C James has released Chapter 45 of Let the Music Play. Read on cliffhanger lovers.

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That is all I am saying for now

Great chapter naw your safe cj. for now at least

Yay Chase is safe Dimitri is getting his just deserves. Brandon might just get some broken bones..

Crossing my fingers brandon won't die.

That was a tense chapter but an excellent one. I wonder if Brandon will survive. It is looking rather bleak, hence the name of the chapter.

Wow! Great chapter, CJ. Lots of action. Definitely a cliffhanger...literally. Or...what comes after you are no longer hanging on the cliff.

I guess after your no longer able to hang on the cliff you gotta hang on the clouds..... I just don't think any are that low down in that area.



I don't wanna wait.

Wow, how many cliffs can be in one chapter?

Great chapter Cj, and thanks first of all.

So will Brandon survive the fall with Dimitri being the cushion that he lands on? And what about Steve, he fell over a cliff too .

Not only do we find out that Dimitri is a little crazy, but it appears that he gets woodies from the excitement of killing. What kind of psycho is he?

I'm really glad that some of us guessed way back when Vladimir was still around that J/S would be selfish enough to change the codes in Dimitri's detonator, much the same way that Dimitri changed Vlads. Let's hope the call doesn't go through to LA.

If ever there was a time for Jan to make a guest appearance and swoop in and save Brandon, now would be it.

Lastly, I'm still worried about no reference to J/S's activities in Paraguay (or where ever he is). This is the second chapter in a row.

I recall at one point Scar telling Dimitri not to blow-up NY. Not sure what significance there was to that.

Steve, you're getting your stories confused. Besides, Jan is already dead in Tim's story.

As usual I hate you and I love you CJ.

If Steve doesn't survive, perhaps Joe Clump will replace him with the Shadows and they will continue to tour with Instinct. Let's hope that both Steve and Brandon do survive. What will save them?

Yes Please let Steve survive, then what would Wilde do?

going re later

CJ, you know that I don't comment often your chapters. I have no questions about what happened or will happen, neither to admire all your cliffhangers because its always an evidence that you are the king of them .
But this time, I want to say you never wrote a best chapter ; a model of action, a thriller for itself, the fighters exchanging their acts like first class tennis players in a "Grand Chlem"! Each phrase coming just when needed, each character kept going as he should, with the reader out of breath. overwhelmed .
Good work done. I suppose the pressure will even climb more till the end. I can't waite of the next chapter

........Ah, for once there is no cliffhanger....there was nothing to hang on to!! I'm puzzled!! I had no idea Dimitri was a superb pitcher, I mean throwing a grenade from fifty feet inside a mine shaft to the mines entrance is quite a feat!! Brandon will survive, he was closer to the edge from the impact of Dimitri's body, he will most likely land on some goat on a ledge...sending the poor misunderstood creature over and most likely landing on a startled Russian. The very best chapter of all, Great job CJ...BTW

Author's Note: Please forgive the slightly tense chapter ending, but the story is coming to an end (2 more chapters and an epilogue that will be posted with the final chapter). The remaining text is already in editing so it should be posted on schedule. Also, the chapter would have had a tense ending no matter where I cut it at this point.

.....A LITTLE TENSE???????

When I first read the part about Steve going over the edge, I thought there's our sacrifice, since CJ likes to misdirect us sometimes.

Trust me, if I could, I would be there. Actually, I would try for the phone in his hand first before Brandon makes the jump. That distraction might have given Brandon the time he needed to get Eric's shotgun.


Gary, that would be one of my many reincarnations. That one takes place many, many years in the future.

This is a very exciting chapter. Lots of action.

Maybe when they hit the ground, Dmitri will be under Brandon, thus lessen the impact for Brandon.

Now I know why people talk about lynching the goat.

Very. Cruel.

Eagerly awaiting the next one...

Brandon might come out of this badly hurt, but I agree with everyone else that he would land on Dimitri. Being the larger and heavier person, Dimitri would land first if Brandon holds on to him.

A exceptionally strong sidearm I would say.

Is that because heavier objects fall faster? I'm surprised that an engineering student would make such a statement.

I think there's a bigger risk that Dimitri manages to roll Brandon to the underneath while they are falling together. Dimitri's shown he has quick reflexes.

..............Remember Dimitri is afraid of heights, so my guess is that he is frozen up and seeing that he was hit from behind, he is falling ahead of Brandon with his back to him. Therefore if Brandon grabs & holds Dimitri from behind there is little the Russian can do!

Amazing, I can not wait to see how you will get one of our favorite protagonists from death?

By the way, That little piece of Cell phone manipulation was unexpected, so does that mean Scar never really trusted Dimitri and he actually thought ahead for failure.

If that is so does it mean Scar might find some way to escape Paraguay and be a silent villain in the shadows. If he really is as smart as he appears in the story.

I can not wait for chapter 46.

PS. Kill Dimitri Painfully!

..........I believe that Scar will survive (can you say sequel)...I'm guessing that the Scar didn't want NYC (could it be he had a favorite restaurant there?) blown up, only as a last resort, only he would be the one to do it. It seems he took great care in planting that one even going as far as to cement over it. Remember the life shelf of ten years for the nukes batteries! What if he sold or will sell the phone number if he finds himself in trouble?

Dimitri wanted to blow up both places, and Scar did not want that, That would really make the U.S Pissed off, I don't think they would help him take over Paraguay now.

I agree with W.L let him have a painful death

Sill hopeless thinking maybe Steve will survive even if he's badly hurt.

Marry his co-widower Chase?





LOL, I was going to call you on this one too, Robbie


I don't think Steve survived. I give Brandon even odds either way.

Can't wait to see what's next!
-Kevin

As I think back about the whole programming of the phones, it started with Vlad reprogramming the phones so he would hold the key as collateral over Dimitri and J/S. Then Dimitri reprogrammed the phones without Vlad knowing. Next we find out that J/S then reprogrammed Dimitri's phone so he couldn't blow up New York.

It seems like out of the three of them, none of them trusted the other. Who's to say that Dimitri didn't along the way reprogramme J/S's phone to not work on New York or LA too?

It just seems like surprise after suprise.

Now onto a technical aspect of Brandon and Dimitri falling. Depending on how far they are falling, there is little to no hope for any kind of survival, even if one lands on the other. Unfortunately knowing of a jumper who jumped from the 42nd floor of a building, he landed on his back and the pressure of the impact basically disemboweled him all over the concrete. That much mass hitting a solid object cannot stay intact, or sink in, so it basically spreads out.

I guess the only possible hope is if Dimitri and Brandon do hit the ground at the same time, that Dimitri has thick enough skin for a fraction or two to soften the force of Brandon's impact.

I'm sure somehow CJ has done his research on this, and has found a plausible out, but I have my doubts.

Question is, if Brandon is out of the scene, does the band continue with a sober, grown up and mature Joe?

I don't like the idea of Steve being dead either, as I personally have a feeling Wilde won't survive long without Steve. There is too much of a past between the two, and now that they have found each others I don't know if Zeke can even help.

Steve

Well, at least CJ apologized for the "slight tension" at the end of the chapter.

Most considerate, CJ.

Do your magic, goat-buddy, and give me a happy ending. Chase and Brandon can get married in California now. Dodger Stadium sounds good.

I believe Brandon was wearing a parachute, wasn't he?

Conner

That sounds like a plan, but do not forget how much CJ loves irony.

Depending upon how close Steve was to the rock face on his way down, he could have grabbed onto a bush or something growing out of it. Farfecthed I know, but you never know what CJ's got up his sleeve to get out of trouble.

As for New York City, maybe J/S has a favorite restaurant there that serves goat.

......Steve didn't just fall over, a concussion grenade knocked him over, there is probably a good chance he is unconscious and unless by a miracle his body is trapped by a bush on the way down. I fear he is dead. Brandon may be able to 'push' off of Dimitri and save his own skin by making a grab at the cliff (personally I like the idea of him hitting an unsuspecting goat, and replacing the goats spot)

Average velocity v_a of an object that has been falling for time t (averaged over time): v_a=½gt. Ignoring wind resistance, two bodies fall at the same rate regardless of any difference in weight. I'm trying to remember high school physics here, so cut me some slack.

Most falls of more of more than 50 feet are fatal...most, not all. There are exceptions. Vesna Vulović survived a fall of 33,000 feet from an airplane in 1972 without a parachute. Injuries to the head and pelvis are the most critical.

Dimitri probably isn't soft enough to do Brandon any good. Let's hope Brandon's fall is very short.

........Regardless of weight? In a vaccum maybe, but a feather and a rock, no!

Ignoring wind resistance, Benji. A feather would have considerably more wind resistance than a rock. In a vacuum, yep...no wind resistance there.

Two bodies offer a similar resistance to air, I'd say, unless the surface of Dimitri exposed to air is significantly different from this of Brandon. But Brandon's odds to catch a tree growing out from the cliff, or to fall 5 feet below on a small platform are higher from a fictional point of view. What makes the odds higher is that the author is not at risk of ending on a spit if Dimitri equals the performance of Franz Reichelt.

It really does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the chances of survival are slim to none. I suppose we'll just have to wait and find out.

.......Franz, the 1st Darwin recipient? Dimitri's death will not save the goat from the spit if Brandon fails to save himself.

I think he'd have won the Darwin award indeed. I'd encourage everyone to watch the video of Franz's feat. It should make you laugh and shudder at the same time. Notice how he hesitates because of the media presence. I can see the thoughts whirling inside his head: "Will I chicken out? Well, all these people have come for me... At the same time, what if my invention doesn't work?"

And indeed, Brandon will have to be saved from the Great Goat Peril. CJ has more power over Brandon's life than Dimitri.

......How is the goat going to manage to wiggle out of this one??

Hi Old Bob!!!
Thank you! This is my first try at a running battle, so figuring out how to get the back-and forth right without slowing it down or making it confusing took me a little time.
Thanks!!!



Benji, thank your for your declaration of "no Cliffhanger".. You are, of course, correct.

Brandon is not hanging from a cliff, so no cliffhanger. Also, Brandon is fine! Just a few scratches (that happens when you charge through an old mine shirtless) and that minor bullet crease. Granted, he has a little gravitational issue....

BTW, do you think I over-stated things by calling it "a little tense"? You might be right! Maybe I should re-phrase... Perhaps "a slight trace of possible unease"?

I guess it's a good thing the next chapter isn't named "Impact"... Er, oh, well, it is, but for that, we have to blame shadowgod... At least I did not give in to the Evil One's demand that I name it "Splat"...



Who? Me? I'm not cruel... And I think forum opinion has moved away from lynchi8ng ant towards open-spit roasting..




The rocks at the base of the slope would not make for the softest of landings. However, I can say without a doubt that the fall would not be fatal... Falls are NEVER fatal. The sudden stop at the bottom might well be, but the fall itself is never fatal.


Okay, for some general comments from me; the acceleration rate of gravity is 33 feet per second, per second. A dropped object will travel 33 feet in it's first second, 66 in second #2, 99 feet in the third second, etc. However, that's without air resistance. Terminal velocity for a free-falling human is, at sea level, about 125 mph. I don't give an altitude in the text, but the mountains east of Last Dollar road have areas like the one I describe at about 9500 feet. The air is thinner, so less resistance, hence faster terminal velocity. Going from memory (always a bad idea for me) but at that altitude, air density (and thus drag) are about 55% of at sea level. So, as a ballpark figure, say 50% less drag and increase terminal V by 50%. That would make it roughly 185 mph.
Of course, that's very rough, and many things can change; assuming a head or feet down position lowers drag and increases velocity.

In a vacuum, a feather and a hammer do indeed fall at the same rate. Dimitri and Brandon would fall at roughly the same rate, though the determining factor here would be air friction; Brandon might fall slightly faster due to less drag (he's shirtless).

BTW, if anyone is curious what happens, the clues are in Ch 45.

CJ, he was copy/pasting what you posted at the end of the chapter. Since the last several chapters (I've lost count) have ended with evil cliffhangers, it is now becoming expected. Only one other author on GA (sorry Steve not you) has ever had so many evil cliffhangers in succession, and yours are much more devious than his. Why don't you just admit that you are, and will always be, the undisputed King of Evil Cliffhangers. We all know you are the only one truly worthy of the title.

<br /><br /><br />

I am in full agreement Tim. Maybe we need to upgade his name to "sovereign emperor of evil cliffhangers for life"

What do you think?

Well, unless Steve can somehow top CJ's evil cliffhanging mastery, I do think the title is worth consideration.

But, but, but... there was no cliffhanger in this chapter! Brandon isn't even touching the cliff at the chapter end!!



ACK!! But, but, need i remind you all of Shadowgod's LiS 26?


OK, a serious question; Dimitri's Grenade Toss. In the chapter he tossed it 50 feet, sort of; it was depicted as bouncing when it came out of the shaft. So, he had to toss it at least 40 feet.

The problem here is the shaft roof; I don't specify it, but given the descriptions it's about eight feet. So, he can't lob it up.
There's a somewhat similar shaft between me and town (horizonal, like the one in the story), so I stopped by this afternoon. I used an old and battered plastic flashlight that's a bit harder to throw, and stood at the shaft mouth (about five feet back). I clicked on the flashlight and chucked it in. I can't be quite sure how far it went; the light went out as soon as it hit. As a guess, fifty feet, but I have no real idea, and I have no intention of going in and looking (old Mine shafts are dangerous, I almost never go in them). I tried to look in using a handheld spotlight, but couldn't see well enough, and there's rubble on the floor in places.

I then tried chucking a full can of soda at a tree. The soda can is a decent approximation of a cylindrical concussion grenade in size and weight. I pegged the tree at fifty feet, about two feet abbove the ground (and three feet below my aim point) and soda went everywhere. A tree trunk is smaller than a mine shaft mouth by quite a lot (this tree is about three feet wide, a shaft would be seven or eight.

A baseball pitcher stands 60 feet from home plate, but they need to get the ball over the plate at high speed. Demitri didn't. BUT, unless there's some decent speed, it would need to be lofted and the shaft roof would preclude that.

My feeling, based on all this, is that Dimitri, if he had any experience whatsoever throwing a ball or a graende, could have made it to the needed 40 feet. However, my test was IMHO noninclusive.

Anyone have any feelings on this, or test ideas? BTW, I won't entertain any suggestions that involve me going into the mineshaft.

It would be something like bowling in an alley, would it not?

Nice chapter, CJ. Now be a sweet goat and let Dmitri be the cushion and break Brandon's fall.

I think the chapter's name, Sacrifice, hints that Steve may be......

DAMN!!

BeaStKid

So So So So, you are saying Steve's dead

Who's going to counsel Wilde?

Clues from chapter 45:

There are some places along the mountainside where a person can stand...or break a fall.

Easy?

Bushes and saddles twenty feet down. There are several possibilities for Brandon to stop his fall.

.........rough talus!!! It makes a hell of a slide, if you have ever traversed down the side of a mountain where the tailings of a mine have been dumped. If Brandon & Dimitri encounter this at twenty feet, they will both survive, very cut up, both survivable.

A couple of thoughts on the title, "Blood and Sacrifice". What does Brandon believe, based on his thoughts about Chase right before the leap? Saving millions of people, at the willing cost of his own life?





Sort of... I checked by googling, and a bowling lane is about 60 ft, but Dimitri would have had to keep the grenade airborn about 40, so about 2/3 of a bowline alley length.

That's a very good way of visualizing it though; think of hurling a full can of soda (which is about the right size, shape and mass) 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down a bowling alley.

.........So you lost the flashlight? Did you bring along a tape measure to try and gage how far it went in?

Glad to hear that Brandon has a chance at life, but Dimitri will be alive, too. I want Dimitri to be tortured for information for some reason; it just feels right to me for what he has done to Chase and all the people he killed and tried to kill.

It is entirely up to CJ to have Brandon safe and Dimitri fall. Personally, the mere fact that Dimitri is out of the way is enough to make my day. A slow and painful death would just be a cherry on the top.

So your day would be made with Dimitri dead, even if Brandon was dead too?

Back to the sacrifice thing.....

Brandon has always felt that he wasn't good enough for Chase. You think about all the scenes where he was willing to sacrifice himself without giving thought of his relationship as he has always felt that he had nothing really to contribute, unlike what he felt Chase could.

Were these clues to prepare us for Brandon's death in the story?

I would say that if he is dead, CJ could tell us that he foreshadowed it by Brandon's actions up to this point.

The goat is evil that way