Page 8 of The Forgotten (Echoes from the Past #2)

SEVEN

London, England

Gabe tossed his mobile onto the desk and buried his head in his hands.

He was shaking, his mind momentarily paralyzed by what he’d just learned.

How was it possible for a person’s life to change so drastically in a matter of moments?

In his line of work, he dealt with the unraveling of people’s lives on a daily basis, but history was academic, not personal.

He knew only too well of settlements that had been burned down to the ground, their entire populations slaughtered, but not before the women were raped, the brutality witnessed by their husbands and children who cried in helpless frustration.

He’d read of ships sinking, their crews and passengers swallowed by the sea, and, of course, he was well-versed in the casualties of war.

But this was his life, and this time the events were happening to him and to Quinn.

Gabe growled with despair, startling his PA, who’d just walked in.

“Dr. Russell, are you quite all right? You look a bit peaky,” Sherry Lee said as she deposited more paper into Gabe’s already-overflowing in-tray.

“Ah, yes. Thank you, Sherry,” Gabe muttered as he jumped up and grabbed his coat. “I just need some air.”

He strode out of the office and ran down the stairs, desperate to get outside.

The cold, smoggy air assaulted him as he exited the building, but it was a welcome respite from the stuffy, overheated fug of his office.

Gabe began to walk. He was almost running, but he had no idea where he was going.

He didn’t want to go home. What he needed was a drink and someone to talk to before he went home to break the news to Quinn.

Oh God , Gabe thought miserably. What will Quinn make of all this?

Gabe couldn’t recall exactly when he stopped walking, but he found himself sitting on a bench in Hyde Park.

He had no recollection of getting there, or of purchasing a bottle of whisky from the off-license.

Gabe unscrewed the cap and took a sip, enjoying the feel of the fiery liquid as it slid down his throat.

It had just gone 10 a.m., but he didn’t care; he was desperate.

What he felt was so convoluted that he couldn’t even begin to put it into words.

He was shocked, upset, frightened, and very apprehensive, but he was also excited, curious, and filled with a longing that left him nearly breathless.

Gabe lowered the bottle when he saw a young woman with a small girl walking along the path.

The woman looked bemused as the little girl bombarded her with questions, not waiting for an answer before moving on to the next topic.

The girl had golden hair that escaped from her pink hat and wide blue eyes.

She looked like a character from some children’s book that he couldn’t quite recall.

Was it The Secret Garden ? No, she reminded him of Alice in Wonderland .

Well, he’d just tumbled down the rabbit hole, so it made perfect sense.

Gabe lifted the bottle to his lips and drank deeply.