Monday August 21, 2013 8:25 am Cabin of Mark and Ariel Jameson
Ariel awoke to find herself alone in bed, Mark had apparently not been able to sleep again and possibly passed out in a chair downstairs as he had for the last several night. She was growing worried about her husband, his recent insomnia, diminished appetite, near total lack of desire and affection... it wasn't at all like the Bernese boy she had dated for months and married a month ago. Something, or maybe somethings, from their recent encounters with the little doe/husky druid Sonnet, and the liger woman that had accosted them had him very far from his normal self. She had tried to gently pry the information form him, always meeting with an iron wall of resistance. As she lay there contemplating how she could get her husband to open up and talk to her she rolled from the bed and lay sprawled on the floor at the sudden report of what sounded like a small cannon. As she screamed the sound repeated. A third resounding report cracked and echoed a moment before she heard Marks voice, screaming out in what she thought was pain. She bolted from the room, nearly tripping as she flew downstairs and out the cabin door. She spotted him laying face down off to the side of the cabin
“MARK!, OH GODDESS MARK...” the collie screamed as she ran towards the heap on the ground.
“If that was someone shooting at the cabin... you would be dead now,” the Bernese boy said calmly as he turned to look at his wife and rose to one elbow.
“Shooting at the.. OH MY GOD what the hell is that?” she started to ask as her voice rose to a screech.
“That is a 338 Magnum Lapua sniper rifle,” Mark answered calmly. “And this,” he added patting a pile of brush beside him, “is Gunnery Sargent Mathew Davis,” he paused as the brush pile moved to reveal a man inside it.
“What the fuck are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?” Ariel nearly screamed at him.
“No honey, but I had to have some answers, and honestly this was the best way to get them. To see it with my own eyes,” Mark replied.
“See what?” she asked still wide eyed, not understanding a damn thing he was telling her.
“Jut how 'not close' that crazy liger could be and still make the shot. It's a lot further than I had thought,” the Bernese boy admitted, as he scowled in concentration.
“Mark, you have to tell Arny everything, maybe he can...” Ariel began before her husband cut her off.
“Maybe he can get himself killed. Ariel if she wanted me dead I would be. I'm more sure of that than I was before,” he replied.
“Ma'am, from what Mark has told me about the encounter, and especially about the cake sitting on your door step... I can assure you , the two of you were being watched when you returned home. If the intent had been to kill your husband it would have happened when he bent down to pick up the cake. That move would have put him in a spot that any sniper could set up and be waiting for to maximize accuracy,” the military man said in a flat, even tone.
“Then why did she threaten us like that?” the collie asked.
“Like I said before honey, she wanted us apart, and wanted my full attention so she could get information out of me about what I'm doing for Ralph. She didn't directly make a threat, only a very strongly implied threat that she didn't have to be close. Honestly it may have been more of her saying if I wanted you out, you would already be out, I don't know. But from her saying she had as big of an investment in the Daniels family as I do, I'm sure she is connected to Daisy and that kangaroo mouse girlfriend of hers.” Looking back to the gunnery sergeant Mark said, “thank you for your time, and the demonstration. It's been very enlightening and given me more than a few things to think about.”
“Not a problem Mr. Jameson, I was quite curious when the base commander asked if I would be interested in demonstrating the capabilities of a lapua based sniper rifle. Having heard your reasons, I would say that if you feel that this woman is no threat that you're right. If she had wanted to take you out she would have had no problem doing so and making it look like a simple hunting accident.” Glancing over his shoulder for a moment at the collie he added, “I just hope we didn't scare you wife too badly.”
“I'm sure she will be okay in time gunny, and I'll do my best to get and keep her calmed down. I'm not entirely sure if this woman is a threat or not, she seemed to get what she came for. But it's not like I'll be letting my guard down anytime soon.” Turning to his wife Mark said, “how about we go into town for breakfast this morning, I want to go by and check on mom and dad, and I think it might be a good idea to check on your sister too. Thank you again gunny,” the Bernese boy said turning to look the panther in the eyes again.
“Not a problem sir, but let me offer a few words of advice. If this woman had made no direct threats against you it's because she feels they would be pointless. She's obviously been well trained and likely spent several years in the service. Part of sniper training is to know your target as well as they know themselves. Their schedules, habits, quirks, everything you can learn about them. Solid advice even for many situations outside of the military, and it certainly sounds to me like she had you nailed down pretty well, not surprising since old habits die hard. The fact that she had contact with you means you were most likely never a serious target as far as plying her trade. Her methods are a bit unorthodox, but you are correct in that she wanted to get information from you, privately. From what you have described of the encounter I would say that she tends to be rather direct and blunt in her methods, answers without diplomacy, which is probably not her strong suit,” the sergeant said flatly as he stowed the spotters scope back into it's hard shell travel case.
“Wise words indeed gunny,” the Bernese boy said turning to his wife.
“Mark,” she said with tears welling up in her eyes. “Do you really think you'll be safe traipsing around in public? Shouldn't you be staying indoors so no one...”
Mark placed his paws on her cheeks, looking deeply into her emerald green eyes as he spoke. “Ariel honey, I tried that once. Shutting myself in, avoiding everything and everyone that could possibly hurt me in any way. If not for the intervention of the Goddess in bringing Samantha into my life... I would have lost the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the world. I can't let myself crawl back into that pit Ariel, not now and not ever. I have way too much to lose now if I do.”
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Monday August 21, 2013 10:45 am Home of Bob and Alice Jameson
Alice answered the front door before a third round of knocking could start, breaking into a huge smile to see her son and daughter-in-law standing on the small front stoop paw in paw. Merciful Maiden, they do know how to leave that cabin, and wearing clothes too no less,” the older female said as she ushered the young couple inside.
“We could go back out, strip and come in again if that's more fitting mom,” the boy said playfully to his mother.
“As you wish son,” the older Bernese said in reply. “It's just good to see the two of you either way,” she said as she pulled them both into a firm hug.
“Yes it is,”Bob Jameson said as he stepped off the last stair turning to head into the family room. “Now get your ass in here and sit boy, we need to talk,” the older male said sternly.
Pulling himself from the two ladies Mark looked at them and said, :”I better get in there, pretty sure I Know what it's about,” as he walked off to follow his father.
“Bob and I haven't eaten yet either,” Alice said to her daughter-in-law, “why don't you and I go whip up some breakfast while the men talk. I've sure that mark can take care of himself with his father.”
As Mark sat on the end of the couch nearest his fathers favorite recliner the older Bernese passed him the paper he had been refolding as the boy entered the family room. “You want to explain to me why I have to find out the details of my son and his new wife being assaulted from this instead of from you?” he asked with an obvious note of irritation in his voice.
Barely giving the paper a glance Mark replied, “that's actually part of why we're here this morning. I wanted to come by and see you and mom, but I wanted to tell you about what really happened. I figured you had heard about it by now.”
“Heard about it to a degree yes, but to be honest, I stopped listening when the story I was being told got to the point of you two being attacked by crazed midget penguin ninjas. By then I figured that what I was being told was likely a load of crap,” the older male said. “So how about you tell me what really happened.”
“How about the short and simple version then,” the younger Bernese began. “Ariel and I came into town for dinner at Mel's, then we decided to walk around McKendry park for a little while., then around town a bit before we headed home. I heard someone call my name, turned around to find myself on the receiving end of being grabbed and shoved into a crevice in a store front by a liger woman. Sh pulled a pair of pistols on use and told Ariel to run and get help. I was fairly sure then that neither of us were in any real danger so I waited to find out what she wanted,”
“Are you out of your mind? A strange woman points a gun at you, and your wife and you didn't rip her throat out? I didn't realize you had gone soft on us son,” Bob said shaking his head slowly.
“I haven't dad, I analyzed the situation carefully as it unfolded. Neither I nor Ariel were ever in any real danger unless I did something stupid to trigger a trained, automatic response fro the woman. She military trained, a sniper, I'm positive of,” the young man said as he dug into his left front pocket retrieving the rifle round the liger had handed to him.
“What makes you think...” his father began to ask.
“Because when we were done with our little talk she handed me this,” Mark responded tossing the cartridge to his father.
Bob Jameson caught the large round, drawing it closer to his muzzle as he scrutinized it carefully. “.338 lapua round, your right about her being a sniper, and military trained. And this doesn't scare the shit out of you?” he asked holding the round by the base as he passed it back to his son.
“It did at first, but if anything it proves what I already thought. If her intentions had been to harm or kill me I would have never even known it was coming. I will take her words and her visit seriously dad. But I'm far less concerned about her than what ever it is that has her troubled about my involvement in Ralph's family matters. I will look into her as best as I can as always. But if she has concerns about what I'm doing when it comes to the moose family, I think it only prudent that I take a much closer look into them for myself,” he said as he pocket the rifle round again.
“Alright you two,” Alice Jameson said as she poked her head into the family room. “Breakfast is ready and there are two very pretty ladies in the kitchen that expect to see their husbands furry asses parked at the table when they set down the plates. I would suggest you not keep them waiting, they have iron skillets handy and may be tempted to use them.”
Looking Mark in the face bob said, “sounds like that's our cue to haul tail fur bag,” the older Bernese said as he stood up sniffing the air deeply. “Hot damn, I smell bacon and waffles, let's eat.”
A short chapter to continue the story line and fill in the gap left in Marks response to the ligers visit to Winter Creek. This one needed to be done to fill in a gap that would be glaringly obvious later on as events continue to develop and unfold in the young Bernese boys life.
