Nightrise

have to understand: I know what's been happening…or some of it anyway. You see, I belong to a group of people, an organization, that exists solely to help Jamie and Scott and the other Gatekeepers."
    Gatekeepers.
    Jamie stared. Had this woman really said that?
    "What do you mean?" Alicia demanded.
    "It's all right, Alicia," Jamie cut in. He looked at Nathalie. 'You know about the Gatekeepers," he said.
    'Yes, Jamie. The Gatekeepers. The Five." She paused. "I know Matt Freeman."
    "Where did you meet him?"
    "In England. I met him there twice. But he's not there now. He's in Peru. A place called Nazca, just south of Lima. And that's where you have to go."

    "Peru…?" Alicia couldn't believe what she was hearing.
    "It's okay." Jamie hadn't told Alicia anything about the time after he was shot. He had decided it was too much to explain. He hadn't even wanted to try. "Why is Matt in Peru?" he asked.
    "There was a second gate. It opened. Matt tried to stop it but he was hurt. Pedro is with him now. Pedro may be able to help your brother. That's another reason why you have to be there."
    "What about Scar?"
    Nathalie shook her head. "I don't know any Scar."
    Jamie had made his decision. Everything that Nathalie had said had made him believe that she was telling the truth. But the mention of Pedro clinched it. That was Inti's other name. Matt had told him.
    And Inti had the power to heal. The sooner Scott was with him, the better.
    "How do we get there?" he demanded.
    Nathalie let out a deep breath. She had been afraid that she would be unable to persuade them — but somehow Jamie had found out who and what he was. One day she would ask him how that had happened. But for now, she had to think straight. They were in Auburn. The police were still looking for them. Nightrise might be looking for them too. How to get them away…
    "Lake Tahoe Airport," she said. She glanced at Alicia. "It's just off Route 89. Right down at the south end of the lake."
    "I've passed it," Alicia said. "But Sacramento is nearer."
    "If the police are looking for you, they'll close off all the airports. Lake Tahoe is tiny. And there are no main roads. It's the last place anyone will think of looking."
    "What happens when we get there? I just buy the boys a single ticket to Lima?"
    "Lean arrange a private jet. I can have it in the air in fifteen minutes. It'll fly out from San Francisco and it should be there at the same time as you."
    "And you're just going to give us your car?"
    "The car doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Just get them there." She rested a hand on Jamie's arm. "I'll call Matt and tell him you're coming," she said. "And one day you and I will meet properly and you can tell me everything that's happened."

    They heard the squawk of a radio on the other side of the bleachers. The police were sealing off the entire area. It was time to go.
    Alicia didn't even try to argue. She unlocked the doors. Daniel got into the front. Jamie helped Scott into the back and was about to follow him. But then he remembered something. He straightened up, facing Nathalie.
    "The security man," he said. "Warren Cornfield…"
    'You redirected his shot." So she had guessed what had happened.
    "I couldn't do anything else. Will you be able to help him?"
    "I'll do what I can, Jamie. I promise."
    Then another policeman appeared, walking toward them. Jamie got into the car. Alicia didn't even wait for him to close the door.
    She started the engine. They sped off.

    ***
    Nobody said anything for the first few miles. They were heading south toward Placerville, another gold mining town. From here they would pick up Route 50 heading east, back to Nevada. Scott seemed to be neither awake nor asleep but somewhere between the two. He was sitting slumped against the window.
    Jamie was next to him, watching the scenery go past without taking any of it in. He was thinking about Matt. Of course, it wouldn't be the same Matt that he had spoken to after the battle, at the river's edge.
    For a start, this Matt would never have met him or Scott. But they were still the Five. The same…but in a different time. That was how Matt had explained it. Perhaps when they were all together in Peru it would make sense.
    Peru. Jamie didn't even know where it was. Somewhere in South America? Even now, a private jet should have been taking off to collect them. The very thought of it made his head spin. He had never flown in his life.
    Alicia glanced around. "How's Scott?"
    "I don't know."