Free The Didymus Contingency by Jeremy Robinson

Moses from Egypt, you are now free. Come, follow us and we will see that you are taken care of. I know of a man in Bethany who can care for your needs.”
    The man pulled Tom to his feet and helped him up on to the donkey. Tom thought the donkey smelled foul but his exhaustion overpowered his sense of smell. He clung to the creature and fell asleep as the two Samaritans led the donkey back the way they had come.

    *   *   *   *   *

    David was as ready as he could be on such short notice. He looked the part, could speak the part, at least better than Tom could, and he knew the beliefs and culture of ancient Israel. Unlike Tom, David had never given up his Jewish heritage. True, he was a Christian, which practicing Jews consider blasphemous, but the Christian faith is based on a Jewish man, who lived in a Jewish culture. David knew more about biblical times than the average man, but he also knew that two thousand years of history books could never capture how things really were in the day-to-day life of ancient Israel, his homeland.
    Prepared or not, David was going. He knew where and when Tom had gone. When David found an instruction booklet in the receiving area, he thought perhaps his future self had foreseen this predicament. He learned that each watch had built-in tracking devices. Any one watch could be used to track down another—any place on Earth and in any time. David kept the instruction booklet a secret, even from Sally. The moral issues involved with time travel had already boiled over and David didn’t want anyone else knowing how to use the watches to their full potential. He read the instruction manual, committed it to memory and destroyed it.
    Sally entered the receiving area where David was preparing to leave. She approached him quickly, wringing her hands together. “Listen, David,” she said, “When you find Tom, grab him and come back as quick as possible. Try not to do any sightseeing.”
    “That’s the plan,” David replied.
    “I was wondering...where and when do you think Tom went?” Sally asked.
    “The most logical choice for someone who wanted to disprove the story of Jesus would be his death and resurrection, just outside Jerusalem,” said David, knowing that was the plan, but not wanting to reveal he knew more.
    Sally looked slightly disappointed. “Just don’t hang around too long, okay?”
    David was confused. Was Sally trying to tell him something? “Got it,” David said, “I’ll be there and back with Tom before a minute of your time has passed.”
    Sally smiled at David’s confidence and her shoulders dropped an inch. “You have everything you need?” she asked.
    David looked himself over. “I’m just waiting for Tom’s clothes.”
    A man carrying a pile of clothes, identical to David’s entered the back of the control center just as David finished his sentence. When the door swung open, David saw three men. The first he recognized as George Dwight. He also recognized George’s assistant, Jake. But David had no idea who the third man was and took a mental snapshot of the man. He was dressed in ancient clothing, tattered and authentic looking. He stood tall and straight and had a look in his eyes that longed for action. And then, as the man moved his arm, David saw a shard of light reflect off what looked like a handgun. This is not good .
    Sally saw them too and attempted to stand in David’s field of view, but it was too late.
    “Who is that man?” David asked. “And what is he doing here?”
    Sally was unsure how to answer.
    “Tell me or I’ll ask him myself,” David demanded.
    Sally mulled over the question and answered, “His name is Captain John Roberts. He’s the head of LightTech’s Time Enforcement Division.”
    “Time what?”
    “He’s our...backup plan.”
    “Backup plan?”
    “In case you don’t make it back for some reason. He’s going to the time just before Jesus’s death, where we’re most likely to find Tom. If you can’t