Chapter 17 – The Search Continues
Rick struggled from the depths of a dream. In his mind’s eye he could still see the infectious smile of that adorable, precocious Roman girl, Vespasia. Or was it a dream at all? As he felt the surreal slipping away to consciousness, he realized it wasn’t just a fantasy.
His older daughter, Alex, really had found an obscure and intriguing artifact. His younger daughter, Jessica, really did decode its clues with her own unique brand of curiosity. Most startling of all his revelations was that it really had turned out to be the key to a time machine. They had actually located the machine, unlocked its mystery, and uncovered an evil plot to destroy the world. They were given a riddle to solve if they wanted to try to stop the process.
They had deciphered the first part of the riddle and recovered one of the four crystals which would enable them to stop this disastrous event. They had traveled back to ancient Rome and met Vespasia, who helped them find the missing piece. Along for the ride had been Alex’s soccer-loving friend Kaylie, and gymnastics-obsessed Christy.
They had been mesmerized by the beautiful, rolling landscape of the time, taken in by the sights and sounds of the bustling city of Rome, and captivated by the young girl they now considered family. Each had performed an important part in the quest for the first piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately Bergamiser (better known as Bignose), the mastermind behind the plot, had tracked them to Rome and they narrowly escaped with their lives. Rick sported two nasty crossbow wounds from the encounter, and they feared the evil Bergamiser now held their new friend captive.
When they discovered Vespasia could be in peril, it had taken a toll on them. They had been given only a week to complete the tasks necessary to restore the missing time from the time machine, and with his injuries, Rick feared they would have no chance to finish it.
Or save the girl.
Now available for purchase at:
Amazon.com: Click here
Barnes & Noble: Click here
Smashwords: Click here
Rick struggled from the depths of a dream. In his mind’s eye he could still see the infectious smile of that adorable, precocious Roman girl, Vespasia. Or was it a dream at all? As he felt the surreal slipping away to consciousness, he realized it wasn’t just a fantasy.
His older daughter, Alex, really had found an obscure and intriguing artifact. His younger daughter, Jessica, really did decode its clues with her own unique brand of curiosity. Most startling of all his revelations was that it really had turned out to be the key to a time machine. They had actually located the machine, unlocked its mystery, and uncovered an evil plot to destroy the world. They were given a riddle to solve if they wanted to try to stop the process.
They had deciphered the first part of the riddle and recovered one of the four crystals which would enable them to stop this disastrous event. They had traveled back to ancient Rome and met Vespasia, who helped them find the missing piece. Along for the ride had been Alex’s soccer-loving friend Kaylie, and gymnastics-obsessed Christy.
They had been mesmerized by the beautiful, rolling landscape of the time, taken in by the sights and sounds of the bustling city of Rome, and captivated by the young girl they now considered family. Each had performed an important part in the quest for the first piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately Bergamiser (better known as Bignose), the mastermind behind the plot, had tracked them to Rome and they narrowly escaped with their lives. Rick sported two nasty crossbow wounds from the encounter, and they feared the evil Bergamiser now held their new friend captive.
When they discovered Vespasia could be in peril, it had taken a toll on them. They had been given only a week to complete the tasks necessary to restore the missing time from the time machine, and with his injuries, Rick feared they would have no chance to finish it.
Or save the girl.
Now available for purchase at:
Amazon.com: Click here
Barnes & Noble: Click here
Smashwords: Click here
