Dream Tunnel (7 page)

28

G
eneva had spent four days and nights monitoring Conroe’s adventures, drinking tea to help her stay awake, napping only occasionally while Conroe was asleep. Though she had a full night in her own bed, she couldn’t sleep at all because of the fight they’d had. She was only trying to keep her best friend from making a decision she was going to regret for the rest of her life. Once Conroe married, that was it. By law, there could be no divorce for the queen.

She did feel somewhat guilty about Will, though, and what she had said to Conroe. Yes, in truth, she
did
want him for herself—or at least she wanted a chance with him. She had never let him know how she felt about him, and if he had been aware of her feelings, things might have worked out between them, or maybe they wouldn’t have, but now she would never know.

Conroe had to meet the deadline—she had to ascend the throne. Everybody understood that. It was settled.

Geneva heard a commotion in the hallway outside her bedroom door. It burst open, and Conroe walked in.

“I’m sorry about what I said, Geneva. You were right.”

Geneva sat up. “Right about what?”

“I love Crane, and if I don’t go after him, if I don’t at least do everything I can to convince him to come here and marry me, I’ll always regret it.”

“Good. So when are you going back?”

“Right now.”

“Okay, just let me throw on some clothes, and—”

“There’s no time for that, Geneva. Just come in your night clothes.”

“Well,
you
took the time to get dressed. Why can’t I?”

“Because I’m going to the year 2012, and you’re gonna stay in my bedroom and make sure I can get back here with Crane.”

“Right.” She grabbed her robe and ran out the door with Conroe.

29

G
eneva turned on the time travel computer. “Did you notice the battery level?”

“No.”

“It’s down to fifteen percent.”

“It’ll be okay.”

“If this battery dies while you’re—”

Conroe interrupted, “You’ll figure out some way to keep it running.”

“With what—lamp oil? A wood burning stove? I don’t think so.”

“Well, if we can’t do anything about it, why waste time talking about it?”

“Because what if it goes out while you’re in Crane’s world? Or worse—while you’re en route. You could be halfway through the tunnel and…nothing. I don’t know exactly what would happen, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be good. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.”

“I’m going, Geneva. Everything will be fine. Send me to Crane’s room.”

“Okay. Here goes.”

Conroe’s body dematerialized.

30

C
onroe materialized at the foot of Crane’s bed. It was too dark for her to see him.

“Crane?” She walked around to the side of the bed and sat down. “Crane, please don’t be angry with me.” She reached over to touch him. “Crane?”

He was not there.

“Who’s talking in there?” Nurse Olive opened the door. “Is that you, Conroe? You are in big trouble, missy.”

“He’s gone.”

Nurse Olive turned on the lights.

Conroe stood up. “I came in here to check on Crane because I was worried about him.”

“Well, he’s not here anymore,” Nurse Olive said.

“I can see that.”

“He’s not in
Philly
anymore. He came to the office earlier tonight claiming he had a headache. But while the orderly was getting some aspirin for him, he escaped. Went right out the front door. Some bozo forgot to lock it.”

“Where did he go?”

“How should I know? Once a kid leaves this facility, he’s no longer my concern. But you, my dear, are very much my concern, and you are headed for Solitary.” She grabbed Conroe by the arm.

Conroe pulled back from her. “You know what? I don’t have time for this.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find you have plenty of time when you’re sitting in Solitary for, let’s say, three days.” She clasped Conroe’s arm and led her out of the room.

“Geneva!” Conroe yelled.

“Who’s Geneva?” Nurse Olive lost her grip on Conroe’s arm, and her momentum caused her to fall forward. “Don’t mess with me.” She spun around. “Where are you? How would you like
five
days in Solitary?
Ten
days?”

31

C
onroe materialized on the side of the road in front of Philly, under a street lamp.

“Thanks, Geneva.”

There was only one place she could think of where Crane would have gone: Galveston. He had talked about getting a job there at a restaurant called Dave’s Diner. Dave was a good friend of Crane’s last foster family, and he had promised to hire Crane if he was ever living in Galveston and needed a job.

“Geneva, I need to go to Galveston, but I know you can’t send me there because it’s outside the perimeter. So, just get me as close as you can.”

32

G
eneva was sitting at the time travel computer watching Conroe when she heard a pebble hit the window. Then other.

She went to the window and opened it.

Will Wincraft was standing in the grass below with a handful of stones.

“What are you doing, Will?”

“I need to talk to Conroe.”

“Right now? In the middle of the night?”

“Yes. It’s urgent!”

“How did you get through the gate? Did the guard let you in?”

“I’d rather not say. Could you please let me in so I can talk to Conroe?”

She couldn’t tell him that Conroe was not there—that she was traveling to another time to get the boy she
really
wanted to marry. “Meet me at the servant’s entrance—in the back.”

“Okay.”

Geneva closed the window and went downstairs to the servant’s entrance and opened the door. “This is crazy, Will. What’s the big emergency?”

“May I come in?”

Geneva let him in.

Once he stepped inside, into the light of her lantern, she could see the red cloth wrapped around his leg. On second look, she realized it was a white cloth soaked in blood. “What happened to you?”

“It’s nothing. Where’s Conroe?”

“I’m sorry, Will. I’m not at liberty to say why Conroe can’t come down right now.”

“I am her fiancé—surely you can tell me.”

“I really can’t. But I will pass along anything you have to say to her.”

Will faltered, nearly collapsing.

Geneva grabbed a wooden chair and put it behind him. “Sit down.”

“Thanks.”

She took a seat across from him. “How were you injured, Will?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

“I was in my own bed when an intruder came into my room and attacked me. He stabbed me with a sword.”

“Who would do this to you? Did you recognize him?”

“It was…Wally.”

“
Wally?
Conroe’s Wally—her father, the husband of the queen?”

“I couldn’t believe it either.”

“No, that’s just not possible. Wally wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“He told me that I must not marry Conroe. He was determined that I break off the engagement.”

“I’m in shock. This doesn’t make any sense,” Geneva said. “We will go have a talk with Wally in the morning, but I can assure you that he was not the one who attacked you. I think I know who did, though.”

33

I
t was nearly two o’clock in the morning, and Conroe was walking along Interstate 45 South, toward Galveston. Since she was now outside the perimeter, Geneva could no longer help her or even see her. She calculated that it would take her fifteen hours to walk it, which would get her there at five o’clock in the afternoon. The wedding was at six, so obviously she needed a faster way to get there. Conroe was familiar with the concept of hitchhiking, but she knew it could be dangerous.

A pickup pulled off the road just in front of her.

She ran up to the open passenger window.

“Need a lift, honey?” His speech was slurred and his breath smelled flammable. She knew it would be risky to accept a ride from him—but she was desperate to get to Crane as quickly as possible.

“Sure, thanks.” She got in.

He drove back onto the road. “Where are you headed?”

“Galveston.”

“
Galveston?
That’s a good hour from here.”

“I know.”

“And that’s a lot of gas. You got any cash, sweetie?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what—maybe we can work something out. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Know what I mean?”

“Look, I really don’t have time for any back scratching. I just need to get to Galveston.”

Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

“I need to stop for a minute, honey.” He took the next exit and pulled into a motel. “I’ll be right back.” He turned off the engine, took the keys, and went into the office.

Conroe considered getting out of the truck and going on by foot. Maybe she’d be lucky and catch a ride with someone less creepy. But what if she couldn’t? Crane was in danger, and besides, the time travel computer battery might die soon.

The man came out of the office and got into the truck. “Now we’re set.”

Conroe hoped that meant there would be no more stops along the way.

He drove around to the back side of the motel and parked in front of a room. “I’ll just be a minute.” He took the keys and went into the room.

Conroe decided to bail. She grabbed the door handle.

He stuck his head out the motel room door. “I’m sorry, honey, but this is gonna take longer than I thought. I cut my hand.” His hand was covered with blood.

She jumped out of the truck. “Let me help you with that.” She went inside with him.

He closed the door behind her. “Now this won’t take long, honey, and then we’ll be on our way to Galveston.” He unbuckled his belt.

“What are you doing? Don’t we need to bandage your hand?”

“Oh, this?” He licked his hand. “I was just joking around.” He pointed to the empty ketchup packets on the TV stand and then unzipped his pants and let them drop to the floor. “Now come over here and give me some ‘scratching.’” He grinned.

She walked over to him. “I really thought you might be a decent guy, just wanting to help out a girl in distress.” She gently stroked his cheek with her hand.

“Nope. I’m a bad, bad boy,” he said with a smirk, “and I need to be punished.”

“Then I will happily fulfill your needs.” She pinched his ear between two fingers, Gomwei style.

He dropped to his knees and cried in agony when they hit the thinly carpeted concrete floor. “I can’t move my arms. I’m paralyzed.” He began to whimper. “What have you done to me?”

“I’ve given you exactly what you deserve. But don’t worry—you’ll be as good as new in four or five hours. Oh—I hope you didn’t need to go to the bathroom.”

“I think…I just did,” he said, sobbing.

She laid him down on his side and placed a pillow under his head. “Thanks for the use of your truck. I’ll try to take good care of it. And don’t bother to come looking for me. By the time you’re able to walk again, I’ll be long gone.”

“I
will
come after you, and when I catch you, you’re gonna be sorry you messed with
this
cowboy.”

“That’s big talk, coming from a guy who just wet his pants.” She picked up his keys from the TV stand.

“Now, do I need to gag you so that you can’t scream for help? Hmm, probably not. Because if you call for help, they will take you to the hospital in this condition. That would be embarrassing. The nurses might even be laughing behind your back. No, better to just sleep it off, don’t you think?”

“I’ll track you down, no matter where you go.”

Draping a blanket over his half-naked body, she said, “Sweet dreams,” and walked out and shut the door.

Conroe got into the truck and started the engine. She had never driven before, but after watching a drunk do it, she figured it couldn’t be that difficult. Leaving the parking lot, she flattened a stop sign and narrowly avoided a ditch. After that, she drove as well as any first-day driver’s ed student.

Crane could be walking along the highway, or he might have caught a ride with someone, she thought. What if he had gone into a convenience store somewhere along the way and she drove right past him? Or what if she was wrong about him going to Galveston?

She had been driving for twenty minutes when she saw a guy who looked like Crane walking along the highway. She pulled over and stopped in front of him, just as the creepy drunk guy had stopped for her. But as he approached the truck and she got a better look at him in the rearview mirror, she realized that he was not Crane. She floored the accelerator and spun the tires, burning rubber as she returned to the highway.

Conroe reasoned that her chances of finding Crane, convincing him to come back with her in time for the wedding, and doing it all before the time travel computer battery died were slim indeed. She could turn around right now, drive north to get within the perimeter, and then have Geneva bring her back home. That would be the smart, safe thing to do. But she didn’t care about being smart or safe—she just wanted Crane, and her instincts told her to keep driving toward Galveston.