Part Three

"Everyone is trying to activate the machine, sir, but it seems to have its’ own agenda. I’ll be hooking it to my computer, sir, to se if we can do something. I’m not sure yet, but I think it would work better if…"

"Thank you Birkoff. I’ll talk to you later". Operations looked at Madeline. "I want that team back soon".

***

The next morning, Nabiki and Michael were having breakfast when the two US marshals walked in. Nabiki couldn’t be happier. Right there in front of her was Roy. He looked so handsome; with his dark gray jacket and the gold star engraved with the words U.S. Marshal. His green eyes looked around the room, locating Nabiki and Michael and he smiled at her, winking an eye. He then looked at the other people in the room and saw North, Trace, Sherry, Sly and his sister attending the locals.

He spoke to the man with him and they separated. Roy walked to where Michael and Nabiki were as Sherry and Trace were serving them coffee. "I found you all at last. I’ve been worried sick. This is the weirdest thing I have ever done. And to fake my accent isn’t easy. Most of the people I have met think I’m from New Orleans. Are you witnesses to what happened yesterday?" asked Roy as he sat next to Nabiki, while holding her hand under the table.

"Michael and I are witnesses. We can identify on of the men. We were waiting for the marshals to come, and now I’m very happy to see that you are one of them", said Nabiki with such a sweet voice, Roy had to control himself not to hug her right there in front of everyone.

"We don’t know how much time we have before we are recalled back to Section and the 21st Century, so we can’t be side tracked by anything. Roy, do you know if there is any news about the men that robbed the bank?" said Michael, smiling at Sherry as she very casually leaned on him.

"The sheriff says they will be back any moment, probably during the evening, so they won’t be noticed. You are to stay together here, until I come back and then we’ll plan someway to get out of this mess", said Roy, looking at Nabiki and then more loudly than necessary said "Ma'am, would you accompany me to the sheriff’s office so I can ask you some questions? And you sir, wait for me". Roy and Nabiki walked out the saloon.

"I want results!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, we have 8 of our best operatives, out there somewhere in time and I need to find them. No one is allowed out of Section until I have the results that I want. I will not accept failure", were the words that thundered through the halls of Section.

Birkoff walked up to where Curlly was eating a piece of cheesecake. It was her third already. Everyone was worried and each of them acted on it on a different way.

"Birkoff, what to we have until now?" asked Rita.

"Well, Rita, the only thing we know is that they are somewhere in 1862. We understand that the must be together. But we don’t know how to bring them back. I tried wiring the machine to my computer, but no luck there. Did you find anything Aly?" asked Birkoff.

"As a matter a fact, I just connected my laptop to the mainframe of the machine and I think I may have found something. They’re somewhere in between the Texas and Nebraska territory. If we can pin point the exact location of where they are, I think we can change the date in the mainframe and make it back to April 13, 2000", said Aly, while Birkoff looked at her in total shock.

"Avi, Curlly, and Nikita Fire, you are to check in all the newspapers that were published in 1862 and find anything strange. Any news that could be traced to were they are. Good luck", Rita said as she went to where Nikita was calling her.

~~

Nabiki was back in her room after been questioned for 2 hours. Someone knocked at her door. Taking the necessary precautions, she opened the door to see Roy standing there. He walked in the room and took her in his arms holding her tightly.

"Well, now we just have to wait for the men to come back. Michael and I have done the preliminary SIMMs. After the men come for you two, we will be waiting for them to escort them back to justice. I’m a little worried, cause you seem so tired. Why don’t you rest for a while and we will have dinner with the others. North and Sherry don’t have to work, so they will be sitting with us".

"I’m very tired Roy, but I won’t be able to sleep. It’s hot and I just wish I were back in Section, taking a dive in the pool. I don’t think I could live in this time. I’m to used to the modern commodities", said Nabiki laughing.

"I agree with you. But I must say that I have never seen you so lovely. Those garments do make you look very sexy. I will always remember you dressed as you are now", were the last words from Roy as he walked up to were Nabiki was standing and kissed her thoroughly.

The rest of the afternoon, Roy and Nabiki stayed in her bedroom. After a couple of hours, Nabiki fell asleep from pure exhaustion while Roy held her in his arms.

************

Part Four/End

When sundown came, so did a small knock on Nabiki’s door. Roy had also fallen asleep but for a couple of minutes. He had to report back to his fellow companion and Nabiki needed to get ready.

"Nabiki, sweetheart, someone is knocking on the door. You need to answer it. No one knows that I’m here", said Roy kissing Nabiki’s temple as she woke up. She was disoriented for the first couple of seconds until she remembered where and why she was there.

Roy hid behind the door as Nabiki answered. It was Sly and Dragonlady. They walked in the room telling them Michael had set the mission in motion. Then Roy left so he could find the other US Marshal. As he passed by his sister, he smiled at her holding her hand tightly and then looked at Sly winking an eye at her. The 3 ladies looked at each other smiling. Roy was a perfect gentleman and knew how to sweep a woman form her feet and they were willing participants. Dragon had never seen her brother so happy and alive. Nabiki and Roy were great together.

Soon North and Trace joined them. The locals were coming in soon and they decided to exchange views with each other before the action started. Sherry and Michael were somewhere but they would be down in ½ hour.

"Nabiki, be extremely careful. North and I will be your backup, while Sly and Dragon are in charge of the back entrance. We believe they will come in form the front door," informed Trace.

Soon everything was in motion. Nabiki walked down the stair as Michael, Roy and the other man walked in. Michael signaled her to join them as they sat in the closest table to the rear door. What hit them, they hadn’t suspected. From the rear door 10 men came in with their faces covered. In the front entrance 8 other men were standing with the Perry Bauer look-a-like in the center.

"Well, this is a surprise. Now we can take care of business. Lady, please stand up. We know you are one of the witnesses. I’m sure you don’t want to make trouble. Sir, would you accompany the lady to the center stage. It will be over soon. Do you want to say something before we finish our business and leave?" he asked smiling evilly to Michael and Nabiki.

The only thing that was heard was the voices of North and Sherry telling them to hit the floor. What looked to be an ambush from the bank robbers that entered the rear door, was really the sheriff with the local men. The crossfire between the two groups had trapped Michael and Nabiki in the middle. Soon Roy, Trace, North, Sherry, Sly and Dragon were with them. They needed a miracle and fast.

"Everyone, try to escape. We will meet again…" were the instructions giving by Michael when everything was blurry for Nabiki. She woke up again to find the familiar surroundings of Section One in front of her. Beside her, were her time traveling companions waking up also.

"Welcome back everyone. I’m happy to report that everything is in order and that the mission was successful. You have traveled in time, so I want the reports of the mission in my desk soon", said Operations as cold and calculating as always.

The group just looked at him without one word. The other members of the CL’ s greeted them, happy to see them unharmed. Sly was the one that asked the question that was in everyone’s head. "How in the world did you know where we where?"

"Well Sly, Avi, Nikita Fire and I where in the library looking at all the newspapers that were published in 1862. We found the "Reno Gazette", that had in front page the story of a bank robbery and about to witnesses that were strangers to the city that had identified the assailants, so we knew where and when to find you", said Curlly with an empty cheesecake bowl in her hands.

"Then, Aly hit by a fluke one of the main buttons of the device and it activated. Soon, Birkoff had the date programmed to the exact date and location to match our dates and "voila", you guys were back", said Rita very proud of her team.

"Well, doesn’t matter how you guys did it, the best thing is that we are back in our own time and without a scratch. Just one more question, what happened to the bank robbers?" asked Sherry.

"They were ambushed at the saloon, by a group of citizens, can you believe it", said Aly.

"OK, gang, it’s time to get back to the CLH’s for a good rest. Dismissed", North said as she, Trace and Sherry walked out. Sly, Avi, Nikita Fire, Rita and Curlly decided they wanted to have some pizza.

"Nabiki, would you like to have dinner with me and Dragonlady? I’d love to take you both out for a little while and forget the whole traveling thing", Roy asked.

"I’d love to Roy", said Nabiki as the three of them walked out. They had come back from the Old West alive and well. The experiences they shared had made them understand that their friendship was very important. Nabiki and Roy understood something too. That their relationship was solid and could handle anything that lay in front of them.

The End.

This story ©copyright Nabiki, 2000