by Dave Hazel
“I don’t believe that you would kill me over something like this,” Fisher said with a slight slur in his words. “You would then be up on murder charges and you would be at risk to never see your family again. I know how important your family is to you. I just don’t believe that you would kill me,” he gave a cocky chuckle and drank from his glass.
“Ya know, you’re right. I wouldn’t literally kill you. I said all that to let you know how pissed off I am. But what I will do, and this you can take to the friggin bank, I will either tie your dumb ass up and take you back to the world with the green fog and leave your ass on some street corner in the middle of nowhere. And if you put up a struggle, I promise you, I will shoot you in the thigh so you would have to go back to get medical care and I will never allow you to come back. Then, me and Towbar will gather those young girls and maybe a couple of others who are even younger, and we will take them back to the real world to have a press conference for the whole world to find out how you spent your time here in Towbar’s world and what you did to, or tried to do to those young girls. And should the real truth every get out that nothing happened, that’s fine, but you’ll have to muddle through all the media garbage until it’s blown over. You know how the media is, the accusation will be all over the front page all over the place. You’ll be blasted everywhere. Then when the truth comes out weeks or months later the media will put it on page 10 of the D section. Your reputation will be shot and who knows how your family and friends will take it. As I said,” Mykal snarled hatefully. “The ball is in your court.”
“Alright, alright, alright. I’ll let the men go back with you,” Colonel Fisher succumbed to Mykal’s pressure. “The only thing I ask is,” he paused and measured his words so he wouldn’t look like he was trying to initiate a deal. “This entire conversation we just had, never took place. None of this occurred. Alright? Okay?”
“Sure, you don’t want it out that you were trying to bang a couple of school girls. Oops,” Mykal joked. “I mean, trying to bang a couple of young local girls. Oops, I mean you don’t want it known what was going on here,” he sighed and gave in. “Don’t worry about it. Your dirty little secrets won’t get out if you change the dumb ass order you laid down. But,” he snarled loudly and firmly. “You got thirty minutes to get out there and let everyone know you made a mistake when you made that order. I don’t care what reason you give. You can say you were just emotional and you spoke with your emotions on your sleeve. Or you can say the two little girls cut you off and you just responded in anger and wasn’t thinking with your head,” he added with a snide bite.
Colonel Fisher looked angry but knew he couldn’t win this battle. “Please Mykal, let’s leave all this stuff in here just between the two of us. I have a family and I don’t want any rumors or stories or things to get back to the real world.”
“I’m not gonna say anything, but you shoulda thought about that before you brought two young ladies over here to watch Knight Rider and drink wine. Knight Rider? What the frickin hell?” Mykal asked with disgust and wanted to rip into Fisher for his foolish choices but he knew he had to stop or he might push Fisher back into the wrong corner. He looked down at the ring on his right hand and knew the magic was ‘messing’ with his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not gonna say anything, but you got thirty minutes, cuz I wanna leave in thirty-five minutes.”
“Alright. I will get it done,” Colonel Fisher said slowly and gave a strange look as if he was contemplating back tracking and not following through with his agreement.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but let me give you fair warning. I won’t be there when you make your announcement,” he paused and suddenly turned invisible, “but I will be there,” he snarled and re-appeared which he just demonstrated that he would be there invisibly. “If you change your mind or don’t follow through with what we just agreed on I will shoot you in the head where you stand and with this silencer on,” he added and raised his Glock 17 to show the silencer. “There will be plenty of witnesses there to verify I was nowhere near your announcement. Then no one will have a damn clue what happened. So don’t you try to play games cuz I see that spooky look on your face. Just remember, you’re not the one going over there to rescue the princess, but you’re gonna get all the damn credit.”
“No, no no no. I will not go back on my word,” he promised and raised both hands. He suddenly looked fearful that he could be killed and no one would see his killer in broad day light in front of hundreds, maybe thousands who would be gathered. “Could you please answer me a question?”
“What?”
“How did you get in here? How do you disappear? Is it a trick or just an illusion? Or do you really have the ability to disappear and turn yourself invisible?”
Mykal started to laugh. “Why? What, is it something you wanna learn how to do?” He continued to laugh because Fisher reminded him of Percy and his desire to learn how to become invisible.
“Yes. Well, yes. Is it something that can be taught?”
“Yes,” Mykal lied. “It’s all up here,” he said and pointed to his head. “I told Percy when some things change I would teach a select few, but we’re a long friggin ways from that. Now you got twenty-eight minutes to get out there and change that order. But we can talk about that after we get the Princess Doninka back here away from the bad guys. I don’t care who I teach my secrets to so long as we rescue Doninka,” he lied to Fisher to lead him to believe he could learn how to turn invisible.
“Yes, yes, yes. Can we talk about it after you rescue the princess and things settle down?” He asked as he jumped up from the table. “I must get dressed. I will change the order. I promise.”
“We’ll talk later,” Mykal said and rose to go to the front door. “Like I said, I will be there so don’t friggin screw around with me.”
“I promise Mykal. I promise you I will not go back on my word,” he said while he scrambled to get his uniform on.
“Colonel, I want you to know we can be friends or we can be enemies. The ball is in your court. It’s up to you what we do. Cuz I don’t care about the little empire you’re trying to build here,” Mykal lied. He wasn’t about to allow someone like Fisher, Percy or anyone to take advantage of his friend Towbar.
“I want us to be friends on this matter,” Fisher shouted from his bedroom while he dressed himself.
“Then don’t screw around with me. I’m leaving,” Mykal said and walked out of the tent in the state of invisibility.
Mykal walked away and walked past the sentries who were making the rounds around the tent to keep everyone away, especially Mykal and any of the group who returned from the other side of the world. He was tempted to start trouble with a couple of the Marine sentries by making it look like one struck another. But then he realized they were just obeying the orders given to them. They weren’t the ‘bad guys’, rather, it was the one who issued the orders. Mykal quietly laughed that he was able to get in and change Fisher’s mind without having to physically harm him or forcibly take him back to the real world.
4.
“Hey Mykal and Towbar,” Gunnery Sergeant Ratner called out and stuck his head into the opening of Mykal’s tent. “I’ve got great news. Colonel Fisher changed his mind. You didn’t know that, did you?”
“No,” Mykal lied and put on a show. “Did he really? I was getting ready to talk to him. Did he say what’s up? Why’d he change his mind?” Mykal had just sat down moments before Ratner arrived. He was at the announcement though invisible. He planned to kill Fisher if he went back on his word and would worry about the consequences later. He realized the accusing finger would probably point back to him, but his anger while invisible brushed the consequences aside. ‘Thankfully I didn’t have to be pushed into following through on my threats.’
“Something along the lines that he knows the princess, Princess Doninka, needs to be rescued before the deadline and he wants the team to head back if we’re willing to go back, but he wasn’t
going to force anyone to go back to that side of the world. He said that he didn’t want to rely on the possible interception during the swap for the King on the Soso High Holy Day, and he would really appreciate any of the men who wanted to volunteer to go to that side of the world to rescue the princess.”
“Is that what the yelling and hootin’ an’ hollerin’ was all about I heard ten minutes ago?”
“Yes. We gave a rousing shout of support and excitement,” Ratner answered with a broad smile. “The men are all gathered and ready to go.”
“Really? Everyone is ready to go?” Mykal asked. “And Major Chick and Major Innes and all the others know this is legit?” Mykal asked though he was there in his invisible state so he couldn’t be seen. He pretended to be here with Towbar. He was in the crowd and if Colonel Fisher would have gone back on his agreement, Mykal was standing right there with his Glock 17 in hand to shoot him in the head before he finished his little address to the men. It suddenly struck him how ‘crazy’ that plan was. The magic of the ring was putting him in many dangerous situations far too often.
“Yes, and you didn’t even have to threaten him after all,” Ratner laughed after Mykal’s comments earlier in the day.
“Good. Go tell everyone me and Towbar will be there in a couple of minutes,” Mykal said and clapped his hands together as if this was the first he was hearing of this. Tell everyone to have all their stuff together and we’ll be gone in the next twenty to thirty minutes.”
“Will do Myk. And just so you know Mykal, all the men do want to go back and finish this mission to rescue the princess. Although we have suffered many casualties, the men want to complete this mission to help Towbar’s people,” he added and looked to Towbar. “Even the Elf and the Dwarf who got hurt on the last trip are coming back with us.”
“Really?” Mykal was surprised. He thought they would have both been replaced. “Sergeant Barry is still okay with returning with us?”
“Yes Sir. I spoke to him personally,” Ratner chuckled. “When we first brought them along the very first time he said he wasn’t too keen on staying there or even going to that side of the world, but now that they have gotten involved he wants to help us complete our mission. He personally wants to make sure we go back to get revenge for the losses he’s suffered and he also really wants to do what he can to help Towbar and Towbar’s people by getting Princess Doninka back to this side of the world.”
“Cool,” Mykal replied with a happy smile. “I didn’t think he would back out, but being in the transportation field, I didn’t know if he would finally say ‘enough is enough’ and not put his people at risk any more. And Gunny, I personally want you to know that I appreciate you more than words can express,” Mykal said and felt his emotions welling up in his eyes. He couldn’t help but glance down at the magic ring that caused his emotions to flail wildly. “You have been with us since the very beginning. You were a part of the Lost Patrol and you have gone back every trip we made to that side of the world no matter how crazy it got or how dangerous it turned out to be. You have been the leader of the men when the men needed a leader who could guide them outta the crazy shit we had to deal with. And then you kept coming back to help keep the men in line.”
“It’s my job Sir,” Ratner said with a humble smile and looked down.
“No, I’m not just saying that. You could have easily backed out any time we came back here. Captain Diaz and Lieutenant Finley have always been in charge but I couldn’t have done it without you and Lemon, cuz you guys kept the men in line. You have probably been the most important person to me during this whole operation and I just want you to know that I truly appreciate you.”
“Thank you Mykal. I really appreciate you telling me that. I’m glad you didn’t say it in front of other people because I would have probably broken down and balled like a baby,” he said with a self-deprecating dig.
“I just want you to know Gunny, you are the one person I probably couldn’t have done this whole thing without. I mean that from the bottom of my heart and I want to make sure you get recognized for all that you have done. I’m gonna ask Major Chick to help me do whatever I gotta do to make sure you get recognized for your great service. I truly appreciate you for the person you are and the leader you are for me.”
“You don’t have to do that, because I was glad to help you the entire time. I truly care for all those men under us and I want to do what I can to help keep them safe. I enjoy what I do. Thank you,” Ratner said and held out his hand for Mykal to shake. He grabbed Mykal’s hand to shake and then pulled Mykal close to hug him. “Thank you again. That means a lot to me.”
They both slapped each other’s back. “Now get the hell outta here and get the men ready,” Mykal said and they both laughed.
“Yes Sir. Will do,” he laughed and left the tent.
“I am glad that you recognized Ratner in such a manner my friend,” Towbar said and gave a slight smile. “He is a very good leader and very dependable.”
“I agree with you one hundred percent. He comes across like an old grizzled war veteran, but I know he cares for the men like they’re his own kids. I really love his attitude. Now, what should we do? Should we wait until we get there and then try to Mind Talk with Doninka there? Actually yeah,” Mykal answered his own question. “Let’s do that. Let’s get to where we should set up a little base camp, cuz once we Mind Talk with her, if we can’t take everyone, I will go by myself cuz I can turn myself invisible and sneak into where she’s being held captive and once I get there, then I’ll bring her back to where you guys are.”
“That sounds like a good plan my friend. If the situation will allow, we can take our entire group with us to her location and then we can depart from there and come back to the Pass immediately.”
“The bad thing about that is we will be right under the nose of Zizmon-Tarl and his big ass army. So if we do use the green fog to send us to her, we have to be quick to re-gather ourselves cuz everyone always gets scattered all over the place. I know we have a little better control than the first few times we did that, but we have to keep all this stuff in mind. Now, if I do go by myself, we are gonna have to make sure when I come back to you guys with her, that I’m far enough away to keep from accidently sending you guys to who knows where.”
“If you must go to her yourself my friend, why would it not be better for you to come back to the Pass with only Doninka?”
“Towbar, I don’t wanna take a chance of that cuz how will you guys know for sure that I did unless after I drop her off then I’d have to go back to you guys anyway. So let’s just cut out that middle step and I’ll come back to you guys with her.”
“Yes my friend,” Towbar said after he thought it through. “I can see where that would make more sense.”
“If worse comes to worst, maybe we should bring an extra vehicle and leave it parked at the Tree of Strange Happenings. So this way, if I have to get her by myself then I can go to the Tree of Strange Happenings, get that vehicle and drive to where you guys are at. But only as a last resort,” Mykal added with a scoff. “Cuz from what Hidtotim was saying, that last place we were, where all those people had been impaled, Hidtotim said it was only about another two days or so travel to get to the outskirts of the city or rather the palace of Zizmon-Tarl. I think I want you guys to be somewhere around there, like maybe where we stopped by the lake so if you guys have to come riding into the city slash palace area to rescue us then you won’t be that far away. We’ll figure it all out when we get there. But, I want you to be thinking about that cuz there are a number of different options we may have to consider.”
“I will think about it my friend.”
“Just think Towbar,” Mykal said with a laugh. His excitement was like that of a child waiting for the night to end so he could open his gifts on Christmas morning. “We could actually have Doninka with us before the day is over. Ain’t that great? Ain’t that exciting?”
“Yes, it is my friend,” the giant said
and gave in to a slight laugh due to Mykal’s infectious enthusiasm.
“We know she’s alive so all we have to do is get in, grab her, and get out,” he laughed to express his true happiness on several levels. To rescue the Princess Doninka is the goal of their mission, but to rescue Doninka the woman was the goal of his heart. “It’s as simple as that,” he laughed again and snapped his fingers. “I’m joking cuz I know it’s not gonna be that simple. But we really could have her in our possession before the day is over. It’s got me fired up and excited.”
5.
“Damn, you just don’t get used to this,” Mykal said while holding his head as the dizzying effect eased up. The trembling in his hand and the green of his flesh disappeared signifying the green fog vanished.
“That is a strange feeling,” Staff Sergeant Barry said from behind the steering wheel. He shook his head as if trying to unplug his ears. “Where are we at Mykal?”
“I had Towbar take us to the open plains right about where the start of the forest is. Where we started following the path or road that we were on.”
“Can I ask why you took us all the way back there?” Sergeant Simmons asked. “Aren’t we basically back tracking when we had made all that progress the past few days?”
“Good question,” Mykal replied and looked out the window. “But the men are scattered farther from us than we want them to be and we really have no control over that. We’re getting better at tightening up our distances from each other, but there is too much space between us that we can’t control. I originally wanted Towbar to put us down by the lake where we had stopped, but then I don’t know how many of the vehicles would have ended up in the water, or down by the beach on the other side of the little cliff. Or it is possible some of the vehicles could have ended up in the denser part of the forest where we wouldn’t be able to get the vehicles out from the trees. Then we woulda been screwed and out of who knows how many vehicles. Even if one or more of the vehicles ended up on the little beach, I don’t think we would have been able to get them back up on the road.”