Incest/Taboo Lady in Red

"Rome wasn't built in a day," chuckled Steve. "But I do like how you think. We need to make certain these people get our support for their campaigns. That means time and money. I'll be traveling around the country offering encouragement and urging people to vote for the candidates we support. Gwen will join me for some of the trips, but she's hoping to spend some quality time this summer with the kids, especially Zack."

"Your support should be enough for most of them," agreed Lisa. "If Gwen shows up at a rally or a fundraiser now and then, I'm confident the outcome of the next election will be very good for the country.

"I'll be back in Sparta again in early June and I'll bring Pamela Stenson with me," added Lisa. "That girl is golden. She has people listening and responding positively to her message. She may be the most devoted supporter Gwen has, outside of family and friends.

"Lady in Red has offered her an internship for the summer and a full scholarship to Virginia Tech. I think you'll want her to travel with you and speak at rallies and events. She's that good."

In early June, Gwen and Steve were reminded just how connected Lena and Saint were. Lisa and Jason had flown in for the weekend. Pamela Stenson had arrived in Sparta at the same time. She was more than a little star struck when Lisa led her into the pool area at Gwen's home.

Jordan, Naomi, Kate, Lena, Charlotte, Paula and their husbands, along with most of the children in the group were relaxing by the pool. Gwen and Steve greeted Pamela warmly.

The girl seemed unable to close her mouth as she looked from Gwen to Steve, and then to Naomi and Jared, before settling on Jordan and Charlie. Gwen spoke in hopes it would give the girl time to recover.

"I'd introduce you, but you seem to know everyone here. This is Pamela Stenson, everyone. Steve met her in River City, Virginia just after that terrible bus accident. He was somehow able to convince her to support our efforts to change the atmosphere in Washington."

"My Queen! I'm so sorry," apologized the girl as she knelt before Gwen.

"That's the first thing you have to get over," giggled Gwen as she tugged the girl to her feet and hugged her. "I'm Gwen, and you're Pamela. We'll be working closely together and become good friends, I hope."

Gwen released the girl as Steve stepped closer. She turned a bright red as she gazed at Steve standing shirtless in swim trunks. Unable to form words, she gathered her courage and launched herself into Steve's arms for a hug.

When Steve released the teen and stepped back, she simply stared at him. "I was even worse the first time I saw him," pointed out Kate as she greeted Pamela with a hug of her own.

"I don't mean to stare or anything," apologized Pamela once again. "I've only ever been around my brothers, and the boys at school. I didn't realize there was such a difference between boys and men."

"It looks like Steve's ruined another poor girl's chances for happiness," quipped Naomi. "She's going to expect her Prince Charming to be just like Steve."

"Yeah, Charlotte used to have that look when she was around Steve, at least until I took my shirt off and she saw what a real man was like," joked Billy.

"Yeah, once I was able to see around you to find Steve again, I knew I'd never be happy with anything less. Luckily, Billy is just like Steve, except maybe for the money, the body, the talent..."

"Okay! I think Pamela gets the picture," interrupted Billy. "Maybe you and Gwen should trade places, if you think Steve's so hot."

"Oh, my!" gasped Gwen. "Would you be willing to do that for me, Charlotte? I'd be so grateful."

"I couldn't do that to you, Gwen. Once Steve spent some time with me, he'd forget all about you," warned Charlotte. "When I was done with him in a few weeks, he'd be broken-hearted and plain broke, but he'd have a smile on his face that wouldn't quit."

Pamela Stenson was simply amazed at how easily the members of Gwen's group of friends interacted and joked with each other. She was grinning from ear to ear as she listened to the people she had essentially idolized most of her life. They were very like her own family, except more attractive and much wealthier.

A few minutes later, Lena, Ruth and Theresa asked permission to ride their bikes to a picnic area along the shoreline of Asgard's private lake. The girls had packed sandwiches and sodas, along with a few cupcakes for dessert.

Gwen and Steve were sitting by the pool with their friends. The other kids were playing in the pool, when Saint suddenly raced up to his parents, quite obviously upset.

"Dad! Mom! Theresa was stung in her mouth by a bee. She's having trouble breathing!"

"I have epinephrine in my bag. Where is she?" asked Charlotte as she immediately stood up and reached for the small medical kit she always carried.

"They're at the picnic area by the lake," responded Saint. "Lena's really worried about her!"

"Jump in the 4-wheeler and I'll get you there," insisted Jason, as he leapt to his feet and headed for the machine.

"Lisa, ride with us," instructed Steve. "We'll get the pickup and drive over. Come on, Gwen. Paula, please watch the baby and Vickie."

Jason and Charlotte were already out of sight by the time Steve started his vehicle. As they neared the picnic area, they saw Charlotte and Jason kneeling by Theresa as Ruth and Lena stood watching.

"How's she doing?" demanded Lisa as she rushed to her daughter's side. "Will she be okay?"

"She's getting better already," replied Charlotte calmly. "We need to take her to the hospital just in case, but she's breathing easily now. Thank God Lena was able to get Saint to warn us so quickly."

"Theresa's going to be okay," declared Saint to the adults remaining by the pool. "Aunt Charlotte gave her a shot, and she's breathing again."

"Thank God!" declared Paula as she gathered Saint into her arms and hugged him. "I don't know how you and Lena do that, but you kids have just saved Theresa's life!"

"Pamela, I can see you're wondering what just happened," said Kate. "The short version is Saint and Lena have some kind of mental connection, like telepathy or something. Gwen mentioned it to the press once when Saint had found Lena after she'd been abducted, but she soon regretted saying anything. Their connection seems to be getting stronger.

"The world isn't ready yet for the adventures Lena and Saint will experience, so we'd appreciate it if you didn't mention what just happened outside our inner circle. Gwen has the same thing with Steve, but on a much lesser scale. She somehow knows when he's in trouble."

"That's one of the reasons she's Queen," replied an awed Pamela. "She's extraordinary, yet so nice at the same time. I think she can do almost anything."

In the middle of July Steve was visiting candidates in the western states in an effort to help their campaigns. He had flown to Denver with Pamela Stenson, who was proving to be a crowd favorite since her viral video in the spring. Pamela's mother Linda was with them as a chaperone for her daughter. Saint was traveling with his father. Gwen was determined he have the opportunity to learn from his father as much as possible, which meant traveling with him whenever it was at all convenient.

After driving to several campaign events north of Denver Steve, Saint, Pamela and her mother boarded a Beechcraft Bonanza, which had been hired to fly them to southern Wyoming to attend a rally for a candidate in Laramie.

They were an hour into their flight when Steve noticed the plane tilting as it unexpectedly turned west. He had been napping, and the tilt of the plane had awakened him. Steve looked to the front of the aircraft only to see the pilot slumped to the side. As Steve went to check on the pilot, he heard the engine sputter!

By the time Steve had determined the pilot was dead, the engine had stopped completely. A quick glance revealed they were in mountainous terrain, and only a few hundred feet above the treetops. As the plane began losing attitude, Steve spoke calmly to the Stensons and Saint.

"Kids, be sure you're buckled up. Linda, tighten your belt, we're going down. Hold these folded blankets over your heads and place your heads down by your knees. Brace yourselves for impact."

The aircraft was beginning to point downwards at a steeper angle as Steve buckled himself into a seat in front of the kids. He determined they were headed for the down slope side of a mountain before he lowered his head and braced himself.

Gwen was hosting the press in what had become an informal weekly gathering at Valhalla when she suddenly felt extremely apprehensive. She stopped in the middle of a sentence and involuntarily gasped.

Reporters easily determined she was upset and emotional as she began wiping tears from her eyes and looking around the room.

"Where's Lena?" demanded Gwen as she looked toward an adjoining room, only to see the door flung open and Lena racing toward her.

"Saint's hurt! His plane crashed!" cried the blonde girl.

Gwen knelt down and wrapped her arms around the child and hugged her tightly as the reporters watched in stunned silence.

"What can you tell me, Sweetheart?" probed Gwen. "How bad is it?"

"He's breathing, but he's asleep," replied the girl between sobs.

Hanna, Kate and Paula rushed to Gwen's side as she knelt with Lena in her arms. Hanna tried to apologize for her daughter. "She suddenly began crying and insisted she had to see you, Gwen. She's very distraught. Something must have happened."

"What else can you tell me, Lena?" asked Gwen softly as she struggled to regain her own composure. "Do you know what happened?"

"Your Warrior was in a plane with Saint and that girl Pamela, and her mother. It stopped working. The trees were coming at the plane very fast, and then Saint fell asleep."

"I'll start making calls!" promised Kate. "They were scheduled to be in Laramie this afternoon. I'll see if the FAA knows anything about a plane crashing."

"Can you tell us what's happening?" asked a woman reporter.

"I'm sorry, I can't; family matter. I have to ask you all to excuse us," responded Gwen as she stood, still holding Lena in her arms. "Mom, please arrange for transportation to Wyoming immediately. Steve and Saint need our help!"

It was a few hours later when Gwen, along with Lena, Hanna and Adam Kiss stepped off the jet in Laramie, Wyoming. Kate and Chip soon followed them from the aircraft.

The press was in a frenzy as they covered the story. Somehow Gwen Hammer and the blonde girl had known of a plane crash involving Gwen's husband and son before the FAA had even been apprised of a missing plane!

Reporters watched from a distance as Gwen and her entourage were escorted to a hanger for a briefing by the Civil Air Patrol.

"Madam President, we've had planes out searching for your husband's plane as soon as we were able to verify that his flight was no longer on our radar or in communication with ground control.

"As you can imagine, searching in heavily wooded, mountainous terrain is difficult and time consuming. It'll soon be dark, and we'll have to suspend operations. We'll resume our efforts at first light. We have all available resources involved. This is a top priority for us.

"This is a very difficult situation," admitted the CAP agent. "We've been unable to detect any sort of signal from the aircraft. Records indicate it was equipped with a black box, but it must not be transmitting.

"We're treating this as search and rescue mission. Your husband had a very experienced and capable pilot. There's a very good chance he put the plane down in a way to reduce injuries to the passengers," concluded the man.

"The pilot died before the plane lost power and crashed," revealed Gwen. "He was slumped over in his seat shortly before the engine died. The craft rapidly descended into the side of a tree-covered mountain.

"My husband's in considerable pain. It's very likely he has a compound fracture of his left leg. Mrs. Stenson has a severely lacerated arm. My son and Pamela Stenson escaped with bumps and bruises," concluded Gwen.

"Have you been in contact with your husband after the crash?" asked the surprised man. "Do they have a cell phone with a signal?"

"Not exactly," admitted Gwen. "It doesn't matter how I know the extent of their injuries. You need to inform your searchers they're on the western face of a wooded mountainside, the pilot is deceased, and two of the four survivors are seriously injured."

The fact that Steve Hammer and his son were missing had the world monitoring the situation closely. When the information Gwen supplied to the CAP agent was relayed to those searching, people in all walks of life quickly learned that Gwen claimed to be in contact with her husband and son.

Saint had been the first to regain consciousness after the crash. He immediately checked on his father, who was unconscious and tangled up with two of the plane's seats. Saint immediately noticed Steve's leg was bent at a strange angle.

He then moved to determine Pamela Stenson's condition. She had some cuts on her face, but seemed to be breathing normally. Then Saint caught sight of Pamela's mother's arm. Blood was running down her arm and dripping onto the ground as she slumped in what remained of her seat.

"Saint? Are you okay?" asked Steve softly, much to Saint's relief.

"Dad! Your leg is bent funny. Pamela's not awake, and her mother's arm's bleeding pretty bad. What do we do?"

"I don't know how much I can do, Saint. I need you to help me. See that suitcase? Drag it over and open it. We need some shirts to use as bandages."

Steve managed to crawl the several feet to reach Mrs. Stenson. He carefully ripped the woman's sleeve away from the nasty cut on her arm. Saint followed his instructions closely as father and son did what they could to clean the wound and then bandage it tightly, dramatically reducing her loss of blood.

As they finished caring for Mrs. Stenson, Pamela slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "Mom? Is Mom okay? Is she ...?"

"She's alive," assured Steve. "Saint and I just treated her arm, it's cut pretty deep. How do you feel? Anything feel broken, or bleeding?"

"I have a headache," appraised Pamela as she cautiously moved her arms and legs. "Everything else seems to be okay. Why's Mom so quiet?"

"She must have been knocked out in the crash," responded Steve. "Her breathing is normal, so I think she should wake up before long.

"My leg's broken. I'm going to need you and Saint to help me set it, and I may not be able to help you very much. I could even pass out from the pain. If I do, you and Saint will have to carry on. I'll explain what I want you kids to do, so listen carefully. This won't be easy for any of us," warned Steve.

Once Steve explained what Pamela and Saint needed to do and was certain they understood, he managed to move his left foot so it was wedged between a broken seat and the side of the aircraft. He had already managed to slit the leg of his pants and slid it up well above his knee.

With Pamela and Saint standing by with the materials needed to bind his leg, Steve heaved his torso back, causing the broken bone to slide back into place. Pamela immediately sat on Steve's upper leg with her feet braced against the section of the plane. She maintained constant pressure against Steve's torso, keeping his leg extended. Saint bound a stick and several rods, which had broken off the landing gear during the crash, as tightly as he could to Steve's leg, both above and below the break.

Once Saint finished, Pamela slowly relaxed from her position on Steve and stood up. She nodded her approval to Saint when she confirmed Steve's leg had remained stable. "Don't worry. Your father said he'd probably pass out. You know he's the toughest guy in the world; he'll be okay."

For the first time since he'd awakened after the crash, Saint reached out to Lena. She quickly let him know she had "seen" everything he had done, and had relayed it all to his Mother. They were rushing to an airport to fly out to help take care of them.

"Lena told Mom what happened, and they'll get here as soon as they can. But it'll probably be tomorrow before they get here," stated Saint matter-of-factly.

"You can communicate with Lena when she's so far away?" asked a stunned Pamela. "Does she know about Mom and Steve being hurt?"

"She saw everything the same time I saw it," revealed Saint. "She told Mom. They'll find us."

"You're an amazing boy," croaked Mrs. Stenson, much to her daughter's surprise.

"You're awake, Mom!" cried Pamela. "I was so worried! Does your arm hurt?"

"Of course it hurts, but it looks like you two bandaged it pretty good. I saw what you just did for Steve's leg. I'm extremely proud of you both.

"Saint, did I hear you tell Pamela you're able to communicate with Lena Kiss? She knows we've been in a crash and your mother is sending help?" asked a somewhat incredulous Linda Stenson.

"He's connected to Lena, Mom. It sounds crazy, but I've seen them do it before. If Saint says Lena knows and has told his mother, you can bet that's the truth," insisted Pamela. "That's one of the reasons she's our Queen. She and her family do things no one else can."

The Civil Air Patrol had spent the day searching along the intended path of Steve Hammer's flight to Laramie, but failed to find any sign of the wreckage. They would search again with first light. Gwen was given the news as dusk settled in.

By this time, Gwen was keeping Lena by her side at all times. She turned to the girl to be certain she had received and forwarded the message to Saint. The beautiful little blonde girl nodded to Gwen.

"Both the Warrior and Pamela's mother are in pain, and they feel warm to the touch. Pamela thinks they both have fevers, probably from infection. She and Saint are very worried," reported the petite girl. "Saint has told them we'll be searching again in the morning.

"He wants you to know they can see a mountain with two peaks with no trees on them from where they are. The woods are really thick, and seeing their wrecked plane will be difficult," stated Lena. "I think they're looking in the wrong area. Saint didn't see any planes at all today."

The CAP agent looked skeptical, so Gwen spoke up to reinforce Lena's opinion. "Do not disregard what Lena is telling you. It's not your fault you're looking in the wrong place, but your search needs to be directed away from the area you covered today.

"I have an idea!" exclaimed Gwen. "Lena will let us know when Saint sees a search plane, and he'll help guide you to their location. You need to spread out your search area. Could you place a different colored banner or something on each plane so Saint can let you know which plane is close?"

"We've never been in a situation quite like this before, but if it'll help, I'll have each search plane carry something unique which can be used to identify it from the ground," replied the dubious representative.

By the next day reporters were swarming around the airport, seeking information on the search and wanting to know how Gwen was bearing up under the stress. Kate approached Gwen shortly after noon.

"I think it might be a good idea for you to meet with the press briefly, accompanied by the Civil Air Patrol representative. People all over the world are concerned for Saint and Steve, and for you. If everyone sees how calm and confident you are, and how hard the CAP is working to locate the crash scene, it'll inspire confidence in the process and help to relieve a lot of worried people. This situation has upset everyone. You can lead by example. I think Steve would agree if he were here."

Gwen saw the merit in Kate's suggestion and reluctantly agreed. There would be difficult questions, as well as possible accusations. She and the Civil Air Patrol held a joint news conference less than an hour later. It began with the CAP representative describing what had been done, and what was being done to locate the survivors of the crash.

Then Gwen gave a brief statement. "Steve has a likely compound fracture of his left leg. Linda Stenson has a badly lacerated arm. They're both running temperatures, possibly because of infection. Saint and Pamela were bruised, but both appear to be in good health.

"The pilot had died in his seat prior to the crash. The engine sputtered once and then stopped, causing the aircraft to plummet into the western down slope of a mountain within sight of two mountain peaks above the tree line. That's pretty much what I know at this point."

"Madam President," began Amber Stahl. "First, let me express my hope your family and friends are found soon, and they will soon return to good health."

"Thank you, Amber," was Gwen's reply.

"Can you tell us how you can be so certain Steve has a broken leg and Mrs. Stenson suffered a badly lacerated arm?"

"I can tell you, but I doubt you'll believe it," admitted Gwen. "My son Saint, and Lena, this lovely girl standing next to me, have a connection unlike anything previously known, or at least unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of. She knows exactly what Saint sees and thinks in real time, especially during a crisis."

"You're telling us they're telepathically connected?" asked another reporter. "Do you have proof of this?"

"I have no need to prove anything," replied Gwen.

"Why doesn't your son just tell this girl their location so they can be rescued?" asked a woman with a cable news station.

"If they had a phone with a signal, they could do exactly that. Steve's was smashed into small pieces in the crash. Pamela and Linda Stenson have phones but without any cell service, so their usual GPS doesn't work. They simply don't know their location. That's why the Civil Air Patrol has planes searching for them."

"Can you tell us why there's no signal from the downed plane? The service records show it was functional when it was inspected just a week ago. Do you suspect foul play?" asked a network reporter.

"I haven't given that any thought," replied Gwen. "I'm sure the proper agencies will investigate the situation thoroughly once everyone has been rescued."

"How long do you expect it to take for...?" began another reporter before being interrupted by a very loud and animated Lena.

"There's a plane! It's far away and it's flying in the wrong direction. It needs to turn right," stated the girl excitedly.

"Which plane is it?" demanded the CAP representative. "I'll pass that on to the pilot right away."

"It's too far away to see any colors," replied Lena thoughtfully. "Could you have all the search planes turn right?"

"Yes, I suppose I could," agreed the man quickly.

He spoke briefly into the communication device he was carrying. "We have five planes out searching. They've all been instructed to turn right ninety degrees."

"Please ask them to turn slightly more to the right," instructed Lena.

The CAP agent relayed Lena's request as Gwen watched and listened intently.

"The plane has green on its side!" stated Lena excitedly. "It needs to turn a little more to the right. It'll be directly over them in another minute if it does!"

"Tell the green plane to turn slightly right and record its location," ordered the CAP agent into his device. "Can he see anything?

"The pilot reports the area is heavily wooded. He's unable to make out any wreckage, but he's going to make some more passes," reported the agent. "We'll dispatch a helicopter to those coordinates. We'll find out if this girl is the real deal soon enough."

"I understand your skepticism," responded Gwen with some annoyance. "I really don't care if you believe Lena or not, but you'd damned well better have a helicopter get to that location as fast as possible, or there will be pure hell to pay!"

The group of reporters suddenly broke their silence and began shouting questions at Gwen and Lena.

"I'm sorry, but we need to prepare for the return and treatment of our family and friends. I know you'll understand," responded Gwen as she hurriedly led Lena from the room.

The news media couldn't get enough of the story. It was the very thing cable news lived for. Gwen Hammer believed the blonde Hungarian girl could communicate with her son and help the rescuers zero in on their crash site!

Psychiatrists were interviewed about Gwen's mental state as well as the possibility Lena actually could share her thoughts with Saint and vice versa. Most experts suggested Gwen was grasping at straws. She was under tremendous stress, and her desire to find her husband and son had overwhelmed her common sense.

Amber Stahl was Gwen's lone on-air supporter that afternoon. "Believe me, Gwen Hammer is cognizant. She is well aware of how difficult this is for most people to consider, but rest assured her husband and son will be found at that location, and they will be reunited with Gwen Hammer... wife, mother and Queen.

"The only thing which actually surprises me is how anyone can doubt what she tells us," continued Amber. "I've been privy to so many incredible, even impossible, achievements by Gwen and Steve Hammer that I cannot question this latest revelation. Our Queen will soon be reunited with her Warrior and her son, I'm certain of this."

Just two hours after Lena revealed Saint's location, the world watched as Gwen stood near a helipad as a chopper gently landed. Once the blades stopped rotating, Gwen raced onto the pad as a door swung open and Saint dropped to the tarmac, only to be swept into a warm embrace by his sobbing mother.

They were shown having a brief discussion as emergency personnel pulled two gurneys from the helicopter. Once safely unloaded, Gwen moved to her husband's side and kissed him passionately but gently on the lips. She then leaned close to share a brief conversation before he was wheeled inside, along with Linda Stenson. Pamela left her mother's side to kneel before Gwen.

"Please stand up and give me a hug, you little hero," admonished Gwen softly as she held her arms out to the girl. "Lena told me how great you were treating Steve and your Mom. You're now one of us, part of this family. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"My Queen, your saving the world from war, probably twice in the past year, is more than enough thanks! And Saint was incredible! He's so much like his Dad. You must be very proud of him and Lena."

Several hours later, Gwen was seen leaving the hospital with Saint, Lena, Pamela, Hanna, Kate, Chip and Adam. She paused briefly to answer a few questions the reporters were posing.

"Steve's leg is already healing. Saint and Pamela did an excellent job of setting and splinting the compound fracture in his left leg. He's on antibiotics to combat a slight infection.

"Linda Stenson will require surgery to minimize the scarring of her arm. She's also receiving antibiotics for an infection. Both she and Steve will make complete recoveries. Pamela and Saint were given clean bills of health.

"We're going to have a nice dinner before we return to be with Steve and Linda, who obviously have been admitted to the hospital," concluded Gwen.

"How do you feel now that you know Lena Kiss was right about the location of your husband and son?" asked a reporter.

"The doubt which you imply was yours, not mine," responded Gwen as she stopped to deliberately look over the assembled reporters. "I realize this has been difficult for many people to believe. I'm not going to waste my breath telling you what is to come for Saint and Lena, but know this. Today was merely a small sample of what lies ahead for them."

Gwen had discussed the situation with Steve in the hospital. The world now knew of the special connection between Saint and Lena, even though many people, perhaps a majority, were still in denial. Steve felt at this point it would be counterproductive to deny it. If Earth were to accept Saint and Lena as the representatives of the planet, it was important for the world to begin to see just how well-equipped the two were to undertake the battle. The message would be accepted slowly, perhaps glacially so, hence the campaign had to begin straight away.

"Saint and Lena are destined to fight for the future of mankind. Steve and I will make certain they are prepared."

Gwen's comment created a furor as reporters began shouting more questions. Her response was terse. "As I just stated, we're going to enjoy a nice dinner and return to be with our loved ones in the hospital. Please excuse us."

Gwen called Amber Stahl the next morning. "Would you care to interview Steve and me today? Television and the internet are running with all sorts of rumors. We realize people often prefer to believe what is convenient, causing all sorts of theories to crop up. We'd like to present the roadmap for the future as we see it."

The hospital supplied a media room for the interview. Steve was in a wheelchair, his leg in a cast with Gwen sitting next to him. Amber was mildly surprised to see Lena, Saint, Hanna, Adam, Kate and Chip sitting behind Gwen and Steve. Amber had the cameraman set up and then signaled the interview was underway.

"Amber, we're all here to answer questions. That includes Saint and Lena. I trust you to not ask anything which would be age inappropriate, although both these kids are quite advanced for their age," added Gwen.

"Madam President, thank you for granting this interview," responded Amber with a warm smile. "I think I should begin with Steve. How are you feeling? Will you make a complete recovery in time for football season?"

"I expect to be fully healed by next fall, but I've already let Jared know I wouldn't be playing again. The Super Bowl was my last game. It's becoming more difficult to concentrate on football when I have such a wonderful family. I need to spend more time with the kids, Gwen, and our extended families and friends. It's time to hang up my uniform."

"The Spartans will miss your leadership and skills, but I'm sure the fans will understand," remarked Amber. "Gwen relayed to us, through Lena that your pilot died before the crash, as well as how the engine stopped for no apparent reason. What can you tell us about the situation?"

"Ralph, our pilot, appeared fine when we took off. His death was quite sudden and unexpected. I expect an autopsy will tell us more. The engine suddenly cutting off requires an investigation as well. I don't believe in coincidences. Combine those two items with our flight recorded not working and I see a pattern. The FBI will determine what actually happened and why."

"Gwen, I have the feeling Steve thinks these were not random, unconnected occurrences. Did this dangerous situation cause you to rethink having your son travel and spend so much time with Steve on the campaign trail?"

"It honestly has," responded Gwen. "Saint may well have saved his father's life, as well as Pamela's and her mother. I have stated how important I believe Saint and Lena are to the future of mankind. Saint needs to learn the ways of a true warrior. It's my firm belief his father is the one person capable of preparing him for what lies ahead.

"Being a member of such a prominent family is not always easy. Saint needs to learn humility, compassion, and empathy. Steve is the best example of those traits I know. That said, Saint also needs to learn to defend himself and others. He must be able to determine when it's necessary to be proactive. Steve has proven his total grasp of dangerous situations. He's also demonstrated his ability to end, or neutralize them. Saint will learn by watching his father. That requires they spend a lot of time together. Being with Steve will subject Saint to international intrigue, diplomacy and leadership, and at times danger. It must be so for him to become the man the times will require."

"Can you tell us what it is that you think Saint will face? What is he being trained for? Where will this threat originate and how do you know of it so far in advance?" asked Amber.

"I'll only reveal what is known to be true," replied Gwen. "Lena's mom and I both believe our kids are meant for something very critical for us, not for a nation, but for the human race. We know we both believe that. It is a fact Lena and Saint are able to communicate with each other on a level never before known to exist."

"Saint, do you worry about the expectations others may have for you?" asked Amber to the boy.

Saint looked at Amber as he formed his response. He had seen her many times with his parents and knew she was a friend. Still, he hesitated.

"He's worried about living up to his parent's expectations," revealed Lena as she gazed at Saint. "He's very brave and is doing everything he can to become the person Gwen and Steve want him to be."

"Lena's worried she won't be big enough, or strong enough to do her part when things get rough," revealed Saint. "She's worried that people, especially Americans, won't accept her as queen."

"Okay!" interrupted Gwen. "The kids are still learning which thoughts of each others' are okay to share and which aren't."

"Gwen, will you run for President of the United States next year?" asked Amber as she realized Gwen was concerned about the responses from the two children.

"That's a fair question. Steve has been working hard to alter the landscape in Washington. He was doing exactly that when his plane crashed the other day. My husband is my conscience as well as my advisor, friend and lover. He hopes I'll accept a draft, and I'm not one to disappoint my husband if I can help it."

"To be clear," interrupted Steve. "I'm trying to change the culture in Washington so Gwen may be allowed to serve effectively if she should be elected our next president. The people of this great nation will determine if they want Gwen. I have not been campaigning for her, but rather for people I think will benefit Washington, regardless of who is elected."

"Secretary Chatham stated the road to the White House runs through Steve Hammer," recalled Amber. "Would either of you care to respond to that statement?"

"I used to deny we were kingmakers," replied Gwen. "I've come to rethink that position. Steve is incredible. He truly has the respect and trust of leaders around the world. Everyone knows he says what he thinks, and always keeps his word. I do believe he has the power to alter history, as well as the leadership of many nations. I also know he will not force his will on others unless he feels the situation is dire. I am not a kingmaker, but Steve is. That's how I see it."

"To answer your question, I'm going to do everything in my power to help Gwen get elected President of the United States," avowed Steve. "This is not because I seek power, or influence. I want this nation to prosper and flourish. I am convinced beyond any doubt that Gwen is the best person possible to lead the United States."

"Do you think Gwen's belief that Saint and Lena are destined for a world saving adventure of some kind will affect her chances of being elected?" asked Amber.

"Absolutely," replied Steve immediately. "My wife is willing to place her son in possible danger so he may be prepared for his quest. If she's willing to place the survival of the world ahead of the safety of her family, how can the rest of us not respond? Doing nothing is not an option. The world, not just the United States, needs Gwen to take the lead and prepare it for destiny."

"I've received some information which has just been verified," stated Amber to her audience, as a staff member handed her a letter. "Gwen, I'm sure you remember that Sunday morning when Congress impeached and convicted you, thus removing you from office.

"Do you remember the child in the wheelchair you stopped to speak with during your walk to the National Mall that morning? You held her hands briefly and kissed her?"

"Yes, of course I do," admitted Gwen immediately before becoming concerned. "She was such a joy. I hope nothing bad has happened to her!"

"Something has happened to her, but it's very good. She's regaining feeling in her extremities. She's actually been able to move her legs," revealed Amber.

"That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for her. Thanks for letting me know, Amber," replied an ecstatic Gwen.

"There's more, My Queen. Her spinal cord had been severed in a car accident. Her doctors told her she'd never walk again, but her spine is fusing back together! It's being called a miracle by her medical team. Her family's insisting the Queen of Peace has performed another miracle!"

"Oh, my," gasped Gwen as she considered the ramifications of Amber's revelation.
​

******​

Thus ends Book 3 of the Lady in Red series. Book 4 will feature Saint and Lena battling for Earth's existence, which sounds exciting. It will have an obvious sci/fi theme. I am deeply touched so many readers have written and commented on this series. I am determined to have the next book completed before posting any chapters, so it will be another year or so, if we all last that long. Your patience and support is certainly appreciated.

When I began this series almost 7 years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing, or getting into. The response by readers has been very gratifying. I need to thank Tex Beethoven who suggested he could greatly improve my story with some careful editing. He was right. He edited Book Three and it improved my story a great deal. Mostly, I need to thank readers who understood I was not seeking reality, so much as entertainment and inspiration. Never stop dreaming.​