The man nodded and then opened the door. He removed the Israeli-made Uzi from his jacket and then waited for his fifteen men to join him.
“Remember, once we are in, there is to be no firing of weapons. I am informed that there is some very delicate equipment inside that does not react well to gunfire.”
The other men nodded and Jodle cringed as he saw the explosive firepower of the Russian mob firsthand.
The former concentration camp survivor moved the men into the darkened building where the first doorway had allowed much more honorable men to invade the heart of Nazi Germany not many years before.
But tonight his task was not so noble and he felt guilty as the men made their way to the basement and the tunnel that would lead them to the time machine.
Sergeant Hernandez stepped in front of Director Compton when he tried in vain to move past him and the meeting just outside the observation room.
“Step aside, Sergeant,” Niles ordered as calm as he could.
“No, sir, can’t. Commander’s orders, sorry,” Hernandez said, and truly felt bad. He realized he just told the man in charge of Department 5656 and secretly one of the most influential men in the world that he couldn’t do something. “After the reaming we took from the colonel… I mean… can’t you see we’re on thin ice here?” The sergeant looked for help from the only other person in the observation room, Moira Mendelsohn, but she only shook her head. No help there, he thought.
“Sergeant, the bite of Colonel Collins is nothing compared to mine. I swallow military personnel whole, now open that door,” Niles said so calmly that the large army sergeant took an involuntary step back. After all, he had never once spoken to the kind, scholarly man before. And now here was that same kindly and scholarly gentleman threatening to swallow him whole. He reached out and opened the door — as far as the sergeant was concerned it would be a pleasure to get court-martialed by Ryan. At least he didn’t have to look into the scary one-eyed visage of the small director. Compton took the wheelchair’s handles and bypassed the battery system of Madam’s chair and they left the office together.
“Ah, there she is,” the Russian said as Niles limped behind the chair and both he and Moira entered the reception area where the ghosts of World War II secretaries gossiped over the latest Cary Grant film sixty-five years before.
Virginia looked angry as she took in Niles. She should have known he would pull something like this. The man hated being told what to do. This Group had spoiled their own boss too damn much. The assistant director wanted to throttle the man.
“I was just telling this asshole here that this is a private concern and that he can go fuck himself. Do you have anything to add, Doctor?” she said as her eyes bored into Compton’s only good one.
“No, sounds like a good position to me,” Niles said as he made his way over to a chair and sat down. Moira was silent as she took in the scene before her. Her eyes sadly found the Koblentz family and she wanted to call out to them but she forced herself to remain still. Then she saw the small baby wrapped tightly against the night. She had heard a few days before that the mother had gone into labor. She had always insisted on being informed when the offspring of one of her children were born as each child received a full scholastic scholarship. But now it looked as if all of that were over for her and her extended family.
The Russian half bowed and then looked at the small balding man who had just taken a seat. The portly man was in poor shape as the Russian soon discovered. He was scared and had a limp and an arm that didn’t seem to work quite properly. All in all these people were not the meek scientific types he had expected. They would bear watching.
“Alexi Doshnikov.” He straightened after the brief protocol of the bow.
Virginia and Niles had heard the name and they could see by the look on the Traveler’s face she had heard of the mobster herself. It also looked as though a small smile eased across her lips. Compton looked up and he could see one of the outside monitors in the reception area and saw the face of Xavier Morales appear and then disappear almost as fast. Suddenly he saw that Europa had shut down all of the monitors inside the building. Even the cell phones died in the Group’s pockets. Europa had pulled the plug. At least he knew they were being monitored by an outside source.
“The police have been called,” Ryan said as he looked angrily toward the director. The act of defiance started here at Group right at the top of the heap and worked down.
“Oh, that,” Doshnikov said with a sad smile on his face. “The local authorities have a small terrorist act on their hands, nothing major I assure you, but it seemed to be directed at Brooklyn’s pride and joy of an arena, so it looks as if any response time from the police may be an extended and lengthy proposition.”
“See what I mean about talking as if you’re a sophisticated villain,” Ryan said angrily, but kept his smile from reaching his eyes.
“My friend, your little quips of humor have a decidedly harsh and mocking edge to them, and I am growing tired of it. Out of respect for the Traveler, I will not have you shot in front of her, but keep in mind there is no help coming and that mouth of yours is a severe liability to the survival of this innocent family.”
The door opened from the outside and Will Mendenhall, Sarah McIntire, and Anya Korvesky walked in as if they were unaware of what was happening. Jason noticed none of them were carrying the M-4 rifles they had had earlier, but at least all of them played the role well as their eyes widened in mock surprise as they slowly raised their hands into the air.
“These are the two that were on top of the building this afternoon,” one of the larger men said as he stepped forward and frisked Mendenhall. Will had to smile when he saw the melted nylon of the man’s coat pocket.
“Have a little accident there, Ivan?” Will asked as he nodded at the man’s pants where the confiscated cell phones had melted down. The Russian angrily tossed Mendenhall against the wall and made a far more thorough and rough search of the captain. Ryan winced as he realized Mendenhall was trying his best to provoke these men.
“Where are my four men?” Doshnikov asked as he stepped menacingly toward Ryan, who held his ground.
“It seems we left them in the loving arms of some very motivated Italian folks. You might know them since they ran these neighborhoods a hundred years before you were born, Stalin.”
The backhand to Ryan’s jaw caught everyone but the navy man off guard. Jason shot Will a look to let him know that he just took the heat off of him and for the captain to knock off antagonizing these assholes. That was his job and he prided himself on doing it well.
“I will deal with our Italian friends another time. For now you will take us to see this marvelous machine you have stolen from our poor Madam Mendelsohn. If you do this, we will utilize this golden ticket”—he nodded at the young family and the baby the mother held close to her chest—“one time and one time only. And then you can return to rescuing Jews or whatever it is you people do. I couldn’t care less. I need one night only, one trip only.”
“What do you hope to accomplish?”
All eyes turned and faced the Traveler. She was leaning forward in her chair and waiting as if a patient teacher had asked a backward student a question.
“A great many things, Madam. They may not be the noble endeavor you and your associates have planned, but one that will benefit this great city very much. One that I might add benefited your own company very much indeed. Ah, don’t tell me you are unaware how your board of directors made their fortunes, are you? Come now, who’s being the naive one here, Madam? Yes, we have a far less noble, but yet beneficial endeavor.”