World Lacrosse Championships 22 (everything)

[Natanians and Nosts]

"Our team is betting all on next game,we must win if we want to qualify,but that will be a hard game(like all the others),but we must not only win,we must cheer for Albaie,if something tragic comes to happen,everybody knows that would be a dream to be on the next round and would also be historical,imagine you saying to your grandkids that you've watched/played the first ever WLC of our country and we reached the playoffs,it woul be very special,primarially for ou capitain and our coach,even they saying they great success does not only depends on them,but also on the whole team,well if we reach the palyoffs,we would be very happy and if we win,well that would be definitely historical for the world and would also be unforgettale!
And this was today's bulletin.After the break,you'll stay with the goals of the world."

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven

Truth is the Savior, Part Eight

Los Campaneros District
Releinthi, Abanhfleft

"Good morning," Tim said to Petronella as he entered the kitchen. It was the morning after he had found Petronella's boyfriend Paul Chudley sneaking around the RBI safehouse where they were staying right now and trying to break in. Tim remembered that after he had confirmed that the Chudley kid was indeed Petronella's boyfriend, he had left them alone to talk but had stuck around to eavesdrop, and he had learned that Chudley had done something that Petronella did not approve. Since they had not talked about whatever it was that Chudley had done that had set off Petronella, Tim had decided that he would learn about it in the morning, which was right now.

He carried with him the day's newspaper, which he had picked up from the front steps of the safehouse. It looked like the business of kid newspaper messengers was still quite strong in this part of town, and he settled down to read the paper. Aside from the usual, there was nothing in the news about the RBI landing a big fish from the YKI or any other criminal syndicate for that matter. There were some interesting items in the sports section: apparently, Abanhfleft's football team (the women's team, to be specific) had qualified for the knockout stages of the Cup of Harmony for the first time in its history, and the women's lacrosse team was already guaranteed of qualification into the World Lacrosse Championship knockouts, and the only thing left to decided was who would be group leader and runner-up between the Democratic Republic and Banija, some nation that was apparently a burgeoning lacrosse powerhouse.

But sports wasn't what interested Tim right now. He stood up, walked over to the television, and asked Petronella," D'you mind if I turn this on?" She shook her head, and Tim turned the TV on. There was some kind of kid's cartoon on right now, and he switched channels, trying to find the one that was all news most of the time. He finally found the channel that he wanted, and he went back to the table and continued drinking his coffee and eating the bacon and eggs on his plate. It turned out that Petronella was actually a good cook. She wouldn't be accepted into any three-star restaurants anytime soon, but her bacon and eggs was decent enough that Tim could feel his arteries clogging with every bite.

Suddenly, jaunty music began playing on the television, and a red graphic with the words SPECIAL REPORT in white in the middle went up on the screen. This was then replaced by a news anchor, who sat up straighter in his seat in the studio and said, "Good morning. We've just received breaking news that right now, the Republican Bureau of Investigation has arrested Robert Yasenev in connection with large-scale real estate tax fraud, although there is speculation that this may just be the build-up to the RBI's other cases against him, which include organized crime charges such as extortion, bribery, racketeering and summary executions. Yasenev is a member of the Yasenev-Kellerman-Ignacio crime syndicate, which is the third largest organized crime groups in Abanhfleft and the largest such group in the city of Releinthi. So far the RBI has refused to comment on the arrest, although sources from within say that they hope that the arrest of Robert Yasenev will just be the first of a series that they hope will finally bring down the YKI syndicate once and for all..."

That was quite probably what Paul Chudley was talking about, Tim thought. He must have given Raphael Durant and the RBI enough information into this Robert Yasenev fellow's shady dealings to make an arrest on him that would stick long enough for his other crimes to be properly prosecuted. As he ate up his bacon, he saw out of the corner of his eye Petronella stand up with a huff that sounded like a suppressed sob and walk out of the kitchen, leaving the food that remained on her plate untouched. Tim decided not to press the issue and went on eating.

A few hours later, Tim was lying down on the sofa in the living room reading a book when he heard the doorbell ring. It rang once, then rang twice in quick succession, and then rang one time again. He stood up and went for the door. The pattern in the doorbell ring was sort of the secret knock for this safehouse, and Raffy Durant had told him as much.

It was indeed Durant who was at the door, and this time he had another woman with him, but to call her a woman would be not quite right. She was about the same age as Petronella, and she certainly looked a little less mature than the other girl. "Let me guess," Tim said. "You want me to watch over her now, too."

"Yes, I'm fine, Tim, thank you very much for asking," Durant said. "But seriously, though, Tim, let's get inside before we talk about this, okay?"

"Sure, go on ahead," Tim replied. "This is your house, after all."

Durant led the other girl into the house and had her sit down on the chair across from Tim's sofa. Durant himself sat down beside Tim and said, "This is Aglaya Yaseneva. She's another new state witness that's come forward in our crusade against YKI. She's like Petronella in that we believe that she can give us enough intel on YKI to bring them down once and for all. I need you to watch over her like you watch over Petronella. Is that all right with you?"

"Well, it's certainly unexpected," Tim finally said after a minute of thought. "But it should be all right. Two girls is probably just as easy as one girl."

"Are we still talking about the same thing here, man?" Durant said with a smirk.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Durant," Tim retorted. "All right, now get out of here before people realize that this place is full of blues."

As night fell, and the three people in the house prepared to turn in, Tim heard raised voices coming from the second floor. He made to stand up and walk up there when he heard Petronella shout, "Why in the world did you sell Robert out to the blues!? You and Paul!"

"Please, Ella, listen to me," Aglaya replied. "We had to do it. It's the only thing we could do to get the reps' trust!"

"But why Robert!?" Petronella demanded. "I told you not to do anything to him!"

"But then that would make the reps suspicious! We've given them the dirt on everyone in the families except Robert. They noticed that, and they'd think we were up to something if we didn't say anything about it."

The talk then degenerated into a shouting match that ended as soon as it had started. Tim then saw Aglaya walking down the stairs into the living room. She was wearing her pajamas and was carrying a pillow and a blanket. "You got kicked out, huh?" he asked her.

Aglaya nodded, but didn't say anything. Tim said, "Hey, I couldn't help but overhear, so what's the deal between you and Petronella and Robert Yasenev? She seemed really angry about it."

"Oh, it's nothing," Aglaya replied. "It's just that Robert was the only one in the families that was really good to Petronella, and treated her like his daughter. In fact, there were rumors that she was indeed an illegitimate daughter of Robert, but nobody said anything about it."

"You're a strange bunch, you know that?" Tim said.

[Ko-oren]

In Marinwood, the Dragonflies lost a crucial game against Natanians and Nosts. They now sit in second place, with Ko-oren tethered closely to the cliff of elimination, where Albaie already fell into. One match left, away from the Union, which will decide if the Greenblues stay in the tournament as second placed team, will clinch a last-second chance as one of the better third placed teams, or if they will fall behind as one of the worst three instead.

Bruno Caeso North scored the final decisive goal in overtime, after Ion Álvarus Tibiriçá scored a final 11th goal to force the game into overtime in the first place. Nothing looked like it would be a tough night for Ko-oren until the Nosts scored four goals in the final fifteen minutes with Ko-oren just scoring one in that same time frame. And from the on, the Natanians kept pushing until all of a sudden, at the end of overtime, they were in front.

Some defensive reshuffling will be inevitable after such a come back, with Nebo-pal-assar switching to the bench so that he can come on in the final minutes of the match to defend whatever is necessary. Zubkova and MacCarmaig will instead start along with Belessunu, creating an all-female back line. The other lines will stay intact, most likely, with no big complaints about any of the other six (seven, actually) players. Broderick was not to blame for the goals, while only Reesheenin had a hand in the loss by turning over the ball a bit too much, perhaps.

Good news though: Albaie is the final opponent for us, while Vangaziland can commit some vengeance on our behalf against Natanians and Nosts.

Marinwood finally had their turn to host, and they saw a Ko-orenite loss. The largest Anglophone city wanted to beat Pereselenets and Ansonville, the other Thaulandian host cities, by offering the most show around the event: a light show, flamethrowers, cheerleaders, the complete picture, for a sold-out stadium and another several million watching at home.

[New West Guiana]

Even though Group one still has one more day, the table is set for the next rounds.


Group One
Frenline Delpha 10–20 United States of Devonta
The Serbian Empire 5–7 The Sword Bloke

Group One                    Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta       7    6   1    91   59  +32    18
2 Namber                         7    5   2    85   74  +11    15
3 The Sword Bloke                7    4   3    75   62  +13    12
4 The Serbian Empire             8    3   5    66   78  −12     9
5 Frenline Delpha                7    0   7    48   92  −44     0

Group Two
Kaboomlandia 9–9 Omerica (11–10 OT)
Swibia 4–8 Coreyo

Group Two              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kaboomlandia             9   6  3  112  87 +25   18
2 Coreyo                   9   5  4  108 100  +8   15
3 Omerica                  9   4  5   97  97   0   12
4 Swibia                   9   3  6   76 109 −33    9

Group Three
The Jeckish Union 9–16 Allied Omaha
West Guiana 9–10 Star United States

Group Three            Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Star United States       9   7  2  109  75 +34   21
2 West Guiana              9   6  3   97  69 +28   18
3 Allied Omaha             9   3  6   90 104 −14    9
4 The Jeckish Union        9   2  7   66 114 −48    6

Group Four
Pachatiti 6–18 The Isles of Azoria
Eastkhazia 4–13 Vermark

Group Four             Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Isles of Azoria      9   7  2  116  77 +39   21
2 Pachatiti                9   5  4  103  89 +14   15
3 Vermark                  9   3  6   81  97 −16    9
4 Eastkhazia               9   3  6   76 113 −37    9

Group Five
Albaie 4–11 Ko-oren
Natanians and Nosts 9–9 Vangaziland (9–11 OT)

Group Five             Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Vangaziland              9   8  1   93  78 +15   24
2 Ko-oren                  9   4  5   95  77 +18   12
3 Natanians and Nosts      9   4  5   97 100  −3   12
4 Albaie                   9   2  7   72 102 −30    6

Group Six
Welcomzia 9–5 Cosumar
Nassau-Hessen 11–6 San Llera

Group Six              Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                  9   6  3  117  96 +21   18
2 San Llera                9   5  4  107  90 +17   15
3 Nassau-Hessen            9   5  4   98  99  −1   15
4 Welcomzia                9   2  7   79 116 −37    6

Group Seven
Electrum 7–5 Patistan
Banija 12–24 Abanhfleft

Group Seven            Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft               9   8  1  114  74 +40   24
2 Banija                   9   6  3   93  81 +12   18
3 Electrum                 9   3  6   78  91 −13    9
4 Patistan                 9   1  8   63 102 −39    3

Third Place           Pld   W  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nassau-Hessen            9   5  4   98  99  −1   15
2 The Sword Bloke        7    4   3    75   62  +13    12
3 Omerica                  9   4  5   97  97   0   12
4 Natanians and Nosts      9   4  5   97 100  −3   12
--------------------------------------------
5 Electrum                 9   3  6   78  91 −13    9
6 Allied Omaha             9   3  6   90 104 −14    9
7 Vermark                  9   3  6   81  97 −16    9

Groups 2-7 are off tomorrow.

[Vangaziland]

The Vannish offense had been operating efficiently based on what the defense allowed them. In functioned in a few ways. The premise was to be the same, each player becoming used to the concept of being just a modular piece in the cog. This way, fresh mid-field lines would be expected to perform in at least a similar way to the starters they replaced.

There were a few standouts, but the concept of teamwork and each player's familiarity with a certain set of circumstances per position lead to a winning season so far.

Vangaziland ran a large part of its offense through the X, the spot behind the goal. One of the wing attackers would duck behind the goal as the middies brought the ball down the field. The other two attackers would spread out. Certain things could happen from here, just with the attackers alone. Either winger could try to cut in front of goal and beat their attacker to a pass for a shot. Or they would pass it to the X.

At any time, the X player could rush in and go for a shot. But the Vangazi practiced for this particular situation, where the attacker was looking out at a field of middies and attackers. There would be constant three-man weaves and off ball picks being set for other players. Weaknesses would be exploited. Whoever could get open would get the shots.

It usually depended on the teams.

The middies were trained to bring the ball up the field and immediately start looking for passes. Usually it would go to the X, but they were always ready for that one random cut towards the goal. There was also the chance for a fast break situation. If the center attacker thought he felt a lull or thought it was the right time to have another person in the box, he'd stay.

The Vangazi had done a good job this tournament of passing the ball. It was something they really stressed and it was showing tangible results.

Looking ahead, the Royals would have to worry about some of the other teams. In other conferences, teams regularly put up over 20 goals. The Vangazi fought hard every game and barely could score 15 or win by more than a few hard fought goals. But the Vannish defense was just as regimented and motivated.

[Natanians and Nosts]

A Note

"Well,we've finnished in third and are going to the 'pre-playoffs',and the WLC 22,starts here now,but we'll not win if we don't play and everyone must do yours!Lênin keep the goal safe,Bruno and Gabriel to score the deffenders to deffend,the bench to be already as good as the starters.
If WE ALL do that,we'll beat everyone who plays gainst us,so what and whom are you afraid?Cosumar?New West Guiana?Ko-oren?Vangaziland?Other teams?Well I say that we will win,but for us to win,we must train,and to train hard!We finnished in third,the goal is reached,congratultions,but,new goal:Win this game,and maybe the next.So let's give our blod for our country!Let's win!"
Frans Gheorghe Silva,the coach

OBS:This text was found by everyone in their bus seats.

[New West Guiana]

Finally the end of group stage

Group One
The Sword Bloke 16–5 Frenline Delpha
United States of Devonta 9–9 Namber (10–11 OT)

Group One                    Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta       8    6   2   101   70  +31    18
2 Namber                         8    6   2    96   84  +12    18
3 The Sword Bloke                8    5   3    91   67  +24    15
4 The Serbian Empire             8    3   5    66   78  −12     9
5 Frenline Delpha                8    0   8    53  108  −55     0

[b]IC info of WG coming next

[New West Guiana]

Short review of West Guiana

Officially known as The United Federal States of West Guiana(gee-on-uh), a nation of over 268.9 million which is located near the heart of Atlantian Oceania. The head of state is Primer Louis DeCader, who rules our country with a even hand, whose policies combined with the political views of all West Guianas favor policies that are center-left. With such liberal leaning policies, all drugs are legal and are taxed at 100% of their commercial value. Overall our laws are lax, but with strict gun control laws and free market capitalism is well regulated under strict government control.

Geographically, the country is mostly gentle slopping hills in the south east and North east. The two major rivers are the St, Johns River which flows into the Calanian Sound and the Salem River which flows into Lake Bekk. In the west of the country the topography changes into mountains known as the Calia Alps whose highest peak is Mt. Francis at 17,891 feet which is located 200 miles south east of Willington. The lowest point are the Brewers Flatt's a marshy swampland located ten miles south of Ft. McCarney which sits 17 feet below sea level.

Culture, West Guiana hasn't a very unuqine culture, known to be quite generic, however though in the Calia Alps, you'll find that people generally are very welcoming and it is common to find that citizens in the many villages and towns in the valleys rent out rooms to tourists instead of having them stay at hotels. The favorite foods in the country vary greatly, along the Calanian sound people will often eat shell fish and other sea food variates. Near Lake Bekk, the main course is fired steak and eggs flavored with red wine. Meanwhile in the central area along the St. Johns river it is a combination of both, though you'll find people that live in Gemsbrook favor the vegan diet.

Officially the national sport of West Guiana is lacrosse, however though since the nations debut in the Baptism of Fire 43, soccer has been on the rise, from a meager eight clubs in the nations top league twenty years ago to now thirty-eight. However though lacrosse has been slowly rising again in popularity as seen in the recent expansion in the national lacrosse league, expanding from 16 to 32 teams.

Map of West Guiana

Stadia
OmniTech Stadium, Port Salem
Cap: 24,000
Play-in(match 1), Ro16(matches 1-3)

Riverfront Park, St. Johns
Cap: 59,000
Ro16 (matches 4-6), Qrt-finals (matches 1-2), Semi-finals

River Stadium, New Haven
Cap: 60,000
Play-in (M2), Ro16 (M7-8), Qtr-finals (M3-4)

BNF Bank Stadium, Rock City
Cap: 34,600
3rd place

Tiger Stadium, Gemsbrook
Cap: 75,900
Final

[New West Guiana]

1st place teams                   Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
(1) Abanhfleft               9   8  1  114  74 +40   24
(2) Vangaziland              9   8  1   93  78 +15   24
(3) United States of Devonta       7    6   1    91   59  +32    18
(4) The Isles of Azoria      9   7  2  116  77 +39   21
(5) Star United States       9   7  2  109  75 +34   21
(6) Cosumar                  9   6  3  117  96 +21   18
(7) Kaboomlandia             9   6  3  112  87 +25   18

2nd place teams                    Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
(8) Namber                         7    5   2    85   74  +11    15
(9) West Guiana              9   6  3   97  69 +28   18
(10) Banija                   9   6  3   93  81 +12   18
(11) Coreyo                   9   5  4  108 100  +8   15
(12) San Llera                9   5  4  107  90 +17   15
(13) Pachatiti                9   5  4  103  89 +14   1
(14) Ko-oren                  9   4  5   95  77 +18   12

Play-in
Match one
(15)The Sword Bloke
(18)Natanians and Nosts

Match two
(16) Nassau-Hessen
(17) Omerica


Round of 16(Bracket One
(Match 1)
(1) Abanhfleft
(Winner of M2)

(Match 2)
(3) United States of Devonta
(14) Ko-oren

(Match 3)
(5) Star United States
(12) San Llera

(Match 4)
(7) Kaboomlandia
(10) Banija

Round of 16(Bracket Two
(Match 5)
(2) Vangaziland
(Winner of M1)

(Match 6)
(4) The Isles of Azoria
(13) Pachatiti

(Match 7)
(6) Cosumar
(11) Coreyo

(Match Eight)
(8) Namber
(9) West Guiana

[The Isles of Azoria]

ASN Report- "The Azorian Lacrosse National Team finished 7-2 in group play, topped group four and are ranked number 4 in the knockouts. Azorians are starting to think that the "Number 4" is Azoria's number of good luck. They will play in match game 6 against a familiar foe, fellow group team Pachatiti who is ranked number 13 in the knockouts. Azoria's only loss to Pachatiti was a 5-4 overtime loss at home; however, they returned the favor with a smashing 18-6 victory to close out group play. They looked to do it again in the knockout stage. Good luck Goshawks!"

[Vangaziland]

Vangaziland was bracing itself for the playoffs. The media was conducting analysis after analysis. The stadium was being prepped. And the players were going through their routines.

The analyses were not looking good for Vangaziland. Vangazliand totaled 93 goals for. Other first place teams averaged around 110 goals over the tournament. Other teams had much more high powered offenses, as the suspicions of team members were confirmed. Second place teams averaged less, but still around 10-15 goals more than the Vangazi.

The Vannish had one of the better defenses, allowing just 78 goals. Other teams with similar defenses put up way more goals though. They were spread out enough so that Vangaziland should only have to play one or two of those teams.

One of the teams they might play was Natanians and Nost, one they had played in their conference several times. They were a tough competitor and gave them many close games. If that team won their play-in game, they'd be playing the Royals next. Just based on the law of averages, the opposing team was due for a win over Vangaziland. Simply because Vangaziland had so many close games go their way, surely their luck must be up.

But the Royals kept up their prep. They had spent the week prepping physically, running up and down the various stairways at Emmerson Field as reporters filmed their reports on corners of the field. Sheila Hancourt made sure each player was up to spec, running tests on their body chemistry. Each player had been hydrating, eating right and making sure they would be at peak efficiency for the coming tournament.

If it was just up to luck, Vangaziland's run was probably just about over. But if all the coaching decisions worked out and everyone stayed healthy, this may become one of the Empire's most special sports seasons.

[New West Guiana]

NOTE: As i will not have internet connection from Thursday till Sunday(CST), due to camping, Saintland/Free Republics has graciously agreed to scorinate the rest of the tournament


Play-in

The Sword Bloke 13–8 Natanians and Nosts
Nassau-Hessen 21–9 Omerica




Round of 16(Bracket One
(Match 1)
(1) Abanhfleft
(16) Nassau-Hessen

(Match 2)
(3) United States of Devonta
(14) Ko-oren

(Match 3)
(5) Star United States
(12) San Llera

(Match 4)
(7) Kaboomlandia
(10) Banija

Round of 16(Bracket Two
(Match 5)
(2) Vangaziland
(15) The Sword Bloke

(Match 6)
(4) The Isles of Azoria
(13) Pachatiti

(Match 7)
(6) Cosumar
(11) Coreyo

(Match Eight)
(8) Namber
(9) West Guiana

[Banija]

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Interview with Head Coach Dejan Polek before the beginning of the knockout stages


Head Coach Dejan Polek interviewing in his hotel room in St.Johns, New West Guiana

ST.JOHNS- The Banija national lacrosse team, after going 6-3 in group play, including a 5 game winning streak in matchdays 4-8, were able to finish 6-3 and qualify for the knockout stages as the second place team in the group in for the 2nd straight edition of the World Lacrosse Championships. Like the 21st WLC, they had a chance to win the group on the final day with a victory, but once again the team was not able to defeat the toughest of opponents at the end of group play. Banija played by far its worst game of the tournament with the group on the line, and the only relief from the game was that knockout stage qualification had already been clinched.

Nothing went right against the women from Abanhfleft. They were outscored 8-0 in the 2nd quarter to allow their opponents to take a 15-4 halftime lead on their own home field. They couldnt' generate offense, keep possesion, nor play anything close to good defense. Head Coach Dejan Polek at the time said it was 'the worst he had ever seen his team', and yet, at the same time, gave full credit to Abanhfleft. He said that "Abanhfleft came with a game plan and a determination to win here in Istria, and they did just that. They wanted to score early and keep up the pace, and they did exactly that. These girls deserve the #1 seed that they have received, and they will go far in this tournament. I just hope we can turn things around so we can get one more go at them deeper in the tournament, as we've allowed them to embarrass us twice on our home field."

As the knockout stages approach, and Banija goes in, once again, as a slight underdog to Kaboomlandia, we had an interview with Dejan Polek on how the tournament has gone so far.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Hello Coach! Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed again, for the second straight tournament. Now, as your team settles into St.John's here in New West Guiana, what are your thoughts on your team? How good is Banija? Can we make a run like last time?

Head Coach Dejan Polek: Thanks for having me! I have very good thoughts about my team. Now, there were many good things and bad things to take from the group stage. We did not come with the hunger that was necessary to do well in a tournament like this in the beginning, and we deserved both of those home losses to start the tournament. Once we had that hunger and that drive, we were able to fight through the group stage, and put ourselves in a position to win the group, even though we were two games back 3 games in. We earned those 5 wins in a row, including that victory on the road in Abanhfleft. We've done well, and there are a lot of good things for me to take from the tournament.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Coach, you say there are a lot of good things, and that's true. We were comfortably in second place, we're playing in the round of 16 with a great chance to make the quarterfinals, and everyone else is starting to regard this side as a lacrosse power. However, we went 2-3 at home, including the embarrassment to Abanhfleft. What happened there?

Head Coach Dejan Polek: Well, you could say that Abanhfleft has been the best team in this entire tournament, as evidenced by their number one seed. Their style of play has been wonderful, and their ability to pile on the goals is what has gotten them this far. They did everything right against us in our last group match, while we did everything wrong, especially in the 1st half. We were simply outcompeted in every aspect of the game, which is why that debacle happened. Trust me, it won't happen again with this team.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Well Coach, I'm gonna ask you about the upcoming game against Kaboomlandia. What do you think of their side? How do we beat them and get to the quarters?

Head Coach Dejan Polek: Well, Kaboomlandia is a strong side, and that's evidenced by the fact that they were able to win Group 2 3 points in the clear. We've been watching film, and they have shown a good ability to move the ball around the field, and do so quickly. We have to contain their offensive skill, and we have to play our game. Once you get to this level of competition, at this stage, all bets are off. It's a one game, do or die situation for both teams, and we expect everybody to give it their all. I am not afraid to pull anyone off the field who isn't giving 110%, and that's the only way we'll be able to keep our hotel and play another game here in St.John's.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Well Coach, what do you think about the tournament as a whole? Did you like this format, being the first ever lacrosse championships to have each team play a home game?

Head Coach Dejan Polek: I ended up loving the format of this tournament. Personally, I think it gave a really unique opportunity to grow the game universally. Of course, the last tournament was a great way for us to grow the game here, due to winning. But did everyone have the opportunity to grow the game back home? No. But when you have a nation that appreciates the sport likes New West Guiana, the only country I know of where lacrosse is the national sport, they are very interested in the global growth and health of the game.

When you have an opportunity to bring this top-level talent home, that is what is going to grow the game. Teams getting 4 or 5 home games allow them to showcase the games to their fans up close, and energize current fans and create new ones. Sports is about teamwork and camarederie, especially at the international level, and this definitely grows the game at home. This isn't soccer, where you have the opportunity to have 9 home qualifiers, due to the immense popularity of the sport. But this was an important step in growing the game every participant country, as each nation had at least 4 chances to watch their team play at home, at a convenient local time. I hope that we continue to use this tournament as an opportunity to grow the game not just in the host nation, but in every nation participating. That contributes to its health, and that definitely contributes to quality, when you have more and more athletes saying that they want to play lacrosse.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Yes, I agree with you. Banija Lacrosse has used this as an opportunity to showcase the sport and the team, and this tournament has broken lacrosse viewing records and attendance records within the country. Now, here's the final question. Will we beat Kaboomlandia?

Head Coach Dejan Polek: What, do you want me to give them billboard locker room material? *laughs But I will guarantee you this. I will have my guys playing hard, and at the end of the day, that's the only thing that is fully in your control- your effort. If we go out and are not intimidated by the stage, and we play as a team, all giving 110% for each other and the millions back home, then good things will happen.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Ok then! Thank you Coach! I'll let you go now, but good luck against Kaboomlandia!

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight

Truth is the Savior, Part Nine

Los Campaneros District
Releinthi, Abanhfleft

"Here's Cuvimi... passes it to Alsambis... look at that fancy footwork from Fatima Alsambis to bamboozle Aleksa Bibic... here comes Menan Alrisheb with the pass from Alsambis... and it's in! It's lucky thirteen for Menan Alrisheb as she sends in her thirteenth goal in this game against Banija, and that's surely game over now for Banija as Abanhfleft now has a twelve-point lead with just under a minute to go in this game..."

"Man, lacrosse is really sweeping the nation now, isn't it?" Tim Lane said. He and his wife Helen Ignacio were watching the final game of the World Lacrosse Championship qualifiers in a sports bar just down the street from the RBI safehouse where Tim was now watching over two state witnesses in the case of the people of Abanhfleft vs. the Yasenev-Kellerman-Ignacio Syndicate. It had been a week since the arrest of Robert Yasenev had brought Aglaya Yaseneva to the safehouse to add to Tim's duties of watching over Petronella Kellerman, and it had just burned him out. He needed some time alone with himself and his newly-wedded wife.

Tonight was a good opportunity to get that needed quality time. Tim and Helen had managed to convince Selong and Jaroslaw to watch over Petronella and Aglaya while they were out, a task that the two foreigners did not really relish. Helen had wanted to watch some lacrosse at the sports bar down the street, and Tim had indulged her, even though he really couldn't care less about lacrosse, because men indulged their wives when their wives wanted.

"Honestly, Helen, I don't know what you see in women holding sticks and throwing a ball with those sticks," Tim said to Helen as they went out of the bar. "I just don't see it."

"I was a decent lacrosse player back in college," Helen replied. "Before... what happened happened. In fact, I think I could've been a member of the national team now."

"And we probably would never have met," Tim said. "Everything works in their little ways, doesn't it?"

"You can say that."

"Man, I'm tired," Tim said. "You know of a place where a man and a woman can crash without attracting... attention?"

"Ooh," Helen said. "I think I know what you're talking about. We shouldn't have left the bar, then. Now there's a place where we can have a good time with ourselves."

"Really?" Tim asked. "Then why didn't you say so before?"

"You didn't ask."

Helen talked with the man who stood at the foot of the stairs in the bar, and then she nodded to Tim and they went up the stairs. There were a bunch of rooms there, some occupied, some not. There were noises coming from some of the occupied rooms which made it clear just for what purpose the rooms were for.

"I like your style," Tim said as Helen led him to an empty room. "Are you sure this place is... secure, though?"

"Trust me, Tim, everyone knows what goes on in here," Helen said. "They won't come knocking unless we want them to."

"How do you know all this? Have you been here before?"

"Let's just say that..." Helen's hand went down to Tim's belt and began to unbuckle it. "The less you know, the better." She then pressed her lips to Tim's mouth.

"Oh, baby, you treat me like a king."

It was deep into the night, and both Tim and Helen were deep in sleep after having conjugal relations, so to speak, with each other. It was quite probably one of the best times that they'd had with each other, and probably it was the first time that they'd done it since arriving in Releinthi. It was very good, and very fulfilling if it could be said, Now they were resting, having spent their energy on fulfilling the desires of each other. That made it easier for the intruder. He had been given the job of taking care of the new man that the RBI had hired to protect its state witnesses against the YKI. He had not had a chance when the man had been staying in the safehouse, which was surely protected by dozens upon dozens of RBI agents. But now that he had left the safety of the safehouse, and he had exhausted himself by satisfying his carnal desires, the assassin chose that time to strike.

And if Tim had decided to go out alone, he might never had lived to see the next day. As it turned out, Helen was not as deeply asleep as one would have thought, for women recovered quicker from the energies of copulation than men. She heard the soft click of a lock being forced open, and although that woke her up she kept herself lying down to give the assumption of being asleep. The door opened, and through half-open eyes Helen observed a man enter the room. He had a knife in his hand. That was both good news and bad for Helen. It meant that he couldn't kill them from far away, but it also meant that he was armed. Helen and Tim were both naked, literally and figuratively. They didn't have any kind of weapon with them.

Helen waited for the assassin to get closer to the bed. He was going for Tim's side, which meant that he was after Tim first and foremost. But that didn't mean she couldn't do anything about it. Once the assassin was level with Tim she sat up and threw the sheet at the killer. The killer was surprised by the movement, and the sheet blocked his movement, and he couldn't bring his weapon to bear in time for Helen's kick to his temple, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Tim, who was woken up by the sudden commotion, sat up and saw Helen standing over the would-be assassin, still without her clothes. "What the hell was that about?" he asked.

"I think someone wants you dead, baby," she replied.

Helen had tied up the would-be killer to the bed, She and Tim had dressed up in the time between the attack and the capture, and now they were getting ready to know why exactly he was there to kill them.

"All right, man," Helen started. "Why'd you want us dead?"

The would-be killer said nothing, merely choosing to stare daggers at Helen. She stood up, twirled the knife in her hand, and then made a small cut on the assassin's arm. The killer's scream was muffled by the strip of cloth tied around his mouth, and then Helen looked him in the eye and said, "You know what's coming next. Enough cuts to make you bleed and hurt, but not enough for you to bleed out until I want you to. That's the first one. I can make this last for a thousand more. Now, are you gonna talk or what?"

Tim shivered. This was a side of Helen that he had never seen before. This was the Helen that could have been a member of the Yasenev-Kellerman-Ignacio Syndicate. This was the evil Helen Ignacio. And he was glad that she had not become too evil to be a danger to people.

The would-be assassin moaned. Helen tore off the cloth around his mouth. "You gonna speak now?" she asked.

"It's him they're after," the would-be killer said, pointing at Tim. "They want him dead, the bosses do. And not only for the state witnesses, but also for the deaths of Big Johnny, Cool Kid and Killer Mark. Oh, yes, they still remember. They remember. They don't forget easily, the bosses. And they want revenge. They know you're here, Tim Lane, and they won't stop until you're dead."

Tim looked at Helen, who looked back at him. Now they really had no idea what to do.

[Free Republics]

Round of 16 Results

Abanhfleft 14–9 Nassau-Hessen
United States of Devonta 7–20 Ko-oren
Star United States 7–11 San-Llera
Kaboomlandia 3–13 Banija
Vangziland 9–6 The Sword Bloke
The Isles of Azoria 9–6 Pachatiti
Cosumar 22–5 Coreyo
Namber 9–17 West Guiana

---

Quarterfinals

Abanhfleft v. Ko-oren
San-Llera v. Banija
Vangaziland v. The Isles of Azoria
Cosumar v. West Guiana

OOC: Tomorrow's cutoff will likely be closer to West Guiana's cutoff times.

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine

Truth is the Savior, Part Ten

Somewhere outside Releinthi, Abanhfleft

"Tim, how can I help you today?" Raphael Durant asked as he stood up to greet Tim Lane, who had just entered the same roadside diner in which the two of them had agreed to a deal that would see Tim finally walk free from his involvement in the Releinthi State University shooting of 2008.

Tim took Durant's hand, shook it, and then turned it into a manly embrace. Durant returned the gesture and then they sat down in the same corner table that they had occupied eight days ago. There were already two bottles of beer on the table, one of the bottles already half-consumed. Tim took the full bottle and took a swig. "I'll get to the point, man," he said. "YKI knows I'm here."

"So I've heard," Durant said. Although the attempted killing of Tim Lane had not made the news, nor did both men wanted it to, Durant had enough contacts in the Releinthi Police Department to know that a man matching Tim's description had dropped off a would-be assassin in the police station near the RBI safehouse where the state witnesses against YKI were stashed.

"So, who else aside from you knows I'm back in the country?" Tim asked bluntly.

Durant took another drink of beer and laid his chin in his hand, deep in thought. "There are only three people I can think of that know about you," he finally said after a few moments. "Aside from me, only the SAC, the Undersheriff, and Director Soriano of the RBI know that you're here."

"Let's go over these three people," Tim said. "I want to know if any of them have any sort of involvement with YKI; that kind of shit. Let's start with this Director Soriano. How reliable is he?"

"She is very upright, Director Soriano is," Durant said with a smile. "I've yet to see someone more incorruptible than the Director. She's one of the most straight people in my line of work. The mere thought of selling out to a criminal group like YKI would sicken her at the very least. No, I'm sure she's not the one who sold you out."

"Well, you never know," Tim said. "Sometimes it's these 'incorruptible' people that are actually the most corrupt."

"Not Director Soriano," Durant countered. "I'll tell you that much, Tim."

"All right, I'll take your word for it," Tim conceded. "Who else did you mention again?"

"The Releinthi SAC--Special Agent in Charge. Another girl, let's get that in the open now. Her name is Vera Jacobson. I think you may know her."

"Oh, yeah, I know her," Tim said, nodding his head. "I remember her very well, the crazy bitch." Tim had less than pleasant memories of Vera Jacobson during his brief and ill-fated association with Releinthi State University. Vera, who was the same age as Tim but was a grade higher, had tormented the younger man, not as a bully but as a stalker. Even though Tim had clearly entered into a relationship with Catherine Lucas during his short term at Releinthi State, Vera had been convinced that he loved her as much as she loved him, and she began stalking the hapless Tim even as he was dealing with schoolwork and bullies. But that was seven years ago now, and Tim hoped that all of Vera's affection for him had vanished in the wake of his deeds at Releinthi State all those years ago.

"So she became a rep too, huh?" Tim said. "Wonder how that happened. And she's the SAC? Does that make her, like, your immediate commander or something like that?"

"You got that right," Durant said as he drank his bottle dry, and he lifted up a finger to order another one. He waited for his second beer to arrive before continuing. "All I know about Vera now is that the Bureau trusts her enough to be the Releinthi SAC. I don't know anything about any dealings with YKI, but I'll see to it that someone looks into that."

"Okay." Tim nodded his head and drank his beer. "Now what about the Undersheriff?"

"Ah, Max Grapayev, the Undersheriff of the Releinthi Police Department," Durant said through his beer. "He's not a dirty cop, but he's not exactly clean, either. I'm not saying that he's deep in the cartels and gangs' pockets; it's just that he's got some dirty laundry that would be best kept hidden, if you know what I mean? But he can't exactly keep it all hidden from the Bureau, you know what I'm saying? And whatever he's kept from us, the MSS knows, but it's nothing too worrying. A mistress here, some undeclared property there... the usual middle-class stuff."

"Not that you would know because you're upper class, right?" Tim said, and both he and Durant had to laugh at his joke. "But seriously, though, I really want to take a deeper look with these two people, Vera and whatsisname?"

"Maksim Grapayev," Durant furnished.

"Him," Tim said. "I want to take a closer look on both of them. One of them or maybe even both of them may be in YKI's pockets. It's the only way that they could have known that I was here."

"Or maybe they've got guys in the airport who saw you coming in when you did," Durant said. "You've got to take that into account too."

"Nah, that's too smart for those bastards," Tim said. "Trust me, I know. Cool Kid, Big Johnny and Killer Mark were ruthless, but they sure as hell aren't smart. No way in hell that they've got people in the airport watching for me. Someone in your side ratted me out."

"Whatever, man, just giving you as much info as you wanted." Durant shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, let's say you're right, and either Vera or Grapayev ratted you out to YKI, How are you gonna deal with it?"

"I thought you were gonna handle that part," Tim replied.

"Of course."

"All right, here's how we're gonna do this," Tim said. "I'm gonna go to Vera, while you go check out this Grapayev dude."

"Are you sure you wanna go for Vera, man?" Durant asked. "The history between you two might color your thoughts of her now."

"You're her subordinate, man," Tim replied. "How's it gonna look when the Releinthi head RBI agent is investigated by her own people? We don't want to draw any attention to what we're doing, Raffy."

"Oh, you're right," Durant conceded. "Tell you what: let's look at our suspects for the day, and then meet back here for dinner. How's that sound?"

"I think I'll have to tell myself not to expect any pork for dinner tonight," Tim said. "See you later, man," he said as he got up from the table and left the diner. Durant stayed for a little longer, and then he laid his payment down on the table and left the diner too.

Unknown to both of them, a man dressed entirely in black had been watching them as they discussed the latest happenings about them. Once the man saw Durant about to leave the diner, the mysterious man stood up and proceeded to follow the RBI agent.

Tim looked up at the modern and imposing skyscraper which housed the headquarters of the Releinthi section of the Republican Bureau of Investigation. Never in a million years had he thought that he was going to go to this place willingly and of his own accord. But sometimes time and circumstance had a way of making men do things that they normally would not do under other circumstances. But now he had been brought to the RBI headquarters in Releinthi by an attempt on his life. There was some irony in the situation, but Tim was not sure if he appreciated it.

No one questioned Tim as he entered the building and showed them the identification that Durant had provided him. Tim had some thoughts to himself as to what this entailed for homeland security. Finally, he arrived at the office of the RBI Special Agent in Charge in Releinthi, and he knocked on the door once and then opened it.

Vera Jacobson was seven years older the last time that Tim had laid eyes on her, but much of her looks had remained the same, except for some age lines here and there. But there was also something in Vera that Tim couldn't see on her anymore. It was something that he used to see on her before, but now it was gone, and he couldn't tell exactly what it was he was looking for.

"Tim Lane," Vera said as she stood up from behind her desk. "Someone's finally come home."

"Look, Vera, I'm gonna be straight with you," Tim said. "I'm not here to say hello or revisit old memories--"

"You're here to find out if I'm the one who snitched you to YKI," Vera interrupted. "Well, I can tell you that I'm not the one who did that. Look, I know you've got a lot of doubts about me knowing about you being here, but I can look you in the eye and say that I'm not the one who betrayed you to those gangster bastards of YKI. In fact, I'll tell you something that you really have no business knowing, and that I've just found out that Maksim Grapayev is deep in the pockets of the syndicate. It's him you should be going after, not me."

"Well, what do you know, Vera?" Tim replied. "Raffy and I have been talking about this Grapayev dude sometime ago too. And he told me that he'd gone after the bastard. Does he know about this?"

"I just called him a few minutes ago," Vera said. "Before you came here."

"Oh, shit!" Tim took out his cellphone and called Durant. The line rang about five times before Durant finally picked up, By his tone, it sounded like he was sneaking around wherever he was now. "Tim, what's going on?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Are you at Grapayev's place?" Tim asked.

"Yeah," Durant replied. "I'm gonna take down that traitorous scum myself." Suddenly Tim heard a scuffle at the other end of the line. "Who's there?" Durant asked. "Show yourself--aah!"

"Raffy!?" Tim called out. "Raffy!"

[The Isles of Azoria]

Azorian Sports Network (ASN) Report

Carlos Rocha- "The Azorian lacrosse team beat Pachatiti in the Round of 16 last night with a 9-6 victory. They advance to the quarterfinals in their first ever WLC appearance. The 'Boys in Blue' will play one of the favorites, the Vangziland Royals. We had Paula de Luz there after the Round of 16 match with head coach Robert Almeida for his reaction on the win and the upcoming match against Vangziland."

PdL- "Coach Almeida, congratulations on the 9-6 victory over a good Pachatiti team. What do you think the team did in order to secure its first ever knockout stage win in the WLC?"

Coach- "Well, I think we stuck to our plan. We played Azorian lacrosse, which is to attack smart and to be aggressive on defense. Playing Pachatiti for a third time I think played into our advantage because we knew their game already, but now we go into the quarters playing a team in Vangziland that we aren't very familiar with."

PdL- "More on the Royals, what do you know about them and how do you plan to adjust your game play, if any, against them to come out of the quarters with a win?"

Coach- "Well I haven't had much time to watch any film on them but from what I do know is that they play a very similar game to ours. I think that it will be a very fun match to be apart of and I wish them good luck."

PdL- "Thank you coach...Carlos back to you."

[Vangaziland]

With the playoff games happening overseas, the bar scene in Vannish cities like New Austerbrook and Emeros was packed with Royals fans wanting to catch the World Lacrosse Championships.

Revenues increased downtown as sports fans hit the pubs and sports bars in big numbers. The establishments would advertise specials or even throw parties during the games.

The excited fans dressed in the Royals colors, as an aggressive marketing campaign made Royals Lacrosse merchandise sales the highest out of any Vannish national sports team. There were hats, jerseys, t-shirts, even keychains... The whole gamut of products.

Sports networks and television shows also did well for themselves. Lacrosse was a sport with many highlights for the media. The analysts had lots of fun breaking down all the stats and making forecasts. Various talking head/debate shows where characters speculated on everything from stats to gossip gained increased popularity.

In essence, this tournament was doing what it was probably doing for most countries. It was making money. These tournaments were good for the economy, at least in Vangaziland. It was also good for the people, encouraging fitness and teamwork and giving them a common group to root for.

The only thing the players had to do was perform. With the way the season had went, the Vangazi could accept any fate and walk away with their heads held high. The first playoff game was fought tough. But late goals by Andie Verrando and a big late performance by the defense held off a fierce enemy.

It was another close game for Vangaziland. Next they would be playing another really good team, maybe the best Vangaziland has faced thus far.

The Goshawks were seen by the Vangazi as an aggressive, fierce team that could sting quickly and take over a game. They had passion for the game for sure. Would the tactic of controlling the game piece by piece in the way that the Royals did it work on the Goshawks?

The world would soon find out.

[Banija]

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Player Profile: Marko Babic


Marko Babic during the post-game conference against Kaboomlandia

ST.JOHNS- The All-Banija Sports Magazine, due to popular demand from fans back home, is spending this issue doing an exclusive profile on probably the most well-known lacrosse player in Banija, Marko Babic. In this, we'll explore how Marko Babic started out, how he started in lacrosse, and how he then moved to become Banija's best lacrosse player. We'll explore how even though they were undefeated(3-0) without him, their best chance for a championship lies in the hands of their star forward, Marko Babic, and why his rejuvenation after the injury in the first home game against Abanhfleft might fuel Banija to their ultimate goal of taking home the trophy.

The Beginning

Marko Babic was born in the hustle & bustle of the capitol city, being born on June 4th, and now being 29 years old. He was born to Oscar and Alexandria Babic, and he was an only child, born into a working class family, where his mother was a fast food manager while his father worked at an engine factory. He was always athletic as a kid, and as is true for many players on his team, he didn't even hear about lacrosse until his teen years. Lacrosse barely existed in Banija until about 20 years ago, and even still, the national league is only 6 years old.

He started playing in high school, when he began to play for Evergreen High School, a school on the Lower East Side of the City of Istria. The school only had a varsity program when he was there, and he played for all 4 years. He really came to the scene in his junior year, when he took Evergreen High School to the Regional Championships. He scored 14 goals in the National Capitol Region Championships, and that still remains the record for most goals scored by a single player at any level in one game in Banija. He burst onto the scene then, and Loyola University @ Istria picked him up to play for their school.

The College Years

Marko Babic was a star player in college as well. A four year starter at Loyola University @ Istria, he was the team captain for his junior & senior seasons in lacrosse. He made the all-star game for all 4 years, and he was 1st team All-Banijan for his junior & senior seasons. He broke a host of scoring records nationally, and the only thing he didn't win was a national championship. He has said repeatedly that was his "biggest regret in college- not bringing the national title banner back to Loyola". He lost in the national championship game in his sophomore and senior seasons, and he has used that as a motivator.

Marko Babic still remembers that moment, his senior year, when he almost won the championship. With college lacrosse in Banija having sudden death overtime rules, he had a penalty shot in overtime, a chance to win the championship. His shot beat the goalie but sailed wide of the net, and 2 minutes of play later, Big Rapids University was able to get the game-winning sudden death goal to win 10-9 and take the national title. He has said, repeatedly, that was the worst moment of his playing career. "I haven't forgotten about that", says Babic. "I regret it, and I want a chance to redeem myself." He would get one at the 21st WLCs.

The Professional Years

While he worked on completing his marketing degree for one more year after he exhausted his collegiate eligibility, there was a new opportunity within the field of lacrosse. A national lacrosse league was starting up, and there would be a draft soon. "I was excited when they opened up the league", said Babic. "Allowing a draft by lottery, of all the available players, was huge in creating some sort of a competitive balance, and really brought my spirits back. I missed lacrosse so much, and it was an honor being the #2 pick in the inaugaural draft, drafted by the East Woodhaven Bengals."

Marko Babic would have the same sort of success individually at a professional level. Babic would be the leading scorer in the inaugural season of the league, and they won the championship in the 2nd season. Marko Babic said that playing for the Bengals 'rejuvenated' his career and his life, and that the Bengals were the best thing that had ever happened to him. That is, before the decision by the Lacrosse Association to send a team to the 21st World Lacrosse Championships.

For Club & Country

Marko Babic made the decision to play for his country after his team won the championship in local lacrosse. Yes, the season start would be pushed back to allow the team to finish the tournament, and while the league wasn't ecstatic about that, they understood what it meant to Banijan lacrosse to compete on an international level. Finally, they would have an opportunity to broadcast to the nation that Banija would compete against the world's best in lacrosse, and the question was whether they could do well. After a draw that pitted them in arguably one of the weaker groups of the 21st WLCs, Marko Babic felt confident, expressing to his teammates that his team could make a run.

After winning their first two games, including their second by one goal, they had clinched qualification for the knockout stages with one game to go. Then, came the game against #2 Nassau-Hessen, who had lost the 20th WLC finals to host & champion Cosumar. Banija got beaten that game, and they were handled by Nassau-Hessen. They were outscored 5-0 in the 2nd half, and that was the only game in that entire tournament where Marko Babic was held scoreless. They were beaten badly by a team that was much better than them, and confidence went down in the locker room. Coach Polek was able to rally his team however, saying that "Banija is only beaten when we get down on ourselves."

They came roaring back to life against New West Guiana, who is hosting the current edition of the World Lacrosse Championships. They got their first of 3 straight upset victories with that Round of 16 victory against New West Guiana, and then came Nassau-Hessen, the team that beat them in the group stage. This served as a motivator for the Banijan squad.

Marko Babic was said to have worked the hardest against Nassau-Hessen. He was embarassed by Nassau-Hessen, and the then 25 year old regarded himself as the best player in Banija, and had shriveled when brought up against the world's best, with the brightest lights on. He was facing criticism from all corners of sports media in Banija, saying that he couldn't win the big game, that he couldn't perform under pressure, and he was ready to prove his critics wrong in that quarterfinal. And he did just that.

Marko Babic scored two fourth quarter goals against Nassau-Hessen in that game, and it was clear by his emotional reactions that those goals, and the win, meant a lot to him. The ability to put a team like Nassau-Hessen, one that beat them handily in the group stage, behind them in the tournament, was a huge satisfaction for the team. Marko Babic specifically though, being able to put the ball into the net with all that pressure on him, was able to break out as a star. He was able to perform under pressure, with the brightest lights on, against the world's best teams.

The semifinal gave him even more confidence. Marko Babic was ecstatic after beating the hosts like they did in the semifinals, and he was excited to head to the tournament finals. His 4 first half goals against the Star United States allowed Banija to start the romp and be ensured of a spot in the final, which was huge for the country. Even though they did not win the tournament, Marko Babic was excited, saying that he had 'great memories' of the tournament, and that the final would motivate them to work harder 4 years later, to win the gold instead of the silver.

The path to the gold is as tough as ever. They first must take on San Llera in the quarterfinals, who has surprised many by getting to the quarterfinals. Banija, who made a run to the final in their first ever tournament, knows not to underestimate teams like San Llera, and Marko Babic has said that he'll be ready. If they win that game, their most likely semifinal opponent will be Abanhfleft. Abanhfleft has been the best team in this tournament so far, and Banija knows that well, as they have dropped two home games against Abanhfleft, including the 24-12 embarrassment at home. If that is the semifinal, like most experts are predicted, it will be one of the most anticipated semifinals in recent memory, especially since these teams have played each other 3 times before in this very tournament.

On the other side of the bracket, sits the two-time defending champions Cosumar, who have won their group and are looking for a three-peat in this tournament, which has never happened in the history of this tournament. New West Guiana, the tournament's hosts, are playing them in what will be probably the best quarterfinal. Vangaziland and the Isles of Azoria, are both strong up & coming teams as well, and the winner of that game will make for a very tough semifinal opponent. Of course, for him, Marko Babic has said that he will make sure his team plays well, and they will leave it all on the field in their quest to bring home the gold in this tournament.

The game against San Llera is at 9:45 PM Istria Time, and will be broadcast by BNN.

[Free Republics]

Quarterfinals Results

Abanhfleft 27–2 Ko-oren
San-Llera 6–13 Banija
Vangziland 11–9 The Isles of Azoria
Cosumar 7–9 West Guiana

---

Semifinals

Abanhfleft vs. Banija
Vangaziland vs. West Guiana

[Banija]

The All-Banija Sports Magazine
The only nationwide publication that is all sports, all the time!

Banija rolls into semifinals with 13-6 victory over San Llera; face a showdown with Abanhfleft with a spot in the Final on the line


Goalie Allen van Pierce makes a save in the quarterfinal of the 22nd WLCs

ST.JOHNS- Banija has rolled through the knockout stages of the tournament so far, manhandling Kaboomlandia 13-3 in the round of 16, and then taking care of San Llera 13-6 in the quarterfinals, to set up a showdown, for the 4th time, with Abanhfleft. They played each other 3 times in the group stage, in their very tough group, and Abanhfleft won the matchup then, 2-1. Abanhfleft's women won twice in Banija, while the Banijans won the only game in Abanhfleft. While Abanhfleft went 8-1 and took the group, and got the #1 seed of the knockout stages, Banija went 6-3 in the group stages and got second place. They had very different similar paths to the semifinal, with Abanhfleft being the higher ranked side and therefore the favorite of this tournament, but what matters is that they both find themselves in the semifinal today.

They were in the same group in the knockout stages, so they both had similar paths to get to the semifinals of the World Lacrosse Championships. Abanhfleft, in the quarterfinal, lit up the scoreboard from start to finish, defeating Ko-oren by a shocking score of 27-2 in the WLC quarterfinal, which has to be a record-setting victory at this level, especially at this stage of the tournament. That team is on a roll, and they are on a singular mission to win the World Lacrosse Championships. The only team standing in their way, one that is also on a singular mission to win the entire tournament, is Banija.

Both teams would enter a Final matchup as slight favorites against either Vangaziland or hosts New West Guiana, so this is one of the most anticipated semifinals in some time in this tournament. For the second straight edition of this tournament, Banija is facing the winner of its group before the semifinal, with a rising Banija team beating a reeling Nassau-Hessen in the quarterfinals of the 21st WLCs, as they reached their height with a 13-4 semifinal victory over the Star United States, before losing to back-to-back champions Cosumar, who have just lost to tournament hosts New West Guiana, and have ended their streak of placing in 4 consecutive tournaments.

Interview with Banijan captain Pavle Yankovich
Reporter Brian Ceas: Hello Pavle! We're interviewing you here for the morning edition of the All-Banija Sports Magazine, to be shown throughout Banija before your semifinal. How do you feel going into the semifinal?

Pavle Yankovich: Well Brian, I won't lie, I have butterflies in my stomach. It is exciting to go into the semifinal of any tournament, especially the World Lacrosse Championships. If we win this tournament, we prove to the world that Banija's lacrosse is the best that the world has to offer, and we all take serious pride in our country. Last time, going into the semifinal felt huge and exciting. None of us had ever been on that stage before, but we were able to rise to the occasion and probably play the best lacrosse I've ever seen our boys play while wearing orange.

We were able to beat the host nation of the tournament 13-4, and that felt special. The odds were stacked against us then, and we defied them the entire tournament. For this game, specifically, the odds will be stacked against us in every which way. Abanhfleft is a team that we have played 3 times already, and we understand that they will be very tough opponents for us. They gave us many fits throughout the tournament, sweeping us on our home field. They were able to maintain focus, and use the energy of that crowd to propel them forward.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Well Pavle, how different will it be playing them for the 4th time? Especially with everything on the line?

Pavle Yankovich: The thing about the knockout stages is that every game only matters individually. You have to win one game to get to the next, but it doesn't matter how you won the previous game. All that matters is that you won, and then everything is back to square one. Abanhfleft won 27-2 in the quarterfinals of this tournament, making them tourney favorites and making us the underdogs, just where we want to be. We played very well a few days ago, and we were in control against San Llera the entire time.

Abanhfleft is a good team, but we won on their home field, 13-6. They are beatable, and they are not invincible. Even though their 10-1 record this tournament, as well as they way they've been playing recently makes them look unbeatable, and as any coach worth anything always says, the game hasn't started until the opening whistle, and the game hasn't ended until that final buzzer has sounded. We will play sideline to sideline for 60 minutes, and more if required, and do what it takes to beat this team.

Reporter Brian Ceas: Well, I understand the theory that the past doesn't matter. Nobody will remember what happened in the group stage. At this level, memories are made at the knockouts, and legends are born deep in the tournament. This team will live in Banijan lacrosse lore if we win this game; but if we lose, then it'll be another "almost".

Let's talk about that word. What does your team feel like whenever they hear almost from the media? That you are a team that can almost get there, but can't quite make it? You "almost" won your groups twice, but lost both on the last day with probably the two worst performances this team has ever had. You "almost" made a miracle run in the last tournament, coming from nowhere to win the entire thing, but you lost the final to Cosumar, who became the first and only team to repeat as back-to-back WLC champions. And it looks like this time, you'll "almost" win it again, but the unstoppable force of Abanhfleft is in your way.

Pavle Yankovich: This team is sick of the word "almost" hanging around it, and we are more than ready to get rid of that label. This team, this generation of players, has tons of talent, and can hang with anybody in the world, as we've clearly proved. I think that this team is one that is special enough to go out and win this tournament outright, and we'll have to beat Abanhfleft. This is not going to be easy, not in the slightest, but as they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Ultimately, the way Abanhfleft have been playing so far, they have deserved everything they have gotten so far. They have been dominating teams, especially lately, as they showed when they doubled us up 24-12 on our own home field, and followed that up with a 14-9 victory against Nassau-Hessen, and a 27-2 steamroll in the quarterfinals. You're not going to get lucky against them; they are too deep. You are going to have to outplay this team. We've done it once, though that game, just like our 24-12 loss against them, doesn't matter. We need to put it all together on the field when we play Abanhfleft, and the way we've been practicing and preparing recently, I'm fully confident that we can do that.

Reporter Brian Ceas: OK Pavle, thank you. Anything you'd like to end with?

Pavle Yankovich: Yes, thank you. Our team is working hard to represent its country on the field, and to be the best we can be. Sit back and watch us take on Abanhfleft for a spot in the final of the WLC, a spot that we have been working for since our loss in the final of the last tournament, when we lost 9-4 to Cosumar. When our country is behind us, it only pushes us on the field that much harder, to go for that loose ball, to do whatever it takes to bring the nation to the Final. So please, wear orange, and watch your lacrosse team tonight!

Reporter Brian Ceas: Thank you Pavle! Enjoy yourself, and good luck in the semifinal. As always, go Banija!

[Vangaziland]

The latest round was an exciting set of games for the viewing public.

Abanhfleft versus Ko-ren was interesting just in the aspect of a dominant performance. But by the time the score reached 8-2, the fate had already been decided.

Lacrosse fans could also have checked out San-Llera versus Banija. It wasn't as one-sided, but it was pretty close for some time. Lacrosse is a sport where five goals could show up if a team worked hard enough. But Banija's defense kept things under control.

There was also the match against a previous champion in Cosumar versus host nation West Guiana. Surely, they drew a huge viewing audience and provided one of the most exciting games. Hard fought lacrosse games were the ones that were hard to turn away from. When you can't tell who will win right up to the last minute, lacrosse reaches a pace and fervor rarely seen in some other sports.

This was a game like that. The final score was just as interesting, West Guiana winning. It was the perfect result for everyone who rooted for the underdog.

The last two teams went far out of their way to market their game to other nations. Vannish satellite networks set up deals so that foreign nations that normally did not cover lacrosse or Vannish sports would have access to this game at a good price. The cheap deals sent coverage of the game to even more international channels.

These were the two hungriest, new teams in the tournament. Each one was out to make a big splash in the playoffs.

From the first faceoff, it was evident this was going to be a battle. The coaches wished each other good luck before the match, a rare sign of sportsmanship in a sporting world where people would be quicker to brag after a win.

Both defenses stopped the games from becoming runaway goal-fests. Both sets of attackmen had to run different set plays and patterns to really get that separation between them and the defenders to score goals. There were no lucky goals for these two offenses.

If you check out the sizes of the two teams, you would see that both teams are pretty big. The Goshawks were a little taller, the Vangazi were a little heavier, especially on defense. Part of the issue was that Vangaziland's 6'6 Center Defender was a little bigger than the guys Azoria was used to.

The battle came down to the midfielders. Ground balls determined the match. This time, Vangaziland was a little quicker. They had been going over the sorts of scoop drills that most coaches would yell at their players for focusing on. It turned out that practicing this technique helped carry Vangaziland into the final four. The Royals won a few more face-offs.

Defense also really stepped up in the last fifteen minutes of the game. The defense that would not allow a retaliatory goal was destined to win. Again, Vangaziland narrowly edged by. Mike Swythe stepped up with some big tackles on the right wing near the end. He wrapped a few players up with stick checks, stopping shots before they were fired off and then making a physical, upper body tackle.

This was lacrosse, this was how games were won and lost. The goals themselves were just highlights.

Now Vangaziland looked at another similar team coming off a close victory of their own. Could they focus on the basics and run their plays once more? Only the future can determine the next game day's storyline.

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten

Truth is the Savior, Part Eleven

Fanuti District
Releinthi, Abanhfleft

The sirens on Vera Jacobson's government-issued Ford Crown Victoria wailed loudly as she drove the car to the Fanuti District of Releinthi. Beside her, Tim Lane could only squirm in his seat. Had he known that Maksim Grapayev was the traitor then he would have gone after the bastard himself, and not sent his friend and brother-in-law instead. But he didn't know that then, and he had no way of knowing that Grapayev was YKI's snitch inside the establishment, and because he didn't know he had sent his best friend straight into the hornet's nest. Now all he could hope for was that Durant had not been seriously harmed by what surely had to be the attack against him.

The Crown Vic tore down the streets of Releinthi on its way to the Fanuti District, where Grapayev lived. Tim could only cross his fingers and hope for the best, but he knew that even the best case scenario this time would not be very good for Durant.

The car finally arrived at Grapayev's house, a squat one-level house that was just one of many suburban houses in this part of Releinthi. Vera led the way, pistol held out in front of her. Tim followed behind her, armed with nothing but his fists and wits. Vera saw that the door was ajar and pushed it open with the muzzle of her pistol, and then slowly and carefully she stepped into the house.

The house didn't appear to be disturbed in any way. Nothing that wasn't supposed to be moved had been moved, and there appeared to be an even layer of dust that had settled over everything inside the house. Vera gave the living room a cursory look and then went deeper into the house, with Tim hot at her heels. But they didn't find evidence of anyone having entered the house for some time until they entered the study, and that was where they made a most gruesome discovery.

Raphael Durant lay crumpled at the middle of the study. Blood pooled from the back of his head where it had been hit by a baseball bat, which had been tossed aside beside his body. At first, Tim thought that Durant was surely dead, but then Durant groaned and began to stir awake. Vera walked over to him and put a finger on his neck, checking his pulse. "Get an ambulance here immediately!" she ordered Tim, who nodded his head, took out his phone, and dialed the emergency services.

"Durant, are you okay?" Vera asked as Durant finally managed to shake himself awake.

"You try getting hit with a baseball bat to the back of the head," Durant replied. "Bastard's really clever," he said through gritted teeth as the pain from the hit began to spread all around his head."Could've killed me if he wanted, but he just whacked me enough to knock me out."

"Who did this to you, man?" Tim asked. "Did you see who did it?"

More sirens were coming closer to the house as ambulances, police cars and RBI cars began to converge on Maksim Grapayev's house. Vera raised up Durant's head and placed a towel on the wound before letting him lie back down on the floor. "Clever Terrence," Durant told Tim. "Clever Terrence did this."

The paramedics ran into the study and began attending to Durant, shoving Tim and Vera out of their way. From their arrival to loading Durant on a stretcher had taken only about a minute, and as they carried him to their ambulance, Durant said, "Find that bastard for me." Then the ambulance's doors were closed, and it drove off to the nearest hospital.

"Clever Terrence," Tim said, rolling the words around on his tongue. "Who's that guy supposed to be?"

"Just the leader of the next generation of YKI's gangsters," Vera replied. "He's a real piece of work, Terrence Yasenev. He's got the brains of Robert Yasenev, the ruthlessness of Ramon Ignacio and the killer instinct of Paul Kellerman. He's a hands-on fella, Clever Terrence; always doing the dirty jobs himself so there's no way of other people messing up his plans."

"Where the hell is this guy?" Tim asked. "I'm gonna lay my own hands on his throat and squeeze the ever-loving life out of him, the bastard."

"Yeah, you might not want to do that," Vera said. "He's got a posse with him, but it's actually just two of his buddies Big Kate and Killer George. They're kind of like Cool Kid, Big Johnny and KIller Mark back in college. Bonus points for Terrence being Marvic's identical twin."

"Oh, Jesus Christ," Tim muttered. "I knew this job was gonna be harder than I thought."

Suddenly Vera's cellphone rang. She answered it, said a few things to the person at the other end, and then she nodded her head and ended the call. "They've found Grapayev," she said.

"Where?" Tim asked.

"The docks district, near the warehouses."

Vera and Tim drove to the docks in the Crown Vic, but this time Vera kept the sirens quiet. This time they were in no hurry to get to the docks, as they both knew what being found in the warehouses of the docks district meant.

The drive took them to Sing Sing Avenue, one of the seedier places in the docks. Fleftic National Police units rarely bothered to patrol here if it wasn't necessary, and the authorities simply did not see any reason to place any uniforms in this part of town due to the fact that everyone knew that this was where the syndicates, the cartels and the gangs carried out a lot of their dirty work. Unless there was something really fishy and noticeable going on in the place, no member of the uniformed police or the Republican Bureau of Investigation bothered going down here. But then somebody had reported seeing a body floating around in the waters around the docks, and the authorities had no choice but to go there, fish the poor bastard's body out of the water, and hopefully identify him or her before the water bloated the body's face too much.

There was already a small FNP presence around the site where the body had been fished out of the dock waters. The scene had been customarily taped off, but all it took for Vera and Tim to cross the tape was a flash of RBI identification.

A man dressed in a neat suit underneath his coat was squatting beside the corpse, which was laid out on a stretcher and had the sheet covering it moved to the waist to reveal the head and chest. Tim didn't know what the former undersheriff had looked like, but he was certain that that was the late Maksim Grapayev lying down on the stretcher, a bullet hole in his head and two on his chest.

Vera walked over to the man squatting beside Grapayev's corpse, flashed her badge, and said, "Vera Jacobson, RBI SAC Releinthi." She extended her hand.

"Detective Zach Tyler, Releinthi PD," the man replied, standing up and shaking Vera's hand.

"Is that your man Grapayev?" Vera asked.

"Unfortunately, it is," Tyler replied.

"What do you know about him?"

"Well, aside from the fact that he had his brains blown out and then had his heart shredded to pieces by a pair of bullets, and not in that particular order, there's not much that we know about the circumstances of Undersheriff Grapayev's death, only that it may have involved YKI."

'The YKI?" Vera asked. "Grapayev? How did you come up with such a connection, Detective?"

"We've turned up some evidence that Grapayev's involved in some shady dealings with people that have been associated with YKI one time or another," Detective Tyler replied. "But it wasn't enough to build up a strong case against him, and in any case, it's not gonna do us a whole lot of good now, would it?"

Another man, this one dressed in a light brown suit, walked over to their little group. "What is it now, Cournoyer?" he asked. The younger man said something to Tyler's ear, and then the two men nodded and Cournoyer, the younger man, went off and Detective Tyler turned to face Vera and Tim and said, "I've just been told by my people that aside from the struggle that your agent got into..." He nodded his head at Vera. "They found no evidence of a struggle from inside the house. Grapayev was last seen leaving his house yesterday morning, and after that no one saw neither hide nor hair of him until now. We have no reason to suspect this right now, but he might have been picked up by YKI or even he went willingly with them, but we've got nothing that will allow us to check on that. Maybe you Bureau guys could help us out with that though. You've got way more freedom in this than we do."

"We'll see what we can do," Vera told the detective.

[Free Republics]

Semifinals Results

Abanhfleft 19–8 Banija
Vangziland 9–13 West Guiana

---

Third Place Match

Banija vs Vangaziland

World Lacrosse Championships 22 Final

Abanhfleft vs West Guiana

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven

Truth is the Savior, Part Twelve

Los Campaneros District
Releinthi, Abanhfleft

"You should know, Tim, that there are always storylines to be made whenever national teams play in international tournaments," Helen Ignacio said to Tim Lane as he drove the two of them back to the RBI safehouse in Los Campaneros. It was a day after Raphael Durant had been attacked by "Clever Terrence" Yasenev, and Maksim Grapayev had been fished out of the waters near Releinthi's docks after having been apparently executed by the YKI Syndicate. Helen had once again managed to get Tim to watch the semifinals of the World Lacrosse Championships with her, and she had cheered very loudly for the Fleftic lacrosse team as they managed to finally clear the hurdle that was the Banija national lacrosse team to set up their first ever WLC final appearance.

"This time, it's all about the teams that could have gotten to the finals before but failed," Helen continued. "For us, we've been high on people's contenders list after we managed to get third place in WLC 19 in The Sarian but then we crashed out against Nassau and Estenia in the next tournaments. Meanwhile, Banija's the Cinderella story right now. They made their debut in the last tournament and managed to get as far as the finals before Cosumar showed them who's boss. Now they met up in this year's semifinal, and both were looking to shake off the specter of always 'almost' making it. But we wanted it more than they did, so we're off to our first ever final now."

"Didn't look like that way to me," Tim replied. "At least during the first half. Banija kept themselves close, didn't they?"

"Yeah," Helen nodded. "And, to be honest, Tim, my butt didn't unclench until after Menan went on that five-goal scoring spree to finally put us away and above the Banijans."

"What about them Banijan players, though?" Tim said. "They didn't give up until the bitter end. Props to them for that."

"Did you see that Marko Babic dude?" Helen said. "He got four goals and tried to lead them to a comeback! If we weren't Fleftics, I'd say that it's a shame that they didn't make it."

"And that Yankovich!" Tim said. "His goal after the start of the third almost made me shit myself!"

"I'm telling you, Tim, you watch enough lacrosse, you'll get to exercise your sphincter well and good."

"Nope," Tim said, shaking his head. "Still not giving up on football and Arsenal de Releinthi."

They arrived at the street where the safehouse was located. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the place at the moment, but then the hairs at the back of Tim's neck began to stand up. He couldn't exactly explain the feeling, just that it told him that something was wrong when everything looked right.

"I'm gonna call up the boys as we get to the house," Helen said as she raised up her cellphone to her ear.Then quite suddenly, the smile that had been on her face ever since Abanhfleft won the semifinal against Banija vanished. "They're not answering," she told Tim. "I mean, I know either Selong or Jaroslaw doesn't pick up their phones immediately, but they've both gotta pick up one time or another."

Helen tried to call once again, but only heard a computerized female voice say, "The number you are calling is currently unattended."

"The lady says that both of their phones are currently unattended," Helen told Tim, fear beginning to creep into her voice for the first time in a long time.

"Oh, shit!" Tim accelerated the car and brought them right up to the path leading to the safehouse. The two of them positively bolted out of the car and then headed for the house. Tim saw that the door was once again ajar, and his mind returned to the house in Fanuti District where Raphael Durant had been attacked by Clever Terrence. Vera Jacobson had said that Maksim Grapayev had known about Tim's return to Releinthi, and she was positive that the former undersheriff had revealed that and much more to YKI before they executed Grapayev. Tim dreaded whatever it was that he would find inside the safehouse.

Selong and Jaroslaw were laid out on the floor of the living room, unconscious but breathing. As Tim checked on them, Helen went up the stairs to check on the bedroom. There she found messed sheets and blankets, obvious signs of a struggle by the two state witnesses Petronella and Aglaya against the intruders. But that wasn't all that she found. There was a single sheet of paper lying on the edge of the bed, a sheet of paper that she knew did not belong there. With trembling hands she picked up the paper and began to read the message on it.

Dear Timothy,

When you've seen this letter then you have arrived too late to save the two girls that you're protecting from us. Don't worry about them because I see no reason to harm them... yet.

The Republican Bureau of Investigation has laid their lives on your hands. Now those words have an even truer meaning.

You'll also notice that I left your two friends alone, banged up but alive. They're not my concern, Timothy. You are.

Let's talk, you and I. I'm at Warehouse 357 on Sing Sing Avenue in the docks district. You'll remember that as where you plucked your poor crocodile friend from out of the water. I'll be waiting for you there.

Marvic, Johnny and Mark send their regards, dear friend Timothy.

Clever Terrence

Big Kate

Killer George

"Oh, God, no," Helen muttered as she sank down on the bed and began to cry.

Tim heard Helen's soft sobs as he went up the stairs to check on the bedroom. He saw her crying over what appeared to be a letter, and he went up to her and asked, "What's wrong, baby?"

Helen handed Tim the letter. He read it, and then he tossed it aside once he was done and asked her, "What is it, Helen? Why are you crying?"

"My sister," Helen replied through her sobbing. "She's involved in this mess."

Tim wrapped his arms around Helen, but the tears were finally flowing from Helen now. "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen to me and her!" she moaned. "I didn't want the two of us to become this kind of people, but now she's too far gone! She was too good for her own sake!" She turned to Tim and said, "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Hush," Tim cooed. "Don't worry about your sister now," he told Helen. "She made her choice, and you made yours, and now you're on opposite sides. That happens. You can't do a thing to change that now."

"We're gonna have to go against them, right?" Helen sniffed as she wiped her nose with her sleeve. "I don't know if I can do anything against my sister!"

"Don't you worry about that, Helen," Tim said. "If it comes to that, I'll do it." That got him a pained whimper from Helen.

"Helen, please," Tim said. "Look at me." Helen finally fixed her eyes on Tim. They were red and puffy from all of her crying. "If we're gonna do this we gotta do this together. I know I can do this, Helen. Can you? I need to know if you've got my back. I know I've got yours, Helen, but what about you? Do you have my back?"

Helen stared at Tim for a full minute before she finally nodded her head. "Yeah, Tim," she finally said. "I've got you."

"Thank you, Helen," Tim said, touching his forehead with hers. "That means a lot to me."

"I know, Tim."

Tim sighed. "This is the end, Helen," he said. "I can feel it. Whatever happens next will be because we chose for it to happen. No more running away from us now, babe. This time we're gonna face our fate with honor and dignity. Are you with me?"

Helen finally stood up from the bed. "To the ends of the earth, Tim," she replied.