Adventures In Time 2

By Arlene Timoney

When an elderly time traveler leaves clues leading to a treasure map, our three adventurous middle school kids leap into action.  Out of school on winter break, Lilly, Watty, and Jordan must use their strong research skills to unravel a series of cryptic puzzles and codes in order to collect the promised prize.  

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Arlene Timoney
• Release date: Jun 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9780578290812

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Lilly marched up to her room and slammed the door shut. She was mad. Really mad. She had just found out her parents were going away on a two-week trip during her Christmas break from school.

Why can’t they just stay home for a change? she thought. She and her older sister—Rose, the big high school senior—would be spending the holiday together again.

Rats. She grabbed a rolled-up pair of socks from her dresser and threw it against the wall, which didn’t quite have the effect she’d been looking for. She sat down at her desk and opened her journal. CHARLIE AND EVIE LOPEZ ARE SELFISH!!! she wrote, underlining it and putting exclamation marks all around it for emphasis. She couldn’t remember when it had first started, but she liked to call her parents—and other adults—by their first names. It made her feel like they were all equal to one another. After all, at fourteen, she was practically an adult herself.

She pressed her back against the computer chair with her arms folded. Her parents traveled all the time. They would always bring her and Rose back souvenirs—mostly books and T-shirts from where they had visited, which was nice—but it wasn’t the same as having them around more often. Charlie, her dad, had explained to her many times how expensive it would be for them all to travel, so that wasn’t an option. At least not right now. Her computer pinged. Somebody named C. M. Retsilla wanted to be friends with her.

Don’t know you, don’t want to know you, she said as Evie yelled up that dinner was ready. She deleted the friend request and headed downstairs to dinner.

After eating a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs (her favorite), she calmed down a little. Her mom always made her and her sister really good dinners right before they left on their vacations. Lilly called them guilt meals and hoped that maybe her parents felt a little bad for leaving them again. She sighed and decided to google where her parents were going. It was Auckland, New Zealand this time.

She pressed the space bar to wake up her computer, and she saw it: another friend request, this time from someone named Nial Rebmahc. She laughed to herself. I wonder what country she or he is from, she thought, and why I’m getting these weird friend requests. Yawning, she realized she was a little tired and thought a quick nap might make her feel better. There was one more day of school before the two-week winter break started, and she couldn’t wait. It had been a long time between vacations.

She got in bed and carefully pulled the covers over her legs, making sure to keep her feet sticking out, as usual; it was the only way she could fall asleep. She closed her eyes, but her mind was suddenly reeling. She began thinking of her last vacation over the summer. It had been the coolest ever. She and her best friends, Watty and Jordan, had gotten a chance to time travel with their retired neighbor, Captain Ben McAllister. They’d all had so much fun experiencing the amazing adventures Ben had taken them on, and she missed the thrill of not knowing what would happen next. It had been awesome. She smiled at the memory and finally fell asleep.

Oh my. What time is it? She woke up with a start. How long did I sleep? Is it time for school? She looked out her window and realized it was still dark. The animation on her computer screen said 9:30. She’d slept a lot longer than she’d wanted to. She pressed the space bar, and up popped two more friend requests. Oh no, she thought. Maybe I’ve been hacked or something. It was C. M. and Nial again. Wow, they don’t take no for an answer, do they? She aimed her mouse at the delete button but stopped before clicking. I don’t know you guys, do I? she said out loud, trying to remember meeting anyone with those names before. Retsilla is not a very common last name. I’m sure I would’ve remembered. She said it again. C. M. Retsilla and Nial Rebmahc. How do you even pronounce that one? She sat and stared at it. Hmm. She grabbed her pen and wrote the names. After a few moments of rearranging the letters, she burst out laughing. Oh, of course. That’s what it is. Not C. M., but MC. And not Retsilla, but Allister. McAllister. She looked at the other name and wrote it backward as well. Chamberlain. It’s Ben and Karen. She grabbed her mouse with excitement and accepted both friend requests.

Ben, as she liked to call him, was a retired government worker from NATSA—the National Academy for Top Secret Activities—where he and his best friend, Harry Callahan, had worked in the Future Secret Enterprise Division, working mostly with time machines and cool stuff that he said he couldn’t mention because it was top secret. His wife had died some years ago, and now he was engaged to Karen Chamberlain, who also was retired from the government. She’d worked at the IBI—International Bureau of Intelligence—and had done spy work. Karen had even gone undercover as a pastry chef in France. She’d been so great at making pastries for their breakfasts last summer that they’d really thought she was just a baker. Lilly quickly texted Jordan and Watty.

Hey, guys, I just heard from Karen and Ben. She put a smiley face emoji after the sentence.

What did they want? Watty asked.

Did they say anything interesting? Jordan texted back.

It was just a friend request, so nothing too interesting. At least not yet! She sighed, wondering why they wanted a friend request now and why they’d gone through the trouble of cryptically writing their names backward. Oh well, she thought. Maybe I’ll hear something else soon. She lay back on the bed and watched TV until she fell asleep.

The next morning, Lilly walked to the bus stop, joining her friends. They lived in the small town of Marble Crest, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. She’d moved there in the second grade and had met Watty and Jordan on the first day of school. They’d been a tight group ever since. As she approached them, she took off her jacket, as it was an unseasonably warm morning.

It’s the middle of December. Where’s the cold? she asked.

Yeah, it’s weird, right? Jordan said, also taking off his jacket. My grandfather said it’s supposed to snow next week, so it looks like we might get a couple different seasons in one week’s time. He laughed. Jordan lived with his grandparents, Nancy and Al Sinclair. Neither Lilly nor Watty knew why he didn’t have parents, but they’d never asked him, feeling it wasn’t any of their business.

So, did you hear back from— Watty got interrupted by a boy at the bus stop.

Oh, Walter! a guy named Buzz called in a singsongy manner. What did Walter ask Santa for this year?

Watty’s real name was Walter Thomas Watkins, but he preferred his nickname since kids liked to make fun of Walter for some reason. He didn’t know why. Watty ignored him.

Wal-ter, I’m talking to you. Maybe you’re on the naughty list this year.

Lilly quickly leaned over and whispered something in Watty’s ear. Watty turned around to face Buzz.

Actually, I asked Santa for world peace this year, Buzz. Or is it Edwin Leslie?

The bus stop erupted in laughter. Some of the boys started playfully shoving Buzz as a couple of the girls repeated his real name, Edwin.

Watty, Jordan, and Lilly walked a little farther away from the group as they continued to wait for the bus.

Thanks, Lilly. How did you know his real name?

He was in one of my classes last year, and apparently that’s how it is on the official school roll. When the teacher called everyone’s name out for the first time, he turned bright red. She turned back around to look at Buzz. Just like he’s doing now.

Why do people make fun of other people’s names? Jordan asked, sounding exasperated. I don’t get it. Nobody ever gets to pick out their name, so it’s nobody’s fault. Jeez. He sighed. Can you imagine the surprise of the new parents when they say, ‘Your name is going to be Clarence,’ and the kid pops up and says, ‘Dang, I was hoping for Cecil’?

They all laughed.

I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait for these two weeks off, Jordan continued.

We’re with ya, Jordo, Watty said, appearing to be sympathetic.

Yeah, Jordan, you’ve been kind of cranky lately. Maybe you need more sleep or something, Lilly added.

Oh, thanks, Lilly, Jordan said, sounding sarcastic. I like you too.

Lilly ignored him.

So, Lilly, getting back to what I was asking before, Watty said. Did you hear any more from the captain or Karen after the friend requests?

No, nothing. But don’t you think it’s strange? Let me tell you what names they gave me for their friend requests. Like, I didn’t even know it was them, and I actually deleted the friend requests the first time because I didn’t recognize who they were.

Lilly continued telling her two best friends all about the backward names on her computer as the bus pulled up to take them to their last day of middle school before the holidays.

CHAPTER 2

The next day, Lilly got the text she’d been waiting for. It was from her neighbor, Captain Ben McAllister, asking her to get Watty and Jordan together and meet him down in Command Central. Com Cent, as it was sometimes called, was the high-tech room located in the tunnel right below their neighborhood street. Excitedly, she FaceTimed her friends.

I just got the text from Ben. He says, ‘I’ve got something fun and exciting for you all to do this holiday.’  She squealed. Yay. Meet me at the entrance.

Jordan and Watty appeared to be just as excited as she was, as they all started talking at once. They’d accidentally discovered the tunnel and the time machine last summer by following clues McAllister had wanted them to find, which had led them to the manhole right at the end of their cul-de-sac. Watty high-fived them as if he hadn’t just seen them yesterday for their last day of school.

Hi, guys, Lilly said, talking rapidly. It’s finally happening, just like we were hoping.

I know, right? Watty said as he and Jordan lifted off the heavy manhole cover so they could go down the ladder. The tunnel was brightly lit and cavernous, and they never tired of hearing their footsteps echo off the giant walls. After hitting the last rung, they ran until they reached Command Central.

Lilly rushed ahead and grabbed the doorknob. They all stopped. Music blared from the ceiling speakers, the computers they’d used over the summer had all been updated with sleek new monitors, and the room smelled of fresh paint. A huge silver ball hung from the ceiling and was spinning, causing abstract-looking shapes and patterns to reflect all over the room in different colors.

Brandy must be here! they all shouted in unison, laughing at their timing.

So, where is she? Watty said as they looked around the room. Nobody was there.

They walked in and went over to the large central table where they had spent so much time talking about their missions over the summer. There were a bunch of chairs set up and a blank whiteboard waiting to be written on. They sat down.

Ping!

All three kids got the text at the same time. It was from the captain.

Karen and I will be there soon. There are some delicious pastries in the cart in the back. Help yourselves. He’d added a smiley face emoji. They all snickered.

Jordan was the first one up, running over to grab a paper plate.

Ah, here they are. He held up a glazed cruller for all to see. Boy, have I missed you! he comically said to the pastry before taking a big bite.

How did Ben know we were already down here? Lilly asked.

Watty shook his head. It’s one of the biggest mysteries of the cul-de-sac. I haven’t figured out how he always seems to know what’s going on with us when he’s not even here.

I guess they just let anyone come down here these days, a familiar voice bellowed across the room. It was Harry. He and Captain McAllister’s daughter, Brandy, had walked in from the part of the tunnel where the time machines were kept.

Brandy squealed and ran over to the kids. Lilly, Watty, and Jordan! Guys, it’s so great to see you again.

A group hug ensued.

Brandy, who was tall and trim with blond hair and green eyes, was the captain’s only daughter. She’d inherited her dad’s love of technology and travel and had become quite an asset to his time-traveling interests. She’d graduated from MIT but had decided that before she moved on to an intense career, she just needed time to chill and find herself, so she’d time traveled to 1973 to live for a while.

Harry Callahan was an old friend of the captain’s. He and Ben had both recently taken early retirement after working together for years, first as experimental test pilots and then later at NATSA, where they’d developed experimental time machines for the government. Harry was slightly younger than Ben but was still very muscular and the more daring of the two, which worked perfectly. Any time Ben had a risky adventure in mind, Harry was the guy to do it. They’d even developed a little game where one would leave clues for the other about another time period. Following the clues always led to a restaurant located in either the past or the future for dinner. Brandy would sometimes join them, as she and Harry each had their own smaller time machines. Harry was like a second father to her, and she often liked to call him Uncle Harry.

Brandy, we thought this was your handiwork, Lilly exclaimed, pointing to the silver ball overhead. It looks like a far-out, groovy, ’70s-type thingy.

Brandy laughed out loud. Yes, you’re right. It’s an authentic disco ball—straight from the 1970s. I actually borrowed it from a popular club in New York called Studio 53, and that’s all you need to know about that. She giggled and looked over at Harry.

Harry, you look great, Watty said, shaking his hand. Looks like your sunburn has healed and all your bruises and scrapes from the accident are gone, Watty said, referring to the big mission they’d participated in over the summer in which Harry had operated a large one-person drone in the future year of 2120. His vehicle hadn’t quite gotten out of the way of the final explosion from the asteroid.

Yeah, Watty. I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Totally worth it though. I’m still awestruck over what we all were able to accomplish. He looked at the three kids. They beamed. Hey, come out and look at the new refurbished NOVAs. Brandy and I just finished the last one—hers, of course, with all new and improved bells and whistles. Ya gotta love those 3D printers.

Oh, cool, Watty said. I hope we’ll still remember how to operate them.

The basic operation controls are still the same, Watty, Brandy replied, but now they’re voice activated.

Anybody’s voice? Jordan asked.

Yes, but we have to set each one of your voices up individually, Brandy answered.

Unless Lilly comes down with laryngitis or something horrible like that, Harry joked. Here they are.

Two smaller NOVAs and one large NOVA (Neutron Oscillating Vehicular Accelerator) were all parked together down the side of the tunnel.

Oh, Lilly exclaimed, I love the bright new colors. Not that it wasn’t really red before, but now it actually looks metallic or something. Brandy, is yours the bright blue one?

Yeah, we spiffed up the colors a little. Blue seemed like a nice change of pace for me, Brandy said.

Cool, Watty and Jordan said.

Walking back into Command Central, they heard a dog bark.

Brandy went over and turned down the music as Karen and Ben walked into the room with their dog, Gulliver, in tow. Hysterical laughter followed as everyone pointed to their matching ugly red-and-green Christmas sweaters.

Now that’s the spirit of Christmas! Harry laughed heartily, grabbing Gulliver. I’m guessing this was all his idea, he said as he held up the Jack Russell pup, who was also wearing a matching sweater.

I’m so glad you guys were able to come down here, Ben said.

So wonderful to see you kids, Karen said, hugging each one.

Why exactly did you want us down here, Ben? Lilly asked.

Ben pointed to the chairs around the table. Please, kids, have a seat. We can get caught up later. As I texted you, we have a fun and exciting project to share with you three. Harry? Do you want to do the honors?

Harry smiled. "Sure. Last month, over the Thanksgiving holiday, we time traveled to