Chapter 15: Blackmailed to Return

They must have been watching Marjorie's home for no sooner had I sat down to a meal when three armed men burst in and each pointed their weapons at me.

"You are to come with us, leave what you are doing and leave with us," the tallest of the three said.

"Who the hell are you anyway, bursting in like this," I tried to protest.

"Just say from a government body, that will have to be enough," again the tall one said, obviously the spokesperson for the group.

"Do as they say Charlie, I think they mean business," Marjorie said eying the three men.

"You can come with us easy or in cuffs; it's really up to you. We were ordered to take you to see someone and then our task is completed."

I felt that these weren't military collecting me for desertion or they would have slapped the handcuffs on right away. So who the hell were they? The only way I was going to find out was to go with them, reluctant as I was.

A blue Land Rover pulled up as we marched out of the door with a black car in front and a blue car behind. I was ushered into the rear of the Land rover and the rear door was locked with myself and the shortest of the trio. The short stubby machine pistol never wavered an inch and pointed at my midriff. I knew that this man would never hesitate to shoot if he was called to do so.

For three hours we drove first on the minor roads then on to the Motorway until we entered London and drove into an underground car park in a building close to the river.

My three escorts stayed by my side until we were outside an unmarked door on one of the top stories of the building. It had to be high for I could see the top of the other buildings when I entered the reception room which had a large picture window overlooking the city.

My escorts handed me over to a man in civilian clothing but obviously military by his bearing, who actually signed for me.

"We have waited a long-time for you Charlie. We know all about your trips and the rescues you done."

"I thought I was being arrested for desertion or something?" I replied.

"Good God man, no way we want you to explain somethings for us. Come into the next room I have some people who wish to talk to you."

Again I was ushered into an adjoining room where four elderly men were seated around a conference table. I was pointed to a seat and as I sat the men looked at me as if I were some kind of freak.

"How many time periods have you been back to?" The man at the head of the table asked. Not have you been to a different time period but how many, fact.

"Who says I have been to another time period?" I replied.

"Don't waste our time, we know two people who you rescued from two different periods in our past and they both say you have been back and forward many times." The gentleman on my right said referring to the open folder in front of him.

What the hell, maybe they will believe me I thought. "Four different time periods the furthest back I would say 1,500 BC the earliest 55 BC."

"My you did go back a fair time, find anything of interest?"

"Yes I found out the Romans didn't build the road system which linked every part of the country, but were built hundreds of years before they even landed."

"Are you certain of this fact? By the way I'm a professor of English History and I am very interested.

"Yes it's true and many other things we were taught in school were a heap of rubbish. The early inhabitants of Loegria were better governed than they are today. That is the early name for England by the way, if you know Welsh then you will know they still call it that today," I said looking straight at him.

"What of the people?" The man at the head of the table asked.

"Cruel, but kind it's hard to describe for their values are totally different to ours."

"What happens when someone from our time ends up in their time?" The man at the head of the table asked.

"Well they wouldn't be understood and usually they end up as slaves if caught. Most people don't have the survival skills though to survive in the densely forested areas of England. It's not for the lack of available food for that is in abundance, but the tools for survival."