Introduction

ONE TIME TOO MANY
   His Own Blood Part 3

Christmas is a time of the year when people look forward to being with family, friends and loved ones. Exchanging gifts, attending parties and being merry is what usually happens. This Christmas is different, because an enemy of John Raven escapes fleeing to Iran threatening nuclear war against the United States. People living in the western world are nervous, making them worry and ask if this Christmas will be the last one they ever have the chance to celebrate.

The primary instigator responsible for all of this upheaval is James Cairns. He was formerly a Major in the United States Army when he was once also a good friend to General Hardaker. After finding out that he had performed espionage, involving treason to the highest level against his own nation, the U.S. military sent him to jail in Kuwait.

While Cairns had been in jail, he kept attending courses that involved I.T, to make the military think he was studying for when he was about to enter civilian life. What the military failed to realise, the devious mind of Cairns was scheming how to escape to Iran by making strong relations with the President Modarres. At times, military personnel became suspicious, asking him questions but chose never to follow it through, which gave Cairns the freedom to plan his escape when the right time arrived. Spending time in a military jail, he soon became the ringleader holding a serious grudge against the two people, Captain Weller and John Raven that helped put him there.

The time had come to release James Cairns from jail when he had to attend a military court hearing and just remain silent to enable his release. His attitude had already become disruptive before he arrived at the military court, which Major Higham had confirmed to Judge Parker. The mention of John Raven’s name enraged him so much, he lost the chance to become a freeman and begin a civilian life. Judge Parker gave the order to have him sent back to the United States and locked up for a further two years. Cairns became angry with Judge Parker’s decision telling him, and the high ranking officers sitting next to him that one day Raven will die. This reminded General Hardaker when Cairns was shouting at Raven, “Soon it will be one time too many!” All while the military police officers were arresting him for working with President Rashaid and General Luchinski.

With holding a grievance against John Raven, General Hardaker thought it only right to have to tell Colonel Wareing about the arrangement. Hearing this news, made Colonel Wareing have to tell John Raven, with him requesting that when Cairns arrives back in the U.S. to tell him immediately.

After speaking about John Raven to Captain Weller, her son walked into the Colonel’s office to remind them he was leaving to spend time with his girlfriend during the Christmas holiday. When John told them that he was going to propose to Louise, his mother, Captain Weller, became thrilled for him. Colonel Wareing wished him all the best for Christmas, and good luck with the proposal when he asks Louise one certain question.

In the past, John Raven had already mentioned that when he had trained his final batch of elite soldiers, called Unit Expendable, he would then retire from the military force for good. This pleased his father Richard, because all he ever wanted to do was spend time with him and catch up on the lost years while he had been fighting in different parts of the world. John reminded Captain Weller of her dark secret, she had kept for many years, before telling him about the son and daughter he never knew existed. Had he known about his children sooner, a different life to the one he has experienced need not have occurred. At times John couldn’t help himself from showing his feelings to Captain Weller, when she reminded him that although it was many years later, she did eventually tell him the truth. 

Sarah Jane and her mother, Captain Weller, had a few harsh words while speaking to each other on the telephone. Captain Weller asked her daughter if she had told her father about being one of the soldier’s training with Unit Expendable. Knowing about the secret her mother had kept for many years, she didn’t want to make the same mistake, so she decided to be honest. After telling her father the truth, she felt relieved when he had told her that he had already put her name forward unknown to her and thanked her for being truthful.

The time had come for John Raven to attend an induction, where he started to feel the pressure of training what he hoped would be his finest batch of elite U.S. Green Berets. Knowing that his career was almost ending, he became annoyed after a conversation with Captain Weller, when she told him that he was late, not dressed in proper clothing and appeared a disgrace. After a heated debate and an induction like no other, Captain Weller apologised to John for what she had said. John found it hard to accept the apology, which made Captain Weller keep apologising, frustrating John, when he just wanted to be left alone.

Using a military diversion the media wouldn’t be aware of, meant that James Cairns could arrive back home in the U.S. without any harassment. Unfortunately, what the U.S. military had planned and what Cairns had planned were two different ideas, because it meant people getting killed, explosions occurring and Cairns finally escaping to be with his ally in Iran, who was President Modarres.

Colonel Wareing, after listening to further bad news from General Hardaker, felt as though he had no choice but to have to tell John Raven, when suddenly the future looked bleak.

After receiving the news from Colonel Wareing that Captain Weller had to travel to the Gulf and board U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln to perform high tech I.T duties, she accepted the decision gracefully especially at this special time of the year. With the little time left, she decided to do some Christmas shopping, buying presents for the family, aware that it would be a few months before she returns to the United States. She visited John, which made Richard become apprehensive when the military arrived, but felt relieved after telling him that she was visiting to give presents to the family before she left. She later asked John to drive her to Louise’s house where their son was now staying, so she could also give him and Louise their Christmas presents. Raven agreed, wanting to spend time at Louise’s and meet her father, Kirk Mattinson. He eventually found out that Louise had a brother called Enzio, who was once a Navy Seal. Unfortunately, for him, the Iranians had captured him, where there has been no contact for seven years. Captain Weller, thinking about her trip, worried how she would arrive home with John having a drink and deciding to stay the night at Louise’s house. With John arranging for her to be back at the U.S. military base, she became sceptical. After accepting John will have her back at the U.S. military base, with help from a member of Unit Invincible, he did, and in style where she couldn’t do enough to thank him.

After John had proposed to Louise, with Cairns appearing on television at the same moment, people begin to think and ask is there a future despite the threat from Iran wanting to launch nuclear missiles, creating World War 3. President Berry had a crisis with no choice but to have to call an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss all alternatives available. The conclusion resulted in President Berry and the Secretary of State, Sarah Johnson, flying to Iran on the 29^th December to attend a meeting with President Modarres. With this meeting now arranged, she had made time when the world could at least enjoy Christmas. Serious events involving the New Year still needed discussing with the Iranians. A diplomatic solution would be best for everybody concerned.

Christmas Day is always special for everybody for their own reasons. Christmas Day for the Raven’s became a nightmare, because after deciding that they didn’t want to see Cairns’ face on television and ruin their Christmas, Captain Weller phoned home from the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. She suspected hostile activity in the area from Iranian pirates in small boats making a nuisance of themselves. With being Christmas, and military personnel attending a party previously arranged on the warship meant the Iranian pirates could strike by quickly boarding U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln through the bulkhead door. They kidnapped Captain Weller, who had been standing on the deck speaking on the phone to her family. When the news reached John Raven, Christmas Day was never the same, because he became frustrated inwardly feeling as though he had to do something to be rid of the adrenalin now pumping through his body. He took his frustration out on creating a lethal weapon ready to use when needed. His father, Richard, noticed his frustration making him have to decide whether to give him his blessing and do what is right? This occurs when President Berry came to collect Raven and take him to Iran with her on Air Force One.

The enemy knew President Berry was coming with the Secretary of State after they had already planned to destroy Air Force One in extreme circumstances. Cairns became aware that John Raven was also aboard Air Force One. The motive for destruction became far greater, when Cairns’ vendetta to kill Raven came to the forefront, when he wanted to make this man suffer for what he had now missed in his life.

When Air Force One landed, a huge explosion occurred on the runway making the plane tilt to one side with the wing scraping along the tarmac, heading for the large hole created by the vast explosion. With Air Force One being unable to stop, it dived down from the runway, crashing with an Iranian Metro underground train causing mass devastation all around.

When Cairns saw the devastation, he felt proud with such an achievement. He wanted to search Air Force One, which resulted in the capture of President Berry. Cairns ordered the enemy soldiers to search for Raven. In doing so, they eventually found Sarah Johnson, which made Raven have to hide and later do what he had to do. She gave herself up asking him in a low voice, if he would get her out and take her home. He nodded his head yes to her while listening to Cairns asking her who it was she was speaking to. Assuming it was Raven, he decided to throw hand grenades repeatedly at different places in the badly damaged fuselage of Air Force One. This made Raven have to move swiftly for his life before the remains of Air Force One exploded, which made the debris scatter everywhere and a huge inferno erupts.   

Raven stopped, in the distance, to look back at the devastation, aware he had become involved in another war. At first, he was one man alone on a mission, eventually teaming up with members from Unit Expendable. With entering a new war, those words mentioned from Sarah Jane, who was his own blood, came back to haunt him when she previously said, “Don’t make it One Time Too Many.”