The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
Jarad has spent a few days alone, after Alexand disappeared again, without telling him where she was going or when she would be back. He is expecting a student to arrive in an hour, for their Russian lesson, and he is quietly seething, but extremely worried about his wife’s absence.
The Guild Master’s General returns Katherine to the safety of the Kyuunansen ship, after showing her a future world, which resembled heaven. (This issue is dedicated to my dad, Eric Moore, who died 25 years ago today, the day after my 21st Birthday. Alexand and Heyem were (or will be) born on 2nd December, so this day represents both death and life. Love outlasts death.)
Lord Filius Anderson has personally followed Alexand around, ever since she exposed the Amanojuko live in front of the world. He has camped out in the woods near Alexand’s house, and is currently observing her and her husband as they sit on a flat roof having dinner. He has planted bugs all over their cabin, and is listening into their conversation. He is waiting for the perfect opportunity to make Colonel Merek ‘disappear’, as she has caused great damage to the safety of his vision for a new world order.
Alex has been rather secretive since she returned back from Georges De Somme’s mansion, but Jarad is pleasantly surprised as she has invited him up onto the flat roof of their house. There is a table and a candlelit dinner, (which he believes she has had delivered from a nearby takeaway as she is an appalling cook.)
Alexand and Jarad returned home, back to Jarad’s house, which is in the middle of the woods. There are no other houses for miles, which was ideal for Alexand, as she sees it as a retreat from her stressful military life. She can be part of two worlds, whist remaining blissfully outside of both. She and Jarad have spent the night making love, as they have done every night, since they returned from Hong Kong. (Please be warned this issue contains some scenes, some readers may find offensive. If so then you may prefer to read issue # 344: Jay and Ali where Katherine gets her cloned cat back.)
Alexand hasn’t the resources left to deal with Jarad’s emotional demands. She is beginning to suspect he is more damaged than she can cope with. He has been needy and possessive and has tried to encroach in her private thoughts. She has to deal with a very demanding role as colonel, and in order to do her duty, she has shut Jarad off, and wishes he wasn’t so insufferably needy.
Jarad spent the morning looking for Alexand, as they had argued the night before and he knew that she had hidden from him. He found her in the military camp, administering the vaccine. It has only been a day since their honeymoon, but desperate to keep her, and frightened of rejection he sits next to her, to help administer the antidote to the infected.
Alexand returns to the army vehicle she arrived in, sits in the driver’s seat, watching people walk past, from behind the safety of the glass, after her very short honeymoon ended. She and Jarad had argued over why she wouldn’t talk to him about crying on the banks of the river. Jarad stormed off, leaving Alexand to become Colonel Merek again.
