Chapter 75

Present – Ben – through Leadville on Highway 24

I change direction once again, turn from the north to the west and head toward highway twenty-four which will take me through Leadville. I'm glad I left the feeling of being watched behind me, however it doesn't last long because once I hit highway twenty-four and enter Leadville everyone is pointing and looking at me because I'm still wearing the chemical hazard suit. I know what I look like: I look like Dusting Hoffman when he was in the Outbreak movie (less the face mask). I hope I scare the shit out the whole fucking town because they were all bastards to me when I was growing up. I get a morose pleasure by running past my old nemesis Beverly (you remember all the shit she gave me?) and yelling, "Run for your lives, it's a huge infection." She gives me a funny look and then begins to run; it's all I can do to keep from laughing my ass off.

Leadville has grown but that doesn't interest me anymore; that part of my life, like the cabin and Jens are behind me. I stay on highway twenty-four, make it through the town to the intersection of highway twenty-four and ninety-one. I veer left, staying on highway twenty-four and start the eight mile climb to the top of Tennessee Pass. I'm running well, mostly because of the week or so I spent at the cabin being chased all over hell by the greenies. They helped me acclimatize to the altitude again. As I run I remember a time running in Leadville that was much more enjoyable...

Present – Jens, Maria, Liz, Ivan and Samantha - At the cabin

The last fucking thing I want to do is spend more fucking time on my back. I want to get the hell up and join the team Linus is putting together to go find Ben. So I continue to complain about having to go to the fucking medical plane, "Listen, I'm fine and I don't need to go to the medical plane."

Maria smiles at me and bargains, "Okay Jens I tell you what, let me examine you and if I like what I see then we won't take you to the medical plane."

Then Maria orders...

I need to take a look at my Princess Boss's chest wound but I sure as hell can't do it while all these Marines are standing around and gawking at us. So I order, "Okay all you Marines standing around, either find something else to do like start getting your bunks ready in the trailers or face away from Jennifer. I need to uncover her some to inspect her wounds."

They take the hint and mutter some unintelligible complaints as they leave toward the trailers. I take the dressing off my Princess Boss's chest wound and - what the hell? There's a big fucking incision instead of the very small surgical incision I made! And I can't really think of any medical reason for them to enlarge the incision. I begin to feel around on the incision ... What the hell is that under her skin? It must tickle her because my Princess Boss begins to laugh then the next thing I know she takes a deep breath, her eyes roll back and she passes out. I freak out and think it's something I've done from palpating the fucking thing in her and yell, "We need to get her to the medical plane immediately, she's passed out."

Liz tries to calm and correct me with what I am sure is more of the same bullshit...

I recognize what is going on with Jens: Ben has connected to her again. Maria doesn't believe the two of them can connect, hell I didn't at first until I researched it but I am a firm believer now. Maria flies off the handle again so I try to calm her, "Maria, Jens didn't pass out, I recognize this as Ben being connected to her."

Maria gives me the 'I don't fucking believe you look' then Ivan adds, "Yes angry lady with dirty mouth who use many bad words. I can feel that Unca Ben and Donaldducksonlady are one in spirit."

Maria glares at Ivan, then gives me a serious as hell look and says, "Liz, I don't care about the whole bullshit of Jens and Ben connecting, something else is wrong."

I reach down and put my hand over Ivan's mouth so he doesn't piss Maria off more with his complaining about her language and ask, "Maria, please explain what you're talking about?"

Maria touches Jens side and says, "Liz, look! This incision where I put her chest tube, it's much larger than the one I put in her chest but that's not the half of it. When I palpate the incision, I feel something under her skin."

It is my turn to doubt Maria so I challenge her but catch my language before I offend Ivan, "Maria what in the heee – heck do you mean?"

Maria glares at me and rises to my challenge, "Listen if you don't believe me, you touch here and tell me what you feel."

Even though it's sort of gross, I touch the incision, then I quickly pull my hand back and ask, "Maria, what is that?"

Maria shakes her head and answers, "I have no idea. It's not part of any medical device I know of that's used to treat a collapsed lung and I sure as hell don't like it. We need to get her to the medical plane so the doctors can examine her..."

Once again I cover Ivan's mouth so he doesn't complain and piss of Maria. I put Ivan down and help Maria push the gurney toward the medical plane and Ivan asks, "I know Mama and Papa in big ugly plane. If I good and nice boy could I see Mama and Papa???"

I look at Samantha and ask, "Sam, can you help us out by taking Ivan to the medical plane to see his mother and father?"

Sam smiles at me (I'm not sure what it means after all the fights we've recently had) and agrees, "Sure Liz I would love to." She and Ivan head toward the medical plane while Maria and I begin to push the gurney toward the same plane...

Mmmm, this is so nice being connected to Ben again. He's remembering when we won the Leadville 100. Wait, it's more than that, he's running in Leadville right now. I need to wake up and tell Linus ... But it's so nice we're connected again so I think I can let it wait a little while. Oh shit, he's gone again...

Present – Ben – through Leadville on Highway 24

Son of a bitch, I forgot about that problem! I begin thinking about when Jens and I won the Leadville 100 and the next thing I know we connect again. At least this time she isn't high as a kite. It was nice again being able to connect with her; I really miss the closeness we had at one time but it just furthers my resolve to someday make fucking Hussein pay for it.

I'm part way up the pass when a truck passes me, then stops and I see an old friend step out of the driver's side. He smiles, waves and waits for me. I get closer and he yells, "Shit Ben, you're a sight for sore eyes! What the hell are you doing running in that contraption, you scared the shit out of the whole damn town so badly they flooded the sheriff's office with calls."

I reach his truck and answer, "Hell Jim, long time no see, I thought you left this no horse town for the big lights and loud bars of Denver. And how in the hell did you know about all the calls to the sheriff's department?"

In reply Jim, my best and only friend from high school opens his coat. I see the star and he laughs and answers, "Probably because I took most of the calls myself seeing as I am now the sheriff. Shit Ben, I got tired of the plastic life in the plastic city trying to keep up with the plastic Jones's and decided to come back home and raise my family."

I shake his hand and ask, "Family, how many you got?"

Jim answers, "I guess you didn't know because you took off right after graduation, but Laurie and I had to get married right after I graduated. She had a set of twin boys and then a couple years later another set of twins – girls this time."

Laurie was a sophomore that Jim had been banging the hell out of when we were seniors. I do some quick math in my head, whistle and say, "Damn that meant she had four kids right around the time she was twenty. Sorry about causing a scare in your town, am I in any trouble for it?"

Jim motions to the passenger side of his truck, laughs and says, "Yeah, Laurie and I had a rough go of it and I thought we were going to get divorced but we held it together for the kids. Life was a real bitch until we came back here and since then it couldn't be better. Shit, you should consider moving back to your old man's cabin because it's a hell of a lot different here than when we were in high school. And hell no you're not in trouble, climb in and I will take you where you're going."

I take my pack off, put it in the back of the truck, climb in the passenger seat and Jim asks, "Where you headed?"

I tell him, "Top of Tennessee Pass to the parking lot across from Ski Cooper."

He nods his head and asks, "You headed over to the Continental Divide Trail?"

I affirm, "That's right, I always wanted to hike it and the time finally feels right."

Jim questions, "What does your wife have to say about this?"

I sadly answer, "Jim, I never got married. There was this one woman who was perfect for me but things never worked out."

He shakes his head and replies, "Sorry to hear that. I do know from reading the news you had some rough times of your own."

I laugh and answer, "Yeah, but not as bad as some of the times we had together in high school."

Jim laughs with me and asks, "Remember the time you made the thermite?"

I smile and think back to that time ... I'm snapped out of my daydream when Jim stops the truck and says, "We're here. That's an interesting looking rifle I saw in your pack, do you mind if I ask you about it?"

Shit I guess Jim is more of a sheriff than I thought he would be. I certainly don't want to talk to him about the rifle because it's not totally legal so I reply, "Jim, I would rather you didn't ask me about it."

I'm shocked when he smiles and says...

Present – Jens, Maria and Liz- At the cabin

I wake up from my connection with Ben, look at Maria and command, "Listen, I know where Ben is so I'm getting up and there's nothing you can do about it."

Maria holds me down and counters, "Jens listen to me, they put something inside you while you were in the fucking Special Forces CSH. The medical plane is here so we need to have them look at you and figure out what the hell it is."

I look around then ask, "From the way you're talking, Ivan must not be here. And what the fuck are you talking about?'

Liz answers my question, "Jens, I had Samantha take him to the medical plane to see his parents and Maria is right, touch your side."

I begin to feel my side and answer, "I don't feel a fucking thing now let me up because Ben is in Leadville right on highway twenty-four."

Maria moves my hand to the incision on my side and corrects my faulty impression, "Jens feel again and tell me what you feel."

I begin to feel around and son of a bitch they are right! I feel something like a long cylinder with rounded ends and begin to bitch, "What the fuck is this and what did they do to me?"

Maria answers, "Jens I have no idea what it is. It could be some sort of tracking device or..."

She stops talking, I look at her and question, "Or what?"

Maria gulps and I see fear on her face as she says, "Jens, for all we know that crippled bastard might have put a bomb in you."

I realize now how serious this is and answer, "Okay, get me to the medical plane as quickly as possible but tell Linus to get the team over to Leadville as soon as possible to get hot on the trail before Ben leaves."

I know Mike is a ruthless bastard but could he really have put a bomb inside me? And if he did how could the doctors defuse it. I come up with an idea and ask Maria...

Present – Destiny – Searching for Ben

Good, my plan on avoiding Ben sensing that I am watching him is working. I make sure to not directly look at him but instead I look past him. However, I do have a problem when he enters the little town of Leadville since I can sense there are many hunters here who, unlike Ben, would gladly shoot me. Since Ben so nicely told me that he's going to hike the Continental Divide Trail, I take a chance and assume that's what he's going to do. I skirt the town leaving a wide berth, find the Continental Divide Trail, run up it about ten miles, crawl under a pine tree and take a much needed nap...