Chapter 24

Present – Linus – C130 somewhere in flight

Damn! I'm sure glad I'm not one of the doctors taking care of me! Maria has chewed their asses until they don't have any meat left. Shit, if Maria wasn't here I'd just slap a Band-Aid on my little flesh wound and get back to work.

I finally get Maria to mellow out and I suggest, "Thanks Maria for taking care of me. But, I still have work to do."

She gives me a dirty look but pleads, "Linus, you need to rest and heal."

I answer, "Maria, if we don't find someplace safe and defensible, we'll all be resting six feet under. Now let me go discuss everything with Jens."

She helps me up (even though I didn't need help) and walks with me to where Jens is talking to Matt and watching Masha. I state, "Jens sorry to interrupt, but since we were attacked at an airport on the outskirts of DC, I feel we need to find someplace safe which we can adequately defend."

I watch her think for a moment as she decides, "Linus I know the perfect place. Please keep an eye on Masha while I go and talk to the pilot. And Maria, I hate to take you away from Linus, but I need you to do some girl Friday stuff."

Maria looks at me and orders, "Linus, you take it easy or I'll hogtie you."

I know better than to mouth off to her, because then she just might make good on her threat. So I smile and answer, "Yes dear." But that still earns me a bit of a dirty look from her. She walks away with Jens and leaves me alone with Matt so I ask...

Present – Jens – C130 somewhere in flight

Maria and I need to have a little talk! As we walk together toward the flight deck, she starts to complain about being taken away from Linus. I stop her and say, "Listen Maria, unless you want to lose Linus you'd better listen to me."

She answers, "Jens what are you talking about?"

I softly reply, "Maria, I learned my lesson the very hard way with Ben. I was too smothering with him and it's probably cost me the only real love I will ever have. I don't want to see you do the same thing with Linus."

She gives me a shocked look and blurts out, "Don't tell me you've given up on marrying Ben!"

I grin at her and say, "Hell no! It's just that with what I found out from Mike, I need to regroup and reconsider my tactics."

We reach the flight deck and I ask Maria, "Wait for me while I talk to the pilot. Then I really do have some work for you."

I think, yeah I know the perfect place, safe defensible and impenetrable because I had it built that way. We're headed back to Ben's and my cabin but it won't be the homecoming I had dreamed of – oh well. I know the C130 can't land at Leadville's airport so we will have to...

Present – Maria – C130 somewhere in flight

What the... ! My Princess Boss is acting crazier than she usually acts, but she did give me something to think about. I reflect on my actions with Linus and oh shit she's right! I've been smothering the hell out of Linus. It's just that I haven't had a real man in such a long time I've dedicated all my pent up energy on him.

Jens walks back and I ask, "So what do you think I should do about Linus?"

She explains, "First Maria, call Jack and tell him we're headed to the cabin in Leadville and to meet us at Denver International Airport - DIA. Then I need you to arrange for transportation for all of us from DIA to Ben's and my cabin in Leadville Colorado. Find out from the doctors on the C130 if the wounded we have can safely make the trip - if not then let's put them in the Swedish Medical center in Englewood." She hands me two numbers and says, "If they have to go to Swedish, call the top number, tell them who you are and that you work for me and that we need some friends protected." Then she finally says, "Call the second number on the card. Again tell them who you are and that you work for me and get them to pack our rooms at the extended stay hotel and truck everything out to Leadville. Tell them to call you when they arrive and we will arrange to get everything to the cabin."

I question, "Who are these guys?"

She answers, "The first group is ex black-op guys you don't want to mess with that owe me a couple of favors. The next is a moving company that Ben and I own part of. Now let me tell you my thoughts about Linus." When she whispers in my ear, I smile at her and say, "Jens that's brilliant! Are you going to do that with Ben?"

She grins and answers, "Well sort of but Ben's a special case, so he needs handled a bit differently and we still need to find him first before he marries that Stacy bitch."

I seriously question, "You don't really think he would marry her do you?"

She looks really sad and says, "Maria, with what Mike told me, right now Ben's liable to do anything. I can only hope that Stacy bitch makes..."

He phone beeps and interrupts her...

Present – Matt – C130 somewhere in flight

Linus asks me, "Matt, you've been married for a while so how do you handle it when your wife gets clingy as hell?"

I look at him and laugh, "Yeah I saw Maria with the doctors and they're still picking up pieces of their asses from the chewing she gave them. So how long have you and Maria been a couple?"

Linus looks around, moves closer to me and admits, "Matt that's just it. I'm not sure we are a couple. We just sort of hooked up after Jens' trial."

I laugh my ass off then answer, "Linus, there is no 'sort of just hooked up' when a woman is concerned, at least a woman that's not a skank or a hooker. So tell me how she was?"

He blushes and stammers, "Matt, I've never been with a woman like her..."

I interrupt to save him from more embarrassment, "Linus, let me tell you. Every man needs to have at least one Latina lover in his life. They are some of the most exciting and sensual women you will ever find."

He questions, "Then why aren't you married to one?"

I chuckle, "I almost was, then I met Molly and she had me roped and hog tied before I ever knew what hit me. Listen if Maria is all you say she is you'd be a fool to let her go. Latina women love to take care of their men and she's being overprotective right now. Be patient, give her time and it will get better."

He shakes his head, "There's nothing else I can do?"

I laugh and add, "Yeah you could be a fool and break up with her."

I hear a hell of a noise coming from the front of the C130, look at Linus and demand, "What the fuck is that?"

He answers, "I don't know, it sounds like someone's in trouble. Let's move it."

We jump up and head toward the front of the C130

Present – Byron and Thom – C130 somewhere in flight

Thom looks at me and asks, "What the hell is going on at the front of the plane."

I reply, "I sure as hell don't know! But it sounds like someone's in trouble so let's beat feet."

I grab my rifle just in case (yeah it's not locked and loaded, not on an airplane, but I'm sure as hell not going anywhere without her anymore) as Thom remarks, "I sure as hell hope we don't have any more issues, especially on this plane..."

Present – Jim and Megan – C130 somewhere in flight

I'm taking care of Megan. Thank God she's finally awakened but she's sick as hell. Despite how she feels, she apologizes to me, "Jim you're such a great guy. I'm sorry I'm such a mess right now."

I smile at her, squeeze her hand and say, "Megan you look beautiful to me."

Somehow she squeezes out a smile and says, "Well I'm sure not going drinking with Jens again - she drinks like a fish. And what are you trying to do being so nice, get into my pants?"

I grin and boldly ask, "Well, is it working?"

Megan smiles, gets ready to answer then there's a hell of a noise form the front of the plane. Matt and Linus run by and Matt commands, "Come on Jim, we need to see what the hell's going on."

I look at Megan, she winks at me and offers, "Go get 'em tiger, I might answer you when you get back."

I take off after Matt and Linus and hope the answer will be yes...

Present – James – C130 somewhere in flight

I'm taking care of Hammer and Todd, they're both conscious and doing great for all they've been through.

There's a huge commotion close to us and Hammer asks, "Whit th' heel is aw 'at stooshie?"

Todd begins to sign, "It sounds like we are we under attack?"

I'm pissed as hell because they're being disturbed and they need their rest, so I say, "Don't worry, I don't know what it is but I'm going to go and find out."

Present – Maria – C130 somewhere in flight

My Princess Boss has gone moonbat-totally-in-fucking-sane! I see she's watching a video on her phone, turns really white and throws her phone against the side of the C130. It explodes into hundreds of pieces as Jens starts jumping up and down, yelling and cussing like a sailor...

I command, "Jens simmer down and tell me what's happened."

In reply, she screams, "That no good sorry skank!"

I question, "Who? Stacy?"

She yells, "Hell yes! That fricking little boney, skinny, skanky slut! Don't ever mention her name around me again!" She then descends again into incoherent ranting. I look around and everyone, even Linus, is here watching Jens' tantrum.

I walk close to Linus, but not too close and he asks, "What the hell is going on?"

I grin at him, shake my head and answer, "I don't have any idea. She was watching a video on her phone then went bat shit crazy!"

She starts throwing stuff around and Linus says, "Well, I'd better see what I can do, otherwise someone's going to get hurt."

I want to grab him and keep him safe from Jens, but before Jens became really crazy she made a hell of a lot of sense so I say, "Go do your job, I've got your six."

Present – Linus – C130 somewhere in flight

Women are a fucking mystery! No, not just Jens. I can understand that something has her all fired up and it must have something to do with Ben and Stacy. It's Maria! She's acting like – well just like we're friends. And I thought ... Anyway, I need to take control of this situation before Jens hurts someone or herself.

I approach Jens, but not too closely and try to reason with her, "Jens I don't know what happened but your reaction isn't helping us find Ben."

She explodes some more, "I'll find that bastard and his skanky Stacy ho and blow them both to hell!"

Okay that didn't quite work like I had hoped - time for a new approach. I approach with a different question, "So, do I understand Ben did something with Stacy?"

Jens swears, "By now, probably hell yes! That skinny, skanky, ho!"

Shit! I'm not getting anywhere - all I'm doing is just upsetting her more. Then something even more surprising happens...

Masha walks up to Jens, puts her good arm on Jens shoulder and states, "Jennifer, so this Stacy girl performed some prank to anger you and you unwisely let her win. That is not like the Jennifer I know. Come tell me what it is and we will plot a revenge which will make her sorry for the day of her birth."

Jens stops throwing her fit, looks at Masha and agrees, "Masha, you're right. I let her piss me off and win! And I love the idea of getting revenge on her for the skanky trick she played. Come on Linus, I need your help and your computer."

Maria says, "Go on Linus, I'm going to clean up this mess and then I've got some work to do."

Shit we just get Jens under control and now Maria is acting weird. What the hell is going on? Are all the women hormonal at once?

Jens, Masha and I rush to the back of the plane and Jens says, "Thanks Masha for the revenge idea. Okay Linus, since I destroyed my phone, I need to borrow your laptop so I can get into my e-mail and show you what that ho sent me. I bet we can use it to locate her and Ben."

I log my laptop into a guest account and hand it to her. She looks at me, grins and teases, "So you aren't letting me into your real account?"

I grin back at her and reply, "No way in hell, not after the last time you screwed up my computer in Afghanistan."

Her fingers fly across the keyboard opening her e-mail account. She pulls up the e-mail and directs us to look at what this fucking, skinny, skanky, slut sent...

Present – Masha – C130 somewhere in flight

Jennifer, Linus and Matt had incorrectly assumed I was unconscious when I was using my superior skill in meditation to render the pain of my fractured clavicle insignificant and to contemplate on how to mitigate the damage the current situation had done to my once perfect life.

The damage done to my shoulder is insignificant compared to the threat of damage which looms over my marriage. My perfect husband Jack has begun, because of my recent ill-advised but necessary acts, to ask too many questions. I am actually thankful for the wound because now he will concentrate on my disability, taking care of me during my self-prolonged recovery and retrieving our wonderful boy Vanya. Yes wonderful Ivan might be the thread that holds our precarious marriage together – unless I can persuade Jack that I really married him for love.

I listen with much interest to Matt's advice to Linus almost breaking into laughter several times. Men are such children. Hum, that gives me an idea which might help with my current marital predicament.

My senses are immediately alert and I snap out of my meditative stupor when Jennifer begins her childish tantrum! I comprehend that not one of the persons on this plane has the intelligence God gave a гусь (goose in Russian) and know how to apply the correct motivation to Jennifer to end her tantrum.

So, I wearily walk to the front of the airplane and once again control the unending drama of Jennifer and Ben. If I did not owe such a debt to Ben for introducing me to Jack, I would shoot both of them and be done with it. But I have concluded that the two of them truly need each other to complete their happiness – I just pray to God their happiness doesn't totally fracture my own happiness.

Now we are to see the famous video that launched the tantrum, but first I must cloak what I am about to do in a little lie in order to alleviate any possible questions. I cunningly declare, "Jennifer and Linus, part of my job in Russia was to analyze people, videos and photos. Many people do not realize how much information is revealed, not by what is said or seen in a video or photo, but by what is in the background and also by the micro-facial expressions displayed by the subject. Jennifer, if it would not be a bother and if you would trust me not to snoop in your e-mail would you leave me undisturbed for about ten minutes so I might be able to totally focus upon this video."

Jennifer replies, "Sure Masha, there's nothing in my e-mail right now that you can't see. Come on Linus I think I need to go and apologize to everyone."

I smile and think that she most certainly needs to do that, however instead I say, "Thank you Jennifer. Please come back in ten minutes for my synopsis."