Marked by Fate Read online

  Marked by Fate

  Atlantic Island: Odyssey Book I

  AJ Kurtz

  Fredric Shernoff

  Contents

  1. Kensie

  2. Kensie

  3. Morgan

  4. Jaymes

  5. Serenity

  6. Morgan

  7. Kensie

  8. Jaymes

  9. Jackson

  10. Jaymes

  11. Riah

  12. Kensie

  13. Jaymes

  14. Kensie

  15. Kensie

  16. Morgan

  17. Kensie

  The Atlantic Island Universe

  About Skylar Jaymes (AJ Kurtz)

  About Fredric

  1

  Kensie

  The year 2082 didn’t seem too different to Kensie as she stared out the car window taking in the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C. People were hurrying to their destinations while they passed government buildings and homes.

  Agent Jaymes Ryker sat next to her, lost in his thoughts. From what she’d been told, it’d been a while since he’d returned to his time. Jaymes had informed her that his timeline was on the brink of a civil war over having a microchip embedded into your brain. It was now mandatory to go to the doctors, buy food, or anything else. The people were trying everything they could to change the law. Jaymes wanted Kensie to see firsthand the chaos it was causing across the entire country, so they had time-traveled to the year 2082 for her to witness the protests that were breaking out.

  Kensie had a lot on her mind as the car drove them to their destination. Can I help Jaymes so this war doesn’t break out, and find the artifact that could lead us to the orb that will help change everything back the way it’s supposed to be? He wanted her to go along with him on this wild ride, and she wasn’t exactly sure why he’d chosen her out of all the time travelers out there?

  Her mind then wandered back to how things had been left between her and her sister, Serenity, back in her timeline in Northcrest, PA in 2075. Serenity had overheard a conversation between Kensie and Jaymes while they were talking in Kensie’s room…

  Jaymes invited Serenity to have a seat, but she remained standing near the doorway with her arms folded to her chest while Kensie struggled to explain that she and Jaymes were time travelers.

  “I’m good here.” Serenity said, leaning against the door frame. Her blue eyes darted back and forth between Jaymes and Kensie.

  “Serenity, I’m not certain how much you heard, but the truth is: I time traveled from the year 2082 and met Kensie, who I already knew was also a time traveler,” he calmly explained to her.

  “Wait, that’s not even possible,” Serenity stated.

  “Actually, it is, and it’s a long story. I’m trying to give you the short version.”

  As Jaymes continued explaining to Serenity, Kensie noticed that Serenity slowly moved closer and eventually sat on the edge of Kensie’s bed. Serenity appeared to believe what Jaymes was telling her.

  Kensie’s heart started to race, as she prayed that her sister would take the information in and not think she was a freak. Once Jaymes answered some questions from Serenity, she turned her attention to Kensie.

  “This is weird; how did I not know my sister could travel through time?”

  “I only recently found out myself. I never thought you’d believe me if I told you.”

  Serenity reached over and slipped her hands into Kensie’s. “I believe you both,” she assured her. “It’s just going to take some time to get used to the idea.”

  Kensie felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was happy that now it wasn’t a secret, except their parents didn’t know, and she hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible. She and Jaymes were about to embark on a dangerous journey, and the last thing she wanted to do was worry her family. This way, she had nothing to worry about, except for the fact that Serenity had to keep a monumental secret from their parents.

  Jaymes cleared his throat, reminding Kensie that she needed to wrap things up with Serenity and get ready to leave in search of the mysterious artifact that Jaymes hoped would lead them to the orb.

  “Jaymes and I are getting ready to travel—” Kensie began to explain when she was rudely interrupted.

  “Take me with you!” Serenity’s eyes twinkled with excitement at the thought of leaving their town and going on an adventure.

  “I’m afraid it’s a dangerous mission and Kensie would want you to stay here to look after your parents.” His eyes shifted to Kensie’s. “I know agents nearby who are on a mission; whenever they have the time they could check on your family. The downside is, they wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on them as much as you’d like them to.”

  Kensie noticed the excitement leave Serenity’s face and it caused an ache in Kensie’s heart. She wished she were able to bring her sister along, but Serenity would only be a distraction from the important job that needed to be done. Kensie had already tried discussing this with Jaymes prior and he had explained that she needed to have complete focus on the task, and worrying over her sister would keep her from getting the job finished. Only, he said it in a kind way so she wasn’t offended.

  Kensie frowned. “I’m sorry, Serenity, I need you here to keep an eye on Mom and Dad. I trust that while I’m gone, you’ll keep the rogue agents away with your badass taekwondo moves.” She tried her best to cheer Serenity up and she watched her half-smile.

  Serenity rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “Fine, what about Morgan and her family? Should I avoid them?”

  “There’s no proof that she’s part of this…” Kensie tried her best to keep positive that Morgan had no part in what was going on. She trusted Jaymes, but found it hard to believe Morgan would be capable of working for the people Jaymes called the Elite.

  Jaymes shook his head at Kensie. “Serenity, Morgan will know something is going on if you start acting strangely towards her. Act normal, like any other day,” he suggested.

  They wrapped up their conversation. Kensie and Serenity stood up and hugged one another while Jaymes wiped Kensie’s computer drive history.

  “Does this mean the two of you aren’t really together?” Serenity whispered in her sister’s ear and backed away.

  Kensie internally groaned. This was a topic she wanted to avoid at all costs, especially prior to leaving. She heard Jaymes chuckle from behind them, making it apparent that he’d overheard what Serenity had asked. He must have supersonic hearing, Kensie thought.

  Serenity turned to Jaymes. Kensie did everything she could to avoid his line of sight, but she was curious and her eyes finally fixated on his to find him looking amused over the question. Her face immediately reddened.

  “Actually, it’s true, we are. The first date didn’t go as planned, but I was hoping to make it up to her eventually.” He smiled. Kensie’s jaw fell slack and it only took her a moment to realize that Jaymes wanted to get a rise out of her.

  Serenity tried to hold back a giggle. “Either way, you two complement each other. She’s stubborn, so you’ll have to keep trying until she lets you sweep her off her feet,” she advised him.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Serenity,” he said, beaming from ear to ear.

  “All right, can we get going now?” Kensie asked.

  2

  Kensie

  Kensie snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at Jaymes, who happened to be staring back at her, which caught her off guard. She hurried to turn her attention to something else.

  “Sorry, I thought you said something,” she apologized.

  “I did. We’re getting closer to the protest. I must warn you, this could turn bad at any moment, but that’s why I’m with you, to pr
otect you.” He smiled brightly at her.

  She raised her eyebrow. “I can take care of myself, you know. Although you’re more experienced than I am. I’m glad you have my back.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He grinned.

  She smiled at him. The more time they spent together, the more she saw he had a sense of humor. He used being uptight and brooding as a deflection so people wouldn’t get close to him and she took note that he was slowly beginning to drop his guard around her. She understood why he did this. After losing the girl he cared about, he didn’t want to go through that all over again, but she saw him fighting against himself. She believed he wanted to open back up to someone again, she just didn’t comprehend why he’d chosen her.

  She needed to concentrate on the matter at hand: the protest. The car pulled over and parked itself a few blocks away from where the rally was being held. She gave Jaymes a bewildered expression.

  “There doesn’t seem to be any place closer for the car to park.” He spoke as his eyes drifted down to her high heels then back to her eyes. “I forgot about telling you this earlier. We can stop along the way to find you a suitable pair of shoes. That’s one lesson in time traveling: wear a comfortable pair of shoes in case you have to run. You never know what could happen.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you should’ve warned me earlier.” She laughed, giving him a difficult time. “It’s fine really.”

  His blue orbs widened. “Those heels are going to kill your feet.” He sounded as if he genuinely cared about her well-being, or maybe he was this kind to everyone. She shook her head in defiance. “You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” he added.

  “I am, get used to it, Jaymes.” She grinned.

  The car doors opened and the two of them slid out onto the sidewalk. They began to walk closer towards the protests. Kensie noticed more protestors out and a loud chant from up ahead. She did her best to brace herself for the situation. After walking two blocks, her high heels started killing her feet. Maybe next time she wouldn't question his knowledge and would actually listen to him.

  “Are you all right?” He glanced over at her.

  She forced a smile. “I'm fine,” she lied. She didn't want to admit to being wrong, at least not this time, but he smiled back and rolled his eyes.

  Coming into view were loud angry protesters shouting towards the White House. Security guards and police surrounded the perimeter. Kensie had never seen so many people at a protest before. The mob went on as far as the eye could see. Jaymes took the lead and held her hand as he led them closer into the crowd. People screamed in their ears as they passed. It was hard not to bump into anyone. Kensie tugged at Jaymes’s hand for him to stop and he turned around and leaned close to her ear.

  “Too much?” he shouted over the crowd for her to hear him. She nodded, not wanting to scream back at him. She hadn’t realized the microchip could cause so much chaos.

  Jaymes led them away from the craziness. At least this way they could actually talk to each other a little more. Kensie was thankful he’d led them out before they were trampeled.

  “No mandatory microchip!” The crowd started to chant. Towards the front, she could see the police barricade holding up their shields, fending off more aggressive protesters. She had a gut feeling something bad would happen.

  “We need to leave,” she shouted to him.

  He leaned down toward her. “Why?”

  “I have a bad feeling. Do you know anyone that could take out a microchip?” They began to walk away as the violence escalated between the police and the protesters.

  “Actually, I do.” He took his phone out from his pocket and proceeded to make a phone call. Kensie paused a moment to finally take off her heels and they continued on their way.

  As they walked, Kensie began to hear footfalls increase, coming from behind them. She glanced over her shoulder to find a dark-haired, tall man following them, and she quickly locked arms with Jaymes, who paused from his phone call to look at her.

  “We're being tailed,” she whispered.

  Jaymes nodded and returned back to his phone call. “We have a tail to lose, I'll see you soon.” He hung up. “We need to shake whoever it is,” he told Kensie.

  She gave Jaymes a quick description of what the man following them looked like and he smirked as if he knew who it was, but he didn’t say anything. They cut down an alley and ran as fast as their feet would let them; in turn, their tail followed suit. They zigzagged down the streets and alleys until Jaymes seemed satisfied they’d lost the guy. Down another alley, Jaymes opened a side door that looked like a brick wall. They headed inside and he locked the door behind them. They walked into a large studio where a young Asian woman came into view. She had dark eyes, and tattoos on her arms that Kensie couldn’t make out from where she was standing.

  “I was surprised to hear from you. I thought you were on a mission.” she said while eyeing up Kensie. Kensie soon realized what the girl was staring at and her hand quickly fell away from Jaymes's. This wasn't how I wanted to be introduced to someone new. Damn.

  3

  Morgan

  Meanwhile, back in the year 2075, Morgan had fallen deep into thought…

  Who does Agent Jaymes Ryker think he is? A knight in shining armor to sweep in and rescue Kensie? If anything, that would be my job. Morgan snapped out of her train of thought when one of her bodyguards returned to her father's home, finding her in the living room.

  “You wanted to see me?” the big bald man asked Morgan as she exited the internet via her chip, taking away the display that broadcast Kensie's picture into the room.

  “I need you to dig up as much information about Agent Jaymes Ryker as you can. We’re bound to find something he's hiding.”

  Aaron, Morgan's father, sauntered into the living room, having overheard what she was planning. “This better not interfere with what I have in place,” he said sternly.

  Morgan looked over at her father. “It won't, I promise.” She turned her attention back to the bodyguard. “That'll be all.” She waved him off. Once the guard left the room, Morgan stood up. I have a feeling this will work in my favor and show Kensie what a psycho she's really dealing with.

  “It's time for your training,” Aaron spoke up as he headed towards the back door, Morgan followed him out back. There were a shooting range and an obstacle course set up for her to practice. Something she was actually looking forward to that would take her mind off of things.

  A statuesque man stood with his arms crossed waiting for her. She couldn't help but notice the baby oil on his shining biceps that stuck out of his muscle shirt. She enjoyed eyeing up his caramel complexion and wondered how long she’d kept him waiting. From the frown on his face, it must have been a good while.

  The summer heat beat down on her skin like she’d been kissed by the sun, reminding her how much she hated summer.

  She picked a gun from those Marcel had provided her, and loaded it. Her father had already returned inside so that her trainer, Marcel, could get started working with her.

  Morgan noticed Marcel steadily watching her. She gave him a sideways glance as she raised her eyebrow. “Something you’d like to say?” She took the safety off, hearing a click.

  Marcel smirked. “Have you forgotten the fact we haven’t warmed up yet?”

  She sighed. “That part bores me.”

  He gently grabbed the gun away from her hands and put the safety back on, before setting it back on the table. After a few minutes of warming up, Morgan was happy to receive her gun back.

  “Today, we’re going to be focusing on moving targets,” he announced.

  “What will my target be then?”

  He smiled. “I’m the target.” He stretched out his arms and gestured to himself.

  Her eyes narrowed as she wondered if this was a trick. What trainer wants to get shot at and possibly die? “You seriously want me to shoot you?”

  “If you can,” he answered her with a
challenge. She waited for the signal, then when one of her bodyguards blew a whistle, she aimed and fired at Marcel’s kneecap. Marcel had already disappeared into thin air before the bullet reached the place where he’d been standing.

  “Fucking time travelers,” she mumbled under her breath as she scanned the acres of land around her, only to spot him up in one of the nearby trees. She steadied herself and fired another bullet. In all honesty, she had no real desire to hurt him. The bullet hit the tree and by that time he had time traveled once again.

  A few misses later, Marcel shook his head in disappointment. “You’re not ready, you haven’t been practicing as I told you to.”

  “I didn’t want to shoot you. If I wanted to, I could have,” she said with an attitude.

  “Then you’re wasting my time, Morgan.” He started picking up the weapons he’d brought along with him. Morgan wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead as she thought over his words. She wasn’t used to anyone talking to her that way and it bothered her. Marcel was different and brutally honest… it was something she admired about him. She knew he wouldn’t take her bullshit or anyone else’s. He wasn’t even getting paid to help her out, and she wondered what his true motives were.

  “I’m sorry, don’t go.”

  Marcel turned towards her with a straight face. “I’m not your lackey. I’m training you because I believe you have the potential to be more than what your father or anyone else gives you credit for. You want to prove your worth, then do it. If you waste my time again...I’m not coming back.” He wiped his face with a towel around his shoulder. His words stung her pride, knocking her down a few pegs. He had a good way of doing that to the people he trained and that’s one of the reasons she had to have him help her. She had an eye for collecting people with talent, but she had no clue how to get past his tough exterior.