G.I. Joe: Agent Blue Jaye and the Beasts of Lakeside

Chapter 28

Thirteen years ago

Alison's family funeral was on a slightly cloudy, late summer day in Martha's Vineyard. The reception was held in her family cottage right off the sandbar leading to the ocean. A slight breeze flowed through the long wrap around porch of the three-story, 100-year-old, four-bedroom cottage that had been in Alison's family for generations. The wooden floor creaked as guests shuffled in and out of the porch to pass their condolences on to Flint who sat in a tall wicker rocking chair.

Flint must have shaken a hundred hands thanking everyone for their sympathies. Everything was so surreal, and he felt like the world was going in slow motion. Once everyone had left and he was all alone, Flint wondered how he would go on. A deep pain came up through his stomach which he tried to suppress. He felt numb, but Flint knew that soon, sadness would eventually take over.

Ben sat to Flint's right, looking more concerned for Flint's well-being than processing his own feelings for his cousin Alison. Flint was thankful for Ben's compassion but had no answers when Ben asked how he was doing or how he felt. It was bad, it was horrible, and Flint had no idea when, or if things would ever get back to normal. How could they? Was normal even possible anymore, Flint wondered, as he shook the hand of another grieving family member.

Flint then heard a muffled thud come from the ceiling above him. He looked up, thinking a gust of wind must have blew through the windows upstairs knocking something off a shelf. Another thud sounded directly above him, causing him to jump a little in his chair. Ben looked at him a little worried.

"That came from one of the guest bedrooms." Flint said, looking up to the ceiling.

"I'll check it out." Ben said. Flint stood up and took a few steps in front of Ben putting a hand gently on shoulder.

"It's ok. I can do it. It will give me a break from all the handshaking." Flint said as he looked to Ben and smiled. Ben was a good cousin and a good friend, Flint thought.

Ben's wife Marie then walked behind him and brushed her hand across his back as she passed, sitting down next to her husband.

"Flint. I am so sorry. If there is anything we can do, please let us know." Marie said as she leaned in and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek. The two were recently married and it was apparent how much they cared about each other. Flint heard another thud and quickly excused himself.

Walking up the stairs, Flint turned right down the hallway toward the guest bedrooms. The cottage had windows on every wall and cross breezes tended to knock items off the bureaus and window sills. Flint stopped in the doorway of a bedroom and was shocked to see Snake Eyes standing in the room, holding a red bowling ball.

Flint blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating, but when he opened his eyes, Snake Eyes was still standing in front of him holding the red bowling ball. The silent ninja was by far the best teammate they had regarding combat, solo missions, and keeping himself and everyone else alive. While being isolated, mute, disfigured, mysterious, and a ninja, Flint and Alison had become close to Snake Eyes.

Dressed in his customary black combat fatigues and mask fitted with a titanium faceplate over his eyes and nose, Snake Eyes stood in the middle of the room. He then shifted the red bowling ball to one hand, and motioned to Flint to come in with the other. Even though he didn't speak, Snake Eyes had developed a series of hand gestures and body language he used to communicate with the rest of the team.