Time War: Invasion (6 page)

"We have been waiting a very long time for this day. For the Allies to finally return and free us from this misery."

Free you?

His history was a little rough at the best of times, but he could only think of one other time in the century that France had not been free.

"You must be the first of many more to come?"

Corwin inclined his head, knowing he could not break whatever illusion the man had of who they were. Bossan continued cleaning Beyett’s head wound and got out a needle and threaded it ready to begin stitching. Corwin remembered learning to stitch wounds in survival training, but he'd never had to put it into practice.

"Your equipment, I have never seen anything like it."

"Latest and greatest," replied Corwin. It was a lie, and he knew he had to stay grounded in some truth at least, "Will he be okay?"

Bossan nodded. "I am surprised there is not more damage, and..."

He hesitated for a moment.

"What is it?"

"The skin, it is healing before my very eyes, how?"

"It's top secret," replied Corwin quickly, "We’re trialling the latest in military enhancements. They make us stronger, faster, and heal quicker."

"Amazing," he replied, although looked immensely suspicious, "So I imagine your landing did not go quite to plan? Thrown off course, were you?"

"More than a little. We're on our own out here and running low on everything."

"Nonsense, you are welcome to all that my house has to offer."

Corwin nodded in appreciation. He knew they were imposters if nothing else, but he'd take all the help they could. He stuck to Bossan's side all evening; he had no confidence in his own people to keep their mouths shut, but mostly it was a quiet night. Nobody knew how or what to ask without giving away the fact they might as well be aliens in this new timeline.

An hour went by with little conversation. Bossan stepped out of the room for a moment, and that made them all suspicious, but he returned a few minutes later with a crate of wine and a tray full of glasses.

"Please, help yourselves."

Corwin knew it was a bad idea, but it was too much of a temptation. He grabbed the first bottle and poured out a glass before taking a full mouthful. It was rich and dry compared to anything he was used to, but it was instantly calming. They continued to drink quietly. Bossan seemed to understand and accept that they didn't want to talk, and they all appreciated that.

"You should get some sleep. The house is empty, and you are welcome to use the rooms. Any but my own on the top floor."

"Thanks. Harland and Hunter, you get first watch, rotate every three hours. Stay inside, stay quiet."

He grabbed the nearest bottle of wine and headed for the door, and most of them followed. None of them had known a real bed in a few weeks, and no matter how dire or bizarre the situation, a night’s rest sounded like heaven. The journey through the time machine felt instant, though it seemed to drain almost all the energy in their bodies. He paced up the stairs and to the end of the corridor where he found what looked like the largest of the rooms.

Lecia followed close behind, but he stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind him, causing her to come to an abrupt halt. Corwin managed to strip off his armour and console. Feeling completely exhausted, he simply collapsed down onto the soft bed.

Once he was finally able to rest his body, his mind again began to wander. The reality of what had happened was starting to hit home, even though they were still in the dark on much of it. He knew there was no going home, ever. The time machine and all evidence of it was utterly destroyed, and nothing like it would exist in their lifetimes ever again.

"Still alive but landed in the shit, some things never change," he whispered to himself.

With that, he put his mind at ease, closed his eyes, and dropped into a deep sleep.

* * *

Corwin awoke to a beautiful spring day. It was peaceful, and he felt almost like a new man. He got up and looked out of the window to see the town. It was a beautiful day, the likes of which he couldn't remember. But even as he began to let himself think they had arrived in some peaceful land, he could hear the sound of aircraft approaching and remembered the landlord’s response to their presence. The engine noises were getting louder, and he looked up and watched three rotor driven fighters zip past overhead in formation.

He knew they were old and antiquated, but he didn’t know enough to place the time exactly.

“Sergeant?” a voice called from outside his room.

He strode to the entrance and ripped the door open. Bossan jumped back a little in surprise.

“What is it?” Corwin asked impatiently.

“Your man, he is awake.”

It was the best piece of news he’d heard. He reached for his armour and holster and rushed out with both under his arm. The door next to his opened, and Lecia stepped out. She’d only got her shirt button halfway up and looked bedraggled. He looked inside the room to see Vi lying naked on the bed and looking more than a little happy with herself. Fortunately, Bossan had already looked away at the sight of Lecia and saved them all the difficulty of explaining what he hadn’t seen.

“What is it?”

“Beyett is back with us.”

She rushed on after him to the room where Beyett had been and found him sitting up in a lavishly decorated chair. He looked wiped out but conscious. Corwin opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped himself on seeing the Frenchman had followed him into the room.

“Can we have a minute?”

Bossan nodded happily and stepped out.

“Corwin, what the fuck is going on?”

“I guess nobody has told you, then?”

“Told me what?” he replied, rubbing his aching head.

Corwin was trying to find the words to explain it.

“We destroyed it, right?” Beyett asked.

“It’s gone for sure.”

Beyett sighed in relief.

“So where are we?” he asked, looking around at their bizarre and antiquated surroundings.

“Thing’s didn’t exactly go to plan. Villiers made it through.”

“And?”

“And it was a choice of follow after him, or death by the nuke set off to destroy everything that had been built.”

Beyett slumped back into his chair.

“We had no choice, Doc,” added Lecia; with the name she affectionately referred to him as. He wasn’t a doctor, but he was a highly qualified University postgraduate, the likes of which none of them had ever known.

Beyett rubbed his head with one hand and chin with the other, as he tried to get his head around it all.

“So where are we?” he finally asked.

“France by the looks of it.”

“But when?”

“Middle of the twentieth century, I’d say.”

“I’d hoped we had destroyed the device that plotted a path and could have sent Villiers into oblivion.”

“Same,” replied Corwin.

“So where is Villiers?”

Corwin shrugged.

Beyett finally sat up in amazement and absolute focus as if he’d just been given an adrenaline shot.

“You don’t know?”

“Not had a lot of time to figure it out, Doc,” replied Lecia.

“It is all that matters. Do you know how much damage he could do? Every single action he, and any of us makes here, could be detrimental to the future of civilisation.”

“Whoa now, take it easy.”

“Take it easy? Sergeant, you have no concept of how much of a disaster this is. The whole war we fought just meant nothing. Villiers is here, and with all his knowledge, his power, and his will to destroy everything we fought for…”

He stopped himself, trying to breathe and calm down, and then continued.

“Every minute that goes by that we haven’t stopped Villiers is a moment for him to destroy everything. We cannot lie about here and do nothing.”

“And we won’t, but we need information.”

“Yes, so firstly, what year is it?”

Corwin shook his head.

“You’ve got a local taking care of me, ask him.”

“How? We can’t give away who and what we are.”

Beyett shook his head.

“Call him back in here.”

Corwin did as he was asked and returned with Bossan.

“I cannot thank you enough for the care you have shown me,” said Beyett in a calm and grateful tone.

“It is no problem at all, Monsieur. You are fighting for our freedom. It is the least I can do.”

Beyett nodded slowly.

“I do not suppose you have got today’s newspaper to hand, have you?” he asked politely.

“Why of course, but don’t you know better than us what is going on?”

“Just something to pass a little time until I get back on my feet.”

“Of course, you speak French?”

“I can read enough.”

Bossan strode out of the room and came back with the newspaper.

“Then I shall leave you gentlemen to it.”

He looked to Lecia and didn’t quite know how to address her, so simply smiled and left. The two of them jumped to Beyett’s side as he took up the paper and looked for the date.

“April 13, 1943,” stated Beyett.

“What does that mean?” asked Lecia.

Beyett shook his head. “It means we have landed slap bang in the midst of World War Two. Not only that, but if we’re in France in forty-three, we are in trouble.”

“Why?”

“Because the Allied invasion hasn’t begun yet. This is occupied territory, and we will be treated as enemy combatants, or worse, as spies.”

He looked down at the headline of the paper, and his eyes widened in amazement.

“No way, it isn’t possible.”

“What is it?”

Corwin and Lecia looked carefully, but it meant nothing to them. It was in French, and even if it hadn’t been, they had little understanding of the time period.

“It says the Urals have fallen. It is the end of the Soviet Union.”

He looked to the two of them for some reaction, but it never came.

“Don’t you see? This never happened.”

“What?” Corwin exclaimed.

“The Soviet Union never fell, and in forty-three, that’ll mean the Allied invasion of France in forty-four will not get off the ground…”

He was in utter shock, but none of it meant anything to the other two.

“Didn’t you ever do history, Sergeant?”

“Come on, I’m a fighter, not a fucking historian.”

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That not mean anything to you?”

Corwin knew what he meant, but it still didn’t help.

“Sergeant, we’ve got company!” Nylund interrupted them.

Corwin dropped everything they were discussing and rushed to Nylund’s side and the window he was looking out of. A small-wheeled vehicle and a truck rode up the path towards the house. There was some high-ranking official in the lead vehicle, and twenty soldiers in the back of the truck. One stood atop a machine gun mounted on the truck.

Bossan appeared at his side and looked terrified.

“Come with me, you must hurry. I can hide you. It will all be okay.”

“Hide?”

It wasn’t a concept Corwin was familiar with or liked the sound of.

“He’s right,” said Beyett.

Corwin turned to see the Doc was propped up in the doorway behind them.

“This isn’t our fight. We can’t get involved.”

Bossan looked confused.