by Michael Todd
Sofia’s father laughed loudly. “That is something I know to be very true. She was the most stubborn child I have ever seen. When she got her heart or her mind set on something, there was no one and nothing that could stand in her way. She has been successful at everything she has put her mind to. And if she wasn’t, it was by choice. That is how I know she is going to be an amazing mother.”
Calvin tilted his head back and smiled. “I know. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. I never thought I would be able to have a family, but now? It’s like a dream come true, and I will do everything I can to keep them safe.”
Sofia’s father turned toward him. “I just have one question. Sofia will not give me a straight answer, and it is driving me crazy.”
Calvin furrowed his brow. “About what? We’ve told you our secrets.”
Her father sighed. “Is it a boy or a girl? I think they can tell by now.”
Calvin scratched his head. “To be honest with you, I have no idea. She tells me about her appointments, but she has never mentioned whether they revealed that little tidbit to her or not. Now I’m going to have to hound her about it.”
Sofia’s father laughed. “Well, let’s go inside first and get some pastries and coffee. Maybe if we feed the hungry pregnant woman, she will reveal all her secrets.”
Both of the men burst into laughter and got out of the Jeep. They headed inside and scoped out the different options. In the end, Calvin couldn’t figure out exactly what Sofia would want, so he ended up buying three dozen donuts and both decaf and regular coffee. Even Sofia’s father blanked out on whether she could have caffeinated coffee.
As they got back in the Jeep, Calvin shook his head. “I’m going to need to buy a book or something so I don’t walk through this pregnancy clueless.”
Sofia’s father chuckled as he shut the door. “Send it over to me when you’re done. I was the clueless one when she was born. Maybe I can correct that as a grandfather.”
They headed back over to the hotel and found the girls awake, sitting on the bed together, waiting for them to return. They spread the boxes of donuts out on the bed and had a breakfast feast, letting the worries of the day before slip behind them, even if only for a chocolate-glazed moment.
When breakfast was over, Calvin helped clean up and then went in and brushed his teeth. Sofia snuck into the bathroom with him and wrapped her arms around his chest, leaning her head against his back. “Why do I get the feeling that you are leaving again?”
Calvin rinsed his mouth and turned around. “I have to. I need to go talk with the investigators and see if they have figured anything out.”
Sofia frowned. “Okay. My dad might want to go with you and grab their bags, though.”
Calvin shook his head. “I can grab anything you guys need. Anything at all. But I would feel much better if all three of you stayed here, just in case anything were to go down or if they are watching the house. Right now you are safe, and one of the patrols is posted out in the parking lot as a favor to me.”
Sofia wrinkled her nose. “Finnne. But you owe me some serious love when we aren’t rooming with my parents.”
Nate howled. Let’s. Get. It. Onnnnnnnnn.
Stephanie marched across the sandy training area straight past Eddie and Brock. They looked at each other with wide eyes, seeing the stern look on her face. She yanked open the front door and stomped down the hall, flinging open the door to the Comm room. Both Sean and Timothy stopped what they were doing, taking off their headphones and looking at her, confused.
She flipped on the lights and put one hand on her hip, shaking the other balled fist in the air. “I really need to understand.”
Timothy raised an eyebrow. “What? You need to understand what?”
Stephanie gritted her teeth. “I need to understand why the hell two of my new soldiers, and two really good ones at that, are beat the fuck up. I’m talking black eyes and a broken nose.”
Timothy and Sean glanced at each other, and then Sean turned his wheelchair around. “Okay. I admit it. I did it.”
Stephanie tilted her head to the side. “I am struggling to believe you.”
Timothy put up two fingers. “I was a witness. He straight beat their asses wheelchair-style. Headbutting and every damn thing.”
Stephanie shook her head. “Why?”
Sean furrowed his brow. “Because they fucking deserved it. Because they had no respect for Timothy or for me. Because they are egotistical homophobic assholes who needed to learn a little respect for someone who is in a wheelchair because he fucking protected their lives. Because they need to learn respect for the man that makes sure they sleep safely at night.”
Stephanie untensed her shoulders a bit. “They were disrespectful to you both?”
Sean nodded. “They were disrespectful to not just me and him, but to all LGBT people with their gay Fruit Loop comments. And they said it right to our faces. They didn’t hide it at all. They thought we were easy fucking targets. That’s just bullshit, and I’m not going to keep the peace just so two of your new soldiers don’t have broken noses. Sometimes getting a beatdown makes you a better soldier.”
Stephanie looked at Timothy. “It was bad?”
Timothy took in a deep breath. “Girl, you know I have thick skin. I have been through enough bullying in my life to have heard it all from all different places, but this was just brazen and bold. Usually in a place like this they would snicker behind my back, but no… They came right up to my face and joked about me being gay. I’ve heard some dumbass comments before, but seriously, it’s been a while since someone said that kind of stuff to my face.”
Sean frowned. “And that isn’t how this team works. Period. They can hate all they want, but they better take it somewhere else.”
Stephanie took a deep breath and tilted her head back, groaning. “What the fuck is wrong with people? Seriously? I know there’s a lot of machismo around here, but that is so not right. I’m sorry, Timothy, that you had to deal with that. And I’m sorry for rolling up in here like I did without knowing what was truly going on.”
Sean eased up. “I understand. Just understand that the wheelchair doesn’t change the kind of man I am. I may not be able to fight with a gun to protect people anymore, but if I can, I’ll fight in other ways. It’s only right.”
Stephanie smiled. “And I’m glad you did. That is what we are here to do for each other. It just sucks that it came from guys who are supposed to be learning to be part of the family, not breaking it down.”
Timothy chuckled. “You should have seen their faces when I told them who Sean was, though. They both about shit their pants. I’m not going to lie, I wish I had it on video. I would have made a billboard and put it on the base.”
Stephanie smirked. “I can send both of them away if you don’t feel comfortable with them on the team. We have to have each other’s backs, and behavior like that is not a very good way to make anyone feel comfortable with each other.”
Sean glanced at Timothy, and they both shook their heads. Sean groaned and rolled his chair forward and back. “They acted like assholes, and they got exactly what was coming to them. Anyone else in that situation probably would have beat them up worse than that. At the same time, they got the point. I’m pretty sure they will not go around disrespecting people like that again. When they realized who we were, fear trickled down into the pits of their hearts.”
Timothy snickered. “And into their drawers, too.”
Stephanie smiled. “Are you sure? What if one day you have to fight beside them?”
Sean shrugged. “Then let’s hope they are here for all the right reasons. We will begin to learn that long before we fight alongside each other. I know where my priorities are. Let’s see where theirs are.”
Stephanie looked at Timothy. “Is that how you feel too? You were the one who was attacked by those asshats.”
Timothy took a deep breath. “I won’t lie, there was a moment where I was about to take o
ff my rings, my earrings, and my shoes and rip that bitch’s weave off. But Sean made sure I didn’t need to do that. He’s right, we need to all learn to live together. To fight together, and to put our differences aside. Otherwise, if you really think about what we are out here to do, what would be the point? Why would we save a world that’s not worth saving?”
Stephanie hugged Timothy. “And there you are, teaching me every day.”
Timothy pursed his lips. “You know me. I’m a regular teacher of the month, bitches.”
Calvin pulled up at the house. There were fewer people there this time. He got out of the Jeep and stood in front, staring at the mess that was their first home together. Granted, he hadn’t spent much time there since they had gotten married, but it still was their refuge from the storm; the place where they could be a normal couple. And in fact, they had almost been a normal couple, until he became a Damned again.
He sighed and walked over to the fence, kicking at a piece of dangling wood. It bobbed back and forth, and then the whole section fell over. One of the cops stuck their head out the door and nodded at Calvin. “You’re Calvin, right? This is your house?”
Calvin nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I came over to check in and get a few things for my family, if you guys don’t mind.”
The cop shook his head. “Come on in. It’s still a mess and we’re still pulling bullets out of the walls, but you can take your personal effects if you need them.”
Calvin stepped over the fallen gate. He followed the cop into the house and looked into the dining room, the smell of day-old mole sauce stinging his nose. Glass was all over the floor, sparkling in the sunlight shining through the missing window. Bullets had destroyed the back wall, and there were remnants of shredded pictures on the floor in broken and destroyed frames.
The cop shrugged. “I’m sorry this happened to you, man. We haven’t really collected any new information. They keep taking the bullets back to run ballistics and check for fingerprints, but so far, it’s all come back clean. You said they reloaded outside too?”
Calvin nodded. “I think she filled mags out there as well. If you can find any of the bullets out there, you might find a print. She wasn’t really thinking straight by that point so she might have fucked up.”
The cop took his hat off and scratched the top of his head. “We will do that. And we’ll let you know when we find anything. Feel free to get what you need. Just try not to disturb any potential evidence.”
Calvin thanked the cops and headed to the hall closet, grabbing a couple of the empty suitcases. He walked into their bedroom and flung them down onto the bed, then opened the dresser and just began grabbing everything he could. He wasn’t sure what Sofia would need so he would take her lots of options. He went into the bathroom and grabbed their toiletries too, trying not to think about the time they had spent in her room not that long ago.
Opening the closet, he looked at a picture of the two of them she had pinned to the shelf. He smiled, pulled out the pin, and took it down. It was from their honeymoon, the best and most carefree time he’d had in years. Grabbing her pants and dresses from the closet, Calvin laid them on the bed and began to fold them neatly.
Calvin sighed and rolled his shoulders. This all seems absolutely ridiculous to me. Where did this bitch come from, and why the hell did she track Sofia and me down? I just don’t get it. Can you think of anything that might have been said or done that would give us a clue?
Nate Dogg thought about it for several moments. Really, man, I have no idea. I am just as clueless as you are in this. None of it makes any sense. I mean, you are one of the biggest mercenaries in the world, so there is always that, but they have had plenty of chances to get to you before now.
Calvin continued folding, packing the second suitcase. I just can’t figure out why here. No one but Korbin knew I was coming here. It makes me think that this bitch came here to kill my wife, not me. The look on her face when I swung that door open and fired at her? It was like she was in shock. She knew my face, but she was really surprised to see me. I didn’t even get a full look at her.
Nate Dogg clicked his tongue. I know you didn’t, and neither did I, but I know for positive that she was a Damned. Probably fully taken over by her demon, but still a Damned.
Calvin zipped up the suitcases and put them down on the floor. Why do you say that?
Nate chuckled. Because when that special metal bullet shot through her leg, she looked like she was about to die. Seriously, she looked like everything in her body was on fire. Now, I’ve never been hit by one of those bitches, but I’ve seen them used, and it is not a pretty sight.
Calvin grabbed the bag he’d brought with him and threw it over his shoulder, then put one of the suitcases under his arm and pulled the other behind him down to the guest room. Inside he grabbed her parents’ bags and lugged everything out to the Jeep. He was ready to get the hell out of there. He couldn’t look at the carnage that had been his house anymore.
He waved to the cop as he shut the door and started the car.
Coco sat in the bushes, watching through the twigs and leaves as Calvin loaded his things in the Jeep. He shook quietly at the sight of him, remembering what he had done to Esther. He knew that if Calvin got hold of him, he would be a goner.
As the Jeep pulled off, Coco picked the phone up off the ground and used both hands to dial Esther’s number. She answered after the first ring. “What do you have?”
Coco swallowed hard. “Calvin is on the move.”
13
Katie beat her wings hard, boosting her upward. The wind blew over her skin. It was very late at night in Paris, and she was still flying high. Soaring past the Eiffel Tower, she swooped around, then flew a few blocks over and touched her finger to the top point of the Louvre’s pyramid. Flying down the Avenue des Champs-Élysée, she ran her fingers along the stone top of the Arc de Triomphe. Then, caught up in her own wistful thoughts, she landed on the top of Notre Dame, sitting down to take in the city from up high.
Her legs swung back and forth and she held her hands in her lap, trying to warm them up. Shaking her head, she looked away from her watch. The fucking time change again. There was something about that trip that had beat her over the head with jet lag, and it wasn’t going away. Maybe because in the past she hadn’t spent enough time away from the States to feel the effects. It was usually fly in, beat some ass, and fly back out. There were no incursions there, at least not at the moment. And she didn’t wish for them, but she definitely wanted to get her hands dirty doing something. She had become incapable of dealing with idle time.
Then there was sleep. There was no way that she could fall asleep right now. She’d tried. Lying there, she just felt stifled by the fact that she was never fully alone, feeling the intensity of her emotions beginning to rise to the surface. Her eyes just wouldn’t stay shut. If she hadn’t been in France, she would have definitely complained about it or gotten frustrated or something. But with so much beauty to see, she just accepted her insomnia and flew out, coursing high over the city. She understood at that moment why people were so obsessed with the place.
“The City of Love,” she whispered, pushing herself to her feet.
She leapt off the side, swan-diving downward and pulling in her wings just moments before hitting the ground. She skimmed just over the grass, running her fingertips through it. Curving upward, she climbed high again, steadying out and beating her wings. Her mind had landed on Brock. She hadn’t gotten to spend very much time with him in recent weeks, but he was always in her thoughts. The few recent moments they’d stolen were replaying over and over in her mind.
Pandora began to quietly giggle. Really? You’re falling for the typical romance of Paris?
Katie rolled her eyes. And you wonder why I want you to sleep in your own bed. Even my private thoughts aren’t my own. And no, I didn’t fall for the romance of Paris. Since you can read my thoughts, you should know Brock is never far from my mind.
Pan
dora faked a gagging sound. This is really disturbing to me, I won’t lie. I thought for sure you were a hard-ass bitch, and now here you are getting all goopy while you stare down at the lights of Paris.
Katie sighed, knowing there was no stopping the conversation. The truth is, I have really grown to like him. I mean, I always liked him, but it’s developed.
Pandora whistled. Hold up, hold up. Like him, like him?
Katie sighed, pursing her lips. Apparently, we are going to have this conversation like a couple of middle school kids talking about the new boy in school. I care about Brock. Does that clarify it enough?
Pandora sniffed. I’m sensing some anger. I’m not trying to bust your balls.
Katie stared ahead, flapping faster. I know, but this never happens to me. I don’t fall for guys often or care about them. You are teasing me.
Pandora cleared her throat, hearing the seriousness in Katie’s voice. It was true, she had never heard Katie talk about a guy on that level, and they had been stuck together for quite a while. She usually didn’t allow herself to even entertain the idea of having those emotions. So, after all this time of going it alone mercenary-style, what changed? What made you feel like you could let that emotion in?
Katie’s shoulders eased, hearing the change of tone in Pandora’s voice. I don’t know. Maybe time. Maybe it’s seeing Calvin happy with Sofia, and Korbin with Stephanie. It makes it seem like something that could actually be real. Before I never entertained it because I figured it could never happen. Why torture myself like that?
Pandora could understand. After centuries in this life, I have to say that I understand where you are coming from. I tried and got burned, then got literally burned in hell. When I came back to Earth, I figured there was no way I would do it again.