followed him to the main console as she tightened
the loosened braid and tied it off. “Can’t you send me to the same time he
arrived? Or right after?”
“I can send you to the same place. But the portal has a
quirk; once an agent is offline, real time kicks in.”
“So, if an hour passes here, I’ll arrive there an hour
later.”
“And hope he waited around. He will—he knows the protocol.”
Mac tapped on the screen, paused long enough to pull something out of his
pocket. She swallowed. It was a transport. “Ready for this?”
“I’m ready.” She kept running those two words through her mind—and
hoped the repetition would eventually convince her.
Five
Kane knew the procedure when he was cut off.
Stay put. No exceptions.
The bloodcurdling scream had him bolting around the
building.
He skidded to a halt when he saw a young woman on her knees
next to the canal. She leaned over so far he expected her to fall in any
second. Kane scanned the long alley for unwanted company before he strode over
to her. He crouched next to her, ready to grab her arm if she threatened to
topple over the edge.
“Can I help?”
“Oh—” Tear bright eyes stared at him. “My dog—”
She pointed. Kane followed the line of her arm, and spotted
it—a white, fluffy head, just above the water.
He shouldn’t leave—an agent could show up at any second, and
he needed to be here.
He cursed under his breath. It hadn’t been long enough for
them to brief another agent, and he could hardly walk away, now she knew he was
here. What if it was Elizabeth in need or danger? He would want someone to step
up and help her. He could hardly do less.
“Stay here.” He didn’t wait for an answer before he stood
and took off, jogging along the canal. The head disappeared under the bridge.
Kane checked for traffic and crossed the street, finding the canal on the other
side. Along with a much wetter white head. “Hell—”
He scanned for a good spot to grab it. The dog was
struggling now, its head staying under longer each time. He could not face that
woman without a live pet.
There, just ahead. He could get to the bank without too much
effort. He halted at the spot and shed his greatcoat, unbuttoning his sleeve so
he could reach in unhindered. Once he pushed through the hedge next to the bank,
he dropped to one knee and slipped his arm into the icy water just in time to
scoop the dog up.
The tiny thing shivered violently. Kane was frankly
surprised it had survived as long as it did. He tucked it in the curve of his
arm, oddly moved when a soft pink tongue licked his fingers. With his free
hand, he pulled his scarf from around his neck and wrapped the little dog in the
warm blue wool. He stopped long enough to pick up his greatcoat before he
headed back along the canal.
The woman waited for him at the edge of the sidewalk. He
crossed the street, and she sprinted to him, arms outstretched.
“You found her! Oh, Jane Eyre, you poor, sweet thing.” She
took the dog, cradled it in her arms. Kane fought a smile at the name. “I’ve
got you, you’re safe now. Thank you,” she whispered, gazing up at Kane. Tears
stained her face, but she looked happy now instead of terrified. “Thank you.”
“Glad to be of service.” He slipped on his greatcoat while
she was distracted, and hoped she had not noticed the uniform. His non-military
hair, and the earring he always forgot to remove would raise questions, never
mind the fact that most of the BEF was in Europe at the moment. “Jane is in
good hands now.”
“Please.” She touched his arm. “Allow me to at least offer
you a hot bowl of soup. I live just to the other side of the canal.” The dog
yipped, and she laughed, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t normally take her outside
off leash, but she got away from me when I opened the door, and tumbled
straight in.”
Kane had already interacted more than he should have. But he
figured saving a bit of a dog would not change the
the loosened braid and tied it off. “Can’t you send me to the same time he
arrived? Or right after?”
“I can send you to the same place. But the portal has a
quirk; once an agent is offline, real time kicks in.”
“So, if an hour passes here, I’ll arrive there an hour
later.”
“And hope he waited around. He will—he knows the protocol.”
Mac tapped on the screen, paused long enough to pull something out of his
pocket. She swallowed. It was a transport. “Ready for this?”
“I’m ready.” She kept running those two words through her mind—and
hoped the repetition would eventually convince her.
Five
Kane knew the procedure when he was cut off.
Stay put. No exceptions.
The bloodcurdling scream had him bolting around the
building.
He skidded to a halt when he saw a young woman on her knees
next to the canal. She leaned over so far he expected her to fall in any
second. Kane scanned the long alley for unwanted company before he strode over
to her. He crouched next to her, ready to grab her arm if she threatened to
topple over the edge.
“Can I help?”
“Oh—” Tear bright eyes stared at him. “My dog—”
She pointed. Kane followed the line of her arm, and spotted
it—a white, fluffy head, just above the water.
He shouldn’t leave—an agent could show up at any second, and
he needed to be here.
He cursed under his breath. It hadn’t been long enough for
them to brief another agent, and he could hardly walk away, now she knew he was
here. What if it was Elizabeth in need or danger? He would want someone to step
up and help her. He could hardly do less.
“Stay here.” He didn’t wait for an answer before he stood
and took off, jogging along the canal. The head disappeared under the bridge.
Kane checked for traffic and crossed the street, finding the canal on the other
side. Along with a much wetter white head. “Hell—”
He scanned for a good spot to grab it. The dog was
struggling now, its head staying under longer each time. He could not face that
woman without a live pet.
There, just ahead. He could get to the bank without too much
effort. He halted at the spot and shed his greatcoat, unbuttoning his sleeve so
he could reach in unhindered. Once he pushed through the hedge next to the bank,
he dropped to one knee and slipped his arm into the icy water just in time to
scoop the dog up.
The tiny thing shivered violently. Kane was frankly
surprised it had survived as long as it did. He tucked it in the curve of his
arm, oddly moved when a soft pink tongue licked his fingers. With his free
hand, he pulled his scarf from around his neck and wrapped the little dog in the
warm blue wool. He stopped long enough to pick up his greatcoat before he
headed back along the canal.
The woman waited for him at the edge of the sidewalk. He
crossed the street, and she sprinted to him, arms outstretched.
“You found her! Oh, Jane Eyre, you poor, sweet thing.” She
took the dog, cradled it in her arms. Kane fought a smile at the name. “I’ve
got you, you’re safe now. Thank you,” she whispered, gazing up at Kane. Tears
stained her face, but she looked happy now instead of terrified. “Thank you.”
“Glad to be of service.” He slipped on his greatcoat while
she was distracted, and hoped she had not noticed the uniform. His non-military
hair, and the earring he always forgot to remove would raise questions, never
mind the fact that most of the BEF was in Europe at the moment. “Jane is in
good hands now.”
“Please.” She touched his arm. “Allow me to at least offer
you a hot bowl of soup. I live just to the other side of the canal.” The dog
yipped, and she laughed, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t normally take her outside
off leash, but she got away from me when I opened the door, and tumbled
straight in.”
Kane had already interacted more than he should have. But he
figured saving a bit of a dog would not change the
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