Down Time
By Lane Cohen

      Down Time is what Jack Morten's doctor had prescribed. After his wife's death in a traffic accident, Morten agreed that he needed a change, so he resigned his job in the Cincinnati, Ohio, police department and moved west to Wilson, Wyoming. There he trained as a park ranger in the area around Jackson. His fifteen-year-old twins, Lisa and Ethan, were excited to be back in their mother's old homestead.

     While Lisa and her new friend Penny were scaring up costumes for Henry Hazlett's "Halloween in September" party, Jack and Ethan went to the bank in Jackson. Ethan sat in the lobby and listened to his CD player. Jack spoke to the bank's Saturday security guard, Sam Bowman. As the men conversed, Billy Ott and his girlfriend, Kate Martin, entered the bank. They were dressed as outlaws from the old west, guns and all.

     Though Sam tried, the two would-be robbers got away, taking Ethan with them. Jack and Sam followed as closely as they could without getting Ethan shot. They knew Billy would be seeking medical help for Kate soon. Sam had shot her in the leg when Billy shot him in the arm.

      But Billy surprised them and commandeered three horses from some dude ranch cowboys. Jack and Sam followed a while later. Both groups of riders saw the twinkling green and yellow lights in the clouds as they rode across the Snake River, but as the lights descended around them, they vanished.

      Down Time is a look at time travel without machinery. It also speculates on where people who vanish without a trace might go. Here, violence carries a heavy price, as does greed and the desire for notoriety. It is well written and interesting reading, even for us older folks. Well done, Mr. Cohen!