Restoration Read Online Free
Author: Guy Adams
said Penelope, only too aware of what Carruthers was doing.
  "No," Tom answered, that sick feeling that wracked him whenever he pictured Elise with a bullet hole in her head fading for a moment. "He has a point. And he took Chester with him."
  "This isn't just about revenge," Penelope insisted, sickened by the direction the conversation had taken.
  "No," agreed Carruthers, "it's far more important than that. But if it takes something personal for Tom to see thatâ¦"
  Tom stared at him. "Don't mistake common sense for apathy, man," he said, "I know the consequences of what we're looking at here."
  "Of course you do," said Carruthers, "as do we all. So⦠we need to split up and start facing those consequences. Ashe has to take the box and ensure that we all receive it so that the timeline of the House can be assured."
  "And I'll do that on my own."
  There was a momentary outcry at that. "Don't be so bloody pigheaded!" Miles insisted, "This is far too important for you to go playing Clint Eastwood."
  Ashe looked to Tom, ignoring the arguing. "How did you get the box?"
  Tom stared at him, seeing a momentary flash of an old man in a fedora raising a gun at he and Elise through rainstreaked glass. It had been such a brief glimpse â and his attention had been on the gun in Ashe's hand, not his face. Now the penny dropped. "It was you!" He shot to his feet, making to grab at Ashe. "You gave Elise the damn thing, if it weren't for you she would never have even been here."
  Alan, sat between the two of them, jumped to his feet to hold Tom back, Miles grabbing him from behind.
  "That's the point," said Ashe, "like it or not that's what I have to do."
  "He's right Tom," said Penelope, hoping that, of all of them, she might be able to get through to him, "we have to make sure that we keep history on track."
  "That's the last goddamned thing we want!" Tom shouted, though he stopped fighting against Alan and Miles. "If he does nothing then Elise would be safe. Pablo tooâ¦"
  "No," Carruthers insisted, "if only that were true. They would still be lost, alongside everyone else on the planet."
  "You think I relish the idea?" asked Ashe, "Every bit of me is sickened by the thought⦠but the consequences of doing nothing are even worse."
  "Shit." Tom dropped his head into his hands, "This is so fucked up."
  "Damn right," agreed Ashe. "Be thankful you're not the poor bastard who'll have to go through with it."
  Tom waved Ashe away, he knew the man was right but that didn't mean he wanted to discuss it.
  "The point still stands," said Carruthers, "you shouldn't go alone."
  "I know what I'm doing," said Ashe, "or at least I will do once I get everyone's story as to how they came into contact with the box. On my own I'll be quicker, besidesâ¦" he turned to Tom again, "was I on my own when you saw me." Tom nodded. "There you go," said Ashe. "I'm sticking to what we know should happen. Besides, you'll need all the manpower you can get if you're going after the prisoner, that's where the numbers will be needed and don't think otherwise."
  On this, Carruthers had to conceded Ashe's point. "Very well," he said eventually. "But it's not just the prisoner, someone will have to stay here too."
  "Why?" asked Miles. "What good will that do?"
  "May I remind you of the poor state of our young friend?" said Carruthers pointing towards Sophie. "Do you really think she could leave?"
  "I'm staying with her," said Alan. "I'm not leaving her side for a minute."
  "That's commendable," said Carruthers, "but I thought perhaps Penelopeâ¦"
  "I could see this coming," she said, "let's make sure the silly little girl doesn't get in the way. She'd better look after the child, that's what women are for after all."
  "Dear Lord!" cried
  "No," Tom answered, that sick feeling that wracked him whenever he pictured Elise with a bullet hole in her head fading for a moment. "He has a point. And he took Chester with him."
  "This isn't just about revenge," Penelope insisted, sickened by the direction the conversation had taken.
  "No," agreed Carruthers, "it's far more important than that. But if it takes something personal for Tom to see thatâ¦"
  Tom stared at him. "Don't mistake common sense for apathy, man," he said, "I know the consequences of what we're looking at here."
  "Of course you do," said Carruthers, "as do we all. So⦠we need to split up and start facing those consequences. Ashe has to take the box and ensure that we all receive it so that the timeline of the House can be assured."
  "And I'll do that on my own."
  There was a momentary outcry at that. "Don't be so bloody pigheaded!" Miles insisted, "This is far too important for you to go playing Clint Eastwood."
  Ashe looked to Tom, ignoring the arguing. "How did you get the box?"
  Tom stared at him, seeing a momentary flash of an old man in a fedora raising a gun at he and Elise through rainstreaked glass. It had been such a brief glimpse â and his attention had been on the gun in Ashe's hand, not his face. Now the penny dropped. "It was you!" He shot to his feet, making to grab at Ashe. "You gave Elise the damn thing, if it weren't for you she would never have even been here."
  Alan, sat between the two of them, jumped to his feet to hold Tom back, Miles grabbing him from behind.
  "That's the point," said Ashe, "like it or not that's what I have to do."
  "He's right Tom," said Penelope, hoping that, of all of them, she might be able to get through to him, "we have to make sure that we keep history on track."
  "That's the last goddamned thing we want!" Tom shouted, though he stopped fighting against Alan and Miles. "If he does nothing then Elise would be safe. Pablo tooâ¦"
  "No," Carruthers insisted, "if only that were true. They would still be lost, alongside everyone else on the planet."
  "You think I relish the idea?" asked Ashe, "Every bit of me is sickened by the thought⦠but the consequences of doing nothing are even worse."
  "Shit." Tom dropped his head into his hands, "This is so fucked up."
  "Damn right," agreed Ashe. "Be thankful you're not the poor bastard who'll have to go through with it."
  Tom waved Ashe away, he knew the man was right but that didn't mean he wanted to discuss it.
  "The point still stands," said Carruthers, "you shouldn't go alone."
  "I know what I'm doing," said Ashe, "or at least I will do once I get everyone's story as to how they came into contact with the box. On my own I'll be quicker, besidesâ¦" he turned to Tom again, "was I on my own when you saw me." Tom nodded. "There you go," said Ashe. "I'm sticking to what we know should happen. Besides, you'll need all the manpower you can get if you're going after the prisoner, that's where the numbers will be needed and don't think otherwise."
  On this, Carruthers had to conceded Ashe's point. "Very well," he said eventually. "But it's not just the prisoner, someone will have to stay here too."
  "Why?" asked Miles. "What good will that do?"
  "May I remind you of the poor state of our young friend?" said Carruthers pointing towards Sophie. "Do you really think she could leave?"
  "I'm staying with her," said Alan. "I'm not leaving her side for a minute."
  "That's commendable," said Carruthers, "but I thought perhaps Penelopeâ¦"
  "I could see this coming," she said, "let's make sure the silly little girl doesn't get in the way. She'd better look after the child, that's what women are for after all."
  "Dear Lord!" cried
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