The Children Who Time Lost Read online

  “I mean it.”

  “I promise, I’ll be in and out, like. Anything suspicious, I’ll just leave.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  He walked to the door. “I’ll be in the living room.”

  I had a quick shower and then I tried the wig on. It fit my head perfectly and was a lot blonder than my hair used to be. I put on the same pair of jeans as yesterday and then rummaged through Justin’s wardrobe before settling on a white T-shirt. I wore one of his black jackets and gave myself one last look in the mirror. The disguise looked like it would hold. When I came out, Justin stood in front of me with a pair of glasses in each hand. I took one pair and put them on. He held the tablet in front of me and asked me to look around the room. Everything I saw appeared on the screen milliseconds after. He put his own glasses on and pulled another tablet from his pocket. He looked around the room and the feed appeared clearly on my screen. We tried on the earpieces and said a few phrases. The signal was clear and without much echo. I tried calling Suzanna again but still got no answer.

  We left his apartment and walked down the street until we reached a silver Mercedes sedan. He fired the engine up and lifted us into the air.

  We arrived at Mayfield Avenue ten minutes later. Traffic was light. He parked the car across from Suzanna’s apartment and waited. I could hear him taking deep breaths.

  “You really don’t have to do this,” I said.

  “I’ll be fine, missy.” He clipped the badge to his shirt and reached to open the door but stopped when we heard a loud sound like a jet landing. I looked up and saw six heavily armored limousines dropping to the ground. They looked more like tanks than cars. Three armed Lypsos walked out to meet them. I grimaced. Armed Lypsos weren’t typically stationed inside Suzanna’s apartment. The cars landed a few feet from where we were parked. Three cars separated us from them.

  The doors opened, and a number of men in suits stepped out and stood by the cars.

  “Looks like they’re bringing the big guns out,” Justin said.

  I didn’t speak. A number of men walked out of Suzanna’s building to meet them. Everyone shook hands but no one moved. They all just looked at the building as if waiting for someone. We waited with them.

  Then a lone man walked out. I immediately recognized the long Mackintosh jacket and the long dark hair.

  “That’s Lorenzo,” I said.

  I saw faces staring from windows of nearby apartments. To them, it must have looked like there was a threat of nuclear destruction in Suzanna’s building. If only they’d known that the men just wanted to stop little old me from talking. Lorenzo shook hands with two of the suited men. One had a bald head and a large face. The other had a square jaw and dark hair. I assumed they were the most important but didn’t recognize either of them. They spoke for a few seconds and then got into the car. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then they rose into the air and flew off.

  Justin placed his hand by the door handle, but I held his shoulder. “You shouldn’t do this. If Lorenzo is here, it means they must be waiting for me. Let’s just go.”

  He looked me in the eye. “But if he’s still here, your son might be, too. And your friends. Don’t you want to know if they’re still alive?”

  I swallowed. “I don’t know. But I can’t ask you to risk your life for me.”

  “I told you, missy, it’ll be fine. I’ll be out in a wee while. You can stay out here and keep a look out. And if Lorenzo comes back, you can warn me through the earpiece.”

  I nodded and looked out the window. He opened the door. I frowned and opened mine, too.

  He stared at me like I was mad. “What’re you doing?”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t let you do this.” I ran toward the apartment. He called out to me through the earpiece, but I didn’t stop. When I reached the door, I turned around. He stood by the car. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but I have to do this myself.”

  “Fine,” he said. “I’ll keep a look out.”

  “Thanks.” I turned and peeked through the glass doors. Three Lypsos stood by the elevators, but there were no Kysos in sight, which was better for me. They’d be able to detect my thoughts in seconds. I pressed the large button beside the door.

  A mechanical voice answered. “Can I help you?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I need to go up to Fred Preston’s apartment.” I hoped using Suzanna’s neighbor’s name wouldn’t draw suspicion. After a few seconds, there was a loud buzzing sound. “So far so good,” I whispered into the earpiece.

  “Just be careful, missy,” Justin said.

  I entered the apartment and walked past a couple sitting in the lobby. They nodded at me and looked away again. I edged past the doorman, who didn’t give me a second look. I slowed down when I approached the elevators and the Lypsos, but they, too, gave me only a fleeting gaze. I walked past them and pressed the button to call the elevators. The seconds ticked away, and still nothing from the Lypsos.

  “You’re nearly there,” Justin said through the earpiece.

  I nodded, still unable to look back. The elevator car was now three floors away.

  “Do you have business here?” a mechanical voice said.

  I grimaced and turned around. Three Lypsos walked toward me.

  “Take it easy, missy,” Justin said. “Remember, they don’t know who you are.”

  “Not officially,” I said to the Lypsos. “I’m just visiting a friend.”

  A loud chime sounded. The elevator had arrived. The Lypsos stood aside. I nodded at them and entered through the open doors. I hit the button for the tenth floor, but the doors remained open. I stared at the floor, my trembling hands by my side. I peeked up to see the Lypsos still watching me. I pushed the button again. This time the doors closed. I sighed and leaned against the side of the elevator.

  “You okay?” Justin said.

  “I’m fine. How’s things out there?”

  “Take a look,” he said.

  I pulled the tablet from my pocket and saw the feed from his glasses. A number of people walked past him and a few Lypsos had moved to the front of the building, but everything looked fine.

  When the elevator door opened, I stepped out and headed to the left. Suzanna’s apartment was 1015. I walked past a number of doors and took a right.

  “They’re coming back,” Justin said.

  I stopped cold. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Lorenzo and a few other guys. They just came out of a car.”

  I looked up and down the corridor. I was alone. “Where are they now?”

  “By the entrance.”

  “Can you see them?”

  “Aye.”

  I took the tablet out. It was Lorenzo and three other men. They entered the apartment and disappeared from Justin’s feed. I continued toward Suzanna’s apartment. It was now six doors away.

  “Rachel,” Justin said, “they’re probably coming up there.”

  “I’m almost there,” I said.

  “I’m going in.”

  I stopped again. “What’re you doing? Stay in the car.”

  I heard his breathing elevate. He must have been running. I looked at the tablet again and saw the apartment’s front door. “Justin, no.”

  He walked in and headed right. Lorenzo appeared on the screen seconds later. He was speaking to the doorman. Justin headed to floating chairs beside the apartment’s entrance and sat down, his gaze still on Lorenzo. “I’ll watch them from here,” he said.

  I continued toward Suzanna’s. “Fine, but promise me you’ll leave if they even glance in your direction.”

  “Aye, I promise.”

  When I reached Suzanna’s apartment, the door was open. Blood stained the walls.

  I winced and placed my hand over my mouth. Oh no. They’re…I swallowed and shut my eyes. Then I peeked in to see shattered glass and more blood in the corridor leading to the living room. What kind of people are these? The living room looked similar, with shattered glass ever
ywhere. I couldn’t move an inch. I felt like heaving right then and there.

  “I was just leaving,” I heard Justin say.

  I frowned. “What was that?”

  “No,” Justin said. “I came to see someone, but I’m leaving now.”

  I grabbed the tablet and saw a Lypso standing in front of him. “What’s going on?” I said.

  He didn’t answer but looked up at two approaching men. One of them had hair down to his shoulders, sharp cheekbones and cold eyes. It was Lorenzo. I ran out of the apartment and sprinted to the eastern stairwell, wondering what had attracted them to Justin’s presence. I ran down to the ninth floor and panted for breath. Then I squatted and returned my focus to the tablet. Lorenzo now stood a few yards from Justin and pressed buttons on a computer tablet. The man beside him was broad and wore a dark suit. He whispered into Lorenzo’s ear. Lorenzo lifted his head and looked at Justin.

  “Run, Justin,” I whispered through the earpiece. “Just go.”

  Justin didn’t move an inch. Lorenzo gave the tablet to the broad guy and moved closer to Justin. My heart rate elevated. He studied Justin’s badge.

  “Marlon Simmonds,” he said.

  “Aye, that’s me.” I heard fear and panic in Justin’s voice. I knew Lorenzo would notice that. I gritted my teeth and prayed.

  Lorenzo walked toward him and extended his hand. Justin followed it. Lorenzo tilted the badge left and right.

  “Don’t say anything about Suzanna,” I said. “Just say you were visiting someone else.”

  “The L.A. Herald,” Lorenzo said. “How are things over there?”

  I could hear Justin’s heavy breathing. “Goo—good.”

  Lorenzo took a step forward. “You working now?”

  “No. … No. I just came to see a friend.”

  “Oh. And who might that be?”

  Justin didn’t answer.

  Lorenzo moved his face closer. I felt a chill through my bones and couldn’t speak.

  “Paul … Paul Phillips,” Justin half-shouted before stepping backward. “But I was just going.” He turned around, but two armored Lypsos stepped in front of him.

  I faltered back and put my hands over my mouth. They knew. They must. Why didn’t you just stay in the car? “Don’t say anything. Just stick to your story.”

  Justin turned back around and faced Lorenzo. “What’s going on?” Justin said.

  Lorenzo squeezed out a haunting smile. “I think you’re lying to me. I don’t think you came to see a Paul Philips.”

  “I … I did. I swear.”

  Lorenzo smiled and held his left hand out. His broad partner handed him the tablet back. He pressed a few buttons. “That is quite all right. There’s an easy way to confirm your story. I have a list of everyone in this apartment. We should be able to find your friend in no time.”

  I stood up and winced. I knew they’d kill him and it would be my fault. I shouldn’t have let him help me. “Justin, listen to me. Tell them you can take them to me. As long as they think you know where I am, they won’t hurt you. It’ll buy you more time.”

  I saw Lorenzo scrolling through the tablet, occasionally glancing at Justin. “Please, Justin, you don’t have a choice. I can’t have you die for me. Please.” I paced around the stairwell, never taking my eyes away from the tablet screen.

  Lorenzo spoke a few minutes later. “There is no Paul Phillips here.” He handed the tablet back to his partner and stepped forward. “Now, are you gonna tell me what you’re really doing here?”

  “I already told you.”

  Lorenzo laughed and looked past him at the Lypsos. “Take him away and kill him.”

  I gasped. “Please, Justin, tell him about me. You’ve got to.”

  I could hear his nervous breathing. Then he shouted, “Just do what we talked about.” He spun around and slid under the legs of the Lypsos. He stood up and ran toward the door. I struggled to see what was going on. I placed my hands against my chest. Then a loud explosion tore through my earpiece. The camera shook, and then Justin held his hands up and stared at his blood.

  “Justin! … Justin!” I screamed.

  He fell to the ground, but the feed continued. I held the tablet closer to my face and continued watching. I heard the Lypsos approaching. They turned his body over. I could see their robotic faces staring down at Justin’s corpse. Then Lorenzo arrived. He studied the body for a while before reaching for the smashed tablet on the floor. He spun it back and forth and tossed it away. Then he grabbed Justin’s glasses and earpiece and lifted the glasses toward his face. I could see his unsettling eyes. He must have known someone was watching. Then he smiled. “Hello, Rachel.”

  I shuddered and yanked the earpiece out. After throwing it and the glasses against the wall, I put the tablet into my jacket pocket and ran up the stairs. I couldn’t believe Justin was dead. I peeked down the corridor when I reached the tenth floor. A man walking out of his apartment gave me a brief glance. I also saw a couple walking away from the elevators, but that was all. I ducked and squeezed my palms together to stop my hands from trembling. The man who had left his apartment walked over to me.

  “You okay, ma’am?”

  I looked up at him and nodded.

  “You want some water or something?”

  But of course, I was a hundred feet in the air. I could get a car. “Yes, please.”

  He helped me up. I heard the elevator chime. It was probably one of Lorenzo’s men. I pushed the man through the minute he placed his key card against his door. We fell in a heap, but I quickly rolled off him and stood up.

  “What’s going on?” he said.

  “I’m sorry about this.” I ran down the corridor and into the living room. His balcony door was similar to mine. I pushed the switch at the top right-hand corner and it opened. I stopped when I heard banging on the front door.

  “It’s the law,” a Lypso screamed in a mechanical voice. “Open the door at once.”

  The man ran back down the corridor. I ran out through the balcony door but stopped almost immediately. Streams of cars flew in the air at astonishing speed. I looked in all directions before seeing one moving at a slower speed a few yards to my left. All four of its turn-signal lights flashed green. It was about to begin its descent. I ran to the edge of the balcony and jumped up and down, waving my hands. The flashing lights disappeared and the car approached me. I gritted my teeth as I waited. Then I heard a loud crash behind me, like an explosion. Lypsos were screaming at the man who’d helped me to remain calm.

  The car reached me and the door swung open. A middle-aged woman stared at me. “Are you all right?”

  I pulled my gun out. “Get out of the car.”

  She looked at me with disbelief. I edged forward. “Now.”

  I saw her push the white air-brake button in the center console before scrambling to the passenger side. Then she leaped onto the balcony. I kept the gun on her. “I’m sorry about this.”

  “Rachel Harris,” I heard a mechanical voice shout. I looked right and saw two armed Lypsos standing outside the balcony door with guns trained on me.

  “Get on the ground,” I said to the woman. Then I leaped into the car. Gunfire rocked the car. I lunged forward and released the air brake. The car dropped to the ground, but I grabbed the steering wheel, pulled the car back up and headed west.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The car I’d taken was a silver Chrysler. It still had the new-car smell. I shuddered, thinking of what I’d done to the poor woman who’d probably been on her way to meet friends or a loved one. Worse still was the danger I’d put her in. I didn’t even know that one of the many bullets meant for me didn’t hit her.

  I landed the car on a quiet street and shut the engine off. I sat still for a moment before banging the wheel over and over. My friends were dead, too. It must have been the phone call I’d made. And Justin … I closed my eyes and sniffled. I didn’t have any plays left. I had to get to 2013 and find Dylan. But without Justin’s cont
acts, it didn’t seem possible. But I had to make it possible. I drifted to sleep soon after.

  The moon was out when I woke up. I rubbed my eyes and pulled the tablet out of my pocket. I opened a Web browser and gathered as much information from the Internet as I could about the Lotto and its organizers. Then I kicked the engine to life and lifted the car into the air

  I switched among four traffic enforcers in the space of an hour. I didn’t want any to take notice of my car. The stars were out in full force, but I didn’t have time to marvel at their beauty. I continued driving, waiting.

  It happened twenty minutes later. A law-enforcement vehicle zoomed past me. The cars in front slowed to a crawl, as did the traffic enforcer. Then the car with the blue and red flashing lights flew to the right. I waited until the last minute and took a sharp right of my own. Kevin had told me many times about a pair of advanced binoculars that were capable of seeing through thick walls from great distances. Although one in three police vehicles were supposedly equipped with a pair, I had no choice but to take the chance that this particular one would. I increased my speed and kept up with it but allowed some distance. If they were after me, too, they wouldn’t be able to associate the Chrysler with me right away, even if the woman I’d taken it from gave them all the details. That would take twenty-four hours, a delay aimed at keeping the growing number of false reports down. But in the back of my mind, I believed that the people after me would not make it common knowledge that I was still alive. Doing so might mean my talking to the wrong people.

  I passed a number of other traffic enforcers while trailing the law-enforcement car, but I didn’t stop. Although it was a legal requirement to travel only behind traffic enforcers, cars were allowed to travel for up to ten miles before joining one. I had gone only six miles but needed to get out of the air soon or my car would be marked and they would know if it had been reported stolen.

  The car with the flashing lights kept going but started decreasing speed. I looked at my mile counter. I had done 9.1. When they started their descent, I sighed and followed them down. They parked opposite a large house and ran toward it. I parked on a side road and waited. After they went into the building and shut the door, I got out of the car and approached their vehicle.