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SADIE

This timewhen they’d made love, Sadie didn’t have another plan in mind or a new goal to reach. This time, it was all about the moment, maybe her last moment, with Wally. She shook her head as they entered the medcenter, not wanting to think that way. But whatever hers and Teddy’s fate, it would be decided soon. And she supposed as long as Teddy had a chance at a future, it didn’t matter what happened to her.

Still, her chest squeezed when she thought of having to say goodbye to Wally.

Five men she’d known her entire life sat on white hovercots with their arms held down by metal restraints. The fear on their faces almost made her feel bad for them. But no one had forced them to follow her here or to come up with a stupid scheme to rob these folks.

In a sixth bed lay Caroline, hair loose and white gown in place of her clothes. Sadie supposed that was to make it harder to sneak out again. Though she doubted she could now that her hands were also held in place by silvery straps.

Nicole, Jackson, Teddy, the doc, and someone she’d never met before stood over the prisoners. It had to be the Watcher they’d talked about, with their slender, yet tall physique and short, cropped, straight hair. They wore a black suit with no tie and no buttons or zippers she could see. Their face was completely passive, eyes underlined in charcoal and lips a thin, pale line. She really couldn’t tell if they were man or woman, but she supposed in the future, maybe it didn’t matter so much.

Nicole barely acknowledged them as they entered, though Teddy ran to her side and hugged her. It felt right with Wally on one side and him on the other. These two men gave her confidence, and Sadie stood tall, head held high.

“We’re all here,” Jackson said, inclining his head toward the Watcher.

“Indeed. It seems this experiment has turned into a fiasco,” they said, adjusting black-gloved hands.

Nicole hmphed, crossing her arms. “Only because of a saboteur. I assume she and her accomplice will be held responsible.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

“Naturally, she will be held to trial,” the Watcher said. “But it’s quite clear that the timeline is not safe. Perhaps if you’d been upfront with me from the beginning…but you weren’t, and now I’m afraid we will have to confiscate the time device upon return to the 22nd century.”

Wally stiffened beside her.

“That is not your decision,” Nicole said. “You may be here as a representative of several governments, but you are not universal law. I will bring your concerns to the board of directors.”

“Unacceptable. World government entity or not, the danger to the entire universe—”

“With all due respect,” Wally said, stepping forward. “We don’t know what it will do. This is the first time travel has ever been attempted on this scale. The third time since I invented the Time Destabilizer. If nothing’s amiss when we return, we have evidence that it’s not as much of an issue as theorized. Besides, if I can come up with the technology, I’m sure others will eventually discover the same or similar ideas. It can’t be controlled forever.”

The Watcher stood quietly, considering him before speaking. “I’d take your opinions more seriously if you hadn’t been the one to endanger us in the first place, Dr. Doyle.”

“Again,” Nicole said, rolling back her shoulders and stepping so close the Watcher flinched. “It was the espionage that caused the cloaking device to be knocked off in the first place. Dr. Doyle was sent to retrieve it.”

“And he did his best,” Sadie said, unable to keep from contributing. “I’m the one that hid it from him and forced his hand. He didn’t want any part of hanging around or meeting any of these people.” She gestured toward the room at large.

The Watcher stared at her, their eyes the color of a clear stream. “I appreciate that, Ms. Rogers, but the ominous fact remains, you and the child were not supposed to be around to interfere at all, no matter who’s fault it is.”

Sadie swallowed, pulling Teddy in close to her side. “Well, we are, and we are not going anywhere.”

“Yet, I cannot allow you to go back to your lives,” they said, their lack of emotion scaring her.

Wally put a protective arm around her as both Nicole and Jackson stepped between her and the Watcher.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” The Watcher said, seeming to notice their expressions. “I’m not trying to kill anyone. I was sent to protect, not deal out death decrees, or so you all seem to have forgotten. First, let’s deal with these men who know too much.”

On the bed, Amos began to tremble as the Watcher approached, leaning down over him.

“What are you?” Amos asked.

“Thankfully, you’ll never know or wonder again. Doctor?”

The doc stepped forward with a small black instrument, curved at the tip. Amos struggled against his bonds as she pressed it to his neck. A hissing sound emerged. Amos stopped moving and blinked, eyes going glassy.

“What the hell’d you do to him?” Otto demanded.

“It’s not harmful, it’ll just take away your memories of the past month or so,” the doc said, leaning in to do the same to him. Otto fought, but she managed to depress the thing against his throat, and he, too, went still and glassy-eyed.

The doc repeated the procedure on the rest of the men one by one, stopping to refill her gadget once before the last man.