* * * * *
"Five minutes after taking off, Jay, Gina asked Reardon precisely how he and General Bob knew each other."
" 'I dated his daughter in Nam,' he replied (in a tone of voice I could only describe as 'bitterly wistful'): '...whenever I had lay-overs on my usual med-evac runs from Hue City to Saigon and back. She...died...during the Tet '68 Massacres.' "
" 'My condolences,' said Gina."
"Reardon thanked her. Celia then suggested that she and Gina try to get some sleep. The latter agreed. And, silently, so did I!"
"I don't know how long I was out, before Reardon's voice awoke all three of us."
" 'We're approaching Union City, Indiana, ladies! Like its Ohio namesake, just across the state line, it was founded on the site where five railway lines intersect. Our destination is within Darke County, Ohio. The Bowling Green/Ball State Universities Annex. Or, as it's more affectionately known, by the locals; Bowling Ball State!' "
"Both Celia and Gina laughed (as he had no doubt intended), before he added that he would be landing the chopper on the fifty-yard line of the football stadium. As per the instructions the general had given him when he called Reardon up in Calumet City."
" 'That's it, to our upper left. C.I. MacCory Stadium; the home of the Mighty Shrikes!' "
"He then spent the remainder of our approach time telling us how the main campus of Ball State University referred to its athletic teams as the Cardinals. While the teams at the main campus of Bowling Green State University were called the Falcons!"
" 'Naming the teams, at this school, after a song bird that hangs its prey on thorny branches (like a butcher with meat hooks) seemed the most reasonable compromise.' "
"It was at this point that I was hit with another painful vision. And, evidently, so was Celia!"
" 'You treacherous bitch!' " I heard her cry out...just before the tell-tale click of a pistol hammer being cocked.
" 'ARE YOU CRAZY, GIRL?' Gina shrieked.' "
" 'When I interfaced with those drones, back in Onarga, I got a download of images from the nano-parasite in that state police captain's brain. Images that included a young African-American girl twirling a baton, while wearing a sleeveless leotard in purple-and-gold. But, none of them made sense...till just now. You used to be a Lionette for North Alabama University! And, you got parasitized during your senior year!!"
"I could not believe what I was hearing. And, neither could Reardon."
" 'What the frig are you talking about?' he demanded: 'Put that gun away before you accidentally shoot something and force us to crash!' "
" But, Celia just ignored him and continued ranting."
" 'That's the real reason you took so long to get back to the motel with the food, isn't it? You contacted the Illinois State Police as to our where-abouts!' "
"Naturally, I expected Gina to vehemently deny this accusation. But, instead, she simply chose...to laugh!"
" 'That's right, Celia. I've been pulling a Mata Hari on you. And, now, you're gonna be ours. Just like you were supposed to be, in the first place! Oh, don't bother trying to call in the saucer drones!! The Shrikettes have already regained control over them. In fact, they've also reversed polarity on the Growth Transitioning Stimulazers. Look!' "
"That's when I had my most painful vision, yet. A vision from Celia's point of view. A vision of half a dozen majorettes, in sleeveless leotards of black-orange-and-tan, looming over both the football stadium and our helicopter...by about fifty feet."
tbc
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
To all Hoosier and Buckeye lurkers: I know that there's no such collegiate annex in the Union Cities area. I just couldn't resist the chance for another good pun.
;-D
;-D