Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1 for the usual comments.
Author's note: I would like to extend my appreciation for those who reviewed the last chapter.

Time to Consider
Chapter 15
By Callisto

Dorado Iron Works - Present
Warehouse District
Buenos Aires, Argentina

"What the hell are you doing? And better yet, who are you?

"I'm looking for my sister. I was told that you were looking for her too and decided to join the party when this guy interrupted," Ethan replied with ease. Sam's unconscious body lay at his feet, a weighted pipe still firmly clasped in Ethan's hands.

"Yeah? Who told you that and why'd you hit him?"

"He's a sweeper and would've shot me if he saw me first. What is this thing and what have you done to my sister?"

Finally self-preservation kicked in as Norwood took in the harried look in Ethan's eyes and the weighted pipe in his fist. "Hey, they bumbled into the containment field. There wasn't anything I could do."

"They? Was Jarod with her?"

"Jarod? I don't know names. Just that a man and woman had gone missing and everybody short of the military are looking for them."

"Well, guess again. They're looking for her too. Does this contraption have anything to do with time?" Ethan asked wondering if the confused messages had been accurate but his interpretation had been flawed.

"How the hell....." As Norwood was about to ask him how he knew, a distant voice from the radio answered for him.

"Yes, it does. Ethan it's good to hear your voice. Are you all right?"

"Jarod. It's a relief to finally hear from you. Where are you? Do you need any help?"

"I think the appropriate question is when I am. Actually everything is okay; we're in the late '70's. Is the person who built the contraption there with you?"

"Yeah. He's right here, looking like a happily, mad wizard from Harry Potter. What the hell do you mean you're in the 1970's? Can I come and get you?"

"Ask the scientist. We stumbled into a containment field just as he was conducting an experiment. So far we're okay but I don't know how badly we've messed up the timeline."

A loud whoop of joy was Jarod's answer as Norwood celebrated his unprecedented success. Never in his wildest dreams had he considered sending a live human through the containment field. The risks to both the person, and the timeline were too great, not to mention to his precious machine as the accident so sadly proved. Norwood was giddy with the success as his brain tried to process and resurrect the dreams that had died along with the full capacity of his machine.

Alas, Ethan was there also, angry, upset and frightened. Determined to drag the brainy kid back to reality. Grabbing Norwood by the front of his shirt, Ethan shook him using one hand with surprising strength.

"Listen, Asshole. This isn't the time for celebrations and patting yourself on the back. Your first order of business is getting them back. Now answer his question."

Norwood blinked several times, his attention and budding fear of Ethan sharpened his focus but he had missed the question entirely. Ethan seeing the confused look on the kid's face, sighed with a growing impatience that was similar to his sister's and repeated, "How do we get them back and tell if there was any damage to the timeline?"

The scientist gulped several times then replied tightly because of the vice-like grip Ethan had on the collar of his t-shirt, "We can't and there's a way but it's not very useful."

"We can't get them back? Why?"

"The machine wasn't calibrated to transport anything of that size through the portal. Only something slightly larger than say a tree frog was supposed to go though. Does your friend know if the frog survived?"

"Yes the frog survived but I don't have him with me right now. He's in a terrarium on another continent. Ethan, why does the scientist sound so strange? Are we loosing the connection?"

"Sis, is that you? Thank God you're all right," Ethan said with another sigh of relief and as an afterthought, he released Norwood from his strangling grip.

Emboldened by the woman's control over her brother, Norwood continued, "When the two of you trespassed into the containment field, your presence caused massive damage. Now, I couldn't transport a paperclip if I wanted to. The guy your brother knocked out cold was my and your ticket to bringing you back. He brought me the replacement components I needed to even attempt to make contact."

"What guy? Ethan?"

A sharp look at Norwood encouraged the other to softly murmur his name. "Sam"

"It's a sweeper named Sam. I've tied up a couple of his buddies in the alleyway.

"Ethan, listen to me, this is very important. Sam is extremely dangerous. What I need you to do is to tie him up. His whole body not just his wrists and ankles, and then blindfold him. When you're done sit him next to the radio and let me speak to him. It's important that he doesn't see your face. Got it?"

"Yeah. Give me a couple minutes." Turning to Norwood, Ethan said brusquely, "Help me with this. Once he wakes up, he's not going to be in an understanding mood. What should I call you?" Ethan asked unnecessarily—the voices had already told him the kid's name.

"Norwood. That's my first name, not my last. Everyone thinks it's my last name for some bizarre reason."

"Okay, Norwood. While we're doing this, talk to them. They'll need to know everything you do so they can get back to where they belong."

"Like what?" He asked confusedly, while handing Ethan a long length of computer cabling to crisscross Sam's body.

"Like what's going on. What was your experiment all about?"

"Okay. Well, I was trying to transport a tiny object into the past. I injected the frog with an age preservative calibrated to my machine's harmonics. That alone took me over a year to formulate. Then I programmed my computer to track any changes he may have on the timeline but it was only afterwards that I realized how futile that would be.

"Why?" Ethan asked while he finished using an old sailor's knot his foster father had shown him on Sam's wrists. Next the sweeper's tie was used as a blindfold.

"Because no one knows what would happen if anyone or thing altered the time line. You would logically assume that Time would automatically adjust to the changes and impose its adjustments throughout the time continuum. There wouldn't be any way of knowing what occurred because the adjustments would affect everyone and thing affected by time," Jarod answered. "When do you think you'll be able to get your machine back online?"

"Who is this guy? And how does he know all this stuff?"

"He's my big brother and a genius to boot. Just answer his question," Ethan replied wearily as he stepped back to inspect their work.

"Geez, your brother and your sister got sent back. Man, I had no idea," Norwood replied thoughtfully. Never before had he taken the time to examine the ramifications of any of his actions. Now here was an unintentional victim of his science standing in front of him. With unaccustomed empathy Norwood answered, staring directly at Ethan.

"It'll take me at least a couple months to get everything repaired and ready. I lost my schematics so making adjustments will be difficult," Norwood lied smoothly. You can't loose what you never wrote down in the first place. "That's a best case scenario. Unfortunately, reality's a bitch 'cause there are a number of components I still need and I'm fresh out of money."

Parker took the microphone from Jarod and spoke hurriedly to their half-brother. "Ethan, you don't have that kind of time. I'll send Sam away, but once he's gone, you've got to get out of there. Knowing the Centre, there's been a full-scale search going on for me and there's no telling if they are watching each other. Do what you have to, then disappear."

Jarod saw in her face how much she loved their brother. He shared her sorrow but had further instructions for Ethan. "Little Brother, once you get rid of Sam, breakdown the machine. Move it, so the Centre won't be able to gain access to it. There's no telling what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands. Don't worry about us, we're okay and I promise, I'll look after your sister."

The blow was devastating to Ethan. He had just found his siblings and now the two who were the most precious people in the world to him were stripped away. Without saying a word, he leaned on the makeshift desktop and leaned forward into his pain—trying to minimize the expanse of grief as it spread quickly though his mind. The messages from the voices were proven correct, his own inner voice whispered that he had been forewarned but not all was lost. He could continue to talk to them using this contraption or a modification of it until everything was in working order once again.

Norwood watched Ethan with a heavy heart. He too had brothers and sisters and though he usually brushed them aside, he couldn't imagine never seeing them again whenever he chose. Compartmentalizing his sudden brush with empathy, Norwood asked with a flash of scientific insight and growing curiosity, "Hey, you weren't prepped like the frog. Did you regress? Physically are you alright?"

"Our bodies were regressed to our late teens—early twenties but our mind's are still intact. We're still the same as we ever were inside. Norwood, there are some things Ethan will tell you about the people you've been in contact with. We're not exaggerating when we say they're dangerous. Ethan, take him to Dad. He'll know what to do and he has all the evidence to convince Norwood to stay clear of the Centre." With that Jarod began to tell his half-brother what he wanted him to tell his family. His message was terse but succinct. He wanted them to go on with their lives and not to worry about him.

Ethan bowed his head as he committed Jarod's words to memory. Norwood watched Ethan as he nodded sadly to his brother's requests. The young scientist hated witnessing any display of emotion but knew there was no helping this and in part he was responsible for Ethan's distress. The lady's warning coupled with Jarod's instructions made Norwood nervous about his invention. It seemed that if he continued working with Sam, his invention would've been taken from him. When Sam began to stir, Norwood touched Ethan's arm gently.

"He's waking up."

"Ethan before he wakes all the way up, I just wanted to umm, I need..." Parker was becoming overwhelmed by emotion. Then fiercely bringing herself together she said, "You're the cutest little kid. I'm proud to be your sister and I'll miss you more than you'll ever know. Take whatever you want from my place in Blue Cove, including the bed and TV, they're yours, just be careful and don't get caught while you're doing it. Look in my hiding place, there's some important documents that deal with my estate and then contact my lawyers. They'll give you access to everything. Take care of yourself and promise me never, ever feed any girl that dreadful concoction of Spam, pepper and dill. I almost had to hurl."

Only his sister could've coaxed a smile out of him at a time like this. Through the tears that were threatening to fall, he recalled his taste test. It might prove to be the last time he would ever see her. Instead of breaking under the incredible grief, her voice—so much like their mother's, revitalized him.

"Take care of each other."

Sam listened groggily and tested his bindings. Norwood tightened the belt securing his ankles and looked up at Ethan, who had turned around revealing his reddened eyes but impassive expression.

"Okay, the sweeper's awake now."

Parker then began to tell Sam that she was safe and as far from the Centre as she could manage. There was no way for any of them to find her. She then gave him detailed instructions on what to do and how to fabricate the evidence he would be required to hand over to Raines. Then she abruptly switched gears and told him what she wanted him to tell her co-worker friends Sydney and Broots, concluding inexplicably, to advise Sydney to believe whatever Angelo told him of her whereabouts. Odds were the Empath was right on the money regardless of how impossible it sounded.

"I understand, Miss Parker. Is there anything else I can do or can help?"

"Yes, one other thing. One of the men who tied you up may call on you to help him. I would consider it a favor if you would help him under the radar—no reason for the Centre to know anything about it. Take care of yourself. The other two who came with you are in the alley. You'll be untied and led outside. The one who knocked you out is a well-meaning friend of mine. He didn't mean any harm. Oh and Sam, this is the last thing I'll ever ask of you—don't look for him and forget about his presence in all your after-action reports.

"You got it, Miss Parker. Good Luck."

"Thank you, Sam."

With that, Norwood helped Ethan untie the sweeper and lead him to the doorway of the warehouse. Ethan was the first to speak.

"You brought some components to fix the radio. Give me a list of what you brought and they'll be returned to you by morning."

Without speaking a word, Sam reached inside his jacket and retrieved the packing list that came with the items Broots shipped out. Ethan took the paper from him and unwrapping the expensive tie from around the sweeper's eyes, he tapped the larger man on the shoulder and swiftly closed the door before he had a chance to turn around and get a look at Miss Parker's other brother.

"He's gone now," Norwood said loudly for the other's benefit. "Look, if I break down my machine, it could take me some time before I can reassemble it again," he whined.

"I'll help you take it apart. I'm an engineer of sorts, don't worry, we'll be able to put it back together again. I'll use some of my sister's money and my brother's contacts to get the components you need to get things working."

"We'll attempt to make contact in a couple weeks. If I'm unable to reach you then, I'll try again a couple weeks after that until we can reach each other again."

"I'll do my best, Jarod. I'll write down the frequency we've reached you at and I'll make sure to have someone monitor this frequency once we're up and running."

"Ethan, contact a man named Broots. Tell him I sent you and ask for the components on Sam's list. He was probably the person who put together Sam's list," Parker said quickly. Then she explained how he could reach Broots and exactly what to say to the tech genius to keep their request confidential.

Hastily writing down her instructions, Ethan replied, "Okay, I've got it. That should speed things up considerably." A brief pause slipped by when Ethan said clearly, but quietly, "Take care of yourselves and each other. I love you both."

"Same here," Jarod replied quietly, as the connection was suddenly severed.