Until Time Stands Still (23 page)

            “Graham.” Mykel was desperate.

            “You heard the lady, boys. Drop ‘em.” They all put their weapons on the floor.

            “Kick them over here.” Dr. Fitzer said. “Slowly.”

            They did so, reluctantly.

            The doctor visibly relaxed his hold on her, but not enough. “Doctor. Please. Let her go.” Mykel asked, not caring if he was begging or not.

            “I can’t do that.” The man hissed, jerking her closer to him. “I need to study her, and the babies. Two of them. Can you believe it? We can do so much with a pair of twins.”

            Mykel’s stomach rolled at the thought. He tried not to show any expression on his face, become the hardened man he had been for so many months. He became the stone faced ice man he had been known for around the base. He showed no emotion whatsoever.

            “Doctor, you can’t hold her hostage until she gives birth. Seriously. That’s just ridiculous.” Johnny said.

            “Besides, I have to pee again.” Isabelle said. She winked at Mykel. He blinked, barely. “Just let me go into the bathroom…please. I can’t escape from there.” She squirmed a little, hoping to convince him that she really had to go. “One baby pressing on your bladder constantly hurts like hell. Two of them is so much worse. Please.” She whined, making herself sound far more pathetic than she really felt.

            “Jesus, man. Just let her pee!” Graham said.

            “Fine.” He released her. She stumbled a bit. All the guys moved forward to catch her before she fell, but she regained her balance. She turned, and before anyone saw what she was up to, she sank the pair of scissors deep into the doctors stomach. At first he just froze, staring up at her. She growled, low in her throat and twisted the scissors as hard as she could. The man gurgled up blood. “I’m a good person. I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone in my life, up until a few months ago. I’ve had quite enough of people trying to kill me, kidnap me, and make me a slave. No more. No one is going to threaten me or my family ever again.” She hissed. “I swear I will kill anyone else who tries.” She pressed the scissors in as hard as she could and shoved the man to the floor. He lay gagging on his own blood.

            “Isabelle?” Mykel walked up behind her and touched her arm. “Honey, are you okay?”

            “Just hold me.” She whispered. He wrapped his arms around her, touching her pregnant belly for the first time. One of the babies kicked under his hand. She gasped and put her hand over his. He smiled and kissed her cheek. “You’re a fierce little momma, aren’t you?” He laughed.

            “All mothers are.” She said, staring down at the man who had tried to ruin their lives. “What a stupid, foolish, old man.”

            “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Mykel said. He kissed her fiercely, holding her as close to him as he could get. One of the babies kicked hard, and she doubled over.

            “I really do have to pee.” She squeaked. Pulling away.

            “Go. We’ll take care of…him.” Graham said. “We still have to get back to the others and get us all home.”

            “Isabelle, this is Will. He replaced Jacob, and he’s the one who made it possible for us to find you.” Mykel said.

            Isabelle smiled at the man, and surprising everyone, she gave him a huge hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She said, tears pooling in her eyes. “You saved my life, and my babies. You all did.” She burst into tears. She was still hugging Will, who looked at Mykel in panic. The others just chuckled.

            “Aww…come on baby, don’t cry like that.” Mykel said, coming up and dragging her away from Will. “Besides, I’m you’re hero remember? I rescued you first.”

            She giggled, through her tears, wiping them away. “I seem to cry at everything lately…and I seem to recall, you said you weren’t that nice of a guy. But you’re the best man I’ve ever known.” She said, kissing him. She hadn’t kissed him in months and never wanted to stop. He grinned and kissed her over and over again.

            “Okay, okay you two. Knock it off.” Bryant said, rolling his eyes.

            “Let’s all go home.” Graham said. He turned to Nadia “Are you sure?”

            She looked over at Isabelle and Mykel, and nodded. “If you can kiss as good as those two can.”

            He roared with laughter. “Baby, I promise, I’ll rock your world.”

            Johnny passed out the wrist devices and blinding glasses to everyone. Chloe helped him.

            Will shook his head and handed his back to her. “I’m staying here.”

            “Why would anyone do that?” Danae asked.

            “To make sure they don’t follow you. I can lead them in another direction, if they ever catch wind of where you might be. I need to stay and make sure the virus works how it’s supposed to anyway. So they can’t try to do this again. Besides, my place is here. I was never really one of you.”

            “Don’t say that.” Johnny said. “Man, we wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for you.”

            “You are one of us, man.” Bryant said.

            “Don’t ever think otherwise.” Mykel said. He gave the man a big bear hug. “You gave me back my family. No one else could have. Seriously man…if you ever need a place to crash, or anything at all…you know where to find us. Ask. I’ll be there.”

            “We are naming one of the boys after you, Will.” Isabelle said. She came up and hugged him again. “You are family. Never forget it.”

            “Thank you, Ma’am. I’m honored.” He said, flushing a little.

            “I just want you to know, I consider you one of mine. You are a part of this team, whether you go with us or stay here. Are you sure about this Will? You really don’t have to stay.” Graham said.

            “I’m sure. Go now. Bryant, can you set off one of your explosions to create a diversion so no one is watching the power surge?”

            “You know it!”

            “Good. Set one off three seconds before you go.”

            “Wait!” Isabelle cried.

            “What’s wrong?” Mykel asked.

            “Can I go through while I’m pregnant? I mean…won’t being pulled through time hurt the babies?”

            “It shouldn’t.” Johnny said. “They have a protective barrier of amniotic fluid that protects them from shock and helps cushion blows and things. None of their senses should be affected, just yours…although now that you’ve had the nanites in your system longer, it shouldn’t be as bad as the first time.”

            “Okay.” She rubbed her stomach, frowning.

            “It will be okay sweetie.” Mykel said, putting his arm around her.

            “Holy moly, people. We’re kind of on a time crunch here. Let’s move it!” Bryant said. “Ready or not, I’m blowing something up in ten seconds!”

********************

“Here? Really?” Isabelle turned and glared at Mykel. “You brought me back to the damn farmhouse?” The guys were already loading who knows what into a caravan of SUV’s and strapping strange cargo boxes to the racks on top.

            “It’s a good extraction point for us. Besides, we hid food and clothes and supplies here. We are actually moving out of this state, up to the hills of Montana. We’ll be safer there.”

            “What’s in Montana?” She asked, frowning.

            “Mountains…lots of land…beautiful night skies.” He said.

            “But…how much land?”

            “How much do you want?” He asked.

            “I was trapped in a box for over six months. I…kind of need big open space in a house. Is that okay?”

            “Only if you marry me when we get there.” He said, putting his arms around her as best he could with her belly so big.

            “Yes. After the babies are born, so I can wear a pretty dress.” She said, smiling. “I was always going to say yes. You know that right?”

            “That means you love me right? Like for real? Forever? No more trying to run away from me?” He kissed her in between each sentence.

            “Until time stands still.” She said. “In every time.”

****************

            Mykel stood over the man silently watching him snore, completely oblivious to the presence of an intruder in his home. The man slept in an overly decorated room full of rich gold and blue fabrics covering the canopy bed, and matching curtains covering the windows. The room was decorated in rich mahogany furniture, and old world style couches and chairs. There was gold inlayed on the walls and ceiling, and in the decorative statues and crap cluttering the walls, and huge bookshelves. The books themselves were all leather bound. Some of them looked like first editions. There was an expensive painting taking up almost an entire wall. Mykel didn’t know who’s painting it was, but he knew that if it was in this room, it must cost a lot. There was a globe in the corner made of marble, each country colored by a different rock or gemstone. On the desk was a letter opener covered in diamonds. He wondered, briefly, if Isabelle missed the indulgence and privileges of the wealthy. This one room probably cost more than the entire house he and the guys had built.

 For an instant his finger moved over the trigger of his hand gun. It would be so very easy to just squeeze, and end the life of the man who had tried to kill Isabelle. He would die before he even woke long enough to realize he was dying. Before he had a chance to regret his life choices or spend another cent of the money he so clearly loved. Mykel had never been so tempted to kill an unarmed man in his life.

            “Mykel…no.” Graham said. “Just wake him up.” He heard in his earpiece.

            Mykel let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding and took his finger off the trigger. He took a breath and let it out slowly, and then unclenched his jaw. When he felt himself relax again, he kicked the side of the bed.

            “WAKE UP!” He hollered.

            Lewis bolted up, gaping at the very large man standing in full military fatigues and face paint, pointing a gun at him.

            “Who are you? What do you want?” He said, stunned. He was instantly awake, his heart beating faster than it should, his blood pressure elevated enough to make his chest hurt.

            “Get up.” Mykel motioned with the gun. “Slowly. No sudden movements.” He moved back about a foot and let the man swing his legs over to stand up. He sat on the bed, with his feet on the floor, his hands up in the air.