Timesurfers Read online

  He grunted with pain but didn’t let go. “Spirited little thing, aren’t you?” He shook her so hard she bit her tongue. “Stop it.”

  Cate spat blood and deliberated her next move. She gave her shoulder a tentative roll. Huh. It seemed better, so it must have been a dead arm or something.

  “Don’t insult me like that. Her accent’s Australian, you drip,” Rose called from under the bus. “Cut this wire, Austin.”

  “There’s something hardcore sexy about a woman disarming a bomb. It doesn’t top the time Rose hotwired a helicopter. Ah, good times,” Rafe sighed.

  “This is insane. You’re all insane,” Cate murmured.

  “Secure the target, Rose,” Austin said.

  Cate tensed. They were here for her.

  Rose emerged. “With me,” she ordered and yanked Cate’s arm.

  Waves of nausea rolled through Cate. They’d found her. What were they going to do with her?

  Rafe grinned one of those lovesick puppy grins. “Nice work, Rose.”

  The look Rose gave him would have made Medusa proud. “Okay. Let’s find this budding nuclear physicist extraordinaire.” Rose tapped her wrist, and a globe of light flickered, crackled, and disappeared with a hiss. She groaned. “Those holographs never work.”

  Rose walked down the bus queue. She glanced from a faded photograph to a thin man with straggly brown hair. “Well, hello there. Got him!”

  “He’s their target?” Cate mumbled. After another sonic boom a black sports car flickered like a holograph and then solidified at the end of the street. It hurtled their way.

  “We’ve got company.” Rose squared her shoulders and stretched her neck from side to side. She shrugged off her tartan jacket to reveal a fitted black singlet. The silver handles protruding from the knife sheaths strapped to her outer thighs glinted as she moved. She jabbed her index finger at Cate. “Stay back and immobile. I’m sworn to protect innocents, but in your case I might make an exception.”

  Cate’s eyes flicked around, searching for an escape path.

  “Run...and I’ll let him catch you, kill you, whatever he wants,” Rose warned. “Innocent be damned.”

  Cate stood dead still. Her cover seemed to be intact. They didn’t appear to be here for her.

  The car spun 180 degrees, screeching to rest inches from the bus shelter. The word “Maserati” gleamed in silver along the back. The smell of burning rubber and smoke stung Cate’s nostrils and throat, making her cough and splutter. Rose remained impervious, her jaw set as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

  As the car door opened, Cate rocked forward, wary, but still curious. An ultratall guy stepped out. It was the Ralph Lauren model from earlier. Now “dangerous” flashed like a neon sign through her mind. A piece of his perfectly tousled hair fell over his forehead as he stalked toward Rose. An attack of uncontrollable shivers hit Cate.

  “Jonah,” Rose said. “You’re just in time to thank us for disarming your bomb.”

  “If I want a bomb to explode, it does.” Jonah shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “Hey, Rafe. Showing off that super strength again, I see. It won’t impress Rose. Take it from someone who knows: she’s not worth it.”

  Rafe growled through his teeth, but Jonah continued, undaunted. “I’m getting a strong Little Red Riding Hood vibe from your outfit. You might want to rethink it.”

  Cate tensed when Jonah turned her way. She hugged her body in an attempt to control her shivers.

  “And what do we have here?” Jonah looked from Rafe to Rose and raised his eyebrows. “One of yours?”

  “Some random innocent.” Rose rolled her eyes. “But, maybe she’s important to you?”

  Jonah’s grey eyes glittered with menace.

  Cate gulped. Had Jonah come for her? With two quick strides, he was close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her hair.

  Jonah trailed a thumb along her jaw and wrapped his fingers around her throat. The leather from his shirt’s cuff was cool against her skin. “We’ll laugh about this in a few years, I promise,” he breathed in her ear.

  Her knees buckled and the ground lurched as he applied pressure to her throat. She gagged as black spots exploded behind her eyelids. Her fingers raked at Jonah’s hand and her boot made a resounding thud against his shin.

  “Feisty.” He tightened his grip.

  Cate thrashed, her eyes pleading with Rose for help. Rose’s eyes remained fixed on Jonah. Cate could have sworn she actually smiled.

  Austin came into view from under the bus looking perplexed. Cate gurgled an indecipherable “Help me.”

  His eyes widened as he surveyed the scene. He bolted towards Cate. “Let her go!”

  Jonah released her seconds before Austin reached them. She staggered as her legs crumpled. The rough surface of the road stung her knees like a shower of tiny, hot needles. She coughed and rasped some quick breaths.

  “You...you...dick!” Cate sputtered. It was lame, but all she could come up with.

  “Ouch, that cuts me up.” A predatory smile tilted the corners of Jonah’s mouth.

  “What’s your deal?” Austin glared at Rose and hoisted Cate to her feet. His grip stopped her from collapsing again.

  “Settle. She’s fine,” Rose said.

  “No thanks to you.” He pointed to Jonah. “Does taking an innocent’s life mean so little to you now?”

  “Watch yourself.” Jonah moved toward Austin.

  Rose stepped between the two boys and separated them with her arms. “Put your hackles down, or I’ll knock you both on your butts. Austin’s disarmed the bomb, and we have secured your intended target, so let’s all return to our separate corners. This round is ours, Jonah.”

  “Actually, I didn’t have to disarm the bomb,” Austin said. “Someone disarmed it remotely before I cut the wire. My money’s on you, Jonah. There’s no doubt you put it there. Now you turn up and hey presto, it’s disarmed. The timing’s too coincidental.”

  Cate realised that when she saw Jonah earlier, he must have been planting the bomb.

  Jonah shrugged and turned to Rose. They spoke too quietly for Cate to make out their conversation. Rafe leaned against the bonnet of the bus and glowered at Jonah. No one was interested in her anymore. If they weren’t here for her, what had she stumbled into?

  Austin’s eyes swept back and forth across the sea of frozen faces like a giant searchlight. They narrowed as he contemplated someone for a moment before recommencing his scrutiny. The thick red scars down the side of his face and neck glistened as he moved.

  “You know it’s rude to stare?” Austin smiled a superior little smile.

  “Don’t flatter yourself.” She met his eyes for a few seconds with the most defiant stare she could muster and then looked everywhere but at him.

  “Okay. Killer punch by the way, Cate, was it?” Austin’s eyes continued to rove the sea of frozen faces.

  “What?” Cate asked.

  “With Rafe before, that was an impressive punch. Someone’s teaching you well.”

  “Umm...thanks.” What else could she say?

  The air shimmered, and some of the frozen people twitched and became still again. “There’s your two-minute warning.” Jonah stepped back and leaned against the Maserati. He shouted something, and he and the car both melted from view.

  “Where’d he go?” Cate asked, mouth gaping.

  “To get his butt kicked. Jonah would only disarm his bomb to protect something or someone extremely important.” Austin contemplated her. “Do you know him?”

  “No. I did see him here before everyone except me froze and you guys appeared out of thin air.”

  Rafe grinned. “I bet that’s not a sentence you ever expected to hear yourself say.”

  “I knew he came back to disarm that bomb.” Austin pointed at Cate. “How do you fit into the puzzle?”

  “Everyone’s coming round,” Rose said. “The target’s safe, so let’s get back.”

  Austin scratched
his head and assessed Cate from head to toe. “What shall we do with you?”

  Chapter 2

  Aftershocks

  His careless tone made Cate lift her chin a little. “I’m excellent at keeping secrets. I’m also fabulous at denial. We could pretend this never happened.” She blasted him with an overly bright smile. Her ability to use sarcasm at such an inappropriate moment surprised even her. She had too much to lose to breathe a word of this to anyone.

  Rafe let out a long breath. “Let me sort her.”

  “Leave her, Rafe. Who’ll believe her if she does talk?” Austin called. “Set this situation right in everyone else’s mind.”

  A fierce buzzing filled Cate’s ears.

  Austin stared at her. “It’ll come to me how I know you. Naitanui!” he called and melted from view.

  Rafe and Rose climbed on the motorbike. They flickered and vanished.

  With a flurry of movement and noise, people started going about their business again. She scooted over to Eve.

  “Are you well enough to take the bus, or should we lash out and take a cab?” Eve asked.

  “What?”

  “You’ve been feeling unwell all afternoon,” Eve said. There was concern etched on her face.

  “Give me a second.” She took a deep breath.

  “Cab it is.” Eve marched toward the road and let out an ear-piercing whistle. “You look pasty. Let’s get you home.”

  The ride to Cate’s house was a silent one.

  “You should go wild and dress in a colour other than black once in a while.” Eve interrupted Cate’s thoughts. “It’s very goth.”

  “What? Oh!” She glanced at her black leggings, top, and felt jacket. “You wear enough colour for the both of us!”

  Eve smoothed her red tulle skirt, dotted with silver stars. Her black tights finished just above her shiny, cherry-red lace-up boots. Her outfits always reminded Cate of that eclectic mix five-year-olds wore when they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be a tomboy or ballerina, or whether to go with patterned or plain. They went with a bit of everything.

  “I wear black because everything else clashes with my hair.” Cate braced an arm against the seat as the cab skidded to a stop.

  “That’s a whole other fashion discussion. See you at school tomorrow.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Zach’s not worth it, you know.”

  “I know.” Cate regretted for the millionth time not being able to tell Eve about witness protection. She slammed the cab door and pushed the iron gates under the rose covered arbour so hard that they bounced back and smacked her knees as she hurried through. The wooden boards creaked as she powered up the front steps and the security lanterns flooded the porch with light. Goose bumps rippled across her skin as she wrestled the key into the lock.

  She shouldered the blue door open and stepped into the dark house. The short hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She swiped her hand over the light switches. The bright light slowed her heartbeat marginally. With a cheery wave and forced smile for Eve, she closed the door. Her blasé front crumpled as the cab vanished.

  She screeched when her phone beeped, startled by her daily 6:00 p.m. reminder to check in with Pip, her handler. She slid down the wall and sat on the smooth, cold terracotta tiles, waiting for her heart to stop threatening to come out of her mouth. Her fingers hovered over the phone. Instead of physically meeting Pip each day, Cate had to check in daily by text to confirm all was well. Did she text the distress code or feign business as usual? When the alert level went up for any reason Pip also surveilled her for a good portion of each day and night. That was a complete nightmare.

  She went with the standard text. If the people at the bus stop were here to take her, they would have done it this afternoon. Who were they? How did they vanish like that? And what about the frozen crowd?

  CATE: “HOME WITH BREAD AND MILK”

  PIP: “? YOUR DAY?”

  CATE: “FINE” She replied and held her breath.

  PIP: “MINE UNEVENTFUL”

  Obviously the news of her recently single status hadn’t reached Pip yet. An eerie quiet filled the house. Her mum and brother went bowling on Sundays. She deleted her conversation with Pip, pounded up the steps into her bedroom, and leapt the last few feet onto the bed. If ever a monster were going to reach out from under the bed and grab her feet, it would be today.

  She clicked the bedside lamp on and hugged her pillow to her chest. The tin roof popped and creaked. Someone might be up there.

  Her phone beeped again.

  PIP: “SLEEP WELL, SINGLE ONE...”

  Of course Pip knew. She probably knew before Cate. If there was a middle-finger emoticon, she would have replied with it. She yanked off her Doc Martens and stripped off her clothes. After jiggling into her satin boxer shorts and T-shirt, she scooted under the bedcovers.

  The iron bed creaked each time she moved. Her eyes shifted between the window, hidden behind the heavy gold curtains, and the door. The need to brush her teeth wasn’t enough to make her walk up the dark corridor to the bathroom. In the movies, things never ended well when people walked along dark corridors. A loud crack outside made her heart rev. She pulled her patchwork quilt higher, her knuckles shining white as she tightened her grip.

  ***

  Cate staggered out of bed, shattered after a night filled with more tossing and turning than sleep. She tripped over her antique bedside table and sent her alarm clock and the only photo she had with her dad tumbling to the floor when she smacked her knee on the corner. “Ouch.” That would leave a mark. She stomped hard on her blaring clock, which someone had set on maximum beep. Little brothers sucked. “Xavier is so dead.”

  She drank in the silence smashing her alarm clock had achieved. Now her foot hurt. She rubbed her temples and waited for her heart to move out of her mouth and back to her chest.

  Her fear of someone creeping around the house last night had morphed into a repetitive, gruesome nightmare. The guy with the shimmering red outfit, Rafe, rampaged through her school on his motorbike, while she giggled as Rose—that name was etched in her brain forever—gave her a makeover. All the while Jonah, the Ralph Lauren model lounged in the corner, dressed like a 1950s gangster, playing cards with Austin. Each time Austin’s scars started to drip blood she had woken with a start, drenched in sweat.

  A migraine threatened behind her left eye as images from the bus stop bombarded her brain. Her heart spluttered and sprinted. No. She would repress those memories or die trying.

  Her foot throbbed where she had stomped on the clock. With a grimace she lifted her foot for a closer inspection. A drop of crimson blood rolled off her heel and seeped into the shag-pile rug. She hopped around, searching for her mobile phone amongst the mess on her floor. The text message from Zach stared back at her. What a loser!

  “WHERE R U?” she texted Eve, stabbing the phone buttons and muttering some choice words about Zach and his miraculous overnight transformation. She hobbled to the bathroom, phone in hand, and carefully balanced it on the pedestal basin. Her phone beeped.

  EVE: “ON BUS. U OK?”

  CATE: “YEP.” She lied.

  She glanced in the art-deco mirror, and ripped the coloured braids from her blonde hair and twisted it into a high bun. She clipped a small green bow at the bottom. The principal at Socrates Private School was pedantic about hair and uniforms. Hair longer than your chin had to be up and off your face, and only natural hair colour that didn’t draw undue attention was permitted.

  Her foot had stopped throbbing, so she gave it a quick twist on the white bath mat to remove any blood that might still be lurking and chanced a peek. “What the...?” She examined her foot from different angles. No blood, no cut, not even a mark. Did she imagine it?

  “Cate, breakfast,” her mum called. “You’ll be late.”

  She bolted to her bedroom, tearing her school uniform from hangers and wrenching it on. Where was her left shoe? She dropped onto her hands and
knees and scanned the floor.

  “Ah-ha!” She crawled under her bed and retrieved the offending black school shoe.

  “Now you are late,” her mum bellowed.

  Crap! She tugged on her socks and shoes as she hopped down the stairs.

  Her mum stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “I’m fine.”

  Her mum touched Cate’s forehead. “You worried me, being in bed so early last night. You look pale. Is this about Zach?”

  She bit her lip. “You know about that?”

  “He posted a picture with Brittany on Instagram, and Pip texted me.” Her mother brushed her arm. “Did something else happen?”

  Cate shook her head. Her mum definitely suspected something.

  “You know the rules.” Her mum shrugged. “You require a boyfriend and a close friend as a minimum to stay under the radar. You have a week to find a new boyfriend. Loners stand out too much.”

  Cate rolled her eyes. “Plenty of strong women go years without a man. Look at you.”

  “I’m not a teenager. You can always find three more friends instead.”

  Like that was going to happen. “Did anyone ever stop to think I might be more noticeable if I jump straight from one guy to another?”

  “Lower your voice. Your brother will hear.”

  Cate envied the fact Xavier was oblivious to the witness protection arrangement. He thought they moved because their parents separated and their mum got a job opportunity too good to refuse here. He never even questioned the overnight move. “It makes me look desperate and is guaranteed to create an enormous amount of unflattering rumours.”

  “I don’t make the rules. Find yourself a new boyfriend or they’ll find one for you.”

  “I got dumped by text. Cut me a little slack.” She stomped to the kitchen.

  “All dressed up today, Mum. You look nice,” her brother said. “Hey, Cate?”

  “Um...” Cate looked up from wiggling her foot inside her shoe. It didn’t hurt at all. Xavier was right, pale pink suited her mum. “You should wear that colour more often, Mum.” The grey trim on the outfit matched her mum’s eyes.