Quaranteam: Southeast – Team Davies
By 2charlie
The Quaranteam Universe is the creation of CorruptingPower, used with permission.
Thanks to OtterlyMindblowing, AgathonWrites, RonanJWilkerson, The_Licentious_Laureate, BreaktheBar, and the other QT Writers for their feedback and contributions to this work. Be sure to check out their work.
Chapter 17
All Characters depicted in sexual situations in this story are over the age of 18.
Sexual situations do NOT include blood relatives.
Editor’s Note: To better align with the intended story flow, the relationship between Rommie and Miles has been altered slightly. This was deliberate, necessary, and will be explained in the chapter below, so do not be surprised.
***Gainesville, FL – 2215, Monday, September 28, 2020***
Two Humvees careened around the corner, turning off of NE 53rd Avenue onto Miles’ private drive, red-blue lights flashing as they pulled up alongside where the group was gathered around Jan.
Jan slowly regained consciousness, groaning at the pain in her shoulder, and Debra was working to keep her calm and still.
Miles holstered his firearm and stepped toward his godsister, visually assessing her for a moment, then gently grasped her shoulders, asking, “Rommie, what are you doing here? You’re hurt! What the fuck is going on? Who were these assholes, and what are you doing with them?”
“Miles,” she said, putting her empty hand against his chest to keep him at arm’s length, “I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to get word to the Air Force Security Forces – your house was not the only target tonight.”
Pushing past him, she kept her gun directed at the ground and away from her side, making sure the approaching responders could see it.
A pair of medics rushed up to where Debra knelt next to Jan, and she quickly briefed them on what had happened.
Two armed non-comms rushed up to Miles and Andi, weapons focused on Rommie. “Hands up! Drop your weapon!” shouted one of them,
She dropped her handgun, holding her arms out from her sides, as she announced loudly, “I am FBI Special Agent Andi Davies. I am on an undercover assignment, and I do not have my credentials on my person.”
The two Air Force Defenders exchanged skeptical glances. One of them, a burly woman with a stern expression, stepped forward. “We’re gonna need more than your word, ma’am. What were you doing here?”
Struggling to remain still, Andi shouted back, “We can do this later! Captain Davies’ home wasn’t the only target tonight! I overheard them talking about the Mayor and some General Palmer! They need to be warned!”
The second Defender stepped back, lowered her weapon, and turned away to talk on her comms.
The first Defender kept her weapon leveled at Andi. “We need proof that you’re not with them,” she said, nodding her head at the bodies lying nearby. “What were you doing here, for starters?”
Andi took a deep breath, glancing at Miles, her mind racing. “I’ve been working undercover, infiltrating a sovereign citizen militia group operating near here, calling themselves the Swamp Boys. This was supposed to be an information-gathering assignment, but things went sideways. My handler – Special Agent Robert Wentworth – was with me, but they killed him Saturday night and took me captive. His body is in the back of that crew cab back there. I managed to effect an escape earlier this evening and stowed away in the back of one of their trucks, only to end up here. If you can lend me a phone, I can contact my superiors, and they can validate my identity.”
“That’s not protocol, ma’am,” the Defender replied, tightening her grip on her firearm.
“Well, it’s the best I can fucking do right now!” Andi shouted, anger tinging her words.
“Give her the damned phone, Sergeant,” Miles growled, his hand held up, palm toward the Defender, jaw clenching as he struggled to remain professional.
The Defender hesitated, then unlocked her phone and handed it to Andi.
Taking the phone, Andi dialed a number quickly from memory, putting the phone on speaker mode. The call rang twice before it was answered, “Isaacs, here. Who is this?”
“Isaacs, it's Davies, and you’re on speaker,” she said urgently. “I’m with Air Force Security Forces in Gainesville. Wentworth is dead, and I need you to verify my identity.”
“This is Assistant Special Agent In Charge Benjamin Isaacs with the FBI. Badge number 1056379. I can confirm that Special Agent Davies is an undercover FBI agent. She’s been working on a high-priority operation in your region. Please provide her with whatever assistance she needs.”
The tension in the Air Force Defender began to dissipate. The first defender ran the badge number through an app she had opened on her phone and nodded to the second, who subsequently lowered her weapon.
“Isaacs, the situation here is fluid. I’ll report in later when events allow. Davies, out.” Andi disconnected the call and handed the cell phone back to the Air Force woman.
“Elements have been dispatched to the General’s residence, and Gainesville LEOs have been alerted about the threat to the Mayor,” the other Air Force Defender announced, rejoining the group. “Special Agent Davies, can you please walk us through what the fuck happened here?”
Seeing the medics were getting Jan loaded onto a gurney, Andi decompressed slightly, understanding that the urgency of the situation, at least, right here, seemed to fade. Her exhaustion hit her suddenly like a ton of bricks, and the pain from her wounds surged from just background noise to screaming for attention.
Andi sagged visibly, and Miles rushed forward to grab her as she nearly collapsed to the ground, swinging his arms around to pick her up and carry her over to the blacktop before lowering her, kneeling beside her as he turned to the nearby medic. “She’s got severe wounds as well,” he hissed. “Please check her out.”
Getting back to his feet, he turned to address the Air Force Defenders, looking closely at the name tape on the Tech Sergeant’s uniform. “Sergeant McMillan, I’m Captain Davies, USN. I will walk you through a quick summary of the events in just one moment.”
Turning to Debra, he queried, “Deb, can you accompany Jan to the hospital?”
“On it, Miles,” Debra quipped, rising and checking with the medical staff before she turned and rushed back to the house, tugging Barney behind her.
Turning back to McMillan, he continued, “Ms. Seward – Jan – and I were walking our dog when masked gunmen attacked us.” Turning, he surveyed the bodies before pointing to the first and second thugs. “Those two rushed us, weapons drawn. I fought them, but one got off a shot, wounding Jan. After I’d dealt with them, I fired off three quick shots from my sidearm to get help from the house. When Debra was bringing out the trauma kit, another attacker attempted an assault on the front door. One of my other partners, Mrs. Penelope Sommers, defended the house against the third assailant. You’ll find him napping up close to the house.”
McMillan snorted at his blasé reference to the third corpse.
Sweeping his hand across the blood-stained turf close to them, where Jan had been, Miles continued, “While Debra and I were triaging Jan, another assailant rushed up from back toward the road. Special Agent Davies dispatched this fourth attacker, and you folks arrived shortly thereafter. That’s the gist of it.”
“Thank you, Captain. We’ll probably have more questions for you later.” Visually inspecting him, McMillan asked, “Are you injured? Do you need to be checked out?”
“I don’t think so,” he responded, holding his arms out and checking himself quickly. “Pretty sure none of this is my blood.”
“Okay. Sir, let me and my team get busy documenting this area and collecting evidence,” she suggested. “You should go get cleaned up. We’ll be transporting Ms. Sommers and Special Agent Davies to the Air Force temporary wing over at UF Shands. You know where that is?”
Miles nodded grimly. He’d been to that hospital too many times in the past few months. Thanking McMillan, he stepped over to check on Jan and Rommie… or, Andi, apparently.
Leaning close to Jan, he gave her a smile, telling her, “I’m going to grab a clean shirt, maybe get cleaned up a bit, and I’ll be down to see you at the hospital in no time.”
Grimacing in spite of the pain management the Air Force medics gave her, she reached up with her good hand and held his. “Bring me some fresh clothes, will you? I think this outfit is ruined.”
Chuckling, he kissed her hand and lowered it back to the gurney. Turning to where a medic was checking the woman who was like a sister to him, he caught her eye and informed her, “I’ll come see you at Shands in a bit. I’ll try to bring you some fresh clothes.”
Looking seven kinds of worn out, she nodded at him. “Thank you, Miles,” she replied softly, then stifled a cough.
Stiffening, he exchanged a quick, knowing glance with the medic. Reaching into a nearby pack, the medic handed an N95 mask to Andi. “You should probably put this on, ma’am.”
Miles pivoted and rushed back to the house, pausing as Debra came out to head to the Humvees. “I’ll be down there shortly. And Deb – find out if Andi’s been vaccinated yet.” Giving her a quick kiss, he patted her butt and rushed inside.
Penny was waiting for him just inside, and the Benelli was nowhere to be seen. Motioning for her to follow him, he rushed to the master bathroom and turned on the shower. Stripping quickly, he turned to her, realizing she’d been forced to defend the house not long ago, and might need to talk about it. Pointing to her clothes, he urged, “Strip, and join me.”
Looking shocked at his command, Penny slowly removed her clothes, and he took her hand and pulled her into the shower with him. Taking a moment to scrub Jan’s blood from his hands, Miles then wrapped Penny in an embrace and held her tight. “Are you okay?” he finally asked her.
Pushing him away so she could look into his eyes, she cried out, “Am I okay? Are YOU okay? What the hell just happened?”
Leaning in suddenly, Miles kissed her, deepening the kiss with an urgency he’d not often felt. ‘They’d tried to kill my family!’ his inner voice screamed in rage. Once the emotional freight train passed, he pulled back from her, still looking intensely into her eyes.
“First, Jan is going to be okay,” he reassured Penny. “She was conscious when the medics were working with her, but they are taking her to Shands. I’m sure she’s going to need surgery for her wound. One of those assholes shot her through her left shoulder.”
“Fuck,” Penny hissed, closing her eyes and bowing her head for a moment. Looking back up, she swallowed, “What else? Tell me the rest.”
“There were four attackers,” he continued. “I took out two, you got the third, but a fourth got the jump on me and Deb. Lucky for us, Rommie, errr, Andi was there – I’ll explain that in a minute – and she took out the fourth attacker.”
“Okay, so, are these guys somehow linked to Abelard?” Penny asked, beginning to connect the dots from the anti-gov website.
“That’s my guess,” Miles confirmed. “Andi – Rommie goes by Andi now, apparently – said she was on an undercover assignment investigating a sovereign citizen militia. She said they were here to attack us, but that others were sent to go after General Palmer and Mayor Curry.”
Grabbing the shampoo, Miles washed his hair quickly, then ran a bar of soap over his body at lightning speed, arms jerky in their movements, hands shaking. Fighting to remain calm, he forced himself to slow down, even though he realized he needed to get moving.
Taking the soap from him, Penny washed herself quickly, ignoring her hair for the moment. Rinsing, she turned off the water and stepped out, accepting the towel Miles handed to her.
Drying off as quickly as he could, Miles ran his fingers through his hair, then rushed to the closet to grab his field uniform. Getting dressed as quickly as possible, he turned to see Penny, wrapped in a towel, grabbing clothes and tossing them onto the bed, along with a pair of travel dental kits. Grasping what she was doing, an idea popped into his head. “Pen, can you throw in some of your sweats and spare shoes – maybe another travel dental kit? Andi’s got nothing, and I’ve no idea where her things might be.”
Penny paused to glance at him for a moment, then tsked and turned back, grabbing underwear, sweatpants, a sports bra, and one of Miles’ Navy T-shirts, along with a pair of no-show socks and her running shoes, tossing them into the pile. Lastly, she grabbed Debra’s uniform, boots and all, and grabbed two sports bags to jam it all into.
Packed with spare gear for Debra, a change of clothes for Jan, and another for Andi, she passed the bags on to Miles. Grabbing them, he gave her a quick kiss before rushing toward the garage.
Looking back over his shoulder, he begged her, “Please explain this to the others – especially Trent. I’ve got to go!”
“Go, Sailor-man! I’ve got this,” she reassured him, shooing him on his way.
***UF Shands Medical Center – 0130, Tuesday, September 29, 2020***
“I’m on my way in from the parking lot now, Deb,” Miles said, terminating the cell call.
As he pushed through the doors into the emergency room entrance, he saw Debra moving to intercept him, putting her phone into her pocket. Grabbing her into a hug, he held her for a long moment, then released her so she could continue her update.
“So, like I was saying, Jan’s in surgery now – she’ll be a few hours yet, then they’ll move her to recovery. We can go see her then.” Looking down, she grabbed one of the bags Miles was carrying. “I don’t suppose you brought me a change of clothes?”
Grinning, he nodded. “Penny put your field uniform in this bag,” he told her, switching bags with her, “and I’ve got a change of clothing for Jan, and some spares for Andi.”
“Yeah,” Debra sighed, giving Miles a sidelong glance. “About Andi…”
Coming to a stop, Miles froze, concerned at the tone of her voice, “What is it, Deb?”
Hesitating, she shifted slightly, then shrugged. “I think you’re going to need to be gentle when you speak with her, but I can tell you this. She’s been through a lot. Signs of sexual and non-sexual battery, injuries consistent with more than one assailant. She’s keeping it together for now, but sooner or later, shit’s going to catch up with her. And, the cherry on top – she tested positive for DH. She isn’t in the program yet. Given that she’s already developing initial symptoms, she’s likely been infected for almost two weeks. I’d guess the next twelve hours will prove critical.”
Heaving a big sigh, he asked her, “Anything else?”
“Yes. You, me, Jan, possibly Penny – we’ve all been exposed to DH as well by those fuckers,” she hissed, anger in her words. Calming herself, she continued, “Recommended protocol is we refresh our dosage at the earliest opportunity.”
“Refresh our…. Oh,” he puzzled, realization dawning upon him slowly. “You mean we need to fuck soon.”
“Correct,” she stated flatly. “Soon. And a lot. Not so much for us, but absolutely for you.”
He eyed her closely, looking for any sign that she was pulling his leg. There was none. She was being serious.
“Noted,” he finally responded. Stepping over to stand by the wall, he beckoned her over, then asked her quietly, “How are you holding up?”
Snorting, she replied, “I should be asking you that, mister. I wasn’t there, but Jan told me what you did on the ride here – I thought she was going to rub one out just telling me about it. I mean, jee-zus! I thought Penny was badass when she blew that fucker off his feet at the door, but fuck me, Miles! As best I recall, you never served in a kinetic role…”
“Stop. I did what I needed to do.” He gently took hold of her arm, looking deeply into her big, brown eyes. “Are. You. Okay?”
Her eyes widened slightly, and her nostrils flared. “I’m okay for now. No guarantees on later.”
“Fair enough,” he nodded. “Put me down for the same.”
Releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she leaned into him, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Giving him a quick kiss, she said, “I’m going to go change. You should go check on Andi.”
“Before I forget,” he snapped his fingers, “any word on the General or the Mayor?”
“Miles,” she said to him a bit too sharply. “Go. See. Andi. I’ll fill you in on the rest later.”
Sensing that there was more to discuss, Miles decided that this was not the hill to die on. Giving Debra another kiss, he asked her, “Which room?”
****
Miles knocked at the door to Rommie’s room. Hearing a faint “Come in” from within, he opened the door. Upon entering, he was forced to stifle a reaction to what he saw.
His godsister was sitting on the bed, with a tablet perched on her lap. She glanced up at him for a moment, an odd, faraway look on her face, and waved him over to the chair near her bed. “Give me just a minute to finish this fucking nightmare,” she grimaced, then continued tapping quickly on the tablet.
Miles quietly sat down, putting the bag on the floor next to him, and checked his phone for messages.
[Penny: AF Security wrapped up here – carted off the bodies. Said they’d be back for the truck later.]
[Ava: Kids are back in bed. Trent was worried, but he’s better now. He got to talk to Jan. Thx Deb!]
Deb: New phone. Who dis? ;-P]
[Sophia: I spoke w/ mom – some news there, but can wait.]
[Maddie: So, we gonna get another partner?]
Miles was just about to inquire about the last two posts when he heard a ding from the tablet. Looking up, he saw Rommie lay the device to the side and then start to stand. Putting his phone away, he jumped up and rushed to her.
“Don’t get up for me, kiddo,” he teased her. “Let me come to you.”
Taking her gingerly into his arms, he hugged her close, then eventually let go, keeping one arm around her shoulders as he moved to sit next to her on the bed.
“So….” he said, not sure where to begin.
“So…” she repeated, teasing him gently.
“You’re in the FBI, huh? Dad’s doing?” he prodded.
“Long story. Let’s start elsewhere,” she dodged. “So, Debra is one of your… uhh… many partners?”
Looking at her for a moment, he glanced down at the tablet. He recognized that screen. It was the Submission Complete screen from Oracle. He looked back up at her. “So, you’ve been read in?”
“I’d been given some awareness of the vaccine program earlier, but I’ve not yet been given the jab. Otherwise,” she said wistfully, “I probably wouldn’t be here now. Which means you might not be alive.”
“Hey, now, I would’ve gotten that last dude,” he started to protest.
“Yeah, but he would have gotten off a shot if I hadn’t emptied his gun,” she countered.
Confused, he looked sharply at her…. “You’re making that up!” he accused her.
“Am not!” she responded, sticking her tongue out at him.
They both broke down with laughter. It felt good. It did not last.
“So…” he began.
“Don’t start this shit again,” she sighed, exasperated.
“Okay, let’s start elsewhere,” he said, a tinge of bitterness in his voice. “Your godnephew Marcus died back at the end of July, along with about forty thousand other people in Gainesville.”
“Oh, shit! Miles!” She wrapped her arms around him again.
“There’s more,” he continued. “You’ve already met Debra and Jan, but I have four other partners, including Penny, Beth’s sister.”
“Penny?! How the fuck did that happen?” she exclaimed.
Miles spent the next twenty minutes bringing her up to speed. When he finished, she shook her head with amazement.
“You know,” she said in a serious tone, “you look really good in that uniform.”
He chuckled. “I think my partners agree with you. Even Ellie told me I look handsome – of course, that was in my khakis…”
“Hah! That’s funny,” she smiled, looking a little tired.
“So… you go by Andi, now?” he asked her.
“Andromeda sounds so old-fashioned, like Matilda, but Rommie never really caught on. Andi stuck, so it’s what I go by,” she explained.
“Do you enjoy working at the FBI?” he asked her.
“I used to, recent events notwithstanding,” she countered evasively. “However, in light of an evolving situation, I think I’ll be tendering my resignation.”
“What? Why? Are you alright?” he asked her in rapid succession.
“Miles, look at me,” she gestured the length of her body, at the dozen or so cuts and bruises covering the exposed skin he could see, leaving him to speculate what other injuries were hidden beneath her hospital gown. “This is not what I went to school for, and it’s for damned sure not what I imagined myself doing for the FBI.” Her voice trembled as it rose in volume, “But because it’s a male-run misogynistic prick club,” she practically spat, “my boss and my handler put me in a position to be abused without a care – not a fucking iota of a give-a-shit – as to the physical or emotional toll it would take on me, so long as I got the intel they needed.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her fists clenched and shaking with rage. “Well, fuck them! Fuck them all to the miserable fiery depths of Hell’s Ass Crack!”
Miles held her, attempting to soothe her, while he silently raged – some motherfucker did this to her! Some beltway asshole sent her to Florida, to… to…
“Andi, why were you here?” he asked her. “You said something about a sovereign citizen militia group, and you somehow arrived at my house earlier as we were being attacked. I assume those men were with this militia. Why were they there, and why were you there with them?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, and Miles began to think she wasn’t going to answer him. Instead, she began speaking, “About the beginning of the month, I get called into the office by my boss, ASAC Isaacs. Some dickhead named Wentworth is with him, going on about some redneck militia making noises down in north central Florida – something about government overreach, related to the Air Force response to DuoHalo. Anyway, they wanted to get a mole into this group, someone who could suss out the threat level and report back to the brass.”
After almost a minute of silence, he prodded her to continue, “I assume that was your task?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Wentworth was my handler, and I was supposed to be in a position to get the attention of a person associated with this group. A person who wasn’t as isolated as the rest of them seemed to be.”
“And how were you to do that?” he pressed her gently.
“We received information that a small group of these Duck Dynasty assholes were regulars at a local evening establishment down in Micanopy,” she began.
Miles rocked back. Micanopy. He’d driven through there several times on his way down to Ocala in the years prior to Beth’s passing. Her parents owned a horse farm down there. About the only reason Micanopy was ever mentioned was a certain establishment advertised on billboards for miles up and down I-75. Taking that into consideration, her odd hairdo now made sense, as well as her reluctance to discuss it.
“I see,” he said. “So, I take it you were successful?”
“You mean, did I get their attention?” she corrected him harshly. “As it turns out, I did. Too well. The mark brought me back to their meeting place. Wentworth must have followed us. Unfortunately, my handler fucked up and got made. After they killed him, they put two and two together and guessed my role. Things went south from there.” She looked disgusted, ashamed, and angry, all at the same time.
“So, somehow you managed to be in their vehicle last night,” he pressed, wanting to get her to let it all out.
“They beat the shit out of me… tied me down, and… and took turns with me, okay!” she spat angrily, tears pooling in her eyes before she wiped them away. “They intended to kill me after they’d all taken their turn with me, but they were also busy getting stoned. Eventually, they all passed out. I managed to get loose and fled. I hid in the back of one of their crew cabs, under a tarp. Turns out, that’s where they’d hidden Wentworth.” She was shaking violently now. “Good thing they didn’t find his backup piece….”
Miles didn’t know what to say. He was way out of his depth, and his heart ached for his godsister. “Andi, I’m sorry…”
“No!” she snapped. “Don’t you call me that! Assholes call me that! Fuckheads that need to be dead, or that wanted me dead, call me that!” Pounding on his shoulder with her fists, she cried torrents of tears, her face flushed. Finally, she stopped beating on him, the tears slowing, and he handed her a tissue from the box mounted on the wall by the bed.
Her body convulsing with sobs, she started to cough, and it took her several minutes to get herself sufficiently calmed to continue speaking to him.
Finally, calm enough that she was only sniffling, she finished her thought. “You don’t call me Andi… You call me Rommie. That’s who I want to be. Andi was a stripper. She was used and almost killed. But not Rommie. Rommie is your precious little princess who has always looked up to you… loved you.”
Wrapping her in his arms again, Miles forgot himself and hugged her to him, until she groaned in pain. Releasing her, he looked stricken. “Rommie, I’m so sorry!”
Swatting at him, she pulled him close, hugging him as hard as she could, in spite of the pain it caused her.
Just then, there was a light rap at the door. Craning his neck to see who it was, he saw Debra poke her head inside. “Okay if I come in?’
Laughing softly while wiping at her face, Rommie simply shrugged, “Sure, the more, the merrier, right?” she said in an odd tone. She relaxed her grip on Miles but did not release him.
“Okay, so…” Debra was checking something on her cell phone. “It looks like you’re a ninety percent match to the primary, and an eighty-two percent match to the alpha, so overall, it is a high-percentage match. Oracle approves. You do have other options, just to be clear, but if you’re absolutely set on this decision, the scores support it.”
Nodding sagely, Rommie looked down for a moment. “Now all I’ve got to do is convince the man I love to let me be his partner. Should be simple, right?”
“Sounds like you’ve got some news to catch me up on now, Rommie!” Miles teased her. “Or is this one of those situations where he has no clue? I mean, come on, what kind of dumbass would turn you down?” He hugged her again.
“Indeed,” Debra said. “Ironical, right?”
Miles looked up at her. “Am I missing something?” he probed.
Debra just shrugged, looking pointedly at Rommie, struggling to maintain a straight face. “I told you he could be slow at times,” she lampooned him, addressing her remark to Rommie.
“Um, what are you two talking about?” Miles wondered, looking back and forth at the two women.
Sighing, Rommie pulled free of Miles’ embrace. Turning to look him in the eye, she stared long and hard at him, until he began to fidget. “Rommie?” he begged, “What is going on?”
Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she struggled to compose herself, a tiny chuckle escaping her control. Finally, she broke down laughing, until she cried out in pain. “Ow! My ribs!”
Miles looked to Debra for an explanation, but she just shook her head, pointing silently at Rommie. “Ask her, not me.”
“Seriously, talk to me!” he begged Rommie, taking her by the hands, noticing that they were trembling.
“Fine,” she breathed out in resignation. “Fine. Joshua Miles Davies… will you please… fuck me into a coma, add me to your harem, and promise to love me forever?”
“What the fuck, Rommie?!? That’s not funny!” he half-shouted.
“I’m not cough joking cough you dumbass!” she spat back, adding, “I know what I’m cough coughasking for!”
Rocking back in shock, Miles looked at Debra. She just grinned her sexy fucking grin at him. ‘She already knew!’ he realized. ‘That’s what the data was on her cell phone. Rommie’s compatibility score!’
“Hold on,” he mused suddenly, looking at Debra. “I get that I’m the Prime, but who’s the Alpha?”
“Penny, of course,” she responded calmly. “I’ve already run this past the team. They’re all on board, naturally. It’s all approved, assuming you’re good with it.”
“Assuming I’m good with it… good with partnering with my sist-“ he started to say.
“GOD-sister,” Rommie corrected him.
“Ah, my bad,” he conceded sarcastically. “Assuming I’m open to partnering with my GOD-sister…”
“Who’s had a crush on you as long as she can remember,” Rommie added tentatively.
“Who’s apparently still nursing a childhood infatuation,” he tried to continue, earning a slap on the arm from Rommie.
“I’ll be right back,” Debra excused herself, stepping out of the room.
“Miles,” Rommie pleaded with him earnestly, “please don’t make me beg. Do you honestly have no feelings for me?”
“Rommie, that’s not fair,” he protested, struggling with an odd sense of Deja vu. “I’ve always loved you! You’ve continuously occupied a special place in my heart…”
“Sure,” she quipped back, “as your godsister.” Jabbing her thumb at her breast, she argued, “I mean as something more, dammit! cough I’ve wanted you for years, but by the time I came to understand my desires, you were with Beth, and now…. and now… “She began to sob and cough.
Wrapping her once more into an embrace, he finished the thought in his head. And now that he could have her, did he want her?
If he was honest about it, he’d always felt an awkward attraction to Rommie. At least, once she’d been old enough. When she transitioned from gangly tomboy to late teen with perfect curves. He’d always chalked it up to horny male syndrome and crushed it down in his psyche. ‘Good brothers didn’t act that way,’ he thought harshly.
‘Godbrothers,’ he chided himself. ‘She’s not a blood relation.’
Opening his eyes, he focused on her. “You want this.” It was a statement, not a question.
“More than anything,” she added without hesitation.
“Even knowing I already have six partners,” he added.
“Even so,” she replied steadfastly. “They all sound wonderful.”
“They’re all quite open with one another,” he pressed her.
“Sounds fantastically refreshing,” she countered.
“We’ve got five kids and a dog,” he added.
“I hope you’re down for more!” she enthused.
“My partners all eat pussy,” he challenged.
“I’ve got a pussy,” she countered.
He sighed, out of counterarguments.
“I’m not talking you out of this, am I?” he asked.
“Your dick hasn’t gotten suddenly smaller, has it?” she responded.
“What?” he stammered, taken aback. “How…?”
“I peeked in on you in the shower when you came to visit after OCS,” she explained brazenly.
“…” he had no words.
The door opened, and Debra entered, followed by an Air Force medic, Staff Sergeant Styles, carrying a small case. Closing the door behind them, Deb approached Rommie. “Are we good to proceed?”
In answer, Rommie simply held out her arm.
A broad smile crossing her features, Debra nodded to the medic. Styles opened the case and withdrew a sterile pack and proceeded to tear it open, extract the wipe, and sterilize an area on Rommie’s arm. Pulling out a hypodermic needle, she inserted an ampule filled with a clear blue fluid, turning to Rommie with raised eyebrows. “Last chance,” she said.
“I’m all in,” Rommie assured her.
Stepping closer, Styles inserted the needle into Rommie’s arm, depressing the plunger slowly until all the fluid was injected, then withdrew the needle, pressing a cotton ball against the tiny puncture and asking Rommie to place her finger over the cotton. A moment later, the Staff Sergeant affixed a strip of medical tape over the cotton ball to hold it in place, then stepped back, gathered up her case, nodded to Debra, and left the room.
Rommie looked down at her arm, then back up at Debra. “You know, you look pretty good in that uniform, too.”
Grinning, Debra shook her head. “I’m not the one you need to sweet-talk.”
Laughing,both women looked at Miles. Looking first at Rommie, he turned to Debra. “What now?” he asked.
“Now, my dear,” Debra teased him, “you go check in on Jan. She was almost out of surgery earlier, so she should be in the ICU by now. Come back in an hour or so.”
Getting up from the bed, he turned and gave Rommie a quick kiss, then gave another to Debra before leaving the room.
Turning to address Debra, Rommie asked her nervously, “So, what’s it like?”
“What’s what like, hun?” Debra teased the other woman. “You need to be more specific.”
“The… priming orgasm,” she said, blushing. “The imprinting orgasm. And after.”
“Ah, that,” she satirized. “Darlin’, it’s like Heaven got drunk and threw a party in your pussy.”
Getting up to return the kit to the nurses, she looked at Rommie once more. “And after, it’s even better.” Opening the door, she left Rommie alone with her thoughts.
***UF Shands Medical Center – 0400, Tuesday, September 29, 2020***
Stopping at the nurses’ station outside of the ICU, Miles asked about Jan. Checking on her computer screen, the nurse indicated that Jan came out of surgery a short time earlier but should be waking up soon. Directing him to her room, the nurse left him outside Jan’s room, in the hallway, as she returned to her desk.
Entering quietly, Miles moved over to stand by Jan’s bedside, gently taking hold of her right hand. Looking at her vitals, everything appeared to be okay, as far as he could tell.
Standing there silently, he felt his chest tighten as he tried to imagine a life without this woman in it. Feeling emotions beginning to well up within him, he tamped them back down. No need to upset Jan by allowing her to wake up to see him crying, he thought to himself, as he looked into her beautiful hazel eyes.
Her very open hazel eyes, he nudged himself.
“Hi,” he said simply, smiling down at her foolishly.
“Hi yourself,” she replied weakly. “Did you add Rommie to our team yet?”
He chuckled. These women! They were all plotting against him!
“Not before I checked in with you, no,” he assured her with a lopsided grin. “I mean, Debra told me you were okay with it, but I wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
“Who’re you calling a whore?” she scorned him playfully.
“God, you’re beautiful!” he exclaimed, relief flooding his senses. “I was so afraid I’d lost you!”
“Lost me? Not likely. I mean, you just knocked me up, sailor. You’re not getting rid of me now,” she teased him, watching with perverse pleasure as realization dawned upon him.
“Seriously?” he exclaimed, overcome with sudden, ridiculous joy.
“As a tax audit,” she declared. “I pissed on the stick and everything. It’s been confirmed. The rabbit done died.” She practically glowed at him. He suddenly felt lightheaded as he briefly contemplated what could have been.
Sensing his thoughts, she grasped his hand more firmly. “Don’t you go getting all upset, now. This here flesh wound won’t slow me down for long. Besides, I can’t wait to see how much bigger my tits are gonna get. I might give Ava a run for her money!”
“I’m sure you will,” he agreed with her. “Have you told the others yet?”
“Only Penny. She saw me putting the test stick into a box with a bow on it. Oh,” she suddenly interrupted herself, “try to look surprised when you open it for your birthday.”
“Anything you say, dear,” he promised her. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“I think I need to rest, darling,” she told him wearily. “Come back tomorrow, please. I’m due for my injection.” She winked her naughty eyes at him gleefully.
Leaning down, he kissed her deeply, pouring his love into it. She kissed him back, but with fading vigor. Panting, he stood up, the bulge in his uniform confirming the effect she was having on him, even in her current state. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll go put Rommie into a coma, then go shag the others for good measure.” Grinning at her scoff, he continued, “I’ll be back to top you off later, so you better get some rest.”
“I love you, too, dear,” she said woozily. “Tell Trent I’m okay and that I love him. The other kids, too,” she said, drifting off at the end. Her eyes finally closed, and she was asleep. Softly placing her hand on her chest, he turned and quietly made his way out of the room.
****
Knocking softly, he opened the door to Rommie’s room. She was not where he could see her. Starting to wonder where she’d gone, he turned to leave, only to hear the toilet flush in the adjoining water closet. Stepping inside the room, he closed the door as he heard the sink running. Listening closely, he could hear what sounded like someone brushing their teeth. Cupping his hand over his mouth, he checked his own breath. Yikes!
Looking around, he found the bag and rummaged through it, finding an unopened dental kit. Knocking at the door to the water closet, he was surprised when Rommie opened the door. She stood with her back to him, covered in cuts and bruises all up and down her body. He could see them all, as there was no longer a hospital gown to interrupt his view. He also noticed the mirror was slightly fogged, and a towel was on the floor.
“I felt gross,” she explained. "I decided to do what I could to clean up. For me as much as for you. I hate to go to bed filthy,” she mused. She closed her eyes briefly, her body tensing into a shudder.
“Rommie,” he said, looking in agony at all the harm that she’d suffered, “are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you just need my cum, so we don’t have to have sex. Hell, I could have Deb come ‘lend a hand’, so to speak…”
“Baby,” she cooed, “I understand your concern. Just take it slow and be gentle, and we’ll get through this. Believe me when I say this is not how I’ve ever fantasized things might go, but let’s not forget the alternative.”
“Right,” he nodded, trying to wrap his head around the necessity of what he had to do next, and ignore the indignity, in light of all she’d undergone in the past few days. He trusted her to decide what was best for her and not allow him to cause her more pain. “Fuck. Okay, well, if you don’t mind, I need to brush my teeth, too. Seems like I’ve eaten a big bowl of troll shit recently, and I need to do something about my breath.”
Snorting at his nerdy humor, Rommie scooted aside, her tits swaying gently as she moved.
Shaking his head, he opened the travel dental kit, peeled the foil from under the cap on the toothpaste, and gave his teeth a good scrubbing, all the while aware that she was watching his every move.
Rinsing, he put his toothbrush and toothpaste back into the kit, then wiped his face and hands with the only remaining towel. Turning, he took one step before she was on him.
Arms wrapped around his neck, she glued her lips to his, giving him a searing, soul-sucking kiss that made him wonder briefly if his godsister was a succubus.
Slowly, she pulled him backward toward the bed, stopping when her thighs bumped against the railing. She parted from him briefly to climb into the bed, lying back and beckoning him to join her.
Disrobing fully, he carefully climbed up onto the bed, uncertain of how best to proceed. Rommie made the first move as she reached down and took hold of his thick, hardened manhood. Moaning softly, she stroked her hand along his shaft, squeezing it.
“Miles, I need you to stuff me with this hard, hot cock. I need it in me now! Please, please, fuck me!” she purred at him, a quiver in her voice. “Be gentle, go slow, but oh, God, please! Hurry!”
Slowly, as gently as he could, he placed himself into position above her. She parted her legs gingerly, wincing slightly at the effort, then wrapped them around his waist, tugging him to her, the need emanating from her eyes. He looked at her closely, noting that her hunger did not appear to be serum-induced. Inside, he chided his ignorance and lack of insight. Externally, he smiled gentle promises at Rommie.
Reaching down, she grabbed his cock and rubbed the head up and down along her bruised, slick, hot folds, her desire made plain by her dampness. Making a final adjustment, Miles slid his cock slowly into her. Into his Rommie.
Oh, Fuck! Even in his wildest imagination, he’d never conceived of this moment. A shiver ran down his spine, and a drab of pre-cum oozed forth from his shaft, wrenching a cry from Rommie while sending her into a convulsion. Miles held still, waiting for Rommie to come down from the sudden jolt.
“Oh, sweet Jesus!” she cried in a combination of pain and joy, her eyes shut tight. “I saw my dear and fluffy lord! Miles, you’ve killed me and sent me to the better beyond!”
Bottoming out within her, he paused, making sure she wasn’t in pain. After a bit, he rotated his hips slowly, beginning a gentle in-and-out rhythm.
“What’s this?” she cried out, eyes opened wide in mock surprise. “I’m not dead? Well, then, mister, you’d best fuck me into a coma!”
“As you wish,” he deadpanned, causing her to open her eyes wider, then giggle at the reference.
Deciding to test her tolerance, he began stroking into her a bit faster, driving into her a bit harder, pushing himself into her a bit deeper. He was navigating a fine line – if he kept his pace slow and gentle, it was going to take him longer to cum, yet he sensed that the sooner she was imprinting and asleep, the sooner she’d be out of pain.
Rommie let out little ‘oof’ noises with each plunge, but otherwise made no move to stop him. If anything, she was trying to encourage him, digging her heels into his back, urging him on, bucking energetically beneath him.
Finally, pushing the events of the prior evening as far from his thoughts as he could, he picked up his pace just a bit more, and soon began to feel that familiar tingle in his balls.
“Are you ready?” he asked her in between pants, fucking her forcefully.
“Yes, Miles!” she cried, tears running down her cheeks. “Yes! Please, bind me to you! Bring me into your family! Oh, my God, I can’t wait to give you gorgeous babies!”
Hitting his tipping point, he didn’t hold back. Pumping into her, he sent her careening into another powerful orgasm, her body jerking and convulsing beneath him as her vaginal walls tried to wring life from him, her eyes rolling back until just the whites were showing. Holding still, striving to catch his breath, he watched her as she slowly relaxed, sagging down into a slumber, a gentle smile on her face as she repeated that phrase…
“Im… imprint… ing… Im…imprint.. ing… Im…imprint… ing…”
Wondering at the stutter, he eased himself off the bed, realizing late that he needn’t worry – she wasn’t going to be disturbed. He was just about to turn away when he chanced to look down at her tits, and noticed her nipples were raw and tattered-looking. Leaning in close, he saw fresh wounds that those monsters must have inflicted upon her. What the hell could do that kind of damage? Had they tried to bite her nipples off?
Suddenly, he imagined what it might have looked like if she’d had piercings, like Penny. Turning quickly to the commode, he vomited, empathizing with the agony that those bastards must’ve forced upon her. At that moment, he swore vengeance upon every last one of them.
Washing his mouth out, he used a handcloth to cleanse himself, then rinsed it and went to Rommie, gingerly cleaning up the mess they’d made. Finally, telling himself he’d done the right thing, he covered her in a sheet and blanket. After she’d finally gone quiet, he watched her sleep peacefully, silently uttering an appeal to whichever higher power was inclined to help that she would recover, mentally as well as physically.
Eventually, he turned away from Rommie and surveyed the rest of the room. Deciding to set things to order, he put away her things, making sure he’d left the clothes Penny sent where Rommie could find them.
Satisfied, he got dressed once more, checking on her one last time before he opened the door and slipped out. Sitting in a chair just outside, he found Debra, who’d apparently been taking a catnap while waiting for him. He rested his hand gently on her shoulder, bringing her to full wakefulness as peacefully as he could manage. Holding out his hand, he helped her get up, then turned to leave. Pulling him to stop, she drew him back into the room, mischief in her eyes.
“Your work is not done here, dear,” she purred at him, luring him back into the room and lowering to her knees as the door closed.
***Gainesville, FL – 0630, Tuesday, September 29, 2020***
Miles was exhausted but insisted he was okay to drive home. They rode in silence, save for the music he insisted on playing. Debra ground her teeth, wondering how in the hell a man so sexy could be so into Toto.
“So, the way she stuttered is actually a good sign?” Miles asked Debra.
“The way I understand it,” Debra explained, “that’s possibly an indicator that the woman is going to undergo some sort of regeneration. Either that, or she’s been exposed to a rare variant of DuoHale. In Rommie’s case, I’m hoping for the former, ‘cause she sure as hell needs it!”
They’d just pulled off NE 53rd Avenue when Miles grunted. “I forgot to ask – what happened with the General and the Mayor last night?”
Debra sighed, all joy fleeing from her mind as she gathered her courage. “Air Force Security Forces arrived in the middle of the assault on the General’s residence. They took out four assailants, but not before several of the General’s team were shot,” she hesitated for a moment, “including David.”
The Beast screeched to a halt as Miles practically stood on the brakes. Turning a horrified look on Debra, he cast about, searching for words.
“As of 0600 this morning, David is out of surgery. He’s alive,” she summarized.
Miles visibly sagged, relief flooding the fog in his brain. After a moment, though, he forced himself to ask, “And the others?”
Debra’s face dropped for a moment, and then she steeled her resolve and looked back at him. “Once the Defenders at our place learned from Rommie that there were more attacks being planned, they called the General and the Mayor. The attackers arrived before Team Palmer could evac, so the General and team barricaded themselves in a back room.”
“And?” he blurted, his hands visibly shaking.
“And,” she continued, “the attackers killed Guiness and seriously wounded Skyler and Alison. David took a bullet meant for Martha, and Brandi and Angelina actually fended them off with golf clubs until the Defenders arrived.”
Miles rocked back in shock. “Soph?” he asked.
“She’s gone to wait at the hospital. The General’s residence was closer to North Florida Hospital, off Newberry Road, near I-75, so they took the victims there. Oh, and they managed to take two of the assailants alive, so they might be able to learn more.”
Closing his eyes for a moment, he digested this news and then opened them again. “And the Mayor?” he asked, sounding hesitant.
“I’m sorry, Miles,” she said, looking very downcast. “The Mayor’s residence was hit first. Her security detail and her team, including the Prime, were killed. Cynthia was in surgery last I heard, but she’s not expected to make it.”
“FUCK!!!!” he shouted, slamming his palms against the steering wheel.
Debra placed her hand on his shoulder. “Miles,” she beckoned him softly, “let’s get the Beast parked and take this inside. Your family is waiting for us, and right now, they need the comfort of knowing you’re still here.”
He sat there for a moment, letting her last statement sink in. “You knew this earlier, didn’t you?” he asked her quietly.
“Yes,” she admitted softly, eyes downcast.
“You kept this to yourself so that I could deal with Jan and Rommie?” he guessed.
“Yes,” she answered, even more quietly.
“I’ll reflect on this later and probably agree with your decisions. But right now, I’m not happy being managed.” He glared hard at the wheel, not trusting himself to look at her.
“I understand, my love,” she replied quietly, tears running down her face.
Taking his foot off the brake, he pressed the remote to open the garage door and swung around to back into the bay. Parking the Beast, he turned off the engine and just sat there, feeling completely deflated, as if a large stone settled its weight upon him.
Just then, the door from the utility room opened, and the kids all rushed out. “Dad! Dad! You’re home!” he heard a small, female voice call. His heart, battered and torn, suddenly thudded loudly in his chest as he realized it was Ellie calling to him. He opened the driver's door, and she leaped into his arms, choking him as she hugged him so tightly. Wrapping his left arm around her, he laughed through his tears. “I’m home, El. I’m home.”
***Gainesville, FL – 1330, Tuesday, September 29, 2020***
Miles gradually woke from a deep, dark, dreamless slumber. He was draped with bodies of some of his partners, having the vaguest recollection of sex with Penny, Ava, and Maddie before they allowed him to sleep. Something about doctor’s orders.
Slowly extricating himself from the comfort of his bed, Miles made his way to the bathroom, an urgent pressure in his bladder demanding immediate attention. On autopilot, he proceeded to shave, brush his teeth, and shower, all completed mechanically as he attempted to process the events of the night before, as well as those of the early morning this day.
Dressing in a clean set of fatigues, he began to move with greater speed as his mind hammered him with the need to know. How was Jan? Did David come through surgery okay? Was Martha alright? What happened to the other partners – the ones wounded? He struggled to recall their names… Skyler, and Alison. Did Cynthia Curry survive?
Pressing himself forward, he practically jogged into the kitchen, pulling up sharply as he nearly tackled Penny. Silently, she wrapped him in a tight hug.
“Slow down, Miles,” she soothed him. “You don’t need to save the world just this moment, and you have no idea when your schedule is going to give you any time, so sit your ass down right here and let me feed you real quick.”
Hugging her back for a moment, he fought back a fresh wave of anxiety as he allowed her to guide him to his seat at the table. Lowering himself down, he found a large tumbler of tea already awaiting him.
Penny stepped away for a moment, returning quickly with a plate filled with cubed sirloin tips and a side of steaming hot mashed potatoes, a large pad of butter pooling in a dimple on the top.
Hearing his stomach suddenly come to life with an urgent growl, he attacked the food with satisfied little grunts, which made Penny snort with amusement.
Stepping away for a second time, she returned to sit next to him with a cup of coffee. Dimly, he could hear noises coming from upstairs and realized that the children must be taking a break from their lessons, given that Jan wasn’t there. He forcibly broke off that line of thought before it turned dark, and looked up to meet Penny’s searching gaze.
“There you are,” she hummed, apparently pleased by whatever she saw.
“Where did you think I was?” he chortled, taken suddenly with the beauty of her bright, blue eyes.
“Waging war with demons, I suspect,” she mumbled softly. “But you’re here with me now, and that’s something, at least.”
“How are you feeling today?” he inquired, realizing that she’d needed to kill a man only last night. “Would you like to talk?”
“About what?” she wondered, a strange look in her eyes. “About me putting that thug down on our front doorstep? Believe it or not, I’ve given more thought to having to clean the shotgun than I have about that miserable fucker.”
Shifting, she leaned closer, putting a hand on his forearm, before she continued. “No, I’m just moody today, because I came awfully close to losing a sister and a friend, as well as you, last night, and I don’t know how the hell I could have dealt with that. I feel terrible for Cynthia and Martha, but I’m selfish enough to admit that I’m glad it wasn’t me dealing with such loss. I’m thrilled to be bound to a man as capable as you, and I’m so…. So fucking grateful you’re right here with me, today,” she finished, tearing up at the end, a tremble in her voice.
Staring deeply into her eyes, he smiled softly, genuinely, explaining, “And I am so fucking fortunate to have you in my life, Pen. You’re smart, capable, and strong. You saved Debra, and no telling who else with your quick thinking last night, and then you managed to keep the house running afterwards. I wake up this morn…” he checked his watch, “this afternoon, and the house is mostly quiet, peaceful, no drama, no despair, food and tea waiting for me. You’re my beautiful genie, making all the magic happen. I am forever in your debt, and my heart aches with how much I love you.”
Openly weeping now, she thumped his arm, then turned to reach for a napkin. “You asshole!” she half cried, half giggled, “I’d made it all this way without crying! Fucker!”
Rising quickly from his chair, he went to her, wrapping his arms around her as she quietly let it out, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly.
“It’s okay,” he reassured her softly. “It’s all going to be okay.”
Kneeling next to her chair, he continued to hold her for several minutes, until she finally calmed down.
Heaving a big breath, she softly patted his shoulder, silently asking him to let go.
Standing up, he bent down to sweep a lock of hair from her eyes, then kissed her softly, before returning to his seat to finish his food.
“Beautiful genie,” she mused to herself. “I like that.” Getting up, she moved to the back bathroom for a minute, where he heard her blowing her nose.
Finishing the last of his food, he took his dishes to the sink to rinse them off, putting them in the dishwasher. Arms wrapped around his waist from behind, too low to be Penny. Turning, he looked down to see Ellie.
“I love you, Dad,” she said to him, plucking at his heartstrings as only a little girl can do. “Is that okay?”
“Is it okay that you love me?” he puzzled. “Of course it’s okay, baby girl!”
“No,” she corrected him softly, reminding him of her mother. “Is it okay that I call you Dad?”
“Oh, Ellie,” he gasped, suddenly overcome. Kneeling down, he wrapped her up in his arms and held her tight. “Of course it’s okay! You don’t have to, and I’d never want to disrespect Raul, but I love hearing it from you!”
“Whatever happens,” she sniffled, “you’re my Daddy now, Miles. I know you consider me to be your daughter. I think you feel the same way toward Trent, Noah, and Emma. I think maybe they’re starting to feel the same way I do.”
“Well, they don’t have to feel any particular way – not for me, at least,” he reassured her. “I will treat them as if they were all my own, and they can refer to me in whatever way they prefer. Same goes for you, my dear.” He bopped his forefinger on the tip of her nose, eliciting a tiny giggle.
“Too late,” she assured him with a big smile. “My mind is made up!”
Hugging her once more, he leaned back for a moment, taking her in. Eventually, he asked, “Can you do me a favor, Els? Can you send Trent down to see me?”
Leaning in to give him butterfly kisses, she nodded and ran up the staircase.
Penny chose that moment to step forward from where she’d been standing in the family room, observing silently. Her cheeks moist once more, she gave him a quick hug, then hurried off, dabbing at her eyes with a sodden tissue.
Clomping feet on the staircase let Miles know Trent was on the way. That boy could rival a herd of elephants at times! Rounding the corner into the kitchen, he approached Miles and stopped at arm’s length.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” the young man said, his face a mask of bravery.
“I do, yes. Come have a seat at the table,” he gestured over to the kitchen table, taking a chair next to the boy.
“I just wanted to explain what happened last night, and let you know your mother was doing well when I came home earlier today,” he spoke plainly to the boy, not wanting to treat him as a child.
“It’s okay, Miles,” Trent uttered. “Aunt Ava explained the situation to me last night. I was afraid, but she and Aunt Penny kept us all informed until my Mom called late last night.”
“Well, I didn’t want you to worry about your mother. She’s fierce and strong, and she’ll probably be coming home by tomorrow. They operated on her last night to repair the damage to her shoulder, so she’ll probably be in a sling for a while and won’t have full use of her arm for longer, but she’s going to be fine.” Miles paused, making sure the boy was okay, before he leaned close to look him directly in the eye, making sure he had Trent’s full attention. “I’m very proud of how brave you’re being, Trent.”
Just then, a thundering of feet on the stairs came rolling down, and Sean and the twins came rushing around to surround Miles, wrapping him up with fierce hugs.
“What’s this all about?” he laughed, hugging them back one at a time as he could manage.
Sean spoke first, “Aunt Debra told us this morning what a total badass you were last night, Dad! She said Aunt Jan told her about how the dude that shot her and the other guy had no idea who they were messing with! You saved her life!”
“Don’t forget Penny!” little Emma cried, the pure image of a warrior for justice appearing in Miles’ mind’s eye. “She totally blew that other guy away at the front door! She saved us, too!”
“Alright, alright,” he shushed them all, pulling them into a group hug. “Let’s not get out over our skis, here. We were defending ourselves, nothing more. That’s our job, to keep you guys safe! And you’re all safe today, right?” He looked around at their faces as they nodded, their expressions becoming more serious.
“Aunt Jan got hurt pretty bad, but she’s going to be okay,” he said with conviction. “And, we have a new Aunt coming to live with us. Aunt Rommie will be joining us here at home, either today or tomorrow. She helped protect us all last night as well.”
“No way!” Sean exploded, excited again. “Aunt Rommie was here? Why didn’t we know she was here?”
“Well, for starters, she was being all sneaksy and tricksy about it!” Miles replied in his best Gollum voice.
The children all laughed, having recently viewed the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Trent suddenly spoke up, in his own gravelly imitation of Gollum, “It’s ours, Precious, Ours! We wants it!”
This made the other kids laugh even harder, and suddenly, bestowing a final round of hugs, Trent and the twins dashed back upstairs. Ellie kissed him on the cheek quickly and followed them, leaving Miles alone with Sean.
“I understand, now,” the boy declared without specifics.
“You do?” Miles chuckled. “What, exactly, do you understand?”
“Everything,” he enunciated clearly, then grinned, pulling Miles’ leg. “I understand why you train so much with your guns and with that BAS rig outside. Will you teach me? I need to be prepared.”
“You already know how to shoot, but I can help train you more with handgun defense lessons,” Miles replied, then continued in a cautionary tone, “but your body isn’t quite mature enough yet for the BAS training. Let your muscles and bones have another year or so to develop. Then, I will train you more.”
Wrapping his arms around his father, Sean hugged him close.
“You okay, spud?” Miles probed gently.
“I could have lost you last night, Dad,” the boy confessed quietly. ”I’m just really glad I didn’t,”
Hugging his son tightly, he fought back tears of his own. Eventually, Sean relaxed, and Miles let go of him. Leaning forward, he kissed his Dad on the forehead and turned to head upstairs.
“Love you, Dad!” he called out over his shoulder.
“I love you, too, son,” Miles called back. “I love you, too,” he repeated in a whisper.
***UF Shands Medical Center – 1530, Tuesday, September 29, 2020***
Miles went to Jan’s room first, finding her still in the same ICU room as he’d left her earlier that morning. Knocking softly, he entered the private room, shutting the door behind him. Approaching the bed, he saw that Jan was resting, her eyes closed. He gently swept a lock of her curly hair out of her eyes, then leaned down to softly kiss her.
He grunted in surprise as she wrapped her good arm around his neck, pulling him down for a much deeper kiss. After kissing him so long and so deeply that he was nearly at full mast, she released him, grinning up at him impishly, the devil in her sparkling eyes.
“It’s a trap!” she mocked in her best Admiral Ackbar imitation.
“I see that!” he confessed, chuckling in his relief and amusement at her humor.
Throwing off her sheets, Jan tugged her hospital gown to one side as she struggled to turn crossways on the hospital bed, drawing her knees to her chest. Her injury made it difficult, so Miles had to assist Jan once he understood her intention.
“I figure you’re about the right height – almost,” she confirmed, suddenly nodding down to his right. “Use those controls over there to lower this contraption so you can fuck me from a standing position,” she urged him, an edge in her voice. “The nurses confirmed that we were exposed, so I need you to do this now, baby.”
“Oh, and it’s just a lucky happenstance that you get to check a box off of your bucket list – ‘get fucked in the hospital’, am I right?” he teased her as he drew the privacy curtain closed around her bed and began unbuckling his trousers.
“You should take those off,” she advised him, pointing to his uniform. “I’m all worked up, so things are likely to get…. messy.” She waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.
“Yes, ma’am!” he hurriedly doffed his uniform, placing the folded clothes securely beyond the ‘danger zone’. Stepping up to her, Miles swabbed his cock up and down between her sodden folds, eliciting a sharp hiss from Jan.
“Don’t tease me, you motherfucker!” She wrapped her legs around him and pulled hard. “Get that thing balls deep in me, right fucking now! I need at least two doses from you before I let you go check on Rommie, so get to it!”
Shaking his head in amusement, he complied willingly, hilting himself within her steaming channel in a swift movement, drawing a loud hiss from her, followed by a throaty groan. Holding still, he felt her walls quivering around him and a dampness on his thighs.
“Really?” he asked, surprised. “Just from that?”
“Two doses!” she barked, gouging him with her heels impatiently.
****
Having left Jan very satisfied and lightly napping, Miles went in search of Rommie. He found her exactly where he’d left her, still sound asleep. His attention was immediately drawn to her face, which seemed to be covered in some sort of pale mucus. Leaning close, he sniffed at it, but it didn’t reek of corruption. Concerned nonetheless, he went to find a medic.
The Air Force noncom manning the floor nurses’ station acknowledged his presence with a nod and an extended forefinger, asking him to wait. Miles recognized her after a moment as the woman who’d injected Rommie.
Mumbling something he didn’t quite hear, the Sergeant tapped at her ear, then turned her attention to Miles. “Good afternoon, Captain. Your partner is doing fine – we believe she’s in a regenerative coma. You likely noticed the snot on her face? That’s a residue from her body repairing itself.”
“That was pretty good, Styles,” he teased her. “You a mind reader or something?”
“No, sir, I’m just very observant. Speaking of which, you need to turn on your phone, sir. That was Major Swami I was just speaking with. She’s been trying to reach you, and requests that you call her ASAP.”
Absently unclipping his phone from its belt holster, he said, “How much longer will Rommie be unconscious?”
“Hard to tell, sir,” the Sergeant shrugged. “With as much damage as Special Agent Davies sustained, she could be out for another day. Her body is working hard to repair as much of the damage as it can.”
“I see,” he nodded. “And the ‘snot’?”
“As I said, sir, we believe it’s a waste product of the regeneration process. It’s harmless, but she’ll likely want to shower first thing after she wakes up, followed by eating a big meal. Regen takes a lot out of a body,” the Sergeant informed him confidently.
“Thank you, Sergeant. I’ll just go sit with her for a bit while I call the Major.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, already on to her next task.
Stepping back into Rommie’s room, he closed the door and sat in the only chair in the room, dialing Major Swami.
“Miles, are you okay?” the Major asked him as soon as the line connected.
“I’m okay, Chandini, thanks. How’s Martha and her team?” he inquired.
“I assume you’ve already been informed of the casualties,” she replied hesitantly.
“My last update is twelve hours old, Chandini. Where are we at now?” he pressed her.
He heard her let out a long sigh. “Not good, Miles. David came out of surgery okay, but he’ll need time to recover. He took a round to his right lung, but the round spalled, so the damage was significant. He lost most of the lung, and his spleen.”
“Fuck!” Miles growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. Keep going.”
“It’s okay, and I agree,” she reassured him before continuing the update. “Okay, so, Guiness was killed outright – took a twelve-gauge deer slug to the face. Same asshole shot Alison – she’s lost her left leg below the knee – Alison lucked out when Brandi slugged the fucker upside the head with a nine iron, or she’d likely be gone as well. Skyler took two rounds in the back from a 9mm handgun – she may never walk again. Martha is struggling, as is expected, but she was not injured during the attack.”
“Given the firepower these fuckers brought, it’s incredibly fortunate that there weren’t more casualties,” Miles noted, keeping a tight grip on his anger.
“Agreed,” the JAG officer glowered. “The General did not have any firearms in her home. I imagine that is going to change, soon.”
“I suspect you’re right – I think perhaps all Air Force teams in this quarantine zone need to be prepared to defend themselves, so let’s look into that tomorrow. Shit could go sideways way too fast.”
“As for the Mayor, her team was a total loss,” Chandini managed to report this dispassionately, in spite of the horror she’d just uttered.
“Oh, fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck!” Miles snarled, his face pale.
After a brief pause, he continued, “Chandini, I’d heard we took a few of these bastards alive. Is that true?”
“Affirmative,” she replied.
“Are they in Air Force custody, or were they turned over to the local LEOs?” he solicited.
“We have them in a holding cell at FOB Waldo, Miles. No one was apprehended for the attack on the Mayor. Office of Special Investigations agents are up from MacDill and are questioning them now,” she advised him. “I expect we’ll know something actionable in the very near future.”
Changing the subject, the Major pivoted. “How’s your team, Miles?”
Sighing, he told her about the attack last night.
“Wait, so Special Agent Davies is your stepsister…” she started.
“No, no, not at all. It’s a long story, not for the office. Short version, she’s my Dad’s girlfriend’s daughter,” he quipped, not wanting to elaborate.
“Uh huh,” she grunted, hand on her hip. “You know I’ll eventually meet her, don’t you? Is that the story you think she’d want you to tell other people about her?”
Sighing, Miles decided to be less glib. “Fine. Our fathers served together, right out of basic training. They had the same last name, so they caught a lot of shit for it. Eventually, they decided to own it and called each other ‘brothers from another mother’, or some shit. They were always close. Hell, I can remember ‘Uncle Mike’, as I called him when I was a kid, coming over for Thanksgiving one year, before my Mom died.” Miles was silent for a moment, lost in some long-ago memory. Dad was the best man at ‘Uncle Mike’ and Vickie’s wedding. I had just turned eleven and was still angry at him for Mom’s death. So I spent that summer with my grandparents. Not quite a year later, Rommie was born, and Mike and Vickie asked Dad to be Rommie’s godfather.”
Miles paused for a moment, memories swirling in his consciousness. Idly, he looked over at his newest partner, deep in sleep. “A few years later, Mike was killed overseas, and my father felt an obligation to help Mike’s family out as much as he could. Dad would go visit them from time to time, trying to help out however he could. The summer after I graduated from high school, he left me with my grandparents again while he went looking for a place to live near them. It was also a good move for his career, putting him in the national capital district. When he came home, he put our old house on the market and moved to Virginia to take care of his friend’s widow, Victoria, and daughter, Rommie,” Miles explained.
“I’d just headed off to college, and he was a widower, so he decided to go for it. Rommie and I never even lived under the same roof.” Miles sat quietly, a far-away stare in his eyes, until he finally spoke again. “He just moved on, from his old family to his new one.”
“So, your father married his friend’s widow and adopted his daughter?” Chandini supposed.
“Not exactly,” Miles corrected her. “Dad and Vickie – sorry, Victoria - never married. I suppose they’re probably Common Law by now, I’m not sure. But, as I said, they already had the same surnames, so they just… kinda… went with it, I guess.”
“So, she’s NOT your sister…,” Chandini tried again, hesitantly.
“Godsister is how I’ve always referred to her. And now my partner,” he finished. “Her boss put her in an unacceptable position, basically making her come down here and pose as a stripper to use sex to get information on this militia group. Her handler got killed. They almost killed Rommie… and she told me earlier this morning that she plans to resign,” he informed Chandini. “Any idea whether or not I need to be concerned about blowback from the feds?”
“I mean, who knows? Jesus, Miles, the FBI broke so many laws just putting her into that position. I’m struggling to understand why she didn’t quit beforehand…”
Miles bristled at her statement. “Let’s not make this the victim’s fault...”
“Of course not! I’m sorry it came across that way,” she assured him. “I’m just overwhelmed by it all.” She paused to consider his original question. “I don’t doubt the FBI might try to bring her in for debriefing – she should be supportive of that, no?”
“I’m concerned about allowing them to place her into any position in which she’s under any undue influence, or taken away from me,” he confessed.
“Well, then we can let her use the SCIF, or the feds can haul their asses down here, and we can host the conversation on FOB Waldo. I’m pretty sure the General is going to declare Martial Law, given all that has happened, so they’re not going to have much, if any, power here.”
Sighing, Miles considered her words. “Yes,” he finally accepted, “that will work. Her boss is ASAC Ben Isaacs. His number is in the logs of one of the Defender’s cell phones from last night. Might not hurt to get ahead of this and set boundaries for this Isaacs. Thank you, Chandini.” Pausing for a bit, he asked her, “How are you doing?”
“I haven’t stopped long enough to think about it, Miles. I’ll let you know later. Right now, I’ve got to keep my shit together. If you can manage, and Martha can manage, then I will damn sure manage,” she insisted.
“I assume Martha is at the hospital?” he guessed.
“Yes, although I’ve spoken with her a few times today.”
“Chandini, what is the current chain of command at FOB Waldo? I know the General is available, but she should be taking a beat – her team took a hell of a hit. If we allow her to deal with Team stuff for a few days, who’s in charge?”
“Miles, that’s a good question. Technically, you would be the ranking officer in the region.”
“Ah,” he said. “Oh boy.”
****