Episode 29

Chapter 96

Lt. Anna 'Thunderfeet' Cork

9 pm November 2nd, 2006

2 pm November 3rd, 2006 (local time)

I caught up with Ashley as she was leaving the gym. "Did you think any more about what I said about Jacob?"

"No!" Ashley snapped.

"No? Why not?"

"Because I've bigger issues to deal with than some guy." she said with some anger.

I finally turned to look at her.

Ashley had a look on her face that reminded me of the time I had to tell my husband I smashed the Trans Am into a china shop. It was a look no teenage girl should ever wear. "What's wrong? I thought you enjoyed practicing."

"Oh, I enjoyed it alright. I enjoyed it right up until the point somebody turned on ESPN."

I almost cringed as I heard her voice. I detected the sort of bitterness usually reserved for hard fought divorce cases. I didn't want her to get any angrier, but I had to know what set her off to begin with. "What was on the show?"

Just as I feared, she started to snap. Then she realized I was not to blame. She barely managed to keep her emotions in check as she replied, "My ex-coach is blaming the entire drugging issue on me. Remember how I was banned from the last Olympics because of the tests because of my cold medicine? She's claiming that the medicine was a sham, that I was taking steroids eagerly. She even hinted that I was making a business of it."

Never before now did I think that she was capable of committing murder. Dangerous as it was, I knew of only one way to distract her. "So what do you think about Jacob?"

She looked at me like I had grown three extra heads. "Why are you so interested in that? Didn't you hear a word I just said?"

I put my hands on Ashley's shoulders. "I heard every word you said. I also know you well enough to know you are innocent. I know this and I know for sure that if I don't give you something else to think about, you'll go crazy about something you can't fight as quickly as you want. We both know this isn't as easy as a high school fight. Somebody slanders you on TV, you can't just deck them. This isn't going to go away that easily. So why drive yourself crazy thinking about it? That's why I'm asking you about your thoughts on Jacob. It'll distract you."

"You might have a point there. I don't know. Well, you want to know what I think about Jacob? I think he's a troubled kid. Not troubled as in criminal. But troubled as in he has pains in his head."

"What do you mean?"

"You remember how Jacob and I first met?"

"You told he tried ravishing you when he was drunk. That surprised me. Everything Amy ever told me about led me to believe he was, I don't know, too boring to get drunk."

"Until that party, the rest of the high school would have agreed with you. That night he got soundly drunk. Professional alcoholics could have taken notes from him. Do you know why? His girlfriend dumped him and he got news his brother had died. Most kids my age would get depressed. A few of them would have gone to the party to try to score with some girl. He just went to get drunk. That's not normal, even for us regular high school kids. His drunken attempts to kiss my neck and chest were the most normal thing he did there. I say that because not one person in the entire school would have expected him to drink more than three beers in the same month. Hey! Not that I'm complaining, but why haven't you tried to kill him yet for what he did?"

"Because I know a bit more about his issues than you think. Amy and I have been talking about him for some time. The reason he's still breathing is I know what he's been through over the past few years. You think his party behavior was a shock? What he did at that party was only the final snapping of a man asked to go about fifteen miles beyond where most normal teenagers kept their limits."

"O.K., mom, I'm going to call you on this one. What do you know about Jacob Jehosophat Stone?"

"I know what his mother has told me. She's revealed a lot about him from the time he was inspired in his uncle's lab in Iceland through what she knew of his recent pains."

"Did you tell her anything about me?"

There was that tone again.

"Of course."

"What did you tell her?"

"Everything she asked about."

"Why?"

"Because a long time ago Amy and I thought the two of you would make a good couple."

Ashley stopped walking and looked at me. "You have got to be kidding!"

"Why? You told me a long time ago you thought him interesting. Besides, how many men do you know who can handle your busy life without being overwhelmed?"

"That's a good point."

"And from what I heard, you need a relationship where the greatest challenge is not how loyal or intent on sex the guy is, but more how much you two can help each other."

Chapter 97

Ashley Cork

9:21 pm November 2nd, 2006

2:21 pm November 3rd, 2006 (local time)

I went looking for Jacob.

He seemed to have disappeared.

As if the week could get any more surprising. First Tiffany tells me to go ahead and make a move on Jacob. Then there was the party where he got totally drunk and started molesting me.

Then I followed him out into the woods. Most girls who had gone through that sort of party situation would have taken a taxi in the opposite direction. A very fast taxi.

Then I found out all that has been hurting him and that he's pretty much stopped caring. Soon after that I stow away on his ship as he's headed to his brother's funeral. Only problem was he was too drunk to mention before I got aboard that the funeral was being held in the Middle East. This much I might have been able to take without stressing out.

Then some jarheads hijacked his ship mid flight. So much for keeping quiet. I got involved and recovered control of the ship. Then he answers a video from his mother while looking like something so horrible a wino might offer him charity. Except my mother is also involved with the call. Several incidents and shocks later, I am told the two of them, my mother and Jacob's mother have been planning to get Jacob and myself together in the hopes that we'd form a couple??? Then when I thought things had hit the limit of weirdness, Jacob disappears.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you Ashley Cork?"

I turned and saw a typically dressed Marine. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because my friends and I have been looking all over this base for you. That Stone kid is looking for you. He's waiting outside the rec building. I'll show you a quick way."

"O.K. Lead on." A nice long conversation with him might give me a few needed answers.

The guy led me through several short cuts. I saw the rec building twice between other buildings. Always he steered me away. "Hey, what's going on here? The rec building's over there."

Suddenly I felt a pressure in my back. "What's going on here is that I've got a loaded gun in your back. You're coming with me to open the traitor's ship." He wiggled the gun in my back in an 'or else gesture'.

"You can't do that. People will hear the shot."

"Surely you've watched enough TV to know what a silencer is."

I nodded.

"Good. Now, listen carefully. If you know what's good for you, you will do exactly what I say with no heroics. Got it?"

I nodded again.

He led me to the Hades. "Open it."

"You want to get aboard the Hades? But that's Jacob's ship!"

Colt stepped out from behind a nearby building. "No bitch, I want you to open my ship. And its new name is the Montezuma's Revenge."

I must have gone nuts. I told them "No, I won't help you steal his ship."

Colt didn't say anything to me for that. "Number 8, the next time she does anything but obey us, shoot her through her tits. The second time, shoot her in the gut. Future shots I leave up to you. Just don't kill her. Death is too good for those who would stand in our way."

I caved. I wasn't as strong as Jacob. I wasn't going to suffer horribly for a principle. I opened the door.

One of the agents threw me aboard. He keep his gun on me.

I didn't try anything.

Colt told them to drag me by my hair if they had too, but get me to the bridge.

Trembling, I went with them.

"O.K., bitch, release the controls."

I leaned over the command seat and hit a six digit code. "Done."

Scotty came in and meowed. Colt looked at one of the agents. "Number six, do it." Then he left the ship.

Four minutes later the one referred to as Number six grabbed the cat and forced me off the ship. Then he shot Scotty in the foot and tossed him past me.

Laughing, he closed the hatch.

I made a mad leap to catch the injured cat before he slammed into the side of a building.

Chapter 98

Julia