Even the cat and the dog are mourning her loss. They just hang out together, never leaving the other alone. Animals know. They go out together and com... in together and rest in the same sunny spot on the couch. Never together before and always avoiding one another, they are always together now. As if they somehow know that if they separate, like me and Arlene did when she went in the hospital, one or the other would be gone, too. Tick, tick, tick, it’s just crazy when I think about all the time. The only hope shining through the gloom was that while the cost of their freedom had been high, they had paid for and won it.Or so they had thought.On the eight day after the battle, Cruvik returned to Jinnsfjur. Casually riding into town with twice as many men as he had brought with him that night. Several of the people outside ran, either screaming into their homes or to retrieve the weapons they thought they would never have to use again.He waited patiently while all the villagers gathered. Fear swept through me and I pulled back instinctively."Dr. Livingston, you've filled him with too much fear. He can't do what you've asked," said Stephen. "And it seems that you don't trust us." I have to know. I have to!" Dr. Livingston said. "If he is free again, I must find him. He must be brought down." Are you calling me a liar?" asked Meg in a very severe tone.For a moment there was nothing. Then very softly, I barely caught it, Dr. Livingston said, "Yes."I heard footsteps and someone. You know if DOJ is involved, then there is that string that can be pulled by the NSA. (National Security Agency) I know they have been very busy lately and need help in Mexico. I told our contact that you weren't interested if this was for a real high risk mission right now, but to talk to you directly. The NSA people think it's perfectly fine to go into a hotbed of angry, mean, miscreants and assassinate the bad guys. From what I've heard from you and Lisa, I don't think you really want to do.