you okay, Jock? You look a bit bothered.”

  “I’m fine. I was just thinking. The only thing that prompted that guy to follow us was you talking to the escapee outside Macy’s. Because of that, he followed us and then tried to kill us. You look as if you come from the 1800s, and I look reasonably believable. So how did he know we were a threat?”

  “Unless the man outside Macy’s warned him, I don’t know.”

  “He didn’t have time to warn him. We paid off the cab and walked up 5th Avenue. He was onto us within minutes.” He stared at her. “This means Grantham has people watching the escapees, which means we’ll have to be very careful when we come here again.”

  Dore had a point. “So how do you suggest we find Grantham without following escapees?”

  To Kat’s relief, Dore grinned. “That’s easy. Our spy, whoever that turns out to be, pretends to be one of them, which means that he or she will need a lot of money, finds out the date they’re transporting to, fails to press Go on the artifact, then tells us. We can then transport to the day before and be ready for them when they arrive and be met by Grantham.”

  Kat blinked. “So we’ll be going to West Fork again?”

  “I’m afraid it does. But we don’t have to use the same transportation. We can fly to Grand Junction, Colorado, and use a private helicopter to take us to Thompson Springs, Utah, and then drive there.”

  “Fly to Thompson Springs, Utah? How do you know that Thompson Springs anywhere near West Fork? Until we went to Virginia… which feels like five thousand years ago, you’d never even been to America.”

  “When you told me we were going to the mines, I studied a map. I hate not knowing where I’m going.”

  Kat burst out laughing. “God Almighty, Jock, you’re incredible. So how do we organize the Jeep?”

  “We get Pernass to organize it. We can’t do everything.”

  They had reached the shore on the far side of the lake. Stowing the oars, Dore climbed out and pulled the boat into the reeds. Strapped on his guns, he shrugged into the Jacket that Giselle had bought him, then he stood there, staring at her.

  “Want me to carry you? It’s pretty muddy here.”

  “I wouldn’t mind. I’d hate to get my lovely shoes all muddy.”

  So Dore lifted her out of the boat and set her down on dry land. Leaving the boat where it was, they waded through thick clumps of fern, stepped onto a sandy footpath, and looked around. There wasn’t a soul in sight. If it hadn’t been for the distant clopping of hooves, they could have been anywhere in North America. They were on the northeast side of the park, and it was mostly uncultivated, a perfect place to disappear.

  “So,” she said, “are you ready for this?”

  He shook his head. “Not really. It’s so nice here. I think I would have liked living in New York City in the 1800s, especially if I lived near Central Park. I can see why Grantham wanted to come here.”

  Kat gave him a sympathetic smile and straightened his jacket. Patting Dore on the chest, Kat said, “would you like to come to the Palace with me?”

  “Am I allowed to go to the Palace?”

  “Of course you are. We’re a team, Jock. We always have been, and we always will be. And now we have Giselle, and Hades really likes her. The only reason he’s kept her in Hell for so long is, it would be an emptier place without her. He’s human, after all.”

  Dore snorted a laugh. “Hades is human?”

  “Well, he looks human, and he acts human, and that’s good enough for me. Wait till you meet him.”

  He gazed at her for a moment and then sighed. “Okay. Shall we get it over with, before Ellie thinks we’ve run away?”

  Pulling out the artifact, he switched it on. The map of Central Park glowed on the screen. “All I have to do is press the red Return button?”

  “So I was told.” Wrapping her arms around him, conscious of his wet shirt, she took a last look at the trees, the warmth of the sun on her shoulders, the smell of reeds at the water’s edge. “Ready when you are.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  K at was surprised to find rain beating against the window when they came zooming back from 1875, and zooming was an apt description. When Dore pressed the Return button on the artifact, they were surrounded by a whirlwind of light and sound. Even with her eyes shut, Kat felt the blaze of racing atoms, only realizing they were back when she heard Giselle sneeze. But Giselle wasn’t the only person in the living room. To Kat’s surprise, she saw Pernass lounging in one of the chairs.

  “Sorry to intrude,” he said, calmly, as if they hadn’t suddenly materialized in the middle of the room, “but I’ve had Persephone on the phone. I think she thinks I don’t care about you. I hope you don’t mind… I made myself at home.”

  Kat blinked at him. She was still holding onto Dore, and her head was spinning. When it finally cleared, and she could safely let go, she rubbed her eyes. “Wow! Talk about an acid trip. I bet Carlos Castaneda never went through that. What are you doing here?”

  “As I said, I’ve had Persephone on the phone. She wants me to bring her up-to-date on the Grantham thing. How was the trip? I believe I told you not to take Sergeant Dore.”

  Grabbing two miniature whiskeys from the fridge, she handed one to Dore and drank hers straight from the bottle. When her head had settled, and she could think straight again, she said, “I took him for protection, and it’s just as well I did. If I hadn’t, they’d be dragging my dead ass out of a lake.”

  “You were attacked?”

  “We were.” Slumping into a chair and not bothering to mention how delightful it was to feel normal again, Kat told Pernass about the escapee outside Macy’s, and then the man in the brown coat and the shootout on the lake. “We can’t just go looking for Grantham; we’re going to have to plan it with great care. We think he’s living in different time periods to cover his tracks.”

  Pernass looked at Dore. “You drowned the man?”

  Dore smiled. “Aye, Laddie, it was a breath taking experience.”

  “We think Grantham is recruiting people to watch the escapees and make sure no one is following them.”

  Pernass made a note in the book he was carrying. “How are you going to find Grantham if he’s living in different time periods?”

  “I was going to talk to you about that. I think we need to see Harper again. If Grantham’s able to make an artifact that zaps him between time periods, I think we need to see the Gypsies, so they can give us one.”

  “For you?”

  “For us. If we’re going to follow Grantham, we may have to go into the future.”

  Pernass squinted at her. “How far into the future?”

  “I’ve no idea. We might have to experiment. Did you know that Inspector Cabot has a mobile phone?”

  Pernass frowned. “I did. I also have one. They’re quite useful. Why is that relevant?”

  “We’ll probably have to
go to the mines again, but not like before.” She told Pernass about recruiting a spy, finding out what date the next batch of escapees were going to, then transporting to that time, a day earlier, so that they could witness Grantham’s welcoming committee, which meant going to the ranch again. “We’ll need to sneak in, and it could be very dangerous. I’d hate to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way of contacting anyone.”

  Pernass shook his head. “The kind of phone Cabot has won’t work out there. It uses a kind of high-frequency radio waves that transmits to transmission towers, and there are no cell towers currently in Utah. If you’re going back to West Fork, you’ll be on your own.”

  Kat shrugged. “Okay, no phone. Can you get us a Jeep?”

  “That I can do. When are you planning to do all this?”

  “I don’t know. We still have to recruit a spy, I have to go to the Palace, and I have to talk to Harper again. I also wouldn’t mind talking to Cabot. He seemed pretty cluey. While we were in 1875, our bodies became normal again. I want to ask him about that.”

  “Your bodies became normal again. What, you were able to…?”

  “We didn’t, of course, but we could have.”

  “How, er… worrying.”

  “It was a bit disturbing, although I’m more worried about talking to Hades about it.”

  “You have to go to the Palace?” he asked in a worried tone.

  “Yes. I want to discuss all this with Hades. He knows more than he’s letting on. I need a heart-to-heart with him. We’re taking one hell of a risk here. I have a feeling that Grantham has weaponry we can’t imagine, such as glass barreled guns. If he has, we could be in serious trouble. I’m not ready to meet oblivion quite yet… nor are my team.”

  “Your team?”

  “Yes, my team. They may not be the same people, but I still have a team.” Kat laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re dealing with Kat’s Commandos again.”

  Pernass scowled. “I remember it well. Kat, there’s something you obviously don’t understand. I’m your Commanding Officer. Everything goes through me.”

  “I know,” she said primly. “I realize you’re the Boss, but we’re in the field. When we go back in time again, we’ll need all our ducks in a row, and I don’t want to be hampered by rules and regulations.” She opened her hands and smiled at him. “So I need to talk to Hades.”

  Pernass glanced at Giselle, who was quietly listening to the whole conversation. “Did you know about all this?”

  “I only know what Kat’s just told you. I stayed here, remember?”

  “Right,” Pernass said uncertainly. “But I assume you’re going to the Palace with them.”

  “Of course. They can’t get there without me.”

  Pernass glowered at her, then stood, picked up his hat, and straightened his uniform. “Fine. Then I’ll be getting back to the office. Let me know when you want to see the Gypsies.”

  They watched Pernass warily as he left the apartment and closed the door.

  “So,” Kat said, turning to Giselle, “how long were we gone?”

  “I don’t wear a watch, but not very long. Half an hour, I think.” She glanced at Dore and smiled at him.

  Dore glanced at Kat. “Shall I ask her… now that I’m allowed to speak?”

  “Ask me what?” Giselle asked.

  “We need your help, Ellie. We need you to find us a spy.” He snorted a short laugh. “A very brave spy.”

  Giselle wrinkled her eyes. “Actually, I might know someone, but I’d have to tell her what it was for… if that’s okay.”

  “That could be tricky,” Kat said. “You can probably tell her about the escapees and the need to know where they’re going, but it wouldn’t be wise to tell her about Grantham. Not yet, at least. Who were you thinking of?”

  “There’s a young woman I know, and she is quite young. She was 25 when she died.”

  “Why is she in Hell?”

  “Without getting into great detail, she found out her husband was having an affair with a neighbor woman. Their rendezvous point was in the forest behind their home. She bought a casket and placed it in a hole near where they were having their sexcapades. Then she waited with a gun until they had their next encounter. When they finally got together, she forced them by gunpoint into the casket and buried them alive… About a year later, their bodies were found when a housing development began in the area… Long story short, arrest, trial, death by electric chair… But she’s a really nice person.”

  “Yeah, she sounds like a peach… What does she do… for a living, I mean?”

  “She’s a bartender in the financial district. She doesn’t have many friends, so she’d probably welcome the chance of working with a team.”

  Kat thought about it. She had always used her instincts to decide whether she’d like working with someone. “Can we meet her before you give too much away?”

  “Of course. I’ll organize it. In the meantime, I gather you want to go to the Palace. Do you want to call Hades, or shall I?”

  “Would you mind? It’s hard to imagine talking to Hades on the phone.”

  So Kat went into the bedroom to change while Giselle made the call. Kat didn’t want to overhear the conversation because it might freak her out. She’d grown up imagining the Devil to have horns and a tail, and even though she now knew that had just been a scary story promoted by the church and imaginative artists, it still took some getting used to. She was climbing into her Elite uniform when Giselle came into the room.

  “Haddy said he’d be delighted to see us again, and we can bring Jock. I’ve also arranged the flight. We’re flying out first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can find our spy.”

  “You don’t have to do it tonight, Ellie. We can do it when we come back from the Palace.”

  “No, I want to. Strike while the iron’s hot. And I’d like to take Jock with me… if you don’t mind.”

  Kat blinked at her. “No, I… don’t mind. But why?” Kat had never seen Giselle blush before, and it made her want to giggle. “Sorry, Ellie. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

  “No, that’s okay. I just want to talk to Jock.”

  “About?”

  Giselle blushed again. “You know what about. If we all become normal again, well, it could get… very tricky.”

  Kat laughed. “Tricky? Don’t you mean explosively dangerous? Jock hasn’t dated a woman since I’ve known him. We were caught up in the war, and during those years, he rarely had a chance to even talk to a woman.”

  “And I’ve been here for two hundred years. That’s why I need to talk to Jock.”

  Kat shrugged. “It’s fine with me, but you needn’t ask. Jock can do as he pleases without my permission. Besides, I’d quite like to make an early night of it.”

  That night, she dreamt about the war. She was driving across the desert with Dore and Kelly. A sandstorm was rolling in on the horizon, but it never quite arrived. Kelly was talking about Berlin. He was worried about leaving the Bentley in the Tiergarten. Somehow, they had already been to Berlin, but were back in the desert again. German fighters were flying overhead, and bombs were exploding in the distance. They were trying to reach shelter, but no matter how fast they drove, they never seemed to reach it.

  She woke with a start. Giselle was leaning over the bed and shaking her shoulder. She was in her apartment in Hell, and it was a shock.

  “Sorry to wake you, but it’s seven o’clock. We’ve got a flight to catch.”

  “What do I wear?” she asked, flinging back the covers. “Shall I wear what I wore before?”

  “No, wear your Elite tunic. It will show Haddy you’re serious about all this.” She laughed. “I’ve told Jock to wear his 1875 clothes. He looks like a criminal in the other clothes he bought.”

  Quickly dressing in her Elite uniform, and strapping her weapons on, she joined Dore and Giselle in the living room. They’d been making coffee and handed her a cup.

&nbs
p; “So how was last night? Did you find that young woman?”

  “Yes, we did,” Giselle said, stirring sugar into her coffee. “She was just finishing her shift, so we had quite a long talk. Her name is Lily Armstrong, and she’s quite excited about working with us.”

  “Did you tell her it could be dangerous?”

  “I wasn’t very explicit, but it didn’t seem to bother her. I didn’t tell her she’d be on her own when she flew out to West Fork, because until it’s all arranged, I wasn’t sure of the details. But I did tell her she’d be pretending to be an escapee.”

  “I don’t know the details either. We’ll have to talk to Jonathon Steel. I’m pretty sure he knows how Grantham finds people who want to escape.”

  “Or McInnes does.”

  “Yeah, well, McInnes isn’t going to tell us anything.”

  They continued to debate how Grantham found his clients until they reached the airport. Grantham could hardly advertise the escapes, it would have to be word of mouth, but as most of the escapees were wealthy and respectable, it was hard to imagine how that would work. Then again, this was Hell. Perhaps there was no such thing as respectability. Maybe everyone was living on a knife-edge, and word got around.

  The flight to the island was surprisingly sedate. The Red Baron was piloting the plane again, so Kat was expecting more aerobatics, but apart from a slightly bumpy ride, which was in keeping with the weather, the pilot behaved himself.

  The three talked about the on-board television and whispered remarks about the NAZI uniforms the stewardesses were wearing during the flight. Eventually, they settled into their favorite topic, how was Grantham procuring his clients?

  “Well, if you ask me,” Dore said, “it happens in the clubs and bars. You shoulda heard what people were talking about in that Irish pub.”

  “You mean the pub near Ellis Island, where you were playing darts?”

  “That’s the one. The man I was playing with knew a place where they sold stolen cars, and where to buy fake license plates so the cops couldn’t get you for speeding.”