The Search for Serpentor's Bride.

Chapter Two: The invitation.

The Joes visit a General at home.

Flint was driving the jeep up a winding road when one of his two passengers groaned about his speed. “You didn’t say we needed to get here fast, Hawk.”

“True, but I don’t expect that the General will be very happy with how late we are!” snapped Hawk.

Duke was looking at the woods as they drove. “I agree, Flint. Speed up,”

Flint nodded and slowly pushed the gas petal down as the jeep started to go faster over the dirt road. Both men groaned as they grabbed the side of the jeep tighter.

A few minutes later, the jeep turned down a road and stopped at a gate, which they pushed the button and told who answered it that they were expected by the General. The rod Iron Gate slowly opened up as the jeep made its way towards the house. The jeep stopped as soon as they saw the house – it was huge at least twice the size of Flint’s own home. They stared at it in awe before Flint started to drive towards the house. He parked in the drive way, turning off the jeep as Hawk and Duke climbed out and started to walk towards the house.

“Hawk, this house has to be at least five thousand square feet,” Flint said, as he gazed over the logs that was the home.

“It is actually about six thousand square feet, if you count the three car garage,” Hawk said as he rang the door bell.

The butler opened and showed them in. He explained that the General was in the living room with his daughter. The butler walked towards the living room with them following. “Sir, Mr. Abernathy is here to see you.”

“You may go, Jeeves,” the General said, motioning them to come in.

Duke and Flint noticed the a young black haired woman in a wheelchair but yet she looked like she could walk.

“Clayton, I want you to meet my daughter Joanna. She’s the reason why I have refused to come to the base. She needs me more than ever now. But let us go into my office and we’ll talk,” spoke the General, as he acknowledged the other two Joes before whispering to his daughter.

Clayton smiled towards Joanna before he followed the General into his office where Flint and Duke both heard the General to close the door silencing what was being said in the room. They stood in the living room wondering what they should really do. They didn’t even have permission to sit.

“At ease, soldiers,” spoke Joanna, as she looked towards them. “Permission to sit is granted.”

Flint and Duke looked at her for a few seconds before they took a seat on the couch. Flint was the first to speak. “I do not mean to be rude but may I ask you a question without making you angry?”

“I’m hard to make angry, but if the question deals with the wheelchair, I’ll answer it,” she said, gently.

“Are you able to walk?” Flint asked.

“Yes, but I haven’t walked in over nine months since I busted my leg in a riding accident. My doctor found that I had shattered it in several places. The doctor doesn’t want me up on my feet for at least another month or two and then start working on regaining strength in the leg to try to walk again if at all possible. That is why my father has left the base to stay here with me,” Joanna said in a whisper.

Duke turned to look at her and was just about to open his mouth when the General and Clayton walked into the room. Clayton smiled at Joanna before turning to Flint and Duke and said something that made them stand up and leave the living room without a second thought.

It was only when they got out of the house did Clayton look like he was going to blow something up. But all he did was climb into the backseat of the jeep.

“Hawk, permission to speak?” asked Duke, as he sat down in the passenger seat.

“Granted,”

“Why were we invited to his house?”

“Top secret. Return to base,”

Duke turned to look at Flint and shrugged his shoulders as they drove down the road back to base. Once, back at the base, Flint pulled Duke aside and whispered into his ear. Duke nodded and left the motor pool as Flint grabbed the gas pump to refill the jeep with fuel.

Hawk just barely had the chance to sit down in his chair in his office when a knock came to the door. “Come in.” he snapped.

Duke entered the room and approached the desk. “Sir, I was wondering if we couldn’t send an invite to come visit the base to the General and his daughter Joanna?” asked Duke.

“So he would be forced to come here to do some paper work. Brilliant Duke, I’ll see if he’ll come out for a tour of the base. Alert the other Joes about this visit and to spit shine their boots,” Hawk said with a smile, as he picked up the phone.

Duke turned and was about to walk out of the room when he turned around, he looked at Hawk. He knew he had to know about the visit.

“Is there something else on your mind, Duke?”

“Yes, about the visit to his home. What was it really about, sir?”

“I’m not at liberty to state that, Duke. You know that. I wish I could but I really can’t. She will tell you if you ask,”

“If it is about her leg being shattered in a riding accident and that she might be crippled after the length of time being off of her leg, then we…Flint and I already know,” Duke said.

Hawk looked at him shocked. “How do you know her leg is shattered?”

“Because Joanna told us that it is was shattered,”

“Do not breathe a word to that to anyone else and make sure Flint doesn’t say anything too. The General doesn’t want it to be known,”

Duke smiled and walked out of the office. He walked down the hallway towards the recreation room where some of the Joes were. He stood there watching them just play cards or just read a book or cleaning their gun. “Guys, we got couple visitors’ coming in a few days and this is your warning to spit shines those boots of yours, Hawk’s orders.”

“Who, Duke?” asked Lady Jaye.

“A General and his daughter,” spoke Duke, as he walked out of the room towards his own chambers where he started to work on cleaning his boots.

Stay tuned, the next one is coming.

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