The Children Who Time Lost Read online

  I glared at Angela and stood up. “Those things—what are they doing here? What do they want with us?”

  She stared at the window. I knew I wasn’t going to get anything from her on the matter, so I marched her back to the living room. She sat on the sofa and I stood in front of her, the gun still in my hand.

  She looked at me with steely eyes. “Listen to me,” she said. “I know you want to find your son, but take my advice and leave it alone. Right now, they only want to talk to you, but if you keep pushing this, they’ll kill you.”

  “You mean like they killed my husband and friends? No, they’ve already crossed the line. I’m not deserting Dylan, but believe me, you’ll all pay for what you’ve done to my family.”

  She shrugged again. “So, what, you’re starting with me?”

  “No. You’re going to help me get back to 2013.”

  Her eyes widened. She went to stand up, but I waved the gun at her. “Are you mad?” she said. “They won’t let us near the facility.”

  I shook my head again. “You’ll find a way. Either that or I’ll just kill you and take my chances.”

  She laughed. Then she stood up, ignoring my waving of the gun. “No matter what you say, I’m not buying you as a killer. I just don’t see it.”

  “Keep walking and you will.”

  She ignored my words and drew closer. “Drop the gun, Rachel. Let me just take you home. You have my word, nothing will happen to you.”

  My voice deepened. “Don’t take another step.”

  A broad smile covered her face and she kept coming. She was right—I wasn’t a killer—but the anger that bubbled through my head at that moment had me thinking I just might pull the trigger. The thought of Kevin, Warren, Justin and everyone else who had died in my name kept tugging at me. She took another step and now stood within a few inches of me. I pushed her to the floor with all the power I could muster. She fell flat on her back and stared at me with shocked eyes.

  “Believe me now?”

  She scampered to her feet and took her seat. I sat beside her and pressed the gun to her temple. “You’d better take me to the facility or so help me God I’ll kill you.”

  She nodded. “Okay. Okay, I’ll take you, but we can’t go until seven. That’s when the facility opens. There’s no way to get in there unless a Lypso’s there to let us in.”

  I nodded. Her body language told me she was telling the truth. “Fine, we’ll wait.” I sat on the opposite sofa and lowered the gun. “I guess you’d better get comfortable then.”

  The clock struck 5 a.m., and apart from a few comfort breaks for Angela, we’d stayed in the living room the entire time. I’d taken another dose of my medication at four. I made her dilute it with water while I watched. The new drug was amazing. Its effects could last a whole day. I figured that continuing to take it was my only option. I had to go back to 2013 and save my son, and if taking Jarrod’s drug was what I needed to do that, I didn’t see any alternative, regardless of what happened to me as a result.

  Angela’s cell rang. I looked around the room. She pointed toward some bookshelves. I walked over and picked up the glass-panel phone. No number showed up. I placed it on the coffee table and looked at her.

  “I should get that,” she said.

  “And warn them? Do you think I’m stupid?”

  The ringing stopped. Silence returned. Her hands shook every so often. I could see she had started believing I was capable of absolutely anything. The cell rang again and stopped. And then it rang again. I twitched and ran to the window. There was still no sign of a fleet of cars approaching. The cell rang for the fourth time in two minutes. She began to stand, but I extended my gun.

  “Listen, if I don’t answer it, they’ll know something is wrong.”

  I shrugged. “But why would you care? You’d want them to come. Why are you trying to help me all of a sudden?”

  “Cause I don’t wanna die. I know what will happen if they get here. We’ll both get caught in the crossfire. Difference is, they don’t care about me. At the end of the day, you’re still Rachel Harris, celebrity. Last woman to give birth naturally.”

  “But why do I matter? They’ve already tried to kill me. And besides, I know what they are. I doubt they’d want any of that getting out.”

  “You’re still not getting it, are you? There’s no conspiracy. They’ve lived among us for a long time. We don’t threaten them and they don’t threaten us. You have to stop seeing them as the enemy. They want us to start having natural births as much as we do. Who do you think helped make time travel possible? Their technology is way more advanced than ours.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t really be telling you this. I mean, it’s past top secret.”

  “Then why do you know about it?”

  “Because they have to tell me just enough so I can do my job. The rest is way past my pay grade. I told you, I’m at the bottom of the food chain. That’s why they’ll happily kill me to get to you.”

  I frowned. “But why am I so important? What about this woman in Singapore?”

  Angela laughed. “Don’t you get it? The woman in Singapore got pregnant through drugs. You got pregnant naturally. They have to know why. Not just them but us as well. They’re just trying to talk to you so you don’t start blabbing about what you think you know.”

  “And Monique? Why kill her? Or all the others for that matter?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  The phone rang again. I jerked back and looked toward the window.

  “Just let me get it. They’ll just want to make sure everything’s okay. I’ll tell them I was sleeping.”

  I extended the gun at her. “I swear, if you say anything—”

  “I’m not stupid, Rachel. Believe me. I can see how you’ve changed.”

  I nodded. “Okay. But leave it on speaker.”

  She leaned toward the coffee table and pressed a button. We waited for a few seconds, and then a voice was heard.

  “Where have you been?”

  I didn’t recognize the voice.

  “Sorry, I was sleeping.”

  “Sleeping? We’re on full alert and you were sleeping?”

  “I’m sorry, Lorenzo—”

  I shuddered. She paused and stared at me.

  “Angela,” Lorenzo said, but she didn’t answer.

  “Angela.”

  She dashed to the floor, beside the table, and shouted, “She’s here. Send every—”

  I pushed her to the ground and threw the cell phone against the wall, smashing it. I growled and grabbed her by the neck. “What the hell was that?”

  She grinned. “You’d better leave. They’ll be here any minute. They’ve probably already told Lypsos nearby to come and get you.”

  I stood up, my heart beating faster. I glanced at the digital clock on the wall. It was almost 5:45 a.m. If we left now, we would get to the Valencia facility just before seven. I could either flee or go ahead with my plan, but I had no real choice. They would see me coming next time. I waved the gun in her direction. “Get up.”

  She hesitated.

  “Now,” I screamed.

  She shot to her feet. I grabbed her by the neck and dragged her into the bedroom. Then I threw all her clothes to the floor.

  “What’re you looking for?” she asked.

  I stopped and stared at her. “I need all the money you’ve got.”

  She looked at me, bewildered. I pulled her toward me and pressed the gun to her temple. “Don’t mess with me or I swear you’ll die right now.”

  She nodded and ran to her closet. She pulled a large metallic box out and opened it. She removed some sheets of paper, and beneath them were stacks of money organized by year. I flicked through them. They dated all the way back to 2011. I stared at her.

  “Why do you have all this? I thought only winners were allowed to time-travel. Do you go to the past, too?”

  She just stared at me.

  I didn’t c
are how she’d gotten it. I just needed it. I stuffed my pockets with hundred-dollar bills from 2011, 2012 and 2013. They totaled almost five thousand dollars. Then I grabbed her by the neck again and pushed her through the door. We rode the elevator back to the ground floor. I paused by the entrance and peered out. Nothing. Then we ran out. The gun pressed deep in her back gave her motivation to maintain a fast pace. The doorman was still snoozing, and there were no Kysos or Lypsos in sight.

  We reached the Chrysler a few minutes later, but the sky had come alive. I could see lights. At least three traffic enforcers approached.

  “Told you. You should really surrender.”

  I pushed her into the passenger side and shut the door. After starting the engine, I lifted the car from the ground. Our ascent was ragged and choppy, and I spun the car around and sped toward the Valencia facility.

  I had traveled almost twenty miles without following a traffic enforcer. I knew it was only a matter of time before law-enforcement officers gave chase.

  “Take a left here,” Angela said when we reached a junction in the sky.

  “I swear, if you’re taking—”

  “This is the right way.”

  Something in her voice made me believe her. I didn’t know if it was fear or something else. We continued, but just then, blue and red flashing lights appeared from the east. I glanced right. Three law-enforcement vehicles sped toward us. I accelerated and swerved left. In the rearview mirror, I saw more flashing lights closing in on us. Then I saw another car behind us, flying past the others at astounding speed. I glanced back in a panic and continued.

  “How much longer?” I shouted.

  Angela looked back, too. “They’ve found us.”

  I dropped down a gear in an attempt to pick up yet more speed. But it all seemed to be in vain. An explosion rocked our car and we jerked forward. They were firing. Another explosion followed. The white light shone in my face. Many bullets hit simultaneously, with lots more flying past us. I looked back and saw the car releasing at least ten shots per second. It looked like a multitude of shooting stars. It didn’t cause catastrophic damage to our car but instead chipped away at it, as if trying to wear it down until we crashed. They want us alive.

  “Flash your taillights,” Angela said amid the explosions.

  I ignored her. The facility had come into view. The gates were open and a number of armed Lypsos stood by the entrance with their guns aimed at us.

  “What’re you doing?” Angela screamed. “Do you want to kill us? Flash your taillights. Let them know you surrender.”

  I couldn’t piece the meaning of her words together or even hear myself think. The noise around us was deafening. The Lypsos on the ground opened fire. A flash of light zipped past my head. I screamed and ducked. Many more came in quick succession. I pushed the button to begin our descent. We were headed straight for the facility, although at this rate a crash was more likely. Angela’s screams soon drowned mine out. All I could see was white light everywhere.

  We started landing, but it wasn’t smooth. The gunfire must have damaged the car’s computers. I cocooned myself in a ball and prayed. Then we crashed to the ground. The car slid forward, slamming into what sounded like sturdy infrastructure. Glass smashed above and around us. I could hear metal poles dislodging and crashing to the ground. Then we came to a stop. I couldn’t hear a single Lypso approaching us. I opened my eyes and saw blood on the dashboard.

  Angela trembled beside me. But apart from a few cuts on her arms, she looked fine. I raised my head and looked behind us. At least six Lypsos lay on the ground, motionless. A sound filtered to my ears. The cars pursuing us were landing. I reached into the pocket of my now-ripped jacket. Everything was in there except the gun. I looked at Angela again. She shook like she’d just seen a ghost. I felt the gun by my feet and picked it up. Then I kicked my door open. Electrical wires had been ripped from the ceiling. Glass covered the ground. I stepped out and opened Angela’s door. She fought me and stayed where she was, shaking.

  I saw a number of people running toward us. In the middle was a man in a long Mackintosh jacket. Lorenzo. I panicked and dragged Angela to her feet. She was crying, but I didn’t have time to wait for her to compose herself. I stopped her by the high white wall that I knew led to the portal. I placed her palm on the side control panel. Nothing happened at first. I looked back. Lorenzo now had his gun in the air. I gritted my teeth and moved Angela’s hand around the panel. A blue light ran up and down it. The wall opened, but not quickly enough. A bright white light flew past me and a loud explosion to my left threw me to the ground. I crawled on the floor and pushed Angela through the gap. I followed her and pushed a large blue button. The wall closed behind us.

  I left her shaking and looked around. I saw a silver box in a corner of the wall. I tried opening it, but it didn’t budge. I fired my gun, and the front flew open. I looked in and saw a heap of wires. I didn’t know where to begin. I shot at them twice. A red current ran up and down the wires, and I heard a loud sound like a generator going out. That should buy me some time.

  I picked Angela up from the floor. “Show me how to start the portal.”

  She trembled but didn’t speak. I heard a thump against the wall and then an explosion. They were trying to get in. I didn’t have much time. “Now, goddamn it. Show me what to do.”

  She still said nothing. I shook her arms, but she looked lifeless, like someone had sucked all the energy out of her. I dropped her to the ground and fiddled with a number of buttons and switches. After I pressed a large green switch, the control panel came to life. A large screen in front of me turned on. Across it was “15 August, 2108.”

  I stared at the long control panel. It must have been about twenty feet in width. I ran up and down pressing buttons. Another explosion came. A large chunk of the wall was blown away. I looked through the gap and saw people huddled on the other side. Then I saw a face look through. A heap of the snake-like organisms hung on its head. I swallowed and returned to the control panel. On my third sprint across, I noticed the same silver knob I’d seen the engineers use when I went to the future. I turned it right and the day on the screen changed. When I pressed it, the cursor on the screen moved to the month. Michael Galloway’s article said everything had started after the big earthquake. I figured that two days before would be enough time to get my bearings.

  I set the day to the fifteenth, the month to June and the year to 2013. Then I hit the big red button again and felt a sharp breeze strike my face. White light appeared to my right. The ground rumbled and a sphere of light formed in the air, about ten feet high. Then I heard another explosion. More chunks of the wall flew to the floor. I could almost see all of Lorenzo’s body. He scowled at me with his lizard-like snout. I turned and approached the portal, but I felt someone grab my hair.

  I screamed and fought back. Angela thrust me around like an object. The gun fell from my hand and I crashed against the control panel. She jumped on me and pounded my chest. I didn’t know how much time I had before the portal would close. I heard shuffling. I glanced right to see Lorenzo crawling through the gap in the wall. I grabbed Angela’s hair. She screamed but still pinned me down with her knees.

  I glanced at Lorenzo again. He would be through in a matter of seconds. I clenched my fist and punched Angela as hard as I could. She slumped off me and dropped to the floor, but my hand hurt like crazy. I rose and massaged the back of my neck. Lorenzo’s hands touched the floor inside the gap, and I sprang to my feet and ran. Then I closed my eyes and leaped into the portal.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Darkness engulfed me. My body didn’t glide like last time. Instead, it shot forward through the darkness, as if I were trapped in an escalating storm. I clenched my hands. The pain in my stomach grew, like someone was draining all the life from me. I heard a deafening sound in the distance. It drew nearer, burning my ears. Blinding white light surrounded me. I forced my eyes shut and screamed. Then I started falling. I stretched
my hands out and prayed before crashing to the ground. My hands protected my face from any serious injuries, but my breasts hurt.

  I opened my eyes and saw clear skies. I pushed myself up from the ground. My knees and my feet ached. Desert sand surrounded me and covered most of my jeans and the white shirt under my torn and rumpled black jacket. A few yards ahead was concrete that stretched farther than I could see. It looked flat and smooth enough for cars to drive on, in contrast with the rigid surfaces of my time. I must be in 2013. I heard a loud humming sound coming from behind me. I half-stood and looked back. The portal was still there, spinning at an astonishing speed.

  It looked larger than it had on the other side, reaching at least fifteen feet into the air. Sphere-shaped, it was still without color, like water in the air, with bright white light all around it. I straightened and stared at it. Then I backed away toward the road. Nothing seemed to be coming through. I heard a loud sound in the distance. I turned right and saw a large truck approaching on the ground.

  I ran to the road and stood in the middle, swinging my arms like a madwoman. But the truck didn’t slow down. I jumped up and down, to no avail. I ran back to the side and kept waving. Then it shot past me, throwing me to the ground. The force blew sand into my eyes. I grimaced and coughed. When I opened my eyes, the humming sound behind me grew louder, like waves in a river.

  The portal was expanding. I shuddered and my hands quaked. I stood and took a step forward. I heard another car approach, also on the ground. I knew cars that flew didn’t exist in this time, but I was still adjusting. This car came from the opposite direction and moved much more slowly than the truck had. I turned back around for a moment. The portal continued to grow. I ran to the middle of the road again and screamed for help. I could now see the car clearly. It was a silver sedan with lights on top. It looked like a law-enforcement vehicle. I ran toward it but stopped in my tracks when I glanced at the portal again. Two feet had stepped to the ground.