.." Travis, don't you see what a mess this is? You don't see it, because you don't know enough. You don't know enough about me. And the things I've do...ne. Okay, you knew about Toby and about Clarence Wolcott. Probably from Franklin. But it's not just that I slept with both of them in the past. It's worse, Travis!"I was still trying to comfort her, but I also had one ear cocked, listening for the arrival of hoped-for reinforcements from her mother and Franklin. I needed them in here. I needed. I could control my destiny up to a point and then, seemingly at a whim, that destiny could be taken from me and another forced upon me. Or I could cease to exist, as almost all my fellow inhabitants of Earth had. What happened to them? Did they go to their chosen heaven or hell or did they just disappear into oblivion, as if they never were?Had I been happy with the way things were going on our planet? Heck, no. The two political parties, each a mirror vision of the other, constantly striving. I need the keys to my personal Jeep. I am going to stay out of radio contact for a while so you haven't seen me today." The Sheriff just dropped off your unit. I will pull it inside out of sight. I suggest you turn your cell off too. I have already had a dozen calls from different news agencies looking for you. Seems you're a hero again. The Governor has already had one news conference this morning naming you and the State Police the heroes of the hour for finding all those children. The radio. " Can't you just give them what they want so they will go away and leave us alone?" She stared wild-eyed around her in horror, ready to explode emotionally."No, we can't," Melissa told her as she joined them on the couch. "Then they would kill us. Besides we don't know where whatever it is they want is located." Princess, please go get the duct tape out of the kitchen drawer and start with your two prisoners. Then come in here and get this imitation cop taped up. Miss Von Crapper here and I are.