Chapter 148: Battle Plans

Friday, June 18, 1971

The guard at the security checkpoint called somebody to report that I was there, then listened as whoever it was, gave him his instructions. Then he bade me to come inside the small structure to wait. They were sending someone for me. He had a small coffee pot and offered me a cup, so I was happy to wait with him.

I had barely started on it when the jeep pulled up. It was Sandy and Anna. They piled out and swarmed the small checkpoint, wrapping me in their hugs as they scolded me at the same time. Thanking the security guard for the coffee, we all piled in the jeep and headed for the ranch. Bypassing the reception building, we drove straight to the Dining Hall.

“This is where I told everybody I would bring you. They should be here soon,” Sandy said.

I still hadn’t told them where I had been. I figured to tell them all at once and get it over with, instead of dragging it out, having to retell it multiple times. Anna and Sandy had pretty much respected my wishes, keeping their questions to themselves on the short ride from the security checkpoint.

On entering the Dining Hall, Anna said, “Sandy will get you a cup of coffee while I check you out.”

“Check me out?” I asked.

“You have scratches all over your legs,” she pointed out.

I looked. Sure enough, there must have been dozens of tiny scratches from just below my knees, to the tops of my shoes. I realized then that I had shortened my shield so I could walk without interference. I sat on a chair so Anna could check them out.

Sandy returned with my coffee, having removed her clothes. “Sandy, would you bring the first aid kit?” Anna asked her half-sister. Then she told me to remove my clothes, while she removed the shorts and shirt she had worn to the checkpoint. We were both naked when Sandy returned with the first aid kit. Anna began to clean the small scratches, applying the mercurochrome liberally. I’d swear she enjoyed the fact that it stung like blazes.

Finally, she checked the rest of my body, making me stand, and then turn around. When she said to bend over so she could check my ass, I figured that she was just getting even for my causing her to worry. But when she swatted me hard on my ass cheek, I knew it.

“I’m sorry,” she said contritely. “I thought I saw a mosquito.”

“I’ll ‘mosquito’ you if you hit me again,” I told her only half-serious.

“You had us so worried, Michael!” Sandy said.

I hugged Anna before I kissed her, then pulling Sandy to me, I did the same thing. Looking at both of them, I said, “I had planned on apologizing to everyone at the same time, but ... I’m sorry. I behaved like a fool. Please, will you forgive me?”

“You may be in bigger trouble than you realize, buster,” Anna told me with a twinkle in her eye. “Do you realize that you’re going to have over twenty women here any minute, all of whom will be expecting make-up sex after you apologize to them?”

I hadn’t thought of that!

“So you’d better remember who’s first in line,” Anna added. “And don’t take all morning with your groveling.”

“And remember that my big sister is second,” Sandy added with a grin as she too, swatted my naked ass. Now I had two big, red, handprints on my ass, and the beginnings of a very busy day for Little Mike.

“I hope they ALL don’t want to spank me!” I thought with a groan.

It took almost thirty minutes before they all arrived and settled down. Magically, a platter of biscuits with country ham, and bowls of sliced melon, appeared on the table. So far, my family were the only ones up. I remembered that the Dining Hall wasn’t scheduled to open for thirty minutes, so deciding to get it over with, I stood.

“First, let me say thank you for getting up so early,” I said.

“What do you mean, getting up? We haven’t been to bed yet!” Julie cried. “SOMEBODY, who shall remain nameless, but whose initials are Michael Wagner, kept us up all night, WORRYING!”

“I couldn’t even sense where you were. It’s as if you had vanished!” Vickie added.

“Ahhh, yeah,” I told them. “I realize that. I want to say I’m sorry. I acted like an immature kid, running away when the people I love most, needed me. I won’t do that again.”

They all spoke at once. I stood there and took it like a man. When they quieted down a little, I told them I would answer their questions. One at a time.

Vickie took over. Standing beside me, she began selecting the girls one at a time, as if it were a press conference.

“Where did you go?” Izzy asked.

“The train,” I told them.

The buzz started again. “The train?” another one of them repeated as a question.

“Yeah.”

“How did you get there?”

“I walked.”

“All that way?”

I just nodded.

“How did you get in?” Karla asked. “I thought we locked it up.”

“I used the hidden key,” I replied. This caused a sidebar about the existence of the key, who else knew about it, and where it was located. Penny promised to show it to everyone when we returned to the train.

Obviously, the big question was why, and I could tell they were working up to it, getting the small details out of the way. Finally, it was Randi who asked.

“Why did you do it, Michael? Why did you just leave like that?” Randi asked me pointedly as the others all murmured their agreement.

“I was afraid,” I told them. I noticed they all became quiet.

“I became overwhelmed by everything that is happening to me, and when I found out that Trealyn could hear my thoughts too ... well, I just lost it. I didn’t think I was ready to have a special relationship with a twelve-year-old. I was afraid of making her parents mad, I was afraid of ending up in jail, and I was afraid of my own feelings for her,” I told them.

“SO! It’s true. She is connected to us!” Nicky exclaimed. The buzz started again, so I waited. I was sure this wasn’t over.

Catherine looked me in the eye, as she asked, “Do you know how much you hurt her?”

I wanted to hang my head. After I walked out, I hadn’t even thought of her feelings at all. Just what it meant to me. I had checked on her this morning, but she was asleep.

“No, ma’am,” I replied.

“Well, Mr. President of the company, what do you intend to do about it?” Catherine asked me haughtily.

Catherine could cop an attitude when it suited her, and she was in the right on this one, so I answered honestly, and humbly.

“I can only tell her the truth and hope she’s old enough to understand,” I replied. “And that her parents will understand, as well!”

“I don’t think you’ll have a problem with Ivana,” Catherine said mystically. But she didn’t bother to explain.

“I have a question, Michael,” Adriana said. “What made you decide to come back?”

“Something Bieta said to me,” I replied.

This caused the buzz to start again. I heard Narvenia gasp softly. Amid all the discussion among the rest of them, over me having another girl on the train, Narvenia asked softly, “My mother actually spoke with you?”

It was another E.F. Hutton moment as they all became deathly silent when they realized what Narvenia had asked.

“Yes. She appeared in my stateroom earlier this morning, telling me that Narvenia had been granted permission to help us. She also told me who is coming, and why,” I explained.

The buzz started again, much louder this time, as the girls all began wondering aloud what Bieta had told me. Narvenia was amazed. She had never even considered that her mother would talk to anyone from this world. And the fact that Bieta hadn’t told Narvenia that she had spoken with me, confounded the girl from the other world.

“What did my mother say?” Narvenia asked.

Instead of answering, I replayed our whole conversation. I was almost finished with the replay when it struck me. This was the first time I had ever been able to replay a memory involving someone from Narvenia’s world.

“This DEFINITELY requires some more consideration,” I thought to myself.

“Oh! That’s easy. It’s the shields. My mother never bothers with them, claiming they’re frivolous. She says that if you don’t want something repeated, don’t say it,” Narvenia explained almost absently, as she was still flabbergasted that her mother had appeared to me.

After the girls heard the details of my conversation with Bieta, they began to grasp the significance of the life or death struggle we were facing. Maybe for the first time, they finally understood that if we could not stop this angry woman, our whole world could be lost.

Kathy Lynn hugged a still sleepy Sunny to her, as Debbie shivered with thoughts of her unborn babies. Abby held tightly to Deedee’s hand as Serkia, Vie, and Pipiti moved closer to the two sisters. Sandy moved to stand beside Anna.

“When, Michael? When will she get here?” Dawn asked, as she held tightly to Rose and Eve.

Randi went to stand behind her aunt. She was quickly joined by Jenny and Julie. While Candy held Mandy’s hand, and Mandy held on to her mother’s arm.

“No one knows. I have sensed a great anger headed this way, but I have no idea how far away or how soon she will be here,” I told them. “However, I think I have a plan.”

Grace rose to go to Catherine’s side, pulling Natalie with her, while Nicky squeezed Catherine’s hand from her seat beside her. Amy did the same to Catherine’s other arm. Vickie moved to place her hands lovingly on Adriana’s shoulders, as Kalani and Ileana moved their heads closer together.

Izzy sat there, her mind making the connection with the words. Jessica also sat there in disbelief. She reached out her hand to comfort Hanna, as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“What’s your plan, Michael?” Izzy asked.

I explained to them that if I could find a way to attract this upset woman to me, then I would challenge her to fight me. Alone. If I win, she agrees to leave our world in peace, and if I lose, she could claim her retribution complete and not destroy the whole world.

“It’s a typical ‘David versus Goliath’ scenario.” I explained. “If you all do not become involved in the battle, then if she wins, you should be safe. But if you become involved, then she might see your actions as not part of our agreement and destroy each of you as well.”

Then I added, “That is, if she’ll agree to this in the first place.”

The girls all begin talking at once. I just let them go. I had already made up my mind to go this alone. I did not want to put them at risk, any more than I had to. If my dying meant that they would live, I was prepared to do so. But I wasn’t going down without a fight!

I noticed that they had all huddled together, and there was much animation and discussion. I didn’t bother to scan them, since I had already made up my mind.

While the others talked, Abby came and crawled up on my lap. “I don’t want to die, Michael. And I don’t want you to die either,” she told me. “I don’t think I could go on living without you.”

“You cannot allow yourself to think like that, Abby,” I told her softly. Then placing my hand on her tummy I said, “There are two very good reasons growing in here right now.”

“Do you mean it? Is it really true?” she asked excitedly.

I heard Vickie tell the others what I said, and so my answer to Abby was drowned in the ensuing chaos.

Finally, Anna spoke for all of them.

“Okay, Michael,” she said. “We’ll consider your plan. We want to talk some more with Narvenia now. Why don’t you go get some breakfast?”

I wanted to talk with Narvenia also, but I knew a dismissal when I heard one. So when Abby slid off my lap to go to her sister, I headed for the serving line. The special this morning was pancakes, and I wanted to see if Mable’s were as good as mine.

They were good pancakes, but I couldn’t decide if they were actually better, so I had to have another helping. I ate at a separate table by myself as the girls talked. Again, I didn’t scan them, because I hate the way their emotions go back and forth. I was content to let them figure things out first, and then tell me whatever it is they decided.

Tommy and Kip joined me as I started on my second helping of pancakes. They wanted to know why the guys had been banished, so I replayed the morning’s conversation for them.

“Where did you come up with the idea to get her to fight you one-on-one?” Tommy asked.

“It’s biblical. The classic story of David and Goliath,” I explained. “My daddy, in my first life, was a country preacher. I must have heard that story a thousand times.”

“I can see the advantages to us,” Tommy said. “But why on earth would this angry woman ever agree to something this crazy?”

“Because, if she’s anything like Goliath, she’ll figure that there’s no way that she can lose with all her powers. So it offers her the chance to make a dramatic statement first. A way to show off, demonstrating her superiority. And in the back of her mind, she can always renege on her promise,” I explained. “At least, that was the Philistine’s strategy in the bible.”

“So we all die either way,” Kip stated flatly.

“Only if I lose,” I replied.

Jeff came in, got himself a cup of coffee, and sat down with his family. I heard them explaining what was happening, so I rejoined my family, sitting next to Nicky. She grabbed my hand and held it tightly in hers.

“So let me get this straight,” Jeff said. “There is an angry alien woman, from an ancient and much more advanced world, whose boyfriend died on earth thousands of years ago, and is now on her way here, bent on revenge, is that right?”

“That’s it in a nutshell,” I replied.

“And Narvenia’s people have known this, but couldn’t tell us because of their policy of non-interference. But because that world’s leader allowed his daughter to come with us, and is now in danger herself, they have relented and allowed her to help us?” Jeff continued to clarify.

“So far, so good,” I supplied.

“In the meantime, Narvenia and her sister came up with a plan to defeat this angry alien, and went to all the effort and trouble to bring you back forty years in time, obviously because you have some talent that they felt could be utilized. Then they trained you and gave you two dozen women, who also have special talents, and whom they have also spent considerable time and efforts to train. Am I still getting everything?” Jeff asked, looking to Narvenia.