Episode 28

Chapter 90

Ashley's stepfather

6:08 pm November 2nd, 2006

11:08 am November 3rd, 2006 (local time)

I was sitting in a cabin so far in the middle of nowhere that most people got lost at least five times looking for the place. It was the one place I could go to escape the vultures who were circling after that bitch of a coach lied like she had. Luckily I was coming home from a business trip in Boston when the story broke. I came here and asked my best friend to watch the house. He had a few choice comments for the press running through his mind when he called me. I managed to convince him not to go off on them. I hope. Better turn the news on.

"Welcome to the Nightly News with Karen Kandance." Karen looked up and smiled her traditional 'no matter the news I report, the world's not going to end tonight' smile.

I so wanted to believe her. But with all they were saying about my little girl, if the world isn't ending, it's coming damn near the brink.

"Tonight we have several stories for you. We will start with a report about two leader's deaths from Cory from the Middle East. Cory?"

"Good evening. Tonight's news is as surprising as it is tragic. Today, less than half an hour ago, the former leaders of Liberated Palestine and Israel died. At roughly 2:20 pm Eastern Standard Time, Yasser Arafat suffered a major heart attack in his Saudi jail cell. Despite the on-call services of the Saudi king's personal physician, he rapidly suffered massive organ failure and died. The current president of Liberated Palestine has declared a month long national period of mourning and swore 'unless Allah destroys Jerusalem and smites it to the deepest pits of hell, Arafat shall be buried in Eastern Jerusalem.' The people of the nation for whom he struggled so long are encouraged to contribute funds to build a monument worthy of man who gave up his life a long time ago to serve his people. Naturally there are those who cannot stand that idea. But their expected outrage has been diluted by the story I'm about to report to you. At roughly 2:30pm EST this afternoon, Ariel Sharon died of a heart attack when a plane nearly rammed into his plane. The second plane promptly rammed itself into the ground near the control tower. There are those who believe that Sharon's death was not accidental. Sources reveal a suicide note has been found in the quarters of the ramming pilot. The note is supposed to read 'in retaliation for all those Israeli lives lost because of his political pride, including all my other family members, I am going to kill Ariel Sharon. When he dies, those misguided fools who refuse to accept that peace must decide. Are you for peace and prosperity, or are you for war with it's death and destruction?' The Mossad has already declared this to be a phony note, set up by 'Traitors to Israel and to God.' However, they have refused to offer any proof to back up their claim this was an 'Arab inspired attack' on the 'single greatest man the earth has seen in the last one hundred years.' Back to you, Karen."

"Thank you, Cory. Arafat's life will be the subject of a special in depth report, 'Terrorist, Freedom Fighter, or Both?' at nine EST on this station. At ten we will have another special report, this one on Sharon entitled 'Agent of God, or War Criminal, or Both?' During these reports, their lives will be examined in detail. Also, Marine General Colt, Commandant of Cadets has been court marshaled today, the Pentagon press office has revealed. Colt has been found guilty, stripped of all rank and benefits and jailed. The charges include conduct unbecoming an officer, attacks on civilians and attempted piracy. No questions were answered about that, or anything else related to Colt. And now we go to Oldsman Township in Maryland. There we have Stacy Lewits standing by with the latest on the spreading drug scandal. Stacy?"

"Good evening, Karen. I'm reporting from northern Maryland where the latest fallout from drugs in the Olympics has reached a small country town. I'm here at the house of the Cork's where a family friend has consented to give me an interview. Good evening Mr. Hanes."

"Good evening, Miss Lewits."

"Call me Stacy."

"O.K. Come on in, Stacy."

"Thank you." Stacy waited until they were both seated with the cameraman in position. "Thank you, Mr. Hanes, for agreeing to this interview."

"You're welcome. Some horrible mistruths were said tonight that simply had to be responded to."

"Ready?"

"Very."

"O.K. Let's start with why you? Why not somebody from her family?"

"Because her mother is serving her country overseas. Her stepfather had taken time off after a difficult business trip."

"And Ashley?"

"We don't know. The police traced her to a high school party last Friday night. But nobody saw her leave."

"So she's disappeared."

"Yes, and we're worried. If she had any idea what was being said about her, she'd be in contact so fast it'd make our heads spin." Hanes looked in the camera. "Ashley, your family doesn't care about the party. We can work things out if you did anything we might think you're too young for. But if you are seeing this, you have bigger problems."

"Yes, she does. She is accused of starting a steroids scheme wherein she not only got as many as she wanted, but she also is accused of trying to sell them to cover the expenses of her habit. What is the family's reaction to that?"

"The family's reaction to that is the reason that her stepfather asked me to handle this. He is so outraged at this slander that he couldn't trust himself not to slug you when you asked the question. It goes against everything he knows about his daughter to think she could do anything like what they are accusing her of doing."

"I'm glad you're here then. I'd hate to get punched for doing my job."

"Indeed. Then again, I wonder what she's doing myself. She has no survival skills and no friends out of the public spotlight to start with. I'm worried she's a victim of foul play."

"We have been informed the police are looking for her."

"I know. Whether to arrest her or to just ask her questions, we all pray they find her alive."

Chapter 91

Agent 12

6:15 pm November 2nd, 2006

11:15 am November 3rd, 2006 (local time)

Our superior gave us our orders. We were to find and capture that Enemy of the State, Jacob Stone.

I and my fellows were glad to obey. We sent him a message we knew he had to answer. Then we hid ourselves.

I watched Jacob racing down the path like a man on a mission. He stopped right in front of where I was hidden.

I held my breath.

He consulted two pieces of paper. Then he turned off and started to struggle down a rocky trail. He was muttering to himself as he did it. "How dare they kidnap her? If they are lucky, I'm only going to kill them."

I followed behind him very quietly.

Then he stopped, staring at a two foot drop, trying to figure out how he was going to get down without hurting himself. He kept looking between his cane and the drop.

I gladly solved that problem for him. I snuck up on him and brought my pistol down hard on his head behind his ear.

Chapter 92

Krissy

6:40 pm November 2nd, 2006

I stopped at the corner.

Karl's house was clearly visible.

I checked my watch. 6:40 pm. Excellent. The date was for six. The kid was getting entirely too self confident. I was not going to jump at his command like Julia does for the Karl from school. Besides, I never even met this Karl. I was definitely going to take it slowly. There was no way I was going to end up on a milk carton. Not if I could help it. I started to walk up to the house.

The porch light came on. A boy stuck his head out the door and gave a brief look around.

I recognized him.

And nearly turned on my heel and headed home. It was Karl from school. Why didn't he tell me? Did he think he could play me like some game, bouncing between dealing with me on the net and dealing with me at school? Who did he think he was? How dumb did he think I was??

Then he looked the other way.

Right at me.

Oh, no. Not him.

Before tonight is over, I will probably either kiss him, or kill him.

"Hey Krissy. Over here!"

Despite my anger, I went. I wanted to have things out. I needed to have it out with him.

"I'm glad you made it. I was getting worried that you got lost trying to find the place."

He led me into the living room and indicated I should sit on the sofa. Then he clapped his hands twice.

"Yes sir?" a female voice called from the kitchen

I thought I recognized that voice.

"Finish getting dinner ready. She's here."

"As you wish." the voice in the kitchen responded.

I was right! It was Julia. "What is she doing here?"

Karl looked at me. "It's not what you think."

"How would I know that? You've lied to me already."

"Me? When??"

"You could have told me anytime this week that you were both my Program Partner and my favorite night time chat buddy."

"Yes." He looked a little sheepish.

"Then why didn't you?"

"This is going to sound really foolish."

"No more foolish than what you've already done."

"O.K. I was afraid. Online I was getting really interested in you. I was getting up the nerve to try to ask you out sometime. Then we get put in the Program together. I figured it out that you were the girl I was chatting online with in all of five minutes. Everything I found out about you over the next few days, I liked. We even had sex a couple times." He looked at me a little oddly. "Haven't you got it yet? The girl I'm falling in love with was handed to me as a Program Partner. We were lovers before we even became boyfriend and girlfriend. I was getting confused. I know what I wanted, I was even getting it as if what I wanted had already happened. But it hadn't. I just did not know how to make that final step."

I listened to what he said. I even understood the words he said. I just couldn't believe he said them. Or after all that he's been through, that he still wanted to say them. He saw me acting like a sex starved slut and he still wants me? My fantasies have scared away any man who I let get close. He's not the one who should be scared here. I gave him a smirk. "Tell you what. If I enjoy tonight, I'll forgive you, and become your girlfriend."

"Dinner's ready!" Julia called out.

I was getting surprise after surprise tonight. But this is pushing things a bit far.

Julia likes Karl like medical people like outbreaks of major plagues.

"Karl, what's she doing here?"

"Working off part of her sentence. I fuck her a lot, but she was never the one I truly wanted." He led me to the dining room.

The dining room I walked into was the first normal thing about this date. The table was really nice. There the plates and silverware were set up. The two place settings were set on each side of a corner. There were beautiful flowers set between the two plate settings. Everything was set like something out of a fine restaurant. There was even mood music.

I waited until Julia was serving us the steak then I spoke up shamelessly. "To finish what I was saying in the living room, how you've been fucking Julia really gets me wet."

Julia nearly dropped the plate she was carrying.

"Careful Julia." I said, trying to hide a smirk.

Karl was watching us, and he smiled. He smiled a smile that should be reserved to us teenage girls. It was mysterious and knowing. It hinted at a lot and revealed nothing.

Chapter 93

Major Daniel Stone U.S.M.C.

7:15 pm November 2nd, 2006

12:15 pm November 3rd, 2006 (local time)

My wife opened the door to our quarters and I followed her in.

Trying to eat lunch today was like coming up with a scuba suit for sharks. Possible but essentially futile.

Neither one of us could eat anything.

And we both knew the reason.