PART TWO
Sam walked in the mansion just as Al walked through the bright white rectangle that represented the Imaging Chamber door. The hologram was dressed in a dark gray luminous suit and wearing a Confederate general's hat.
"Planning on joining up? We already did the Civil War." Sam had to turn away to keep from laughing.
"Oh this? Tina plopped it on my head as I entered the Imaging Chamber. Seems her boyfriend is one of those guys that likes to throw way the whole twenty-first century and play soldier for the weekend. She thought it was cute. If I had to pretend I'd prefer to spend a weekend with that cute little blue eyed CeCe." He grinned evilly. "Has she got the hots for you or what?"
"Thanks Al. I don't think I'm going to pursue anybody in lieu of the absent Mr. Clements." Sam crossed his arms and tapped his foot "Do you have anything that will actually HELP me?"
"Let's see here," said Al humming "Dixie" while he punched away on his magical hand link. "Well as of now the two lovely ladies still die on that balcony tonight at 8:30 P.M. CeCe quits the ghost-chasing racket and goes into real estate. There are a lot of other things she could try to get into, too, preferably something in latex if you ask me." He read on and clucked his tongue in disappointment. "Eventually she dies of a heroin overdose in 1968. What a waste! As for the haunted Mr. Clements, he figures that the house is jinxed and sells it. Moves to New Orleans where he starts a touring company that specializes in the haunted mansions of Louisiana. Interesting, but nothing tragic."
"That's the future?" He sounded appalled. "What makes them do this, anyway? How did they get started in the ghost hunting business, anyway?" asked Sam who was still trying to put all the pieces together.
"Huey, Dewy and Louie? They've been doing this for four years apparently making a marginal living. Customers seem to have been satisfied. A couple of their adventures include finding some puny ghosts. Puny ghosts?" Al tapped his hand link a couple of times to clear the screen. "Make that phony ghosts. No surprise there. Outside their business they appear to be outstanding citizens. Not one of their clients seems to have been bilked or hoodwinked out of any massive amount of moolah. Their fees aren't cheap, but they won't send anyone to the poorhouse, either."
"They certainly believe in what they are doing. Well, tonight I'll just have to keep an eye on them and keep them off that balcony." Sam snapped his fingers. "Wait a second." Sam ran outside, around back and under the balcony. He picked up a log and started pounding on of the main supports. The log splintered after several swings. Then he hit the balcony floor above his head and heard very solid sounding thuds.
"Sounds good. What could have caused it? This is not a rickety old antique. Any other ideas, Al?" asked Sam who looked a bit discouraged.
Al posed the question to the parallel, hybrid computer.
"Of course." Ziggy sounded miffed.
Al waited a few seconds, and then glared at the ceiling. "Well?"
"Ghosts, of course," snapped the computer in a sarcastic tone.
"Ghosts?!" Al repeated in exasperation. "And that's the best answer that a quarter trillion dollar hybrid computer can give?"
Sam smirked at the half of the exchange he could hear.
"You asked for any solution not my own considered opinion based upon assigned probabilities. Eliminating all the other probabilities the final answer no matter how improbable has to be the solution," Ziggy retorted smugly.
"Thank you, Mr. Spock!" Al replied very sarcastically.
"Sherlock Holmes, if you please," replied Ziggy.
"All right. I'm leaving. I'm developing a headache," Al punched the hand link very hard, the bright rectangle appeared. "Sorry, Sam!"
"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep them inside. Tell me if you find anything new, OK?"
Al nodded. "Sure thing," and stepped though the door rubbing his temples.
Sam was alone for only a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. He pulled the massive oak door open and was welcomed by the sisters in question. "Hey there, ladies. Thought I'd send out for some food tonight. Care for some good old Southern cooking?" asked Sam brightly.
"Why sho nuf, sugar," said CeCe looking a little nasty at him. "My, my. I like what I see!"
"Great. Thank you, Mr. Clements. That's very thoughtful of you," said Sue carrying in a load of equipment. Sam helped her set it down and showed her to the dining room.
"My isn't that nice. Thank you, Stony. I didn't have any lunch after all that work in the library. Do you know how many soldiers there were in Mississippi during the Civil War? I think I searched through the records of about one hundred and fifty thousand of them. Whew!" Cyfer plopped down on a chair.
"You've been working so hard. I just wanted to get a good meal in you tonight and kind of wish you a Happy Halloween, too," explained Sam. Actually he wanted to keep them downstairs until after 8:30 to forestall their accident.
"You're looking at the original grab-a-bite eaters. Diners, greasy spoon cafes, Chinese takeout and that new fangled McDonald's place. Anything homemade will taste great," said Cyfer as she pulled her chair up to the table.
"Actually I had this sent in from the Mud Hole. There's not
much food in the house," apologized Sam. "Dig in!"
"Absolutely!" said Sue as she reached for the salads.
"My this looks so delicious. I don't know where to start," replied CeCe as she tucked in her napkin and reached for the vegetables.
Cyfer saw Sam not eating. "Stony, don't wait for us. Join in!"
"I kinda picked earlier. Maybe a beer. Did you find anything definite this afternoon?"
"Several candidates. People that lived or served in this area. Of course if he was just traveling through we'll have a harder time tracking him down. Casualty reports are fairly good unless he died somewhere and was never found," said Cyfer. "I concentrated on the battles that occurred in Vicksburg and the surrounding counties. The Daughters of the Confederacy must have labeled every fistfight in the South a skirmish. There were hundreds of them!"
"Amazing the number of pictures we found. Any tall good-looking guy with a goatee we book marked. There are fourteen possibilities. A lot of Mississippians died during the siege," said CeCe nibbling on a chicken wing. "Not that many when you only look for officers."
"I sketched out our fuzzy apparition and made a more detailed sketch. And.. Oh my lord!" cried Sue standing up looking very surprised. "That painting!" she said pointing nervously. "Look at his face!"
Sam turned around. There hung a full head and shoulders portrait of the very haunter of the mansion. Underneath was a plaque that read, "Captain Gerald Maxwell Clements."
"How did you missed that connection?" asked Cyfer looking directly at Sam.
"Well, I . . . it just didn't look like that till I saw your sketch. Clements family history wasn't my strong suit," said Sam shrugging.
"He is the splitting image of your sketch, Sue! We've got our man, I mean ghost! Our ID phase is complete!" Cyfer threw down her napkin and stood up in triumph.
"Now let's see if we can find out more about this chap," said Sue looking quite proud of herself.
"I'll finish up this wing and then we can fly off to find him," said CeCe trying to finish up her meal. Eating was her second favorite sport. Pursuit was the first item on her Hit Parade.
After darkness had taken a hold of the mansion, the Wells sisters again flicked off the lights and turned on their sensors and optical equipment. Starting in the parlor again Sam watched them from the corner of the room staying clear of all hazards in the dark room.
"Nothing, nothing. I can't sense a thing. This is not working out!" CeCe ran her hands on the walls and over the tops of the furniture. Her senses were not too keen this Halloween night.
"Give it another two minutes and then we'll move to the stairwell. Ghosts often frequent halls and stairs," Cyfer told Sam.
"So I take it CeCe has extra sensory perception. ESP?' asked Sam trying to learn more about his charges.
"Sort of. She just has this affinity for ghosts. Knows when they're around, sometimes sees them and in the real rare occasion she actually can hear them. One of our grandmothers grew up on the island of Aruba. She was very interested in the Voo Doo rituals. It was said she'd talk to spirits every night. Our mother said nothing about it and one day when CeCe went with her father on a ghost hunting expedition she actually saw this apparition," explained Cyfer.
"Your father was a ghost hunter?" asked Sam crossing his arms in interest.
"Not really. He stuck mainly on the popular side of the subject. If he went off the deep end and started reporting their existence as real, the newspaper syndicate would have dropped him like last week's garbage. But with an asset like our sister there, viola! We were professionals very quickly," said Cyfer bringing Sam up to date.
"Taking any more infrared pictures?" Sam asked Sue.
"Maybe. But since it takes too long to develop them, they aren't real helpful until after CeCe finds him and keeps an eye on him," replied Sue who was trying desperately to divide her attention between CeCe and their client.
"Why don't you get some infrared goggles or a thermal imaging scope?" Sam glanced aside to the sound of the Imaging Chamber.
"Too early Sam. They'd need a crane to carry in that kind of equipment around," Al corrected.
"Infrared goggles? Sounds useful. Where can we get them?" asked Sue spinning around very intrigued by the possibilities.
"Oh, probably not for quite awhile," replied Sam trying to recover his fumble. He walked over to stand by his holographic buddy.
"According to Ziggy there is nothing weird going on in this room. Be careful Sam. History has not changed one bit and these two women still meet their end tonight," said a very solemn Al.
"That's enough. Let's move on CeCe," said Cyfer as she switched on a penlight and moved toward the stairs.
"You ladies go on," announced Sam.
"And you're going to stand here in the dark?" asked CeCe walking up to him humming just a bit as she shined her flashlight in his face.
Sam look perplexed and shrugged.
"Care for some company, Stony?" asked CeCe fluttering her gorgeous blue eyes at him.
"CeCe!" called out Cyfer angrily. "We need you over here!"
"All right. I'm coming! See you later, alligator!" said CeCe wriggling her nose up at him. "Grrrrrr!"
"Ya, later," coughed Sam.
"Sam that beautiful piece of womanhood wants you so bad. Can't you at least try and fulfill a minimum of my fantasies here?" asked Al who started to perspire. "The way she can gyrate those…"
"Al! No! I have got to keep this guy's life on target. Now tell me what you can find out about Stony's ancestor Gerald Maxwell Clements. They think that he was or is that ghost were looking for," suggested Sam who crossed her arms and looked very determined to keep the overheated Observer on the subject of the leap.
"All right. Ziggy patch me in with the info you have on a Gerald Maxwell Clements of Vicksburg Mississippi circa 1860. Check the state archives, Mississippi militia roles and the Vicksburg County and newspaper records. Notify me when the data is available," said Al calling into his hand link.
"Affirmative Admiral. I have all the available data," said Ziggy in a very coy voice.
"That was fast," said Al looking up startled.
Ziggy's tone was annoying arrogant. "I can scratch my head and pat my stomach, juggle a trillion facts and assist the personnel at Project Quantum Leap all at the same time. According to your raised body temperature I will lower the thermometer in the Imaging Chamber by three degrees centigrade," said Ziggy.
"Thank you, your highness," said Al sounding appreciative as the cool air passed over him.
"Or you could try a cold shower," zinged the computer in the same arrogant tone.
He scowled at the ceiling. "Just give me the information, you oversize electronic notebook."
Ziggy's voice sounded pleased. "Captain Clements was born on April 10th 1830, son of Joshua Clements and Abigail Franklin Clements. In Vicksburg Mississippi he joined the Mississippi militia in 1856 as a lieutenant and was promoted to Captain during the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Joined the staff of Lieutenant General John Pemberton to help defend Vicksburg in April 1863. Died June 30th 1863 in Vicksburg at his home during a Union artillery barrage. He was married to Martha Clare Goshen and had one son named Ashley Davis Clements, born April 25, 1859. His son married.."
"Thanks. That's enough," Al cut in. "Any theories on his supposed haunting reasons?"
"Negative. Insufficient data to draw conclusions," she replied sounding disappointed.
"That's it Sam. You better keep an eye on the Andrews Sisters. Read my lips. NO trips to the balcony! Check?" said Al quite defiantly.
"I'll go follow the girls," said Sam. "Don't forget me. I'm just as interested in Casper as you. If not more!" said Sam, calling out to the team.
"Shhh!" Cyfer said putting her finger to her lips. "CeCe feels something." She pointed to her sister's cautious and stealthy movements.
"He's been by the way within the last few minutes. I just know it. And it was in the direction of.. of.. UPSTAIRS!" exclaimed excitedly.
"I remembered something about Captain Gerald Clements. It was something my Uncle Zig-inski told me. He was a Captain stationed here during the siege and acted as an aide to General Pemberton. And he passed away in June 1863 right here in town. Does that help?" asked Sam standing there with his hands in his pockets trying to look very innocent.
"Anything does. And you just remembered all of this? I thought you said you weren't that interested in your family history. Interesting brain and the way you store things, Stony. Lots of odd bits of information from out of thin air," There was definitely something special, but something different about him, thought Cyfer. Her little sister could do a lot worse than this peculiar Southern gentleman.
"Well, that's me. Odd. Jack of all trades, master of none," shrugged Sam. His jumping around time and space had given him access to many bits of trivia and skills that did come in handy when he could remember them.
CeCe headed up the steps and to into the hallway. "Ah ha. Definitely he just came through here, heading down the hall. To the right. No to the left. No the right, um left?" CeCe didn't sound too sure of herself.
"Stop directing traffic up there and make up your mind!" yelled Sue. She could be so dizzy sometimes, she thought.
"Great. He doesn't know which way he's going!" quipped Cyfer. "If I were a ghost I'd go that way. More rooms to haunt."
"Right? Wrong! To the left!" announced CeCe, finally sounding definite.
"Follow our psuedo-bloodhound!" Cyfer pulled Sam behind her. "Steady Duke. Go flush out that rabbit.. um spirit."
Entering the guest room dubbed the 'Blue Room' CeCe ran her hands over the blue wildflower wallpaper and early Empire furniture. "Strong here. Very strong. Like he's behind me. No beside me. In front. Beside me. No behind m-m-m-me. Say, how do you nail down a spirit?" CeCe looked a little dizzy from her encounter.
"How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?" quipped Sam remembering something from somewhere.
"What was that, Stony?" asked Cyfer turning toward him.
"Uh…Sound of Music? You know, the singing nuns?" replied Sam lightly.
"Oh. Haven't been to New York to see it. Haven't been anywhere but on business lately which is what we need to get back to," called Cyfer as she joined her sister in the Blue Room.
"Sam, this is getting very dangerous. The balcony is on this floor in the master bedroom. And according to Ziggy there's about ten minutes to go," warned Al consulting his colorful notepad.
"Say, how about a drink everyone? You're doing so well. I'll break out the glasses and we can all have a Halloween toast," announced Sam showing them the way to the stairs.
"What are your nuts? I mean, it's your money, but we're right on top of something." Cyfer looked as peeved as she sounded.
"There. Something definitely passed me. In that direction heading out the door," said CeCe. She walked slowly from the room waving her hands in front of her. "To the left down the hall. I'm sure of that now!"
"Right behind you," called out Sue with Cyfer in tow.
When they stepped into the Master bedroom everyone felt a definite chill and immediately stopped. Even Al shivered a bit at the strange reaction to the room.
"He's here. But things feel different. No more urging or wanting. More anger. This time he's everywhere. We're surrounded." CeCe had dropped her voice to near whisper.
Sue turned in a circle, clicking away with the camera to cover the whole room.
"When's the séance start, CeCe?" Cyfer's voice was tinged in apprehension.
"Now the presence is moving. Still quite large, but he's moving from this room and heading outside through that door," said CeCe pointing to the balcony entrance.
Al jumped in front of the balcony door and waved his arms fruitlessly. "Sam! Stop them!"
"Wait! It's not safe out there!" Sam shouted, waving his hands at them and moving to overlap his Observer. Sue, however, blocked his path and CeCe passed through the gyrating Observer to the balcony. When CeCe passed by, Sue joined her outside.
"Structurally sound from my stand point," said Sue stomping on the balcony floor and shortly joined by Cyfer.
"He's right here. Next to me now." CeCe spoke to the air around her. "Hello? Hello? Can we help you?" She paused. "I hear a moan. Wait a minute; he's definitely not happy. I can almost make out what he's saying!" cried CeCe.
Suddenly, the balcony began to move. It rocked back and forth slowly at first, then gained power. Sam shoved CeCe back inside as Cypher and Sue fought for balance on the balcony.
"Whoa. Help!" cried out Sue. Cyfer managed to grab Sam's hand as the earthquake-like disturbance continued. Sam had to brace himself against the doorway, then reached out and grabbed Sue's hand, too.
The balcony began to crumble beneath their feet.
With a Herculean effort, Sam hauled back and pulled both Sue and Cyfer into the bedroom, where the woman landed in a pile on top of Sam. Then the sound of snapping wood indicated the final demised of the balcony as it fell to the earth below.
"Judas Priest! Who or what caused that?" asked Cyfer as she helped Sue and Sam to their feet.
"It must have been him! The Captain! I kind of felt him all around out there and he was not a happy spirit," said CeCe shakily.
"What does he have against us?" asked Sam rubbing his aching back.
"Well, we were disturbing his realm. And we do want him to move on. That's probably enough to get him a little riled up." Sue sounded the least shook up of all of them.
"That's still incredible. Never had any apparition come after us before!" CeCe moved and stood close to her sister.
Cyfer took her trembling sister's hand. "Hey, we'll get through this."
CeCe looked a little more than scared this time. "Remember that spook we had in Boston?"
"He only tried to scare us. No one tried to do us in yet." Sue tried to comfort her sisters, but sounded determined to go on.
CeCe inched closer to the door and looked down on the remains of the broken balcony. No longer holding its normal shape, it now was a mess of broken planks and splintered wood. Some of the railing could still be made out on the top of the pile of rubble.
"My gosh, we could have ended up in the pile of junk!" She pulled back and frowned at Sam. "How did you know? You're a strange one Stony Clements." She moved to him with her head cocked curiously to one side. "You knew, didn't you?" When she stood in front of him she quietly said, "Thank you," and touched his shoulder.
Suddenly she had a vision of Stony arguing with a ghostly apparition.
"You all right?' asked Sam holding her shoulders as her face went blank.
She shook her head. "Yeah, I think so." A puzzled look crossed her face. "I Just saw another ghost. He seemed to prefer cigars." She put her hand on her head as if to stop it from spinning.
"Ah..where did you see that?" asked Sam nervously, throwing a glance at Al, who was now paying full attention.
"In that other room. The ghost I saw was giving you a warning of some kind. He was telling you about that balcony?" CeCe looked strangely at Sam.
"You're talking to spirits? Is that where you're getting your insights? You have your ears to the nether world? The afterlife?" Cyfer's questions peppered Sam, and Sue drew closer to him for a reasonable answer.
Sam felt trapped as Al also stepped toward him looking worried.
"I don't really know what you're talking about," Sam said nervously as he shifted his feet.
"Yeah, Sam. Please keep me out of this," said Al waving his hands in front of himself.
"Stony, please come clean. Is there something you're not telling us? You steered us away from that balcony before it collapsed." Cyfer was not going to let go.
Sue perked up, "You KNEW didn't you? Just like CeCe said?"
"Well. Oh boy!" said Sam looking up for guidance.
"Sam, not one word. The project, if your Swiss cheesed memory doesn't remember, is top, top secret. The past should not know about it!" Al warned.
"Not that I'm not grateful, but do you know more about this ghost than you are telling me? Are we in any danger?" Cyfer again.
"Come on, handsome. Confess," said CeCe giving him her best smile.
"No," said Sam.
"Good answer," said Al pounding on his surprisingly unlit cigar.
"No, you're not in danger now." Sam looked at Al for confirmation.
"Nothing new yet," said Al plugging away at his favorite instrument. "Wait. They are all alive and well that is the good news. The bad news is that you obviously haven't leaped yet."
"You're perfectly safe. And yes, from time to time I get flashes of insight. Always random. Nothing I can control." Sam shrugged innocently.
"So you're psychic like me? Wild," cooed CeCe. "What about the guy with the cigar?"
"No Sam. NO!" said Al waving his arms franticly.
"Well, I do remember something like that talking to me. But the trouble he's caused isn't always worth the advice he gives me!" said Sam looking directly at Al.
"Thank you, Mr. Sensitivity," retorted Al sarcastically.
"So what does your second sight tell you about me?" asked CeCe coyly. "When I touched you I did feel a very lonely person. One that has seen maybe places, many people. You've been through a lot of pain, but you seemed to have brought a lot of joy, Stony. You're a puzzle wrapped inside an enigma."
"You're very perceptive. I have gotten around a lot," gulped Sam. CeCe's insight was a little too close to home.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure you out, Mr. Clements and I will do that one way or another. I think I understand you and I sure would like you to know me as well," she said straight and plain this time. She kissed him on the cheek and walked away and this time did not look back.
Sam blushed as Cyfer threw a dirty look at CeCe and then turned and smiled Sam. Something was definitely happening here, she thought. "All right. We need to find out more about your great-grandfather. He has something on his other-worldly mind and we need to find it what it is." She pointed at her sister. "CeCe, you're going to have to locate him again."
"And let's try for some more photographs, too. Maybe we'll get the guy with the cigar!" Sue lugged her camera bag to her shoulder.
"And maybe win her a Pulitzer Prize, too," mumbled Cyfer under her breath.
Seeking out vibrations in the Master bedroom CeCe ran her hands around the room. Her mind still felt nothing. All the of the anger and bewilderment she had felt before was gone along with the chill they had all experienced.
"Two minutes," said Cyfer.
"Just a few more minutes. I don't think that he's far," said CeCe pleaded.
"CeCe, there's another dozen rooms to check out in this old house," she called back. "I don't want to be here till dawn."
"Wait a minute," said CeCe. "I really feel something now. He's over there by the window. Yes, definitely. I think he must have drifted back in."
Sue picked up her camera and started shooting.
"The chill is back, too." CeCe pulled her coat snugly around herself.
"It is getting little drafty in here." Cyfer agreed.
Sam became alarmed as the room temperature continued to drop.
"Ohh, Sam," Al said nervously, punching his plaything, "Ziggy reports a sudden change in the barometric reading. Down 3.7 centimeters!"
"No, now he's over there. Over by Stony!" She pointed directly at Sam who quickly looked around.
"Stay there," said Sue as she snapped away.
CeCe approached him with her hands stretched out. "This is getting more and more wild. Hello? Can you hear me? Can you talk to me, Captain Clements?" she called out toward Sam. "Whoa!" she said suddenly, jerking and falling back to the bed.
"You, OK?" Sam was instantly at her side and helped her up very gently.
"Sure. He just kind of spoke to me telepathically. It was a jolt, but I think I can take it. Captain Clements? Why are you here? Why are you here?" CeCe held her head firmly between her hands. Speaking to him appeared to be quite a strain. "Can you leave us and never return? Can you stop haunting this house?"
Sam, Cyfer and Sue looked on in fascination to the one sided conversation. Al shifted nervously and scanned the room with his eyes.
"No? You can't leave because you are what? Looking? Just looking. Looking for what, Captain Clements?" CeCe asked now looking worried "Looking. Yes, I know. That part you were clear on. You are trying to find something. What? What? What is it?" CeCe pressed harder on both sides of her head as the communication continued. Her eyes became shiny with tension, and Sam came over to help hold her up. She gave him a weak smile, and he gave her the courage to continue. "You need to find the kennel? No, the General's . . . the General's what?" CeCe's voice became louder, and she was practically shouting at him as if he as moving away.
"This is getting interesting. He was a General's aide," commented Cyfer. "You all right, CeCe?"
CeCe ignored her sister, but did lean more on Sam. "Hiding place. He needs to find a hiding place. The General trusted him. With what Captain? What did he trust you with? He was trying to find it and move it. He has to save it. Now he's moaning. Why? Because he died before he could do it. Do what?"
Sue turned to Sam. "This could be true. Spirits often wander the world if they have urgent unfinished business. Why in the Cathedral of Notre Dame there was a …"
"Shh!" said CeCe sharply. "Captain Clements! I'm still here! They will not disturb us any more. I am here to help you. What was it you were looking for? What was it? You can trust me. Yes? G-gold? You were entrusted to move the gold that was stored in Vicksburg. Who's gold? The Confederacy's? And you never did that? Never? That was the mission that he never finished." CeCe smiled through her obvious pain.
Both Sam and the two sisters gasped together.
"Why didn't you finish it? What? Oh, God. An artillery shell hit this house while he had stopped by to get something. He died here and his soul never left. That's why he had been haunting this house for the last century." Sorrow touched CeCe's voice.
"Sam," said Al as his fingers flew over the hand link. "Captain Clements really did die here. No, he was found dead in the family mansion, here on June 30th, 1863. No reports of any Southern gold around here, though. Jeeze! So much for the Scooby gang."
"If we can help him solve the mystery then his spirit can move on," said Cyfer quite seriously.
"Wait," said CeCe, still holding her head. "I'm asking. How do you know where to find the gold?" She hesitated, and then continued. "He's reaching into his saddlebag. He has a piece of paper wrapped in a ribbon . . . unrolling it. It's an order from General Pemberton. I can't read it. The image is too fuzzy."
"An order? Maybe they are in the archives?" asked Sue lighting up.
"That's a long shot, but I do seems to remember seeing some in the county archives." Cyfer's tone was hesitant, not quite willing to believe they could possibly be connected.
"Captain Clements," exclaimed CeCe. "We will look for it. I promise you."
And with that CeCe fainted on the bed.
"CECE! Wait, she just fainted. Let her rest. She's earned it. How hard can that be to find one order that mentions Captain Clements? Wait here with CeCe," said Sue. "Let's go Cyfer."
Sam stayed with CeCe, who slept soundly as she tightly hugged one of the pillows. Her hair and clothes were soaked with sweat. Whatever she had gone through, physically she had had a very rough experience. She shifted in her sleep, turned over ending right next to Sam. Reaching down he stroked her hair. She opened her eyes, recognized him and smiled. Sam returned with a big Sam Beckett grin that had melted many a girl's heart. CeCe reached up, put her arms around him and kissed him. Sam returned the kiss with pleasure. Somehow, somewhere this girl had touch something inside of Sam Beckett and it wouldn't let go. So there in the moonlight and under the magnolias he lay down with this wonderful lovely woman.
nt here...