Book 2: A Time Of Awkwardness-Chapter 2: The Smell Of Fear And Farts

The group just stands frozen in fear and wonder in the front lobby of the Bessborough hotel at the silver-blue glow coming off of Alex. It was a different type of glow that comes off of Axel's reformed body. Not at all like the White Dragon, the White Dragon's was more of a bright white to match his pale skin. Axel's seem to be more silver. Also, Axel's eyes are bright sapphire blue, while the White Dragon's are Bright orange. One noticeable difference is the change in Axel's physique. Once short and partially balding with no sign of a muscular physique. Now stands a new Axel! The Lazarus serum changed him from 5ft 5 to 6ft 5 inches tall, abs that could grate cheese and muscles that would put Superman to shame.  A new and improved Axel. Axel stands there, a maniacal grin on his face, surrounded by the small fires caused by him blowing the basement door off. "How can this be? You were dead!" said Graham. "Yeah, it's pretty easy to see that you have been juicing!... Definitely not natural!" said Keith. Axel slowly makes his way through the flames of the fire surrounding him. The flames not scarring him one bit. Axel approaches Graham, a look of curiosity and contempt in his sapphire blue eyes and looks him square in the eyes, then looks Graham over and says, "You have to be Preston's great, great grandfather! You look the same and carry the same stink of goodness!" Graham's intense stare could cut glass as he never loses contact with Axel's eyes. " I am! And who might you be?" said Graham. "I used to be Axel, but you can call me the Silver Serpent!" said the Silver Serpent. Graham rolls his eyes at the sheer absurdity of Axel's new identity and said," For the love of god! Does that serum have the side-effect of coming up with the stupidest names?" The Silver Serpent laughs hardily, swinging his head back sarcastically to signal that Graham's comment on his name didn't bother him, then suddenly stops, his face filled with intensity. "You are very funny! It will be a pleasure to kill you, but not until we finish what I started downstairs!... Now drop your weapons because they won't even affect me, and sit your asses on the couches!" said the Silver Serpent. Graham is well aware of what powers that the Silver Serpent now possesses. He turns and looks at the others and motions with his right hand to drop their weapons. " Good, first we will all discuss what you will be doing, then you place my property back in the crates! Now go and sit!" said the Silver Serpent. Graham, not wanting the others hurt, raises his hands in the air in surrender and leads the way as he makes his way over to the furniture they had been sitting on and sits down. The others in the group quickly follow Graham's lead with a scared and defeated look on their collective faces. 

Emil slowly lifts his face from off the ground of Grahams dusty concrete floor in the peak room The blonde hair that was once in a douche' man bun now all loose and strewn, the look kind of a mix of Chirs Hemsworth in Thor and Triple H back in the early 2000s. He slowly sits up, places his left hand on the back of his head, feeling a lump that now exists there from the blow Priya had delivered him earlier. Feeling around, Emil notices that his head feels a bit wet, pulling his left hand back in front of him. Emil is shocked and angered to see his hand full of blood. Raising himself to his feet slowly, Emil stumbles a bit, a mix of the small concussion he now has and loss of blood. "That little cunt! She will pay for that! Blood for blood!" said Emil. Emil gingerly makes his way over to Graham's abandoned bed, grabs the faded white sheet all worn from time and rips it and compresses it against the back of his head to stop the bleeding. With his left hand on the back of his head. Emil walks around the room and looks for both Priya and the journal that he had found. He slowly walks around the room multiple times and even into the secondary room housing the gamma generator. Emil paces back and forth more and more feverishly as the anger fuels his rage from not finding Priya or the journal. He makes his way back into Graham's lodgings and stops by the desk. Looking around, Emil wonders how in the hell did he let a woman get the better of him. Emil also wonders how Priya left the peak room? Emil makes his way over to the open window and looks out it. There is no way that she could get down from here that quickly. She would have fallen! Back and forth, Emil moves his head and see's nothing but the flashes from the battle in the distance. The anger and rage grow even more. How did Priya escape? Emil walks back over to the desk and yells," That little bitch!... How in the hell did you get yourself out of here?... Fuck!" Emil swings his large hand and swipes at a pile of files on the desk, sending them flying across the room and landing on the cover to the access hatch on the floor to the hidden corridor. 

The light of the gamma lantern illuminates each rung on the steel ladder as Priya slowly steps on them. Her heart, racing with fear and adrenaline. From her escape from Emil's clutches. Priya has gone down now about two floors on her way to the fourth. Priya stops in the middle of the ladder. She looks high up at the darkened ceiling, the noise from up above having startled her.  Certainly, Emil was conscious again! Frozen from the fear she feels. Priya waits for that secret hatch to open, but after five minutes of waiting, it does not. Priya slowly takes her right foot to the next rung on the ladder and the next after that and stops at the 8th-floor passageway and steps off. From what she remembered on her way up with Preston, and Emil the stairwell was fine here. If she can find her way out of the hidden passageway, then it's the stairs and down to the lobby. 

Graham sits watching Axel or as he calls himself now the Silver Serpent. The Silver Serpent is checking over his weapons crates, the fires, still burning. "Hey, Serpent Boy! Do you think we could put those fires out? If they continue to spread to your precious weapons, then they will be destroyed.", said Graham. The Silver Serpent turns and looks at the fire, and to the surprise of everyone, cold blue beams of light emerge from his eyes almost like ice and extinguish the fire. "There now just sit there and quit your bitching! I'm trying to count!" said the Silver Serpent. Keith slides ever so slowly over to Graham and says," Now's our chance Graham, we grab our weapons, shoot him and leave here!" Graham shakes his head and whispers," No!" "Why not? He's totally distracted now!" said Keith. " Because it won't work! Believe me! I've seen it before with the White Dragon!" said Graham. "That was the White Dragon, not this wannabe!" said Graham. "Trust me! The powers are similar, and if you try. It will just end badly.", said Graham. "Then what are we going to do?" asks Keith. Graham looks on at the distracted Silver Serpent and says, "I'm thinking."

Chunks of concrete, asphalt, dirt, weeds, PVC pipe from the old water mains fly up in the air from the multiple explosions from hand grenades, and blasts from the gamma rifles. Scavengers advance on the soldiers of the World Military Force, like stampeding cattle at full speed. They leap through the air at their target, some tackle soldiers and rip their bodies to shreds. But this a minimal effect, for the most part, the advancing Scavengers are shot down in mid-air or even before they leave their cheetah-like feet. Using the standard skirmish line defense, the World Military Force seems to be picking off the Scavengers with great ease. From the backseat of his army jeep, General Jordan stands, binoculars in hand pressed up against his face watching the battle unfold. If this was a normal battle! A smile would be on his face at the success his troops are experiencing. This time there is no cocky smirk, only a look of confusion and concern at the fact that the White Dragon is just standing watching the battle, still as a tree. "What are you up to, you tricky son of a bitch?" whispers General Jordan. "What was that, sir?" said a twenty-something private who was lucky enough to be the Generals driver this day. " Nothing Private!" said the General in an annoyed tone. The Private says nothing in fear that the General will be even more upset with him, but as the dust settles and the gunfire stops, he says," Look, sir, we won!" General Jordan would like to rejoice in this victory but knows that the White Dragon is not as easy to kill as the Scavengers. General Jordan lowers his binoculars to see the scattered remains of the bodies of the Scavengers. The cheers of his fighting men and women ring out at their victory. General Jordan quickly lowers his binoculars and says, "Private hand me that goddam microphone!" With shaking hands, the young private grabs the handheld microphone and starts to move it towards the General, who immediately grabs it out of the Privates shaking hand. "What are you doing? We aren't done yet! That son of a bitch is still standing!" No sooner than he says that and the face of cocky young Private Laing appears and says, "What's the big deal? We won, he lost, now he will surrender, he has no army now!" "Get back in formation Private now!" orders General Jordan. " Yeah, yeah! You know what, General? You worry too much, think it is time for you to retire!" The Generals face turns to a bright shade of red from the anger of this insubordination, and he says," PRIVATE LAING! GET YOUR SORRY ASS BACK TO FORMATION, OR I WILL BE KICKING IT MYSELF AND SHOWING YOU WHAT THIS OLD MAN CAN DO!" Private Laing lifts his left hand and casually waves it down to blow off the Generals orders. "Oh please old man. You couldn't do a thing!" As General Jordan is about to say something, the White Dragon lifts his arms to shoulder length in front of him and fires out his focused energy beam hitting Private Laing, disintegrating him to ashes. General Jordan looks down at the pile of ash that once was Private Laing, and says," Some assholes have to learn the hard way!" General Jordan lifts his binoculars to his face with his right hand to see the satanical smirk of the White Dragon as he lowers his hands to his side and lets out a burst of energy from his body like a 5000-watt bulb turning on. The members of the Alpha Company, blinded by this, cover their eyes. All over the battleground, the charred and dismembered carcasses of the Scavengers and fallen soldiers reassemble and return to life. The once dead soldiers now part Scavenger are added to the White Dragons army. As the blinding light clears, the members of Alpha company see all their progress disappear in one fell motion and are shocked by the sight of their fallen comrades now becoming their enemy.  General Jordan, with a look of shock on his face, says, "For the love of God!" The Scavengers stand snarling and feral, waiting for their orders to attack. The White Dragon lifts his left hand in the air and lowers it, saying," Time for round two!... ATTACK!" 

Axel, or as he likes to now be known as "The Silver Serpent".  Holds one of the gamma rifles he has removed from the crate in the silverish-blue skin of his hands. Looking it over from top to bottom, Axel inspects each inch of the weapon looking for damage and flaws in the assembly of the rifle. If it is one thing Axel knows, it is weapons, selling them for so long illegally and other contraband, he has become an authority on them. Knowing one's product makes sure you are not getting a bums rush, and selling quality products gives you the advantage above others. Not that there are many people out in the world anymore doing this kind of work. Since the virus changed the face of the planet. It helps to be thorough and trustworthy with the clientele, which means return business and keeping your life. But who would mess with him now that he is the Silver Serpent? Axel carefully places the gamma rifle back in the crate and picks up another doing the same. 

"Hey Preston senior, pick up those weapons you took from me and bring them here!" said Axel. "You have two hands and feet, why don't you come and do it yourself, Silverfish!" said Graham. Axel lifts his left hand, aiming it at the back of Hannah's head, and as it starts to glow, he says," Nows not the time for you to get confrontational! And the names Silver Serpent, not Silverfish!" Graham stands up, walks towards the weapons on the ground, and picks up 5 of the gamma rifles, and slings them over his massive arms by the shoulder straps. Graham's sheer strength and body size can take the amount of weight now on his shoulders, so it was only natural that Axel would ask him to do it. Graham slowly saunters over to Axel the Silver Serpent and places the gamma rifles at his feet. Graham returns to the old hotel's front entrance and gathers the rest of the weapons repeating his previous action. "There you go, Silverfish!" said Graham with a look of disdain on his face. Axel, really irritated by this continued disrespect, says," Look, I told you to call me Silver Serpent! Do you want to make me angry? You wouldn't like me when I'm angry!" It is at this point that Graham starts to laugh and says," My God! You are pathetic! First, you come up with the cheesiest name ever. Then you steal that line from the Incredible Hulk! Do you have any sense of creativity in your brain, or do you steal other people's ideas?... And the name is Graham! So until you show me respect and call me by my name, then you will get the same treatment from me!"  Axel, The Silver Serpent is taken back by this brash tone exhibited by Graham. Axel used to disrespect before, but with his new powers and body, this shocks him! " Okay, I may have stolen the phrase but not the name!" said Axel the "Silver Serpent" Graham rolls his eyes and says, " Oh please, you just took the comic book character Silver Surfer and changed the name!" Axel raises his left hand again, and as it glows with energy getting ready to fire at Hannah again, he says, "Do you really want to get smart with me! Show some respect, or your new friends will die, the whore first!" Graham steps in front of Axel, raised a hand to block his energy blast. " Respect is earned, not forced and if you want to throw down, then try that shit on me!" said Graham. The Silver Serpent lowers his hand and just glares at Graham looking him over as if he were one of the rifles he was just inspecting looking for a weakness. "So why in the hell do you need these weapons, you are one now?" asks Graham. " You can go back with your friends. I'm tired of you!" said Axel The Silver Serpent. Graham turns to walk away and is stopped by Axel's voice, "Hey, Graham!" Graham turns and is met by the blast of an energy blast from Axel's hands, sending him flying backward into a marble pillar. Lying in a heap on the floor, Axel says to Graham," As per your request!"

Keith rushes over to Graham, who is slow to get up from the energy blast and says, "Are you okay?"Graham slowly sits up, looks down at his chest to see a charred circle of skin from where Axel's energy blast struck him. " Son of a bitch! He ruined my favorite shirt!" said Graham. Keith looks in disbelief at the charred circle of skin on Graham's chest. It still amazes him how Graham feels little pain or does and just hides it. "Umm, your skin is a little melted off, and I can literally see your rib cage and heart!" said Keith. "Oh yeah! That will heal!" said Graham. Keith rolls his eyes slightly and shakes his head in disbelief. " Doesn't it hurt?" asks Keith. "That, that just tickles! At most, any major injury feels like a stubbed toe.", said Graham. All he has seen lately just amazes Keith feeling is so surreal. It's like something from a comic book. But if this is like a comic book, then Graham and Jack are the heroes, and Axel and the White Dragon are the supervillains, and the villains need to be stopped! Keith looks over at Graham's injury and see's the skin quickly re-growing and healing at a rapid pace. " So, how are we going to stop him?" said Keith. Graham slowly lifts himself off the ground, dusts his pants off, and says, "We have to be very careful, that's why I need to think about it!" "Well, don't think too long. Anything can happen in a matter of a few minutes!"

The group of "Citizens stand as still as statues waiting for Paul's signal to move forward. A thin, lanky man named Horatio in his late 20's sporting an old grey Affliction t-shirt approaches Paul. Horatio's greasy long hair, all stringy and greyish, a result of the premature greying that started in his teens. Hangs loosely, as he approaches looking very weasely. With a nasal tone to his voice, Horatio says to Paul," The powers cut as you said! What next?" Paul glances at Horatio with a psychotic grin and says," A little game of follow- the leader." Paul motions at the others and, the 11 "Citizens" line up behind him single-file and watch as paul carefully takes a couple of steps. Then they watch as he takes a couple more and imitates his step pattern. Next, Paul moves from the right to the left as if he were doing some sort of weird dance move. Paul zigs and zags. Jumps from spot to spot in the brush like he playing hopscotch, making his way through the tree-line of death. After every couple of feet, a member of the 11 citizens performs the same movements as Paul avoiding the censors for the death traps Delphine has planted in the thick tree line. With every step they take, the "Citizens" make to avoid the traps they draw closer to the farmyard, their end goal, a place they have never been or even gotten close to. But, this time, The "Citizens" are about to reach it and achieve success.

The orange glow of the firelight from the fireplace gives some light to the darkened farmhouse. Jack stands by the thick oak door of the back entrance looking out the small half circle window, the Glock hanging in his right hand at his side. Delphine sits on the window bench behind the thick dark brown curtains that match the couch, a color that she hates. On her lap, the pump-action shotgun rests as she peers through the corner of the curtain to keep her presence unseen from the oncoming intruders. Jack, not able to take the silence, decides to hum a little tune, a thing he does when he gets nervous. The song that Jack hums is an old favorite of his the Elvis Presley hit Can't Help Falling In Love. The sound of Jack humming the song fills the room. Delphine, says to Jack, "Can you not hum that song?" Jack, surprised by Delphine's reaction to him humming this particular song, says," I'm sorry! I thought you liked that song?" Delphine pulls her eyes back from the corner of the curtain and cracks her neck to work out the tension from holding her head in the same position for so long. Delphine stands up, pulls her ponytail out, allowing her silverish blond hair to rest in the middle of her back. Wasting no time, she starts to braid her hair into a long ponytail. Delphine looks over as she continues to do this and says to Jack," You can sing any song, just not that one!" "Okay, I'm not going to question why you don't like that song!... Is there any song you would like? I take requests." said Jack with a chuckle. Delphine is all wrapped up in getting her hair in the long braid before the "Citizens" get there. With the long braid done, Delphine hangs it over her right shoulder. Delphine looks back out the corner of the curtain with no sign of fear. "Seeing as how you don't want to hear me sing, maybe you can finish telling me how you are still alive?" said Jack. Delphine quickly looks back at Jack and says nothing staring out the window, waiting. The sound of Jack's voice fades to silence, and Delphine's mind is transported back to 2022.

Delphine sits at the little wooden desk in her containment room. Tears flow steadily from her eyes as she holds her right index finger over the screen of her iPhone. Working up the courage to call her girls on a facetime chat. Many thoughts cross her mind, how will her girls make it without her, after all her ex Dean is gone, and even if he was still alive, he wasn't the most reliable. All her friends are gone. And almost every family member that could look after her daughters are gone, all victims of the plague. The only ones left are her parents back in Manitoba. This seems so unfair to ask them to do this, but there is no other option. But at least they will be in a small town, safe. It is that thought that gives her some hope, but how does she tell them that she is never coming home again! Her daughters have lost so much, but she has to do it. Delphine lifts her right index finger to press the screen on her phone. What takes a few seconds seems like a hundred years as her shaking finger slowly comes down on the screen and presses down. 

Delphine places the iPhone on a little makeshift stand on the phone case and wipes the tears from her eyes so that her daughters can't see. She takes a few deep breaths and says, "You can do this!" The ringing stops on her phone. All of a sudden, the face of her fifteen-year-old daughter Aurora all busting with excitement to talk to her. It has been a while since she last video chatted with her mother. Aurora shares the same facial structures as her mother, as does her younger sister Mina who is three years younger. The two girls even have the same blue eyes as Delphine and generous spirit. Aurora's eyes light up with joy, and her face is filled with childlike wonder as she says," Mommy!... Hey, Mina! Come here, moms on the phone!" In the back round, she can hear the approaching voice of her younger daughter Mina yelling out," MOMMMYYYY!!!" In no time, the screen of her phone shows with the two faces of her girls. They are excited to see her. This joy and excitement bring a smile to Delphine's face and, in no time tears flow from her eyes. Knowing that the news she will have to tell them will soon turn that joy to sadness. The only time she has been this scared to was when she had surgery to remove a tumor on her uterus three years back. "Hello, girls, my you are getting big!" said Delphine. "That's what nana and papa say!" said Frida. "No, they said we are growing like weeds!', said Tanya. " Whatever, Aurora! It still means the same thing!" said Mina, who gives her big sister a little shove. Aurora, not to be outdone, shoves her little sister. In no time, a little shoving match is taking place, normally Delphine would have yelled for them to stop, but she sits there watching. Strange, but she is going to miss this. "Girls, please stop!... Mina can you go and get nana and papa?" said Delphine. "Papa went into town, but nana is still here!" said Mina, who quickly leaves the phone's camera to retrieve her grandmother. "Mom, what's wrong, you're crying?" asks Aurora. "It's best we wait for your nana and Mina to get back... Hey, did you get your braces off?" said Delphine to momentarily change the subject. Aurora smiles a big, cheesy, full-toothed grin and shows her mother the braceless teeth and says, "Yes, I did! Got them off last week."Your teeth look so great! You look so pretty.", said Delphine. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" says the voice of Delphine's mother, Michelle as her face enters the phone screen. Michelle, a woman tall in stature, a mixture of country toughness and city professionalism with short greyish brown hair, when she spoke, everyone listened. The site of her mother starts to get Delphine's emotions all in flux again. Unable to hold them back anymore, the dam bursts, and tears start to flow like a river from her eyes. 'What's wrong, my dear, and don't tell me nothing because you are a horrible liar!" said Michelle. "I'm that obvious?" said Delphine. "A mother always knows!... Now don't beat around the bush. It's better to get it out than leave us here, worried!" said Michelle. Delphine fights back the tears, and with crackling in her voice, says," Girls, I have some bad news!" Aurora's and Mina's faces turn from happy to sad as their eyes well-up in preparation of the tears about to emerge, and in a collective voice, they say," What is it, mom?" Delphine finding it hard to look straight in the camera, fights off the urge to look down and says," There was an accident here, I got bit by a Scavenger while injecting an implant, and now I'm infected." The tears start to flow from the eyes of Aurora, Mina, and Michelle. "But, they can cure you, right, mommy?" said Aurora. Delphine shakes her head as the emotion too gets to her, and she is crying buckets," No, there isn't!... And seeing as how I don't want to become one of those things. I will be incinerated tomorrow." The girls bury their heads in their grandmother's chest and bawl loudly. Michelle rubs the back of their heads to comfort them. "You will be staying with nana and papa. They will take good care of you. Listen to them and be good to one another.  Know that I will always love you, and even though I am not here, I am always with you! I wish that I could be there to watch you grow up. You girls have made my biggest dream come true by being your mother.", said Delphine. Aurora rips her face away from Michelle's chest and screams, "NOOOO! You can't go! You are way too smart and tough for that! You are just giving up and being a quitter!" "Aurora! That is quite enough! Your mother is no quitter! She is doing what is best now apologize!" said Michelle. Aurora runs out of the room, yelling, "I won't! She taught us to never give up! And now she is! I hate her!" Mina runs out following her big sister's lead leaving Michelle with tears in her eyes, shocked but not surprised. "I will go talk to them!... My sweet, tough, caring, beautiful girl, I know this was hard for you to do, and I will tell your father, so you don't have to go through this again.", said Michelle. "Thanks, mom!", replies Delphine wiping the steady stream of tears from her eyes. "I better go and talk to the girls. I will call you back later, to say goodbye!" said Michelle, crying, as the once tough woman is now an emotional wreck. "Goodbye, mom!", said Delphine knowing that this is one of the last times they will speak. "Not yet!... That comes later, this is talk to you later!" said Michelle. The screen of the phone goes blank as Michelle disconnects. Delphine buries her face in her hands and sits there and cries.

A few single tears flow from Delphine's eyes as she continues to look out the small opening of the curtain of the bay window. With her face turned away from Jack, ger tears remain hidden from him. She does not want him to see her upset, knowing Jack he would try and do something to make her feel better. Under normal circumstances, it's not a bad thing, but Jack has a habit of trying too hard or not enough, there is no middle ground. Delphine takes the right shirt sleeve of the red and black flannel shirt she is wearing and uses it to wipe the tears from her eyes. Jack notices this and knows something is one Delphine's mind and quite possibly upset, hell the sniffling she tried to hide gives it away. Jack knows he should ask Delphine what is wrong, but will just get the same old response of "I'm fine" Jack just decides to leave it be and refocuses his attention on looking out the door window. After a few minutes, two to be precise, Jack looks over at Delphine again and can still hear some faint sniffling and the occasional arm swipe to wipe tears. Jack opens his mouth to say something but stops himself and looks back out the door window. This does not last for more than a few seconds. And now his attention is torn between looking out the window and then at Delphine. Back and forth between the two, Jack looks at each like a cat following a moving string. His conscious now bothering him and not being able to take it anymore, Jack says," Is everything alright, you sound upset?" Delphine knows Jack is no fool, she should give him the usual response mixed with some second rate excuse, and he will not push any further. "I'm alright, just my allergies bothering me.", said Delphine. Jack pauses and studies Delphine's body language for clues. If it is one thing he is good at it, it is reading people's body language. He notices that there is some tension but not enough to worry, her head is hung low, and her vocal tone has a hint of sadness in it. This can only mean she is upset, but this is not the time to ask. Delphine has always been private and not one to really admit weakness when she is ready to talk about it she will. "Yeah, those can be a bitch!"  said Jack, who turns back and resumes his single focus on the farmyard. 

A slight breeze blows in and sways the tree branches outside in the farmyard, which triggers an old memory sending Jack back in time.

Jack stands outside the doors of the Prairieland World Trade Centre research facility, the storm has subsided for now, and the sky has cleared. The stars are out in full force, lighting up the purple sky. A cool breeze blows in, adding that final touch of perfectness to the scene. Jack stands there and watches all this simple beauty. It has been a while since he has seen this. Almost like the world is like it used to be before the plague. The automatic doors behind Jack slide open, Graham steps out and stands beside Jack. Graham reaches inside the right-hand pocket of his jean jacket and pulls out two Cuban cigars, and hands one to Jack. "Thank you! I haven't seen one of these in years since the plague!' said Jack. Graham pulls a cutter out of his jacket pocket, cuts the end of his cigar, and hands the cigar cutter to Jack, who does likewise and gives it back to Graham. Graham pulls out a lighter from his jeans pocket and lights the cigar, slowly spinning it until he gets the perfect cherry and hands it to Jack, who ignites his cigar. " Yeah, well, I had a few saved that Jessie had bought for me before she got sick... So, are you ready for your date? You have to be excited? Afterall this date is three years in the making.", said Graham. Jack takes a puff on his cigar and says," I am and a little nervous! This was something I should have done sooner but was too chickenshit to do, and now it's too late!" Graham pats Jack on the back as he notices the sadness in Jacks's face and says," It's not too late bud! It may sound weird, but this is the exact way it was supposed to happen. Just make the most of it despite the time, as I did with Jessie right up to the end." Jack puffs on his cigar and thinks about what Graham had just said and replies," You're right, it seems so unfair, to find one another again and have it taken away. She's too good for me!" Graham slaps Jack on the back and sarcastically says," Way too good for you! Hell, I don't know what she see's in you?... Seriously bud, you two were made for each other even if it is just this one moment in time." Jack stares out at a lone maple tree in the front entrance watching the leaves blow in the June night. It is there that Graham's wise words make Jack realize that he needs to make the most of this night. This was the moment Jack always dreamed of. "You have a point, my friend! I feel bad for her girls, here I have this amazing gift of healing, and I can't fix her to give Delphine more time with them! If I could give her some of me to heal her, I would.", said Jack. "I know bud! I know!" said Graham. The two men stand there in silence, both now watching the wind blow the leaves on the maple tree in front of them, silently smoking their cigars.

The sudden impact of a crumpled up piece of paper on the back of his head breaks Jack from the trance that he was in. Jack touches the back of his head, turns, and yells, "Ow, that fucking hurt!" "Oh, please! That didn't hurt. Just a piece of paper! You are acting like such a big baby!" said Delphine. Jack rubs the back of his head as if he were struck by a baseball bat and says," Yeah, well, it still could have given me a paper cut and, those are a pain in the ass!" Delphine rolls her eyes and refocuses her attention to the opening in the curtain. " Wus!." exclaims Delphine. Jack picks up the piece of crumpled paper and chucks it back at Delphine, hitting her in her right shoulder. "You are such a big child! Quit it and keep watch or I will throw something even heavier!" said Delphine. "You do that, and I'll find a snake to throw, I'm sure I can find one out there!", said Jack knowing full well that since the plague ended, wildlife flourished and that Delphine is afraid of snakes. Delphine, not being able to think of any other retaliatory measure, grabs the ball of paper and hits Jack square in the back of the head. Jack turns around almost instantly and see's Delphine sticks out her tongue like an adolescent child and quickly refocuses her attention on the window. Jack picks up the paper from the ground, and as he is about to throw it again, he sees some words written on it that look familiar. With his curiosity getting the best of him, Jack uncrumples the paper, and to his surprise, he sees a note he gave Delphine many years ago. Jack stands there speechless that Delphin kept this all these years. A smile comes over his face as he turns his attention back to the door window. 

Delphine sits at the desk looking into the makeup mirror, applying her eyeshadow, followed by some light pink lipstick. Delphine repositions her long blonde locks over her shoulders that she just recently curled. Sitting in noting but a matching pair of black lace underwear and bra, she makes her way over to the bed and grabs the tight black dress on that is cut a few inches above the knees. Sliding her fit body into the dress, having to wiggle her bottom a bit at the end, Delphine reaches back and pulls the zipper up on the back. Her timing in getting her dress on couldn't be more perfect as there is a casual knock on the door, followed by the door opening. In walks Dr. Singh, he stands in the doorway speechless for a second and then says," You look beautiful, Delphine! Jack is going to be even more speechless then I was." Delphine lets out a shy little laugh and says," Thank you! You think so?" "I know so! He is one lucky man, and if I was not a married man. I would so go for you!" said Dr.Singh. Delphine's face turns red from shy embarrassment over the compliment. Dr.Singh walks over to her, places his hands on Delphine's shoulders, and says, "Now don't you worry about anything. I want you to go and have a great time!" "I will.  It's just that I am worried about my girls, they were quite upset when I told them, and I didn't get a chance to tell my dad.", said Delphine. " Everything will be alright! It is never easy to say goodbye, but I will help look out for them all.", said Dr.Singh. Delphine smiles a shy little smile, kisses Dr.Singh on the right cheek, and says," Thank you, Sanjay! You are such a good friend. This time it is Dr.Singh whose face turns red, and he replies," Thank you!... I better let you finish getting ready." Dr.Singh turns and walks towards the door. Out in the hallway, Jack has heard everything that Delphine was talking about with Sanjay. Jack stands there and waits for Sanjay to exit.  

Dr.Singh closes the door to Delphine's containment cell and is immediately met by Jack, startling him. "Oh, Jack! You gave me a bit of a fright, think I messed my underwear!" Jack laughs as does Sanjay at this piece of harmless childlike humor. "I was wondering if you could do something for me, Sanjay?" says Jack. "Sure, what is it?" said Sanjay. Jack places his right arm around Dr.Singh's shoulders and says, "Walk with me, and I will explain. The two men walk down the brightly lit hallway, Jack speaking quietly because the hallways echoes, and he doesn't want Delphine to hear. 

Paul continues to walk very gingerly, doing his little dance to avoid the booby traps through the treeline and heavy brush. Then, suddenly when he and his followers are about 10 feet from the farmyard, Paul stops and stares at the final 10 feet. One by one, the rest of the 12 "Citizens" stop beside Paul, six on each side looking at the end of the treeline. "Why are we stopping?" asks Horatio. "I'm thinking!" said Paul. After about five minutes of standing there, Paul points to a muscular-pretty boy with sandy blonde hair in his mid-thirties named Travis and says," Travis take five steps forward then two to the left, two forward, two right and straight forward from there."  Travis nods his head and doesn't question Paul's orders. Why would he all "Citizens" know to never question hierarchy? And that is who Paul is. Travis takes the first five steps, then the two to the left and two forward as everyone else watches. Next, Travis takes his two steps right, and as he takes the first step forward, the ground comes alive with a huge explosion separating Travis' body parts from one another. Pieces of his skin and intestines even land on some of the "Citizens" Travis's severed hand lands on Pauls's left foot, and he kicks it away as if it were a soccerball setting off another explosion. The night air is filled with the dense fog of dirt and smoke from the bombs that just detonated. A wicked, sadistic grin comes over Paul's face as he turns to Karol and says," Praise Samuel! The sacrifice has been made." Karol nods her head and, agrees's saying, "God is good! Praise Samuel!" "Now, we wait! The woman thinks we are dead and, then we strike and get our ultimate offering.", said Paul.

From the corner of the curtain, she is looking out. Delphine notices the explosion. She rips open the curtain even more as Jack looks on from the window of the backdoor. "Holy Shit! I never knew that you could do that?" said Jack. Delphine says nothing and just watches the flames burn the tree line, the light from the flames shine in her eyes like a mirror, waiting for the remaining "Citizens" to come through the flame wall. Jack leaves his post by the back door and walks over to Delphine. Jack places his right hand on her shoulder, concerned about her silence, and says," It's okay, I think they are dead?" Delphine faces forward and says, "No, they aren't! They will be back! They always come back!" "If they are, then we will take care of them!... I think we need to get the power back on. We should have time before they get back.", said Jack. Delphine turns her head, and with a look of sadness mixed with anger in her eyes, she says," NO! We are not leaving here! This is not over!" "What's wrong? It won't take long. Should be simple to fix." "Delphine stands up, walks over with intent up to Jack, and says," If you want to go and try, then I will shoot you myself to stop you!" Delphine raises her pump-action shotgun, loads the chamber, and points it at Jack's chest, saying," Go ahead, try!" Jack is stunned by the actions of his friend and longtime love interest. He wonders why would Delphine do this? "Easy there, Dirty Delphine, no need to get all Clint Eastwood on me." " I am not letting them do this again!" said Delphine. How strange is this? Why would Delphine say it that way? Who did they take from her that she is so hell-bent on shooting Jack to keep him safe? Instead of asking which Jack knows might upset his friend even more.  Jack takes his right hand, lays it carefully on the barrel of the rifle, lowering it down slowly until it is at Delphine's side. "Okay, don't worry! You don't have to do that." A look of temporary relief comes over Delphine's face as she starts to walk back to the window seat. Jack turns and walks back to the backdoor and says," You keep watch and, I will get the power back on." Delphine quickly turns, raises her pump-action shotgun, and the loud deafening sound of it being fired twice fills the household. The shells from the gun hit Jack square in the back, tearing a hole through it and out the front of the chest like it was the movie, Alien. With Jack lying on the floor in a pool of his blood and his body slowly healing itself, Delphine sits back down at the window bench. Looking out the bay window at the wall of fire, she says," I'm sorry I did that, but I told you I would! That outta keep you down long enough until those cockroaches come out of the treeline." 

Sitting in the dark confines of the hidden passage, Priya shines her gamma lantern back up the ladder to check for Emil, a sigh of relief comes over her again. Since sitting here for the past couple of hours, she has checked for Emil's presence every 10-15 minutes. "Well, I've sat here long enough. I need to find my way out of here!" said Priya to herself. Priya gets up and walks towards the hidden passage behind the 8th-floor rooms. The light held in her right-hand goes up and down very slowly. Looking around Priya, says, "Oh come on there, has to be a way out of here. They wouldn't have built this otherwise." No sooner does she say that then her prayers are answered by the lanterns light-catching the outline of a track revealing the doorway. But now the answer is, how does she open it? Seeing a metal handle on the backside of the hidden door Priya, grabs it, and says, "It can't be this easy, can it?" Priya pulls back with all her might popping the door out of its hidden position and then slides it along the track to her left, revealing the darkened confines of an 8th-floor hotel room. Priya shines the gamma light around the room from the doorway of the hidden passage, revealing dust-covered curtains, a queen-sized bed with a mattress eaten by rats. "Lovely, just lovely! But it is better than that passageway." Priya steps down into the room, and not knowing how to close the door, she leaves it wide open. As she shines the light of the gamma light to make her way out of the room towards the north stairwell, she can see that someone else had come out of this passage recently by the dusty footprints on the faded carpet. "What in the hell! Who in the hell are you?" said Priya. Priya follows the footprints that stop by an old mini-fridge near the entrance to the room. She bends down, opens the fridge door to reveal the 20 journals that Graham had placed in there for safekeeping. Priya pulls out one of the journals and looks it over. She notices that it is similar to the one she found upstairs and opens it. Inside, she reads, "Property of Pops Brilliant! You shouldn't have these, return them to me, or face the wrath of my farts!" Priya stands there, stunned. She has just found the fabled Pops Brilliant journals. Priya, knowing that if Emil hasn't found the passage by now, he isn't coming, that he is probably coming down the same way they got up and, that is down the rooftop. So, she makes her way over to a worn and, dusty brown leather armchair sits and starts to read the first journal.

Emil stands sifting through Graham's desk in the peak room apartment. He may not look like it but, Emil does have some smarts despite looking like a brute. Reading over the many stacks of remaining files from the desk that he did not throw from the desk. Emil searches for some sort of clue. A Clue as to who the man in the pictures is that look suspiciously like Preston. For a reason, that mysterious man was up here, what connection he has to the Pops Brilliant journal? How did he find it? Are there more? And how in the hell did Priya get out of here? Emil closes the file he is reading and picks up another from the pile to his right. Over the past couple of hours, all he has found is nothing but old technical jargon for the gamma generator and old work orders for the hotel. Emil slams the file on the desktop and says," Useless! Just utterly useless! These files are nothing of great use to me!" Emil, while frustrated, is determined that he will find the info he is searching for, picks up the file again, and starts reading. A light breeze blows in through the open window of the peak room rattling the papers from the files that Emil threw to the floor. For a few seconds, the wind reveals the latch to the hidden floor hatch as Emil sits reading unaware. 

Graham sits his back against the marble pillar of the lobby floor, not having moved since Axel had hit him with the energy blast a couple of hours ago. Small whispers from other members of the group occasionally are heard but nothing that Graham can fully make out. Mostly it is just concern about what Axel did and that Graham hasn't retaliated. The other is about their own personal safety and how they will get out. Lucky for the rest of the group Axel or as he wants to be called the Silver Serpent, does not hear them. Graham knows he has to do something, but the last time he felt a blast like that, it was from the White Dragon, and that left him scarred and permanently injured. The energy blast he received from the Silver Serpent was only half that, a warning blast. If the Silver Serpent had wanted to, he could have killed Graham. Graham is observing the Silver Serpent, watching his every movement as he looks through the weapons crates, unaware of Keith standing right beside him until he feels a tap on his shoulder. "Holy shit Keith! I better check my shorts. I think I shit myself!" exclaims Graham. Keith chuckles slightly at Graham's reaction and says," Sorry, Graham! The group is getting pretty stressed and, they were wondering if you were okay?" 'I'm fine! It takes a lot more than that to hurt me.", said Graham. "Do you have a plan to kill him and get out of here?", said Keith. Graham shakes his head and says, "No, it is too dangerous, you saw what that energy blast did to me! Now imagine that hitting you, you would be a pile of ash. And I just can't have that!" A smile comes over Keith's face as he is touched by Graham's concern for all of them and says," Do you want to come over and sit with the rest of us. It would help ease their anxiety if you were there." Graham looks over at the scared and defeated faces of the rest of the group and Keith. He slowly pulls himself from off the ground and, dusts his pants off and says," Sure, I think I've got just the thing to get their minds off of all this!" "I think I know what you have in mind!" said Keith as he follows Graham over to the seating area and the rest of the group. 

"So, fearless leader, what's your plan?" said Greg in a condescending tone. Graham sits down on the floor in front of them, the group now seated in a full circle looking like they around a campfire. "Nothing, it is too risky to go after him, as I said to Keith, you saw what he did to me. If he were to do that to anyone of you, you would be a pile of ash. But, I am thinking!" said Graham. "We can take him, we just grab a few of those gamma rifles and blast him into oblivion, simple as that!" exclaims Liam. "Why don't you say that a little louder! I don't think they heard you in England!" says Paulina as she slaps Liam across the back of the head. Liam shoots Paulina a look of contempt for her words and actions and says," Looking for any excuse to touch me, hey?" Paulina rolls her eyes unlike, Maria she has no interest in Liam by her hitting him. It is just general loathing. "You wish, not even if you were the last man on Earth! I would rather screw the Silver Serpent than you!"  "Okay, okay everyone! I know we are all on edge! Just calm down, we don't want to give Axel a reason to hurt us!" said Maria. "So we just sit here in silence and hope he doesn't turn us to ash?" said Greg. Graham knows he has to defuse this situation before the Axel the Silver Serpent hears. " Liam, we can't use the gamma weapons, one because you said it loud enough that he now knows and two it won't work. We tried that on the White Dragon and, all it did was charge him up even more and make his energy blasts more powerful. And Greg, we are just not going to sit here in silence.", said Graham. Greg rolls his eyes and says, "Oh, great! You are going to tell us another Pops Brilliant story, yeah that's really going to help!" Grace picks up a stray pebble off the ground and throws it at Greg, hitting him square in the forehead and says, "It's better than nothing! Besides, Graham here knows what he is talking about, and I think we could all use a distraction for a while!" Greg thinks about standing up and saying something to Grace or hitting her. Nobody be it a man or woman, disrespects him. But, he realizes if he does, the rest of the group will turn on him. No, he will just sit there and listen to Graham's story. "I guess you are right!... Go ahead Graham, let's hear it!" said Greg. Graham sits for and thinks about where he left off, and like a virtual light bulb going off in his head, he says, "Alright, sit back, relax, and forget your worries for a moment! The year is 1961, CBC is in great turmoil. Many good agents have been imprisoned, for suspected ties to Harold. Tendersnatch or as Pops knows him, Agent Regina, and Pops have been busy looking for Harold with zero luck. 

An unusual heatwave has hit the city of Toronto in mid-April, nothing that has been seen in ages. A sure sign that early summer is on its way. A week ago, the streets had snow on them. Now there is nothing but water puddles and concrete. 

The doors to the lightspeed train open, Pops and Agent Regina emerge from them. As Agent Regina steps out of the train car, he releases his breathe. He has been holding on and off for a few miles from under the Atlantic Ocean. This was a result of Pops releasing noxious gas from his bowels on the train ride home. Agent Regina runs over to the nearest garbage can on the platform and stats to vomit into it. "Oh, Vagina, it wasn't that bad!" exclaims Pops with a laugh as he slaps Agent Regina on the back. The sounds of Agent Regina constantly vomiting echo throughout the train station. Agent Regina lifts his head out of the garbage can, his face white from the nausea he is feeling. "That's an understatement! You have never made me vomit before!... What in the hell did you eat?" said Agent Regina, who returns his head to the confines of the garbage can and vomits again.  "Just the usual, toast, toast, and more toast! Oh, and sardines, chili, and eggs!" said Pops. With his head still in the can vomiting, Agent Regina says," Well, it smells like raw sewage just came out of your ass!" Pops just laughs and slaps Agent Regina on the ass and says, "Finish up! Pervert wants to see us!" Pops casually walks over to the doors of the elevator. Agent Regina lifts his head out of the metal garbage can, wipes his face with the cloth handkerchief from his front suit jacket pocket, and slowly walks over to meet Pops.

Agent Regina, still nauseated by the smell of Pops farts stands. A handkerchief in his left hand over his mouth holds back another round of vomit. The look on Agent Regina's face is blank as his mind tries to concentrate on keeping down the vomit. Pops casually slaps him in the stomach and says," I think you are starting to get some color back into your face!" With the shot to his gut, Agent Regina is no longer able to hold in the vomit and, as the doors to the elevator open, Agent Regina leans over, and with the force if a firehose, he shoots the brownish liquid all over Mr.Pervus' black Oxford shoes. "For the love of god, Regina! I just got these shoes, couldn't you hold it?" exclaims Mr.Pervus. Agent Regina regains his composure, wipes his face, and with a foul puke smelling breath, says," Sorry sir, it couldn't be helped!" Pops, hardly able to keep his laughter in check, lets out a loud hearty chuckle and says," I'm sorry Pervert, that is entirely my fault. I slapped him in the stomach. In fact, him puking at all since he got off the train is my fault." Mr.Pervus just looks at Pops for a second, then at the ghost-white face of Agent Regina and then back at Pops saying," Toast, sardines, chili, and eggs again, hey?" A mischievous look comes over Pops' face as he replies, "YEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Mr.Pervus just shakes his head and laughs. " We need to bottle that it would be a good weapon." Pops laughs so loud it echoes throughout the train station, drawing the attention of agents working down there who just stop and stare. Mr.Pervus looks at Agent Regina, reaches in his inner jacket pocket, he pulls out a bottle of extra Pops strength anti-nausea pills and hands them to Agent Regina. "We had these specially made for travel with Pops a few years ago it was Pops who came up with the idea. Take two of these and go to the 7th floor and lie down in the company room," said Mr.Pervus. Agent Regina opens the lid to the pill bottle and spills out two small capsules swallowing them immediately, and proceeds to get in the elevator to lie down. 

As the elevator door closes, Mr.Pervus wipes his shoes with the pink handkerchief from the front pocket on his black suit jacket and wipes the puke off his shoes. Holding the soiled piece of cloth in his hand between his thumb and forefinger, Mr.Pervus walks over to the garbage can that Agent Regina was puking in. With his arm straight out in front of him. As if he were carrying a bomb, Mr.Pervus drops the dirty handkerchief in the garbage can. "Okay, Pops, what's up? You only do the vomit fart when you have secret information to tell me.", said Mr.Pervus. Pops points to an empty meeting room to his right and says, "Not out here! Let's go in there and chat." Mr.Pervus knowing that this information must be really secret that Pops won't say anything out here and follows Pops into the small meeting room, closing the door behind them.

Mr. Pervus sits down in the big brown leather office chair at the head of the table as Pops pulls down the blinds on the windows, so no one will see them talking. "Okay, Pops, you have my attention! What have you found?" said Mr.Pervus. Pops sits down in a matching chair to the right of Pervus and says," Six months ago since the Prime Minister appointed Farter as the special investigator, he has brought charges against eighteen agents. Those agents have been secretly put in cryogenic prison for the remainder of their lives.", said Pops. Mr.Pervus leans back in his chair as Pops words have gotten his attention, and he said," Yes, I know Pops, they were all found to be moles by Harold's organization." Pops leans forward and, with an intense look on his face, says," Yes, but every one of them was innocent!" "How do you know Pops? I hope you are not doing your own investigation because you were ordered to find Harold. And if the PM finds out, it could mean a suspension for you!" said Mr.Pervus. Pops sits for a second on what his response should be next if he says yes, he could be suspended, and if he says no, then the cancer inside the CBC that Harold has put in will get worse. "Yes, I have! But before you suspend me, please hear me out! Every one of those agents that were working on stopping some faction of Harold's organization. And in everyone one of those cases, it has resulted in tragedy." "You have my attention! Tell me more.", said Mr.Pervus. " There have been three plane crashes, a passenger ship exploding killing all passengers and some crew, an assassination in Congo which caused world tension. A burst dam in Kyiv that killed 145, increased tensions between the USA and USSR, a coup, and several other things to boot! In the majority of these cases. All these tragedies could have been prevented. And in some they were, and those agents were taken off the case and charged.", said Pops. Mr.Pervus looks at Pops, thinking about what he just heard. Pops is never wrong, but this sounds far fetched how could it be true? But then again, Pops is never wrong. " I didn't realize this! do you have proof?" said Mr.Pervus. "I do, but I will have to bring it to you later when Farter is not around you!" said Pops. "Yes, he is like an annoying shadow. Bring me what you have so far tomorrow afternoon, Farter I, mean  Mr.Fratner has a meeting with the PM then. What else can you tell me?" said Mr.Pervus. " I think that Farter is working with Harold and knows who Tendersnatch is! That he is helping to purposely sabotage missions and weaken the CBC by charging good agents and possibly replacing them with more moles." Mr.Pervus' face turns white as the thought of what Pops just said dawns on him that Pops might be right. But he can't accuse Mr.Fratner of that without proof. That is why he needs to know for sure we can't afford to be wrong either way and says," Okay, Pops, if this evidence you have is true, then we have to act quick! Agent Regina knows nothing of this?" "No! That's why I gave him the vomit fart if he knows, then that puts him in harm's way. I don't want Harold to hurt anyone else I know and care about!" said Pops. This touching gesture by Pops shows that Pops has really grown to care about Agent Regina, here Mr.Pervus thought it was that Pops didn't like that Agent Regina was dating his mother. "Good move! We must keep this between you and me. Tell no one! We don't know who to trust!" said Mr.Pervus. Just then, the door to the meeting room and Mr.Fratner steps in, noticing Pops he takes the briefcase he is holding and places in swiftly in front of his crotch. Pops notices this gesture and laughs, saying," I see I left a lasting impression on you Farter!!" In a posh disgusted tone, Mr. Fratner says," Yes, you are quite the charmer!" "Yeah!!!', said Pops followed by a hearty laugh. "What is it, Fratner?" ask Mr. Pervus. "We have some agent files to go over Mr.Pervus, new suspects." said Mr.Fratner. Mr.Pervus gets up from his chair as does Pops and shakes Pops' hand and says," Keep up the good work, Pops! Don't give up, you've almost got Harold!" Pops, knowing that this was all for Farter's benefit so that he would not get suspicious and scare Harold a bit if Pops is right. "Will do Pervert!... Bye Farter, it's nice to see that you got that spring in your step back!" said Pops. Mr.Fratner shoots Pops a look of contempt as he closes the door behind Mr.Pervus and himself. " Yeah!!! You'll be icing more than your balls once Pervert sees my evidence.". said Pops.

Pops walks out of the front exit of the Royal York Hotel and immediately spots his mother Karen in her brand new 1961 cherry red Dodge Dart, the silver trim along the side, and chrome bumpers glisten in the sun. This new car was a gift given to Karen from Pops, who had been saving his paychecks from the CBC and his television program. Pops felt that he would rather have his mother drive her own car than riding the trolley cars or subway. Ever since Rick was killed by Harold in the subway station. Pops did everything he could to keep his mother safe. Pops is all dressed in his grey polyester slacks with matching suit jacket, and black trilby casually saunters to the car. He opens the door and climbs on in, removing his hat revealing his partially combed over bald head and buckles his seat belt. Karen places her right hand against the back of her son's head lightly caressing it. She knows that being partially bald, with a husky voice of a three-pack a day smoker and the belly of a middle-aged man can't be easy. The people that really knew Pops liked him! The others who mocked him, including the neighborhood kids and their parents, didn't understand him and frankly could kiss her ass if they didn't like her son. "How was New York?" said Karen. "It was good, we got next weeks show planned, I did a bit of research and came up with a few new ideas that I wrote down in my journal.", said Pops. "That's great!... Where's Isaac? Is he still inside?", asks Karen who has been seeing Agent Regina for the past few months. "Oh he wasn't feeling well, he's lying down in the company room on the 7th floor. He didn't want to make you sick, so he is staying there until he feels better. But said he would call you later!" said Pops. "Okay?", said Karen as she knows that Pops more than likely had something to do with Agent Regina's illness but decides to say nothing. "Well seeing as how about we go then and get some ice cream and toast?", said Karen. "Is a horses dick big? Of course, let's go!", said Pops. Karen shifts the car into drive and says," We are really going to have to find you some less disgusting analogies!" Karen slams her right foot on the gas and spins the tires on her 1961 Dodge Dart as she peels out into the street like Dominic Torretto. 

"Sweet! I love that Karen drives like that! It's like she is in one of those old Fast & Furious movies I saw at the Chomerplex Cinema back in Martinsville!", said Keith. Maria slaps Keith across the back of the head and says, "I thought we had a chat about this?" Keith turns and kisses Maria and says, "Yeah we did, but I love when you get frustrated with me!" Hannah rolls her deep green eyes and says, "Oh brother! I love that you threw out that reference Keith, but can we do without the kissing and interrupting?" Grace caresses Hannah's right arm and says, "Oh you are just feeling left out! Let me fix that!" Grace leans in and she and Hannah kiss slow and sensually. Greg rolls his eyes at the sight of the affection going around the room. Liam, not wanting to be left out, looks at Paulina with a hint of desire in his eyes and leans in to try and kiss her. Paulina holds up her right hand and presses it against Liams face pushing him away. "Not in a million years! Maybe that rat over in the corner will want to kiss you?!", said Paulina. Graham chuckles a bit and says, "Sorry that was pretty funny! Now if we are done with "Love Connection" here I will finish!?" "Sorry Graham, keep going! I can't wait to hear what happens!", said Keith. "So Pops left with Karen, Tendersnatch aka Agent Regina is resting still from the vomit fart. Mr. Pervus and Mr.Fratner are up in Pervus' office.", said Graham.

Mr.Pervus pours himself and Mr.Fratner each a glass of 30-year-old Scotch from the crystal decanter on the small cherry red wooden bar by the secret elevator. Mr.Fratner is not much of a Scotch drinker, he prefers brandy. But he does not want to insult Mr.Pervus and Scotch is the only alcohol on the bar except for one bottle of Smirnoff Vodka. That is about the only thing in Mr.Pervus' office that is still the same, well that and the large oak desk. Scaffolding and clear plastic tarps encompass the room and all the furniture that once was there is gone. The Louis the 16th chairs that used to sit in front of Pervus' desk were removed and sold, the money given to charity. In their place, a set of 4 mahogany red leather armchairs sit, 3 of them covered in plastic with only one uncovered for Mr.Fratner's sake. "So, how long will the renovations take?", asks Mr.Fratner. "It should take at least three months maybe four, some of the marble has to be redone and the rest is getting removed and repurposed. Then the painting and the security upgrades, and the office doors are getting replaced. ", said Mr.Pervus. "I see! Bet it will look great when it is done!", said Mr.Fratner. "It should! Until it is done I will be working out of my other office at "The Cathedral", said Mr.Pervus. Mr. Pervus hands Mr.Fratner the crystal whiskey glass with two ice cubes and a single shot glass of Scotch. Pervus walks around to the back of his desk, flips back the plastic on his high black leather office chair, and sits down. Mr. Pervus leans back in his office chair, takes a small sip of Scotch, Pervus thinks as he sips that perfectly aged whiskey that this is what heaven must be like. " Can't wait to see it once the office is all done!", said Mr.Fratner. "Is this what you called me here for? To talk about my office renovations? I thought you had files to show me on suspected double agents?", said Mr. Pervus in a slightly irritated tone by the small talk. Fratner pulls his briefcase in front of him, undoes the tan leather straps and flips open the flap cover. He fumbles around in the briefcase momentarily and pulls out two files. Fratner places the glass of Scotch on a small wooden end table by his chair, stands, and places the two files in front of Mr.Pervus. Pervus finishes his Scotch and puts the glass down to the right of the files as he pulls his chair closer.  Mr.Pervus opens the files and a look of concern comes over his face, the names on these files are two of the most loyal and trusted agents next to Pops and Agent Greene. Those names being Agents Phillips and Sihickilo, the very same agents Pops and Agent Regina met at the team-building retreat in Scotland. Pervus would love to question Mr.Fratner on what Pops told him, but he has to wait for the evidence. Fratner is working for the PM, and if he accuses him of treason then he could be in even bigger trouble! No, he needs evidence to take to Diefenbaker before he can accuse Fratner of such! Unless the PM is working for Harold too? No! He must not think that! The Prime Minister is a loyal, patriotic Canadian, its only Fratner that he has to worry about for now! " Are you sure that these agents are Harold's?" said Mr. Pervus as he flips trough two files glancing over the contents of the files. "Yes, they are Mr.Pervus! We need to get them out of their latest assignment and replace them with two other loyal agents to the CBC!" said Mr.Fratner. Pervus leans back in his office chair, clasps his hands in front of his chin as if he praying, and says," Okay, we will, but it has to be quick because those agents are on a special assignment in the USA, if we get it wrong then the world could be put in dire straights!", said Mr.Pervus. " Believe me, sir, the evidence is right in front of you! If you don't believe me, then we can always call the Prime Minister?" said Mr.Fratner in a tone threatening Mr.Pervus authority. "There is no need to Fratner! Just make sure you find the right agents for the job, those ones are trying to prevent an invasion of Cuba that will only end in failure!" said Mr.Pervus. "I will get right on that!" said Fratner. Mr.Pervus closes the files and hands them back to the waiting outstretched left hand of Mr.Fratner. Fartner places the files back in the briefcase, closes it, grabs the glass of Scotch he had not touched yet, and drinks it in one fell sip. Fratner shakes his head a bit from the strength of the aged whiskey, for it was not meant to drunk that way in one shot, but sipped slowly. "Just leave the glass there!" said Mr. Pervus. Mr.Fratner places the crystal whiskey glass back on the plastic-covered end table. "If you do not need me Mr.Pervus I will go and deal with these latest round double agents.", said Mr.Fratner. "No, I do not need you Fratner! You can leave!", said Mr.Pervus. Mr. Fratner picks up his briefcase and walks towards the exit with a cocky smirk on his face that Pervus cannot see and exits the room. Mr.Pervus turns his office chair towards the large window behind him, he stands up, walks towards the window, and looks out at the Toronto skyline. "You may just be right Pops! I hope your evidence is right!"

The cherry-red Dodge Dart of Karen Brilliant abruptly comes to a stop as it glides perfectly the last few feet in front of Sam's Diner, a local place in the neighborhood that Karen and Pops live in. Pops jumps out of the car and places his trilby on his partially balding head. Karen places her right hand at the back of her head adjusting her ponytail, she walks towards the sidewalk. Karen is dressed in pink sunglasses and a white sundress that makes her look like Rita Hayworth. A couple of mothers from the neighborhood are standing out in front of Sam's Diner, one of them being Tommy's mother Mrs.Walter's. Mrs.Walter gives Karen a look of disgust as if Karen's driving and fashion sense offend her. The other woman with Mrs.Walter is an older lady with greyish black hair dressed very posh named Mrs.Winter's. Mrs.Winter's lived at the end of the block in the large red brick mansion, her husband Victor is one of the big wigs at Scotiabank. Karen couldn't remember what his position was there, but it didn't matter to her women like Mrs.Winter's and Mrs.Walter didn't consider her part of their social circle. They judged her for being a single mother and working while they sat at home and lived off their husbands' paychecks. They were not as forward-thinking as Karen, who believed women could do anything men can. From the moment they met Karen, they thought she should re-marry, but when they bluntly voiced their opinions on such, Karen made it clear she didn't need a man. If she were to re-marry, it would be up to her and not because of the opinions of others. It was that and of course, Pops calling them spoiled rich bitches after they had insulted his mother and farted in their general direction to get them to leave their home. Karen is used to the snickers of these women just ignored them as usual. But, for Pops, it had always annoyed him, the way they told their children to treat him. How they looked up their noses at Pops and Karen. As Karen walks by followed closely by Pops, they snicker at her and Pops, mocking whispers of freak and weird, along with promiscuous catch Pops' attention. Tired of this, Pops stops in his tracks, turns, and says," How about you busy body rich bitches mind your  business quit judging people you don't even know!" Mrs.Winters looks down at Pops with a look of disgust for Pops calling them out and what she feels was disrespectful. " Why I never! You are still one rude little boy! No wonder you don't have any friends with an attitude like that! Isn't that right, Linda?" said Mrs.Winter. " Yes, Gladys! Well, judging by his mother. I can see where he gets that rude behavior from!" Karen now turns, walks up to the two women for their comments towards her son and, says," I am awfully proud of my son and the man he is becoming! My son will be more than your children, you bunch of twats!" "I hardly think your son will ever be as athletically gifted as my son Tommy, as he is the captain of the hockey team and football team. Universities are already lining up!" said Mrs. Walters. " And my Gordon is the captain of his college football team, and my Natalie is engaged to Reginald Van Den Krug heir to the Van Den Krug Corporation. So, I hardly see how your little freak will be anything more than a sideshow act at a carnival freak show!... Maybe you should get Natalie to show you how to get a man, but then again, you probably have had much seeing as how you don't have just one!"  said Mrs.Winters. Karen removes her sunglasses shifts her head from side to side, cracking the tension from her neck as she has reached her boiling point. " Mrs.Walter's just because your boy has all these athletic gifts means nothing! He will probably live through his faded glory one day, cheating on his wife with his secretary and several other women and be a heavy drinker. My best guess is he will be a violent drunk beating his wife one day and die of liver disease. Or just end up being arrested and spending his years as someone's prison bitch!" said Karen. A look of shock and disbelief emerges on the face of Mrs.Walters at Karen's words. Before Mrs.Winters can say anything in defense of her ignorant friend Karen says," And you, you dusty old cunt! How dare you call me a slut! I think you are confusing me with yourself! After all, you entertain more when Mr.Winters is away both men and women, including Mrs.Walters here, so I guess you are an equal opportunist, which is great! But, let us talk about your kids, shall we? Firstly your son Gordon, if he knew what the word intitled was or even apple. I would be surprised. But I guess when his parents buy his grades it helps! And it wasn't all those shots he took to the head in football. It was all the shots of whiskey he takes when he is not playing. But then again, you don't talk about him that much only when you want to judge other people's kids. Maybe it's because footballs are not the only type of balls he likes to play with! I think he calls them Reggie! I feel sorry for the poor kid because you look down on his life choice or try and have him suppress it and marry someone he has no interest in! And let us talk about your daughter Natalie! I've heard her legs are open 24/7. I guess she would know how to find a man and many of them!  From what I've heard, she likes all holes filled. Are you sure her father was a goalie in the NHL because she has had many rubbers pass through her crease? But then again! I don't blame her seeing as how her fiancee' is more interested in her brother than her! She better get an education instead of relying on marrying money because those looks will fade fast. Then again, there is a field she can have a career in, Porn! So, next time you feel the need to make comments at me, and my son remember that I will not hesitate to tell the world about you both!" said Karen as she stands face to face with Mrs.Winters, staring her down. Mrs.Walters and Mrs.Winters are dumbfounded and speechless by Karen's sudden act of defiance against their authority in the community. Karen turns and walks away with Pops following to the entrance of Sam's Diner, and as they are about to enter, Mrs.Winters says, "It figures that you would go in there to eat! You and those people are the same and don't belong here! And I will make it my mission to drive you both out of the neighborhood!" Karen turns around, looks down at Mrs.Winters over the top of her sunglasses now on her face, and says, "Just try it bitch, you don't scare me!" Pops flips off the two women before following his mother in the diner. 

Pops enters the diner Pops looks around at Sam's Diner. It is your typical looking diner from the 1950s and early 60's complete with red leather stools by the white counter, and bench seats surrounding blue tabletops. There is even a Wurlitzer Jukebox in the corner. This site always gets Pops whenever he and Karen come in here. But as Pops is admiring the decor the metal door from the entrance hits him in the ass sending Pops stumbling forward a bit. Sitting at the corner counter is Pops' neighbor from across the street, Ronnie Washington who laughs at this site. As Pops stumbles forward he yells out," What the fuck!" Pops realizing what he said looks over at his mother standing a few feet from him who says," Pops was that called for?" Pops looks around the empty diner, normally Pops would have said it was and laughed but he was trying hard to be a little more respectful these days, well at least when his mother wasn't around. Behind the counter stands Louisa Washington who had bought the diner but was finding it hard to bring in customers thanks to Mrs.Walters and Mrs.Winters who made it their mission to run the Washington family out of the neighborhood. Louisa knowing that Pops and Karen are just as much as an outcast in the neighborhood as her family just smiles and says," It's quite alright, boys sometimes say those things!" "Yes but he still shouldn't have, I apologize Louisa!", said Karen. "Yes, I'm sorry Mrs.Washington!", said Pops. "It's quite alright young man!", said Louisa. Pops is shocked no one has called him young man before, well at least not getting the traditional Pops treatment of some foul words, a crotch kick, and fart bomb. But Mrs.Washington was so nice and polite to him, unlike any other person who had called him that, they usually said that with a snide sort of tone. That is why Mrs.Washington didn't get that, that and she always treated him and Karen with such kindness every time, they came in here. Mrs. Washington did not deserve the treatment she got from the rich bitches in the neighborhood Pops, thought. And neither did her family! The reason the way the Washingtons get treated is because of their skin color, and for people to judge them on that made Pops angry. Pops didn't know Ronnie personally, only when he and Karen came into the diner. Pops was constantly in New York and on other assignments which,  didn't give him time for socializing and friends. Louisa noticing that Ronnie was still laughing at Pops, looks at him with her hands on her hips and says, "Boy, you better apologize, that is not very polite or, I will put my foot so far up your ass they will need an x-ray machine to find my shoe!" Ronnie, not one to argue with his mother and knew that if he did not there, would be hell to pay says, "I'm sorry! It's just that that was just so damn funny!" "It's alright! I would have laughed my as off too! Your names Ronnie right?" said Pops. Ronnie laughs at Pops' comment and says, "Yes it is, and I know you from television, you are Pops, Pops Brilliant! I love your show!" YEEAAAHHH!!!! You have good taste and a great name! I always liked the name Ronnie!, said Pops. Louisa interrupts the boys' conversation and says," Ronnie, I need you to take your father his lunch to his office right now, please!" Louisa walks over to Ronnie and places a small brown paper bag on the counter in front of Ronnie. Ronnie grabs the bag and hurries out the door of the diner, saying," Catch you later, Pops!" "See you around, Ronnie!"Louisa points to a table by the window and says, "We have your usual table all ready for you!" Pops laughs at this because Mrs.Washington always says this, there is never anyone in the diner! Pops follows his mother to the table and sits across from her.

Louisa walks over to the table and says, "I will guess that you want three slices of pumpernickel toast and two on rye and a hot fudge sundae for dessert Pops? And you, Karen? What will your pleasure be?" Karen looks over the menu quickly and says, "I will have the clubhouse sandwich with a salad, no dressing,  please! I'm watching my figure.", said Karen."A great choice!" said Louisa. Louisa walks away and places the order ticket on the ticket holder in the kitchen window. She waits patiently, wiping the counter and making new coffee. While all this is going on in Karen shuffles her feet as if she had to pee. "Is there something wrong, mom?" asks Pops. Karen hesitates for a few seconds, not sure how to bring across what she has to say to her son. " Is everything alright, son?" asks Karen. Pops is kind of confused by Karen's question and asks, "Why do you ask this? Of course, I am!" Karen places her hands lovingly like any concerned mother would do and asks," Are you sure? It's just I know there have been a lot of changes lately. At both the CBC and at home. I was concerned that all this pressure might be getting to you!" A big loving smile comes over Pops face for his mothers' concern. She has always stood by him and been concerned for him since birth. All she has been through it should be Pops that is concerned. But, Pops can't help but see why. His mother was right! There have been many changes in his life lately and in hers too! "It has been taxing, and I have been a little taken back by it! But it is nothing I can't handle! I think things are about to get a whole lot more interesting!... Yeah, that's the word! Interesting!" said Pops. A slight feeling of relief comes over Karen hearing these words from her son. "I know the work stuff you can handle! I was only minorly worried about that. It's the fact that Agent Regina and I have been seeing each other recently,  might bother you.", said Karen. "Oh, no! I am actually good at it! At first, I was a little taken back by it and wanted to give him a shit sandwich, and not a lecture! But an actual sandwich filled with my shit! But then I saw how happy you were and decided to give it a chance. I just want you to be happy mom and if Vagina makes you happy. then I am good with it!" said Pops. A full sense of relief comes over Karen's mind and, she flashes a big smile saying, "That makes me so happy that you feel that way Pops. I thought you thought I was replacing your father and, I am not. I am not even sure where this relationship is going, but for the time being, I am happy." "Of course I am happy and, whatever happens, happens! But if he breaks your heart, I will break his dick!" said Pops with a laugh. Karen laughs at Pops joke, but she knows that her son will break Agent Regina's dick if he hurts her. Oh well, there is not much there to get broke anyway,  she thinks. The conversation suddenly ends when Louisa places their food in front of them and two cups of coffee for them. "Here you go, Karen, the clubhouse with a salad with no dressing. And for you, Pops the Pops special toast tower! Plus two cups of coffee. ", said Louisa. "Oh, Mrs.Washington, you know me so well! I am flattered by you naming something on the menu after me!" said Pops. "You two, are my best customers, you are some of my only customers along with my husband, my kid, and about five other regulars from outside the neighborhood!... Hopefully, it picks up soon or, I will have to sell!" said Louisa. Pops thinks how horrible this is! He knows that it is all Mrs.Winters and Mrs.Walters doing! That they and so many others from the neighborhood are trying to put Mrs.Washington out of business. But now is no time to talk about this! It would only upset Mrs.Washington more. There is a time and place to fix this and,  he will Pops, thinks as he adds seven teaspoons of sugar to his coffee and stirs it. "I have to take a leak! I will be right back!" exclaims Pops as he leaves the table and walks towards the bathroom. Louisa looks at Karen and says, "You didn't tell him, did you?" Karen looks down at the table in shame and says, "No! It was just too hard too! But I will!" Louisa doesn't push the issue and just nods her head, pats Karen on the back, and walks away.

The fiendish sadist Tendersnatch, also known as Agent Regina to the members of the CBC, lies face down on the king-size bed of room 707. Tendersnatch has his face hanging over the edge of the bed facing down at a steel garbage can that he has vomited in twice already. With his head spinning and a partial headache, Tendersnatch finally downs the pills that Mr.Pervus gave him. The pills he has taken will provide him some temporary relief from the pain and nausea from the lasting effects of the fabled vomit fart. The medication starts to take effect immediately as the urge to puke starts to subside. The only thing to remain is the migraine headache that is slowly healing. Tendersnatch finally starts to get some rest to let his body heal and begins to fall asleep. He only has his eyes closed for a maximum time of five minutes before there is a persistent knocking at the door to the room. Slowly Tendersnatch gets up from the bed and with an angry look on his face. The person on the other end of the door better have a good reason to be there. Because if it is not, then Tendersnatch will show him why he is so feared. Ripping, the door open with a fury of aggression to reveal the face of Mr.Fratner on the other side. Mr.Fratner is so shocked and scared that he jumps back in fear of getting hit by Tendersnatch. "What, the hell do you want?" said Tendersnatch. "All is going as planned!" said Mr.Fratner. Tendersnatch grabs Mr.Fratner by the shirt collar and yanks his body into the room, slamming the door behind him. Tendersnatch throws Mr.Fratner against the wall lightly as to not make a hole in the drywall. With Fratner now pinned against the wall like Jesus on the cross, Tendersnatch proceeds to slap him across the face, nine times! With both hands on Mr. Fratners' shirt collar, Tendersnatch pulls him up close to his face and says, "What in the hell are you thinking coming here? It is bad enough that you showed up here but to say that in the open hallway, you have to have shit for brains fucking idiot!" Mr.Fratner, surprised by the actions of Tendersnatch, just stands there with a blank look on his face. "Well, do you have an answer, or are you going to stare at me?" "I'm sorry! I thought that you would like to hear that Agents Phillips and Sihickilo are both about to be, put in cryo prison," said Mr.Fratner. "Good! Is Mr.Pervus suspicious?" said Tendersnatch. "No, he is none the wiser! Everything is going exactly to plan," said Mr.Fratner. "Don't be so sure! Pops is on to you! And If he is then,  Pervus knows by now!" said Tendersnatch. "How can you be so sure he is? Unless you slipped up because I was perfect!" said Mr.Fratner. Mr. Fratner, realizing that he just made an error in judgment by accusing Tendersnatch of failure. Tendersnatch throws Mr.Fratner against the wall again and proceeds to hit him with blow after blow after blow of hits to the ribs. Tendersnatch does this so that no one will notice the bruises but Fratner. After a good minute and a half of punches to the rib cage and stomach, Mr.Fratner starts to spit up blood. Tendersnatch places his hand over Mr.Fratners mouth to stop the blood from getting on the carpet. He drags Fratner over to the bathroom and slams his face into the cold water of the open toilet. Tendersnatch lifts Mr.Fratner's head from the water and says," Gargle and spit it in there! I don't want any evidence that you were bleeding in this room!" Tendersnatch does this three times until Mr.Fratner stops spitting up blood. He lifts Mr.Fratner from the bowl of the toilet and drags him back out into the hotel room. On his way out of the bathroom, he grabs a towel and places it on Mr.Fratners head to dry off. "Dry yourself and get out! Don't you ever say that I failed, or I will throw you off the top of this hotel!" said Tendersnatch. "I am sorry! That will never happen again! But I have to know, how do you know Pops is on to me?" asks Mr.Fratner. "Listen! While you were busy licking assholes,  I suspected Pops was on to us but had to be sure so, I swallowed a microscopic-radio transmitter that Harold invented. And when I puked on Mr.Pervus' shoes, landing in the leather. With that, I heard all they said in their little meeting." said Tendersnatch pointing at a small radio receiver in his left ear. "But how did you know to do that?" said Mr. Fratner. "Easy, Pops is so predictable, and when he said he wanted to talk to Pervert as he calls him,  I knew something was up! Pops never is in a hurry to speak with Mr.Pervus. Knowing he wouldn't want me to hear as he doesn't trust anyone, it was inevitable that the vomit fart would make it's an appearance by observing his diet." said Tendersnatch.Mr.Fratner soaks up all this info and says, " I see! What do we do next?" "You leave! and I get some rest, and I will let you know!" said Tendersnatch as he grabs Mr.Fratner by the back of the suit jacket and leads him to the door. Tendersnatch opens the door to the hotel room and tosses Mr.Fratner out onto the floor of the seventh-floor hallway and says," Now fuck off!" Tendersnatch closes the door, Mr.Fratner slowly stands up with the pain of the broken ribs he just received from Tendersnatch aches as he attempts to stand upright. Slowly Mr.Fratner walks down the hallway of the seventh-floor. Many tears of pain and shame flowing from his eyes. 

Karen pulls out a $20 bill from her pink purse and places it on top of the bill. Pops leans back and sinks on the red leather of the diner bench. Pops unbuckles his black leather belt, places, his hands on his bulging stomach. Pops proceeds to rub his food baby belly to calm his indigestion. The relaxation doesn't take long for Pops to let out a loud echoing belch into the confines of the quiet diner. Karen looks at her son with shock and says, "Pops! Indoor burps, you are in public!" Pops looks at his mother with a playful grin and responds," Sorry, but my compliments to the chef! That was some, fine, toast making Louisa!" Louisa just chuckles and says," You are more than welcome, Pops!"  Louisa proceeds to clean the plates from the table. As she does this, she looks up at the clock over the order window to the kitchen. An overly concerned look comes over her face as she says," That can't be right?" "What is it, Louisa?" asks Karen. "Ronnie should have been back by now from delivering his father's lunch!" Pops knowing that Ronnie could take care of himself, can't help but be concerned too for his neighbor. "I will go look for him. I know these streets pretty well. He might have just taken a wrong turn." Pops stands up from the booth, forgetting to do his belt back up. Karen looks at her son and casually points at his unbuckled belt. Pops looks down, laughs, and says, "Oh! Well, that would have been embarrassing!" Pops does up the belt and runs out of the diner like a cheetah after its prey. "Don't worry, Pops will find him!" said Karen as Louisa sits down across from her and holds her hands. 

It doesn't take Pops long to find Ronnie, only three blocks away from the diner when Pops heard the sound of Ronnie's voice. Pops picks up his pace even faster, for the tone of Ronnie's voice was one of anger and distress. "Back away! You, bunch of honkey's!" Ronnie yells. As Pops zero's in on, on Ronnie's voice, he finds Ronnie in a back alley surrounded by 6 of the neighborhood boys, with Tommy being the ringleader. Ronnie is swinging a small piece of 2x4 he found sticking out of a garbage can. " Come on, you, fucking assholes! Do you think that I am afraid of you? You are just another bunch of white assholes that want to keep the black man down!" said Ronnie. Ronnie swipes the 2x4 around the half-circle, Tommy and his friends jump back with every swipe of the 2x4. Tommy reaches his small muscular arm and grabs the 2x4. " No, we don't think that you are afraid of us! We just don't like you! You and your kind don't belong in our neighborhood!" said Tommy. Tommy pulls the 2x4 out of Ronnie's hands and motions for two of his goonish looking hockey buddies to advance on Ronnie. The two junior henchmen look like they couldn't form a thought even if it was, given to them. They each grab Ronnie by the arms and hold him. A cocky, arrogant grin comes over Tommy's face as he lifts the 2x4, getting ready to strike Ronnie and says," This is our neighborhood, you black piece of shit! Pops has slowly crept up on Tommy and his little gang, a skill he picked up in his years in the CBC. Just as Tommy is about to swing the 2x4 Pops, swings his right foot square between Tommy's legs. The blow hits Tommy so hard in the testicles that it sends Tommy down to the concrete in seconds. " I would say that you are afraid, Tommy! Otherwise, why wouldn't you fight one on one!" said Pops. Tommy holding his balls in pain from the kick he just received, looks up at Pops and says," Oh, look, the other neighborhood freak is here! You know what they say, freaks stick together! Get him, boys!" Pops just grins at this soon to be a feeble attempt at hurting him. These guys are nothing and compared to some of Harold's goons, but oh well, guess they have to learn the hard way! As the remaining four goons advance, Pops holds his hands up and says," Wait, why don't you let Ronnie go that way it's more of a fair fight! Or are you afraid to?" The two goons, holding Ronnie look down at Tommy, still holding his sore testicles, and Tommy says," No! You started it, and once we deal with you,  we finish him!... Get him!" The four youths quickly advance on Pops, and just like a Jackie Chan action movie Pops, takes them down with a fury of kicks and punches. The two goons holding Ronnie are so shocked by this, they loosen their grip on Ronnie, who kicks the knees out from both the boys on either side of him. As both boys lie on the ground holding their injured knees, Ronnie hits them with a swift right cross, knocking them out! Tommy gets up, now partially healed from the cock shot he received. Tommy, full of rage, tries to sneak up on Pops quickly but is met with a jumping spin kick straight to his chest. The blow sends Tommy flying back into the steel garbage cans against the building wall. Ronnie's eyes open wide at the sight of Pops performing this task. He thinks to himself, how could someone the size and shape of Pops do this? Ronnie steps over the injured bodies of Tommy's friends lying on the concrete, moaning, in pain. He approaches Pops and says, "Holy shit, man! Where in the hell did you learn how to do that?" Pops knows he cannot tell Ronnie about the CBC Ronnie knowing would be dangerous. "In the boy scouts!" says Pops breathing heavily from exhaustion. "Damn! I have to join the Boy Scouts!" said Ronnie. "That was some nice knee shots and a pretty great right cross by the way!" said Pops. "Thanks, man! Do you think you could show me some of your moves?" said Ronnie. "For sure, brother! What do you say we get out of here?" said Pops. Ronnie nods his head in agreement. As Pops and Ronnie start to walk away, Ronnie stops, walks back to Tommy, and makes Tommy the recipient of three curb stomps to the testicles. Tommy screams out in pain. This is my neighborhood too! You racist white piece shit!" said Ronnie as he walks back over to Pops. Tommy yells out, "This is not over! You two will pay for this!" Pops looks at Ronnie as they are walking casually down the alley and says, " Did you hear something?" Ronnie shakes his head and says, "Only the sound of a whiny little bitch!" "Did you hear me?!" yells Tommy. Pops turns his head and says, "Yeah, yeah! we heard you! Now go home and ice your balls, we are tired of playing with you!" Ronnie turns to Pops as they walk down the alley and says, "You know I didn't need your help! I had them!" "I know man! Just didn't want you to have all the fun of taking down those assholes!" Ronnie laughs as he and Pops walk back to the diner. "You know we should hang out more often!" said Ronnie. "Yes, we should!" agree's Pops.

Pops and Ronnie walk into the diner, laughing and talking as if they were old friends. "Why haven't we ever hung out before?" asks Ronnie. Pops replies," I don't know? I should have come over when you first moved in. But I figured you wouldn't want to from observing as to how the other neighbors reacted when you and your family moved in. And when I went back to work on my television program, it keeps me gone a lot. But that is no excuse! I should have come over! I'm sorry!" Ronnie slaps Pops on the back and says," Doesn't mean that we can't now!" "Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!" exclaims Pops in his deep baritone voice. "So you being on television is the reason that you don't come to school, hey? Here I thought that it was the clientele that we just had a run-in with!" said Ronnie. "Haha! No! Those assholes I can deal with, as you just witnessed. Well, that and I am just too damn handsome for that school!" said Pops with a chuckle as he runs his right hand through his hair. Karen and Louisa, sitting, quietly listening to their sons becoming fast friends. But they can't help but wonder what happened and with who? "It's so great to see that you are alright, Ronnie and that you and Pops are getting along so well!" said Louisa. "Yes, I agree with Louisa! But I want to know who you were talking about? With who did you have a run-in? Are we going to have trouble?" said Karen. "Possibly as it was Tommy and some of his buddies from the block. They were harassing Ronnie, so we showed them some manners!" said Pops. Karen just rolls her eyes at her son and says, "Oh, Pops! Guess we can't make it worse though, seeing as how I told off Mrs.Winters and Walters." Louisa gets up from the booth seat and walks over to Ronnie and says, "You know I don't like you fighting, but this once I will allow it! Now go start cleaning the kitchen, and we will discuss this more with your father!" Ronnie attempts to slap his and Pop's hand in a back and forth motion, but Pops, not used to this greeting, messes it up. Ronnie just chuckles and says," That's alright, Pops!  I'll teach you! Catch you later, Pops!" Ronnie walks into the kitchen to start cleaning before the not so rush of the supper crowd. Karen places her right hand lovingly on Pops' shoulder and says, "Alright, Pops, we need to get going! See, you soon Louisa. "Goodbye! Thanks for helping find Ronnie!" said Louisa.  Karen and Pops walk out of the diner and to the cherry red 1961 Dodge Dart. Louisa watches from the diner window as Karen peels out into the street, squealing her tires. " That is sure an interesting family!" said Louisa.

Miss. Sutherland walks into Mr.Pervus' office at "The Cathedral" the office is not quite as opulent as the one at the Royal York Hotel. About half the size of Mr.Pervus' regular office, he still has a large oak desk with beautifully carved wooden trim on it. There is a full scotch bar, of course! The large, ornate window that looks out over the city is not prevalent in the Cathedral. The Cathedral offices are underneath the ice surface of Maple Leaf Gardens, so there is no way Pervus would be able to look out at the city. He does have a window to look out of but at the grand lobby of the CBC's Cathedral headquarters. There is no beauty of nature to look at, only the bustling of CBC agents moving about. Having no his usual view doesn't bother Mr.Pervus. It is more of the people moving around on the city streets that he looks at, so this will do for him. So, Mr.Pervus stands and looks at his temporary, view unaware of Miss. Sutherland's presence. Mr.Pervus can sense when anyone enters his office, Mr.Pervus must be that deep in thought or, the office could be throwing off his keen sense of awareness. On the desk, for all to see, is a copy of the file that Mr.Fratner showed him in his office at the Royal York Hotel. Miss. Sutherland, carrying a cup of black coffee for Mr.Pervus, places the cup and saucer on the desk. The clinking of the cup and saucer break Mr.Pervus from his trance. "Did the cancellation team remove agents Phillips and Sihickilo?" said Mr.Pervus. "Yes, they did, sir!" said Miss. Sutherland. "Good, and they replaced them with new agents?" said Mr.Pervus. "I believe so, sir!" said Miss. Sutherland. Mr.Pervus stands silently for a moment, and Miss. Sutherland believing she is not needed, starts to walk out of the room. "Miss. Sutherland, where is Agent Regina?" asks Mr.Pervus. Miss. Sutherland stops dead in her tracks, turns, and says, "He was feeling better, so he left the 7th-floor suite. Do you want me to page him here?" "No, I was just wondering if he was alright. You can go home! I won't need you anymore this evening." Miss. Sutherland knows that Mr.Pervus is hiding something. That something is bothering him in regards to Agent Regina but chooses not to ask what Mr.Pervus is thinking of it is none of her business until Mr.Pervus makes it so. "Good night, sir!" said Miss. Sutherland as she closes the door behind her. Mr.Pervus stands in the low light of his office at the Cathedral and stares out that window and thinks, wondering what is going to happen next. God, he hopes Pops' evidence can prove that Mr.Fratner is working for Harold. In the background, the sound of Frank Sinatra's Angel Eyes plays over the radio quietly.

Tendersnatch's 1957 white Plymouth Fury pulls up to the three-level split, which is Brilliant home. He looks in the rearview mirror and fixes his hair and straightens the collar on his shirt. Tendersnatch shuts the engine off the engine, and as he climbs out of his car, he says," Alright, Tendersnatch, it's time for me to be Agent Regina now! Fools! They are so clueless and hear I thought Pops was smart. This will be like taking candy from a baby." Tendersnatch gets out of his car, slams the door shut, and runs up the front walk. The warmer than usual spring breeze blows through Tendersnatch's hair wrecking what he just straightened. Tendersnatch stops at the front door and presses the doorbell and waits. As he waits for the door to open, Tendersnatch hums a few bars of The Ants Go Marching One By One. Suddenly the front door opens, and standing there is Karen, her auburn colored hair pulled up in a ponytail and wearing a form-fitting yellow dress. She flashes a big smile at seeing Agent Regina and says," Isaac! I am so glad to see you! I am happy that you are feeling better, come on in."  Agent Regina steps in and closes the front door behind him. 

"Where is Pops?" asks Agent Regina. Karen leans in and kisses Agent Regina on the lips lightly and says," He is downstairs in the theatre room, just received some new films from Agent Greene." Agent Regina has to hold in his anger towards Agent Greene. If anyone could help discover he is Tendersnatch, it is Agent Greene. Maybe it is him who is helping Pops with the evidence against Mr.Fratner. Either way, he has to find out who it is and get that proof. "I think I will go down and say hi before we go out to dinner," said Agent Regina. " I am sure he will like that!" said Karen. Agent Regina heads over to the basement door situated under the staircase. Agent Regina opens the red oak door to the basement, the sound of a woman's bloodcurdling scream blasts at Agent Regina's eardrums as soon as the door opens. Agent Regina turns to Karen and says," He sent him Psycho, I take it?" "Why yes, how did you know?" asks Karen. "I saw it before we started dating!" said Agent Regina. 

Agent Regina heads down the stairs, and the bright glow of the movie screen helps guide him towards Pops, who is wrapped in the action on the movie screen. Agent Regina lightly taps Pops on the shoulder. Pops, not knowing that Agent Regina has entered the room, quickly jumps at the touch of Agent Regina's hand on his shoulder. Pops turns and immediately punches Agent Regina in the nose. Agent Regina hits the floor, his nose now gushing with blood. It was as if he was punched in the face by Mohammad Ali. Pops then proceeds to kick him square in the balls. Agent Regina lies on the floor of the theatre room with one hand on his bloody nose and the other on his testicles. Pops exclaims, "Alright, asshole if, you think you can sneak up on me, then you can tell Harold to go and fuck himself!" "I'm not an assassin! It's me! Agent Regina!" said Agent Regina. Pops stops the movie and quickly turns on the lights. As the lights come on, Pops notices the damage he inflicted on Agent Regina. Pos walks over and holds out his hand and said, " Sorry Vagina, If I knew it was you! I wouldn't have done that!" "My mistake. I should have said something instead of tapping you on the shoulder to be clever. It was just that you were watching Psycho, and I thought it would be funny to make you jump." said Agent Regina. "Well, now you know!" said Pops. Agent Regina gets up, his hand full of blood as is his white shirt. Almost like he was a victim of Norman Bates. Agent Regina holds his head back to try and stop the bleeding. "How are you enjoying the movie?" asks Agent Regina. "Oh, it is fantastic! This movie has to be Hitchcock's best! That Norman Bates is sure one creepy fucker! And queerbox mama's boy if you ask me!" said Pops. "Yes, he is quite a creepy character! Don't think though that I have ever heard his character description put so uniquely," said Agent Regina. "Are you here to take my mom out?" asks Pops. "Yes, I was, but now I think I may have to go to the emergency room!" said Agent Regina. "Oh, it is just a little blood! Don't be such a pansy Vagina!" said Pops. "Normally, I wouldn't be, but I think I need to be safe and get it checked out," said Agent Regina as he holds his bleeding nose. "Did you want something, Vagina?" asks Pops. "Just wanted to say hi! And see how you were. But I can now see that you are fine. So I will go now, enjoy the rest of the movie." said Agent Regina as he heads up the stairs holding his bloody nose. Pops just shrugs his shoulders in confusion and says, " He really is a vagina! I didn't punch him that hard!" Pops turns the projector back on and shuts off the lights to finish watching Psycho. 

Agent Regina walks up the stairs and steps out of the door to the basement, his nose still gushing blood. Karen has a shocked and surprised look on her face. "What in the hell happened?" said Karen. "Oh, I made the mistake of surprising Pops and ended up getting punched in the nose," said Agent Regina. Karen shakes her head in disbelief and says," That was uncalled for, I am going to downstairs right now and have a long talk with him." Karen starts to walk towards the stairs, but Agent Regina lightly grabs her by the arm, stopping her and says," Pops did nothing wrong, I shouldn't have walked up on him while watching Psycho. Pops thought it was one of Harold's men sneaking upon him. So, you see, the fault is mine!" Karen stands silently for a few seconds contemplating the words of Agent Regina just told her and said," Yes, but Pops still shouldn't have hit you in the face! That was wrong!" Agent Regina stands and thinks about mentioning that Pops hit him in the crotch too. But, he decides to give Pops a pass on that. There will be time for revenge. "I am going to go and get my nose examined.  We will have to postpone our date," said Agent Regina. Karen lightly kisses Agent Regina on the forehead to console him like some child and said," Okay, give me a call later and let me know how you are doing." "Alright, and don't be too hard on Pops, it was an accident." Karen smiles at Agent Regina's concern for her son and thinks about what a good man he is. Little does she know that he could care less for Pops, that it is his job to destroy Pops. Karen also doesn't know that the kiss she just gave him sickens him. "Will do! I will talk to you later," said Agent Regina. Agent Regina walks towards the front door, a limp to his step from the repeated shots to his crotch. Karen notices this, and as she is about to ask if Pops did that, Agent Regina said," I think I rolled my ankle coming up the stairs. I am going to have to get that checked out." Karen watches as her boyfriend walks out of the front door and contemplates going and talking to her son. Then she remembers what Agent Regina said and heads up the stairs to her bedroom. 

Now outside, Tendersnatch can drop the whole Agent Regina act and get back to being him. As he approaches the windshield of his white and gold 1957 Plymouth Fury, Agent Regina notices a note on his windshield. He walks over and removes the piece of paper from under his windshield wiper. He climbs in his car, and as blood slowly drips, on the paper, Tendersnatch reads the words, "Call me when you get home!" signed with one letter at the bottom, the letter "H"! It must be important. For Harold to leave a note, it means something is wrong! Tendersnatch quickly starts the car and speeds away towards home to call Harold. 

Karen stands by the upstairs window to her bedroom, looking out it. Tendersnatch had no idea that she was watching him. And to Karen, she just thought one of the neighbors put a nasty note on his windshield. Just another attempt of theirs to call her a slut. Their perception of her was from Pops CBC co-workers, coming over to see him. The fact they were mostly male and a few females, and adults made it seemed like she was promiscuous. "Those nasty bitches! Starting early, I see, well, that is minor. Not worthy of a response, well a small one, maybe!" said Karen as she walks away from the window. Karen walks towards the dresser, stops and, removes the diamond earrings that her late husband Rick gave her. A gift after Pops was born, which just so happened to be the anniversary of the day they first met. Karen holds them in her right hand, not putting the earrings in the jewelry box on the top of the dresser. Instead, Karen grabs a piece of paper from the top dresser drawer. With that piece of paper in her left hand and the earrings clutched in her right. Karen sits on the edge of her king-sized mattress. Looking at the earrings in her right hand, she starts to cry. A flurry of old memories comes over her of the love and life with Rick. As happy as Isaac has made her lately, she surely cannot forget her late husband. Karen knows that the last six months have been great, and Isaac has been good to Pops. But things are different now! Karen closes her right hand around the diamond earrings and shuts her eyes tightly. The tears still slowly flow out. She opens them and looks down at the piece of paper that reads," Tumor removal, unsuccessful. Cancer has spread throughout the body, life expectancy-six months." Karen cries a little harder, but not so hard that Pops will hear her. She still needs to tell him. But it has been tough! Losing his father a few years back and now her in six months. Karen was going to tell Pops tomorrow after she told Agent Regina. Well, more like breaking it off with him. The time she has left Karen wants to spend with her son Pops. Karen places the diamond earrings on the bed, grabs her car keys from the top of the dresser, and hustles down the stairs and out the front door, leaving Pops downstairs in the theatre room unaware that she is gone.

Karen jumps in her 1961 cherry red Dodge Dart and knowing that Agent Regina had probably just gone home instead of to the hospital to get his nose checked, decides to drive there. Karen starts her car and speeds away to Agent Regina's place. 

Tendersnatch pulls up to his two-story red brick house in Old Town, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Toronto. Lining the property, a small iron fence with fence posts that look like tiny spears add a touch of creepiness to the aura of the house. Tendersnatch notices that a single lamp is on, lightly illuminating the living room. He quickly shuts off the engine to his 1957 Plymouth Fury and runs up the front walk to the front door. Tendersnatch fumbles with his key in the lock, a sense of nervousness that Harold brings. Tendersnatch is not scared of anyone, except for Harold. Tendersnatch finally manages to get the lock opened and quickly moves inside the house, shutting the door quickly behind him. 

As Tendersnatch enters the front entrance to his house, he is surprised by the sound of Harolds' voice emanating from the living room. A large broadish goon with a military-style haircut greets Tendersnatch as well guarding the entrance to the living room. "Get in here, Tendersnatch!" Tendersnatch can tell by the tone of his voice that Harold is not happy. And when Harold is not happy about something. Then people die! Tendersnatch looks in the large circular mirror by the front door. He cracks his nose back in place. But there is nothing he can do about all the blood on his face and shirt. Harold will just have to deal with Tendersnatch's appearance as is. "Did you hear me? Get in here!" said Harold. Tendernsnatch walks towards the living room closely followed by the neanderthal looking henchman who closes the double sliding wooden doors to the living room behind them. Tendersnatch sits on the yellow-colored polyester couch across from Harold, who sits in a red leather armchair. Harold's face is obscured by the darkness making it hard to see Harolds' face. This meeting is the kind of thing you would see in a spy movie. But this is no movie, this is real life, and here the good guys aren't winning. "How is the plan going, Tendersnatch?" said Harold. "There are a few issues, but nothing I can't handle," said Tendersnatch. "That is not what I asked! So, I will ask you again! How is the plan going?" said Harold. "I would have to say that the plan is going well!" said Tendersnatch in a cocky tone. Harold, irritated by Tendersnatch's arrogance, says, "Now don't get cocky with me! I will not hesitate for Chad here to come over there and snap your neck or put a bullet between your eyes." Tendersnatch leans forward to get a better view of Harolds' face. He then leans back on the couch and says," Go ahead and try it! Do you remember the last time you tried to have one of your goons beat me? It didn't go too well! I live for pain, and death doesn't scare me as it does you! So, go ahead and beat me or kill me! Because that is what you really came here to do!"  "There's the Tendersnatch that I know! Here I was thinking that dating my mother was making you soft! Now, where are we with the plan?" said Harold. "Well, that little arrogant pussy Mr.Fratner is doing well replacing loyal CBC agents with ones of our own. Soon we will have complete control of both the agency and the world," said Tendersnatch. "That's good! And Pops has no idea of what we are up to?" asks Harold. "He has been doing some digging without me knowing. I suspect Pops has help from Agent Greene. But, he is more onto Fratner than me. He still has no clue as to where or who I am in the CBC," said Tendersnatch. "Did you deal with that and with Mr.Fratner for his carelessness," said Harold. "Oh, don't worry, I have literally beat some sense into Fratner for his carelessness. And I will find out about who is helping Pops and deal with them!" said Tendersnatch. "Good job, Tendersnatch. I can always count on you to get the job done," said Harold. "How much longer do we need that little shit stain for, sir? I can't stand his lack of intelligence. Mr.Fratner might be highly educated, but he is the dumbest smart person I have ever met! " said Tendersnatch. "I have plans for him, Tendersnatch. Now I know that he is not our type, but we need him and his family contacts. The perfect puppet for us, even if they think they are controlling us. Now, what about part two of the plan?" asks Harold. "I was very close tonight! But Pops broke my nose so I couldn't pop the question and ask Karen to marry me," said Tendersnatch. 

Karen pulls up in front of Tendersnatch's house or, as she knows him, Agent Regina. "I knew it! Men!" Karen runs up the front walk and lifts the welcome mat to reveal the spare key. Karen picks it up and unlocks the front door entering the house.

 

Karen quietly walks up to the closed separation doors of the living room. A small crack between the separation doors gives her a glimpse of the events going on in the living room. 

"Now, you need to get her to marry you! As much as I know that you don't want to Tendersnatch. You have to so that we can get our hands on those journals. Plus, it would be so pleasing to see my baby brother corrupted by you!" said Harold. "Don't worry I will ask her! And for how long would I have to stay in a marriage with that poor excuse for a mate? You know marriage sickens me, and so does mating with someone who does not share my views on sexuality," said Tendersnatch. "For at least a year or two! Then when Pops' credibility has been destroyed.  You can kill them both!" said Harold. The sound of a gasp and the floor creaking stops the conversation between Harold and Tendersnatch. Tendersnatch grabs a gun with a silencer on it he has placed in between the couch cushions and points it and fires two shots at the separation doors. A loud thud of a body hitting the floor is heard instantly. "You didn't want to see who it was?" said Harold. "Does it make a difference? No one can know what we talked about!" said Tendersnatch. Tendersnatch stands and walks over to the separation doors, his gun still in hand, and opens the doors to reveal the lifeless body of Karen Brilliant. Harold walks up behind Tendersnatch and, noticing who the dead intruder was, says," Well, this makes things harder now for the plan? I should kill you right here! You trigger happy idiot! If we could have captured Karen, then I could have erased her memory of this." Harold pulls a small six snub-nosed six-shooter from his left jacket pocket and places it against the back of Tendersnatch's head. Tendersnatch turns and, with Harold's gun now in the middle of his forehead, says," Oh, don't worry! I have just the plan for this!" Harold looks at the intensity and truth in Tendersnatch's eyes. Lowering the gun in his hand, Harold said, "Well, I can't wait to see." 

"Well, what happened next? Why did you stop?" said Keith. "They all lived happily ever after! What do you think happened? Karen died, and Tendersnatch is going to make it look like an accident during a holdup and take Pops in so he can get the journals," said Greg. Maria stands up, irritated by Greg's disrespect for Graham and Keith. She walks over to Greg, who just sits there looking down at the ground. " Why don't you just shut the fuck up! You may not like the stories, but the rest of us do! That is very disrespectful to Graham and everyone else here!" said Maria. Greg continues to look down at the ground. He thinks to himself that how dare some woman tell him what to do. That he has a right to his own opinion, and there is no way that Maria talks to him like that. Greg looks up with his eyes have a look of intensity and anger in them. Greg stands up, and looking down at Maria, says," I can say whatever the hell I want! Those stories are so predictable and a distraction as to why we are really out here!" said Greg. Keith now mad at how Greg is talking to Maria and a little concerned about his aggression towards her. "That's enough, Greg, just sit down, or you will be sorry!" Greg looks over at Keith with a look of arrogance and says, "And what are you going to do about it, geek?" Keith just shakes his head in disagreement and says," Oh, it won't be me doing something!" A confused look comes over Greg's face, thinking Keith is making no sense. Greg turns his attention back to Maria. Greg gets hit with a punch to the stomach, followed by the same hard uppercut that Emil received. Greg's gigantic body goes flying through the air like a piece of paper in a windstorm and comes crashing down against the old front desk. He lays there unconscious, and Keith walks over to Greg and says, " Don't say that I didn't warn you!" 

Jack's eyes slowly reopen as the wounds from the shotgun blast he received through the back from Delphine has fully healed. A small amount of residual remains, but will go away quickly in a few minutes. Jack slowly gets back to his feet. Delphine is still in the same place she was before she shot him. "Oh good, you're awake! Take your gun here and get ready. I think the "Citizens" are about to make their move. Jack stands there, not moving towards the Glock lying beside Delphine's firm buttocks. Delphine noticing Jack is not moving, says," What's wrong? Grab the gun?" Jack is partially frozen because he is not sure if Delphine will shoot at him, again. Jack stares at where the Glock is sitting. He always admired Delphines' outer and inner beauty. Delphine's' strength and sense of humor are what attracted him to her. Jack never told her this and tried many times but stumbled over his feet and tongue. It is the other reason that Jack is not reaching for the gun. "Oh, for fuck, sakes! Here!" said Delphine as she tosses the Glock to Jack. Jack catches it and says, "Thanks!" Jack starts to make his way over to the back door when Delphine said," Still shy, I see! Some things never change!" "No! I was just worried that you'd shoot at me again! That hurt," said Jack.  Delphine refocuses her attention back out the bay window and says," Yeah sure! That's why you were staring at my ass!" 

Paul looks at his fellow "Citizens" and says, " Brothers and sisters! It is time to move on in! We will get the woman and the man. They are Adam and Eve, the dawn of a new era of humanity! Their sacrifice will give us, and our beloved leader Samuel, eternal life. Then we will cleanse what remains of this sinful world! For we are the chosen people!" "And what if we don't get them, Sir Paul? I believe in the leaders' vision, but the woman has always been one step ahead of us," said Horatio. Paul puts his hands on Horatio's shoulders and said," Have faith, brother! For it was foreseen by the great one, that eternal life would come from the river, and it is here!" Paul motions the others, citizens, to follow him as he walks towards Delphine's farmhouse.

Preston's body drifts towards the riverbank, coming to a stop on the sandy edge of the water. Preston half-conscious feels a pair of large hands pull him on land. Trying hard to stay awake, Preston fights hard but cannot stay awake. As Preston drifts off to sleep, he hears a deep voice say, " Prophecy fulfilled!"