Chapter 27. Complications
Content warning: Violence resulting in injury, reference to race.
Jim = modern Bucky, Thomas = Sam, Andrew = future Merton
On the first Sunday morning in July, Andrew and Jim went to the same diner that Bucky took Ariel to later in the fall. Being part of Jim's recovered memories, he remembered where it was and the two men entered, sitting themselves at the end of the counter away from the door. It allowed them to see who came in to eat as well as see into the kitchen. That is where Jim saw the other man from that night. He was one of the cooks. When he noticed the man putting a completed breakfast up on the pass-through, Jim nudged Andrew, pointing him out.
"Hmm," said Andrew, watching the cook. "He doesn't look familiar. It's possible he had a persona treatment. Peri never identified who was taken from here. They may have got away if they were tipped off."
"There were three people missing from work when I brought Ariel here in September," said Jim. "A waitress, the busboy, and one from the kitchen. I assume it was one of the cooks. The waitress that day was the older one at the other end. She hinted that two of them may have run off together. I suppose if we see two of them flirting together, we can figure out who they were." He lowered his voice considerably. "That was the day Will died."
Merton looked oddly at Jim then remembered the day in question. It was something he would never forget. He would have to let it happen before he could enlighten Jim on everything behind the scenes. Shaking his head, he looked back at the cook, then at the busboy who came out and cleared the tables. He recognized the busboy and confirmed to Jim that it was a young man from Flatbush.
"That's a long way to come for a busboy job," said Jim. "I knew a few guys from Flatbush. Don't remember him."
"He attended a yeshivah, not a regular high school," said Andrew. "Louis is his name. Grew up to be a research scientist with NASA and helped develop the renewable batteries that would be used in cars. If he stopped showing up for work that day it was something else that kept him away. I think a historian was assigned to him at some point. I would have to check."
Both men continued eating and watching the other waitress that was working. A younger woman, she did her job competently enough, but she often looked out the window as she worked. When it slowed down a bit, she told the manager she was taking a break and stepped outside the back door from the kitchen. Almost immediately the cook that Jim identified took his break also heading out the same door. Jim stepped outside and made his way to where he could hear the pair without being seen. At first, they each had a cigarette then the woman asked what went wrong the previous night. He told her the couple were back together, and it had been reported but no one cancelled the operation. Then he told her there were two suspected security agents that intervened.
"You didn't get a good look at them?" she said. "That's troubling. As far as we know all security assigned to this borough were pulled back to 2142."
"Well, they were big enough to be security," said the cook, "and they seemed sure of what they were doing. Do you know when the next opportunity to take her is?"
"Sunday, September 1," replied the woman. "World's Fair. There's more to come." Jim could hear her taking a drag on her cigarette. "I better get back in there before the bitch complains. I can't wait to get back home after this."
"You and me both," said the cook. "Go ahead. I'll give you a minute to get inside ahead of me."
Silently, Jim slipped back into the diner before the woman even made it to the dining area. He reported to Andrew what he heard, and they paid their bill, leaving and walking back to Will's place. After making his report to Peri, Andrew came back down and announced there was nothing more on their plate until September 1. The men were free to work their day jobs, go out in the evening, and just keep their eyes on things in general.
Jim took advantage of it to take Thomas to some of his favourite jazz clubs in Brooklyn and Harlem that weren't segregated. Over the summer, a cool one by New York standards, he considered it his duty to make his partner aware of the quality of music he still listened to. On occasion Will and Arnold joined them, also enjoying the atmosphere in the clubs.
As it got closer to the first Sunday in September both Jim and Thomas noticed an increase in activity in the neighbourhood near where they worked. It was nothing concrete at first, rumours of acts of vandalism, especially against black-owned or Jewish-owned businesses. The beat cops in the neighbourhood began stopping by regularly to update the owner of the grocery where Jim worked to be on his guard for petty thefts from the fruit and vegetable displays in front of the store. Jim shared his own memories with the others of the day spent at the World's Fair.
The morning of September 1st arrived. Andrew confirmed that they were the men who intervened at the World's Fair as Ariel asked him about guild security following her after she returned. He recounted the circumstances of their intervention as Ariel described it to him while Jim remembered his impressions of it from the standpoint of his younger self. Both men waited at the subway stop, one stop away from where Bucky, Steve, Ariel and Rebecca boarded. They got on a car and stood near the end, as it was busy. Jim looked through the window, spotting Ariel and Bucky then turned away, not wanting to give her the opportunity to study him.
"I think she saw me," he said to Thomas, who took his place then did his own looking back at Ariel.
"She does keep looking over here. Still can't believe how carefree you seemed. I know a shit load of stuff happened to you but it's like night and day seeing you then and seeing you now. When do we change trains?"
"Soon," said Jim, wanting to turn back and look at Ariel but knowing it wasn't a good idea.
When they did switch they had no choice but to board the same car because of the volume of people, but headed towards the opposite end, holding on to the loop hanging from the top rail. Again Jim positioned himself so his back was turned to her while Thomas was able to see her through the crowd standing between them. As soon as they arrived at the World's Fair site the two men disembarked, lined up to pay their way and disappeared into the crowd.
Still remembering the order of exhibits they went to see when he was younger, Jim made sure that he and Thomas were elsewhere during the day. Thomas was entranced by the television display, and by the cars in the auto manufacturer's venues that were considered vintage in his time. It seemed as if he thoroughly enjoyed it. When it got dark, they ate some hot dogs from a vendor then Jim led Thomas to a busy stretch.
"I took Steve to see the girlie show," he said.
"Seriously, they had girlie shows here?" asked Thomas, with a grin. "Like, naked women?"
"Yes, like naked women," said Jim, impatiently. "It was a different time. They presented it as if it was artistic even though it really wasn't. Most of the women models were strippers or burlesque dancers, as most decent women couldn't take the ogling and staring. They didn't let kids in but women were welcome and a few came in to see what the fuss was about."
Thomas chuckled and shook his head. "Man, there's so much I missed out on in my time, even with growing up near New Orleans. Where were Ariel and your sister exactly?"
"I gave them money for the arcade and then we were to meet at the Heineken windmill further down. So, we'll have to watch for them to come out of the arcade as I remember them running up to us at the windmill saying they got separated but two men helped them. Ariel said later it was the same two men that helped them at the fireworks."
They both stood there watching then Thomas nudged Jim, noticing Ariel and Rebecca approaching them while holding hands. Their view was blocked by a group of men walking aggressively towards her and his sister. Their view of the two was blocked by the group in between.
"You take care of Ariel," said Jim. "I'll get Rebecca."
He disappeared into the crowd while Thomas looked then saw Ariel turning around in a panic as she couldn't see the younger girl. Quietly he approached her and took her arm.
"She'll be alright," he said calmly. "My friend is getting the girl and bringing her here. We'll make sure you get to where you're supposed to meet your other friends."
Turning towards him Ariel tried talking to him, but Thomas kept looking away until she pulled her elbow out of his hand, surprising him.
"Why are you following us?" she demanded. "I remember you from the fireworks then I saw you on the subway."
"I don't know what you mean, lady," he replied, still looking in the other direction.
He nodded to the side, where they saw Jim coming with Rebecca, gently guiding her back to them, the fright on her face still evident. As he came closer, Thomas noted that Jim kept his head turned away and had pulled his cap low over his eyes making it difficult for Ariel to see his face. To Thomas she looked angry so he leaned into Jim's ear.
"She definitely remembers us," he said, knowing Jim could hear him in all the noise around them. "We have to tell her something."
Jim seemed somewhat taken aback then looked at Ariel, who noticed he still had his hand on Rebecca's shoulder but in a protective way.
"We live in the neighbourhood," he said, after a few moments. "I've seen you working at the library and at your uncle's store. We just happened to be here at the same time and saw you had been separated. That's all there is to it. Where are you supposed to meet the two young men?"
"At the Heineken windmill," said Ariel, still suspicious.
He nodded and gestured for Thomas to lead the way while he and Rebecca followed. When the windmill came into view, they saw Steve and Bucky already there looking into the crowd for them. Rebecca ran ahead to Bucky, putting her arms around him for comfort. He looked up alarmed then saw Ariel and walked to her. When she turned to thank Jim and Thomas they had already melted back into the crowd, although Jim could still see her as she looked in vain for him. A part of him desperately wanted her to see him, the way he was now but it would interfere in the timeline. He watched as she finally turned away, with his younger self protectively putting his arm around her and leading her towards the main part of the fair.
"That was intense," said Thomas. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he replied. Then he looked at his partner. "I recognized a couple of the men who separated them. They were from Ridgewood next to where we work. No one seemed to go after Ariel?"
"No," said Thomas, puzzled. "Do you think they got the two mixed up?"
"I don't know but Rebecca was terrified, said they kept pushing her away from Ariel," replied Jim. "She remembered me. I messed up and called her by name then said I had to make sure to get her and Ariel back to Bucky. This is hard on me, Sam. She's my little sister and I wanted to hug her."
Thomas put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "That's understandable. Listen, we might as well take our time leaving, right? Don't want to meet up with them on the train."
"Yeah, let's get a beer. I'll grab a couple and meet you on the boardwalk."
Thomas went to the boardwalk, noticing several men already sitting there who gave him an unfriendly look, so he moved away to a less crowded area. Jim found him and handed him a can of beer. They sat quietly drinking, while looking out over the artificial pond that had been created for the exhibition. The group of men that Thomas had moved away from were being quite rowdy, sending other people searching for a quieter area. Shaking their heads both men finished their beer and agreed to get going. It had been a long day and both of them had to work the following day.
As the month of September passed Andrew spoke to everyone about the Selective Training and Service Act soon to be passed. As they looked to be within the age range being considered they were trying to find a way to register without being exposed, especially Jim, with his advanced artificial arm.
"I think they're trying to get someone placed in the draft board who can take our registrations and bury them," said Andrew. "Obviously, Arnold you're already in the military as Phillips' corporal but they'll place Thomas with the 92nd infantry and we need him here. Regardless, we don't want any of us to be drafted. I might look like I'm in my 30s but I'm in my 60s and I feel every year of it sometimes. On another matter, Peri sent your observation about the incident at the World's Fair to the research department. It looks like they hired agitators from this time period to separate Ariel from your sister. Somehow, they got the idea that your sister was the target. They were recruited from the Ridgewood area, near where you both work. You both be careful, you especially Thomas, as there are reports of incidents of violence against minorities."
The act passed on September 17 and the lineups to register early were long as the length of service was initially to be 12 months. Young Bucky and Steve both registered on Saturday, the 21st. Jim remembered Ariel's reaction to it as bordering on hysteria. It was explained at the time as her being upset on the anniversary of her father's death but now he understood that it was one more indicator of his eventual fate that tore at her conscience. It was also the night that Merton phoned him to stay at the apartment as he was called into the emergency involving Will Greening. As that Saturday approached Jim was almost sick with worry for the historian. He genuinely liked Will. The historian was considerate, empathetic, and enjoyed going out to the jazz clubs with Jim and Thomas. Jim spoke to Andrew privately that morning about what would happen that evening.
"We can't interfere," asserted Andrew. "It's already happened. It's a turning point in the investigation and that is as much as I can tell you."
"But knowing that he dies ... I have to do something," said Jim, his eyes blazing.
"NO," stated Andrew. "That's final. You have to let it happen. Just like Ariel had to let you go without telling you about HYDRA."
"Are you saying Will's death has historical significance?" asked Jim, trying once more to convince Andrew.
"As far as you're concerned, yes," he replied. "Let it go. You can change what will happen tonight."
Thomas was getting ready for work and came out of the bathroom to say it was ready for the next person. Both men were working the same shift that day, 8 am to 8 pm. Jim looked at the clock, realizing he didn't have much time. With a curse on his lips he went to wash up and get ready. By the time he was dressed and they were headed out they didn't have time to take their usual roundabout route and took a chance that the troublemakers in the Ridgewood neighbourhood wouldn't be up. Quickly, the two men hurried through the streets, both of them arriving a little late at their jobs, apologizing to their bosses. The day went quickly and by the time the fishmonger's shop and grocery shop closed it was almost 8 pm.
"We better hurry," said Thomas. "Mr. McCardle said the local Nazis have been restless this past week, especially with the passing of the selective service act. Their mouthpieces are claiming that Americans will be sent over to fight in England."
"Well, I'm not willing to push our luck in going through Ridgewood again," said Jim. "We'll have to take the long way."
They headed out, both men keeping their wits about them. About halfway home Jim looked behind them.
"Shit, we're being followed," he said. "There's about a dozen of them and they don't look happy."
"We're not even in the neighbourhood," said Thomas.
"Doesn't matter," replied Jim. "You have it in you to run?"
"Yeah, just say the word," he answered.
Jim gave the word, and they began running, setting off the crowd behind them. Trying to keep Thomas ahead of him Jim kept glancing back seeing the others getting closer. Patting Thomas on the back he pushed him forward.
"Go, I'll hold them off," he said.
"Bucky, they'll overwhelm you," replied Thomas.
"Sam, if they get to you, they may kill you. Now GO!"
While the super soldier stopped and faced the oncoming mass of angry men Thomas kept running, almost to where he could see Will's building. Just as he thought he was in the clear several appeared ahead of him, having split off from the main group.
"Shit," he muttered, then prepared himself to fight.
He knocked the first man down then was knocked down himself by another. As soon as he was down on the ground they began stomping on his head and kicking his side. For a moment he thought he was going to die then he heard yelling from the direction of Will's building and saw both Will and Andrew come out of the stairwell that led up to the apartment. Will began fighting the men who had attacked him while Andrew helped Thomas up to get him to the stairwell. Before they made it more men appeared and swarmed all three of them. Swinging his arms to punch the attackers Thomas connected, then became aware of bodies flying all over the place as Jim appeared and waded into the melee. He became aware of the sound of sirens then fell once more. Just before he was kicked in the side again, he saw Will fall and hit his head on the curb, appearing stunned. As the police began swarming the area Jim came to him.
"Sam, are you hurt?" he asked.
He meant to say yes but all he could manage was a moan. Will looked dazed but he scrambled over to where the injured man was and put his hand protectively on Thomas's shoulder. When a policeman asked who was responsible for the fight it seemed he was going to start with arresting Thomas, but Jim set him straight.
"We were coming home from work and this gang began following us," he told the officer. "We live here in this building. I tried to hold them off and he almost made it, but they caught up to him." Jim looked around. "Where's Andrew? He was here, where did he go?"
There were several men from the mob still moaning on the ground and Jim went over to one, picking him up by his jacket.
"Where's my friend?" he asked angrily. "What have you done with him?"
The man just grinned and spat blood into the street. "Heil Hitler," he smiled.
The police officer called over to the other officers for the man who spat to be arrested along with the others. He pulled out his notebook, demanding that Jim give them the particulars of the three of them, plus the man who was missing. Then Jim looked at Will, puzzled to see that he was still alive. What the hell was going on? Was Andrew the one who actually died?
"Do you want us to call for an ambulance?" asked the policeman, gesturing at Thomas. "I can tell you right now that it will be a while before one arrives that will take a coloured man."
Thomas, fighting to keep conscious, shook his head. Jim looked helplessly at the cop.
"No, we'll take him up to our place, take care of him ourselves," he said. "Just find our other friend."
Helping Thomas up Jim wrapped his arm around him, then offered his hand to Will to help him up. The three of them headed to the stairwell. Once they were inside and had closed the door Jim picked Thomas up and carried him up the stairs. He put him down to unlock the door then noticed the door had been broken into. Swearing he stepped inside, realizing that the apartment had been ransacked. Will came in behind him, took one look and passed out.
"Shit," swore Jim, carrying Thomas to their room and laying him gently on his bed. "I'll be right back. I have to get Will."
Running back out to the door he picked up the unconscious Will and carried him to the other bed in the room with Thomas. Because Will was out he pulled open his eyelids noting a slight reaction to the light after he turned it on but he didn't look well. Switching his attention to Thomas he gently put his hands on his face, suspecting a broken nose to start with. Having set his own several times he set his friend's receiving a loud groan from him in response.
"Sam, Sam, can you hear me?" he asked.
More moans was his answer as he noticed Sam's jacket and shirt were practically torn off. There were already signs of bruising and swelling in the rib area. When he gently pressed the area he could feel some movement beneath his fingertips, making Sam react with pain. Sitting back, he calmed himself then remembered that Andrew had said if anything happened, and they were split up they could phone Merton for help. He could give him a code word and receive the response word in return. Going to the other bedroom he pulled the covers off and put them on the two injured men then he went to the phone and phoned Merton's number, amazed that he still remembered it after all these years. It took several rings then he recognized Merton's voice.
"Is this Merton Burnett?" he asked, just to be sure.
"Yes," replied the voice.
"Jitterbug," said Jim.
"Fox trot," replied Merton. "Hold on a moment." The radio was turned on. "What's happened?"
"My name is Jim Ference," said Jim. "Thomas Paulson and Will Greening are hurt. The historian watching General Phillips is in New Jersey with him. I had no one else to turn to as our third, Andrew Smith, has disappeared. Can you come? Bring a first aid kit. I don't think I can treat them with what I know so if you have any modern medical equipment bring it with you."
"What happened to Will's first aid kit?" asked Merton.
Jim sighed as he didn't know where it was and didn't want to leave the other two to search for it. "I can explain when you get here. Please just come as quickly as you can."
There was a long pause.
"I don't want to leave Ariel here on her own," said Merton.
"I know," replied Jim, remembering what happened that night. "Call Bucky Barnes. He'll come and stay with her gladly. He's still awake."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me, he's up and if you phone him, he'll be there as quickly as he can." Jim hesitated for a moment. "He won't abuse your trust. I can guarantee it."
It was less than half an hour later when Merton drove closer to Will Greening's place, noticing a heavy police presence nearby. A policeman hailed him, making him stop. He rolled the window down and looked at the officer.
"Do you live in this area?" asked the policeman sternly.
"No, I live about ten minutes away," said Merton. "I'm visiting my friend Will. He lives in the apartment above the barber shop. What's going on?"
"We're still trying to determine all the details but there was an incident," he said. "A black man was being beaten by some Nazis and a brawl broke out when a couple of men tried to intervene on his behalf. Poor guy wasn't doing anything, just walking back from his job when they jumped him. He's lucky he's alive. His friends took him, said they all knew each other and lived nearby."
"Are they in trouble?" asked Merton, a sense of dread filling his stomach.
"No, it was definitely self defence on their part," said the officer. "If you say your friend lives in the apartment above the barber shop, he might be one of them that came to the man's defence. One of them looked really bad when the big man took him up. The other man looked woozy. Damn Nazis. It's bad enough they're marching across Europe. They need to keep their politics there."
He waved Merton on, and the historian pulled up across the street from the barber shop. Quickly he took the suitcase and medical kit out, then hurried across to the stairwell door. At the top of the stairs, he noticed the door was broken and opened it. A bearded man came out of one of the bedrooms, recognized immediately by Merton.
"Shit!" he swore. "What was Peri thinking sending you as security? Is the injured black man Sam Wilson?"
"Well, there goes the disguise," said Bucky. "Nice to see you, too, Merton but tonight has been something else. Andrew has disappeared."
"What do you mean disappeared?" asked Merton.
"Let's get Sam and Will seen to first," said Bucky. "I assume you know how to use everything in your modern kit."
Bucky led him into the messy apartment then a bedroom where Sam and Will were each on a bed. Merton winced when he saw Sam, unconscious, his face bloody, with many cuts on his head and scalp. His shirt had been torn off and his chest and sides were covered in bruises.
"He has a broken nose which I reset," said Bucky. "I'm pretty sure he has several broken ribs, but an X-ray should confirm that. I can wrap his middle up after but really, he needs to be in a hospital."
Setting the suitcase on a chair Merton brought out a diagnostic tool, sliding it over his hand and running it over Sam's head and face. He confirmed the broken nose and was satisfied there were no brain or skull injuries. Then he brought out the portable X-ray, pressing several buttons on it as he set it up. A rolled-up fabric inside the case was taken out and he directed Bucky to carefully raise Sam so he could slide it underneath him. Once it was in position, he asked Bucky to stand back near the door. Taking a remote control with him he stood beside Bucky and pressed a button on it. After a couple of seconds, the unit beeped and they both went back to Sam, then Merton pressed another button which projected a holographic X-ray image up in front of them. He studied it carefully then pointed to an area.
"He has several cracked ribs but that one is definitely broken," he said to Bucky. "I'm going to run a treatment tool on the nose and the ribs then wrapping his middle should keep it from getting worse but I'm more concerned about this." He pointed to a dark area on Sam's left side. "His spleen might be bruised or worse. Let me take a closer look."
He picked up the diagnostic tool, holding it over Sam's left side. As it scanned the area around the spleen, he read the readout and nodded his head.
"Just bruised," he said. "He's confined to bed rest today and no physical activity for the rest of the week."
"Were you a doctor in your past life?" asked Bucky, half joking.
"All resident historians get full training in field medicine," replied Merton. "Basically, we're the equivalent of an advanced paramedic in the 2020s. Speaking of which, what happened to Will's medical kit?"
Bucky sighed. "I don't know anything about it. While Sam and I were returning from work we were followed by a mob. I sent him on ahead and tried to fight them, but they slowed me up. When I got to the street in front of the building Will and Andrew were trying to defend him, but Sam was already hurt. Then the police arrived and when the fighting stopped, I noticed Andrew was gone."
"Why is the apartment a mess?" asked Merton.
"Someone had been here during the day I guess and ransacked the place. Although Will made it up the stairs he passed out when we got inside. Why would they take Andrew?"
Merton shook his head, unsure of who this Andrew person was without his persona. He switched his attention over to Will, also unconscious, running the diagnostic tool over the man, his face darkening as he read it. There was no way Will could stay in this time period.
"He has a brain bleed," Merton said gravely. "He needs to go back to the future timeline. There is a communications console, usually kept in another room under separate lock and key. Did he show you where it was?"
Bucky shook his head and Merton went to the bathroom, shaking the different pill bottles. All of them contained pills. From there he went to the kitchen looking at the different containers, then he saw it, a canister of hibiscus tea, a modern flavour. Picking it up he could hear the loose tea but also a metal sound and he poured it out into a bowl, taking the key. Leaving Bucky to watch the others he pulled the attic stairs down from the ceiling and went up into the attic where a room had been built. Inserting the key, he opened the door and saw with satisfaction that the console was intact, and the modern medical kit was in the corner. He entered his credentials and added the code for medical emergency. When the face of Peri appeared, she looked at him with surprise.
"Merton, why are you using Will's console?" she asked.
"There was an attack on him, Andrew, Jim Ference, and Thomas Paulson," he said. "What were you thinking sending those two in?" He took a breath. "Sorry, it was just a shock to see them. Will is in bad shape and needs to be evacuated immediately. Jim ... is okay. Thomas is unconscious with broken ribs and nose. Apparently, Andrew is missing."
"Where is Ariel?" asked Peri, her face full of fear.
"Back at my place," he said. "Jim said to call Bucky to watch over her so he must have had that memory. How could he have that memory if we don't have a record of this attack. We don't ... do we? Peri, what the hell is going on?"
"I can't tell you over the console," she said. "It's obvious they've been monitoring our conversations. I'll send a medical team to get Will and Thomas, and a security team to close Will's operation. Where's Arnold Moffat?"
"Jim said he was in New Jersey with the General," replied Merton. "Do you want me to take him in?"
"No, I'll be there soon to talk with you and Jim," she answered. "Keep the two injured men stable. We'll be there shortly."
Her face disappeared and Merton shut everything down, then locked the room back up. He held on to the key, planning to turn it over to the security team. There was so much happening and with the modern version of Bucky here it was hard to know what to think. Back in the bedroom Bucky / Jim was taking a manual pulse of Sam. Quickly, Merton showed him how to use the diagnostic unit to monitor life signs, then told him Will was in critical condition. As Bucky / Jim began tentatively scanning Will the older man went back out into the apartment, looking at the mess and trying to determine what the ransackers were looking for. He looked at another bedroom, with two beds in it, noticing it was untouched. Going back to where Bucky / Jim was he looked at that room and recognized it as one that had been previously used for storage, also untouched. The third bedroom had a single bed, and it was a mess. Looking at the scattered papers he glanced at the writing and saw they contained the notes on General Phillips. Quickly he returned to Bucky / Jim.
"Do you happen to know ASL?" he signed.
Bucky / Jim nodded, remembering Andrew saying he already knew about that, and a look of relief passed over Merton's face. He signed again to Bucky / Jim.
"It doesn't look like they searched this room or Will's room, but they went through Arnold's room. I think they were looking for information on General Phillips."
Bucky / Jim frowned. "He's at Camp Lehigh in New Jersey. It's secure."
"I know, but it's possible he's become a target. They may have been looking to replace him with a doppelgänger. If they can pinpoint his location while he's en route they can switch him out with one of theirs. They didn't find the key for the communications room, which is where the medical kit is. So, they obviously wanted information on the General."
"Okay, but why the attack on Sam?"
"Diversion? To get you out into the open so they could take Andrew?"
A look of concern flew over Bucky / Jim's face and immediately Merton was alerted that something hadn't been revealed to him.
"Andrew is you, from the future, in a young persona. Will recognized you so I'm guessing this Orville guy would as well."
"Shit, that's not good. Do you know what the time frame was when you were taken into the future? How long after you were gone from here?"
"Eight months after I shipped out in June 1943 according to Andrew and Peri. 2142 there."
"Okay, so I did go back with Ariel. I was thinking this would be my last resident historian assignment. Getting too old for this."
They were interrupted by the sound of a portal in the parlour and both men went to the entrance. Merton stuck his hand in and pulled Peri out. The portal closed then reopened and he did the same a moment later pulling out a member of the security team, who took over the pulling out process. He brought out another eight men followed by two medical teams of two men each with a sling chair between them. Bucky / Jim led the latter to the bedroom where they loaded up Sam and Will, taking them back through the portal. Bucky / Jim stared at the portal as if to go through it, but Peri shook her head and the portal closed. When he attempted to talk, she shook her head again. A member of the security team came with several devices in his hand and only then did she speak.
"Sorry, I wanted all the bugs found before we spoke openly. We'll go to your place later, Merton, and do the same. Let's go into the kitchen. Merton, do you have the key for the communications console?"
He handed it over to her, which was passed on to the security officer with the other devices. Nodding his head, he went up to the communications room. Peri sat at the table, looking somewhat worse for the wear since Bucky / Jim last saw her.
"Let me update you," she said. "It's been almost a week in our time since you left. We found Ariel last night. It was as we thought, Bucky. They were keeping her on ice until they could send her doppelgänger here to replace her. That scene with you in Ariel's bedroom was the test that had them convinced she was ready. May Weatherly was their agent, prepared since she was 14 to assume Ariel's place here in the hopes of getting her pregnant with young Bucky's child. I should have clued in when Ariel told me that May dyed her hair since she was a teenager but put her natural hair colour in her profile as red."
"What about the attack on Will and Sam?" asked Merton. "That wasn't in the historical records."
"No, it wasn't, because you didn't publish it," replied Peri. "We kept it on the down low hoping to draw them out. Your future persona likely allowed yourself to be taken so that you could find out where they are based. We tried a new device and it worked to perfection, allowing our security team to go in and rescue Andrew, who is on his way here as we speak. We took the whole lot of them in this timeline into custody, including Orville."
"Just like that?" asked Bucky / Jim, his eyes blazing. "You used your future technology to find them and take them out. So why were Sam and I here? He could have been killed."
"Because you really were needed to keep Ariel safe, at the fireworks display and at the World's Fair," said Peri. "There were several scenarios where Sam was attacked and in most of them, he successfully fought off his attackers with the help of you and the others. When this one resulted in injury, we took the offensive after Merton contacted us and took the fight to the other side using future agents. The future is always in flux, Bucky. Even though these events took place in the past they were instigated by agents of the future, meaning they were also in flux. Sam will be alright, I promise you. Will is going to be okay, as well."
He looked relieved then he looked at Merton. "You told me in 1940 that Will died, tomorrow after Ariel and I came back from our day out," he asked. "So, I can go back now?"
Merton shrugged as it obviously hadn't happened for him yet.
"Not yet, I'm afraid," replied Peri, leaving the other comment alone. "This ransacking of Will's place, and the revelation that they were looking for information on General Phillips has our analysts believing they are targeting him now. I'm going to send you with Andrew and Arnold Moffat to stay with Hal Leblanc. He has a house so there will be adequate room for you. You are going to be keeping the General under tabs until we identify those who are tracking him and eliminate them. Since Timothy Dugan's historian is also under Hal's supervision you might as well keep an eye on him as well. Don't tell Arnold anything about his time during the war with the General. It might scare him off if he knew what a bear that man could be."
A knock at the door drew a security officer to it who called out a phrase. When the person on the outside gave a second phrase as a countersign the door was opened, and Andrew walked in. Smiling at Merton he turned around in a circle.
"Not bad, huh?" he said. "I forgot how good looking we were when we were young." He became serious. "It was need to know, Merton. I'm sorry I couldn't inform you I was here." He looked at Bucky with sympathy. "I couldn't tell you the truth about Will either. I'm sorry about that." He turned to Peri anxiously. "How is Ariel Prime?"
She nodded. "She's okay. They kept her sedated. She remembers Bucky being in the solarium and leaving him there then it's a blank after she entered the bedroom. She doesn't know about the fake diary. Make sure that you don't bring it up when you return, Bucky. Did they question you, Andrew?"
"They did," replied Andrew.
"Report please," said Peri.
"Once they got word you found Ariel, they changed their plan to switch out the General instead," said Andrew. "They knew about Dugan and Jones both having historians and I suspect they may target them as well. They also openly speculated about targeting young Steve."
Bucky's head jerked up at the mention of his friend. Andrew looked at him reassuringly. "Orville reminded them that they would have a hard time duplicating his health conditions and physique without young Bucky noticing a change. They figured since young Bucky was going to be training young Steve that his physical health would improve. It's not like it wasn't public knowledge about his health issues."
Older Bucky smirked. "Yeah, that didn't happen. Not for lack of trying. So, I'm not to be guarding Ariel anymore?"
"Only if required and we would give Hal a heads up if anything showed up at our end," said Peri. "Andrew, if you and Bucky would pack up your possessions Merton can give you a ride to Hal's. We are going to restore Will's place to its original condition. He won't be back, not at this time or location, anyways."
After they left Peri looked at Merton. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Ariel going missing," she said. "They took her from my apartment with full security protocols in place. Still haven't figured that out so I'm taking her to your place, after security have checked it out. Do you have anything there identifying her as your daughter?"
"No, it's all here with me, hidden," he said, then gave out an audible breath. "How did this get so complicated, Peri? She's deeply in love with Bucky, begged me to let her return home because she's terrified she's getting in too deep. I'm worried for her. I really am."
"I know, so am I," she said. "Although all of my instincts are to let her come home, I think we have to let the timeline run as it did. All possible timelines have been explored and their future happiness has the best odds if they go through the turmoil of this one. That's all we really want for her at this point, isn't it? To be joined with Bucky eventually and for them to have a happy life together in the 21st century?"
"I guess, but it rubs me the wrong way to put both Buckys through this," he said. "Who else, other than Orville and May were in on this attempt to manipulate the past? There are all sorts of ways for them to create havoc and it hurts her, a little bit, every time."
"I understand that," said Peri. "I'm not heartless. I feel for her every time but she's stronger than even she knows. As for who else... we're still trying to figure that out, although it was mentioned they had someone on the council."
"All this to get some published information about these three years," said Merton, not sure if she was being truthful. "Is it worth it, Peri?"
She didn't answer and he scowled. Damn her and her inscrutability. Andrew and Jim came out with their suitcases and Peri stood up. She reminded them both to keep a low profile while searching out any other potential agitators. Then she turned to the security captain, and it was like they had been dismissed. Merton shrugged and led them downstairs where he was surprised to see the police were gone. Jim sat in the back of the van as Andrew took the front passenger seat. The super soldier sat on an overturned crate and looked at his hands as Merton drove another twenty minutes to Hal's place. The historian was waiting for them, obviously alerted to their arrival. He was in his pyjamas and a housecoat. Even he could tell Andrew was Merton's younger double but praised the excellent persona work. He offered his hand to Jim.
"After we first met in Merton's kitchen Orville insulted you shortly after you left," he said. "I should have punched the traitor then. What an ass he was. I could see you were already a man of quality when you were young. Now I see you, post Flag Smashers and you're still a man of a quality, a man of honour even. Not many men of the 21st century would agree to do what you're doing now. You still love Ariel?"
"Yeah, something like that," replied Jim, wanting to be anywhere but there. "Once I get back to 2142, I want to take her back with me."
"Good," replied Hal, looking at Merton. "Not many historians fall in love with their assignments, but I've never known any regretting staying with them. Call me a romantic but I think you would have a happy life together."
Turning around he led them into the house and showed the two the room they would share. It was much nicer than the converted storeroom that Jim and Thomas had been living in. As they unpacked Andrew suddenly stood up and said he had to go to the bathroom.
"They gave me coffee and now I'm wondering if they put something in it," he said to Jim. "Excuse me."
Entering the bathroom, he locked the door and ran the water. Taking a small vibrating device out of his pocket he set it up on the windowsill and activated it, bringing up Peri's face. By the background she was back in her time.
"Sorry, I couldn't say anything when you came in, but I wanted you to know that some of the people who took Ariel escaped," she stated quietly. "We believe they're headed for Brooklyn, June 1943, for the time just after Steve Rogers was turned into a super soldier. I activated Operation Chrysalis to track and take Lowell Mason and May Weatherley into custody. We know for certain that they're there but there may be others. We're both need to know now but will continue with our original plan in the meantime. The pair at the diner were taken into custody overnight. As you thought, the bus boy was legitimate, but he found a better job which is why he won't show up this morning. If the future team needs you or anyone else in that time, they will use the code word "polka" and the response will be "Lindy hop." Let the others know, including Jim Ference. Everyone there is in play except Ariel. We have also left a note for Arnold Moffat to come to Hal's place. His notes, what's left of them will be there by the morning."
"You think that transformed Steve Rogers was a secondary target for seduction?" asked Andrew. "At the time you downplayed the kiss between him and Ariel. Am I right in thinking there was more to it?"
"Your instincts are accurate, but it is still speculation," replied Peri. "The bookstore clerk, Marjorie, was as she presented herself to be. It's possible the slight deviation of Steve working the diner instigated the dating activity with her. The kiss between him and Ariel definitely complicated the timeline, but Ariel didn't need to know that given the pressure she was already under. She may just be his first real love. It's speculated that if they switch May with Ariel, they will send May to Steve's flat after his transformation. With May as Ariel, she could convince him to bed her and impregnate her. Her extensive sexual experience as compared to his makes it a more likely scenario that we have to prevent. Could you imagine the friend and child of Captain America both being Fists of HYDRA?"
There was a knock on the door and Hal asked if Andrew was alright. "I'm okay," he called back, "just washing up. I'll be right out."
Peri nodded at him, and the image disappeared. He placed the device in his pocket and came out. So many complications were definitely making this assignment more difficult than it should have been. At least future Ariel was now safe, and Sam and Will would get better. They just had to keep older Bucky from being drafted and keep him from exposing his presence to Ariel and his family. That was going to take some doing.