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Sloan/Nelson Episode 18 written by Anna
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| Disclaimer: The
characters in the following fan fiction do not belong to me. They belong to CBS and Viacom
and other powers that be. I am only using them for the purpose ofwriting this story. No
money is being made from this writing it is for entertainment purposes only. And now on
with the show...
Admiral Nelson looked up again at the ceiling. He was in a hospital bed, at Community General Hospital with a broken leg. It was plastered and tied up to a hoist above his bed. As long as the leg was secured, so was he, and he was going out of his mind very very quickly. He had already calibrated the angle of every single crack in the ceiling. His leg itched, but he couldn't scratch it. He was waiting impatiently for a doctor, but the doctor didn't seem in any hurry to get here. He reached over and took out a cigarette that had been thoughtfully placed there by Crane, the captain of his submarine, Seaview and best friend. "Sorry, but we have a no smoking policy in this hospital." A tall thin man with white hair and a white moustache reached over and removed the cigarette just after the Admiral lit it and before he could take a draw from it. "Do you have any idea who you are talking
to?" He leaned forward but was "I am talking to," Mark Sloan looked at
the patient's chart, "Admiral "I need the cigarette to handle my stress and there is nothing more stressful than the boredom of staring up at the ceiling." "I think I can do something about that. We have you scheduled for another x ray in an hour." Mark looked at his watch. "Of course before that, the nurses will want to give you a bed bath and change the bed. They will probably put you on the bedpan before you go. I don't think you will be that bored. I have some back issues of Time magazine if you are desperate. Unfortunately, most of my reading is of medical matters, too complicated for the layman, and some forensic medicine reports. They are a bit less complicated." "If you could lend me some of them, at least it would relieve this boredom." Admiral Nelson gestured to his leg. "I can't go very far with this." "I'll look in on you later, but I don't think you are going to be bored today." Mark turned and took out a scooter that Admiral Nelson hadn't noticed and went down the corridor into another room. An hour later a nurse walked in. "Let's see. There is a smell of smoking in here, if I catch you with a cigarette..." Admiral Nelson glared at her. "O.K. Since you are down for an x-ray, I had better give you a bed bath before you go." the nurse carried over a basin of warm water and soap and the Admiral's facecloth. "I think you could do with a shave before you go, as well." Admiral Nelson gave her a look that would terrify most sailors. "You are not washing me, I can wash and shave myself." "Oh, can you, now? Well, let me see if you can do it properly in that position." She stood there preparing to watch. "I am not washing with you watching me, now if you leave, I can get washed." "And how will you remove your underpants?" He hadn't thought about that one. "I will figure it out, myself. Kindly go, before I loose my temper." "And are you shaving with or without a mirror, sir?" Nelson snatched the mirror out of her hands, that she held up for him. He reached for the razor she placed by his bed. He managed very well, but did eventually admit, that the nurse could reach the places he couldn't while he was tied up. She tidied the bed around him, while he continued to glare helplessly. Then she got him onto a stretcher that could handle the leg as well as his body without disturbing him too much. Just his hatred of being fussed over. They wheeled him down a drafty corridor and got him x-rayed and he arrived to find his bedside tidied, his bed tidied and a stack of police magazines beside his bedside table. Admiral Nelson settled down and read a few police magazines. He looked up to find Dr. Sloan looking at him. "Enjoying that?" "Yes, it gives my brain something to work on besides the angles of the cracks in the ceiling." Nelson laid the paper down. Any visitor was preferable to the monotony of ward life. "I found quite a few of them very interesting." Dr. Sloan picked one up and they discussed it for a good 15 minutes. He was astonished at the Admiral's knowledge. "Have you ever done any police work, before?" "No, Dr Sloan, I have done just about everything else on that boat of mine, but I have never worked with the police." "I prefer to be called Mark, it's a shame, you would have been a natural in the police force." "I prefer to be called Harry, and I grew up loving the sea. I might have gone in for police work, but I would probably have stayed as a marine biologist and chemist. My boat gives me the only opportunity open to a retired Admiral to get involved closely in marine biology and chemistry. Trouble is, that everything else seems to get in the way." "I love working at the hospital, but I also help the police with murders. I find that sometimes gets in the way of my hospital work, but I try not to let it. I had a case of a serial rapist recently. One of my students was babysitting as well as the hundred other jobs they need to get through college when she was attacked while she was sleeping. Her case seems to be the same as a number of others in the area. " "Could I talk to her? I might be able to think of something you might have missed." Harry leaned forward and put the magazine down on the table. "Well, maybe," Mark pulled a face and scratched his moustache. "I would need to ask her if she wants to speak to you. She has been really traumatized by this attack." "Only if you feel she could handle it." Harry leaned back feeling defeated. He picked up the magazine again and fingered the front of it. "I will speak to her and see what I can do." Harry went over and over the small amount of information he had and was feeling very excited about finding out who the rapist was. He could finally feel like something else besides another cog in hospital life. He felt like he was just a broken leg and didn't feel that he would even be missed if he could take a walk around. Harry could hardly wait for Mark to get back again. He looked at more police magazines to pass the time, but he kept one eye on the door. Mark brought Kathy Miller in to see Harry. She was a petite blonde with brown eyes and a shy smile. She stood close to Mark as if she was afraid of this new stranger. Harry sat up and engaged her in small talk. Then as she started to relax, he gained her trust by being interested in her life as a medical student. When he had her trust, he began to ask her about that night. "Was this the first time you had babysat for this family?" Harry asked gently. "No," she answered, "I sat for them once every month. They are very nice people. They do a lot of great work for the community, are good church goers and are active in the school." "Tell Admiral Nelson about that night." Mark had heard it before, but he wanted to hear it again, in case he had missed anything, or she remembered something else. "I had put the children to bed around nine and settled down to revise for a quiz the next day. I sat in the kitchen and studied. I went to bed around eleven." She suddenly started to collapse and Mark put a chair under her just as she fell into it. "Kathy, I know this is very difficult for you. I feel for what you are going through and admire your courage in talking about it at all, but if we want to stop this man attacking other women, you must tell us everything you can remember. Every detail, no matter how small or unimportant, could be the vital information to stop this man attacking more women." Kathy nodded, her face streaked with tears. "I was sound asleep. I was dreaming when suddenly a rough-gloved hand was put across my mouth. I looked up to see who it was, but there was a flashlight shining in my eyes." Harry sat up, "Listen, Kathy, how was he holding the flashlight." Mark looked startled; this detail hadn't come up before. "He was holding it beside his face instead of in front of his stomach like most people do." Mark and Harry looked at each other. This information was very important. Very few people hold a flashlight that way, except the emergency service people and usually policemen. It was not unknown for people to join the emergency services and become involved in helping the police for the vicarious thrill. Policemen have been caught committing crimes, as well. Steve and Mark, both knew that not every policeman was an angel just because he put on a badge. Mark went home and made dinner for himself and Steve, who came in and watched him carefully. "O.K., Dad, what's wrong?" Steve pushed his empty plate forward and waited for his father to talk about whatever was bothering him. He knew his father would eventually. "Steve, I can't ask you to get involved in this officially. Mark poured coffee for himself and Steve. The he sat down and told him the whole story. "I will ask around unofficially." Steve leaned back and folded his arms. "Be careful, son, I am sure this man is a policeman, and if he finds out that Kathy has been talking" The next day, Harry saw a very young man walk up to him. The man was short with blonde hair and had a pleasant smile. "Hi." He reached out a hand and shook Harry by the hand. "I am Dr. Jesse Travis. Mark has been called away, he asked me to check on you. He told me you and he had been discussing Kathy." "I guess it is not only sailors that seem to get younger every day." They, both, laughed. Jesse did a professional job. Then they started to
discuss Katherine. "Steve feels sorry for her, too. That is why he is looking into it." "You know Steve well?" Harry took some things off a chair and Jesse sat down. "Well, actually Steve and I run the restaurant. Mark is a silent partner. " Jesse said. "A cop and a doctor run a restaurant together?" Harry's eyebrows raised in amazement. "We were trapped together in an explosion. We promised each other that when we got out, we would follow our dreams." Harry motioned to the chair. "Sit down and tell me all about it." After a half an hour, Steve came by and took Jesse aside for a whispered conference. Jesse kept shaking his head and Steve left rather upset. "Steve found an informant who wants to meet him at the Trader's Inn. It is the new bar in town. But it is a rather rough place and he wanted me to go with him. Unfortunately, I have rounds tonight." "Can you call him back. I have a friend who could go. He is extremely handy in a fight." "I have an hour off later, and will eat at Mark's house with Amanda. I can call Steve now and he can meet him at supper time." Harry called Chip and made the arrangements. Jesse picked up Chip from the hospital and they went to Mark's together. Chip was as blonde as Steve. Both men were muscular and knew that a fight would not be a problem because no one would bother them. Both men were slender but muscular. Lee came in to visit Harry. They talked about the Seaview, Harry's submarine, the Institute which Harry founded for Marine Research, and the various members of the crew. They had a good laugh. When Lee got up to go, Harry stopped him. "I need a favour, Lee." "You name it." "I need you to go to this address and have a look. I want to know what this house looks like, what the neighbourhood is like, and if you can find out, what the people who live there are like." Lee picked at one of the grapes he had brought for Harry. "What for?" "I will fill you in later, could you do it for me?" " Of course, Admiral." Steve and Chip drove to the Trader's Inn. Steve filled Chip in on everything he needed to know. As they entered the bar, Steve ordered two beers and Chip sat down at the table the informant had specified. Just as Steve was returning, a man with a sniffle and a bad habit of using his sleeve as a hanky, walked up to them, his greasy hair flopping all over. "Like, Mary Grey told me to meet you here. He got cold feet, like." "What makes you think we trust you?" Steve asked. "He ain't her, like. Is he, man? The man's hands shook as he handed Steve the note. "Marty said something about cold cash, like." "Only if the information is worth it." Steve said. The man handed Steve a strip of paper covered with stick figures looking like they were doing gymnastics. "What is this?" Chip asked. The man shrugged and walked away. They took the strip home. If anyone could figure it out, Mark could. Mark took a look at the paper. "The dancing men." He laughed. Chip and Steve looked at each other. "What dancing men?" Chip asked. "Sherlock Holmes. In one of this stories, the characters used a code involving drawings of dancing men." Mark looked on his bookshelf. "Surely Harry has a copy of Sherlock Holmes?" "I believe he has one in his cabin and one at his home." Chip watched as Mark figured out the code and began deciphering the rest. Mark looked up. "Some of these men weren't in the original story, but I can figure it out. "S-A-N-T-A end of word. B-A..." "Santa Barbara," Steve and Chip said together. "Last two letters, P-D end of word, police department, station 5. That is all that is on this strip." "We knew he was a police officer, now we know which station." Steve picked up the note. "I'll check with the chief in this station, quietly and see what I can find out." "I will go and tell the Admiral." Chip left for the hospital. Lee came back into see Admiral Nelson. Chip arrived at the same time, so they shared information. "I saw the house. It has big French glass doors with large windows. It is in an expensive upmarket neighborhood, with snobby neighbors. The owners work all day and the children are out at a childminders during the day. They are all good church goers." Lee reported. "How did you find that out?" Chip asked. " A blonde neighbor." Lee blushed. Chip and Harry smiled at each other. "The family are very nice. As Katherine said, they have 2 children. A boy and a girl." Steve and Mark entered and sat down. "Steve had a look at the police records. Apparently there are 12 reported cases in the area. We will each take 2 families and I will give 2 each to Jesse and Amanda." Mark smiled, "Sorry, Harry, you don't get any." "Check families, where they shop, work, go to church and anything else that might matter." Harry added. "We need to take care of this before he strikes again, so let's all meet back here tomorrow at the same time." Mark said. When they met back the news was not good. Amanda and Jesse had joined Mark, Steve, Lee and Chip, making quite a crowd round Harry's bed. 8 of the 12 shared the same church, 4 shopped in the same place and only 2 worked in the same place. "Wait," Mark put up his hands for silence. "What do their houses look like.?" "The house Katherine was in, had large front windows and big French door." Harry said. "How do you know?" Mark asked. "I asked Lee to check it out." The houses I looked at looked similar." Jesse said. The others agreed. "So all the houses had large windows so the rapist could watch them move through the house until they went to be." Harry added. "I suppose he waits until the neighborhood grows dark. He knows how many people are in the house from watching them at the windows." Mark nodded. "Steve and I will see what we can find out quietly at the police station. We will meet back here, tomorrow at the same time." Steve and Mark wandered around the police station. Cops were sitting chatting, drinking coffee and some were working on paperwork. One cop had a bunch of his buddies around him, one shuffling cards. When they saw the Sloans, they disappeared like snow in summer. Mark and Steve were escorted into the chief's office. From where Mark was sitting, he could see the females looking up now and again at the man who had been surrounded with card players. He had the same vivid piercing blue eyes that the rapist was reported to have. Steve stressed to the chief that this must be handled quietly. If the rapist knew that they were investigating, he left the sentence unfinished. They had, both, seen enough victims of criminal retaliating against those who dared to talk. "Who is the officer sitting at the desk against the left wall?" Mark asked indicating the officer that the women were watching. "That's Jeffrey Weaver. He is very popular among the girls, but doesn't have a steady. Just a string of girls. All the men admire him. He is the heart and soul of the precinct. When there is money to be collected, he does it. When someone is injured, he visits. Nice guy." "Can I check his duty roster?" Steve asked. "Certainly," the chief of police got up and handed him the register for the station. Jefferies off duty time gave him enough time to have committed the rape. He was, also, on a rape task force. He knew all about how to catch a rapist. Steve stayed behind to keep an eye on him, while Mark went back and updated Harry. "If you can get a hold of Lee and Chip, we can take it in turns to shadow Jeffrey Weaver. I am sure he is our man." Mark checked over Harry as they discussed the case. "If he really is a gambler, then he is more likely to fight. I wish I could come along." Harry scratched his leg. "Don't do that, your skin is tender under that cast. As soon as the leg heals, you will be able to get up and chase any criminal you find, but not this one I am afraid. Steve followed Jeffrey all day. Jeffrey left work and went to a poker game and was joined by other cops in the precinct. . Steve was beginning to give up when he noticed Jeffrey get into his car and drive to an upmarket housing estate. It had huge front windows and French doors. Jeffrey hid in the bushes. Steve went back and gave his father the address on his cellphone. He heard a rustling noise behind him. Steve took his flashlight in his hand and got ready to attack. Two heads appeared. They were Lee and Chip. "Get down here. I almost hit you." Steve kept his voice down to a whisper. "Your father gave me the address and sent us out in case you needed help." Lee knelt down beside Steve and Chip knelt beside him. They heard a rustling and got ready. Amanda and Jesse approached. "I should have guessed." Steve looked angrily at them. "We decided to come and help." Jesse's voice sounded a bit tense. "Hide down here, I hear someone else." Mark appeared. "Did you send everyone you know to help?" Steve rubbed his wrist where it had been shot recently. Mark noticed it as one of Steve's edgy moves. "Wait, I hear something. " Then Steve's head peered over the bushes, followed by Lee's, Chip's, Jesse's, Amanda's and last of all Mark's. "She's going in the house." Jesse whispered. They watched as he picked the lock on the back door. Then after a few minutes, they saw the light come on in a woman's room. She was sitting up in her pajamas in the bed alone. A man looking like Jeffrey with a ski mask on was holding a knife to her throat. Steve motioned to the rest to stay put as he snuck up to the now opened door. As the two in the bedroom talked, he snuck up behind the intruder. A fight started and lee, Chip and Jesse raced in to help Steve. Mark and Amanda stood up and watched. It seemed like hours but it was finished in minutes. They unmasked the intruder. It was Jeffrey Weaver. He snarled and tried to get a way, but Steve and Lee held him tightly. Jesse took over from Steve as he snapped on the handcuffs. Mark and Amanda comforted the woman. "You've had a fortunate escape, my dear." Mark hugged her then led her to his car. He drove her to the hospital. After Jeffrey had been processed and the woman had been treated for shock, they, all, met around Harry's bed. "I think the best way of saying thank you would be to invite you to come with us on our next mission." Harry had listened to all that had happened. "I could come along to keep an eye on that leg." Mark scratched his moustache. "We do have a doctor aboard the ship, but he gets bored and would enjoy the company. He has a submarine full of healthy men, normally," Lee said. "I hope it won't be like that last time we were all on a ship." Amanda said. "A passenger was murdered and the same woman tried to murder Mark." Jesse sat up straighter with a smile. "You will be the only passengers on board. As a rule, the Admiral does not allow passengers on board the boat." Lee reassured Jesse. "Just a boat?" pouted Jesse. "About three football pitches long and crewed by a hundred and twenty five en." Chip smiled at Jesse's puzzlement. "Submarines, U boats, and torpedo boats are known as boats. Mark ended up going with Admiral Nelson. Steve volunteered so he could keep an eye on the other two. They put on safari uniforms. They didn't take rifles as the island was supposed to be uninhabited. The island was thick with jungle. The sky was dark and overcast. They walked forward fighting with the jungle. Mark leaned forward his hands on his knees. "There is a storm brewing. I wouldn't want to be caught in it." The Admiral was trying to breathe properly in the steamy heat of the jungle as well. "I suggest we find this device in a hurry." Steve wiped his sweaty brow, even he was suffering with the jungle humidity. "Tell me how." he panted. They moved faster through the jungle humidity. There was a tree stump ahead of them and Mark sat down on it. Crack. The lightening missed them by inches. The rain started. It poured down on them, drenching them to the skin. "Lee will start worrying and send out the flying sub to find us." Admiral Nelson wiped his hair which had fallen across his forehead away. Lee was becoming concerned. "Jesse, you wanted to see the flying sub, I'll take you and Amanda up and we will have a look for the Admiral and his party. Ski, you and Patterson explore the island on foot. Take a couple of rifles incase the wildlife attacks. Keep an eye open for the communications device. The flying sub whirled over the island. None of them could peer through the thick jungle. Jesse and Amanda enjoyed the ride, but it was fruitless. "Why don't we take suits and go looking for Mark and Steve ourselves?" Jesse practically bounced in the seat. "Because I have three people lost now. If I send out too many search parties, I could have thirty three people lost." Lee had to smile at him. "We could go out and look with a couple of your crewmen." Amanda knew Jesse didn't sit still easily. "Wait and see what Ski and Patterson report back." Harry took weeks to mend. He wasn't so bored as he had plenty of company. Mark took his chess board in. Lee brought him in one as well so Harry usually had two games going at once. Eventually Mark let Harry go back to the institute and if he behaved he could be back on the Seaview within a week. Harry called Mark and they arranged some time when Mark, Jesse, Amanda and Steve could get some free time. Admiral Nelson was asked to check on some communications device which wasn't relaying. It was important for counter intelligence operations in the People's Republic. Trouble was the link that wasn't working was on a deserted island. The island was difficult to reach by ordinary ship so the Seaview was being sent in. The island was hostile to the extreme. It was decided that Mark, Amanda, Jesse and Steve would just go along for the ride while Admiral Nelson and Lee sorted out the problem. Admiral Nelson proudly invited his guests aboard. While Sharkey took the cases up to their quarters, Admiral Nelson took them into the control room and mark tripped over the hatchways. Admiral Nelson and Steve helped him up. It was to be a fairly uneventful journey so it was a nice time to show visitors the boat. They reached the island without problems except for Mark falling over the hatchways especially the control room hatchway. They sat down to a dinner of roast beef, baked potatoes and tomato salad. "Mark, Lee will be in charge of the sub. I am planning on taking two crewmen and locating the device. We should be able to repair it quickly and be on our way home. I don't anticipate any problems. Please pass the salt." Nelson salted his steak. "Dr. Jameson and I have been going over the medical records. I'll assist him with that while you are away." Mark put a little sour cream on his potato. "Are you going to take out the flying sub?" Jesse asked. "I'm afraid not, Jesse." Lee smiled. "Maybe I'll take all of you for a flight later." "OK," Jesse said. Everyone smiled. Steve, Mark and the Admiral ran for a cave. "Head for the back of the carve incase lightening comes in." "Head for the front of the cave." Admiral Nelson yelled as he saw the wild cat get up and start to stretch. They waited near the font of the cave hoping the lightening wouldn't come into the cave and the wild cat wouldn't come out of the cave. "Lee should be sending out search parties soon. We will wait here for them. I would prefer to wait in the open, but not in this storm." Nelson wiped the rain off his brow. The rain stopped and they took off to look for the communications device. As they went on, Steve stumbled, twisting his ankle. "It doesn't look like a break, son. I would suggest leaning on a stick from here." Mark examined the ankle. "I wouldn't suggest leaving him here. We might
never find our way back." The Admiral began leading the group onwards. They kept
stopping for Steve, which gave the other two an opportunity to catch their breath now and
again. It was hart to breathe in that steamy tropical jungle. Ski and Patterson went to look for the Admiral and party. They were able, with great difficulty, to follow the path the Admiral had cut through the jungle, but the vegetation was growing fast and the trail would not be visible for long. They came across the cave with the wild cat. "Pat, I hope they didn't stay here long." "There wouldn't be anything left but the material of their clothing." "We had better move on, there's no sign of the communication device, either." Ski moved on. Ski and Patterson moved to the west of the island. The Admiral and his party had moved east. They moved slowly because of the jungle density. "Ski, look there's a clearing up ahead." "In this jungle, you're nuts, there's no clearing." "No, right there." They traveled up and found a cemented area where the communications device sat. It had been obviously tampered with. There was a sign on it. "The People's Republic has struck." "We'd better get back and report this to the skipper." Pat said. Just then two men came out of a cave right behind
them. "You are enemies of the People's Republic." One of them dressed like a
general struck Pat, while the other held a gun on them. Jesse and Amanda, you know Mark. Chip knows the Admiral. I want you to go with Chip. I haven't heard from Ski or Pat either." Lee said. "Great. I'll find them." Jesse's eyes shone with satisfaction. He was going to get a change to do something. "Jesse. It won't be that easy. The jungle is teeming with vegetation." Lee reminded him. "C'mon you two." Chip got them dressed in safari outfits. He took a side arm, but because the other two knew nothing about guns, he didn't arm them. They left for the island. Mark, Steve and the Admiral decided to head back to the Seaview. Instead of turning left, they turned right and ended up thoroughly lost. The path back was so overgrown it couldn't be followed. As they walked the Admiral put his hands out in front of them to stop them. Steve looked over and sat down on a tree stump a short way off because his ankle hurt and he wanted to rest it. "Shh" The Admiral cautioned. "Listen." "There are others like you aboard this island. You miserable enemies of the People's Republic. Where are they?" Whack. "I wonder how many of your men they have." Mark said to the Admiral. "It doesn't matter. Even one is bad enough." The Admiral whispered softly. "And now we have two move. A voice said behind
them. The turned and faced a soldier with a rifle. Jesse, Amanda and Chip moved onwards in the jungle. They had no idea what was ahead of them. They walked on slowly looking for any sign of either party. Chip led the way with Amanda behind him and Jesse bringing up the rear, looking in every direction, anxiously searching. "Mark." Jesse called out. "Shh" Chip cautioned. "We don't know what is going on, but I don't like the fact that we have lost two parties on this island. Be very quiet and very careful. There could be dangers we don't know about." They walked on quietly. They found Steve who led them to the cave and briefed them on what was happening. They found the device and listened. "You are enemies of the People's Republic." whack. Mark groaned. Jesse started to rise to run to help him but Chip put his hand on his shoulder. "Rushing in won't help." Chip whispered quietly. "You are the weakest. I shall break you first." whack. "Then you will see the superiority of the People's Republic. You weaklings sit in front of the TV and do nothing all day long. You don't exercise you don't stay mentally active. You vegetate. You make me sick." Whack Mark groaned again. Chip put his mouth next to Jesse's ear. "I know you want to rush in and help, but if you get captured that would hurt Mark even more. Wait." He could see tears in Amanda's eyes, but she understood what he had said to Jesse. "You, you poor excuse for a soldier of the People's Republic, go and look out in case there are more coming." Chip pointed to the other side of the cave. Jesse slid over to reach the entrance. He waited impatiently. The soldier casually sauntered out in the hot air and took out a cigarette. Jesse grabbed the cigarette and punched him. Ow! He shook his hand because the punch hurt. The soldier spun around and Chip knocked him out expertly. They laid him down beside Amanda. Unfortunately the general heard the commotion. He snuck out quietly from the cave while Jesse and Chip were busy with the soldier. Chip put his finger across his lips for Jesse to be quiet, and then he pointed to both of them and the cave. Amanda pointed to herself, but Chip shook his head. Amanda hit the palm in frustration. She disliked being protected. Jesse and Chip walked up to the cave carefully. "There could be traps inside." Chip cautioned. As they entered the cave there was a wire stretched across the entrance. Chip pointed to the wire and pointed upwards to the loop above them. Jesse nodded. They went on until Jesse jumped. "There, there is something horrible
there." Jesse pointed inwards. Chip smiled, "That is a mirror put there to frighten any animal that finds this cave interesting." Jesse, Steve and Chip move cautiously, gingerly forward feeling for traps. A bat made them both jump. They smiled at each other, feeling foolish. They moved to the middle of the cave to find Mark, the Admiral, Patterson and Ski tied to the wall by their hands and feet. They were covered with bruises. Steve and Chip cut them down and Jesse examined them. They called Amanda in and she helped examine them. Mark and Patterson were covered with whip marks and the others had been beaten, but other than that, they were fine. Steve grabbed Mark and he leaned on him, Pat leaned on Jesse, Ski leaned on Chip and Admiral Nelson leaned on Amanda as they headed out of the cave. For Chip everything happened in slow motion as he watched Jesse stumble over the tripwire and end up with upside down hanging from the ceiling. Despite all they had been through, they all stood there and laughed at him. "It's not funny. The blood is rushing to my head...Steve...Chip...someone..." Jesse tried to move and ended up swinging round and round. Finally Steve and Chip got him down from up there. The good laugh had relieved a lot of tension and the three parties combined as one party and moved on. Chip passed a strange looking tree. Mark and Steve followed next. Ping. A shot hit the tree missing Mark by inches. "I had forgotten about him." Chip turned towards the sound. Everyone ducked behind a shelter. "Does anyone see him?" the Admiral called out. "He's just behind that rock, there." Pat called out. "I see him." Chip shot at the general.
Chip left the Admiral and moved to a better position. The general ran for more room. Chip
ran to keep up and dodge for cover. Chip and the general kept firing at each other.
Finally they heard a scream. The general ran into a creeper. It was strangling him to
death. As they got closer, he said, "Please, cut me down." But before they could
do so, they heard a cracking sound. The creeper had cracked the general's bones. Even Ski
and Pat could tell he was dead. They collected the soldier who had been tied up and made
their way home, slowly. The End. home | vs home | season one | season two | season three | join dmvs | e-mail us | guestbook |
