“It just came as a bit of a shock finding out Rupert Grant was the one who set all this in motion,” Calara admitted, gazing into Alyssa’s cerule...n eyes. “I’d forgotten about him to be honest, but he ended up causing us so much trouble by hiring Mikaboshi.”“The assassins are dead now and Grant will be executed for treason soon,” Alyssa replied, picking up Calara’s hand and bringing it to her lips. She kissed it gently as she added, “He hurt you badly, so he’s very lucky you and John decided. And there's no reason I should be alone - I'm an attractive brunette with a nice figure, and at 41, I'm barely over the hill. But I always seem to hook up with losers. There I was, adjusting the bike's seat and feeling sorry for myself, when I heard a rustling from the direction of the fireplace. The fire had gone out hours ago. When I went to investigate, I found sooty footprints leading to the kitchen. Did someone break in? I wielded the fireplace poker and followed the trail. As I peered. The man calling to me was George Malone. He and his wife Betty had lived there since he had left the Army around 10 years before and we had gotten friendly with them. He had retired as a Brig. General and they both had vowed that as soon as that happened they would move somewhere along the south Jersey coast, especially since Betty had been born and raised in Longport. Sadly, Betty had passed away about six years later from cancer, but George continued to live in the small, seaside cottage."Hi,. The adverts end and the room becomes silent in the suspense of what the next few hours hold. It reminds me of being on a train and going through a long dark tunnel, not knowing what everything will look like on the other side. I nervously play with the chain around my neck as the credits appear on screen and the soundtrack begins to play. For a blissful hour and a half it is just him and I suspended in a world of our own and despite reality waiting for us outside the doors, for now, we have.