Showdown: The Dimensions, #3

By Barbara Joan Russell

Showdown (Book 3)

Raven, Montana, a place once thought to be boring, will send Jessica Riley and her friends into another world where the rules are vastly different than the ones they're used to…

Steve Montgomery has finally given his father what he wants. He has joined his father into the Seventh Dimension where his father is determined to establish his reign.  But Jessica is just as determined to get Steve back, and her friends have agreed to help her.

As soon as they get to the Seventh Dimension, Steve's father sends them all through portals that will take them to different words, worlds they could never have imagined in the quiet and safe town of Raven. Worlds of magic. Worlds where time doesn't have any meaning. Worlds where anything is possible.

And it's up to each one to find their way back to the Seventh Dimension before Steve's father will have his way. Because if he succeeds, then Steve will be lost forever, and Jessica can't allow that, no matter what challenges she has to face.

Don't Miss Any of the Books in The Dimensions Series!

Book 1: Secrets

Book 2: Stalker

Book 3: Showdown

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbara Joan Russell
• Release date: Mar 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386259909

Barbara Joan Russell

Barbara Joan Russell lives in Montana with her husband and four sons. She loves writing Young Adult Thrillers/Suspense and Fantasies. Usually, there is a romance somewhere in her tales.

Book preview

The Dimensions Trilogy: Book 3

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Showdown

Barbara Joan Russell

This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. This was originally published under Ruth Ann Nordin. Barbara Joan Russell is her pen name for YA fiction.

The Dimensions Trilogy

Book Three: Showdown

All Rights Reserved.

Cover made by Stephannie Beman

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

More Books by Barbara Joan Russell

Chapter One

Jessica Riley and her friend, Ann Tailer, sat on the couch in Jessica’s living room. Ann was uncharacteristically quiet, and Jessica couldn’t blame her. Between finding out Todd was in a coma and watching Steve leave with his father, Jessica could hardly take it all in. And now, added to all of that, she had just learned her dad, Ann’s dad, and Todd’s mom had all come from the Seventh Dimension.

Ann’s dad and Todd’s mom had come over, and they had talked in private, though from time to time, Jessica overheard snippets of their conversation.

Are you sure Steve is his son? Ann’s dad asked.

Jessica’s been dating Steve for a while, and she says that it was his father who took him into the tornado, her dad replied.

If Rathal is Steve’s father, then who is his mother? Todd’s mom asked.

Jessica doesn’t know, her dad said.

Ann rubbed her eyes. I feel like I’m stuck in a nightmare.

Jessica put her arm around her friend’s shoulders. I do, too.

Jessica’s dad returned to the living room. Had her dad not asked her mom to go back to bed, she would have been there with them. But as it was, her dad felt this was best kept between them, Todd’s mom, and Ann’s dad. She knew they were friends, but she had no idea they shared a secret that their spouses never knew about.

We know Steve’s dad as Rathal, Jessica’s dad began as he sat across from her and Ann. He was evil from the day he was born. We never should have trusted him.

We need to start at the beginning, Todd’s mom interrupted. It’ll help them to understand what’s going on right now.

Jessica’s father nodded then directed his attention to Jessica and Ann. The three of us didn’t grow up in this world. We didn’t even grow up in this dimension. Our home world was the Seventh Dimension. And in that dimension, they had schools like what they have here. The three of us were your age at the time. Like you, Ann, and Todd, we were all close friends. Except, there used to be four of us. My real name is Aric. This, he pointed to Todd’s mother, is Mela, and this, he gestured to Ann’s dad, is Jayson.

We haven’t used those names in a long time, Ann’s dad interrupted.

No, we haven’t. It sounds strange to hear them, Todd’s mother added.

Jessica’s father nodded. It does. It almost seems like we were other people. This dimension is so different from the one we were born in. He swallowed the lump in his throat. We lost one of our friends. Her name was Rana.

Ann gasped.

What’s wrong? Ann’s father asked.

Rana is the name of the woman who gave a presentation about the dimensions, Ann said. That’s the thing I went to at the community college.

The adults looked at each other, their eyebrows furrowed.

Do you think it could be the same Rana we grew up with? Todd’s mother asked Jessica’s dad.

It must be, Jessica’s dad replied. How else would she know about the dimensions?

If it was her, then why didn’t she contact any of us? Ann’s dad asked.

Maybe she couldn’t, Jessica’s dad said. Maybe the best she could do was reach our children, and maybe she had to be subtle about it so no one could stop her.

Someone like Rathal, Todd’s mother whispered before she turned her gaze to Jessica and Ann. We haven’t seen Rana since we were trapped in this dimension.

We haven’t seen her since the lecture she gave, Ann said.

Ann’s father straightened in the chair. She has a link to Rathal the rest of us don’t. She must have known that Rathal was coming. I bet it was her way of warning you. She was in line to be the next queen of Aidian. That’s one of the kingdoms in the Seventh Dimension. We were to be her advisors.

Aidian is the most powerful kingdom in the Seventh Dimension, Jessica’s father explained. We didn’t meet Rathal until a month before we were about to graduate from our studies, and he fooled Rana into thinking he was a good person. She fell in love with him.

It was hard to see through his lies, Todd’s mother said. You can’t blame her for it. He didn’t love Rana, although he pretended to. Rathal can be very convincing when he’s charming you.

He fooled almost everyone, Ann’s father interjected. But he didn’t fool me. Unfortunately, no one listened to me.

He’s right, Jessica’s father said. Jayson was the first one to figure out why he wanted to marry Rana. He knew that if they got together, he would seize control of all the kingdoms. You see, he was skilled in the art of magic. In fact, he was one of most powerful people in our dimension. This dimension has no magic, but the Seventh Dimension does. You’re either born with it, or you’re not. But magic is no good unless you can secure a line on the royal throne. That’s why he wanted to marry Rana.

She discovered how evil he was when he tried to kill us, Todd’s mother explained. After that, she came to us for help. When you’re going against someone with as much power as Rathal had, you needed even more power. It took all of us to send him to the First Dimension. That dimension is composed of nothing. It is the place where life begins but doesn’t exist yet. It was the only place we could send him where he couldn’t do any damage.

Except he cursed us before we defeated him, Jessica’s dad said. He sent us to this dimension and trapped us here. We lost our magic when we came here. We’ve been to portals to get to other dimensions, but we’ve been unable to cross them. We waited for Rana to rescue us from this dimension, but she never came.

We can only hope she’s ruling Aidian in peace, Ann’s father added. Then he turned his attention to Jessica’s dad and Todd’s mom. We banished him from the Seventh Dimension. If he had been able to get back, he wouldn’t be with us in this dimension.

Jessica’s father shook his head. The only way out of the First Dimension is if someone brings them out. I don’t know anyone who would have done that.

Well, someone did, Ann’s father replied. And now, because of his son, he has access back to the Seventh Dimension. He glanced at Jessica and Ann. Steve wasn’t banished from there. He can go there anytime he wants, just like you two can.

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. Do you think Steve’s going to take him to the Seventh Dimension?

I would expect it, her father told her.

Steve didn’t want to go with him, Jessica said, hoping they would believe her. He was forced into it. He only did it to save Ann and me.

I understand that, her father assured her. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do anything to stop him. Even if he doesn’t have magic here, he’s managed to create technologies that I can’t defeat.

I think Steve was drawn to this town because of you, Ann, and Todd, Todd’s mom spoke up. You three came from us, and we came from the Seventh Dimension. Steve is Rathal’s son, and Rathal’s from the Seventh Dimension. People of the same dimension who live in a different dimension are drawn to each other. Although he didn’t know you, he was destined to find you.

You mean, it wasn’t by chance that he came here? Jessica asked.

No. It may have seemed that way, Todd’s mother said, but it wasn’t.

Can we trust Steve? Ann asked. If his dad is evil, does that make him evil, too?

What does your heart tell you? Ann’s father replied.

Ann’s eyebrows furrowed. My heart?

You’ve always had a feeling about people and situations, he said. You might not have access to your magic in this dimension, but you do have a link to it. You inherited that from me. My power was in knowing whether a certain person or situation is safe. That’s why I figured out what Rathal was up to, and it was why he tried to kill me. You might not have inherited the exact same ability from me, but you should have a variation of it.

Jessica’s gaze went to Ann. You’ve always had feelings about people that were accurate. Remember Tyler? You said he was safe, and it turned out you were right. So, what do you feel when it comes to Steve?

I thought he was okay when I met him, Ann replied. There was nothing that made me think he was evil.

Then you can trust him, Ann’s father told her.

Even if he went with his father to another dimension? Ann asked.

You can always trust your feelings, her father assured her. It doesn’t matter if someone’s actions say otherwise. You can’t trust what you see and hear. You have to trust your heart.

Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. It would break her heart if she had to give Steve up because he was evil deep down inside.

We’re in this together, Todd’s mom told Jessica and Ann. We may not be able to go into the Seventh Dimension and help you get Steve away from Rathal, but we can tell you all about the Seventh Dimension and how to find your way around in it. We even know where the entrance to it is.

It’s at the Civic Center, Jessica’s dad said. The portal is in the brick wall facing south.

That was the picture Rana had in her presentation, Ann told them. "She