That was an understatement if ever I’d heard one.
AN HOUR LATER WE HAD more questions than answers. Paramedics arrived and bundled the five men, strapping them to gurneys, and disappeared before any of them regained consciousness.
I didn’t know much. All five were apparently alive. They were breathing, although none had regained consciousness. Given the fact that he was present for the initial disappearance, Oliver was the one person who could identify them and fill in a few blanks. He seemed reticent about the latter, but I chalked that up to shock.
“Their names are Doug Dunning, Pat Hill, Manuel Ramirez, Stan Bodri and Hank Morgan,” he started, dragging a hand through his dark hair as he paced the area at the bottom of the gate platform. He seemed lost in thought. Heck, he seemed lost in time. I understood that. I had a feeling I’d witnessed the immediate aftermath of the gate malfunction myself, although I was still struggling to understand how. That’s why I kept my mouth shut about what I’d witnessed ... at least for now.
“And they were your classmates?” Cormack queried.
Oliver nodded. “We were training to be gatekeepers. Or, we were training to work on the island. Nobody knew what position they would get.”
Cormack explained how the training was different back then.
“And this was sixty years ago?” Braden was flummoxed. He’d finally allowed me to stand, but demanded the paramedics check me over despite my insistence to the contrary. They declared me fit, if a little dazed, and suggested I get a good night’s sleep. In Braden’s mind that meant he should take me to my apartment in the boathouse without further chitchat. When I balked, he grew frustrated. I ultimately won the argument and he continued fuming. He refused to leave my side.
“It was.” Oliver bobbed his head. “The gate burbled ... and screamed ... and flashed. I was knocked out, which was a new experience because it had never happened before. When I woke, the others were gone ... except for the trainer I mentioned. I was the only one left behind.”
Instinctively, I reached out and rubbed my hand over his shoulder. He wasn’t the demonstrative sort, though he rarely denied me when I graced him with a rare hug. Now he seemed almost grateful for the contact. “That had to be horrible.”
Despite the serious nature of the situation, he mustered a smile. “Actually, it was difficult ... although not for the reasons you assume. I didn’t feel guilty about being left behind, if that’s what you’re worried about. I was confused. I’m still confused.”
“It’s probably because you’re a vampire,” Braden supplied, thoughtful. “The gate took the others because they were human, alive. It might not have been able to recognize what you were because vampires rarely, if ever, go through the gate. It left you behind because it couldn’t identify you.”
“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” Oliver confirmed. “I assumed the rest were taken in a mishap and probably died on the other side. Now, though ... they looked the same.”
The conversational shift threw me. “What?”
“They looked the same,” he repeated. “They didn’t age. That’s how they looked when they went through the gate. They’re humans. Most of them were in their twenties when they went through. That means they should’ve been in their eighties coming back. They weren’t.”
“They were young men,” Cormack mused. “You’re right. They didn’t age. That is ... interesting.”
I could think of a few other words to describe it. “What’s going to happen to them? I mean ... I know they were unconscious and needed medical attention, but what’s going to happen to them after that?”
“I have no idea.” Cormack bit his lower lip. “They’ll have questions to answer. The reaper council will want to know where they’ve been, what they’ve gone through. This could be the biggest thing that’s ever happened to our ranks. They’ve actually been on the other side of the gate. Nobody other than an errant wraith or two could ever say that before this happened.”
“That’s probably why Renley took off the way he did,” Braden volunteered. “He was on his phone the entire time the paramedics worked on them, and then he bolted. Did he even say goodbye?”
“He said I was to remain here until the scene was under control,” Cormack replied. “After that, I’m expected at reaper headquarters. If they think I’m going to have answers, they’re going to be sadly disappointed.”
“No one will have answers until those men wake,” Oliver pointed out. “In fact ... perhaps I should be at the hospital with them.” He looked uncomfortable with the suggestion, but barreled forward. “They’re in a new world. I mean ... this might’ve been the place they lived sixty years ago, but it’s like an alien planet now.
“Their families will have changed,” he continued. “Their parents will be gone, wives either dead or moved on. Children who are not only adults, but are now older than them. My face is the same. They might react better to me than a stranger.”
Cormack agreed. “That’s not a bad idea. Maybe you should come with me to the main office. You’ll be of invaluable assistance thanks to your knowledge of the men. You should definitely be part of this.”
Annoyance bubbled up. I absolutely hated being left out. “I might be of assistance, too.” I made up my mind on the spot. No matter how hard it was to explain, the vision of what the men went through not long after being transported to the other side had been shown to me for a reason. I couldn’t simply hide the information. “I saw something when I was knocked out cold.”
“You saw something?”
I nodded. “I was confused at the time, but I think I understand now. It was a memory fragment of what those men saw in the hours right after they were transported to the other side. I was there for part of it and tried to interact with them. I couldn’t, but that’s because the memory was already formed. I was meant only to see, not interact or change anything that had already happened.”
“You saw the other side of the gate?” Oliver was intrigued. “I forgot you mentioned that right after you woke up. I figured you were confused or had a dream. You seem adamant that’s not the case. What did you see?”
“It was a cliff. I ... it was just a cliff.” I wasn’t sure what answer he was looking for and I didn’t have time to think it over. “There was no pearly gate, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I never expected there to be a pearly gate ... especially that close to the gate. That is nobody’s final resting place. It’s a waiting room.”
“It’s more like a clearing on a top of a mountain,” I corrected. “There were woods ... and there was something coming through the trees for them. I’m certain I recognized a few of the faces. I was definitely with them ... and something definitely happened.”
“It’s our job to find out what,” Cormack agreed, rubbing his forehead. “Okay, you’re part of the team, too. We’ll head to the reaper headquarters and see what we can find out. There’s always a chance Izzy can read them if they remain unconscious.”