Chapter 175

"Ok, gentlemen, here is a list of events from coast to coast, including the Gulf Coast, that you can attend, if you so choose.  I'm not pushing you in to anything.  It's your decision and yours alone", Director Richardson said when she came over the next afternoon.

They guys looked over the list.  New Orleans, Detroit, Denver, Chicago... Chicago.  Home.  They were all excited to see that.  "I like it", Mike said.

"A chance to go home", Dan said.  "I might even get to stop by my old house."

"You might", Gail said.  She smiled at him.   He could tell where Brie got her smile from.

"I see Austin on the list too", John said.  "I could visit my old place too."

"You could.  I tried to get rallies that were close to where you guys used to live, if not in the same city."

David looked at Brie.  "We could visit the old place in the Springs, baby.  The twins could see the house they were conceived in."

Brie laughed.  "That's true.  Not that they would understand what it means."

"I could see my old place in Milwaukee", Mike said.  "I see it on the list, too."

"We could all go visit some of our old haunts in Chicago", David pointed out.  "Not just Danny's place, but the studio we recorded our first five albums in, some of the places we used to go eat and shit like that."

"I've always wanted a Chicago Deep dish pizza", Brie giggled.

"What?  My deep dish isn't enough for you?" David faked being insulted.

Brie laughed harder.  "Oh, baby, your deep dish is MORE than enough for me.  It's all I want, boo."

"So, you'll do the tour?" the Director asked.

"I'm game", Mike said.

"I'm in", David said.

"Me three", said John.

"And Danny makes four", Dan said.

"Great, guys.  I'm glad.  I knew you'd all want to see your old places.  Aren't you guys glad I thought of this?"

"Fuck yeah", John said.  "I've got a bad fucking case of cabin fever.  I'm sure the other guys do, too, though I can't speak for them."

"Yeah, you can", David said.  "We all live together right now.  This is getting to be bullshit, being stuck in the fucking house all the time."

"Alrighty, then, fellas.  I hope you all have a good amount of clothes.  You'll all be given your own buses, because I know you're all going to take your families, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere without my wife and children, Director Richardson", Dan said.  "They've all been stuck in this hole as long as we have.  I'm sure the other guys all fell the same way."  The guys all echoed his sentiments.

"That's what I thought", Director Richardson said.  "We'll have you all transferred to the Agency Headquarters here in Tahlequah where you'll board your buses and take off.  Your first stop is Oklahoma City."

"Great.  We'll see Natalie", Brie said.

"Oh, yeah.  I forgot that she moved to OKC after she was cleared by Dr. Chase", David said.  "I can't believe that I forgot about that."

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"What are you?" The Master Guns asked the hooded figure in his training area.

"I am a killing machine."

"What is your objective?"

"Protect Disturbed and their families at all costs."

"Is there any such thing as failure in this objective?"

"No, failure is not an option.  If I have to give my own life to protect them, then so be it."

The Master Guns smiled.  "Good.  You're ready.  I'm going to arrange transport for you to home in the next few hours.  From what I hear, the band will be going on tour doing rallies.  They'll be taking their families.  With the plots that the Utopians are coming up with to kill the band, you'll have plenty of opportunity to exercise the your newly acquired skills, Morbus."

A jagged smile crossed Morbus's face.  "And I'm very much looking forward to killing the Utopian scum."

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"FUCKING DISTURBED!!!!!"  The Lieutenant was outraged.  It didn't matter what he did, or what the Major before him did, that FUCKING band was STILL recording.  Draiman was still doing his fucking weekly monologue encouraging the Resistance troops.  The latest album had made its way to his desk and he cursed loud and long.  The Utopian movement was falling apart at the seams and there was nothing he could do about it.  The harder he pushed for Utopian troops to surge and take out the Resistance, the harder the Resistance pushed back.  The fucking slogans of the Resistance scum got on his fucking nerves.  "We're not Down with the Sickness, we ARE the Sickness" and other bull shit like that; sayings he thought would have no affect on the Resistance where empowering them, making them push onward.

As the Lieutenant threw things around his office, he noticed a picture of Draiman.  He was onstage looking down at the crowd.  "You, sir, will die the most painful death we can imagine and your execution will be public.  I want you to see the tears in your wife and children's eyes as you die, you sack of shit."  The Lieutenant meant every word.