Chapter One

It defied all logic.

Toby panted and attempted to calm his breathing. The beautiful creature smiling up at him with love and adoration was a logical anomaly that he had been unable to explain for almost a year.

It was like trying to explain how he had gotten one of the Nobel gases to react with another element. That just didn't happen. In a synthesis reaction, two components bond to create a larger molecule. Energy is required and is stored in the bond.

As he smiled lovingly back at her, he closed his eyes and could practically envision a divine being, carefully mixing the essence of Toby with equal parts the essence of Cile. The shimmering, silverish vapor that resulted would be recognized by anyone as pure, undiluted love.

While he couldn't explain it scientifically, Cile radiated energy that created a reaction in Toby that he had never experienced before, and she had reacted to his reaction. The love between them was real, even if he would never understand how it had occurred through any logical explanation. With dual doctorates in Chemistry and Physics, the human chemistry that existed between him and Celia Reid was beyond his comprehension.

Cile recognized the contemplative expression that she frequently saw on Toby's face when he looked at her and she was always patient with his attempts at understanding her attraction to him. She had struggled with the question herself when they had first met.

Tobias Davis was not 'nerdy', but he appeared introverted and scholarly in the way that the world, and she, had originally viewed him. While the world's view might not have changed, hers certainly had. She had recognized the compassion, intelligence, strength, and morality in Toby which had allowed her to express herself completely and openly to a man; something that she had never been able to fully do before. She was secure enough with Toby to hold nothing back from him. Nothing, with a capital 'N'.

Toby remained far more introverted in social situations than Cile would have preferred, but the subtle changes she had coaxed him to make in his dress and appearance had produced the heartthrob that she was always so proud to be recognized as her guy.

Nothing gave her greater pleasure than when she could feel Toby's strong, naked body against hers, and she could use every technique at her disposal to prove to him just how desirable she thought he was. He was a 'hunk', he was a 'stud', but most of all, he was hers.

"I love you, Professor," Cile whispered up at him as she continued to caress his back with her fingers and tighten her vaginal muscles around his softening erection.

Toby leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose, "I love you, and I love you loving me."

"Good," she said, "because it's dreary outside and not fit for your normal run, so we have time for me to love on you for a while this morning. Will you let me do that?"

"I thought that is what you just did."

"No, that was us loving each other, which we can certainly do again once my loving on you has produced the desired result. Remember what I told you at Katie and Tyler's reception?"

Toby laughed and asked, "That you thought I had too much gray matter?"

"That's right," Cile said, in the sultry, bedroom voice shared only with her man, "And I promised to screw your brains out."

Toby smiled down at her, remembering how diligently she had been attempting to keep that promise for the past ten months, and he knew what Cile wanted from him at this moment. It had taken a few months, and several lengthy conversations between them about their mutual needs and desires, but he had finally abandoned his feelings of selfishness created by her attention to his pleasure alone.

He put his arms around her and rolled onto his back, positioning her on top while remaining joined with the remnants of his erection still inside her. Cile immediately found his lips with hers and teased his tongue with the lightest brushes of her own before moving lower to kiss and nibble on his jaw, his neck, and eventually lower down his body. The feel of her long, soft wheat-colored hair caressing his body stimulated Toby almost as much as her lips and tongue.

Her loving attention never failed to get the desired results.

~~~

"Christ that hurts," thought Vincent Barrow as another muscle cramp, this time in his back, almost brought him to his knees.

What had started last week as stomach cramps; including diarrhea and vomiting, had progressed to these muscle cramps in almost every part of his body. He had tried every self-help remedy he could find on the internet related to stomach and muscle cramps, but things only seemed to be getting worse.

He checked the time and saw that it was just after 8 am. That meant that if on schedule, the ferry had just departed Cheboygan on its maiden voyage of this season. The ferry ceased operation between the mainland and the island during the winter, leaving him and the other seventy or so permanent residents of Bois Blanc Island to find alternative methods for getting to the mainland of Michigan. There were plenty of smaller boats and even a few airplanes that could be used, but if one needed to get their vehicle across Lake Huron, the ferry was the only option.

He needed to get his US Forest Service vehicle to the ferry this morning by 9:30. The ferry made only one round-trip each day during May, and his instructions were to deliver the truck to the dealership in Cheboygan and to pick up a new vehicle. The old truck had less than seventy-five thousand miles on it; it was only driven on a small island after all, but it was more than ten years old, so policy mandated that it be replaced.

Vincent Barrow never got sick. Consequently, he had never bothered to establish a relationship with any doctors, on the island or elsewhere. For his yearly physical examination, he simply went to the doctor or clinic specified through the district office in St. Ignace.

Rising from the toilet and testing his stability while standing, he stared at the shower, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to chance using it this morning. He hadn't showered for several days due to the cramps making him feel like his balance was unreliable.

Using countertops, doorframes, walls, and anything else he could reach while walking through his cabin, Vincent finally made it to the small dining table in the kitchen. He selected the closest wooden chair at the table and while using the back of the chair for support, he slowly slid it back towards the bathroom. He felt like an invalid old man using a walker. Not a pleasant image for him at only thirty-two years of age.

Lifting the chair the mere four inches required to clear the curb at the entrance to his shower resulted in both of his arms cramping so badly that it took ten minutes before they relaxed enough for him to turn on the water. He waited for the water to warm before slowly moving into his shower and taking a seat on the chair.

The warm water was soothing on his tired muscles and Vince wished that he could remain beneath the caressing stream indefinitely, but he knew that the water heater in his cabin had a small capacity and would only provide him with warm water for a few minutes. He quickly washed his hair and body, thankful that the full beard he always grew over the winter months would excuse him from needing to shave this morning.

It seemed as if his body knew exactly when the warm water was turned off because multiple muscle spasms and the cramping returned almost immediately, hampering his ability to dry off. The resulting chill on his wet skin only served to heighten both the frequency and the severity of the cramps. Damn, he could barely move.

It took him over half an hour to get dressed, with much of his body still damp. He dressed in layers to produce enough warmth against his body to minimize the pain he was experiencing every time one of the cramps occurred. His hands were shaking so badly that he had difficulty pouring coffee into his travel mug. Screw it; he'd clean up the spill when he got home.

Vince walked on shaky legs to his truck. He was glad that the skies were overcast because he was convinced that even his shadow would hurt this morning. The cramp that enveloped his back and chest when he climbed onto the driver's seat took his breath away, and he almost passed out before he was finally able to once again suck oxygen into his body. He started the truck, set the heater for maximum heat, and waited for the cab to warm up. Closing his hands around the steering wheel resulted in his forearms cramping, locking his gloved fingers in place for several minutes.

The distance from his cabin on the most northwesterly point of the island to the Bois Blanc Township Marina was just over ten miles, and it would normally take him about twenty-five minutes to make the trip. He had thirty-five minutes until the ferry departed, so he had to tough these cramps out and get the truck moving.

Vince had never considered it, but the lack of curves and intersections on Lime Kiln Point Road was a blessing this morning since it minimized the number of turns he would have to negotiate with his hands and forearms cramping. He struggled through the left turn once he had reached Huron Drive, but the route was once again relatively straight from that point to the ferry dock.

Having made his reservation, and paying the ferry fee online, Vince didn't have to stop for the transaction now. There was only one other vehicle, a small sedan, making the trip to the mainland, so Vince followed the hand directions of the ferry crew and was soon parked on the deck of the boat. He knew that he would be required to turn the engine off, and dreaded the cold that would soon result from the heater being deactivated.

As expected, one of the crew tapped on his driver's side window and signaled for the truck's engine to be turned off. Vince did as requested while glancing in the rearview mirror to watch the ramp gate being secured and feeling the motion of the ferry pulling away from the dock. The ferry crew had finished their departure tasks and were quickly retreating into the warmth of the ferry's interior.

The cold lake surface winds quickly made their presence known inside the truck, rapidly dropping the temperature around Vince as he sat behind the wheel. As the spasms and cramps began returning to his body, the distance between the cab of his truck and the door to the warm interior of the ferry seemed to grow in Vince's mind. If he chanced the journey, he would have to make it a second time once the ferry docked in Cheboygan, and he wasn't confident that he could do it once, let alone twice, but he knew that he had to try.

Using his elbow to push the door handle upwards instead of his cramped hand, Vince leaned against the driver's side door to push it open against the gusting winds outside. Sliding off the seat and trying to find stable footing on the rolling deck of the ferry, he simply had to step away from the door to allow the wind to push it closed.

That one step was all he could manage before the multiple cramps in his body evolved into violent convulsions that sent him crumbling to the deck. His out of control body was at the mercy of the turbulent lake surface as it pitched the ferry from side to side. He first rolled away from the truck towards the side of the ferry before being slid in the other direction as the craft was directed by a gust of wind. The clearance height on his truck was just enough to permit his now unconscious body to be wedged under it, making him invisible to anyone else on the ferry until after it had docked.

He would be dead by then.

~~~

"When did Dr. Phelps say that the test results would be back?" asked Jessie Harris.

"Preliminary results should be back later today," replied her husband Jake. "Those will dictate what additional tests they will need to run."

Jake and Jessie were the head cowboy and cowgirl at the Dryhead Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch year-round, and a guest ranch during the summer months. They had just assisted the chief veterinarian for the Crow Nation reservation load up two mature elk which had been discovered on the ranch that morning. While the ranch was privately owned, it was situated entirely within the western portion of the Indian reservation, which is why Dr. Phelps had been notified.

"There's no indication that the chronic wasting disease he suspects has been found in any cattle or horses yet, is there?"

Jake shook his head and took his wife's hand as they headed back to the stables, "No, but we'll keep an eye out for any symptoms once the herds get moved back up here from Wyoming next week. We also need to let Iris know that any venison or byproducts from deer or elk in her freezers need to get destroyed so that no one eats any of it."

"Shouldn't we wait to see what the test results say?" Jessie asked. "That would prevent us from having to waste a bunch of perfectly good meat if the cause of death for the elk was something else besides the chronic wasting disease."

"What else could it be?" Jake said. "You heard what Dr. Phelps said about all the reports throughout the reservation concerning the strange behavior of several deer and elk over the past few months. The stumbling, weight loss, drooling, and lack of fear of humans are all symptoms."

"I know they are, but waiting for confirmation won't cost us anything," Jessie said. "I'll just make sure Iris keeps everything frozen until we know for sure."

"I'm fine with that. When do you have to leave for your meeting at the school?"

Jessie checked the time on her cell phone before answering, "I'll need to leave in about twenty minutes. I sure hope that they can shed some light on why our three normally happy kids have suddenly become so moody and depressed."

Six-year-old Ginny, eight-year-old Leah, and ten-year-old Jace had grown up on the ranch and always been well-behaved and joyous personalities, loved by the staff and guests alike. Since right after the New Year, each had exhibited behavioral changes that their parents could not explain. It had started with irritability, followed by depression, and now was affecting their grades in school. Jessie suspected that someone at school was bullying her children, and she wanted to put an end to that today, if possible.

"I wish I could go with you," Jake said, "But I need to have that talk with Phil and Josh. Letting them go now will send a message to the rest of the crew that fighting won't be tolerated."

"You still don't have any idea what got into them?" Jessie asked. "I mean, there's not a girl involved that they might have been fighting over or anything, is there?"

"Curt said that there wasn't any reason that any of the others knew about," Jake said. "Neither of them had been drinking either. Typically, everyone starts getting excited about the weather improving and the upcoming drives, but just the opposite appears to be happening this year."

"Are you sure there wasn't any alcohol involved?" Jessie asked. "Because I have heard Phil and Josh both slurring their words and walking like drunken sailors on the way to the bunkhouse. I've also witnessed Josh falling out of his saddle while his horse was standing dead still."

"When was this?" Jake asked.

Jessie stared at her husband for several seconds before admitting, "I don't remember. Christ, I'm forgetting more and more all the time it seems."

"Well, regardless of the reason, they're both out of here as of today," Jake said. He was shaking his right hand and Jessie noticed.

"Going numb on you again?"

"Yeah, it feels like I've been sleeping on it or something," Jake confirmed.

"I can assure you, dear Husband, that you were not sleeping on that hand last night. I kept it firmly attached to my left breast from before you went to sleep until you awoke this morning."

Jake chuckled and kissed his wife's forehead, "There isn't a part of your body that makes me numb, Babes. If us having three kids hasn't proven it to you, know that your body has the exact opposite of numb on me."

"Well, let me get to the school and back," Jessie responded with a lustful look that her husband treasured. "Maybe we can work on making you 'not numb' before the kids get home this afternoon."

"Don't forget you said that," Jake told her, patting her on her bottom as she walked to her car.

~~~

"Greer..."

"Elliot, this is Clive Grey. We've got an issue at the winery that you need to be brought up to speed on. It will likely require you to get our lawyers involved."

"They haven't been selling to underage drinkers have they," joked Elliot Greer. It was common for him to try to make light of any problem brought to him as the General Manager for Wallace International's operations in Australia.

"We could all wish it was that minor," said Clive. "One of our workers just died, and two more are in critical condition in the hospital."

"Died?" exclaimed Elliot. "Died from what. It's a bloody winery. There's nothing dangerous at a winery, is there?"

"Evidently, there is at ours in McLaren-Vale," said Clive. "The cause of death has been identified as radon poisoning. The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered everyone off the premises until they identify the source."

"Radon?" said Elliot. "Where would radon come from at a winery, and why haven't I heard of this before?"

Clive attempted to explain, "The doctor I spoke with said that there has likely always been radon present since it is a naturally occurring gas from the decay of uranium and thorium in the Earth's surface. It's not generally a problem because the amount of radon normally occurring is small enough to get dissipated in the air and not cause any health problems for humans. The doctor also said that due to the amount of radon detected in the workers and the rapid onset of symptoms, the exposure levels must be off the charts. That is why he was required to notify the EPA."

Elliot checked the time, "The EPA is already onsite? It's almost midnight. They must think it's serious to get some bureaucrats out of bed at this time of night. You mentioned one worker had died and two others were critical. Anything common in where they all worked or anything?"

Clive searched his records for a few seconds before replying, "I have a message in for Nelson Portman to call me. He's the operations manager and should be able to verify my records. Those indicate that all three of the infected workers were assigned to the cask warehouse."

"Then they worked primarily inside," said Elliot. "I thought radon came from the soil. I would expect the workers assigned to the fields to be exposed before warehouse workers. Are any other properties around the winery reporting any radon?"

"Not from what I have learned so far," said Clive, "Radon can build up inside a building if it is located on top of a radon source. Building requirements in place when we built our warehouse and distillery units twelve years ago would have included testing for radon. None was detected at the time, so something underground must have changed since then."

"Obviously," said Elliot. "Let me ask you this, if radon gas can penetrate a concrete floor, which is what you are suggesting, could we also assume that it could penetrate the wooden casks that the wine is stored in? Can radon contaminate a liquid such as wine?"

"That's one of the things that the EPA will be testing," Clive confirmed.

"And we don't know how long the radon exposure could have been occurring?" asked Elliot.

"Sometime between when the facilities were built and now, is the closest we can estimate at this time. That's twelve years."

"Wonderful," said Elliot. "Do you think we can be reasonably confident that we haven't been poisoning people for twelve years with contaminated wine?"

"I think we can be confident in the first couple of years after we started using the new buildings," Clive said, "but that's as long a limb as I feel comfortable going out onto at this point."

Elliot groaned before continuing, "Okay, I'll let the Wallaces know. What arrangements are being put in place for the workers, both for medical testing and for the continuation of pay and benefits for the duration of the winery's closure?"

"Human resources will have a compensation strategy prepared for your review by noon tomorrow," Clive assured his boss. "Medical testing will be coordinated through the EPA staff onsite."

"Very well," Elliot said. "Please keep me updated. I'll likely schedule a conference call with the lawyers and the Wallaces once we have an initial report on the scope of the situation, so let me know as soon as you learn anything new."

"I most certainly will, Sir."

"Thank you. Good night."

~~~

Doctor Garima Kumar sipped her tea as her computer booted. Her assistant had prepared it perfectly, which brought a smile to her face.

While waiting for the sign-in screen to appear, Garima reflected on how much happier her staff claimed to be under her leadership as India's Minister of Health and Family Services, compared to her predecessor. He had been the far too common physician with a 'God complex', and he had let his perceived superiority dictate his treatment of the people who reported to him. It was no wonder that the same people had been so easy for Garima to impress, with her friendly but firm leadership style.

Her assistant reappeared at the door to her office and said, "Minister, you have an urgent call from Dr. Nadal."

Garima leaned to look around her computer screen and said, "Thank you, Anna. Please tell him that I will be right with him."

She entered her password for her computer and then picked up the phone on her desk, "Good morning Rishit, how can I help you?"

The voice on the other end of the line sounded panicked. That was out of character for the Rishit Nadal that Garima had promoted as one of her district administrators.

"Calm down, Rishit. Please repeat yourself slowly."

"My apologies, Minister," Rishit said. "I am reporting that all the Bhil Meena inhabitants on Baba ka Magra and the smaller island Piari are dead. The wildlife sanctuary at Lake Jaisamand is also reporting hundreds of dead birds and animals of every kind."

"Do we know the cause?" asked the Minister, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Not yet," Rishit stated. "Our team discovered the bodies this morning when they arrived on the islands to conduct yearly immunizations for the children of the tribe. There are no external injuries or indications of the cause, so of course, we are starting with tests of the lake's water. We should have preliminary results on these tests shortly."

Garima launched her e-mail application before replying, "Understood. Have there been reports of similar deaths elsewhere?"

"We were hoping that you would know and could tell us," Rishit said.

Quickly scanning the subject lines for any e-mails that she received between leaving her office last evening and this morning, Garima saw nothing related to what was being reported to her now.

"I have heard nothing prior to your report," she told Rishit. "How many fatalities are you reporting at this time?"

"The initial count provided was one-hundred-thirty-four individuals," Rishit said. "Sixty-three were adults, and the rest were minor children."

"I haven't been to Lake Dhebar for several years," Garima said, using the modern name for the lake. "There are no chemical plants or other industries near there, correct?"

"That is correct," Rishit confirmed. "It is in a rural area in the Udaipur District. The primary industry in the area is agriculture. That fact could become important if the water in the lake is the cause of these deaths because the same water is used to irrigate many of the farms and fields in the area."

"Understood. Please send me the preliminary test reports on the water as soon as you have them. Be certain that our people take the appropriate steps to protect themselves from whatever may be the cause, especially some virulent infectious disease or the like. Keep the bodies isolated on the islands until the cause of death has been determined. Have any pathologists been notified?"

Rishit responded immediately, "That is my next order of business after notifying you. The immunization teams have all retreated to the boats that they used to access the islands and will remain on them until further notice."

"Fine. I am going to contact the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change right now. I will provide them with your contact information so that you can coordinate the investigation with their pollution control specialists."

"Yes, Minister. I will keep you informed."

"Thank you, Rishit. Stay safe."

As soon as the call was disconnected, Garima called to her assistant, "Anna, please get me Darshan Sridhar. Please tell him it is urgent."

"Yes, Minister."

Garima contemplated whether to notify the Prime Minister, but decided to wait until more details were known. Her assistant notified her that her call was ready, so she wasted no time initiating the conversation with her counterpart.

Without the normal pleasantries, Garima said, "Minister, there has been an incident at Lake Dhebar that may require your ministry's involvement." She spent the next five minutes explaining every detail that she knew at this time.

After listening carefully, Darshan said, "The fact that the birds and animals at the sanctuary also were affected would tend to rule out biological or viral factors, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I do," said Garima. "Which is why I wanted you to be informed as soon as possible. If this is an environmental pollution incident, you should be allowed the opportunity to get your teams involved as quickly as possible."

"Minister, I appreciate your consideration more than I can express," said Darshan. "Your predecessor certainly would not have extended a similar courtesy. Has the Prime Minister been notified?"

"To the best of my knowledge, she is unaware of the situation. Someone else may have informed her, but it did not come from my ministry. I prefer to have more details before conveying this type of news to the Prime Minister."

Darshan chuckled, "I apologize. This is not something that I should be laughing about, but the differences between you and the man who held the position before you brings joy to those who knew him, and sometimes that joyousness gets expressed at inopportune times. I will get the pollution specialists heading towards Lake Dhebar immediately. Please keep me posted on what your team learns from the water tests and any autopsies of the bodies."

"Of course, Minister. I would suggest that you notify the Prime Minister of the situation, though. Knowing that your ministry is reacting so soon would be viewed favorably in case she hears of it from another source."

"I will notify her as soon as we are done," Darshan assured his colleague. "Thank you once more for your professionalism and courtesy, Garima."

"We must learn to work together, Darshan. Especially in situations such as this may turn out to be."

"Garima, if you ever run for Prime Minister, you would have my complete support."

~~~

"Just a minute, Didi. I'm getting out of the shower." Julian Cabot turned off the water and reached for his towel.

"That's okay, Jules," said his personal assistant, Didi Kleinhans, "I was just letting you know that I was here. I brought some coffee up for you."

Jules turned and smiled at her through the glass door of the shower. He wasn't the least bit embarrassed that the sight of her produced a visible bodily reaction, or that Didi was able to witness the reaction while waiting for him in his bathroom. Jules and his assistant had worked together for three years and were as close as siblings.

Both had seen the other naked, or close to it on several occasions; sharing rooms, giving each other massages after stressful meetings, or discussing business together in a sauna. While each had acknowledged the attractiveness of the other, their relationship had remained chaste.

He couldn't recall at the moment what the exact relationship was; cousin, niece, or something like that, but one look at Didi reminded him of her kinship to Amy Kleinhans, who had been the first non-white Miss South Africa. Jules thought that Didi could walk away with any beauty pageant crown in the world. She knew this and appreciated the fact that her boss and one of the most eligible bachelors in the world valued and trusted her above almost everyone else in his life.

"Good morning Didi," Jules said as he stepped out of the shower.

Didi handed Jules the coffee cup and said, "Good morning to you, or what's left of it. Why did you want to get such a late start today?"

Jules took a sip of coffee and said, "I wanted to meet with Siphiwe Myeni on the boat this morning. We needed to discuss the timing for the replacement of the engine seals. We had breakfast at the Meerensee Boat Club after that."

"So," said Didi as she took his towel and folded it over the rack for him, "You've already started on your caffeine consumption for the day. When you suggested that I be here between ten and eleven, I thought it was to allow you time to sneak your latest tryst out of the house before I arrived."

"Heavens no," Jules chuckled. "It was to allow you more time to roust your latest paramour out of your own bed"

Didi smacked his bare bottom playfully and laughed, "Aren't we the sad celibate lot. You get dressed and I'll get our laptops ready in your study."

"Why don't you get undressed and I'll get the laptops ready?" Jules teased.

Didi laughed again and said, "I would except that you then wouldn't be able to sit at your desk."

She pointed to his erection, "You need clothes to corral that thing whenever I'm around, and we both know it."

Jules laughed with her and said, "Touché. I'll be down shortly. Do me a favor and start looking at dates in May that we can move the board meeting to. The second week in June won't work for me now. I'll explain it to you later."

"You want the same location, just a different date?" Didi asked as she started for the door.

"If possible. Let's find an open date in my calendar first since that's the factor with the least flexibility. We can adjust the location and other details much easier."

"I'll see what I can do," Didi said, as she left him alone to dress.

Quickly combing his hair and getting dressed, Jules considered the words he would use to once again try to convince Didi to allow him to buy her a condo. She had to know how important she was to him, both personally and professionally. Providing her with a place to live in a safer neighborhood closer to his house only made sense. He could just buy the condo he had been considering and then order her to live there as a condition of her employment, but he knew that she would see right through that. Forcing someone to do something against their will was not his style.

Didi sensed his presence when he entered the study where she was seated at her desk. She smiled at Jules as he walked around her to his desk and sat.

"I have identified two dates in May where the board meeting could be moved to," Didi started.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Jules said.

Didi nodded, "But, they are both rather early in the month. I'm concerned whether we'll have the financial reports for the fiscal year prepared by then."

"Let me pull up my calendar," Jules said. "Why don't you roll your chair around here and we'll go over it together. There might be some reshuffling of things later in May that we could do."

Didi moved her chair around the desks as Jules shifted his to allow her to sit beside him and share the view of his monitor.

"Okay, let's take a look," Jules said as they both watched him navigating his schedule calendar. "Well, we obviously can't hold the board meeting before May 23^rd because that's the date planned for the contract to be signed. I can't notify the board of my plans to sell a controlling interest in Cabot Geological's mining operations to Anglo-American Mining while we're still within the non-disclosure period."

"Jules, I know that we've discussed this, but are you certain that you want to relinquish part of your family's business?"

"Didi, I'm only divesting us of the mining operations. If we don't make a move now to get out of mining, I'm afraid that we'll miss the opportunity to do so on our own terms. It won't take long for others to realize what I have about the future of Platinum Group Elements, and when they do, the value of all PGE mining operations will go into a free-fall."

"I know," Didi said in acceptance. "Once China, South Korea, and Japan mandate that only electric and hybrid vehicles be driven in those countries, the need for palladium and platinum for catalytic convertors will plummet. Palladium is currently selling short of five-thousand Rand per Troy ounce and the global decline has been happening for years, but what about the other ores?"

Jules was shaking his head before Didi finished, "The Bushveld Igneous Complex does have significant reserves of non-PGE ores, but our operations in the Platreef Reserve has the lowest inventory of those compared to our competitors. We couldn't produce enough to make the required technological investments profitable."

Didi placed her hand onto Jules' forearm and said, "You know I fully support whatever you want to do, but you mean too much to me for me to not want to protect you from any possible regrets."

"Let's revisit the idea of protection in a few minutes," Jules said dismissively. "Look at this; if we reschedule the conference call with Cyril Matunjwa from the 29^th to one of the open dates earlier in the month, then we could move the board meeting to then. That would leave Monday the 28^th as a travel day so that none of the board members would need to leave on Sunday."

"That could actually work to our benefit," said Didi. "Cyril will be intending to pressure you on new union demands, so he'll welcome the opportunity to meet with you sooner. You can then push his demands off until after the board meeting when Anglo-American Mining will be the ones he has to deal with."

Jules laughed, "The workers at all Anglo-America operations belong to the Association of Mineworkers Union. Cyril's National Union of Mineworkers may be on the outside looking in for quite some time."

Didi didn't join Jules in laughing, "It couldn't happen to a more deserving creature. Cyril Matunjwa is a cruel, contemptible excuse for a human being. The fact that he isn't in prison only serves to prove how corrupt the system is where labor unions and politicians are concerned."

Jules smiled and nodded, "I really hope that someday you'll overcome this reluctance to tell me exactly how you feel."

That made Didi laugh. "So, now that we have a new date for the board meeting, can you share with me why you wanted it changed?"

Jules opened his e-mail application and selected a message from the previous day. Once it was open, he clicked on a hyperlink within the e-mail and waited for the website to launch.

Pointing to it, he said, "We're going to be traveling to the United States to attend this symposium."

Didi leaned closer to the monitor to read the fine print on the screen. "The 2029 Earth Science and Environmental Symposium?"

"That's right. Apparently, the thesis written for my Master's degree made it into the hands of the symposium organizers and they have invited me to be on a panel to discuss environmental responsibility within the mining industry. I will be representing South Africa and there will be others from Canada, Russia, China, Australia, and of course, America."

"The dates for the symposium are June 8^th through the 14^th," noted Didi. "Will you, or I should say 'we' be attending the entire time?"

"You've never been to the United States, have you?" Jules asked her.

"No. Why?"

Jules put his arm around her shoulder and said, "I think that our trip should be a comprehensive one. How about if we fly to New York and see the sights there, and then drive down their east coast to the city where the symposium is being held, Myrtle Beach. We can then spend the remainder of June visiting whatever other locations in America pique our interest."

"A sort of working vacation?" Didi asked.

Jules squeezed her shoulder with his hand and said, "Sort of, but with the emphasis tilted strongly towards the vacation aspect."

"Jules, I would love to experience America with you, but do you think that it would be wise for us to be seen together as much as the trip you described would do?"

Although Julian Cabot and Didi Kleinhans had expressed their fondness and attraction to one another, they had always been hesitant to express the same in public. Apartheid had ended, but the society in which they both lived still limited them. Jules was white, of English descent, and Didi was Cape Coloured. Not a suitable combination.

Jules leaned over and kissed Didi on her forehead, "No one in America will take notice of you and I being seen together in public or private. I have one of the most beautiful women in the world beside me daily and I want the opportunity for people to finally recognize that fact. I want any limits to be ones that you and I agree upon between man and woman, not what society sets for us."

Didi just stared at Jules without speaking. She trusted him more than words could express, but could she trust herself and her feelings for him if the limits that had always been in place were suddenly removed? The idea of falling even more hopelessly in love with Julian Cabot, only to be forced back into the limited relationship that currently existed scared her to death.

As if reading her mind, Jules said, "Trust me, Didi. You are my priority. I want you to be happy, and I think that you want the same for me."

Didi just nodded, afraid of how her voice might crack if she tried to speak.

Jules stood and began pushing Didi's chair back to her desk. She giggled while raising her feet so that they wouldn't drag on the floor as he playfully spun her chair and rolled her into position in front of her computer.

"Now, be the good little assistant and make me happy," Jules said. "First, start making our travel arrangements to New York. Whether you have us seated next to each other on the flights or booked into separate hotel rooms, all those types of choices are yours to make. I'll make our arrangements for the symposium itself. Everything after that we can play by ear."

"Got it, Boss," Didi said with a smile. "What else would make you happy?

Jules wanted to say, "Move in with me," but instead said, "Locate a mover to start packing up that rat hole apartment that you live in. I want you to move into the condo I am buying a few miles from here in Arboretum."

Didi surprised him by saying, "Who's making who happy here?"

She then surprised him further by standing and kissing him lightly on the lips.

~~~

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Ginger. Have you got a few minutes?"

"Oh, good morning Lacey. Sure, I was just reviewing my grant application. What's up?"

"I just received confirmation that our girls will be seated second at the Coastal Invitational and wanted to know if you can still make the second week of June."

Ginger Olsen had played on the women's volleyball national championship team at UCLA with Lacey King while they were both undergraduates. Lacey had gone on to become captain of the gold-medal-winning Olympic team and eventually became the head coach for the program at UCLA. Ginger had given up competitive volleyball to pursue her post-graduate studies in geology and was currently an associate professor in Earth Sciences at their alma mater.

Ginger had filled in for one of Lacey's normal assistant coaches several times and had enjoyed contributing what she could when her schedule permitted, so when Lacey had mentioned the possibility of accompanying the team to the invitational volleyball tournament, Ginger had tentatively agreed.

"What are the exact dates?" Ginger asked.

"The tournament starts on the ninth, but our first match isn't until the tenth," Lacey told her. "I'm confident that our girls will make the finals, so you should plan on being in Myrtle Beach until the fourteenth."

"Those dates shouldn't be a problem," Ginger confirmed. "Who else do you have lined up to help out?"

"I'm hoping to get Toby Davis to agree to be my scout," Lacey said, with an obvious smile in her voice.

"Give it up, Lace. I've told you that I am no longer interested in Professor Davis in that way."

Lacey laughed and said, "Whether you are or not, he's still one of the best analysts of the other teams' strengths and weaknesses either of us have ever worked with. But seriously, you're really backing off without ever really even trying to hook up with Toby? He's hotter than ever."

"I know he is," Ginger said in frustration. "The problem is that the reason that he is 'hotter than ever', as you put it, is because he's head over heels for the woman who is grooming him now."

"How do you know this?" Lacey asked, disbelieving.

"He introduced me to her a few weeks ago when I ran into them at Venice Beach. Lacey, I know that I still look as good in a bikini as I did when you and I were modeling them to make spending money while in school. The new woman in Professor Davis' life made me feel pre-pubescent in her presence. Plus, anyone who sees them together would know that he sees the sun rise over her right shoulder and set over her left. He is as completely in love as you will ever see a man."

Lacey considered what her friend had mentioned, and then said, "Would you, or anyone you know purposely make a man that you were interested in more attractive to other women? Maybe she's just some sort of style coach for him or something like that."

Lacey laughed and continued, "Remember how we teased Toby about wearing sweatpants and a shirt to play beach volleyball while everyone else was wearing swimsuits? If anyone ever needed a style coach, it's definitely Toby Davis."

"I remember," said Ginger. "I also remember that we both noticed how even being covered top to bottom in ugly grey sweats, his being toned and athletic was still obvious. Now he's got great-looking hair and he's wearing clothes that not only fail to disguise that he is a hunk, but they also accentuate the fact. As far as why a woman would purposely make her man more attractive, she would have to have complete confidence in her man's love and devotion to her. She worships him, and Toby Davis certainly worships her. She has nothing to worry about, believe me. I've seen the way they look at each other."

"Do you know what she does for a living?" Lacey asked. "I mean is there an intellectual synergy between them, do they have much in common, or is the attraction purely a physical one?"

"He introduced her as a doctor, but I can't recall if that was a medical title or some other academic field," Ginger said. "Wait, she did say that she worked for the United States Government. I remember that much."

"That means that she probably isn't a medical doctor," Lacey said. "There aren't many of those employed by the government."

"But it would imply that her intellect is probably close to being on a par with a college professor's," Ginger said.

"Maybe," agreed Lacey. "She would have to be more than just beautiful to land Toby Davis. We've both seen dozens of the most beautiful girls and women in Southern California make their moves on him and get politely ignored. I'm just disappointed that you never got a crack at him. I think you two would have been great together."

"Lacey, once you meet this woman, you won't believe that anyone else could ever be a match for Toby other than her. You'll just know, as I did, that they are the real deal. I'm sure it's obvious to anyone who ever sees them together. That's why I am not disappointed. I know that even if Toby and I would have hooked up, as soon as this woman came along, he would belong to her and I would be left in the dust. Celia Reid and Toby Davis are soulmates if there ever were ones."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Lacey thought out loud. "Do you know where she is from?"

"They never mentioned," said Ginger, "but she did have a sort of southern 'twang' when she spoke. Not real strong, but sort of in the background of her speech."

Lacey sounded distracted as she said: "I wonder..."

"You wonder what?"

"Just a second," said Lacey. "Ah! Found it. Do you remember the NCAA tournament our senior year?"

"Most of it. Why?"

"Who did we play in the finals?" Lacey asked.

"We played Baylor, didn't we?"

"Exactly," said Lacey, "and Baylor had that All-American on their team that almost beat us single-handed. Remember her?"

"Vaguely. Why?"

"Her name was Cile Reid. Could Cile be a nickname for Celia?" asked Lacey.

Ginger laughed and told her friend, "Well, if it's the same person, you better hope that Baylor isn't playing in the Coastal Invitational Tournament or you can be certain that Toby Davis won't be helping you scout the other teams."

"If it's the same person, I think I'm going to be scouting her," said Lacey. "For a friend, of course."

Chapter Two

"We thought he might have fallen overboard initially," Ferry Captain Tim Truslow explained. "All the passengers had already disembarked and the crew searched the entire ship for the driver of the pick-up. Since the keys were still in it, Nathan considered moving it to the parking lot, but we don't have another trip until the morning, so I told him to wait and see if the driver showed up."

"So, how long after you docked until someone discovered the body?" asked Cheboygan police officer Bradley Werth. He was waiting for the detectives to arrive at the ferry to take over the investigation, so he thought it best to start trying to get some of the preliminary questions asked and answered.

"It was probably just over half an hour," Captain Truslow said. "A paper coffee cup got blown under the truck by the wind and when Nathan didn't see it come out on the other side, he looked under the truck and that's when he saw the body. I crawled under to check for a pulse, but the body hasn't been touched otherwise. What you see there is exactly the way we found him."

"And no one spoke to the driver, correct?" asked Werth.

"Other than hand signals to direct him on where to park on the deck and turn off his engine, there was no further communication with him. The lake doesn't make for a very sociable environment on the deck at this time of year. That's why everyone heads inside as soon as they get on board."

Werth saw two detectives approaching, along with a pair of fire department EMTs pushing a gurney.

"Thanks, Captain, I'll leave the rest of the questions for the detectives. If the truck and uniform the guy is wearing are genuine, you're also going to be dealing with the FBI, so I won't bother you further. Thanks for your cooperation."

Werth walked out to meet the detectives and filled them in on the situation. As he started his patrol car and listened to dispatch assigning him his next call, he watched the EMTs begin to examine the body.

"No sign of trauma," said Elijah Brown after the body had been pulled from under the truck. He was senior over his partner, Becky Aiken, so he always took the lead on their calls.

"You thinking a coronary or something similar?" One of the detectives asked.

"The cause of death will have to be determined by one of the doctors at the hospital," said Elijah. "I can only let you know that there are no signs of physical injury to the body."

"Eli, look at his fingernails."

This request came from his partner, who had been assisting Elijah with getting the dead body straightened out for placement onto a gurney. Rigor mortis had begun while the body had been in a fetal position under the truck but it wasn't in a rigid state yet.

"Mees' lines?" asked Elijah. "On all ten fingernails. He's also got those blister-looking sores on both hands. Becky, let's check his toenails too."

Becky unlaced and removed one of Vincent Barrow's boots while her partner did the other one. Once the socks were removed to expose the feet, they each examined the toenails.

"The lines are even more evident on the toenails," said Becky.

"I agree," said Elijah. He then rose and faced the two detectives, "As I said, a doctor at the hospital will need to provide the official cause of death, but I am pretty confident that it will be ruled as being due to arsenic poisoning."

"Arsenic poisoning?" asked the detectives in unison. They looked at each other and then the senior detective, Wade Sloan continued, "You think this guy was murdered?"

"We're not saying that he was murdered," Becky interrupted. "The poisoning could have been caused by any number of things. Have there been other reports of anything like this on the island?"

"Bois Blanc Island is in Mackinac County," said Sloan. "We need to notify the Mackinac County Sheriff and see what they can find out. It looks like this case will be in their jurisdiction. Are you going to transport the body to McLaren?"

The two EMTs had resumed preparing the body for transport by strapping it to a gurney. As they each took an end of the gurney and began raising it, Elijah said, "Yeah, the coroner doesn't transport dead bodies any longer so the morgue at McLaren Medical Center is where we're headed."

"Okay," said Sloan. "We're going to be here for a while. We'll get a crime scene unit out just in case there is something in the truck that might be relevant. Let the hospital know that someone from either our agency or the Mackinac County Sheriff's office will be in contact with them about the autopsy."

As the gurney started rolling towards the waiting ambulance, Elijah said, "We'll let them know. Be sure to let your crime scene people know that we suspect poisoning. They'll need to process things accordingly."

Sloan had already started dialing his cell phone. He paused to speak to his partner, "You better notify the FBI. They'll probably want a piece of this too since the guy worked for the federal government."

~~~

Jake saw his wife's name as the incoming caller on his cell phone, "Now's not a good time, Jess..."

"Jake, you need to get to St. Vincent's Hospital," Jessie cried. "Our kids have all been poisoned. Probably you and I too."

"Poisoned?" Jake said.

He was standing on the porch of the bunkhouse where his side of the conversation with his wife was overheard by the Montana State Trooper and two Tribal Police officers who had responded to his report of three dead bodies on the ranch. They were awaiting the arrival of the county coroner, and all their attention turned to Jake's conversation.

"Jessie, what do you mean by poisoned?" Jake implored.

"Jake, the school principal was concerned about Ginny's behavior. She thought it might be a symptom of mercury poisoning so she had the school nurse run some neurological tests on her and they're convinced that something has gotten into our kids. They asked if the kids had been playing with any thermometers or anything else with mercury in it. Jake, they think the exposure is extensive for the symptoms to be as serious as they are. We're in an ambulance on our way to the hospital now, and Jake I am scared."

"Me too, Jessie, but not just about the kids. Phil, Josh, and that new kid Pepe were found dead in the bunkhouse. What if they were exposed to the same thing as the kids?"

Jessie gasped, and Jake could sense her rising fear, "Jessie, I'm leaving now. It will take me a little over two hours to get there..."

"Jake, are you okay to drive? Are you having any more numbness?"

"I'll be fine, Jess. You just get to the hospital and get checked out along with the kids. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Okay, Jake. We all love you."

"I love you all too. Kiss the kids for me. Bye."

Jake found the three law enforcement officers facing him when he put his cell phone away. He addressed them as a group and asked, "Could those men in there have died from mercury poisoning?"

"Tell us what you know," the state trooper said.

Jake relayed what little information he had received from his wife concerning the suspicions of their kids' school. He described the behavioral changes that they had been witnessing in their kids, as well as in some of the ranch hands lately.

"Are you aware of any mercury being stored anywhere on the ranch?" one of the tribal officers asked.

Jake pointed to a large mounted thermometer next to the bunkhouse door and said, "That's the only place I am aware of and it's intact so there shouldn't be any mercury exposure from it. Who can we get out here to test things? Maybe mercury is getting into the water, either in the creek or in the aquifer. Shit, hold on a second."

Jake pulled out his cell phone and found a recently called number. He dialed it again and then put the call on speaker so the other men could hear the conversation he was about to have.

"Phelps."

"Doctor Phelps, this is Jake out at Dryhead Ranch. Have you run any tests on the elk you picked up here this morning?"

"Only the prions test," the veterinarian said. "It came back negative, so we know that chronic wasting disease is not a factor."

"Can you test for mercury next?" asked Jake.

"Jake, what makes you suspect mercury?"

Jake explained the recent deaths at the ranch and the suspicions of mercury poisoning related to his kids.

"Okay, Jake, first thing, have one of the officers there drive you to the hospital. You need to be with your family so that you all can get checked out. While I'm running the tests on the elk here, I am going to have someone from the health department heading to the ranch. They'll be able to test the water in your wells and the creek. Nobody should drink anything but bottled water until the tests confirm your water sources are safe. Is Herman on his way to the ranch?"

Herman Cline was the county coroner, so Jake could confirm that he was on his way there.

"Good," said Phelps. "I'll call him as soon as we're off this call. We can coordinate our testing efforts and hopefully identify any potential source for the mercury contamination or whatever this is. Please call me with an update once you get to the hospital."

"I'll do that. Thanks, Dr. Phelps."

When the call ended, the state trooper said, "Let me check in with my watch commander. I should be able to give you a ride to the hospital.

Jake shook his hand to try and alleviate the numbness that had returned. He nodded to the trooper and said, "Thanks, but I think I can drive there by myself. If my wife is in the ambulance with the kids, we're going to need at least one vehicle at the hospital."

He turned to the other officers and said, "Please fill Dr. Cline in when he gets here. Ask him to run any tests that he feels are needed, especially on any of the other staff still here."

"Count on it," said one of the tribal police officers. "I have family living just on the other side of the western boundary of the ranch. I want to know that they are safe too."

Jake thanked them and headed directly to his pick-up truck. His dust trail was all that they could see of him within seconds.

Bad Pass Road frequently lived up to its name. Rutted, with a surface that alternated between slippery mud and dry loose gravel, depending upon the weather, the road had been created by the repeated trips of horse-drawn wagons between the ranch and the closest settlement of Pryor, Montana. It had several hairpin curves without signs to warn the traveler of their location, or guard rails to help protect the ignorant traveler who happened upon them too fast.

Jake Harris didn't lack knowledge of where the first curve was, or lack respect for how slowly to approach it. What he did suddenly lack was the motor control in his body that would allow him to press down on his brake pedal with either foot or the feelings in his hands that would have allowed him to steer the truck and stay on the road.

His seatbelt kept Jake from being ejected from the truck as it rolled down the steep embankment and the driver's side door flew open. The airbag held him firmly in place so that the collapsing roof on the truck only had to travel a few inches before crushing the top of his skull and breaking his neck. His unconscious body would never feel the fire that eventually erupted from the damaged truck, and provided the only indication of the accident for the state trooper to see fifteen minutes later.

~~~

Cile picked up her cell phone at the sound of the notification.

TOBY: I hope that you don't mind a brief interruption to allow me to inform you that I miss you.

CILE: I miss you too, Professor, and your interruptions are always welcome.

TOBY: Have you ever been to Myrtle Beach?

CILE: Once, several years ago. Why?

TOBY: I have been asked to assist our women's volleyball team with the scouting of the other teams at a tournament that they have been invited to and wanted to know if you would like to come with me.

CILE: When is the tournament?

TOBY: The second week in June sometime. I can get the exact dates and send them to you.

CILE: That's okay for right now. I just wanted to make sure it was far enough in the future for me to get the time-off request approved if necessary. Do you know what other schools are in the tournament?

TOBY: No, but for some reason the coach wanted me to know that Baylor would not be one of the teams there.

Cile was laughing, so it took her a minute to respond.

CILE: It's probably because you mentioned to her that you might have me accompany you. UCLA's coach is Lacey King, right?

TOBY: Right. Do you two know each other?

CILE: We've never been formally introduced, but we've met on the volleyball court a few times. Someone must have heard you mention my name and she put two and two together.

TOBY: That's right. You were an All-American at Baylor for three years.

CILE: Yep. So, if Baylor was playing in the tournament, it would be a conflict of interest for you to scout for UCLA.

TOBY: Not really. I have no ties to Baylor myself.

CILE: Let me put it to you the way that Lacey sees it, Sweetie. It would not be in your BEST INTEREST to scout for UCLA if Baylor was in the tournament.

Now Toby had to take a break to laugh before replying.

TOBY: Got it, and you're right. YOU are my best interest.

CILE: And you are mine, Professor. Go ahead and get the details for the tournament and we can discuss them tonight.

TOBY: I'll e-mail Lacey as soon as I get the load out of the dryer. The buzzer just went off.

CILE: I heard it too. I'll be up there in a few minutes to help you.

TOBY: That's okay, I can handle the folding of a few towels.

CILE: And I can let you. I don't have any calls scheduled for the next hour, and maybe I don't want to keep missing you if I don't have to.

TOBY: Then, by all means, come on up and un-miss me so I can un-miss you too.

"How's this?" Cile said from the doorway.

Toby glanced around at the sound of her voice and smiled as he watched her begin to lower the straps of her sundress while walking towards him. Cile was like one of those hunting cats you see on the nature shows; sleek, sinuous, and gorgeous. She was wearing nothing but her panties by the time she reached his chair and settled onto his lap.

"One of us has far too many clothes on," Toby said.

"Un uh," Cile giggled as she nibbled on his ear. "You're still on the clock, Professor. Get those quizzes graded and lesson plans finished before anything distracts you."

Toby chuckled before bending down and quickly kissing one of her exposed nipples, "Quizzes are all graded and lesson plans are complete. Why do you think I was going to allow the folding of towels to distract me?"

"While I am certain that I could be a better distraction for you than a load of towels would be," Cile moaned, "It will have to wait until after my next call. You know how long it takes for me to recover from you."

Toby kissed her forehead and said, "How about if I fold the towels and then get a start on our dinner? How does teriyaki salmon sound?"

"You're already done with your lesson plans?" Cile asked as she stood and picked up her discarded dress from the floor.

"Sure," Toby said. "Teaching the same courses for a couple of years means that the plans usually only need a few adjustments based upon the material covered so far in the semester. I just verify where we are in each course outline, review the number of hours available for the remaining material to be covered, and adjust each lesson plan accordingly."

"What about the chemistry courses that you got handed when Professor Gillette took that unexpected sabbatical?" Cile asked.

"I've been working off her lesson plans, so the same principles generally apply. It helps that she was one of my professors back in the day, so I am familiar with her pace."

Cile had finished putting her dress back on, "Okay then, you're free to assume the household chores for the rest of the day. What were you thinking of having with the salmon, which sounds wonderful by the way?"

The ease with which she and Toby had adjusted to living together hadn't surprised Cile. When they had returned to Southern California after Tyler and Katie's wedding, Toby had driven Cile home from the airport and never left. It had taken them a few weeks to get his things either moved, sold, or donated, but their life together had never faced the challenge of them living apart.

They had not discussed moving in together, they just did it as if it was preordained and expected. Similarly, decisions about finances, schedules, careers, and families all seemed to take care of themselves without Cile and Toby needing to expend any effort or significant time discussing them. The only topic of discussion that they had spent more than a few minutes on had been Toby's insecurity.

Cile thought it was interesting how Toby could sense the same bond between them that she did, yet still harbor doubts about her love and devotion to him. She knew in her heart that his insecurities were due to his logical brain questioning his emotional heart. He had devoted his entire life to the pursuit of logical answers, first in chemistry, and later in physics. When he couldn't identify a logical explanation for something, he questioned its validity.

"Toby, sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye or illogical to the brain," Cile had told him.

They had spent entire days lying in bed together discussing how illogical human relationships could exist and the need to trust feelings over logic. Cile had been naturally patient and attentive to Toby's insecurities, coaxing him to make subtle changes in his appearance that she knew would demonstrate to him how attractive he was to women. She had helped him recognize the flirtatious attentions of other women and helped him learn how to properly deflect their advances.

One Saturday, a few months after they had been living together, Cile had taken Toby with her to a charity event that included an auction as a fundraiser.

"I love you, Professor," she had said as they found their seats and reviewed the event program together.

"Are you going to bid on one of the bachelors during the auction?" Toby had teased.

Cile ignored his question and asked, "You still love me, right?"

"Of course," Toby assured her.

"For better or worse?" Cile asked. "You must know that I feel the same way about you. You do know that, right?"

Toby glanced at the floor before returning his eyes to meet hers, "God only knows why you do, but I do know it."

"Then to answer your question, yes I am going to bid on one of the bachelors in the auction. There is no way that I will be outbid on this guy. You're coming home with me tonight."

"Uh," said Toby, "I'm not registered for the auction, or am I?"

Cile nodded, then moved into his lap and said, "I want to prove to you just how attractive you are to other women. I am confident that you will be one of the highest bid upon men in the auction tonight. Toby, you are handsome, have an amazing physique, and exude a charm that any woman would take notice of. I know that you believe I see you through love-colored glasses and have never taken my compliments seriously, so tonight we'll let the money talk."

Toby was certain that he would be a disappointment to Cile, but he played along. He suspected that Cile had one or two other women in on her scheme, but when his turn came to be auctioned off, almost every woman in the room joined in on the bidding. Cile just sat in the audience beaming her love at him while observing all the other women seeking to win him, and didn't even make a bid herself until the amount was fifteen hundred dollars and the auctioneer had said, "Going twice". Her winning bid of two-thousand dollars was more than a thousand dollars higher than any other man in the auction had reached.

After folding the load of towels, Toby removed his T-shirt before heading downstairs to begin preparing their dinner. The shorts he was wearing weren't nearly as enticing as the panties that Cile had greeted him with, but he was otherwise just as unclothed as she had been. This was a fact that wasn't lost on Cile as she saw him silently walk past her on the way to the kitchen.

"If I'm going to have to watch you while I am on my call, you had better hold off on dinner," Cile said in a sultry tone. "I will have a different appetite for you to satisfy first."

~~~

"Because fingernails grow about zero point one millimeter to zero point one five millimeter per day, we were able to estimate the timing of the insult, in this case, exposure to arsenic trioxide, that caused the Mees' line by measuring the distance from the cuticle to the leading edge of the Mees' line."

Doctor Beverly Laine was explaining the details of her examination of Vincent Barrow to Mackinac County Sheriff investigator, Nancy Koslowski. The actual autopsy would be performed after this update was complete, but the preliminary findings from the blood tests and physical examination confirmed that the cause of death had been arsenic poisoning as the EMTs has suspected.

"And you're estimating that the exposure began sometime right after the New Year?" Koslowski asked?

"Yes," Dr. Laine confirmed. "Sometime between one-hundred-twenty and one-hundred-fifty days ago."

"No clue yet as to how the exposure occurred?" asked the detective.

Dr. Laine checked the time before answering, "In the environment, arsenic is combined with other elements such as oxygen to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic in animals and plants combines with elements like carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used in industrial applications. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides, but humans generally get exposed to them by eating food contaminated with arsenic."

"Is there a chance that Mr. Barrow was purposely exposed?" asked Koslowski.

"There is no way of telling at this point," Dr. Laine said. "As little as two point five milligrams per kilogram of arsenic trioxide is a potentially fatal dose, and the victim has well over that amount in the blood samples tested. However, based upon the length of time that the exposure occurred over, and the organic versus inorganic nature of the poison, I would lean towards it not being purposeful."

"Okay," said Koslowski, "Let me just verify my understanding so far, and then I'll get out of your hair for now. The victim, Vincent Barrow, had been getting exposed to arsenic for several months, probably from his food, and that exposure eventually reached a level that killed him. Is that the sum of what you know right now?"

"That is correct," Dr. Laine confirmed. "I hope to be able to provide more specific details by tomorrow morning."

Koslowski handed the doctor one of her business cards and said, "Please call me when you have more information. I'll let you know what we find at the victim's home."

Dr. Laine slipped the card into the pocket of her lab coat and said, "While I expect that we'll find the source of the exposure to be something that was ingested, make certain that anyone going into the victim's house uses a portable respirator until we have eliminated the possibility that the poison was inhaled."

"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll let the deputy on the island know so he can prepare."

The doctor nodded and went back into the pathology lab while Detective Koslowski headed for her car in the parking lot. There would be plenty of time for her to discuss the case with the Sheriff on her cell phone while she drove back to St. Ignace.

She would let the Sheriff explain the situation to Joel Roberts on Bois Blanc Island. His desire to avoid all contact with her had been the impetus for Joel to take the lone position for the Sheriff's office on Bois Blanc. Although she suspected that Joel still had the engagement ring that she had refused to accept, and she missed him every day, she would respect his wishes as much as possible.

She sent a text message to the county dispatch office asking them to have Sheriff Kyle Abbott contact her on her cell phone. The call from the Sheriff arrived before she exited the hospital's parking lot.

"I received a message to call you, Nancy," the Sheriff said when she had answered the call.

"Yes, thank you, sir. Have you been informed of the death of Vince Barrow, the Forest Service Ranger on Bois Blanc Island?"

"Among other things, yes. He is the sixth death of a resident of the island reported today." Sheriff Abbott told her.

His voice then grew somber as he said, "Nancy, Joel Roberts is one of the six deaths. I know you two were once close. I'm sorry."

Nancy gasped and asked, "Has a cause of death been identified for any of the other victims?"

"Not as far as I know," Abbott said. "All were found in their homes with no apparent signs of injuries. We're putting a response team together along with the county fire and rescue..."

"Were all of them discovered by the same person?" Nancy interrupted.

"No, four of the victims were all members of the same church," said Abbott. "When they didn't attend church service yesterday, someone from the church went to check on them. Both husband and wife couples lived next door to each other in Pointe aux Pins. Joel was found when someone went to notify him of the deaths. What about this Vincent Barrow?"

Nancy explained about Barrow dying on the ferry and then detailed for the Sheriff what she had learned at the hospital.

"Arsenic poisoning?" said the Sheriff. "No idea of the source yet?"

"Not yet," confirmed Nancy. "Sheriff, if the other victims died of the same cause, the exposure level of the source must be pretty significant. The team preparing to respond needs to be informed of what they might encounter. You may want to send a Hazmat team onto the island first."

"I'll mention that to Chief Youngblood," said Abbott. "I think the Coast Guard might be able to assist us with getting a Hazmat team onto the island quickest. Are you still in Cheboygan?"

"I'm almost to Highway 23," reported Nancy. "I'm about ninety minutes from our office."

"Why don't you head over to the Coast Guard Station in Cheboygan?" said Abbott. "Their cutter Mackinaw is stationed there. I know that it has environmental response equipment on it, so I'll call ahead to see if they can meet our team in Bois Blanc and if you can tag along with them."

"I'm turning around now," Nancy said. Then she asked, "Sir do you know if the FBI has assigned anyone to Vincent Barrow's case yet?"

"I do not, but I can make a call to find out. Why?"

"I think we might be able to use their influence with the Coast Guard and other federal agencies if this turns out to be as significant as it's beginning to look," Nancy said. "If someone is allowing arsenic to pollute Bois Blanc Island, it's possible that the lake may also be affected. That's international, sir."

"We only have one death that has been confirmed as being caused by arsenic," said Sheriff Abbott. "I'm all for precautions due to that one death, but I don't want to raise any panic among different agencies until we know more. Let me try to get the Coast Guard team over to the island as quickly as possible and go from there."

She would get to the island today if she had to swim. She needed to see Joel's body to confirm that it was actually him.

~~~

Didi Kleinhans studied the itinerary for the flights that would take her and Jules to New York that she had been researching for the past two days. She knew that Jules was not pretentious, but he wasn't a spendthrift either. There was one daily direct flight from Johannesburg to New York's JFK airport, but that option was considerably more expensive than if they were to choose a connecting flight through one of several European cities.

Taking the cost out of the equation, the duration of the trip with the two options was the next factor. She weighed which option Jules would prefer. The direct flight would take around thirteen hours and they would arrive in New York the evening of the same day. The connecting flights all took over twenty hours, many of which required an overnight layover.

She could easily book connecting flights through someplace like London, Amsterdam, or Paris - any of which would allow for them to spend the layover in a comfortable hotel. This option broke up the long journey on the plane but added another complicated hotel reservation decision for her to make.

Jules had never hidden his affection or his attraction towards her and she knew he realized that his feelings were reciprocated by her. However, Jules had always maintained a friendly, professional relationship out of deference to how their society would react to anything more personal between them and how this would affect her so much more than him.

He had the money, influence, and status that would shield him from any repercussions except being forced to terminate her employment. However, to the point that Jules had made when discussing their trip to America, once he had sold controlling interest in Cabot Geological to Anglo-American Mining, there would be nothing that would require his living in South Africa.

Didi herself had no strong family ties or other obligations that would prevent her from leaving the country, although she would not be as favorably viewed as an immigrant by many countries as Jules Cabot would be. She had surprised herself with how hopeful Jules' ideas had made her and trusted that if they were to commit to one another, Jules would ensure that everything worked out for them.

The offer that Jules had made to move her into a condo closer to his house was another new twist for Didi to contemplate. While he had presented it as a solution that would make her commute to his house shorter and her residence more secure, Didi had seen a hidden message in his expression that she recognized as a desire for them to be able to spend even more time together due to her living closer. Well, if Jules truly wanted the two of them to be closer, she wouldn't offer any resistance. She had her own suggestion that she would present once they had their travel plans locked down. Didi felt like a lepidopterist set free a thousand butterflies inside of her stomach in anticipation of this discussion with Jules.

Didi printed out the flight options and saved the reservations without actually booking the flights. She had just picked them up from the printer when Jules rejoined her in the office and took a seat at his desk. Didi placed the printed flight itineraries in front of Jules before he could get distracted with another task.

"What did you decide on?" Jules asked as he studied the printouts.

Didi took a seat at her desk and said, "I haven't yet. I have them reserved and held, but not booked. You have more experience with long journeys such as this, so I wanted your opinion on whether the non-stop flight would be better than breaking the trip up into two segments. You know, is one option better for jet lag or anything? If we do break it into two segments, I think I would prefer to spend the night in a hotel rather than catching a connecting flight within just a few hours of arriving."

"As anxious as I am to have you alone in a hotel room away from any restrictions," Jules said, "my preference would be for us to take the direct non-stop flight."

"Then that's the one that I'll book," Didi replied. "I am also anxious for us to be alone without restrictions."

She so badly wanted to know what it felt like to disappear into Jules, and never have to say goodbye.

Jules and Didi stared at each other for several seconds. There were some unspoken communications taking place that Didi finally understood. She rose and walked to the double doors of the office, closed and locked them. It was not uncommon for the two of them to meet in private, so Sara Jenkins, the gossipy live-in housekeeper would not find it odd that they were alone behind closed doors.

When Didi turned to return to her desk, she saw that Jules had moved over and taken a seat on the large sofa in the room. Even without him patting the spot beside where he was sitting, Didi understood the expectation was that she should join him on the sofa. She kicked off her shoes before sitting beside Jules and folding her feet beneath her legs and turning to face him.

Before Jules could speak, Didi leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips and said, "I'm grateful that you know."

"Know what?" Jules chuckled, "That you love me?"

Didi simply smiled broadly and nodded at his response. She never doubted that Jules recognized her feelings, but hearing him verbalize it eased the butterflies in her belly a bit.

Jules' expression took on a more serious look as he asked, "Do you trust that I love you enough to make the necessary changes in our lives that would allow us to be together?"

"Dearest Jules, of course, I do. I haven't thought of anything else beyond the hope you have given me since you broached the subject. I want us to be free to love each other completely and for eternity."

"No further concerns about me selling controlling interest in the mining operations?" he asked with a grin.

Didi shook her head and then laid it on his shoulder, "Not once I realized that it was the only business tie that would require you to maintain residency in South Africa and not owning it would allow you to live anywhere you wanted..."

"Allow us to live anywhere that we wanted," Jules corrected her.

Didi nuzzled her lips against his neck, lightly brushing them against his stubble as she said, "I'll be happy anywhere that we can be open and free in expressing our love."

Jules had to shift in his seat to relieve the discomfort. Didi had always affected him in ways that no other woman could have ever hoped to replicate, but her warm lips against his neck was more physical intimacy than they usually shared and his body was reacting to his growing desire for her. Didi felt his shift and smiled to herself.

Without asking permission, Didi unzipped his pants and began trying to extricate his growing erection from its confines. Jules just watched her eyes as she gently pulled his erection out of the zippered opening and then released her hand.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," she whispered. "Leave it out and be comfortable."

She wanted more than anything to take the next step in their physical relationship by bringing the pleasure that a woman in love with her man should be able to do without reservation, but she couldn't bring herself to cross the boundary with Jules until he was confident that doing so would not compromise Didi in the eyes of anyone who learned of their relationship.

She returned her head to his shoulder and her lips against his neck as she asked, "Jules, how do you see our future?"

Jules thought for a few seconds before responding, "Didi, if you don't already know it, I'll tell you now; I have no future without you by my side. A life with you is the impetus behind my Cabot Geological strategy. I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together..."

"Do you want to make love to me?"

"God, Didi, I have wanted to make love to you since the moment your eyes met mine. I'm not speaking of sexual desire, although that is definitely present; I am talking about sharing a physical love with you that till now, has only existed for me in poems and love stories."

"I've felt the same way, but I respect your concern for me," Didi said. "Now that I have this hope and anticipation about our future, I crave you more than ever. I don't want to wait until we go to America to share with you the love that I feel or feel your love for me."

"Believe me, I understand, but if anyone suspected that you were more to me than my personal assistant, especially before the sale of my shares is completed, then your career would be ruined. We need to be careful and not let any rumors get started."

"Again Jules, I understand and appreciate your concern," Didi said. "However, your schedule between now and the twenty-third of May has you working here at the house and all meetings being conducted via teleconference. After the sale, you're still working from here until the board meeting on the twenty-ninth and our flight to New York will depart on the thirtieth. No one other than Sara will know my comings and goings here at the house during that time."

"And Sara is a problem..." Jules started to say.

"Only if you allow her to be," Didi interrupted. "Can I make a suggestion?"

Jules placed his hands on each side of her face and pulled her lips to his before saying, "I'm listening."

Didi maintained lip-to-lip contact as she said, "Buy the condo, but instead of doing it for me, do it for Sara. When you and I find the place where we want to eventually live, we both know that it won't be here. That means that Sara won't have a house to keep for you. Give her the condo now, but don't mention that you intend to leave permanently. She is always complaining about not having any place for her grandchildren to visit her while she is living here, so the condo will provide that for her. Explain that since you and I will be working here for the rest of the month, she can spend less time here and use it to get the condo set up. Tell her that she can prepare breakfast and lunch, do the laundry and other chores, but that she can return to the condo in the afternoon and not return until the next morning."

Didi placed her hand around Jules' still prominent erection and continued, "By which time, I will be out of your bed and diligently working here in the office."

Jules now spoke against Didi's lips as he said, "I already bought the condo. It's furnished and ready for occupancy. How would you feel about taking the afternoon to go back to your apartment to pack what you need to move in here for the rest of the month?"

"No need," Didi said. "Once we get Sara out of here, you can help me unload everything from my car."

Chapter Three

Nancy Koslowski impatiently sat at one of the three tables in the dining area of the Old Orchard Lodge, sipping on her bottle of water. With the three tables pushed together as they were currently, there would be enough seats around them for the seven people who were supposed to be meeting with her, if they ever showed up.

Checking the time, Koslowski grudgingly accepted that no one was late; she was just early. The events of the day, along with the gallon and a half of coffee that she had probably drunk since breakfast had her body as anxious as her mind was for the meeting to get underway.

She could see the Bois Blanc Township Marina from the windows of the lodge and had watched the large Coast Guard cutter departing the island for the past thirty minutes. It was a clear, evening and she had been able to watch the ship's journey more than halfway back to the mainland.

This was the same ship that she had hitched a ride on yesterday. The hazardous material crew had finished investigating every location on the island where a body had been found. Joel Roberts and Vincent Barrow had not been the only victims of suspected arsenic poisoning. Koslowski had led the Coast Guard hazmat team on a search of the island that found fifteen additional bodies and six other residents in critical condition. The bodies were currently stored in a freezer at the fishery and would be transported to the mainland on the morning's ferry. Those affected but still living had all been airlifted by Coast Guard helicopters to hospitals in Cheboygan.

Koslowski had been forced to spend the night at the lodge, but she had used the time to make the necessary arrangements for the lodge to be used as a sort of command center for the pending investigation, regardless of who headed it. Her investigation yesterday had indicated that the arsenic contamination had affected only people living northwest of Pointe Aux Pins, specifically around the coast of Lime Kiln Point. The lodge was located east of the marina, which placed it outside the contaminated area and gave quick access to both the marina and the small airport on the island.

Unless there was a mass murderer on the loose, the source of the poisoning had to be somewhere on the island, and those who had been assigned to assist Koslowski in identifying and locating it were scheduled to meet with her in a few minutes. The FBI agents arrived at the island's airport this morning, along with an investigator from the Environmental Protection Agency. Sheriff Abbott arrived at the marina before 9 am, bringing a contingent from the county's search and rescue team as well as investigators from the Michigan State Police. Based upon what they had all witnessed today, additional resources were being called upon to assist. There would soon be more people investigating these poisonings than there were full-time residents on Bois Blanc Island.

Sheriff Abbott entered the room and took a seat next to Koslowski without saying anything to her. Nancy knew that the Sheriff seldom wasted his words, so she wasn't surprised by him wanting to wait for the others to arrive before saying much if anything. They had discussed earlier that the entourage from the county search and rescue team would return to the boat in the marina, where they would wait for the Sheriff to join them after this meeting. The State Police investigators would remain on the island until all the jurisdictional issues were ironed out and decisions were made about which agency would lead the investigation.

Koslowski looked at the door and saw one of the FBI agents holding it open for his partner, the lady from the EPA, and the three investigators from the State Police. The six new arrivals took seats around the table and looked toward Koslowski as they each got their file tablets prepared for this meeting. Nancy glanced at Sheriff Abbott once more and saw him nod back at her.

Tapping on the file tablet on the table in front of her, Koslowski said, "I believe everyone should have received the reports I forwarded from the hazmat team leader and Captain Ebersol with county search and rescue. Does anyone have any comments or questions about these reports?"

The FBI agent who had introduced himself as Derrick English was the first to speak, "How long will it take the coroner to confirm the cause of death for all victims is arsenic poisoning?"

"I spoke with the pathology department at McLaren hospital less than an hour ago," Koslowski replied. "The blood samples from each of the victims have arrived and they expect to have readings on the amount of arsenic trioxide in the blood of each victim for us by the morning. The actual autopsies won't begin until tomorrow and completing them all will take several days."

Carol Hardy from the EPA stepped into the conversation, "If the blood tests indicate two point five milligrams per kilogram of arsenic trioxide or higher, then we can be confident that arsenic poisoning is the cause of death. Autopsies might reveal some other underlying issues in some of the victims, such as heart disease or one form of cancer or another, but those would not be contributory factors in their deaths."

Derrick English's female partner, Arrington Byrnes tapped her file tablet and asked, "We still have no confirmation on the source of the arsenic or how the victims were exposed, do we?"

Carol Hardy answered before anyone else, "The report from the Coast Guard hazardous material team indicates that there is no trace of arsenic in the air beyond normal and acceptable levels. All but one of the victims' residences relied upon well water, which would be a likely source for arsenic, but every one of the wells, in addition to the island's water system tested at far below acceptable levels for all heavy metals. Tests of the water along the shore of Lake Huron are also clean, but the inland lakes on the island have not been tested. Those will be targeted tomorrow, but I don't expect that we will find any contamination in them either."

"So," asked Sheriff Abbott, "if the environment, being the air and water is not the source, are we to assume that this is not environmental or natural contamination? That would imply a purposeful act by someone. Well, I guess it could have happened by accident somehow."

Koslowski didn't want to contradict her boss, but she had to ask the question, "If the source isn't environmental, how do we account for all the victims being from the same part of the island where residents in other parts of the island haven't been affected?"

"That could also play into the contamination being a purposeful or accidental act by someone," Sheriff Abbott said. "We need to learn more about each of the victims to see what commonalities may exist besides the area of the island that they lived on."

He looked around the table and asked, "Did anyone get a sense that the victims knew each other?"

Harry Glidden, one of the State Police investigators nodded and said, "Every permanent resident on the island is bound to know all the others. That's the key to them all surviving the isolation here between November and the first of May. They likely depend on their neighbors when they need something. We'll need to look beyond the fact that they knew each other and identify other common traits or activities between them."

"Good luck with that," Arrington Byrnes said, "I've noted that every victim, alive and dead either lived alone or with their spouse who was also a victim. Some of the victims are known to have attended the same church, but others didn't. Some of the victims were retired, others had jobs, such as Vincent Barrow and the three other single men who were fishermen. The Clary's were the young husband and wife who ran that online shop selling their paintings."

Derrick English agreed with his partner, "We're going to have to interview all the other full-time residents to see what they know about the victims, with a primary focus on any who live in the same area of the island but haven't been contaminated."

"We're also going to need to perform more thorough searches of their homes," Carol Hardy said. "We'll need to list everything we find and cross-compare the findings at each residence. There could be something at each house that is the source for the arsenic in each case. Maybe each of them used the same wood preservative and that is how they were exposed. Unlikely, but we need to check."

"Nancy," said Sheriff Abbott, "you said that the autopsies will take several days, but I assume that the one on our first victim, Vincent Barrow, will be performed tomorrow. Can you check with the hospital and have them get us any information they can on the victim's stomach contents as soon as they have them?"

He looked around the table and said, "If the exposure wasn't from drinking contaminated water, or breathing it in the air, maybe it was in something that all the victims ate."

Carol Hardy nodded and said, "I was going to mention that among the common things that we need to identify at each residence is all the food, particularly anything that is fresh or frozen and not from a commercial source. I believe Arrington noted that all residences had stand-alone freezers, which I think is expected here on the island."

Arrington nodded and said, "That's correct, and the ones that I did get a chance to examine were all closer to empty than full. Again, that is something we would expect to see after months of isolation on the island."

"Okay," said Derrick English, "I'm going to recommend that Carol and her team take the lead with the investigation at this time. Until we have evidence that a crime has been committed, I see all of us in law enforcement playing a supporting role in the scientific investigation. Any objections?"

"We're fine with that," said Harry Glidden. "I have been instructed to offer the use of one of our boats to help shuttle people and supplies between the island and the mainland. The helicopter we have stationed at the Cheboygan airport will also be placed on-call for your use during the investigation."

"Agent Byrne and I will remain here to act as liaisons with the FBI lab in D.C. if necessary," Derrick English said. "Although we may find accommodations on the mainland and leave the island accommodations for Carol's team working the investigation on the island itself."

"Since she has already established contacts with the medical teams examining the victims, I would like for Nancy to run point for my department," Sheriff Abbott said. "Are you okay with that, Nancy?"

Koslowski smiled and said, "As long as I can expense a few necessities until I can get by my place to pick some things up." Addressing Carol Hardy, she asked, "How soon will you be able to get more people from your team here and how many are you expecting?"

"I'll have three inspectors from the Land, Chemicals and Redevelopment Division, four agents from the Superfund and Emergency Management Division, and another two agents from the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. I'll be here representing the Great Lakes National Program Office and work with our Canadian counterparts as deemed necessary."

"That gives us about a dozen dedicated investigators here on the island and support from every agency on the mainland," Koslowski stated.

To Carol Hardy, she asked, "The hazmat team had instruments that seemed pretty sophisticated, but they were testing for a wider range of contaminants than just arsenic. Is there a simpler testing device that novices such as me can use to test food and other items?"

"Yes," Carol said, "there are commercially available test kits that my team will be bringing to the island tomorrow. They can detect arsenic amounts of less than one part per billion in water, in food, and on surfaces. The degree to which the test changes color will indicate the amount of arsenic detected. We can then run additional, more involved tests where circumstances dictate."

Sheriff Abbott stood and said, "If you're all set, Nancy, I'm going to head down to the marina so that we can get the boat back to St. Ignace before it gets dark. I'll call Angela Drummond and have her get in touch with you. If you share the alarm code for your place with her and tell her what you need, it'll be brought over to you first thing in the morning."

"I'll do that," Koslowski said.

~~~

"The methylmercury in Dry Head creek will get diluted as it enters into the Big Horn River, but we're talking concentrations so huge that the water won't be suitable for human consumption without extensive filtering and treatment," EPA agent, Jon Carlson reported to his regional administrator.

"In fact," Carlson continued as he slid some print outs across the desk to his boss, "preliminary tests performed at Williston, North Dakota indicate that the methylmercury levels in the Missouri river are already showing levels above safe human consumption. That means the Big Horn from the confluence of Dry Head Creek and the Yellowstone River from the confluence of the Big Horn are all contaminated. That will likely make all fish in those bodies of water as well as any tributaries, lakes reservoirs unsafe to eat."

David Mitchell had been in Washington, D.C. for the past two weeks and was just learning about the events within his region. He kept shaking his head in disbelief as his agent present his report. The extent of mercury contamination was staggering. In all of his years with the Environmental Protection Agency, he had never experienced or heard of an environmental catastrophe as widespread as this one was shaping up to be. Even some of the worst oil spills in the oceans didn't compare.

He studied a large map of the region mounted on his office wall and asked, "You believe the source is near the headwaters for this Dry Head creek, but the actual location hasn't been found. Is that still the situation?"

"Yes," Carlson confirmed. "We have confirmed that the water in both Dry Head Creek, which originates in the Pryor Mountains and runs through the ranch, as well as the aquifer that feeds the ranch's well both contain highly elevated levels of methylmercury. It must be an underground source, but we may need a geological examination of the area to help us locate the source. There has never been any mining activity in this area, so the stratus composition of the land isn't in any records that we have been able to find so far. The tribal government does have reports of hot springs intermittently appearing near this area, and mercury ores are known to be found around geothermal spots such as hot springs, but it would still need to be extracted from the surrounding ore, such as cinnabar for the mercury itself to get into the water."

"Let me make sure I understand this for my own report," Mitchell said. "Mercury rarely exists in a raw form but is usually embedded with other ores. This means that someone or something is extracting enough mercury somewhere in southcentral Montana to contaminate river water hundreds of miles away. The last report I saw on mining within the United States stated that our accessible mercury ores were completely depleted."

"Don't forget the potential that mercury vapors are also being released into the air," Carlson added. "The air quality tests performed at the ranch where we had the fatalities showed high concentrations, but we haven't gotten results back yet from our teams testing the air quality in Crow Agency, Billings, Bozeman or any of the other surrounding areas."

Mitchell considered the added information and asked, "I know that we're dealing with the Crow reservation leaders on this, but has the FBI been investigating the possibility that this event is of human origin? I mean do they suspect that someone caused this?"

"I think that was everyone's first suspicion," Carlson said. "There has never been a naturally occurring mercury contamination on a scale such as we're seeing here anywhere in the world, so suspecting that someone purposely caused it would be expected. Considering the amount of mercury that this event is releasing into the environment, the possibility of this being a purposeful act doesn't hold up very long. It hasn't been completely discounted yet, but it looks unlikely."

"What do the autopsies on the victims tell us?" asked Mitchell.

"We have the human autopsies and the animal necropsies on the wildlife suspected of mercury poisoning," said Carlson. "There have been eleven elk and fourteen mule deer confirmed killed by mercury poisoning. All of them, human and animal alike indicate that exposure was through both ingestion, and inhalation. The chelation therapy being performed on the living human victims are taking this into account by being augmented with respiratory therapy."

"What notices have been sent out?" Mitchell asked.

"We've requested the media specialist team in Washington work with the Crow nation to assist them with warning everyone on the reservation about the risk from water. The air quality around the reservation is still being tested and appropriate warnings will be communicated once we know the exact risks. Fish and wildlife, such as deer and elk have been a staple for the people on the reservation, and the leaders are encouraging residents to have anything they have already caught or killed tested before consuming it. Domestic animals on the reservation for consumption are limited to several families with chickens, so those should be safe."

"Okay," said Mitchell, "but what about outside the Crow reservation?"

"I don't have to tell you," said Carlson, "that we're dealing with a very remote and rural area here. We have notified the relevant health department organizations in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota to make them aware of the contaminated waterways, and how this impacts the water and wildlife in their respective areas. They will be responsible for communicating the risks to their residents, but many of those are unlikely to get the message until they have been contaminated to some degree. Then there are the thousands of non-resident visitors who come to the area to fish and hunt once the weather gets better."

Mitchell said, "I'll get in touch with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service so that they can post warnings accordingly. You should contact the Department of Natural Resources for Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota asking them to notify anyone with a current hunting or fishing license about the risk of eating potentially contaminated fish or wildlife. I'll include the US Department of Health in my report and encourage them to start tracking incidents of suspected mercury poisoning from doctors and hospitals. They also can help get the word out to the medical community with a higher degree of respectability than we do at the EPA."

"You may want to delay your communications to headquarters and the Department of Health until after you hear my report," said the other agent in the room, Stacie Langston.

"You have more to add on Jon's report?" Mitchell asked.

Stacie brushed a lock of hair between her left ear, squared her shoulders, and began to present her report, "In an unrelated incident, the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project facilities in Meagher County have been shut down due to excessive radon contamination to the pumping facilities and the water on both the upper and lower reservoirs. The radon was discovered after two residents of the town of Martinsdale succumbed to radon poisoning last week. The air in the community and all buildings except for the pumping facility are at acceptable radon levels, so the contaminated water appears to be the only source at this time."

"Now radon in this region I know something about," Mitchell said. "Although I'm not familiar with any uranium or thorium in Meagher County, there are the radon bathhouses in Jefferson County, which is just two counties east."

"That's correct," Stacie said, "but due to the proximity of the known radon fields east of the area where the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project was proposed, the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency required extensive geological testing of the site to ensure that no veins of uranium, thorium or any other substances would be exposed by the project. That was done in 2015, so something has changed in the Earth's crust since that time. As with the recent discovery of mercury in the Pryor Mountains, a new geological study around Meagher County will be required to identify the cause."

"And once again, no suspicion of anything other than a natural source of radon being the cause?" asked Mitchell. "No chance of sabotage or terrorism being involved?"

"Highly unlikely," Stacie said.

Dave Mitchell looked at the map on his office wall once more and asked, "How far is Martinsdale from the storage project, about five miles?"

"The southeast corner of the town is much closer than that, but the fatalities occurred in the center of the town. Varying levels of radon are being detected up to ten miles from the storage project site and Martinsdale Lake is reading off the chart for radon in the water," Stacie said.

Glancing between the two agents, Mitchell asked, "Have either of you contacted the US Geological Survey offices in Colorado to request their assistance?"

Stacie glanced at Jon Carlson before responding, "We were waiting for you to get back. We weren't sure if you wanted to make the request through our region, or let the Office of Land and Emergency Management, the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, or some other department out of headquarters get involved first."

Mitchell smiled at the consideration that his agents had displayed. Like any other bureaucracy, the EPA had its 'fiefdoms', with insecure and politically motivated leaders who would raise all kinds of problems for a region administrator if they felt that he, or she, had overstepped their authority, regardless of the reasoning or justification. He would include Angie Stone, Director of the Office of Continuous Improvement, and Todd Berger, Acting Director, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics in his report to his immediate supervisor, William Shepard, Assistant Deputy Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

No one had to tell David Mitchell when to cover his ass.

~~~

"The winery and the land it is on have been in my family for decades," Amanda Wallace said. "There have never been any concerns about radon gas before."

"That's what I was told by Clive Grey and Nelson Portman," confirmed Elliot Greer. "But, be that as it may, the EPA agents have been taking measurements since late last night and have declared the entire winery unsafe. All the buildings are currently uninhabitable and even the fields have radon concentrations that are deemed excessive. If the bloody wind ever starts blowing the radon on the outside might drop enough, but the buildings hold the gas in."

Elliot heard some shuffling on the other end of the call as if someone was moving chairs around.

"Elliot, this is Sean. Has there been any recent mining activity near the winery that you are aware of? For this sudden and extensive leak of radon, something must have happened to the ground in that area."

"No, Sean, I am not aware of anything, but I haven't been to visit the winery in over eighteen months. I will check with the staff at the winery and inquire about any mining or construction activities in the area and let you know."

"The tests on the wine are conclusive?" Amanda asked.

"Yes and no," Elliot said. "The wines in the casks have been tested and it all shows levels of radon that make it too contaminated for human consumption. The wine that has been bottled is being tested by production lots and everything so far has tested good. They started with the oldest production lots first and are working backward."

"Smart move," said Sean. "That could help us identify when the radon leak started. How soon will that testing be complete?"

"The inventory of most wines is low right now," Elliot said. "They should be able to complete testing on all the current lots by the end of the day."

"Let me just throw this out there for consideration," Sean said. "If our winery is the only one in the area affected by this mysterious radon leak, is there any way that it could be a deliberate act by someone? Can radon be artificially created in some manner?"

Sean's comments brought a smile to Elliot's face, but not for the reason most people would think. Elliot had been expecting Sean to show his protective nature, so his smile was in acknowledgment that he had been correct.

Elliot reveled in telling the tale that was Sean and Amanda Wallace. He had been close friends with Amanda's older brother, Michael, and come to work for Wallace Holdings immediately after college. With their parents already deceased, when Michael had died from an undiagnosed heart ailment, Amanda had inherited full ownership of the family's extensive business holdings. She had entrusted control of the operations to Elliot and a few other loyal executives while she volunteered as a nurse at a girls orphanage on East Timor.

When Amanda and twenty-five of the girls had been kidnapped by Timor rebels and transported to the United States to be sold to a human trafficking organization, it had been Sean Wallace who had saved, first Amanda, and then the twenty-five young girls. When the gang that had been expecting the shipment of girls started getting violent in an attempt to recover them, Sean and Amanda launched a plan to get revenge.

Amanda had called upon Elliot to assist with their plan, and he was eternally grateful for being allowed to play a small role in their plans. Many of the details surrounding Sean's part in the plan were never shared with Elliot, but he suspected that Sean's experience as a former Force Recon Marine had been brought to bear on several of the gang members.

One of the most humorous aspects of the plan that Elliot loved to share was how Sean and Amanda had leveraged the fact that they both had the same last name to convince people that they were married, and then to use this false relationship to their advantage. The fact that the two had truly fallen in love, merged their two business operations and now lived a fairy tale life running a global empire as real husband and wife was the 'icing on the cake' as far as Elliot was concerned.

Amanda answered her husband's question, "Sean, radon is a chemical element. It cannot be created any more than gold can be. That being said, radon can be extracted from uranium or thorium ores, but that is very expensive and yields small quantities that decay very quickly. It once was used for radiation therapy on cancer patients, but better alternatives have replaced it. I can't see this being of man-made origin. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am."

"Okay," Sean said, "I can see your point. However, short of an earthquake or other tectonic movement of the Earth's crust, how did the uranium or thorium deposits responsible for the radon leak suddenly get located under our winery, and what can we do about it?"

"Hopefully the EPA will be able to tell us more after they have concluded their tests," Amanda said. "Elliot, please send me the details for all the employees and their families who have suffered as a result of the radon. I want to personally contact each of them to see what Sean and I can do to assist them. Everyone else remains on full pay until further notice. Do you agree, Sean?"

"Absolutely. I will also add that Amanda and I will be heading to Australia by the end of the week to show our support and assist in any way possible."

I'll make the necessary arrangements on this end," Elliot said.

"Thank you," said Sean. "Does anyone know how the Australian EPA deals with businesses in situations such as this? Obviously, the radon leak wasn't caused by anything at the winery and is completely out of our control, but is there some requirement for periodic testing or monitoring that we could be found negligent for not performing?"

"The lawyers believe we are safe from any claims of negligence," Elliot told them. "We have the recorded radon tests that were done when the facilities were constructed and to a point I believe you were trying to make earlier, Sean, radon doesn't just appear out of the blue one day, so people aren't required to monitor for it once an initial test fails to detect it."

~~~

Darshan Sridhar sat at the head of the conference table, his face in the center of the image displayed for the Prime Minister of India on her monitor.

"There is no doubt that the cause of the poisoning was extreme exposure to cadmium?" asked the Prime Minister.

Darshan nodded to a member of Garima Kumar's staff, a physician who he knew the Prime Minister respected. "Please explain what you detailed for our team earlier for the Prime Minister."

Doctor Chandra Pavri began her explanation, "Cadmium is a naturally occurring element that people are exposed to virtually every day without consequences. Given a sufficient dose, however, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, liver and kidney necrosis, cardiomyopathy, and metabolic acidosis can occur. The autopsies performed so far on the lake's inhabitants showed severe necrosis of their kidneys and their blood had levels of cadmium such as we have never seen."

"How much are we talking?" asked the Prime Minister.

"The international geometric mean blood cadmium level for non-smoking adults is zero point three seven six micrograms per liter," Dr. Pavri explained. "The level for someone who smokes is approximately double that. Every adult from the lake has shown a blood cadmium level of greater than nine point five seven five micrograms per liter. The children have measured even higher, which is due to their smaller bodies. That is a level unheard of, even for workers who are exposed to cadmium daily in their jobs."

"The wildlife found dead at the sanctuary also had extremely elevated cadmium levels in their blood," Darshan offered. "There is no doubt that cadmium poisoning is the cause. What isn't clear is the source of the cadmium or how extensively polluted the water in Lake Dhebar is. Our teams are conducting tests as we speak, but the size of the lake will require them to test hundreds of locations around the lake, as well as all input and outputs from the lake."

"Minister," began the Prime Minister, "In our earlier conversation you mentioned that cadmium doesn't exist in large quantities and has to be extracted from other sources, yet you deny the likelihood of this being an industrial source. How can you justify that conclusion?"

"Madam Prime Minister," said Darshan, "Most cadmium used in India, and elsewhere in the world, is extracted as a byproduct during the production of other metals such as zinc, lead, or copper. Cadmium is also recovered from used batteries. Zinc is still mined at Zawar, but the distance from the lake would tend to rule that out as a source. Cadmium can be found in phosphate fertilizers, and there is significant agricultural activity around the lake, but for the levels of cadmium we are seeing to have come from fertilizer, it would need to have been applied ten feet deep and had all of it erode into the lake."

"Well, it had to come from somewhere," the Prime Minister growled. "You say cadmium doesn't exist in nature in high enough concentrations to be the cause, and you say that cadmium as a byproduct of some industry isn't likely. Could it have been purposely brought to the lake from someplace else and deliberately used to contaminate the water?"

"Minister Shah has the staff at the Ministry of Law and Justice checking with all local authorities for any reports of cadmium thefts from industries that would have an inventory, such as battery manufacturers or recycling operations. Minister Bahnda has the intelligence staff at the Ministry of Defense investigating as well, but they have found no evidence of foreign involvement as of this time."

"Can you at least confirm that the contamination is limited to Lake Dhebar at this time?" asked the Prime Minister.

Darshan said, "I can confirm that we have had no reports of similar deaths anywhere else in the country. I cannot confirm that the situation will remain that way."

"I am calling a cabinet meeting for tomorrow afternoon," the Prime Minister said. "That should provide everyone enough time to get to the capital. I'll expect updates from everyone between now and then. I will not appreciate any surprises during our meeting. If it is going to be discussed, I want to be informed about it beforehand."

"Of course, Prime Minister," said Darshan. "With your permission, I will request Minister Shah establish a quarantine zone around Lake Dhebar to prevent anyone unauthorized from being in the area during the investigation and potential clean-up."

"I will speak to Minister Shah myself," stated the Prime Minister. "I have some specific instructions for him relative to the news media. Make certain that everyone on your staff and that of Minister Kumar understand that my office is to be the only source of information on this event to anyone."

"That has already been communicated," Darshan assured her.

"Make certain that it is followed."

Chapter Four

"I'm sure that you'll make me the brunt of some blonde joke over this," Cile said, "But you're going to have to explain to me why a fertility test is a good first anniversary present for you to give Tyler."

Katie laughed and said, "It's the perfect gift because the test results will be on paper which is the traditional gift for the first anniversary. However, notification that I had the Progesterone rod removed will tell Tyler that his real gift is my womb."

Cile squealed through the phone and said, "You and Tyler are going to start trying to have a baby! Oh, Katie, that is great news."

"I can't wait to see Tyler's face when I give him the card with the test results inside," Katie said. "I was considering waiting to give it to him until dinner on June 8^th, but if I know my husband, he'll want to start enjoying his present immediately, and a restaurant, surrounded by my family would not be an appropriate setting for that. I'll wake up early that morning and give it to him in bed."

"Right," Cile laughed. "This present is your anniversary gift to yourself, and we both know it. Tyler will love the idea of breeding you, but you are even more anxious for him to start enjoying his present."

"Why Cile, you make me sound like some scheming, conniving, deceitful nymphomaniacal..."

"Well," Cile said after laughing again, "At a minimum, the nympho-maniacal part is true. Remember, I'm the one that you share all your most intimate secrets with, cousin."

"You're right," Katie agreed, "And since you also share all your most intimate secrets with me; Miss Pot, meet Miss Kettle. I can't believe that either you or Toby are still able to walk from what you have described to me."

"Oh, I always know where to draw the line in order for us both to maintain the power of locomotion," Cile giggled. "It's sometimes tough to not cross that line though. I can't get enough of my guy, and I make no apologies for that."

"No apologies are necessary," Katie assured her. "Your mom is over the moon excited that you and Toby are so serious. She was convinced that you would probably be collecting boyfriends like a philatelist collects stamps until you were too old to give her grandkids."

"Oh, that's nonsense and I've told her so," Cile said in rebuke. "I keep telling her that Joey was older than me when he got Jen pregnant. She's already a grandmother through them."

"That's not good enough, according to my mom," Katie explained. "I've been informed that it's different for a mother when her daughter presents her with grandchildren. Something about their ability to share the bond of motherhood directly with their own daughter."

Cile considered what Katie had said, along with her relationship with her mom. She also considered her relationship with Toby's mom.

"I guess I can see that," she said. "I know that I will lean on my mom when I get pregnant rather than Toby's mom, or anyone else for that matter."

"My mom was lucky with Rocky," Katie said. "Rocky has always accepted my mom as her own, so they got to do the whole mother-daughter bonding ritual when Rocky was pregnant with the twins, but not as much as they would have liked because JR and Rocky were in Virginia while she was pregnant. I'm going to be within ten miles, so my mom will be all over me when I get pregnant."

Cile laughed, "It doesn't matter where I'll be living. I guarantee that my mom will move in with me by the second trimester of my pregnancy."

Katie laughed before trying to change the subject, "When grandpa moves into the condo, I hope you don't do anything with Toby that will shock him, like loud hanky-panky in the hot tub on the patio. Is he still planning on moving in this weekend?"

Cile's maternal grandfather was also Katie's paternal grandfather. Upon the death of his wife two months ago, their parents had suggested that he move into the vacant condo next to the one Cile was living in. Both condos were owned by the same family trust and no one had lived in the vacant one since Katie had moved to Texas before her wedding.

The memories of a lifetime with the woman he had loved and lived with for so many years made remaining in their house painful. Katie's father and Cile's mother had both wanted their father to move closer to them in Texas, but he wasn't ready for that big of a transition just yet. Leaving the house and the memories it contained while remaining in the same familiar area had been acceptable to their grandfather as long as he could bring most of his tools and shop equipment with him.

"Toby and grandpa spent last Sunday afternoon installing upgraded electrical circuits for the garage outlets," Cile told her cousin. "Since he's leaving all the furniture in the house and will use what you had in the condo, other than his clothes, the garage is all that we will need to move in his truck. Grandpa is getting the shelving units cleared off this week so that they can be moved and set up here on Saturday, then all the other stuff will get moved over on Sunday. I have to tell you; I am getting jealous of Toby around Grandpa. I think that spending time with Toby has become Grandpa's substitute since Grandma passed away. Those two speak the same language and I can seldom understand half the words they're using."

"Just be patient with them," Katie advised. "Your mom and my dad are still working on getting Grandpa out here just as quickly as they can. I invited him to the anniversary celebration so that he could see where Tyler and I are building our new house. I know that he will get a lot of pressure while he is here to consider relocating sooner rather than later. Tyler worked his connections in Austin and already has the required fishing license that will allow him, JR, and Joey to get grandpa to all the area lakes so that he can fish to his heart's content. Aunt Lindi and Aunt Terri are also planting hints whenever they speak to him."

"I'm sorry that we'll miss your anniversary," Cile said. "I forgot all about it when I agreed to go with Toby to the volleyball tournament. You know how bad I am with remembering dates and things like that."

Katie laughed again at her cousin, "Believe me, I know. I honestly think that you would forget my birthday if it didn't happen to be the day after your own."

"I would," Cile answered sincerely. "I guarantee I would. Going back to your breeding plans, I don't suppose you and Tyler would want to delay your efforts to have kids until after Toby and I get married, would you? I kinda always dreamed of you and I having kids almost as close to the same age as you and I are."

"I had always hoped the same," Katie said, "But I didn't know that you and Toby had even discussed marriage."

"We haven't really," Cile told her. "It's just something that I know we both accept as our destiny. Since we met, we have just flowed with things in our relationship without ever needing to discuss much. I guess we both assumed that we would just 'flow' into becoming husband and wife at some point as well."

"I don't think that anyone who has ever seen the two of you together would doubt that you're destined to spend eternity with each other," Katie said. "That being said, have you considered going off birth control yourself? Maybe you getting pregnant will steer the 'flow' as you call it in the right direction and you two will tie the knot."

"Maybe I'll consider that after we get back from Myrtle Beach," Cile said in a contemplative tone. "That would put me on almost the same breeding schedule as you."

Katie laughed and said, "Listen to us. We sound like a couple of cattle ranchers figuring out which pastures to place our bulls in next month."

"I don't know about you," laughed Cile, "but my 'bull' is only going to be in one pasture from now on."

"Are you and Toby still having to beat the other 'cows' off with a stick?" Katie teased.

The transformation that she had seen in Toby's appearance at Christmas versus how he had looked when she had met him for the first time just days before her wedding made Katie understand how other women would now find him so much more appealing.

"Oh, I make my territory very evident whenever we're together," Cile assured Katie. "It took a while, but Toby is now much more comfortable with shutting down unwanted advances on his own. Taking him to the auction worked wonders for his confidence, so thanks again for suggesting that idea to me."

"I would like to take credit for it, but it was actually Tyler's idea, and I have my suspicions that he got the idea from his sister Taylor, or maybe even his mother," Katie said. "From what I have been told, the women in the Davis family have been trying to get Toby to recognize his appeal to the opposite sex for years."

"Well, tell them to knock that shit off from now on," Cile insisted. "My guy's level of confidence is just fine where it's at right now."

Katie laughed and asked, "Have you and Toby discussed having kids? If not, you might want to broach the subject before you give up any protection against having them."

"We haven't discussed things like how many we want to have, or what to name them, but we have talked about our future, and kids were always a part of those discussions. Things like wanting to settle down in a home in an area suitable for raising a family, homeschooling versus public education, and things like that."

"I remember once that you said you would want your kids to go to a good public school so that you could be the school nurse," said Katie. "Is that still your dream?"

"That would be an option," Cile said. "Having a father who is a college-trained educator might have other benefits for their schooling at home. Toby would have to be part of the conversation and using our future kids as a topic, I might just have the conversation with him tonight. Maybe we can move the flow along a bit faster and more directly if you know what I mean."

"You do that," Katie said. "I need to get out to the waiting room and help my brother with all the animals that we have coming in today. Taking over the practice from Dr. Hill has provided us with his existing clients and made us busier than we expected. Give me a call tomorrow and let me know how things went."

"I will," said Cile. "I love you, Katie."

"I love you too, Cile. Bye."

~~~

"No, I'm sorry," Toby said to the insistent girl who had taken the spot beside him in the top row of Pauley Pavilion. "I need to stay and watch the women's match when the men's match is over."

"How about getting together after that match?" the girl persisted. "I have an off-campus apartment on Levering Avenue that my dad pays the rent on for me. It's only a few blocks away."

Toby glanced at the girl in his peripheral vision, but he didn't need to look at her again. He had seen her clearly from the back while she was sitting about ten rows below him and then saw her full-frontal appearance when she had returned from her trip to the concession stand.

She had glanced up and noticed him sitting alone on the top row of seats and decided to sit with him rather than return to her original seat. Her approach up the steps had momentarily blocked his view of the men's volleyball match between UCLA and UC Berkley, so his eyes had taken in everything about the girl well before she had reached him.

She had some Asian ancestry, which was apparent in her long dark hair, high cheekbones, and exotically shaped eyes, but there were distinct European features obvious in her blue eyes and nearly six-foot height. Part Korean and part Scandinavian would have been Toby's guess.

"Do you know who I am?" Toby asked the girl.

"It doesn't matter who you are," she replied. "I'm not looking for a relationship. I just think that you and I would fit together really well for a few hours of physical shenanigans."

"Shenanigans, huh?" Toby chuckled. "Are you a student here or do you just come to the games looking for a 'good fit' for your shenanigans?"

"If I wasn't a student at UCLA, why would I have an apartment off-campus?" she asked. "I'm a freshman here."

"What's your major?" Toby asked.

"Engineering. Why?"

"Well, most true engineering degrees will require you to take a minimum of two to four physics courses," Toby explained. "It's extremely likely that you will find me being your instructor in one or more of those courses."

"You're a professor?" the girl asked with skepticism obvious in her tone.

"Tobias Davis," Toby said while offering her his hand, "Physics and Chemistry professor extraordinaire."

"Geez, I'm sorry Professor," the girl said as she gently took his hand and shook it. "I thought that you were a graduate student. You look too young to be a professor."

"A common mistake," Toby assured her. "Feel free to wander off in search of a better fit, and I look forward to seeing you in a future class."

The girl accepted her dismissal as gracefully as she could, standing and walking down the steps. She didn't take a seat elsewhere, but turned at the bottom of the steps and disappeared through one of the exits. Toby watched her until she was out of sight before focusing once more on the current volleyball match.

Toby had played beach volleyball in pick-up games and a few sanctioned tournaments when he was growing up near Santa Monica beach. UCLA had recruited him for the men's indoor volleyball team but he left the team after two seasons to train for the American men's beach volleyball team that would eventually win the silver medal in the Olympics. His background as a player, coupled with the analytical prowess from his science education had made him very adept at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a volleyball team.

The challenge that his scouting presented was that determining which strengths and weaknesses other teams had, meant little if UCLA's team was unable to capitalize on the knowledge. He wanted to watch the UCLA women's team play a few times before the tournament so that he had a feel for their style of play and that would allow him to scout the competition more effectively.

The match against UC Berkley was not the best example of UCLA's capabilities, since the lady Bruins dominated the game from the first serve, winning the match in three straight sets, with the Bruins not allowing the Bears to score in double digits once. Toby waved to Lacey King and waited for her acknowledging wave before leaving Pauley Pavilion.

After retrieving his car from the parking lot, Toby drove a few blocks down Westwood Avenue then jutted over to the parking lot at Westwood Marketplace. Surprisingly, he saw an empty parking space on the ground level, so he took it. He was on the sidewalk and heading for Rocco's Tavern less than five minutes after leaving Pauley Pavilion.

It was just past four-thirty on a Tuesday afternoon, so Rocco's Tavern was just ramping up for the expected happy-hour crowd. He approached the hostess station to request a table. Toby knew that Lacey would be over as soon as she had wrapped things up with her team and assistant coaches, but he wasn't sure if she would be bringing anyone else with her.

He requested a table with individual chairs rather than the booth that the hostess had directed him to originally. He took a seat facing the door and reviewed the happy hour menu while he waited for the server to take his drink order. Including the time that the meeting with Lacey King might take, Toby intended to kill at least three hours before even attempting to drive down to Irvine. If he was going to have to sit someplace, he would rather it be in a comfortable location rather than in his car in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic.

He ordered an ice tea and some appetizers from the server and then decided to text Cile while he waited for Lacey.

TOBY: Remember that I'm meeting with Lacey King today after the game. I will wait for traffic to die down before getting on the 405.

CILE: I remember. You're going to eat before coming home, right?

TOBY: That was my plan unless you have a different one for us.

CILE: No plans here. It's best that you don't wait until you get home to eat because that would be too close to bedtime.

TOBY: I'm not as concerned about that as I am with getting cranky from hunger if I wait that long.

CILE: I don't think I've ever seen a cranky Toby Davis. Does such a thing exist?

TOBY: Some of my students would claim that they don't see anything but my cranky side.

CILE: Then I'm certain that they deserve to see it. You're meeting Lacey at Rocco's Tavern, right?

TOBY: Yes. I'm here now waiting for her. The matches against Berkley were a blow-out for UCLA so I don't expect that she'll take too long speaking to the players after the game.

CILE: Try to get more details on the tournament if she has them. There are some things that I would like for you and me to do while in Myrtle Beach so it would be nice to know when you would be available.

TOBY: We could always tag some extra time on at the beginning or the end of the tournament just for us, but I'll get as many details as I can so we can decide.

CILE: I like the way you think! I also would prefer to stay at a different hotel than the team is staying, especially if they put them someplace off the beach to save money. I want you and I to have someplace with a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean as we make love at sunrise.

TOBY: That works for me. You're going to be in the field doing inspections most days for the rest of May, so I'll make all the arrangements for our trip once I have the details from Lacey.

CILE: I appreciate that. Fortunately, except for the two days in Livermore, I'll be inspecting facilities in Southern California so I'll be home each night. I have really gotten hooked on waking up next to my guy.

TOBY: Your guy loves every minute with you. Are you done for the day?

CILE: I finished my last report right before you texted. I've been getting changed to go lay out by the pool. I need to work on my tan if we're going to spend any time on the beach.

TOBY: I should get to work on mine too. Maybe this weekend we can lay out together some? By the way, have I ever told you how much I enjoy your tan lines?

CILE: Told me and showed me. I'll expect you to give them an examination when you get home to see if they have gotten any more pronounced.

TOBY: That will be my pleasure. Lacey just walked in, so I better go. Love you.

CILE: Love you too. Let me know when you're on your way home.

Toby set his cell phone down and waved to get Lacey's attention as she stood at the hostess podium. She saw his wave and started towards him, with Ginger Olsen in tow. Lacey sat at one end of the table, next to Toby while Ginger took the seat across from him.

"Thanks for coming to the game and watching the matches," Lacey told Toby. "What did you think of our team?"

Toby's drink and appetizer order arrived. He slid the food to the center of the table so the two ladies could also reach it and waited for them to place their drink orders before speaking.

"You want the strengths or the weaknesses first?" he asked.

Lacey visibly blanched at the suggestion that her team had any 'weaknesses'. "Go with whichever you feel needs the most attention prior to the tournament," she replied.

Toby pulled no punches as he detailed his observations, both good and bad. He did soften the blow by admitting that the UCLA team was obviously a dominant opponent in the matches and this could have been reflected in some of the lackadaisical performances that he saw from the players, especially on the defensive side of the net.

As Lacey silently contemplated Toby's assessments, Ginger spoke up, "It's not an excuse, but our Libero position today was played by two red-shirt freshmen who aren't as familiar with our schemes as the junior and senior that normally play the position. This influenced how the blockers and other defensive specialists played. The red-shirters won't be traveling with us to the tournament."

"That makes sense based on what I saw," Toby said. "On the subject of the tournament, do you have any further details on the travel arrangements and match schedules?"

The drinks for the ladies arrived, and after tasting hers, Lacey said, "The team will fly out on a commercial flight the morning of June 8^th. We are scheduled to arrive in Myrtle Beach around 6 PM. Our return flight will be on June 15^th. I have you booked into first class for all the flight segments."

"No, don't include me on your flights," Toby said. "I'll make arrangements for myself and Cile. Our travel days might not be the same as for you and the team. Where is the team staying while in Myrtle Beach?"

"We have a block of rooms reserved at the Sheraton," Lacey said. "It's adjacent to the convention center and the closest large hotel near the sports complex."

She then added, "Ginger mentioned that you might bring your new girlfriend. I look forward to meeting her."

Toby chuckled and said, "I believe you might have already met, or so Cile has informed me."

Lacey glanced at Ginger. It was Ginger who asked Toby, "So, your girlfriend is Celia Reid?"

"Yes," Toby confirmed, "Your opponent at Baylor during the NCAA finals your senior season. She remembers you from the matches."

"Oh, we remember her too," Lacey said with a sarcastic tone in her voice. "Celia Reid was the shortest player on Baylor's team and nearly beat us single-handed. I mean, what is she, five-foot-four? Have you ever seen her jump? Do you know that she still holds the NCAA women's volleyball record for kills in a career with three-thousand nine-hundred-forty-three? She also holds the record for kills in a five-set match with sixty-one during the NCAA championship against us. You better believe that we remember her."

Ginger was laughing as Toby said, "Well, I'm sure that you'll all get a chance to reminisce about your college adventures when we are in Myrtle Beach, and she's five-five by the way."

"How did you and Celia Reid meet?" Lacey asked.

"At my cousin's wedding," Toby said. He then clarified his answer, "Actually, we met on the plane that we were both traveling on to attend each of our cousin's wedding to each other."

"Your cousin married Celia's cousin?" asked Ginger.

Toby chuckled at the memory and said, "When Cile and I met on the plane, we didn't know that we were heading to the same wedding, where she was to be the maid of honor and I was to be the best man. We only learned of that arrangement once we arrived at the airport in San Antonio."

Lacey and Ginger both laughed at the circumstances being described by Toby. Finally, Lacey asked, "So things are apparently serious between you two."

Before Toby could answer, Ginger said, "I saw you talking with Kyleigh Searcy in the stands. What did you think of her?"

"If you're referring to the tall brunette girl, I didn't even get her name before chasing her off," Toby said.

Ginger and Lacey shared another glance before Lacey asked, "She was hitting on you, wasn't she?"

Toby nodded while he finished chewing the bite he had taken from the nachos that he had ordered previously.

"We've heard that she is a bit too predatory for her own good," Ginger said. "She was recruited for the beach volleyball team. She comes from a very well-to-do and sheltering family so she seems to be using her new-found freedom to explore life on her terms. Several of our girls have tried to rein her in on multiple occasions but with little success. We'll have another conversation with her coaches. She wants to make the Olympic team, but since she isn't here on a scholarship and she can play on any amateur beach volleyball club whether she is on the team or not, there isn't much leverage that they will have to influence her behavior."

Lacey changed the subject when she asked, "If you're not going to stay at the Sheraton with the team, will you let me know where you're at so we can coordinate your scouting and subsequent reports?"

"Of course," Toby said. "Cile wants to stay somewhere along the beach with an ocean view, but I'll let you know as soon as I've made reservations. Please send me the brackets and the dates for each match. I don't want to waste time scouting a team in a different bracket than yours until the possibility of you playing them appears more likely."

"I'll e-mail everything to you tomorrow morning," Lacey said. "Now tell me more about what Celia Reid did to win your heart so thoroughly..."

~~~

Like a lot of people, it had taken Food and Drug Administration district manager, Ashley Thompkins, a while to get used to having dual monitors attached to her computer. She made good use of them now as she positioned the e-mail from her inspector in Port Huron, Michigan, and the e-mail from Greg Fishel, her counterpart and district manager for the Minneapolis district, onto different screens.

The test results displayed on both screens were virtually identical, but one addressed yellow perch that had been flagged for excessive amounts of arsenic, while the other listed excessive amounts in another fish, called a walleye. Her inspector had discovered the yellow perch at a fish processing plant in Port Huron, while Greg Fishel's inspector had discovered the tainted walleye at a fish processing facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

She hit the speakerphone feature on her phone and called Greg at the number he had provided.

"Fishel," Greg answered.

"Good morning, Greg. This is Ashley. I have your e-mail, and I'm comparing it to another one that I received from one of my inspectors. I'm sending that one to you now and would like you to compare them with me."

She sent the forwarded e-mail and waited only a few seconds before Greg acknowledged receipt of it.

"Okay," Greg said. "Let's see what we have here..."

Both district managers continued silently reviewing the separate reports for several minutes before Greg spoke.

"Let me know the commonalities that you see and I'll add any that I think you've missed," Ashley said.

Greg said, "Well, the first obvious one is that the arsenic levels are almost identical. They vary by less than five percent. The species of fish are different, but that may actually be explained by the natural food chain. Walleyes eat yellow perch, so that could be why we have two species showing high levels. The only other commonality that I see is that the investigators in both reports tracked the catches to the same commercial fishing company, bu from two different boats in their fleet. The commercial fishing company that runs both boats is based out of Cheboygan. Do we know if their boats target the same general areas?"

"That's another commonality," Ashley said. "The fishing boats are specialized for the type of fish they are seeking, with different bait, lures, and nets where permitted. I have been told by the owner of the fishing company that this allows them to work the same waters without encroaching on each other's catch. The boats work between Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and the international border in Lake Huron near Drummond Island. The catch from each boat is offloaded in Cheboygan and then sent to the appropriate processing facilities."

"Have you seen any other reports within your district?" Greg asked.

"Not yet, but the one report I have received is from a full-time on-site inspector at the largest processing facility in the district. Like you, my other inspectors make the rounds to the smaller facilities for spot inspections, so if this is a new contamination, it might not have been caught yet. That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, just that we haven't caught it anywhere else."

"Your scenario matches mine," Greg said. "We need to see if the EPA has any alerts out on the lakes being contaminated."

"I can do that," Ashley said. "There's an EPA office here in our building. Why don't you try to arrange a conference call with Harry Glidden in the Chicago district and Steve Donovan in the Cincinnati District so we can update them as well? Fish don't respect lake boundaries so we can't assume that Huron and Michigan are the only areas potentially tainted."

"I'll check everyone's calendars and get something scheduled," Greg said. "How about three this afternoon?"

"I'll make it work," Ashley told him and then disconnected the call.

She left her office and took the building elevator three stories up. There were several doors related to various EPA disciplines, but she was searching for the door for the Great Lakes National Program Office. She entered the office and found a lone man working in one of the six cubicles. He glanced questioningly at Ashley as she approached him.

"Good morning," Ashley said. "I'm Ashley Thompkins, district manager for the FDA. My office is a few floors below. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," the man said. "Always glad to help a fellow civil servant. What can I do for you?"

Ashley remained standing as she began to explain, "Fish tainted with high levels of arsenic have been discovered at a couple of processing facilities around Lake Michigan and Lake Huron so far. We were wondering if the EPA has received any reports of higher than normal levels of arsenic in the lakes, specifically where those two lakes come together."

Ashley thought that she was going to have to assist the man with picking his jaw up off the floor, but he finally recovered enough to respond.

"The reason that I am here alone is that all of my coworkers got called out on a special assignment yesterday morning. There is some mysterious source of arsenic that has killed a bunch of people on one of the islands in the Mackinaw Strait. It isn't the lake waters though. The Coast Guard and our teams have already been testing for that being the cause."

"Who is leading the assignment for your department?" Ashley asked.

The man checked his computer and replied, "Carol Hardy out of the Region office in Chicago."

"Can you please give me her contact information, including her cell phone number?"

The man wrote the requested information onto a piece of paper and handed it to Ashley.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "I expect that we'll be working together more closely on this, so if it gets too lonely here for you, come on down and we'll find a space for you in our area."

He was rather handsome, and the absence of a wedding ring was something that Ashley always made a point to notice when she met a new man.

Ashley had activated her speakerphone and was calling Carol Hardy's cell phone number before she had even taken a seat behind her desk. She heard a flustered voice answer the call over the background noise of the wind and other people talking.

"Hardy."

"Carol Hardy? This is Ashley Thompkins. I'm the Detroit district manager for the Food and Drug Administration. I think we might be investigating the same thing."

Ashley heard the background noise cease after what sounded like a car door closing. Carol Hardy's voice was much clearer when she asked, "Why would you think that?"

Ashley explained the reports received from the fish processing facilities by two different inspectors. She also updated Carol on their plans for a multi-district conference call that afternoon to expand inspection to smaller fish processing facilities and their expectation that they would find more instances of tainted fish.

"The waters of all lakes, even the inland lakes here on Bois Blanc Island have tested at normal levels of arsenic, which is well below anything life-threatening," Carol said. "If the water is clean, I don't see how what we are experiencing here could be related to the tainted fish you are finding."

"But I understand that you don't know the source for the arsenic that killed all the people on the island," Ashley said.

"No, we have not pinpointed a source yet..." Carol started.

"What if it's the fish?" asked Ashley. "What if the people on the island had been eating the same tainted fish that the commercial fishermen caught? They could have been just the next link in the food chain."

Carol was silent for several seconds as she considered the suggestion. The investigative team on the island was naturally looking at what the victims had eaten as the source for their poisoning, but they were counting on the autopsies to guide them based upon what each victim's stomach contents indicated.

She explained this to Ashley before saying, "We could get a head start by checking each residence to see if there are any yellow perch or walleye left unconsumed. If we find any, can your lab assist us with quick testing?"

"Testing food is what we do," Ashley said. "I'll text you my contact information. If you find any fish that you want to be tested, let me know and I'll make the necessary arrangements."

"Thanks," Carol said. "Let me ask you something else before you go. You mentioned the food chain previously. If our victims ate the tainted fish, that could explain their poisoning, but where did the fish get exposed? What do they eat?"

"I've actually been just now reading that on my computer," Ashley said. "It indicates that the walleyes likely absorbed the arsenic when they ate yellow perch, so if the people ate either of those two fish species, the arsenic would transfer to them. What I'm not seeing is how the yellow perch absorbed the arsenic if the lake water is clean. Except for small flying insects like mosquitos, all that yellow perch eat are other water bourn creatures such as crayfish, shrimp, and other small fish. There's got to be a link to the water around there somehow."

Chapter Five

"Sub-slab depressurization would involve the insertion of suction pipes through the foundation of all the buildings. Radon vent fans would then draw out the radon gas and release it into the air outside. The EPA might also require that a sub-membrane be installed between the foundations and the dirt below them to further assist with sealing radon from the building in the first place."

Sean and Amanda Wallace were listening to Elliot Greer's report on the radon remediation and abatement requirements that the EPA had provided after their inspection of the winery as they walked among the grapevines on a tour of the property.

"No recommendations or requirements for the fields or any place outside?" asked Amanda.

"Not as long as there is enough wind to dissipate whatever radon is present outside," Elliot told them. "They will expect us to install exterior radon monitoring sensors around the winery. If the radon levels exceed .04 picocuries per liter of air, we will either need to clear the area of any employees or have fans outside that would take the place of the wind in dissipating the radon."

"I'm still bothered by the randomness of this," Sean said. "Why does radon suddenly start appearing in a spot where it wasn't previously? Why did it affect this winery and none of the others in the area?"

"We would need a geological survey to answer those questions, Sean," Elliot told him. "There must be an unidentified vein of uranium or thorium located beneath the winery. That is the only way that radon could exist here."

"The presence of uranium or thorium ore alone wouldn't account for the sudden and high quantity of radon," Amanda said. "I reviewed my university geology and chemistry notes. Uranium and thorium are radioactive elements and they are in a constant state of decay. Rather than question where the uranium or thorium ores are, I would assume that they have always been here, along with some level of radon, but the rate of decay has suddenly increased and I question why that has happened."

"The geological survey may tell us that," Elliot said.

"Okay," Sean said turning to face his wife. "What do you want to do?"

Amanda leaned against Sean's chest and rested her head there as she spoke, "I see our only options are to either close down the winery or make the required modifications to seal any radon out of the buildings and monitor it in the fields. However, I think that we owe it to our employees to know why this happened. If a geological survey is required to do that, then I want that done as soon as possible."

Sean's cell phone rang before he could respond to his wife. He checked the display, activated the speaker feature, and answered it.

"Hi Emily," Sean said to his personal assistant. "Amanda is here with me. What's up?"

"Hi, Sean. Hi Amanda. Sean, I heard back from Carson MacGregor. He said he has the information you had asked him about. He's on the line if you want me to conference him in."

"Give me one second, Emily," Sean said before placing the phone against his chest and explaining to Amanda, "Carson MacGregor works for the Environmental Protection Agency out of their Atlanta region office. I had asked him to research any recent reports of radon exposure around the world."

Amanda nodded her understanding, so Sean spoke into his phone once more, "Okay, Emily. Please bring Carson on the line with us."

There was a brief silence before Emily asked, "Mr. MacGregor, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can."

"Good," Emily said. "Sean and Amanda, can you hear us?"

"Good on this end," Sean said. "Carson, thanks for getting back to me. What did you learn?"

"My pleasure, Sean. I think your interest in recent radon exposure reports is going to be getting some international attention. When I did my query, I found more than two dozen reports within the last two weeks of heavy, and I mean unheard-of levels of radon emissions reported in the USA, South Africa, Australia, Russia, and a few other countries, sometimes with multiple separate reports within the same country. No one has associated these instances yet, but I am relaying the information I have to Washington as soon as we're off the phone."

Sean, Amanda, and Elliot looked between themselves with raised eyebrows. Sean asked, "No cause has been identified in any of these cases, Carson?"

"Not that I have seen documented," Carson said. "I pulled up mining data for uranium around the world and while all the countries that I mentioned have recovered uranium ore, none of the current radon incidents are near the known uranium reserves. Same thing with thorium. Nowhere near known reserves. Fortunately, there have only been two other fatalities reported besides the one at your location."

"That is fortunate," Sean said. "Emily, will you please provide Carson with yours and Elliot's contact information so he can send the information he has to both of you."

"I'll be happy to," Emily said.

Sean continued, "Carson, will you keep us apprised of anything further that develops?"

"No problem. I'm sure that there will be a media freeze instituted, but since you own one of the affected sites, keeping you updated shouldn't be an issue," Carson assured them.

"Thanks, Carson. Amanda and I appreciate it. Thank you too, Emily."

"Anything for you, Sean," Emily said. "You guys take care."

Sean saw the call disconnect. He hugged Amanda and said, "Have I ever told you how grateful I am that you talked Emily into being my PA?"

Amanda giggled and said, "Oh, I think you've mentioned it a time or two. So, what does the information from Carson tell us?"

"I don't know at this point," Sean said. "Other than our incident isn't an anomaly, I don't know what we can make of it."

Elliot spoke up, "I expect that you want Emily and me to review the other global locations that will be in Mr. MacGregor's report to see if there is something that he might have overlooked?"

Amanda turned and leaned her back against Sean's front, pulling his arms around her as she waited for him to respond to Elliot.

"You are correct," Sean told him. "I am interested to know if any of the other locations impacted established sites such as our winery. Since Carson mentioned that there was another death associated with the radon exposure, I assume there must have been a structure there that held the gas in long enough for the person to succumb to it. What kind of building was it?"

Amanda contributed, "More than likely, all the locations had one or more structures that were affected by the radon. If the radon didn't accumulate in a structure, the outdoor conditions would have typically dissipated it."

Sean kissed the top of her head and said, "Bingo. Let's see if there is anything similar in the structures affected. I'm not sure what that will tell us, but I won't be satisfied until I am confident that this was just a freak act of nature."

"I'll get on it with Emily just as soon as we have the list of locations," Elliot said. "I know that it is not my decision, but could I make a suggestion?"

"We would appreciate anything you can contribute, Elliot," said Sean, confident that he was speaking for Amanda as well.

"I would recommend that we have the geological survey completed before taking any steps towards radon abatement or mitigation," Elliot explained. "All unbottled wine, as well as any wine bottled after last September will be destroyed since it is contaminated. The wine bottled before last September has tested good, so we have the inventory to fulfill orders in the short term."

"When is the next grape harvest expected?" Amanda asked.

Elliot looked out over the vineyard and said, "Not for approximately four months according to Clive."

"Amanda has already mentioned that she wants the geological survey performed as soon as possible," Sean said, "and I agree with her. Let's make that a priority, but start getting quotes for the required remediation and abatement changes, focusing on the vineyard structures first."

Amanda said, "Please ask Clive to check with the other local vineyards to see if there would be any interest in buying our grapes. If we can't get the buildings ready before the next harvest, we can try to sell the grapes so that they don't just turn into raisins."

Elliot nodded and began leading the Wallaces back towards the helicopter that had brought them to the winery.

"I'll handle everything," he told them.

~~~

Darshan Sridhar struggled to maintain his composure. The idiotic Prime Minister just would not shut up and let anyone else try to explain things to her.

"Tell me that a meteor fell from the sky into the lake and contaminated it with cadmium," the Prime Minister bellowed. "Just tell me something before the media starts asking me questions that you have provided me no answers to."

"Madame Prime Minister," said Ankit Narula, "You are fully capable of making things up on your own. You don't need falsehoods from your advisers, you need the truth. It is then your choice what to do with that truth."

As India's Minister of Defence, Narula was alone among the cabinet members as being brave enough to speak to the Prime Minister in such a manner.

"But they are not telling me anything!" screamed the Prime Minister. "How can I make decisions without knowing vital information?"

Narula glared at the Prime Minister before turning and addressing another person, "Minister Sridhar, would you be so kind as to repeat your report? The rest of us will attempt to clarify anything that Madame Prime Minister doesn't understand."

"You insulant..." began the Prime Minister, but a raised hand from the General silenced her outburst.

Darshan took the opportunity to repeat the highlights of his report, "The water in Lake Dhebar remains dangerously contaminated with cadmium. All outlets from the lake have been closed to prevent further contamination of the watershed that the lake feeds. Wells are being inspected and tested up to twenty-five kilometers from the lake. If those farthest away show elevated levels of cadmium, the testing area will be expanded until we find uncontaminated wells. Ion exchange filters are being rushed to the area to properly treat the water in any wells that require the elimination of the cadmium or other hard metals..."

The Prime Minister interrupted, "You're telling me how you are feeding the cow after it escaped from the barn. I need to know how the cow got out in the first place and what is being done to prevent it from escaping again."

She glanced at the Minister of Defence and asked, "Do you see the difference in what I am asking for?"

"Of course, I do," Narula said respectfully. "I am certain that the cause, as well as future steps to prevent a recurrence, are priorities for Minister Sridhar and everyone else. However, as I believe he is trying to explain to you, steps must be taken immediately to ensure that the cow doesn't starve or get eaten by lions while we figure out how it escaped."

When the Prime Minister didn't respond, Darshan continued, "Since the levels of cadmium in the lake are not decreasing, we are confident that the contamination is continuing. Lake Dhebar is primarily fed by the Gomati River, but there are also several underground springs flowing into it. The water upstream of the lake in the Gomati River is free of any cadmium, so we are focusing our search for the source on the underground springs as we locate them."

Narula asked before the Prime Minister could, "How are you locating the underground springs?"

"Several methods are being employed," Darshan said. "The last geological surveys performed around the lake have shown us the location of several of the underground springs and we have drill sites identified to bore down to the water level for eventual testing. We are not relying upon historical survey data, however. I have ordered new geological surveys, and these are underway as I speak. If we find the source using the existing geological data, that would be excellent, but members of my staff believe that if an underground spring that was recorded on a previous survey was the source, the cadmium contamination would have occurred before now. I tend to agree with them. I believe that a new underground spring has finally eroded itself a path to the lake and this is the source for the cadmium."

The Prime Minister was almost sedate when she said, "That makes sense to a certain degree. However, finding the underground spring will only tell us the path that the cadmium took to get into the lake. Isn't that true?"

"Yes," Darshan said, "That is true. As I explained previously, cadmium is relatively rare in the Earth's crust. No significant deposits of cadmium-containing ores are known. The only cadmium mineral of importance, greenockite, is nearly always associated with sphalerite. This association is caused by the geochemical similarity between zinc and cadmium. Thus, cadmium is produced mainly as a byproduct of mining, smelting, and refining sulfidic ores of zinc, and, to a lesser degree, lead, and copper, with no geological process likely to separate them."

"Ah, there's the conundrum once again," said the Prime Minister. "An element that rarely exists suddenly poisons the entire population on Lake Dhebar. You tell me that it wasn't an accidental or a deliberate act by someone, but you can provide no scientific explanation for how it could have occurred naturally. Tell me, once you find the underground spring that you suspect is delivering the cadmium to the lake, what are the odds that you will then be able to determine how the cadmium got into this spring?"

Darshan had a serious expression on his face when he said, "Madame Prime Minister, all I can commit to you at this time is that we will have zero odds of determining how the cadmium got into the spring until we can find the spring itself. Tracing the course of the spring should lead us to the deposit of whatever ore or mineral has sufficient levels of cadmium in it to explain the high levels present in the lake. Determining how the cadmium is being extracted from the ore or mineral should be obvious, but we won't know definitively until the source is found."

"I won't ask you to speculate any further, Darshan," the Prime Minister said. "Can you share with us a timeframe for when you expect to have more information?"

"I will do my best, Madame Prime Minister," Darshan said. "Drilling down to the known underground springs is progressing rapidly and testing of the water in them takes little time once we reach it. Since the focus of the geological surveys will only be on finding any previously unknown underground springs emptying into Lake Dhebar, those should be completed within a few weeks so long as the required equipment functions without failures that would require repair or replacement. Newly identified springs will be accessed and tested as soon as they are located, so there should be no delay in the progress there. Once the correct spring or springs are identified, our priority will be to dam off its flow into the lake. Concurrent with that, we will begin tracing the spring back to try to locate the cadmium source. My most optimistic timeframe for identifying the actual cause is thirty to forty-five days."

General Narula spoke again, "We understand, Madame Prime Minister, that you are rightfully concerned about containment of the incident from the media until you are confident that you can provide answers to assuage any fears, and I believe I speak for my fellow Ministers when I say that we support you in this regard. Your request to have any inquiries about the situation at Lake Dhebar directed to your office is reasonable, and I believe that all ministries are adhering to it. However, you must realize that keeping a veil of secrecy over the incident comes with a cost. For example, the geological survey that Minister Sridhar mentioned could be conducted much more efficiently and expediently with helicopters and other aircraft from my ministry, but that would require explaining to the media about the unusual military activity around Lake Dhebar. There are other examples, but I'm certain that you have already considered them, so I'll not bring them up."

"Yes," the Prime Minister agreed, "Our world is full of compromise. I do understand. I would like to ask you, General, to use your intelligence directorate to try and learn if cadmium incidents similar to this have occurred elsewhere and how those governments responded to them. I'm sure that Minister Sridhar would appreciate not having to reinvent the wheel once the cause is identified."

The general bowed his head and said, "Consider it done, Madame Prime Minister."

~~~

Bill Shepard, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency finished verifying the attendees on the teleconference he had scheduled. Confirming that the visual he desired was being displayed, he addressed the attendees, "Thank you, everyone, for being on time. I'll get right to the point..."

"I called you all together to announce the formation of a special task force. The purpose of this task force will be the coordination of resources within the EPA to investigate a series of environmental incidents across multiple EPA regions. I am appointing Angie Stone to head this task force and she will be in touch with each of you after this meeting to discuss your individual roles."

"I would now like to turn the meeting over to Carol Hardy, Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office for the background on the situation in Lake Huron. Carol."

"Thank you, Bill. The situations in Region 5 began three weeks ago with the deaths of seventeen permanent residents of Bois Blanc Island. For those of you not familiar with our region, Bois Blanc Island is located in Lake Huron, just east of the Mackinaw Straight which separates the upper peninsula of Michigan from the lower peninsula. The island has approximately seventy-one permanent residents, year-round, but gets thousands of visitors during the warmer summer months."

"The seventeen deaths had all been attributed to arsenic trioxide poisoning from an unknown source, but we have since determined that the victims all regularly consumed either yellow perch or walleye. Most of the deceased victims had either whole, frozen fish of one of these two varieties in their home freezers, or smoked in some form. Although examination of the stomach contents showed no sign that any of the victims recently consumed the fish, the effects of the poisoning could account for the victims not having eaten anything for several days. There are an additional eight island residents who are being treated for symptoms of arsenic poisoning who also consumed yellow perch or walleye but to a lesser degree than those who have died."

"Our friends at the Food and Drug Administration alerted us to the possibility that tainted fish might have been the cause for the human fatalities from arsenic poisoning when some of their inspectors started seeing these fish with extremely high concentrations of arsenic during inspections at fish processing facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. The highest concentrations of the poison are in fish caught around Round Island and in the straight between Round Island and Bois Blanc Island. Lake salmon, sturgeon, and other large fish in the area test clean of arsenic trioxide. Yellow perch are in the food chain for walleyes so that may be how the walleyes are getting contaminated. What we don't know, is how are the yellow perch or any other unidentified fish being contaminated. All samplings of the lake water show no abnormal levels of arsenic or arsenic trioxide."

"The current status of our investigation is that we do not know the source of the arsenic trioxide. We suspect that consuming walleye or yellow perch from Lake Huron delivers the poison to the victims, but we have not yet determined how the fish are being contaminated. To throw another piece into the puzzle, Bois Blanc Island has two inland lakes. Yellow perch captured from the inland lakes show no sign of arsenic while the same fish caught in Lake Huron do. In both cases, the water that the fish live in tests normal, with no elevated levels of arsenic or arsenic trioxide.

"I now turn the meeting over to Dave Mitchell, who will update us on the situation in Region 8. Dave."

"Thank you, Carol. I'm David Mitchell, administrator for Region 8. Similar to Region 5, our current situations began approximately three weeks ago. The first reported incident involved severe mercury exposure to the staff of a ranch within the Crow Nation reservation in Big Horn County. The victims included seven adults and three minor children, all now deceased. There are six additional adults receiving chelation therapy, and while all are expected to survive, the long-term effects of the mercury exposure will likely leave them with some degree of physical or neurological impairment."

David Mitchell glanced down at his notes, which were actually the reports from his staff and continued, "In another incident within our region, the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project facilities in Meagher County has been shut down due to excessive radon contamination to the pumping facilities and the water on both the upper and lower reservoirs. The radon was discovered after two residents of the town of Martinsdale succumbed to radon poisoning three weeks ago. The air in the community and all buildings except for the pumping facility are at acceptable radon levels, so the contaminated water appears to be the only source at this time."

"Surveys by the US Geological Survey offices in Colorado are pending at both locations to assist us with identifying the source contaminants, both for the mercury and the radon."

Bill Shepard took back control of the presentation, "Thank you, Dave. Folks, the incidents mentioned by Carol and Dave were presented to you due to the severity of the contaminations causing the loss of human life. Other contamination incidents include selenium contamination of crops, particularly feed corn near Rome, GA., that eventually made its way into the food chain, poisoning pigs and poultry who were fed the contaminated corn; four separate incidents of thallium contaminated water in Kansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and New York; manganese contaminated aquifers in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas."

"In most of the incidents listed, the source of the contamination has not yet been identified. A directive has been sent to all municipal water systems to report any sudden detected increase in hard metal particulates, and these reports will be directed to the task force for investigation. State, county, and city health agencies are being directed to test all wells and to close any that exceed maximum safety levels for any contaminants until adequate mitigation protocols can be established."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the scope of the contaminations within our borders has not yet been recognized by the national media, and we naturally want to keep it that way for as long as possible. You are expected to direct any inquiries from the media to the person that Angie Stone will be designating as the public relations liaison for the task force. Angie, are you ready to take questions?"

"I suppose I would have to be in order to answer your question, Bill," Angie said. While the muted microphones of the participants prevented her from hearing their laughter, she was able to see their faces and knew that she had achieved her objective of lightening the mood before the question-and-answer period commenced. She checked the moderator panel on her computer and saw several of the participants had clicked on the icon to 'raise their hand' for a question. She selected the first participant and unmuted their microphone.

"Art Willis, you have a question?" she said.

"Yes, thank you, Angie. I think my question is probably shared by several others, so, do we suspect terrorism as the cause for so many sudden contamination incidents?"

Angie nodded her head and said, "Thank you for the question, Art, and you're probably right about it being shared by others. The answer is, that while we can't rule anything out at this time, when the contaminated areas were evaluated by the Department of Homeland Security, their assessment concluded that terrorism was not a likely cause. They believe that a terrorist incident would have targeted major cities rather than the low population areas that we have seen contaminated so far. They haven't ruled out the possibility that the incidents we have seen could be some type of test run, and they are stepping up monitoring of major water systems as Bill mentioned. There will be at least one member from Homeland Security on the task force, but that individual hasn't been identified as of the start of this meeting. Next question, Becky."

"Thank you, Angie. Have the locations of the incidents been mapped against all current Superfund and Brownfield locations, particularly those involving mining operations? Many of the contaminants mentioned are byproducts of mining operations, aren't they?"

"We're in the process of doing that analysis right now," Angie said. "I can tell you that several of both the lethal and non-lethal incidents have occurred in locations that are definitely not near any monitored spots. For example, the arsenic trioxide incident in Lake Huron involved an island in the middle of the lake where no mining or industry has ever existed, other than tourism. Likewise, with the incidents in Kansas, New Hampshire, and New York. Mr. MacGregor, did you have a question?"

"Yes, thank you, Angie. Let me begin by stating that through a former associate, I was made aware of a serious radon incident that resulted in the death of one individual. This incident is not the same as the one reported to us by David Mitchell. In fact, the incident I learned of occurred at a winery in Australia. The Australian EPA is investigating the exposure and they appear puzzled about why it occurred where it did, very similar to what David and his team mentioned."

"After learning of this incident in Australia, I did a quick check and discovered that there have been similar radon incidents reported in South Africa, Russia, and a few other countries but with no additional fatalities reported. My question, Angie, is, has anyone checked for other international incidents to compare with the ones reported around our country, and I don't mean just the radon incidents?"

"Wow, that's a very good question, Carson," said Angie. "Bill, do you know if there has been any research along the lines of what Carson described?"

Bill Shepard took over control of the presentation so he could address Angie's question, "Unfortunately, the World Health Organization tracks and communicates on health-related incidents around the world, but illnesses or deaths from environmental causes are not included in their data. As of right now, there is not a single international body that would provide the same sort of data that the WHO provides to the medical profession.

"That being said, I would think that this task force might be a good place to establish a liaison role within the EPA that would work with the international community, possibly through the UN or similar body to facilitate the sharing of environmental incident data. Angie, maybe you want to consider asking Carson if this is a role that he would be interested in handling, for the task force at least."

Angie resumed control of the presentation and was laughing as she said, "I think you just asked him for me, Bill. Carson, let's you and I chat privately after this meeting. All right, any other questions?"

Chapter Six

"Sorry that I kept us up so late last night," Cile said. "I knew that we would have to get up early to catch this flight."

Toby fastened the seatbelt on his first-class seat and said, "Cutie, you have always been, and will always be worth losing a little sleep over. I don't regret a thing about last night."

Cile didn't know why the simple thought of being in the same bed with the man that she loved made her so 'wound up' that she couldn't sleep until Toby had worked his magic on her body. It's not her fault that some nights he made her crave more of his magic than others.

"I love not sleeping with you too," Cile said. "If you want to try to sleep on this flight or the connecting flight, I'll promise not to bother you."

"I'll be fine," Toby said, "But if you want to nap at all, feel free."

Cile finished getting settled, retrieving her cell phone before placing her purse underneath the seat in front of her. When she unlocked her phone, the image of her boarding pass was still on the display from their boarding. She was about to wipe it off the screen with her finger when she noticed the details that she had missed up until then.

"Toby, did you do this on purpose?"

Toby glanced over at Cile with a questioning expression, "Do what?"

"Book this flight," Cile said.

Toby concentrated on maintaining his poker face and said, "Of course, I booked it on purpose. Who books an airplane flight by accident?"

"Cute," Cile said with the first hint of annoyance in her voice. "Toby Davis, did you purposely book us onto American Airlines flight 251 on June 6^th, 2029, knowing that it was the flight that I had flown exactly one year ago on the day that we met?"

"Celia Reid, do you remember that I flew out of LAX that day and had no idea what flight you had flown to Dallas?"

Cile seemed disappointed, "I suppose you're right. It just seems awfully coincidental that we would be on the same flight exactly one year later."

"The world is full of coincidences," Toby said dismissively. "We're likely to encounter a few more before this trip is over with. For example, I can't tell you how many times I have run into someone I know while traveling. Those are coincidences too."

"You're right," Cile said. "It has happened to me several times too. It's too bad that there isn't an earlier connecting flight between Dallas and Myrtle Beach. The three-hour layover will get us into Myrtle Beach too late to enjoy the beach today."

Toby waited for the pre-flight announcements to finish before answering, "We'll be there in time for dinner, and I wouldn't be opposed to a walk on the beach after dinner if you're interested."

"I thought that you had to work on that article you were writing for the Journal of Chemical Physics," Cile said.

While Toby made good money as a professor at UCLA, he made significantly more income through his consulting work. Being published in various scientific journals were critical to his stature and credibility as both a professor and as a consultant.

"I plan on doing some work on it during the flight so I'll be far enough ahead of the deadline to spend a few minutes on the beach with the lady I love," Toby said as he squeezed Cile's hand.

"Oh, is someone else joining you in Myrtle Beach?" Cile teased.

The noise from the takeoff prevented an immediate response to Cile's comment. Once it was quiet enough, Toby said, "Don't ever doubt my love for you, Celia."

"Never, Tobias Davis. You work on your article. I'll read and leave you alone."

The flight attendant came by to take their drink requests. Cile leaned over and whispered in Toby's ear, "Do you think I should ask for sparkling lemonade?"

Sparkling lemonade had been Cile's drink request on the flight that she and Toby had shared on the day that they met. When the flight attendant had rejected Cile's request, Toby had ordered the individual items that would allow him to make the drink. He had surprised her by offering to trade it for the water that the flight attendant had given her.

Toby smiled at her remembering and said, "You can order anything you want and I'll do my best to make certain that you get it. I'm just going to have some tomato juice myself."

"Just be careful not to spill any on your white shirt," Cile warned. "I'll go with orange juice."

The flight attendant returned after a few minutes with trays for each of them. In addition to their requested drinks, the trays held a mixed fruit and cheese assortment for each of them. Cile didn't immediately notice that her tray held an item that was not present on Toby's tray. She also didn't notice Toby's fleeting peripheral glances at her as he fiddled with the items on his tray. Then she saw it.

"What the...?" Cile exclaimed as she picked up the small velvet-covered box that had been hidden behind her glass of orange juice.

"Will you?" Toby asked, never one to use needless words. The engagement ring in the box would make what he wanted Cile to do very obvious.

"You can be quite the bastard, Mr. Davis," Cile cried as she placed the ring on her finger. "You make me the happiest girl in the world while I am trapped in an airline seat and this monstrous divider sits between us, knowing that my greatest desire right now is to climb onto your lap and shower you with kisses. You'll get yours later, but for now, my answer is definitely yes. Please kiss me."

As Toby leaned over so that they could kiss, the captain came over the loudspeaker to announce their engagement to the rest of the passengers and crew on the plane. Raucous cheers and applauds could be heard throughout the plane for several minutes.

"Well," said Cile as she studied the ring on her finger, "Now I know that you planned this flight. It's just like my guy to get all the most romantic details right. I so love you, Toby. Think that we can get the pilot to divert the plane to Las Vegas so that we can get married? Then our time in Myrtle Beach could double as our honeymoon."

Toby chuckled and said, "Not if you ever want to have children. If we denied Katie the opportunity to be your matron of honor, she would render me incapable of producing children with you."

"Does Katie know that you were planning this?" Cile asked. "If she did and kept it from me, she's the one who has it coming from me."

"I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations..." Toby began.

"She did know!" Cile shouted, drawing the attention of two different flight attendants.

"Is everything okay?" one of the flight attendants asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Cile said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Who else knew?" Cile asked with considerably more restraint.

Toby couldn't control his smile as he said, "Pretty much your entire extended family. You know that Katie can't keep a secret."

"Duh! She just did," Cile exclaimed. "I love you Toby, but I'm going to have to spend a few minutes; Hell, probably the rest of this flight texting with my cousin. Her phone is about to explode in her hands."

True to her word, Cile spent the next hour and a half, first attempting to half-heartily chastise her cousin, followed by excited discussions about a future wedding.

As the plane was waiting at the gate for the ground crew to position the jet bridge, Toby said, "There's an Admirals Club here in Terminal C, but why don't we head for the one in Terminal D instead? It will be closer to the gate for our connection."

"Unless they change the gate," Cile said. "With three hours to go, that's always a possibility."

"The receptionist at the club will keep us posted on the correct gate," Toby assured her. "Let's go."

Cile followed Toby off the plane and into the terminal. They had been sitting for two and a half hours so they decided to walk between the terminals rather than take the airport train. It only took them ten minutes to reach the Admirals Club in Terminal D.

Cile thought that the desk receptionist who checked them in was being a bit too courteous and friendly with her new fiancé, but she resisted the urge to flash her engagement ring in the woman's face. She even forced herself to ignore the blatant wink that the woman shot at Toby as they headed into the club. The coincidence that this was the same Admiral's Club where she had first spotted Toby a year ago to the day wasn't lost on her, and she smiled at the memory.

Cile couldn't remember ever being in an Admirals Club as empty of travelers as this one was right then. As they walked past the bar area, there wasn't a single person in view. Toby led her around the bar area to the larger common sitting area, where the first thing Cile noticed was all the chairs were positioned facing one direction. The next thing she noticed was a lone man standing at the end of the room, holding what appeared to be a Bible.

Cile's cell phone dinged, indicating an incoming text message.

KATIE: Please don't hate me.

"What the fuck?" Cile thought. Why would Katie send a message like that? When they had finished texting while she was on the plane, everything was good between them. Before she could send a response, she discovered the answer, as a famous Richard Wagner melody filled the room. The traditional bridal procession was playing.

"Oh fuck," Cile whispered as she turned to Toby with a shocked expression on her face. He simply smiled and nodded back at her.

Cile watched as her cousin Katie came out of one of the conference rooms carrying a bouquet and took a position beside the man that Cile now realized was a minister. Katie was followed by her husband, Tyler, who took a position on the other side of the minister. The sound of people entering the room all around them had Cile frantically glancing around to see who else was there.

She saw her mother wiping tears from her eyes as she took a seat next to her brother and sister-in-law. She saw Toby's mom and dad taking seats across from her family. Her grandfather, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Patty, cousin JR, and his family all found seats and took them. Everyone was focused on and smiling at Cile's surprised expression.

Katie ran to Cile and handed her a handkerchief to help her deal with the flood of tears streaming down her cheeks. Cile was so glad that she had purposely decided to forego any mascara since she would be traveling all day. She also now understood Toby's insistence that she wear one of her favorite, long-flowing summer dresses on the flight instead of jeans or shorts.

Toby dropped her hand that he had been holding and walked to stand next to Tyler. His place beside her had been replaced by her father, who placed her right hand onto his left arm as he smiled down at her and winked. She was speechless as her father led her to stand before the minister, facing the man that she suddenly loved more than ever.

"Better than Vegas?" Toby whispered across to her.

Giggling, with tears continuing to run down her face, Cile said, "Yes, you bastard! Definitely yes."

~~~

"The jet lag hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be," Didi said, feeling the sensuous touch of Jules' fingers as they combed through her hair.

"First of all," Jules replied, "You do realize that this is the third morning in a row where you have awakened before 3 am?"

"I've learned that I like morning sex," Didi giggled with her head resting on his chest. "Lots and lots of morning sex."

"So I've noticed," Jules chuckled. "I'm growing quite fond of it myself. However, where jet lag is concerned, at this time of year there are only six hours of difference between Johannesburg and New York instead of seven. That won't make much difference when we return, though. Jet lag is almost always worse when you lose hours rather than gaining them."

"What makes you think I want to return?" Didi teased. "Better yet, what if I make you not want to return?"

Her right hand slid down Jules' body to emphasize her point of persuasion.

"Mmmm," Jules moaned. "It's a package deal, my love. All of me or none of me."

"Good, because all of me loves all of you, Julian Cabot. Have I mentioned how grateful that I am for you arranging for us to be here like this?"

Chuckling again, Jules said, "Yes, a few times."

Didi's voice took on a more serious tone when she asked, "Have I told you how much I fear this trip ending?"

Jules urged Didi to slide up and lie more fully next to him so that he could look her in the eyes as he held her and said, "My love, I knew in my heart from the day you interviewed to be my personal assistant that you and I were meant for each other. You're my best friend, the person I trust more than anyone else in the world, and the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I dream of having children with you, raising them in a loving family environment, and then growing old together as we spoil our grandkids and great-grandkids. This trip is my effort to demonstrate all of that to you; to help you recognize whether you feel and want the same. If at the end of this trip you tell me that you want the same, I would only ask that you trust me to let it become a reality for both of us."

Didi had tears in her eyes when she responded, "I don't need to wait until the end of this trip. I could have told you three years ago that I share both, your belief in us and your dreams. I want and need you completely in my life, Jules. I don't want to settle for less anymore."

"I do not doubt that those are your feelings, Didi, but I insist that you wait until the end of this trip for a final decision. I want us to experience a freedom that we have not had until now, not just as a couple, but for you to discover options for yourself that have been foreign concepts to you back home. Once you see all of the opportunities and options available in America or other parts of the world for someone as beautiful and intelligent as you are, you may change your mind about there even being an us. I hope and pray that you choose to be with me, but I would never hold you back from your dreams if you chose otherwise."

Didi held Jules' jaw in her hand and focused her eyes on his as she said, "Okay, Jules, have it your way, but I want you to watch me closely on this trip. You will see that I will want to experience many of the opportunities and options that you alluded to, but you'll also see that I will want you beside me for each and every one of them. I am also going to continue to be beside you as you too explore new experiences and opportunities. The sale of Cabot Geological's mining operations has made you an even wealthier man. I know that you have been pondering what your professional future holds and you will never doubt my loyalty and commitment to whatever you decide to do."

"I know that my love," Jules said as he picked up his cell phone from the bedside table. "On that subject, take a look at this e-mail from Gershwin."

Hans Gershwin was the senior partner at the law firm that represented Cabot Geological. Didi took the offered cell phone and rolled onto her back with her head against a pillow to read what it said.

"Multiple offers for the logistics operations?" she asked. She handed the phone back to Jules and rolled over to look at him.

"Yes, and all very good offers," Jules said. "Bidding would likely drive the offered amounts up according to Gershwin. What do you think I should do?"

Didi didn't hesitate to respond, "As we discussed on the flight over here, you need to diversify the logistics operation. It is too reliant on ore transportation and storage to survive if the same factors that prompted you to sell control of the mining operations come to fruition. We agreed that agriculture was one possible area that the logistics operation could consider moving into, but that would require significant investment in new equipment and facilities for a very questionable return. We don't have existing relationships with shippers who would handle agricultural products to leverage the same sort of favorable rates that we get with ore. My recommendation is that you strongly consider these offers."

"I agree," Jules said. "That will leave us with just the geological survey and consulting operation, which is where Cabot Geological started. We will have come full circle it appears."

Didi recognized that Jules had always used the pronouns, 'us' and 'we' whenever he discussed business with her. Originally, she had equated it to their professional relationship and how they had seemed to consistently hold similar opinions, even if it was always just his decision to make. Now she realized that Jules truly had viewed them as future life partners, from the very start.

"Well, Mr. Cabot, it's too early for room service. How would you like your personal assistant to spend her free time?"

Jules smiled at Didi's teasing, "I would like my personal assistant to take the rest of the day off. I want to spend some very intimate and quality time with the woman I love. A woman who I believe stated quite emphatically that she likes morning sex."

"I believe her exact words were that she liked 'lots and lots of morning sex'," Didi whispered in his ear.

"I stand corrected," Jules said. "Maybe we should not worry about breakfast from room service this morning and pick something up on the way to the train station?"

"Are you sure that you don't want to use the rental car that I had arranged?" Didi asked.

"I'm sure," Jules confirmed. "I've seen the traffic in this city, reviewed the route to Washington, D.C., and around the sites that we want to see while there. I would prefer to take the train down to the nation's capital and then we can pick up a rental car for the drive down to South Carolina when we check out of our hotel in Washington tomorrow."

"I haven't been disappointed in your plans for this trip so far," Didi said before moving her lips down his body towards her target, "But the morning is young."

They checked out of the hotel with both of them anything but disappointed.

~~~

Ginger Olsen was surfing the Internet as she sat in Lacey King's office waiting for her to return from a meeting with the Athletic Director. Lacey had asked her to wait, claiming that her meeting with her boss wouldn't take too long, so Ginger was spending the time researching things that she could do with her spare time in Myrtle Beach.

"Who's that?" Lacey asked as she looked over Ginger's shoulder at her phone's display. Ginger had been so focused on her cell phone that she hadn't heard Lacey reenter her office.

"His name is Julian Cabot," Ginger said. "He's a world-renowned geologist from South Africa."

"He's cute," Lacey said. "Is he single?"

Ginger laughed and said, "I suppose he would have to be single since he is on the list of the most eligible bachelors around the world."

"And you know this how?" Lacey teased.

Ginger pointed to a stack of magazines on a side table across the office and said, "Those tabloid rags that you read say so."

Lacey blushed slightly and said, "Those have all been confiscated from the girls on the team for reading them during practice or team meetings. Anyway, don't change the subject. Why is a picture of some hot-looking, eligible geologist on your phone?"

"I was just doing some research on him, and before you start, it was strictly professional research," Ginger told her friend. "The 2029 Earth Science and Environmental Symposium is taking place in Myrtle Beach the same days of the tournament and Julian Cabot is on one of the panels discussing responsible mining practices. I was checking to see if he would be participating on the panel on any of our open days in the tournament in case I had an opportunity to listen in on the discussion."

Lacey asked, "Tuesday should be an open day for us, and if we win our match on Wednesday, Thursday would also be open. Will either of those work for you being able to hit on, I mean listen to this 'professional discussion'?"

Ginger ignored the play on words from Lacey and continued reading about Julian Cabot while Lacey was getting her computer booted.

"Brett Dovering will be at the tournament," Lacey said. "Didn't you two date for a while?"

"He's an assistant coach at Vanderbilt now, isn't he?" asked Ginger, still staring at her phone display.

"That's right," Lacey said. "Maybe you can rekindle something with him while you two are in town together."

"Not likely," Ginger snorted. "I like my men like I like my whiskey, 'straight'."

Lacey laughed and said, "I know. I just wasn't sure that you knew."

Ginger glanced at her friend and snickered, "How could anyone miss it? There's a reason why I only went out with Brett when there were a bunch of other guys around. He was my intimidating 'plus-one' and I was his 'wing-woman', helping him hook up with other guys without him being too obvious about it."

"Well, don't you go and get yourself hooked up with some hottie from halfway around the world," Lacey said. "I need my bestie right by my side. That doesn't mean that you couldn't enjoy a few nights of international passion and intrigue, though."

Ginger laughed, "He's not James Bond, for Pete's sake. He's a freaking geologist."

"A geologist from South Africa," Lacey stated. "To me that spells D-I-A-M-O-N-D-S. Lots of them!"

Ginger shook her head and laughed again, "I hate to burst your glittery bubble, but from what I have read about Cabot Geological, their mining operations are focused more on precious metals such as platinum, palladium, and some gold."

"Then this guy is totally worthless," teased Lacey. "Avoid him like the plague."

"Yeah, right," Ginger replied. "I'm going to be watching for any sudden increase in your geology interest while we are at the tournament."

"Now girlfriend, you know that I have always been interested in your work," Lacey quipped. "Hearing you describe 'magma' in a 'rift' was one of your better descriptions of your work, or was that you when playing?"

"God, you are awful!" Ginger exclaimed. "Only you could make the study of our planet sound absolutely pornographic. Now you know why I never let you sit in on any of my classes. If I do happen to meet Julian Cabot while we are in Myrtle Beach, there is no way I'm letting you know about it."

Lacey pouted and said, "Oh, don't be such an old fossil. I'm just teasing you. If you and this Cabot guy get together, I hope it's a metamorphic experience for you."

"Arrggg!" screamed Ginger. "Let's get back to why you wanted me to wait here for you."

"Oh, right," Lacey said. "I have your itinerary for the trip here..."

Ginger examined the paper that Lacey handed her and said, "I thought that you and I were sharing a room. This says that I have a room with a king-size bed."

"Since Professor Davis is making his own arrangements, I was able to use his allotted room for you. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure," Ginger said. "I shared a room with you enough during our college years to last me a lifetime."

"Ditto," Lacey said. "But you know that I am going to do my best to make sure that even if we're not sharing a room, you will have someone else to share yours with every night that we are there. I am designating you as the 'tournament slut', so be prepared to play your part."

~~~

"Let me see yours again," Cile said as she gently pulled Toby's left hand across the divider between their first-class seats. She'd had barely a chance to glance at the wedding band that Katie had handed her before she had been instructed by the minister to slip it on Toby's ring finger. Since the ceremony, every spare moment that she had found her lovingly admiring the wedding band on her own ring finger.

The simple platinum band is exactly the one that Cile would have chosen had she been given the opportunity to do so. Of course, Katie would have known that and she had obviously been a co-conspirator with Toby in arranging everything. Both wedding bands were identical to the ones that she and Katie had admired the last that they had visited a jewelry store together. Damn, her cousin was one devious bitch when she wanted to be.

The engagement ring that she had been surprised with during their first flight that morning was not one that she and Katie had seen. Katie had seemed knowledgeable about the ring and its design, but Cile could tell from the way that Katie had examined it immediately after the ceremony, that she had not seen the ring before then.

The band was platinum to complement the metal of her wedding band, with the mounting raised just enough for the two rings to match each other cleanly around the entire circumference. The setting had what appeared to be a one-carat princess-cut diamond in the center and two matching emerald-cut stones on either side of the diamond. Cile suspected that she knew what the two stones were, but Katie had verified it when she asked if Cile knew where Toby had found two identical bloodstones.

Toby had obviously had her engagement ring custom-made, using the traditional diamond as well as the second birthstone for March, the month that both she and Katie were born. Cile and Katie had speculated that the size, cut, and apparent quality of the matching bloodstones would be valued at over a thousand dollars each. Both Cile and Katie had bloodstone pendant necklaces that they had received as gifts from their respective brothers. Each had been appraised at over five-thousand dollars, but those bloodstones were larger than either of the two on her engagement ring.

Her engagement ring was just as wonderfully beautiful and unique as her guy was. She corrected herself; it was just as beautiful and unique as her husband was. She was married!

Cile released Toby's left hand and took his right hand into hers instead and squeezed it gently, "Any more surprises today?"

Toby squeezed her hand in return and said, "If I told you, then they wouldn't be a surprise, now would they?"

"I suppose not, but the two so far are going to be hard to beat," Cile said as she raised his hand to her lips and kissed it.

"I am going to treasure every opportunity I have throughout the rest of my life to share the story of this romantic day and how blessed I am to have you. How did you get the marriage license for us without either of us having to apply for it?"

"I applied for it," Toby said, "for both of us by proxy. I had your dad and uncle pull a few strings to get it expedited and also to arrange things with American Airlines so that we would be able to miss the earlier connection into Myrtle Beach without our reservations getting canceled, and of course for the exclusive use of that particular Admirals Club for a couple of hours. Your mom arranged for the minister, and Katie coordinated getting everybody there without you knowing it. I think JR flew everyone up on your uncle's plane."

"Katie is going to be paying for her subterfuge for a long, long time," Cile said with a wicked grin. "I never thought that she would, or could keep so much secret from me."

"I need to tell you," Toby said as he kissed Cile's hand in return, "I had arranged for a parachute and for the pilot to go to an altitude suitable for me to jump out of the plane had you turned me down."

Cile laughed and said, "Cutie, there was never a chance of that, and I'm disappointed that such a thought would have ever entered your mind. If I could have arranged for a license for us in time, I would have asked you to let us do a joint ceremony when Katie and Tyler were married last year. I've known since you made me a sparkling lemonade on the plane that we were going to be partners for life. Why do you think that I brought you home with me when we returned from their wedding and never even discussed you living anywhere else but with me?"

"I always assumed that it was due to me being so well endowed," Toby teased.

"Well, you certainly are that," Cile agreed with a giggle. "Which only adds to your many wonderful attributes."

"How many of my so-called 'wonderful attributes' will you want to partake in tonight?" Toby asked with a grin.

"Definitely all of your physical attributes," Cile assured him. "Plus, your greatest attribute of all; the visible expression of your love for me that I see every time I look into your eyes or hear your voice. That's one reason that I am always so proud to be with you when other people are present. I love the way that your love for me is so evident to other people, and I always say a silent prayer that my love for you is just as obvious to you."

"Let me show you something," Toby said as he pulled out his wallet. He extracted a business card and handed it to Cile. She read the front of the card with a questioning expression on her face.

"Turn it over," Toby instructed.

Cile turned over the business card that she had presented to Toby on the flight from Dallas to San Antonio where they had first met. Her attraction to this strange man had confused her at the time, but she knew that she wanted to see him again after they had both returned to Southern California, so she had brazenly given him one of her business cards and told him to call her sometime.

When she saw what was written on the back of the card in Toby's recognizable printing style, she shook her head and felt the tears beginning to seep from her eyes again.

He had written, "I am going to marry this girl. June 6, 2028."

"You did it again, you bastard," Cile cried as she tried to hug him across the seat divider and failed. "Any hopes that you had to sleep tonight or to be able to walk tomorrow are shot to shit, Buster. I am going to wreak such havoc on your body when we get to the hotel that you're going to beg me for mercy."

Toby was laughing as he leaned over to give Cile a passionate kiss. When she finally allowed him to sit straight again in his seat, he said, "Hit me with your best shot, Cutie. I took my vitamins, so let's see who is capable of walking tomorrow and who isn't."

Chapter Seven

"How are we going to keep the shells from smelling everything up until we get back home?" Didi asked.

She had filled the pockets of her shorts with small seashells during their sunrise walk along the beach. The assortment now sat on display upon a white cloth napkin at their table where they were planning to have breakfast. They were seated at one of the outside tables of the hotel restaurant with about a dozen other early risers.

"I think that we'll be able to seal them into plastic bags or something to keep them from smelling things up," Jules said.

"Do you have a microwave in your room?"

The question had come from the pretty blonde woman who had just sat at the table next to theirs. Both her and the man she was with looked like they hadn't slept yet.

"Excuse me?" said Jules.

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "I overheard your discussion about the seashells and I have a suggestion for you if your room has a microwave oven. Does it have one?"

Didi was curious, so she answered, "Yes, we have a small kitchenette area in our suite."

The woman turned in her seat to face Jules and Didi, "Good. It sounds like our suites are similar, so you should find a one-quart Pyrex bowl in one of your cupboards. Put the seashells into that bowl and then add enough water to cover the shells completely. Put the bowl into the microwave and set it to run on high for five minutes. That should get the water hot enough to sanitize the shells and eliminate any odor."

"Thank you," said Didi. "I'll give that a try. It sounds like you know quite a bit about seashells. Are you a collector?"

"I'm not as serious about it as I used to be," the woman said with a smile. "When I was growing up, our family spent almost every vacation at one beach or another, so I would try to find unique seashells that would serve as souvenirs for the particular location. I already have seashells from Myrtle Beach from a visit years ago, but I will definitely try to find something new on this trip since it's one I will always remember. We're on our honeymoon."

"Congratulations," Didi and Jules said in unison.

"I'm Celia Davis and this is my groom, Tobias Davis. You can all me Cile and he goes by Toby."

"I'm Didi Kleinhans and this is my fiancé, Julian Cabot."

Jules put his arm around Didi's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Thank you. We'll go pick out your ring as soon as the stores open."

Didi leaned over and kissed Jules before turning back to Cile and asking, "Would you and Toby care to join us at our table?"

Cile glanced over at Toby who just shrugged.

"Sure," Cile said as she and Toby both stood and took seats at the other couple's table. Since Didi was sitting next to Jules, Cile and Toby took seats on the other side of the table, with each man and woman sitting across from their opposite sex.

"I hear Cape Town in your voice, Didi, but Jules' accent is a bit more challenging for me. There's definitely some influence from Afrikaans, so I assume you're both South African, but I also denote a trace of Irish."

Jules laughed and said, "Very impressive. Since we've been in America, people have confused our accents as everything from Australian to Scottish. Didi is in fact from Cape Town. I am from the eastern coast of South Africa, closer to Pretoria, but I was educated at private schools in Ireland and graduated from the University of Dublin. How did you become so well versed in languages and dialects, Cile?"

"My family traveled quite a bit for vacations, as I mentioned," Cile said. "Then, in my job, I meet and interact with people from all over the world. What about you, Didi? What brings you and Jules to America? Are you on vacation?"

Didi leaned into the arm that Jules still had over her shoulder and said, "I am the personal assistant for this tyrant of a boss who insisted that I accompany him on this trip."

Cile looked at Didi with a sympathetic expression and said, "Well, at least Jules was able to come with you..."

Jules laughed and said, "I'm the tyrannical boss that Didi was referring to. I invited the love of my life to accompany me on the trip so that she could have a bit of a vacation while I attend the 2029 Earth Science and Environmental Symposium next week here in Myrtle Beach."

"I didn't know that the symposium was going to be here," Cile said. "We came to town so that Toby could attend the Southeast Regional Volleyball Tournament."

"I thought you were here on your honeymoon?" Didi said.

Cile turned to Toby and asked with a grin, "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

Toby laughed and said, "It's your story to tell, Cutie."

Cile leaned over and kissed Toby before sharing the events of the previous day with Didi and Jules. It was the first opportunity that she had had to tell the story to anyone in its entirety, and she didn't leave out a single detail.

"So, you two haven't slept since your arrival here yesterday evening?" Didi asked.

Cile blushed and said, "We've been busy. If hunger hadn't overtaken us, we would still be 'busy', if you know what I mean."

Toby explained further, "If a person claims that they are going to 'drink you under the table', they are stating that they plan to retain some relative cognitive abilities and coordination while those who attempt to keep up with them end up on the floor. Preferably, underneath the table they are sitting at. Substitute what Cile refers to as us being 'busy' for alcohol and you'll understand what she is trying to prove."

Toby winked at Cile and said, "She seriously underestimates my tolerance for being 'busy' with her."

Jules and Didi were in stitches, fueled both by Cile's comments and Toby's explanation.

"We had better get you two fed then," Jules said as he motioned for a server to come and take their orders.

"Coffee first," Didi said. "Otherwise, both of you might not stay awake long enough to eat."

Didi poured coffee for Toby and Cile, and then asked, "Where do you two live?"

"We live in Southern California," Cile answered. "Toby grew up there, but I'm originally from Texas, a little town southeast of San Antonio. Where in South Africa do you two live?"

Jules answered, "I have a house in a suburb of Richards Bay called Arboretum. Didi will be moving in with me there."

Cile saw the look of concern on Didi's face and said, "Arboretum makes the town sound like a garden. Are you looking forward to living there, Didi?"

Didi shared a glance with Jules before answering, "It's somewhat complicated..."

"Because of your different races?" asked Cile as their breakfast items were being delivered.

Over breakfast, Jules tried to explain, "Our relationship would present us with certain challenges in South Africa. The end of apartheid just changed the dynamics of the social stratification within South African society, it didn't eliminate it. If Didi and I live as husband and wife in Arboretum or anywhere else in the country we would be faced with her being considered socially on a par with a sex trade worker, while I would be viewed as an owner of human chattel, no better than a slave owner."

Didi added, "Endogamy and ethnic purity have found social favor, particularly among the Bantu. They view mixed-race people, such as the Cape Town Coloured, which is what I am, as a reminder of their oppression under European colonialism. For me to be in a relationship with a white of European descent would be an affront second only to a relationship between one of their own people and a European white, male or female."

"America has its own social stratification," Toby said, "But from a societal perspective, it remains mostly economic; Upper, middle, and lower classes based upon economic factors. While there are certain segments of society here that let race influence their opinion of others, the 'melting-pot' character of America manifests itself in relationships all the time. I haven't seen any studies on the subject, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple coming from different religions plays a bigger factor where relationships such as marriage are concerned than race or ethnicity do."

"Toby's right," Cile said as she pointed out to the beach. "It's still early in the day, but if you look at the people out there who are obvious couples, you'll see at least three that I recognize as being of different races."

"I've been noticing that since we arrived in America," Didi said. "It has made me much more comfortable with Jules and I being seen together."

"One of the reasons that I asked Didi to accompany me to America is so that she could see how mixed-race relationships are viewed in other parts of the world," Jules explained.

Cile picked up her cell phone and said, "Here, let me show you something..."

She scrolled through a few photos on her phone before turning it for Didi to view. "That's my cousin, JR, his wife Rocky, and their twins."

Jules leaned over to view the image with Didi and whispered, "That could be us someday."

"They're a beautiful family," Didi said. "Where do they live?"

"Now they live in the same town where I grew up," Cile said, "But they've lived all over the world. JR used to work for the US government and was stationed everywhere from Scandinavia to Australia. They never faced any repercussions from their difference in race anywhere. You two have a whole world of societies that wouldn't judge you based on your differences. Is moving from South Africa an option for the both of you?"

"It's an option that we are exploring," Jules replied. "The property I own in South Africa is the only physical tie that I have and I could sell that without losing sleep at all. I believe I am speaking for Didi when I say that leaving one's home is never easy, but if that is what we have to do to live in peace together, then we'll move."

Cile smiled and said, "We know that you are a tyrannical boss, but what sort of work are you a tyrannical boss at?"

Didi giggled while Jules chuckled and said, "My career is in a bit of transition at the moment. My education is as a geologist and I still own a consulting operation in that field. Wherever Didi and I chose to live, as long as there is ground beneath us, I should be able to find work."

"In addition to teaching physics and chemistry," Toby said, "I too do some consulting. Many of my contacts are working in the alternative energy arena, such as geothermal energy and methane recovery technologies. There's a great deal of need for geologic consulting. If you're interested at some point in the future, I'll be glad to pass some names along to you."

"I may take you up on your offer once Didi and I have decided what we want to do and where we want to do it," Jules said. "Why don't you let me enter your e-mail address into my phone so that I'll have it when the time comes?"

Didi laughed and said, "Not a good idea."

Jules looked at her with a confused expression and asked, "Why not?"

"Because if you enter it into your phone," Didi stated, "You won't put enough information in to identify Toby properly. In a couple of weeks, you'll be questioning why there is an unfamiliar e-mail address in your phone and delete it. If Toby wants to give us his e-mail address, I'll put it in my phone and then transfer the information to you."

Cile laughed and said to Didi, "Why don't you and I just trade our information and the guys can communicate through us?"

"I like that idea," Didi said with a wink. "I like it almost as much as the thought of you and me staying in contact."

~~~

"Can I give you a hand with that?"

Ginger Olsen turned to see who had spoken to her and recognized a man that she had noticed while she had been waiting at the baggage carousel for her luggage to arrive. Once she had realized that men taller than her would be less intimidated by her height, she had developed the tendency to take notice of any man who was over six-feet tall. This man exceeded that by at least five inches.

After noticing their height, her focus would typically shift to their ring finger, which in the case of this man, was as bare as hers. Check, check. A friendly smile, dazzling bright hazel eyes, light cocoa brown skin, casual but professional style, and nice looking. Check, check, check, check, check.

"I would appreciate that," Ginger smiled and finally replied to the man's offer. "Thank you."

He quickly hoisted her large wheeled suitcase onto the hotel shuttle, where the shuttle driver was busy stowing luggage onto the rack inside. Ginger and the man had to wait for her suitcase and a few other pieces of luggage to be repositioned by the driver before the path was clear for them to board the shuttle themselves.

The only remaining seats on the shuttle were adjacent spots on the rear seat. Ginger took the seat next to the window leaving the man to sit between her and another male traveler who was busy talking on his cell phone.

"Would you like to switch seats?" Ginger asked.

"No, that's okay," the man answered with a smile. "It's a short drive to the hotel and sitting here allows me to stretch my legs out into the aisle. I was cramped in the airplane seat with my knees practically against my chest all the way from Atlanta."

"Okay, but if you change your mind, let me know," Ginger told him. "I take it that you've stayed at this hotel before?"

"At the Sheraton?" the man asked. "I stay there about four times a year when I'm in the area on business. I like that it isn't right on the beach so it doesn't attract as many tourists as it does business people. When I come to Myrtle Beach for pleasure, I'll pick one of the beach resorts."

"That makes sense," Ginger agreed, "But you just answered my next question about whether you were here for business or pleasure. What kind of work do you do?"

"I am with the Environmental Protection Agency. I'm here to attend the 2029 Earth Science and Environmental Symposium at the convention center. What about you?"

"I heard that the symposium was scheduled at the same time as the Southeastern Regional Volleyball tournament at the Sports Complex. I'm here to assist with coaching the UCLA women's volleyball team."

Ginger extended her hand and said, "My name is Ginger Olsen."

He shook her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Ginger. My name is Carson MacGregor. I always wonder when I see a tall woman whether she might play basketball, but I guess height is an advantage in volleyball as well."

"I certainly can be an advantage, especially at the net," Ginger said. "However, other than an occasional game of beach volleyball among friends, I don't compete anymore. I teach earth sciences at UCLA and agreed to help the head coach of the team during this tournament since we're former teammates and still best friends."

"You teach earth science?" Carson asked. "I'm the eastern region geologist for the EPA. Do you plan on attending the symposium?"

"I hope to get a chance to sit in on some of the panel discussions at the very least," Ginger said. "Julian Cabot is on one panel and I would like the opportunity to meet him."

Carson pointed to his computer bag and said, "I have an extra complimentary pass for the entire symposium if you're interested. They always sent several to us in the EPA to coax us into attending. The organizers feel that our presence adds credibility to their program or something."

"That is very generous, Carson. I'll accept your offer on one condition; you'll let me buy you dinner one night this week. I would love to hear what your role as a geologist for the EPA entails. It must be very diverse and interesting."

Carson chuckled and said, "Buying me dinner isn't necessary, and I doubt that you would find my job that interesting, especially when compared to teaching at the university level. However, I don't have any plans yet for tonight so if you're available, I can show you a few of the better beachside places in town."

"As long as it's not Calabash-style seafood," Ginger said. "I try to avoid too many deep-fried foods, although I do have a weakness for good French fries."

"Give some thought to trying an authentic Irish pub that's only a block from the beach," Carson suggested. "Let's discuss when and where we'll meet up after we check in."

"That sounds like a plan," Ginger said.

~~~

"I thought that you would either still be 'busy' with your groom or asleep," Didi said with a smile at Cile when she saw her reclining on one of the lounge chairs near the outdoor pool. She laid her towel out on the chair next to Cile's and sat down facing her.

Cile looked up from her cell phone screen and returned Didi's smile, "We called a truce until tonight. Toby has a paper that he needs to work on and I've been getting so many texts from my cousin or e-mails about work that I couldn't sleep any longer than the four hours that we got after breakfast. Thanks again for you and Jules treating us this morning. That was very nice of you two. Where's Jules?"

Didi reclined in her chair and turned to continue speaking with Cile, "It was our pleasure. We really enjoyed meeting and spending time with you and Toby. Jules is at someplace called 'Top Golf' hitting little white balls. What kind of work do you do that they can't leave you alone on your honeymoon?"

"No Ma'am, not so fast," Cile said with a smile. "First you need to show me the rock that has suddenly appeared on your finger and tell me how Jules proposed to you. I want all the details."

Didi laughed and held her left hand out for Cile to examine the engagement ring that she and Jules had picked out that morning.

She then explained, "There wasn't any romantic 'on one knee' proposal or anything like that. I guess his proposal was inviting me to accompany him on this trip with the stated intention being as Jules said, for us - well, mostly me, to see that the two of us could have a future together. Jules made it clear - to me at least, that the decision on whether we would be life partners was up to me, so when I introduced him to you as my fiancé, he took that as my 'yes' to his proposal, and he was right.

Cile said, "I think your bravery, combined with Jules' concern for you is very romantic. Toby and I have been blessed with a love that has been unchallenged from the beginning, but I am still prepared to fight for our love if it ever becomes necessary. I would fight like I was the third tiger on the ramp leading to Noah's Ark, and it was beginning to rain. If you believe in the love between you and Jules, you should be prepared to do the same. Love conquers all. I firmly believe that."

"Jules has made me believe it too," Didi said, "And with him beside me, I will fight for our love against any odds. So, back to my question, what kind of work is interrupting your honeymoon?"

Cile conceded to the inquiry and said, "I'm currently a Lieutenant Commander in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service. I received a board promotion just a month ago."

"I'm not sure that I understand what that means," Didi admitted. "Are you in the military?"

Cile shook her head, laughed, and said, "I work for the federal uniformed service of the U.S. Public Health Service."

"So, are you a physician?" Didi asked.

"No," Cile explained further, "Although I do hold a doctorate degree in microbiology my medical title is what's known as a 'Physician Assistant'. If I provide any medical treatment, it is done in collaboration with a physician. My role within the Corps is that of an investigator, not a medical practitioner. Part of our mission to protect, promote, and advance the health of the general public involves the inspection and monitoring of biological, pharmacological, or medical research, especially where new technologies might come into play. I head up a team that keeps an eye on projects that we know about, and ferrets out projects that someone is trying to keep secret."

"It sounds like you need to delegate more to your team members so that you're free to enjoy your honeymoon," Didi chided. Then she asked, "Toby also holds a doctorate if I understood our earlier conversation about his being a professor, right?"

"Toby holds dual doctorates, one in chemistry and the other in physics," Cile said proudly. "Where the interruptions from my work are concerned, unfortunately as the leader of my team, I'm currently the only one with the 'big-picture' perspective on all the projects that we're monitoring. It seems that some strange ecological events have been happening so I am being asked if any of the projects we know about could have contributed to any of these. They're just sharing the details on the events to help me understand what types of research could be related to them. For example, if someone is detecting a radiation leak, I could focus my answers to those projects that deal with radiographic material."

Didi had a concerned look on her face when she asked, "Has someone detected a radiation leak somewhere?"

"No, no," Cile assured her. "I was just using that as an example. The events I am being asked about involve arsenic, mercury, and radon poisoning, and all of them occurred far from here."

"Not all in the same place or places?" Didi asked. "I know from working with Jules in his mining operations that those elements would rarely if ever be found near each other. Of course, I mean in their natural state. I suppose someone could bring all three of them together in their processed form, but for what purpose?"

"Excuse me, haven't we met?"

Cile and Didi looked in unison at the beautiful face smiling down at Cile. It took Cile's eyes a second to adjust to the bright blue sky behind the woman's face, but as soon as they did, she recognized who was speaking to her.

"Amanda Wallace!" Cile exclaimed as she jumped to her feet to embrace the woman. "I haven't seen you since Katie's wedding..."

"I knew I recognized you," Amanda said. "You're Celia, Katie's cousin and maid of honor."

Didi laughed as both women spoke at the same instant, "What are you doing here?"

Amanda motioned for Cile to go first, so she did, "I'm on my honeymoon. Do you remember Tobias Davis, the best man at Katie and Tyler's wedding?"

Amanda laughed and said, "I'm a woman, so of course I remember him. Why, did you marry him?"

Cile held up her left hand and giggled as her way of answering.

"Congratulations!" Amanda said. "I could sense something between the two of you at the reception and I'm glad my senses were correct. Where is your groom?"

"Toby is working on a professional journal article in our room."

Finally noticing Didi's confused expression, Cile said, "Oh, I apologize. Amanda Wallace, please meet Didi Klienhans. We met Didi and her fiancé at breakfast this morning. Didi, Amanda, and her husband Sean are friends and business associates of my uncle."

Didi examined the beautiful woman standing at the foot of Cile's chair. She was wearing a conservative white bikini that contrasted perfectly with her smooth tanned skin and athletic figure. Didi was immediately reminded of her cousin, who even more than twenty years after winning the Miss South Africa title, still looked fantastic in a bikini.

Didi shook Amanda's hand and asked, "Are you here on vacation or is there some romantic story to tell with you as well?"

"Every day with Sean is a romantic story," Amanda said with a sweet sincerity that the other two women observed, "But I am here for business. This resort is owned by Wallace International and Sean and I are here to announce a few personnel changes and reacclimate ourselves to the U.S. after our recent trip to Australia. The current manager is being promoted to a position at headquarters and a few other employees will be moving up as a result."

"I suppose 'welcome home' is in order then. This is a lovely resort," Didi told her. "Jules and I considered several before choosing to stay here. We liked that its amenities are targeted towards adults rather than children. Not that we have anything against children, but we enjoy being able to relax by a pool like this without getting splashed."

"I understand completely,' Amanda said. "We're staying at another of our hotels further south down the beach that has a water park and all the attractions for families with children."

Amanda winked and continued, "Which is one reason that I chose to come over to this pool to catch a little sun before heading to the spa. Would either of you care for a complimentary spa visit?"

"Jules and I have a couples massage scheduled for Wednesday afternoon," Didi said, "But thanks for the offer."

"Definitely don't forego the couples massage," Amanda told Didi, "However, let me treat you both to a girls' day at the spa this afternoon. We can get to know each other better while we're getting facials, manicures, pedicures, and massages."

"You had me at 'facial'," Cile said. "Count me in. Please join us, Didi."

Didi smiled and said, "All right, but I need to be back in my room by six. That's when I agreed to meet Jules so we could decide on where to have dinner."

"Where is Sean?" asked Cile.

"He is spending the afternoon with our children at some of the local attractions while I get some alone time just to relax. "Do you mind if I join you two here? I think we could get another half hour of sun before we're expected at the spa."

Cile remembered meeting the Wallace children at Katie and Tyler's reception. Eleven-year-old Caranda Wallace looked like a younger version of her mother, while her fourteen-year-old brother, Eddie Wallace was already turning the heads of young ladies, but keeping his eyes protectively on his sister the entire time. It was obvious that the two children adored each other, which had reminded Cile of her own brother Joey.

Didi answered Amanda's question, "We would love for you to join us. Cile was just explaining why her work is interrupting her honeymoon."

"Please continue with your explanation," Amanda said as she settled onto the available lounge chair on the other side of Didi.

Cile sighed and said, "I was explaining to Didi that I am being asked about whether any of the research projects that my team is monitoring could be related to some ecological events that the EPA is investigating..."

Amanda interrupted, "Ecological events such as the mysterious appearance of radon?"

Cile gave Amanda a puzzled expression and said, "Yes, radon, as well as reports of arsenic, mercury, and selenium in different locations. How have you heard of any of these events?"

"I have personal first-hand knowledge of a radon leak at our winery in McLaren-Vale," Amanda told her. "Sean and I returned from a visit there just last week after we were notified that one of our employees had died of radon poisoning and the Australian EPA made us close the winery until the grounds and buildings have been remediated to the point where the radon escaping from some underground source no longer posed a further risk. We have been informed that similar radon incidents had occurred here in the US, as well as in other countries."

Cile stared at Amanda for a few seconds before speaking, "Well, that makes the response that I sent about the inquiries pretty solid. I told them that none of the current research projects that my team is monitoring could be related to the events. However, if similar events are occurring on a global scale, then I suspect that someone is going to start looking at the possibility that research projects in other countries might be involved. That means that my team will be positioned as liaisons with the World Health Organization and likely Interpol to coordinate the review of identified projects. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't receive a notice shortly that my team has been temporarily purloined by the Department of Homeland Security."

"Oh heavens," Didi said. "It sounds like that would certainly cause some disruption to your honeymoon."

"Sean still questions whether someone or something wasn't behind the radon leak at our winery," Amanda said.

"Radon is an element," Cile said. "Someone can't just produce it and place it wherever they want. I mean, they can produce it but it decays very quickly so transporting and placing it someplace where it would be concentrated enough to cause health concerns would be almost impossible."

"I told Sean almost the exact same thing," Amanda said, "But the sudden appearance of the radon at our winery, where there had never been any detected previously seemed a bit too coincidental for Sean's protective nature to just accept as purely a natural event. The fact that multiple events are being reported around the globe will raise more suspicions."

"But it's not just radon, is it?" Didi asked Cile. "You had mentioned other ecological events that didn't involve radon."

Amanda and Didi watched as Cile reviewed e-mails on her cell phone.

She read a few and then said, "Arsenic poisoning, mercury poisoning, selenium poisoning, and some other events still being investigated. All the events seem to involve the toxic element suddenly appearing in the natural environment without warning and in locations where there had never been any recorded quantities of the particular element."

"The list has some commonalities," Didi said. "These are all heavy metal elements that are toxic to humans in low concentrations. Anyone familiar with mining operations has experience with the symptoms that exposure to each of them will cause. Each of these elements is also relatively rare and generally requires extraction from another mineral or ore."

"It sounds like you've had some education in chemistry and geology," Amanda said to Didi.

Didi laughed and said, "Just the basic secondary school education. I learned more from working with Jules and reviewing safety procedures related to the mining of various ores or the transportation of the same."

"Well," Amanda said, "I suggest that we get our spa treatments started before Cile gets interrupted further."

"I'm for that," Cile said as she prepared to stand. "Let's spend some time while we're there figuring out where all of us and our guys can have dinner together. I know that Toby would enjoy more time getting to know Jules, and I would like for him to get to know Amanda and Sean better too."

"You two just need to decide on what type of food everyone might like," Amanda said. "I'll make the arrangements for us all based upon that."

Chapter Eight

Ginger Olsen was a mixture of the cute girl next door and a very high-end escort all rolled up in one beautiful and enticing package, Carson thought, as he stood across the hotel lobby waiting for her to finish checking in.

She was five-eleven, muscular, graceful, had naturally radiant copper-colored hair, sparkling blue eyes, and was full of natural pep around people. She had the kind of face that was attractive without makeup, and he knew it would be positively gorgeous with it artfully applied. He could tell by the way that her light summer dress fit that her body shape was perfect. Her breasts were not too big, but had just enough firm substance to get the imagination going, though not enough to be lewd. Her hips were shapely, but not too wide. The muscles she'd built in her legs were well-proportioned. Her smile reminded him of blooming flowers.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Ginger said as she approached Carson.

"It's no problem. We said we would discuss meeting up for dinner once we were checked in, so if you don't mind riding up in the elevator with me, we can figure things out on the way up."

"How do you know that I'm not just one floor up?" Ginger asked with a grin.

Carson grinned back as he nodded in the direction of the elevator lobby as a way to urge her to follow him, "Because I heard the registration clerk say that you are on the fourth floor with the rest of the people in your party, which I assume are the girls on the volleyball team you are coaching. I'm on the fifth floor so if we don't have time on the trip up to your floor, I'll get off and we can finalize things before you get to your room."

There was an available elevator waiting with its doors open, so Ginger led Carson into it and then allowed him to push the buttons for their respective floors before responding, "The front desk clerk said that the beach is only about five blocks down the street. I could use a walk after sitting on planes all day, so how would you feel about us just dropping our bags off and heading to the sand? Maybe we can find a beachfront bar to discuss our dinner plans."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Carson said. "Let's drop off our bags and meet back in the lobby. How long will you need before you'll head down?"

"I'll just roll my suitcase inside the room and head back down," Ginger said as she pointed to her sandal-covered feet. "I won't even have to change shoes."

"Well, if we're going to be walking in the sand, then I probably should change my shoes," Carson said. "But I have a pair of flip-flops here in the outside zipper pouch of my bag, so I'll just need to kick off my tennis shoes and peel off my socks. Then I'll be down to the lobby."

"How about," Ginger suggested, "You just put your bags in my room, change your shoes there, and then we can go back down together. My room will be on the way back up to yours when we return."

Before Carson had an opportunity to respond, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and the doors opened. Ginger took his hand in her spare hand and led him out into the hallway. They walked together in silence the twenty yards down the hallway until they reached the room assigned to Ginger. She opened the door with her card key and Carson held it open while she wheeled her suitcase inside. He then followed her into the room with his own bags.

Ginger left her suitcase sitting in front of the combination dresser/desk and said over her shoulder, "Just toss your things onto the bed for now."

"Sorry, but old habits die hard," Carson said apologetically. "I remember traveling with my parents when I was younger and my mom always telling me never to place luggage onto a hotel bed in case it has bed bugs. She was always concerned about us bringing them home from some strange hotel. I'll just stow them in the closet for now."

"Thanks," Ginger groaned. "Even though the likelihood that a chain such as Sheraton would not check all their rooms regularly for bed bugs, now I'm going to have to strip this bed and inspect it myself before I crawl into it tonight."

Carson laughed as he set his computer bag on the floor of the closet, followed by his suitcase before he opened the zippered pouch on the side of his suitcase and pulled out a pair of flip-flops. He kicked his tennis shoes off into the closet, pulled his socks off one at a time, and then slipped on the flip-flops. The ease with which he maintained his balance during the removal of his socks was not lost on Ginger. She retrieved her driver's license and a credit card from her purse.

She handed them, along with her hotel room card key to Carson and asked, "Would you mind holding these for me in one of your pockets so that I don't have to carry my purse?"

"I would do anything to keep you tied to me," Carson joked as he slid the cards into his front pants pocket. "There'll be less likelihood that some other guy could spirit you away from me if I'm holding these things for you."

Ginger was laughing as she stepped past him and approached the door to the hallway. "What's to keep you from wandering off after some bikini-clad beach bunny?"

Carson reached around Ginger to open the door for her and said, "You mean besides the fact that you are holding my luggage hostage in your room?"

Ginger stepped into the hallway and took Carson's hand again. She squeezed it and said, "Oh yeah."

Carson led Ginger through the hotel lobby and through the atrium that it shared with the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. When they exited onto the street entrance, a breeze blew Ginger's shoulder-length hair partially into her face. They stepped aside to avoid blocking the door as Ginger removed the band she was wearing around her wrist and used it to tie her hair into a low ponytail.

"Are you always so prepared," Carson asked as they joined hands and headed in the direction of the beach.

Ginger laughed and said, "My organizational skills are legendary and I am an epic list maker, so I am usually the most prepared person in any given situation. Although, I do endeavor to break out of my box on occasion and force myself to be more spontaneous and 'spur of the moment'. My being here with you is an example of that. We've just met and part of me wanted to list out plans for dinner and whatnot, but I resisted that urge and agreed to just go with the flow."

Carson said, "Wow, it sounds like you and I have a few things in common. I just made a mental note to compare your list-making to my own. But, I'll tell you, few things in life can serve a person better than good organizational skills."

"I tell my students that all the time," Ginger agreed.

"My parents drilled it into me," Carson said.

Ginger nodded her agreement and asked, "Do your parents live near you?"

"No, they live in the US Virgin Islands. That's where I'm from originally."

"Saint Croix, John, or Thomas?" Ginger asked, referring to the three main islands that make up the US Virgin Islands.

"I'm impressed," Carson said. "No, they are both lawyers on Saint Thomas but their home is in Sprat Bay Estates on Water Island.

"I've been to Saint Thomas for snorkeling," Ginger informed him, "But I've never been to Water Island."

"The island doesn't get a lot of tourists," Carson explained. "It's almost exclusively residential, but a few of the homes are available for rental through one of the online booking sites like Airbnb or VRBO. What about you? Where did you grow up?"

Ginger waited until they had crossed Kings Highway at the light because she recognized the need to pay attention to the drivers who weren't doing so. Getting run over in a crosswalk could put a damper on the whole trip. She could see the ocean less than two blocks away, but couldn't hear the sounds of the surf yet.

"I grew up in a small suburb in Orange County, California called Cypress. I attended UCLA on a volleyball scholarship. Where did you go to college?"

Carson laughed again and said, "Now that was a fight. I was heavily recruited by Wake Forest, largely because my cousin, Tim Duncan, was an all-American for them while he was there. In fact, he played dirty by getting his mom involved in trying to recruit me to his alma mater. Family meals were tense for several months as my mom did everything possible to help her sister and nephew convince me to go to Wake Forest, but I stuck to my guns and went to Georgia Tech."

"Tim Duncan, the coach for the San Antonio Spurs?" Ginger asked.

Carson nodded.

"Did you play basketball in college?" Ginger asked next. She assumed that Carson saying that he had been recruited meant that the athletic department wanted him to play a sport, and based upon his height, basketball would be a good guess there.

"I played my sophomore and junior years at Georgia Tech, but sat out my senior year with a strained quadricep tendon and bursitis in my right knee."

"People don't realize how long it can take a tendon strain to fully heal," Ginger said. "The pain goes away long before the injury is healed and that leads to a lot of people reinjuring themselves over and over again."

"Don't I know it," Carson agreed. "The Irish pub I mentioned is still a few blocks south of here so I thought we could walk along the boardwalk until we get closer unless you would rather walk on the sand."

"I look forward to feeling the sand between my toes," Ginger said, "But there's no urgency. We can walk on the beach on our return trip. How long is this boardwalk?"

Carson steered them south on the walkway that ran between the dunes of the beach and the hotels or businesses that lined Ocean Boulevard and said, "Originally, it only ran about ten or twelve blocks in the city of Myrtle Beach, but it became so popular that cities to the north and south, as well as the county and state funded an expansion that now has the boardwalk running from the inlet of the Intercostal waterway in Little River all the way to the Marsh Walk in Murrell's Inlet. Almost forty miles from end to end."

"Wow!" Ginger said, "That's got to make it the longest boardwalk in the country, if not the world. Sounds like the length of a hiking trail rather than a beach boardwalk."

"I doubt that they intended for people to walk the entire distance," Carson laughed. "It just provides a common feature for people along the entire 'Grand Strand', as this area is called."

After walking about half a mile on the boardwalk, they passed the famous Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, a large Ferris wheel-type ride with enclosed gondolas. Carson led her around the attraction and up a short block to their destination.

Ginger glanced up at the sign that read "Ole Irish Pub" and said, "I suppose the name says it all."

Carson chuckled and said, "It doesn't look like much on the outside but on the inside, well, it's a real shithole. Let's sit inside. The ambiance and authenticity are better in there than out on the deck."

He held the door for Ginger to enter and then followed her. He directed her to the bar rather than one of the tables and they found two open seats next to each other. Ginger took one of the seats and Carson sat in the one to her left. A handsome middle-aged bartender with a warm and friendly smile came over to them.

"Carson, me boy, it's good to see you," the bartender said in greeting.

"It's good to see you, Pauly," Carson replied. "I'd like to introduce you to my good friend, Ginger. Ginger, keep a hand on your knickers whenever Pauly is around."

Ginger laughed, but thought that if Carson wasn't her point of interest this evening - well she just might consider giving Pauly a shot at her 'knickers'.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Ginger," Pauly said. "What would you like to drink? I already have Carson's last drink on this good Earth ready for him."

Ginger laughed again at the good-hearted banter being shared by these two men, who obviously knew each other well and enjoyed tweaking each other's tail from the looks of things.

"I realize that this is an Irish pub," Ginger said, "And a Guinness would be a logical choice for a drink, but I'm afraid that having one would fill me up too much before dinner. Do you have any Merlot?"

"Of course, Lassie," Pauly said with a wink. "Would you like it in a clean glass?"

"Whatever is easiest for you, Pauly," Ginger said with a wink in return.

They watched as Pauly poured the wine for Ginger, followed by him preparing a drink for Carson with practiced precision, although two fingers of Johnny Walker Black on the rocks with club soda added wasn't that difficult to manage. Before serving the drinks, Pauly positioned a skewer of green olives across the rim of both glasses.

"Thank you, Pauly," Ginger said as the glass of wine was placed before her. She picked up the skewer of olives and silently studied it.

Pauly set Carson's drink in front of him and turned back to explain to Ginger, "Me boy Carson here won't accept any drink that doesn't come with olives. The bastard started a tradition here with his insistence that olives aren't just for Martinis, but go with all drinks. We've been buying olives in five-gallon tubs for years now because he got all the locals in on his olive fetish."

Ginger placed the first olive on her skewer between her teeth and extracted it from the stick. She held it between her lips for a second before sucking it into her mouth and chewing it with savory appreciation. She smiled at Pauly, who seemed to be holding his breath as he watched an olive being consumed so sensuously by the beautiful redhead.

"Sorry, Pauly," she said, "But I'm afraid that I must agree with Carson. Olives belong with every drink."

Pauly turned to Carson and said, "You bastard. You've gone and turned a good Irish girl bad, haven't you?"

Carson turned towards the back of the pub and yelled, "Ann, Pauly is abusing me again..."

Within seconds a petite woman with a cherubic face and wearing an apron with the pub's logo on it bounced through a door and walked over to Carson's side.

She ignored Carson as she spoke to Pauly and said, "Pauly, if there is any abusing of Carson to be done, I'll be the one to do it. Just make certain that you let me know which food is his so that I don't poison an innocent bystander by mistake."

The cook reached around Carson and picked up the skewer of olives still on the rim of his drink. She kissed Carson on the cheek and retreated to the kitchen, eating the olives along the way. A striking blonde appeared at the doorway between the inside bar and the outside deck.

"Carson, you bastard, you're three months behind on the child support again!" she yelled before racing over and planting a playful kiss on his lips.

"If I buy you a drink, Wendy, will you call us even?" Carson asked with a broad smile.

Wendy winked at Ginger and replied to Carson, "You buying me drinks is what got you having to pay child support, so no thank you. I'll just find another reason to blackmail Jimmy into paying me enough to cover your debt."

Ginger was in stitches after watching the interactions between Carson and the employees of the pub. She soon realized that the same friendly insults and threats were standard fare at the pub between Pauly and most of the locals. She could easily imagine herself sitting in a similar pub on some backstreet in Dublin, and she was loving it.

~~~

"My father was the son of the Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands. He and my mother met while in college," Carson explained as they waited to enter the waterfront seafood restaurant.

There were three other parties in front of them at the hostess podium and based upon the number of people sitting on benches outside the restaurant, none of them appeared to be getting seated very soon.

"This looks like a popular place," Ginger said. "I'm glad that we filled up on olives or I might suggest that we try someplace else. Does the back of the shirt you bought me really translate as Pauly described?"

Carson had purchased Ginger one of the pub's branded tank tops in a light pink color. He chuckled and said, "Yes it does. Just remember that the 'T' in Póg mo thóin is silent."

"Even though it is written in Irish and most people won't be able to translate it," Ginger giggled, "I don't know how many places that I would feel comfortable wearing a shirt that has 'Kiss my ass' printed on the back."

"Well, it's a souvenir," Carson said. "It's a reminder of your visit, but you don't have to wear it."

"Professor Olsen?"

Ginger turned to see who had addressed her and Carson followed her gaze. The tall handsome man was holding the hand of the most beautiful blonde woman that Carson had ever seen. His gaze then fell on the equally beautiful brunette that was holding the hand of...

"Sean?" Carson said. "It is you. What are you doing here? You were in Australia the last time we spoke."

"The magic of air travel, Carson," Sean chuckled. "It looks like we need to introduce our ladies."

Carson smiled, "Of course. Do you want to start?"

Sean placed his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, "Amanda, this is Carson MacGregor, the man with the EPA that helped us get the data we requested. Carson, this is my wife, Amanda Wallace."

"Amanda, you are so much prettier than the last woman that Sean introduced as his wife."

Amanda raised an eyebrow at her husband, who had a wide grin on his face as he said, "Thanks, Carson. How are your wife and kids doing?"

It was Ginger's turn to raise an eyebrow, which Amanda saw. She laughed and said, "Oh, the legendary Marine Corps humor..."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Amanda. I'm sorry that I had to miss your wedding," Carson then said.

He then introduced Ginger. Ginger introduced Tobias Davis to Carson. Toby introduced Celia as his new wife. Cile introduced Julian Cabot and Didi Klienhans.

"Were you waiting for a table?" Amanda asked Carson.

"We're waiting to wait for a table," Ginger explained, pointing to the non-moving line waiting to speak to the hostess.

Amanda frowned and said, "Well, that's just silly. Please excuse me for a moment."

Without waiting for a response from anyone, Amanda left Sean standing with the others as she strolled past the waiting crowd, past the hostess podium, and disappeared inside the restaurant. She returned moments later with a harried-looking woman and a red-faced man, both of whom went to the hostess podium and took turns speaking to the young woman standing there to greet potential diners.

Amanda took Sean's hand again and said, "Our table is ready. Carson, would you and Professor Olsen care to join us or would you prefer to dine alone? I can assure you, either way, your wait will be a short one."

Carson glanced at Ginger and raised an eyebrow. Ginger nodded and said, "We would love to join you all."

Amanda led the group past the crowd of waiting diners, around the main restaurant seating, and onto the large covered outside patio area. The more than fifty tables on the patio were all empty, bare of place settings, except for the tables that Amanda directed them to.

"When I requested a reserved table on the patio," Amanda explained as everyone took seats at the large round table, "Someone assumed that I wanted the entire patio reserved."

"That certainly explains the delay at the hostess station," Sean chuckled.

Ginger appeared to be getting ready to ask a question, so Toby interceded and explained, "Amanda and Sean own this hotel."

"Maybe someone can explain how everyone here knows one another?" asked Jules. "I'll start. My name is Julian Cabot, and this is my fiancée, Didi Klienhans. We met Tobias and Cilia this morning at breakfast."

"And Cile introduced me to Amanda this afternoon at the pool," Didi added. "We spent the afternoon in the spa as Amanda's guests."

"I've known of Sean and Amanda Wallace for years from their relationship with members of my family," said Cile, "But I met them for the first time last year at my cousin's wedding. The same wedding where Toby and I also met."

"And we got married yesterday," Toby contributed. "I know Ginger from us both being professors at UCLA and also assisting with the women's volleyball team which is in town to play in a tournament."

Ginger spoke up, "I met Carson today on the shuttle from the airport to our hotel."

"I met Sean Wallace when he was instructing Marines on security practices for nuclear missile submarines when docked," Carson said. "I was teaching the same Marines how to read radiation badges before allowing any crew members to disembark."

"Amanda and I met when I helped her escape from some human traffickers," Sean said.

"This is like the 'Six-degree of Separation' theory," joked Jules. "Everyone really is just six handshakes away from every other person on Earth."

Sean laughed and said, "I'll take that even further with the 'Six-degree of Kevin Bacon' theory. I've met Colonel Mike Strobl, who was portrayed by Kevin Bacon in the movie, 'Taking Chance'. So, that means all of you now have only three levels of connection between yourselves and Kevin Bacon."

Their server arrived to take drink orders from everyone and handed out menus.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cabot," Ginger said, leaning around Carson, "I understand that you are going to be speaking at the Earth Science and Environmental Symposium and I was hoping to attend during that time. Do you know when you are on the agenda?"

"Please call me Jules, and I'm not speaking per se. I will be but one member on a panel discussing the effects of mining on the environment and methods to mitigate those effects. The discussion is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon unless something changes."

"Oh," said Ginger, "then it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it. Our team is scheduled to play Tuesday afternoon. Lacey, the coach, really doesn't need my help but it's best to always have at least two coaches on the bench in case one gets ejected for arguing a call or something."

"Can I make a suggestion?" asked Cile.

She and Toby were seated across from Jules and Didi so she couldn't help but hear the conversation.

Ginger glanced across the table and said, "Of course."

"Ask Lacey if she would mind me taking your place on the bench on Tuesday," said Cile.

"I remember that you were an all-American at Baylor, but have you ever done any coaching?" Ginger asked.

Cile winked and said, "Hit the ball over the net, score more points than the other team, victory. What else do you gotta know? It will give me something to do while Toby is scouting the other games."

Ginger laughed and said, "I'll ask Lacey, but I know right now that she'll jump at the chance to have you on the bench. She hasn't stopped talking about you since she learned that Professor Davis was dating her former nemesis."

Cile laughed in return, "I've never been called someone's nemesis before. But seriously, if it would free you up so that you could attend the symposium, I would be glad to help."

"I assume that this symposium is what brings you to town, Carson?" Sean said.

Carson replied, "Yes, it is. I would attend anyway, but that little incident that we discussed while you were in Australia might be a bit more widespread than we originally thought. A lot of governments around the world aren't being very forthcoming with environmental data that we have requested, so I'm hoping that pressing the flesh with their representatives attending the symposium will help us determine the true scope of things."

"More radon leaks?" Amanda asked.

Carson glanced around the table trying to decide how much he should reveal to this group, most of whom were strangers to him. Sean, he could trust, and probably Amanda as well, but what about the others?

Jules interrupted, "Radon only occurs where the decaying of uranium, thorium, or various other short-lived radioactive elements have been present. Australia has several active uranium mines, as does South Africa. I monitor mine incident reports pretty regularly and I haven't heard of any radon leaks in either country."

"The radon leak was at our winery," Amanda offered. "There are no mining operations within a hundred kilometers of it. Sean and I verified that when we were there."

"Had there been signs of radon at your winery previously?" asked Jules.

"No," answered Sean. "We verified that all previous radon tests were accurate, and they were all negative. The sudden and mysterious appearance is what prompted me to ask Carson to investigate any similar incidents around the world."

Ginger asked, "Has a geological survey been performed?"

"That's in the works right now," said Sean. "They're starting with the water table or something like that."

Jules nodded and said, "That's common. Changes in the level of an aquifer can expose ores previously undetected. Trace amounts of radon are common in well water, for example."

"But not usually enough to pose a health risk," Cile said. "There are a lot of things that can be in untreated well water, which is why most developed countries require some form of filtration for well water to be used for human consumption."

"Celia," Didi said, "earlier today you were mentioning some other incidents involving heavy metal toxins. Were these only in the U.S.?"

"Yes," Cile said. "My team doesn't have jurisdiction outside of the United States."

"Who do you work for?" asked Carson.

"I work for the U.S. Public Health Service," Cile replied. She then described her earlier conversation with Amanda and Didi for Carson and the others.

"So, you are aware of the mercury, selenium, arsenic, cadmium, and radon incidents being investigated?" Carson asked,

"Only the generalities," Cile said. She then explained about the inquiries into whether any known research projects could have contributed to the incidents.

"And you knew of no projects," Carson said, "correct?"

"What is your role in the investigation," Cile asked.

Having heard the level of knowledge that the people around the table already had related to the general awareness of the incidents, Carson wasn't as concerned about responding to Cile's question.

"I am an analyst tasked with gathering data on any similar incidents around the world to discover if there are any commonalities. That's why the symposium this week will be a valuable venue for me."

"I would like to offer my assistance," Jules said. "If certain governments are attempting to avoid publicity of any environmental incidents, their representatives might be reluctant to discuss them with you because you work for an American government agency. As a businessman and consultant, I might have better luck getting them to open up."

"That sounds like it might be a good idea," Cile said. "I'm going to start some informal chats with some of my contacts in the World Health Organization and a few other individual government health agencies to see if they have heard about any spikes in exposure incidents. I'll share whatever I learn with you."

Carson saw their server approaching the table and held up a finger encouraging her to wait a minute. He then glanced around the table and said, "I need to ask you all to keep these events quiet. There's a very tight lid on things right now and we'd like to keep it there until we have a handle on what might be causing the incidents that we are aware of. If everyone can agree to that, then I would welcome any assistance you can provide."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

~~~

Huma Sandhu finished her e-mail to General Ankit Narula informing him of her arrival in America for the symposium and then hit the 'send' icon. She intended to follow all the general's instructions out of respect as well as appreciation for him getting her assigned to attend the symposium as a representative of India's Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Minister Sridhar had felt that Huma was too young and inexperienced, but he had eventually conceded to the General's request.

Huma had been one of the first from the ministry to arrive at Lake Dhebar and she had seen first-hand the deadly toll that the cadmium exposure had caused. She had remained at the lake, monitoring the geologic survey, and leading the search for the source of the toxic element entering the lake. Leaving the scene with the search ongoing troubled her, but the opportunity to attend the symposium to gather intelligence from other environmental experts was too important for her to ignore.

She didn't fully agree with her government's decision to keep the incident at Lake Dhebar secret. While she realized that informing the public of the disaster would likely stoke speculation on the cause and fears around the country, Huma had long believed that citizens had a right to be as informed as possible about how their elected officials responded to incidents such as this. It was a fear of what the biased media would say about how the government responded that was the true motivation behind the veil of secrecy that the Prime Minister had thrown over the Lake Dhebar incident, and Huma's conscience was fine with keeping the media in the dark.

One of the arguments that General Narula had used to convince Minister Sridhar to send Huma to the symposium was that her youth and lack of experience resulted in her not being well known in the global scientific communities. She would be able to ask more probing questions to the other participants without drawing too much attention to the purpose behind her curiosity. Her fashion model career in Mumbai had paid for her education, and now the General felt that her exotic beauty would serve them well in getting far more information than the Indian government was willing to share with the rest of the world.

Opening the drapes and gazing out of her hotel room window to the beach below, Huma contemplated whether she wanted to take a walk along the beach before she unpacked her suitcase. It was just after 6 PM, so there would be a least two more hours of sunlight left if she unpacked first. However, while she had been able to sleep quite a bit on the almost eighteen-hour flight from Mumbai to Atlanta, her body had still been sedentary much longer than she was accustomed to.

There had barely been enough time for her to clear customs and immigration at the Atlanta airport before she had to board her connecting flight into Myrtle Beach. There had been time for her to purchase a small fruit and cheese snack which she had eaten on the connecting flight. Since she typically ate like a bird, she knew that she would not want anything for dinner.

Huma glanced at her suitcase and then back out to the beach and made her decision. She would unpack first, for the simple reason that she wanted to change out of her travel clothes before walking on the beach. The conservative slacks, blouse, and blazer that she had worn while traveling were not suitable for either the sand or the balmy early-evening weather on the beach. Her problem was that she had selected and packed professional attire targeted almost exclusively for her participation in the symposium.

She had packed a single bikini, actually a microkini, which barely had enough fabric to cover her genitals, but she could use one of her scarfs as a substitute for a sarong and a short-sleeve cotton shirt to make her feel more comfortable wearing it in public in the United States. The bikini had been purchased the previous year for the trip that Huma and her then girlfriend had taken to the beaches of Baga and Palolem.

As conservative as her traveling attire was, this particular bikini was anything but. Wearing this bikini around a hotel pool in India had not concerned Huma, but she questioned its appropriateness for a walk along a public beach. Well, at least it wasn't the thong-style such as she had seen European women wearing on the beaches of India.

After unpacking and changing into the bikini, Huma stood before the closet door with the full-length mirror and frowned. She was proud of her body, but she had always been modest and cautious about showing so much of it to strangers. Her breasts were not huge, but the bikini top certainly enhanced their pert, C-cup shape, and did nothing to hide the shape of her nipples beneath the fabric. Donning the shirt that she had selected, she tied the tails together to form a knot that rested about two inches above her bellybutton and wished that it was made of a slightly heavier fabric. The almost sheer gauze material simply placed a 'haze' over the features of her breasts that the bikini top hinted at.

The scarf, when tied around her slender waist did more to obscure the bottom of the bikini, but with it tied in a knot at her right hip, the thin string connecting the front and rear panels for the bikini on that side was hidden, making it appear as if she had nothing on beneath the scarf. She walked to the window again and looked out at the beach. The crowds that she had witnessed earlier had dissipated. Only a few people were sitting in chairs or on blankets, with most of the people walking along the surf line, searching for seashells, and many of these appeared to be couples.

Reforms within India's legal system had resulted in easier convictions for rape, as well as a decrease in the number of false reports of rape, but they did nothing to reduce the number of women being raped, and in particular, being gang raped. Several nations maintained travel advisories for women planning to visit India, and all Indian women were aware of the risks of becoming a victim of rape and the steps to help prevent it.

Turning away from the window, Huma reminded herself that the apparently tranquil beach outside was not in India.

Although she had no intention of going into the water, Huma placed her cell phone, identification, room card key, and a single credit card into a small waterproof pouch. Placing the pouch's strap around her neck, she slipped into her sandals and left her room for the beach.

Exiting the beach-side of the hotel, Huma crossed a small grass area with lounge chairs for the guests to use before reaching a path that would lead her across the sand dunes to the beach. There was a wide depression in the middle of the dunes created by service vehicles driving up and down the beach. The dunes themselves rose into berms five to six feet on either side of the depression except where the path to the beach created an opening.

The sand through the dunes and out onto the beach was dry and soft, which made walking on it in sandals more challenging. Huma paused to slip her sandals off and then carried them in her hand as she continued towards the surf line about thirty yards across the beach. She knew when she had reached the latest high tide line because the sand became much firmer from its exposure to the surf earlier in the day.

The tide was currently at a lower level, but studying the surf told Huma that it had reached its low peak and was beginning the return for the next high tide. Seashells littered the region of the beach between the high tide line and the surf line, so Huma replaced the sandals onto her feet to shield them from the sharper shell fragments. Knowing that she would be spending a great deal of time on her feet at the symposium this week, she didn't want to scrape or cut her feet before it even began.

There were even fewer people on the beach than when Huma had last checked it from the hotel room window. She smiled as she passed several older couples walking hand-in-hand along the surf line. She assumed that most were on their way to dinner at one of the beachfront restaurants, or they were returning to their hotels after already having dinner. No one spoke to her as they passed, but everyone did smile and nod in a friendly non-verbal greeting.

Upon reaching a pier, Huma stood underneath and watched as the ocean swept past the pilings far out in the ocean and gradually moved ashore beneath the wooden pier.

"Excuse me," said a pretty blonde woman, "Would you mind taking a photo for us?"

The woman and her male companion had silently approached as Huma was watching the waves under the pier. They were now standing between her and the surf, and it was obvious that they wanted to capture a picture with the pier pilings marching out to the sea as the backdrop.

"It would be my pleasure," Huma said with a smile as she accepted the cell phone that the woman was holding in her outstretched hand.

Huma stepped back a few feet and waited as the couple got into position to pose so that they would be centered between the nearest pier pilings. They made a striking couple, Huma thought, and their love for each other seemed to radiate from them. She was envious as she aligned the image on the cell phone display to ensure that she captured the best picture possible for this couple. They deserved their obvious happiness to be portrayed properly, and for eternity.

She took three images before handing the cell phone back to the woman and saying, "Please check these and let me know if they meet your expectations."

The woman accepted her cell phone back and turned it so that both she and the man with her could view the pictures together. The smile on their faces would have been enough confirmation for Huma, but the woman verbalized her approval as well.

"Oh, they're perfect!" she said. "Thank you. I knew that a picture under the pier would be a perfect background. Would you like me to take one of you?"

Smiling her answer, Huma extracted her cell phone from the pouch and switched places under the pier with the couple. She had years of modeling experience and knew which pose positions displayed her features best. She pulled her waist-length dark hair over one shoulder and turned slightly to allow her face to be captured just slightly off a full-frontal shot. This would provide greater prominence to her facial features such as her nose and lips, which Huma always thought were some of her best attributes.

"You are so beautiful," the woman said as she studied the cell phone display, attempting to frame her shot perfectly. "You should be a model."

"Thank you," said Huma as she broke her pose and accepted her phone back from the woman. "I was a model while at the university."

"I can believe it," the man said. "You are the second most beautiful thing on the beach right now."

The woman slapped the man's arm playfully and said, "He has to say that. We're on our honeymoon."

"Congratulations," Huma said as she secured the closure once more on the pouch. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, and thank you for the picture."

"Thank you, too," the woman said.

The couple continued their walk up the beach in the direction that Huma had come from. Huma glanced down the beach in the opposite direction, noticed the impending dusk, and decided that she should probably begin her return journey to the hotel. The couple was already almost fifty yards ahead of her on the beach when Huma began following in their wake.

People walking on the beach were walking farther from the surf line now due to the number of fishermen who had their lines out trying to catch fish feeding at dusk. Huma's attention was on avoiding any fishing lines and she lost sight of the couple. She assumed that they had taken one of the paths through the dunes prior to the one leading to her own hotel as she once more removed her sandals to walk back through the softer sand of the beach and through the dunes.

Huma's sandals fell from her grasp as the hand clasped over her mouth.

Chapter Nine

"They're feasting on each other," Amanda giggled. "I didn't have much of an appetite for anything but Sean on my honeymoon, so I understand why Cile and Toby only wanted to have drinks with us.

Didi nodded and said, "I understand as well, but it's a shame that they missed the delicious meal that you ordered for us, Amanda. Thank you so much."

"It has been our pleasure," Sean assured everyone. "We've enjoyed the adult companionship today. Not that we don't love spending time with our kids, but they're not yet that intellectually stimulating."

"Sean," said Jules, "Do you feel that your investment in a resort here has provided the returns that you were expecting?"

"See what I mean?" chuckled Sean, "My kids have not yet taken any interest in my investment returns."

Sean waited for the laughter to subside before answering Jules' question, "You need to understand that this resort is part of a chain of resorts that our company owns. We have three other hotel chains as well, but none of them have resort properties. The challenge with resorts, I have learned, is that one or more of them seems to be a loss-leader every year, but seldom the same one, and never intentionally. We make a profitable return on the chain as a whole, but frequently take a loss on one or more each year."

"So, if I understand you," Jules said, "investing in a single resort property would carry higher risks than investing in multiple properties."

Sean nodded and said, "Pretty close. Let's take this property as an example. In a good year, the occupancy rate from May through October here is over ninety-five percent. From November to May, the occupancy rate drops to less than thirty percent..."

"I didn't think the weather here got so bad that people wouldn't want to visit the area year-round," said Ginger. "I mean, the beaches in Southern California draw crowds all the time, even if they are a little smaller than at the peak of summer."

"Weather is only one consideration," Sean explained. "While they do see a few days during the winter months where the temperatures along the coast won't get out of the thirties, many of the attractions in this area are targeted for families. So, with kids in school, they close down entirely. There's no Disneyland, Hollywood, or other attractions here that remain open to draw people in during the offseason. Several of the restaurants and other businesses also close down between November and May, so guests at the resorts have many more limitations during that time than during the summer, which makes them less attractive as a destination."

"So, the resort needs to achieve twelve months of revenue in approximately six months?" asked Didi.

"Not quite," said Sean. "This resort can still be profitable during the slower months as long as staffing levels are adjusted, and operations are scaled back accordingly. It's hardest on the workers who get furloughed over the lean months and we struggle each spring trying to refill positions in preparation for the busy months."

"Then there are things like hurricanes," Amanda offered.

"That's right," Sean said. "The hurricane season runs from June through October, so it coincides with most of our busiest time of the year. If Myrtle Beach is in the path of a hurricane, reservations get canceled, guests get evacuated, and the resort gets shut down and secured to ride out the storm. It could be weeks before we are able to resume operations after a major hurricane, which translates into lost revenue and higher costs associated with any damages the resort incurred. Yeah, if I was going to invest in a single resort property, I definitely wouldn't choose this area. I'd look at someplace in Arizona or Las Vegas. Those areas are more stable and have better year-round potential."

"Well, Didi and I haven't made a lot of decisions yet on how we might want to reinvest the proceeds from the sale of one of my operations," Jules said as he placed his arm around Didi's shoulder. "Would you mind if I used you as a sounding board as ideas come to us?"

"Sean and I would be honored to provide whatever assistance we could," Amanda said, pulling Sean's arm around her own shoulder. "Didi and I shared contact information earlier, so don't hesitate to call on us."

The Myrtle Beach boardwalk was separated from the dining room patio by a low hedge of some plant type and a fifteen-foot-wide expanse of grass lawn. Across the boardwalk lay the dunes. Screaming through the dunes were several police vehicles with their sirens blaring and their blue lights flashing. They all appeared to be congregating almost directly across from the hotel patio dining area, but no one could see what the cause was due to the sand berm of the dunes.

"What do you think is going on?" Carson said as he rose from his seat to try and see over the berm.

"There are enough police cars responding to handle a bank robbery," Ginger commented as she too rose to look.

Jules rose but didn't look toward the dunes. Instead, he turned toward Sean and Amanda and said, "If you all want to go investigate, I'll settle up here and then Didi and I will meet you outside."

"Dinner is our treat..." Amanda began.

"I'm sorry," Jules said with a smile, "But I tipped our server a significant sum to ensure that she brought the bill to me alone. You wouldn't want to deny one of your servers of such a windfall, would you?"

"It's the least we can do to repay you for treating me to the spa and for your fellowship during dinner," Didi added.

Sean was anxious to get outside to see what the commotion was, so he took Amanda's hand and said, "Fair enough, but I intend to get my shot at treating you both in the very near future. Let's go, Amanda."

"We'll wait for you outside," Amanda said as she let Sean lead her, Ginger, and Carson through the restaurant to the nearest beachside exit.

~~~

The service path through the dunes was wide enough to accommodate the wheelbase of the ambulance, but not wide enough to allow the driver's or passenger's door to open. This meant that the EMT's were required to drive on the beachside of the dunes as they headed towards the flashing blue lights of the police vehicles.

After driving slightly past the access path to position the rear doors of the ambulance closer to the path, the two EMTs exited their ambulance and approached the scene before deciding whether a gurney or a backboard would be required for transporting any victims.

"What have we got?" the first EMT asked as he approached the crowd.

"Three unconscious males," replied the officer wearing sergeant stripes.

"Do you know what happened to render them unconscious?" the second EMT said as he knelt to examine one of the men.

"We've only been on scene a few minutes," the sergeant said, "So we're still in the early stages of the investigation. Witnesses are claiming that these men attempted to abduct a woman and a couple came to her rescue. That's all we have so far."

The first EMT knelt to join his partner and said, "Okay then, we'll check them out. Let us know if they need to be treated as in custody."

The sergeant nodded and said, "At this time they are suspects, so I'll have my men handcuff them as soon as you tell me it's okay or they begin to regain consciousness."

The sergeant left the EMTs to their examination and strode over to where five of his officers had the witnesses separated. He approached the officer speaking with an exotic looking beauty first.

"Do we have ID?" the sergeant asked. It wasn't uncommon for people on the beach to not be able to present identification to the police when requested.

"We have a passport and a credit card with the same name," the officer responded as he handed the items to his sergeant.

The sergeant inspected the passport before addressing the woman, "Miss Sandhu... did I pronounce that right?"

Huma's eyes met his and she merely nodded.

"Miss Sandhu, can you tell me what happened here tonight?"

"I was returning to my hotel from a brief stroll on the beach," Huma explained. "As I entered the access path from the beach over there, someone covered my mouth with one hand as their other arm went around me, pinning my arms at my side. At the same time, another person grabbed my legs and the two began carrying me up this trail or whatever it is. I struggled but was having little success."

"Are you visiting this area by yourself?" the sergeant asked.

"Yes, I am here representing my country at the Earth Science and Environmental Symposium."

The sergeant glanced at Huma's passport once more to check for any indication that it had diplomatic notifications on it. It did.

"Were you alone during your walk on the beach?"

"Yes," Huma stated. "I just arrived in town a couple of hours ago and wanted to take a walk to unwind and relax after a long day of travel."

"Did anyone approach you or speak to you during your walk?"

Huma nodded and said, "Several people exchanged pleasantries as we passed, and a newlywed couple and I took pictures for each other under the pier. They came to my rescue when those men were trying to carry me away."

"And you're staying at the hotel right here, the Coastal Grand?" the sergeant asked as he examined the card key.

"Yes. I checked in about an hour ago."

The sergeant nodded and asked, "Do you know where these men came from? Were they hiding in the dunes, following you..."

"I think they must have followed me from the beach," Huma reasoned. "I know that they were behind me when I entered the path."

The sergeant nodded and said, "Okay, please tell me what happened next. You said that you were struggling?"

Huma nodded again and said, "Yes, with all my strength, but their holds on me were too strong, especially the one who was holding my legs. I've never felt more helpless in my life. The one holding his hand over my mouth and his arm around my chest with my arms pinned against me kept telling someone in front of him to hurry, so I knew there were at least three of them. The man holding my legs released them suddenly and I was able to start dragging my feet in the sand to try and get enough of a purchase on the ground to resist the other man holding me, but before I could, he also released me. When I brushed my hair out of my face preparing to run, I saw all three men laying on the ground and the newlywed couple holding hands as they approached me."

"Okay, thank you, Miss Sandhu," said the sergeant. "Do you have any injuries or wish for the paramedics to look you over for anything?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine now."

"Good. Please wait here with Officer Matthews while I talk to the witnesses."

The sergeant glanced over to where his officers had been keeping the four witnesses separated from one another until their statements had been taken. The officer watching Toby was the closest. Rather than speak with Toby, he motioned for the officer watching him to join him a few feet away so that he could speak with him first.

"You have an ID?" the sergeant asked.

"He and the blonde woman have both refused to identify themselves." The officer reported.

The sergeant gave the officer a puzzled look and then stepped over to Toby. "Sir, do you understand that you are required by law to identify yourself to a law enforcement officer when requested to do so?"

"Yes, I do," Toby said. He glanced over at Cile, and they shared a smile. He then said, "And I will do so when the time comes."

"Sir, that time is now," the sergeant growled. "I demand to see some identification for you and the lady right now or I will have you placed into custody until your identity can be properly established."

A loud voice boomed over the sound of the ocean and the investigative activities underway, "Excuse me, who is in charge here?"

The sergeant turned at the deep, commanding voice and saw a monstrously large man standing at the top steps to the boardwalk, holding up some sort of badge and credentials. He was flanked by two men and a woman. Though of average height, each of them seemed minuscule in comparison.

The sergeant considered waiting for a lieutenant or captain to arrive on the scene since he knew one or both were enroute, but he was the patrol supervisor on duty and his officers would expect him to respond to the man's question. He walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the man and his colleagues.

"I'm Sergeant Drew with the Myrtle Beach Police. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Steve Robinson," the big man said. "Special Agent with DHS. Can we speak to you a moment?"

"I'm in the middle of a crime scene investigation right now," Sergeant Drew said in an attempt to stall for time until a more senior officer was present.

Steve Robinson laughed and said, "Obviously. That's what we want to discuss with you. Please join us over here by that bench and I'll explain everything for you."

"Let me go check on the status of the injured parties," Drew said, still trying to buy some time. "Then I'll be right over."

Agent Robinson had a disappointed expression on his face as he shook his head. He stared down at the police sergeant and spoke as softly as his voice was capable of.

"Sergeant Drew, get your ass up here right now or I'll come down there and drag it up. If I do that, we will not be having the friendly, professional conversation that I invited you to have with us. Understand?"

"That sounds awfully close to what I would consider threatening a police officer."

Agent Robinson turned his head and looked down at the female police officer who had approached from behind him. She wore a uniform with Captain's bars on the collar. He held up his badge and credentials and turned his attention to her.

"Good, because that's exactly what I meant it to sound like." He read the nameplate on her uniform and asked, "Are you now taking charge of the scene, Captain Vale?"

"Yes, I am. Now, please explain to me who you are, why you are here, and why you are threatening one of my officers."

Robinson stepped over to the bench that he had mentioned previously. The other agents moved with him, and Captain Vale was forced to follow if she wanted to get her questions answered.

"Captain, I am Special Agent Steve Robinson. My team and I are with the Department of Homeland Security. We were dispatched here because your crime scene down there involves some people whose identities are sensitive to national security. You and your officers will not be allowed to ascertain their identities, but if you do as instruct, you will otherwise receive their full cooperation. We are present here to assist you in that regard."

Captain Vale studied the huge man for several seconds before responding, "These people with sensitive identities, how are they involved in the incident?"

"They were the good guys," Agent Robinson stated. He pointed to Cile and then to Toby so that the Captain knew which individuals were his focus.

Captain Vale studied what she could see of the incident scene and said, "Let me go get an initial report from my officers and then I'll come back and discuss our options with you. How does that sound?"

"That depends," Agent Robinson said. "How does a call to your Chief of Police from the Governor sound to you. You need to get on board with the realization that we are federal agents here on a matter of national security. I am requesting your cooperation, but we are fully authorized and prepared to act without it. Please have the man and woman brought to me without further delay."

Captain Vale glared up at Agent Robinson and said, "Listen asshole, a crime has been committed in my city and it will be investigated fully by my department whether you like it or not, and that includes ascertaining the identity of all witnesses and interviewing them about their involvement. Now, you are welcome to watch, but you will not interfere. Are you clear on that, Agent?"

Agent Robinson grinned down at the Captain as he typed a brief text message into his cell phone and hit 'send'.

"Well?" Captain Vale asked. "Are you clear? Do you understand? Do you have any more pointless threats that you want to make?"

Agent Robinson didn't reply. He simply checked his watch to see what time it was. Captain Vale turned to walk away.

"Captain, are you 10-23 at the 207A?" said the voice out of her radio.

Captain Vale depressed the button on her shoulder radio receiver and said, "Affirmative."

"Be advised that you are ordered to return to headquarters," said her radio.

"On whose authority?" the Captain asked.

"Captain, this is Chief Granger. Sergeant Drew has been ordered to escort you back to the station. You are being suspended immediately and are relieved of duty until further notice. Now get back here so I can fully explain the situation that you are facing."

Agent Robinson watched the short conversation then stepped around the Captain and led his fellow agents across the boardwalk and down the steps to the dunes. He approached Cile first and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure," Cile said. She then looked over at Toby and said, "Let's go, Sweetie."

The officers monitoring Toby and Cile didn't know how to respond. They had seen these people identify themselves as federal agents to their sergeant and their captain. The sergeant was currently escorting their captain to his patrol vehicle. Without instructions on what to do if their charges attempted to leave, they did nothing.

The DHS agents walked ahead of Cile and Toby towards the boardwalk entrance of their resort where a crowd was standing behind the police tape that had been put up to keep people away from the crime scene.

"Is that captain really on suspension?" Toby asked.

"That's up to her superiors," Agent Robinson said. "I gave her every opportunity to cooperate, but she had to play the tough ass."

"Daddy was a cop once," Cile said. "He'll probably speak to her personally about needing to be more professional, but he won't insist that any punitive actions be taken against her. I'll call him later and even suggest that she be allowed to take our statements tomorrow if she agrees to the conditions."

"Did he ever respond to the text that you sent him?" Toby asked.

"These agents showing up so quickly was his response," Cile giggled. "He always says, 'Why waste time on words when action is required?'"

Toby laughed and asked, "Okay, but how did he get four federal agents to respond so quickly? I mean, this is a vacation city. How many federal agents could he have expected to just be hanging around Myrtle Beach?"

"There are actually six of us in all," Agent Robinson responded. "We have two Secret Service agents at the convention center to complete a sweep of the building. We're all here to provide a security assessment and support for an international symposium taking place next week. While the attendees will be mostly scientists, several governments are sending minister-level representatives, so DHS is tasked with keeping everyone safe."

"Good," Cile said. "My first guess was that my father stationed you here to keep an eye on us during our honeymoon."

The silence from all the agents as they led her and Toby back to their resort caught Cile's attention. She stopped and waited for the agents to turn around to face her.

"The symposium isn't your only assignment in Myrtle Beach," she said. "Is it? That's how you got here so fast and how you knew which hotel we were staying in."

Agent Robinson lifted the police tape so that Toby and Cile could walk underneath it and said, "Congratulations on your marriage. Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon."

~~~

"Everyone is ready, Mr. President," announced his Chief of Staff, Amber Chase as she took a seat across the desk from POTUS.

President Gary Johnson nodded and pushed the correct button on his desk phone to join the conference call, "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for making time for me on a Sunday."

There was a round of "Good morning, Mr. President" responses, but no one commented on making time for the President. Everyone on the call served at the pleasure of the President of the United States and knew that attending this conference call was not optional for any of them.

"Fine," said the President. "I've read all the reports sent to me related to the toxic events around the country and have some questions about our progress in identifying the causes as well as our responses and treatment where the victims are concerned. I want to start with Baxter North."

Baxter North was the current Director of the FBI. His agency had been investigating each of the toxic events to establish any ties to domestic terrorists or criminal activities being the cause.

"Mr. President, after exhaustive investigations into each incident, and consultation with scientific experts, we remain firm in our assessment that these are natural events that were not influenced by human interactions, either deliberate or accidental. In short, both DHS and us find no criminal or terrorist involvement associated with any of the events."

"Thank you, Director," the President said. "I understand that geological surveys are completed on several of the incident sites. What can anyone tell me about those?"

"Mr. President, this is Dennis Eggers, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. The Geological Survey team falls under my division, so I can update you on their findings if that's okay."

"That's more than fine, Dennis," the President assured him. "Please go ahead."

"Thank you, Mr. President. First, the teams that have completed their surveys can fully concur with Director North that the incidents studied are not of manmade origin. For the incidents in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado surveys were completed relatively quickly due to historical data in our records from previous surveys related to mining operations or resource mapping for either the Bureau of Land Management or the National Park Service. Every survey so far has found the particular toxic element leaching from previously undiscovered ores."

"Sir, the areas where the incidents have occurred have been relatively stable from a historic geological perspective for thousands of years. There are small tremors associated with the Yellowstone caldera, but those are hundreds of miles from the closest incident. There have been no identified mining operations, fracking, or other surface activities that would account for changes to the subterranean geology where the incidents occurred."

President Johnson spoke, "Well, obviously something changed. What about the areas where surveys are not yet complete?"

"Mr. President, this is Bill Shepard. Most of the areas that the USGS hasn't surveyed are ones where the source of the toxin hasn't been clearly identified yet, such as the arsenic trioxide incident in Lake Huron. My agency is still working with our Canadian counterparts attempting to isolate the source of the contamination."

"But you're certain that the source isn't from any industrial or mining operations?" The President asked.

Shepard answered, "Yes sir, as positive as we can be after our joint investigations. The water in all of the Great Lakes remains safely below acceptable levels for arsenic and all other hard metal toxins."

"Mr. President," Dennis Eggers said, "Many, but not all of the other sites that we are focused upon are in areas where fracking has occurred in the past, but which are now inactive. As you are aware, the fracking process has caused subterranean movements in some areas of the country, but none have ever been recorded near the incident sites. We are reviewing the records that the EPA has on each of the inactive sites to determine the type and quantity of water used as well as the duration of the fracking operations. Water and soil samples, along with the traditional radar mapping of the subterranean strata will be compared with our records to try to ascertain the stability of the incident sites."

"I trust that your team is not making any assumptions with the remaining sites based upon what has been found at the others," the President said.

"An excellent question, Mr. President," said Eggers, "And a concern that I have already addressed with the teams in the field. They are approaching each incident site with clear minds and without preconceived assumptions as you called them. While I and our analysts believe that the same leaching effect is the cause of the toxic releases, the teams in the field are challenged with proving our hypothesis to be wrong."

"Okay, this question is for anyone on the call who cares to postulate an opinion," the President said. "Based upon what we have learned so far, or more correctly, what we haven't learned, what is the likelihood that there are more sites out there which haven't been discovered yet?"

"Mr. President, this is Bill Shepard again. Sir, we know with certainty that toxic contamination sites have been discovered in three Canadian provinces, several sites in Europe, at least one in Australia and we are verifying rumors of several others around the world. As far as within the boundaries of the United States, we are confident that there are sites in sparsely populated areas yet to be discovered."

"Wyoming is our least populated state," said the President. "Montana isn't far ahead of it. Then if you consider how many people live in islands in Lake Huron, I would say that population density plays little or no role in where the incidents have occurred. Am I wrong?"

Bill Shepard answered, "You are absolutely correct, Mr. President. The point I was trying to make is that in lesser populated areas, additional instances might not be discovered as quickly as in areas with more people. We've become aware of the instances so far because the toxic contaminants have affected people's health. Where there are fewer people, we expect to see fewer adverse effects. Our planet releases toxic elements all the time, but most of the areas of concern are known to us and the exposure can be mitigated."

"Understood," the President said. "You're telling me that we will learn of additional toxic contaminations when we begin to receive reports of people being exposed. Correct."

"Yes sir, that is the most likely scenario," Shepard confirmed. "The National Toxic Substance Incidents Program database within the Center for Disease Control would be a small resource, but only seven states contribute data to it."

"And how would we know that a case of mercury poisoning, for example, was due to environmental contamination versus something else?" the President asked. "Is there some protocol for a general practitioner or clinic in Buzzard Breath, Wyoming to notify the EPA if a patient appears to be suffering from mercury poisoning or some other toxic element?"

"No, Mr. President, there isn't," Shepard admitted.

"I didn't think so. Which organization is currently tracking global toxic exposure incidents?" the President asked.

Rebecca Thurmond, Secretary of Health and Human Services answered the President, "The closest international organization would be the World Health Organization, Mr. President, but they do not track environmental incidents. They would track incidents reported as poisonings, but there would no distinction made to indicate the source was environmental."

"As I assumed," the President said. "Keith Edwards, your organization is our liaison with the World Health Organization, isn't it?"

The Surgeon General replied, "Yes, Mr. President. We are also the clearinghouse for any reports of poisoning within the United States."

"Secretary Thurmond," the President asked, "Would you agree that the Public Health Service would be the most appropriate organization to take the lead on investigating not only the current incidents but also in coordinating responses to any future incidents?"

"From the standpoint of using reported incidents of toxic contamination in the population to identify whether the cause is due to an environmental exposure event, then I would agree, Mr. President," his Secretary of HHS stated. "The Commissioned Corps could be dispatched by the Surgeon General to all the known incident locations with twenty-four-hour notice."

"I've been discussing the situation with some people at Homeland Security and at the EPA," the President said, "And I agree with their recommendation that public health needs to take priority over any environmental impact which might result from identifying the source of each of the toxic exposure incidents and taking steps to mitigate them. Keith, under the National Response Framework Emergency Support Function number eight, I am activating the Commissioned Corps to respond to this emergency. As Surgeon General, your advisories are too public for the current situation and our efforts to minimize panic among the citizens of our country, so we need to determine the best method for your team to communicate with health providers and first responders without alerting the public at large."

Keith Edwards replied, "Mr. President, our investigative and enforcement unit monitors biomedical, behavioral, and health services research in both the public and private sectors and communicates research results or restrictions to health professionals around the world. They also work closely with WHO on research monitoring globally. The team is a working group consisting of health professionals and law enforcement personnel from multiple federal agencies. Their communications are accepted and respected by health care providers of all levels as confidential and not for public disclosure. I believe that this team would be the best choice for immediate activation and deployment."

The President said, "Bill Shepard, you are to disband that task force that you put together and make all of the resources previously assigned and any data they have collected immediately available to the investigative team of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service."

"Mr. President, this is Assistant Director of DHS, Jason Reid. Sir, the head of the Commissioned Corps investigative and enforcement team is currently on her honeymoon..."

"And you know this how?" the President asked.

"She is my daughter, Sir," Jason replied. "While I know that she would not place her personal life ahead of her duty, if the Surgeon General could find some accommodation that would allow her to function from her current location, I'm certain that she would appreciate the gesture."

The President said, "Celia Reid is your daughter? I never drew the connection with your last names." He then asked, "What do you think, Keith?"

"Sir, Lieutenant Commander Reid, now Davis, has always remotely led her team very effectively," the Surgeon General said. "With your permission, Sir, I intend to notify her of her assignment and allow her to deploy her team, including herself as she deems necessary. Any decision that affects her honeymoon will be hers to make."

"I trust you to do what's right for your people, Keith," the President said. "Please make certain that my Chief of Staff is kept updated as needed."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Good. Okay, everyone," the President said, "Thanks for making time for this call. Jason, would you hang on a few minutes after everyone else disconnects?"

"Of course," Jason Reid said.

The President addressed Amber Chase and asked, "Are we clear on the call?"

"Yes, Mr. President. Everyone except Assistant Director Reid has disconnected from the conference call."

"Thank you, Amber. Jason, I wanted to get your opinion on an idea that I've had related to the investigation of these incidents, and now that I know that your daughter will be leading things, I want your input even more."

"Of course, Mr. President," Jason replied.

"First of all," the President said, "Now that I realize that Celia is your daughter, I recognize that she didn't fall far from the tree, so to speak. Your son's exemplary service gives me confidence in that, so I don't want my next comments to be misconstrued."

"Yes sir."

"Far too many in government service are motivated by either trying to further their careers or by covering their own asses. I am not the first President to face that challenge at a time when unselfish and decisive actions are required of the people who work for him. That, Jason, is the primary reason why I wanted to make changes in the team investigating and managing these incidents."

"I can assure you, Mr. President, that Lieutenant Commander Davis will be motivated solely by her duty to find answers and safeguard lives."

"I don't doubt that for a second Jason, and I want to make certain that she has confidence that I have her back. That's why I wanted your opinion on bringing Brandt Consulting on to provide oversight to the investigation. Do you think that Bobby Brandt would agree to come out of retirement to provide the backstop that Lieutenant Commander Davis might require to obtain the cooperation necessary, both domestically and internationally?"

Jason laughed and said, "Mr. President, when Bobby learns that his favorite niece is leading the investigation, you won't be able to keep him away from it."

The President shared the laugh and said, "I love it when I make the right decisions. I'll give Bobby a call right now and discuss what my expectations are. Thanks, Jason."

"It's been my pleasure, Mr. President."

Chapter Ten

Huma Sandhu glanced across the hotel lobby at the vestibule leading to the restrooms. She needed to relieve herself after drinking nine cups of tea since 6 AM, but she didn't want to risk missing the couple that she had been camped out waiting for all morning.

She had not been able to see where the couple had gone to last night. The police had kept her on the scene for more than an hour as they conducted their investigation. It had taken her almost half an hour longer to find a person who could tell her which direction the couple had walked after they had left the scene. The resort that the person had identified was next door to Huma's hotel.

Her body clock had not adjusted to the different time zone, but Huma had managed to sleep for three hours before waking fully rested a little before four on this Sunday morning. She performed the habitual stretching exercises that she did every morning before taking a shower and setting off to locate the couple who had saved her from those men. She felt compelled to thank them properly.

It was now almost 10 AM and her body's needs were becoming unbearable. Huma rose and walked quickly to the women's restroom, saying a silent prayer that she would both make it to a stall in time and that she wouldn't miss the couple while she was in one. The restroom was empty of other guests, so her first prayer was answered.

Sighing in relief as she exited the restroom, Huma returned to the spot in the lobby that she thought provided her with the best view of the elevators and all of the entrances and exits a guest of the hotel was likely to use, including the entrance to the one hotel restaurant that served breakfast, or in this case, brunch. With the light rain that had been falling all morning, Huma didn't expect many people to be going out the beach-side doors, but she kept them in view just in case.

She was contemplating whether to step over to the service counter outside of the restaurant where she could request another cup of tea when she spotted the couple rounding a corner from a hallway and heading towards the lobby where she sat. The man and woman were both wearing workout clothes. Even though they both looked sweaty and tired from physical exertion, Huma was once again envious of the visible love that radiated between them.

When she saw them approach an elevator and press the call button, Huma jumped up and hurried towards them, barely slipping inside the elevator car with them before the doors closed.

"Well, good morning," Toby said warmly upon recognizing their elevator companion. "How are you feeling this morning? I hope that the events of last evening didn't affect your ability to get some sleep."

Huma smiled at his concern and said, "I am well, thank you. My sleep was affected by travel, but I rested soundly when I slept."

"You are from India, correct?" Cile asked.

Huma nodded and said, "Yes. I flew here from Mumbai yesterday. My name is Huma Sandhu, and I wanted to thank you both for coming to my rescue. I apologize that I didn't have an opportunity to do so before now, but the police released you long before they released me. I had to identify your hotel and I have been sitting in the lobby all morning hoping to encounter you."

"Your thanks aren't necessary," said Toby as the elevator stopped on their floor. "We have been in the hotel fitness center for the last hour or so. We took the stairs down from our room, which is why you wouldn't have seen us from the lobby."

Cile reached over and pressed the button for the ground floor. She wasn't about to let Huma or anyone other than housekeeping see their room until it had been cleaned. Although she wouldn't have traded the experiences that she and Toby had shared last evening for anything, she knew that the room looked and smelled like there had been an orgy in it rather than simply the lustful coupling of two newlyweds.

They watched the doors slide closed again and felt the elevator descending.

Cile said, "And you waiting for us in the lobby certainly wasn't necessary. My name is Celia, and this is my husband, Tobias. You can call us Cile and Toby. We were grateful to have been in a position to assist you, Huma. Can we buy you a cup of coffee or anything?"

When the elevator doors slid open on the ground floor, Cile saw Didi and Jules just entering the restaurant. She took Toby's hand and began leading him in the same direction. Huma followed behind.

She asked, "Your room is on the top floor. Why did you take the stairs down earlier, but chose to take the elevator back up?"

"Taking the stairs down was a warm-up for us," Toby explained. "It's sort of like walking to the high school where you want to run laps on the track rather than driving your car there."

Cile added, "The stairs were much busier with people coming down when we were ready to return to our room, so we decided to take the elevator back up. We figured that since everyone else was coming down, getting a ride up wouldn't be too hard, and it wasn't."

"Do you think they'll let us in dressed like this?" Toby asked as they approached the entrance to the restaurant.

"Sure," Cile said. "Look how most of the other customers are dressed."

Toby noticed that Cile was right. Almost all the customers visible wore shorts with T-shirts, swimsuits, bikinis, or some combination of them. The sign at the entrance simply stated that shoes and shirts were required for entry, which made Toby chuckle to himself, wondering if that meant that wearing pants was optional.

Upon reaching the hostess podium, Cile looked inside the restaurant and saw that Didi and Jules were just being seated at a table for two. She waved her arm to try and get their attention and caught Jules' eye. He shook his head at the hostess and pointed back at Cile before then pointing to a larger table that would seat six people. The hostess acquiesced to his request and Jules waved for them to join him and Didi.

Cile took Toby's hand and said, "Please join us, Huma," as she started for the table where Jules and Didi were already seated.

Jules stood as the trio approached the table. He and Didi were on one side of the table, so Cile and Toby sat across from them, leaving either of the end seats available for Huma. She chose the end that placed Cile on her left and Didi on her right.

"Aren't you the young lady that had the altercation on the beach last night?" Didi asked Huma after she had taken her seat.

Cile spoke before Huma and said, "Huma, these are our new friends, Didi and Jules. Like you, they are visitors to the United States. Didi and Jules, this is Huma Sandhu. I'm sorry, what part of India are you from, Huma?"

"I was raised in the state of Karnataka on the southwest coast of the Indian Peninsula," Huma explained. "I received my doctorate in Marine Geology at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore."

"I believe you mentioned yesterday that you once modeled," Cile said.

"Yes, while I was attending the university, I did some fashion modeling," Huma said. "What about either of you? You are both beautiful enough to be models."

"I second that," Toby said.

"I third that," Jules echoed. "Motion made, seconded, and passed by the majority."

"You're too kind," Didi said to Huma, ignoring the men at the table. "I hope the incident last night wasn't too traumatic for you."

"Thank you, but I am fine, thanks to Celia and Tobias. I think everything happened so quickly that I didn't have a chance to feel anything but fear, and that was only for a brief time."

The server came to deliver a carafe of coffee and to take their breakfast orders. Huma requested hot water and a teabag.

"Toby and Cile never told us much about what happened," Jules said with a wink. "They were too anxious to go to their room and relax."

Didi laughed and said, "Please excuse my fiancé, he is envious of Toby and Cile celebrating their recent marriage even though he's enjoying quite the pre-honeymoon himself."

"Oh, and you're not?" Cile teased Didi.

Didi winked and placed her finger against her lips imploring Cile to shush up.

Huma smiled and found herself relaxing in the company if these two couples. "As I informed the police officers last night, I cannot offer many details beyond the men grabbing me. I didn't witness the actions that caused them to release me."

Cile and Toby saw the inquiring looks from the others at the table. She explained, "Toby simply knocked each man down and I incapacitated them while they lay on the sand."

Toby offered, "I'm a silver glove five tireur."

Cile leaned over and kissed Toby's cheek. "My husband is a true Renaissance man. He promises to teach me as soon as he can find me the right gloves and boots."

"What is a tireur?" asked Didi.

Jules explained what he knew, "I believe it is a practitioner of savate, a French kickboxing combat sport that dates back centuries. Am I correct?"

Toby nodded, "You are correct. I attended a military school growing up. The commandant was a European military history buff and insisted that we all be taught one of the European or western martial arts rather than the more common Asian styles such as karate, judo, or kung fu. I chose savate instead of one of the others because they all involved weapons other than just a person's hands and feet. Those might be fun during competitions, but they aren't practical in real-world situations, such as last evening."

Cile added, "My aunt taught me and my cousin how to defend ourselves through manipulation of pressure points on a man's body. Once Toby had knocked each man to the ground, it was easy for me to place pressure on the correct spot on their necks to render them unconscious until the police arrived."

"The police seemed puzzled by what happened, and I couldn't explain it to them," Huma said.

"Yes," Cile said. "They were not very happy that Toby and I refused to cooperate with them last night. We'll go over to the police station this afternoon and explain everything to them."

"Why didn't you want to cooperate?" Didi asked. "Surely they would understand that you were only acting to save Huma from those men."

"I told you that I work for the United States government," Cile explained. "What I didn't tell you is that my father and brother also work for the government, but in more secretive roles. My identity is protected in order to protect theirs and others. We will cooperate with the police, but only under very strict and specific terms."

"That's understandable," Jules said. "So, Huma, are you visiting to attend the symposium that starts tomorrow?"

Huma nodded, "Yes, I am here representing my country. Are you also here to attend the symposium?"

Didi answered proudly, "Jules is participating on one of the discussion panels on Tuesday."

"What will this panel be discussing?" Huma asked. "I may want to try and attend."

"It will be focused on environmentally responsible mining," Jules told her. "I will be representing South Africa on the panel."

"This is my first time attending one of these symposiums," Huma confessed. "I'm going to try to see and learn as much as possible, though."

"You said that your doctorate is in Marine Geology and that you were raised in the state of Karnataka. Did you ever have the opportunity to visit St. Mary's Islands?"

"You are familiar with the islands?" A surprised Huma asked.

"I certainly am," Jules assured her. "I have visited them several times, docking my boat off each of them and taking hundreds of photos of the columnar rhyolite lava formations as well as the incredible flowers and fauna."

"What a small world," Huma said. "For my doctoral thesis, I participated in the magnetic granulometric studies of island rock samples which indicate the presence of a multi-domain state of magnetite in the basalt that the islands are formed from."

"I'm familiar with that study," Jules said. "Didn't it infer that the formation of the multi-domain could have affected the stability and consistency of magnetic directions in these rocks?"

Huma gasped and asked, "Are you a geologist?"

Jules chuckled and said, "Guilty as charged. Jules Cabot of Cabot Geological at your service."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Huma said with a sincere smile. "What about the rest of you, are you all geologists as well?"

"I am but a lowly geologist's assistant," Didi said. "I rely upon Jules to do the heavy lifting where geological knowledge is concerned."

"I am only concerned with the mass, energy, and chemical composition of things," said Toby. "I am a professor of Chemistry and Physics."

"Don't forget a silver glove five tireur," added Jules with a wink.

"And you Celia?" Huma asked. "You mentioned that you worked for the United States Government..."

"Yes," Cile said, "But I work for the Public Health Service. My only knowledge of rocks is how to treat the injury when you fall on them or if one hits you in the head."

Their breakfasts arrived, so they all paused their conversation while they were being served and everyone had begun eating.

Huma was first, "America has experienced several major environmental mishaps over the years. Are there any current oil spills or similar events that your government is dealing with?"

Cile answered before Didi or Jules had a chance to step on their tongues, "There hasn't been anything in the news lately. In fact, I can't remember the last time that I heard of any environmental mishaps in the news. Anyone else?"

Recognizing the subterfuge that Cile had provided them, Toby, Didi, and Jules all answered in the negative.

"What about in India?" Didi asked. "Your country has experienced some of the world's worst industrial disasters, such as Bhopal. Have there been any major environmental mishaps in your country lately?"

Huma nodded and said, "Pollution continues to challenge us. Many cultures in several of our states remain resistant to efforts to prevent contamination of fresh water and other natural resources. For example, some people still bathe their elephants in the same reservoir that the community uses for drinking water. We are making great strides, however where air pollution is concerned. India's production of greenhouse gases has dropped significantly over the past decade."

"What about pollution from mining operations?" Jules asked. "I monitor reports from around the world and India remains one of the leading countries for mining accidents. It would stand to reason that operations that ignore human safety would be prone to ignoring environmental safety as well. Since India isn't represented in the panel discussion tomorrow, I would appreciate whatever you could share with me beforehand."

Huma considered how she could turn Jules' inquiry into an opportunity to learn how others outside of India would handle cadmium poisoning if it occurred as part of a mining operation.

She chose her words carefully, "Accidents in mining operations are still far too frequent. Reporting rules don't always convey the true cause or scope of accidents either. For example, several people in the Punjab region started showing up in clinics with symptoms that were eventually determined to be caused by cadmium poisoning. Since there was a battery manufacturing facility in the region, the initial suspicion was focused there, but it turned out to be due to some unauthorized extraction of cadmium at one of the local zinc mining operations polluting the local watershed."

Cile glanced at Jules, who simply nodded. Her cell phone sounded, indicating an incoming text message. She set down her fork and glanced at the display.

"I'm sorry, this is from my dad, so I need to check it."

DAD: Presidential order forthcoming from Surgeon General. Once received, get to a private location and contact your Uncle Bobby.

CILE: Good morning to you too, Dad. By the way, thanks for the support last night.

DAD: No problem. You should check your e-mail as soon as possible.

CILE: As soon as I finish breakfast. Love you.

"Sorry about that," Cile said. "So Didi, what do you and Jules have planned for today?"

"We were considering parasailing," Didi said. "However, if the rain doesn't let up soon, we may spend the day practicing some more for our honeymoon."

"Do I get a vote?" Jules asked with a lascivious grin on his face.

"No, you don't," Didi teased. "I already know how much you have your heart set on parasailing in hopes of seeing some dolphins.

"If you really want to experience dolphins," Toby said, "When you leave Myrtle Beach, head south to Florida. About an hour and a half from the border with Georgia, just past Saint Augustine, you will come to a little town called 'Marineland'. It is named after the facility there that was originally a movie studio used to film classics such as 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon', but for the past few decades has been the dolphin conservatory for the Georgia Aquarium. If you make reservations in advance, you can spend over five hours interacting with dolphins as a trainer for a day."

"That sounds like it could be quite an experience," Didi said.

Cile slapped Toby's shoulder and said, "I'll let you know as soon as my husband takes me there."

Jules, Didi, and Huma all laughed at the newlyweds.

Toby said, "I'll take you there after you take me to the ghost tracks like you promised me over a year ago."

"Keep it up, Buster and you'll BE a ghost," Cile chided playfully.

Once she stopped laughing, Didi asked, "Huma, do you have any plans for today?"

"I had planned on using today to simply acclimate myself to the time zone," Huma replied. "I have no specific plans beyond that."

"Jules and I would love to have you join us if we go parasailing," Didi said. "Would you be interested in that?"

"So long as you let me treat you both to lunch, I would very much enjoy the experience of parasailing," Huma said. "I am staying at the hotel next to this one in room six ninety. I will await word from you on where and when to meet."

"Why don't we exchange cell phone numbers?" Didi said. "That way you won't have to wait in your room in order for us to contact you."

"An excellent idea," Huma said as she exchanged contact information with Didi. "Please call me now so that I can verify that the international SIM card is working properly."

"We have one in our phones as well," Didi said. "Let's try yours."

Huma's cell phone rang, and she quickly verified that it was Didi's number before disconnecting the call. "Perfect."

"Jules, please allow me to repay your kindness of yesterday by allowing me to pay for breakfast this morning," Toby said.

"Of course, my friend, but know that it isn't necessary," Jules said. "Would you and Cile be interested in parasailing, or do you have plans of your own?"

"Unfortunately, I do need to dedicate some time today to a journal submission that is due later this week," Toby said.

"And I have to deal with some work-related matters," Cile said.

Didi sighed and said, "It's so sad that your jobs don't afford you both the opportunity to fully enjoy your honeymoon."

Toby laughed and said, "Our job interruptions and meal breaks are the only things that are allowing us to survive this honeymoon."

~~~

"Good morning," Ginger said. "Did you get all of the interviews done?"

"Yes, thank God," said Lacey. "Can you believe that ESPN has three commentators assigned to the tournament, and of course each one wanted to do a separate interview with every coach?"

Ginger laughed, not because the number of interviews that Lacey had to endure was humorous, but because she knew just how much Lacey had always loved the spotlight being focused directly on her.

She tried to show a little sympathy for her friend, "Well, at least the tournament is being held in a smaller television market than LA. That should have minimized the attention from the local stations at least."

"I know," Lacey said while studying her breakfast menu. "But they're all done now, so I might actually get a chance to relax until I hold a team practice this afternoon at three. What do you have planned?"

"Him," Ginger said, pointing to the tall man just entering the restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel. "He's what I have planned for today."

Lacey didn't have an opportunity to fully turn to look in the direction that her friend was pointing before Carson was standing beside their table.

"Good morning," Carson said. "Do you mind if I join your ladies?"

"I would be disappointed if you didn't," Ginger said, "And her opinion doesn't count."

Carson took one of the empty seats at the table and extended his hand to Lacey.

"Hi, I'm Carson MacGregor. You must be the legendary Lacey King."

Lacey blushed and said, "It's nice to meet you, Carson. The only thing I am legendary for is my tolerance of Ginger Olsen. Other than a text from her yesterday informing me that she was having dinner with you, I've heard nothing more about you. Please enlighten me."

Carson gave Lacey the same short bio that he had shared with Ginger. Lacey listened intently, restraining herself from asking questions. She could certainly understand Ginger's attraction to this man.

"You forgot to mention that Tim Duncan is your cousin," Ginger contributed once Carson had finished.

"Tim Duncan, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs?" Lacey asked excitedly.

"Yes," Carson admitted, "Tim and I are cousins, but he's been more like an uncle to me. He's fourteen years older than me after all."

"How old are you," Lacey asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

Ginger shot her friend an appreciative smile for asking a question that she had been hesitant to ask herself.

Carson smiled and said, "I don't mind at all. I turned the big 'four-O' about seven weeks ago."

"Wow," Ginger said, "I never would have guessed. You look at least ten years younger than that."

Lacey was vigorously nodding her head in agreement.

"No kidding. How has a handsome, well-educated, and charming man such as you remained single to the age of forty?"

Carson laughed at the question, but more so at the bright red glow that had overtaken Ginger's face. He paused a few seconds before answering the question.

"He didn't, I mean that I didn't. I got married at twenty-four, but my wife died of cancer before our first anniversary."

He turned to Ginger and said, "That's why I wasn't able to attend Sean and Amanda Wallace's wedding. I was making funeral arrangements for my wife."

Ginger reached across and squeezed Carson's hand, "I'm so sorry. The loss must have been terrible, and I imagine that the thought of celebrating someone else's marriage at that time must have increased your suffering ten-fold."

"The Wallace's were very understanding," Carson said. "And yes, while the loss of a loved one is never easy, we knew that she had terminal pancreatic cancer when we got married. I miss her still, but we approached our life together following the Dr. Seuss adage, 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened'. We had almost a year together to share everything we could of the life that she had remaining, and we made the most of it."

Ginger and Lacey both had tears in their eyes when the server came to take their breakfast orders, so Carson asked for a few more minutes to allow them to decide. Coffee cups were refilled, or filled for the first time and they were left alone.

"Now," Carson said, "Turn-about is fair play. Tell me all about Lacey King..."

There was nothing that Lacey loved to talk about more than herself and her volleyball team. With brief pauses to place their meal orders and time to politely chew her food, Lacey dominated the breakfast with the fulfillment of Carson's request.

Carson wasn't satisfied, so he asked, "How has a beautiful, well-educated, and charming woman such as you remained single? Tit for tat, Miss King."

He already knew why Ginger was single because they had discussed it on their walk back to the hotel the previous evening. She had openly shared her past relationships, and why they had failed, typically due to her intolerance of infidelity by her partners.

"Oh, I was engaged once," Lacey told him. "But we got in an argument about religion. He thought he was God, and I didn't..."

Ginger didn't add the fact that Lacey's female lovers were not something that her fiancé would accept after the wedding. If Lacey didn't want to share that with Carson, she wouldn't either.

After struggling with Carson over the bill and winning, Ginger finally interrupted Lacey's relationship summary by telling Carson, "As I promised you last night, I have left my dance card for today completely open for you. What would you like to do?"

Carson checked the time and said, "The weather forecast predicts that the rain will end by noon and that we'll have a sunny and mild afternoon. I was wondering if you would be interested in trying out the hotel pool before lunch to get our bodies limbered up, and then after lunch I thought that we might go parasailing, followed by some leisurely time on the sand. What do you think?"

"That actually sounds stimulatingly relaxing, if such a thing exists," Ginger giggled. "When do you want to meet at the pool?"

"I can be there in about ten minutes," Carson said. "Come down whenever you're ready. Lacey, would you like to join us?"

Lacey glanced at Ginger for some hint of what her response should be. Seeing nothing to clue her in, she said, "I don't want to be a third wheel, but I've always wanted to try parasailing. Maybe you guys can let me know when you head out and I'll tag along just for that. I would need to get back here a little before three to make the practice that I have scheduled. Would that be okay?"

Carson also glanced at Ginger, who nodded and said, "That works for me. I'll meet you at the pool in about fifteen minutes. I want to pack everything that I'll need for the day so that I won't have to return to the room before we leave. Lacey, why don't you meet us in the lobby at noon. We'll go to lunch together before parasailing. How does that sound to everyone?"

Lacey stood, followed by Carson and finally Ginger. Lacey hugged her friend and shook Carson's hand before saying, "That works for me too. See you guys in a couple of hours. Enjoy the pool."

After Lacey had left, Ginger stepped around the table and surprised Carson with a kiss on his lips, "Thanks for putting up with Lacey. I know that she can be a bit much sometimes, but she's my best friend in the whole world."

"Oh, come on," Carson said with a smile, "Lacey is a pill and I like that she obviously loves you to the end of the world and back. I look forward to spending more time with both of you."

Ginger put her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

"Good, just make sure that it's my dance card that gets filled in today and not hers."

She then whispered in his ear, "Especially the horizontal dance that I have planned for this evening."

~~~

"What time do you think housekeeping will show up on a Sunday?" Cile asked as she led Toby into their suite. She wanted to know if they had time to dirty the sheets some more before someone showed up to replace them.

Toby placed the "Do Not Disturb" sign onto the outside of the door and closed it.

He watched Cile beginning to undress on her way to the bedroom and said, "If my experience with other hotels is any indication, I wouldn't expect them to show up until the afternoon. They'll focus on cleaning the rooms that people are checking out of first so that those can be available for new guests checking in. Since we're booked through the week, they'll likely leave our room for later."

Cile stuck her head around the edge of the bedroom door and said, "Good, because I need some preemptive stress relief from my guy before I check my e-mail. Are you up to the task?"

Cile had shared the texts from her father with Toby on the elevator during their ascent. They hadn't discussed what the Presidential order might entail, but the fact that her father had instructed her to contact her uncle after receiving the order sounded ominous to her, and Toby recognized that in her demeanor on the way to their room.

Toby paused while undressing to retrieve a bottle of water from the refrigerator in the kitchenette. Considering Cile's comment, he pondered how she would choose to relieve her stress. He suspected that she would not be looking for another romantic interlude at this time, which told him that she would either want him to ravage her or that she would be wanting to focus her efforts solely on pleasing him. Seeing the position of her naked body as he entered the bedroom answered his question. She was on her hands and knees, smiling back at him. Definitely a 'win-win' situation in Toby's mind.

In less than fifteen minutes, Cile was de-stressed enough that she felt as if she could sleep blissfully for hours. She knew from previous experience that with very little coaxing, Toby would be able to stimulate her back to a fully aroused and sentient state, but they both needed to attend to other tasks. She would forego the arousal aspect and settle temporarily for sentient revival by taking a quick shower, without her husband.

She felt Toby lifting her into his arms and instinctively placed her arms around his neck. She snuggled her face against his shoulder as he carried her into the bathroom and gently set her on the toilet.

He kissed her forehead and said, "I'll get the shower temperature adjusted for you."

Cile could never stop herself from shedding tears over the agape love that Toby had always demonstrated towards her. He was easily her equal, if not superior to her sexually, and he never failed to know how best to read her moods and to meet her desires. However, it was his tender and caring attention to all of her unspoken needs that had caught her attention, and which had convinced her from their first meeting that she could never live without Toby in her life.

"I love you, Mr. Tobias Davis."

Toby turned on the water and waited to adjust the temperature before responding, "I love you too, Mrs. Davis. Leave the water running when you're done in the shower and I'll hop in after you."

Even though she suspected that she knew the answer, Cile asked, "What are you going to do while I'm in the shower?"

Grinning, Toby held up his cell phone and said, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll just lean against the counter and play around with the camera settings on my cell phone. A guy can never be too familiar with his camera settings, you know."

Cile stepped into the shower and said, "Just as long as the guy is even more familiar with how to encrypt and protect the access to any image files on said cell phone and nothing goes into the cloud."

She knew that Toby had always protected any compromising images of her or them together, and also knew that her cousin-in-law, Rockie had modified the operating systems on all the family's cell phones and computers to make them impenetrable to anyone other than the user and herself. Cile smiled at the ridiculous thought of any computer-based system being impenetrable to Rockie.

Cile tried to ignore the sight of her naked husband as he leaned against the bathroom counter watching her. What she really needed to try ignoring was the erection he was sporting in appreciation for seeing her wet and naked. She resisted the urge to put on a show for him, knowing without a doubt what the slightest increase in her level of arousal would result in. She turned her back to Toby and used a loofah sponge to apply body wash because she didn't trust her own hands on her body right then.

When she had finished rinsing and turned back around, Toby was holding a clean towel for her just outside the shower door. Cile reached up and positioned the showerhead to spray further into the shower and away from the door before opening it and accepting the towel.

Stepping onto the bathmat and around Toby so that he could enter the shower, Cile glanced down, smiled, and said, "I think for both our sake, you might want to cool the water down while you're in there."

Grinning back at her, Toby ignored her suggestion and said, "I put your cell phone on the counter in case your camera settings need any adjustments."

Cile shut the shower door behind him and said, "My camera settings have never required any adjustments where you are concerned. Hurry up so that you can listen in when I call my uncle."

Rather than underwear, Cile donned her hot pink bikini. She wasn't sure what the communication from the Surgeon General and subsequent discussion with her uncle would mean for the rest of the day, or for the rest of their honeymoon for that matter, but she was at the beach, damn it, and she was going to dress the part for as long as she could.

She heard the shower turn off just before walking out of the bedroom and into the living room area of the suite. There was a desk and work area along one wall, which Cile decided to leave available for Toby to use. She had set her laptop up on the dining room table where she could alternate her view from the display screen to a profile of Toby at the desk while he worked, or to a view of the ocean out the sliding glass doors to the balcony.

Setting her cell phone on the table next to her laptop, Cile took a seat and logged on to her secure VPN connection. Just as her father had predicted, she had an e-mail directly from the Surgeon General himself.

The e-mail informed her that per the President invoking the National Response Framework Emergency Support Function number eight, the investigative unit that she headed was being deployed to manage the coordinated response to a national emergency.

The e-mail didn't specify what the emergency was, but Cile couldn't imagine her team being used for anything other than a declared medical emergency, such as a pandemic, and she wasn't aware of anything close to that having occurred.

The e-mail went on to inform her that a briefing on the situation was scheduled for Monday morning at 9 AM, where she would be brought up to speed on her team's responsibilities. She smiled with the confidence that her discussion with her uncle in a few minutes would do more to bring her up to speed on the situation than some teleconference tomorrow would ever do.

Cile was pleased to see that the Surgeon General expressed his confidence in her management capabilities, specifically stating that although she needed to take the lead and deploy her team immediately, he did not expect for her to terminate her vacation and supported her proven ability to lead her team remotely.

"Did you get the e-mail that you were expecting?" Toby asked.

He was standing in the doorway from the bedroom, wearing nothing but a wet towel over his shoulder.

"Yes, but it didn't tell me much," Cile said while admiring his physique. "I'll find out more when I call my uncle, which I suppose I should do now."

"You realize what the time is, right?" Toby asked.

Cile glanced at the time on her computer screen and said, "It's just after eleven."

"Not the time here," Toby said with a lecherous grin on his face. "Do you realize what time it is in Texas and what the day of the week today is in both places?"

Awareness suddenly came to Cile, "Crap, it's only ten o'clock there. My aunt and uncle will be in Sunday school now, followed by the church service. I'm going to have to wait at least two hours to call him."

Toby walked over and helped Cile stand from her chair, "Then it's a good thing that the cold water did not affect me."

Cile untied her bikini top and said, "Yes, a very good thing..."

Chapter Eleven

"I'm glad that we're going to be sitting outside," Ginger said. "It's so nice out now that the rain has stopped, and the clouds have moved away."

Carson let Ginger lead him and Lacey up the steps to the second-floor bar and grill at the Second Avenue pier. It was a traditional beachside bar where most of the customers were people coming up from the beach to enjoy refreshments and socialize before heading back down to the sand. Since consumption of alcohol was prohibited on the beach, this establishment served a vital function for locals and tourists alike.

"The food isn't anything special," Carson informed the ladies as they found a table on the outside deck. "They serve a lot of that fried food that you want to avoid, but the tuna salad is really fresh and good either as a salad or on a sandwich."

"Ginger? Carson?"

Both turned at the sound of their names. Didi was waving to them from the bar, where she sat with Jules and another woman. Ginger left Carson and Lacey to find a table while she walked over to the bar.

"Hi, Didi. Jules. Do you guys want to join us at a table? Carson suggested we eat lunch here so we could watch the parasailers out there before trying it ourselves."

"You can see parasailers from the deck?" Didi asked. "We're going to try parasailing after lunch too."

She then turned to Jules and said, "Let's see if the bartender will send our food out to the table so we can join Ginger and Carson. I would like to see the parasailers too."

"You and Huma go ahead," Jules said. "I'll speak to the bartender and then join you."

Ginger led them back to the deck, "You're the woman from the beach incident last night, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Huma.

The table that Carson had selected accommodated two people along each of its longer sides and one person at either end. The position of the table would afford four of its six occupants with a view of the ocean, but two would have their backs to it.

"Why don't Jules and I take these seats," Carson said, pointing to the ones without a view.

"Okay with me," Ginger said as she took one of the seats at the end, which would place her adjacent to Carson. Lacey took the seat across from Carson and on Ginger's other side. Huma sat next to Lacey so that Didi would have the seat adjacent to Jules.

"I'm glad that you're okay," Ginger said to Huma after everyone was seated. "We were all worried about you last night."

"Yes, I am fine," said Huma. "Thank you for your concern."

Lacey asked, "Why, what happened last night?"

"Why don't we start with introductions?" Carson said.

He reached across the table and offered his hand to Huma, "I'm Carson MacGregor."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Carson. I am Huma Sandhu."

Ginger was too far away to offer her hand, so she waved and said, "Hi, Huma. I'm Ginger Olsen and this is my friend, Lacey King."

Lacey turned and smiled at Huma, "It's always my pleasure to meet a beautiful woman."

Huma smiled back and said, "Likewise."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lacey," said Didi. "I'm Didi Klienhans and this is my fiancé, Julian Cabot."

"The South African Geologist?" asks Lacey with a questioning glance over at Ginger. "I believe I've heard your name mentioned in relation to some presentation you are giving or something."

"It appears that I have been oversold a bit," Jules chuckled while taking his seat. "I am but a mere discussion panel participant."

Didi looked and Huma and said, "Ginger and Carson are also geologists. What do you do, Lacey?"

"I teach at the University of California at Los Angeles," Lacey explained. "My main role is as the head coach of the women's volleyball team, but I also teach in the Department of Gender Studies."

The appetizers that Jules had ordered from the bar were delivered to the table and placed in the center so that they could be shared. Everyone ordered drinks, and at Carson's suggestion, either a tuna salad or the tuna salad sandwich.

"What are those people doing?" asked Didi, pointing towards the ocean.

Carson and Jules turned to see what Didi had pointed to and saw approximately ten people on a bright yellow raft contraption. Their legs were straddling what appeared to be inflated rubber pontoons while their hands held onto straps affixed to the rubber surface. The raft thing was being towed out past the surf by a woman on a jet ski.

"That's how they transport people to the launch boat to go parasailing," Carson explained. "There is no place nearby where the boat would be able to dock for people to board it, so they use what are called 'Banana Boats' to ferry people to and from the boat with the parasail apparatus. A good jet ski driver can make the ride to and from the boat more exciting than the parasailing itself. I think their tips increase with the number of people that they can cause to fall off the Banana Boat during one of the trips. Watch that Banana Boat that is heading back to shore and you'll probably see what I mean."

They all watched as the jet ski driver skillfully bounced the Banana Boat and its passengers toward the surf, turning several times to make certain that the wake from the jet ski assaulted each side of the boat in turn, giving the passengers the bull riding-like experience that usually caused one or more to fall into the ocean. The other passengers laughed and cheered as they assisted their fallen comrades to climb back onto the Banana Boat.

"So, two people go up on the parasail at one time?" asked Didi as she pointed to the couple that had just been released from the back deck of the launch boat.

Carson nodded and said, "There are only two harnesses under the parasail used by this particular operator. While someone could go up solo, the operators will generally pair two solo people up so that every trip has the maximum number of participants."

While the other couples discussed parasailing and Banana Boats, Lacey turned to Huma and asked, "What happened to you last night that had Ginger concerned?"

Huma retold the story, drawing the attention of Carson and Ginger who hadn't heard it yet.

"What do Toby, a silver glove, and tires have to do with you being rescued?" asked Lacey.

Jules laughed and tried to clarify what Huma had told Lacey and the others, "Toby is a silver glove five tireur. It is the highest ranking in the competition road of Savate."

"The French kickboxing sport?" Carson said.

Jules nodded, but Didi continued, "And Celia apparently is expert in the use of pressure points on a man's body. She is the one who rendered the three men unconscious after Toby had them on the ground."

Lacey's mouth was gaping, and Ginger's jaw hung almost as far. She recovered and told her friend, "I forgot to mention that Cile offered to sit on the bench with you on Tuesday so that I could attend the symposium and hear the discussion panel that Jules will be participating in."

Lacey waved a dismissive hand at Ginger and said, "Fine. Good. Whatever."

She then turned to Didi and asked, "Are you telling us that our mild-mannered, even-tempered, introverted, and nerdy college professor colleague is some sort of superhero in disguise?"

"You know Tobias Davis?" Huma asked Lacey.

"Of course," Lacey said. "Ginger and I teach at the same university as him."

She turned to Didi and said, "Don't tell me that Celia Reid is the one that taught Toby this kickboxing stuff..."

"Who is Celia Reid?" asked Didi. "Cile's last name is Davis, the same as Toby's."

Lacey spun to face Ginger so fast that her long ponytail almost hit Huma in the face as it flew past.

Ginger smiled sheepishly and said, "Oh, I also forgot to tell you that Toby and Cile got married on Friday. They're celebrating their honeymoon here as well."

Lacey turned back to Huma and said, "How would you like to be my new best friend?"

~~~

"I can assure you that you have a higher security clearance than anyone else at UCLA, and probably all of academia," Cile told Toby. "My dad and Uncle Bobby would have made certain of that as soon as they learned that we were living together."

"Maybe so," Toby argued from across the dining table, "But no one sent me a text instructing me to be part of the conversation between you and your uncle. It doesn't feel right to just sit by and listen in on the discussion without at least your uncle saying that it's okay."

"Okay, I'll tell you what," Cile told him, "I'll get my uncle on the phone, put it on speaker and you can hear me ask if he minds you listening in. You're my partner in life now, Cutie, and I know that he would expect you to be beside me, during our conversation and all other times."

"Asking him when he knows that I am listening in will put him on the spot," Toby said. "I know that if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't appreciate something like that."

Cile nodded and said, "I can see your point, but I know that it will be okay, or I would send you out of the room. I want and need you with me, at least until I know what this Presidential order involves. Will you trust me by just sitting and listening quietly? If the discussion gets too sensitive, I'll signal for you to leave."

"I'll always support you, Sweetie. I just don't want to needlessly alienate any member of your family by them thinking that I am butting in where I'm not welcomed. Go ahead and call your uncle and we'll see how things go."

Cile blew Toby a kiss, dialed her uncle's number, activated the speaker, and set the cell phone on the table between them. They heard two rings before the call was answered.

"Hi, Cile," Bobby said upon answering.

"Hi, Uncle Bobby. My dad said that I should call you once I received the e-mail from the Surgeon General, so here I am."

"I'm glad that you got the message," Bobby said. "I assume that Toby is there with you since you have me on speaker."

Toby cringed, but Cile simply said, "Yes, we're both listening."

"Good, because as an established independent contractor for Brandt Consulting, this will likely involve him as well. How are you two enjoying your honeymoon so far?"

"So far it's been heavenly," Cile said.

Toby added, "A honeymoon with an angel couldn't be anything but heavenly."

Bobby laughed and said, "Okay, I've got it. I'll make sure that your mom and especially Katie know that you two are having a good time. I trust that the message from the Surgeon General made it clear that you are not expected to alter your plans any more than necessary in order to fulfill the Presidential order, and you alone determine what is necessary."

"His message did imply that," Cile said. "Are you able to discuss what the exact situation is that the Presidential order covers?"

"I will give you a summary," Bobby said. "You will get a full briefing tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," Cile said. "Tell me what you can."

"I'll start with the events that prompted the Presidential order," Bobby said. "There have been several mysterious ecological events recently across the country that have resulted in multiple deaths..."

"Like the arsenic, mercury, and radon poisoning events?" Cile asked.

"So, you're familiar with them?" Bobby said.

"I have received a few inquiries lately asking if my team was aware of any research projects that could account for the toxic releases mentioned. I answered all of them in the negative."

Toby interrupted, "Coincidentally, we have met some people here in Myrtle Beach who are attending the Earth Science and Environmental Symposium being held next week, including an analyst from the EPA, a geologist from South Africa, and some friends of yours, Sean and Amanda Wallace. Sean and Amanda aren't attending the symposium, but they did contribute the fact that their winery in Australia has experienced a radon poisoning event similar to what we have seen here."

Cile continued, "So to answer your question, we are aware that events have been occurring and not just in the US."

"Interesting," Bobby said. "I wasn't aware of the global nature of the situation, but that does add some additional insight as to why the President selected your team to be deployed to manage the responses."

"That's good," Cile said. "Maybe you can enlighten me on the reason why. We're responsible for public health. This sounds like something that the EPA should be managing."

Bobby answered, "The first reason is that to-date, every one of the toxic contamination events was discovered only after someone experienced the effects of the contamination. The President believes that a team familiar with public health reporting protocols and analyzing data from multiple medical provider resources would be more qualified to quickly identify any new toxic contamination incidents."

"But what are we supposed to do with the sites once they are identified?" Cile asked. "In fact, what has been done with the sites already identified?"

"You manage the investigation," Bobby told her. "In every reported incident so far, a geological survey was required to identify the source of the contamination, but that only tells us where the toxic element is located. This is important information, without a doubt, but the underlying question, as least as far as the President is concerned, is what caused the particular toxic element to suddenly present a risk to human life in a location previously safe of any such danger. The variety of toxins is also a factor that needs to be examined. Why so many different elements, in so many different locations, and why all within days, weeks, or months of each other."

Toby spoke, "From what I heard in the conversations that we had with others familiar with a few of the incidents, the elements involved range from arsenic to radon, and include cadmium, selenium, and mercury as well. All of these elements each have unique properties and characteristics that would make finding a common factor related to their sudden release extremely challenging."

"What resources will I have beyond my own team?" Cile asked.

"Now we're getting to the real purpose for this discussion," Bobby said. "The other contributing factor that convinced the President to use your team is that he felt that he could trust you to place your duty above any career aspirations that you may have. The task force that the head of the EPA organized has already demonstrated that it is bogged down with indecision and infighting over who gets credit for what. You will receive a biography on each member of the task force for review within a few minutes and you will be allowed to cherry-pick any of that task force's members based upon their particular expertise."

"Oh, great," Cile said. "I get to try and manage a bunch of unprofessional bureaucratic experts..."

"Wrong," Bobby said, "I get to manage them for you. You will only have one direct report who is not already a member of your team, and that person is me. Everyone else will be assigned by their respective agencies to work as independent contractors of Brandt Consulting. I am a very dedicated and loyal employee, and I'll always have your back."

Cile laughed and said, "I know you will, Uncle Bobby. My biggest concern is that someone on the previous task force's ego will be bruised when the announcement about the change is made and they will leak details on the toxic contamination incidents to the media."

"A legitimate concern," Bobby said, "Which is being addressed this moment by your dad and the Justice Department. The fifteen members of the previous task force will have the fear of God put before them by six o'clock tonight. Knowing that they're being monitored and watched by federal agents should keep all of them quiet. I'm preparing some 'ego salve' for those that you choose to keep on, which should reward them for continued cooperation with the media blackout."

Toby interjected, "Carson MacGregor from the EPA told us that he was trying to identify similar toxic events around the globe and was attending the symposium here in Myrtle Beach to try and establish contacts among the participants that would assist him in that regard. Can you tell us if Carson is a member of the current task force?"

"The name sounds familiar," Bobby said. "Let me check."

The room phone rang. Toby walked over to the workstation area and answered it before the third ring. He had a brief conversation with someone from the resort's front desk before hanging the phone back up and returning to his seat at the table.

"Agent Robinson and a detective from the Myrtle Beach police department are in the lobby," Toby explained. "They want to come up and take our statements about last night's events."

Cile said, "No one can come up here until housekeeping has cleaned this place up."

Toby nodded and said, "That's what I told the front desk. I instructed them to wait for us in the lobby and we would come down. The front desk is setting us up in a meeting room."

Bobby came back and said, "I e-mailed you the list of people on the current task force, along with their defined roles. Carson MacGregor is listed as an analyst with the EPA."

"He did mention that," said Toby. "He told us that he is attending the symposium to try to learn about toxic incidents that he claims have occurred in other countries and how those countries are responding."

"It sounds like good information to have," Bobby said.

Cile said, "I agree. He's also a geologist so his analysis of what he learns will have greater relevance as well. I'm pretty certain that I'll want to keep him on the team. Let Toby and me look at the list you sent and we'll get back to you in a few hours."

~~~

Jules removed the life vest that the parasailing operator had insisted that all participants wear, thankful that Carson was standing just a few feet away as he also removed his life vest. The presence of two men was much more of a deterrent for the circling wolves than Jules would have been by himself.

He assisted Didi with her vest and saw Carson trying not to make his appreciation of her bikini-clad body too obvious. Carson, Jules, and every other person on the beach had plenty to appreciate as Ginger, Lacey, and Huma also removed their vests and presented everyone with a view of their beach attire. While Huma's string microkini revealed more than the conservative solid waistband style bikinis that Ginger, Didi, and Lacey were wearing, the height of the three presented significantly more tanned skin to enjoy.

"Can Didi and I offer you all a ride back to your hotel?" Jules asked. "We rented a Tesla V, so there's plenty of room for everyone."

Ginger had seen how Carson had been stealing appreciative glances at her body all morning and she was anxious to get back to the hotel so that the two of them could be alone together. So, knowing that Carson would agree, she said to Lacey, "Let's get a ride back so that you aren't late for your practice."

Lacey turned to Huma and asked, "Would you like to watch my team practice and then have a drink with me after?"

Huma smiled while shaking her head and said, "I'm afraid that I am not suitably dressed. Maybe I should go back to my hotel and change clothes before meeting up with you."

Taking Huma's hand in hers and pulling her toward Jules' car, Lacey said, "Nonsense. While your attire might make you feel uncomfortable anywhere other than the beach, you look fabulous. Come with me and I'll let you wear something of mine to the practice and to have drinks."

"Alright then," Huma agreed as she slid into the far back seat of the Tesla SUV.

Lacey slid in beside Huma as Carson and Ginger climbed onto the middle back seat. Jules closed the back doors before opening the front passenger door for Didi. She kissed him as she took her seat and he hustled around to get the engine started so that the air conditioner would begin providing his passengers with some relief from the built-up heat inside the car.

Carson provided Jules with directions to the Sheraton, and the short drive took less than five minutes. Three minutes after that, Ginger, Carson, Lacey, and Huma were waiting for an elevator in the hotel lobby. Carson's cell phone signaled an incoming text message just as the elevator doors slid open.

He reviewed the message and then whispered in Ginger's ear, "I need to make a call real quick. Do you want me to come to your room when I'm done or meet you someplace?"

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor before Ginger could respond, so she stepped off the elevator and made a motion with her hand indicating that Carson should call her. Carson nodded his understanding and watched the three women walking away as the doors slid closed once again.

Carson assumed that the text message asking him to call Angie Stone would relate to her verifying his arrival for the symposium and possibly any updates that he could provide on international incidents being uncovered. He wasn't prepared for the instructions he received.

All that Angie Stone had told him was that the EPA task force had been disbanded under orders from the President and that Carson was to resume his assigned role as a geologist and analyst for the Eastern Region. He was to take no further actions or investigative inquiries related to his assignment with the task force. She had further informed him that he should expect a call from the Justice Department to explain the position of the federal government where any information leaks about the environmental incidents or the role of the task force were concerned.

Since he had been scheduled to attend the symposium months before the creation of the task force, Carson saw no reason for Angie's news to affect his participation. He smiled at the realization that him not having to dig up information on other ecological incidents would allow him to focus more time on Ginger Olsen. He picked up the room phone and dialed her room.

~~~

Cile and Toby remained at the conference table and watched the meeting room door close after Agent Robinson and the detective had exited.

"That was pretty painless," Cile said.

Toby nodded and said, "You could tell that the detective wanted to push you harder on the pressure point issue. I don't know whether it was that she didn't believe you, or the fact that she did believe you and wanted you to show her how to do it."

"It doesn't matter," Cile said, "but I'm glad that she was able to tell us that Captain Vale is back at work."

Cile was glancing around the room and asked, "I wonder if the hotel would allow us to use this room while we are here? It would make a convenient and reasonably private place for us to brainstorm about the assignment. I'm not sure if Jules, Carson, and Ginger would agree to participate, but having their combined geologic knowledge, especially at the beginning could prove valuable to us."

"From the interest that they each showed while we were discussing the incidents, I'm sure they would want to remain involved to some degree," Toby said.

Glancing at the list of names and their roles within the EPA, Cile said, "Beside Carson, I think we should ask my Uncle Bobby to recruit the EPA regional administrators to be part of the team that he will manage for us. Not all of them were part of the task force, but that's only because no incidents had yet occurred in their areas of responsibility. If we're going to be looking at the potential for undiscovered incidents to exist, I think it would foolish not to have every region represented on our team."

Toby nodded and said, "I agree with that logic. What about that lady who heads up the Great Lakes liaison team? She likely already has established contacts with her Canadian counterparts."

"Carol Hardy," Cile confirmed. "I'll add her name as well. I'm surprised that there weren't more specialists from the EPA involved. Maybe the plan was to pull specific people in as their areas of expertise dictated?"

"And no one from the US Geological Survey team either," Toby said. "It appears that the EPA was just using them for data collection. Do you think that we should do the same?"

Cile shrugged and said, "I think we should wait to see if we can get Carson, Ginger, and Jules to come on board first and then get their opinions. I would prefer to use their combined geological experience to analyze any data we obtain rather than introduce any more people to the information that we are trying to keep under wraps. Plus, the three of them are currently local to us so our access to them would be better."

After sending their proposed list of people for the team to her uncle, Cile rose from her seat and said, "Let's go check with the front desk. If I have to, I'll text Amanda Wallace, but I'd rather try to make the arrangements to use the room without getting her involved."

Toby held the door open for her and said, "I'll follow your lead."

Cile waited in a short line for a front desk agent to become available. When their turn came, she and Toby approached the counter.

"Good afternoon," the agent said. "Do you have a reservation?"

Cile realized that the front desk personnel were probably focused upon checking in new arriving guests, so she explained, "We're already registered and we were wondering if we could add the meeting room that we were just in to our existing reservation so that we had exclusive use of it for next week."

"I'll be happy to check the availability for you," the agent said. "May I have your name and room number?"

Cile provided the information and watched as the agent pulled up their information on his screen.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Davis, but I cannot add the meeting room reservation charge to your existing room reservation because your entire stay has been classified as complimentary. The meeting room is available for your use, and I will be happy to reserve it for you, but it would also be complimentary. If that arrangement is satisfactory, I will have the lock on the meeting room programed to accept your existing room keys."

Cile knew instinctively who had covered their hotel room but wondered why. She asked, "Did the Wallaces mention why they comped our room for the week?"

The agent reviewed the folio on his screen, smiled, and said, "Congratulations, Mr., and Mrs. Davis. The room is complimentary as a wedding present to you from Mr. and Mrs. Wallace. The staff has been instructed to provide you with anything you desire during your stay with us, all complimentary, of course. So would you like me to set you up with the meeting room?"

"Yes, please, and thank you very much," Cile said as she squeezed Toby's hand. They turned and headed for the elevators and were barely fifteen feet from the front desk when Toby's laughing made Cile pause.

"I think someone is calling you, sweetie," Toby whispered to her.

Cile gave him a questioning look and then heard, "Mrs. Davis! Mrs. Davis!"

She turned back toward the front desk and saw a different agent waving at her, trying to get her attention. Walking back to the counter, she blushed at not recognizing someone calling her by her married name.

"This package just arrived for you," the agent said as Cile approached him. "With it being delivered on a Sunday I thought that it might be important, so I wanted to catch you."

Cile smiled when she saw who the package was from and said, "Thank you, and you were correct. This is a very important delivery."

Toby smiled down at his bride and asked, "Work-related?"

Cile pulled his lips down to hers and said, "Yes, but related to your work, not mine. You'll see it before the tournament."

~~~

Angie Stone knew that she shouldn't be speaking to her boss in this manner, but damn it, she was pissed.

"How could you not even fight to keep the task force involved, Bill, or at the very least insist that everyone on it transition to the new team?"

"Give me some credit, Angie," Bill Shepard replied. "I recognize a scripted and pre-orchestrated meeting when I see one. The President asked only the questions that he wanted responses to so that a foregone conclusion would appear spontaneous to the participants. A conference call where the President had essentially already made his decision and was simply announcing it to everyone is not the time to fight, as you put it."

"Come on, Bill," Angie whined. "These incidents are clearly environmental. The investigation can't be effective if the EPA isn't involved. Surely the President knows that."

"As I explained, Angie, we will be involved, but as a resource defined by the Department of Public Health. This Lieutenant Commander that the President has directed to take over the investigation will have our full cooperation. Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"Honestly, Bill, I don't know. I would like to think that the knowledge and experience that I bring to the table would be respected, but you allowing the task force I was appointed to lead get shut down tends to indicate that won't be the case. Why couldn't the team that this Lieutenant Commander heads up become part of my task force? Did you make that suggestion or just let me get thrown under the bus?"

"No, I didn't make that suggestion because I knew it would be pointless," Shepard said. "I received an e-mail from the President's Chief of Staff after the meeting that confirmed that fact."

Angie wasn't satisfied, "How, Bill? How did it get confirmed?"

"You're not cleared for the details, Angie, but suffice it to say that the President has more confidence in Lieutenant Commander Davis than he does in our entire organization."

"Why?" asked Angie. "What is so special about this Celia Davis and her team?"

"Let's just say that what I was told is that she has demonstrated exceptional performance in situations that have saved millions of lives and leave it at that. Your knowledge and experience are respected, Angie, but the President feels that more is needed."

"She works for the Department of Public Health for Christ's sake," Angie argued. "Making sure kids get vaccinated would save millions of lives, but it doesn't qualify her to lead an investigation of this magnitude."

Bill Shepard sighed and said, "Angie, the President believes that she is more qualified than us, so deal with it. You will be providing her with an update tomorrow morning at nine. If you get selected to continue on the investigative team maybe you'll get a chance to judge whether or not his assessment of Lieutenant Commander Davis is accurate. Whether it is or not won't matter in the least where this investigation is concerned, but it might soothe your damaged ego."

Angie snorted and said, "Well, the update will be easy. I'll just have the current task force members summarize their individual activities for her. That leaves the rest of my day free to see what I can dig up on her background. That information as well as any questions that she might ask during the updates will allow me to form an opinion on her abilities to lead this investigation."

"Just make damn sure that you keep your opinion to yourself," Shepard warned.

Chapter Twelve

Cile looked up from the ironing board as Toby opened the door to their room and walked towards her.

"Any problems getting the forms printed since you didn't take your laptop with you?" she asked.

Toby shook his head and said, "No, I decided to just let them fill the forms out on my laptop directly. That will make returning them to your uncle easier than scanning the handwritten forms and e-mailing those. Why are you ironing your uniform?"

"Uncle Bobby suggested that I be seen in my uniform for the teleconference in the morning. He believes it will visually present my authority and instill greater confidence in my leadership for those who don't know me."

"That makes sense. By the way, I saw housekeeping just a couple of rooms down the hall. They'll probably be here soon."

Toby looked at the name tag and various decorations that would adorn Cile's dress uniform jacket once she finished pressing it. Only the ribbon bars corresponding to each of the medals would be worn on the jacket, and most people wouldn't recognize the significance of those, which is why Cile felt reasonably safe from questions that she might have to avoid answering while wearing them. People who did recognize the significance of the ribbon bars would usually have the security clearance necessary to learn of the events that led to Cile receiving them.

The one medal ribbon bar that stood out and would raise the most questions if she wore it was the Medal of Distinguished Service which had been awarded to Cile by the Israeli Defense Forces. That particular medal had never been awarded to anyone outside of the Israeli military before Cile received it for helping to save the world's Jewish population from a terrorist plot to annihilate them.

Toby walked over to the desk where his computer bag sat and opened one of the zippers. He extracted a small, wrapped package and handed it to Cile.

"I had planned on giving this to you when we got back home, but it looks like you're going to need it sooner than that."

She set the iron down and quickly unwrapped the small box. Opening it, she smiled at the engraved nametag meant to replace her current one; the one that still had her maiden name on it. She hugged Toby, gave him a kiss that almost melted his sandals, and said, "I will wear it with all the pride that being your wife instills in me. Thank you."

Cile removed the uniform jacket from the ironing board and handed it to Toby. As he placed it onto the hanger for her, she turned off and unplugged the iron.

Toby said, "I heard back from everyone except the Wallaces about meeting us for dinner, so I assume that they may be traveling back home today."

"That's okay," Cile said. "We invited them as a courtesy and not as anyone who we needed to recruit to our team. I'll send Amanda a text in the morning with our thanks, and an offer to keep them informed if they so desire. Let's head down to the beach while housekeeping cleans this place up."

Toby checked the time and said, "Good idea. We've got a couple of hours before dinner. Let's walk towards the restaurant where we're meeting everyone. We can relax there with drinks while waiting for them to arrive."

"I don't mind walking the thirty or so blocks before dinner," Cile said, "but walking back afterward will take too long."

"It should take the same time to walk one direction as the other, Toby teased her.

Cile smacked his bottom and said, "Sweetie, I am always more anxious for dessert than I am for dinner."

~~~

"Thanks for paying for lunch, Dad," Katie said as she kissed her father's cheek before sliding onto the backseat of his truck.

Tyler closed her door and went around to the passenger side to join her on the backseat as her parent took their places in the front of the truck.

"Yes, thank you," Tyler echoed in appreciation.

It was Katie's mother who replied, "It was our pleasure to treat everyone. Consider it our anniversary present."

Katie and Tyler had celebrated their first anniversary with their families a day early. Getting everyone together on a Sunday was more convenient, and it also freed their actual anniversary date up for just the two of them.

Bobby and Patty Brandt had fully expected that Katie and Tyler would pay for the anniversary lunch that they had invited the entire family to share with them. Patty's expectation, and that of her devoted husband, changed when Katie had announced over lunch that she and Tyler were going to start trying to have a baby.

"I discussed something with JR earlier," Bobby said as he started driving. "I want to get your input as well, Katie."

"Sure, Dad. What's up?"

Bobby filled his daughter in on the assignment that Cile had been given by the President.

He then said, "I see a role on the team for you and JR, but you tell me if you agree."

"You'll need to be more specific about the role," Katie said with obvious confusion. She would do anything to assist Cile, but she was at a loss as to what her contributions could be.

Bobby explained, "The toxic incidents were discovered when people started being affected, and Cile's team will be focused on identifying additional incidents by monitoring health data from around the country and the world. I know of at least three of the incidents where animals being affected didn't raise any alarms for anyone before the toxins affected people. We need to find some way to track data on wildlife and domestic animals for signs of toxic exposure, and I want you and JR to assist with that objective."

"Count me in!" Katie exclaimed. "Get me a list of the toxins encountered so far and I'll work on reviewing the symptoms in various species we might expect to become exposed in the wild. I'll ask JR to focus on the same review for domestic and farm animals."

"Do you think that we should bring in someone from the FDA to assist?" Bobby asked.

Katie shook her head, and said, "Remember Debbie Gomez, my roommate, during my sophomore year at A&M? She is a supervising field agent for the FDA out of their San Antonio office. I think JR and I would prefer to bring her in as needed. She is someone we could trust and would be able to call up other FDA resources if we need them."

"And she would be local," Bobby said. "It makes sense."

"Human exposures have varied between the incidents," Katie said. "We can expect the same variations with animals. Some will be exposed directly from the environment, such as inhaling radon, some through drinking contaminated water, and some from the food chain. Can you get us copies of any necropsies that have been performed on animals known to have died from exposure to any of the toxins?"

"I'll e-mail copies of all the incident files to you and JR when we get to the house," her father said. "You two can make requests for anything you need after reviewing each of the incidents. You're both better qualified to know who a request for a necropsy should be directed to than I am. I'll get involved if you encounter resistance anywhere along the way."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll get on them as soon as Tyler and I get home."

Tyler knew that his wife's statement wasn't true by the way that she squeezed his hand. She had given him part of her anniversary gift that morning, and he knew that she had a lot more of it to give him before the day was through.

~~~

"Now that housekeeping has left, do you still want to take a shower?

Didi removed her bikini and said, "Yes, but just to rinse the salt and sand off so that we don't track it into the bed. We can shower again before dinner."

As they climbed into bed after rinsing off, Jules sensed that the intimacy that Didi wanted was not sexual in nature. Without speaking, he positioned pillows against the headboard and leaned back onto them as Didi snuggled into his shoulder. He put his arm around her and waited for her to begin.

After a minute, she said, "I'm happy here."

"I'm happy anywhere with you," Jules replied.

"As I am with you. Maybe I should have said that I am happier here. I love loving you openly, and being here has convinced me that we could have the life of our dreams in America. I also really like becoming friends with Cile, Toby, and the others, but especially Cile and Toby."

"They are a great couple, and I agree that there is a camaraderie with them that is rare between people who have just met,' Jules said. "Would you like to spend more time with them?"

"Yes, but I don't want us to intrude on their honeymoon in any way. Cile's work seems to be doing that already."

"I was referring to after this week," Jules said. "We haven't discussed where we wanted to go in the country after the symposium was over. Would you like to go to the part of the country where Cile and Toby live so that we could see different sights and possibly spend more time getting to know them on their home turf?"

"Possibly. I would like to discuss it with Cile, and you should probably do likewise with Toby. While I think that they are open and genuine in the friendship that they have shown us so far, attitudes might change under different circumstances, like when the real world of work returns."

"Here's an idea," Jules said. "Let's discuss it with them together. How about if we ask their advice on us immigrating to this country. We have discussed the possibility of that with them previously, so they won't be surprised by our request for their advice. We do need to know a bit more about what the process might entail, such as timeframes and which status allows for us to work here versus simply visiting."

"That is a brilliant idea!" Didi said. "Not just to gauge their interest in helping us, which would further demonstrate their friendship, but also because Cile has hinted at having family members who are in influential positions within the government."

Jules nodded and said, "We wouldn't want Cile to pull any strings for us, but if she knows of someone who could help guide us through the process more expediently, that would be nice."

"Exactly. There could be benefits to one immigration strategy over others, so being able to share our objectives and informally discuss the options with someone truly knowledgeable would be what we should ask Cile and Toby to assist us with.

"And what would you consider our objectives at this time?"

"I'll share mine," Didi said, "And list them in the order of priority that I believe will work best. If you have different objectives for us, or want to adjust the priorities I list, please speak your mind."

"Let's hear it," Jules told her.

"Okay, the first priority is for us to become husband and wife. The legal standing afforded to us by marriage will likely be a factor to some degree regardless of the immigration process that we eventually encounter.

"Hold it right there," Jules said. "Marriage might actually work against us. Let me explain: We are currently in the US under B2 Visitor Visas. We may be required to return to South Africa before applying for a different classification of Visa that would allow us to work here and eventually seek citizenship. Are you prepared for the challenges that us returning to South Africa and husband and wife will present?"

"Would a marriage in the United States be recognized as legal in South Africa?" Didi asked.

"I have no idea," Jules admitted. "It should be easy enough to research, though. Anyway, after marriage, if we can do that first, what is next on your list?"

"Well, assuming that we can get married and remain here without having to return to South Africa, you would need to appoint someone as your representative there, with full power of attorney to handle things like selling your house. The sale of the logistics operation could be handled by us from here, but the house will require someone to physically be there to arrange for shipping any belongings we want to us here and staging the house. Oh, and your boat; you'll need someone to sail it here if you want to keep it or sell it for you if you don't."

"The boat will be easy to sell now that the rework is done. I don't want to bring it here since we don't know if we'll even end up living along one of the coasts. Our lawyers can handle the house and make arrangements for anything that you want out of it to be shipped wherever we tell them. There's nothing in it, besides a few pictures and important documents that I feel so attached to that I couldn't replace once we find a home here. Paying to ship clothes, furniture, and things like that halfway around the world would likely cost more than buying new stuff."

"That makes sense," Didi said.

"What's next on your list?"

"I'm not certain of which order the next two items should follow..."

"Tell me what they are and maybe I can help you decide."

Didi did so, "I don't know whether you deciding what kind of work you want to do should come before or after us deciding where we want to live. If we chose a location that wasn't convenient for whatever you wanted to do, we would either have to move again, or we could find you away from home far too frequently."

"I understand," Jules told her. "I can manage the consulting side of our operation from anywhere, but I would prefer to simply relocate the entire operation to America. I was also toying with the idea of discussing with Toby and Ginger, what additional education I might require in order to dabble in teaching at the university level. But, what about you? Do you have any career aspirations?"

"I could never leave my tyrant of a boss," Didi said. "I will remain his personal assistant for the rest of my life."

"You have been my personal assistant in title only since the day you came to work for me," Jules informed her. "I have considered you to be my partner the entire time."

"I know that now, and I like the idea of being your partner for life even better. What do you think of me texting Cile to see if they want to meet for drinks before dinner? That will allow us to start discussing some of our ideas with them."

"Go ahead, but be sure to give us time to take a shower before we have to leave to meet with them."

~~~

"Are you sure that we can't beg off dinner?" Ginger whispered into Carson's ear.

She was lying beside him on the bed in his room. They were both fully clothed except for shoes.

When she had returned to her room to await his call, she had passed several of the girls on the volleyball team and was reminded of her role as their assistant coach. When Carson had called her a few minutes later, she explained that it would be more appropriate for her to come to his room rather than for him to possibly be seen entering hers. Now she didn't want to leave.

Ginger was very attracted to Carson and believed that he felt the same about her, and while she fully expected that they would become intimate before the day was over, she didn't want to appear overly anxious. They needed more time to explore where any potential relationship might be headed.

Ginger had never had a 'one-night-stand', but she had maintained a few 'friends with benefits' relationships during periods when she wasn't seriously involved with someone. She was adamant in her monogamy and expected her partners to be just as committed. They seldom were, which is why they were no longer in her life.

Carson living in Georgia, while she lived in California presented her with a challenge that she hadn't encountered previously. While there were several nights that the two of them could spend together, eliminating the 'one-night stand' scenario, their limited time together would muddy the 'friends with benefits' classification. Maybe 'an affair to remember' would work for both of them? They needed to discuss it.

"I'm sure that you could," said Carson, "But I have no choice in the matter. It looks like my involvement in investigating the environmental incidents will continue under new leadership."

"Hopefully, Cile or Toby will be able to explain," Ginger said. "They're the ones who said that we needed to meet over dinner to discuss things, and Toby didn't make my invitation sound any less mandatory than you think yours is."

"It would be nice to get some understanding," Carson said. "This reorganization, reassignment, realignment, or whatever this is didn't make any sense when the head of the task force notified me of it and doesn't make any sense right now."

Ginger replied, "Cile had mentioned that her team investigates research programs from a public health perspective, and inquiries to her about those programs' potential contribution to the environmental incidents was why she was aware of them. Maybe she learned of something after all?"

"But why invite you, Didi, and Jules?" asked Carson. "Your only involvement that I am aware of is participating in the friendly, informal conversations we have had on the incidents last night and today. In fact, why is Toby even involved, other than being married to Cile?"

"I guess we'll find out at dinner. Did you really get an e-mail directly from the Attorney General of the United States?"

Carson reached for his cell phone on the nightstand, unlocked it, and handed it to Ginger. "Read it yourself"

Ginger read the lengthy message and then handed the phone back to Carson. "I never knew there were so many federal statutes dealing with the illegal communication of restricted information. I mean, I knew that "Top Secret" meant, but all the other restricted classifications are new to me. You're not at risk of violating any laws by discussing things with me, are you?"

Carson kissed Ginger's forehead and said, "If you were to go blab to a reporter and it got back to the Justice Department that I was the source of the information, then yeah, I could get in trouble. I trust that you won't do that, or I wouldn't have said anything to you."

"You can share anything with me with the confidence that it will go no further. Just ask Lacey how well I can keep a secret."

Carson rolled over on top of Ginger and said, "Maybe I can find a way to coax you into sharing some of Lacey's secrets with me. I have a feeling that if they're being kept secret, that they must be especially juicy."

"Torture will not work on me," Ginger giggled up at him.

"Who said anything about torture? I intend to pleasure you into divulging everything you know."

"I know a lot, and we only have a few days together."

"Let's discuss those," Carson said. "In the short time that I've known you, I have come to realize something."

"What have you realized?"

"I guess the best way I can describe it, is that you stimulate me, and I'm not referring simply to my attraction to your physical beauty. I have had the opportunity to witness your interactions with other people much more than I typically do with someone I have just met. I can trust the way that you are with other people, especially those that you already know, such as Lacey and Toby Davis as genuine. Watching and listening to you with others stimulates my desire to be someone that you want to get to know better. Does that make sense?"

Ginger considered Carson's words as she raised a hand to stroke his cheek, "It does make sense, and I agree that us spending most of our time together so far in the presence of others has been advantageous, but I would be lying if I told you that I didn't want to spend more time with you alone. The question is, how do you see anything between us developing beyond a short friendship while we are both here in Myrtle Beach?"

"In all honesty, I haven't considered anything about us being 'short-term'", Carson told her. "Since my wife died, I haven't done more than date a few women. From the time of our ride to the hotel on the bus, I envisioned us as something more than two people who will spend a little time together and then go their separate ways. I don't know how our relationship will develop, or what options we will have to explore for us to become and remain as close as I think we could be. I do know that you motivate me to want to find out."

"I would like to spend the night with you," Ginger said. "We can take things at whatever pace you're comfortable with, but I want to explore the intimacy that I believe we both are seeking. Would you be okay with that?"

"Absolutely."

~~~

"Can you recommend a website where I can learn more about women's volleyball?" Huma asked Lacey.

They were walking back to the Sheridan hotel from the sports complex where Huma had observed Lacey running her team through various practice drills. These activities were all subsets of what would occur in an actual match, but did not provide Huma with an idea of what a real match would look like.

"Of course," Lacey told her. "Let's grab a drink in the hotel bar and we can exchange contact information. I'll then be able to e-mail you a couple of links to sites that will help you understand the rules as well as various strategies."

"I would like that," Huma said. "You told your team that you were going to have a full practice tomorrow. Will that be different than what I saw today?"

Lacey led Huma to a seat at the bar and took the chair beside her.

She then said, "A full practice will be almost like a real match. I'll place six players on each side of the net and coach them while they switch positions as they would in a match. The focus is upon teamwork and strategies rather than the mechanical drills that you witnessed today."

They placed their drink orders, then Huma asked, "Will practicing on the sand change things? I heard several of the girls on the team mentioning that it might."

"It will slow things down more than anything else because the sand doesn't provide the same footing as a hardwood floor. The girls won't be able to jump as high either, but the impact of the sand will be equal on both sides of the net. The tournament starts tomorrow so all the indoor courts will be occupied and unavailable for us to use, so the courts near the beach are our only option."

Their drinks arrived as Huma said, "The girls obviously respect you enormously, and your concern for them is just as apparent. I wish you and your team the best success in the tournament. I hope to find an opportunity to watch one of your matches."

"Thank you. If we make the finals, which I plan on us doing, then that match will be in the evening, after the symposium ends for the day. I'll make certain to have a ticket set aside for you."

"I would appreciate that. May I ask you another favor?"

Lacey placed her hand on top of Huma's shoulder and caressed it gently, while saying, "Of course."

Huma smiled and asked, "Would you mind if I wore these clothes back to my hotel and return them to you tomorrow evening? I'll make certain that they are laundered prior to their return. I just don't feel that it would be appropriate to wear only my bikini on the walk back. I really should shop for a more family-oriented bathing suit for while I am here."

Lacey had loaned Huma one of the spare volleyball uniforms to wear and knew that it would not be an issue for her to keep it for the duration of the tournament. They had plenty of spare uniforms.

"It might be best if I walked back to your hotel with you so that I could return with the uniform. With the tournament starting tomorrow morning, I just don't want to take a chance on needing it and not having it available. I hope you understand."

"I understand completely," Huma said as she took Lacey's hand in hers. "Perhaps I can convince you to have dinner with me tonight as thanks for your consideration."

"It is I who should buy you dinner as a thank you for spending time with me today. I can't remember the last time I was in the company of such a beautiful and charming woman. I would like to spend as much time with you this week as you can spare."

"I would like that too," Huma said with a brilliant smile. "May I make a suggestion?"

"Certainly."

Huma boldly suggested, "Let's finish these drinks, and then go up to your room. We can both take a shower, then you can dress for dinner and walk me back to my hotel, where I too can dress for dinner. We can then return to my room and decide on the rest of the evening."

Lacey guzzled the remainder of her drink, signed the tab to her room, and said, "You can bring your drink along."

~~~

Jules saw Toby just seconds before Didi spotted Cile. They had driven over to the restaurant and were arriving only a few minutes after Cile and Toby had found a table in the bar area, on the deck overlooking the ocean.

Toby rose as the other couple approached. He shook Jules' hand and received a warm hug from Didi. Cile rose and hugged Jules, followed by Didi. Once everyone was seated, their server approached and received their drink orders.

"Thank you for allowing us to join you before dinner," Jules said.

"Nonsense," Cile chided. "We love your company. However, I would prefer to hold off on any discussions about the purpose of our invitation until Ginger and Carson join us."

"We understand," Didi assured her. "There are some other things that we would like to discuss with you both, however."

Toby and Cile glanced at each other.

Jules noticed and said, "You two are the only people in America that Didi and I are proud to consider our friends. As such, we wanted to share some decisions that we are contemplating and to seek your advice on them."

"Of course," Cile said. "We feel the same way about your guys. Tell us what you are considering."

"We want to stay in this country permanently," Didi explained. "Part of that desire is the freedom for Jules and me to openly display our love for each other, but in all honesty, another major factor is the friendship that you two have shown towards us. You have understood our concerns and made us feel so welcomed here that we believe this country would be the perfect place for us to raise our future family."

"That's wonderful!" Cile said. "What can we do to assist you? Do you need sponsorship, financial support, what?"

"Financial support definitely won't be required," Jules assured them. "However, where our objective would be eventually become citizens of this country, so we could use some advice on the best and proper way to approach that. If we being married would benefit the immigration and citizenship procedures, then we are prepared to address that as soon as possible. However, if we will be required to return to South Africa to begin the process, then our marriage should probably wait. Understand?"

Toby asked, "What type of visas are you currently here on?"

"Visitor visas," Jules said. "B2 classification, valid for one-hundred and twenty months."

"Then you won't have to return to South Africa," Cile informed them. "Bringing this to my attention before our dinner conversation is fortuitous. While I said that I would prefer to hold any of the planned dinner conversations until Ginger and Carson were here, I can deviate from that a bit. We intend to ask you, Jules, if you would agree to be part of a team investigating these environmental incidents. I will be in charge of the team, but you would function as a sub-contractor under my uncle's consulting business, so you would technically report to him. If you agree, I would ask him to prepare the US Immigration Service Form I-539 to change your non-immigrant status from B2 to an O, which would classify you as an individual with extraordinary ability or achievement. As your spouse, Didi would be eligible for the same classification. You would be free to live and work anywhere in the country while you apply for citizenship, which I can assure you, with my father and uncle behind you, would flow through the process easily."

"So, we could get married right away?" Didi asked. "What about residency requirements and such?"

Toby pulled out his smartphone and said, "Let me check."

The others sipped on their drinks while waiting patiently for Toby to find the information he was seeking. Finally, he said, "As long as your passports are valid and show you being over eighteen, you have a lot of options. South Carolina does not have a residency requirement for a marriage license, but there is a twenty-four-hour waiting period. If you didn't want to wait twenty-four hours, you could fly to someplace like Las Vegas and get married immediately."

Jules laughed and said, "I think we could wait twenty-four hours, especially if it meant that you and Cile would be available to stand with us when we said our vows."

Didi looked directly at Cile and asked, "Would you?"

Cile went around the table and hugged Didi, "You couldn't keep me away. When do you want to do this?"

"Help us figure out where to go and what to do to obtain the necessary license," Jules said, "And we'll get to work on that tomorrow."

"Okay," said Toby. "After dinner, you can give us a ride back to the hotel and we'll gather around my laptop to map out what needs to be done."

Chapter Thirteen

Katie checked the time once more before sending a text to Cile.

KATIE: Can you talk?

CILE: Sure. Do you want to call me or for me to call you?

Katie dialed Cile's number. It was answered immediately, "Good morning."

"I know it's early there, but if it's any consolation, it's an hour earlier here," Katie said.

"Six in the morning isn't early for you. Then again, maybe today it is. How was your anniversary?"

Katie giggled and said, "Ongoing, but I took an intermission to share something that might be important for your meeting this morning."

"You know about my assignment?"

"JR and I are on the team," Katie explained her father's idea about tracking animal poisonings as well as human poisonings.

"That actually makes a lot of sense, and I'll mention it during the meeting this morning. What else do you have for me?"

"It's about the arsenic poisoning event in the Great Lakes. JR and I reviewed the reports that indicate that the people who have been affected ate yellow perch and walleye showing high levels of arsenic, but all the lake waters have tested clean. No one has figured out how the fish could have such high levels of arsenic in their systems when the water was clean. I remembered an article I had read a few months back about zebra mussels..."

"I've heard about them," Cile said. "There are signs at all California lakes warning boaters about cleaning their craft and trailers of any mussels before launching into the water to prevent the spread of zebra mussels."

"Right," Katie said. "They're invasive and impacting the eco-system wherever they take over. I think that the reason that the water is testing clean is due to the proliferation of zebra mussels that have invaded and taken up residence in the Great Lakes."

"And they've become part of the food chain in the lakes," Cile concluded.

"Correct. Zebra mussels feed by filtering the lake water and absorbing nutrients within it. This means that they would consequently absorb any contaminants in the water, such as arsenic. The water released by the zebra mussels would have had the arsenic filtered out of it."

"So, you're thinking that yellow perch are getting their contamination from eating the zebra mussels?" Cile asked.

"That's the most likely link in the food chain. Then, the walleyes eat the contaminated yellow perch, and the chain just grows from there."

Cile was silent for a moment as she contemplated this information.

"It shouldn't be too difficult to find out if the zebra mussels are contaminated with arsenic. Do you still have the reports on the Great Lakes incidents open? I've already packed all my files into my bag to take them downstairs for the meeting."

"Sure," Katie said. "What do you want to know?"

"I remember seeing a report from the FDA which detailed where the fish that their inspectors found with high levels of arsenic were caught. Can you locate that report and read to me what it says?"

Katie said, "Give me a second. I'll also pull up a map of the Great Lakes so we will have something to refer to."

"Good idea."

"Okay, I found the report you mentioned. Let me scan over it real quick... Here it is. The FDA report says that the fishing boats involved worked between Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and Drummond Island, which is on Lake Huron, near the Canadian border. It doesn't list exactly where the contaminated fish were caught within that range, but looking at the map of the lakes, I can see that Bois Blanc Island is situated almost directly in the center of the fishing boats' range. That is likely ground zero, or pretty close to it."

"That gives us a starting point," Cile admitted. "Can you do some more research on zebra mussels? In particular, on surfaces and conditions that they might favor over others. I'm going to check with some people here to see if anyone knows where we can get data on the lake beds in that area. With what you find out, maybe we can narrow down the source of the arsenic by finding where the most contaminated zebra mussels are."

"I'll have everything I can find e-mailed to you within a couple of hours," Katie assured her cousin.

"Thanks. I better get down to the meeting room before Toby comes back up to see what is keeping me. He and I are the only ones with keys programmed for the room, so unless one of us is there, no one else we are expecting will be able to get in."

~~~

"I would think that there would be more people here," Didi said. "June is when the majority of weddings are held, isn't it?"

"I believe so, but there are likely fewer people seeking marriage licenses who need to be sitting in front of the Probate court waiting for it to open."

Didi checked the time again and said, "I hope the application process doesn't take too long. I want to be back to the hotel in time for the teleconference that starts at nine."

Jules squeezed her hand and said, "It only took us twenty minutes to drive here from the hotel. We should be able to make it back in time as long as the staff opens the court on time. We've already completed the application, so all that should be left is for someone to verify our documentation and for us to pay the fee."

"I am so excited and so grateful. I know that Cile will do all she can to assist, but her plate is pretty full today, along with yours, so Toby agreeing to work with me on the arrangements should allow us to have everything in place for you and me to get married tomorrow evening on the beach."

"Well, the license is the main thing," Jules said, "And it looks like they are just opening the doors. Let's head in and get the ball rolling."

The application process took slightly longer than they had expected, due to the court clerk helping them, not being familiar with how to process an application from foreign nationals who didn't have social security cards. It took her five minutes to get in contact with her supervisor, who then explained how to process the application correctly. After Jules verified that he could pay for a court-appointed process server to pick up the license the next day and deliver it to them at the hotel, he paid both fees, and they were heading back to their hotel after less than fifteen minutes in the court.

Driving back, Jules pointed the Coastal Grand Mall out to Didi, "You should be able to find everything you want there, except for the minister. Toby said that he would arrange for the actual ceremony because it must be done just right in order to be legal."

"I thought that the license is what made the marriage legal?"

Jules chuckled, "The marriage, yes. I'm speaking of the ceremony. Toby checked into whether we could get married on the beach and found that only non-commercial weddings were allowed by the City of Myrtle Beach. What exactly 'non-commercial' entails is the question. To play it safe, we won't pay the minister to marry us. Toby will find a minister willing to marry us in exchange for a sizeable donation to his or her church. That should keep us within the spirit of the law at least."

They pulled into the drive for their hotel. Didi's door was opened immediately by a bellboy and Jules' door was opened seconds later by the valet. Jules accepted the valet ticket and then walked around to join Didi. They walked hand-in-hand into the hotel, through the lobby, and towards the meeting room.

When Toby answered their knock on the door, Didi threw her arms around him and said, "Everything went perfectly. Thanks for all of your research and for helping us print out the application beforehand. It definitely expedited things."

"It was my pleasure. We'll discuss other arrangements after the meeting. Cile has made a couple of suggestions that I think you will want to consider."

Didi walked into the room and spotted Cile in her dress uniform. It was an impressive sight.

She hugged Cile, "Have we missed much?"

Cile lead Didi and Jules over to the buffet table, where a full catered breakfast had been set up for the attendees. They saw Ginger and Carson already seated along one side of the conference table, eating scrambled eggs, ham, and toast.

Cile explained, "The remote participants on the teleconference are currently unaware of anyone being here except me. Some of them are going to be invited to join our team, but they may decline the invitation. We thought it best if any decisions on joining didn't factor in who might already be on the team. You will all be able to listen in on the teleconference so that you get the same summary as I do, but since you will be behind the camera, and won't be able to make your presence known, I wanted to solicit any questions that you think I may want to ask before the meeting's start. We have about ten minutes, so let me know if you think of anything."

Jules was fixing himself a plate of food when he said, "I don't know enough at this point to develop any meaningful questions. I'm certain that will change once more of the details are shared with us."

The others nodded or otherwise signaled agreement with Jules' statement.

Ginger did have a question, however, "When do we get a chance to discuss our relationship with this Brandt Consulting group that we will be reporting to?"

As Jules and Didi took seats at the table next to Carson and Ginger, Toby said, "I imagine that Mr. Brandt will work with everyone's schedules to find time for a quick orientation. I can tell you that I have worked as a sub-contracted consultant for Brandt Consulting several times over the past year, and each experience has been professional and enlightening."

"I still don't understand their involvement in all of this," Carson said.

Cile fielded that question, "There are often constitutional limitations placed on government agencies that don't exist for private companies. I'm not talking about legal versus illegal, but operational limitations that render various agencies ineffective in handling specific requirements, especially in matters of national security, or in national emergencies such as we are dealing with here. Brandt Consulting has been a prime contractor for the Department of Homeland Security since its inception more than two decades ago. It has thousands of private industry clients as well, but Brandt Consulting has always been the go-to organization when the executive branch has felt the need to work outside of the Washington bureaucracy. As Toby said, Mr. Brandt will provide a more formal orientation for each of you, probably later this morning."

Toby pulled out the chair at the head of the conference table for Cile and then gave her a quick kiss before moving to a seat along the side of the table, behind the laptop with the camera along the top of its display. The others continued to finish their breakfasts as they listened for the teleconference to begin.

The voice of a woman came out of the laptop speakers as she initiated the teleconference. None of the people at the table could see her face, but most recognized her voice.

Carson leaned over and whispered to Jules, "That's Amber Chase, the President's Chief of Staff."

They heard Cile say "Good morning", and then Amber Chase introduced her to the participants on the teleconference by saying, "The President asked me to coordinate this meeting on his behalf, and to introduce everyone to Lieutenant Commander Celia Davis. The President sends his congratulations on your recent marriage Commander."

Cile smiled and said, "Thank you, Ms. Chase."

Amber continued, "The President wanted me to provide everyone with a little background on Lieutenant Commander Davis, so please bear with me. Lieutenant Commander Davis holds a doctorate in microbiology from Baylor University and is a licensed physician's assistance. She has managed the investigative division of the Public Health Service for the past three years, during which time she has quickly become the most decorated member in the history of the service."

Cile was noticeably blushing as Amber Chase began describing her accolades and accomplishments; listing all the ribbon bars and decorations visible on her uniform jacket, including the Legion of Merit medal that the President had presented to her and the Distinguished Service Medals from both the Public Health Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

"The President firmly believes that Lieutenant Commander Davis is the best person to lead the investigation of the environmental incidents that are plaguing our country, and he expects anyone chosen by her to be part of her team will come away as proud of her as he is."

Amber Chase began applauding for Cile, and everyone could soon hear her being joined by everyone else on the teleconference. As the applause quieted, Amber Chase asked Angie Stone to begin the briefing.

"Thank you, Ms. Chase," Angie said. "It might be easiest if we presented updates by EPA region in numerical order. Not all Regions will have something to report at this time, so we'll start with Region One and Ted Galloway. Ted?"

It wasn't lost on anyone that Angie Stone had essentially ignored Cile when she neglected to even acknowledge her after the introduction. Ted Galloway attempted to remedy that by saying, "It's an honor to be here this morning, Commander. I'll make my briefing as short and concise as possible.

"Region one serves the states on Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Our offices are in Boston. To date, we have verified one toxic element environmental incident, which involved a thallium contaminated water supply for the small town of Lisbon. The source of the contamination has been identified as a previously unknown underground spring feeding into the town's reservoir. The spring flow into the reservoir has been dammed off and filtering installed in the town's pumps, so the immediate danger to the community has been relieved."

Angie Stone said, "Thank you, Ted. Let's move on to Region two and...

"Excuse me," Cile said. "Would you mind if I ask questions as we go along?"

"I think it might be more efficient if we got all of the region briefings completed before any questions," Angie Stone said. "You might discover that your question is answered during another region's update."

"I think I'll take my chances," Cile said. Then without waiting for a response, she said, "Mr. Galloway, has a geological survey been performed on the area where this unknown stream is located, and if so, where is the data from that survey?"

"No Commander, a geological survey has not yet been performed, and if you will allow me, I can explain why that is."

Cile smile brightly and said, "Please do explain."

"As you know, there have been several environmental incidents. In our case, the incident was discovered before the thallium levels got high enough to be a danger to animal or human life. As the more critical incidents began to be identified and the need for geological surveys grew, the ten EPA region administrators felt it best if we tried to prioritize our requests to the US Geological Survey team so that we didn't overwhelm them. Naturally, an incident that was under control, and with no imminent risk to life was given a lower priority. We expect a geological survey to be performed within the next few months, depending upon what other incidents might occur to alter the schedule."

"Thank you, Mr. Galloway, Cile said. "Dennis Eggers, are you on the call?"

"I certainly am, Commander. What can I answer for you?"

"Mr. Eggers, don't most states have their own geological surveys?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Does the US Geological Survey have working relationships with theses states' geological surveys?" Cile asked.

"Yes, we do."

Cile nodded and asked, "Has the US Geological Survey called upon any of these various state geological surveys to perform surveys on any of the recent environmental incidents?"

"No, Commander, we have not."

"Is there a reason why, Mr. Eggers?"

"No one ever made the request for us to seek assistance from any of the states. I cannot say if this was due to attempting to minimize the number of organizations with knowledge of the incidents, a lack of knowledge about the existence of state geological surveys, or for some other reason. I just know that we never received a request."

"One last question for now," Cile said. "Does New Hampshire have its own state geological survey?"

"Yes, Commander, they do, and a very good team if I may say so."

Cile smiled again and said, "Thank you. I think we can move on to Region two now."

Everyone expected Angie Stone to introduce the administrator for Region two, so after several minutes of silence indicated that this was not the case, a different woman spoke, "Good morning, Commander. My name is Inez Hanson. I am the administrator for EPA Region two. We serve New York State, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our lone identified toxic environmental incident is almost an exact duplicate of the one in Region one, and we too have the incident controlled and contained while awaiting a geological survey.

"Thank you," said Cile. "Was your source determined to be a previously unknown stream as well?"

"Exactly, Commander. Our situation was virtually identical to the incident in Lisbon, New Hampshire, only ours occurred in the town of Wilmington, just northeast of Lake Placid."

Cile nodded her understanding and said, "Thank you. Does Region three have anything to report?"

When her question was met with silence, Cile asked, "Ms. Chase, could I impose upon you to try and see if all the EPA Region administrators who are not on this call can get contacted and invited to join us?"

Amber Chase said, "I'll have my staff get on it immediately, and I apologize that I didn't check the list of attendees better. May I suggest that we take a fifteen-minute break to allow time for the other administrators to be contacted and join the meeting?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Cile said. "Let's reconvene in fifteen minutes."

~~~

Angie Stone disconnected from the teleconference and was preparing to call Ted Galloway and ream him a new asshole for not displaying the indifferent attitude that she had told all the members of the task force to exhibit towards Celia Davis when speaking to her. Her office door opened and two men in suits stepped in.

They both produced badges of the United States Secret Service. Without introducing themselves further, the one on the right said, "The President wants to see you. Let's go."

~~~

"Good morning, Lover."

Lacey looked up at Huma Sandhu, and then quickly glanced around to see who might have been close enough to hear her greeting.

"Huma! What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you until this evening. Care to join me? Have you eaten?"

Huma smiled and took the lone seat across the table from Lacey.

"I am not hungry, but I would love to drink some tea and chat with you while you eat if that is okay."

"Of course," Lacey said. "I would welcome your company. So, what are you doing here?"

Huma smiled broader and said, "You forget that I am attending a symposium this week in the convention center attached to this hotel."

Lacey laughed and said, "You're right, I did forget. Not about you attending the symposium, but that it was being held at the convention center here."

"I wish our travel department would have realized that this hotel was here," Huma said. "I would have chosen this one over the other one in an instant. No harm was done though because I am here now."

"You've changed hotels?" Lacey asked.

"That is one of the reasons I arrived an hour before the start of the symposium. I wanted to check in here before it started. My room isn't ready yet, so the front desk is holding my luggage for me until it is."

Lacey had an excited look on her face when she asked, "What floor are you on, do you know?"

Huma's smile just seemed to grow even more as she said, "I am on the third floor. Right below yours."

Lacey smiled and said, "How convenient."

Huma's face took on a more serious expression. She said, "I cried for over an hour after you left my room last night. I hadn't realized how much I had been craving the very intimacies that we shared, and I missed them immediately upon your departure."

Lacey had a knowing and sympathetic expression on her face when she said, "I didn't want to leave, believe me. Your hotel change means that I will only need to leave your room, and hopefully, your bed for about a half-hour when I do the curfew checks on the girls. We'll be able to wake up together for the rest of our time here."

A smile returned to Huma's face as she winked and said, "You're assuming that I will let you sleep once I get you back into my bed. You are the most... how can I describe it... the most athletic lover I have ever had. You controlled me, without dominating me, bringing more pleasure than I believed possible. However, the tenderness when you held me is seared into my memory. I crave your strength and tenderness so much."

Lacey King did enjoy women, but she also enjoyed men. While bi-sexual, she was monogamously so. She was never in a relationship with both a man and woman at the same time, and refused to share one with the other if they learned of her propensity to 'swing from both sides of the plate'. She had been in long-term relationships with members of both sexes and loved each with all of her heart at the time.

In her short time with Huma Sandhu, Lacey had felt a stronger attraction to a woman than she had experienced previously. Her past relationships with women had evolved from friendships that had developed over weeks or months. She had never found herself having sex with a woman the first day that they had met, but Huma had drawn her in from the moment they had looked into each other's eyes.

She wasn't sure what the rest of her time with Huma this week would develop into, but she knew that it would be an experience that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

"We had agreed last night that both of us would be available by five-thirty," Lacey said. "I could actually make it back to the hotel a bit earlier since I am the one coaching the practice session. Do you anticipate any change in your schedule?"

"A slight one," said Huma. "I had factored in a half-hour for me to get back to my hotel from the convention center. I won't need anywhere that much time now. May I make a suggestion?"

"I've liked every one of your suggestions so far," Lacey said with a wink.

Huma returned the wink and said, "I know that you're likely not to be too focused on what you want for dinner right after breakfast, but if you review the room service menu when you return to your room, try to text me what you would like to eat and I will make arrangements for our meal this evening. Unless you would prefer to go out somewhere instead."

"Your suggestion about staying in and ordering room service suits me just fine," Lacey said, "But how about if you text me your room number when you are heading back after the symposium. I'll meet you there and we can share another shower before deciding on what we'll have for dinner."

Huma glowed with excitement as she said, "I haven't recovered from our shower together yesterday, so I'll certainly be ready for another one with you this evening. It's a date. I'll text you as soon as I leave the last presentation."

"I look forward to it. I was going to do some shopping this morning before the practice, would you mind if I bought you something while I was out?"

Huma considered her lover's expression and said, "I suppose it would depend on what it was."

"I want to buy you a new bikini," Lacey explained. "I want to get you something that you feel more comfortable wearing in public, and I can enjoy you wearing in private. Will you trust me with picking something out for you?"

Huma had a tear in her eye at the thought of this intimate gesture on the part of Lacey. The thought that she would have to part with Lacey at the end of the week suddenly made her so very sad, and Lacey saw the change in her mood instantly.

"Oh, Huma, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have been so presumptuous. Please forgive me."

Huma grabbed both of Lacey's hands in hers and said, "No, no, lover. It is I who is sorry. You make me so very happy, and the realization of how short our time together is saddened me. I will try to live for the moment and not dwell on the future. I am sorry."

Lacey didn't want to dwell on the future either.

~~~

As soon as the teleconference was paused, Cile received a text from her uncle stating that she was doing a great job and that he was so proud of her. The fact that her uncle was an unannounced participant on the teleconference was not a surprise to her.

"What got into that Angie Stone's porridge this morning?" Didi asked. "She was almost hostile towards you."

"She is an associate deputy administrator of the EPA under William Shepard and was placed in charge of the task force that he created to investigate the environmental incidents," Carson explained. "She resents Cile for basically replacing her because she saw the task force as a career-enhancing opportunity that has been taken away from her without justification."

Toby said, "But it wasn't Cile's call, and Angie Stone has to know that. The President made the choice, and from what I have seen, it was definitely the right choice."

He went over to kiss Cile and said, "You're nailing this, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Cutie," Cile gushed. "Any other comments on what we have heard so far?"

"I just want to say how impressed I am with both your handling of the teleconference, but also everything that Ms. Chase mentioned about your accomplishments," Didi said. "You are an amazing woman, apparently with the T-shirts to prove it. I am honored to call you a friend."

"Here, here!" shouted Jules as he started applauding. He was joined immediately by the others.

When Amber Chase restarted the teleconference a few seconds later, Cile was still blushing bright red.

Amber said, "Angie Stone got called away suddenly. Bill Shepard will be assuming her place for the duration of this meeting. "Commander, we have all of the region administrators present now if you would like to continue."

"Thank you, Ms. Chase. Does Region three have anything to report?"

"Commander, this is Matt Carpenter from Region three. We serve the states of Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia out of the federal building in Philadelphia. We have had no reported toxic environmental incidents in this region."

"With all of the mining operations, past and present within your region," asked Cile, "Can you tell me if there have been any increases in reports of toxic exposures reported related to those operations?"

"No, Ma'am. Those reports would be directed to and investigated by OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

"Thank you, Mr. Carpenter. Ms. Chase, would you be kind enough to text or e-mail me the name for the head of OSHA when you have an opportunity?"

"You'll have the name within minutes, Commander."

"Thank you. Does Region four have anything to report?"

"Yes, Commander. This is Darcy Chambers, administrator for Region four. We serve the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Our toxic environmental incidents involve selenium contamination of well water at a farm in northwest Georgia and a thallium contaminated well in the Fiery Gizzard Recreation area just across the border from Georgia in Tennessee. With the first incident, the contamination was not discovered before the water had been used to irrigate the farm's feed corn crop, which was subsequently fed to several pigs on the farm as well as approximately one-hundred and thirty chickens at a nearby poultry farm. All those animals died from selenium poisoning."

"There was no human exposure?" Cile asked.

"Due to county health requirements, the water from the well ran through mandatory filtering before entering the farmhouse. The water used for irrigation was unfiltered. The feed corn was the first crop harvested, so we dodged a bullet by discovering its contamination before the other crops, intended for human consumption could be harvested. Those crops have all been destroyed."

"Has the source of the selenium been identified?" Cile asked.

Darcy Chambers said, "We have some theories, but are awaiting a geological survey to validate them."

"What are your theories?"

"We think that wastewater from fracking that occurred in the area found its way into the local aquifer."

Cile had a puzzled expression on her face, "Does wastewater from fracking operations typically contain selenium?"

"Our region geologist is out of the office this week," Darcy said, "But I will send him an e-mail asking your question."

Cile glanced over at Carson and saw him answering her question with a shake of his head, "No."

She said, "That won't be necessary, Ms. Chambers. What about the incident in Tennessee?"

"Once again, the thallium contaminated a water system, but unlike the incidents in Regions one and two, the thallium contamination affected a groundwater resource, namely Fiery Gizzard Creek. The source of the thallium will require a geological survey, but since the creek was been dammed off and the recreation area closed to the public since its discovery, this location has been assigned a lower priority by the USGS."

"Thank you," Cile said. "Mr. Shepard, would you be able to tell me how soon I could get access to the full reports on these incidents from all the regions?"

"Would you like the reports sent to you individually?" Bill Shepard asked, "Or would you like for my office to compile everything into a single report for you?"

"I assume the individual complete reports are what is being summarized for me now. Is that correct?"

Bill Shepard queried the region administrators, "Darcy, Ted, everyone, what were Angie's instruction to you for this call?"

"We were instructed to summarize our reports on the incidents within our regions," Ted Galloway said. "I could send the complete report with just a few clicks of my keyboard."

"Everyone, please send your complete reports to me before this call is over," Shepard said. "I will combine them into a single e-mail for the Commander so that she doesn't have to deal with ten different ones."

"Thank you, Mr. Shepard," Cile said. "Moving on, does Region five have any incidents to report?"

"Commander, my name is Norman Gault, administrator for Region five. Our office in Chicago serves the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. We also have the Great Lakes National Program Office, and it is the director of that office that I would like to present our report to you. Carol."

"Good morning, Commander. My name is Carol Hardy, Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office. The reason that Norman asked me to present our toxic environmental incident report to you is that the only incident we have experienced so far, occurred in Lake Huron, and it is a biggie."

"The arsenic poisoning on Bois Blanc Island," Cile stated. "What is the latest?"

"We have identified the source of the arsenic trioxide that caused all the human fatalities was their consumption of contaminated fish, either yellow perch or walleye. We still have not identified how the fish are being contaminated. The FDA has stepped up inspections of commercial fisheries and sent out notifications all around the Great Lakes warning of possible arsenic-contaminated fish. People are still getting contaminated within the region and in Canada, but the symptoms of arsenic poisoning are being identified early enough to prevent any additional fatalities."

"So far," Cile said.

"Yes," Carol agreed, "So far."

"I understand that there have been no indications of above normal levels of arsenic found in any of the lake waters tested. Is that still the case?"

"Yes, Commander. Both our Canadian counterparts and we continue testing various locations around and in the Great Lakes. Arsenic levels remain well below acceptable levels in all tests."

"Ms. Hardy, in your capacity as the Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office, are you familiar with a small freshwater mussel species known as the zebra mussel?"

"Oh God, yes! We have monthly calls with multiple agencies, here and in Canada on how to deal with the pests."

"Good," Cile said. "Do any of the conversations that you have had mention the increased clarity of the lake waters since the invasion of the zebra mussel?"

"Are you implying that the zebra mussels are filtering the arsenic out of the lake water, and that's why we aren't detecting any?"

Cile was nodding as she said, "It makes sense if we follow the food chain. Humans get contaminated when they eat walleye or yellow perch. Walleye get contaminated when they eat yellow perch. Yellow perch feed on zebra mussels. It should be simple enough to find out if I'm right."

"But that would still leave the question of where the arsenic is coming from in order for the zebra mussels to filter it out," Carol said.

"True," agreed Cile. "However, the source will likely be close to wherever the zebra mussels with the highest concentration of arsenic are located. I would start by testing any zebra mussels around Bois Blanc Island and move out from there."

Chapter Fourteen

The teleconference lasted until noon. Immediately after exiting the call, Cile spun her laptop around so that the camera on it would capture the other people at the conference table, leaving the teleconference application running. The face of a smiling man came on the screen.

"Good afternoon. My name is James Robert Brandt, and while I believe I can place the correct name to each of your faces, please save me from embarrassing myself by introducing yourselves..."

Cile leaned over and whispered to Toby, "Let's go arrange for a sandwich platter for everyone. We don't need to listen to the orientation."

Toby stood and let Cile lead him out of the meeting room and towards the concierge desk, where she placed an order with the hotel's catering department for lunch to be delivered to the meeting room in half an hour. They then went up to their room so that Cile could change out of her uniform and into something more comfortable.

They returned to the meeting room just in time to open the door for the lunch order delivery. They could tell by the question-and-answer period currently taking place that the orientation was just about wrapped up. Cile and Toby stood aside as the room service personnel cleared out the breakfast setup and replaced it with their lunch. Cile made certain that the door closed tightly after room service had left.

"Is everyone comfortable with their roles and being contract employees of Brandt Consulting?" She asked the group.

There were nods around the table as Bobby spoke from the computer, "I can tell you that I don't know when I have been more impressed with a group of new recruits. Thanks for bringing them all to my attention, Cile."

"It's my pleasure, Uncle Bobby."

"Wait," Carson said, pointing between the image on the screen and Cile. "You two are related?"

"Celia's mother is one of my older sisters," Bobby explained. "Plus, Toby's cousin is my son-in-law."

"You must be very proud of your niece then," Didi said. "She certainly is impressive as a leader."

"We are all prouder of Cile than mere words can express," Bobby assured them. "I see that lunch has arrived. Is it your plan Cile to do a recap of the teleconference over lunch?"

"That was my plan. I know that Carson and Jules would like to attend as much of the symposium's afternoon programs as possible, Ginger has a volleyball practice to help with, and Didi needs to do some shopping for her wedding tomorrow. So, if everyone would take a minute to grab some food, we can get started."

"While you're all doing that," Bobby said, "I'll let you know that the President has receiving real-time updates on the teleconference the entire time from Amber Chase and he is more confident in his decision to pull the investigation away from the EPA than before. I'm sure that the glaring incompetence of the task force was evident to everyone listening, besides me."

Toby and Cile were the last to get their food. They took seats along the side of the table so that all six people in the room would be visible to the camera.

Carson said, "I think that Cile's questions certainly went a long way towards exposing the incompetence you mention, Mr. Brandt."

"Please call me Bobby, and I agree."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Ginger said, "But aren't there several more options to have the geological surveys done besides the U.S. Geological Survey alone? Isn't that what Cile was implying when she asked if the individual state geological surveys had been requested to help?"

Carson answered, "You are one hundred percent correct. Even if the EPA wanted to use only federal agencies in order to keep a tighter lid on the incidents, at a bare minimum, they could have requested assistance in having geological surveys performed from both the Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees."

Jules added, "Give the word and I'll fly the staff over here from South Africa and we'll have all the geological surveys completed within a month."

Cile smiled at the encouragement being demonstrated, and said, "Uncle Bobby, Toby, and I tend to believe that the incompetence was at the top, and the region administrators will be vital members of the team they are now part of. You're the one who is going to have to deal with them, so in listening in on the teleconference, did you have any concerns among the regions?"

Bobby said, "I would go ahead and replace Norman Gault in Region five with Carol Hardy since it relates more to her role with the Great Lakes National Program Office than with other regional activities. Other than that, I heard nothing else that concerns me. If you would forward me the reports from all the regions once Bill Shepard e-mails them to you, I will review those and see if anything in them changes my mind."

"I agree with you on Region five," Cile said. "I'll forward the e-mail as soon as I receive it."

Toby said, "There hasn't been much discussion yet about the sources of the toxic contaminants that have been identified. Let's look at the mercury leaching into the watershed out there in Montana. What factors could be contributing to the mercury leaching out of, what I assume was cinnabar ore in such large amounts?"

Ginger said, "Mercury is an extremely rare element in the Earth's crust. The richest mercury ores, with cinnabar being the most common, contain up to two and a half percent mercury by mass, and even the leanest concentrated deposits are at least zero point one percent mercury. Ores containing Mercury usually occur in very young orogenic belts where rocks of high density are forced to the Earth's crust, often in hot springs or other volcanic regions."

"Didn't the Region eight administrator, I think his name was David Mitchell, say that the source of the Mercury originated in a hot spring?" Carson asked.

Ginger smiled at him, and said, "He sure did."

"It would take more than hot water to separate Mercury from any ore," Toby said. "Mercury is usually extracted by heating cinnabar in a current of air and condensing the vapor. While the water might be hot enough to heat the cinnabar, the absence of air would negate the process."

"I am also puzzled by something else," said Jules. "What has caused the geological changes in each of these instances that resulted in soil erosion, subterranean fissures or other tectonic factors, and exposed the toxic element to the surface of the Earth?"

"And why so many varied incidents around the world are happening at virtually the same time," added Didi.

"Okay," said Cile. "Everyone is encouraged to keep thinking about things until we meet up again this evening for dinner. By that time, I should have all of the complete reports, including the geological data where surveys have been completed and we can review everything together. A member of my investigative team will be on location within each of the regional offices by tomorrow morning, so we can discuss what marching orders we want to give them after reviewing all of the available data."

"Any assignment for me?" Bobby asked.

Cile nodded and said, "Definitely. Uncle Bobby, we need more geological survey assistance in order to get all the sites completed as soon as possible. Please check with whoever you feel most appropriate to determine what resources we can trust to perform surveys for us. As Carson said, we should be able to call on the Army and Navy at least, but local resources might be preferable for many reasons. I'll leave that up to you."

"I'm on it," Bobby said. "I should have a list of resources available for you by this evening."

"Thanks. Okay, let's wrap it up for now. I'll be available on my cell phone if anyone needs to reach me before six this evening."

Jules stood and kissed Didi, "Are you sure that you don't want to use the car?"

Didi shook her head, "I'm not comfortable driving on the right side of the road. I know I'll have to learn to do it eventually, but my mind is on too many other things right now. I'll just use taxis today."

Jules headed for the door and said, "I understand, but I am going to leave the valet ticket with Toby then. He might be able to make use of the car."

Carson asked Ginger, "You're not going back to the hotel, right?"

"Right. I brought a change of clothes for the practice and Cile said I could leave my stuff in her room since I'll be coming back here for our meeting later."

Carson kissed her lips and said, "I better catch up with Jules so we can walk over to the convention center together. I'll see you later."

Toby kissed Cile on the forehead, and said, "I'll go let the concierge know that room service is free to come and retrieve the lunch setup. I'll meet you in the room."

"Okay. Come on, Ginger, let's go change for the practice."

"You still want to watch the team practice?" Ginger asked. "I would think that you would be too busy..."

"All I could do over the next several hours is check e-mails to see if the reports have been sent yet, and I can do that from my cell phone. I would much rather hit Toby with the surprise I have for him, and once I do that, I might as well go to the practice with you. Come on."

Cile grabbed her laptop bag and led Ginger out of the meeting room. On the elevator ride to the room, Ginger tried to pry Cile for a hint about the surprise that she had for Toby, but Cile just grinned.

Opening the door to their suite, Cile said, "You can change in the second bedroom, over there. Feel free to leave your stuff there so you can change back after practice. I'll be in our bedroom. Meet you out here when we're done."

Toby was sitting at the desk in the main room when Ginger came out wearing her volleyball uniform from her playing days on the UCLA team.

Toby turned and smiled at her, "You still look as beautiful as when you were playing."

"Thank you, profess..." Ginger was able to close her mouth before the next words were verbalized, "Holy fuck!"

Toby turned at the sound of the other bedroom door opening and his jaw dropped at the sight of his wife. He had been blessed with the sight of Cile in all manner of dress, from the sexiest little black dress to the sheerest lingerie, to the faux nude bikini that changes colors when exposed to water, and of course, her wearing nothing at all. Seeing her in her volleyball uniform from her playing days at Baylor University had to rank very high on his list of his favorite outfits.

The scoop-neck hunter green and gold top with cap sleeves must have been tailored for her, because it flowed over her body and melded to her every curve. The bottom of the uniform was also hunter green and gold, but Toby knew that he would have to physically touch the material to convince himself that the shorts weren't actually paint, skillfully applied to Cile's body.

Her long blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and the overall effect produced an image of sexy, athletic innocence and beauty that visibly aroused Toby.

Cile was smiling broadly from recognizing that her surprise had accomplished the desired effect. She glanced at Ginger and said, "Ready to go?"

Ginger just mumbled, "Uh-huh."

Cile walked over to where Toby sat in his chair. She leaned down to kiss him on the lips and said, "You're going to score when I get back."

Toby took the opportunity to place his right hand on Cile's waist. Nope, not paint after all.

~~~

There was a blank expression on Juanita Jergens' face as she answered Angie Stone's question, "EPA policy dictates that your immediate supervisor must be present for your hearing to commence. Mr. Shepard is on his way and should be here shortly."

As the assistant director of the EPA's Office of Administrative and Executive Services, Juanita Jergens managed all human resource operations for the agency. She would not typically be personally involved in an employee's disciplinary hearing, but since the complaint that initiated the hearing came from the President of the United States himself, Juanita took a very personal interest in Angie Stone's case.

Angie Stone wanted to scowl at Juanita Jergens but resisted the urge. When she had been led out of her office by the two Secret Service agents, she had assumed that they would be transporting her to meet the President, most likely at the White House. She had only been to the White House to take the official tour, and she had looked forward to maybe even seeing the Oval Office.

When they had exited the building and Angie had seen the Presidential limousine parked in front, with all of the security deployed around it, she realized that her meeting with the President, at least this meeting, would not be held at the White House at all. The President didn't pick up people to escort them back to the Oval Office.

The location of the meeting didn't matter to Angie. All she needed was a face-to-face opportunity to make the case the Bill Shepard should have made, which was that she, and not some glorified school nurse, should be leading the investigation into the environmental incidents.

One of the agents opened the back door as Angie approached the limousine. As soon as she stooped to enter the back seat, she knew that the opportunity that she expected, would not be realized.

"If you say one fucking word," the President growled, "Your next stop will be Guantanamo Bay!"

Over the next five minutes, Angie endured the most vitreous insults of a person's professional behavior that she had ever heard. Although she hadn't broken any laws from a purely legal perspective, she had broken a major unwritten law; you do not piss off the sitting President of the United States. She was then escorted into this hearing room, where Juanita Jergens had been waiting for her.

The door to the small hearing room opened and Bill Shepard entered. He took a seat across the table from Angie, just to the right of Juanita.

Juanita spoke, "Angela Stone, you are being placed on administrative leave, without pay, while allegations of gross incompetence, insubordination, and conspiracy, which have been made against you are investigated. Do you have any questions?"

"May I know who made these allegations?" Angie asked.

"Under normal circumstances, the identity of the complainant would remain anonymous to you, but this particular complainant wanted you to know who he was," Juanita explained. "The allegations against you were brought by Gary Johnson, President of the United States."

"Oh, fuck," thought Angie.

"May I know the specifics of the allegations? For example, in what way was my work incompetent?"

Bill Shepard answered, "If you hadn't been so unprofessional during the teleconference, you would have been allowed to stay and listen as Lieutenant Commander Davis highlighted all the actions that the task force failed to take with you as the head."

"What actions did I fail to take?" Angie asked. Her tone was becoming hostile.

"The specifics will be documented for you before your formal hearing," Juanita told her. "You will have an opportunity to respond and present your position at the hearing. You are free to seek legal counsel at your own expense."

Angie pleaded, "Why doesn't anyone understand how vital it is that someone with the proper knowledge and experience lead this investigation? We will never discover the source for most of the toxic environmental incidents without the right people involved. People are going to continue dying."

Bill Shepard was shaking his head in disbelief, "Angie, I warned you. I not only told you that Celia Davis was the President's golden child, but I also told you that her qualifications trumped your own. Did you see all the ribbon bars on her uniform jacket? She didn't earn those as, what did you call her, 'A glorified school nurse'? In addition to the medals that Amber Chase mentioned, did you know that Celia Reid has been nominated to receive the Medal of Honor? Before the teleconference was an hour old she had solved one of the biggest puzzles of this century? If it was within my power, I would put in a second nomination for her."

"What puzzle was that?" Angie scoffed.

"The Lake Huron incident," Shepard said. "She figured out that the reason that the lake water tested clean was that zebra mussels were filtering the arsenic out of the water, and these were then being eaten by yellow perch. Commander Davis closed the loop on the food chain in forty-nine fucking minutes. You and your team had no clue. She is identifying and bringing in expert resources that you either ignored or were unaware of."

"I..." Angie began, but Bill Shepard cut her off.

"Save it for your hearing, Angie. After speaking with all of the region administrators, I have enough to terminate your employment for cause right now, but the President insists that we play things by the book, and allow you a formal hearing. Juanita or someone on her team will send you the documented allegations, along with specifics related to each. I strongly suggest that you get your over-inflated ego in check before then."

"Is that all?" Angie asked as she rose from her chair.

Juanita slid an electronic file folder across the table and said, "Please sign where indicated, acknowledging your understanding that you are on administrative leave without pay and agreeing to cooperate with the scheduling of your formal hearing."

Angie signed where indicated and checked the time. She had enough time for lunch before heading over to the headquarters for OSHA. She had assisted them with enough whistleblower investigations under the Toxic Substance Control Act to know just the right person to bring her own complaint to.

~~~

Huma saw Carson and Jules sitting at a table in the refreshment area of the convention center and approached them.

"Good day," she said. "I have been looking for a familiar face all morning. Mind if I join you?"

"We would be honored," Jules told her. "How were the morning sessions?"

"Didn't either of you attend any of the morning sessions?" Huma asked in surprise.

Carson swallowed the bite of the sandwich he had been chewing and said, "No, we had to attend another meeting. Did we miss anything interesting?"

"The keynote speech was very interesting, but you will be able to get a recording of that, so I suppose the short answer would be, 'No, you didn't miss anything'. What was your meeting about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We've both been hired as consultants by the same company, so we had a sort of orientation that we had to attend," Jules explained.

"That's right," Huma said, "You are both geologists. I suppose this must be a global company to want to hire consultants from both the United States and South Africa. Do you know if they ever require a marine geologist? I might be interested if they do."

"We can certainly inquire for you," Jules said. "I'll ask Didi to check and let you know."

"Didi is working for them too?"

Jules nodded and said, "Didi is my fiancée, and soon to be my wife, but she is also my personal assistant. Where I go, she goes."

Carson wanted to get the conversation back to something more general in nature, so he asked Huma, "Have you checked out the sessions for this afternoon and found anything that you're interested in?"

"Oh, yes! There is a session discussing potential environmental impacts from the super-volcano at Yellowstone National Park. As you probably know, my country has experienced several impacts from volcanic activity on Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and others as far away as Indonesia. I think I would like to hear how other countries are planning to mitigate the potential effects of an eruption the size of what the Yellowstone super-volcano is predicted to produce. What about you? Any afternoon session interest either of you?"

"I will focus on making new contacts," said Carson, "So, I will try to find sessions that provide for greater interaction among the participants such as workshops."

Jules said, "I may tag along with you, Carson. Our interests seem to fall along the same lines."

Huma considered the advantages of Carson's strategy as it related to her assignment. While she really did want to attend the session on the Yellowstone super-volcano, her mission was to gather information on other possible toxic environmental incidents elsewhere in the world, and being able to converse with other participants targeted that objective better than listening to a single presenter speak.

"As with the keynote speech, recordings of all other presentations are available to the symposium participants," Huma said. "I believe I too would benefit more from interactions with my peers. Do you mind if I accompany you two?"

Carson glanced at Jules, hoping that he could silently communicate his plea for Jules to object to Huma's request.

Jules did in a way, when he said, "My experience has taught me that strangers are much more open and approachable when they are dealing with an individual rather than a group of people who appear to be together. While I would never object to you attending the same workshops as us, I will have to ask that we remain separated in any workshops we participate in so that each of us gets the opportunity to meet and interact with as many new people as possible."

"I would have to agree with Jules," Carson said. "Naturally, if he or I are not in a conversation with someone else, you are more than welcome to approach us. We can also make arrangements to meet up between workshops to discuss the interactions we had."

Huma was not happy with being separated from the two men, but they would likely not understand the reason. For her, being with one or both of them would serve as protection. If she was seen in the company of the same man, or men, she would be perceived as "taken", then she would be able to seek out and speak to other men without them believing that she was available for them to ask out to dinner or drinks. Most women knew that the quickest way to shut down any flow of information from a man was to decline any offer he made of a personal nature. She believed this was taught in "Male Ego 101" at most universities.

"I can understand and support the logic behind that strategy," Huma told them, "And I'm glad you thought of it. Is there a particular workshop that we want to start with?"

Carson shrugged his shoulders at Jules and said, "Let's see what's on the agenda."

~~~

Ginger and Lacey watched in awe as one member of the team after another followed Cile's instructions on the court. Cile was setting the ball for a girl to spike over the net while coaching the first team members on the other side on how to dig the spiked ball successfully, and there were few failures.

Cile had blushed as Lacey had introduced her to her team, detailing all the NCAA women's volleyball records still held by Cile, but the embarrassment was short-lived. Player after player asked for Cile to show them how she jumped so high and how she instinctively knew where the best location on the court would be for her, both offensively and defensively.

"Do you think a hurdler would clear the hurdle if he or she was standing right in front of it?" Cile had asked the team. "No, they need the momentum that their running speed provides. Unfortunately, the volleyball court and the ongoing match don't provide you with much room to build your momentum when you need it, so you need to make the most of what you do have."

Less than a half-hour into the practice Lacey realized that most of her starting players had increased their vertical jump height by six to twelve inches, and that was on sand. She also saw that through the players' conscious focus on their positioning to improve their jumps had led to them being more strategic in both their offensive and defensive roles. The team was accomplishing digs that they had never come close to making before, blocks at the net had increased ten-fold, and kills were being made by players who had seldom even attempted one before.

"The crowd keeps growing," Ginger observed.

Lacey nodded, "I noticed. I don't know if it the activity on the court that is attracting them, but with the number of men I see watching, I suspect that the blonde babe out there in green and gold is the real attraction for them. Damn, she looks hot. Any idea if she switch hits, because I could sure get into her if the opportunity ever presented itself."

"I wouldn't suggest that you try," Ginger laughed. "She may look absolutely adorable, but from what I witnessed from her today, there is Valkyrie in her, of that I am certain."

"Valkyries are mythological," Lacey scoffed.

"Celia Davis is very real," Ginger said, "And very dangerous for anyone who challenges her or someone that she cares about. What's that sound?"

Ginger leaned back to glance around Lacey at the same time that Lacey turned. "It sounds like a cell phone ringing in Cile's daypack," Lacey said.

She blew her whistle to get the attention of the players and Cile, then motioned Cile over to join them on the bench.

Cile trotted over. "Your cell phone was just ringing," Lacey told her.

"Thanks," Cile said as she unzipped the pocket on her daypack that held her cell phone and checked the display.

"I better return this call," she explained as she walked off the sand of the volleyball courts and leaned against the railing between the boardwalk and the dunes.

Turning her back to the dunes so she could watch the continuing volleyball practice and notice anyone approaching her, Cile dialed the number that had just called her.

"Hey Cile," Katie said when she answered. "How did the surprise for Toby turn out?"

After she had agreed to fill in for Ginger as an assistant coach, Cile had devised her plan to surprise Toby by wearing her volleyball uniform for him, and had texted Katie to pick the uniform up from her mom and ship it overnight to her at the hotel. She knew that her man would appreciate the way it fit her, and she had been right.

Cile told Katie, "I never tire of seeing the desire in my guy's eyes, but I like it even more when I have an opportunity to satisfy his desires while he is having them. I didn't get that chance, but I'll make it up to him later."

"Desires deferred can be desires inflamed," Katie told her. "What about the teleconference? How was that?"

"It started out a bit contentious, but ended up being productive." Cile provided a summary of what had been discussed after Angie Stone had left the call.

"None of that explains why my dad suddenly headed to the airport to fly to D.C.," Katie said. "Maybe it's unrelated."

"Uncle Bobby is on his way to D.C.?"

"Yes," said Katie. "An Air Force helicopter picked him up about an hour and a half ago and flew him to Randolph. I expect he'll be landing at Andrews Air Force Base any time now."

"And you don't know the reason?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me," Katie said. "My only concern about the trip was it coming so quickly on the tail of your teleconference, so if you don't know the reason, I'm sure it's fine."

"I had asked him to do some research for me," Cile said. She explained the need to identify additional geological survey resources. "Maybe he felt that he could accomplish that task better in D.C."

"That makes sense," Katie agreed. "What is being done to test the zebra mussels?"

Cile explained the strategy that she and Carol Hardy had discussed to start the testing in the waters around Bois Blanc Island and move outward from there, in an attempt to identify the heaviest concentration of arsenic with the mussel population, and then use that location to try to pinpoint the actual source.

"Divers will be in the water collecting zebra mussels by tomorrow morning."

"Good," Katie said. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something last night. You know the lot that your parents own next to their house?"

"The one that they were saving for me or Joey to build on? What about it?"

"It appears that our parents are developing wanderlust. The Corvair Family trust just bought a beautiful Class A recreational vehicle. There will be a garage built on the lot next to your parent's to park it when they or my parents are not driving around the country somewhere."

"They can't do that," Cile said. "The covenants for the property owners association specify only permanent residences of fifteen-hundred square feet or more can be built on the lots. No matter how big it was, a garage alone wouldn't get approved."

"That's the best part," continued Katie. "There will be a residence built above the garage that meets the square footage requirements of the covenants. It will have an elevator that Grandpa will use to go between his new home and the workshop attached to the garage."

"They're building a home for Grandpa!" Cile squealed. "They finally talked him into moving to Texas?"

"You've got it. Aunt Terri and Uncle Glenn are going to move into Grandpa's house in Cypress to get it ready for sale. They'll make arrangements to have all of the furniture donated and all of Grandpa's tools and stuff in the garage at the condo moved out here. Grandpa will be staying in the safe house beneath Mom and Dad until his home is ready."

Cile considered this news and asked, "So the condo is uninhabited as of now?"

"Unless we have squatters that we don't know about."

Cile thought that she just might be able to find a couple of squatters.

Chapter Fifteen

Angie hadn't expected her filing of a complaint with OSHA to be expedited, but she now realized that she should have. Her contact within the agency, Scott Mosier, had listened to her verbal description of events, and then set her in front of a computer so that she could document everything while he went to locate a caseworker to handle her case personally.

Creating the documented complaint allowed Angie the opportunity to elaborate in more detail, both about the seriousness of the toxic environmental incidents, but also about her background and experience, which made her better qualified to lead the investigation. She listed the limited background information that she had on Celia Davis, omitting the fluff associated with her reported accomplishments, since none of those were relevant to the case.

She had finished the online complaint and reviewed it five times before Scott Mosier returned. "I have someone for you to speak with regarding your complaint," he said. "Want to follow me?"

Angie smiled and followed Scott out of his office. They walked down the hallway and turned right. Angie could see a glass-walled conference room with two men already seated at the table. Scott opened the door for her but didn't follow her into the room. He closed the door behind her.

The older of the two men at the table smiled at Angie and said, "Good afternoon, Ms. Stone. Please have a seat."

Angie took a seat across the table from the two men. The younger man spoke, "Hi. My name is Joseph Reid, and my associate is James Brandt. We have been reviewing the complaint that you have filed under the Toxic Substance Control Act, and would like to discuss it with you in greater detail. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course. I will do anything I can do to assist with resolving my complaint."

James Brandt spoke, "Until this morning, you held a public trust position in a special access program. That makes the details within your complaint potentially sensitive compartmentalized information. You understand that, correct?"

Angie hesitated before answering, "Yes."

Joseph Reid said, "And you understand that by filing this complaint, you are risking prosecution under the Secrets Act of 2022? The federal whistleblower program does not shield you from that."

Understanding appeared in Angie's eyes. "You gentlemen are not with OSHA, are you?"

Bobby and Joey both placed their credentials on the table and turned them so that Angie could read them.

"Department of Homeland Security," Angie read.

Bobby held up a printed version of Angie's complaint and said, "This description of events varies drastically from the ones provided to us by the President and his Chief of Staff. Is there anything here that you might want to modify?"

"I stand by my position that political favoritism or other factors unrelated to experience and qualifications were used to replace the task force that I headed with the team of nurses and other personnel with no background in environmental investigations. That point cannot be argued, by the President or anyone else."

Bobby chuckled and said, "Well, apparently the point not only could be argued, but it was. Successfully. Did it ever occur to you that you don't know what you don't know?"

"Did it ever occur to you," Angie countered, "That I may know more than you think I know?"

"If so, it isn't obvious from the content of your complaint," Joey said. "For example, on what basis do you believe that Commander Davis is unqualified to lead the investigation?"

"She has no experience," Angie said.

"Experience with environmental incidents," Joey asked, "Or experience with leading investigations?"

"I question both, but definitely with environmental incidents."

Bobby asked, "So, maybe you could list for us the ideal qualifications for the person who should lead this investigation in their order of importance. I assume that you would place experience with environmental incidents at the top?"

"Of course. Lacking knowledge of the subject being investigated is a failure waiting to happen."

Bobby asked, "You would place practical experience ahead of theoretical knowledge, I take it?"

Angie smiled and said, "Every day of the week, and twice on Sunday."

Bobby nodded and studied the papers in front of him for a few seconds before asking, "Ms. Stone, what kind of car do you drive?"

Confused, Angie answered, "A Honda Civic. Why?"

"Have seen the movie, 'Smokie and the Bandit'?" Bobby asked.

"Years ago," Angie admitted. "Again, why?"

Bobby continued, "The car that Bandit drove in that movie was a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Do you remember it? Can you picture it in your mind?"

"I suppose..."

"You've never driven a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, have you, Ms. Stone?"

"No, I haven't. What is your point?"

"My point is that you have no practical experience with a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Am I correct?"

"So what?"

Bobby grinned at Joey, who picked up where his uncle had left off, "So, Ms. Stone, if I handed you the keys to a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, parked in the lot outside, and you put them in the ignition, then turned it and nothing happened, would you go walking around the car looking for flat tires?"

"Of course not..."

"Why not?" asked Joey.

Angie was shaking her head at these idiotic questions, "Because I know that the tires have nothing to do with whether or not the ignition on the car works properly."

"How could you possibly know that?" Joey asked. "You have admitted to us that you have no practical experience on a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, so how could you know how it works?"

"Because it is a car, and I know how cars work," Angie snapped.

Joey smiled and said, "So, because you know the theory of how cars operate, you can make decisions about something that you have no practical experience with, correct?"

Angie realized the corner that she had painted herself into and said, "Yes, but that's not the same..."

"Oh, but it is, Ms. Stone", Joey said. "This is an investigation, so the top qualification obvious to everyone but you is for the leader of the investigation to have the most solid understanding of investigative theory. By your own standards, the fact that Commander Davis has far more practical and theoretical experience with a multitude of critical investigations should convince you that she is more qualified to lead this investigation than you are. Answer me this, before you were appointed to lead the task force, what was your role at the EPA?"

"I was Director of the Office of Continuous Improvement," Angie stated proudly.

Bobby asked, "You have a bachelor's degree in business finance, correct?"

"Yes."

Joey asked, "Before being assigned to head the task force, what investigative experience did you have?"

"I led several investigations into procurement discrepancies, personnel issues, and whistleblower complaints," Angie told them.

"Have you ever investigated any environmental incidents before?" Bobby asked.

"No, not directly," Angie admitted. "But neither has this, Commander Davis."

"Are you a scientist?" asked Joey.

"You know that I am not."

"Do you feel that you are qualified to interpret and analyze scientific data then make decisions based upon the findings?" asked Bobby.

"No, but others on the task force could do that," Angie explained.

"If others on the task force were to make the decisions," asked Bobby, "Why would they need you?"

Angie said, "A good leader surrounds themselves with people having skills to accomplish the objectives and then works to give them the resources required to do their jobs. I did that."

"Did you?" asked Joey. "Did you find your team the resources they required to get geological surveys performed at all of the incident sites?"

"Every identified site was scheduled for a geological survey," Angie argued.

"Scheduled for when?" asked Joey. "Our understanding is that the US Geological Survey would not be able to get to all of the identified sites for more than seven months."

Angie said, "My team deemed that acceptable, based upon the particular incidents being contained and controlled."

"Had your team identified the cause for the contamination at any of the sites?" asked Bobby. "How would you know if the geological surveys that were delayed didn't hold the evidence you required to solve the riddle at all the sites? It sounds to me like you were more focused on your stated area of expertise, 'continuous improvement' and efficiency than you were on leading a successful investigation."

"It's easy to second guess and play the Monday morning quarterback, but no one could have done better," Angie snarled.

"Someone already has," countered Joey, "Which is why your complaint holds no merit."

"Fine," Angie said. "Dismiss my complaint and I'll take my evidence to the press..."

"Finally," Bobby said.

Angie stared at him and said, "Finally what?"

"You finally gave us what we needed," Joey told her as he stood and began walking around the table.

Bobby explained, "Threatening to divulge compartmentalized sensitive information to the press gives us grounds to hold in federal custody until you are deemed to no longer be a threat or the information you hold is determined by the President no longer of a sensitive nature. Please stand and place your hands behind your back."

"Wait! I was just frustrated," Angie said. "I wouldn't really discuss the environmental incidents or the investigation with the press."

Joey pulled Angie to her feet, pulled her hands behind her back, and placed handcuffs around both her wrists.

Then he said, "Sorry, Ms. Stone, but you have demonstrated by your actions to the President, and to us that you cannot be trusted. My sister has an important job to do and she doesn't need to be distracted with concerns over what you will or won't do."

"What in the hell would your sister have to do with any of this?" Angie snarled. "I hadn't met you before today, so how could I know your sister?"

Bobby stood in front of Angie and said, "You met his sister this morning. Lieutenant Commander Celia Patricia Reid-Davis is also my niece, not to mention the person that the President personally selected over you. You picked the wrong lady to demonstrate disrespect to and the wrong time to do it."

To Joey, he said, "I'm heading over to the Army Corp of Engineers headquarters now. I'll pick you up at the United States Marshal's headquarters when I'm done. We should be wheels up at Andrews by three o'clock."

Turning back to Angie, Bobby asked, "Ms. Stone, you will be transported by U.S. Marshals to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia under an administrative hold by the Department of Homeland Security. You will not be able to have contact with anyone before or during your detention. If there is anyone that you would like to be notified, please provide the relevant information to Joey before he turns you over to the Marshals. Goodbye, and good luck."

~~~

Huma Sandhu sat alone at the back of the workshop, using her computer to research "toxic environmental incident".

The phrase had come up in almost every conversation that she had been able to surreptitiously overhear today, and she thought finding articles on it would be relevant to her assignment.

Unfortunately, every search for the phrase found only "acute" environmental incidents, such as a methamphetamine lab explosion, suicides by asphyxiation in an automobile, or industrial chemical releases. She suspected that there were reports of more secretive incidents, or people wouldn't be practically whispering about them at the symposium, but she did not have access to the various government or university websites where the information could be examined by her.

Huma suspected that the intelligence organizations within her country might have the ability to penetrate some of the secure websites, so she sent an e-mail to General Narula, inquiring if such searches could be initiated if she provided phrases and keywords. She suggested that if possible, they could start with the phrase that she had been already been searching on.

"Good afternoon," a man said. "It is nice to see someone from my home country taking an interest in the environment."

Huma glanced away from her computer screen and saw a middle-aged man who she recognized as a Khalsa Amritdhari Sikh. He had only one of the five 'Ks' visible; that being the steel bracelet called a Kara. The Kirpan, a small dagger, obviously would not be allowed past the metal detectors at the entrances to the convention center. The wooden comb, known as the Kanga, was likely holding his uncut hair, or Kesh, in place under his turban, and his wife would be the only woman to verify that he was wearing the tied cotton underwear, called Kachera.

"Good afternoon," Huma said with a smile. "I wasn't aware that anyone else from India was attending the symposium."

"Alas, I am here representing my new home country, Canada. My name is Manmohan Singh. I am the assistant deputy director of research at Environment Canada. May I join you?"

Huma lowered the display on her laptop and said, "Yes, please. My name is Huma Sandhu, and I am here representing India's Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. It is my first time in attendance."

"Then I would like to welcome you," Singh said. "How are you enjoying things so far?"

Huma looked around the room at the other workshop participants and said, "To be honest with you, I am disappointed. I had expected there to be more lively interaction with my peers, more opportunities for me to learn from people who have been working on environmental policies and issues for years..."

"And I take it you have not experienced that yet?"

"No, in fact quite to the contrary, everyone seems almost suspicious of the other attendees, like there are secrets that no one wants to be revealed."

"Yes, I can see where someone attending for their first time might get that impression. The truth is, Huma, that there are secrets here this year that many of us are not at liberty to share. You have a secret yourself, don't you?"

"I don't know what you mean..."

Singh glanced around to ensure that they were not being listened to and said, "Lake Dhebar?"

Huma's surprised expression answered the question for her. She recovered quickly and asked, "What about Lake Dhebar?"

"The source of the cadmium has yet to be identified," Singh stated. "Most other countries with similar incidents are facing the same challenge. Even when the source has been identified, the cause remains a mystery."

"So, there have been other instances of cadmium poisonings around the world?" Huma asked.

Singh brought a finger to his lips indicating that Huma should remain silent. "Secrets," he said.

Then he continued, "In every instance, the politicians have insisted on throwing a cloak of secrecy over what has happened in their country, and mostly for good reasons. A panicked public benefits no one, and that is likely what would occur if an event like Lake Dhebar became known and you couldn't explain either the cause or the steps taken to remediate the situation. India has had one terrible incident, but there are many countries, including my own that have experienced multiple ones."

"But if we were able to share the data, we might be able to help one another," Huma stated.

"I agree, but would your leaders allow you to divulge the details on the Lake Dhebar incident with your peers so that we could all analyze it together, along with data from other incidents to identify commonalities and differences that might benefit all of us?"

Huma sat up straighter and said, "I am willing to ask. Would your government allow you to share?"

Singh nodded and said, "I believe they would. However, there are a lot of governments who won't play the 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours' game, including the United States, Russia, and China. We might end up with only a few players, which would limit the data significantly. It's worth a try."

"Perhaps we could lead by example," Huma said.

Singh thought that was a very Pollyannaish attitude, but considering Huma's age, it was not a surprise.

"I will mention our idea to a few colleagues," Singh told her. "Perhaps we can meet during lunch tomorrow to gauge the potential."

"I will send a message to my leaders tonight," Huma assured him. "Hopefully, I will have an affirmative response by lunchtime tomorrow."

~~~

Cile led Ginger through the entry of her hotel room and saw Toby sitting at the dining table with Didi.

"How was practice?" Toby asked with a lecherous smile directed at his wife.

"You'll have to ask Ginger or Lacey," Cile said with her own flirtatious smile in return. "I had fun though. Maybe you and I should get involved with one of the beach volleyball clubs in Newport Beach? The pick-up matches are too sporadic. The practice made me consider getting into a more consistent program of some type."

Before Toby could reply, Ginger said, "The practice was phenomenal! Cile's advice and coaching of the girls have created a brand new team. Lacey is excited about how her strategy for the tournament is going to change for the better because of what Cile taught the girls."

She turned to Cile and said, "I'm glad that you're going to be on the bench tomorrow instead of me. Lacey is going to drive you crazy with questions, so be prepared. I'm going to change now and head over to the hotel to meet Carson. Thanks so much for everything, Cile."

"It was my pleasure," Cile said. "There's only a couple of hours before everyone is supposed to meet again downstairs. Are you sure that you don't want to just hang out here until then?"

"Thanks, but even though I didn't get as much sand on me as you and the girls did, I still would like to take a shower to rinse off. Plus, Carson hinted at having a drink in the hotel bar before we come back where he can tell me about the first day of the symposium. Let me just grab my stuff and I'll get out of your hair."

Ginger hurried into the bedroom and returned with the small bag that held all of her clothes and other belongings.

She asked, "How are the wedding plans coming along?"

"Everything is ready," Didi said. "The hotel was able to recommend a local minister, who Toby contacted and reached an agreement with. As long as the license arrives tomorrow morning as expected, and the weather cooperates, Jules and I will be married outside on the beach at 7 pm tomorrow. We're hoping that you and Carson will be able to attend, and then join us for dinner afterward. Please ask Lacey to join us as well."

"Can she bring a guest?" Ginger asked. She knew that Lacey and Huma were becoming a couple, even if it was only for this week.

"Of course," Didi said, "But no gifts please."

Ginger headed for the door as she said, "I'll be sure to let her know. I think you can plan on her being there. See you guys later."

"Didi," Cile asked, "Can you check with Jules to see if he expects to be back here to the hotel early enough that you and him could join Toby and me for drinks before our meeting? There is something that I want to discuss among just the four of us."

Didi rose and said, "Dinner is at seven in the meeting room, correct? Would you like us to meet you in the bar around six?"

Cile said, "Six is fine, but let's meet for drinks here in our room if that's okay with you. We can sit out on the balcony and chat."

"That sounds like something I would like," Didi said. "We'll see you at six."

Toby helped Didi gather up the shopping bags that she had brought with her and then held the door open for her to exit the room. Cile was removing the band holding her hair in the ponytail when he turned back around.

"Mrs. Davis, you look good enough to eat."

"I could use a little snack myself, Mr. Davis. However, I think that we should partake in the shower. If we're going to entertaining Didi and Jules here in a couple of hours, the room shouldn't look and smell like a bordello."

"We could always close the door to the bedroom while they are here," Jules offered.

"You have an answer for everything, Cutie."

Cile raised both arms over her head, a clear indication to Toby that she wanted him to pull off her top. "But, let's still start in the shower."

~~~

"I've had Margaritas before," Jules said, "But this tastes different."

Cile nodded as she set the pitcher of Margaritas on the table and took a seat across from Didi.

She asked Jules, "Do you like it?"

"Very much! I will need to be careful not to overindulge. What is in them?"

Cile explained, "The basic ingredients for a classic Margarita are tequila, lime juice, and triple sec, and of course the quality of each ingredient influences the taste. Toby's cousin, Tyler, introduced us to the best tequila for Margaritas or any drink, so we always use that. There are pre-made Margarita mixes that combine the lime juice and triple sec so that all you have to do is add tequila, but using fresh lime juice and adding the triple sec separately also makes a difference. These are actually what are called 'Cadillac' Margaritas because adding a bit of Grand Marnier, the orange cognac liqueur makes them taste richer."

"I think I'm going to be asking you for a copy of the recipe," Didi said as she saw how much Jules was enjoying his drink. "They are quite tasty."

"I'll be happy to share it with you," Cile said, "But before we get too deep into the pitcher, there is something that Toby and I wanted to discuss with the two of you."

Jules placed his arm around Didi's should and said, "Go right ahead."

Toby started, "We trust that you both know how special Cile and I think you are. You have become important people in our lives in a very short time."

"We feel the same way," Didi said. "We are honored to consider you our friends."

Cile smiled at Didi and said, "We are the ones who are honored. But on the subject of friendship, we wanted to offer you a suggestion for after this week is over and we all are scheduled to depart Myrtle Beach."

Jules nodded and said, "I think that Didi and I have been so focused on getting married and taking the necessary steps to remain in America that we hadn't given much thought to our reservation here ending. I suppose I could extend it, or we could move on..."

"If you are committed to remaining in the United States," Cile said, "Which we believe you are, then we would like to invite you to return to Southern California with us."

Jules and Didi glanced at each other before Didi said, "Are you inviting us to move in with you and Toby?"

Toby chuckled and said, "Close, but no. Our extended family owns the condominium that Cile and I live in, as well as the vacant one next door. We are inviting you to use that condo as you navigate the immigration process and make further decisions on what you want to do."

Cile added, "It would provide you with a stable residence close to us. The benefits of that are numerous, but we believe that having me and Toby close by to help you adjust to your new life would be near to the top of the list. The biggest benefit for me would be having Jules' expertise available for the investigation. It will still be open by the time we have to return home."

Didi and Jules shared a long look before Jules said, "We will want to discuss it further, but on the surface, your suggestion makes practical sense to us. I would insist on paying rent for the time that we are there..."

"No," Cile said. "There would be a lease with your names on it, but the family would not accept payment. You will need to set up and pay for the utilities, but that is only because having the lease and the utilities in your name are what would establish your residency with most government agencies. You don't want to go through the immigration process appearing to be transients living in one hotel or another."

"Can you tell us more about the area?" Didi asked. "I'm sure the area is nice if it is where you both live, but..."

Cile knew that Didi's concern was related to whether or not she and Jules would be accepted as a married couple without discrimination or any other cultural challenges.

"Believe me, you will feel very comfortable and extremely welcomed there or we wouldn't be making the suggestion," Cile assured her as she found the photo of JR and Rockie on her cell phone again the turned it for Didi to see. "In fact, this couple met when she was living in what is now our condo, and he was living in the one we are offering to you."

"Friends help friends," Toby said. "This will just make it easier for us all to help each other whenever necessary. It doesn't have to be permanent, just long enough for you both to get your feet underneath you as you make the changes in your life that you want to make."

"Toby and I will support you both, whatever you decide," Cile assured them. "But, as Toby said, this arrangement would just make the logistics of that support much easier for everyone."

Jules looked at Didi again and said, "Visiting Southern California was on our agenda for this trip."

Didi smiled and then turned to Cile, "Please send me details on your return flights. I will try to get Jules and I booked on the same ones."

Chapter Sixteen

"How was your trip?" Cile asked once her uncle had joined the meeting.

The six team members in the meeting room had ordered dinner from the hotel's room service menu and were currently awaiting the delivery. Once again, Cile had positioned her laptop, and people had taken seats to allow for everyone to be both seen and heard by all the other participants.

"Short, but productive," Bobby informed her. "The Army Corps of Engineers will be able to have geological surveys completed at all the remaining sites within two weeks. Jules' and Didi's visa classifications have been changed to 'O', so they are free to live and work in the country under the sponsorship of Brandt Consulting. If they stop by Customs and Immigration at the Myrtle Beach airport before leaving town, their passports and visas will be updated for them."

"Great," Cile said. "While we wait for our food to arrive, I want to pass out copies of the geological surveys that have already been completed. The experts in the room can review them and we'll discuss the findings over dinner if that is agreeable to everyone."

"That works for me," said Jules. "I've been anxious all day to review what the surveys say."

"Me too," said Carson as he took the first stack of papers and passed the rest over to Ginger. She took a set and passed the rest along to Didi, who positioned them so she and Jules could read them together.

The three geologists began reading the summaries of the surveys. Jules was the first to comment on them.

"The substrata is different, and the toxic elements vary, but each summary concludes that the contamination was a result of the element leaching into water, which eventually made its way to a location that exposed humans to it. We need samples of the water."

"What would that tell you?" asked Bobby.

Carson answered, "Water will erode the surface and substrata of the Earth, as demonstrated by things such as the Grand Canyon, but water by itself will not cause leaching of elements embedded within ores."

He turned to Jules and said, "Are you thinking that bioleaching is involved?"

Ginger said, "It would almost have to be. Based upon the remote locations and the lack of any mining activity to introduce the chemicals required for something like acid mining, some biological factor must be in play here for the leaching to have commenced. There are a couple of locations where hot springs have been the point of contamination, which might support the presence of thermophiles."

Toby said, "Maybe someone should explain what bioleaching is so that Cile and her uncle understand."

Cile smacked Toby's arm and said, "I have a friggin doctorate in microbiology. I know what bioleaching is. I can explain it to Uncle Bobby if he needs it."

"He needs it," Bobby said with a chuckle.

Cile explained, "What they are saying, is that there is likely something organic in the water that is reacting with the ores containing the toxic element, which is what is causing them to leach out into the water and exposing them into the environment."

"What type of organic material are we talking about?" Bobby asked.

Jules said, "It would be hard to say until we test the water in each case. Based on the variety of toxic element incidents witnessed thus far, we could be dealing with multiple organic causes."

"All of the surveys found the source of the contaminated water to be underground," Ginger said. "Which of course is how it came into contact with the ores, but it also makes testing it a bit more challenging. We'll need temperature, pH level, current or flow data, and of course microscopic examination to identify any organic presence."

Their dinner orders arrived, so they paused the conversation until everyone was served and the room was once again private.

Jules began, "If we draw from the use of bioleaching in mining operations, the biologic organisms are used only as catalysts. The process requires the introduction of another element or compound that the organism can accelerate the effects of, but they do not create the effect alone. For example, sulfuric acid is used to leach copper out of ore, and archaea have been used to speed up the process."

For the benefit of the confused faces around the table and on the computer screen, Cile explained, "Single-cell organisms, called prokaryotes, live in nearly all environments on Earth. They are considered to be one of the first life forms to evolve on the planet and include both bacteria and archaea. Some archaea and bacteria, and in particular archaea, were originally thought to be extremophiles, living only in inhospitable conditions such as extremes of temperature, high or low pH, high salinity, and radiation but they have since been found in all types of habitats. Many archaea grow as plankton in the oceans. Symbiotic prokaryotes live in or on the bodies of other organisms, including humans where they are vital components in our digestive system."

"May I ask a question?" Didi said.

"Of course," Cile replied.

"What has changed?"

Cile glanced around at the others, and when they seemed as puzzled as she was, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"You said that these prokaryotes have been around since the beginning of life, so what has changed. Why are they now suddenly contributing to the leaching of toxic elements in the environment?"

"That's an excellent question," Bobby said, "And one that is sure to be on the President's tongue as soon as he learns of the theory that biologic organisms might be contributing to these incidents. Any suggestions on how we answer that?"

"I think we're jumping ahead a little fast here," Cile said. "We suspect bioleaching based upon the geological surveys and the remote locations of the sites, but until we have more data, we shouldn't draw any conclusions. We need to keep open minds and consider other possibilities as they are presented to us."

"You are absolutely right," Jules said. "However, bioleaching should be investigated while we consider other possibilities. At this time, it remains the most probable cause. Can we request that the waters be tested as soon as possible? That will tell us more than anything else whether bioleaching is the culprit or if we need to look for something else."

Cile wanted to keep everyone on the team actively considering all potential causes for the incidents, but she herself agreed that bioleaching made the most sense with the data that they had received so far.

She said, "Here's what we can do; a member from my team will be in the respective EPA region office for each of the incidents tomorrow. I will instruct all of them to notify the director of each region's Laboratory Services and Applied Science Division to make the obtaining of water samples from the incident sites their top priority. Please give me a list of exactly what you want to be tested."

Carson said, "Let Ginger, Jules, and I discuss it first. This isn't going to be as simple as dropping a wooden bucket into a well and pulling the water up. Almost all of the factors that we would want to be tested could be influenced by how the water is accessed for the tests. For example, exposure to oxygen from drilling a borehole could affect the water's temperature, acidity, and any organic organisms present. The location within the substrata where the toxic element exists could also be important. We may need to give precise coordinates where the tests will provide us with the best data."

"Would it be better if one or more of you oversaw the tests?" Bobby asked.

"Having a geologist present would greatly improve the chances of us getting valid data," Carson said.

"Okay," Bobby said, "Let me suggest this, I can fly to Myrtle Beach tomorrow. I'll then fly Carson and Ginger out to the sites in Montana first. I can pull whatever strings you need to get the equipment and personnel required for the tests that you believe need to be run. You two will oversee the testing to ensure that it meets your expectations. We will then move on to the next site."

Carson said, "I'll have to check with my director..."

"No, you don't," Bobby reminded him. "You are currently assigned to Brandt Consulting, so what I say goes."

"You're right. Sorry, I forgot the arrangement."

Ginger said, "However, I still have the commitment to my friend to help her coach during the tournament. That's a personal commitment that isn't influenced by my working with Brandt Consulting on this."

"I can cover for you," Cile said. "I enjoyed doing it today, so a few more days won't kill me."

"I'm sure that Lacey would have no problem with that," Ginger said. "Thanks."

Jules said, "It looks like mine and Didi's honeymoon is going to be as much of a working honeymoon as Toby's and Cile's. I still have the discussion panel that I am participating in tomorrow morning, and then I want to spend more time gathering intelligence about other similar events around the world..."

"As long as you're back here by 5 pm," Didi said. "No later than that."

Toby laughed, "That's my job as best man. I'll make certain that he is present and prepared to share his vows with you."

Jules said, "There's something else you can do, Toby. I'm going to send you some information on the chemical processes that make the various bioleaching processes work. I would like your opinion on commonalities and differences. Like everyone else, I'm puzzled by the diversity of elements that have been involved, so I'm hoping that we can find something shared among all of them."

"There are only four days left," Cile said, "For us to all meet together in this room, and it isn't likely that we will have even the first water test results by then. Toby and I had a discussion earlier today with Jules and Didi about them coming back to Southern California with us when we leave. Ginger already lives there, so that leaves Carson as the only member of this think-tank needing to make a decision."

She turned to Carson and asked, "Do you want to participate remotely, like Uncle Bobby, or do you want us to find accommodations for you in Southern California while this investigation is ongoing?"

Ginger interrupted, "Can he let you know tomorrow? Traveling to the sites to oversee the tests will affect how we participate for a while, at least."

"Of course," Cile assured them. "We have the rest of the week before we need to finalize things. However, since at least five of our seven will be in Orange County, we should try to find a location convenient for us to hold our meetings. Uncle Bobby, please check with the General Services Administration for a secure federal facility that we could use for meetings, preferably someplace where we could have access to a lab."

"Would the Chet Holifield Federal Building be an acceptable location?" Bobby asked. "Its primary tenant currently is the Department of Homeland Security, so I am reasonably confident that I can pull the strings required to get you set up there with everything we'll need."

Cile glanced at Ginger and said, "It's ideal for me, Toby, Jules, and Didi. Is Laguna Niguel okay with you?"

Ginger nodded and said, "I could live with it. Traffic might be heavy at times between there and Cypress, but if I can find someone to ride with me, I would be able to use the carpool lanes the whole way."

She nudged Carson's leg under the table as she said this.

"I'll make the arrangement and communicate them to you by the end of the week," Bobby said.

Cile said, "Okay then, here's where we're at..."

Cile summarized all the topics that they had discussed, and who would be performing which tasks.

She then turned to Didi and asked, "Would you have time to assist me with establishing reporting protocols for medical professionals that would allow us to quickly identify any new incidents?"

"If you guide me through what it entails," Didi said, "I would be happy to assist you."

Cile smiled and said, "I can do that, but it can wait. Focus on your wedding for now. On that note, I think it's time for Toby and me to get back to our honeymoon. We'll see everyone at breakfast."

~~~

"A penny for your thoughts?" Lacey said.

Huma raised her head from between Lacey's breasts, and said, "They're probably not worth that much."

Few words had been spoken since Lacey and Huma had walked through the door into Huma's hotel room. Their lips had been too preoccupied for speaking.

Lacey ran her fingers through Huma's long, dark hair and listened to her breathing as it continued to normalize after their lovemaking.

Lacey said, "You know that you can share anything with me, Lover."

Planting kisses on each of Lacey's breasts, Huma said, "Some sharing is more enjoyable than others. Sharing our bodies and our passion, for example."

"Yes," Lacey moaned, "That certainly has been enjoyable, but I would hope that there could be more between us."

Huma sighed, but she didn't verbalize her thought, "For me, there already is more."

Instead, she said, "I might have a dilemma with my assignment for work. I am supposed to uncover the secrets of others without divulging our secrets in the process. I am struggling to see how I will be able to accomplish that objective."

She explained the idea that a peer at the symposium had mentioned about getting others to agree to share information in an effort for them all to gain greater knowledge, without going into detail about the topic of the information. Huma then told Lacey about the e-mail that she had sent to her superiors requesting permission to join the group of peers and openly share her secrets with them in order to learn their secrets.

"You fear that there could be negative ramifications for you asking?" Lacey asked.

"Somewhat," Huma acknowledged, "But I am more concerned with what I will do if they refuse to allow me to participate. I'm not certain that I would accept their edict. The knowledge is too important for me to ignore the opportunity to gain more of it."

Lacey continued to run her fingers through Huma's luxurious hair, reveling in the silky stimulation that it generated wherever it touched her naked body.

She said, "I can understand the concern that your superiors might have with you participating. While these may be your peers, they are still strangers, and their trustworthiness is a huge unknown. What would you do if you openly shared your knowledge with them, and they didn't reciprocate in kind?"

"I have considered that," Huma assured her. "We would agree upon a neutral party to be the person that each of us delivers our knowledge to. He or she would validate the reliability of the information provided by each of us before sharing everything with all of us. My challenge is how to identify someone at the symposium who would have both the knowledge to evaluate the information as reliable, and the integrity to remain impartial and neutral."

"You mentioned that the man that shared this idea with you today worked for Environment Canada," Lacey said.

"That is correct."

"You represent your government," Lacey continued, "And any of the other peers who agree to participate would likely be representing their governments as well, right? So, you would need someone not affiliated with or responsible to their own government."

"I cannot see the person being trusted by many of my peers if they were tied to any government or government agency," Huma agreed.

"Would someone from academia be more acceptable," Lacey asked. "Someone like my friends Ginger Olsen and Tobias Davis? They certainly have the skills required to evaluate the reliability of data on most subjects."

Huma rose off Lacey and rolled off the bed, "I want to send a quick addendum to the message I sent earlier to my superiors. I believe that proposing someone from academia as the impartial third-party might sway their decision."

Lacey sat up more fully on the bed, leaning against the headboard as she asked, "Would you like me to pour us some more wine while you do that?"

Huma opened the drawer to the desk and extracted a small rectangular box. She handed it to Lacey and said, "I'll bring the wine back when I return to bed. You can put the batteries in the new toy I bought you and get it ready for us to share."

Lacey smiled and opened the small box revealing the vibrator inside. She thought, "Oh yes, this I can definitely share."

~~~

"Oh, yes," Ginger thought. If she had her way, she and Carson would get a lot less sleep tonight than they did last night.

The intimacy of sleeping cuddled up next to Carson had been just what they needed last night, but she had been wearing a T-shirt and panties, and he had been wearing his underwear and a T-shirt. Now that she knew how amazing his naked body felt against hers, there would be nothing between them tonight.

Sensing that Carson was still hesitant to move things along too fast out of fear of scaring Ginger away, she had taken the initiative. She excused herself to use the bathroom in the lobby of the resort before their walk back to the Sheraton. Returning to Carson waiting for her in the lobby, she pushed something into the front left pocket of his pants before pulling his left arm around her and positioning his hand on her left hip. He would be able to feel the absence of her panties under the light, clingy fabric of her sundress.

Conversation between them had been slight when they had walked back to their hotel from the dinner meeting. They hadn't even stopped at Ginger's room on the way up, and as soon as the door to Carson's room had closed, she had been in his arms and kissing him with more passion than she could remember bestowing on a man before.

Ginger lay beneath Carson's panting body and knew that she had been lovingly ravished by a man who cherished her, and she felt the same way about him. Both had done everything possible to rock the world of the other, and Ginger knew that Carson had definitely succeeded with her. She wouldn't quit until she was just as certain of her effect on him.

When Carson's softening erection slid out of Ginger's ass, he rolled off of her.

She leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips, and said, "Don't go anywhere."

She rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. Returning with a warm, wet washcloth, Ginger proceeded to clean Carson thoroughly. She was confident that she could get him aroused again in a little while, so she thought it best to prepare for her pending oral assault now.

Tossing the washcloth onto the floor of the bathroom, Ginger crawled back onto the bed and snuggled up next to Carson and lightly fondled the curly hairs on his chest.

"Can we talk about something?" Ginger asked.

Carson smiled and asked, "Pillow talk or something more serious?"

"What category do suggestions and ideas fall under?"

"I suppose it would depend upon the topic of the suggestions and ideas," Carson said.

Ginger kissed his lips again and said, "The topic is us."

"Does it involve any discussions of a sexual nature, because you have drained me so well that I don't know if I can even talk about sex right now."

Ginger giggled and said, "I'll give you a few moments to recover before we broach that subject again, but we will broach it again."

Carson laughed and said, "Okay, what about us do you want to talk about?"

"I want you and me to explore being a couple. What we just did, twice, was the last piece of the puzzle as far as I am concerned. I believe we are compatible in all ways now, and since we're going to be working so closely together over the next few weeks, and maybe months, we will have an opportunity to see how being exclusive with each other would work for us. I want to light the same fire in your heart that you have lit in mine."

Carson considered Ginger's comment. He did have feelings for Ginger; stronger than anyone since his wife, and believed that those feelings would only grow over time. The problem was, what would happen once this investigation was complete and he had to return to Atlanta while Ginger returned to Southern California?

Ginger seemed to sense what Carson's silence indicated. She said, "I know that you have your career, and I have mine. While I like teaching at UCLA, I will tell you now that if the time ever comes for us to make choices in order for us to stay together, I would be willing to choose you. We can make this work, Carson. I know it, and I believe that after a few weeks together, you will know it as well. I can't imagine anything sadder than reflecting back on us sometime in the future and wondering what might have been."

"I've been single and living alone for a long time," Carson said. "Sharing hotel rooms as we travel around to all the different incident sites won't compare to us actually living together."

"We will both adapt and adjust," Ginger told him. "I am not concerned about whether or not you forget to put the toilet seat down or fold towels in half rather than thirds, and I don't think you're concerned about how much of the bathroom counter I take up with my stuff or if I leave my bras hanging over the shower curtain rod. I am concerned about our hearts having the chance to grow together. We've had a great start, and I want us to keep it going."

"Well, since I'm going to be stuck with you for at least the next few weeks, I guess I can give it a try."

Ginger gasped, but when she saw the glint in his eyes and the smile on his face, she said, "I don't know if I like your playful, romantic side."

Carson pulled her on top of his body and continued, "I would love for there to be an 'us'. I'll do my best to convince you of that."

She reached between their bodies to check the status between his legs. Wrapping her hand around him, she said "It'll be hard to prove it."

"Why will it be hard? Don't you trust me?"

Ginger squeezed him in her hand and moved down his body. Just before filling her mouth, she said, "It will be HARD to prove it."

~~~

"Should I consider it a failure of my feminine wiles that my groom was able to complete his journal article so soon into our honeymoon? I haven't provided him with enough distractions through the performance of my wifely duties?"

Toby laughed, which caused Cile's head to bounce on his bare chest.

"Quite to the contrary," he said. "Anticipation of my Bride's feminine wiles were the impetus for me to finish as soon as I could. Remember, I already had a good start on the article before we left home, Plus, Didi shared something with me today that allowed me to knock out what little I had left in less than an hour."

Cile raised her head to look at Toby, and said, "Another woman motivated you to finish your article?"

"She didn't motivate me, she enabled me. Didi showed me a website that provides both speech-to-text conversion, but also performs grammar and spell check on the text. I was able to dictate the rest of the article rather than type it myself."

Cile sat up and stared in amazement at Toby. "Don't tell me that you used some cloud-based application to capture your spoken word, convert it to text, and then analyze it. Do you know how dangerous that could be?"

Toby stared back at his wife and said, "Please, give a little credit for having a small degree of intelligence. While there is a cloud-based version on the website, there is also a downloadable version that can be purchased and installed on a personal computer. Rockie had previously walked me through changing the firewall settings on my laptop to prevent unwanted communication back to specific web servers. My speech-to-text conversion, as well as the grammar and spell checks all remained safely on my system."

"How can I help but question your intelligence when you imply in front of friends and family that I would need an explanation on what bioleaching is?"

He pointed to the side table and said, "Please hand me my cell phone."

"Why, who are you going to call?"

"I'm not going to call anyone," Toby said. "I'm going to do a search to see if there are any local establishments open at this hour where I might be able to buy my Bride a sense of humor."

Giggling, Cile said, "You nut. I have a great sense of humor. I just don't expect it to be challenged when we are in a professional environment, like a meeting."

"I guess that we viewed the situation differently. I felt more like we were brainstorming among friends than conducting a formal meeting. So, if I exhibited any disrespect for your leadership, I apologize."

"No, you're right. I set the tone of the meeting to be just as you described it, friendly and informal. I should expect some teasing and friendly banter being thrown around from time to time."

"I will endeavor to restrain myself."

"Oh, please don't do that. I get such a thrill out of seeing you become more socially open and expressive. I am so very proud of you."

Toby pulled her back down so that her head was once again resting on his chest.

He said, "All it took was the security of knowing that I am loved by a good woman."

Cile caressed his face and said, "I don't know about the 'good' aspect, but this woman certainly loves you. She loves you more than words can describe."

"More than words can describe, huh?"

"More than any words that I know can describe," Cile assured him.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm getting so expert at reading your body language."

A smile broke across Cile's face as she gently licked his nipple and found his growing erection with her hand.

"Yes, that's very good. Let's see if I can come up with a bedtime story for you to read."

Cile's cell phone announced a new text message. She positioned herself so that she could reach her phone with one hand to check the message while keeping her other hand around Toby. She read the message from Katie.

KATIE: Sorry I couldn't make your meeting. My dad updated me though.

CILE: It's not a problem. I knew that he would share everything with you.

KATIE: Take your temperature. My Basal body temperature chart indicates that the next two days are my prime ovulation period. Since our cycles have always been close...

CILE: Gotcha. Thanks, and good luck.

KATIE: Good luck to you guys too. Love you.

CILE: Love you too.

Cile put her phone back and was pleased to see that the brief distraction hadn't adversely affected the results where Toby's arousal was concerned.

"Sorry, Cutie. That was Katie with an important reminder for me."

"A reminder about what?" Toby asked.

"She wanted to remind me that the timing is about right for me to be ovulating."

"Is that a problem?" Toby asked as he positioned Cile so that he could return a portion of the pleasure that she was giving him.

"Not as far as I'm concerned, but we haven't discussed how soon we should start working on a family. Katie and Tyler have started, and I think it would wonderful if our first kids were born close together. Katie agrees."

"You and Katie don't have some sort of contest going to see who becomes pregnant first, do you?"

"God, no. We are just supportive and encouraging to one another. If we happen to both be pregnant and deliver our babies around the same time, great. If not, it won't be the end of the world for either of us."

"I told you when we discussed having a family; when we start, and how many kids we have are your decisions to make. It's your body and your career that will be affected the most. I'll support whatever you choose, and I'll be the best husband and father I can be, whatever you decide for us. I'm not avoiding the decisions, I am respecting your right to make them."

Cile was panting from her arousal as she said, "I think you should shut up and give me our first baby."

~~~

Didi leaned against Jules' shoulder so that she could see the images on his laptop better. They were sitting on the balcony of their hotel room looking through the photos that Cile had e-mailed him.

"The furniture looks to be good quality," she said.

"Yes, it does," Jules agreed. "There is definitely enough space in the condominium for the two of us. Here, let me show you something else."

Jules opened a website on his browser and entered the address that Cile had provided. A satellite map appeared with the condo complex positioned in the center.

"This will give us some idea of the surrounding area," Jules explained.

"I can't tell what each structure is," Didi said, "But several along the larger streets appear to be retail stores of one type or another. Cile was correct about being able to walk or bike to many of the places."

"Watch this."

Jules zoomed out to provide a larger view of the area. The hills nearby had obvious hiking trails, several of which could be followed almost all the way to the Pacific Ocean, which appeared to be only a few miles away.

"It looks like a diverse area," Didi said. "There is a lot of residences and commerce, but still an abundance of green spaces. There's also that harbor area along the ocean. Are you sure that you wouldn't want to bring your boat over from Richard's Bay?"

"I'll hold off selling it for now. I'm glad that Toby and Cile made the offer to basically sponsor our immigration to America, and the idea of being close to people that we know and trust while getting established in a strange area is very reassuring."

Didi nodded and said, "I don't know that I would be feeling as confident in how fast we are moving on things if it weren't for us knowing that Cile and Toby are supportive of our plans. It would a lot scarier for me."

"Your courage and decisiveness have surprised me. I had always hoped that you would realize the future that you and I could have here, and planned this trip to allow you to recognize all that you could be, with or without me in your life. I had fully intended for you to decide by the time this trip was over, but you've done so in less than ten days."

"There was nothing courageous about it," Didi said. "I am still a bit miffed that you would even harbor the thought that I would, or could, choose a life that didn't have you in it. But I realized that we had always maintained a reserved, professional relationship until you told me about this trip and the purpose behind it. I always knew that you loved and cherished me, Jules. I'm just disappointed that you never had the same confidence in my feelings towards you. I promise that I will never allow you to doubt my absolute devotion to you and our future together. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why have you never asked me if I was on any form of birth control?"

Jules contemplated his answer before saying, "I suppose because I have dreamed of having a family with you for so long, that taking steps to prevent having children never occurred to me. Are you concerned about becoming pregnant?"

"Not any longer. There were times when I had considered taking precautions if we ever had sex, but that was due to my reluctance to bring a child into a society where he or she would face challenges similar to my own. It was never about not wanting to bear a child by you. Unless you feel differently, I see no reason to take precautions going forward."

"You realize that if we have a child while here in the United States that it will automatically become a citizen of this country. That might work to our benefit when we apply to be citizens ourselves. The condominium is more than adequate should our family grow by one or two while we are living there, and if we need more space, we can buy a bigger place of our own."

Didi kissed Jules and said, "So we will take no steps to prevent me from becoming pregnant and let things take their natural course."

"From a biological perspective, I can support that strategy. However, after tomorrow, we need to start taking additional steps to ensure that you and any future children are financially secure should anything happen to me. You have been the only beneficiary on both my will and my life insurance for years, so all that may be required is to change your last name on the documents."

They had never discussed the provisions that Jules had put in place several years ago to protect Didi should anything ever happen to him. She had become aware of them when he had asked her to scan his last will and testament before filing the original in his safe. He could have scanned the pages himself, or had his lawyer's office do it, so she knew that his intention was for her to learn of the contents.

"You seem pretty confident that I am going to choose to take your last name," Didi teased.

"'Klienhans' is a spelling bee elimination name. I am confident that any sane woman with that last name would choose to change it to 'Cabot' just as soon as she could."

"Touché."

Jules continued, "By the end of this week, we will have accounts set up at a bank that Sean Wallace has recommended, which will establish us with a U.S. based institution. The existing 'transfer on death' provisions naming you will not be required if you apply for the accounts with me so that we are completely equal on them and you have the right of survivorship. I can then initiate all of the transfers online. We will get new credit cards for both of us through this bank and be able to access the funds from any ATM in the world."

Didi reached forward and closed Jules' laptop. Standing, she took his hand and coaxed him to rise beside her. "We have a busy day tomorrow, and you only have one more night to have sex with a single woman. Let's make the most of it."

Jules picked her up into his arms and carried her towards the bedroom, saying, "I plan on making the most of it. Then tomorrow, we will fulfill my fantasy of making love to a married woman."

Chapter Seventeen

At the sound of the knock, Toby opened the door to the meeting room so Carson and Ginger could enter.

"Where are Cile and Didi?" Ginger asked as she glanced around the room to see only Toby and Jules.

"They're up in our room," Jules explained. "Didi wanted Cile's opinion on the dress that she bought for this evening and I'm certain that they are also going over last-minute plans."

Toby was working on preparing Cile's laptop to launch the video connection with her uncle.

He said, "They should be here any minute now. Cile won't miss the start of her own meeting."

His words were prophetic as Cile used her key card to open the door and led Didi into the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Didi said, as she went around the table to take a seat next to Jules.

"Are we ready to start?" Cile asked Toby.

He kissed her and said, "We should be, but feel free to backstop me to be certain."

Cile and Toby took their seats, and she verified the settings for the video conference as Ginger and Carson took their seats.

When her Uncle Bobby appeared on the screen, he said, "I can only stay for about fifteen minutes before I'll need to leave for the airport. Carson and Ginger, my flight plan has me arriving into Myrtle Beach just before 2 pm. We'll leave tomorrow at 7 am if that works for both of you."

"Since you're going to be in town, Mr. Brandt, would be please join us tonight for our wedding?" Didi asked.

"Only if you call me Bobby. I would be honored to attend. Thank you."

Cile said, "Well, since Uncle Bobby has to cut out early, Toby and I have to get over to the sports complex and Ginger Jules and Carson have to get to the symposium, let's get started..."

Ginger interrupted, "I would like to share something that I learned this morning. It might be important in some way."

"Go right ahead," Cile said.

"Lacey asked me to meet her for coffee this morning. She and Huma Sandhu have been getting close this week, and Lacey wanted to ask for my help on something that Huma is trying to put together."

"And what's that?" Cile asked.

"Lacey didn't have all the details, but what she was able to tell me was that part of Huma's assignment while attending the symposium is to ferret out any information she can on environmental incidents that other countries are keeping secret and what they are doing to resolve them. Lacey told me that Huma was approached by another participant of the symposium who acknowledged that there were several countries with representatives at the symposium attempting to do the same as she was."

"Did she mention who this other participant was or what country they represented?" Bobby asked.

Lacey shook her head, "No, but they both felt that there would likely be several representatives willing to share their country's secret if other countries would share theirs with them. They believe that the opportunity to possibly gain additional knowledge from the experience of others would outweigh the fear of revealing their country's secrets."

Bobby sighed, "The age-old challenge. Countries need scientists but have always struggled to keep their loyalty to their governments rather than their science."

Lacey continued, "Huma expressed her doubts about her own country allowing her to participate in sharing any information due to the inherent mistrust among governments. The idea of having all the participants providing their details to an independent, disinterested third-party, who could verify the reliability of the information and share everything with everyone at the same time was discussed, and Lacey suggested that people from academia, such as Professor Davis and myself might be acceptable to all the participants."

"Ah, we're not exactly disinterested third parties," Toby said.

"I know," Ginger said. "I told Lacey that you and I had accepted consulting contracts that would create a conflict of interest if we were to function as she had described. She said that she would have Huma try to identify if there were any other members of academia attending the symposium who might meet their requirements. Just because Toby and I can't do it, doesn't mean that someone else won't be willing to."

"Carson, has anyone approached you about participating in this environmental quilting bee?" Cile asked.

"No, but I'm not the only representative here from the EPA who might be approached."

"But you're the only one here who was on the task force and with any direct knowledge of the incidents we have experienced," Cile said.

"I wouldn't count on that. The EPA is a very social organization. Rumors and misinformation are often used for political gain within the organization, at the same time that truthful information is frequently leveraged for power. We would be fools to believe that some of the details on our incidents aren't known to people outside of the task force or this team. There are more than two dozen people who work for the EPA in attendance at the symposium. Anyone of them could be asked to participate in sharing information, and if that person believed that they would gain knowledge that would further their career within the organization, well..."

"How much of a concern is this?" Jules asked. "There are only three full days of the symposium left. How likely is it that the representatives of the various countries could get approval to share their country's information and then find a neutral party to gather, analyze, and distribute it? No, I think the seeds might get planted here, but there will no fruit harvested this week. The best that they could hope for is the establishment of a confederation of countries that have agreed to work together to share environmental incident data. Personally, I don't see a downside to that."

Cile said, "I have been having conversations with some of my contacts within the World Health Organization, and we have been lamenting about the lack of an international database for toxic poisonings. The CDC has the National Toxic Substance Incidents Program database, but only seven of the fifty states contribute to it."

"May I propose something?" Didi asked.

"Certainly," Cile said.

Didi did so, "Jules, you are going to have virtually all of the symposium attendees as your audience this morning. If you were to suggest the creation of such a database and request support from all the countries in attendance at the symposium, it might accomplish two things. First, it might nip in the bud attempts by only a few countries to share their information only among themselves. Secondly, it would plant a seed of cooperation that the attendees could take back home with them. The fact that the proposal comes from you, someone with no direct affiliation with any government would provide added credibility to it."

Jules was nodding as he said, "I can go one better and offer to launch the database at the end of the symposium through Cabot Geological, with the commitment to turn it over to the World Health Organization once they were prepared to administer it. Any country that refused to openly contribute to the database would not be allowed access to the data within it. If these toxic environmental incidents are as mysterious and widespread as they appear to be, interest in them might be just what we need to build the database for the benefit of everyone."

"It could work," Cile said. "There would need to be assurances that the data could only be accessed by authorized individuals within each contributing country so that the media was excluded, and possibly a coding system that countries could utilize to share their data without identifying who they are. Maybe all countries would be assigned a unique number, and only the administrator of the database would have the code."

"That's exactly what I will propose," Jules said. "Maybe you can share our thoughts with your contacts at the World Health Organization to see if they are interested in taking the database over at some point."

"I like the concept," Bobby said. "Jules, you can go ahead with your proposal, but I'll need to run this by Amber Chase and have her discuss with the President whether the U.S. contributes. Hopefully, I'll have an answer for us by the time my plane lands this afternoon."

"Didi," Jules said, "You're familiar with the mining accident database that we created. If you get bored today, maybe you can use that as a template to start getting the new database created. The data fields will be almost identical, with just a few heading changes to start with."

Didi squeezed Jules' hand and said, "Once the marriage license is delivered, I think I might be able to concentrate on something else for a few hours."

He told her, "I'm taking the car so that I can give everyone else a ride to the convention center. Text me if the courier hasn't delivered it by noon and I'll drive to the Probate Court myself to pick it up."

"Unless anyone has something further to cover, I suggest that we head over to the convention center," Cile said.

Jules stood and said, "The valet should have my car parked out front. I'll drop you and Toby off at the sports complex first. It shares the parking lot with the convention center, but there's almost a half-mile between the two buildings."

Toby said, "Thanks. The less that my wife is seen in public wearing her volleyball uniform, the better."

Cile stood and hugged her husband and whispered in his ear, "Are you ashamed of the way that I am dressed?"

"I'm complaining about having to share the view of how you are dressed. I am entitled to have impure thoughts of you, no one else should," He whispered back.

She tapped his cell phone in his pocket and said, "Make note of each and every impure thought that you have and we'll discuss them in detail tonight. In great detail."

~~~

"Zebra mussels attach to any stable substrate present in the water column, including artificial surfaces such as pipes, boats, docks, etc., along with crayfish, unionid clams, macrophytes, and even each other to form dense colonies. The long-term stability of the substrates affects the density and age distributions found on those substrates. Extensive siltation, certain reef structures, microalgae, and fluctuating water levels expose mussels to desiccation, which make a substrate less suitable for long-term colonization. We have been mapping the colonization of zebra mussels for more than a decade. Where the area around Bois Blanc Island is concerned, the rocky substrate between it and Round Island is where we have identified the heaviest concentration."

Kelsea Livingston with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources showed the participants a color-coded map that distinguished concentration levels of zebra mussels in gradually darkening shades of green. The strait between Round Island and Bois Blanc Island wasn't the darkest shade of green on the map, but it was pretty close. It was also the darkest shaded area anywhere near the islands.

"That explains why you are dispatching your divers to that area first," Carol Hardy said. "However, we will need samples from these other locations as well."

She used a laser pointer to indicate some other high concentrations areas near the Bois Blanc Township Marina on the south side of the island, and near McRae Bay on the north side.

"Those locations are on the list," Kelsea assured her. "We have assigned enough dive teams to this project that we expected to have zebra mussel samples for up to ten nautical miles from the shore of the island by the end of the day tomorrow, as long as the weather cooperates."

Nancy Koslowski asked, "Your divers and boat crews were instructed to take precautions to protect themselves from potential exposure to high levels of arsenic trioxide, right?"

"Yes. In addition, the boats will not return to shore to deliver the samples collected. The Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw will remain anchored in the marina. As we were instructed by Ms. Hardy, our crews will deliver the samples to the hazardous material team on the cutter and then be decontaminated. The Coast Guard will have responsibility for the testing of the samples."

"There is a slight change in that plan," Carol Hardy told everyone. "The divers will still capture twenty mussel samples from each location, attempting to vary their selections throughout the colonies to obtain mussels of different ages. The Coast Guard will test half of the cataloged samples for each location for traces of arsenic. When any level of arsenic is detected, the remaining, untested mussels will be sent to a yet to be determined location where additional tests will be performed. I should have the location of the lab within a few hours."

"What additional tests," FBI Special Agent Derrick English asked. "I thought the reason for testing the zebra mussels was to determine if they were filtering the arsenic from the lake water, and then use the concentration data to help locate the source of the contaminant. Who authorized this additional testing and what is its purpose."

Carol Hardy smiled and said, "You are free to direct your questions to Lieutenant Commander Celia Davis with the U.S. Public Health Service or Amber Chase, the President's Chief of Staff. That is where my orders originated."

Derrick English quickly backpedaled, and said, "That's okay. I was simply going to offer the services of the FBI lab. That's all."

"Thank you," Carol said. She turned to Kelsea Livingston and asked, "Now, from the time that the zebra mussels are removed from the lake, how fast do they need to be tested? I believe that desiccation could be fatal to them."

Kelsea nodded and said, "Adult zebra mussels can survive three to five days of aerial exposure, but they will all be held in containers with water from the location where they were captured. It was believed that the water that the mussels colonized in could be of value, so we're capturing it along with them. Desiccation could only be a potential issue with the mussels set aside for additional testing, but we're confident that we can keep them alive for several weeks in the containers chosen for the task. The Coast Guard will be testing the mussels for arsenic within an hour of receiving them. This will allow us to quickly map the concentration levels of any arsenic detected and reallocate the divers faster."

The door to the Old Orchard Lodge opened and everyone turned to watch an Army officer walk through the door. He saw the assembled group seated around a cluster of tables and approached.

"Good morning," he said. "I'm looking for a Carol Hardy and I was told that I might find her here."

Carol stood and said, "I'm Carol Hardy. What can I do for you, Major?"

"Ma'am, I am Major Barkley with the Army Corps of Engineers Detroit office. I was ordered to report to you and to have my team on the standby to perform geological surveys at your direction. My team can be on this island within three hours of your command."

Nancy Koslowski laughed and said, "Jesus, Carol, who did you have to sleep with to suddenly have all of these resources at our disposal?"

Over the past few weeks, Nancy Koslowski and Carol Hardy had bonded over the investigation on Bois Blanc Island and become close friends and confidants. This was evident as Carol flipped a single finger in the face of Nancy.

"We're glad to have you join us, Major," Carol told him. "Please have a seat wherever you would like. How familiar are you with our situation here on the island?"

Major Barkley took an empty seat and said, "General Bloom at our headquarters in D.C. just told me that there had been a toxic environmental incident from an unidentified source and that my team was to provide assistance locating that source."

Carol addressed the rest of the room, and said, "If everyone else will bear with me, let me fill the Major in on the details."

She had assistance from Nancy and a few others over the next half hour as they brought Major Barkley up to speed on the arsenic poisoning and subsequent investigations. He listened intently and then looked around the room at everyone.

"That doesn't make sense," he said. "How could the fish be contaminated without the water showing any traces of arsenic? You must have had faulty tests or missed something."

Carol explained the theory that had been presented, whereby the zebra mussels were filtering the arsenic out of the water, only to be subsequently eaten by yellow perch."

The Major laughed and said, "Man, that is some out of the box thinking, but it makes perfect sense when the food chain is considered. Who came up with it? I'd like to shake his or her hand."

He glanced around the room looking for a response. No one did.

Carol finally spoke, "The theory was presented yesterday by Lieutenant Commander Davis with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She has been placed in charge of the investigation into this and several other toxic environmental incidents around our country. She is also the one who suggested bringing the Army Corps of Engineers to assist with geological surveys rather than relying solely on the U.S. Geological Survey teams."

"You mentioned several other toxic environmental incidents," Major Barkley said. "I haven't heard anything about them. Have they all involved arsenic?"

"I don't have details on the other incidents," Carol said. "My focus is on incidents around the Great Lakes, and fortunately, this has been the only one so far. But, to answer your question, no, the other incidents around the country have involved other toxins, such as mercury and radon."

The Major nodded and asked, "So, at this point, you are attempting to identify the location where the arsenic is entering the water by measuring the concentration of arsenic with the zebra mussels?"

"That's correct," Carol said. "In theory, the source of the arsenic must be in close proximity to wherever the highest concentration of arsenic is found in the mussels."

"I don't argue with that strategy," the Major said, "but we might be able to narrow the search down some. Arsenic, in the amount that we're talking about here, is almost certainly associated with iron or sulfur deposits in the area. With your permission, I will have multispectral equipped aircraft with radar sensors headed here this afternoon to begin mapping the mineral deposits on land and beneath the lake bed."

"You can do that from aircraft?" Carol asked.

"Ma'am, we can do it from satellites miles above the Earth, but using them would require a whole lot more paperwork than getting a few airplanes up here. Plus, aircraft are closer to the ground than satellites, so the reliability of the data benefits from that. Combining multispectral equipped aircraft with radar sensors, such as Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, allow structural geological elements to be more detectable, including fissures, faults, and aquifers using radar. Short-wave infrared bands help identify clay areas. Using the properties of the two systems allows an index to be created to better understand the types of minerals that are present in a region."

Carol was nodding when she asked Kelsea, "What do you think? Would targeting your divers to areas where the Major says that there are minerals that could be the source of the arsenic help you?"

"It would depend on how long it takes to get the information," Kelsea said. "The teams on the lake right now obviously won't benefit..."

The Major interrupted, "The other advantage of using aircraft over satellites is that we can have a geoanalyst reading the radar images real-time and communicating the results back to us within minutes."

Kelsea asked, "You're saying that by this afternoon, my divers would have your radar indications of the mineral deposits most likely to be the source of the arsenic?"

The Major nodded and said, "Remember, the location might be on dry land somewhere. Divers won't do us much good if that is the case. We could possibly use them to help locate the spot where the groundwater is entering the lake, especially if it is subterranean."

"Either way, Carol said, "it sounds like the radar mapping from aircraft would speed up the search. Major, you have my permission to proceed."

~~~

Toby finished his scouting report for Lacey as Cile listened silently.

"Duke's Libero is hands down their best player. Try to keep the attack at the net or the front row and that will negate the influence that she will have on the match. Kill attempts that make the back row will be far less successful."

"Thanks," Lacey said.

She then turned to Cile and asked, "Do you have any advice before we head over to the courts?"

They were sitting on the edge of a planter outside the sports complex so that they would have some privacy for Toby's scouting report. UCLA's first match of the tournament, against Duke University was scheduled to start in less than an hour.

Cile said, "Based upon what Toby reported and what I saw yesterday, I suggest that you keep a close eye on your players. They shouldn't have much trouble against this opponent, but if they start trying to use some of the tips I showed them yesterday, they're likely to tire much quicker. They're not used to the activity that my style of play requires, so until they build up their stamina, they risk exhaustion. Plan on using all fifteen of your allotted substitutions each set, no matter the score."

"Thanks for the tip. I've encouraged the team to embrace your style of play, so I'll take it upon myself to keep an eye on them. Why didn't you get relegated to the Libero position at Baylor? I would think that your height would have almost forced your coach to play you there."

Cile explained, "Baylor's coach while I was there was Leigh Warren. She was old-school and didn't embrace the concept of a Libero until later in her coaching career. Even if she had, I was too valuable to the team at the net for her to keep me isolated in the back row."

Lacey laughed as she rose from the planter and said, "I remember how valuable you were for them at the net. Why didn't you try out for the Olympic team? You would have been a shoo-in."

Cile stood and took Toby's hand. The trio started for the entrance to the sports complex while Cile tried to explain, "My family tries to maintain a very low profile due to the work that my father, brother, and other close relatives do for the government. You know how intrusive the media can get with Olympic athletes and their 'background', especially if they are expected to medal in their event. Didn't they do an interview with your parents, neighbors, and anyone else they could find who knew you?"

"They did that for everyone on the team," Lacey admitted. "We pretty much had to agree in writing to cooperate with all interview requests in order to be on the team."

Toby stopped, turned Cile to face him, and kissed her, "I'm going to go watch Kansas State's match against Florida State. The winner will be your next opponent."

Cile smiled and said, "Have fun. I'll head back to the hotel after our match to check in with Didi and get some work done. Make sure that you bring Jules back with you when you come."

"Count on it. Love you."

"Love you too," Cile said as she and Lacey continued heading into the building.

"The transformation that you have made in Toby certainly is amazing," Lacey told her. "He's been like a different person since he met you."

"Thanks," Cile said, "But the transformation that he has caused in me would probably surprise you more."

"How so?"

"Before I met Toby, all of my relationships were strictly recreational. It's not that I purposely avoided anything serious with someone, it's more like no one ever stimulated me enough to want more. I was extremely focused on my career, and still am, but when I met Toby, it was like a switch inside me had been thrown. He became the center of my world almost from the moment that I first spoke to him. He looked at me like no one else ever had, and my body and soul belonged to him from then on."

"Well, it's obvious that he absolutely cherishes you," Lacey said.

"What about you?" Cile asked. "I understand that you and Huma have been getting closer. Is there a future there?"

Lacey sighed, "I'm afraid to hope for more than a brief affair, but it's hard. You've seen how beautiful Huma is on the outside. I've had just the briefest glimpse of the radiance within her, and it makes me crave the opportunity to see so much more. She's beautiful, a little hesitant, innocent, and confident, all at the same time. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to ride this wave all the way to the beach."

"I can see how her living halfway around the world could create challenges for a long-term relationship," Cile said, "But as I told Didi the other day, love really does conquer all. Just be true to your feelings, Lacey, and hope that Huma does the same."

Lacey nodded and asked, "Have you ever been in a relationship with another woman? They can be much more challenging than ones with men."

"Not in the way that I think you mean," Cile said. "There were several offers for me to experiment with other girls while in college, and even a few since college, but I never had any interest. I don't judge others, but I know that I have always been destined to be a one-man woman, and I now know that Toby is that one man. I have never felt any greater joy than walking into a room and knowing that Toby is waiting to hear my footsteps."

"I take it you're not the curious type?" Lacey teased.

"Oh, I'm very curious now that I have Toby," Cile giggled. "I wasn't as promiscuous in college as some of my teammates, but I wasn't as pure as the driven snow either. Curiosity never entered into my decisions back then. If I felt like doing something with a guy I did, if I didn't, I didn't."

They approached the court where the match would be played and saw most of their team already there, doing stretching exercises under the supervision of the team trainer. Duke's team was huddled around their bench listening to whatever their coach was telling them in preparation for the match.

"Unless you need me for something," Cile said, "I think I'm going to join the girls and do some stretches myself. I've been sitting on my butt too much since we got here."

Lacey laughed and said, "Hey, yours and Toby's favorite sexual positions are none of my business."

Cile laughed and stuck her tongue out at Lacey before walking out onto the court to join the team.

"You bring in a ringer from another team?"

Lacey turned to see the coach for the Duke team approaching with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Gretchen," Lacey said. "Congratulations on your win against Clemson."

"Thanks," Gretchen Butler said. She then teased, "So, I know that your mascot is a Bruin, but does that entitle you to go out and recruit any 'Bears' in the country to play on your team?"

Lacey laughed at the reference to Cile wearing her uniform from her playing days at Baylor, who's mascot is a bear.

"God, I wish she still had any of her NCAA eligibility left. That's Celia Reid, now Davis. She was an All-American at Baylor and has agreed to be an assistant coach for our team so that Ginger Olsen could take care of some other obligations. I think she's wearing her old uniform just to tease her husband. They're in town on their honeymoon."

"Then she should wear it in front of her husband. She is distracting my entire team. God, she is gorgeous!"

"Nice try, Gretchen, but she has eyes only for her man. I checked."

"Pity," said Gretchen, "All the gorgeous ones are straight."

"Not all of them," said Lacey as she thought about Huma, "But far too many, I agree."

~~~

Jules Cabot remained seated on the stage where he and the other four members of the panel had been answering questions once all the presentations were done. Noticing a lull in the questions as the session was coming to a close, he raised the microphone to his mouth once more.

"Cold, impartial, nature."

"Is all it seeks merely balance, or has the Earth we inhabit decided to fight back against the humans who have been damaging it for centuries? That begs the question, is the Earth a sentient being?"

Jules watched the audience for their reaction to his opening statement before continuing, "Named after the Greek Earth goddess, the Gaia hypothesis has both scientific and philosophical components. Gaia is theorized to be a living entity that is greater than the sum of all the living and non-living aspects of the Earth. In proposing this theory, James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis sought to explain the many complex natural mechanisms that the Earth has for regulating things such as climate and biological diversity. In this theory, the whole Earth is a sentient being that regulates processes in the natural environment by balancing various aspects of it against others. Gaia makes modifications to itself as necessary to keep itself running smoothly for as many of its aspects as possible, be those specific organisms such as humans or entire ecosystems such as the oceans. Gaia does not have an anthropocentric perspective, and we humans are only one small part of the overall entity that Gaia is theorized to represent."

"Because it is only a theory, and a rather controversial one at that, its meaning in a modern scientific or social context must be judged on the basis that it provides a framework for describing and understanding the Earth; it does not, however, provide absolute answers to questions we have about our planet."

"Nevertheless, it is important for natural and social scientists to consider this theory when they conduct research and collect data that is intended to help us understand the Earth, because it provides one possible explanation for how things work. Additionally, it provides a very important perspective that is often missing in human intellectual endeavors: that we are not the center of form and function for the world in which we live. Rather, it reminds us that Earth will maintain some sort of balance as humans continue to modify it and this balance, while being satisfactory for most aspects of Gaia, may not be satisfactory for us."

"I would like to point out that while this theory seems far out to some, and certain aspects are difficult for me to believe, those of you who are Earth scientists, ecologists or other natural scientists recognize that complex and delicate balances that keep the oceans and atmosphere and lakes and forests and other things functioning properly are so intricate and orderly that if it isn't a living being that controls it all, it certainly sometimes acts like one. Thus, whether Gaia is a sentient being or simply a device for explaining the very complex functioning of nature in a way humans can relate to, the theory of Gaia has a well-deserved place in modern scientific paradigms."

"To that end, I am announcing that Cabot Geological is immediately launching the Gaia Project. This project will act as a scientific database and research clearinghouse for environmental and geological incidents that have had, or have the potential, to adversely impact human life. The project will be non-political, not for profit, and affiliated with no one country. The data collected by the Gaia Project will be coded to ensure the anonymity of the contributing source, and all the data will be verified as reliable before making it available for research. Data managed will be accessible only to contributing entities, whether they be individual scientists, academic institutions, or government agencies. Cabot Geological fully intends to transfer the Gaia Project to the World Health Organization as soon as they are prepared to administer it."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have heard the whispers this week, as many of you have. Some have been doing the whispering, while some are merely listening to the whispers of others. Let's bring the topic of the whispering into data that we can all benefit from. My contact information is in your programs, so please use it to announce your interest in joining the Gaia Project as early in its infancy as possible. With trust and our combined knowledge, we can overcome any environmental Gordian Knot. Please join me."

"Thank you."

Chapter Eighteen

"They say you don't marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can't live without. That sums up Jules and Didi perfectly. To the happy couple!"

Toby raised his champagne flute in toast and was joined by the rest of the small group celebrating the wedding of the Cabots. They were the only private party occupying the restaurant patio this evening, which didn't pose a problem for the resort due to the smaller crowds during the middle of the week. Bobby was the only one not drinking champagne since he was scheduled to fly in the morning.

The ceremony on the beach had been quick and efficient, even with the dozens of uninvited guests who lingered around the periphery of the event wanting to be part of the romantic moment of complete strangers.

As others ate their dinners, Cile moved around to everyone and transferred the pictures that they had taken of the ceremony from their cell phones to hers. She intended to place them all onto a memory card for Didi and Jules, but only after selecting her favorite shots to have printed and framed for the newlyweds.

"That was a beautiful ceremony," Huma said to Lacey. "It was all about the loving couple rather than their families or their church. I think that is how all weddings should be."

Lacey nodded and prepared to reply, but Ginger beat her to it, "It was perfect for Jules and Didi, but other couples may desire more of a celebration for the new chapter in their lives that they are undertaking with their marriage. In many instances, a marriage transforms two families into one. The wedding ceremony becomes more than just the couple joining together; it becomes about entire families joining together."

"The wedding reception is the ideal time for the families," argued Huma.

Ginger countered, "But that minimizes so many traditional family involvements in the actual wedding ceremony, such as the father walking the bride down the aisle, or the youngest female member of the bride's family being the flower girl, just to name a couple of examples."

Carson put his arm around Ginger's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "It appears that you have given weddings a bit of thought at some point."

She turned and kissed him as she whispered back, "More like my mom has given my wedding a lot of thought, but don't worry, you won't be meeting her for several weeks yet."

Cile had retaken her seat between Didi and Toby. She turned to Didi and said loud enough that Jules could also hear, "It goes without saying that you are both banned from tomorrow morning's meeting, but, Jules, tell us how your presentation went today."

"Are you interested in the presentation during the discussion panel or my announcement afterward?"

"Both," Bobby said. Cile nodded in agreement with her uncle.

"I have a video of the discussion panel," Huma said. "I purchased the entire symposium recordings and a link for each is e-mailed to me as they are posted. If someone has the IP address for the projector on the ceiling, I can connect to it and everyone can watch the entire discussion panel."

Didi said, "I would love to have a copy of the video, but since the session was over two hours long, and this is my wedding night, I hope no one minds if we skip watching it right now."

Once the laughter died down, Jules said, "I'll give the Cliff's notes version for now. The other panelists focused their presentations on air or water quality issues and were essentially just regurgitating points that have been discussed for decades. I spoke to methods being employed currently, as well as some being investigated that promote a sounder ecological stewardship by mining operations..."

"Every question asked during the session was directed to Jules," said Carson. "The interest in the room was definitely focused upon mining and the impact the various methods could have on the environment."

Ginger added, "Knowing what we know about the toxic environmental incidents that we are aware of, it was evident from the questions being asked that people were looking for answers to explain their own incidents."

Even before she saw Huma's eyes grow wide and heard her ask the question, Ginger knew that she had slipped up.

"What toxic environmental incidents are you referring to?" Huma asked.

Didi stepped in to answer, "That's right, Huma, you didn't have an opportunity to meet Sean and Amanda Wallace. The night that you were attacked on the beach, we were all having dinner with the Wallaces on this same patio. Knowing that Carson works for the Environmental Protection Agency here in America, Sean and Amanda shared with us that there had been a mysterious radon leak at their winery in Australia. Being geologists, Jules and Ginger joined the discussion."

"And," Carson added, "As Jules mentioned during his announcement after the session, there has been a lot of whispering going on during the symposium. Several of my colleagues at the EPA who are attending have heard of other incidents around the world, but everyone is being very secretive on the details. That's why I applaud Jules for launching the Gaia Project. Hopefully, it will be successful in facilitating the level of data exchange that the world needs."

Huma suspected that several people in the room knew more than they were willing to share with her, so she said, "I agree. I will be advising my government to participate in the Gaia Project."

Jules asked, "You understand that participation in the project would require your country to provide verifiable environmental data on an incident that either already has, or has the potential of having adverse effects on human life. Are you aware of an incident that meets that criteria?"

Huma realized her blunder as she said, "I'm certain that my government could come up with something."

"The database fields are all prepared," Didi said, "And the search algorithms are ready for the filters that everyone agrees upon. As soon as the credentialing and security details are defined, it will be ready to go live."

"I was thinking about your plans for the database after you mentioned it this morning," Bobby said. "You'll need to be able to positively authenticate every user, not only when they initially join, but every time they access the database. I happen to have the world's foremost IT security expert available to me and I would be happy to ask her to handle the setup."

"Would that be Rockie?" Didi asked with a smile.

Bobby had a confused expression when he asked, "You know my daughter-in-law, Rockie?"

Didi laughed and said, "Cile has told us about her." She tapped her bare arm to bring attention to it, and said, "Her and I have a lot in common. I would love to have her assist with the database."

"Yes, well that can wait for a day or two," Jules said. He took the valet ticket out of his pocket and passed it to Carson as he stood. "Why don't you take my rental to drive yourself and the ladies back to your hotel? I don't believe my Bride and I will need it tomorrow, and I'm certain that we won't need it tonight."

Didi giggled as she stood beside Jules and slipped her arm around his, "If you will all excuse us..."

"Thank you all for sharing this day with us," Jules said as he led Didi toward the restaurant entrance. "We look forward to sharing our golden anniversary with all you wonderful people. Keep your eyes out for the invitations."

Everyone laughed except Carson. He turned to Ginger and whispered, "Which anniversary is the golden?"

Ginger whispered back, "The fiftieth."

Then Carson laughed.

Huma turned to Bobby Brandt and said, "I understand that you own a consulting company and have contracted with Ginger and Carson to perform some work for you."

Bobby studied the beautiful woman and said, "Yes, Brandt Consulting frequently utilizes outside consultants with specific skills when a client needs expertise that our in-house teams can't address."

"Do you ever require marine geology skills?"

"Of course," Bobby said. "Land reclamation projects along coastlines is an ever-expanding field, and of course the regulatory requirements associated with off-shore drilling mandates frequent marine geological studies to ensure against oil spills. Why, are you interested in doing some part-time consulting work?"

Huma glanced at Lacey before responding, "I would be interested in exploring opportunities."

Bobby took a card out of his wallet and handed it to Huma. "Send me your resume when you have a chance."

"You'll have it this evening," Huma said. "Thank you."

~~~

Major Barkley would never complain about having two attractive women looking over each of his shoulders, Carol Hardee on his left and Kelsea Livingston on his right. They stood behind him, seated at one of the tables in the Old Orchard Lodge as he reviewed the imagery from the afternoon's multispectral radar studies.

The image currently on his screen was of Round Island. A small, uninhabited three-hundred-seventy-eight acre rock positioned between Bois Blanc Island and Mackinac Island. The only structure on the island was the unmanned lighthouse protecting Straits of Mackinac at the far northwest tip of the island.

"You said that the red-colored areas indicate iron ore?" Kelsea asked.

"These are layered images," the major explained. "The color coding will vary by the penetration depth of the signals. On the surface scans, red would indicate clay. See?"

He flipped back to a previous image to point out the surface scan results, "The iron ore is three scan layers down. There is the surface layer, which shows the clay present under the topsoil in most locations, then there is the aquifer layer, which we were surprised to find on such a small island in the middle of the Great Lakes, followed by the iron ore, which appears to extend beyond the island and under the lake bed several hundred yards."

"I can see that this is the largest iron deposit close to Bois Blanc Island," Carol said, "But do we know if that is where the arsenic is coming from?"

"The scans will not detect arsenic," the Major reminded them. "We have to assume and deduce a few things. As I mentioned earlier, arsenic is typically found in the same ores that hold iron, so we now know where the closest, most abundant iron is located. If we study the aquifer layer scans, we see this gray, inverted teardrop-shaped area that extends from the center of the island to the southeastern shoreline. That places the aquifer's opening to the lake directly across from Bois Blanc Island, into the straight that separates the two islands. I would recommend that your divers start collecting the mussels from that area first thing tomorrow."

Kelsea just nodded, but Carol asked, "Can we drill down into the aquifer layer on Round Island and collect samples of the water, and how long would that take?"

The Major answered, "The aquifer layer is below mostly clay, with a few veins of granite or similar bedrock, but we could avoid those as long as the location of the drilling wasn't too specific. We should be able to access the water in the aquifer within a few hours with the right equipment."

"Do you have the right equipment?" Carol asked with a flirtatious smile.

Major Barkley grinned up at her and said, "You betcha. We'll likely need to set up the drill site on the shoreline since Round Island is all designated wilderness area. There doesn't appear to be any clearing on the island except for along the shoreline and creating one for the drilling would require tons of paperwork with little chance of approval."

"Would you be able to access the aquifer from the shoreline?" Carol asked.

Major Barkley studied the images again and pointed to a spot, "Here. It would require angle drilling, but it would all be through clay."

Carol asked, "When could you get started?"

"It would take at least a day to get the equipment in place and set up," the Major said. "Figure Thursday morning..."

Carol turned to Kelsea and said, "Let's try to get the mussel samples from the area that the Major suspects tested as early tomorrow as possible. I would like to have confirmation that we're in the right area before the drilling gets too far along."

"That was my plan," Kelsea assured her. "I'll go and get the assignments communicated tonight so everyone is ready in the morning. Good night."

As he closed his laptop and stood, Carol asked, "Can I buy you a drink, Major?"

Having spent the day around Carol Hardee, Major Barkley had learned that she had at least two speaking styles: longshoreman and enticing siren. Her request foretold enticement.

~~~

Huma led Lacey into her hotel room and instantly dropped the towel which had been around her waist for their trip up from the hotel's pool.

Lacey had said that she wanted to swim a few laps to help her unwind from the day, but Huma knew that her real interest was in watching the reaction of other people to the hot pink bikini that Lacey had purchased for her.

Lacey had not been disappointed as the color of the bikini drew the attention of every man and woman around the pool, and Huma's beautiful features and sensuous movements as she walked around the pool area searching for an empty chair held the attention of most.

Lacey lowered the straps on her wet one-piece bathing suit and shimmied out of it. After hanging it on a hook in the bathroom, she returned to stand naked in front of Huma, and asked, "May I have the honor?"

Huma answered with a tilt of her head and a seductive expression on her face, "You are who I was waiting for."

She then pulled Lacey's face to hers for a long, passionate kiss.

Finally breaking the kiss, Lacey slowly brought her hand up from the bottom of Huma's back, feeling her long silky hair on the back of her hand as it rose higher. Reaching the lower knot for the bikini top, Lacey gave a slight tug on the strings to release it. She continued her upward trek on Huma's back until she was able to also untie the upper knot of the bikini at the back of Huma's neck. Lacey stepped back from Huma's body just enough to allow the freed bikini top to fall to the floor between their feet. Lacey went to her knees in front of Huma and lightly kissed her stomach. Using both of her hands at the same time, Lacey deftly untied the knots on either side of the bikini bottom simultaneously.

Lacey was looking up at Huma, their eyes locked on each other, so she felt, rather than saw the bikini bottom fall to the floor to join its matching top.

Huma extended a hand to help Lacey rise as she said, "Come. Let's get the chlorine rinsed off of you."

They spent forty minutes in the shower, pleasuring each other with mouths, fingers, and the hand-held shower head. Then, Lacey had indulged in the joyful task of drying and brushing Huma's long hair as she sat on the bed between Lacey's legs, chatting about innocuous topics.

Lacey reveled in the feeling of Huma's hair as it fell over her bare breasts and arms while being brushed. Huma treasured the intimacy of having this beautiful, strong, and athletic woman demonstrating loving care and affection towards her.

Huma glanced at the clock and said, "It's almost 7 am in India."

Lacey followed Huma's gaze and saw that the clock display read 9:20 pm. She asked, "What time does your supervisor start work?"

"I have learned that he typically reads and responds to e-mails over breakfast," Huma told her. "His office hours vary depending on what meetings he has to attend and where they are located."

"Are you anxious about what his reply to your request will be?"

Huma shook her head and said, "No, I'm not anxious. I suppose apprehensive or nervous are better descriptions. My supervisor is not known for his tolerance, and if he perceives my request as me deviating from his orders, things could go very bad for me. I was instructed to gather information, not to divulge it, which is what I was essentially asking permission to do."

"You think he would fire you for asking a question?" Lacey asked.

Huma turned on the bed to face Lacey, and said, "He doesn't fire people who displease him, he imprisons them. If I get the sense from his reply that my return to India would not be in my best interests, then I will seek asylum in America. That's why I inquired about consulting opportunities with Mr. Brandt. I would need to demonstrate that I had employment here to support myself until I could transfer my accounts."

Lacey suddenly found herself trying to disguise the elation that she felt over the possibility that Huma might need to remain in America rather than returning to India. She didn't want Huma to view her as anything other than supportive.

"Whatever his response," she said as she pulled Huma to her and lay down on the bed, "We'll deal with it together. You're not alone."

"Thank you, Lacey. You don't know how much I crave your strength right now with my future so uncertain."

"Our future," Lacey said as she kissed Huma's forehead and held her tighter.

Huma rose enough to look Lacey in the eyes and said, "I hope so. I've never hoped for anything as much as I have when I think about you and me being together for more than this week. I don't want this story to end."

"Then we'll make sure that it doesn't," Lacey assured her. "No matter the reply that you get, we'll find a way for us to move forward together, even if I have to move to India. I'll find something there to earn a living."

Huma leaned down and kissed Lacey on the lips, "You wouldn't have to work. My parents died in a car accident two years ago and as their only child, I inherited their estate. We would have enough to live on for the rest of our lives with neither of us working a day."

Lacey lifted her head to kiss Huma back and said, "Well, it's nice to have options. I just want you to trust that whatever happens, or wherever we are, I will take care of you."

"And I you," Huma said. "And, there is one way that I am going to take care of you right now.

Huma slid down until her lips were directly above Lacey's right breast, then circled the nipple with her tongue. She then scooted lower and said, "Let me know if you hear a tone from my laptop indicating the arrival of a new e-mail message. Your thighs and the buzzing of your toy will be obscuring my ability to hear for a while."

~~~

General Ankit Narula saw the smiling face of Darshan Sridhar appear on his computer monitor seconds before the expressionless face of the Prime Minister appeared beside him.

"Good morning, Madame Prime Minister," Narula said. "Good morning, Minister Sridhar. To what do we owe the pleasure of this early morning chat?"

"Are any other members of the cabinet joining us?" asked India's Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

"No," the Prime Minister answered. "There is no need to waste the time of the entire cabinet on whatever you have to tell us. So, get with it."

Without preamble, Minister Sridhar said, "We have located the source of the cadmium and dammed it off from the lake. As we suspected, it was a previously undetected underground spring that had eventually eroded itself a path to the lake."

"That is excellent news," General Narula said.

"Yes, it is." agreed the Prime Minister, "But we still have several questions remaining to be answered, do we not? Questions such as how long it will take for the water in the lake to return to a safe condition, and how the cadmium got into the underground stream to begin with."

"Yes, Madame Prime Minister, both good questions. I'll start with your question about the lake water since that is easily answered. My ministry has already procured three industrial water filtration systems that are being installed around the lake as we speak. Now that the inflow of cadmium has ceased, we will intake lake water at different locations around the shoreline, filter out the cadmium and discharge the clean water back into the lake. Obviously, the process of filtering out enough of the cadmium to render the lake water safe will take some time since we will initially be putting the filtered water back in with the contaminated water, but the levels will continue to drop as we process the water each time. I have been given an estimate of three weeks to one month for the filtration process to have achieved its objective."

"Your second question will take further investigation. The geological survey of the area detected pockets of zinc ore surrounding the underground stream. The zinc deposits are numerous and vary in size, but none are larger than a small automobile. Since cadmium is most often obtained as a byproduct of zinc mining, our assumption at this time is that these zinc ore deposits are where the cadmium came from. What we cannot answer is what caused the cadmium to separate from the zinc."

"Could the water from the underground spring have eroded the cadmium out of the zinc ore?" asked General Narula?

Minister Sridhar shook his head, "The production of cadmium typically relies upon the cadmium being isolated from the zinc metal by vacuum distillation if the zinc is smelted, or cadmium sulfate is precipitated from the electrolysis solution. Freshwater from an underground spring could erode the zinc ore, but it could not have resulted in the cadmium being released. We will be running additional tests on the water dammed up in the spring to determine if any chemicals in it could have contributed to the release of the cadmium, such as sulfur. Those tests should be completed by the end of this week."

"I look forward to learning what you find," the Prime Minister said. "General Narula, have we learned anything from our inquiries about similar incidents in other countries? I'm certain that Minister Sridhar would welcome information gleaned elsewhere if it makes his ministry's task easier."

"We have learned nothing specific," Narula said. "Our intelligence has learned that other countries around the world are dealing with environmental anomalies of their own, but we have not identified any of these involving cadmium. My agent in America attending the international environmental symposium confirms that incidents have occurred elsewhere, but again, she can provide no specifics. In her latest message, she reports that an international database is being created to facilitate the anonymous sharing of environmental incidents and recommends that our country participate."

"Absolutely not!" the Prime Minister shouted.

Sridhar spoke softly, "Prime Minister, I think it might be worthwhile to consider weighing the benefits of participating in a global database against the potential risks. It sounds like we would gain access to information that we would otherwise have to develop entirely on our own. We don't know what caused the incident at Lake Dhebar, or if other potential incidents are awaiting us, but as General Narula has mentioned, we are not the only country facing them."

The Prime Minister was calmer than expected when she said, "Other countries do not face the same internal and external political challenges that we face. If either China or Pakistan learned of us experiencing an incident such as the one at Lake Dhebar, do you not think that they would try to find some way to exploit it? And what about the Akali Dal Mann or another separatist group from Jammu and Kashmir striving for their own homeland within our borders? You don't think that they would use an incident such as Lake Dhebar against the government? No, we will let other countries contribute their information and then rely upon our intelligence operations to obtain the information and share it with us. I will direct Minister Shah to start working on that immediately."

"I will communicate your decision to my agent in America," General Narula said.

"Can you trust your agent to follow your directions?"

"Sadly, Madame Prime Minister, I am not entirely certain that I can. She is a young, principled scientist on her first assignment for me, so I have no history with her that I can gauge her reaction to my directions."

"Then don't tell her that we won't be participating yet," the Prime Minister said. "Delay a decision, saying that you are discussing the matter with other members of the cabinet. That will easily buy us a couple of days, and she will be returning here before she learns the truth. Once she is back in India, we will evaluate her trustworthiness more closely."

Narula nodded and said, "As you wish."

~~~

"I think we should alter our plans."

"And which plans would those be?" Toby asked as he ran his fingers through Cile's hair while her head lay on his chest.

"Our plans to hold a reception for our friends in Southern California when we get home," she explained. "Didi and Jules might get their feelings hurt if they see you and me celebrating our marriage with friends, and they are unable to do the same."

"You know Didi better than I do," Toby said, "But Jules doesn't strike me as the sort of person who would begrudge someone else being able to celebrate something that he couldn't. In fact, I think they would welcome the opportunity to celebrate our marriage with us and embrace meeting some of our friends in the process. Remember, they're going to be new to the area, so introducing them to our friends will open up far more social opportunities to them than they would have with us alone."

"Maybe I'll just tone things down," Cile said. "We can make it more of a casual event, maybe something like a barbeque at the community center for the condo. I'll make certain that everyone knows that any gifts brought to the event will be refused."

Toby nodded and said, "It would be even better if we included Didi and Jules as co-hosts. The invitations could expand upon the purpose of the event being not only to celebrate our wedding but also to meet our new friends."

Cile said, "I like that idea. I'll discuss it with Didi the next time I see her.

"I forgot to ask Lacey how my Bride did as an assistant coach today."

"Fortunately, the girls on the team didn't need too much guidance..."

"Why is that fortunate?"

"Because Lacey spent most of the match pointing out people in the stands or on the opponent's bench who she said were perving over me. She was more focused on watching people that she said were watching me than she was in most of the match. I think that the fact that I was wearing my Baylor uniform on the UCLA bench is what drew any attention to me being there."

Toby chuckled and said, "There is no way that you will convince anyone who saw you in your volleyball uniform, especially those shorts, that their interest was due to anything other than your beautiful body in it."

He lowered a hand down to cup one of her ass cheeks and left it there.

"Well, my surprise for you is over, so I won't be wearing it for the rest of the tournament. On another subject, what do you think about the hypothesis that the toxic events are due to bioleaching?"

Toby continued to stroke Cile's hair as he answered, "I'm leaning heavily towards it. Are you familiar with Redox reactions?"

Cile smiled and said, "Reduction-Oxidation, or redox. Biological energy is frequently stored and released by means of redox reactions. For example, photosynthesis involves the reduction of carbon dioxide into sugars and the oxidation of water into molecular oxygen. The reverse reaction, respiration, oxidizes sugars to produce carbon dioxide and water."

"It looks like I'm going to have to start trying to deplete your gray matter," Toby teased. "The chemical reactions involved in redox are known to exist in biologic organisms, including bacteria and archaea. Redox is what allows acidophilic archaea to be used for the extraction of metals from ores, including gold, cobalt, and copper."

"Which is why everyone wants to know the pH level of the water at each of the incident sites," Cile said.

"Correct," Toby said, "But I suspect that we will find out that the water source pH feeding each location is somewhere between six and eight."

"With seven being neutral," Cile said. "What makes you suspect that range and why only at the source of the water?"

"Because something has changed. If we were dealing with existing acidophilic archaea or other organic organisms, we would have encountered these toxic incidents long before now. I believe that we are going to eventually identify a previously unknown organism that has changed the environment rather than the environment changing it. Neutral water enters the area and undergoes a redox that results in the bioleaching."

Cile raised her head and looked in Toby's eyes, "If your theory is correct, then these incidents could occur anywhere that the substrate brought water containing this organism into contact with a toxic element."

"Potentially, but there would still need to be a means to expose humans to the toxin, such as a fissure that opened to either a water source or the open air."

"The more acidic these organisms make the water, the faster it would erode the ground surrounding it," Cile said.

Toby agreed and said, "It's frustrating that none of the information that we need to understand these incidents was captured by the previous task force. Other than the few geographical surveys, they didn't seem to have a clue on how to perform a scientific investigation. It makes me wonder what other environmental problems our illustrious Environmental Protection Agency is mismanaging."

"You know as well as I do," Cile said, "That the problem with most government agencies is that the top spots are usually political appointees. While some may come to the game with the requisite skills that allow them to understand the purpose of their agency, those skills take a back seat to the necessary wrangling over budgets, political affiliations, and growing their own influence inside the capital."

"What do you think happened to that Angie Stone woman?"

He felt Cile's smile spreading on his chest as she said, "My Uncle Bobby and big brother happened to her, that's what."

Chapter Nineteen

Huma had opened the curtains on the sliding glass door to her hotel room balcony so that she and Lacey could lie in bed to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. Taller buildings between their hotel and the beach prevented them from having a view of the ocean, but the spectacular colors on the clouds in the sky were very visible to them.

Lacey kissed Huma on the cheek and said, "From my apartment in Santa Monica, we will be able to watch the sunsets over the Pacific, and we won't have to lose sleep to do so."

Huma turned her head and smiled, "Good, because I think I will be losing enough sleep over the next several days. I just hope that transferring my accounts from Mumbai to Geneva goes unnoticed. Once my government realizes that I have not returned to India as expected, any of my accounts remaining within their control will be frozen."

'When you checked last night you saw that the transfer transaction was in progress," Lacey said. "You have given your government no reason to question your loyalty so they would have no reason to monitor your accounts yet. It's now Saturday in India, and you're not scheduled to arrive back until Sunday evening. You should be okay."

"You're probably right," Huma agreed, "But I'll feel better once the second transfer request is complete and all my funds are in the Cayman Island accounts and beyond the reach of the Indian government."

"You can check the status of the first transfer request later this morning, and by the time we land in Los Angeles tomorrow afternoon, you should be able to verify that the second transfer was successful. Although, as I told you, your funds will have no bearing on our lives going forward. You can live with me and I'll take care of all your needs until you get your first consulting gig with Brandt Consulting. Mr. Brandt said that he would probably have something for you within a couple of weeks. We'll be fine."

Huma spooned her naked body tighter against Lacey and said, "I am confident that you and I will be better than fine. I'm not as concerned about the money as I am with avoiding the challenges that we would face if the Indian government was able to freeze my accounts and how those might impact my asylum request."

"From what Ginger and Carson told us, Mr. Brandt has connections within the American government that will intercede for you as a contract consultant with his company. That's how Didi and Jules got their immigration status changed so quickly. With the right immigration status, you wouldn't need to apply for asylum to remain here legally."

Lacey continued, "Listen, I know how I would feel if I was planning to move to a country halfway around the world with the items I had packed for a one-week business trip as my only possessions. I would be filled with anxiety and doubts, unless..."

"Unless what?" Huma whispered.

"Unless I was making that move with you. Then I would trust that you would take care of me, guide me, and support me, both emotionally and financially. I would welcome that adventure because you were beside me the whole time."

"I understand," Huma said. "Just know and accept that I will be keeping a very accurate accounting of any expenditures that you make on my behalf, and pay you back when my accounts are settled."

"I'll agree to that on one condition."

"What is that?"

"That you accept the fact that I am in love with you, and one of the privileges of loving someone is the right to be able to buy them gifts. If I buy you something as a gift, such as your new bikini, I would be hurt if you tried to pay me back for that purchase. I believe that you would feel the same way if the roles were reversed."

"You are right. If you buy me something as a gift, I will respect it as such so long as you don't get too extravagant."

"Good, because the airline ticket that I bought for you to fly home with me is my gift to you." Lacey laughed and continued, "Actually, it's more a gift to me. I am giving myself the most beautiful, loving, and intelligent woman I have ever met."

Huma pulled Lacey on top of her body and said, "Enjoy your gift."

~~~

"We have verified that the aquifer in the Montana mercury incident was impermeable until recently," Ginger said with Carson sitting beside her. "This aquifer's recharge was entirely through snow and surface water percolation through the sandstone substrate."

Toby, Jules, Cile, and Didi sat across from Cile's laptop in the resort meeting room listening to the report from the two geologists in the field.

Jules said, "Then we can assume with confidence that the pH level of the aquifer recharge was initially close to seven."

"Not necessarily," Carson said. "We need to complete the bore samples of the sandstone above the aquifer. There are numerous sulfur hot springs in the region. That could be indicative of higher than normal sulfur in the soil that the recharge percolated through on its way to the aquifer. There could also be pockets of alkaloids in the substrate which would increase the pH level of the aquifer."

Toby said, "It would be hard to imagine alkaloids increasing the recharge pH based upon the readings you are reporting. Sulfur in the soil would typically acidify the soil to a pH level of four point five to five point five. What is accounting for the additional acidity of the water containing the mercury? You said that you read the pH level between one point five and two point five. We're almost at hydrochloric acid levels."

"Correct," Carson said. "Samples of the water are on their way to the EPA region lab. With pH levels like these, any organisms living in the water would definitely have to be acidophiles."

"Were all the water samples sent to the region lab?" Cile asked?

Ginger answered, "The vials of water were all sent to the lab, but Carson and I prepared a half dozen slides to be sent to wherever you direct them."

"Uncle Bobby," Cile said, "Is JR keeping his electron microscope at his house or at the clinic?"

"He keeps it at the clinic," Bobby replied. "I have the address and we'll get the slides overnighted to him and Katie. Good thinking, Cile. It's probably best to keep the study of these critters within the team for now."

"Thanks. I'll text Katie and let her know that there is a binder in my old bedroom that contains the list of sequenced archaeal genomes. It contains all the archaea known to have publicly available complete genome sequences that have been assembled, annotated, and deposited in public databases. She can compare whatever is found in the water to determine which species we are dealing with."

"What if we're dealing with a species of bacteria rather than archaea?" Jules asked.

Cile answered, "I'm working on a hypothesis that might answer the 'what changed' or 'why now' questions that Didi asked a few days ago. If the organism has existed, but remained dormant until recently, that would exclude bacteria. They cannot survive very long without moisture, air, and nutrients. Archaea can."

The participants saw the image thumbnails on their screens shift as a new one joined them. Amber Chase apologized for the interruption and said, "The President will be joining you now."

Everyone watched as Amber moved out of the frame and was replaced by President Gary Johnson. "Sorry to barge in on you unannounced, but there was a sudden opening in my schedule, so I asked Amber to try to get me connected with you all before your meeting was over."

"You are always welcome, Mr. President," Cile assured him.

"Thank you, Cile. So, I've been briefed by Amber, and we are all amazed at the progress being made in the investigation. Cile, could you introduce me to everyone present on your team?"

"Of course, Mr. President. I will start with the most important person on my team, and in my life. I would like to introduce my husband, Dr. Tobias Davis.

"It's an honor, Mr. President," Toby said.

"You go by Toby if I remember right," the President said. "It is I, Toby who is humbled to be in the presence of the man who could win the heart of a woman as special as Celia Reid. I trust that you realize just how blessed you both are to have found each other."

"Yes, sir, we do," Toby said as Cile glowed beside him.

Cile then said, "I believe that my Uncle Bobby needs no introduction."

"You believe correctly. Bobby Brandt and I go way back."

"Next," Cile said, "I would like to introduce a couple who have become very integral to our team, and dear friends. Mr. President, please meet Jules and Didi Cabot."

"Congratulations on your marriage, and welcome to the United States. I have heard nothing but exalted praise about both of you. I want to discuss the database that you announced to the world in a few minutes."

Jules and Didi nodded silently to the leader of the free world as Cile continued, "And last, but not least, I would like to introduce Professor Ginger Olsen from UCLA and Carson MacGregor of the EPA. They are our geological field team facilitating the tests at each of the incident sites."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," the President said. "I know that Bobby Brandt is with you, and I also know that he minimizes the influence that he can bring to bear to assist you, and everyone on this team, to accomplish your objectives. Trust me when I tell you, that Bobby has my ear, twenty-four seven. If your needs are within the power of my office to provide, they will be fulfilled."

"Now, Bobby, you're far too important to this country and this investigation for you to be playing the part of a private pilot, shuffling the field team around the country to the different incident sites. Amber has already made arrangements for the Coast Guard C-37A to take over transporting Cile's team. The plane should be wheels up from Reagan National Airport within the hour and on its way to replace you. I need you to head to New York City to meet with Beverly Patterson."

The Coast Guard C-37A was the modified version of a Gulfstream V, with a range of 5,500 nautical miles. The aircraft is primarily used for transporting leaders such as the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. It is an unmistakable Coast Guard aircraft, with the branch's racing stripe and emblem located on the front of the aircraft with "United States Coast Guard" emblazoned on the fuselage.

Bobby had no idea why the President would want him to meet with the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, but he knew that he would learn the reason in due time. "When do you need me there?" he asked.

"Not until Monday," the President said. "Beverly will be addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday."

"Yes sir," Bobby said.

"Cile," the President said, "I realize that this is your meeting, but with your permission, I would like to take it over for a few minutes."

"Of course, Mr. President."

"Thank you. I want to start by telling everyone here how I expect my meetings to be conducted. Unlike my predecessor, no one gets fired for disagreeing with me. In fact, withholding criticism, comments, or questions that are contrary to something I have stated is the fastest way to get on my bad side. I expect you to backstop me in a private meeting so I don't make public blunders. Is that understood?"

Everyone voiced their acknowledgment, so the President continued, "Mr. Cabot, I have listened to your announcement from last Tuesday concerning the environmental incident reporting database, and have had several discussions with my senior advisors related to it. What is its current status?"

Jules nodded to Didi and said, "I will let my wife explain, Mr. President. She has been the one involved in the establishment of the database."

Without waiting for approval, Didi began to explain, "I was able to utilize a database template that Jules had created previously for use in tracking mining incidents around the world. This allowed me to get the database fields created within a couple of hours. Input from other members of the team on the analytics and filters that they felt would work best provided the remaining foundation. I then spent yesterday working with the most amazing IT security consultant that Mr. Brandt had put me in contact with to establish the authentication, credentialing, and security parameters which will make the database impenetrable by anyone unauthorized to access it. The system is currently live on the Cabot Geological servers. All it needs is data to be entered by someone authorized to do so."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cabot, for the update and all of your efforts," the President said. "Let me ask this, for a country, such as the United States to be able to access the data that will eventually populate this database, we would have to first contribute data to it. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Jules said. "That was the strategy that we developed to provide countries with an incentive to contribute. No one will be able to benefit from the research of others without contributing their own research first."

The President said, "I think that is a fair requirement, but I'm certain that others won't. I also understand that the research within the database will be coded to make the country of origin or the source of the research anonymous."

Jules nodded and said, "To the extent possible, yes. There are certain geological characteristics that will allow a knowledgeable geologist to determine where an incident occurred, or through a process of elimination, identify where it couldn't have occurred."

"Have you discussed the possibility that one or more countries might be willing to share the location information with others?"

Jules glanced at Cile and Toby before answering, "No, we assumed that everyone would want to remain anonymous..."

"What would the benefits be for a country, such as the United States remaining anonymous versus revealing our incident locations?"

Cile spoke, "Sir, I believe the difference would be one of a political nature. Team, speak up if you disagree, but from a strictly scientific research perspective, as long as the relevant geological incident data was as comprehensive as possible, the location itself wouldn't really matter."

Ginger said, "The location would certainly matter if the incident had the potential of affecting another country. Take, for example, the mercury contamination incident in Montana. If the incident would have been located just a few hundred miles north, the watershed area would have extended into Canada."

The President smiled and said, "An excellent example, Professor Olsen. Folks, I have complete confidence that this team is not only going to identify the cause for the toxic environmental incidents that have occurred in our country, but also establish mechanisms such as you have demonstrated with this database which will allow us to respond more effectively in the future. I believe that my administration can make the citizens of this country just as confident. I have three more years in office, and I cannot seek a third term, so I ask you all, if I was to take politics out of the equation, do you think the United States should announce our intention to contribute openly to the global database in hopes that other countries follow our lead?"

Carson spoke first from the group, "Mr. President, speaking strictly to our own incidents, I think we all know that sooner rather than later, the media is going to get wind of one or more of them and the details that they obtain will get published or broadcast. As with a lot of news that the media initially makes public, too much reliance will be placed upon leaked or anonymous information. If your administration announced the details of the incidents before the media discovers them, it would benefit the country in several ways..."

"Sorry, Carson," Cile said as she interrupted him, "Carson is right. In the first place, the announcement could provide a more comprehensive explanation of each incident, and what is being done to mitigate it. The media would not have access to all of that information unless we gave it to them. It would allow facts to trump any rumors or conspiracy theories causing a panic. Another, and possibly the biggest benefit would that of public awareness. That would be invaluable to our efforts to identify future incidents."

The President was listening intently and nodding his head. Toby spoke next, "While we all appreciate the confidence that you have expressed in us, Mr. President, there is another major benefit to making the incidents public knowledge, and that is our ability to get more people and resources involved. I trust the knowledge and expertise of Ginger, Carson, and Jules as geologists, and doubt that we could find any better. However, as we move forward with identifying the organism or organisms that we suspect are contributing to the bioleaching, we might be venturing into other scientific disciplines and need the assistance of other experts."

"I understand," the President said. "So, if asked by the media or anyone else, you would all be able to state that you agree with my decision to disclose the details on all of the incidents?"

There was a chorus of affirmative responses.

"Excellent! My news conference planned for this evening can proceed as planned. Now, I realize that none of you, except for Bobby Brandt are likely to have much experience if foreign relations, but I would still like to have your opinions on how you think the international community will react."

Didi said, "America doesn't have the best reputation in the international community where the environment is concerned. Many will be skeptical of America due to the number of international accords and treaties on the environment you have backed out of or refused to participate in."

The President nodded and said, "Yes, former administrations did do a poor public relations job with many of the international plans. The plans were unfair to U.S. interests and were especially detrimental to most third-world and developing countries; to the benefit usually of Europe and China. My administration has always admitted that climate change is real, and we have cited numerous examples of steps taken in the last four years to address the scientifically proven contributing factors. The challenge remains that there are still too many well-funded and vocal environmental zealots that would advocate us returning to caves due to unproven theories and unscientific hyperbole."

"I assume this is what you want me to meet with Beverly Patterson about?" Bobby asked.

"Exactly. I want you to update her on the incidents here and help her draft her speech for the United Nations. I know that Mr. Cabot stated in his announcement that he would turn administration of the database over to the World Health Organization as soon as they were ready to accept the role. I would like Beverly's speech to emphasize that the participation of the United States should send a clear message to the Security Council that the WHO needs to step up and be the organization that the whole world can count on for the fair and accurate dissemination of environmental data. Does anyone have anything else that they can suggest to encourage the international community to get on board with us?"

Jules answered, "I would recommend that a correlation between environmental incidents and medical events, such as a viral pandemic be emphasized. Viruses do not recognize nor respect borders, and neither does Mother Nature. An asteroid heading towards Earth would likely bring all the countries together to try and save mankind. What we have been experiencing with these toxic incidents could be just as catastrophic as that asteroid would be."

The President said, "If the sentiment you expressed could be incorporated into her speech without making it sound too dramatic, I agree."

When no one else spoke, the President said, "Cile, thank you for letting me join your meeting. I understand that you are all heading home tomorrow, so safe travels, and don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything from my office."

Once it was obvious that the President had disconnected from the meeting, Didi smiled at Cile and said, "It looks like Jules and I have some very influential new friends."

Cile laughed and said, "Family connections, right Uncle Bobby?"

"Don't let her fool you," Bobby said. "It wasn't family connections that brought her to the attention of the President or why he has personally awarded her multiple medals for her service to this country."

"We're proud to have you all as friends regardless of who you know," Jules said. "If we're done here for now, I would like to take my rental car back to the airport today so that we can just take the resort's shuttle to the airport in the morning with you guys."

Cile checked the time and said, "Yes, we're done for now. Toby and I need to get over to the sports complex to help the team prepare for the championship match this afternoon. Didi, would you like to join us?"

"Thank you, but no. I still have a lot of packing to do before the morning. Can you and Toby join Jules and me for dinner tonight?"

"Certainly. I'll call you when we get back to our room so we can discuss the details."

~~~

More than thirteen-thousand cameras are monitoring the city of Myrtle Beach. Of these, more than two-hundred cameras are dedicated to specific automated systems, such as the cameras that read the license plates of all vehicles entering or exiting the city. It was one of these license plate reading cameras that had recently identified a dark-colored sedan bearing a license plate that had been reported stolen.

The operations center for the city of Myrtle Beach was staffed with its typical contingency of fifteen agents, each tasked with monitoring the cameras around a specific area of the city for pre-emptive notification to the appropriate first responders when circumstances dictated. The agents each watched the banner appear at the bottom of every screen notifying them of the stolen license plate so they could be watching for it within the city.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" said the agent assigned the airport district. "Our stolen plate just turned east on Harrelson Boulevard off Kings Highway."

"Where's your next contact point?" his supervisor asked as he moved behind the agent's chair to observe.

"The intersection at Jetport Road."

"Bring that camera group up and let's see if he turns into the airport or continues east on Harrelson."

The agent understood his supervisor's reasoning for determining whether the car was heading to the airport or not. The airport was patrolled by the Horry County police, while Harrelson Boulevard would be the responsibility of the Myrtle Beach police. They would need to know which agency to contact.

The camera group at the intersection showed vehicles traveling east and west on Harrelson Boulevard as well as those entering and exiting the airport. At this time, the only vehicle visible was a late-model SUV of indistinguishable type sitting in the left turn lane of eastbound Harrelson Boulevard, with the single visible occupant waiting to turn onto Jetport Road toward the airport. The agent and his supervisor watched as a dark-colored sedan pulled into the left turn lane behind the SUV.

"I can't confirm until the light changes," the agent said, "but I think that's the same sedan."

The camera angle was only showing the front of the cars, and since South Carolina only required license plates on the rear of vehicles, they would have to wait until the back of the car was visible for confirmation.

"Uh oh," the agent said, pointing at the screen.

The agent and supervisor watched as the passenger door of the sedan opened and a man quickly exited and ran around to the driver's side of the SUV.

The supervisor didn't hesitate, "Dispatch we have an armed 215 in progress at the eastbound intersection of Harrelson and Jetport. The victim is driving a dark SUV. Suspects are in a dark sedan with possible stolen plates."

The two men continued to watch as the driver of the SUV was forced at gunpoint to step out of his vehicle. With the gun pointed at him, he stepped up onto the grassy center median as the suspect grabbed first the man's cell phone, then apparently demanded his wallet. The man removed his wallet from his pocket and handed it towards the suspect.

It was always surreal to watch a crime unfold in real-time, but the agents and their supervisors were used to it. They paid rapt attention to what they were witnessing because they knew from experience that they would likely be called upon at some point to testify about what they had seen and why they had dispatched officers in response. Even though the video evidence could speak for itself, defense attorneys seldom let it do that.

The cameras themselves did not capture sound, but the microphones positioned around the city did. Here, another automated system evaluated captured sounds and reported any that it deemed actionable, such as loud vehicle exhausts, or in this case, gunshots.

The two quick barrel flashes from the handgun were captured by the camera immediately before the victim fell onto the grass median and the shooter climbed behind the wheel of the SUV.

The operations center personnel were well trained and required no further instruction on how to proceed with this situation. The supervisor immediately updated dispatch with notification of the shooting while the agent quickly switched cameras to capture the license plates of both vehicles as they sped east on Harrelson Boulevard. Their likely destination was either US Highway 17 or US Highway 501. The responding officers would know that as well.

He brought the views from the cameras at the intersection of Harrelson Boulevard and Grissom Parkway up on his screen and saw that a State Trooper and a Myrtle Beach patrol unit already had the intersection sealed off, with additional units from multiple agencies quickly joining them. He switched screens to see the cameras at American Way and Harrelson Boulevard. This was the last cross street before Grissom, and he saw three patrol units sitting on American Way, prepared to get behind the suspects as soon as they passed. Switching views again, the agent watched as first the stolen SUV, and then the dark sedan raced past and the three patrol cars took off after them.

Switching cameras once more, the agent could see the glow of the flashing red lights of the paramedics mingled with the flashing blue lights of the police over a mile up the road at the original crime scene. Viewing the opposite direction, he saw the takedown of the suspects as more than a dozen armed officers swarmed the two vehicles.

"That's it," his supervisor said. "Capture the times and camera numbers for IT so that they can pull the videos and get copies over to the detective bureau by this evening."

Noting the times from his camera access log, the agent noted to himself that from the time that the license plate reader had identified the stolen plate until the carjacking, shooting, and subsequent apprehension of the suspects had taken less than eight minutes.

~~~

The trauma team was waiting outside the emergency room entrance as the medivac helicopter landed. When they received the signal from the pilot that the rotor speed had slowed enough for them to approach, they rushed to the side door, prepared to accept the gurney with the gunshot victim as soon as the latches securing it to the helicopter were released.

It became obvious when the victim became visible to them that blood loss was going to be their first challenge. The paramedics had done all they could to staunch the flow of blood from the wounds, but with one of the entry wounds being on the left side of the man's neck and the other somewhere in his chest, the options available in the field might not have been enough to save this man's life.

The blaring siren from a State Trooper's car quickly approaching was ignored as the trauma team rushed the victim into the hospital. The trooper stopped his vehicle directly outside of the emergency room entrance and jumped out with something in his hand. He approached the first nurse he saw.

"Here's the victim's identification and cell phone." He handed two evidence bags to the nurse. "We thought you should have them in case you need to contact someone before the detectives get here. If you'll sign on my cell phone screen, the chain of custody for the evidence will remain intact."

The nurse was familiar with the procedure. While someone from admissions could view the patient's identification to complete the necessary paperwork, they would have to do it while it was held by the nurse who currently had custody of the evidence. The hospital had no mechanism for transferring the evidence custody once one of their employees had accepted it, so it would remain with her until the detectives took it from her.

In the emergency room, the doctors quickly examined the patient to ascertain the severity of the wounds. The patient was unconscious, which was a concern since there did not appear to be any head trauma that would cause it. The patient was obviously in severe hemorrhagic shock due to losing twenty percent or more of his total blood supply. His blood pressure and heart rate indicated the loss of blood may have been even a higher percentage.

They performed a quick cross match on his blood type and began a fast-drip transfusion to get more blood into his system. The doctors realized that the infusion rate for the new blood would not keep up with the volume being lost unless the found the damage to the patient's body quickly and repaired it.

Chapter Twenty

"That's got to be some kind of record," Toby told Cile as they walked back to the resort from the sports complex. "UCLA never lost a match during the entire tournament."

"It was pretty impressive," Cile agreed. "More impressive is the fact that they never even trailed in any match, with only the team from Notre Dame scoring in double digits on them."

"Lacey is giving you all the credit. You know that she is going to keep after you to assist her in the future."

Cile laughed, "She can try, but I'm not going to help her build a women's volleyball dynasty that my alma mater may have to face again someday. I didn't have any loyalty to the teams playing in this tournament, and if a similar opportunity arose, I might consider it, but it's doubtful one will."

Walking into the lobby of the resort, Cile said, "You should go up to the room and get more of your stuff packed. I'm going to stop off at Didi and Jules' room to see what the plans are for dinner, then I'll be right up."

"Sounds good. Do you need me to save room in my bags for any of your stuff?"

Cile looked up at him and batted her eyelashes, "You would do that for me?"

Toby chuckled and said, "It would be an honor."

"Well, consider yourself honored then," Cile said with a grin. "I've already packed something of mine into your suitcase."

Toby knew instantly by Cile's mischievous expression exactly what that 'something' would be. He would be carrying home all of her 'unmentionables' in his luggage.

"You enjoy letting the TSA agents suspect that I am a cross-dresser, don't you."

Stepping on to the elevator, Cile laughed and said, "I hadn't considered that, but now that you mention it, it will be funny. I bet you get one of the notices inside your luggage about it having been opened and inspected. No, Cutie, I do it because every piece of lingerie I own, ever pair of underwear and every bra, they are all selected with you pleasure alone in mind."

The elevator stopped three floors below theirs. As Cile kissed Toby and stepped out of the elevator, she said, "Oh, I included my volleyball uniform too. Love you."

Toby said, "I love you too," as the doors slid closed.

Cile's knock was answered by a smiling Didi after only a few seconds, "Hi. Come in, I'm almost done packing. How was the volleyball match?"

"UCLA destroyed the other team from the University of Connecticut," Cile informed her friend. "I was wondering what the plans were for dinner."

Didi led Cile into the living room area of the suite and said, "I was waiting for Jules to get back to discuss it with him."

Cile looked confused, and asked, "Where is Jules?"

"He is returning the rental car to the airport as he mentioned."

"That was over four hours ago," Cile reminded Didi. "What airport was he returning it to?"

Didi checked the time and said, "I was so involved in packing that I lost track of time. Maybe I should call him and find out if there is some problem with the rental return or getting a shuttle back to the resort."

She picked up her cell phone and hit a quick dial icon on the home screen. Cile saw the look of surprise on Didi's face as the call was apparently answered.

"Hello," Didi said. "Who am I speaking with?"

"My name is Leslie Kent. I am a detective with the Myrtle Beach police department. May I ask who is calling?"

"My name is Didi Cabot, and I am the wife of the man who owns the phone you are holding. Where's Jules?"

"Oh, thank God, Mrs. Cabot. We've been trying to locate a next of kin of one Julian Cabot. Are you in Myrtle Beach?"

"Yes, we're staying at the Wallace Grand Coastal Resort. Why are you trying to locate Jules' next of kin? What's happened?"

Cile didn't hesitate once she saw Didi becoming panicked. She pulled the cell phone from Didi's hand and said, "This is Lieutenant Commander Celia Davis with the United States Public Health Service. Where is Julian Cabot?"

"Ma'am, please put Mrs. Cabot back on the phone..."

"I asked you, where is Julian Cabot?"

"This is a police matter between myself and Mrs. Cabot and I will not discuss it with anyone else. Now, please put her back on the phone."

"I don't know who you are," Cile hissed, "But unless you tell me where Julian Cabot is immediately, you will be in federal custody within fifteen minutes. You've upset his wife and you've pissed me off. The location of this phone will tell me where you are and I assure you that you won't like what's coming for you. Now, where is Jules?"

"Fine, but if you show up here without Mrs. Cabot, you will be the one in custody. Mr. Cabot is undergoing emergency surgery at the Grand Strand Medical Center. He sustained two gunshot wounds when his vehicle was carjacked this afternoon..."

"We'll be right there." Cile disconnected the call then pulled Didi into her arms.

"We need to get to the hospital. Jules has been injured and is surgery."

Didi gasped and tears formed in her eyes. "Injured? How? Was he in a traffic accident?"

"I'll explain on the way. Get your purse and make sure that you have both yours and Jules' passports. I'm going to call Toby to meet us in the lobby and arrange a ride for us. Hurry."

Cile knew that the transportation she wanted would probably take longer than Toby, so she called for that first, "Agent Robinson, this is Celia Davis. I need transport to the Grand Strand Medical Center immediately. If none of your vehicles are equipped with lights and siren, arrange for a police escort. Make it quick. We'll meet you out front of the resort in three minutes. Oh, and find out everything you can about a carjacking in Myrtle Beach this afternoon."

Without waiting for a reply, she disconnected the call and called Toby.

"Hi, Sweetie. What are the plans for dinner?"

Cile just said, "Jules has been hurt. We'll meet you in the lobby."

Didi returned with her purse. Cile handed her back her cell phone and then led her out of the room and to the elevator. A frustrated Toby stared out at them as the doors opened, but his expression changed to one of concern when he saw who had interrupted his journey to the lobby.

"What happened?" he asked, expecting to see an injured Jules with them.

"I'll explain on the way to the hospital," Cile told him.

Stepping out of the elevator, the strobing blue lights on the black Suburban parked just outside the resort's front doors were visible. Cile rushed Toby and Didi through the lobby doors, opened the rear passenger door, and literally pushed Didi in. She climbed in beside her as Toby climbed into the front passenger seat, next to Agent Robinson.

"Drive!" Cile screamed.

Steve Robinson stomped on the accelerator and the big black vehicle screamed onto Ocean Boulevard. While they raced up 21^st Avenue, Cile asked the agent, "What have you learned."

Agent Robinson glanced in the rearview mirror and said, "Not much yet. My team is making inquiries and we'll hopefully have some information by the time we get to the hospital. What do you know?"

Cile turned to Didi and took her hands to hold as she explained what she knew of Jules' condition, "Jules got carjacked this afternoon before he could return the car at the airport. He was shot twice, but I don't know the details on where he was shot or how serious he is injured. All I know is that he is alive and they are performing emergency surgery on him at the hospital. I promise I'll get all the details as soon as we arrive."

A shaken and sobbing Didi collapsed into Cile's arms. Cile wiped tears from her own eyes and whispered to her, "I know you're scared. Get it all out now, because Jules is going to need us all to be strong when we get to the hospital."

While Cile attempted to calm Didi, Toby used his cell phone to send messages to the rest of their team, notifying them of Jules' injuries with promises to keep everyone updated. He received almost immediate responses from Carson and Ginger, but nothing from Bobby. He just assumed that Bobby was flying back to Texas and that he would get the message when he landed. That thought reminded him that he should let Katie know. Even though she had not met Jules and Didi, she was part of their team, and she could also let JR know. As a final thought, he also notified Amber Chase of the situation.

The instant that Agent Robinson pulled into the ambulance entrance, Cile was opening her door preparing to pull Didi with her.

Agent Robinson said, "I'll park and meet you inside."

"Thanks," Cile said as she and Toby helped a still much shaken Didi to enter the hospital emergency room. Toby said, "I've got her. Go see what you can find out."

Cile left Didi in Toby's strong arms and went in search of someone in authority. She had her credentials in her hand by the time she reached the admissions counter.

Addressing the clerk on the other side of the Plexiglas partition, she held up her badge wallet and said, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Davis with the Public Health Service. Please contact whoever is currently in charge of this hospital and tell them that I need to see them immediately."

"May I ask what this is in regards to?" the clerk asked.

"No, you may not. Just get whoever is in charge in front of me as quickly as possible."

"Well, you're in luck," the clerk told her as she pointed down the hallway. "The hospital administrator is heading this way right now."

Cile turned to see a heavyset man huffing and puffing as he hurried toward the emergency room. His reddening face held an expression of determination as he neared her. She stepped in front of him and held her credentials directly in front of his face.

"Are you in charge here?"

The man wheezed, "Yes, but I don't have time right..."

"Sir, you will make time for me, or I will close every part of this facility down except for the trauma center."

The man glanced at the credentials again and said, "What did you say your name was?"

"I am Lieutenant Commander Celia Davis."

"But your credentials say that you are Celia Reid."

Cile blushed and said, "I apologize. I got married last week and my credentials still reflect my maiden name."

"I understand, Commander. I was just coming to find you. I received a call directly from the White House minutes ago instructing me to find and assist you with anything you needed. I am Clay DiMarco, administrator of the hospital. How can I help you?"

Cile turned and started back toward the emergency room lobby area with DiMarco following on her heels.

She said, "A gunshot victim was brought here earlier this afternoon. I need all the details on his condition immediately, including any preliminary prognosis."

"Do you have the patient's name?"

"Yes, it is Julian Cabot. He is a member of the team I lead on a project for the President of the United States. That should help you understand the interest of the White House. If it doesn't, maybe the agents just now entering your hospital will clarify things."

DiMarco turned toward the door and saw at least a half a dozen men and women wearing windbreakers that read either 'Secret Service', or 'Homeland Security' rushing into the emergency room.

Cile held up her credentials for the agents to see and said, "Find the police detective who has Julian Cabot's cell phone and bring her to me. Agent Robinson has the number to track it."

The agents began fanning out through the emergency room and the rest of the hospital, ignoring nurses, doctors, or anyone else questioning their presence.

"Mr. DiMarco, I will need a conference room or similar space as close to the operating suite area as possible."

"Of course. Let me show you to the media room where press briefings are held and see if it will work for you."

"Give me one minute," Cile told him. She walked over to where Toby was sitting with Didi and said, "Why don't you come with me. They're finding us a room where we can have some privacy while we sort things out."

"I just need to see Jules," Didi said.

Cile hugged her and said, "I know, but he's still in surgery from what I was told. Let's get you comfortable and I'll get the details for you."

She then turned to Agent Robinson and said, "Why don't you come with us too, so you know where we're at?"

The trio followed Cile as she returned to where DiMarco remained waiting for her. Robinson provided an update on what he had learned of the police investigation along the way.

DiMarco then led them through a set of double doors, down a hallway, and into a press briefing room. There was a podium at the front of the room and six rows of six chairs arranged facing the podium. There were two large sofas along the far wall, which is where Cile led Toby and Didi to sit.

Cile introduced Clay DiMarco to the others and each of them in turn to him. "Mr. DiMarco is going to escort me to the operating suite so that I can determine Jules' condition. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then to Agent Robinson, she said, "When the police detective who has Jules' phone is brought in, keep her here until I return."

Agent Robinson just nodded. Cile led DiMarco out of the room and said, "Which way?"

"I'm sorry, but the operating suite is an aseptic environment. Only hospital staff and approved medical personnel are permitted into that area of the hospital. I'll be glad to go in and speak with the doctors on your behalf..."

"Mr. DiMarco, I am a Lieutenant Commander in the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service. I am also a doctor. Now lead the way to the operating suite or I'll find someone who will."

She didn't claim to be a physician and could have mentioned that she was licensed as a Physician's Assistant, but she also held a doctorate in microbiology, so everything she had said was true. The phone call that was incoming on her phone sealed the deal.

"Hello, Mr. President," she answered, watching the shock on DiMarco's face. She put the call on speaker so that DiMarco could listen.

"Cile, what's the latest on Julian Cabot?" the President asked.

"I've encountered a few obstacles in determining Jules' status, Mr. President, but I think I've overcome all of them and should be able to call you back in ten minutes with the latest information."

"Amber spoke with a Clay DiMarco, who presented himself as the hospital administrator, and he assured her that he would assist you. Has he not located you yet?"

"He's standing beside me right now Mr. President. I believe his idea of assistance hasn't been entirely aligned with mine, but we're getting there."

"If Mr. DiMarco is there with you, then I want him to understand that you, and only you, are my eyes and ears at that hospital right now. If he or his staff denies you anything they are denying the office of the President of the United States. Did he hear that?"

"Yes, sir, he did."

"Did he understand it?" the President asked.

DiMarco was nodding his head emphatically in affirmation.

"He states that he does, Mr. President."

"Good. I am calling you on my cell phone. Just hit redial when you're ready to give me your report. I'll be waiting for your call."

"Yes, sir."

Cile disconnected the call and placed the phone back into her purse. She looked DiMarco directly in the eyes and waited. He said, "Follow me."

DiMarco led Cile to a scrub room and pointed to a door, "That is the communication center for the various operating rooms here. We will be able to see what is happening in the trauma surgery room and speak with the doctors from there."

There was a woman already in the room, observing a surgical procedure through multiple camera views, each on a different display. She turned at the sound of people behind her.

Recognizing the hospital administrator, she said, "Hello, Clay."

"Hello, Courtney. Are you observing the trauma team working on the gunshot victim?"

"Yes. I am waiting to see if I need to get the Red Cross to deliver more blood. Dr. Evans and Dr. Clancy don't want to waste any time if our supplies start getting too low. This patient has depleted our stock quite a bit so far."

"Fine," DiMarco said, "But if you wouldn't mind stepping aside, I need to communicate with the doctors."

The woman rose from her chair and DiMarco quickly took her place. He turned a knob on the table and the sounds from inside the operating room came across multiple speakers. He then flipped a switch and spoke into the table-mounted microphone.

"Dr. Evans, this is Clay DiMarco. The President has requested to know the status of your patient."

"You can remind our esteemed President that we have had this discussion before. I will not tolerate him looking over my shoulder during surgery or any other time..."

DiMarco interrupted him, "Not the hospital President, Doctor, the President of the United States. This hospital is crawling with federal agents and I have a Lieutenant Commander with the United States Public Health Service standing beside me. We need an update now."

It was difficult to determine which of the people in the operating room had been speaking due to the masks and shields covering most of their faces, but the head that jerked up to stare directly at the camera in front of it presented Cile with a clue. The wide-eyed look of surprise, followed by the tell-tale signs of moving lips under the mask as he spoke confirmed that the tallest of the people around the operating table was Dr. Evans.

Dr. Evans glanced back down at his patient. He didn't know who this guy was, and the level of care and skill that he would employ in an effort to save his life wouldn't change regardless. However, knowing that his patient was obviously somebody important enough to warrant the concern of the President of the United States, he was suddenly under much more scrutiny.

Dr. Evans said, "Dr. Clancy, would you please provide the requested status update on the patient?"

Another doctor, slightly shorter and significantly heavier looked to the camera and said, "The patient is a male, in his mid-thirties. He arrived at the trauma center with two gunshot wounds, which had resulted in a loss of more than thirty percent of his body's blood volume. Upon initial examination, it was determined that one small-caliber bullet had entered the left side of his neck, it tore the external jugular vein before becoming embedded in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. We have repaired the damage to the external jugular and removed the bullet successfully. We do not expect there to be any long-term effects from that injury."

"The second bullet entered the chest between the ninth and tenth ribs, nicking the tenth rib and coming to rest embedded in the superior intercostal artery. That is the injury we are struggling with at this time."

"How are his vitals?" Cile asked.

Her question was heard in the operating room, so DiMarco didn't need to repeat it.

"We have him stable at the moment, but his blood pressure and heart rate have been our biggest challenge due to the massive loss of blood. Once we got the external jugular repaired, we have been able to maintain a pressure of ninety-five over sixty, and while still far too low, his heart rate is steady."

"Thank you," Cile said. "I will go update his wife and the President and be right back."

Cile turned and walked out of the communications room, leaving DiMarco behind. Hitting redial on her phone as soon as she was in the hallway, she updated the President as she walked, and promised further updates as Jules' condition warranted.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to her as she entered the media room, but Cile was focused on only one pair. She hurried over to where Didi was sitting beside Toby on one of the sofas. She sat next to Didi and pulled her into a hug.

"I just saw Jules. He is still being operated on, but he's alive and they're doing their best to keep him that way."

Cile explained in layman's terms what she had learned as everyone in the room listened intently.

When she had finished, Didi asked, "Will he be okay?"

"The chances are very good that they will be able to stop the bleeding in his chest and repair the injury," Cile assured her friend. "This means that Jules has a very good chance of survival. It's too early to tell if there might be any further complications from the blood loss he experienced. We'll have to wait and see. I'm sorry."

Didi wiped tears from her cheeks and said, "We can handle anything as long as Jules is alive. How much longer until I can see him?"

Cile wiped a tear from Didi's cheek that had been missed, and said, "Normally, they wouldn't let anyone see him until he had been cleared out of surgical recovery and set up in a room, but I'll see what I can do to speed things up for you."

"WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" a woman yelled.

Cile looked up to see a stocky brunette woman with an angry red face standing in front of her. Special Agent Robinson had his right hand firmly around the woman's upper arm and wore a wide grin on his face.

Even in the screeching tone, Cile recognized the voice of detective Leslie Kent. She wanted to bitch-slap her. Instead, she stood and motioned for Special Agent Robinson to follow her. He kept his hand on Detective Kent's arm as he followed Cile back into the hallway.

As soon as the door to the media room had closed, Cile was in Detective Kent's face, "You know who I am," she growled, "And unless you calm down and cooperate, you'll see exactly what I can do. That woman in there is not only a dear friend, she and her husband, the man who is fighting for his life just down that hall, are on my team. A team assigned by the President of the United States to investigate a matter of national security. Screw with me at your own peril."

The anger hadn't subsided when Detective Kent asked, "What national security matter? Could it have been a factor in why Mr. Cabot was shot?"

Cile glared at the detective and snarled, "Did I say that you get to ask questions? Shut the fuck up until I ask YOU a question. Agent, please escort her to your vehicle. I'll be right out."

Cile quickly returned to the media room and told Didi and Toby that she would be right back. She then turned to all the agents in the room and asked, "Who's in charge?"

When one of the agents raised his hand, she instructed him to follow her. She led him out of the emergency room entrance and glanced around, trying to locate Robinson's vehicle. She saw him flash the headlights and headed that way.

Detective Kent was seated on the backseat, on the passenger side of the Suburban. Cile asked Robinson to lower that window and waited until it was fully down before speaking,

"You're fortunate that I don't have time to deal with you myself."

She looked over to Robinson and asked, "Do you have Julian Cabot's cell phone?"

"Yes, as well as his wallet."

He handed them out the window to Cile.

"Thanks. Now, here is what's going to happen. This nice Secret Service agent here is going to have three of his agents escort you to a location where they will be able to review the videos from Mr. Cabot's carjacking this afternoon. They will then escort you to the location where the suspects in that carjacking are being held and interview them. They will then report back to me, and I will report back to the President. We will then inform your superiors on how to proceed. Understand?"

"Who is Julian Cabot?" asked Detective Kent.

"There you go, asking fucking questions again," Cile snapped. "I asked YOU if you understand."

Detective Kent just glared silently back. Cile shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter. It's going to happen whether you understand it or not. Agent Robinson, please find me once the transfer is complete."

~~~

Dr. Evans and Clancy sat in the straight-back chairs across from the sofa in the media room. Didi was seated on the sofa between Cile and Toby.

"Please understand," Dr. Evans said, "The low level of brain activity currently present in your husband isn't necessarily a bad sign. While the blood flow to his brain was impacted by the extensive loss of blood that his body suffered, which resulted in him going into shock several times, we need to give his body time to heal before we can determine if there was any permanent damage. We'll keep him in the medically induced coma over the weekend at a minimum and then re-evaluate his condition on Monday."

"You're confident that his blood flow is increasing steadily?" Cile asked.

"Yes. His heart struggled for several hours, but the EKGs are all normal, his heart rate is strengthening, blood oxygen levels are increasing by the minute, as is his blood pressure. There is one other concern that we're going to be monitoring, however."

"What is that?" Didi asked fearfully.

Dr. Evans nodded for Dr. Clancy to explain, "The bullet that entered your husband's chest ricocheted off his tenth rib. The bone chip caused by this will heal on its own, but..."

"Paraplegia?" Cile asked.

Dr. Clancy shook his head and said, "We're confident that any damage sustained by the T10 vertebrae was superficial at worst. However, the shock that the tenth rib absorbed was likely transferred in part to the T10 vertebra. A full neurological exam will be performed tomorrow, but as of right now, there is no evidence that Mr. Cabot has any sensory functions in his abdomen or lower on his body."

Cile nodded and turned to a panicked looking Didi, "Let me explain. In humans, the tenth rib is attached to the T10 vertebrae in the spinal column. When the bullet struck the rib, it probably caused some of the force of the impact to transfer to the vertebrae that the rib was attached to. It's not very likely that there was any damage to the vertebrae. What they're describing is equivalent to a person hitting their funny bone and feeling their lower arm and hand go numb for a few minutes. Jules can't feel anything below the vertebrae right now, but it shouldn't be a permanent condition."

"When can I see him?" Didi asked.

Dr. Evans said, "I've asked the anesthesiologist to notify Commander Davis as soon as she feels that his recovery has progressed to the point where she feels confident that he is stable. Probably within the next forty-five minutes to an hour."

"Thank you," Didi said.

The two doctors left, leaving Didi, Cile, and Toby as the only remaining occupants of the room.

"Well," Toby said, "We're obviously not going to be checking out of our rooms in the morning and flying back home. I better go and make arrangements to extend our reservations. What do you want to do about our flight?"

"We're not leaving without Didi and Jules," Cile said. "Let's just let the tickets go for now. Once we know Jules' ability to travel, we can make the appropriate arrangements. Do you want Agent Robinson to drive you back to the resort?"

Toby shook his head, "No, not yet. I should be able to extend our reservations with the resort over the phone, but if not, I'll ask the Wallaces to intercede on our behalf. I have a feeling that we are all going to be camped out here at the hospital for a while, so we'll put together a list of things that each of us wants from our rooms, and then I'll go over later and get everything. In the meantime, does anyone want anything to eat or drink?"

Cile took Didi's arm and helped her to stand, "Come on, let's all walk over to the hospital cafeteria and check out what they have to offer. If there's nothing there that we want, we can get something delivered to us."

Following the hospital directional signs towards the cafeteria, Didi saw that they were passing the admissions counter.

"Do you think I should stop and make sure that they have everything they need for Jules?"

"That's probably a good idea," Cile said. "Cutie, why don't you go save us a place in the cafeteria and we'll meet you there when we're done."

Toby gave her a nod and a kiss before continuing down the hallway. Didi approached the woman at the admissions counter and Cile saw that it was the same clerk that she had spoken to earlier.

"Hello," Didi said. "My name is Didi Cabot. My husband just had surgery and I was wondering if you require any information from me to complete his admission to the hospital."

The clerk saw Didi standing next to the woman who had commandeered the hospital administrator earlier. She glanced between the two women before asking," You said the last name was 'Cabot'?"

"Yes, my husband is Julian Cabot. He was brought in for emergency surgery on two gunshot wounds."

"Ah, here he is," the clerk said as the information appeared on her screen, or rather that lack of information. "All we have is his name, so yes, I would appreciate your assistance filling in a few more blanks. Does he have any insurance?"

Cile whispered to Didi, "You both would be eligible for health insurance through Brandt Consulting, but I'm sure that you haven't set that up yet."

"No," Didi told the clerk, "We are self-insured. Do you accept credit cards?"

The clerk smirked and said, "Mrs. Cabot, your husband's charges are likely to exceed fifty-thousand dollars today alone, with the helicopter ride, hours of emergency surgery and all of the required tests still to be run. Maybe I should make an appointment with one of our social service counselors to discuss what financial assistance might be available for you and your husband."

"I would like to offer another suggestion," Didi said as she handed the clerk a black American Express Centurion card. "Why don't you place today's charges on this card, and I'll bring it back to you each day to add any new charges to it. How does that sound."

The clerk rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She processed a pre-authorization for fifty-thousand dollars and was astounded when the approval was almost instantaneous.

She handed the card back to Didi and said, "That sounds just fine, Mrs. Cabot."

Chapter Twenty-One

"I get her!" Frances argued with Patty. "You've got Rockie and Katie. All I have is Cile, so I get Didi."

Patty replied, "You've got Cile and Jennifer."

"Jennifer's mom has her," Frances countered. "So, to make things even, I get Didi."

Patty was sitting between Bobby's legs on a lounger, leaning back against his chest. To their left, Frances was doing the same with her husband, Jason. Both husbands were laughing at their wives arguing over which one got to "adopt" the couple from South Africa.

Since Jules and Didi had arrived in La Vernia two days earlier on July 2^nd with Cile and Toby, they had been warmly welcomed by everyone, but Patty and Frances had immediately fallen in love with Didi.

Bobby had flown his jet to Myrtle Beach just as soon as Jules had been given clearance by his doctors to travel. He had returned the two couples to Texas, both to break up the duration of the trip back to Southern California, and to get as many members of the team together in one location as possible.

Ginger and Carson had finished the last of the field tests earlier in the week and been flown into Randolph Air Force Base yesterday. They were guests of Bobby and Patty while Cile, Toby, Jules, and Didi were staying with Katie and Tyler at their new home in Seguin.

"Jimmy," yelled Patty, "Don't run on the pool deck."

Her grandson stopped running immediately at his grandmother's command but continued walking quickly across the pool deck to where Julian Cabot sat on a lounge chair next to his wife. Jimmy's twin sister, Jamie was sitting at Didi's feet talking rapidly as their mother, Rockie sat beside her smiling. Whatever she and Didi had been viewing on her laptop could wait.

"The twins might beat both of you to it and adopt Jules and Didi themselves," Jason teased. "I haven't seen them so taken with someone new since they first met Tyler."

Bobby laughed and said, "What would you have done at their age if some guy you just met gave you a gold Krugerrand worth more than three thousand dollars so you would have a coin to dive for in the pool?"

"Oh hush," Patty said. "The twins have no idea what the coins are worth. They're reacting to Jules taking an interest in them and what they like to do. I'm sure that once they're done diving for the coins, he will ask for them back."

"Didi advised Rockie to collect the coins and safeguard them," said Frances. "She told her that Jules really had intended them as gifts for the twins."

"Jules looks uncomfortable," Patty said. "How much longer does he have to wear the cervical collar?"

"He should wear it until his physical therapist says otherwise," Frances said. "He will need to strengthen his sternocleidomastoid muscle in order to regain the full range of motion of his head that he had before the injury."

Patty sighed and said, "Well, I can imagine that it is no fun to have to wear it in this weather. Tomorrow is supposed to be even worse, somewhere around one-hundred and five degrees."

"I think that he'll be inside most of tomorrow," Bobby said. "We'll have the information from all the other labs to compare with what JR and Katie have found, and then they all need to prepare for the update of the President tomorrow afternoon."

"Is that what Cile and the others are doing downstairs?" Frances asked.

Jason nodded and said, "Among other things. Joey also wanted them to provide their input on whether they agreed with the plan to release Angie Stone now that the announcement on the toxic incidents has had time to settle among the various news media outlets. The Attorney General wants to know if there is anything that Angie could reveal that might embarrass the administration."

"There are a lot of people working on this holiday," Patty said.

"True patriots, keeping the country safe for future generations," Bobby teased. "Plus, with Katie and Cile together down there, I'm certain that it isn't all work going on."

"Well, it's almost time to get the grill going," Patty said as she rose. "Franc and I will bring the meats out to you and Jason in about half an hour."

"Do you want me to let the girls know to come up and help?" Bobby asked.

Patty shook her head and said, "No, let them entertain our guests before dinner. Ask them to come up and hang out around the pool. Toby, Tyler, and JR can start getting the chairs set in the front yard for after dinner."

From the front yard of Bobby and Patty's house, they and their guests would be able to observe all the fireworks displays around the city of San Antonio and as far as their eyes could see. This had become a Fourth of July tradition, and they hoped that this would be one of the rare years when Bobby didn't have to leave to oversee the volunteer fire department dealing with a structure or brush fire caused by illegal fireworks.

"Okay," Bobby said. "I'll let them know.

~~~

They moved their discussion out onto the pool deck and paused it only long enough for the three men to set up the chairs in the front lawn to prepare for the evening's festivities. They brought Didi and Jules up to date while Rockie took the twins inside the house to change out of their wet bathing suits.

"We still have to decide how to explain things tomorrow," Carson said. "There are still some rather large pieces to the puzzle missing."

"True, but I think we have some solid theories and can prove them within a few weeks," Cile said. "Let's start with what we do know..."

"We know that the pH level of the contaminated waters were all between one point five and two-point five," Ginger said. "A strong acidic environment."

Jules added, "And every incident started within what was originally an impermeable aquifer."

"We don't have the genome mapping completed yet, but we have eliminated all known varieties of archaea listed in the current genome database," Katie explained. "We also know a lot more about this particular archaea than we did last week. We know it employs some type of photoreceptor proteins in the cell to absorb photons, triggering a change in the cell's membrane potential and placing the cell into a dormant phase that lasts indefinitely when exposed to more than five lumens of light.

"How was that determined?" asked Ginger.

JR explained, "The slides received from the field all showed dormant archaea, which limited our ability to study their behavior. We expected to find active archaea in the water samples, but when the water was examined under a microscope, the archaea contained in it were also dormant. Katie sent sealed water samples to a lab at Texas A&M where they performed dark-plate examinations to ensure that the water was not exposed to any light prior to the slides being read. Once they confirmed our theory related to the photoreceptor proteins, they performed several other tests, including time-lapse x-rays that showed the behavior of the archaea as their environment was changed."

"We confirmed that these organisms are some new form of vertophile," said Toby. "While many archaea adapt to their environment, these have demonstrated that they survive by forcing their environment to adapt to them."

"Explain," said Bobby as he joined the group.

Toby did so, "As Ginger mentioned, the water samples from all the incidents showed that the pH level was very acidic. This led us to assume that we were dealing with one of the known acidophiles. We tested this by adding basic soda ash to one of the water samples to raise the pH level to seven, and then sealed the sample in a totally dark environment. Within three days, the pH level had returned to under two. The only explanation is that the archaea generate ions and proteins that pass through their membranes into the water, raising the acid level. We verified this with each of the collected water samples and received the same results."

"And this acidic water is what contributed to the leaching of the toxins in each instance?" Bobby asked.

"Correct," said Cile, "And also contributed to the eventual erosion in the surrounding substrate that exposed the toxic elements to the world. There could be millions of other impermeable aquifers around the world where similar bioleaching is occurring, or where the water is being made more acidic, but there are no toxic elements to leach out."

"Knowing what you do," said Tyler, "What caused this?"

"And how do we prevent similar incidents in the future?" asked Didi.

Cile said, "We have some theories, but they will take some time to prove or disprove."

Didi said, "But you do know that the organisms would not be active while exposed to light. Is that something that could be used to stop their behavior?"

Jules answered, "Only if there was some practical method for illuminating an aquifer enclosed entirely underground and keeping it lit. Not a very likely solution. As soon as the illumination went away, the organism would begin to return from its dormant state."

Toby said, "Another piece of the puzzle is, where these particular archaea originated from. The examination at each of the sites here in the US indicates that they all share common characteristics. We don't have the same data on incident sites elsewhere in the world yet, but if they match these, then how did they evolve and adapt exactly the same at virtually the same rate across the entire globe?"

Didi said, "That's not entirely true. We have the water sample that the Wallaces had sent to us from their winery in Australia, which was included in the tests that JR mentioned and was similar in all ways. We also have the information entered into the database by the Australian EPA, Canada, Finland, and France. While none of these investigations have progressed as far as ours, the images and descriptions of the organisms discovered in the water match what we have seen, cylindrical shapes that exhibit phosphorescence in the absence of light. Once Katie and I enter the new findings into the database and share them with other participants so that they can duplicate our steps, we'll likely see similar conclusions from them."

Bobby looked around at the others and asked, "Could these archaea have been developed, synthesized, or otherwise coaxed in their behavior by human intervention of some sort? Could the commonality of them across such a wide range be the work of a lab?"

Cile said, "Bacteria strains have been manipulated in labs to behave in defined ways, for agricultural and medical purposes, so we aren't discounting the possibility that something similar might be involved here, but it is not one of the theories that we are focusing on. My field team is looking into any known facilities around the world that could potentially create a new type of archaea, but nothing yet."

"Okay," said Bobby as he stood. "Cile needs to decide who will present what information to the President tomorrow. For now, I need to get back to the grill to help Jason. JR, why don't you get the other guys to help you in getting the coolers loaded with ice and drinks for the fireworks after dinner?"

JR nodded and stood, followed by Toby, Tyler, and Carson, "Come on gang, follow me."

The three women and Jules sat silently as they watched the men heading for the garage to retrieve the coolers. Katie then turned to Cile and asked, "Have you had any visitors since May?"

It took Cile a few seconds to understand her cousin's question. Once she did, her eyes grew wide and she said, "Now that you mention it, no I haven't. You?"

Katie broke into a wide grin and shook her head. Didi glanced between the two and looked puzzled by the conversation.

Recognizing the confusion on Jukes and Didi's faces, Cile said, "Katie and I were raised together, and over the years, our menstrual cycles became synchronized with each other. Katie and Tyler have decided to try having a baby and it appears that she has missed her last period."

Katie added with a giggle, "And Cile apparently has remained in synch with me and missed her last period too."

The look on Didi's face morphed from confusion to one of shock as realization struck, "Oh my God! You both think that you might be pregnant."

Cile and Katie smiled and nodded, but the shocked expression didn't leave Didi's face.

"What's wrong?" Cile asked.

Didi seemed to be calculating something in her head. She then gazed into Jules' eyes, smiled, and said, "I haven't had any visitors since May either."

~~~

"Excellent work, everyone," the President said. "We now know how, so what are the next steps in determining the why?"

Cile had leveraged the specific strengths of each member of her team to present the President and his Security Council with all the updated information developed on the toxic environmental incidents.

"Mr. President," she began, "I would like to address our ideas on how to mitigate current and future incidents before we delve into theories on what caused the appearance of the archaea on such a broad and sudden scale."

"It's your show, Cile. Take us where you want to go."

Cile nodded her appreciation and said, "Dr. Davis," as a prompt for Toby to start his presentation.

Toby clicked on his computer and an image of the archaea being discussed appeared on everyone's screen.

"As explained earlier, this recently discovered organism is a unique type of archaea, unlike any others. Among its unique characteristics is its ability to alter its environment and to place itself into a dormant type of suspended animation in environments that it cannot control or alter. This in turn presents us with unique challenges related to how to control its behavior or eliminate it from the environment when necessary, without damaging the same environment that we are trying to restore."

"Restoring the environment that contains these organisms provides only a temporary solution since we have witnessed their ability to reassert their influence within a matter of days. Exposing them to sufficient light will make them dormant, but illuminating aquifers, some hundreds of feet below the surface is not a viable or sustainable solution. Altering the environment of the aquifers through chemical or radioactive influences would contaminate the environment with no guarantees that the organisms wouldn't eventually adapt to the changes."

"As we have already done with the existing incident sites, the affected aquifers can be isolated to prevent any toxic contamination from spreading further into the watershed or environment, but that still leaves the risk of the acidic aquifer water eventually eroding a new path of release."

"Mr. President, it is our belief that the most effective way for us to eliminate these organisms from the aquifers where they are found is to begin introducing heavy water into their environment."

Not waiting for the confused questions that he knew were on the tongue of the President and everyone else outside of the team, Toby explained, "Heavy water is a form of water that contains only deuterium rather than the common hydrogen-one isotope that makes up most of the hydrogen in normal water. The presence of the heavier hydrogen isotope gives the water different nuclear properties, and the increase of mass gives it slightly different physical and chemical properties when compared to normal water."

"Isn't heavy water a byproduct of nuclear fission?" the President asked.

"Mr. President, heavy water is not radioactive. In its pure form, it has a density of about eleven percent greater than water but is otherwise physically and chemically similar. This difference increases the strength of water's hydrogen-oxygen bonds, and this in turn is enough to cause differences that are important to some biochemical reactions. The human body naturally contains deuterium equivalent to about five grams of heavy water, which is harmless. When a large fraction of water, typically in excess of fifty percent in most organisms is replaced by heavy water, the result is cell dysfunction and death. We believe that replacing more than half of the existing water in the affected aquifers with heavy water will eliminate the archaea."

Cile attempted to clarify things in layman terms, "Most biological functions are essentially chemical reactions, either produced by cells, or by the cells responding to external chemical influences. What heavy water will do is present a chemical environment that these archaea are not designed to exist within and that they have no adaptability to overcome. We have replicated an impermeable aquifer with no light in a lab simulation and proven that heavy water does accomplish what Dr. Davis is proposing."

"Where would we get enough heavy water to replace more than half of the contaminated water in all of the affected aquifers?" asked the National Security Adviser, Trent Ehrlinger.

Cile said, "The United States has employed a Girdler sulfide large-scale chemical exchange production process to create heavy water for decades at multiple locations. I have verified that there is enough production capacity at Savanna River Plant alone to meet the requirements, but we could also pull from the Dana, Indiana plant reserves if we want to try to expedite things. That's your call, Mr. President."

"Let me sleep on it for tonight," the President said, "And get feedback from a few others, but I tend to agree with Dr. Davis that this is the solution that we need to go with. Now, let's hear your theories on where these things came from.

"Of course, Mr. President," Cile said. "Our theory starts with the behavior of these organisms in response to even low levels of light. What would make an organism favor total darkness as much as these archaea do? We surmised that they likely evolved in an environment of total darkness and came to view exposure to light as a threat to their existence. Next, the commonality of the organisms around the world would tend to indicate that they evolved in one general location, and then were somehow dispersed at the same time.

"So, we had a totally dark point of origin and a single dispersion event to consider. Some of the darkest places on Earth are the deep trenches of the oceans, but we know that these organisms would go dormant when exposed to heavy saline such as in seawater. I would like to introduce a consulting marine geologist that we have worked with to explain our theory from here. Doctor Huma Sandhu, would you please explain?"

Huma's face appeared from her computer in California, "Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Thousands of years ago, glaciers covered much of the planet. Oceans receded as the water froze in massive sheets of ice blanketing landmasses from the Arctic and Antarctic to cover most of the continents. As the ice age ended, glaciers melted. Massive river deltas flowed out across the continental shelves. The oceans rose, and freshwater was trapped in sediments below the waves. Discovered while drilling for oil offshore in the 1970s, scientists thought these isolated pockets of freshwater were a curiosity."

"It turns out the subterranean pools stretched for at least five-hundred miles off the coast of India, containing vast stores of low-salinity groundwater. The deposits begin about one-hundred-eighty-three meters, or approximately six-hundred feet below the seafloor, and stretching for hundreds of miles. That rivaled the size of even the largest terrestrial aquifers. The Indian government hoped that these aquifers proved to be a parched country's newest source of freshwater."

"On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean experienced a massive undersea mega-thrust earthquake. The earthquake was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate. Its epicenter was between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra, it was the third-largest ever recorded and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed; between eight and ten minutes."

"Tests of waters left ashore following the earthquake generated Tsunamis found far lower salinity levels than the surrounding seawater, which was the first indication that the undersea pools of freshwater had ruptured. Over subsequent years, the freshwater extent of all river estuaries in the region expanded significantly. Since freshwater will float on salt water, a greater total surface area of the Indian Ocean, primarily along coastlines and river deltas had become freshwater."

"Tracking global weather patterns since the 2004 earthquake, atmospheric wind currents, and temperature variants in the oceans, we can establish probable routes that evaporated ocean water from the Indian Ocean would have followed each year since 2004. Those routes cover over seventy-three percent of the Earth's surface."

"Thank you, Huma," Cile said. "Mr. President, we cannot imagine a more probable source for these organisms than a dark pool of freshwater deep beneath the Indian Ocean. When those undersea pools were ruptured during the 2004 earthquake, the freshwater mixed with the saltwater of the Indian Ocean, eventually floating to the surface. The evaporation and condensation cycle of rainwater is what distributed the organisms around the globe, where they lie dormant on the surface until they eventually percolated through the substrate to find refuge once again in an underground aquifer."

Theodore Burleson, Secretary of Energy said, "Commander Davis, you acknowledge that this is just a theory, correct? Could these organisms have been created in a lab and then distributed?"

Cile nodded and said, "Mr. Secretary, genome mapping of the organisms is continuing, but from what we know of the organism's structure and behavior, it is a virtual certainty that this species evolved naturally in a closed environment and was released by the under ocean rupture of its habitat, and then spread via natural rainfall as explained. Yes, this is a theory, but so was the theory during the Hellenic era that the Earth was round. Science, as it existed then, found no other explanation for the movement of the sun and stars, but it took more than six hundred years before Magellan proved the science correct. Scientifically, we find no other explanation for the origin and distribution of these organisms, and we expect to prove that scientifically within a few months."

"I'm willing to accept the scientific explanation at this time," the President said. "It really holds little bearing on what needs to be done in the short-term. Mr. Cabot, in your announcement of the environmental incident database, you spoke of the theory of Gaia. I'm not conceding to the presence of a sentient Earth, but I'm not discounting it either. If we believe in a higher power, we must believe that some form of divine intervention would be likely to counter mankind's poor stewardship of this planet."

The President saw several members of his cabinet becoming uneasy, so he added, "I know that we need to be careful in voicing certain beliefs. After all, catastrophic natural events have occurred even before recorded time, which have adversely affected all habitants of the planet, including mankind. Volcanic eruptions that have resulted in famine, hurricanes that have resulted in flooding that killed thousands, and earthquakes that have destroyed entire islands; all happened long before mankind's influence on the Earth's environment was of any consequence at all. To imply that the Earth is somehow fighting back against mankind now through these toxic incidents just doesn't sound logical."

"However, I believe that we have an opportunity here to pull the world together on the environment such as we have never had before. Look, take Brazil as just one example. They were a signatory on the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions, yet have made no similar commitments where protecting the Amazon rainforests are concerned. Why can't the United States take the lead on proposing a more comprehensive environmental strategy that benefits all nations on the planet equally?"

Secretary of State, Janet Plyer said, "Our reputation around the world on the environment will make any proposals from the United States suspect. We will be met with too much criticism of past actions and suspicion of our motives to get much cooperation, especially in Europe and the developing countries."

"Mr. President," Cile said. "Sometimes we can lead best by shining the spotlight on someone else. Huma, would you explain the situation at Lake Dhebar?"

~~~

"You have no idea as to why these governments are requesting us to provide them with so much heavy water?" the Prime Minister asked.

Hera Pheri, Chair of India's Heavy Water Board answered, "We do not know the specific purpose, but we are one of the world's largest producers of heavy water, and our proximity to all of these countries in the southern hemisphere would make the logistics of us supplying their needs much simpler than what they would have with Argentina or the United States. I assume that they have also made a request for heavy water from our neighbors in Pakistan, but I cannot confirm this."

"Minister Shah," said the Prime Minister, "Can you confirm whether a similar request has been made to Pakistan?"

"Yes, Prime Minister, the government of Pakistan has received a request for similar amounts of heavy water from these countries. Our intelligence also reports requests for heavy water from Finland were made to the French and Canadian governments. There are unconfirmed rumors of heavy water being transferred among several other countries around the globe."

"Why? Is there some explanation being offered for the sudden interest in procuring heavy water?"

"There are several uses for heavy water," Pheri explained, "And the list is growing almost daily. However, for the most common uses in the production and control of nuclear materials, the recent requests do not seem associated with those uses."

"Madame Prime Minister," Narula said as he entered the cabinet room, "Perhaps you should review the e-mail that Minister Sridhar and I received from Huma Sandhu yesterday morning."

He handed the Prime Minister a printout of the message.

"That traitor!" The Prime Minister screamed.

"Not necessarily, Prime Minister," Narula said.

He saw Minister Darshan Sridhar rushing into the room with bundles of papers clasped in his hands.

"My apologies, Madame Prime Minister," Darshan said as he took his place at the conference table. "The last verification I required has only just been sent to me."

"Verification of what?" The Prime Minister growled.

"Madame Prime Minister, someone has identified the cause for the bioleaching of the cadmium at Lake Dhebar. Our tests of the water are ongoing, but the information that we have been provided takes us right to the cause."

Minister Sridhar went on to explain about the detection of the organisms in the water and how those caused the bioleaching. He kept the explanations as simple as possible to avoid frustrating the Prime Minister with terms and scientific methods unfamiliar to her.

The Prime Minister was uncharacteristically calm and polite when she asked, "How did we come upon this information?"

"The link in the e-mail that Huma Sandhu sent to General Narula and me took us to the international environmental incident database," Darshan explained. "The information on the organisms, including their behavior, chemical structure, and now to control them was all made available to us."

"I thought that no country would be allowed access to the database unless they first contributed to it," the Prime Minister said. "And I gave explicit orders that India would not contribute anything about Lake Dhebar..."

"That's just it, Madame Prime Minister, there is nothing in the database that mentions Lake Dhebar, but all of the research on the organism responsible for that incident and every other one around the world has been attributed to us. The world thinks India discovered the cause and that we have also identified the solution."

The shocked expression on the Prime Minister's face was shared on every other around the room. Finally, she spoke, "What is the solution?"

Darshan smiled and said, "My arrival this morning was delayed while I waited for the verification. Our laboratory confirmed only an hour ago that heavy water destroys the organisms."

The Prime Minister glanced at General Narula, who simply nodded.

She said, "Let me make certain that I understand this correctly, the cause of the toxic environmental incident at Lake Dhebar, as well as the others around the world has been identified, and is listed in this international database as being discovered by India. Correct?"

"Yes, Madame Prime Minister."

She continued, "In addition, identifying the means for destroying the organisms is also credited to India, and just happens to be something that we are a world leader in its production, heavy water."

"Yes, Madame Prime Minister," General Narula answered this time. "Someone has just handed India the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Physics, and possibly the Peace Prize as well."

With astonished realization on her face, the Prime Minister asked her cabinet, "Why would someone do that?"

Her chief of staff approached and whispered into her ear, "Madame Prime Minister, the President of the United States is requesting a few moments of your time..."

~~~

"Does anyone know what this is about?" Bobby asked as he led Patty into the operations center in the basement of their house. Jason and Frances were already seated at the conference table, and Jason was getting prepared to join the video conference that they had all been invited to.

"Some 'post-party' announcement is all that Cile said in her text," Frances answered.

Cile and Toby had returned to Southern California over a week ago with Didi and Jules and had reported that everyone had settled into their respective condos without any issues, so the parents were reasonably confident that this was not the reason for the video conference request.

Bobby and Patty took seats at the table just as the display on the wall came on, showing an image of Cile sitting next to Toby, with Jules and Didi beside them. They were apparently sitting at the dining room table in one of the condos in Irvine. Before anyone could speak, the display on the wall changed to show an added image of Katie and Tyler, sitting at their own dining room table at their house in Seguin.

"Hi everyone," Cile said. "We wanted to share the results of the pee party that Katie, Didi, and I had yesterday."

"What in the hell is a 'P' party?" asked Jason.

Katie, Cile, and Didi all giggled. Katie said, "Pee party, spelled, P-E-E."

The husbands all retained their confused expressions, but Frances and Patty both gasped and grabbed each other's hand in anticipation.

Didi was first. She revealed a small white object that had been hidden in her hand and turned it so that only Jules could see it. Everyone saw the confusion on his face morph into recognition as a broad smile appeared and he pulled his wife into his lap and embraced her. Frances started clapping as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You're pregnant!" Frances squealed.

Didi turned the object to the camera to show everyone the home pregnancy test with the very obvious positive indication visible for all to see.

Katie and Cile simultaneously showed their own test results to their husbands, resulting in the same joyous embraces. They then turned to show their parents the same positive results.

Bobby raised his glass of iced tea in a toast and said, "Here's to new generations and new adventures for all."