Slipping the Past (26 page)

“They’ve found a total of seventeen bodies. The coroner is examining the remains, but according to the news, it’s homicide.” Gabriel dropped a courtesy news reader in front of her, a small digital box the solar-line provided to all the passengers.

Jocelyn read the headlines.
Two Fugitives Flee Plantation. Validity of Past-Life Charges Brought Into Question
. That solved one of her problems, but what of her brother? The more she thought about the vision, the more she wondered if the past had begun to replay. If it did, it could only mean one thing. “What about Nate? Have you gotten any further messages from him?”

He shook his head. “He said he’d meet us in three days. He’ll be there.”

“I don’t think so. He’s in trouble.” Liberty’s screams filled her head, echoing in her ears. More than once, he’d died trying to save her. Her stomach churned. He’d die again.

Gabriel’s hand brushed her cheek and Jocelyn reached up and held it against her skin, staring into his eyes.

“He’s not in New Stratus City,” she said.

“You saw this?”

“I know this.” She dropped her hand and pulled away. “He’s going to try to save me. It’s happening again. I slipped the past when you evacuated us from the orchard. I know where this is heading.”

“We have free will to change the events.”

“Only our own.” Jocelyn sighed. “And I have no clue what those events are. I rarely slip the future.”

***

Nate stared at the sign.
Salem Witch Museum
. He yanked wires and twisted them into the museum’s alarm system, creating a continuous loop and tricking the system into telling the alarm the door would stay closed. The lamps overhead flickered. He looked up, moved closer to the building and into the shadows. The door popped open. Nate blew on the tip of his finger and smiled. “I’m a freaking genius.”

He glanced in both directions, then slid through the opening, letting the door click shut behind him. “They make this too easy.” No cameras, an elementary alarm system. Hell, grandma could have cracked that door. Of course nobody in their right mind would break and enter, not if they wanted to continue to live.

“Okay, Liberty, show me the reads.” He’d lived long enough to leave the journal behind, knowing someday he’d come for it. He followed the exhibits, stopping in front of a glass case. A display with wax figures of a family. Nate eyed his prior self, young, naïve to think she could take Ian on, but not stupid. Liberty had left enough behind for him to remember. He frowned. He’d failed Jocelyn that time, gotten burned at the stake for his efforts. This time he wouldn’t.

“You thinking about breaking into that case?”

Nate whipped around and stared into the dark. His eyes swept the museum, stopping on a silhouette in the corner and the hostility it held. He slipped his hand into his pocket and started the recording. “Hello, Ian.”

Ian teleported beside him, staring through the glass at the re-created figure of the constable. “They’ve got me all wrong. I was never short, fat, or bald.”

“I know.”

“Then you know why I’m here,” Ian said. He folded his hands behind his back, continuing to study the display. “You should’ve gone to New Stratus City.”

“I had unfinished business.”

“You can’t take me, kid. You never do.”

“There are greater forces at work than you could possibly understand.”

Ian turned his head. “I already have the journal. Made a nice bonfire, toasted a few marshmallows.”

“They don’t need the journal, Ian. They’ve got my testimony. I remember everything and I’m ashamed of who I am, what I did. I wasn’t that murdered Dover boy. I was Liberty, his sister, the one you tried for witchcraft and murdered, but you already knew that. I saw it all. You murdered that family because they got between you and what you wanted. You pinned the blame on Jocelyn and had her burned alive.”

“So you figured it out. You’re not going to turn the evidence on me. She was mine.”

“She never belonged to you.”

“She’s always belonged to me.”

“I watched you rape those women and I did nothing. I held Jocelyn while you put her eyes out. We deserved what we got. If I hadn’t been such a coward, perhaps I wouldn’t be here now, in the company of one.”

“Kind of ironic that you’d come back as the kid brother who tries to save the same woman he’d helped to murder.”

“I didn’t murder her. You did. I’m not afraid to die. I’m no longer a coward. I’ve redeemed myself. It’s too late for you.” Nate held a device up and replayed everything he’d just said. Ian narrowed his eyes. Nate smiled. Again, genius that he’d thought to tap out his response on the small keyboard in his pocket and let it talk for him, instead of speaking directly to the reaper. He forwarded. “You can’t read an electronic recording, can you?” Nate rewound and replayed again, and again. “Can you? Can you? Can you?” Light sparked in Ian’s eyes, each word making the reaper’s face a shade darker. Nate released the button and let it play on. Ian ground his teeth together.

“Yeah, I figured that one out. Secondhand energy doesn’t work. You were cursed to hear the voices, feel the energy of those you wronged and would wrong when they spoke to you.” Nate raised the recorder until it was in Ian’s face. “Nifty little gadget I built. It can mimic my voice while I type my responses.”

Ian plucked the device from Nate’s hand. “So that’s why I couldn’t read you. Tricky little bastard. But it doesn’t mean I can’t destroy any recording you made like this.” He dropped the recorder and stomped on it, crushing it to dust.

“You’re right. You can destroy that device, but not the evidence.” Nate said, aware the reaper would know instantly what he’d done. “I also transmitted our entire conversation to the DSLE in real-time. How fucking toxic is that?”

Ian’s eyes widened.

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I kind of sentenced myself, but the good news is that you’ll go down with me. When they open that file and hear everything, which should be right about now, you’ll be finished. You didn’t actually think I came here to steal the journal?”

“You’re going to die.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”

“Painfully.”

“Now that, they didn’t mention.” Nate raised both hands and backed up. “Can we talk about this?”

Ian raised a brow and stepped forward. “I’m not much for small talk.”

***

“I’d recognize Nate’s work anywhere.” Jocelyn touched the small box wired in beside the door. She touched the gob of gum, still somewhat soft. “Not frozen. He stuck this here a short while ago.” She grabbed the handle and tugged. Gabriel held it open. His communicator beeped and he raised his wrist, reading it.

“What?”

“Nothing. Stay here.”

“I’m going in.” Jocelyn tried to brush past him and Gabriel stepped in front of her.

“I don’t know what I’ll find in there.” He pointed to a set of immense footprints in the snow that overlaid Nate’s. “Promise you’ll stay here.”

“I can’t.”

“Say it. I’m not going in until you promise.”

“I’ll stay here.” Jocelyn searched his eyes. Could he read her? Did he know she lied? She crossed her fingers behind her back.

“Why don’t I believe you?” Gabriel studied her. He reached up and touched her cheek. “This is official business now. You can’t be involved in what I have to do. It could go bad. I want you clear if it does.”

“Go.” Something about the look on his face. Regret?

Gabriel grunted and slipped through the door, disappearing into the museum.

Jocelyn waited for his energy to fade, then grabbed the handle. “I’m sorry, Gabriel. I can’t let him die for me.” She knew, the moment she’d seen Nate in her vision, that he’d come here to give his life for hers. Whatever Gabriel had read on his wrist monitor had shifted his energies from blue to orange. He was hiding something and she was willing to bet it was about Nate. She slid through the door and stared into the dark corridor. Where to start? She could feel Nate’s and Gabriel’s energies, but they weren’t on the main floor of the museum. One other energy thrummed from above.

Ian
.

***

Gabriel appeared a few feet in front of them.

Everywhere around, wax figures in various states of dress. Artifacts sat everywhere, stacked, shelved and leaning against each other.

“Let him go.”

Saefa cocked his head side to side, cracking his neck. “I made the mistake the last time of not killing him before I threw him over the side of that building. You know what they say—try and try again.” Wrapping his arm around Nate’s neck, he backed them behind the wax figure of a tall farmer holding a sickle and another dummy that brandished a torch.

“This is between us, Saefa.” Gabriel stepped forward and knocked the figures out of the way.

“No, it isn’t. You and I both know what you’ve got in your pocket.”

Nate kept his mouth shut. He stared at Gabriel as his captor pulled his arm harder around his throat. “I could pop his head off like a dandelion.”

“This is your last warning.”

“You can’t let him die. Jocelyn will never forgive you. I know about the warrants in your pocket. You’re obligated to serve that warrant and see it through, even if your girlfriend would hate you for it.” He smiled. “Have you told Jocelyn?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

“So I do.” He dragged Nate backward toward a window. “What do you say, kid? You going to tell him what you did to hit the shit list or should we wait for your sister?”

“Let him go.”

“Jocelyn should be along shortly. She won’t listen to you.” He pinched Nate’s cheek. “This is her baby brother. Aren’t you, kid? Protector. Unforgiven. Traitor.”

Nate lifted his fist in front of Saefa’s face, letting his middle finger unfurl.

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Ian Saefa, I have a warrant for your arrest. It’s over. Let the kid go. They’ve got his file. I’ll be the one to take him into custody, in my own manner.”

“Will you?” He shuffled Nate back.

“You’ve been talking to me. You know my intent.”

He released Nate and shoved him to the side. “Sit down.” He ripped the staff off his back. “But you’re not sure you can take me.”

“I can take you.”

He glanced at the door to storage room and smiled. “Just in time.” He spun around and thrust his staff down into Nate’s chest. Light surged up into his hands, illuminating him where he stood. Saefa shoved his elbow into a glass pane and shattered it. He yanked Nate’s body from the floor and shoved him out. “Let’s see you save him now. Go ahead, shift and save him, Gabriel. I wouldn’t mind a little alone-time with the torch-top.”

“Nate!” Jocelyn screamed and ran for the window. She slipped on the glass fragments and landed on her backside, sliding and hitting the toes of the killer’s boots. “You killed him.” She looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh God.”

He kept his eyes on Gabriel but smiled, addressing her. “Hello, love. Glad to see you made it.”

“Get back, Jocelyn.” Gabriel moved forward and he raised his staff, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Jocelyn scrambled to get her feet under her. Her hand came down on a shard of glass, slicing it. She yelped and grabbed her palm. Blood poured from between her fingers, giving her a sick moment of déjà vu. He stepped on her jacket, stopping her escape. “Where you going, love?”

“He did nothing to you,” she said.

He shrugged. “When Nate transmitted that data, the DSLE issued a warrant for his arrest, as well as mine. He’s just as guilty of past-life crimes. I had to take him into custody.” Saefa pulled a holo-disc from his pocket and dropped it by Jocelyn. A warrant projected up, floating before her. “Here’s one for you. Tell her, Gabriel. Tell her what you’ve got in your pocket.” He lifted his foot from her coat.

“Get back. Don’t listen to him, Jocelyn.” As Jocelyn scrambled to her feet, Ian stepped between her and the exit.

“I don’t think so.”

“Get away from her.”

He swung out to the side and caught Jocelyn in the head with his Ki-staff. She gasped and dropped in a heap. Gabriel eyed her chest, rising and falling in steady breaths. He resisted every instinct to strike out in rage and run to take her to safety. He wanted that, the loss of control. He’d feed on it.

“Now you’ve pissed me off.” Rage rumbled through Gabriel. The lights blinked out, casting the room into darkness. Lightning began to swirl around him in vivid blues and oranges.

“It’s about time.” Saefa stepped forward, putting Jocelyn behind him. “Of course, I could dump the kid’s soul and take her, getting two for one.”

“What the hell are you going on about?”

“She didn’t tell you?” He tipped his head back and laughed. “She saw three auras the last time you stuffed her. Too bad you won’t be around to hear the pitter-patter of little reaper feet.”

“She’s pregnant?”

“Your powers of deduction are astounding. You should be doing my job, daddy.”

Gabriel pulled his staff and pointed it at Saefa. “You have the right to remain silent.”

He spun his staff. “Goody. I get so tired of chit-chat, especially when all your past-life personalities won’t shut the fuck up. A regular Solaris family reunion in my head. Let’s fix that, shall we?”

“You have the right to remain silent—forever.” Gabriel charged, planting his staff on the floor and launching both feet into the giant’s chest. Ian staggered back, ducking as Gabriel came back around with a spinning roundhouse. His foot landed at the same time he twisted around, swinging his staff for Saefa’s face.

Saefa brought his Ki up, stopping the impact an inch from his nose. The explosion blew them apart, sending both flying backward through the air. Gabriel hit on his ass and tucked and rolled, using the momentum from the blast to regain his feet. He glanced across the room through the crackling air to see Ian push to his feet, using his staff like a crutch. Smoke settled around him like a cloak. Ian rolled his shoulders and dropped into a fighting stance. The wax dummies that surrounded them looked like a freak-show army.

“You want the kid’s soul, Gabriel? Come and get it.”