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  While Kurt hadn’t revealed where he had hidden the translator device, I had learned exactly when and where his brother had found it in post war Germany. We have a tunnel that opens about two years before that date in the right area. That information had been passed on as well. If we couldn’t get it before him, we could be there when he found it. It would mean a delay, but at least the team would be able to get to it even if we didn’t make it back.

  There was no point trying the radio. Even though we were close enough for the radios to work, there weren’t any calls scheduled. Naiya had surprised us a couple of hours back, her voice coming from my radio shortly after we had left the soldiers who had helped us free the mud bound cart. She had been concerned with the delay, and wanted a status report. I explained the situation, and assured her that we were virtually clear of potential contacts, and would be headed into the hills with the problems caused by the rain behind us. I made an estimate of the arrival time, but told her we were moving slow. We had signed off, expecting our next contact to be face to face.

  I thought I saw movement off to the right. A mental check told me there were three rounds left in my semi-auto. I started keeping track when I slipped the last magazine in place. I didn’t know how many shots Dave and Kurt had left, but both had been silent for some time. Dix hadn’t moved in a while and I suspected he had died. Well, it looked like we might be joining him soon enough. I scanned the area again. Maybe something I had missed. I looked uphill where the lone man with the bow must still be waiting.

  I had only just located the archer when he was suddenly flung violently to the side and off the top of the rock. The crack of a high powered rifle followed immediately afterward, echoing down the ravine behind us. A sequence of rapid shots peppered the area across the way where most of the other killers seemed to be hiding. Shots smacked into rocks and trees, some whined and ricocheted into the distance. It was impressive shooting for rapid fire. I had just located the source uphill from our current position and at least six hundred yards distant. I don’t know if anyone else had been hit, but it broke the resolve of our enemy. They could be seen scrambling down the hill for the cover provided away from the source of the new threat. One idiot made a run for us, only to be stopped by a second shot from that high power rifle. Given the distance and the angle, it was one hell of a shot. I had a pretty good idea who our saviors were, but moved over to check on Dix while we waited, trying to keep an eye out for any of the enemy that might have remained hiding in the thick brush.

  It didn’t take them very long. Coming down the trail, Ed was first with the modernized version of the M-14 at the ready. I thought I had recognized the heavy .308 that he still preferred over the unreliable .223 used by the U.S. military back in the 21st century. A trained soldier, he scanned the forest carefully as he made his way to us. A few steps behind walked Naiya, her long black hair tossed by the breeze. Her heavy barrel model 700 Remington in 300 Winchester Magnum held ready to place into action should the need arise. I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t know anyone else who could have made that last shot. As they passed the man who had been waiting with the bow, Naiya walked over and gave him a sharp kick. Satisfied he was dead she followed after Ed. Her upbringing has left her a bit callous when faced with anyone she perceived as an enemy. Enemies were to be avoided if possible and killed if not. In her mind, no one wasted any sympathy or remorse for a dead enemy.

  Naiya had been born in a time where violent death was common place. She had lost her entire family to violence, and had learned a long time ago that strong offensive response was the only way to deal with a threat. We had met when I was on an excursion into this same general area, but more than eight hundred years uptime from now. Naiya had basically saved all our lives, and ended up coming back home with us badly wounded. Her life would have been forfeit had she remained behind or even returned later to resume her life.

  At the time this occurred, Carol and I had realized we were not going to be romantically linked. It just sort of happened. We both realized and accepted it. She and Naiya quickly became friends. A combination of the Learn-It pills, Carol’s personalized tutoring, and Naiya’s keen natural intellect had allowed her to rapidly become comfortable with life in the 21st century. I thought I had helped as well. We had been married a little more than eight years now.

  After we were married I had introduced her to firearms, and despite my attempts to encourage handgun-shooting sports, she had leaned toward the long gun from the day she first shot one. Not the least recoil shy, she became a superb shot, and actively competes in a number of thousand-yard matches every year. She had even started hinting about getting an AR-50, one of the single shot rifles chambered in the big 50 Browning cartridge so she could compete with the big boys.

  “You’re late!” she barked at me when she was a few feet away. Then she was in my arms, her rifle held in her left hand, while her right clung tightly to me. I could feel her shaking against my chest. “Damn it Jim,” she mumbled.

  “We’re okay dear,” I tried to soothe her. “You got here just in time,” I added. I pushed her away from my chest, and wiped her face. “Dix is in a bad way. We’ve got to get him back.”

  As Naiya knelt to check the bandages we had wrapped around Dix, Ed handed me his rifle and set off jogging back up the hill. Ed and Naiya had come on a couple of the trail bikes. They had come at Naiya’s insistence, although Ed didn’t take a lot of convincing. She had waited for my return, but became restless when we didn’t appear. She even tried calling again, but the hills must have blocked the signal. Eventually she became very concerned and decided to come looking. Ed insisted on coming along, and they stationed one of the communications team at the cave entrance in case there was a need for additional support. Each grabbed a trail bike and weapon, and set off. Ed and Naiya were only a short distance from the tunnel entrance when they heard shots. Relaying a call for help, they didn’t wait for reinforcements before setting off to head toward the shots. It was a good thing they had come fully prepared.

  Ed came back with the bike and we jury-rigged a carryall for the badly wounded Dix. He had lost so much blood it was still an even bet whether he would make it. Ed started off with his passenger as the rest of us walked up the hill to where the remaining motor bike was parked. As we walked I introduced Naiya to Kurt and briefly outlined what had happened. Naiya had shouldered her rifle, and I still carried Ed’s combat rifle against any further attacks, but we saw no further sign of our adversaries. At the bike Naiya insisted on walking back with me. Kurt wasn’t looking good at all, and she wanted Dave to take him back on the remaining bike. Then additional support arrived and we were all able to ride back to the cave. It was getting dark as Naiya and I walked hand in hand into the tunnel leading to the complex.

  Chapter 15

  Northern Africa

  52,000 BC

  Naiya and I weren’t in any hurry to roll out of bed in the morning. The last couple of months had seen us apart far too often, and the close call of the previous day reminded us how easily we could lose one another. Our lovemaking the previous night had been almost frantic at first, finally settling into more familiar patterns as the night progressed and we lost the nervous tension that had gripped us both. Conversation followed passion, and we finally were able to bring each other current with the other’s activities. Naiya was still overwhelmed with the potential implications of Kurt’s discovery, which had remained locked away, useless for all the years we had been trying to find a breakthrough. Now, if it was really true, we might have the key that could unlock all of the secrets that had eluded us for so long.

  “We’ve got to get back and bring Carol into the loop,” she said eventually, the need for action finally overwhelming the desire to stay cuddled in the comfortable bed. We had one of the dozen private rooms that had been built into the resident cave at our disposal. Two of the rooms were held for transients, the others were shared among the permanent staff, with Ed the only full timer with a room all to hims
elf. Most of the rooms were shared by two or three staff members.

  “Ed sent a status update with the courier last night,” was my response. “I know we need to get back, but it’s not going to be that easy to return here once I surface back home again. Given the amount of information Kurt indicated was in the file they must have found, I may be too closely watched to risk it. Carol too. Maybe you as well.” I looked at my wife. Her long black hair reaching to mid back was free from restraint here in our bed. As she rolled away from me onto her back, the sheet slipped down to her waist. I was reminded once again how beautiful she was.

  She didn’t notice me watching her, as she lay lost in thought. “Do you really think they are going to believe, or even be interested in that mystery? It really has nothing to do with Kurt’s disappearance. And it has to seem too far-fetched to them.”

  I was surprised by her insight. She had a tendency of surprising me with her people sense. I had trouble deciding how I felt about the matter myself. Earlier, I had convinced myself that it wouldn’t have a chance of being taken seriously. But after learning from Kurt a bit more about everything they must have found I now wondered. Even if officially there was no interest, I could see the smallest oddity might fire the imagination and interest of a man who needed a lead. If only there was someway to get an inside perspective of the investigation. I shrugged. “I really wish I knew.”

  Naiya was silent for a moment, then studied me carefully. “You have really taken a liking to Kurt, haven’t you? Are you absolutely sure he is telling you the truth? Does he really have this device, or did he make this all up as a means to get home? It’s too bad you weren’t able to get him to tell you where he had hid it once we got him back here.”

  I knew what she was hinting at. Make us believe he had something we really wanted. That would get him home. If that was his plan, then once home he could expose us. But it didn’t fit. “He would have had to make up the whole story on the spot based on the overview we gave him. Besides, he knows too much. He was able to describe details of the device, and even sketch several of the symbols. I have seen a couple of them in the center, but nowhere else.” I shook my head, as much for my own benefit as hers. “No, he has to have something to be able to give that description. Whether he is correct as to the function remains to be seen. And last night he was in bad shape. We needed to get him into treatment. It would have been a mistake to try and get the location out of him at that time.”

  I could tell she still had some doubts. Perhaps she was afraid to hope for too much. We had been thwarted for so many years none of us wanted our hopes raised only to see it come to nothing yet again. But she hadn’t spent the time I had with Kurt. He was sincere and I knew it. The passion of a life long quest was obvious in the discussions we had had.

  “What about Kurt showing up back home?” she asked. “If he goes back, suddenly showing up after being missing for more than a year?” She left the rest unsaid.

  It was potentially disastrous. Kurt wasn’t a nobody that just wandered off. He couldn’t pretend to have decided to disappear for a while. He was too important. The government had been involved because of his role in key programs, and access to top secret information. Multiple federal agencies had been searching for him. His brother and sister had been trying to get him declared legally dead, despite resistance from his daughter. Oh yes, if he suddenly reappeared, there were going to be a lot of questions asked. Questions for which there were no answers. At least no answers we wanted them to have.

  “He understands,” I answered. “He knows what it would mean to everything we are trying to do. He wants answers as much as we do.”

  “So you talked about this with him?”

  I nodded. “He wants to see his daughter. He assured me that he could convince her to remain silent about his reappearance. She can continue to run his estate, and his business is running itself. After we recover the translator, he wants to return here and be part of the study that attempts to unlock the secrets of this place. After all, it was the artifact that started him down this path so long ago.”

  “You’re comfortable with this?’ she responded, the doubt obvious in her voice.

  No I wasn’t. I really didn’t want the daughter involved. But there wasn’t much choice if Kurt were to remain an ally. It had become clear the past few days that his daughter was one of the very few things that really mattered to him.

  “I don’t see a choice,” I answered finally. “The importance of the device outweighs other considerations. That and other knowledge Kurt may have stumbled upon.”

  “And if it blows up on us?”

  “That risk already exists. If necessary we can pull out of the 21st century for a while. It would be hard but we could still continue.”

  “I take it you’ve talked with Carol about this?” she asked.

  “About the possibility of having to pull out, yes. About Kurt and his sister, no.”

  “You know what she’s going to say, don’t you?”

  “She is going to have the same concerns as we do.” She would be vocal about them I was sure. In the end, she would see the goal of getting the translator device as more important. And it would be easier for her to relocate than anyone else.

  “Kurt understands the ground rules?” she asked, looking at me. The rules applied to everyone involved in the project. Anyone who attempted to violate the secrecy of what we were doing would be permanently relocated to another time. No hope of returning home. In some cases, a more final solution might have to be considered. Basically it would be like sending Kurt back where we had just come from. “If we learn he plans to expose us, he will be looking at permanent exile.”

  “I made that very clear. I made him understand it applies to everyone.”

  “Including his daughter?” she asked.

  “That’s a little fuzzy,” I responded reluctantly. “She isn’t going to be in on the secrets. All she will know is that Kurt was involved with us in something, and his health collapsed. He understands there is no benefit to bringing her in, at least for now. So he doesn’t see her affected.”

  “She could still be a danger. What if he can’t convince her that we are working together? What if she decides to go to the authorities believing we kidnapped him, which we did, remember? Then she is removed as well, right?”

  I nodded. “That’s the only way it can be. I really hope it doesn’t happen. That would cause problems with Kurt again. So we will have to keep a close eye on them for a while. If it looks bad, then we will have to move them and see what can be worked out.”

  It was a risky situation. I had confidence in Kurt, but had no real knowledge of his daughter. There was no doubt in my mind that Carol would be busy digging into the daughter’s background after receiving the status from Ed.

  “The plan is for the daughter to be with Kurt for the last couple of days of his treatment?”

  I felt I owed it to him to get with her as soon as possible. Besides, he would have to stay under light care for the second and third days of the treatment as the specialized medicines completed the purge of the cancerous cells from his system and completed the rebuild. Having his daughter as company would give him something to do, reinforce his confidence in us, and improve his overall mental health. On a selfish note, it would also allow him to get the reunion out of the way, enabling us to retrieve the artifact as soon as he was fully cured. Today, however, he was sedated as the effectiveness of the treatment was significantly improved if the patient was at rest allowing the body to devote itself to the repair task at hand. Tomorrow, around noon, he would be up and mobile.

  “She can’t visit him here,” Naiya said, stating the obvious.

  “Agreed. We’ll move him to the small cabin for her visit. Doc can stay with him there, completing the last stages of the treatment and monitoring progress, and Mike can be on hand for security. As Kurt gets better, he and his daughter can go out for drives, even go out to dinner. It’s a small community, and he’s not being sou
ght anymore. Besides, he doesn’t even look like himself right now. Even his famous red hair is mostly gray.

  --------------------

  Even after the fourteen hours the medicines had been in his system, Dix still looked horrible. His skin was very pale, and he looked totally emaciated. Doc however was encouraging. “It was close at first. He had lost so much blood and his key systems were shutting down. Another half-hour and there would have been no hope. Your people did a great job on him.”

  “But he’s going to make it?” I asked. Naiya and I looked at the immobile figure lying on the bed in the second of the two medical rooms we had at the base. We had been lucky over the years and hadn’t ever needed both at the same time. The doctor, Richard Abrahms, was not a full time fixture at the base. We didn’t have the need. Several of the team were trained medics, and one of them had stabilized Dix when he came in. The doctor was brought in during the night. He practiced and taught at one of Seattle’s major hospitals. His seniority allowed him great freedom in his scheduling, and fortunately nothing major had been happening when we called about our need. His assistant would pick up his patient load until he got back from the ‘family emergency’ a couple of days hence.

  “Barring unforeseen complications, he’ll be fine in three or four days.” Like every other doctor, Doc had to qualify his diagnosis. But I was relieved. Eager, resourceful, and a great traveling companion, I had grown fond of young Dix.

  Just then Ed appeared at the far end of the hall. I could see his eyes scan the area, and I knew he was searching for me. Seeing us through the window of the room, he started our way. Something else had happened.

  “Carol wants you back,” Ed said without preamble. “It seems your agent friend is really on the warpath about something.”