Justice Keepers Saga - Books 13-15

Chapter 1-2

One reason why she had tolerated this…intrusion…for so long was because Jack’s plan had worked. In the early days of his experiment, the doppelganger had attacked a Leyrian facility while Jack was on his livestream, and for many people, that was proof enough that they were not the same individual.

hadOf course, there were some who thought it must have been some kind of trick, that the livestream had been prerecorded somehow. Or that the two Jacks were in cahoots. At this point, continuing the stream was pointless – people who believed in conspiracies would always find ways to dismiss the evidence that disproved their pet theories – but Jack still thought he could clear his name with everyone, put all doubt to rest.

The doppelganger had gotten wise to their plan and had stopped attacking Leyrian installations. If the goal was to implicate Jack, he wouldn’t do that by attacking when Jack had an alibi. Naturally, that would make it harder for Jack to turn off the tablet. He was afraid that his evil twin would start killing again the instant the stream shut down.

Anna sauntered across the room, rounding the coffee table. She planted herself in front of Jack, fists on her hips as she hit him with a disapproving glare.

He looked up at her with those big, blue eyes, and the tiny flicker of anger she had felt faded away. None of this was his fault.

Anna straddled him, clamping her hands onto his shoulders and slamming him hard against the back of the couch. She leaned in to kiss him, then touched her nose to his. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

Twisting around, Anna grabbed the tablet off the table and then held it up in front of her face. “Tonight on Jack,” she said in her best TV-announcer voice. “Our hero is in hot water when a very horny Anna decides that enough is enough.”

She tossed her head back, rolling her eyes in the most exaggerated way possible. And then, with a little effort, she made her voice sound screechy and shrill. “Are you ever gonna shut that thing off?”

everShe turned the tablet around so that the audience would get a look at Jack’s stunned expression. Before he could say one word, she pulled the tablet back and peered into the camera. “Tune in tonight for an all-new Jack.”

Then she hit the off switch.

Tossing the tablet aside, she seized her partner’s face with both hands and kissed him hard on the lips. “It’s not your fault, sweetie,” she murmured. “None of this is your fault. And we know that.”

He winced, trembling as he drew in a ragged breath. “Some people still think it was me,” he whispered. “I just wanted to prove-”

“There are always going to be people who think it was you,” she said. “There were people who hated you before all this started. You can’t let it control your life.”

before“I’m sorry.”

Cupping his face with both hands, Anna gazed into his eyes. “I get it,” she whispered. “You’re afraid I’m going to look at you and see him. But, sweetie, that is never going to happen.”

never “You promise?”

“I promise,” she murmured. “Now, come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Down to the surface.”

“No,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Anna, I can’t go down there. People will see me, and there will be all this commotion.”

“Hush,” she said. “We’re going.”

A few delicate snowflakes descended from a cloudy sky, falling over a frozen pond. It was only mid-afternoon; sunset was still a few hours away, but the lampposts at the water’s edge were all glowing. This little town probably hadn’t seen the sun for weeks.

Alios was unusual in that most of its landmass existed in the planet’s tropical zone. But there were exceptions. Tralos was a small, island continent halfway between the tropics and the arctic circle. The winters here could last up to five months.

Anna followed a walkway that encircled the pond, the strap of a gym bag slung over one shoulder. She paused near a bench, her tongue darting out to catch a snowflake. “Perfect!”

When she turned around, Jack was standing on the path with his hands shoved into the pockets of his thick, winter coat, frowning as she stared out on the water. “You were hoping to go for a walk in the bitter cold?”

He was still feeling a little skittish. Anna had chosen a village with a SlipGate on its busiest street. The walk from the centre of town to this tiny park on the outskirts had taken all of fifteen minutes, and they had passed a grand total of three people on the way. So far as Anna could tell, none of them had looked twice at Jack, but he was still nervous. As if he expected a mob with torches and pitchforks to surround him at any moment.

Anna sat on the bench, unzipping her bag to reveal its contents. “Not at all,” she said with a playful, little smile. “I was hoping to do something much more fun.”

Jack stepped forward, bending over to peer into the bag. “Skates?” he exclaimed. “You want to go skating?”

She held one up for his inspection. “I had them fabricated in your size,” she said. “Should fit perfectly. Hurry up, now! We’re losing daylight.”

Snowflakes whirled around her as she glided onto the ice. It had been over ten years since the last time she had done this. Back then, she didn’t even have a Nassai. The experience was different with an intuitive sense of balance.

She bent low, accelerating to a good speed. She jumped, twirling in the air like a cyclone, the cold wind sharpening her senses. Making her feel alive. Landing gracefully on one foot, she extended the other leg as she slid over the ice.

Jack stood at the edge of the pond, his cheeks flushed to a rosy pink, his brown hair fluttering in the wind. “Well, I’m convinced,” he said, his breath misting. “You get the gold medal.”

Anna skated up to him, shaking her head in dismay. “It doesn’t count,” she said. “I never would have been able to do that before Seth.”

“Nassai don’t give you new talents, love,” he replied. “They just enhance the ones you already had.”

“You gonna join me?”

To answer, he offered his hand. Together, they went across the pond, a light flurry of snowflakes falling around them. This was silly. Anna knew it was silly, but when she was a girl, she used to daydream about going skating with her significant other. And it was a good way to get Jack out of the house.

He watched her from the corner of his eye, and she could already see the wheels turning in his head. She knew that look; Jack was about to say something that might deflate the romantic mood. “Is it okay if I talk about it?” he asked.

“If it’ll make you feel better.”

“Who do you think it is?”

“I have no idea,” she answered truthfully. “You didn’t happen to have a twin brother who was taken away at birth.”

Hanging his head, Jack blew out a breath. “No,” he muttered. “And if you ask me, this has Slade written all over it.”

“Yeah.”

“So, what? Did they clone me?”

Pursing her lips as she considered it, Anna looked up to the heavens. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” she said. “I don’t mean you, of course. But we happen to know a clone who radically diverged from her predecessor.”

Jack pulled away from her, clasping hands behind his back as he skated into the middle of the pond. “Yeah, but why me?” he asked. “Am I the only one? Are there clones of you and Harry and Melissa kicking around?”

“Well, that would get boring pretty fast.”

“Hard agree,” Jack said. “In fact, I’m making a rule. Only two doppelgangers per series. After that, it just gets cliché.”

Anna moved past him, then whirled around, gliding backwards on the ice. “Maybe you’re overthinking this one, sweetie,” she said. “I’m pretty sure Slade built himself an evil Jack because he wanted to hurt you.”

“What? That’s it?” he spluttered. “There’s no grand plan to bring about the end of humanity? It’s just a big, old game of kick the Jack?”

“That seems to be his fun, new obsession.”

She skated over to her boyfriend, gently taking his hands in hers. “Sweetie,” she murmured, gazing up into his eyes. “We’ll figure this one out together. Right now, can we just enjoy the moment? I mean, look at this place. It’s like a scene from one of those sappy, low-budget Christmas movies your mom likes so much.”

“Oh, what? You’re making references now?”

You’re“What can I say?” she teased. “When you hang around weirdos, you get a little weird.”

Later that night, they held each other at the foot of their bed. Anna rested her head on Jack’s chest, lightly trailing her fingers over his back. “You’re gonna stay with me tonight?” She pulled away, staring up at him. “Please?”

He smiled, a blush putting some colour in his cheeks. “Yes,” he said, nodding. “I’m gonna stay with you. But is it okay if we just cuddle?”

“I would love that.”

They got undressed and snuggled under the covers together. The warmth of his body against her back, the tenderness of his hand on her tummy: for the first time in a long time, she felt perfectly safe. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his breath tickling the back of her neck.

Anna smiled.

She snuggled a little closer, and he held her a little tighter. She rested her hand on top of his. “You have nothing to be sorry about, my love. You’ve been through a weird and traumatic experience.”

“I just feel like it’s my fault somehow.”

Anna twisted, looking her over shoulder at him. Their room was dark, but she knew he could sense her glare. “You would.”

“Sorry.”

She took his hand off her tummy, brought it to her lips and kissed it. “Everything’s okay, love,” she murmured. “It’s just you and me.”

Ten minutes later, she was fast asleep, and she stayed asleep until Jack stirred and pulled her closer. She felt the tension in his body. It lasted for only a moment, but there was no mistaking it. Her love was frightened.

Rolling over to face him, Anna slipped an arm around his neck. For a little while, she just stayed there, her nose an inch away from his. “Bad dream?”

“Sorry.”

“Sweetie, you don’t ever have to apologize for needing me. It’s my job to keep you safe.”

“Not a dream,” Jack whispered. “Just…He just keeps coming. It’s never enough. He can t*****e me with a virus, but it’s not enough. He has to take my face and turn it into a symbol of fear.”

She kissed him tenderly. “It’s gonna be okay,” she murmured. “I promise.” It sounded hollow to her, but her words brought Jack some peace.

It didn’t take long to fall asleep.

When she woke, the artificial lights in her quarters were simulating sunlight. Early morning had come. And Jack was right next to her.

He smiled at the sight of her, then pushed her onto her back with a growl. His lips found hers with desperate, primal need. She felt her body responding. It had been far, far too long.

Half an hour later, she was lying in a dreamy haze, every inch of her tingling with contentment. Even with a Keeper’s incredible stamina, she still had to catch her breath. She sat up, holding the blankets to her chest.

stillDisappointment washed over her when she saw that Jack had gotten dressed while she was lost in her own little world. Just a pair of jeans and a gray, long-sleeved shirt. The simple clothing suited him, but she liked looking at this body.

“How do you do it?” she panted.

“I listen.”

Anna blinked, then brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. “Oh, come on,” she said. “It’s not like I recited a list of instructions on how to leave me feeling all wobbly.”

Jack strode toward her with a smile on his face. “But you did.” He knelt at her bedside, gently taking her hand. “Every little murmur, every flinch and shudder. The moments when your breath speeds up.”

She was lost in his deep, blue eyes, pulled in as if by the force of gravity. “I listen and learn what you like,” he murmured. “I give it to you in small doses at first. Then I hold back until you’re whimpering and desperate, until you think you’re about to go insane. Only then do I take you over the edge.”

Anna fell back on the mattress, crossing her arms and pouting at him. “That sounds downright mean.”

“That’s because you haven’t heard the second part.”

“Oh?”

Jack leaned over her, smoothing the hair off her forehead. “Once I have you at my mercy,” he began. “I remind you of one irrefutable fact.”

“And what’s that?”

“That you are a goddess, Anna Lenai,” he said. “That it was always just an act. I could never resist you. Who was I kidding? From the moment I met you, I was helpless under your spell.”

Anna seized a clump of his hair, pulling his mouth to hers. Her hands clawed at his shirt, practically ripping it off him. It just so happened that they were a few minutes late starting their shift on the bridge this morning.