If only he could go back. He’d do things differently. He didn’t care how many years had gone by. He didn’t care if Gloria was old and gray, or if his own children were now older than he was. He just wished he could see them, even if only for a few moments, so he could say how sorry he was. That he loved them so much. Always.
These were Henry Hudson’s thoughts as he drifted aimlessly in the Hudson Bay. Finally, exhaustion overcame him. He curled up on the bottom of the boat and pressed the pictures of his family against his chest. He wrapped his flannel shirt as tightly around himself as he could and fell in a fitful, shivering sleep.
As dawn approached on the other side of the bay, small ripples formed in the glassy surface of the water, and underneath it began to bubble and churn again.
Henry sat up, leaned over the side of the boat. Would the ship appear again? Was there hope for escape after all?
The water bubbled and swirled. A dark shadow formed deep in the water. It got bigger and bigger. Something was coming. It was coming right underneath him.
The little boat began to spin. Henry grabbed on to an oar and tried to row himself out of the way of whatever was coming. But it was too late. A ship burst through the surface, spraying water, making waves and whirlpools. Henry spun out of control. The boat nearly capsized, but he used the oar to gain some control.
The ship was not the same as the last one, he didn’t think. It was smaller, but it was moving fast and coming straight for him. It was going to crush him.
Henry held on to the oar. “Well, this is it, I guess,” he said aloud, because he felt he should have some final words, even if they were only spoken to himself. He thought of Gloria, their two boys, the future he would never share with them, and then the ship collided with Henry Hudson.
5Time Chase
Alpine Rail, Switzerland
Blossom bumped and rattled through space and time. Matt tried to keep hold of his mom, but Blossom became a human popcorn machine, and they were forced apart. Elbows and knees knocked into heads and stomachs as they traveled until Blossom stretched and widened and they landed with a jolt. Matt was thrown against a window. He heard the oofs and groans of people tumbling about, getting squished and crushed, but eventually everyone settled. Matt sat up. He looked around to make sure everyone was there and alive.
Blossom had transformed into a train with simple cushioned benches and tables next to large picture windows looking out on green mountainsides. Mrs. Hudson was sitting on top of one of the tables, grabbing the sides for support. Gaga was in the aisle, groaning and clutching at her stomach. Mr. Hudson was next to her, bleeding at the forehead. His glasses were cracked and twisted on his face. Uncle Chuck looked dazed, his hair and beard a tangled mess, but he didn’t look hurt. Corey was helping to release Ruby, whose foot had been caught beneath a bench. Jia and Pike were seated neatly on one of the benches like regular passengers.
“Where are we?” Mrs. Hudson asked, looking out the window.
They were winding slowly up a mountainside. Green, sunny valleys were spread out below them. Quaint little villages dotted the land with whitewashed cottages and churches and farmland. The hillsides were scattered with flocks of goats and sheep.
“Switzerland,” Matt said. “The Alps.” It was one of the locations Matt had memorized. He’d seen a picture of it in a book in Gaga’s house and thought it looked so peaceful and beautiful. He had imagined them living in secret in a tiny cottage in the mountains. It was even prettier in real life. He’d never seen such green.
The train tracks dipped and stretched across a valley, straight through a village. “I don’t understand,” Gaga said as they passed little white houses, a herd of sheep, a woman hanging out laundry on a line. “We’re in Switzerland?”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Mr. Hudson said. “We can explain.”
“What about that? Can you explain that?” Gaga pointed.
Another train appeared ahead, coming straight toward them, a red V blaring on the front. It was the Vermillion again.
“Matt,” his mom said.
“I got it.” He started turning the dials to the next location on his list. “Everybody hold on.” Everyone ran to grab on to something. Just before the trains collided, Blossom jerked away and they were plunged in darkness again.
South Pacific Ocean
Blossom transformed into an old fishing boat, a single sail billowing in the wind. They were all piled together in the middle. Matt was sandwiched between Corey and Ruby, with Ruby on the bottom.
“Get off!” Ruby shouted.
When he freed himself, Matt squinted at the bright light of the sun reflecting on the water. They were on the open sea, no land anywhere in sight.
“Where are we now?” Mrs. Hudson asked.
“South Pacific Ocean,” Matt said.
“What?!” Gaga shrieked.
Even though Vincent had Mr. Hudson’s map, Matt thought it might be harder for him to track them in the middle of the ocean. He seemed correct in that assumption. They bobbed on the surface of the sea quite calmly, except for Gaga’s hysterics.
“Matthew! I demand to know what’s going on! What just happened to my house? What is that thing Mateo has? And who is Vincent? Is that the maniac who tried to kidnap the children?”
But before anyone could answer Gaga, something large shot through the water about fifty feet away.
“Guess you thought wrong,” Corey said grimly. It was a speedboat. It moved around in a circle until it spotted the Hudsons
