Time of the Draig (3 page)

Boomer shouted for them all to run as he picked Samantha up and ran for the next door that showed a snow-filled field with another door ten feet ahead. Samantha only saw the blur as alternative worlds flashed before her eyes.

Chapter 3

Samantha had only counted seven doors when she landed face down in the forest clearing. Before she could catch her breath, the air left her lungs when Boomer fell on top of her. She could feel something pushing him down for a moment. With a hoarse cry, she called out, “Get off of me, Boomer.”

As he rolled to the side, she felt hot air forced from the quantum door.
It’s so hot it almost feels like blast residue.
The doorway fizzled shut, offering the view of two people running away into the forest. Her mind cringed at the implications of startling the locals before reality took hold.

Boomer lay at her side, gasping for breath, and the eight former prisoners were either lying flat on their packs or on their knees, doubled over, which all but confirmed they had been thrown by a blast, but none of her calculations explained that concept.

Panic surged through her veins as she struggled to her knees and released her backpack. Her eyes scanned in every direction and only found the clearing and surrounding forest, no more doors.
This is wrong, so very wrong.
They were only on time shift number seven, and there were supposed to be two more slips, or more specifically, two more quantum doors.

The voice called to her again, and she had to force her brain away from the physics to the words. “Major Sykes, what in the hell just happened?”

She looked up to see an extremely pale Captain Harrison waiting for an answer. The nausea and disorientation she felt was reflected on his features. Before she could reply, Boomer jumped to his feet to snarl, “Back off now, Captain.”

Samantha’s grin came unbidden at the protection. She said, “Not what I had planned. Somehow my calculations were wrong, but that can’t be. I’m never wrong.”

“We are no longer on the base and definitely not in Brazil. It’s way too cold and damp for the jungle. What went wrong?” Harrison asked.

Struggling to her feet, she said, “There were supposed to be two more doors. I had planned to stop it, to prevent them from ever finding it, and I failed.”

One of the men rose from the ground and threw his pack to land by his feet. “While you two figure this shit out, I’m taking this off. It weighs a ton.”

Could the error have been so simple?
She had factored in the mass of each man’s pack based on the weight of her own and Boomer’s. She looked up at Boomer and blinked rapidly while her mind spun. “Their packs can’t be that different from ours, can they? Even the potential for a slight difference in the mass should have been acceptable. I can’t understand why this went so wrong.”

Harrison crouched before her and asked, “So what does that mean?”

Her eyes closed. “It means that I violated seven points on the time space continuum for nothing.” She knew he waited for more as her mind ran through the points they had briefly touched. “We should be in Kansas City in 1984, with a final destination of Phoenix to prevent the world from finding UNK005. Instead, we are in the highlands of Scotland on May 4
th
in the year 1128.”

She looked up to see him contemplate what she had revealed. In an instant she knew why her father had liked him: he thought before reacting.

Harrison finally said, “We have traveled almost one thousand years into the past and halfway around the world.”

“Yes.”

Captain Harrison blew out a large breath of air. “What’s an UNK005?”

The question hung in the air unanswered as one of the men called out, “We have incoming.”

Samantha and Harrison followed the man’s gaze to the tree line to the west. Five men emerged from the newly budding trees and stood out in the open. All wore coarse shirts and worn leather pants. One man stood in front, clearly the leader. Training instincts took over as she assessed him: over six feet tall, medium yet muscular build, light brown hair that fell to his shoulders, and brown eyes that locked on hers. The man offered a small nod as he covered half the distance between them. Another man with similar coloring and build followed. The other three stayed behind.

Her heart beat rapidly as the man continued to hold her gaze and called out in clear voice hinted with a Scottish brogue, “I would speak with you.”

Harrison helped Samantha to her feet. “Do you mind if I take point on first contact?”

“It may be for the best. This is a pre-medieval culture, and a woman in command may be more than they can handle,” Samantha said. “We need to keep this simple and end it quickly. The lower the amount of contact with the indigenous people, the less impact on the timeline. As far as the men go, assume command. While I’ve read the manuals, I have no interest in military hierarchy.”

Harrison acknowledged the statement with a quick nod. He said to the men who listened to the conversation, “You heard the major. The situation is unusual to say the least. As I get answers, so will you. For now, I have point, and you will follow orders. It’s our best hope for survival.”

He glanced at a man sitting on the ground and said, “Private Weiler, I want a full inventory of supplies, from gear to what’s edible. Do you understand?”

The man snapped out of his daze. “Why should I follow orders? I’m a dead man walking.”

The captain replied, “You will follow orders because you are a soldier, and it’s what you do. I have command, and we all seem to have a reprieve from that death sentence. Choose now. Remember what it’s like to serve with honor, or leave.”

Weiler asked, “Can the major get us back?”

Eighteen eyeballs fixated on her. “I’m not sure. It will take some time to determine what the options are.”

Weiler said, “I’m not going back, Captain, but if you want to lead, then I’ll follow.”

Harrison pulled Samantha a few feet away from the men in their company. “As soon as we get rid of the welcome wagon, I want a full briefing, including information on whatever UNK005 is and why it spurred your need to disobey command.”

“Consider it done. But while we’re at it, I want to know why you are now a captain sentenced for death,” Samantha countered. “It was an incredibly large leap of faith to take you with me, and that was only because my father trusted you.” With a nod to the rest of the soldiers, she continued, “I want their stories as well.”

Harrison smiled. “Your father was a good man and a better general. I’ve met most of these boys on our daily thirty minutes of required exercise topside while in the brig, and most are good soldiers who refused to follow bad orders.” He glanced over at Boomer. “He’s with you?”

Boomer answered, “Always.”

Samantha ordered, “Break it down for me, Captain.” While she could assess the situation, she wanted to know what Harrison was capable of doing.

Captain Harrison faced the two men who waited on the other side of the clearing. “Their posture is relaxed and seems to pose no immediate threat. While they appear to have some type of swords strapped to their backs, we would certainly see the attack coming. My guess is the noise from our entry drew their attention. My goal is to be polite, gather some basic information on geography and settlements, and then withdraw.” With a shrug to Boomer, he finished, “Maybe he should stay here. The sergeant doesn’t exactly scream harmless traveler.”

Boomer immediately said, “I have the major’s back. Besides, there is no way I’m going to miss this.”

Samantha looked up to see the laughing grin on Boomer’s face. “That makes no sense. You’ve been with me on plenty of official occasions when we had to meet foreign scientists and dignitaries. Not to mention back in the day when we met plenty of locals off-duty.”

Boomer’s look became one of puzzlement. “Didn’t you see it?”

“See what?” Samantha asked as a chill crept down her spine.

“In the lab before I threw you, there was another door—” Boomer started to explain before Harrison cut him off.

“Is there anything in what you are about to say that could make me question the decisions I will need to make to keep the men safe?”

Boomer said, “Yes,” without hesitation.

“Look, the only things I know about time travel come from watching
Star Trek
and
Dr. Who
. But if those old shows had any form of scientific base, the general concept was the future is best left unknown or we can muck it up trying to get to that point.”

Samantha mulled over the conversation.
Boomer saw something, another door, and that might explain the extra wind in the lab as well as the blast from my quantum door. The real question is, what did he see?
She asked, “Do you really believe if you tell me about what you saw it will make a difference?”

One half of his face curved up in a small knowing smile as he replied, “Oh, hell yes.”

“Then keep your mouth shut, Sergeant. That’s an order,” Harrison said as he ran his hand over his cropped hair. He looked back at the men who waited to meet them. “Keep your hand on your side arm, and let’s not give them the opportunity to attack.”

“No longer have my weapon,” Boomer replied. He finished the thought with a carefully considered, “I gave it to someone who needed it more.” His hand patted the side pocket of his pants. “Still have my Bowie knife.”

Samantha smiled as she reached inside her jacket pocket and patted the leather case. “I have mine, too.” Turning her back to the locals, her father’s knife slid into the pocket in her pants.

As if on cue, Private Weiler approached the gathering and handed a Bowie knife to Harrison. “The colonel didn’t lie, there is one for each man. We also found some binoculars with infrared, working on a detailed scan. We have your back for the pow wow, sir.”

As he inserted the knife into the side pocket designed to hold the weapon, Harrison said, “Keep up the good work and keep an eye out. While this seems harmless, one never knows.” With that said, he began walking to the meeting none of them ever would have imagined.

Faolan waited for what seemed like an eternity for the three to join him.
So, they bring their captive along, unless she isn’t a captive. Maybe she’s the older one’s wife or woman.
His temper flared as he decided the older man should be beaten for his treatment of her.

As the distance closed between them, the shadows under her vibrant green eyes became visibly darker. Her skin was pale, far too pale for someone who seemed to walk with a fluid grace. The pallor of her skin made him think of someone who had been kept away from the sunshine and sweet fresh air, again like a poorly kept prisoner.

He assumed the immensely large man at her back was there to keep her from running. The next swallow came hard, as even he could not picture bringing down the mountain of a man in battle. Again he wondered how and why the man had painted his skin and so flawlessly, too.

The older man stopped four or five steps in front of him. His voice rang clear. “I am Captain Jeff Harrison. Whom do I have the honor of meeting?”

Faolan stood a little straighter at the words spoken.
Such fine speech for a man who mistreats a woman.
“I am Faolan, Laird of the Draig clan. To my left stands Kagen.” Without looking, he knew his cousin would offer only a nod of the head. “Who is with you, Captain Jeff Harrison?”

“Please call me Jeff, and allow me to introduce Major Samantha Sykes and Sergeant Michaels.” He offered a light smile. “We are traveling and mean no harm to you or your people.”

Faolan nodded at the peaceful beginning and moved to sit on the ground. He chose not to mention that his people were a day and a half away on foot and safe. He asked the expected, “Where do your travels take you?”

The man, Jeff, glanced at the woman who sat to his right. “For the moment we are looking for a cave or something similar to spend the night. The rest of our plans are of no concern because they are peaceful.”

Faolan held back the anger smoldering inside him.
The man named Jeff probably only sought to keep the woman from the light of day. I can see her listening to the conversation, but her head lifts to soak in the rays of morning light as if it has been ages since she has enjoyed such a simple pleasure.
A slight smile curved her mouth as she inhaled the sweet fragrance of the clearing. Her delicate hand caressed the grass and weeds, and his body wondered if she would touch his back with such adoration or cling to him with fingernails sunk into his skin.

The unbidden image was forced away even as he wondered how her midnight-colored hair would appear unbound and blowing in the light breeze of the day.
Would only small sections be moved, or would winds lift the glorious thick midnight tresses like a goddess in flight?

While his gaze stayed fixated on the woman, Faolan forced his mind to settle on the conversation at hand, not whimsical fantasies. Faolan replied, “Peaceful intent is always pleasing to find. If you travel north, there are caves tucked within the hillsides, and you should reach them well before the sun begins to set.” He pondered his reply. A smart man would have sent them south and away from any chance of stumbling onto his lands. He amended, “You may also find the same to the south, though I dinna ken for certain.”

Jeff was wise. The glimmer in his eyes revealed he realized that Faolan came from the north, though he only asked, “Are there any whose permission should be sought for using the trails?”

Again the man impressed him; such questions did indeed speak of peace. “The trails may cross onto land held but nay in any way that prohibits travel. Though once you reach the lowlands, that may change. I dinna ken.” His gaze again left Jeff to stare at Samantha. “Is she your wife?”

The large man, Sergeant Michaels, let out a quick laugh at the question, but stopped when Samantha glared at him. Jeff replied, “She is my traveling companion, as are the men.”

The disgust gnawed in Faolan’s belly at the cold comment.
Such a beautiful woman should be treasured and kept safe, not dragged around on foot. Certainly not locked away and probably abused by these men. She is small and fragile, not one who could ever hope to stand against so many fit men.