Thank you Godhand's Number, Skymouth, and Just me and myself for the reviews. Sorry it's been over a month since I updated...very busy.

Chapter Eleven

From their position behind the woodpile the rescue team could hear the angry shouts of approaching Order members. They had to get out of the open…fast.

"Sean…over here!" Kim didn't bother to use her radio; they were all huddled close enough to hear each other.

The agent turned his attention away from the farmhouse and noticed her pointing to something behind them. He spun around prepared to shoot, and noticed the open door leading, hopefully, into the safety of the barn.

"Hey guys!" He got Shego and Bill's attention and pointed their escape route out to them.

"Grab Stoppable and head for the door…" Shego yelled over the sporadic gunfire. "I'll give you covering-fire on three. When you get him inside, cover me from the doorway."

Sean reached down and lifted Ron off the ground, invoking a painful string of obscenities, and nodded.

"Ok, one…two…three!" Shego rose up over the wood and began to fire upon the closest group of soldiers, sending them diving for cover.

Without hesitating, Sean, Kim, and Bill quickly covered the distance to the side door and all but dove inside.

Once inside the barn, Sean leaned Ron against the wall and returned to the door to provide cover for Shego. Reaching the doorframe, the FBI agent took a standing position and fired off about twelve rounds before his partner came scurrying in.

Now that they were all safely in the barn, Sean shut and locked the heavy wooden door and ran over to where everyone was nervously gathered. They were out of harms way, for now…

While the rescue team took stock of their situation inside, outside over two-dozen armed Order members were beginning to take up positions surrounding the barn. Every door, window, and crack in the wall was being watched through the sights of a gun.
Having eluded danger only momentarily, the team immediately took stock of their surroundings. The inside of the barn appeared much smaller than it really was; possibly due to the enormous collection of dust-covered farm equipment left over from when the compound held a legitimate purpose. In addition to the door they had just entered through there were two other personnel entrances, as well as the traditional large double-doors up front.

Sean observed their shelter with dismay; from a tactical standpoint it was far less than ideal. In addition to having four potential entrances to guard, they would also have nothing but the wooden planks that made up the walls for protection. From a ballistics standpoint, they may as well be in the open; what they needed was…his eyes settled on a pair of concrete stairs leading into the floor approximately fifteen feet from him…a cellar.

"Sue," Sean pointed his find out to his partner. She followed his gaze to the cellar entrance and gave an approving nod.

"What's the plan guys?" Asked Kim. She was cradling Ron in her arms while her father stood next to her; still too shocked by the presence of his daughter and Ron to even speak.

Sean pointed her eyes in the direction of the stairs. "We need to get into the cellar, then we can hole-up and wait for the cavalry."

The idea of simply waiting while Ron sat in pain unsettled Kim, but she realized there was realistically no other option at the time. Quelling her fear and uneasiness, she nodded and, for the first time since his rescue, addressed her father directly.

"Dad," Bill almost seemed to jump when she spoke to him. "Can you carry Ron?"

He looked down nervously at her daughter's childhood friend and partner, his face visibly pale from the shock and pain of his wound, and managed to force out a response.

"Uh…sure Kimmie…"

Bill knelt down and scooped the injured teen into his arms as gently as he could manage. His efforts only evoked a low, painful moan from Ron as he followed the commandos and his daughter over to, and down the stairs into the cellar.

Sean, Shego, and Kim were huddled near the base of the stairs by the time Bill made his way down the steps. He didn't consider himself to be a particularly weak person, but the weight of the eighteen-year-old, plus all of his gear, made the short trip rather strenuous for the scientist.

He reached the concrete floor and called out for someone to help him with Ron. The agents were both on their radios calling for backup, so it was Kim who came to his rescue.

She helped Ron out of her father's arms and they both carried him over to a desk and chair that, surprisingly, was free of dirt and dust, unlike most of the other items of junk around the cramped room. They set him in the chair as gently as they could and Kim knelt down next to him.

"How you doing Ron?"

It was a rather dumb thing to be asking him, but Kim just wanted to hear his voice; as long as he could still answer, she wouldn't completely freak out.

"Just a sec…" Ron rolled his head forward and looked down at the barely visible hole in his Kevlar vest. "Yup, still shot…you?" He looked up and gave her the goofiest grin he could manage under the circumstances.

"I'm ok Ron, so is my dad."

Ron looked up at his best friend/girlfriend's father. "Hey Dr. P…how come you never told us you work for the Army?" Bill's eyes grew wide.

"H-how…what are you talking about Ronald? I don't…"

"Dad," Kim interrupted him. "Sean told us about USAAMRID and the virus they made you steal…"

The scientist stared at them both in shocked horror. "K-Kimmie…I'm…"

Kim raised her hand to stop him. "Dad, I really don't care about that right now. We need to get Ron, and ourselves, out of here before we worry about anything else." Bill swallowed and nodded.

"Guys?" Kim and Bill turned and found Sean standing next to them. Shego was across the room covering the stairway for any potential threats.

"Strike force is on its way in," His eyes were focused on Ron as he spoke. "They should be here in less than fifteen minutes."

"What do we do about Ron?" Kim asked.

"Susan was a Search and Rescue paramedic in high school and college, if you can go cover the stairs for her, she'll take a look."

Kim was reluctant to leave her partner's side, but a strong glare from Sean pushed her into action and she hurried to replace Shego, who rushed over and ripped a first-aid pouch off of her back.

"Hey Stoppable, how you holding up?" She opened the pouch and withdrew several medical items, including a smaller pack labeled GSW Treatment.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"It'd help if you did."

"It's just a dull burning feeling when I stay still, but when I move…" He reached down slowly and covered the hole in his vest with his hand. When he removed his fingers, there was no blood visible. "It's not bleeding…why isn't it bleeding?" She could tell from the rising tone of his voice and rapid breathing that he was beginning to panic.

"Bullets are very hot when they're fired, it just burned the vessels shut." It was a lie, but hopefully Ron didn't know enough about first-aid to realize it.

"Oh…ok…" Her lie worked and he began to relax.

"Ron, this is going to hurt a little, but we need to get this gear off of you so I can get a better look at the wound, ok?"

"Ok…"

She signaled for Sean to assist her and together they unsnapped Ron's tactical vest and removed it as gingerly as possible. Although it was obvious the removal caused a great deal of pain, the teen seemed determined to conceal it; possibly because he knew that any cry would cause Kim to leave her post and run to his side, exposing them to a potential attack.

The second Kevlar vest was easier to remove; all Shego had to do was un-strap the Velcro and lift the front carrier off of Ron's chest, thus exposing the small blackened hole approximately six inches below his left nipple. Even with his shirt and both vests removed, the wound was still not bleeding, but the area directly below the hole was slightly discolored; like a deep bruise that had yet to fully surface.

"Ron, I'm going to apply a little pressure right here below the wound, I want you to let me know if you feel any additional pain."

Ron nodded and Shego placed three fingers against the bruised area; applying pressure as she did so. The area was noticeably harder than it was supposed to be; it felt like there was a water balloon about the size of two fists buried beneath his skin.

Ron, of course, didn't just tell Shego that her actions hurt him, he screamed at her, coughed, took an angry swing at the interim medic, and slumped forward in his chair. He may very well have fallen to the floor if Kim hadn't run over to support him. She pushed him back into his seat and placed her arm over his shoulders, reassuring him that she was there, and not to worry.

Shego took the distraction as an opportunity to back off to the other side of the room and act like she was resuming her guard duties. Sean and Bill quietly followed.

"It's bad…isn't it?" Sean asked, making sure to keep his voice low enough that Kim wouldn't hear. Shego sighed and nodded.

"He's bleeding internally…"

"Exactly how bad is it?" Bill asked.

"It's bad, if he's not in the hands of competent paramedics in twenty minutes, and into surgery soon after that, he's going to die." They glanced back over at Ron, who seemed to have been calmed by Kim's presence.

"Is there anything else we can do for him?" Bill asked desperately.

"Not us," Sean commented. "But Kim should be able to keep him comfortable. If he's got his girlfriend with him it should give him a little extra strength to keep fighting."

"They're not a couple." Both agents looked at the scientist.

"What?"

"They're best friends, but they're not dating…" Shego slapped Bill lightly on the back and shook her head.

"Not since last night Doc. Now they're a little more than friends."

Bill's jaw dropped. He seemed to want to say or do something, but any and all further actions were interrupted by the squelch of a base CB radio sitting on the desk next to the two teens.

"To the UN storm troopers seeking refuge in the barn," A cold voice boomed out of the speakers drawing everyone over to the desk. "I'm assuming you all had the intelligence to seek shelter in the cellar, so my transmission should be coming through to you. I want to speak with the leader of your little lynch mob." Sean picked up the mic and keyed the talk button.

"This is FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Pollard, we are federal law enforcement personnel conducting a search and rescue operation under the authorization of the US Attorney's office. Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Kerry Noble, Commander of The New Order, your troops and you have entered onto sovereign land, stolen our prisoner of war, and killed three of my men. Against my better judgment, and the wishes of my soldiers, I am giving you the opportunity to surrender. Step outside with your hands in the air and you will not be harmed." Sean looked over at Shego and snorted.

"We are not surrendering to you, this land is not sovereign in the eyes of the federal government. Your men fired on us despite clearly visible identification on our uniforms and we had no choice but to neutralize them."

"One of those men you 'neutralized', the one your trooper shot in the back, was my thirteen-year-old son Erik…" Behind him, Sean could hear Kim let out a horrified gasp. Sean shook his head in disgust.

"Your son shot my teammate and fired on the rest of us, we did what we had to do." Sean's voice held no sympathy. "We've got a multi-agency strike force preparing to storm this compound Kerry, I suggest you not be carrying a weapon when they get here." There were several seconds of silence before Noble's voice came back on.

"You're bluffing."

"What?" Sean looked over at Shego who was slowly moving back to the base of the stairs, just in case anyone was trying to sneak in while they were on the radio.

"I said 'You're bluffing' Agent Pollard. If your 'rescue team' were anywhere close my men would have noticed them already. We have been keeping an eye on activity around Edgewood, the most that has been reported was a charter bus broken down on the interstate." Sean chuckled lightly, drawing a confused look from Bill.

"Well I guess we're at a stalemate here Kerry, because my team isn't coming out until our reinforcements arrive."

"…You have ten minutes to rethink your decision, then we come in after you." And with that the conversation ended.

Sean looked down at his watch, according to the helicopter pilots; they were due to arrive in a little over five minutes, just ahead of the deadline.

"What do we do now?" Bill asked. Sean shrugged and loaded a fresh magazine into his assault rifle.

"Hope the Iowa Air National Guard keeps a tight schedule…"

"Agent Pollard, we have given you more than enough time to make a decision. If we don't see any signs of surrender in the next two minutes, I'm ordering my men into the building." The transmission ended and once again the group was left nervously awaiting any signs of rescue.

"KP…" Ron's voice was weak and barely audible. His skin was also starting to resemble the pale white of the wall behind him.

"I'm here Ron." Kim knelt down and took is hand. He smiled and tilted his head back against the wall.

"I love you Kim…"

"I love you too Ron." She blurted it out without even caring that her father was right beside her.

Ron's smile grew wider and his eyes slowly drew shut. Kim waited a moment for them to open again, but they remained shut. Then his smile faded and his entire body relaxed.

"Ron?" He didn't answer.

"Ron?" She leaned in and said his name louder, just in case he didn't hear it the first time; still no response.

"Ron!" She grabbed her partner's shoulders and began to shake him. With a painful yelp, the teen's eyes flew open and refocused on his girlfriend's worried face.

"Ow, what!" His question was answered in the form of a rather harsh slap.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Kim hissed. "I-I thought I'd lost you…"

"Relax…" He reached up and stroked her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, I just…"

"What?" Kim questioned his abrupt silence. He looked up at the ceiling.

"Do you…hear that?"

Everyone in the room stopped and listened. In the distance, they could hear a low rumbling sound coming up fast from the East.

In less than ten seconds the rumble grew to an overwhelming roar as two Vietnam-era National Guard Hueys arrived over the compound and flared to a stop. At the same time, over two-dozen members of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team emerged from the woods, quickly securing a spot for the SWAT teams on the helicopters to fast-rope down.

Less than a minute after their arrival, close to fifty heavily armed state and federal law enforcement personnel were working their way through the compound toward the barn. Surprisingly they met with little resistance as most of the Order members turned and fled into the sanctuary of the compound's church.

By the time the first State TAC team reached the locked barn door, the police and FBI had managed to clear the grounds and surround the church where 98 of the Order now resided.

"You stupid assholes!" Sean picked the mic up and keyed the talk button.

"It's not too late to surrender Kerry."

"Fuck you!" The transmission ended as abruptly as it began.

"Sean!" Shego yelled, her submachine gun was pointed at the top of the stairs. "We got movement!" The FBI agent rushed over and took aim next to her.

Above them, they could hear heavy footsteps traversing the cluttered maze of farm equipment. As they got closer to the opening, they heard someone shout "Over here!" and all of the footsteps seemed to stop around the opened cellar door.

Sean looked over at Kim and her father and gestured for the two to take up a kneeling position on either side of the stairway, that way they had a rough echelon formation covering the stairs.

"Agent Pollard?" A voice shouted from above them.

"Yeah?" He really couldn't think of anything better to answer with.

"I'm Lt. Donovan, Iowa State Police, we're coming down alright?"

"Slowly," Sean cautioned. "And bring a stretcher!"

The four of them watched cautiously as five black-clad tactical officers with ISP patches on their shoulder descended the stairs. Sean took no time in controlling the situation.

"We need to get him to a hospital, now!" Sean pointed to Ron, who appeared to be nearing unconsciousness.

The man nodded and called in the all clear. A few seconds later two more TAC officers came down with a combat stretcher and transitioned Ron onto it.

"We're going to need to fly him out." Sean informed the TAC team leader.

"Already been done," The officer replied rather testily. "Life Flight should be here in a few minutes. They're taking him and Dr. Possible to St. Luke's Advanced Surgery Center in Cedar Rapids."

"But I'm not injured…" Bill attempted to argue but Shego interrupted him.

"Sorry Doc, it's procedure." The scientist opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it.

"The compound's been secured," The TAC officer informed them. "If you can follow me, we'll get you out of this basement."

Kim glanced around nervously as they followed Lt. Donovan and his men out of the barn and toward an open area at the front of the farm. Looking around, she couldn't believe that there had been such a violent shootout just twenty minutes before.

The compound was now completely overrun by law enforcement personnel; everywhere she looked there were armed SWAT officers with 'POLICE' or 'FBI' on their backs shuffling around. There was absolutely no sign of any of the Order members who had been shooting at them earlier.

"Where is everybody?" Sean asked, referring to Noble and his men.

The lieutenant gestured toward a large wooden building near the other side of the compound where nearly a dozen state and federal SWAT officers stood ready; their guns all pointed at its hastily-boarded up windows. From the white cross adorning the planks above the front door, it was obviously a church of some sort.

"They all barricaded themselves in the church as soon as we arrived. We've got a negotiator in route, but it looks like they've doused themselves in some sort of accelerant." The man announced emotionlessly. "It appears they're preparing to torch themselves."

Sean shook his head and snorted in disgust. "That's a fucking shame, let's just make sure none of us are holding the match when they decide to end it."

Reaching the front of the farm, they stopped just as a small convoy of rescue vehicles rolled past on their way to the rear of the compound. The two officers laid Ron's stretcher on the ground and took off to resume their duties while Kim knelt down to be with her partner. His face was pale and sweaty and he seemed to be trembling slightly and mumbling to himself.

She took his right hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Hang on Ron, we're getting you out of here." Even as she spoke, she could hear the sound of an approaching helicopter coming up quickly from the south. Hearing his partner's voice, Ron's trembling subsided slightly and a peaceful smile spread across his face.

With a high-pitched whine, the sleek medical helicopter reached the clearing and buzzed overhead. The group anxiously watched the flashing navigational lights of the craft as it circled once, and settled down only fifty feet in front of them.

While the pilot kept the rotors of the massive Sikorsky idling, the flight medic and engineer opened the rear door and carried a more formal metal-frame gurney over to the injured teen.

Kneeling down next to Kim, the medic gave the blond teen a quick survey and turned to the frightened redhead next to him. "What've we got?" His voice was completely professional with no hint of worry or compassion.

Shego leaned down and pointed out the bullet wound and the intensifying discoloration beneath it. "GSW to the lower left abdomen with critical internal hemorrhaging." She gestured behind her back toward Bill. "You're taking him for observation as well, he's been held captive for the last five days."

The medic nodded, waved his flight engineer over to help Bill, and looked back at Kim. "Ma'am, could you give me a hand with the gurney?"

Kim grabbed one end and the two hustled Ron toward the waiting helicopter with Sean and Shego close behind. By the time they reached the waiting aircraft, the engineer already had Bill fastened into one of the foldout seats. Kim helped guide the gurney into the back and stepped up to find a spot in the helicopter, only to be forced back by the medic.

"Sorry, flights full!" He shouted over the din of the engines.

"But…that's my boyfriend!" She tried to shove him out of the way, but he had quite a bit of leverage against the opened door.

The medic was momentarily caught off guard by Kim's comment, but he held his ground. "I'm sorry but there's just no room!" He waved his arm toward Bill, who was staring nervously at Ron. "We're already overweight as it is, any more and it will delay our arrival time at the hospital!"

Kim seriously doubted a helicopter of that size could be slowed too much with an additional hundred and ten pounds, but she didn't argue it further. With a sigh of defeat she stepped back from the Sikorsky and watched helplessly as the medic closed the door.

With an increased whine, the massive craft rose into the air, retracted its landing gear, and dipped its nose toward the south. Just as quickly as it had arrived, it was gone…

"Hey Kim?" She felt Sean place his hand gently on her shoulder. "I found this little guy huddled in Ron's tactical vest."

Kim spun around and found Rufus sitting in the agent's hand, looking up at her with round worried eyes.

As Kim took the pink rodent in her hand, Rufus tilted his head and asked, "Ron, ok?"

She held back her sobs just long enough to choke out, "I-I don't know?"

Possible Residence
Middleton, Colorado – June 7 06:08

For a Tuesday morning, the activity around the Possible household was unusually quiet. Weekday mornings usually consisted of chaos, destruction, chemical explosions, and at least one physical altercation (usually between Jim and Tim)…and that was before breakfast. This morning, however, was quiet.

In the kitchen Dr. Kathryn Possible sat staring at the empty seat that her husband would usually occupy to read the morning paper. The past five days had been the hardest of her entire life; first her husband of twenty years was abducted right out of their living room, then, one day later, her only daughter just disappeared along with Ronald.

It wasn't until the following morning that she learned of her daughter's arrest and incarceration. Ron's whereabouts, they claimed, were unknown.

Shortly thereafter, the FBI began to disappear from her house, one agent after another. They had assured her that the case was still being actively pursued, and that they would return as often as possible; a few did…the rest did not.

Currently, the only official still at the residence was Agent Marcus Olmo, a young man two months out of Quantico who had literally slept on the couch for the past five days. He had helped Kathryn out in any way he could and was instrumental in keeping her in one piece throughout the ordeal.

Jim and Tim had also done their part in maintaining their mother's sanity, though they were most likely unaware of it.

Kathryn had decided to bring her sons home after Kim was arrested and since then, they had done nothing but argue, yell, fight, cause small explosions, and carry on as if nothing was wrong. From the outside, this may have seemed like inappropriate behavior for Kathryn to have to deal with, but the small ray of normality actually helped to take her mind off of the events around her. She found that it was very difficult to worry about her husband and daughter while yelling at her sons regarding the dangers of creating a breeder nuclear reactor underneath the kitchen sink.

Even as she sat staring at the unopened morning paper, she could hear them in the living room, arguing over what channel to watch. It had been like that for the last three mornings; Jim wanted to watch The History Channel, Tim wanted to watch The Discovery Channel, and Agent Olmo always ended the fight by turning to MSNBC, effectively driving them from the room. Just the thought of the childish argument that was surely escalating helped to raise her spirits slightly…that is, until she heard both Jim and Tim shout for her.

"MOM!"

Kathryn stood up from her seat and rushed toward the living room to see what the problem was. In the entry hallway she bumped into Agent Olmo who, with a confused and concerned look on his face, mumbled "I'm checking on this now". He began to punch the keys on his cell phone and hurried out the front door.

Entering the living room, the forty-three year old neurosurgeon found her twin boys sitting calmly next to each other with a look of shock and horror on their faces.

"We couldn't figure out what to watch…" Jim began; only to be interrupted by Tim in a manner that only twins could manage.

"So Agent Olmo turned to the news…"

"And this was on live!" Kathryn looked over toward the television and let out a horrified gasp.

The image on the screen appeared to be some sort of official press conference. The suited man speaking was identified by the news ticker as Assistant Director Muller, FBI, Des Moines Field Office.

Below the title were the words Possible Kidnapping Update: Iowa shootout ends in rescue of scientist, injury to rescue team.

Kathryn rushed over and snatched the remote off of the couch, turning the volume on the TV up high enough for the neighbors to hear clearly.

"…there are currently three confirmed fatalities, all of which appear to be members of the terrorist group." The FBI agent paused and waited to field another question.

One of the unseen reporters was quick to shout out his question. "There are rumors that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is currently on scene up at the farm. Is there some type of biological infection?"

Agent Muller responded almost before the question was finished. "I am currently unaware of any CDC personnel on scene at this time."

"Is it true that Team Possible had a role in this operation and shootout?" Another male voice shouted out above the crowd.

"Yes, Kim Possible and her partner Ronald Stoppable assisted the initial rescue team with the safe removal of Dr. William Possible. Their team was also the one that came under fire and were forced to take cover in the barn."

Back in the living room, Jim and Tim both exchanged shocked and confused glances. They turned and looked over at their equally shocked mother. "I thought you said Kim was arrested and Ron was missing?" Jim asked.

"I…was told she was…" Kathryn muttered.

Jim turned back toward his brother with an excited grin. "Kim's fighting terrorists…"

"Just like Jack Bauer in 24…"

"Or Bruce Willis in Die Hard…"

"Cool!" They both gave each other a high-five.

"I wonder if she got to shoot anybody?"

"Quiet, both of you!" Kathryn snapped, holding out her hand to silence them. Back on the television screen, Agent Muller finished his next answer and fielded another question, this time from one of the female reporters standing in the front.

"Director Muller, is it true that a member of the rescue team was injured during the shootout? Was it a member of Team Possible? What were his or her injuries?"

"Yes, unfortunately Ronald Stoppable, Kim Possible's partner, was injured during the course of the rescue. He was flown to an undisclosed metropolitan hospital along with Dr. Possible, who was not injured, and his condition is, at this point, unknown."

As the Assistant Director was speaking, another official had crept up behind him and was waiting for him to finish. When he did, the new arrival rushed up, handed him a piece of paper, whispered to him, and left faster than he had appeared.

Everyone sat in confused silence as the federal agent reviewed the memo and set it down on the podium. With a heavy sigh, he looked back up at the crowd and began to speak.

"I have just been handed a press release which I am going to read directly. Afterwards this press conference will be concluded and no further questions will be asked." He took a deep breath and began to read.

"At approximately 1:35am this morning, Agents from the FBI, and NSA, as well as world renounced teen-heroes Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable infiltrated the compound of the radical terrorist organization known as The New Order in an attempt to rescue Kim's father and famed scientist Dr. William Timothy Possible, who was kidnapped from his home on June second.

The team was successful in recovering Dr. Possible unharmed, however, shortly after his rescue, they were involved in an exchange of gunfire with terrorist soldiers and Mr. Stoppable was injured.

According to preliminary reports, Stoppable was hit just above his left hip with a high-powered automatic rifle. The team managed to find shelter in the cellar of a nearby barn and was successful in holding off the terrorist forces long enough for their backup to arrive.

The compound was secured and both Dr. Possible and Mr. Stoppable were airlifted via Life Flight helicopter to St. Luke's Advanced Surgery Center in Cedar Rapids. Mr. Stoppable was reported to have massive internal bleeding and was unresponsive upon arrival at St. Luke's.

He was immediately taken into surgery, however, despite the staff's best efforts, he did not make it out of the operating room…" Muller looked up and spoke directly into the cameras, his face a mixture of disbelief and sorrow. "On June 7, 2005 at exactly 3:18am local time, Ronald Dean Stoppable was pronounced deceased."

With that Director Muller turned and exited the podium, leaving the reporters, and countless individuals around the nation, in shocked silence.

- Sorry about the long delay, I had to rewrite this chapter several times just to make it presentable...and I'm still not pleased. There will be one more chapter after this, plus an epilogue (Which may or may not get its own chapter).

There is going to be a sequel to this story, most likely titled along the lines of An Enemy Within, Inner Evil, or something to that nature. It's going to have a lot more procedural detail and storyline put into it, so updates may not be as often. Until then, stay tuned for chapter 12, coming soon...

- My apologies for the earlier chapter 12 SNAFU...it looks like the actual chapter somehow got replaced with an older document. I'm holding out hope that the original Ch.12 is still intact somewhere, but right now it's looking like I have to rewrite it...