Day of Deliverance by Johnny O'Brien Read Free Book Online

know, to protect history and protect the human race – how can we do that if we are stuck here – just watching?”
    Suddenly, support piped up for Angus from an unexpected source – Miss Beattie. “You know the lad has a point. He’s young, he’s extremely fit and has already proved himself on one mission.”
    “Yes, Sir,” Angus said, “I thought that was what I was here for, you know, to help.”
    Inchquin looked at the Rector and Miss Beattie nervously. “I’m not sure we can authorise… we are not really in a position…”
    Angus interrupted him. “But you said yourself – VIGIL can decide whatever it wants.”
    Inchquin turned to his colleagues, waiting to see if any would voice an opinion. There was silence.
    Angus’s outburst had got Jack thinking – but not quite along the same lines as his friend. He spoke up. “Sir, I’m not as keen as Angus – I mean time travelling again would be pretty scary. But there is one thing. Angus and I know Pendelshape. And we also know that Pendelshape was desperate to get us to join him and Dad. I know Dad has had a bust-up with Pendelshape. But maybe if we were to go back as part of the team, maybe there would be a chance we could link up with Pendelshape and, well, pretend we wanted to come over to his side, you know, because of Dad or something. With us under his control, Pendelshape would think he could get Dad to rejoin the Revisionists. What I am trying to say is…”
    Inchquin finished Jack’s sentence. “Your old teacher might trust you… and we could use that to stop Pendelshape and infiltrate the Revisionists…”
    “And finish them off for good,” the Rector added. He nodded thoughtfully. “It certainly gives us another option.”
    Angus punched the air. “Yes!”
    Inchquin smiled. “I guess you can take De Raillar and Joplin’s places – they will form the next wave – your back-up, if it’s needed.”
    Jack’s mum had been following the discussion with increasing dismay. “I can’t possibly agree to this…” she burst out.
    But the words tumbled from Jack’s mouth before he had time to stop them. “Mum – sorry – I’ve been thinking about it. The Christie family is partly responsible for all of this. If it’s anyone’s duty to help sort this out, it’s got to be ours… mine.”
    It was decided.
    Thirty minutes later, Jack, Angus, Tony and Gordon stood on the Taurus platform. Miss Beattie’s costumes for the production of Hamlet were now period costumes for Jack and Angus. Beneaththeir woollen cloaks they each carried one of the thin VIGIL backpacks. Under their doublets, tight-fitting vests secured the all-important time phones. The countdown was already under way and the assembled VIGIL team looked on from their positions behind the blast screen. The Rector was completing a short lecture on the workings of the Taurus. Not that Jack needed reminding.
    “Remember, the Taurus itself stays put – it focuses the energy and creates the temporary wormhole. But to move through time and space, you need to have physical contact with your time phone. You need it to go… and to get back again. While back in time, the time phones are controlled and tracked by the Taurus. Of course, they will only work when the Taurus is at the right energy state, and also when there is a strong enough time signal.” The Rector had also reminded them of the limitations of the Taurus and its umbilical linkage to the time phones. “You can only use your time phone when you have a signal – and the signals are intermittent. Remember that bar?” He prodded the little greyed-out display inside the time phone. “When it’s yellow – you’re good to go – you can communicate, we know where you are and the Taurus can send you back and forth through time. When there’s no signal, you’re stuck, although the phone’s energy source will continue to tell you where and when you are…” Finally, he said ominously, “Lose your time phones and there