“We have just under an hour before they’ll have the room ready,” Michael said.
“Good.” I smiled. “Then I’ll have time to get ready for our guest.”
***
The hover-car ride took us deeper below any of the levels of the Society’s complex I’d been to yet. We stopped at a door where there were two members of the Shadow Watch standing guard. Behind it waited this Celine Wettrick, who had requested an audience with Michael Sumter specifically. There were two possibilities I considered. Either she had a message for him from the UCE, or she had unresolved issues of a more personal nature from their past, in the future.
Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect. When the door opened at first all I saw was the backs of two other guards on the other side of the door. “Don’t move,” I heard one of them warn her.
They parted to let us in, and then I saw her, standing with her back turned to us. She was tall, almost six feet, with long chestnut-brown hair that hung loose about midway down her back, and her skin-tight black ensemble accentuated her well-proportioned figure too nicely. She turned around to reveal the finely chiseled face of a porcelain doll, with high cheekbones and full, pouty lips that spread into a cautious smile when her sky blue eyes settled on Michael.
“It’s true,” she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “You really are here, alive.”
She sprang forward, presumably to throw her arms around him, but he caught them, twisting her left arm behind her, and holding her right arm fast at her side.
“How did you find this place?” he demanded.
“Please, Michael, can’t we please speak privately?” She was not pleased by the fact that the guards, Mom and I were in the room.
“No,” Mom answered. “After what your people just did to mine? No, I’ll not be leaving you alone with him.”
Celine laughed, “Michael, please tell them I could never hurt you.”
“I can’t, because I don’t know that you won’t,” he replied, but he released his grip and took a step back. “We are all armed, just so you know.” He looked at the guards in the back of the room, “It’s fine, you all can wait outside. I can handle her, if I must.” Once they’d left, he spoke to her again, “This is as private as it’s gonna get.”
She batted her eyelashes at him seductively, and spoke in a sultry tone, “Michael, you’ve had all the time in the world to think. You’ve been here over a century now, right? And yet,” she raised her right hand slowly to trace his jaw with her fingertips, “you haven’t aged a day.” He slapped her hand away, and she gave a coy laugh. “You can’t tell me you haven’t missed me at all.”
There was no way for me not to infer that they had been lovers. It was as clear as a cut crystal vase, and equally multifaceted. Should I be jealous of her, or should she be jealous of me? Do either one of us have any claim on him, giving us the right to be?
I chose to judge by the way Michael cringed away from her touch, and by the way she seemed wounded by it, that he was the one who ended it. “Celine, you asked to speak with me and that’s more than I want to do with you, so if you don’t have something important to tell me, I’m out of here.” He turned back toward the door, Mom and I moving to follow.
“Wait,” she stepped forward putting a hand on his shoulder.
I drew my gun, and he spun around, slapping her hand away. “I’m not playing games with you; this is life and death Celine. You really have no idea what lies you’ve been fed, and what the truth is about Samuel Marks. We won’t hold that against you, you’ll find out in due time.” There was no display of emotion on her face; she had become a blank slate. She was processing what Michael said, but it didn’t seem, to me, like she was going to be receptive to the idea of reformation. “I am going to find out how the U.C.E. got you in here one way or the other. Spit it out, or I’ll go start extracting some answers out of your friends.”
She folded her arms across her chest, turned and paced toward the back of the room. “They were your friends, too, and not all that long ago.”
He shook his head, “Sorry, I guess I should ask how long ago I left.”
“Ten months before I did.” She turned back to face him, “And yes, this raid was planned with too much haste, I agree it was irresponsible. But I fought for my place so I could find you.”
“Sending this many at once could do irreparable damage to the timeline,” Mom said softly. “Why was coming here now, with such force, so important to the UCE?”
Celine narrowed her eyes at my mother, but ignored her question. Turning her gaze back to Michael, she spoke in a softer tone, “The UCE is desperate to secure the tree, Michael. The global ecology reports that came back the day after you left are what spurred this mission.”
“What do you mean? How?” he asked.
“Those living on Earth’s surface, the levels of contaminants in, well, everything.... It’s bad, Michael. Even the doomsayers were shocked. The filters in the sky-cities aren’t keeping up anymore either, all crops have moved to sky-farms, and those are quickly becoming more tainted, as well. If something isn’t done about it soon....” She shook her head, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “But none of that matters now, because we are here, where we can still breathe. I came back for you, Michael. I don’t care about the U.C.E., or anything else. I told lies, and fought for a position on this team when I heard they were looking for you. This mission, among other things, was to take you out; I thought this would be my one and only chance to find you again. I couldn’t let them kill you.” She held her arms out, palms up, pleading for him to believe her. “If this is the side you’ve chosen, then I’m on it too.”
I can’t say she didn’t sound sincere, but seriously, to chase a guy who dumped you back in time a couple hundred years sounded kind of dumb, not to mention desperate, to me. But, maybe that’s just me.
He was pacing around the room; it was clear that absence had not made his heart grow fonder. “How long have you been here?”
“We arrived twelve hours before the attack, in the lowest level of the mountain.”
“When did you receive the intelligence that inspired this trip?”
“It was unearthed seven months after you left, we planned for another three.”
He stopped and sighed, “Celine, you significantly improve your odds of survival if you give us your full cooperation. You know this, so let’s drop the formalities. Tell me what I want to know.”
She smiled. “I made friends with someone shortly after you left. She swore to me she would track you down, for me, when she went. She provided the data we needed to land right inside the mountain on the right day to capture the Flamella Tree for ourselves.”
“Too bad that didn’t work out for you,” I growled.
Celine seemed to notice me for the first time. She stared at me for a moment and I could see her mind trying to unravel something. “Oh,” there was disappointment in her tone. “Is this her, Michael? I would have thought she would be, I don’t know, something more. At least a little taller.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I raised my Marquet Special at her again.
“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know, honey,” she sneered.
I sneered right back, “Sorry, must’ve missed the memo.” I really didn’t know if she was referring to the fact that I was Samuel’s grand-daughter, or if she knew about how Michael felt about me. “But you’re right; you’re much more special. No one’s ever had to move to another century to escape me.”
“What an obnoxious little bitch,” she started toward me, despite the gun.
Michael grabbed her throat, freezing her in her tracks, “I think you had best remember who the prisoner is here, Celine.” He shoved her down onto the metal chair in the middle of the room, “And yes, she is Samantha Marquet, and that is her mother,” he fastened the handcuffs to her wrists, around the back of the chair. “They are in charge around here, I take orders from them.” He stood up and walked around to
stand before her, “Either one of them gives the word; I’ll take you out myself.”
She didn’t even blink, “Michael, darling, if it will prove to you that I’m on your side, I’ll give you the name.”
“What name?”
“The name of my friend, the traitor in your midst.”
A traitor? Not just another Traveler who spotted him and reported back, but someone who had been taken into the fold and inducted into the Society?
Michael pulled his gun this time, putting the barrel on her forehead, “Damn it, Celine, if you’re lying,” Michael warned.
She smiled at him, smugly, “Shoot me then, Michael, if that will make things easier for you. But I am telling you the truth; one of your own gave us everything.”
He clicked the safety back on and stepped back, putting his gun away, so I did the same. “They couldn’t give you the Flamella Tree, because it isn’t here.”
Celine looked shocked, “But how ... the assembly ... the fruit ... it was all set.”
Marion smiled, “The fruit was here, just not the tree.” She stepped closer to Celine, “Who is the traitor? I’ll have you moved to a private cell, with a bed.”
The corners of Celine’s lips twisted back into a smile, “Oh, I’ll need a few other creature comforts.”
Mom grabbed her hair and snapped her head back, “Give me the name, now.”
She barely squeaked out, “Neve.”
Mom released her, opened the door and gave some instructions to the guards. Celine looked up at Michael, “I could tell you more about what’s happened since you left.”
“We will talk later, but I’m not sure you’ll like it. I know I won’t. Right now, I have more important matters that require my attention.” We left her alone, with the guards outside.
***
It was a simple matter of marching back into our suite with four of the Shadow Guard, who seized Neve from the chair she was sitting in and cuffed her. There was no argument, no struggle; it was as if she knew we were coming for her and she was waiting.
Mom cleared her throat before she spoke, “Neve Berenger, you are being charged with the crime of treason against the Society and all of its members. By giving our enemies information, you have not only compromised our security, but cost the lives of eighty-seven people today, Society members and the Travelers. You will be held in solitude until your tribunal hearing, which will be held in three days.” When Neve did not speak, Mom asked, “Do you have anything to say?”
Neve spit at my mother, and I moved to slap her, but Mom caught my hand.
She glared at me when she spoke, “Why do I need to say anything? You wouldn’t be here unless she betrayed me, which she did. I knew she would. I knew it, and yet I helped her anyway.”
Michael asked, “Her who?”
“Don’t play stupid with me, Michael,” she hissed. “You just came from talking to Celine.”
“Why, Neve?” he was hurt by her betrayal. “Why would you do this?”
Neve shrugged, “I said I would help her find you, if she would help my little brother out of some trouble that I wouldn’t be able to take care of.”
“So, she got her father to represent him?” Michael pursued.
“Yes. I’m anxious to hear from her how that went.”
I sighed, ready for her to be out of my sight, “Well, you’re just going to have to go on being anxious I guess. You won’t be seeing her again.” I nodded at the guards to take her away.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she squealed as she was forced out of the door. “What did you do with Celine?” Michael gave her a shove as he followed them out the door to make sure she had been taken care of properly.
I shut the door behind them. “I’m glad that’s done with.” I sat down on the couch and put my head back. “When do we get to go home?”
Mom sat next to me, absentmindedly smoothing strands of my hair out behind me, over the back of the couch. “Soon, Samantha, soon. I have a few loose ends here to tie up that require Michael’s help, and then you, Michael and Jayden will just hop back to the Mansion in the Mountains.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll have to stay for a little while, maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. We’ll see.”
“What about Thanksgiving?” It was only a month away.
“You go ahead and plan on it with your cousin Mary,” she smiled and kissed my cheek. “You worry about the strangest things sometimes.”
My eyebrows drew together when I gave her a faux scowl, “I do not. I just have stranger things to worry about than most people.”
She sighed, “That is true, and I’m sorry for that.”
I sat up and looked at her, “I’m not.” I hugged her fiercely, “I’m not sorry for one bit of it, and don’t you be either. We just have a different ... lot in life? It could be worse.”
She laughed, “I suppose so.”
“Go, do your stuff,” I got up and stretched, “I’m gonna lie down until we’re ready to go.”
***
Jayden was spending the last of her time before we left with Kristoff, so I had the room to myself. I lay down, and I was out.
I don’t know how long it was before I got up and went to the bathroom to wash my face. When I looked in the mirror; my reflection had the mark of a Traveler. Startled, I jumped back and bumped into something, and I turned to see myself, with a short bob, now standing before me. Future Me smiled, “Shhh, don’t freak out.”
I blinked at her, confused. ‘Don’t freak out’ she says. Or I said. I give up. “What’s going on?”
“I just needed to check on you.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I know you’re at a point where you’re about to crack. I don’t want to see you getting a seventy-two hour vacation in a padded room, or longer.”
I laughed, “That bad, huh?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Honey, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “I thought the hard part was over.”
She shook her head slowly, “It’s only just beginning. But it will be worth it, I promise. Be prepared.” She leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
And then I opened my eyes and Jayden was sitting next to me. “Finally,” she looked irritated. “Are you ready to get out of here? Michael and I are waiting for you.”
I sat up and looked around, trying to decide if it had been real, or a dream. I didn’t know, so I decided to keep quiet. “Yeah, sorry. Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 32
10/13/2006
Back to Life
When we arrived at the Mansion in the Mountain, Artemis came bounding across the Great Hall in great leaps. I knelt down to scoop up the purring fur ball. I was relieved to see her, to be home and to not have to hike through the woods to get there. I’d had enough of hiking for a little while after Costa Rica.
I don’t know why I expected to find the Flamella tree there; it really was too much to hope for, in retrospect. There was a note from Future Us though, to let us know they’d been by, and promising that we would have the tree by Christmas.
Dearest Sam,
We will return the tree before you need it again, we’re just borrowing it for a bit. Right now it’s needed more where it is, and it’s safer this way as well. Just look for Adja when it’s time, you know how to find him now.
Your Faithful Servant,
Michael
He implied I would go to Adja alone next time, which made me think even more that the Future Us were not a couple.
“I still don’t get why they needed to take the whole tree,” Jay said. “It seems like the fruit would be all they need.”
“I think our Future Selves knew about the attack, and didn’t want to take any risks.” Michael suggested. “Better to just not have it here at all.”
“Then why wouldn’t they have left it here, instead of the note?” Jay asked. “There must be some other reason why th
ey don’t want it here now.”
It made sense. Why else wouldn’t it be here now, if they had already been back? “Unless they left this note here before they went and took the tree,” I said.
“What?” Jay and Michael asked together.
“They came back in time to a point after we left here, then hopped forward to take the tree.” My theory seemed sound.
“I think you’re right,” Michael agreed. “It still doesn’t explain why they took it at all.”
“What if somewhere in the future, the tree dies, and they needed to replenish their supply of the Philosopher’s Stone?” Jay asked. “Couldn’t they keep it and harvest a supply for a few years, and then come back to return it a month from now?”
Michael shook his head, “If all they needed was the fruit, they would have just taken it.”
We went on debating for a little while longer, until they couldn’t think of any other theories. I just plain didn’t want to think anymore. My brain hurt.
“What about from now until they return the tree? I’m so confused.” Jayden was thinking what I was thinking.
“Just as I said before,” Michael replied matter-of-factly, “you’ll go back to life as usual for now. I expect it will remain much the same, even after the tree is returned.”
Dreading what came next, I said, “Then I guess I’d better go call Bailey to let him know I’ll be home in a few hours.”
Michael’s expression darkened, “Don’t forget you’re going to be planning a funeral; you should act accordingly.”
***
Jay was alone in the Great Hall when I returned. Michael was in another room, making some calls of his own to ensure everything was safe for our return. Li-Ming, Kristoff and Annika had gone ahead of us, and were reporting back to him. He would also be checking in with Alec and Zhou, who stayed behind with Mom. I poured myself a glass of merlot, and stretched out next to Jay on the bear-skin rug.
As much as part of me wanted to get back to my apartment, I was reluctant to leave the Mansion in the Mountain. It felt good, just sitting by the fire with Jay, drinking our wine, staring alternately at the flickering flames or Artemis sleeping by the hearth. The stillness reminded me of a peace I had before I met Michael, before Bailey asked me to move in, before all of this craziness started. It was something I thought I might never have again. Perhaps one day, somewhere in the future, but something told me that future was somewhere far away.