Page 61 of Destiny Reclaimed
Gabriela marched up the stairs not stopping until she was back in his kitchen. She leaned back against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
Jack stood opposite her in the tiny room, waiting her out as his mind worked to process the information she’d given him. A time traveler. Not easily believable, yet in his soul, he knew this life he lived wasn’t right.
She cleared her throat. “I was on a mission one time with another Preserver, long ago, and he said something to me that got me wondering if Preservers and Protectors could indeed force a travel. At the time, I didn’t think much about it because all my missions had been successful, and there was no need to force a travel.” She paused and drew in a breath. “Well, not until several years ago whenwefailed to preserve history. Since then, the possibility gnawed at me every day.
The curiosity level in him rose with every word she spoke. “What was it the Preserver said to you?”
Her grave gaze held his. “He said I was as fierce a fighter as my mother.” Gabriela’s eyes watered, and she averted her gaze. “He said he and my mother, like us, had failed at a mission. Said my mother vowed to do whatever it took to reclaim history and his rightful destiny.” She paused and swiped a tear from her cheek. “And, it was too bad what happened to her. Though her selfless act cost her life, it probably saved thousands of lives.”
“She died on that mission?” he questioned.
His Protector swallowed hard, “No, she returned home, but passed away shortly thereafter. I can’t say for sure, but I bet she’d forced a travel. Even with knowing the potential consequences, she did it anyhow, risking it all for the greater good.”
Though he wanted to know how her mother died, he was afraid to ask—know. Judging from the apprehension emitting from Gabriela’s gaze. He’d bet his last dollar her mother died a horrible death.
“So, how would we force a travel? Get to the correct place? Know what to do when we got there?” he asked.
Gabriela tapped her finger against her lips a few times before she lowered her hand. “I don’t know for sure. I’m in new territory here. But recently, I recalled a comment my grandfather made about forcing travel when I was a teenager when he and my mother had begun to prepare me for my role as a Protector. He didn’t come out and say Preservers and Protectors could force a travel, it’s like he spoke in some sort of code. Being young and dumb, I didn’t listen as attentively as I should have, but I clearly remember him warning against forcing a travel as it was against the rules and punishable by the Gods.”
Her gaze landed on the floor for a few beats before she lifted it to meet his again. “Knowing what is at stake here, I tested a forced travel on a minor incident. It worked. I think we should try to do this. Force a travel with Arthur to reclaim your rightful history and future.”
If the woman thought he could get his right life back, he was game and all ears. He’d do anything for Gwennie and Blake. Anything to prevent Arthur from laying a hand on her again. Anything to make themhis again.
But, could he actually go there knowing the outcome likely wouldn’t be good for his Protector. Well, she was the one that brought it up. Dread coiled in the pit of his stomach. Would he really be able to let her risk her life for this? To correct his history? Reclaim his destiny. No. He wasn’t that selfish.
Jack held his hand up. “I can’t let you do this, take this risk. I won’t be a part of it.”
Her appreciative gaze intensified, then hardened. “We don’t have a choice. It’s not about me. History needs to be corrected so the future gets back on track. Your heirs are destined for great things...important things. The destiny of the American people lies in the Cornelis’ hands.”
“How do you know this?”
The woman’s gaze landed on the floor. “I’ve already said too much. To keep you shielded, I’ll say no more except we need to correct history. Now.”
“How do you propose we go back?”
“The best I can figure is that we have to find a way to make your cousin want to go back. To the exact point in time, he’d changed history. Again, it is his kind, the Modifiers, who generally dictate when travel occurs. Right now, he’s got everything he wants, so he has no need to travel. We need to create a need, make him angry, or reveal some sort of future failure that will make him want to go back to re-route things to ensure he can keep your life. This will be our chance to reclaim your history and future.”
How in the hell was he supposed to do that especially when he didn’t even know his role?
“We need to think. What could we do to make him need to time travel?”
Adrenaline shot through his veins. He had an idea. He stepped closer to Gabriela. “Touch my arm. Like you did before.”
“Huh?”
“When you touched me before, I had two visions of what happened in Vietnam while I was there. In one I was a pilot, in the other a ground soldier. Conflicting visions...roles. In both, I was injured.” He paused and thought for a moment. Unease snaked up his spine. “In the second one, I was shot by a U.S. soldier.”
She nodded knowingly.
He swallowed hard. “I’d like to see that vision again. Maybe’s there’s something I can learn from it to help us.”
“Perhaps you should sit for this.” She gestured toward the worn-out lounger.
Gabriela pulled over a kitchen chair next to the recliner and sat.
He eased onto the lumpy cushion, leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind of everything but the scene he desired to relive.
The cool pads of his Protector’s fingertips touched his arm. In that instant, the movie reel began to play in his mind. Unlike the first time he’d had this vision, he wasn’t shocked and found himself able to focus on the smaller details. He closed his eyes, and his concentration intensified.
