Testing the Limits of Time

Chapter 12: Masks and Mirrors

The group stared at the newspaper in utter disbelief. But what stared back at them was their own faces, wide-eyed and flustered, from the front page.
​Kody took a step back, and a crunching sound caught their attention. Looking down, he realized that he had stepped on a crumpled newspaper. He picked it up and straightened its crinkles. What he saw took him aback.
On the front page stood their photo, staring back at them with the same unsettlement, followed by the same panic-inducing headline. This was not good. Not good at all.
"Oh, great. Just what we needed," Kody muttered, rolling his eyes. "Our fifteen minutes of fame in the worst possible way."
Jamie snatched the paper from Kody and scanned the article. "How did they get our picture?" They knew the Revisionists were ten steps ahead of them, but it was still hard to believe whatever had happened. They were struck by disbelief and denial. "They must have been tracking us. We've been sloppy." Jamie shook her head.
"So, the Revisionists are trying to make us the bad guys now?" Tyler began stammering as he spoke. "Such a classic villain move." He laughed nervously. 
They needed to stay one step ahead to prevent the Revisionists' schemes from derailing them. But how? They were too stunned to devise an effective plan immediately.
Skylar asked Jamie to hand her the newspaper. She went through sections of the article and came across a line.
"It says here," she began, pointing at the line as the group crowded around her, "we were spotted at multiple historical events and have caused chaos AND confusion. What are they even talking about? The Revisionists must have planted this to throw everyone off!"
Jamie frowned. "If people think time travelers are real, it's going to cause mass panic. There must be some way we can counter these schemes plotted against us?"
Skylar felt short on words. This was one of the many fears that often kept her up at night from the day she undertook this mission and involved her friends in it, too.
"Okay, let's think this through," she said, composing herself, "We need to figure out where this newspaper is being printed and stop it from spreading. Nothing happens without planning that involves steps. We must trace one step at a time." 
The Revisionists had made their move, and now it was their turn to counter. The truth needed to be discovered before it was too late. But could it jeopardize their survival in the long run?
***
"We need to find the source of that newspaper and shut it down," Skylar said firmly as the group huddled together in their makeshift base the next morning. "Tyler, you're good with tech. Can you hack into their system and see where it's being printed?"
Tyler grinned. "Piece of cake. Give me a few hours, and I'll have everything we need."
While Tyler worked his magic back in their base, Skylar, Kody, and Jamie went inside House 2020 and continued their research in an Internet cafe. They scoured the internet to find any more clues or discoveries.
They found pages that shared posts with the same headline and photo on different social media platforms. However, the comments under every post were disabled.
As they worked, Jamie's stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence. "I swear, if I have to eat one more granola bar, I'm gonna lose it. Can we please find some real food?"
She sounded like a baby as she ranted. Kody couldn't help chuckling at her adorable behavior. "I'm with you on that, Jamie. Let's take a break and see if there's anything we can find nearby. Perhaps, a vendor who is selling snacks to make a living."
The group foraged the vacant streets and eventually landed on an old vending machine snack. Skylar deposited a coin in the slit, which sent a pack of slightly stale potato chips. "Bon appétit, everyone!" She grinned.
As they strolled back to the internet café, sharing the chips, Skylar received a call from Tyler. She put the call on loudspeaker so everyone else could hear the updates, too.
"Guys, I found it! The newspaper is being printed in a warehouse downtown. We need to move fast before they print more copies."
Skylar nodded, wiping crumbs from her hands. "Alright, let's gear up and head out. We must stop this before it gets out of hand. Tyler, come here quickly and bring your laptop with you."
As soon as Tyler arrived, the group concealed their identities behind masks and hoodies and made their way to the warehouse.
They had to be careful not to come in sight because there was no crowd to blend in with. The streets were eerily quiet and deserted.
"Okay, we need to be stealthy," she whispered to her friends as she motioned them to stop when they approached the warehouse building. "Tyler, can you disable the security cameras?"
Tyler nodded, pulling out his laptop and typing mechanically. "Give me a minute... and done. We're clear to go."
They slipped inside the warehouse through an open vent large enough to squeeze their bodies. The first thing they saw were stacks of newspapers lining the walls, waiting to be distributed. Bravely so, they approached the printing machines.
"Kody, Jamie, start destroying the newspapers. And Tyler, see if you can wipe their computer systems," Skylar instructed.
They worked under palpable tension. Every creak and rustle made their reflexes jump, fearing they'd be caught red-handed. Just as they were finishing up, they heard footsteps approaching.
"Someone's coming," Jamie hissed, panicking.
Skylar glanced around and spotted a row of large crates. "Everybody, hide behind those crates, quick!"
They ducked behind the crates, holding their breath as a group of men entered the warehouse. Skylar peered through a small gap, recognizing one of the men as Thomas, the soldier they had encountered before. But he was not a soldier here. He had a different, more contemporary appearance.
"This shipment needs to go out tonight," he barked, "We can't afford any delays."
Skylar felt anxiety surging through her. She knew they needed to get out of there. But the only exit they had was blocked by the group of men. She looked at her friends and signaled to stay quiet and wait for the right moment.
As the men moved deeper into the warehouse, Skylar saw their chance. She motioned for the group to follow her, creeping towards the exit. Just as they reached the door, one of the men turned around, spotting them.
"Hey! Stop right there!" he shouted, drawing his weapon.
"Run!" Skylar yelled, pushing the door open and sprinting outside.
The group dashed down the alley. They could hear the men chasing after them, growling louder as they drew nearer.
"This way!" Tyler called, leading them into a narrow side street.
Just as they thought they had lost them, they found themselves at a dead end.
"Great, now what?" Jamie panted, her eyes exhausted with fear.
Scanning the area, Skylar spotted a fire escape ladder. "Up there! Go, go, go!"
They scrambled up the ladder, climbing onto the roof of a nearby building. From the vantage point, they could see the men approaching, but they had lost their trail.
Leaning against the rooftop railing, Skylar let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close call! How much more careful do we need to be?!"
Kody's face had grown pale. "No kidding," he said, "We can't keep doing this. We need to find a way to take down the Revisionists for good."
While they caught their breath, Skylar tried to run all possibilities in her mind.
"Alright, let's regroup and come up with a new strategy," she said. "We're not giving up. We're going to stop them, no matter what it takes."
This renewed the resolve of them all. They knew the road ahead would be tough; however, they were ready to face it together. Making their way back to their temporary base, they struggled to shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
Later that night, they all gathered on Skylar's back porch.
"Okay, guys," Skylar began, "we can't keep playing whack-a-mole with these guys."
Jamie nodded. "Agreed. But we got a teeny-tiny problem here. How? How are we going to find them? They eventually find us before we find them!"
Skylar thought for a moment, then replied, "We need to follow the money. These operations can't be cheap. They must cost a handsome amount. There has to be a financial trail we can trace."
Tyler looked up from his laptop. "I've been doing some digging, and I found a few suspicious transactions that might be linked to the Revisionists. They're using shell companies to hide their tracks, but I think I can trace them back to their source."
"Great, let's get to work," Skylar exclaimed.
The group spent the next few hours analyzing financial records, piecing together the puzzle of the Revisionists' funding. As things began to make sense, they realized the scope of this conspiracy was much larger than they had anticipated.
"This goes all the way to the top," Tyler exclaimed, expressing awe and fear. "We're dealing with some serious power players here."
"And that means we need to be even more careful," Skylar said, "But we're getting closer. We just need to keep pushing."
The progress of their investigation led to the discovery of a name that kept appearing in the financial records: Benedict Graves. He was a wealthy businessman with ties to various influential circles, and the fact that he seemed to share links with this mystery made them believe he was the one pulling the strings behind the Revisionists.
"We need to find this guy and figure out what he's planning," Skylar narrowed her eyes. "He's the key to all of this."
Jamie pulled up a recent photo of Benedict Graves on her phone. "According to his social media, he's hosting a charity gala next week. That might be our best chance to get close to him and find out what he's up to."
The friends decided to blend in and gather as much information as they could, believing that maybe this would land them a chance to take these culprits down.
As they planned their infiltration of the gala, they could not shake the feeling that they were voluntarily walking into a trap. But they had no choice. They had come too far to turn back now.
***
The night of the gala arrived, and the group dressed themselves in the finest clothes they owned, attempting to blend in with the wealthy and influential guests. The best part was that everyone had their masks on and were observing social distancing because of the pandemic. Nobody would ask them to take down their masks, and this was advantageous to them.
The ambiance was indulgent, with laughter and clinking glasses filling the air.
"Remember, we're here to gather information, not to make a scene," Skylar whispered as they entered the grand ballroom. "Stay close and be ready for anything."
As they mingled with the guests, they kept an eye on Benedict Graves, who was holding court in the center of the room. He was a tall, intimidating figure, exuding power and confidence.
Skylar walked forward and approached him cautiously as soon as she caught him enjoying the party alone.
"Mr. Graves," she nervously spoke, "it's an honor to meet you," She extended her hand toward him.
Graves turned his piercing gaze towards Skylar. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he beheld her.
"And you are?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
"Skylar Adams," she replied, maintaining her composure. "I'm a journalist doing a piece on influential figures in the fight against the pandemic. I was hoping to get a few words from you for my article."
Graves smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Ah, it's always a pleasure to entertain the press. But I must warn you, I'm not very fond of sensationalism."
Skylar laughed, trying to sound casual. "Don't worry, Mr. Graves, I'm only interested in the truth."
Meanwhile, Tyler, Jamie, and Kody mingled with the crowd, eavesdropping on conversations.
Jamie saw a security guard leaning against one of the exits, his keys and cards hanging by a chain attached to his belt. Jamie drew near and bent, pretending to pick something up. In the process, she pulled the keycard from the ring. The security guard failed to notice that his card had been taken. However, he did check what Jamie was trying to find. But fortunately, he shrugged it off.
A small group of men clad in dark suits were gathered, speaking in hushed tones. Tyler edged closer, straining to hear their conversation.
"...have to be careful. The Revisionists are getting sloppy," one of the men muttered.
Another man nodded. "Graves won't tolerate any more mistakes. We need to tighten our security and make sure everything goes according to plan."
Tyler couldn't believe his ears. This was it—the confirmation they needed. He looked around, catching Jamie's eye, and subtly signaled her to keep an eye on the group.
Meanwhile, Skylar was doing her best to draw Graves into a conversation. "So, Mr. Graves, what inspired you to get involved in the fight against the pandemic?" she asked, trying to shift the conversation toward his involvement with the Revisionists.
Graves grinned. "I've always believed in using my resources to make a difference. In times like these, it's important for people with influence to step up and support the community. Aren't I right?"
Skylar raised her eyebrows, pretending to be impressed. "That's very commendable indeed. And how do you manage to balance your philanthropic efforts with your business interests?"
Graves's smile widened, but there was an implication of something darker in his eyes.
"It's all about priorities, Ms. Adams. Knowing where to focus your energy and resources. Speaking of which, I must attend to some important matters. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
Skylar watched him walk away. She needed to find a way to get more concrete evidence linking Graves to the Revisionists. No assertions could be made at the moment.
As the evening wore on, Tyler, Jamie, and Kody reconvened with Skylar near the bar.
"We've got a problem," Tyler said, "I overheard some guys talking about tightening security. I think they know we're onto them."
Skylar sighed. "We need more evidence. Something that ties Graves directly to the Revisionists. Did you guys find anything useful?"
"I managed to swipe a keycard from one of the security guys. It should give us access to the restricted areas of the building. We might be able to find something in Graves's office."
Kody smiled and patted Jamie on the head. "Nice work, Jamie. Let's move before they get more suspicious."
The group discreetly went towards the restricted area, using the keycard to slip past the security checkpoints.
"Okay, we need to find Graves's office," Skylar whispered. "Keep an eye out for anything shady."
They moved silently through the dim hallways, their senses in flight or fight mode.
Finally, they found a door with Graves's nameplate on it. Skylar tried the keycard, and the door clicked open.
The office was lavishly furnished, with expensive artwork adorning the walls and a large ivory desk dominating the center of the room. They spread out, searching for any incriminating evidence.
"Check this out," Kody said, pulling open a drawer and revealing a stack of documents. "Looks like financial records. This might be what we need."
Skylar quickly scanned the documents. What she read widened her eyes. "These are payments to various shell companies. This is the proof we need to link Graves to the Revisionists."
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Graves stood in the doorway, flanked by two brawny security guards.
"I had a feeling you were up to something," he sneered. "Did you really think you could outsmart me?"
Skylar's heart pounded. "We're not here to play games, Graves. We know what you're up to."
Graves laughed coldly. "Well, you're nothing but a minor inconvenience."
Before Skylar could react, the security guards lunged at them. A chaotic struggle ensued, with the group fighting desperately to escape.
Jamie managed to knock over a lamp, plunging the room into darkness and giving them a momentary advantage.
"Run!" Skylar shouted, grabbing the documents and leading the way out of the office.
They raced down the hallway as the sound of footsteps echoed behind them. Tyler glanced back; "They're right behind us!"
"Keep moving!" Skylar shouted, her heart pounding in her ears.
They burst out of the building and into the cool night air. They breathed in ragged gasps. They knew they were being watched and hadn't successfully escaped.
"We need to get somewhere safe," Jamie panted. "They'll be after us now."
Skylar agreed, "Let's head back to the intern. We can figure out our next move there."
As they made their way back to their temporary base, Skylar clutched the documents tightly, knowing that they held the key to taking down Graves and the Revisionists.
Back at the base, the group collapsed onto the dusty furniture, their bodies aching from the never-ending chase.
Skylar spread the documents out on a table and flipped through the pages.
"This is it," she said, "This is the evidence we need to expose Graves and the Revisionists. But we need to be smart about how we use it."
"We should reach out to a journalist or someone who can help us get this information out to the public. Someone we can trust." Tyler made a suggestion.
Kody frowned. "But who? We can't just walk into a newsroom and hand this over. We need to be careful."
Jamie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I might know someone. Emma, an old friend who works in investigative journalism. She's trustworthy and might have the connections we need."
Skylar's eyes sparkled with joy. "Perfect! Let's get in touch with her and set up a meeting. We need to move fast before Graves realizes what we've got."
But deep down, they knew that the road ahead would be fraught with danger. They were walking a tightrope, and one wrong move could land them a disaster.
***
Finally, the day of the meeting arrived. They arranged to meet Jamie's friend, Emma, at a quiet, unpopular café on the outskirts of the city.
Emma was already there, seated at a corner table. She looked up and smiled as they approached. "Jamie, it's been a while. Good to see you."
Jamie smiled back; "Thanks for meeting us, Emma. We have something big, and we need your help."
As they sat down, Skylar handed Emma the documents. "These prove that Benedict Graves is funding a group called the Revisionists. They're altering history, and we need to stop them."
Emma frowned as she read through the documents. "This is incredible. If this is true, it's going to shake the world."
"We need to get this information out to the public, but we have to be very vigilant. Graves has a lot of power and resources. He'll do anything to stop us."
Emma looked up, "I'll do everything I can to help. But you need to be prepared for the fallout. This is going to be one hell of a dangerous task."
They had uncovered the truth, but now they had to survive long enough to expose it. As they prepared to leave, walking down the street, a black SUV pulled up beside them, and men in dark suits stepped out.
"Get in," one of the men growled.