Now, Ashur and Bellatrix were romping around behind her as they made their way over to the park.
In front of her, she had Jinx, the only sable of the litter, and the all black brother-sister team Dio and Devi.
Yelena covered her eyes and looked up at the fantastic light and heat systems inside the hollowed-out core. She couldn’t look at the primary globe, or she might blind herself.
She returned to walking the path as it opened up from the personal gardens that separated the park from the commercial crops that helped feed everyone and then the park itself. Here, there were trees planted and people had laid out a few blankets and were enjoying themselves.
She looked around and realized one thing that seemed to be missing. There wasn’t a breeze here. At least, not that she could feel and she wondered how everything got watered? This was only her second time here, so she figured she could ask Bobcat next time she thought about it.
The puppies ran on, playing, and soon she was passed by Ashur and Bellatrix, and then people called out his name, and soon his mate’s name as well.
Damn, Bellatrix was going to become insufferable, she thought.
Yelena saw a few benches along the path, so she walked to one and sat down. It seemed to be made of a dark gray wood. Resting her hand along the back of the bench, she felt a metal plaque. She leaned back and could see it had words engraved on it, but she couldn’t read it.
She would take a look when she got up.
She had been there for a few minutes when she heard some talking and turned to see two women, dressed alike, and if Yelena had to guess she would say they were sisters. She turned back to watch the puppies.
A few moments later, she was surprised by a tap on her shoulder. “Excuse me.”
Yelena turned to see the two ladies behind her. “Yes?”
The woman with Dorene on her uniform pointed to the dogs. “Are you Bellatrix’s owner?”
Yelena smiled. “Well if you listen to Bellatrix after today, she would probably say I belong to her. But yes, Bellatrix and I are matched.”
“Oh, good!” the woman exclaimed and walked around the bench to sit down next to her. “So, you’re Yelena, right?”
She nodded.
“And you’re seeing Bobcat?” she continued.
Yelena nodded again, not sure where this was going when the other lady murmured, “Dear God in Heaven.”
Dorene flicked a hand at Diane. “Hush sis, I have the perfect opportunity to make sure Bobcat stays on the straight and narrow with the kids, and I’m willing to use whatever tools I have at my disposal to do it.”
“I’m going to apologize for my sister before she says another word,” the second lady said. “By the way, I’m Diane, and Ms. Nosey-body next to you is my sister, Dorene. We’re in charge of the Etheric Academy.”
“Oh, okay.” Yelena now knew who she was speaking with. “Bobcat mentioned he screwed up with the first class. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
Dorene blinked a couple of times. “Yeessss,” she said. “I didn’t expect him to fess up to you.”
“Why not?”
“Uh, he’s Bobcat,” Dorene answered as if that was enough.
“Sorry, but what she said,” Diane pointed to Dorene.
Yelena shrugged. “I’m not following. Sure, he can be a bit impetuous at times, but he seems pretty down to Earth… okay, down to the base station for the most part. He felt pretty bad about the situation with the kids from the first class, I can tell you that.”
“Was that pre or post-Bethany Anne’s ass chewing?” Diane answered.
Yelena shrugged. “Bobcat wouldn’t do anything to harm anyone on his side, which means anyone on Bethany Anne’s side.”
“But what about all of the mistakes, and unsafe practices, and,” Dorene started with her hands gesticulating she finally just spat out, “Stuff!”
“Not sure?” Yelena answered. “But, whatever happened, I’m unaware of Bobcat and the team being taken out of the role of teaching, right?”
“Well, of course not, we need them,” Diane answered.
“No,” Dorene corrected. “We need them, but not enough to endanger the students. Which means when Bethany Anne finished her discussion, she had already ascertained the mistakes and they didn’t warrant… probably half the shit that people believe.”
“So, why aren’t they correcting the assumptions?” Diane followed up, as much a question of herself than the other two ladies.
“Probably because on the other side are the youth, and how they see reality isn’t the same as how an adult would see it,” Yelena shrugged.
“Are you a mom?” Dorene asked Yelena.
“A mother?” She chuckled and then stopped when Dorene’s face never cracked a smile. “Oh, you’re serious? No, why?”
“You mentioned the kids might see the whole story through their lens of reality. That sounds like a mother.”
Yelena pointed at the dogs running around. “I see things differently due to my four-footed kids.”
When she pointed to the dogs, both Dio and Devi turned and bolted towards the three ladies who watched the matched pair race over. Diane stepped around from the back of the bench so she could play with the two puppies who were enjoying the attention. Devi yipped and Yelena answered, “This is Dorene, sitting, and her sister, Diane who is petting you two.”
Another yip, this time from Dio. “They’re in charge of the Etheric Academy,” Yelena answered before turning to the two ladies. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure exactly what all you do?”
“Do they understand us?” Dorene asked.
“Oh yes,” Yelena confirmed. “They’re exploring more of the base at the moment, so they have dozens of questions.”
“Well,” Dorene said, “we’re in charge of a learning environment that helps those who are done with core school rotate through different disciplines to see where they might desire to work in the future.”
Another yip and both ladies looked at Yelena. “She isn’t sure what learning environment means.”
Diane took this question. “Where you learn more, like what you’re doing now, asking questions of different people. It is an effort to impart information to individuals who need it.”
Yelena caught on where this was going. “Devi!” the little dog turned towards her. “You don’t know if these two ladies have time for a new responsibility. You’re not very up front about why you’re asking questions.” Another yip, “No, they don’t know what’s going on. No one knows what’s going on right now.”
“What are you talking about?” Dorene asked, looking at Yelena and the female puppy.
“Uh, the puppies, collectively, decided that they wanted to find their bonded partners. Like the Queen and Ashur, or Bellatrix and myself. So they keep interviewing people. Since most don’t know why the puppies are asking questions, they’re happy to answer. I’m getting the impression that Devi is asking you because she is narrowing down her selection. Since I don’t think this is fair, I’m interrupting the process. You ladies already have a whole school of kids.”
“Well,” Diane looked at her sister, “just what we need, another kid to look after.” Yelena watched them stare at each other like their minds were melding or something.
Dorene and Diane spoke at the same time, “Best place to learn is in a safe environment.”
Dorene spoke next, “Four foot or two, easy to invite them to explore.”
Yelena, Dio, and Devi watched with fascination as the women continued.
“Could be the first-born citizens in the Empire,” Diane replied.
“Could learn about classes, audit people.”
“We could let them set their own course of learning.”
“It would be more fur up your nose at night. Remember that old white and black cat that would sneak into bed and lay on your face?”
“Yeah, but we’ve been fixed in the Pod-doc… no allergies.”
“There is that.” Dorene agreed.
> “What about the cookies the Rotty would cry for?” Diane asked before they both turned to view the puppy looking up at them.
Together, they announced, “Sure, we’d love a little fur-ball partner!”
With a ‘YIP,’ Devi agreed and sealed the deal. Dio wagged his tail, happy for his sister to have found her match.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
New York City, NY, USA
Franklyn W. Sahvt had been a mercenary for eight years. At six foot four inches tall and packing two hundred and twenty-five pounds of muscle on that frame, he was hard to throw around when he was wearing nothing but his skivvies.
Now, suited up in the battle rattle with his Remington 870, armor, and ammunition, he easily topped two-seventy.
He was the lead of his four-man team. Although they preferred to operate at night, especially in a city like New York, a crappy day like today when most people stayed inside was a mediocre second choice. He would prefer lots of lightning and loud thunder.
When you needed deep, dark, and deniable (especially inside the United States), his team got the nod. Their goal was straightforward.
Grab the girl, try to keep breakage down. If they could grab the girl without killing the man, that was to be preferred. New York City needed their cops after all.
Even nosy cops who shouldn’t be searching for proof about certain situations without permission. Still, if he got killed during the operation, that would suck.
But, breakage is breakage. At least his woman would eventually go free. She’d been captured, drugged, and right now didn’t have a clue what was going on.
Franklyn nodded to his three compatriots. For this operation, they were simply Alphas one through four. No other names asked, no other names given. The vehicle picked them up at the compound near Heckscher State Park close to Bay Shore, NY. The rest of the team was up there waiting for the bait to arrive.
Their job, however, was changed when information was received that the lure was acting strangely. His team was sent to be stationed near the lure’s apartment in case they needed to flush the target.
Now, it seemed they were here to grab the target.
Franklyn looked down at his tablet, then up at his team members. “Time to lock and load.”
—
The black van pulled up to the front of the narrow apartment building. The old brick facade was wearing down from the accumulation of years, although the fresh coat of paint helped.
The door slid open on oiled tracks. Alpha 2 jumped out, holding his FN SCAR 16s down beside him and quickly stepped across the sidewalk to the front door. Alpha 3 was right behind him, covering his back. 2 dropped his rifle and allowed his quick sling to stop it from falling as he pulled out his tool kit.
He was able to pick the lock on the front door in twelve seconds. Which seems like an eternity when you’re standing on the front porch holding an assault rifle.
When 2 opened the door, 3 swept around him as Franklyn and 4 stepped in quickly.
Alpha 2 had barely started closing the door when all hell broke loose.
—
Ted stepped into his front room as Tabitha walked out of his apartment. He grabbed her suitcase and moved out, closing the door behind him. He looked over the stairwell, but Tabitha was already out of sight. He hotfooted it over to the door allowing owners access to the roof and opened the door to get up top. As the door shut behind him, he heard a commotion downstairs followed by gunfire.
He pitied the people below. He had seen Tabitha take care of a person trying to knife her.
He wasn’t sure what this Tabitha would do to those who brought guns.
—
Well fuck, Tabitha wondered, what should I do here?
She had descended the stairs and was waiting at the landing on the second level, almost twenty feet from the front door ten feet from the bottom of the stairs.
Then, her time to question her tactics was over when the door opened, and three men came sweeping in, all armed.
“Oh,” she murmured. “It’s that game. Righty-o, tally-ho and time to fuck you up!” Tabitha took two steps and launched herself down the stairs.
—
Franklyn swept around Alpha 2 as he opened the door. Alpha 4, then Alpha 3 would be behind him, and Alpha 2 would close the door. “Look out!” he yelled, trying to move his gun up, finger squeezing the trigger.
Franklyn barely had time to register the black body, knee outstretched, aimed at his head when the knee connected to his skull, crushing it.
His firing stopped.
Tabitha grabbed the rifle behind the first guy and yanked. She slammed her palm into the man’s nose, shoving cartilage back into his skull, ending his life.
The third guy was able to aim point blank at the figure and shoot a burst of three rounds into her stomach. His mouth dropped open in surprise when the bullets ricocheted off his target, one hitting him in his chest armor before his gun was ripped from his grasp.
—
“That tickles, asshat!” Tabitha growled when the bullets hit her abdomen. She yanked the gun away and slammed her right hand, knuckles first, into the side of his head. He collapsed.
She wasn’t sure if he would ever get up. She palmed her Dukes’ special.
—
Alpha 2 was turning around, hearing the carnage behind him, when his eyes focused on the barrel of the pistol pressed against the center of his forehead. His head slammed back against the door.
“Snake-eyes, asshole,” said a female voice. Alpha 2 could see his team lying on the floor. Alpha 1’s head was bleeding so much that he had to be dead.
Alpha 2 licked his lips. He was willing to take it for the team, but right now he HAD no team. “What do you want?”
“This is how it can go down,” she told him, voice gruff. “I kill you, walk outside and if that van is still there, kill them too. You assholes mean nothing to me. Do you understand my first statement?” He nodded. “Option two, I taser your ass, and taser whoever is outside after you tell me how many are protecting the woman. Lie?” She pressed harder on the pistol. “I don’t worry about you. I’ll sleep just fine. You assholes took it out of legal and into military, so, sucks to be you. You got three seconds to decide your future.”
He licked his lips. “Forty-five to fifty, sixty tops.”
“All like you?” she nodded at his armament.
“Yeah.”
He watched as she pulled a second pistol and placed it under his armpit where the armor wasn’t protecting him. “If you ever agree to go against TQB again? You better pray it’s a Ranger that you fight, we give second chances.”
She pulled the trigger, and Alpha 2 spasmed before dropping to the ground. She turned the doorknob and stepped out.
—
On the roof, Ted turned towards the front of the building and ran over. He leaned over quickly, then back out of sight. He saw the black van sitting below and wondered what to do. He decided to chance looking over again when the front door opened and Tabitha stepped out. She had the door open to the van in a blink. She shot something that caused a bright white light and then turned, closed the van door and headed back into the apartment building.
Ted turned around to run back to the doorway and then stopped. There was a floating Pod above his building where seconds before it didn’t exist. He walked as calmly as possible towards it.
He felt sure this wasn’t alien. Unless you counted something from Tabitha’s team as alien.
The door to the roof opened, and Tabitha stepped through. She walked over to Ted, grabbing the suitcase. “Thank you, let’s go.”
Heckscher State Park area, NY, USA
“We’ve lost all of Strike Team Alpha, sir!” Mission Specialist McGowan called over to Vic Kingston.
Vic switched the toothpick he was chewing to the other side of his mouth.
“Bring in the reserves. We’ll have attention here soon. Move the package to the lowest level,” Vic said. One man got on the radio to call in the
backup which was a mile away.
Another went to handle the movement of the package.
—-
“SIXTY!” Ted yelled in the small Pod, his fascination with the technology lost at the moment. “We have to get past sixty guys to get Monica back?”
“Probably more, now,” Tabitha said.
“And it’s just you and me?” he asked, his voice calming down. He looked out the window. “Well, if I’m going to go out fighting, at least it will be said I wasn’t afraid of overwhelming odds.”
The Kurtherian Gambit Omnibus 05 - The Fans Version: My Ride is a Bitch - Don't Cross This Line - Never Submit Page 69