Third Person POV
Indistinct chatter fills the castle foyer. Swastika flags hang evenly spaced through the walkway. A German man makes a speech at the front of the party. He talks about the triumph over their enemies as a woman places a medal around the neck of a scientist. A flash captures the moment as the man at the podium continues speaking. The man praised the strength of the National Socialists, the Nazis. At the end of his speech, he points towards the giant window at the back of the foyer. The crowd claps and turns to see what the man was pointing at. A rocket launches high into the air and the crowd yells, “Heil, Hitler!”
Eve’s POV
I sat in my room reading over the dossier that Agent Christopher gave me. Not much had changed only that Clara never walked into the bar and never met Andy. Another minor difference was that I got the bar a year later. Andy had asked me questions, none of which I could answer. I told him some story that with my vast degrees the government needed my help to profile a criminal mastermind and help bring him to justice. He obviously knew that it was a lie, but he let it go. When we first moved in, I told him that there were parts of my life that I would never be able to share with anyone, so this was just another one to add to the list.
I was actually able to get some well-deserved rest before Agent Christopher called me in again. I drove my car down to Mason industries to find everyone already huddled around a computer.
“Flynn is somewhere inside this fifty square mile area in northwest Germany, 1944,” Rufus said, pointing to the computer screen which held an old map.
“What’s so special about there?” Agent Christopher asked.
“That’s the thing. Not much. Lots of forest, farmland, a local castle.”
“What about the date?” Mason asked. “Any significance?”
“There is one thing,” Lucy said. “There was a tavern called Das Stein Haus, here.” She pointed to an intersection on the map. “It may have been a rendezvous place for Allied Resistance. It’s not 100%. The accounts are spotty, but maybe someone there can point us in the right direction.”
“Just so I’m clear,” Wyatt said, “you want to drop us into Nazi territory, roll up blind to some bar, and just convince someone there that we don’t know to help us? By the way, bring him?”
“Well, it’s either that or give the Nazis a nuclear weapon.”
“That’s not what Flynn is after,” I said.
“What makes you say that?” Agent Christopher asked.
“If all he wanted was to bring a nuke to the Nazis, why not do it at the start of the war? Give the Nazis more than a year’s advance on us. There is something else in that fifty square miles that he wants.”
“The problem is we don’t know his end goal,” Wyatt said. “Do you have any better ideas?”
“Unfortunately no. Without actually going I have no idea what he could want.”
“Well, does anyone here even speak German?” Rufus asked.
“I do,” Wyatt said.
“Really? You do?” Lucy asked.
“Yeah, four languages, actually.”
“Oh.”
“The Army drops us into other places than Palo Alto.”
“I also speak German. It’s one of the seven languages that I speak. Any idea how we are gonna get lederhosen in the next five minutes?” I asked.
“Ah, about that,” Mason said. We followed him deeper into the building until he reached his destination. He opened the door and we walked inside. He flicked the lights, and it was a giant closet. “Wardrobe dock,” Mason said, walking into the rows and rows of clothes. “Hundreds of expertly-crafted outfits suitable for any era. Uh, sorted by geographic area then by year. Germany’s this way.”
“Isn’t this a bit much?” Lucy asked.
“Well, it’s better to have and not need, than need and not have. And it doesn’t seem like these missions are ending any time soon, so….”
“Please tell me I can borrow some of these when we are done,” I said touching some of the expensive fabric.
“No, you may not.”
“Darn.”
One quick walk later and we all were selecting something from Germany’s collection. I chose a simple blouse and skirt combo. It took a minute, but Lucy helped me curl my hair and pin some of it back. I helped her choose some makeup, and then I made my way to the Lifeboat. Rufus was already waiting for us in the Lifeboat, and it looked like he was fiddling with something.
“So when we get to this tavern, how do we let’em know we’re friendly?” Wyatt asked.
“Uh, well, the accounts that I’ve read said that you have to order a specific Cognac at the bar,” Lucy said. “A ‘23 Remy Martini.”
“These the spotty, unreliable accounts?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Wonderful,” I muttered, putting on my seatbelt.
Rufus flicked some buttons and the door shut. “All right,” Rufus said. “Hang on.” Loud metal clanked outside the ship, and the ship started shaking. I could tell that Wyatt still wasn’t used to the feeling of time traveling. The shaking stopped, and we jolted in our seats.
“We really need to start bringing some Dramamine,” Wyatt said.
I opened my purse and handed him some Dramamine. “You’re welcome,” I said.
Rufus opened the door and we all looked outside to see a Nazi standing outside the door.
“Oh, my god,” Lucy said.
The soldier reached for his gun but Wyatt was faster. The soldier fell to the ground and Wyatt said, “no way he’s out here alone.”
“Then let’s get out of here before more show up,” I said.
We got out of the Lifeboat and followed a trail hoping it would lead us out of the forest. Along the way, we ran into another soldier. We all ducked for cover and Wyatt shot him. Lucy went on her high horse about keeping history the same. She still hasn’t got it that history is already changing every time Flynn jumps into the past. Wyatt dug through the dead soldier’s pockets and took some things, I couldn’t tell what.
Off in the distance, I could hear an engine, and it sounded like he was coming towards us. Wyatt and Rufus dragged the dead soldier behind a fallen tree, and we watched as two cars followed by a truck carrying a missile drove by. Once it was declared safe, we followed the road out of the forest and to the front of the tavern.
“All right, Lucy, Eve, and I head in,” Wyatt said, “order the drink, hopefully, get some help. Or at least not die. Rufus-”
“Stays right here,” Rufus said.
“No, I’m gonna need you to get one of those cars.”
“Rufus stays right here.”
“Rufus,” I said. “We don’t know what we are walking into, so we might need to make a fast exit, which can only happen if you hotwire one of the cars and pretend to be our driver.”
Rufus reluctantly agreed, so Wyatt gave him a lockpicking set, and the three of us walked into the tavern. A radio was playing softly and men were chatting quietly. A quick scan of the room and almost all of them were soldiers.
Wyatt, Lucy, and I walked up to the bar and Wyatt ordered the drink. But the bartender claimed not to have the drink. Wyatt tried to see if there was a bottle in the back, but the bartender insisted that he didn’t have the drink.
When the bartender asked if we were drinking or not I said, “ein Martini, bitte.” (A Martini Please) The bartender nodded his head and made me my drink. I paid and took a sip, surveying the room. There was a man watching us, and I think he heard us order the ‘23 Remy. Wyatt ordered two whiskeys for him and Lucy. They grabbed their drinks, and we all went over to a table to have a seat.
Lucy took a sip of her drink but her hands were shaking. “You good?” I asked her and she just nodded her head.
“Guten Morgen,” a deep voice said to my left. (Good Morning)
“Guten Morgen,” I replied, taking a small sip of my drink.
“Guten Morgen, Kapitän,” Wyatt said. (Good Morning, Captain)
“ Ich habe dich noch nie gesehen. Sie von hier?” The Captain asked. (I’ve never seen you before. You from around here?)
“Ich gehe gerade durch, Sir,” Wyatt said. “Wir sind auf dem Weg nach Antwerpen.” (Just passing through, sir. We are on our way to Antwerp)
The Captain got a knowing look in his eye.
“Bitte vergib meinem Bruder. Er kann ein bisschen dreist sein,” I said trying to diffuse the situation. (Please forgive my brother, he can be a bit brash.)
“Ah,” the Captain said. “Bitte verlassen Sie die hintere Tür.” (Exit the rear door, please)
“Sir…Wir wollen keinen Ärger,” Wyatt said, taking over the conversation. (We don’t want any trouble)
The Captain leaned closer to Wyatt and said, “verlassen Sie die hintere Tür. Jetzt.” (Exit the rear door. Now)
I downed the rest of my drink before we followed him out the back. The Captain had us walk in front and to my left, I saw Wyatt pull out his gun. Once we reached a shed away from prying eyes both gentlemen pulled their guns on each other.
“Put it away. Now,” the Captain said. “Before you get us all shot. Perhaps you can tell by my accent, but I’m not German, you idiot.”
I let out a big laugh. “This day just gets better and better, “ I muttered.
“Uh– What?” Lucy asked. “You’re…”
“Allied Resistance,” the Captain said. “I was in the middle of gathering intel when you three waltzed in. I swear, you Americans. You couldn’t stand out more if you tried. At least she blended in.” He pointed at me when he said that. “Asking for the Remy Martini, honestly.”
Just then Rufus burst through the door holding a gun to the Captain’s head. “Don’t move,” he said.
“Rufus, put it down,” I said walking over and grabbing the gun. “He’s on our side.”
“We work with the OSS,” Wyatt said, reigning the conversation back to the matter at hand. “I’m Agent… I’m Wyatt Logan. This is Lucy Preston,” Wyatt said pointing to Lucy, “and this is Eve Grey,” he said pointing to me, “and that’s our pilot, Rufus.”
“Well, relief to see a lovely face in… an ugly place,” the Captain said, taking my hand and giving it a small kiss.
“Charmed,” I said, flirting.
“Now, what are you lot doing here besides cocking up my operation?”
“If it’s all the same, I would love to take this conversation someplace a little bit more Nazi-free,” Wyatt said.
Rufus raised his hand and said, “I got a car.”
The Captain made a move to exit the shed, but Lucy called him back by asking what his name was. “Fleming,” he said. “Ian Fleming. MI:6.” Lucy and Wyatt’s jaws dropped. I rolled my eyes and followed after the handsome brit.
To keep up appearances and so that we were less likely to get pulled over, Rufus drove us to Mr. Fleming’s safe house. All the while I could feel Wyatt fangirling over the fact that he was sitting next to the person who wrote Jason Bond. After about ten more minutes, Rufus pulled up to a two-story cottage. There was Ivy growing up the wall, and it had almost completely taken over. But it didn’t look shabby or run-down, it looked like something out of a movie set or a storybook.
“That’s Ian Fleming. The Ian Fleming, the dude that wrote ‘James Bond’,” Wyatt said, still fangirling.
“Yes,” I said in a drawn-out manner as if I was talking to a child. “He was an actual spy in World War II, a good one. MI:6’s best agent. You a Bond fan?” I asked in a joking manner, already knowing the answer.
“Yeah, little bit,” Wyatt said, attempting to play it cool. He was failing.
“Me too,” Rufus piped up. “Love his movies.”
“And the books,” Wyatt whispered, excitement leaking back into his voice.
“Well can the two of you keep it together long enough to figure out what Flynn is up to or do you need to go wait in the Lifeboat?” I asked, a smirk played on my face. Wyatt shot me a dirty look, but I laughed it off.
“So…” Ian said walking back into the room holding a bottle of wine, “you lot are chasing an atomic weapon?” Along the very boring car ride, Wyatt had filled Ian in on what we were after, well the 1940’s version. “Those are only theoretical.”
“No, they’re real,” Wyatt said, getting into soldier mode. “This high-level threat we’re tracking, he stole a functional prototype.”
“We think he’s going to give it to the Nazis,” Lucy said.
“We saw a convoy on the way over here. There was a flatbed truck with a V2 rocket on it,” I said, sitting down across from Lucy.
“And you think the Krauts are going to try and arm it with this atom bomb?” Ian asked.
“That’s the theory,” Rufus said.
“At least my intel is finally starting to make sense. Here, take a look at this.” Ian pulled out a map from his back pants pocket. “This is Castle Varlar, here.” He pointed to a tiny dot on the map. “Next to it, the Nazis have been building a launchpad. They’re holding a demonstration of that V2 rocket tonight.”
“What kind of demonstration?” Lucy asked.
“They’re going to launch it,” I said, realization dawning on my face. “That’s why he brought it here and now.”
“Precisely,” Ian said. “Members of the High Command are going to sip champagne as they watch the rocket be launched into Belgium. The target is civilians and Allied troops. How powerful is this atomic weapon?”
“It will completely obliterate everything in a three-mile radius,” Rufus said.
“That’d be worse than Britain during the Blitz.”
“If you can get us to that launchpad, we can disarm that rocket. Right?” Wyatt asked Rufus.
“I mean, probably,” Rufus said, not exactly sounding confident. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“All right. Well…” Ian said opening the wine. “First things first.”
“So we’re drinking now?” Rufus asked.
“No better time than the present,” I said, reaching over and grabbing a glass.
“Exactly,” Ian said, agreeing with me “with what you’ve been through, and what we’re about to go through, absolutely.”
“Amen to that,” Wyatt said.
“Cheers, chaps.”
We all raised our glasses and took a drink. Well, Wyatt downed his drink in one gulp, and Lucy didn’t even move her hand to bring the glass closer to her. When Ian noticed that Lucy didn’t drink he said, “it’s, uh, bad form to leave a poured glass full.” She took the glass from him but still didn’t drink.
After Ian suited up, we all walked toward the launch pad. Up ahead of us, Rufus walked next to Ian. I could tell they were talking with each other, but I was too far away to hear what. We reached the guard post and Ian went first to yell at the two men standing guard. They appeared to have a flask, so it was something easy to yell at them about. The two men went scurrying away so whatever Ian said to them clearly worked. After they were far enough away, we ran towards the rocket from our hiding spot in the bushes. Rufus pulled out a Geiger counter and we all stood back as he did his thing.
“The bomb’s not here,” Rufus said.
“What do you mean?” Wyatt asked. “It has to be.”
“I’m not picking up any traces of radiation. It’s nowhere near here.”
“Well, perhaps we’re early,” Ian offered. “Maybe the Nazis haven’t attached it yet.”
“Look you can’t just strap it on with some duct tape. There is no way they armed one of these rockets in time for the launch tonight.”
“Maybe we’re wrong about why Flynn’s here,” Lucy said.
“I agree,” I said. “Flynn’s always gone after people first, so there has to be someone attending the party tonight that he wants.”
We heard the telltale sounds of a car engine, and we bolted towards cover. Several men got out of the two cars. All of them were wearing nice suits. The last man to get out of the second car was Flynn. Wyatt pulled out his gun from his waistband and attached the silencer. Wyatt aimed for Flynn but another man got in his line of shot.
Lucy pulled Wyatt’s gun down in a panic. “Stop, stop,” she whispered. “Don’t shoot. You can’t shoot. That’s Wernher Von Braun standing next to Flynn.”
“Who the hell is that?” Wyatt whisper asked, angrily.
“Someone we can’t risk getting caught in the crossfire.”
“Flynn is right there!”
“Please, Wyatt. You can’t. You have to trust me.”
We had to wait until the men in the cars left before we could leave our hiding spot. All along the way back to the house Wyatt fumed. He had a shot at killing Flynn, but Lucy wouldn’t let him take it, and he was furious.
“Explain again why I can’t kill Flynn?” Wyatt said after we made it back to the house.
“We can’t risk Von Braun,” Lucy said. “We need him alive.”
“He’s the father of their rocket program,” Rufus said. “He’s a genius.”
“Right, got it,” Wyatt said sassily. “Wouldn’t want to kill a smart Nazi.”
“Any operative that spots Von Braun has orders to apprehend him immediately,” Lucy said. “The Allies want him for themselves. You know that.”
“This man’s rockets rained on Britain during the Blitz,” Ian said.
“Yes, but there is a bigger picture here.”
“Very well. If those are the orders, then those are the orders. We’ll snatch him up and take him to the Allies.”
“Thank you.”
“So it seems that this Von Braun will be at the demonstration tonight. I can get us past the front door. Eve can accompany me as my secretary.”
“How do I get in?” Wyatt asked.
“You don’t. You, Rufus, and Lucy can provide backup from the perimeter.”
“She doesn’t get in without me.”
“I can barely get her in much less you. Besides, she’s a capable operative just the same as you and I, isn’t she?”
“She is standing right here,” I said getting in between the two of them. I looked to Wyatt and said, “I can handle it.” Then I looked at Ian. “Do you have anything else for me to wear? I can only imagine that I will get the wrong kind of attention if I go in this.”
“I’ll go and find you a uniform.” Ian walked out of the room and I could tell that Wyatt was not happy with the arrangement.
Wyatt and Lucy started arguing again about killing Flynn. Lucy said no because Von Braun is going to jumpstart our rocket program and get us to the moon which helps us win the Cold War. Then Wyatt had a logical question; if Von Braun was so important, why didn’t Flynn kill him? But none of us had an answer. I had a theory, but I wanted to wait until I could gather more evidence before telling anyone.
Ian came back with a uniform and he showed me a room I could change in. It was a simple army green skirt with a matching jacket and a white collared shirt to go underneath. There was also a black-tie. I placed a small swakista pin on the left lapel of the jacket.
“Hey, a deep voice said from behind me. The lack of an English accent told me it was Wyatt.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” I asked playfully, making eye contact in the mirror.
“I did. Twice.”
“Must’ve been lost in thought. I want you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Promise me that you will look out for Lucy. I can tell that there’s something bugging her.”
He nodded. “Sure. Is there anything that you want to talk about? You just seem more quiet than usual, that’s all.”
“Everything’s fine. Just not the happiest place in history.”
“Tell me about it. My grandpa, Sherwin’s, gotta be less than 200 miles from here right now. Younger than me, in the 101st, killing Nazis. That’s why saving Nazis or letting Lincoln die, that’s hard for me because… feels like I’m letting him down.”
“He would be very proud of who you are. I know he would be, I am.”
After my confession, we just stood there staring at each other. Not quite sure how to continue. “Be careful out there tonight,” I said breaking the silence.
“Will do, ma’am,” Wyatt teased.
I softly shook my head at him before he left the room.
Night quickly descended upon us, and Ian and I left before everyone else. We had agreed to meet back at the car if anything were to go wrong; or if we had grabbed Von Braun. We pulled into the front of a beautiful castle. It was a scene that even Hollywood could not replicate even if they tried. The only negative would be the giant Nazi banners hanging from the second-floor balcony. Around us, groups of people chattered about nothing. For them, this was a social event not a strategic show of force. Ian and I split up to cover more ground, but we met back on the second-floor balcony after a sweep through the crowd.
“Did you find Von Braun?” I whisper asked.
“He’s down there somewhere,” Ian whispered back. He placed his hand on top of mine which was resting on the banister. “Trust me. We’ll find him.”
“I don’t doubt that. Based on your reputation, you’re quite good at this sort of thing. Something tells me that there’s a reason for that.”
“The Blitz. Surviving them has a way of changing your perspective.”
“You were there when it happened?”
“Not just me. My brother Michael came to visit me in London. So, naturally, I dragged him off to the pub. When we got to the door, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. Went back to the car to retrieve it, and suddenly, it was day, and they were pulling me out from under the rubble. Pub wasn’t there anymore. Along with…much of London.”
I rested one of my hands on his arm and said, “I’m sorry about your brother.”
“We’ve all lost something in this war.”
I looked behind me and saw a familiar symbol. It was the Ichthys symbol from the Catholic Church. Ian gave my shoulder a quick nudge and told me to look ahead. To my surprise, Von Braun was standing at the balcony directly across from ours.
“Do you think you could catch his eye and lure him into that hallway on the left?” Ian asked.
“I can try.”
“Good. I’ll take the long way around and meet you there.”
I nodded my head and he left. I waited a few more seconds and left in the opposite direction. I walked down the elegant staircase, and it seemed that Von Braun had decided to move as well. I started to walk towards him but a firm hand grabbed my arm.
The man pushed me away from Von Braun and said, “I was wondering when you’d get here. Where’s your friend Wyatt. He dropped in on me this morning uninvited.”
“Maybe you should be more careful Flynn. You’re starting to become predictable,” I taunted. “So why isn’t Von Braun dead yet? Isn’t he the reason you came to Germany?”
“I could do so much worse than kill him. I could relocate him for instance.”
“You’re going to give him to the Soviets?”
“Killing Von Braun would be easy, but handing him to the Russians, assuring they’ll win the Cold War, maybe even be the first to the moon–far more damaging.”
“I don’t get you. You claim to want to save America but you’re willing to sentence our present thirty years into the past. How is that helping anybody? How is that stopping Rittenhouse?”
“Don’t underestimate them. I just… wish you could recognize there is a greater good here.”
“Well, I’m sorry I don’t have your vision. You’ve shot Lincoln. You’re helping Nazis. It sounds insane even saying it, much less you doing it.?”
“You think I like doing this? You think I like helping these bastards? You think I sleep at night? One day, you’ll understand. I’m a patriot.”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. But I do know that you’re not getting Von Braun.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“For one, the man at your back.”
Ian walked up behind Flynn and I think he was holding a gun to Flynn’s back.
“You found your way to the British spy. Love your movies,” Flynn said to Ian.
“Movies?” Ian asked.
“You didn’t think everywhere you went, we wouldn’t come after you?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s exactly what I was counting on.” Flynn raised his hand and a group of men joined us.
“Das ist der britische Spion und sein Komplize?” a german official said. “Die, von denen du uns erzählt hast?” (This is the British spy and his accomplice? The ones you told us about?)
“Ja. Diejenigen, die versuchen, Herrn von Braun zu entführen,” Flynn said. (Yes. The ones trying to abduct Herr Von Braun.)
“Gehe zum Arbeitszimmer.” (Move to the study.)
“Ich habe eine Waffe auf seinem Rücken,” Ian said. (I have a gun at his back.)
“Und ich habe eine Waffe an ihrem Kopf,” the official said. (And I have a gun at her head.) The official raised his pistol and pointed it at my head. “Soll ich schießen?” (Should I shoot?)
Ian handed his gun to one of the officers behind him. A man from behind came and yanked on my arm and led me to the study. I was tempted to stomp on his foot but decided against it when I felt the barrel of a gun pressing against my spine.
An explosion shook the palace. Ian and I used it as a distraction to knock out the two guards who held us at gunpoint. He pulled a tiny pistol from his shirt sleeve and shot each of the men. We quickly grabbed the guns from the dead soldiers, but before we could get very far, two more soldiers came out of the hallway with guns ready. I raised my gun but before I could get a shot off they dropped dead. I looked through the glass door to see Wyatt, Rufus, and Lucy.
“Time to go,” Wyatt said.
“We still have to get Von Braun. Flynn wants to take him to the Soviets,” I said.
We fought against the rushing crowd to get to Von Braun. He was coming down the stairs, but Wyatt and Ian pushed him back. Across the balcony, I saw Flynn with a gun in his hand and Nazis behind him. The six of us rushed into a private office and locked the door. Wyatt and Ian then proceeded to barricade the door using various furniture items.
“No windows, no other doors,” Rufus said, panic clear in his voice.
“We post up here. Soon as they come through the door we shoot,” Wyatt said.
“Wyatt, that’s suicide,” Lucy said.
“All right, but first…” Ian said before he turned to shoot Von Braun.
“Oh, no, please!” Von Braun shouted.
Wyatt and Rufus rushed to yank Ian’s arm down and the bullet went in the floor.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Wyatt asked very loudly.
“That bastard’s rockets destroyed London.”
“I was just following orders,” Von Braun tried to defend himself.
“He has to pay for what he did. You give him to the Allies, that’s never gonna happen! There is right and there’s wrong.”
“Wyatt,” Lucy warned.
“Wyatt!” I yelled.
“I agree with him… but I trust you,” Wyatt said looking between Lucy and me. “We listen to them. End of story.”
“Ian, revenge isn’t the answer,” I said. “It’s not going to bring back Michael.”
Pounding on the door intensified, and I could hear some of the pieces splintering.
“Give me the gun,” Ian said to Wyatt.
“We really don’t have time for this!” Rufus shouted.
“Wyatt, they will be in here in 10 seconds. Give me the gun!”
“Hold on,” Lucy said. “I remember why this castle is so special.”
Lucy went over to the fireplace and turned the Ichthys sideways, and a secret passage opened up. We walked through a series of tunnels that eventually led us outside. We looked behind us and could see the exploded rocket still ablaze.
“So you just knew there was a secret passage there?” Rufus asked as we watched the flames dance.
“In the 1500s, Catholicism was outlawed here,” Lucy said. “So Catholics in that castle built a network of secret tunnels to get priests in and out. Through the fireplaces.”
“They called ‘em ‘Priest Holes,’” Wyatt said.
“How did you know that?” Rufus asked Wyatt.
“It was in ‘Skyfall’.”
We started our journey back to Ian’s safehouse soon after. Once we got back, Ian made contact with MI:6, and they were going to send for Von Braun in the morning. After debriefing for a few minutes, I took a much-needed shower before using a guest room to sleep. The following morning we all waited outside for the Allies to come and get Von Braun.
“How long till you think the Allies are here?” Lucy asked.
“Fleming made a call,” Wyatt said. “They should be here any minute.”
“He doesn’t seem worried,” Rufus noticed. “He looks happy.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t you? He knows how valuable he is. He’s gonna get away with everything he’s ever done. He’s gonna live a great life.”
Rufus walked over to Von Braun just before the car showed up. The three of us started walking to the car.
“I can’t believe we pulled this off,” Lucy said. “Thanks for getting me over the hump.”
“Yeah, well don’t get all soft with me,” Wyatt said. “Flynn’s still got a nuke.”
Ian walked outside just as the car pulled up. Von Braun went over to the car and got in the back seat.
“I hope you’re right about this,” Ian said.
“We are,” Lucy said.
“Well, I guess this is good-bye. But maybe not for you,” Ian said looking in my direction. “I might find myself stateside when all this is over.”
“I’m sure you will,” I said.
“Will you be waiting?” He asked, leaning closer.
I leaned in close before placing a delicate kiss on his cheek. “Definitely not,” I whispered.
Ian walked closer to the car before turning back around. “Well… never say never.”
“Again,” Wyatt chimed in. Ian gave him a strange look, but then it almost morphed into an idea face. I think Wyatt just gave Ian an idea for a book title.
“Seriously?” Lucy asked. Wyatt gave her a dejected look, and I just laughed. We began our trek into the forest to find the Lifeboat.
One quick time jump later and we were back in the present. Lucy and Wyatt gave Agent Christopher a rundown of what happened at the castle.
“That’s–” Mason started with a small chuckle.
“What?” I asked.
“Well, you’re– you’ve just described, beat by beat, the plot of Weapon of Choice.”
“What’s Weapon of Choice?” Rufus asked.
“The Bond movie.”
“Mm, no such movie,” Wyatt denied.
“Yes, there is. It’s the one in the castle with the rockets. Uh, Connery’s finest, as far as I’m concerned.”
A technician came over to us and handed Ruf what looked like a tablet. “Bond infiltrates the castle, rescue evil scientist, with the help of CIA agents Wyatt, Lucy, Eve, and Rufus,” Rufus said excitedly. “How much you wanna bet Bond sleeps with either Eve or Lucy in that one?”
I leaned over and smacked Rufus’s arm for the comment.
“Okay, so you’re telling me there’s a new Bond movie with Sean Connery and we’re in it?” Wyatt said, very excited.
“Yeah, but it’s not new. Came out in, what, ‘64?” Mason said.
“Well, it’s new to me!”
“Okay, I hate to put a damper on all the fangirling, but did you find any signs of the nuke?” Agent Christopher asked.
“Nothing. Not even radiation traces,” Rufus answered.
“I don’t get it. If Flynn was gonna use it, this would’ve been the perfect time.”
“Unless he wants to use it for something else,” Mason said.
“Like what?” I asked.
Mason and Rufus shared a look. “Well, un, something Anthony talked about once, but that was…” Mason started.
“Theoretical,” Rufus finished. “There’s no way he even could’ve.”
“Could have what?” Agent Christopher asked.
“Built a battery for the mothership. One where you would never have to plug it in to charge it.”
After that bombshell was dropped on us, we all went back to the Wardrobe dock and got changed. I drove my car back home, and to my surprise, Andy had the “new” Bond film. I made a bowl of popcorn and watched how Ian changed our story.