Chapter 1

Present – Jens

I can't believe this day has finally come - Ben and I are finally getting married! Yes I'm the blushing bride in my gleaming white dress and Ben looks so debonair in his black tuxedo. I tremble a little as the preacher says the words, "You may kiss your wife." Ben gives me a kiss that's full of promise for what tonight will hold and the preacher continues, "Ladies, gentlemen and Marines, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ben Blaine..."

Present – Glen – At the cabin

A Marine runs up after I complete the phone call with Byron and reports, "Sir, we have an issue."

I wonder what the hell is wrong now so I order, "Well give me the sitrep."

He gives me the report and it pisses me off more than ever!!!

Present – Todd – In the tunnels

I give Mabel the syrup of Ipecac, she pukes her guts out then she looks at me and says, "I see ... I see ... I see beautiful whirling lights!" Then she passes out in my arms. I look at her helpers and sign, "Did any of you taste the food?"

I get my answer as three of the five drop to the floor. Shit! I was too late with my warning and now we're all going to pay. I order, "You two make sure Mabel and the other three Marines don't have any respiratory problems. I need to find the doctor...

Present – Linus – In the tunnels

A group of Marines are gathered around Maria on the floor as I run up and question, "What the hell happened?"

One of them says, "She ran by us, complained about feeling dizzy, seeing whirling lights then passed out."

I order, "Go and find the doctor because we have something strange going on here. The water has been poisoned but I'm damn sure she didn't drink any of it." Then I remember that Maria and Jens were showering so I scoop up Maria and run my ass off toward the room where she and Jens were taking a shower.

I run past Todd while he signs, "Don't tell me Maria drank the water?"

I answer, "I don't think she did."

He replies by signing, "Shit! She and Jens were taking a shower together. Quick we need to find Jens."

We run up to the room they were sharing, knock on the door but don't get an answer. We run in and find Jens passed out on the floor. Todd drops to the floor beside her, checks her vitals, looks at me and signs...

Present – Todd – In the tunnels

I sign, "Linus, Jens' heart rate is very slow and so is her breathing. It's plain that whatever the poison is it can enter the body through contact with the skin. You watch Maria and Jens while I go and find the doctor."

Linus asks, "See if you can find a medic or two and send them here to help."

I run outside and see Marines down all over the place. I see a medic wiping someone's head with a wet rag, pull my bow, nock an arrow and take the rag out of his hand. Then I sign, "The water is the problem and whatever it is can affect the person through the skin."

The medic says, "I ... I ... I don't feel well but those are pretty whirling lights." Then he passes out.

I see Glen, run up to him and sign, "Glen the poison enters the body thorough the contact of water with the skin."

Glen complains, "Don't tell me that! Linus got my shirt wet as hell when he tackled me..."

The next thing I know Glen collapses. I take out my pistol, fire multiple rounds into the air which gets everyone's attention. Then I sign and someone translates, "The water has been either poisoned or drugged. If it even touches your skin you will be affected. Does anyone know where the doctor is?"

A man walks up and says, "I'm one of the doctors, what do you need."

I sign, "Do you know ASL?"

He replies in sign, "I sure do now what do you need."

I explain things to him and he declares, "Well it's a good thing we have a medical plane here because it sounds like we're going to need it. Now bring the General and come to the plane. I will get you a sterile container so you can bring me a water sample."

A group of Marines pickup Glen and we walk into the field toward a C-130. I know the TSIFFTS has medical planes, but I had not yet seen one...

Present – Maria

I can't believe it, Linus and I are crawling through a jungle on a mission! I look over at him, he smiles and me and signals me to take the lead. I crawl up to the compound fence, pull out my wire cutters and begin to cut a hole in the fence.

I'm almost done when ... Shit! We're spotted and the bastards are firing at us so we return fire...

Present – Glen

Evelyn and I are happy and dancing at Jennifer's wedding; she and Ben Blaine finally married and...

Wait this can't be right! Evelyn always hated Ben Blaine so why would we be happily dancing at Jennifer's and Ben's wedding...

Then things change and Evelyn transforms into the fucking wicked witch from the Wizard Of Oz!!! The next thing I know I'm being attacked by all those fucking flying monkeys that used to scare the hell out of Jennifer...

Present – Todd – In the TSIFFTS Medical plane

The doctor gives me a sterile container and says, "Please get a sample of the water but be careful."

I start to leave the plane, a Marine runs up and says, "Sir, you need to see what we found."

The doctor states, "I'm busy with patients right now, take this man with you."

We run over to the well pump house, he points and says, "Sir, I was looking at the water system and this didn't look right."

I look at him and sign, "Your damn right it doesn't look right!" Yeah the damn bastards hadn't poisoned the well, what they had done was expose the underground supply pipe and then added what looks to be a filter type system, but instead of filter media, it contains something else.

I look around and sign, "Bring me some tools."

The Marine answers, "Sir I don't know sign language."

I open my pack, pull out a notepad and write my orders then he takes off...

Present – Zarika – In the medical plane

The nice doctor lets me stay in the area while he operates on Yasmeen. I am amazed that we are in a big airplane with a hospital inside. I watch as they work on her, then the doctor swears, "Fuck, I was afraid that might have happened?"

I softly question, "Doctor was it what you warned me about?"

He replies, "It's even worse! The bullet did hit her uterus and the uterus contracted which caused a tear in it."

I cry a little as I ask, "W ... W ... Will she be?"

The doctor shakes his head and answers, "Well, I can save her and repair the damage for right now, but she might not ever be able to have children."

Tears fall down my cheeks for Yasmeen. She always wanted babies from our husband Ben and now she might not be able to have them...

Present – Masha and Jack – In the tunnels

Jack complains, "Damn it's cold in here."

I stop playing with Ivan, look at Jack and realize he's sick. I question, "My love please tell me you didn't drink the water."

He shakes his head, "No I didn't drink the water, but I feel like shit. I think I have a fever and my joints are achy and I have a hell of a headache."

I tell Ivan, "Son, go play with your toys."

He questions, "Gapa sick?"

I kiss and comfort him, "Papa will be fine."

I take Jack's temperature, note it's very high then I realize what's happened.

I order, "Jack we need to get you to the medical plane immediately..."

Present – Alexi, Mira and Ira– At the fertility clinic

Mira has already taken a piece off the doctor and is kneeling on the floor crying, Ira wants to separate his cranial carapace from his body when he begs, "Please I might be of some use to you."

I suggest, "Doctor what you choose to do next will determine if you live."

The doctor exudes information, "I know everything about the plot. Akhmed approached me with the offer and I couldn't resist it."

Ira grins evilly and demands, "What of the original male procreation component we conveyed to your clinic?"

He gulps and says, "We have some of it left."

Mira looks up and questions, "Some? Why do you not have all?"

He looks at the floor and doesn't answer so Ira takes an additional miniscule piece of skin off his left ear, he screams, "Stop it please!"

I threaten him, "If you do not answer the question you will forfeit your life."

He attempts to bargain, "Before you kill me, you should know that I moved it to a location that only I know about. If you kill me that location dies with me."

I smile at him and further confront him, "I am sure that I can ascertain that location from your computer records so do not bother us with your idle threats. Now, answer Mira's question, 'Why do you not have all?'"

He admits, "I have been selling it to selected patients. However, there is still enough left to easily give you one or possibly two babies."

Mira wails like I have never heard, rises up from her kneeling position as the short sword she borrowed from Ira slices through the air in a circular motion and strikes the doctor's cranial carapace transecting his entire body. I was highly surprised at the effect because it was not her katana. Blood sprays everywhere as the two pieces of his body fall separately to the ground.

Ira looks at me and orders, "Alexi, access the computer system and locate Ben Blaine's male procreation component."

Mira sinks to the floor and cries, "One or possibly two of my Ben's babies while other women are impregnated by his male procreation component."

I begin to search the doctor's records and come up with an idea that I hope will calm Mira...

Present – Ben – On the road

I am stripped, tied to an altar and woman after woman is having their way with me. While for some men this might seem like heaven, it's hell for me because Jens is tied up beside me and is forced to watch each woman pleasure herself on me while I was never able to pleasure her! The tears are rolling down her cheeks as she is forced to watch!

I finally wake up and yell, "Son of a bitch!" I hear laughter, look over and see Parsimonious Paul and realize it was a fucking nightmare.

PP continues laughing and says, "That must have been one hell of a dream."

I complain, "It was a fucking nightmare and I sure as hell don't want to talk about it."

He says, "Don't worry about it, I was in Nam and I have some of those dreams sometimes too. But it's good you're awake because you need to get ready to meet your public."

I groan, "Don't tell me we're stopping at a truck stop."

PP answers, "Well this rig needs some fuel and you need some recreation."

I question, "PP how do I keep the women from, well you know?"

He laughs and says, "Son that's the simplest thing in the world." Then he leans over and gives me his advice...

We pull into the truck stop and I swear it's a fucking carnival! People are lined up all along the entrance, they see PP's truck and begin to cheer as I look at him and ask, "Are you sure it will work?"