Traveler by L.E. DeLano (book suggestions .txt) 📕

Finn, and his eyes carry the same sick knowledge as mine. He will not survive this. He will be one of the billions, because he doesn’t belong in my reality.

“They’re all at risk,” Mario says, as if reading my thoughts. “And you are the one who can save them all.”

33

Together

I shake my head frantically. “You’ve got to be wrong. I’m not a savior. I can barely travel. I don’t know the first thing about stopping a convergence!”

“We’re in luck,” Mario says. “Because whoever is behind this, I don’t believe they yet know the first thing about starting the convergence.”

“So it has to be triggered?” Finn asks.

“Oh, yes,” Rudy says. “It won’t occur spontaneously. There are certain tools that must be used, but without knowing the origin reality, they couldn’t be easily found.”

“I’ll keep that from general knowledge,” Mario says. “And don’t discuss that anywhere that you can be overheard,” he cautions the both of us. “Until we know who this Traveler is, we can’t risk that information getting to them.”

“Aren’t they risking destroying themselves?” I ask. “If they’re not from my reality? Why would they do that without knowing for sure?”

“Martyrs have existed since time began,” Rudy reminds me. “Someone willing to perish for a cause they believe to be right can be virtually unstoppable.”

“Rudy’s right,” Mario agrees. “Until the Traveler or their Dreamer slips up, we’ll be one step behind, and they’ll be closing in. You need to get off the radar.”

“You mean travel,” Finn clarifies.

“Yes,” Mario says. “We need to throw them off your trail.”

“What do you suggest?” I ask.

“Let me think on it,” Mario says. “We’ll do the transfer on Sunday, and I’ll debrief you tomorrow, after I’ve had a chance to do some more research.”

“I should look into options as well,” Rudy offers. “Perhaps if we send the two of them to a reality that Jessa has never existed in, the Traveler won’t think to look there.”

Mario nods. “That’s a good idea—not much chance of discovery when the Traveler won’t know where to begin looking.”

“I guess we’ll just sit tight,” I say, not really liking the sound of that.

“We won’t leave Jessa’s house,” Finn agrees.

“If we’re finished here…” Rudy gets to his feet. “I have work to do. We’ll meet again this evening.” With a nod to Mario, he steps through the red door and shuts it behind him.

Mario follows him, opening the door for us. “Go on,” he says.

We start to step through, but Mario holds us back. “Wait,” he says. “Before you go … I’ve just had a thought. I know exactly where to send the two of you.”

“Someplace where Jessa doesn’t exist?” Finn asks.

“No—she most definitely exists there. You don’t, however.”

I’m confused. “I thought we were deciding for the other way around?”

“We were, but … I’m working on a hunch. Trust me.” He holds my eyes a moment. “You need to look for a girl wearing a black Ramones T-shirt.”

“You’re not going to walk me through a preview?” I ask.

“Not this time. You’ll find her.” He holds the door open. “I want you both to leave at nine this morning. I’ll fill Rudy in. You two just stay until I give you instructions for a new location, if we need it.”

“Wherever it is,” I say, “at least there’s good music.”

Mario looks at me strangely.

“What?” I ask.

He shrugs and then gives me an odd smile.

“Nine, Jessa. Be prompt.”

“I will,” I promise. And then we step through the door.

Sometime before seven a.m. I help Finn sneak back out, and by the time I get my shower, my dad has taken Danny to the library for his volunteer shift. Then he’s planning on driving over to Manortown to some electronics store there, and he won’t be back till the afternoon. The timing will work out perfectly.

I’m scrambling eggs when a knock sounds at the door.

“Long time, no see,” I say, smiling at Finn as I open the door.

“I waited till they were gone,” he says, stepping inside.

“Are you hungry? I’m making breakfast.”

“Yeah.” His eyes light up. “I’d love some breakfast.”

“It’s only eggs and toast.”

“Sounds delicious.”

I wonder when Finn last had a home-cooked meal. The thought of the life he’s probably lived squeezes at my heart.

“You ready to be a fugitive?” he asks, as I scoop out a large portion of eggs onto his plate.

“Truthfully? No.” I grab the toast and put it on a plate in front of him before I sit down to join him at the table.

“It’ll be fine, Jessa. You’ll still be here, you know. Your parents and Danny won’t suspect a thing.”

“I’m not so sure about Danny,” I say. “And what happens if this Traveler finds the other me? I’ll never see my family again.”

“It’s not like he can go after you every hour or something,” Finn explains. “He has to arrange events that end badly for you but have the least number of ripples as a consequence. The Traveler can’t just assume getting rid of you takes care of everything. He’s got to get rid of you the right way.”

“Is that why he’s been using you?” I ask.

“Probably. My guess is he’s trying to frame me to throw suspicion off him. Only that didn’t work so well when it was obvious I kept trying to protect you.”

“Really?” I wonder why Mario didn’t tell me that. If the killer is after Finn, too, or doing his best to put the burden of my death on Finn, then Mario knows I’m going to do my best to prevent that. That is, if I can see it coming.

“What are you thinking?” he asks, reaching out to take my hand.

“I’m thinking that Mario didn’t tell me that because he knows I’ll try to protect you.”

I take his now-empty plate and walk it over to the dishwasher, and he gets up to follow me.

“That’s not your job, Jessa,” he says. “I can take care of myself.”

“Me too.”

“I know,” he says. “But I’m going to watch out for you anyway.”

“Me too—for you,” I answer stubbornly.

“There’s no point in