With adrenaline coursing through my veins, Nicole darted through the streets. The hooves pounded on the dirt behind her, and when she glanced back, four men on horseback galloped towards her. Nicole took a sharp turn into an alleyway hoping to find a place to hide. At the end of the alley, a window caught her attention but was was too high.
She called out, "Someone, please help me!" Hearing no response, Nicole looked around to find another place to hide.
Hearing a shout, "She went this way," Nicole decided to give myself up. Nicole slumped her shoulders in defeat and walked out of the alleyway. Before she walked onto the street, a hand clamped over her mouth and dragged her back into the alley.
Nicole struggled against the figure trying to escape when a gruff voice whispered, "Be quiet, woman! We are here to help you!" She nodded, and he released his hand. "Follow me."
Nicole followed him back into the alleyway and noticed an opening in the wall that wasn't there before. They ducked through the opening and a few men pushed the rock back in its place just as some Nazis entered the alley. Everyone stood still like statues while the Nazis walked about.
A voice called out, "There is nobody here, Captain."
The captain replied, "We will search the houses. We will not leave any stone unturned until we find her."
Nicole breathed a sigh of relief as they heard them leave the alleyway. She stood in the dark room and stared at the large rock as thoughts barraged her mind like a runaway train. Hope the Doctor is alright. How does he expect me to find out what is going on here?"
"Are you okay, miss? The back of your head is bleeding."
Nicole snapped herself out of her thoughts and turned to the man who rescued her earlier. He was wearing a woolen shirt underneath a beige tunic that reached to his knees, a leather girdle around his waist and leather sandals. He had dark brown eyes and hair and a black moustache and beard. Nicole touched the back of her head, and in the flickering torchlight, blood her fingertips. "I am okay. Must have hurt it earlier. Thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome. Luke, our physician, can look at your wound when we reach our people. My name is John, and these are my friends: Peter, Mark, and Thomas. What is your name?"
"My name is Nicole. I am Dr. Smith's assistant," she stated while showing them the psychic paper. "He is also a good friend of mine and I need to get him back."
"You will, but first let's get you something to eat." They walked down a set of stairs that led into a tunnel.
"Where are we?"
John replied, "We are underneath the city of Jerusalem, and these tunnels lead us to where our temple used to be."
"What are you talking about? The temple should still be standing." The temple is destroyed in AD 70 when the Romans burned it to the ground.
"You are not from around here, are you?" questioned Mark.
"No, I travelled a far way to come here, and there is no way for me to go back home without the Doctor. What happened to the temple?"
"When Hitler came with his men and his advisor, Dominus Furioso, we thought they were the ones who would save us from the rule of Caesar Augustus. We helped them in the fight against the Romans, but the Germans turned against us. They burned down our temple and forbid us to practice our faith. If we do, we are sentenced to death. That is why we meet underground so we can still practice our faith. Ah, here we are. Welcome to our gathering.
When they entered the room, John announced, "Everyone, we have a guest for tonight. Her name is Nicole."
"Hello!" Nicole smiled despite the fact that her insides quaked.
"Martha and Mary! Can you take care of the wound on Nicole's head until Luke gets here?"
"Yes, John. Come along, Nicole. You can tell us about your journey."
Nicole followed the two women into another room where there were a few other women preparing a meal. She sat down on a matted brown rug while Mary went to grab a bowl of water and a piece of cloth.
"Where are you from?" questioned Martha as she was making food over a fire.
"The other side of the world. My friend, Dr. John Smith, and I were travelling and ended up in Jerusalem. I saw an older lady being hurt by the German soldiers and tried to help her, but spooked the commander's horse. That is why I am on the run from the Germans and how my friend got captured."
A deep voice boomed throughout the room. "The woman you helped is my grandmother. I'm Luke, and you must be Nicole. John said you hurt yourself earlier."
"Just a bump to the head. Nothing serious."
Luke inspected Nicole's wound. "Well, it looks like a tiny cut. Welcome to our family!"
Nicole nodded in appreciation not sure how to deal with all of this hospitality.
"Supper's ready!" exclaimed Martha.
"Come with me," said Mary.
"Shouldn't we go help Martha?"
"You are our guest. Come and sit down. Martha will join us in a few minutes."
While Martha and two other women were serving the men, Nicole followed Mary's actions and laid on her left side eating bread, cooked grains, and legumes. "How did Hitler and his men arrived here in Jerusalem?"
Mary replied, "There's an impossible hole about ten kilometres outside of Jerusalem in the Judean desert."
Nicole sat up and leaned forward with interest. "How is the hole impossible?"
"It is very difficult to describe. No one has ever seen anything like it. It is like a doorway in the air and sometimes it appears in the sand. No one goes near it in fear of being drawn in. We have lost a few people to it."
"Sorry to hear that. It sounds like there is a tear in the fabric of time and space."
The women stared at Nicole as if she lost her mind. Martha spoke up, "You speak perfect Aramaic, my dear, but your words are foreign to us."
"I know, but I have a friend who can help us. The Germans caught him, so I can find out what is going on here. I need to find a way to rescue him. Then he can figure out how to close the portal."
Martha leaned forward. "Your friend is in prison. You can come with me to the palace tomorrow to help clean rooms and serve food. We serve food to the prisoners so that would provide you an opportunity to help him escape."
"Fantastic! I would need a disguise since the Germans will recognize me in an instant."
Mary chimed in. "That's easy! We would make you as one of us, and once you rescue your friend, head 10 kilometres south of Jerusalem."
"Thank you," Nicole said.
The women got up and collected the plates. Mary helped Nicole up to her feet. "It's time we turn in for the night. We have an early morning tomorrow to teach you how to be one of us."