Page 112 of Telling Time
“Let’s walk,” Rita said, “and it would help if you’d tell me what happened.”
Ness looked doubtful.Rita didn’t press the point.It was obvious the girl had been through something.She’d been a teenager when she disappeared, but she wasn’t one anymore.
But she was still young.
So she’d have to trust Rita with her story or not.Rita had a feeling she knew the parts she needed to know.She mostly wanted Ness to talk and not ask questions.
There was a strong possibility that both Stella and Alastor would be gone.She didn’t want to raise false hopes.
When Ness began to talk, Rita’s insides relaxed some and she was right.She already knew the main points from Alastor.And it did explain the relocation camp, though not the photo of her there.Was there someone who knew about Ness?
Otherwise, why stage a photo there of all places?
And if someone had known?How truly evil to leave her there.
They reached the path to the square and Rita had to force a smile for Ness as she directed her to walk down it.
“So?”Ness said, a bit belligerently.
“I left them here just a few moments ago,” Rita said.And if they were still caught in that time bubble?If the time waves weren’t signaling this as the way to go, she’d have turned and run.
The square came slowly into sight.
Stella and Alastor weren’t in the time bubble.
And they weren’t alone.
“Please join us,” John Phillips said, gesturing with the handgun he held.He was surprised to see Ness with Rita, but he didn’t let it show on his face.Almost idly he wondered when was the last time he’d felt anything enough to have an expression.
He’d thought this moment might do it, but he didn’t even have a good gloat left in him.He’d been sent out to die and brought back to life too many times.And then there were those he’d sent out with no intention of bringing them back.
The first time had been difficult, but it got easier after that.
He hadn’t given Rita’s expendability a second thought—until she’d been so hard to erase.
But that was the other thing he’d learned: patience.Everything came to you if you waited long enough.Since joining the agency?He’d had forever.
Interesting that these two had somehow found each other.
Toby’s sister Rita and Ness, the girl Toby had stranded in the past.The girl Toby had chosen to take on his first—and last adventure—instead of his best friend.
He knew it was irrational to be angry about that.He’d have been stranded instead of Ness.But when you had the gun?You didn’t have to be rational.
At first, he’d looked for Toby to try to save him.He considered this.Yeah, he was pretty sure that’s why he’d looked.But he’d never found him.
He’d found Ness by accident.Toby was probably dead by now so Rita would have to take his place.She was his sister, though he wasn’t sure she knew that yet.It was a pity that Toby would never know.He’d have liked him to know that Rita had been his surrogate.
He’d carefully excised her from her family and made sure she didn’t know.All his careful maneuvering had worked—almost to his surprise.He’d thought it had gone wrong, terribly wrong, all his plans swept out from under his feet when she and that cowboy pilot had disappeared.
And then, suddenly, this.He glanced around at the empty compound, ignoring Ness who ran toward Alastor.
“Dad!”
Alastor clasped his daughter close, but his wary, angry gaze was fixed on John.
It felt right that Alastor couldn’t enjoy his reunion.If he hadn’t stolen the device before John could…
“Which of you has the Butterfly device?”he said.
