The Tower Grave Read online

  “Now I must tell you that we’ve decided that we don’t want to risk the job, and so we need to know that humans can pass through and return before you go. One life risked is worth the balance against you five and the thousands of folk affected if it goes wrong. So we’re sending someone through as a test.”

  A murmur of shock sounded through the crowd, nearly all of whom was unaware that such a test was planned.

  “Who’s going?” John asked, already guessing the answer.

  Derek looked down in silence, the strain clear on his face.

  “Me, John,” answered Rich with pride. “I’ll be going through and back in exactly sixty minutes time.”

  “Rich...”

  “It’s got to be done and I’ll have my team with me to sort any problems out. Now listen, all of you. It’s going to be weird. Time opens all kinds of crazy issues, but I’m ready.”

  Both Rich and Derek talked through the remainder of the travel briefing, before they eventually stood and led the entire group through into the portal lab.

  Waiting patiently for everyone to file through, Rich finally began the explanation of his plans.

  “I will go back thirty minutes. I’ll stay long enough for some medical tests to take place, and then I’ll return to the time I left. This will be a little strange. In five minutes time, I will emerge from the portal here, having come back from half an hour in the future. I won’t be here when I come back as I’m going to leave the room. Some things are just too risky.”

  The room erupted in excitement and nerves as Rich left the room and they were left, waiting for something to happen. As the clock turned 09:30, a small, barely audible ‘pop’ sounded from inside the portal and after a long silence of held breath, the door opened and Rich emerged smiling nervously in a lab coat.

  “How was it?” Derek asked, breaking the shocked silence.

  “Instantaneous. We knew it would be.” He looked around the room for a moment at the faces staring at him as they watched the impossible, then he stepped over to Jessie and his medical team who started to administer quick tests on him.

  Those in the room talked amongst themselves while Rich was tested, then he stood up and hung his lab coat on the empty coat hooks along the wall before walking back to the portal door. Looking happy but disappointed to be leaving, he looked at his watch then nodded to himself.

  “Wait!” Charlotte called as she ran through and prodded Rich in the chest. “Sorry, I had to check,” she laughed.

  He smiled in reply and stepped back inside the portal, closing the door.

  This time a loud bang made them jump, and their silence was broken as Rich ran back in from a neighbouring room and across to the portal where he opened the door.

  “He’s gone. I’ve gone,” he said. “I do hope I get back. How did I look?”

  “Normal, Rich. A bit chubby but cute” Charlotte said, laughing.

  “Thanks Charlotte, you know how to cheer a guy up.” He put on the lab coat from the hook and carried on talking to his technicians while the others in the room continued to talk. After a number of minutes, Rich was looking at his short ECG readings when he noticed Charlotte looking at him closely.

  “What is it, Charlotte?” he asked.

  “The lab coat.”

  “What about it?”

  The others in the room looked around.

  “It wasn’t on the hooks before you left the portal and put it on them.”

  “Right…”

  “Well, you haven’t been through the portal yet to come back. If you hadn’t been through, that jacket wouldn’t be on the hook. Where did it come from?”

  “From the hook; I’ve put it on now and I’m going back through to hang it up again.”

  “Right, but the first time you went through it wouldn’t have been there.”

  “Maybe it was, the first time.”

  “But this is the first time! There would never have been an actual ‘first time’ in that sense unless this has already happened. No matter how many times this goes on, you’ve come back from the future and left something behind that wasn’t there. You’ve come back, taken that coat off and hung it up.”

  “What are you getting at?” asked Jake.

  “History has been re-written,” answered David quietly.

  “Not only re-written, Dave,” Charlotte continued. “But the question is what came first? It has only been put there as a result of him travelling back. Does it exist or not?”

  “What if we put it to the test?” asked John. “What if he leaves it off when he goes through? Will it still be there then?”

  “The time will have passed so we won’t know,” answered Derek.

  “But our memories will know. If he doesn’t take it back, then it wouldn’t have been there and we wouldn’t have had this conversation.”

  “This is confusing me,” said Jake.

  “Well we’ll soon find out,” said Rich from the front of the group. I’ve got to leave in three minutes.” He stepped towards the portal as he took the lab coat off. “Jessie, I’m going to leave the lab coat here,” he said. “I don’t want to wear it.”

  “Of course you have to wear it,” she said frowning having not been a part of the conversation. “It’s the shield-coat for the rays in the portal, and it’s got all the sensors built in to it for the test.”

  “Yes, of course,” Rich replied, looking around at the team.

  “It would have happened anyway regardless of what we did then,” answered Charlotte in thought. “It’s already been. The talk of memories changing, they can’t as it has already happened. We’ve already had this conversation, we’ve already discussed the lab coat and we’ve already come to the conclusion that it has to be worn. Yes the wearing of the lab coat changed history, but what was always going to happen, happened. It may be the particle’s path as you put it, it may be fate. It may just be that no matter what we did or said, that coat was always going to be worn back through and hung up, regardless of where it came from. Whether Jessie put it on you the ‘first time’ you went through or whatever, it doesn’t matter as it’s through now and it’s been hung up for you to take. When we go back, we can physically change history and what it means for the future, but what happens and has always happened will continue to happen regardless of our intervention. I’m sure of it.”

  The room fell into silence at the insightful words, and Rich stepped inside the portal, shutting the door with a smile. After a few moments of shouting and tapping on keyboards, the tech team announced that he was ready to go and turned to watch as the machine made a dirty screeching sound followed by another loud snap.

  Almost within the same moment, in fact John was sure it was the same moment, there was a soft pop and seconds later, Rich emerged from the portal not wearing the lab coat he went in with. He looked around at the group, appearing stable for a moment, then smiled weakly and collapsed on the floor. The technicians, who were all medically trained, rushed forward and got the barely conscious Rich to his feet and sat him by a table in order to run further tests on him.

  “Will he be ok?” Derek asked. “Rich?”

  “Leave him for now,” Jessie answered, smiling kindly in what John figured must be her more sensible work persona. “He’s conscious and his on-going ECG appears normal. We’ll check his bloods and other levels as well as running an EEG and some scans later. We’ll let you know everything by tonight.

  “Is there anything they can’t do?” John asked Derek under his breath.

  “I don’t think so,” he chuckled back. “They’re all handpicked scientists, some doctors, and they all worked in pretty interesting places when Rich found them. Between them, I think they cover the lot. It’s a different world once you get out of the job and into this national security stuff.”

  The room continued to bustle and Jane used the opportunity to slip through the crowd to John’s side.

  “You ok?” she asked, looking back at Rich.

  “Yeah, just about,” he
said quietly. “The machine seems to work at least.”

  “Apparently so,” she replied, raising her eyebrows with uncertainty. You just make sure you get back safely, ok? I’d hate to meet you now and lose you so quickly.”

  John looked into her eyes at the unexpected words. He saw fear there along with something else. Something he imagined was written in his own gaze.

  “I’ll try my best,” he said, trying to convince his own mind that it was possible.

  Over the course of the day, the team made the final practice riding and revised the lifestyle details they’d learned from Paul. After eating dinner in the evening, John called a private meeting for his team.

  “Thanks for all coming here,” he said as they sat down. “We’ve got one day left. I’ve cleared it with Derek and tomorrow is all your own. Do, and go, wherever you like. Just get back by five tomorrow evening. Now the real reason we are in here. No matter how involved that lot are, it’s not them going back, it’s us. We’ve got to live together, work together and survive together under huge pressures for a long time. So we need our own plan. I’m so pleased with all of you and I’m glad we all get on so well. How are you all feeling about this?”

  “Excited,” Chris said loudly, drawing smiles and nods from each of the others.

  “Ready,” David added, making them all nod more seriously.

  “Terrified,” Jake said quietly, making them stop their nodding and look at him.

  “Me too,” Charlotte agreed, her face grave.

  “And you two?” John asked David and Chris, nodding himself as they both agreed silently.

  “Good,” he said. I feel all three of those as well. I’d be worried if you didn’t. You’re excited because we’re about to be the first people in history to do this. You’re going to live the life of the fifteen-hundreds for real. You’re going to get inside the Royal Court, see what it’s really like, infiltrate a plot of treason and then carry out a dangerous attack with them. You’re going to change history, and you’re going to save this nation from terrorism and catastrophe. Feels good, huh?”

  He smiled at the eager expressions on their faces. He felt it too.

  “You’re ready,” he continued, “because you’re experts at what you do. I need each and every one of your special talents, and you’ll all be doing each other’s as well. You’ll all be working undercover, using technical equipment, doing surveillance and living in history. And for that we’ve all trained to the limits of our endurance to act and survive as knights, to live this non-stop lie, and to get the information we need.”

  His face turned more serious before he continued.

  “And you’re all terrified,” he said, “For the same reasons. There will be no let up and no escape from the lie. Jake and I have an idea of what that may be like, and it’s tough when you never get a break. You’re terrified because we may be caught, branded and burned as spirits for time travelling; or tortured and executed for treason. You may be killed, you may have to kill. Something none of us have done or want to do. We may well just survive but not succeed and not save our country from disaster and death. But, remember, we’re not under suspicion. We’re in it together, we’re tough, we’re technically advanced and we have an escape route. Team, we will survive this. We’ll save the world and we’re gonna have a right, fucking laugh!” he grinned. “Ok?” he shouted.

  “Let’s do it,” David said quietly.

  “Let’s do it!” Chris roared, making the others laugh again.

  “Save the world?” Charlotte asked in mocking. “Bit cheesy, boss.”

  The team laughed and John was happy that he’d lightened their mood. They had to discuss the issues and dangers, but they didn’t have to worry about them.

  “Right,” he said. “When we go, we stay low and check the area for any witnesses. Then we wait for the horses. As soon as they’re through, we mount up and hit the road. We’ve got fifty odd miles to Central London, I believe. So we’ll get close, camp a little way out, and then get into London by midday the next day. We don’t break role until we find lodgings and regroup, ok?”

  The team nodded.

  “What about a name?” Jake asked.

  “Pardon?” interrupted Charlotte, almost choking on a mouthful of tea.

  “A name!” he said. “We’re the first ever, what about Time Team?”

  “What, like the archaeologists from TV? No thanks,” said John.

  “Hey!” said David playfully.

  “Sorry, Dave. Ok, I don’t see why we need one, but anyone got any ideas?”

  “What about Time Hunters? Time Chasers? History Chasers? Truth Hunters?” said Jake.

  “What are you, five years old?” Charlotte laughed. “Ok, what about Time Bandits?”

  “Time Bandits?” John shouted, chuckling. “Come on, Charlotte! Seriously, has anyone got any decent ideas? Anything less cheesy?”

  “What about ‘The Infiltrators?” said Chris.

  “It’s been done, but I like the less geeky twist.”

  “The Raiders of Time?”

  “Almost, but it’s a bit Indiana Jones.”

  “Blimey, John, don’t get too picky. Ok, what about ‘The Time Raiders’.”

  “Perfect, I like it.”

  “Me too,” said David.

  “The Time Raiders it is then! Come on!”

  Inspired and excited, they all stood, shared a moment of understanding as they looked at each other, then left the room together.

  “Have a good beer, you lot,” said John as they stepped into the bar. “And have a good day tomorrow. I’ll see you by five to collect our equipment.”

  Nine

  From the back of the crowd, John watched the others enjoying themselves as they entered the compound bar and knew he’d seen all he needed to see to feel confident in them. As they met the other staff members, John scanned the room then stepped the other way towards the bedrooms with a smile.

  As he got to room four, he took a deep breath and knocked a few times.

  “Hang on, hang on,” came a rushed female voice from inside. After a few moments of audible bustling, the door opened to reveal Jane wrapped in a white towel and her hair wrapped in another on top of her head. “Oh no!” she said and slipped behind the door. “I’m not ready, is there something going on?”

  “Only a debt to be paid,” John said, feigning confidence.

  She slowly re-appeared, looking shy for the first time since he’d met her.

  “Nice hat,” he said.

  Going red, she chuckled and pulled the towel from her head, letting her wet hair fall loosely around her shoulders and leaving one strand over her face. John stepped into the doorway and gently swept the hair back, kicking the door shut behind him. In silence, she took hold of his belt buckle with the fingers of both hands slipping into the top of his jeans and pulled him towards her.

  “You smell like vanilla,” he said quietly as he slowly weaved his hands through the folds of her still-fastened towel and took hold of her waist.

  “Mmm-hmm,” she replied. “You like vanilla?”

  “I like vanilla,” he teased, sliding his hands further around her. He stepped closer as the bottom of her towel opened and revealed her naked, lower body; exposed but still out of sight from where he stood.

  Without a word or a kiss, she unfastened the belt of his jeans and popped open the buttons of his fly. She smiled at his obvious arousal as she slid his jeans over his buttocks and let them drop.

  “Commando?” she whispered playfully.

  “You can talk,” he replied, stepping out of his jeans and feeling their skin touch as they pressed their hips together.

  She put her hands around his neck and jumped up, wrapping her strong thighs around his waist. Held up by his hands on her thighs, she slipped her hand between them and took hold of him gently, making him gasp. She guided him to her and grinned again at his expression as her own arousal became evident and they joined with ease. From the moment she felt him inside he
r, she buried her face in his shoulder and began let out quiet, barely stifled moans, growing in intensity as they moved together with increasing urgency. Almost as quickly as they had begun, her body reacted and she forced herself deeper onto him, pulling him ferociously tight and letting out a desperate gasp. Her sudden, pulsing tightness caught him off guard and in an instant they came to orgasm together, shuddering with the speed and intensity of their climax. John moaned loudly in shock as his legs almost gave way and they gradually reduced to a panting statue, her legs wrapped tight around him and her towel still flowing beneath.

  “That was quick,” John said, smiling and out of breath.

  “That was amazing,” she said as she looked into his eyes and kissed him hard on the mouth, squeezing her hips around him playfully.

  Without letting go or parting, John turned around, backed up to her bed and sat down. Her legs trembled as she straddled him on the edge of the bed and she looked at him closely, biting her lip for a moment.

  “You will get back, won’t you, John? I’ve really fallen for you these last weeks. I’d like to really get to know you. You know, in the real world.”

  “Of course I will, and I’ll come back for you. You’ll wait for me then?”

  “Wait? It’ll be instantaneous, John. You’ll go in and come back out. Only you’ll have six weeks without me on your mind while you’re there.”

  “I won’t ever get you out of my mind. I’m hooked. I won’t forget you, Jane, and I will come back.”

  “You just make sure you do,” she said and smiled, pulling his shirt up over his head and arms. “But first I want a go on these muscles,” she said, rubbing his chest with both hands.

  “You wait your turn,” he said as he un-tucked the fold of her towel and swept it back to reveal small, tanned breasts that reached out to him as they met the cold air of the room. Caressing one breast with his hand, he leaned close and kissed her collarbone while pulling her hips closer onto him once more. She took his chin and kissed him, gently and deeply, arousing him beneath her again. Giggling as his reaction forced itself against her, she pushed him back onto the bed and they playfully made love once more.