Double-Back (Jake Waters Book 3) by Bob Blink Read Free Book Online Page A

the trap, and according to my memories, we caught the shooters, one of whom was one of the four I recall from the pictures of the kidnappers."
    "The man who you think can Back-Track," Jim said.
    "Not necessarily," Jake disagreed, "but it suggests the same people are behind both actions."
    "If someone Back-Tracked, how come you didn't get caught in the loop just like Jim and myself?" Susan asked.
    "Because I immediately Back-Tracked again after we caught them.  I had a suspicion what might be happening, and I wanted to retain my memories, which meant I had to go back far enough not to be affected.  I hoped whoever was doing this wouldn't go farther back than necessary, and I believe I have been proven correct."
    "How far did you go?" Susan asked.
    "Not as far as before, but close to a month.  I wanted to minimize the chances Karin was right that longer Back-Tracking was having some effect on me.  A month felt safe.  I've done that before in the months since the long loop problem.  And when I came back, and relived the days again, just as before, there was no attempt."
    "Wait a minute," Susan said.  "Something about this bothers me.  If you Back-Tracked, then you were back at an earlier time, it would be too late for this other person to do so.  If he Back-Tracked before you, then you would never have a chance to do what you did.  Whoever acts first, wins, or am I confused?"
    "I think you are right," Jake said.  "What actually happened is probably far more complicated than I have explained.  I believe that I Back-Tracked, which preserved my memories, and when I reached the day of the shooting once again, Jim and I actually captured the culprits a second time, just as before.  After that, we probably locked them up and at some point their Back-Tracker realized what had happened, and then looped back.  That's when all of us, myself included, lost the memories of that last iteration and what we now all recall is the last attempt failing, because the shooters called it off after they learned from their Back-Tracker that we somehow knew their plans again."
    "I'm getting lost," Jim admitted.
    "I believe I see what you are getting at," Susan said, her eyes pinched somewhat in thought.  "This has got to be the only time you have experienced what the rest of us always feel with your looping.  Events that happened are gone.  But if this is true, and there is someone out there with your ability, what's to stop them from going back far enough they can loop around all of your memories and redo this so none of us know what really happened?"
    "That's the key question," Jake agreed.  "I was lucky the first time to be outside the loops this person is making, so still have most of my memories of events.  I think that's because this person doesn't know I exist, and can't see the reason to make his loops larger."
    "Are you certain his abilities match your own?" Jim asked.
    "There's no way to know," Jake admitted.  "I think we have to assume they are similar, with the same kinds of restrictions, but that doesn't have to be the case.  We don't know what gave me the ability, and whether someone else could be stronger or more capable."
    "This is not good at all," Susan said.  She continued to think about the problem.  "Assuming all this is as you say, if this person were to loop back farther than you already have, they could eliminate all of our knowledge of what has happened.  It's imperative they don't learn about your existence, or they could loop back before you had reason to be cautious, and have you killed.  You are a great risk to them.  Once they eliminated you, they would be free to act as they want.  Damn it, Jake.  We need to find this person and somehow stop them.  I had forgotten just how dangerous someone with your ability could be if they wanted to misuse their gift."
    "I don't think it wise for me to attempt to go back farther," Jake said.  "You recall the issues I had the last time.  Karin was already