Time of the Draig (30 page)

The complexity and probability his wife spoke of meant little to him, but he understood what was happening. The two orbs of power threatened to destroy the entire world; he knew of their need to be together. Such a passion he could easily comprehend. Faolan reasoned that the orbs knew the moment they shared the same place and time. He saw the moment his hope died and the door closed. Faolan fell to his knees and screamed until he could no longer make a sound.

Chapter 21

Boomer pushed through the screaming wind and stepped through the quantum door from the grassy field. His booted foot hit the tile floor as if he had walked into the lab from the main door. As usual, Samantha’s memory was spot on perfect. Everyone was exactly where he expected them to be. Three feet in front of him were the two armed guards and the earlier version of himself. The colonel stood just left of the guards with a quite surprised Captain Chandler behind the desk.

The earlier version of himself, who had yet to enter the first quantum door, only glanced at him briefly. Shock had ceased to be a part of his mental state after so many years with Samantha in the lab. He knew the earlier version of himself accepted what he saw. The other Boomer quickly looked past him to the sight within the new quantum door. In his memory, Boomer knew what held his attention. The sight of Samantha in the arms of a strange man and the pain so clear in the man’s eyes spoke clearly of love and loss. Behind them, Captain Jeff Harrison stood holding her precious laptop computer. A feat no other living human being, besides himself, could boast of doing.

Even with his back turned to the scene, Boomer heard Samantha yell over the wind the word
forever
. That was what had spurred the other version of himself into action that day in the lab when everything had seemed to go so wrong. If she had found a man worthy of her and he had approved, it was something worth fighting for.

Boomer held his hand up in clear expectation, while he pointed at the side arm strapped to the other version of himself. As he remembered, the other version of himself threw him the side arm while the two armed guards tried, and failed, to make sense of the two Sergeant Michaels. It all happened within five seconds, not enough time to process the unimaginable.

Without a pause, Boomer pointed the handgun at the colonel, shot him, and watched him drop to the floor. Killing the man who had mentally tortured Samantha for so many years was as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. Boomer had regret for smashing one the guards in the temple with the handle of the weapon, but he needed a clear path. There was no thought for the other armed guard as the other version of himself flung the man against the far wall, severely incapacitating him. Captain Chandler had the good sense to huddle in a corner.

Samantha entered behind him, and she screamed as she cleared the door. Boomer knew why she wailed. The door never shimmered or wavered; it simply wasn’t there anymore, though Faolan’s cry could still be heard echoing off the white walls of the lab.

“Now, Samantha!” Boomer yelled to the woman who had stopped in her tracks due to her grief. “You have five seconds to rip that fucking orb and we run.” When she hesitated, he added, “We already know an explosion follows on our heels.”

As Samantha’s fingers moved in a blur over the mainframe’s keypad before she grabbed UNK005 in her hand and shoved it into her bag, Boomer retrieved the two automatic weapons from the floor. Sirens and red lights flashed in the lab. Whether they were due to the gunshot or the abrupt removal of the orb, he didn’t know and didn’t truly care.

He grabbed Samantha’s hand and pulled her toward to the original quantum door on the far wall between the two metal posts. Boomer screamed, “Run!” as the doorway shimmered and threatened to fade from sight.

Hot air kissed their backs as they ran through the jungle to the next door at their left, over the footprints in the snowy field and through four other places he never really saw. Boomer’s only focus was on pulling her faster than the blast wave’s heat.

They almost fell as a pair when they stumbled over the sandy beach and the door ahead of them threatened to fade from sight. On sheer will power alone, Boomer dragged Samantha through the last door, ran over his own back, and fled into the forest.

Her arm ached as Boomer dragged her through the budding branches of the forest. Samantha would have lifted her arm to protect her face from being stung by the foliage, but she was taking no chances on dropping the bag that held the UNK005s.

Finally, Boomer slowed and came to a stop, gasping for air. “You can thank me now,” he panted.

His comment danced in her mind, and she realized what he had done. Exuberance filled her as she realized where and when they were. Her feet shifted, and her body began to run back to where they had just come from when Boomer’s muscled arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

“Let me go, Boomer. Faolan’s in the field.” All she wanted to do was run back to the man she had left behind. Her heart pounded in need for the man she was afraid she would never see again.

“He’s not your Faolan, not yet, anyway,” Boomer said as his arms tightened its grip.

The “but” never left her lips after Boomer reminded her they had entered at the initial point of entry. They had just arrived, and the initial meeting was about to take place in the same field she had just left. Only, they had re-entered forty-six days after their initial entry. The paradox of two of her and Boomer in one time and place crashed into her mind. They had to stay clear of the earlier versions of themselves and the men, or history would be changed.

Samantha slumped in Boomer’s hold as reality took shape. She wasn’t home yet. Too much still had to happen for the current version of her to be in the right place at the right time.

“You knew,” she whispered as the lack of immediate victory crushed her heart.

Boomer chuckled and slowly released his grip on her. “I had hoped but never saw who ran over my back. I only knew we went back to the lab because of what I saw and that Faolan was the man you were going to be with. I trusted Jeff immediately because I had seen him holding your laptop in the distance.”

Samantha stared into the opening leaves of the forest canopy, and Boomer explained how he had seen them enter the lab on the day the colonel forced her hand. The future version of himself received his side arm. He continued with seeing her and Faolan say goodbye with Jeff in the background. Boomer never saw who ran over his back, but over the passage of days, he had begun to hope it was them.

“Now we need to find a safe place to wait for our departure so we can get back to our future. Or something like that. I was hoping for a profound and wicked cool statement,” Boomer finished.

Samantha laughed and turned to wrap her arms around his waist. “Thank you. I never thought of using the original door.”

“You never could see the obvious solution to anything. One of the many reasons you need me,” Boomer said, squeezing her. He pulled back enough to gaze down at her. “As much as I would love to watch you tear into Faolan again for trying to buy you, we need to stay out of sight. Weiler is one heck of a sentry, and he’s scanning the area as we speak.”

With her hand wrapped around Faolan’s dagger tied to her waist, Samantha followed Boomer’s lead and lay down on the forest floor. The initial meeting played over in her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile. The man she had married had behaved like a fool that day, and she would have loved to see it play out before her.

Forty-six days is going to be a long time to wait and stay hidden. Forty-six days without his smile, without his touch, simply without Faolan.

“Where do we go, Samantha?” Boomer asked.

“How would I know—” Odd fragments of memory clicked into place. “We live at the shepherd’s cottage in the far fields.”

“I thought so too,” Boomer agreed as his face turned to smile at her. “We can sneak into the keep and swipe food from the kitchens as needed. I think we may even be the ones who took the other set of fatigues. A month and a half is too long to go without a change of clothing.”

She nodded as the image of the next month filled her mind. Her head lifted to note the weaponry slung over his shoulder and resting on his back. “Looks like Jeff was right about gunshots on the day of the battle.”

Boomer agreed. “We still need to be careful. We’re armed, but there are only two of us.”

Paradox danced through her thoughts. Two sets of them existed in Faolan’s world. Just because they lived in one timeline to open another door, they had entered an unwritten future. They only knew someone fired the weaponry when the keep was attacked, no more. “I’ve got your back,” Samantha said with a smile.

“Always have yours,” Boomer answered. His gaze shifted in the direction of the field where it all started. “I suggest we wait and help ourselves to swords from the dead men after everyone leaves the area. We can trail our party.”

Boomer’s head tilted in question. “Did you ever go back into your pack and check the counts on the MREs?”

“We only ate a couple of dried meals, and then Dana fed us,” Samantha said.

“That’s what I remembered too. At the lake we leave our packs when I swim and you talk with Jensen. I suggest we grab some supplies and then head for the hut.”

Samantha smiled and nodded.
I have one thousand, one hundred and four hours to wait, to survive. It’s only morning, and we left in the late afternoon.
So, there are actually one thousand, one hundred and ten hours to go until I can be with Faolan again.

Chapter 22

Boomer never thought he would miss the long hours of standing guard while Samantha was logged into UNK005. He was so very wrong. The last two weeks had been torture.

The shepherd’s hut was only an eight by ten room with thin wood plank walls, a dirt floor, and a roof that leaked in the rain. Stolen blankets and sleeping bags did little to make it more comfortable. Homey was never going to happen in the hovel. The hours had slowed to a trickle with no work to be done. Food was pilfered from the keep, and the stream behind the hut provided drinking water.

So far he had been lucky, and no one had questioned him when he strode into the kitchens to gather a large bag for a to-go meal. Samantha’s memories guided his actions and kept him from running into anyone of significance or anyone who would question him. Boomer thought with a smile about the fact that the women in the kitchens were too afraid of his size to do anything more than accommodate him and tease him for his large appetite.

Boomer always made those trips alone. Though Samantha had promised to stay clear of detection, he knew it would be asking too much of her. One glimpse of Faolan and their plan would be ruined and the near-past changed. While he gathered supplies, she kept watch in field. While no one had seen the scouts of the dragon-priests, the threat couldn’t be ignored.

Even with the threat, boredom had taken over. For the first time in her life, Samantha had nothing to do. She was driving him crazy. Between lamenting over Faolan, worrying about their safety, and being without the laptop, she was close to certifiable. The combination was pushing him dangerously close to the edge of sanity.

The diversion of the day had been what both of them needed. A long walk through the woods to the loch had been his plan. While the stream was clean, it was shallow and not nearly as satisfying as a whole body dunk. Boomer missed the rudimentary tubs in the keep.

As Samantha emerged from under the water, Boomer asked, “Does it help?”

“I feel a little better. You were right, and this was a good idea.”

Boomer sighed, and he floated on his back in the cool water. The last few days she had been quiet and a bit too pale for his taste. Depression had crossed his mind, but he didn’t think that covered it.

“Maybe you should tell me,” Boomer said as he shifted to stand in the shallow water. Samantha hadn’t met his eyes when she had denied knowing what bothered her. He knew she was holding something back.

Boomer averted his eyes as she left the water and dried off with a cloth. Privacy between them had always been in short supply, and it was the best they could do for the other.

His request hung in the air as he left the water, dried off, and dressed. Several more minutes passed in quiet as they sat on the rocks and gazed at the sun’s image on the still lake.

“I think I’m pregnant,” Samantha said in a hushed voice. She continued with a list of symptoms that included mild nausea and a lack of a period.

“Are you sure?” Boomer asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

“Gee, Boomer, I’ll make a doctor’s appointment for the lab work and get back to you with the definitive answer.” Sarcasm dripped with the comment.

A smile lit his face, and he turned to face her. “I’m an uncle. Very cool.” When her eyes lit with a soft smile, he continued, “I can’t wait to see the look on Faolan’s face when you tell him, oh, and Dana’s too.”

“What if he . . .?” Samantha started to say.

“Don’t go there, Sam. I personally gave the man an out from marrying you, and he wanted nothing to do with it. We both heard his scream when the door closed.”

Before she could reply, both of them jumped to their feet at the sound of horses closing fast. With no time to run for the cover of the trees, they hid within the rocks that guarded the side of the loch.

When Boomer heard familiar voices, he looked down to glare at Samantha. Her lips moved silently to say she had no idea Faolan and Kagen came to the loch that day. She only knew they rode home from his sister’s home and had dinner in the village. Boomer realized it was the day when he’d had to pull a drunken Sam off of a worked-up Faolan.

He nodded at the memory of the day, and both of them crouched within the rocks. He hoped it would be a quick swim for the men as he wanted to get her back to the hut before dark and, more importantly, without being seen.

Kagen’s voice could be heard as the sounds of water sloshing ended. “Have you thought any more on what your mother arranged?”

“I told you I have no wish to speak upon it.” The irritation was evident in Faolan’s clipped reply.

“As your cousin, your friend, and your advisor, we need to speak upon it. ‘Tis a fine marriage offer she presented to you with a strong clan we trade with frequently. That the lass is lovely only sweetens the deal.”

“My mother had no place to invite them to my sister’s kenning I was coming to visit.”

Boomer wrapped his arms around Samantha’s shoulders as the conversation continued. He hoped he had the strength to hold her in place because he felt her anger begin to simmer at the unexpected conversation. At that moment, Boomer cursed his idea for an afternoon’s diversion.

“Your mother delivered all you could ask for,” Kagen continued. “The dowry is more than you wanted, trade costs will drop, and as laird, you need to marry.”

Boomer tightened his grip on Samantha as Kagen expounded on the young woman’s beauty and all the clan would gain from such an alliance. That Faolan kept quiet did not help him one bit.

When he felt Samantha begin to shift to break his hold, Boomer whispered in her ear, “This is the past, remember that. In less than two weeks, he marries you.”

Kagen continued, “You walked with the lass last night. Her father would never have allowed such a thing if he did nay find the arrangement suitable. What do you think of her?”

Water sloshed before Faolan replied. “She is lovely, sweet and young enough to learn the ways of our people. The lass has been raised to run a household, or so she said.”

“I dinna hear where ‘tis a foul match,” Kagen replied.

“She is nay who I want,” Faolan replied.

Kagen’s laughter filled the air. “I hope those are nay the words you whispered to her after you stole that kiss in the gardens.”

Boomer’s hand clamped over Sam’s mouth as Faolan laughed in reply.

“The lass is one many would wish to bed and find in that same bed night after night,” Faolan said.

“Then we should speak of accepting the arrangement.”

“No,” Faolan replied quickly. “I want Samantha, and you ken this.”

“You want a woman who works to leave this place and who denies you at every turn.”

Faolan’s soft but colorful cursing could be heard over the splashing in the water. “And yet I want her.”

Kagen laughed. “Then we will wait while you dance around the dark mountain in hopes of bedding the woman. If Samantha denies you or leaves, you have a willing lass waiting to be your wife, one who offers alliance, trade, and a sweet form to warm your bed.”

“If I agree, will you let the matter drop?” Faolan asked with too much levity for Boomer’s taste.

Samantha breathing was too loud with the presumed anger. Boomer held tight while the men continued their banter and finally left the loch to dress. Minutes ticked by before the horses rode for the village and the meal the men would share in Kagen’s cottage with his wife and child.

Only when Boomer could no longer hear a sound did he let her go. Samantha slid out of the rocky hiding spot and glared into the distance.

With the automatic weapon strapped on her back, she turned to face him. Fire shot from her eyes as she spoke. “After I tell him how much I missed him and kiss him senseless, I’m going to kill the son of a bitch.”

Without a word, Boomer took her hand and began the long walk back to the hut. He silently wondered if he should warn Faolan or let the man dig himself out from the mess alone. The decision came quickly: it was Faolan’s problem. The one who truly needed aid was Kagen. He had been a bit too aggressive in pushing his cousin to another woman. Samantha had been known to hold a grudge or two.

Breaking the silent walk, Boomer asked, “Are you going to name the baby after me?”

Samantha laughed and gazed up at him. “It might be a better choice than what I was just thinking. I wonder how son-of-asshole sounds in Gaelic?”

“Get down, Samantha,” Boomer chided as they hid in the trees on the eastern side of the gazing pastures. It was the day Samantha and Faolan rode through the same area on their first day off since their initial arrival. The early morning had been spent clearing out their supplies and making the hut appear lifeless.

“I want to see,” she said as she pushed the hand off her shoulder.

Even from the distance Boomer watched the pair on horseback stop before the hut. He already knew that version of Samantha would note the warmth of the previous night’s fire, though Boomer was impressed as Faolan took charge and made sure the hut was vacant and presented no threat to Samantha.

He glanced over at Sam as she watched Faolan lift another version of her, kiss her hair, and place her on the waiting horse. She was still pissed about the conversation overheard at the lake. Something told him the memory of the kissy-face in the glade would soften that a bit, not to mention the night that was to come.

Before he could tease her, a twig snapped from behind them. Both of them were on their feet to face what they immediately assumed were two of the dragon-priests’ scouts. The two young men were probably only teenagers and bore none of the tattoos visible on the warriors of the tribe. Instinct screamed to let the two pass given their age, but he knew that was a mistake. The last thing he needed were warriors tracking them down.

The choice was made when both scouts raised swords to attack. It was a short struggle and left him sick. Scouts were obviously chosen for their speed and not fighting ability. The two fell quickly.

Samantha pulled her dagger from the chest of one of the scouts and dropped to her knees to vomit.

With a hand on her back, he whispered, “I feel the same way about it.” When she rose on shaky legs, he offered, “Go back to the hut and put our stuff inside. I’ll get rid of them.”

She gave him a weak nod and pulled the first batch of their supplies out of the brush. Boomer watched her walk back across the field and turned his attention to the two dead bodies on the forest floor. Concern flooded him at Samantha’s reaction to the fight that normally would not have even broken a sweat. A battle was coming the next day, one they knew they were going to get caught up in.

He needed her strong and focused as they had no idea how many warriors to expect. Even with automatic weapons, weakness was not an option. Boomer sighed, and he dragged the bodies far from their camp.
How am I supposed to keep her safe, protect her child, and survive this battle?
His head shook away the doubt. He would because he loved her and always had her back.

“I can handle this, Boomer,” Samantha snapped at him while she buttoned up the jacket on her uniform.

Boomer glanced up as he tied the laces on his boot. “If you can’t, you’ll only be in the way. Get your ass up in a tree with a gun and cover my back.”

Dawn had come and gone, and mid-morning was upon them. The battle was about to begin, and time became unwritten. Guns were fired that day, and that’s all they knew. Boomer quickly decided he missed knowing what every day held and the tedium it delivered.

“My ass stays by your side, Sergeant,” Samantha replied with her hands on her hips.

Boomer rose to full height and glared down at her. “You puked yesterday, so don’t tell me you can handle it.”

“Well, I feel better today,” she snapped. Samantha pushed past him and paced in front of the hut. When he stood to block her motion, she looked up at him with less irritation on her face. “Honestly, I’m not queasy today.”

“I still like the idea of a tree.”

Her head shook in denial. “We have to think this through.”

He saw the moment she began to think and the distance her eyes held from the reality of the moment.
Maybe she
is
up to this,
he thought.

“If you were calling the attack on the keep, who would you send through the vacant pastures?” she asked.

“Final assault troops.” The answer was obvious and fit with standard battle protocols. Save the best for actual conquest.

“Exactly.” Samantha offered a nod for the correct answer. “In the village, we fought a squad with a leader, and the same was reported by Jeff and Faolan on their ends. No one ever claimed to take down the commander.”

A chill ran down Boomer’s spine at the notion. If the dragon-priests had a similar battle plan to a modern military, the troops headed their way would be the best and be led by the visionary who put the attack together. The fresh men would expect to face exhausted and depleted Draig warriors.

Samantha’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “How many rounds do we have?”

“Not enough.” There were six shots in his handgun, and the stolen semi-automatic weapons didn’t carry heavy battle ammunition, only enough for base security. Ammo was a precious commodity in their war-ravaged world. “Total, we have around seventy-five shots.”

“Then we hold our ground here in front of the hut and wait for them to come to us this afternoon. We shoot when the enemy is in close range.”

A scowl crossed his face at the plan, but there was no arguing the validity of it. All they had to do was wait and watch.

Like sentries, they walked back and forth with the weapons held in the ready position, scanning the tree line in the distance. Minutes dragged on to seem as hours, and the morning eventually passed to afternoon. Swords clanging and men shouting could be heard in the distance. Even from where they were, the smell of burning wood filled the air.