By Danele J. Rotharmel
Time Travel/Romance
$3.99 eBook/$15.99 print
ISBN:978-1-943104-34-5
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To stop a cruel serial killer, she must travel twenty-four
years into the past...
Gil Montgomery, a cadet in the Temporal Counseling Program, can’t wait to pass her field exam and become a professional time surfer. The TEMCO program targets death-row offenders for time-based counseling while they’re children. For her exam, Gil will travel twenty-four years into the past to counsel ten-year-old Danny Winston before he murders his abusive babysitter, Rick Olsen. Preventing the stabbing should stop the chain of events leading to Danny’s eventual execution. Gil’s assignment seems simple until her advisor, Dr. William Ableman, learns that Rick is a serial killer targeting Danny’s mother. If Gil stays and protects the Winstons, she might not survive. William wants the woman he loves to be pulled from the field, but if Gil fails to complete her assignment, it will unleash a Time Tsunami and destroy the timeline. As TEMCO undergoes an emergency lockdown, and Gil’s fellow cadets try to figure out what’s happening, Gil and William learn the importance of faith and the price of true love. Everyone’s fate is resting in Gil’s hands, but does she have the strength she needs to defeat a ruthless serial killer intent on annihilating everyone in his path? Will she return from the deadly mission? |
$3.99 Ebook
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EXCERPT
Copyright
2015 © Danele J. Rotharmel
As a blue glow filled the room, Gil
looked through the time portal at William and Director Matthews.
Her heart missed a beat. She didn’t know what was going on, but
judging by the men’s tense expressions, it wasn’t good.
“Hi, guys, what’s up?”
she asked in a deliberately casual tone.
“We’re thinking of
pulling you from the field,” William replied.
“What?”
“Rick’s more dangerous
than we thought.”
“I don’t care if he’s
Jack the Ripper,” she said flatly. “I’m staying.”
Director Matthews picked
up a handful of printouts. “He isn’t Jack the Ripper, but he
might as well be. I’ve found evidence that he’s killed at least
ten women.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’re facing a serial
killer,” William said. “You must realize the seriousness of the
situation.”
“I do realize it.
You don’t. Today’s Danny’s D-day. If I abandon him, he’s gonna
die on death row. I love that kid, and I’m not about to let his
life be destroyed. Where’s Dr. Nelson? She’d agree with me.”
“She said it was our
decision,” the director replied.
“It’s my decision too,
and I’m not about to abandon—”
“It’s not abandonment,”
William interrupted. “GAP’s only predicting a fifty percent
chance that it’ll make a difference to Danny’s future if you
stay. Regardless of your hard work, Daniel Winston may be
destined for death row. We’re not risking your life over a
hopeless—”
“There’s no way
you’re getting me out of here! If there’s a fifty percent chance
that Danny can be saved, I’m taking that fifty percent chance.
It’s my life I’m risking. Not yours.”
William ran a hand over
his face. “We’re all risking a lot.”
“I don’t care. I’m not—”
“Enough of this!” William
said harshly. “Let the director speak. When he finishes, we’ll
discuss things.”
“Here it is, Gil,” the
director said. “Bald facts. Fact number one: Rick’s a serial
killer. He strangles women with a red cord and hangs their
bodies to mimic suicide. He does his murderous work so well,
that unless a coroner’s an expert, the homicide is missed. At
this time, it’s impossible to know how many murders Rick’s
committed.
“Fact two: Rick’s
meticulous and methodical—that means he’s dangerous. He’s
undoubtedly been planning to kill Sue for weeks. He’ll already
have things set in motion.
“Fact three: GAP’s
predicting a 98.8 percent chance that if you stay, you
will be hurt. Since
Danny has only a fifty percent chance of escaping death row,
you’ll be risking your life on a gamble.”
Gil sat quietly for a few
moments. “I’ve heard what you’ve said and understood it. Will
you respect my decision?”
“Yes,” William replied.
“It’s your decision to make.”
“Then my answer’s the
same as it was from the beginning. I’m staying. Now, give me all
the information you can about what I’m facing, and please do it
fast. I don’t have much time, and I need all the help I can
get.”
Director Matthews picked
up a stack of files. “Autopsy photographs show Rick’s careful
not to leave bruises on his victims’ bodies. When he strikes, he
strikes fast. There won’t be a long struggle when he attacks Sue
today. You won’t have much time to save her.”
“What else?”
“It takes several days
for the bodies of Rick’s victims to be discovered.”
“Why’s that important?”
she asked.
“No one hears his
attacks. He takes his victims by surprise and prevents them from
screaming.”
“That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Extremely. The lack of
crime-scene evidence shows he’s a planner. He probably has
things hidden or set up around Sue’s house to expedite his
attack.”
Exhaling slowly to calm
her nerves, Gil asked, “Anything else I should know?”
The director looked grim.
“I’ve tried to find instances in which women have escaped a
red-cord strangler, but there aren’t any. If Rick gets his hands
on Sue—or on you—the chances are high the outcome won’t be
favorable.”
Gil swallowed the lump in
her throat. “What about Danny? How do I to increase his odds of
escaping death row?”
“All I can suggest is
keeping him out of his house and away from knives. Danny’s fate
may rest on a split-second decision, and I don’t want to lie to
you—from what GAP’s telling me, that decision may cost you your
life.”
Looking down at her
hands, Gil said hesitantly, “If I don’t go through with this—if
I come home now—what will happen to everyone?”
“Danny will end up on
death row, Sue will be murdered, and there’s a 99.2 percent
chance that Sam will vanish, and years later, his skeleton will
be found in the forest behind Sue’s house.”
“That’s what I was afraid
of.”
“Technically,” the
director said, “Sam and the Winstons met their fate almost a
quarter of a century ago. There’s no shame in coming home. In
fact, I think it’s highly advisable.”
“Maybe so,” Gil said
quietly, “but I’m staying here regardless.” She looked through
the portal at William. Seeing his tense posture, she said
softly, “You’ve been awfully quiet. What are you thinking?”
William brushed a shaking
hand over his face. “That I’m proud of you, but I’m terrified
for you. I wish I knew if you’re putting yourself in danger for
nothing.”
“It’s my decision,” she
said gently. “You have nothing to do with it.”
“I have more to do with
it than you realize.”
“You may’ve recommended
me for this assignment, but it was my decision to come—just as
it’s my decision to stay. If I went home now, I’d never forgive
myself.”
“I know, but please be
careful. I’ve arranged for a portal to be fixed to your temporal
position. If things get out of control, you can use Extreme
Exam to surf home without waiting for lab authorization.”
“You sound like you’re
anxious to see me.”
“I am,” he replied,
giving her a crooked smile. “Contact us at the usual time—sooner
if needed. We’ll be in the lab until D-day’s over.”
Hearing the concern in
his voice, Gil said softly, “Everything’s gonna be fine. God
hasn’t brought us this far to drop us. He—” her voice came to an
abrupt halt.
“What’s wrong?” William
demanded.
“I don’t know,” she
whispered. “Did you hear that noise?” Her body tensed as she
stared at the door. “There it is again…I gotta go. Someone’s in
the house.”
With a swift movement, Gil stopped
Extreme Exam and flattened herself against the wall.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danele J. Rotharmel grew up with a love
of the literary word, and by age five, she knew she wanted to be
a writer. However, her life took an unexpected turn when a
mysterious illness brought her close to death. Eventually, she
learned that a low-level carbon monoxide leak from a faulty
furnace in her home was slowly poisoning her. This poisoning
triggered severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and partial
amnesia.
During this time, the hardest thing she
faced was a crisis of faith. She had to quit her job and stop
going to church. She couldn’t write, couldn’t drive, and could
barely remember who she was. To say she was upset with the Lord
was an understatement. She began reexamining her faith in light
of her illness, and eventually, she came to the firm conclusion
that God is real, God is good, God is interested and involved,
and God is trustworthy regardless of tragedy.
When her illness became even more
severe, she was put into quarantine and could only talk to
friends and extended family through the glass of a window. This
quarantine lasted for seven years. During this time, she wrote
the first six books in
The Time Counselor Chronicles.
Danele currently lives in Colorado
where she continues to write. Although her journey back to
health was long and difficult, it provided her with the
opportunity to grow closer to God and to write her books. For
that, she is forever thankful.
You can learn
more about Danele by visiting her blog at
https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com.
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