Chapter 32: Base 19
Rita sat in Vanzilla and went shopping with Lily. The streets were relatively empty and traffic flowed smoothly.
"Mom? Can we get chocolate?" Lily asked with her high pitched voice.
Rita looked at her.
"Yes. One bar."
"Two!
"One."
"Two!"
"One."
"Two!"
"Two."
"Yay!" Lily said happily.
Rita rolled her eyes.
"You eat too much chocolate."
"Never enough." Lily responded.
"You are like Leni… And Lori."
"Who is Lori?" Lily asked. Went silent.
"Mom. Who is Lori? Everyone talks about her. But I never saw her."
Rita looked at the street and said nothing. They continued driving. In the mall, Rita and Lily got many things. Bread, meat, vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and broccoli. And of course, the chocolate Lily wanted.
"Yay! Chocolate!" Lily said happily.
It made Rita happy to see Lily so happy. Rita's phone rang. She took it and pressed the green phone button.
"Hello?"
"Hello miss loud. This is Charlie Smith. FBI. We need you to come to us at 4 pm."
"Why?"
"There are some changes in the Lori Loud case. We need to inform you directly here."
"Again headache fuel. Lori is gone! I don't know where she is, and I don't want to know it."
"That wasn't a request."
"Ugh. Fine. I'll be there."
"Wonderful. See you this afternoon."
Rita ended the call. Lily looked at her with big eyes.
"Who was that?" Lily asked.
"Someone." Rita said.
"Who?" Rita looked into Lily's eyes.
"It was a friendly policeman." Rita said and petted Lily's head.
"Wow." Lily said, impressed.
"Come on. Let's go to the checkout and go to the police later."
They did like Rita said, and went to the FBI department. Rita parked Vanzilla on the parking lots in front of the FBI department. Rita got out, took her cane, opened the door for Lily, and went with her into the department.
"Are we arrested?" Lily asked.
"No. They just want to talk with us. And no one would arrest a cutie like you." Rita said.
Lily hugged her mom. A fat man with thick glasses that made his eyes look massive, wearing a white shirt and green pants approached them. He had short brown hair and ate chips. His name tag said: «Herbert Williams, Cyber Expert.»
"Hello you two. Smith is waiting in the Interrogation room downstairs."
"Thank you Herbert." Rita said.
Herbert searched his pockets, and gave Lily a sweet.
"Here. For you." Lily took it.
"Say thank you." Rita said.
"Thank you." Lily said, and looked happy at the sweet.
They went downstairs into the interrogation room and saw Bobby sitting at the table.
"Didn't see you in a long time." Rita said.
"Hello miss Loud." Bobby said.
"Who is he Mommy?" Lily asked.
"Lori's boyfriend." Bobby went silent and looked at Lily.
"You became a big girl." Bobby said to Lily.
Lily started smiling. Rita sat on a chair next to Bobby and took Lily on her lap. Agent Smith entered the room, closed the door and sat down at the other side of the table.
"So. I'm glad you are here. Hello miss Loud." Smith shook Rita's hand.
"Mr. Santiago." Smith shakes Bobby's hand.
"And the small miss Loud." Smith gently shook Lily's hand.
"So. We have news. So, many things happened in the Lori Loud case. But the circumstances are different than it looks like. So, we decriminalized her." Rita and Bobby gave Smith a suspicious look.
"Why? Why is she now a free person after what she did?" Rita asked.
"This is very complicated and a lot of things are classified. But, what I can say is that Lori loud and The Stevenson Family acted in favor of national security."
Rita looked surprised at Smith.
"National security?"
"Now, I can't tell a lot about this. But Mike Stevenson worked at a nuclear power plant. Now, if you put a tinfoil hat on, you might think of something that they could have done in favor of national security. But I said nothing."
"Tinfoil has?" Bobby asked, confused.
"What do you mean?" Rita asked.
"Crazy conspiracy theorists. You know, the tinfoil hat to protect you from alien radiation and that crap." Smith said.
"I want a tinfoil hat." Lily said.
"No. That's something retarded people wear." Rita said.
"Listen to your mother. She is very smart." Smith said.
Smith got up.
"Excuse me. I need to do something. I'll be right back."
Smith left the room.
"Wow. That was unexpected." Bobby said.
"So… Lori is not guilty." Rita said.
"Who is Lori?" Lily asked.
"Later Lily." Rita said.
Lily started pouting.
"You say that all the time! But you never tell me who Lori is!"
They heard a door open. Rita felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into Lori's eyes. Bobby's eyes widened. Lily looked at Lori and didn't recognize her.
"You are back..." Rita said, shocked.
"I am." Lori said. Rita saw Lorraine.
"Is this..."
"Yes. Mom. This is Lorraine." Bobby looked at Lorraine.
"She is..."
"You are her daddy." Lori said.
Bobby kneeled down next to Lori, and held his finger to Lorraine. Lorraine grabbed his hand. Bobby took Lorraine, and Lori let him hold her. He looked at his daughter and felt just a loving touch.
"I love you." Bobby said, and kissed Lorraine's forehead.
Rita hugged Lori.
"Never leave us again." Rita said and started crying. Lori started crying, and picked Lily up.
"I missed you. And I missed you mom."
She hugged Lily, and got hugged by Rita.
"Is this Lori?" Lily asked.
"Yes. She is." Rita sobbed.
"Yay! I know who Lori is!" Lily said happily.
"I missed you so much Lily." Lori said.
Rita let Lori go, and took Lorraine. Her arms. Bobby hugged Lori.
"I'm glad to see you again." Bobby said.
"I never stopped thinking about you." Lori said.
Rita looked at Lorraine. A tear ran down her cheek.
"Hello… I'm granny…" Rita said.
Lorraine tried to grab Rita's face. Rita kissed her little hands and cuddled with Lorraine.
"I love you… I love you." Smith entered the room.
"So. You saw Lori?" Smith asked. Rita nodded.
"Shall I take a photo of you all?" Rita started holding Lorraine with one arm, and gave Smith her phone. Smith looked at the phone and put on small glasses.
"Oh my god… iPhone… Where is the camera?"
"Problems with iPhone?" Rita asked, and kissed Lorraine's forehead.
"I never used anything like that. We have something own… Satellite… Camera. Okay… face the Camera."
Rita, Lori, and Bobby looked toward the camera lens. Lori played Lily, and Rita played Lorraine. Smith took the photo and gave the phone back to Rita.
"Miss Loud, we need to ask Herbert if he can install an encryption software on your phone. That makes it possible to call Lori."
"Okay." Rita said, and looked again at Lorraine.
"I love you little one."
"Mom, her name is Lorraine." Lori said.
"Such a wonderful name."
"Miss Loud." Smith said, and looked at Lori.
"Yes?" Lori asked.
"Troop movement is today at ten pm. Remember that."
"I know." Lori said.
"Troop movement?" Rita asked.
"Mom… there are still things I need to do. I can't stay for now."
"Oh Lori..." Rita said sadly.
"Lori, please don't leave us." Bobby said.
"I need to. You will understand when the files are declassified." Lori said.
"I will see what information I can share." Smith said.
Lori took Lorraine.
"I love you mom."
Lori went to Bobby and gave him a kiss.
"Lorraine loves her daddy. And she loves her Grandma."
Lori went to the door and turned around.
"I'll be back. I promise."
Lori left the room. Lori went into the garage of the FBI department. Her car stood in a corner of the garage. Slobodan sat in the car and tuned the radio to several radio stations. Lori put Lorraine in the baby seat on the backseat, and sat on the driver seat.
"Did you know that there are more than thirty radio stations I hear here?" Slobodan said excitedly. Lori leaned back.
"Please don't talk..."
"You are sad?"
"Yes..." Lori said.
"Why are you sad?"
"I just saw my mom and my boyfriend for the first time in over a year… And now I have to go away again…" Slobodan looked at the radio.
"You are sad because you love them… I would be happy." Lori looked at Slobodan.
"I don't see them again for an unknown time… and I should be happy?"
"Don't be sad because it's over. Be happy because it happened." Lori closed her eyes.
"I expected something stupid… but you are right. Be happy that it happened."
Lori started the engine and drove to the old factory. On the meter gauge industrial railway siding stood a train with three flat freight cars, a sleeping car, and two old four-axle electric railcars from the fifties which were in front. Claire, Mike, Cynthia, Natasha and Marie where there, and Gretchen, who was held by Claire.
"They already started." Slobodan said.
"Good that we have all our things in the car. Can you take Lorraine and go to Mine?"
"Yes." Slobodan got out, took Lorraine, and walked to Mike. Lori lowered her window.
"I'm driving the wagon now." Lori said.
"Okay. But looked that you leave enough space for the Shilka." Mike yelled.
Lori turned around with her car, and drove over the ramp on the cargo wagons. Lori stopped behind Claire's car, applied the handbrake, and got out of her car.
"Claire, the stuff for the babies is in the sleeping wagon?" Lori asked.
"Yes. By the way, it even has a small shower." Claire said.
"That's great." Lori said, and jumped down from the train.
Slobodan gave Lorraine into Claire's arms, and Claire was holding Lorraine as well Gretchen now.
"I get Shilka." Slobodan said, and went into the factory.
"It makes more sense that we used a factory. Because of the railway system we can use here." Marie said.
"Change my mind Marie, but the best way to transport something is the railway." Natasha said.
"I said nothing against the railway." Marie said, confused.
They heard the noise of a big diesel engine from the factory. The Shilka drove through the big door. And turned towards the train. Slobodan drove it on the ramp, the Shilka tilted upwards, and fell on the cargo wagon, making it jumping with a loud noise. The diesel engine stopped, and Slobodan crawled out of the hatch.
"You couldn't do that louder?" Lori asked.
"I could, but then the train is useless." Slobodan said, and started tiring the Shilka on the wagon with ropes.
A railway worker yelled from the front of the train.
"I felt that! Be gentle to the train!"
"Okay! We do that!" Lori answered.
Cynthia threw a camouflage net over the Shilka. Slobodan tied it up.
"We are ready." Slobodan said.
"Two hours before we leave. We did well." Cynthia said.
"Why do we need to wait two hours?" Lori asked.
"It's… Marie, you can explain it better."
"In two hours it will be ten pm. Fewer trains are driving, and we have free rails. And, the best thing, fewer people see us."
At this moment it started raining.
"Let's go in the wagon." Cynthia said.
"Good idea." Claire said. Lori took Lorraine, and they all went in the sleeping car. This wagon was something special. It had a small living room with a couch, five small bedrooms and a bathroom with a small shower. It started raining harder, and a thunderstorm started.
"Good that we have a train. I hate such weather to drive in cars." Lori said, and sat with Lorraine on the couch.
"I haven't ridden any trains for a long time." Marie said.
"Me too." Cynthia said.
"This one is very luxurious." Claire said.
"And it has a bed. And that's where I go to now." Natasha said, and went into one of the tiny bedrooms.
"I haven't been on a train for over twenty years." Slobodan said.
"You were in the mountains and didn't get any contact to any person. Except me." Lori said.
"Yes. I was only in the mountains and was hunting."
"And listening to music."
"Are you a music lover?" Natasha asked.
"Yes. Music is a wonderful form of art." Slobodan said.
"He really has fun with the radio in my car."
Lori said. "That's interesting." Natasha said.
Two hours went by. It became dark outside, and Lori heard a whistle from the train workers. She opened a window and looked at the front of the train. The driver went into the Railcar, and shortly after that, with a strong shake, the train started moving.
"Let's go!" Lori yelled excitedly.
The train slowly drove outside the factory area, and drove on the side of the street at a slow speed. The rain fell from the sky strongly, and thunder echoed through the streets, reflected by the factory. Lori closed the window and sat next to Marie who was holding Lorraine.
"There is nothing better than traveling by train." Lori said.
Marie looked through the window. They drove by a chemical factory.
"I guess."
The train shook again and became faster. They left the industrial area and entered the forest. The train drove over a track switch and was now driving on the main track. An hour went by. The train, in the middle of nowhere, slowed down and stopped at an old train station.
"Why did we stop?" Lori asked.
"We probably need to clear the track free for another train." Claire said.
After five minutes, a slow cargo train went by, and drove in the direction of Royal Woods. The door of the wagon opened, and a woman with light blonde hair entered it. It was Leni.
"Oh shit." Lori said quietly.
Leni was dripping away, her hair and skin was full of rusty brake dust, and one of her sandals was missing. The whole wagon became silent. Everyone started at Lori and Leni. Marie got up and got distance from Lori and Leni, to make sure nothing happened to Lorraine.
"There… you… are…" Leni said with anger in her voice.
"Leni?" Lori said surprised.
"I have plans..."
"What plans… Leni…" Lori asked, shocked.
"I will fucking kill you!"
Leni jumped at Lori and started attacking her. Leni tried to strangle Lori. Lori held her hands away from her neck, and they both rolled through the train living room.
"Stop Leni!" Lori yelled.
"You destroyed our family!" Leni said, and pulled on Lori's hair.
"Ouch!"
"You two stop with that!" Mike yelled.
Mike took Lori and Slobodan took Leni. Slobodan held Leni with one arm, and Leni started yelling.
"Let me down! I'll end it and leave!"
"You do nothing. If you hurt Lori, I will be your nightmare." Slobodan said with a threatening tone.
"Let me down!"
The door of the bedroom opened and Natasha came to them.
"Why is Leni here?" Natasha asked, surprised.
"I don't know." Lori said.
"To kill Lori and her girlfriend!" Leni yelled.
"Who's girlfriend?"
"The fat cow there!" Leni yelled and pointed at Natasha.
"I'm not fat anymore!" Natasha said.
"I know and don't care!" Slobodan shook Leni.
"Be nice!" Slobodan said.
Leni started calming down.
"See. Be quiet and we'll get along well." Slobodan said.
"What this Lori?! You Nazi gang?" Leni said angrily.
"No! We have things to do for our government!" Lori said.
"What's a government?"
"The guys who look that our country is running? How do you not know that?"
"Stop that! I'm not stupid!"
"Calm down!" Slobodan said.
Leni started tearing up.
"Why did you leave us? Why did you destroy our family?"
Lori looked nervously at Leni and started feeling unsure.
"Fuck..." Lori said quietly.
"You didn't love us… right… you wanted to leave us because you hate us."
Lori started tearing up.
"Leni… I don't hate you…"
"Why did you leave me? Why did you leave Lily? Why did you hurt me?!"
Lori started crying. Marie gave Lorraine into Loris hands to comfort her. Lori held her daughter, and whispered in her little ears.
"Shhh... Mommy is here."
Lori gave her a kiss on the cheeks. Leni looked surprised at Lorraine.
"Who… Who is this?"
"It's your niece Lorraine you dummy."
"I don't get it."
"She is my daughter!"
"Oh my god… You left us because you became a mommy?"
"No… Marie, I mean Leni, that wasn't the reason."
"Who's her daddy?"
"It's Bobby."
Leni looked at the floor.
"You made Bobby cry a lot." Leni said.
Lori looked at Lorraine.
"Lorraine was the only family member that didn't hate me."
"I still hate you." Leni said.
"I know Leni. I deserve it."
The train started to move and left the station in the middle of nowhere. Leni sneezed.
"You are cold." Lori said.
"I'm not." Leni said.
"You are dripping wet. Did you drive with us on the cargo wagons?"
"Yes..."
"How did you find us?" Cynthia asked.
"Mom told me that she saw Lori. I wanted to find her, and saw her in the window when the train was moving out."
"Cynthia, could you please give her some of my clothes and shoes and show her the shower?" Lori asked.
"Sure. Let her down Slobodan."
Slobodan let Leni down, and Cynthia took Leni by her shoulder.
"We have warm water."
"I don't want to shower."
"You need to. You are already getting a cold."
Cynthia took some clothes from a bag from Lori and some shoes. Leni went into the bathroom, and Cynthia waited in front of it. Leni came out dressed and showered half an hour later. She was now wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and black slippers.
"Thank you..." Leni said quietly. She went into the living room and laid down on the couch.
"I'm sorry..." Lori said softly.
"Lori… please don't talk to me. You hurt me enough."
Lori went with Lorraine into one of the bedrooms. Slobodan sat in a chair and watched Leni.
"What are you looking at?" Leni asked upset.
"At you." Slobodan said.
"Why?"
"You attacked my family."
"Then keep Lori. She isn't a part of my family."
"Are you, uhm… related?"
"She was my sister." "What?"
"She isn't my sister anymore."
"You two are very divided."
"Yes..."
Slobodan went silent.
"Lori hurt me. She was my best friend and sister. And left me… Left me for a criminal gang and her girlfriend."
Slobodan listened to her.
"She destroyed our family..."
Lori was laying on the narrow bed in the tiny bedroom. Lorraine was sleeping in her arm. Lori, on the other hand, was not asleep. She held her special phone in her right hand and tried to call her mom.
"How the hell am I supposed to call with this thing?" Lori whispered.
She tried to understand the communication software. But typing the number of Rita wasn't working. She looked at the manual that was between the cover and the phone itself. It was kind of a code. Lori read the manual.
"Hashtag and then the key."
Lori typed hashtag 481 in her phone. Then she heard an automated voice. A deep male voice.
"Four eight one. Four eight one. Four eight one."
"What's that?" Lori asked herself.
At that moment, she heard a digital melody. The first part of the old song Arkansas Traveler. The melody repeated itself three times. Then a female voice said something that made Lori feel better.
"Call Service Encrypted. Please dial number."
Lori dialed her mother's number. After a minute, Lori heard her tired voice.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Mom! It's me! Lori!" Lori whispered.
"Lori? Why do you call me at this time? Did something happen?"
"Yes. Leni! She followed us."
"Oh my god… She reacted very aggressively when I told them that I met you. I didn't think she would go so far."
"Well she is now with us. Very far away from home."
"What should we do?"
"I need to ask someone. But I don't know what I can do at this moment."
"Please take care of her. And call if she comes back."
"I will mom."
"I love you. And tell Leni that I love her."
"I will mom. I love you too."
The call ended. Lori laid the phone aside, and hugged Lorraine.
"Good night Lorraine. Love you."
Lori went to sleep. In the morning, Rita walked with her Cane in the kitchen. Luna, Luan, Lynn Junior, Lincoln, Lucy, Lola and Lana, Lisa and Lily were sitting at the table. Lynn Senior cooked breakfast.
"Leni ran after Lori." Rita said.
Luna facepalmed herself.
"Of course."
"Where is she now?" Lynn senior asked.
"I don't know." Lynn junior leaned over to Lucy.
"Finally … peace." Lynn whispered.
"Peace." Lucy whispered.
"Will she come back?" Lincoln asked.
"Maybe. I don't know when." Rita said. Lincoln started smiling.
"I know you have your problems with Leni, but that's not something you should smile about!" Rita said sternly.
"No. I don't smile."
"Don't lie." Rita sighed.
"Please don't tell anyone that I saw Lori. Just don't talk about Lori. Okay?"
The loud siblings nodded. Rita sat on a chair next to Lily.
"Does your chocolate milk taste good?" Rita asked Lily. Lily nodded.
"You love chocolate way too much." Rita said and petted Lily's head.
"So. Luna, Luan, you take like every day Lynn, Lincoln and Lucy with you."
"Okay mom."
"I take Lily, Lisa and the twins."
Lynn senior put a plate with pancakes on the table. Rita started eating.
"Are the pancakes good?" Lynn senior asked.
"Yes. Very good." Rita said.
Lori woke up. Slobodan looked at her.
"Yes?" Lori asked tiredly.
"We arrived. An army test range." Slobodan said.
"Hmm? Army test range?"
Lori got up with Lorraine who was still asleep, and opened the curtain of the window. Lori saw a railway station without a roof, and with concrete platforms. Several buildings were around, and one of them looked like a tower for air traffic control. Lori looked at the buildings.
"United States army Test range 19. Great Lake City. A test range."
Did you go outside?" Lori asked.
"Short time, yes. I was told that we are not allowed to tell anyone from outside what we see here. But I saw some aircrafts, and tanks."
Lori took her phone and called the contact of agent Smith. The encryption was automatically enabled and he took the call.
"Miss Schroeder?"
"Smith, where are we?"
"Army test base nineteen. You are here to exercise for your mission."
"Okay. And how exactly are we supposed to do that, when we don't know anything about the place where we are?"
"Don't worry. Agent Pringrey will help you."
"So Carol is here?"
"That's what I said. She will come to you at 10 am."
"At least that."
"Call me when you have questions."
The call ended. Lori put the special phone aside.
"Okay. Two hours. Are the other ones still sleeping?"
"No. They are all awake." Slobodan said.
"Okay. I'll take a shower and wash Lorraine. And take care of Leni."
"The woman named Cynthia does that right now."
Lori nodded, and got shampoo and clothes for Lorraine and herself in the Living Room of the wagon. Leni and Cynthia sat on the couch and looked at each other with a kind of poker face.
"What are you two doing?" Lori asked.
"She looked angry at me so I did the same to her." Cynthia said.
Lori gave them a confused look and went to the bathroom with Lorraine.
"I can do that forever. You can't defeat me." Cynthia said.
Leni didn't give an answer. Lori was walking through the small hall of the train wagon when someone knocked on a window. It was Carol. Lori put the clothes on the floor and opened the window with her free hand.
"You are already here?" Lori asked.
"Yes. Smith said that I need to give you this."
Carol gave Lori a small box. On the box stood, "Hair dye Killer."
"I think it's obvious what it is." Carol said, and left.
Lori put the box next to the sink in the bathroom, took the clothes and went with Lorraine into the bathroom. Lori puts Lorraine on a towel on a table in the bathroom.
"I guess mommy is getting her hair back." Lori said.
Lori opened the box and she found the same as in the dye box. A small bottle and a plastic bag. Lorraine watched her mother. Lori put the hair dye killer in the bag, and put her hair in the bag and over her head. Lori gave Lorraine a kiss on her cheek.
"Mommy will look different, but will still love you."
After twenty minutes, she took off her clothes, and took the bag off. Lori turned on the shower, and stood under it for a few seconds. She looked in the mirror. Her hair was blonde again. Lori threw the bag in a small trash bin, and took Lorraine.
"Look how mommy looks."
Lori took Lorraine's clothes off, and washed her under the shower. Lorraine had fun with it. After Lorraine was clean, and Lori washed herself, she turned the shower off, dried Lorraine, and put her clothes on. Lori put herself clothes on, and took Lorraine. She got out of the wagon, and joined the others who were on the platform. Carol Pringrey stood in front of them.
"This is a test base. There are some rules. The first rule: don't tell anyone outside what you saw here. Especially the aircraft that fly here. They don't exist."
"But when we see the aircraft, how don't they exist?" Leni asked.
"Just don't tell anyone. Second, it is fun, and it isn't a bad thing, but please don't destroy trees unnecessarily."
"Why can't we destroy trees?" Natasha asked.
"It's very easy with a tank. So you can destroy a lot in a short time. It's just unnecessary."
"And what are we supposed to do here?" Claire asked.
"The Shilka team, consisting of Natasha, Marie, Slobodan, and me apparently has to test drive and fire the Shilka. The rest have to exercise with the anti air gun Lori had. We put it here last week. The rest have to get used to the use of assault rifles."
"Should the Shilka get off the train?" Slobodan asked.
"Yes. There are some parking lots I would say. Just park it next to the Abrams tanks near the tank workshop."
Slobodan went to the Shilka. A ramp was already behind the last cargo wagon. Slobodan started untying the Shilka.
"And we?" Lori asked.
"You go to a Lieutenant Fletchers. He is somewhere near the shooting range. But don't take the babies with you. Someone of you needs to take care of them." Everyone looked at Claire.
"Why are you looking at me?" Claire asked.
"You are treating Gretchen very well." Natasha said.
"And you aren't a big fan of shooting." Mike said.
"So… I need to take care of the babies?" Everyone nodded.
Claire sighted.
"Of course I need to be a mommy while everyone else does something… Fine…" Claire said with a depressed voice.
"Wanna have a deal?" Lori asked.
"What deal?"
"I'll take care of the babies tomorrow, and you go shooting. Then you take care again, and after that, I'll take care. Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you Lori."
"Good. Now that we agreed on that, it's time to..."
Carol got interrupted. Slobodan drove the Shilka at high speed next to them and stopped. They heard his voice.
"Carol, Marie, Natasha, come in."
Natasha, Marie and Carol got on top of the Shilka, and got in. Carol looked out of the hatch.
"Remember what I told you."
The Shilka accelerated and drove to the tank workshop.
There were many M1 Abrams tanks in the tank workshop. A tank commander cleaned the tank. In this moment, the Shilka stopped in front of the workshop.
"What the hell is this?" The tank commander said.
The hatch opened, and Carol looked out of the Turret.
"Can we go on the test track? Or is another test going on?"
"No… But why do you test an ancient Russian Anti air tank?"
"Reasons."
The commander gave Carol a suspicious look.
"Don't give me that look! Or do you tell someone why you are here testing an M1 Abrams?"
"No. But are you authorized?"
Carol took her wallet and held her FBI badge in the air.
"That's my authorization."
"FBI."
The commander grinned.
"Welcome to the army."
"Whatever." Carol said, and went back in the turret.
She closed the hatch and the Shilka drove off. Slobodan stopped the tank on a place made of gravel, and got out. Carol, Natasha, and Marie got out.
"So. We need put you in place." Slobodan said.
"I want you to Drive it." Slobodan said, and pointed on Natasha.
"Why me?"
"You can drive?"
"Yes… But not a tank."
"Then you learn it. So. You two. Who wants to load and who wants to aim?"
"What do you want to do?" Carol asked.
"I don't know." Marie answered.
"Wanna do the loading and should I do the aiming?"
"Okay."
"Okay. If you don't like it we can change positions." Marie nodded.
Okay. Marie, you go first in the turret. Your seat is in the right. Carol, your seat is in the middle. You need to learn a bit Russian to use the Radar."
"Oh my god…" Carol said.
"I can speak Russian." Natasha said.
"Wanna change positions?" Slobodan asked.
"No. It's okay. I can learn something at least." Carol said.
"Okay. Say if you have problems." Natasha said.
"Now, Natasha, sit on the driver seat. Marie, get in the loader position, and Carol, Gunner position."
Natasha sat on the driver seat in the front. Marie went through the hatch on the turret, followed by Carol. Slobodan went to Natasha.
"It's similar to a car. The pedals are the same. The transmission is automatic. You have a headset and a microphone. That's how we talk. Got it?"
Natasha nodded and gave and answer in Russian.
"Я понял, коммандер."
(I got it commander.)
"Нисам све разумео, али хвала."
(I understood not all, but thank you.)
Slobodan climbed on the top and crawled through the hatch. He closed it, and sat on the commander seat.
"Put on the headset and the microphone."
Marie and Carol did that. Slobodan put on his headset and microphone and gave his first orders.
"Natasha. You are the driver. Start the engine."
Natasha started the engine.
"Marie, you are the gunner. Gunner, how is the ammo?"
Marie looked at the magazines. All were empty.
"No ammo." Marie said.
"Okay. Gunner, that's you Carol. Gunner, activate radar."
"How?" Carol asked.
Slobodan looked at Carols controls, and pushed some buttons. The radar screen started showing that it was active.
"Like this."
"How should I know that? There stands something like Paaaphoe Y, weird letter, pan, again a weird letter, en, reversed N, and e. How the hell do I read this?" Carol said upset.
Slobodan looked at Carol with a serious expression.
"There stands Radarnoye upravleniye. Means Radar Control."
"Dude, I can't read that."
"Then I will teach you."
Natasha spoke over the headset to Slobodan, Carol and Marie.
"Make sure to teach her Russian Cyrillic and not Serbian Cyrillic."
Carol rolled her eyes. Slobodan looked through one of his visors, in forward direction. Natasha, you see clear on the way?"
"Yes." Natasha answered.
"Forward, ten kilometers an hour."
Natasha started driving, and the Shilka moved over the gravel road in direction of a forest.
"Hey, there is something ahead." Natasha said.
Slobodan looked through the visor. It was a steep dirt hill with stones and small rocks on the road.
"Continue. This is road." Slobodan said.
Natasha drove on, and the Shilka tilted to the back, and drove uphill. They heard the engine getting louder, then, for a short moment, everything seemed to be normal, but the Shilka tilted forward, and shook multiple times and was downhill.
"Natasha!" Marie yelled.
"I didn't expect that! Sorry!" Natasha answered with an upset voice.
"Driver, Thirty kilometers an hour." Slobodan said.
Natasha accelerated the Shilka. She drove around a curve, and the gravel road had some big rocks on it.
"Rocks!" Natasha yelled.
The Shilka shook really hard for several seconds, and the water bottle Carol had in the pocket of her coat flew away.
"Ouch!" Natasha said.
Natasha drove on, on the normal gravel road.
"Who the hell threw a water bottle at my face!?"
"It's my water bottle and I didn't throw it at you!"
"Ditch!" Slobodan said.
"Ditch? What do…"
Marie got interrupted. It felt like the Shilka was falling, and slamming in water.
"We are in a water ditch!" Natasha said.
"Keep driving." Slobodan said.
"Can this thing drive in water?"
"Around two meters of water."
Natasha pushed on the gas. Carol took a look through her optical visor.
"Dude we are driving right through a pond!"
"I know." Slobodan said.
"You see? I see nothing!" Natasha yelled.
The Shilka left the pond, and drove on the gravel road again. After a short moment, the Shilka shook really hard, and Slobodan started yelling.
"Stop! Stop!"
Natasha pressed the brake pedal really hard.
"What happened?"
"You drove over a tree!"
"I need to see the damage."
Slobodan opened the hatch and crawled out, followed by Carol and Marie. Natasha left over the front hatch. The Shilka stood on the green Treetop, with the log laying behind her, and with a torn tree stump at the end.
"Uh… Oh man…" Natasha said.
"I said we should be careful with the trees and now we completely destroyed one…" Carol said.
"This looks like a tornado was here." Marie said.
"I'm not sure if this is bad or funny." Slobodan said.
"It is bad." Carol replied.
"Is the tank okay?" Marie asked.
"That was nothing." Slobodan said.
"And the tree?" Natasha asked.
"Take rope and tie the tree on the Shilka."
"Okay."
Natasha went to the Shilka, and took a rope out. She ran back.
"You two Carol and Marie, tie the rope to the Shilka. Marie and Carol nodded and started doing so. Natasha and Slobodan tied the rope on the tree log.
"What are we doing with it?" Natasha asked.
"We put it in pond."
"Oh man…"
They finished the tying.
"Good. You two wait, Natasha, in Shilka."
Natasha went to the Shilka.
Slobodan climbed on the turret, and yelled through the hatch.
"Now drive!"
Natasha moved the Shilka forward, and the tree got pulled behind. The Shilka turned and drove in the direction of the pond. It was hard to see what happened, but Carol and Marie heard a loud splash, and two minutes later, the Shilka was back.
"Get in." Slobodan said.
"Walls on front of us." Slobodan said.
"More like, what a wall was. This looks like a bombed building." Natasha said.
The Shilka drove over the walls and the debris, and went on a stone road, that looked like from an old town. Carol looked out of her optical visor.
"That's a war environment simulation."
"What else should be on a military test base?" Slobodan said.
"Okay, you got a point."
"You know that Russia build small American looking cities just to exercise how to invade them?" Natasha said.
"Great. Now I fear Russia more than before." Carol said.
"Every big country does that. Now focus." Slobodan said.
Natasha drove on and the Shilka went back on the gravel road. Lori and Mike were shooting on targets at a shooting range. The lieutenant named fletcher watched them. Lori had no trouble hitting with her STGW 57. Mike on the other hand had trouble with his M1 Garand.
"Trouble with your rifle?" Lori asked, while looking through the sight.
"I got a Garand thump." Mike said.
Lori shot.
"Garand thump?"
"I pinched my finger while charging. Thats why I call it Garand thump."
"That's typical for such an ancient rifle." The lieutenant said.
"Is this ancient?" Lori asked.
"Second world war. So yes." Mike said.
The magazine clip jumped out of Mike's magazine.
"No stress. Handle this rifle with respect. Remember, this gun brought freedom to Europe."
The lieutenant said. Lori shot again and hit the center of the target.
"What do you have?"
"The gun? That's something Swiss. A STGW 57. I don't know more."
Mike got his rifle ready and started shooting. He hit pretty well.
"Wonderful. I guess we can start with the Johnny hunting." Lieutenant Fletcher said.
Lori and Mike looked at the lieutenant.
"Johnny hunting?" Lori asked.
The lieutenant went to a chest, and took out a life sized orange puppet, with a drawn yelling face on his head, and with a plastic gun in his hands.
"This is Johnny. He and his friends are terrorists, enemy soldiers, pirates, agents, or criminals. He is all what you want him to be."
"Wow…" Lori said surprised.
"He is a target?" Mike asked.
"Exactly. We train people with him. He is orange because he should be visible differently to the other puppets. We have blue Benny, Pink Pia, and Green Granny. Johnny is the target, and the other ones have to be as less injured as possible."
"And what is Johnny in our case?" Lori asked.
"Security at a building. We already built an exact copy of this building."
Fletcher, followed by Lori and Mike went to a jeep. He drove through the base, and went next to a forest to a Warehouse. He stopped five hundred meters away from it, and they got out. They saw a lot of Johnnys at the warehouse.
"There are a lot of them." Lori said.
"Those johnnys are filled with a red liquid. So you see when you hit one before." Lieutenant Fletcher said.
"How do we attack?" Mike asked.
"You shoot from a safe position. The environment here is basically the same like at the real barn. So, if you stand here, with camouflage clothes, they barely see you. Lay in the grass, and shoot the Johnnys."
Lori and Mike laid down on the ground, and aimed at the johnnys.
"Ready Mike?" Lori asked.
"Ready." Mike answered.
They both shot at the johnnys. Some johnnys started rotating, others started to rock back and forth.
"They move?" Lori said surprised.
"You never know how they react. Keep shooting." Lieutenant Fletcher said.
Lori and Mike continued. No Johnny was left.
"Good. Now you slowly approach. There are still johnnys inside."
Lori and Mike slowly got up, and walked slowly towards the warehouse. A Johnny leaned out of a window. Mike quickly aimed at the puppet, and shot at it.
"Good hit." Lori said.
Another Johnny looked out of the big door. Lori shot at him two times. Mike saw one in another window, and shot on him.
"I reload." Mike said, and reloaded his Garand.
"Lean next to the door!" Fletcher said.
Lori and Mike did so.
"At this point, the marines will throw a flashbang in."
Fletcher took out a hand grenade.
"After it explodes, you run in and neutralize all Johnny's."
Lori and Mike nodded. Fletcher pulled the pin out, and threw the grenade in the warehouse. Fletcher ran away, and it banged.
"In!"
Lori and Mike ran in. Eight Johnnys were there. They shot them all. Lori put a full magazine in her rifle, switched it to automatic, and fired through the shelfs in the warehouse. The magazine was empty after a few seconds. They both went on. Every Johnny they saw was neutralized immediately.
"We did it." Lori said.
"Yup."
Lori and Mike gave a high five. Fletcher walked to them.
"You did well. With our marines, you will do this pretty good."
Lori and Mike looked at each other, and nodded.
"Do we exercise with those guys?" Lori asked.
"Tomorrow." Fletcher said.
Slobodan and Marie were on the turret, and held big ammo belts. The Shilka stood near the train where they lived in. Marie looked at the bullets with widened eyes.
"Remember the colors of the bullets. Is the bullet black, it's an Armor piercing incendiary Tracer Projectile with a hard core." Slobodan said.
"It burns?" Marie asked.
"It starts fire, yes."
Slobodan took a cartridge with a black bullet with a red stripe and a yellow tip.
"This is the same. But has no hard core and doesn't glow."
Slobodan took a bullet with only a yellow tip.
"This is the same, but glows."
Slobodan took a bullet with a silver and red tip and copper strip.
"This is high explosive incendiary tracer. Funny thing. Explodes and sets fires."
"Wow." Marie said, impressed.
"Wanna hold one?" Slobodan asked.
"Marie nodded. Slobodan gave her the high explosive bullet. She looked at it with big eyes.
"Now, look at the belt, and tell me how it is built together." Slobodan said.
Marie looked at the belt.
"Armor piercing fire, normal armor piercing with light, without light… three times high explosive… then again in this order."
"Exactly. We shoot mixed belts. We load the belts now, and will test fire it later."
Slobodan opened the magazine, and laid a belt in. Marie did the same on the other side. The belt was heavy. Really heavy.
"Don't let it fall." Slobodan said.
"Will it explode?" Marie asked with panic.
"Just don't let it fall."
Marie laid the belt carefully in the magazine, and closed it. Slobodan opened the other magazines.
"A question?" Marie asked.
"Да?"
"How do I reload this thing from inside?"
"I will show you."
Marie laid a belt in the magazine.
"Another question… is this very loud when we shoot?"
"Да. Very loud."
"Oh man…"
"Problem?"
"I hate loud things."
"Get ear protection." Slobodan said, and put a belt in the last magazine.
Marie took a small box out of her pocket and opened it. Two small earplugs were in it.
"Like those?" "Да. Why do you have earplugs with you?"
"I always have some with me l, because everything is so loud." Slobodan rolled his eyes.
"Hey! I have problems with loud sounds!" Marie said with an upset voice.
"Okay okay. Your loud isn't my loud. You know, I don't hear really good anymore."
"Why?" "Because I was working with such a thing in the wars."
Slobodan said, and pointed at the four machine cannons of the Shilka."
"Then I better use my earplugs." Marie said.
Natasha sat next to an empty belt on the ground. Carol was next to four boxes of ammunition, and held a sheet of paper in her hand, which had Russian letters and how they are spoken on it. "Three HE rounds." Natasha said. Carol took three rounds of a box, and gave it to Natasha.
"Here. Why are there two letters for E?"
Natasha put the rounds in the belt, and looked at Carol's sheet of paper. She pointed on to letters. Э and Е.
"The first one is a normal E. The second one is Ye. Like Yellena."
"Why are there such letters?"
"I don't know. Remember the following, Ts, Shch, Sh, Tsh."
Natasha pointed on the letters Ц, Щ, Ш, and Ч.
"API round."
Carol gave Natasha a bulled from a box labeled with API.
"How do I remember this?"
"Repeated what I say, and with we go with every word to the next letter. Okay?"
"Okay."
They both held their fingers on the paper.
"Anna, Boris, Vasily."
Carol repeated.
"Anna, Boris, Vasily."
"Grigory, Dmitri, Yellena."
Carol repeated again. They moved to the next letters. The whole alphabet. And did it again. After they've done that, Natasha continued loading the belts.
"Just remember the names, and you learn quickly." Natasha said.
"Thank you." Carol said with a happy smile.
"No problem. If you need any more help, I'll be there. Now APIT please."
Carol gave Natasha the bulled from a Box labeled APIT. Natasha laid it in the belt.
"APT now."
Carol gave Natasha a bullet from the APT box. Then again three bullets from the HEI box.
"I actually need to say something." Carol said.
"What? API." Carol took a API bullet.
"I never thought that when we were in the class in high school, almost two years ago, that we would be here and load a tank to shred planes. It's just crazy how much has changed in those two years since the first time I saw you."
"Yeah… I was really fat back then." Natasha chuckled.
"I know."
"I wasn't really able to run… or had health problems… or simply got bullied."
Carol took an APIT bullet and leaned at Natasha.
"Hey, that's over now. And hey, next to you, I would have to worry that all men go to you and not to me." Carol said and held the APIT bullet to Natasha.
"What do you mean?"
"You are beautiful."
"I don't think so, but thanks." Natasha said, and took the APIT bullet.
Carol gave her an APT bullet.
"No. You are."
Natasha looked suspiciously at Carol.
"Are you a lesbian?"
"No… No i'm not."
Carol took three HE bullets and gave them to Natasha.
"I just think you are beautiful. Nothing else."
"APIT."
Carol took a bullet out of the box and gave it Natasha. Natasha took it, and looked at it. It had a gray, Small Tip, and was in the middle of plastic that held it in the cartridge.
"That's not APIT." Natasha said.
"But I took it from the box." Carol said.
"Well it's not APIT."
Natasha stood up, and went to the Shilka.
"Hey Slobodan, what it's that?" Natasha showed him the bullet. He looked at it, and knew immediately what it was.
"That's one of the funny rounds. After it leaves the barrel, the plastic goes away, and the small dart flies extremely fast at the target. One of the best. Is made of… What is the name? Metal in Serbian is called волфрам."
"Wolfram? You mean tungsten."
"If it's called that then yes. Best bullet. Very strong."
"Can we use it?" Natasha asked.
"Possible. But is effective against ground targets. Could you take a look at the bullets and sort the ones out you can't identify?" Slobodan asked.
"Okay. And what are we doing with the ones we can't identify?" Carol asked.
"You bring it to me." Slobodan said.
Natasha nodded, and went with Carol to the ammo boxes. Cynthia and Leni were walking next to a tall fence. They didn't see what was behind the fence, but they always heard aircraft noises.
"You have deep anger." Cynthia said while walking next to Leni.
Leni didn't answer anything and just looked at the ground with an angry look.
"Now look, you can continue with that attitude, or change and make it better."
Leni turned towards Cynthia.
"Lori ruined my life. I can't be happy!"
"You feel like this because you don't know what happened. I know it. And believe me, Lori did everything pretty humanly. Or do you think that she likes to kill?"
"I… I… No. Lori isn't like that." Leni leaned on a gigantic chain link fence.
"Everything broke like a glass when Lori did those things."
"Like someone throwing a rock at a window. Right?" Leni nodded.
"Yes. Like you said. But there was no window someone broke."
Cynthia gave Leni an odd look.
"Yea… But you are now at an important point. You have several ways to go on your life. And the way you are doing things now, you are on the way to become a witch like the one from the wizard of Oz."
"I get green skins and a wart?" Leni asked confused.
Cynthia slowly facepalmed herself.
"What the fuck did I just hear?" Cynthia quietly asked herself.
Leni looked at Cynthia with an unsure look.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"You get a witch in the meaning, that you only feel hate. Someone who hates will be hated and never loved."
"Oh… I get a witch in my head."
"Yes… A witch in your head. And this witch will destroy you. But you still can change that. Now you have the chance."
"How? I can't look at her face and just forget all."
"You need to accept Lori as your sister. And remember Lorraine. She surely wants you in her family."
"Who is Lorraine again?"
"Loris's daughter."
"Right."
"Leni, now is the time …"
Two F-16 Fighters flew over them with their very loud engines.
"Shut the fuck up!" Cynthia yelled after the two F-16's.
She turned back to Leni.
"Now is the time, to fix your life, Loris life, and your family. You can help with that."
"I can help." Leni said.
"Do you want to help?"
"I want."
"Do you really want? With all you can do?"
"Yes."
"Do it."
Cynthia walked on. Leni followed her.
"You have a new niece. Try to get to know her better."
"Lorraine?"
Cynthia stopped and looked at Leni with a slightly confused look.
"Yes Lorraine. Is there any other niece of yours?"
"I don't know… What is a niece?"
"Oh my god… A niece is the daughter of your sister or your brother. And your niece looks at you as aunt. You are an aunt."
Lenis eyes wandered around. After some seconds, she understood it. Leni jumped up and down and cheered. She was happy like never before.
"Wooooooohooow! Yeeeaaaahhh!"
Cynthia watched that moment with surprise.
"Hey. You can smile."
They walked on. In the train, Claire Played with Gretchen on the couch in the living room. Lorraine slept next to Claire. Claire played very simple with Gretchen.
"Oh my wonderful girl. Oh my beautiful little girl" Claire said with a big smile.
Gretchen laughed while she got up and down. Lori and Mike entered the wagon and went to them. They held their rifles in their hands.
"How were you doing?" Lori asked.
"Lorraine had some trouble with the Applesauce I gave her. But otherwise, it was okay." Claire said.
Lorraine woke up and looked at her mom.
"Okay. I think she heard that I lied." Claire said.
Lorraine opened her arms. She wanted to get picked up. Lori took her.
"What do you mean?"
"She had no trouble with the apple sauce."
"I don't get it."
Claire got up and took a shirt which was full of applesauce.
"She absolutely hated it."
Lori and Mike gave her an odd look.
"She threw it at you?" Lori asked.
"Not only at me. It was on the walls and the windows. She screamed and threw it around. Even Gretchen got apple sauce on her." Mike chuckled.
"This is kinda funny."
Claire looked at Mike with an angry look and spoke with a tense yet calm voice.
"That… was… not… Funny…"
"Sorry…" Mike said with a nervous tone.
"You better be. Lori, Lorraine is cute, but she is a little devil sometimes."
Lori looked at Lorraine.
"Did you misbehave that much?" Lorraine touched Loris cheek.
"Do you want me not to be angry at you? It kinda works…"
"If she does that with you, don't tolerate it. Scold her. That is enough." Mike said.
"I can't scold her…"
"If not then she gets a little brat."
"You are right… Don't be a brat Lorraine."
Lorraine made noises with her voice.
"You wanna be as cute as possible for me to forget about what Claire said. Hmm Lorraine?"
"Oh please try to feed her apple sauce." Lori looked at Claire.
"I breastfeed her." Lori said.
"Probably that's why she hates it." Claire said.
Lori got up and went in the tiny bedroom she used. Lori laid on the bed, and took her shirt off. Lorraine started drinking.
"You are hungry again. Soon you have to eat other things. And not my milk."
Lori looked at Lorraine.
"You get old enough to stop breastfeeding."
Lori remembered what Claire told her.
"This will be a nightmare."
Slobodans group went in the direction of a tank test range. An M1 Abrams stood there. The Shilka stopped next to the M1 Abrams. Slobodan opened the hatch and stretched his head out. The tank commander was on the M1 Abrams turret.
"Can we test fire?" Slobodan asked.
"Yes… With this ancient thing?"
"Is not ancient. Is good machine."
"The Ukrainians got German Gepard Anti air tanks. The Ukrainians say that they are way better than those old Soviet things."
"Shilka good! Has radar and four cannons! Is wonderful machine."
"Prove it."
"Wich target?"
"Target number three."
"Нема ништа боље од Шилка." Slobodan grubled, and closed the hatch.
"Marie. Load the cannons!" Slobodan said and sat on the commander seat.
"How?" Marie asked.
"Take the belt, open the bolt, lay it in, close it."
Marie took the belt, opened the bolt next to it, and loaded it. She did it with all four cannons.
"I think it's loaded." Marie said, and put her earplugs in.
"Carol, aim at target number three!"
Carol looked at the controls, and tried to understand it.
"I think I aim with this?"
Carol grabbed a lever. The Turret moved to the right.
"Yes. That is it."
Carol aimed at target three.
"That studying really payed off." Carol said to herself, and looked again at the controls.
"How is Distance measurement called in Russian?" Carol asked.
Natasha replied over her headset.
"Измерение расстояния."
(Distance measurement.)
Carol looked for word that were written like Natasha said it. She found it.
"There it is! Izmereniye rasstoyaniya." Carol pressed the button and a number appeared. 1963. Carol aimed at it.
"I think I got it." Carol held her finger on the trigger.
"I'm ready."
"Fire!" Slobodan yelled.
Carol pressed the trigger. The whole tank started vibrating violently, and incredibly loud explosions started. Carol let the trigger go.
"What was that?" Carol asked shocked.
"Normal Shilka!Keep firing." Slobodan yelled.
Carol pressed the trigger again. It was so loud that she heard a whistle in her ear. She saw the tracer rounds flying away through her sight. All colors from Green, Red and Blue flew to the targets where explosions occurred.
"Wow…" Carol said amazed.
"Stop!" Slobodan yelled.
Carol stopped shooting.
"Don't let the barrels overheat."
Slobodan looked through his sights.
"We end here. It works." Slobodan said.
He opened the hatch and stretched hi ahead out.
"Was impressive?" Slobodan asked the tank commander.
"I have to give it to you. It was impressive."
"Да. Nothing better than Shilka."
Slobodan closed the hatch.
"We drive back."
Natasha turned the Shilka, and they drove back. Cynthia and Leni entered a small town inside the Base. It was like a real town. Just smaller. Leni curiously looked around. Uniformed men looked at her and Cynthia. Leni got nervous.
"They look at us." Leni whispered to Cynthia.
"Why?" "Because normal people never enter this area. Think about it."
Cynthia saw a bar. They entered it, sat at a table and ordered drinks. Cynthia ordered a glass of Vodka. Leni ordered a Long Island ice tea. Leni took a sip from her ice tea. Her eyes widened. It was not ice tea. It was something that burned in her mouth. She swallowed it, and a burning warm feeling went in her chest.
"That's not ice tea." Leni said surprised.
"You ordered Long Island ice tea. That a strong alcoholic drink." Cynthia said.
"That is ice tea?"
Leni took again a sip of the Long Island ice tea. It burned again.
"This is not ice tea. This is fire tea."
"This tea is not hot. There is alcohol in it. It's a special substance. That feels like burning and makes people drunk. Do you feel a warm feeling in your body?"
"I do." Leni said.
"That's the alcohol."
"I feel funny as well. Is that also the tea?"
"Yes it is." Leni took another sip.
"Not so bad after a few sips."
"Don't drink that fast." Cynthia said.
Cynthia touched Lenis arm.
"Take a break from drinking."
Leni drank the whole ice tea.
"Or you drink the whole thing…" Cynthia said dumbfounded.
"I'm smart enough." Leni said, and got a hiccup.
"I want another one."
"No. That was a mistake to take you here." Cynthia said, and took Leni to the waitress.
Cynthia gave her twenty dollars.
"Here. For the drinks."
"Thank you."
Cynthia went outside with Leni.
"Hey? We already go?" Leni asked.
"Yes."
Leni giggled.
"You look funny."
"You never had a drink before?"
Leni giggled and shook her head.
"Not such a funny drink."
"And of course you are sensitive to alcohol."
Mike, Claire holding Gretchen, and Lori holding Lorraine looked at a Restaurant wagon which got coupled to their train.
"We get a kitchen." Claire said.
"They really put together a home train for us." Mike said.
"Do you like trains Lorraine?" Lori asked her daughter.
Lorraine looked at Lori, and touched her hair.
"You will get used to my real hair."
"She doesn't know you with your real hair." Claire said.
Mike, Lori with Lorraine in her arms, and Claire with Gretchen in her arms entered the Restaurant wagon. It had a table and a small, very narrow kitchen in a separate compartment. Behind the kitchen compartment was a luggage compartment with food and water bottles in it.
"Wow." Gretchen said.
"That will be enough for some time." Lori said.
Lori and Claire sat down on that table in the wagon. Mike started cooking in the kitchen.
"How long are we going to stay here?" Claire asked.
"If we get a restaurant wagon now, that means we are staying long here." Lori said.
"How long?"
"I don't know. You have to ask Carol."
"The agent with the blonde ponytail?"
"Yes."
"How is her group doing?" Claire asked.
"I don't know. They might be successful." Lori answered.
"And what are we gonna do with your sister?"
"I don't know either. Carol said she would take care of that. Maybe she gets send home."
Lori looked at the table.
"I still ask myself why Carol decides over Leni."
"Maybe she is literally an FBI Agent?"
"I know. But I still wonder why. I mean, Smith is responsible for us. Then why does Carol have to deal with Leni?"
"It might be possible that Smith puts work he hates on his minions."
"Carol is his minion?"
"I assume that."
Lori felt worried.
The Shilka stopped next to the train.
"Unload the Cannons." Slobodan said.
Marie opened the bolts and took the rounds out of the camber, and secured them. No bullets were in the Cannons anymore.
"Done." Marie said.
"Natasha, engine off." Slobodan said.
"Okay."
Natasha turned the engine off.
"Leave."
Slobodan opened the hatch and climbed out. Carol deactivated the radar, and Slobodan saw how the pan shaped radar went down behind the turret. Carol and Marie climbed out and went on the turret.
"That went well." Carol said.
"My ears hurt." Marie said and took her earplugs out of her ears.
Natasha climbed out.
"Didn't you have your earplugs in?"
"I did." Marie said.
"My ears are sore because the plugs were so long in them."
Carol looked at Marie.
"Loud sounds hurt you and the plugs hurt you. You are strange."
Marie pressed her lips together.
"Don't make her upset." Natasha said to Carol.
"Oh man… She is such a diva."
"I'm not…" Marie whispered with a tense voice.
"Where did this wagon come from?" Marie asked.
Slobodan looked around, and pointed to the only tracks that led out of the Station.
"I think from there."
Marie, Natasha and Carol looked at Slobodan.
"This isn't helpful." Natasha said.
"Do you think I know where train comes from in detail? There it comes from."
Slobodan pointed again on the tracks.
"I could guess where it comes from." Marie said.
"How?" Carol asked.
"The wagon is red. And has two yellow lines. In the middle stands RWR. Royal Woods Railway. This is normal. But the details are interesting. This wagon hasn't been used for five years. I know this because it's a Wagon 67/2000. Designed in 1967 and modernized in 2000. The not modernized version was used until 2010. the modernized version was last used in 2018. next to the brake controls stands RW. Means it was in the reserve depot in Royal Woods. Back to the colors. Those colors were only used for Restaurant wagons. I could only guess that it was taken from Royal Woods and brought here. Probably so we have a kitchen."
They all looked at Marie, and entered the sleeping wagon, and went in the restaurant wagon. Lori, Holding Lorraine, and Claire holding Gretchen sat at the table. They looked surprised at Lori and Claire.
"Oh… You here?" Natasha asked.
"Yeah. We got a kitchen." Lori said.
"You know who brought this wagon here?" Carol asked.
"It was brought here by the train. We don't know more. It was just said that we get a kitchen." Claire said.
"And why are you here?" Marie asked.
"I took care of your little sister and of Lorraine." Claire said.
Thank you." Natasha said and gave a kiss on Gretchen's forehead.
Slobodan sat down next to Lori and petted Lorraine's head.
"Is someone cooking?" Carol asked.
"Yes. Mike." Claire said.
Marie sniffed a few times.
"Spaghetti and tomato sauce."
"You are like a cat." Carol said.
"My classmates called me a retarded meerkat." Marie said.
Natasha took Marie with her left arm.
"You are not a retarded Meerkat. I bet you were the best in your class."
"I tried. But half of the time I had to make plans in my mind to escape from some boys."
"Escape from boys?" Carol asked.
"She means bullies. It's obvious." Claire said.
"It wasn't obvious because she said boys." Carol said.
"I described not specific enough. Boys and girls. Bullies. Almost the whole class." Marie said.
Lori, Carol and Natasha looked surprised at Marie.
"Where there really so much bullies?" Carol asked.
"Yes. I can by the way remember wich scar was made by who."
Marie pulled her left sleeve up. On her left upper arm was a scar.
"Matthew Jackson. He pushed me in a bush of roses. And he knew that this rose bush had barbed wire in it because it was in the front yard of a strange old woman."
"Uh…" Carol said with a painful look.
"That wasn't the worst. Diana Hanson had a scissor with her on the way back home. I noticed her and her brother Micheal too late. He held me down and she cut my hair short with the words, don't ever correct me again you ugly cow."
Claire teared up.
"This girl speaks from my soul."
"That was the same with me… then I was picked on because I was fat…" Natasha said with a sad voice.
"And me because my family was Jewish…" Claire said and hugged Gretchen.
Carol whispered in Loris's ear.
"We can be happy that we had it that easy."
Mike went to them with the dinner. They started eating.
Leni was still drunk. She giggled all the time, and Cynthia did not enjoy that.
"Hehe." Leni giggled.
"What?" Cynthia asked annoyed, holding Leni at her arm.
"I think is funny how this s happened… I jumped on a train, and now I'm in the military. It's really funny."
"Yeah very funny."
Leni grinned at Cynthia.
"Oh don't be mad… you look like Lori."
"I don't look like Lori! And you are very annoying!" Cynthia said with a raised index finger.
Leni started crying.
"Why do you hate me?"
"I don't hate you."
"Yes. You yelled at me."
"Look, I am sorry. You giggled in my ear for half an hour. I just am annoyed."
Leni looked at Cynthia and opened her arms.
"Hug?"
"Fine."
Cynthia gave Leni a hug.
"Better?"
Leni nodded.
Carol Looked out of the window of the Sleeping wagon. She saw Cynthia and Leni outside of the train. Carol opened the door and stepped outside.
"There you are. Where have you been?" Carol asked.
"We were walking around and talking." Cynthia said.
Carol looked at Leni who was grinning.
"Why are you grinning?"
"I just realize you look like Lori." Leni said and moved awkwardly.
"Why is she drunk?"
"She had a Long Island ice tea, and she didn't know what it was. And apparently her body can't handle alcohol." Cynthia said.
"Could I talk to Leni for a moment?"
"Yeah. Sure. Have fun with her." Cynthia said, and went in the train.
Carol took Leni at her arm and went with her to the end of the Train.
"Look. You weren't supposed to be here. But I don't gonna send you back."
"Why?" Leni asked.
"You. We need you to help us."
Leni giggled.
"Sure. I help you."
"But you have to promise me something."
"Hmm?" Leni said and grinned at Carol.
"Don't fight with Lori! Okay?"
Leni nodded slowly.
"So. The first thing you need to do, get sober." Carol said.
"What is sober?"
"Oh my god… go sleeping!"
Carol took Leni, went with her in the Sleeping wagon to a bedroom. Leni laid down on a bed.
"Do you feel any better?" Carol asked.
"Yes. But tell the train it should stop shaking." Leni said.
"The train isn't shaking."
"Not? I don't feel that good."
"Sleep. You will be fine."
Leni fell asleep five minutes later. Carol left the Bedroom and went in the Restaurant wagon. The other ones sat at the table. Carol sat down next to Lori.
"Leni is asleep." Carol said.
"Already?" Lori asked.
"Ask Cynthia. She had fun with Leni."
Lori looked with a suspicious look at Cynthia.
"What did you do?"
"We got drunk." Cynthia said.
Lori looked shocked at Cynthia.
"You what?!"
"Sorry. I didn't know that she never drank before."
"She isn't even eighteen. Not even twenty one years old. Are you crazy?"
"It was a mistake. I'm sorry."
"You are so… forget it!" Lori said, and went in the sleeping wagon.
Lori peeked in the bedroom and saw Leni sleeping.
"Love you Leni."
Lori turned herself and made it possible for Lorraine to see Leni.
"That's aunt Leni."
Lorraine looked with a confused look at Leni.
"Are you confused, my little girl? She is part of our family."
Lorraine made the typical baby noises.
"You will get it one day." Lori said, and gave Lorraine a kiss on the forehead.
Lori entered the Bedroom, and laid Lorraine in the arms of Leni, and laid on the bed next to them. She watched them until she fell asleep.
End Of Chapter