Transition Plan Chapter 88: Searching for Jeanne Part 6

Author's Note: In this chapter we are at the peak of the back and forth responses between the good guys and the bad guys to the ransom demands and this is going to be a really rough ride. No one is giving an inch, and Jeanne has to bear the brunt, but her family too. Rated T for a canon character attempting self harm. And more mild profanity, some of it in French and German. This is a very tough, dark time for the Clayton's and Jacot's. We have a long hard journey ahead before Jeanne and Jack experience a breakthrough in this abduction.

…

Armand gave the reply, approved by the General, to the radiotelegraph operator. The young soldier keyed:

Two Guys from Kamina,

The people I work for have discussed the crucial and important matter of the return of my property that you control. Times are very difficult for us, but the property you possess is very precious to me, so we respectfully ask you to consider an alternative.

We are prepared to offer you the generous sum of 1 million Deutschmarks to be delivered by me alone to the place you designate in Rio Muni by 14 February. We deeply regret that this does not totally reimburse you for the losses you incurred by my hand. I am heartily sorry for that.

Please accept this gracious, heartfelt offer for the item that I need so much back in my possession. You can do a lot with that money.

Armand

"Good job, soldier," Armand said quietly.

"Me and all the men hope you get her back, sir," the warrior smiled at his superior officer.

"Thank you. We'll see, Private," The Colonel said graciously but nervously, as he left the room.

The wait began.

…

Karl-Heinz read the message, crushed the paper in his fist, his anger soared, and he pounded the table, "That arschloch! This is a total insult to us and our needs."

"Take it," Gunter urged strongly, "A million is a million. Take it Karl-Heinz. It's easy cash. How many Deutschmarks do we have right now?"

"213… and about 75 owed us."

Gunter pleaded with his colleague, "See? Take what's offered. Dump the girl back with her parents. She's trouble Karl-Heinz. Or if you reject the offer, just kill Meriem now. Or just let her loose to figure her own way home. I don't care. This 'indentured servant' scheisse is insane. No amount of revenge on Jacot is worth it. The little hundin is too much trouble to watch all the time, and put up with her resistance constantly. Just when we think we've beaten her she defies us again in another way. She will be the death of us, Karl-Heinz. Either by her or her father or that boy. I can feel it."

Karl-Heinz remained committed to his vow of unending revenge against the Colonel over Kamina, "What are we going to do with a million Deutschmarks ? We can't pay off the boss, the Oberleutnant, or Margrite, and it barely scratches the surface of what we owe the government for Kamina."

Gunter pleaded, "Sure it will make a difference, even if only in intent. Don't be ridiculous."

"There's another reason not to accept the offer, Gunter. You just don't see it."

"All right. I'm all ears. Why?" Gunter asked snidely.

"Revenge cuts both ways, Gunter. Jacot intends to kill us in Rio Muni. He doesn't want to pay us off. He wants to eliminate us. He's betting on the fact we're so desperate we will take anything and then we're targets. He's French Special Ops. Do you want to die for a million worthless Deutschmarks?"

Gunter growled, "I don't intend to die at all. At least for you. And since when is 1 million worthless?"

"When it isn't 14 million…"

"You're crazy, Karl-Heinz."

"No not really. Practical. A realist, but not crazy."

The duo was stalemated, so Gunter just said, "I guess there's no convincing you on this one, partner. Revenge it is, then. Time for our little friend to start earning her own ransom. And time to inform the French Army of the error of their ways."

"Right. No holds barred in this message. It doesn't matter now. They blew it."

"Sure. They'll come for us anyway, Karl-Heinz, no matter what words you use."

"They think we're near Douala. Pity those poor jerks when the Special Ops soldiers come down on that station."

"But the Brits control Douala. They won't attack their own station," Gunter puzzled.

Karl-Heinz smiled with a sly grin, "But they'll spend weeks figuring out our ruse, and there will be no trace of how we rigged their transmitter as a relay. Which will confuse them even more. This is the last message anyway. Who cares if we piss them off or not."

The older man shook his head in dismay.

Karl-Heinz added, "And besides, aren't you done being a radio operator when the real money to be had is somewhere else? A few more months here until we can make arrangements and we're done being the Oberleutant's butt boys."

Gunter stated, "If you mean working for the boss again, and be his butt boys, I'm more worried about the outcome of that reunion than what you got with Margrite. She at least loves you. There's no love lost between you and the boss."

Karl-Heinz replied, "Yeah. That's too bad. Turns out I still love her too. But the boss knows wherever I go I make money for him. It just takes more time in some places."

"I am never sure whether you are a genius or a madman, Karl-Heinz. I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe not now, but our days are numbered."

Karl-Heinz dismissed his doubt, "You're still afraid of two nine year olds? Despite what you said, we've just about broken this one. Each outburst is weaker and shorter than the ones before."

"I suppose so, Karl-Heinz, but something doesn't add up. The people searching for her are not normal people. Especially that jungle kid and his father. We don't know a thing about them. There's more to them than it seems."

"You are paranoid, Gunter."

"Even paranoids have real enemies, Karl-Heinz."

"Let's go home."

When they got to Margrite's shack, Karl-Heinz called her out of earshot of Jeanne and told her privately about the situation. She was bitterly disappointed, although she knew getting 14 million Deutschmarks was really too good to be true. But she didn't get angry. It was too nice having Karl-Heinz in her bed again and his job with the Germans was supporting them much better than she was doing alone. Margrite had accepted the role of surrogate mother to Meriem enthusiastically, and rather liked the thought of keeping the spunky but often defiant little girl in her care. More importantly, Meriem responded to her positively, and was more compliant with the men's demands when the woman asked her to do things.

Margrite secretly admired Meriem standing up against Karl-Heinz, even when punishment was harsh against her. She really didn't want to see the girl dead, having for weeks given each other hours of female company when the men were gone. Margrite knew the girl was very mature and very smart in the ways of the jungle. Their captive may have been French, but she didn't seem to have any western civilization prejudices about adopting jungle life. Margrite vowed to make Meriem's forced captivity seem as much as a family as she could. Margrite was no less a criminal by going along with the slave labor revenge plan for Meriem, and she did so mostly because she loved Karl-Heinz and his many adventures, and he told her he loved her too. Even if he didn't, they were a couple again, and doing capers together. Being one million Deutschmarks richer or poorer didn't really matter. Life was exciting again with Karl-Heinz, and that was all that mattered to Margrite, because she realized this was the closest she'd ever get to marrying him and having a family.

Jeanne wondered about the hushed tones Margrite and Karl-Heinz were talking in, and challenged them,"What happened? What's wrong? Have you heard anything about the ransom?"

"None of your business, Meriem," snapped her captor. Jeanne knew it was useless to try to inquire further. All those slaps to her face stung too much. She went back to her chores.

A few days later Karl-Heinz prepared his answer to Jacot without the Oberleutnant's knowledge of either the 1 million Deutschmark French counter offer or what they planned to do in response.

…

Everyone's fears of the reaction from the Germans came swiftly, again through the secret connection through the commandeered Douala station transmitter late at night.

This is for Armand Jacot.

Your offer of 1 million is completely unacceptable and an insult to us and our management. It is rejected.

Let's not mince words, Jacot. You blew your chance for a ransom. This is revenge note. You and your daughter ruined our lives by destroying 14 million worth of government property in Kamina. So we will ruin your life. And your daughter's life. She will pay for your government's lack of generosity. We won't kill your daughter. That would be too easy. You'd have remorse and get over it and move on. We will crush your lives by making her our indentured servant for every piece of dirty work we say. She's safe but she is a horrible snotty girl. She resists everything we make her do. For now. You are terrible parents - not only raising her poorly but now abandoning her. There is nothing you can do about it and you'll never find her or us. We will just break her. She'll never know a normal childhood. We will remake her in our image in our world. You'll never get her back, and if we choose to let her go, by the time we're done with her she'll never want to be back. She'll be so changed that you won't want her back. She'll grow to hate you. Don't try to rescue her or we will kill her.

Goodbye, Colonel.

Two Guys from Kamina

Reaction to the vicious note was instantaneous from everyone looking for it.

…

General shook his head, "Merde. Jacot was right. What kind of men would not accept 1 million? Now I feel terrible. We're going to lose that little girl and I let it happen…"

His Aide-de-Camp offered, "Men bent on revenge, not on monetary gain, sir. But the Colonel is very resourceful. Jacot won't give her up without a fight. What do you think he will do, sir?"

"I have no idea, and he'll never tell us until he does it. Rest assured it will be the right thing for his daughter even if it isn't the right thing for him."

"Or us?"

"No, no, Major, it will be the right thing for France, but it won't be immediately obvious to us until it's over. He's no traitor. He's just… unconventional."

…

The Oberleutant slammed the message on the table, "You dosbaddels. Why didn't you tell me about this and the other message? You practically invited this Colonel here to gut you to find her."

Karl-Heinz was calm, "Not here sir, everyone will think this was sent from Douala. Remember, sir. We made a deal that this was low key and would not implicate you. It doesn't. We purposely left you out of loop on this, Fritz, so it was plausibly deniable if your involvement is ever implicated. Look at this transmission report."

The Oberleutnant looked at it, and smiled, "Good thinking Karl-Heinz, thank you for protecting the station. And me. This is brilliant. It looks like both messages were sent from Doula. The wrath of France will be focused on their British allies. They will be thrown off the trail for weeks wasting precious resources arguing with each other and pointing fingers. By then we'll have total German victory in Kamerun. We've already had several other victories in the south."

"Thank you sir."

Fritz shook his head, rereading the note, "But not accepting any money at all? You guys are stupid. You tell me this girl is trouble. You should have taken their offer. I'd gladly have taken a lesser amount. And if you don't want her, my wife and I will take her as an adopted sibling for the coming baby," he suggested strongly, savoring the thought of Meriem permanently in his home.

Karl-Heinz saw through the man's increasing desire for Meriem, but fended off his attempt with a clever fabrication, which actually was mostly true, "Sorry sir, but Margrite has really taken to her as a surrogate daughter, and I'd hate to break them up. Besides, do you want your best operators gone from the station for a month to go to Rio Muni to take a pittance ransom and get killed in a trap? That's all the Colonel wants by tempting us with a useless 1 million. Our heads on stakes."

The Oberleutnant sure could have used that million, but he agreed. Besides, they had something else more valuable than cash living with them, so he agreed, "You're right. We'd be hard pressed to keep up. You are right not to leave. So, tonight, gents. Schnapps at my quarters! By not getting 14 million, I get to celebrate keeping you guys on the staff longer. You guys are making us – and me - look good! That's almost as good as being rich!"

The Oberleutnant thought wantonly, "And Meriem stays too."

…

"Mon Dieu," Armand said crumpling the note as if he was crushing the kidnappers' skulls, as his deepest anger welled in response to the vengeful note and vowed to the kidnappers from afar, "I will get her back and I will kill you both with my bare hands. Sergeant. Where did this message come from originally?"

"Douala station from the triangulation reports. Just like the first one."

"Douala? The British have occupied Douala. They're that close?"

"It appears so, sir."

"How do two Germans, who look totally ethnic German, and a French-speaking Greek-Italian girl not stand out in a city where we've put out a search for all three of them? How could they stay hidden and get access to the English-controlled and operated radio station? Twice. To make ransom demands over the public radiotelegraph."

"I don't know, Colonel."

Armand scratched his chin doubtfully, "It just doesn't add up. Contact the station management again. See if these guys are on their staff or friends with staff and could get access. Or paid someone off to get in."

"We did that the last time sir," observed the soldier sheepishly.

"Do it again, Sergeant!" Armand yelled.

"Yes sir. But it appears you know the answer to your questions."

"Not yet, Sergeant. Just a hunch. Keep monitoring those stations. Every night. Every operator. Every message. Check everything."

"Yes sir."

…

"Nooo!" Jeanne screamed when she found out about the rejected ransom message.

She shouted at the top of her lungs and beat on Karl-Heinz simply in frustration. He grabbed her arms and forced her to stop roughly, and so she just wailed. He savored her complete sense of abandonment by people she trusted the most. That was an important next step in breaking her to trust him only and would speed the process to make her an obedient slave to them forever.

Jeanne had every hope her daddy's leaders would pay. She felt absolutely betrayed by the French government. She didn't blame her parents or Jack's. But her father's superiors clearly didn't care about her. She collapsed to her knees in a long outcry. She was lost now, without any hope. There was no recourse. It was just over. She felt even more terrible for her poor parents. She couldn't imagine how separated from her they must feel.

She knew her father would be forced to obey orders, and would not be allowed to look for her because of his war duties. Her slimmest hope now turned to Jack, to defy all the odds to help her, like they helped their fathers. Jack was literally all she had left. She vowed to secretly cling to her former life as it had been the as best she could, however bad it was now, and somehow leave clues so she could be found. By remaining uncorrupted in her heart and mind, no matter what they forced her to do physically, she knew she would be wanted by her loved ones and still worthy in their eyes of being found. Jack and her parents would forgive any horrible thing she was forced to do as a captive. She would not let anything corrupt her, even if she was forced to obey, in order to stay alive. She took great pride that Karl-Heinz had not counted on a love so strong for her parents and for Jack that it would give her hope even when things were the worst.

She cried so long she could no longer cry any more. Her captor simply outlasted her crying. She composed herself, and with the confidence she had with her silent vow, was resigned to do his bidding, but never without a fight. She said with a hard edge in her voice, "So… now that I know that no one is coming to pay for my freedom and I am your slave, what are you going to do to me, Karl-Heinz?"

Karl-Heinz sneered at Jeanne, "Tsk, tsk, Meriem, let's not be inaccurate. You are an 'Indentured Servant'. You need to start earning your pay around here. 14 million Deutschmarks will take a long time to pay off."

She insisted,"I'll make it faster than you think, Karl-Heinz, pay you off, and walk out of here a free woman."

"A very old free woman," he sneered.

"Fortunately you'll die before me, old man. What are you, 60? And I'll walk right over your dead body then and go home. Even I know that slaves go free when their master dies," she swore with a truly chilling tone and look.

"I'm 40, insolent girl," Karl-Heinz responded to her cutting insult. It bothered him a lot that she did get under his skin constantly.

Karl-Heinz growled, "My dying wish will be to blow your head off on the day I die with my last breath just so you go to hell first, Meriem."

"Try it, schweinepriester. I dare you – just to see which way I go and which way you go," and she gave him a truly savage look and bared her teeth like an animal. She was quite adept at German profanity, and didn't even realize how much it had crept into her speech.

Gunter had enough of this latest verbal battle, "I told you she'd be trouble. Do it now, Karl-Heinz. End this. Do you want months, even years of this?"

"NO! Don't hurt her!" screamed Margrite, putting herself between her lover and Jeanne.

Karl-Heinz pushed Margrite aside and glared at Jeanne, "I won't, Margrite, and not on your life, Gunter. Meriem, you flegel. I want to see your overconfident little face cowering in fear and pain begging me to kill you."

"You will never see that," she vowed, and turned away.

Knowing there was nothing else she could do, she went about her chores for the day, knowing how hopeless it was for her now. She reached out to Jack in her mind, desperately seeking that elusive link that they had experienced before.

She projected the thought constantly throughout the day, "Jack I need you. Now more than ever. Be there for me. Find me. Take me home."

She waited vainly for that vague 'something' in her head from which she got some comfort before when her hair was shaved, but it wasn't there.

Until a flood of dreadful emotions knocked her to her knees and made her choke in pain. Jack's pain.

…

Armand dreaded going home, but had to. He showed the kidnappers' answer to Josephine and she fainted. It took Armand over an hour to revive her and thought he had lost her twice. She cried without let up until exhaustion overtook her. She managed to choke out the words, "Wh- what do we do Armand? I thought they would take the money. She's lost to us. Forever."

Armand asserted, "It's time I do something about it myself."

Josephine responded tersely, "We have no money."

"I have another idea. I do have my hands, my knife, my brains, and my gun. And my friends," he noted.

She understood his implication, "Oh Armand, will I live to see Jeanne only to lose you? Or lose both of you?"

Armand was very frustrated that Josephine's continued emotional and irrational behavior gave him so little room to examine options to get their daughter back. He stood his ground this time.

"Would you let them have her forever and change her into someone we don't even know? I have to try," Armand snapped at his wife.

Josephine was very conflicted, upset he was angry at her, but said, "No Armand, of course not. Having our baby turn into a criminal like them is unbearable. All right. Go ahead."

She knew there was no other choice to get her first baby back, while she hugged her second one. Things were even worse than before because of her own stubbornness.

"Mon Dieu, what have I done now? Why didn't I just let Armand go to the Clayton's for the money?" she thought, barely clinging to her conscience and sanity.

She knew she had just made the situation go from bad to worse.

…

Jack dropped the transcribed revenge message on the family's Wireless room floor and burst into tears. Tarzan was right there, and had just seen the transcribed note himself. Tarzan reached to comfort his son, "Jack…"

"Shut up, Father! Leave me alone," Jack yelled and recoiled from his father's comfort, which caused Tarzan to be taken aback. Not once in his life had he ever told his father to 'shut up'.

Before Tarzan could respond, Jack rushed out of the radio room, ran down the hall, past his mother and sister and the two new babies in the kitchen, leaped into the air at the balcony, grabbed a vine, swung away, and disappeared into the jungle.

Jane had been peacefully nursing the twins, with Lily watching intently, and wondering what it would like to nurse her own babies. Jack flashed by so fast they had no way to respond or stop him.

Tarzan rushed in. It was too late. He was already gone.

Tarzan was deeply disappointed he could not intercept him, and looked out into the vast jungle in exasperation looked for some clue which way he might have gone, "He could be anywhere. That boy knows how to never leave a trail better than anyone I know."

"What happened, Tarzan?" Jane asked, frightened, standing next to him.

He held her in his arms firmly, "The French refused to pay the 14 million ransom, and offered only 1 million. The kidnappers rejected the 1 million Deutschmarks. They are keeping Jeanne. Permanently. It upset Jack… and… well… you saw…"

Lily heard all of this, instantly burst into tears, and ran to her room to cry. They didn't stop her. Jack's well-being was their first priority.

Jane was hysterical even safe in his arms, "Tarzan, we have to do something right now. I am really worried about Jack. Find him. Look everywhere. Call on the animals. Go now, Jonathan. I'm afraid Jack is going to really hurt himself. I saw his eyes. There was nothing in them."

"I know. I'm off to who knows where."

Tarzan took off in the most likely direction to the pond he and Jeanne used to swim at all the time to find Jack's trail. Alone at the treehouse, Jane could not restrain her gushing tears. The infants didn't understand, but seeing their mother cry, cried themselves.

Tarzan and Jane did all the things they could think about to get every creature in the jungle to find Jack before he hurt himself. Jack heard his father's desperate jungle call for him. It didn't matter now.

Jane called upon Naima and Noni and Terk and the others to search for Jack and turned up with nothing, because Jack was at the one place no one ever thought to look. It was a place where only a person in the last stage of anguish would be – a place where no one with a rational desire to live would be under any circumstance because they would never think of being there. Because nothing that ever went there came back alive.

…

When Lily got to her room, she had an idea. She knew her brother too well. While he clammed up to his parents, he shared a lot with Lily and with her "Jeannie" doll about his feelings of despair every night at bedtime. She slipped out of her bedroom window and swung into the jungle on a vine just like her brother did. The five year old knew she had to find her brother before it was too late. She knew where he was.

With great resolve, Lily said quietly to herself, "I'm five. I'm a big girl now. I can do this."

Having stirred all the animals to action to look for Jack, Jane sighed and took a moment's respite to think. Jane realized she had completely forgotten about how upset Lily was. She went to Lily's room, knocked on the closed door, and announced, "Lily? Dear, may I come in? Everything is going to be all right. Everyone is looking for Jack."

Her silence was odd, and she swung the door open, and asked, "Honey? Did you hear me?"

Jane saw the mussed bed covers and the window above with the curtains askew. Her eyes flew open and she screamed.

…

Jack sat on a ledge overlooking the river gorge. It was a place so dangerous no animal entered. The cliffs were composed of loose rock. Any misstep resulted in a deep drop that was invariably fatal. Fog and mist constantly persisted over the valley so it not safe to fly. Birds often broke their necks on the obscured rocks and fell to the rocks below, or if they survived the fall they were quickly crushed by constantly falling rocks and stone.

It was the perfect place for Jack to withdraw to for the final time.

Jack sat clutching his legs in a fetal position, and lamented, "She's gone, I will never see her. They have her and are going to keep her. And force her to do bad things just like them. I have no idea where they are or how to get to her."

Jack's self-blame and sense of helplessness about Jeanne's kidnapping had been spiraling out of control for months in spite of his supportive parents, exacerbated by all the accusations that Josephine and Armand heaped on him. All of it combined been eating him up inside. The failed ransom negotiations drove him past the ability to withstand any more.

He stood up and screamed into the canyon with a clenched fist, "And I caused it all to happen to her! She hates me now. Just like her parents. It's over… all over."

The waterfall noise was deafening and overwhelmed his shouts. He was too close to the edge, but he didn't care. Below him was not a deep pool of water that might be survived in a fall, but jagged rocks and splintered dead tree stumps. It was nearly 300 feet to the bottom. That would be enough. It wouldn't hurt for long.

He braced himself, closed his eyes, but couldn't take that step. He sighed, "I am completely worthless. I am even messing this up."

A tiny voice came behind him. It was Lily, and she was in absolute fear of what she saw, "Jack. What are you doing? This is dangerous. Daddy never wants us here."

He spoke without looking at her, "Go away Lily. I don't need you here. I need to be alone."

She whimpered, "No. Not alone. Bad things happen here."

Jack thought Lily was too young to understand the concept of him doing something terrible to himself, but he presumed too much. She knew his hurt too well. She understood that if a person could feel bad enough they could hurt themselves, even kill themselves. A girl friend in the Nigerian village had that happen to a beloved cousin. The family had been in mourning for weeks, and Lily's friend was coping poorly with the loss, despite her friendly help.

Lily reached out desperately to her brother, "Jack. Come back here. You could fall."

"Why Lily? The kidnappers don't care. Madame Jacot doesn't care. She'd push me if she could. No one cares that I am in pain over Jeanne, Lily. They have her now, and they are not giving her back. I will never ever see her again."

"I care, Jack…" she said simply, watching helplessly as her brother fell apart inside.

Lily knew he hurt bad enough inside he could hurt himself like her girl friend's cousin from what he had confessed to her doll.

She pleaded, "Mommy and Daddy care. The twins care. Who will teach Paulie to be a bruver? Who can play boy games with him? I'm a girl. I can only help Nizzie. Don't leave me, Jack."

He was completely devoid of feeling for any family matter. He was taking the last steps to emotionally separate himself from the family so it wouldn't hurt him anymore, not caring if it hurt them. He was so tired of felling hurt all the time. He wanted so badly to feel nothing at all.

"It doesn't matter now, Lily," he bowed his head and sighed deeply. He steeled himself to take that final step and be done with it.

It completely broke her heart for him to tell her he didn't care what she felt if he jumped, but she tried one more time, shouting, "What about Jeanne, Jack? She's with bad men. She'll be bad, too."

It was like he was hit by lightning at those words from his little sister. But it wasn't her words alone. He suddenly dropped to his knees on the ledge, felled by a scream in his head so loud he thought his skull would explode. He clutched his temples, as if Jeanne's slingshot had hit him again.

It was an older girl's voice in his head and the words were clear, "Don't jump! How can I live without you?"

More importantly, the words were in English. With a French accent.

"I won't live without you," the inner voice begged.

He couldn't believe it and couldn't explain it. It wasn't just a 'feeling' like before. He realized it was Jeanne's voice he heard inside his head, and he was terribly ashamed. She knew what he was going to do. In his final moments, he let her down worse than ever. And now caused her… and Lily… to give up hope.

He was even more ashamed as his feelings and his conscience flooded back into him. He couldn't do this - not in front of his little sister. It was bad enough for Jeanne to see him so messed up. If he jumped, Lily would never be the same. She might join him, an even more terrible thought. He would never be forgiven for that.

And he could never jump as long as that broken-hearted female voice deep in his mind knew what he was doing and she begged, "Please live for me, Jack. Only you can save me."

Right then he knew could because of both of the girls.

He backed away from the ledge just as it crumbled beneath him, stumbled, and barely grabbed a big tree root with one hand as he fell. He was dangling in mid air over the gorge below, swaying back and forth. Lily screamed seeing her brother disappear over the ledge, and froze in place.

He heard her scream, held his breath and remained calm, and got a better two-handed grip on the root, his only connection to safety above and escape from a grisly death below.

"It's OK, Lily. I'm still here. Back up in case the whole cliff goes. But…I'm… still… here…" Jack groaned and strained, starting to climb.

Lily backed up as her brother instructed her, sobbing and clutching her hands together, helpless to do anything, but realized Jack didn't want to die anymore.

He finally made progress in his climb, and climbed hand-over-hand, and when he could, grasped the vine with his feet to accelerate his climb up to safer ground. He could still fall but now he didn't want to and prayed that the root would not snap. At the top of the cliff right in front of Lily on stable ground, he crawled away from the loose rock, sprawled on his stomach at her bare feet, his chest heaving to regain his breath. She laid on him and clutched him, crying terribly.

He was staggered and exhausted from his mental, emotional, and physical struggle against intentional and accidental death, ashamed that Lily and Jeanne had both witnessed his weakness and despair, and was shocked that he heard his beloved Jeanne's voice in English, if just for just a moment. But the voice wasn't in his head any more now that he was safe from falling, but he still felt Jeanne's fading presence. He sat up, kissed his sister on the cheek, hugged her tighter than ever before, wiped her tears, and gazed to the east almost as if he could see Jeanne's spirit travel back to her body. He knew she was out there somewhere, and needed him badly since the ransom was rejected. He had no idea how he and Jeanne could briefly think and feel each other in their heads, but they'd now done it more than once, and it gave him hope for the first time since Kamina.

Lily's sweet little voice replaced the inner voice as she rushed to hug him, "You're safe, big bruver. Let's go home now. You know Jeannie's alive don't you? She's in your eyes. Save her like you saved me. Bring back my 'big sister', Jack."

He picked her up in his strong arms, and kissed her on her cheek, "I can do that now, Lily, since you just saved me."

She smiled, rubbed his kiss into her cheek, and kissed him back, "Let's go home so you can hug my Jeannie and tell her what happened."

"Sure thing, sis," he actually smiled and ruffled her hair. He felt like a completely different person with the revelation he experienced.

She hopped on his back, wrapped her cute little legs around his sides, and she clung to his broadening shoulders. She giggled, and they headed to the treehouse. Just for a moment that giggle sounded like Jeanne's and the feeling of Lily on his back was much like his beloved, and it spurred him on.

The Jack that came home was different - not despondent, not forlorn, not hurting constantly, and not fearful.

He was resolute.

…

About 1600 kilometers away Jeanne collapsed completely on the ground in front of Margrite's hut, knowing Jack was safe, brought back from his emptiness and despair because of her words and his sister's. She gasped for breath. Jeanne had directly experienced Jack's terrible agony and hurt of losing her, and it broke her heart to feel his pain over her – a pain so great he would have ended it all. But as their inexplicable mental connection faded, she only felt his total commitment save her. It was just a matter of when. It strengthened her resolve to keep fighting her captors every step of the way. No matter how long she had to wait for him.

She instantly gave a prayer of thanks that she could somehow be present mentally and emotionally when Jack needed her most.

How Jeanne knew the words to say in English to get his attention to prevent Jack from leaping to his death was completely beyond her understanding, much less understand this 'link' that only seemed to work in times of worse peril for each of them. But it was something special they had. Surely it must be a connection borne of their deep relationship. Jeanne wondered if this special God-given miracle bond could work more regularly and she vowed to try, and prayed Jack would realize this too. Perhaps they could find each other sooner. She regretted, in the crisis of the moment, not trying to tell him she was in Garua.

Margrite was disconcerted by Jeanne's faraway look, her outbursts, and that she seemed to be talking to herself, so the woman asked, "What did you say, Meriem? Who is Jacques?"

Jeanne felt reconnected with her body again, and was glad Margrite witnessed what happened, just to confirm for herself that the mental link with Jack actually occurred.

The little girl lied, "It's 'Jack'. I just had an awful flashback from… the shipwreck. He was a British sailor named Jack who I made friends with. In the attack by the German undersea ship, his clothes caught on fire and he jumped into the sea to douse the flames. He never came up."

"I thought you didn't know English, Meriem," challenged a skeptical Margrite.

Jeanne deflected Margrite's questions with another fib, "I don't, but he taught me a little. I guess I just remembered."

The Kamerunian woman gave her a doubtful look. She'd heard of strong-willed people going crazy in captivity. It was something she'd have to watch for Karl-Heinz if it got worse. Margrite went back to preparing meal for Karl-Heinz and Gunter, with Jeanne's help. In the evening she needed to keep working on the sets of boyish shirt and trousers the men were demanding she wear. It was too bad. Meriem looked cute in the one piece simple dresses Margrite had trimmed from several of her own that didn't fit any more. Margrite had convinced Karl-Heinz that Meriem needed to look like a girl in the village, and she let her run naturally around her hut, which she seemed to prefer. Meriem liked wearing some of Margrite's Ewondo bracelets and anklets and multiple beaded waist cords she let her have. Margrite's action was a little defiance of her own against her boyfriend. Meriem was a pretty little thing, accentuated with the native jewelry, even without her hair. Those hazel eyes were haunting.

The day Margrite started dressing naturally with Meriem wearing her best Ewondo jewelry and leatherwork – like she did as a younger woman - in the privacy of her home made Jeanne very happy, but not half as happy as it made Karl-Heinz when he found her that way after he came home from his latest radiotelegraph shift. He took Margrite right then in front of their captive. Jeanne just quietly watched them go at it beside the pair, and it pleased Margrite. Rather than be appalled at the sight as before, she smiled for Margrite's happiness. Karl-Heinz' forced changes were happening in Jeanne that she didn't even notice.

…

"We've searched everywhere, Tarzan. Where would a desperate little boy go to be alone?" Jane whimpered.

That word triggered a terrible realization in Tarzan, "Good Lord, no!"

"What?"

"No time, Jane," Tarzan said desperately.

He turned to leap into the trees toward the cliffs to save Jack before it was too late. But he stopped in his tracks. Off in the far distance, he sighed hearing Jack's jungle call announcing his return and saw that his eldest son and daughter were swinging together back to the treehouse.

The grown man collapsed to his knees and wept, and Jane could barely comfort him before the children returned.

…

Jack and Lily hurried back to the treehouse together piggyback, talking and kidding almost like normal. Jack was expecting a terrible scolding. His poise as they entered the main door was very confident, and his parents noted it immediately. It was like one Jack left and another replaced him on the return. Something visceral happened to Jack out there.

Instead of punishing him, both parents rushed him and hugged him tightly. Jane said with great relief, "Jack, your father and I were so worried. You were so distraught by the revenge note."

Tarzan did admonish him a little, "You should have never run off like that. We already talked about that."

"Sorry Mom and Dad. I was just… so… so upset. You didn't need to see me that way. I just needed time to think. I'm… I'm OK now. Really."

"OK Jack. If you say so," Jane responded somewhat doubtfully, and hugged him against against her bosom. It felt good to Jack to again to feel something that wasn't hurt. His mom's natural hugs were especially soft and soothing.

Jane then turned to her oldest daughter and scolded, "Nor you, young lady. Never go alone in the jungle again without one of us."

"I'm sorry Mommy. I knew I would find him if I went."

"Where did you go, Jack?" Tarzan asked as he Jack turned to hug his father again too.

"Sorry Dad," he shrugged, "It was just a place I needed to go to get away and think. Lily found me. She really helped me."

Tarzan decided not to press his son, even though he was certain where he was. He seemed to be calm and confident, and the hurt seemed to be gone, at least for the moment. He didn't want to disturb that feeling by chastising him.

Jack sat with his parents, sipping some coconut juice, and continued to apologize, "I am so sorry I made you all worry. I've been worrying all the time. I was so afraid for Jeanne and I blamed myself. I felt like I was losing my mind."

Both parents knew how true that was. And it was causing them to lose theirs too.

Jack drew himself up in a confident stance,"Now I have to do the right things - starting inside me."

"What right things?" encouraged Tarzan.

"To take control of my fear, Dad. To not live with the hurt and pain ever again. It wasn't helping me, or you, and wasn't helping get Jeanne back. It… it almost killed me today."

This confirmed for Tarzan where he had gone, but just kept listening. Jane understood not as well but let him continue. She wondered if the 'killing' was literal or figurative.

Jack said with confidence, "It's time to find my way again, and find her. And not let anyone stop me from doing what's right. What's right is finding Jeanne, Dad and Mom. Madame Jacot forbid me to do that. I am asking… begging… for your permission to disobey Jeanne's mom and to do everything to save her. Without the ransom everything has changed."

His parents hesitated. They promised not to interfere with the Jacot family ever again. The French military court order restraining them from any action and prohibiting Jack from being anywhere near Jeanne was still in full force for the past nine months.

Jack was persuasive, "I have to do this, Dad. Before those men destroy her inside. Like they claim they will do."

The two parents looked at each other. Both knew the only way for Jack to fully recover from his despair was to give him purpose again. Saving her would give him that purpose. But this time he needed to do it with his father who could guide and direct him. And with his mother's support.

The two parents had discussed this scenario before to defy the court order. It was decided non-verbally.

Tarzan spoke, "All right Jack. But not without me. You can't run away again alone. And we can't just forge out there on a whim. We only leave when we have something positive to follow up on from the messages. Africa is huge. We could search for years blindly and come up with nothing."

"Yes, Father, I understand. We could still search years even with a solid lead."

Silently they all knew that this was probably true, especially because the war limited how and what and where they could go. It wasn't even safe to go back to England because of the U boats. And even if Jeanne's captors stayed in Africa, the continent was vast, and travel took months and years. It was an incredibly mature and sobering thought for a boy so young. He understood that finding Jeanne could take a very long time.

"So be it then," Tarzan said proudly in support of his oldest son.

"Behold, the Count and Viscount of Greystoke. Scofflaws and fugitives!" Jane joked, knowing their conspiracy to defy the restraining orders by the Jacot's could mean jail time for her son and husband.

Tarzan and Jack hugged and his mother held back her tears, proud of two of her men, remembering she had four men in her life now and smiled. The youngest was gratefully still napping right next to his twin sister, which they seemed to like best. The oldest man in her life felt like it was time to speak.

"I can help," offered Archimedes who had been listening, "I was a military man. I can monitor communications for us."

Kala offered, "Let me help too," even if she had no idea how to help other than be there in emotional support for all of them, and that was powerful help in itself.

They all appreciated that. Kala always wanted to be wherever Archimedes was, and especially so when he was needed to find Jack's missing mate. She'd assist this young family and her mate find this little human girl that meant so much to all of them.

"Me too, big bruver!" Lily chimed in.

"Jack. What do you think? Everyone is with you in this," encouraged Tarzan.

He paused and was nearly overcome by emotion with all the support, "I'm the luckiest boy alive that the whole family is going to help me find Jeanne."

Jack was completely changed, and in a number of ways back to himself again. Jane could see it in his eyes. Most of the change was good. But what she saw deep inside made her worry as a mother more than ever before.

Not only did she see contentment to be back with the family, his renewed confidence, happiness with all the support the entire family was giving him, but she also saw in those eyes a flicker of rage and anger directed at the kidnappers.

That rage would change this boy into a man far too soon, and make him a man who would be far different than his father if allowed to dominate him.

Jane knew her job as a mother would never be more difficult.