Chapter 53 of Tessa and the Stranger in the Plane

Posted by Goodsport from adsl-216-102-199-185.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net on September 04, 1999 at 15:24:08:

: Chapter 53 [The Beginning of the End] (written by Goodsport)

: With the guards' approval, the darkened buses rode past the entrance of the heavily guarded air base. Several Phoenix agents helped move the passengers' luggage from the bus to the barracks where they were to stay the night. As the group exited the bus and into the gusty Nepalese winds, Ben (friend of Indy) met them and saluted.
: "At ease!" Micah replied, as Ben relaxed his arm, "Anything to report?"
: "Not since the last report, sir. Unless you want to keep hearing that the disturbances are happening more and more frequently."
: Michaelson stepped into the conversation. "Who analyzed the readings?"
: Ben pointed to the nearby barracks. "Quint Glimsby, sir. He's the Agency's number one computer hacker extraordinaireÖ now that Lambert left us."
: Micah turned around and squinted through the gusting winds to see the rest of the group piling out of the bus. His eyes caught Dr. Jones being helped off the bus by his daughter, granddaughter and two base personnel.
: "Make sure everyone is set up in their quarters," commanded Micah, "and get everyone fed as wellÖ none of us have eaten all day."
: "Yes sir! Then what?"
: Micah peered at Ben. "I'll let you know then. Dismissed."

: - - -

: "What's wrong, 'Sport?" Short Round asked his elder companion inside their quarters.
: Goodsport checked his sleeve-mic for the third time in the last five minutes. "MuppetÖ Muppet, you there?" As before, there was no answer.
: "I don't get it," Goodsport finally lowered his right arm, "I haven't been able to contact Muppet all day. I still can't reach him."
: "You think something happened to him?" asked the younger of the two.
: Goodsport shook his bowed head as he sat on the lower half of the bunk beds. "Yesterday, I let him know that we were on our way here with Phoenix, and of what Quint told us about the rupture."
: Short Round's face brightened. "Yo dude! Why not ask Meg knows what happened to Muppet?"
: "No, we shouldn't bother Meg now," Goodsport answered despondently, "she's already in over her head dealing with both the Phoenix group and the Vanguards!"
: Short Round thought for a second. "Dude, how's about Quint?"
: Goodsport lifted his head at Short Rounds suggestion. "Good idea, but let's wait until Micah and the gang are through with him."

: - - -

: Meg was sitting at the edge of the lower bunk bed as Tessa was doing the same on the upper bunk. Tessa looked down at her temporary roommate, only to see Meg sitting at the edge of the bed, head buried in her hands. She noticed that Meg was sobbing.
: Tessa climbed down and sat herself down beside Meg, putting a reassuring arm around her. "MegÖ what's going on? I noticed the stares between you, Jerico and Indy during the whole bus ride from the airport."
: Meg lifted her head from her hands, tears sliding down her beautiful cheeks. "TessaÖ I like Indy. I mean, he's sweetÖ and dashingÖ"
: "Öand cockyÖ and arrogantÖ" Tessa continued, jokingly.
: "But JericoÖ I care so much for him!" revealed Meg, as she dropped her head into her hands again and began sobbing.
: Tessa put Meg's head onto her shoulder in a motherly fashion. "Meg, I see what your problem is. You love them both, but you still don't know which one of them your in love with."
: Meg wiped the tears away with her hands as more flooded her cheeks. "I know. Sounds pretty stupid to you, huh? You've already found your true loveÖ you're so lucky, you know that?"
: Tessa suddenly turned away, bowing her had as she attempted to hold back her own tears. "Actually, I'm currently separated from my husband."
: Meg quickly lifted her head. "Oh Tessa, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean toÖ"
: "No, it's okay," Tessa answered, lifting her hand to stop Meg from continuing the sentence, "I haven't really told anyoneÖ except Indiana."
: "What was that about my grand-dad?" Meg and Tessa shot their heads up quickly at the new British voice in the doorway.
: Micki Jones entered the room and knelt right next to Meg. "Chin up, kiddo! You'll be fineÖ you have two fine men fighting over you. Not many girls even get one to do that!"
: "How's your mom and grandfather?" Tessa asked.
: "They're about as well as can be expected," replied the youngest of the Joneses, "I think those Intelligence chaps are gonna be briefing them all night. I'm worried about grand-dad's health!"
: "Don't worry," Tessa assured Micki, "if he's still running around at one-hundred, he must be doing something right!"
: They all shared a much-needed laugh. Micki leaned closer to the girls and whispered, "Do you two know whether the guy in the next room, you knowÖ has a girlfriend?"
: Meg pondered the question. "You mean Goodsport?"
: "Oh God, no!" Micki denied, clearly disgusted. "I meant his friend."
: "Short Round?!?" Meg and Tessa gawked as one, "You like Short Round???"
: Micki glanced at them mischievously. "Sure, why not?"
: "WellÖ" Tessa stuttered in surprise, "Ö for starters, he's only thirteen!"
: The three burst out in muffled giggling. They then continued discussing various personal matters for the next hour or so.

: - - -

: Indiana Jerico walked down the long corridor toward the mess hall to grab a bite to eat. He entered the room, only to feel his stomach drop as his eyes caught Indy's from across the room. The two stared at each other angrily for a few seconds, and then quickly broke eye contact. They instead focused their attention to the only other occupant of the roomÖ the scrawny fellow at the table watching the wall-television, which was showing a tape of Fox's recent TV-special When Good Fruit Goes Bad. As the man watched the gripping documentary, he snorted in laughter so hard that his thick glasses almost fell into the bowl of pumpkin soup he was joyfully slurping.
: Despite their apprehension at meeting the man, they each decided to walk up to him anyway. They noticed that on the table next to him were both a laptop computer and a humanoid-shaped model of some sort.
: "Excuse me," Indy finally interrupted, pointing to the model, "what exactly is that?"
: "Oh," replied the man, plopping his bowl of pumpkin soup onto the table, "I build models of characters from movies and TV, especially sci-fi characters. I like to experiment with mixing different characters together." He then beamed with pride as he lifted the model off the table. "This is my Klingon-Tribble hybrid!"
: "UhhÖvery interesting," Indiana Jerico moaned, uninterested. "By the way, what's your name?"
: The man reached his hand out. "The name's Glimsby! Quint Glimsby! Nice to meet you." Jerico's strong grip met Glimsby's cold, clammy palm as Indy tried to stifle a snicker.
: The voice coming from the doorway startled all three.
: "Guys, get your gear ready," Michaelson announced to them, "we're lifting off in a few hours."
: "Where to?" Jerico and Indy asked in unison.
: "Mount Annapurna," answered their superior officer, "that's where the satellites picked up the disturbances."
: Quint stood up. "Well, actuallyÖ" He stopped immediately, as he saw Goodsport in the hallway some distance away, staring sternly at Quint, shaking his head curtly.
: "Actually what?" Michaelson asked quizzically to Quint.
: "UhÖ nothing, sir!" a suddenly nervous Glimsby replied.
: Noticing his sudden change in mood, Jerico, Indy and Michaelson glanced to where Quint was staring at seconds before, only to see no one there.

: - - -

: Nobody and Mack watched as Deirdre's plane lifted into the air. Satisfied that all was going as planned, the two turned around to leave. They couldn't advance, though, for the hulking body of Krede and five of his agents of the Order blocked their way.
: Nobody calmly took the cigar from out of his mouth. "Krede, you startled me!"
: "My apologies," Krede bowed, "however, I have good news."
: A moment of silence. "Yes?!?" Nobody finally broke the silence, "What is it?"
: Krede slid out a folded map of Europe out of his jacket-pocket. "Very likely the keys to Valinor!"

: - - -

: "Boy, am I starved!!!"
: After three days, the Lambert brothers were still lost in the Swiss forest. The nearby river provided them with fresh water, but surprisingly, the river had no fish. The growling of the Lamberts' stomachs could be heard loud and clear.
: "Yasim?" Inidana James asked his brother by his Indyfan Forum name, "What're we gonna eat? I'm starving!"
: Brett turned to his younger brother furiously. "Stop calling me that! I told you, I want to be called 'Maverick' now!!!"
: "Whatever!" responded James, "But I'm still hungry!"
: The sound of rustling leaves broke their conversation. Both brothers picked up their large, thick sticks and sneaked stealthily toward the source of the sound. Pushing the overhanging leaves aside, the two spotted a deer a few feet away.
: Both brothers glanced at each other, preparing the sticks in their hands.
: "Dinner!" Brett exclaimed in a whisper.
: "Just like in the woods back in Alberta, bro'!" responded Indiana James joyfully.
: The Lamberts leaped out from behind the large tree and, screaming the Braveheart battle cry, dashed for the deer. The deer hesitated for a moment, then leapt in terror just in time to avoid the impact of Brett's stick.
: "After him!" screamed Indiana James, as both brothers dashed after the sprinting deer. The chase through the woods lasted about five minutes.
: Panting heavily, both Lamberts spotted the deer dash into the open door of a nearby cottage. The two Canucks knew where they had to go.
: Leaping into the cottage and locking the door behind them shut, both brothers backed the deer into a corner.
: "We got you now, hoser!" taunted a deadly serious Indiana James.
: "YeahÖ eh!?" Brett added.
: As the two brothers came within a few feet of the deer, the forest creature turned into a puff of smoke. Both brothers lunged at the smoke, swinging their wooden weapons, only to create dents in the wall where the deer stood just a second earlier.
: "Huh?!?" Brett asked, confused, "Where'd it go?"
: Nowhere! answered the smoke, as it swirled around swiftly until it formed into the figure of Gandalf.
: "Man, why do you keep appearing to me?!?" demanded Indiana James.
: Gandalf approached James with his staff. "Indiana James, your presence is desperately needed in Valinor!"
: The three braced themselves as the ground suddenly shook violently for about five seconds.
: "What was that?!?" asked James, wide-eyed.
: "The rupture!" the wizard replied, "Both worlds are feeling the tremors. Yet it is only the beginning!"
: Brett stood up, fuming. "Enough of this, old man!!!" Brett demanded, "Leave my brother alone!"
: The wizard leaned on his staff as he turned toward the older Lambert. "Do not prevent what must be done! You may come to Valinor to assist your brother if you wish."
: "Valinor, Shmalinor!" quipped Brett angrily, "I'm sick of hearing about that! Get out of here, oldie!"
: Reaching close to the limit of his patience, Gandalf stood straight up against his cane, squinting menacingly at Brett.
: "UhÖ Brett," James cautioned, "calm down, okay? That's not a good idea!"
: Brett started shuffling around the wizard, ignoring his brother completely.
: "Don't even try to hit me or nothin', 'cause you wouldn't be able to, old man!" Brett threatened, "I could dance around you all day!"
: Indiana James winced at that, as Gandalf tipped his staff ever so slightly at Brett, announcing, "As you wish, Brett Lambert!"
: A stream of light shot out from the head of the staff straight to Brett's feet, illuminating them as they started dancing around faster and faster.
: "HELP!!!" Brett screamed, dancing around from one side of the room to the other and back again, non-stop, "MY FEET WON'T STOP!!!"
: Indiana James turned to Gandalf. "Hey, why'd you give my bro' happy feet???"
: The wizard turned to James. "He must learn to show respect! Now, onward to Valinor."
: Indiana James backed off a few steps. "Give me one good reason why I should! I don't owe you anything!"
: "Why you should go will be apparent once you arrive in Valinor, young Indiana James Lambert," Gandalf replied, as Brett could be heard screaming and dancing out in the backyard, "as for owing meÖ you do, for I saved your life?"
: "Huh? When???"
: Gandalf bowed his head. "Indiana James, how exactly do you think you survived contact with that enormous wing from the metallic flying machine some time ago?"
: Indiana James suddenly remembered his unsuccessful assassination attempt on Tessa after crashing the Boeing 777 into the North Atlantic. "By my athletic reaction!" James beamed.
: "Both brothersÖ so alike!" The wizard shook his head sadly as he waved his staff over Indiana James.

: - - -

: As Indiana James inflated his raft, he slid out of the water and watched with glee as the passengers were flailing their arms and legs in the cold North Atlantic water.
: "This is so cool!" he thought aloud as he prepared his rifle.
: Indiana James quickly aimed at the head of Tessa, swimming in the water.
: He aimed.
: He pressed the safety switch off.
: "Wait a minute!" James suddenly realized where, and when, he was.
: The sky above him darkened completely.
: Indiana James shot his head up, staring in horror at the plane's wing falling down several yards above him. In the split second between that moment and eventual, instant death came James thought:
: OkayokaygandalfIunderstandnowyousavedmebeforepleasesavemeagainandi'llgotovalinorlikeyouwantpleasepleasepleaseohpleaseÖ
: The following second brought Indiana James a flash of white light.

: - - -

: The sudden earthquake panicked the few people walking the nighttime streets of St. Petersburg, The Man with the Hat noticed around him. Earthquakes were not at all common in Russia.
: The Man continued down the near-desolate street toward his destination in the nippy Russian night. The sea breeze blowing off the Baltic coast kept the city slightly warmer than the older and colder Moscow to the south, as did the swampy land that St. Petersburg was originally built on. It wasn't the warmth that brought The Man with the Hat halfway across the world, however.
: He jogged his memory as he shuffled discreetly from building to dilapidated building. The Man remembered somehow pushing his way through the police blockade in Washington D.C., entering the Library of Congress and finding the note that Joe had left for him. All that was written on it was, 'Mitos -- Peter -- Joe', but that was all that he needed.
: Finally finding the State Museum of Antiquities, The Man with the Hat sneaked past the sleeping guard and into the Hall of Weapons. Barely able to see in the darkness, The Man felt his way to the other side of the room, when he suddenly felt cold hard metal touching his throat.
: "Joe? It's me!" The Man announced quietly.
: The blade came off his throat as the shadow the nearby figure stepped out of the shadows. The figure turned out to be a slender, pony-tailed man in a dark trenchcoat. He approached The Man, sheathing the sword into its scabbard.
: "Mitos!" Joe whispered, as the two men shook hands, "It's been a long time!"
: "I knowÖ where've you been?" asked The Man, enthusiastically.
: Joe shrugged. "Nowhere near the Ringwraiths, that's for sure."
: The expression on The Man with the Hat's face grew serious. "How'd you know I was coming to the Library of Congress in D.C.?"
: Joe's face became equally serious. "How did you know to find me here?"
: "You first!"
: Joe rolled his eyes and sighed. "OkayÖ I had heard from my 'insides' that you were taken off a case with the Ringwraiths. We both know what that usually means."
: "Yeah," Mitos agreed, "stand in back of the line for the next assignment. And it's usually a pretty long line!"
: The pony-tailed man nodded. "But how'd you know to find me in St. Petersburg?"
: "C'mon, Joe!" chided The Man, "I've known about you're fascination with Russian history for the longest time, especially of Peter the Great. And knowing that," he lifted the note Joe had left him, "gee, I wonder who 'Peter' could be!"
: "Good guess," Joe conceded.
: The Man with the Hat glanced at Joe's weapon. "I never knew you favored swords."
: "Not really," answered Joe, "but this sword's the reason why I led you here."

: - - -

: The earthquake finally stopped. This one seemed a little longer and a lot stronger than the ones before it.
: "C'mon, people," Micah called out, as everyone stood up off the ground, "gather your gear and head out for the 'copter!"
: Aragorn and Indy were the first to reach the twin rotor-blade carrier helicopter in the base's airfield. Slipping himself out from under the helicopter, IndyAntilles put his maintenance tools down and greeted his two visitors.
: "You guys got here a little early," the helicopter's pilot informed Aragorn and Indy, "it won't be ready for another ten minutes."
: "That's cool!" Aragorn assured IndyAntilles, "Say, isn't that a Chinook?"
: IndyAntilles turned toward the helicopter. "Yup, an MH-47E in the buff! Pretty much a souped-up version of the Chinook used in the Vietnam era."
: Indy chuckled. "Yeah, but who of us here were even alive during the Vietnam War?"
: "Only a few," recalled Aragorn, "Micah, Michaelson, GoodsportÖ"
: The rest of the group finally came into view.
: "Ö and two of the three Joneses."

: - - -

: "You're joking, right?" The Man with the Hat felt the weight of the sword in his hands. "The Sword of Peter the Great?"
: His friend nodded. "The one and only. Yet Peter wasn't the original owner. Read the inscription below the hilt."
: The Man brought the hilt of the sword close to his face. He squinted, finding the tiny inscription. Hey, this isn't written in RussianÖ it's written in runes! After a few seconds to recall his knowledge of reading runes, The Man's jaw dropped as his trembling hands almost dropped the sword.
: "Remember your runes, Mitos?" the cross-armed Joe asked, leaning against a pillar.
: "Ha ha, very funny!" replied The Man with the Hat, "It says, 'To the thirty-ninth Heir of Isildur in the direct line', which means that this isÖ"
: "Aragorn's Sword!" they both said together.
: The Man with the Hat turned his head to see the glass case where the sword had been earlier. It looked practically untouched. What surprised The Man even more were all the laser beams surrounding the glass case. The slightest break in the beam would set off the museum's alarm system, The Man with the Hat knew.
: As if he could read The Man's mind, Joe announced, "The beams? HehehÖ do yourself a favor and don't even ask!"
: Dumbfounded, The Man with the Hat glanced at the sword in his hand a little while longer before lifting his head to look at his friend.
: Joe lifted his left hand to show The Man something. As The Man with the Hat stepped closer to see what it was his friend wanted to show him, the sound of a thud forced Joe to fly into The Man, blood stained on Joe's backside and chest. Some of Joe's blood found its way onto Mitos' shirt.
: Getting off the floor, The Man with the Hat shoved Joe off him, only to see a man at the doorway to the museum holding a smoking pistol with a silencer. The Man clutched the sword, ready to rush the gunman until he heard the gunman talk.
: "Ivan, Dmitri. Eedee syuda. Zakonchi sneem!" the gunman commanded to the darkness beside him, and immediately ten men with Mini-Uzis stepped out of the shadows. Russian Mafia! The Man with the Hat knew, Who else in Russia wears suits that cost more that the average Russian citizen gets paid in a year?.
: The men lifted their guns in The Man's general direction. Oh shit! The Man with the Hat figured out, as he dashed toward the adjacent hallway.
: "STRELYAYTE!!!" the pistolman screamed to his cronies, who immediately showered the room with bullets.
: Barely jumping into the hallway in time to avoid getting hit, The Man with the Hat streaked down the hallway to the other side of the museum. Clutching Aragorn's sword in his hands, he slowly made his way toward the glass entrance on that side of the building. "Must be Grigoriev's men!" Mitos thought to himself, knowing that the area of the city he was in was Grigoriev's 'turf'. "But why the museum? Why now?"
: His thoughts were cut short as he approached the glass entrance, which afforded The Man a clear view of three BMW's halting next to the sidewalk. A total of fifteen men stepped out of the BMW's, Uzis in hand and heading for the museum.
: "Dammit! Now them I know!" The Man backtracked into the hallway, escaping the room before the agents from both the Dark World Order and the Order of the Ringwraiths entered through the door.
: The Man with the Hat halted in the middle of the hallway as the sword in his hand started glowing. "Oh, that's just great!" The Man moaned to the sword, "Just give away my position in the dark, why don't you!"
: The light enveloped The Man with the Hat's whole body just as each end of the hallway became filled by men with weapons. They all lifted their weapons as the light emanating from The Man almost blinded them.
: "DON'T SHOOT!!!" boomed a commanding voice from the Order's end of the hallway, as the agents lowered their weapons.
: NE STRELYAYTE!!!" yelled the pistolman's voice from the Mafia's end, achieving the same results.
: The burst of light from The Man's position knocked everyone in the museum off their feet.

: - - -

: As IndyAntilles and Ben (friend of Indy) were making his final preparations on the helicopter, the rest of the group was making its own preparations.
: Goodsport, Short Round, Indiana Jones and Lauren Jones sat at the front-left corner of the passenger compartment of the Chinook. The Tolkein Book sat open in Goodsport's lap, while various books and notes on Tolkein (and related materials) lay at Lauren's feet. Short Round was holding Theoden's Spear spearhead in his hands, as Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. was leaning on his cane.
: Quint Glimsby plugged his laptop into the right-side wall of the passenger compartment, clicking away on the laptop's keyboard with his right hand while clutching a map of the Himalayan mountains with his left.
: Tessa, Meg and Micki sat in the rear-right corner of the passenger compartment. Micki discreetly glanced at Short Round, who took a few minutes to figure out that someone was looking at him. Goodsport then lifted his head from the Tolkein book to see who Short Round was looking at. Upon seeing Goodsport, Micki turned her head away in disgust. Tessa was staring at the ring on her hand, while Meg was staring at both Indy and Indiana Jerico, who each sat on either side of Aragorn in the rear-left corner of the passenger compartment. Indy and Indiana Jerico cleaned their weapons as they traded dirty looks at each other, much to the dismay of Aragorn, who had to endure all of this.
: IndyAntilles entered the helicopter's cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat. Ben (friend of Indy) followed him into the cockpit and occupied the copilot's seat.
: Micah and Michaelson were the last ones to enter the helicopter, as they sat themselves in the front-right corner of the passenger compartment. When everyone was strapped in, the base crew closed the helicopter's hatch. IndyAntilles revved up both of the Chinook's rotor-blades, and a minute later the helicopter lifted off for Mount Annapurna.

: -----

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: : Chapter 53 [The Beginning of the End] (written by Goodsport)

: : With the guards' approval, the darkened buses rode past the entrance of the heavily guarded air base.  Several Phoenix agents helped move the passengers' luggage from the bus to the barracks where they were to stay the night.  As the group exited the bus and into the gusty Nepalese winds, Ben (friend of Indy) met them and saluted.
: : "At ease!" Micah replied, as Ben relaxed his arm, "Anything to report?"
: : "Not since the last report, sir.  Unless you want to keep hearing that the disturbances are happening more and more frequently."
: : Michaelson stepped into the conversation.  "Who analyzed the readings?"
: : Ben pointed to the nearby barracks.  "Quint Glimsby, sir.  He's the Agency's number one computer hacker extraordinaireÖ now that Lambert left us."
: : Micah turned around and squinted through the gusting winds to see the rest of the group piling out of the bus.  His eyes caught Dr. Jones being helped off the bus by his daughter, granddaughter and two base personnel.
: : "Make sure everyone is set up in their quarters," commanded Micah, "and get everyone fed as wellÖ none of us have eaten all day."
: : "Yes sir!  Then what?"
: : Micah peered at Ben.  "I'll let you know then.  Dismissed."

: : - - -

: : "What's wrong, 'Sport?" Short Round asked his elder companion inside their quarters.
: : Goodsport checked his sleeve-mic for the third time in the last five minutes.  "MuppetÖ Muppet, you there?"  As before, there was no answer.
: : "I don't get it," Goodsport finally lowered his right arm, "I haven't been able to contact Muppet all day.  I still can't reach him."
: : "You think something happened to him?" asked the younger of the two.
: : Goodsport shook his bowed head as he sat on the lower half of the bunk beds.  "Yesterday, I let him know that we were on our way here with Phoenix, and of what Quint told us about the rupture."
: : Short Round's face brightened.  "Yo dude!  Why not ask Meg knows what happened to Muppet?"
: : "No, we shouldn't bother Meg now," Goodsport answered despondently, "she's already in over her head dealing with both the Phoenix group and the Vanguards!"
: : Short Round thought for a second.  "Dude, how's about Quint?"
: : Goodsport lifted his head at Short Rounds suggestion.  "Good idea, but let's wait until Micah and the gang are through with him."

: : - - -

: : Meg was sitting at the edge of the lower bunk bed as Tessa was doing the same on the upper bunk. Tessa looked down at her temporary roommate, only to see Meg sitting at the edge of the bed, head buried in her hands. She noticed that Meg was sobbing.
: : Tessa climbed down and sat herself down beside Meg, putting a reassuring arm around her. "MegÖ what's going on? I noticed the stares between you, Jerico and Indy during the whole bus ride from the airport."
: : Meg lifted her head from her hands, tears sliding down her beautiful cheeks. "TessaÖ I like Indy. I mean, he's sweetÖ and dashingÖ"
: : "Öand cockyÖ and arrogantÖ" Tessa continued, jokingly.
: : "But JericoÖ I care so much for him!" revealed Meg, as she dropped her head into her hands again and began sobbing.
: : Tessa put Meg's head onto her shoulder in a motherly fashion. "Meg, I see what your problem is. You love them both, but you still don't know which one of them your in love with."
: : Meg wiped the tears away with her hands as more flooded her cheeks. "I know. Sounds pretty stupid to you, huh? You've already found your true loveÖ you're so lucky, you know that?"
: : Tessa suddenly turned away, bowing her had as she attempted to hold back her own tears. "Actually, I'm currently separated from my husband."
: : Meg quickly lifted her head. "Oh Tessa, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean toÖ"
: : "No, it's okay," Tessa answered, lifting her hand to stop Meg from continuing the sentence, "I haven't really told anyoneÖ except Indiana."
: : "What was that about my grand-dad?" Meg and Tessa shot their heads up quickly at the new British voice in the doorway.
: : Micki Jones entered the room and knelt right next to Meg. "Chin up, kiddo! You'll be fineÖ you have two fine men fighting over you. Not many girls even get one to do that!"
: : "How's your mom and grandfather?" Tessa asked.
: : "They're about as well as can be expected," replied the youngest of the Joneses, "I think those Intelligence chaps are gonna be briefing them all night. I'm worried about grand-dad's health!"
: : "Don't worry," Tessa assured Micki, "if he's still running around at one-hundred, he must be doing something right!"
: : They all shared a much-needed laugh. Micki leaned closer to the girls and whispered, "Do you two know whether the guy in the next room, you knowÖ has a girlfriend?"
: : Meg pondered the question. "You mean Goodsport?"
: : "Oh God, no!" Micki denied, clearly disgusted. "I meant his friend."
: : "Short Round?!?" Meg and Tessa gawked as one, "You like Short Round???"
: : Micki glanced at them mischievously. "Sure, why not?"
: : "WellÖ" Tessa stuttered in surprise, "Ö for starters, he's only thirteen!"
: : The three burst out in muffled giggling. They then continued discussing various personal matters for the next hour or so.

: : - - -

: : Indiana Jerico walked down the long corridor toward the mess hall to grab a bite to eat. He entered the room, only to feel his stomach drop as his eyes caught Indy's from across the room. The two stared at each other angrily for a few seconds, and then quickly broke eye contact. They instead focused their attention to the only other occupant of the roomÖ the scrawny fellow at the table watching the wall-television, which was showing a tape of Fox's recent TV-special When Good Fruit Goes Bad. As the man watched the gripping documentary, he snorted in laughter so hard that his thick glasses almost fell into the bowl of pumpkin soup he was joyfully slurping.
: : Despite their apprehension at meeting the man, they each decided to walk up to him anyway. They noticed that on the table next to him were both a laptop computer and a humanoid-shaped model of some sort.
: : "Excuse me," Indy finally interrupted, pointing to the model, "what exactly is that?"
: : "Oh," replied the man, plopping his bowl of pumpkin soup onto the table, "I build models of characters from movies and TV, especially sci-fi characters. I like to experiment with mixing different characters together." He then beamed with pride as he lifted the model off the table. "This is my Klingon-Tribble hybrid!"
: : "UhhÖvery interesting," Indiana Jerico moaned, uninterested. "By the way, what's your name?"
: : The man reached his hand out. "The name's Glimsby! Quint Glimsby! Nice to meet you." Jerico's strong grip met Glimsby's cold, clammy palm as Indy tried to stifle a snicker.
: : The voice coming from the doorway startled all three.
: : "Guys, get your gear ready," Michaelson announced to them, "we're lifting off in a few hours."
: : "Where to?" Jerico and Indy asked in unison.
: : "Mount Annapurna," answered their superior officer, "that's where the satellites picked up the disturbances."
: : Quint stood up. "Well, actuallyÖ" He stopped immediately, as he saw Goodsport in the hallway some distance away, staring sternly at Quint, shaking his head curtly.
: : "Actually what?" Michaelson asked quizzically to Quint.
: : "UhÖ nothing, sir!" a suddenly nervous Glimsby replied.
: : Noticing his sudden change in mood, Jerico, Indy and Michaelson glanced to where Quint was staring at seconds before, only to see no one there.

: : - - -

: : Nobody and Mack watched as Deirdre's plane lifted into the air.  Satisfied that all was going as planned, the two turned around to leave.  They couldn't advance, though, for the hulking body of Krede and five of his agents of the Order blocked their way.
: : Nobody calmly took the cigar from out of his mouth.  "Krede, you startled me!"
: : "My apologies," Krede bowed, "however, I have good news."
: : A moment of silence.  "Yes?!?" Nobody finally broke the silence, "What is it?"
: : Krede slid out a folded map of Europe out of his jacket-pocket.  "Very likely the keys to Valinor!"

: : - - -

: : "Boy, am I starved!!!"
: : After three days, the Lambert brothers were still lost in the Swiss forest. The nearby river provided them with fresh water, but surprisingly, the river had no fish. The growling of the Lamberts' stomachs could be heard loud and clear.
: : "Yasim?" Inidana James asked his brother by his Indyfan Forum name, "What're we gonna eat? I'm starving!"
: : Brett turned to his younger brother furiously. "Stop calling me that! I told you, I want to be called 'Maverick' now!!!"
: : "Whatever!" responded James, "But I'm still hungry!"
: : The sound of rustling leaves broke their conversation. Both brothers picked up their large, thick sticks and sneaked stealthily toward the source of the sound. Pushing the overhanging leaves aside, the two spotted a deer a few feet away.
: : Both brothers glanced at each other, preparing the sticks in their hands.
: : "Dinner!" Brett exclaimed in a whisper.
: : "Just like in the woods back in Alberta, bro'!" responded Indiana James joyfully.
: : The Lamberts leaped out from behind the large tree and, screaming the Braveheart battle cry, dashed for the deer. The deer hesitated for a moment, then leapt in terror just in time to avoid the impact of Brett's stick.
: : "After him!" screamed Indiana James, as both brothers dashed after the sprinting deer. The chase through the woods lasted about five minutes.
: : Panting heavily, both Lamberts spotted the deer dash into the open door of a nearby cottage. The two Canucks knew where they had to go.
: : Leaping into the cottage and locking the door behind them shut, both brothers backed the deer into a corner.
: : "We got you now, hoser!" taunted a deadly serious Indiana James.
: : "YeahÖ eh!?" Brett added.
: : As the two brothers came within a few feet of the deer, the forest creature turned into a puff of smoke. Both brothers lunged at the smoke, swinging their wooden weapons, only to create dents in the wall where the deer stood just a second earlier.
: : "Huh?!?" Brett asked, confused, "Where'd it go?"
: : Nowhere! answered the smoke, as it swirled around swiftly until it formed into the figure of Gandalf.
: : "Man, why do you keep appearing to me?!?" demanded Indiana James.
: : Gandalf approached James with his staff. "Indiana James, your presence is desperately needed in Valinor!"
: : The three braced themselves as the ground suddenly shook violently for about five seconds.
: : "What was that?!?" asked James, wide-eyed.
: : "The rupture!" the wizard replied, "Both worlds are feeling the tremors. Yet it is only the beginning!"
: : Brett stood up, fuming. "Enough of this, old man!!!" Brett demanded, "Leave my brother alone!"
: : The wizard leaned on his staff as he turned toward the older Lambert. "Do not prevent what must be done! You may come to Valinor to assist your brother if you wish."
: : "Valinor, Shmalinor!" quipped Brett angrily, "I'm sick of hearing about that! Get out of here, oldie!"
: : Reaching close to the limit of his patience, Gandalf stood straight up against his cane, squinting menacingly at Brett.
: : "UhÖ Brett," James cautioned, "calm down, okay? That's not a good idea!"
: : Brett started shuffling around the wizard, ignoring his brother completely.
: : "Don't even try to hit me or nothin', 'cause you wouldn't be able to, old man!" Brett threatened, "I could dance around you all day!"
: : Indiana James winced at that, as Gandalf tipped his staff ever so slightly at Brett, announcing, "As you wish, Brett Lambert!"
: : A stream of light shot out from the head of the staff straight to Brett's feet, illuminating them as they started dancing around faster and faster.
: : "HELP!!!" Brett screamed, dancing around from one side of the room to the other and back again, non-stop, "MY FEET WON'T STOP!!!"
: : Indiana James turned to Gandalf. "Hey, why'd you give my bro' happy feet???"
: : The wizard turned to James. "He must learn to show respect! Now, onward to Valinor."
: : Indiana James backed off a few steps. "Give me one good reason why I should! I don't owe you anything!"
: : "Why you should go will be apparent once you arrive in Valinor, young Indiana James Lambert," Gandalf replied, as Brett could be heard screaming and dancing out in the backyard, "as for owing meÖ you do, for I saved your life?"
: : "Huh? When???"
: : Gandalf bowed his head. "Indiana James, how exactly do you think you survived contact with that enormous wing from the metallic flying machine some time ago?"
: : Indiana James suddenly remembered his unsuccessful assassination attempt on Tessa after crashing the Boeing 777 into the North Atlantic. "By my athletic reaction!" James beamed.
: : "Both brothersÖ so alike!" The wizard shook his head sadly as he waved his staff over Indiana James.

: : - - -

: : As Indiana James inflated his raft, he slid out of the water and watched with glee as the passengers were flailing their arms and legs in the cold North Atlantic water.
: : "This is so cool!" he thought aloud as he prepared his rifle.
: : Indiana James quickly aimed at the head of Tessa, swimming in the water.
: : He aimed.
: : He pressed the safety switch off.
: : "Wait a minute!" James suddenly realized where, and when, he was.
: : The sky above him darkened completely.
: : Indiana James shot his head up, staring in horror at the plane's wing falling down several yards above him. In the split second between that moment and eventual, instant death came James thought:
: : OkayokaygandalfIunderstandnowyousavedmebeforepleasesavemeagainandi'llgotovalinorlikeyouwantpleasepleasepleaseohpleaseÖ
: : The following second brought Indiana James a flash of white light.

: : - - -

: : The sudden earthquake panicked the few people walking the nighttime streets of St. Petersburg, The Man with the Hat noticed around him. Earthquakes were not at all common in Russia.
: : The Man continued down the near-desolate street toward his destination in the nippy Russian night. The sea breeze blowing off the Baltic coast kept the city slightly warmer than the older and colder Moscow to the south, as did the swampy land that St. Petersburg was originally built on. It wasn't the warmth that brought The Man with the Hat halfway across the world, however.
: : He jogged his memory as he shuffled discreetly from building to dilapidated building. The Man remembered somehow pushing his way through the police blockade in Washington D.C., entering the Library of Congress and finding the note that Joe had left for him. All that was written on it was, 'Mitos -- Peter -- Joe', but that was all that he needed.
: : Finally finding the State Museum of Antiquities, The Man with the Hat sneaked past the sleeping guard and into the Hall of Weapons. Barely able to see in the darkness, The Man felt his way to the other side of the room, when he suddenly felt cold hard metal touching his throat.
: : "Joe? It's me!" The Man announced quietly.
: : The blade came off his throat as the shadow the nearby figure stepped out of the shadows. The figure turned out to be a slender, pony-tailed man in a dark trenchcoat. He approached The Man, sheathing the sword into its scabbard.
: : "Mitos!" Joe whispered, as the two men shook hands, "It's been a long time!"
: : "I knowÖ where've you been?" asked The Man, enthusiastically.
: : Joe shrugged. "Nowhere near the Ringwraiths, that's for sure."
: : The expression on The Man with the Hat's face grew serious. "How'd you know I was coming to the Library of Congress in D.C.?"
: : Joe's face became equally serious. "How did you know to find me here?"
: : "You first!"
: : Joe rolled his eyes and sighed. "OkayÖ I had heard from my 'insides' that you were taken off a case with the Ringwraiths. We both know what that usually means."
: : "Yeah," Mitos agreed, "stand in back of the line for the next assignment. And it's usually a pretty long line!"
: : The pony-tailed man nodded. "But how'd you know to find me in St. Petersburg?"
: : "C'mon, Joe!" chided The Man, "I've known about you're fascination with Russian history for the longest time, especially of Peter the Great. And knowing that," he lifted the note Joe had left him, "gee, I wonder who 'Peter' could be!"
: : "Good guess," Joe conceded.
: : The Man with the Hat glanced at Joe's weapon. "I never knew you favored swords."
: : "Not really," answered Joe, "but this sword's the reason why I led you here."

: : - - -

: : The earthquake finally stopped. This one seemed a little longer and a lot stronger than the ones before it.
: : "C'mon, people," Micah called out, as everyone stood up off the ground, "gather your gear and head out for the 'copter!"
: : Aragorn and Indy were the first to reach the twin rotor-blade carrier helicopter in the base's airfield. Slipping himself out from under the helicopter, IndyAntilles put his maintenance tools down and greeted his two visitors.
: : "You guys got here a little early," the helicopter's pilot informed Aragorn and Indy, "it won't be ready for another ten minutes."
: : "That's cool!" Aragorn assured IndyAntilles, "Say, isn't that a Chinook?"
: : IndyAntilles turned toward the helicopter. "Yup, an MH-47E in the buff! Pretty much a souped-up version of the Chinook used in the Vietnam era."
: : Indy chuckled. "Yeah, but who of us here were even alive during the Vietnam War?"
: : "Only a few," recalled Aragorn, "Micah, Michaelson, GoodsportÖ"
: : The rest of the group finally came into view.
: : "Ö and two of the three Joneses."

: : - - -

: : "You're joking, right?" The Man with the Hat felt the weight of the sword in his hands. "The Sword of Peter the Great?"
: : His friend nodded. "The one and only. Yet Peter wasn't the original owner. Read the inscription below the hilt."
: : The Man brought the hilt of the sword close to his face. He squinted, finding the tiny inscription. Hey, this isn't written in RussianÖ it's written in runes! After a few seconds to recall his knowledge of reading runes, The Man's jaw dropped as his trembling hands almost dropped the sword.
: : "Remember your runes, Mitos?" the cross-armed Joe asked, leaning against a pillar.
: : "Ha ha, very funny!" replied The Man with the Hat, "It says, 'To the thirty-ninth Heir of Isildur in the direct line', which means that this isÖ"
: : "Aragorn's Sword!" they both said together.
: : The Man with the Hat turned his head to see the glass case where the sword had been earlier. It looked practically untouched. What surprised The Man even more were all the laser beams surrounding the glass case. The slightest break in the beam would set off the museum's alarm system, The Man with the Hat knew.
: : As if he could read The Man's mind, Joe announced, "The beams? HehehÖ do yourself a favor and don't even ask!"
: : Dumbfounded, The Man with the Hat glanced at the sword in his hand a little while longer before lifting his head to look at his friend.
: : Joe lifted his left hand to show The Man something. As The Man with the Hat stepped closer to see what it was his friend wanted to show him, the sound of a thud forced Joe to fly into The Man, blood stained on Joe's backside and chest. Some of Joe's blood found its way onto Mitos' shirt.
: : Getting off the floor, The Man with the Hat shoved Joe off him, only to see a man at the doorway to the museum holding a smoking pistol with a silencer. The Man clutched the sword, ready to rush the gunman until he heard the gunman talk.
: : "Ivan, Dmitri. Eedee syuda. Zakonchi sneem!" the gunman commanded to the darkness beside him, and immediately ten men with Mini-Uzis stepped out of the shadows. Russian Mafia! The Man with the Hat knew, Who else in Russia wears suits that cost more that the average Russian citizen gets paid in a year?.
: : The men lifted their guns in The Man's general direction. Oh shit! The Man with the Hat figured out, as he dashed toward the adjacent hallway.
: : "STRELYAYTE!!!" the pistolman screamed to his cronies, who immediately showered the room with bullets.
: : Barely jumping into the hallway in time to avoid getting hit, The Man with the Hat streaked down the hallway to the other side of the museum. Clutching Aragorn's sword in his hands, he slowly made his way toward the glass entrance on that side of the building. "Must be Grigoriev's men!" Mitos thought to himself, knowing that the area of the city he was in was Grigoriev's 'turf'. "But why the museum? Why now?"
: : His thoughts were cut short as he approached the glass entrance, which afforded The Man a clear view of three BMW's halting next to the sidewalk. A total of fifteen men stepped out of the BMW's, Uzis in hand and heading for the museum.
: : "Dammit! Now them I know!" The Man backtracked into the hallway, escaping the room before the agents from both the Dark World Order and the Order of the Ringwraiths entered through the door.
: : The Man with the Hat halted in the middle of the hallway as the sword in his hand started glowing. "Oh, that's just great!" The Man moaned to the sword, "Just give away my position in the dark, why don't you!"
: : The light enveloped The Man with the Hat's whole body just as each end of the hallway became filled by men with weapons. They all lifted their weapons as the light emanating from The Man almost blinded them.
: : "DON'T SHOOT!!!" boomed a commanding voice from the Order's end of the hallway, as the agents lowered their weapons.
: : NE STRELYAYTE!!!" yelled the pistolman's voice from the Mafia's end, achieving the same results.
: : The burst of light from The Man's position knocked everyone in the museum off their feet.

: : - - -

: : As IndyAntilles and Ben (friend of Indy) were making his final preparations on the helicopter, the rest of the group was making its own preparations.
: : Goodsport, Short Round, Indiana Jones and Lauren Jones sat at the front-left corner of the passenger compartment of the Chinook.  The Tolkein Book sat open in Goodsport's lap, while various books and notes on Tolkein (and related materials) lay at Lauren's feet.  Short Round was holding Theoden's Spear spearhead in his hands, as Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. was leaning on his cane.
: : Quint Glimsby plugged his laptop into the right-side wall of the passenger compartment, clicking away on the laptop's keyboard with his right hand while clutching a map of the Himalayan mountains with his left.
: : Tessa, Meg and Micki sat in the rear-right corner of the passenger compartment.  Micki discreetly glanced at Short Round, who took a few minutes to figure out that someone was looking at him. Goodsport then lifted his head from the Tolkein book to see who Short Round was looking at.  Upon seeing Goodsport, Micki turned her head away in disgust.  Tessa was staring at the ring on her hand, while Meg was staring at both Indy and Indiana Jerico, who each sat on either side of Aragorn in the rear-left corner of the passenger compartment.  Indy and Indiana Jerico cleaned their weapons as they traded dirty looks at each other, much to the dismay of Aragorn, who had to endure all of this.
: : IndyAntilles entered the helicopter's cockpit and sat in the pilot's seat.  Ben (friend of Indy) followed him into the cockpit and occupied the copilot's seat.
: : Micah and Michaelson were the last ones to enter the helicopter, as they sat themselves in the front-right corner of the passenger compartment.  When everyone was strapped in, the base crew closed the helicopter's hatch.  IndyAntilles revved up both of the Chinook's rotor-blades, and a minute later the helicopter lifted off for Mount Annapurna.

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