Jake approached them.
“He’s dead?” she asked.
Jake nodded. Christa was silently weeping by her father’s body, still holding his hand. “Look after her,” Jake said to Kaitlin.
“I’ll do my best. Now go. Stop them.”
Kane peered out from the shelter of the trees. The shooting had ceased. And he caught a brief flash of black through the branches, high up on the trail. The others were disappearing, almost at the cave.
“Come on.” He ran out into the open, Jake close behind him, Rose and Imogen bringing up the rear. He passed the bodies of Leila and Brandon—but didn’t slow down.
There was no shooting now, just their harsh breathing as they raced up the track, which twisted and wound around the mountain. He could see no one in front of them, and he pushed himself harder. Up ahead an explosion ripped through the air.
Shit.
They must have blown up the steel doors leading into the cave.
Finally, he turned the last corner. Smoke billowed from the entrance, and no one was in sight. They must already be inside. A laser blast shot out from the doorway, and he skidded to a halt, then threw himself to the side as another blast roared over his head.
Rose and Imogen returned the fire, and under cover of their shots—he had to hope they wouldn’t take him out—he was up and running again, Jake close beside him. He didn’t even hesitate at the doorway but just ran through into the cave.
How long would it take to prime the bomb? And presumably, they’d have to give themselves time to vanish to wherever, orrather whenever, they originated from. There had to be time to stop them.
He skidded to a halt. The door of the time machine was open and one of the men stood in the entrance. His pistol was aimed at Kane.
“Come closer and we’ll detonate the bomb now,” he said.
“Does it matter if it’s now or in a few minutes? We’re dead anyway.”
“Maybe we don’t mean to blow it up. Are you willing to take the risk? You can’t kill us all. You’ve lost.”
Kane growled low in his throat, and Jake put a hand on his arm and gave him a small nod. They were going to go for it. They’d all be killed if the bomb went off. He had a momentary image of Kaitlin lying beneath him, and a moment of regret.
He nodded back. And they both lifted their weapons.
Someone called from inside the time machine, and the man disappeared from the doorway. Kane hurried forward. He had a brief glimpse inside, the four figures standing in front of the console, then the door slid closed.
He stared at the no longer visible doorway, just smooth silver metal.
A low humming filled the cave, the air around them shimmered, then the machine was gone.
He sank to his knees in the sand.
It was over.
They’d failed.
Chapter 35
What the hell was happening?
Kaitlin peered through the trees but could see nothing.
Had they stopped them? Were they even still alive?
Kane couldn’t be dead.
She’dknow.
