by Marcus Sloss
“The next logical thing was to find a friendly embassy and duck inside. Crossing borders was a non-starter right now. While other nations may not be invading Saudi Arabia, they were blocking out the mass of refugees fleeing. People were desperate to escape the country and we would be another set of people added to the mix of long lines of uncaring guards. Worse, we might start an incident with some other country.
“Jevon had the crazy idea that we owe our lives to.”
Willow grunted as she and Perci lifted a new heavy box. When she caught her breath, she said, “So you never intended to be ‘The Captain Moostache’ you became? I would even give your trademark Moo call after watching your zany videos. I thought they were fake even when people swore they were real. That was what made your channel so classic. There was never validation if it was real or fake for the longest time. When you came home, your channel died and people stopped watching when they knew the answer.”
“Ha! The pirate theme was to hide my identity and was supposed to be a one-time silly video to alert someone we were alive without being direct. At least they could cover my video up as doctored if they wanted to. Funny how mundane ideas can become hit sensations. That dead Saudi has millions sitting in his Gtuber account. Oh well, back to the story.
“We picked over ideas for hours when Jevon hit gold. One of the rotation spots we protected was a dry shipyard. Where sections of a ship were constructed and then hauled to a wet dock for final assembly. We mulled the idea over. What better way to hide our numbers than by taking fewer vehicles when towing a steel ship that could conceal troops. Plus, the hull would make a great cover from enemy fire. Real steel, not thin pretend metal of cars that bullets tore through with ease. Needless to say, we were really excited when we arrived at our decision. Sure, there were even more obstacles to deal with but the basis of a plan was there.
“We would raid the shipyard, steal a big-rig to haul a ship and follow the route to a western port where things were much more stable. We estimated a week of travel time. Oh, how naive we were. The first issue we faced when we left FOB Lister was the roving gangs and false checkpoints. When your government collapses at a national level, the suburbs and small towns adjust. The small towns started to enforce their own law and taxes. We respected neither request. And instead extracted The Captain Moostache payment. When you pit trained soldiers against civilian looters and lazy guards, you get the same results. We murdered and looted as we moved for the shipyard.
“I knew someone would eventually catch on to the pile of bodies. My hope was that we were mistaken for another roving band of criminals. Ugh, the road warriors were thick at first. We fought three while traveling for the shipyard. We still had javelins at that point and I was not afraid to use them. You zip a tank-busting missile into a van full of raiders and the other vehicles tend to scatter. I hope you are getting the picture of Saudi Arabia at this point. We certainly were understanding it was the proverbial Wild West. Those early days were grim but successful. A hundred and forty-one of us left FOB Lister and I did not lose a single soldier on the road to the shipyard. Inside the shipyard…’
The first RV rolled over the dirt road with a caravan of vehicles behind it. There were seven trucks carrying trailers and I gasped. Two more of the tungsten steel covered RVs were at the end of the convoy. Damn, that was a beautiful sight. Becca and I set the last box of C4 down on the pile. Since all the heavy weapons and explosives were put away, I closed the barn door. No sense in letting other people see military-grade armaments.
“Wow, you doubled my order?” I asked Perci, unsure, and realized more trucks were still arriving.
“We bought the store but only had the stuff you wanted hauled up. The owner was being a dick in negotiations. He said he would not open on a weekend for a billion dollars. Mom countered with two and he accepted. Pennies to Gcorp. Literally a rounding error on an expense report. We need to go sign for it. Well, you sign I inspect. We can continue your story after.”
The run over to the lead vehicle did not take long and I finally noticed the end of the convoy. There were so many trucks I was in a bit of shock. This was not even the weapons yet either. We were able to accommodate a lot more people with this haul. It also exposed us to a lot of eyes gazing at the serene valley this mansion nestled in. I sighed, knowing there was no teleportation delivery device. Hopefully, we would be able to secure the valley and let in who we wanted, when we wanted.
“Howdy! Not every day I get a delivery of this magnitude, this far into the mountains. Pretty home you have here, Mrs. Yang,” the driver said to Perci.
Perci gave me a smirk at the wrong name and then I realized she probably used my last name as her alias now.
“Yes, well, fine work, Mr. Bouchard,” Perci said, reading his nametag.
“Alvin, please.”
“Alvin, I need the trailers lined up tongues facing the side of the barn walls,” Perci said, pointing at the barn. She then swung her finger to a clearing between the mansion and one of the guest homes. “The RVs there. My husband will sign the paperwork while I start my inspections.”
I contained my chuckle. Perci was beaming happily when Alvin squelched his radio and relayed the orders to his team. Willow joined Perci to check out the first RV. I guess she wanted to have that girl talk. The whine of the electric motor sounded as I was handed a clipboard with a pen. My eyes widened as I saw the list of materials Perci had ordered. RVs, lots of batteries for storage, solar panels, electric dune buggies, ATVs, electric dirt bikes, and even wind turbines.
“Damn fine place you got here, Mr. Yang. Even being able to see it is an inspiration. I hope one day I am lucky enough to live in a place like this,” the man said with a loud sigh of yearning. “You sure ordered a lot of stuff.”
“Of course, what the wife wants, the wife gets. I honestly learned to stop fighting her on such things,” I replied dryly.
“Well, if you're going camping, that is one way to do it. Bear proof RVs that get a recharge rate faster than consumption on a sunny day. Prop out rooms fit for a king. Hell, they are even called the king edition. Amazing how fast technology advances, but we still want luxury and comfort. Funny you got the only three of them in the state. Must be some adventure,” Alvin said.
While he was prodding for information, it was obvious he was curious without intent. At least, that was the vibe I was picking up. A sudden drop off on a Saturday to a section of the mountains no one has ever been to. Well, that would pique even my interest.
“She demands the finest. Want to know something comical, Alvin? I serve her Wendy’s burgers and tell her they are chef made. She never knows the difference. Sometimes the simple stuff gets it right,” I said with my fake smile as I lied to the man.
The paperwork was intense and I was scribbling a bunch of hastily written information.
“Why is none of this digital?”
“All the digital stuff will not be ready and finalized on Monday. Price of doing business on the weekend, I guess. You done?” Alvin asked as I handed him the paperwork. “Hey, Mr. Yang. You seem like a nice guy. Let me say, thank you for the bonus. The men certainly can use the money. If you ever need anything emergency delivered, we are your guys. Here is my Gcard.”
“Awe shucks, Alvin. No problem. I appreciate you giving up some of your weekend,” I said.
“Not a problem, Sir. Take care,” Alvin said and he retreated into a truck that had already detached its trailer and was ready to head home.
The last crews of the RVs were running to get in other seats of the convoy lined up to leave. Five minutes later, Perci gave a thumbs up and they billowed dirt on their way out. Perci and Willow were giggling as they returned to Becca and I.
“How did the inspections go?” Becca asked.
“Easy peasy. They get an extra bonus if they missed nothing. I paid them a million credits to deliver all this on Saturday,” Perci said.
“How rich are you, Persephone?” Becca asked, and Perci slugged her arm.<
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“I have no idea. It depends on the market. My silver spoon was able to make all this happen, so let’s leave my wealth alone. Especially when family members come around,” Perci said with folded arms under her perky chest.
“We talked,” Willow said.
“And?” Becca replied with a raised brow.
“When you are not around, Becca, we will talk with my husband, you silly brute,” Perci said playfully.
“What did your family say, Becca? I saw you typing away.”
“I said five thousand dollars to anyone wanting to visit me at my mansion resort. I won the lottery and had presents to give out. They called bullshit until I started dumping money into accounts. That did the trick, and Cap, they are good people,” Becca said with a guilty twist and hands shoved deep into her pockets. “Oregon to here should be about fourteen hours if they hustle. I told them to pack for the week. I got some job pushback and said I will pay for your week off. Waiting to hear from my sister and her husband.”
“That is great news, Becca. I wish my mom were in the country,” I said with a sigh.
“I tried, she refused to get on a plane suddenly,” Perci said and I raised an eyebrow at her statement. “I knew better than to try with your father.”
“I have some friends I would like to save, if that is okay. I doubt they will come until the alien news comes out and, by then, the roads will be clogged. Tina might come if I show her a tour of the mansion I am renting. Stealing your idea, Becca,” Willow said with a wink.
“The MREs will not melt in the rain, only the cardboard will. How about we tour the inside while taking a break to eat some food. We can come back out later and I can finish off my story,” I said and my stomach grumbled. “I hope this place has a walk-in freezer.”
“It does. Go ahead, Willow, so we’re not distracting your recordings. Becca, can I have a moment with Cap?”
CHAPTER 6
The walk to the mansion was soothing with the serenity of the backdrop. The way the peaks of the mountain highlighted the skyline with their white caps calmed my nerves. A few birds chirped loudly over the sound of a beak smacking into a tree. The view up here kept wanting to take my breath away with the natural beauty. I had never been anywhere so void of humanity in my entire life. Miles and miles around us and there was only one dwelling within sight.
I stopped to let the others get ahead of Perci and me. When they faded into the house, she embraced me tightly. My hand caressed her back tenderly. She needed this, and if I were being honest with myself, I did too. As much as I had pushed Perci away, the heiress saved my ass. I would be so far behind and stuck in Denver without her when the aliens arrived. But it was more than that. I had loved her at one point.
Sure, it had taken time to realize it was more than a friendly bonding. I remember a time when my mind drifted after a mission and my feet sought her out. That was the moment I realized I loved her. I had subconsciously gone for my Perci. The one person in the world I could lean on without a doubt. I had changed, though. My entire personality had slid from a cheerful guy to a man in a terribly dark place. Maybe with her, and with Willow, I could not only feel, but be good again.
“I missed you so much,” Perci said, gripping me as tightly as she could.
“How did your short talk with Willow go?”
“You know better than to skirt the issue, Eric.”
“Perci, it is great to hold you again. You always made me feel like such a bigger man than I am. I missed our quality time together and I am glad you are here. Hell, I forgot how amazing you were with managing. I missed you too,” I said with a sad sigh. As I talked, she gripped me tighter. “I really did not expect you to be here. I am starting to come to the conclusion my escape from Saudi Arabia was more luck than deductive skills. I keep concluding probable outcomes incorrectly.”
“You had to have known you could have convinced me to stay,” Perci said with a slight temper. “I threw myself at you when you came home. Nothing could have forced me away when you were in need again.”
“Perci, you do not control the world. You were abducted.”
“I was tricked, and do not use that against me. We all have our demons that torment us. Leaving the first man I ever loved behind was the hardest thing I did. I told myself that my mother needed me. When I learned it was a ploy to ensure I was safely extracted, I fought so hard to get you back. Everything I tried ran into resistance. There was a blackout after the Saudi’s locked us out. Even mom lacked the clearance to spy on you and we had no idea where to start looking when we recovered access. The only thing that kept me going was your dumb videos. I would cry so hard after watching them, knowing what you were dealing with without me. I should have been there.
“I tried to explain my heartbreak to you numerous times, you big oaf. I even stood outside your DU dorm room, too scared to knock on the door. My therapist said to give you space to adjust. You would come out of your shell and probably find solace in me with time. I wanted to be the one to ease the tormented nights. With patience I did not know I had, I waited. My plan was to force you to see me during the summer break. Even if you moved on to a new girl,” Perci said, while breaking our hug. Her hazel eyes bore into mine. I saw the cybernetic replacement look identical to her human eye. “I told Willow I made a promise to myself. I would be there for you. This next part may sound a bit psychotic, but I am your forever girl now. Even with almost two years apart, I have thought of no one else the way I ache for you.”
There was a kid-sized park in front of the mansion. A swing was mounted to a tree branch and a stone bench faced the little sandpit. There were steel toy tractors half-buried in the dark sand with flaked paint. I dodged the adult seat and planted my butt next to the American made awesome toys. I dug in the sand and built a pile as I processed her words.
“Persephone-”
“If you stop calling me your Perci, I will box your ears, Eric. You were the only person to ever do so tenderly from the first to the last time. You never once cared I had no tits or refused to fix my dead lazy eye. You never cared I was poor. You only ever loved me for me. I love you, Eric Yang, and the end of the world is not going to stop that!” Perci screamed so loud the birds hundreds of feet away took flight.
“Calm down. Sit beside me. All that is true. I still don’t care who your mom is. I pushed you away because you were a part of my past. I really was going to message you. I am your forever friend. And I use Persephone when you fluster me. I am flustered. You are not any woman—you are Perci the heiress.” My hand shot up to halt her coming retort. She was always defensive over her background. “Dr. Gepstein’s message led me to conclude you were going to be safe; buried under the earth somewhere I could not reach you. You are the daughter of Gcorp’s CEO, you have always been protected and watched over. I did not see a scenario where you would move heaven and hell to be at my side. I am sorry that I miscalculated and did not know you wanted to be my actual wife. All the what-if scenarios. I agree, without this alien thing, come summer we would be dating, and probably at some lush island with white sands and warm blue waters. Hiding on some private resort talking for hours like we used to. Things are happening and they obviously are outside our control. You are here at my side and I respect that more than you can ever know. Enough so that I wish I had known earlier. But Perci, this is important. What transpired that day I found you crying into that bunker?”
“You saved me. I know… I looked into Willow. You do not need to justify saving her. Your desire for her is clear. She is smart, trusting, and beautiful. Also innocent, while not innocent. You laid on the charm with her for months. That took weeks with me. Eric Yang, you have that pull women desire. A man they can rely on, trust, and open up to. The amazing good looks certainly do not hurt. I…” Perci was getting flustered. She hopped on her feet and I yanked her back down to play toys with me. “Not the best use of our time. I love you, Eric. Willow does not want to fight me over you, I do not want to fight Willow for you. So…�
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“You girls scrapping for my affection is the last thing we need. You know I loved our time together. You were right that I needed space, but that time is over. We are adults here, and we should focus on the mission instead of our love. At the same time, we are not in the military. If I want to tear your clothes off and savage you in the bedroom -”
“Yes, that!” Perci blurted while eagerly bobbing her head. “We are adults and I talked to Willow. She mentioned a desire to have people she can rely on. Willow opened up about her transition away from her mom. She needs stability with love. She also wants to please you while avoiding conflict. Even if it involves me. Her words, not mine.”
“Interesting. I need you both happy and operating with clear minds, not combating each other for attention. Speaking of clear minds. I feel better from this conversation. I am sorry I avoided you, Perci. Thank you for being here. In this very spot, in this very moment, when I need you the most,” I said, and did something I had never done before. I kissed her cheek. While cheesy and simple, it was a big step for us.
“Those were the exact words I wanted to hear. You are welcome, Cap. Come check out the inside of this place. It is swag central.”
“Swag?”
“Older term, excessively nice. Hey Willow,” Perci said to Willow as she left the house via a sliding glass door. Willow waved and was eager to tell us something. “I told Eric we were sharing him. He said it was interesting and wants us to be happy while not fighting over him when we need to focus.”
I opened my mouth to object. That was a bit of a stretch.
“Perfect. I always wanted a dynamic relationship. I also feel like Eric can be assertive enough to meet my bedroom needs. The high school boys and girls I dated could pull hair, but did not understand what I was seeking. I was never sure if I wanted a girl or a boy so I would switch. However, fun fact. My porn preference was and is threesomes! Trouple for the end of the world. The day keeps getting more exciting. Count me in,” Willow said, while giving Perci’s cheek a kiss in acceptance. She kissed my cheek next and I stood there, stunned. “Eric, I am not going to cause strife. If you two want me and I want each of you, then go with it. We can always adjust later. Now, enough silly bedroom talk. That should be very fun later. Sad news is I was only able to convince two friends to come. Tina and her boyfriend Derek are leaving now. I gave them five thousand dollars when they complained of financial woes. I said my rich boyfriend wanted to meet them so badly he was buying them tickets and handing out spending money. They will fly in and auto-taxi here. Might even arrive before mom. Hmm… Yeah, they will get here in five hours if they quick board the next flight.”