Chapter 11

Present – Liz – after the wedding

Bernie and I were headed for a tent to experience a little post wedding afternoon delight when my phone rings. Even though I don't recognize the number, I see that it is a Colorado area code so I answer and hear, "Is this Elizabeth Morgan?"

I hesitate for a moment to confirm my identity but he does sound official so I answer, "Yes this is Liz Morgan, with whom am I speaking."

He replies, "This is Jim Freeman the Sheriff of Lake County, we saw the wedding on television and figured we'd better call you and not Ben or Jennifer Blaine."

I'm concerned when I answer, "Exactly why is that?"

Jim replies, "I know they are on their honeymoon so I didn't want to disturb them. I hate to tell you this, but it looks like the cabin burnt up again - it's totally destroyed."

I stumble for a moment from the shock (and champagne), Bernie thoughtfully catches me and I much too loudly answer, "What in the hell happened?"

Jim says, "We're in the process of getting an arson investigator up from Denver, but from what I've seen, it looks like arson because the sprinkler system was turned off."

I pause for a moment, think and hope for a negative answer, "Tell me, was this covered by any television news?"

He replies, "Oh yeah, it is big news up here. Almost everyone was, and still is, here except for the Truth Network."

I can only hope that Ben and Jens will be too busy on their honeymoon for the next two weeks to turn on the TV. I continue, "Jim thanks for the information, do you have any idea when we might start on rebuilding the cabin again?"

Jim, who has been a fountain of information answers, "Sorry Ms. Morgan, we have no idea. If this is indeed arson then it could take months and of course insurance might not cover it."

I think for a moment and reply, "Thank you so much Jim, especially for not calling Ben and Jens. I am sending Samantha to the cabin immediately to cover the situation. Please call me if there are any further developments and please do not bother Ben and Jens"

Jims laughs and says, "Yeah, if any two people ever deserved an uninterrupted honeymoon it's those two. By the way, Samantha did a great job on the coverage of the wedding. We were all shocked at the Mossad team and laughed like crazy when the wolves and bears marched them out of the forest. Sorry to bother you Ms. Morgan."

Jim hangs up the phone, I look at Bernie and he asks, "Don't tell me the cabin burned up again?"

I am more than dumbstruck, I am awestruck, so I nod my head and answer, "That's right, it was Sheriff Jim Freeman. He thinks it is arson and the cabin is a total loss."

I slump to the ground and begin to cry. Bernie comes over, sits beside me and asks, "Liz, what's wrong?"

I'm embarrassed because I don't want to tell Bernie I'm upset because my wedding dress was destroyed with the cabin so I concoct a plausible lie, "I just can't believe someone was so callus as to do this on their wedding day." I wipe my eyes and continue, "Shit I thought I was busy getting ready for the wedding, this is going to be even worse. Please find Gretchen and ask her to come here while I find Samantha and get her headed toward the cabin. I want to find the fucker that did this and burn them at the stake, just like they burned up the cabin..."

Present – Zarika and Yasmeen – running away

Firstly, we cannot believe that Ben married Jennifer, but it was even worse that we were not invited to the wedding. Yasmeen and I sit on the rug in the main room crying. Why oh why did our Ben marry her and why did he forget us like so much trash?

Yasmeen pulls away from me, gives me an evil look and says, "I know a perfect way to get back at Ben and the fat Jennifer bitch for this."

I blink my eyes to see through the tears and ask, "Yasmeen, what are you thinking?"

She smiles evilly and says, "We are going to run away from home and burn down the cabin."

She shocks me so I question, "But isn't that against the law?"

Yasmeen justifies her actions, "It is no more against the law than Ben marrying Jennifer. You are the first wife and I am the second wife so he should have married us and made the bitch Jennifer his concubine."

I think for a moment and answer, "Yes, you are correct! Ben and the fat Jennifer bitch broke the law first so we are justified in using any retaliation. So please, explain your plan..."

I am so upset that Ben married that bitch Jennifer that I will make both of them pay by destroying this cabin which should rightfully belong to Zarika and me. If we can't live in it with Ben as our husband, then no one will live in it.

I explain my plan to Zarika, "Firstly we need to pack our best clothes because after we do this, we cannot come back. Then we turn off the fire sprinkler system since I know where the valve thing is in the basement. Then we go into the kitchen, turn on all the gas in the stove and oven. Next we will put a magazine in the toast making machine, press down on the lever and leave."

Zarika grins at me and questions, "Yasmeen, how did you come up with this idea because it's evilly genius?"

I answer, "I saw it on a movie; when the spy did it the whole house exploded."

We run to our rooms and pack our clothes...

Present – Samantha – taking care of Stacy

I'm busy taking care of a very drunk and sick Stacy. I get her back to the campsite area, then look over and see that Wojtek might be in even worse shape than Stacy. I maneuver her over to a table, make her sit and leave to get us a couple cups of strong black coffee.

I come back over and see Stacy is slumped over the table, fast asleep in a pool of her own puke – my heavens what BFFs do for each other! I grab a bunch of napkins off the table, pick up Stacy's head, wipe her face clean - it wakes her slightly and she cries, "Whyyyyyy Bennnnnn!"

Because she is somewhat awake, I hold a cup of coffee to her lips and demand, "Stacy drink this."

She takes a sip, spits it out and complains, "This isn't champagne. I want more champagne! And where's my good drinking buddy Woho ... Womo ... not that's not right, let me try again W ... W ... Wojtek, we were getting drunk together."

Even though she is my BFF, I am getting pissed and order, "Stacy, Wojtek and you are already drunk! Now it's time to have some coffee and sober up so we can clean up your dress."

I should have known better than to mention the dress again because Stacy wails, "Yes my wedding dress for Ben, whyyyyyyyy Bennnnnnn!"

I watch Liz approaching and can tell that something is wrong. She walks up, looks at Stacy and says, "It looks like you have your hands full."

I know Liz doesn't care for my relationship with Stacy, but it's no different than the relationship between her and Jennifer - she just doesn't see that yet. I answer, "Yeah, I guess Stacy is upset about the wedding and decided to get drunk."

Liz says, "Sam, I hate to pull you away from Stacy, but you need to get back to the cabin ASAP because someone torched it..."

Present – Stacy – drunk

I might be drunk, but I am certainly not incapacitated. I hear Liz tell my BFF Sam that the cabin is burned up, so I sit up and say, "Gee gah goo gorp?"

Liz and Sam give me strange looks. Then I realize that what came out of my mouth, wasn't even close to what I wanted to say. I see the cup of coffee sitting on the table, chug it down as fast as I can, wipe my mouth on the sleeve of my ruined wedding dress ... I start to cry a little ... OH HELL NO, I'm not going there again about my dress so look at the two of them and repeat very slowly and this time correctly, "What the hell are you talking about? The cabin is destroyed?"

Liz looks at Sam, then at me and answers, "That's right, Sheriff Jim Freeman called me, told me it looks like arson and that the cabin is totally destroyed."

I swear, "What sort of lowlife would do that on someone's wedding day!"

Liz smiles and answers, "Well, I'm glad to see your reaction because that removes you as one of the prime suspects."

I glare at Liz and spit, "Liz, I might not be happy about Ben marring Jennifer, but I would never stoop so low as to destroy the cabin which I helped to have rebuilt."

Samantha makes me feel better when she reinforces my innocence, "Yeah that's right Liz, I know Stacy and she would never do such a dirty and underhanded thing."

Liz then orders, "Sam you and the cameramen need to haul ass to Leadville to cover this story."

I interrupt, "I'm going too, in fact I'm going to call my people and have them start looking for the fuckers that did this evil thing."

Sam reminds me, "What about the horses and the very drunk Wojtek." Then she points.

I follow her finger and see Wojtek curled up in a ball and snoring like crazy.

I think for a moment and answer, "I will get Bill to bring the horses and Wojtek, but first I need to get out of this fucking dress and back into my camos.

As I get back into my camos I wonder if this has anything to do with the two bodies, one which was on fire, that I saw earlier. I will ask Sam about this on the way to the cabin...

Present – Jack – taking care of business

Masha is waiting at the campsite as I arrive to pick up the body bags. I can tell from the look on her face she's very nervous and realize I need to take care of this. I walk over to my family, look at Ivan and ask, "Ivan, Mama and I need to talk in private. Can you sit here quietly for a few minutes?"