AN1 Review count was low last chapter. Please share your thoughts on the story today :) As much as I love to write Who Dares Wins, and I do, without continued expressed feedback, I wouldn't continue.
AN2 Haven't checked out Orion Cyber Security Systems yet? You should :) Captainrick944 is a nice guy, and he likes to write and read a Chuck with confidence (which Chuck is capable of because he's a Stanford—but dumbed down by Fedak and Schwartz—alumni genius!), just like I do :)
Previously: Everyone except for Chris contemplated Sarah's question while Chris said, "Sarah, if he's gone, then we can't waste time. He's out there alone, and the more people in the Regiment who know about it, the quicker we can find him. We're in lockdown, on a red alert. He can't be out alone, and he knows the score."
Everyone present considered their team leader's remarks before Cole soon said, "Actually, chaps, I should have said this a lot earlier. I saw him going out earlier this morning in his car. I even spoke with him. He told me he just needed to clear his head and would be back in a few hours."
Chris suddenly began to point at Cole. "Tell me now, mate to mate, that you saw him this morning. No bullshit, mate to mate."
Holding Chris's glance, Cole said, "Man to man, mate to mate, I saw him this morning, Chris."
Chris held his glance onto Cole as he considered whether Cole was telling him the truth, while most of their teammates watched the exchange until it was disturbed by somebody declaring, "I think I know where he is…."
Everyone snapped their glance at Jamie to query the sudden declaration.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Thirty-Six: Lockdown: Part Fifteen: AWOL: Part Three
"Well, Jamie, fella, don't keep us all exploding in suspense. Where is he?" Big Dan asked, looking with a razor-sharp glance at Jamie Hughes.
Shifting his focus around his six teammates, who were all staring at him the same way Big Dan was, Jamie said, "When we got back from Iraq in '05, after his first deployment with us, Chuck was taking the intensity of everything we'd been up to out there to heart back then too."
"I remember that as well," Cole Barker declared as he began thinking back to his best mate's first months in the Regiment. "Some of us thought he wouldn't be able to hack it with us and that he would return to his unit within weeks. Even I had my doubts."
Chris nodded. "We all had doubts about it, but he proved us all wrong. But what does it have to do with today, Jamie?"
Everyone turned to glance at Jamie once more in wait for an answer.
"Well, as soon as we all returned to Hereford, he buggered off from the base. In a mixture of half being a nosey bastard and half concerned for his well-being, I followed him," Jamie said, snorting.
A few of Jamie's teammates suppressed brief laughter.
But knowing time was short and that his team leader was always brief and to the point while on business at least, Jamie quickly continued, "Anyway, he went to that steep wooded ground about five miles from here, and I spent a few hours with him there too 'cause he clocked me very early on in my stakeout," he said, snorting as he finished. "It's the perfect ground in the immediate area for an elevated run."
The team processed Jamie's remarks.
"I think we've all been up and down that track countless times over the years, fella," Big Dan soon said.
Cole, Chris, and John Murray nodded, while Bryce said, "I haven't."
"Me too," Sarah quickly agreed with Bryce. "But I was planning on doing it before all of this lockdown shit. I clocked it as being the perfect ground to add elevation. Well, while we're confined to Credenhill and Hereford on counter-terror, at least..."
"Exactly, mate," Jamie said, smiling at Sarah. "So if his running kit is gone as well, then I would bet everything I have on that's where he'll be again now."
On receiving the queue, Cole instantly began to rummage through the drawers underneath Chuck's gear's wardrobe in search of his best friend's running gear.
Glancing back up at his teammates, who were now looking at him in wait for an answer, Cole said, "It's gone. It looks like Jamie might be right, chaps and lasses."
"Right," Chris said, commanding the attention of his team. "Let's find him, and find him fast before Wallace shows his face because if he does, then he'll be RTU'd. I've already had to bail him out once since the op, and I'm exhausting my patience with his moping very quickly!"
Chris's teammates all nodded, with each of them sensing their team leader's rising frustrations over Chuck's actions since the op finished two days ago.
"Let's get our sidearms, and then we'll split into pairs. I'll take John to the end of the track, and we'll work our way down in search of the soft bollocks," the team leader said unamused.
Everyone nodded.
"I'll take Speedy Gonzales and check out his house and the immediate vicinity of his place just in case he's there," Big Dan stated.
The team nodded once more.
"And I'll take Sarah and Cole to the car park at the start of the track, and then we'll work our way up just so we all have something to do," Jamie said.
Everyone nodded again.
Taking the time to look at every team member, Chris soon said, "If he's not in any of these places, or we haven't found him in two hours, then we're calling it in. I'm not running all over the country like a tosser looking for him. This is the best I'll do."
"None of us would expect you to stick your neck out that far, Chris. If he isn't where I think he is, then I'll be seriously pissed off with him meself," Jamie said.
Everyone quickly agreed.
"Right! Let's move out!" Chris commanded.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
Sarah, Jamie and Cole stopped in Jamie's car at the parking area at the start of the large wooded area and ideal cross-country running track five miles from their base.
"Well, there's his car," Sarah declared, her glance connecting onto Chuck's white Audi A4 B7 Sedan.
"Yeah, it looks like you were right, Jamie," Cole said while also having eyes on his best friend's pride and joy.
"Not necessarily, mate," Jamie said as his teammates turned to look at him. "We can be sure he's here somewhere unless someone has nabbed him while he was on the track. But as far as we know, he could have been followed here and in danger as we speak."
Sarah and Cole instantly swallowed a nervous breath of air, and they tensed over Jamie's remarks, which were spot on.
"Jamie's right," Sarah said with concern evident in her tone as she began unfastening her seatbelt. "Let's find him and bring him back before anyone notices we're gone."
Cole and Jamie nodded as the three teammates promptly departed the car.
Now in the open air, they walked up to Chuck's vehicle, where they began to inspect it.
Almost in sync, Cole and Sarah attempted to open the vehicle's front doors, but they were locked, while Jamie inspected the rear.
"Ok, his clothes are in the back of the car," Jamie said, his glance connecting onto a shirt and jeans.
Cole and Sarah nodded.
"Let's get cracking on finding him then, shall we?" Cole said.
Sarah and Jamie nodded before the three teammates set off along the track to begin their search.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
"Well, it's been ten minutes, and there's still no sign of him yet," Sarah declared as she continued up the track at a fast-paced walk with Jamie and Cole.
"Not yet," Jamie agreed. "We'll give it a few more minutes before calling in on Chris and John to see if they've had any luck."
Sarah nodded as the teammates continued their hunt.
"He's in here somewhere," Cole said suddenly, glancing around the wooded terrain. "I can feel it."
Sarah instantly narrowed her eyes in confusion at Cole's declaration.
While Jamie snorted to hold in laughter and said, "Fuckin' hell! I didn't know we had a psychic on the team!"
Sarah smiled at Jamie's joke, while Cole said, "Not a psychic, just a best-friends instinct. I know he's here. I can smell him."
Sarah snorted.
"You didn't know he was here until I said it, though, did you, mate?" Jamie said, snorting again. "Maybe it's me who has this 'best-friends instinct'."
Cole shot Jamie an immediate glare.
Sarah couldn't hold in her laughter anymore, and Jamie quickly joined her.
"Maybe he'll be telling all of us our fortunes next, Sarah, mate," Jamie couldn't resist adding a further comment, continuing to chuckle, and Cole finally joined them in laughing.
"He got you," Sarah said, smiling at Cole after a few seconds.
Cole shook his head before grinning and said, "Let's hurry up and find Chuck so he can help me to bury the both of you out here in the woods."
Still chuckling away, Jamie looked at Sarah as the three of them walked and said, "He's touchy without his best man around him, isn't he? We'd best hurry up and find him before Cole turns all John Rambo and shoots up the nearest thing that pisses him off!"
"Don't you mean Chris instead of Cole?" Sarah asked back as she continued to laugh.
Sarah's comments caused Cole and Jamie to have to stop walking briefly to bring their now excessive laughter under control.
"Fuckin' hell, mate!" Jamie said once he was in a position to talk again. "Now that's scared the shit out of me. So let's hurry up and find Chuck quick!"
The three teammates shared a few further giggles until they focused on the task again and picked up the pace of their hunt for Chuck.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
As Red Team continued their hunt for Chuck, Sarah, Cole, and Jamie finally located him a few minutes later.
Chuck, precisely as Jamie had predicted, was in his running gear and was just out on an exercise, probably trying to clear his mind from Monday's events.
That didn't make it ok what Chuck had done, though. Because Red Team's orders by the Commanding Officer of 22 Regiment when the red alert first came in were quite clear: if any member—or members—of the unit were to leave the base, then it was to be in pairs at minimum, and armed.
As Chuck made his way towards his three teammates, aware of their presence, Sarah, Jamie and Cole quickly became conscious that he was armed. In addition, they could tell by his appearance that he had likely been partaking in his chosen activity for several hours because his face was red, and his running gear stuck tightly to his person due to him being drenched in sweat.
Chuck arrived in the immediate proximity of his three teammates a minute later.
Coming to a stop at their position, Chuck grinned as he looked at Jamie and said, "You found me again. That's two out of two now, mate."
However, at this particular moment, Jamie was in no mood to smile back at him. Jamie started to shake his head, feeling pissed off by the actions of his teammate and probably his best friend. "The first time you did it three years ago was fine, mate, 'cause there was no red alert. I'm going to give you a few home truths now. And if you do consider me a 'mate', then you're going to listen to them," Jamie said, pointing at Chuck as his frustrations over his friend's conduct today consumed him. "One more incident from you anytime soon, and I'm warning you right now, it will be an RTU for you. And none of us, not any of us here, nor anyone else who is out looking for you right now like a bunch of fucking mugs 'cause you pissed off and left us all hanging without a word, want that to happen to ye!"
Jamie paused briefly as Chuck, Sarah, and Cole stood silently, concentrating fully on what Jamie had to say.
It would be unwise for any of them to interrupt nor to make fun of Jamie right now because they all knew that he had one of the shortest fuses on the team, and besides, they all respected him too much to interrupt nor argue against him saying what he had to say.
"You have taken the fucking piss out of all seven of us today with this stunt you've pulled!" Jamie said, still pointing at Chuck in frustration. "I know you're going through a rough time right now; all of us know it. But I will always tell you how it is, and you know that. Mate, your conduct is unbefitting of everything we've come to expect from you, and the rest of the lads will probably tell you the same thing."
With Jamie now finished, Chuck soon nodded. "You're right," he said, nodding again as he looked at Jamie before briefly looking at Sarah and Cole to acknowledge them too. "I don't know how long you have all been out here looking for me, but I have clearly taken the piss out of all of you in pissing off like I did, and I'm sorry."
Jamie, Sarah and Cole lingered their thoughts over what Chuck had to say for himself.
"I needed to clear my head for a while. That's why I came out here. I know it was unprofessional, and I won't make any excuses for my actions. Not to any of you, anyone else looking for me, or even if I have to answer to Wallace or Wood back at base," Chuck said, glancing at his teammates for a long moment in remorse.
Satisfied with Chuck's honest reply and the sincerity in how he looked at him, Jamie began to calm down.
"This can't happen again, Chuck," Cole cautioned his best friend. "None of us are prepared to allow you to go AWOL on us a second time. You can't be running off on your own during a red alert ignoring all protocols, and behaving like a rookie."
Chuck nodded. "I know. It won't happen again, Cole, I promise that. My actions were selfish because all of you have had to give up your time, come out looking for me, and cover for me as well."
Cole moved to pat Chuck on the shoulder. "I know how much you love being in the Regiment, Chuck. You're my best mate, for god sake, so of course, I know. This is a rough blip for you, but that's all it is. You can come through this, and I'll make you a deal. Put all this behind you, move forward, and we'll tick something off your bucket list because I'll take you to a Kings of Leon gig."
Chuck suppressed a laugh, gazing fondly at his best friend. "Now you're tempting me," he said, still smiling.
"Hey, Cole!" Jamie said, shaking his head at him. "Where's my ticket and invite, mate?"
"Hey you, you bastard!" Chuck said suddenly, quickly pointing at Jamie. "He's already going to Tenerife with you! Find your own best mate!"
"He's back already," Cole said swiftly, glancing at Chuck in a mixture of pride and a vast quantity of fondness and affection.
Jamie turned to Sarah and said, "Well, now that Chuck's told me to find a best mate, how about it, Sarah?"
"Why would I want to be mates with you?" Sarah said, trying her best not to smirk, but she failed at the task.
Chuck and Cole instantly erupted with hysterics, while Jamie put his hand on his heart and said, "Fuckin' ell! I think I'll go AWOL meself!"
Jamie's comments transcended the laughter between Chuck and Cole to much greater heights, while Sarah finally joined it, and Jamie quickly followed on closely behind.
Once their laughing fit stopped, Jamie said, "I'd better call in that we've found him."
Everyone nodded…
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
With the other half of their team informed that Chuck was safe and sound and in the company of Sarah, Jamie and Cole, the four teammates slowly returned to Jamie and Chuck's cars at the car park entrance to the woodlands.
To the three teammates who had set out to look for Chuck, it appeared to all of them that Chuck was now in a better place than yesterday. They all knew that he was still nothing close to being his usual self, but they were pleased that he now had at least some positive energy flowing through him.
"Well, a couple of pints, and you'll soon be back to your best, mate," Jamie said to Chuck as the group of four came to a stop close to their vehicles.
"Yeah, and all it took to get him on a path back to us was Cole bribing him," Sarah joked.
Turning to look at Sarah, Cole said, "A small price to pay to get my best mate back, lass."
Sarah smiled at Cole.
"Right, so who's riding in what?" Jamie soon said, nodding at his and Chuck's cars.
Cole and Chuck entered into thought, but Sarah already had her reply and said, "I'll go back with Chuck."
"I'm fine with that," Chuck said. "We probably won't beat them back, Sarah, because it's Jamie and not Cole's slow-ass driving."
Jamie and Sarah instantly began to snort, while Cole pointed at his right-hand man in contempt and said, "Any more of that, and you can forget about Al-poxy-Qaeda! I'll be the one to nab you myself!"
"Did you both hear that? He's threatening me. Some best friend he is," Chuck said, grinning.
Sarah snorted.
While Jamie said, "You should pick your best mates more carefully then, shouldn't ye?"
The four teammates shared a brief chuckle until Jamie said, "See you both back on base in a bit then."
Chuck and Sarah nodded before the four teammates split into pairs and entered their vehicles.
Jamie and Cole were the first to depart, and Jamie tooted his horn at Chuck and Sarah as he did so.
"Wow," Sarah said, amazed. "He is quick!"
Chuck grinned as he turned to face Sarah and said, "I told you so."
Sarah matched his friendly gaze, and they silently looked at each other for a few seconds until Chuck said, "Ready to head back then?"
Sarah nodded affirmatively, and the teammates soon departed.
A few minutes later
Chuck and Sarah were almost back in Credenhill, a small village just outside Hereford and the home of the base of operations for 22 SAS, when Sarah said suddenly, "Let's stop here."
Chuck glanced at Sarah next to him to query her sudden command. "Uh, ok, what for?" he inquired.
While pointing at a McDonald's, Sarah said, "Because all the worrying I had to do about you has made me hungry, and you can buy all of the lads' burgers as a goodwill gesture for pissing them about."
Chuck grinned before saying, "With how crap the food on base is, I'll instantly become their Saint if I do this."
"Mh-hmm. Exactly, that's why I said it, to help you," she replied, returning his smile.
Chuck held his grin at her for a brief moment longer until he turned to focus on driving once more, and he navigated his vehicle to the restaurant's car park.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
"Sarah, not that I don't want to spend some time alone with you away from the base, but do we have the time for this right now? They are expecting us back," Chuck said, hovering over a seated Sarah with a food tray in his hand.
Sarah smiled up at Chuck and said, "It's ok. I texted them while you were ordering. I told them I needed to make a detour and that you were helping me."
Chuck registered her comment before nodding. "Ok. But we can't stay too long. I knew the risks to myself being out of the base and in the public space, but I was sure to avoid civilians for the entire time so that if something did happen, it would just be me and no one else getting hurt."
Sarah nodded because while she did not accept Chuck going AWOL, even if it was just for a few hours, she respected what he had just said to her. At least there had been some good in his reckless decision to forget protocol and orders. "A few minutes won't harm, Chuck. The lot of us have already been off base for a while, and nothing has happened. I'm beginning to think you were right in what you said; however long ago it was because I can't remember. Anyway, it doesn't matter when you had said it. You suggested that it may just have been journalists planting the trackers and following us around. I'm increasingly inclined to believe that."
Chuck took a few seconds to consider what she said. "It seems like that, but we can't be sure…" he then said as they paused to take sips of their cokes. "But I didn't leave the base because I felt safe to. I just had to get away for a few hours, Sarah. That was my mission, whether Al-Qaeda or journalists was out there somewhere waiting for me or not."
Sarah took a moment to consider her reply. "Chuck, I understand that. Truly, I do," she said, nodding at him. "God, there's nothing more I want than to be off base right now too. But protocol is protocol, and you must take your orders and the situation seriously," she cautioned.
He nodded. "You're right, Sarah, ok? You're totally right. In my foolish quest for some space to breathe, I forgot my training, how to be a soldier, and made myself a target. I'm smarter than that, but I didn't show it in any of my actions today."
There was a brief pause as they made serious eye contact, which they both held without breaking. "Please don't do it again. You put us all in a terrible situation, Chuck. We were worried sick about you," she declared with concern.
Chuck forced a smile full of regret at her, which showed no teeth. "Sarah, that's the first and last time I will ever go AWOL from my duties. I promise that. You have my word. If I break that promise at any point again, then I will put in for dismissal from the army on the very same day," he quickly declared.
Sarah narrowed her eyes at him over the speed at which he had replied to her: as if the thought of leaving the army was running through his mind already, and it must be because he wouldn't have said it so quickly if it wasn't.
"Are you already thinking about leaving it now?" she asked, deciding she immediately wanted to find out if she was right or not.
He finally broke his look from her, and his gaze hit the table between them, where he became lost in thought for a long moment until he returned his gaze to her and shrugged.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know what I'm thinking right now, Sarah. If you asked me what two plus two was at this precise moment, then I wouldn't be able to compose myself enough to give you the answer."
Sarah swallowed air nervously, breaking her gaze from him for a brief second to look at the table. Returning to look at him and said, "Chuck, that's not good. If you can't focus or concentrate right now, then in our line of work, people can get hurt. We only have three days off too, so you don't have much time," she said, now feeling excessively anxious and on edge.
"I know…" he agreed, sighing. "But I don't know if three days off will be enough for me, Sarah."
Sarah gulped air again."Those three days are almost up too. We'll be stood to again from Friday."
Chuck nodded as he sighed, and his head lowered in despondence. "I don't know what to do, Sarah. They've all left me in the shite with my dreams and career now in the balance because I can't process or come to terms with what they did and made us do in the process."
Sarah smiled at him for a long moment in empathy. If one person didn't deserve this to happen to him, then it was Chuck.
Since Sarah had known him, Chuck had gone out of his way to help her at every opportunity, and he was by far the best guy and probably the best person she'd ever met.
She also knew that every bit of that help he'd given her was without ulterior motive, too, the aid simply given because he had wanted to make her life easier, without hoping to gain anything from her in return for that support he'd already given her.
Sarah had known him for just under two months, but she was already sure that he'd been helping people for most of his life and that he'd probably continue to do it for the rest of his life.
Somebody as kind, caring, and passionate as Chuck was didn't deserve what had now happened to him, but it was too late to say that now.
If there were some way that Sarah could now help Chuck in return, then she would do it without hesitation, but at this moment, she was drawing up blanks.
Soon drawing out a sigh, Sarah said, "If Chris sees that your head isn't in the game, Chuck, then he won't hesitate to report it."
"Sarah, he's the team leader. He has to," Chuck said instantly.
"Then what will we do?" she asked.
Chuck turned slightly uneasy and broke their gaze briefly. Looking back at her, he said, "Sarah, I'm not sure you should be involved in this. Your career in the SAS is just starting, and I don't think it's wise to cover for me."
"You helped me," she said as her eyes glossed slightly. "And god, is that an understatement of the highest value. You've done nothing but help me since I arrived in Hereford, Chuck."
Sighing, Chuck said, "But Sarah, I didn't cover for you while your head wasn't in the game."
"You did," she said instantly. "At the Killing House after my mistake on my first days in the team. You stuck up for me when Chris was on my back over it."
"Sarah, I did that because, as you said, it was your first days in the Regiment. You'd just been through many months of the most intense training in the world and deserved a little reprieve and some time to settle and adjust to your new surroundings."
Sarah nodded. "And I really appreciated that, Chuck. But you have just had to shoot a guy you had known for eight years, who was your friend, and three others you had known for just as long were killed by the rest of us. You deserve a break and a little salvation and support from me too."
"Not if it endangers the team, I don't," Chuck said with concern.
Sarah tensed over his remarks, and they paused in silence as they ate some of their grub.
A minute later, Chuck said, "Besides, you were right anyway, Sarah. I am considering the possibility of leaving the army, so you would just be covering for a guy who might be leaving anyway."
Taking a moment to register what Chuck said to her, she finally said, "I'm sorry to hear that, Chuck, because we will all miss you."
"What about you?" Chuck asked, gazing into her beautiful orbs. "Would you miss me?"
Sarah broke her gaze from him to look at the table. "Chuck…" she protested in embarrassment and apprehension, believing now was not the time for them to discuss them.
"Sorry," he said, smiling as she looked back at him. "It's just… I would miss you if I left, Sarah. I would miss you a lot."
With Chuck's confessions said, they paused in silence as tension and suspense built up and leaked out all over the table, the only object that stood between them where they sat.
The suspense continued to build, which soon became too much for Chuck as he lowered his gaze away from Sarah, a feeling of defeat consuming him having not had a reply from her.
"Yes."
Chuck instantly raised his head to look at Sarah again in query.
"Yes, Chuck, I would miss you."
He formed a fully-developed grin as he gazed into her oceanic orbs.
She smiled back at him.
"I won't force you to stay," she soon said, her face returning to normal. "But if you're going to leave, at least make sure it's for the right reasons and not out of impulse because you might regret it for the rest of your life. Once you're out, you know that it's gone forever."
Chuck nodded. "You're right."
They paused briefly to take large bites of their burgers and ate multiple fries, knowing they needed to wind down their conversation now because they had been here a while, and thus, potentially putting civilians at risk just by being around them, which they would be court-martialed for.
Being hungry and wanting a McDonald's, and a nice little quiet chat was not a valid reason to ignore a red alert.
"What did you want to be growing up, Chuck?" she asked, glancing at him again.
Grinning, Chuck said, "A soldier."
"And what about a week ago? What did you want to be a week ago?" Sarah then asked.
Chuck's grin faded because he knew where this conversation was leading. "A soldier."
"So what changed?" she asked simply.
Chuck's lips creased in sadness. "My mates died."
Sarah nodded, and her lips creased in sorrow over the declaration from someone she cared a great deal about. "But people die in war, Chuck. You already knew that growing up when you first wanted to be a soldier, unless you were naive and blind to reality. And you certainly knew that a week ago."
"What if I can't take losing anyone else?" he asked, zoning out as he entered deep thought.
"Then that sounds like an excellent reason to leave, Chuck, but be sure," she cautioned, nodding at him as she finished.
They took an extended moment to process the closing of the conversation and everything they'd discussed.
"We should head back," Sarah said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Chuck agreed, nodding as he gestured at six double-cheeseburgers in their immediate proximity, "Before they get cold; if they aren't already."
Sarah nodded, and Chuck was about to stand, but Sarah reached out to hold him in place.
Chuck narrowed his eyes at her actions and said, "I thought we agreed to head back."
"We are," Sarah said, nodding. "I just wanted to ask you something."
"Ok?" he agreed.
"Did you see Cole this morning?" she asked, looking at him. "Before you came out?"
"No. The first time I saw Cole today was with you and Jamie just earlier," Chuck said instantly. "Why?"
"Oh, I was just curious," she replied, attempting to conceal what Cole had done earlier. "But if anyone else asks, you saw and spoke with him, ok?"
Chuck narrowed his eyes. "Is there something I should know?"
"You have a very good friend who loves and idolizes you, Chuck," Sarah said, nodding at him. "That's all you need to know."
Sarah then moved to stand, and the teammates and intimate lovers soon departed the restaurant.
Next chapter: AWOL: Finale. Chuck gets a rollicking from Chris over his conduct, Chuck gives Sarah an intimate proposal (she later gives him her answer), a walking-wounded Morgan returns to base, the team heads out to Jim's pub, and more!
See you all in a few days, and for those who will choose to leave feedback today, you have my thanks :)