The Osita Cycle: Part Two

May 7, 1998 (Rubia)

Erika and Dina dashed out to the waiting car, where Erika climbed in the driver's seat and Dina climbed in the back with the others. "I'll sit up front and navigate!" declared Jefe. A chorus of screams erupted, and Jefe found himself pushed aside by Roger. "I'll take care of this, Geoff." Roger remarked snidely. (Roger found himself unable to call Geoff "Jefe" like everyone else, as then his superiority complex within their friendship would be ruined.) "We're not letting you get us lost this time! And besides, my girlfriend has gone away to Surrey for several weeks again, so I was hoping that we could make a little stopover out there...."

"Both of you incompetent fools - out of my way!" cried Laurie, fighting her way into the front seat and slamming the door. "I'm the lawyer around here, and I know the rules. I'm also a three, and we all know that's the Achiever. I'll be in charge!" No one dared challenge such authority, and so they were off. Or almost off.

"Hey osita...uh, I mean Dina, where exactly are we going?" Erika asked.

"My contacts within the Bolivian paramilitary have provided me with a jet to take us to La Paz...it's waiting for us at the airport." Dina replied. Everyone else in the car looked at each other, baffled. "I can't tell you everything, because then I'd have to kill you. But I warn you all that things could get VERY ugly. Are you sure that you want to embark on this mission with me?"

"Soy el rey de la noche, el capitan, y el gran queso!" Roger exclaimed. "I'll take on anyone!"

"I've done alot of reading up about Bolivia," Jefe added, "and I can brief you all on the entire history of the nation as it relates to cats!"

Andres and Salvador, however, weren't so sure that they wanted to be involved. "Jesus Cristo! All we did was register for a Nivel Cuatro spanish class at UBC, and suddenly we find ourselves here with you freaks on a life threatening mission to save our crazy profesora! How did we become so entangled in this web?"

"I know exactly what you mean," answered Laurie. "I didn't even sign up for their infamous Thursday night class in the first place, but somehow they sucked me in too! Now I'm stuck going to Flamenco shows and dirty spanish movies, and if I so much as try to refuse, they threaten to give Vito my phone number!"

Dina sighed and sank back in her seat. "Aah yes, Vito....I believe that he may be the secret subcomindante of the Bolivian guerillas. In fact, he may even be the one who kidnapped Dinorah...she did say he was "feo"! That whole "I'm from Argentina, watch me tango" thing was just an act to complete his disguise. He's diabolical!"

Approaching the airport, Dina directed them to a little-used airstrip where a Lloyd Aero Boliviano jet sat waiting. The saga was only beginning.