The couple fell silent for a moment.
"Can I ask you something?" said Darren. "How do you women keep this going? I don't get it. You got all these families, even guys following you, so what in the world is your secret?"
Jansa stared at him in the firelight. "There's no secret. It's hard to stay alive out here, but my motto has always been and always will be, We are a lot stronger together! We have a common bond; we believe that somewhere out there, there's a way to make this world a better place. And we have faith. Can I ask you, do you even know what faith is?"
Darren took a deep breath and groaned. "Not really, it's all new to me."
Jansa shook her head. He was handsome and bold, but he had so much to learn. This man appeared to have a good heart, yet he was a hellion, that's for sure. Either way, she knew she couldn't change him.
"Perhaps you should come to one of our meetings and learn about the reasoning behind this whole existence of what we're doing. The chapel holds many answers these days."
Darren didn't know what to think, but he did want to know more about these women. "Tell me these things so I can better understand what's going on here. How is it that some of the women are very strong for their size? I can't say I haven't noticed! And many are downright beautiful, as well as very intelligent. Some of you women move with the dexterity of a cat. I've also noticed you all have this disposition of hope. There has to be more to this life than meets the eye, so tell me. Tell me so I can find this faith that you speak of."
The curly haired blond found his mocking quite funny. "Do you think you're cute with these words?" she asked.
"No, I'm being serious here, Jan."
"For one thing, we all work our asses off. It's important that we stay in shape both physically and mentally, especially if we want to survive in this crazy dystopian post-apocalyptic world."
Darren agreed, but he still needed more answers. "Okay, I see your point as clear as day, but can I ask you one more thing? Again, I'm being serious…what am I missing here?"
This guy was hot, very sexy, good-looking, and every other positive attribute that span around Jansa's head each time they were together. He was also not as dumb as anyone else might think he was.
"Forget it," he blurted out. "To be honest, I'm just happy I'm here with you again." The doctor was glad she didn't have to explain anything else right now; she needed a breather.
She did, however, like hearing that he was glad to be back by her side. "If and when the time comes," she said, "maybe one day we can sit down together with my other sisters and have a real conversation." Darren nodded and smiled at his beautiful woman. Jansa then added, "I will tell them you're not such a bad dude, okay!"
Darren grinned at her. "Oh, wonderful, thank you so much for putting a good word in for me," he joked.
Jansa then stated, "I want a rematch by the way."
"No problem…I like wrestling you!"
***
Meanwhile, the Corporation's golden tickets were being snapped up fast.
The first golden ticket was found in the Midwest of Chicago, Illinois. It was here that eight metal workers and their friendly boss discovered their golden treasure. These men were responsible for most of the construction and parts for the nation's flying ships and robotics.
The workers had pooled together to buy a job lot of Bloom Bars. Having eaten their way through several dozen, they were beyond excited to locate a ticket, because maybe, just maybe, they would finally have a voice in the Y-Corporation.
Barley McCann, the factory owner, would definitely be heading to New York with his golden ticket to try to become the vice president. He was a solid man, both in stature and in spirit, and he was an honest fellow that had high hopes of representing his workers in New York.
The second golden ticket was found in Florida. This southwestern state was a coastal locale, but the ticket finder was as unlucky as a man could be.
A hurricane had struck his clan's home recently, and the ticket was washed away along the coastal area near Naples, never to be seen again.
The third golden ticket was discovered in upstate New York, near Niagara Falls in a city called Amherst. There was much excitement to say the least when a young woman of twenty-four purchased a single Bloom Bar and found the Corporation's golden ticket within. Her name was Della. The entire region immediately became interested in her, so it was imperative that her clan protected her. She was suddenly at risk of landing in the clutches of those who might want the opportunity to become the vice president.
Her clan kept a watchful eye on her, and many other groups joined forces on the outskirts of upper New York. Together, they formed an alliance for possible future prosperity.
Della would soon be on her way to the Y-Corporation with one of the coveted golden tickets in hand. She was a kind young lady, and very hopeful of winning.
The fourth golden ticket was discovered on the streets of Los Angeles; its finder was a seedy fellow who was quick to offer it up to the highest bidder. After a day or so, he seemingly disappeared into thin air and the locale of his precious golden ticket had been a mystery ever since.
The fifth golden ticket was found in Texas, and it didn't take long for the bigwigs of the area to get their hands on it. The cattle rancher, Bobby Biggs, also known as "the beef boss," made sure that someone in their group got their hands on the ticket. They wanted to have much more power within the Corporation's government and knew their best chance was to send Bobby as their representative.
So with one last golden ticket yet to be claimed, there was still plenty of time for changing hands, bartering, and underhanded deals to happen with the five tickets that had already been found.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The trip back from L.A. had also given the women a chance to recover the necessary parts to help rebuild their cyborg friend, Tyne Gem. Today was the day to make magic, well, science, and revive their beloved sister.
They entered the room where her brain was kept in hibernation. Some of Tyne's body was still intact, but there were many other parts, such as mechanisms and wiring, that needed to be dealt with. Without Sinaye, the entire process was likely to be a tricky one.
They had seen it done first hand and helped with the process when Sinaye was around, but it wasn't going to be quite so easy without their missing sister on hand to point them in the right direction.
Jansa would take the lead, with Raegan, Chaya, and, Zaey helping out too. D-Marge was there as well. First off, the new arms were attached to her torso, and then an injured leg was replaced on her left side. Her outer layer was coated with gel and fixed with a human-like rubber skin.
Her brain was fully functional, so before they carefully removed it from hibernation and attached it back to her torso, they made all the necessary cyborg-equivalent connections in place of nerves, muscles, and veins.
Jansa, with the help of her Australian sister and Chaya, got everything in perfect working order as Raegan and D-Marge made sure her intelligence data was up to date and ready to function.
Once the basic mechanical and skin work was complete, the operational part came next. Tyne preferred blond hair, so that too was attached over her skull as well as the installation of a pair of bright blue eye lenses. For the finishing touch, a new white and silver suit was fitted over her body before they attempted to wake her up.
All the sisters nervously gathered around Tyne as they readied themselves to turn her back on. After working on their sister for nearly twelve hours straight, the anticipation was killing them.
Jansa hit the "on" switch and waited for a reaction.
Zaey leaned down and listened to Tyne's head. "She's rebooting…I think we're going to be okay!"
Raegan said a small prayer. "Heavenly Father, please bring back our friend."
After waiting for twenty-five minutes for the reboot to complete, the cyborg's eyes finally opened and her lips moved for the first time in long time.
&n
bsp; "Whoa, I think that's the longest nap I ever had!" All the women breathed a sigh of relief and laughed at Tyne's long-awaited greeting.
Tyne looked around the faces of each of the women. "May I inquire about the whereabouts of Sin? I would've thought she'd be standing here laughing at me with all you knuckleheads."
The women just stared at each other, lost for words. After a few long seconds of silence, their leader did her best to explain. "It's actually been almost three years since Sin disappeared. You, my dear, have been under for the entire duration. I must say, we're all very happy to see you again."
Mahira rushed back in upon hearing the news that her cyborg sister had been brought back to cyborg life.
She came right to her bedside. "Well, that's a sight I've been hoping to see for such a long time! Thank God you're back, my metallic Gem friend. It's been way too long," she said, reaching down and jumping on the bed to hug Tyne.
All the sisters followed in unison and gave Tyne a hug.
Tyne Gem then looked about the room and declared, "Well, I must admit, it feels good to be back awake and apparently so appreciated! Now, let me ask you, my Q-Jin sisters, what's been going on?"
All the women broke into various conversations and bombarded their long-lost friend with updates and stories, but she heard no one. She'd fallen back to sleep, so they would have to talk with her again another time.
Later in the afternoon, with Zaey by her side, Tyne was able to sit up for the first time and started moving her new limbs around, albeit cautiously. Zaey went on to explain the timeline of the past three years, right from when Tyne went under and everything that had happened since.
The cyborg was stunned, but she seemed puzzled at Sin's disappearance most of all. "That is not like her," she insisted. "There's no way she would ever not communicate with us, and this gives me great concern."
Zaey agreed. "It's been nearly three years now, so we've kind of put it all aside and we try not to think about it too much."
As she and Tyne continued to discuss many more missed events, Raegan walked in and joined their conversation. "There's so much more to tell you," said Raegan. "It's going to take days! Get some rest and we shall talk more soon."
"I understand," said the cyborg. Her blue eyes took on a deep sadness; Zaey and Raegan knew she had a lot to take in. Tyne turned to look at Raegan and whispered, "I can feel your pain, Rae. There was huge loss on our end too, was there not?"
Raegan replied, "I'm getting used to pain, my friend, but we can't give up."
Tyne looked to her sisters with concern. "I don't sense any enthusiasm from any of you. Is there something I'm missing?"
Raegan pushed her long blond locks over her shoulder, feeling a bit perplexed as to how to answer Tyne's question. She did her best. "We just don't have the numbers yet. We're doing everything we can to educate everyone on the Y-Corporation's latest endeavors and to get the people to rally against them. But their military is powerful."
Zaey added, "The people are taking to the word of God and finding faith that there is a future out there. Our mission has not changed."
Tyne still waited to hear more.
Zaey was the one to let it out. "We lost Lomax and Johan." Tyne's blue eyes dimmed with the news. "There were many other losses as well. Blu, Envy, Wynne: the list is long."
Tyne had not yet been tested for bugs in her system, and it was clear she wasn't fully updated. She was struggling to take in all this new data so quickly.
Raegan again suggested, "We need to let Tyne rest."
The cyborg acted like she was thinking, downloading various statistics. As a silence descended over the room, they waited for her to say something.
"I am sorry for you loss, Raegan. Lomax was a good man, caring and a great father. He helped us so much. And as for your son Johan, I loved that kid. He was smart and always had a great outlook. He will be missed very much."
Raegan started crying. "He was a wonderful boy," she said, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. "He always told me everything would be alright, so I can't give in to this world falling apart. His voice is in me, and one day, it will be better; better days are ahead of us all." Raegan gathered herself together. "Tyne, let me explain something to you. I have seen Washington D.C., I've seen the Capitol Building, I've seen the monuments, and I have felt the presence of this place that meant something at one time long, long ago; a locale that spoke freedom and offered what this country so badly desires and needs right now. It is my goal, my dream, to take that area and make it ours. That might sound crazy, but I want Washington to be the sisterhood's home."
Zaey and Raegan looked to see what Tyne would say, but her eyes were already closed again.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Darren was good at sneaking about. He was also good, well, perhaps used to getting his own way. Jansa expected it, so before he could attempt to break in to see her late in the evening, she waited around the corner of the porch, ready to surprise him.
He was in the process of adjusting her window to try and slip in when she walked out before him. "And what might you be doing?" she asked.
Bumping his head into the window in fright, he span around and put his hands in the air and said, "You caught me!"
Jansa immediately dragged him away from the building. "You're going to get yourself shot, silly. You can't just show up at my window when all the other sisters are here. One of them is going to shoot you in the head one of these days."
He put her up against the wall. "Listen, I live a crazy life. Half the time, I don't know what I'm doing. I go about things in my own way, and more often than not, I get them all wrong. But when I'm around you, it just feels right. I miss your smell. I want to do better, I really do." He pulled her close and kissed her. "Maybe I'll never get anything right, but if I do, I hope it's with or for you."
His sweet words proved that Jansa's bad boy had a nice side to him, that was for sure. She pointed her index finger up at him.
"I like you too, Darren, but there's a lot more to me than what meets the eye."
Darren pushed her finger out of the way. "I know there is, but I just couldn't stay away." He took his hand and placed them on her cheeks.
He then pressed his lips into hers. He could hear her heartbeat and the acceleration told him there was a chance he hadn't made the wrong move this evening.
"I'm serious, Jansa. I've been a road runner, a vagabond, done a lot of bad things, and I don't know if I'll ever stop. I drink, I party, and it's all in the flow of my world, but like I just said, I want to get it right when I'm with you. It feels right. And if it's the last thing I do on this earth, I hope I get it right with you."
His sweetness never ended, even if his other not-so-great words were true.
Jansa contemplated what to reply.
"Well, I can tell you this much; you're seriously gonna have to prove to my sisters that you and what remains of your lil gang can pull your share of the workload. Somehow, you'll need to gain the trust of Raegan and the rest of the women. If not, this will never work!"
He brushed her curly hair from her face. "So does that mean I can sleep in your bed with you tonight?"
That got a serious frown from Jansa. "Noooooo, you can't stay in my bed tonight, you fool! You need to get back to the cabins that you were assigned to."
Darren frowned. "Okay, okay," he replied. "I will go back, but I'm still glad I got to see you tonight. Did I mention I like the way you smell?"
As Darren walked away, Jansa whispered to herself, "Could I ever actually love someone, settle down, and try to make a life?"
Jansa just didn't know if that was even possible. All her years had been spent trying to make the world better so that people could live well, so she had never really taken the time to think about herself or if she could have a family one day. She looked up at the night sky and wished upon a star; it was a wish that made her smile.
***
After some time back
at the vineyard, everyone's patience was waning. They were waiting to hear back from allies and dying to do something against the Y-Corp. It was decided that some of the sisters would hit the road. The time had come for more action.
Mahira and Zaey would head to Texas for funds and weapons, and Mahira would fight incognito while there, which made her very happy. Tyne Gem would accompany her.
Chaya would fly to Maine for the resupplying of American flags.
Before any of them separated, they joined in the medical lab for a briefing on the Starigen 6280 supply. There was no doubt the necessary ingredients were running low, but what little they had was just about sustainable. Jansa, Raegan, Zaey, Chaya, and Mahira checked on their bodily levels, and each was doing great. They were now administering daily doses to some of the younger girls, including Sun, Karma, Victory, and the recently recruited Native American girl, Naiera.
Later that night, the women gathered outside under the night sky and lifted their wine glasses in a toast. Their drinks were made from the very vineyard they stood on. Raegan spoke a few words. "Someone once told me that if I was on the easy road, I was on the wrong road. This world is beautiful. We're all living miracles, and I don't want any of you to forget that. Each one of you is amazing! I love you guys." The girls then toasted to friendship.
The ladies all sipped their wine as Chaya added one last thought. "We have chosen the right road, I just know it."
***
Mahira, Tyne, Zaey, and a few other women flew to Texas in the fastest flyer the sisterhood had.
Upon arrival, Zaey and the extra women made their way to an infamous arms dealer.
Mahira was there to fight, and she hoped to win the much-needed funding for her sisters. However, it wasn't going to be her average fight. First off, she would have to do away with her infamous stars and stripes attire. Instead, she would be going with normal leather that was protected by well-placed metal armor pieces. Second, her hair had already been dyed a much brighter blond.
HOPE BRINGERS (Strong superhero women) (Mystical Slayers Book 2) Page 15