By the eyes darting around and his obvious look of shock, Julie guessed that Kevin didn't think she would catch him spying. She ripped the hat off of his head and held his gaze. The flecks of gray in his hair and the way his eyes looked at her, told her this wasn't the Kevin she talked to earlier.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, arms across her chest.
“Watching,” he stated.
“I figured that, why?”
“You need to talk to Kevin,” he said looking a bit awkward referring to himself in the third person.
“I need to ask you questions,” she moved towards him taking his arms in her hands.
“I can't, I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have even told you to talk to me,” He turned and tugged on the dog's leash, starting to walk away. Julie grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back.
“You can't leave that fast, what did you mean “help him”? I have had several headaches the last couple days just with that message alone.”
“I shouldn't have said that much,” Kevin took hold of Julie's hand and removed it from his arm. “I really need to go, and you need to talk to,” He put the hat back on his head and stroked her cheek. , “me. You'll figure out the rest.” With that he was gone around the corner, she jogged after him but he was gone.
“Dammit!” she screamed. “This is bullshit. Someone just tell me what the hell is going on.” She flew back inside and grabbed her phone, keys and a few other items before making it back out to her car. She was glad she didn't see any cops as she drove since she broke several traffic laws on her way to The Library.
Julie didn't even attempt to park her car in an actual spot; she pulled right up on the curb in front of The Library and stormed up the steps. Thoughts about what would happen to her car was the last thing on her mind. She tugged at the door, kicking it when it wouldn't budge for her. Her eyes glanced side-long at the panel next to the door. She placed her palm against the panel feeling the warmth pass over her hand. She thought she heard a click when she tried the door again, it opened easily.
“What the hell?” she asked herself out loud looking down at her hand after entering the building. The first floor was completely empty, the tables still unused. “Is anyone ever here?” she asked as she headed towards the stairs. She easily and quickly ran up them and glanced at the rows of books. She started jogging through looking down each aisle as she passed, hoping to see Kevin in any one of them, but at the same time terrified she would run into him.
The stacks were empty but there were plenty of doors for her to check behind. Before she tried doors she wanted to check the last floor, she hadn't gone up that flight before. She went slowly up the stairs, unsure what to expect on the third floor.
Long rows of tables with lamps were located there but the biggest shock was that there were actually people sitting at the table poring over books. “Hello,” she called out, but nobody answered her, they didn't even look up. She started walking towards one of the tables where a dark skinned, athletic looking woman sat; she had lifted her head from the book and looked to be pondering something.
“Hello,” she repeated again to the the woman, and when she still didn't respond Julie stood straight in front of her. “What gives?” She asked in frustration, hands on her hips.
“They can't hear you,” a voice across the room called out to her.
Even though the room had people in it, Julie still jumped at the sound of the voice. “Who's there?” she called out, squinting to see. Why did this place always seems so dark?
“I've been expecting you,” the man moved closer to her, she was able to see that he was wearing a ball cap, sunglasses perched on top waiting to be used if the man ever saw enough to make use of them.
“Who are you?” she asked again.
“Name's AJ,” he answered giving her an awkward looking smile.
“AJ,” she whispered to herself instantly remembering the look in Howie's eyes when he said the name and the look Nick gave her when she brought him up.
“How were you expecting me?” she asked, she was really starting to hate being around time travelers. “Are you a volunteer like Kevin and Nick?” She asked.
The man shrugged, now standing directly in front of her. “Yes and no.”
Julie rolled her eyes, this guy was being even more cryptic than Nick and Kevin combined. She was sick of it. “Would you just drop the bullshit and tell me what the hell is going on?”
“I was asked to be here to give you the answers you are seeking. The person who asked me to be here knew that when you didn't find anyone here you would leave. I was asked to give you some answers so here I am.” AJ held his arms towards a table away from the rows of other tables.
Once Julie was sitting she though he would start talking, but he sat looking at her with his goofy half grin, watching her. “So tell me,” she demanded.
“I'm afraid I'm going to sound cryptic again,” He laughed and the first real smile broke out on his face. Julie felt comfortable sitting across from him, she didn't feel the desire to reach out and touch him, to hold him as she did when Kevin was around, nor did she feel slightly uneasy as she did around Nick. “I can only answer what you ask.” He finished.
Julie couldn't stop the eye roll that she found herself doing after he said that. She had questions, but what to ask first? She looked over at the tables and the people who couldn't see or hear her. “Who are they?”
AJ looked in the direction she indicated and answered simply. “Volunteers.” He turned back to her stopping the next question on her lips. “They can't see or hear us because they are not in this time. What you are looking at is like a recording of the library's activities.” AJ stood and walked over to the woman Julie tried to talk to and poked the image. It fluttered before the date '2033, May 16' appeared. He moved to a podium not far and pushed a button, the library plunged in darkness before lights illuminated around her. The tables were now empty.
Julie waited for AJ to return to his seat across from her. She wondered what the point of being able to see when people used the library.
“The only catch, it only sees the people at those tables.” He let out an uncomfortable chuckle. “The Librarian can actually interact with those people, when he is in, and help answer questions about research materials.” He held up her hands at her obvious confusion. “I can't explain it anymore; even I don't understand the connection.”
“Tell me who the rogue volunteer or volunteers are,” she didn't ask, she needed to know.
AJ shrugged, “I can't answer that, it's something you have to figure out yourself. But trust yourself, you already know.”
“Who am I supposed to help?”
“You save someone from being lost. It's all the person who sent me told me to say.” He held up his hands in surrender before she could pressure him for more information.
“How come I could get in this building?” Julie asked.
AJ didn't even answer the question, he only looked at her and raised his eyebrows at her as if to say 'you should be able to answer that one without me.'
“Kevin though you were the guy who brought me back to finish his case. Are you two close?” Why the hell was she wasting her time asking questions about his relationship with Kevin? She wanted to smack herself, to rewind and ask a different question.
“He's a mentor to me, but a little friendly competition never hurt. I have completed some of his cases before, but only after...” He stopped himself short and suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I need to go, it's about time for Kevin to return and he shouldn't see me here.” He stood, pulling Julie up with him. Without knowing why, he pulled her into a huge hug. “Good luck,” he whispered before fiddling with the dial on his device and disappearing.
Julie stood in the now empty library and fiddled with her keys. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?” She got to ask questions but none of the answers helped. Kevin told her to talk to him, she ended up meeting AJ and Nick was off getting her a time travel device to help him stop Brian. Sometimes she wondered if this was all a dream and she really was still in that tiny cell waiting for the pyre to be built so she could be burned.
AJ had said Kevin should be there soon, should she wait for Kevin. She started down the stairs and thought it best that she talk to him too. He had, after all, asked her to talk to him. She only made it half way down the second flight of stairs before she saw Kevin throw the door open and come waltzing in, Brian tagging along behind. She ducked down in an attempt to hide behind the handrail.
“Kevin, I just need your help a little longer,” Brian was pleading.
“Brian, I told you I would help you the once. You knew what the job entailed when you joined up.” Kevin replied, a grim look on his face.
“Kevin, I know you like to follow the rules, but you said your latest case was resolved and you don't have any more cases. Can't you just help me out?” Brian continued to plead.
“Alright, because you are family,” Kevin added, Brian's smile broadened and he adjusted the device on his wrist and was gone.
She couldn't believe what she just heard, she knew they related but to hear Brian begging Kevin to help. Kevin definitely had his qualms about helping but he was still helping. She couldn't believe that it was looking more and more like Kevin and Brian were both rogue volunteers.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't see Kevin standing in front of her. “And how the hell did you get in? Only volunteers can access The Library.”
