Our beloved goat-author, C James, has released Chapter 46 of Let the Music Play.

I predict Brandon will be saved from his precarious perch by a trained mountain goat. Hang on, Brandon! Help is on the way!

I am much apeased. I think we can put away the roasting implements now. I must give CJ Props. I love this story and the characters.

Yep, he is saved! Dimitri has his and War is brewing............

I sense a Dan Kirk storyline coming; I mean, the guy started world war III for god sakes, the least CJ could do is start a small regional conflict.

From a fan of both authors, I would love to see a crossover between you two or corroboration, since both of you have highly technical storytelling techniques and your use of atomic weapons are well known.

By the way, here is to Jerry!

Yay, this time I won't be overly late in writing my comments,, ,heheheh,,, good chapter CJ,, and I'll add a big "I knew it"... I knew that brandon wouldn't fall all the way down the cliff.

I personally like the little phrase Brandon said as Dimitri had his final fall.

Also, great thing that this time around, the technical side of the detonation wasn't too detailed ...

The final stake here is to find Jerry, and what about the pending civil war,,,,

Spoilers here!

Brandon Lives! Steve Lives! Dimitri loses his grip. The goat is safe for now. I was wrong about a mountain goat coming to the rescue. Maybe that's in a different story.

Cliffhanger? Not really. I realize Jerry's situation doesn't look good, but I don't care. How would you like to be penniless in Paraguay?

Finally no more Dimitri

Be fun to see how how the whole battle with the scar will go down.

Great Chapter Cj.

That was a good chapter. The final words gave me goosebumps. Okay, I'm ready for the final chapter.

Given Steve's survival it seems likely now that Helen will die. I mean I guess she might not, but with all the miraculous saves how much longer can their luck hold out? I was really think Steve was a goner for sure. His survival seems to bode ill for Helen IMO. I know they're ostensibly unrelated in terms of plot, but I'd probably feel compelled to kill at least one of them if I were the author. Nevertheless, I'm definitely still rooting for Helen.

It was an awesome chapter, my favourite of the last several. It was very exciting and fairly "happy", lol.

Great job, CJ!

-Kevin

It doesn't seem it's going to be a civil war, but a conflict with the US troops against Paraguay. Yet we don't know whether J/S managed to secure enough support so as to succeed in his coup. At least the people he bribed cannot access the money anymore, which should make them a little reluctant to go on in their endeavor.

No mention of Jerry perusing his map in a dusty barn in this chapter, so now he doesn't have any leverage anymore, the US military would be better off supporting the democratically elected government of Paraguay and crush the rebellion rather than go into a war that could prove costly and would trigger other issues with neighboring states.

...........Aha!! another cliffhanger, (Brandon was definitely white knuckled to the side). Poor Dimitri, he greatly underestimated a pissed off Brandon. Too bad he didn't land in a patch of water, he could have looked into his own eyes and seen the object of his desire. Steves survival surprised me, as I had forgoten Wilde was there on the slope, those tailings are nasty stuff to be sliding on. I think the no-mention of Helen in this chapter is the foregone conclussion of her demise. Poor Jerry! He is really screwed, no money, no leverage and maybe no military coup! Next title of the next chapter? Jerry's vacation? (afterall, he has been working hard long hours for months, and can really use the rest).

Now that our cliffhangers are safely back on solid ground and Dmitri is dead, we can all breath better.

All that remains now is to get .

Things don't look good for Helen. But we've still got that 50/50 chance of her still being around to make life miserable for the guys.

Great chapter CJ.

Whew!

The only good Dimitri is a dead Dimitri. He was definitely a killjoy in this story.

If there were to be a cliffhanger in this chapter, and of course there isn't 'cause CJ doesn't use cliffhangers , it would be Helen's fate. Not a single word. My take is Helen will make a miraculous recovery....I have no idea how, though. I'll leave that up to CJ. Besides, the body count in this story is too high as it is. My other reason is that the boys will be so bummed out if she dies, we'll never have another pool party!

Thanks for all the technical stuff, CJ!

Two dudes who are afraid of heights fighting it out on a small piece of rock jutting out over a 200 foot deep ravine....now, that's irony. Happy landings! I loved that.

Poor Jer, just when he thought he had bought himself a country. I'm betting that the military officers who took the bribes will put Jerry in chains and use him as a negotiating tool for a free trip out of the country. Of course, once their plane is out over the ocean.....WACK! KaBoom!

What troubles me is Jerry is quite clever and may have an exit plan in place already for just this eventuality. If he gets away, he'll probably start a small business in South America somewhere call "Nukes 'R US" selling a do-it-yourself nuclear bomb kit with added instructions on how to take over a small country.

Great chapter, CJ.

Conner

I think that since the Toowoomba episode, Jerry lost his grip on things. His planning was really good for designing and building the bomb, but besides Instinct, the grain of sand in the well-oiled machine, his plan was doomed to fail. At some point he'd have been identified, and the bombs would have been found no matter what.

Of course, CJ already let one villain escape at the end of a story, so this could happen again, but I cannot imagine him disappearing as Blofeld in a James Bond movie. I expect something in which Joe's involved.

.......There are too many loose ends in this story, Brandon & Chase's outing? Brandon's warm family re-union?, where will Joe go, and why is he here?? Will Barbara be able to fill Helen's shoes? Will the Generals hair remain white? Will the Scar go into hiding in the jungles with some rouge revolutionary group?

Like to see if there's any kind of coming out, or like what will Brandon's family or Chase, Eric and Jon's will say. Barbara would stay with the band I believe.

Helen's fate can go either way, really... Jon, Barbra, and some of the bikers remained behind, as well as the air force investigator, so they might have been able to do something for her or get her to a hospital or something, but at the same time a lot of time has passed since she was shot, and she could very well have even been out of time even before they all left the house to go after Chase and Dimitri...

I think Jerry is toast. He's too much an international criminal to disappear.

Can everyone say "sequel"?

.................Sorry, but about Helen;

Helen barely felt the impact, at first. The hollow-point bullet slammed into her abdomen, flattening itself and fragmenting, causing massive internal damage. Helen stumbled sideways towards the wall as Eric and Brandon lifted their shotguns from the floor, swinging them around towards Dimitri as Jon followed suit. one problem, Dimitri used the Deputies 45, as being a standard issue, they aren't supposed to be using hollow-point rounds.

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and Jon, though seriously wounded, had joined Brandon and Eric at Helen's side. Seeing that Helen was losing massive amounts of blood, Eric glanced around for a towel. Finding none, he shucked off his shirt and eased it under Helen's arm, trying to slow the loss of blood. One of the bikers, who had been an army medic years before, rushed to aid Helen, though his first glance told him that the effort was likely to be in vain.



Helen, slipping into the first vestiges of shock, fought off the clawing numbness as she looked at her three boys. She'd seen enough to know that Dimitri had taken Chase, and she knew what had to be done. Drawing a painful, ragged breath, she said, "Go after them, save Chase. There's no time, just go, now." Seeing the hesitancy in their eyes, and knowing that they didn't want to leave her side, Helen added, as her voice fell to a ragged whisper, "There's nothing you can do for me. Jon can stay with me, he's hit bad too.

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Eric's eyes met Helen's, and in spite of his grief, he knew that she was right. His goodbye was simple, a soft caress that left a smear of his blood from the base of her ear, to her chin. Without a word, though his heart felt like it was being ripped in two, Eric tore himself away as he set his jaw in resolute defiance, before standing and snatching the keys to the Jeep from a kitchen drawer.

[size="2"]Back at the ranch, the former army medic had tried to slow Helen's bleeding and had elevated her legs, but there was little else he could do. He had grave doubts that anything could be done to save her; she was fading fast. Barbra held Helen's clammy hand, murmuring, "Stay with me babe, just hang on." Joe put an arm around Barbra, trying to comfort her, but feeling the sobs she was stifling.



Jon returned to Helen's side, only to see that her eyes were closed. Feeling an emptiness, accompanied by a deep sense of foreboding, he glanced at the former medic, who shook his head with a sad, barely perceptible motion.

Hey CJ,

Great chapter and a big thank you .

A couple of concerns, note that CJ was very deliberate in not referring to anyone confirming Dimitri's death ? Even when the general asked about his condition, everyone just assumed he was dead. Who knows, maybe he is just faking it . Then again, I still don't really believe that Gunter is dead .



Or, an alternative, instead of South America, he returns to the US disguised as a goat and does much the same thing from Arizona




Okay, my predictions:

1) Brandon and Chase don't get outed. Actually with the help of Jim, Brody and the other bikers their private life remains their private life.
2) Brandon never sees his family again, or hears from them. Once again, but mostly due to Jim's persuasive personality.
3) Joe will be hired on as the new road boss for Instinct, and will inherit Dear Ol Dad's legitimate shipping business.
4) Barbara will do just fine, as she will only need to take care of things until Helen is released from the hospital. She will be in constant contact by cell, WIFI, and teleconference in everything that happens until she is well enough to get back to her "boys"
5) The General's hair will fall out do to the low levels of radiation that he exposed himself to in LA. He just had to see the bomb himself, didn't he?
6) As stated above, he will disguise himself as a goat and write his "should have, could have, would have" serials of novels on the net. Willing to sell his knowledge for the right price.

Anyways, Thanks again CJ, this was one of the bestest chapters yet .

Steve

Steve, I wouldn't be surprised if he's alive. I'm looking forward to the final chapter to find the answer to that question. At least he doesn't have the cell phone. However, that doesn't mean that someone won't end up dead.

I think Jon has a small chance to live, Helen, I believe is a goner. But if Jon is gone wonder if the estranged parents will go to his funeral.

...........Jon will live, remember;

Eric's shocked eyes fell first on Jon, who was staggering to his feet, his face contorted in pain as he clutched his left shoulder.

Maybe Brandon can take over managing the Band; actually, there have been hints at it for a while now that he would make a good band manager. Helen always compliments him on his keen sense of what is right for the band and his sense of fashion sense.

Remember the first time he and Chase went out to his apartment and he forced chase to wear sun glasses and a cap. He also knows how to get attention pretty well.

CJ were you hinting at Brandon's ascension to Band Manager all along I wonder or is that another story in the distant future.

......Lead singer and manager?? That would take up too much of Brandons time, I like the idea of Joe being the roadie.

I'll reply more in detail tomorrow (3am here!) but just a couple of points for now. First, THANK YOU ALL!

BTW, the Offshore banking was added by Emoe... I originally had it as Offshore Baking, but Emoe didn't think that quite fit. LoL!
I dunno why... a conspiracy involving offshore baking sounds.. delicious!

Things are not going Jerry's way, but he's still got a good chance; the bribed officers have to back him even though the bribes are worthless; if their government remains in power, they bribed officers are in major hot water for being involved in Jerry's antics.

There are a lot of loose ends at this point in the story, but the final chapter and the epilogue should work for tying them up.

The final chapter is 47: Endgame and it should post on time. The epilogue will be posted a few days later.

Okay, now, a question for everyone; what loose ends do you feel should be tied up?

Jerry's neck should be tied up in a noose. Speaking of justice, where would Jerry's trial be held? Do war criminals always go to the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague? Does Australia have a right to try him first? What charges can the US bring against him? Will Paraguay give him a speedy trial and execution?

Other loose ends:

1. Helen's condition. Will she survive? If she doesn't, how will Barbra's life change?

2. Will Instinct continue to perform?

3. Will Brandon and Chase's relationship be made public? How?

4. What kind of career will Joe get into?

5. Will Shadow have a breakout hit and headline their own tour?

That's just a few loose ends; there are others. The last chapter and/or epilogue will be rather long to answer all the readers' questions. Or, would we be left hanging awaiting the sequel? Nah! CJ wouldn't do that to us.

CJames.... are you stealing titles from other series? Endgame was the name of the last show for Star Trek: Voyager!

First the cliffies, now the title stealing, ladies and gentlemen I believe the goat has gone crazy!

....But that's my thought lol

I thought the same thing when I first saw the title.

As for the second part, we've known that for a long time.

Of course we have. That's why we love him! Besides, if he were sane, would this series be as good as it is? I think not.

One of the reasons for the technical detail about the nuke in chapter 36 was to try and make the disarming procedure understandable; if someone doesn't know how a nuke works, the idea of preventing it from detonating by blowing it up or shooting it might seem a little odd. However, those are the real procedures.

The "happy Landings" just happened while I was writing, it wasn't planned, it just came out and I thought it fit.



Of course, the sequel could be all about Jerry. His coup might still work, and then he's got a war on his hands.




Thank you Conner!!

About the fear of heights... I didn't emhasize Brandon's well enough; it's mentioned in a couple of places early on and in chapter 19, but not clearly enough. However, yep, that's why they both have a fear of heights; for the final showdown way up high.

Jerry did indeed start loosing his grip, starting with the shipping container incident where he killed the road boss. The stress got to him, and in spite of his high opinions of himself he doesn't handle stress well. He also tried to get too fancy on some of the details, and had some bad luck.



I had no idea!! I don't watch much TV, so I didn't know that.

As for going crazy... How does one go where one already is?



ROFL! I have never claimed to be sane!

-The parents of Chase, Eric, and Jon! I'm interested in knowing more about them

-Steve and Wilde's relationship

Love to see em stay together, know it doesn't always happen, Again, to see what happened or what they think of their sons now would be cool

War criminals don't always go to the Hauge. For one thing, not all nations recognize it (the US included, in some cases) and they don't have the death penalty. For example, if the US captures Bin Laden, he isn't going to the Hauge, but more likly getting a federal death penalty. Or, like Saddam, getting his neck stretched.

Jerry is a tricky case. Australia has the biggest beef with him, and should IMHO get first whack. The US has the legal situation of him planting, and trying to use, weapons of mass destruction on US soil. There's also the matter of his involvement (as a con-conspirator) in the murder of Gunter, the pilot, and the Sheriff's Deputies. Under the law in most states, that makes him guilty of capital murder.

However, Paraguay, should it survive, certainly has their own score to settle with Jerry.

Jerry does seem to have a knack for making people upset with him? Poor Jerry!

BTW, at least the first four of your loose ends will be dealt with in the next chapter and the epilogue.





The Carlisle's parents are the one thing we won't see more of in LTMP. However, the same is not true for the sequel, "Changing Lanes", which will start posting within ten days of the end of LTMP. However, I think they are about the only "loose end" that will be left for the sequel. I'm not personally fond of leaving a lot of things unresolved in a story, so I wanted to use the final chapter and the epilogue to do quite a bit.

And hrmmm, No one had any objections to my mention that "Changing Lanes" might be all about Jerry, once he finished off Instinct? Well, Okay, just so long as you're all okay with it.

No Jerry will not kill them or least all of them.

Goat don't make me roast you more

I can understand that. If you leave things unresolved you are likely to be accused of all sorts of things.

CJ,

I know you have a couple of days to release the final chapter and a few more days to release the epilogue. So, in the spirit that you showed with the "Great lemonade cliffhanger", I was hoping you could clear up some of these cliffhangers you have left us with:

1. What happened to the paparazzi who got hit with the fire hose on the roof of the hotel?
2. What happened to the paparazzi who was caught filing false stories about red rock canyon?
3. What happened to the paparazzi that you mentioned snapped some pictures of Instinct getting off the air force plane in Telluride?
4. What happened to Charity? Does she always remain quiet?
5. What about the bartender in Whitsunday Islands that squealed on the boys?
6. What about the paparazzi in the boat without a prop in the ocean, do they die of dehydration?
7. What about Graeme? Did he suffer any consequences from the fallout from Toowoomba?
8. Will my hero, Gunter, get a proper and final funeral?
9. What will the Air Force do to reward Instinct for their contribution in saving the nation? Will George Bush bestow them with honours?
10. What was the significance of the Tiger's Eye necklace that Brandon gave Chase for his birthday?
11. Will Jerry/The Scar ever toss a coin in the fountain in Rome again?
12. What about Zeke? If Steve and Wilde hook up, will Zeke be the lone single guy kind of like Jon and Eric?
13. Speaking of Jon and Eric, will they ever settle down?
14. Will Helen be ever be able to get pregnant?
15. Is Dimitri actually dead?
16. What happened to Mario's body?
17. Will the road boss ever be found, and will he get a proper burial?
18. What about the bikers who initially fell when the grenade went off and the others couldn't see them in the dust? Were any hurt, will Instinct have a large bill from West Coast Choppers?
19. What will happen with Joe? Will he ever learn that his dad killed his mom, and thus realize his hate for homosexuals has been all unfounded?
20. Will the general get a promotion for saving the country from two nuclear disasters?
21. Will Eric get to taste the sweet nectar of tequila again?
22. Will Cody make another appearance?
23. Did Cody ever get his cheque?
24. Will Joe invite the guys up to Idaho? Maybe to Telluride, Idaho perhaps .
25. Will Joe continue his rehab?

This is just the first 25 cliffhangers that came to mind . I will see if I can post some more as they come to mind .

Steve

Ack, now, now, no goat roasting! I can't control what Jerry does.



Yes, this is true, even cliffhangers, which of course I almost never use.



ACK! WILDONE!! Those aren't cliffhangers!

Ok, I answered some (edited in in Red, above) , but left others unanswered as they are in the remaining chapter and epilogue, or in the case of the Tequila, in "Changing Lanes".

I hope Instinct isn't dead. That would be terrible.

There were almost certainly some American citizens in Toowoomba, too.

What would happen would depend on which political party was in power in Australia at the time. It would be awfully tempting for the Australian Government to let the USA deal with Jerry, because Australia doesn't have the death penalty, and changing the law to allow it in this one particular case would be an unnecessary political distraction. Too many people would object on principle -- though, under the circumstances, I think the vocal majority would be calling for Jerry's head. I personally disagree with the death penalty, but I would have to say I would be very, very, very tempted to compromise my principles in this particular case.

........Tell ya what, wash your hands of Jerry and we will kill him for us. That way you can protest the execution and secretly be thrilled!!

Good point about the Americans in Toowoomba. That would be enough to get him a US Federal death penalty, i think.

BTW, this reminds me of an issue I want to bring up in the post-story discussion; I largely ignored Australia after the big boom. There were no scenes with the OZ authorities, etc. I did that because it wasn't the focus of the story, nor relevant to the outcome, but I felt bad doing it.

BTW, do I take it that you don't like ?

......As much disdain I had for Jerry, his death was quick and anti-climatic, Dimitri's death (I think) was more drawn out.

Which is why I said it would depend on which political party was in power. That option would be very, very tempting.....