BACKTRACKER by Milo Fowler (books to read in your 30s TXT) 📗

your childhood. Yet you havedone all of this. For love."

She dropped her gaze, trembling inside but fighting it. Tearspooled in her eyes.

"And so, Irena Muldoon, I offer all that I can. If you have need ofme."

She bit her lip and willed the tears away. Even so, one of themescaped, trickling down her cheek. She caught it with the back of her hand.

"Why?" she asked, near a whisper.

"Because your father loves you."

She met his gaze warily but found no guile there.

"And because I love you, too." He smiled at her, and sheknew it was true—somehow, some sort of emotional imprint had been stamped uponhis synthetic psyche, much like Cade's steadfast loyalty. She saw it in hiseyes. "Now then." He cleared histhroat, leaning forward with a serious frown. "Tell me what you plan to donext."

She reached into her handbag again but stopped, glancing towardthe windows and the busy lab workers beyond.

"Don't worry about them. The glass is mirrored on their side,and they will have more than enough to keep them busy in the next few minutes,believe me."

"What do you mean?"

"Our time here is short." He gestured toward her purse."If you please."

Could she trust him? What other choice do I have? Shewithdrew the plastic wristwatch and set it atop the glass deskscreen.

He inhaled at the sight of it, excitement dancing behind his eyes."Incredible. I've known of its existence for some time, but I have neverbeen allowed to see one for myself." He reached forward with eagerfingers. "May I?"

She nodded, and he took the device as one would a pricelessartifact, turning it over and shaking his head in awe.

"It brought me here." She didn't know what else to say. Ineed it to take me back further, but I don't know how it works. "Idon't know how to...set it."

"To return you to your time?"

"It's complicated." She paused, remembering what Cadehad said. "I think it's set to bring me back to its own time—ten years beforemy time, if that makes any sense."

Harry had it when he disappeared that night.When he took it back to his younger self.

"I see." He nodded, eyes transfixed on the watch's blankscreen.

"But I need to go even further back." She swallowed."Into the past."

"Yes, I know."

She frowned. How? I don't even know what I'm doing—how couldhe?

"All of this has already happened, Irena."He winced slightly. "Let me rephrase that. What I mean to say is, your fatherhas foretold the events that are about tounfold—"

"My father? What do you mean?"

"He came to see me, Irena—from the future, both yours and mine. He told me when youwould arrive, and that I must help you in this way." He held up the watch."I can set the BackTracker for any moment in the past that you desire,within certain limits. Say the word, and it is done."

She parted her lips to reply, but at that moment a violent crashechoed in the laboratory outside, accompanied by a jarring security alarm. Screamsechoed as white coats churned in turmoil, armed figures garbed in black bodyarmor charging in among them.

"They're here." Cyrus Horton's clone stood, reaching forthe wall behind him.

"SECURITY ALERT," Eve the AI gasped with great pleasurefrom the ceiling speakers.

"What's going on?" Irena stood as the squad of Blackshirts moved with purpose,shoving bewildered lab techs out of their way. "Why are they here?"

The clone pressed his palm against the wall, and a section of thepaneling, two meters by two, slid aside to reveal a dark corridor beyond.

"Don't you remember? When you were a child, your fatherfailed to return home one night, and you never saw him again." He paused."This is what happened, Irena. The Federal police have been sent to shut him down anddestroy his work. But fortunately for us, he has already gone intohiding." He smiled. "You and I must now do the same. This way."

He beckoned to her as he stepped into the corridor.

She wavered for a moment, indecisive. Alpha Geminorum securitypersonnel had marched onto the scene in the lab. She recognized Armstrong. Hewas scowling, reaching for his sidearm, pointing at the intruders as if theyhad no business being there. One of the Blackshirts pivoted to face him,snub-nosed automatic rifle held at waist level. Without a word, he squeezed offa dozen rounds. Armstrong jerked backward, arms lifted, floating in the air asblood exploded in black bursts across his grey uniform. Irena turnedaway and rushed after the man who looked like her father.

"We have to hurry." The clone took her hand and brokeinto a run.

I can't see a thing in here. She glancedback. The hidden panel remained open, a square of white. "Won't theyfollow us?"

"Perhaps, but we'll be long gone by then."

"Is this some kind of tunnel?"

"Your father made it for me, so that I could move about thecomplex unobserved. I have access to the same secured areas that he does, butthis way I avoid interacting face-to-face with any of the supportpersonnel."

"Where are we going?"

"Not where. When. Give me your temporal destination soI can reset the BackTracker. Then we'll disappear, leaving this mayhembehind."

"We?"

"Yes, Irena. I am going with you."

More gunfire erupted in the distance behind them, a chorus of chaosand violence.

"How can they do this?"

"Someone has been leaking our research onto the Link. Yourfather and I have successfully created various devices based on ourdiscoveries—and one of them has gone missing." He squeezed her hand again."The BackTracker prototype."

"But how does that involve the government?"

"They warned us some time ago to cease and desist ourresearch into alter-life phenomena—a branch of quantum mechanics leftunexplored by most physicists. The governors do not want anyone tampering withthe status quo. They prefer things the way they are, which is understandable.They are the ones in power, after all." He squeezed her hand. "And wedisobeyed a direct order."

"Where is my father?"

"Deep underground by now. Somehow, he knew it would come tothis."

The clone came to a sudden halt and released her hand. He feltalong the wall, his fingertips gliding across the paneling in a practicedmanner despite the lack of light.

"Here we are." He pressed a point that receded onimpact, and the wall slid aside, uncovering a burst of white. "This