Crossing Over: The Time Guardian Series

By Q.B. Finn

After losing Karina and their child, a mission was given to Albert and his team to save Christianity and the world as they know it. Through the twists and turns of time and the apparent murder of one of his team members, Albert, and his team try to stop a terrorist group from destroying Christianity, the time continuum, and solve the murder of his friend and team member. Yet Albert had to overcome his physical weakness while being laser-focused on seeing his love again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Legacy Elect Books LLC
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223732426

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Copyright and Disclaimer

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Legacy Elect Books LLC

113 S. Perry Street Suite 206 #6208

Lawrenceville, GA 30046

Copyright © 2023 by Q. B. Finn

ISBN 9798987703014

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously without any intent to describe their actual conduct. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

All songs written in this book are products of the author’s imagination.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Company Logo © Turbologo

Book Cover Image © Vecteezy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Q. B. Finn is a Born Again Christian husband and father who enjoys crossword puzzles, brain teasers, and board games. He also enjoys reading Christian novels and secular Sci-fi, mystery, suspense, and historical fiction novels. He works remotely by day and is an author by evening. He also owns a publishing company. God commissions Q. B. to write books to entertain and minister to readers about Jesus Christ. You can reach him through the various social media outlets below.

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Contents

1.Dedication

2.Scriptures and Quotes Referring to Time

3.Prologue

4.CHAPTER 1

5.CHAPTER 2

6.CHAPTER 3

7.CHAPTER 4

8.Crossing Over

9.CHAPTER 5

10.CHAPTER 6

11.CHAPTER 7

12.Travel Through Time

13.CHAPTER 8

14.CHAPTER 9

15.CHAPTER 10

16.CHAPTER 11

17.CHAPTER 12

18.CHAPTER 13

19.My Broken Heart

20.CHAPTER 14

21.CHAPTER 15

22.CHAPTER 16

23.CHAPTER 17

24.Make Yourself Known

25.CHAPTER 18

26.CHAPTER 19

27.I Need You

28.CHAPTER 20

29.CHAPTER 21

30.My True Friend

31.CHAPTER 22

32.CHAPTER 23

33.CHAPTER 24

34.I Am Grateful

35.CHAPTER 25

36.CHAPTER 26

37.Jesus Did!

38.CHAPTER 27

39.CHAPTER 28

40.He Has Risen!

41.CHAPTER 29

42.CHAPTER 30

43.We Are Yours Forever

44.CHAPTER 31

45.CHAPTER 32

46.CHAPTER 33

47.CHAPTER 34

48.You Have Lifted My Heavy Burdens

49.CHAPTER 35

50.Index

Dedication

First of all, I thank God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for the direction and blessing to write this book and other books in the future. Secondly, I also thank my wife for her assistance in editing this book and her encouragement through my ups and downs during the writing process. I also want to thank my son for his input on the cover for this book.

Scriptures and Quotes Referring to Time

Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.

C. S. Lewis

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

The Teleporter will cause us to cross over into another time period in the hope of fixing time itself

Professor Albert Hernandez

Prologue

January 7, 2014 – 7 PM

Karina sat on the top stair of a brownstone, trying to get warm by hugging herself through her shivers. The cold weather was the only uncontrollable miscue on that day. I removed my black gloves, lined with animal fur, and placed them in my backpack. I went down on one knee as I presented a silver ring with a single oval diamond, which glittered like a star, to my true love on this beautiful planet – Earth. Karina was so surprised by the ring that she remained speechless for a couple of minutes, which in my heart felt like an eternity.

Did I miscalculate the timing of my question – ‘Will you marry me, Karina?’

She reached for the ring and grabbed it to ensure it wasn’t a mirage.

Can I give it to you properly if this means you are saying yes?

Oh, Al, of course, I am saying yes. I love you so much.

I placed the ring on her appropriate ring finger as I smiled from ear to ear. We kissed and then hugged each other.

~

Bang! Bang!

I jumped as I pushed my plush desk chair, causing it to roll away from the table. Others within the large committee room were also startled since they were engrossed with the story emanating from my recordings. There were many other rows of seats behind a large table, where I sat with my attorney. Two rows behind me were roped off, and the committee ensured no family, friends, or colleagues were near me during the committee’s hearing. I felt like I was on a deserted island with no connection with them or any means of communication.

Professor Hernandez, again, you have tried our patience. Many of us thought you had some more vital intel or information to justify your work dealing with your special machine and your questioning McGee for some odd reason. Oh, right, a possible time shift due to his quake in the time continuum.

I looked back to my family, friends, and colleagues to find them nodding to show their support as I slowly got up to address the committee.

Mr. Chairman, this next file of video recordings will show the actual meat of our case.

Professor, this testimony is all about you and nothing else.

I lowered my head in shame because I believed that my actions in those past missions dealt with God, but apparently, that was not the case from what they observed and interpreted.

Lord, help me with Your message through this testimony, and I pray that my actions today and during this past mission truly shine Your Glory to others.

I sat down as I cued up the video and audio recordings.

Mr. Chairman, patience is needed for you to get the full picture of our missions and to witness the cause of this time continuum change. We have a window of seven days after the end of this extensive testimony to fix this correctable, huge error, or we will continue with this incorrect timeline until we all die.

Really? Then tell me, what happens when we reach the seventh day without trying to fix our timeline?

If that happens, Mr. Chairman, you need to spend quality time with your family because time will cease to exist at the end of those seven days, and God will rain down His Wrath.

Ok, ok! I get it. You’re one of those religious fanatics. I was told by several people above your pay grade to listen to what you have to say. I trust them over you, so I agreed to have this committee honoring their words. Professor, do not make me regret my decision. For now, we will continue to listen to your testimony. I hope we can get answers to this supposed dilemma and keep time from not existing, as you stated.

Thank you, sir.

I nodded and then tapped the play button for the video and audio.

~

After I gave Karina the engagement ring, we went to one of the trendy restaurants at Restaurant Row. We talked a lot while we had our great meal. From time to time, Karina looked at her hand and admired the brilliant ring I gave her. After the meal, we walked by a Broadway theater with a long line stretching out into the sidewalk and wrapped around its corner. I looked at Karina.

Hey, Sweetie, would you like to attend this musical?

The musical was Understanding the Burbs. I attended various musicals with no chance of finishing any of them until I went on that special night with Karina. Understanding the Burbs was great with its story and the phenomenal music performed from start to finish.

I observed several Committee members nodding and smiling in agreement with what I was saying in those tapes.

Karina jumped up and down like a school kid when I presented her tickets for the musical. The hustling to get those tickets was surely worth it when I saw Karina expressing so much joy upon receiving them.

~

I tapped my slightly bent, stiff index finger upon my iPad screen, stopping the recording. I slowly rolled back my chair, got up, and addressed the committee.

Ladies and gentlemen, I was there observing the events of the day to find out whether there were any changes from the original day, and unfortunately, I found a number of them. There were three slight changes. First, Karina's clothes differed from the original day in color and style. Second, the order of events on that day turned out to be different from the original. Through this recording, we had the marriage proposal, the dinner, and then afterward the show, while originally it was the dinner, the marriage proposal, and then the musical. Third, which is the biggest, the location of this eventful day was different. It was originally in Los Angeles since we lived in California, not New York City. The time continuum was altered by something or someone, and it will continue to change if left unchecked and corrected.

After discovering that, Professor Hernandez, you took it upon yourself to correct the time continuum without alerting the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, or our newly developed agency, Time Sequence Bureau. Am I correct on this?

Yes, I wanted to follow the protocols dealing with issues of time travel, but everyone on this side of the changed time continuum will believe there is no shift within the continuum. I am here today to prove that we need a high-level mission to correct this time shift and set up guards or guardians to prevent further shifts to our timeline.

The Chairman covered his mike to confer with his panel, which contained six other members. After a few minutes, he moved closer to his mike.

Professor Hernandez, you may proceed with your recordings. I hope whatever you present will allow us to react to this situation appropriately and promptly.

Oh, Mr. Chairman, we are good on that issue.

I tapped the play button for the Committee and the world to witness.

CHAPTER 1

May 14, 2022 – 4:30 AM

I looked back through the rearview mirror for just a second then suddenly, a car cut me off, which caused me to turn the steering wheel quickly and pump the brake hard. It was not the right thing to do in that situation. My car skidded.

Hold on, Sweetie!

God help us!

Karina yelled and held on to the window strap. I momentarily looked towards an overpass and saw a grey figure standing on it. It seemed to be observing our traffic predicament and upcoming doom.

It can’t be. I can’t believe it. How did it find us? Why is it here? I thought we had taken care of that grey intruder?

I shook my head in disbelief.

Can’t believe what, Al?

Nothing Kari. I am seeing things. Just hold on. We are going to hit the railing or the wall up ahead.

The figure was looking right at us with no concern for our situation. It was as if it was expecting us to skid through those three lanes. My car kept sliding over the wet road until we collided with a railing on the side of the highway. I looked back at Karina, and she was semi-conscious. I immediately called 911 and was told that an ambulance was approaching us. I entered the backseat to comfort my love and best friend until help arrived. After a few minutes of peace, serenity, and silence, a pair of bright lights grew more prominent and quickly approached my car. I wrapped my arms around my wife's shoulders and whispered,

Kari, if you’re awake, brace yourself against me. It looks like we’re going to get hit.

Boom!

It was not an explosion but an earth-shattering crash against a railing and my car. The out-of-control SUV rammed into my rear bumper, pushing my car, like a cue ball hitting an eight ball, into a pocketed space filled with debris and a dying bush. The speed, weight, and force crushed the trunk of my car, and we lurched forward and back into our seats during the violent movement. I fell off my seat while Karina's head and upper body jerked forward and then back to her seat. Thankfully, she was wearing her seatbelt. The car stalled as we sat there unconscious for a few minutes, but I was out cold for what felt like an eternity. Later on, I found out from one of the Emergency Medical Technicians who pulled us out of my unsalvageable car that we may have been unconscious for between fifteen and twenty-one minutes. He also said that the SUV driver left the scene, and the cops were looking for that vehicle.

I woke up from what seemed to be a bad dream and found our area very cold. I returned to the front seat and tried to start my car unsuccessfully. I pushed the start button at least seven times with no sound from the engine. I went to the rear seat and wrapped my arms around Karina to keep her warm. Suddenly, flashing lights were getting brighter and larger in square footage with each elapsed second. Those lights were heading towards us and filling the entire car. Then those lights stopped moving.

Knock! Knock!

I let go of Karina and wiped the condensation from the rear door window.

Sir, we’re from the NYFD ambulance. Can you open the door?

I nodded and then opened the door. I got out of the car. The first EMT brought me to his partner, who checked me out for any injuries, and then that EMT went back into my car to check Karina’s vitals. She was groggy but conscious and not injured by the crash.

Sir, what exactly happened here?

I walked closer to the car so the EMT could hear my answer and witness what treatment they were administering to my wife.

My car skidded and hit the railing along this side of the highway, and it stalled. I tried to start it up again, but it didn’t respond. We sat here after I called 911 for assistance when a large vehicle rammed into my rear bumper and pushed us where you have found us.

Thank you, er… Mr.?

Call me Albert.

Ok. Albert, what is your wife’s name?

Her name is Karina.

I then held the door to allow the second EMT to assist his partner.

Great! We’ll take it from here, the second EMT said.

After a few minutes, they secured Karina on a stretcher, extracted her from the wreck, and carefully put her into the ambulance.

Hey Albert, we noticed a lot of blood on her seat and along the car floor. Did the accident cause that bleeding?

My wife assured me that the bleeding was not the result of the accident.

Both EMTs looked at each other, and one shook his head. The EMT I spoke to led me into the ambulance, and I sat across from Karina. The other EMT drove the ambulance off the shoulder and continued towards the nearest exit. The vehicle sped through the streets of Flushing Queens to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, formerly known as Booth Memorial. It traveled with sirens and lights flashing towards Main Street, where it turned left towards the hospital. The torrential downpour didn’t deter the driver from speeding down the ramp towards the Emergency Room entrance. The EMTs quickly brought Karina to the main desk and signed her off to an attending nurse’s care after they gave a rundown of her condition and vitals. The medical staff started to work on Karina behind a curtain labeled Area # 7.

They asked me through the curtain.

When did the bleeding start?

I believe after we crashed into a railing on the LIE.

Was she injured by the crash?

I am not sure. Karina said the crash didn’t cause the sudden, rapid bleeding.

One of the doctors asked her several questions to assess the cause of the bleeding.

Do you feel any discomfort or unusual pain?

Yes, I do, especially when you push against it.

When did you start to feel the pain and discomfort?

I felt pain in my belly and lower back right before we crashed.

Karina shifted a couple of times during the examination. Her obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Ingram, had just entered the ER, looked at me, nodded with a wink, and pulled back the curtain as he entered Area # 7.

How is she?

I thought I smelled alcohol, but I convinced myself it was my imagination due to lack of sleep. The doctors reported Karina’s condition as Dr. Ingram nodded and removed his jacket.

Ok, let’s induce labor and get the baby out ASAP. We have no time to waste.

The nurse took his jacket and tossed it to a medical aide. Karina lost consciousness and was flatlining as they gathered everything, from the IV bag to the machines, which recorded blood pressure, respiration rate, and the baby’s heart rate. One of the nurses pressed the intercom and yelled with urgency.

Code Blue in the ER – Area 7! Code Blue!

That emergency room section turned into Grand Central Station with a rush of nurses, interns, and technicians entering and leaving the area. Each person knew their task of reviving a patient, and their training superseded any complications connected to that patient. I stood outside the curtain, which was wrapped around the bed, as doctors worked on Karina. Within a minute, I walked in to find her conscious again. She looked at me with a fearful and uncertain glance as I approached her.

What happened? Why are there so many people here?

Sweetie, these nurses and doctors are here to help you and our baby.

I rubbed her hand and arm as I kissed her forehead.

I passed out again, didn’t I?

Karina looked at my eyes and expression.

Yes, Sweetie, but they got you back.

I smiled to reassure her, then leaned closer until our foreheads touched. Dr. Ingram and a nurse approached us.

Ahem. Albert, we need to bring your wife to the OR right now. Can you please come with us? The only thing I ask of you now is to keep up with us.

No problem, Doc. I’ll be right behind you.

They pulled the curtain back and raced down the hallway, weaving through the slow traffic of patients, family members, and hospital staff. Karina’s gurney almost crashed into a man in a wheelchair and almost sideswiped a portable X-ray machine. Once they reached the double-door entrance to the OR, Dr. Ingram turned to me.

Can you try to comfort your wife while we work on her?

Yes, I can do that.

I looked at the surgical team entering the OR. They were covered from footwear to the top of their scalp. I could not tell who the specialists, doctors, or nurses were, let alone male or female. At that moment, it didn’t matter at all. I just wanted them to get our baby out and keep Karina alive.

Good! Hey Helen, please take Albert to the wardrobe room and give him the appropriate attire for this gig.

The nurse nodded and directed me to that room. Once I got my surgical garb on, I returned to the OR, stood beside Karina, and held her hand. She smiled through the oxygen mask. I lightly brushed her hair to the side with my fingers. I smiled at my beautiful wife even though she couldn’t see it with my mask over my mouth.

Don’t worry, Sweetie. I am right here. God will heal you and deliver our baby into our arms.

The nurses prepped Karina for a vaginal birth since the bleeding had subsided. After five to ten minutes, Dr. Ingram stepped in to start the delivery process.

Ok, let’s see how far along we are right now.

Karina was hooked to a contraction machine that helped increase her contraction rate. Dr. Ingram uncovered Karina’s legs to find a pool of blood on the floor.

Oh, just great, I see we have a bleeder. This is not what I hoped for.

The doctor reached into the birth canal and didn’t find the baby crowning through the cervix as was expected. Instead, the baby was stuck within the uterus and flipped over with his feet near the cervix.

We may need to perform a C-section if the vaginal attempts are unsuccessful.

Dr. Ingram inserted his gloved hand deeper into Karina’s birth canal to grab their son’s head and pull him out but found nothing.

Have you done this before?

I watched the blood continue to flow upon the floor.

This is my first, but I have done seven simulations. Don’t you worry, Albert, she will be fine.

Dr. Ingram tried a couple of times to reach for my son but with no success. Instead, more blood flowed out of Karina.

Is this supposed to happen?

I squeezed Karina’s hand, which went limp.

Hey Sweetie, wake up! Stay with me!

No, you don’t! Let’s get her back, team! Dr. Ingram yelled. He gave orders on what to inject Karina to revive her. Almost instantly, Karina regained consciousness.

Hey, Sweetie, I missed you. You have to stop these brief naps. I am getting jealous. You look more rested than I am, mi amor.

I leaned forward towards Karina and kissed her cheek. Dr. Ingram chuckled and nodded with approval. He looked back at the birth canal to find the blood flow had decreased but didn’t stop for one minute.

Ok people, we must stop this bleeding and deliver their baby. Let’s get to it.

Dr. Ingram's precise instructions caused the attendees to slow down as they attended to their responsibilities and orders from the doctor. I grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

Is she going to be ok?

Yes Albert, I assure you she will be fine.

How about the baby?

"Don’t worry; they will be alive and well after this procedure. Now, I need you to leave the OR so we