Page 34 of Reversal of Fate

“Do you think I’m stupid? I’m not going anywhere with you even if my life depended on it!” she hissed.

Fuck! What now?

“Julie,” he said in a low voice and leaned in, hoping the people at the table next to them couldn’t hear him. “I’ve come from the year 2085 to save you. Next week, a virus will sweep through the West Coast, and you’ll be one of the first infected—”

“You lying bastard!” she interrupted him. “You think you can serve up some fantastical story… God damn it, that’s so low. You’re a piece of shit!”

“I can prove it,” he said, desperate now. He shoved his left sleeve up and turned a little to block the other customers’ views as much as he could. Then he tapped on his wrist.

“Here, this is—” He stopped himself. He wasn’t wearing his holocom. He’d taken it off in the motel to take a shower, then forgotten to put it back on. It was an easy thing to forget, given that back home he would have never needed to take it off in the first place. “Shit!”

Julie glared at him. “Don’t ever contact me again.”

She spun around and hurried away.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he cursed.

There was no use running after her now. Without his holocom he had no proof that he wasn’t lying. He had to get back to his motel, get the holocom, and then mend things with Julie.

18 – Ambushed

Carter unlocked the door and rushed into his motel room. He hurried into the bathroom and looked around. Where the hell was his holocom? He went through the steps he’d taken before his shower. First, he’d undressed in the bedroom, then walked into the bathroom and reached for the towel, when he’d realized that he still wore his holocom. Carter turned around to the little shelf, where extra toilet paper was kept. His holocom lay on top of one of the rolls, where he’d placed it so it wouldn’t get wet.

He snatched it, put it around his wrist and watched as it molded itself to it, taking on the skin’s characteristics, thus turning itself invisible.

At a sound in the bedroom, Carter spun around and stepped back into the bedroom. He wasn’t alone anymore. In his haste, he’d neglected to close the door behind him.

Shit!

Todd Stirling hadn’t come alone. He’d brought a friend who was a little taller—and a little bulkier—than the would-be rapist. And neither of the two looked in the least bit friendly. They’d followed him, and he hadn’t noticed it, too preoccupied about his confrontation with Julie.

“Get the fuck out of my place!” Carter growled.

It was clear that the two couldn’t be intimidated. They’d come spoiling for a fight.

“Sure we will,” Todd said. “After we’ve given you what you deserve for what you did.” He motioned to his friend. “Steve, shut the door.”

Steve did as he was told.

Carter knew what it meant. But he wasn’t one to be intimidated easily either. “What I did? That’s rich, coming from the guy who was planning to rape Julie.”

Todd sneered. “Trust me, she wanted it. Real bad.” He glared menacingly. “But then you, asshole, had to come along, and spoil the fun.”

Both Todd and Steve approached side by side, leaving Carter no way of escape.

“Now, we’re gonna have a little fun, and when we’re done with you, it’s Julie’s turn.” Todd grabbed his crotch. “I’ll show her what she’s missing.”

“Don’t you touch Julie, or I’ll kill you.”

Furious, Carter lunged at Todd and tackled him to the ground so fast that the jerk didn’t have time to react. Carter landed one heavy fist, whipping Todd’s head to the side, before Steve joined in the fight.

He’d expected as much, knowing that guys like Todd didn’t do their dirty work on their own. They always needed a sidekick. And Steve was the kick in sidekick. He pried Carter off Todd and immediately slammed him against the small desk in the bedroom.

The hard edge of the wood hit Carter in the kidneys, sending a shockwave of pain through his lower body. But knowing that Julie was in danger, he ignored the pain. He used the desk behind him for leverage and kicked Steve in his midsection, making him slam against the wall and groan in response. But Carter couldn’t rest, because Todd had scrambled to his feet and now dealt heavy blows, first hitting Carter in the stomach, then following up with several punches to the face.

Pain radiated through Carter’s body, but he fought back, landing one heavy blow beneath Todd’s chin, before being kicked in the ribs by Steve. Now both guys kicked and punched him. Carter held them off as best he could, but he only had one pair of hands and barely got a blow in edgewise, while the two fraternity jerks worked in tandem.

One of Todd’s kicks sent Carter to the floor, and once down, he had no way of getting back up.

“That’s for ruining my reputation,” Todd snarled and kicked Carter in the stomach.

Carter curled up, but the kicks kept coming.

“That’ll teach you!” Todd said triumphantly.

Another vicious kick, and Carter’s head hit a leg of the desk behind him. He fought the blackness that suddenly wrapped around him, but lost.

They’d knocked him out.