Cowboy from the Future (30 page)

The
landscape changed the farther west they traveled.  That was another
slightly
positive aspect of the trip.  According to the guidebook, this section of
the country had once been a vast inland sea.  When she looked around, Addy
could see the rolling hills that had once made up the ocean floor and visualize
the water shaping the geology.

Not
that any of that did a damn thing to help her current situation, but it was
still an interesting fact.  More importantly, it kept her mind occupied from
her overwhelming fucking anxiety.

Addy
was smart enough to think of escape plans and the Outlanders were complacent
enough that a clever scheme might have worked.  Unfortunately, she’d been
unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours after Quel’s attack, which put her at
a distinct disadvantage.  No way could she find Devils Tower again, now.

Addy
didn’t know how to stay warm at night, or how to catch food, or how to read a
compass.  She didn’t even
have
a compass.  All the hobbies she’d tried
in her life and not one of them had prepared her for trailblazing.  Cade had
been right.  She currently hated him, but she could admit the truth.  It
would’ve been impossible for her to get from Shadow-of-the-Gods to Yellowstone
on her own.  She couldn’t survive in the mountains by herself.

So,
while she
could’ve
made a break for it any number of times, where the
hell was she going to go?  Trekking back to town would’ve been like flying to
the moon.

Unpregnant-Addy
might’ve given it a shot, anyway.  Optimism and impulsiveness made up a huge
part of her personality, after all.  It was why she’d spent her life neck-deep
in chaos.  Any other time, she would’ve escaped, damn the torpedoes full speed
ahead.

Except,
she couldn’t risk her baby.

Stuck
with the Outlanders, she was --granted-- stuck with the frigging Outlanders,
but she was also somewhat protected.  She was valuable to them, so they were
sheltering her from wolves and snowstorms.  Her odds of dying were markedly
lower while she was with them.  …At least until they reached the geyser. 
Because, she wasn’t back in time.  No way in hell.

Basically,
Addy was at an impasse.  Unable to go backwards because the route was lost and
getting
way
too close to a future that involved pissed off cannibals.  Unless
someone came looking for her, she was screwed.

No. 
Correction.  Unless,
Cade
came looking for her.

That
was the real reason she was trying to focus on anger and geologic trivia. 
Because, if she stripped that away, all Addy had left was a really, really deep
pit of fear.  No one had
ever
come looking for her before.  What if Cade
didn’t care enough to search?  Even if he somehow figured out who’d taken her
and where they were headed, fighting the Outlanders was dangerous.  What if he
decided she wasn’t worth the risk?  Their last conversation hadn’t exactly been
poetry and declarations of love.  Maybe he was over her.  Maybe she was on her
own.

No. 
Addy shook her head.  She wouldn’t believe that.  She
didn’t
believe
it.  Terrified as she was, she had faith in Cade.

He
would find her.

The
Outlanders were talking amongst themselves, ignoring her presence.  It was just
as well.  Addy was sick of hearing how eyeballs were counted, past, present,
and future.  That was the only thing they ever wanted to discuss about and it
was getting seriously old.

The
flames danced higher and Addy huddled under the red furs she was using as a
blanket.  She had a feeling she was better off not knowing what animal the
fuzzy skins came from.  Wildlife got crazier and crazier, the longer they
traveled.  Those ghaa beast things were scary as hell, the birds overhead were
the size of small planes, and crossing streams was like something out of
Shark
Week
on the Discovery Channel.

Damn
it, Addy was a “doer” by nature and she had a baby to protect.  She couldn’t
just sit here, depressed and scared.  Cade was coming, but she still needed to
come up with a plan in case he arrived too late.

So
fine.  Once they got to Yellowstone, she’d find a way to get free of thirteen armed
men and ride to safety.  Preferably to someplace warm.  And urban.  And close
by.  Cody might be her best bet.  The Westins talked about that town like it
was pretty big.  How hard could it be to find?

Knowing
this stupid time period, probably really, super, incredibly hard.  And then
there was the starving-to-death issue and the being-eaten-by-monsters problem. 
Right.  Clearly running was still a last resort.

Her
other
option was to just do what Quel wanted.  The Outlanders needed her
to “open the magical portal to the Apple Store.”  That gave her some power.  It
went against her grain to help them, but it was safer for her child if she
cooperated.   The geyser was a doorway.  If she took the Outlanders there, it
might trigger another earthquake and send them all back to the present.

Except,
that wouldn’t work either.  The twenty-first century wasn’t Addy’s present,
anymore.  It was the past.  Whenever Cade lived,
that
was her present
and her future.  They belonged with each other and she wouldn’t leave him.

So
--new plan-- Addy would take the Outlanders to Yellowstone, send
them
down the rabbit hole, and she’d stay behind.  Then she’d have their food and
supplies after they left.  Addy could take care of herself until Cade showed
up.

Because
he
was
going to show up.

“You
are very quiet, human.”  Quel observed.  He was the only Outlander who never
wore his Stormtrooper mask.  She figured it must be a sign of his new
leadership status.  “If you’re plotting an escape, I’d advise you against it.” 
He chewed on part of the neon-striped snake they’d caught earlier.  The sight
of it turned her stomach.  “You are safe here with us.  I will not risk
disruption of the supernatural forces by touching you.  For whatever reason,
you are chosen for greatness and must be protected.”

“Yeah,
you’re a very thoughtful kidnapper.”

He
ignored that.  “It would be foolish of you to leave the protection of our camp,
though.  Not everyone in these parts will see you are special.  This is a
dangerous land for a woman alone, especially one with child.  You are far
better off with me watching out for you.”

Addy
glowered over at him.  “Wow, what a hero.”  She said sarcastically.  “Oh wait,
you’re
the one who tied me to the railroad tracks to begin with.  So excuse me if I’m
not overly grateful when you promise to protect me from the oncoming train, Snidely.”

Quel
frowned.  “What is a train?”

Addy
made a frustrated sound and rephrased.  “I’m only
in
danger, because
you
brought me here.  Everything that’s happening is
your
fault.”

“I
had no choice but to abduct you, woman.  Two-eyeders are
nothing
in my
world.  My people ostracize us.  Give us no respect.  Assign us the lowliest
tasks.  I must flee this world and you are a means to that end.”

“I’m
not
a means to an end.  I’m Addy Mulhaney.  A
person
, just like
you.”  She glared at him.  “If you want to improve how two-eyed Outlanders are
treated, you should do it without hurting innocent people.  Lasting social
justice is only achieved through changing hearts and minds.  Believe me, I come
from a world where we work on that every day.”

“You
don’t understand.”  Quel seemed irritated by her refusal to accept her
kidnapping with a happy smile.  “How can you?  You are beautiful, even without
six eyes.  You don’t know what it’s like to be born different.”

“Where
I come from, I’m
not
beautiful.  My whole life, I’ve been picked on. 
Called fat and a scatterbrain.”  She shook her head.  “It’s only since I came
here, that I realized all of that was total
bullshit
.  I’m fine just the
way I am and so are you.  Other people will see that, if you stand up and show
them.”

Quel
snorted, not believing her.

“It’s
true.”  Addy insisted.  “The Voltyn are also discriminated against, but Cade
knows I’m right about this.  He’s learning to embrace who he is.  You can do
that, too.  This doesn’t have to end badly for any of us.”

“That
Voltyn is so beguiled by you, he will swallow any fvreing
lies you
tell.”  Quel snapped.  “I know better. 
You
are the only one this ends
badly for, if you try and cross me.  I will have my future in the past, no
matter the cost.  If I must kill you and your child to have all I desire… so be
it.”

Addy
gave up getting him to see reason.  Quel was too angry and bitter to realize
there was another path.  She sighed and looked back at the fire.  “How can you
tell I’m pregnant, anyway?”  She asked after a long moment.

“It
doesn’t take a healer to deduce it.  You are sick each morning.  You are highly
emotional.  You refused most of the food we offered you yesterday…”

“You
offered me
human
fingers!
”

“And
they were delicious!  Almost all meaty thumbs.”

There
was absolutely nothing a sane person could say to that.  Addy drew in a deep
breath, trying to stay calm.  “Look, I can take you to the place where I
crossed through time.”  She promised.  “Just so you don’t hurt me or the baby,
or feed us Soylent Green, I will get you there.  But, I’m staying in
this
century,
agreed? 
You
go and
I
stay.”

Cade
never technically asked her to stay with him, but fuck it.  Misery brought
clarity.  Addy didn’t need Cade’s permission to do what she wanted.  She wanted
him, so he’d better just adjust to having her around.  Quite frankly, his whole
attitude sucked.  When he showed up, she planned to tell him that, too.

Quel
watched her for a long moment and then grunted around a mouthful of snake.  “We
have a deal, woman.”

“Good.” 
Addy nodded in satisfaction at how simple it was to implement her awesome plan
and went back to watching the flames.

The
world would be a better place if
everybody
just did what she told them. 
Addy was always right. 
Always.
  But no one ever listened.

None
of this would’ve even happened if Brian had held the corporate retreat in Vegas,
like she’d suggested.  Addy could’ve been watching handsome men strip, while
she drank margaritas and played roulette.  Instead, she was freezing, hungry,
and abducted by mutants.  Worse, she didn’t even
want
to go back to her
own time for margaritas and male strippers, because she was in love with an
idiot, who probably hadn’t even noticed she was gone, yet.  Christ, she really
had lost her mind out here in the tundra.

…And
that was
definitely
Cade’s fault.

Did you
know Yellowstone National Park is bigger than the states of Delaware and Rhode
Island combined?

Be sure to
stick to the trails and listen to your glamping-ranger,

because it’s
a heck of a place to get lost!

Brown’s Glampling Tours Official Pocket
Guide

The
Strickland Geyser was calling to her.

Yellowstone
was so vast that Addy had wondered if she could find it again, even with the
confusing map.  The National Park was huge and she wasn’t exactly an avid
explorer.  When she’d traveled through it before, she’d been in a heated tour
bus and paying more attention to her text messages than the route.  Now she was
back, only all the helpful brown signs and paved roads were gone.  Frankly, for
someone of her dubious wilderness skills, finding one geyser in 3,500 square
miles seemed pretty impossible.

But,
something drew her back to the spot where she traveled into the future.

Addy
knew which way to go, even when it was
impossible
for her to know which
way to go.  She just had a feeling.  The canyons and forests and geologic
features weren’t the impenetrable maze they first seemed.  Not even the melting
snow was slowing her down.  She might not know how to get back to Devils Tower,
but she knew how to get to Strickland Geyser.  It had an almost magnetic pull,
guiding her towards its towering surface.

The
farther they moved into Yellowstone, the more anxious the Outlanders became.  Being
there frightened the warriors.  Their people had always lived in “The
Wilderness,” but now the landscape was scarred from fighting.  All around them,
there was evidence of the Wilderness War.  Burned tree stumps.  Long trenches,
where bodies were stacked in mass graves.  Destruction and death marring the
scenic vistas.

Addy
could only imagine the terrible battles the soldiers had witnessed in this
serene place.  Judging from the devastation, they must have been horrific.  No
wonder Deke was still haunted.  Nature was reclaiming the damaged areas,
bringing them to life again, but it was slow going.  She didn’t blame him for
vowing never to return to the sight of so much misery.

Even
the animals seemed to avoid the dead spots in the countryside.  And there were
a
lot
of bizarre and weird-looking animals around.  Yellowstone had always
been a haven for wildlife and this time period was no different.  Creatures
she’d never seen before moved in the brush around them.  Ducks with shark-like
teeth.  Rabbits the size of German shepherds.  Mountain lions with tiger
stripes.  Of course, there were also the normal herds of buffalo.  And elk. 
And sanbor.

All
in all, it was like Dr. Seuss designed a National Park.

“Are
you sure this is the way?”  Quel kept the tour book close, hyper-focused on the
map, which he couldn’t read well, either.  He was paranoid that Addy was trying
to lead them astray.  “I don’t see that waterfall in these pictures.” He
gestured to the torrential flood of water pouring over the gigantic rocks to
their left.  “How do we know this is really the path and not some human trick?”

“This
is the path.”  Addy could feel the geyser ahead of them.  “The river changed,
but I know it’s the right spot.”  Cyndi Lauper crested a small hill and Addy
saw the distinctive phallic shape of Strickland Geyser looming ahead of them.  It
stood straight up, at least fifteen feet high and eight feet wide.  Dread
filled Addy, now that she was back where it all began.  She reigned in the
horse.  “That’s it.”

Quel
gave a chortle of joy.  “That’s it!”  He looked from the guidebook to the
geyser and back again.  “You found it, woman!”

The
other Outlanders let out whoops of excitement, riding forward in triumph.

Twenty
yards away, in a beautiful clearing that smelled of sulfur and snow, was the
doorway the twenty-first century.  The ground smoked in ominous gray puffs and
the small offshoots of the river bubbled with trapped gasses, but everything
else seemed dormant.  As if this incredible spot was just like any
other
incredible spot in the National Park.  Tranquil.  Stunning.  Normal.

Addy
knew better.

“Open
the portal!”  Quel shouted at her, his yellow eyes glowing with excitement. 
“Do it now and let’s leave this dismal world forever!”

No
way
was Addy getting any closer to the geyser.  Another earthquake could
occur at any moment, sending her back in time, and that was the last thing she
wanted.  She was staying with Cade and his family --
her
family-- not
matter what it took.

“It’ll
happen when it happens.”  She told Quel.  “When I was transported here, the
geyser went off and there was an earthquake.”  She gestured into the mist.  “Go
over there, stand at the base, and wait for something to happen.”

His
eyebrows compressed, sensing a trap.  “What about you?”

“I
told you, I’m not coming.”  Sorry citizens past, but a dozen or so Outlanders
were headed your way.  “I’ll just stay
waaaay
over here.”

“You
must come closer.  The portal will not open unless you are with us.”

“Sure,
it will.”  She had nothing to back up that assertion, but she nodded anyway. 
“Just try and…”

Quel
cut her off.  “Do you understand nothing of magic? 
You
are the one with
the power, because you were the one chosen to travel here.  Only you can go
back.”

She
scowled over at him.  “I don’t even believe in magic.  I believe in
deals
and we had one, remember? 
You
go and
I
stay.”

“I
honor no deals with humans.”  Quel grabbed Cyndi Lauper’s reigns.  He spurred
his own horse on, leading Addy’s mount towards the geyser.  “We go together!”

“Damn
it, I don’t have any powers!”  She frantically tried to slow Cyndi Lauper down. 
“I did what you wanted and I got you here, now you have to let me go!”

He
kept galloping forward.  “You’re the key to a better world!  Do you think I’ll
let you deprive me of the life I deserve?!”

Goddamn
it, she had to stop him.  Addy couldn’t jump off her horse without risking the baby. 
…But, she could push
Quel
off
his
horse.

Addy
reached over and shoved him as hard as she could.  He hadn’t been expecting the
attack.  Instinctively, he slid to the side and slowed the horse, trying to
keep his balance.  Quel didn’t drop Cyndi Lauper’s reigns, but he was
distracted enough that Addy could catch hold on them, too.

She
pulled back and the horse stopped long enough for Addy to climb off its back. 
She was on solid ground again, but it only took her a second to see that the ground
was
much
closer to the geyser, now.

Too
close.  Way, way too close.

Quel’s
angry cursing drew the attention of the other Outlanders.  Their pastel steeds
thundering, they raced back towards Addy and Quel.  Addy barely noticed the
Jell-O colored cavalry charge, all her attention fixed on the massive geyser.  The
smoke was thicker now and, deep within the surface of the earth, she felt the
first tremor.

No
.

Addy’s
eyes went wide.  No, no, no.  She scrambled backwards, trying to escape.  If
she didn’t get clear before the doorway opened, she’d be sucked into the past.

“Stop
the woman!”  Quel started after her.  “We need her to get through the portal!”

The
ground was beginning to shake harder, signaling something far bigger to come.  Nonononononono. 
The denial was one long litany in Addy’s head as she stumbled up the hill.  The
new grass and waning snow slid under her boots, making it difficult to gain
traction.  Every trip to the gym she’d ever skipped came flooding back to her. 
She wasn’t athletic.  She’d never been athletic.  If she’d tried harder to be
athletic, she would already be at the top.

One
of the Outlanders tackled her.  The guy leapt from his horse, his body crashing
into hers.  Addy fell, twisting her body to protect the baby as she was slammed
into the dirt.  Shit!  She kicked at her attacker, trying to get free of his
hold.  He was big enough to withstand her blows.  Swearing in two languages, he
started dragging her down the hill.

“No!” 
Addy slammed the heel of her hand into his eye-socket.  She was too panicked to
remember if she’d learned that in Judo or by watching reruns of
Buffy
. 
It didn’t matter.  The move surprised him enough that she was able to squirm
away.

Behind
her, water exploded out of the geyser.  Boiling hot jets shot a hundred feet in
the air, noise and smoke filling the clearing.

The
Outlander rallied, trying to catch her, again.

And
that’s when the laser guns started firing.  In the grand tradition of John
Wayne films, her attacker was struck right between the eyes.  Luckily, he only
had two of them.  The guy fell back from her, his body landing in a heap.  At
almost the same time, another blast sounded and a second man collapsed.  Then a
third.

Addy
froze, trying to process what was happening.  Someone was shooting from the
tree line, picking off every Outlander who got within ten feet of her.

There
was only one possible explanation for that and it made heart swell with joy. 
“Cade!”  Addy screamed, staggering to her feet and scanning around for him.

He’d
come for her.  He’d really come!

The
Outlanders began wildly firing towards the source of the laser blasts and Addy’s
stomach dropped.  Several of the men charged towards the trees, ready for
battle.  “Cade!”  She shouted again, instinctively heading after them.  If he
was hurt, she didn’t know what she’d…

“Addy,
get the fuck
down!
”

Oh
good.  He was okay.

Addy
turned at the sound at his voice and realized that it must have been Deke and
Jake shooting from the trees, because Cade was right behind her.  Sitting aside
Madonna and looking handsomer than she’d even remembered, the man took her
breath away.  Addy forgot all about her plans to kick his ass.

“Are
you alright?”  He demanded, riding closer.  He looked her up and down,
frantically searching for injuries.  “Are you hurt?”

“I’m
fine.”  She gave him a huge smile.  “What took you so long to get here,
cowboy?”

“What
took
you
so long?”  Cade retorted, some of the tension easing from his
face, as he saw she was unharmed.  “Deke was navigating from memory and we
still
beat you here by two days.  I was beginning to think I was wrong and Quel was
taking you someplace else.  Don’t you have a damn map?”

“Well
yeah, but I can’t
read
it.”

He
grinned down at her, amused by that completely honest answer.  “Gods
damn
,
but I missed you, lady.”

Addy
had just enough time to laugh and then Cade was pulling her onto the horse.  “I
missed you more.”  She hugged his waist.  “Now might not be the best time to
mention it, but, in case we don’t live through this,” she pointed at her
stomach, “congratulations, Daddy.”

Cade
flashed her a quick look over his shoulder.  “Oh
shit
.”

Addy
rolled her eyes.  The man might be a futuristic superhero, but he really was
hopeless when it came to romance.  “Just what every girl dreams of hearing from
the proud papa-to-be.”

“Not
‘oh shit’ about the baby.”  He scowled as if she’d maligned him.  “I
want
the baby and you know it.  ‘Oh shit’ you were pregnant and kidnapped by a band
of mutants.  Are you
sure
you’re okay?”

“I’m
fine
.  They didn’t hurt me.  I just want to get out of here before the
earthquake gets any worse.  If some kind of time vortex happens, I don’t want
to be near it when it sucks everyone into the past.”

“I
can’t believe we’re actually living in a world where those words make sense.”

“You
can’t take her from me!”  Quel bellowed.  “I’ll see her
dead
before I
let you steal my future!”

Cade
turned Madonna so he was facing Quel, shielding Addy with his body.  “I
should’ve killed you when I had the chance, you son of a bitch.”  He sounded
incensed, now.  “You kidnapped my woman, endangered our child, and you think
you’re going to have a future
anywhere?
”

“You
think you can stop this?”  Quel bellowed back.  “No one will stand in the way
of my plans, Voltyn.  I’ll
prove
to you that the gods have willed me to
this place.”  He dismounted his horse, dropping his gun with a challenging
flourish and holding his arms wide.  “You and I will battle in honorable
combat.  Not tricks.  The victor gets the woman.”

“
The
woman
is not a carnival prize.”  Addy shot back.  “I make my own choices.” 
She craned her head to look at Cade.  “Let’s just get
out
of here.”

Cade’s
jaw ticked.  “Quel’s insane.  If we don’t stop him now, he’ll keep coming after
you.”