Chapter 18

My thanks to Sagacious for Proofing and Editing this Chapter

We all have heard various stories of things happening that turn into gold. Things like that began to happen for Daphne. Josef had started reporting small attacks on several of the new bases that Daphne had taken over.

No clear government or rebel faction could be blamed, but Daphne gave Josef the agreed upon codeword to get ready to leave. Everything that was war material had been removed from Afghanistan. All that remained was for Daphne to decide if the bases were to be destroyed or left active. These bases were not really important to their efforts. The fact that the peace had lasted this long had been a surprise.

A plan began to unfold for Daphne. Andre was still around. Daphne always kept her word. Andre was going to be wealthy but he was not someone she would want as a mate. He had not done as she had hoped with the casinos. Her revenge against the Cartel had been complete. Andre did not disappoint her on this. It was a bit sloppy, in typical Russian style, but it was over. This was all she really cared about. Her promise and debt to her father was paid, the revenge complete. Life goes on.

Just as Daphne had avoided Middle Eastern politics, so had she avoided North America.

It was an idea the family had suggested when she spoke about needing to teach China a lesson. China was huge. Any military or targeted strike would be of no consequence. There were some things, though, which would send the giant a message.

Daphne put her plan into action. No oil into or from China. BP, Shell, Conoco, the Japanese firms and South America were forced to honour this small embargo. The huge surprise was the refusal of the United States to allow imports or exports that had Chinese locations on their manifest. The reasons were various, but since it came just before Christmas, even large US retailers were victims of this freeze.

The US military looked upon the six huge bases Daphne offered them as Manna from Heaven. The price she wanted was less than even one base there would cost, let alone six and the strategic air bases at two of them. When Daphne, was finally available to speak with the Chinese, it was after Christmas and she could not help but have a smile on her face. When they asked her what she wanted to stop this mess, she said; "Whatever do you mean, I am just a little girl, what could I ever do to such a giant as China?"

Actually Daphne did not want anything from China. She also did not want to look over her shoulder for an enemy. She also did not want to appear weak. She had a thought. It brought the USA in to support her. Now her new ally, Japan, would perhaps benefit. She received a message, it would not be possible, but if there was a wish, this was number one. Two islands, in dispute were soon being given to the people of Japan, by the people of China, as a gesture of friendship. Japan responded to such a gesture by returning an assortment of items taken during WW II.

Things had all worked out. Then they started to go South. The first thing that made Daphne just want to run and hide was the deaths of two of her family. Even more difficult for her to understand was that Josef had taken ill. This event had another effect on her. She was an unmarried woman nearing 30 with no children and no heir ready to step in. It took her exactly 2 hours after she heard Josef was ill to fly to him, tell him that she never told him he could get sick, kissed him and with tears running down her cheeks, took him home with her. He was over 60 now to her 29, but they were a team that had never failed in anything they had tried. Home now for both of them seemed to perform a sort of magic. Both returned to their work stronger than before and if they had trust before, now it was more like a bond. Father and daughter, sister and brother or husband and wife could not be more together.