Chapter 35

Present – Liz and Bernie – leaving the cabin

Bernie is sweetly holding my hand as we exit the tunnels, walk out of the garage and stroll toward the destroyed cabin. I smile when I see Samantha doing her job; it is a good thing I swallowed my pride and hired her back. I pull out my mobile phone along with the business card the taxi driver gave me and call his number. He answers and says he should be here in about thirty minutes.

I relay the information to Bernie, "The taxi driver will be here in about thirty minutes."

As we begin to walk hand in hand around the destroyed cabin, Bernie smiles at me and says, "Liz, I can't believe it, we're going to be parents.

Then he asks a question which troubles me some, "Liz, you had some champagne at the wedding, you don't suppose it hurt our baby?"

I really haven't taken the time to study things like that because I assumed I would never have a baby so I reply, "Honey, I don't think so because I didn't drink that much. But that's a question we need to ask the gynecologist."

Bernie asks...

"I wonder what the hospital in Leadville is like?"

Liz replies, "I'm not sure, but I bet we can ask the taxi driver since he's been a wealth of information."

The taxi arrives, the driver jumps out, puts our suitcases in the trunk, Liz and I climb into the back seat, the driver leaves the cabin and Liz asks the driver, "Can you tell us what the hospital is like in Leadville?"

The driver answers with a logical question, "Is one of you hurt?"

I proudly answer, "Not at all, we just discovered we're going to be parents."

The taxi driver practically falls all over himself with congratulations, "Wow that's great news! Congratulations to the both of you! I hate to tell you, but the hospital in Leadville closed a number of years ago. We do have several doctors here in town who could handle the delivery of your baby."

Liz looks at me, leans closer and whispers, "Bernie, I'm not sure I want to deliver our baby in a doctor's office. Just in case there are any complications, I would prefer a hospital."

I reply in a whisper, "What complications are you worried about."

Liz goes on to tell me how she couldn't have babies until Jennifer 'fixed' her. I look at Liz and ask, "I don't understand. What did Jennifer do to you?"

She tries to explain but I don't really understand, besides all I really care about is that we're going to be parents.

So I whisper a suggestion, "Well Liz, perhaps we can use one of the doctors here for your prenatal care and do the delivery in Denver?"

Liz gives me a big kiss and says, "Thanks Bernie for understanding."

I don't have the heart to tell her I don't really understand everything, but then again it really doesn't matter.

The driver asks, "So are you two still looking for a place in Leadville?"

I look at Liz, she looks at me and Liz answers, "Well, we're not sure because they don't have a hospital here and I don't want to have my baby in a doctor's office."

The driver continues his line of questions, "So where would you like me to take you?"

After finding out Leadville didn't have a hospital, I wasn't sure what other services they offer so I ask, "Is there a national car rental agency in Leadville?"

The taxi driver answers, "Yes, we have an Enterprise Rent a Car. Would you like me to take you there?"

I reply, "That would be great."

We arrive at the Enterprise Rent a Car, the taxi driver takes our suitcases inside, sets them close to the counter, I pay him the ridiculously low fare and he says, "Just call me if you need anything else."

After some negotiation, we rent a mid-size car with the capability of dropping it off in Denver three days later. I chose three days because unlike the East Coast where it's possible to use public transportation, I realize we will need our own car and I want to spend a few days car shopping...

Present – Stacy – in the tunnels

I know better than to hover over my team as they work on hacking into Jennifer's (UGH) computer system but I'm impatient as hell. I want to get the information on the bitch hacking into the satellite and then...

Bill notices the look on my face and interrupts my thoughts, "Stacy, what's on your mind?"

I reply, "Bill, if we do discover that the bitch hacked my satellite, I'm not really sure what to do with the information."

Bill begins to enumerate, "Well, you could give it to the authorities but there's a problem with that because we will have technically committed a crime to obtain the information that she hacked your satellite. Besides, if you are still interested in Ben, that would, in all likelihood, alienate him from you."

Bill's correct. However, this isn't nearly as troublesome as it would be if it is ever discovered we had the bodies of Evelyn and Megan. I think it over and then ask, "How about if we beat the bitch at her own game? What if we were to take the information and then plant some sort of virus in her computer system?"

Bill asks for clarification, "You mean something like remote control software, which would let you remotely get into her system?"

I smile and answer, "Yeah that would be perfect. We could access her system and then cause all sorts of problems."

Bill laugh and answers, "Yes, you're right there. The computer system controls everything in the tunnels. Let me talk to the technicians and see what they can come up with."

Bill leaves, I continue to wander through the tunnels and then I stumble upon what used to be the bitches room. I decide to leave the bitch a little 'present' from me.

I finish then I head back to the computer room. Bill looks up when I arrive and says, "Stacy, we're finished here and need to leave before anyone discovers what we've done."

We exit the tunnels, and I order, "Bill, you and the team need to get out of here. I will bring Samantha back with me."

Bill leaves and I wander over to watch Samantha work...

Present – Samantha – wrapping up her report

Stacy comes over just as we finish the report. She looks much better than she did before and I wonder why so I walk over, smile and comment, "You sure look better than before."

Stacy blushes a little and says, "Yeah, sorry about that, it's just..."

I interrupt, " ... Stacy don't worry about it, I understand perfectly. We're finished here for the day so how about we head back to the building and have a nice dinner?"

Stacy answers, "That would be great since I'm hungry as hell. But no wine tonight, I'm still recovering from all the champagne."

We load up the van and Stacy drives toward her building. Once we're in town I see a breaking news story and order, "Stacy stop here. Guys get your cameras out..."

Present – Samantha and Stacy – the new report

I can't believe what we stumbled upon in this little village. The cameras begin to roll and I begin my report, "Hello America! This is Samantha Stevens reporting from Leadville, Colorado. What you are observing is a confrontation between the local sheriff and what appear to be two women dressed in military fatigues. While I hate to speculate, I have heard rumors that many of these small towns are home to radical terrorist groups. Could we be witnessing such a confrontation?

Wait, it appears that ... yes, a deputy is approaching the women from behind. What are his intentions?"

I continue, "The deputy disabled the women with a Taser. I will try to ascertain from the sheriff the reason for this treatment of these women..."

My camera crew and I jump back into Stacy's van and I say, "Stacy, let's follow them to the sheriff's office."

Stacy surprises me when she says...

After the run-ins I've had with the sheriff I'm not sure it's a wise idea to follow him to his office so I look at Sam and suggest, "Sam, you need to think about this because I'm not sure it's such a good idea. Look at what happened the last time you tangled with the Sheriff."

Samantha scrunches up her face and then admits, "Yeah Stacy, you might be right. He runs this town like it's his dictatorship and I sure don't want to end up in his jail again."

We practically jump out of our skins when someone knocks on my door. I turn, see a woman waving to us, roll down the window and she says, "I couldn't help but see you all and it looks like you were doing a news report."

Samantha leans over and says, "Yes ma'am. I'm Samantha Stevens from the Truth Network and we were doing a report on the confrontation with the two women."

The woman says, "Well, my name is Sally and if you're interested I can tell and show you what it was all about."

Samantha replies, "Ma'am that would be awesome."

Sally says, "Well follow me to my beauty shop where my clients and I will tell you everything."

Sally takes off walking so I make a U turn with the van and follow her to 'Sally's Beauty Shop - est. 1997'. We go inside and Samantha gets a hell of an interview with Sally and all her clients. Sally even shows us the video from her surveillance cameras and I recognize the women.

I pull Samantha to the side and ask, "Samantha, did you recognize the women?"

Samantha replies, "They sort of looked familiar."

I laugh and say, "They should because they were at Ben and the bitches wedding."

Samantha gasps, "Don't tell me - they are Liz's body guards!"

I frown and say, "More like Liz's paid assassins. I'm not sure you should really broadcast this report because it might piss them off."

Samantha asks, "Stacy, are you sure of this?"

I realize something so I ask, "Samantha, don't tell me you didn't have time yet to read the reports I gave you on them."

Samantha looks down and confesses, "Sorry Stacy but you're right, I've been so busy I didn't read the reports you gave me."

I was certain that Samantha's dyslexia kept her from reading the reports. There's an easy solution for this: I lean close and whisper so the camera crew won't hear, "Samantha, I will read the reports to you when we get back to my building but before you broadcast the report."

Samantha smiles and returns my whisper, "Stacy, would you do that for me?"

I smile and answer, "What are BFF's for."

We head back to my building...

Present – Mira and Safia – on the hunt

Ira transformed into a pullet and fretted about the local constabulary detaining us for my little dalliance in the commerce of beauty, so she departed from us and translocated down a transecting thoroughfare. However, Safia maintains her unassailable logic and accompanies me on our quest to eliminate the terrible teenagers. We maintain an admirable pace on the main thoroughfare considering our current fetal burdens until the constabulary's conveyance bisects the thoroughfare. The constable exits his conveyance, trains his weapon toward our corporeal selves and orders, "Halt, or I will fire."