32

"I can't believe we just left Kim to die, Yune!" Tara yelled as though he was completely oblivious to the events that had transpired over the course of the hour. "I thought we were going to help her!"

"We were." He nodded gently. He eased the shifter into third, feeling the gear catch as his foot rode heavier on the gas. The Peugeot took some getting used to, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. "But what can I say, T? Shit happens! She was surrounded, and we had little ammo!"

"But still!" T protested. "We could have done something! I could have shot!"

"Tara, dear." He forced the car into fourth. "I don't think we could have done anything different, even if we could go back in time! We might as well have thrown gasoline on a bonfire!"

"But there had to be something we can do!" She pressed.

"The only thing we can do is hope for the best." He shrugged. "And hope that Ron manages to pull one heck of a rabbit out of his bag of tricks!"

"I guess so." She sighed. "But are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah." He nodded, downshifting, turning the wheel for the next street. It wasn't too far from Robin's apartment. Maybe some good news waited for their return. If not, then there's nothing that another shower couldn't hurt. "To the best of my knowledge. Though we may want to clean up first."

"Yeah," she nodded again, "but what are we going to do when we're there. If that Bonnet person sees either of us, we're dead!"

"If Ron should fail," he said solemnly, "then it's up to us. And we can't rescue Kim or report Uzi's GHQ if we don't know where they are. That's where Mr. Bonnet comes into play."

"And what makes you think that he's just going to tell us straight, huh?" Tara folded her arms crossly. "Just because you've got a pretty smile means they're going to squeal like a stuck pig?"

"Actually, yes!" He grinned. The car cycled through the gears yet again, the pommel angling to the other side of the console at the car's need. "Back in Colonel Drazen's outfit, I used to be with interrogation till I got sick of Tristian's bullshit and his sadomasochism! A few sessions with me, Bonnet will start spilling. On this, you can trust me!"

"Yune." He heard her voice as well as her backsides shifting in the seat. She was gazing at him, eyes brimming with a solemn soberness, when he stole a glance. "Whatever happened to that Uzi punk?"

"Are you serious?" he blinked. "What do you mean, T? You're the one who just kicked him upside his head."

"I -am- serious, Yune." She said. "What happened to him? He seemed like a halfway decent person back when his daddy was alive, just someone who got involved with the wrong people and wrong money or something!"

"I wouldn't say decent as I would obsequious and cowardly, T." he sighed. "Uzi today was just like Uzi yesterday and the day before. He can kill anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. Ron would have found that out the hard way. You think his hatred brewed overnight? I can tell you different. He's always held hostilities towards anyone with a just a hint of Arab lineage, just hardly ever showed it. The Colonel and his eldest son smacked him around when he did.

"Now that his daddy's out of the way," he continued, "he's got his imposing battle dress uniform, got his many guns, his militia, and just like clockwork, he's become just another overcompensated tough guy!"

"I guess so." T straightened herself in the seat. "But why don't I think all the baggage came from his time in his daddy's organization?"

"Rumors had been floating around the Drazen family for years, Tara." He explained. "It's nothing new. Ever since the old man's betrayal, they've been approached with nothing but suspicion and hysteria. Some say that The Progeny were not born of this world, but from another-whatever the hell that's supposed to mean, like aliens or something. Some say that a couple of the children were not meant to be, that they were alive only due to a botched abortion. There are countless others too, but I typically don't believe them."

"Crazy people…." Tara sighed. "Amazing what humans can do to each other."

"Yep." He nodded. "And to think, this could have all been avoided if one fat, pompous general simply lived and let live."

"Whatever happened to that pig, any-who?" she asked.

"He's serving time in the brig, last I heard." He shrugged. "Faced with a huge reduction of rank and a dishonorable discharge, I wouldn't be surprised if he simply wanted to spend the rest of his life in there."

"It's easy to run and hide, isn't it?" She said rhetorically. "To simply run away, and forget everything wrong that had transpired. Yet no matter how far you go, how far you run, it will always catch up with you. It'll haunt you for the rest of your days."

"Getting profound, aren't we, T?" he grinned. "So cute when you try to."

"After all this crap is said and done, you just can't help it." She chuckled. "Or can you?"

"I guess so." He shrugged. "But we're sick of playing defensive. Tonight, we're taking the fight to them!"

"Amen to that." She nodded.

"So you know, T," he squeezed the pommel of the shifter, "we might be in for some rough times ahead if we go through with this. I may even have to drag you into a battlefield. I need to know now."

"Know what, Yune?" she asked.

"Are you with me or not?" he nodded. "I won't hold it against you either way, but I need to know now. Would you rather sit on the sidelines, or would you rather participate in this blood sport-and trust me on this, T: sooner or later, things will get messy!"

"Yune…." She said, her voice sober, thick with a certain graveness that underpinned her resolve, whatever path it was. "Baby, I've been in this mess since you broke your arm on our way back from the range, since I boarded the plane for Prague with you. I've been there with you when we heard that god-awful klezmer, when I got my butt kicked by the metal head himself. I've been there when we dodged his 'copter, and I'm here with you when we tried to save Kim. Hell-I even threatened to kill her if you came back in a body bag!

"In these past few days, we've been through a whole lot, Yune, and I'm still here! I'm talking to you right now, in this seat instead of by a phone."

"But why are you here?" he asked-only to feel her smoother, finer palm press on the back of his right hand while it rested atop the shifter. "Huh…?"

"Because I love you, you big dip!" she smiled. "How can I be any clearer? After all the crap we've been through, I wouldn't be a very good one if I wasn't."

"This is true." He felt his chest tingle with a soothing warmth, a welcome warmth at that.

"I love you, Yune." She said.

"I love you too, Tara." He couldn't help but grin.

"Now, are you ready to save the day together or what?" she squeezed his hand firmly. It felt a little awkward as he moved the stick up to fourth.

"We shall, T." he nodded. "We shall…!"

-

Uzi felt sick as a dog.

Everything around wouldn't stop bubbling and boiling, spinning drunkenly on a broken axis as it always did. Yet not even a quick shot of scopolamine could calm the crazy world around, couldn't cease its rolling boil down to a gentle simmer. The car ride was longer than usual, thanks to that fiery, rambunctious bitch; maybe it was carsickness….

He didn't really give a damn anyway. The bed parked in his room was calling for him like a siren after an unlucky sailor. How eagerly he wanted his luck to change for the worse right about now.

"You think you got me licked, Drazen?" that loud, obnoxious cow shouted as the good men manhandled her out of the nearby vehicle. It was making him sick as did that rank, sickly-sweet stench of crude oil. The sound of her voice made his throat tremble in ailing while it bounced around the refinery. Thankfully G's truck made it back to base ahead of everybody else. "Do YOU?"

"I might as well have, Possible." He shrugged. "Or is it WKD4496? To tell you the truth, I just really don't give a damn anymore!"

"Well you haven't, Drazen!" the auburn yelled while a hefty underling hoisted her up onto his shoulders. He remembered vaguely that there was a full moon tonight as her olive-dressed behind bounced with every step the big man took. "Not by a long shot! I'll find another way out, you ass! Sooner or later, you'll let your guard down! And when that happens, you can say hello to all those people you killed-BECAUSE I'LL SEND YOU TO HELL TO MEET THEM!"

"That sounds like a threat, little lady!" he smirked weakly.

"So incisive today, aren't we?" she huffed.

"We can't have that can we?" he said rhetorically. "And give my brother my best, would you darling? While you still can, anyway."

The woman made a sound, something like a dumb man's T. Something wet slapped the ground, he saw as it had dived out from in front of the man and splashed onto the catwalk. A few bubbles protruded out of the tiny spot only to pop not even a second later.

"Someone needs her bib." He chuckled.

"Fuck you, pig!" she cursed.

"And have a nice rest of your life as well." He grinned, shooting her bouncing butt not even a half salute. "While you still can."

Another bit of wench water slapped onto the thick grating, foamy bubbles and all.

"What the hell is she, a camel?" the closest underling said to no one in particular.

"She's going to be dead meat by tomorrow morning." He said. "One way or another."

"Well, Major Drazen," the underling said, "what should we do with her? Should we squeeze her for more information, or what?"

"No." he shook his head slowly. "I'm in no mood for anymore of her bull. Wasting our resources on her would just annoy me!"

"So that means…."

"Yes," he nodded, "she's history-but not right now! I'd like to prolong her suffering for as long as I can. Tank Man would have a blast, I know. Either way, I want some of her bones on my desk by midnight! I'll personally mail them to her folks. It'll show this disgusting ball of mud what happens when you try to derail providence!"

"Enlighten me, Sir." The underling said.

"I don't want to enlighten anyone, solider!" he groaned. "I just want to take a nap, and maybe get a little drunk."

"But just answer me this one question, Sir!"

"Dude-when you're the commandant of your own army, you don't have to enlighten anybody."

"But would you consider today's outing a success, Major Drazen?"

"What are you?" he sneered gently. "Gay?"

"No Sir." The underling shrugged. "I'm just a man who's been stuck on garbage detail for the several hours."

"Soldier, unless you've been cleaning house under a rock, I think one can say that my little diversion hadn't gone completely according to plan." He let his eyes take their time as they circled around his sockets. "That bitch's still alive, her friends got away, I lost some good men out there, and on top of all that, I looked like a complete dip-shit on world wide television!"

"You're right, Sir." The soldier nodded. "But there's another little problem."

"Oh boy…!" he sighed exasperatedly. "I can't wait to hear this."

"You made Mr. -Putz- scarred, Major Drazen."

He blinked. "What are you talking about? I always make that joke flip his lid."

"Yeah, but you really pushed him this time." The man continued. "It's been blaring on the networks ever since you left Jerusalem: local, national, and even international news has been all over it, possibly for even longer than the short amount of time they typical give Israel!"

"What is it?" he moaned.

"Sir, there are talks circling around the Knesset!" the soldier replied. "They're going ahead with their plan! The plan for a complete turnover of the Temple Mount!"

"So?" he shrugged. "That's going down -Shabbat, right?"

"Not anymore, Sir."

He blinked again. "Say what?"

"They're moving the whole rigmarole to tomorrow afternoon!" the man continued. "They wanted to keep it hush-hush till tomorrow morning, the late morning at that. They figured we'd have our hands full after today's little stunt, so we couldn't do anything! Plus with the Palestinian Chairman's sudden passing, they want this PR nightmare behind them as soon as possible! "

"-Dreck-" He cursed. "You mean to tell me that piece of shit's finally gone? He's finally Satan's bitch after all these years?"

"You can say that again, Sir!"

"Well isn't this great…!" He dismissed.

"I guess." The man shrugged. "Under any other circumstances, Sir."

"Exactly, but this whole Temple Mount mess…." he pondered it aloud for a second. "If it was -so hush-hush, how'd you get word of it?"

"By complete accident on the government's part." The man said. "Not too long after they aired the story about Chairman -I'm-A-Rat-. They naively thought we were without radio or television, and an opportunistic reporter from the BBC thought blew it wide open for us. He thought he was going to get a Pulitzer, but now he's looking forward to some jail time and a good old fashioned ass kicking!"

"So the Bitching British Corporation is good for something after all!" he chuckled. "He ought to be commended."

"But something's not right with this whole thing, Sir."

"I know." He nodded. "They know we don't give a damn about the legality of anything! So why not simply come after us, or have the precious Americans do it for them? They know the last Drazen child's alive; they ought to be out for us hand-in-hand and in full force!"

"That could also mean top-secret talks between both countries' leaders!" the soldier said.

"The leak must have been intentional!" he put a finger to his chin. "It's one of the oldest tricks in the book: bait to lure us out, so whatever efforts are in the works can pick us off easily. By God, thisbase will not be our gallows, not if I have anything to do about it!"

"But we don't know what plans are in the works, even if there are any, Sir." The soldier said.

"I know." He nodded. "Something's going down at the highest levels! If we only knew what!"

"Yet we don't."

"Right." He said. "Solomon Rex is complete, yes?"

"Correct, Sir." The man nodded. "The crews have been loading and fueling him up all day, making some last minute tweaks here and there. Overall, we've been nut-and-bolting-it all day, making sure everything's operational."

"Is it?"

"Yes, Sir!" the soldier nodded again. "At last report, all systems are good to go."

"Good." He nodded. "His maiden voyage is just around the bend. What of my new delivery system?"

"Oh-that's right. The Doc sent me to tell you that it's almost complete. He just needs you for a final test fittings… and you may want to have that checked out, Sir."

"Check what out?"

He let gravity pull his head down by the shards. The man answered him with a simple point to his abs. A red stain, blackened to a sickeningly, scabby brown, had blossomed out of the left oblique… where that bullet drilled itself in at the command of that other bitch.

"-Dreck-" He cursed again. "It tore open!"

"The Doc told me of that woman's blow up." The man said. "I know duct tape is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Major, you need stitches-real stitches!"

"Even real ones tear open!" he sighed. "Forget about it. I'll deal with it myself. If Eli's still alive, send him to my room!"

"Yes sir!" the soldier saluted aptly.

"Dismissed!"

-

"I thought I told you three stooges to stay put!" Ariel grumped, her head pressed against the knuckles of her hand whilst she loomed over her workstation. "Moe" of the group let out a sigh predictably. "But maybe that was too complicated for you!"

"Look on the bright side, Hershel:" He replied. "At least Larry and I got back safe and sound. Curly Joe's a little tied up right up right now, enjoying some of the sights!"

"Listen, you ass!" she frowned. "Possible would be relaxing right next to you if it weren't for your little stunt!"

"Nope!" the Asian replied. "She'd be shot to pieces, choking on her own pooling blood against the Wailing Wall. My team would be a man down, and Drazen would still have clear head on his shoulders. He took quite a trip down the wall, I must say! Thick head first to -boot-"

She growled.

"I'm sorry." Yune said bitterly. "I thought I was talking with a human being here. Then again, the line's pretty thin if you're going to keep foaming at the mouth!"

"It wasn't your place…." She straightened herself properly in her chair.

"Our place?" Yune batted it back. "NOT OUR -PLACE? What the hell are you smoking over there, Hershel? When one my people's in serious danger, YOU CAN BET YOUR ASS IT'S MY PLACE!"

"We would have had a team together in a few minutes!" She replied. "We could have done a more efficient job! We could!"

"Should-a, would-a, could-a…" The Korean moaned, "YOU DIDN'T DO-A!"

"Now who's being a bulldog?" she frowned.

"Right…!" the man sighed. "Fact is that we were at the right place and the right time. Kim's lease on life had been extended, thanks to us!"

"And what makes you so sure that she'll live tomorrow?" she asked.

"That's just it." He explained. "I'm not. But at least we made sure that her life didn't end in front of a live audience. We bought her some time, and it's up to her whether she'll use it or throw it away completely."

"That sound like a real friend talking, Bin-Mok." She couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"That's because it -is- a real friend talking, Hershel." Yune laughed. "Any more news on that weak signal?"

"Nothing yet." She shook her head. "We've tried narrowing the area down to possible locations, but it led us to a dead end. Townsfolk in Elat won't talk, got full of hardliners that love nothing more than to see our neighbors turn into a giant, smoking crater. And I, for one, do not completely disagree with that."

"Super…!" Yune groaned. "I heard just recently that the PA Chairman finally kicked the bucket."

"Yes, that's right." She nodded, the utter joy eloquent not in her concise reply. The world's man of the year coincidently was Jacob's Devil, a personal Beelzebub sending out his demonic minions in swarms to devour the innocent. Thankfully the good Lord finally struck down that incarnate of the underworld that soiled His Promised Land with his bloody hands. "What about it?"

"Is the world ready to come crashing down on you?"

"Not just yet." She replied. "But it's close. Yet speaking of crashing suppressed jubilations, do you want to take a wild guess who's calling me every five minutes?"

"Your friendly, neighborhood US ambassador?"

"The one and only." She graciously let her eyes take a lap around her sockets. "Since 'The Major' went public with his identity, he hasn't stopped calling! Or is it yelling? Been on the phone all evening, I can't even tell the difference."

"What's he saying?"

"That if we don't round up Drazen and turn him over to US Custody," she sighed, "that they'll take him by force, and take down anyone trying to stall or stonewall."

"Invasion?" Yune exclaimed predictably.

"If you come down to it," she growled, "yes! And here's the kicker!"

"Can't wait to here this…."

She took in a deep breath, letting it swell in her lungs as her chest pushed out. She wanted to laugh; the Ambassador's threat was so off-the-wall, that she just wanted to pop! But she didn't, and the air escaped from her in a quiet blow.

"If we don't surrender Drazen within a couple days time," her fingers rubbed her crown firmly, "the US will draft and push for a resolution at the next meeting of the UN Security Council, authorizing the use of force and 'peacekeepers'-oxymoron of the century, if you ask me-against Israel. Under US supervision, of course, but that doesn't mean anything when the bullets start flying."

"WHAT?" Yune exclaimed. She was right; the threat was -unconventional- after all.

"You heard me." She nodded. "And your people know how much the Israelis -love- that organization-well, the smart Israelis anyway! It's the American Left's way of sticking it to us, I guess-or as a 'goodwill gesture' to our neighbors after the BAD Chairman's passing. One of the two, take your pick!"

"But-But…!" he stammered. "A mere ambassador can't do that!"

"Apparently, he can!" she nodded. "We've received word that the Prime Minister had just gotten off the phone with the White House. And the rhetoric doesn't bode well…!"

"What'd he say?"

"It's classified." She said. "I can't tell you -exactly- what The President said. The administration doesn't exactly see eye-to-eye with the UN, as you know, but since word of Drazen reached him, he'll do anything and everything to catch or kill him!"

"Including an all-out invasion?" he exclaimed.

"So much for alliances!" She shrugged. "Not like that's anything new."

"This could completely destabilize the region!" Amazing really, how nothing gets by this foreign-born American. The same can be said for his countrymen, possibly. "It could drag the entire world into war!"

"Nothing gets by you Americans, does it?" Her smirk tasted bittersweet.

"So what are you guys going to do?" Yune asked gravely.

"Us?" she laid back in her chair again, crossing her legs at the ankles, letting one of her heels slip out of her shoe. "Do what we always do, I guess. We're digging in here! We won this five times over, and by God we're going to try tokeep it."

"You're really going to fight the whole world?" He pressed.

"Nothing new on this part." She shrugged. "With certain -capabilities, I wouldn't fret over it. And you didn't hear that from me!"

"This is going to be one hell of a week, Hershel." Yune noted duly.

"You can say that again." She nodded. "I have to go now. I know I can't control you guys, but whatever you'll do, do try to be discreet."

"I hear you." He agreed. "Take care."

"Bye."

She took the phone away from her face. It made a typical clatter as she laid it to rest down upon its cradle. She laid her hands atop her belly, giving her eyes a rest as her lids fell over them. She couldn't help but think of that Korean, how right he was…

"This week…." Her thought pushed its way out of her yawn. "What a mess…!"

"Ms. Hershel…?" Tuvia called for her, though he was about as far as her office's door. "Oh-Ms. Hershel? You asleep over there?"

"I was trying to…!" she batted her eyes. The chair squeaked piercingly as she swiveled around, tucking her legs under the seat while they swooped free of the desk. Tuvia looked as serious as ever, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed loosely. "It's been a long afternoon, you know."

"Yep…." He nodded.

"So, what's up?" Her brow perked. "Any news about our leak?"

"Nope." The man shook his head. "It's been pretty quiet since this afternoon. A little too quiet, if you ask me."

"You guys still scanning all the radio frequencies?" she asked.

"As always." He nodded. "No signs of a full onslaught yet. But we've intercepted communications from the VSA."

"How's that different than any other day?"

"Drazen's ordered all his men back to base, wherever that is." Tuvia shrugged. "Every single last one of them. Even ones stationed as far as the southern parts of the Golan."

"Seems our plan's working." She nodded. "He's consolidating all his forces for a massive strike."

"And how is that a good thing?" Tuvia frowned. "We're in the middle of a gangbang! We've got the US down our throats, and if we don't act soon, we'll have the UN up our butts!"

"There's nothing quite like getting it both ways, is there?" she said rhetorically.

Tuvia's eyes boggled, overwhelmed, his cheeks flushing with peachy red as realization dawned on him like a mid-summer morning. His lips pursed.

"Well-when you put it like that!" The man said.

For the first time today, she laughed.

"I need a bath after that comment." He unfolded an arm to wipe a hand across his brow. "Yuck!"

"So what's stopping you, good man?" she put a kink in her brow. "Any good news to share?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "Nothing yet. We probably won't have any till next week at this rate. By then, it'd be a miracle if we survive for that long."

"We need to have all our troops ready-and very soon, I might add." She sat up. The swivel squealed as she spun herself around. Her cursor took the lead, darting for the icon for her word processor. The desktop whirred to life as she fingered the mouse twice. "No time to lollygag anymore."

"Might I enquire as to what you're doing?" He asked.

"Writing my report!" her fingers danced upon their springy dance floor, dancing tap as soon as the program flickered on screen. "With some serious recommendations!"

"With our Prime Minister?" Tuvia said rhetorically. "It'd take weeks before we'd get a clear answer from him."

"Still, it's good to keep up appearances." She nodded. "Maybe this'll be the foot in his ass!"

"That depends." She said. "Does he know about our special ZIP disk?"

"Nope." He replied. "Thanks to your note to the Director, everybody kept it in-house, hush-hush and all that good stuff."

"Good." She said. "If the Prime Minister fails to act, we're going to have to bypass all the regular channels!"

"All of them?" Tuvia exclaimed.

"You heard me." She smirked. It was so fun to be a rogue sometimes. "Right now, we have to act like the latter. There's no more time for deliberations!"

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Use the disk, of course!" she said. "Have the guys down at S&T hack into the United States Proprietary Network, via Link 16. I want the Gladius weapon on stand-by, ready to go hot at a moment's notice as soon as possible!"

"But we need clearances!" Tuvia protested. "Not even yours can get us through! Paperwork needs to be filed, the brass has to give us a thumbs-up!"

"Blah-blah-blah-your- needs!" she rolled her eyes. "Just find the right people, do whatever it takes, pay whatever it costs!"

"You could lose your job over this, you know." He warned gently. "And then some!"

"So be it!" she exclaimed. "The hell we'll be the ones with our pants down!"

"And ass in the wind!" He finished. "All right, Ms. Hershel, if you really want to do this!"

"I do!" she nodded. A blank sheet flicked on before her just as her fingers typed off of the former page. "Not hop to it, sailor!"

"You know I was a Navy pilot!" he said.

"Whatever." She scoffed lightly. "Now get out of here, sailor!"

"Yes ma'am."

She wanted to laugh as Tuvia let out a hearty groan just as he stepped out of the room.

-

The world still mocked him, prodded him, jamming a splinter into his mind-his inner ear, most likely. It wouldn't stop bubbling… and spinning… and fading in and out. It wasn't just the stench back in the refinery-it couldn't be! That induced sickness never lasted this long!

-Must have fractured something…. -

But it didn't stop him from dressing his wound with a makeshift bandage. Duct tape was one of those miracle inventions. How could anyone live without it?

"Major Drazen?" Eli called for him through his door. So the stick man really was alive after all. He thought surely Galil tore him a new one after the wench's first escape attempt. "Major Drazen, are you there?"

"Enter." He turned his back on his desk, the chair squeaking louder than the hinges as the door pushed open. "Good of you to show. I was wondering if you actually were mincemeat for a minute."

Eli looked as stiff as ever, his thin body upright completely, standing at attention. Uzi simply rose up his hand, palm out. The man spread his legs a shoulder width apart, hands sweeping behind him as he stood at ease.

"May I enquire as to the purpose of this meeting?" Eli asked formally. It was a nice change of pace from that loudmouth bantering that typically bounced around the vast Organ Grinder. "Is it a reprimand perhaps?"

"No." he shook his head. "You're simply one of the few men that I can trust around here, 2nd Lieutenant. I'm in the dark when it comes to my men's morale, Eli. Typical two people usually informed me of the overall mood of the VSA amongst taking orders. But with Bonnet on leave tonight and with Sergeant Jude's untimely demise, I'm in need of a temporary liaison."

"Might I enquire as to why, Sir?" Eli asked, kinking his broad brow. "I'm a mere interrogator, and a rather messy one at that when your brother's around! I'm not much of a socialite, and I'm sure there are more -qualified- people than simply me, Major Drazen."

"One, Lieutenant JG Eli: I'm the Major of this private army!" he angled his head carefully. "Anything I say goes, with impunity! Two: you're one of the couple of officers on site currently."

Eli blinked thoughtfully. "This is true, Sir."

"It is true!" he smirked. "And besides a liaison, Lieutenant Eli, I need someone to give orders to the men. And that time is now!"

"Is there actually something that the good Major would like me to tell the men?" Eli asked. "Orders, perhaps?"

"They are orders indeed, Eli." He nodded. "You are aware of our complete withdrawal, are you not?"

"Yes, I had heard something about that from some of the men just a few minutes ago." The man nodded. "What of it."

"We're consolidating our forces, Eli." He smirked. "Ten to one, the Israeli government is expecting a strike from us over this whole Temple Mount mess. So I say we do not-disappoint!"

It was possibly the first time he'd ever seen the stick man's eyes go as wide as saucers.

"The Major is going to take on the military head-on?"

"You bet!" he beamed. "I want everyone of our men-or-women armed, ready to move out around 2AM! Now that our siege weapon is finally complete, we're taking him with us! The king will ascend to his rightful throne, at last! If it all goes well, the Israeli government and that dirty-rotten-inbred-filth won't know what hit them!"

"You really are going to take the military head-on!"

"And anyone else who gets in our way!" he pushed himself to his feet… stumbling a bit. "We're finally taking back what's ours, and in the likely event that we're going down, we're taking this whole goddamn region with us!"

"One giant banzai charge…!" Eli sighed. "Oh boy…!"

"That's negative thinking, 2nd Lieutenant." He said. "Think of it as an opportunity of -carpe diem, where our lives will finally have meaning!"

"Sir, are you absolutely, positively sure that you want to go through with this?" Eli asked. "Have you thought it through? I must say that this is a really risky move you're proposing!"

"Propose?" he blinked. "This isn't a proposition, Eli, this is an ORDER! I want every man and Solomon Rex ready to move out at 2AM! No excuses!"

"What about the girl?"

"What about her?" he threw it back. "I don't give a damn about her anymore. She's useless! I want some of her bones on my desk by midnight, bloody or clean, it doesn't matter! Just make her wish she was dead till the eleventh hour, then grant it!"

"Yes sir!" Eli saluted. "If that's what the good Major wishes!"

"I -do- wish it!" he frowned. "Now do it!"