Alex in Wunderstrande: The Clairvoyance Clock [BOOK ONE]

Chapter XX: Good Times Will Come

"Regrettably for you, that's not going to happen," Sheridan responded, eyes narrowed in determination. Before anyone could react to his statement, he elbowed Mechanical Man square in the face. Jayce acted on his signal by forcefully slamming her fist into Marcus' gut, doubling him over in surprise. Without missing a beat, she swept her leg underneath Winifred, knocking her clean off her feet.

Imogen, who had been frozen in panic, suddenly leapt into action as well. She grabbed a long, iron tool and smacked Lucian across the back, sending him down to my level.

"Take that, you evil muttonhead!" Imogen yelled, her light red hair flying wildly as she wielded the metallic instrument.

This was my chance. Pulling myself up, I wrestled Lucian for the knapsack that contained the Clock. An electrifying current of energy radiated through the cloth and into my fingertips. Unfortunately, my bound arms restricted my mobility, and my strength was fading fast. Lucian effortlessly overpowered me.

"Stop being foolish, boy," Lucian growled as he pinned my arms to the walkway behind my head. "The Clock doesn't belong with children."

"I'm not a child," I growled, using my good knee to issue a blow to his lower quarters.

Imogen smashed the rod against Lucian's head, forcing him to momentarily let go of the Clock. I snatched it up, knapsack and all, as Sheridan and Jayce joined me on either side, hoisting me to a semi-standing position.

Lucian's short-lived delirium wore off faster than predicted. He wrenched the bar out of Imogen's hands, threw it to the catwalk, and yanked her arm backward. With his other hand, he brought his pistol to her temple, causing us all to fall into panicked silence. "Give me the Clock, or she dies."

I swallowed hard, eyes racing between Imogen's terrified expression and Lucian's untiring one.

"Alex, we need to leave," Sheridan advised. "Do as he says."

Mechanical Man, Marcus, and Winifred joined Lucian, staring intimidatingly at me.

Once an inseparable group, we now stood divided. Two factions, each willing to wage war with one another over an old scientist's artifact. Despite all of the circumstances that led us to that very moment, despite all the trust I'd blindly invested in a scoundrel, we had run into the point of no return. Instead, we teetered on the brink of disaster.

Imogen whimpered. Tears swam in her eyes, and her chin trembled. She was more afraid than I'd ever seen her. A pang of guilt ricocheted through my gut. I should have never let her come along with me in the first place. No, instead, I had allowed her to run right into a tragic mess, a mess Stanley never would have wanted for his sister.

Glaring at Lucian, I angrily chewed the inside of my cheek, considering my next move.

But there was no time for war strategies.