Time Thieves (29 page)

S
ari jumped back
inside the room and closed the door as much as possible without actually closing it. She kept one eye on the room outside. Her father crowded behind her. His hand was a tight clamp on her arm.

She waited as the voices swelled. Whoever it was, they were coming closer. She strained her hearing. Did she recognize them? She thought it might be the redhead that had followed her. Jed? Was that his name? A deeper voice mingled with the others. A deeper voice that made her eyes wide.
No, surely, not.
It couldn’t be possible. That sounded like Ward.
No.
They’d said only her family could cross.

The voice came again. She closed her eyes, now understanding her father’s feeling. She was relieved and delighted that Ward was here. At the same time, she wished he were anywhere but here. She wanted him safe.

“Damn,” she whispered as the voices came closer. Her heart picked up as she heard a third voice mingled in. Probably Jordan. And Mark. She banged her head lightly against the doorframe. Everyone was here.

Madge? She peered through the crack in the door as the first of the men entered. Jed. Jordan. Mark and Ward. Her heart lightened. It was so good to see him.

She watched to see where they’d go. She should have asked her father how many men were here. Did an army exist, or with fear being the controller, was it not necessary? Mark walked to a door beside her and disappeared from sight, presumably inside. Her father gasped behind her.

She shot him an inquiring look. “What’s up?”

He whispered against her ear, “Look, Jed is holding the watch. If we could get it…”

Sari understood. And action was required. She opened the door and walked out.

*

Ward couldn’t believe
how purely normal this dimension appeared to be. He walked on floors in a corridor that could have been any typical hallway in his world. Wood and tile were the materials of choice from what he could see. Mark’s steps slowed the farther down the hallway he made it.

He nudged Mark. “Are you okay?”

Mark shuddered. “Don’t want to be here.” His voice was so low and faint it was hard for Ward to hear.

“I know. I don’t either. But I have to help Sari.”

“No helping her. Everyone is stuck now.” Mark’s shoulders drooped, his face despondent. “Accept it. You’re here now.”

“Hey, stop talking.”

Ward straightened, turning slightly to look behind him. “Or what?”

He almost laughed at the look on Jed’s face. They weren’t used to defiance. He tucked that note away in the back of his mind. He was also way bigger than Sari’s family. Ward bowed his head slightly, turning to face forward. He kept pace with Mark. He knew he could take these two jackasses. He just had to do it before too many more came and joined him. Two he could overpower; more than that and it would get dicey. He also needed to make sure he acted while Jed still had the damn watch in his possession. He didn’t know how this system worked, but he’d trust Sari and Greg to get him home. Especially as Mark had snuck Madge out.

“See,” Mark whispered, “it’s over.”

Not bloody likely.

It was just beginning.

“Ward!” Sari called to him.

Ward spun around. His face split into a wide grin and his arms opened wide. “There you are.”

She raced into his arms, laughing, to bury her face against his shoulder. His arms closed tight around, holding her close. “You’ve got to stop disappearing like that.”

Her lips against his ear she whispered, “We have to make a move now before they bring more people. We need the watches the men have on them.”

“Done.” He squeezed her tight then released her.

“Hey, enough of that. You two separate. Now.” Jordan smacked Ward on the back, jerking Ward backwards. With a half-smile, Ward let his weight fall back. Catching himself at the last minute, he looked like he was going to tumble to the floor.

Jed laughed. “God, look at him.”

Jordan grinned – until Ward’s fist plowed into Jordan’s front teeth. Sari gasped as the dark man’s head snapped back. He fell to the ground, blood streaming from his mouth. Ward was on him in an instant.

Jed screamed. “Jordan. Damn it, how did that bastard get the drop on you?” He ran over to his brother and launched himself onto Ward’s back.

Sari didn’t want to dog pile on top, but the choices were limited. They needed both men down and out. She slipped off her shoe, only a sandal, but it was a weapon of sorts. She ran behind Jed, who had his arm around Ward’s throat trying to choke him. Reaching back in her best imitation of a batter up to the plate, she grasped her shoe with both hands and swung. Hard.

She hit Jed on the ear with enough force to knock him off Ward, collapsing to the ground, screaming as he clasped his hands over his head.

Sari jumped on him, sliding her arms around his elbows and pulling them farther back behind his head.

Ward came to help her. “Easy. Let me have him.” Sari released her hold, Jed’s arms smacking to the ground. Jed came up off the floor in a rush and connected with Ward’s right-handed fist.

Jed collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Ward straightened, spinning around to see if Sari was okay. She ran into his arms. “That was almost too easy.”

“I know.” He kissed her hard then released her. “But we’re not home free yet.”

She dropped down beside the unconscious Jed and tugged the watch free from his pocket. “We need the second one, otherwise they can still travel to our world.”

“That’s never going to happen again.” Ward walked over to Jordan and systematically went through his pockets. “The days of enslaving your family are over.”

“God, I do hope so,” said a strange voice.

“Ward, this is my father.”

Ward spun around, shock on his face. Jesus. It really was Greg. He searched the older man’s features, then saw the young man in the face in front of him. Ward grinned. “Sir, am I glad to see you.”

Greg smiled, a warm caring expression that made Sari’s breath catch. She still couldn’t believe he was here in front of her. “Ward, it’s so good to see you again. You’ve grown up into a fine young man.” Then a sparkle twinkled in his eyes. “I presume you learned how to spell aquarium sometime during the last fifteen years.”

Ward’s lips quirked crookedly at the reference to the spelling bee contest he’d lost to Sari in a way that made her heart jump. Damn, she wanted to get home and haul him into her bedroom. They had to get back there first.

“Indeed I have,” Ward said.

“Dad, can you get Mark please? Is there anyone else here?”

Greg shook his head. “With Madge on the other side, that will be all of us.”

“Good.” Ward held up the second watch. “Let’s go home.”

Greg was about to knock on Mark’s door when he understood Ward’s comment.

He spun around, his hand still in mid-air. “Not quite.”

Ward groaned. “Why not?” He just knew he wasn’t going to like what Greg was about to say. He was still struggling with the whole concept that the man who’d been missing for fifteen years had been found safe and sound. It made him wonder about the other hundred missing person files in the precinct.

“Because I was building another watch for them. That’s what I was brought over for. To make new ones. I made several but could never get the markings correct. But if we leave all my work, they might easily finish it successfully. Especially now that they have the books.”

Sari winced. “They grabbed them from the shop, didn’t they?”

“They were supposed to. I haven’t seen if they did or not.”

Mark said, “They grabbed them after grabbing me.”

“That’s no good.” Sari stared at Ward. “They could possibly figure out how to do this again.”

“That can’t be allowed to happen.” Ward turned to Greg, who had opened Mark’s door. “Where would they be? And your work – how can we retrieve it and get back here in time?”

Sari checked her watch. “I don’t know if time is the same here or not, but our window is closing.”

“How long? Never mind.” Ward swore softly. He didn’t really want to know. “So where is your workshop, Greg? And how many men are we likely to come up against getting there?”

Mark and Greg looked at each other. They weren’t old in years, but they’d had enough suffering that they both looked aged. Ward wouldn’t be able to depend on them for help. Somehow he had to get everyone home safe and sound …fast.

“If we don’t make too much noise, it’s possible we might make it there and back without alerting anyone,” Mark suggested hopefully.

Greg pursed his lips. “Except Tron will be waiting for these two to return. They will come looking soon.”

“Then let’s go.” Ward nodded toward the old pair. “Greg, you lead.”

He nodded, then held out a hand to Sari and walked to the main door. “It’s through here.”

A
t the door, Greg
tried to tuck Sari behind him. She resisted until he explained, “We don’t know who’s out there. They’re going to be expecting me. Not you.”

Subsiding, but not happy about it, Sari waited until her father opened the door casually as if he were allowed to move about freely. She watched the look on his face. Nothing changed. Good…so no unpleasant surprises there.

She urged him forward. They had no time to spare.

He led the way out into the next room and down yet another hallway to a set of double doors. He paused, then waited until they were all clustered around. Then with a click, he led the way into the workshop.

Sari stood at the entrance, Ward at her side. No windows, no natural light, just a dark hole with several large desks. Odd-looking instruments hung over them, along with a lamp of a kind she didn’t understand.

“Hurry, Father. Grab your stuff.” She watched both her father and Mark grab items off the tables. There appeared to be no drawers to store stuff and limited writing utensils or notepads. She frowned, wondering why these people had not taken advantage of the technology as well when they grabbed her people. Did they consider her world more primitive? Or had they taken what they wanted? And the slaves weren’t entitled to own or use anything of such value?

She had so many questions and so little time.

Her father tucked items into his pockets at a furious rate. “Dad, I have pockets here. Give me something to carry.”

He rushed over, his hands full. He handed her several watch pieces, tools, and some kind of notes. Ward reached over and took several items and stuffed them into his pockets. Mark showed up with his hands full. Everyone repeated the process until all items were stowed away. Walking back out, Sari found her father’s books that Jed and Jordan had stolen from her shop sitting on a bench. She snatched them up and held them close. If they contained vital information worth the number of attempts the men had gone through already, then there was no way she could afford to leave them behind.

“Let’s go.” Sari turned to walk down the hallway again and the others followed close behind. At the door, she turned to look back at her father.

He nodded and stepped up. He opened the door and walked through. The two men were still lying on the floor.

“We should have locked them up somewhere safe.”

Ward laughed, a dark sound that held no humor. “I hope we’re a long ways away before then.”

“Too bad then,” said a dark voice promising retribution behind them, “for your hopes will be dashed.”

Sari stiffened then turned slowly. A strange-looking man wearing odd clothing stood in front of them. Henchmen flanked him on both sides. They appeared to be carrying weapons of some kind. She just didn’t know what they did for damage.

Ward placed his hands on the small of Sari’s back. She leaned into it. Her mind raced furiously. What could they do? They needed weapons. A plan of action.

What kind of skills did Ward have? As a police officer, he had to have had hand-to-hand combat training. Could he have martial arts? She didn’t. She’d taken a self-defense class, but that was all. Not much help against three men. Ward would be good for two of them, and maybe she and her father could take the third one? Except for the weapons.