Authors Note:

HI! Hope you are enjoying the story so far. It has been really fun to write! O.K. Chapter 3 is divided up into two parts.  You really need to read them together so what I've done is tacked 3b onto the end of 3a. This is will make chapter 3 longer than I had intended but you will get to read both of them at the same time. Chapter 3a is just what the title says it is-everybody waiting for news. Chapter 3b deals with Scarlett's background and explains who Mica is. It has some really sweet mushy stuff between Duke and Scarlett. Thanks to Teala and Suzanne for having sites on which to post my work & to the few people who have reviewed the story. All comments are welcome. One last thing-I don't own the Joes and am not making any money off them. Write to me at TopHat1945@hotmail.com .

Ghosts of My Past

Part 3a: At the Hospital

            The Joes are camped out in the waiting room, awaiting news on their friend's condition. Scarlett's doctor walks out.

            "Doctor, how is she?" Duke asks

            "She made it out surgery fairly well, but, as you Americans say, she is not out of the woods yet. She lost a great deal of blood and I'm concerned about how stable her blood pressure is. On the other hand, the wound went in straight and inflicted a minimal amount of damage for this type of wound. The next few hours are critical. " The doctor reported

            "What can we do to help?" Wild Bill asked

            "There's nothing you can do. This is her fight. Pray and hope-that's all you can do. I'll be in to check on her every hour. If there is any change in her condition, I'll let you know. " the doctor walked out of the waiting room

            The Joes sat there stunned. After a while, Duke looked up from gazing at the floor and spoke, "Go see if she can have visitors yet. One us needs to be with her. She needs someone to hold her hand and tell her to keep fighting. " Duke ran his fingers through his hair and then continued, "I need to call the ambassador to fill him in on what's happening. And then I need to check in with headquarters," Duke paused and then added softly, "And then I'll need to call her father and let him know what's happened. "

            Duke found a phone and began making the necessary calls.

            "Duke, is that you?" the ambassador asked when Duke finally got him on the phone.

            "Yes sir. I'm still at the hospital. I just spoke with Scarlett's doctor. She made it out of surgery but the doctor is still very concerned. He said the next few hours are critical. How are things on your end?"

            "Not good. We have a problem."

            "Another one? What now?"

            "I was present when my team interviewed gardener. The man he describes as the man who stabbed Scarlett is the same man suspecting of assignating the Irish ambassador."

            "Shit. Are they sure? I was under the impression that the investigative team had things under control."

            "So was I. Things however, appear to be far from under control.  The gardener got a good look at the knife and describes the man as being very large and menacing with red hair and an odd accent. He had the same build and description as the man we suspect. Ambassador Kelly confirmed that the description we have is that of a known assassin."

            "Ambassador Kelly? The same one who wanted a meeting with Scarlett tomorrow?"

            "Yes. It seems that she got tired of waiting. She called the Doctor's house. Don't ask how she found out the team was there. Like I said before. She is a woman with an uncanny ability to get what she wants. The Ambassador wasn't able to talk with the Doctor-we were interviewing him at the time-so she got her aid to drive her over the estate."

            "Well, she is determined. I'll give her that. But how in hell is she involved in this?"

            "Ambassador Kelly informed me that she was searching for a man called Mica O'Reily. This man is an IRA assassin who apparently holds a grudge against Scarlett.  This mess somehow relates back to a highly classified mission Scarlett was working on before she came to G .I. JOE. That's all I could pry out of the Ambassador. She may be willing to tell you more."

            "This just gets more interesting all the time doesn't it?" he retorted

            "The good news is that I managed, with a little help from Ambassador Kelly, to get my office complete control over the investigation. I have been given permission to bring you and your team on board. I can let you lead the investigation of Scarlet's murder attempt as well as the investigation of the Irish ambassador's assignation since the two cases seem to be connected. The investigative team seems to have good at blowing smoke and not much else."

"Is that another word for bungling idiot?" Duke asked

"Hmm," the ambassador replied, "My office can provide you with anything you need just let me know.

            "I'll send my men over right away. "

            "Send them back to Doctor Shakoor's house. For the time being that's where we're set up. We'll need to canvas the airport and other means of leaving the country but we have to get organized first. I'll see your men in about an hour.  If there is anything I can do at your end let me know."

            "I will."  With that the two men hung up and Duke went to find his team in the waiting room.

            They looked up when he entered. "Any word from their end?" Bill asked

            "No. Where's Snakes? What did the doctor say about visitors?"

            Bill grinned "We didn't ask. Snake Eyes just went in there. One nurse tried to give him a hard time but he just pulled his sword out and laid it across his lap. That shut everybody up right quick."

            "Good job." Duke paused a moment and went on "The shit hit the fan boys and it's our job to clean it up." Duke related his phone conversation with the team.

            "I want you all to go over there and get started with the investigation. I want a report in two hours. The car should be waiting outside to take you back to the Doctor's house. That's where they are set up for the time being. Good hunting."

            The boys left and Duke went to check on Scarlett and tell Snakes what had happened.

            He walked into the room and just stood there. "I don't know what to do. This isn't her. She's always so full of life even when she's asleep."

            Duke stood there a moment more and then told Snake Eyes what had happened.

            "Do you want me to stay here?" Snakes signed

            "Yes. She needs one of us and I can't sit with her yet. I have some more calls to make before I can sit and process everything that happened. I don't trust myself not to fall apart and I can't do that yet."

            Snakes nodded as Duke left to finish making his calls. Duke turned and walked back to the office, this time to check in with headquarters and then to call Scarlet's dad. That was the part he dreaded the most, what would he say? What could he say? Duke shook himself free from those dismal thoughts and called base.

            "Duke, how is everything? We were starting to think you guys had partied a little too hard." Breaker joked to Duke along with the others in the control room

            "Breaker, put Hawk on the line." Duke ordered, cutting the laughter short

            "Yeah, sure man. Hold on just a sec.  I'll connect you to his office." Breaker turned all business when he heard the tone in Duke's voice

            "Duke, Breaker tells me you've run into some trouble?" Hawk asked Duke

            "Yes sir. Only it's not a little, it's a lot." Duke replied "Scarlet has been hurt."

            "Hurt? How and how severely?" Hawk inquired

Duke explained what had happened as a result of the stabbing and the incompetent investigation of the ambassador's assignation that may have lead to the stabbing.

            "I'll speak with the president the moment we hang up. That should give the ambassador a little more pressure to apply on the people at your end. I'll need to let Scarlet's father know what's happened. "

            "If you don't mind sir, It would be better if I spoke with her father."

            "Very well, I don't envy the job, but you were there. You're considerably closer to the situation than I am. " Hawk gave Duke the number to Scarlet's father's house.

            As they hung up, Duke thought to himself, you don't know the half of it. 

            After Duke talked with Scarlett's father and convinced him that he didn't need to be on the first flight out he went to check on Scarlett. He thought to himself that talking her father had been the hardest thing he had ever done. He hoped the next time they spoke it would be over happier circumstances.

            As Duke was walking back to her room a voice called his name.

"Sergeant Hauser?" the voice called

            "Yes." Duke turned around to face an American Air Fore captain in dress blues.   

            The captain looked Duke up and down and asked in a dubious voice, "You are Sgt. Hauser?"

            "Yes. What do you want?"

            "Ambassador Kelly requested I find you. She would like a word."

            "If she wants to talk with me then tell her she can come find me." Duke walked off

            "Ambassador Kelly would like you to come to her. I wouldn't put her out if I were you. She is trying to help after all. "

            "If she wants to talk with me then tell her to get off her ass and get over here. I'm not leaving this hospital. I've got a team member who's fighting for her life just down the hall. " Duke told him off

            "Yes. I know. I have her transfer orders in my pocket. Let me introduce myself. I am Captain Stevens. I work for General Elliot Peters. General Peters works for Ambassador Kelly. She would have liked to have had a word with Ms. O' Hara however, under the circumstances she would like to speak with you. "

            "You have what?" Duke couldn't believe his ears. Transfer orders? She was fighting for her life a few feet away and this idiot was talking about transfer orders.

            "She, as you know, is unable to speak to anyone at the moment and if you want to talk to me get in line." Duke replied holding his temper in check a moment longer

            Sevens could see the pulse beats standing out in Duke's neck. Still he had to be sure. "Ambassador Kelly would like to speak with you as soon as possible."

            All the bottled emotion came out at as Duke grabbed Stevens by the front of his uniform.

"Snap your fingers, utter a few magic words, and maybe, you'll have better luck bringing her back to reality than we have!" Duke softly and menacingly spoke to Stevens before walking off to return to Scarlett's bedside.

"Shauna, I don't know if you can hear me, but I need to say this just in case. You know I'm not real good at talking about things like this. I do better commanding a bunch of troops on a battlefield. You're fighting a different battle right now; maybe this one's harder than anything else you've ever had to do, but keep fighting. Hold on. We need you to come back to us. I need you to.  I've said it before, but I didn't know then just how real what I'm feeling is, I love you Shauna. I'm lost right now. I don't know if it will help, but I'm here, and I'll stay here until you come back to me. "   Duke held her hand and said a silent prayer for God to help her hold on.

Part 3b Ghosts of My Past

Hold On

            She was dreaming. Or remembering, she wasn't quite sure at this point. She just knew she wanted the images in her head to go away.

            She was standing in front of Bren-he had his arm wrapped around her neck in a chock hold and a gun pointed at Toby. She tried to get free but the more she struggled the tighter Bren's grip became. Toby was standing about 50 ft in front of them. Toby and Bren were yelling. They both had guns. Both men were pointing their gun at the other and she was caught in the middle. She twisted and got a hold of Bren's knife. He was occupied with shouting at Toby and hadn't realized she had it.

"You're slipping Bren. You've been at it too long. You can't tell your friends from your enemies now." she thought silently to herself

"Please." she thought again to herself "Don't make me do this. I don't know if I choose."

But in that instant she discovered that she could and would choose one man over the other. She felt Bren's arm tense further. He was going to pull the trigger and he was going to do now. She plunged the knife into his lower abdomen at the same moment he pulled the trigger. The shot went wild. Suddenly everything was in a free fall. She could see the white ice jumping up to meet her as Bren's grasp loosened.

It all happened instantaneously. Bren fell backward, she fell sideways out of his arms, and the bullet struck Toby's left shoulder instead of his heart.

She got up and looked around. Bren was no where in sight. It was foggy again. Damn this weather! She could just make out Toby. He was lying on his back unconscious. She rushed over to where his body was lying on the cold ice. "Safe." she thought to herself. "Now, where is Bren, he'll be in worse shape." She scanned the ice through the fog . There! A splash of color amidst all the white. "Bren!" she shouted "Can you hear me? Are you all right? Answer…" her cries were cut off mid sentence as the fog cleared and she saw Bren's scarf. She was standing on the edge of ice. All she could see for miles and miles was water; the cold, frigid, icy water of the North Sea all around them. And Bren was out there, somewhere.

A voice calling her name breaks her reverie. If she concentrated hard enough she could almost make out what the voice was saying. It was a man's voice but not the same man in her dreams. The voice is gentle. And strong. It beckons her and a different kind of dream or memory surfaces. She resists at first. The voice is comforting but the memories- that was what they were-had thus far been painful and harsh. The darkness called to her once again and she was not yet strong enough to resist. So she succumbs once more into her dream world of memories. But these memories aren't like before. These are happy and peaceful.

It was a rainy day. She was soaked to the skin but laughing. She turned to her friend to ask why they were laughing so hard. He was laughing so hard he couldn't answer her. He unlocked the door and they went into his apartment.

"Here," he said when he could speak again, "I'll get you a towel to dry your hair." It was the same voice that had called to her a few moments before. They had been caught in a torrential rainfall just as they were walking into the base. They were soaked and for some reason that was hilarious. They hadn't been able to do anything more than laugh for several minutes. And then for several more minutes all they had to do was glance at each other and they would start up again. She took her hair down out of its ponytail and began drying it. After a few moments she had it as dry as it was going to get. She put the towel down and stood up.  He looked into her eyes as he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. Their eyes locked and she felt herself falling even though her feet never left the ground. He kissed her. It was a long and sweet kiss, full of promise. She remembered that she didn't want the kiss to end. But end it did and all too soon. But his arms tightened around her and he smiled down at her. They made love that afternoon.

Later, she was lying in his arms. She thought he was asleep and looked up. He met her gaze with a smile that turned serious. "What?" she asked

He put his finger over her lips. "This may not be the best time to say this, but I want to say it any ways. I love you Shauna O' Hara and I have for the longest time."

The voice called to her again. She remembered the voice belonged to Duke. "What is he saying? He sounds sad and far away." she thought to herself

            She tried desperately to hold on to the voice but it kept slipping away, sending her back into the darkness.

 So, what do you think? Now we know who Ambassador Kelly is but what does she really want with Scarlett? And how is Scarlett's past connected to her getting stabbed? Stay tuned and find out next month! As always, comments are welcome-in fact they are encouraged. TopHat1945@hotmail.com