Chapter 17

 

 

Mairie held Jack's hand in the cab as they left the airport and picked up the interstate that would take them into the city. They passed the Naval Yard and Jack merely shook his head at the huge gray battleships in for repair. She sensed it was just another thing he would have to process later… the size of everything.

"It's different here, Mairie," he said, as if picking up on her thoughts.

"It would be, love," she murmured. "It's called progress." Though as she looked out to the neighborhoods they passed, she saw them through Jack's eyes and was suddenly depressed. Graffiti and abandoned houses. Garbage strewn along the streets. Run-down buildings with billboards attached to them advertising the smooth quality of a certain vodka. It all became sad. "It's not like this where we're staying. Marc has a friend who's in Europe and he's apartment-watching, so he sent the keys along with the tickets. He thinks it will be more safe if we stay there. He and Bryan will meet us. From the address, I can tell it's a nice neighborhood."

Jack smiled. "Marc appears to have many helpful friends. I am grateful for his assistance."

Glad she could distract him from the passing scenery, Mairie smiled back. "They call it the community. I guess any group of people that is outside the so-called normal sanctions of society bands together and helps each other."

"But we are not…"

"You can say it, Jack. Gay. We discussed it on the plane. It's okay to say it." They would have to talk about this before Marc and Bryan arrived. "Even though you and I are heterosexual, they appreciate our nonjudgment. It makes them want to help us any way they can."

"I'm not judging, Mairie. It's just—"

"I know you're not," she quickly interjected. "I know that these things were handled differently in … in the past."

"It's just that… this is a highly unusual situation. Such an arrangement as your brother and his friend have is something that would have been kept secret in my time. Discretion would have been used."

"I understand, Jack, but would you want to live your life in secret?" Mairie asked, adjusting the blond wig she had donned in the ladies' room of the airport. It dawned on her that her own life might have to be led in secret now, and it really frightened her. What if she could never be herself again? She understood her brother and Marc a little better now.

"Let's not speak of this right now. Perhaps the best thing would be for you to meet Bryan and Marc and decide for yourself. There's no pressure for you to accept it, Jack. Really. I merely ask for you to extend to them the same courtesy you would show anyone else. Besides, I think you'll like them."

He squeezed her fingers. "I'm sure I will. After all, if it were not for your brother, you and I would never have met. I am grateful to him."

"Aw…" Mairie snuggled closer to him and hugged his arm, "how sweet. You have such a way with words, Mr. Delaney. It's kind of a lost art in this time."

Jack smiled down at her. "Are you saying, madam, that shut up and kiss me doesn't exactly melt a woman's heart?"

She laughed. "Let's just say a woman would have to be in the right frame of mind to hear it."

He leaned down, kissed the top of her head, and whispered, "Even though I am backward in current customs and not educated in the proper etiquette of this particular situation, I will endeavor not to embarrass you in front of your brother, Mairie. I will be a perfect gentleman."

She immediately lifted her head. "Oh, Jack. I wasn't thinking that. I was—"

"Shut up and kiss me." And he stopped any further words she could have said.

 

Mairie turned from the kitchen counter. "Hey, Jack, check the cabinets and see if you can find the coffee. It might be in the refrigerator, or even the freezer." When she saw the look of bewilderment on his face, she burst out laughing. "Now what?"

He shook his head, as though to bring himself into the present, and stared down at the glass of water in his hand. "All these… machines. I know you explained about the current of power that makes everything operate, but to see ice coming out of a door! Fire turned on with a switch at the stove!"

"Ahh, you ain't seen nothing yet. Wait till I cook dinner tonight. I can't wait to show you my culinary skills. Which reminds me, we have to get to a grocery store. Marc didn't have time to stock up for the few days we'll be here." She brushed his cheek with a kiss and opened the cabinet beside him. "Hmm, just instant coffee?"

Taking out the jar, she said, "Okay, we have an hour and a half before Bryan and Marc arrive. Let's do the shopping and add real coffee to the list." Grabbing her wig off the top of her purse, she grimaced. "I can't believe I have to wear this thing."

"It's for your protection," he said, placing his glass on the counter. "Are you sure you want to go outside to shop with your brother coming so soon? Can't we call the room service?"

Smiling, Mairie walked to the hall mirror and adjusted the wig into place. "Jack, this is an apartment. I know it looks like a hotel. I think it even was one years ago, but there is no room service. Besides, I'm so excited I need to keep busy until Bryan arrives. Come on. This will be another experience in modern living."

He rolled his gaze to the high ceiling and sighed. "How exciting. Another experience. I don't know that I've recovered from the last."

"This won't be as exciting as the plane trip, but I think you will be surprised."

They found a grocery store two blocks away and Jack was astounded at the amount of food displayed. He refused to accept that this was considered a small store, compared to a major chain outlet. They filled their cart and Mairie found herself enjoying the experience of shopping with a man again. She didn't know Jack had such a sweet tooth. Cookies and a large chocolate cake were added to their purchases. She had also forgotten how much fun a grocery store could provide, or how erotic certain foods could be when lovers explored the produce aisle together.

Lovers. She repeated the word in her mind, as they stood in line at the cashier. That's what they are. She couldn't let her mind wander to the future. For right now Jack was in her life, and she was going to be grateful for every moment. Leaning back against him, she smiled with appreciation as he stroked her shoulder. Yes, she was a blessed woman … however long it lasted.

When they left, carrying their bags with them, Jack seemed upset by the amount of noise and confusion on the street. Horns honking. The reverberating bass of blaring radios. People yelling obscenities. Roller-bladers weaving. Police whistles bleating. Ambulance sirens howling. Jackhammers blasting. Mairie was glad they only had to travel two blocks.

Back at the Rittenhouse Square apartment, Mairie and Jack put away the groceries and then she began dinner preparations. She had decided on one of Bryan's favorites, and it was also a dinner that she hoped would impress Jack. Salmon stuffed with crabmeat. She could prepare it in a casserole dish with baby carrots, mushrooms, and shallots and let the honey soy sauce marinate it until later in the evening. That way she could pop it in the oven whenever everyone got hungry.

Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, she looked at Jack. He was sitting at the kitchen table, watching her cook, a huge smile plastered on his face. "What?" she demanded with a grin. "Do you want more coffee?"

He shook his head. "I've had enough."

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She put the dish into the refrigerator.

He continued to smile. "Can't I look at you and appreciate your domesticity?"

"Domesticity?" Funny how not so long ago that remark would have made her defensive. Now she actually liked cooking for a man again. Was she getting soft?

"Yes, seeing you do feminine things makes me smile. I have seen you scale a mountain, fall to the earth not once, but twice, and challenge any male in endurance. You are an amazing woman, Mairie Callahan, and could be intimidating to some men."

She laughed and closed the fridge door. "You saved yourself with that last remark, Delaney, or we could be having one hell of a debate right now."

Jack laughed and walked up behind her at the sink. He pulled her against him and her back arched in response. "Back to calling me Delaney again, huh? I don't know that I would interpret that as a save." His hands slowly stroked her stomach before cupping her breasts.

Moaning, she turned around and stood before him. Pulling him to her waist, she gently brushed his hair away from his face. "I take it I don't intimidate you?"

His arms slid around her waist and he hugged her, fitting her body tightly with his. "Oh no, my dear. This time may intimidate me until I learn everything I need to, but you… you've met your equal, madam."

Mairie smiled and rested her cheek against his chest. "I know," she whispered, right before the doorbell rang.

Startled, she jumped and announced. "It's Bryan!" She moved away a few feet and stared at Jack. "It's Bryan," she repeated, and Jack nodded.

He touched her face and smiled tenderly. "I know you're frightened, Mairie. It's all right. Your brother needs you now, and you'll be strong for him. Answer the door, sweet one. You can do it."

It was as though he knew she was keeping herself busy, not speaking about it, avoiding it. He must have known her heart was breaking, and was trying to divert her attention from what she must now face. Bryan, out of remission.

Mairie smiled and nodded as the doorbell rang again. "Thank you, Jack."

She ran to the front of the apartment.

"Hey, kiddo."

She steeled herself and was surprised to see that Bryan didn't look as bad as she had feared. He'd lost weight, around twenty pounds, was pale, but he wasn't as sick as she'd imagined. "Oh, Bryan," she called out, and threw herself into his arms.

She couldn't stop the tears as she clutched him to her and muttered, "How I've missed you. Bryan… Bryan…" She couldn't stop saying his name. "I thought… I thought I'd never see you again."

Stroking her back, he whispered into her hair, "Did you really?"

She shook her head and sniffled. Pulling away, she looked into his beautiful eyes and said, "No. I was just scared. Somehow I always knew I'd see you again. Oh, you look wonderful!"

"It's seeing you that's wonderful. You look great!" Bryan brought her close and again hugged her in a surprisingly strong embrace.

"And so there isn't even a how-do-you-do for someone who lit novena candles for nine days straight and isn't even Catholic?" A deep mock-serious voice behind them demanded a response.

"Marc!" Mairie held out an arm and she was enveloped between them. "Bless your heart for everything you've done. I can never repay you."

"Inviting us in would be a start, child. Besides, I'm dying to meet this mystery man. He is with you, isn't he?"

She giggled and wiped at the corner of her eyes. "Yes, he's with me. Come on in."

Mairie held Bryan's hand tightly, as if she were afraid to let it go, and led them through the apartment to the living room. Jack stood waiting for them by the sofa and Mairie's heart expanded with even more love.

"Bryan, may I present Jack Fitzhugh Delaney. He saved my life."

Bryan and Jack each walked the few feet separating them and extended their right hands.

"How do you do?" Jack asked with impeccable manners. "It is a distinct pleasure to meet you."

Bryan pumped Jack's hand and answered, "The pleasure is mine, along with a debt of gratitude I can never reciprocate for bringing my sister back to me." Bryan looked at Mairie and shook his head, as if still not believing she had been lost to him.

"Your sister exaggerates greatly, sir," Jack said with a friendly grin.

Laughing, Bryan answered, "I could really tell you some stories from her childhood. But never mind that, and please… no need for 'sir.' Call me Bryan."

"Such nice manners," Marc whispered to Mairie. "And gorgeous. Look at that hair."

Chuckling, Mairie hugged Marc and whispered back, "Be gentle with him, you old lecher. Everything is new to him, especially you."

Nodding, Marc moved forward and extended his hand. "I'm Marc Hayward. Thanks for bringing our Mairie back to us."

She watched Jack exchange pleasantries with the men and could see that he was surprised. Bryan was handsomely masculine and Marc was stylishly arty, yet also masculine. The couple complemented each other well, both tall, one with dark hair so like her own and the other blond and fair. Neither was overt in any way. Mairie's heart swelled with love. Three of her favorite people. Together. Her eyes filled with tears she couldn't hold back.

"Mairie, Mairie, quite contrary," Marc called out in his favorite expression for her. "What brings these tears to your lovely eyes? Certainly not the sight of three good-looking men who are singing your praises? You should be rejoicing."

"I am," she whispered. "I'm just so grateful… for all of you."

Marc came back to her and hugged her again. "And we're grateful for you, child. So dry those tears and let's have a reunion." In almost an inaudible whisper, he added, "Wherever did you find him?"

Taking a deep breath, she smiled and walked back to her brother. "Let's all sit down and talk. We have quite a story to tell you."

She watched as Marc came up to Bryan and took his jacket. He helped Bryan lower himself to the sofa and then threw his own jacket with Bryan's onto a side chair. "What can I get everyone to drink?" she asked, smiling at Jack as he sat in the matching chair. "We have coffee and soda and juice. I even found some tea."

"Oh, Mairie, I'll get it," Marc announced coming up to her and pushing her lightly toward the sofa. "Go sit with Bryan. But don't you dare start the story until I return," he added as he walked in the direction of the kitchen. "We've been anticipating this for days and I do not intend to be left out, just because I've volunteered to play Hilda the maid… though you must admit my Aryan features do fit the bill." His words trailed off as he rounded the corner.

Mairie and Jack both grinned and Bryan shook his head. "You'll have to forgive Marc, Jack. He takes some getting used to, I'm afraid."

"I heard that!" Marc yelled from the kitchen.

"You were supposed to," Mairie yelled back and sat on the rug between Bryan on the sofa and Jack in the chair. She patted her brother's foot. "Thank God, I found you."

Bryan's hand rested on the top of her head for a moment. "I know, Mar. Seeing your face a few minutes ago wiped out the hell of the last seven months. I don't understand what happened to you yet, but I knew you'd come back. I never gave up hope."

Sniffling the tears that threatened again, Mairie turned her face and smiled into her brother's eyes.

"She never did either, Bryan," Jack said in a low, respectful voice. "There is a great bond between you."

Mairie turned to look at him and swore she saw a twinge of sadness in his eyes. Suddenly she realized that he had lost not only his birth family but also his adopted family as well. He was all alone now. She reached out her hand for his and gently kissed his knuckles. "You're family now, Jack. As long as you want, we're here for you. All of us."

"Absolutely," Bryan joined. "Though you may want to reconsider Marc. He can be bossy and—"

"Bite your tongue, big brother," Mairie interrupted with a grin. "Here he comes."

"Talking about me, are you?" Marc asked, as though not really interested. From a tray, he served the drinks and set a plate of chocolate chip cookies onto the coffee table. "The Malloys are up to their old tricks again. See if I care."

"Oh, you know we love you," Mairie chided, and winked at Jack. "We waited for you. Didn't even mention that I traveled back in time."

Marc, about to sit down next to Bryan, froze in mid-act. "I beg your pardon?"

Mairie laughed at her brother's and especially Marc's expression of disbelief as he continued to sit, very slowly. "You heard correctly. I traveled back in time." She leaned forward and took Jack's hand again. "And this incredible man risked his life and left the year 1877 to bring me home. We're… we're time-travelers."

Marc looked at Bryan. Bryan looked at Jack and then at her and then at Marc. "You heard that, didn't you? It wasn't the pain pills working overtime? I'm not hallucinating? She said, time-travelers?"

Marc held Bryan's hand tightly and answered, "Screw the pain pills, if I heard correctly, we're all hallucinating!" He turned to her. "Mairie, you can't be serious!"

She and Jack laughed.

"He is quite humorous. You were right, Mairie."

"I told you, but then you know how I love to be right."

Leaning over, Jack kissed her forehead. "And I secretly love you being right. You take such pleasure in it."

"Excuse me…?" Marc raised his voice over their conversation. "I hate to interrupt this oh-so-precious Kodak moment, but what the hell are you saying here? You can't travel through time!"

Mairie became serious. "Tell that to the government. I jumped after you, Bryan, and before I pulled the chute, I experienced this blinding white light. I thought I was dying, or had died, when I felt this … I don't know how to describe it, this weird sensation in every nerve of my body. I was so scared because I was tumbling, 'cause I forgot to arch my back. Remember how we were supposed to arch our backs right away, Bryan?"

"Oh, who cares about your back, Mairie?" Marc interrupted, as Bryan nodded with his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Get on with it before I call for strait jackets." He grabbed a Coke and muttered, "I wonder where Sydney hides the liquor in this place. I could use a bottle."

Mairie shook her head and giggled. "I found it when we arrived this afternoon. It's in the kitchen. Top cabinet over the refrigerator."

Marc waved his hand. "To hell with it. I don't want to miss a syllable of this. You were tumbling and forgot to arch your back; now, get on with it, woman, while I'm still conscious. I swear I'm close to … to the vapors, or something." Waving his hand in a fanning motion under his chin, he looked at Jack and muttered, "How's that for time-traveling?"

Jack threw back his head and laughed, causing Mairie and even Bryan to join in. "Very good," Jack said in between lingering chuckles. He rose to his feet and said, "I'll get the liquor, Marc. You sit and collect yourself. How does a bit of wine sound?"

"Not strong enough," Marc answered, sitting back and holding his forehead. "See if Sydney has a bottle of rum, or something equally potent. It's the least I deserve for watering his plants for the last three months and now listening to… to this!"

"Mairie… what you're saying is too incredible," Bryan said, ignoring Marc who was now shaking his head. "I never even saw you jump. I thought the skydiving school was lying and trying to cover up some foul play. I even thought you might have suffered a mental breakdown and they landed with you and you wandered away. But this… this is—"

Bryan struggled for the right word and before he could find it, Jack returned to the room and said in a serious voice, "I will tell you what it is. This is the truth."

He placed the bottle of rum in front of Marc and took his seat. Looking directly into Bryan's eyes, he continued, "I saw your sister fall from the sky. I was on a vision quest and sitting on top of the tallest mountain I had ever seen. I asked the Great Spirit of the Paiute to send me a sign of hope and Mairie came, floating, it appeared, from heaven. My angel—"

"This is too bizarre," Marc muttered, pouring a shot of rum into his cola.

Jack continued. "She is telling the truth, Bryan. Please listen to your sister. She risked her life over and over just to be sitting here right now. I have never seen anyone with more determination, more love, than this woman. And she did it all to get back here to tell you this very story. Trust her."

He smiled down at her and Mairie had to swallow the thick lump in her throat.

Jack looked back to her brother. "I did. With my life. And that trust wasn't misplaced."

Mairie took a deep steadying breath and turned back to Bryan and Marc. "It happened," she said simply. "I met this man in 1877."

Marc picked up the bottle and poured still more rum into his glass. "This is like living an episode of The Twilight Zone. Any moment I expect to hear Rod Serling's voice telling me not to adjust the channels." He gulped the drink. "Except he wouldn't be telling me if I'm not watching it, if I'm bloody well in the damn episode, would he?"

Mairie was half laughing, half crying, and she wanted to reach out and hug her brother and sweet, funny Marc. "I know how this sounds. I fought it myself for days, but it's true. I swear. Everything I'm about to tell you happened."

"I feel like I am in an alternate reality," Marc muttered to himself.

Patting Marc's leg, Bryan said, "Calm down. This is Mairie. She wouldn't put either of us through this unless it was true." Addressing Mairie, he smiled shakily and said, "Go on. You forgot to arch your back…"

Mairie smiled her thanks to Bryan and felt Jack's hand on her shoulder in a display of strength and support. As she observed her brother and Marc, she realized they were all connected to one another and smiled through her tears. "I am a fortunate woman to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Anyway, Jack is right. I had to get back here to you, Bryan. I would have done anything to tell you what I learned."

Marc sipped his drink and muttered into it. "Well, it's obvious you learned to arch your back."

Everyone laughed, even Marc, and his words broke the serious mood.

"Yes, I arched my back after I felt that white light enter my body, and I straightened out immediately, and after I pulled the chord I looked for you, Bryan. But you were gone. Everything familiar was gone. You. Las Vegas. There was nothing but desert. Everything I knew as my reality had disappeared…"

There were no more interruptions, and Mairie and Jack told their incredible story.

The recounting took hours and they stopped while Mairie prepared dinner. Marc called it a very long commercial, and couldn't wait to get back to what he called the twilight zone. During that time, she heard Jack and Bryan and Marc talking. Her brother and his companion were asking questions about what life was like in the last century. Mairie felt like the night was almost magical when they all sat down to dinner and, after praising her for the stuffed salmon, Bryan and Marc begged them to continue. Jack became the perfect dinner host intuitively assisting, serving, and entertaining their guests, and Mairie felt their partnership grow to an even more expansive level. They worked so well together, their movements gracefully paired with unspoken synchronicity.

Dinner was cleared and the conversation continued over two pots of coffee, three-quarters of a chocolate cake, and brandy before she and Jack ended the story with Mairie calling Marc from the hotel lobby of the Luxor.

Marc looked exhausted. His usually impeccable hair was disheveled. His sleeves were rolled up and his shirt unbuttoned. Bryan, surprisingly, looked better than when he had walked in the door. He seemed energized.

"You are saying, Mairie, that you hid a jar in a cave over a hundred and twenty years ago and you expect to find it now?"

She was tired and her jaw hurt from speaking so long, but she nodded and said, "It has to be there, Bryan. You heard Jack. He buried it. We would have rented a car and driven there before we left Vegas, but Marc scared me when he told me about the government looking for me. I could only think of getting back here to you and didn't want to take the chance that anything, or anyone, might stop me."

"So what do we do?" Marc asked, wiping his forehead with his dinner napkin. "Send you back there? I told you they're tapping our phone. I know this because I have a friend who gave me this detection device and it registers. Bryan and I decided to leave it on, rather than alert them that we know about it. I wouldn't trust my cell phone, either."

"Area 51," Jack said, looking at Mairie. "You didn't mention that when you told me about Harmon. I didn't want to interrupt while you were telling Bryan and Marc, but what does it mean?"

Marc shook his head and almost whined the Twilight Zone theme song. "Do-do-do-do…"

"Gimme a break, Marc," Mairie said with a tired chuckle. She looked at Jack and sighed.

"I don't think that anyone knows how to explain it. Only those who have been stationed there or work there could answer that truthfully. It's a highly secret government installation. Something is going on there that they don't want the average citizen to know about—"

"I saw a documentary where this reporter sneaked onto the property and was immediately met by armed guards. They were really threatening and—"

"And aliens are supposed to be there," Marc interrupted.

"You've had too much to drink," Bryan said with a grin.

Mairie leaned closer to them. "What if they're doing secret testing there? On time? Look, I lost seven months. Seven months! I was only back there four days."

No one said anything for a prolonged moment.

"Sydney has a computer," Marc said. "I'm going on the Net to see what I can find." He pushed his chair away from the table and walked toward the back of the apartment.

"What's the net?" Jack asked.

"Computers," Mairie answered, as Marc stopped and walked back to the dining room table.

"Care to come with me, Sundance? If you can jump off a mountain, you can surf the Net. It ain't that scary."

"Certainly," Jack said, and stood up. Stretching, he looked to Mairie. "Would you excuse me?"

She smiled. "Don't be too overwhelmed by what you'll see. It's only a machine."

"A machine that's changed the world," Marc retorted, defending his passion.

"Granted," Mairie conceded. "Just go easy, Marc. Jack's already been hit with a lot of changes."

She watched Jack and Marc walk away and turned to her brother. "Isn't he wonderful?"

Bryan smiled tenderly. "He's wonderful, and you deserve him. He's your reward, Mairie. Happiness. What a novel idea, huh?"

She grinned. "Right. All those years, Bryan… I was so angry. And I feel now as if a boulder has been lifted off my heart."

"So you had to go back a hundred years to heal?" Laughing, he added, "You are one stubborn woman sometimes."

'"Moi?" Her eyes were wide with innocence.

Bryan became serious in their moment of privacy. "Thank you, Mairie. I don't know if this herb, this plant, will help, but I'm willing to give it a try if it's still there. What you did for me…" He shook his head in disbelief.

"I love you," she whispered through her tears. "You're my big brother."

"I am sorry to interrupt," Jack announced as he walked into the dining room. "But Marc said you both should come and see this." He looked shaken.

Mairie helped Bryan rise and whispered, "Sweetie, do you want to lie down now? It's been a long night."

"I'm fine. Haven't had this much excitement since … since I jumped out of that plane."

"Jack, would you bring one of the armchairs into the back office for Bryan?"

Bryan protested, but Mairie insisted.

When they entered the small office, Marc turned from the computer. "Wait till you guys read this. I'm going to print it out. You know how much stuff there is on this subject? I mean some of it is wacko, but some of it is real science. Like this one site… any of you ever hear of the Montauk Project, or the Philadelphia Experiment?"

They all shook their heads. Bryan sat in the overstuffed chair and thanked Jack, while Mairie took a seat on the rug. Jack joined her and smiled as he stroked her hair. Mairie had to admit she was tired. It had been a full day, and she appreciated his gentle attention. They all listened as Marc continued to read off the computer screen.

"Well, this is long but I'll try to shorten it. Listen to this… the origin of the Montauk Project dates back to 1943, when radar invisibility was being researched aboard the USS Eldridge. When the Eldridge was stationed in the Philadelphia Naval Yard, it was involved in this test called the Philadelphia Experiment. The object was to make the ship undetectable to radar, and while that was achieved, it had some pretty nasty results for the crew members. It was a catastrophe, as far as people were concerned. Death. Burning. Mental disorientation. Those who survived were discharged as mentally unfit or otherwise discredited and the whole affair was covered up."

Bryan was skeptical. "Oh, Marc. Not another conspiracy theory."

"No, listen… now they talk about someone I know of, John Von Neumann, he was the inventor of the modern computer and a mathematical genius. It says after World War II he was able to draw on the enormous resources of the military industrial complex."

"This sounds weird, Marc," Mairie conceded.

"Wait a minute. The Germans had this incredible technical knowledge, and after the war some of the scientists came to the States and some went to Russia, and even more defected when east Berlin came under Russian control. That was the beginning of the cold war, and the arms race. This claims the scientists here in the States started a project in Long Island that dealt with time travel. We're talking back in the forties and the fifties and continuing up till today. All this is now under something called the Black Card clearance level, and—"

"Harmon mentioned that," Mairie interrupted in an excited voice. "I didn't know what he meant, and I was too scared at the time to question him about it."

"Well, this explains it," Marc said. "It's just about the highest level of clearance there is, and most people don't even know it exists. And this means, in essence, that it is such a deep black hole project that all the records, everything connected to it, is buried in a black vault and nobody has access to it, not even members of government, without a need-to-know clearance. Listen to this. Here's an account from one of the crew of a battleship the Navy reportedly made disappear in Philly and reappear minutes later in Norfolk. This guy survived and told his story when he was an old man. Name's Carlos Allende…" and he read right from the screen for the next ten minutes.

Mairie was horrified to hear about secret government projects and installations on the East Coast, the West Coast, and in between. How much of it was truth, she would never know, but she did know about Harmon and how determined he was to stop her and Jack. The fact that she was ah innocent caught up in a military test meant nothing to him.

Marc took a deep breath and said, "Okay, here's the end. 'The Philadelphia Experiment and the Montauk Project were key parts of American history because they demonstrate what a government is willing to do to have an advantage in war. Whatever the truth really is about these experiments into time travel, Carlos Allende says it perfectly. 'The ultimate truth will be a truth too huge, too fantastic, not to be told. Perhaps one day we the people will be told the truth.’“

"Sounds pretty far-fetched," Bryan said.

"Yeah? Well so does Mairie and Jack's story. Oh, this is cool," Marc added, as he clicked on another site. "This one goes from time travel and the Pythagorean theorem into Einstein. They jump straight to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which states that neither time, nor length, nor even mass remain constant additive quantities when approaching the speed of light—"

Mairie sat listening and all she could think of was that Marc's rambling of physics was sounding like the Peanuts cartoons when the adults were talking to the children: wha, wha, wha, wha, wha, wha. None of it made sense. It was like he was speaking a different language.

Science.

"Look," she interrupted. "I don't have to understand how it happened. I know it happened. I want to know why it happened."

"Well, I think it's interesting. Who would have thought that so many people were involved or even interested in time-travel experiments. It ain't science fiction anymore," Marc stated, typing in something else in his search. "Okay, let's look up Area 51."

She touched Jack's hand and smiled. "I know none of this makes sense to you, but don't feel intimidated. If it makes you feel any better, I don't understand it either."

"I'm a simple man, Mairie. I don't have to understand. I'm living proof of this time travel."

"Hey, listen to this one." Marc sounded excited again. "Okay, I've skipped all the alien stuff about Roswell, though that would explain how we got advanced technology for this. All right, here's something definitive. Well, kinda… 'According to the U.S. government, Area 51 doesn't exist. It's an Air Force base in southern Nevada. It's also known as Dreamland and is surrounded by the Nevada Test Site and Air Force base. Area 51 has nine large hangars, and this is probably where the Black Book Projects are located.' There's that term again," Marc muttered. "Wow, you ought to hear about the security."

"What I want to know is why the government has granted the security guards authorized deadly force to keep the public out." Bryan sounded serious. "And why my phone is tapped. And why the harassment? What the hell is the reason? Because some technology not yet known to the public is being tested there?"

"Maybe they don't think the public can handle it, that we aren't ready to accept a new or different reality," Mairie said, thinking aloud. "Remember the notions that the earth wasn't flat, or wasn't the center of the universe. Both were met with great opposition. New thinking, thoughts that shake up the old opinions, are always suspect and challenged by the establishment. We want to think we're safe, that we're right. If the public knew that time travel was possible and being used by our government, what else is being done that we have no knowledge about? This is opening a can of worms. If this is released it could threaten the stability of… of the economy, religions, government—all our personal belief systems. No wonder all this is Black Carded or Black Booked."

She looked at the men. "They aren't going to just question me, are they? They're going to try and shut me up."

"What do you want, Mairie? You want to blow the whistle on this thing? It probably isn't even known in the top levels of the government. This could be a radical branch of the military, or something," Bryan said. "You want to talk to a reporter, or something?"

She shook her head. "I want to slip quietly back into my life." She looked at Jack. "They can't find out about him."

Everyone agreed it was the best plan.

Jack stretched his legs out in front of him and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I think we're getting away from the real issue here. How can we get back to that cave and look for the jar? Then we can all disappear."

"Jack's right," Mairie stated. "Somehow, we need to get back."

"How?" Marc asked. "After reading this stuff, I'm even more convinced you shouldn't get involved in any way. Don't let them know you're here in the present. How would they, anyway? Harmon didn't make it back, or you would have been picked up immediately."

"Maybe they have some kind of technology that indicates two people returned," Bryan suggested. "They would think it's Mairie and Harmon, but when Harmon doesn't show up, maybe they think they both died, or something. Like in that Philadelphia Experiment. It was a test, and they screwed up the first time when Mairie was thrown back in time. Maybe Mairie's safe to go back to Nevada. They don't know anything about Jack at all."

"We have to go back," Mairie stated. "Jack and I didn't go through all that for nothing. We have to at least try to find that jar."

"So when do we leave?" Bryan asked.

Marc turned away from the computer with his mouth opened. Nothing came out for a few moments and when he finally spoke his voice was almost a shocked whisper. "You think you're going with them? You didn't get enough of your grand adventures? You're going again?"

"I have to, Marc," Bryan said with a regretful tone.

"Then I'm going, too."

Everyone looked at Marc. His expression was determined. "You took off once, Bryan Malloy, and I'm not about to sit here and wait again. So I suppose we're all going off on this scavenger hunt through time together. Besides… this time you need me."

Bryan smiled. "You're right. I do."

"Then it's settled," Mairie declared and rose to her feet. "We're all going. When do we leave?"

"The sooner the better," Bryan said, and Jack helped him stand as Marc shut down the computer. "I'll be glad to get off the East Coast for a while. I've been thinking Tucson might be a good place to relocate. We can check that out after Vegas."

"Tucson? Arizona?" Marc stared at Bryan as though he were joking.

"Yes, some place warm for a change."

"Doesn't Arizona have snakes, scorpions and tarantulas, and… and desert?" Marc looked horrified.

"It's just an idea, Marc," Bryan said with a laugh. "Come on, we've kept these two up long enough. Time for all of us to get some sleep. We have a trip to plan tomorrow," he added, while walking out of the office.

"Why don't you and Marc spend the night here, Bryan?" Mairie asked, as she followed her brother from the room.

"Yes. It's late," Jack agreed. "Stay the night and we can make our travel arrangements in the morning."

"There is a second bedroom," Marc said. "It might be a good idea, Bryan. You do look tired now."

"Fine, how can I stand up against the three of you?" Bryan smiled. "We'll plan our trip in the morning."

Mairie and Jack almost fell into bed, exhausted from the full day. When she was snuggled against his body with his arm around her, Mairie sighed with contentment and whispered, "I'm glad you like Bryan and Marc. They are both so dear to me."

He kissed the top of her head. "Yes," he whispered back. "They are fine people." He sighed deeply and added, "I still can't believe this morning I was in Nevada and tonight I am sleeping in Pennsylvania. I feel like I've time-traveled again."

She giggled. "Just space-traveled, Jack. Jet lag. Though there is a three-hour time difference."

He chuckled. "Don't even try to explain, Mairie. My brain actually hurt attempting to understand Marc's computer information."

Mairie suddenly became serious. "It doesn't sound good, though. I wonder if I'll ever be able to be myself again, to use my own name. I can't believe I have to go into hiding from my own government. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank God my money is in mutual funds and Bryan has access to it. Wherever I wind up until this blows over, he can send me money and the government can't touch it."

He hugged her gently. "I'm so sorry you've lost your identity, your life here."

She shrugged. "We're a pair, huh? Now both of us are strangers in a strange land."

They lay in silence for a few minutes and then Jack whispered, "Mairie…?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could hire one of those cars for us while we're here?"

"I don't know that I can, unless I use Marc's credit card. But maybe. Why? Where do you want to go?"

"Gettysburg."

She raised her head and stared at him in the darkness. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've been thinking about it, and when Marc was reading from the computer about the government, I was remembering everything I thought I was fighting for, what we all thought we were fighting for… this country, and wondering again about power and its misuse, and the lives that are affected when that happens."

She didn't say anything, just held him close and listened.

"I never believed I would revisit the East Coast. I kept thinking this might be the only chance I have to return to where I lost my soul. Maybe it's time to bury all the old ghosts once and for all. If I can . . .” 

How she loved this man. What courage he possessed. He had said she'd met her equal and she wondered if she could match his strength of character.

"We'll go tomorrow," she said and kissed his cheek. She looked at the clock on the night table, saw it was after three a.m. and sighed. Settling back into the crook of his arm, she whispered sleepily, "Anywhere you are… I've got your back."

They held each other and drifted off, entwined in more than body.