“What is your next plan of action?” Cayn inquired.
Conroy pursed his lips as he bowed his head to think. “You said you needed space before you jumped?”
“In order not to take anyone else along with us,” Cayn explained. He pointed toward the back. “Goen can easily jump from inside that little cell, even if his man is with him, because they tend to travel together anyway. But he will not jump.”
“You’re one hundred percent sure of that?” the sheriff pressed. “You know without any doubt that Goen will not jump?”
“If he does, he will put himself in a future timeline,” Cayn insisted. “Unless he knows we have jumped, he will stay here.”
“And how did you say he’d know if you’ve jumped? He can sense it?”
“We can tell,” Juda told him. “We can sense when one of our kind has left the current timeline.”
“Wait. Wait.” Conroy waved a hand as he collected his thoughts. “Let’s say one or both of you have jumped. How will he know it’s you? Specifically? And not another of your kind?”
Cayn teethed his lower lip before replying. “Because, for all we know, Goen, his man, and Juda and I are the only ones of our kind left. If we leave this timeline, they both will know. And they will jump to follow after us.”
“He’ll track you down like a hound dog, eh?”
“Yes,” both Juda and Cayn answered in unison.
“Yo! Sheriff!” Deputy Shiner motioned for Conroy to join him.
“What?”
“Someone inside is moaning in pain.”
“Who?”
“Whoever we hit. I think it’s the big guy.”
“All right. Everyone, take a defensive stance. Audrey, notify Dr. Hillie that we have at least one injured prisoner. Steve, you and I will go in. And you two…” He wagged a forefinger at Cayn and Juda. “You stay right here and don’t move, got me?”
“What are you going to do?” Cayn questioned.
“We’re going to see what the situation is inside,” the man said, then gave a double take. “On second thought, you and the missus keep close to the front door in case this guy comes out. If he does, and he comes straight at you, you do what you need to do to keep him from getting his hands on you.”
Not waiting for their reply, Sheriff Conroy drew his gun from its holster and headed for the back door.
Revelation
Juda and Cayn watched as Sheriff Conroy and Deputy Shiner slowly opened the rear door. Conroy led the way, their guns aimed in front of them, but the man only took a single step inside before he paused and turned to say something to Shiner.
“Have the doc come straight back here when he arrives!” Shiner yelled to the rest of them, then looked over at where the Nomads had taken cover. “Cayn! We need you two up here!”
Juda glanced over to see her husband give a short nod. “It must be safe, or else he would not have us come forward,” he reassured her.
Taking her by the hand, he led her through the gauntlet of armed men until they reached the door. Shiner pushed it open a bit wider to let them enter. Inside, the sheriff waved at them to approach.
Cayn noticed it first. “Where is Goen?” He gave Juda a stunned look. “His man is still here, but Goen is gone!”
Juda stared at the big Nomad lying on the floor in front of what had been Goen’s cell. It was evident the man was gravely injured. He was on his back, and blood pooled on the tiles beneath him.
Someone outside yelled, “Doc’s here!”
“Send him in!” Shiner shouted back.
Almost immediately, a middle-aged man carrying a black bag joined them. Everyone moved aside to let him tend to the Nomad.
