Jake Parrish, a tall and astute man with squinty eyes, was George’s assistant. He was George’s voice, his errand boy and a constant thorn in Sally’s side. Every executive order from George came from Jake’s lips. He took such joy in delivering those orders too. Sally knew that Jake lusted for power. She could see it when he gave orders, smiling fiendishly. She watched him like a hawk whenever he showed his face in her department. Today was no different. He had a look of “I know more than you,” on his face. She could swear his eyes were smiling at her.
The other man was a stranger-tall, shaved head and clean. Sally imagined that there wasn’t a loose flake of skin on the man’s body. There wasn’t a trace of stubble on his slick, cleft chin and even less intelligence behind his eyes. Sally didn’t like him.
Smiling his pearly white, phony grin, George said, “You handled that well. I think that’s a new low, even for you Sally, leading him on like that.”
Sally swallowed hard, “Whatever it takes.”
“Glad to hear that’s still your policy,” said George.
“Why?” Sally raised an eyebrow. “You have something planned?”
George gave a sideways glance to Jake, who promptly stepped forward. “Director McField, as you know, one of our lead scientists, Tom Greenbaum, has traveled back in time using LightTech owned equipment. Not only is this a crime against LightTech, but taking into account Dr. Greenbaum’s intentions, it is a crime against all humanity. Given what is at stake, we believe it necessary to implement a few safety precautions, a few…failsafes.”
“Meaning?” Sally asked, seemingly unfazed by this information.
“Meaning, Director McField,” the stranger said, in a voice that screamed military, “if the situation cannot be contained, it must be eliminated.”
“And you are?” asked Sally.
“Captain John Roberts.”
George intervened, “Captain Roberts is the head of our Time Enforcement Division.”
“Time what? Why wasn’t I told of this?” Sally crossed her arms tightly across her chest.
“You’re in charge of technology development. You didn’t need to know. Captain Roberts has been training for years in case your division succeeded,” George explained as he chuckled, “And as soon as you succeeded, you lost control.”
“What are you planning to do?” Sally asked, already knowing the answer.
“You heard Captain Roberts. If the situation cannot be contained it will be eliminated. Roberts has been trained for every situation imaginable. He speaks fifteen languages, is a master of cultural blending and is trained in several kinds of hand-to-hand and special weapons combat.”
“That’s just what we need, a gung ho G.I. Joe killing people in the past,” Sally said with a chuckle.
“Miss McField,” Roberts said, “I assure you, I am the best equipped man alive to handle this situation. When Dr. Goodman fails, I will not.”
“What event are you planning on going back to?” Sally asked.
“We’ve calculated the date on which Jesus was most likely crucified. If Dr. Greenbaum wants to disprove the story of Jesus, that is where he’d start,” Jake explained.
“I’m leaving three minutes after Dr. Goodman,” added Roberts, “If he hasn’t retrieved Dr. Greenbaum when I find them, I’ll take care of the situation in the most expedient way possible.”
“Sacrifice their futures to save our past,” Sally said, understanding the plan.
“Exactly,” George said with a smile.
“I expect you’ll keep me informed?” Sally asked, as she headed for the door.
“Naturally,” George replied, “Oh, and Sally, keep this to yourself.”
“Naturally.” Sally left the room wondering how she could have let this happen. Tom and David had been sentenced to death, and she was the only who could save their lives.
FIVE
Descent
28 A.D.
Bethany, Israel
Tom woke up feeling sore. His head was pounding and his dry eyes stung as though he had spent too much time in an over chlorinated pool. His throat burned as though he’d swallowed a vial of acid; he was parched for even the smallest drip of water. Tom climbed slowly to his knees and rubbed his eyes.
His direct surroundings were strange and confusing. He was inside a bush. That wasn’t a good sign. As Tom braced himself against some branches, he remembered their success the day before. He remembered eating with David at Peggy’s. And he remembered drinking…a lot. Tom thought he must have made a fool of himself, but after his fourth beer, the night was a blank slate. From the headache, dryness and odd surroundings Tom deduced that he must have gotten thoroughly drunk. How long had he been unconscious? Why hadn’t David found him and dragged him home?
Stumbling from the bush, Tom leaned up against a tree. After taking a moment to relax his body and clear his mind, he realized what he was doing-leaning against a tree… in the middle of the Arizona desert? Tom absorbed his surroundings. He was encircled by trees, bushes and a dazzling array of colorful flowers-orange, yellow and red. He breathed deep as the smell hit him. The fragrant odor of the flowers was like none that had tickled his nose before. Tom had no idea such oases existed in Arizona. Wherever he was, it was beautiful, and Tom decided he would try to remember how to get back, just as soon as he found a way out.
Tom trudged through the thick forest for what felt like an hour, but was closer to ten minutes. He stopped to rest for a moment and fell asleep. He wasn’t sure how long he was out, but knew he hadn’t awoken on his own. A tingling sensation rippled across Tom’s head, causing his hair to stand a little taller. He was not alone, and judging from the amount of wilderness around him, his company probably wasn’t human.
A crack of twigs in the near distance widened Tom’s eyes and caused his chest to rise and fall a little more quickly. He was in no shape to outrun, outfight or outwit a grumpy animal. He pushed himself up and hugged a tree, pressing his body into the bark in an effort to look as treelike as possible. He sensed that whatever was out there-whatever creature was stalking him-was growing closer.
Hands tense around the tree trunk, Tom leaned out for a peek. He saw nothing. He leaned in the other direction and let his head slowly emerge from behind the tree. His heart beat to a maddening rhythm. He could feel his pulse in his neck. Then he saw it.
A floppy eared goat foraged through the forest floor, ruffling through pine needles and leaves as it searched for fallen fruit. Tom sighed. The goat looked up at Tom and immediately went back to searching for a meal. Tom watched the creature, his confusion growing with each slowing breath. A goat? In Arizona?
Eyes closed, Tom turned, leaning his back against the tree, trying to think. Where am I and how did I get here? Tom’s nose twitched. He smelled something odd carried by the breeze, which had changed directions. He opened his eyes and his heart skipped a beat.
Ten feet away and low to the ground was what looked like an African lion. But it was built differently. Its head was thicker and its body was massive. Tom’s limbs locked as his mind shut down. The lion crawled forward slowly, its muscles tense, ready to pounce. Then it jumped.
The speed of the creature was amazing. Tom screamed as the lion burst into the air and sailed past his head. He heard the beast land and the whine of the goat before its neck was snapped. Tom’s head spun around. The panting lion was lying on the ground holding the goat’s neck firmly in its jaw.
Tom now knew he was no longer in Arizona. But he felt it wise to worry about where he was after the immediate physical threat of becoming a lion dessert no longer existed. Tom slowly crept away, keeping the tree between himself and the dining lion. As soon as he was sure the lion could not see, hear or smell him, he ran.