Nightmare's Edge

  Nathan had barely finished his story when they pulled into the nearly empty airport parking lot. Daryl woke up and rubbed her eyes, while her father opened the rear door and helped her and Kelly get out.

  “I’ll drive around until I see a plane take off,” Gunther said. “You have my number if you need me.”

  Nathan reached over the back of the seat and shook Gunther’s hand. Although the muscular driver’s grip hurt like crazy, it was worth it. “Thanks for everything,” Nathan said. “Both for what you did in this world and in the other one.”

  Gunther smiled. “My pleasure. If it wasn’t for all the crazy stuff going on, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it. But it actually all kind of makes sense.”

  Again leading Kelly by the hand, Nathan followed Victor into the terminal building, while Clara and Daryl tagged along behind. Victor spoke to a uniformed man, who let them pass, and soon they were walking out to a small Cessna parked inside a hangar.

  “My brother’s old hangar,” Victor explained. “That’s why I use this airport. He rented it until he died, and I just kept up the payments. He was my best friend, so it’s sort of a sacred place for me. I can almost feel his presence when I’m here.”

  “Daddy!” Daryl leaped into his arms. “Didn’t Nathan tell that part of the story?”

  “What part?” he asked, leaning back to look at her face.

  “On Earth Yellow I saved Uncle Harry’s life!”

  Victor’s mouth dropped open, but he quickly closed it and cleared his throat. “You saved his life? How?”

  Daryl grinned and pointed at the plane. “Let’s get airborne, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “Okay,” Nathan said. “I’m going to check up on the other worlds while you get the plane ready.” He grabbed the IWART again and pressed the button. “Francesca, we’re at an airport, and we’ll be heading toward London soon. Just checking on your time status there.”

  Francesca Yellow’s sweet voice, now more lively, erupted from the unit. “Hello, Nathan. It’s nearly noon the same day.”

  “Okay. That’s pretty fast, but not too bad. Any sign of Mictar?”

  “No, but we brought Amber with us, so he isn’t likely to come by when she’s around.”

  “Amber? How did you get her through security?”

  “We’re living in the days before your nine-eleven, so it wasn’t too hard. Solomon was able to get a passport with a girl’s photo that looks similar to her, so we managed.”

  “Perfect,” Nathan said. “That should help.”

  “I’ll try calling you this evening to let you know where we are on the timeline.”

  “Cool. Thanks.” He switched to Earth Blue. “Dad? You there?”

  After a few seconds of silence, a crackling sound burst through the speakers, then a voice. “Yes, son. Thank God you made it safely to Earth Red.”

  “How’s Mom?”

  “She’s fine. We managed to play a few notes, but the Womb shook so hard, we couldn’t continue. At least twenty stalkers showed up, and Patar helped us escape through a hidden door in the wall.”

  “A hidden door?” Nathan glanced at Kelly and Daryl. Daryl rolled her eyes, while Kelly just stared blankly. “I wish I had known about that.”

  “Patar isn’t one to dispense much information. Anyway, we went back to Earth Yellow, and Daryl gave us the GPS coordinates and the IWART. Before she sent us off to Earth Blue, she showed me the collision simulator. It appears we had some success with the violin, but those few days might not be enough.” “Tell me about it. We’re leaving now for O’Hare. I’ll check in again when we get there.”

  “Very good, son. We’re camping out in some woods close to the telescope site. If need be, we can be at the exact spot in less than a minute.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” After Nathan clipped the unit back on his hip, he helped Kelly climb the airstair and showed her to a comfortable seat just behind the pilot’s. He slid in next to her while Clara sat across the aisle.

  Daryl jumped into the copilot’s seat and grabbed the yoke. “Let’s get moving!”

  “Patience,” Victor said as he grabbed a headset. “You know the drill.”

  She gave him a mock glare. “I thought you said this thing was fast!”

  Victor slid on the headset and gave her a stern look in return. “Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy!”

  While everyone laughed and Daryl and her father continued to volley Star Wars quotes, they pulled out of the hangar and onto the short runway. Soon they took off, climbing at a steep angle. When they leveled out, Nathan tried the IWART again, but, as expected, it didn’t work. He wouldn’t be able to give or get updates until they reached O’Hare.

  After a short flight, they landed on a much longer and wider airstrip. Victor guided the plane toward one of the terminals where at least fifteen airliners sat ready to load at jetways. A few others were parked nearby. Not a soul stirred — no mechanics, no food ser vice personnel, no baggage handlers.

  They stopped near one of the larger jets, which sat by itself well away from the terminal. As Victor walked down the aisle toward the back, hunched over to keep from hitting the ceiling, he said, “Be ready to go as soon as I give the word. We will be dealing with men who will be in no mood for anything but quick obedience.” He pulled a garment bag from a shallow closet and withdrew a hat and dark jacket. When he had put them on, completing his sharp pilot’s uniform, he opened the back door and descended the airstair.

  Daryl climbed out of her seat and joined the others in the back. “Good time to check on the others,” she said, pointing at the IWART.

  “Gotcha.” Nathan set the unit to Earth Blue and pressed the talk button. “Dad? You got your ears on?”

  “Right here, wild man.”

  “Any problems?”

  “No. Just waiting for you. We had some concerns that Mictar might be around, but the cavalry showed up. Cerulean’s standing by in case Mr. Ponytail rears his ugly head.”

  “Yeah. I know what you mean.” Nathan released the button, but as a new thought burst into his mind, he pressed it again. “Did Cerulean mention Felicity? Did he find her?”

  “He was just starting the story when you called. I’ll have to buzz you back when we know more.”

  “Sounds good, but we might be in a rush real soon.”

  “Roger that. We’ll worry about Felicity later.”

  “Right. Say hi to Mom for me. I’ll check on the other Francesca now.” Nathan switched to Earth Yellow. “Francesca? Are you there?”

  “Yes, Nathan. It’s evening now of the same day. Solomon and I are having dinner at a restaurant in Agra.”

  “Have you gone to the Taj Mahal yet? You know, to check on the coordinates?”

  “We found the precise location. If the coordinates haven’t shifted, we shouldn’t have any trouble.”

  “Yeah. If there’s been any shift, this could all be for nothing.” After taking a deep breath, he continued. “I won’t be able to call you till I get to London, so . . .” He looked around at the three beautiful ladies, both young and old, staring at him. “So pray for us. We’re going to need it.”

  “I will, Nathan.” She paused. Then, her voice filled with emotion, she added, “With all my heart.”

  Nathan pressed his lips together. If he tried to say another word, he would squeak like a mouse. He re-clipped the IWART and reached a hand to Kelly and another to Daryl. Then Clara joined in, completing a circle, with Kelly and Clara in their seats and Daryl and Nathan stooping in the aisle. “Things could get hairy from here on out,” he said. “The lives of billions of people are at stake, we have no idea if this plan will even work, and with those cultists probably guarding the spot and with Mictar around, our chances of survival are pretty much zero. So I just wanted to let you three know . . .”

  His throat tightened as he looked at the teary eyes all around. “I just wanted to let you know that I love you all. Each one of you has saved my life
more than once, even at the risk of your own. And now I’m asking you to risk your lives again. We don’t have a supplicant watching over us this time. Amber is with Francesca, Cerulean is with my parents, and Scarlet” — he swallowed down the growing lump — “Scarlet is dead. But we’re not on our own.”

  Nathan rocked forward off his haunches and lowered to his knees. “I haven’t done this nearly enough, especially with anyone else around, but I think it’s about time I did.”

  Staying completely silent, Daryl knelt with him, while Kelly and Clara stayed in their seats with their heads bowed. Nathan licked his lips, tasting again the bittersweet film on his tongue and smelling the delicate scent of roses. Was Scarlet around after all? Would she help him say the right words, the words he so desperately needed to say?

  A tune drifted through his mind, a light, sing-song melody from his childhood, though he couldn’t remember its name. Words attached themselves to the notes, creating a hymn of sorts. As it grew fuller and stronger in his heart, it seemed to well up into his throat. He had to sing it.

  Beginning with a trembling voice that sounded somewhat like his own, yet altered into something more beautiful, he sang.

  O Father in heaven, so holy and true,

  Defender of pilgrims who cry out to you.

  O Jesus, my supplicant, holy and wise,

  Who guides our next footstep, our hands, and our eyes.

  The scent grew stronger with every phrase, its taste more biting, yet still sweet and lovely.

  O Spirit indwelling, my comfort, my friend,

  We beg for the words that break through and transcend.

  Receive our low groanings, our pleas, and our prayers.

  Protect us, defend us, remove all our cares.

  In his mind, a low gong sounded, as if announcing a tragedy — a death before its time, a funeral, the sadness of lost loved ones.

  We hear the sad toll of the bells in the tower

  For widows, for orphans, to fear and to cower.

  It rides on the wind, and it calls from the sky,

  “Bewail and despair, for you all will soon die.”

  He clenched Kelly’s hand, then Daryl’s, his passion rising with his pain.

  Restrain the foul stalkers and silence the bell,

  And cast all the demons and killers to hell.

  Prepare us to battle the dissonant choir

  With music that heals us with water and fire.

  When the song ended, he took in a deep breath and added, “Amen.”

  “Amen,” they all echoed.

  He looked again at their tear-streaked faces. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready!” Daryl put her hand in the middle of their circle. Clara laid hers over it, then Kelly added hers, and finally Nathan covered them all with his still-bloody hand.

  Daryl shouted, “Let’s do this gig!”

  17

  VISIONS OF SCARLET

  Nathan laughed, feeling lighter than he had in days. As he stood and helped them rise, he nodded toward the back exit. “Let’s gather over there. We want to be ready.”

  Less than a minute later, Victor bounded into the plane. His face grim, he waved toward the airstair. “This has gotten a lot more complicated. We’d better get moving.”

  Nathan led the way, his violin in hand. When he reached the bottom, he looked ahead. About fifty paces away, four men stood next to a larger airstair that led up to a passenger jet entry door. Dour expressions complemented the dark suits and open jackets that revealed shoulder holsters. One of men, a guy with a headset over his short gray hair, broke rank and marched their way.

  After helping the ladies off the plane, Victor came up behind Nathan and whispered, “His name is Barker. Just stay cool. It’s all under control. I told him what he needs to know, but nothing more.”

  As he approached, Barker spoke quietly into the headset’s microphone, then pointed at Nathan while looking at Victor. “Is he the one?”

  Victor nodded. “He is.”

  Barker shifted his finger to the three ladies. “We don’t need them. Only the violinist.”

  Nathan jerked his head toward Victor, using his eyes to shout his disapproval. There was no way he could do this without them, especially Kelly. Who could tell whether or not he would need her gift?

  “They come together or not at all,” Victor said. “I don’t think their extra weight will bother our transport.”

  Barker frowned but said no more. He turned and waved for them to follow, talking into his microphone as he marched.

  Victor waved rapidly, whispering, “Go! I’ll be right behind you.”

  Nathan followed Barker, again leading the way. When Barker reached the other three men, he stopped and pulled a small plastic box from his pocket. “One of you has dog breath. Take a mint.” He tipped a small piece of orange candy into each waiting palm, then strode on.

  As Nathan passed by the other three men, he tried to read their faces, but they wouldn’t make eye contact. The shorthaired and clean-shaven men looked more like marine sergeants than FBI types, ready to chew him up and spit him out.

  Nathan averted his eyes and walked on. No use losing his nerve looking at these guys.

  After climbing the steep stairway and entering the empty airplane, Barker stepped into the cockpit and grabbed a clipboard and its attached pen. While he jotted down something on the top page, Nathan guided the others inside. “Just sit anywhere?” he asked.

  Barker replied with a grunt, sat in the copilot’s seat, and stared straight ahead.

  When Victor climbed aboard, he gave Nathan a nod and whispered, “First row will be fine.” Then, without another word, he entered the cockpit and closed the door.

  Nathan turned toward the front of the plane and sat in the left-hand aisle seat, while Daryl took the window seat and Kelly the middle. Clara sat across the aisle and whispered, “Maybe you should practice something. This is all for nothing if you can’t play your instrument.”

  With the violin and bow in his lap, he stared at the palm of his bow hand, still swollen and oozing blood, then at his left, also red and raw, though not quite as bad. Could he really play? Could he follow his mother’s lead and call for that impossibly powerful passion that would overcome such excruciating pain?

  Finally, he shook his head. “I can’t right now. I don’t think I should aggravate my hands.”

  Clara gave him a doubtful stare and turned to the front, muttering something about preparedness.

  After two other agents entered, Nathan looked out the window. The fourth agent pulled away the airstairs while one closed the door from the inside with a thud. Without bothering to look at the passengers, the two agents sat in flight attendant seats up front and buckled in.

  Nathan buckled his own belt and signaled the others to follow suit.

  “Psst!” Daryl lifted her shoulder bag, slid out a mirror, then pushed it back in.

  Nathan glanced at the agents. A half partition stood between them and the passenger seats, likely obstructing their view of Daryl.

  Giving her a nod, Nathan settled back. Would the Earth Blue mirror do them any good? Could it give glimpses of the future or transport them somewhere if need be?

  A click and a slight hum sounded from the plane’s PA system, then Victor’s voice came over the speaker. “We’ll be taking off in a minute. You might want to use the facilities. You’ll find one in the front and one in the back.”

  After the ladies finished their bathroom trips, Nathan journeyed to the back, not wanting to face the agents. He used the toilet, washed his face, and looked in the mirror. With mussed hair, bags under his eyes, and whiskers showing in the usual places, he looked pretty bad.

  As soon as he sat down, Kelly lifted the armrest between them and leaned against his shoulder. “Better get some sleep,” she said. “It’s going to be a long flight, and you’ll need your strength.”

  He looked at Daryl. She had already snuggled up to Kelly from the other side. A slight buzz indicated
that she had already fallen asleep.

  Settling back, he took in a long breath. The aroma of roses was gone, replaced by the odor of sweat and dirt. Was it his or Kelly’s? He glanced at her hair, tangled and oily, certainly not what most people considered attractive these days. Yet, something about her looked right. After toiling, fighting, and sweating with him day after day, both her odor and her appearance painted a portrait of a warrior.

  He closed his eyes. Yes, more like Joan of Arc than Marilyn Monroe. And that was just fine.

  As his brain eased toward sleep, he tried to remember the last time he dozed off. With all the crazy time changes and wild adventures, constant shots of adrenaline had kept him going for countless hours. Now, it felt like his brain was sinking and spinning in a slow whirlpool. Images of Kelly, Daryl, Scarlet, and so many others swirled and blended, then broke apart again.

  After a few minutes, he opened his eyes. Although everyone was still seated, something was different — a presence, a touch, a smell. He inhaled. Yes, it was roses.

  He looked at the aisle. A young woman in a red dress knelt there, her cheek against his arm. Her hair, redder than Daryl’s, smooth and silky, gave off the scent of gardenias, mixing with the roses to create a garden paradise of aromas.

  Nathan’s heart thumped. How could Scarlet be here? She was dead . . . or was this a dream, another realistic phantasm that issued a challenge to his mind? Could he really tell the difference anymore?

  He leaned toward her and whispered, “Scarlet?”

  She jerked her head up and looked at him, her eyes widening with her smile. “My beloved awakes!”

  “You mean . . .” He could hardly squeeze the words through his throat. “You mean, this isn’t a dream?”

  “It is a dream, my love.” Still on her knees, she turned his hand over and showed him his palm — smooth, pink, and clean. “I have searched and searched for you in the dream world, and at last I have found you!”