Chapter 5

Present – Ira – At the cabin

It truly is a gleeful day: My sister Mira is on my right side, my brother Alexi is on my left side and I am the attention of center so I begin.

"I calculated that the troops which pursued our aircraft would not cease and desist without extreme measures. Measures which meant one person must stay behind and delay their attack, so I took that upon my corporeal self."

Mira scolds, "Irinka, you should have allowed me to assist!"

I sagely respond, "Mirinka, your presence was required elsewhere. That reminds me, I gathered intelligence of your airplane crashing, did my gift to you survive?"

Mira smiles and responds, "Yes my sister it did. I will expand your information about it later."

Terrible Thom interrupts, "Yeah that's enough of this girly talk - get on with the story. I just love a good story."

I give him an unkempt look and continue, "Therefore, I armed three grenades, aimed the vehicle directly at their oncoming phalanx and extricated myself from the vehicle."

Mira astutely questions, "My sister is that how your leg was injured?"

I squeeze her hand and reply, "Oh my sister Mirinka, that is only partially half of the story. Not only was my leg damaged, I was additionally rendered unconscious."

Byron questions, "Did your truck destroy all the troops?"

I reply, "Unfortunately not even a majority of them were terminated."

Thom again interrupts, "Then how did you escape?"

I smile and state, "I owe my life to the wonderful dog prince, Sharik."

Present – Jens – At the cabin

Ira just mentions Sharik's name and he begins to bark. Ira continues, "Yes when I regained my senses, he had pulled me, utilizing the reverse of my tactical vest, into a ditch and was bravely attacking the oncoming troops."

I look down at him in amazement, but he puts his paw over his face as if he was embarrassed and I chuckle lightly.

Ivan expounds, "Goog goggie." We all laugh and Sharik begins to bark and dance.

Ira smiles at us and continues, "Then I regained the fight and the two of us delivered unto them a varnishing."

Alexi interjects, "I think you mean a shellacking my sister."

Mira explains, "Yes Ira, Alexi has taken the burden upon himself to correct our misuse of euphemisms."

Linus tries to return to the story, "Okay you gave them a shellacking, but I want to know where the hell the damn..." Sharik growls and Linus corrects, "I'd like to know where Sharik came from?"

Ira replies, "That is the sixty-four dollar question and one which I have no hope of ever answering. Perhaps it was God or perhaps it was fate but I owe my life to Sharik."

Alexi corrects, "My sister Ira, you mean the sixty-four million dollar question."

Present – Yasmeen and Zarika – At the cabin

Yasmeen

I am sitting between Zarika and Alexi trying to figure out what has gone on. The mean/good lady's sister is back after we had what Alexi told me was a funeral service for her. I keep watching her closely because I am concerned she is a ghost or a demon who is here to hinder my plans with my husband Ben.

I ask Zarika, "Do you think the missing sister is a ghost?"

Alexi leans over and rudely interrupts, "Be quiet you noisy and annoying girl. I cannot hear my sister's story above your whines."

I reply, "Up yours!"

When I look at Zarika, she motions me closer and whispers, "Yes I think she might be a ghost but I do not know what her plans are."

Zarika

Yasmeen is such a silly villager! She thinks the other nice lady is a ghost because of the old-wives' tales she has heard. So I will let her continue to think about that while I observe the Jennifer lady because she is the real threat.

Present – Mira – At the cabin

I have ascertained much more happened during the battle than my sister Ira exposed in her brief discourse. I can still perceive some fear emanating from her as she discusses it. Later in private I will acquire the full facts because it is peculiar for my sister to display fear of anything.

My living sister Ira continues, "The value of the question is irrelevant - the matter of the fact is Sharik appeared and saved my life."

I see Alexi begin to correct Ira and I wave him off as Ira continues, "Unfortunately all the opposing vehicles were terminated so once the battle was over Sharik and I had to locomotivate by foot."

I look at former Sgt. Reynolds, grin and tease, "It would have been nice my sister if you had a vehicle which resembled the once feared Baskerville."

She looks at Sgt. Reynolds, grins and continues, "Why yes Mira that would have been very apropos."

Present – Masha – At the cabin

Very interesting! My husband just crimsoned slightly at Miranda's and Irina's remark about the secret vehicle Baskerville they pursued in the Iraqi desert. Unfortunately the vehicle disappeared without a trace and no one knows what happened to it.

His reaction helps me recall his reaction to Miranda when we first met again, he was obviously uncomfortable. I know that he and Miranda had some altercations at the American spy school, but perhaps more went on than was reported. I will need to find a way to ascertain the truth.

Thom questions, "Just what the hell is a Baskerville and what does it have to do with this story?"

Irina grins and teases, "Why Thom, you should know Baskerville was the name of the hound from hell in a Sherlock Holmes novel."

Byron laughs and states, "She got you there Thom! Please continue Ira."

Irina smiles, "Yes Baskerville would have been nice but Sharik and I were forced to use bus number 11."

Maria opens her fat mouth, "Wait, I thought you said you walked."

I correct the female dog, "Bus number eleven is slang in Russia for walking as the two ones together look like two legs. Now please let her continue."

Linus gives me a nasty look and I remind myself that with the information he has, I can not afford to be on his bad side.

Present – Linus – At the cabin

I can tell there's still some bad blood between Masha and Maria and wonder how in the hell I can fix it. Liz and Jens interrupt the story by loading up the huge table with mounds of food. Thom starts to reach for a plate but Jens smacks the hell out of his hand with a spoon and states, "No one eats until we pray first. Now let's all stand and pray."

We stand and face a religious painting on the wall and Jens begins then Masha, Mira, Ira and Alexi join right in and the rest of us get the hang of it.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amin.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amin."

She loses everyone except the aforementioned four when she continues,