Time Riders

2001, New York

‘You’re kidding me, right? My job is an… an… analyst?’

Foster nodded.

She looked at him, her eyebrows arched with disbelief. ‘You’re telling meI’ve been plucked from a falling aeroplane and sent back in time to join a teamof… of time cops, and my job ends up being exactly what Iused to do?’

Foster shrugged. ‘It’s not exactly thesame.’

She looked at the row of computer monitors on the bench in front of her.‘Great.’

‘This computer is a cell-based tetra-gig mainframe, carefully transported back from thefuture and painstakingly assembled by our first team. Which means, Maddy, right now in NewYork 2001, you’re looking at the most powerful computer system in the whole world. Andguess what?’ He grinned. ‘It’s all yours to playwith.’

Maddy reached one hand out and stroked the slim casing of the computer on the bench.‘Mine, huh?’

‘Yours.’

‘OK… I guess that isn’t so bad, then.’

‘We know from our files,’ Foster continued, ‘that you worked for acomputer-games company. You worked as a programmer on a hugely successful online role-playinggame called Second World.’

Maddy clucked modestly. ‘I guess it was quite popular.’

‘You were listed in the credits as the database de-bugger.’

‘Among other things,’ she replied irritably. ‘I also wrote the code for abunch of decent AI combat stuff and coded some of the coolest parts of the user interface, butdid I get credited? Pffft. Did I heck.’

Foster nodded. ‘But it’s the database work, the de-bugging, that makes you soincredibly valuable.’

‘Because?’

‘Because, Maddy, it’s detective work, isn’t it? Finding that tiny piece ofcomputer code that’s causing a computer game to crash or behave in an unpredictableway?’

‘I suppose.’

Foster nodded towards Sal. ‘You’ll be working closely with Sal.’

Maddy turned to see her sitting on the far side of the arch at the wooden table with Liam andBob. They both seemed to be teaching the lumbering oaf how to hold a knife and fork.

‘As the observer, she’ll be the first line of defence.’

Foster had explained Sal’s role as observer. It seemed a tall order to her that a younggirl’s eyes would be better than a computer at identifying a shift.

‘When she observes something that has altered, it’ll be your lateral thinking,your programmer’s mind, combined with the power of this system, linked into the web andcountless historical databases around the world, to zero in on where and when history has actually beenchanged.’

Maddy shook her head. ‘How am I freakin’ well going to figure out stuff likethat? I was crud at history in high school. I’m not sure I’m the right person to-’

‘You’ll do just fine,’ he cut in. ‘You don’t need to know a lotof history; you just need a logical mind and a little common sense. I havefaith in you, Maddy. You’ll be this team’s leader, the team’s strategist.’

‘Leader? You’re the leader, aren’tyou?’

Foster’s voice lowered ever so slightly, as if he was sharing with her something hedidn’t want the others to know. ‘I’m not going to be here forever.Eventually, the three of you, and Bob, will be operating on your own.’

‘What? Where are you going?’

‘I… that’s not important. The point is I’m here to get you ready as ateam. To be able to function on your own.’ He looked at her. ‘And your team willbe looking to you for leadership.’

She glanced across at the others, both giggling as Bob’s large hands fumbled awkwardlywith the knife and fork.

Me, a leader?

Up until now she’d considered herself more of a loner, happy to work in isolation withlines of code as her only company. Having those two — and that big ape — rely onher was bad enough, but having the history of mankind in herhands as well…

She shook her head. ‘You’ve got the wrong person, Foster,’ she replied.‘I can’t do this.’

The old man reached for the keyboard and mouse on the bench, ignoring her. ‘Let me showyou just how powerful this computer system is. Did you know it’s linked into every database in the world? From this keyboard you can, if you wantto, hack into any other connected computer. Through any firewallor encrypted security system.’

‘Uh… yeah, right.’

‘You want to see what’s in the President of America’s email in-box rightnow?’

Maddy’s jaw dropped. ‘You can…?’

Foster chuckled. ‘Shall we go and take a look at the words of wisdom George Bush hasbeen tapping out this morning? Hmm?’

CHAPTER 24

1941, Bavarian woods, Germany

Falling… falling… falling.

Dr Paul Kramer opened his eyes and immediately winced in the brightness. He screwed his eyesshut.

‘It’s OK,’ a voice spoke softly.

Kramer tried again, easing them open carefully. The first thing he registered was snow, adeep blanket of it, mostly smooth, with one or two tracks of footprints, and grooves whereheavy things had been dragged.

Squatting beside him was a familiar face.

‘Karl…’

‘Just take a moment, sir. There’s a minute of disorientation, dizziness.It’ll pass.’

Kramer took a deep breath and puffed out a thick cloud in front of himself. There were toomany questions he needed answered for him to wait. ‘Tell me we have arrived at the righttime?’

‘It appears to be. Snow for April would seem right.’

‘The right location?’

Karl nodded. ‘The woods outside Obersalzberg.’

‘The equipment?’

‘Is right here. It was a little scattered, but the men have located everything thatcame through and hidden it in the woods.’

‘The men all came through?’

Karl’s hesitation was enough. Kramer looked up at him, hooding hiseyes against the last faint glow of the dusk sky. ‘Karl?’

‘Tomas and Ethan… didn’t make it.’

Kramer struggled up on to his legs and looked around at the men. All were kitted out in theirArctic- camouflage jackets, backpacks and webbing strapped on. Each held ready astate-of-the-art M29 pulse rifle; on their heads they wore Kevlar helmets complete withfold-down nightscope and heat-sensor eye-HUDs. An impressive sight that stirred in him a warmsense of pride.

But so few of them.

He counted just seventeen.

‘What happened to Tomas and Ethan?’

Karl was reluctant to reply.

‘Karl! Please…’