The Doorway, TW Smith [different e readers .txt] 📗

more than a little disconcerting.  It was about time he figure out who this man was and … why he was suddenly wearing black pants and a tight black sweater.  Hadn’t he been wearing a swimsuit and sitting on the beach just moments before?  The idea seemed ludicrice considering that there wasn’t a beach anywhere near <city> .  David really didn’t like this feeling of confusion and as soon as that man got back, he was going to get some answers.

Even as he though this, the man walked into the room.  He hadn’t even had time to take inventory of the situation.  David opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance.

“I suppose introductions are in order,” declared the man in an absolutely charming British accent.  David waited.  Only when the silence had gotten awkward did he realize that this man was looking at him expectantly.  A few seconds later the man continued.  “Right then, you play close to your chest then do you?  Well, my name is ...”

“Lyle Cane,” whispered David to himself.

“Lyle Cane,” continued the man.  “I presume that you are …”

“Sienna,” thought David, now more worried than confused.  He quickly justified his strange thought and feelings by casting himself as the stranger in a strange land; even if he was pretty sure that he knew where he was.  Could it be that he was really sitting here face to face with Grendal Muntz, the villain, the murderer?  He was about to confront Lyle about this suspected identity when he noticed the gun in his waistband.  It suddenly seemed that tipping his hand this early could be really bad.  A thought suddenly occurred to him that he was sure was a memory even if he wasn’t sure it was his memory.

“I believe you said something about exposing a terrorist cell?”  David really needed to get himself together.  This talk about terrorists was just crazy and in his excitement he couldn’t even recognize his own voice.  This was, however, beginning to sound just like his mom’s book.  Was this really possible?  Was he actually going to get to meet Sienna?  He took a quick glance toward the door but there was no sign of her.  He hoped that she wouldn’t be long because he was sure she should be here by now, at least according to the book.

“Yes.  Yes, quite right.  Straight to the point, shall we?  Well, I overheard a conversation.  I don’t know all of the details but I know that ring leader is …”

Between wanting to meet Sienna and this funny feeling he got under the penetrating gaze of those bright green eyes, David was having tremendous difficulty focusing.  He really wants to hate this man for what was done to Sienna; well, if he has accurately recognized the scene then what will be done to Sienna.  Still, a terrorist is a terrorist so he forces his mind to focus.

The first thing he intended to ask about was the terrorist leader, who David was sure that Lyle aka Grundel had just mentioned while he was day dreaming.  Before he can get the question past his lips, however, David catches a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a young woman sitting somewhere at the far end of the room.  His breath catches in his chest and he forces himself not to look in case this really handsome villain is scrutinizing him again.  He thinks that Sienna must be extremely crafty to sit in plain sight and still go unnoticed when she so chose.  If it was even possible, he was sure that not only was he right to idolize her, but he considered her ever more impressive now.

“Well, we seem to be off to a lopsided start,” asserts Lyle in what seems an apologetic tone.  “May I assure myself that I’m speaking to the person I was seeking?”

David was a little panicked knowing that Sienna was the one he really wanted to talk to.  He quickly pushed the inclination to identify himself as Sienna out of his mind because he definitely didn’t want to make a bad first impression.  He paused for a moment but could simply not wait any longer to set the situation right and get the book back on track.  He turned to see his hero but found himself looking into a mirror.  He had no idea what was going on but it seemed that he would get to know Sienna more intimately than he had ever dreamed.

“Look, I’m not who I may appear to be,” said David in a voice, obviously a woman’s voice, that sounds much more desperate than was prudent in such a situation.  However it had happened, if he was Sienna then he must be a character in the book and that meant that he had to find his way out.  He had never read anything to prepare him for something so bizarre as this so he had no ideas what the rules were.  The only thing that he was sure of was that until he had some definitive answers, he was going to have to trust Mr. Muntz.  With devilish satisfaction, David determined that going along with “Lyle” didn’t mean he had to stick with the plot of the book.  Foretold is forewarned after all.

“Ahem.  Alas, I must confess that I know very well who you are Ms. Finelli and I really do need your help with my little … problem.”

David was amazed that Lyle didn’t realize that his cover was blown.  Seriously, how could he be sitting so casually talking to the greatest spy ever and not suspect that his A.K.A.s would actually be his little secret?  A glimmer of hope lifts his spirits a little; that all the day dreaming he had done within the story line of this book must surely have prepared him for anything that he may encounter.  In the mean time, if the towel was really his ticket home, he would have to keep a very close watch for it.

Imprint

Publication Date: 08-08-2015

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
The best I can say is that it came to me in a dream - and then I wrote it down. This is currently in the first draft status. I will make a second and probably a third pass when the remaining chapters are written.