by Bella Knight
David snuffled a laugh. "Point taken," he whispered.
They reached for each other, kisses starting slow, then building, getting deeper, harder, and faster. David stroked Henry's hair, face, and he kissed down his neck. He turned, kissing his way down, and stroked and kissed his cock, then sucked on his balls, one at a time. Henry did the same, but found himself distracted. It didn’t take long, with the powerful rush rising, and then he came.
Henry reached over his head, grabbed a wet wipe, and passed it down. He took his time kissing and sucking David until he came as well. He cleaned David off, disposed of the waste in a plastic bag, and dragged David back up. They shared sips of cherry water, then began again. But this time more slowly, letting the tension build and rise, only to back away, and to let it rise some more. They came again, together, and this time after David cleaned them both up. Afterward, they slipped on shorts, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
They were awakened by screams. Mike was two tents over. Gregory slipped in, with two cans of Coke in hand, woke him up, and took him out to the fire. Most of the camp went back to sleep. Henry and David knew Gregory was there to lend a hand.
"What's up?" asked Gregory, sipping his Coke.
Mike poked at the embers with a stick. "I've gotta... this is good, you know? Getting away. Learning how to ride with a peg leg. Making food everyone ate yesterday." He laughed. "Didn't last long."
At the sound of their laughter, those wondering if they needed to go out and intervene slipped back into sleep. The soldiers slept four to a tent, in bigger tents. It was what they were used to.
"It's a real thing, growing food," said Gregory. "That's the people that should get the money. The farmers and the truck drivers, and the servers --and all of those that get the food to us. And the energy. And the people who transport other people, like bus drivers. We can't do anything without those people. Yeah, some people throw great touchdowns, or sing a rocking song, but I would rather pay the people that make life work. Pay them the big money."
"Don't need the cash," said Mike. "Just need to do something useful, you know?" He sipped more Coke. "That's the first nightmare I've had in two weeks. Used to be every damn night. I'm damn happy, you know, Gunny? Got to go swimming, and hiking." He stuck out his specialized leg with the hiking shoe on it. "I can move around a lot better. And I'm not tearing my hands up on the bikes, trying to do something I can't do. I can do a lot of things."
"There's a million things you can do, and a million things you can't," said Gregory, quoting a very old Star Trek episode. "The trick is figuring out which is which. I tell my soldiers --we've hired and are training some of you soldiers for the security company I own with Bannon. And to only work security if they like it, and if they are good at it. I train them on as many things as I can, because until you try it, you won't know if you like it or not. I still work on houses for Habitat for Humanity, and the soldier houses..." He became silent.
"What?" asked Mike.
"Houses. For those who want to work on bikes in small towns. Some will want to go home, but over half want to be around us. We've been scouting apartment houses, and apartments over garages. But, if only two or three are staying in an area, why not rehab a house?"
"Sounds better," said Mike. "We like living together. Help each other out with cooking and cleaning, and all that kinda shit. Have a garage to tinker in. We don't need a specialized garage with a bay, just the tools. And those that have been doing this awhile have already worked on getting those. Get a lot from a guy who retired. Or, just a small one with one or two bays, like those drive-up places they use for oil changes."
"Well then," said Gregory. "We've got a new plan." Gregory took Mike to his own tent, and they made plans until dawn.
They found Tito in the morning, and he was so excited that he did some research on his phone. They found a little garage in Hemet, and one in Baker in California. Then, two in Mesquite, one in Tonopah in Nevada, and one in Bullhead City, Arizona. Finding three-bedroom houses or condos for auction was relatively easy after that. They went to coffee shops for breakfast, and Bonnie, Herja, Tito, and the soldiers hashed out who wanted to go where. Gregory fronted his bonus money for training and recruitment, and they had themselves a plan for when they got back.
They mounted up, and went to San Jose. They explored the zoo, the open-air market, and the Winchester Mystery House with its 165 rooms. Then they went to Golden Gate Park, had lunch, and took dozens of pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. Some went to Alcatraz, some to Fisherman's Wharf, and some went hiking up and down San Francisco's hills. They met at the wharf for delicious bowls of clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls, and headed north. They ended up in Olympia, Washington, with stunning views of the bay. They camped, and went to Olympic National Park, and then they drove the Olympic Peninsula.
They headed back inland, and saw the giant redwood trees. They took small highways, all the way back to Fresno, then those that lived in Southern California split off from those that lived west. They went back to Nevada. The Iron Knights (and Valkyries heading back to the east) took a few riders and their tools with them. Back to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kansas, but most wanted to stay on.
"Bones heal. Hearts heal. Bones and hearts together? That's gonna take some time."
Wolf Time
"Talents lie in every heart. Not everyone gets to express them --or go looking for them."
Damia liked Mama Callie. Mama didn't think Damia was stupid. She wanted Damia to read. Damia had to read aloud, but she could use a very soft voice and speak into a recorder, alone. Callie would listen, and tell her how to pronounce some words. Bao listened to the Chinese, and Henry to the Paiute. She liked to make a word sandwich, or a word salad, by mixing words. She had to do that three times, switching words in each language; but it was fun. David showed her poetry, and little bites of words that could be (as David put it), “swallowed” or “chewed.” She liked chewy words like "drummer," and "heart," and "heat," and "light." These were all desert words. David took her on walks or pony rides, and told her the names in English and Paiute. Special names of the desert plants and animals. He was quiet; letting her silence grow until it flowered into new words.
Hu went on these walks with them, sometimes. She was good at finding animals, and at telling the Chinese names of things. David was teaching them silent walking, so they didn't scare the animals.
Grace stayed home and did her chores (or lessons, or paintings) because she was loud and liked to complain. Damia painted in sand because she loved the colors of the desert. The reds and blues, yellows and grays, and soft blacks --and the silver of sparkly stars. She put her paintings in jars. She learned the names of the stars and the pictures in the sky from Callie. She drew pictures, and learned that long word --constellations.
Vu absolutely loved having Damia nearby. She would mute her voice, telling stories softly. The room would go nearly silent, with only the clack of the men making beadwork, or the softness of the sound of carding wool. Damia loved the alpaca wool and the super-soft angora fur. She learned to wash and card, and spin wool. She spent many happy hours there.
Chayton taught her how to swim, either early in the morning before the Owl Pack did their morning exercises, or right before dinner when Hu and Grace helped with dinner. Grace liked to splash and screech in the pool, so loud that Hu told her to lower her voice. It was too loud for Damia in the kitchen; she would chop, and rinse, and cook when Vi or Mama gave her private lessons. They learned how to make apple-cinnamon muffins together, and eggs and fat sausages for breakfast. Sometimes, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and little sticks of celery with peanut butter and “raisin ants” for lunch. Then, tacos for dinner, baby apple pies, or peanut butter cookies with chocolate on the top, made especially for dessert.
It was tough, with Mom, and Henry, and David gone when they went on the ride. Henry and Mom knew how to look at Grace out of the corner of their eyes. Henry even had a grunt. Grace would look up, then
try to quiet her voice, but she was so loud. Mama said Grace didn't know how to think first, or how to hear herself.
Finally, Damia spent nearly a whole day dealing with Grace because it was just Mama, and she had the babies, too. The babies were not so loud now, and Damia learned how to touch them, and give them pacifiers. She taught them to sign, and they told her if they were wet or hungry. She fed them cut-up grapes --and Cheerios in the mornings. Grace talked very loudly, and scared Kiya. Kiya wailed.
Damia told Grace to be quiet, and Grace said, very loudly, "I don't have to!" Kiya screamed louder.
Mama picked up Kiya, put her in Grace's arms, and said, "Now you have to soothe her, because you scared her. Then, apologize to Damia."
Grace put Kiya back into her crib, and gave her a pacifier. Mama went over and made Grace check if she was hungry or wet. Grace then tried to stomp off, but Mama made her apologize to Damia. Then, after she did, Grace stomped off. Grace lost two Happy Points for that. Damia helped with the babies, so she got two Happy Points.
Mama helped her set up her schoolwork and get started. Hu sat down at the same table, and apologized in sign language. "Sorry. She woke up angry and stupid."
"Let's work," signed Damia.
Hu helped her with the Chinese. They got Happy Points for doing their schoolwork, and for doing their chores. They also got points for helping feed the babies, and getting them down for their naps. They fixed lunch together. Grace stayed in the corner, doing her work alone. Hu brought Grace her lunch on a tray, since she wanted to be alone, and because she yelled. Mama told her not to wake the babies, and to think about what she did before she did it, and that great word came up. The big one --consequences. Grace refused to eat, and she refused to do chores. She lost a Happy Point for each chore she didn't do.
Numa came to take Grace for a walk, and Grace refused to go. Hu took Damia to see the ponies and to do outside chores. They also did it so they didn't have to listen to Grace being loud and whining. They played soccer, running back and forth, and came in for a drink and a snack. They diced pears and apples, added grapes and cheddar chunks, and put them on sticks, with juice. They helped with the babies while Mama got her own snack, making Aiden and Kiya giggle by playing with them. They put them on blankets and watched them try to get up and roll.
Grace came to dinner at the Big House. They had tacos and mango salsa, and tomato salsa with little green chilis. Damia hated the chilis, so Vi gave her salsa without them. They laughed, relaxed, and used a lot of Sign. Then, it happened. Grace threw a temper tantrum. She was angry about losing her points all day.
She used a cussword, and Mama said, "That's another point," and passed the salsa. Grace stood up, and threw her fork. Everyone got deathly quiet.
"You treat everyone else better than me! Hu doesn't get her points taken away! Damia gets anything she fucking wants!"
Damia used Sign. "I know you have ADD. I know you do not concentrate, or think ahead, or know how to be quiet. I have autism. I need quiet. You have ADD. You want to be loud. Maybe I should move here, where you won't be loud."
Grace's jaw dropped. Vi said, "Tell her, sister." Mama nodded her head. The Owl Pack applauded the Sign way, with hands in the air and turning them back and forth.
Grace spoke. She said, "I do not have ADD."
"Yes, you do," said Mama. "Mom, Bao, Henry, and I. We all have told you this. You're angry because you have a condition you have to work to control. And, you're taking it out on everyone else around you. That stops; today, right now! And you're not driving our other daughter out of the house because you're too stubborn to listen or behave. At this point you have no privileges, none. No TV, games, or internet. You've been loud and horribly rude to everyone around you, and for long enough. Now, sit down, finish your tacos, and spend the time before bed writing apology letters to every single person you've been rude to over the past two weeks."
Grace sat down, her face was bright red. The conversation started again, as if she'd never thrown her fit. Everyone completely ignored her, even Hu. They cut her out of every conversation, and every disgusted look was ignored.
Damia was angry, and sad too. She knew Grace was so mad she wanted to have a fit, like Damia did. She signed "overwhelmed" at Grace. Grace ignored her, finished her tacos, slipped off her chair, put her dish, silverware, and glass in the sink, and sat down with her tablet to write her apology letters.
Grace was quiet for three days. She didn't even listen to her favorite rock music. Damia was stunned. Mama and everyone else treated Grace the same. She ate, did her chores, and slowly got enough points to watch television or play video games. She wrote and emailed individual apology letters, even to Mom on her ride. She also added some for David and Henry. But still, she was quiet. Mama explained that Grace needed to change her mind, her thinking, her actions, to do things in a new way. And, that way involved a lot of quiet time. Damia was happy. Finally, the house was as she wanted it. It was quiet.
Dragon Mama had swooped in to make tea, in the middle of Bao's negotiations with a book distributor. She put the distributor on hold, bade her mother make any tea she so desired, and finished the call. She went in, furious, and told her mother that she actually worked during the day, and to please text (or call) beforehand. Dragon Mama shoved the complaint aside with a wave of her hand, then served using the best tea set from China, and her best Panda tea. The one that Bao used for visitors, not the everyday green tea that Mama liked best. She was buttering up her daughter. I'm not going to like this, thought Bao.
"Honored Mother," she said. "I only have half an hour before my next call," she said, wondering --how am I going to get her to get to the point, let alone out the door in half an hour?
She rued spending the day at home, and not at the Grey Owl's office table, or in Henry's office. But, the day was supposedly going to be quiet, with the babies at a checkup with Callie and Ivy, Damia with Inola and the ponies, and Hu and Grace with Henry. That's how she knew, thought Bao. She asked my daughter where I was. Her face grew cold. She couldn't wait for the tea to steep, or make the small talk she was expected to make.
"I must be on the call. Why are you here?"
"Patience," said Dragon Mama, "the tea must steep."
"I cannot wait," said Bao. "I am a businesswoman. I have a wedding to plan, a daughter to raise, and I cannot be late. Why not tell me why you have come?"
"Very well, impatient one," said Dragon Mama. "But, you do not have to plan your wedding, I have already done so."
Bao froze. She felt herself grow hot, then cold. "Honored Mother, we are no longer in China. Also, I have more... funds. More to draw upon than before. So, we will go together to pick out a dress..."
"Drink your tea," said Dragon Mama.
"I was clear," said Bao. "I do not wish for you to plan my wedding. My husband and I must balance. It is right to do so."
"Already done," said Dragon Mama. "You will have these invitations." Dragon Mama laid them on the table. They were Chinese red and gold, with a busy pattern. They were very expensive, and hideous. "And your dress, Mrs. Wang will do."
"No!" said Bao, and stood up. "No, I will not use those hideous invitations. And, Mrs. Wang was very rude to me last time I saw her, so no. I take it you tried to order my cake?"
Dragon Mama ignored her, and poured the tea. "Sit down, impatient one," she said.
"No," said Bao. "Not until you tell me why you went ahead of me, without speaking to me, without finding out --at all, what I wanted. Who. Did. You. Order. The. Cake. From?"
Dragon Mama finally realized her daughter was well and truly upset. "I only ordered the best..."
"The name," ground out Bao.
"Wu's Catering."
"I'll cancel," said Bao, picking up her phone, "before they mistakenly spend money on a tasting." She strode out of the room. She stepped back in as Dragon Mama sipped her tea. ""You're still here?" She turned, and walked away.
Dragon Mama knew better than to chase after her daughte
r. Bao was losing being Chinese, and did not understand the network of families and favors. She sipped her tea. It was excellent. She would bend her daughter to her will. It never occurred to her that she was making a mistake that would cost the goodwill of nearly everyone she knew. She sipped her tea, and smiled.
Tito entered the office, and was nearly mowed down by guys going the other way, and out to a job. There were desks everywhere with cubbies on top, full of blueprints and completed work orders, and the project manager Eir staring at a huge screen, with her assistant Tanvi at her side staring at the screen on the other corner. They were both making little hissing noises in between their teeth. Tanvi had graduated from business school in India, and Eir had flown her and her husband (and their daughter) over. Her husband, Rohan, had a job within the week.
The jobs were multiplying. Even with training, and hiring two of the Soldier Pack --one was from the Army Corps of Engineers, and needed barely more than an overview. Now they were swamped. He divided it all in his mind, raised the assistant (Tanvi) to project manager, then hired two new assistants. Even with all the for-cost work they were doing for the Wolfpack and Soldier Pack, they were far in the black.
"Eir," he bellowed, "Find a new fucking office, and put it right in the middle of the other side of town. We're splitting."
"'Bout time," she said, and made more whistling sounds with her teeth. She used her tablet to add someone to the project management software line, and the time on a job shrank by an entire day. "Tanvi found the dome building we bought out, by Rainbow. Kind of a rehab. Distressed property. Used to be a jeweler, then a dentist. Tons of space. This place is getting a second trailer on Thursday. The guys can use it to see what they have to do, take a break, and then see us. They already get paid electronically, and log in their hours by the foreman's tablet. Keep the guys from tracking mud on my fucking carpet. Tanvi's ready to move up. She passed the project management test last week."