CALPURNIA was awaken by the moving of her bed. At first she thought it was an earthquake . But then, she felt a hand cover her mouth and a voice saying “On sound from you and every person in this house dies.”
Then she heard the same voice whisper “Pindaris, guard the door. Strato check the nursery.”
She managed to see two sinister figures in the darkness moving about the room, one of them entering the room where Jules and Verne slept. Calpurnia wanted to break free and cry out but she felt a sharp object like a sword attempting to pierce her back. She had never felt so much fear in her life.
Then, in the boys’ room, a muffle cry was heard followed by a low “Quiet!” The figure that went in there emerged with what looked like Jules and Verne.
Then, the man holding Calpurnia said “Move!” Feeling the sword in her back jabbing at it hard, she complied.
The three were led to the nearest window where there was a ladder being propped up from the ground.
To Calpurnia, the man who was holding her said “You go down first.”
Realizing that her mouth was no longer was being covered by a hand she said “Do you know who you are addressing.”
“Silence.” said the man who was holding her, “Or those two boys die.”
Calpurnia turned around to see Jules and Verne held a sword point. Realizing that she didn’t have a choice, she went to the window and climbed down the ladder. When she finally reached the ground, she found her surrounded by more men who held her at sword point.
Back in the room, the man who sent Calpurnia down told Jules “You’re next. Go down!”
Jules gave the man a hard stare before saying “Wait till…”
“Silence!” said the man, “No talking or your brother dies.”
Jules saw the man who was holding them point his sword at Verne so he complied.
After Jules went down the ladder, Verne followed.
After all three were on the ground, the men who were in Calpurnia’s room finally came down.
Then, the man who roused Calpurnia told the others “Bind and blindfold them.”
Suddenly, Calpurnia and the boys were taken by hand and were tied up and blindfolded.
“Can you tell me what this is all about?” demanded Calpurnia.
“Quiet.” said the man giving the orders, “All your questions will be answered soon. Take them.”
Suddenly, Calpurnia felt a hand tugging at her as if to tell her that she was being led away.
Wednesday, March 18, 44 B.C.
7:00 a.m.
Rome, Italy
Marty was awaken by some disturbing sounds. Getting out of bed , he put on a robe and went into the hallway to find out what was the problem. Once there, he saw Mark Antony and Octavius outside Calpurina’s bedroom talking to McFlius and Lorrainia, both of whom had worried looks on their faces. He also saw some of the other servants standing nearby and they too had concerned looks on their faces as well.
“What the hell is going on here?” asked Marty to one of the servants.
“Calpurnia, the widow of Julius Caesar has been kidnapped.” he said, “Along with the two boys who accompanied you.”
“What?” exclaimed Marty.
“Charlton Heston!”
Marty turned around to see that Octavius and Antony had summoned him over to their area so Marty complied.
“Do you want to talk to me?” he asked.
“Yes.” said Antony, “Were you aware of any plot to kidnap Calpurnia?
“No!”
“Were those two boys who accompanied you kidnapped as well?”
“No!”
“Well, they are now.” said Antony, “And I think you kidnapped them to bring them here to Rome because you apparently knew that Calpurnia loved kids and wanted to bear Caesar a son. And with Caesar gone her chances to have any were dwindling. So you kidnapped a couple of boys, used them to win her heart and have you and them invited here. And then, sent some signal to Brutus and Cassius that you were in the house with the boys and that you had earned Calpurnia’s trust.”
“Now wait a minute.” said Marty, “Wait a minute? What made you think that I was involved in any kidnapping?”
“He’s right, Mark Antony.” said Lorrainia, “He couldn’t have. The first day they were here, me and McFlius took them for a walk to show them the city and they never mentioned anything about a kidnapping.”
Immediately, Antony produced a letter and gave it to Marty saying “We found this on Calpurnia’s bed. It’s addressed to you. If it’s money, we shall have you crucified.”
Marty opened it. But before he could read it, Mark Antony yanked it out of his hands and examined the contents. It only had a note. After looking at the note, he showed it to Marty saying “Here, read it.”
Marty did. It read:
To Charlton Heston:
We have Calpurnia and her sons hostage.
If you wish to see them alive, come to my
barge and come alone. If you are accompanied
by Mark Antony and/or Octavius Caesar or
any of their legions, we will kill the hostages.
Go to my house. My wife, Portia, will tell
you the whereabouts of my barge. No tricks!BRUTUS
Marty showed the letter to Antony and Octavius saying “You see? It couldn’t been me. It couldn’t.”
Octavius turned to Antony saying “Mark Antony. Unless you have proof that Heston is involved in the kidnapping, I’d suggest you let him go.”
“Very well, then.” said Antony, “Heston, you may go. But stay in town.”
“Now wait a minute.” said Marty, “I can’t stay in town. How can I get to that barge if I can’t go out?”
“You’re not.” said Antony.
“What do you mean I’m not?”
“Heston, don’t make this more harder that it is. We know that on the eve of Caesar’s murder you arrived here, and that you embraced one of the conspirators before he and the others accompanied Julius to the Capitol. And after the murder, you took that same conspirator as hostage and dragged him out of the Senate house. We heard that he jumped you and escaped. However, there were no actual eyewitnesses there to collaborate it.”
“It doesn’t mean I was involved in the kidnapping.”
“And on the evening of the assassination, you left only to arrive the next morning with two boys and that you and them have been spending the last few days here in Caesar’s house while Calpurnia and the servants were entertaining them and you.”
Marty reeled back at this. How can I prove my innocence without telling them that me, Doc and the boys are time travelers from the future and that Calpurnia knows all about it? He still remembered what happened when Old Biff found out about as well as Jennifer.
Then, Octavius said “Come, Antony. Let’s go round up some citizens and senators. Perhaps they know something about this unfortunate incident.”
“Very well, then.” said Antony. He turned to Marty and said “We’re not through with you yet. So stick around.”
Marty turned a look into the general direction of the building that housed the DeLorean then back at Antony saying “You don’t have to worry about me.” Then, to himself saying All I have to do is go over to Brutus’s house, talk to his wife, get into the DeLorean and fly over to where they have the three and return with them before you guys are through questioning everyone.
After Antony and Octavius left, so did Marty. Asking directions to Brutus’s house
++++++
Calpurnia, Jules and Verne did not know where they were sitting being the fact that they were still blindfolded. However, feeling a rocky motion on the floor told them that they were on a boat or something. The three were trying to help each other to keep their spirits up.
“Calpurnia.” said Jules, “Somebody will be finding us, won’t they?”
“I hope so, Jules.” said Calpurnia, “The problem is where to look.”
“As far as anybody is concerned.” said Jules, “We could be anywhere.”
“Marty is going to look for us, isn’t he?” asked Verne.
“Yeah, sure.” said Jules, “All he has to do is to get into the DeLorean and go back to the moment whenever it was.”
“What do you mean ‘whenever it was’.” said Verne, “It was last night.”
“The question is what time last night?” said Jules, “Marty has to go back to sundown and stay cloaked until the moment of the kidnapping and the car can’t stay cloaked for long periods of time.”
Then, Calpurnia hushed the boys saying “Someone’s coming.”
“Well, lookie what we got here.” said someone.
“That voice.” said Calpurnia, “I know it from anywhere.”
“Remove the blindfolds.” said that someone.
The next thing the captives knew was that the blindfolds came off and Calpurnia saw who it was.
“Brutus!” she scowled.
Jules and Verne looked at the man, then at Calpurnia with Jules asking “That’s Brutus?”
“Yes.” whispered Calpurnia.
“God.” said Jules, “He looks so much like Biff.”
“Biff?” exclaimed Calpurnia.
Then, she remembered her trip to the future. The first time she saw him, he was an old man in the year 2015. The next time she saw him, he was a teenager in 1955 and resembled Brutus. It took Doc and Marty to restrain her before she could exact her revenge on the wrong person. As far as Marty was concerned, that incident took place almost two years ago, but for her it was a few days ago and it was still fresh in her memory.
So she said “Oh yes.”
“No talking!” demanded Brutus.
Calpurnia turned to give Brutus an angry look. Brutus ignored it and looked at the boys.
“So these are you kids.” he said
“My kids?” exclaimed Calpurnia, “Mister, I don’t know where you got your information but you’re deeply mistaken.”
“No I’m not.” said Brutus, “These are your kids, and Julius’s. I know. One of them is named ‘Jules’.”
Jules gave out a startled look.
“Now that’s ridiculous.” said Calpurnia, “His name may be Jules but it doesn’t mean he’s my and my husband’s son.”
“How do we know those to boys aren’t yours and Caesar’s kids?” demanded Brutus.
He had his captives there. How can she explain that those two boys aren’t hers without explaining that they really belong to Doc and that he, Marty, Jules and Verne are time travelers from the future? It was bad enough the she knew about time travel.
So she asked “What if you’re right and I did have these boys by Julius, what are you going to do about it?”
“Take an educated guess.”
Calpurnia laughed. “I haven’t the foggiest idea what that would be.”she said.
“I think you do.” said Brutus, “You see, your husband was trying to make himself a king.” Calpurnia looked at him in stunned silence. But Brutus went on. “Now if someone would make himself a king,” said Brutus, “he must have a son to succeed him. That’s where Jules comes in.”
“Brutus.” said Calpurnia, “Do you know what your saying? You’re accusing my husband of making himself a king.”
“Yeah.” said Brutus, “And why not? You could tell he was ambitious. And he was gaining power by the second. That’s why he had to be stopped. And now I learn that you and him had kids.”
“That’s not true.” said Calpurnia, “Those aren’t my boys, there…” Then realizing that she was about to break a sacred vow in not revealing the fact that time travel exists she quickly changed the subject. “Is that why you murdered my husband? He was making himself a king?”
“Of course.” said Brutus.
“I don’t know where you got that idea,” said Calpurnia, “but you and my husband were friends and Julius never even once considered making himself a king. Don’t you remember the Lupercal? Three times Mark Antony offered him a crown and three times my husband refused it.”
“Then why did your husband agree to go to the Capitol after Decius told him about the Senate’s proposal to make him a king?” asked Brutus.“Perhaps to talk the senators out of it.” said Calpurnia. Then a troubling thought came to her mind. “Oh the gods.” she said, “If you murdered my husband for trying to make himself a king…”
“…then I have to kill his heirs as well.” said Brutus, “All of them!”
Upon hearing this, Jules and Verne felt a cold chill up their spine. And unless Marty comes to the rescue, they were about to meet a terrible fate.