There was someone inside.
Mel was aware of Jack’s surprise when theRay’sengines fired up without even a cough or a choke.He didn’t immediately enter coordinates, however.
He knew, like she knew, they needed to find Ty and Alice, but were they where they were supposed to be?They’d lost contact with them when the time waves started.
And if he entered a destination, would they actually end up there?They hadn’t planned on this side trip into Jack’s past and yet, it had closed a small loop in the puzzles that had continued to plague them.
“A high school science project,” she said into the silence.It was still hard to believe a teenage boy had launched all of this.
And if he hadn’t?Jack would have been dead or old, Norm crippled or dead, she might still be out there trying not to cry uncle.
What did they have to do now to get back to that life, the one she wanted with all her heart?She sensed they were currently dancing on the head of a pin and the wrong move could change everything.
“Let’s try to get part way there,” Jack said finally.“I’ll fly normally toward Wyoming and when we’re in the general region, we’ll do a jump forward in time.”
They were less likely to find themselves being tracked by radar in this time, Mel conceded.
“All right.”Doing something was better than sitting here frozen with fear.And if everything changed?They probably wouldn’t know it.
But I feel like I would know it, or at least know I’d lost something precious, she thought.She wanted to touch Jack, but he needed both his hands to fly theRayand he also didn’t need to be distracted.So she sat, her hands gripped in her lap as theRaylifted slowly up toward the round moon.
She peered in the direction of Jack’s old home and wondered if his dad was standing out there watching and wondering.
Ty had driven the camper further down the road until he found a place where he could pull completely off the highway.There was fence, but no gate, so he figured it would be all right for the night.
Alice had made the table into a bed for herself.Ty stayed in the front, the radio tuned low, listening for clues, or even a single clue to when they were.
At some point, well after the moon had set, Alice made her way up to sit down in the passenger seat.
“Anything?”Her voice was as low as the radio.
Ty turned it off and looked at her, marveling again at the miracle of having her in his life.Was it all about to come undone?
He took her hand.“As near as I can tell, we’re in our time.”Her grip on his tightened.“No sign of any disturbances that I could see.We should probably head back to the…base.”
He’d almost said silo.Probably not a good idea to give Ness too much information if she happened to be listening.
“We need to ask her what she wants to do,” Alice said.
Ty’s lips tightened, but he couldn’t argue with her.Personal choice was a huge issue with Alice.
“All right, it’s only an hour or so until first light…”
“I’m awake.”
They both turned to find Ness balanced in the small standing room left from the table bed.
“Thank you for…” she stopped.
Alice rose.“Let’s get things put back so we can sit down, have some breakfast and talk.”
Having something concrete to do seemed to help Ness, and possibly Alice.Being a guy, Ty wasn’t sure.
But the food was welcome.Supper had been a sketchy affair because they didn’t want to wake Ness.
No one spoke until they’d eaten and cleaned up.
“This is kind of fun,” Ness said and Ty realized how young she was as more of the tension fell away.
