Chase (ChronoShift Trilogy) by Zack Mason

beer and relax.  We'll get another chance at ’em."
    "We're in the Middle Ages.  You think they've invented beer yet? "
    "Man, there's always been beer."
     
     

 
     
     
     
    September 17 th 1814, London, England
     
    Mark was back in the alley again, but now it was dark and damp.  There were no electric lights in 1814, and it was raining again.  Heavy droplets quickly soaked his hair, running rivulets down his face.           
    He was alone.
    At first, he thought Hardy hadn't shifted with him at all, but then he understood.   Hardy was still in 1100 AD.
    Mark needed to shift back immediately.  Hardy was surrounded by three armed men intent on killing him.  His concern turned to alarm when he saw the face of his shifter burned red.  It was inoperable.
    What's the matter with it?   He hadn't used it six times yet. Was it running out of juice?  Was the trip back to the Middles Ages too much?  A panicked thought trampled the normal calm he maintained.  What if it were dead for good?
    Regardless,he needed to get out of the alley.  If Rialto followed him, he'd know where Mark's last position had been.
    The business adjoining the alley in 1814 was still a pub, just like it would be in 2013.  The establishment was closed at the moment, the hour being a little past three in the morning.
    Mark left the alley.
    The street in front of the pub was deserted.  Ducking under an overhang, Mark hugged the building as tight as he could to ward off the bone-chilling rain.  If anyone came after him here, he would be able to see them before they saw him.  Unless they set up a sniper post in one of the windows across the street.
    Best not to think about possibilities like that.  But that was all he could do at the moment...think.  He didn't want to stray too far from Hardy's position in case his shifter reset.  He had nowhere else to go.
    He shivered in the wet cold as he dwelt on Hardy and whether or not he'd survived Rialto's attack.  He wondered about Ty, where he might be.  About Laura and their brief, but fiery, relationship...and about Savannah and how much they could have used her on this crazy venture, though this mission would have been far too dangerous for her.
    In spite of the small awnings covering his head, the rain's icy fingers still managed to find their way under his heavy woolen clothing.  The feeling was thoroughly miserable.
    After what seemed an eternity, joy finally burst through the gates of his doubt when he saw his watch had actually reset.  It was back to normal.
    Breathing a sigh of relief, he checked the hour.  How much time had passed since he arrived?  Four or five minutes?  It seemed so much longer than that.  He'd never had the shifter reset itself so quickly...but then again, he'd never had it malfunction after only one shift either.
    It didn't matter.  It was time to help Hardy.
     
    ***
     
     
    Mark hastened down the row of hay-filled stalls hunched over to avoid being seen.  His shifter had gone red again, but he'd just have to worry about that later.
    He stopped in front of a stall about ten doors down from where he started.
    "Dude, if you're trying to hide, at least do a good job of it," Mark whispered when he saw the toe of Hardy's boot sticking out from the hay.
    Red-faced, Hardy stood, brushing straw off his shirt and pants.
    "Man, you stink too!"
    "Comes free with the hiding place," Hardy replied grimly. "Did you see any of Rialto's crew."
    "Nope.  You?"
    "No, but I heard them.  They were in the aisle behind me, and then they moved off.  I thought you were them at first."
    "Is your shifter functional?"
    "No.  Yours?"
    "Mine's dead too.  I shifted forward to 1814, and it died on me for about 5 minutes then reset.  It was really weird."
    "Well, maybe mine will come back online after five minutes too then.  I heard Rialto and his boys complaining about theirs not working either."
    "Well, that's a relief.  There must be something unusual about this time