The River (20 page)

After Crew Cut finished his phone call, he tossed his rifle to Baldy and pulled out a handgun. He aimed it at Jake's head.

"Please remain seated."

"You three," Spike said, pointing to Peter, Hawk and TJ. "Follow us."

Spike and Baldy led them to the door.

Jake caught Hawk's eye.

He knew that the native man was thinking the same thing. If their captors had wanted them dead, they'd have been shot in the woods.

When the door closed behind them, Jake was alone.

With Crew Cut.

"The Director is not happy with you, Dr. Kerrigan."

Jake's brow winged.

"We know everything," the man said, reading his mind.

"Then why don't you fill me in."

"All in good time."

A knock sounded at the door.

A man dressed in a white lab coat stepped into the room. As he headed toward Crew Cut, Jake caught his eye and gasped loudly.

He recognized Del's father immediately.

Dr. Lawrence Hawthorne looked the same as Jake remembered. The same as in the photograph Del had shown them…the photo that had been taken
seven
years ago. Other than appearing as though he hadn't slept in days, Lawrence was in perfect shape. His high forehead was smooth, unlined, and his thick brown hair was touched with golden lights.

Jake frowned, perplexed.

For a man whose hair had been thinning and partially gray, and who always wore prescription bifocals, Del's father was doing exceptionally well.

Without a word, the doctor took the chair directly across from Jake. He leaned forward, about to say something, but an imposing man entered the room.

"Hans," Crew Cut said tensely. "I―"

Hans
raised a hand, silencing the guard immediately. Then he unfastened the button of his silver jacket and took a seat at the head of the table.

Jake eyed him suspiciously.

The man had a Nordic―almost albino―appearance, with long, straight white-blond hair, a proud nose and effeminate, full lips. His ice blue eyes glinted, the pupils enlarged, dilated.

He was high on something.

Jake raised a scornful brow.
The Director?

When the man spoke, his voice was smooth and educated.

"My name is Hans VanBuren. And this is the chief of security. Welcome to the Centre for Enlightened Living."

Jake stared at him in disbelief. "The Centre for Enlightened Living? A place that kidnaps people by gunpoint. What is this―a cult?"

VanBuren pursed his lips. "We do what we have to do."

"What have you done with my friends?"

"They're being taken care of."

Jake didn't like the man's sly tone.

He leaned forward and Crew Cut's rifle snapped up.

"Stand down, Blackwell," VanBuren told the chief of security in a clipped tone. "Everything is under control. Right, Dr. Kerrigan?"

Jake cursed under his breath and eased himself back into the chair, sending Del's father an angry look.

Do something!

"I'm so sorry, Jake," Lawrence whispered sadly. "If I had known that Del would come here, I would've stopped―"

VanBuren cut in. "What shall we do with you all? What do
you
think, doctor?"

Lawrence glanced nervously at the man. "I could use some help in the lab."

"The Specimen Lab, perhaps."

Jake saw the shudder that passed over Lawrence.

"No, with me. I need help with the cell sorter. And we can always use more technicians."

VanBuren's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"Jake can assist me," Lawrence insisted. "And his friends can be trained. They can help with the bots."

Bots?

Jake's curiosity was piqued.

He turned to VanBuren. "How many of my friends are here?"

"All of them."

Jake's throat tightened.

All of them…except Miki. I couldn't save her.

Blackwell strode over to VanBuren. They consulted privately for a moment, then VanBuren shook his head firmly and whispered something in the guard's ear.

Blackwell nudged Jake with the gun. "Stand up."

Rubbing his bruised wrists, Jake stood slowly.

He was led into the hallway, followed by Blackwell, VanBuren and Lawrence. After they crowded into a large elevator, VanBuren flashed an expensive diamond ring and pressed his thumb against a panel. He punched in a code and the elevator began its descent.

"We've set up a cot for you," he said.

"A cot?" Jake said dryly. "I don't really plan on staying."

VanBuren's gaze was sharp as steel. "You don't have a choice, Dr. Kerrigan."

Jake clenched his fists, then relaxed them.

The man was right. At least for now.
But damned if he'd sit on his ass and do nothing. Once he found Del and the others, they'd figure out a way to escape.

He glanced at Del's father.

Lawrence's eyes were filled with sorrow and for a moment, he almost looked his age. Almost.

What are you thinking, Lawrence?

Sixteen

I
t's too damned late!

That's what Lawrence was thinking.

He'd have to explain to Del and Jake―and their friends―the mess they had gotten themselves into. They didn't have a clue where they were. He recalled his own naivety, years ago. And the shock of finding out that he wasn't where he thought he was.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, he nudged Jake, keeping his voice low. "Tunnel to the left."

They followed VanBuren to the lab.

Once they were inside, the man gave Jake a hard look.

"Your accommodations are a bit cramped, but I'm sure you'll make do."

"How long do you expect to keep us here?" Jake demanded.

VanBuren forced out a laugh. "Well, that depends on the good doctor. Once he gives us the file he's been hiding, you'll all be free to go. Until then…welcome to the future."

The doors closed firmly, sealing off any possibility of escape.

"Welcome to the future?" Jake grunted. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Lawrence placed a finger to his lips.
"Let's get you settled."

He motioned Jake to follow.

Entering his living quarters, he immediately noticed that the space had been made even smaller by the addition of an extra cot.

"I guess you're sleeping in here with me, my boy."

He did a quick but thorough search of the room while Jake watched on, confused.

"They haven't gotten around to bugging the place yet. Nothing to hear since Arnold escaped…except maybe my mindless ramblings."

Jake's eyes flashed dangerously. "The lab is bugged?"

"Maybe you should sit down. What I have to tell you is a bit…uh, mind-blowing."

Lawrence strolled toward a counter furnished with a microwave and coffeemaker.

"I'll get us something to drink."

While Jake sat down in a chair, he poured two mugs of coffee and added lots of cream and sugar―just the way he remembered his assistant had liked it.

He handed Jake a mug. "How many people came with you?"

"Eight. Including me and Del."

"Damn! Who are they?"

"Well, there's my assistant, Francesca Baroni. You never met her. She started at Bio-Tec after you…left. Then there's TJ Jackson, Del's ex and Hawk Hawkins, our Nahanni River guide―although I think VanBuren has taken over that role."

Jake took a sip of coffee.

"And the others?" Lawrence asked.

"Gary Ingram, a computer programmer. Peter Cavanaugh, one of Del's students and…" His voice trailed away.

"Who else?"

"Miki, Peter's friend. She…didn't make it."

Lawrence heard the hitch in Jake's voice when he mentioned Miki. The Nahanni River had claimed far too many lives.

Of course, the Director was responsible for most of them.

Watching the man who had been his trusted assistant for five years, Lawrence didn't know what to say. He wasn't usually at his wit's end. But now…where to begin?

"Jake, this is the future."

"Yeah, right."

From the grin on Jake's face, Lawrence knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"You're in the future," he repeated.

Jake stared at him for a long moment.

"You can't be serious!"

Setting the mug on the table, Lawrence stood and paced the floor.

"I'm dead serious, Jake."

"Jesus!"

"When you stepped between the crystals in the cave, it transported you to the future. The crystals are an energized…portal. That's why they phosphoresce. When you crossed between them, your DNA molecules were fragmented and reassembled on the other side."

"What other side?"

"
This
side. Twenty-six years into the future. It's 2031, Jake."

"But how's that possible?"

"I haven't a clue. All I know is that the crystals aren't man-made."

"So the cave is a natural…time machine?"

"You could say that," Lawrence said, sitting on the bed. "How in the world did you find the cave in the first place?"

"Your friend. Arnold Schroeder."

So Arnold
was
still alive. And back in 2005.

"He's dying," Jake murmured.

That didn't surprise Lawrence one bit.

"Arnold crossed back. VanBuren would've had Blackwell put the bots on self-destruct."

Jake's brow lifted.

"It's a long story, Jake. Where do I begin?"

"How about at the beginning?"

Lawrence cracked a grin.

Jake had always had a great sense of humor. He missed that. Hell, he missed having someone around he liked.
Or trusted.

Refreshing their coffee, he took a steadying breath.

"Back in 1998, we were on the brink of discovering how to use nanobots to repair human cells. That's what our research was all about at Bio-Tec. We knew that cells could recognize, disassemble, rebuild and reassemble. But now the technology has advanced beyond our wildest dreams. Or nightmares."

"So who's responsible?"

"In the early 1900's, a man named Vance Paughter went in search of gold with the McLeod brothers."

Lawrence looked up. "Have you heard the story?"

"Yeah, the brothers were murdered in their sleep."

"They were found headless. That's the legend, but the real story is that Vance Paughter stole their gold and headed off downriver with it. That's when he stumbled across the cave. He went inside to hide the gold. And you can guess the rest."

"He was transported to the future."

"Not only that, but once he had been on this side for a few years, he noticed that he wasn't aging. When the molecules are reassembled for the first time, it alters the body's entire biophysical composition. Aging is virtually halted."

Lawrence paused, waiting for his comments to sink in.

"So you're saying that we won't age because we were transported here?" Jake asked, stunned. "That's why you look so young! But you said it would only halt aging, not reverse it."

"Paughter was greedy. After over a decade of living in the future without aging, he wanted more money. So he searched old documents to find out where to invest, then crossed back to the past to get more gold."

"And invested it in companies that would eventually become successful," Jake guessed.

"Right. But once he returned to the future he discovered that he began aging again―although much slower than normal."

"What's the rate of aging if you cross to the future twice?"

"It takes about five years for the body to show one year's worth of aging after a second crossing."

"Not bad. Some people would kill for that."

"Paughter and VanBuren certainly have."

There was a moment of silence and Lawrence had to give Jake credit. For a man who had just been told he had been thrown into the future, his composure was impressive.

"You'd think Paughter would've been happy," Jake said. "With an extended life, I mean."

"You'd think. But he wanted to stay young. That's why he brought me here―to head Project Ankh. He heard I'd made some major discoveries. It's all in a file that I would've made public in 2003. The file he needs to make the serum permanent and painless."

Jake flicked an uneasy look at his surroundings. "And you won't give it to him because…"

"Because if I did, the Director, VanBuren and everyone else involved would literally try to take over the world. And they would succeed." Lawrence gave a quick shrug. "Of course they'd also kill me as soon as they got their dirty hands on it."

"But if you had the key to the cure in the past, why didn't Paughter just sift through your research from 2003? Why go through all the trouble to bring you here?"

"That's easy, Jake. I died in 2002."

"What?"

"In 2002, there was an explosion in Bio-Tec's lab. Thirteen people were killed. Myself included. All of my research went up in smoke."

"But there was no explosion at Bio-Tec in 2002!"

"Because I wasn't there to inadvertently cause it. Paughter thought that if he got to me before the explosion, he could get his hands on the file. It's ironic, really."

"What is?"

Lawrence clenched his teeth. "Paughter saved my life."

The thought still choked him.

"Christ!" Jake groaned. "I can't wrap my brain around this whole time travel concept."

Lawrence felt sorry for him. It was a lot to absorb and he still had more to tell him.

"Decades ago, Paughter built the first Centre in the mountains. Beyond the Nahanni River, farther north. Back then it was called FOY Enterprises. Not many people knew it existed, and no one knew its true purpose. Leading scientists were brought in from all over the world to find a serum to duplicate the crystals' initial effect. To stop aging."

Jake raised a brow. "Project Ankh?"

"That's right. When I arrived, everyone who crossed here for the first time was tested extensively. Once we located the molecular anomalies in each cell, we were able to reproduce them and develop a nano-delivered serum. The technology is that much more advanced here. But, as it stands, there are three problems with Project Ankh."