“What you doing there?” Jack asks.

  “I’m telling Mrs. Sally, we’s going to get us a picture of this monster. I done told her we’s gonna send her a copy. She’s been a wondering, why we ain’t looking for the fountain of youth no more. I done told her we be getting back to it, but they’s money to be had, with this here picture. She done told me, for us to be real careful.”

  “That Mrs. Sally’s one sweet gal.” Bob says.

  “Yeah, and some looker.”

  “Now Jack!”

  “What? It be the truth.”

  They drive to Derry, but don’t see the Falk Monster, so Jack turns the truck and drives back the way they come. After leaving the woods behind, he turns around again toward Derry. He does this several times.

  “Jack, we ain’t getting us no where. You thinking that there monster, just  trampses across this here road all the living day?” Willey asks.

  “That be what you done told me the man said.”

  “He didn’t say he see’s it on the road every time, just the one time. We gonna have to go down in them swamps and find that monster.” Bob says.

  “They’s snakes down there.” Willey complains.

  “This here be Louisiana. They be gators down there too.” Jack says.

  “You didn’t say nothing about no gators.” Willey complains.

  “Willey, we done paid good money for that there camera. We going down there and get us that picture.” Jack says. He finds a place to pull off the highway. He gets out of the truck.

  “Willey, you be in charge of the camera.”

  The road is built up high, so they have to climb down to the swamp. A small stream, runs under the highway here.

  “Where do we go?” Bob asks.

  “Back home, when I be hunting, I always find me the best game by water. We gonna follow this here stream.” Jack says.

  Following the stream, they head deep into the swamp. Hours pass, without any sign of the Falk monster, but their stream goes underground.

  “Now what we gonna do?” Bob asks.

  “We just keep going the way that stream was a heading.” Jack says.

  “We done been out here for hours. I’m plum tuckered out.” Bob complains.

   “We done brung a camera, but ain’t got a lick of food.” Willey adds.

  “Boy’s we done come this far, let’s be going for another couple hours. If’n we don’t seen nothing then, we just turn back. That be okay with you boys?”

  Willey, and Bob, reluctantly nod. They continue their trek, heading deeper and deeper into the swamp.

  “It’s done been more then a couple hours. I say we get us back afore it be getting dark on us.” Bob says.

  “I reckon, you be right. Let’s be finding our way out of here. I thought we be finding that monster for sure. Let’s be getting us some food.” Jack says and  starts back.

  It’s not long before Jack begins to panic. Everywhere he looks, the swamp looks the same. “We shoulda done marked our trail in,” He thinks to himself.

  Without the stream to follow, they are now hopelessly lost in the swamp, and night is coming fast.

  “Jack, we done passed that there stump three times. Is we lost?” Willey asks.

“You reckon they got one of them cameras in there?” Willey asked.

“Well we ain’t gonna find out sitting in the truck.” Jack says and gets out of the truck. The others follow him into the shop.

“Can I help you?” One of the shop workers asks.

“Yeah, we need us a real good camera.” Jack says.

“What are you planning to use it for?” The man asks.

“We gonna get us a picture of a mo, ouch!” Bob complains.

“Did I go and step on your toe? Sorry,” Jack says, then turns to the man. “We gonna get us a picture of a moose.” Jack tells the man.

The man looks at him funny. “A moose? Where are going to find a moose around here?”

Jack thinks for a minute. “We got us a friend who gots himself all these animals. They’s all different kinds. He don’t want us to go spooking them animals, so’s we got to take our pictures from a long ways away.”

“So you’re going to need a camera with a telescopic lens.” The man says.

“I reckon so.”

“Well I have this German camera that should do the job.” The boys follow the man to a glass counter. He goes behind it and opens the sliding door. Reaching in he brings out a camera, and hands it to Jack.

“They ain’t no lens on it.” Willey says.

“They’re in these pouches.” The man says, and pulls out six pouches. Opening one he hands the lens to Jack. The lens is about a foot long. “You attach this end by sliding it into the slot and turning it to the left.” He says pointing to the right end.

When Jack does as the man said, he feels the lens click into place. He then puts the camera up to his eye. “Hay! I can’t see anything in there.”

The clerk reaches out and removes the cover.

“Oh!”

“This camera is four hundred dollars.” The clerk says.

Jack swallows hard, “Four hundred?”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll let it go for three fifty.”

“We’ll take it,” Willey proclaims.

“Picture? I just wanted to leave it behind me.” The other man says.

“We could sure use that fifty thousand dollars,” Bob whispers to the others.

“Shuuuh!” Jack says. “We’ll be a talking about that in the truck.”

They don’t talk at all, until they finish their meal. Jack pays for the meal and  they rush out to their truck. Once safe inside the truck.

“We gonna get that there fifty thousand.” Jack says.

“I done thought you is in a hurry to get to the fountain of youth. On account of you growing old and such?” Willey asked.

“Yeah, and I don’t want no part of no monster.” Bob says.

“Dummy! We don’t got to catch no monster. All we gots to do is get us picture of it.” Jack tells them.

“We takes a picture of it, as it be eating one of us.” Willey complains.

“You two’s about as dumb as a box of rocks. They’s these cameras what you can take pictures from about a mile away. Ain’t no monster gonna get none of us.” Jack says.

“We don’t got no such camera.” Bob complains.

“Bob! You got no fitching up. They be all kinda stores to buy us one of them cameras.”

Jack says.

“Ain’t no need to be getting nasty.” Bob says, looking hurt.

“Ain’t no never mind. Let’s be getting us one of them cameras.” Jack says.

  “We got’s to go south on I 49, then we be going East on I 10.”

  “We’s on I 20 now, boys keep your eyes peeled for that I 49 road. We sure don’t want ta be missing our turn.” Jack said.

  “Look at all them gambling places. I thinks we aught ta stop at just one of them, just to test our luck.” Bob complains.

  “Bob we’s been testing our luck our entire lives. I done told ya, I’s growing older by the minute. If’n Willey hadn’t gone and pulled out one of them gray hairs, we’d have a bunch of time for such Tomfoolery. Now’s we be in a race for my life. I don’t want to hear no more about it.” Jack says.

  Bob, who is sitting behind Jack in the truck, just shakes his head.

  “There’s the cut off for I 49, there on the right.” Willey points out.

  Jack, pulls the truck to the left lane, then onto I 49.

  “I ain’t never been in Louisiana afor, it sure be flat.” Bob says.

Two hours pass

  “Jack, I knows you is growing old fast, but do ya think we could stop and eat, afor we starves to death?” Bob asked.

  “I reckon we’s got to eat. We be coming into Natchitoches, we can be stopping there, I reckon.” Jack said.

  “They’s a taco place. I could sure use me some taco’s.” Bob says.

  Jack pulls off the interstate, and into the taco place.

  “We going in, or is you gonna make us be eating in the truck?” Bob asks.

  “I reckon, we gonna be spending a bunch of time in this old truck. Let’s be going inside and sitting down to eat.” Jack says.

  Relieved to be out of the truck, they enter the store. “I wants me a pile of them taco’s,” Willey says.

  “Just none of them burritos. Willey ya know you get the gas real bad. I ain’t driving all the way to Florida smelling ya,” Jack says.

  “But I like me some burritos.” Willey protests.

  “All that gas that comes from you could kill a guy,” Bob complains.

  “Okay, no burritos.” Willey says.

  They all get there order and sit down to eat.

  “I swear, I saw it. It was the Falk monster for sure.” They hear a man saying from the table behind them. “Big as a bear, and covered with long hair.”

  “Where did you see it Charley?” Another asked.

  “I was driving I 49, just outside Derry, you know, where 49 crosses that big swamp. It came running out of the swamp, and onto the road. I barley got around it. I was one scarred Indian, I can tell you that.”

  “Did you hear that? They’s some kinda of monster, crossing I 49.” Bob whispered to the others.

  “You can sure count on that, Miss Sally.” Willey comes up to Sally, and whispers into her ear. “Thank ya, me and Bob been getting bored of hanging around.”

  “Sally, whispers back, “you’re sure welcome.” She then turns and leaves the boys alone.

  When Sally is out of ear shot, Jack says, “that Sally sure is a looker, and she be smart too, with writing all them books.”

  “Now back the train up, there Jack. Miss Sally done got herself a good man, and he got himself a real job.” Willey said.

  “All I’s saying is, he’s a lucky man. All they money she got’s to making from them books. She got to be a gazillion air.”

  “She weren’t dressed like no gazillion air to me,” Bob said.

  “She don’t want to go showing off.” Willey added.

  “Alright, boys, if’n we’s gonna  find this fountain of youth, we got to be making some plans.” Jack said.

  “What kinda plans?” Willey asked.

  “It be a long way to Florida. We got’s to have a map, and then load the truck up with things for the trip. Willey, you got that there portable computer you done bought?” Jack ask.

  “Yeah, it got itself maps in it.”

  “Well you be looking for anything it tell you about the fountain, and this here Ponce fella. Bob and me will get to packing what we’s gonna need. We be heading South in the morning.”

                                                                   ****

  The boys get up early, 10 am, and load the truck.

  “What you find out?” Jack asked Willey.

  “We got’s to head down South to they Golf Coast. Then we heads West. Hey! We’s going to New Orleans.”

  “For sure?” Bob asked.

  “Yep!”

  “Ain’t they still flooded?” Jack asked.

  “No! I done read, they done pumped all that water out.” Willey said.

  “They ain’t no big hurricanes, be heading there, be there?” Bob asked.

  “Ain’t no hurricanes in winter dummy.” Jack said.

  “I knew that.” Bob said.

  “The truck be  loaded with plenty of beer, we’s off.” Jack said.

  “First stop be Shreveport.” Willey says.

  “Shreveport!? They got them gambling places there,” Bob says, excited.

  “We ain’t gonna do no gambling!” Jack says.

  “Why not?” Willey asks.

  “On account of you pulling that gray hair out my head. My momma done told me, ‘you pull one gray hair out, and they be a hundred replace it.” Jack said.

  The others look at him for understanding.

  “I been looking in the mirror, and them gray hairs be threatening  to take over my head. It be making my joints stiffen up. Fella’s I be growing old right here in front of ya.”

  “Ya don’t look no older to me.” Willey says.

  “That only be on the outside. I might be a goner afore we even find that there fountain.”

  No one says a word, all the way to Shreveport.

  “Why me?”

  “Cause I went last time.” Bob said.

  Grumbling, Willey gets up from the picnic table, they are sitting on. He walks the short distance to the store. The door creaks as he opens it, and slams behind him. Grabbing a large bag of chips, then going to cooler to pull out three cold drinks, taking them all to the counter.

  “It’s sure good to have you three paying for your own things for a change,” Maria says. I’d still like to know where you three bums got all that money.”

  “We ain’t no bums, and it’s for me to know and you to find out. If’n you’s going to keep giving me grief, we can be spending that money some other place.”

  “That you, Willey?” A voice ask behind him.

    Willey, turns to see who’s talking. “Sally Franklin Christie, is that really you girl?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “What you doing all the way down here?”

  “A little snow birding. Visiting a friend.” Sally says.

  “Well come on out and meet the boys. You wont you a cold drink?”

  “I’m alright.” Sally says.

  “The boys is going to flip, to meet a celebrity.”

  “Willey, I’m not a celebrity.”

  “You done got a book published, and another on the way, ain’t that right?”

  “Yes, but.”

  “I done read, If I should Die. That be one good book. Got to have me, Milk Carton People when it come out. You know I keep looking at them pictures on them milk cartons to see if’n I knows any of them peoples. Come on out and meet the guys.” Willey holds the door open for Sally.

  As soon as Willey’s back outside, “guys lookey here who I found.”

  Bob, and Jack look at Sally, not recognizing her.

  “It be Sally. I done told you all about her, how she writes books and all.”

  Jack and Bob get up to shack Sally’s hand. “Hi Miss Sally, how in the world did you meet Willey?” Jack asked.

  “I done told you, she be one of the nice people in the Writers Chat Room, I been going to on Sunday, and Wednesday.”

  “Like I keep asking ya, Willey, why is you going to a writers chat room? You can barely read let alone write.” Jack asked.

  “They’s nice people in the room, that be why.” Willey says.

  “Willey’s been telling me all about your adventures. You boys certainly live a rich life.” Sally says.

  “That be all over. We done got us some money. Don’t got no reason to go off getting ourselves kilt.” Jack said.

  “That’s a shame. You boys have a knack for adventure. So you’re going to just sit around here and grow old?” Sally asked.

  “We got us a long time, before we be growing old,” Jack insisted.

  “I ain’t so sure of that,” Willey said, and walking up to Jack, raises his hand toward Jack’s head.

  “OOuch!”

  Willey stands there with one of Jack’s hairs in his hand.

  “Why’d you go and do that fer?” Jack asked.

  Willey hands Jack the hair.

  “Where’d you get that from?” Jack asked.

  “I just took it from your head dummy.”

  “That hair be gray, I don’t got no gray hair!”

  “Maybe looking from down there you ain’t, but from up here, you done got a bunch.” Willey said, and Bob nods in agreement.

  “Well if’n I does, they ain’t nothing I can be doing about it.” Jack says.

  “You could find the fountain of youth.” Sally says.

  “They ain’t no such thing.” Jack says.

  “Yes they is, I done read about this fella, Ponce de something. He done said it be in Florida. They’s even a place there they call the fountain of youth.” Bob chimed in.

  Jack looks at the gray hair in his hand. “We’s off to Florida!”

  Sally, makes a fist, and pulls it downward, “Yes!”

  He fells a sharp pain in his side. “Must of hit a sharp rock.” He thinks. His right hand goes to his side. It’s wet there, wet with blood. “I didn’t stumble, I’ve been shot.”

  Shots begin to ring out from both sides. “I’ve got to find some place for protection,” he thinks. Looking around him, he sees an opening between some of the larger boulders. He tries to stand, but can’t, so crawls toward the opening. “It’s a tight fit, but you’ve got to get in there,” he tells himself.

  It’s tight, but he manages it. Once inside, it opens up to more room, enough for him to sit against a rock. “Lost a lot of blood, better get that stopped.” Taking off his ammo belt, with trembling hands, he opens the pouch which everyone in the field carries,   with the bandage in it. Lifting his shirt, he puts the pad against the wound, grimacing as he does. Then he raps the loose cloth around him, and ties it in the front.

                                                         ****

  His mouth is dry. He smacks his lips, and opens his eyes. Unable to focus for a moment, then he sees his ammo belt still there across his lap. “Must of passed out.” He thinks. Picking up the belt, he manages to get the canteen out, and takes a sip. “Wonder how long I was out? Don’t hear any gunfire, must be over.” He tries to move toward the opening, but doesn’t have the strength. “Better rest a bit.”

  “Huh?” His head pops up. For a moment, he doesn’t know where he is. The pain in his side quickly reminds him. Picking up the canteen for sip of water. “Better go easy on this, don’t know how long I’ll be here, or have been for that matter.”

  “As much as I hate those, M.R.E.’s I could sure use one now.” He knows, without nourishment, he’s not going to gain his strength back easily. “This may be your tomb,” he thinks then passes out again.

  ****

  LeAnn sits bolt upright on her bed. She thinks for a minute, then rushes to her computer.

Dear Martin,

  You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I know where Bubba, Larry is. You know we are twins, right? Well sometimes twins can know things about each other like no one else can. I know where he’s at and he’s still alive, but going in and out of consciousness. She hits send and waits.  It seems to be taking forever, then.

Dear LeAnn,

  I’m game.

  “Yes!”

Dear Martin,

  You know where you saw him get shot? There’s a small cave under the rocks close by, not too far, he crawled to it. He’s too weak to crawl back out.

Dear LeAnn,

  We’re on it.

                                                       ****

  LeAnn told her parents all about it, but they are not sure. It doesn’t help, that days have gone by with no word from Martin.

  Tricia is jarred awake by a sound in the living room. She listens and hears it again. Turning to her husband, Shannon, she shakes him. “Honey! Wake up! There’s someone in the house.”

  “Huh?”

  “I said there’s someone in the house.”

  He wakes up this time then he hears it. “What the?” Slipping out of bed, he puts on his robe and picks up a bat.

  “Be careful,” Tricia says.

  Quietly he opens the door. Slowly crossing the floor from their room to the living room. Bat raised high, he burst into the room.

  “Hi Pops!”

  The bat drops and hits the floor. “Bubba’s home.” He shouts.

  Sleepy faces come from every room, all rushing to see Bubba. Shannon tried to hug him, but Bubba backs away. “That might hurt a bit, dad.” He holds out his hand for him to shake.

  No one seems to notice the man, standing next to Bubba. Larry turns toward him. “This is Captain Martin.”

  LeAnn steps forward. “Was he where I said, and why didn’t you tell us you found him?”

  “He was, and he wouldn’t let me tell you. Said he wanted to surprise you all at Christmas.”

  She turns to Bubba. “We’ve been worrying about you all this time so you could surprise us. If you weren’t hurt, I’d kill you.”

  “Now come on sis, Merry Christmas.”

  She remembers, she hasn’t eaten all day, and heads for the kitchen to make a snack.

  “It’s good to see you out of that room.” Tricia says, when she sees her.

  “I’m going to make a sandwich, want one?” LeAnn asks her mother.

  “No thanks, I’m fine.”

  With Bubba heavy on her mind, LeAnn makes herself a sandwich and takes it to the living room. When she enters the room, all the family is there, looking like they’re at a funeral.

  “Come on people, he’s not dead, just missing.”

  “LeAnn, I don’t know how you can know that.” Her father says.

  “I just do, alright!” She heads back to her room, and sits down in front of her computer. The screen has gone blank. Balancing the plate with her sandwich in one hand, she touches Enter with the other. The screen takes a few moments to spring to life,  displaying her e-mail. Scrolling to the top, she see’s Martin’s name. She touches on it with her mouse, hoping and dreading what he might say.

Dear LeAnn,

  I hoped to be giving you good news, this close to Christmas. I don’t even know how I’m going to write this, but here goes. They sent drones over the area where he fell for the last three days searching for any sign of your brother, and have found none. They have now called the search off. I’m so very sorry.

                                                Martin

  LeAnn, turns from the computer, with tears in her eyes. She stands, then falls across her bed sobbing. She cries herself to sleep.

  Captain Jack Martin, has found his men hanging around the motor pool.

  “What’s up Capt.?” Larry asks.

  “How’s Tom doing?” Bob asks.

  “Tom’s doing fine, bought himself a ticket home. As to what’s up,” he hesitates. “Guys, it’s back into the breach.”

  “Kundvz?” Bob asks.

  “Afraid so. Col. Mack, thinks they may have been trying to keep us from finding what they’re doing there. Grab yourself some chow, and rations. We leave at 1300.”

                                                    ****

1300

  “Check your weapons and ammo.” Capt. Martin says.

  There’s the sound of seven rifle bolts being pulled and slammed closed. A duce and a half, rumbles up.

  “We ride as far as Kundvz, then we walk.” The Capt. says.

  “That’s why they call us ground pounders.” Larry says as he crawls into the back of the truck.

  They ride in the back of the truck for three hours, before it comes to a stop.

  “This is where we get off.” Martin says.

  Weapons ready, they climb out of the truck. Martin slaps the trucks side, and the driver heads back.

  It takes them another twenty minutes to get to where they were ambushed before. Martin stops them there. “I need a volunteer, the Col. Thinks they would have been better to have ambushed us up higher in that pass. He thinks that may be where they are hiding something. I need one man to sneak up the wash into the pass for a look see. The rest of us will watch your back from here.”

  “I’ll go Capt.” Larry says.

  “You keep your head down. Anything happens to you and your sister not only won’t e-mail me anymore, she may kill me.” Martin warns. “The rest of you, grab yourself some cover, so we can keep them off Larry.”

  Keeping down, Larry heads up the wash, where he shot the two previously. When he gets to where they had dropped there’s still dried blood in the sand. Turning the way they had come from, he heads for the pass.

  The sun beats down on him, and the sand crunches under his boots. Trying to keep close to the rocks for cover, he inches up the pass. A light breeze dries the sweat on his forehead, giving him a small break from the heat.

  The pass is now rising steeply, making his movements more exacting. He’s about to come over the crest.

  PU! “Ugh!”

  “Larry’s down!” Martin yells. Before he can say more, a hail of bullets pock the ground around them.

PU! PU! PU!

  “Ugh!”

  “Capt. Bob’s been hit.” Someone shouts.

  “How bad Bob?” Martin asks.

  “Got me in the arm. I’ll be okay.”

  “Not again. Mike bring me the radio.”

  Mike makes his way to Martin.

  “Base, This is Alpha Tango.”

  “Go Tango.”

  “I can’t believe I’m asking this again. Base, we’re under heavy fire. We’re ten clicks from Kundvz.”

  “This is getting to be a habit there Tango. Keep your heads down, helps on the way.”

  “Capt. I saw a couple of guys in those rocks,” he points to a large outcrop of rocks. “They’ve got  sidewinders.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “We can’t let the choppers be ambushed like that.” Martin goes back to the radio. “Base, this Alpha Tango.”

  “Go Tango.”

  “Call off the choppers. Their being set up. We’ll have to get back to Kundvz on our own. They can pick us up there.”

  “Will do, Tango. Good luck.”

  “Thanks, we’re going to need it.” He turns to his men. “We’ve got to get Larry!”

  Bullets are hitting the ground all around them.

  “There’s no way Capt. It’s going to be a miracle if we get out of this.” Bob shouts.

  Head bowed, Martin realizes, Bob’s right. Tears in his eyes, Martin says, “let’s go men.” He heads back the way they came, dodging from cover to cover.

                                                       ****

Dear LeAnn,

  I thought this should come from me. I hate to be the one to have to tell you. I can’t tell you how bad I feel. Larry’s missing and presumed dead. He was one of the bravest men I’ve ever known. We were ambushed and we saw him go down, but couldn’t get to him. I’m so sorry. A drone was sent to the area, and those who attacked us have been dealt with, but no sign was seen of Larry.

                                           Your’s Martin

  When the Bonds family reads this, sadness and tears prevails.

  “He’s not dead!” LeAnn demands.

  Her mother hugs her.

  “No! I would know it if he were dead.” She rushes to her room and takes the picture off of her dresser, the picture of her and Bubba together.