CHAPTER FORTY

We tumbled into the room and Sawyer grabbed onto my torso with all his might. With shaking arms, I held him tightly back.

“We’re safe now,” was all I could get out.

“What the?” a man said.

A clatter of metal hit the floor and Kaden tackled someone to our left, and then punched him. Landon scurried to get the gun.

“I surrender!” the officer yelled.

Landon stood over him, gun pointed at his chest, and then he lowered it. “Jim?”

“Landon. What’s going on?” Jim sat up and rubbed his chin. Then he scanned the room. “Where is everyone?”

Landon sighed and rubbed his temples before he went into a quick explanation.

My eyes slid shut as exhaustion settled in. Sleep sounded so enticing. Jim must have been holding onto Sawyer when I took him. That grew the total to five people and I had no idea how I’d return them home. Then I remembered what Declan had mouthed.

Kaden came to my side and pulled us to our feet, then slid his arms around us. I didn’t want to think about anything else beyond being together and protecting Sawyer, but I couldn’t deny what could happen if I didn’t do something.

“He’s got Anna,” I breathed.

“Who’s Anna?” Kaden studied my face

“It’s future-me’s real name.”

His eyes widened, then he nodded in understanding. “Oh, hell.”

Sawyer started sobbing.

“What’s going on in Brighton?” Landon demanded of Jim.

Jim looked around wild-eyed and mumbled under his breath. “This is nuts man. Nuts.”

Landon kicked Jim’s boot. “What’s happening?”

Jim sucked in a tortured breath. “The zombies are contained, but this older looking Vice President Declan showed up with her Complement, Anna—” He pointed to me. “And the kid.” His head lowered in guilt for a moment.

Kaden jerked away from us and lunged at Jim with his arm cocked back. Landon held him off. “Hold on a minute!”

“That son of a bitch was going to shoot my son!”

Sawyer sobbed louder.

“Son?” Elle said from the shadows.

“I swear, I’d never hurt him.” Jim held up his hands.

“Didn’t look like that to me,” Kaden seethed.

“It was just intimidation… to get Abby to talk. We knew you had the cure, so…” Jim shook his head. “I don’t know anymore. None of this makes sense anymore.”

“Where are they holding Anna?” I asked.

Jim’s brows crinkled up. “In the President’s office. She don’t have the cure either, but… she knows who’s got it and won’t tell. She’s done got that Vice President all in a tizzy.”

I sighed. She’d asked me to kill him. Could we have avoided all of this if I had? “Do you know where the office is?”

“Yeah, sure. But why did everythin’ change?” He stood up and scanned the room. “What is this place?”

I clenched my jaw. “Can we just go?”

He ran to me and Kaden moved between us. “Stay back!”

“No, please, miss. You have to take me back there,” he pleaded. “Please, I have a wife and kids.”

“We need to find Declan,” Kaden hissed. “And take care of him. Here.”

“Hey.” I tipped my chin downward and continued to rub Sawyers back as a sign he needed to be more cryptic with our plans. The poor thing had barely stopped crying and I didn’t want him to start up again.

Kaden caught my eye and compassion colored his frown as he stared at Sawyer.

He knew just as well as I did, murdering Declan required us to split up and I wasn’t about to do that, not after we’d finally reunited. Then there was Anna to consider. I could solve that with a quick jump, if I knew exactly where she was, if only I had more energy.

“Please…” Jim pleaded.

I touched his arm to console him when flashes of memories flipped past my eyes of a younger Jim. He was loading a rifle. My hand recoiled and I gasped.

“What is it?” Kaden asked.

“I—I don’t know.” Everyone looked on in concern and I tried to play it off. “It was nothing.”

“Where’s the office?” Landon asked.

“It’s down here… Come on.”

Jim led the way. My legs felt spongy underneath me as I struggled to keep up. Eventually we filed into a room at the end of the hallway in Building One. Luckily, younger doctor Declan and my mom had left the building.

“I think this is it.” Jim moved closer to me. “Alright. I showed ya. Time be a wastin’.”

I looked around the room, feeling out of breath and extremely weak. Sawyer remained glued to my side, his face in my hip the entire time.

“Well, miss? Whatcha waitin’ for?” Jim huffed.

Sawyer hugged onto me tighter.

“I have to warn you, Jim,” I said grimly. “Last time I took someone home…” My eyes fell to Sawyer’s small frame. I couldn’t traumatize him more with the details. “Well, let’s just say it didn’t go smooth.”

Jim frowned. “What do ya mean?”

I squinted. “Remember what happened to Vice President Declan?”

“Well, if you can zip one way, you can turn right around and go back. And you’re gonna take me, ‘cause I can’t stay here.” Jim raised his swollen chin. “Don’t get me wrong. Landon here is one of the best and I’m sure y’all are nice folks, but I can’t live without Lilly and the kids. So… do your magic.”

Sawyer clung tighter to me. Jim eyed the kid with pity. “She’ll be right back, son.”

He let out a sob.

I clenched my jaw tight. “Don’t you dare talk to him.”

Jim’s face darkened. “If you don’t go now, the Vice President will…” He dragged his finger over his throat. “And then you’ll lose everything. You’ll need me on the other side.”

My heart dropped as all eyes fell on me. Kaden slowly nodded in approval. I closed my eyes and sighed. I knew Jim was right, but I didn’t want to leave Sawyer.

Elle moved alongside me. “Hey, Sawyer?” She knelt down and proffered her hand. “I’m scared. Can you hold my hand?”

Sawyer sniffled and looked up, and then his eyes twinkled. “Auntie Elle. What are you doing here?”

Elle’s gaze darted to mine in a panic and I nodded for her to go with it.

“Hey, kid.” She smiled.

He lunged for her, encircling his arms around her neck. “I’m so glad you’re here. Where’s Lizzy?”

Elle tried to keep a straight face, but I knew she didn’t know what to say.

“Lizzy?” I asked.

“Yeah, Auntie’s daughter.” He laughed and shook his tiny head. “She’s going to be so jealous I jumped through time.”

Elle’s face blanched as her eyes glistened. “I’m sure she will…”

I smiled, my chest swelling with pride and I remembered the journal. In the future where the EA didn’t mess with things, everything was beautiful. We had kids together. We lived our dreams.

I knelt down and tried not to burst into tears. “Sawyer, listen to me, buddy. I need you to be brave. Can you do that for me?”

He nodded and remained attached to Elle’s neck.

“I promise, I’ll be back. I need to warn your mommy so we can all go home. Will you take care of Auntie Elle for me while I’m gone?”

“You can’t take me with you?” Sawyer frowned.

I licked my lips. “I just need make sure it’s safe first. Then I’ll come get you, okay?”

His eyes lit up. “Okay.”

The group collectively sighed and Elle gave me a sweet look of hope before she moved closer to Landon. Jim, though, crossed his arms and huffed impatiently. I did my best to ignore him and stood, zeroing in on Kaden. He covered the distance in long smooth strides.

I gulped down my tears as he smoothed my hair.

“I’ll be right back.” I cringed at my promise, worried that I might not be able to keep it. I didn’t think I had the strength to return right away.

“I know you will.” His lip quirked up in a smile. “I’m so proud of you.”

“But if I don’t—”

“You’ll be back.”

My heart rate tripled. We needed a contingency plan in case this didn’t work.

“But—”

He put his finger to my lips and I felt like my chest would explode. “You can do this.”

My breathing sped up. There were things I needed to know before I jumped and we had very little time. “I wish things turned out different… that I hadn’t told Memphis our plans. I didn’t know he’d tell your father. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, too.” He looked away for a moment, ashamed. “I shouldn’t have left like that. I know you were just worried about me. Memphis has a way of interfering.”

I sucked in a breath, remembering I’d left him in Brighton. “Oh, crap. He’s still there.”

Kaden’s face hardened. “No, he’s not. Jewels took care of him.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yes, like always, the asshole.”

My eyebrows pinched together.

“He’s the reason I was captured in the first place… I swear.” He sighed and refocused on me. “We can talk about that later.” His hands cupped both sides of my cheeks and he rubbed away a clinging tear with his thumb. “I know you can do this.”

My shoulders sagged. I didn’t want to take Jim. I wanted Kaden.

“But…”

“Shhh…” He tilted my face upward and kissed me, deeply. The room evaporated away and all that was left was us and this kiss.

He touched his forehead to mine. “I know you can do this. And if for some reason things don’t go as planned… just find Jeb. He’ll know what to do.”

“Why?” I asked through his feather soft kisses.

“Just find him.”

I sucked in a breath. I didn’t want to leave.

“Come on,” Jim interrupted. “You’re gonna be right back.”

“I know,” I snapped. “Give us a minute.”

Kaden pulled me into his arms. “Ignore him. I need to tell you this.” It was as if he knew, too, that something bad was about to happen. “This is why I brought the note. I knew the moment I saw your older self, that I couldn’t let anything happen to you… that you were special, and beautiful, and strong, and courageous, and delicate. And I’ve been in love with you ever since you fell at my feet.” His lips found mine again and his confession pulled me under.

A sob lodged in my throat. “I love you, too.”

Something rattled in the building and shouts followed. The hairs on my neck stiffened.

Jim cussed and moved closer to me.

“We need to hide.” Landon gathered his sister and a wide-eyed Sawyer.

“I’ll be back,” I promised him.

They disappeared through a door at the opposite end of the room.

Kaden kissed me one last time and I held onto him hard. “You can do this,” he whispered.

Fantasies of jumping now hit me. I could take Kaden with me and we could return home. My promise to Sawyer, though, stopped me.

He nodded and I watched him disappear through the door, my chest filling with dread.

“Come on.” Jim moved closer to me. “Do we need to hold hands or something?”

The shouts grew louder and everything inside me wanted to run, to follow Kaden.

Jim took ahold of me and shook my shoulder. “Hey. You made a promise.”

“Yes,” I said breathless as the footfalls flooded past the opened door.

One of them stopped and smacked the door open wider. It was the guy from my vision—the younger Jim.

“Good lord,” he breathed behind me. “What is this?”

The younger Jim moved closer, gun trained on us. “Who are you?”

Though Jim annoyed me, I didn’t want a repeat of last time.

“Stay back,” I held up my hand.

“What in devil’s tarnation are you?” Younger Jim kept advancing, tilting his head to the side.

“All be…” Older Jim clicked his tongue. “I’m one handsome stallion.” He tried to move around me, but I clutched his hand.

“I’m warning you.” Jump. Jump, dammit. Nothing happened.

“You need to come with me.” Younger Jim eyed us and flicked the tip of his gun.

“Now you just mind your P’s and Q’s, Jim.”

The younger of the two gasped.

“That’s right. I’m your older self from the future. You grab that Lilly and rock her world, you hear me? And she really likes it when you…” he coughed, his cheeks burning red. “Just, don’t be a dick and bring her flowers more often.”

Jim’s eyes bulged. “How’d you know about her?”

“Sometimes, I’m daft,” Jim drawled in my ear, then he dropped my hand.

“No, Jim.” I lunged for his hand unable to grab it, feeling extra lethargic.

They both turned, then older Jim smiled and lifted his hand to put around younger Jim’s shoulders. “I just be given myself a pep talk, here. No harm. I gave you a second with yer guy. That’s fair.”

He lowered his arm and I screamed. It was too late. With a suction sound, older Jim’s body stretched and faded from sight with a pop. Then sparkles rained down on younger Jim.

“Oh, no,” I said.

And only then did I feel the familiar tug and my limbs went limp.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 761