C James has released the Epilogue to Let the Music Play.

It appears CJ has had enough of the "?" business.

.........Helen's alive?..............?

Hooray! Helen is alive. Brandon and Chase are out...more than just out. Gay guys can be heroes, too.

Great Story, CJ. In honor of your accomplishment, our dinner tonight included a salad with goat cheese.

Looking forward to Changing Lanes.

I loved the ending!

Perfect way to end a great story. Thanks CJ!

Brandon and Chase came out/getting engaged

Helen thought she should of died.

CJ I enjoyed LMTP. looking forward to the sequel.

I liked the epilogue as well. I guess Helen isn't all bad. She does a good job at keeping them in line. I also like how Brandon and Chase no longer have to hide who they are. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Excellent job, CJames. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you for giving us a story, where "Hope springs eternal" really does come true! You have crafted a marvelous tale with exciting characters and amazing backgrounds.

By the way, will you ever go back to Australia and see how bad the mess is?

A benefit concert would be wonderful over there for a sequel, just a speculation

Congratulation to Chase and Brandon, may you alway love and cherish one another until death do you......well I hope never........part.

I really don't see how much Helen's death adds to the tension, at least the fact that she's still considered as dead in the previous chapter, with some clever hints that it could actually be an hospital, but with massive ones that it's a funeral home or a church.
To sum up:
Helen jumping in front of Eric/ sacrificing herself: OK
Helen badly wounded, biker seeing her die: OK
Helen's fate unsure as they chase Dimitri: OK
Misleading paragraph in chapter 47: fatwa.
(You might always try to blame Shadowgod, but I don't see how you can incriminate the poor SoCal hunk this time...)
Otherwise, this is a cute ending.
And this has been a great story. So what's next? Will Instinct manage to save the world from the threat of ruthless speculators starving the masses by their treacherous deeds on the world's commodity future markets?

This is wonderful, CJ!


An awesome and beautiful ending to a fantastic and amazing story!


Way to go!

Let the Music Play!

I told you, didn't I??

Well, as much as I love hate to say it, CJ has yet again left us hanging......How do Instinct's fans react to their drummer and lead singer being gay?

But, I'll let CJ off the hook since the second part would be starting in two weeks....

Awesome story, CJ, and a fitting end.

BeaStKid

Sweet ending CJ. I have to agree with BK about the fan's reactions. Even if we don't find out, I don't think it will make a bit of difference. With everything that's gone on, I think it's for the best that they made the announcement. At least this way, they have more control of it.

Reading the General's comments about the Scar almost sounds like there's a slight chance he could be alive.

Great story CJ. I'll be waiting for the next one.

Jan

...........Ya know CJ definately left me puzzled on Helen, she's what 50ish? And takes a gut shot wound at close range from a 45 with a hollow point round, has massive internal injuries (DUH....hollow point) is bleeding profusely and is out in the boondocks with help what 30-60 minutes away, yet she survives?? Well I guess if Brandon can bring down a disabled plane with little flight experience ...anything is possible!!

BTW, Great Story CJ, for a goat!!!!!!!

There is a sequel in the pipeline. Perhaps we will find the answers there. If The Scar is alive, he will be seeking revenge.

QUOTE

The resulting explosion tore through the building, shattering it and sending a guttering column of fire and smoke high into the hazy Buenos Aires sky as The Scar fell victim to the dead hand of the man he’d betrayed. The Scar, or what was left of him, regained consciousness moments later, pinned flat under a pile of debris, as the flames began to lick at his face. Unable to move, he could only scream as he burned alive. From beyond the grave, Vladimir had exacted a measure of revenge.

OK, if CJ manages to bring him back to life after this... Wait, wait, he already resuscitated Helen!

.............Dr. Scarlove???????

Actually according to the previous chapter we know for a fact that the Scar's body was not destroyed by the explosion as the General thought. If all they found was an arm then its extremely likely that he managed to get away. He's likely to be disfigured however and missing an arm.

.........The more I think about, I'm sure the goat will ressurect Scar. A badly scarred one at that.

Great ending of a wonderful story. Well done CJames !


See Benij, i told you.. never assume anything with CJames... only believe it when he spelled it out clearly :-)

Which leads me to the question if The Scar is really dead or if he may have survived the explosion...



hmm, well, i'd say we can be sure he was hurt badly by the explosion ("... or what was left of him..."), and that he took some severe burning wounds ("... he could only scream as he burned alive..."). But thats about it. No word about him being dead really ;-). And they only found part of an arm.. which he might have lost due to the explosion... did he somehow manage to get out from under the debris ??? Maybe the sequel will tell .. it could be another GEGM ! But thats what we lovehate CJames for But much more love than hate !

Do I smell a Bond villain in the making? HEHE!

Well, what can Scar do now after his failure?

If CJ does not go back and use nukes again, then the only other threat big enough would be biological weapons.

However, if it was me I would choose something a little more interesting to play around with: not a weapon that will kill people per se, but something that can cause the destruction of human civilization if my demands are not met *(Yep, Bond moment). While still technologically feasible with what we have today and what people are worried about behind every action?

.......Ya right, never assume anything with the goat!! (ass_u_me) I had a hard time in believing the ressurection of Helen. But believing in a sequel with a 'Dr. Scarlove' in tow is making sense . The government believing Scar is dead won't pursue him, utilizing what is left of his fortune on a lot of surgery and a new hand (probably made from a goat bone, third world country ya know) I can see a very pissed off Scar seeking only revenge! Great Story again CJ, looking forward to more of your wily cliffhangers!!

To save CJ joy of explaining this I will.

the whole scene was inspired by something I had in mind for the end of LiS... It was one of millions of plot ideas that get scrapped for one reason or another. Cj found a way to use it. So yes in a way it is this So. Cal hunk's fault, at least this time

..........First CJ admits to using cliffhangers, then his Shadowyness admits to 'tampering' with LTMP chapters!! What's next, you guys going to appear on Oprah?

I never admitted to "tampering" with chapters! The whole confuse the readers between a hospital and funeral home thing was an Idea I had for LiS several months ago. It never materialized so CJ asked if he could use it. I told him sure. see no tampering!



Steve

No matter who uses something like that in a story, it's cruel to the readers. Not that we don't mind something like that. Look at the chatter it created.

I'd rather have them on the Jerry Springer show, provided this still exists...

BONDWRITER!!!!! you missed the perfect opportunity to use

Yeah, well, you're quite right. I'm not too big on smilies...

I'll reply to the rest later (I'm working today), but ever since chapter 47 posted I've been itching to comment on that hospital scene..

Guess what? Seriously, I didn't write that., Shadowgod did. What he actually wrote was;



He sent that to me during LiS, when he was considering the final scenes. I fiddled with the wording a little back then, and it stuck in my memory. That scene never made it into LiS, but I loved the concept (describing it so it could be either a hospital or funeral home). And, as I'd already become soft-hearted and decided to save Helen, it (both the wording and the concept) fit perfectly, and a quick search of my g-mail turned up that year-old e-mail . I did ask for, and receive, his permission to use it, so I re-wrote it and it became;



So, you see, this is truly all Shadowgod's doing. It was EEEVIL in both concept and execution, and as with all evil in any form, it stems from the Shady One. Now, in light of this revalation, surely y'all can see that Shadowgod deserves to have his throne back?

As for the words themselves, to me they fit a hospital; the greif, fear, and mourning, the flowers, and the doctor's names in endless rows, and definitely the lurking specter of death. And, um, "masked and steralized" sure seemed like a doctor in a gauze mask.

As for Helen... She did die; she arrived with no pulse. People do survive wounds like that, it just depends on how severe the bleeding is. She had a chance.

To be honest, in the original epilogue, written alongside chapter one, it was Barbra who urged Brandon and Chase to go forth, in Helen's memory, and come out. Helen didn't survive in that version. However, I changed it, for two reasons. One, I'd grown to like her and I'm soft-hearted, but more to the point, when I wrote the original epilogue, I had no idea Eric would be as popular as he's become (he grew on me, too), so I had no notion of a sequel focused on Eric. I needed Helen for the sequel, so, she managed to survive.

CJ

just one caveat oh great GOAT.

I decided not to push that off on poor unsuspecting readers So, while I may have come up with the concept, I never put it to use

"doctor's names" become "hallowed names"????? I'd say you tweaked a delicate, dainty description of a poor guy going into a hospital to visit his boyfriend --recklessly endangered and thrown into a coma by a wicked author-- into a super-misleading piece. I'm still not convinced. I'll throw my sleuths on Jerry's trail at least; I'm sure there's a clue under the shape of a comma somewhere indicating that no, after all, he survived a bomb that went off 1 and a 1/2 feet from his face, and the ensuing fire. Indeed. Right. As if.


My diagnosis prior to the epilogue. A goat who plays with machine guns but sheds a tear over his umpteenth reread of Music is the Soul of Love. (Notice how the first name Barbra is subtly altered to make a reference to one of CJ's great influences) Well, at least this time you don't commiserate over the fate of a low-life scum to the point of letting him walk away uninjured.

.......So the accomplice has already abandoned ship eh?

Nope, just stating and clarifying the facts before the goat can skew and twist them to his nefarious means. In spite of all he tries to blame me for, I still wuv him.


Strictly platonic of course... goats just don't fire my engines, sadly.

An amazing story! You have me addicted. I'm not usually patient enough to follow stories not yet completed. This one, however, kept me on the edge the entire time. I can't wait to see what you write next. Excellent job! Lissa

It's been a long haul, but it was worth every minute of it.

Fabulous character development, edge of the seat tension, and a good, happy ending. What more could you want?

CJ is one seriously talented writer. How on earth does he find the time?

LF

CJ, I cried, I laughed, I cursed your use of Cliffies, and Shadowgods evilness used at certain points, but I loved this series. I'm glad that I got to read it and see that Chase and Brandon are happy and going to get married!
Also, please don't make anymore evil eric's (I gotta reputation to protect ) lol

Amazing job and looking forward to your next series

Hooray, Brandon & Chase are going to get married! I was sad to see the end coming on the story, CJ, but was delighted to see this ending -- and perhaps even more delighted to see that there will be a sequel. I have to admit, I wasn't ready to give up these characters.

Thanks for a riveting story!

John

Amazing ending!!! CJ, you are the man! (the goat?) That was awsome. I'm looking forward to your next story.

Brilliant job, CJ!! I encountered this story at the "perfect time" -- just after Chapter 46 was posted, so I could read most of it straight through and then wait on tenterhooks for the two concluding episodes. I loved how you combined so many plot elements into one story -- Brandon's initial disbelief in his good fortune, the Brandon/Chase "courtship dance," making Eric and Helen integral parts of the story rather than supporting cast, Jerry's comeuppance as a result of his own character faults.... And precisely the right ending -- in character and the perfect denouement to the story! Wonderful!

Thanks CJ ,


What a fitting end to the story (or is it really the end ?)

The epilogue ties up the majority of the 25 cliffhangers that I inquired about, but I'll let the unanswered ones slide .

I'll admit, when I read the scene with Jon and Eric and the description of where they were with Helen, I immediately felt they were in a hospital and let out a cheer. That was why I was so surprised that the forum started out with everyone commenting on Helen's death. As far as misdirection, I guess you kind of did that with the scene, maybe some of us are onto your ways .

As far as Helen not surviving the gunshot, I know that the loss of blood is not the most serious of serious injuries. It is very dangerous, but Helen did not suffer from rupture of a major artery, a bullet through the heart or head, and had someone who knew how to properly treat shock. I do have to say that was great misdirection about the 'former' army medic/biker saying she was a goner. Possibly back in the late sixties and early seventies she would have definitely not made it but luckily with modern medicine and more of a don't give up attitude, many people survive things today that they didn't in the past.

I'll comment more on the story later, but just wanted to say it has been a pleasure trying to guess where you were going with this story from the day you posted chapter one. I made many guesses, most of them wrong, but you definitely gave us a story that was well planned, well written, and well done.

Take a bow CJ (or do goats curtsy )

Steve

We weren't given any information about the time of arrival of the medics chopper, or not that I remember. Actually, in the movie Three Kings, there's a shot explaining that what's dangerous is having the guts pierced and then the blood poisoned by the bacteria in the digestive system, and that's what causes death. As for massive blood loss, since we have around five liters of blood, if too much is lost then you die. The things you learn in first aid courses is to limit the blood loss as much as possible in case of an injury.

Well, after this ghastly paragraph, here is the result of the search my aides performed last night (bold characters mine):

QUOTE

Two days later, in a rented warehouse, The Scar began to unpack the container in order to allow their inspection by his two customers, who would be arriving within the hour. They, he assumed, were likely the representatives of a government, though which one he neither knew nor cared. They had expressed an interest in the entire contents, including the bomb designs. The Scar had been more than happy to oblige.

Using a forklift, assisted by his one remaining hireling, the former Spetznaz by the name of Yuri who Dimitri had picked to deliver the cameras to the American Embassy in Canberra, The Scar removed the crate containing the lens-grinding equipment that the engineer had crated back in Toowoomba .

QUOTE

With the mention of Jerry, Eric scowled. “Any more news on him?”

General Bradson nodded. “We still think he’s dead. We’ve gone through the Buenos Aires warehouse ashes with a fine-toothed comb in a joint operation with the Australians and the Argentines. The fire didn’t leave much, but we found some human remains. Two middle-eastern men, who we think, based on a signals intercept, were looking to purchase some bomb-making equipment. The DNA on the third man’s remains matches some found in Mr. Clump’s home, and also it fits a paternity profile for Joe Clump. Based on that, we’re sure the third set of remains are those of Jerry Clump. There wasn’t a lot left of him; just an arm that was partially shielded from the fire by some metal. The initial blast – it was definitely a bomb planted in his gear, though by whom we don’t know – probably ripped him to shreds. I’m sure glad to close the book on that.”

So, we've got four people in the warehouse, and only three sets of remains. Who do you think escaped? What is not totally clear (to me) is whether the third set merely consists in this arm that's Jerry's (unless of course the DNA found in Jerry's house was Yuri's...) I'd say yes, the scenario hence being that Yuri cut his arm to remove him from the debris. In case the DNA is Yuri's, then Jerry ripped off his own arm after having suffered from the blast, and while being in a fire. Such a feat would make him a likely candidate to being the villain for a few more stories. He can escape from a submarine 30,000 feet underwater, jump from the top of the Empire State Building or get shot by thirty or forty bullets and go on performing his life of crime, I guess.

I was thinking the same thing. So I got my 3 best associates (me, myself and I ) to do some digging. Back just before they detonated the bomb in Australia this was said:



So Yuri went from Australia to Paraguay and was an associate of Dimitri's, not J/S's. I then went back to the charity event held at Jerry's house in LA, and would have figured that their would have been a mention of a Russian waiter or something, maybe the bartender? Nope, nada, nothing.

Since there is no evidence of Yuri being in the US, I don't see how his DNA could have been in Jerry's house. I feel pretty confident that the third body was J/S's. The scary thing is, when I'm confident I'm usually dead wrong .

So once again, through misdirection, can anyone argue that CJ has given us one heck of a final cliffhanger . I don't think anyone can say for sure if J/S is alive or dead.

The worse thing about this one is CJ has the option of writing Changing Lanes and possibly inserting J/S into it around chapter 24 .

You are truly an evil, evil goat.

Steve

(pass the salt)

I doubt Yuri is the one who survived (but two people might have survived, the Scar losing one limb in the process...) So I'd say for sure J/S is alive. But is a disfigured one-arm guy a worthy villain for the next adventure?
He is also out of money. And so much for strangling people with his garroting wire... I hope CJ gets a good sidekick/ henchman to our villain so he may pull out plots that endanger Instinct and give us thrills...

A one armed man that is a criminal and kills???

Who would be capable of thinking up such an idea

Hi CJ,
It's a long time since I posted a comment to your story. Enough people did it, sometimes with serious comments, sometimes just for fun. What I want to say that I never saw a story provoking so much comments from a lot of different members. I don’t think of the story itself, but also and even more about what you like the most: your cliffhangers.
I muss confess, I found sometimes more fun to read the comments than the story itself .
Your last chapter, in another style and climate than the others is a masterwork of journalese report, short, direct, only facts plus a few descriptions to help the reader to follow the scene. Someone would say it's because you were tired , but dont listen to them, as I said it's a well done CJ's work.
As a lot of others, I'm impatient to read the sequel or any other story you will give us as a gift, with or without cliffhanger.
Old bob

The devil, or some representative of it. Like, a snake, a pentagram or a goat. Ugh! A goat!

I'll ask for a raise based on the percentage of my posts in the threads (though I'm likely to be beaten in this area... )

...........A one armed killer?? Hahahha!! I can see this story coming in, Yuri? I had forgotten about him. So our 'resident goat' has left a cliffhanger? How unlike him So if the Scar lives, (and sounds like he will definately live up to his name) Yuri rescues Scar? Wasn't there 3 sets of remains and Jerry's arm? Unless there was a 5th person in the warehouse, Yuri is dead. (But so was Helen )

The Goat Sub-Committee is preparing a suitable award for this superb story. It will, of course, be made of paper mache and hay, suitable for eating. As all awards should be.

Conner

So why isn't chapter 1 of the sequel posted yet?