Testing the Limits of Time

Chapter 13: Shadows in the Alley

"Don't look back!!!!" Skylar panted, her feet thrashing against the pavement. The group scattered and ran for their lives. The men in dark suits relentlessly chased them down the road. Tyler and Skylar were ahead, burdened with making quick decisions in the maze-like alleyways. At the same time, Jamie and Kody brought up the rear, desperately trying to keep up.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle sliced through the confusion.
"This way!" Kody yelled, pointing toward a narrow alley. Being in a flight-or-fight mode, the dilemma of choosing between death and decision did not leave them much room to think. They all quickly followed the voice, narrowly avoiding a barrage of bullets that flew past their heads.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Skylar asked, barely able to catch her breath.
A rustling noise followed, which made everyone freeze in their place. "Just keep quiet and follow me," Kody whispered back. His voice was hardly audible, overshadowed by the thuds of their footsteps echoing off the walls.
The group rushed through a narrow alley on their toes. The full moon in the night sky was their only source of illumination.
"Ah, shit," Tyler muttered, tripping over a loose cobblestone.
Kody reached for Jamie's hand, dragging her closer to him, "Trust me," he assured her as he tightened his grip on her hand.
Their primary concern was to escape the black SUV chasing them, which they had fled by a whisker. It was too risky to surrender, and Kody had insisted he knew a safer place where they could take refuge and strategize.
"Where exactly are we going?" Jamie asked, unable to contain her frustration.
Kody stopped and turned to face them. They couldn't really make out his expressions because shadows had obscured his face. "An old warehouse. It's off the grid, and we can lay low there for a while."
The warehouse appeared a few meters ahead, a massive building of rusted metal and broken windows. It looked abandoned, just as Kody had described. The door creaked ominously as it swung shut behind them. A musty smell of disuse stank their nostrils as they filed inside.
Kody led them to a small office at the back, where a few dusty chairs and a rickety table stood. "We can use this as our base for now. It's not much, but it'll keep us hidden."
All of them were too exhausted and flopped into the weathered leather chairs right away. They were too dizzy to understand where they were or if they had successfully evaded the men in dark suits, which they were pretty sure were sent by Benedict Graves.
Nobody even bothered to question how Kody knew this place---except for Skylar. She couldn't help but think how Kody was so sure that a random narrow alleyway would lead to a warehouse, that too an abandoned one, that they could take refuge in.
Had he been here before?
Kody seemed very chill, or perhaps he was content that he managed to gather all his friends under one roof safely.
The night was a long one, and they had to stay low-key. The men in dark suits could trace them any second.
***
The group returned to the present the first thing in the morning. They couldn't risk being in a setting where their lives were in danger unless it was really necessary.
After a brief rest, the next task they had to fulfill was to meet Emma again. Skylar hit Jamie up and asked her to get ready. They also informed Emma that they would be meeting at the same café again.
As they arrived at their destination, Emma set up her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys as Skylar and Jamie ordered some coffee and sandwiches.
"I've been able to hack into Graves' financials," Emma began as she moved the cursor around the laptop screen, "There are encrypted files that might have the information we need."
Jamie looked over her shoulder. "Can you decrypt them, Emma?"
Emma nodded, her eyes glued to the screen, "It'll take some time, but I can do it."
Skylar and Jamie exchanged glances with each other. Emma was proving to be very useful to them. She was a smart young woman, and they were pretty confident that she could get them to their means. "What if..." Skylar pouted as she processed her thoughts into words, "What if we expose Graves' financial dealings to the public? Create a scandal that forces him to divert resources to manage the fallout! What do you guys say?"
Emma glanced up from her laptop. "I like it," she grinned, "I can leak the information once I decrypt it. It'll be a media frenzy."
The three young women exchanged smiles as they sipped on their coffees.
The next few weeks were blurred with activity. Emma worked tirelessly, combing through the data they had stolen obtained from Graves.
The rest of the group ensured they didn't raise suspicion in the real or fictional world so Emma could be at peace that she wouldn't get targeted for her contribution to their mission by any notorious mafias in the future.
***
"I think I found something."
The friends gathered around Emma, eager to hear what she had discovered.
Finally, Emma's face lit up. "Got it! I've decrypted the files. Graves had been working on a project codenamed 'The Final Hour,'" Emma explained. "It looks like a contingency plan, something they can activate if things go south. From what I can tell, it involves a large-scale operation in..." She opened a tab with a marked map, "yes, the operation is conducted in the heart of the city."
Jamie looked at her with surprised eyes. "Do you have any details on what the operation entails?"
"Not yet," Emma shook her head, "The files are heavily encrypted. But whatever it is, it's big. And it's set to go live soon."
Skylar looked at Emma's screen, squinting as she tried to make out the data on it. "We need to stop it. If Graves is desperate enough to use a contingency plan, it means he's on the ropes. This could be our chance to take him down for good.".
Kody was listening to all of them from a corner. He came forward and sat down next to Skylar.  "Hey, don't you think we should cut Emma some slack? She's been working endlessly."
Skylar faced him and smiled wearily. "We all have, Kody. But we can't afford to rest now. Not when we're so close."
Kody nodded as if he had done it just to avoid an argument. But he couldn't help adding, "I've been thinking a lot about what we're doing, about the risks we're taking. Do you ever wonder if it's worth it? Try to think of it with a cool mind."
Skylar looked at him, surprised by the question. "Of course I do. But what choice do we have? If we don't fight, the Revisionists will destroy everything we care about."
Kody sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know. It's just... sometimes I wonder if we're being played. If someone else is pulling the strings."
The friends looked at Kody with a frown etched on their faces.
"What do you mean?" They all wanted to ask him this question collectively, but only Skylar countered him, raising an eyebrow.
Kody shook his head. "I don't know. It's just a feeling. Like there's more going on than we realize."
Skylar wasn't sure about where this conversation was headed. They had to stay focused and could not afford to second-guess themselves now. But Kody did not seem too determined at the moment. Was he overcome by pessimism or something else?
After a brief silence, Kody nodded, "You're right. I'm sorry. I just... I think I have not been feeling well."
Tyler dragged his chair toward Kody's and patted him on the back.
"Hey, it's okay, buddy; we will get through this together."
Emma assured Kody that she was fine and willingly wanted to help them out on this mission. She was happy that the puzzle seemed to finally take its shape, which meant they needed to be ready to move at a moment's notice. She quickly uploaded the information to a secure server and sent it to several media outlets.
"It's done. The story will break any minute now."
***
The next morning, the group gathered for their briefing. Emma had managed to decrypt more of the files, and the picture was becoming clearer.
"The Final Hour is a large-scale operation to seize control of key infrastructure in the city," Emma explained. "They plan to use it to consolidate their power and crush any resistance."
This really angered Skylar. The Revisionists were not letting go of any chance to get away with their schemes. "We can't let that happen. We need to stop them before they can activate the plan."
Jamie agreed, but she raised concerns about how everything would be done. The city was huge, and their forces were spread out. It was not going to be an easy task.
Emma pulled up a map on her laptop. "I've identified several key locations where they'll be focusing their efforts. If we can disrupt their operations at these points, we can throw their plan into chaos, hopefully."
Skylar carefully studied the map. "We'll need to split up. Hit them simultaneously to maximize the impact."
They split into teams, each group assigned to a different target. Skylar, Jamie, and Kody would lead the assault on the main control center, while Emma and Tyler would focus on disrupting the other key locations.
Each group headed to their respective destinations. Skylar, Kody, and Jamie navigated the noisy streets of the financial district. They kept a low profile so they could easily merge with the crowd of people on the sidewalk. 
There was a protest going on, which soon erupted into a riot. The news exposing Grave's sinister moves had taken the world by storm. Several rallies marched along the road like a stampede of wildebeests.
*BUZZ BUZZ*
Skylar put her hand in her pocket to check her phone. There was a notification of a message from an unknown number:
"Found something. Head to the pinned location."
This was weird. Skylar was more concerned about who was able to send her an SMS when all signals were disrupted than whose number it was.
"Guys, check this out----wait, where's Kody?" Skylar looked around in confusion. Only Jamie stood in front of her against the crowd, and Kody was nowhere to be found. They pushed through the crowd in hopes of finding him, but all in vain. It seemed like he had vanished into thin air because, just a moment ago, he was right there, and in the next, he was gone.
Skylar showed Jamie the anonymous message she had received. Jamie suggested that they follow the route to the pinned location. It could lead them somewhere because only a close friend would have Skylar's contact.
As they put the location on Google Maps, they found out it was actually the control center they were initially headed to: Grave's pandemonium. But the address that Emma had shown them on her laptop was located in a different area than the one they were summoned to now.
And to their astonishment, the building seemed to appear out of nowhere. How could a building hosting such illegal and immoral activities avoid demolishment? What was going on? And why were they led here? The most shocking part was that there was not a single person outside the center, given that the news had gone viral and Graves must be running for his life. But this place was eerily deserted.
Nonetheless, Jamie and Skylar drew close to each other and made their way inside. There was no guard to stop them, which was weird.
There was light coming from the outside, but the interior was too murky, making it hard for them to traverse it conveniently.
"What's that?" Jamie gasped as a sudden movement triggered their senses. They weren't alone. Something or someone was stalking them from the corner.
A figure emerged from the shadows. What they saw made it hard for them to believe their eyes.
"Kody?" Skylar mumbled.
But it wasn't Kody. It was someone who looked just like him, yet different in a way they couldn't quite place. The figure smiled, a cold, calculating smile that paralyzed them to the bone.
"Hello, girls," said an eerily familiar voice, "Miss me?"
Skylar rubbed her eyes and shook her head, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Who was this person? And why did he look and sound so much like Kody?
"Who are you?" Skylar demanded, taking a step back. Jamie grabbed her arm and pulled her further away from that silhouette.
The man chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? I'm Kody... just not the one you know."
Skylar swallowed, unable to fight the confusion. "What do you mean, 'not the one we know'?"
The stranger took a step closer, his eyes shining with an unsettling combination of amusement and malice. "Aw, don't worry. I'm Kody from another timeline, one where the Revisionists succeeded. I've come to ensure our victory here."
The realization hit Skylar like a punch to the gut. If this was true, their Kody was in an even more dire situation than they had imagined.
"We won't let you!" Jamie yelled defiantly, stepping forward. "We'll stop you and your plans!"
The alternate Kody smirked. "You're welcome to try. But you should know that your Kody is already working with us. He just doesn't realize it yet."
Skylar squeezed her chest as she took in the words of this familiar stranger. Could this be true? She had to find her Kody and get to the bottom of this.
"Where is he? What have you done to him?!" Skylar demanded angrily, struggling to repress the turmoil inside.
The alternate Kody smiled broadly. "He's closer than you think. But you won't find him unless you give me what I want."
"And what do you want?" Skylar asked.
Glaring at her, the alternate Kody's gaze softened as it went over Skylar's shoulder, focusing on the person beside her.
Suddenly, all the windows shut down, leaving them all in darkness.
Skylar grabbed Jamie's hand, rushing out of that control center together. They ran and ran until they reached an urban district full of bustling activity. They were finally safe, but they were not able to process what they had just seen. Was Kody abducted? Was he being manipulated? What was happening? Was he a part of---
"Guys! Where were you two?"
A familiar voice made them turn around with a jerk. It was Kody, completely fine, however stressed and sweaty.
"Kody? You're alive! Where were you?" Jamie asked.
"I got carried away with the crowd, but when I squeezed my way out, you both weren't anywhere. I thought I had lost you guys. The signals weren't working either, so I couldn't really contact you."
Skylar wondered who the sender of that text message was then.
"I'm sorry," Skylar said, composing herself, "But Kody, we just fought someone who looks exactly like you. He claims he's from another timeline where the Revisionists succeeded."
Kody looked at them with disbelief. "Another timeline? This is worse than I thought."
He did look genuinely stressed. However, whatever had happened made Skylar skeptical. She was not sure how to think of Kody. There also wasn't any way to find out immediately. Was this the real Kody or a puppet? Or an alternate one?
***
Skylar stayed up the whole night. She couldn't brush that incident off so easily. She decided to call Kody and asked him to meet her privately. It was a risk, given that she did not know if this person was to be trusted anymore. But she took the risk anyway.
"What's on your mind, Skylar?" Kody began, trying to dissolve the awkward silence between them as they sat on a bench in a busy park.
Skylar looked straight ahead in the blankness. A part of her advised her to be very calculative in her response. This man could be an imposter and could not be trusted. But the other side told her to be herself around him and ask him everything that was troubling her.
"Kody, would you be honest with me?"
"Yes? I always am. Why?"
Skylar turned to face him and looked him directly in the eye. There was no difference in his appearance. He was the same old friend with eyes that twinkled with a passion for books and history. There was no sign of anything sinister behind his nervous smile either.
"Do you know something we don't?"
Kody, although taken aback, smiled, running a hand through his hair.
"I know where you're coming from. No, I'm not working against you, Skylar. But there are things I can't explain. Things I've observed that I don't fully understand."
Skylar frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kody hesitated, then spoke, "I think the Revisionists have been using some kind of mind control."
"Mind control?" Skylar raised an eyebrow, "Kody, would you please elaborate and quit playing with riddles?" A chill ran down Skylar's spine. What if what Kody was saying was true? Then, their fight against the Revisionists was even more complicated and dangerous than she had imagined.
Kody did not answer but seemed pretty uncomfortable with this confrontation. Skylar realized that maybe she was being too harsh with him, and he did not deserve to be investigated this way. He was her friend. She should trust him.
"We'll figure it out," Skylar said, patting Kody's arm with a gentle, reassuring smile. "But we need to stay united. We can't let them divide us, okay? We got this!"
Kody smiled back, implying that he understood her concern and had not taken offense to it. Together, they got up and headed home.
On the subway, Skylar's phone buzzed as she held onto the bus handle. Pulling it out, she almost dropped it as she read the message from the notification bar.
"You think you've won, but the game has just begun. - A Friend"