Even though the air still had a balmy feel to it, Julie felt a chill as she crouched in her hiding spot watching Nick advance closer to her hiding spot. A noise down the alley they came down caused Nick to look up and away from her spot. He squinted and turned, running from the location. Voices, male voices, coming closer kept Julie in her spot. She couldn't risk running after Nick, these new men might see her and at this time of night they were either criminals out looking for some trouble or guards looking for escaped slaves.
Thankfully the men wandered through the alley and left the direction Nick ran in. They didn't know she was there so they simply walked on by. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Julie finally stood up and removed her device from the belt strapped to her thigh. She strapped it to her wrist and dialed to go back to The Library.
After the feeling of jumping passed Julie looked around. The place looked deserted. There wasn't the hustle and bustle she remembered when she left. “Hello?” she called out.
“Hello?” Came a reply as Brian walked out from behind one of the shelves. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” she shot back. “Aren't you supposed to be...” She stopped herself and looked down at her device. “Damn, I entered the wrong year. I meant to enter twenty-thirty not twenty-twelve.” She sighed and sat down.
Brian eventually sat across from her. “Again, what are you doing here?”
“You knew Nick stranded me right?” She asked him, hoping that he really was on Kevin's side. “Well, when I was rescued I asked to be a volunteer so that I could go back and get AJ out,”
“You found AJ?” Brian asked interrupting her.
Julie nodded. “We were sold as slaves together in ancient Rome. Charles agreed I should be a volunteer and here I am.” She held out her hands. “Surprise.” she laughed quietly and awkwardly at her own comment.
“You just asked and they said yes?” Brian shook his head. “What is this project coming to.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Julie glared at him.
“Do you even know what you got yourself into? Was anything explained to you?” Brian stood kicking his chair back as he did. She could hear him mumbling something under his breath, the only word she could catch was “Kevin”.
“Brian, as I told your cousin, I am a big girl and I can handle myself.”
“Really?” Brian laughed at her. “This from the girl that got stranded in ancient Rome.”
“Because Nick caught on to the fact that I was helping you all!” She was yelling now and found herself standing as well. “I don't even know half of what is going on. The most information I have received about this rift in the project has been from Nick. None of you share any answers with me but are fine with me rushing off to save one of your own. How do you think I feel about that?”
“Then why are you here?” Brian stepped closer to her, their faces were inches away from each other.
Julie knew, she knew why she joined, knew why she would throw herself into danger again and again. If she was part of the project she could be near Kevin, even if he didn't feel the same and she could never be with him, being near him was enough for her. “I ...” she stammered and then sat back down.
“Brian?” her voice was timid now, like a child who had been reprimanded. “Can you answer some things for me?”
Brian sighed and picked up the chair, setting it upright he took a seat across from her. “I can try.”
“Why did Nick strand AJ?”
Brian looked away from Julie and out one of the windows in the front of the building. “AJ tried to get the group back together. Do you know what happened?” Brian asked and when Julie shook her head he continued. “Nick had a large group of volunteers and displaced persons following him with the help of another displaced. Kevin returned her and Nick lost a lot of followers since they never met her.” Brian shrugged. “AJ felt that with her gone Nick would come back. He went after him, caught up with him and tried to persuade him. I guess his attempt upset him and he banished him to ancient Rome.”
“That's it, he tried to save the friendship and bring him back?” Julie sounded slightly doubtful like there was something still missing from the story.
“As far as I know,” Brian answered looking away and back quickly.
“And you? Kevin said you unintentionally helped Nick and got stuck on your current mission.”
Brian shook his head. “I would rather not talk about what I did, it's done and nothing can be changed. As a result I was sent to twenty-twelve to keep Charles protected from any attempts Nick would have at getting to him.”
“Why can't you just tell Charles not to recruit him, he's the one that brings Nick to the project.” “Can't interfere with the past.” Brian stated simply.
Julie remembered this was the division between the two groups of volunteers.
“Back to AJ, you found him. Why isn't he with you?” Brian looked around with hopeful eyes.
“Nick moved him before I could get to him. He knows I got away and moved him.” She held up her hands. The look on AJ's face made her feel helpless. “But I followed him and another volunteer, Steph, and overheard them talking about Washington's camp and AJ being there.” She smiled with this new tidbit of information.
“Washington? You don't think they could mean General Washington?” Brian asked hopeful.
“Maybe, why?” She asked. “If he had a camp it was likely it was during the war..” Julie thought out loud.
“And his most famous camp was Valley Forge.” Brian smiled and ran upstairs. Julie stood and followed him. He was already out of sight when she reached the rows of books.
“Brian?” She called out.
“Here,” she heard him yell out but did not see him. She wandered until she saw him holding a book open, propped against the shelf.
He waved Julie over and pointed to a section of the material. “This is where he put AJ.” Brian sounded confident now. “Many soldiers died that winter due to lack of clothing, food and wood. And of course, the first use of germ warfare. The British sent blankets to the freezing soldiers. What the Continentals were unaware of was the blankets were infected with small pox and yellow fever. It would be a perfect place to abandon him and let the winter take its course.”
Julie saw a twinkle in Brian's eyes. “You like this don't you? Finding out information on where someone might be.”
Brian smiled, “I still get to research being The Librarian and all.” He closed the book and put it back on the shelf.
Julie nodded at this remembering something AJ had told her about the librarian having some kind of connection to interact with people researching in other times. Then she remembered Kevin telling her about Brian's wife giving birth to their first child. “How is your kid?” she asked him.
Brian's face fell and he looked at his hands. “He's fine and my wife is fine. I just wish I could be with them more often but I understand my duty here too.” He moved out of the aisle. “Kevin tell you?” He asked.
Julie nodded. “Yes. I should get going. Get to Valley Forge and get AJ and get home.” She started messing with the dial on her wrist.
“Julie,” Brian grabbed her hand away from the device. She was sure he was going to wish her luck, it would be dangerous. “You really should get back to twenty-thirty and change clothes.” He pointed to the slave tunic she still wore. “It's a different time and it will be cold.”
“You're right.” Julie said and tried to move her hand towards the device on her wrist again but Brian continued to hold it tight.
“You need to be extra careful.” Brian warned. “Kevin said Nick has it out for you. He is trying to hurt Kevin through you and he will stop at nothing to get his revenge on Kevin.”
“Why? Nobody has told me why.”
“It is something Kevin will have to tell you when he is ready.” Brian let go of her hand so that she could dial her device. “Make sure you tell everyone what you found out, they will be interested to know that Steph has defected and is now spying on them.” He took a step back and watched her as she finished dialing her device.
“Thanks for your help Brian. I hope you will get to see your family soon.” She smiled at him and pushed the button to take her back to Kevin, back to twenty-thirty.
