Time of Fate (Wealth of Time Series #6) by Andre Gonzalez (e book reader online txt) 📗

jog—although slightly slower thanks to the duffel bag over his shoulder—back to the waiting jet.

He climbed the steps and never looked back as Colin closed the door, his pilot eager to get back into the cockpit.

“Still headed for Minnesota, sir?” Colin asked.

“Let’s go.”

Chris took his seat as Colin disappeared, the engines rumbling. He felt the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach, the unknown future waiting on the other side of this flight. As they soared into the air, Chris looked at how small the world below appeared, and took the time to reflect on his life.

He tried to remember the man he was before entering this new life, but that seemed a blank page in his memory. He could picture himself, but had no ability to draw actual memories and feelings from those days. He remembered working in the factories, driving home exhausted to where Gloria and Sonya awaited him for dinner. Sometimes he’d stop at the bar for a stiff drink to take the edge off. That had been his undoing, as that’s where the Revolution first approached him.

He closed his eyes and could see their old house in Colorado Springs, the green lawn, manicured shrubbery, flapping American flag over the porch. They were poor, but didn’t know it. Happiness had overpowered the importance of money, until he came into a small fortune.

The smells from the kitchen usually greeted him in the driveway, especially in the summer when all the windows were left open. Sonya always ran up and jumped into his arms the moment he stepped out of the car, one of the bright spots in his life that had seemed to run on a constant loop.

The jet reached its cruising elevation and Chris unbuckled his seat belt, reclining his chair all the way back. As if the pressure of the past few months hadn’t been enough—plus his return to being an emotional human today—Chris wondered, for the very first time since becoming Keeper, if it was all worth it.

He had traded away his family and the only life he knew for a few thousand dollars and a promise for a lifetime of fortune. The decision might have been shallow on the surface, but Chris knew in his heart the reasons he made them, mostly for Sonya. He always longed for her to grow up wealthy, a proper, sophisticated young lady with the world at her fingertips. She’d go to the best schools and live wherever she wanted with her perfect husband and children. And it would all be thanks to Chris making a gut-wrenching decision that made it all possible.

Chris reached over and grabbed the onboard telephone. He wanted to try some phone calls one final time before landing, since he didn’t know how the next few days would play out. He tried Sonya first, accepting that she was never going to answer his call again. When he received that confirmation, he hung up and immediately dialed Duane. It rang six times before the voicemail kicked in, and he decided to leave a message.

“Duane, my dearest friend. I hope this message finds you doing better than me. I’m currently on my way to Minnesota—it appears the time has come for this trip. I only wish you were by my side—you can always catch a flight and join me, should you please, but I’ll bet you prefer to stay in Florida. Honestly, I wish it was me joining you. Perhaps I can take the first vacation of my life when this is all over and come visit, if you’ll have me.

“I’m about ninety-nine percent sure Sonya is dead. I haven’t heard from her and have been feeling emotions all afternoon. It’s actually been quite weird to think about what would happen if the engines on this jet failed and we went down. I won’t call it fear, but I feel something about the prospect.

“It’s funny how quickly acceptance can settle in. Not once did I think this day would actually come, despite planning for it. I suppose plans are just our subconscious preparing for the inevitable. I like to think this trip is foolproof and will guarantee my survival, but I can’t help but wonder, especially with how our good friend, Mr. Briar, has come after me so aggressively.

“I haven’t told a soul this, but the thought of death has planted itself in my head and no matter what I do it stays there, lurching, waiting. In case anything bad happens, I wanted to thank you for all of your help over the years. We had a great run, and I suppose all things really do come to an end. It’s funny—I remember when Chester told me how all Keepers reach a point during their reign where they know it’s time to step away. I haven’t felt that yet, even with everything going on. I still have so much to give and even more to do. I still dream of a world with no Road Runners, and I intend to see it happen. Don’t be surprised if you see the news headlines coming up and wonder if the end of the world is coming—it’s just me trying to push the Road Runners to the brink of insanity.

“I’m rambling and I’m sorry—it’s been a long day. I hope we get the chance to talk again soon. Goodbye, my friend.”

He hung up and leaned back in his seat. With nostalgia throbbing in his mind, Chris shook his head to clear his thoughts, needing to focus on the task of survival. He was in the air, headed for the most remote location he kept a property in the continental United States. He had a fighting chance, which is all he could ask for under the circumstances. Now he just needed to fight.

Chapter 15

“This is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” Martin said as they stood in front of the pile of ashes that was once Wealth of Time. “Would it be mean to piss on what’s left?”

Everyone cackled.

Since the