The first thing Kelso noticed as the ground solidified beneath them was the swirling storm that was nearly directly overhead, the uneasily moving clouds nearly black and liberally shot through with unhealthy-appearing lightning. He looked up at it with a frown as his team began to move, stowing equipment and getting their vehicles ready to travel. 'Now, doesn't that look ominous,' he mused darkly. Then he was dismissing it from his mind. The last thing he needed right now was a distraction.
"Okay, team, listen up." And heads came around to focus eyes on him. "We have jumped nearly two thousand years into the past, and almost fifteen permutations across the possibility grid to what would be in our world the western Mediterranean. So we are truly in the weeds. Today is the last day of the year, which, according to Dr. Sloan's research, is when the item will be at its most powerful."
Kelso paused to sweep his team with an intense look.
"We have been instructed to retrieve that item, a relic known as the Book of Shadows from a small castle nearby. As we are well removed from the primary time line, we have been cleared to use whatever means possible to make our extraction. So let's move quick, hit the locals hard and grab the book before anybody's the wiser. Any questions?" He took a quick look around and, as expected, was met with silence.
"Good. I want those birds in the air now, scouting our forward path. Jeeps, we are heading north by northwest at best possible speed through this forest. Let's roll, people! The sooner we get this damn thing, the sooner we get to call in for retrieval. As of now, we are on the clock."
Their destination appeared almost over the next hill, a large, rambling structure of stone complete with turrets, squatting keeps and two layers of wall encircled by a deep, muddy moat. Riding in the lead jeep, Kelso had a perfect look at the castle as they maneuvered through dense forest capping a ridge overlooking the castle. And it didn't take him long to notice that the storm filling the sky seemed to be centered over it.
"Awesome," Tanner said over the commlink. "We're assaulting a frickin' medieval style pile of rocks. Think our slug throwers will be enough?" There was laughter audible in the background.
"If they're not, Tanner, we'll be using your head as a battering ram to knock down the front gate," Kelso flatly announced and the laughter disappeared. He brought up a pair of battered but serviceable binoculars to scan the rugged and archaic fortification, its stone face liberally covered with moss and lichens in the warm, damp climate.
"Lucky for you, we won't have to do that. It would appear the front door is open," he said as he spotted the main gates yawning open. As were every other door and opening into the castle, the structure as a whole looking completely abandoned.
"Eagle Eye, I'm seeing no life. Are you seeing the same?"
One of the helicopters went over with a hiss, its engines equipped with stealth technology so it made virtually no sound as it powered through the air. The old-style piece of flying equipment made a slow rotation over the structure.
"Vanguard, we are seeing no life as well. Place looks like it's been abandoned for a while, sir," came the reply from the helicopter.
"Copy that. All units, let's move in and set up shop in the main courtyard. We'll start our search for the book there!"
It didn't take long for the jeeps loaded with gear and equipment to make their way down off the ridge and across grass-covered fields to the castle as the helicopters kept wary watch overhead. Yet the sun was still sinking towards the horizon by the time the jeeps skidded to a halt in the mud-filled main courtyard.
