Chapter 19
Mick

 

July 8^th, 33 A.R.

 

Every time Mick ventured into the past or the future, he faced demons from his own life or the demons of people he cared about. Today, he found himself around the time of Julie’s mother’s death. But his purpose wasn’t to see Julie; Mick came back needing a sample of Colin’s blood.

Obtaining a sample in the present wasn’t an option; he never interacted with the governor. The past was the safest path for execution. On election day, Mick planned on seeing Colin in the voting hall. There, he’d bump into Colin with a small pin—enough of a prick to collect the small sample he needed.

Mick stayed under the radar as much as possible while visiting the past. He occupied his time within the comforts of the carriage house, tinkering with the algorithm in his device as he examined blood samples. Here, he kept a detailed journal of not only his research but also his experiences.

When he wasn’t working, he watched the O’Connor family through an old pair of binoculars he found in the bedroom. The family provided entertainment in his long and lonely days, and he found comfort in their familiarity. Old bloodline families kept similar traditions to conservative families in The Countryside. All members lived in the family residence until they started their new lives with a partner or left for a job in The City and always came together each night for dinner.

Henry O’Connor occupied the head of the dining room table, and Celine often sat to his left. She technically still lived in the townhouse, but Mick noticed her leave after dinner most nights, heading in the direction of Martin Borges’s condo on the other side of The Hill. Colin always remained home.

Tonight, Mick grabbed his takeout ramen and settled into the couch position across from the windows. He looked at his food ironically, noting how he always lost weight when traveling time through someone else’s blood. He added this observation to his journal.

Mick picked up his binoculars without a second thought and zoomed in. He spotted Colin instantly, the man stood at about six and a half feet and was hard to miss. There was a woman with him that Mick didn’t recognize. She wasn’t Dr. Isabella Garcia, the current woman of interest for Colin. Instead, this woman laughed with a younger smile and walked around the townhouse the way visitors wandered around a museum. The recessed ceiling lights reflected off her light brown hair. She wore a pair of fashionable slacks and a fitted jacket showing off her narrow figure.

Who is she? Mick questioned.

He fumbled with the binoculars more, steadying them in his shaky hands. What happened between Colin and her didn’t appear innocent, but the hallways cast dark shadows.

Mick felt the preparation on his hands slip as the binoculars fell in his lap.

He picked them up quickly and dropped the ramen onto the couch, spilling half the takeout container in the process. By the time he steadied himself, everything appeared dark, the shadows
vanished, and the girl was gone.

All Mick could see was Colin heading toward the staircase.