Roxie and Tina arrived at Jack’s house on February 7th, and the four of them sat down in the living room. Jack and Frank had serious expressions on their faces, which Tina noticed.

“You two look like you’ve got a flea up your ass.”

Jack looked at Frank and Frank said, “do it.”

“Okay. Do you remember that I said we have a job for you?”

“Yes,” said Roxie keenly.

“Bring it on,” said Tina enthusiastically. 

Jack continued, “Well, I told you it involved gold and the Declaration of Independence and then you said we were nuts because it is so well guarded, and it is today. We plan to travel back in time and steal it.”

Roxie and Tina looked at each other and started laughing. Roxie laughed without conviction, unlike Tina.

“Are you pair of jerks on drugs?” Tina asked, after her laughter had subsided.

After Roxie’s laughter had subsided, she looked at Jack because he looked unyielding.

“He’s serious,” she told Tina in a quiet, even, and assured tone.

“I think you’re on drugs, Roxie,” said Tina still amused at the conversation after drinking a shot of scotch. 

Jack aimed a comment at Roxie because she was not being dismissive. “I’ve developed a time machine.”

“You guys are jerking us around,” said Tina and stood up to leave.

Roxie calmly said, “Take a seat, Tina.”

Tina sighed and reluctantly sat down again.

“Come down to the basement.” Jack requested.

*.*.*.*

They stood in the basement looking at the metal plate in the middle of the floor.

“What the hell is that?” Tina asked.

“Time travel,” Frank replied. “I know because we’ve tested it.”

“How does it work?” asked Roxie open-mindedly.

“Something to do with a vacuum and something called the Casimir Effect, I don’t know,” said Frank shrugging his shoulders.

“Don’t worry about all that, I promise you it works when the particles inside the vacuum approach the speed of light,” said Jack.

“Okay, I’ll say it works. What is your plan?” asked Roxie.

Jack looked at her admiringly for her flexibility and then told the women his plan. “We will travel back to the year 1861 just after the American Civil War battle of Bull Run. If your history is a bit rusty... when the Union army lost the battle, retreating troops poured into Washington to avoid capture by the Confederate army. The city was in a state of total confusion, and President Lincoln and his army expected a siege at best, although it was widely believed for a couple of days after the battle that the Confederate army would invade the city. We will take full advantage of this panic and confusion.

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