Present Day
Tenley stared at the closed door that led to Connor Mason's room. She had started to grow concerned for his well-being. Since taking the journal, he had locked himself inside and barely came out for food or drink. She knew that wasn't healthy for him but there had been little she could do about it - short of taking the door off the hinges.
Releasing a heavy sigh, Tenley turned and headed into the main living area. Agent Christopher stood over Jiya's shoulder watching the computer monitors. When they spotted the doctor, Denise asked, "How is he?"
"I don't know," Tenley admitted. "He has yet to make an appearance since you gave him that book."
Agent Christopher gave her a side glance - one that came across as a warning to the doctor to be careful with her words. Denise wasn't in the mood for sass today. She had a lot of things on her mind.
Tenley didn't miss the look. She gritted her teeth and walked away, heading for the infirmary. She couldn't explain her feelings on the matter any more than she had already. Her words simply fell on deaf ears.
Jiya watched as the doctor headed out of the room. She glanced up at Agent Christopher. "Should we check on Mason?"
Denise sighed. "Eventually," she replied. "For now, let him do whatever he's doing. Maybe we will have answers by tonight."
Jiya wasn't convinced. She had agreed with both sides of the debate. The moment Jiya put aside her upset feelings regarding Future Rufus's comments about coming back to check up on someone other than her, she realized that Tenley had made some valid points.
Jiya wanted to know about what happened to her in the future - how could she not? She had pieced together a picture on her own but it was all speculation. Future Rufus made it sound like she had died. It became a debate on if you knew how you'd die, would you live life differently? Would it matter in the end? She hadn't given it much thought until the opportunity presented itself.
When Jiya walked by Mason's door that evening, she took a moment to listen in. She could hear movement on the other side so she knew he was still alive but like Tenley, she began to worry about him.
She reached out with a fist, preparing to knock on the door. Denise spoke behind her, "Leave him be."
Jiya glanced back over her shoulder. "I think Tenley's right," she started. "He's been in there all this time...are we sure he's all right?"
The door suddenly flew open, startling both women. Mason blinked at both of them, somewhat stunned to see them standing at his door. Jiya couldn't help but notice that Mason's expression mirrored Doc Brown's in Back to the Future, just without the crazy Einstein hair. "I'm fine," he told them. "You can leave now."
"Maybe you should come out and get something to eat-" Jiya tried to say.
"No," Mason interrupted her. "I'm fine. I'm making wonderful progress."
Jiya's eyes widened as she saw Mason's eyes. Behind his usual gaze had been a crazed expression lingering in the background. She wondered how much of knowing the future would eventually kill him. Jiya had finally understood what Rufus - her Rufus, not the Future Rufus - had tried to warn them about regarding knowing the future.
Neither Agent Christopher nor Jiya were able to say another word to Connor before he slammed the door in their faces. They exchanged concerned glances before eventually leaving him to his own devices.
Jiya found herself slowly meandering down the hall towards the infirmary. Her mind raced with terrible thoughts. Did she sign the death warrant of Connor Mason by agreeing to this plan of reading Future Rufus's journal?
She turned into the infirmary, knocking on the open door. Tenley's eyes shot up as she paused at the door. "Hey," Jiya began. "Do you have a minute?"
Tenley nodded, motioning for her to enter. "What's up?"
"I'm worried that I might have made the wrong choice," Jiya admitted. "I think you were right all along about this journal."
"What changed your mind?" Tenley asked, studying the woman's face.
Jiya inhaled slowly as she replied, "I just saw Mason..." she paused for a moment before continuing, "I think he's starting to lose his mind."
Tenley's brow furrowed. "How so?"
"He had this look in his eye," she said. "One that makes you think that he's losing it...becoming overwhelmed or obsessed...or..."
Tenley nodded slowly as she listened. She didn't have to say a word. She also knew that she didn't have to.
"What do we do now?" Jiya asked, concern washing over her features.
"There's nothing we can do," Tenley told her. "It's too late."
Jiya slumped on the couch, defeated. Tenley crossed the room and sat next to her friend. The two remained motionless, staring at the ceiling tiles in silence.
1947
The team wandered the streets aimlessly as they tried to find Poe's wife. Easton wasn't a large city but it was still big enough to lose a person within the limits.
"Short of doing door-to-door searches," Wyatt started. "What else can we do?"
Lucy sighed heavily. She had been quiet since they lost Poe's wife at the station. Wyatt could see on her face that she was lost in thought.
Slumping onto a park bench, Lucy tossed her hands to the side. "I don't know."
"Is there anyone from Easton that Bloodstone would be interested in?" Flynn asked, leaning against the back of the bench. "Anyone we should be looking for instead?"
Lucy shook her head again. "I can't think of anyone in this place or time."
Rufus sat beside her, stretching his legs straight. "I don't know about the rest of you," he started. "But this mission doesn't have the same feeling as the ones before."
"What do you mean?" Wyatt asked, turning his attention over to Rufus.
Rufus explained, "In the past, our missions had this...heavy feeling to it. I don't get that here."
The team took a moment to think about what Rufus was saying. After a moment's reflection, Wyatt nodded. "You're right."
"I am?" Rufus asked, almost stunned as he turned to face Wyatt.
Wyatt nodded. "Yeah...I don't feel eyes on us, watching our every move."
Flynn agreed. "What if this is was a drop off?"
"Drop off?" Rufus asked. Everyone's eyes darted over to Flynn.
Flynn explained, "What if there is no mission here at this time? What if they are simply dropping her off as a sleeper to prepare for a future mission?"
Wyatt cocked his head to the side. "Could be," he stated. "There'd be no way for us to know when the Mothership re-jumped."
"And they've done that before," Rufus reminded them.
Wyatt nodded, motioning to Rufus, repeating, "And they've done it before."
Lucy shook her head. "That doesn't make sense though..." She lifted her eyes and waved her thoughts aside. "I mean - what you're saying makes sense but I don't think that's what's happening here..."
"Why do you think that?" Wyatt pushed.
Lucy's face held the same intense look of concentration. "She had this look about her...She's on a mission...I just wish I knew what it was."
Flynn studied Lucy's face. He could see that she had been wracking her brain trying to think on what the purpose of Bloodstone's mission was. He could see the veins in her forehead throbbing. He laid a hand on her shoulder gently, saying, "Don't think too hard, Lucy. You'll give yourself a headache."
She gave a small smile as she nodded that she heard him.
Rufus asked, "So...door-to-door searches?"
Wyatt sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess..."
The team glanced up at him as his words trailed off. His eyes were fixed on something across the way. When the team turned to see, they spotted the familiar frame of Poe's wife, walking down the street, hand in hand with a man.
"He doesn't look like a Bloodstone agent," Rufus pointed out.
"He's not," Flynn stated confidently.
"How do you know that?" Rufus asked.
Flynn glanced over at the pilot. "He doesn't carry himself like someone trained for something like that...he looks like he belongs here."
Lucy's eyes hadn't left the couple. She watched the two interact. A small smile graced her features as she noticed that familiar look of love. The way the man looked at Poe's wife, the way he smiled at her, the way he held her hand...Lucy could tell he was smitten with her.
Poe's wife also looked at the man lovingly but she had a pained look lingering behind her smile. Lucy recognized it as a smile she used to put on when they had discovered that Wyatt's wife, Jessica was still alive.
The team watched as the two entered a diner. Flynn asked, "Shall we?"
The diner was surprisingly packed for the hour of the day. The team spotted Poe's wife and the man with her nestled together in a booth at the far end of the diner.
The team found the only available seat on the opposite end and sat down. "What now?" Rufus asked.
"We wait," Wyatt stated.
A waitress appeared next to their table and immediately began pouring cups of coffee for the team. "What can I get for you?"
"This is plenty, thank you," Lucy said with a smile. The waitress nodded and left them alone.
"They seem happy," Rufus pointed out.
Lucy nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from them. She wondered if the pain she spotted in Poe's wife's eyes was real or not. She hadn't been this confused on a mission in quite some time.
"You're thinking awfully hard there, Lucy," Wyatt whispered into her ear. "What's going on?"
Lucy sighed. "I just don't understand what we're doing here...are we sure she's Bloodstone?"
Before another could answer, they watched as the two 'love-birds' stood up and exited the diner. The team quickly followed after them.
"That was fast," Rufus muttered as they left.
The two stopped at the corner of the street. Poe's wife touched the man's cheek, shaking her head. She seemed distraught as she tried to walk away from him. The man grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him. He kissed her passionately. Poe's wife pushed him away after a moment.
Lucy tilted her head in confusion as she watched Poe's wife walk away, leaving the man who clearly loved her, heartbroken on the street corner.
Lucy approached the man as he stood there watching the woman he loved walk away. "Excuse me?" she asked. The man barely acknowledged her presence. "Are you all right?"
"I don't think I'll ever be all right again," the man stated.
"What happened?" Lucy asked, pushing him to reveal details.
The man sniffled. "The woman I love just left me."
"Why?" Lucy asked. "Did she say?"
The man sighed. "What does it matter? She's gone..."
"What's your name?" Lucy asked, gently.
"Barry," the man replied. "Barry Rhodes."
Lucy's face twitched with slight recognition. She couldn't figure out why the name was familiar to her. "I'm sorry, Barry," Lucy cooed.
"I just don't understand it," Barry cried. "We were in love...Evelyn and me..."
Lucy's brows knitted together. "Evelyn?"
"Evelyn McHale," Barry confirmed. "I proposed to her too...and..." He choked back sobs.
"Did she say anything?" Lucy pushed.
Flynn muttered, "We're losing her..."
Barry sniffled. "No," he told her. "Just that she couldn't marry me..."
"I'll try to talk to her," Lucy offered quickly.
"Why would you do that?" Barry asked, brows furrowed. "You don't know me or Evelyn."
Lucy shook her head. "Because I believe in love...and you clearly love her."
Barry smiled at Lucy. "I'd be eternally grateful."
Lucy nodded, turning to face the team. They rushed down the street towards the train station where Poe's wife had headed.
Once they entered the train station, they scanned the area. Poe's wife had climbed onto the train. The team was fast to pursue.
When they sat down, they spotted her sitting alone a few rows ahead. She seemed to be writing something down onto paper. Lucy watched the woman's expression. There seemed to be a mix of emotions written on her face. Lucy couldn't identify all of them.
"What now?" Rufus asked.
"Is that all you can say?" Wyatt asked. "That's like the third time you've asked that."
"And it's still a valid question," Rufus countered. The two began bickering over the validity of the question.
Flynn stared at Lucy. He leaned across the empty space towards her. "What are you thinking about, Lucy?" he asked.
Lucy blinked back her thoughts as she looked at him. "I think I know who she is...I mean, who she's pretending to be..."
Flynn's head tilted to the side. "Who would that be?"
Lucy replied quietly, "Evelyn McHale." When Flynn shrugged at the name, she explained, "She was a bookkeeper who came from a very poor and very large family..."
"What importance did she have to history?" Flynn asked.
Lucy shook her head. "She didn't really...except..."
"Except?" Flynn pushed.
Lucy swallowed nervously as she quietly explained, "She was known for being 'the most beautiful suicide' in a photograph."
Flynn blinked a couple of times as he processed this information. "So, she's going to kill herself?"
"If history remains true," Lucy replied. "It sort of makes sense now..."
"What's that?" he asked.
"There's not much information on her," Lucy started. "But what I do remember reading about her life and her death...her suicide note said that she didn't think that she'd make a good wife to anyone and that Barry would be better off without her...She asked that no one in her family see her body, asked to be cremated with no service or burial..."
Flynn leaned back into his seat. "What do you think is really happening then?"
Lucy sighed heavily as she turned her attention back to Poe's wife. "I don't know."
The train pulled into the station in New York and the team followed the woman down the street. As she turned into the Empire State Building, Rufus asked, "Where is she going?"
Lucy started to run towards the building. "She's going to do it tonight!"
"Do what?" Wyatt asked, clearly confused. He ran after Lucy with the others in tow.
They scrambled into the building. Poe's wife had already gotten into the elevator and headed up to the observation deck. Lucy clicked the button for the elevator but started towards the stairs.
Wyatt pulled her arm. "That's too long to run," he told her. "Especially in heels." He pointed to her shoes. "I'll take the stairs, you wait for the elevator!"
Wyatt and Rufus began their hike up the stairwell as Flynn and Lucy waited for what seemed like an eternity for the elevator. When the doors finally opened, they rushed inside, pushing the button for the 86th floor.
Lucy paced uneasily inside the elevator. Flynn watched the numbers grow as they neared the top of the building.
Lucy felt sick to her stomach. All she kept thinking about were the words that Edgar Allen Poe had told her... he had asked that they find his wife and bring her home... she feared that she was about to break that promise to him.
The doors to the elevator opened and Lucy rushed out. She ran towards the edge. She spotted Poe's wife removing her coat and folding it neatly.
"Wait!" Lucy shouted as she rushed forward.
Poe's wife raised her hand, trying to stop Lucy from coming any closer. "Stay where you are!"
"Please!" Lucy begged. "We're here to help you!"
"You can't help me," the woman replied. "I'm not worth anyone's help."
"Yes, you are!" Lucy countered.
The woman shook her head. "I've done horrible things-"
"You're not a bad person-" Lucy tried to tell her.
"I've killed people!" Poe's wife spat. "You don't know me!"
"You're right," Lucy began. "But I do know your husband."
The woman blinked at her. "I have no husband."
"Edgar?" Lucy said.
The woman's face faltered at his name. "What did you just say?"
"I know Edgar," Lucy replied. "He asked me to find you and bring you home."
Tears fell from the woman's eyes. "You're lying."
"I'm not," Lucy stated. "I promise you, I'm not lying."
"This is a trick," the woman countered. "I'm not going to fall for it...not like Miss LaLaurie."
"What happened to her?" Lucy asked, stunned. "What happened to Marie?"
"You don't know?" Poe's wife asked, surprised. "I thought you were Rittenhouse."
"I'm not Rittenhouse," Lucy explained. "I'm not Bloodstone, either."
Suddenly recognition washed over the woman's face. "You're Lucy," she recalled.
Lucy nodded. "Please, let me help you."
"It's too late for me," the woman stated. "Just like Marie...Just like Lillian and Margreet." She placed her folded coat down on the small chair next to her.
"It's never too late," Lucy pleaded. "We can take you back home."
"They killed him," she interjected. "Edgar...they killed him. Where were you then?"
"What?" Lucy gasped.
"Reynolds...I learned of this when I looked Edgar up in the library," Poe's wife explained. "He lied to me. Made me believe that I could do some good in this world and this was how he repaid me. By killing my husband."
"We can stop Reynolds together," Flynn's voice suddenly spoke behind Lucy. Lucy glanced over her shoulder briefly as Flynn approached. "They've killed my wife and daughter, just as they've killed your husband." Poe's wife watched him carefully, taking in what he was saying. He continued, "We can help each other...but we need your help. We don't know who Reynolds is or what they are after-"
"He's after someone close to you," Poe's wife stated. "To both of you."
"Who?" Lucy asked, fear creeping into her being. Her thoughts drifted over to Wyatt.
Poe's wife shook her head in defeat. "I can't... I just want to see my husband again."
"Wait!" Lucy shouted, trying to keep the woman away from the edge of the building. "Please! Help us!"
Poe's wife started to climb up the short wall. She stared over the edge before turning her gaze back over to Lucy and Flynn. "No one can stop them. It's too late-"
"It's not!" Lucy argued, taking a step forward. She reached her hand out to the woman. "Please...let us help you...help us stop this and we can take you home-"
"I have no home now," she told them. "If I don't do this, they will kill me anyways...I can't let them have that power over me anymore." She looked back down and said, "Protect those around you." Her eyes lifted back to the two. "I'm finally going to see Edgar."
Before the two could react, she fell from the observation deck. Lucy screamed, turning into Flynn's chest for comfort. Sobs racked her body as she thought about how she failed Poe and his wife.
Wyatt and Rufus finally staggered onto the deck, winded and barely standing up straight. "What...happened?" Wyatt asked between breaths.
Rufus gasped for air. "Who's idea...was it to...run up...stairs?"
Wyatt noticed Flynn holding a crying Lucy and stood up straight. He approached them and asked, "What happened?"
Lucy turned to face Wyatt as tears fell freely from her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly.
Present Day
When the team emerged from the Lifeboat, they looked worse for wear. It took a moment for them to begin discussing what had taken place on this mission.
"And then she jumped," Lucy concluded with a sniffle.
"I still don't understand why she would do such a thing," Agent Christopher stated.
Flynn inhaled before saying, "If you were kidnapped, lied to, and made to do things that you'd never do of your own volition, only to discover that they killed your family anyways...would you want to stick around?"
Denise nodded, letting the weight of those words sink in. She thought about what it would mean for her if something like that had happened to Michelle and their kids. Would she do something just as drastic in a moment of weakness?
"Where's Mason?" Rufus asked, scanning the room.
Jiya and Tenley turned their gazes over to Agent Christopher. Denise sighed. "He's in his room." When the team furrowed their brows, knowing that they weren't being informed of all the details, she added, "Reading the journal."
"What?!" the scattered shouts erupted in the room.
"What happened to agreeing not to open that book?" Wyatt asked, angrily.
Lucy shook her head. "Has he found anything?"
"How long has this been going on?" Rufus asked. All of their questions had overlapped one another.
Denise raised her hands, trying to calm the group down. She explained, "I'm sorry that I didn't inform you earlier, however, this was something that I believed had to be done. We believed that Connor was the most logical choice to read the journal-"
"Why is that?" Flynn questioned.
Denise sighed. "Out of all of us, he's the one that Future Rufus didn't seem concerned about. I've given him strict orders not to share or read too much into the details that we shouldn't focus on-"
"Such as?" Wyatt pushed.
"I have him searching for anything pertaining to Rittenhouse, Bloodstone, and Reynolds," she explained. "Nothing more."
"And you're sure that he's sticking to those rules?" Wyatt questioned, eyebrows raised quizzically.
Jiya muttered, "I doubt it after seeing the look on his face-"
"What was that?" Wyatt asked, turning his intense gaze over to her.
She shifted in her place, suddenly nervous as all eyes landed on her. She cleared her throat and stated, "I think he's reading the whole thing. He had a crazed look in his eye the last time I saw him."
"How long has he been in reading that journal?" Lucy asked, somewhat concerned.
"Since you left," Jiya replied, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner.
Tenley sighed. "I've seen him come out once to use the bathroom and grab a quick snack but...he's pretty much locked himself in his room with that book."
Wyatt scoffed, tossing his hands up in the air out of frustration. "We should have done this together-"
"This is why I chose to handle things as I did," Agent Christopher explained. "I knew that you'd react this way. We need answers and we need them fast. Mason knows what is on the line here."
"You're risking him going mental over this journal-" Wyatt began.
"Mental?" Mason's voice spoke behind them. "I think you underestimate my ability to handle the information."
Everyone whirled around to see Connor standing there, blinking at the team. He scanned each member's face before turning to the kitchen, refilling his coffee mug.
"Have you found anything?" Denise asked, taking a small step forward.
He nodded. "Quite a bit of fascinating information, however, none of it applies to what you'd like to know."
"I told you not to read the entire journal-" Denise began.
He cut her off. "Unfortunately, I have to read the whole thing in order to understand what is going on. Future You," he said, motioning to Rufus. "Wrote things in such a way that in order to understand what was coming, I have to know what happened."
He turned and began to head back to his room. He paused and glanced back over his shoulder and stated, "I will say this now...the next mission...It would be wise to send Tenley."
Tenley's mouth parted and a small gasp escaped her lips. "Wha-"
"Rufus, Lucy, Flynn, and Tenley," Mason suggested. He turned and disappeared down the hallway to his room.
All eyes drifted over to Tenley as she exchanged confused glances with the team.
Life in the bunker had grown quiet. Since the mission involving Poe's wife, no one had the energy to do much of anything. Depression spread throughout the bunker and there seemed to be little that anyone could do about it.
Lucy thought back to those final moments with Poe's wife and the things she had said. She thought back to the people they knew had been kidnapped by Bloodstone and those that they had seen return as Bloodstone agents. The numbers of Bloodstone agents on the missions had been dwindling. She had just realized this as they looked back over the past few missions.
Learning of Marie LaLaurie's death through Poe's wife's accounts made Lucy realize that maybe Emma had been right all along. Rittenhouse and Bloodstone were at war and it would seem that Rittenhouse was winning.
They still had no knowledge of who Reynolds was or where he hid. She had hoped that Poe's wife would have shared that much with them before her death. She simply wished that Poe's wife would have listened to them and allowed them to help her. It still pained her to think that she had failed Edgar's final wish to her.
Poe's wife's warnings to Lucy and to Flynn had echoed in her mind. He's after someone close to you. Lucy thought over the people in her life carefully. The only one that she kept coming back to was Wyatt. What if Bloodstone was after him? Was that why Rittenhouse brought Jessica back to life? Were they trying to redirect Wyatt over to their side instead of Bloodstone's?
Lucy's head pounded as the tension headache grew. She rubbed her temples, willing the pain to go away. She had been thinking too hard on the matter and her body was punishing her for it.
Sighing, she pushed herself to her feet and headed for the infirmary.
In the infirmary, Tenley stared at the computer screen. She had seventy-five unread emails - all work related - but she just couldn't concentrate on them. Her thoughts continued to drift back to everything that had cropped up since Future Rufus showed up.
A knock on her door broke her train of thought. She lifted her gaze as the door opened and Lucy leaned in. "Hey."
"Hey," Lucy replied in kind. "Do you have a minute?"
"Sure," the doctor said, closing the laptop. "What's up?"
Lucy entered the room and admitted, "I've got this terrible headache...do you have anything I can take?"
Tenley nodded, pushing herself up to her feet. "Sure thing."
"Thanks," Lucy muttered.
Tenley removed the pill bottle, opened it, and poured some tablets into her hand. She closed the bottle and returned it into the cabinet before turning around and passing the pills over to Lucy. "Do you want some water?"
"Oh," Lucy started. "That's okay. I'm going to grab a cup of coffee next. Maybe it's caffeine related."
Tenley gave her a short nod and half smile. "Okay."
The two stood there in silence for a moment before Lucy turned to head for the door. She raised the pills and said, "Thank you."
Tenley nodded again and watched as Lucy left. Tenley sat back down at her small table with a sigh. She opened the laptop again and scanned through the unread emails' subject line. When a new message popped up, Tenley's eyebrows furrowed together.
Your DNA Results
Tenley's dark eyes slid across the screen to the sender. It wasn't from anyone she recognized. She contemplated deleting the message, thinking it was spam but curiosity had gotten the better of her.
Tenley clicked the message open and saw the sender's address was secured from her view. Her eyes darted to the message. Her brows knitted together, lips forming a thin line as she read through it.
In the message, someone had taken DNA from each member of her family. There were pictures of each family member, their relationship to her, along with a nearly completed family history. Included at the very bottom of this email had the DNA results. There was only one person's DNA that didn't match the rest of the family's. It belonged to her.
