Chapter 10 Ezra Prescott

Ezra - Age 46 (POV)

Jeremiah - Age 44

June 14th, 1917

8:09 AM

German Concentration Camp

Meridian Prime

100 years earlier...

I am imprisoned in my cell with my companion Jeremiah. Taken prisoner inside the German concentration camp as a prisoner of war during an ambush on the path to the lost city of High Providence. Where we were to find the ark of genesis to help our country win this war to end all wars. A war that would repeat history. A war known as the eternity war. A war that America and Britain was losing.

The Germans were on the verge of winning this war as we were locked up like animals and they in the meanwhile were coming closer to the ark than we ever could. But even now as the enemy line nears the x that marks the spot, there may be hope for us to win this war yet.

"Are you not reading tonight, Ezra?" Jeremiah asked making pull ups.

"Jeremiah, come here," I say holding onto the bar of our cell.

Jeremiah get up to come up close and talk.

"Listen," I say. "The guards. They're singing."

"Aye, well, they're probably drunk," said Jeremiah.

"Perhaps. But they are content. How can they be content with their small lives? Their miserable jobs?"

"Well, they may have families to go home to as anyone would. What do we have? Nothing, that's what."

"We have ambition."

"I've heard that word in the many times since this perilous crusade began."

"And when we get out of here, that ambition will take us to a place these vermin have no clue what they're walking into."

"Not that we ever knew what we would walk into either. I will not commend to your optimism."

Jeremiah laid back on the bed of our cell as I kept holding onto my imminent freedom I knew was coming. Even if Jeremiah did not believe it was.

"What will you do when you get out of here, Jeremiah?" I ask.

Jeremiah chuckled.

"That's if we get out of here," he said. "I'm sure you can imagine."

"I can. But I want to hear you say it."

"I will find the greatest time ark of all time. Which I am certain you've grown tired of hearing about by now."

"Oh no. The tale of King Arthur and the order of Saint Loomis has been bestowed upon my family's lineage for centuries. And has become a sweet lullaby for me. Do you really think we can just stop now after all this time?"

"Given the circumstances? Absolutely not."

"Ambition. What is that Arthur quote?"

"Till the high god behold it from beyond and enter it. And make it beautiful."

"I like how he thinks."

And finally, our freedom arrives. The sound of bang to the door to our cell block with my men and allies arriving to the rescue.

"What in hell was that?" Jeremiah jerked.

"The opportunity of a lifetime," I say.

It was my brother Martin and Captain Carter with a squad of his men closing in and arriving in the nick of time to our cell. At last.

"Ezra, thank heavens you're safe," said Martin.

"Professor Prescott, a pleasure seeing you here," said Carter.

"Let's get out of here," I tell the captain as he unlocks the cell door.

"We need to go," said Martin. "Before the guards catch on."

The captain lends me a pistol to fight with. For there will be many guards to shoot past in our escape. Martin, Carter, and the rest of our rescuers had arms to defend themselves with as well. We would be needing them too.

"Jeremiah, are you ready to seek our fortune?" I ask my trustee.

"Yes, indeed," he says.

I throw him his gun to use to fight our way out of here before we exit the cell.

"Come on, let's move," I say.

We walk out of our cell with out rescuers that include my young sibling and the captain with couple of his platoon. March down the cell block to the exit. There is commotion of other prisoners of war hollering and chanting inside their cells on our block begging to be freed as well. And they will soon. Once the second phase of the escape plan is in motion.

Since I had been leading this expedition and conquest to the Ark of Genesis, I too was a soldier of America and our Britain allies and Captain Carter allowed me to take point and give the orders when need be.

"Holy shite," said Jeremiah.

"Are the others in position?" I asked Carter.

"On they're way," replied Carter. "Everything going according to plan."

"Fantastic."

As we race across the halls past our cellblock leaving the prisoners behinds, Jeremiah began to wonder how I had this planned. I too was feeling remorse for their freedom, but only after phase two was accomplished.

"How long have you had this planned?" Jeremiah asked.

"Since the moment I set foot in this place," I answer. "Keep up, Jeremiah. We're going to have to move quickly."

"Holy shite," said Jeremiah staring at bodies of guard Carter's men had killed in halls.

We had made it to the security room by the cellblock exit where the cell controls were located. Martin and Carter stood their positions with the other American/Britain troops in attack formation. My brother and the captain stood between the exit and our soldiers stood guard in front of the door ready to attack the next rooms.

German guards had laid down on the floor shot and killed like rabbits as a wounded guard curled up by a corner prayed for mercy. The only mercy I could offer was a merciful death.

"Stück Scheiße! (Piece of shit!)," the guard cried.

"Take care of the door," I tell a friendly soldier.

I walk up to the wounded guard to silence the life of him.

"Du wirst niemals lebend hier weggehen! (You will never leave here alive!)" He cried.

"Schweigen. (Silence.)", I say.

Then I pull the trigger of my pistol and to put the misery out of him.

"Jesus," said Jeremiah.

"These men are sadistic," I said. "We're doing the world a favor, eh?

I take the guard's pistol and hand it over to Jeremiah for him to use.

"Here, you'll need this," I tell him.

He takes the gun from my hand and now had something to defend with.

"You remember how to use it?" I ask.

"Yeah, it'll come back to me," said Jeremiah.

"Open all the doors," I tell the soldier behind the controls.

"Ezra, you do that and you'll start a bloody riot," said Martin.

"Exactly," I chuckle. "Captain, is Ezekiel out there waiting for us?"

"Aye, Professor," said Carter. "He's out there now with the other half of my men awaiting our window. Let's not keep him waiting long."

"Do it," I tell the soldier. "Stay close, Jeremiah."

As soon as the friendly soldier pulls the lever opening every cell in the POW camp and releasing every prisoner to began the riot as our escape fodder, the alarm is sounded with red lights strobing and guards prompted on high alert. Every journey begins with a bang and everyone will be escaping this hell pit now. Even if they die attempting.

Martin and Carter help us open the doors to start running and gunning through the halls. We could see prisoner running across the halls only to be slain by bullets from automatic rifles as they drop dead on the floor in front of us. Then we shoot the guards who killed the prisoners up front as we corner them in they're path. I tell Jeremiah to stay close to us as we push forward to the next room.

The next room is another cell block with even more guards tempting to shoot us in our path. Guards with rifles are posted on every corner from the balconies and the floor we walk through. Every one of us find cover to avoiding the flying bullets.

"This is madness!" Jeremiah shouted.

I laugh.

"We're going to need to earn our freedom," I say.

A spotlight in the room shines across the block that almost blinds us from firing. But search light in the room do not subdue us to freedom We keep pushing forward and kill every last german vermin on sight. The ones who think they've won, but haven't won. Not unless we fulfill our victory to the ark first.

Fire was being lit on the block and prisoners were being thrown off the balconies like rodents. Like animals tormented by other animals. These prisoners were fighters, but to no avail. It would only be up to us make up for our avail to freedom and victory for this war to be won against the germans. And we could not do that if our escape was to no avail and neither succeeding our conquest to the ark of genesis.

Every german guard we killed was every step to our avail. We had all cleared out the next block and proceeded through the prison as planned. Then stopped in another room to call in our next phase.

"You see?" I ask Jeremiah. "The plan is working."

"Indeed, I see," said Jeremiah. "So now what?"

Captain Carter radioed in Ezekiel to inform him and his other band of men of our position.

"We are in position," he called in. "They are ready."

"Yes, look for where to cover," said Ezekiel on the radio.

"Jeremiah, get behind something," I order him.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it."

All of us take cover behind something as an explosion burst open a brick wall and dust and rubble sprouts across the room. It had been set off by dynamite Ezekiel and his group set for us before we were freed. Jeremiah coughs a little and the explosion almost deafened him since he was the closest to it. The hole in the wall gave us a shortcut outdoors to escape the prison.

"Are you alright, Jeremiah?" I ask.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he replies. "I'll live."

Once we walk through the hole and out into the open sun, Jeremiah's eldest brother Ezekiel had been there setting off the explosion and waiting for us to come through and escape with him.

"Jeremiah, thank goodness you're alright!" Ezekiel shouted.

"Ezekiel, aren't you one for sore eyes!" Jeremiah shouted back.

"Professor Prescott, fitting to see you're okay as well."

"We are fine," I tell Ezekiel.

"Understood, follow me. The trucks are on the way."

"Very well. Let's move out."

We all cut through the outdoor steam pipeways to escape the prison. There were still guards onto us as they fired they're rifles from the balconies. We all run and gun taking a few casualties from some of our men, but push foward to mourn them another day. I tell Jeremiah and my younger brother Martin run as quick as they could as Carter, Ezekiel, and I take point.

Then suddenly, a guard drop down on Jeremiah pinning him to the wall and attacking him with his bare fist and hands. I run after Jeremiah and his attacker and shoot the assailant direct in the face in my defense for my compatriot. Then tell him to keep moving foward.

We walk up a flight of stairs to high ground are there are more guards to shoot back at. Once we do away with the gaurds on the steps and push upward on the steps, the stairs take us to a chain linked fense with barbwire we all must hop over. As soon as every one of us mantles over the fense through a gap with no sharp wire, we enter an area where the entirety is light on fire and a machine turret is posted on a tower twelve-o-clock high.

"The turret! Watch out for the turret!" Carter warned.

"Shite!" Jeremiah cried.

Everyone takes cover from the turret fire even with a few casualties from more of our men. We were getting closer to our escape and our ticket to freedom was to destroy the parasitic turret tower.

"What in hell do we do now?!" Martin cried.

"Keep moving up!" I order.

Neither one of us had good cover. The calibration of the turret bullets was strong enough to penetrate through the concrete and brick stacks we would use for cover. Our technique of advancing towards the tower was waiting for the turrent to fire in an opposite direction from one of us and run to further cover.

As we kept up the technique, there was more pressure to be had than just the gun on the tower. More german troopers had been spreading more heat like a wildfire. The odds of survival were reduced a dozen to one.

"We're not gonna make it!" Ezekiel hollered.

"Keep shooting!" I order.

We made it to the farthest front of the tower with a few enemy soldiers taken out, but still pinned down from the turrent. Our reinforcements should be here in any second now as planned.

"Shite, I'm pinned down!" Jeremiah yelled.

"Just hold on!" I shout. "Patience, Jeremiah!"

Suddently a rocket fired from one of the balconies between us. It had been bazooka fire. Our reinforcements made themselves perfect timing for us before getting slaughtered in this onslaught in the prison. Then another rocket was fired from the other balcony destroying the tower and ridding of the turrent gunner for good. We were saved at last. I laugh out loud.

"You see?" I ask Jeremiah. "No time to catch you breath. Move it!"

"The trucks are on the way!" Ezekiel shouted.

"Don't stop!" I shout.

Finally, we make it to the front gate where our trucks would be waiting for us. There were still germans after us, but we needed to press foward. We could not stop for anything.

"They're everywhere!" Martin shouted.

"Don't bother with them!" I order. "Keep running!"

"Stoppe sie! (Stop them!)" A german guard ordered from behind us.

We still had our demolition enforcements with us who took care of a few dozen german with their rocket weapons. All cover us thanks to Carter. At last, our escape vehicles had arrived. A convoy of three liberty trucks had parked by the gate for all of us to escape. Jeremiah, Martin, Ezekiel, Carter, and I entered on vehicle. Our british troops entered another and our American allies entered the other.

Then off we went. The trucks drove and raced away from the prison as bullets were dinging on the metal before we were away from the prison for good. Once we drove past the gate, freedom was ours. However, this was not a time to say eureka yet. We may have been granted an admirable freedom, but not a desirable victory.

As the five of us sit in the passenger trailer of the truck, I ask the driver for water. He lends me over a cantine of water and I take a sip out of it. I offer Jeremiah sip for his hydration.

"Here, Jeremiah," I say. "Drink."

"I think I'm okay," he responds. "I'm better than okay actually."

"Here, you're dehydrated. Go on, drink."

"Thank you."

Jeremiah excepts the offer and takes a drink out of the cantine. It had been weeks since Jeremiah and I's capture and weeks since we'd seen the sunrise again on this island of Meridian Prime. It was time for us together to plan our next course of action. The question was how?

"So...what's next for Ezra Prescott?" Ezekiel asked.

"What's next is that we set course back to New Exodus and plan our next move to turn the tide of this war. My question is what's next for us Jeremiah Blackwell, eh?"

"Oh, blimey, what is next?" Jeremiah asked himself taking sip of water and clearing his throat. "I'm gonna take a bath, going to sleep in a real bed, maybe find a nice warm body to sleep next to me. Then we find this bloody ark and end this bloody war before the germans do once and for all. There goes a start."

"Indeed it is."

"So how much longer is it going take for us to find the ark?" Martin asked. "We've been scouting every last inch of this island off the colony of New Exodus for weeks. Not to mention spending more week tracking you and Jeremiah down."

"When we return to the colony, I will resume my research and finish what we started. Then we gather the Heard of Whales together at the round table for a meeting once I've completed research from this expedition. Until then, we resume our conquest and finish this war that shall end all wars. That is how much longer it will take."

"With all due respect, Professor," said Ezekiel. "It is not as if Arthur left a map with a big red X that marks the spot. We've lost good people on this exepidtion already and their lives must mean something towards the climax of this journey."

"If I didn't know that, Ezekiel," I said. "This conquest would be futile. A wise king once said that without sacrifice, there can be no victory. No sacrifice, means no victory. Now, let us resume what we shall finish and never let us pause what we can't. May the herd guide us all."

We all say our code in great unison.

"May the herd guide us all."

Max

July 4th, 2017

8:07 AM

Portland, Oregon

Jarvis Arts Center

Present day...

"And that's the story," said Alex. "From what dad could tell me anyways. And here I am. Telling this story to you."

"Well, that's an outstanding story coming from the Prescotts and Blackwells," I said. "This is bad."

"No, we just pick up the trail where we left off and-"

"Wait, trail? Alex, there's no trail. After Fernando, Kristen, and I were arrested and Johanna dropped the charged, we were still being punished for bribing her. She ended up suspending us for the rest of the semester. Even almost decided to expell us from Cleveland instead for what we did until she made up her mind to reinstate us for the next semester. Also got grounded for six months. After that, we all tried to finish what you still with some help from Uncle Bryan, but he was just too pissed off about us getting you killed in that sewer. When I finished junior year, that's when my parents thought it would be best to send me away to Arcadia Bay an start attending Blackwell for my senior year. So wouldn't being any trouble for them in Seattle. And I'm glad I was. Otherwise, Chloe would've died in that restroom. Gaurentee."

"Not really surprised."

"What does that mean?"

"Well I just, you know, happened to do a little digging of my own. And uh, I bet Johanna doensn't have this."

Alex pulled out a folded piece of paper from her jacket pocket and handed it to me. It was a printed image of the Eon Codex replica sold on Ebay. One that Alex appeared to have purchased herself.

"It's really amazing what you can find on the internet these days," she said.

"It's just another replica of the Eon Codex," I said.

"Oh is it? Because the one we found was stolen in a museum, remember?"

I look at it again to realize it was more than just a replica

"Holy crap, it's still intact. Arthur made more than one codex."

"So whatever's missing from the one at the Burke Museum..."

"...is probably still inside this one."

"Yeah, except that it's not."

"What do you mean it's not?"

"I mean what was inside Arthur's second codex is missing. What's missing in this one is with the Herd of Whales. But they don't know that. Because my dad hid somewhere secret to a place the heard hides out. In three days, your Uncle Bryan is setting up an exchange with the heard in three days in Vancouver."

"Vancouver?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And how do you plan on exchanging this thing with this secret shadow cult of yours?"

"Well, you don't necessarily need an invitation per se."

"Not just me, cousin. You too."

Alex raised her eyebrows. I raised mine too. But not in relief. Rather in shock. This was it. This is where I was actually getting dragged down into this again. No. Not again. Not now. Not this time. Never.

"Oh no," I said. "No man. Listen, I can't. I'm out."

"What?" Alex frowned.

"No, I just don't do that kind of thing anymore. Besides, there are plenty of other guys that are much more equipped to handle this kind of thing."

"Like who?"

"Um, I don't know, like uh..."

"Jesus."

I take out my smartphone to view my contacts. Looking up possible people I know who might be able to handle Alex's situation. I know Rachel has been living the norm with Frank as Chloe and I have, but she always said she could be available for some of her vigilantism left in her. David may be in the Chrysalis Corps, but Alex's problem was tethered to the war he had been fighting in and it could aide the Chrysalis army in the war against the CDF.

Those were the only two possible contacts who I knew may be available for Alex. Though she didn't look like she was up for anything with no one she knew, I knew they could help.

"Anybody - Rachel Amber," I said.

"No," said Alex.

"Or David Madsen. No really, they're my go-to guy's for this sort of thing."

"No, no, no, absolutely not. I don't trust Rachel or David or anybody else you got on that phone with my life, okay? I need you on this one."

"Oh man. Alex, there's gotta be another way. I have a life now with Chloe. And I promised her I would never try anything like this again in a lifetime. Especially with my powers that I've also vowed to her not to use for this thing either."

"Not with the time I've got left. And certainly not with Johanna. Bryan will be waiting and so will Fernando and Kristen who've I managed to get in touch with over the years as well. I swear, not once will you have to time travel even if you have to use a bit of your powers. I got you plane ticket to Vancouver. The next flight is in eight hours. Don't waste it."

Even after three years of abandoning this strange underworld and vowing an oath to Chloe never to reenter the dangers of that world, this is what I get for keeping this family secret from her. What will she say now? How will she react to this? I'm certainly not bringing her into this either. Absolutely not. Even if she hadn't been dying on me in merely four years since Arcadia Bay, I astoundingly do not want another reason for her too. Not after 'that' week back togther. Not after the end of time attack.

I sigh. Alex has another smoke from another cigarette. I stand there behind her with my face going pale. Maybe Chloe doesn't need to know. At least not yet. I could just tell her I'm on my way to Vancouver right now to take the job Professor Jarvis has been offering me over the months. Or I could just accept the truth and spit out this secret in front of her face and not lie to it. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't, Caulfield. Not anymore.

Since Rachel was in Vancouver, maybe she could help us over there if Frank is somehow okay with it too which I know he won't. Perfecto, now I want to drag Rachel into this too. Unless I want to bring David up instead which I know I can't since he's back in the army again. Jokes on me. Even though this wasn't a joke to be laughed at.

Max, it's time to be your everyday hero again. Time to change time.

X/SQUARE/LM - TELL CHLOE THE TRUTH

B/CIRCLE/RM - HIDE CHLOE THE TRUTH

Well, this is it. I've made my decision that I know I'll regret but one I'll have to take. I dial Chloe and feed her lies on the phone.

"Hello," said Chloe.

"Hey, babe, it's me," I say on the phone.

"Hey."

"Yeah, listen, you're not gonna believe this. Jarvis just walked in here with the permits."

"Oh, that's great."

"Yeah, I know, I know. But uh...looks like I'm going to take that Vancouver job after all."

Note: So for those wondering about the flashback in this chapter, it is Alex telling the story of Professor Ezra Prescott from one hundred back who once tempted to turn the tide of an eternity war that enter the first world war between America, Britain, and Germany. And yes, Ezra is the ancestor to the Prescotts from Arcadia Bay in my fiction and is mentioned in episode three of After the Storm.

I've also used Jeremiah and Ezekiel Blackwell as well as Martin Prescott who are finding fathers to something in Arcadia and went on Ezra's expedition to the ark of genesis. Jeremiah for instance being the founder of Blackwell in 1910 seven year before the conquest.

There are only two more chapters left to complete. So sit tight and stay tuned for the last two chapter concluding this episode and stay golden!