Chapter 71

Present – Ben - leaving the cabin

I'm using the chemical suit and booties to try to make it hard for Destiny to trail me. I'm not sure she is a Shaman. In fact, I don't know what the fuck she is (other than a crunchy granola chick)! But after watching her figure out where to place the Tabasco bottle IEDs, I knew she had a hell of a good nose on her. Ah that reminds me, she won the bet about where to place the final two IEDs: Hers was detonated by the greenies while mine was undisturbed. I'm sure glad I didn't place a bet on that.

I take off running but I still can't help but feel I'm being watched. As I move further away from the cabin, that feeling finally leaves...

Present – Destiny – following Ben

Huh! Now this is very interesting: While I'm following Ben, I pick up someone following me ... The interesting part is they aren't human. I wrongly assumed if anyone is going to follow me it would be Stacy Summers. She's smart as a whip and I'm sure after the way the bear ran away and the horses behaved when I arrived to deliver Ben's message to Jennifer, she discerned I was the cause of the previous problems with the bear and horses. No, it's this strange looking dog - I'm hot on Ben's trail and he's hot on my trail. No problem, I will just turn and confront him.

I turn, let him catch up to me, snarl at him, raise the hair on my back and... HELLO, what the hell are you doing!

Present – Ben - leaving the cabin

I didn't like the feeling I had earlier of being watched because that particular talent is almost never wrong. So I decide to take a side trail, double back and see if I can catch the fucker tailing me. I reach a little clearing and I blink twice because I can't believe my eyes! On the side of the clearing furthest from my position, there is a mangy looking dog and Anastasia the fox! Hell, I haven't seen her since I've been back and it's good as hell to see her again. The surprising part is that on the side of the clearing closest to me, there's a fucking wolf! Hells bells I thought all the wolves in the Rocky Mountains had been killed years ago. The three of them are in a serious fucking Mexican standoff that I can hear even where I'm located. The mangy dog and Anastasia the fox are growling like crazy and the hair on their backs is standing so tall they look like they have Mohawks – and the wolf isn't backing down. It's snarling and snapping at the two of them and its hair is tall but not quite as tall as the mangy dog and Anastasia.

But a mangy dog and Anastasia the fox against a wolf? There isn't much hope for the two of them so I decide to intervene. Hell, most everyone I grew up with in this area would just shoot the wolf because they would worry it would kill their livestock or just because they would have a chance to brag about killing a wolf. But fuck, I don't have any damn nasty cows and all the horses (other than Bo) are a real pain in the ass. Besides, Grandpa's teaching still resounds in my heart, 'Ben, never kill an animal that you don't plan on eating' - and I'm sure as hell not going to eat a wolf. So I stand up and yell at the wolf, "Get the fuck out of here and leave that mangy dog and my fox alone before I shoot your ass!" I pull up my rifle, scope it out and put a round a couple feet behind the wolf just to emphasize I am serious.

It works because the wolf takes off like its tail is on fire. The mangy dog and Anastasia the fox look at me and I swear Anastasia smiles at me. Then they run away in the opposite direction toward the cabin.

Present – Destiny – following Ben

That was too close for comfort but again the Great Spirit smiled on me. When I confronted the dog I assumed he would run away. Instead he stood his ground and I was shocked when a fox joined him! So I redoubled my snarling and raised the hair on my back even higher but it didn't faze them and I was concerned that I would have to fight and possibly hurt them.

Unbeknownst to me, because of my involvement with the impending confrontation, Ben doubled back and saw the three of us. Thank the Great Spirit he didn't shoot me like many would! He did however scare the hell out of me when he yelled about his fox (I need to ask him later about this) and then fired an almost silent round that hit a few feet behind me. Yes, if Ben had wanted he could have killed me and I would have failed in my mission - then I realized I had Ben's Grandfather to thank because he taught Ben correctly. I run as far and as fast I can until I determine I am out of range, then I switch back to my human form because I don't want to illicit the ire of that dog or fox again. I slip back to the clearing where we had the confrontation and I discover a big problem...

Present – Ben - leaving the cabin

Now that was fun, it was great seeing the wolf hightail it out of the area like her tail was on fire! Yeah, I knew she was a she because I could tell when I put my scope on her that she didn't have any male wolf parts. Once I'm sure the Mexican standoff is over, it's my turn to hightail it out of the area and once again I switch directions. I secretly smile to myself because something really good has come out of the protracted battle with the greenies: I had begun to feel a little old and slow but kicking their asses has rejuvenated me – the old Ben is back. Hell, I'm not even too upset anymore about not killing Mike (Destiny was right but I will never admit that to her), it was more satisfying to put him through all the shit (much of it literal) that I did and then knowing the fucking bastard slunk away like a beaten cur with its tail between its legs...

Wait a fucking minute! That was as female wolf and I remember Ivan called Destiny 'a wolf that is also a lady'! Could she have been? No fucking way...

Present – Jens, Stacy, Liz, Bernie, Jack, Masha, Ivan and Samantha - At the cabin

I begin to get everyone focused on finding Ben instead of arguing. Masha and Ivan return, then Stacy's trailers begin to arrive and we are distracted. Stacy rides off on her horse and begins to order the truckers where to put the trailers. This actually makes me happy since I would rather have her messing with her fucking trailers than trying to find my Ben.

We hear a hell of an explosion and I worry at first we are under attack again! I turn my head in the direction of the explosion, point and question, "Is that what I think it is?"

Bernie follows my arm and provides the answer with another question, "Is that a flying Port-a-potty?"

Liz questions (without swearing because of Ivan), "What in the world caused that?"

It crashes to the ground and a bunch of Marines begin yelling. Stacy rides over to the trashed Port-a-potty on the ground, pulls out her phone and makes a call on her mobile phone (hey, I guess phones are working again here, how the hell did that happen?) then rides over to us on her damn horse and clues us in, "The old guy who was here was trying to defuse a bomb in the Port-a-potty accidentally triggered it."

I look at Masha, she turns white and asks, "Do you mean my husband?"

Stacy answers, "I guess so since the Marines are calling him Jack and he's really messed up. I did call my medic and he should be here soon."

Masha frantically asks, "Elizabeth..."

Liz interrupts, "Masha go, I will take care of Ivan."

Masha runs toward the trashed Port-a-potty then some woman I don't know runs up and asks, "Did I just see Masha leave?"

I demand, "Who the heck are you and what are you doing on my property?"

She waves her hand and says, "Forget it, I know it was her." And then she takes off running after Masha."

Then a couple guys I haven't seen for a long while arrive and add to the confusion...

Present – Thom and Byron- at the cabin

We watch as Inga talks to Jennifer then takes off after Masha. We walk up to Jennifer and I comment, "Don't tell me you got shot again."

Jennifer looks at us and quips, "I would say something worse, but Ivan is here so look what the cat dragged in."

By her comment I understand to watch my language as to not incur the wrath of Masha then laugh and ask, "What in the world happened to the Port-a-potty? Did someone eat too many beans?"

Jennifer gets a serious look on her face and answers, "Mike left us some traps and while Jack tried to defuse one he accidentally triggered it."

Byron yells, "Shhhoot, I need to go see if he's okay." He then runs after Masha and Inga.

I hold up my hand and say, "Give me a minute then we can continue to trade insults." I pull out my phone, raise some serious hell with the TSIFFTS and they finally promise to send one of their medical planes to assist with Jennifer, Jack and any other injured personnel. I hang up the phone and Jennifer says, "Wow you really gave them shhh- a very bad time. What's going on?"

I show Jennifer my disgust with my expression and tell her, "I'm ashamed as heck with what they've done or mostly failed to do. Heck, they bailed on you guys when things got tough and I've been trying for a week to get them back here but now they've finally agreed. I'm glad I could finally change their minds."

Jennifer smiles and says, "Thanks Thom for giving them heee uh heck for me. But I'm not sure it was you that talked them into coming back, I think it was Mike's leaving that influenced it more."

I smack my head and agree, "I bet your right, I didn't think of that. He's really given the TSIFFTS a load of BS so it's no wonder they wouldn't return until now."

Ivan interrupts our conversation and says, "I know BS is Bull Shit! You say a bad word!"

I smile at him, decide to turn the tables and respond, "Oh yeah, well you just said two bad words! Wait until I tell Masha!"

I feel bad because he begins to cry and Liz complains, "Thom, just look what you have done!" She takes Ivan away, I return to a smile and say to Jennifer, "That's better, now I don't have to watch what I'm saying. Before I forget, whoever is setting up the trailers is really fucking up."