Relative Strangers (Book 2) No Man Is An Island

16. Cheating

After E revealed more of her past to the team, Matt went to tell Lester what they had just learned. And a short while later, E was called into his office.
"Look, if this is about what I told Matt, then I'll spare you the trouble of asking me any questions, because I don't want to talk about it anymore. Especially not with you" admitted E.
"While your past does trouble me, that is not what this meeting is about" replied Lester.
"Is about my island?" Questioned E.
"Yes, it is"
"Well?"
"You certainly haven't given me an easy task, let's just say that"
"Something is wrong, isn't it?".

"I wouldn't say things were exactly in our favor right now. But they aren't in Mr Wolf's either" admitted Lester.
"What can I do to help?" Asked E.
"Nothing. Mr Wolf knows your face, which is why we have to keep you out of this. He can't know that you are a part of our team" replied Lester.
"Well I can't just sit here while the rights to my island drift farther and farther away. And the longer we wait, the longer those creatures suffer"
"I know, which is why I'm moving as fast as I can. I know you like to call it your island, but it is not, and things would be a lot easier if it was. You may have thought that hiding the island and removing it from record, was a good thing. But now that there is no paperwork for it, it's causing us all a lot of stress as we try to figure out who the island belongs to".

"That's it!" gasped E suddenly.
"What is?" Frowned Lester.
"I removed the island from history to preserve it. So all I need to do now is falsify some records to make it look like the island has been here all along, and that it belongs to Britain" explained E.
"That won't work"
"Yes it will, because I have an advantage over the others fighting for the island. I can travel in time. So I can go back in time and hide some fake records that we can dig up in the present".
"That's a brilliant idea" praised Matt.
"It's a big risk. The other countries who want the island are going to find is suspicious that paperwork supporting our claim turns up now, out of the blue" Lester pointed out.

"It will be fine. I will go back in time and use parchment and ink from an old era, so that if a scientists check it for validity, they will find that the record is old and not new. And that will prove that it's not a fake" announced E.
"And what if these records get found before now, and someone finds the island. You could change all of history, by having the island in writing" warned Lester.
"First you're angry at me for deleting it from history, and now you're angry at me for suggesting bringing it back into the light. You're impossible to please" complained E.
"Well normally you're the one who is so insistent on keeping the time lines the same. So I'm surprised that you're willing to take this risk".

"It's a risk that I have to take to save those creatures, and keep anomalies a secret. Besides, I will hide the paperwork so well, that no one will find it until I tell you where to look. I will even add mentions of it to secret documents throughout history, to make it seem even more real. If I also write that nuclear experiments were done on that island, making it unsafe forever, then that will help explain why no one knows about it. And if we say that the island is still dangerous, then they will have to allow it to remain under our control. We can also blame nuclear weapons for the creation of the anomalies, so that Harold Wolf doesn't go looking for anomalies elsewhere" suggested E.

"You don't do things by half, do you" sighed Lester.
"No, I don't" admitted E.
"I'm still not sure that this is a good idea. But I don't know how else we will be able to claim the island. It looks like we are going to have to cheat to get ahead, by planting false information throughout history" replied Lester.
"So, I have the go ahead from you to do this?"
"Yes, do it"
"Alright, I will leave first thing tomorrow morning, and spend the rest of today planning my mission".

"I'd like to come with you" announced Matt.
"You would?" Frowned E.
"Yes. You said that when you travelled elsewhere, you would consider bringing me with you. So I want to go with you on your mission" admitted Matt.
"But this mission isn't dangerous, so I'm not going to be in any danger. I don't need you to watch my back"
"I don't want to accompany you because I think that you need protecting. You've shown us that you don't need anyone to look after you. I want to travel with you, because I want to spend some time with you, so that you aren't on your own".

"I'm not just on my own by default. I like being on my own" insisted E.
"No, I think that you've just become so used to being on your own that it doesn't effect you anymore. But I can tell that deep down you seek companionship" admitted Matt.
"I don't need you to come with me. I can do this on my own. In fact, it would be easier if I did this by myself" replied E.
"I know. And I know that you don't need me. But I want to come with you".
E's heart skipped a beat and she had to stop herself from smiling.
"Well, if you want to come along, then I'm not going to stop you" she said quietly.

"So, I can come?" Questioned Matt.
"Yes, so long as you don't get in my way" answered E.
"I promise that I will do my best not to" reassured Matt.
"And you have to follow all of my instructions without question"
"I'll try my best"
"O.K then, be ready to leave first thing tomorrow. Pack one back of essentials tonight, but don't make it too heavy. Don't worry about clothes, because I am going to dress you in period appropriate attire"
"I didn't think we were going to be away for very long"
"I don't plan to be away for more than a day, but I like to be prepared for all eventualities"
"Alright, I guess being ready for anything is a good idea"
"We will be in human time zones, so we should be fine. But I like to have all my tech and weapons with me, just in case".

"Matt, seeing as you are the team leader, I would like it if you didn't get yourself killed on this little excursion" admitted Lester.
"I won't. But what about E, don't you care about her safety?" Frowned Matt.
"She is expendable. You are not" replied Lester.
"How dare you-" started Matt.
"Don't worry Lester, I will return him to you in one piece" interrupted E, who wasn't in anyway hurt by Lester's comment.
"Good. Now get going, you've got a mission to plan" reminded Lester.
E nodded and exited his office with a fuming Matt close behind her.