Author: Frederick T.
Title: "Chaos"
Part: 1 of 1
Universe: Stories of Willy Tamarack - Willy Tamarack Saga
Summary:
Keywords: (war violence)(no sex)(MF+ MF group)(MF+ oral gun violence)
Language: English

   @(C) 2005 Frederick T.  Commercial use in any form requires the written
permission of the author and will ensure a portion of the proceeds goes to the
  National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and/or the
                           American Cancer Society.

                         !!!!! ATTENTION READER !!!!!

    The following story is a work of fiction.  It is a sex story...A stroke 
story...A porno story.  The content is unsuitable for youngsters and some 
adults may find it objectionable.  I've ensured my material is properly coded 
and registered.  Adults, who have custodial responsibility for young minds, 
must ensure this smut doesn't fall into their children's hands.  To charge the 
government with the responsibility for what children read...Let us not kid 
ourselves, we know where that leads.  It is almost impossible, today, to 
control access to information.  Individuals must accept more responsibility 
for themselves.  The internet has leveled many playing fields for all time.  
The "gay nineties" ended well before eleven september but the world will never 
be the same place it was before eleven september two thousand and one.

    These stories are written to stand alone but are based on characters and 
events introduced in some of my earlier writing.  If you like this story ?
Surf on over to </~Frederick_T/>.  You may find more !?  
Located on the web pages there, are synopses for every story I've written.  
Like a road map...Pick and choose as you like.  Characters who appear in 
earlier works will be identified the first time they appear in "The Stories."  
And just about all of the characters and a great deal of the story line are 
laid out in the synopses available at the previously mentioned url.  It should 
go without saying; any resemblance between the characters in this story and 
real people, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.  The plots and 
subplots of all my work stem from the author's fertile imagination.  They are 
make believe.  They are fiction.  They are not real.

    If you're still searching for that perfect world Willy has apparently 
found ?  You know...Like none of his friends contract sexually transmitted 
diseases; nobody has bad breath; nobody gets pregnant unless they want to; few 
of Willy's friends have any sexual inhibitions or hang-ups and if they do, they 
quickly lose them; everyone always has an orgasm and almost all of the people 
live happily ever after...Well, you're probably as close to finding it here as 
anywhere else.  Remember though, we are all God's children and should treat 
each other as such.

    But I'm getting carried away here.  The plot, or semblance there of, will 
certainly be just a frame work or background for a very sexually charged 
story. (Unfortunately, that is not the case with "Chaos."  This story contains 
pages and pages of plot or story line...Hey now !  Willy's approaching sixty !  
Give him a break.  He can't be seducing every woman he meets with one hand 
while saving the "free" world with the other...Ha !  Ha !)  That you find the 
rest interesting should make the sex more exciting.  That is my intent here.  
Remember...Sex should be fun !  As always e-mail your comments to the usual.

                               WILLY TAMARACK,
                       ONE MORE TIME AGAIN FOR A WHILE,
                                "THE STORIES"

                                   "Chaos"

                                (war violence)
                                   (no sex)
                                (MF+ MF group)
                           (MF+ oral gun violence)

                                      by
                                 Frederick T.

        With thanks to the founding fathers and the U.S. Constitution

                             ***** PROLOGUE *****

    I woke sweating but it wasn't that hot.  I was sleeping alone but sharing 
the night with the past...Shit !  Maybe it's the future, must be the dope.....

    .....The two F-16 "Fightin' Falcon's" were flying Hunter/Killer, spread 
about a mile and a half in a very loose fighting wing.  Header Joint had given 
them the vector.  There were no friendlies out here...Kind of like the "free 
fire zones" people protested about...From the Vietnam era.  Funny how there 
wasn't as much protesting now !?

    The air was thin up here.  Any "g" at all and you were conning like a 
fool, drawing an arrow right up your ass.  A big drawback but the hand-held 
SAMs had the same problem.  Plus they were some what out of their league with 
fast movers.

    "Hawk one...Got movers on a ledge...Maybe twenty, thirty guys.  We passed 
them about a second ago...South side about two thirds of the way up the ridge 
line."

    "Hawk one's, coming back right.  Arm up the mavericks."

                                    #####

    The jets appeared silently, out of no where...Until they passed the 
struggling men.  Jet noise...The deafening "sound of freedom" engulfed them.  
Several men threw themselves to the ground.  The jets were well past them when 
some of the men started to run...Several of them managed to run for ten or 
twelve steps then bent at the waist with their hands on their knees, laboring 
to breathe.  Like I said...Not much air up here.  A couple of men were 
watching the jets as they continued down the valley.

    Further up the trail, a man was motioning them forward.  He was yelling 
for them to keep moving.  They appeared not to hear him.  Well down the valley 
you could see the jets, now tiny specks, coming around in a right turn, their 
contrails stringing out behind them.  The men, who were watching the jets, 
turned and ran for a couple of steps until they ran out of breath.....

                                    #####

    "Hawk two, I've got a visual on the movers and a cave opening.  Coming 
back left for a maverick shot on the cave opening !"

    "Hawk two's got a tally-ho on the movers and the cave opening...A mile in 
trail."

                                    #####

    Several men had reached the cave opening and were crawling though the 
entrance only to congregate just inside the opening.  The more experienced 
ones rushed for the far side of the cave.  A knot of men were still struggling 
through the entrance when an explosion shook the mountain.  The floor moved 
and small rocks fell to the ground from the cave ceiling.  Several men moved 
toward the cave entrance, many more moved deeper into the cave.  One of the 
men, moving deeper into the cave complex, called to those by the entrance, 
telling them that it was dangerous near the entrance.  Moments after he called 
out a very loud explosion was heard near the cave entrance.

    Several men ducked when the explosion blew dust and rocks deeper into the 
cave complex.  The cave got dark.  The air was full of dust.  You could hear 
several men coughing.  Another explosion rippled though the cave.  Most of the 
men were lying on the ground.  Several were struggling through a smaller 
opening at the rear of the cave.

                                    #####

    The lead F-16 was close to three miles away and rolling in for another 
pass.  Smoke and debris was still drifting about the steep mountain side.  The 
cave entrance was obscured.  It either didn't exist anymore or was being 
hidden by the smoke.

                                    #####

    In fact, the entrance to the cave complex was closed by the F-16 strike 
but the men who survived the attack, fifteen of nineteen, were not concerned.  
This particular complex had many entrances and exits...Was one of the best 
fortified.  As the group moved deeper into the complex, signs of life began to 
appear.  Stacked against the walls were cases upon cases of ammunition, 
mortars, surface-to-air missiles, AK-47s...The cave complex was a fortress.

    The youngest ones were guided to a large room.  There were carpets and 
pillows on the floor.  Tea was being served by a one-eyed man.  They were told 
he would greet them personally.  The six of them strained to conceal their 
joy...Their excitement.  The feeling, during the vetting of their plan, was 
that this was better than the eleven september attack.  More personal...Just 
like the Sirhan Sirhan assassination of Robert Kennedy, for his support of the 
jews, way back when.  The idea was all theirs...All they needed was the means 
and some cash.  This was the only time they would ever meet with their 
providers...From now on they were on their own.....

    .....He looked horrible, his face drawn...A pasty white color...His 
movements slow but his voice was strong.  The feeling that he would never 
leave the mountains was being circulated.  His fate would become unknown.  A 
thousand stories were being circulated.  Even those close to him would never 
really know.  He could be in a million places at once.

    He started by praising the eleven september martyrs...A tremendous blow to 
the crusaders and the jews but not the end...Allah be praised !  Theirs would 
be the first of two, god willing, holy strikes that will change the history of 
the world.  He cautioned them to use extreme care as the crusaders will be 
very suspicious from now on, especially of believers...But he believed that 
would diminish in time...A year or two from now would be best but it should be 
attempted before their election...A final solution for the crusaders is 
scheduled for that weekend before their election...The result will be 
unpredictable !

                           ***** CHAPTER ONE *****

            Somewhere in Kurdistan, formerly part of the U.S.S.R.
                                 January 1993

    The moon was peeking in and out from behind large cloud formations being 
blown across the night sky from the North.  More snow and soon.  The 
headlights of the convoy could be seen for miles...Only three trucks but there 
were six heavily armed men in each truck.  Enough to handle just about any 
contingency.  They were trading their cargo for a truck filled with gold.  It 
was not their concern what their cargo would be used for.  Times were very 
precarious in their country...People were starving...Money was king...This 
risk was worth the reward.....

    .....The trucks were making but twenty to thirty kilometers per hour.  
They were late and the snow shower did not help.  Visibility was less than a 
couple of hundred feet and the moon was obscured by low lying clouds and fog.  
The terrain was almost flat until the mountains.  They never would have agreed 
to the mountain meeting that was first suggested.  They were hours closer to 
home...Defending the cargo was easier.....

    .....Three miles further on the trap was set.  Three dummy trucks with 
lights blazing.  The men, all Afgan vets, were spread out in half moons on 
either side of the trucks and behind the blazing lights.  There were fifty of 
them.  Land mines were placed a couple of hundred meters out in front of the 
lights.

    "They're a mile out."  The radio crackled.  The men were using a land line 
and quickly passed the word.  At a quarter mile their head lights became 
visible.  The last truck had just entered the kill zone when the mines were 
detonated.  The truck burst into flames and rolled over on to it's side.  The 
explosion was loud even in the snow shower.  The sound of small arms could be 
heard as the Afgan vets rushed the convoy.  Anti-tank weapons disabled the 
remaining two trucks and they joined the third which was still burning.  The 
area now appeared quite light.  Sporadic small arms, AK-47 most likely, could 
be heard as the Afgan vets began picking off the survivors.  Any attempt at 
forming a defense was crushed.

    The attackers were in no hurry.  The snow showers would continue for three 
or four days at this time of the year.  No one was going to just "happen by" 
out here.  When the fires died out in the falling snow, the minimally damaged 
cargo would be transferred to their trucks and begin the long trip to it's 
final resting place.

                                 January 2004
                                 Kuala Lumpur

    The cabin cruiser was tied up at the dock.  The warehouses beyond the dock 
rose over three stories but were now shrouded in fog, thick enough to cut with 
a knife.  Two robed men appeared out of the fog and walked with purpose toward 
the cabin cruiser where a single man was standing on the deck.

    The two men, from the dock, climbed up on board the cabin cruiser.  The 
men embraced...Shared pleasantries...Then slowly moved into the cabin and sat 
at the galley table.  The conversation was held in their native tongue.  
Minutes later the boat rocked a bit.  One of the men got up and moved quickly 
toward the rear of the boat.  He drew a revolver from his robes as he climbed 
to the upper deck.

    "Is he working out ?"

    "Yes...He is very dedicated.  Are the guided rockets loaded on board ?"

    "Yes...They were loaded just this morning.  About an hour before you 
arrived, in the fog.  Using their own weapons against them !  God be praised !  
You've memorized the list ?"  The man was nodding his head.  "You are 
supplying the western teams.  Is the woman satisfactory ?"

    "A slut but satisfactory..."

    "You are confident you can make it in time ?"

    "Yes.  We are quite adept at navigation and sailing.  The weather is with 
us.  Praise God !"

                           ***** CHAPTER TWO *****

                               Mazatlan, Mexico

    I remember the day well.  Well, not the day but the month and year for 
sure...June 2004.  It started out really bitchin' !  I was surfing head high 
ocean swells.  They were wrapping around the Southeast coast of one of the 
islands off the mainland of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.  The Summer often 
produced such swells and they were just fucking out of this world...It was the 
only time I wore a leash.  I still felt they were for pussies but had to admit 
they saved a lot of paddling and shit !  Both Erin and Luci insisted I wear a 
leash when I surfed alone...Ok !  Ok !  You caught me.  I wear a leash most of 
the time now.

    It was low tide and the waves had a little tube to them.  The wind was 
from nine o'clock and at times almost felt off shore.  The wind is always a 
hassle down here.  October was really the best.  Not near the wind and the 
swell was often just as good...But I digress...The cabin cruiser was almost 
hugging the coast line where I was surfing.

    I didn't notice it until...Shit !  The boat just appeared out on the 
shoulder of this wave I was tucked into.  Six, maybe seven feet and I was 
crouched about a foot from the nose, sneaking a foot forward to get five.  I 
was screaming out of the tube and could see the wave throwing over in front of 
me.

    There were three of them, two men standing at the railing...And a woman.  
Young...Well, younger than I am.  The woman was driving.  She was the same 
height as the men were and had very long, bright yellow hair.  It was almost 
gold.  The men were dark skinned.  One thin.  One thick.  Dressed like 
successful Mexicans.  Could almost pass for locals but they weren't...Maybe 
southern european, possibly further southeast.  The woman was american or 
european.

    One of the men was focusing a camera at me.  The woman was flashing me the 
peace sign and I chocked her up as european.  I thought it was strange they 
were out here this early.  It was just a little before seven.  I straightened 
up, back pedaled and threw a huge roster tail of spray toward their boat as I 
cut back.

    When I turned back toward them they were already well ahead of me, 
accelerating at a tremendous rate of speed.  I started carving giant "S" turns 
on this just tremendous swell of mother earth's energy...Their boat now just a 
speck.  This was going to be my last ride and I was going to try to coast 
right up to the boat...No !  Not their boat...The one I use to motor out here.  
I once thought about paddling but quickly put that pipe dream to rest.

    Their boat had disappeared by the time I coasted up to the "Carnie."  A 
little bit of Connie...A little bit of Carol...Lots of memories there, huh !  
She was fourteen feet and just about perfect for my activities...A little bit 
of fishing and a lot of surfing.....

    .....Something about the way they came in...So stealthy...So close to 
shore.  Maybe, it was just their looks ?  They were too well dressed to be out 
catting around this early in the morning, even in a very expensive cabin 
cruiser.  But there's lots of money down here now.  Although the world's 
politics are still a little dicey after Eleven September...Lots of shit going 
down.  At least it seems that way !?

    God !  I remember when I first came down here in the late sixties.  We 
motored across on the ferry from La Paz...And then in the seventies...Not a 
fucking thing on the beach except for the Playa...Now look at it...Part of the 
Mexican Riviera.  Hotels, restaurants, shops and night clubs filled the horizon 
as I guided the "Carnie" home.

    Lots of people around at this hour...half past seven.  I tied up and 
immediately started canvassing the area to see if anyone had seen my friends ?  
Turns out...Their boat had attracted the attention of several people and was 
tied up about a football field away from my slip.  I left the marina after 
taking a gander at my friend's tied up boat.  Like I said, a very expensive 
cabin cruiser.  Lots of antennas and radar...An ocean crosser...The three of 
them were long gone.

    A couple of folks, I know pretty well, told me the men didn't talk 
much...Let the lady do a lot of the talking and most important...Her spanish 
was excellent but wasn't from anywhere around here...Meaning Mexico...Not just 
Sinaloa...Definitely not a "norte americano."

    Anyway...Whoever thought up this place was a genius !  Boats, water side 
houses...Reminded me of Balboa/Newport back in the early sixties.  We'd been 
here just six months but had been living in Mexico for over a year and a half.  
The states were just a little too paranoid now.  Oh !  I still visited a 
lot...Had a trip coming up in a couple of weeks.  I was really looking forward 
to it.  In fact...Shit !  You're not going to believe this...I'm flying up in 
my own airplane.  Yea...Ha !  Ha !  This is a riot.  About a year ago...I'm 
laying out by the pool at the Playa, just catching rays and soaking up the 
scenery.....

    "Senor Tamarack...A gentleman would like to buy you a margarita and have a 
word with you.  He is waiting at the bar...The one in the crazy hawaiian 
shirt.  He gave me a very good tip, Senor Tamarack.  Can I tell him it's ok ?"  
Roberto handed me a business card.  It had a U.S. government emblem.  He was 
from the embassy.

    "Si, Roberto.  Make it a Pacifico but let's keep our eyes open.  See if he 
has any friends ?"

    "Sure, Willy, I will ask around for you."

    "My friend" made his way across from the bar, sliding from side to side to 
avoid the many loungers strewn around the pool decking.  Less than half the 
loungers were occupied.  I was standing when he reached me.

    "Lance Hamilton...Mister Tamarack.  You're a hard guy to nail down."  He 
was about my height, a little heavier and at least twenty years younger, 
looked very comfortable in shorts and sandals...And the gaudy hawaiian shirt 
really topped off the outfit.  I didn't know him but knew the type.  There 
were a lot of them in the military.

    We'd stopped shaking hands.  He'd dropped his sports bag and was taking 
off his shirt.  He was quite muscled and had a real good tan.

    "I take it we're spending the afternoon together ?"  I was about ready to 
gather up my towel and book.  Roberto was back at his station, shaking his 
head back and forth.

    "Is that Roberto telling you I'm here alone, Malibu ?"  His voice was 
markedly lower.

    I bent to pick up my towel.  "And just what government agency are you 
representing here, secret agent man ?"  I played the honest citizen and didn't 
lower my voice.

    He was waving for Roberto.  "Now...Now, Malibu.  I'm Lance Hamilton, 
government employee.  Just like you used to be William Buffalo Tamarack, air 
force pilot.  Now you're married to Luci Dominguez Torrez Tamarack...Wow !  
That's a lot of names...You ever wonder about that down here ?  They have so 
many names."  He paused for just a second.  "But back to you, Willy, father to 
Pablo Torres.  He sure looks a lot like you too, Willy...Anyway if one does a 
little extra research, you're also married to an Erin O'Connel.  I forget her 
middle name.  You want me to go on ?"  He was already laying back on his 
lounger.  I was standing there like a dolt with my towel in my hand.  I 
couldn't remember if I brought a book ?

    "Sit down, Willy, share some nachos with me and let's discuss the future.  
A lot of people imagine we have a lot in common.  Let's make them happy and 
everything will be well in paradise.  Capice ?"  Roberto was waiting at a 
respectful distance.

    In flawless spanish, Mister Lance Hamilton ordered a large plate of nachos 
and a couple of Pacificos...And told Roberto to put it on my tab.  I told 
Lance I didn't have a tab.  "Put it on the government's tab, Lance.  I'm going 
body surfing."  He followed and we had a little wave riding competition.  He 
was pretty good.

    Later, we shot the shit for a bit.  Lance Hamilton...If that was his real 
name ?  Which I doubt...Well, he turned out to be a pretty cool guy.  His gym 
bag was full of all kinds of interesting items, including brand new passports 
for the whole family...Erin, too.  Inside mine was a single sheet of typing 
paper.  A single email address was typed in the center of the page.

                             malibu@freehemp.net

    Someone wanted me to keep my eyes and ears open.  I usually did but I'm 
getting way ahead of myself.....

                          ***** CHAPTER THREE *****

                              Late October 2002
                         Over Baja California, Mexico

    Dale was pissed.  I was speaking nothing but Spanish...Had been since we 
picked up Luci.  Luci Dominguez Torrez.  I wanted to make her Luci Dominguez 
Torrez Tamarack.  The boy was asleep.  He was six...Pablo Torrez, but he 
looked a lot like me at that age, was just a little bit darker.  We were all 
crammed in a P-Navajo cruising at sixteen-five on our way to Mazatlan.

    In less than ten minutes Erin and I were going to jump out of the plane 
and parachute to earth.  Dale wanted to make the jump with me but Erin was 
adamant.  She was jumping !  Her argument had merit.  Her ass was in more 
danger than Dale's.  He was traveling under his own name and could come and go 
as he pleased...In and out of the United States, that is.  I know I didn't 
want to try.  I just wanted to disappear and this was the best way to do it.

    The stories about the fire and explosions in the desert were still filling 
the airwaves.  Three bodies had been discovered in the charred remains of the 
mansion.  Lots of speculation about arms trading and terrorism.  Some sources 
were confirming that there were lots of arms stored in the mansion.  I figured 
the fire decreased the chances for terrorism by a whole bunch, especially 
after taking a gander at some of the stuff I ripped off from the mansion in 
the desert.  But hey !  I was just one guy in the big picture.

    Hank Helva ("The Star") turned in his seat and motioned for Dale to come 
forward.  Dale was reluctant.  I shoved him forward.  He turned back to me.  
"Hey !  Butt hole, if you aren't in the bar at the Inn tomorrow night, I will 
personally find your ass and ream a new hole in it."

    I leaned forward and tried to act tough.  "If you aren't there with Luci 
and Pablo.  Kill yourself.  'Cause if you don't...I'll personally cut your 
balls off, roast'em and then eat'em."

    "You're still a pussy, Malibu.  And if the surf isn't as good as you say.  
I will kick your ass !"  He gave me a shove, laughed and moved forward to the 
co-pilot's seat.  I started putting the chute on.  It was one of those 
steerable things that landed you like a feather.  It fucking better be easy !  
Now, I had done some of this shit about thirty years or so ago but Erin had 
hardly...Shit !  She was clueless but insistent !

    We were over baja and descending.  Dale had the airplane and Hank was 
fucking with the cabin pressure.  I had mapped it out as best I could but this 
was close to forty years ago.  I was carrying the GPS...Kind of getting used 
to it's magic but the dependence on technology scared me.  Erin was hugging me 
from behind and I could tell she was scared.  Fuck !  My knees were shaking !

    The anticipation was the worst part and I was eager when Hank pulled open 
the door.  "Don't hit the fucking tail, Malibu...Guaranteed to fuck up your 
whole day."  He laughed but I was already out the door.  Erin was to follow in 
three seconds.  Free fall for ten seconds then pull the rip.  Erin was doing 
five seconds to give me a little more time.  Plus she could steer towards me.  
After all she was carrying the pack and it had everything we needed.  The 
money, a couple of pounds of dope, lots of official documents and finally, the 
guns.

    No shit !  Just like a feather and I was out of the chute and running 
toward Erin.  Well, not really running but walking fast.  The timing was 
working out great.  Unfortunately, she had a little more momentum behind her 
than I figured and brought us both to the ground when I tried to cushion her 
landing.  She was kissing me and I considered pulling her jeans off and 
fucking her...Thoughts of rattle snakes quickly ended that fantasy.

    We marched off into the late afternoon and it was nightfall before we were 
in sight of our target.  The shacks of years ago were gone and in their place 
were a couple of stucco buildings.  One was right on the highway and I could 
see the neon sign blinking on and off.  A far cry from my surf safaris in the  
sixties.  We slept in shifts after ensuring there were no snakes within fifty 
feet of our camp.

    I saw the man at ten.  He was walking from the convenience store to the 
other building.  Maybe, it was where he lived ?  I wondered if it was him...If 
he'd remember me ?

    Juan Gonzales Ortega.  He had to be in his seventies by now...Ran this 
rundown gas station about fifty miles north of Rosirita, Baja, California.  I 
used to buy supplies and gas and then there was the dope.  Juan dabbled in a 
little hemp to supplement his income.  I figured...Well, I was hoping he'd be 
able to do me a favor or two.

    I woke Erin.  "It's time.  You able to stay awake ?"  She kissed me.  She 
tasted sour.  I pushed her on to her back and kissed her in earnest, my tongue 
roaming around her mouth.  Her breath was warm on my cheek.  My cock was 
starting to get hard.  When Erin reached for my crotch, I rolled away from her 
and jumped to my feet.

    "Luck, Willy."  I threw her a kiss and moved off through the night.

    Less than five minutes later, I knocked firmly on the door.  It was a 
sturdy one.  I looked around for cameras; didn't find any but still felt a bit 
uneasy.  Two young men appeared from the convenience store.  They were moving 
toward me.  I moved my arms out away from my body with my hands open.  I was 
positive Erin was shitting her pants.  The flash thingie felt yards away but 
was only a half step.  I step on it...It goes off with a loud bang and Erin 
starts filling the air with a lot of seven point six-two.  I high-tail it 
through the desert.  We disappear.  Our plans ruined...We die, struggling to 
escape our cleansing...Oh !  Wow !

    "Buenos noches, amigos..."  I continued in Spanish, telling them who I 
was, adding that I had been a friend of Juan's since the sixties.  I asked 
them if they could please relay that information to Mr. Ortega.  One of them 
went through the door.  The other stood far enough away so that any move 
toward him would be suicide if he was carrying...And that was always a 
possibility down here.

    I turn as the door bursts open and am being bear hugged by a man not much 
younger than myself.  He's screaming at the top of his lungs.  "Malibu !  
Malibu !  Surfer's Rule !"  Then he's laughing like crazy.  He steps back from 
me.  There are tears dribbling down his cheeks.

    It wasn't Juan.  It was Manuel, his nephew.  Shit !  The kid used to watch 
cars while people were shopping just South of the border...Kind of like a 
protection racket.  But hey !  The parking was free.  I didn't have to ask.

    "You missed him by about two years, Malibu.  He told me to keep an eye out 
for you, though.  Said you'd be back with a lot of bullshit stories about how 
good the dope was up North."  He was laughing.  I was crying.....

    .....Erin was sacking out in Manuel's bedroom.  His son's were back, 
tending the store.  We were alone.  I didn't know Manuel nearly as well as I 
had Juan.  Shit !  He could be legit...Maybe, an informer for the Federales ?

    My fears subsided quite a bit when he held out a big fat joint, just like 
the kind his uncle used to roll for me when I was a young man.  "...cause I 
was cool."  He used to say.

    I started talking and didn't stop until the day was born.  By then we were 
sitting with our backs resting against the back wall of his house.  The sun 
had just broke the horizon.  It was very bright and beautiful.

    He agreed that my dope was vastly superior to anything grown down here.  
He also agreed that my idea had tremendous merit but...There were always some 
"buts."  That's part of life.

    Outsiders were just not welcome down here.  It was almost "verboten."  
Everyone was suspect.  He'd have to talk to some people.  It was going to take 
some time.

    I felt totally invigorated after our talk...No turning back now.  I called 
Dale at the Inn.  "Yo !  Buddy !  How'd the hotel treat you ?"

    "Like we were royalty but everyone wants to know when Senor Willy is going 
arrive ?  I hope you've got good news for me, buddy ?"

    I blew him away with.  "We'll be on this afternoon's ferry out of La Paz 
and in the bar by seven.  How's Luci ?"

    "She's been very inquisitive...General nature questions for the most part 
but some very pointed questions about your relationship with Erin.  How do you 
want me to play it ?"

    "She's my sister...Erin Tamarack."

    "You touch base with Erin on this ?"

    "Not yet but she'll think it's cool...More mystery.  Don't sweat it.  See 
you this evening."  I hung up the phone.

                           ***** CHAPTER FOUR *****

    Erin and I were standing at the ferry railing, gazing off in the distance 
at the harbor in Mazatlan.  The sun was setting behind us.  It was exciting.  
Events were falling into place.  Manuel made a car appear out of nowhere and 
we were off.  I promised to be back as soon as he gave me the word, hopefully 
by next week...Hopefully getting good news and going back to work out the 
details.  Erin broke into my thoughts.

    "Willy...Don't take this personally but I think it'd be better if I became 
your sister.  Those fools in 'Vegas didn't figure that out until way too late.  
They kept looking for an Erin Tamarack...Thinking she was your sister.  I say 
we use it and run with it plus Luci has the look of a woman who doesn't 
exactly support multiple wives in a marriage.  I'm really looking forward to 
watching how she corrals your hunger...You really going to settle down ?"

    I was some where else at the time and never answered Erin.  I don't think 
she expected one.

    A taxi ride later, we were in the cantina.  It was eighteen forty-five.  
At eighteen fifty there were four margaritas on the bar.  Dale and Luci walked 
in at five minutes to seven and the party began.  Pablo was up stairs with a 
nanny, recovering after a big day at the beach.  I spent the night with Luci 
and Dale slept with Erin.  Luci and I didn't sleep much because I told her the 
whole story.  I didn't leave out a single detail.  I didn't just fabricate 
things either but telling the tale brought up a lot of details that I'd long 
forgotten.

    "I figured it was something like this."  It was half past six.  The sky 
was getting light.  I was lighting a pipe.  "So I'm going to marry a dope 
dealer and bigamist."  I put the pipe down and rolled toward her.  She started 
laughing, attempting to keep me at a descent distance.  I started laughing and 
finally caught an ankle.....

    .....I was overly anxious during the following days and smoked dope like a 
fool.  Luci insisted she call some people in Tijuana...Her cousins.  Manuel 
called mid-week to tell me that he had done his best and would call me if he 
got a summons ?  So now I had more time to burn.  Anxiety climbed off the 
meter, dope smoking with it...They might not buy it...They might just off me ?

    I took my anxieties out in the bedroom and Luci was a sore but satisfied 
woman after just a couple of days.  Erin tried to interest me in some side 
dishes but I couldn't focus enough to put energy into the chase.  Dale was 
surfing every day but my stick stayed propped up in the front room of the 
condo.

    This was the whole tamale and I didn't want to blow it.  Wanted it to be 
so tasty that they couldn't resist.  Manuel finally called thirteen days after 
Erin and I parachuted in-country.  We left the next morning...The early ferry.  
Me and my lap top, that is.....

    .....There were five of them and they were a lot younger than I expected.  
All dressed in polo shirts and wearing sports shoes.  I felt old and over 
dressed in a suit and tie with wingtips.  Manuel appeared nervous, almost 
scared, when he introduced me.  No one stood or offered to shake hands.  So I 
set my lap top on the end of the table and off I went.

    "Senores, ya sera legal...Quizas en algunos de los partes, y en esos vamos 
a ganar mucha lana..."  They knew I was talking about marijuana.  I went on to 
outline my belief that brand name recognition will be a key part of maximizing 
profits.  "...Tengo un plane para nosotros.  Se puede darnos la oportunidad a 
empezar..."

    In so many words, I informed them that soon it would be legal...Maybe not 
everywhere but enough places to make a profit.  My plan presents an 
opportunity to start capitalizing on that today.....

    .....I'd been sitting out on the patio with Manuel for over an hour.  I 
was extremely pleased that there had been no joking around at the end of the 
question and answer period.  Several snide remarks had been made after the 
presentation ended.  Most of them had to do with not needing a gringo to 
market their product.  I emphasized, in a polite manner, that their clients, 
for the most part, were gringos.  That and a few select facts, that I've 
compiled over the years, pretty much put that issue to bed.  Plus, I was 
taking none of their cut and giving a wonderful opportunity to a lot of people 
who would never make much of themselves in life...As the suit & tie people 
would say, "It's a win...win situation !"  Or something like that !?
Unfortunately that assumes that everyone wanted everyone to win and that 
wasn't very often the case in the real world.

                                    #####

    The sun had set but Juan and I were still sitting out on the patio.  A 
manservant got us a round of margaritas but we weren't all that interested in 
drinking.  I was dying to get a couple of lung-fulls of my product but didn't 
want to piss anybody off.  I was sure there was a hell of a debate going on 
inside.

    My ideas were a marked departure from days gone by.  By giving the small 
farmer a shot at some real bucks, the big boys had to give up a little of 
their control.  Not many wanted to do that but the profits were astronomical 
and in the end it'd be every little guy who could shove a seed into the 
ground.  Now it wasn't quite that easy but in reality; this was capitalism at 
it's best.  Survival of the fittest and all that.  I just wanted to make sure 
my product was the first one out of the gate.

    My day dreaming stoked me again so I ordered another round of drinks when 
the manservant came back to check up on us.  I was half way through number 
five when the manservant offered to put us up for the night.  I was so drunk, 
Manuel had to help me to my room.  I don't remember going to sleep and was 
sure I was awake when the sun rose but it was early evening before I finally 
got up out of bed and showered.

                            ***** CHAPTER FIVE *****

    Alfred Gonzales was frightened.  His knees were shaking a little and he 
had smoked three cigarettes in the last ten minutes.  The office was hot !  It 
was siesta time but Alfred was here because he was told to be here.  He had no 
earthly idea who he had pissed off ?  But he must have.  Why else would he be 
here ?  He probably insulted some friend of a friend ?  There were stories 
about this guy.  Alfred didn't want to know them...Didn't want to be here.....

    .....Alfred was standing in front of the man's desk.  Bright sunlight was 
streaming through the window behind the man.  It was difficult to recognize 
any of his features, just a form.

    "What can you tell me about Willy Tamarack ?"

    "I know him."  What was this about ?

    "Is that all ?"  The man barked.

    "No...that is not all.  I have known him for many years and consider him a 
personal friend...Also a major contributor to my success...to my becoming a 
manager at....."

    "Bullshit !  He's a gringo !  What'd he do ?  You catch him fucking your 
wife...Your daughter ?  I hear he likes them young !  He bought you the 
job...To keep your mouth shut !"

    Alfred felt the heat rise up on his face.  He was staring just above the 
man's head.  His fists were clenched.  He felt himself shaking.  He stood 
ramrod straight; his eyes boring into where the man's eyes would be.

    "You don't know him at all then.  Give me ten minutes and every off duty 
employee at the Inn will be on their way down here to testify on his behalf.  
He never treats people like so many of his country men.  From the lowliest 
maid to the owners, he treats everyone the same...with respect.  Now I'm sure 
Senor Tamarack has some faults but I cannot testify to them.  You will have to 
find someone else."

    "What about the young girls ?  There are a lot of rumors."

    "The senoritas are down here on vacation...Letting off a little steam.  
They are all from his own country.  He treats them with respect and never 
brags that he is so successful with them.  As far as I know, his wives...And 
he's had a few...Never complain.  I know several employees at the Inn who 
would vouch for them...The wives that is !"

    The man was still writing.  Alfred smiled for the first time.  The rest 
was formality.  A drink.  A cigar.  A promise to send some business his way.  
Alfred was sitting in the back seat of the sedan on the way back to the hotel.  
The man's driver was silent most of the way.  It was a change from riding on 
the bus to the interview.  Alfred was proud of himself...Making a payment on a 
debt long over due.....

    .....Dinner was at nine and it was more q&a.  Luci's name came up several 
times.  I knew I was in.  Her cousins must have some influence !?  Maybe, they 
wanted a cut ?  Maybe they were impressed I was going to make a mexican woman 
majority owner ?

    I'd given them a list of references...The phillipinos, for sure !  And the 
japanese.  Shit !  I even threw in the vietnamese.  Now these guys didn't dig 
up a lot of new shit in twenty-four hours or so but they did have more than I 
gave them.  I answered their questions truthfully, leaving out nothing.

    "Yes, I've produced a lot of pornography."

    "No, That is not my business now."

    "Yes, some of the subjects were a bit young."

    I did not defend myself in this regard and listened while several of them 
cursed me.  I promised that none of this would happen in their country or 
with their people.  I pledged my life that I would not disappoint them.  I 
imagine I really did bet my life but had no reason to start up the porno 
business again.  That was a capital thing.  It'd be all dope from now on...But 
hey !  That wouldn't prevent me from mentoring a few young ladies every now 
and then, now would it ?

    All through out dinner, there was lots of tequila and after dinner, a dope 
tasting contest.  The servants prepared the joints and they all looked alike.  
And the dope...Well, all of it was good but "Willy's Bud" came in second...Two 
out of six !  I was stoked !  And the shit it lost to was especially grown and 
grafted from a lot of different strains.  Shit !  I'd just started with a 
couple of seeds out of the first half-pound I bought...God !  That was a while 
back !

                                    #####

    I was back in Mazatlan the following evening.  The fiesta lasted three 
days and I was a blithering idiot by the time Dale flew back to the states.  
He was hot to get back and pursue Deborah although I don't think the chase was 
going to last that long.  Ha !  Ha !  But what a great three days !  We 
started by hosting an open bar on the hotel's patio.  All off duty staff and 
employees plus their families were invited...Hotel guests and just about 
anyone who happened to be around.  And to make sure no one was left out I 
threw the fiesta for three straight evenings.  Every hotel employee and his or 
her family attended.  Shit !  The third night there was close to five hundred 
people gathered around the pool, swizzling my free booze and pou pous !

    Luci wasted little time informing me, my first night back, the hotel 
employees were the only reason I wasn't spending the rest of my life in a 
Mexican graveyard.  I was a total loser with all my porno background.  Three 
of the honchos wanted to shoot me as soon as it was mentioned...Well, that's 
what her cousins told her.....

    .....The party was over.  The work began.  Erin started working her way 
back to the states to dabble in property and financial instruments back in 
'Vegas.  Luci, Pablo and I led the caravan into the desert and the farms.  
There were six of them in the valley...Small little plots.  Six families 
tended the farms and I was the agriculture minister.  We had a general 
manager, a production manager, defense minister...Well, I'm sure you get the 
picture.  We all had a little piece of the pie.  We'd started with seeds from 
six different regions of mexico.  Plus I'd added a small plot of some seeds 
from my various travels.

                           ***** CHAPTER SIX *****

                                February 2003
                               Mazatlan, Mexico

    Tomas Ignatio Santiago was bored and sweating, sitting in the small 
waiting room.  His small underground home in the desert was cooler than this 
place.  At the beginning he never thought this day would come.  He owed them 
six long months.  The six months were almost over but now circumstances had 
changed.  He wanted to stay !  So did his family !  The place was livable.  
Shit !  It was pretty nice for being stuck out in the middle of nowhere.  And 
the work...At the beginning...Impossible !  Now...It was pretty laid back.

    The door, across the room, burst open and "El Hefe" strode into the 
waiting room.  "Tomas Ignatio, que pasa ?"  Tomas was surprised they even 
remembered his name.  Indeed, there was no waiting list to take his place four 
months ago.  "El Hefe" ushered Tomas into his office and even got him a cold 
beer.

    "Well, Tomas ?  How is it working for the `gringo' ?"

    "Four months ago I would have told you it was the worst possible 
punishment a man and his family could endure....."

    And four months ago it was.  There was nothing in the valley, except for 
scrub brush and rock.  And water...Not a bit of it...Until you drilled down a 
couple of hundred feet and then it was plentiful...Water, that is.  This fool 
of an old man didn't wander around like a shaman looking for it either.  He 
knew right where to drill and a week later they had as much water as they 
could use.

    While the homes were rather crude, they were comfortable.  Yes !  Each man 
had his family with him.  The gringo, too ?  Yes !  The gringo stayed out 
there at all times.  He worked twice as hard as any of the other men, yet he 
never complained.

    "El Hefe" interrupted Tomas' story.  "Well, did you bring any of the 
product ?"

    "No, senor...They are just starting to grow...About knee high now."

    "What has taken so long ?"

    Tomas wanted to ask "El Hefe" if he had ever lived out in the desert ?  
Just drove out there and set up camp ?  Jesus, Mary and Joseph !  The first 
month was spent just trying to survive and organize the "pueblo."  It was not 
as easy as it sounds even with all the shit this fool of an old man had 
trucked out to the site.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars...Tomas was sure of 
that.

    They moved earth, dug underground bunkers...Underground fuel cells.  About 
the only things above ground were the pumps and the solar collectors...And of 
course, the "product."  And then they had to prepare the soil for planting.  
Trying to turn a large quantity of rock and calechi of the Sinaloa desert into 
productive farm land presented it's own problems.  A couple of the men had 
been farmers and Tomas was surprised that the old man let them take the lead 
in preparing the soil.  All of them knew that what went before was just 
preparation.

    If the soil was shit, the "product" was shit and the whole exercise was a 
waste of time and effort.  Not to mention the money this fool of an old man 
had plowed into the project.  Six plots of earth have been cleared and tilled.  
Each is about an acre of land.  All profits will be split six ways regardless 
of how each plot produces.  The fool of an old man estimates that each share 
will be in excess of $25,000.  The "gringo" claims the plants will produce 
three times a year and is planning on unveiling the "product" during the 
Summer, when the "gringo" kids come down here to celebrate their graduations.  
Then follow them back to the Estados Unitos with increased distribution.....

                                    *****

    I was picking my way down the side of the ravine.  Over the next ridge, 
I'd be able to pick up the pueblo.  I had spent three days in my most secret 
of places.  I'd stumbled on to it, really...About a ten mile hike from the 
pueblo and several thousand feet higher than we were.  Not many were going to 
go to that effort.  All my previous trips had been short.  Come on, now...Once 
you've got them in the ground, watered and fed...It's a waiting game.

    Tomas and his family had left for a two week vacation in Mazatlan.  The 
rest were going to follow at intervals...All being put up at the Inn and the 
"pueblo" was paying for it.  Yea !  I know.  We haven't made a dime yet but 
that was just a matter of time.  In for a penny...In for a pound.

    I'm sure Tomas was making a report...To someone.  There were probably 
others, too but I was pretty confident that I would pass muster.  Two months 
ago I wouldn't have bet too much on my chances but that was then.

    The valley spread out below me as I crested the ridge.  The plots were 
easily visible but their irregular shapes made them blend into the desert 
around them.  The well was hardly visible and I could just make out the shapes 
of the generators and pumps.  We'd have to work on that.  More shrubs...Some 
small trees ?

    I could see several families out in the fields, weeding and clearing the 
irrigation ditches.  I could just make out Pablo and Luci tending our plot.  
It was about time to start treating Pablo with a little more respect.  He was 
becoming quite useful and absolutely excelled in the little school we'd set 
up.

    I started waving about a hundred yards from the field.  Pablo was running 
toward me and Luci was following him.  We all embraced and then headed for the 
"bunker."  That's what I called them.  Just large dug outs, covered with about 
three yards of dirt.  Yea !  Every once and a while I worry about the thing 
collapsing but the numbers say it won't.  Anyway, they were nice and cool 
just about any time of the day.  Shit !  In December and January they got so 
cold we had to figure out some heating schemes.  Thank God !  We've got some 
great common sense workmen in the group.

    "How was your journey, dad ?"  Pablo was always disappointed he didn't get 
to go "camping" with dad.  He was getting to the age when I could take him but 
I didn't want to put up with the hassle until I was sure he could handle 
himself if something happened to me.  He wasn't quite there yet.  I figured 
this Summer, after I got back from los Estados Unidos.....

    .....My days were spent going from plot to plot and checking on the health 
of the plants.  I had recopies for just about any ailment they would encounter 
and was confident that most would survive and produce lots and lots of pounds 
of bud.  'Cause that's all we were going to pick !  Just bud...No stem, no 
seed...This shit was going to be bad ass weed...Dynamite !  "Willy's Bud" was 
going to take Las Vegas by storm this fall and I could hardly wait.  And by 
winter the southwest United States was going to be talking about nothing but 
"Willy's Bud !"

    I could hardly wait to pay the first installment on the property in the 
valley.  I was confident that I could double the amount they expected and 
could hardly wait to see the interest light up their eyes.  In ten years 
there'd be thousands of these plots set up.  Where in the past, Sinaloa was 
Sinaloa...Now there'd be a hundred different strains coming out of Sinaloa and 
all of it going to an ever increasing number of people up north who smoked 
hemp.

    Just last fall, some ingenious grad student at Berkley perfected the first 
totally untraceable marijuana screen.  The formula hit the internet and anyone 
with access to a local pharmacy could brew up about a ton of the stuff.  I 
imagine companies would continue to drug test but ridding yourself of "Mary 
Jane" after a weekend binge was no longer much of a threat.

    Shit !  The state of Nevada is voting on whether to legalize up to three 
ounces for personal use.  Legalize !!!  Not de-criminalize.  Legalize !!!  
I'll live to see it and Willy's Bud will lead the way...A legend in it's own 
time !  (Historical note: The 2002 Nevada marijuana legalization initiative 
was defeated 61% to 39%.  A new initiative failed to make the ballot for the 
2004 election.  They left a bag of signatures in a car trunk some where !?  
Ahh.  Yea...)

                          ***** CHAPTER SEVEN *****

                                Late May 2003
                               Sinaloa, Mexico

    The temperature was topping out at close to a hundred just about every day 
now.  But the plants just ate it up.  They were over eight feet and just bushy 
as all get out.  They had just produced for the first time with a little 
chemical help.  I was scared to death of that because I'd never tried it 
before but after two irrigations with the stuff, the plants started to bud.

    For two weeks...We'd start at first light...Take a little siesta about one 
and start again about five until well past sunset...Collecting the bud.  It 
was drying on some crude racks we built under the trees over by the water 
pump.  The women were now in charge, running the cleaning and rolling 
machines.  Fuck !  I was going to Mazatlan with a thousand green cigar joints 
at just about an eighth of an ounce a piece...Over a hundred pounds !

    I just entered the common "dugout" and made my way to the ice box.  I was 
thirsty and the news was about to come on.  Kill two birds with one stone.  
CNN's top story continued to be the nuclear threat that North Korea posed.  
The rest of the world debated endlessly although I don't think many americans 
were paying much attention.

    From what I could see on TV and hear from Erin through email, things were 
definitely back to normal in the land of the "big bx."  While most of the talk 
shows were full of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict or the nuclear threat 
posed by North Korea or Iran, the House and Senate spent most of their time 
debating taxes, health care and social programs...Fuck !  Like the world was 
normal...Like we weren't fighting for our lives against an almost invisible 
menace.

    The weekly airport "shut downs" had stopped but whenever intelligence 
picked up "chatter" from terrorists the national threat assessment was raised 
draining the coffers of a majority of large cities.  Occasionally there was an 
all points bulletin out for some middle-eastern men who had entered the 
country illegally.  You'd think the politicians would spend a little more time 
on the basics...Like home land security, man !  Most of the social debates 
split down party lines which usually meant a lot of name calling and shit 
slinging.  Shit !  The parties were still trying to pin Eleven September on 
someone !

    The peace movement had gained strength during the long debates leading up 
to the UN Security Council condemnation of North Korea.  They felt that 
earlier action prior to the recent regime change in Iraq might have prevented 
the quick coalition victory.  Most major democrat presidential candidates were 
leaning that way...Using one pretext or another to attack the administration's 
plans and actions.

    But the american people continued to support GW in foreign affairs.  I 
believe safety trumps just about all other social needs.  Without security 
there is no freedom.  Weapons of mass destruction still had not been found in 
Iraq but the citizens of the United States continued to believe that the 
country was at a higher risk of attack.  Especially those who lived along the 
eastern seaboard.  Those on the west coast continued to be the hot bed of 
dissent.

                                  June 2003
                          Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Karla Kent froze when she noticed him.  He was standing way in the back, 
by the door to the kitchen, with several Mexican gentlemen.  The restaurant was 
packed...Full of american teenagers.  It was hilarious...Most of them were 
drunk or stoned out of their minds and ordering tons of food.  Shit !  Karla 
was wiped out, too !  A couple of her friends scored the best fucking dope 
she'd ever smoked.  This stuff was so fucking good.  The last time she'd 
smoked anything this good was when.....

    .....She was twelve at the time...Spending the night at a friend's house.  
The girl's older sister was having some friends over, too.  There were about a 
dozen of them.  One of this girl's friends was trying to score.  She'd called 
this guy's beeper about a half hour ago.  No one could use the house phone but 
two thirds of them had cell phones anyway so the room was full of different 
conversations.  Karla was one of the youngest in attendance and nowhere near 
the inner circle of this crowd.  She was just the rump friend of this girl's 
sister.

    She remembered the hush that fell over the room full of teenagers when the 
kitchen phone rang.  The conversation was very short and now everyone was 
excited.  The girl, who got off the phone, was telling them all.  "...best 
shit you've ever smoked in your life.  This guy uses some secret fertilizer.  
And it's only bud...No stems...No seeds.  This shit is so fucking good !  One 
hit and you're in orbit !  No shit !"

    Lots of the girls were laughing and joking with the girl who had been on 
the phone.

    "Yea...Sure, Shelia !  Probably won't get a fly high !"  There was more 
laughter.

    Karla looked up and there he was...Standing in the doorway to the kitchen. 
He startled most of the others.  "Shelia, my dear, you better ace that algebra 
test next Tuesday."

    Everyone turned toward the door.  Shelia was turning all sorts of colors.  
The guy was old and walked toward where they were all sitting around the 
kitchen table.  Shelia got up and the guy gave her a big hug.

    "Well...Ladies night out !?"  They all started laughing.  Soon after that 
the room was a cloud of marijuana smoke.  Karla was so stoned she had to leave 
the kitchen and go outside.  She vaguely remembered seeing the old man leave 
by the back gate but that was real late.  Some said he'd left earlier but 
there he was and it was late...Real late.....

    .....She couldn't tear her eyes away from him.  Twice she'd been abrupt 
with her friends.  The old guy was going from table to table; stopping at 
every table in the restaurant.  He didn't look any older than he looked when 
she last saw him.  Shit !  That was six years ago.  Karla was trying to 
remember his name.  It was a kid's name.....

    .....I noticed her following me with her eyes.  So I avoided her table.  
She was a cute young lady.  Hard to tell much about her from this distance, 
though.

    Not one table had refused my offering.  A joint per table plus a little 
plug, "Remember to ask for `Willy's Bud' in the future !"  Sometimes I'd try 
to strike up a conversation with one of the young ladies but with so many 
young guys around that often turned into a bummer.....

    .....Karla tried to read his "T" shirt from across the room.  Finally she 
dug her glasses out of her purse.  He was standing against the wall, about 
twenty feet away.

    "Willy !"  She'd inadvertently called it out.  He even looked up at her 
from where he was standing.  Her friends started giving her a bunch of shit.

    "Willy what ?  Duhh...How fucked up are you ?!"  One of her friends called 
across the table.  It was on the "T" shit.  "Willy's Bud - The very best !"  
Black letters across a large green marijuana leaf on a white "T" shirt.  She 
just knew.  He was passing out joints.  You couldn't see him do it but she was 
sure he was leaving a joint at every table.

    She remembered the last time she saw him...The following weeks, after his 
visit...Her brother told her.  The high school was a wash in marijuana and it 
was all the same shit she'd smoked that weekend before.  She was sure the 
hotels would be full of it by tomorrow, the beaches, too.

    He was staring right into her eyes as he made his way to her table.  Her 
mouth was dry.  She went for her margarita.  He stopped right by her side and 
crouched down...his face level with hers.

    "I sense we've met before.  I'm sorry but I've forgotten your..."

    "Karla...Karla Kent...And that makes you Willy Tamarack !"  She was 
excited and only blurted it out after she took a big swig of her margarita.

    "I'm delighted you remember my name, Karla."  I was holding out my hand.  
She noticed the joint in my palm, quickly took my hand and shook it.  After 
transferring the joint, I turned to the rest of the table.

    "You all from Las Vegas ?  Staying at the `El Cid' ?"  Several of the kids 
nodded their heads.  Jackpot !  For three days now I'd been looking for a 
group of young ladies from 'Vegas.  I stood while rolling a nice green phattie 
across the table top.  Several sets of eyes followed the joint.

    "Remember to ask for `Willy's Bud' when you get back home."  I turned to 
Karla.  "You going to `Senor Frog's' later ?"

    She just nodded.  I told her I'd try to find her about eleven or so.  I 
could tell right then and there that I'd scored.  Come on, how many young 
ladies are going to remember an old man from years ago ?  This was pure Karma.  
Better lucky than good any time, is what I say.  I was looking forward to 
hearing her story.

                          ***** CHAPTER EIGHT *****

    "Frog's" was packed at eleven.  I was sitting against the back wall right 
next to the dance floor.  The music was ear splitting.  The kids were crazy.  
The young ladies were beautiful...For the most part.  I saw Karla and her 
group as they settled at their table...About an hour ago.  You can never be to 
careful now-a-days.  There were only five of them now and they were stoned as 
shit.  I wondered if Karla shared her cigar with the rest ?

    A couple of them had been up dancing but Karla divided her time between 
toe tapping and watching the front door.  I'm sure she thought I'd be passing 
out joints.  "Frog's" wasn't into that...Booze is what they lived for and that 
was ok with me.  Some of the other restaurants were not quite as discerning.

    She was glancing at her watch.  It was eleven-fifteen...Time to move.  I 
rose and wandered through the tables until I could come up behind her.  I 
leaned down and whispered...About three inches from her ear.  "Wanna dance ?"

    I quickly rose and just missed her head as she turned.  Her eyes were big 
and round.  Brown...It went with her hair which was braided almost to her 
waist.  Her breasts were just filling for her "T" shirt with no definite 
shape.  Her chair scraped back as she rose.  Heavy in the hips but what a nice 
looking rear end preceded me to the dance floor.

    There was no sense trying to talk as the music was loud enough to be heard 
back at the Inn.  We just bounced around with the rest of the masses.  It was 
hot and muggy.  We were sweaty in minutes.

    It was thirty minutes later, back at the table, when I asked her.  "Wanna 
blow this pop stand ?"

    She laughed, leaned over toward me and whispered, "Just me ?  Or my 
friends too ?"

    "I'd prefer just you but your friends are cool to come if you want them 
to.  There's plenty of room in the van."

    "How about me...Or me and my friends meeting you out front in...Say, five 
minutes...Cool ?"

    "Yea...Five minutes...Is that your time or my time ?"  I laughed a little 
as I got up and headed for the front door.  Eleven forty-five...Outstanding 
time !  We were going to have a great time...I could feel it.  Karma was 
rushing around inside of me as I glided through the front door of Senor 
Frog's.

    I picked up my pace...As I didn't want to miss her or them.  God !  I'd 
never did a first night with more than one.  Fuck !  I was running to get the 
van.

    I was sweating like a pig as the wind had died with sunset and it was 
hotter than hell.  The effort was worth it though as there were three of them 
standing at the curb.  I could see Karla waving off a taxi.  I flashed the 
lights and honked a few times.  Everyone out in front of Senor Frog's and 
there were plenty of them, looked towards the van.  I reached back and slid 
open the side door.  Before I could get the front passenger door open the 
three of them had piled into the back.  One of them even slid the door closed 
so I drove.

    Almost immediately they all started laughing.  "Shit !  We weren't even 
sure it was you !"

    Karla cried out.  "I told you it was his van !  I knew it was Willy !  You 
guys didn't have to follow me.  Come on, you knew it, too !"

    They were a little scared.  A good way to get intel on your legend, 
because that's what I wanted...A legend.  I'd spent years in 'Vegas trying to 
perfect it...A lot of it was myth, for sure, but myth becomes legend and 
legend often turns into fact or event...And then...You are there...Influencing 
events.  Marketing...It's the key to success...A success that is envied by 
many...And hated by a few.  Just like in the real world.

    "Hey !  Karla how about introducing me to your friends ?"

    "Oh !  Sorry, Willy.  This is Ruth Levi and Maggie Carlton."  She started 
laughing again.  All of them did.

    "Well, which one of you young ladies wants to ride `shotgun' ?"  All three 
of them looked at each other for a long few moments before Karla climbed over 
into the front seat.  We cruised in silence for another long few moments.

    The first couple of hours are so important.  If you don't establish 
rapport...Well, it's a lost cause.  I was looking for young ladies who were 
assertive and quick thinking.  This was no puss game I was initiating them 
into.

    "Ladies, there's a cooler strapped to the left side, about half way back.  
How about getting me a coke ?"  One of them, I wasn't sure which, made her way 
into the darkness to get me a coke.  She'd have to notice the bong strapped 
right next to the cooler...You'd think ?

    "Oh !  Wow !"  She found it.

    "It's packed and ready to go...How about getting it going...Who is that in 
the back, anyway ?"

    "It's Ruth...How do you work this mask thingie ?"  She was laughing.  She 
was way ahead of me.  I could hear her sucking on it.  Karla was looking into 
the back.  The mask went around and around.  Ruth also found the baggie in the 
cooler and the bowl never went empty.  We were well north of town and none of 
them had shown the slightest fear when all of a sudden there were no more 
street lights.

    The girls were quite talkative as we cruised north, bouncing on the 
rutted, washed out road.  But then I asked a lot of questions.  The darkness 
would help...Less inhibition.  I parked with the back end at the sand, still 
on some what hard packed desert.  You could hear the surf.  It was a little 
before one.

    The tinkling of the cooling engine was quite audible but it was still 
quite warm out.  There was a little sea breeze, nothing like this afternoon.  
We had stopped smoking dope.  Both of the girls in the back were sitting with 
their backs against the sides of the van.  Karla's head was back against the 
head rest.  I was a buzz of energy.

    Karla...Grade point: 2.9...Lettered varsity soccer, three years...Parents 
work in the casino industry and she's planning on following them.

    Ruth...Grade point: 3.6...Four year thespian and co-star in the school 
play her junior and senior year...Planned on attending UNLV because it was all 
she could afford.

    Maggie...Grade point: 2.4...All around good friend and dope smoker...Her 
attitude was becoming apparent...The high school shit screen.

    Two out of three...Not bad...And sometimes, just sometimes, the under 
achievers get the big picture when they come face to face with the big bad 
world.  We'd see.....

                           ***** CHAPTER NINE *****

    We were smoking again...All in the back of the van...A fog of marijuana 
smoke.  I'd been talking for almost two hours.  All three had been very 
inquisitive.  That was very good.  I loved to see the lethargy leak out of 
their minds...Watch them grasp the opportunities.  All three had different 
dreams but their dreams always started with the same dilemma.  This offered 
them a way to their dreams and once people are convinced there's a way...There 
is just not much that will stop them.

    "Wow !  I'm tapped out.  You guys want to take a dip in the ocean before 
we head back to town ?"

    What was, moments ago, a lively conversation lapsed into silence.  "Shit !  
There're three of you...You'd kill me !"  I laughed and climbed into the front 
of the van.  "Throw me one of those towels in back."  Ruth reached back, 
grabbed a towel and tossed it into the front.  "You guys'll kill yourselves for 
missing it.  The sun rises are just dynamite out here.  I hope you'll all join 
me."

    There were plenty of towels for them, in the back.  I walked naked to the 
sea and was half way to the ocean, with my towel slung over my shoulder, when 
I heard them and turned, walking backward.  All three were wrapped in towels 
and fast walking toward me, giggling and laughing as they closed the distance.

    I turned back toward the ocean and continued walking.  Their excited 
voices became louder so I turned to see what was going on ?  They had dropped 
their towels and were running, naked, toward me.  I turned and sprinted for 
the ocean.  They were faster than I was so I dropped my towel and really dug 
for the ocean.

    I just made it under the first wave I could find.  Being novices, I was 
sure the three foot swell would kick the shit out of them.  Two out of three 
isn't bad, right ?  Ruth was neck deep in the water about three feet to my 
right.

    "I was born and raised on the Balboa Peninsula...Newport Beach...Orange 
County...You know it ?"  This was going to work out very well indeed !

    "Wanna teach your friends to body surf ?"

    "Cool..."  She got to her feet and the ocean just reached her belly 
button.  Water was running off the mountains on her chest...Very white...Made 
her hair look almost red but not quite.  Her areolae were at least three 
inches across and just the palest color, her nipples, dime size and flaccid.  
This was one stacked young lady.

    I rose slowly.  I could feel the rush of her nakedness.  I held out my 
hand and she grasped it.  Karla and Maggie had retreated to dry sand.  
Maggie's blonde hair was a rat's nest after the dunking she got in the ocean 
and Karla's body was covered with sand.

    Both of their breasts were about the same size but Maggie's looked bigger 
as they hung on a smaller frame.  All of their nipples were erect as we 
approached them.  My cock was spongy and bouncing off my balls as I walked.  
It wouldn't take much but I willed it away.

    Karla's crotch was a dense tangle of dark pubic hair.  On the other hand, 
Maggie had a small triangle of hair that was several shades darker than the 
hair on her head.

    I grabbed Karla by the hand and Ruth started dragging Maggie toward the 
ocean.  It was still dark but you could see the waves as the white water 
approached the beach.  The girls struggled a little but the water was soon up 
above our waists.

    Karla's breasts were as firm as ripe fruit and her butt was as hard as 
rock.  She was quick to learn and soon riding on her own.  Maggie was more of 
a problem and soon became my problem.  Karla and Ruth were ridding just about 
every wave in sight.  Maggie felt left out and I knew just the guy to fix her 
up.  One of the life guards I knew...Well, Maggie needed to learn how to swim 
a whole lot better before she tackled anything like body surfing.....

    .....It was just a bit before seven when we all trooped into the front 
room of the condo.  While clothed and dry, we were covered with sand...A 
shower was just the place to start.  I was in the bathroom turning on the 
water when the three of them burst in, bare ass naked.

    Ruth and Karla each took one of my arms and turned me toward the door.  
Maggie was standing in the doorway.  "We've had our first meeting..."  I 
looked from Maggie to the two at my sides.  They were all smiling from ear to 
ear.  My cock was coming alive in my shorts.  In less time than it takes you 
to read the next couple of paragraphs it would be just like steel and I was 
dying to start using it.

    Maggie continued.  "...And we decided that it's against natural law for a 
man to spend several hours with very attractive ladies...Naked ladies, at 
that...And...Well, he doesn't get a boner."  The three of them started 
laughing like crazy.  I joined them and my cock started to feel usable.

    "We believe you need some therapy, Mister Tamarack."  Maggie stepped 
forward and the two at my sides strengthened their grips on my arms.  Let me 
assure you, they had nothing to worry about.  I was going no where when Maggie 
started to open my shorts.  In seconds they were around my ankles.

    "Oh !  Oh !  I think we made a mistake, girls !"  All three were giggling 
like grade school girls and my cock was like steel, pointing straight at 
Maggie's belly.  I disengaged from my captors and pulled my "T" shirt off over 
my head.  I rested an arm on each of their shoulders, Karla and Ruth, and 
gazed at the naked female flesh within my reach.  I was hot to trot !

    Took me a few minutes and a lot of groping but we were all in the shower 
together.  The little vixen were groping me as much as I was them and soon it 
was a free for all...Four soapy, naked bodies writhing about in a shower big 
enough for eight.

    When the cleaning was done...The fun began.  I chose Ruth first because 
she was so voluptuous.  All of them had given my shaft a good squeeze or two 
and I had been very promiscuous with their naked breasts, using both my hands
and mouth.  Ruth's nipples were the only ones in the shower that were still 
flaccid.  I figured I'd have to get Karla and Maggie to work on them while I 
feasted on her hair pie.

    Her friends and I played tug of war with her arms a bit as I dragged her 
out of the shower.  Her breasts swayed back and forth and I was like a diamond 
cutter.  I won fair and square.  Ruth and I ended up rolling around on the bed 
while her friends toweled off in the bathroom.

    The young lady was impaled on my cock, feeding me her breast meat before 
her friends joined us.  It wasn't long before I'd convinced them all that 
breast meat was good.  The orgy had just begun.

    Ruth was still above me, thrusting her hairy loins up and down on my very 
hard dick.  Her cunt was expansive but she made up for it with the contortions 
she was performing with my muscle.  Karla was squatting over my face and her 
forested snatch was spread, giving me an unobstructed view of her slick meat.  
I teased her flesh at my leisure while Ruth was bouncing up and down on my 
cock.

    I was being suffocated with female flesh.  Everything tasted and smelled 
like pussy.  I pushed Karla off my face and rolled Ruth off my middle.  Maggie 
was sitting at the end of the bed, watching.  I moved toward her and she 
shrieked, covering her face with her hands.  When she didn't move I knew she 
was just waiting her turn.  I dragged her toward the middle of the bed, raised 
her legs up high and folded her in half.

    Karla and Ruth were more than eager to assist guiding my cock to it's 
proper place.  Maggie shrieked again as I bottomed out in her being.  Her legs 
closed around me and I started that age old motion.  The other two were egging 
us on.  Maggie was laughing.  I was laughing.  I was getting too old for 
three.  I laughed louder.  So did the girls.....

    .....Late that afternoon...The three of them, wearing their brand new 
"Willy's Bud" "T" shirts, strolled down the beach.  The "T" shirts stirred 
quite a buzz.  Three days later there were sightings of "Willy's Bud" "T" 
shirts at just about every hotel in Mazatlan.  The night clubs were full of 
them.  By mid August the "T" shirts began showing up on Southern California 
beaches.  When the Universities opened in the Fall, the "T" shirts started 
appearing on college campuses from Arizona through Utah to Oregon and all up 
and down the California coast...And of course, UNLV.

                           ***** CHAPTER TEN *****

                                 October 2003
                              Las Vegas, Nevada

    Carmen Starks was polishing glasses behind the bar.  It was dead.  Just 
two guys drinking in a booth.  She could hardly wait until her relief 
showed up...Forty-five minutes from now.  She put another glass up on the 
shelf.  When she turned back...The woman was sitting at the far end of the 
bar, her face disappearing behind a newspaper.

    Carmen hadn't got a good look at her.  She only noticed her almost white 
hair.  Carmen made her way to that end of the bar, to take the woman's order.  
Well dressed...Too well dressed to be in this place at this time of the 
morning.

    "Can I get you something ?"

    The woman didn't move...Her face still hidden behind the newspaper but 
Carmen heard her clearly say, "Margarita...Rocks.  Hornitos...If you've got 
it.  Thanks !"  The woman had what looked like a hundred on the bar, partially 
concealed by her purse.

    Carmen glanced down at the woman several times while mixing her drink.  
The voice.  It was not unfamiliar.  She was trying to place it.  She carried 
the margarita to that end of the bar and placed it in front of the woman.

    From behind the newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, "Thanks."  Carmen 
moved back down the bar and began polishing glasses again.  When the woman put 
down the Journal and reached for the margarita, Carmen glanced down at her.  
Who was this woman...Who reminded her of something or someone ?

    Her hair was just about white...Not gray...Just off white...But she had a 
terrific tan.  Carmen hardly paused while slowly turning to watch a replay of 
the latest news summary on the big screen TV.  Inside she was like a volcano.  
She had to will away the shaking, now watching her hands as they worked on the 
glass.  Why would the woman be here if he wasn't alive ?  Carmen didn't 
believe in coincidences but was much too disciplined to ask.

    The woman was Erin Tamarack.  Carmen hadn't seen her in over four years.  
She was eighteen at the time and deeply involved with the woman's husband - 
Willy Tamarack.  Yes !  She had slept with him.  God !  He was in his fifties 
at the time...And then there was the dope.

    Carmen Sparks' group that last semester...Well, they kicked ass.  Grade 
point average: 3.65...All AP classes.  Carmen had scored a 1358 on the SAT 
that semester.  She was on cloud nine.  In a year, she'd be attending just 
about any college she desired.  She was stoked !  Her group had also excelled 
at providing the "product," as Willy called it.  She was the team leader.  The 
youngest and leader of the number one group.

    Suddenly...Out of no where...The shit hit the fan.  The newspapers were 
full of it for a couple of weeks.  They said he was dead.  They even produced 
a body but then three weeks later said it was somebody else.  A lot of mystery 
surrounded that whole set of circumstances back then.  The fact remains...He 
just up and disappeared...Left not a trace.  The cabin...burned to the ground.  
She'd gone up and looked around...Had been there many times.  The vacant condo 
was sold six months later.  She thought she saw the woman at a rock concert on 
the strip about a year later but convinced herself that she was wrong.

    Lots of people used to ask about him...But that ended quite a while back.  
From the very beginning there were rumors he survived.  She once heard he'd 
hiked over the Spring Mountains to Pahrump and then flew himself to Mexico.  
It was rumored that he had a hacienda down there.  Anyway, she couldn't 
imagine anyone being able to do that...Just hiking off into the mountains.  
So...He drifted in and out of conversations until he became just a memory.

    And now one of his women was sitting at the end of the bar...At this 
ungodly hour.  "Zero dark-thirty," as Willy used to call it.  Carmen knew not 
to acknowledge her.  Carmen had no idea what was going down ?  No way, could 
she make contact, except in cases of imminent danger.  Those conditions hardly 
existed now.  Erin Tamarack must initiate the contact.  His "rules" gave you 
little latitude.  Carmen glanced around the bar.  Still just the two men and 
they had been here since about four-thirty.  It was coming up on six.  Where 
was her back-up ?  Rule number one.

    Erin Tamarack raised her empty glass.  Willy was going to be stoked.  The 
young woman had recognized but not acknowledged her.  Erin could play it 
anyway she wanted to.  Willy would be very proud of Carmen Sparks...A very 
good choice for the core element in Southern Nevada.  The young lady was 
moving down the bar toward her.

    Erin looked down at the Journal, which she had spread open on top of the 
bar.  "How about taking another step or two to your right, Carmen."  Carmen 
did as she was told and began polishing the bar.  He was alive !  She was 
being contacted !  The goose bumps came by the gazillions.  She willed herself 
calm.

    Erin was looking right into her eyes.  Carmen just then realized that she 
was blocking the view of the two guys in the booth.  She continued cleaning 
the bar top.  Erin Tamarack almost whispered.  Carmen strained to hear her.

    "Willy was wondering if you'd be able to accept a full scholarship...Room, 
board, books, tuition, spending money...The works...A full ride scholarship to 
UNLV ?  Interested ?"

    "He's alive then ?  When can I see him ?"

    Erin moved her hand toward Carmen.  When she moved her hand back, she left 
a tagged key about six inches from the edge of the counter.  "That's the key 
to your fully furnished condo.  He furnished it himself.  The address is on 
the tag.  He's expecting you at eight.  Can you give your notice before you 
leave here today ?"

    Carmen just nodded her head.  Erin continued.  "You've got the next two 
days off and no class today.  Can you get enough together by eight to move in 
for a couple of days ?  We've got a lot of catching up to do and you've got a 
lot of organizing to do."

    Carmen took in stride the fact that this woman knew her schedule.  She was 
fighting back the tears.  She wiped her cheek with the sleeve of her blouse.  
"Eight...This morning ?"  Erin just nodded her head.  "I'll be there.  Will he 
be there ?"

    Erin was getting up off the bar stool, still nodding her head.  "Yea.  
Keep it to a low roar, though, I'll be catching some `Z's in the guest 
bedroom."

                                    #####

    Carmen was stuffing some underwear into an old high school back pack.  Her 
parents were standing in the bedroom doorway.  She shared it with her 
sister...And then there were her brothers.  The Sparks' home was a full house.

    "Last week you're talking about applying at one of the Strip hotels and 
this morning you're moving out !  What the hell is going on, Carmen ?"  Her 
father's voice was loud and angry.  His patience gone.

    "Carmen...Please !"  It was her mother.  Carmen sat on the edge of her 
bed.  Her shoulders sagged.

    "Mom...Dad...I've told you three times.  Somebody is passing the cake and 
I'm taking a piece.  I'll be a full time student at UNLV and be home for 
dinner every Sunday night.  I promise.  This is a tremendous opportunity for 
me.  I almost got this scholarship when I graduated from high school but it 
didn't work out then.  The offer is being made again and this time I think 
it's going to work out.  I'm free, white and twenty-one as the saying goes.  I 
don't see this as being that big a deal.  If I was getting married, you'd be 
jumping for joy !  Cut me some slack.  I'm striking out on my own.  I'll do 
ok...Better than ok !  I'll do great !  Now back off, please...Will you ?"

    Her father turned from the doorway and stomped off toward the kitchen.  
You can't argue with them.  They don't speak the same language...Use the same 
logic.  Her mother hung around in the doorway as Carmen went back to stuffing 
the back pack with an assortment of "T" shirts, shorts and socks.

    "Are you going to be living with this someone who's passing the cake ?"

    Carmen laughed out loud.  She couldn't imagine anyone being able to co-op 
Willy into being cooped up in a two bedroom apartment in the middle of 'Vegas 
for long...Regardless of how voluptuous a body you had...And over the years 
that is exactly what Carmen had matured into...A very voluptuous young 
lady...Back then she always felt like the chubby little sister...When they all 
cavorted naked in the hot tub...She wondered if the others were being 
contacted ?

    "No, mother...I will be living by myself."

                           ***** CHAPTER ELEVEN *****

    Carmen drove slowly through the complex.  The unit was in the rear with 
several escape routes available.  She felt sharp...Alive.  She checked to see 
if anyone showed interest in her as she backed her vehicle into the parking 
spot.  She checked the number against the number on the tag one last time and 
then grabbed her back pack as she exited the car.

    She glanced around as she fit the key into the lock.  The front door was 
almost totally hidden from view.....

    .....I jumped out of the chair when I heard the key slide into the lock.  
Five large steps and I was flat against the wall next to the door.  I wanted 
to feel her emotions as she looked over her own place for the first time.  
Yes, I hoped she was looking for me, too...But I wasn't getting my hopes up.  
Four years is a long time in a young lady's life.

    At the end, she was the youngest and my number one squeeze.  I was 
grooming her to be the head of the Las Vegas branch.  I had another young lady 
who was heading up Reno...I was also branching out into Southern California 
and had several heads down there...Irvine...UCLA...Loyola-Marymount...Shit !  
That didn't even count the farm teams in the high schools...But that was then.

    The door opened cautiously.  She looked behind the door before entering 
the front room and found me standing there.

    "Hey there, mister !  You trying to scare a young lady to death or what ?"  
The door was being firmly closed, yet she just stood there.  "You real...Or 
just a mirage ?"

    I laughed out loud.  "Well...You like it ?"  I spread my arm out, swinging 
it in an arc; directing her view to the expanse of the apartment.  She just 
stared at me.  I continued.  "Ready to get to work...You're a couple of years 
behind because of all that shit a while back...I apologize for that...I should 
have been more careful.  But you've got plenty of time to catch up."  She was 
silent.  "You got a boy friend yet ?  Find some fool to take all that shit 
you're always dishing out ?"  Another pregnant pause.  "You've lost some of 
your baby fat, Carmen..."  I stopped.  I'd been going on too long.  I couldn't 
look her in the eye so I moved toward the kitchen nook.

    She grabbed my shoulder as I entered the kitchen.  Her mouth was on me, 
her arms around my neck.  I could feel her breasts, mashed against my chest.  
Her tongue was roaming around in my mouth, suffocating me.  I was taking deep 
breaths through my nose.  My tongue fought back.

    She finally relented.  Panting, she breathed out, "You forgot to kiss me 
good-by...And now..."  Her lips encompassed mine and we were swapping spit 
again.  She pulled me out into the front room...All the while her tongue was 
being the aggressor in my mouth.

    She sat me down on the couch then straddled my lap.  "Wow !  You realize 
the legend is not going to get much better than this...You've risen from the 
dead.  The only thing better would be if you brought back about a thousand of 
those big green cigars you were always forcing us poor young girls to roll."  
She kissed me again.  This time closed mouth.

    I pushed her away.  "Let me up.  The wizard isn't through yet."

    A look of disbelief flashed on to her face.  "Oh !  Come on now, mister.  
No fair pulling a young girl's leg."  She was off me and helping me up.  I 
kept her hand in mine and pulled her to the master bedroom.

    "Bed's a little small."  It was just a double.  I looked back at her.  She 
stared at me until I couldn't hold her gaze.  I threw open the double closet 
doors.  The boxes were stacked to the ceiling.

    "I don't want you entertaining all the time...A king would have given you 
the wrong idea.  Take one of the boxes down and open it up."  Carmen rushed 
across the room and retrieved one of the boxes.  "I organized a couple of 
small, scout teams in Mazatlan this Summer and have several cells already 
operating in Southern California...All college towns...We're starting to move 
some real descent numbers."

    Carmen had placed the box on the bed and was just staring at the bags full 
of green cigars that filled the box.  She looked back at the closet, filled 
with boxes.  In the past they'd never had more than a dozen boxes, never more 
than two or three in one location.

    "A hundred thousand, eighth of an ounce joints...About seven hundred 
eighty pounds...Thirty some boxes at twenty five pounds a box.  I want them 
moved by tomorrow.  If you can't hack it, I'll find somebody who can."

    "Ok, if I shower first ?  I smell like a carload of armpits."

    "Need somebody to wash your back ?"

    She walked right up to me.  Only four inches shorter than I, she was quite 
imposing.  "No...I need somebody to fuck me, mister."

    I reached for the back of her head and pulled her face to mine.  Our 
tongues were dueling while my hands worked her jeans down around her hips.  
Her hands were working on my shorts.  They were coming down and she was 
grabbing for my naked penis.

    I pushed her away.  "Get naked, Carmen."  I was stepping out of my shorts.  
Carmen was working on her blouse.  Her bra was visible.  My cock was like 
steel.  My "T" shirt was off over my head and I was by her and into the 
bathroom.  I had the water going in the shower/tub thing when she came up 
behind me.  I felt her breasts spread out on my back, her hands caressing my 
cock and balls.

    "You sure know how to treat a girl, daddy warbucks.  An apartment...A 
closet full of marijuana...You must want to do unspeakable things to me.  
Wanna trade places ?"  She was standing and pulling me away from the tub.  I 
grabbed for her breasts.  They were pear shaped and had such a great slope to 
them.  Her areolae were large dark splotches with dime sized nipples.  I 
leaned down and captured one with my mouth.  I could feel her nipple come 
alive in my mouth.

    My hand was between her legs, her cunt sucking my thumb into her depths.  
Her pad of pubic hair was wet, her cunt juicy.  I started grinding the heal of 
my hand against her clit.  She arched her back and ground herself back against 
me.

    "Come on, daddy warbucks, quit teasing and fuck me !"  It was part plea 
and drove me insane.  I turned her around and pushed her shoulders down.  She 
grabbed a hold of the tub railing and I spread the cheeks of her ass with my 
thumbs.  Carmen had a forest of pubic hair growing between her legs, right up 
around her asshole.  I rubbed my boner up and down the crack of her ass.

    Carmen'd had enough fooling around.  She grabbed Willy's dick and in one 
motion guided him into her.  "Oh !  That's it, daddy warbucks !  Give it to 
me !"

    I was already shifting into over drive.  She was slick, wet and juicy.  
Her cunt lips were clinging to my cock as it pistoned in and out of her 
vagina.  I could watch my shaft disappear into her hair pie.  I ground it 
around, stirring her insides.  She arched her back and cried out.  I went 
ballistic and started pounding her senseless.  The slapping sound could be 
heard over the splashing water, filling the tub.

    I started to spasam and then she started bucking back into me.  I almost 
fell down, grabbed her by the hips and started pounding again.

    "Ooooohhhhh...Willllleeeeee !  Fuck me...Honeeeeeeeey !  Oh !  Fuck !  I'm 
cummmming !"  I kept pounding, my thighs starting to burn.  She was bucking 
back again.  My cock fell out of her and she rushed to cram it back inside her 
but I was done for the moment.  She dropped to her knees at the side of the 
tub and bent to get her breath back.

    I was standing straight and tall, the stars still twinkling on and off 
around the room.  I leaned down to turn off the water and the room spun.  I 
grabbed for the tub side.  Carmen grabbed my arm.

    "You ok, old man ?"

    "Good enough to give it to you again, youngster."

    "Whenever you're ready, stud.  I've been dreaming about this for a long 
time...Since about a week after you left...Now...How about telling me the 
whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Ok ?"

    "And ruin the legend that's going to explode across Las Vegas in the next 
couple of weeks.  Shit !  You'd be blabbing it to one of your bimbo friends 
before the day was over."

    Carmen reached out and took my balls in her hand.  She gently closed her 
fingers around the orbs.  "Hey !  Let me get in the tub first...Then I'll tell 
you the whole thing."  I was laughing.  So was Carmen.

                          ***** CHAPTER TWELVE *****

    They were all wearing "T" shirts.  "Willy's Bud" `T' shirts.  Six of them, 
sitting around the front room...Some on stools against the bar.  Erin even had 
one on...Well shit !  We all did.  It was mid October and one of those three 
day weekends...I can't remember the name of the holiday.  This was graduation 
weekend for the Las Vegas group.  Carmen had done a pretty good job in two 
weeks.  I was pleased.

    They had moved five boxes last weekend alone.  I was more than pleased.  
At this rate...Demand was bound to exhaust supply and drive the price higher.  
People were already starting to ask for it by name in Southern California.  In 
a couple of months, I'd have the server set up and then we were going to 
transport ourselves to light speed, Dr. Spock !  The young ladies would be 
handling their own inventory, gauging their own demand...Supplying when things 
were sparse...Withholding when things were flush.

    Me...I was going to fly a certain young lady down to Mexico and spend 
several days turning her into a stark, raving nympho.  That was after Erin and 
I bought the airplane...Nice Navajo...Good engines...Pretty fair avionics but 
who cares with GPS...All you needed was an ILS...I wasn't planning on flying 
into LAX that many times...Just kidding...Probably never.

    The girls were just breaking up.  Carmen was seeing them out.  Erin was 
cleaning up the usual mess that accompanies such gatherings.  I torched up a 
bowl and was sitting at the bar, just smoking.  The door closed.  Carmen came 
and stood in front of me.  Erin was behind me, washing glasses.

    "Erin and I are going to be gone for a week or so.  When we get back, you 
and I are flying to Mazatlan and you're spending a month.  It's just super 
this time of year...So you better get Karla up to speed while we're gone."

    "You let this pimp get away with this shit all the time, Erin...Jetting 
all over with young, horny women !?  What's the deal here, bimbo ?"

    Erin was laughing her ass off.  "You gonna take her out to the `pueblo,' 
Malibu ?  How about the hide-away ?  Does she get to meet Luci ?  Pablo ?  The 
deal is, bimbo...You best be on your best behavior, miss horny woman !"

                                    #####

    Pablo was out body surfing.  Luci and I were sleeping under the cabana.  
It was pleasantly warm.  Carmen was over talking with a couple of the hotel 
employees.

    Carmen couldn't believe how cool it was down here.  Her spanish came back 
in a couple of days and she felt terribly comfortable living down here with 
the Tamaracks.  The mansion was walled and just like a fortress.  But inside 
it was like a plant nursery...Full of plants every where...No !  Not 
hemp...but just about everything else.

    And Luci was so cool.  It was almost like she knew Willy and her were 
intimate but expected it...Carmen was part of the family...She wasn't sure but 
was very comfortable with it.  Her month down here had stretched into two and 
then Willy asked her to spend Christmas with them.....

    .....That Summer...After a 3.8 Spring semester - four "As" and one 
"B"...She spent it in Mazatlan...Well...A lot of the time was spent out at the 
"pueblo."  She worked her ass off in the fields just as the local inhabitants 
did.  Three new families were going through orientation and she jumped up and 
down with joy inside as she sat in the audience and listened to Willy welcome 
them to the "pueblo"...All in impeccable spanish.  She shivered when the 
peasant's started smiling as they listened to Willy outline life in the 
"pueblo"...The responsibilities...The rewards !

    For the next month she was assigned to one of the families and put to work 
like a mule to dig the trench for their home.  The trench then had to be 
framed and roofed.  Work days lasted in excess of twelve hours...With twenty 
minute breaks every two hours.  Her legs ached, her back was sore...And there 
was that old man, Willy, explaining to one of the husband's how his wife 
really did have a better idea on how to organize his new home.  Next he was 
over with another family, helping them with their roofing.  Each of the 
families had an "foreign observer" as he called them.

    The "foreign observers" were all young american women.  They worked, ate 
and slept with the families they were assigned to.  The rest of the "pueblo" 
went on about it's normal business...Growing hemp !  They had all started the 
same way...With nothing.  After the homes were finished, the new families were 
instructed on how to cultivate the land.  Then there was two back-breaking 
weeks, preparing the soil.  This was worse than building the "bunkers" as 
Willy called them.

                                    #####

    He came to her the night before they were supposed to leave for Mazatlan 
and Los Estados Unidos.  One of the other girls left last week, right after 
the seeds had been planted.  She was going home...The Fall semester was 
starting in just a couple of weeks.  He asked...Carmen stayed.  It was just 
eleven but she'd been asleep since eight-thirty.  "Zero dark-thirty" came real 
early down here.

    I just lay my hand on her shoulder.  She was still.  I tried to bring her 
out slowly.  I was hardly squeezing when she came awake.  I put my finger to 
my lips.  And then led her through the "pueblo" and made her wait until I rose 
Ruth.  Ruth was wearing a man's shirt to sleep in and her mountainous breasts 
with the star of David swinging below them was rather impressive.

    We were on the road by eleven-thirty...Sixty-five pound packs were 
strapped to our backs and we were climbing fast.  I remembered the first time 
I brought Pablo up here...I brought him even before I brought Luci...Our hide 
out.  Remember those six "Ps" and you'll never go wrong.  Murphy's Law's 
another good axiom to live by...What can be fucked up, will be fucked up.

    The dawn was lighting up the sky to the East before we arrived.  The 
dugout was just about ready for roofing and I was going to work these two 
young ladies to death to get it done.

    For two days we shoveled, we wheel barrowed.  We lived in dirt.  I wouldn't 
hear of us washing until the roof was finished.  Carmen and Ruth were pissed.  
They'd been without a shower since the day before we left.  They'd been eating 
nothing but energy bars even though both of their packs were stuffed with all 
sorts of canned goods.

    The roof to the dugout was finished a little before noon.  The sod had 
been heavy and we only covered about a quarter of the roof with it but I was 
confident it would spread.  I know the two of them thought we'd have to do the 
whole roof in sod.

    "Ok !  Ladies...That's it.  Let's strip down.  Time for a magical mystery 
tour."  I was already lowering my jeans.  "Dirty clothes over here, ladies."  
They were both looking back and forth at each other.  "Come on, ladies...No 
modesty up here.  This is the escape of last resort.  Armageddon and we come up 
here to live.  Grow in the forest...A plant here...A plant there...You'll 
notice that not all are invited."  By now they were too tired and beat to 
mouth off at all.

    They were naked.  Their clothed skin now uncovered and all clean looking.  
Their legs and arms looked permantly marked.  I led the way.  We were there, 
almost.  You could hear the water fall, if you listened closely.  I stopped 
them.

    We smoked some dope...Ok !  Ok !  A lot of dope, from a huka filled with 
wine.  I was hallucinating.  Ruth's breasts were moving about on her chest.  
Carmen's dark "V" of pubic hair was doing the same in her crotch.  My cock was 
getting hard and moving around...But that was me, I think !?

    I blind folded them both and put Ruth's hands on Carmen's shoulders.  I 
then put Carmen's hands on my shoulders.  "Ok, ladies.  Left foot first.  
Concentrate on moving forward as one.  On three...One...Two...Three."  Off we 
moved and it only took us a little over four minutes to round the bend and 
there was the water fall...Just coming out of the side of this very tall slab 
of granite that turned into forest several hundred feet above us.

    Below was the pond...About ten feet below us.  The sound of the falls were 
very loud.  I placed each of them on the very edge of the drop off.  Then I 
wandered down the path to the small rock beach and waded out into the water.  
It was very cold.  My penis shrunk down to peanut size.

    "Ok !  Ladies !  The ultimate test.  Jump."  Neither of them moved.  "Come 
on...Jump, you pussies."  Before I really started talking shit, they both 
jumped.  Their blindfolds came off when they bobbed to the surface and almost 
like a team they were looking around, searching for me.  I was well out in the 
middle of the pond.  It was well overhead out here.  Oh !  Shit !  Here they 
come.  I was fucked !

                         ***** CHAPTER THIRTEEN *****

                                 August 2004
                         Somewhere in middle America

    It was dark...Zero three-eighteen.  The two of them were dressed in combat 
fatigues, automatic weapons slung over their shoulders.  Their flash lights 
moving evenly over the ground as they walked through the field.  In a little 
under one hour, the President of the United States was going to fly out of 
this podunk little air strip, out in the middle of nowhere.  He was here last 
evening to campaign for the Republican senator who was having a hell of a time 
after some financial dealings of his were brought to light.  No !  No !  This 
wasn't anything like Enron or any of that shit.  This was like a campaign 
finance scandal...The rules there were real gray and the President was lending 
his support...Plus the republicans couldn't afford to lose a senate seat.

                                    #####

    I'd just pushed over...Starting a descent into John Wayne airport, Newport 
Beach, California.  We were about a hundred miles out.  The navajo was 
descending through seventeen five and I'd been sucking on the oxygen bottle 
for a little over four hours.  Airspeed was showing 190 indicated and 
increasing.  The girls were in the back...Asleep...We'd arrived in Mazatlan 
after dark and the girls had sacked out right after gear retraction.  I'd just 
finished calling customs and was getting ready to wake the girls.....

    .....The van was parked just outside the gate.  I could see Erin waving.  
I hurried the young ladies along.  Customs had been a breeze...It usually is 
when you're clean.

    "How was the flight, Malibu ?"

    "Piece of cake, Erin.  How things in 'Vegas ?"

    "Moving right along.  No problems.  Everyone is ready to start the 
offensive...The revolution !"

    Ruth and Carmen chimed in with, "Free Hemp !"

    "Rah !  Rah !  Rah !"  I was climbing into the front seat.  The girls were 
piling into the back.  "Now let's get the hell out of here.  I'm beat."  I 
torched off the bowl and passed it into the back of the van.

                                    #####

    At exactly 0400 hours local time Air Force One broke ground.  It was still 
dark.  The gear came up with the usual hydraulic sounds and most on board 
settled down for the three hour flight to the East coast.....

    .....The two men had been buried in the ground for three days...Going 
without food and surviving on water alone...Voiding their clothing, they lay 
in the crude trenches for three days and three nights.

    The static in his ear piece told him the time had come.  He started 
flexing his hands, limbering up his fingers.  "The bird flies."  A lot more 
static and then silence.  The man started counting.....

    .....The men, dressed in fatigues and carrying M-16's, were watching Air 
Force One lift off and didn't notice the two men sit themselves up in the 
field...Until they were raising the missiles to their shoulders and then it was 
too late.  Air Force One was just turning out of traffic about four hundred 
feet off the ground.  The flames from the missiles lit up the night around them 
and clearly illuminated the men who were firing on Air Force One.

    The M-16 staccato could hardly be heard above the roar of the jet engines 
hanging below the huge 747.  The bodies of the men, who had fired the missiles, 
jerked around as the 7.62 rounds tore them apart.  The fatigue clothed figures 
were running across the field toward where the men had fired the missiles.

    The missiles were long gone, though, and on their way to ruin somebody's 
day...A lot of somebodies.

                                    #####

    I lay wide awake where moments before I was dead to the world, next to 
Erin.  The girls were sleeping in the guest room.  Something woke me ?!  I 
wandered over to the window hoping to look out on the black expanse of the 
"Back Bay."  Erin found this really nice place just a couple of miles from my 
parents...And the view was really shit hot...When it wasn't foggy.

    I was now in the den, hitting off the pipe.  My mind wandered...The girls 
were running up the drive ahead of me.  Erin was pulling into the garage.  It 
was a little after midnight.  The front door was open and the girls were 
rushing ahead to the shower.  I closed and locked the front door.  Erin was 
coming through the kitchen.

    "Where'd the young ladies go ?"

    "Shower...Other than swimming in the pond before we hiked out...They 
haven't seen much of that where they've been..."

    "You took them both !?"

    "Yea...Southern California and Southern Nevada...They're natural...Almost 
as good as you and Carol were before the shit hit the fan.  They're very 
determined young ladies.  Let's go join them, Erin.  You can be dessert !"  I 
laughed real loud and Erin threw her arms around my neck, jumped up and 
wrapped her legs around my middle.  I damn near fell down.

    I carried her that way to the master bathroom.  I could hear the shower 
raining down and the young ladies talking.  I kicked the door open...Don't 
worry it wasn't latched...And walked in with Erin still wrapped around me.  
She slithered to the floor and started taking off her tennies.  The girls felt 
the cooler air enter the bathroom and Carmen peeked out the shower door.

    "Accommodations are real tight in here.  We might just squeeze you in here, 
mister...But the old broad...Tell her to turn down the bed.  She can shower 
later."  I'd stripped off my clothes and moved into the shower, my pecker a 
slab of hard meat.  Erin was scrambling to get her jeans off.  Both of the 
young ladies were covered in soap and it wasn't long before Erin slithered 
into the stall with the three of us.

    "Who let the midget in ?"  Carmen made the comment but Ruth laughed the 
loudest.  Erin took about half of the redhead's right breast into her mouth 
and started sucking.  It went down hill from there.  Carmen was stroking my 
shaft and I was sure as soon as it was all nice and clean, I was going to bury 
it in her very nice rear end.

    Erin had Ruth up against the stall and there was a little more room.  I 
pushed away from Carmen and turned her toward the shower.  The water was 
cascading down her long, dark hair and off her shoulders.  My cock was almost 
free of soap and I didn't waste a moment.  I slid it up into her and was 
smothered in her being.  I started thrusting and watched as Erin slid to her 
knees and lift Ruth's right thigh over her shoulder.

    Ruth rolled her head back and her eyes kept going.  I was thrusting in and 
out of Carmen like a run away train.  Ruth hand her hands on Erin's blonde 
head while Erin's fingers were prying her cunt lips apart, Erin's tongue and 
lips devouring the pink meat.

    My thighs were burning but I wanted to make it once around.  Carmen was 
bucking back at me and I knew she was close to getting her rocks off.  I 
reached between us and reamed my middle finger up into her rectum.  She froze, 
capturing my finger in her anus and my cock in her cunt.  She bucked a few 
uncoordinated times and then the dam burst.

    "Ooooh...Oooohohoo !  Fuck !  Me !  Mis !  Ter !  Aaaahaah....Ohmigod !
I'm cuming !"  I pulled out of her but kept my finger fucking in and out of 
her asshole.  I turned and watched as Erin continued chowing down on Ruth.  
Ruth was still wearing that star of David, dangling between her pendulous 
breasts.  I reached out and started twisting her left nipple, her areolae 
hardly distinguishable from her white breast meat.

    I guided Erin's face to my iron hard dick and she started mouthing me.  
Carmen was now down on the floor with Erin and reaching for her breasts.  
Erin's nipples were hard and dark as Carmen manipulated them from behind.  
Ruth was fucking herself on and off the three fingers Erin was holding up 
between her legs.

    I yanked Erin's hand out from between Ruth's legs and stepped up to bat.  
I arranged Ruth's thigh on my hip and poked my dick into the tangle of auburn 
curls growing around her cunt.  I slid right up into her and felt her exhale 
as I bottomed out in her belly.  Her arm flew out and she grabbed the shower 
head.  My cock was plowing in and out of her.  I felt Erin run her hand up the 
back of my thigh.  Carmen was sucking on Erin's breasts and had a hand between 
her legs, fucking several fingers in and out of my wife's cunt.

    I was cuming and jerking around under Ruth as she tried to fuck herself on 
and off my cock, using the shower head for leverage.  Erin's finger was deep 
in my anus and I felt myself squeezing her finger.  The burning in my thighs 
was excruciating but I tried to prolong it as I slid down on to the shower 
floor.  The water was getting cooler.....

                         ***** CHAPTER FOURTEEN *****

    Less than an hour after Air Force One rolled over on it's burning right 
wing, which had lost close to half it's length when the outboard engine fell 
from the plane...And plowed like a lit torch into the flat corn fields that 
started to populate the country side about eight miles off the end of the 
podunk runway...A beat up old VW bus cruised into the observation area just to 
the South of McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada.  There were 
few cars parked there at this time of the morning.

    Four minutes later, Ellen Shaw drove her beat up 1995 Mustang into the 
parking slot about three further West than the VW bus.  Ellen was just off 
work and usually stopped here to watch the 0230 UPS freighter take off.

    The flight must be late.  It was usually taxiing to the runway by the time 
she was parked.  She looked over at the VW bus.  It appeared there were two 
people in the bus...One in front and one in back.  Ellen thought that was a 
little strange and spent a lot of time observing the two of them.  The street 
light flooded the observation area and provided a good back drop...Their 
silhouettes easily visible from three parking slots away.

    The UPS freighter was moving into position on the runway.  The silhouette in 
the back of the bus was struggling to poke a long tube up through the VW's sun 
roof.  Ellen hesitated only a moment before reaching under her seat and 
extracting the nine millimeter from it's hiding place.  Carrying concealed is 
totally legal in 'Vegas and Ellen had a card to prove it.

    Ellen made sure that the overhead light in the Mustang wouldn't come on, 
then slipped out of the car.  The UPS freighter was rolling down the runway 
and the noise was deafening.  Ellen crawled around the rear of the Mustang and 
could now see the one in the back standing up through the sun roof and aiming 
the tube at the UPS 747.

    Ellen screamed, bringing the gun up with both hands and aiming it.  
"Freeze, mother fucker !"  The man seemed to be following the 747 with the 
tube.  Ellen didn't hesitate and fired three shots at the man with the tube on 
his shoulder.  His body slumped over the far side of the VW bus like he'd been 
hit with a sledge hammer.  The tube falling to the ground and bouncing off the 
pavement before coming to rest.

    The one in the front had started the bus and was beginning to back up.  
Ellen was yelling for him to stop.  She was firing again.  One...Two...Three 
more shots ripped into the VW bus.  The man slumped over the steering wheel as 
the VW engine died and the bus stopped about ten feet out of the parking slot.  
The sound of the 747 could be heard in the background as it turned southeast 
toward Boulder City.

                                    #####

    The aide was rushing down the hall toward the vice president's quarters.  
Maybe, he should start addressing him as "Mister President" ?  The secret 
service agent, standing at the door, seemed to be listening to something in 
his ear piece.  He drew his gun as the aide approached.  He knew and was 
scared.

    Shit !  They were all scared.  This hadn't happened since '63...And they 
still hadn't unfucked that one.  The country will go crazy.  They'll want 
blood.  They'll want revenge.....

    .....Al-Qaeda just up and disappeared mid Summer.  Not a single peep out 
of them...Oh !  There was some propaganda shit about bin Laden being alive and 
living in luxury in any one of a half dozen Arab states...But no operational 
traffic.  Both FBI and CIA were worried...And they were right to be worried.

    Who would be blamed for this attack ?  And with the election less than 
ninety days away...The vice president should be a shoe in...Who else would the 
country pick during this traumatic time ?  But then...Both attacks had occurred 
on their watch.  Ninety days was a long time...The country would rally around 
the vice president.  The aide was sure of that !?

                                    #####

    I was standing at the den window.  You could hardly see a thing.  Unusual 
weather for this late in the Summer.  I moved through the kitchen and out on 
to the lawn behind the house.  It was almost a mist.  Grass covered the ground 
all they way to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the "Back Bay."  The 
grass was not just damp but wet.  It was coming up on 0700 hours and I was 
wondering if the first flight would make it off in this soup.

    I could hear the jet engines...Subdued in the thick fog but still you 
could hear them.  I listened until there was silence and then wandered back 
inside.

    After flipping on the TV, I headed into the kitchen to brew up some 
tea...The tone of the voices on the tube drew me back into the den.  I sat 
across from the TV.  Fucking blown away !  Totally stunned !  Unable to move.  
The banner running across the bottom of the screen stated that Air Force One 
had been shot down in the mid-west at 0405 hours this morning as it was taking 
off for Washington D.C.  I was still wrestling with the girls.  The TV 
commentators were close to panic...This was as bad as the Twin Towers and 
appeared to be still on going.  A commercial airliner had been shot down on 
take off somewhere near Pittsburgh...Another near St. Louis...Another near 
Dallas.....

    "We've just received this news alert.  Southwest Flight 1639 out of John 
Wayne this morning hasn't answered inquiries and is being treated as lost.  
Air rescue has been alerted but the weather along the coast is going to make 
searching almost impossible.  The last radar contact was but two miles off 
Balboa Peninsula....."

    The words soon became indistinguishable...My mind somewhere else.  I 
reached for the pipe and took a huge drag.  I was standing on the edge of the 
cliff within ten minutes of when it happened...Less that two miles from the 
flight path and I didn't see or hear a thing.  They must have had someone at 
the airport giving them a heads up...Cool off the heads and fire ahead of the 
noise...The missiles punch up through the clouds and gobble up the only heat 
source available...Yea !  A lucky shot but not impossible.  Or maybe, they 
were right off the end of the runway ?  Either way it was possible...The 
Southwest flight was no coincidence.

    I took another drag and wandered out on to the lawn.  It was a little 
after eight but none of the ladies were up yet.  I slithered down the cliff 
and felt dirty when I reached the dirt road that runs around this side of the 
bay.  I moved across the road and off through the underbrush.  Water covered 
the ground about fifteen feet into the thicket.  It was high tide.

    My friends from Mexico burst into my memory.  Two guys could paddle out 
here.  Nobody would see them...It's not unusual to see kayaks out paddling 
about.  Two surfboards would attract no undue attention.  They paddle out at 
night, hide in the reeds and fire away...It would have to be close and the fog 
would cover their retreat.  Shit !  Two guys could do it but I thought I could 
see the "yellow haired" woman at the airport with some communication device.

    I took another drag off the pipe...Not a good time to start a crusade to 
legalize a prohibited substance.  The bullshit would be waist deep now...All 
drug dealers are terrorists...Smoking dope is treason.  Shit !  They let that 
"jihad" Johnny off easy enough.  But it all started with Jane...That ignorant 
slut.....

    .....I was back in the den sitting across from the TV, packing the bowl 
with some dynamite weed...Willy's Bud...My thoughts star burst when Erin cried 
out.

    "Oh !  Fuck !  Not again...Willy...What the fuck did they do this time ?"  
She was standing behind the couch, staring at the TV.  I didn't feel her 
approach.  I jumped a bit.

    "Sit down...Erin...Take a couple of hits off the pipe...Chill out.  Things 
are going to be a little fucked up for a while."  I passed her the pipe and it 
went back and forth for a while...We just stared at the TV.  There were a lot 
of airliners, flying the stars and stripes, strewn all over the countryside.

    The girls didn't get up until about noon and by then it was all over; 
although it would be another forty-eight hours before the all clear was 
sounded.  Six U.S. airliners shot down within the continental United 
States...Six within about seven hours.  It started with Air Force One.  The 
vice president had been sworn in three hours after the crash...The contents of 
Air Force One spread out over about five acres of Nebraska farm land.  Then 
the others started to pop up.  Pittsburgh...Dallas-Fort Worth...John 
Wayne...They missed at Las Vegas and some idiot lawyer was talking on TV about 
how there might have been a violation of the two murdered arab-men's civil 
rights.  Political correctness to the extreme.

    I buried my head in my hands.  We were under attack again !  There are no 
rules in war...Well, just one...Survive.  I debated whether I should get up 
and immediately fly back to Mexico...Probably not.  I'm sure the airports will 
be closed for quite a while and the airlines...Sayonara, boys !  It was fun 
while it lasted but I think air travel just became a very restricted item.

    I broke out of my depression.  "Erin...You gonna be up for driving Carmen 
back to 'Vegas ?  Tonight...late...I-15 ought to be clear.  Spend about a day, 
get some rest and then hightail it back here with the equalizers.  I think the 
United States just became a war zone and I don't want to be caught out naked."  
Erin was staring at the replay of vice president Cheney being sworn in as the 
President of the United States.

    "Erin...Snap out of it, honey.  No time to waste...Survival.  There's a 
big consignment coming across tomorrow.  I want you up there to keep the 
natives from getting restless.  It's Carmen's group and they're pretty 
sharp...She'll be with you.  Put a hold on everything.  I'll get it on the 
server this evening and send out a warning e-mail as soon as we finish this 
bowl...Erin are you getting all this ?"

    Erin was still staring at the TV screen.  The video was from the wreckage 
of Air Force One.  The answer came from the hall.  "Yea...Malibu...We got it 
under control.  Don't sweat it."  Both of them were wearing just "T" shirts.  
Ruth had her hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.  Carmen did 
the talking but she was glued to the TV.

                         ***** CHAPTER FIFTEEN *****

    The fog rolled in about five-thirty that afternoon.  The sun was still 
shining but it got real hazy before six and the sky was totally obscured by 
sunset.  Ruth left this afternoon for her condo down in Irvine.  She'd 
transferred from UNLV...With a 4.0, you can go just about anywhere.  Erin and 
Carmen were asleep.  I was waking them at eleven and sending them on their 
way.

    Then I had another appointment to keep.  I'd already removed my board from 
the van.  In the future one of the equalizers stayed with the van at all 
times.  I'd purchased a couple more for the "pueblo" down South.  Even gave 
Luci and Pablo a couple of lessons.  I'd e-mailed Luci this morning and told 
her to stand pat in Mazatlan.  The "pueblo" was on it's own.  The owner didn't 
have to run out there to check up on them.  I was confident they'd be on high 
alert.....

    .....I slipped and slid to the bottom of the cliff, landing on my ass at 
the edge of the road.  The board slipped out of my hand but, thank the Lord, 
didn't make much noise as it slid to the bottom of the hill.  My feet hurt 
like hell, scraping across the pebbles of the road.  I got to my feet and 
retrieved the board.  It was black as night out but the fog gave it a gray 
color.  Visibility was no more than fifty or sixty feet.

    I was into the brush and making a lot of noise.  I stood still for a long 
few moments, in knee deep water.  I already felt warm in the wet suit and knew 
as soon as I started paddling, I would cook.

    I pushed off and just coasted...On my knees, getting into a good paddling 
position.  I was clear of the reeds and dipped my arms for the first time.  I 
remembered Dale's instructions...Dig deep...Get a rhythm going...I was really 
moving.  I had the GPS in a water proof bag and it was wedged between my 
knees.  I followed the needle until the magic box said I was just short of the 
bridge into Balboa Bay and Newport Harbor...The bridge over which PCH ran.

    The visibility was pretty much the same here but I could see lights 
driving by, up on the bridge.  The only people who were going to find me were 
those with radar.  I didn't think there'd be many around with that capability 
at 0100 hours.

    I wasn't really sure where I was going ?  There were several very tiny 
islands...Very exclusive...Right along the edges of the bay and some very rich 
people lived there.  The kind that were unlikely to ask too many questions of 
their rich neighbors...Especially those they don't see too often.....

    .....Almost every house had a slip for a boat.  Some of the slips were 
empty...Whether the boat was out of port or sold after the stock market slide 
was anybody's guess ?  After a bit they all looked alike.  It was just a 
little after four before I found her...Oh !  She had a different name on her 
and was no longer flying the colors of Mexico...But I was quite positive.

    I paddled to shore and snuck up on to the dock.  There was a short gate 
but I was over it quickly and down into the boat moments later.  The cabin was 
locked up tight so I attempted to get a look inside but I was kidding myself.

    I moved up on to their lawn...About ten feet or so until you came to the 
house.  There was no light from inside but I wandered about for a few minutes 
to get the lay of the land.  I found the surfboards, lying along the side of 
the house.  No need to hide the boards.  They were home free...They also left 
a window partially open on the second floor.....

    .....I was back sitting in the den, getting stoned.  I'd be tucked into 
bed by zero six hundred...I slept until fifteen hundred hours then packed a 
bowl as I read e-mail.  Erin and Carmen arrived ok and Erin was leaving at 
midnight...Be in about four...four-thirty, she thought.  Traffic was better 
than we thought.  Heavy but no panic.  All teams had acknowledged the "knock 
it off" and were standing down.  I smoked a bowl, then called my mother to ask 
if they had any friends who lived on.....

                                    #####

    "...woman in 'Vegas is being treated like a hero.  Six shots.  Six hits.  
The D.A. out there says she won't face any charges while he's in office.  
Unfortunately there have been more shootings...Not quite as heroic.  Several 
middle eastern young men were gunned down in Upper New York State early this 
morning.  They all appear to be drive-bys.  Also out in Oregon some nut blew 
away one of their congressmen.  Told the police, who have him in custody, that 
the congressman should have taken care of home land defense...Been a little 
more patriotic...Terrific story.  His only son was on one of the flights shot 
down yesterday."

    Dick Cheney leaned back in the chair of the President of the United States 
and closed his eyes.  What could he say tonight that would calm the country ?  
What could he do to stop this insanity ?  He snapped out of it.

    "Do we have anything on any of the shoot downs...Any of the fuckers who 
did this ?"

    The silence lasted several seconds.  "Except for the two dead in 
'Vegas...No sir, not a fucking thing."

                                    #####

    It was two in the afternoon before we got our shit together.  The van had 
some magnetized signs on the sides but still didn't look very commercial.  We 
pulled up about five doors down and across the street from the target.  I went 
to the door.  Erin stayed with the van.  I chatted with my parent's friends 
for a few moments and then ran back to the van.

    We parked in their driveway and sat to wait.  It was dusk and very foggy 
before there was any action.  Two men drove out of the garage in a very snazzy 
sports car.  Don't ask me what kind...I have no idea ?  But it was them...I 
could feel it.  As soon as they disappeared around the corner, I drove down 
the street and backed into their driveway.

    I was up on top of the van and on to the roof of their house in under a 
minute.  Erin drove away as soon as I signaled her.  I moved across the roof 
and into that second story window I saw open this morning.  Not a sound.  It 
was a bedroom...Empty...But the bathroom wasn't.  The blonde was naked in the 
bath tub...Hard to tell how she died ?  Nice little body, though.  She'd been 
dead a couple of days at least...She smelled, was bloated and stiff as a 
board.

    The other bedroom was empty as was it's bath.  I crept downstairs and 
snuck around until I was sure I was the only one in the house.  Their luggage 
was in the front room !  Packed and ready to get out of Dodge !?  The boat !?  
Fifteen minutes since I entered the house.  Erin should be back pretty soon.  
I moved back to the front of the house, and peeked out the front window.

    Three minutes later, Erin appeared on the sidewalk and made her way to the 
front door.  I opened the door and she slid into the entry way.  I handed her 
an AK and we moved back through the house for one more check.  Twenty minutes 
later we were set up in the front room.  Erin was the bait.  I was the cover.

                         ***** CHAPTER SIXTEEN *****

    The couch was very comfortable.  We sat down to wait.  It was a long wait 
and we exercised every twenty minutes or so to keep alert...Ok !  Ok !  And 
played a lot of "what if" games to stay awake...Waiting is the worst.  The 
garage door coming up gave us plenty of warning.

    Erin was on the upstairs landing with a good field of fire and cover while 
I was behind the couch in the front room.  I could hear them laughing as they 
walked down the hall.  They were passing through the entryway on the way to 
the front room.

    "Freeze or I blow you away !"  They turned as one and after some quick 
foreign tongue, started to separate...Slowly but they were trying to give Erin 
two targets to cover.  These boys were no amateurs.

    "The lady said `freeze' !"  They both started turning to face me.  The 
thick one had his right hand inside his jacket.

    "Phutt...Phutt...Phutt"  Three rounds threw him back against the wall of 
the front room and he crumpled in a heap on the floor.  His hand was out of 
his jacket and there was a mean looking nine millimeter close to it.  Blood 
was pumping out of the holes in his chest and stomach.

    The thin guy was going into shock as he watched his partner sliding down 
the wall.  His hands came to his mouth but he made no sound.

    "On your knees, mother fucker.  Hands on your head.  The Ak's on full auto 
and there is nothing more I'd like to do than blow your dick and balls off 
with a short burst."  Erin was down on the ground floor, five or six feet from 
him.

    "You've got about a second or I take out your knees.  You'll never walk 
again."  He looked at me.  Hate in his eyes.  I put a round in the floor at 
his feet and he jumped back.  Erin hit him in the back of the knee with her AK 
butt and he went to his knees.

    Erin had one of his wrists cuffed before I could close the distance and 
slam the butt down on the back of his neck.  His other wrist was cuffed and 
Erin was tying his legs with some clothes line and securing it though the hand 
cuffs.  He was trussed up like a pig waiting for the slaughter.  She stuffed 
some rags in his mouth and got off him to retrieve her weapon.  I pointed 
upstairs and she took off.  I searched the downstairs, including the garage.

    "Malibu !"

    "Toop !"

    I could hear her skipping down the stairs.  Our friend had rolled over on 
to his side but that was as far as he was able to go.  I pulled him over 
toward the couch by his feet.  He wiggled around a bit.  He cried out when I 
dropped the couch leg on the back of his ankle.  I kicked the couch and the 
couch leg ended up between his.  He'd have to drag the couch to move and it 
was a heavy mother fucker.

    "You got a little cowgirl in you, lady ?"  Erin laughed and went over to 
sit on the couch.  "I'll get the stuff.  Keep an eye on our `get out of jail 
free card' while I'm gone and drag his buddy into the kitchen."  She just 
nodded before I backed through the front door.

    I got back to the house in a little under ten minutes.  No one would see 
me running through this fog.  It was coming up on midnight.  Zero three 
hundred hours on the East Coast.  We ought to have some good news for them by 
0900 their time.....

    .....Erin was gabbing on the phone with Ruth.  I was setting up the 
camera.  I'd already blacked out the windows with some newspapers and tape.  I 
dragged the kneeler over so he could see it.  It looked out of place in the 
front room.  Our `get out of jail free card' looked puzzled and began moving 
his head around every once and a while as we prepared the interrogation room.

    It was after one before Ruth showed up.  I was real baked by then and 
really starting to get pumped up.  She was dressed exactly how I envisioned 
it.  Tight black leotards with that chain and the "star of David" dangling 
between her breasts.  Erin guarded our buddy and I took Ruth up stairs to go 
over the plan a few times.

    It was a little after three before Ruth and I came down stairs.  Ruth 
stayed in the entry way and I strode into the front room.  "Ok !  Fuck head !  
You've had a nice nap.  Time for some fun and games."

    I untied his legs and dragged him out into the middle of the front room.  
He started to struggle then went a little rag doll when Erin hit him in the 
kidney with the butt end of the AK.  I got the cuffs hooked to the base of the 
kneeler and he started kicking his feet.  I tackled his legs and got hit in 
the shoulder pretty hard.  I was stoned and felt fuzzy.  I tightened my grip 
on his legs.  Erin finished the job.  I got up and rubbed my shoulder.

    I reached down and ripped the rags out of his mouth.  He started going off 
in a foreign language that I was very unfamiliar with.  I really had no idea 
and neither did Erin.  I wandered over and turned on the camera.  He was still 
off to the races.  I let him go on.  No sense trying to stop him.

    His voice started to crackle and then he stopped mouthing off altogether.  
I pulled a chair over and sat.  The camera was between he and I.  He turned to 
look at me and the camera was catching his every facial expression.  I had it 
wired into the TV.

    "Hi !"

    He quickly looked away.  "I will have you killed for this."  It was 
excellent english.

    "Not from where I'm standing, senor.  You must be smoking better weed than 
I am.  Personally, I think mine's just about the best in the world now...Maybe 
some better in Holland...Maybe not ?  But we're not here to discuss the love 
of my life."

    "Your government will punish you very severely for this.  I have diplomatic 
immunity.  Your government has to return..."  He went on for a few minutes but 
I lost interest, got up and lit a big joint.

    When he stopped talking, I sat down again.  "Ok !  Here's the deal.  Take 
it or leave it.  I am not a member of any government agency.  In fact there 
are many in the U.S. government who would consider me a criminal.  Inside this 
house there are no rules but my rules.  So we can do this the easy way or the 
hard way...Your choice."

    "I'm not saying another word until I see a representative of my embassy."

    "I guess it's going to be the hard way."  I moved the chair away as I 
stood.  "Ruth..."

    Ruth stepped into the front room, feet spread, hands on her hips.  Her 
breasts were thrust out and you could see the bra she was wearing.  The gold 
"star of David" was prominent on her chest.  Her hair was all ratted and 
crazy, closer to auburn than red.  She had a foot long, black dildo dangling 
between her legs.

    "Ok, senor !  Here's the warm up.  This is Ruth.  She is a raving bull 
dike lesbian.  Do they have any of those in your country ?"  He was looking 
off toward Ruth.  "Anyway, I'm going to cut your trousers off and then your 
underwear.  Getting the big picture, yet.  The video is going to be running 
the whole time.  Take a look at the quality.  This is really good.  It'll 
record every thrust into your rectum.  She's going to fuck you until you 
bleed...But on the way you're going to get a hardon.  That, I'm sure of.  And 
then we're going to slide this greased up glass rod right up the ol' urethra.  
Ruth will then tap on it a couple of times with a hammer.  Wala...You piss 
blood 'till you die, senor ?  That's what the Nazi's did to your grandfather 
wasn't it, Ruth ?"

    I could see the sweat dribbling off his neck.  It was all down hill from 
there and I sent my flash e-mail at zero five hundred hours Pacific time.

                                    #####

    The president had just finished listening to the audio.  There was no need 
to see the video.  The audio was enough.  The men had left.  He was alone and 
angry.  The phone on his desk rang a couple of times but he didn't answer it.  
Instead he picked up his scrambled phone and dialed the SecDef's personal 
number.

    "Got a pencil, Don ?"

    "Yes, Mister President."

    "Ok...

                                    #####

    It was 0200 hours when the German chancellor was rousted out of bed.  The 
general was insistent that the chancellor have this information immediately.  
The officer was pacing in the hall.  His uniform was pressed and neat.  The 
chancellor felt under dressed in a robe and slippers.

    "Why couldn't this wait for morning ?  Are we going to war ?"

    "The americans have scrambled all their fighters in Germany...And in the 
Northern countries too.  England also.  There is, at this moment, an armada of 
american airliners crossing the atlantic...All with fighter escort.  I'm sure 
they are all armed to the teeth.  Most are scheduled to land here in a little 
over two hours."

    "So what..."

    "The americans have escorted every german national off their bases and are 
moving their tanks out of bivoac areas.  Their dependants have been given less 
than two hours to pack up and go home.  American companies are instructing 
their employees over open lines to head to the nearest american facility with 
their passports for transport back to the U.S."

    "What do you make of this ?"

    "The americans are going to war."  The chancellor looked at the general 
like he had told a funny joke.....

                                     end

                             !!! COMING SOON !!!
                      *** "Tax Weed !  Free Hemp !" ***