Title: One step over the line
Author: T'PeeJ
Email: tpeej@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Byers gets a visit from a college friend. She asks for help.
Disclaimers: None, that I know of.

This one is for my sister, the real Samantha Helen.

Legal stuff-I don’t own the Lone Gunmen, I just borrowed them for a bit. 
Song written by Sting, I am only borrowed it like I do with the Gunmen. I 
am not making any money off this, but I could dream of it, Right?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Langly worked at his computer as Frohike and Byers worked on the artifacts from the latest investigation of the Lone Gunmen. They were working on a deadline. It was coming up fast. They really wanted to finish this one up for this newsletter. They didn’t want to sit on the information until the next one. Byers was looking a fabric and Langly was hard at working checking with some people who had been helping with this story. Frohike was checking out the remains of evidences. The job was to find out who was to blame for a serious auto accident that killed several people. They were trying to figure out if it was the vehicle that was the cause or maybe the tires. It could even be human error, but the Lone Gunmen were betting on the vehicle or the tires.  Jimmy had gone on a food run; hopefully he would get it right this time.

Byers was at the magnify glass looking at the details of the fabric. He was trying to determine if the ingrain was dirt or sand.

“It’s hard to tell this way, I am going to need to remove it from the material and then I will be able to know if it’s sand or dirt.” The Professor like man was so absorbed into the work; he didn’t know that his two companions didn’t reply.

“It looks like sand. Though what do I know,” said a woman and a sigh followed.

“I do believe you are right Langly,” said Byers.

“What man, did you say?” called out the longhaired man.

“I said, Langly, I think you are right that it could be sand.” Byers looked over at the man, who had spoke to him.

Both Langly and Frohike looked at Byers like he had lost his mind.

“Langly didn’t say any thing to you, Byers until just now. So who are you talking to man,” asked the older member of the group, Frohike.

“If you didn’t tell me it was sand and I know it wasn’t Frohike’s voice that spoke to me, then who was it?” Asked Byers. The three men looked around the room.

There was a bang at the door, and the Gunmen turned to see Jimmy Bond standing outside with their food through the monitor. They looked at each other again, Byers being closest to the door, got up to let the man in.

“Hey guys, food has arrived. I made sure every thing was right this time, before I left the restaurant.” The giant man-child smiled at Byers and then at the other two.

“Great, Jimmy,” the three Gunmen said at the same time. The things they put up with for the use of the man’s money.  Byers took the sacks from the man and put them on the counter. He opened up the first bag to see what was in it, when he saw something move from the corner of his eye. It was coming from the direction of the door. Byers turned to see what was there, when he saw a woman standing there. She smiled at him.

“How did she get in here?” asked Byers. He knew the face. It had changed since the last time he had seen it, but there was something that he knew.  The woman was about Byers’ height with shoulder length blonde hair. Byers thought on the face again. He couldn’t call up the name yet.

“She who?” asked Frohike. “There is no one there, Byers, give us our food and lets get back to work.” The man got up from his work and come over to get the food from Byers.

“Jimmy,” said Byers, turning toward the man. “Did she came in with you?”

“No one came in with me, Byers, you saw that. I made sure that no one comes in here, without you guys know about it. I swear!” said the gentle giant as he raised his hand up.

“Oh come on guys, she is right there by the door. She is standing there wearing sweat cloths,” said Byers. The three men shook their heads no at him. “What is going on? Thought Byers.

“Hello John,” said the woman.

“Oh lord, I am losing my mind. It’s talking to me. You guys did heard her just now, did you?” asked Byers to the other three men.

Once again the other three shook their heads no.

“Byers get your food and get back to work,” said Langly as he tore into his hamburger and fries.

“John, what are you working on?” said the woman. “The stuff in the fabric looks like the fine grains that you see at the beach. You would have to analyze it to figure out what area it is from and then which beach it could be. Though you know that already. You were always the smart one of the group back in college. You had the answers almost before the question got out of the Prof's mouth.” She smiled as she walked by Byers.

“Where are you going?” asked Byers as he followed the woman down the pathways between filing cabinets and shelves with equipment.

“Byers, what the hell are you going?” yelled Frohike. “Jimmy follow him.  Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.”

“Sure Frohike, I will,” called out Jimmy as he ducked down a pathway to find the other man.

“What is with Byers? Is he really losing it or what?” asked Langly.

“I’m not sure, Langly but this is really getting strange. You don’t think something was put in the food?” said Frohike. Langly spit out the food in his mouth. Looking like he was just poisoned.

“No Byers hasn’t had any food yet,” commented Frohike. “It has to be something else. Do you think he is missing his lady love, Susanne?”

“Oh Geez please, lets not let him take us down that path again. Women are a pain in the butt,” spouted Langly.

“Langly how in hell would you know about women? You, my friend wouldn’t know a good piece of as…” Byers came running back up to the work area and Jimmy was right behind him. Byers looked like he had the hell scared out of him. The two other Gunmen got up and walked over to Byers, who was sitting on the floor by the door, holding his head.

“Frohike, Langly, it’s the damnest thing. He was talking to ‘her’. Questioning on who she was, when he said a name, Samantha Helen. Then she started to talk to him some more and then he freaked out. Then he came running out here,” said Jimmy.

Frohike bent down to face Byers, “What is going on, John?” He spoke softly to the man.  Langly came down to Byers level, “John, you can tell us anything. We are Brothers in arm. Your mission is our mission.  If you need us to help you, we will. Tell us, what it is?”

“Frohike,” he looked up at the man and then to Langly. “Langly, I swear to all that we hold sacred that I am seeing a friend from college in here with us. Her name is Samantha Helen Tanner. She wants my-our help. She is at the moment looking at Langly’s computer.” The three other men turned toward the computer and they saw nothing there. A piece of paper lifted off the table that the computer is on. The three other Gunmen screamed.

“What is their problem, John?” asked Samantha Helen. She held a piece of paper in her hand to read. “You know, John, you guys are in some heavy duty stuff. Your friend there is checking on some stuff that is in the danger zone. Man I wish I could hang out here with you. It looks like a hellva lot more fun then what I am doing.” She stopped talking and watched to guys trying to get the door open. Walking over to them, she still carried the paper, “Where are you guys going?” Reaching out to Langly, she pulled him back.

“She’s got me. I am done for. You guys get all my stuff. I try not to make God crazy with my loud music,” yell Langly as he went back two feet.

Grabbing Jimmy’s belt loop, Samantha Helen pulled on it and he ended up by Langly. His scream filled the room.

Byers and Frohike turned to face her. They had their back against the door.

“Now look here lady. We don’t have to stay here with you, if we don’t want,” Commanded Frohike. “You can’t push us around. This is our place.”

“But John, you are the only person who has heard me. I need you to help me.” She turned away from him and moved back toward the computers. “If you, the only person I ever thought of as a friend can’t help me, then where do I go? What do I do?” asked Samantha Helen. Putting her hands up to her face, she started to cry. The piece of paper fell to the floor.

“Langly pick that up,” said Frohike. Talking about the paper.

“Are you out of your mind. I am not picking anything a ghost touches. It could kill me. You know the Government could have sent her here to kill us.  There is no way I am touching it. Jimmy, you get it.” Commented Langly.

“Sure Langly,” said Jimmy Bond bent down to pick up the paper. “I don’t see any thing on it, Langly, so I don’t think it has been poisoned or anything.”

John wrinkled up his face, “Oh God, she is crying.” He walked over to her. He reached to her and his hand went through her. “SamH, look you scared the hell out of us, what did you think was going to happen? It’s not every day that a ghost comes and asks us…me for help.” The other Gunmen followed Byers over to the woman.

“Has she stopped crying yet?” asked Jimmy. “I don’t know about you guys, but crying woman, break me heart. I would do just about anything for them, just to get them to stop.

The three Lone Gunmen turned and looked at Jimmy. Oh how they wished they could lock him a closet.

“SamH, I want to introduce you to my friends and business associates, The Lone Gunman…”

“Melvin Frohike and Richard Langly. Not sure who the tall one is, but I am sure you will tell me, John.”

“Yes that is right and this is Jimmy Bond,” said Byers pointing to Jimmy.

SamH’s hands came down and she turned toward her friend, “Jimmy Bond, Oh John that is beautiful.” She laughed out loud.

“Did she know our names?” asked Langly.

“Yes, she did. SamH, how do you know their names?” asked Byers.

The woman sniffed a bit and looked at the others and back at Byers, “I have no idea, John. I just know their names.” She moved back toward the door and turned back to the men. She stood there and looked back toward the door.  “No,” she said and flew back into the door.

“SamH,” said John as he ran over to her. He stood there and watched as her face started to swell up. Her eyes were puffing up and closing.  “She is getting the hell beat of her, so she can’t be dead. Have any of you ever heard an ‘out of body’ when someone is in a coma or something like that?”

Langly started for his computer. “I am on it. Going to check the net and then try a person I know in England that use to be a Doctor. He sort of loses his license to practice. He might know something about it.

“There has got to be a way for us to see her too,” said Frohike. He ducked down one to the pathways of shelves to look around for some stuff.

What can I do, Byers?” asked Jimmy.

“I have no idea Jimmy. I have no idea what I am doing. Just fake it for a while and wait and see.” Said Byers as he sat down on the floor next to his old college friend.

“If I ever lose my faith in you, There’d be nothing left for me to do. Sting is wise man. Don’t you think so John?” said SamH in a whisper.

Byers almost didn’t hear her. “Sting, well you know that I am not really into that type of music, SamH. I like mine to be a little older.” He smiled at her. He hoped that she could still see him. Her eyes looked completely shut.

“OK JoFi, I did forget, you like the long hair music, but not of this century. Still into the three B’s?” She laughed at the man.

“Did you just call me JoFi? OK you are going to get it. You promised me that you wouldn’t call me that name ever again. Also I am still into the three B’s.” Byers lifted his hands up like he was going to strangle her neck.

“Oh sweet JoFi. I am just your SamIam. If you don’t use it, you lose it and it hurt too much to try to be cleaver and sort of rhymes.” She laughed once again.

“Hey Byers,” yelled Frohike. “I have an idea that might make it possible for us to see your friend there, but I am going to need your help.”

“Frohike, get Jimmy to help you, I don’t want to leave her alone.” He turned back to the older man.

“OK, I will get Jimmy to help me. God help me! Hey Jimmy I need your help,” yelled Frohike.

“Hey great, Frohike, I will be right there,” yelled Jimmy from some place with in the HQ.

Byers could hear those two mumbling off somewhere. Several crashes were heard and Jimmy being yelled at by Frohike. Shaking his head, Byers could hardly wait to see Frohike after all of that. Turning back to SamH, he noticed that she was reaching out to him. “SamH, you can’t touch me. It’s not possible.”

“Why,” she asked. If I can pick up the paper, I should be able to touch you.”

Byers looked at her. It was true; she did pick up the paper. Though HE tried to her touch her, not the other way around. She did pull Langly and Jimmy away from the door too. “OK, why don’t you try it then.”

As she reached out for him, Byers noticed that her face looked different.  A loud gasp of air escaped Byers, when her hand touched his cheek. It was as cold as death had to be.

SamH gasped and fell back against the door.

“Sammy, are you alright?” asked Byers.

“Yes,” was said softly. “I just got a run down on your life with that touch.  I saw your soul mate, John. She is beautiful. Susanne is a beautiful name too.”

Byers wanted to jump up and run out in to the night, to be lost and way from that memory. No matter how much time went by, that would be the one thing that ripped his heart apart every time. One more nail in the coffin. Some day those memories would kill him or make him insane.

“John, remember Sting’s wise words, ‘If I ever lose my faith in you, there’d be nothing left for me to do. I could be lost inside their lies without a trace, but every time I close my eyes I see your face.’ Don’t you, John, still after all this time?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said so quietly. “I love her with all my heart, soul and being. I will never forget her. I love her that much.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” whisper SamH.

Looking at her, “Sure,” Byers said with a sigh.

“I had a crush on you ten minutes after I meet you. I never did a thing about because I’ve never believed in love for myself.”

“What,” was whispered back to her?

“Look at me, John. I am not pretty. I am smarter then half of the males out there and not one of them want a female that could out smart them. I live alone with a cat. Bet you didn’t know that I worked for the FBI for several years, right here in D.C. I use to get off work and follow you guys around. Making sure you didn’t get in trouble whenever I could. I even get your newsletter.” She laughed.  “That’s how I knew their names from the newsletter. Shit, I hate being like this. I remember college like it happened ten minutes ago, but I can’t tell you my job. That draws a blank on me. I don’t know where I live.”

“If you get the newsletter, we can look you up and go from there,” said Byers as he got up off the floor and went to a computer and to look at their database. “SamH, you like in Saint Paul, MN. What the hell are you doing out there?” He turned back to his friend and saw that she was lying on the floor and moving very strangely.

“FROHIKE GET OUT HERE NOW!” Yelled Byers.

Langly jumped off the computer and Frohike and Jimmy came up front to see what Byers was yelling about.

“What’s going on Byers?” asked Langly.

“SamH is on the floor, her arms are sticking out on to the floor and she is doing this jerking movement,” Byers was at a lost for words at the movement his friend was making.

“Give it here kid, I am going to give it awhirl," said Frohike. Looking at Jimmy, the man-child handed over a headgear to the man that looked like it was causing pain instead of helping them see someone that wasn’t there. Jimmy held on to it as it came down on Frohike’s head.

“It’s on your head, Frohike,” said Jimmy.

“Turn me on then,” said the man.

Jimmy reached around to a button in the back and turned it the thing on.  There was a couple chirping sounds and then some clicks. Then a sound of  something charging up to full power came out of the thing on Frohike's head.  Jimmy stepped back away from Frohike. Langly and Byers saw him step back and they did like wise.

Frohike stood there looking at the door, then he moved his eyes down to the floor, “Oh Jesus, It looks like she is being stomped on by someone. Who ever has her, isn’t playing nice. I can see her, Byers. I have no idea on how we can hear her though.”

“Let me worry about the sound,” said Langly. “I have to get back to the computer. My Doctor friend in England should be on soon and I will hit him up for some information.” Turning back toward the computer, he reached out to Byers and touches his shoulder. Byers nodded his head at the man.

“Jimmy turn this thing off and help me out of it,” barked Frohike.

“Sure,” said Jimmy, happy as a little dickie bird, just to help the great, the powerful Melvin Frohike. He reached over and turned the thing off for the man and lifted it up and off Frohike’s head.

“OK, Byers, what do we know now? She is alive and getting the hell kicked out of her.” Said the senior member of the Lone Gunmen.

“We know that Byers has an other love slave. Geez the man collects women, like I collect rad band’s CD’s,” yelled out Langly.

Byers whipped around to the youngest member of the Lone Gunmen and had the look of murder in his eyes. “Langly, you shit. You had no right to repeat that. SamH told me that, not the whole world. Jesus, one of these days someone is going to kill you for being such a shit head toward other people’s feelings. I just might help them.” Byers turned and went to the back of the warehouse.

“Langly, you idiot. You really need to make sure you listen to yourself before opening your mouth. He is pissed off now. I wouldn’t count on him talking to civilly for a while to you,” said Frohike as he walked passed the man at the computer. Walking towards the sleeping area, Frohike found Byers at his bed. The man in the suit was on his hands and knees, looking under the bed. Not like any of Byers’ suits didn’t cost a pretty penny. He had good taste and dressed that way too. The coal gray colored suit was one of 
Byers favorites. He was muttering under there, but Frohike couldn’t understand what was being said.

“Byers, come on out.”

“Why the hell for? Do you want to take a shot at me too?” yelled Byers from under the bed.

“Byers, get your ass out from under there. Look at me.” Frohike grabbed Byers jacket and pulled him out from under the bed. Frohike prayed that he didn’t tear the jacket as Byers came out from under the bed. Frohike should be under looking for whatever. In his leather, he could brush off the dirt and it was gone. The suit would have to be dry-cleaned. That was expense.

Byers had the look of killing someone on his face. “Just give me a damn minute, Frohike. I am trying to get a box. I want it more then I want to talk to Langly.” Crawling back under the bed, Byers came out with a box.

“Well I’m not Langly. So don’t get pissy with me, son.” Said Frohike just as hotly.

Byers looked at his friend, “Sorry I didn’t mean to yell at you. Langly is such …”

“Langly, I know. Look he didn’t mean to listen to you two talk. You know that if Langly is within hearing distance, he would listen to a ant fart.” 

Frohike held his hand out to Byers, who took it and stood up. “What the fuck, how the hell did he hear you two talk? Did you repeat any of her side out loud?”

Byers put the box on the bed, “No I didn’t.”

“LANGLY.” Yelled both the men. They both came running up front to the third 
member of the group.

Langly turned to face his friends.

“Langly,” said Frohike. “How the fuck did you hear them talk? Byers said he didn’t repeat anything she said. So how did you hear it?”

Byers stood there with his arms crossed his chest waiting for answer.

Langly looked away from his friends and back to the computer. “While I was looking up ‘out of body’ on the net, I started to play around with our stakeout stuff and jury-rig an earpiece and put it on. I could hear them talking. I really didn’t think it would work, but it did.” He turned back around to Frohike and Byers, he smiled at them, they didn’t smile back.

“So Langly,” said Jimmy. “Can you jury-rig the others, so we can hear her?”

Everyone turned and looked at Jimmy as if he grown another head. Jimmy 
smiled at them and backed off.

“Langly,” said Frohike “You make it so we can hear her at least and I will keep working on seeing her. Now we don’t know how long she has.” The look on Byers face was that anger and scared. “So we have to work fast. Plus we are not working on the newsletter, so that is putting us behind on that.  This could be another story if this works out right. We will have to see on that one.”

“I do have something to add, SamH also get our newsletter. I looked her up on the database. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Only God knows why, but that gives us a starting point to look for her body.”

“Maybe she likes living there because of the Governor,” said Jimmy from behind Byers. Everyone turned to look at Jimmy. “You know who is Governor, right?”

“No Jimmy, who is Governor of Minnesota?” asked Langly.

“That wrestler, Jesse ‘the body’ Ventura,” said the man-child.

The three other men started to laugh. Like anyone would be that stupid to 
elect a wrestler to be governor of a state.

“He is right. Jesse is Gov of MN,” said SamH from the floor.

Byers went over to his friend on the floor.

“I heard that,” said Langly. He smiled it wasn’t a fluke accident.

“SamH, please tell me you are kidding?” Said Byers as he sat down on the floor with her.

“No, I’m not. I even voted for Jesse ‘the mind’ Ventura. I did it because I didn’t think the other two couldn’t do the job, plus Jesse would make life interesting while in office. John, you have to shake up the status quo ever once in awhile, you know that better then I do. If the founding fathers hadn’t in 1776, we would be still British subjects.”

Byers smiled at SamH. Then looked at the three men, “Well lets get to work here. Langly, you are make it possible for the other to hear her. Frohike, you make it possible to see her for the other two and Jimmy do what you can to help them. I am going to stay with SamH to make sure she is ok.”

“Gotta,” said all three men and they went back to their jobs.  "Hey Frohike, let me know if you come across some fine wiring back there. I need some more to tweak the ear pieces,” yelled out Langly.

“Sure thing Langly,” yelled Frohike. “Jimmy look for some fine wiring and see if you can locate some kind of eye wear over in the left shelves. I think there are some type of goggles or something over there.”

“Sure thing, Frohike,” answered Jimmy.

“I am going to get something from my bed, I will be right back, SamH,” said Byers as he got up from the floor. He got to his feet and brushed off his pants. Running back to the bed, the man grabbed the box off the bed and was back with SamH in seconds. Sitting back down, Byers opened it up and pulled out a picture. He held it up to her. “See what I found?” Byers just laughed.

“OH my God, it’s the picture of us in Disneyland. God you are so cute in the mouse ears, John. I look like a dork, which I was.” SamH laughed at it.

“You aren’t or weren’t a dork. Geek, maybe you could pull off, but never a dork. I look handsome, but I do all the time.” Byers laughed at his conceit.  Byers looked over at Langly, who was trying not to laugh out loud. He had slid off his chair and was hanging on to the counter that the computer sat on for dear life. He was having a good laugh on them. Well it was OK, cuz they weren’t ever going to see the mouse ears picture EVER!!!

“I think Langly is amused at us, SamH. Why don’t you stick your tongue out at him? He can’t prove you did do it since he can’t see you, yet.”

“Not an bad idea, John. I think I will,” said SamH. She stuck out her tongue at him.

Langly turned to look over there. He didn’t see her do it, but he knew that she did. He laughed at the two on the floor openly now and it felt good.  Byers didn’t seem too terribly angry with him now.

“Frohike, I could use that wiring about now,” yelled Langly.

“Alright it’s coming.” Was yelled back.

Jimmy came up to Langly and handed him the wiring. “Here you go, Langly.”

“Thanks Jimmy. Tell Frohike thanks for me too,” said the young man in the Nine Inch Nails T-Shirt.

“Sure,” said Jimmy. He turned to Byers, “Is she doing ok?”

“Yes,” said Langly. “She is sticking her tongue out at me. She is as right as rain.” He started to laugh again. “We will see that picture, Byers. You can count on it.” Langly went back to his wiring. The wiring wasn’t a hard job to do, but doing this small little work could be a pain in the ass.  Taking out the earpiece that he was wearing, Langly put in another one. He put it on the counter next to the computer. “Hey could I get the spook to say something. I need to see if this one is working.”

“I am not a spook, Langly. I am out of my body type being. So get that point right now.” She started to laugh. “John help me up, would you.”

Byers stuck out his hand to her and SamH took it. Moving from the laying position to a sitting position. “Good enough, John. So what are we going to do? I don’t see how staying here could help, so you are going to have to go to Saint Paul?”

“I will have to talk to the others about this, SamH. I do also think we need to go to Saint Paul, but we have the newsletter to get out. We are doing things for other people too. The guys have to agree to going first.”

“Saint Paul is cool with me, Byers,” called out Langly. “Personally I think if we left now, we could get to the bottom of this quicker.

“Well that’s two yes votes for the great state of Minnesota,” said SamH.   

“Hey Langly would you go get the other for us, please.” She stressed go get them, not yell at them. “Get me to my feet, John.”

Byers stood up and held his hand to her and grabbing it, she pulled herself 
up to her feet.

“Sure,” said Langly. He got up from the chair and walked away from Byers and SamH.

“What are you going to do SamH?” asked Byes as soon as she started to move over to the computer.

SamH started to push buttons on the computer. Going from one web site to another. She seemed to doing it very slowly.  “Shit this going to take too long. Byers, I need you to do this for me.”

“What do you want?” he asked.

“Well where we are is fine. I need you to use a back door password for me. Actually it’s the set up I made for you and never got around to telling you about.” She laughed and looked at Byers.

“Are your memories coming back?”

“Well I am getting something with the computer at any rate. We need some stuff to get us on the road to Saint Paul,” said the woman.

“Have you hacked into a company to steal something?” asked Byers.

“I can tell you this much, I know it wouldn’t get us into trouble with the password I am going to give you. It’s not legal, but won’t be too far off from it. I think. I just don’t know.”

“OK what’s the password?” said Byers.

“OK, but you are really going to have to trust me on this one.” She looked at Byers and smile. “OK pick any word that starts with a B and put it in.  Then hit enter.”

Byers typed in Butter into the space and hit enter. Correct flashed at him.

“Now delete everything but the B.” So Byers did it. He left the only the B.  He looked at SamH for the information.  “Put in any Y word and hit enter.”

Byers typed in Yelm and hit enter. Once again it flashed correct at him. “Do I delete everything but the Y?”

“Yes,” said SamH.

“Let me guess the next word is an E word?” asked Byers  “You’ve got it. Spell out your last name and wait after that.”  Byers picked Ever as he’s next word and hit enter. It flashed correct at  him, deleted all but the BYE and put in Roger, then hit enter. Flashing once again correct. He then deleted everything once again down to BYER. Byers put Silly in the space and hit enter. It flashed corrected at Byers and he deleted everything until he was down to his last name.

“Now just put in your birth date. Then we have to wait for the next page,” said SamH.

Byers put in 11/22/63 and hit enter. The site flashed a bit and then it switched to another page.  This one had butterflies all over it. In the corner was an emblem of the band Nine Inch Nails.  

“Butterflies and Nine Inch Nails, SamH, you are such a weird person,” said Byers with a laugh.

“Yes, but that is why you like me,” said the woman.

The three other men had come forward out of the back.

“What are you doing to my computer, man?” demanded Langly. Reaching over to the earpiece that Langly had tweaked, he handed it to Frohike. The man put it in his ear.

“Nothing,” said SamH. “Hello Frohike glad you came about the radio SAMH.” 

That made the man smile. Her voice was velvet sounding.

“We will be the entertainment for this evening. I hope you are in the mood for some NIN!”

Frohike looked at Langly, “You’ve gotten to her with your music, great now there is two crazies here.”

SamH just laughed, “No he didn’t. I have been a fan for a long time. I like a lot of odd things. OK Byers click on the NIN and then click on any three butterflies you want. They are all links to something. Without the NIN first you will go to the regular links.”

“Geez, Byers your friend is so cool. I have heard that some people doing a hidden link like that, but never ran across one before,” said Langly.

“What’s going on?” asked Jimmy.

“Sorry Jimmy, SamH is telling Byers some stuff to do on the computer. Langly is working on your earpiece, so he knows what is going on,” said Frohike.

“Sure it will take me a couple of minutes, but it will be done,” said Langly as he moved over to the things to do the work. Popping the earpiece open, Langly started to do the work.

The computer switched to another page, this one had Star Trek emblem on it and a Doctor Who TARDIS and a large V on it. Down at the bottom of the page was a small picture of a gun. Byers looked at SamH. He couldn’t believe what was here. Sam was always out there in the first place.

“Click on the gun and then clink on the Delta shield.”  Byers did as he was told. The page went to the next page and it was just a solid green page, nothing there, and what so ever.

“Go up to the top of the page on the right side and type in YOU.”  Byers did it and it opened to another page that asked for security number.  “Type in your guys phone number,” said the woman.

“Our phone number?” said Byers and Langly at the same time.

“What about our phone number?” asked Jimmy?

“Used our phone number as part of the password to get in this web site,” commented Langly a bit snotty.

“All of this is my backdoor password to get in here. It’s not what I use daily. I am afraid if I tried my password it would send out some red flags. I am not sure if the good guys will see it or bad guys. So I don’t want to take a chance with it.”

The page changed once more and to a blue color page that had Welcome John  Fitzgerald Byers to my world. Do you want to play? Written on it.

“Tell it yes and that you need help with some transportation,” said SamH.  Byers typed it in and waited to see what would happen next.

So, John Fitzgerald Byers, where would like to go?

“Tell it that you need to transportation from DC to Saint Paul. First class seating arrangements, for you all, I think. For dinner, you would like steak and lobster with some great wine from Washington State.”

Byers typed it all in as SamH had said it. The system was thinking, so Byers looked at SamH, “What the hell am I telling it?”

“Just what you think you is telling it. I am flying you out there. I’m getting you a great meal with some great wine, I like. What is the problem, Byers? Do you think I am going to let you drive out there in your van? I don’t think so brother. It would take you at least 24 hours to drive there straight through. I need you there now. I don’t know how much time I have left to live and I am not going to let your fear of flying get in the way of this.”

Langly finished the last earpiece and handed it to Jimmy. Putting it in his ear, Jimmy listened to SamH and Byers talking to each other.

“I do not have a fear of flying, I have you know,” said Byers a little hotly. “I have a fear of take offs and landings. They scare the hell out of me. I can’t help it. That is why we drive everywhere.”

“Do you remember how we got to Disneyland?” asked SamH.

Byers looked at her, “I have no idea how we got there. Why is it that I am glad, I don’t remember it?”

SamH smiled at him, “You had enough drugs in you to sink a fricken battleship. It will be arranged again. You are flying to MN and that is the end of that.”

“You can’t make me take drugs, SamH. That is that!” said the man. He crossed he’s arms in front of his chest.

“If you think you are getting out of this you are out of your league with me. You will be on that plane,” said SamH. She moved away from the men. Byers was the only one that followed her movements.

“Hey there is something on the screen, Byers. What does it say?” said Jimmy.

Byers turned back to the monitor to read it, Comfirmed, arrangement have been made for you to travel from DC to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Do you any bundles?

“What is a bundle, SamH?” asked Langly. No answer came forward. Everyone turned around the room to wait for answer. Byers moved away from the computer and over to where SamH had been standing last. There was no sign of her.

“SamH? Are you still here?” called out Byers.

“Should we tell it yes, that we need bundles?” asked Langly. He moved over to the computer and was ready to type yes. He looked around at the others. They all shook their head yes. Langly typed in yes.

How many are you requiring?

“How many do we want?” asked Langly. “What about one for each of us?”

“Sure,” said everyone.

Langly typed in 4 and hit enter.

Four bundles will be waiting for you at the plane. Is there anything else you require?

“Whatever the bundles are they will be with the plane. Is there anything else we need?” asked Langly to Jimmy and Frohike. Byers had disappeared someplace in the building looking for SamH.

“What about a car once we get there,” said Frohike.

“Right,” said Langly. He started to type on the keyboard. Typing in a car, then he hit enter.

Land transportation will be waiting for you in Saint Paul. The manor will be waiting for your use.

Langly turned to the others, “We have the use of the manor, what ever that is.”

“The manor is my house,” said SamH. “It’s a Victorian house on Summit Avenue.”

“Hey, Byers,” yelled Jimmy. “We found SamH.”

Byers came back up front to see SamH standing not far from the rest of the Lone Gunmen. “I want to talk to you,” he said pointy at her.  She just gave him a cold look.

“Has the system given the info on what time the flight leaves?” asked SamH. She was ignoring Byers on purpose.

“Not yet,” said Langly. “Do I need to ask it?”

“You shouldn’t,” said the woman. “Did it ask about bundles?”

“Yes and we told it we wanted 4 of them,” said Langly.

“Four of them?” said SamH. “Oh my, well I guess what is left, you can keep the rest.” She shook her head in amazement.

Byers walked over to SamH and tried to grad her arm and went through her.  Turning back to the other Lone Gunmen, “Take the earpieces out and go to the back and wait. I am going to talk to SamH in private.” He turned back to his college friend. He heard the others leave the area. “What is going on with you? You are not acting like the same person, SamH.”

Moving away from Byers, SamH turned back to the man. “I’m not the same person from college. Neither are you. I have done some things that I think are not on the up and up. So I am a bit cold. What of it? I’m standing here with no body. You are the only person who can see me or hear me without some neat little toy around here. I think I am dieing and you are being a bit of a dick, because I want you to fly to MN. Look John, I have no idea what is your problem, I need you more then you should fear take offs or landing of a plane. This is my life, we are debating over, not your.”

Byers took a big breath of air. He looked SamH in the eye, “Fine I’ll fly to MN, and I want it understood, that if I get sick, no one will take it out on me.”

“Fine,” from the back of the warehouse. “But you will owe us big, Byers.”  SamH looked at Byers and started to laugh.

“Let’s get back to the computer and finish this up, OK?” said SamH.

Byers smiled at his old friend and followed her over the computer.

All is ready for a go. Be at the airport in 360. Hang to the railing until the bus comes to a complete stop.

“What the hell does that mean,” asked Byers.

“The flight leaves in three hours. Be careful and have fun.” Said SamH with a shrug. “Guys, get your crap together we are leaving in an hour for the airport. Bring your toys with you. I don’t know what I have at the house, but bring what you can.” Yelled the woman. She looked at Byers, “Get going or the bus will leave without.

To be continued...