Chapter Twenty-Six
Alec was freezing cold and sopping wet but his biggest problem was by far the noise. Even with the earmuffs his transgenic hearing amplified the roar of the water as it broke over the concrete dam until it was a deafening crescendo in his ears. He and Jason were poised above thousands of tons of water each hanging from a steel rope as they worked to attach the charges.
So far so good he thought as he watched Jason attach the last charge to their first target. They were using CC a volatile explosive under the best of conditions and their conditions weren't the best. Their charges had been made in an inadequate lab using what they could scrounge and adapt. They were not top of the line in fact they were pretty basic but they were they were watertight, and radio controlled and they would do the job. Hopefully he wouldn't need to use them, but if he did they would give him some leverage with which to bargain.
Jason gave him the thumbs up signal and Alec yanked on his line to be pulled up, he felt it jerk as he was slowly pulled to the surface. At least they had the easier job he wouldn't have wanted to be one of the guys who had to haul them fifty feet back to the surface of the dam. Plus being pulled up was easier on his ribs than the movement of abseiling down had been.
Leah and Dale had done a good job of training Jason, he eyed the other transgen dangling beside him as they were both slowly winched up the dam face. He seemed to have the cool calm approach necessary when dealing with live charges and Alec had already decided he should be able to handle the next few missions on his own. The team that had been installing the override computer programme that would enable the facility to be controlled from within TC would have been finished long ago so once they cleared the surface it would be onto the next target and on schedule. He hoped Steve's team was also on track.
"We're clear to go?"
"Any problems Tony?" Alec asked, as he struggled back into his equipment.
Body armour over sopping wet clothing wasn't the most comfortable but he was used to wearing it in the field and he felt safer with it on, and Max had been right, his did provide extra bracing for his ribs. Other than a dull ache when he jolted them they were hardly giving him any trouble.
"No, the place was empty and I buried the programme so deep that even I'd have trouble finding it unless I was looking."
"Alec your earpiece, now," Todd shouted making the sign for him listen.
Tony already listening intently retrieved Alec's comms unit and shoved it at him.
"Alpha six one, Alpha six one this is Alpha two where the fuck are you Alec?" Steve's impatient voice crackled through Alec's earpiece.
"This is Alpha one, over." Holding his side as he ran Alec followed the rest of the unit to their vehicles.
"This is Alpha six two, were taking heavy fire. We're split and pinned at our first target in grid 16. We need relief over. We got two choppers in the air and maybe a hundred army on the ground, they're all over us. Dale six four, pinned to our northwest has scent on non-humans, probably familiars, over. "
"This is Alpha six one, we appear to be clear Steve. How did you acquire them, over?"
Alec's mind was in overdrive. Did this mean they had been tracked from TC? Was TC under attack as well? No he dismissed that. Tav would be listening. He'd already be on the channel if they were under attack.
"This is Alpha six two, they probably tracked us by air we would have made them on the ground, over"
Still holding his side Alec reached the van just behind the others and Todd hauled him in the back doors as it accelerated away after the other three.
"Alpha one this is Alpha six two, I repeat we are pinned, we have wounded and, we need to be extracted, over,"
"We're twenty minutes away Alec if we go through the city, thirty if we skirt it and avoid people." Todd said, his hand moving across the map as he traced their course."
"City," Alec snapped.
"Already going." Todd agreed. "Fuck can they hold out that long?" The sound of gunfire was heavy and continuous through their earpieces.
"This is Alpha six one ETA twenty minutes can you hold Alpha Two, over."
As he said it Alec knew it was an irrelevant question. They would have to hold. Transgenics never left there own behind on the battlefield their instincts didn't allow it. Manticore had shot many transgenic males because of their refusal to leave their own behind in combat. There was no way anyone, himself included, would walk away leaving Steve and his Units exposed.
"Alpha six one this is Alpha Two negative on that. We are too exposed and taking heavy fire from the air nega…"
"Alpha six two come in over," Alec snapped urgently, his eyes meeting Todd's. "Alpha six Two," report he demanded.
"Alpha six one this is Grey six two be advised Alpha Two was just been hit. Have more casualties over."
The contrast between Steve's even cool voice and the shouted excitement of Grey's second, now in command of Steve's Units sent Alec's eyes to Todd again. At least they still had Dale in command of the other group. Alec kicked the back of his drivers seat and shouted, "Move."
"Alpha Six One this is Cloud Six Two, have casualties also, over,"
Dale's voice was calm and steady but the fact that he had forgotten his new call sign and used his old designation as Clouds 2nd told Alec as nothing else could have how dire their situation was.
He heard the chopper, just before the van behind him exploded the blast sending their van skidding across the road.
"Fuck," Todd yelled as their driver fought for control.
"This is Alpha six one we are taking heavy artillery fire from the air. Just lost one of our vans, over."
Alec couldn't see the helicopter but the chop, chop noise of the rotor blade was deafening as it hovered above them. They were sitting ducks like this.
"This is Alpha six one to Grey six one and Drago six two, break off. I say again, break off. We will meet you at the extraction point, over." Alec watched through the back window as the other two vans veered of in different directions.
"No ground units so far. Grey six one and Drago six two you appear to be clear, the bird is still with us, over"
"What the fuck," Todd said, as Jason started to pull up the vans floor. "Oh, baby come to papa," he crooned, his eyes lighting up when he saw the gleaming black anti aircraft gun.
"Where the fuck did that come from?" Alec asked.
"Tav and Dale stole three of em last week from that Army base outside the city. Leah packed them into the vans for us before we left. We got one and one went with Steve's Units," Jason said, as he and Todd bent to extract it.
"Lets dance baby?" Todd purred, as he brought it to his shoulder and Alec kicked out the vans window.
"Fuck." They heard from the front of the van as it veered to the side again as the road exploded in front of them."
"Just hold it steady Clint we'll have the fucker in a minute," Alec yelled, as he and Todd angled themselves and the gun out the window, Alec's shoulder supported the front of the wide barrel as Todd sighted and aimed.
The shot hit the rotor blades of the chopper and they watched it spin. On its way down it clipped the top of a warehouse and flipped over before it hit the street and exploded into a ball of flame.
The resounding "Yes," that came from inside the van was audible above the pop, pop of smaller explosions as they speed away.
"This is Alpha six one, we're clear, the bird is down. I repeat the bird is down. Drago six two are you in the clear? Over."
"Roger that, our, ETA extraction point approximately ten minutes, over" "Grey six one, are you, clear?"
"Roger that, our ETA fifteen minutes, over"
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Max's eyes restlessly swept the crowded room the mood was tense and expectant and she could smell adrenalin and testosterone, not as strong as the alpha fight but enough the make the atmosphere feel charged. She had watched what was left of the pile of stolen body armour and small arms dwindle to nothing over the last two hours.
Her eye swept over Tav, sprawled in his chair his eyes moving constantly over the security monitors and his leg giggling annoyingly in unconscious restlessness. Reaching out she put her hand on it for the second time in ten minutes. He rolled his eyes and stopped giggling before his eyes reverted back to the screen and hers continued their restless perusal of Command.
Out of the corner of her eyes she caught Tav as he lurched upright and adjusted his headset. Even if Dix hadn't turned to him in agitation she would have known by Tav's suddenly alert, intent face that something was wrong. Frowning questioningly she put an urgent hand on his arm. He ignored her his eyes moving avidly over the monitors as he listened to his comms unit.
Her alarmed eyes followed his to the screen. Nothing was different just the familiars now right in the heart of TC but totally surrounded by ring upon ring of transgens. What the hell was up? She raised her eyebrow in silent question when his eyes swung to hers. He stared back at her uncomprehendingly his tension palpable, his face tense with preoccupation he continued to listen. Max shook his leg in impatient agitation bringing his focus to her.
"Biggs," he shouted, gesturing him over as he reached across Dix and tapped the keys that opened the channel he was listening to so it was audible in the room.
Steve's urgent voice wasn't loud but it brought the whole room to a silent standstill.
"Alpha six two, I say again Alpha one, we need backup, over,"
"Alpha six one ETA twenty minutes can you hold Alpha Two, over."
Max could feel Kat tense and alert beside her and you could have heard a pin drop as Max felt her own kind move silent behind them as they all clustered around the monitors. The smell of testosterone was getting much stronger. The sound of gunfire was heavy and monotonous in the background as she listened to Alec.
"Alpha six one this is Alpha Two negative on that. We're too exposed and taking heavy fire from the air nega…"
Max heard Kat's hiss of breath just before Alec's urgent voice broke over them.
"Alpha six Two come in, over"
"Alpha six Two report?" She held Kats fearful gaze as they waited for Steve to answer.
"Alpha six one, this is Grey six two, be advised, Alpha Two has just been hit. Two more casualties over."
Kat's quick shocked intake of breath brought Max's thoughts immediately to Alec. Please let him be all right she pleaded silently.
"He's not dead. I'd know if he was," Kat whispered with numb conviction.
Max held her frightened eyes and nodded in silent empathy. They both knew that for Steve to relinquish command he must be seriously injured.
As they listened to the drama unfold outside of TC Max was aware of Tav beside her his eyes moving continuously on the screens as he monitored TC's own defence force.
"Alpha six Five to all Units. Listen up. Our outside mission is under attack and we are now on priority one alert those of you who've got channel on Alec and Steve ditch in now. This is our only channel, over"
Tav's hard authorative voice resonated through Max's head. Through the electric energy and excitement in the room she smelt the immediate response to his words the cloying smell of adrenalin and testosterone. Picking up a comms unit from the consul Max could now hear their TC units as Tav talked to them, and Alec in her other ear as their continuing drama unfolded.
"Tav to Marcus six one anything happening at the entry point, over,"
"Negative on that. No activity. Just their vehicles and ten soldiers with non human scent, they must be familiars, over."
"Roger that Marcus, over."
"What do you think Tav?" Biggs asked
"I think it's just an opportunistic raid by White because tonight the army discovered transgenics here. They obviously don't know our numbers, or they wouldn't have sent this lame assed recon in. They just got lucky and saw Steve and Alec's teams leave."
"How far in are we letting them penetrate?" Biggs asked.
"No further."
"Marcus six one hold your position keep your eyes open for anything, over."
"Drago and Kane move your units into position and get ready to engage, over."
Max could see feel his tension and repressed energy as he shrugged into his flak jacket and Biggs started to follow suit.
"Where the hell do you two think you're going," she demanded.
Two sets of startled eyes swung to her.
"To eliminate the familiars," Tav replied strapping on his gun. "We'll only be gone for ten minutes," he added grimly.
"Like hell you are," Max snapped. "Alec left you here to look after this lot." She gestured
expansively around the room. "How the
fuck are you going to do that if White puts a bullet in your head?"
"I've got a helmet Max." Tav smiled smugly as he pulled it on.
"What about Alec then. Who is going to co-ordinate back up for him, huh," she demanded. She could see she was getting through to him as his restless frustrated eyes skittered past hers. She felt Cece come and stand beside her and Kat on her other side.
"I need you here for Steve, Tav. Drago and Kane can handle it without you," Kat said quietly.
"We have transport armed up for two combat and a med Unit, as ordered, Sir," came from behind Tav.
Max didn't need to see the frustrated sidelong glance Tav and Biggs exchanged to know that they were staying.
"Drago six one and Kane six one, eliminate them, over," Tav's voice was harsh with repressed frustration.
They watched as the screens showed an almost immediate response and the little infra red blips that donated familiars started to extinguish."
Max heard the explosion over the speakers and the collective gasp as Alec's controlled voice announced he had just lost a van. Praying silently she listened as the field units talked to each other. The collective cheer when he announced the helicopter was dead was deafening.
She heard Kat's heart felt sigh of relief from beside her. "Alec will get him, he'll be all right," Kat assured herself quietly.
"This is Grey six two, Alpha two has a chest wound. Medic can't do anything for him. He needs a hospital we're gonna make a run for harbour lights hospital its only ten minutes from here, over."
"This is Dale six one Negative, on that, negative on that. Hold your position, stay the fuck where you are." Dale roared.
"This is Alpha one status report Dale."
"They're pinned with fifty yards of open ground between them and their vehicle. We have to kill the birds first, I'm going after the anti aircraft in our van, over."
"Roger that Dale. Do it. Grey six two hold your position until further orders, over."
"Tav we're dying out here. How far away are you?"
"I've got two combat and one med unit approximately thirty minutes from extraction point. I'll have units at harbour lights in twenty minutes, over."
"This is alpha one, divert them and send them to the hospital we'll meet them there, over"
Max watched the flurry of activity as Biggs organised the dispatch of units for the hospital.
"Kat, we'll need two support units at the hospital not just for our own kind but to liase with civilians. Ours will be one and Leah's the other tell them to get ready."
"Both Units are ready and waiting, Max," she followed Leah's eyes to where the women from both Units were waiting expectantly.
All activity stopped at the sound of another explosion.
"Fuck they just got Dale."
"This is alpha one what the fuck just happened." The sound of gunfire was unrelenting in the background.
"This is Grey six two, they just got Dale, Sir, he made it to the van but a fucking bird just blew it away."
Max's eyes flew to Leah's frozen face. She watched as Kat put her arm around her shoulders and Leah turned uncomprehending eyes to Kat's.
"We're sitting ducks here Si…what the fuck…"
The sound of another explosion was deafening.
"This is Grey six two, fuck he must have grabbed the thing on the run…" the agitated garbled voice of Grey's male was drowned out by another huge explosion.
Max held Kat's gaze in trepidation sure that the fear in Kat's eyes was mirrored in her own. She felt her stalled heart kick-start as Alec's welcome bark filled the room again.
"Grey six two, what the fuck is happening report, over."
"This is Grey six two Sir, Dale killed both birds I repeat, both birds are dead. He must have made it out the side of the van before it blew. He is down now. We don't know his status. Three of his guys have just gone to get him, over."
Max's eyes went in silent support to Leah, whose desolate face was now a mixture of fear and hope.
"This is Alpha six one our ETA is five minutes, just hang in there, over."
"Hhe didn't want to wait for us to mate but I made him. I wanted it to be perfect, not hurried and rushed before the mission. I wish I hadn't made him wait, Leah whispered shakily."
Max's eyes moved past her to Kat who was rubbing Leah's arm in sympathy her own face calm and expressionless. Please let Alec be okay Max prayed again.
They waited the only sounds in the room the steady staccato sound of gunfire from the speaker and Tav's voice as he co-ordinated the units headed to relieve Alec.
Max's eyes scanned the security monitors. The blips that donated the familiars had long since been extinguished and the continuous pulsing lines of blips on the screen now were their own kind ranged around the boundaries of TC. It had been just as Tav had predicted, on transgenic ground the familiars had proved to be of little consequence.
"This is Dale six two, we have the anti air craft gun and more wounded. Dale's leg is pissing blood, it looks like an arterial bleed, plus we have two other criticals, over. " The gasping breathlessness of Dale's second told them that he was on the move.
"Eat that you fuckers," another explosive sound as the anti aircraft gun demolished its target, sent a resounding cheer around the room. They all listened to the panting exertion of Dales second and the sounds of battle in the background as they fought their way to their vehicles carrying their wounded.
"Go, go, go, we have your back go, go." The loud boom of the anti tank gun resonated through the room again.
"This is Dale six two we are loaded and mobile in two of our vehicles and two of theirs. Our route is straight until we hit Main then Boulevard 5 and straight again till we hit the hospital. Our big gun is dead and we got them on our tail, over."
"Roger that, we have visual on you, and we're on your ass, and our gun ain't dead, over."
The resounding and now familiar noise of the anti aircraft gun as it hit its target again boomed through Command. It was meet with more cheering and resounding Yes's as Alec's two disjointed forces reunited and headed for the hospital.
The smell of testosterone and adrenalin was overpowering now much stronger than at the alpha fight. As Alec's steady calm voice broke over the room Max's gaze raked the tense hard faces of the males in the room. The energy and controlled aggression wasn't intimidating like it had been at the alpha fight, here it was comforting, reassuring even. It was that aggression and their instinct to protect their own that would get Alec and his team home safely and in the long run would ensure that his plan to make Seattle a transgenic controlled zone would succeed.
The noise of gunfire and the sounds of Alec's team suddenly stopped as the air went dead "What's happened where's he gone Max?" asked in trepidation.
"He's just closed the channel to us Max. He'll still be monitoring the main channel and his teams channel but we're to far away to help him and he has enough distraction so he's shut us down. He'll turn us back on when he wants us."
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"All units involved in phase one get ready and into position to move, over." Tav's directive echoed ominously in Max's head sending her horrified eyes to him. No, he can't start the offensive while all this was going on what the hell is he thinking
"What the fuck are you doing? You don't have the authority for this? Our priority is to get them home." Panic stricken her eyes swept the rapidly emptying room.
"Once Alec is clear he'll order Phase one. I'm just getting ready."
"Once I leave here I loose channel on Steve. I've never not been there when he's been injured before." Kat's quiet, lost voice sent Max's eyes straight to hers.
"You don't have to leav-"
"Alec will get Steve to the hospital and he'll be fine, they'll both be fine." Tav interrupted Max, his eyes holding hers momentarily before fixing reassuringly on Kat."
"This is Alpha two to Tanner six one, over."
"Yeah Tav, its Tanner, over."
" Alpha six three and Dale six four's support units will be behind the first line, over."
"Roger that, Tav."
His eyes still held Kat's, "You and I don't need channel to know they're still alive Kat."
"No," she agreed her voice firm and confident again, as she turned abruptly and gestured for her Unit to follow.
Max quickly understanding that Kat and Leah's support Units were being sent forward early started to follow.
Tav's hand on her arm stopped her.
"I'm going to Tav," she insisted, "I always intended to be with the support units."
"Yeah and when the rest of the support units go so will you, but Kat's and Leah's Units are going forward with the first wave. They're trained soldiers and they won't be a liability, you will be."
"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, Tav," Max spat indignantly.
"Yeah, in a street fight. Not in combat."
Furious she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and started after Kat
"Max," his hard abrupt command stopped her in her tracks, she fought the unwelcome, invasive, compelling urge she had to turn back to him for as long as she could.
Tav waited until he could see her defiant angry face.
"You saw what happened to the familiars, Max. We extinguished them in less than five minutes with no casualties. That's because we're soldiers. We didn't bother to engage them in hand to hand we just aimed our guns though the visors of their helmets and blew their fucking heads off. All there fancy enhanced shit was irrelevant. That is what will happen to you out there Max. No one is going to want to engage you in hand to hand they will just blow you and your baby away from a nice safe distance." Feeling like shit he watched fear flit briefly across her face before her defiant mask was back in place.
"Since you aren't even wearing a helmet or armour of any description even a familiar or an ordinary should be able to hit you with no trouble," he added bluntly.
"I'm in command here and you will do as I say, and I don't have time for any more of your undisciplined, self indulgent shit. Now get your ass over to the screens open a channel to your females and do the job we need you for."
Feeling like a fool, she saw the sense in what he was saying and it made her all the more furious. Intending to do what he'd asked, but not without the last word she opened her mouth but found her brain would not obey. Closing her mouth soundlessly in frustration, she turned and made her way over to the computer consul.
Fuck, if Tav could render her speechless and compliant just by his will, and Alec was alpha to him what the fuck could Alec do. The speakers cackled into life again.
"Tav how far away are our backup units. We've killed our tail and we're midtown now probably five minutes away, over?"
"They're making damn good time. They will hit the hospital just after you, over."
"Okay, Tav are we ready."
"Yeah."
"Okay, lets do it. Open a secure channel for me. Switch everyone over and ditch all other channels, over."
"Listen up everybody, this is alpha one, on route for Harbour lights Hospital. We lost a van carrying eight of our own kind, and we also have five criticals. I don't want to loose any more of you tonight, so keep your eye on the game and your own at your back. Tonight for the first time we're fighting for our own cause. For the right to live free lives, our own way. Fighting is our game and nobody either ordinary or familiar has, or ever will, beat us at our own game. We'll be at Harbour Lights waiting for you to arrive, over."
There were only a few left in the Command building but the cheer that went up when Alec had finished talking could still have been heard outside the building.
"Tanner, Phase one will proceed as planned except in the north east our line will stop on the boundary of grid twenty instead of sixteen, over."
"Roger, I copy that Alpha one, see you in a few, over,"
So it begins Max thought feeling a sense of surprising calm as she watched lines of little blips start to move outside the TC boundaries.
"We've only got four hours of darkness to secure a twenty mile radius."
"Yeah, Alec don't half like a challenge," Tav relied dryly, his eyes on the large screen that now had a map of Seattle with TC in the centre and expansion lines drawn outwards to a twenty mile radius. Max noted Harbour light Hospital on the outside boundary of grid twenty.
"The new boundary for harbour lights puts two more police stations and a police armoury within the zone, but that appears to be the only new hot spots," Dix said as he continued to scroll data on his screen."
"Alert Tanner then and give him the co ordinates. Police armoury may mean armoured vehicles, we're gonna need those. It's the civilian population that's gonna be the biggest headache, anyway."
Max's head swung sharply in his direction. "Why do you say that Tav?"
"Experience Max, they always are," he shrugged.
Armoured vehicles what the hell. "Experience Tav so you've invaded Seattle before?" she asked in sceptical amusement.
"Yeah, many times it just had different names," he replied indifferently.
"So what do you do with the civilians then?" Max asked her feeling of calm replaced with a rapidly growing dread.
"Nothing if they leave us alone, if they don't we eliminate them," Tav replied matter if factly, tapping away at his keyboard.
Her mind numb all Max heard were Kats words repeating in her panic stricken head. 'Sometimes Alec doesn't know what to do if it doesn't fit either his instinctive response or his Manticore training. When that happens I think you'll know what to do Max."
"Tav I want to open a private channel to Alec how do I do that?"
"You can't I have to."
"Okay, thanks," she said gratefully.
"I'm not going to Max. He's ordered us to one channel to eliminate all extraneous distraction and confusion. We're in combat we don't chat." he added patronisingly. Rolling his eyes he went dismissively back to what he was doing."
Incredulous, Max's eyes narrowed on him. "Listen here you patronising, insufferable little prick. I'm the alpha female here and if I want a private channel open to the alpha male when my females are in the field then you will fucking well open one." That is the way of it. Do I make my fucking self clear?"
The only sound was the continuous static voices on the radio as all activity in command stopped and all eyes swung to an angry narrow eyed Max and Tav as he stared calmly back at her.
"That is the way of it," Tav agreed, and reaching past Dix he tapped some keys. "There's your channel. At the moment Alec is trying to listen to everybody," Tav gestured to the radio with its continuous flow of voices as the unit CO's communicated with their units.
"But nobody is talking to him because we know that unless it's urgent he doesn't want us to distract him before the doctor's have Steve and the rest of his injured. His total focus now is to protect them. When he has them safe then he'll talk to us."
Surprised at his easy capitulation, her anger gone Max stared back at him. "Thankyou," she offered stiffly. Suddenly aware of how hard her heart was hammering in her chest she stared sightlessly at the computer consul and silently, whole heartedly wished Alec was there.
Tav glanced sideways at her frozen face as she stared fixedly at the screen in front of her. Fuck, he and Alec had never fought but he had a feeling that had Alec been here for that little exchange that would no longer have been true.
"I'm sorry Max, I was out of line."
She glanced quickly at him "Yeah, you were. I'm only trying to do my job, like you," she said, her eyes back on the screen in front of her.
"I might not have the same training as you, Kat or Alec but I do have something to contribute."
"Yeah, I know that, you do good work."
Surprised and pleased she looked at him. But, and there is a but, she realized noting the mix of emotions behind his eyes.
"You know you remind me a lot of Alec," she said quietly.
He stared warily back at her.
"You don't like me do you?"
"What's not to like? You do good work," he replied his eyes steady as they held hers.
"You love Alec and I treated him like shit."
"Yeah, you did, but you aren't doing that now so I've got no reason to dislike you."
"I love him too," she admitted.
"Yeah,' he acknowledged blandly his eyes dark and unreadable as he steadily held her gaze.
"You don't believe me do you?" She shrugged in acceptance as he silently returned her gaze. "Well that's okay." It's been awfully hard to convince, Alec, as well," she admitted her lips quirking in a self-depreciating smile.
Frowning contemplatively he held her gaze for a long moment before he quirked his eyebrow and went back to his work.
Suppressing her smile at his unconscious emulation of a typical Alec facial expression Max realized that while he may not like her she did like him. He might be sarcastic, smart assed and arrogant but he reminded her too much of Alec for her not to like him
TBC
This chapter has been really slow and difficult to write so I have made it shorter. I used to think smut was hard but compared to action scenes smut is easy. I'd really appreciate it if you review this chapter. I'm feeling very insecure about the action. I know what I want to write but I don't know if I've been successful or not. Thanks again for all your past reviews and encouragement. I will post a spoiler for the next chapter some time next week.