SKIPPING TIME

Chapter 15

Cacee stepped into the deluge and was instantly soaked. Fifteen endless minutes later, it seemed like she'd been stuck outside for hours. The wind howled and drove the droplets into her skin. Thunder crashed and roared, heralding lightning that slashed jagged cuts into a storm-bloated sky.

They walked silently. She was glad for Jess's arm around her shoulder and not only because it helped take the pressure off her throbbing knee. Mostly it was that Jess felt rock solid and totally reliable in a world where everything else she'd ever counted on was crumbling to dust.

It was like, now that she had him, she could deal with all the rest. Of course, she'd known she wanted to be with Jess for ages. She'd just never let herself feel how deep that wanting went. In retrospect, it seemed like she'd climbed onto a tightrope the day they'd met and remained precariously balanced there-all the way up until this morning. Finally becoming more than Jess's friend was like stepping back onto steady ground. There was an irrefutable rightness about it.

True, Jess's past and his life outside of their friendship remained a mystery. But she knew he sincerely wanted to be with her. Right now, that was enough.

She'd been almost back to sleep this morning when he'd started stroking her hair. Then her face and her shoulders. Then kissing her. She couldn't imagine how he'd missed the pulse pounding in her throat, but she'd figured she'd better wake up before he realized. God he'd been sweet, though. He touched her so gently, like she was some fragile flower of girlhood or something. And he'd promised to tell her the truth. He'd promised and, despite his admittance that he'd lied, she trusted him. That alone was enough to keep her sane, even as the questions piled up.

Was Ray really her father? How did he find her in 1996? How did he know her and Jess and even Shane? Did he actually know how to get them home? Who did he have after him? Would her and Jess be safe with Ray? If Ray was her dad where had he been her whole life?

She stumbled and Jess kept her from falling.

"You okay?"

She nodded and blinked, trying to shake her wet hair out of her eyes. Peripherally, she saw red and turned to look at Jess's arm. A steady stream of blood poured from it, mixing with the downpour.

She spoke above the storm. "You're bleeding again."

Jess glanced at his arm. "I'll take care of it when we get there."

She pulled him to catch up to Ray. "Ray!"

He turned, trying to shade his eyes from the downpour. "Yeah, honey?"

She frowned and bit back a rude comment. "How much further?"

"About another fifteen minutes. I'm really sorry but it's further than I'd remembered."

She shook her head. "We have to stop for a sec."

Ray looked over his shoulder. "Are you sure it can't wait?"

"Jess's arm is bleeding really--."

"I'm fine, Cace."

As Jess spoke, Ray shook the water out off his face and moved closer to them.

She maneuvered Jess's arm so Ray could see it, ignoring the way Jess tensed and grumbled. Ray's soft whistle didn't comfort her. Ray said, "Find something to wrap that with. Tie it tight. When we get there, I can stitch him up."

It was too wet and windy to ask any questions, so she just nodded and ducked under the next overhang. She pushed her hair back and rung it out before pulling her bloodied shirt from her bag and tying it around Jess's arm. He flinched and she looked up at him worriedly. When he put his arm around her again, she stepped away from him. "I can walk on my own. I want you to keep pressure on that." Jess started to say something about her knee, but she cut him off. "I have a sore knee, Jess. Seriously, that's it. But you're losing gallons of blood. Keep the pressure on that cut!"

He must've seen he wouldn't win the argument, because he pressed his hand over his arm and asked, "Happy now?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll be happy when we get there."

They continued walking, keeping under cover as often as possible. They'd left civilization behind and entered the city's catacombs, a mass grave of neglected futures. No car's roamed here, no stray person wandered. Only empty warehouses crouching along the emptier streets. And where sunlight might've shown abandoned buildings with boarded-up window, the shadows revealed their true nature, turning them into creatures with leering eyes and vacant grins that hunched in the darkness. Waiting...

Of course, it was possible she just had an overactive imagination. Nonetheless, it seemed like it would be in her best interest to move closer to Jess.

He spoke over the driving wind and rain. "You holding up okay?"

Her knee had swollen to twice its normal size. Her nose wouldn't stop running. She was drenched and freezing and scared, following some guy, who may or may not be the father who'd abandoned her, to an unknown location in the middle of Hell. If Ray told them they needed to row across Cocytus to get to his house, it wouldn't even surprise her. She made herself sound upbeat. "I'm good! How about you?"

"Truthfully? I'd much rather be holding onto you again."

She would've taken that as a compliment, but Jess's eyes looked too watchful and something about them reminded her of the alleyway last night. She pulled out of her misery enough to fully take note of their surroundings. Ray walked next to her, scanning their location warily. One hand hovered around his back. Shane trotted at Jess's heel, his ears up on full alert. Over the rain, she now heard non-stop, high-pitched squeaks. Digits.

Ray muttered, "Thanks for the warning, buddy. We'll be okay. I'm gonna put you down now. Stay safe." Ray bent and she just barely made out Digits shadowy form as he darted off.

She frowned. "Ray? What's going--"

Ray said, "Cacee, walk in front of me."

"Why did you put down Digits?"

Instead of answering, he said, "Don't worry. He'll stay close by. Please walk ahead of us now."

She didn't listen to him, but looked at Jess.

He nodded and motioned for her to get in front of them. "I'm right behind you, babe. Go ahead."

It sounded really cute when he called her that, but not cute enough to make up for the fear now chomping on her intestines. She sped up and saw Ray and Jess move in together, creating a barrier between her and whatever lurked behind them. Because something did. Now that she'd started paying attention, she knew. The air felt wrong. Too thick or something. She kept catching harsh whiffs of burning chemicals. She tried to move faster but the pain in her leg made it hard.

Ray herded them into a long, decrepit alleyway. She took a few steps in and faltered. She'd seen enough sketchy alleyways to last her a lifetime. Although the rain still fell heavily, the noise of the wind dropped enough to hear.

Jess came to an abrupt stop and shook his head. "Aaaw, hell no. Screw this. Whoever's back there, I'll be sure to point them in your direction. We're outta here."

He grabbed her hand and turned to go back the way they'd come.

She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to leave Ray behind.

Ray said in a low voice, "You'll never make it past them. They already saw you with me. That'll be enough for them to take you."

Jess stopped. "I should kill you myself for this."

Ray growled, "Kill me later. Keep moving. Go!"

He pushed her and Jess in front of him. Jess looped his arm around her waist again, dropping the bloodied T-shirt. He didn't stop to pick it up. He was strong, taking most of the weight off her leg, leaving her to just skim the ground. But his breathing sounded too heavy, and he continued losing blood, even as he picked up their pace to a half jog. They hurried along and Ray dropped back, calling for them to go faster. A large fence loomed out of the gray mist, about fifty feet ahead.

Jess snapped, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

Behind them, Ray yelled, "Go! Run!"

They ran.