fluctuations to give the exact date and time to which that person had just gone.
In other words, Mark Carpen could shift through time till he was blue in the face, but all Rialto had to do was point his little tracker at Carpen as he left and he would know to exactly which moment in time the man had gone. It was a powerful device, yet it ran on a simple watch battery.
"What's the plan, boss?"
Rialto slitted his eyes, staring at the copse of trees where Carpen and Phillips would be sitting — twenty years in the past. His enemies would be there for just a moment in 1814, but for Rialto, they were there perpetually. He could shift into their "moment" any time he wanted. There was no reason to hurry or be impatient. His tracker empowered him. He was the chaser. They were the ones on the run, frantically wondering which second would be their last.
"We could play shifting games with these guys for days, but we wouldn't accomplish anything without the element of surprise. Plus, they could get in a lucky shot. When we go after them again, we'll shift in at a distance so they don't hear us coming. If they shift out, we’ll follow. If they don't shift out, we’ll snipe ’em."
***
August 14 th 1814, Virginia Woodlands
Silently, Mark and Hardy moved deeper into the woods. Mark raised two fingers to his eye and motioned sharply in two different directions. Hardy understood the hand signal. They would split up, moving in parallel, but staying about a hundred feet apart. If one of them ran into trouble, the other would be close enough to help, but far enough away not to get caught in the same trouble. Patrolling 101.
Being mid-August in Virginia, the brush was dense enough to provide good cover. They weren’t visible to each other, but knew vaguely where the other was at all times. They continued stealthily until they reached a natural rendezvous point.
***
"Where are they?" Rialto hissed.
Graves pointed at a flash of black cloth between some bushes. "I think that's Carpen over there."
"Where's Phillips?"
"Not sure. Can't see him."
Rialto cursed. "These guys are in their element now," he rued.
"Why don't we go back to when they were under those trees together?"
"Because they were only there for a couple of seconds. Good chance they'd just shift around us and gain the upper hand if we're not successful with our first shots."
"What are we gonna do then?"
"We don't push it. We'll stalk Carpen, one of us on either side. Keep an eye out for Phillips. If you get a good shot at Carpen, take it, but if it looks like that's going to happen, prepare yourself before you take the shot. If Phillips sees Carpen go down, he'll shift back to take you out before you shoot.
“If we never get a good opportunity, we'll follow as far as we can without giving ourselves away."
Graves nodded and they split up, Graves continuing along Mark's right flank and Rialto circling around to the left. They didn't dare get too close. Carpen was highly trained in pursuits like this — and they were not.
Rialto saw him again. He whipped his rifle up hastily. Carpen had momentarily exposed himself in a small clearing through which he had to pass in order to reach a large cluster of rocks. The rocks would make excellent cover, and he knew he had to take Carpen out before he reached them.
He hesitated.
He was too nervous. If he pulled the trigger, he might succeed and kill Carpen, but then Phillips would know. Phillips would shift back. Phillips would put a bullet in his head before he pulled the trigger, but that would only happen if Rialto pulled the trigger originally.
His hand shook with indecision. He cursed as Carpen made it to safety.
***
Hunkering behind some brush in an open space enclosed by the giant rocks, Mark had a clear view of both entrances to the central pocket where he was hiding. Over his head, a rock overhang would
In other words, Mark Carpen could shift through time till he was blue in the face, but all Rialto had to do was point his little tracker at Carpen as he left and he would know to exactly which moment in time the man had gone. It was a powerful device, yet it ran on a simple watch battery.
"What's the plan, boss?"
Rialto slitted his eyes, staring at the copse of trees where Carpen and Phillips would be sitting — twenty years in the past. His enemies would be there for just a moment in 1814, but for Rialto, they were there perpetually. He could shift into their "moment" any time he wanted. There was no reason to hurry or be impatient. His tracker empowered him. He was the chaser. They were the ones on the run, frantically wondering which second would be their last.
"We could play shifting games with these guys for days, but we wouldn't accomplish anything without the element of surprise. Plus, they could get in a lucky shot. When we go after them again, we'll shift in at a distance so they don't hear us coming. If they shift out, we’ll follow. If they don't shift out, we’ll snipe ’em."
***
August 14 th 1814, Virginia Woodlands
Silently, Mark and Hardy moved deeper into the woods. Mark raised two fingers to his eye and motioned sharply in two different directions. Hardy understood the hand signal. They would split up, moving in parallel, but staying about a hundred feet apart. If one of them ran into trouble, the other would be close enough to help, but far enough away not to get caught in the same trouble. Patrolling 101.
Being mid-August in Virginia, the brush was dense enough to provide good cover. They weren’t visible to each other, but knew vaguely where the other was at all times. They continued stealthily until they reached a natural rendezvous point.
***
"Where are they?" Rialto hissed.
Graves pointed at a flash of black cloth between some bushes. "I think that's Carpen over there."
"Where's Phillips?"
"Not sure. Can't see him."
Rialto cursed. "These guys are in their element now," he rued.
"Why don't we go back to when they were under those trees together?"
"Because they were only there for a couple of seconds. Good chance they'd just shift around us and gain the upper hand if we're not successful with our first shots."
"What are we gonna do then?"
"We don't push it. We'll stalk Carpen, one of us on either side. Keep an eye out for Phillips. If you get a good shot at Carpen, take it, but if it looks like that's going to happen, prepare yourself before you take the shot. If Phillips sees Carpen go down, he'll shift back to take you out before you shoot.
“If we never get a good opportunity, we'll follow as far as we can without giving ourselves away."
Graves nodded and they split up, Graves continuing along Mark's right flank and Rialto circling around to the left. They didn't dare get too close. Carpen was highly trained in pursuits like this — and they were not.
Rialto saw him again. He whipped his rifle up hastily. Carpen had momentarily exposed himself in a small clearing through which he had to pass in order to reach a large cluster of rocks. The rocks would make excellent cover, and he knew he had to take Carpen out before he reached them.
He hesitated.
He was too nervous. If he pulled the trigger, he might succeed and kill Carpen, but then Phillips would know. Phillips would shift back. Phillips would put a bullet in his head before he pulled the trigger, but that would only happen if Rialto pulled the trigger originally.
His hand shook with indecision. He cursed as Carpen made it to safety.
***
Hunkering behind some brush in an open space enclosed by the giant rocks, Mark had a clear view of both entrances to the central pocket where he was hiding. Over his head, a rock overhang would
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