Chapter 13 - Challenge

When I had finished speaking my throat was dry and lucky for me Jacob handed me a drink. Through my entire story Harker had smiled and nodded, occasionally looking surprised or startled. Now I was done he sat silently, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance, his head nodding gently. Then he slowly opened his mouth. "So, in this future of yours, young people are free to simply build time machines upon a whim?" He mused.

"I wouldn't say a whim." I countered. "We were very driven, and I think we had a little help there when we were collecting the parts, but please don't ask about the future, I wouldn't want to give Howe any more visions."

Jacob paced in front of us. "Why don't they attack? Just burst in here?" He wondered out loud. I must admit I had wondered the same thing but kept it to myself.

"Perhaps this helps." Harker patted his doctors bag. How had I gone for so long without noticing the black bag? "I have a few goodies in here that they don't like, some concoctions I found out about in Siam and Singapore. Potent stuff, mind. You wouldn't want any in your eye."

I smiled uncomfortably. Despite the feeling of safety with him, his demeanour made me uneasy. Dealing with two vampires seemed like a normal day at the office, and it troubled me that he could be so blasé about the whole thing. "How long?" I asked no one in particular. The sky outside seemed to be lightening just a little.

"Another half hour." Said Jacob, consulting his pocket watch awkwardly. I felt sure he must miss his Casio very much.

"Good." I sighed. The sooner we could get on the move the better. I got the feeling we had a new travel buddy, but that was probably for the best, what with our wanting to stay alive and all. And then there was the mission to complete. I screwed up my courage before I spoke again, worried at the answer. "So what's your plan now?" I asked as innocently as I could muster.

"Well if you would allow me I should like to accompany you to Chicago. Whilst in town I shall hunt those two fiends. You two do what you can to put your timeline right." Ok, that didn't sound too bad. We would have his protection where we needed it, but he would keep his distance too, which suited me.

I noticed that Jacob had been quiet through all of this, constantly scanning the area with his laser like gaze. I caught his attention. "Y'know, that was pretty awesome." I said.

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, felt pretty good too. Except the change, that was kinda like getting ripped in two. But I felt pretty strong when I was the wolf. And she couldn't get in my head either. I felt her try, must be some kind of wolf mumbo jumbo I guess."

"Don't underestimate her, ever." Said Harker in a serious tone. "Once she gets inside your head that's it, there is nothing you can do, and she has you." I shuddered, nothing to do with the pre dawn breeze that filled the waiting room. Perhaps whatever magic kept me safe from Edward's mind reading skills would protect me from her too.

He stood and paced, his shoes echoing on the hard floor of the waiting room. Here in the lamplight I could see the lines on his face. He was not an old man, maybe only in his late twenties, but this was counted by the deep furrows in his brow and the slight limp in his walk. He was tall and wiry, but his power was evident in his stance. His eyes told more of his story, lined and deep, they were like intense pools of darkness. On the occasions that he looked at me I found I was unable to hold his gaze. This was a man who had seen a lot, and lost even more.

"It's almost time." Said Jacob, looking at the clock on the wall. We rose to our feet and stepped out onto the platform, the predawn air cool, a light breeze gently pushing at my hair. I looked each way down the tracks but could not see much as there was very little light still, and there were no actual lights anywhere out on the track. Then I noticed a figure standing down the platform from us. He wore a uniform and hat. So there were people working here. I continued to scan the area, noticing that the two men were doing the same. Then I saw them. Two shadows lurking at the edge of the platform, near some trees. I couldn't be positive but it must be them. I felt a chill run down my spine that had nothing to do with the morning air. Then my ears picked up a clack of brass on stone. His cane. The Jacob and Harker turned too, Harker immediately looking away but I noticed Jacob became rooted to the spot, transfixed, like a rabbit in the headlights. She had him. This was not good. I was just starting to wonder how she had gotten to him when I noticed a flash from right about where her eyes would be. Ok, now I was fairly sure I was immune to her power. Jacob, on the other hand, was not. He took a single awkward step forward and stopped again, as if he were fighting with himself. Then I heard it. The sound of inevitability. Our train. Jacob didn't flinch. This was bad. I realised they were advancing, ever so slowly. This was really not good. We couldn't afford them being on the train. Sure they could probably out run it, but on the train we had a slight amount of protection.

Harker moved next. The platform began to fill with steam and this covered their approach even more. He pulled a vial from his bag and hurled it across the platform at them. I heard the tiny smash as the glass impacted on the stone, and then there was a flash, and a golden light began to spread up from the ground. Immediately they became visible in the new light. Their faces glinted and sparkled like a million diamonds. They glanced at each other and instantly turned and fled, obviously cautious of the rules of the Volturi.

Jacob became limp and we guided him to the waiting train, climbing aboard and selecting a carriage where we sat in silence as the train rattled along the tracks.