by Mark Spaid
“Tie up the driver and leave him in the woods,” Daria said.
“Morris is dead, Felix,” someone said.
“Put his body in the back of the truck,” Felix said. They took off quickly and made their way back to camp. Romania has some of the densest forest regions in the world and much of it is unexplored. Felix and his people knew the woods very well and it was easy for them to hide. They put the food in storage then drove the truck to a remote area and pushed it over a cliff. Keeping a vehicle was tempting but it only made them more vulnerable to detection, especially since the SS was known for using tracking devices on their vehicles.
“What if they come looking for us tomorrow or the next day?” Cezar asked.
“Then we kill them,” Felix said.
And so, it was all over the world; small but effective cells of resistance. They couldn’t remove the Nazis from power but they could play havoc with things and try to sow the seeds of rebellion among the population. Fanciful thinking not steeped in reality? Perhaps but greater things had been accomplished in the world with little more than what these rebel groups had going for them. The Nazis knew this and knew they had to eliminate all resistance. This could never be accomplished with men on the ground thus the need for a super weapon that could reach anywhere on the planet. Ergo, the attention that was being paid to Dr. Warren Peabody working in a lab in Bloomington, Indiana.
* * *
“There’s our house,” Belinda said as they crouched behind a row of hedges.
“Do you have a key, Justin?” Lexi asked.
“I do and I don’t see any lights on so I don’t think anyone lives there. Wait, I’ll go check the name on the mailbox.” He came back a moment later. “Clear as can be; Belinda Fanelli.” Lexi turned to Belinda.
“You have your name on the mailbox, Lind?”
“Of course, did you think it’d be Justin’s name?”
“I…” Lexi started then grinned and shook her head. “No, Lind, I didn’t think I’d be Justin.” Lexi looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. They went in the back door, turned on the kitchen light and everything was just as it’d been when they left.
“Look, here’s my coffee mug,” Belinda said. Justin looked around for a few minutes, went back to the other rooms and upstairs then returned.
“This is us alright,” he said and they sat down at the kitchen table for a drink and to rest. Belinda fixed them something to eat and they thought about what to do next.
* * *
Jozette, Andy, Dixie and Beth arrived at their house; they stood a half block away and observed.
“Why are those lights turning off and on?” Dixie asked. “There must be someone living there.” She hugged Andy and he put his arm around her. “I don’t want things to change. I don’t want to lose you, Daddy or Mom or Beth.”
“Hey, relax, kiddo, we’re together and we’re not going to leave you,” Andy said. She held on tight and closed her eyes as she hugged. Beth climbed in Jozette’s arms and hugged her mom.
“Those are the automatic lights your Daddy installed so people would think someone was there when we were gone and see it worked,” Jozette said. They went inside, turned on the living room light and looked around. Jozette could see their furniture, paintings, recognized her china that was on the dining room table and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ll check in the back,” Andy said and returned with a smile. “It’s our place alright; I could recognize Dixies messy bedroom.”
“Sorry, I meant to clean it up.”
“That’s okay, Baby, we’re glad you’re a slob. That helped us confirm we still lived here,” Andy said.
“I’m not a slob!” Dixie shouted then covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, Daddy.” She ran and hugged him and he held her and smiled at Jozette.
“That’s okay but in case there’s a doubt, let’s get the judges’ decision…No, it’s unanimous…you’re a slob.” Dixie moaned and looked up at the man she worshipped and smiled.
“It looks like maybe things don’t change as much as we thought they might,” Jozette said.
“Yeah, maybe it’s true that the people who are part of the timeline remain the same in one form or another,” Jozette remarked.
“But what about Will and Zara?” Andy asked as his smile left.
* * *
“There’s their headquarters,” Tatiana said as she, Dave, Sol and the twins made their way through an alley. It read SS North Patrol Station over the door. There were a dozen cars all marked SS Patrol and two large vans with bars on the windows for mass arrests. Four armed guards watched the front and the rear was fully covered by security cameras. It’d take an armed assault to breach this place and there were signs all over town warning of people who were caught with firearms of any kind. Like any good dictatorship, they confiscated all the weapons of any kind held in personal hands.
“Virtually impregnable,” Dave said.
“I think we knew that before seeing this,” Sol said.
“Of course, but this tells us what we’re up against,” Tatiana remarked. “It looks like they have at least four of these stations and plenty of people to man them. With a firearm ban and this much security an attack by the populace is all but impossible. I’m sure they’ve done the same thing all over the nation; the world probably.”
“What’s this?” Dave said as a patrol car pulled up and three people were taken from the back seat; a man, woman and a little boy about nine. They were taken inside and a few moments later three shots could be heard. Dave saw Tatiana and she had that look on her face that suggested she was out for revenge. “No, Love, you can’t do anything. What about the girls?” Tatiana looked at the twins shivering in fear and she relaxed. “You can’t save every situation, Tatiana.”
“I know. Let’s get out of here.” They left and made their way through the residential side of town to avoid detection. Dave knew where the lab was and they approached from the rear. Oddly, there was no sign of a guard anywhere. Peeking in the windows they could see the very lab table where Warren, Dave and Sol had worked.
“That’s Warren alright,” Sol said.
“How do you know?” Tatiana asked.
“He has a habit of stacking his papers in circular patterns. In the center is a fan shaped pile of his main work and two or three smaller fans around the top,” Sol answered.
“He’s right, Love, That’s Warren at work.”
“I wonder how close he is to a solution for the weapon they want?” Tatiana asked.
“Look over there at that lab table to the left,” Sol said.
“He’s making a miniature prototype,” Dave said.
“He solved the equation,” Sol said. Dave and Sol exchanged disbelieving looks.
“Should we break in and destroy it?” Tatiana wondered.
“He’d just start over. It’s only been a week or so,” Sol said.
“Why’s he doing this?” Tatiana asked.
“For the same reason we did; to save our families,” Dave replied.
“We should get back to the forest,” Sol said and they left.
* * *
“Mr. Warren,” Little Wolf said as the four crouched beneath a side window where they could see Warren sitting in the dark. He sat up and looked towards the window. “It’s me, Little Wolf.”
“Is that really you, Little Wolf?”
“Yes, why don’t you meet us at the back door.” They made their way to the back and the door unlocked. Warren opened it and they went inside.
“I think there’s someone who wants to see you,” Julieta said and Ariel stepped from behind her and Warren’s eyes lit up. They kissed and hugged.
“I was scared for you, Ariel.”
“And I for you.”
“Let’s go in the living room,” Warren said and they made their way to couches and chairs.
“How’ve you been?” Mr. Warren?” Julieta asked.
“Fine, they’ve left me alone because they ne
ed me. But what happened to you guys and where is everyone?”
“Long story…we were carried away in a tractor-trailer, probably headed for dead. Miss Tatiana, Miss Ariel and I took control of the truck killed all the Nazis and fled into the woods. We managed to get hold of an RV and came to Bloomington. We broke into groups to divert suspicion. Miss Ariel came with the brown people since we’re likely to garner the most attention if caught. We volunteered to see you and Miss Ariel was alright with that,” Little Wolf explained as Ariel grinned.
“I take it you’ve seen the SS patrols everywhere.”
“Yes,” Paulita said.
“I hear gunshots every night and most days. They’re killing people on a regular basis to wipe out any possible opposition.”
“What’re you working on now?” Little Wolf asked.
“The time portal of course, that was easy. Now, I’m forced to solve the rest of the equation and I think I have.”
“What do mean you think you’ve solved it?” Julieta asked.
“I have the math done and it looks good on paper. Now, I’m building a small prototype and if that works then they’ll want me to build a big one that can reach around the world.”
“Will it work, Mr. Warren?” Little Wolf asked. Warren lowered his head and nodded.
“Yes, it probably will.”
“That’ll change everything,” Julieta said. They’ll be able to destroy any rebel movement anywhere on Earth.”
“That’s right and I’ll be the creator of that technology,” Warren said dejected.
“You can’t blame yourself, Mr. Warren,” Little Wolf said.
“Perhaps not since I’ve been working almost literally at the point of a gun.”
“Did the four men come back through the portal?” Julieta asked.
“Yes.”
“Then there only remains one thing to do,” Little Wolf said.
“I know but it’ll take some doing…they guard the lab during the day,” Warren said.
“But not at night?” Paulita asked.
“I don’t think so…I was working late one night and when I was taken away in the car the three guards also left.”
“That could be our way to get in the lab,” Little Wolf said.
“How long to warm up the device?” Julieta asked.
“About five to ten minutes.”
“How noisy is it?” Little Wolf asked.
“With the doors shut it shouldn’t be too bad.”
“Okay…we’re going to rendezvous with the rest tonight,” Little Wolf said. “We’ll be in touch again.”
“I’m going to stay with Warren,” Ariel said.
“That’s not a very good idea,” Miss Ariel,” Julieta said.
“Why not?” Ariel asked.
“Because you couldn’t leave the house and if someone saw you in here during the day and reported it, the SS would know we’re on the prowl. Then Warren would have an armed guard wherever he went. We wouldn’t be able to contact him again and that’d make it difficult to find a way to go back and reverse what they’ve done to the Time Frame,” Little Wolf said.
“He’s right, Ariel,” Warren said.
“He is, Miss Ariel, you need to come with us,” Little Wolf added. Ariel wasn’t happy but she’d take their word for it and not be a problem.
“When will you be ready to test the prototype?” Little Wolf asked.
“In two days.”
“Then they’ll have you build the real one,” Julieta said.
“I’ll do the design but they’ll have to bring in engineers to build it. With my leg I can’t climb up thirty feet.”
“It’ll be that big?” Paulita asked.
“At least…they’re looking to shoot a beam fifteen thousand miles away.”
“If this thing can be built and it’s activated what could it do?” Little Wolf asked.
“Anything. It could raze a city the size of Bloomington in ten seconds. It could obliterate groups of people. So, if the Nazis knew where these rebel groups were operating, they could all be wiped out in a snap of your fingers,” Warren related.
“Wow, that’s serious stuff,” Julieta remarked.
“Yes, it’s end of the world type stuff to be exact.”
“I’ll tell Mr. Dave and Mr. Sol when we get back and we’ll see you as soon as we can…we hope,” Little Wolf said and they all left after Ariel and Warren kissed and hugged again.
“Let’s get back to the woods before someone sees us,” Julieta said and they moved briskly through the residences and to the woods.
* * *
“There’s a key under a rock in the back,” Lexi said as she looked over her dark house.
“It looks the same on the outside,” Jessica said.
“Let’s hope for the best,” Lexi said as she opened the back door and they went inside.
“Hey, there’s the clock,” Darcy said as she turned on the kitchen light and pointed to the clock on the wall that was a cat wearing a chef’s hat.
“This is our place, alright,” Lexi said as she looked around and everyone could see it was the same artwork, furniture, drapes, etc.
“Mom, the picture of Daddy isn’t there,” Darcy said.
“I saw,” Lexi said as she sat down on the couch, lowered her face into her hands and cried. Belinda sat down and put her arm around her friend’s shoulder.
“Zara’s room’s empty,” Dixie said as she and Jessica returned from the hallway.
“Okay, so we’re going to have to find them,” Justin said.
“Why’re they gone?” Dixie asked.
“Well, to be blunt, Zara is black and Will is Jewish,” Justin answered.
“Where are they now?” Darcy asked.
“It’s hard to say in this Time Frame,” Justin said.
“Should we be getting back with the others?” Belinda asked.
“Why can’t we just stay here? It’s our house,” Darcy posed.
“You’re right of course, but we should meet with the others in the woods tonight and make our plans,” Justin explained.
“Yes, we need to get back and decide what to do tomorrow,” Lexi said and after loading up with food they went out the back door and headed for the others.
“Is everyone here?” Tatiana asked.
“Yes, we’re all here,” Andy said.
“Okay, what do we know?” Dave asked.
“Our house is still ours,” Jozette said.
“Same here,” Justin said.
“It’s my house now,” Lexi said. Will and Zara are gone without a trace.” There was a silent period then Tatiana walked over to Lexi.
“We’ll look first thing in the morning, Lexi.”
“Thanks, but I don’t know where to start,” Lexi said.
“The library’s our best bet.” Julieta said.
“Mr. Dave and Mr. Sol, we saw Warren and he’s fine…working alone and he’s solved the equation for the particle beam weapon,” Little Wolf informed them.
“He’s absolutely brilliant,” Sol said.
“I’ve known that for some time,” Dave added.
“How close is he?” Sol asked.
“He’s built the prototype and will test it soon. Then he’ll draw up the plans for a full-scale model and with his knowledge of long-distance electricity transmission, in a short time they’ll have the real thing.”
“What about the lab situation?” Andy asked.
“It’s heavily guarded during the day but no one’s there at night,” Little Wolf said
“I’ll bet that changes when they start building the weapon,” Justin said.
“I don’t think they can build it in the lab itself,” Julieta said.
“Why not?” Andy asked.
“It’s too big…Warren was talking about a thirty-foot structure and maybe bigger,” Little Wolf related.
“Then they’ll have to have a secret location, maybe in the country,” Dave said.
“So, the lab could be left un
guarded or at the worst lightly guarded,” Sol said.
“Then that’s our way into the portal,” Andy said.
“But Warren would be at the site of the weapon construction,” Justin said.
“Dave and I can run the portal,” Sol suggested.
“Yes, we can…Warren has explained everything to me over the years.”
“But what about the chronometer?” Justin asked. “I thought that was a problem in the past?”
“It was and still is but I think Sol and I can put the people were sending where they need to be,” Dave said.
“Who are we sending?” Jozette asked.
“Miss Tatiana, Tom Westfield and myself,” Little Wolf said.
“Are you sure about this, Little Wolf?” Julieta asked. She knew that her husband would be the first to volunteer and she knew it was because he knew he was the most capable. Little Wolf wasn’t vain or full of self-assured bravado. He was all business, he knew his ability and he was right. Tatiana, of course, was a given. They all knew what she could do, Tom, was a former Marine and a detective who had helped them out on many occasions and Little Wolf had proved himself to have superior skills many times.
“Yes, Maiden, I’m sure…you know the three of us have the best chance to pull this off.”
“Oh, I know that, it’s just that every time you go on one of these adventures, I get scared.”
“We all get scared, Julieta but you know he’s our best chance along with Tatiana,” Jozette added.
“I do see a problem,” Sol said.
“What?” Andy asked.
“Little Wolf ‘s very dark complected. He’ll stand out in Nazi Germany in 1939.”
“Sol’s right,” Dave said.