Man Out of Time by Jason Ayres

Author:Jason Ayres [Ayres, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Goodreads: 26531567
Publisher: Chapel Street Press
Published: 2015-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

September 2063

When the doorbell rang, Jess jumped up eagerly from the kitchen table where she’d been drinking her coffee and reading the morning’s “newspaper”. Like most people in the mid-21st century, she read hers through the built-in touchpad in the kitchen table. It was still possible to get a few paper copies in specialist outlets, but they were disappearing fast.

It was no wonder that Dan’s request for a paper in the restaurant had been met with such bemusement.

Fearful that Dan might try to track her down after what she had heard on the radio, she had rung Charlie and Kaylee straightaway. Kaylee was in a holographic conference with her weather control project team in Australia, but Charlie had promised to come over right away.

“That was quick,” she thought to herself, not expecting him to arrive so soon. Without thinking, she flung open the front door, only to be confronted by the aggressive and intimidating figure of Dan on the doorstep.

Horrified, she tried to slam the door in his face, but it was too late: he was already pushing his way in.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said, looking closely at her face as she retreated away from him towards the stairs. “We’ve got some unfinished business.”

He had recognised her instantly, but couldn’t help noticing the difference 22 years had made. Her face was showing unmistakeable signs of aging, with lines in places where before there had only been smooth, youthful skin.

“You’ve let yourself go, you wrinkly bitch,” he remarked cruelly.

“And you’re still an ugly, fat twat,” she responded.

Jess may have been terrified, but she was full of the gutsy spirit she’d inherited from her mother.

Dan grabbed her tightly by her wrists and wheeled her around. They were at the foot of the stairs, directly behind the front door and he was keen to get her out of sight. Letting go of one arm briefly, he slammed the door, then taking hold of her again, he pushed her through the open doorway that led into the living room.

“Get in there!” he shouted. “You’ve got some explaining to do. Now sit down and start talking.” He pushed her backwards onto the sofa.

Jess thought quickly. Charlie was on his way, she knew that. She also knew what Dan was capable of. He might be stronger than her, but she knew that she had one big advantage over him. It was all a matter of time and she had a 22-year head start over him. She was confident that he would have no idea about the latest implants that had more or less taken the place of mobile phones.

Silently, without there being any way of him knowing, she activated the emergency call button directly from her brainwaves. She was now connected to the emergency services and he wouldn’t have the slightest inkling that they’d be listening in to every word. It was a far more effective form of defence than the old rape alarms that women had carried in the past.

Help would certainly be coming from some quarter.

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