Timing, page 26
"Good morning," he turned halfway from the sink, just in time to embrace her, a partially-skinned potato in one hand and the peeler in the other.
"I thought you might be gone," she whispered into his ear. When she'd first remembered where she was, she'd feared that somehow he wouldn't be there.
"I'm not going anywhere, Hannah."
At the dawn of a new day, she was simply overjoyed just to be with him.
Death had separated them.
And now Timing had brought them back together.
*
Vance had missed his daughter. Not that he'd had any real choice in the matter. With his untimely death, his life with Hannah, at least in the context they'd known it, had ended so harshly, so abruptly.
He'd always known his past would catch up with him. And now it finally had.
He was just grateful for their special Timing abilities which would at least allow them to be in contact with one another. But who knew for how long? No one was ever certain how long their Timing powers would last.
For some, they lasted indefinitely and for others, their powers terminated within a few years.
The most powerful among them even had special talents beyond just Timing.
All morning, as Hannah was sleeping, he'd rehearsed the explanation for his being here, for her being here.
He knew she would have questions and expect answers.
He would not, could not answer everything—for that would come in time—but he could at least let her know the reason for bringing her here. That was the most important thing.
Here, they would only be safe for a short while.
He could never stay too long in one place because they would find him.
Soon—all too soon—the same would be true for Hannah.
That was why she was here. He had to protect her, as best he could, and let her know what she was up against.
He'd dreaded this moment for a long time. Now, it was here.
He could no longer keep certain things from her, secrets he'd guarded from her since she was little.
Breakfast was unusually quiet, with father and daughter content to enjoy the moment, both of them ignoring the elephant in the room. The night before, questions had crammed themselves into Hannah's mind, but now she wasn't quite so sure that she was prepared to hear all of the answers.
After she swallowed a forkful of Buckaroo Spuds, and washed them down with some grape juice, she decided it was time.
"So, Dad, tell me what this is all about. I need to know. I mean I wasn't really freaking out, but it was kind of a scary experience. But I would do it a million times over again just to see you and be with you again… so if that is what I have to do, just tell me how to get back here again…"
She had a desperate ring in her voice, and he knew probably anyone in her shoes would feel the same way.
Vance stopped eating and brought his napkin to his mouth. He wanted to ease her fears, and let her know everything was going to be all right.
But she went on. "Does it have anything to do with the locket? I found it… after all this time, I found it. But where did—"
"Hannah, for heaven's sake, slow down. I have a lot to tell you, but I'll never get it all out if you don't give me a chance to explain." As soon as he'd said it, he regretted the harshness with which it came out.
"Okay," she said, looking down at her plate, melancholy for the first time since seeing him again. Mainly because she was afraid he would disappear almost as suddenly as he had appeared. Or, that she might never get to see him again beyond this visit.
Vance pulled his chair over beside her and lifted her face. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm sorry, sweetheart. Please forgive me. It's just that…" he briefly looked away, "well, let's just say it's hard for me to explain everything. I just hope you know how much I love you, Hannah, and I want you to listen—I mean, really listen—to all I have to say. What I need to tell you is very important. And then some of what you're experiencing will begin to make some sense." He put his napkin on the table and took a drink from his glass. "Are you finished with your breakfast?"
She nodded demurely.
"Come on, let's go over here. We can clean all of this up later."
They went to sit by the fire. Hanging above the mantle was a trophy elk, its glazed-over eyes so real, so lifelike that Hannah felt as if it followed her every movement.
In this new world, anything seemed possible.
While she plunked down in the same chair as the night before, her dad put another piece of wood on the fire and stoked it some before settling in.
"It's hard to know where to begin," he eventually confessed, grabbing his pipe from a small wooden box that sat on top of the fireplace. As he packed it with tobacco, he took the seat across from her. Once it was lit, he began to explain.
"Timing is the ability to travel through time. You and I possess this ability, but so do many others. People use their powers for all sorts of reasons. It really is, Hannah, both a gift and a curse. You can do things that no one else can, but it's a tremendous weight to carry, and is not something to be taken lightly or used frivolously. Every circumstance in which you Time increases the risk of everyone involved and heightens your vulnerability. You will begin to more fully understand what I mean as you gain experience and, in a sense, experiment with your powers." He crafted his message thoughtfully so as not to frighten her.
"Why can't you just tell me now?"
"Some things you can only learn by experience and others I will explain to you… in time. For now, you only need know the basics of your ability." He hesitated. "For your own good—and mine," he said. "It could be… well, it could be dangerous for you to know too much."
She raised her eyebrows. "Dangerous?" The word roused something in her memory… then, it suddenly hit her: his warning right before he died.
He nodded.
"Is that why you told me I was in danger?"
"Yes. They may come after you…"
Her eyes leveled with his. "Um, Dad," she said slowly, "you're starting to make me nervous. Who exactly are 'They'?"
Vance puffed on his pipe and leaned forward. "Hannah, you've lived a very charmed life. Other than the rules your mother and I had for you, you pretty much got to do what you wanted. So long as you followed them," he smiled. "People haven't always been so fortunate. What I'm trying to say, is that people haven't always been so free."
"I'm not exactly sure what you mean."
"I know you've learned some about this in school, but it's sad to say that some people benefit greatly by controlling others and dominating over others. The more control they have, the more power they have. That's the Protectorate. Think of kings and emperors… they have supreme power over people precisely because they have supreme control over them. It's been this way since… well, since the beginning of time, I guess."
"But what does this have to do with me?"
"Well, the Sperari came along and saw the importance of freedom."
Hannah looked right at him. "Sperari?"
He tipped his head. "I think it means 'hope' in Greek or something like that. Anyway, they challenged the Protectorate, you see."
"But why would anyone be against freedom?"
"Easy. Think about it… a child without boundaries, a dog without training… too much of any one thing can be bad. And the Protectorate believes that too much freedom results in chaos and anarchy—basically it allows too many people access to wealth and power at the expense of others. They think that equality is more important, so they essentially try to do things for people that they can't do for themselves."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes not. Remember, this is all very subtle and in the background of things. Obviously, you've never heard of this. And most people will never know about Timing or Timers—or the Protectorate or the Sperari, for that matter."
Hannah groaned. "Dad, I still don't get what any of this crap has to do with me—"
Amusement swept across his face. He'd always tried to get her to be more patient. "I'm getting there. Both the Protectorate and the Sperari try to recruit new Timers. At the same time though," he raised one finger, "there are those who prefer that new Timers be done away with altogether. Think of it as eliminating the competition before it joins the other side. Outnumbers you. And, now that you've Timed, Hannah, you'll be on their radar."
No matter how hard he tried, Vance could not bring himself to tell her why she would be of particular interest to them.
"You mean they'll try to kill me?"
"Possibly."
"But how will I know who these people are?"
"You'll know. You'll feel it. Sense it."
"Whose side am I to join?"
Vance had hoped she wouldn't even ask. So much for getting off easy. "Only you can decide that, Hannah. No one can make that decision for you. Intelligence, guided by experience, will help you determine what you need to do. Which side to choose."
"But what are you?"
He knew she'd never let up until he told her. "I'm neither."
"Then I won't be either."
"Hannah, it's not that easy. Not that simple. You don't really know what you're saying."
"If you didn't align with either of them, why should I?" Her reasoning was impossible to argue with. And he knew it.
"Because you should make up your own mind about these things. Use your brains to decide what's best for you. Make decisions based on intellect, not emotion. That's all."
"So who's gonna come after me?" she asked in a somewhat irritated voice.
"It depends."
He knew she felt invincible, as did most people her age. It was impossible to impart on her the seriousness of her situation, and the responsibility that came with her abilities.
For now though, the brief explanation would have to do.
He dragged a few more times on his pipe and then, without warning, his nose twitched and eyebrows instantly furrowed. He could sense something wasn't right.
For Vance Bailey, Timing had enhanced his sense of smell to where it was far superior to that of a canine. Not to mention his special trailing abilities.
Hannah's head was down, and her fingers were rubbing the back of her neck.
Best not to alarm her, Vance told himself. She'd been through enough in the past twenty-four hours. Calm and cool… that's how he'd do it.
"Hannah," he said with more urgency that he'd planned, "I won't let anything happen to you. That's part of my job now, to protect you."
She raised her head and flashed him a confused look. "You can't come home. You can't be by me all of the time. How can you know I'll be safe? How do I know you'll be safe?"
"There are ways—" His pupils bounced around his eyeballs trying to think of the best escape route.
"You mean there are others?"
"Of course," he said absently. "They're everywhere, all around us, all across the world."
Now, he thought. We really must leave now.
A jolting force hit the cabin like turbulence in a plane, shaking the walls from within.
It made the decision for him.
That's strange, Hannah thought. She didn't remember it being stormy outside.
Almost immediately, Sadie growled.
One look at her father's face told her everything. He jumped up and made his way to a corner in the room where he grabbed a canvas knapsack that was on the floor.
"They're coming," he said matter-of-factly. "We must go. You must go."
She was confused. Go where? She'd just gotten here, hadn't she? Why in the world would she leave her father to fend for himself? And who exactly were these people, anyway? She couldn't even really remember their weird names. Was it the Speotards? Or the Ferraris?
She had so many more questions for him, but all of a sudden their time together was over.
He knew what she was thinking, but there was no time to argue.
"Hannah, you must go home, back to the ranch… for now."
"But I don't want to go, Dad. I want to stay here with you. Forever."
He was firm. "No, Hanny, that's just not possible. It wouldn't be safe. You must go back. Immediately."
She shook her head, not understanding. "How do I go back? I don't even know how."
"Of course you do. The same way you came. Clutch the Edelweiss locket between your hands and focus your thoughts on a destination. Now go. We don't have time to waste. I must leave this place. You being here makes it even more dangerous… for both of us."
"But when will I see you again?"
"Soon, I promise." He took her hands. "And, Hannah, you must know that you will now face dangers in your own world. Now that you are a Timer, and you are aware of your abilities, members of the Sperari will be sent to kill you. It's only a matter of time. Trust no one. Tell no one of your powers."
She nodded, and they embraced. While his arms were around her, she wondered if she really would see him again.
He had to pry her away from him.
"I will see you soon. Very soon. Now sit," he motioned toward the chair," and go."
She obeyed, placing the locket firmly between her hands.
"I love you, Dad."
Much of his reply was lost in a current of air, but she heard him say, "Stay safe, and remember what I said."
As she left the snug little cottage and snow-covered landscape, all Hannah knew was she couldn't wait to return.
CHAPTER 35—POWER
Sicarius had been top in his class. In large part, this was due to his Timing ability.
He could achieve what others perceived to be impossible, things that sent the instructors to the sidelines scratching their heads in hushed conversation.
He made a point, however, never to cheat during training exercises. He wasn't the type prone to taking shortcuts, but he also wasn't opposed to using his talents—resources, he preferred to call them—to gain advantage over the enemy.
And that just so happened to include Timing.
But he also made use of his visions. At first, when he'd discovered the correlation between these and his Timing skills, the visions had been somewhat of a nuisance. For a long time, they'd been rather unpredictable, like nightmares that would happen at random times of the day.
Now though, they were more stable and predictable. They came to him mostly at night, which was somewhat beneficial, because when he was alone, he could at least channel them.
So, when he dreamed of Hannah Bailey and saw the locket draped around her neck, he knew she had, at last, entered the maelstrom.
Her powers were now activated. Real. And he knew they would grow with her, through time and experience.
She was destined to be the most powerful of all of them. Like her father before her, only better. Even more cunning, more powerful, more evil.
But then what would you expect from the offspring of the Devil's own spawn?
As part of standard protocol, he'd alerted the Sperari. Naturally, they'd confirmed his vision.
Now was the time for action. It was only a matter of time before she discovered her full powers… and used them against him.
He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
CHAPTER 36—HOME
Something wasn't right.
Hannah felt it as soon as she returned home. That is, after she "landed" not-so-gracefully in the dumpster just behind her house.
The last thing she remembered was sitting in the chair near her father, holding the locket in her hands, and then the flurry of time travel had consumed her.
Until—just her luck—she'd landed smack dab in a bed of banana peels, leftover beef stroganoff, and cat litter, the last one compliments of Marie's three "furry babies." It was as if her nose was caught between a landfill and a dirty diaper, and her hands and bottom had been thrust into a compost of warm and spongy entrails and feces.
Following a machine gun outburst of swear words, Hannah puked. And then, after making a mental note to practice visualizing where she would land next time instead of just leaving it up to chance, she clawed her way to the container's edge, threw one leg over the dumpster's side, and climbed out of the nasty thing.
Not a soul was around, which she was grateful for under the circumstances, but it nevertheless struck her, especially a little while later, as somewhat unusual.
Shortly after showering in the hottest water she could tolerate, things stopped even remotely resembling an ordinary day.
With a towel wrapped around her, Hannah grabbed her cell phone to text Boone, when she saw she had seventeen missed calls and just about as many messages.
All of them were from her mom.
Her heart leaped into her throat. What if her mom had realized she was gone? Had she thought that Hannah had run away? How would she explain herself?
Yet after listening to the messages, she realized that wasn't it at all. It was worse. Much worse.
Apparently, some sort of virus was sweeping across the nation.
And while Hannah was listening to the final voicemail, the phone rang in her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hannah?" Jackie sounded frazzled.
"Hi, Mom."
"Did you get any of my messages? See that I'd called?"
"Yeah, I just got them."
"Did you hear about the outbreak?"
"Yeah, I just heard. Are you okay?"
"Oh, yes, I'm fine, honey. You're feeling normal, right?
"Yeah… of course."
"I'm so glad. Have you heard about the virus?"
"Kind of. I mean, just what you said about it in your messages."
"It's massive, Hannah. And spreading all over. It hits hard and very fast. Lots of people are dying. And I'm afraid it is only the beginning."
"Wow," she frowned," it's really that bad?"
"Yes."
"What should I do?"
"Nothing really. Just stay put. And I wanted to let you know it might be a while before I make it home—all flights are cancelled, even chartered ones. They don't want to make things worse. I'm trying to pull some connections to see if I can get back right away, but it may be a little while. I suppose you know school is cancelled until further notice…"
