Dark as Daylight Ch. 23

So far, the Zabo's corporate donations have been in line with other corporate donations to the other candidates. However, it is still 5 months before the party's nominating convention, and the big primary states are still to come.

Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Florida are coming. Sandy Hastings has a clear lead in Texas, New Mexico, California, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. The reason for this lead is Patrick Zabo. He is the head of NASA and in these states, NASA has a giant presence. In 6 of the 9 battleground states to come, Sandy Hastings has the inside track to victory because of Zabo International money and Patrick Zabo influence, even though, politically, he is not supposed to use it, openly.

He will fly the Hastings campaign people around the nation, in his personally owned, and operated 747, without the use of $1 of public money. Her opponents will not be able to say one word about it. As far as the Zabo's are concerned, Sandy is family, and they would do whatever they could to assist her to gain the presidency.

They were influential in helping Clark Atwater gain the presidency of United States, both times, and pushing ahead his vision of the future.

President Atwater's 'Clean Air Act' moved through Congress with startling speed. It wasn't till afterwards that it was revealed that William Zabo and friends had convinced the 'Oil Industry' that it was in their best interest to stand on the sidelines and allow this act to become law.

Everyone knew that William Zabo had vast interests around the world, but until that time no one knew exactly how influential he was. No one told the oil industry to do his bidding, no one until William Zabo that is.

The Saudis, Indonesians, Venezuelans, Brazilians, and Americans oil interests all backed down. Every oil-producing nation in the world stayed on the sidelines, during the 'Clean Air Act' negotiations in Congress.

It didn't take the geniuses in Congress to realize that the oil company representatives were not hounding them to keep this from becoming law. When their staff called to find out what their position was on this legislation, and they received a 'No Comment' that someone very big had put the word out to keep them out of this fight.

They were going to stay out of if it also, if they wanted to remain in their current position of powers, after the next election.

When Clark Atwater's 'Clean Air Act' came up for a vote on the floor of the Congress, the vote was 387 in favor, 28 against, and 22 NV (not voting). In the Senate it passed 98 in favor,2 absent. The nation had never seen anything like it before. Bipartisan support for a law that would change everything, not only in the United States, but around the globe. It would take years for the technology to be built, in the United States, and then to be purchased and put in place around the world. Once that happened, the skies would be blue and clear of toxins once again.

In decades to come, the oxygen percentage in the atmosphere would climb from 22%, up to 33 to 35%, if countries would stop clear cutting their rainforests, and replant those areas that had already been devastated.

As part of the Clean Air Act, the United States would replant 5 trees, of a similar kind, to every tree that was lost, due to logging, landscaping, and fires of all kinds. All Interstate Highways would be beautified with local flora and fauna, which would be paid for by taxes on the equipment purchased to clean the air, and on a wealth tax on the top 1% of the country's elite. No longer would it be based on earned income.

As Warren Buffett once said, "My secretary pays more in taxes than I do." That didn't seem quite fair, because his secretary didn't have as much money as Mr. Buffett has.

"Dear, are you finished telling me everything I already know? We should check in on your mother to see how her tests are going."

"Stephano, I should smack you, but I won't, because you'll smack me later to get even with me. Why didn't you stop me sooner? You know when my mouth starts moving, it takes a truck to stop it."

"I know, dear. I thought I would give you a few minutes to let off steam, after Doctor Braverman laid into you. By now your blood pressure is back down to normal, and you can be nice to your mother when you see her."

"Stephano, you are pain in the ass."

"I haven't done that to you in a while. If you want, I can take care of that later."

"Have I ever said no to you?"

"How much time do I have?"

"How dead did you want to be?"

"How truthful are you going to be?"

"Stephano, sometimes I don't like you."

"I know, but you love me all the same."

"It took you 2 ½ years, a ring, the words 'I Do', and a 'Marriage License', to get into my panties."

"At about 3:45 AM, on the morning of our wedding, and irate female called me and told me to look outside. It was foggy and she screamed at me saying, 'Couldn't I do anything right?"

I had to assure that bitch the day was going to be perfect, and to go back to sleep or she would be a wreck for the services.

She screamed, 'How am I supposed to sleep? You are not here."

I told that harpy, "You kicked me out. That's why I'm not there."

I had to get dressed and drive back to the ranch at that ungodly hour just to calm her down. The day was perfect, wasn't it, Patty?"

"It was so long ago, I've forgotten."

"Do you want me to remind your ass of the spanking I gave you that night?"

"You didn't spank me that night."

"Oh, so you do remember that night, and that day, don't you?"

"I remember everything from the moment you crawled into bed with me, until the moment I closed my eyes that night. It was so perfect, Stephano. I trusted you with every detail, and you did a perfect job of everything, except for my hair, which no one noticed because of my veil."

"You never told me that before, and I never realized it. How could I possibly have forgotten to get your hairdresser there. I know it was on the list of things to do. How did I forget to do it?"

"You might've been busy."

"I was busy, but I was busy doing things for you, and you are the only person I was thinking about. All I had to do was shower, shave, and put my tuxedo on. That takes all of 10 minutes. I had 3 hours set aside for you to get ready. 30 minutes for you to take a shower. One hour was set aside for your hair and makeup. The remainder of the time was for your dressing. God, I wanted to put that bra on you myself. I didn't even get the chance to take it off you, because you were naked when I got into the bedroom. God you were so beautiful lying there. I had seen you naked hundreds of times, but that time was special. That time, for the 1^st time, you were my wife, and we were one. We belonged to each other, forever. We still do."

"I never thought you would be a romantic, Stephano. All you knew, while you were growing up, was that it was a man's world, and women were to be treated as 2^nd class citizens. I'm not sure if it's the way your mother talked to you after I left you or not, but you were a changed person when you came after me. You couldn't stand for another man to be near me. You nearly killed Brad the morning after you arrived when he came to my motorhome to give me flowers. He called me a 'bitch', and you attacked him in all your fury because of it. If I didn't stop you, you would have been in jail for murder, and you would never have gotten into my panties. Do you see how nice I was to you?"

"Patricia, when God made woman and thought up the word bitch, he designed it specifically for you. Any other man or woman that uses that word for another woman is using it in honor, or dishonor, of you."

"How Thoughtful, Stephano. I'm going to see my mother, before I kill you. I have grounds now. I may want to use them later."

"I've had grounds for 45 years, and you're still alive. Why is that?"

"Don't piss me off, Stephano, you know what happens when I get pissed off."

"Yes, I do. I get to spank you after you attempt to attack me. I love it when you lose control, and don't realize it."

"I don't like you, I never liked you, and I won't like you in the future either."

"I'll make sure Manolo find something wrong with you and keeps you on the ground when the Good Luck 2 lifts off into space."

"If you do that to me, you had better never go to sleep ever again. You will go to sleep a man and wake up a nothing. Not a eunuch, not a woman, a nothing."

"Patricia, you are mean, but I've known that since the day we first met. Let's go visit your mother, it may calm you down."

"The best thing for calming me down, right now, would be for Patrick to come upstairs and tell me that he is not going to listen to my edict in reference to my parents. Then we will fight over it, and you can take him down to the emergency room after I break his neck."

"Your mother, Patricia, if you harm a government employee, you go to federal prison, not a cushy state prison."

"The jury will hear about a family dispute, nothing more, nothing less."

"God, you are good."

***************************************************************

They caught up with Jemma as she was being taken out of the MRI suite and being taken for her PET scan.

"How are they treating you, mom?"

"Hi Patty, what did you do to that wrinkly old goat that I'm married to?"

"Dad looked like shit. I told Manolo to put him in his suite and order a full physical for him starting at 10 AM tomorrow morning. Dad tried to open his mouth to me, but I shoved my foot in it before he could say anything. He knew he could go along with what I said, or he could have 2 broken legs, and be in the hospital out of necessity."

"I know how gentle you can be with your father, Patty. Did he try to sneak out of the hospital while you weren't looking?"

"Mom, you are in the hospital. Here is the only place he would want to be. If he has to be in a room to be close to you, he will be in a room waiting for updates on how you were doing. I am about to send Steph up to give him that update. How are you feeling?"

"The radiologist tells me the infection is gone, and it appears that my heart is beginning to heal itself. The only caveat is he wants the cardiologist, and heart surgeon to take a look at what he saw and give them a chance to make their decision on it, and see where to go next. I don't believe I'll go dancing anytime soon, but it was great to hear the infection is gone."

"Steph go give my father the update, and tell him mom is smiling. She is on the way to her PET Scan, and I don't know what comes after that yet, but I will shortly."

"Jemma is there anything you want me to tell William, while I'm up there?"

"Yes, please tell that bastard that I'm still thinking up his punishment for calling me old."

"Dad called you old, mom? I'll kill him for you. I'm a year younger than you are, and he thinks your old? I'll cut him into little pieces and have him delivered to his winery as fertilizer for insulting you like that. Tell him I said that Stephano, because it means your old too."

"No dear, I'm ancient, because I'm 4 years older than you are. You should have my shawl and cane ready for me, when I come home from my 12-hour work day."

"Don't make me fire you, Stephano. I can get the board to do it, if you are too tired to continue working."

"You're too late dear, either that or you're going senile. I have 3 people in my office taking over my job, and 6 others taking their jobs. I am taking a leave of absence and going with my wife to see my daughter on Atwater Luck. When I get back, I will resume my job as I was previously, unless I feel I am too old to do it at that time, because of age, or mental dysfunction."

"Get out of here before I get angry with you."

"Keep her calm, mom. Old people like her have heart attacks, and they come out of nowhere, as you know already."

"Stephano, you're not making any brownie points with me. Get lost."

"Goodbye y'all."

"You are a true gentleman, Steph."

"That's why Patty allows me to live mom."

As if choreographed, by a professional choreographer, Colonel Lucius Canyon was being taken out of the 'PET' scan suite, and taken to the Heart Transplantation Department for evaluation. Doctor Matti Williams was waiting for him to arrive, with Doctor Harvey Reynolds and Joanna Chikwe standing beside her.

Paul led his entourage into the room, making sure everything was in order. Lucius asked him if he expected him to be attacked, while he was in a hospital.

Paul reminded him of the British Prime Minister, 2 French presidents, the German minister of defense, and 2 American General's that were attacked and killed or severely wounded while in hospitals in their home, or host countries. He assured Lucius that he was going to die, but not while he was on duty.

Harvey Reynolds said, "I like this guy."

Matti said, "Harvey, he could crush you like a bug."

"That's why I want to be on his good side. I would stay healthy that way."

Lucius said, "Doctors, the reason we keep our medical areas away from the regular Army compound is people like Paul and me. We train to hurt the people who are our enemies. You train to keep us alive to perform that mission.

What I am asking you to do for me, may seem wrong to you, however, in my current situation, it is right. I have thought this situation over for months, and there was no one harder to win over than my Sergeant, who stands before you. He has been with me since he was 17 years old, and I trained him, to do his duty, from day one. He is the finest example of a noncommissioned officer you will ever find in the United States military. He has fought beside me in 3 wars and has received every medal for valor, and courage under fire this country has to offer. The Medal of Honor was placed around his neck by President George W. Bush for bravery above and beyond the call of duty, during the war in Bosnia/Herzegovina. He is a brilliant tactician, and a forward thinker. He does not let his heart overrule his mind.

When I told him what I was going to do, it took me weeks to convince him of the logic behind my motivation.

First, Paul hid my disease from me for more than 5 years as it progressed through my spinal cord. He found out about this awful disease during my annual physical, from my doctors, when it had already progressed into stage III, and it was already incurable. When I fell and broke my leg several months ago, the doctors found that I had gone into stage IV of Multiple Myeloma. They advised me at that time that my life was coming to an end. The disease was encroaching upon my brain stem and when it transferred there from my spinal column my life would terminate.

I am 82 years old, but the tests in the hospital showed that my heart was in excellent condition, because I have been physically active all my life. Enter the problem with my dear friend, Jemma Zabo. She is 18 years my junior, and in need of a new heart desperately. I can supply her with my heart, and I can live with her heart in my chest, at my home, in Vancouver, as she lives in her home, in New York. The difference is I will be physically dependent on those around me for the rest of my life, which will not be very long. However, in 3 to 4 months, Jemma Zabo will be up and about, living a normal healthy life, and preparing to run her half marathons again.

Paul knows of my close association with William and Jemma Zabo, because it stretches back over 45 years. That association has made me rich beyond my wildest imagination and Paul knows that he is my only heir. He is not looking forward to gaining my wealth, because I have made sure that he has gained wealth of his own, during our time together. As he has assured me, he may never be able to buy Montana as I can, but he will never be on food stamps either."

The only thing that has to happen now is to get your approval for the transplants. My records have been sent electronically, from my hospital, in Vancouver, for you to see. Nothing has been changed to my benefit, or detriment. I need this done quickly. I don't want Jemma to suffer one more day. If William had not married that wonderful woman, I would have married her in a heartbeat.

My first 3 marriages failed, because I was always away fighting wars for this country. Marriage by phone call and letters cannot succeed. Many young men and women are finding that out today, and I feel for each one of them. To go to Saudi Arabia for 14 months, and have your wife deliver your child, while you're away, is insanity. How do they expect the young woman to deal with that separation? How do they expect her to raise a child on the meager pay she receives from the military, and deal with the mountain of paperwork needed to get the additional amount of money for the extra mouth to feed and diapers to buy?

I was an officer, and my wives couldn't do it, without children. That was the only blessing we had, when we divorced. We didn't have to fight over the children. It would have killed me to fight over a child, or stay in a non-loving marriage, because of a child."

"I will make no bones about it, I love Jemma. I told William I did, and he knows I wasn't kidding about it. You can ask if you don't believe me. I told Jemma many times that I loved her, and she threw it up to William just to get his goat.

He would yell at me, "Stop flirting with my wife."

It would get him out of his lounge chair, walk to the phone, and talk with me. You can't stay friends with a man for more than 40 years, all the while flirting with his wife. William and I are like brothers, we would do anything, including die for one another if it came to that.

"I am asking you to do me this honor, and allow me to give my dearest friend his wife, my friend Jemma, for as long as my heart can live in her body."

Matti William said, "I want to look at your scans, before I make a decision. However, if your situation turns out to be as dire as you say it is, I have no problem performing my part of the transplant.

I will remove your heart from your chest, and give it to Doctor Reynolds. Harvey, what about you? Will you take Jemma's heart from her chest and give it to me to replant it into Mr. Canyon's chest?"

"I believe I will be getting the better of the deal, Matti. I also think it's going to be hell getting this past the transplant review board."

Lucius said, "I thought of that problem in advance, doctors. You will never guess who one member of the transplant review board is?"

"To keep the board apolitical, the board rotates through trustees. No one is supposed to know who is on the next board."

"You are absolutely correct, Doctor. However, since the hospital knew a transplant review board would be needed this week, it sent out requests for volunteers last week. A friend of mine, put in the name of a friend of mine, with a yes next to his name. He is currently in the hospital having tests performed on him. He is currently available for the review board process."

"Does he know about it yet?"

"No, I'll let him know later on today or tomorrow."

"Don't kill him with this news of yours, Mr. Canyon."

"My best friend, William Zabo, would move heaven, hell, and earth for Jemma. All I am doing is greasing the skids to make it easier for him. If she needed both my arms, and my eyes, she could have them, and I would give them to her without remorse."

Doctor Reynolds asked, "Mr. Canyon, may I ask what it takes to make a friend like you?"

"One word, Doctor, TRUST. When I met William, he put me through a short interview. I had to beat 3 of his best agents to get a position with his firm. One lightweight, one middleweight, and one heavyweight. The lightweight I beat very easily, but Mr. Zabo showed no interest.