Lost in Time_Split-Second Time Travel Story 1

by Ken Johns

  The buildings stood in a small clearing. Smoke wafted out of a gap in the thatched roof of the two-story hut. A warm light spilled through the open door into the yard. The building around the back had a fence for a door: probably a stable.

  “Somebody might spot us if we go past on the road, so let’s cut into the forest here.” John pointed to their right. “We’ll go two hundred meters in, take a left, and go half a click parallel to the road before we take another left and come back out.”

  Mila rolled her eyes at Jess while John went blabbing on with his plan.

  “Ah, Dad?” Jess interrupted. “Mila has something to say.”

  “Speak up,” said John.

  “Well.” Mila continued to glare at Jess. “I didn’t know if we were entertaining questions from the audience at this time.”

  “Cut the bullshit, and get on with it,” said John.

  “I’m hungry,” said Mila.

  “I’m thirsty,” echoed Jess.

  “We can’t go in there.” John swallowed hard. “I thought that was obvious.”

  “We can’t go in there now.” Mila raised her eyebrows. “But what if we wait until the knight leaves and then go in?”

  “I like your idea,” said John.

  “What?” Mila’s mouth fell open. She had been preparing to defend herself and justify her opinion.

  “But we need to take care of the crossbowman first,” John continued. “We’ll still move into the forest two hundred meters. You guys will turn and continue the half click. I’ll stay behind and greet our shadow. Then I’ll come and find you. Clear?”

  “Are you up to it?” Jess nodded at his leg. “You’re looking pretty gray.”

  “Don’t worry about it!” John snapped. “Sorry, Jess,” he added more quietly. He looked at Sandra and Mila. “Any other ideas or concerns?”

  They shook their heads.

  “Okay, let’s move.”

  “Hello, Annie.” Henri stood in the main room of Annie’s inn and grinned as he spotted the tray of ales she carried.

  “Hello, Captain.” Annie held up the tray.

  “You are a sight for sore eyes.” He took an ale.

  “Will you be staying the night?”

  “Can you board the three of us?” he asked.

  Annie smiled. “I can, but you will be down here. The abbess has the upstairs room to herself.”

  “It is no matter.” Henri furrowed his brow. “What is the abbess doing so far away from the abbey?”

  Annie glanced up the stairs then lowered her voice. “She has been here for days. She goes out on long walks then comes back to her room at night.”

  Strange. There was nothing within walking distance of the inn… except the heretic’s cottage. “Is the abbess here now? I would speak with her.”

  Annie shrugged. “I do not know. She leaves early and returns late. Sometimes I do not see her at all.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  April 27, 1341

  It was too dark. The forest canopy and the overcast sky blocked even the starlight from reaching the ground. John leaned against a tree swallowed by the darkness. As Sandra and the girls felt their way through the forest, the crunching of underbrush receded. It was risky to move around in the forest at night. They could trip on a loose stone, rake their faces on an unseen branch or impale themselves if they fell on a pointed stick. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to send them off by themselves. He was about to call out to them when a faint rustle interrupted his thoughts—or woke him up. He wasn’t sure which.

  There it was again, a crunch in the underbrush, too slow and too deliberate but closer. Then nothing. The crossbowman had to be close.

  John bent his knees and silently lowered himself. His leg complained. A dull thud struck the tree where his face had been. A man cried out and John lunged up toward the sound. The man must have staggered back, because John came up into empty air.

  “Merde,” whispered the man.

  John swung his good leg in a roundhouse aimed at the voice. His kick connected with the side of the man’s head. He lowered his leg and tensed for the expected counter, but the only thing that emerged from the dark was the sound of a body collapsing in the undergrowth. That was lucky.

  He grabbed his injured leg. The move had cost him. Blood trickled out of the wound, but he had no time. The downed man was his priority. He bent toward the ground, reaching out in front of him. When he touched the ground, it was soft and inviting. It felt better to sit. He could find the collapsed man just as easily from a sitting position. He reached out in ever widening circles. Leaves brushed against his cheek as his head neared the forest floor. He lowered his chest to the ground and thought he might close his eyes. Just for a moment. Maybe he would remember what he was looking for…

  Jess picked her way back toward the tree where they’d left her dad. They’d waited for over an hour for him to find them. Her mom’s agitation had grown to the point where Jess and Mila had agreed to disobey his orders and go and look for him instead of staying put. It was so dark Jess sensed, more than saw, the trees in front of her. She stopped moving to listen.

  “Why are we stopping?” Mila whispered.

  Mila’s hand rested on her back, and she had to assume her mom was still behind Mila. After a few collisions with blunt objects, they had formed a chain of sorts and now moved as one.

  “Shh!” Jess said. “I’m trying to listen. I think we might be here.”

  “What are you, a bat?” said Mila. “I can’t see fuck-all.”

  “Are you done?” Jess rolled her eyes in the dark. When Mila didn’t answer, Jess turned her head to offer new sounds to her ears. The steady hiss of the wind in the leaves overhead wasn’t helping. The occasional rustle on the forest floor had to be rodents or birds. This was England. They didn’t have poisonous reptiles or giant insects, right? Stop it. She shook her head. Just find Dad.

  She took a step forward, tripped on a clump of undergrowth, and went down. She put her hands out to break her fall but they landed on… chain mail?

  “Dad?” She felt along the body until she found a face. The throat had a pulse, but it also had a beard. “Shit.”

  “What’s going on?” Mila said.

  “I just fell on an unconscious guy, and it’s not Dad. Quick, help me tie and gag him.” Jess held her hand out toward Mila. She waved it around a bit until she found Mila’s hand seeking hers. She guided Mila to the ground beside her.

  Jess ran her hands down the unconscious man’s chest and crossed a strap. She followed the strap around to his back and found it attached to a quiver of arrows. A little lower, she found a sword belt. They used that to tie one of his boots into his mouth and tied his hands and feet together in front of him with the strap from the quiver.

  “Where’s Mom?” said Jess.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I thought she was behind you.” Jess tried to look around, but the different shades of black did not reveal her mother.

  “She was, but when I started helping you—”

  “I’m here, honey.” Her mom spoke from a couple of meters away.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m just retying your father’s dressing.”

  “You found him? Dad! Why didn’t you answer me?”

  “He can’t hear you right now, Jess.”

  “What’s wrong? Is he okay?” Mila asked.

  “He’s just sleeping.” Mom sounded almost whimsical.

  “Mom, you’re scaring me. Is he alive?” Jess sucked in a breath.

  Her mother didn’t answer. She wanted to reach out and throttle her. Why was she stalling? Just answer the question. Please. “Mom!”

  “Yes, he’s fine. I was just taking his pulse again.”

  “Thanks for the heart failure, Mom,” Mila said. “Can you say bad timing?”

  “I know, right?” Jess’s heart pounded in her throat.

  “I’m coming toward you,” said Mila. She started moving in the dark. “Hold
out your hand in my direction, so I don’t step on you.”

  Jess took a long, controlled breath and let it out slowly, washing away the adrenaline buzz. She was spent. They all needed sleep. But what would Dad do? A watch, yeah, that was it. “Okay, guys, we need to take turns sleeping and keeping watch.”

  “It’s pitch black. What are we going to watch?”

  Jess rolled her eyes. Mila’s sarcasm was a sure indicator that she was feeling better. “We need to know when the knight leaves the inn, genius. I’ll go first, then Mom, then you. Whoever sees the knight leave wakes the others. Plan?”

  “Plan,” said Mila.

  “That sounds fine, Jess,” said Mom.

  Jess shivered as the chill of the night penetrated her dress. That was all right. The cold would keep her awake and vigilant. But Mila had on the same flimsy JumpGear traveling dress. “Mila, you should cuddle with Mom. It’s the only way you’ll stay warm enough.”

  “Thanks, Constable Obvious. We’re using her dress as a blanket.”

  “Oh, good idea.” She had forgotten that Dad had stuck it in his belt when Mom threw it at him. Never discard anything, his voice advised in her head. You never know when you might need it. He was still looking out for them, even when he was unconscious. That made her smile.

  Chapter Fifteen

  April 28, 1341

  Mila stood shivering in the cold. The black of night had grayed and now verged on light blue as the new day arrived. She kept her eyes on the inn, just visible through the trees. Fingers of white smoke reached out through the gap in the thatching. Someone inside had started their day.

  It wasn’t long before the knight appeared, leading his horse onto the road. He set out in the direction of the castle, his men hurrying to catch up.

  Mila walked back to their little camp and shook Jess and Sandra. They stirred and stood to stretch. The crossbowman was already awake and watching them.

  Jess stepped toward him. “I’m going to ask you some questions. Nod if you understand me.”

  The man did nothing.

  “Je vais vous poser quelques questions. Hocher la tête si vous me comprenez.”

  The man nodded.

  Jess leaned over and removed the makeshift gag from his mouth. “Quel est votre nom?”

  “Jean-Pierre.” He smiled up at her.

  “Bonjour, Jean-Pierre. Ou est l’arbalète?”

  “C’est derriere l’arbre.” He pointed at the nearest tree with his tied hands.

  “Mila, translate for me,” Sandra said. “I want to know what he says.”

  “Jess asked him where his crossbow was, and he said it was behind this tree.” Mila walked around the tree, and there it was. She picked it up and felt its weight. A bit heavier than the modern crossbow she’d held as a teenager. She wandered back around the tree to show Jess.

  Jess nodded.

  “Why did you attack us?” she continued in French.

  “We were sent to capture the witches.” He shrugged.

  “Who told you we were witches?”

  “I have seen it with my own eyes. You appeared instantly, like a miracle.” Jean-Pierre glanced at John. “He fights well-armed, battle-hardened guards with only his hands… He sees in the dark like a devil.”

  “Okay, I get the picture. Why are you being so cooperative?”

  “I have seen what you can do.”

  Jess stepped away and turned a full circle, scanning the forest.

  “What are you looking for?” asked Mila.

  “Just maintaining my situational awareness. I didn’t want to stay focused on JP here in case he was intentionally trying to distract me.”

  “Makes sense,” said Mila. She did a three-sixty of her own and didn’t see anyone.

  Jess knelt in front of Jean-Pierre. “Who sent you to capture the witches?”

  “The bishop.”

  Mila wondered why the hell the bishop would think they were witches. They’d never been there before.

  “Do you know why?” said Jess.

  “They do not tell me why.”

  “I can’t think of any other questions right now,” said Jess. “You?”

  Mila and Sandra both shook their heads.

  “We need to strip him of his armor and weapons,” said Jess.

  “How are you going to do that while he’s tied up?” Mila pointed at his bindings.

  “Do you know how to use that thing?”

  Mila dropped the business end of the crossbow to the ground and put her foot in the foot loop. She bent her knees and grasped the drawstring with both hands. Keeping her back and arms straight, she straightened her legs and strained the drawstring up onto its locking peg. It was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She grabbed a bolt from the pile they had dumped out of the quiver and slid it in place. She aimed at Jean-Pierre’s head. “Ma soeur va prendre vos vêtements. Reste assis. Si tu bouges, tu meurs. Comprendre?”

  He nodded.

  “What did you say to him?” Sandra asked.

  “She said if he moves he’s dead.” Jess undid the quiver belt from his hands and legs.

  He sat untied on the ground. If he was going to try something, this would be the moment, but Mila edged closer.

  Jean-Pierre’s eyes flashed from Jess, to Mila, to the crossbow. He quietly slipped his chain mail over his head and handed it to Jess.

  “Shirt, pants, and boots.” Jess pointed at the rest of his clothes. When he had removed them, they could see a pouch attached to a leather thong around his waist. Jess reached down and pulled it off. The jingle of metal revealed its contents.

  “Have you got him?” asked Jess.

  “I’ve got him.” Mila’s aim hadn’t wavered.

  “Okay, I’m going to put this stuff on. You can have the next set.”

  “Be my guest.” Mila wrinkled her nose. “I can smell them from here.”

  Jess slipped off her dress and handed it to Sandra. “You can use this to make some more bandages for Dad, but save me a couple of long ones to retie this guy.”

  “And now you’re just showing off.” Mila shook her head.

  Jess glanced up. Jean-Pierre’s mouth hung open as his eyes roamed her naked body. “Détourner le regard connard, ou je vais te botter le cul.”

  He dropped his eyes.

  After Jess was dressed, Sandra handed her a couple of long strips of cloth, and she retied Jean-Pierre.

  “Should I ask?” Jess said.

  “What?” Mila picked up the quiver and knelt to put the rest of the crossbow bolts back in it.

  “How you became proficient in the handling of a crossbow?”

  “Remember Pete?” Mila stood and slung the quiver over her shoulder.

  Jess shook her head. “Is Pete one of the fallen?”

  “Yeah.” Mila smiled. Jess had long since lost track of the number of boyfriends Mila had gone through in high school and then college. She seemed to have a new one on her arm at every family function. Jess used to joke that she would dump them just before their birthdays so she wouldn’t have to buy them anything. “We used to shoot targets behind his barn after school.”

  “Is that all you did behind his barn?” Sandra said as she put a fresh bandage on John’s leg.

  “Don’t ask questions you don’t really want the answers to.” Mila smirked. “But if you must know—”

  “No,” Jess said, shaking her head. “We’re good.”

  “Well, as it turns out, he had this huge—”

  “Mila!” Jess stopped her.

  “Bruise on his ass where I kicked it.” Mila stood there, smiling back at her.

  Jess sighed and chuckled. “Some guys don’t understand no.”

  “He understood,” Mila laughed.

  “What are you laughing about?” John opened his eyes and sat up.

  “Dad?” Jess knelt next to him. “How do you feel?”

  “Never mind that. What’s our situation? What did I miss?”

  “Answer the question, John,”
Sandra said. “You lost command of this unit when you passed out.”

  John faced her. “I feel tired, thirsty, and hungry. But I’m going to ignore those things and try to focus on what’s important. Now, will you tell me what’s going on?”

  Sandra glared at him.

  “Dad, we’re doing fine.” Jess touched his arm. “We tied up your crossbowman, took his stuff, and got some information out of him. The knight left the inn about a half hour ago. If you can stand, let’s try to get something to eat.” She jingled the money pouch.

  “Thanks, Jess.” John smiled up at her. “I knew I could count on you.”

  “Are you serious?” Mila couldn’t believe he was pulling this shit. Here. Now. “Like Sandra and I are on fucking holiday!”

  “Mila. Let it go. He’s not himself.”

  Mila glared at Sandra. “Really? Cause if you ask me, he’s himself.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry.”

  John’s feeble apology rang hollow in her ears. “Forget it. Let’s just get something to eat.”

  Mila reached down to give John a hand up. He gripped her right hand and started to transfer his weight onto his legs, but he wasn’t coming up. Jess grabbed his left hand, and between the two of them they dragged his ass up.

  “Thanks, guys,” he said.

  He looked at Jess when he said it, but Mila kept her comments to herself.

  John adjusted his sword belt so that the sword hung at his side with the hilt easily accessible. “Like this,” he said to Jess and Sandra. They were wearing their swords hung at the front. They slid them around to the side.

  “You grip the sheath with your left. And pull the sword out with your right.” He demonstrated. “If it’s not around at your side when you start, you run out of arm before the blade clears the sheath. Practice that a couple of times.”

  While Sandra and Jess were trying what he’d shown them, John turned his attention to Mila. She still had on the JumpGear dress, so there was no way he could find fault with that. She’d put the quiver over her head and draped it down her back above her left shoulder.

  “Do you really know how to use that?” John sounded skeptical.