Chapter 87

Present – Ira – Battle ground cabin

Male offspring of a female saluki! The most vile and foulest of events has occurred. While I was busy exterminating the putrid pestilence at my anterior, one of the vile rodents violates my derriere with its gnashing incisors. I exclaim in pain and order, "We must collocate our posteriors adjacent to one another so our posterior positions are protected."

General Pain and Todd comply with my orders and we continue to decimate the monsters. My arms have not been this weary from wielding my Katana since the days of practice during my youth...

Present – Jack – Battle ground cabin

Thank God! I can finally see a light at the end of this fucking rat infested tunnel. We must be down to the last thirty or so rats, but they have taken their toll. I've been bit a couple times and from Ira's yell I can only assume one got her too. I simply don't know about Todd.

I worry like hell about the tunnels: If the fuckers came in through the septic system then that means they also got into the tunnels. I say a quick prayer that Masha and Ivan are okay but I'm concerned as hell because these fucking rats seem to only be interested in human flesh...

Present – Todd – Battle ground cabin

I let myself slip into the Zen state of a rat killing machine. Yes, my sole existence in this world is the termination of rats which now occurs automatically using my autonomous nervous system. This frees my mind to analyze the rat attack and I come to the horrific conclusion that these rats have been trained ... Trained so that human flesh is their primary food ... That is the only logical conclusion as to why they ignore every other food source and also why they have no fear of man ... What sort of diabolical and twisted mind would perform such an abhorrent act? There is only one way to train rats that human flesh is their primary food source - that's by only feeding them human flesh ... This fact requires restructuring of the approaching mission to capture Megan...

Present – Ira – Battle ground cabin

Слава Богу! (Thank God!) I slay the last of the vile vermin confronting my anterior position. I slightly occulate to both sides and view that General Pain and Todd have also eliminated their respective raging rodents.

Never have I participated in a battle against such a vile, detestable and despicable foe! Now that the battle is terminated, emotions whelm me over, and not pleasant emotions! The initiator of such a horrifically heinous Rattus rattus swarm must not just be castigated, they must be eliminated with utmost and extreme prejudice! Such a vile swarm can never be allowed to occur again.

I start to rest when General Pain orders...

Present – Jack – Battle ground cabin

Thank God we have survived the onslaught of the rat brigades! I check and both Ira and Todd have killed the last ones in front of them. I would love to rest right now because I'm tired as hell. Fuck! My arms feel like rubber from swinging this damn shovel. I bet I could have dug a trench a hundred miles long from all the work I've done.

But there's no time to rest! We need to make sure the cabin is free of live rats, then we need to get the hell into the tunnels and make sure everyone is still alive. I figure since Ira made me a fucking General I would act like one so I order, "I know we're all fucking tired, but we need to secure the cabin and then see if any rats got into the tunnels."

Ira adds, "Yes, I have had some concern about my duty to Ms. Morgan because I could not perform my primary mission as her body guard."

Todd signs, "I killed the men that introduced the rats into the septic system. If the tunnels are connected to the septic system then there will be rats in the tunnels."

I state, "First we will sweep the house. Once it's clear, we will approach the tunnels and carefully open the door."

We head back into the cabin and begin the sweep. It is all I can do to keep from puking my guts out: Between the rats and the sewage this place reeks! Jens is going to have fits when she sees and smells this mess...

Present – Mira – Trip to the cabin

We have traversed a great distance to the cabin in a very short time. I praise Alexi, "My brother, your skills of piloting a motor vehicle are exceptional, to what do you credit this?"

He replies, "Thank you my sister, my driving skills are the result of many hours of practice."

I am slightly confused so I query, "Alexi, I have not notated your many hours of driving vehicles."

He elucidates with considerable mirth, "My sister, my many hours were spent at the computer playing a video game called Grand Theft Auto."

I contemplate his response and pose a potential course of action, "Perhaps a few hours of Auto Grand Theft could improve my lack of skill in motor vehicle operation?"

Alexi offers, "I would be happy to teach both my sisters the intricacies of that superb game."

We arrive at the exterior gate to Ms. Donaldson's property. I traverse to the box of call, press a button but receive no response. I look at Alexi and opine, "Some problem must exist in the security system. We must gain entrance to the property by force."

Alexi grins and announces, "Watch this my sister Mira."

Then he performs something that sight of hind seems ill-advised!

Present – Alexi – At the cabin

My sister Mira orders me to gain entrance to Ms. Donaldson's compound so I perform a trick that works extremely well during my Grand Theft Auto sessions. I place the ambulance transmission in neutral, press the accelerator to the floor, slam the transmission into low and ... crash into the barricade fence.

However, the barricade does not yield! Instead the airbags deploy on the ambulance, smoke and steam exit from under the frontal portion of the ambulance then the motor makes a terrible sound and explodes! I learn a very important lesson: Things which work in Grand Theft Auto do not always work in the real world. Mira rushes over, forces open the damaged door and questions with sisterly concern, "Alexi, I believe you have terminated the vehicle designed to convey infirm people. Has this poorly timed incident injured you?"

I laugh and explain, "My hands were in the optimal position when the airbags deployed so the only injury is to my pride. However we will be forced to use одиннадцать автобус номерto¹ to complete our journey."

¹ Bus number eleven – defined in a previous book. Russian slang for walking or running since the legs look like the number eleven.

Mira rushes, "Come Alexi, the essence is time is all-consuming."

We begin to run however my sister Mira experiences some difficulties...

Present – Jack – Battle ground cabin

We are well into clearing the cabin, have found a few more sick and half dead rats, when something triggers the damn fucking loud as hell horn! We are all so damn jumpy from the rats, it damn near scares us to death! Ira gains access to one of the control panels and states, "Someone has foolishly attempted to breach the frontal gate with a vehicle designed for the transportation of the infirm. The gate terminated the aforementioned vehicle effectively blocking entrance to Ms. Donaldson's compound."

I question, "What about the occupants? An ambulance could hold a hell of a lot of enemy forces."

Ira replies, "The cameras, even utilizing thermal detection do not detect any occupants. I assume the occupants have already exited the terminated vehicle and are in route to the cabin."

Fuck me! We are trapped between a fucking rock and a hard place. I look at Ira and order, "Ira, you need to get your ass up to the front gate and see what the hell is going on."

She counters, "General SIR! Todd with his current weapon selection is more suitably equipped to perform this mission."

I ignore the damn General (and SIR) comment, Todd signs that he agrees so I demand, "Well what the hell are you waiting around here for, get your ass moving." Then he seems to vanish into thin air.

I look at Ira and she states, "Yes, he is a truly formidable ninja."

The fucking horn is giving me a headache so I ask, "Ira do you think you can shut off that damn horn?"

She punches some buttons on the panel then all hell breaks loose!

Present – Jens – Traveling back to the cabin

Zarika, Yasmeen and I are in a taxi headed back to the cabin when my mobile phone begins to beep like crazy from multiple e-mails.

I unlock the phone, look at the first message and determine someone has tried to breach the front gate - this can't be good! I order the cabbie, "Something is going on at my cabin, do you think you could step on it?"

He glances over at me and says, "Sorry, but I don't speed for anyone."

Zarika questions, "Ms. Donaldson are there problems?"

I answer, "Yeah, we need to get to the cabin as soon as possible because something is going on but the cab driver isn't cooperating."

I look and see a slew of e-mail messages from the security system that don't make any sense. What the hell is going on at the cabin?

Then something amazing happens in the cab...

Present – Zarika and Yasmeen – Traveling back to the cabin

I lean over and whisper to Yasmeen, "We have an opportunity to assist Ms. Donaldson."

Yasmeen whispers back, "Yes, but what can we do?"