'We're literally walking over the treetops!' Simon laughs, extending his hands outwards like a trapeze artist.

'It looks like the Great Wall of China,' Luke adds.

Aleska smiles. She and Stone are right at the back of the line, holding hands affectionately, whilst the rest of the squad are in awe taking in the surroundings. The aerial view offers a spectacular vantage point of the Amazon's wildlife and vegetation. The exotic unexplored world of birds, vegetation and insects are a fantastic sight to behold.

Aleska wants to treasure her last moments with Stone. She knows very soon they will go their separate ways. That's why she engineered this final outing; to treasure her last moments with him.

'Don't look down,' Aleska says to Jane in a cautious tone, as she sees her hesitate momentarily.

'It's like being on the tenth floor of a building,' Jane answers in a daze.

'That's about right,' Aleska nods, momentarily disengaging her hand from Stone's.

'My palms are sweaty,' Nancy laughs, as they move from tree top to tree top. 'I'm feeling the adrenalin rush.'

'It's pretty safe up here,' Stone offers reassuringly.

'Yes' Aleska nods affirmatively. 'We're good with the safety nets on either side.'

They rest for a while atop the canopy, enjoying some snacks and cool drinks. Aleska corners Scott, knowing he will have a cache of chocolates. Amazing how he is in such good shape even with the amount of chocolates bars he consumes. It is late afternoon. They are all reluctant to head back to their base camp, Aleska mostly. She knows they cannot continue with their relationship, living in different countries.

When they return, to base, Aleska observes as each soldier emotionally looks around, remembering their short tour here. She smiles as she watches Nancy and Jane sporting different poses, as they take photos against the backdrop of the waterfall.

They sit around the fire after a scrumptious supper. Nobody seems to be in a hurry to turn in. Scot, Chris and Jane are taking turns telling the most hilarious jokes, mostly about their team mates' embarrassing moments on previous tours to war torn areas. Everybody is laughing; enjoying the gentle banter and camaraderie but Aleska is quiet. It is her last night with this outfit and with Stone and she is hurting ... just a little.

Stone sense her quiet withdrawal. He feels a protective urge to wrap his arms around her, but not here. Not in front of his men.

'Guess it's our final night here guys. Enjoy what's left of it.' Stone announces, standing up. 'We'll call it a night.' He speaks for Aleska as well. His hand lightly touches Aleska's arm. She looks up then and stands up, in response to Stone's subtle command. Stone salutes his team, before he and Aleska return to his quarters in the jungle for the very last time.

Aleska ponders on their future. Stone's hardly going to quit his career for her and follow her to Russia. And she very well can't abandon her beloved grandfather that she loves so much. He is her only surviving relative. And if she did for a moment, madly consider following Stone, what will she do in England? Being a high ranking soldier of another country has its limitations. Her country will not release her easily and neither would a foreign country just accept her with open arms. There are security issues. So this has to be their final night together. She has only the present and aims to make the best of every second that is available to her.

They bask in each other's arms. Their sweat glistened bodies still recovering from the aftershocks of their quick but explosive coupling. They are smiling, their eyes and fingers doing all the communicating as they embrace and cuddle. Stone leans closer and whispers in her ear. Aleska laughs softly and responds with her own teasing.

'When we get married ---,' Stone says.

'What!' Aleska breaks away from his arms.

'Yes,' Stone laughs. 'And very soon, when we return ---.'

"'When we return?" We don't live in the same country!'

Stone nods casually. 'I know, but we will live in the home I bought in ---.'

'Are you mad! I can't move to Britain!'

Stone's face momentarily registers shock. He quickly masks it. 'You said you love me.'

'Yes --- I do,' she cannot deny her love for him.

'So why can't we get married?' His tone is deadly calm.

'Dedusha YA ne mogu ostavit' yego pozadi' ... I cannot leave him behind.

'What!' It was Stone's turn to question.

'He's old and frail. And he's all I have.'

'You have me Aleska,' he reminds her gruffly.

'Nu i chto! Dolzhen li ya prosto otkazat'sya dedushku ?'... So what? Should I just abandon my grandfather?

'He can live with us. I can get him the best health care.'

Aleska shifts further away. Does Stone not comprehend that her grandfather is too frail. It is too high a risk to subject him to a long distant flight to another country, and more importantly than that, her grandfather will not want to leave his place of birth. He loves their village. His wife, his child, his ancestors are all buried in their village. Her grandfather will be devastated if she forces him to move. He will probably die of depression.

'I'm sorry Stone. I can't do it, 'she announces in her richly accented tone.

He stares at her for a long hard moment. She feels him withdraw, feels the air become chilled in his tent.

'I won't have a long distance relationship with you Aleska,' he warns. 'I want the physical aspect of our relationship.'

And didn't she know it all too well. Aleska stands up. 'Then I guess this is goodbye.' She wants to embrace him one final time, but intuitively decides against it.

Stone's eyes are dark and murderous as he continues to stare at her blankly.

Yes she loves him. Yes she would love to become Stone's wife, but sometimes one has to make selfless choices, painful as they might be. She's had to make a few of those in her lonely life. She can never abandon her grandparent. She'd never live with herself. Infact since the previous night, she's been counting the hours till she will see him again even though it was saddening her that she will miss Stone.

'Then I guess we have nothing left to say to each other,' Stone walks away, turning his back on her. Still unclothed, he stands at the window, staring out into the dark yet seeing nothing. He senses when Aleska has noiselessly left his quarters. Loneliness swamps him and the temperature feels like it's dropped another twenty degrees. He feels an incapacitating loss.

Again! She is abandoning me. Again? Why? Why damn it. Why?

Stone violently lunges his fist repeatedly into the steel cabinet. He dents the cabinet. His wrist develops a nasty bruise, but Stone ignores the blood forming over his knuckles and is immune to the debilitating pain. Infact he finds the pain soothing, calming the violent rage engulfing him.

'Where is Major Maric?' Scott enquires curiously.

'She's gone,' Stone answers coldly. He has not slept the entire night. He's spent half the night staring out the window, the other half pacing about in the darkness. Last night he had been tempted to go to her, to beg her to re-consider, but he knows she will not change her mind. He looks and feels like hell right now. His eyes are blood shot, his hair all unruly. His fist is pounding with pain. He has bandaged it himself but refuses to swallow any pain killers.

"'Gone?" Gone where?'

The boyish grin on Scott's face disappears. 'And what happened to your wrist colonel?' Scott asks unwisely.

Stone directs a scathing glare at Scott who suddenly feels ten feet smaller. He shifts about, looking uncomfortably at his colleagues. Even McDouall has joined them, looking devastated, that the Major has left. They are all distraught at her abrupt departure without saying goodbye.

'Disassemble the structures and pack up. We depart at ten hundred hours sharp!' Stone instructs.

He turns away and marches back to his tent. He angrily shoves all his personal effects into his cases and ignores the items jutting out as he zips them shut.

- end chapter 17-