“All of you?”Con shook his head.
“I don’t think the opposition knows about Mel and Jack,” Ty said, “but they were after Alice.Remember Rita saw me there.That means the others saw me, too.”
“Alice.”Con rubbed his temples.
“If they get to me, get to Alice, how long will it take them to find Jack and Mel.”
And me.“They wanted Alice?”He supposed it wasn’t that huge of a shock.She was really smart.
“They might still want her,” Ty said soberly.“I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them.”
A few days—and a lot of time travel—ago, Con wouldn’t have understood the grim determination to protect Alice.That he did now, made him wonder just what Rita meant to him.
Rita noticed that Mel didn’t take her directly through the hangar.They went around to the back, tramping along a rough path through the desert growth around the facility.There was a small door in the back and inside a small, very small apartment, rustic being the kindest word she could think of to describe it.
Her time in Roswell was the longest she’d stayed anywhere.Recalling her first wave of dismay when she’d unlocked the door she almost smiled, would have if it wouldn’t have taken more energy than she had available.
Normally, her travel through time was like a day job.She’d show up in the morning, travel to her assigned time, do whatever she’d been told to do, and returned in time to head home for the night.She could have had a personal life.Some of the other agents had families, children.
She had no family left.It was kind of a fluke in a future where all illnesses had almost been eradicated.Almost.
So, instead of a personal life, she’d spent her evenings reading—she loved classic romance fiction—studying history, and delving into the theories of time travel.She particularly loved finding quirky old Time Machine ads.After work, she’d settle down in her most comfortable chair, turn on some twentieth century rock ’n roll, and read.
There was also the physical training required by her job.She wasn’t a fan, but she had to keep it up.It was a pity she couldn’t go back in time and somehow avoid current exercise.That was a little too time bendy though.
This little place was a long way from her apartment.And she thought she’d done a good job of adjusting her expectations the last few days—had it been a few days?She had lost track at some point.
But the tally was, if she were remembering correctly, the night in the tacky hotel, the scary bed in Joe’s spare room, and the wooden seat of the Pitts Special.So the two bunks affixed to one wall in this small, but tidy space didn’t filled her with complete dismay.At least she had some hope she could actually get prone to sleep without worrying what might be in there with her.
And it had the basic amenities.There was a small fridge, a hint of a counter next to a small sink, a cook top, some cupboards, and a small couch, in addition to the bunks and a microscopic table that appeared to fold down from the wall.There was also a closed door that must lead to the hangar.She wondered if it was locked and what it was they didn’t want her to see.
Mel went into the small kitchen—if Rita could call it that—and began making sandwiches.Rita was so hungry and so tired she wasn’t sure she could actually eat.
She wanted to be left alone to sleep.She went over to the bunk and sat down.It took an effort of will not to sag to the side and let the world fade away.
She did close her eyes so she couldn’t see the waver of time around the edges of the room.With her stomach so empty, the sight made her a bit sea sick.
“I’m sorry,” she said, because it felt like she needed to apologize, even if she wasn’t sure exactly what it was she’d done wrong.Recognized Ty maybe?
She felt mentally and physically sluggish.Too bad she couldn’t pop back in time, get some sleep, and return alert and refreshed.Also too time bendy.
She had been able to process the fact that there were other time travelers, at least one.And Jack and Mel seemed to know it.How did Red feel about running into yet more time travelers?
She should be worried they were the ones trying to kill her, but she wasn’t.Her gut knew it wasn’t them after her.Mostly she was afraid they’d make her get back in the plane and fly away.
Mel turned around holding two plates, each containing a sandwich, and brought one of them to Rita.Mel set her plate on the table, found two bottles of water and handed one to Rita, then took her seat.
Rita’s fear that she’d talk faded as Mel tucked into her sandwich.It took effort to lift half the sandwich to her mouth and take a bite, but after she’d swallowed a couple of bites, energy began to filter through her again.
“What are you going to do with me?”she asked.Great, she’d gotten enough energy to talk, but not enough to censor herself.
Mel didn’t look startled or surprised.“Well, you are a bit of a problem, but we don’t kill people.”
It was a pity her employers didn’t seem to have the same scruples.
“I can’t speak for the people who are after you.”
Rita sighed.“But you said they can’t find me here.”
