Chapter 10

"Appreciate the help, Sultry, Seven and your Powers ... even if it is unsettling to watch you discorporate," Alfred said.

There was a long pause... (see) ... and Cassie said, "What about me? I helped, too."

Helped, too was said with a catch in her throat and a tear in her eye.

And an even longer pause.

Sultry finally said, "For all I know, Cassie ... you sent my Jack to his death."

"Sultry. There's a lot of things you could say to me and about me but don't you EVER say that to me again! I'll have you know that Jack was MY first Hero, he is my only Hero and I love him ... I love you, too."

(A long and very uncomfortable pause should be inserted here while Sultry tried to keep up her pose ... did she really feel like that? Would Cassie betray Jack? Was she here on Chaos to see that We don't make it back? Does she really love me?)

Cassie continued, "Although, lately, I seem to feel my judgement is faulty.

"Alfred! You say Eva sent you to be our hero?"

"Yes, Cassie."

"That's not going to happen. Sultry is MY Hero and I am HER companion ... not yours!"

The Powers that Be recombined and the Seven nodded, "Me, too ... what Cassie said. Go find your own Damsel."

"Now, see here! Just you wait a minute!" Alfred spluttered. "Eva told me..."

Sultry stuck her nose in his face ... well ... she Would have ... if she wasn't so short. She did manage a finger in his nose though, "Al ... what's your day job?" she growled and gave him the mom eye.

"Umh..."

"Just before he left, Jack had been mulling over the idea that the Feds were in cahoots with Cassandra. And you're a FED!"

Poor guy ... distracted ... not only was her nose almost in his sternum and her finger in his nose ... but he was looking straight down at round, white mounds of snow and stiff brown child chewed nipples.

Sultry realized where his suddenly out of focus eyes were looking. She looked too.

"Fuck! Forgot my mail shirt!"

The next bit was confusing. About the only way she could have fallen would have been if she was climbing ... scaling him like a wall ... and later she asked the witnesses if she had been trying to look him in the eye. There were eight people watching so there were eight varying opinions as to what she was doing ... but everybody said she let go to cover her boobs ... whatever her intentions were ... and she dropped to the ground.

I suppose the best person to ask would have been Hero Alfred but they couldn't because he was dead.

They all saw her drop ... and they all saw the broad headed arrow sticking out ... well the ones to the side did ... see the arrow shaft leaping out of his chest and the ones who were farther around back saw the half-shaft sprout out his back...

But they ALL agreed that if she hadn't fallen to the ground ... Al and Sultry would have been stuck together.

It's just that Al wasn't there ... on Chaos ... to ask him. He was still looking down ... and the slap of the arrow was followed by the mini thunder as he left town. He didn't stick around long enough for the forensic anthropologist ... If there Had been a forensic anthropologist with them ... to line up the arrow to see where the shooter was hiding.

Al was gone and Cassie was already feeling sorry for his Caretaker ... and the party they always had. They called it a Wake ... but it was just an excuse to get drunk and celebrate the life and times of Hero Alfred of Earth.

After the funeral in Washington D.C., there would be a Wake, just like the one on Crossroads, at the Irish Whiskey House, with the nuns, the priests, the bishop and the suits up at the bar drinking Clontarf, Inishowen, Kilbeggan and Conemara single malt. All would be celebrating the life of Alfred the ATF agent, wondering how he could have died so young and not a mark on him.

But over in the corner would be the remaining Nine of the Fifteen celebrating Hero Alfred of Earth ... they knew.

Six times now they had met to raise a glass, say a word or two about Alfred and drink. Then they would shatter the glass in the fireplace hearth and wonder why they kept going to Crossroads.

Every time, they came up with the same answer.

"The Sex Is Great!"