Tempus 2 - Hardcover Version 4

By Jonathan Faz

This published work, its characters, and storyline are © 2008 by Jonathan Faz. All Rights Reserved. This work is fictional. Any correlation to real people, events, and locations is entirely coincidental.

Follow the clocks... A note from the author: I wrote this book during a difficult time of my life. Many personal things have happened which have changed me forever. Life is all about that. Unexpected things get thrown your way. The question is: how are you going to deal with it when it's a bad thing that gets handed to you? That's what makes everyone unique and interesting. That's something I incorporate into my writing, as well. Life doesn't end “happily ever after” for everyone. When things aren't so happy, that's where a person's true character shines through. Tempus revolves around making decisions and how it all plays out, as you'll find when reading the series. But this book specifically focuses on the wacky, random idea known as life and how it just kinda happens to you, for the good and the bad.

For Cindy Quiroz, who always encouraged my creativeness by building up my ego. I wish I could have met her, but that time will come later...

Thanks to... Alyssa King For giving me an interesting name for an interesting character Tatiana Soltero Elegant, downright spooky poetry is hard to come by, but you made it possible

Inspiration for this book... Joss Whedon Scott Sigler Evanescence Chevelle John Williams

Table of Contents ~ 1. Foreboding Flames 2. The Drifter's Silhouette 3. Flight from Shelter 4. Elizabeth's First Movement 5. Swift Dislike 6. Alexandria Library 7. The Two Calls 8. The Transtemporal Railway 9. Vickers Manor 10. Meeting with the Mystery Man 11. Capture and Interview 12. An Unexpected Cataclysm 13. The Girl With Green Eyes 14. An Evening of Mournful Notes 15. Back Into Hiding 16. Return to the Manor 17. Arrival at Viktun Square 18. The Open Window 19. A Shift in the Wind 20. The Freezing Gust 21. The Boon 22. Follow the Clocks 23. Encounter With the Two 24. The Stranger Returns 25. Shadows on the Horizon

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Chapter 1 Foreboding Flames

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ain. Horrible, almost unendurable pain. The feeling of fire crawling through muscles, making them quiver and contract, not relaxing until several minutes passed by. That's all Graham Sherwood felt as he woke up one cold Friday November morning. Normal teenage kids his age felt a bit groggy in the mornings, but not Graham. He just felt pain. Pain, helplessness, and confusion. A chill ran through his back and he stirred in bed, but even that small movement hurt unbearably. It had been like this since the beginning of November, when the really cold weather started to settle in. Ever since then, he couldn't remember a single dream during the night, but he suspected that something must've been causing his muscles to spasm and contract involuntarily while he slept. Or else he

8 • Jonathan Faz was deathly ill, which was a possibility he wanted to avoid thinking about. So far, the really deep pain only lasted about five minutes after he awoke. Once those five minutes were up, all that was left was just a lingering soreness which lasted throughout the day. This caused his already skinny body to be even weaker when it came to sports, but it was so bad that it even caused everyday walking to become a chore. Graham turned his head slowly, feeling the tense muscles in his neck protest at this movement, and glanced at his clock. Three minutes left, he estimated, and the pain would begin to decrease. He stayed in this position for a while, wondering once again about what the new day would bring. Since Graham's thirteenth birthday last October, he had become a lot better at making friends. He wasn't the best, but he was okay at it. Throughout his life he had been an introvert, completely avoiding friendships because most people didn't share his interests. When he was twelve, however, things had changed—and that was an understatement. Not only had a vacation to his uncle's house led to what he now knew was his first friend ever, but it had also led to much, much more. While he had been away, this completely unexpected and strange thing happened. Time as everyone knew it had ceased to exist. Instead of the past, present, and future being separate, their boundaries were lifted or even destroyed. Another phenomenon, called the time flux, kicked in and began transporting people out of different time periods into what was now commonly called the Now. The only constants in the Now were people from Graham's own time period, which at the time was 2006, and people from the year 5050. Graham had found this odd about the time fusion, which had seemed far too

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chaotic to be controlled by such a law. He had also discovered the existence of an insane serial killer that had appeared in the Now. Many had believed that this killer, who was called the Tempus Murderer, had caused the time fusion. None could explain how or why he caused it, though. Graham had been just as curious then as he was now, so he tried his best to discover who the Tempus Murderer was and how he had caused such an extraordinary event. The clock read two minutes left. Due to circumstantial evidence, Graham thought that a crazy old man that had lived across the street was this serial killer from the future. The old man didn't exactly act normal at any rate, and he regularly yelled at people who crossed his house every morning. His house, however, was what really made him strange. Every evening—up until the time fusion—its windows would shine and glow with bright, blue light. On the night of the time fusion, something else happened that changed everything. The house's windows flashed violently and actually thundered loudly in the night. After that extraordinary event, all the way down to this day, the house remained dormant and silent. Graham was convinced that this proved the old man— Jack Rooster, as the kids called him—was the Tempus Murderer. As it turned out, Graham was dead wrong and it almost cost him his life and the life of his friend, Tera. Katherine, a girl who had befriended his cousin and her friends during Graham's stay at his uncle's house, had been the Tempus Murderer all the long. She had no doubt targeted Tera long in advance and had merely played with them all during the week Graham was there. It was her idea of a game, he suspected. He didn't know for sure, however,

10 • Jonathan Faz why Katherine had targeted Tera, of all people. Three people had been victims during Katherine's reign of terror. All of them had been members of the LATC, or League Against Temporal Crime, the futuristic police force assigned to stop her. Thankfully, Tera hadn't been the forth victim, but Graham usually pondered how she came into play with the rest of the victims. The clock read one minute left. Graham could feel the sweat on his forehead begin to dry off. It made him shiver, which sent a fresh wave of pain through his body, though less intense now. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing of all the events of his stay at his uncle's house had been his discovery of the Chronoculus, a peculiar drawing Graham would always doodle when he was a kid. He'd found out that the Chronoculus was known in the year 5050 by a late member of the LATC, a boy robot named Rakhon, and apparently one other person in the LATC who told the robot about it in the first place. Graham was always mystified by that. But nothing— nothing, could compare with what Graham found out next about the Chronoculus. He discovered that the Chronoculus had powers, powers that he couldn't explain how or why it had. It was because of the Chronoculus that Graham and Tera were still alive and the Tempus Murderer was now dead. There was a brief twinge of guilt as Graham recalled these things. After two years, he still wasn't anywhere closer to unraveling the mystery. He wished he had answers, but none had come to him over the course of time. The pain slowly receded, and Graham felt comfortable enough to get out of bed. His pajamas were wet with sweat, causing goosebumps to pop up all over his body. He

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quickly changed into new pajamas—feeling his muscles burn in the process—and headed out of his room into the kitchen. Since that adventure two years ago, Graham had changed quite a bit. He was still creative and considered somewhat of a geek in school, but he had made some more friends since. His best friend by a long shot was a boy named Matt Brannon. Matt was a very eccentric blond boy from Graham's own time period. He normally wore titanium square rimmed glasses on his sharp nosed face. Matt was usually considered to be in the same league as Graham— the dorks of school—because of his love of history. Usually, nobody Matt's age would be found reading Historical events of the 19th Century on weekends. Ironically, it was about the time Graham made friends with Matt that he began to have restless, dreamless nights which slowly turned into painful mornings. Graham forced his thoughts to the present where, unfortunately, he had a history essay due in three days and hadn't worked on it at all. Mentally beating himself up for his procrastination, Graham took a seat at the kitchen table, where his oatmeal lay hot and ready. He hated oatmeal, but his mom made him eat healthy because she thought it was malnutrition that caused his pains every morning. The doctor, however, was completely baffled as to the cause of Graham's strange pains. This didn't deter his mom from thinking she was right, however. “Eat up,” she told him, making herself a cup of coffee. She seemed to shiver every time the howling wind outside was heard. “Sounds like another cold, windy day.” Graham mumbled agreement and started eating his oatmeal. He was never a morning person, but the soreness

12 • Jonathan Faz made him even less so. “Were you still hurting this morning?” Graham's mom asked, her voice turning serious. Graham paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I was.” Then he added somewhat reluctantly, “I think it's getting worse.” “Oh, Graham...” It really bugged Graham to see his mom fuss and worry about him so much, but he couldn't help but be worried himself. He, of course, had a theory about why he was hurting, but it really couldn't be proven at all. In fact, there was even a flaw in it. Two years ago he had come face to face with the Tempus Murderer, and in so doing he had come very near death. Katherine had a strange, dark power that allowed her to torture and kill her victims. Graham had seen this power at work on his cousin and her friends, Tera and Elizabeth. He had seen their limbs try to bend the wrong way. Elizabeth, however, had complained about a feeling of fire ants biting and crawling through her brain. Her limbs had stayed firmly fixed. Graham hadn't been through any of that, but he had felt Katherine's dark power coarse through him as she tried to strangle him. It made him feel sick just to think about it. He wondered if contact with that power had caused his health to slowly degrade. The flaw in this theory, however, was that nobody else was experiencing the same symptoms. Graham had been able to talk with his cousin, Debbie, after the incident. She had never once complained about pain or degrading health, nor did Elizabeth or Tera. If it was Katherine's power that was slowly eating Graham up, why was it only effecting him?

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Then again, Graham thought, it could have nothing to do with Katherine. “I'm going to call the doctor again,” muttered his mother, her voice slightly hoarse. “Maybe this time he'll find something.” Graham really doubted that, but if it made his mom feel better, he would put up with being prodded and poked again. “Sure.” “In the meantime, finish your oatmeal and start getting ready.” Slightly annoyed, Graham did as he was told. After he took the last bite of his plain oatmeal, he got up and walked to his room. There he slowly got dressed for school and made sure all of his papers were in his backpack. He walked back out of his room and stepped up to the front door. He smiled, waved to his mom, and found himself in a tight embrace that he found excruciatingly painful. She kissed him on the cheek and sent him off. The walk to meet the bus was agonizing. The biting wind made his aching muscles feel even worse, and that caused him to walk slower. Graham made his way down the street, passing the completely silent and boring house of the late Jack Rooster—or Lloyd Evans, which was his real name. The dead trees rocked in the wind, but Graham wasn't afraid of them anymore, nor was he afraid of the creaking house as it shifted. He reached the normal drop-off point of the school bus and waited, trembling. At long last, the bus arrived and Graham climbed aboard. He glanced around for a familiar sharp nosed face, found it, and took a seat next to Matt Brannon. Matt was deeply immersed in a book held in his hand that he didn't even notice Graham had sat down opposite him until he received a hard poke on his side.

14 • Jonathan Faz “Oh,” he yelped, looking mildly surprised. “When did you get on?” “About a second ago,” replied Graham, looking at the book. “What're you reading?” Matt turned the book's cover over, revealing the title Stories of the First World War. He grinned at the astonished look on Graham's face. “Honestly, you're getting way too into that stuff,” muttered Graham. “Don't you read anything else?” “It's actually for school,” Matt explained. “For that history essay, you know.” “Find anything interesting?” Graham asked, trying to situate himself in a way where he wouldn't hurt as much when the bus hit a bump; his muscles were very sore. “Oh yes,” replied Matt, opening the book up. “Right now I'm reading up on this very interesting person. I think he's going to be the subject of my essay.” “Well, who is he?” The bus hit another bump, and Graham shuddered. “What caught my eye first,” Matt went on, seeming to ignore Graham's question. “Was his nickname. People called him the Mystery Man of Europe.” Matt smiled and paused for a second, staring dreamily out of the window. “Awesome.” “Uh right,” muttered Graham. He repeated his question. “Who is he?” “A weapons dealer during the first World War,” explained Matt, coming out of his trance. “He was a very cunning manipulator from what I read. One time, he sold a submarine called the Nordenfelt I to the Greeks. Then he convinced the Turks to buy two since the Greeks had one and posed a threat. Then he went to the Russians and told them about the significant threat on the Black Sea, and so

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they bought two as well.” Matt paused again, snickering. “The submarines were never used in battle, but the Turkish Navy did try to use one in a trial. The submarine tried to fire a torpedo, and the thing became so unbalanced that it sunk stern first.” Matt obviously found this highly amusing, for he chuckled again. “So he sold them all something that didn't even work? Sounds pretty horrible. I don't like him.” Graham shifted in his seat again, feeling his mood grow dark as the soreness lingered throughout his body. He never could get comfortable in these chairs. “Oh come on, that was brilliant,” protested Matt. “Hey, what's the matter with you? You look a little pale.” “Bad night,” Graham said truthfully. It shocked him somewhat to know that he not only felt bad, but he looked bad too. “Didn't get much sleep.” The bus continued its long journey down the many winding roads until, finally, it reached Graham's school. His legs aching, Graham walked slowly down the bus's steps and then up the school's steps, the dry and cold wind stinging his face. Matt followed him to their lockers, chattering away about what else he had learned about the Mystery Man of Europe. “His name was Sir Basil Zaharoff,” he continued. “Look, here's another cool example. A man named Harim Maxim had created an automatic machine gun, okay? Zaharoff is believed to have sabotaged three of Maxim's demonstrations of the weapon because the gun was much better than anything Zaharoff and the company he worked for had. Eventually, Maxim merged with that company, with Zaharoff as the chief salesman of the deal.” Matt chuckled again. “He made a lot of money from that.” “Sounds like you enjoy all that corruption,” muttered

16 • Jonathan Faz Graham, darkly. He was not in the mood to admire someone's trickery, even though it had happened years and years ago. “No, I enjoy brilliance,” replied Matt. “And, right or wrong, I think Zaharoff was a brilliant man.” Graham scowled at his friend and made his way to history class, with Matt right behind him. Matt didn't question why his friend was limping and walking extremely slow—but then again, he was probably still thinking about his new historical hero. Graham took his seat and glanced around. Most of the students were in their seats, waiting expectantly for their history teacher, Mr. Braunfels, to show up. He busied himself with getting his book and papers together while Matt merely stared blissfully into his book, still reading feverishly. Graham unconsciously massaged his arms and legs, which were aching. He was obviously doing it for a long time, for Lynda Crampton—a girl with bronze skin and black hair sitting beside him—asked, “What's the matter?” Shrugging, Graham replied, “Must be the weather.” “But you're shaking.” Graham paused and looked at his hands. Sure enough, they had a slight tremor, as if he was shivering in the cold. But he wasn't cold. “I'm tired,” Graham said. “I guess I stayed up too late last night.” Lynda nodded. “Oh. Well, maybe you should see the nurse anyways. You don't look so good.” “Thanks.” Lynda smiled and began to take out her things. She had always been nice enough to Graham, but she was more Matt's friend than his. Yet, the fact that she had noticed how bad he looked alarmed him. He had never received

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that many comments after a bad night. “Bet you liked that, didn't you?” Matt whispered, putting his book down for an instant. “Huh?” Smirking, Matt nodded towards Lynda. “Pretty-girl over there showing heartfelt concern, of course. She never notices when I look sick.” Graham felt like telling Matt to shut up, but at that moment there was a loud thumping sound at the front of the class. Everyone turned to look at what was causing the noise. It seemed to be coming from one of the windows to the left side of the classroom. A muffled shriek of agony followed this thump, and then the window slid open suddenly. Mr. Braunfels climbed through the window from the outside, gesturing to the class to keep silent. He struggled to get his other foot indoors, then slid the window shut as quietly as possible. Mr. Braunfels was a tall, skinny man with a serious expression constantly etched in his face. He wore thick lensed glasses which magnified his eyes to about twice their size. What little hair was left on his head was a very bright white. He turned to the class and whispered, “Shh. Just be quiet.” He ran to his desk, placed his briefcase on top, opened it, and tossed out numerous papers at random so that they scattered everywhere. He dropped the briefcase to the ground and took his seat, making sure to scatter the papers even more with his hands. Suddenly, the classroom door flew open. Amy Melin, the school principle, marched inside looking furious. “Class, I'm afraid your teacher is late again. We'll be waiting for the substitute to arrive. In the meantine—” She stopped, realizing Mr. Braunfels was there sitting behind his desk.

18 • Jonathan Faz “If you don't mind,” said Mr. Braunfels, a bit angrily, “I'm trying to teach a class here. What's this about me being late?” “When did you get here?!” Amy demanded. “I've been here for a while,” answered Mr. Braunfels. “Isn't that right, class?” He gave the class a meaningful look. The class murmured their agreement, some looking amused. It was a definite sign of how much they liked their teacher, otherwise they would've just left a hanging silence. He pulled out a small pocket watch and flipped it open. Graham was surprised to see a holographic projection of the time displayed in the air just an inch above the watch. “Seems like you're the one who's late, Mrs. Melin. Wasn't there a meeting scheduled to start around two minutes ago?” Amy looked taken aback. “Well, it's just that nobody has seen you enter the building...” She glanced at the desk, which was piled with papers. “Oh, fine. I'm sorry for the interruption. I've got to run, now.” She strolled out of the class and closed the door behind her. Mr. Braunfels stared at the door in victorious satisfaction for a second, pocketing his watch as he did so. He turned and smiled at his class. “I thank you,” he said, beaming at them. “No homework tonight for that wonderful improvisation. Now, then...” He dug through his papers for a moment, finding what he was looking for at last. “Ah, yes. On with our lesson for today.” The entire class cheered, except for Graham, who knew he would feel intense pain ricochet through his arms if he clapped. This was, of course, typical behavior for Mr. Braunfels. Even though the man always looked serious, he really wasn't. In fact, it seemed he could be quite careless with his

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job at times. Mr. Braunfels adjusted his magnificent glasses and began to read aloud. Graham didn't listen to the lesson at all. He was too busy wondering why he was suffering, something he did all too often during class. Matt, of course, was fully absorbed in the class, but apparently someone other than Graham was thinking about something else. “Maybe you should see the nurse,” Graham heard Lynda say to him. “You really, really don't look good.” Graham became suddenly annoyed, tired of hearing his mom and other people fussing over him and telling him he looked sick. “Mind your own business,” he snapped. Lynda frowned at him. “Fine. Just trying to help.” She turned to the teacher without another glance at Graham. As time wore on, he began to feel bad about snapping at her and decided that he would apologize the first moment he got. He had actually been a little attracted to her for a while, but something in his mind snapped. He couldn't really place his finger on it, but something told him it was important. At long last, the history class ended, and Graham had to run to try and catch up with Lynda. She was storming off in the opposite direction, apparently still mad at him. She successfully avoided Graham all the way through the crowd of people and made her way to their next class. His math teacher, Ms. Elena Sable, was already in the classroom, so Graham was forced to pass Lynda's desk and find his seat. Ms. Sable was very peculiar in appearance, and Graham knew that she definitely didn't belong in the present. She wore an old fashioned black hat on her head, a long black coat and a black skirt, and white gloves. Her hair was also black and very short. Her face was surprisingly young for her old fashioned appearance.

20 • Jonathan Faz “Settle down, class,” she said with a slight British accent. “Settle down. Yes, that's it. Thank you. Now, turn to page one hundred forty seven in your books, please. And pay attention, I will not repeat myself.” Graham couldn't concentrate on this lesson, either. He kept glancing up at Lynda, but she kept her back to him. He felt so guilty for snapping at someone who was just trying to help him. “Mister Sherwood,” came Miss Sable's prompt voice. “Would you care to explain how the back of Miss Crampton's head has anything to do with this math problem?” The class all turned around to look at him, all except Lynda, who merely looked up from her book but continued to stare forward. Graham felt the blood drain from his face and his mouth grow dry. “Sorry,” he said, shifting in his seat uneasily. “Let it be the last time, now,” said Ms. Sable, stiffly. “Now, come here. We'll see how well you take this problem.” The problem was not that difficult and Graham solved it without thinking about it much. Thankfully the strange nights didn't affect his brain as it did his muscles. He returned to his seat, still blushing but making sure to keep his eyes on his teacher at all times now. Ms. Sable turned to the class, beginning to explain an equation on the black board. “Copy these problems into your notebooks, children,” she said. “And remember, if you think about the problem correctly, it's easy to find the solution.” It highly annoyed everyone in the room whenever Ms. Sable called them “children”, but they complied. Graham pulled out his notebook and opened it. There, sitting on the

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corner of the page, was a small Chronoculus that he had drawn earlier. He glanced at it for a few seconds, then looked back up to the black board. The first problem read n + 3 > 7. That was easy. Graham copied the problem down and solved the answer by writing n = 5. The problem after that was easy as well. And so was the one after that. Graham got to the forth problem and was about to start copying it down when he stopped suddenly, glaring at the black board in astonishment. Both the board and the wall surrounding it seemed to be melting. Graham felt a strangely familiar dizzy feeling and he grasped the desk for support. He knew he had felt this sensation long ago, but he couldn't quite place where... His eyes fell upon the Chronoculus on the notebook. A small stream of smoke was rising from it, its edges glowing with a dim orange light. Graham felt his head and body tipping over to his left, and he forced himself to lean right. The orange light began to get brighter and brighter until, finally, it erupted into flames. Now he remembered. This had happened before. Two years ago, Graham had felt this same vertigo and had seen the Chronoculus burst into flames. It had happened just before Graham heard that his friend, Rakhon, had been murdered. The room spun around and Graham felt he would surely vomit if it didn't stop soon. He lost the grip on his desk and spilled over onto the floor, clutching his head and moaning. This was definitely way more intense than before. He felt like his whole body was being sucked into a small space, the space on his notepad where the Chronoculus was. Slowly, darkness began to engulf him until—

22 • Jonathan Faz “Mister Sherwood?” he could hear his teacher call out. “Wake up, it isn't real.” Graham's eyes flew open, only to see the kids in the classroom staring down at him with concern, Matt the closest. He was shouting something, but Graham could not hear a word he was saying. He couldn't hear anything anymore. The room gave another jolt and he lost consciousness completely.

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Chapter 2 The Drifter's Silhouette

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hen Graham finally came to, he was lying down on a reclined bed in the school clinic. His bout of unconsciousness had, thankfully, not produced the normal stabbing pain associated with waking up in the morning. The dizzy feeling, however, was still there, though it was less intense. He looked around slowly and carefully and saw that the room was empty except for the short, plump nurse who was sitting across from him, reading something held on a clipboard. “What happened?” he asked aloud. The school nurse looked up at him, looking worried. “Oh, you're awake,” she sighed, walking up to the bed and feeling his forehead. “You fainted. Not quite sure why. Your blood pressure and temperature are normal, at least

24 • Jonathan Faz when you got here. There doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with you.” Graham scowled. He had heard that many times before. Weird things continually happened to him and every medical expert who saw him said that nothing was wrong with him. “Right.” There was a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw his teacher, Elena Sable, in her peculiar black dress, peering at him with a curious expression. “May we have a moment alone?” “I was just about to send him away,” the nurse replied. “Go fetch his books, then.” “What?” “He needs his books. Go get them and I will speak to him privately.” The nurse looked slightly appalled at the idea. She opened her mouth to speak, but Elena gave her a very severe, authoritative look. The nurse's mouth closed, she fumed for a second, and then stormed out of the room. Elena turned to Graham and looked at him with calculating eyes. “Mister Sherwood, are you feeling okay?” “Yes,” Graham answered, wondering why she was appearing to be so concerned with him. She had always come off as uptight and bitter. “Now I am.” “May I smell your breath?” Graham did a double take. “What?” “Your breath, young man. Can I smell your breath?” Quite confounded, Graham obliged. Elena took a sniff, withdrew, and wrinkled her nose. “Oatmeal...” “Was there a point to that?” Graham inquired, almost annoyed. “Mister Sherwood, I could have sworn that I saw a lick of smoke near your face before you fainted,” Elena said

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coldly. “I am merely investigating if you have smoked something that has made you ill.” “You saw smoke?” Graham's heart seemed to freeze. So the phenomenon was visible to others? But, that couldn't be true—everyone in the room would've noticed the warping, melting walls, for instance. “Yes,” replied Ms. Sable. “Smoke and the unmistakable orange glow of a fire. Such as it is, I think it may have been my imagination.” Graham remained silent as Elena eyed him suspiciously for a few more seconds. “Get to your feet, Mr. Sherwood. You do look pale, you know. Maybe all you need is some rest. Your mother should be arriving here shortly.” The one thing he didn't need was rest, he thought darkly, remembering the restless nights he'd been experiencing. He nodded and, careful not to fall on his face, got out of the bed. His head spun for a moment, but over time it dissipated. Elena walked him out of the room just as the nurse returned with Graham's books. “Here you are,” she said, panting softly. “I have decided not to give Graham any homework,” Elena said. “He will not need his books after all. Good day, Mister Sherwood.” She walked down the hallway back to her classroom, the nurse staring daggers at her. Deciding he'd better leave, Graham began to walk to the school's main exit. He staggered dangerously for a moment, then regained his balance and continued on, careful not to overexert his sore muscles. “Graham!” He recognized the voice that spoke as being that of Lynda Crampton. When he turned to look at her, he saw that she was running up to him looking positively worried.

26 • Jonathan Faz “Oh,” said Graham, trying to look comfortable. “Hello.” “How are you feeling? I was so worried,” she said when she got to him, her eyes scanning him up and down as though convinced he were near death. “I'm okay,” he replied. “Just felt a little dizzy, that's all.” “So are you going home? You—you still look—” “Pale? I know.” Graham forced a smile and nodded. “They think I need sleep. That's where I'm headed right now.” “Well, I hope you get better, then,” said Lynda. “I'll let Matt know what's happened.” She gave Graham a light hug and then walked away. Graham walked away too, for some reason feeling a little better than before. He stood outside the school for about ten minutes until he saw his mom's car pull up slowly. He hopped in the car and soon had to endure a long series of questions during the drive back home. “We're going to take you to the doctor soon,” his mom said for about the third time. “Maybe even today, if we can manage it.” “Mom,” growled Graham, exasperated. “How many times have we gone to the doctor? He always says the same things. There's no point in going anymore.” Graham's mom made a sound in her throat, annoyed. “There's always a chance he missed something...” “If he's missed something that many times, I should get a new doctor!” There was a pause, and Graham's mom looked thoughtful. “Good idea.” Graham sighed, looking out the window. He didn't want to go to any doctor. He was quite sure that it wasn't the doctor's fault that the cause of his condition hadn't been discovered. “I don't want to go to the doctor.”

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“But, what if this time around he finds something—” “He won't, mom!” Graham's mom moaned. “Sweetie, please don't think that. You can't give up hope.” Graham slumped back in the seat and sulked, keeping his eyes out of the window. It wasn't about losing hope. There was just absolutely no point in going to the doctor again. He didn't want to waste any more time hoping in something that wouldn't turn out. The car stopped at a red light, just next to a group of people all holding up signs. Graham's mind was temporarily distracted as he surveyed the group of people, who were obviously protesting something. One of the signs, held by an older man with a white beard read, Support unification for a brighter future! Intrigued, he lowered the window slightly, trying to hear what they were saying. “Separation isn't the solution, it's part of the problem!” one lady shouted through a loud speaker. “We should embrace our differences to make everything better!” The rest of the crowd were chanting, “Unity! Unity!” The crowd was made up of several modern day people, but Graham picked out a cowboy and at least three individuals from the future dressed in black, leather armor. A siren roared suddenly from the sky. A flying police car settled to the left of the group just as the traffic light turned green and Graham's mother began to drive forward. The only thing Graham could see before the crowd was out of view was a thin woman and several men jump out of the police car. He wasn't sure if they were trying to calm them down or if something else was happening. “Wonder what that was all about,” his mother muttered, glancing through her rear view mirror.

28 • Jonathan Faz Graham shrugged, his mind once again turning back to his problem. The rest of the ride was silent and uneventful. Once home, Graham stepped out of the car and closed the door without another word to his mom. He walked into his house and headed straight for his room. “Graham,” his mother called out. “Don't be upset, please.” “Why would I be upset?” Graham asked sarcastically. “Well, you're going to the doctor tomorrow. I'm going to make the appointment right now.” He slammed his room's door and kicked his dresser hard in frustration, but instantly regretted it. His big toe erupted in pain. “You are upset,” he heard his mom say through the closed door. “I'm only looking out for you because I love you.” He didn't reply nor move. He waited until it was completely quiet and he was sure that his mom had left him alone, then he slumped onto his bed and stared at nothing in particular. Why were all of these things happening to him? Everything seemed to keep getting worse and he felt completely helpless, like there was nothing he could do. And the problem was that he was right, there really wasn't anything he could do to fix it. For the rest of the day, Graham stayed inside his room and mulled things over in his mind, trying to find some way to remain optimistic. His mother, of course, tried to cheer him up, but he wasn't too fond of her at the moment. It wasn't until the evening, when the phone rang that his bitter thoughts paused for a moment. It was Matt and he sounded concerned. “Dude, what happened earlier?” he inquired. “You fainted in the middle of class and I never saw you afterwards. Are you still

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alive?” “Yeah, I'm fine,” Graham muttered. “Just... stuff. Nothing to be concerned about.” “Yeah, sure there isn't,” retorted Matt. “Falling unconscious is all the rage... it's so now. You're always so secretive about things, you know?” Graham said nothing, but glowered at the wall. “Anyways,” Matt continued. “Since you say you're okay, I'll leave you be. I was just concerned.” “Thanks,” Graham replied after a long pause. “Maybe I'll tell you about it later. It's just so... complicated.” “No big deal. I've gotta go. But listen, I'm gonna bring a book over that I really want you to read. Tomorrow's Saturday so I'll be by sometime in the morning. I've got a lot of stuff to do during the day with my family.” “Sounds good. See ya, then.” “Yeah, bye.” After hanging up the phone, Graham slumped in his bed and switched on the TV. He usually did this when he wanted to clear his mind and slowly fall to sleep, since peace and quiet gave him opportunity to think about the next morning and the new pain that it would bring. The evening news was on and a familiar scene was being played on the screen. Graham recognized the crowd of people who had been chanting something about unity. He was watching the aftermath of the police showing up. The woman with the loud speaker was being forced to the ground and handcuffed by the skinny policewoman. “The LATC have arrested Caressa Longworth, a suspected member of the unification supporters known as the Nine Tails, or time bandits, as they have been called before,” the reporter's voice spoke as the scene played out. “This is in response to the massive train derailment earlier

30 • Jonathan Faz this month in which two people were killed and dozens more were injured. The LATC suspected sabotage by the Nine Tails. No word yet on if this lead will play out for the officers.” The policewoman shoved the woman into the back of the flying vehicle and took off. The two officers that had accompanied her stayed behind, trying to control the outraged group of people the supposed Nine Tails member had been with. Graham remembered hearing about the train derailment. He hadn't seen much about it at all. All that he knew was that it happened downtown and had been caused by an explosion. He found it odd, since there weren't any train stations in his city, even in the midst of the time fusion. The phone rang again, making Graham jump in surprise. He lowered the TV's volume and reached for the phone. “Hello?” He heard the familiar voice of Debbie, his cousin, answer him back. “Hey,” she said. “Are you okay? What happened?” It took Graham a few seconds to answer. Debbie's unexpected questions took him by surprise. “What do you mean?” “Earlier today. Something happened at school, didn't it?” “Oh,” said Graham, finally getting the idea. “That. Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it—” “No you're not fine, Graham. You've been feeling terrible and you've been waking up every morning in pain. Why haven't you told me?” Graham sighed, feeling slightly annoyed. “Who needs talking when I've got my psychic cousin reading my thoughts,” he muttered. “You know, that really creeps me out. I don't even know how you do it.”

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“Thanks for the compliment, but no crystal ball this time,” replied Debbie. “Your mom told me all about it. That's how I know.” “Oh. Well, I'm fine. Really, she's overreacting. I've been to the doctor several times and he's never found anything wrong with me. She keeps wanting me to go, though...” He paused, a new thought crossing his mind. “Do you think I'm just imagining the pain?” “I don't know,” said Debbie. “But I agree that it's pretty useless to keep going to the doctor if he keeps saying everything is fine.” Debbie paused, thinking. “But I think she's right to think this is serious. I think you should go to a specialist or something.” “No way! I'm not going anywhere. I can deal with this by myself.” “But that's your problem,” persisted Debbie. “You always try to do things alone when you've got friends to—” “Is there anything else you wanted?” Graham cut her off, angrily. He instantly felt guilty for doing this and added, with a calmer voice, “Sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude.” There was a pause. “Let's talk about something else, then. Okay?” “Yeah, okay.” “Well, a lot has changed since the last time we talked.” “Like what?” “Well, Elizabeth and her family moved. They live further into town now. Oh, and she's also gotten artistic, if you can believe it.” Graham snorted with laughter. “I never thought Elizabeth could be creative. What exactly is she doing? Does it involve macaroni?” “Music,” replied Debbie, simply. “I must say, she's

32 • Jonathan Faz improving. I don't get headaches anymore when she practices.” Graham laughed. “That sounds like Liz.” “So what's new with you?” Graham thought about this very carefully. Debbie knew about the pains he got every morning and about the fact that he had just fainted. What she didn't know, however, was that Graham knew that the incident at school and the painful mornings were not caused by the same thing. He knew this because of the fact that the Chronoculus had burned once before and had caused a similar reaction in him, but the pains had only recently started. He pondered over the decision about telling her or not, and settled for not telling her quite yet. She didn't need something else to worry about. Graham hated it when people worried about him. “Nothing,” he replied finally. Deciding to throw her off the trail, he decided to bring up his friend, Lynda. “There's this girl in school who seems to like me. That's about it.” The bait worked. Debbie jumped on it quickly rather than question him further. “Oh a girl, huh?” Graham could hear the interest in her voice. “What's her name? Who is she?” “None of your business,” replied Graham, but he was smiling. “She's just a friend and I don't really like her back, so it's no big deal. I just hope she leaves me alone soon.” “Now Graham, be nice to her. Don't hurt her feelings.” “Yeah yeah.” Graham hesitated, and a question popped into his mind. “How's Tera been?” Debbie giggled. “How funny you ask about her now of all times.” “What?” “Nothing. Well, she's doing fine too. Her parents are still

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giving her a rough time. But dad's been very nice to her and she's been staying over a lot.” “Tell her I said hi, then. I miss everyone.” “Oh I will.” There was a slight flicker in Graham's peripheral vision, and he turned his gaze over to his notebook, but it was closed and completely normal. “Dad's calling,” said Debbie, suddenly. “Dinner's ready and it's my favorite, spaghetti. I'll talk to you later, okay?” “Sure. Bye.” Graham hung the phone up, but immediately after letting go of the receiver, the phone rang once again. Frowning, Graham picked it up and muttered, “Hello?” There was a short moment of silence. “Graham? Is this Graham Sherwood?” It was Lynda's voice this time. Graham felt his mouth dry up. “Uhm, yeah. This is Graham. Lynda?” “Yeah, hey. Uh, how are you? Just wanted to check up on you.” “I'm fine,” Graham replied, trying not to sound exasperated. “Really. I just... didn't eat breakfast.” “Oh, okay. Well, I hope you remember to eat next time. That was scary.” “Yeah,” Graham laughed awkwardly, his face warming up. “I'll definitely keep it in—” There was a rush of wind that blew some loose papers off of Graham's desk, making them spiral into the air. Graham suddenly felt as if the entire earth had shifted violently, and as he dropped the phone to the ground he let out a slight yelp. His notebook sprang open, the front pages flying off the binding until the top page was that of the Chronoculus. It glowed with orange fire, hissing and pulsing. The fire spun around, growing taller and taller until

34 • Jonathan Faz it almost reached the ceiling. It was happening again. Graham fell off his bed, clutching his head. The room wasn't just spinning, it was shaking. Distantly, he could hear Lynda talking on the receiver, but he was too dizzy and sick to pick it up and ask for help. All he did was grunt as the extreme vertigo got even worse. He couldn't even balance on his knees. He fell over to one side and shut his eyes, trying to fight the urge to throw up and the feeling of being sucked into the pages of his notebook like a vacuum — Outside. And then, suddenly, it all stopped. He lied on the ground breathing hard and fast, sweat pouring down his face. For some odd reason, he had the urge to go out to his back porch and sit on the bench. He felt that he needed to be there. Almost as if he were in a dream, he got to his feet, ignoring the dull ache throughout his body and the sounds of Lynda's desperate voice from the phone, and walked out of his room. The outside hallway was completely empty and Graham had no interruption during his journey to the back door, which he unlocked quietly and opened. He walked outside and immediately wished he had thought about bringing a coat. It had to be near freezing. Graham folded his arms, shivered, and then walked to the bench. He took a seat and stared out at his back yard, wondering why he was even outside to begin with. What had he been doing before this? He couldn't quite remember. The lawn was long and in bad need of cutting. He could see the long strands of grass illuminated from a light pole in his back yard, its greenish glow making the grass look

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alive for this time of year. Unlike the daytime, the night air was still and quiet. Sighing, Graham watched the condensation of his breath float away in front of him. What had happened back there? Why was he suddenly here on the back porch? It was the Chronoculus, yes. It had caught on fire again. He thought long and hard about it. The last time the Chronoculus had burned up, he found out after the fact that Rakhon, the boy robot from the future who had been helping him, was killed. He had always assumed that both were related somehow. Now, however, he was fresh out of theories, as Rakhon had been dead for two years now. Two years. That's how much time had passed since Graham had defeated the Tempus Murderer. He now felt sick with himself for not getting any further in finding out the answers to his questions. He had much to find out and he hadn't even given it a second thought. Suddenly, there was a bitter gust of wind. Graham shivered, finally coming to his senses and realizing he was absolutely nuts to go out in the cold without a jacket; his mother would kill him since she seemed to think he was near death. He stood up and scanned the backyard once again. As he turned to leave, however, something caught his eye and he stopped dead, slowly turning back toward the backyard to gaze into a gap in between two trees. At first, he thought he had imagined the movement. But after a few seconds he saw it again. Something was in the shadows and it moved forward one step. Graham squinted and gazed harder. The shape of a man was barely visible now. His features were concealed in shadow, the bright green light from the light post illuminating his outline only. It was an older man, someone

36 • Jonathan Faz Graham was sure he didn't know. The silhouette stood there, seeming to glare at Graham for a few seconds. Graham's pulse quickened and his eyes widened. The silhouette stirred, still staring at him. His eyes flickered to the back door and he wondered if he could just run back inside and tell his parents. He wished that he had thought about bringing the Chronoculus outside with him. He wasn't sure what good it would've been, since he hadn't used it in over two years, but he would've definitely felt safer. At the moment, he wasn't sure if he was in danger or not. At last the shadow of the man staggered forward, sending a fresh wave of fear through Graham's body, but he remained motionless. He was afraid that any sudden movement on his part would make the stranger violent. So all Graham did was watch as the man came closer and closer with small, limping steps. Again, Graham's eyes flickered to the door. He decided if the man took one more step, he'd have no choice but to run inside. The problem was that fear had paralyzed his legs. He couldn't get them unlocked from their current position. But the stranger did not take another step. He paused in mid stride, stirred again, and stood motionless. Though he was a bit closer to the house, Graham still couldn't see any of the man's features. The light from the windows illuminated part of the man's pants and shirt, which both were torn and disheveled. There was a long moment of inaction and the two merely looked at each other. Graham began to calm down a little and wondered if he should say something. But it was the stranger who spoke first. “Do not get anyone,” he muttered, his voice very hoarse.

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The man moaned just audibly, stirred again, and glared back up at Graham. “Dangerous for you... mustn't go and get help. Keep me inside!” Graham stared in astonishment, unable to speak. The stranger went on in his weak voice, “The murders were all connected... I don't want to, but I must...” He took a great breath, as if all of this were causing him tremendous pain. He slurred something that was not understandable, then took another deep breath. “Go... you must discover it at the library before it is too late. And... follow the clocks.” The man's voice slowly trailed away, weakly. “Follow... follow the clocks... keep me inside. Do not get help for me. Too dangerous...” And with that, he collapsed onto the grass face first. It took Graham a minute to finally move from his position. Keeping his eyes completely trained on the collapsed stranger, he carefully made his way to the grass in the backyard. Was the stranger dead? Was he injured? Or was this all some trick to get Graham to come closer? A few more steps towards the prone figure answered those questions. Graham could see the slow but definite movements of the man's shoulders and back as they rose and fell. He was breathing, so he wasn't dead yet. Slowly, carefully, Graham reached down and turned the man over. The light from the house windows now illuminated the man's entire face, and Graham's mouth fell open. The man's face was scratched up, blood still oozing from most of the wounds. The biggest one wasn't so much a cut as it was a gash right in between his eyes. The man's shirt was unbuttoned and open, and Graham could see similar injuries on his chest. There were also what looked like burns on certain places, the most prominent right where the man's heart should be. The man's pants were still in

38 • Jonathan Faz tact, but they were stained all over. It was no doubt blood. The man's right foot was bare, the other fully clothed in a large, steel toed boot. If Graham had to put it in words, he'd say that the man was a torture victim. But if that were the case, why didn't the man just ask for help? Why did he instead say all of those strange things? Graham stood rooted to the spot, staring down at the sprawled man. He wondered what he should do. Would his mom be furious with him for letting a stranger into the house, or would she make an exception because the man was hurt? Maybe, Graham thought, he should just call the police. But the stranger had said not to call for help. He had requested to just keep him inside. Suddenly, Graham's thoughts were interrupted. His eyes had fallen on the man's shirt pocket, which had a noticeable bulge. There was something sticking out of it, a piece of paper it seemed. Graham reached down and pulled the item out, examining it closely. It was a small piece of paper folded over twice. It was brown and worn out, clearly very, very old. Graham unfolded it slowly and gasped. Clearly drawn in the middle of the old piece of paper was a picture of the Chronoculus. It was unmistakable. Just under the Chronoculus was a small, stringy-lettered signature. By Graham Robert Sherwood. As if that wasn't cryptic enough, Graham soon remembered that he had seen this particular piece of paper once before. He had seen it clutched in a dead person's hand, a person who had been murdered by the Tempus Murderer two years ago. A person who wasn't a human

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being at all, but a robot named Rakhon. It was the same exact piece of paper. He was sure of it. The question was, why did this man have it now?

40 • Jonathan Faz

Chapter 3 Flight from Shelter

T

he familiar stabbing pain shot through Graham's body as he awoke, making him lie very still until it passed over once again. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering for a moment if the previous night had been a dream. Then he realized that he was lying on the floor and he knew with certain dread that it had been real. He sat up after the pain dissipated. His eyes fell upon his bed; upon the stranger from the night before who was covered in blankets. Graham had managed to sneak the stranger into the house and to his room without notice. He was sure that this man, whoever he was, was a victim and not one of his enemies. He did, after all, have a Chronoculus. Even though that was the case, Graham still knew that his parents would not understand. So, the stranger simply

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could not stay in the house for long. But, Graham couldn't just leave him anywhere. The man had pleaded to keep him inside. The door handle to his room jiggled, causing Graham to jump in surprise. He was glad he had locked his door, or else either one of his parents would've been able to walk in easily and see the stranger on his bed. “Graham?” his mom's voice called out from behind the door. She paused. “Are you okay?” “I'm fine,” he replied, rather stiffly. Again Graham's mom paused. “Okay... Well, your father and I are going out this morning. Could you do us a favor and clean up a bit? I left a note for you to follow.” “Sure, alright. Have fun.” Graham strained his ears, trying to hear if there were any footsteps outside his door. For a while there was nothing. Then, at long last, he picked up on a soft thump thump of the car doors being closed. Graham waited until he heard the start of an engine and then silence. It was then that he ventured out of his room to look for food, water, and bandages. He spent the better half of an hour trying to care for the man, but it was rather difficult trying to get him to drink water since he was unconscious. Once Graham dressed the man's wounds, he grabbed a pastry for breakfast and set to work in cleaning up around the house. He pondered over the old Chronoculus he had found in the man's pocket and what it could mean. Had the man taken it off Rakhon's body after the boy robot had been murdered? If so, why had he done that? Graham finished washing the dishes, placing the last cup in the dish rack, and walked to the living room to find a note from his mom tucked under a book on the table. Graham picked it up and read her instructions.

42 • Jonathan Faz Make sure to pick up your things and put them where they belong. And please empty out the letter holder and throw away all the junk mail. Dad wants you to leave the letter on the very top shelf, though. Don't forget. Love, mom. Graham went about his duties without even being annoyed, since he was still dwelling on what had happened last night. He began to empty the letter holder with very little brain power involved. He got all of the solicitations out of the first three bottom shelves, then made it to the top-most shelf and paused. He remembered the instructions on his mother's note and left the letter where it was. However, as he began to turn away, he did a double take and whirled back around. The letter that his mom specifically mentioned not to throw away was still enclosed in its envelope, though there were signs it had been opened already. There was no postage stamp on it, no identifying mark of any kind except for a name written on the front, which was partly obstructed by the letter holder. Graham frowned, his train of thought momentarily away from the injured stranger in his bedroom. He leaned forward and pulled the letter upwards so he could read the full name. Nathaniel Abner. Slowly, Graham pulled the letter completely out of the holder. He was intrigued by it, since he remembered vaguely seeing his father reading the letter some time ago. He couldn't quite place it, but if he had to guess, it was shortly after the defeat of the Tempus Murderer that he remembered seeing this. But at that moment, there was a knock on the front door. Graham jumped, slightly frightened and looked at the door. The person on the other side knocked again.

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Someone had attacked the man in his room and tortured him very badly. Could it be that whoever was behind the door was the same person? What if they were coming back to finish him off? Graham walked silently towards the door, trying to peek outside the window and wishing that the front door had a peep hole. He had to strain his neck to keep himself out of sight, but eventually he was able to see and recognized the figure standing outside. He sighed with relief when he saw the familiar titanium rimmed glasses and blond hair of his friend Matt. He opened the door and gestured for Matt to come in, not saying a word. Matt frowned for an instant, but did as he was told. Graham examined the street and neighborhood for signs of movement, but he didn't see a soul. Graham's eyes fell on Jack Rooster's house across the street, which looked as old and abandoned as ever. He closed the door and turned to Matt, grinning. “What's up?” he asked. “Why the whole spy act?” asked Matt, frowning. He gestured vaguely to Graham and the door. “Looking out to see if I got followed, right?” “Yeah, you can never be too careful,” replied Graham, trying to smile and look sarcastic. “So, the book... right! You were going to bring me a book this morning.” Matt handed Graham the book, still eying him suspiciously. “Yeah, I think you'll like it. It's the seventh book in the series. Some say it'll be the last.” “I'll definitely read it.” Graham looked up at Matt, suddenly realizing something. “How did you get here? You walked?” “Yeah,” answered Matt, slowly. “Obviously. I couldn't have driven here, could I?”

44 • Jonathan Faz “No.” Graham was thinking about the injured man again. How had he gotten to Graham's house in the first place? Why did he choose Graham's house in particular? Soon, Graham realized that Matt would have to leave. If Matt were to accidentally walk into his room and find the stranger in there, Graham would have to answer questions that he did not want to face. “Hey, sorry buddy,” Graham began, trying to sound apologetic rather than anxious. “But my parents don't want me to have anyone over right now. So—” Again, there was a knock on the front door. “Nobody over, huh?” muttered Matt, sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. “Shush,” Graham hissed, trying to peer out the window. “I don't know who that could be. Keep quiet.” “Graham,” Matt whispered back. “What's going on? You're acting weird right now.” Graham didn't answer. He was bending low on the ground trying to get a good view of whoever was standing outside the door. Matt, apparently thinking that this was some sort of game, rolled his eyes and strolled over to the door. Before Graham could stop him or say anything, Matt turned the handle and opened the front door. “Oh,” he said, a look of surprise on his face. Graham, feeling his anger rising up at Matt, just stood there and held his breath. Matt turned to him, a small smile appearing on his face. “It's for you,” he told Graham. Frowning, Graham inched forward and, very slowly, peeked out from behind the doorway. He immediately saw the slim figure of Lynda Crampton, his other friend from school. Her black hair was pulled up into a pony tail and it

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seemed to gleam even though the sun was still well hidden by thick gray clouds. She was wearing off-white joggers and a dark blue wind breaker. “Are you okay?” she asked anxiously, looking Graham up and down. “You hung up so abruptly last night. I tried calling back, but I got a busy signal. When I finally got through, your mom answered and said you had gone to bed. I thought maybe you had another attack.” “No,” said Graham, quickly. “Nothing happened. There was—there was a problem with the phone, I think.” “Oh.” Lynda stood there, looking expectantly at Graham. Graham looked across the street again, scanning the area to see if she had been followed. Matt sighed audibly behind Graham. “Lynda, would you like to come in?” Graham shot an angry look at his friend, but Matt shrugged. “What? It seemed like the polite thing to do.” Lynda shook her head and grinned. “You know, I get the feeling he isn't being entirely truthful.” She looked at Graham again with interest. “Well, I can't have anyone over right now,” Graham replied automatically. “I'm sorry. Maybe we can hang out next time.” “Oh,” Lynda said, glancing at Matt. “Well... what's he doing here, then? Boys only?” “No, Matt was just leaving. He just came to drop something off.” “Come on, Graham,” said Matt. “What are you trying to hide? You don't—you don't have a girl here, do you? Hiding in your room?” “Shut up, Matt!” Graham snapped. “I'm not trying to be rude or anything. I just can't have anyone over. What's so hard to understand about—” He trailed off. His eyes had

46 • Jonathan Faz just fallen to the house across the street again, and he belatedly realized that something was different about it, something that had changed since Lynda arrived at the door. “Get in.” Lynda looked taken aback. “What?” “Get in! Come on!” He pulled Lynda inside and shut the door quickly. He ran to the windows and peeked outside at Jack Rooster's house. Lynda and Matt stared at each other in complete bewilderment. “He was your friend first,” Lynda muttered. “Any idea why he's acting like this?” Graham ignored her comment. He was staring intently at the door to Jack Rooster's house, which was now inexplicably open. He watched closely for any sign of movement, trying to keep the window blinds from opening too much. From what he could see, whoever had opened the door was either further inside the house now or had left already. “Graham,” murmured Matt after a long pause. “Are you part of some new house-watching club that we don't know about?” When Graham didn't answer, Lynda stepped forward and placed a hand on Graham's shoulder. “What's wrong?” she asked. But Graham ignored her too and stood up, thinking hard. If Matt and Lynda weren't here, he'd be able to run into his room and grab his Chronoculus, then investigate the house. But as it stood, he did not want to take two people who had no idea what was going on. He had made that mistake before and he remembered well how badly it had turned out. As he thought about what he was going to do, however, his thinking was interrupted by yet another visitor. A silver car stopped outside Graham's house, blocking

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his view of Jack Rooster's house. Graham felt agitated and wondered who could possibly be coming by his house this time. He realized with a jolt just who it was when a familiar, black haired girl got out and looked straight at him with her electric-blue eyes. She ran down the driveway hastily, almost bumping Lynda when she stopped. “What are you doing here,” he asked his cousin, frowning. “Something's wrong,” Debbie gasped, panting slightly. “Isn't there? I know you were very—very stressed out last night. What happened, Graham?” Graham stared at her, not quite sure if he should be annoyed or impressed. “Nothing.” His eyes fell on Lynda and Matt for a second, then he tried to tell Debbie with a look that she should drop the subject. “Can we talk about that later?” Debbie looked ready to argue the point, but she nodded reluctantly. He could feel her electric blue eyes staring, feel his mind being probed. He held his gaze for a moment longer, noticing that she still seemed to wear too much eye shadow, then looked away. She hadn't changed much. “Care to introduce us?” Matt asked, glancing at Debbie. “Debbie, these are my friends. Matt and Lynda. They're from school.” Debbie shook both their hands, but remained silent. Her gaze was still on Graham, who decided to glance out the window again. “Hey, Deb,” he started. “Did you see anyone inside old Jack Rooster's house, by any chance?” The question was simple, yet he felt Debbie stir uneasily at the mention of the house. “What? No, I didn't. Why?” “The door is open.” Frowning, Debbie stepped over to the window and peered out of it. There was an audible gasp. “I didn't even

48 • Jonathan Faz notice it. I wonder if the wind blew it open.” “What's the big deal?” inquired Matt. “The house is empty, right? That's what you always told me, Graham. Maybe someone's moving in or something. I mean, the ghosts are gone, right?” Graham had never told Matt what had caused the glowing lights and strange sounds inside the house. Matt had, of course, heard the rumor that the house was haunted when he was a kid. The house was practically a legend throughout this part of the city. “There were no ghosts in there,” Debbie answered. “Then what was in there?” asked Lynda, intrigued. “You sound like you know something.” Debbie hesitated and gave Graham a quizzical look. Graham shook his head just noticeably. He didn't want to have to explain everything to both Matt and Lynda at once. There was no time for it. Understanding Graham's gesture, she grimaced, staring out the window again. “I don't know anything...” She stopped suddenly and peered closer at something outside. “Graham, look!” she hissed. Graham glanced out the window again, towards Jack Rooster's house, and his mouth fell open once he saw what had caught her eye. A man was walking out of the front door. He was very tall, with big cheek bones, thick eyebrows, and dark hair that looked like it was a toupee rather than his real hair. Graham had definitely seen that face before. He had seen it two years ago, in fact. “Is that—is that Katherine's dad?” Debbie nodded, her complexion even whiter than usual. “Who's Katherine?” Lynda asked, bewildered. “Come on, what is going—” “Graham!” Debbie interrupted, trying to keep her voice down, but not hiding any of the panic she was feeling. She

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jabbed a finger at the window. The man was now walking across the street and heading straight for Graham's house, his expression blank. When Graham saw that he was pulling out a long metallic rod from his coat pocket, he instinctively knew it was time to run. He whirled around, looking at Matt and Lynda. “Go!” he whispered. “Run out through the back door. Debbie and I will catch up!” “Why?” Matt and Lynda both asked at once. “Never mind that!” bellowed Graham. “Just go! Trust me! You're in danger!” Lynda turned to go and Matt paused for a few seconds before following her. They both disappeared around the corner of the hallway, sprinting towards the back door. Debbie began to run after them, but Graham grabbed her arm and stopped her. “No,” he said. “There's someone else we need to get.” Debbie frowned at him as he led her along the hallway towards his room. She didn't argue at being taken along like this, nor did she ask any questions. It was like she knew that Graham was telling the truth and that he wasn't going to be talked out of it. Graham opened the door to his room and walked in. Debbie followed and gaped at the scene before her. She couldn't explain any of this. None of it made the least bit of sense to her. Debbie always knew that she had some kind of connection with her cousin, but it had never been this strong. She could remember being able to tell if he was lying or telling the truth, but that was as far as it got. Last night, though, it was different. She had felt him get dizzy, felt him panic afterwards, and felt his anxiety. And now that she rested her eyes upon the unconscious stranger

50 • Jonathan Faz lying in Graham's bed, bandaged and injured as though tortured, she knew that this had been the cause of all of that. That didn't stop the shock from spreading through her body, however. “Who—who is he?” Graham looked up at her, still about half a foot shorter than she was. “I don't know,” he replied truthfully. He walked to his bed. “But we have to take him with us. I think Katherine's dad attacked and tortured him. And now he's looking for him.” “What makes you think that?” inquired Debbie, watching Graham run to his dresser drawer and retrieve his Chronoculus. “Katherine's dad went into Jack Rooster's house. Maybe he was looking for something else.” “Well, someone had to have done this to him.” Graham reached his bed and grabbed the man's arm and shoulder. “No time to argue. Help me!” Debbie grabbed the man's other arm and, together, she and Graham lifted him off the bed and helped him into the hallway. Debbie was a little grossed out at how limp the man was, but his flesh was warm. That meant he was still alive. A loud bang stopped her dead in her tracks. “Graham!” she hissed. Graham exchanged glances with her, terror in his face. Someone had just hit the front door. Another slam echoed through the house, and Debbie felt her heartbeat quicken. “Hurry!” It was obvious that Graham was right. Katherine's father was definitely after them. She and Graham dragged the unconscious stranger into the kitchen amidst the thunderous impacts on the front door. They started towards the back door, panting but determined to escape before their enemy made it into the house.

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This time, the bang that vibrated the house was followed by a crack of wood, and a ripple of renewed horror spread through Debbie's heart. They were at the back door now and just as Debbie reached out for the doorknob, she heard the unmistakable sound of the front door crashing open. Panic took over for a second and she paused, her mouth going dry. Then she mastered herself and forced the door open. She and Graham pushed through the doorway as quickly and silently as possible, dragging the stranger along with them. Matt and Lynda were in the middle of the backyard and turned to look at them. “Uh, where did he come from?” Matt asked, pointing at the stranger. Lynda looked too shocked to speak, which was good because she looked ready to scream. “Just keep going,” Graham said, trying to whisper. “And don't make a sound.” Debbie and Graham dragged the man halfway into the back yard as Matt and Lynda reached the left side of the yard and opened the gate. And then Graham, panic in his voice, bellowed, “Run! He's right behind us!” Debbie turned instinctively and saw the sallow, high cheekbone face of Katherine's phony father peering out of the opened back door. He pointed the rod at them for an instant, then seemed to think better of it. He pocketed it and sprinted towards them, causing Debbie to turn back and pull the stranger with all her might. “Come on, Debbie, pull!” “I'm trying!” They were not going to make it. The sheer dead weight of the stranger was making it too difficult to go fast enough. Debbie turned back and yelped. Katherine's father was only a few feet from them, his hand outstretched—

52 • Jonathan Faz They began to move inexplicably faster. Katherine's father stumbled and tripped, missing her leg by inches. At first, Debbie thought that they had dropped the stranger and decided to save themselves. She realized what was happening when she looked down, however. Two white, glowing lights were surrounding the man's feet, which were now running in unison with theirs. She knew immediately that Graham's Chronoculus had come through for them once again. They rushed past the light pole in Graham's back yard and, instead of turning left towards the gate, finished running the distance to the fence. Unsure what Graham was doing, Debbie just stood and watched as Graham tried to lift the stranger up. The power of the Chronoculus was still working, for the man floated up and above the fence. “Climb!” Graham shouted. They both jumped and began to climb the fence. Graham was extremely sluggish for some reason. He was wincing, as if in pain, and nearly fell back to the ground. Debbie reached out and helped him get his footing again. She held his hand as he reached the top and glanced up. Suddenly, she felt a hand close around her ankle. “Debbie!” Graham cried. Debbie glanced at her cousin. She could see the fear in his eyes, saw him almost lose his balance. Katherine's dad pulled hard and Debbie's grip on the fence slackened. Another strong pull brought Debbie flying back into the yard, landing hard next to Katherine's father on the ground. Debbie! Graham hopped back down and surveyed the scene. He saw the man get up from the ground, pick Debbie up off the ground and secure her arms behind her back in one

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smooth, lightning-quick move. She screamed in pain at her limbs being bent by force. She did not fight back. She looked too frightened to do anything. “You, young one!” he said, pointing at Graham unnecessarily. His voice was booming and seemed to vibrate Graham's heart and lungs. “Bring that man to me and I will let you have the girl back.” Graham looked at his cousin, who whimpered and said nothing. He looked back at Katherine's father and felt a rising hatred for the man. “Graham!” came Matt's voice from behind the fence. “I know this is a weird question, but why is there a guy floating in the air?” “Bring the man here!” barked Katherine's father again. He twisted Debbie's arms roughly and she let out another whine. A cool, calculating feeling swept over Graham suddenly. He could feel his Chronoculus vibrating, feel its power charge up. He knew that he was going to be able to save her. The only question left was how it would all play out. “Let her go,” Graham said, quietly. “Give me the man!” “Let go of her arms. Please.” “Please? You're so polite, boy. You would make my mother proud. Now, I'm not going to say this again. Give the man to me or she loses an arm!” “You let go!” White, glowing lights wrapped themselves around Katherine's dad's hands and they flung upwards at once, releasing Debbie from his clutches. Debbie paused only a second before running towards the fence and climbing frantically over it. Katherine's father looked slightly startled and stared at

54 • Jonathan Faz his hands with detached interest. “Well, well, well,” he muttered. “That is interesting. A Chronoculus... I haven't seen one—at least one that worked—in years.” Graham didn't have time to ask the man how he knew about the Chronoculus too. He hopped back on the fence and climbed over, adrenaline making his pain temporarily nonexistent. He took hold of the unconscious stranger's shoulder and pulled, his efforts still assisted by the Chronoculus. Debbie, Matt, and Lynda brought up the rear. There was a sudden jolt inside Graham's stomach and he toppled over, slamming hard onto the ground. The man did too, his feet no longer surrounded by the white glow of the Chronoculus. Graham swirled around onto his back and, to his horror, he saw that Katherine's father had some how broken out of the hold. The privacy fence was in ruins and he was running towards them, grinning maliciously. Debbie rushed towards Graham, grabbed him, and helped him to his feet. “Go!” she ordered. “Leave the man! There's nothing you can do for him!” “No!” Graham replied, trying to drag the man by himself up the alley. “We can't leave him!” He was sure that this man, whoever he was, had just escaped from Katherine's dad and certain death. He wasn't about to let the man be recaptured after he had fought so hard to survive. Graham found Lynda beside him, bending down and helping to drag the man. Graham felt a rush of gratitude towards her and, his determination increasing, pulled as hard as he could. Matt ran and grabbed the man's right foot. Debbie, growling in disapproval, took hold of the man's other leg and lifted. Graham could see Katherine's dad getting ever closer and he knew that, as far down the alley as they had gotten,

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they were not going to make it. He caught Debbie's eye for an instant and could see a burning determination in them mixed in with her fright. He was reminded of when he and his cousin had been in terrible danger when Katherine had revealed herself as the Tempus Murderer, reminded of how Debbie had gotten killed that night before he fixed things... Katherine's father was just behind Debbie now, reaching out a hand to grab her neck, apparently to pull her back into a strangle hold. It was all happening in slow motion. Debbie blinked, knowing what was about to happen. But her determination never faltered. The man's hand was a hair's width from closing completely around her neck. Graham's eyes widened and something filled his lungs, a sort of energy that wasn't entirely air. “NO!” A force so terrible and strong that it made everyone stagger away from Graham shot towards Katherine's dad. The impact was terrible and violent, knocking him at least ten yards back. He landed hard on the ground, rolling along the dirt and pavement another few feet before coming to a stop. His body remained motionless, as did everyone else who stared at what Graham had done. “Graham,” Lynda breathed. “What...” She didn't know exactly how to ask what had happened, so she just stopped there. “Wait a second,” Matt muttered, rubbing his eyes. “This is usually the part where I wake up.” “It's not a dream,” Debbie said. “Come on. Let's get out of here.” Graham, Debbie, Matt, and Lynda carried the stranger out of the alley and into the street. They went past one

56 • Jonathan Faz street, then another, trying to avoid passing cars and pedestrians who would find the sight of four teenagers carrying an unconscious man a little too interesting. Finally, they came across a deserted house's back yard that was full of overgrowing bushes. “Here,” Graham commanded, deciding this would be an excellent place to lie low. They settled into the yard and rested, breathing fast, their ears alert for the sound of coming footsteps. But there was only silence except for the occasional sound of a car driving through the unseen street. Graham relaxed and sat back, still panting. Somehow he knew that, whatever had just happened, Katherine's father would not be getting up to chase them any time soon.

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Chapter 4 Elizabeth's First Movement

“G

raham,” Matt began, his face pale and sweat pouring down it. He looked like he was close to fainting. “Who—what—why—” He gulped. “What's going on?!” “I'm not exactly sure myself,” replied Graham, wiping sweat from his forehead. “But I think that man back there was after this guy.” “You mean 'this guy' as in the guy that floated over the fence with light all around his legs, right?” Matt asked sardonically. “Just to be clear.” “Yes, that one.” “Well, maybe this guy is some fugitive. Maybe the other guy was some kind of police man or FBI agent.” Matt thought about this for a second longer, realizing something. “Wow, you're in big trouble if I'm right.”

58 • Jonathan Faz Graham had to admit that he had not thought of the possibility of the stranger not being some innocent victim. The part about Katherine's father being a federal officer, however, was ridiculous. He knew that man was up to no good. He began to recall bits of what the stranger had said the previous night. The murders were all connected. Follow the clocks. What could that possibly mean? “Believe me,” Debbie said. “That man, whatever his name, wasn't a fed. He's bad news.” “How do you know that?” “Look,” Graham cut in, looking up at Matt straight in the eye. “This will take too long to explain and I don't want to explain it here. We need to get to safety, and quickly.” “My dad's car is still at your house,” said Debbie, her own face flushed with exhaustion and fear. “Do you think we can get to it?” “Yeah,” said Graham. “Matt, Lynda, you two stay here with this guy and make sure he stays out of sight. We'll come and get you.” “No way!” Matt said, a bit angrily. “I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's going on!” “Matt, you need to stay or else it'll be Lynda by herself watching over this man. Come on, what's the gentlemanlike thing to do?” “I can handle myself,” countered Lynda, defiantly. “Seriously, go. I'll be fine.” “No,” replied Graham, flatly. “Matt, please. Stay with Lynda.” Matt stared at Graham for a while, then nodded reluctantly. “You'd better tell us what's going on afterwards, though,” he muttered. Graham grinned, then stood up, looking around to see if

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the area was clear. There was no sign of Katherine's dad anywhere. “Come on, Deb.” He and his cousin walked out of the yard and back towards Graham's street. After a minute, they reached the car safely without any interference from anyone. Debbie unlocked the car and Graham entered the passenger side. He glanced around again, making sure nobody had noticed them. “This is the first time I see you drive. I hope you're good at it,” Graham muttered, strapping his seat belt on tightly. Debbie glared at him, turned the car on, and stepped on the gas. The car shot forward, sending Graham into his seat. “Yeah, pretty good,” Debbie replied lightly, the corner of her mouth rising. Soon, they were parked next to the abandoned house and Graham hopped out of the car to help Lynda and Matt carry the stranger. They quickly sat him down and strapped a seat belt over his shoulder. At long last, they were driving away from Graham's neighborhood, away from danger. For a while, all of them were silent. It was obvious what the rest were thinking of, but Graham was thinking about something specific. Something that bothered him down to his core. Katherine's dad had somehow managed to break out of the hold of the Chronoculus just after they made it over the fence. As far as Graham knew before today, nobody could overtake the power of the Chronoculus. The question that was plaguing him was simply: was the Chronoculus not strong enough, or was Graham himself not strong enough? Another thing that bothered Graham was the fact that Katherine's father recognized the Chronoculus at all. That is interesting, he had said. A Chronoculus... I haven't seen one—at least one that worked—in years. That made four people in all that knew about the

60 • Jonathan Faz Chronoculus and its capabilities: Rakhon, Jack Rooster, Katherine, and her father. There was also a possible fifth, that being the stranger that was sitting in the backseat. The question that he hadn't been able to answer for two years reappeared, picking at his mind as if to say, “Remember me?” How did these people from over threethousand years into the future know about his drawing, his creation? What made the Chronoculus work? Lynda spoke first, breaking Graham's thoughts. “Graham,” she said. “We're all safe now. Would you mind explaining everything now?” She was asking kindly, but Graham could tell that she wasn't quite going to take no for an answer. “Yeah,” Matt chimed it, still sounding bitter. “Try explaining why that guy got tackled backwards when you yelled at him, too.” Graham suddenly realized how strange everything must seem to Lynda and Matt and felt a bit guilty for not explaining things sooner. “Look,” he began, tentatively. “I guess you can say that I've got... well, I've got... secrets.” Matt and Lynda stared at him blankly. He continued, “Do you remember when the Tempus Murderer was running around? I'm the one who got rid of her. I stopped her.” “How?” asked Lynda in a toneless way. Matt said nothing. Graham sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his drawing of the Chronoculus. “This,” he said. “I don't know how or why, but this is what helped me protect my friends and defeat the Tempus Murderer.” Both looked at the drawing for a long time, pondering over it. A look of disbelief crossed Matt's face and an unpleasant smile appeared there. “You're joking,” he said.

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“I wanted an explanation, not a fairy tale.” “But it's the truth!” protested Graham, annoyed. “Stop kidding around!” snapped Matt. “It isn't funny anymore!” “Oh, so I yelled at the man and he just slipped by accident, huh? And this guy we just rescued just floated up over the fence because of the wind?!” “Both of you, stop it!” All heads turned to Debbie, who glared at Graham, then at Matt through the driver's mirror. “Right now,” she continued, calmer this time, “We need to find out where we're going to go.” “What do you mean?” asked Graham, who thought the answer was obvious. “You're taking us to Uncle Jim's house, right?” Debbie shook her head. “Katherine visited my house a lot, remember? I'm pretty sure that's the first place her dad will look for us. I have to tell my parents to leave as soon as possible.” This had never occurred to Graham before, but now he realized that Katherine had gotten a lot of information when she had pretended to be an innocent teenage girl. Had she passed on the information about the Chronoculus she saw in Graham's notebook to her father? Is that how he knew about it? One thing was for sure, she had not been able to tell anybody about where Jack Rooster's house was located because she was killed immediately after finding it. Her father must've only recently discovered it. “I think,” continued Debbie, keeping her eyes on the road now. “We should use Elizabeth's house.” “Katherine went to Elizabeth's house even more than yours,” countered Graham. “Don't you remember? They were like best friends. They were together all of the time.” “I told you already,” said Debbie, patiently. “Elizabeth

62 • Jonathan Faz and her family moved further into the city just a few weeks ago. I told you last night over the phone. We'll be safe there.” “What about us?” inquired Lynda, looking anxious. “Do you think the man will come looking for me or Matt?” “Probably,” answered Graham, truthfully. “But I think you'll be safe enough in your houses. He doesn't know where you live.” He turned to Debbie. “Hey, how are you gonna talk Elizabeth's parents into letting us keep the injured guy?” Debbie glanced at the unconscious man leaning against the window. “We'll think of something.” She didn't like this. Not one bit. Debbie was still feeling a little angry at her cousin for not leaving the man where he was. Something about this entire situation troubled her. It was almost like when Graham and the others had decided to go into Jack Rooster's house. She had tried to tell them not to do it, but they didn't listen. And bad things had happened. She felt like keeping the stranger was the beginning of many, many bad things to come. Then again, she could also tell that Graham knew something about the man that she didn't. Something that went beyond reason and logic. Whenever she looked at Graham and probed his thoughts and feelings, every time she encountered the strange man she felt... what was the word? Familiarity? It was very, very confusing. But that could be analyzed later. Right now, more important things were ahead of her. “Graham,” she said after a long pause. “Grab my cell phone from the cup holder and press speed dial one.” Graham did as he was asked and placed the phone into

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Debbie's outstretched hand. She placed it between her shoulder and ear, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. It rang once, then twice, and finally there was a click. A voice answered. “Hey hey!” “Liz,” Debbie said into the phone, turning on her turn signal so she could switch lanes. “Hey, are you home right now?” “Yep,” answered Elizabeth. “All by my beautiful self, too. Well, Greg is home, but he's locked in his room like usual, so he counts as nobody. That stupid idiot...” “Perfect! Listen, we're going to come by and I need you to let us in through your back door.” Debbie could hardly believe she was saying this. She felt bad at not being upfront with Elizabeth. It was, however, the perfect solution, but it could also go terribly wrong. Debbie knew that Elizabeth kept her room off limits to everyone and that it was the usual custom in the Michaels household for everyone to follow that rule, lest they encounter her wrath. If they could sneak the man into the house and into Elizabeth's room, he'd be safe for the time being. “Ah, I hope this is for a guy,” Elizabeth squealed, hopefully. “It is, isn't it?” Debbie hesitated. “In a manner of speaking.” “Great! I'll be waiting.” Debbie hung up and continued driving, hoping against hope that Elizabeth would find the situation ironically funny. It took them about 20 minutes to reach the Michaels' house. The scenery was definitely a lot different further into town, especially in this neighborhood. In the sky were lines of flying cars all rushing in the same direction one way or the other. All sorts of strange new traffic noises and

64 • Jonathan Faz smells filled the air. Things had definitely gotten more bizarre in the two years since the time fusion. It seemed like the future side of things was more prevalent deeper into the city than away from it. Graham got out of the car, peering upward at the gigantic skyscrapers that extended above the thick, gray clouds. He heard a siren and glanced to his left, seeing a flying police car much like the one he had ridden in with Rakhon. It streaked through the air, high above the street Graham stood on. It veered left and chased after another flying car. Graham watched the high-speed chase until the two cars disappeared around one of the skyscrapers in the distance. “See that building?” Graham heard Lynda say from somewhere behind him. He glanced at her and saw her pointing to the skyscraper that the cars had disappeared around. Obviously, he wasn't the only one who'd been watching the chase. “Yeah, what about it?” “That's the main library, otherwise known as Alexandria Library. That place has got everything you'd want to know.” She grinned at him. “I went there to research our history report.” Graham looked back at the building. It was tall, sure, but not as tall as the other buildings around it. In fact, now that Graham looked at it, it had to be the shortest of the skyscrapers in the downtown area. Go... you must discover it at the library before it is too late, he remembered the stranger say to him. The library... “Excuse me,” he heard Matt say. “But, unless this guy begins to float again, we're going to need a little help.” Graham turned around and saw that Matt and Debbie were trying to get the stranger out of the back seat.

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“Right,” muttered Graham. “Sorry.” Together, he and the other three carried the man out of the car and into the Michaels' yard. Elizabeth's house was smaller than Debbie's. It was just one story, but very wide. On some parts of the exterior, a weird type of vine was growing on the white walls, making the place seem a little run-down. The yard, however, was freshly mowed and well kept. It had several evergreen trees that retained their leaves even though it was the autumn season. This made the entire place very dark and shady. The four walked around the house and to the back. The back was just as shady as the front. This made for excellent cover, in Graham's opinion. He caught sight of Elizabeth standing at the doorway to the house and couldn't help smiling at the sight of her. Her skin was darker than before, but that was probably because of the shade and the cloudy sky. Her shoulder length hair was still brown with blond highlights. She had been grinning broadly at them, but the smile slowly faded from her face. “What—” she croaked, pointing at the man Graham and the others were carrying. She stared, transfixed at the sight before her. Then, she looked ready to faint. “Calm down,” Debbie cautioned her, moving up to the door. “Is Greg still in his room?” “Yes, room,” Elizabeth mumbled, almost too low to hear. “Good. Open the door, will you? We need to get inside. Now.” Elizabeth, apparently too shocked to protest, opened the door and led them into the house. Graham found himself in a very small kitchen. The floor was filled with yellow and green tile, whereas the walls, table, and ceiling were

66 • Jonathan Faz white. On the right side of the room was a table with four chairs surrounding it. The kitchen also doubled as the dining area, apparently. The group made their way through the kitchen and into the hallway between it and the living room. Elizabeth turned into the hallway, passing a door on either side of her. One was closed with a large rectangular sign reading: Keep the Hell Out. There were two skull and cross-bone symbols on both sides of the text. The other door on the right was apparently the restroom. Elizabeth led the group to the end of the hallway, which had two more doors. She entered the door on the right. The rest followed. Just as Graham, Lynda, Debbie, and Matt pushed their way into the room, they heard a door open in the hallway. Thinking quickly, Elizabeth sprinted out into the hallway and shut the door behind her. Graham heard a groggy voice say, “What gives? Why are you makin' so much noise?! I'm tryin' to sleep, Lizard.” It took Graham a while to realize that “Lizard” was meant to be a play on the name “Liz”. “I was getting something,” he heard Elizabeth say. “Besides, it's way too late for you to be sleeping. It's about time you woke up, sleepy-face.” “No way,” mumbled the voice, angrily. “Now be quiet. I've got a concert tonight!” There was the sound of a door being slammed, and then silence. The door to Elizabeth's room swung open and she reentered, closing her door gently. She immediately rounded on Debbie. “Who is that?” she whispered urgently, pointing at the stranger that was now sprawled on the floor. Debbie looked instinctively at Graham, who shrugged. “No idea,” he said truthfully. Elizabeth glared at him and

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he felt the need to elaborate. “But I think he was attacked by someone. I found him beat up and tortured last night. And then someone came looking for him.” “What? Who came looking for him?” Elizabeth asked. This time, Graham looked at Debbie. Debbie hesitated for a moment, the spoke very carefully. “Now Liz, don't panic. Okay? Do you remember those two people who we thought were Katherine's parents? Well, her father is the one who found him. He chased us out of Graham's house just trying to get this man back.” Elizabeth seemed to grow a bit pale and she stared blankly at Debbie, not uttering a single word. “Wait a second,” interjected Matt, frowning. “How does she know about all of this?” Deciding this was a good a time as any to tell Matt, Graham told the shortened story of what had happened two years previous. He told Matt about how he had suspected Jack Rooster of being the Tempus Murderer, of how he had been mistaken and it nearly cost them all their lives. Graham noticed that as he told this story, Lynda was listening intently and staring with wide eyes. When he finished, Elizabeth had gotten over the initial shock of hearing about Katherine's dad, and it was Lynda's turn to look shocked. Matt, on the other hand, look puzzled and incredulous. “You don't believe me,” Graham said, grimacing. “I know it sounds crazy, but it's true! Elizabeth and Debbie were there. They saw it all happen!” Matt just shrugged and retreated to the corner of the room. The rest of the morning was spent in silence. Graham made sure the stranger was comfortable. Now that he had the opportunity, he checked through the man's pockets for any sign of identification, but there was none.

68 • Jonathan Faz Things had happened so fast that he hadn't even been able to really look at the man's features until now. The man was medium built, not in the best of shape but not plump either. He had a thin nose, very small mouth, and ragged dark hair. The stranger had his mouth slightly opened and Graham noticed that his two front cuspids were slightly longer than normal, making them look a little like fangs. Graham was pretty sure he had never seen this man before in his life, and yet there was this odd feeling that he had. It wasn't exactly like deja vu, but it was deeper, as if a long lost friend had returned. The next thing he did was call his parents and very carefully explain to them what had happened and that they should not go back home until the police arrived. He did not, however, tell them he had kept a strange man in the house without their knowledge. Graham's mother was, of course, furious at him. Graham knew she would react like that, but didn't really understand why. It wasn't his fault that someone broke into their house and chased them away. However, in the end, his father got on the phone and agreed to call the police. Strangely enough, he also agreed to let Graham stay at Elizabeth's house for the time being, as long as Debbie was around. His parents already knew all about what happened two years ago, give or take a few facts about the Chronoculus. He supposed this contributed to his father's cooperation. Just before hanging up, Graham was forced to agree to call the police himself, however. He had always found it curious that his father was more lenient on him than his mother, especially when it came to the time fusion. Two years ago, his father had reacted the calmest of the two when he heard the news about what had happened in Jack Rooster's house. Or maybe he was just in

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shock... Graham really couldn't tell. Debbie had an equally hard time explaining to her father what had happened, but he finally agreed to keep an eye out. Both of them knew about the Tempus Murderer incident as well. After lunch, which consisted of turkey sandwiches, Matt got up from the table and finally spoke. “I don't know whether or not to believe you,” he said, looking at Graham through his titanium rimmed glasses. “But I guess there's really nothing else to explain everything I've seen. Still, I think I'd better go home and think about all of this.” A ripple of anger filled Graham, but he nodded. “Fine.” Matt looked around at everyone, waved, and turned to leave. Graham did not watch him go, but stared fixedly at his empty plate. “I know I believe you,” he heard Lynda say. She hesitated. “I don't think you'd lie about something like that. It's too... well, too ridiculous.” “Thanks,” Graham muttered darkly, getting up with his plate in hand. He walked across the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher. He peered out the window just above the sink into the gloomy gray sky filled with flying cars and skyscrapers in the distance. Even though he knew they didn't belong, the sight didn't fill him with awe and wonderment like it used to. Far too much time had passed between then and now. It was time for some answers. And he knew exactly where he was going to start looking for them. Lynda left Elizabeth's house shortly after lunch, but not without telling Graham that she'd come visit him often to see how he was doing. “Thanks,” he told her, appreciatively. “But I think you'd better stay away for a little while. I'll call you, though, to tell you how things are.”

70 • Jonathan Faz That evening, Elizabeth had to explain to her rather surprised parents why two of her friends were at their house and, more importantly, why they had to stay for the next couple of nights. She tried the trickery approach and convinced them, after about an hour worth of talking, that they had agreed to allow Debbie and Graham to stay a week ago and had simply forgotten. Greg finally appeared out of his room at 7:00 PM, wordlessly going into the bathroom and starting his shower. Thirty minutes later, Greg was eating dinner with the family. Graham finally realized that Greg must usually be this quiet, since nobody else found this unusual. “Don't mind him,” Elizabeth told Graham when he asked about it. “It's really better if he doesn't talk, anyways.” Greg muttered his good-bye some twenty minutes later, zooming off in his car for the concert. Graham and Debbie followed Elizabeth into her room where she showed them everything she owned. “You know, Graham,” she said conversationally. “You should consider yourself lucky. I never allow guys in my room. Not unless he's hot.” “Thanks,” Graham answered sarcastically. Elizabeth smiled, not realizing he was joking. “You're welcome.” She turned and opened her closet, fiddling around for something while Debbie caught Graham's eye. “We can't stay here forever,” she said, frowning in thought. “I think we need to call the police about this stranger. Didn't your parents say to do that?” “I don't think he'll be safe if we do that,” replied Graham, truthfully. “Besides, he told me not to get help because it was too dangerous.” “Like he'll be safer with us protecting him?” Debbie

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countered. “We're just teenagers!” “You weren't complaining with I protected you against Katherine,” replied Graham, coolly. Debbie paused, taken aback. “That's not fair. Besides, to be perfectly honest, it was the Chronoculus that protected us.” “It did that because of me!” Graham yelled angrily. “I created it, right?” “But you don't know how it works. You don't even know why it works, Graham. Besides, you aren't in a position to tell me what to do. I'm older, so I'll decide—” “Come on, guys,” said Elizabeth, reappearing from the closet. “Just hang out for a little while and then decide what you're gonna do. All of us are a little edgy.” Graham glanced at her and noticed that she was holding a violin in one hand and a bow in the other. She grinned widely at the look of confusion in his face. “Didn't Debbie tell you I've started playing the violin?” “Oh yeah,” replied Graham, distractedly. He was completely ready to continue the argument with his cousin. “She said something about you taking up music...” “Well, care to hear some tonal genius a la Elizabeth?” “Not now, Liz,” snapped Debbie, glaring at Graham with her electric blue-eyed stare. Elizabeth ignored her and prepped the violin on her long, slim neck. She placed the bow on it and began to play. “There's always time for music. Just listen.” Graham had never heard what she was playing before, but to his surprise, he really liked it. The song was calm and soothing and gave him the feeling that he was a small child in his mother's arms. He felt comfortable and safe, and his anger with his cousin floated away. He noticed that Debbie seemed to have forgotten her argument as well.

72 • Jonathan Faz “What is it?” she asked breathlessly, as Elizabeth finished the song. “I don't know. I call it To be Loved. Not very original, I know, but it was all I could think of.” “You mean you actually made that song?” Debbie asked incredulously. “Well, yeah. Why?” “It was really good,” said Graham. “And I mean that. How long have you been playing?” “I think a few months,” said Elizabeth, shrugging and turning a little red. “Amazing,” said Debbie. “You should show that to Tera when she comes over next time.” Graham felt a slight uncomfortable feeling at the mention of Tera's name, and he promptly switched the subject. “Hey, Deb. Think you can take me to the library on Monday? The one downtown?” He tried to sound casual, as if going to the library was just something he wanted to do to pass the time. Debbie stared at him, the glare returning to her face. “What for?” She had caught on. It would be better if he didn't lie to her, otherwise she'd definitely disagree to take him. “Well,” he said, trying to think of the right way to phrase it. “Okay, the stranger said a few things to me just before he passed out. One thing I remember was something about the library. He said I should find something there before it's too late. I'm not sure what it is.” “He said things? What other things?” “Well, not to get help, first of all. He also said to follow the clocks. I don't know what that means. And another thing I remember him saying was that all the murders were connected.”

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Debbie frowned. “The murders were connected? What murders?” “I think he means the Tempus murders,” replied Graham. “At least the ones that happened after the time fusion.” “So what kind of research are you gonna do at a library?” inquired Elizabeth. “I mean, what else could you do there but research something?” “I dunno,” admitted Graham. “I've got a feeling that it's a much more advanced library than a normal one. It's probably from the year 5050. So they must have computers or something I can use.” “I'll take you only if you call the police afterwards,” replied Debbie. “Otherwise, I'm not taking you anywhere.” Considering Debbie was the only person he knew with a car, Graham knew he'd have to agree. Unless he could convince Uncle Jim or somebody else to take him. He didn't want to walk there, that's for sure. He'd be out in the open for too long. “Okay, fine.” “Anyone feel like a movie?” asked Elizabeth, glancing at the clock. “It's a little after seven.” “We don't really see eye-to-eye on movies,” replied Graham, shaking his head. “We can find something we'll all enjoy,” said Debbie, getting up. “Come on, Graham. It'll help get your mind off things for a while.” “Okay. I'll be there in a second.” Graham watched Debbie and Elizabeth walk out of the room. He turned and checked on the unconscious stranger lying on the floor. The man's pulse was slow but still beating strongly. Graham covered him with some of Elizabeth's blankets, propped his head on a pillow, and then turned to leave. Graham wondered if the man would ever wake up.

74 • Jonathan Faz Maybe he was in some kind of coma. If that were the case, he definitely needed help. Graham would get him help, too. He just had to find out who he could trust first.

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Chapter 5 Swift Dislike

O

nce again, the stabbing pain and cold sweat was the first thing Graham felt when he awoke on the floor of Elizabeth's room. He was on the opposite side of the room from the stranger, who was still unconscious under the blankets. Elizabeth and Debbie had shared the room's only bed. Graham stayed motionless until the pain subsided, thinking to himself that he could research his condition at the library as well. Maybe Graham had caught some kind of disease that only existed in the year 5050. He was surprised that he had never thought about that possibility before. When his muscles relaxed and the sweat evaporated, Graham got slowly to his feet and glanced at the bed. Debbie had gotten up, but Elizabeth was still sound asleep, her mouth wide open in a slight snore. Graham walked into

76 • Jonathan Faz the hallway, noticed that Greg's door was once again closed, and headed to the restroom. After he was done, he walked into the living room and looked around. Debbie wasn't there. He turned to the kitchen and saw only Mrs. Michaels' slightly plump figure busily cooking breakfast. She turned and noticed Graham was standing there. “Good morning, sweetie,” she said pleasantly. “Morning,” replied Graham. “Say, have you seen Debbie around here?” “She left a few minutes ago,” said Mrs. Michaels. “I don't know where she went, though.” “Oh. Thanks.” Graham turned around, standing in place for a moment. Could Debbie have gone off to call the police herself? Debbie parked in front of her house, getting out and swiftly making her way to the front door. She entered the house and called out, “Mom? Dad?” “In here,” came Felicia's reply from the kitchen area. “Debbie, is that you?” A sigh of relief escaped Debbie as she made her way into the dining room. “Yes. Just checking on you all,” she said. “I was worried.” “We're just fine,” replied her dad, Jim, grinning at her. “We both slept good and nothing happened. I don't think he'll be coming here. It's too obvious a place to look.” “Rachel called for you,” Felicia told Debbie. “She was wondering when you're going to go visit her back in Oregon.” “Oh no!” Debbie felt a pang of guilt at not being home to get that phone call. Rachel had been her best friend before she moved to Bracket City. She and Rachel had

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quite a history together, one that Debbie would never forget. One memory in particular always sprung up in Debbie's mind, especially whenever Graham wanted to go off and do something foolhardy. That's why she had tried so hard to get him to not go into Jack Rooster's house two years ago. That's also the reason why she did not want Graham investigating this stranger all by himself, but to call the police instead. “I'll call her back as soon as I can.” “Good,” said Felicia. “Are you going to stay for breakfast?” “No, I've gotta get back to Graham before he does something crazy.” Debbie said goodbye to her parents and departed. She reentered her car and sat for a moment, thinking. She was sure that something had happened last night. She'd felt something horrible, which had awakened her with a start. But her parents seemed fine. Then again, Debbie only seemed to get these intuitive insights about her cousin, not about anyone else. However, Graham had looked completely fine when she left. Sure he was sweating, but otherwise he looked... well, asleep. Had it just been a bad dream or her imagination? She turned on the car and left the house, driving back to Elizabeth's place. When she got back, Debbie decided, she'd ask Graham if something bad had happened to him last night. Perhaps he had experienced a bad dream. Graham finished his breakfast in a hurry, once again questioning a groggy Elizabeth, “Are you sure you don't know where Debbie went?” Elizabeth yawned widely, making her already long face look further stretched. “As sure as I was two minutes ago,” she answered, dryly. “Give it a rest. I'm sure she's fine.” At that very moment, the doorbell rang. Graham

78 • Jonathan Faz sprinted to the living room, his heart suddenly pounding. “I bet that's her!” He stopped in front of the front door, peering out of the peep hole excitedly. But it wasn't Debbie at the door. Instead, he saw a very bony woman with golden skin and short black hair. She was wearing a black jacket and black pants. Graham could not see details from where he stood. His excitement vanished and was replaced with suspicion. He turned to Elizabeth, who was slowly making her way towards him. “It's not Debbie,” he said. “I dunno who it is.” Elizabeth nodded and stepped forward, Graham sliding aside to let her pass. She looked out of the peep hole herself, shrugged, and opened it a crack. “Hello?” she said, looking up at the haggard woman. “Who are you?” “My name is Adi,” the woman replied. Graham couldn't see what happened, but Elizabeth took a step back and her eyes widened. The woman continued, “Mind if I come in and ask a few questions?” Elizabeth backed further away and the woman's skinny hand came into view from behind the door. Graham froze, thinking immediately that she had pulled out a gun or something. But a second later, he saw that the hand was holding out a small, black wallet with a shiny badge displayed on the bottom flap. Engraved on the bottom of the badge were the words: League Against Temporal Crime Division. The skinny woman immediately turned to Graham when she walked fully into the house. He saw her face more clearly now. Her mouth was a bit protruding, making it seem she had a slight overbite. Her eyes were a copper, almost red color. “You're with the LATC?” he asked incredulously.

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The woman, Adi, stared at him. Her face suddenly darkened tremendously. A small snarl appeared and her long, white teeth were visible in her mouth. “You find that hard to believe?” she spat, still looking Graham up and down. “The LATC does not have time to worry about little boys. What's your name?” When Graham didn't answer, she sneered at him and turned back to the interior of the house, scanning the living room closely. Graham stepped back, momentarily stunned by her reaction to him. Adi reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a long, rectangular object made of metal. In the middle of the rectangle was a dark fibrous material. She clicked a button on the edge of the object and the black material sparkled to life. “Have you seen this man?” asked Adi, peering intently at Elizabeth. A picture of a man was floating above the dark material. Elizabeth gasped and looked at Graham, who was also surprised. The picture he was looking at was of the same exact man who was lying unconscious in Elizabeth's room. Graham looked up at Adi, frowning. She was still staring at Elizabeth, completely ignoring him. Graham turned his eyes back to Elizabeth, who was looking back at Graham as if to ask, “What should I say?” A car pulled up to the house, thankfully distracting Adi. She turned to look at the newcomer, giving Graham enough time to catch Elizabeth's eye and shake his head no. “Who's that?” asked Adi, watching Debbie get out of the car and stroll up to the porch. “My cousin,” Graham replied, gesturing to Debbie behind Adi's back to remain silent. “So, lady, who is that fellow? I've never seen him before.”

80 • Jonathan Faz Adi turned back to Graham, the snarl back on her face. Her face flushed with annoyance. “I believe I'm the one asking questions here, boy. Not you.” Again, Graham was startled at how this woman was being so mean to him when she had never met him before. That reaction definitely dissipated what trust he had in her to begin with, which admittedly was very little. He now highly doubted she was actually an LATC officer. But it didn't make sense if she was working for Katherine's father, either. “What's going on?” asked Debbie, looking between Adi, Elizabeth, and Graham. Elizabeth looked ready to tell Debbie, but Graham stomped on her foot hard. She squeaked, and slapped Graham on the arm about five times. “I was just asking these two children if they've ever seen this man before,” Adi repeated. She pointed the rectangular object at Debbie, showing her the holographic man. “He's gone missing and it's very important that I find him.” Debbie wasn't as obvious as Elizabeth was about recognizing the man. Her eyes just widened very slightly, but the rest of her face remained expressionless. “Uh...” “You recognize him?” Adi asked eagerly. Her eyes widened and bulged, making her look insane. Debbie's eyes flickered to Graham for a fraction of a second. She looked at Adi, seemingly thinking things over. “No, I haven't,” Debbie said finally. “Who are you, by the way?” “My name is Adi,” the woman repeated, clearly disappointed. “I'm with the LATC.” “Where's your badge, then?” asked Debbie, almost casually. Adi glared at Debbie for a moment. She stepped back

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outside, brushing shoulders with her. “You're awfully suspicious,” she muttered. She gave Graham another contemptuous look. Then she pulled her wallet out and almost slapped Debbie in the face with it as she showed her the badge. “If you're smart,” she added, “You'll be more respectful. Have a nice day.” She walked away. Graham, Debbie, and Elizabeth watched her go as she got into a car parked across the street. The car was bulky, painted black and silver with sleek reflective wheels. Perched on top were two lights, a blue and red one. The car roared to life and flew into the air, making quite a ruckus as it did so. Graham was once again confused. Adi drove a police car from the future. If that was the case, then she actually was with the LATC. The moment the car was out of view, Graham rounded on Debbie. “Did you call the police?” he asked her, angrily. Debbie looked at Graham, annoyed. “No,” she replied coldly. “I went home to check on mom and dad, for your information.” “Then how did she—” Graham pointed into the sky, where Adi's car had disappeared, “—get over here? And why is she looking for that man?” “I don't know. What do you think, though? Do you really think she's with the LATC?” “Not sure,” Graham admitted. “I don't trust her. But that doesn't mean she isn't a police officer. It's like I've been saying all the long, Deb. We can't tell the police about this man because someone in the police might not be trustworthy. There's a reason he told me not to get any help.” Debbie frowned in thought, staring into space. “We'll talk about this later,” she said finally. “But for now, I think

82 • Jonathan Faz I agree with you.” The morning ticked away very slowly after that. Graham was more and more excited about the next day, when he'd go to the library and start diving into the Tempus murders the way the stranger had suggested. Hopefully something would lead him to who the man was and why someone would be after him. At about 3:00, while Graham was in Elizabeth's room pondering things over, he heard the unmistakable sounds of high pitched squeals of delight coming from the living room. Frowning, he got up and entered the hallway just as Greg's door flew open. “Keep it down!” he barked, glancing at Graham as he passed. “Tell them to shut their traps, will ya runt?” He slammed the door without waiting for an answer. Graham glared at the door for a moment, then entered the living room to see what all the noise was about. He felt his stomach fall a few centimeters. Debbie and Elizabeth were crowded around a girl. She was a little taller than before, and quite honestly a littler prettier. White skinned and having wispy, short blond hair, the girl named Tera Sterling stood in the middle of the living room, explaining something to Elizabeth, who seemed to be the source of the shriek from before. It had been a while since Graham had seen, or even talked to his friend Tera. They kept in touch by e-mail and the phone, sure, but they hadn't actually been in the same place in months. He wasn't quite sure why he felt uncomfortable and nervous when he saw her now, but he tried his best to push it aside. He failed extravagantly, as Tera finally noticed he was standing there and he felt his face grow hot. “Oh,” she muttered, looking quite as nervous as Graham

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felt. “Hi,” said Graham, awkwardly, feeling his face burn. Stop being nervous, he told himself, sternly. She's your friend. You should be glad to see her. Debbie and Elizabeth looked between the two, noticing something was out of place. “Do I need to introduce you two again or something?” Elizabeth murmured sarcastically. “No,” said Tera, seeming to snap out of it. She smiled and stepped forward, her face turning back to normal. She reached over and embraced Graham tightly, making him feel that weird clenching in his stomach again. “Graham! I missed you so much!” Swallowing, Graham nodded. “Yeah. I missed you too, Tera.” Tera stepped back, looking Graham straight in the eye. “Wow, you've gotten taller since the last time I saw you.” “And you've gotten—uh, you look—” Graham sighed and swallowed. “Thanks. How are you?” “I'm very good right now,” replied Tera. “I was just telling Elizabeth that I got a job down at the coffee shop. She loves that place.” Elizabeth nodded vigorously, licking her lips. Graham laughed, feeling himself loosen up somewhat. “Well, congratulations.” “Yes, well,” said Debbie, impatiently. “I brought Tera over here so we can fill her in, Graham. I think she ought to know what's happened over the past few days. Don't you?” “Oh,” said Graham. “Right.” “Let's take a seat, then,” said Debbie. “Over there, on the sofa. This will take a while—” Abruptly, there was a muffled scream. Graham stood up

84 • Jonathan Faz immediately from the sofa, his heart beginning to pump faster. The scream had definitely come from Elizabeth's room. It was a man's scream. “What was that?” asked Tera, looking frightened. Graham didn't answer. He sprinted into the hallway just as Greg's door burst open again. He collided with it, unable to turn away or stop. He caught a brief glance of Greg's messy room and saw numerous gadgets and trash piled on the floor around the bed. “Watch it, runt,” Greg snarled. “And tell whoever that was to shut the hell up! I'm trying to sleep!” Elizabeth began to argue with her brother as Graham slid past him and darted into her room. The stranger was still lying in the same position as before, but now his mouth and eyes were wide open. Tera stifled a scream when she saw him. “Who is he?” she asked, terrified. Graham knelt beside the man, checking his forehead. He was burning up. “What's wrong,” he asked the man. “Can you hear me?” The man's head began to shake, his eyes momentarily opening and darting to Graham. What looked like recognition dawned in them for a moment before they closed shut. His head slumped back onto the pillow and he made no further sound.

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Chapter 6 Alexandria Library

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t was clear to Graham after a few minutes that the stranger, whoever he was, was still alive but recovering slowly. Even after he fell limp again, the man's chest went up and down rapidly. Why had the man been so scared? Did he think he had been recaptured or had it been something else? Graham spent a few minutes peering out of the window to see if there was evidence that anybody had walked up to it and looked inside, but as far as he could tell there hadn't been. Graham and Debbie had to explain to Tera the events of the past few days while Elizabeth, slightly bored after the stranger's sudden outburst, practiced her violin playing. When they had finished, Tera looked more frightened than before. “It'll be fine,” Graham assured her. “I think I'm getting

86 • Jonathan Faz stronger at using the Chronoculus. So I'll be able to protect everyone if he comes by again. But he shouldn't. He doesn't know where Elizabeth lives.” Debbie took Tera back home late in the evening, promising to take her along when she took Graham to the library the next day. Graham had to stay at the house with Elizabeth, and as good as she was playing the violin, he quickly got bored and decided to go into the living room for the next few minutes to check what was on TV. Just as he entered the hallway, however, he stopped when he saw Greg's door open. Heavy metal music was booming from the room so loud that Graham couldn't quite make out the words. He inched forward and peeked inside. The room was deserted. Curious, Graham walked into the room and glanced around. All sorts of gadgets and devices littered the place, but now that he was nearer, Graham was sure that these devices were definitely from the future. He even picked out a holo-screen near the bed. The bathroom door behind Graham swung open and a low voice grumbled, “What the hell?” It was Greg and he was apparently not too happy about seeing Graham spying on his belongings. Graham turned and tried to think fast. “I was just wondering which band that is,” he said. “You could wonder about it outside my castle, next time. You runt.” Greg pushed Graham aside and slammed the door, the Keep the Hell Out sign stopping inches from Graham's nose. A little shaken, Graham made his way to the living area, where he was disappointed to find Mrs. Michaels watching daytime television. He made to turn back to the room, thinking that hanging with Elizabeth wasn't all that bad,

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when the television program was interrupted by a series of three loud beeps. Straining his eyes, Graham saw a message bulletin scroll across the bottom part of the screen. CCONN has just learned that there have been three more arrests in connection with the massive train derailment. Two have suspected ties to the Unification support group called the Nine Tails. Further information will be presented on the 6 o'clock evening news. He'd been expecting something about the stranger, perhaps a missing person notice. Further disappointed, Graham turned and went back to Elizabeth's room. He found her staring into space, not even noticing his presence. “Liz?” She snapped out of it, jumping slightly. “Hmm?” “Where were you off to just now?” “Nowhere. Just... it's weird.” She glanced at the clock. “My clock just rang like a giant bell. Or maybe it was my imagination. So, what's up?” “Care to play something a little faster this time?” Elizabeth grinned, bringing the violin up to her neck. “My pleasure.” And the rest of the afternoon passed a little quicker. When bed time came around, Graham once again took his spot across the room from the stranger. This time, it took him a while to get to sleep, since he was scared that the man would awake and begin screaming again. But, he didn't and Graham soon fell into a restless sleep. The stabbing pain was all Graham could feel when he woke up the next morning. He had awakened much earlier than usual. The sun was just barely making an orange glow on the curtains, shadows of the tree leaves drifting in a slight breeze. Graham couldn't help feeling excited about

88 • Jonathan Faz going to the library, which was probably what woke him up to begin with. He was surprised to find that Debbie seemed to be awake too. When she saw him move slightly after the pain had left him, she got out of bed and sat beside him. “Good morning,” she said, her face obscured in the dim light of the room. “Morning,” Graham replied, looking up at her. “I meant to ask you yesterday, but I forgot,” Debbie continued. “But I remembered just now because it happened again last night.” “What is it?” “Is something bothering you at night? Are you having bad dreams?” Graham felt his mouth dry up inexplicably. He hesitated, then shook his head. “I don't know,” he answered, truthfully. He could feel Debbie's electric blue eyed stare heat up his face. “I don't remember any of my dreams. Not ever. Not since a while back.” Debbie continued to stare at him for a few seconds. “Because last night, and the night before, I woke up and felt like something was wrong or something terrible had just happened... kind of like waking up from a nightmare. Except, I know I couldn't have been having a nightmare at the time.” “Did you see anything?” Graham asked hopefully. “Maybe you know what I dream at nights.” “No, I didn't see anything, Graham.” Debbie paused, thinking for a moment. “Do you think that's what's causing your pains in the mornings?” “Yeah, I do. If only I could remember...” Graham slumped back down, and instantly regretted it. His back erupted in pain and he coughed loudly. Elizabeth snored

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just as loudly, turned over, and remained still, muttering something about a bell. The morning went a little too slowly for Graham's tastes. Mr. and Mrs. Michaels had a loud argument with Greg, who returned home at 7:30 that morning. He had stayed out all night and refused to tell them where he had gone. “It's my business where I go,” he muttered, rudely, stomping to his room and slamming the door. To make matters worse, Elizabeth's parents seemed to be mad at her for not telling them she had seen Greg leave the house and not come back. Elizabeth kept repeating that she didn't know he had left, but they were too angry with their son to be reasonable. When it came time for Debbie to take Graham to the library, Elizabeth told them, still fuming, that they would have to go without her. At long last, Graham was in the front passenger seat of Debbie's car and they were driving down the road to pick up Tera. He had brought a piece of paper from Elizabeth's house to keep notes of the things he may find out at the library. Already written on it were the two things the stranger had told him: “The murders were connected” and “follow the clocks.” Graham was so lost in his own thoughts that he realized belatedly that the car had stopped in front of an apartment building. He looked around, noting how nice the lawns and everything was kept. “Where are we?” he asked. “Tera's place,” replied Debbie, honking the horn twice. About a minute passed before a door on one of the second floor apartment rooms opened and Graham saw the blond, thin haired head of Tera peek out from the railings. She smiled, waved, and ran down the stairs. “Hey,” she said to Debbie and Graham once she entered the car. “I'm sorry I took so long. My dad was comparing

90 • Jonathan Faz me to Penelope again. In fact, he started comparing my friends and Pen's friends.” Graham recalled that Penelope was Tera's step-sister and the real daughter of her step-parents. They always treated Tera like she was half a human being rather than their daughter. “Oh?” said Debbie. “Which one of us got burned this time?” “Elizabeth,” Tera replied nonchalantly. “He says she's become as lazy as her brother.” Debbie laughed dryly. “I don't think even a brick is as lazy as Greg.” During the drive to the library, Debbie and Tera continued their conversation. Graham kept silent for the most part, trying to focus his mind on the more important things. The sky was filled with tall buildings and flying cars as they neared downtown Bracket City. They even passed the headquarters to the LATC and Graham was reminded of the time he went there with Rakhon. He wondered if the woman, Adi, was somewhere in there. The roads were congested with a variety of vehicles, ranging from modern to extremely old. Indeed, Graham could see that there was even a chariot pulled by horses somewhere ahead of them. The drivers were oblivious to the time fusion and merely waited for the car in front of them to go as if it was something quite natural. Buildings further into the city were also quite abnormal. Some of them looked untouched and just as Graham remembered them. Most, though, had a strange and seemingly random mixture of future and modern materials on them. One place, for instance, had been a one story bricked Chinese restaurant painted yellow with red Chinese

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characters. Now, however, parts of the left side of the building exchanged bricks with a silver colored metal. There were three extra stories built on top of the building that were made entirely of the same metal. There were no windows there, only a darker colored metal gate that opened vertically. A flying yellow car with the same Chinese words on the restaurant painted on its hood zoomed out of the gate, apparently off to deliver food to somebody. “Here we go,” said Debbie, with a note of impatience. An opening had appeared and she took it, turning down the street that lead to the main library. About fifty feet tall, the main library was entirely silver with black panels on the corners climbing vertically to the very top of the structure. Several creases in the metal seemed to separate the building's levels. About 25 feet up was a large scrolling hologram reading, “Alexandria Library – Storing knowledge from 1 B.C.E. To 5050 A.D.” Graham could barely make out several large satellite dishes on the top of the building mixed with long antennae. Debbie parked in the parking lot next to it and together the three set off to the big, rotating door in the front of the library. They walked through the door into a truly splendid sight. The inside of Alexandria Library was vast, seemingly bigger than the outside suggested. Rows upon rows of bookshelves were lined up towards the walls of the library, extending from one end of the library to the other. The space towards the entrance all the way to the middle of the front lobby was devoid of any bookshelves, but instead was filled with tables for the numerous visitors. To the right of the entrance was the front desk where about 20 people sat, helping visitors who were checking out or returning books.

92 • Jonathan Faz Graham noticed that most of the people behind the desk were all dressed in normal clothing, with only a few dressed in slightly older attire. None of them were dressed in a futuristic fashion, and he guessed it was because nobody from the future would be checking out books. Still, he had a sneaking suspicion that they weren't from modern times at all, but were people from 5050 only dressed to look normal. “Wow,” Graham heard Tera say, breathlessly. Debbie just gasped, looking all around the interior. As Graham looked around, he noticed that shiny metallic escalators were located on the farthest corners on either side, one going up to the second floor, the other obviously going down from the second floor. Somewhere near the escalators were tall metallic tubes which extended vertically from the first level all the way to the top. Small windows were spaced vertically on the large cylinders and Graham could see a bright blue light inside. It reminded him of the light he could see inside the futuristic computers at LATC headquarters. He could only guess that the large cylinders held tremendous amounts of data. “Ah, welcome to the Alexandria Library,” said a fat woman as she waddled over to Graham, Debbie, and Tera. She was dressed in a relatively normal black sweater and brown pants. She wore thick glasses and her hair was very short and graying. “Please answer according to your knowledge: two years ago, what major event happened?” “What?” Graham asked, confused. “I repeat,” said the woman, patiently. “What major event happened two years ago?” Graham was about to answer that he had defeated the Tempus Murderer, but somehow he thought the woman wasn't looking for that answer. “The time fusion?” he

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answered. “Ah,” the woman replied briskly. “Correct.” She waddled over to the front desk, reached for something, and came back with three cards. “Class C Library cards, then. You are granted access to the upper floors, which are only opened to people from the year 5050, as well as the rest of the library.” Again, Graham was about to say something, but stopped himself. He knew that he wasn't from the year 5050 but that he had merely passed their test. However, this extra level of access granted to him could prove useful, so he replied, “Cool. Thanks.” “Nice disguises, by the way,” the woman said in an undertone, leaning forward and smiling. “You don't know how many times law enforcement has to fine people for not trying to blend in with everyone in crowded public places.” “You're with the LATC?” “Heavens no,” the woman replied, chuckling. “The LATC is a branch of law enforcement devoted to catching criminals. I'm merely a member of security personnel here at the library. A relatively peaceful job, though the shakeup here just before the time fusion had us all on our toes for a while.” “The shakeup?” “Yes. The Tempus Murderer came here once, just a week before the time fusion. Don't you remember?” Not being from the year 5050, Graham could not honestly answer that he did remember. So, he lied. “Oh, yeah. How could I forget?” “Poor Officer Mitchell was the one who took the heat for it. He was, of course, with the LATC. I don't think it was fair of them to assign him to the operation alone.”

94 • Jonathan Faz The name Officer Mitchell rang a bell in Graham's mind, but he couldn't quite place where he had heard the name before. “Well,” the woman said suddenly. “Must get back to work now. You enjoy your visit.” Graham watched her walk back towards the entrance, ready to greet any new guests. He beckoned to Debbie and Tera and they followed him. “Where are you going first?” asked Debbie as they passed row after row of bookshelves. “Upstairs,” answered Graham, looking up at the gigantic cylinders. “My guess is that they've got computers up there that I can use.” Graham led the girls to the escalator leading to the second level. A man was standing there and he asked to see their library cards. When he saw that they were Class C, he let them pass without another word. Graham took a step and looked around, fascinated, as the steps slowly took him upwards. To his dismay, however, the second floor was filled with even more bookshelves. He did notice, however, a large sign posted on the nearest bookshelf reading: Class B Section – 2010 A.D. to 3000 A.D. Graham saw another escalator that lead further upwards on the other side of the library. He and the girls walked to it, showed the man guarding it their cards, and proceeded up to the third floor. The third floor was also filled with books, but a lot less than the other two levels. On this floor, Graham could finally see a few computers. A sign immediately next to the escalator read: Class C Section – 3001 A.D. And the Great Dividing To 5050 A.D. “Here,” said Graham, walking towards the middle of the place. He found a free computer and stared at the projected

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keyboard floating in the air. A similarly projected screen was black except for the words “Type your query...” scrolling across it. “I could be here for a while,” Graham continued, glancing at Debbie and Tera. “I suppose if you want to look around...” “Fine,” replied Debbie, “But be careful and don't get lost.” Graham turned back to the computer as they began to walk away. He thought for a moment, shrugged, and mimicked typing “Tell me about the Tempus murders” on the floating screen. The screen flashed, and the words were replaced with “Searching...” Graham looked at the large cylinders on this floor, but he knew that those giant computers were processing a lot more than his data. They were constantly flashing with blue light, working to retrieve facts for several people at the library. Graham looked back at the screen and noticed several new things had appeared under the word “Searching”. Would you like to know about... 1. Pre-time fusion murders 2. Post-time fusion murders Entering the second option, Graham waited while the computer continued to search. A few seconds later, the screen displayed even more information. Graham frowned in thought and read the numerous paragraphs, eager to see how the Tempus murders could be connected.

Post-Time Fusion Tempus Murders Data compiled from LATC reports, news archives, and witness testimonials.

96 • Jonathan Faz First post-time fusion victim: Officer Henry Mitchell Graham let out a small gasp. “Of course!” he exclaimed under his breath. “Officer Mitchell!” That's where he had heard the name before. It was all coming back to him now. He had been forced to go to the mall with his cousin and her friends. It was just before he met Rakhon for the first time that he met Officer Mitchell. Mitchell was the bald LATC officer who had been disguised as a normal police officer and of whom Elizabeth's mother had asked for help. Shortly after that, Mitchell was found dead with a disfigured face. Graham read further on. Officer Mitchell first came into contact with the Tempus Murderer at the Alexandria Library. He was assigned to oversee the declassification of government files by Head Intelligence Agent Ronald Bracing. This move would make further information regarding the Atomic War available to the public. However, before the process was completed, Mr. Bracing was murdered. Mitchell faced a reprimand for not protecting Mr. Bracing, who was the sole keeper of the key to decrypt the files. A little known fact to the public is that Mr. Bracing's data-cards and personal belongings were stolen when he was murdered. Mitchell was also sworn to secrecy, as he was one of the few who knew what files were being declassified. When the time fusion hit a week after this event, however, the LATC found themselves short on personnel. Mitchell was then brought in for crowd control at a local time fused mall. It was there that he was murdered by the Tempus Murderer. There is no clear motive, but it is suspected that his murder is connected to Ronald Bracing's, though the LATC stands by its statement that the Tempus murders are random. Mitchell's hat was reported to be missing by his partner, Officer Rakhon. This explains his face being disfigured by the Tempus

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Murderer. Feeling his feet grow numb, Graham wished that he could sit down and read instead of standing. He tried to recall everything he knew about the second murder, but realized that he couldn't even remember the name of that victim either. It had just been another murder that the news reported to him. He sorely wished he had saved all those facts he had written in his notebook that week. They would've been very useful here. Graham leaned forward, reading on. Second post-time fusion Tempus murder: Officer Gilbert Hemmingway Graham drew a complete blank. He had never heard of this one before, or at least he couldn't remember it being significant. Officer Hemmingway: an accomplished cryptologist in the League Against Temporal Crime. Officer Hemmingway attempted to declassify the Bracing files himself since Mr. Bracing was the only holder of the key. He succeeded, but found that several files had further encryption that would require further time to decipher. The LATC immediately acknowledged that the files were not a high classification rating, therefore were not marked to be double-encrypted. The files had been tampered with sometime between Ronald Bracing's death and the moment Officer Hemmingway declassified them, but it was not clear by whom. Officer Hemmingway got to work on breaking the encryption, but he was never able to finish. He was killed on Kopplow Blvd. just outside of town. It is not clear what he was doing there, but the Chief of the LATC at the time, Kevin Daniels, accepted responsibility for Officer Hemmingway's rather mysterious location. According to him, he had ordered him there. The only piece of evidence that was found was a notebook lying near his body.

98 • Jonathan Faz Several things clicked in Graham's head at this point. The first thing that floated up to the surface was the name Kevin Daniels. He vaguely remembered seeing that name printed on a door inside LATC headquarters when he had visited two years ago. Next, he recalled the time he had stayed up to watch the news and he remembered wondering why the Tempus Murderer would want or need to kill a cryptologist. He didn't remember the second victim's name, but he did remember the job at least. Last, he also remembered noticing the notebook when the news showed the crime scene. He had wanted desperately to read what it said, but it never came up afterwards. The notebook was completely blank except for one seemingly random page that the Tempus Murderer must have missed and therefore left at the scene. The page had only one lone sentence written in code, but it was easily deciphered by Chief Daniels. Graham's heart raced and he read more. The sentence was: “Tempus precedes Eden Genesis.” A hollow fear shot through Graham when his eyes fell on the last two words. He had heard that phrase before. Two years ago when he was locked inside a prism trap with old Jack Rooster, Jack had mentioned the name Eden Genesis when he spoke about researching the Regus Foundation, the losing side of the Atomic War. Jack Rooster said that he had seen a picture of the Chronoculus too, and that the Regus Foundation seemed very interested in it. All that was tied to the name Eden Genesis. Graham also recalled feeling a surge of fear when he first heard the name and couldn't help noticing that he felt almost the same way at the moment. Why though, he thought to himself. Why am I so scared of that name?

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What's even more mysterious was that Officer Hemmingway had heard of Eden Genesis. Could it be he knew about the Chronoculus as well? Or had he managed to decrypt that part of the encrypted files? And what did “Tempus precedes Eden Genesis” mean, anyway? A slight twinge of annoyance flared up inside Graham. He had come for answers, but now it seemed he would be leaving with some more questions as well. He read on, now getting to a Tempus murder he was familiar with: Rakhon's death. Third post-time fusion Tempus murder: Officer Rakhon Officer Rakhon, otherwise known as Unit 86, was believed to be hot on the trail of the Tempus Murderer about the time of his death. Shortly before his murder, Officer Rakhon was called by the Chief LATC Investigator to discuss something of which was never recorded privately or publicly. Officer Rakhon left LATC headquarters after the meeting and that was the last that was seen of him. One piece of evidence from the scene of the crime—an old piece of paper—was confiscated and filed under Top Secret. It was never seen again. Kevin Daniels, the Chief LATC Investigator, declined to comment or to explain what the meeting that he and Officer Rakhon had just before the murder was about. This was just one of the mysterious circumstances surrounding Mr. Daniels' termination as Chief. Shortly after the downfall of the Tempus Murderer, Kevin Daniels was replaced by Jake Reed, who continues his position as Chief up to this day. Mr. Daniels still serves as an investigator for the LATC. NOTE: Many journalists have deduced that the location of the remnants of the Regus Foundation in the time fusion was a heated subject that won Mr. Reed his position as Chief. This may give a clue as to what the classified files hint at, though Chief Reed is not pursuing that avenue any longer. (Read more on the Jake Reed and Kevin Daniels controversy...)

100 • Jonathan Faz Graham suddenly loved the library a lot more than the news. Of course, he probably would've learned a lot more if he watched the news more often, but this was still a lot better in his opinion. He noticed a small, circular button on the top right corner of the projected screen that read “Save to datacard.” He tapped it with his finger and instantly, a dialog box popped up asking if he would like his data-card now or if he would like to keep searching. He chose the latter and found himself back at the search box. Being so curious about everything he had read, Graham decided he was most curious about Eden Genesis. He typed the name in, feeling his hands shake as he did so. He pressed enter and waited while the system searched. To his dismay, however, only two search results were displayed, one of them pointing back to the report on Officer Hemmingway's murder. The other one wasn't so much a search result as it was a notice. Your search request occurs numerous times under the encrypted section “Regus Foundation” which has yet to be deciphered. Please check back later. Of course it was encrypted. Graham had just read that Officer Hemmingway hadn't been able to fully declassify and decrypt those files. Graham shrugged and, once he was back at the search box, typed in the word “Tempus” to see if the same thing would happen. It didn't. Several results were displayed, in fact, and he skimmed through them. II. Tempus – Definition 1. Tempus (n. tem· pus) is a latin word meaning “time” and is a root word in words like temporary, temporal... (Read more...) III. Tempus – Literature

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1. Tempus: A novel by Hedrick Harrington (2374 A.D. 2466 A.D.) published in 2430 A.D. (Read more...) It was very curious that Tempus was the name of a novel in the future, but Graham's eye was quickly caught by something else on the screen. Everything after those two results were news items and the twelfth result caught Graham's eye. IV.Tempus – News ... 12. (Not viewable. Occurrence resides within encrypted files filed under “Regus Foundation”. Please check back later.) Graham stared at the screen. Tempus and Eden Genesis could both be linked to the Regus Foundation. Suddenly, Graham understood that Officer Hemmingway had probably discovered a lot more than was being mentioned. He had probably written it down in his notebook in some kind of code only he and the LATC would understand. Graham decided not to even bother searching for “Regus Foundation” since the computer was making it perfectly clear that the files on that were still sealed away. Leaning on what little desk space there was, Graham tried to think hard on what he had read. What had the stranger tried to make him understand by telling him the murders were connected? Was it the sealed files about the Regus Foundation that he wanted Graham to find out about? But why would that be the first and foremost thing on the man's mind? Struck by a sudden thought, Graham typed the words “follow the clocks” into the search box and waited, thinking that somehow it would be connected to something he had read. But the search turned up no results. Frustrated, Graham tried to think of anything else that

102 • Jonathan Faz he could possibly search for. He tried searching for “Rakhon”, but that only returned what he already knew about the boy robot, though he did find an article titled: Robot Scheduled for Disassembly Now With LATC. Graham decided to leave that and read about it later, though he wondered why Rakhon had never told him that he was supposed to be destroyed too. Graham knew the robot's so-called father had been destroyed for exceeding his programed limitations, but why Rakhon would be considered for the same fate was beyond him. His next search was “LATC”, but that seemed to be another dead end. Just as Graham was about to close the search, however, he saw something. One of the very founders of the League Against Temporal Crime was Kevin Daniels; the former Chief, the very same person that had ordered Officer Hemmingway to his death and the same person who had a mysterious, unrecorded meeting with Rakhon just before he died. Going to the next logical step, Graham entered the name “Kevin Daniels”. The computer searched and searched, seeming to take longer than usual to come up with a result. At long last, the computer screen flickered and several results were listed. Graham's jaw fell open as he viewed the first result. Kevin Daniels' picture had popped up on the screen along with his personal information. There was no doubt about it. Kevin Daniels was the man lying unconscious in Elizabeth's room at this very moment.

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Chapter 7 The Two Calls

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o the stranger now had a name. But he had more than that now. He also had a history. Kevin Daniels was one of the founders of the League Against Temporal Crime. According to the information in the computer, Kevin had defected from the Regus Foundation's side of the war at the height of their power. Shortly afterwards, the Regus Foundation began to lose battles. It went downhill from there and, eventually, they lost the war. Kevin helped form the LATC when the Tempus Murderer appeared on the scene and began to travel through time. He provided the LATC with the only means to follow the Tempus Murderer through time. The information didn't say how he did it, however. With the two deaths of LATC officers being connected

104 • Jonathan Faz to him, Kevin was terminated as Chief and was replaced by Jake Reed. Had Kevin been trying to get Graham to learn who he was by telling him the murders were connected? Or was there more under the surface? Was it also to lead Graham to the truth about why he had been tortured? But that didn't make any sense. Why didn't he just say his name? Unless everything he said was more important than his name, Graham thought. A small dialogue box appeared on the projected screen, indicating that Graham's time limit was up. He saved all of his searches to a data-card and told the computer to eject. A thin slot on the small desk in front of him spit out a thin metallic card and Graham took it, pocketing it safely. He now knew who the man was, but the most important question still needed to be answered. Why was he attacked? Graham turned around and began to look for the others. But as he did so, he stopped short and did a double-take. His eyes fell on a bald, muscular man with a gray goatee. Graham could've sworn that the man had been watching him. However, the bald man merely looked very interested in a book on the shelf to his left. Shrugging, Graham walked on and looked around for Debbie and Tera. “I love libraries,” Tera commented behind Debbie. “There's just something about them that makes me feel relaxed.” Debbie had to disagree with Tera there. This particular library didn't make her feel remotely good about anything. She didn't like it. It wasn't that she didn't like libraries in general, it was just this library that she wasn't too fond of.

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“Yeah,” she replied vaguely. She sighed, glancing around for her cousin. “I wonder if Graham will be finished any time soon.” Her eyes swept the area. “Maybe we shouldn't have left him alone—” She soon found herself sprawled on the floor, books landing beside her on the ground. She had collided hard with someone while she'd been looking for Graham. “Sorry!” She began to pick up the books and, only after gathering all of the ones in her vicinity, glanced up at the person she had knocked over. It was a young man with thick, golden hair dressed in a leather jacket and blue jeans. “Believe me, that was a better part of my day,” the young man said, taking the books Debbie was handing to him. “I don't understand how falling hard on your back can be good.” “Depends on who you ran into,” the young man said, smiling and winking at her. He got to his feet and extended his hand to Debbie, who took it and got up. “Thanks,” Debbie muttered uncertainly. “Well, I don't have time to talk,” the young man continued. “But it was the best fall I ever had. See you later.” He began to walk away, but stopped and turned to Debbie again. “Oh, and watch out... there's a wall just over there. Funny things happen when you walk into those.” “I know that!” “Just making sure, sweetheart.” He grinned and walked away briskly, leaving Debbie staring after him. She felt both flattered and slightly insulted. “Looks like he really liked that,” Tera commented lightly. “That guy was a moron,” Debbie said. “No tact at all.” Off in the distance, she saw her cousin returning to them.

106 • Jonathan Faz “Oh, good. Now we can leave this place.” Graham wasn't really sure why Debbie seemed so jumpy and flushed, but Tera told him that she'd explain later. His brain much too saturated for any more facts, he agreed. The three of them descended back to the first floor through the escalators. When they reached the ground, Graham stepped off the escalator steps and looked up. His eyes floated up above the library's entrance and he gasped in sudden shock. There they were. Perched all over the wall above the entrance were many different types of clocks, all ticking away. Follow the clocks... Some were very large and others were as small as a dinner plate. Placed under all of them were gigantic labels, some made of wood, others made of metal with holographic letters floating in mid-air. Graham read a few of them: 2041 A.D., 1923 A.D., 50 A.D. Graham looked towards the north side of the wall where there seemed to be more of a concentration of clocks than anywhere else on the wall. From where he stood, he could see one that said 3433 A.D. and another that said 4100 A.D. But, no matter which year was labeled, every single clock on the wall read exactly the same time. Follow the clocks... Graham stayed silent and in deep thought even as he followed Tera and Debbie out of the library and entered the car. When Graham finally spoke later on, it was to tell the two girls what he had read about during his research. It took him a while to recount the story of the Atomic War to them, since Tera had asked what the Regus Foundation was, but in the end they were all quite beside themselves. Graham was extra sure to give Debbie an “I told you so”

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look when he told her that the stranger wasn't dangerous at all, but was an LATC officer named Kevin Daniels. Debbie looked ready to argue back, but she refrained and didn't speak for the rest of the drive. At last they reached Elizabeth's house. Both Debbie and Tera were very quiet when they entered the house. They slumped onto the living room sofa just when Elizabeth was coming out of her room. She was still in pajamas. “There you are! I had to fake being sick just to get out of going to school,” she explained. “And that was no easy feat, especially with how mad they were with Greg. I wonder how I'm going to stay home tomorrow.” “My parents weren't that easy either, and they know about all of this time fusion business,” Debbie replied. “You'd think it wouldn't be so hard to convince them that I can't go to school. I had to talk to my dad for close to half an hour before he finally agreed.” Elizabeth looked at Graham and said, “Speaking of, your dad called.” “Really?” Graham muttered, somewhat distractedly. “About what?” “He just said to tell you to call him back,” Elizabeth responded, shrugging. “He didn't say anything else.” Graham nodded and got up, walking to the phone as the girls began chatting about something. Before he could pick up, though, the phone rang and made him pause half-way through the motion. A blur of brown hair shot past him and he automatically stepped back to make room for Elizabeth as she grabbed the phone eagerly. “Hello?” she said, her voice quavering slightly. Her face turned completely blank for a few seconds. Then she covered the receiver with her free hand and began to jump up and down, screaming wildly.

108 • Jonathan Faz “What the heck?” Graham couldn't help asking. “What's going on?” “It's Derrick!” Who Derrick was, Graham didn't know. But Debbie and Tera obviously did, for they squealed as loudly as Elizabeth had, making Graham screw his face up and plug his ears with his fingers. “Talk to him!” said Debbie, eagerly. “Don't leave him hanging!” “What do I say?” asked Elizabeth, still hopping up and down. “Anything!” Elizabeth held the phone at bay for a few more seconds, then picked it up to her ear and said, very casually, “Hey Derrick. What's up?” The conversation took ages to finish. Graham stood by and waited, looking disgusted. Elizabeth would talk very politely with a slightly softer voice, then occasionally hop up and down again with a look of glee on her face. Graham gathered from the bits of conversation coming from Debbie and Tera that Derrick was a guy that Elizabeth had liked for a very long time. Finally, after about twenty minutes, she hung up the phone. Ignoring the giggling and chatter that ensued, Graham picked up the phone and dialed his home phone number. Having to put his finger in his ear again, Graham listened to the ring until someone picked up. “Hello, dad?” “Graham,” his father's voice said through the phone. He sounded both surprised and relieved. “How are you? Your mom and I are so worried...” “I'm fine,” Graham assured his dad. “Really. The question is how are you? Liz said you called.” “We're okay. Your mom has been feeling sick to her

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stomach because she's so worried, and she's not just worried about the danger you're in, either.” “What do you mean?” “I mean school, Graham. You've missed one day already and she's worried about the other days you're going to miss. Your teacher called us earlier today, you see. Ms. Sable I think her name was.” Graham really didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. He had been chased out of his own house by a man who had tortured Kevin Daniels and his parents were worried about school? His father continued. “She's been saying that we should get the police involved and get you back home. She's wondering why you haven't come back home. I've been concerned about something else, though.” “Like what?” There was a pause, and then his father said, very slowly, “Graham, I'm concerned about everything, but mainly about the fact that you're going to have to make decisions. Important decisions. Decisions that I hope you think through beforehand.” Startled, Graham found his voice was lost again. Where was this coming from? There was a silence again, and then his father added, “I told you to call the police, didn't I? You obviously haven't.” “Yeah, about that, dad... I don't think it's safe to go to the police. I know mom thinks it's best, but I think it's a big mistake.” “Why?” “The man we saved said not to get help, but to keep him safe. Also, we got a visit from a policewoman earlier. She was looking for the man, but something about her seemed bad. She was very hostile to all of us. Both Debbie and I

110 • Jonathan Faz don't trust her.” There was a silence. “Son, I know this isn't something a normal father would do, but I'm going to let you decide. You know a lot more than I do about this; plus I know you have the ability to do special things. Just remember what I said.” Graham was startled by what he heard. “Uh—sure, I will.” “I'll tell your mother that you're safe. Just stay that way, okay?” “Yeah, okay. Tell her I love her.” Graham hung up the phone and stood for a moment while the girls talked in the background. It was a very unusual call. He was expecting his father to order him back home, not to tell him just to be careful. He strolled off into Elizabeth's room to check on Kevin Daniels, his mind brushing aside the conversation with his dad. Kevin was still unconscious and in the same exact position as before. For a minute Graham stood there, looking down at Kevin and wondering why someone would want to torture him. “Hey.” Graham jumped and swirled around, startled. It was Elizabeth, who was standing at the doorway holding the cordless phone in her hand, staring at him with concern. “Why did you have to scare me like that?!” Graham demanded angrily. Elizabeth didn't answer right away. She merely looked confused, as if not sure what to say. Then, finally seeming to decide, she said, “The phone is for you.” Graham frowned at her, seeing her extend the hand holding the phone. He hadn't even heard the phone ring. “Who is it? Is it dad again?”

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Again, there was a hesitation. “No. That's the thing,” Elizabeth replied. “I don't know who it is. It's a man, and he asked to speak directly to you.”

112 • Jonathan Faz

Chapter 8 The Transtemporal Railway

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till frowning, Graham took the phone from Elizabeth's hand and picked it up to his ear. It couldn't be Katherine's father, could it? But, it wasn't Katherine's father. The voice that spoke on the other end of the line was one Graham had never heard before. “Good afternoon, Graham Sherwood,” the voice said. “I trust you are doing well?” “Who is this?” “I will not reveal that right now. Besides, you would not believe me if I told you. I wish to meet you in person to discuss certain... endeavors of yours. And certain endeavors of mine, of course.” “Endeavors?” “Of course,” the man replied casually. “Now lend me your ear for a moment. Tomorrow, you will go to Legend

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street and take a lift-car to Docking Platform Seven. From there take the train that leaves at 10:30. There will only be one that leaves at this time and it will not be delayed. From there you will receive further instructions.” “Wait a second,” muttered Graham, annoyed. “I'm not going anywhere until I find out who you are and what you want to see me for.” “You will discover my identity soon, I assure you,” said the man, sounding amused. “As for why I want to see you, I would think that is obvious.” “Well, it isn't obvious to me.” “Kevin Daniels.” A ripple of shock spread through Graham, momentarily silencing him. The man pressed his advantage. “Legend street, Docking Platform Seven, take the train that leaves at 10:30 tomorrow morning.” There was a click and then total silence. “Who was it?” Elizabeth inquired after staring at Graham for about a minute. “What did he want?” Graham didn't answer her. He stared into space, slowly lowering the phone from his ear. There was a vague impression that the last phone call Graham had received was something big, but he refused to tell Debbie about it no matter how much she pressed him. It annoyed her that he was keeping secrets from her, especially because they were in such a serious situation. She decided to stop pressing him, however, and wait until he had calmed down. Dinner that night was actually very fun. Elizabeth was extremely hyper and it lightened up Debbie's mood. Elizabeth's father seemed pleased with his daughter's antics and he too joined in, much to the displeasure of Mrs.

114 • Jonathan Faz Michaels. “Come on, mom,” said Elizabeth, who had just used some of the chicken legs as drumsticks on her dad's head while singing Crazy Boys. “You know, you'll look old if you keep acting old.” Debbie and Tera laughed most of the time, but there were moments when they were distracted by the fact that Graham seemed oblivious to the hijinks surrounding him. Debbie tried to catch Graham's eye, but he stared resolutely at his dinner plate, picking at his chicken. He didn't even seem to pay much attention when Tera wished him a good night just before she left. When bedtime came around later that night, Debbie attempted to get Graham's attention before he went to bed, but the late arrival of Greg and another Michaels family argument distracted her. This time, he had returned home with a girl in his arms and a new gadget in his shirt pocket —a thin, pencil-like object made of metal. Mr. Michaels was in a fury and Elizabeth did her best to calm him down while Mrs. Michaels followed Greg into his room and lectured him, leaving the girl standing at the front door. She muttered a few curses about Mrs. Michaels and left. Debbie had a hard time holding Elizabeth back from attacking the girl. “Hey Liz, she doesn't know what she's talking about. Calm down!” By the time everyone settled down, Graham was already fast asleep. Debbie and Elizabeth walked quietly in and shut the door. Elizabeth had calmed down mostly, but she was still panting. “I wonder what Greg is up to,” she said thoughtfully as she climbed into her bed. “I mean, I know he has a band, but to be out playing every night? That doesn't sound normal.”

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“Who knows,” Debbie said, looking at Graham and making sure to keep her voice down. He was stirring in his sleep. “I hope it's nothing illegal or anything,” continued Elizabeth. “As much as I hate him, I love him. And I want him to be safe.” “I hope so too.” She was feeling exhausted and wasn't in the mood to talk. She closed her eyes for a second. “And all this debt he's in... yet he keeps getting all these things that look pretty expensive. I don't blame mom and dad for getting nervous about it.” “It's terrible.” “What's wrong with him?” “He's stupid, lazy, and disrespectful.” “No, I mean your cousin...” Debbie opened her eyes and frowned. Graham was stiff and his fist was clenched very tightly, making his knuckles white. His face was screwed up in what looked like fear and he kept shaking his head feverishly. His hands flew up to his face suddenly and he shook his head more violently. He twisted and turned, the sheets flying off in every direction. He was sweating excessively, his muscles so tight that Debbie could see the veins popping out of his arms. She ran to him and shook him gently. “Graham, wake up.” Graham's body seemed to relax as he stirred, his eyes slowly opening. He didn't move much; he just breathed heavily for a few seconds. “Are you okay?” she asked, now very concerned. Graham didn't answer at once. He looked a bit confused and looked around the room as if to refresh his memory of where he was. Slowly, he brought his hands up to rub his eyes, and Debbie saw that his arms were trembling.

116 • Jonathan Faz “Ow,” Graham moaned, resting his arms back on the ground. “Everything hurts.” “You were having a nightmare,” Debbie told him, gently. “We saw you thrashing around.” “It burns,” said Graham, a tear falling down his cheek. “Everything burns.” Debbie attempted to reach down and try massaging one of his arms, but she retracted immediately when Graham groaned in anguish. “Do you remember what you were dreaming?” “No,” replied Graham, sounding tired. “I never remember.” He moaned again, another tear falling and mixing with the sweat. “It's never hurt this bad. I think it's... it's getting worse. A lot worse.” Debbie didn't know what to say. She never truly appreciated what pain Graham had to go through until now. As slowly and softly as she could, she embraced Graham and said, “Shh. Don't worry about it. It'll be okay.” She didn't know how it would be okay, however. If the best doctors in the world couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, what else could be done? Graham did not sleep for the rest of the night. He was too scared that he'd wake up in the same amount of pain as before. He wasn't sure if Debbie waking him up during the dream had made the pain worse or not, but he did not want to feel that way again. As a result, the next morning Graham was completely dazed and disorientated. He was also a bit sorer than usual. To keep his mind off of the pain, Graham thought hard about the phone call that he had received from that mysterious man the previous day. He was still trying to

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decide if he was going to go or not. Of course, convincing Debbie to take him would be another thing entirely. He knew the she would probably refuse outright to take him. And, he had to admit, she had good reason. It wasn't like listening to a person on the phone was the smartest idea. Still, he felt that it was his responsibility to learn more about Kevin Daniels, who was still unconscious in Elizabeth's room. He had to find out why Katherine's father was after him and why he tortured him. If the person on the phone had some information, Graham really couldn't pass up the opportunity. His curiosity was just too overwhelming. So, by about 7 o'clock that very morning, Graham had made his decision. He had to follow this lead. But the question was how was he going to do it? To his delight, the answer came to him in the form of his friend, Matt. Matt showed up at the house just before school asking to see Graham and looking apologetic. More importantly, he had brought his bike. “Look,” he said, looking at Graham through his titanium rimmed glasses. “I've been thinking about everything that's happened and... well, I'm just freaked out. But if you say you took down the Tempus Murderer, I've got to believe you. You're my best friend!” Graham was too excited to hold a grudge. “Don't worry about it,” he said, grinning. “Let me get you up to speed on what's been happening.” And he told him all about his trip downtown to the library, about the woman Adi showing up looking for Kevin Daniels, and about the mysterious phone call that told him to be on a train that leaves at 10:30 that very morning. After Graham was done, Matt had a puzzled expression on his face. “But,” he said slowly, “There are no train

118 • Jonathan Faz stations on Legend street.” “Oh, so you know the street,” Graham said, relieved. “What do you mean there are no train stations?” “I mean there aren't. I don't know what that man was talking about, but the nearest train station in that area is about twenty miles away.” A horrible thought occurred to Graham. What if whoever called him was just playing some prank on him? But if that were true, how had he known about Kevin Daniels? “Well, he did say to take a lift-car to a docking platform. Any idea what a lift-car is?” “No,” said Matt, shaking his head. “Well, I'm gonna find out. Are you coming?” “I've got school,” protested Matt. “You've got school, too. Or have you forgotten that you're still fourteen?” “I can't go to school if someone's out to get me.” “You can't go out in the town either, genius. Which is what you're planning to do right now!” “Come on! I've got to find out what this person knows about Kevin. It's the only lead I've got.” Matt looked at his watch, then at Graham, all the while looking conflicted. “I can't believe I'm asking this, but how will we get there if we go?” “I'll figure something out,” said Graham, waving an impatient hand. “The thing I want to know is if you're going with me.” Matt looked ready to say something in protest, but closed his mouth when he saw that Debbie and Elizabeth had entered the living room. He looked at Graham for a while, then slowly nodded somewhat reluctantly. Of course, Graham honestly had no idea how he was going to get to Legend street, especially after Matt told him that the street was on the other side of town. He couldn't

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exactly walk there, not only because he was afraid that Katherine's dad would catch him, but also because his body was still extremely sore from the night. Things got even worse for Graham when the phone rang. Derrick, the boy who called Elizabeth the previous day, was coming over to the house. Both Debbie and Elizabeth seemed to be in two places at once from then on, going between the living room and Elizabeth's room. There was no Elizabeth and Debbie free area in the house, it seemed. “We can't have five minutes without one of them bursting in here!” roared Graham the sixth time Debbie left for the living room. Matt pushed his glasses up his long, thin nose and frowned. “Any ideas yet?” Graham shook his head. He glanced at his watch, made an angry gesture, and decided to peer out the window, trying to will his brain into formulating an idea. His mind froze as he registered what he saw. “Matt,” he said, turning to his friend with a frown. “Didn't you park your bike out front?” “Yeah, I did.” “What color is it?” “Blue. Why?” Graham simply pointed out the window, his brow furrowed. “Then who does that belong to?” Graham was pointing at a sleek, well polished black bike, a bike that he could've sworn had not been there before. “No idea,” replied Matt. “Maybe it's Greg's?” “Why would Greg have a bike?” Graham inquired. “He's got a car for himself.” “Maybe for exercise?” “You don't know Greg. He probably thinks exercise

120 • Jonathan Faz means moving a limb once a month.” Matt nodded in understanding. “Okay, well forget that. Are you thinking of riding that bike to Legend street, then?” Graham thought for a moment. It would be a painful trip, sure, but he had run out of options. “Yes.” He grabbed his Chronoculus, which was lying on Elizabeth's dresser, and pocketed it. Cautiously keeping an eye on the room's door and an ear open for any sign that Debbie or Elizabeth would be walking back into the room, Graham stuck one foot out of the window and then the other. He winced as his legs shook with the strain. He made it outside and stood to the side, waiting for Matt to go through next. As Matt's feet appeared out of the window, however, Graham heard Debbie's voice coming from the outside of Elizabeth's room. His heart froze. For a moment there was only muffled speech from behind the closed door. Then, he heard Elizabeth shriek something that sounded clearly through the entire house. “It's him! Derrick's here!” Debbie's voice moved further away from the door and there was silence. “Come on,” said Graham to Matt. “Hurry!” Matt flung himself out of the window at last. “I'll go get my bike,” he told Graham, running around the corner of the house. “Don't let them see you,” Graham whispered after him. Matt gave a short nod before he disappeared completely. Graham turned to the black, shiny bike in the back yard and examined it closely. It appeared quite ordinary for a bike, no fancy gadgets or anything. He knew it wasn't Greg's or Mr. Michaels', so he was very suspicious that it just happened to turn up when he needed it.

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Carefully, he mounted the bike to test it out. It would've been comfortable if his entire body wasn't aching. He tried to paddle forward a few feet and discovered that the bike worked perfectly. There wasn't anything—at least from what he could tell—that had been sabotaged. Briefly, he recalled the last time he had ridden a bike was when he was ten years old. He remembered it so vividly because he had narrowly avoided a car, but hit the sidewalk curb right on target. This resulted in breaking his arm when she fell on the cement. He was sure he'd be more careful this time, however. He glanced up, seeing Matt returning with his own bike right next to him. “Did they see you?” he asked Matt. Matt shook his head and rolled his eyes. “That guy Derrick was distracting them enough. They can get really loud at times.” “Good,” said Graham, ignoring the fact that Matt sounded a little bitter. “Come on, let's go before Derrick leaves.” He kicked off, which hurt tremendously, and began to pedal his way out of the backyard. The trip through the grass was the most painful, since it required heavier pedaling than normal. The trip to Legend street was not the least bit comfortable, either. Graham found it very difficult to keep up with Matt, who was pedaling fast and carefree. Graham didn't ask him to slow down, however. The first time this thought crossed his mind, he checked his watch and realized that it was about six minutes until the train left. So, trying to ignore the pain, he trudged on. But it was no good. When Graham's watch hit 10:30, he and Matt were barely arriving on Legend street. Suddenly, Graham felt very sick, and not just because he had been biking non-stop with sore muscles. He had just sneaked out

122 • Jonathan Faz of the house and was very likely going to get in trouble for it, and he had nothing to show for it. “We're here,” said Matt, slowing down and looking around. “Now what?” “The man said we need to take a lift-car, I think,” replied Graham, his mouth very dry from the trip. “But what's a lift-car?” “I wonder,” said Matt sarcastically, pointing to an area behind Graham. Graham followed his gaze and saw a small area just ahead of them with small, bulky, ascending platforms. “Maybe they're cars that lift things. You know?” “Very observant,” snapped Graham, getting off his bike and beginning to walk towards the platforms. “Come on, we're already late.” The two made their way to an empty lift car and climbed aboard, stepping up to a man who was already on the platform. He was chubby with a beard and an odd blue uniform. He eyed them suspiciously for a moment, then asked, “Where to?” “Docking Platform seven,” replied Graham, recalling the phone call. “And hurry, please. We're running late.” “No need to worry about that,” the man said confidently, messing with a control in front of him that looked very similar to a jack hammer, but with the end stuck neatly to the platform. “If you're trying to reach the train that leaves at 10:30, that is.” “Why? What happened?” “Running late,” the man grunted. “Engine troubles. And you can imagine how important that is, especially with that train derailment that keeps popping up on the news.” The lift car vibrated soothingly and gently began to lift Graham, Matt, and the man towards the sky. “What kind of train is it?” Matt inquired, sounding

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concerned. “A normal one,” replied the man, dismissively. “Part of the Transtemporal Railway, of course. They just finished construction on this station two months ago.” “Transtemporal?” Graham repeated. “How is it transtemporal?” “Well, it's built for people from 5050, like you, but it's adapted for this primitive place that the time fusion's stuck us in. They had to shut down the normal railways because they interfered with what the Present people call 'flight paths'.” The man scoffed, and shook his head disdainfully. “I've only seen airplanes in the history books. This place is like a museum.” “Flight paths?” both Matt and Graham voiced, frowning in confusion. “I know,” said the man. “That was my reaction too.” The three continued silently for a few minutes after that, slowly gliding up into the clouds. The lift was gentle enough to allow Graham to lean on some of the car's railings and look down below. “How long does it usually take to get to the docking platform?” “You've never taken the train before?” asked the man, exasperatedly. “Well, I suppose you two are too young to have done it before... it'll be a few more minutes.” Eventually, the platform made it to a small clearing of clouds. There, at long last, Graham could see what Docking Platform Seven must look like. It was built in the shape of a gigantic, upside down dome. Once the car flew above the structure, Graham could see that numerous buildings were constructed along the edges of the top. “There you have it,” the man said, messing with the control again. “The train station is just on the other side.” The lift car began to move horizontally now, just a little

124 • Jonathan Faz above the city. Graham and Matt peered down at the many people walking about. “Wow,” said Matt in awe. “It's like another city up here.” “This is nothing,” the man driving the lift car said. “Docking Platform Twenty-four is the biggest. We've had to expand these things, you see, to control the population. Besides, most folks from 5050 prefer to live in the skies, now.” The lift car began to descend in front of the tallest building on the platform. The building was bronze in color with protruding, diamond shaped objects all around it. A large circular clock was seen at the very top, and below it was a holographic sign reading: Train Station. Graham and Matt got off the lift car as soon as it landed. “Thanks,” they both told the man. “Wait just a minute,” the man snapped, suddenly. “I didn't take you up here for free. Wow, you are new to this, aren't you?” “How much will it be?” asked Graham uneasily. “Three hundred fifty, each.” The dry sensation returned to Graham's mouth. “But—” “Here you are,” said a man's voice. Graham and Matt swirled around and saw another man walking towards them. Graham recognized him at once. He was the muscular, balding man with a gray goatee that he had seen at Alexandria Library. When Graham had noticed him, he had gotten the strange feeling that the bald man had been staring at him. Graham noticed at this range that the bald man had a large cut across the top of his head, which was mostly covered with bandages. “This will cover their cost,” the man with the goatee continued, waving his hand in front of the strange device the lift car driver used to navigate. There was a loud beep.

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The lift car driver's mouth fell open. “What the—” “Consider that extra compensation,” said the man with the goatee. “For you to keep quiet about these two.” He gestured at Matt and Graham. Graham felt a stab of panic suddenly. The lift car driver stared at the man with the goatee, then at Matt and Graham, then back at the man. “You got it,” he said greedily, and started the lift-car. He turned around and drove off into the distance. “Come with me,” the bald man told Graham and Matt, gesturing them inside the train station. Graham and Matt didn't move. “Who are you?” Graham demanded. “Manuel,” replied the man, simply. “Now hurry. I didn't make the train late for nothing.” “You? You made the train late?” “Once I heard you were on your way, of course I did. I didn't want you to miss your appointment.” “How did you know we were—” “The bike,” Manuel explained, impatiently. “Now, do you want to go or not?” “How did you know I would use the bike? I could've gotten a ride...” “I'm not here to answer questions. Do you want to go or not?” “Who are we seeing?” Graham asked, still not moving. Manuel didn't speak for a moment. He glared down at Graham, considering him. “Last chance. Do you want to know more about Kevin Daniels or not?” He knew exactly what to ask. Graham swallowed, hesitated for one more second, then nodded. “Fine. We're going.”

126 • Jonathan Faz Manuel turned and walked quickly into the train station. Graham and Matt, giving each other a look, followed him. The train station was filled with people from 5050, all of them going about their business and completely ignoring Manuel, Graham, and Matt. Manuel led them through the crowd and up to a huge arched door that led back outside. “Over here.” He walked through the door, Graham and Matt following closely looking apprehensive. What they saw outside made them even more apprehensive. A long, silver bullet train was floating beyond the platform in front of them. As Graham got closer, he noticed that the train itself seemed to be supported by violently flashing lightning bolts that were connected and flowing through small metal beacons floating in the air. The lightning bolts made two parallel straight lines—at least as straight as a lightning bolt can get. They were rails made entirely of electricity. “Get in, quickly,” said Manuel, gesturing to one of the train's opened doors. “They're about to leave.” Graham hesitated again, but he couldn't back out now. He glanced at Matt, nodded, and stepped into the train. Matt was next, and last was Manuel, who shut the door and pointed down the train. “Walk to the very last cart and find a seat.” Graham did as he was told. It took them a good minute to walk to the very back of the train. Graham settled himself onto a seat, feeling his sore muscles relax in relief. Matt sat next to him, his posture and demeanor stiff and nervous. Glancing around, Graham noticed uneasily that they were the only passengers in this particular cart. “The train is departing,” a female voice said from the train's speakers. “All aboard, please make sure you have all

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of your possessions on the train. And don't forget to have your tickets out.” Manuel caught up with them and sat across from the boys, glancing at his watch. “We should be arriving shortly. For security purposes, I've arranged for this compartment to be blind-folded and sound proof.” “What?” The train gently jerked forward. Graham peered out of the window, watching the platform start to whiz by. They were traveling at a much higher speed than he thought. “Whoa!” The city came into view and it felt very much like they were flying in a plane rather than riding a train. And then the window began to fog up with a strange black shadow. Graham tried to squint through it, but after a few seconds the entire compartment's windows were blacked out. The sound of the wind outside and the muffled conversation of others on the train was also miraculously silenced. “Sit back,” advised Manuel, getting to his feet and walking to a door leading to the next compartment. “I will let you know when we arrive.” Before Graham or Matt could say anything, Manuel walked through the door and vanished. Matt jumped to his feet and ran towards it. He attempted to open it, but it was sealed tight and locked. He turned to Graham, terror on his face. “I don't like this,” he said. Graham had to agree with him. He had a very bad feeling about this, and he was beginning to think he should have never gone along with this idea. He vaguely remembered what his father had said about decisions. Had he made the correct one after all?

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Chapter 9 Vickers Manor

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lizabeth was completely ecstatic about the boy Derrick coming over to see her. He'd acted really nervous but she thought it was sweet all the same. Debbie tried to feel happy for her, she really did. But something didn't feel right and she frequently was caught staring into space. When Derrick left, Elizabeth slumped onto the sofa and sighed heavily. “It's a dream!” “No, it's real,” Debbie assured her. “This kind of thing never happens to me!” continued Elizabeth, excitedly. “It's got to be a dream.” “It's real.” Elizabeth screamed again. Debbie suddenly became aware that Graham hadn't come out of the room to see what all the noise had been

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about. “Where are those two?” she wondered aloud, thinking about his friend Matt too. “Who two?” Elizabeth mumbled, still caught up in her own excitement. “Never mind. I'll go check,” said Debbie, getting to her feet. But before she could make it to Elizabeth's room, there was a knock on the front door that made her pause. “Who could that be?” Elizabeth answered the door and, for the second time that day, gave a shriek of excitement. “Tera!” she squealed. “You'll never guess what just happened! Derrick came by to visit me! Derrick! Me! Visit!” Elizabeth hopped up and down, this time too thrilled for any sounds at all. “I don't believe this is happening! It's too good to be... Tera?” Elizabeth stopped abruptly and stared at Tera. Debbie took a step away from the room to look at her blond friend standing at the door way. “What's wrong?” Debbie inquired, stepping away completely from Elizabeth's room. She felt something heavy in the pit of her stomach now. Something was definitely wrong. Tera looked up at Debbie, expressionless. “My parents won't let me come in,” she replied, softly and simply. “What?” “Home,” Tera replied. “I did something rude to Penelope and now my parents won't let me back into the house until I apologize.” “Come in and tell us what happened.” Debbie held Tera's hand in comfort as the blond, wispy haired girl walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. “Well, they were gloating how Penelope is friends with Colleen Williams and now has a free pass to any show in the city,” Tera explained. “You know, since her dad is a producer and all. Anyways, they started again about how

130 • Jonathan Faz Penny's choice of friends is better than mine, blah blah blah. All that stuff again.” “And one of us got the ax again, I take it?” “Yeah. And I couldn't take this one.” “Who was it?” “Graham.” Debbie paused for a moment, attempting to exchange glances with Elizabeth, but she was looking at her finger nails. “Oh.” “Penny started teasing first, saying I had a crush and it was on a runt named Graham. Eventually, Penny used the word 'loser' and I just lost it.” “What did you say?” “I didn't say anything. I just got up, acting like I was going to go to my room. Then I poured my ice water on her head.” Debbie laughed. “Action speaks louder than words. Nice one!” Tera grinned. “It felt good. But, I'm not ready to apologize, so I said I was going to spend the night here. They told me not to, but I'm not gonna spend the night outside in the yard. So here I am.” Debbie nodded, glancing at Elizabeth, who was standing silently in the middle of the living room with the most peculiar look on her face. “What's the matter, Liz?” “Nothing,” replied Elizabeth. Her voice was very odd, almost sad. She turned around, her brown hair swinging in the air. She walked into the kitchen, but not before Debbie could hear Elizabeth mutter to herself something with the word “attention” in it. Debbie decided she'd worry about Elizabeth's strange behavior later. Right now, she was concentrating on that feeling that something was wrong. She now knew it wasn't

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Tera's predicament, but something else. Graham and Matt sat in silence, wondering what was going on outside their compartment. The strange, flowing sound of the train traveling through the electric railings filled the compartment, and that was all they could hear. Graham was beginning to feel his eyes get heavy, but he fought the feeling. He had to be alert. “You know something?” Matt said at last. “What?” “I think this is ridiculous. I mean, a train in the sky? Why not just use airplanes?” Graham considered this. “I guess they're just using their artistic style.” Matt rolled his eyes. “I guess. By the way, you suck at this planning stuff. Just thought I'd let you know that, too.” He looked out the blackened window forlornly. Feeling his anger rise, Graham opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when the compartment door slid open and Manuel came walking in. “We're almost there,” he told them, closing the door behind him. “Behind schedule, thanks to you.” “Tell us where we're going!” Matt demanded. “I can't,” said Manuel, simply. “Why else do you think the windows have been blinded?” “Then we want out,” roared Matt. “We don't want to go anymore!” Graham wasn't sure why Matt was saying “we”. It was clear that he was the one having second thoughts. “It's too late to back out,” explained Manuel. “You had your chance back at the train station.” “Since we're already going,” Graham cut in before Matt could reply. “Where's the harm in telling us who we're seeing?”

132 • Jonathan Faz Manuel smiled. “You won't know his identity until you actually see him.” “Why?” “Well, he might not want to see you. And if he decides this, you must leave without ever knowing who he is or where you were.” “Why so secretive?” Manuel shrugged. “He's like that. Or she. You'll find out.” He glanced at his watch. “Oh good, we're going to start falling now.” Graham frowned and stared at Manuel. The words made no sense to him until he felt a violent jolt that sent him a few inches off his seat. “What?!” “Trains can be easily tracked.” Manuel put on his seat restraints. “This particular cart will detach from the main train soon. I suggest you strap in. The last time I did this there was a huge mess.” Graham and Matt scrambled to get themselves securely strapped in. “The last time?” Graham asked, raising his voice over the rattling of machinery. “Yes. The whole damn train derailed. I don't think it'll happen again. Get ready, and I suggest you look straight ahead to avoid neck pain.” Recalling the train derailment accident he had heard about on the news, Graham gasped and said, “You're with the group called the Nine Tails?” “Don't insult me,” Manuel muttered, bitterly. “Now, keep quiet.” A few seconds of expectant silence followed, Graham and Matt clutching their seats tightly as the train wobbled slowly from side to side. Then, the train gave another jolt. There was the sound of buzzing from outside—probably from the tracks made of lightning bolts—and creaking of

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the compartment metal. Then, silence again. That's when Graham felt his lungs climb up into his throat. He could feel that they were falling fast through the air, though the windows were still black. Soon, the car began to flip over and over, giving the strange sensation of dizziness even though the area around Graham seemed unmoving. Matt was screaming in horror beside him, his eyes closed shut. Graham felt his stomach lurch and his sore muscles protest. He concentrated hard on not losing his breakfast. He chanced a glance at Manuel, who was sitting as comfortably as a normal person would on a normal train. The lights on the ceiling began to flicker. Manuel looked up at the lights nonchalantly, as if he needed something to pass the time. And then, suddenly, everything stopped. Manuel cleared his throat and unstrapped himself, getting to his feet. He glanced at his watch again. “It'll be about two minutes.” The sensation of slowly turning right-side up signaled to Graham that their ride was nearing its end. Graham unstrapped himself and, still feeling dizzy, walked carefully over to Manuel. “What just happened?” “We fell,” answered Manuel, simply. “Or, what I like to call a controlled accident.” The rest of the two minutes went by in silence. Manuel stayed close to the door, once in a while taking a look at Matt and Graham to make sure they weren't about to pounce on him. Eventually, Manuel consulted his watch again and muttered, “Brace yourselves.” He held onto a nearby seat tightly. The cart shook and there was a loud thud. “Follow me,” Manuel continued. He opened the door and walked through it. Graham, hesitating for a second, followed him.

134 • Jonathan Faz There was no train station outside. Instead, Graham saw a gigantic mansion spanning at least a mile in either direction. Parts of the mansion seemed really old with Victorian style windows and aged wood, bricks, and mortar. Other parts looked a bit more modern, around Graham's time period, with dark brown bricks and even a satellite dish protruding out from the roof. Finally, there were very futuristic parts to the mansion made with metal. It was very minimalistic with no windows, paint, or any decorations at all. “Welcome,” Manuel announced, “To Vickers Manor. Part authentic William Butterfield, 1792 to 1867; part authentic Fransisco Guerra 2044 to 2121; part modern technology of the year 5050. Home of your host.” Graham couldn't help but be impressed. “Wow.” “Now, it's time for your appointment. Follow me.” Manuel led the way into the manor's front lawn. Graham scanned the area, noting some of the more significant features about the land. Near the manor it was grassy with dozens of different species of flowers and plants coating the ground. Away from the manor, however, it was completely different. Piles of mechanical junk were thrown across the land for at least a mile. Telephone poles protruded out of the junk in a seemingly random sequence, the lines cut and dangling from the top of each. Graham spotted the train cart they had been in. To his surprise, it was enveloped in a giant blue beam of energy that was slowly dissipating into nothingness. Following the beam's origin, Graham saw that it was coming from one of the manor's metallic towers. The manor's front doors opened of their own accord as they got closer to the entrance. They each stepped inside and the doors closed shut behind them. Inside was a huge

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and exquisite entrance hall the likes of which Graham had never seen. A long staircase led up to the first floor at the other side of the hall. Four sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling in a straight row from the entrance to the stairs. On either side of the hall were assorted pieces of art, some that Graham recognized and others that he did not. The place had an eerie old odor to it, yet Graham also smelled fresh electronics in certain areas. Graham and Matt followed Manuel through the vast entrance hall towards the stairs. As they climbed up the stairs to the second floor, Graham felt an unusual cool breeze and realized that the manor was air conditioned. Even more pictures hung from the walls on the second floor, most of which were familiar compared to the first floor. “Over here,” Manuel said, beckoning. He reached a door that was larger than the rest with a curved arch top. He opened it and walked through. On the other side of the door was a long, narrow hall with blue florescent lights on the ceiling and a mixture of metal and stone walls. On both sides there were glass windows, windows that covered compartments filled with all sorts of objects. As Graham walked forward, he saw that some of the windows had very old looking swords, bows, maces, and scythes being displayed with labels under every weapon. Eventually Graham reached one window and had to stop to get a better look at it. There, gleaming from the light inside the compartment, was a long sword protruding out of a massive rock. The stone was rough with hundreds of tiny cracks spreading out from the point the sword and rock met. Right in front of the rock was a label that read, Excalibur. Graham blinked. Was this a joke?

136 • Jonathan Faz The further Graham got down the hallway, however, the more bizarre things got. The selection began to shift from older blunt and bladed type weapons to old muskets. From muskets they turned to guns. From guns things got very strange indeed. The guns began to get sleeker, made of a metal similar to the shiny material in certain parts of the manor that were from the future. What seemed like battery packs were visible on the outside of the first few futuristic guns. The batteries looked more advanced than normal everyday batteries. They were at least half the size of a AAA battery and there were almost fifty tightly packed in a cylindrical case attached to the gun. “He collects weapons,” Graham told Matt in a whisper, still looking around. “Whoever we're seeing, that is.” “Yeah...” “It looks like he's taking advantage of the time fusion too,” Graham continued. “He's gotten a lot of stuff so far... he must be from the future.” He trailed off as he got to yet another window. This one, however, did not have a gun or any traditional weapon. It was a small, circular object about a foot and a half wide and half a foot tall, making it look like a saucer. Two rods stuck out towards the window, the one on the left longer than the one on the right. Blue lights were flickering on and off around the object in a pattern. Behind the saucer was a mechanical box with a plethora of colored wires worming their way to and from the object. The saucer itself was supported by a black stand that raised it to about Graham's height. As Manuel passed it, something happened that definitely puzzled Graham. A tiny red electric field suddenly appeared on top of the object, flashing so brightly that

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Graham had to turn away for a moment. When he turned back to the object, he saw that in place of the electric field was a translucent figure. It was scolding an unseen person, gesturing angrily. “Fathers can be so unkind,” Manuel commented, giving the hologram an almost unconcerned glance. “Don't take it so literally. I was merely reflecting on how late we are and how displeased your host may become. I always remember my father when it comes to displeased men.” Graham stared at the holographic man as he slowly vanished on the spot. His own father wasn't unkind. On the contrary, he had been very concerned for Graham, even advising him to make good decisions. Graham hoped once again that he wouldn't regret agreeing to see whoever had called him. He stepped in front of the small object's line of sight. It flashed brightly once again, and then another red hologram appeared on top of the saucer. This one was more obscure than the last. Hundreds of tiny objects were lying on an invisible ground. As Graham frowned at this new hologram, the objects slowly began to tumble and slide of their own accord back towards the center of the projection. Some stayed on the ground sliding about, others floated into the air and mixed with other pieces. After a few seconds, the holographic pieces came together to form some sort of porcelain vase with a zigzagging line running along the middle of it. The vase had apparently been shattered, but now it had reformed itself. As Graham walked passed it, the vase vanished with a hiss. “What is that thing?” Graham asked, mystified. “A mind reader,” replied Manuel, simply, and Graham was surprised he had given a straightforward answer for once. “Your host finds it a valuable weapon. Psychological

138 • Jonathan Faz warfare is very underrated. I must say, yours makes little sense to me. Why would you be thinking about a vase?” Graham shrugged, turning back to the object just in time to see another hologram flash into existence when Matt passed it. Graham felt his stomach jump as he recognized the figure at once. “What?” he said aloud, without meaning to. Matt looked at the hologram, then at Graham, his eyes wide and his face reddening. “If you say anything about this... If you tell...” But at that moment, they had reached the end of the hallway. “Please enter,” Manuel said, holding open the door. “Your host will meet you on the other side in about a minute and twenty-three seconds.” Graham walked through the door, still looking at Matt in disbelief. Manuel closed the door and stood by it, remaining silent. The room they had just entered was a large study with bookshelves covering every wall. The shelves were filled to their capacity with books. In the middle of the room was a wide desk with even more books stacked messily on the surface. A seat was standing behind the desk, its back turned to the newcomers. Two more chairs where in front of the desk, seeming to be intended for Graham and Matt. “Ah,” said Manuel, delighted as he looked at his watch. “One minute exactly remaining. Please, take a seat.” For a few moments, the boys sat in silence while Manuel pulled out a silver, pencil-thin object and talked into it, “We're in the study.” Not quite sure what else to do, Graham turned back to Matt. “Elizabeth, huh?” he commented, for it was Elizabeth's face that had appeared on the mind reader when Matt had passed it. “Why were you thinking about her, I wonder...”

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“Shut it,” Matt spat, angrily. His face turned from pink to deep red. “None of your business!” Deciding it best to not laugh at his friend, Graham stuck to staring at him incredulously until Manuel spoke again. “Twenty seconds,” he said. Graham felt his stomach tighten and his anxiety rise. He wasn't sure if the person they were about to meet would be friend or foe. He immediately stopped teasing Matt and looked at the door, watching it expectantly. But it wasn't that door that opened twenty seconds later. Instead, a door that was between two bookshelf walls burst open, startling Graham and Matt. Graham turned and stared at the newcomer. An old man walked through, clutching a metal walking cane and muttering angrily to himself. When he saw Graham and Matt sitting there, however, he paused and his face turned blank. He gave Manuel an inquiring look, Manuel nodded, and the man's face broke into a grin. “Ah, what an excellent way to make my day,” he said in perfect English. “Really excellent. I didn't expect anything less of Manuel, of course.” The man's face was lined with wrinkles as he smiled. A long white goatee hung from his chin and thick, white eyebrows were raised as he examined Graham and Matt with his sharp eyes. Slowly he unbuttoned a dark coat, the buttons of which were large and round, running from the top to the bottom. Perched on the man's head was what seemed to be a light colored safari hat, which he took off and handed with his coat to Manuel. Graham gazed at the new man. He knew he had seen him before, but he couldn't quite place where it had been— and then, it finally dawned on him. It had been two years ago at LATC headquarters, when Rakhon wanted him to view a line-up of men suspected to be the Tempus

140 • Jonathan Faz Murderer. This old man had been one of the holograms Graham hadn't recognized at all. He vaguely remembered the hologram of the man skulking around, trying to stay hidden and eventually disappearing behind a corner. Graham looked at Matt, prepared to inform him of this, but he stopped himself when he saw the look of utter shock on his friend's face. “Matt,” he said. “What's wrong?” Matt slowly turned to Graham, no longer blushing, but as white as a ghost. “Graham,” he breathed, his face so stunned that his eyes were practically popping out. “It's him, Graham! It's him!” “Who?” “Zaharoff! The guy I wrote my history report on! It's Sir Basil Zaharoff! In the flesh!”

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Chapter 10 Meeting with the Mystery Man

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he man with the white goatee looked a little taken aback. “Why,” he said slowly. “I had no idea someone would be so excited to see me or even know who I was.” He punched his desk angrily. “Damn the time fusion. It's quite a nuisance at times, yes, but its rewards far outweigh the cons.” Graham blinked. “You mean, you are Zaharoff?” “Of course,” Zaharoff answered, simply. “But that's not possible,” said Graham, pointing towards the door they had entered. “If you collected all of those weapons back there, you had to have been in the time fusion for all two years.” “Yes, I was.” “But you couldn't have been,” said Graham, remembering some of the few rules he had learned about

142 • Jonathan Faz the time fusion. “The time fusion would eventually flux you out like every other person from the past. Only people from the year 5050 and the present stay in the Now.” “And you're correct, of course,” replied Zaharoff. “But let's say I've—how shall I phrase it—invested in something that will keep me here. It is quite complicated.” He waved his hand airily. “Besides, I don't want to distract from the reason you're here.” “And what is that reason?” Graham tried to read Zaharoff's expression. “I've got a funny feeling you're not going to tell me what you know about Kevin Daniels for free.” Zaharoff grinned. “You are a bright one.” “What is it you want, then?” “Why, frankly I'm surprised you didn't deduce that for yourself, being so smart. Then again, I am a master at my craft, if I do say so myself.” He strolled out from behind the desk and peered down at Graham. “Think,” he continued, pointing at the door that they had used to enter the room. “Think about what you saw back there. About my collection.” Thinking hard, Graham looked from the door to Zaharoff, frowning. “Your collection?” “Yes,” muttered Zaharoff. “Come on now. Think, since you know so much about me already.” He said the last sentence a bit sarcastically, as if he were taunting Graham. Graham turned to Matt, who was still looking shocked but a little calmer than before. “He was a weapons dealer,” he said. “No, he is a weapons dealer!” “Correct,” cried Zaharoff, looking pleased. “And with this time fusion, I have been collecting weapons from all sorts of time periods, as you are very well aware of now.” “But what's that got to do with me?” Graham asked

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blankly. “What would I have to offer you?” Zaharoff seemed to be disappointed. He turned on the spot, marched back behind his desk, and sat down. “Fine,” he growled. “I will draw it out for you, then.” Finding it odd that Zaharoff had said “draw it out” instead of “spell it out”, Graham watched as Zaharoff pulled out a piece of paper and an old-fashioned quill. He began to scribble. “What could be more powerful,” he said, not taking his eyes off the paper. They were beginning to burn with a fire that Graham had rarely seen in people's eyes. Whatever he was writing down, it was something he was passionate about, something he really wanted to have. “—than the power of imagination? The power of dreams?” He whipped out the paper and placed it in front of Graham, pointing at it. “The power of time itself!” he finished. It was Graham's turn to lose all complexion. His eyes fell upon the paper. He was looking at a rough drawing of the Chronoculus, his very own creation. “How did you—” he began, but stopped again to swallow. Zaharoff finished for him. “Know about this? Well, as you may be slightly aware of—or maybe not—I've been keeping a close eye on you. I've gathered enough information to conclude that the Chronoculus was responsible for dealing with the Tempus Murderer two years ago.” Graham didn't say anything, but waited for Zaharoff to continue on. “Of course, this Chronoculus is completely useless.” He pointed furiously at the one he had just scribbled. “It seems that only you have the power to make them work, to make real ones. I wish I knew how. Alas, I would not have needed to summon for you in the first place.”

144 • Jonathan Faz “So you want me to draw you a Chronoculus,” Graham repeated, very slowly. “In exchange for information on Kevin Daniels?” “Precisely!” Zaharoff clasped his hands together, grinning at Graham. “You get it now!” Graham hesitated. There was only one other person that he could remember asking him to draw a Chronoculus. It had been Katherine before she revealed herself as the Tempus Murderer. He never did draw one for her, but he found it extremely unnerving that Zaharoff was asking for one now. “I'm sorry,” Graham replied, trying to keep his voice calm. “But that doesn't sound like a very good deal to me.” Zaharoff sat still for a moment, a frown appearing on his face. He seemed to be considering Graham for a moment. Finally, he got up. “What do you know about Kevin Daniels?” he asked, his voice cold now. Graham hesitated for a while. “I know he was the Chief of the LATC,” he replied. “And that he was probably hot on the Tempus Murderer's trail—” “He was also unusually knowledgeable about the time fusion,” Zaharoff cut him off. “It was he, for instance, who alerted everyone of the time's fusion's effects that people from the past and present will not realize anything has happened, not the league's scientists. They only confirmed it.” Graham blinked. “He was?” “Yes,” replied Zaharoff with a slight grin. Graham felt irritated at this, but he could not stop listening as Zaharoff went on. “I know things that many don't know about Kevin Daniels. In addition, I know something that Kevin told nobody about, something that you'll find of interest, I assure you.”

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“What?” Graham breathed. “Come now, Mister Sherwood. I won't tell you. Not until we have a deal.” Graham withdrew, grimacing. “So if I draw a Chronoculus for you, you'll tell me all those things?” “Not only that,” Zaharoff added, grinning broadly now. “You will find out why there are certain people after him. Why there is one particular person who chased you out of your own house just to get to him.” “How did you know about that?” “I know a lot of things, Mister Sherwood. Now, do we have a deal?” Graham stared at Zaharoff, no longer sure what he was going to do. He couldn't hide at Elizabeth's house forever, and he very much doubted that Katherine's father would stay oblivious to their location. After all, he had found Graham's house somehow. The more he found out about Kevin Daniels and why Katherine's father was after him, the better chance he had of getting help for him. Yet, Graham thought about the Chronoculus. He wasn't sure if it worked for other people, but there had to be a reason why Katherine had wanted one. The same was true with Zaharoff. He was a weapons collector, after all. He obviously knew about the power the Chronoculus possessed, then. It was too much of a risk giving Zaharoff a Chronoculus, no matter what the gain was. Graham didn't trust him nearly enough to hand over that kind of power. “Sorry, but no deal.” Zaharoff considered Graham for a second. He looked as if he were just seeing him for the first time ever. When he spoke, his tone was low with just an edge of threat. “I suggest you reconsider.” Graham got to his feet. “I've made my decision,” he said

146 • Jonathan Faz flatly. “Unless you have something else, I think I'll go now.” For a moment, Graham expected Zaharoff to refuse to let him leave. The look on his face was cold and it wouldn't have surprised Graham in the slightest if he commanded Manuel to imprison him and Matt. Graham's eyes fell on the door that Manuel stood by and he began to ponder how he would make his escape if that were to occur. However, after the long, intense silence, Zaharoff merely sighed. “Go then,” he said, waving his hand. “The offer still stands if you change your mind, of course.” With a swift signal from Zaharoff, Manuel walked up to the two boys and looked down at them. “Follow me,” he said. “I'll take you back to the train station.” Graham, keeping an eye on Zaharoff and not turning his back to him, followed Manuel slowly out of the room, Matt following along nervously until the door shut behind them. “Just so you know,” said Manuel, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “I think you should have taken the deal. You would've been a lot better off.” Debbie had to admit that she was impressed with Tera for sticking up for herself. It was a pleasant change from the old Tera, who practically allowed anybody to walk all over her. Still, she was uncomfortable with the fact that Tera had left her house. Debbie still had that sinking feeling that something was wrong and it would've made her feel better if Tera hadn't been walking around outside. What if someone had followed her? She was so wrapped up in worrying about this, that she never noticed Elizabeth sulking off in the kitchen by herself. Debbie turned to Elizabeth for the first time in minutes.

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“Liz, do you think your dad will let her stay for tonight?” she asked. “If we explained it all, that is, he might say yes. I don't know... would an extra person make him suspicious?” “We won't have room for her,” Elizabeth said abruptly. Then she added, almost as an afterthought, “That's what he'll say.” Debbie stared at her. “We'll talk him into it, then,” she insisted, frowning at Elizabeth. “I don't want her going back outside.” Elizabeth shrugged apathetically and turned her back to them. “Fine. I'm sure that'll make Graham happy,” she muttered. It suddenly occurred to Debbie that Graham hadn't come out of Elizabeth's room at all that morning. Under normal circumstances, Debbie would've expected Graham to at least peak out once to check who was there. Either he was busy or he was turning into Greg. “Speaking of Graham,” she said, getting to her feet. “I'm gonna go check up on him.” As she walked to Elizabeth's room, a horrible thought struck her. Could the stranger have awakened? Could he be forcing Graham to stay inside and keep quiet? Debbie quickened her pace. She reached the room, turned the knob, and pulled the door open... Manuel pushed open a door, revealing a new room on the other side that was dark and seemingly empty. “Where are we going?” Graham found that his mouth was very dry as he spoke. Manuel had not taken them back to the manor entrance, but rather to one of the doors on the ground floor. “It's much too dangerous to go back to the train station now. Besides, this location must remain a mystery. You'll

148 • Jonathan Faz be going back through here instead.” “Yeah right,” Matt spoke up, finally. “I don't trust this guy, Graham. If he told me he was lying, I still wouldn't believe him.” “Don't be stupid,” said Manuel, exasperatedly. “Why go through this ruse when I could've killed you back there? The fact is, the good Sir still thinks you will be useful. You should be glad that he does.” Graham wasn't sure how to take this bit of news. Manuel walked forward into the empty room, Graham and Matt following at a distance. The room, however, wasn't empty at all. There was an object barely illuminated by the entrance hall light shining through the open doorway. It looked like an overgrown ring, colored in dull, nonreflective gray, almost like a stone. There was writing etched on it, but either it was foreign or the dim lighting was playing tricks on Graham's eyes. The ring was standing at a forty-five degree angle, supported by a dozens of long, spider like legs gripping it all around. Manuel stood next to it, muttering something, and a light appeared in the center of the ring, at first bright orange, then a vicious shade of red, and then a powerfully freezing blue. Eventually, the light changed both color and brightness very rapidly, making it impossible to keep track of them all. Graham had to look away to stop himself from becoming sick. The air filled with a rushing sound, kind of like an artificial waterfall which had a pulsing volume. Loud, soft, loud, soft... “No need to be afraid,” Manuel said. “The Genux portal is actually a very old and reliable technology compared to the gadgets of the year 5050. It is ancient by their standards. One thousand, twenty-seven years, eleven months, two days, seventeen hours, fifty-two minutes, eight

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seconds old, to be exact.” “This is old?” asked Graham incredulously, looking at the many lights inside the ring once more. He looked away again, wincing. “Doesn't look so old.” “It's a big mystery, that's for sure,” replied Manuel. “According to what we've been able to decipher from the text written on the sides of the ring, it was made by Valkyries in the year 4023.” He paused. “Obviously, our translation needs a little bit of work.” “How do you know it's safe to use, then?” “We know,” Manuel replied simply. “Unless you want to stay here for a very long time, I suggest you enter it. Good day, gentlemen.” He turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Matt yelped, ran up to the closed door, and jiggled the handle. It was locked. “N—now what?” Matt stammered. “There's not much else we can do,” said Graham, peering at the ring that Manuel had called a “Genux portal.” He considered for a moment. “If we make it out of here, though, there's tons of stuff I need to look up at the library again.” “What do you mean 'if we make it'?” Matt's voice was reaching a higher pitch than usual. Graham ignored him. “Come on.” He stepped up to the ring, hesitated for a second, and entered it. Immediately he found himself in a strangely familiar place. It felt like he was back in the prism trap, a small device which was used by the LATC to capture suspects. Inside a prism trap was a vast and huge nothingness in which no time seemed to exist, and yet it kept moving to allow its captives to experience years of isolation. But this was a little different. Graham didn't feel alone and isolated. There was someone else here, too. No, not

150 • Jonathan Faz just one person... a lot of people were here, but they were far away. Someone in particular was closer, however. And that someone had noticed him. His heart skipped a beat. A familiar fear crept into his stomach, and his muscles began to contract in pure, primal panic... And then, he found himself back in front of the train station on Docking Platform seven. Graham stood rooted to the spot, not sure if he was shaking because of the effects of being teleported or because of the spooky feeling he got. A feeling that he had associated with his dreams. He glanced around the platform, trying to act as if he had been standing there the entire time. The crowd of people had multiplied since the morning. Graham was positive that his sudden appearance had gone completely unnoticed. That is, until his eyes fell upon an individual who was staring at him was blazing, wide, bulging eyes. Graham had seen this person before and he wasn't exactly thrilled to see her again. Matt suddenly appeared next to him out of thin air, which didn't help matters. “Heads up,” muttered Graham as he saw the individual begin to walk towards them. Matt was too disoriented to know what Graham was talking about. He stared wildly around until the person was feet from them, then he looked up at the skinny woman and gaped. “Well,” said Adi, the skinny LATC officer that had come by Elizabeth's house earlier. She was staring down at the pair of them, her slightly protruding mouth curling into a victorious smile. “Illegal teleportation is a serious offense. It gives me great pleasure to tell you that you're both under arrest.”

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Chapter 11 Capture and Interview

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t wasn't as bad as it could've turned out, Graham decided as he and Matt sat in the back seat of a flying police car. They both could've ended up dead, or captured by Zaharoff and tortured. Still, Graham would've preferred to have gotten caught by Debbie or his parents, if he was going to get caught at all. Anybody but Adi. Something about the look in her eye when she stared at him through the rear-view mirror told him that she deeply hated him. He couldn't really tell why, but she had disliked him from the moment she first met him. Matt was pale in the face and he refused to look at Graham throughout the entire journey. He merely glanced out the window, occasionally sighing. Graham felt a pang of guilt at taking his friend along. Matt didn't like getting in trouble, nor did he like danger—two things that he had

152 • Jonathan Faz faced in the past few minutes. The car shifted to the right giving Graham a good view of the top of the numerous buildings on the ground. His eyes picked out Alexandria Library and he suddenly felt rebellious. He wanted to research some of the things he'd seen and heard at Zaharoff's manor, not be stuck with some crazy woman who seemed to hate him. After flying for about two minutes, the car slowed down and began to descend. It came to a halt in front of the LATC building and Adi climbed out. She opened Graham's door first. “Out,” she commanded. Graham obeyed, figuring it unwise to fight at this moment. Matt did so too, gazing up at the LATC building with apprehension on his face. It was his first time there, after all. The inside of LATC headquarters hadn't changed much in the two years since Graham had last visited it. Many futuristic looking computers still filled the desks. LATC agents still walked about in a hurry, rubbing shoulders and nearly bumping into each other. Graham found that rather odd, since the last time he'd seen them this stressed out, it had been because the Tempus Murderer was on a rampage in the Now. “In here,” growled Adi, leading Graham and Matt to a familiar door. Two years ago Graham had seen the words Kevin Daniels – Chief LATC Investigator etched on the door. Now, however, Kevin's name had been mysteriously wiped out, replaced with the name Jake Reed. The office was deserted. Graham frowned as he followed Adi into the room, which was piled with all sorts of junk. On a desk opposite to the door were stacks upon stacks of flat, metallic objects. From the looks of them, they were data-cards similar to Graham's library disk.

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“Where's Mister Reed?” Graham asked cautiously as Adi took a seat behind the desk. She shot him a look full of malice, which quickly turned into a nasty smile. “I'm the one asking questions here,” she muttered. “Now, then, what were two teenage boys from the present doing in a place like Docking Platform seven?” Graham paused. He didn't remember telling her that he was from the present, so he guessed she'd already done a background check on him and, quite possibly, everyone associated with him. “We were... we were lost.” Adi raised an eyebrow. “I can't imagine how someone could get so lost they would end up a hundred miles off the ground in a future-only zone.” “We wanted to ride our bikes downtown,” Graham went on, thinking frantically. “And we decided to take one of the lift cars. Once we got to the platform, we lost our way.” “I was conducting an investigation,” Adi continued, seeming not to have heard what Graham said. “We were looking for an accomplice to a criminal we've been trying to apprehend for a long, long time. It was my search for Kevin Daniels that led to this criminal. How very odd, then, that I find you at that very spot. The same little boy who said they didn't know anything about Mister Daniels.” “But I don't know anything about—” “Performing an illegal teleportation in the process as well,” Adi purred, gleefully. “What suspicious coincidences, don't you think?” “I don't know what you're talking about,” Graham protested. “I don't even know how to teleport.” “Just like you don't know anything about Kevin Daniels?” “What are you trying to say?” “I'm saying you were at that train station to sell

154 • Jonathan Faz information,” Adi hissed, leaning forward on the desk. “Maybe even Kevin himself. That would be just like you. Very backstabbing. Murderous.” Graham stared at her, his mouth hanging open. Was she absolutely crazy? She really and truly hated him, so much that she was accusing him of ridiculous crimes. “I think you're confused,” Graham said finally, feeling his heart-beat quicken. “You seem to think I'm someone else... I'm just a teenager. How could I be plotting all of that?” “I know exactly who you are,” said Adi, with relish. She stood up and walked over to him, staring him down. “You can't hide it from me, you little punk.” “I'm Graham Sherwood.” Graham felt the need to explain, as Adi was now leaning so close that she could almost kiss him. He could even smell her lavender perfume. “You know, the one who stopped the Tempus Murderer? I don't think it was in the papers, but surely the police records you went through—” “You killed her to take her place,” Adi spat. “I know what our reports say, but I know better.” “You're making things up now!” objected Graham. “Why are you doing this? It's like you want me to be guilty!” “You are guilty! I know this because I know who you really are.” Her nose was touching his nose, now. He felt her hot breath on his face as she spoke. “You're crazy!” he said, trying to back away. “No, I know the truth,” Adi breathed, her eyes narrowing. “You won't escape this time, Seth Balder!” There was an eerie silence. Her eyes had flashed at the mention of the name, as if she had said something profound and yet obscene. Graham stared with increased disbelief up at the woman, who stared right back at him.

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Finally, she backed off from Graham, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was reminded of the way normal police from his own time period dealt with suspects. They tried to get into the criminal's head and use a psychological attack against them rather than brute force. He'd seen many examples on television. Could this be what Adi was trying to do? Was she trying to get him to go on the defensive, to give himself away by telling her that he was trying to help Kevin, not harm him? She was being so specific in her ruse, though. She was either really good at her job or completely mental. “Unfortunately,” Adi went on, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “The only evidence I have is the fact that you appeared out of thin air. But know this...” She turned around slowly, purposefully. “I have my eye on you now. I will catch you. And when that happens, there will be tons of fallout. Unless you want to tell me now and spare yourself unneeded punishment.” Graham thought for a moment, trying to calm himself down. When he spoke, he took a deep breath and made sure to use a straight voice. “I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong person. My name is Graham Sherwood and I don't have anything to tell you.” Adi stared for a moment longer, then laughed. “Exactly what I expected of you,” she muttered. “You're free to go, for now. You can pick up your ticket for illegal teleportation at the front desk.” Graham and Matt hurried out of the room, glad for the chance to leave. Matt looked even whiter than before. Graham was surprised that he hadn't fainted yet. Granted, he probably didn't look too good himself. He was spooked at Adi's behavior. Graham walked up to the front desk, hardly hearing

156 • Jonathan Faz what the officer was telling him. He received the ticket for illegal teleporation—which was also unfair, because he didn't even know it would be illegal—and was about to exit the building when he saw Debbie and Elizabeth show up at the front door. The look on Debbie's face told him that he might have been safer back in Jake Reed's office with Adi. “What were you thinking,” Debbie said, her face flushed with anger. “Huh? What were you thinking?!” Graham hung his head and said nothing. Debbie grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the LATC building —right in front of all those people. He complied with every movement, trying to earnestly say he was sorry. Both Matt and Graham didn't say a word during the drive back to Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat, also silent. She too seemed a little angry, but Graham wasn't sure why. “I don't believe you,” Debbie continued on with her rant. “After all we've been through, you just go out by yourself and get yourself arrested!” Graham hadn't told Debbie about Zaharoff's phone call and he sure wasn't going to now. He knew that she'd just get angrier. “We weren't exactly arrested,” Graham countered, finally speaking up. “They didn't handcuff us or use the prism trap or anything.” “And that makes it better, huh?!” Debbie glared at her cousin through the rear-view mirror. “Graham, I know you're not telling something, something important. Why?” Graham remained silent, figuring that anything he said would be detected as a lie as well. Elizabeth shifted in her seat. Graham wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Elizabeth seemed to be getting more and more aggravated with every sentence Debbie uttered. “Anything to change

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the subject,” Elizabeth muttered under her breath, sulking and staring out the window. “What's your problem?” Debbie demanded. “Why are you upset all of the sudden? It started back when Tera came over... you've been very rude since.” “I'll tell you why,” Elizabeth said, flaring up. “I haven't been genuinely excited and happy about something in a long time. Nothing good ever happens to me, and now that it has, everyone's trying to bum me out!” Debbie stared at her incredulously. “What are you talking about?” Elizabeth made a grunt and said, “Let's see. Derrick calls and you're all excited for me, then Tera—that attention seeking brat—comes over and drains all the excitement.” Debbie was apparently too shocked to reply at once. “T —Tera isn't like that and you know it.” “Yeah, well, what about him?” Elizabeth jabbed a finger towards the backseat, right at Graham. “Good point,” Debbie conceded. “Hey,” Graham roared. “I don't even know what this is about! How can I be trying to bum her out?” “Whatever,” snapped Elizabeth. “I'm just mad because something cool happens to me and then everything happens to make me forget about it.” Debbie paused for a moment before speaking. “Liz,” she said, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I think it's very awesome that Derrick is being sweet to you. I'm sorry if you felt I was ignoring you when Tera came over. And as for Graham, he was too busy sneaking out and getting himself into trouble—” Graham gave a loud grunt. “—to purposefully be trying to bum you out. Come on, don't be mad at us. Please?” Graham glanced at Matt, who was looking bitter

158 • Jonathan Faz suddenly, and he remembered what he had seen when Matt walked in front of the mind reader in Zaharoff's manor. Elizabeth continued to stare out of the window for a bit, then sighed. “No,” she said finally. “I'm sorry. I'm being a jerk. I shouldn't feel this way. I don't know what's come over me.” Graham thought it could be some female thing, but he didn't want to voice that opinion. “Maybe we've overstayed our welcome,” Debbie said, sighing. “I'm sorry, Liz. That's another thing I've been thinking about, Graham...” She paused. “We should really get the police involved now. I know you said we might not be able to trust them, but... but it's impossible to hide at Elizabeth's house forever.” “I'm working on it,” said Graham, defiantly. “You remember that lady that came by our house the other day? Adi? She's absolutely nuts.” Debbie frowned. “She seemed a little aggressive, but nuts?” “Look, when she tried to interrogate me I could tell she wasn't all there. She didn't even touch Matt, she just focused all on me. She kept claiming I was conspiring to sell Kevin Daniels to some people. And the weirder part was when she called me by some other name.” Graham could still smell her lavender perfume on his shirt as he sniffed. “She's also unstable as hell. She got like this close to my face.” He placed a hand right in front of his nose. Debbie said nothing, but continued to drive. “If we call this in, she'll definitely know about it. And she'll know I've been lying to her.” “So, what, we're just going to keep hiding?” “No!” Graham was getting annoyed. “I've been trying to find out more about Kevin Daniels. Maybe that'll lead us to

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someone who we can tell. Maybe I'll even find out more about what happened to him, too. Then, there's always the possibility that Kevin will wake up and tell us what to do.” “If we can trust him,” Debbie muttered. “I'm sorry, Graham, but ever since Katherine... I just don't ever trust what I see anymore.” “Just trust me, Deb. Please.” They turned onto Elizabeth's street and drove on without another word until they reached her house. They got out of the car and entered the house quickly, wary of anybody watching them. Graham, suddenly feeling very tired, slumped onto the living room sofa. Elizabeth slumped next to him and Matt took a seat on Graham's other side. Debbie took a seat on the love seat by herself and stared at the ceiling. They all sat for a few seconds, each thinking deeply about something. “I'd better go check on Kevin,” Graham murmured, getting to his feet slowly. He headed to Elizabeth's room, yawning widely and stretching his arms. When he peeked inside her room, he saw that Kevin was still on his back and it appeared that he had not moved at all since the morning. Secretly he had been hoping that he would find Kevin awake and well again. It would certainly have made Graham feel a whole lot better about being caught by Adi and chewed out by his cousin. As Graham turned to walk back to the living room, he noticed that the door to Greg's room was mysteriously ajar. He frowned and took a look inside, realizing as he opened the door that the room wasn't empty. “Tera?” Tera was standing in the middle of the room and was staring down at something on the floor. “Hi, Graham,” she said in a toneless voice. “I was in Liz's room when I heard the sound of doors being shut outside. I looked out this

160 • Jonathan Faz window to check who it was and—” She stopped and continued to stare at something on the floor, not once pausing to look up. Graham's frown deepened and he followed her gaze until his eyes fell on a couple of energy drink cans on the floor. They littered the floor near Greg's TV stand, just above the open compartment doors. “Tera, is everything okay?” Tera shook her head momentarily. “It's nothing,” she said. “I thought I saw a needle on the ground... but it's just that metal pencil thing. I think it just flashed at me—well, never mind. What happened to you?” She rounded on Graham, suddenly forgetting what she'd been so enthralled with. “We were all very worried about you!” Graham explained to Tera what had just happened, deciding to leave nothing out. When he finished, Tera seemed to be beside herself. “I can't believe you went off by yourself,” she hissed at him. “Save it,” Graham snapped, a little annoyed. “I heard that a million times on my way home. Thing is, I didn't tell Debbie about Zaharoff. She knows everything else, though. Please, let's keep it that way for now.” Tera hesitated, then nodded with a wink. “I wonder what information that Zaharoff guy knows, if he knows anything at all.” Graham felt a rush of affection for Tera. He was glad that she, unlike the others, wasn't making a big deal out of this. “I dunno,” he replied back. “Even though he needs me alive to draw a Chronoculus for him, it was a real odd play for him to let me and Matt go so easily. He could've tortured us for it if he wanted to—” Tera clapped her hands over her mouth. “Graham don't say that!”

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There was a knock outside Greg's door. They both turned and saw Matt standing there, looking slightly bad tempered. “I think I'm going to head home,” he muttered. “Before your cousin calls my parents.” Graham felt his heart sink. “Wait, she's calling my parents now?” “Yep,” he replied. “Your mom was not happy. I could hear her from across the room. I wouldn't be surprised if you were back home tonight.” “Perfect,” spat Graham. He felt the entire hopelessness of his situation weigh down upon him suddenly. Zaharoff had been his only lead, but now that avenue was blocked to him. He was out of leads again. There was nowhere else to turn to figure out why Kevin had been captured and tortured and who they could trust to help him. “What do I do now? We have an unconscious LATC officer in Elizabeth's room who may never wake up.” “If I were you, I'd pay more attention to his clue.” Graham looked up at Matt in bewilderment. “His clue?” “'Follow the clocks',” Matt recited. “Oh, that. That's already been solved. He meant to check the library for the connection between the Tempus murders.” “Don't be too sure,” said Matt thoughtfully. “Think about it. I mean, he told you straight-out the murders were connected, right? Why would he add 'follow the clocks' in there? It would just confuse you more.” “He must've felt himself going,” answered Tera. “You know, felt his consciousness slipping away. He had to get as much as he could out before that happened.” “Yeah, but 'follow the clocks' is still very unusual. Why not 'search the library' or 'find the connection'?” “What are you getting at?” asked Graham, a slight

162 • Jonathan Faz glimmer of hope now forming inside him. “All I'm saying,” said Matt, “Is that he may have meant the library and he may not have, I'm not sure, but I think it's clear that his statement might have more than one meaning either way. I think you should find out what else he could mean by 'follow the clocks'. He meant it as a clue to find out the truth, Graham. Maybe even a clue on who to trust.” Graham looked at Tera and she reflected his glimmer of hope that not all was lost after all. But, what could Kevin have meant by follow the clocks? “Then again,” Matt said thoughtfully, turning to leave. “He could've been out of his mind, too. Who knows?” Graham and Tera stared after him in silence.

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Chapter 12 An Unexpected Cataclysm

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raham spent the rest of the day pondering what follow the clocks might mean. It surprised him how such an obvious clue would go by unnoticed, and yet he also couldn't blame himself for missing it since it was very subtle. But, Matt was right. It was obviously a clue that he was supposed to investigate. It had to have more meaning than merely to look at the library for answers, if that's what it had meant at all. The next day, Graham jumped on the chance to go with Debbie into town yet again. She refused at first, then reluctantly agreed when Graham pointed out that he was asking her instead of taking off like he'd done the previous day. Debbie didn't like his attitude and was frustrated that his mother hadn't called back yet to yell at him. Graham too found this very odd.

164 • Jonathan Faz Debbie and Graham went downtown on their own, since Elizabeth was in a sulky mood that morning and decided that she would rather practice her violin playing. Tera, obviously feeling a little sorry for Elizabeth, stayed with her to try and cheer her up. They took off at about 10:30 in the morning. Debbie's reason for going was to buy some food from the grocery store in an effort to pay back Elizabeth's parents for letting them stay for several days. Graham, however, wanted to go back to the library, and he ventured that as a suggestion just before they reached the grocery store. “Fine, but we're not staying as long this time,” Debbie told him, sternly. “Honestly, Graham, I really think we should tell that LATC lady about Kevin so that he can at least get some help.” “The one that arrested me and locked me in a room?!” Graham asked incredulously. “She was nuts, Deb. She thinks I'm someone else... Seth Balder or something. And I have no idea how she got that idea stuck in her head.” Debbie frowned. “Still, if she's in the LATC, she should be good. Right?” Graham didn't answer, but stared out the window at the large cathedral church they were passing. It was marvelously out of place in the futuristic surroundings, a large clock tower rising above even some of the tallest metallic buildings. Stairs lead from the ground all the way up to the entrance, portions of it cracked and overrun with weeds. Sure, Graham would like to believe that the LATC were on his side, but something about Adi just made him feel uneasy. She seemed to hate him for no good reason. He didn't trust her in the slightest. The church bells rang the new hour as the time hit 11:00

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AM. Graham heard an echo of bells in the background every time the church bell rang. It made the whole scene seem even more surreal as they entered the grocery store parking lot, numerous flying cars landing softly in their parking spaces. Graham imagined that this made driving a little more difficult for Debbie. Not only did she have to look left, right, and behind her for incoming cars, but she also had to look above. Shopping for food took a nice chunk of their time, but Graham didn't really care that much. He took that available idle time to ponder over the statement that was now becoming ingrained in his head. Follow the clocks... follow the clocks... At last Debbie finished and they were on the road once again. “Graham, remember,” she said. “Not so long. I don't know what you expect to find here, but I think it's just a waste of time.” Graham didn't answer her. He saw that they were just about to pull up to the library and he was trying to keep focused. They parked and he exited the vehicle, running to the entrance in his eagerness to begin investigating further. He almost knocked over the entrance lady, who had never seen someone so excited to be at the library. “Well really, boy! Slow down! You're gonna knock someone down if you're not careful.” But Graham didn't care about that. He raced up to the third floor, recklessly almost knocking over a book stand, and hopped on an extra computer. While he waited for it to boot up, he heard Debbie show up behind him, panting. “Graham, what gives?” Graham waved his hand dismissively. “Shh, I need to concentrate.” At last the computer was ready and he typed in his

166 • Jonathan Faz search for Kevin Daniels once again. He watched expectantly as the computer told him it was searching and the screen flickered to show the results. But his excitement dwindled quickly. The results were not at all what he had been expecting. A single sentence was shown on the floating holo-screen: No results found. Another, slightly less helpful sentence was under it. Please retry your search and check the spelling. If everything you typed is correct, the information you requested is either temporarily unavailable or missing. Graham could not believe his eyes. He had seen the computer give him loads of information on Kevin Daniels before. Thinking he may have mistyped it, he cleared the search and tried again, but it gave him the same message. He then tried several searches in a row: Regus Foundation, Tempus, and Eden Genesis. Every single one of them returned the same error that there was no information on any of those things—except Tempus, of course, which merely listed the strange book by the author named Hedrick Harrington. It wasn't like the last time he tried searching, when the computer told him it was classified information. This time it was gone. In the shock and disappointment that filled his chest, Graham could only think of one person that could've caused this. Sir Basil Zaharoff. But, how could he have caused this? The library records were most likely very secure and backed up. “Did you find anything?” Debbie asked Graham as she looked around at the crowd. She seemed to be on the lookout for someone. “They're all gone,” Graham told her, turning off the screen dejectedly.

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“What?” “Gone. I think someone erased the records.” “But that's not possible, man,” a voice from behind both of them said. Graham and Debbie turned around and caught sight of a tall young man with thick, golden hair, about Debbie's age. He was grinning at them and held several old books in his hands. He wore a leather jacket and jeans, but they looked store-bought and new. “You again,” said Debbie, a little heatedly. Apparently she knew this young man, but Graham had never seen him before in his life. “How did I know I'd find you here? Do you like live here or something?” “Only in spirit, love,” the young man said, with a wink. Debbie's cheeks grew a little red. Before she could retort, Graham stepped in. “What do you mean it's not possible for the records to have been deleted?” “The library records are encrypted. Not even the personnel have the authority to remove records.” The young man extended his hand. “William Richter is the name.” Debbie just stood there glaring at him, so Graham decided to accept the handshake politely. “How do you know all this?” “Well, I used to work at the library,” said William, giving Debbie a warm smile as if to apologize, then looking down at Graham. “Way before the time fusion. I'm pretty sure nothing has changed since then, though.” “But, there was something I found last time I was here. Just a few days ago. And now it's gone.” “It might be the system that's down,” explained William. “One of the database stacks must've exploded again. It happens. Don't worry, it'll be back in a week or so.” “A week?!”

168 • Jonathan Faz “Yep. Maybe even longer. I mean, there's probably a bunch of data that's missing that they have to restore. Not to worry, I'm sure there are books on the subject you're interested in.” He held his arms to show the many books piled in them. “Unless it's something recent, of course.” Graham bit back a curse. It so happened that he was interested in something very recent: Kevin Daniels from 5050. “Thanks for your help,” he muttered, suddenly wanting to leave and regroup his thoughts. “Anytime,” said William. “Well, I'm going to go study now. Good-bye, little guy.” He glanced at Debbie with his warm smile. “See you later, beautiful.” Debbie narrowed her eyes darkly at him as he trudged along to one of the empty tables. She followed Graham as he made his way back to the first floor. He tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help himself. “So... he thinks you're beautiful, eh?” “Shut up,” spat Debbie. “So, is that it? All you wanted to look for was stored on the computer?” Graham was about to reply “yes”, but his eyes flew up at the many clocks on the wall at the library's first floor entrance. He noticed the concentration of clocks towards the north side of the wall. It had been that way when he first saw it, but now it was pulling for his attention. Follow the clocks... Graham's heart began to beat faster and he walked forward, Debbie keeping stride behind him. “No,” he said. “I think—I think there might be something over here.” Perhaps this was a meaning of follow the clocks that Graham had missed. Maybe this was another answer. He walked over to the shelf of books just under the clocks and glanced around at the contents curiously. “Are you looking for anything in particular?” asked

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Debbie as she surveyed the shelf with her electric-blue eyes. “I don't know.” Graham frowned and peered around for something that would catch his eye. He tried to think of something—anything—that Kevin could have hinted at somehow. But no idea came to Graham and he ended up standing there for a long time, staring aimlessly and thinking hard. At last he decided to start grabbing random books off the shelf to see if anything would give him a clue. He saw books on ancient Greece, 20th century America, and some old Mark Twain novels, but nothing that seemed significant. After about the twentieth book, he began to feel discouraged. Perhaps the concentration of clocks above this particular shelf didn't mean anything after all. After all, he reminded himself, the first floor contained past and present items. All the books from the future were upstairs. “Maybe he didn't mean it that literally, Graham,” Debbie admonished him. “Besides, you already found some answers at the library. I doubt he meant there was more here to discover.” Graham felt like snapping back at her, but didn't have anything good to come back with. He stared at the book in his hands, which was of old Robert Frost poems. “Yeah,” he managed feebly after the silence, placing the book of poems back on the shelf. He reached for one last book just so he could feel he was doing something constructive. As he took it off the shelf, however, he realized that a thin piece of paper was sticking out of the middle of it, just like a bookmark. The book was old and dog-eared, with the title Timeless Classics written on the front. What caught Graham's attention immediately, however, was the cover's picture.

170 • Jonathan Faz “Hey!” he said. “Look! I think I found something.” He felt Debbie inch closer to him as she looked down at the book and saw the picture of the large clock just under the title. With slightly trembling hands, he flipped to book around to see what it was about. He saw, to his astonishment, that the book had a published date of the year 2430. Glancing at the description, he gathered that it was a compilation of novels in one book. He opened the book up to the page where the piece of paper was marking. He thought he would have to read the entire section to see if there was any hidden message, but soon he found there was no need for this. The bookmark itself had a message on it already. Our company has been a real distraction. They want me to accompany them on their trip back home. If I am on vacation, I apologize for not meeting with you. Enjoy this book in your spare time. I recommend page 394. -- KD The Echo Is Your Guide Graham felt several things at once. First was jubilation that he had found something at last. KD had to stand for Kevin Daniels. The second feeling was a strange sort of disappointment, followed by confusion. Nothing had been answered at all by this discovery, but instead more questions arose. Who had Kevin left the note for? Who was this company that was distracting him? And what did “the echo is your guide” mean, exactly? “The echo is your guide,” murmured Debbie as she finished reading the note. “How weird. Follow the clocks, the echo is your guide... Doesn't this guy know how to tell you something directly?”

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“I don't think this note is for me,” Graham told her. “Maybe it's some kind of code in case someone got hold of the book. Nobody, not even a stranger, would know what it means.” “Maybe. So, what's on page three hundred ninety-four?” Graham shrugged and peered at the page the bookmark was on. To his utter bewilderment, Kevin had marked pages forty-four and forty-five. If he wanted someone to look at page three ninety-four, why wouldn't he mark it on that specific page? He flipped over to that page number scanned the book. He stopped towards the middle of the page, noticing that a paragraph had been circled. The person who drew the circle seemed to have done it in a hurry, for the ink was blotchy on one end and very light on the other. The paragraph read: And good ol' Matthew stood on the stairway that led to the sky. It was a pity that the bell tolled for him and for his life. He saw his own grave atop the highest step, waiting for him like his cozy bed did every night prior. The clock struck midnight, echoing all around him. His time was up and he had only lived a meager five years. He was still a child. It was no longer about living, though, but about leaving the world with an imprint of his existence. Many were crying for him, grieving that such a good young boy should have to die. But they need not despair, for Matthew Lincoln knew a great secret that would help all of mankind. It is reported that, shortly before he departed this life, he yelled aloud, “To avoid death, avoid the clocks! Otherwise, enjoy the time you've been given!” Graham stared at the paragraph, mystified by what he had just read. To avoid death, avoid the clocks. But Kevin had told him to follow the clocks. What did that mean? Did it mean anything at all or was it just a coincidence that Kevin's message to Graham and his message to this

172 • Jonathan Faz unknown person seemed to connect? Graham turned a few pages back until he reached the beginning of the story and saw, to his utter astonishment, the story was named Tempus by a man named Hedrick Harrington, the very same book Graham had seen in one of the search results when he had typed in the word tempus. There was definitely a connection here, Graham decided. But what was it trying to tell him? The foreword to the story read: You make a decision. If it's a bad decision, it's called a mistake. Have you ever made a mistake? Don't you wish you could erase that mistake and do things all over again? Decisions are important. They determine the course time takes. To erase bad decisions, therefore, is to erase time. Yet we all make mistakes, it is a fact of life we cannot avoid, just like one cannot avoid the passage of time. It cannot be changed just as time itself cannot be changed. So how does one live a good life with the time he has to live? Is it by getting all they can get for themselves, or by helping anyone they come into contact with? Matthew D. Lincoln will find this out on his own... A shiver ran through Graham's body. It was clear that Hedrick had never heard of a time fusion, so he was wrong about people not being able to change time. Still, Graham found it curious how the author had applied clocks and time to the subject of life and decisions. Obviously, Hedrick found it important to make the most of life. As Graham skimmed through the pages, it looked like the story centered around Matthew D. Lincoln, who was born with a terrible illness. The page Kevin had marked was the end of the story, when Matthew died after touching as many lives as he could with his message to make the most of things.

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And his last message was to avoid the clocks. Was he trying to say that there was no way to avoid death? Was he trying to drive home the point that everyone might have a limited amount of time with each other? Graham shrugged off these thoughts. The story was very deep, but it did little to help him with the current situation. The question was not what Hedrick Harrington was trying to tell him, but what Kevin Daniels was.

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Chapter 13 The Girl with Green Eyes

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raham turned to Debbie, holding up the book called Timeless Classics. “I'll check this book out,” he said. “Then we can leave, okay—Debbie?” His cousin was glancing to a place past his shoulder and her eyes were wide with dawning comprehension. “Graham,” she hissed. “It's that lady. She's heading right for us!” Fighting the urge to swirl around quickly, he casually looked and saw, to his dread, the skinny figure of Adi the LATC officer strolling towards him. He felt his stomach clench uncomfortably and hoped he hadn't broken another unknown law. “What are you doing here?” Adi demanded when she got nearer. She eyed Graham with her hateful eyes, clearly just as pleased as he was about meeting each other again.

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“Looking at books,” Graham replied coolly. “Is that also a crime? Are you going to arrest me again?” “Graham, no,” Debbie whispered at his side, but he ignored her. He was fed up with this woman's hatred for him and her annoying habit of following him. He knew she was up to no good and he was not going to take any more abuse from her. “What is that book you're holding?” Adi inquired, ignoring his sarcasm and pointing a thin, long-nailed finger at Timeless Classics. “None of your business,” retorted Graham. “Is that a bookmark I see in there? Oh, what a shame. The library has no ownership over bookmarks. Give it here.” “No.” Graham stood his ground as she closed in on him. “My, my, determined to commit another crime, are we?” Adi's face broke into a sly smile. “May I remind you that stealing is a punishable offense?” “Yeah,” murmured Graham, feeling his pulse quicken and his rage reach boiling point. “And it doesn't belong to you either, does it? So back off!” “Don't, please,” Debbie pleaded with him. “Graham, you're making things harder on yourself. Just give her the bookmark and let's go.” Something about what Debbie said cooled Graham's brain off enough to think. Suddenly, he was struck with an inspiration, and it was the perfect way to get back at Adi. “Fine,” he said, sighing and pushing the bookmark into Adi's outstretched hand. “I guess she's above the law.” Adi grabbed his arm tightly and her eyes flashed in anger. “You're one to talk about breaking the law.” She let go of him and pushed him away with her hand. “Get out of

176 • Jonathan Faz my sight before I decide to charge you with attempted robbery.” Graham seized his chance. He grabbed Debbie's hand and led her towards the front desk of the library. Thankfully, there was only one person in front of him, and that customer was already getting his book checked out and stamped. The librarian took a look at Timeless Classics quickly, eyed Graham for a second, and then scanned it with a device on her left. She stamped it, handed him the book, and wished him a good day, moving on to the next person in line. “Come on, Deb. Hurry!” Still holding her hand, he led her towards the entrance. He chanced a glance back and saw that they had only seconds to escape. Adi was reading the message on the bookmark and she must've reached the point where it told the reader to check page 394 on the book. The book that she didn't have, but Graham did. Her face shot upwards, her eyes shifting quickly until she spotted them at the entrance. “Stop, thief!” Graham pushed open the door to the library and ran with all his might down the stairs and through the sidewalk. “Graham,” Debbie yelled, irritably. “What did you—” “Just drive when we get to the car!” he yelled back at her as he saw Debbie's car emerge into view. He heard the rattling of her keys as she pulled them from her purse while trying to keep up with him. They reached the car and she unlocked it with her remote. Just before Graham hopped into the passenger seat, he saw Adi running down the sidewalk, yelling at them angrily. “Go!” he bellowed when he shut the door. Debbie gunned the engine and nearly lost control, but she managed to straighten out quickly. They zoomed out of the parking

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lot and into the road. Graham watched Adi roar at them as they passed her. She slowly became a small figure on the horizon until Debbie turned onto the nearest street and the skinny police officer disappeared from view. For a few seconds they drove on in silence, panting and looking over their shoulders. Then, Debbie rounded on Graham. “Are you crazy?” she demanded. “Don't you remember that she knows where Elizabeth lives?” “Yeah, but she doesn't know we're staying there. If Liz doesn't give us away, we'll be safe. We just have to hide.” “Hmph.” Debbie paused, still trying to catch her breath. “Okay, fine. I admit it... that woman definitely seems out to get you. Maybe we should stay somewhere else.” “Where?” inquired Graham. “We can't stay at my house or your house because Katherine's dad knows where we both live. Tera's parents wouldn't take us in if our lives depended on it... do you know anybody else?” “What about your friends Matt and Lynda?” Graham was astounded that he hadn't thought of this before. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, I could ask Matt if we could stay at his house. Lynda might not be such a good idea, though. Her dad's a well known person in the city. We want to keep a low profile.” “Well, you should ask Matt right away.” Graham nodded. “Sure, that'll be the first thing I do when we get back. But, if Adi shows up before then, we should be ready to hide. Heck, we should probably stay away from the house all day if we can.” Debbie shrugged, but looked thoughtful. “I think Elizabeth wanted to do something tonight,” she said. “Like catch a movie.” “As long as we're not at her house,” said Graham. “I think it's a good idea.”

178 • Jonathan Faz The rest of the drive continued in silence. Graham kept checking the rear view mirror to see if any police marked car was following them. So far, he hadn't noticed anything alarming. There was a particularly scary moment when they reached a four-way stop and found themselves looking face-to-face at a police car. Graham saw immediately that it wasn't Adi, however, and the police man continued driving on without a single glance in their direction. Finally, Debbie turned down Elizabeth's street. When Graham saw that there was no police car there either, he figured they were completely safe for the time being. Still, when Debbie finally parked the car, he hurried out of the car and into the house through the shady back yard. Tera and Elizabeth were in the kitchen eating lunch. They both looked up at Graham when he entered. He looked at Tera, about to speak, but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. “What's going on?” Graham asked instead. “Who—what happened?” “That police woman came by,” Tera answered. “The skinny one. She came looking for you and Debbie.” Graham bit back a curse. So, she had decided to go to the house rather than try to follow them. Perhaps they had just missed each other by mere minutes. “What did you say to her?” “We told her you two were just staying over at the time. I don't think she believed us, though. She asked if we knew where you both lived. We refused to tell her anything else. What happened? She looked really upset.” Tera glanced at Debbie, who had just entered the kitchen and closed the door. “Graham got her upset,” explained Debbie. “There was something she wanted and he ran off with it, pretty much.” “It's not like I had much of a choice,” retorted Graham,

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a little offended that Debbie sounded so accusatory. “She wanted something that Kevin had left as a clue. She got one of them, though. The bookmark.” “The—the what?” inquired Elizabeth, blankly. Graham and Debbie retold their experience, starting with the missing information in the computers at the library, then continuing on to the book they had found near the clocks on the library's wall and the bookmark with the message scribbled on it. When Graham got to the part about page 394, he opened the book up and pointed at the circled paragraph. “I don't know what he was trying to tell his recipient,” he finished. “It's definitely odd,” Tera agreed, frowning as she read the paragraph. Graham was about to continue talking, but at that moment the phone rang. Elizabeth picked it up, her face suddenly brightening. “Derrick?” Then, her face fell into a solemn grimace and her eyes moved to Graham. “Oh, okay. Yeah, he's here. Want to talk to him?” She handed the phone to Graham, looking dejected. “What are you doing?!” Graham whispered and yelled at the same time. “You're not supposed to tell anyone I'm here!” Elizabeth blinked rather stupidly. “What?” “Didn't you just hear what we talked about?!” Debbie demanded. “Liz, what's gotten into you lately?” “At least it's not the police woman on the phone,” Elizabeth shot back, annoyed. “It's some old guy instead.” Graham felt his heart skip a beat. He grabbed the phone and hesitated for a second before answering. “Hello?” “Ah, Graham Sherwood,” said the voice of Sir Basil Zaharoff. “I would like to inform you that young Miss Adi is currently on her way to a town called Shady Meadows

180 • Jonathan Faz some thirty miles away from Bracket City.” Graham frowned in bewilderment. “What's she doing there?” “She believes you and your cousin, Debbie Berk, live there. I leaked the information to her. She has no idea she is being fooled.” “Y—you told here that? Why?” “Because I need you free, of course, not put into a prism trap by that crazy witch.” “You want me to help you,” said Graham, bitterly. “Help you after you made all the information on Kevin Daniels go away at the library. Don't deny it, I know it was you.” “What I have done,” said Zaharoff, coolly, “Is proven to you that I can give you the information you seek, but I can also withhold it; that I can be a great help to you, but also a great menace. Really, you haven't got any other choice. You must deal with me and me alone if you want help for Kevin Daniels.” “Right...” Graham felt like telling him that he had discovered something at the library after all. He decided, however, that it was better if he kept that to himself for the time being. “Well, if that's all, I'll go ahead and hang up now.” There was a soft chuckle. “We will be in contact again, Mister Sherwood. I'm sure of it.” There was a click and the line fell silent. Graham handed the phone back to Elizabeth, seething inside. “What was that about?” asked Debbie. “It was Zaharoff,” Graham explained. “He was calling to tell me that we won't have to worry about Adi for a while. She's off in some other city because he planted fake evidence that we were there.”

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"What?" Debbie asked, frowning in confusion. "You know... basically, we can stay put for the time being." "No, I mean... who's Zaharoff?" Graham bit his lip and felt the blood leave his face. He had completely forgotten that Debbie didn't know about Zaharoff or the fact that he had gone to see him. "Oh, yeah... that. Funny story behind that..." Debbie began to pierce Graham with her stare. He tried to look away, but it was like trying to avoid the sun. He wasn't looking at her eyes, but he could feel their gaze heat up his face. “How could you, Graham?!” He looked back up and saw that she was beginning to tear up. She had definitely done her mind-reading thing on him again. She may not understand it completely, but she knew that he had kept something from her. “Deb, don't—” “You lied to me!” “Technically, I didn't really lie. I just didn't tell you the truth.” He thought for a moment. “Okay, so if you want to call it lying, go ahead, but—” “This is serious, Graham! You're always doing things by yourself, never concerned about how it's going to affect others... how it's going to affect me.” “Deb, come on. You act like I broke some kind of law —” “You did! I'm responsible for you. As much as that can be a hard concept for you to grasp, I have to make sure you stay safe while our parents are away. And after all we've been through, I've come to think of you like my own brother. I love you way too much to let you get yourself into trouble!” Finding himself blush despite his attempts to shrug

182 • Jonathan Faz things off, he tried to say something back, but failed. Debbie grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him lightly. “Why are you such an idiot?!” Graham felt the sting of her words penetrate him like poison. “Not an idiot...” “I didn't mean that,” Debbie stammered. “Well, I did... but not in a bad way. Come on, fess up. What did you do?” It was hard, but he really had no other choice. Graham told her everything, from the point he snuck out with Matt to visit Zaharoff up to the phone call he had just received. When he was done, Debbie was actually a little calmer, but still quite angry. “And you think that's what we call 'smart', do you?” She rubbed her forehead. “Graham, I can't shake the feeling that this is all getting out of hand. You've got Katherine's father, a lunatic police woman, and now a manipulative old man after you and Kevin!” “There's nothing else we can do,” groaned Graham, knowing that she was right and hating it. “If I take Kevin to the hospital, Katherine's dad or Adi are bound to find out he's there.” “Maybe we can take him to another city's hospital,” Debbie suggested. She turned to Tera and Elizabeth. “How is Kevin, anyways? Has he improved?” Elizabeth shrugged, but Tera spoke up. “He's the same as yesterday and the day before that. He's breathing, but still asleep. But, I have noticed his wounds are healing. And he doesn't have a fever anymore, so he's definitely getting better.” There was a silence. Graham slumped into a chair and sighed, already tired. His muscles ached familiarly and he rubbed his left arm as he tried to clear his foggy brain enough to think. On one hand, he was glad to hear Kevin

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was getting better. On the other, he was disappointed and wished he would hurry and wake up. “Oh, Liz,” Debbie spoke up, breaking the silence. “What movie did you want to see tonight? I think we're going to go.” Her eyes fell on Graham. “We could use some fun time, you know?” “Oh, yeah,” said Elizabeth. “I wanna go out so badly. I'll see if Derrick can come along too.” The rest of the afternoon passed with no significant change in the normal state of things. Elizabeth was constantly on the phone trying to get Derrick, but for some reason he wasn't answering the phone. She kept getting angry and Debbie had to calm her down a few times. Tera mainly hung around the two girls and assisted Debbie in calming Elizabeth down, though she occasionally checked on Graham and tried to talk to him. Graham, however, was subdued and not really in the mood to talk. His muscles seemed to get more and more stiff and sore, possibly from all the running he had done earlier. He kept checking outside the living room window to see if Adi's car was parked outside, but she never came. It appeared that Zaharoff had told him the truth. He also spent a lot of time contemplating the meaning of Kevin's message. Graham spent about half an hour talking the facts over with Matt on the phone. “Sounds like a code,” Matt muttered thoughtfully after Graham had told him about the message on the bookmark. “This company he was talking about probably referred to that guy who chased us out of your house. Maybe even to the people he's associated with, if there are more.” Graham had come to the same conclusion as well. “Yeah, he was definitely trying to tell someone that he thought he was being watched. That's why he not only hid

184 • Jonathan Faz a written message for someone, but put it in code too. But, what could the paragraph in the book mean? Or that sentence 'the echo is your guide'?” “Got me there,” Matt said. “It's probably some inside knowledge between him and the person he's trying to reach.” “Yeah,” agreed Graham, peering down at Kevin's prone body. “Or maybe... maybe we're just over-thinking it.” “I don't see what's to over-think,” said Matt. “Usually inside knowledge is the best code to use for this very reason. Everyone else doesn't understand it.” Graham shook his head stubbornly, but he had to admit that Matt had a point. If there was nothing immediately significant about the book's paragraph and the phrase the echo is your guide, then it had to be something outsiders wouldn't be able to guess at. Still, something pulled at Graham's insides, tugging annoyingly as if to say, “You haven't thought of me yet!” Graham also took the opportunity to call his friend Lynda, who was very relieved to hear from him. “Matt's been keeping me up to date,” she told him, a little angrily. “Why didn't you call sooner?!” “I've been too busy,” Graham explained. “I don't want to hide forever, you know. I've been trying to find out more about Kevin. Besides, I already dragged Matt further into this mess and got him arrested. I didn't want to do the same to you.” Lynda paused. “Matt got arrested?” Graham bit back a curse. “Uhm, how much exactly has Matt been telling you?” “Obviously not enough! Care to explain, or am I not part of this club anymore?” Feeling a little guilty, Graham divulged all that he could

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recall about going to see Zaharoff, getting captured by Adi, and their recent encounter with her at the library. “So, now can you see why I haven't been able to call?” “Vaguely, yes.” “Please, don't tell Matt I told you all of this, though. I think there's a reason he didn't tell you.” Lynda sighed audibly, clearly wanting to make Graham feel more guilty than he already felt. “Boys and their secret clubs. Why can't I get a Graham and Matt decoder ring, huh?” “I'm serious, Lyn! Don't tell or Matt will kill me.” “Oh, fine! But do me a favor and keep me in the loop from now on, will you? Since Matt's not gonna do it properly, I want to know my two best friends are still alive somehow.” “Yes, of course.” The rest of the conversation centered around school. Apparently, Mr. Braunfels, their almost always late history teacher, finally got caught sneaking in the class window. Principal Melin suspended him for a week. Another one of Graham's teachers, Ms. Sable, was always asking Lynda about him. “She personally doesn't believe the story your parents told the principal,” Lynda explained. “She keeps asking if you still have your notebook with you, too. I'm not sure why.” That was just what Graham did not need: someone else finding out about the Chronoculus and the power it holds. “You didn't tell her anything, did you?” “I, unlike you two, have been a faithful friend. Your dad gave me the story he fed them when I called your house once, worried out of my mind for my dear friend—” “I get it, Lyn, you're awesome. Go on.” “Well, I've kept to his story. That you're ill because of

186 • Jonathan Faz those pains you get in the morning and you have to stay in bed in the meantime. I've been bringing your homework to your house. I thought at first that it was gonna pile up, but every morning your dad hands me completed assignments. Weird, huh?” “Yeah, weird.” Graham smiled, feeling his eyes water suddenly. His dad and Lynda had been going out of their way for a while now just to let Graham stay in hiding. His father could've forced him to stop at any time and commanded him to come home but he hadn't. Lynda also could've given in and told the teachers that he wasn't sick after all. But she also stayed on Graham's side. Both of them seemed to trust him completely. “Hey, Lynda...” “Yes?” “You really are awesome. Thanks.” “Hehe, I know, right? Hey, my dad's home. I've got to get off the phone. You'd better call me later.” “If I can't, I'll let you know one way or another what's going on. I promise.” “Fair enough. Take care of yourself, Graham.” Graham hung up the phone, feeling just a little more cheerful than before. Evening arrived with no change in Kevin Daniels' condition. In preparation for their night out, Graham bundled up in a warm jacket, but otherwise did not change his clothing in any way. When he entered the living room, he found that he was the only one who had been lazy in this regard. Tera was wearing a teal fur-lined jacket and black pants. Elizabeth was wearing her best black sweater and pants, and Debbie was wearing blue-jeans and a white turtle-neck sweater. “Right,” Debbie said, her eyes lingering on Graham for a second. “Are we ready?”

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All murmured their agreement. Graham stepped closer to Elizabeth and whispered, “Hey, don't forget to lock your room. We don't want someone finding Kevin in there.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes but did as she was tolled. When she returned, they all said good-bye to Mr. And Mrs. Michaels and left the house. At first, all of Graham's worries tugged at his mind and he only half-heard the conversation around him. It was only until Tera tapped him on the shoulder that he came to. “Graham,” she said, giving him a stern look. “Try to have fun, okay? Everything will be okay.” It was at this moment that he realized how pretty Tera was... or maybe he was just tired. Either way, he grinned at her. “Right, okay,” he said, softly. For the rest of the trip, he laughed along with the rest as Elizabeth tried to sing Fly me to the moon and failed extravagantly. It felt good to finally forget about all the troubles that had come upon him, even if it was just for a few hours. He wished Matt could've come, but Matt had school and he wasn't allowed out on a school night. Still, being the only guy in the car wasn't as bad as it used to be. The group arrived at the theater at last, the bright signs flashing multiple colors and illuminating the parking lot fantastically. Graham felt as if he hadn't been out in years and he walked close to Debbie, trying not to look awkward. The group entered the theater and the air was filled with the aroma of popcorn and butter. To his slight surprise, he noted that the crowd in the theater consisted of people from his time period only. It looked as if the theater was one of the few places that hadn't been touched by the time fusion's effects. Sure, outside the theater there were flying cars in the sky and the tall, metallic buildings downtown were highly visible, but inside the theater everything looked

188 • Jonathan Faz very normal. Graham was highly appreciative of this. “Now, since you're with us, Graham, we decided not to watch the movie we originally wanted to see,” Debbie explained. “I doubt you would enjoy a bunch of crying girls. Instead, we all decided to watch Fantasyverse. It looked really good, even for us.” Soon they found themselves in the theater awaiting the start of the movie. Graham allowed the girls to go first into the row of seats. Elizabeth sat first, then Debbie, but Tera stood and glanced at Graham. “Go on,” she said, pointing at the seat next to Debbie. Graham nodded and walked over to the seat. He sat next to his cousin and Tera sat on his other side. All the girls made sure to set their phones to silent and then they conversed in whispers while the pre-show reel continued to repeat advertisements, which were also present-day items and soft drinks. “Doesn't it feel good to get out?” Tera asked, looking at Graham. “I know I like it.” “Yeah.” Graham grinned rather sleepily. It had been a while since he'd gotten a good, solid night's sleep. But now, he didn't want to fall asleep at all. “You okay?” he heard Tera's voice say. He blinked and nodded his head slowly. “Just a little tired, but I'm having a good time too.” On his other side, he could hear Elizabeth fussing about how Derrick wasn't answering his phone. Debbie was trying to tell her that there was no point in calling him now, but nothing seemed to be going through into Elizabeth's ears. She kept dialing the number and hanging up when she reached the boy's voice-mail. “Debbie,” Graham began. “I'm surprised you didn't call that guy from the library. You know, the one that called

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you beautiful?” Even in the dim light, he could tell his cousin had colored dramatically. “Oh be quiet,” she growled. “What's this?” asked Tera, laughing. “A guy said that about Debbie? When?” “It's nothing,” Debbie hissed. “Look, the movie is starting. Hush!” Graham and Tera continued to laugh silently even as the lights dimmed further and the movie previews started. Before they completely went out, though, Graham could see a shadow appear on Elizabeth's face. He wasn't sure why, but something she had heard seemed to upset her. She was becoming very touchy recently. The movie previews were uninteresting and surprisingly modern looking. He wasn't sure why the time fusion's effects weren't reaching this place, but he was happy they weren't. Anything to make him feel like everything was back to normal was a good thing. At last, the movie started and the introductory credits rolled over the screen. The movie began with spectacular special effects and Graham was drawn into the story at once. It started off about two kingdoms from a distant land coming together to form peace. They had been warring for some time and neither could remember what they were fighting about anymore. The two leaders decided it best to resolve their differences. As the story progressed, one of the leaders was assassinated during the peace process and this resulted in an estrangement between the two kingdoms. The leader's son took over his dead father's kingdom. He was decidedly less inclined towards peace. Graham sat back and drank in the story. He remembered how he used to read comic books and watch movies all the time. He realized that he hadn't been doing that as much,

190 • Jonathan Faz even before Kevin Daniels came into the picture. He felt like he was returning to his roots, his roots as both an artist and a storyteller. It was those roots that had created the Chronoculus, after all. Fantasyverse progressed over to a scene with two evil looking women. They were conspiring about something and it seemed that one of them knew who had assassinated the King and why. They began to sing a horrendous and wicked song as they bounced about in a circle, trying to see what their magical mirror would show them about the son of the dead king. “Stop a heart, take a name,” they sang and jeered in a swaying motion, their melody very eerie. “One is born first and then becomes clever.” Graham began to feel his eyes grow heavy in the spooky song. The women who sung it didn't have harsh voices at all, but soft ones. He blinked and tried to stay awake. “Drop a heart, break a name, love doesn't last and hate lives forever.” He took his eyes off of the screen and tried to rest them for a bit. What he wouldn't give for some sleep right about now. But he shouldn't fall asleep, not now that he was with his friends having a good time. “Longing for an ending. Longing for a finish. Life is another thing for death to diminish.” He felt his head tilt to his right, felt a soft shoulder support it. The person's shoulder—Tera's—stiffened for a second, but relaxed almost immediately. It felt warm and comfortable. Graham couldn't keep his eyes opened any longer. “Show us the path. Show us the task. Reflect the prince's deeds so we need not ask.” He felt soft hair brush his forehead as Tera tilted her

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head towards his. “Graham?” Her voice was soft, softer than the voices of the women singing in the movie. He was already slipping into the realms of blissful rest. He did not answer. Finally, some sleep that he wasn't afraid of. “Stop a life, stomp a dream, many things are still left for us to sever. Drop a heart, break a name, love doesn't last and hate lives forever.” ... He was standing in a vast empty whiteness that went on for eternity. He had no idea where exactly he was, as there was nothing visible to him except his own feet and the dark pavement they were upon. There was hardly any noise to help him identify the area, only a soft, low-pitched dissonance that was quite indescribable. The smell of popcorn and butter was gone, replaced by a stale wetness, perhaps coming from the fog that surrounded him. “Hello?” His voice did not echo, but instead sounded rather muffled in the dense fog. Suddenly, the lighting in the area began to flicker. As it went from dark to light, it seemed to follow along with a buzzing sound that had also started up suddenly. Then, it all promptly became solid white fog again. Graham stepped forward curiously, wondering where he could possibly be. Hadn't he just been at the theater? After the first three steps, he noticed that the fog was getting noticeably thicker. He was eventually forced to stop when the fog got so dense that he could no longer see his own hands anymore. He stepped back the way he had come and found that the fog began to lift as he did so. Figuring that he should be going backwards, he

192 • Jonathan Faz continued past the point he had started. Slowly but surely he saw that the area around him became more and more visible— He bumped hard on something behind him. He swirled around and saw the base of what looked like a street light. He looked up, the light itself half-concealed by the fog. He saw it flicker and realized that this light must be the only source of light in the area. Graham could not help but feel a certain familiarity about the light post, as if it was an old family friend. He touched it with his hand, feeling the cool metal surface. The light flickered once more and then, with a slight crack, it died out completely. Graham was plunged into total darkness, not able to see a thing around him. The impression of the light was stuck in his vision from looking up at the light bulb and he had to blink several times before it finally cleared up. Graham suddenly felt a little scared. “Hello?” he called out again. At once the fog was illuminated again, but this time it wasn't from the light post. A greenish hue erupted from an area to Graham's left, an unseen source of light somewhere beyond the fog. Graham stared at it and felt his apprehension grow alarmingly. The green light moved to the left and to the right again, as if it were a spot light. Then it grew stronger and stronger. Graham clutched the light post and called out, “Who's there?” A figure emerged from the dense fog. The source of light, curiously enough, was emanating from the person's eyes. Graham could barely make out the person's outline, but he saw that it was a little girl about the age of five years. The girl paused in her stride towards him and he could tell

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she was inspecting him with her glowing eyes. Fear was tugging at his heart. “What do you want?” he asked, hearing his own voice quiver. The girl did not answer at once. She eyed Graham, much like a cat would eye a mouse just before pouncing. Finally, her child-like voice said, “I am looking for my father. Do you know where he is?” Terrible, unexplainable horror ripped through Graham's soul and he backed away from the little girl as though she was obscene, mutated. But she remained as a little girl with glowing green eyes, and Graham couldn't explain why he was so utterly terrified of her. He could feel those glowing eyes scanning him closely. Finally, she took a few more steps towards him. His heart raced and he stumbled on a crack in the pavement as he tried to back further away. He landed on his back and stared wide-eyed at the girl. It may have been a trick of his eyes, but she seemed to get taller as she got nearer. “I am looking for my father,” she repeated, her voice sounding a bit more mature now. “Do you know where he is?” “I—I don't know anything!” Graham's voice was high and hysterical. He clenched his fists tightly and doubled over into the fetal position, trying to calm his heart down. It would surely burst out of his chest at this rate. “Get away!” When there was silence, he forced his eyes open and saw that the girl was walking towards him again. This time, the change in her appearance was obvious. She was getting older as she got closer to him. Now she looked like she was in her mid-teens. Her figure was more curved and her hair long enough to reach her lower back. “What do you want from me?” cried Graham, feeling his eyes well up with tears of fear.

194 • Jonathan Faz “I am looking for my father,” the girl answered. “I don't know your father! I don't know where he is or who he is! Go away!” The girl paused and, just as before, began to walk closer. The terror inside Graham was at exploding point. It was so terrible that he felt all his muscles lock up. He was paralyzed with horror. At last, the girl stopped a few feet away from him. Her eyes were still glowing green and her features were still concealed to Graham, yet he was seized up and he could not move anything, not even his eyes. He shook uncontrollably and sweat poured down his face. He saw the girl bend down to get closer to him and he shut his eyes tightly, sobbing. “Leave me alone. Please! I haven't done anything to you! I don't know where your father is. Just go away! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!” “Eden Genesis always finds what she seeks,” the girl hissed at him in a fully grown woman's voice. She reached her hand out towards his face, caressing his cheek softly. He let out a bloodcurdling scream. And then, he was lying on the theater floor in a cold sweat. He jerked awake and immediately felt his muscles protest at his movement. He cried and sobbed hard, not caring about all the blurry people standing over him, obviously perplexed. He shut his eyes. The pain in his limbs was worse than ever. He could not move at all without feeling fire-like burning coursing through his arms, legs, back, and neck. Vaguely, he heard the fearful yells from his cousin, Elizabeth, and Tera as though from a distance. “Graham! Graham are you alright?!” He could not answer. The dream had been so real, and yet he was baffled as to why it had frightened him so much.

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Once thing was sure... he now knew why he woke up in the mornings with sweat on his face and his muscles feeling as though they had been tortured and bruised. He knew that the dream he had just experienced was not the first of its kind. He'd had the dream before, ever since the fall season started—no, even before that. He knew, now, why the name Eden Genesis had caused him to retract in fear when Jack Rooster had uttered it, and why it still caused him fear to this day. How long had this dream been playing in his head every night? All he knew was that it was getting stronger and more real as time went on. “Graham?” Tera's voice called out to him. It was like light from a lighthouse, something that was trying to pull him out from the darkness of horror still enveloping him... He opened his eyes and looked at Tera, whose eyes were filled with tears just like his. “Oh Graham!” “I'm okay,” he answered her, still not able to move. Secretly, however, he knew that he was everything but okay.

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Chapter 14 The Evening of Mournful Notes

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uring the next few weeks, Graham was surprised to find out that his dream did not occur again. True, after he had returned from the theater, he refused to sleep for days. Eventually exhaustion pulled him into sleep once more, but he woke up refreshed and his muscles were completely fine. This frightened him more than it comforted him. He wondered if finally remembering the dream meant that it had played out its course. He wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure what it meant, for it had to mean something. The name Eden Genesis had appeared in the library records. Officer Hemmingway—the second victim of the Tempus murders after the time fusion—had written the name in his notepad the day he was killed. Tempus precedes Eden Genesis.

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That confused Graham thoroughly. Tempus was the name of one of the Regus Foundation's projects and it also happened to be the name of a story that talked about changing time to erase mistakes; which in turn was a story referred to as a clue by Kevin Daniels. Eden Genesis was also a Regus Foundation project according to the late Jack Rooster. It also happened to be the name of the girl with green eyes in Graham's dream. It all led back to Kevin Daniels and the Regus Foundation. They were the source for answers. Now, Graham not only wanted Kevin to wake up so that he could finally stop hiding, but also so he can get some answers. However, there was still no change in Kevin's condition, even a week later. Sure, he was healing nicely, but he still hadn't so much as blinked an eye. Debbie was staring at Graham more intently and more often nowadays, as well. He found it annoying and yet oddly comforting that she was trying to help him. She and Tera were the ones he confided in about the dream after the night at the theater. Tera was terrified and so was Debbie, but she managed to keep her cool and listen to the entire story. They couldn't make heads or tails of the strange connections to the Regus Foundation and Kevin Daniels any more than he could. Tera was a lot more helpful when it came to calming Graham down. She didn't say much, but she often put a hand on Graham's shoulder and listened to what he had to say. He was very, very glad to have her as a friend. After the second week, Graham was back to normal. He was still very spooked by the dream, but it was just a mere memory as he got busy thinking about Kevin's clues again. After all, if he wanted answers about the dreams, he would

198 • Jonathan Faz first have to find Kevin some help. He was determined to find out who Kevin was trying to contact with his coded message. Matt came over several times to assist, but he became increasingly unhelpful with Elizabeth in the same house as he was. She was often fuming over Derrick's sudden lack of interest in her and Graham couldn't help thinking that Matt was starting to get ideas. “Matt, over here,” Graham repeated, pointing at himself. “Focus. What's up with you, anyways?” He knew perfectly well what was up, but he didn't want to embarrass Matt any further than he had back at Zaharoff's manor. “Right,” said Matt, turning to look at him. “I had an idea about the echo thing last night, actually. You know, 'the echo is your guide'.” “Do tell.” “I was just thinking about the term 'echo location'. The way bats locate things, you know. The echo goes out and bounces off things and returns back to the source. Then they are able to tell how far the object is and where it is. Follow me so far?” “Yeah.” “Well, Kevin's message was 'the echo is your guide.' So, I'm thinking he had a similar idea.” “And now you've lost me,” said Graham, frustrated again. “Am I supposed to yell out loud in the city and wait to see if my echo returns?” “No,” said Matt, frowning. “I'm not sure what to think, really. I just immediately thought about sonar. It uses echoes as its guide to find things.” “I wish,” Graham began, trying to fight down his rising temper, “That Kevin had just laid it all out for me instead of making me go through all this trouble to find out what

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he meant!” “We've already talked about this. This was a message intended for someone who would immediately understand it. There was no need for him to explain anything. As for 'follow the clocks', well, we already talked about that too.” Graham grunted, but he knew that Matt was right. “So, what do you think my next move should be?” There was a few seconds worth of silence while Matt was busy looking over Graham's shoulder. Graham rolled his eyes and saw that Elizabeth had walked into the living room again, this time holding her violin up at her neck. She was playing a strange, quiet tune. “Nevermind,” Graham muttered under his breath, disgusted with his friend. “I'll just think on that by myself.” It was like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. Debbie tried to remain calm, but it was just too much. She was the type of person that always liked to know where things were going and what to do in case of an accident. She liked to be prepared and in control. And the situation with her cousin was anything but controlled. Even now, Debbie had an eerie feeling that their time at Elizabeth's house was nearing a conclusion, that something was about to go wrong and they wouldn't be able to rely on that safe haven any more. They had already narrowly missed having to flee once from Adi. Debbie blinked and stared around at her surroundings. She was in her favorite coffee cafe, a place where she could get away from everything and think. The cafe was pretty laid back and there were only about three people in it, including Debbie herself. She tried to relax, tried to not think about her troubles. After all, nothing came from worrying endlessly about them.

200 • Jonathan Faz The cafe's door swung open. Debbie glanced at the newcomer—and noticed with an uncomfortable jolt that William Richter was walking through the door. She tried to look down but she knew he had spotted her immediately. She pretended to be highly interested in her coffee cup, hoping that he would chicken out and walk past her— “Well hello again,” he said cheerfully. “Alas, the winds of destiny have placed us two together, like a merry couple of leaves—or something like that. I was never much of a poet.” Debbie tried not to roll her eyes. “Hi,” she said, a little stiffly. “Can—can I help you?” William considered for a second, then said, “Actually, since you asked, yes you can.” Debbie felt her heart sink. She wasn't expecting him to actually accept her offer. William glanced around the cafe and continued, “I'm looking for an old woman. Short, wearing green earrings. Have you seen her?” A little taken aback by this odd request, Debbie nodded. “She's in the back, behind the book stand.” William's eyes followed where Debbie was pointing and recognition dawned on his face. He was talking about the old woman sitting in the corner of the cafe with a large newspaper covering her face. “Oh, thank you,” he replied, beaming at her. “You, uh—you won't tell anybody, will you?” “About what?” “Hmmm.” William looked at Debbie for almost a full thirty seconds before continuing, “Nothing!” Debbie frowned. “Wait a second, what are you up to? You're not going to mug her, are you?” “Now do I look like I mug innocent old ladies?” William countered, placing a hand on his heart and looking

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genuinely offended. “I thought you knew me better than that.” “Quit fooling around and tell me,” Debbie snapped, drawn in now by Williams strange statement. “I should at least know what I'm supposed to keep to myself.” William sat on the chair opposite Debbie, peering closely at her. She found herself growing hot in the face, so she forced her eyes over to the old woman. She heard William mutter, “Well, I guess I can trust you...” “What do you mean you guess?” She shot her eyes back at him, feeling annoyed. William laughed and shook his head. “Fine. In case you didn't notice already, that old woman isn't exactly from our time period, is she?” Debbie blinked and looked over at the lady. “I, uh—I hadn't noticed.” But, now that William had mentioned it, the lady was wearing very odd Renaissance clothing with puffy sleeves and a thick skirt. “That's because you aren't from 5050 like I am,” said William, confidently. “I thought so from the moment I saw you. Very clever, though, the way you got into the library. Anyways, my point is that I'm not supposed to be talking with her. I'm not supposed to be talking to you, either. So, I hope you'll keep this between us.” Frowning, Debbie looked back to William and nodded. “Yes, of course. So, why are you talking to her?” “It's not for a date, precious,” William said, grinning slyly. “I'll see you around, I'm sure.” He got up and strolled past Debbie, reaching the old woman, who acknowledged him at once and stood up. Debbie wasn't sure if she was flattered or upset by him. She wondered what a person like William would be doing with someone from the distant past.

202 • Jonathan Faz William seemed to sense what Debbie was thinking because he glanced at her for a second, smiled, then let his eyes drift across the cafe at the rest of the occupants. When he was satisfied that nobody else was watching him, he pulled out a small, circular object with many gears visible through the back. When he flipped it around, Debbie saw that it looked like a pocket watch with a holographic display that floated above the surface. Debbie blinked, a phrase floating up to her consciousness. Follow the clocks... The lady grabbed the watch and thanked William, shaking his hands with both of hers. She scurried out of the shop and into the cold winter day. When William reached Debbie's table, she opened her mouth to ask something, but he cut her short. “Not now,” he said. His voice was suddenly commanding. Debbie frowned and followed his gaze, which was fixed outside the front window of the cafe. It took a while for her eyes to focus on what he was looking at. When they did, she felt her stomach tighten. There, skulking around and clearly on the watch for something, was the imposing figure of Katherine's father. William sat in a chair facing away from the window in a smooth motion so as not to draw any attention to himself. Debbie saw that he looked terrified. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath, looking around. “How did he find me here?” “You know who he is?” whispered Debbie incredulously, trying to keep her head down. “Of course I do. His name is Sydney Barron.” She knew Graham would kill her if she didn't investigate further into the matter. Since William seemed to know more about Katherine's dad than Debbie did, she asked,

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“Is he from the Regus Foundation?” She knew that this question surprised William by the look on his face. “How do you know about—” “Never mind that. Is he?” William looked hard into Debbie's eyes for an instant and nodded. “Yes. He used to be one of their leading scientists and a Colonel during the war.” “So Graham was right...” Debbie slumped in her chair, feeling more helpless than ever. “He chased my cousin out of his house. We've had to hide ever since.” “Why did he chase you?” inquired William, curiously. “You've got nothing to do with him. Right?” Debbie fell silent. She couldn't tell him about Kevin Daniels. Graham wouldn't allow it and besides... she hardly knew him, though something inside her compelled her to trust him. “I don't know,” she lied. William nodded resolutely. “Well, just follow my lead, then. I think this place has a back door. We can sneak—” The bells hanging from the coffee shop's door rang loudly. Debbie's eyes darted towards the entrance and she suppressed a gasp. Sydney Barron, Katherine's impostor father, had just walked into the shop. “He's inside,” she hissed to William. “What do we do?!” Sydney scanned the shop closely, his eyes full of malice above his high cheek bones. Debbie froze and her mind went blank with panic, so much so that she couldn't understand William's whispered commands to her. Her eyes stuck to Sydney, transfixed. The man's gaze swept over to her and stopped, his eyes opening a little more in dawning recognition. He raised his hand and his face contorted in a sneer. Debbie was too scared to scream. “Debbie, run!” William sprang to his feet and aimed a

204 • Jonathan Faz punch straight at Sydney's stomach. Sydney had apparently not noticed William, so this caught him off guard. He toppled over, groaning with pain. Debbie's muscles unlocked when she saw Katherine's dad on the floor. She got up from the chair and sprinted to the door, knocking over her table as she did so. She could hear the encouraging yell from William, but it was muffled at once. When she got to the exit, she chanced a look back and saw, to her horror, that William was on the floor. Something blue and glowing was traveling around his body and it seemed to be causing him tremendous amounts of agony. Sydney, on the other hand, was fighting to get back to his feet. “William!” “Go! Run!” William managed to pull something out of his pocket just as he aimed a kick for Sydney' feet. The man tripped and landed on his hands. Just as he got his feet under him, the entire shop was suddenly engulfed in thick white smoke. Debbie heard William yell at her once more, “Get out of here!” Debbie turned and ran for her life. She reached her car and entered it, not daring to turn and check if she was being chased. She fumbled with her keys, trying to insert them into the ignition. Finally, she managed to turn the car on. Feeling safe enough, she looked towards the coffee shop and noticed the threatening, tall figure of Sydney Barron pelting towards the car, the smoke filled cafe behind him with no sign of William anywhere. She floored the gas. Sydney managed to latch onto the back driver-side door, but Debbie was going so fast that he soon lost his grip and fell to the icy ground, sliding for a few feet before coming to a stop. She drove at top speed as far away from the shop as she

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could, trying to fight back her tears. After about 10 minutes of this, she at last felt calm enough to check her bearings. She was deep on the other side of town, a place she rarely went to, even on good days. It was commonly called the “bad side of town” by her friends and parents alike. Even now with the time fusion, it looked very industrial, yet deserted. She passed a street with a sign that read: To Viktun Square. Under the sign was graffiti that added, Be damned if you enter without invitation. Damed and very, very dead. Debbie didn't feel like testing her luck twice in the same day. She turned around as soon as she was able to and drove back downtown. If she couldn't see any evident signs of someone following her, she would head back to Elizabeth's house. Graham knew something was wrong the moment Debbie walked through the door. He got to his feet and ran towards her. “Are you okay?” Debbie nodded absently. Graham took that to mean no. “What happened?” For a second, Graham wasn't sure if Debbie was going to answer him. Then, slowly, she began to explain what she had seen at a coffee shop she had been at. When she finished, Graham felt a sudden twinge of fear. “Did you see if he put something on the car?” he asked Debbie. “Uh, no. I didn't think—” Graham raced for the door and exited the house in a hurry. He reached the car and inspected the outside of it very thoroughly, looking for anything that looked like a tracking device. But, thankfully, he found nothing of the sort. He walked back inside and sat down, breathing hard. “I don't think he put anything on it,” he managed between breaths.

206 • Jonathan Faz Debbie was still looking very shaken. She took a moment to gather herself, and then said, “Graham... that guy, William... I think we can trust him enough to tell him about Kevin. Maybe, if he's okay and if we can find him again, he can help us somehow.” This was rather unexpected, seeing as Debbie had acted very cold towards the guy before. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” she said. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. “But who knows what's happened to him... All I know is that he saved my life and I don't know what happened to him.” Debbie wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Our one shot to get out of this mess. Who knows if we'll ever see him again or if we'll get another opportunity. I don't think we'll ever be able to go back to normal.” It was the worst Graham had ever felt. He took full responsibility for everyone's misery. It was his fault. He didn't want to go to the police to get help. It was because of him that everyone had to hide in fear and he knew it. Debbie was miserable. Elizabeth was moodier than ever. The only person who still stood by Graham's side completely unfazed was Tera, but who knew how long that would last? “Deb,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I'm—I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do.” Debbie shook her head and wiped her eyes again. “There's nothing you can do, Graham. I'm not blaming you. I just hate the situation we're in.” She folded her arms and sniffed loudly. “I'm going to get dressed.” After she disappeared into Elizabeth's room, Elizabeth gave a contemptuous look at Graham and said, “And for your information, my parents have been giving me a really hard time about everybody staying over too. It's been real hard dealing with them.”

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“I can only say 'I'm sorry' so many times.” “Well, say it to me.” Graham took a step away from Elizabeth. “I'm sorry, alright?” Elizabeth tossed her hair to one side. “You better be!” She stomped off to the kitchen and began making herself a snack. It surprised Graham to see how mad Elizabeth was at him compared to Debbie. Were her parents really giving her that much trouble? “It's okay,” Graham heard Tera say at his side. “She's still upset about that boy. She's been a little rude to me too.” “She's right, though,” Graham said. “It is my fault, in a way.” It didn't matter what Tera said to him after that to try to make him feel better, Graham knew that this was the truth. It was his fault, so it was up to him to solve the mystery; up to him to make everything go back to normal. The afternoon passed in a haze of deep thought for Graham. He spent all of his time in Elizabeth's room, writing ideas down in his notebook and occasionally giving a hopeful glance to Kevin Daniels to see if he was awake. The horrible thought that was plaguing Graham at the moment was: what if Kevin never woke up? What if he was in this coma-like state of his forever? He shook the thought off, trying to keep his thoughts positive. There had to be something in the pool of clues that he was overlooking, something that could help him clean up this mess. The library database wasn't going to be back up for a good long while. Was there another source of information Graham could exploit? The LATC would probably have separate resources, but Graham couldn't trust them with Adi in charge. He would have to find another source of

208 • Jonathan Faz information. But where? All too soon, Debbie and Elizabeth were entering the room, ready to go to sleep. Graham put his notebook up and crawled into his sleeping bag, not meeting Debbie's eyes. He was quite sure that she, too, was avoiding his gaze. However, she did mutter, “Good night, Graham,” before getting into bed. Elizabeth, however, didn't tuck in quite that quickly. She still had her violin out and was practicing. Debbie propped her head on one hand and looked like she was concentrating, but Graham could tell that she wasn't really listening. “I made this,” Elizabeth announced to nobody in particular. She then began to play note after note, all the while swaying on the spot. Graham stared at her as she played, both impressed and a little disturbed. The song she played was... odd. It made him feel uneasy, even though the song itself was slow and should have made him feel relaxed. It sounded like a beautiful minuet and yet like a demented circus song at the same time. “Liz?” Debbie was finally paying attention and she was frowning at her friend. “Are you okay?” Graham peered closer at Elizabeth and saw that tears were flowing down her cheeks as she played. She stopped at once at the sound of Debbie's question and blinked, as if surprised to find herself standing in the room playing an instrument. “I don't think so,” she replied. She began to pack her violin and bow. “I don't know what's wrong with me.” “Is this about Derrick?” Elizabeth blinked again, then shook her head. “No, it's not about him, exactly. He called the other night and told me that he had jotted down the wrong phone number.

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That's why he was never answering.” “Oh,” said Debbie. “Crisis was averted, I guess?” “Yeah,” Elizabeth muttered darkly. Her eyes flicked to Graham and then to Debbie before she added, “I told him in so many words to 'get lost'.” “What?! Why? It wasn't his fault. It was just an accident.” “Like I said... I don't know what's wrong with me. Everything is so weird.” She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “And I can't stop hearing this ringing. It's so annoying!” “Maybe you should get some sleep,” Debbie suggested. “You sound tired.” “I think you're probably right.” Elizabeth climbed into bed. “Hey, Graham?” “Yeah?” “I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you.” Graham grinned. “Don't worry about it, Liz. I'm sorry for everything too. I'll make it better. I promise.” He said this not only to Elizabeth, but also to Debbie. No more words were exchanged in the room that night. Eventually, the two girls were sound asleep. Graham stayed awake past 1 o'clock in the morning, contemplating how much he was ruining everyone's lives at the moment and how he could go about solving the problem. It wasn't until after Graham heard Greg enter his room and close the door a quarter past 2:00 AM that he fell asleep finally.

210 • Jonathan Faz

Chapter 15 Back Into Hiding

I

f Graham had thought that his day was bad before, he was instantly proven wrong the very next day. He was awakened by the sound of someone arguing outside the room. He quickly jerked upwards and looked around the room alertly. Kevin Daniels was still lying unconscious next to him. However, Debbie and Elizabeth were not in the room with him. He got to his feet just as he heard a familiar voice plead with somebody. “Just a few more days, Mrs. Michaels,” he heard Debbie say. “Not until you tell me what's going on,” Mrs. Michaels said sternly. “I've been patient enough. All of you have stayed here for over two weeks, and I haven't heard anything from either of your parents. Something is going on. If you don't tell me right now, I'll call them myself.”

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Graham felt his stomach shrink a few sizes. He sat on Elizabeth's bed and clutched his hands, anxiously. He had to fix everything and fast. If push came to shove, they would have to either leave the house or tell the Michaels family about the time fusion and what had happened two years ago. Somehow, Graham knew that they would appreciate everything less than his and Debbie's parents had. “We're just over for a few more days,” Debbie said again. “My parents know I'm here. You can call my Dad if you want.” “And what about Graham's parents? What about Tera's? Something is going on, I know it. You girls should tell me.” “Mom, stop being such a—” “It's okay,” Debbie cut Elizabeth off in mid-sentence. “Graham's parents know too. They've called him here several times.” There was a click followed by the closing of a door. The deep voice of a teenage boy mumbled something that sounded like, “Trying to get some sleep.” A thick pause followed. Then, Mrs. Michaels roared, “Where were you last night, young man?!” From that point on, she concentrated all of her frustration on Greg; that was enough for Debbie and Elizabeth to sneak back into the room. Elizabeth looked furious, Debbie relieved. “Graham,” she said in a whisper. “We're going to have to move soon. She is not happy.” “I know,” said Graham, not thinking of anything else to say to this. “I've been thinking about that, actually.” “And?” Graham took a deep breath, considering his words carefully. As he did so, he heard the roar of Mrs. Michaels, “I will enter your room if I want, young man! You can't

212 • Jonathan Faz keep anything from me! You think I don't know about all the gadgets you've been buying lately?” A sudden thought occurred to Graham, one that brought to mind what he and Tera had seen the one time they were in Greg's room together. He pushed it aside and, instead, looked up at his cousin. “Well, I've thought of every possible way we can go, but there just isn't enough to go on anymore. We don't have any way of looking up any information on Kevin to find out who can help him. We can't trust the LATC, either...” “So what do you suggest?” Again, Graham took in a deep breath, bracing himself for Debbie's explosion. He had pondered long and hard and this, in his mind, was the only lead he hadn't followed up on. “I think I'm going to take Zaharoff up on his offer.” He could tell Debbie was struggling with how best to shoot down his idea. “Graham,” she said, clutching her forehead with her hand. “Do I even have to begin telling you why that's a stupid idea?” When Graham didn't respond, Debbie continued, “You can't be serious! We can't trust him, either! How could you even think of—” “Out of everyone, he's the one who hasn't chased us,” Graham countered. “He threw Adi off our trail, remember?” “Because he wants something from you,” Debbie yelled. “Once he gets it, he might just sell us to either Adi or Sydney depending on who pays him the most. Did you ever think about that?!” “Yes,” Graham answered gravely. “I have. That's why I'm going alone.” “Don't be an idiot!” Debbie took hold of Graham's shoulders and squeezed. “You'll be walking right into his

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hands!” “No, I won't,” said Graham. “I'm not giving him anything until he tells me what he knows. I'll draw part of the Chronoculus for him if I have to, but not all of it. I'll wait until he tells me everything before I draw the rest.” Debbie was speechless for a minute or two. Elizabeth stayed silent, sulking and glaring at the door, where her mother's voice could still be heard yelling at Greg. “Graham, there's got to be another way,” Debbie said at last. “I'm sure there will be if we wait,” Graham agreed. “But we're running out of time! We've had too many close calls and Elizabeth's mom is getting restless. It's already dangerous enough to move. I've got to fix this now!” Debbie pierced Graham with her electric-blue eyed stare. He could feel her scanning his feelings, trying to think... “If you're going,” she said, “Then I'm going with you.” “Are you sure? You don't have to. I'm not afraid.” “Yes, I'm sure. I can't let you go on your own.” She sat on the bed, rubbing her forehead. “So, how do you plan to contact him? You don't even know where he is.” Graham shook his head. “You're right, I don't. But I do know how to contact him.” He glanced at the door, thoughtfully. “At least, I think I do.” “You do?” asked Debbie, incredulously. “How?” But Graham shook his head and pulled a finger to his mouth, telling Debbie to lower her voice. “It's a hunch, really,” he whispered. “But I'm pretty sure I'm right. I just have to ask Greg some questions.” Elizabeth looked interested for the first time that morning. “Greg? Why him?” “Because, if I'm right, he's being used as an eavesdropper. Never mind that, we'll wait until your mom

214 • Jonathan Faz is done yelling at him. She's been providing great cover for this conversation.” It took nearly an hour for this to actually happen. At long last, they all could hear the muffled slam of Greg's bedroom door. Graham nodded to Debbie and Elizabeth and signaled that they should follow him. They all exited the room and crept quietly to Greg's bedroom door. Graham glanced down the hallway and, when he saw that Mrs. Michaels was nowhere in sight, he knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “Go away,” came the irritable voice of Greg. Graham thought quickly. There was no way to get Greg to open the door unless Graham took a chance and laid out all the cards. The only way to get him to cooperate was to scare him. Graham knew that Zaharoff most likely wouldn't have dealt directly with Greg, but instead he would've used Manuel, his right-hand man. “Open up,” Graham began, eying Debbie as he spoke through the door, “So we can talk about the device that bald man gave you.” The door flew open at once. At that moment, Graham knew that he had struck gold. Greg looked down at him with a mixture of fright and anger. “What did you say, kid?” Debbie and Elizabeth were looking as confused as ever, but Graham kept his cool. They would find out more during the course of the conversation. “The device,” he said again, pointing down to an area near Greg's TV. “I need to see it.” “No way,” said Greg, his anger overlapping his shock momentarily. “You've been sneaking around in my room, haven't you? Liz, keep your stupid friends out of my—” “Liz has nothing to do with this,” Graham cut him off.

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He stepped closer, looking Greg straight in the eyes. “But it's dangerous. I suggest you let me look at it. The man who gave it to you is using it to spy on us.” Greg's mouth fell open, along with Debbie's and Elizabeth's. Graham seized his advantage and continued, “Please, let us in so we can explain.” It seemed that Greg was too aghast to argue, because he pulled open the door and allowed them all to enter. He shut it behind him and whispered furiously, “How did you know about that?” “Because I met the man who gave you that device.” Graham gave Debbie a significant look as he said, “His name is Manuel. And he works for Sir Basil Zaharoff, a person of... importance.” Greg looked ready to faint. Indeed, he slumped to his bed as he breathed, “You kn—know his name...” “Yes,” said Graham, finding the object as he scanned the room. It was in the very area he and Tera had spotted it earlier. The pencil-like device that Greg had brought home one morning, much to the dissatisfaction of Mr. And Mrs. Michaels. “Manuel and Zaharoff want something from me. And I bet this is how they've been able to listen in and find out what's been happening to us. Why else would they give it away?” Elizabeth stomped over to her brother. She stared up at him for a moment, then reached back and slapped him hard across the face. Greg spluttered, backed away and yelled, “Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?!” “Jerk,” she muttered, walking back towards Debbie and Graham. “You're so weak. Just because somebody gives you something that looks cool, you just take it without asking questions. And now look at the mess you've gotten us into!”

216 • Jonathan Faz “Liz,” Debbie hissed. “Not so loud!” Graham picked up the pencil-like device. It was only about as wide as his palm, silvery all around except for a small black dot towards the top. “I'm ready to make a deal,” he spoke into it. “If you want your Chronoculus, meet me at Alexandria Library tomorrow at three o'clock. I want to discuss the terms of this agreement. I want to know exactly what information you have about Kevin Daniels.” Graham dropped the device to the ground and swiftly stomped it with his foot. For a moment, he felt that may have been a mistake, but soon pushed this thought aside. He'd seen Manuel use the device back at Zaharoff's manor, and he was sure that it was serving a similar purpose in Greg's possession. It was better if they weren't overheard anymore. “Graham, I'm still not sure about this,” Debbie warned him. “I feel like you're making a really big mistake.” “Don't worry about it,” said Graham. He felt, for the first time in a long time, that his thoughts were flowing through his head and he was thinking clearly. “I know what I'm doing.” “Elizabeth!!” Mrs. Michaels' voice came ringing out through the house, making everyone twitch. Clearly, something else had gotten on her nerves. “The dishes are filthy and I've been doing all the work around here for days! Get your butt out of that room and help me. Do you hear me?!” Elizabeth rolled her eyes and growled. “Stupid witch.” “I said,” repeated Mrs. Michaels, her voice closer now, “Get out of that...” She trailed off and a long silence followed afterwards. Her voice had stopped just outside Greg's door, just after the slight creak of another door

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being opened. Graham knew that something was very wrong. He looked at Debbie and saw that a dawning realization was on her face as well. Only Elizabeth was oblivious to what was happening outside. A sense of panic was all Graham felt as Mrs. Michaels let out a scream of terror that must've echoed for miles down the street. The four of them burst into the hallway and Graham confirmed his worst fears. Mrs. Michaels had opened Elizabeth's door and was gazing down at the prone, unconscious body of Kevin Daniels. There was a shocked silence while Graham's stomach lurched and his panic increased. Things had just officially spiraled out of control. Mrs. Michaels turned to look at them, her eyes wide and her mouth sagging open. She pointed a shaking finger at Graham, Debbie, and Elizabeth. “What...” was all she could manage to say. She looked at Elizabeth as tears formed in her wide, frightened eyes. “On the floor...” And then, abruptly, she fell backwards and fainted. Greg too was staring at the body. “What the hell are you all up to?!” he hissed. “And you think I'm bad?! Oh man, you guys are gonna get me off the hook with mom for sure —” Before Graham could even think of something to say, Greg keeled over and fell to the floor so quickly and unexpectedly that Graham jumped back and Debbie screamed. Elizabeth had snuck up behind him and apparently knocked him out. Her right foot and leg were outstretched, as if she had just kicked him. “What do we do?” she asked, looking down at her brother in slight surprise of what she had done. Graham looked over at Kevin Daniels, feeling his mood drop ever lower. “We have to leave,” he said, stepping

218 • Jonathan Faz towards the room. “Right now. This very second.” “Where will we go?” Debbie asked. Graham shrugged. “It doesn't matter. We can stay at Matt's house, I guess. We only have until tomorrow. That's when everything will change.” He and Debbie quickly packed all of their belongings while Elizabeth stood by and watched them, quite withdrawn and silent. “Liz,” Debbie said at last. “I'm so sorry we put you through this. Do you think she'll remember everything, or think it was some kind of a dream?” “What?” Elizabeth muttered, distracted. “Oh, I'm not worried. I've convinced her that she dreamed about something before. Greg's going to be another matter, though.” Debbie grimaced apologetically. “We're so, so sorry. Right Graham?” But Graham didn't reply at once. The sight of Elizabeth sneaking up on Greg and knocking him out reminded him of another time she had done something unexpected. It was inside crazy old Jack Rooster's house. She had jumpkicked him with such skill that it had surprised Graham, just like her sudden skill to knock out her own brother with just one kick. “Yeah,” he said at last. “Sorry.” The three of them left the house in a rush before Mrs. Michaels could wake up. They placed their luggage in Debbie's car and then reentered the house to get Kevin Daniels. All three of them carried him into the back seat of the car, where they tried to prop him up to look like he was taking a nap. Then, they too entered the vehicle, Debbie igniting the engine and backing out of the driveway. A minute or two later, they were on the road, driving away from the house. “We ought to tell Tera where we've

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gone and what's happened,” Debbie said, looking through her rear view mirror to Elizabeth. “Liz, can you call her and —” Graham frowned and looked at the back seat to see what had distracted Debbie. For a brief second, he thought that she saw Adi or perhaps Sydney following them. But soon he found that she was, in fact, looking at Elizabeth, who was staring in an almost dreamlike way at Kevin Daniels. “Liz, are you okay?” Debbie asked. The car passed by the old cathedral and Elizabeth's eyes followed it for a moment. Then, she blinked and nodded. “Yeah, I'll be okay.” She took out her phone and began dialing. “I'll call Matt,” Graham said, taking hold of Debbie's phone. Matt's reaction to Graham's news was as expected. He immediately began to panic. “But, you can't bring him here! What happens if that guy finds you? He'll think me and my family are in cahoots or something!” “We're only staying there for a few days,” said Graham. “Look, if you don't want to help us, I'll just find someone a little braver, that's all.” “Graham,” Debbie gasped, giving him a shocked look. But Graham shook a finger at her and motioned for silence. “What's it going to be?” Matt paused for a moment and Graham knew that he had touched a nerve. This was a desperate time, however, and he needed to get Matt's agreement sooner than it would take to convince him kindly. “I am brave,” Matt countered lamely. “Then prove it,” Graham jeered. “Come on. It isn't just me that needs help. My cousin and Elizabeth need to stay too. Are you going to refuse two very cute girls?” He

220 • Jonathan Faz winked at his cousin, who looked quite taken aback that Graham had said this. Elizabeth grinned for the first time in days. “Fine,” came Matt's reply. “I'll get my room ready for you. I'll let my dad know.” “Great,” said Graham. “We'll be there soon.” He hung up the phone and stared out the window, thinking hard. He only had to hold out for one night. Then he would confront Zaharoff again, but this time he knew which cards he held. He would have to do some negotiating, that was for sure. For a half an hour they drove on down the road, Graham keenly alert for any sign of Adi patrolling the streets. Thankfully, nothing else went wrong that morning. They came to Matt's place without incident. As they pulled up in front of it, they saw that it was a lot smaller than Elizabeth's house. In fact, it wasn't a house at all, but part of a five floor apartment complex that had definitely been altered by the time fusion. A mixture of bricks, siding, and roughly stained metal made up the front. There was only about a ten foot gap between it and the next building on either side. It suddenly occurred to Graham that it would be a lot harder to get Kevin Daniels into Matt's room this way. Just as his brain began to try to tackle this new obstacle, he saw Matt appear at the foot of the stairs on the building's side. “Over here,” he said, beckoning. Graham motioned for Debbie and Elizabeth to wait by the car. He followed Matt into the mouth of the gap and saw, to his relief, a miniature lift car much like the one they had used to get to the train platform in the sky. “Neat, huh?” Matt pushed his titanium rimmed glasses up his nose, grinning. “Someone left it to rust a while back.

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My sister repaired it and we've been able to use it ever since to get her in and out of the house safely.” “Your... sister?” “Yeah.” Matt looked at Graham. “You've never met Sarah because she—she doesn't get out much. But you'll meet her now. Go ahead and bring the rest, I'll wait here.” Graham nodded and walked back to the car. He helped Debbie and Elizabeth get Kevin out of the back seat and they slowly made their way back to the gap between the buildings. Graham was wary of anybody noticing them, but it seemed like they had been able to escape undetected. Matt was ready at the lift car and helped them stand Kevin up on it. When he was sure that everyone was on the car's platform, he flipped a switch on a control board to his right and the car began to ascend. Graham watched as the ground grew smaller and smaller by the second. The car stopped at about the forth floor and Matt entered the already open window there; then he assisted Graham and the others to drag Kevin Daniels into the room. Debbie and Elizabeth crawled through the window first, then Graham followed. When he finally entered the room, he glanced around to take in his new surroundings. He blinked. There were numerous posters on the wall of oddly futuristic devices and machine parts, some documented with graphical explanations and some with handwriting on them. Among these tech-enthusiast displays were also posters of various Japanese animated girls. “Is this your room?” Graham asked, his eyes lingering on a particular picture of three girls wielding heart-shaped wands. “No,” replied Matt a bit testily. “It's Sarah's room. Everyone, meet me sister.”

222 • Jonathan Faz Graham wheeled around, surprised that Matt would let them bring Kevin Daniels into the same room with a family member who knew nothing about the situation. His eyes had to travel downward to see Matt's sister, but not because she was younger and shorter than he was—though this was perfectly true—but because she was sitting in a wheelchair. Sarah Brannon looked like she was about nine years old with slight freckles on her nose. Her hair was mousy brown, short and thin. She grinned up at the newcomers with polite interest. Her clothes consisted of soft-looking teal pajamas with a pink heart at her chest. “Oh,” said Graham, trying to find something else to say. “You, uh... you told her about everything, I take it?” “He did,” replied Sarah in a high-pitched voice. Her grin increased. “I wanna help! You all must be so scared.” “A little,” replied Graham, still not sure that this was a good idea. Sarah pushed herself forward, rolling up to the inclined figure of Kevin Daniels. She looked down at him with pity, then her eyes rolled up to Debbie. “Very strange. His eyes are fluttering. It's like he's trying to wake up, but something is stopping him.” Debbie frowned and peered closer at Kevin's eyes. “She's right,” she said. “I didn't see him like that before. What do you think that means?” “It means we might not have to go to Zaharoff after all,” Graham said thoughtfully. He really hoped he didn't have to go face the old man again. “But I doubt it. He hasn't moved in days. Maybe there's no bringing him back.” “Don't talk like that,” said Sarah, giving Graham a hurt look. “It will be okay in the end. I'm sure.” Graham nodded, but only to reassure Sarah. He knew

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deep down that things could get much, much worse if he let things go on like this. Matt spoke up. “Well, just to let you know, Sarah's the only other one in the house that knows about Kevin Daniels. And I'd like to keep it that way, thank you kindly. Since you're only here for a few days, I'm pretty sure I can be the one to take care of Sarah and convince Dad I'm just doing it for extra money. But sooner or later he'll be suspicious. Please, I don't want to leave my home too. Keep Kevin a secret, will you?” “Yeah, don't worry.” Graham unpacked his sleeping bag and sat on the ground, already exhausted from the day. “If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. I'm just gonna lie down here.” As Graham rested his eyes, he heard the idle chatter of Sarah, Debbie, Elizabeth, and Matt in the background as though it were some recording. He drifted in and out of consciousness, not knowing why he was so tired suddenly. “So, you say Graham's going back to Zaharoff's manor to make a deal?” he heard Matt say in disbelief. “I agree with you, Debbie. I think that's a mistake. I know Zaharoff and he's definitely only out for number one.” “I don't think there's anything stopping him,” said Debbie. “And to tell you the truth, I'm beginning to see Graham's logic... which kind of frightens me, in a way. But there really is nothing else we can do to help Kevin. We've been chased three times and Elizabeth's mom has found out about him. Things are getting desperate.” “But Zaharoff is a genius,” Matt moaned. “I've read all about him. He's not just going to give information in exchange for Graham's drawing! He's going to try to get what he wants for nothing in return, or worse.” “Maybe Graham's already thought of all of that,” Sarah's

224 • Jonathan Faz voice chimed in. There was a silence. A silence in which Graham drifted into the realms of dreams, the rest of the conversation lost completely. Once again he was standing in a foggy street with nothing in view except the pavement below. He glanced around, but saw nothing except white mist. Feeling the odd feeling of deja vu, he took a few steps forward and found that the mist grew thicker and thicker with each step. The mist began to flicker, light then dark, light then dark... Graham took a few steps back. The fog began to lift just as quickly as it had settled in when he was walking forward. He turned and saw a light post that was stationed on a sidewalk near where he had been standing. The entire area was illuminated by the unseen light being veiled by the fog. The light itself was flickering, and the fact that everything got dark when the light momentarily died out suggested to Graham that it was the only source of illumination. Could it be night time? Graham was just about to explore the other side of the light when it finally went out completely. And then the green light appeared and Graham knew that his worst fear was just beyond the mist. Indeed, as he fell to the floor in his haste to back away, he saw the small outline of a little girl walking towards him. “I am looking for my father.” That was her death threat, the thing he did not want her to find. But he couldn't explain this one irrational fear. She was just a little girl. “Do you know where he is,” she continued on with her deadly question. “I—I don't know.” The girl began to walk closer and as she did so, she grew

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older. Her height increased, her hair grew longer, and her figure became more shapely with each step. “I am looking for my father,” she repeated in a much older voice. “Do you know where he is?” Graham shook viciously with uncontrolled horror. He wanted to hide. No, he wanted to die. Anything to escape the terror that was about to come. Eden drew nearer and she said, very softly, “I will be coming for you, you liar.” There was a ringing and Graham jerked awake, sweat splattering from his forehead. For a moment, he gazed around like a wild animal being hunted. His muscles felt sore and fragile, so much so that he could not immediately get up. “Graham, what's wrong?” It was Debbie and she stepped over to him and knelt beside him, gazing at him with concern. “Did—did you have another dream?” Graham nodded silently, closing his eyes and trying not to cry in front of his friends. The ringing that he had heard was coming from Elizabeth's cell phone. She was staring at its screen with apparent fear and defiance. It continued to ring, but she did not pick it up. “It's mother,” she said, quite unemotionally. Graham felt his mouth go dry. It was as if he had gone from one nightmare to the next. The phone rang one more time, then fell silent. Elizabeth punched a button on her phone and then threw it on the bed. “I'm turning it off,” she said. “I think that's for the best.” From his position on the floor, Graham could see that Sarah was looking at them all with pity. He guessed they all looked quite gloomy. “Don't worry, guys,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “I'll go downstairs to the vending machine and grab something for everyone.”

226 • Jonathan Faz Debbie frowned at Sarah, her eyes staying fixed on the wheelchair. “I'll help you,” she said automatically. But Sarah, reaching over to the side of the chair and switching something with a loud click, shook her head. The chair's back wheels folded backwards and Sarah inexplicably began to hover in mid-air. She grinned at the astonished look on Debbie's face. “Thank you,” she said politely. “But I don't need help anymore.” She floated on through the door, making sure to close it shut before she left. When Debbie gave an inquiring look to Matt, Matt shrugged and said, “She's smart. She's been making devices for a long time, now.” “Oh,” Debbie said blankly and glanced at Graham. “Weird how she can do that without noticing the time fusion, huh?” Graham had to agree. “I would say that she does notice the time fusion, actually,” he said dreamily. He was thinking about how Zaharoff could break the spell of the time fusion. “But how?” That was one of the many things that he didn't know. One thing was certain, however. Graham was determined to find answers when he went to see Zaharoff the next day, if he in fact was right about the device in Greg's room being a bug. He would cut a deal with Zaharoff and begin to find out the truth. He knew that the decision he had just made could be a mistake. And, even now, he recalled his father's words about making the right decisions. He wondered if, in the long run, this would turn out to be a good or a bad one.

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Chapter 16 Return to the Manor

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ebbie looked around the library, not really sure why she came. There was a crowd of people everywhere, all of them scurrying about their business. There was no sign of William anywhere. She supposed it was foolish to think he would actually be there. It was the place they had met. At first, she had found him extremely obnoxious—she still did, to a point, but at the moment she desperately wanted to see him; desperately wanted to know he was alive. But she didn't see his face anywhere. Something inside her hurt, as if a part of her had just been taken away. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't. He was the stupid, overconfident guy that had saved her life. How had Sydney escaped the cafe, then? She shook her head, glancing at the time. She had

228 • Jonathan Faz already been there too long. It was almost evening time and she really needed to get some rest. Besides, in the morning she had to take Graham—where? To a mistake, she was sure about that. But what choice did they have? They couldn't keep hiding forever. Giving the crowd one last glance, she turned and left the library. The sky was the same as it had been for a while— dark and dreary. It fit Debbie's mood perfectly. She felt a dark, deep dread that she had felt only twice in her life, the most recent time being just before she and the others had searched Jack Rooster's house. She hoped dearly that Graham wasn't making another one of his lethal mistakes. As the evening came, Graham and the others were invited to come out of the room and meet Matt's father, who had just gotten home from work. It was at this point that Debbie and Elizabeth discovered that Matt had only one parent, for his mother had died years before when Sarah was an infant. Graham had never visited Matt at his house before. Sure, he came by once or twice, but he had only glimpsed Matt's father. He didn't know why Matt hadn't elaborated about his sister, but as Graham thought about it, he figured that it wouldn't be something Matt would feel comfortable talking about. In addition to that, Matt seemed very protective of Sarah. Sarah appreciated it very much, but she was spunky enough to want to do things on her own. She rather enjoyed making Matt worry about her needlessly. Matt's father was a kind man by the name of Douglas. He was pleased that Matt and Sarah had some company over and he gave them no trouble about staying over for

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the night, much to Graham's relief. Evening turned to night and Graham soon found that the apartment was quite drafty. His feet were freezing as he climbed into his sleeping bag in Matt's room. Debbie and Elizabeth were to sleep in Sarah's room. “So, your dad sleeps in the living room?” Graham inquired, trying to warm up. “Yeah, this place is the only one we can afford for now,” Matt said. “It's hard for him since he's the only one who works here. When I'm old enough to get a job, we'll do a little better.” “I bet Sarah could sell some of her inventions,” Graham suggested. Matt didn't seem to like the idea too much. “They'll take advantage of her,” he muttered, getting into bed. “Just because she's... a girl.” Graham smiled and looked up at the ceiling as Matt switched off his lamp, but the room went dark for only a few seconds. Matt's door opened and Graham saw the familiar outline of Debbie standing at the doorway. “Graham,” her voice said, a little hesitant at first. “You should call your parents to tell them what happened. They've been the most understanding out of everybody. I'm sure they'll want to know.” But, he didn't want to. He had made a decision about seeing Zaharoff and he knew a conversation with his father would weaken his resolve. “Sure,” he replied. “I'll call them now.” Debbie stood still for a moment, then sighed. “Alright, then. Good night.” And she closed the door, drenching the room in darkness once more. “You want to use my phone?” Matt's voice came down to Graham from the bed above.

230 • Jonathan Faz Graham shook his head, knowing that his friend most likely couldn't see the movement. “No,” he said. “I'll call them after we see Zaharoff.” Debbie picked up Sarah's phone and hit the button to open a line. It was just as she feared. The familiar, dull dial tone was what came through the phone's speaker. Graham was not calling his parents. He was trying to do this all on his own. His parents most likely wouldn't approve of his decision. She knew no parent would, really. So, why should she? “I've got a headache,” she muttered. “Do you have any aspirin or something?” “There's some in the kitchen, just near the fridge,” Sarah replied. She looked like she wanted to go and fetch it herself, but she had already been put into bed and her wheelchair was across the room, leaning on the wall. “Second cabinet from the top.” Debbie nodded absently. “Want anything from there, Liz?” She looked at her friend, who was sitting on the floor on the other side of Sarah's room. Elizabeth had a peculiar expression on her face as she picked at her ears, forcing herself to yawn several times. Finally, she glanced up at Debbie. “No. Unless there's some ringing-ear medicine.” The kitchen was merely a small annex to the living room, so Debbie had to make sure she stepped carefully so as not to awake Sarah's father. Thankfully, there was a night-light near the sink and it made it easy for her to find the cabinet Sarah had referred to. Debbie had to search several bottles before finding the correct one. She opened the top, pushed a pill into her mouth and swallowed it with a cup of faucet water, which tasted

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disgusting and almost made her gag. It had an almost metallic taste to it. She began to wonder if there was a lot more futureness in this apartment than just the exterior. Placing the cup carefully into the sink, Debbie turned to head back to Sarah's room— She had to suppress a scream. There was a shadowy figure standing about two feet behind her that she hadn't heard coming. Her eyes already adjusted to the night-light's dim illumination, Debbie could see that it was Elizabeth. “Liz, you scared me half to death,” she hissed. “What's going on?” “I changed my mind. I'm thirsty and I want something to drink.” “Well, don't get the water here. It's gross.” Debbie helped Elizabeth open the refrigerator door just enough to search it. Elizabeth grabbed a bottle of juice and nodded her satisfaction. “Debbie, I came out here to ask you a question,” she continued. “Okay,” Debbie said, a little nonplussed. “Go on.” “Have you talked to Derrick recently?” Something in Elizabeth's voice didn't sound entirely inquisitive. It almost sounded accusatory, which automatically made Debbie go on the defensive. “I hardly knew him,” she replied. “In fact, I don't know him at all.” There was a pause in which Elizabeth stared at Debbie. “Oh, okay. I'm just checking.” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “If he cared about me at all, he'd try to get back in contact with me.” “You hardly knew him, either,” Debbie reminded Elizabeth. A rustle of blankets from the living room told her that they were getting a little too loud for Douglas. “Come on, let's head back to the room.”

232 • Jonathan Faz When they reached the room, Elizabeth went straight for her spot next to Sarah's bed, placed the bottle of juice on top of the bed stand, and lied down immediately. Debbie muttered “Good night” to everyone, then she too snuggled in her sleeping bag. Just as the lights went out, she realized that Elizabeth hadn't even opened the bottle of juice that she had left the room for. “Graham!” Haze surrounded him and he felt as if he hadn't slept at all. “What is it, Matt? Can't you let me sleep for a few more minutes?” “This is important! Get out of bed. Now!” The urgency of the last word did the trick. Graham sat up and frowned at his friend. “What's going on?” Matt hesitated. “In so many words, 'The game is up.'” “Huh?” “Just get up and you'll see.” Graham got to his feet and followed Matt out of the room. He glanced to the left and saw, to his mixed relief and frustration, the unconscious Kevin Daniels in the same spot on the floor as they had left him. Just before they entered the living room, Graham realized that he hadn't experienced the dream again the last night, for his muscles felt well rested and perfectly fine. The living room was already occupied by Sarah, Debbie, and Elizabeth. “It's a good thing my dad went to work early today,” Matt said. “Otherwise, we'd all be in deep trouble.” “What do you mean?” “Look at the TV, Graham,” said Debbie. Sarah wheeled forward and punched an instrument on her wheelchair's arm. The volume on the Holo-TV raised up slightly,

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enough for Graham to hear the news report being displayed on the screen. “—if you have any further information on the whereabouts of this young lady, please call the LATC office immediately.” Graham had a horrible feeling that he knew which young lady the reporter was referring to. Indeed, as the picture cut to a shot of a house, Graham instantly recognized that it was the house of Mr. And Mrs. Michaels. Mrs. Michaels appeared on the screen next and the reporter began to interview her. “Do you think your daughter is safe, Mrs. Michaels?” Mrs. Michaels shook her head, tears pouring down her face. “I'm not sure,” she replied. Then she looked at the camera imploringly and said, “Elizabeth, dear, wherever you are, we can work this out. Please come home and explain everything.” “Oh please,” muttered Elizabeth, disgusted. The picture began to go through a series of pictures of the Michaels' house and yard. The reporter's voice continued to narrate the story. “Melissa Michaels claims that, late yesterday afternoon, she saw her daughter with an unconscious man in her room. She then says she lost consciousness due to shock and woke up a few minutes later, only to find that her daughter and her friends had gone. It is unclear if the woman is suffering from a psychotic delusion or not. The husband and son refused to comment.” “Greg refused to comment?” Graham gasped out loud incredulously. “Why would he?” “He hates the spotlight,” Elizabeth explained. “He probably told the police, but he won't get in front of a camera to save his life.”

234 • Jonathan Faz “To reiterate, if you see this young woman by the name of Elizabeth Michaels, please call the LATC dispatch line on the bottom of your screen. She is described as—” The picture flickered. And then, quite to the astonishment of everyone in the room, a picture of none other than Manuel flashed on the screen. “I believe we are experiencing technical difficulties at the station,” he said, quite casually. “We apologize. The young woman's appearance is as follows: Height is about five feet six inches, weight approximately one-hundred eighty pounds—” “Hey!” Elizabeth yelled at the screen. “I'm not that fat!” “—hispanic complexion, blondish hair, brown eyes. Again, if you have any information, call LATC dispatch. Pictures of the missing girl can be found in public areas, such as the post office or library, and on our interweb page.” Debbie looked at Graham. “What just happened?” “I think Zaharoff's letting me know he got my message,” replied Graham, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety. “In his own Zaharoff-y way.” “That's Basil Zaharoff for you,” Matt said admiringly. “When he wants something, he'll arrange to get it no matter what. He's a master at his craft.” Graham said nothing. He just stood there and felt his mouth go slightly dry. He knew he was going up against a master manipulator. It was a matter of time before he found out if he was smart enough to challenge Zaharoff. “So we'll go, then,” Debbie said, walking closer to Graham. “You and me.” “And me,” said Matt. “I've been to the place before.” Just as Graham nodded his approval, the screen flickered back to the reporter, who was staring at the screen. “We

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have with us a representative of the LATC who is covering this disappearance. Miss, do you believe Mrs. Michaels' claims are substantial?” Graham felt his stomach sink ever lower as Adi walked into view. Her eyes gave the impression that she was staring straight at Graham, making him feel vulnerable and out in the open. “Anything's possible,” she said. “We're working hard to find this girl. We'll do whatever it takes to get her back... safely.” “She's on the case because she heard about the unconscious man,” Graham murmured. “She's put two and two together and she's back on our trail. Dammit, everything's really close to falling apart.” “I think it already has,” muttered Elizabeth darkly. “Graham, you should prepare to leave,” Debbie advised, switching off the Holo-TV with a remote. “I don't think worrying about everything will do you any good right now.” He knew Debbie was right, but that didn't make it any easier to keep focused. Before he knew it, it was time to start heading out and he felt like he was going completely unprepared. He made sure that he had a Chronoculus for himself, which he hid in his wallet. He also brought along a notebook and pen for the time when he would be drawing the Chronoculus for Zaharoff—if that time came at all. He entered the Brannon's living room to find everyone standing and waiting. Matt was on his feet, looking down at his sister with a grimace. “I want to come with you,” Sarah admonished, moving closer to Matt. “I want to see him too. You've been talking about him for ages and I want to meet him!” “Believe me, you don't,” Matt replied. He looked up at Elizabeth and blushed slightly. “You'll take care of her,

236 • Jonathan Faz right? If—until we get back.” Elizabeth nodded, somewhat absentmindedly. “Yeah, I'll keep her entertained. Don't worry about it.” Graham clapped his hands together. All turned to look at him. “Right,” he said. “It's time. Let's go.” He, Debbie, and Matt waved goodbye to Elizabeth and Sarah, then left through the apartment door and walked slowly and purposefully down the stairs. The three of them entered Debbie's car and sat for a moment, each contemplating what was going to happen next. “Well,” Debbie said, an empty look in her eyes. “I—I guess this is it.” She started the car and they drove off towards their destination: Alexandria Library. Just as Debbie turned onto the highway and sped up, keeping her eyes fixed on the rear view mirror, she added, “Graham, are you absolutely sure about this?” It was a question he would truthfully answer, “No.” But, instead, he shrugged and muttered, “It's the only lead we have, the only way to get to the bottom of this.” They traveled in silence after that, each one absorbed in their own thoughts. In no time at all they were driving down the street leading to Alexandria Library. The tall structure was almost a beacon of unknown possibilities to Graham. He had found out so much at the place, yet he had discovered so many more questions as well. Would this lead to answers or even more questions? Would his gamble pay off in the end? Drizzle began to fall on the windshield, blurring the view of the tall building for an instant. Debbie turned on the wipers and at once they spotted Manuel standing near the library's entrance. Apparently, he had spotted them as well. He gestured to the side of the library, then made a circular motion.

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“Looks like he wants us to turn there and go around the building,” Graham said, pointing. Debbie grimaced. Graham knew she didn't like getting out of sight, but she didn't complain. She turned just like Manuel wanted her to. The car entered the parking lot and traveled past Manuel, who turned and entered the library at once. Debbie looked around anxiously and she slowed down as they neared the back of the library. “Why does he want us to go back here?” “Dunno.” Graham grabbed Debbie's hand in his own. “Don't be scared, Deb. I'll protect us.” Debbie turned the corner and crept slowly forward, her eyes darting around. They were now behind the building and completely concealed from the street. “Graham...” She pointed at a large structure just ahead of them and fell silent. Graham squinted through the wet windshield. It was a sort of archway made of metal and some other, stony type of substance. And, it seemed to be activating in some way, for lights appeared inside the arch and began pulsating. “What's that?” Before Graham could answer, there was a flash of bright light and the car braked suddenly. Inertia almost bruised Graham's ribs against the seatbelt. He felt a thump behind him and knew that Matt wasn't so fortunate. “Hey, are you okay?” he called out. Matt's voice replied, “Well, I think my forehead's become a permanent part of your seat. But, yeah, I'm fine.” “Deb, how about you?” “I'm fine. What's going on outside, though?” The entire area was illuminated with different colors, colors that progressively changed randomly every few milliseconds. Graham suddenly remembered the strange

238 • Jonathan Faz device that Manuel had called a Genux portal that was supposedly some kind of teleporter. “We're being transported to the manor,” Graham explained, knowing this would cause more questions to come up. “Matt knows what this is. Remember that ring device in that room? Manuel called it a Genux portal.” “Oh yeah,” Matt said vaguely, looking out the window and squinting against the bright lights. “The one that was made by Valkyries.” Debbie swirled around. “What?!” Matt shrugged. “That's what Manuel said, anyways. His translation was a little off. Anyways, I guess we'll find out how reliable it—” Suddenly, the car was standing at the edge of a clearing and Matt stopped in mid-sentence. Approximately a mile in front of them stood Zaharoff's manor with all sorts of strange, castle-like towers and futuristic devices placed all around. The grass ended just a few feet from the car. Past that was the dirt field full of junk and tower-like telephone polls. The grass and plantation started again in the area immediately surrounding the manor. “Well I guess that answers that,” Matt muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose. The three of them exited the vehicle, Graham making sure to take his notebook and pen. Just behind them, one of the strange Genux portal rings was half-concealed into the ground, therefore making it an arch. The lights stopped pulsating and dimmed slowly until they died out. “Graham, how are we going to get back?” Debbie inquired. “We don't know how to work that thing.” “Don't worry about it right now,” Graham said, trying to keep his mind focused. “Right now I've got to negotiate with Zaharoff. Come on.”

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He led the way towards the manor. Graham kept his gaze straight ahead, but he knew that Matt and Debbie were looking around at the strange sights in awe. At first they had to pick their way through the junk, but eventually they managed to find a decent walkway that led straight towards the manor. Just as they reached the entrance, they saw Manuel come out of the door to welcome them. All three of them glanced at him in surprise. He was staring at the watch in his hand—a watch that displayed the time in a holographic display—and he frowned at them disapprovingly. “You're late.” “Not by much,” Graham retorted, following the man into the manor and through the entrance hall. “Gosh, you people are so uptight.” “Graham,” whispered Debbie, sounding urgent. “It's alright,” he whispered back. “I know what I'm doing.” “No, it's not that.” Her eyes stayed fixed on Manuel's wrist. “That watch he has... it's the same exact one I saw William give to that lady in the cafe. Only he gave her a pocket watch, not a wrist watch, but the design is precisely the same.” “What do you think that means?” Debbie shrugged. “I don't know. But William was really, really secretive about giving it to her. It means something important.” Graham looked thoughtfully at Manuel for a moment. Follow the clocks. Could it be that he was actually on the right path for once? They followed Manuel into the hall with the strange trinkets and weapons that Zaharoff had collected from every time period.

240 • Jonathan Faz “I hope for your sake you're here to make a deal,” Manuel said conversationally. “The Master is busy and had to make time for you in his schedule. I must say, we were all quite surprised that you found his bug as fast as you did.” “I'm full of surprises,” Graham said, trying to keep his guard up. Manuel chuckled and proceeded down the hall. As they neared the door at the end of the hallway, Graham saw that they were closing in on the strange mind reading device. Graham was interested to see what it would display this time. He wasn't quite sure it worked correctly, as the last time it had shown him a vase dropping to the floor and shattering, then reversing and mending itself. Manuel passed the box first. Sparkling red lights materialized into a clock that was counting away faster than normal. He glanced at it unconcerned and murmured, “I hate being late.” Graham had the notion that Manuel knew how to counter the device by thinking about something else as he passed it. Graham passed it next. He stared fixedly as the clock vanished and sparkling lights assembled themselves, once again, into the shattering and un-shattering porcelain vase. He was quite disappointed with the outcome. “Did you break something of your mother's?” Manuel inquired humorously. “Why are you thinking about that all the time?” Before Graham could answer, Debbie stepped forward and whispered, “Graham, I don't like this. How does he have these things? How can he completely ignore the time fusion's laws?” “I don't know.” Graham could see Debbie's electric blue eyes fixed on

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the door and he could tell she was the most apprehensive out of all of them about going ahead with the plan. “I'm sorry,” she muttered. “I'm sorry you have to go through with this. I feel like—like I've failed you.” “Don't worry about it, Deb,” Graham told her. “Just keep your cool. Everything will be fine.” “But I can tell you're regretting it,” Debbie continued. “Isn't that what the vase means?” Graham shrugged. “I really don't know what it means, Deb. Come on, I'll protect us. Just keep going.” She gave him a weak smile and walked forward, giving him a clear view of the mind reading device. Curiously enough, it was displaying a waterfall with a small object falling swiftly to the bottom. Graham squinted to see what it was, but at that moment Matt walked next to the device and the waterfall shattered. It was replaced by what seemed to be a headstone and a lump of dirt surrounded by flowers. “Sorry,” Matt said, embarrassed. “Just thinking about mom.” Graham sighed and turned, following Manuel to the end of the hallway. The waterfall he had seen in the mind reader brought up a distant memory. It was a two year old memory, quite fuzzy, but one important detail was crystal clear. It was about a game of truth or dare the girls had played. Graham knew it had happened just before the time fusion. Elizabeth had asked them all what they feared the most. What was now particularly interesting was Debbie's answer to that question. “Waterfalls.” Manuel opened the door to the next room. “Sir Zaharoff awaits.” Graham entered the circular room and he shook off the memory, forcing his mind to focus on the present. There,

242 • Jonathan Faz sitting behind his large desk, was Sir Basil Zaharoff himself. He had his hands clasped in front of him expectantly. He eyed Debbie with a moment's interest, then met Graham's gaze with a cold smile. “Ah,” he said, a sardonic edge to his voice. “Did I not say that this would happen in the end, Graham Sherwood? Of course I did.” Graham didn't say anything, but walked forward and took a seat in front of Zaharoff. He placed his notebook on top of the desk, then his pen, and then contemplated the old man for a moment. “Yeah, you did,” he said, dismissively. “So I came to the decision... I'll draw a Chronoculus for you in exchange for information on Kevin Daniels, just like you offered.” “Of course,” said Zaharoff, leaning forward and watching Graham closely. “I'm a man of my word, Mister Sherwood. Please, do the honors. The quicker the better. I have another meeting I must get to.” Graham opened his notebook to the front page, which was blank. He snatched his pen, paused for an instant, and began to draw. First, he drew a large circle in the middle of the page. He stopped to look up at Zaharoff, and there was no mistaking the greedy hunger in the man's eyes now. He was giving himself away. He thought he had Graham right where he wanted him. On Graham went, drawing the big C inside the circle. Again, he paused, but this time he leaned back and stared at Zaharoff in an expectant way. The old man frowned, his eyes darting between Graham and the notebook. “Go on,” he encouraged. “Just one more part and you will have completed your end of the bargain. Then you'll get your information.” “No,” said Graham simply. Zaharoff straightened abruptly, his face flushing with

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agitation. “Don't be stupid, boy,” he growled. “It's almost done. You are that far away from learning all you want!” Graham smiled and leaned forward. “Do you want to know what the worst thing about being a person from the past is, Zaharoff?” The old man's eyes widened slightly. Graham's smile turned into a sort of smirk as he continued. “You have a history. And, let me just say that your history isn't exactly showing you to be Honest Abe.” Zaharoff didn't say a word, but his face grew cold and stony. Graham pressed on. “I've drawn most of your Chronoculus for you,” he said. “Now you have to give me something in return. Not all the information about Kevin, mind you. But some. You've seen I'm willing to give you what you want. Now I want to see the same from you.” Graham chanced a glance at Debbie, who had a small smirk on her own face. She obviously approved of Graham's move. Zaharoff, however, didn't appreciate it nearly as much. “My dear boy,” he said, his voice no longer kind. “I did not clear my schedule just so you can come here to tempt me. Give me what I seek and I will give you what you seek. That was our agreement.” “And it still is,” Graham answered. “I know that. I just want to make sure you know that too. Tell me what kind of information you have on Kevin Daniels.” Zaharoff stood up and his anger was apparent. Electricity seemed to vibrate from his figure. “You will not negotiate with me!” “Fine,” said Graham, getting to his feet. “Well, I'll leave you with your half-finished Chronoculus, then. I don't know what kind of good it'll do you, though.” He turned and saw that Manuel was standing in front of the exit, his

244 • Jonathan Faz arms crossed. There was a moment's silence. Graham was ready to duck at any moment if he needed to. He kept his gaze fixed on Manuel while his peripheral vision watched for any sort of reaction from Matt and Debbie, who were staring at Zaharoff. Then, quite abruptly, he heard Zaharoff burst into laughter. Graham turned around slowly to see if the old man had really found all this humorous or if he was losing his mind. Thankfully, it appeared to be the former. The old man had sat back down and was clutching his stomach. “Oh, very well,” he said, still chuckling. “I've underestimated you, Mister Sherwood! I just want to make it clear to you that I had every intent of giving you the information you seek. However, as you have forced my hand, as it were, I will give you part of the information now. Sit back down, please.” Slowly, Graham obeyed, keeping his eyes on Zaharoff now, who was watching him was amused interest. A few seconds of quietness passed and for a while Graham wondered if the old man had lied just to get him to sit. However, Zaharoff finally took a breath and spoke. “Right then. What kind of information on Kevin Daniels do I have? Simple. I have a recording of his last message to his partner in the LATC.” “A recording?” Graham sat forward. “His partner? Who was his partner?” “He does not mention the person's name in the recording,” Zaharoff replied. He snapped his fingers and Manuel moved forward, a small black card in his hands. “Manuel here has it. I am prepared to play it for you after you have given me the Chronoculus.” Graham stared suspiciously at the card. “Let's see the first few seconds of it.”

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Zaharoff looked ready to argue again, but smiled and shrugged. “The first few seconds won't hurt anything. Manuel, please get the presentation ready for our guest.” Manuel placed the card into a slotted device with a black half-sphere on its side. A holo-screen appeared next to the desk, buzzing and swirling about until a clear picture of a man's face came into view. Kevin Daniels was staring back at them, his face full of worry. “I haven't much time,” Kevin said. This was the first time Graham heard Kevin's voice clearly, not when he was muttering through gasps of breath, struggling to talk. There wasn't much that was unique about it, but yet it was intriguing to hear the man speak at last. “I'm getting very, very close to finding out what they're up to. You must listen to this closely, as this will be the last time I will communicate with you in this manner.” Zaharoff hit a button on the device and the image and audio froze. He raised his eyebrows and indicated the notebook in front of Graham. “Finish it and we'll continue the recording.” For a moment, Graham thought about pushing his luck further and demanding more of the recording, but he could tell from the firm look on the old man's face that it would do him no good now. Graham sighed and pulled out his pen, placing it in the middle of the C he had already drawn. He looked at the specter of the anxious Kevin Daniels, then back down at his drawing. Something told him a lot of things hung on his decision, perhaps things that weren't yet apparent to him. But he had already made up his mind back at Elizabeth's house. He knew what he was going to do. Slowly, he drew the symbol for infinity in the middle of the C. When his pen stopped to meet the other, making the loop complete, he felt as if a bit of energy left him. The

246 • Jonathan Faz paper seemed to stand up slightly, as static electricity did to the hairs on his arms. He put down the pen and tore off the piece of paper. “The rest of the video,” he said, keeping the piece of paper in his hands. Zaharoff shook his head. “I'm afraid my tolerance has been used up,” he said. “Give me the drawing. I will play the rest of the recording. You have my word.” Graham paused, thought once more very carefully about what he was about to do, and then nodded and handed the piece of paper to Zaharoff, who snatched it and stared avidly at it. Graham feared for a moment that the old man was going to turn on him on the spot—which wouldn't have surprised him too much—but Zaharoff folded the paper and grinned. “And now the rest. Manuel, please do the honors.” Manuel stepped forward and pressed the button on the projector device. The recording instantly continued. Graham turned to the unfrozen picture of Kevin Daniels. At last, he would find out if this lead would pay off or not. “I am being watched,” Kevin continued. “They know I'm getting closer and they're doing everything they can to stop me. That is one of the reasons I'm going dark. Another is that my source wishes to meet, but I cannot meet him on the record. He is one of the leading figures of the movement that call themselves the Nine Tails. Our commanding officers would obviously not approve of this collaboration, as the Nine Tails have been responsible for many breaches in security.” Graham remembered hearing about this Nine Tails group on the news. They had been falsely accused for derailing a train recently. “Yet it is of the utmost importance that I meet with this

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man. He has crucial information, something that may lead me straight to the Regus Foundation's headquarters itself. After I meet him, I will probably not be able to return back to work. You will be my eyes and ears in the LATC, now. “I know you will strongly disapprove of this, which is why I had to leave in such a hurry. I'll understand it if you no longer want to help me. Just, please, don't try to stop me. I know the Regus Foundation is up to something. “Until we speak again, I will make my journey to Viktun Square. Please be safe...” The video disappeared and Zaharoff turned to Graham with a keen eye. Graham tried his hardest not to show his disappointment, his feeling of being robbed of something. This conversation got him absolutely nowhere in finding help for Kevin Daniels. Sure, it was an interesting message, but as for who Kevin's partner was there was no clue at all. Zaharoff, however, seemed to think differently about the value of the recording. “I can see you do not fully appreciate the contents of this message,” he said. “I will enlighten you, then. The Nine Tails is a group named after the Japanese spirit called kitsune, or the Fox Spirit. “Specifically, the Nine Tails group was formed almost a year ago. This group of individuals are believed to be led by nine leaders, but this is merely rumor since not everyone is familiar with the folklore of foxes. The group, however, has one mission in mind. They want to unite everyone, they want to awaken all to the effects and dangers of the time fusion. Most of all, they want to work together to solve the time fusion problem.” “That's a stupid idea,” said Matt. “The LATC have been trying to keep the peace, to stop a panic. It sounds like the Nine Tails just want to create chaos.” “Indeed. However, there is no telling when the time

248 • Jonathan Faz fusion will be fixed, if it will ever be fixed at all. The Nine Tails believe we should stop trying to keep everything separate. Perhaps then we can find the true answer. And, even if it's not possible to fix it, everyone is united and can live normal lives.” Graham nodded, still not seeing the significance. Zaharoff continued. “Mister Daniels went dark because the LATC have been trying to quiet down the Nine Tails for a while. Why would he go through such lengths just to find the location of the Regus Foundation's headquarters?” “But the Foundation was defeated,” Graham countered. “Back in the Atomic War. Didn't you read that?” “Ah, yes,” replied Zaharoff, coolly. “They were indeed. However, I believe I am correct in stating that a member of this Foundation has been chasing you and Kevin Daniels ever since the middle of November. In fact, he chased you out of your own house.” “Katherine's fake father,” replied Graham. “I met him and another lady who claimed to be his wife two years ago. Debbie says that his name is Sydney.” “Indeed,” said Zaharoff. “Some members of the Foundation are still at large. And, you are forgetting that we are living in a time fused world now. I'm not quite sure if some of the leading members of the Foundation will phase into the Now or not, but theoretically they should at some point.” Still failing to see what Zaharoff was getting at, Graham nodded absently and slumped back in his chair. Zaharoff sighed and continued on. “The point being, of course, that Mister Daniels obviously suspects they are up to something sinister. Didn't you hear his last comment? He is trying to find their headquarters to put a stop to it. And I believe it is safe to say he actually found it.”

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Graham's mouth hung open. “You believe? What makes you say—” Then, his brain caught up with the story and something fell in place at last. “Hey, yeah! He was beaten and tortured when he came to my house. He—he had been captured by them! His note!” Graham turned to Debbie, excitement in his face. “Deb, his note at the library! It talked about some people being a distraction and that they wanted him to go on a trip with them back home. He must have meant that the Foundation was hunting him down and that they were close to capturing him!” Debbie frowned down at her cousin. “Are you sure?” “It's gotta be!” Graham's brain raced through the rest of the contents of the message. “He said to turn to a certain page in the book if he was on vacation. It's a clue! Whatever was in those few sentences he circled in the book was a clue to where he will be if he was captured—the Regus Foundation's headquarters!” Matt pondered for a second. “From what you told me about that paragraph he circled, I don't know how that could possibly tell someone all of that.” “I'm sure it does. We just have to think it through...” Zaharoff cleared his throat. “Your quest, then, leads you to Viktun Square. Perhaps something there will shine further light, possibly related to the Nine Tails. I'm afraid I have given you all the information I am willing to give you in exchange for this Chronoculus.” Graham's temper flared up at once. “So, you know more?!” Zaharoff grinned. “I will neither confirm nor deny that. However, I am prepared to further assist you, if you will accept it.” “How?” “Manuel will set up the Genux portal outside that will

250 • Jonathan Faz take you straight into Viktun Square. Unfortunately, from there you will be on your own. I am not prepared to expend further finances for you.” He got to his feet and Graham did the same. “Well, then,” Graham muttered. “Thank you for the information.” “No,” Zaharoff muttered, indicating the piece of paper with the Chronoculus drawing in it. “Thank you, Mister Sherwood. Good day to you all.” Manuel opened the door leading out of the room and gestured them through. Graham gave the paper in Zaharoff's hand a last fleeting look, then he turned and departed from the old man's presence... hopefully for good. Manuel led them to the entrance hall and out the front doors. Graham walked further ahead of everybody, stepping up beside Manuel. “What does he think we'll find at Viktun Square?” “How should I know?” Manuel replied. “Zaharoff doesn't share everything with me. Besides, we have given you your payment. You should be wary, lest you begin to owe Zaharoff something in return. Debt to Zaharoff is something you'd best avoid, young friend.” Graham nodded, realizing that he was being told to stop asking questions. Zaharoff was a business man, and a shady one at that. He had to agree with Manuel there—he didn't want to owe Zaharoff anything. They continued back to Debbie's car without further incident. Just before they re-entered the car, Manuel pointed to the right of the car and said, “Drive down that small dirt road. It'll lead you to Viktun Square. Good day. And I will be staying here to make sure you leave. If you do not—well, I can't really say.” They got into the car, Graham giving the manor one last

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look. It was a truly fascinating place. Still, he wished that he would never see it again. Something told him that if he did, it would definitely be a bad thing. Debbie wheeled the car around and drove down the dirt road. She kept her gaze half on the road ahead, half on the rear-view mirror, and Graham noticed that she was driving considerably fast. Soon, she sighed and muttered, “He's not following us. Looks like we're going to get out of here after all.” “Yeah.” Graham kept his eyes forward, searching for the outline of a Genux portal's machinery. “I'm not so sure about this Viktun Square thing,” Debbie went on. “I drove by it the other day. There was a warning sign just outside of it. I don't think just anybody is welcome inside that place.” “We've come this far, Deb. Maybe we'll find out one more crucial clue to Kevin Daniels' mystery. We have to try.” Debbie grimaced and looked ready to argue, but nodded reluctantly. “Fine.” At last, Graham spotted the unmistakable circular ring of a Genux portal. He braced himself as Debbie drove through it. There was a flash of light and the car was once again consumed with a mixture of different colors. Then, all was still.

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Chapter 17 Arrival at Viktun Square

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he mixed lights dissolved into a blur of gray sky and gray buildings. Drizzle once again began to fall, distorting the view of the outside. Graham squinted through the windows to try and get a better look of the area. There were skyscrapers in the distance, some so tall that they were consumed by the thick blanket of clouds. It appeared to be downtown Bracket City. Closer to the car's vicinity were other buildings, much shorter than the skyline and much, much older. The tallest building here was only about two stories. The car had appeared right in the middle of an empty and rather aged parking lot. The pavement was cracked and had many dips and holes spread out all over the place. Puddles of dirty water filled those holes, the rain causing numerous ripples on the surface. Viktun Square looked

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very industrial and consumed with technology. There were no trees or vegetation of any kind in view. “Now what?” Debbie turned to her cousin and waited for an answer as she hung onto the steering wheel with both hands. “Well, this place isn't that big,” Graham replied, glancing around. “We should walk around and get an idea of where Kevin may have met his contact.” Debbie didn't look too happy about this, but she tapped the gas petal and the car began to creep forward. She had to maneuver through the many potholes, but eventually she got the car out of the lot and onto a nearby street. There was absolutely no traffic, so she had the entire road to herself, free to drive as fast as she wanted—which at the moment was nothing above twenty miles-per-hour. Graham looked around but saw nothing that looked important. The place was very much deserted. He wondered why there would be a sign telling people to keep out if nobody actually lived in the place. Debbie came to a stop near a deserted street that was as gray and ruined as the parking lot they had just left. “Should we?” she asked, indicating the street. For a moment, Graham thought as he gave the area another glance. All of the buildings they had seen so far were boarded up or falling apart. The only things that looked remotely new were the bits of metal walls that had mixed in with the wood and bricks. Still, they all looked like they had been abandoned for ages. Where would this person from the Nine Tails want to meet in secret? In a place like Viktun Square, practically any building was well suited for that. And, yet... something wasn't right. “Yeah, sure. Turn here.” Debbie did as she was told,

254 • Jonathan Faz avoiding two potholes as she rounded the corner. “Keep your eyes open,” he told Matt, frowning. “Something might happen here.” Matt mumbled something and looked all around. “Why would something happen?” “I don't know. I just have a feeling.” The street was as abandoned as the rest of Viktun Square. The line of residential homes on both sides were vacant, with no cars or any type of vehicle to be seen. Even though it sure looked like they were alone, Graham couldn't shake that uneasy feeling... “A feeling?” Matt inquired. “A good feeling? A bad feeling?” “Kind of in the middle, actually.” Matt paused, then grunted. He seemed to relax somewhat. “That makes a lot of sense. Well, from what I see, the only danger around us will come from the sky—” Abruptly, the car lurched forward as a blur of something landed on the front hood. Debbie screamed and swerved, the sound of screeching tires mixing in with her voice. The car halted suddenly, but the thing on the hood did not seem to be affected by inertia. Graham's eyes focused on the hood to see what had hit them. It was a girl with dirty-blond hair that was braided in tails on both sides of her face. She wore a strange helmet that had wings on both sides. Her attire was a silvery colored dress that sparkled slightly despite the cloudy sky. Her boots were the same color and made of leather with dozens of laces criss-crossing the front. She also held a longsword in her hand and was pointing it straight at the windshield. “What brings you here?” she yelled. Instinctively, it seemed, Debbie put the car into reverse

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and gunned the engine. The girl kept her balance quite elegantly and reached back with her sword, yelling what seemed to be a battle cry. Suddenly, she plunged the sword into the car's hood. The metal split open as easy as butter and there was a loud bang followed by spluttering. The car jerked and came to a screeching halt. Graham stared at the girl on the hood, his mouth open. She had killed the engine with a mere stab of her sword and she made it look as easy as cutting a steak. She pulled the sword out and aimed it at the windshield again, smirking. “Get out of the car, fools. Now!” This time Debbie obeyed immediately, as did Matt and Graham. They piled out and kept their eyes on the girl, who hopped down from the hood. She kept her sword pointed at Debbie, yet she eyed Graham primarily. “Follow me,” she whispered. She led them down the street, in the very direction they were heading before she stopped them. As he followed her, Graham noticed that the wings on the girl's helmet seemed to move with each step, slowly flapping up and down. Now that he was up close, he also noticed that her sword looked inexplicably new and advanced. The middle of the blade was equipped with an extremely thin, black substance that went from the hilt to about two inches from the tip of the blade. The middle of the blade contained a circular, flat blue crystal. The hilt was lined with the black substance, a spherical blue crystal on two sides of the cylindrical handle. Whatever this girl was, she was unlike anything Graham had ever seen or read about. She had to be from the future... but who from the future would use a sword to fight with? The girl stopped at the end of the street, which was a dead end, and turned left, leading them through numerous

256 • Jonathan Faz trees and bushes. This was the first sign of something alive they had seen in Viktun Square. The three didn't dare veer from the path, for the girl kept her sword at the ready; often looking back at them to check if they were still following. They eventually came to a clearing where a two story structure stood propped up in the center. The structure was made of a smoky colored metal. It was like a large rectangle in shape with eight support beams near the upper-corners extending out and away from the building to the ground. The structure's ceiling was domed, one half of it like a reflective mirror. It wasn't the structure, however, that Graham and the others immediately noticed. They were looking, instead, at the people who were standing guard near the building. At least two more girls wearing the same silvery clothes as the first girl were there. One was carrying a sword similar to the girl's, the other was carrying a spear made of the same smoky metal as the building. The wings on their helmets wiggled and pointed straight up when they saw the approaching party. The rest of the group around the building consisted of some of the oddest people Graham had ever seen. One person was clearly from the year 5050 with his metal armor and futuristic gun, which was out of its holster and pointing straight at them. Still another person was dressed like a cowboy, his clothes wrinkled and dirty. And the rest, too, looked like they were from different time periods and locations. It reminded Graham very much of the mall he had visited so long ago where he had first noticed the time fusion. “Got somethin' for me, 'Lexis?” the cowboy drawled. “Coupla perpetrators, I gather.” “Probably,” the girl named “Lexis” said. “But I'm

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checking with the boss first. He said he was expecting someone.” “That was weeks ago, though,” the cowboy said. “Oh well, I s'pose it's better safe than sorry. If we need to shoot 'em, though, just holler!” “I'm perfectly capable of executing a prisoner,” the girl snapped. At these words, Matt made a gargling sound and nudged Graham anxiously. “Did you hear what she said?” “Quiet,” Graham admonished. “Don't panic. Just keep following her.” The girl led them to what was clearly the building's entrance. Her helmet's wings rose as she reached into her dress and pulled out a small object. She opened it and a miniature clock appeared as a hologram, gears grinding inside the device's structure visible through the top. Graham felt Debbie stiffen immediately. “It's that watch!” she hissed to him. “The one I saw William give that lady in the cafe. The one Manuel had back at the manor.” “I know...” Again, he heard an echo of Kevin Daniels. Follow the clocks... The entrance to the building swung open and the girl beckoned to them. They followed her inside, not sure of what to expect. As the door swung closed behind them, they stared around in shocked admiration at the intracity of the structure's interior. The ceiling was a dome, a spiral lining traveling around and around until it reached the top and middle of the concave. A holographic screen hung on nothing, tilted down towards the entrance. Large bold letters ran across it, saying: Reunite the world. Solve the problem. “Wow,” Graham breathed, his gaze dropping down to

258 • Jonathan Faz the floor. He saw a lot more strange people that seemed to be from different time periods, even some that looked like they were from his own time. “How many people are in this thing?” The girl didn't answer. She led them through the area towards a set of big doors directly in front of them. She opened them and led the group to a large hall and stairs. As they followed her up the stairs, Graham saw that this place looked ancient compared to the room they had just left. The smooth stone floor was lined with thick red carpet that traveled up each step, then down the rest of the hall. The ceiling was extremely tall even after they reached the top of the staircase. It was in an arch shape, spherical lights hanging from ropes every ten feet to keep the hall illuminated. As if the lights weren't enough, the stone walls held torches for extra lighting. At the end of the hall, there were three exits, one on the left, one on the right, and one in front. All of the doors were made of wood carved with flowing, swirling designs that made Graham think of water. “In here,” the girl said. She opened the door in front of the group and entered the next room. The first thing that caught Graham's eye was the circular table in the middle of the room made of cherry wood. It was large enough to seat at least ten people, all of whom Graham didn't recognize. Debbie, however, recognized at least two of them. She darted past the girl with the winged helmet, seemingly without realizing what she was doing. “William!” she cried. One of the men sitting at the table stood. Graham thought he was about five foot ten inches tall. He had dirty-blond hair and a sharp yet kind face. The man looked very young, maybe barely into his mid-twenties.

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His face broke into a warm smile. “I knew you'd come back to see me,” he said, winking. Suddenly Graham remembered where he had seen this person before. He was William Richter, the boy from the library who had been very friendly with Debbie and who had also told them about the library's procedures on recovering lost data. It had taken a moment for Graham to recognize him now. He was wearing pants, a shirt, and a coat of the same color; which was tan. He looked much more mature than he did in jeans and a normal T-shirt. “You're alive!” Debbie shouted happily. “I'm so glad! Thank you so much for saving me back at the cafe!” William nodded and turned to the group of people. “See? I am too a softy!” “William,” one of the other people at the round table grumbled. It was an older man with a long white beard. “That's enough.” “I agree,” another person said; this one a dark skinned woman with a jeweled tiara propped on her head. She gestured at Graham, Debbie, and Matt. “Don't you realize that these people are intruders?” “That's not what I meant,” the old man with the beard growled. “He's always showing off how he can get the young pretty ones! I hate it so much!” “It's a talent,” William boasted, turning back to Debbie, who was red in the face. “I have to say, I've never had a girl come all the way to my place to visit me, though. Especially since it's very well hidden. Alexis, what's going on here?” Alexis, the girl that had led them there, cleared her throat. “They entered Viktun Square, sire,” she said, bowing her head. “I know you said you were expecting a guest, but here I brought you three. So I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do.”

260 • Jonathan Faz William walked out from behind the table, his face suddenly hard. Graham felt the atmosphere change at once to serious. Dead serious. “They came in through Viktun Square? Are you sure?” “Positive, sire.” William rounded on Debbie and the others. His eyes showed just a slight sign of fear. “Why did you come here?” he asked quietly. Graham stepped forward, giving one questioning glance to his cousin. He remembered what she had said about trusting William and he wanted to see just how sure she was. She met his eyes and nodded firmly, knowing what he was thinking. He turned around to face William and took a deep breath. “We're trying to help Kevin Daniels.” William did not react. He merely stood there and kept his eyes firmly placed on Graham, unknown thoughts flowing through his mind. “Go on.” “He came to me a few weeks ago,” Graham went on. “Back in November. He was really messed up. I think he was tortured or something. He fell unconscious and we haven't been able to wake him up since. He's still alive, though, but we're trying to find him some help.” Again, it was impossible to see what William was thinking or if he, in fact, knew what Graham was talking about. He straightened up slowly, his gaze never leaving Graham's face. “Did he tell you anything before falling to sleep?” Graham hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “He told me the murders were connected,” he replied. “I found out what he meant by that. He was talking about the Tempus murders two years ago. You see, I was the one who stopped the Tempus Murderer. I guess he knew that.” “But you've never met Kevin Daniels before?”

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“I don't believe I have.” William pondered over this last bit for a few seconds. “Odd,” he said to himself. Then, he said to Graham, “Go on. Did he say anything else?” “Yeah. He told me to follow the clocks. He also told me to look at the library for something. More importantly, he told me not to call for help. I assume he meant his own LATC comrades.” “You assume a lot,” William muttered without much thought. His eyes darted away from Graham at at Alexis, and he asked a silent question. “But am I right?” Graham asked excitedly. “Is it because of that woman Adi? She's been chasing us ever since. She's even threatened us.” William shrugged. He kept his eyes focused on Alexis, who eventually nodded. He returned the gesture, looked back down at Graham, and spoke. “I don't know anyone else in the LATC other than Kevin Daniels,” he said. “So, you know him?!” “Yes,” William replied. “I know him. Kevin originally came to me for help. Since we are one of the LATC's concerns, to put it lightly, he couldn't involve them in this. I think that's why he didn't want you to go for help.” “Even at the expense of his life?” Debbie asked, shocked. “If I were dying, I'd want help no matter what.” “If what Graham here says is true, what he did was the smartest thing to do.” William looked at Debbie gravely. “You're a sitting duck in a hospital bed. He would be recaptured, or even killed. I think he would rather die than go back to being tortured for information.” “So what did Kevin want from you?” Graham inquired anxiously. “We've been trying to figure that out. Just what does the Regus Foundation want from him?”

262 • Jonathan Faz William looked at Graham thoughtfully. “Well, he wanted information about the Regus Foundation. But I've already answered one of your questions. Now answer one of mine. Why did you go to Viktun Square? Did you know we were here or was it just a guess?” Graham nodded. “We just found out,” he said. The entire room murmured. Most of the people sitting at the table looked shocked, some of them afraid. One or two gave Graham an incredulous, appraising stare. William was the only one who didn't react. “Is that so? From whom? Or did you merely stumble on our base at some point?” Graham paused for a moment. “We found out from a man,” he said finally. “A man named Sir Basil Zaharoff.” The cool, disbelieving eyes of the rest of the table's occupants widened. A small uproar occurred in the room, people talking left and right until they saw William take a step forward. They all quieted down at once. “Zaharoff?” he asked. “Yes,” Graham replied. “I don't know how he found out. But he told us what we needed to know to find you. He even opened a Genux portal to this location.” William turned swiftly to Alexis. “A Genux portal?” Now it was Alexis' turn to look shocked. Her wings fluttered downwards and her face fell. “I guess it's true. He has at least one of them.” William stood up straight and addressed the entire room. “Signal a complete evacuation of the premises,” he said swiftly. “Scramble! We'll meet at our air fortress.” Then he turned to Graham and the others as the people at the table got to their feet and dispersed. “Nobody is supposed to know our secret base's location,” he told them. “Kind of ruins the whole secret thing, if you know what I mean.”

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“Do you know Zaharoff?” “Yes. I know him too. But let's not sit here and chat. We can continue this later.” William glanced at his pocket watch, which illuminated his face with the blue light from the hologram. It made several lines on his forehead stand out, which made it clear that he was worried. “We have to get going. I wouldn't put it past Zaharoff to sell us out.” “He hasn't yet,” Matt pointed out, coming to the defense of his favorite historical figure. “He's had your location for a while now, but he hasn't told anybody except us about it.” “Did you give him something in return for that information?” Matt opened his mouth, closed it, then scrunched up his nose as if he smelled something disgusting. Graham felt his stomach tighten up. Yes, they had given Zaharoff payment for the information. Someone else could do the very same thing now that he had what he wanted. And, didn't Zaharoff say that he had another meeting after Graham's? William smiled grimly. “We leave. Now.” He and Alexis led the three out of the room and back through the vast stone hallway, Graham feeling an overwhelming sense of dread at something he wasn't entirely sure he knew about. At last they reached the outside of the facility, several off-road vehicles and flying cars were parked and ready for use. Graham wasn't sure where they had come from, as they hadn't seen any evidence of them before. “If you want, you can come with me,” William offered, his eyes falling on Debbie. “We can go and pick up Kevin Daniels. And we'll protect all of you for the time being.” “Sounds like the best plan I've ever heard,” replied Debbie, looking relieved for a change. “Graham?”

264 • Jonathan Faz It didn't even take him a second to agree with his cousin. “We'll show you where Kevin is.” All of them entered a car, which roared to life as Alexis turned the engine on. They flew high up into the air towards their destination and their mission: to help Kevin Daniels and revive him at last.

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Chapter 18 The Open Window

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f Graham thought that the city was a strange sight when they were driving through downtown, that was nothing compared to how surreal it was when looking down at it from hundreds of feet from the ground. The last time he had seen the city was when he was in the back seat of a police car, driven by Rakhon the boy robot. The car that they were riding in was red and had a sleek, aerodynamic design. There was no top to the car, allowing the wind to blow on everyone's faces. But Graham was more interested in learning as much as he could from William. “So, how do you know Zaharoff?” William gave Graham a sideways glance. “The Nine Tails tried to recruit him a while back. He was interested at first, so we naturally took him in. This was before we knew what kind of a person he is. We even gave him the means to be

266 • Jonathan Faz fully cognizant of the Now, something I regret to this day.” “Cognizant?” Matt asked. “What do you mean?” “I mean he knows about the time fusion and he can tell what's from the past, the future, and the present. He also doesn't phase out of the Now like other people do.” “You gave him that ability?” Graham leaned forward. “How?” William pulled out the small pocket watch with the holographic time display. The gears spun in a smooth motion as he activated it. “We found that the real reason people notice the time fusion after interaction is their ability to perceive their time as different. From their point of view, nothing has changed, but as soon as they interact with someone from the future, they notice all of the strange things in the Now. “The time fusion brought us all to 6:30 PM your time two years ago, however it was not that exact time for us when we left our own time periods. Still, to create the illusion of normality, the LATC had all clocks synchronized to your time, so within minutes of the time fusion, everyone knew it was 6:30 PM suddenly. There were a few incidents of panic because not everyone accepted this new time, but eventually everyone was as calm as sheep.” “Anyways, this pocket watch tells the correct time and date of the year 5050, but it can be reprogrammed to show the correct time for anybody's time period. Once someone has this in their possession, looks at it, and perceives that it's real, they have no problem breaking out of the Now's spell.” Graham was lost. He could tell from the look on Debbie's face that she was too. Alexis turned, seeming to notice their confusion. “It's better explained like this,” she said. “The modern-day theory of eternalism states that time

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isn't one constant, flowing thing, but that everyone has a perception of time, just as one perceives space... height, width, distance. You follow so far?” Graham nodded. William jumped in, adding, “Right. So, everyone has their own flow of time and they could theoretically move through time just like they can move through space. That said, the time fusion is sort of like an optical illusion. One person can perceive that there's a vase in a picture, but as soon as someone points out that it can also be a picture of two faces looking at each other, their viewpoint changes and they see more in the picture than before.” Debbie nodded with understanding. “I guess that makes sense. Zaharoff had a watch just like that, too.” However, Graham wasn't too interested in these discoveries. He was anxious to get back to Kevin Daniels. “So, what did Kevin want from you?” William suddenly turned very serious again. “The Regus Foundation is up to something,” he said. “Ever since the Tempus Murderer was defeated, they've been planning and hiding. One thing we and the LATC have in common is that we're enemies with them.” “What do you think they're up to?” Graham inquired. “Maybe trying to start this war again,” Matt said. All eyes turned to him and he withdrew, blushing slightly. “Well, it's almost like a second chance for them, isn't it? This time fusion, I mean. If I were them, I'd be trying to bring back this war issue, whatever it was about.” William looked surprised. “I think your friend is right,” he said with a mixture of admiration and grim foreboding. “The Atomic War must be the one thing on their minds. All I know is that they've been very quiet... very quiet until lately. Which is what Kevin Daniels wanted to know

268 • Jonathan Faz about.” “What have you heard?” Graham asked. “We've seen two of them,” William answered. “The woman seems to be the superior. But the man has been doing all the work. From what our spies have been able to gather, they are looking for someone... no, more like several people. People who might turn up in the time fusion's flux, maybe. Recently they've spoken of another one like Katherine Evans, the Tempus Murderer.” The air suddenly turned very chilly in the wind blowing through their hair. Graham's throat went dry and for a moment he couldn't speak. He coughed and forced his voice to utter the question he had to ask. “Another one like Katherine? I thought she would be the only one. Have you heard a name?” William, to Graham's mixed disappointment and relief, shook his head. “No, just that this person needs to be recruited or something when the time comes. It's all part of some big plan, but we haven't been able to find out what that plan is.” “Still... have you heard them say the name Eden Genesis anywhere? In relation to anything?” A frown appeared on William's face and he looked genuinely confused. “I've never heard that name before in my life.” Graham let out a sigh and nodded. “Okay, I just thought —never mind. What were you saying?” “Yes, well... through our espionage, we have found they have mentioned Katherine a lot for the past few weeks. Apparently, they were not too happy with her and they don't want to make the same mistake again.” “Not too happy?” Debbie asked incredulously. “She killed everybody they wanted her to, right? What have they

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got to complain about?” “Well, that's just it,” William said, leaning towards Debbie. “Correct me if I'm wrong, Graham, but she got killed inside some house, right? Well, we found out that she wasn't even supposed to be there. They hadn't ordered her to go there at all.” Graham felt a sudden jolt somewhere in his navel. “She went there on her own?” He recalled the night when he led everyone into Jack Rooster's house and their encounter with Katherine. She had wanted to confront Jack Rooster, true, but Jack Rooster had also warned Graham in advance that she was after Tera as well. Tera... That was the strangest part of the whole thing. Kevin had told him that each of the murders were connected, and through research at the library Graham had found that to be true. Each killing had a reason. Officer Mitchell, Officer Hemmingway, and even Rakhon had been killed in cold blood, but for a reason. But what reason was there to try and kill Tera? She didn't fit in with the rest of the victims. When Graham voiced this concern with everyone in the car, William merely shrugged. “Hell if I know,” he replied. “It's all very odd, though. In any event, that wasn't the only time they had a hard time controlling her. She had apparently done things on her own before that as well. “With this new plan, though, they are claiming that the experiment was much more of a success. Something about the subject being more open-minded. What's strange about it, though, is that Katherine seems to be the one who created this experiment. She gave them this weapon, or rather, she created it and they have recently discovered it.” “Any idea who or what it is?” Graham asked. “We haven't been able to find out that much,” answered

270 • Jonathan Faz William. “But, we did find out more about something else. There's one very important clue to their location. That's what Kevin, who was investigating all of this as well, came to us for. We managed to find a clue in their messages to each other because we had someone on the inside get recruited. Their base is somewhere in the city. It's quite ingenious, really. They're hiding right under the LATC's nose.” Graham was a bit disappointed. “That's all you found out?” Alexis seemed to grow several inches. “We are very good at what we do,” she answered simply. “Our spy died giving us the information we have now. Every recruit is rigged with a suicide device. The minute they give out a detail about their dealings with the Foundation, they are killed. We are indebted to her immensely!” “Oh—I'm sorry!” “We found that out after the fact, unfortunately,” William said quietly. “Tatiana was a brave soldier.” Graham fell silent and glanced back down at the city they were flying over. About a mile away he could see Alexandria Library and, beyond that, the familiar cathedral near Elizabeth's house. As they flew faster and faster, he heard the bells from the cathedral produce their loud notes, indicating that they had struck the top of the hour. The sound echoed through the city, a beacon that told Graham they were running out of time. “Where are we headed?” William asked, turning to Debbie. “We're nearing the city.” Debbie answered him, but Graham wasn't listening. Something had just clicked in his mind, but he wasn't sure what it was. It was trying to dig out into his consciousness, but either over-thinking or exhaustion over the past few

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weeks was causing his thoughts to become sluggish. The car zoomed further through the city's sky, not pausing for anything. William kept looking at his pocket watch and glancing around in the sky to see if they were spotted or followed. It was making Graham feel very uneasy. At last, Matt's apartment came into view down below and Matt yelled out, pointing at it. “There it is!” With a small jolt, they landed in the street in front of the apartment. Matt turned to Graham and asked, “What do you think? Should we go through the lift car or through the front door?” “You, me, and Debbie should go in through the front in case your dad's home,” Graham replied. “William and Alexis can wait outside the window with the lift car until we tell them the coast is clear.” William nodded. “Just give us a signal.” Graham, Debbie, and Matt set out towards the apartment. As they got nearer, Matt tapped Graham on the shoulder and pointed to a navy blue car somewhere down the street amongst the other parked vehicles. “Good thinking about coming in through the front,” he said. “I just spotted my dad's car. He's home.” They moved up the stairs into the apartment, Graham feeling a nervous excitement that they were nearing the end of this nightmare. When they reached the apartment door, however, they noticed it was slightly ajar. Matt's face suddenly lost a little color and he burst through the door, looking around wildly. Graham walked in behind him, also concerned. What if Sydney or Adi had caught up with them at last? But when his eyes took in the living room, Graham didn't see any wreckage or bodies. He merely saw Sarah

272 • Jonathan Faz sitting in the middle of the living room in her wheelchair. Elizabeth was behind her, lying sideways on the sofa. Both were sound asleep. “Sarah?” Matt said in a croaky voice. She awoke with a start and looked up at her brother, a dazed look on her face. “Oh, hey Matt,” she said. “You're back! How did it go?” There was a few seconds pause as Matt continued to stare at his sister, a look of sheer anxiety on his face. “Where's dad?” “Is your brother back?” The voice was that of Matt's father, Douglas. It was muffled and distant because it was coming from near Sarah's room. The same room that housed Kevin Daniels. Matt, Graham, and Debbie rushed forward, determined to stop the situation from spiraling further out of control. They had been exiled from Elizabeth's house. They could not afford to be on the run again, not when they were this close to fixing everything. Graham turned the corner and saw Douglas opening the door to Sarah's room. Before Graham could say anything, Debbie accidentally bumped him from behind and he lost balance. He stumbled forward and made a noise that was supposed to sound like “stop”. Still, it was enough to distract Douglas and cause him to look around to see what was going on. He looked down at Graham and frowned in confusion. “What's the matter with you three?” he asked. Now that he wasn't running, Graham could see that Douglas had a basket full of clothes—dirty clothes, no doubt. “Dad!” Matt bellowed. “It's okay! I'll get Sarah's clothes. You've been doing too much around here!” Douglas stared at his son, the look of confusion and

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incredulity on his face. “But, I'm already right here,” he said simply. “Thank you for the offer, though. I'll take you up on it next time.” “Dad, no!” Douglas grimaced, opened the door, and turned into Sarah's room. He disappeared around the corner and continued to speak. “You're acting very strange, son. If I didn't know better, I'd say you—” And then, a horrible silence followed. Matt looked close to tears. Sarah, too, had wheeled in behind them, her eyes wide with terror. Elizabeth followed her, still somewhat dazed from waking up so suddenly. Graham was already trying to think of the best way to try and explain it, but nothing that sounded reasonably plausible came to mind. They would have to make a run for it... but how could they leave Kevin behind when help was just right outside? Douglas's voice rang out through the open door. “What is this?!” Matt closed his eyes slowly and gulped. “What is what?” he asked feebly. “Get in here. Now!” His legs stiff, Matt slowly took a few steps forward to enter Sarah's room. The rest followed him, all of them knowing they were walking forward to their doom. Matt stopped cold and his face went white as snow, his mouth drooping open stupidly. Graham came up next and looked inside, first at Douglas, then at what he was pointing at. A tingling feeling flew down his spine, then to the rest of his body. “I've never seen such a mess!” Douglas yelled. “Sheets and clothes all over the floor! And the window was left wide open!”

274 • Jonathan Faz Graham stared with his mouth slightly opened, like his friend Matt's. There were indeed sheets and clothes on the floor near where Kevin Daniels should have been. But there was nobody in the room, nobody in sight at all. The cold wind from outside blew Graham's hair slightly as it came in from the open window. Matt looked at the sheets, the window, his father, and back again. He grunted and mumbled something absentmindedly, then looked at Graham and repeated. “You're supposed to help Sarah keep her clothes neat and clean,” Douglas went on. “Please do that right now! I'll take these.” He left the room with Sarah's dirty clothes, leaving Graham and the others to stare dumbfounded at the empty room. “He's gone!” Matt said once he heard the apartment door close shut. Graham nodded and tried to close his mouth, but failed. “Yeah.” “When was the last time you saw him?” Debbie asked Sarah. “Do you remember?” Sarah still looked close to tears. “This morning just a little after you all left. I had to leave the room because dad kept insisting I get out and get some fresh air. Elizabeth tried to talk him into letting us stay in the room, but he wouldn't budge. Then I fell asleep in the living room with Lizzy because nothing was on TV.” She whimpered. “But I closed the door! I'm sorry, this is my fault! I should've stayed inside.” “You couldn't help it,” Debbie assured her. “If you did that, he would've suspected something and gone into the room anyways.” Graham said nothing. He walked to the window and peered out. He could see William and Alexis below near the

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lift car, which was parked on the ground. Had Kevin Daniels used the car to escape? “Hey!” Graham called out to the two below hoarsely. “Do you see anyone down there?” William glanced around while Alexis patrolled a place outside of Graham's line of sight. “No,” William replied at last when Alexis returned. “What's going on?” His throat dried even further. So close... and it had all fallen apart. “Send the car up and I'll explain.” Graham and Debbie waited until the lift car reached the window. Graham turned to Matt and Sarah. “We'll be back up. Tell your dad we went outside for something.” Together, he, Debbie, and Elizabeth mounted the car and descended to William and Alexis. “Kevin is gone,” Graham told William bluntly. “It looks like he left out of the window with the lift car. Now, are you sure you didn't see anyone around here?” Alexis seemed to growl, apparently taking offense to this. “I double checked. My eyes are keener than yours and—” “We're sure,” William cut in, giving her a stern look. “Do you think he was taken or he left of his own accord?” Graham shook his head. “I don't know. It doesn't look like there was a struggle, but then again, there wouldn't be if he was still asleep and someone dragged him off. But, I think he left on his own.” He pointed at the lift car they had just ridden, which hovered a few inches off the ground. “We left the car at the top where Matt's window is. When you got here, though, it was on the ground, right?” “Yes. Maybe they forced their way in through the front door?” “Nope,” Graham replied, shaking his head again. “The living room was occupied. But—” His mind flashed the image of the slightly opened door and he turned to

276 • Jonathan Faz Elizabeth in a rush. “How long were you two asleep?” “Sarah napped for a good long while,” replied Elizabeth, rubbing her eyes. “I only went to sleep a few minutes before I heard you all crashing in. I know because I saw Matt's dad come inside.” “Did he leave the door open?” Graham asked. “It doesn't seem like him to do that, considering how protective he is of Sarah.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I don't know.” “So there's a chance someone got to Kevin first,” William said in a toneless voice. “But how could they?” Graham inquired. “It's too perfect that someone would sneak in through the front door between the time Elizabeth fell asleep and Matt's dad left the house.” “Maybe Kevin originally tried to leave through the front door, but saw Matt's father coming back?” Debbie offered. “Remember, Douglas was already there when we showed up and he hadn't taken Sarah's clothes yet.” “Then he used the lift car to escape instead,” Graham finished her thought, looking at William. “That could also be what happened.” William took one last look around, then whispered something to Alexis. “Come with us,” he said suddenly to Graham and the others. “I don't think we're safe out in the open like this.” He led them back to the car they had arrived in and they reentered it. “Where are we going now?” Graham asked, feeling like it was foolish to leave the scene so quickly. Maybe there was still evidence in Sarah's room that would either confirm or deny their theories. Maybe Kevin was still somewhere in the vicinity, as well. “Away from here,” was William's reply.

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And that's when everything went even more wrong. A loud siren screamed out from all sides and it seemed to pierce Graham all the way through. He whirled around, his eyes scanning frantically for the source of the sound. Behind the corner, a white and black car with the letters LATC printed in gold on the door swerved the corner. Another followed it from behind and yet another appeared on the other side of the street. William pulled a lever in the car and then raised his hands high up into the air in a fluid, fast motion. Graham saw that Alexis' hands were already in the air as well. He, Debbie, and Elizabeth followed their lead. The nearest LATC car's door swung upwards, revealing a familiar thin woman with brown hair and a slight over-bight. Graham felt his stomach descend and tighten ever more. Adi pulled out a contraption that looked like the silver pipe crazy old Jack Rooster had used two years ago; only this contraption had a complicated mechanism in the back of it, a handle, and a trigger. Something told Graham that if Jack Rooster's weapon had been able to sting and burn, this one would do much, much worse. Smirking widely, Adi walked up to the drivers side of the car, pointing the weapon straight at William's head. Debbie gasped and her eyes widened at the sight. “So,” Adi said in a deadly yet quiet voice. “One lead, three catches. How lucky for me.” She sneered and her eyes landed on Elizabeth. “But I suppose scum attracts scum. Still, I had no idea that when I caught a runaway that I'd also bag the potential kidnappers of an LATC officer, a leader of the Nine Tails, and—” Her gaze shifted to Graham and hatred sprouted in her eyes. “—a long time friend.” “We didn't kidnap anybody,” Elizabeth retorted,

278 • Jonathan Faz crossing her arms. “Your mother believes differently,” Adi answered her. “Quite frankly, I believe her account of what happened, even if she has changed her story.” “Changed her story?” “Never mind that.” Adi turned to William and, quite unexpectedly, slammed the bunt of her weapon on his head. He fell back and groaned. “Arrest this man,” she commanded her fellow officers, who had all exited their vehicles. “Arrest all of them. They are part of the Nine Tails rebellion and are trying to sabotage us by kidnapping former Chief Officer Kevin Daniels.” Enraged, Debbie stood up in the car. “You're ridiculous!” she fumed. “That's a complete lie! And why did you have to hit him?!” Adi shifted her aim at Debbie. “Add resisting arrest to that list,” she muttered with a smirk. “Don't get yourself into more trouble than you're already in.” “Sit down, Deb,” William said quietly, turning to Adi with pure malice on his face. “We don't sink to their level.” “But she hit you—” “Please, sit down.” Debbie slumped backwards, keeping her angry gaze on Adi, a small tear forming on the corner of her left eye. Adi laughed maniacally. “You're going to have to get back up anyways,” she said, caressing her weapon. “Unless you like being shot at for failing to comply with an officer.” William looked up at Adi with a curiously blank face, though his forehead was bleeding. “Sure, we'll get up,” he told her. “We'll get way, way up.” Then, before anybody could fully comprehend what he had just said, there was a violent rumble and a roar of rushing air from all sides of the car. Graham almost hit his

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face as he slid forward. He could see Adi and some of the nearby officers stagger backwards, Adi the only one falling flat on her bottom. The car rocketed high into the sky so quickly that Graham felt his organs dip low in his body in protest to the sudden motion. He could not breathe and he closed his eyes against the beating wind from all sides. All he could hear was air being forced to make room for the wide vehicle and Debbie and Elizabeth's screaming, which sounded as though they were far away. They slowed down to a halt in mid-air, hovering several hundred feet from the ground. Graham took in a lungful of air and looked down, only to see several tiny figures scrambling down below. “Whoa,” was all he could manage as he panted. William did not reply. Instead, he slammed his foot hard onto the accelerator and the car launched forward. Graham kept a firm grip on the door, making sure to slip on his seat belt as they drove in a straight line for the moment. They flew through several layers of clouds, every once in a while doing a series of seemingly random movements. At times they gained altitude, at times they dipped down towards the ground. Sometimes William would turn further west, and other times he turned the opposite way. Eventually, William straightened the car's path and slowed down, giving Alexis a questioning look. “They lost us nine minutes ago in the clouds,” she told him. How she could sound so sure, Graham didn't know, but he didn't argue. “That was close.” “I wonder if they'll question Matt and his family,” Debbie said, sounding worried. “We should check in with them once we get somewhere safe.”

280 • Jonathan Faz “And where would that be?” demanded Elizabeth, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “We can't stay at my house, your house, Grahams, or Matt's place. Where else is there?” “It is time to hide in an obvious place, somewhere you would be found,” said Alexis. “I don't believe they will think along those lines.” “Can we really take that chance, though?” Graham countered. “Alexis has been right about these things before,” William replied. “I don't mind lending her to you to keep watch, though. As you've been able to see, she's quite good at seeing things.” Graham turned to Debbie and looked her straight in the eye. It was really a decision between their two houses, then. Would they go back to Graham's house, where they had been discovered once, or go to Debbie's residence, where Sydney knew she lived? They both made a tacit agreement and turned to William in unison. “Take us to the edge of the next town,” Graham told William, leaning forward. “Debbie will show you the way. We're going to her house.”

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Chapter 19 A Shift in the Wind

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ncle Jim and Aunt Felicia's house looked oddly ancient as the car lowered to the ground and landed gently on the pavement. Graham attempted to exit the car, but Alexis held him back with her arm. “No,” she said, coldly. “Let me, first.” It made Graham feel a little bit safer knowing she was taking her new role as their lookout seriously. She got out of the vehicle and scanned the area with her eyes. She did a full turnaround at least three times, then she took off running down the street one way and disappeared behind some bushes. “What is she doing?” Graham asked into the silence. “Valkyrie scan,” William answered, leaving Graham just as clueless as before he asked the question. There was a blur of movement from behind the car and

282 • Jonathan Faz Graham jumped in surprise to see Alexis peer into the window. “All clear,” she said, not the slightest bit out of breath. Graham stepped out of the car and took a look around himself at the dimly lit sky. He could hardly believe that it was already late afternoon. There were some dark clouds north of his location, giving the unmistakable air of a storm. He sighed, slouching just a little bit. He was exhausted and, frankly, defeated. He had spent so much time trying to figure out who Kevin Daniels was and how to help him, and yet he hadn't even been there when the man woke up. It was with low spirits that he walked up the familiar front porch of his cousin's house. Debbie seemed to be glum as well as she knocked gently on the door. Aunt Felicia was the one who opened up. When she saw her daughter and Graham, she at once gave a cry of delight and sprinted out door immediately, giving Debbie a tight squeeze. “We were so worried!” she cried. “Melissa Michaels kept calling us wanting to know if we had seen you or your friend Elizabeth. She told us such terrible things.” “We're fine,” Debbie assured her. “All of us. We even have Elizabeth here with us.” Felicia let go of her daughter quickly, her eyes falling upon Elizabeth, who stood with her arms crossed, her eyes staring intently at nothing at all. “We should call the police,” said Aunt Felicia. “I kept telling Melissa there was a simple explanation for everything. We'll have this all fixed up very quickly.” “The thing is,” Graham said, stepping forward as Aunt Felicia smiled warmly at him. “There isn't a simple explanation for everything. It's actually very, very

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complicated. And it's something that the police shouldn't know, at least for now.” The warm smile faded and Felicia gave her daughter a “what is going on” look. “Why not?” “Because we just finished running from them,” Debbie explained. She reached back and pulled at William's arm. He staggered forward, blushing at being unexpectedly in the spotlight. “See his forehead? The police did that and he didn't even do anything wrong. He was just helping us out.” William swallowed and tried to look tough. “It didn't hurt,” he said, wiping the blood from his forehead. “Oh dear.” Felicia's face broke into a grimace. “What is going on? Seriously?” “We can explain, but it'll take time,” Graham told her. “In the meantime, can we please come in? I don't feel safe out here.” Felicia jumped and looked genuinely sorry. “Oh, come in! I forgot.” It was strange to Graham how a place he had visited two years ago could look so different and yet bring back so many memories. The Holo-TV 3000 set was still sitting in the same place that they had originally placed it, but his aunt and uncle had apparently decided to move the sofa over to the opposite side of the room. They had also purchased a recliner, which sat in the spot the sofa had been. The room was also decorated a bit differently as well. Graham blinked and could hardly believe that this was the place he had discovered everything. “Looks different,” he commented. “I mean, it looks nice. But wow, different.” “Thank you,” replied Aunt Felicia, sitting in the recliner as the three of them walked to the sofa, William and Alexis standing at Debbie's side. “By the way, Debbie, Tera's been

284 • Jonathan Faz calling non-stop. She said your phone is probably off.” Debbie shook her head. “I don't think I ever unpacked it,” she said. “After we left Liz's house, that is.” “Yes,” Felicia said, peering at her daughter closely. “Let's get back to that. Why is there a new bulletin out saying Elizabeth has run away with some strange man?” “Well,” Graham said, cutting off Debbie, who was leaning forward as if she was going to explain everything. “Aunt Felicia, do you remember what happened two years ago?” Felicia's face went pale and she grimaced. “I was afraid you'd say something like that.” Taking this to mean yes, Graham went on. “Okay, well, this has everything to do with that.” He explained how Katherine's impostor father had showed up at his doorstep after investigating Jack Rooster's house across the street and how they had to flee. “Why would he do that?” Felicia asked. “Did he know where you lived? Did he see you outside?” “Actually, he knew someone was there,” replied Debbie. “Tell her, Graham.” Graham nodded. “A man showed up at my house the night before,” he explained. “He was badly hurt, even tortured. I didn't know who he was, but he told me not to get help for him, in so many words. I think he knew people were out to get him. “Anyways, Katherine's father was there for him. I think he was the one who tortured him, or at least the one who ordered it.” Felicia's face grew even more snow white. “Oh dear...” “We've been on the run ever since. We knew that Katherine knew where you lived, so we decided to stay at Elizabeth's house for a while, since she had moved. But,

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then Liz's mom saw the man in her room—still unconscious, mind you—and we didn't have time to explain. So we left.” “Why don't you just go to the police with this?” pleaded Felicia. “Debbie, I thought you would be the first to suggest this. It's common sense!” “I did suggest it,” Debbie retorted defensively. “But everything's really messed up, mom. Somebody in the police seems to be corrupt. Remember I told you about William's wound?” She pointed at William's head, which was still marked with a little bit of blood. “The same person from the police who hit him for no reason is also the person looking for the man.” “The man's name, incidentally, is Kevin Daniels. Have you ever heard of him before, Aunt Felicia?” Felicia shook her head, then stopped abruptly. “Well, now that you mention it, I do remember a name like that... I think it was two years ago, when that boy beat you up in our front lawn.” It took Graham a second to realize what Felicia was referring to. Then, he recalled when Tera's former friend, Tim Truman, and his brother had showed up at the house to give him a good beating. He wasn't sure how on earth he could've forgotten, since that was also the first time his Chronoculus had shown its powers. “Kevin was there?!” “No,” Felicia frowned as she pondered. “I don't think so, but I remember some of the officers talking about someone named Kevin who was the Chief.” “Well, that's him,” Graham told her. “Kevin Daniels is the former chief, though. He's been replaced. “Anyways, we had to leave Elizabeth's house and stay at my friend Matt's house for a while. Today we had to go... somewhere, but when we got back, we found Kevin had

286 • Jonathan Faz gone.” “Or was taken,” Debbie added. “Which I don't believe happened, but anything is possible. So, to sum it all up, the police arrived and chased us off again.” Felicia's eyes darted towards William. “And where do these two come in?” “They're Kevin's friends,” Graham replied, simplifying the story. “They helped us escape.” “Thank you,” Felicia told them, smiling. “For helping my daughter and my nephew.” William took a step forward. “You're quite welcome. Now, I'm sorry, but I have to go and make sure the others weren't followed like we were. Alexis, you stay and keep a look out.” Alexis nodded and walked outside. William bowed to everybody, winked at Debbie boyishly, and departed. Debbie turned to her mother with a look that was halfannoyed, half-embarrassed. “Alexis is supposed to be really good at watching things,” Graham said, glancing outside the window. “Now that we have her protecting us, I think it'll be safe to stay here for now. I'm gonna call Matt to make sure they weren't caught up in this.” “And I'll call Tera,” Debbie added, getting to her feet. “Elizabeth, honey,” Felicia said, a frown returning to her face. “What's the matter?” Graham looked at her and saw that she looked quite blank and stony, but he could've sworn that a dark look had been there just seconds before he looked. “Nothing,” she said. “I'll just sit here by myself.” They all stared at her. “Liz,” said Debbie. “You haven't been yourself for a while, now. What's going on?”

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“Oh, I don't know,” Elizabeth said in a sarcastic tone. “I guess it's the fact that can't go back home, not ever, because my stupid mother found everything out and nobody seems to give a damn!” Her face turned red and angry tears formed in her eyes. “You don't care, though. You're already home, aren't you?” There was a long pause. “Liz, I do care,” Debbie said. “But we can't do anything about it now—” “Why the hell not?!” Elizabeth stood up. Graham followed suit and backed away. Elizabeth walked to Debbie and stood only inches from her, her face almost boring into Debbie's. “Kevin is gone, that's it! I want to go home! All of you have had your fun, you've used me and my house already. Why should I stay here?!” Debbie tried to form words, but her voice failed her. She took a step back, but Elizabeth stepped forward. “You're so selfish! Now that you're home with mommy and daddy, let's all forget that Elizabeth has no home anymore!” “I'm not saying that,” Debbie mumbled softly. “Then why are you calling Tera first instead of calling my mom? Huh?!” Debbie blinked and shook her head. “I'm sorry. I didn't think—but—” “Didn't think about me? No surprise there! CALL HER! NOW!!!” The last sentence was so loud and angry that Felicia got to her feet too and moved forward, prepared to separate the two girls if she had to. Graham was shocked at the sudden outburst, yet he could tell that this had been building up for some time. “Liz...” One tear fell down Debbie's left cheek. “I—I can't. Not yet. It's too dangerous.” Elizabeth looked ready to hit Debbie. There was a

288 • Jonathan Faz moment of electrified silence as she glared at her. Finally, thankfully, she backed off of Debbie and looked to the ground. “I'm sick of all of you,” she muttered. “I'll call my mom myself. Thanks for nothing.” She ran up the stairs and disappeared from view, leaving a chilled silence behind. Debbie left the room without a word to either Graham or her mother. Aunt Felicia followed her. Graham could tell that what Elizabeth had said had hurt her, hurt her deeply. Debbie was normally the type to run after someone and try to talk to them more after an outburst—it was one of the things that made her both great and slightly annoying. But she didn't even try to go upstairs after Elizabeth. Graham had the insurmountable feeling that a lot of damage had just been done in a few seconds with a few careless words. He also couldn't help feeling that part of it was his fault. It was strange how seeing his cousin and Elizabeth fighting seemed to be something obscene, like watching his parents fight; feeling that dread that things would not go back to normal afterwards. He didn't know how long he stood there and stared at the kitchen door. In fact, he was still there even when Aunt Felicia exited the kitchen to head upstairs. At last, he shook off the shock and walked upstairs himself to Debbie's room. Her room was much the same as it had been two years ago. The paint job still clashed with his tastes, but it gave him a warm feeling that was a welcomed change from the chilly atmosphere that was downstairs. He found her cordless phone and dialed Matt's number. His friend's answer was a big relief. “Matt you're okay, right?” Graham said anxiously. “Adi and the LATC surrounded us while we talked to William. We had to leave

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in a hurry.” “All of them took off after you and never came back,” Matt replied. “You guys got away, I take it?” “Yeah we're at Debbie's house now. William offered to let us have Alexis for protection. She's outside now guarding the area as we speak.” “Well, Sarah's still blaming herself,” Matt said solemnly. “I wish she wouldn't. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't Elizabeth's either.” Graham paused and didn't speak. He wasn't sure if he should bring up Elizabeth's outburst or not. Soon, however, Matt left him no choice. “How is Elizabeth, anyways?” he asked. “She's, uh...” There was really no reason to keep the information from Matt, he decided. Besides, Matt was so far very good at coming up with ideas that Graham hadn't thought of. “To tell you the truth, she's kind of mad at everyone right now.” “What?” Graham told him everything, about how Elizabeth had yelled at Debbie and about what she said before she left: I'm sick of all of you. When Graham was finished, Matt immediately had an answer. “Graham, you have to talk to her. Calm her down, just be there for her, man.” Graham didn't really think this was a good idea. He would appreciate someone yelling in his face about as much as Debbie would, he expected, and yet he wasn't nearly as good a friend to Elizabeth as she was. “Are you sure?” “She feels forgotten, left out.” “But that's not our fault,” Graham protested. “Seriously, does she expect us to pay more attention to her than to a tortured, unconscious man who needs our help?”

290 • Jonathan Faz “Did any of you thank her for letting you use her house while she lied to her family? Did anybody apologize for getting her kicked out?” Graham tried to think, but nothing came to him. “I don't remember.” “Chances are you didn't.” Matt said. “Graham, she's a really good person, I know it. Just go to her and apologize. Make her feel better.” Graham came very close to pointing out the fact that Matt fancied Elizabeth a little bit, but he refrained with great self-control. “I'll see what I can do.” He hung up the phone, and as he did so, a sudden thought occurred to him. I am sick of all of you. The words seemed to echo in her ears as she hung up the phone on Tera, who was on her way straight to their house. Tera knew something was going on even though Debbie had refused to talk about it. She supposed her voice sounded toneless and cold. Debbie felt another wave of negative emotions: anger and sadness, guilt and resentment, all mixed up deep inside her; one struggling against the other in the battle to engulf her entirely. On one end she felt sad about what Elizabeth had said to her and she felt guilt at not realizing that she, her best friend, would feel the way she did. On the other hand, she was furious that Elizabeth had been so mean about it. This, of course, led her back to guilt about the whole thing. It obviously had bothered Elizabeth for a long time and she hadn't noticed it. Sure, Elizabeth had become a moody, sarcastic person as of late, but she had no idea it was escalating into an angry outburst like this.

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The one emotion that Debbie was sure she was feeling was misery. She wanted to go to bed and sleep until she felt better. She was glad that they had found William because, as annoyingly boyish as he got, he was the one person outside her circle of friends that she trusted. This was because he had saved her life—almost at the cost of his own. She didn't know Alexis, sure, but if William trusted her, Debbie trusted her. Debbie walked up the stairs slowly, keeping her eyes peeled to see if Elizabeth was in the hallway. She entered her room to find Graham just staring into space with the phone in his hand. A horrible sensation filled Debbie, that of fear and the all too familiar dread. “Are Matt and Sarah okay?” she asked anxiously. Graham blinked and looked up at his cousin, a little startled. “Huh? Oh, yes. They're fine. Adi and the LATC didn't go back for them.” Letting out a sigh of relief, Debbie dragged herself over to her bed and fell onto her back, letting the soft cushion sooth her tense body. “Thank goodness.” She closed her eyes and tried to think about something else; something that didn't involve running from Sydney or Adi, something that wasn't in any way related to Kevin Daniels, and definitely something that didn't involve Elizabeth. Deciding to think about William and the Nine Tails, she remembered the glorious hideout they had made for themselves in Viktun Square. It had been almost like a palace. It was strange how they, although from completely different time periods, were working together to fix everything and to stop bad things from happening, and yet the LATC feared them so much. To a point, she could see the validity of the LATC's stance. After all, it had been a danger and possibly a

292 • Jonathan Faz mistake to awaken Zaharoff to the time fusion. What if the Nine Tails had recruited Hitler or Napoleon? And what other untrustworthy men had appeared in future history before the year 5050? Still, Debbie knew that special circumstances call for special action, and the Nine Tails seemed to be doing a good job of choosing their allies carefully so far. The very fact that William had risked his own life to let Debbie escape with hers told her that they were sincere, but she wasn't so sure about the LATC anymore. Rakhon was sincere, she knew that, but that was two years ago. Had the LATC changed since then? She sighed again. Thinking about this wasn't making her feel any better. She opened her eyes and noticed that Graham was still standing in her room. He was looking down the hall towards the guest room unblinkingly. “What's wrong, Graham?” Graham turned to Debbie and she could see through his eyes that he was in deep thought about something, something that both concerned him and confused him. “I have to talk to Alexis,” he muttered. “Why?” Graham swallowed and looked back down the hallway. “I just want to ask her something. I'll be back.” And he was gone. Debbie stared after him, momentarily distracted from her misery. He was acting very, very strange and she didn't like it. Not one bit. Her mother appeared at the doorway from the direction Graham had left. She looked at Debbie with concern on her face. “You okay?” “No,” Debbie replied frankly. “I'm going to sleep now.” “But it's so early,” Felicia said. “Debbie, it's never good to do this. There's an old saying: Never let the sun set when

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there is still a quarrel you have with a friend. You need to patch things up with Elizabeth right away. Letting it go on just makes things worse.” “Patch things up with her? She was the one who yelled —” “I know, but it's up to you to correct things. Right now she's going to let it go on and probably rip her apart inside. You can't let years of friendship go away like that.” Debbie said nothing. She knew her mom was right and she hated it. She didn't want to see Elizabeth's face—that stupid, long face of hers. Why was it up to her to fix things? The way she saw it, Elizabeth was the one who had to patch things up. “Your father will be here soon,” Felicia went on. “He's excited that you all have come back home. Why don't you and Elizabeth help me make dinner?” “But, mom—” “We'll ask her, but if she doesn't want to, we can't force her to. How's that sound?” Debbie grumbled and stayed silent. She wanted to be alone more than anything right now. But, her mother took her silence to mean yes, apparently, because she clapped her hands. “Good,” she said. “I'll go get her.” It was like feeling water boil in the pit of her stomach. Debbie didn't feel as if she could ever see Elizabeth the same way again. No longer was Elizabeth her best friend— she was a spoiled, inconsiderate girl who only thought about herself. And she hated Debbie when, before, she used to love her. She could hear her mother talking to Elizabeth, the voice carrying from the hallway. “Are you hungry? Yes? Well, Debbie and I are going to be making some dinner. We would like you to help us, if you feel like it.”

294 • Jonathan Faz To Debbie's surprise, Felicia continued on, “Good. Come on, now. What do you feel like eating?” Elizabeth walked up to the door, a completely blank expression on her face as she looked at Debbie. Debbie couldn't read her friend's emotions through the eyes like she could with her cousin, so she couldn't tell if she was still angry or was feeling a little sorry for what happened. “That's it,” Felicia said, standing behind Elizabeth and looking in at Debbie. “Come on, now, Debbie. We're going to make dinner.” Debbie followed them grudgingly. The one thing she was certain about is that she would not be forgiving Elizabeth any time soon. The storm was approaching. The dark clouds were now over the house and the neighborhood. It was extremely gloomy and cold, occasional gusts of wind causing goosebumps to run down Graham's arms. He could tell it was probably going to rain soon. He'd better get his question over with. The problem was, he couldn't spot Alexis anywhere at all. Had she ditched them? Was it a mistake to trust William after all? “Hello?” he called out. “Alexis?” “You best stay indoors,” he heard a female's voice say from somewhere behind him. He whirled around and looked around frantically, but he saw nobody. Yet he knew it was Alexis's voice that had spoken. “Where are you?” “Look up.” Graham did so and saw, to his enormous bewilderment, a stone weather-vane perched on the edge of the house's roof. It was of a woman's upper body, shoulders, arms,

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neck, and head. Everything below that looked like a fish's body. She had a winged helmet on her head, pig-tails coming out from under the helmet and hanging down on each side of her head, covering her naked chest. Her right arm was extended and she was pointing straight ahead, the direction that the wind was apparently going. It looked like it was made of stone, yet it resembled Alexis very much. And, as Graham heard her voice speak again, he was sure that it was coming from the weathervane. “Surprised?” “You're a shape shifter?” Graham couldn't believe it. From what he had heard, since the Tempus Murderer may have used the technology to hide herself, it was still highly experimental. “Hardly,” Alexis replied, her lips moving somehow despite being hard stone. “I'm a Valkyrie warrior from the year 3016, quite a ways ahead of your time. All of us can turn to stone at will, and then change our appearance after that. It is quite useful for spying and keeping a look out. However, it is very difficult... and painful.” “A Valkyrie? But, those are myths.” “The old kind, yes. But with the Great Dividing of 3016, we rose to defend ourselves and ended up with the name 'Valkyrie'.” “The Great Dividing?” “The year 5050 does portray the future to be prosperous and good, doesn't it? Well, don't believe that it is. The future is indeed bloody and violent as much as it is peaceful and progressive. Just like its counterpart, the past. The Great Dividing was a very violent time which I will not speak of now. Much more bloody than the Atomic War, I think.” Graham stared at her in wonder, curious to know more

296 • Jonathan Faz about this time, but he had to force his thoughts to the task at hand. “Alexis,” he started. “Were you the one who learned all that stuff about the Regus Foundation and Katherine?” The face remained stony. “You flatter me with your assumption that I alone could pull that off. No, I had help from two other Valkyries. But I got a good chunk of it.” The words echoed in his mind as though he had just heard them a few seconds ago: No, just that this person needs to be recruited or something when the time comes. It's all part of some big plan, but we haven't been able to find out what that plan is. “Do you have any idea why Katherine went astray? Why she ended up doing some things on her own?” Alexis did not reply at once. She seemed to be appraising Graham with her stone eyes. “I cannot say that for sure, no.” “Did she ever mention Eden Genesis? Or maybe a sister?” The question was strange, Graham knew that. But he remembered very clearly the time when Jack Rooster was trying to talk some sense into his daughter. “I don't care anymore,” Katherine replied. “I've spent all this time planning this moment. The moment when I kill you. I'll enjoy it. I, like my sister, seek my father for vengeance.” But she had no sister, Graham knew that much. Yet, he also knew that it all had to be connected somehow. Katherine searched for her father because he had supposedly abandoned her when she was taken prisoner during the Atomic War. In comparison, Eden Genesis continued to ask in Graham's dreams, “I am looking for my father. Do you know where he is?” Alexis broke the silence. “Never. Not once.” Graham's thoughts seemed to shatter and he had to force himself back to the present. That line of thought was

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going down a completely different road. He had to stick to what he had thought of back in Debbie's room. “And you have no idea what this other recruit could be? Or who?” “We didn't discover the fact about another recruit until the same time Sydney Barron did. As of now, there is no solid evidence of one.” “What would we look for, then?” Alexis paused and seemed to take offense. “Listen to me, young twig... William and the Leading Ring are far smarter and wiser than you are. They have already thought of everything and they are clueless as to what Sydney meant. I suggest you quit while you're ahead.” “So, you don't know.” The stone face somehow hardened even more. “No, not yet.” Graham nodded, feeling a bit frustrated about another dead end. “Well, I have an idea about what was meant,” Graham said, deciding to keep it to himself for now. “I'll let you know if I find anything out.” There was a loud cracking sound. Graham could see in the dim light that part of her face was eroding. He had hit a nerve with the girl. “Curse you, you're making me break my concentration. You must inform me of your suspicions,” she said, sounding reluctant. “Sir William trusts you and the dame, Debbie. I am ordered to listen to your concerns.” Graham nodded, thinking this was good enough coming from Alexis. “Well, I knew Katherine a week before I defeated her. She did things that seemed to go with the Foundation's wishes now that I look back on it, but it was only towards the end that she stopped. First, she targeted my friend Tera for no reason that I can think of. I mean, before she killed some officers in the LATC because of what they might expose, but then she went for a fourteen

298 • Jonathan Faz year old girl.” It seemed like this was news to Alexis. “That's interesting, I grant you that. I don't see how it is relevant to what the Foundation is planning now with this new recruit, however.” “Well, allow me to go on,” said Graham. “The night I went into the house where she eventually met her demise, I went in there to investigate an old man who ended up being her real father. His name was Lloyd Evans.” This clearly was something substantial to Alexis. Her stone eyes widened. “Sir Evans? I've heard his name... I should've seen the connection in their names. She was his daughter?” “Yes. That night I found out that the Regus Foundation had done things to her. Painful, experimental things. That is what empowered her, what drove her to kill. However, I also learned that she had done the same thing to her father. She tortured him the same way they had tortured her, only she did it so quickly and in a short a time span that it drove him mad. “If she had the ability to do that to her father, what was to stop her from doing it to someone else, but through a longer time span? With a purpose...” Alexis seemed to ponder this line of thought. “A well thought out question,” she observed. “I don't know if she had infiltrated more people or victims and their circle of friends,” Graham continued, getting to the point. “But I do know one thing. I could be very wrong, but I think I should let you know since you're guarding us.” “Yes? What is it?” Alexis sounded outright eager to know what he was thinking now, which was a complete change from before.

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“Our friend Elizabeth Michaels spent the most time with Katherine,” Graham brought himself to say, trying to not let the ridiculousness of the statement get to him. He could hear Debbie and Tera's protests in his head as he spoke, but he kept going. “In fact, I've seen her do things that I know she shouldn't know how to do. Just little things here and there.” He was thinking, in particularly, of how she had managed to sneak behind her brother and knock him out cold. Also, of how she had jump-kicked Jack Rooster two years ago. There were probably more incidents that he had missed over the years. “But one thing I've noticed recently is how moody and angry she's been lately.” “It could just be the stress of being on the run,” Alexis pointed out. “That proves nothing.” “She just finished yelling at her best friend and told her that she couldn't stand her. I know Elizabeth. I've never seen her this angry.” “The worst of times can bring out the worst in people.” “Yes, that's true,” Graham said reluctantly. “Call it a hunch and nothing else. You can't deny that she spent the most time with Katherine, though. That's got to be significant.” Alexis paused. “It could be, yes.” “Well, I'm going to go talk to her right now to see if I can get a read on her. But, please keep an eye on her too. She's my friend and a good person, and I don't want the Foundation to get control of her.” “I will do so. Thank you for sharing this information with me, Graham Sherwood.” The slight breeze grew into a gust for a second, causing Alexis to move her direction. She seemed more surreal than ever. “Thank you for listening,” Graham said, bowing. “I'm going inside now. Good night.”

300 • Jonathan Faz “To you as well.” Graham entered the living room again, trying to gather his thoughts. It was a complete turnaround of things. Just this morning he had been thinking they were close to the end of this nightmare. Now he was not only wondering where Kevin Daniels was, but also whether or not his friend was slowly falling into the clutches of the Regus Foundation. He had that feeling—the same feeling he had two years ago about Jack Rooster being the Tempus Murderer. That's why he was being more cautious, since he had been wrong about that. That didn't stop his mind from going crazy with speculation, however. He heard a slight squeal from the kitchen. His impulse kicked in and he lept to the kitchen doorway, searching his pockets for the Chronoculus he had put in earlier that morning. He scanned the room frantically, only to find Debbie and Elizabeth hugging each other tightly and sobbing. “I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me,” Elizabeth was moaning. “It's okay, Liz.” Debbie had a stream of tears flowing down her cheeks as she spoke. “I'm sorry if we've left you out. We don't mean to! I'm so sorry about your home and family. I promise we'll try to get you home as soon as possible.” “You're my best friend, Deb. Please, please forgive me for yelling.” Graham stared at them, blinking and rubbing his eyes tiredly. Maybe the stress of the situation was getting to him. “There,” Aunt Felicia said, wiping a tear from her own eye. “I'm glad you two have settled everything.” Debbie and Elizabeth drew back and nodded, grinning at each other. “Let's eat,” Debbie said, getting a plate of

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fresh meatloaf and rice and sitting at the dining table. As Elizabeth did the same, Graham's suspicious mind noticed that her cheeks were completely dry of tears. Shaking the thought off, he walked into the kitchen and sat at the dining table with his cousin and Elizabeth, keen to watch her closely just in case.

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Chapter 20 The Freezing Gust

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t was hard to not be suspicious, especially when Uncle Jim and Tera arrived later that evening. Jim was so enthusiastic to see him that Graham found it hard to keep an eye on anybody. Tera also stuck with him like glue, but he minded that less. In fact, Graham found it extremely easy to share his concerns with Tera rather than his cousin, though this involved at least twenty minutes of recapping the events over the past few days. When he was finished, Tera looked into the kitchen, where they had just finished eating dinner, and said, “Graham, are you sure? I mean, we knew Katherine only a week, but we've known Elizabeth much longer. I don't think she could be turned against us.” “Jack Rooster was a very smart man, yet he was turned to insanity,” Graham said stubbornly. “Katherine might've

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been just as nice as Elizabeth at one point, that doesn't mean she wasn't a killer later on.” “But, Graham, think of what you are saying,” Tera persisted. “Elizabeth wouldn't hurt a fly!” “I agree. I just want to make sure she stays like that,” countered Graham. “You didn't see her outburst earlier. I just want to make sure. I think I should go into her room and search for something.” Tera gave him an alarmed look. “Graham, I'm not so sure that's such a good idea. You only have a hunch!” “What else can I do?” There was no question left in his mind, now. Much like the time with Jack Rooster's house, Graham had to find out for himself if his theory was true or false. “You want me to ask her? 'Hey, Liz, are you slowly being freaked up by your old best friend's parents?' Yeah, that's going to go over very well. The only way I can find out is by investigating... in secret.” “How do you plan to do that?” “Distraction,” Graham replied, giving Tera a sly grin. “What do you say?” Tera looked affronted. “Graham, you're asking me to help you spy on my friend! I can't do that!” “Her life and our lives could depend on it—” “Graham, I still can't do that. Not on what we have to go on so far. I hate to say it, but you've been wrong before.” The words stung him deeply. Apparently he showed it, because Tera covered her mouth abruptly. “I'm sorry,” she said. “But—come on, there's got to be another way of finding out.” Graham shook his head. “I can't think of one,” he said quietly. “I think I heard them say they were going to get their luggage and things from Matt's house tomorrow. So, I'll find out tomorrow night, then. While everyone is out of

304 • Jonathan Faz their rooms eating dinner. Just don't tell her anything, okay?” Tera looked ready to argue, but finally nodded. “I guess I can do that. For you.” “Thank you,” Graham said, getting up. “I hope you're right... about me being wrong.” “What about Kevin Daniels?” Tera inquired, she too getting up. “Are we giving up on him?” “I'm pretty sure William will have some people out looking for him,” Graham replied. “Now that he's most likely conscious, he can probably hide out pretty well himself.” “If he's conscious.” “I don't even want to think about that possibility.” Tera nodded. Then, she did something quite unexpected. She closed in and gave Graham a tight hug, something that surprised him so much that he momentarily was at a loss for words. “Graham, be careful,” she told him softly. “Everything is getting crazy again and I don't want to lose you like I almost did two years ago.” It had never occurred to Graham that he himself had almost died that night as well, but this was perfectly true. He had been—and still was—too worried about his friends to even think about danger to himself. It was a change from the way he had been when he was younger, that was for sure. “I will,” he assured Tera, hugging her back. “You be careful too. None of this serial murderer from the future business.” Tera giggled appreciatively. They separated, smiled awkwardly at each other, and Graham went into the kitchen to further watch Elizabeth and her reactions to things.

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It was like there was a new branch of science called Elizabethology. He began to memorize everything, from the way she laughed silently but loudly inhaled breath, to the way she blinked faster and nodded when she was really listening to someone. Graham knew more or less the things she liked and disliked, but he had never really studied her characteristics down to the slightest detail—like the way she swayed her head from side to side when saying something sassy. The rest of the night passed in a haze of thought for Graham. Everyone around him seemed to have forgotten the seriousness of their situation. They were still on the run from the LATC and from the Regus Foundation and they didn't even have Kevin Daniels with them anymore. Yet, everybody was cheerful and happy. Only Tera really noticed how subdued Graham was and she did her best to include him in the fun, but he didn't want to be included. He wanted to stay focused because everyone else seemed to have lost it. He was most likely the only one who stayed awake throughout the night. He had asked to sleep in the living room, which he soon found was a mistake. Every noise made him jump and spring from the sofa, his eyes straining in the dim light to find any sign of Adi or Sydney. He knew that Alexis was guarding outside, but that didn't stop his nerves. If that wasn't enough, he was also jumpy at any noise coming from upstairs. Since Elizabeth and Debbie had made up so quickly, they were sharing the same room now. The guest room had been taken by Tera, since Graham had requested the living room. Graham tried to convince himself that his suspicions were wrong about Elizabeth, but nothing he thought of did any good. He was quite

306 • Jonathan Faz miserable by dawn. Again, everyone was cheerful in the morning just like they were the previous night—everyone except Graham. By this time, however, Debbie was noticing his withdrawn nature. “Hey Graham, you haven't talked since yesterday,” she said. “Not feeling well,” he replied back, not meeting her eyes. Then, deciding that he could best cover everything up by telling a bit of truth, he added, “I didn't sleep much last night.” “Why? Did Alexis tell you something that concerned you? What was all that about, anyways?” Graham shook his head. “It was nothing. I was just wondering something, but she didn't have any information about it.” “What were you wondering about?” “Forget it,” Graham said, noticing that Elizabeth had just entered the living room. “It's nothing anymore. Really.” He left the room to the two of them, trying hard not to turn back. He spent the majority of his time fidgeting and thinking about what he would look for in Elizabeth's possessions. He supposed he'd try to find a diary, if she had one or had thought about taking it with her. He thought for a moment about asking Tera if she had one, but decided against it. She was already against the whole thing and he did not want to risk her changing her mind about keeping quiet. Alexis was silent as well, which was a good thing. The last thing they needed was for someone to show up at Uncle Jim and Aunt Felicia's house, because that would mean that they definitely had run out of places to hide. By mid-afternoon, just after Uncle Jim returned with

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Debbie, Graham, and Elizabeth's suitcases from Matt's apartment, there was a surprise visit from William Richter. He, of course, showed up in their kitchen without a single sound, and it was Graham who first noticed him sitting comfortably waiting for someone to walk in. “How did you get in?!” Graham demanded. “Alexis let me in,” he replied simply. “She knows the entire house by memory, now. She told me that there's a back entrance here in the kitchen—” He indicated the door to his right. “Oh.” Graham wasn't sure why this didn't make him feel any safer, but he pressed on with the question he was burning to ask. “What happened with the rest of the Nine Tails? Did they get followed, too?” “Unfortunately, some of them did,” William said darkly. “And it took quite some time to track them down without Alexis, I'm here to tell you. But we're all together and accounted for.” “I can't believe Zaharoff sent us into that trap,” Graham muttered angrily, pounding his fist into his other hand. “Why did I think about trusting him?” “I really can't say.” William leaned forward. “But, if you hadn't, we wouldn't be in this position. Anyways, I came here to tell you a few things. I'd like you to make sure we're not, you know, disturbed.” Nodding, Graham got up and checked to see if anybody was coming downstairs. There didn't seem to be anyone. “All clear, for now.” “Good. First thing I'd like to tell you is about Sydney Barron.” Graham turned back to William, listening intently. William went on. “I know you think he's dangerous, but I want to tell you you're wrong. He's very dangerous. The

308 • Jonathan Faz man is a savage monster. He was in charge of interrogations for the Foundation during the Atomic War. Causing pain is his idea of fun.” “I know he's a bad guy. Seriously.” “My point is, Graham, that if there was anything decent, innocent, and human left in Katherine Evans after she gained her powers, I'm pretty sure Sydney Barron tortured it out of her. He may not have been Katherine's real father, but he sure was the father of the Tempus Murderer. And that same man had been torturing Kevin Daniels as well. Just be careful with him. Don't take him too lightly.” Graham nodded seriously. “I understand.” William nodded back. “The next thing I have to say is actually a bit of good news, in a way.” The air seemed to disappear from Graham's lungs. Good news? He hadn't heard any good news in ages, and the very thought of what it could be seemed to freeze his brain. Finally, he mustered up enough courage to ask, “W—what is it?” “From what I've been able to gather,” William said. “Kevin is receiving care back at LATC headquarters. He found his partner—yes, that extremely violent woman— and he's so far recovering nicely.” Confusion hit Graham like a speeding bullet train. “You —you mean Adi really is his partner?!” Graham could not believe is ears. “Please tell me you're joking.” “Sorry, but I'm not. The reason we lost them when we were being chased in the first place was because Kevin had shown up at their headquarters. Since they were chasing us because they thought we had Kevin, they dropped the chase and headed back.” It was like something had punctured Graham's will and confidence. He had been wrong about Adi. No matter how

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suspicious and malicious she was, he had been wrong. All of that hiding... all of that running around was for absolutely nothing. And all of this—everything that had happened up to this point—was his fault. He had made a decision to keep Kevin from Adi the very first time she showed up. If he hadn't, if he had just trusted that she was a legitimate LATC officer... “Don't worry about it,” William consoled Graham, obviously noticing that he was down. “I wouldn't have trusted her either. I still don't, actually.” “We've been chased from Liz's house, chased from Matt's, Debbie almost got captured and even killed—and so did you, for that matter—and you're telling me not to worry about it?” “Well, don't worry too much about it, then. I didn't like almost getting killed. That wasn't a fun time for me.” Graham ignored him, feeling himself get pulled further into the sea of dismay that was inside him. He also felt the sense of being robbed of something. He would never know what had happened to Kevin Daniels for sure and why. “Cheer up.” William got to his feet. “It could've turned out much, much worse. You still kept him from the Regus Foundation, and that's what matters.” “Yeah,” Graham murmured darkly. “I feel like a real hero.” William sighed and walked towards the kitchen door. “I must be off. Tell that beauty of a cousin of yours that I said hello. I'm sure she really wants to hear from me. I'll come by to see her soon.” He winked at Graham and departed, closing the door behind him. The window made a rattling noise as it closed, almost as if it were loose. Graham stayed in the kitchen by himself for a long time, thinking over everything that had happened over the past

310 • Jonathan Faz month or two. It was almost the end of the year. He had spent the remainder of it on the run and it hadn't even been necessary. It all amounted to the same, indisputable and painful truth. He had been wrong. He punched the table angrily, feeling so stupid for what he had done and what he was going to do; for he knew that nothing would change his mind about Elizabeth and the connection he had thought of between her and Katherine. He was so stubborn and he knew full well it could probably lead to more disappointments. But he still had to know. Debbie entered the kitchen, stopping when she noticed Graham. “Hey,” she said, giving him her piercing stare. “I heard the kitchen door. Did you go outside again?” “No,” he replied. “William came by.” “He did?” The tone of her voice was both curious and slightly withdrawn suddenly, as if she was trying not to sound curious. “What did he say?” “Well, he wanted me to tell you 'hello',” retorted Graham, glad that he had something amusing to think about for a second. “He said something about you really wanting to hear that from him.” Debbie seemed to turn red. “He's so stupid,” she snapped. “Is that all he said?!” “Well, no.” Graham looked down at his feet and hung his head. “He found out where Kevin Daniels is. He's recovering after he got help from his partner in the LATC. That woman, Adi...” There was quietness in which Graham knew that Debbie was suppressing an “I told you so” type of response. He wouldn't have blamed her. He was telling himself the same thing. “I'm sorry,” she said, instead. “I've probably ruined everyone's lives,” he muttered.

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“Elizabeth's especially. And for what? I was wrong about everything.” “Graham... listen. It's easier for me to think when I'm not the one things are happening to. If I were in your shoes, I just might have done the same thing you did. And plus, you weren't wrong about Kevin being a good guy that needed protection. Don't be too hard on yourself.” But still, Graham's guilt wore on. “I can't even go back home,” he said. “What am I going to do? I can't stay here forever.” “What's wrong with that?” Debbie asked. “Don't you like being here with me?” “I do, Deb, but what about my mom and dad? I'll never be able to see them.” “That's not true,” she replied. “In fact, I think it's a good idea if they came over here as well. You're not the only one in danger, you know.” Graham nodded is agreement. As bad as it sounded to have to keep on hiding, it made Graham feel a little better knowing that they had a plan. “Thanks, Deb.” “Don't mention it,” she said. “Now, will you tell me what else is bothering you before I talk that out of you as well?” Graham shook his head, sighing. “It's best if I don't,” he said. “I could be very wrong about that, too, and I want to be sure before telling anybody.” Debbie gave him an appraising look. “I'm going to find out one way or another,” she said. “Well, there is one thing.” He pulled out the drawing of the Chronoculus that he had stored in his wallet. He handed it to Debbie. “Keep this with you at all times. Please.” Debbie stared at it for a second. “Why? It only works for

312 • Jonathan Faz you.” “Still, I'd feel safer if you had one on you. Just do it for me, Deb. Please.” Slowly, she nodded and took the drawing. “Okay. Sure.” Graham smiled and stepped out of the kitchen. “See you later, then.” And, before Debbie could utter another question, he ran up the stairs. The only safe haven he could think of was Uncle Jim's room, the one that was used primarily for his art. He reached the top of the stairs and entered the room, glad that it was deserted. Uncle Jim's work area had significantly improved from the last time Graham had seen it. He now had a computer desk propped up at the end of the room with a new iMac perched on top. Other accessories included a new scanner, which was right next to a Wacom digital drawing pad. The room also contained a new canvas and a work desk with stacks of drawing paper. Graham gaped, realizing that his uncle must have hit it big with his art. He walked forward and sat at the desk chair with the drawing paper, staring around and happy to get his mind off of things for a while. He remembered what it was like when he first came here and how his uncle had inspired him. Had he changed in the two years since? It wasn't like he had entirely given up on that, but he had to admit that he wasn't as creative as he used to be. To be honest, he kind of missed it. He bent forward and began to draw, seeing if he still could after so long. First he drew the first thing that came to his mind: the Chronoculus. Then he drew whatever came to his mind next. The strange landscape of Zaharoff's manor, with its endless sea of junk metal and telephone poles. He drew Alexis perched as a mermaid weather-vane, watching an empty street for anything that moved. And he

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drew on, trying to capture the immensity of Alexandria Library, the detail of the pillars in the Nine Tails' former hideout... In each picture, he incorporated the Chronoculus somewhere as his signature. It was his creation and he wanted it to represent himself. He wondered if the Chronoculus would be able to help him get out of the mess he had gotten everybody in. He'd completely forgotten about it until now. Still, he didn't see how even its seemingly magical powers could undo everything. “Still drawing your comic books?” Graham yelped and nearly fell out of his chair. He swirled around and saw Elizabeth standing at the entrance to the room, her eyes on the paper. “Just messing around,” Graham replied hastily. He covered up his drawings as he stood and frowned at her. “What—what do you want?” Elizabeth did not reply at once. She didn't even react to his question until about five seconds after he asked it. “Do you remember how your drawing did all those weird things?” “Yeah. It—it was weird.” Elizabeth nodded absently, seeming to stare into space. “Sure was. Magical, even.” She snapped out of it. “Anyways, dinner will be ready in a few minutes.” “Already?” “It's almost six thirty, you know.” Graham's eyes widened and he glanced at his watch. Sure enough, he had spent the majority of the afternoon in Uncle Jim's room. His gaze fell on the work desk and he now knew why Elizabeth had been staring at it. There were stacks of his drawings scattered throughout. His brain felt tired, yet strangely strong, as if he had used

314 • Jonathan Faz a part of it that had been neglected for so long. “I'm, uh—” He hesitated for a split second. “I'm not feeling good. I'm gonna rest in Debbie's room for a second.” Elizabeth shrugged, unconcerned. “Okay, suit yourself. We'll leave leftovers, I'm sure.” She left the room and Graham seized his advantage. He walked to the door and peeked out of the corner to see if Elizabeth had really left. She had just reached the top of the stairs, but something had caused her to stop and look downstairs. “—called my cell phone just now,” he barely could hear Debbie's voice say. “I think he's still looking for Elizabeth.” “Who's Derrick?” Felicia's voice inquired. “Long story,” Debbie replied. “I'd better go tell Liz, though. She'd want to know.” Elizabeth began to descend the stairs slowly. Graham exited the room and slipped through Debbie's bedroom door, keeping his ears open. “Hey Liz, Derrick just called me.” Debbie's voice was just at the foot of the stairs, where Elizabeth apparently was now. “I think he's probably looking for you. I didn't answer, though.” There was a pause. Graham stepped away from the door and glanced around the room, wondering where Elizabeth kept her things. Then, abruptly, it occurred to him that she had probably left all of her belongings in the guest room. He quickly scanned Debbie's room just to make sure, but the only luggage he saw was Debbie's. He slapped himself mentally for his mistake and edged towards the door again, hearing Elizabeth's response. “Why does he have your number?” she asked quietly. “I didn't know you two were friends.” Graham peered down the hallway and saw nothing. They were probably still downstairs. He exited Debbie's room

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and stepped further away from the stairs, keeping his eye open for any sign of someone coming back up. “What do you mean?” Debbie asked, sounding confused. “Did you give him your number? Or did he ask for it?” The guest room was quite messy. It seemed like Elizabeth had unpacked all of her belongings and scattered them throughout the floor. There were clothes, gum wrappers, papers—even her violin was carelessly thrown to the side, covered partially by a pair of jeans with pink flowers on the pockets. Graham wondered how Tera had managed to sleep in the mess, but his thoughts were interrupted by the conversation outside. “Uh, you put my number in his phone,” Debbie replied. “And his number on mine. Remember that time you lost your phone for a whole month?” Again, a pause. “Oh, yeah...” was Elizabeth's response. “Anyways, your cousin doesn't want to eat. He says he's feeling sick. So, I guess we can start without him.” The conversation moved to the kitchen and Graham felt it was safe enough for him to start his search. He looked around and decided to check the group of papers on the bed first. Unfortunately, that didn't provide anything of interest. All the papers consisted of sheet music for Elizabeth's violin practice. Graham placed them back on the bed in hopefully the same order they had been in before and searched on through the rest of room. But all he found was more sheet music, some of it classical and some of it a bit more modern. For some odd reason, Graham drew the line at searching Elizabeth's purse and dresser. He realized that those were the two places she would hide something she really wanted

316 • Jonathan Faz to keep secret, but he couldn't bring himself to go through her personal things. It felt like a moral line that—if crossed —he'd never go back from. This was silly. Elizabeth couldn't possibly be the person the Foundation was referring to. It was strange how Graham was just beginning to rethink things just as he was in the position to do them. But, what if I'm right? And what if the evidence is somewhere in there? Could he honestly sleep better at night if he didn't go through with this? It would be something that would go unanswered how long? A week? A month? Years? And if he ever discovered he was right, it would be too late. Now was the time to act... nobody would have to know, except Tera. And he trusted her completely. Graham took a deep breath. Feeling like he was doing something very illegal, he grabbed Elizabeth's purse and opened it up, glancing at the numerous things in it. This, over time, proved to be fruitless as well. The only thing of interest was her cell phone, which he thought of turning on and searching. However, he stopped himself there and put everything back. He was sure he would find nothing on her phone that would prove to be of use. His eyes fell on the dresser drawer. Soon, he found himself rationalizing that most of her clothes were on the floor, anyways, so he doubted that he would run into anything embarrassing if he searched through it. He sighed and got to his feet, reaching out to open the first drawer. He found out right away that he was wrong, for white cotton met his eyes. He blinked, trying not to blush, but then did a double-take. Something solid green was hiding below all of the underwear. Straining his eyes to try to see past the garments, he saw that the green something was the edge of a book.

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Wincing, he reached into the drawer and brushed aside the underwear that was on top of the book. His fingers closed around the green object and he pulled it out. He sat on the bed, his heart beating, and read the title written in golden type. Diary. Could this be the tipping point, the thing that told Graham once and for all if he was right or wrong about Elizabeth? He swallowed, thinking hard about his decision. If Elizabeth—or even Debbie, for that matter—ever found out that he had gone through this book... He sat staring at the diary for at least a minute. Then he snapped back to reality, realizing that the more time he spent thinking about it, the more chance there was of Elizabeth or Debbie coming in and finding him. Making his final decision, he pried open the book and began to read. The first passage was actually from over three years ago. Seeing as there was no need to invade her privacy further than necessary, Graham skipped ahead until he saw an entry for the beginning of November. It read: Dear Diary, Nothing new to report here. Blinking and frowning, Graham turned the page to the next entry. Thankfully, this one was much longer. I'm very upset that it's winter now. I hate the cold. I hate the wind too. I guess I have to go to the store and get some cream for my hands, because they always get so dry this time of year. Besides, I have to look and feel my best because I've got a new crush. No, I'm not telling. Not even you! It's a secret. Hehehe... Debbie's been acting weird lately. She keeps talking about her cousin and how she thinks something's bothering him. Honestly, it

318 • Jonathan Faz creeps me out how she can sense his thoughts. But I love her anyways. And I guess I love Graham too, though he's an obnoxious little doofus sometimes. He did save my life and I'll never forget that. Last night Debbie stayed over and the weirdest thing happened. She was talking in her sleep, something about a waterfall... I can't remember what exactly it was, because I was half-asleep, but she always has nightmares about waterfalls. I don't know why. She won't tell me. We all have our secrets, I guess. My dreams have been weird, too. That's also why I hate the cold. It usually brings miserable cloudy days and barren trees. Just like in my dreams. I've never told anybody but you about this, but I still feel awful about trusting Katherine so long ago. She almost killed everyone and it's my fault. I hate myself for doing that. If Graham hadn't come in, I think we would have all died. I'm so happy that things turned out for the best. Oh well, what's done is done. I don't feel so good now. Good night. Graham tried his hardest to avoid the inexplicable connection with his cousin and waterfalls. Instead, he continued on to the next few entries until he found another that interested him. Remember how I said there was somebody I liked? He called me today! I can't believe it. It was the best thing that ever happened to me and Debbie and the others just ignored it. I don't like being forgotten. Things are very crazy. Debbie and her cousin are on the run from Katherine's father. I felt very, very bad again for trusting her before. I guess I was in a bad mood today because of all of that, then. Nobody seems to notice, though. I guess that's for the best. I don't want everyone feeling sorry for me. Anyways, both Graham and Debbie are staying with me, and I've got that man in my room. Very crazy, I know. I'm not even sure if we can trust this guy. Honestly, between you and me, I think it was very presumptuous of Debbie to bring him in. But of course I couldn't

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say no, because this is mostly my fault to begin with. (By the way, presumptuous was in my word-of-the day calendar. I got to use it! Yay me!) Graham keeps making noises at night when he sleeps. Weird, it looks like everyone's having bad dreams lately, just like me. Graham felt a sting of guilt and shamefulness. He should've guessed that Elizabeth of all people would be blaming herself for everything, since she had befriended Katherine and introduced her to everybody. But the thought had never crossed his mind. He felt selfish for not thinking about it. On he read and once again he stopped, concentrating on a passage. I think Derrick changed his mind about me. He hasn't called at all. Why am I like this? Further down the page, there was a poem: In the midst of a mess left standing No one to call to my side to protect me From the bleakness within who can save me from myself? It seemed what we had was real but you faded away I feel as though I don’t know you why do you close your mind to my voice? you said nothing the silence pushed me away you're not here to hold on to me keep me safe

320 • Jonathan Faz from that presence as if you could save me now or anyone I’m left without hope who will step forward? To rescue me from the grasp of despair it pulls me in no one to offer a hand... and so I succumb He flipped over a few pages until he came to another entry. This one he read three times over, trying to decipher any hidden clues in it. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've become very callous lately around Debbie and the others, but in truth I'm surprised nobody's noticed how awful I feel. Everything is going wrong and it all goes back to me. If I hadn't been so nice to Katherine, none of this would be happening now. I guess I should explain. Mom and Greg found out about that stupid man in the room that Graham and Debbie want to keep safe. Everything was fine until he came along. We've been on the run from Katherine's father and some spooky chick from the police. Graham doesn't seem to trust her very much. Frankly, I don't either, but nobody's asked me... And now I'm staying here at some guy Matt's house with his sister who's in a wheelchair. She really makes me angry the way she's all cheerful and keeps trying to talk to me. Ugh, here she starts again. I'm going to go to the kitchen to get a drink. Debbie's in there and maybe I can talk to her for a little while. Not that she'll care about me, anyways. Again, Elizabeth seemed moody, but not dangerous or anything of the sort. Graham was beginning to feel very foolish and bad for sneaking into her room to begin with,

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but he read on. He turned the page to the next entry and saw nothing of interest, other than a few more morose statements. He turned a second, a third, and a forth time, and was about to throw the book back into the dresser drawer when he finally saw it. It took up nearly half of the right page, roughly sketched with a number two pencil and, by the looks of it, erased and re-sketched several times. Graham stared avidly at a poor imitation of his very own creation. The Chronoculus. His hands went limp momentarily and the diary fell to the floor. He got to his knees and picked it back up just as he heard the scraping of chairs downstairs. Dinner was done. But, he couldn't just leave it this way. He had to read the entry on the left to find out more. I think I'm hearing voices at night. They're getting louder and louder. I don't know what they're saying half of the time. This morning it got worse. So, I took a nap in the afternoon and what do you think happened? That's right, the stupid man we've been trying to protect left us! He's gone! And then we got chased away by the police. This is all very messed up and I'm pissed off that nobody's doing anything about it. As usual, Debbie's ignored me completely. I mean, when this is all over, where do I go home to? NOWHERE! Mom's never going to trust me again. The police are looking for me and I'll probably end up going to jail like everyone else. I'm scared and angry. My dreams are getting weirder and weirder. I keep seeing things in them. I'll try to draw it in the next page. I think it's Graham's weird drawing. But, what does it mean? Why do I keep seeing it? Unable to help himself, he turned the page and walked towards the door, straining his ears to hear what was going on downstairs, to hear if footsteps were traveling up the stairs.

322 • Jonathan Faz “Girls, can you put the dishes in the washer?” he heard Aunt Felicia ask. “I'm feeling very tired right now. It shouldn't take long.” Elizabeth, Tera, and Debbie seemed to say “yes”, much to Graham's relief. His eyes scanned the last entry in the book. It consisted of only a few lines scribbled in jagged writing on the top and middle of the page. He sat on the floor and concentrated. There was definite proof that something was going on with Elizabeth. She was seeing the Chronoculus in her dreams. But was it enough to prove that she was dangerous? Debbie and I fought. I hate her now. She's only thinking about herself and Graham. I thought I was her best friend. I can't concentrate right now. I keep hearing ringing. Like church bells. It even sounds like it's saying something— And it ended there. A memory of the last time he saw Elizabeth practice her violin came into focus. It was when they were still staying at her house. He could vaguely remember her saying something about bells... and ringing. She hadn't done particularly well in her practice—in fact, the song had frightened Graham somewhat. “Like I said... I don't know what's wrong with me. Everything is so weird.” And he remembered her shaking her head, running a hand through her hair. “And I can't stop hearing this ringing. It's so annoying!” Graham blinked, then looked back down at the page to read it again. He felt a strange surge of fear as he reread the series of words, all written in big and jagged letters, as if the writer was shaking uncontrollably. He turned the page and was both surprised and disappointed to see that it was completely blank. Of course, the last entry should have been written sometime the day before, so it made sense that she hadn't written in it since.

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Still, feeling like he should at least check it thoroughly, he turned a couple of more pages forward to make sure. There was nothing at all. Feeling gloomy, he continued to page through without thinking much about it. As interesting as it was to read how Elizabeth felt about everything, it didn't prove anything. Sure, there was a picture of the Chronoculus in the diary, and that was extremely strange. But there wasn't enough for Graham to go on with just that. Abruptly, he stopped turning the pages. He had seen something... seen it, but not registered it until after the fact. He turned back a page and examined the new text. It was written in blotched and jagged ink, except it was more intense now. It was as if Elizabeth had tried to use the pen as a knife to etch the words instead of write them. It was the same word repeated over and over again in capital letters. KILL KILL KILL KILL... He got to his feet suddenly, his heart racing under his chest. Suddenly, he could not think properly. Had he just read that? He felt the horrified realization that he was probably right about her after all. Something had happened to her and it was up to him to warn the rest about her. There was no time to lose. He sprinted out of the room, not bothering to put anything back or even close the door. His legs seemed to be made of rubber and the air was like thick water. He felt like he was running with all his might but still moving extremely slow. He pulled open the door to Uncle Jim's room and seized his Chronoculus drawing. He would talk to Tera first. She was already aware of what he had planned to do. If she knew what he had found, then it would be easier to

324 • Jonathan Faz convince Debbie. Of course, that meant that he would have to tell her about reading Elizabeth's diary, but frankly he didn't really care about that anymore. The sooner everyone knew about it, the better. The question was, how was he going to separate Debbie and Tera from Elizabeth? She couldn't know that Graham knew about her diary. It would be too dangerous, no matter how innocent she seemed. Perhaps he should, instead, tell Alexis about it first. She knew about his suspicions as well and he'd feel a whole lot safer with her inside in the meantime. But what then? Everyone would know that Elizabeth was slowly being changed somehow. How would he stop it? There was no time to think about that. Graham turned and began to run with all his might to the door with his Chronoculus in hand. However, the underwater feeling increased and he eventually toppled to his knees. Was he that scared? Was it all his imagination? Maybe it was a bad dream... And then, the smell of smoke touched his nose. He looked down at the drawing of his Chronoculus. Small puffs of white smoke were billowing out, orange flames appearing around the drawing. It was the same phenomenon that had occurred during Rakhon's death and when Kevin Daniels had appeared in his backyard. But why was it happening now of all times? He felt his stomach split in two and squeeze involuntarily. The room's walls seemed to melt as yellow and orange flames erupted fully from Graham's drawing. Still, he did not give up. He crawled on all fours to get out of the room that was slowly melting before him. He felt like he was getting sucked into the drawing. His very

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skin was being ripped from his body, his bones were bending to some unseen will. Something somewhere wanted to take him, but he didn't want to go. He needed to keep on going, to keep— And then, everything seemed to stop. Blackness filled Graham's eyes, coldness surrounded him. He was floating nowhere, not a sound to be heard. But then, a sound was heard. A shrill scream that pierced Graham to his heart, shaking his insides and causing his panic to reach its zenith. For it was Debbie, his cousin, who was screaming in pain and in horror. This was followed by a horrified yell from Tera as well. Tera, his best friend, was terrified of something, and she screamed out a question. “Liz, what have you done?!” Whatever was trying to pull him into his Chronoculus was the source of all this sound. Graham stopped fighting and let it take him fully. He was everywhere and nowhere for a small instant... And suddenly, he was in the kitchen on all fours, looking down at a pool of his own sweat. He gasped loudly and collapsed on his face just as the sound of kitchen door being slammed echoed through the room, the window rattling loudly. Footsteps came from the stairs and stopped somewhere behind Graham. He heard another loud scream. It was Aunt Felicia. She squealed, her voice loud and horrified, “Debbie! W—w—w—what?!” Breathing heavily, Graham tried to lift his head and refrain from vomiting at the same time. He had to rest his head on its side, looking up from the floor at what had happened. He felt his face tingle and his entire body turn numb as he saw red, red all over the kitchen floor,

326 • Jonathan Faz spreading rapidly under the table, just in front of someone's knee. He looked further up and everything went silent. It was as if something blew up in his mind. He simply couldn't comprehend it, couldn't process it, couldn't accept it. He could only see it. He watched as Debbie collapsed to the floor, sobbing, writhing, and clutching something on her left leg, something that looked like a wooden handle... A wooden handle to a kitchen knife... a knife that had been jabbed right into her left upper-thigh. And there was blood, lots of blood squirting from the wound, onto her shirt and to the floor. Too much of it. Way, way too much. Debbie's screams of agony were otherworldly. A wave of cold wind blew across Graham's face. It was coming from the wide open kitchen door that had apparently not closed right. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. Graham didn't see anything else, he just kept looking on at Debbie, trying to will himself up to try and help her. But he could only lay there and watch helplessly as his cousin bled profusely, writhing on the floor. The silence was still there. He didn't hear the 911 call his aunt placed, nor could he hear the anxious sobbing from Tera, who knelt beside Debbie. In that horrified moment, Graham knew that he had been too late. And it was costing Debbie her life.

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Chapter 21 The Boon

A

blur of questions, a winged helmet and blond hair, frantic crying, police sirens, red and blue flashing lights, the street, the morning sunrise casting a blood red hue on the city... For the next few hours, Graham couldn't remember details at all. All he knew was that his cousin had been brutally stabbed by her best friend. Something he could've prevented if he had only taken action sooner. For once in his life, he was not happy that he was right about something. The shock of it all was still mind-numbing even when dawn approached. It was clear, now, that Elizabeth had been twisted to the Foundation's will. Katherine had a back-up plan, after all. Had Katherine changed Elizabeth in some slower, less painful way that took two years to develop fully? Or was it all some kind of subconscious,

328 • Jonathan Faz subliminal mind control? Who knew what kind of technology the Regus Foundation had in their clutches. None of that mattered, though. Debbie was dying. As sure as Graham was that the sky was blue, he knew that she was just barely hanging on. The mood of the paramedics that examined her as they flew her away from the scene had been somber, disconnected. It made Graham feel more nervous than if they had cried out loud in shock. In the few minutes that it took them to arrive, Debbie had turned so pale and had even stopped moving. The medics had termed it hypervolumic shock, whatever that meant, but Graham knew it wasn't good. The kitchen floor was a mess too. And the smell... the smell made Graham want to vomit. Even after the fact, his stomach was still queasy. Graham demanded to ride in the ambulance with Debbie, but the medics would not permit it. Graham instead rode with the rest of the family in a police car that followed the ambulance. He kept his gaze fixed on the vehicle ahead, not interested in what anybody else had to say. All he cared about was his cousin. She was the only thing that existed. He could hear Tera and Aunt Felicia crying. Uncle Jim had his arm around his wife, letting her cry on his shoulder. Tera had nobody. Graham had nobody too. “G—Graham?” His gaze on the ambulance faltered and he glanced at Tera, and she suddenly entered his world. Her face was soaking wet from tears. Her hair was a mess. Her face was scrunched up in fear and anguish. She looked so helpless, so grieved... Graham felt himself get a little calmer—just enough so he could comfort her—and he hugged her tightly. “It's going to be okay,” he heard himself say, hot

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tears going down his own cheeks now. “Debbie's strong. She'll pull through this.” “S—she wasn't moving...” “I know. But she's still alive. She'll pull through, Tera.” He wasn't even aware that Tera was grasping his hand tightly as she sobbed, tears moistening his neck. Debbie had bled a lot. He had to guess that the knife had hit some kind of artery, and an important one at that. He shivered. He didn't want to think about it anymore. It was of no significance to him that the hospital they arrived at was the most futuristic place he had visited yet. He did not take note of the towering pillars in the front with metal snakes wrapped around them, of the intricate lobby full of hovering beds and robotic probes fluttering from person to person and injecting medicine. Nor did he give the slightest attention to the Robot ER waiting room, which had people that were missing arms, heads, and legs; people that were leaking white liquids from wounds; and people that were talking backwards with voices that echoed inexplicably. No, his eyes still stayed focused on his cousin as she was transported to the emergency room. The doors swung shut in front of Graham after the medics entered it with Debbie, and a red sign above switched on: Do not enter. He stood there in front of the door for a long time—ten minutes, half an hour, an hour—he wasn't sure exactly how long. The night went by very slowly. Graham couldn't think. He could hardly hear, everything sounded as though it was far away. The doctor came out of the operating room at about three in the morning, looking grim. Graham's hearing suddenly cleared up at that point, just enough for him to hear that the condition was very serious.

330 • Jonathan Faz The knife had indeed punctured an artery in the thigh called the femoral artery. She was still alive, but the doctor said the next few hours were the most crucial. She had lost a lot of blood. They were trying their best to get her body to replenish the blood she had lost. Even with the advanced technology and medicine they had at their disposal, they weren't sure if Debbie could hang on long enough. “But your daughter is strong, Mrs. Berk,” the doctor said consolingly. “And we're doing all we can to help her. I have to get back in.” And she left through the swinging door, the forbidding sign turning on after she disappeared. Tera burst out into sobs again. Graham was conscious enough to wrap an arm around her and squeeze gently, though he too felt like crying out like she had. Aunt Felicia too was crying, but it wasn't loud. It was sniffing, mostly, with an occasional whimper. Uncle Jim hugged her tightly, crying as well but keeping silent. Graham fought down his tears. He had to be strong. He had to be there for them all. It's what Debbie would want him to do. “I—I can't believe,” Tera mumbled between sobs. “E— Elizabeth. Sh—e did this.” Graham nodded, but didn't speak. Where had Elizabeth gone? Had she met up with Sydney somehow? Or was she out there, alone and confused? A wave of anger hit Graham as strongly as the wave of sorrow had hit before. Elizabeth was innocent, just as Katherine had been innocent at one point. But now she was gone and she was probably going to be used as the Foundation's pawn to—what? Murder hundreds more? What were their plans for her? And, the worst part of everything was there was nothing Graham could do for her, just as there was nothing he

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could do for Debbie, and just like there was nothing he could do for Kevin Daniels. He was powerless. He was hopeless. And he was alone. “Y—you were r—right about her,” Tera went on. “Y— you were right and I—” Graham shook his head in dismay. “I wish I wasn't.” Tears fell from his eyes again, but he quickly wiped them away. The doctor occasionally walked out to the waiting area and reported nothing significant had changed in Debbie's condition. The night passed and eventually morning came around, though the hospital was artificially lit and this made little difference to Graham and the others. It finally occurred to Graham that something very extraordinary happened last night, but in amidst the chaos and shock everyone had ignored it. He had never found out why the Chronoculus would burst into flames and make him feel sick at times, yet it had done something else that it had never done before. All that he could remember was that he was in Uncle Jim's art room one second, and in the kitchen the next. It was just when Debbie had gotten attacked, from what he could tell. What did that mean? His mind was too fuzzy to continue down that line of thought. He was too worried about Debbie and Elizabeth to think about anything else. The doctor came out again and this time she looked disquieted. “We're fighting our hardest,” she said quietly. “But I came out here to talk to one of you, I think. Is anybody here named Graham?” Graham looked up. “Y—yes.” “She's been saying your name,” the doctor told him. “Your name and someone else's. Elizabeth. She keeps mumbling it over and over. She seems to think it's

332 • Jonathan Faz important.” It was pure torture. Elizabeth was her best friend. He wondered if Debbie knew what had happened and, if she did, knew why it had happened. “It's a sign she's fighting,” the doctor said. “I've got to go back.” The doctor nodded and turned back into the emergency room. Graham felt close to getting sick and losing his will. He stood up and said, “I need some air.” He turned and walked out, not caring where he was going; just caring that he was going away from that place. He followed the posted signs on the ceiling until he was led to an exit. It was extremely chilly that morning. The sky had lost its blood-red hue and was now a bright orange through a break in the thick gray clouds. It still looked like it was going to rain later that day. Graham folded his arms and stood at the sidewalk, staring into space as cars passed in front of him. None of those drivers knew that two innocent lives were close to gone, one to the jaws of death, the other to the clutches of evil. They didn't know or care. But he cared. He should be able to save them, but he couldn't. “Graham Sherwood?” He whirled round to see who had spoken. Alexis stood nearby in the dark alley between the hospital and a nearby building. She beckoned to him, not stepping any closer. He walked forward, hoping that she had found something important. Maybe all was not lost after all. After the stabbing, Alexis had entered the kitchen mere seconds after everyone found Debbie. She had asked a few simple questions and when she had heard that Elizabeth had done it, she had sprinted out of the door and into the night, apparently to give chase. Graham hadn't heard a

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word from her since, until now. “Did you find her?” Graham asked hopefully. Alexis was distressed as she shook her head sadly. “I can find anything that moves,” she spoke, “But I failed this time. I don't know how she ran so fast. Perhaps she had a good head start, I don't know.” “Oh.” Graham looked to the ground, sniffing. “You don't even have the general direction that she ran in, at least?” “Back to the city,” Alexis said. “Towards the center. Downtown.” “I wonder if she's confused enough to go back to her house.” “I do not believe so. I gathered her address from William when he came by yesterday. I checked the place and it looks like her family are still waiting for her to return.” “Great!” Graham couldn't help it. Fury rose in his throat again. “So there's no realistic way of finding her now. She was at our house and now she's gone! Is that what you're telling me?!” Slowly, Alexis nodded. “For now, yes. I can attempt to pick up a trail, however. I'm very good at that.” “By then it will be too late. I'm very sure that she will be to far to reach by then.” “What exactly does that mean? Do you expect her to leave the country?” “No,” replied Graham. “She's not herself. She's being twisted into becoming something she's not, and I have to stop it before it's too late... if it isn't already.” “How do you plan to stop it?” “I don't know! Okay?! But I have to try!” He tried to fight the wet tears and the lump in his throat.

334 • Jonathan Faz Alexis fell silent and looked into the orange-gray morning sky. Graham felt instantly sorry for yelling at her. “I didn't mean to—” “No apology is necessary,” Alexis replied without looking at him. “I was keeping watch and I should have stopped this from happening. I bare full responsibility.” “But, it isn't your fault,” Graham protested. “It's mine. I saw it coming but I couldn't prevent it either.” “What do you plan to do, Graham Sherwood? I will follow.” Graham stayed silent, thinking things through, but he might as well try to fly with his arms. His emotions were still so intense and out of sync with is brain. “I don't know.” Alexis nodded. “You certainly have the courage, Graham Sherwood. But do you have the brains, I wonder? I will continue my search for young Elizabeth and inform you if I discover anything. Farewell.” She turned around and left, disappearing around a corner. Somehow, the last statement stung Graham, as if it were the Valkyrie's way of getting back at him for yelling at her. He watched her go, trying to clear his mind of emotional thought. He simply could not do it. It was impossible to tell how long he was standing outside. His face and hands were numb from the cold, but he didn't want to go back into the hospital. He felt almost suffocated when he was inside, wondering if the next time he saw the doctor would be the time she said Debbie was — The door behind him opened and Tera walked through it. Her tears had dried, but her eyes were still red and had bags under them. She stepped up next to Graham and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. “You okay?” she

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asked quietly. “No.” She nodded slowly. “Neither am I.” “Any change?” “Nothing yet. The doctor hasn't come out since you left. We're waiting. Just waiting.” She paused. “Graham, I really don't want to lose her, but I can't help but think—” With each passing word, her voice began to break. She stopped and new tears formed in her eyes. Graham hugged her tightly. “I feel the same way. About both of them.” “I don't understand what happened. Debbie didn't see it coming. She had her back turned to Liz. I'm the one who saw something wasn't—wasn't right. Elizabeth had the knife in her hand—she had been washing it, but I saw her standing there just staring at it. She said something about a bell and then turned to Debbie. I—I—I yelled.” Graham closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head. Tera continued. “Debbie tried to block it, but I don't think she was expecting it. Then Liz took off. And—and then you were there.” “Did Elizabeth say anything else?” “No.” Tera looked at Graham. “Do you think she knew what she was doing?” “No, I don't think so,” Graham said. “She's being twisted, just like Katherine was. Katherine wasn't always the Tempus Murderer, you know.” “That's all I remember her as,” Tera said savagely. “But you know Elizabeth. You know she was never like that. That isn't who she is.” Tera nodded. “But what is she becoming? What if she already became it?” “I don't know that, but I have to stop it. I have to try

336 • Jonathan Faz and fix that, at least. It's my fault all of this happened.” He looked out into the barely sunlit city, the cars in the sky and the cars on the ground going about their commute to get to work or school, not knowing that his cousin was on the verge of losing her life. It was a delicate balance, one tip in the wrong direction would end it. “Graham, be careful,” he heard Tera tell him. She took his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. “I don't want to lose you, too.” “Too?” Despite the kindness she had just showed, he couldn't help feeling a little angry at Tera. “We haven't lost her yet, you know. She's still hanging on.” “I know,” Tera said quickly. “But, Graham, think about it! Even if you could find Elizabeth, she's not herself! You said that yourself. I don't want you to get hurt.” She looked at Graham imploringly. He kept is eyes away from her, knowing full well that if he looked at her he would change his mind. But he did not want to change his mind. “At least promise me you'll come back,” Tera said, at last, her voice trembling. “Like you came back last time.” “I will.” Graham gave her a gentle squeeze, then let go of her and walked the other way. The door to the hospital opened and Graham heard Aunt Felicia call them in. “We just got word from the doctor,” she said. The air filled with electricity as Graham turned to look at her. Her voice was shocked, disbelieving. It couldn't be... “It's not looking too—too—good,” she continued, not really looking at any of them. He could hear Tera's sobs mix in with Aunt Felicia's. He too felt a new, fresh wave of pain and sorrow. Forcing himself to keep moving and not look back, he set off down the street, fumbling around in his pocket for the

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Chronoculus. The one thing he had counted on, the one thing that had saved them all before. Could it save Debbie and Elizabeth now? Or was it too late? The realization came to Graham that he might never get to see either of them ever again. He had failed them both. Elizabeth was somewhere out there. If she was with Sydney and the Regus Foundation, Graham's only shot at going after her was to find Kevin Daniels, yet he was recovering in an LATC controlled environment. Graham knew that Adi would stop him in his tracks and further delay everything. Not only that, but Kevin probably wouldn't even know who he was. And Debbie... as much as he hated to think about it, it sounded like she wasn't going to make it. Debbie wasn't just hurt, she was dying. Hopelessness drained him of all energy. He collapsed to his knees, unable to control his remorse any longer. He heard Tera cry out his name in the distance. He didn't care what anybody thought of him right now. It was impossible to keep it in any longer. He wailed out loud like a baby. Everything had spiraled out of control from the beginning and it had led to this miserable conclusion. Debbie, Elizabeth, Kevin, Zaharoff, Eden Genesis. Those faces flashed through his mind. He blamed himself for how things turned out. He felt alone... more alone than ever. He had let everyone down, most of all his father, who had trusted him to make the right decisions. Now that he looked at it, it didn't seem fair. Why would he put all the responsibility on his fourteen year old son? The answer didn't matter. Graham had taken it without even thinking. And he failed. Graham didn't form any words, he just howled out loud to express his pain. Tera's hand touched his shoulder, but it

338 • Jonathan Faz wasn't enough to quail his pain. He screamed out in anger at the Regus Foundation, and at Katherine. Then he screamed again in anger at himself. He should be the one dying in the hospital bed, not Debbie. Not the person he'd come to love like she was a part of him. And now he was losing her. “Graham!” Tera's voice wasn't soft, comforting, or even hoarse with grief. It sounded surprised. Aunt Felicia, too, joined in and yelled, “Graham?!” He opened his eyes abruptly. And he saw something extraordinary: an enormous bright light was emitting from his own body. Crowds of people had stopped and exited their cars, staring at him in fascinated horror. The light, however, wasn't the only thing unusual about the scene. The ground itself was trembling, cracking from unseen pressure. Pieces of asphalt and cement were floating in mid air, rising slowly into the air. There was a loud crack like a strike of lightning. Glass mixed in with the numerous mixed objects in the air as every window in the city block shattered at the sound. Some of the cars in the road began to lift up of their own accord, the startled drivers exiting the vehicle immediately. A loud rumble further cracked the pavement and the sidewalks, even causing some of the street lights to shift and wobble frailly. The Chronoculus, Graham soon found out, was the source of all this light surrounding him. It pulsated the light all around him, as if it were a corporeal substance. It was, for lack of a better word, amazing. His pain had completely left him now. All that was left was a calm, clear coolness in his chest that he embraced at once. His mind was clear at last. Suddenly, every detail sprung to his mind. It all made

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sense now. “Follow the clocks,” he muttered to himself, as if he were explaining something extremely simple. Aunt Felicia had backed away from Graham, her hands over her mouth. Tera, however, had stayed with him and still had a hand on his shoulder. She was squinting through the light, looking at him. “What?” “That's one of the clues Kevin gave me,” Graham replied calmly. “'Follow the clocks', 'the echo is your guide', and that book he bookmarked. Those are all clues.” He grinned, happy that he had finally put it together. “And Elizabeth gave me a clue, too. Without even realizing it.” “She did?” “Yes, she did. And I think I know where the Regus Foundation is hiding, now.” He stood up, and as he did everything fell to the ground. However, the light around him remained, gently beating like a heart at rest. He felt pure power coarse through his veins. He felt, for once, invincible. Tera grasped his arm frantically, apparently confused. “You're going? Now? “I have to, Tera. Before it's too late.” “But... fine. Be careful!” He turned to Tera and grinned at her. “I'll be back,” he promised her. “And so will Elizabeth.”

340 • Jonathan Faz

Chapter 22 Follow the Clocks

“F

ollow the clocks” was exactly what Matt had suggested it was: a very concise clue. Kevin must've been feeling his consciousness slip and decided to tell Graham where to go to find the clues he had left for somebody else to find—which Graham was convinced, now, was Adi. But the statement had more meaning than just telling Graham to go to the library and find the book. It was actually quite amazing how Kevin had managed to put so much into a few choice sentences. Graham knew why he had been Chief LATC Investigator before. He had a quick and sharp mind. Graham had found three clues during his visits to the library. The first one was that of finding out how the murders were connected. In the process, Graham

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discovered one crucial and seemingly insignificant detail: Jake Reed, the man who had replaced Kevin as LATC chief, had won his position through a controversy involving the location of the Regus Foundation. There was a whole article called the Jake Reed and Kevin Daniels Controversy which Graham had skipped over. Yet the fact that it was such a heated subject should have tipped Graham off that this was the key to why Kevin was taken and tortured. He must have known something. The other clue was the bookmark which indicated that Kevin was being closely monitored and would probably be caught soon. It also provided another vital sentence that was packed with meaning: The echo is your guide. The second clue that was in the book was, of course, the page in which the bookmark was found in the first place. The underlined paragraph on that page talked about a boy who had lived a very short life and was heading toward his own demise. It spoke of steps that led to the sky, the highest step being where the boy's grave was at. But then it spoke of a clock striking midnight, echoing all around him. Graham's clear and focused mind was able to dig up that small portion of information from the paragraph, even after only reading it once. The echo was his guide. The echo of the clock striking midnight. He was told to follow the clocks by Kevin, and yet in the end of the paragraph the story's character warned, “To avoid death, avoid the clocks! Otherwise, enjoy the time you've been given!” Once again, following the clocks would prove to be an important statement. Graham had seen numerous references to clocks during his quest to find some help for Kevin Daniels. The obvious place was the library, but he had also seen clocks of importance in the hands of the

342 • Jonathan Faz Nine Tails—in particular, the holographic watches they used to stay conscious of the time fusion. They were also the strongest link to Kevin, being the very group that Kevin last spoke to before he disappeared. But there was more involved to 'follow the clocks' than even that. And he would follow the clocks by looking to the echo to guide him. The clue Elizabeth had provided Graham was something inadvertent. She had talked about it once or twice. She had written it all in her diary. “I can't concentrate right now. I keep hearing ringing. Like church bells. It even sounds like it's saying something—” Elizabeth had complained several times in the course of the past few months that she was hearing ringing or bells. It apparently was bothering her so much that she had mentioned it in her diary. Again, the connection with a clock striking midnight was there. But, perhaps the most vital clue was her description of the bell itself. It sounded like a church bell. And there was only one place that Graham could think of that fit that description. One place that indeed had a giant clock that echoed throughout the city when it struck the hour, and that seemed like the perfect hiding place. The very, very old and out of place cathedral near Elizabeth's neighborhood. Graham spent nearly an hour running to his destination. He ran from the hospital to the other side of downtown, where Elizabeth lived. People seemed to get out of his way, since he was still aglow with power and light. He had no trouble at all reaching the cathedral. He stood outside, staring at the abandoned entrance and old structure. The cathedral's clock struck eleven o'clock, making Graham convinced that he was right, for he heard

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the returning echo. He could remember staring at the cathedral when he was arriving at Elizabeth's house for the first time, and dismissing it as a strange time fusion phenomenon. But now he stared at it with a newly found respect. Seeing that he was still glowing with the power of the Chronoculus, he walked up the towering steps of the cathedral and reached the door. He was extremely careful when he opened it. The cathedral certainly looked abandoned, with spider webs spanning across different surfaces. The benches stood in rows on either side of the long, threadbare carpet that flowed from the front door to the platform at the end of the room. On top of the platform was a high chandelier and stained glass windows on the back wall; one of them was cracked in the middle. Cold wind blew from the hole, making a spooky howling noise flutter around Graham. He ventured forth, fighting the chilly draft. Towards the right of the platform was the room's only door. Thinking this to be important, Graham headed that direction, staring avidly all around at the beautifully decorated stained windows and at the tall ceiling and arches that seemed to hold so much history. There was no telling how old this cathedral was, but it was definitely not part of his own time. Yet, the cathedral was clearly old and decaying, which seemed to mean that it was from the near future rather than the past. Graham reached the door and stopped for a moment. First, he tried to simply turn the door handle and pull it open. The handle gave in, but the door remained resolutely in place. He examined the door a little closer, but found nothing that would indicate it was being held closed by anything. The lock had to be on the other side, then. But how could he get to it?

344 • Jonathan Faz He felt an unusual strength suddenly, and the light around him began pulsating faster. He decided to try opening the door again, but this time the door burst open as soon as he touched the doorknob. Graham walked in and saw a spiral staircase that seemed to take him to the top of the clock tower. It was only a matter of time, now. He knew that they had to be up there, somewhere. He climbed the steps slowly, being extra careful not to make any sound at all, but he needn't have worried. Not even a soft tap on the stone steps could be heard. It was like he was stepping on soft pillows. About half-way up the stairs, he heard the muffled conversation of at least two individuals. He stopped and strained his ears to listen in. “—going to be leaving soon,” the first voice said. It was rough, husky, and the type of voice you would not want to hear when you were alone in the dark. “The boss just learned that the sneaking cop has recovered. It's only a matter of time before the LATC shows up.” It had never occurred to Graham that, since Kevin was safe, the entire LATC would come to know his secret. It now was a race against time in two respects. Knowing how savage Adi was, he knew she would take out all of the people in the cathedral without a second thought. Elizabeth was still his friend. If he didn't get to her first, Adi would almost certainly try to kill her. “I don't understand why we're sticking around right now,” said the second voice. This one was smooth, calculating. “I would've left the moment Kevin was found.” “Yeah, I don't know what's causing the delay,” replied the first voice. “I hate all this sneaking around. In the old days, we would fight our enemy up close. Now we're on

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the run all the time.” There was a silence and both seemed to contemplate how much they disliked their situation. Graham continued to climb the stairs, again his steps not making any sounds. He was beginning to sense something very, very dangerous brewing on top of the staircase. He couldn't quite explain the feeling... was it heat or just his imagination? So complete was his concentration on the top of the stairs that he wasn't paying attention to anything else. The click of a gun and tap of a footstep behind him totally took him by surprise. “Joining your friends, Seth Balder?” Graham turned slowly, his eyes taking in the familiar gaunt, skinny face of Adi. Behind her stood four LATC officers, all of them with high-powered, technologically advanced rifles trained on Graham. All four looked terrified that Graham was glowing, but Adi just peered at him with the same dislike she always had for him. “Keep going,” she ordered him. “You'll get your reunion. That way I can arrest all of you in one nice package.” Graham turned back slowly and continued up the steps. He wasn't going to fight Adi, not right now. The noise would tip off the Foundation guards up on top and he would lose his advantage. No, he would wait and let Adi go up top. He'd let her think she won. Then he would make his move. “The new one creeps me out,” the smooth voice from up top said. “Mind you, not nearly as much as Katherine did. But she looks so much like—” “Quiet, I heard footsteps.” The footsteps had to have been coming from one of the rear guards, for Adi turned back and gestured for him to

346 • Jonathan Faz stop. They were high enough, now, to see the light cast by the entrance against the wall in front of them. A shadow of a man appeared and seemed to look around. “Just your imagination,” the second voice replied. “I don't hear anything, except you whimpering like a scared little girl.” This sparked a light argument in which a few unkind words were exchanged. Adi turned to her partners and whispered, “They know we're here. I think there are about six, maybe seven. We're outnumbered.” “Six or seven?” Graham whispered back. “I've only heard two talking.” Adi looked at him bitterly. “It's a Regus Foundation tactic. Two guards in plain sight, several more hidden and silent, in this case probably stationed near the door. Anybody planning a sneak attack will get a taste of their own medicine.” She smirked at him. “Not that you need any coaching on Foundation tactics, of course.” Graham was getting tired of her nonsense. “What are you—” “Shh,” she hissed. “We're going in. Forty-Two and FiftyEight, take the right. Twelve and Thrity-One, take the left. I'll take out the two talkies.” She took Graham's arm and dragged him roughly along. He followed, curious to see how this all played out and if Adi was right about the hidden guards. They reached the final steps. Adi counted to three and then sprinted upwards. “Anyways, where were we?” the first guard said. “You were talking about—look!” The two guards came into sight as Graham struggled to keep up with Adi. She pulled out her weapon and fired two quick shots, both of which missed their targets. The two

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guards had dropped to the floor, unarmed and unprepared. They were apparently surrendering. And then, there was the sound of weapons clicking on ready from either side of Graham. Choosing his left, he turned and saw at least three men standing there in the shadows, silent and deadly looking. The two LATC agents Adi had called “Forty-Two” and “Fifty-Eight” burst out from behind Graham. They fired off on auto, Adi taking Graham into the deep heart of the room as she avoided any counter fire. Graham could see the other two LATC officers burst into the room to join the battle. Adi reached to two prone guards that had surrendered and landed a rough kick in the back of one of the men's heads. The other one she used as a pad, planting one knee down on his lower back as she fired back at the other guards. Combined with the firepower from her four helpers, they easily overcame the Foundation's guards and soon the room was silent—except for the loud tick-tock from above. Smoke was rising in the air from the gunfight. She looked around with alert, bulging eyes. “Well,” she said. “They know we're here now. Be prepared!” She pulled Graham's arm roughly and pointed her gun at him. It was all so abrupt that he yelped and almost fell over. Normally he would've been terrified of staring down a gun's barrel, but he wasn't the least bit concerned over it right now. “What are they planning?” she demanded of him. “Well, probably to kill you,” Graham answered truthfully. “And take over the world. I don't know for sure.” “You're working for them! I know you are! Tell me

348 • Jonathan Faz everything you know!” “Why on earth do you think I'm working for them?” But before she could answer, there was a loud clanking noise from above. She looked up, as did Graham. This was the first time he was able to see what was up top. The ceiling was incredibly taller than Graham had expected, and he saw gears and pipes meshing together in a magnificent mechanical wonder. They were standing at the very base of the tower and the clock was overhead, ticking away loudly. Again, there was the clank, followed by an eerily cool breeze. A ghoulish howl filled the air as the breeze formed a cyclone inside the clock room. Adi frowned upwards and spoke to her teammates. “Keep an eye out!” When her team began to look around—some to their left, some back down the staircase—she added, “I meant up there.” And she pointed straight up at the slowly turning gears. One of the guards chuckled, but she motioned him quiet. Graham could see what she was looking at, too. A green reflection on one of the gears was bopping up and down. Someone had to be up there, walking. Adi raised her weapon suddenly. “I see it,” she exclaimed. Graham squinted, trying to follow her gaze. Then, he spotted it too. A silhouette of a girl was standing at the edge of a high platform. Graham felt his mouth go dry and his unusual power seemed to leave him for the time being. The girl had green, glowing eyes that had no doubt been causing the green reflection on the gears. For a moment, he was reminded of his dreams of Eden Genesis. But somehow he could tell it wasn't the same girl in his dreams. No, he knew who this girl must be. And then, the girl descended. She didn't walk down any stairs or take an elevator. She floated down. One step forward into mid-air and off she went, slowly and gently

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lowering down to the ground where Graham, Adi, and the rest of the LATC were. At last, she came into the light and Graham saw, just as he had guessed, that the floating person was Elizabeth. Her eyes were inexplicably green now, glowing from an unknown power much like the way Graham himself was glowing. The show of supernatural powers seemed to render Adi dumbstruck. It took her nearly five seconds before she tightened the grip on her gun and hardened her face. “Surrender yourself,” she commanded. “You're under arrest by the order of LATC—” But those were the last words Adi would utter for the rest of the day. Elizabeth raised a hand and this immediately silenced her. Her eyes flashed green and Adi stepped away, suddenly terrified and not at all the tough woman she had been a second ago. The cool breeze erupted into a freezing gust of wind. Adi and the four guards were swept off their feet and slammed hard against the brick wall. Graham was strangely unaffected by the wind. He wasn't sure if this was because of the Chronoculus's power or because Elizabeth had chosen not to attack him. Elizabeth took a few steps forward and swung her arm down. Adi and the others were catapulted up into the air, only to tumble down onto the floor with loud, sickening thumps. They lay completely still, not one of them moving a single limb. Elizabeth stretched her hand out a second time and caused Adi to collide with the wall again. She fell back down, though she was perfectly unconscious before this show of force. Graham couldn't pretend he wasn't pleased with the scene. It bothered him that Elizabeth was being so brutal

350 • Jonathan Faz when normally she'd leave well enough alone. He turned to her and watched her closely as she stared down at Adi and the others. “Follow me,” she said in a monotonous voice. “Where are we going?” “Up,” she replied. She took his hand in hers and lifted them up into the air. Graham had become as light as a feather when his skin touched hers, which was about as warm as a skeletal hand would be. She looked at Graham, turned to him with unblinking and cold eyes. The green glow shined from them and her face was stony, almost as if she didn't recognize Graham or didn't care who he was anymore. He could only see a cold hate from her eyes that he had never seen in them before. It was at that moment that he realized he was too late to save her. She was too far gone.

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Chapter 23 Encounter With the Two

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hey rose higher and higher through the machinery, floating on nothing but the eerie cold breeze, which Graham could feel swirling under his feet. The interior of the clock looked as old as the cathedral itself, but the moving parts had managed to avoid spider webs for the most part. A sweet smell of old, rotting wood was everywhere. Elizabeth led them to a narrow platform that extended out towards the middle of the tower from an open doorway. Orange light poured through the door and it was strong enough in contrast with the dark insides of the clock tower to cause Graham to squint and not be able to view what was inside. The two of them landed at the edge of the platform and Elizabeth let go of his hand. “Over here,” she said, in a low whisper.

352 • Jonathan Faz Graham followed her, hoping that the power from the Chronoculus lasted him long enough to survive whatever was coming. He knew it wasn't good, whatever it was. It was looking more and more like he was going to have to fight Elizabeth. But he didn't want to. They entered the archway, Graham's eyes slowly adjusting to the orange light. He saw that the light was coming from two combined sources: lit oil lamps hanging on the walls and ceiling and the golden walls themselves reflecting the light. The room beyond the archway was the size of a house in length, the ceiling extremely high and arched; just like the ceiling in the Nine Tails's former hideout. There were pictures of DNA strands, skeletons, and all sorts of medical and scientific things scattered throughout the room. In the center of the room was a desk made of the same golden material as the walls. And there he sat. The man with high cheek bones and thick eyebrows. Katherine's alleged father who turned out to be a member of the Regus Foundation. The monster himself who had tortured all the good out of Katherine, twisting her to do evil. He stared back at Graham with a mixture of pleasure and revulsion, his eyes colder than even Elizabeth's. “Good work, Elizabeth,” he cooed, getting to his feet slowly. “You left the others alive, didn't you? We're most likely going to need something to bargain with when the time comes.” Elizabeth nodded. “Of course. They're downstairs and unconscious.” “Very well done.” Sydney walked forward, inspecting Graham from head to foot. “My my,” he muttered to himself. “I never thought I would say this, but I'm impressed, Mister Sherwood.”

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“Impressed by what?” Graham asked defiantly, as if impressing Sydney Barron was a big insult. “Impressed by your courage, but mostly by your ingenuity.” Sydney gave him a deadly look. “You have caused me and the Foundation entire armies of trouble. If you had only given Kevin Daniels to me in the first place, I wouldn't be about to order the end of your life.” “I'm not scared of you,” Graham countered. “Go ahead! Give it your best shot!” Sydney laughed sardonically. “Mister Sherwood, you shouldn't be afraid of me. You are quite afraid of someone else, aren't you? Had a good night's sleep recently?” Graham tried hard not to gape in shock. How did he know? How on earth could someone know what he had been dreaming? Had Elizabeth told him about the night Graham awoke screaming in the theater? “Elizabeth, if you would do the honors,” Sydney continued. Elizabeth nodded silently and turned around, walking away from Graham. He felt a sense of foreboding, as if the next time he would see her would be when she made her move and attacked him. “She is much easier to control than Katherine was,” Sydney mumbled pleasurably. “Do you know why, Mister Sherwood? Because she's scared!” He laughed loud and hard, sending both a chill through Graham's spine and a wave of anger through his blood. “Scared! Katherine may have been a lot of things, but scared wasn't one of them. Nothing beats the original, but she was hardly controllable.” “The original? Do you mean Katherine or Eden Genesis?” Graham had said it before he could stop himself. Sydney froze and peered at him, momentarily stunned. “What did you say?”

354 • Jonathan Faz “Nothing. Forget I—” Sydney lunged for Graham's throat, grasping it and squeezing dangerously. He shook Graham as he demanded, “What did you say?!” “E—Eden Genesis,” Graham croaked. “She was the original, right?” Sydney let go and stared at Graham with a mixture of fear and of hope. Graham was so distracted by the man's suddenly violent behavior that he barely noticed Elizabeth walking back towards them. Strangely enough, she was carrying a notepad and a quill. “Draw for me,” she asked him, politely and yet tonelessly. She handed Graham the paper and quill and sat by Sydney's feet. “Draw me the picture. Your picture.” Graham knew immediately that she was talking about the Chronoculus. It made him suddenly doubt his decision to draw it for Zaharoff before. What if Elizabeth had told Sydney that too? They obviously wanted a drawing for some unknown reason as well. He wasn't sure if Zaharoff was going to be unscrupulous with it or not, but he was dead sure Sydney would use it for something evil. “No,” Graham replied. “I won't.” He knew how these stories went. The hero defiantly denies the villain what he wants. In a rage, the evildoer orders the death or torture of the hero. Graham could see it already forming in Sydney's mind when his face contorted in rage. Elizabeth, however, did not get angry. “Draw it for me. Please.” Again, Graham shook his head, his eyes darting back and forth between Elizabeth and Sydney. Elizabeth closed in on Graham, her nose inches from his. Her glowing green eyes seem to pierce Graham through the way Debbie's did, only

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with Debbie it was with an intent to help. He could tell that these eyes were calculating the best way to get what they wanted... or the best way to hurt him. And, again, there was absolutely no recognition in those eyes. It was like they were inspecting a fascinating yet annoying puzzle. For a while she stared right at him, so close that he could smell her. Then, suddenly, she straightened up and her eyes closed. This move surprised Sydney as much as it did Graham. “What are you doing?!” he demanded, gazing at Elizabeth. “Get it out of him!” Elizabeth said nothing for a while. Then, she opened her eyes swiftly and bellowed, “I'm looking for my father! Do you know where he is, Graham?” Graham seemed to lose all of his power. The glow that was surrounding him faded and he backed away, feeling the familiar dread and fear associated with that statement. She was asking the same exact question the girl with green eyes in his dream would ask. Could it be that he was dreaming about Elizabeth after all? It couldn't be. The girl in his dream started out as a small child, growing into a young woman in front of his eyes. She was also skinnier than Elizabeth and her hair was longer. What was going on, then? Elizabeth's green eyes looked down at Graham inquiringly. “I asked you a question. I'm looking for him. Do you know where he is?” “I—I don't,” Graham answered, trying to sound confused and not scared. “What is the meaning of this?!” Sydney demanded. It was then that Graham knew in his mind that the Regus Foundation never really had any control over anything. They had failed to control Katherine and now they were failing to control Elizabeth. They extremely underestimated

356 • Jonathan Faz the evil they were trying to use. There was still a chance of getting out of this alive. “Liar!” Elizabeth yelled, pointing her finger at Graham. “You know exactly where he is!” “I really don't,” Graham replied. “Liz, wake up! You're not yourself!” But it was no use. Elizabeth's face contorted beyond recognition and she flung her arms up in frustration. Graham was lifted from the ground and was thrown across the room, colliding with the wall and falling to the ground in a heap. He was momentarily disorientated, the breath knocked out of him. It took him a while to realize that something else was happening. He looked up at Elizabeth, breathing heavily, and saw that Sydney was holding her shoulders, shaking her slightly as he yelled at her. “Where is she?!” he was demanding. “You've got a stronger link to her than I realized! Tell me where we can find her!” Elizabeth's glowing green eyes bored into his. “Let me go,” she hissed. But Sydney did not let her go. He shook harder than ever, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke. “TELL ME!” Anger lines appeared around Elizabeth's eyes. Sydney's arms suddenly released her, which obviously stunned him. He looked at them in shock and in pain. “No, don't!” But whatever was happening to him continued, for he howled in pain. Slowly, he bent forward, grasping both hands behind his back. It looked as if something was forcing his spine to bend forward. His knees buckled and he fell upon them. His face was looking straight down when he stopped. He spat blood onto the floor and wheezed, groaning in anguish.

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Elizabeth looked down at him with a satisfied expression. “I am not your puppet,” she said. “You're mine. It's always been that way with us.” Sydney said nothing, either because of the pain or because something was preventing him from talking. Graham got to his feet, not sure what to think of what had just happened. “Liz?” Elizabeth's green eyes looked up at him. “Now, as for you,” she said, beginning to pace back and forth. “I'd love to see you in more pain.” Before Graham knew it, he was lifted into the air again by some invisible hand. Elizabeth stretched her arms apart as if to hug someone, but what she was doing was far from something so loving. Graham felt his limbs stretch out away from his body, like the Renaissance Man. He felt them being pulled harder and harder. “Liz, no! It's me!” Graham could barely talk through the pain. “It's me! Graham! Don't you remember me? Don't you remember Debbie, Tera, and—” The pain intensified to the point where Graham could no longer speak. His arms felt like they were about to come out of their sockets. Seconds of excruciating pain passed, however his limbs stayed unharmed. His boon from the Chronoculus seemed to be subduing Elizabeth's power just enough to prevent his arms and legs from getting ripped from his body. He opened his eyes. He saw Sydney slowly getting to his feet, his back stiff and his eyes blood shot. Whatever resentment he had toward Elizabeth was not evident in his face. He was grinning widely, looking up at Graham as if his pain was soothed by Graham's own anguish. Graham didn't know what to do. Whatever power he had possessed before was failing him now. He couldn't

358 • Jonathan Faz attack Elizabeth—no, he wouldn't attack her. He had no problems unleashing his rage on Katherine, but Elizabeth was his friend. All he could do was take the pain and wait for her to kill him. Still, with every fiber of his being, he knew that she was still there, deep down, no matter how surreal and wicked she looked now with the green eyes. If only he could reach her somehow— And then, she spoke to him. “Eden will come back through me. I want this to happen. She and I will be one. This can be done only if you give me the power, Graham. I won't hurt you. We're friends. I won't let anything happen to you, but only if you do what I say.” “I won't give you anything!” The pain doubled and Graham felt his left shoulder muscle stretch too far and tear. The agony erupted like molten lava out of a volcano. “I'm not playing around anymore,” Elizabeth said. “I will kill you if you refuse again.” Her eyes glowed brighter than ever. “Please, Graham. Don't you want me to be happy?” But, something was wrong. Something didn't quite add up. And, suddenly, it came to Graham. He had just what he needed to try one last time to win Elizabeth back. Zaharoff had taught him this truth without even meaning to and now it might be the key to everything. When Zaharoff offered to trade information for a Chronoculus, he wanted Graham to specifically draw one for him. That was because it wouldn't work for him otherwise. Sydney and Elizabeth needed Graham to draw a Chronoculus for them as well, for it to be of value. If this wasn't the case, Elizabeth could've killed him way before

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this confrontation and taken the Chronoculus he already had on him. Somehow, the power of the Chronoculus would only work for someone if Graham had specifically drawn it for that person, or if he had given it to someone of his own accord. At least, he was counting on it. “You're not going to kill me,” Graham replied calmly. “You won't kill me because there isn't a Chronoculus in existence that will work for you. You're going to need me alive to draw one for you.” Clearly, and to his relief, he had guessed correctly. Elizabeth's gaze faltered, Sydney seemed to deflate, and the pain around Graham's body slackened. “I can make you wish you were dead,” said Sydney, his voice deadly. “That won't work, either,” Graham said. “If I'm forced to draw it for you, chances are it won't work or won't be as powerful. You know this, I'm sure. Why else would Elizabeth offer to protect me right before offering to torture me?” He looked at Elizabeth. “Or is there a part of you that still cares about me, Liz?” Sydney snarled. “We don't need the Chronoculus, boy! It will speed up our plans, sure, but we will find out how to bring Eden back regardless!” “So you need a Chronoculus to bring Eden back,” Graham murmured curiously. “I don't think all the money in the world will tempt me to do that. So, we're at a stale mate, aren't we?” Sydney's face was beginning to contort with rage again. “Kill him,” he roared. “Kill him now! I'm sick of his face! We'll find some other way!” But Elizabeth did not move. Graham pressed his

360 • Jonathan Faz advantage. “Liz,” he said softly. “You won't kill me, and not because of the Chronoculus, either. You're not this monster that he wants you to become.” Sydney stomped forward. “Shut him up or I'll shut him up for you!” “Liz, after all this time, I know I didn't pay enough attention to you. Neither did Debbie or the others. And we're sorry for that. But we love you. I want you to come back...” Graham felt himself slowly being lowered to the ground, the pressure on his limbs loosening. His glow was also getting brighter and brighter and the special energy of the Chronoculus was returning. Elizabeth backed away, suddenly horrified. “What are you doing?!” Sydney demanded of her. “I'm—I'm not,” Elizabeth replied, her voice shaking. She seemed to try something, her face breaking into lines of anger as she extended her hand towards Graham as if to push him away, but Graham did not move. “He's blocking it somehow!” “Come back with me,” Graham offered her. “You have to fight whatever is getting you angry. Fight it now!” “You have no idea how wrong you are,” Elizabeth countered. “I'm not the person you think I am. Not anymore.” He was getting somewhere. She was referring to herself as a separate person now, not connected with Eden Genesis. He had to keep trying. “I don't believe that. That wasn't you talking, earlier.” “It was!” Graham walked forward, the glow getting brighter and brighter. He was determined to bring Elizabeth back, for he knew that is what Debbie would want.

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Debbie... At the last thought, the glow from the Chronoculus reached its zenith. A beam of light erupted from Graham towards Elizabeth, enveloping her in its soothing glow. Soothing, however, was not what it seemed to feel like to her. She screamed and fell to the floor, twisting and turning, convulsing uncontrollably. “What are you doing?!” she yelled. “It hurts! Stop it!” Sydney backed away, looking at the two of them in astonishment. “This is impossible!” A dark, pulsating object appeared around Elizabeth, much like the dark outline around Katherine that Graham had seen two years ago when the Chronoculus had shined its light on her. However, this was going to be different. Graham knew it with all his heart. The Chronoculus's light wasn't going to kill Elizabeth. It was going to make her better. Yet she screamed louder than ever. The darkness surrounding her made one last, desperate attempt to win. It reached through the beam of light connecting her to Graham and wrapped around his torso. He immediately felt the effect. It was like a burning sensation, not on his skin, but in his very stomach. He felt hatred, anger, and frustration at once—all separate and yet similar. He also could feel hopelessness, terror, and guilt. It wasn't only one negative emotion, but several in one giant pang. Elizabeth was feeling hatred, hatred towards everyone. Unexplainable, pure hatred, as if it was everyone's fault that she was like this. And she was angry. Angry at the world for putting her in this position. Angry that Graham wouldn't tell her where her father was, wouldn't give her the Chronoculus. This led to frustration. Didn't he know

362 • Jonathan Faz that she had to have it? Didn't he know she had risked everything—and lost everything in the process—to take it? Hopelessness set in. She wasn't going to get it. But she didn't want it. She wasn't interested in his drawings. Why was she asking for it? Why was there this much negative emotion pouring into her? Where was it coming from? It wasn't her emotions and she knew it. It was someone else's. She was being a puppet to someone who wasn't there, asking for things that the someone else wanted and feeling someone else's anger at Graham, at Debbie, and the others. This is where her terror set in. Why was she feeling two different people's emotions, thinking two different people's thoughts? Was it Katherine? Was she back? It had been her fault... all her fault... But, in truth, some of those negative emotions were easy to give in to. Debbie had ignored her for the most part when she tried to tell her. She had wanted to tell Debbie how these conflicting feelings and thoughts had been flowing through her for the past few months. But Graham's dilemma was so important to her. Plus, they were on the run. Why was she being so selfish? She felt guilty at the way she had yelled at Debbie, at the way she had— A new emotion kicked in. Grief. She was remembering how she had attacked and injured Debbie. Finally, she remembered the stabbing. I'm a monster. “No,” Graham said. “Elizabeth, you're being manipulated by some very evil people. You need to control yourself! You need to get rid of that second person.” Deep down, he knew that the second person was Eden Genesis. Eden had the air of someone who was full of those negative feelings, even if she had only uttered a few

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statements and questions to him in a dream. They're my emotions, aren't they? “They aren't yours. You don't have to feel guilty. You're not doing this, it's them!” “What's going on?!” Sydney yelled. “I can't see—where is everyone?” I was mad at Debbie. I stabbed her! I may have even killed her! “It wasn't you! You loved her, she's your best friend! You didn't do that, it was whatever they've done to you. Don't believe that you're doing these things, not for one second!” But, can I really come back, even after all I've done? Nobody will want me back. No, this is the way I have to go— “I'm asking you back, aren't I?” The dark outline around Elizabeth diminished. Graham? Is that you? “Yes. It's me, Liz.” You really want me back? You can't! I don't even want me back. Debbie... what have I done to Debbie?! “Come back to me, Liz.” How can you ask that? “Because I love you, Liz. You're my friend. And I know you're not the one doing this.” You—love me? The outline of darkness was now only pencil-thin, evaporating slowly in the bright light of the Chronoculus. “No!” Sydney roared. But it was too late. The light from the Chronoculus shattered the darkness around Elizabeth for good. She screamed in pain and fell back as more of the darkness poured out of her eyes, nose, and mouth. It flew high up into the air, gathering above Graham for one last attack. The light from his Chronoculus boon left Elizabeth alone and, instead, redirected to the dark spiral above him.

364 • Jonathan Faz They clashed, causing a gale inside the room for an instant, but the darkness seemed to have been weakened too much already. A flash of brilliant light. The roar of something murderous trying to get its prey. A shower of sparks and fire igniting the ceiling in a sea of warm colors. It was all over. All the light from the Chronoculus dissipated and all that was left to be seen was Graham standing slightly slumped forward, Elizabeth flat on her back, unconscious, Sydney staring at them both in disbelief, and the sparks floating slowly to the ground like snow. Relief set in on Graham. Elizabeth was safe... “I—I did it,” Graham said to himself, not believing what had just happened. His relief was short lived, however. A big, hard hand closed around his neck and he looked up belatedly to see Sydney gazing down at him with rage. “It'll be better like this,” he murmured. “With you dead, it'll be easier to bring Eden back.” Graham kicked hard, but his strength was already leaving him. The Chronoculus boon was broken and he was no longer protected. Why did it have to leave now? “Thinking you could stop us was foolish,” Sydney went on. “You're just a kid, after all! What can you possibly do?” He dragged the gagging and gasping Graham over to the desk, shoving his head into the hard golden solid. Graham struggled with all his remaining strength to pull free, but the most he could do was open his grip enough to breathe. Sydney reached inside one of the compartments of the desk and pulled out a large, gun-shaped device with a long tube attached to the back-end that led to an unseen area under the desk. The object reminded Graham of a drill, only the body was much fatter and the end of it was not a

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drill-bit at all, but several small, scissor-like objects. Graham could see that some sort of fluid was inside the object too, but he could not tell what it was. At the end of several of the scissors was unmistakably dried blood. “Katherine used much gentler methods to modify your friend's mind. This, however, is the method we used on Katherine herself, and the method she used on her father.” Sydney pulled the trigger and the scissor objects began to chop and dig forward into the air aggressively, like a dying insect's legs. It was clear that the object was meant not only to penetrate the skin, but to completely obliterate and tear it. Graham felt his mouth go dry as he struggled to breathe, knowing that he had seconds to escape before the pain began. He had less time than even that. Sydney stabbed Graham squarely in the back without warning, and he immediately felt the scissors cut into his flesh, tearing skin, muscle, and blood vessels. He wanted to howl with pain, but air could not escape him as Sydney tightened his grip on Graham's throat. Tears welled up in his eyes, the sheer agony or the lack of oxygen making his vision blur. He felt hot liquid pouring down his back from the wound, unsure if it was the fluid in the device or his own blood making the sensation. It seemed like hours passed until Sydney stopped the device and pulled it away from his back. The hot fluid flowed more rapidly down his skin. Graham also felt the beads of sweat on his face fall down. Sydney laughed callously. “You think you had the power of the Chronoculus behind you? Let me show you what true power is, Mister Sherwood.” He let go of Graham's throat, pushing him to the

366 • Jonathan Faz ground. Graham gasped for breath, trying to pick himself up. Sydney stepped forward and kicked Graham in the stomach, picked him up by his hair, punched him in the nose... and on the brutality went. Graham almost lost consciousness in the assault, but every time he came close to blacking out, Sydney stabbed him again with the torture device, making him scream out in agony again. He lost track of time. He didn't know if he was being tortured for minutes or hours. All he knew was that when he came around and refocused his vision, he saw Sydney staring intently at him, the device pointing at Graham's own temple. “Interesting,” Sydney muttered, a hint of curiosity in his voice. “This doesn't have the same effect on you that it had on Katherine. But that doesn't surprise me. In fact, it makes sense.” He tightened his grip on the device, raising his eyebrows maliciously. “Do you know what I'm about to do, Mister Sherwood?” Graham was too weak to shake his head or utter a sound other than moaning. “I'm going to drill into your skull. This device is strong enough to tear through bone if I tell it to. I'm going to cut into your brain and chop it up, like a blender.” Graham felt more tears come. He couldn't believe that he had come so close to bringing Elizabeth back, this close to getting out alive. And now, here he was, about to die. Nobody could save him... Adi and the LATC officers were more than likely still knocked out. Elizabeth was as still as ever on the floor. And the rest—Tera, Aunt Felicia, Uncle Jim—they had no idea where he had gone. “But I'll make sure to keep you alive. Oh yes, Mister Sherwood. It will be a biology lesson unlike any other, examining your own brain.” Sydney smiled at him a cold,

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deadly smile. “And after that we'll have some more fun. You'll still be technically alive, but you won't be able to talk, see, or hear anything. But you'll be able to feel. Oh yes, you'll feel plenty before you die.” Graham wanted to close his eyes, but he was too horrified and shocked to do so. Sydney laughed, then prepared himself. The only thing Graham could see was Sydney's face... it would be the last thing he would see. He didn't want to die. Not like this. Sydney's smile widened and, with an intake of breath, he pulled the trigger. There was an unexpected bang that echoed throughout the room. Finally, Graham shut his eyes... He didn't feel any pain. He didn't feel anything at all, in fact, not even the sharp scissor-like appendages on his temple. Slowly, he opened his eyes and tried to see what had happened. Sydney was staggering backwards, clutching a wound in his side, the torture device dropping to the ground with a loud clunk. He looked terrorized, raising one of his hands up to reveal his own blood dripping down to the ground. Graham looked to his side, expecting to see Elizabeth up on her feet, but she was still on the ground, her eyes closed shut. He looked further away, towards the entrance, and felt a jolt of surprise at what he saw there. A bandaged, slumped figure stood at the door, the gun that had just been fired clutched tightly and still pointing at Sydney. “You!” Sydney yelled aloud, his voice shrill. He must've realized that there was no way out for him, now. He had run out of time. Making one last attempt, he sprinted to his desk and hit something, causing the lights to go out in the room. Graham heard a struggle, heard three more shots

368 • Jonathan Faz fired, and then silence for a few seconds. The silence was broken by more gun shots outside the room, followed by the unmistakable sound of breaking glass. And then all was quiet once again. Graham stared in the darkness to see if he could find any sign that he was not alone. He couldn't move much at all. Both of his arms and one leg had been savagely incised by Sydney. The lights came back on, the orange light reflecting off the golden walls once more. A man walked up to Graham, knelt slowly down, and stared down at him. It was the man who had saved his life. “Y—you're here.” Graham murmured in disbelief. Kevin Daniels nodded. Graham smiled at him, breathing a sigh of relief. “You saved my life,” he croaked. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Kevin shrugged, returning the smile. “Just returning the favor,” he replied.

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Chapter 24 The Stranger Returns

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raham learned after the fact that Sydney had fled on foot after he the lights had gone out. He managed to get past the weak and still recovering Kevin Daniels. However, Kevin had brought backup—an elite team of Atomic War veterans, still young and full of energy. With nowhere else to go, Sydney did the only thing a coward would do in that situation—he jumped right out of the tower, shattering the clock face. He would have fallen to his death, but Sydney didn't plan on LATC patrol cars and flying Capture-bots to be waiting for him. A car scooped him up easily and he was taken to LATC headquarters to face the most severe temporal crime charges in history. Kevin explained to everyone when all was said and done

370 • Jonathan Faz that he had forced his way out of the hospital when he'd learned about Adi's plans. Apparently, he had specifically told her to wait, but she hadn't listened. He had arrived only a minute or two after Graham and Elizabeth had ascended to the top of the clock tower; to the room where Sydney was based. Kevin spent most of the time finding the lift that took him to the top-most level, the lift that Sydney took himself, no doubt. This is what Graham learned while sitting in his hospital bed and listening to Tera's report. Tera had taken the time to ask them what had happened, and since Graham wasn't entirely clear himself, she told him all she knew. “Are you sure you're feeling okay?” Tera inquired again. “You don't have to go home today just because the doctor says you can.” “You're worse than my mom,” Graham muttered. “You're very close to breaking her record. She asks like every two minutes.” “Graham, you went through a lot,” she countered. “I'm asking because I really care about you, you know.” Graham smiled at her. “I know. And thank you. But I'm fine, really!” Tera took his hand in hers and squeezed. “I'm glad. Graham... I was so worried when you left. I—” It was at that moment that Matt, Sarah, and Lynda entered the room. Graham felt Tera withdraw just a bit, letting go of his hand. Matt was still pale faced. Graham couldn't blame him, since he had just learned about everything a few hours ago. “Hey buddy,” Graham said, frowning with concern. “You okay? You look worse than me.” “Oh I'll be fine,” Matt replied, a little angrily. “I just learned my best friend almost got his brains butchered and

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a girl that I like stabbed her own best friend. Yeah, just usual business with me. How are you feeling?” “Better,” replied Graham. “And Debbie?” Sarah asked. “They wouldn't let us see her. Only family, still.” “I haven't heard anything,” Graham replied, his light feeling dropping just a bit. “Not since I woke up. Have you?” “Nothing,” replied Lynda, stepping up to Graham's hospital bed and sitting at the foot. She ran a hand through her brown hair. “By the way, Graham. You never did call me to tell me what was happening.” “I was on the run!” Graham retorted. “We'd all been chased out of Liz's house and then everything sort of went out of control from there.” Chuckling, Lynda patted Graham on the arm. “I'm just kidding around. Matt kept me informed after you left his house. I figured you'd be too... preoccupied to keep me in the loop.” “How much did he tell you?” Graham gave Matt an inquiring look. “He told me everything,” Lynda replied. “Zaharoff, your dreams... there were times when I didn't believe him, but his crying sounded so real—” “I was not crying!” “Stop acting all tough,” Lynda shot back. Sarah and Tera giggled lightly. “What about Elizabeth?” Matt asked shamelessly. “It might take her a while to get over what happened,” Graham replied honestly. “She's going to need a lot of support from her friends. I bet she feels vulnerable right now, even after I broke whatever link she had to the Foundation.”

372 • Jonathan Faz Matt tilted his head curiously. “Vulnerable? Hmm.” Lynda gasped and slapped Matt in the arm. “That's horrible! Don't even think about it.” The doctor knocked on the doorway and entered. “Hey, everyone. Just checking up on this guy. Won't be long.” After checking all of the machines attached to Graham, his wounds, and the papers at the foot of the bed, the doctor declared that Graham was well enough to go home. Thrilled about this, Graham got out of bed slowly and closed the curtains while Tera, Sarah, and Matt waited outside for him. He changed into some clean clothes his mom had brought for him. He called out that he was ready, sat in a prepared wheelchair, and was rolled out of the room by the nurse. “Can we stop by my cousin's room before we leave?” Graham asked. “Sure thing,” the nurse replied. They reached an elevator, entered, and descended two floors. The nurse led him past several rooms until they began to close in on the emergency room. They stopped a few feet away when Aunt Felicia stumbled out, pale-white and shocked, tears flowing freely down her face. She looked into the waiting area, where Uncle Jim was sitting barely awake—apparently he had stayed up all night. “Jim...” she said quietly. It was as if she had yelled out the name. Uncle Jim jerked fully awake, getting to his feet. “I—I don't know what happened, but—” And she fell silent. Graham felt anguish erupt inside him. “What?” he asked, with a trembling voice. “Debbie? No!” Felicia looked at him and words seemed to fail her. Debbie's doctor appeared at the doorway, looking down the hall at Graham and the others. Her face, too, was

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colorless. She didn't say anything either, just looked with wide eyes at Aunt Felicia and Uncle Jim. Graham wheeled himself forward, the nurse behind him trying to keep up. When he reached the door, he glanced inside, expecting to see what he feared... Instead, he saw Debbie sitting up, looking around curiously with a carton of apple juice in her hand. Her milky-white skin was gray, her eyes slightly drooping, but otherwise she looked fine. She spotted Graham at once. “Graham!” Words failed even Graham. He wheeled forward, reaching up to hug her tightly. He felt tears form in his eyes when he let go of her, turning back to the doctor and Aunt Felicia. Uncle Jim was at the doorway now, looking in on the scene. “What's the big deal?” Graham demanded angrily. “You all made me think she was dead with the way you were acting!” “Make no mistake,” the doctor said shakily. “She was dead. For a few seconds, maybe even a minute. But her heart started beating again by itself and her blood volume is quickly returning to normal.” Graham looked back at Debbie and noticed how her skin was slowly returning back to normal. Debbie looked just as surprised as everyone else. She gave Graham a curious look and whispered, “Do you think your Chronoculus did that?” Shrugging, Graham said, “I don't know. I don't think so.” Everything seemed to sink in at once for everyone. Aunt Felicia, Uncle Jim, and Tera all sprinted to her bed and crowded around, crying happily. Graham backed out to make room for Sarah, who was teary eyed by the whole

374 • Jonathan Faz ordeal. Graham stayed at least two more hours in the hospital, not wanting to leave quite so soon anymore. He stayed with them as they moved Debbie out of the emergency room and into her own recovery room. Debbie was eager to hear what had happened—the most she knew was that she had seen Elizabeth stab her, but she was convinced it had been either someone else or a dream. Graham had to tell her that it was neither, but that it had really happened. He told her what he had discovered in Elizabeth's diary—which Debbie, surprisingly, didn't get mad about—and then told her what happened after she had passed out. He went through every detail right down to the final outcome in the clock tower of the cathedral. Debbie was silent for a moment. “I'm glad you're okay. So, you brought Liz back?” she inquired, a little apprehensively. “How can you be sure she isn't under their control, still?” “I just am sure.” Graham shrugged. “The same way I was sure something was up with her in the first place, I guess.” Debbie didn't look convinced. “I heard she's coming by to see me. Can you—uh, stay with me while she's here?” Graham agreed, though reluctantly. He wished they'd resolve this difference on their own without him having to get in the middle of things. A few minutes later, Elizabeth, her mom, and her dad showed up at Debbie's room. Graham looked at Debbie and Elizabeth, waiting to see what either did. Debbie stared with cold, disbelieving eyes while Elizabeth stared with wet, pathetically apologetic eyes. “D-D-Debbie! Forgive me, p-please!” And Elizabeth said nothing else, just whimpered occasionally as she waited

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for some kind of acknowledgment. It didn't come. Debbie just stared back at her in a distant sort of way. “Please!” Elizabeth pleaded. She repeated the word over and over, her voice getting lower and lower as she did. Debbie still said nothing, but she eyed her friend as if she were a dangerous animal. Elizabeth backed out of the room, lowering her head, and left crying. Her parents followed her. Graham gave Debbie a disapproving glance and stood up from his wheelchair rather weakly. “I'll be back,” he told her. He walked as fast as he could out of the room and down the hallway, spotting Elizabeth at the far end sitting by herself, weeping out loud. Her parents stood afar, unsure of what to say. They would probably need as much time as Debbie did to get over everything that had happened. It took Graham nearly a minute to reach her. When he did, he sat next to her, sighing deeply. “Hey.” “She—she hates me now,” Elizabeth moaned. “How can she forgive me? How can I forgive me?!” She looked up at her parents. “I'm sure you all think I'm a freak now. How can things get back to normal?” “We don't think that,” her mom said reassuringly. “It's just—it's just everything we've heard is so strange.” Graham put an arm around Elizabeth. “I just think it's going to take a little bit of time, Liz. I know how you were feeling because of the connection we made. You were surrounded by darkness, twisted by something evil to make you do the things you did. But nobody else understands this, not even Debbie. You have to tell her.” “She won't even say hi to me,” Elizabeth said tearfully. “It would've been better if you killed me instead of bringing me back!” “Don't say that, Liz! Everything will work out. It's just

376 • Jonathan Faz gonna take a long time to heal the wounds. The important thing is you're safe.” Her mom sat on her other side and gave her a hug too. “He's right. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me and your father. We want to understand what happened.” Elizabeth nodded, looking at Graham with her swollen eyes. “Thanks for coming back for me, by the way. I don't know why you did, but... thanks.” Graham nodded. He got to his feet, glancing at each of Elizabeth's parents, who were smiling at him. “We'd like to thank you too, Graham,” said Mr. Michaels. “You saved her life.” Graham shook his head. “It was all my fault to begin with. Everything that happened. It was my idea to keep that man in Elizabeth's room instead of going to the police. It's what started this whole mess.” “That's not true,” said Elizabeth. “It was Debbie's idea too. And mine. Don't take all the blame, Graham. Honestly, you're not that heroic.” But Graham just smiled, a smile that told Elizabeth that he was blaming himself no matter what. He turned and walked back to Debbie's room, sitting in his wheelchair. He watched Debbie fall asleep and pondered what would happen to her and Elizabeth's friendship. His cousin wasn't the type to hold a grudge for too long—but, then again, she had been stabbed and almost killed. However, she knew Elizabeth hadn't been herself. Graham had told her so. Only time would make their friendship better again, he figured. His parents arrived at the room later that afternoon and, not wanting to wake Debbie, they silently took Graham out of the room and to an elevator, intending to bring him

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home at last. As a load of paperwork had to be finished up, Graham was able to converse further with Tera, Matt, and Sarah about the night he went to rescue Elizabeth from the Regus Foundation. “No wonder they had to hide,” Matt said in wonderment. “There weren't many of them, were there? It was just that Sydney guy and a few guards.” At the sound of the name, Graham's still aching body seemed to ache just a little more. “I'm still not sure why that is. I got the impression that the guards were wondering why they were staying there in the first place. They already knew Kevin had been rescued. My guess is that when Elizabeth arrived, Sydney stayed behind with a few guards. Since she was, you know, their girl now, the tables may have turned.” “Well that was his mistake,” replied Matt. “And now we don't have anything to worry about anymore.” “You're forgetting,” Graham reminded his friend, “That Katherine also had a fake mother. She and Sydney were impostors.” Matt's face fell. “I wonder where she is. We haven't seen her at all, have we?” “No, we haven't,” Graham said, trailing off. “What I want to know is if Sydney was still working with her or if they had gone their separate ways.” Just then, Graham's mom came up to him and smiled. “Ready to go?” “Yeah,” Graham replied with a smile. Graham's father pushed him out of the hospital doors, the rest following behind them. He helped Graham out of the chair and into the car, carefully closing the door. Tera got in the back seat with him. Matt and Sarah waved them goodbye and the car took off out of the parking lot.

378 • Jonathan Faz Graham couldn't describe the utter relief he felt at having narrowly escaped death and managing to bring Elizabeth back to her senses, not to mention Debbie still being alive and recovering. Everything, at least for the time being, was going to be okay. Yet he felt uneasy about several things. He had so many questions about the Chronoculus, questions he didn't think anybody could answer. He had questions about the Regus Foundation, questions on Eden Genesis... questions that he'd like to ask Kevin Daniels. Kevin had suggested that Graham had saved his life after all, but he really couldn't see how that would be the case. But would that opportunity to ask him come? The car arrived at Graham's house and they helped him into the house and to his bed. There, his mother told him to sleep, but he didn't want to sleep. He didn't feel like sleeping. His mind was buzzing with so many thoughts that anything resembling sleep was impossible. He ate soup for dinner—chicken soup, his mother's favorite—and stayed in bed for the rest of the day until night time. All the while, Tera was at his side helping keep him comfortable and keeping him company since he couldn't get himself to sleep. Just before 9:00, the phone rang. Graham was both happy and disappointed that it was Debbie—he was hoping it was Kevin Daniels. “Hey, how are you feeling?” Graham inquired automatically. “Better,” she replied. “The doctor says I can go home soon. Probably tomorrow. Just not right now.” Graham could hear a subtle uneasiness in her voice. “What's wrong, Deb?” “I don't know. They're all testing me and seem to be surprised I'm doing so well. That kind of makes me

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nervous, especially since I apparently died before getting better again.” Graham didn't know what to say. “I know, it's weird...” “I know you said you weren't sure, but I think it was your Chronoculus. What else could it have been?” What else indeed. “Yeah, probably. I mean, I must have been just barely waking up myself when it happened.” “It kind of reminds me of—something from way back in the day.” She shivered audibly. Graham frowned. “Oh? What?” There was a slight pause, followed by a yawn. “I'll tell you later, maybe. It's all in the past, after all.” “Come on, Deb!” “You need your rest and I need mine. It'll take too long to tell you, anyways. Just hold on, you little brat.” She giggled. “Just kidding, you know I love you.” “Yeah yeah.” Graham felt himself getting sleepy at last. “Good night, Deb. I'll talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up and at last began to get comfortable. His eyes began to droop. And then, his mother knocked on the door, causing him to open his eyes for a moment. “What's up, mom?” he asked sleepily. She seemed to hesitate for a bit about whether or not to tell him. “Uh, there's someone here to see you.” A jolt of excitement ran through Graham's chest and he sat up at once, any measure of tiredness gone from him. “Really? Who?” “A man,” she replied. “His name is Kevin. He says you saved his life.” Graham's heart skipped a beat. Automatically, he made to get out of bed, but his mom stepped forward and stopped him. “Graham, you need rest. And, honestly, I

380 • Jonathan Faz don't trust him.” “Mom, he saved my life back at the clock tower. Trust me, we don't need to worry about him.” “But Graham,” she pleaded. “I don't like the feel of this. Are you sure you want to meet with this man?” He didn't hesitate. “Yes,” Graham replied firmly. “But, you can hardly walk! Why don't I tell him to come back tomorrow and—” “No, mom! Please! Let me go out and meet him right now. It's important!” Harriet grimaced, then helped him out of bed. Graham needed help only for a few steps until he was able to walk on his own power. He and his mom made it out of his room and into the hallway, where he saw his father standing. Robert looked down at him with a blank expression. “Son, be careful,” he said. “We don't have to worry about him,” Graham assured his father. Robert's face turned extremely pale as he turned towards the living room and spoke to the unseen occupant. “Mister Daniels, my son will talk to you now.” Graham rounded the corner and saw, to his mixed excitement and apprehension, Kevin Daniels getting to his feet from the sofa. There he was. The man who had been the source of much of Graham's curiosity for the past few months. Kevin smiled down at Graham, who was too nervous to smile back. “Graham,” Kevin said. “It's good to see you again.” “Good to see you too.” Graham's voice seemed to be distant to his own ears. He had suddenly forgotten all the questions he wanted to ask him. He couldn't believe this

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was actually happening. “Do you mind if we talk for a little bit?” Kevin asked Graham. He looked up at Robert and Harriet and added, “In private?” Harriet and Robert didn't move. “It'll be okay,” Graham assured them again. He turned back to Kevin. “Sure.” “Maybe outside, then,” Kevin suggested. “We'll only take a short walk down the block and back. I'll make sure we don't walk too far. But, there is something very important I need to tell him.” Harriet was already shaking her head, but Robert stepped forward, grasping her hand, and said, “It's Graham's decision.” He looked down at Graham with a significant look. Graham knew he couldn't go on without knowing what was so important for Kevin to come out to his house to tell him. He wanted to know; his curiosity was getting the best of him. He took a small step forward and nodded. “Okay, let's talk.” Kevin walked to the door and opened it, then exited out to the front porch. Graham followed him out, stopping only for a second to take the jacket his mom was handing him. He noticed that his dad was staring at him and looked like wanted to tell him something, but was holding back. Graham smiled reassuringly. “I'll be back. Don't worry about me.” But as he walked into the cold night to talk with Kevin Daniels, he got the distinct impression that his father was not worried so much about Kevin Daniels, but about something else. Something that Graham didn't know about. Possibly, he was worried about what Kevin was about to talk to him about. That was impossible, though. How could

382 • Jonathan Faz he know? Graham would worry about that later. He followed Kevin down to the street, wondering what he had in store for him.

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Chapter 25 Shadows on the Horizon

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evin and Graham walked a little ways away from the house before speaking. The night was cold, but not windy. There was a definite stillness to the air that allowed one to hear all sorts of things that he wouldn't normally be able to pick up. Sirens from the highway, dogs barking, fence chains rattling, children playing on the next street over, and even the TV from the neighbor's house. All of it seemed to be drowned out when Kevin began to speak, however. “First of all, I want to say thank you again for saving my life,” he said. Graham shrugged. “From what I understand, I could've gotten you to safety sooner. I kept you away from your partner. I'm guessing she told you.” “Yes, she did,” Kevin replied ominously. “She doesn't

384 • Jonathan Faz understand why I wanted it that way.” Graham did a double-take. “You wanted me to keep you away from her?” “Well, not exactly. I specifically wanted to stay away from the hospitals. The Regus Foundation have connections everywhere. Me lying unconscious on a hospital bed is just as good as holding up a large sign for them.” “I see.” “Sure enough, the first place she took me after I woke up was the hospital, only this time I was awake. I knew what to look for. Still, I begged her not to do it. But, as I'm sure you've found out, she's quite stubborn.” “That's for sure,” Graham said. “She keeps thinking I'm some horrible person. And she keeps calling me Seth, for some reason too. Seth Balder. Any idea why?” Kevin seemed to withdraw himself. “You might remind her of him. We'll get to that in a minute,” he said. “First I feel I owe you an explanation of what happened to me and why you had to keep me safe to begin with.” Graham didn't say anything. He watched Kevin closely as he began to tell the story. “It all started when I went dark, or as the LATC would put it, went rogue. William Richter from the Nine Tails had information on some of the dealings of the Regus Foundation. William and I were friends before he went off to start his following. We have remained friends to this day, despite our seemingly different outlooks on the way the time fusion should be handled.” “And no one has found out?” “Adi has. Naturally, she didn't like it and she doesn't trust them, but she trusts me, so she went along with it. After learning what the Valkyries knew about the Regus

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Foundation, I put everyone in danger.” “Why were you investigating them in the first place?” Some of Graham's questions were starting to occur to him again. “I mean, besides the fact that they're bad and up to no good.” “Back when the Tempus Murderer was here and causing chaos, it was impossible to trace them. There was usually zero evidence at the crime scene, but also there was no chatter, no evidence of communication between members. Even before the time fusion, the chances of overhearing or intercepting one of their communications was very slim. “After she was defeated, however, the chatter started. Of course, our brilliant department head thought this was a stroke of luck.” The tone of Kevin's voice was sarcastic when he spoke those words. He grunted and continued. “He had several espionage agents listen in. And this spying proved to give us a heads up. We rounded up some members of the Foundation and confined them.” “But, it wasn't what it seemed, was it?” “Right. I long suspected that this chatter was just a feed of lies or truths that they wanted us to know. I knew that it would throw us off track in the long run. You can't imagine how nervous our head was when the chatter died out completely one day. “He thought that they had found out we were listening in, but I didn't think so. Something was up. Something that they had to be careful about, even with giving out disinformation. But I didn't know what. That's what I was investigating.” “Did you ever find out?” “Well, you found out part of that for me, didn't you? They eventually wanted your friend because they thought they had another Tempus Murderer. I don't think that was

386 • Jonathan Faz their original plan, but it fit in with it nicely. I think they are after something more with these supposed pawns they use. They can't just want to kill a lot of people. That was part of one of the clues I gave you, remember? The murders were connected. At least, the ones after the time fusion.” They had reached the end of the street. Kevin turned around and began to walk back the other way. Graham followed close by. “The thing with Sydney Barron is he is a stubborn man. We have plenty of files on him because we nearly caught him several times. He likes to try the same thing over and over until he gets it right.” “Well, now we don't have to worry about him anymore,” said Graham. “Yes, that's true.” “So, you wanted me to keep you out of sight from everyone else. What if you died?” “It was a risk I had to take. If Adi found me, she and the guards protecting me would be in danger, as would I. No, I had to be hidden away, somewhere hard for the Foundation to discover. In any event, it was no coincidence that I showed up at your doorstep, Graham.” “You think fate had something to do with it?” “Not at all,” replied Kevin. “I knew where you lived. And I made my way to your house specifically.” There was a silence. A few dogs barked at each other from a distance, seeming to argue, one dog a deep growl and the other a clearly smaller dog that kept making yip yip sounds. “You did?” Graham asked incredulously. “Yes,” Kevin replied. “From the moment I heard about you defeating Katherine, I took a very great interest in you. It was very strange learning all of these things about you.”

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“Why was it strange?” Kevin again seemed to withdraw into himself, keeping his eyes fixed ahead at the street lamp which flickered on and off, the lamp just outside Graham's house. “Graham,” he said finally. “Do you want to know something that can potentially change your life forever?” This question surprised Graham very much. The fact of the matter was, he wasn't sure if he did want to know or not. He felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. What on earth could be so important? “Change it how, exactly? For the bad or for the good?” “I'm not sure,” Kevin answered blankly. “But I'll tell you only if you want to know.” “What is this about? Is it about the time fusion?” Kevin shook his head. “I don't think so.” “Is it about the Chronoculus? Is it about me?” Slowly, Kevin nodded. They both stopped in front of Graham's house and stood there, just looking at each other. Kevin kept a steady face as Graham tried to read him, but he might as well have tried to read the thoughts of a brick wall. “It's your decision, like your dad said,” Kevin said. “If you want to go on living a normal life—as normal as it will get with the time fusion—then you can go back into your house. I'll do my best to make sure you never get put into danger again.” “But if I decide to hear you out,” Graham began, but fell short, giving Kevin an inquiring look. “Then it'll never be the same. Trust me.” Graham hesitated. He looked back to his house. He remembered how things had been two years ago, before the time fusion, when he was a normal eleven year old boy with normal eleven year old boy interests. He had also been

388 • Jonathan Faz extremely lonely. But now things were different. He had friends and he felt good for the most part. Still, he was very curious, just like he had been two years ago. And he still had so many questions about everything, from the time fusion to the Atomic War. This was his chance to learn even more, possibly. Or would it just lead to more questions? There was no way to know for sure unless he listened to Kevin. A sudden thought came up to his mind, making him pause longer. If he hadn't gone after Elizabeth, how would he have felt? He didn't think he could have lived with himself if he had decided not to go. He could've decided there was nothing he could do, but he hadn't. As a result, Elizabeth was safe again, but at what cost? Her life and her very friendship with Debbie may be beyond repair. Now was another time he had to decide to either take action or not. It could change his life forever, according to Kevin. Would it really be so bad for it to change? Kevin didn't make it sound bad, but he didn't make it sound good, either. He turned around towards the end of the street, looked up at Kevin, and said, “I don't believe we've finished our walk yet.” Kevin stared down at him for a few seconds. “Okay,” he said. Both began to walk back down the street again, this time a little slower. “I won't tell you everything at once. There is much to tell you and I don't want to overwhelm you. Let me tell you, first, my story. It'll all make sense when the time is right. “I have no reserves about saying that I was a brilliant child. I quickly advanced up in grades, even becoming a high school student at age ten. When I graduated, I went

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straight to the best college my parents could afford, and there I excelled even more. And then, after that, as I was studying many theories and soaking up knowledge like a sponge, I met my best friend. He introduced himself as Seth Balder.” “Your best friend was Seth Balder?” “Yes. He was just like me. Gifted, but in a different sort of way. I learned anything and everything I could very quickly, but Seth—Seth seemed to know things just by studying a small aspect of it. He knew things by intuition, by grasping a concept and then filling in the gaps. “Still, that leaves a lot of holes to fill in, and he was not always right. But he had ideas, ideas that I wouldn't be able to come up with in a million years. He had imagination, which is something I lacked in my years of learning facts. We made the perfect team.” “What did you two do?” “First, we just messed around with theories, bouncing things off of each other's brain to see what we could come up with. We spent a few years like that, at any rate. That was until Seth came to me with a big revelation.” Kevin looked at Graham again and stopped speaking. “What revelation?” “It was, quite simply, something written on a peace of paper. Something that he didn't know by name, but knew that it had mysterious powers.” Graham felt his mouth drop open. “He had a Chronoculus?! But... but how? There's someone from the future that could draw it too, just like me?” “Yes, of course he had one. And he showed it to me. At first, I thought he was crazy. It was only after he showed me its powers that I realized he was much more than a genius. He was special, gifted with something I couldn't

390 • Jonathan Faz understand. “So, we both made it our goal to discover what that power was and just what the Chronoculus did. It was a discovery of the ages. He didn't understand it either, only that he seemed to imagine things and they would come about. We soon tested it out by having it teleport us to different parts of the world, trying to find experts on the surreal. But nobody took us seriously. “It was becoming clear to us that nobody knew anything about this phenomenon. Sadly, we also found that our ability to study it was very limited. So, we took to observing what we could while we tried to build methods to measure and study the Chronoculus. It was about this time that he met the love of his life.” “Didn't that distract him?” “Not in the slightest. He was quite open with her and eventually told her about the Chronoculus. It was she that suggested we go to the future in the first place to try and study the Chronoculus there. “That idea had never occurred to us. But, since the Chronoculus did anything he imagined, why shouldn't it take us through time?” “Wait a second,” Graham stopped him. “Go to the future to study the Chronoculus? Aren't you from the future?” “In a manner of speaking, I am, but not from the year 5050. I was, however, in that year when the time fusion hit. I suppose since I know it's not really the time that Now has us in, I'm not affected by the time fusion's spell.” Graham found this an interesting bit of information. “Wow, so you're how far off from my time period?” “That doesn't really matter. Can I continue on with the story?”

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“Oh, right. Sure.” “So, one day Seth decides to try it out, but it doesn't quite work out the way he intended it to. We wanted to go forward in time, but Seth took us the other way. We ended up in the same spot but one hundred years earlier. However, not all was lost. He decided to test if it was really working or if it was just some kind of illusion. He drew another Chronoculus for me, which I then put in a box and buried in the ground. “After a long time of trying to talk himself into doing it again, Seth took us back to our own time. We found the Chronoculus buried right where I left it, only it was old and ancient. “We knew that we had met success. Seth's wife helped us get everything ready and we three traveled to the future to see what we could find in terms of advanced technology to study the Chronoculus. “However, we only found ruined land.” “Ruined land? And what time period was that?” “Around 3100 A.D. I believe.” Graham was remembering something he had heard Alexis tell him. She had spoken of a Great Dividing, a war or something that was more bloody than the Atomic War. To be specific, she had called it the Great Dividing of 3016. “We traveled a century forward, but still all we found were a lot of ruined cities, violent earthquakes, and survivors living in caves or domed cities. “We traveled further to another century, then another, but nothing was changing. The land was still barren, the people still just surviving, not advancing, not repairing the charred earth. “It was only after Seth decided to travel way further into the future that we struck gold. He chose the year 5040 and

392 • Jonathan Faz there we saw that mankind had finally dug itself out of the trench it had been in. It was here that we made our base. It was here we stayed up to the point of the time fusion ten years later.” “And what did you do?” “Unfortunately, that's the unpleasant part I have to tell you. The one group of individuals that had the most promise, the most ambition, not to mention the tools we would need to study the Chronoculus was the Regus Foundation. So we joined them.” Graham shook his head violently, but he knew that Kevin was telling the truth. He had read at the library that Kevin had defected from the Foundation to join the Central Alliance. “You call that smart, huh?!” “We had no way of knowing how they would turn out. It's something I regret up to this day. Anyways, we knew that they were working on a project called Tempus before we got there. When they found out what we had, they immediately abandoned that to help us study the Chronoculus. We should've known they had much more sinister plans...” They once again reached the end of the road. Kevin stopped and looked down at Graham, his eyes unfocused, as if he were remembering something distant. “They started a project called Eden Genesis just as I left. I know it involved the Chronoculus in some way and live human experiments. But I didn't want any part of it. I only hope Seth felt the same way.” “So, the Foundation got a hold of the Chronoculus, then. Do you think they could've caused the time fusion?” “They may or may not have, but not with the Chronoculus. They couldn't control the Chronoculus because Seth never drew it for them. He refused to draw it

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for anyone except the ones he trusted, which were me and his wife. However, Seth was becoming more and more ambitious, wanting to further his research. I don't think experimenting with humans—albeit cloned fetuses— bothered him as much.” Graham nodded. “So, you left the Foundation and joined the Alliance to fight them. Am I right?” “Once the Atomic War started up, I felt partly responsible for it. I couldn't tell anybody about the Chronoculus, though. They'd think I was crazy. But I did tell a few individuals, including Rakhon. Imagine my surprise when he told me he had met the creator of the Chronoculus two years ago.” He began to walk back to the house. “Did you ever find out just what the Chronoculus is and why it has powers?” Graham asked hopefully. “Sadly, our research changed from finding out what caused its powers, to finding out just how much power it had and what it could do. The Foundation became ruthless with their ideas.” A lone car slowly passed them by, traveling in the opposite direction. “Well,” Graham began, “All of this is very interesting, but I don't see how it's life changing for me—other than there was another person who could draw the Chronoculus.” “You mean you haven't figured it out, yet?” Kevin inquired. Graham shook his head, trying to think of what he could've missed. “Figured what out? I didn't even know there was something to figure out.” “It all has to do with why I came to your house after I escaped the Foundation's grasp. They weren't torturing me because I had found out their location. If that were the

394 • Jonathan Faz case, they would've killed me immediately. No, they tortured me because they knew who I was and they wanted to know if I knew Seth Balder's whereabouts.” “And do you?” Graham asked eagerly. He wanted to meet this other Chronoculus drawer. Maybe he would know more about it than Kevin did. “I wasn't sure at the time. But I knew that they wouldn't be able to find him because he's so very well hidden. Now, however, I'm very sure I know where he is. “You see,” Kevin continued before Graham could raise a question. “Before I left the Foundation, Seth confided in me a secret that only his wife knew.” And again, Kevin seemed to withdraw. He fell silent, keeping his eyes on something straight ahead. “And what was that?” He hesitated before speaking. “For some odd reason, he had introduced himself to me with his alias, not his real name.” “Why?” “To this day, I don't know. Now do you understand?” “Sorry, maybe I'm missing something.” They reached the house again and Kevin stopped. He considered Graham for at least a minute, then sighed. “It's going to sound ridiculous, but I'll go ahead and say it. Seth Balder told me that he had another name, his real name. That name was Graham Robert Sherwood.” There was a hanging silence in which all of the background noise seemed to die away. Graham looked up at Kevin, thinking maybe this was some weird sort of joke. “I'm sorry,” he said blankly. “But, are you saying that he had my name?” “His parents were Harriet and Robert Sherwood, he was born in 1994 and I met him when he was 27. That's fifteen

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years from the time fusion.” “But, that's... impossible,” Graham protested. “I've never been to the future or anything.” “In the reality that I met you, the time fusion never occurred,” Kevin explained. “You went on to live your life all the way, and that's when you and I met. However, the time fusion has changed that course. I know it has, because I already see a difference in you.” “But how do you explain why the older you is here and not the younger you from my time period? Why am I not the person you knew in 5050?” Kevin shook his head. “I don't know. I would assume that I was phased into the time fusion because I was in 5050 at the time it happened.” “But, then, what about me?” “I lost contact with you after I left the Foundation. I don't know what happened to you.” Something in Kevin's voice and the look in his eyes told Graham that there was something he wasn't telling him. But he had another pressing question to get to. “What difference do you see in me from Seth Balder?” “Seth grew up mostly friendless and he was quite a recluse,” Kevin answered. “I was his only friend. Even when he was growing up, he seemed to have had no childhood friends at all. You, however, have already made several friends. That's something I find most interesting.” Graham tried to soak up all that he had learned. He had actually traveled to the future before—or after—and he had actually joined the Regus Foundation to study his Chronoculus. It was the most preposterous thing he had ever heard, and yet it made some pieces of the puzzle fit together. Adi was from 5050 and it would make sense that she would

396 • Jonathan Faz know him as Seth Balder, since it was only Kevin and Seth's wife who knew his real name. It also explained the ancient Chronoculus that Rakhon had in his possession the day he died... the same tattered drawing that Kevin had when he showed up in Graham's back yard months ago. As Graham recalled, it had his very name written on it, inscribed almost like a signature. “What about my supposed wife?” Graham asked. “Is she in the time fusion too? And why does Adi hate me?” “That is where I must insist we stop for now,” Kevin said. “I'm pretty sure there is a lot you need to think over. I don't want to tell you everything at once.” “So, there is more.” “Yes, there is more. But not now. Please, Graham, for your sake. There are some things you will need time to learn about.” Graham felt like arguing back, but he refrained. He could tell that Kevin was not going to tell him any more for the night. “So, you came to me the night you escaped from the Foundation why? Weren't they looking for me to begin with?” “Yes, but they were looking for Seth Balder,” Kevin reminded him. “A man, not a boy. They don't have a clue who defeated Katherine, we've managed to keep that a secret up until the time that I was captured.” “But Katherine saw me draw the Chronoculus before I defeated her. I'm sure she would've told them something, at least.” “Well, she obviously didn't. Why else would the Foundation leave you alone all this time?” Graham pondered over this. Now that he really stopped to think about it, Elizabeth had shown signs of keeping secrets from Sydney back at the clock tower, as well. At

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least, she seemed to know more than she should. “You were the only one I could trust to protect me from them,” Kevin continued. “Don't forget, just because I haven't shown up in these last two years doesn't mean I haven't kept my eye on you.” “And just why didn't you show up, huh?” Graham felt his temper rising. “During these two years, did you even consider telling me any of this?” “I did,” Kevin said. “Keep in mind, though, that I wasn't fully convinced you were Seth until a few months after you defeated Katherine. You see, I thought for sure that the older you would be here in the time fusion as well.” Graham considered this. “Still, you could've told me sooner.” “Some things are best kept hidden until the right times.” This angered Graham even more, but Kevin cut him off. “The important thing is that you're safe, the Chronoculus is safe, your friend is no longer their pawn, and you can count on protection from the LATC from now on.” “But, I think the Foundation suspects me,” Graham disagreed. “They must know I can draw a Chronoculus by now. They're going to be coming after me.” “Yeah, that's true,” Kevin said ominously, looking around suddenly, as if he were expecting to see someone skulking around. “They asked you to draw one for them, didn't they?” “Yes.” “And did you?” “Not for them, no.” “But you have drawn one for someone else?” The question was tense, Kevin turning to Graham to look at him sternly. “Graham, tell me who you've drawn the Chronoculus for.”

398 • Jonathan Faz “My cousin Debbie. Well, I actually gave her a drawing, but I didn't draw one for her.” “Doesn't matter,” Kevin replied. “Anybody else?” Graham had trouble admitting the other person he had drawn a Chronoculus for. “Well, yes. One other person. In order to get a new lead, which ended up being William Richter and the Nine tails, I had to draw a Chronoculus for a man. A man named Sir Basil Zaharoff.” Kevin's face remained expressionless, but Graham could swear he saw the man's face turn pale, even in the flickering street lamp's light. “You drew a Chronoculus for Zaharoff?” “Yes. At the time, it was my only option to try and find you some help.” For a moment, Kevin said nothing. He stared into the dark, dimly lit street, deep in thought and concentration. “Well,” said Kevin, in a cool and calculating voice. “That leaves us a loose end... and possibly a method of tracking.” “What do you mean?” “Zaharoff collects weapons, sure, but he also sells them. Even though you drew one for him, it's very unlikely that he knows how to use it. I think he'd just turn around and sell it.” “That doesn't make any sense, though! I drew that Chronoculus for Zaharoff, not for the Foundation.” “Its power passes on, Graham. That's one thing you—I mean, Seth and I discovered. I gave my old Chronoculus to Rakhon to keep him safe. I don't think it had quite an impact since he was an artificial person, though. That was my mistake. “If Zaharoff decides to give or sell his Chronoculus to someone else, they will be able to use it. If the Foundation finds out he has one, they will probably make an attempt to

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purchase it before taking it by force. Graham, I have to get back to headquarters. I don't like what you did, but we'll make the best out of it. Thank you for telling me.” “Wait a minute,” Graham protested. “You haven't finished telling me everything yet!” “I told you all you need to know for now,” Kevin replied. “There is much more, but you're not ready to hear that yet. I'll be in touch. Don't worry.” Kevin turned away and began to walk back down the street alone. Graham watched him go, feeling dazed, confused, and a little betrayed. A bright sparkle in the sky appeared, growing brighter and bigger until it swerved in front of Kevin and revealed itself to be a flying LATC police car. Kevin entered the apparently empty car, waved goodbye to Graham, and yelled out, “You'd better get inside! Just because Sydney Barron is captured doesn't mean you're not in danger.” Kevin closed the door and the car rose high into the air, zooming away with a strange mechanical noise. Graham stared at the light as it disappeared into the distance. At last, he knew part of the truth. He had actually grown up, gotten married, and traveled to the future. Only something had changed. What was the time fusion and why did it decide to bring Graham into the Now instead of his older alter-ego, Seth Balder? Unless, Graham thought to himself, the older me is dead. That would be the only reason. In that case, Graham sort of owed his life to the time fusion. Perhaps it was some odd way of letting him change things, though what he was supposed to change was not entirely clear to him. Maybe it had to do with stopping the Regus Foundation. Maybe it had nothing to do with them at all.

400 • Jonathan Faz He hoped Kevin would keep his word and come back sometime. Perhaps a small break after learning all of this was for the best. It would give him a chance to think of what questions he wanted to ask. Graham turned back to his house, but stopped abruptly and did a double take, his heart skipping a beat. He had just noticed someone was watching him from across the street. He squinted through the dim light to get a clearer view. There, perched on the roof of Jack Rooster's house, was a silhouette of a woman with pig-tails and a winged helmet. Alexis stood for a moment, then jumped and disappeared behind the house and out of sight. After staring at the house for a good fifteen seconds, Graham began to walk back to his own house. As he reached the front door and glanced back at Jack Rooster's house, he thought to himself that Alexis had probably not been spying on him, but she had been making sure he was safe. His reasoning behind that was if Alexis were truly spying on him, Graham would not have seen her at all. Feeling a little safer, Graham opened the door to his house. His parents were standing in exactly the same place they had been in before. They seemed relieved when they saw Graham enter the house. “Graham,” Robert said. “Is everything okay?” Graham looked up and smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “Strange, but okay.” He stepped back into the cozy comfort of his living room and closed the door, leaving the front yard of the house deserted and silent, except for the distant, echoing sounds of the night.

The End

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