Time pirate, p.2
Time Pirate, page 2
“You certainly don’t, miss,” I said with a smile. “I do apologize, it’s just a habit from the job.”
“I’m just teasing, it’s all good,” the woman said as she tried to wave her hand, but it was busy holding up the heavy-looking box in her hand. “My name is Joan, I’m supposed to be working in the research lab tonight.”
“Ohhh, Joan,” I said, and then I rolled my eyes. “So not John, as my colleague’s handwriting would suggest.”
“Nope, not John,” the pretty researcher laughed cheerfully, and I took in the sight of her yellow flowered sundress and thin cardigan, along with her strappy sandals and delicate dangling earrings. “Sorry if you were expecting a guy.”
“No, this is much, much better,” I said as I stepped back to open the door wider and reached for the box in her hands. “Let me get that for you.”
“R-Really? Thank you,” Joan blushed slightly and handed me the box. It was heavier than I expected, and I was surprised the tiny woman had carried it all the way here.
“My pleasure,” I said, and I stepped back to let the young researcher into the building. Then I balanced the box on my hip as I closed and locked the door behind her. I walked over to the desk to reactivate the silent alarm, and when I turned back to see Joan, she was smiling at me. I returned the smile and jerked my head toward the elevator bank. “Let me help you down to the research lab.”
“That’s so kind of you, thank you,” Joan said with a lilt in her voice, and then she followed me toward the elevators. “What’s your name?”
“Frankie,” I said as I shifted the box so I could hold it with both my hands.
“Frankie, I love that name!” Joan said, and there was a bounce in her step as she moved. “Is that short for Francis?”
“Yeah,” I said with a cringe. “But only my mother calls me Francis. It’s a little lame.”
“Lame? No way,” Joan said as she slapped me lightly on the shoulder. “It’s like Francis Marion, he was a--”
“Military officer during the Revolutionary war,” I finished with a smile.
“Whoa,” Joan gasped as we made it to the elevators, and her hand hovered over the call buttons.
“Down,” I said with a nod at the buttons. “Research labs are in the basement.”
“So, you must know your history,” Joan said as she jammed the down button with her thumb. “Marion isn’t exactly a mainstream name in the historical repertoire of the average citizen.”
“Well, I don’t work here because of my love of school tour groups,” I chuckled.
“Is it just like, so cool?” Joan asked as the elevator dinged and the door slid open. She gestured around the atrium as we stepped into the elevator. “Working here with no one else?”
“I think you know exactly how cool it is,” I said as I raised my eyebrows at Joan and lifted the box in my hands. “It’s your job, too, isn’t it? Hit that B button.”
“It is, and it’s the best,” Joan giggled as the doors slid shut, and she mashed the B button.
“It is,” I agreed with a nod, and then I eyed the pretty researcher. “Most of the researchers that come after hours are crotchety old men, so you’re a nice change.”
“You’re not going to tell me I look too young for this, are you?” Joan groaned as the elevator lurched us downward.
“Hey, those are your words, not mine,” I said with a grin.
“Well, I’m not,” Joan huffed as she stuck her chin in the air. “I have a Master’s in Historic Preservation, with a specialization in the early nineteenth century.”
“Did you, like, graduate last month?” I asked as my gaze traveled up and down Joan’s small, fit body.
The skirt of her sundress was swaying gently, and it caressed her knees in a way that made the front of my pants tighten. My current living situation wasn’t the best setup for dating, so I’d been out of the game for a while, and being in such close proximity to such an attractive woman was reminding my body exactly how much I enjoyed the female form.
“Ummm, maybe,” Joan said with a twinkle in her eye. “Okay, yes, I’m young, but that doesn’t mean I’m not qualified!”
“I never said you weren’t, calm down, killer,” I chuckled.
“Sorry, I just get defensive sometimes,” Joan said, and she looked a little embarrassed.
“It’s okay, I get it,” I said, and I did.
I was the youngest security guard at the museum by a decade, and the older guys liked to give me a hard time about it. I could imagine Joan had it worse with her old male colleagues, because not only was she young, she was also a woman.
A moment of awkward silence passed between us, and then I lifted up the box in my hands.
“So, what’s in here?”
“Oh, well, my team received some anonymous donations,” Joan said as she eyed the top of the box. “The note said they were from around the time of the War of 1812, so I’m in tonight to verify the ages of the artifacts.”
“Ohh, the war of 1812.” I grinned as the elevator doors slid open, and I stepped out into the darkened basement hallway. Security lights flicked on with our movement, and I started to make my way down the corridor toward the research labs. “One of my favorite conflicts fought on American soil.”
“Really?” Joan asked, and her voice was a mix of surprise and delight.
“Oh, totally,” I said, and I could feel the smile creep across my face that always happened when I was about to nerd out. “I mean, aside from the Civil War, I don’t think there’s a conflict that helped shape America more than the War of 1812. Sure, it’s not as sexy as the founding of the nation like the Revolutionary War, or bringing the nation back from the brink of disunion like the Civil War, but the War of 1812 is a fascinating conflict. It really legitimized us as a nation, wouldn’t you say?”
“I-- Wow,” Joan said, and she stopped in her tracks and gaped up at me.
“What?” I asked as I stopped and turned to her with a smirk. “You think just because I’m a security guard that I don’t know my shit?”
“No!” Joan quickly shook her head, and her shaggy black hair whipped around her face. “No, that’s not it at all, I don’t think that! I’ve just never met anyone outside of academia who was so knowledgeable about American history in general, let alone the War of 1812.”
“Well, I’m full of surprises,” I said as I continued down the corridor. I glanced down at the box, and the flaps were open just enough to get a peek inside. I couldn’t make out much, though, some papers and books, something that looked like it could be a pocket watch, and another thing that looked like it could be the handle of a hairbrush. “Do you know which research lab you’re in tonight?”
“Um…” Joan jogged to catch up to me, and she pulled her phone out of her pocket and clicked on it a few times. “Research Lab 2A.”
“Cool,” I said, and I navigated us in front of the corresponding door. I handed the heavy box to Joan, and I quickly pulled my keys out and opened the door to the research lab before I took the box from Joan’s hands again. Then I nodded toward the open door. “After you.”
“Thank you.” Joan smiled brightly and stepped into the dark lab.
I knew the space well, so I stepped into the room and gingerly placed the box on the large tabletop in the middle of the room. Then I returned to the door and switched on the lights on the wall. The room lit up under the bright fluorescent lights, and Joan’s smile widened as she took in the sight.
The room was kitted out with the highest tech available in the preservation game. It was the Smithsonian, after all. The table in the center of the room was large and marble topped with bright lights on adjustable arms hanging directly above it. Along the back wall of the room was a fume hood and suction table with an extractor, which was vital for preserving the quality of old documents. There were also several microscopes of varying sizes, along with a photo documentation booth in the back corner. Rows and rows of cubbyholes were used for storage, but it looked like Joan only had enough in her box to fill one row of the cubbyholes.
“You should find everything you need in here,” I said as I gestured around the room with a grin. “If you need anything else, just come find me, and I’ll track it down for you. If you need to work with any solvents, we have a special section for that in another lab. I can open that one up for you if you need it.”
“You know solvents?” Joan asked as she turned to me with a surprised look on her pretty, petite face.
“I told you, I’m full of surprises.” I winked as I backed toward the door. “I should be at my post upstairs most of the time, but I’ll be out on rounds every now and then. So, if you need me and I’m not there, just wait a few minutes, and I’ll be there.”
“Wait,” Joan said, and she quickly walked toward me as she pulled her phone out of her cardigan pocket. She stopped when she was close enough, and I could feel the heat radiating off her small body as she looked up at me through her dark lashes. “Um, can I have your phone number just in case?”
“Sure,” I said.
I recited the digits for her, and she quickly typed them into her phone before she looked up at me again with a smile that melted my heart. God, this woman was gorgeous, and I couldn’t help but wish she’d use my number for more personal reasons. She was way out of my league, though. She was a researcher at the freaking Smithsonian, and I was, well, a security guard at the Smithsonian because that was as close as I could get to her position without taking out a lifetime’s worth of debt.
Not that I wasn’t capable of doing her job. I absolutely was. I’d started my undergraduate degree at a college in northern Virginia, but I couldn’t stand the asshole professors who were so old they belonged in museums themselves. Those crusty old men always thought they knew better than everyone else just because they’d been around longer, and they seemed oblivious to the fact the younger generations had Google and a wealth of information at our fingertips, which meant their jobs would soon be outdated. I could learn the same material from the famous search engine in an hour that those clowns could teach me in four years.
I’d dipped out after the second semester and figured I might as well enlist, but the military was also full of stuck-up assholes who thought they were better than everyone else. I could handle the physical and mental stress of basic training no problem, but one of those know-it-all assholes got in my face right before graduation, and I punched him out, so I was asked not to continue my budding career in the military.
Fine by me, the military and academia were just big circle jerks to me anyway.
“Thanks so much, Francis,” Joan said as she smiled up at me. “I just sent you a text so you have my number, too.”
I noticed she had faint but adorable dimples on her cheeks, and I had to hold myself back from reaching out and caressing them.
Joan was different. Sure, she was in the academia circles, but I could tell she was special. And I knew she had to endure stupid remarks from her crusty professors, and that thought pissed me off. I involuntarily flexed my hand into a fist, but I didn’t want to intimidate the small, pretty lady, so I forced myself to calm down and grabbed the door handle.
“Cool,” I said. “Just give me a ring if you need anything.”
“I will, thanks again for all your help!” Joan said, and then she pulled her box open and started to eagerly pull out the contents.
I spotted the pocket watch as she laid it gently on the table, and her face was full of excitement.
I shot the pretty, dark-haired woman one last smile before I pulled the door shut behind me. Then I made my way back up to my post with a light, airy feeling in my chest, and I caught myself smiling as I thought of the pretty researcher downstairs. I tried to distract myself with my Kindle and my hourly checks, but just knowing she was down in the basement was distraction enough.
Despite my wandering mind, the time still passed as usual. Eventually, the sky outside started to lighten, which meant my shift was drawing to a close. Usually, that was the best part of my day, but today I wouldn’t have minded staying longer as long as the gorgeous woman downstairs was still there.
It was almost time to do my last rounds, but as I stood and grabbed my jacket, a flash of movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned to see the elevator doors slide open, and Joan emerged with a frustrated look on her face.
But she smiled when she saw me, and I returned the smile immediately.
“You all done?” I asked, and I started to slowly walk toward her as the pretty researcher stepped out of the elevator.
“For now,” Joan sighed. Her eyes looked weary, and her skin was pale. I could tell the poor thing was tired. She probably wasn’t used to, or equipped for, long overnight shifts like me.
“Get a lot done?” I asked as I joined her at the elevator.
“I guess,” Joan said with a shrug.
“What’s up?” I frowned as we walked toward my desk so I could deactivate the alarm, and after I did, we headed for the main doors together.
“What do you mean?” Joan asked, and she turned to me with a curious expression.
“You just don’t seem your usual chipper self,” I said as I fished my keys out of my pocket for when we reached the door.
Joan arched an eyebrow at me, and I chuckled.
“I mean you seem frustrated is all.”
“I am a bit, just something I can’t figure out about one of the artifacts,” Joan said before her face relaxed into a smile. “It’s sweet of you to notice.”
“Anything I can help you with?” I asked as our footsteps echoed across the empty atrium. Mine were loud beneath my heavy boots, Joan’s were almost silent, and I noticed she tended to walk on the balls of her feet, almost on her tippy toes.
It was adorable.
“Based on what I’ve learned about you so far, you might be able to,” Joan said as she side-eyed me curiously. Then she shook her hands back and forth and twisted her neck. “Ugh, not tonight, well, today, though. I just want to go home and crawl into bed.”
An image of the pretty researcher stripped down to her panties and bra and climbing into bed flashed across my mind, and I grinned at the thought.
“Maybe next time,” I said as we reached the door. I slid the key into the lock and twisted before I pushed it open and held it for Joan.
“Maybe,” Joan said, and I thought there was a note of hope in her voice. She slid under my arm, and I looked down at the small lady and smiled as she batted her eyelashes up at me. “If you’re working the next time I’m in.”
“I’m sure I will be,” I said as I leaned against the open door. “Are you back tomorrow?”
“No,” Joan said, and her eyes drooped sadly. “I’m actually supposed to be on vacation.”
“You don’t sound too happy about that,” I chuckled.
“Well, it’s just my boss told me I need to take a break,” she said as she averted her gaze, and a faint blush rose in her cheeks. “I tend to get really into my projects, and I’ll work a week or two straight without meaning to. Then my vacation days also pile up… anyway, my boss strongly suggested I take a couple days off, so I scheduled these before we got in the new donation. Now, I’m regretting it, even though I know my colleagues will do stellar work, and I-- I’m rambling. Sorry.”
Her blush intensified, and I couldn’t help but smile at how cute she was.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Maybe when you get back, you can tell me more about these projects that make you such a workaholic. And how your forced-vacation went.”
“Definitely.” Joan smiled brightly. “Keep my things safe for me in the meantime, will you?”
“Of course,” I said.
The pretty researcher and I waved at each other, and then she slipped away into the dawn.
I closed and locked the door behind her before I reactivated the alarm and finished my last rounds of the building. When that was done, I headed down to the basement level to double-check Joan’s research lab was secured.
I approached the door labeled 2A and jiggled the handle. It was locked. I started to turn away, but my curiosity got the better of me, so I reached into my pocket, pulled the keys out, and unlocked the door. Once inside, I flicked on the light switch, and I could see Joan had stored most of her recently donated items securely. But I noticed the fume hood was slightly ajar, so I crossed the room to inspect it.
To my surprise, the pocket watch I’d spotted in the box was splayed out on the surface beneath the fume hood. Joan must have forgotten to put it away. I figured I should be a gentleman and help her out, so I grabbed some nitrile gloves from a nearby dispenser and reached for the round gold artifact. It was attached to a heavy gold chain, and the clasp was open to reveal the clock face beneath a beautifully engraved lid.
I pulled the pocket watch closer to my face so I could get a good look at it.
It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. It sure as hell wasn’t a standard pocket watch. There were at least three more dials than there needed to be on a watch, especially from that time, and the face had an extra two hands. I wondered if this was what Joan had meant by the artifact she couldn’t figure out. I turned toward the storage cubbies and started to slowly walk toward them while I continued to study the watch. One of the dials looked shinier than the others, as if it had been used the most. Curiosity got the better of me again, and I pinched the small dial between my thumb and forefinger and twisted it just a smidge. None of the hands on the clock face moved, so I frowned and twisted it again.
Suddenly, something jerked in my peripherals, and I looked up to see the walls were moving. I frowned. An earthquake in DC? Sure, it was possible, but it was rare. Then I noticed the walls weren’t shaking, it looked like they were… melting.
My heart started to race as the walls continued to melt until they faded away, and I suddenly felt like I was spinning. The wall-less room around me went dark and was replaced with dozens of the brightest stars I’d ever seen. I started to spin even faster, and I squeezed my eyes shut so I didn’t vomit.
