Chapter 45

Present – Thom – C130 landed at DIA

I am sick as hell! I don't believe it! The bitch must have doctored my coffee too. What sort of evil woman doctors a man's coffee? The only consolation is that she's sick too. And because I monopolized the toilet on the plane, she has to head inside. I can only hope she didn't make it in time!

Present – Maria – C130 landed at DIA

Shit! My plan backfired but still sort of worked! The drops I put on the sandwich and in Thom's coffee were only supposed to make him feel a little sick, not cause major problems. Instead they worked too well and he's locked in the plane's bathroom.

I barely made it to the bathroom inside before by guts exploded and I had it coming out of both ends! The only good thing is I'm sure he got a larger dose than I did! That's the last damn time I trust an internet language translator!

Present – Byron – C130 landed at DIA

Well, Thom and Maria are both down! I guess she was sneakier than we both thought because she must have also doctored the coffee. Now I had to take charge: The first thing I did was have the coffee and sandwiches thrown away just in case Maria was sloppy and got whatever she gave Thom on anything else.

Thom's locked in the plane's toilet, and from the sounds I hear emanating from it, isn't doing well. So I head to the women's toilet inside the terminal, bang on the door and yell, "Maria, are you in here?"

I hear her reply, "Hell yes, now go away!"

There's no way that's going to happen because I need to find out what the hell she gave Thom (and accidentally herself). I barge into the bathroom (damn this is much nicer than a men's bathroom, but it smells like hell) and yell, "Maria, what the hell did you give Thom?"

I hear her moan and complain, "I think I'm dying!"

I head over in front of her locked stall. I'm pissed and yell, "Well you deserve what you got for what you did to Thom. Answer me right now, what the hell did you give him."

A little bottle rolls out under the stall door and she replies, "I used this."

I pick it up to look at it and note that everything on it is in Russian. I then demand "Just where the hell did you get this?"

She loses some more out of one of her ends, but I wait and finally hear her admit, "I took it out of Masha's purse."

I explode, "What the hell have you done, you don't even know what it is."

She feebly defends herself, "I translated it on the internet and thought it was a laxative for constipation."

I consider her statement: Laxative my ass, this is something a hell of a lot more serious than that. I need to sort this out really fast. I yell, "I'm going to talk to Masha to see what the hell you've done and someone will be back to keep an eye on you."

I need to find Masha and find out what the hell Maria gave herself and Thom because this could be life threatening.

Present – Linus – Mission to recover Jens

What a hell of a time for this to happen, I'm sick as a dog right in the middle of Jens' rescue mission. I had Matt stop the car and I puked and shit my guts out beside the road, now I'm using my training to control myself and continue the mission.

The doctor counsels, "Linus, I think I should examine you."

I start to argue but he orders, "Listen, it's obvious you ate or drank something that's poisoned your system and time could be of the essence."

He begins to examine me, gives me a serious look and says, "Matt, you'd better get us to the hospital."

Present – Masha – C130 landed at DIA

I am resting on a bed and cogitating on the problems Ms. Donaldson has caused to my previously idyllic life and consider how to rectify those problems. Then Byron runs up to my bed, holds up a vial and demands, "Masha do you know what this is?"

I take it out of his hand, realize what it is and question, "Where did you acquire this because it was in my purse."

He states, "Maria took it..."

I interrupt, "I hope she didn't use it..."

He states, "She sure as hell did use it and she and Thom are in the toilets right now sick as hell from it."

I rapidly rise and say, "Then we must rectify Maria's behavior post haste."

Present – Jens – At the psych hospital

I watch the bastard orderly like a hawk as he seems like he's trying to work up his courage. To give him a reason to rethink his position, I tell a whopper, "The last bastard that tried to rape me, who was twice your size, lost his family jewels."

He gives me an evil grin and threatens, "But you're restrained and tied to the bed so you couldn't do anything about it. I could just unzip your jumpsuit and have my way with you."

I taunt him, "Oh yeah, how the hell are you going to unzip my jumpsuit and keep this straitjacket on me? The second you take off this straitjacket, I'm going to rip off your balls!"

I can tell this information has his feeble mind fully occupied - just what I wanted. So I relax a bit and try to determine what's going on with Megan...

Present – Megan – At the psych hospital

I walk into the director's office and immediately tense up. Something is going on because he's speaking with someone I don't recognize and gives me an unusual look. He motions to a chair and requests, "Please take a seat."

I calmly sit and question, "I hope this doesn't take long because I need to get back to my patient."

The stranger looks at me and asks, "Is that patient Jennifer Donaldson?"

I respond, "I can't tell you because of doctor- patient confidentiality."

He smiles like a shark and informs me, "But I'm Jennifer Donaldson's lawyer so anything you say to me is covered by the same confidentiality."

Oh hell! How was she able to get a lawyer here so quickly! I know it must be one of her friends that helped. I reply, "Then yes, she is my patient. She had a catatonic psychotic episode on the flight to Denver and needs treatment for her condition."

Her damn lawyer looks at the director and counters, "I have a medical doctor traveling on the same plane who is now on his way here. He will testify that Ms. Donaldson simply collapsed due to stress and will say that psychological treatment is not necessary."

I counter, "Well, where is he and will he be able to explain her actions since she's been here? She initiated a riot in group therapy and then later attacked one of the patients from the same group in the day room."

The lawyer answers, "He was delayed when one of my paralegals became sick and had to be rushed to the hospital. But he should be here within the hour." He looks at the director and the bastard adds, "We have reason to believe that the current treatment Ms. Donaldson is receiving borders on malpractice."

The director looks at me and responds, "Those are serious allegations. I think I would like Ms. Donaldson brought in here so I can speak with her."

I quickly volunteer, "I will go ask the orderlies to bring her here."

I leave and realize that if they talk to Jens they will discover what I've done. I hate to do it, but I'm forced to do something I never wanted to do...

Present Liz Corporate jet headed to DIA

One of the many flight attendants (yeah I think there are more flight attendants than passengers on this flight) announces, "Please fasten your seatbelts we will be landing at Denver International Airport in fifteen minutes."

Mine was already fastened because I always wear my seatbelt on flights. Bernie looks at me and comments, "Oh great, I can hardly wait to re-join Jens' three ring circus."

I smile at him, pat his hand and say, "Come on, it's not that bad."

He shakes his head and continues, "Yeah Liz it really is that bad. I know she's part owner of the station, but this whole hunt for her ex-fiancée has gone on long enough and has really made a mess of things."

I mildly correct him and further question, "Bernie, you'd better not let her hear you call Ben her ex-fiancée and just what do you mean about the 'mess'?"

He answers, "Liz it's time that you look at this like a reporter instead of as a friend. Jens is a one woman tornado. Just look at the debris she's left behind on this hunt for Ben!"

Bernie might have a point and I might have let my feelings for Jens cloud my personal judgment. I think about what he says as the plane touches down. We taxi a hell of a long way and I watch us we approach a C-130. The plane stops and I'm shocked when Mira walks up!

I always knew she was a beautiful woman, however I never realized exactly how beautiful she is! She is so radiant I swear she's glowing as she says, "Ms. Morgan please close your vocal orifice or you might attract annoying bi-winged insects."