by Robert Boren
“They didn’t sleep much last night,” Juan Carlos whispered.
“I heard that,” Hannah said.
Madison giggled. “Is your man awake yet?”
“Stop it,” Hannah said.
“Yeah, he’s awake,” Brendan said.
“Oh, please,” Hannah said.
Madison giggled.
“Looks like 771 turns into 1155 after that bend coming up,” Lita said.
“See it,” Richardson said.
“DPS vehicles,” Brendan said. “See them in the parking lot at the end of the street?”
“Yeah,” Richardson said. He pulled up to the gate. A DPS officer stepped forward.
“You Lieutenant Richardson?” he asked.
“Yes sir,” Richardson said.
“Good, Captain Jefferson has been waiting for you,” he said. “Park over there, by the big building. You’ll be directed from there.”
“Thanks,” Richardson said. He drove forward and parked.
“Can we go in too?” Lita asked.
“Yeah, but they might not let you into the briefing we’ll probably get.”
“No problem,” Lita said. “Let’s go.”
They all headed to the door of the big building.
“This looks like a fancy restaurant,” Madison said.
“It used to be, I suspect,” Richardson said. He held open the door for everybody, then followed them inside. There was a desk in the hallway, manned by another DPS Officer.
“You Lieutenant Richardson?” the officer asked.
“Yeah,” Richardson said.
“Good,” he said. “Go down to the third door on the right.”
“Can our women go with us?” Brendan asked, shooting a playful glance at Hannah.
“Yes,” the officer said. “You’ll get further instructions from Captain Jefferson.”
Hannah looked at Brendon as he snickered, shaking her head.
They walked to the door and went inside. It was a large room with two rows of desks. Captain Jefferson was near the back of the room, sitting at a desk in front of the windows. He saw Richardson and motioned him over.
“Good, you made it,” Jefferson said, smiling as he took Richardson’s hand and shook it.
“Good to be here Captain Jefferson,” Richardson said. “You remember Juan Carlos and Brendan, I’m sure.”
“Yes, of course,” he said, “and Lita. Who are these other lovely ladies?”
“Madison and Hannah,” Richardson said.
“Nice to meet you two,” Jefferson said. “I won’t keep you long today. There’s a major briefing tomorrow afternoon, with Gallagher and Landry.”
“What happened to Commissioner Wallis?” Richardson asked.
“He’s been concentrating on the problem in Dallas,” Jefferson said.
“Oh,” Brendan said. “They’re still worried about what happened on Falcon Lake, then?”
“Afraid so,” Jefferson said.
“Are those anti-aircraft batteries out there?” Juan Carlos asked, looking out the window.
“Yeah, and we’ve got twelve Apaches stationed nearby, too,” Jefferson said. “They won’t take out this base.”
“Where are we gonna bunk?” Richardson asked.
“There’s a big trailer park off 771,” Jefferson said. “We’ve brought in some FEMA Park Model trailers. Not the most luxurious in the world, but better than military barracks.”
“How about our women?” Richardson asked.
“They can stay there with you if that’s what you want,” Jefferson said. “It’s far enough away from the coast that it should be safe, and you’ll be hidden among current residents there.”
“Where’s the new boats?” Juan Carlos asked.
“They’re in a covered dock complex, on the northeast side of this complex,” he said. “It’s hardened against everything but a large bomb.”
“You hope,” Richardson said.
Jefferson chuckled. “Yeah, we hope. If we had incoming, I’d rather be there than in this old building here.”
“Are the boats ready?” Brendan asked.
“Almost,” he said. “They’re a new design. There’s still some testing going on.”
“New design?” Juan Carlos asked. “They still have the M-19s mounted, right?”
“Yeah,” he said, “with a night-vision capable sighting system.”
“Awesome, dude,” Juan Carlos said.
Richardson shot him a glance. “Dude?”
Jefferson chuckled. “It’s okay. I love his enthusiasm.”
“So does Madison,” Hannah whispered. Madison kicked her in the shin. Lita snickered.
“Well, I’ve rambled on enough,” Jefferson said. “I’m sure you want to get settled. Officer Mahoney will take you to your new quarters. The meeting will be at 1400 hours tomorrow. We’ll have the briefing, check you out on the new equipment, and send you out on an initial patrol.”
“Sounds good, Captain,” Richardson said. “Thanks.”
The group left the room, heading down the hallway towards the door.
“Just a sec,” Juan Carlos said. He ducked into the men’s room on the right side of the hallway.
Madison giggled. “I wondered if he was having trouble holding it.”
“I could use that too,” Brendan said.
“Yeah,” Richardson said, following Brendan through the door.
Lita, Madison, and Hannah stood looking at each other.
“You really buying this our women stuff?” Hannah asked.
Lita giggled. “As soon as we’re settled, I’m gonna find out where the courthouse is. Any of you girls want to join me?”
Hannah and Madison looked at each other and laughed.
“Well, we know where you stand, anyway,” Hannah said. “It’ll probably take a few days for Madison here. But only a few days.”
“Go ahead and rub it in,” Madison said. “I don’t care. I know what I want. At least I’ve admitted it to myself.”
Hannah got a shocked look on her face. “I was joking, you know.”
Madison shot her a grin as the men came back out.
“You guys don’t have to go?” Richardson asked.
“I’m okay,” Lita said. “It was only an hour and a half drive, after all.”
“Yeah, you boys just can’t hold it,” Madison said. She elbowed Juan Carlos.
They went out the door. Officer Mahoney was waiting next to their vehicle, leaning against his DPS Cruiser. He was a large man with dark brownish-red hair and green eyes, clean shaven.
“Officer Mahoney?” Richardson asked.
“One in the same,” he said, smiling. “Follow me.”
Richardson followed the cruiser, driving back to 771.
“I’ll bet they’re putting us in that trailer park we passed on the way in,” Lita said. “It was huge.”
“Probably,” Richardson said. “You okay with all this?”
“Living with you?” Lita asked.
“Yeah, and the military operations,” he said.
“I’m scared to death of what you’ll be doing out there,” she said. “As for living together, we already do that whenever we’re together. If you weren’t in the job you are, we would’ve moved in together by now.”
“I know, but it’s kinda being forced on you now,” Richardson said.
“I don’t look at it that way,” she said.
They drove along for about ten minutes.
“He’s slowing down,” Richardson said.
“I was right. He’s turning into that big trailer park.”
Richardson followed Mahoney through the gate, and back into the middle of the park. There were new park model trailers here and there, between older units which had been lived in for years.
“There’s a lot of new ones in here,” Madison said, looking out the window. “I’ve counted twelve so far.”
“They don’t look half bad,” Juan Carlos said.
“Mahoney just pulled over,�
�� Lita said. Richardson parked behind him, and they got out of the car.
“Let’s go into this one,” Officer Mahoney said. He had a bundle of information packets in his hand. They entered, walking through the furnished living room, stopping at the kitchen counter/nook. “How many units will you be needing? Three?”
The group looked at each other.
“Well?” Richardson asked.
“Don’t you think it’s three?” Lita asked.
“I think it is,” Madison said, turning to look at Hannah.
“All right, all right,” Hannah said. “Three.” Brendan put his arm around her. She looked at him, not able to keep the smile from washing over her face.
“Fine,” Mahoney said, handing a packet to each couple. They were stacks of paper in clear plastic folders with maps on the top. “The map shows the available units. You can tell them by the numbers written on them. They’re all basically the same. Colors of the furnishings differ. Feel free to check out several if you want. They each have two parking spaces and a small garden area at the rear.”
“Cool,” Juan Carlos said.
“You have the keys?” Richardson asked.
“They’re all unlocked. Keys are in the drawers on the left side of the sink. Two sets. There’s bottled water and a few canned goods and frozen meals already there, but you’ll want to get to the grocery store and stock up pretty quickly.”
“None of them are next to each other,” Brendan said.
“Good, then Hannah won’t have to be quiet,” Madison whispered. Hannah elbowed her.
“That’s all I’ve got,” Officer Mahoney said. “The rest of the info in the packets are owner’s manuals for the appliances, and association rules.”
“What about stuff like sheets and blankets, kitchen utensils, and all of that?” Lita asked.
“They’re all fully stocked with those items,” Officer Mahoney said. “You’re welcome to change it out for your own stuff, but don’t throw it away. It belongs to Texas.”
“Got it,” Richardson said. “Shall we?”
“Might as well,” Hannah said.
“You two will be in bed in about three seconds,” Madison whispered. Hannah elbowed her again, but then giggled. “Look who’s talking.”
Officer Mahoney got an embarrassed look on his face, then nodded and left.
“That was bad, you two,” Lita said, eyes dancing.
“Yeah, you girls are worse than us guys,” Richardson said.
“Whatever,” Hannah said. She took Brendan’s arm. “C’mon.”
“Yes dear,” Brendan said. All of them laughed as they walked out with their packets.
“Hey, we don’t have phones,” Juan Carlos said. “We threw them in the stream, remember? How we going to get together for the meeting tomorrow?”
“There was a land line in the one we were just in,” Lita said. “Saw it in the living room. Let me check to see if it’s got the number on it.” She rushed back inside, coming back in a few seconds.
“Well?” Richardson asked.
“Yeah, the numbers are on the phone, and I got a dial tone,” she said.
“Okay, then let’s meet up in a little while and exchange numbers,” Richardson said.
“Where?” Brendan asked.
“How about right here,” Lita said. “I like the colors in this one. Let’s check it out, maybe we’ll want it.”
“Fine by me,” Richardson said. “Meet back in an hour?”
“Better make it at least two,” Madison said, shooting a sidelong glance at Hannah.
“Shut up,” Hannah said.
“Let’s make it three to be on the safe side,” Brendan said.
“Okay, but no later than that,” Lita said. “We’ve got some business to take care of.”
Madison and Hannah shot each other a glance, then looked back at Lita.
“Why not wait a couple days and make a double?” Hannah asked.
“Yeah, right,” Madison said. “Knowing you, it’ll be a triple.”
“You chicks crack me up,” Juan Carlos said. “C’mon, I don’t want to waste too much of our three hours.”
Lita and Richardson watched the two young couples walk off on different sides of the road, and then went inside the unit.
“You’re really serious about the courthouse?” Richardson asked.
“I have a biological reason for being in a hurry,” she said. “C’mon, let’s check this place out.”
They looked at the living room, sitting on the furniture, checking the TV, and getting the general feel of the place. Then they checked the bedroom.
“I like the bedspread,” Lita said. “You?”
“I’m not good at interior decoration,” Richardson said. “That’s your department. If you’re happy, I’m happy, as long as we’re together.”
“Good, glad we got that out of the way,” she said, looking at him with a smirk. “Maybe we should look at a couple before we decide. We should check the garden area too, and make note of where the sun is in the afternoon.”
“I’m at your disposal,” Richardson said, walking up behind her. He threw his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I love you so.”
“Later,” she said. “Let’s get this part over with.”
Chapter 15 – Quail Hunting
Eric put his phone back in his pocket and set down his rifle in the darkness. “That was Curt. The bad guys changed their minds. They’re leaving.”
“Why would they do that?” Don asked.
“They know we can see them,” Eric said. “Curt thinks the Islamists they killed tipped these guys off when they came under attack.”
“What if they just gave their phones to somebody else, and are still on the way?” Francis asked.
“That is possible, you know,” Don said.
“Yeah, I agree, that is possible,” Eric said. “I’m fine with staying here until Curt gets back.”
“They know where we are,” Francis said. “They might show up again at any time, without warning.”
“You want to leave?” Don asked.
Francis thought about it for a moment. “No, not yet. This place is defendable. It would help to put up some electronic surveillance.”
“We should chat with Curt about that,” Eric said.
“I know a fair amount about surveillance systems,” Francis said. “We could definitely cook something up, but no electronic warning system is completely air-tight. You guys know that, right?”
“Yeah,” Eric said.
“How long until Curt and the others get back?”
“Another hour and a half,” Eric said.
“We can sit here that long,” Francis said.
“Agreed,” Eric said.
The men sat silently, watching the road, fighting back sleep. Don started to drift off after a few minutes. Francis kicked his leg and he woke up, startled.
“Don’t worry, we can sleep later,” Francis said.
“I’m beat,” Eric said, “but Curt and his team are gonna be worse off. I won’t be hitting the sack for a while.”
“The sun’s coming up,” Don said. “Maybe that’ll make it easier.”
They watched as the wildlife stirred, birds flittering around in the early morning light.
“This place is beautiful,” Francis said. “I can see why your family settled here.”
“Yeah, it’s good to be back here, even in these circumstances,” Eric said. “It’s home.”
“Listen,” Don whispered. “Somebody’s coming.”
“I hear them,” Eric said, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rise.
“They’re not coming from the road,” Francis whispered. “They’re coming across that meadow over there.” He pointed to the left.
Eric scanned the area, and then smiled. “It’s the Merchant girls.”
“Wow, who’s that raven-haired beauty?” Don asked.
“That’s my old girlfriend,” Eric said. “Sydney. She’s gorgeous, but she
was always a handful.”
“When was she your girlfriend?” Don asked.
“Oh, when she was about Allyssa’s age,” Eric said.
“Hell, all girls are a handful at that age,” Don said.
“The other one is real pretty too,” Francis said. “Look at her hair shine in the light.”
“That’s Amanda,” Eric said. “She’s the oldest. I think she’s prettier than Sydney, but if you tell Sydney that, I’ll deny it.”
Don laughed. “She looks a little older than me.”
“She is,” Eric said. “She’s wild. Your daughters would scare her away. You’d probably have a better chance with Sydney.”
“How old is Sydney?”
“About thirty-five,” Eric said. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-nine,” Don said.
“That works,” Francis said. “Go for it, man. It gets old being the only couple in the family.”
Don laughed. “Maybe I’ve got enough females in my life right now. Two teenagers are enough of a challenge.”
“Only one is yours,” Eric said.
Don was quiet for a moment. “Chloe doesn’t have any family left. I’m kinda her dad now.”
“You’re a good man, brother,” Francis said.
“I have my moments,” Don said. “They’re close enough now. We’d better make our presence known.”
“Yeah,” Eric said. “Both of them were crack shots when I knew them. We don’t want them shooting us by accident.”
Francis chuckled.
“Hey, Sydney! Amanda!” Eric called out. The two women froze, looking around.
“I’m gonna stand up. Don’t shoot me!” Eric stood up and looked at them.
“Eric!” Sydney shouted, breaking into a run towards them. Amanda grinned and followed her. She was striking, with bleach-blonde hair and black eyebrows, her rounded figure making her look thick compared to Sydney.
Sydney hugged Eric, then moved back to look at him. “You haven’t changed much.”
“Hey, Eric,” Amada said, her peaceful, calm smile washing over him. She had the same striking blue eyes as Sydney, but with the platinum hair hanging down around her face and shoulders, she had the look of a Viking Princess. There were barb-wire tattoos on both upper arms, and small flowery tattoos on both lower arms, on the insides. She gave him a hug, and he could feel the strength in her arms.
“So nice to see you two,” Eric said. “This is Don and Francis. We met up in Deadwood. Guys, this is Sydney and her sister Amanda.”