Chapter 11

Winston quickly reached over and turned the ringing alarm clock off. The clock's face read four in the morning and he didn't want to wake his wife. She had just come home from the hospital on Friday and was still tired.

Rolling to his left Winston regarded his wife who was sleeping next to him. Her black curly hair lay in a clump behind her on the pillow. She was facing him, lying on her right side. The alarm clock's noisy blaring hadn't woken her up and that troubled him. Iris was a person who was always 'on guard'. She saw the tiniest movements out of the corner of her eye and could hear things long before others heard them.

With Iris not being awoken by the alarm clock Winston knew that she was sick. But Iris didn't have the flu or a cold. The doctors were looking into something beyond that.

Iris had had uterine cancer when she was on her last tour in Vietnam. Iris had diagnosed it herself as she was a registered nurse with the Army at the time. She had been one of a few women who served on the front lines with the soldiers. Her commander Captain George Moody had requested her as part of his unit after her first tour. Iris had been a nurse in the local hospital where the casualties were sent. She and Winston would often talk for hours about their time spent in Vietnam.

"The military perceived me, a woman soldier, as more of a helpmate and often times did not properly train me for dangerous situations," Iris told Winston.

"Why didn't you just stay stateside instead?" Winston asked.

"Are you kidding?" Iris questioned back. "Given the absence of equal opportunity in American institutions at the time, I was lucky to get into my nursing degree."

"Then why did you go?"

"For the same reasons you enlisted," Iris stated. "The military was one of the few places where a black American could expect to get a fair shake."

Before Iris's first tour of 'Nam she had been given mock set-ups of battlefield casualties. This was supposed to prepare her for the real war. But nothing had prepared her for when the first wounded soldier had been placed under her care.

The artillery used during the war was designed to inflict massive, multiple injuries. And beyond the guns was napalm, white phosphorous, and "antipersonnel" bombs. Napalm and phosphorous would burn the soldiers' skin right down to the bone.

Iris had told Winston about her so-called "Orientation" when she had first arrived in Vietnam.

"I was basically thrown into bloody hell," Iris said to Winston one night after they were recently married. "A newly wounded casualty that had been hit with napalm lay before me. The surgeon handed me a scalpel and said "Don't just stand there. He's going to lose that arm anyway. Cut it off!" and so I did. I remember the sound of the arm hitting the pail and that was the end of my "Orientation"."

Iris's first tour of duty had ended when she was shot in the leg. She was in Chu Chi at the time and had been awakened in the middle of the night because they were being overrun by the Viet Cong. She had gathered in the kitchen, with her fellow nurses, while the soldiers were outside fighting.

Iris had looked through a window to see United States troops under ambush and shouting for a medic. Defying direct orders from her commander at the time to 'stay to ground' Iris had run through the Viet Cong gunfire to save the lives of her fellow soldiers.

That was one reason that Captain Moody wanted her. He was in charge of a unit of all African-American men whose job was to go behind enemy lines to extract U.S. troops. They needed a medic to complete the unit, but none of the surgeons would go.

Even though African Americans made up 13.5% of the U.S. population at the time with 10.6% serving in the war, it was their 20% casualties rating that had white soldiers staying away from the blacks.

Iris had taken Captain Moody up on his offer and hadn't regretted it. The men in her unit had taught Iris to defend herself with only her hands. This had come back to help her save her old roommate's life one night.

When Iris was in Vietnam she had felt pain in her pelvis upon urinating. She figured she had a urinary tract infection and hadn't given it a second thought until she had abnormal vaginal bleeding between her cycles. Coming back to the hospital, after they had been out in the field, Iris had an endometrial biopsy done in Saigon. When Iris looked under the microscope she saw that the tissue sample had cancer cells in it. Iris had kept her mouth shut until she was released from her tour of duty two months later.

Back in the states, Iris had a transvaginal ultrasound done. The doctors told her she had Stage II cancer which had spread to the outer layer of the uterus, including her fallopian tubes and ovaries. Iris had a radical hysterectomy done and underwent chemotherapy. She had been free of cancer since then.

Winston slowly climbed out of bed. He had to be into work at five o'clock. Iris not hearing him move bothered him even more. She was always up before the alarm went off and would be woken up by his mere turning on his side in bed.

Lord only knew what the pair had been through in Vietnam. Winston still had nightmares about it and Iris had not gone back to nursing because of it.

Iris had turned to her hobby of sewing clothes and now owned her own line of wedding dresses.

Winston had given up flying helicopters and had worked for his dad on his construction site before he had taken a job with the Ghostbusters.

Winston crossed the room to the bathroom and closed the door before he turned on the lights. Turning the water on for the shower, he let it heat up while he undressed.

Winston had met Iris through being a Ghostbuster. It was back in 1989 when the four men had come back together as a team. Egon was engaged to Iris's roommate, Eden, at the time. Iris had heard something in their bathtub's drain and had asked Egon for his help.

Winston stepped into the hot shower and smiled as he first remembered meeting Iris.

She had been sick, depressed he found out later, standing there in the doorway of her bedroom, in her underwear, with a white bathrobe held closed around her. Winston had introduced himself and had sat by her on her couch while Egon and Ray had checked out her bathroom.

He had seen an ugly round scar on the front of her leg. He knew it was from a bullet wound and after talking to her had guessed it was from Vietnam. Iris's scar on her face hadn't bothered him at all either. Winston had a four inch scar down the back of his left leg courtesy of hand to hand combat with the Viet Cong when his helicopter had gone down.

Iris's four inch scar from the corner of her mouth up to the bottom of her right ear, that Winston had figured she had gotten in Vietnam also, had been caused by Eden's old boyfriend.

Iris had saved Eden's life when Eden's boyfriend had tried to kill her. Iris had killed Eden's boyfriend by breaking his neck but not before he had used the knife he had on him to cut Iris's face open.

Beneath Iris's exterior he had discovered a beautiful, strong, and courageous woman. Egon had started the process of bring Iris out of her shell and Winston had completed it by asking for her hand in marriage.

Winston had been the third Ghostbuster to get married. Egon had married Eden on the first of January in 1990 after they had battled Vigo. Peter had married Dana Barrett two years later in June. Winston had married Iris on July 4th, 1994, and finally Ray had married Melody in June of 1996.

Winston turned off the shower and grabbed the towel from the rack. He was going to be late for work if he didn't move quicker. Winston knew that his commander would look the other way because of his wife being sick, but he didn't want to hear it from the men under his leadership.

Winston stepped out of the shower wrapping the towel around his waist. He turned out the bathroom's light before he opened the door. Iris was still sleeping in their bed. Winston quietly crossed to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Producing a pair of foliage green socks, a sand colored belt, and a pair of underwear, Winston sat down in the nearby chair and changed. When he was finished Winston got up and went to the open closet leaving the belt and towel on the chair.

He was glad he didn't have to slide open the closet as he reached inside for his ABU uniform. The Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) had replaced the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) on the first of November 2011. Based on the Vietnam-era tiger stripe camouflage pattern, the uniform consisted of four soft earth tones; tan, grey, green, and blue, but raised complaints from the airman who had to wear them.

The complaints included the inability to keep the airman cool while working in desert conditions due to the thickness of the material. The large interior "map" pockets were hard to get to and involved unbuttoning the shirt first. Lack of storage space and the low ease of use with government issued personal body armor were another downside of the uniform.

Winston pulled the sand colored T-shirt on over his head and then reached for his pants. The pants had a button fly with two lower leg cargo pockets and a tool pouch (with two pen pockets) on the right hand side. Tucking his T-shirt into his pants Winston reached for his jacket. The jacket consisted of two chest pockets and two lower front pockets. There was a small pocket on the left forearm for holding two pens. "Zeddemore" was embroidered in midnight-blue thread and attached with Velcro over the top left hand side pocket of the jacket.

Winston bent down and retrieved his "Maintainer" style, sage green colored leather boots from the bottom of the closet. Walking back over to the chair, Winston placed the boots on the floor. He reached for his belt and ran it through the belt loops on his pants before he sat down to put his boots on.

The boots reminded Winston of his days as a Ghostbuster. Back then the boots had been black in color and they wore a khaki flight suite when on the job. The only time Winston was to wear a flight suit these days was if he had to fly.

Winston had been assigned to Joint Base Andrews formally known as Andrews Air Force Base last year. Iris and him had moved to Brandywine, Maryland ten miles from the base. Winston had been assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing Air Mobility Command. He, and his fellow Airmen, were responsible for worldwide special air mission airlifts for the President, Vice President, and other U.S. Senior leaders. Winston had flown Air Force One and Air Force Two a couple of times since being assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing.

Wrapping the extra lace around the top of his boots once, Winston tucked the ends into the boots and stood up. Grabbing the bath towel he tossed it, like a basketball, into the clothes hamper by the bathroom door.

Crossing to his wife's side of the bed Winston carefully sat down and leaned over and kissed Iris on her forehead.

Iris stirred but didn't wake up. Now Winston knew that something wasn't right.

"Iris," he said softly placing his right hand on her shoulder and gently shaking her.

Iris slowly rolled over to her left side and opened her eyes.

"Is it four o'clock already?" she asked.

"No," Winston replied, "it's four fifteen. I'm leaving for work. I'll be back for supper. I love you."

"I love you too," Iris said closing her eyes to fall back to sleep.

Winston frowned as he got up from the bed. Iris always got up when he did and walked him to the door. This wasn't her. Quietly closing the bedroom door, Winston walked down the hallway to look into his daughter's bedroom. Shelly lay asleep under her purple/green square patterned comforter. Smiling Winston pulled her door shut before he turned towards the stairs.

Taking them two at a time Winston wished for his shift to be over with. He really needed to find out what was wrong with his wife.

Winston grabbed the keys and his cell phone on the table by the front door and let himself outside as he crossed to the black Land Rover. He knew that he was going to have to give Egon's daughter a call later that day.

Winston opened the vehicle's door and climbed inside, inserting the key as he did so. Turning the car's engine over, Winston placed his right arm on the passenger side head rest and turned his head to the rear. Making sure that no one was behind him, Winston backed the Land Rover out of the driveway.

When he was out of the driveway Winston brought his right arm forward and turned around to face forward, placing the car in drive as he did so.

The commute to Joint Andrews Base was a nice drive and Winston placed his sunglasses on, settling back to think about how the doctors had treated Iris.

While military doctors were supposed to be the best, Winston had his doubts. He was sure that Iris had uterine cancer again but had been told by the doctors that there was no way that could be as Iris didn't have any 'female parts' left.

Winston knew that Egon's daughter, Echo, was a doctor of reproductive medicine and could answer some of his questions that he still had. Echo, her father, and Daniel had been detained in Wyoming because of her grandmother's untimely death and Winston didn't have the heart to bring up the subject of his wife to Echo at the time he had called. The trio had returned yesterday and Winston was going to make it a point to reach out to Echo today.

The military doctors had looked into other areas of Iris's body for the problem of why she was tired and achy all the time, but nothing had turned up and they had sent Iris home. Winston and Shelly had stayed at the hospital the whole time that Iris had been there.

Winston smiled to himself as he turned left onto Branch Ave/Rt 5 heading north towards the base. Shelly. They were lucky to have gotten the young teenager.

Shelly's family had been killed and she was in an orphanage in Africa when Winston had met her. He had flown the Vice President there in Air Force Two and had been allowed to accompany the Vice President when he had toured the local area.

Shelly had been sitting on her make-shift bed in the corner when the Vice President had gone through the orphanage. Shelly was wearing a dirty, worn, pink dress that had rips and split seams. When Winston had passed her she had reached out her hand and caught a hold of his wrist. Winston had stopped and talked to her as the Vice President and his security guards had continued on.

"Papa?" she had timidly asked.

"No sweetie," Winston had replied, "Do I look like him?"

"Yes," the answer came back.

Winston had found out that Shelly was the only one left in her family. She had gone back into her house for her sister's doll when her parents had been killed by a gunman driving by. No one had survived and Shelly had been placed in the local orphanage. Being a young teenager she was only going to be allowed to stay at the orphanage until she turned sixteen, then she had to leave. She had been fourteen years old at the time when Winston had met her.

Winston liked the young scared girl before him and had told Iris about her when he had come back home. Iris listened as her husband had told her the story about Shelly and had agreed with him that something must be done.

Teenage girls in orphanages were rarely chosen to go to a permanent home and as a couple they had decided that they should adopt Shelly.

Six months later Iris and Winston had traveled back from Africa bringing Shelly home. Shelly had needed medical attention and counseling for what she had seen. Winston and Iris knew what she was going through. War wasn't pretty, whether it be in Vietnam or Iraqi Freedom, and had gone with her to group therapy. The three of them had become closer as a family, but Shelly would often seek out Winston if she had a nightmare.

Winston pulled off of Route 5 at the Coventry Way exit and turned right onto Old Alexandria Ferry Road. Today was the last day of maintenance on Air Force One and he was looking forward to walking the familiar halls of the plane.

Turning left onto Virginia Avenue, Winston stopped at the Virginia Gate to show his identification. Winston was greeted to a salute by the soldier on duty.

"Colonel."

"Private."

Winston had made colonel three months ago and it still surprised him when he was looked up too.

"You deserve it," Iris had told him after the ceremony. "The eagle's look good too."

In the United States Air Force the insignia for the rank of colonel is a silver eagle which is a stylized representation of the eagle dominating the Great Seal of the United States. However, in simplification of the Great Seal image, the insignia lacks the scroll in the eagle's mouth and the rosette above its head. The insignia is worn on the officer's left side, such that the eagle always faces forward to the wearer's front. A mirror-image version is worn on the right.

Winston pulled away from the gate and drove up the familiar drive to the hanger where the plane sat. Pulling around to the back of the hanger Winston parked the Land Rover and turned off the car's ignition. Crossing his arms over the steering wheel and taking off his sunglasses, he looked out the front of the car's window to where the blue and white Boeing 747-200B sat. Air Force One was looking to be replaced in 2017 by either the Boeing 747-8 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The USAF Air Mobility Command had been charged with looking for possible replacements as the old plane had become less cost-effective to operate.

He shook his head in disbelief. Here he was a pilot again and this time he was flying planes full of important people, and not helicopters through dense forest jungles trying to find soldiers on the ground who blended in with the surroundings. Winston sighed and got out of the car, locking it as he did so. Walking into the hanger Winston greeted the men who were there.

"Good morning Airmen," Winston said as he crossed to the desk in the corner and placed his car keys into a glass dish that sat on the edge. "Shall we get started? If we can get the maintenance done on the 'old girl' then we can get home early."

"Still worried about your wife, Sir?" an Airman asked.

"Yes," Winston replied as he picked up a clipboard and walked towards the plane in the hanger.

"Any word yet on what the doctors think she might have, Sir?" the same Airman asked following Winston.

"No," Winston replied as he walked up the metal 'air-stairs' to the plane's executive door.

"Well," the airman replied, "my wife and I have you in our prayers, Sir."

"Thanks," Winston replied as he entered the plane, "and Airman I've told you before, if none of the 'bigwigs' are around you can drop the Sir."

"Yes, Si…," the Airman trailed off remembering what the colonel had just said to him.

"Sorry," the Airman said, "it's the military. Force of habit you know."

"Yea Bunker," Winston said calling the Airman by his last name and placing his right hand on the man's shoulder, "I know. Habits are hard to break."

With that being said the two men went to work. Winston and his men were running what the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA referred to as a 'B' check. This was performed every 4-6 months and took about 1-3 days and 150 man-hours to complete. Winston's men were on their third day, that is why Winston hoped to be done in time for supper.

Lunch time came and went as two o'clock found Winston in the cockpit in the co-pilot's seat finishing a diagnostic test of the equipment. Looking up from the control panel Winston could see men outside running towards jeeps and soon after that he heard his name being called.

"Colonel!"

"Yes," Winston replied rising from his seat, "I'm in the cockpit."

Airman Bunker from this morning rounded the corner and hurried up the steps to the communications room as Winston stepped out of the cockpit.

"Colonel," Bunker said, "we are being called to a general assembly, Sir."

"What happened?" Winston asked as he passed through the President's office to meet Bunker in the communications room.

"I don't know, Sir," the Airman replied as he exited the plane through the executive entrance and took the metal steps two at a time down to the bottom.

"Dang," Winston said under his breath following Bunker.

"Chief Master Sergeant Williams used stronger language than that, Sir," Bunker replied as he hit the bottom of the stairs and started jogging towards the military jeep that was pulling up in front of the hanger.

Winston just nodded his head. He knew what a general assembly involved. It usually meant that the base had been placed on alert and he wasn't likely getting home for supper. Pulling his cell phone out of his left pocket on his pants Winston hit the call home button and waited for Iris to pick up on the other end.

"Hi, Winston," Shelly's voice came back to him instead.

"Shelly!" Winston said as he got into the front seat of the waiting jeep. "Where's your mother?"

"She is still sleeping. Winston I'm worried about her."

"I know sweetie," Winston replied as the other men under his command piled into the back of the jeep. "Look I may not have much time. I've been called to a general assembly meeting. Can you please tell Iris that I may not be home for supper like I promised?"

"Sure Winston," Shelly replied, "and I'll watch over Iris for you too."

"Thanks sweetie," Winston replied as he reached out and placed a hand on the dashboard as the Airman who was driving the jeep put it into gear and pulled out across the airfield heading to the north.

Whatever had happened wasn't good. Winston saw everyone on the base hurrying towards the parade grounds and knew that he was probably going to see some flight time as the men started to gather.

The driver of the jeep stopped to drop Winston's men off before he took Winston to the front of the parade grounds where there was a grandstand. The driver once again stopped the jeep to let Winston out before he pulled away.

Winston climbed the four steps to the stage that only a few months ago he had stood on when they had made him a colonel. As he took his seat he looked out on the Air Force personnel that had gathered. The men and women were talking to each other and Winston caught some of their words that were being spoken as more military brass came up on the stage and sat next to him.

"Haven't you heard?"

"No, heard what?"

"The Sistine Chapel has disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?"

"Poof! Just like that. Vanished into thin air."

"How's that possible?"

"Yes," Winston thought to himself. "How does a building that size just vanish into nothing."

Winston heard his cell phone ringing but he couldn't answer it as the General Air Force Chief of Staff Christopher Kenelm of Joint Base Edwards walked onto the stage. Winston reached into his pant's pocket to silence the phone as he stood from his seat and the assembly came to attention.

"Parade rest," General Kenelm announced into the microphone.

General Kenelm thanked everyone for coming so quickly and then proceeded to tell the Airmen why they were there.

"There is a rumor that has been going around that the Sistine Chapel has vanished. This rumor is true. At exactly 13:30 hours, our time, the chapel that holds the works of the famous artist's Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, and Pinturicchio among others has vanished off of the face of planet earth. The Air Force and other military personnel have been called in to help the local authorities to investigate. I want the following people to stay when I dismiss this assembly."

"Chief Master Sergeant Williams, Captain Bunker, Colonel Zeddemore, and Colonel Mitchell. Dismissed."

Winston sat in his seat while the others around him got up to leave. Now he knew he wasn't going to be going home anytime soon. What did the Air Force need with him and his officer Bunker? Colonel Mitchell and Sergeant Williams were also with the 89th Airlift Wing. Were the president and vice president both planning on visiting Vatican City? These were questions that Winston couldn't answer as General Kenelm turned towards him and beckoned for him to follow.

Winston rose from his seat and followed behind the General towards another waiting jeep. At the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by Captain Bunker and Sergeant Williams.

"Colonel," the two men said together and fell into step behind General Kenelm and Winston.

General Kenelm got into the waiting jeep and motioned for the three men to do the same. Colonel Mitchell wasn't with the group Winston noticed as he climbed into the back of the jeep and the driver took off.

Soon the driver stopped at the General's office building and Winston along with the other Airmen followed General Kenelm inside. The General's office suited the man's own taste. Decorated with neutral colors of light brown paint and tan furniture, Winston took a seat in a straight back chair as General Kenelm indicated with his right hand to the men to be seated. The General then sat down on the back edge of his mahogany desk as he addressed the men before him.

"Colonel Mitchell will meet you after I am done talking to you here," General Kenelm said. "You maybe wondering why I called you all here. I need for you Chief Master Sergeant Williams and for you Captain Bunker to fly the Vice President to Vatican City. Your liaison will be Colonel Mitchell here at Joint Base Andrews. Colonel Zeddemore I need for you to go to New York City."

Winston looked up into the General's face. He had been looking at the floor of the General's office. Under the General's Davenport desk was a rectangular rug with an inscription. The distinctive desk's shape; the top part resembling an antique school desk while the bottom half supported a pedestal desk turned sideways, was the reason that Winston could see the rug clearly. He had been reading the inscription when General Kenelm had spoken to him. Why did the General want him to go to NYC?

"Sir?" Winston questioned.

"I know it sounds weird but I need for you to contact your friends there and look into this disappearance from a different point of view if you catch my drift," the General said.

"Begging your pardon General Kenelm," Airman Bunker interrupted, "Colonel Zeddemore can't just leave. His wife is sick and he is needed at home. I can go to New York City in the Colonel's place."

General Kenelm nodded his head Bunker's way. He knew all about Colonel Zeddemore's wife. He also had a reason to send him to New York.

"I know Captain Bunker," General Kenelm answered, "but I need Colonel Zeddemore in New York. He is the only one that can talk to his friends and come up with an answer for me."

General Kenelm saw that Captain Bunker was going to say something else and raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't think I'm without a heart here Captain Bunker. I am ordering a transport for three. Colonel Zeddemore I want you to take your wife and daughter to accompany you to New York."

"Sir?" Winston said not quite understanding what was going on.

"I have my reasons," General Kenelm said. "Now you are dismissed."

The three men stood as one to leave the room, but the General called out for Winston to stay. As soon as the door was closed behind Captain Bunker and Sergeant Williams the General spoke to Winston.

"Look son," General Kenelm said, "I know what you are going through. I lost my wife to cancer last year and the military doctors didn't catch it in time. There is a reason I want you in New York. First I need for you and your friends to find a link to the disappearance of the Sistine Chapel and second I want you to take your wife to the doctors there. I know that they can find out what is wrong with her."

Winston dropped his head to the floor so that the General couldn't see the tear that had started to form in his eye. He had lost hope of finding out what was wrong with Iris. The General's offer to send them all to New York City was an answer to Winston's prayers. Now he could see Echo in person and she could examine Iris. Maybe there was something that the military doctors were missing. Winston could only hope.

"Winston," General Kenelm said gently, becoming personal with him, "the welfare of each of us is dependent fundamentally upon the welfare of all of us."

"Didn't President Theodore Roosevelt say that?" Winston asked raising his head and wiping his eye.

"Yes, in a speech at the New York State Fair held in Syracuse on September 7th 1903 but it still applies today."

"How's that?"

"Because son," General Kenelm said placing a hand on Winston's shoulder, "Roosevelt's Square Deal is for all of us. President Roosevelt vowed not to favor any group of Americans but to be fair to all of them. We in return must treat each other honestly. We must help each other and at the same time protect those around us. If we don't then we might as well be like the German legend Faust and our souls be eternally damned."

General Kenelm turned Winston around and placed his arm around his shoulders as he walked him to the office door.

"Try not to worry," General Kenelm said as he paused to open his office door, "everything will work out."

Winston nodded his head and took a step out the open door before he stopped and turned to face the General.

"You know General Kenelm," Winston said pointing to the rug under the General's desk, "that's my favorite saying inscribed there. Thanks for everything."

Winston turned and walked through the door closing it behind him as General Kenelm turned to look at where he had been pointing. The rug under his desk had two sayings. The first one from President Theodore Roosevelt sat facing him when the General sat at his desk. He had forgotten about the other one on the other side of the desk. This quote was also by a President Roosevelt, only this President was Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). Inscribed in black thread, facing anyone who sat across the desk from him, were the words: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

General Kenelm thought about what Colonel Zeddemore had just said to him. The words from FDR were given in his inaugural address during his first term in office. The country was in financial distress and the Great Depression had taken its toll on the American people. Things were not looking good and the country wanted leadership out of those perilous times.

When FDR spoke of "Fear" he wasn't talking about war, he was talking about economic fear. The fear that there was no way out of the mess that the country was in at the time. The fear that everyone was doomed to a life of misery and poverty rather than the life of Liberty and opportunity that so many had come to America for.

Somehow General Kenelm didn't think that was what Colonel Zeddemore meant. He had seen the look in the colonel's face and nodded his head in understanding. Colonel Zeddemore had been so consumed with fear, over his wife, that he had lost sight of all the good things in life, the things that were worth living for.

Colonel Zeddemore had let fear take control of his thoughts and actions until he, General Christopher Kenelm had given the man hope. The General crossed to his desk thinking about what was going to happen. "With history you always know how the story turned out," he said to himself as he sat down at his desk. The General wondered how this story would pan out.