QBBS Meredith Reynolds, William’s Manufacturing Cavern
William slid the bolt into the last hole and grabbed a nut. Reaching around to the other side, he found the threaded end and quickly spun the nut onto it. The large cavern was peaceful. He had ten large copper brewing kettles and their associated piping in various stages of completion around him.
While the Yollins and others appreciated manufactured products for brewing, there was something about owning a handmade William’s Kettle (TM) product. He charged fifteen times more for a handmade product than a manufactured one.
Hell, he even had a black-market product he shipped through other sources that promised “You can’t tell the difference between ours and a William’s Kettle, or your money back.” He sold that one for half the cost of the William’s Kettle.
He had become stupidly wealthy just by using his hands and for the joy of making stuff that it wasn’t funny.
There was a soft meow. William frowned and bent to his left, looking down the aisle toward the sound. He waited a moment before leaning back.
Meow.
He jumped into the aisle this time, his eyes glancing into the shadows. He looked at the lights above the doorway into his little sanctum.
One of the twelve was red.
“Ok, who’s here?” he called. “I’ll give you one second before Meredith initiates a security alarm.”
William leaned back toward the large kettle he was working on and grabbed a foot-long wrench.
“It’s me, old friend,” a voice said calmly.
William recognized the voice. “Goddammit, Stephen,” he tossed the wrench back on the bench, “stop scaring a man like that. I’d likely be upset if I brained the fuck out of you.” He reached up and scratched his chin. “Then Bethany Anne would be annoyed until I explained the situation.”
Stephen chuckled. “I’ll be more careful next time,” he answered as he came around the corner of one of William’s tall shelving units.
He was carrying an all-black cat.
“Huh.” William reached out to take the cat from Stephen. “I was wondering where your furry black ass went.” He scratched the cat behind its ears and then turned, the cat fairly leaping out of his arms to land on the ground and run after God-only-knew-what.
Stephen put his arms behind his back and looked at all of William’s projects. “I’ve come to tell you that it’s time to close up the shop.”
William narrowed his eyes, turning his head a bit. “Whatcha talking bout, Willis?"
Stephen pursed his lips. “William, first of all, be thankful I understand the reference. But, this isn't an episode of Diff'rent Strokes! Bethany Anne says to get your lazy ass up and shake out the fucking cobwebs.”
“She said those exact words?” There was a huskiness to William’s voice, a yearning Stephen recognized.
Stephen pulled his arms around to his front and crossed them. “You want her exact words?”
William nodded.
“Tell my lazy-ass tinkerer that it’s time he stopped pretending he’s happy building a manufacturing company and get back on the fucking horse, for fuck’s sake. If he doesn’t understand that, tell him I need a Gott Verdammt genius with ships, antigrav and stuff that fucks up annoying motherfuckers. So, Winnie-the-fucking-Pooh-bear needs to get on Tigger’s back and get back to work. We got shit to do, people to protect, and others to fuck up.”
William eyed Stephen for thirty seconds, the vampire waiting for his response. Stephen wasn’t surprised as he watched the tension drain from William’s shoulders. Some needed to see the light, some needed to be told it was ok, and some needed a foot up their ass.
William turned, pulled the rag he had been using out of the kettle, and tossed it on the bench. “Meredith?”
“Yes, William?” she replied.
“Please sell my remaining inventory and let anyone interested in William’s Kettle products know the old man has taken a sabbatical. Then when I leave, please shut down this area, pumping the air out and mothballing it.”
He turned and started toward the door that led out of the workshop. “Team BMW has shit to accomplish.”
“I thought you guys had been doing stuff?” Stephen queried as the two walked out through the double doors. William stopped to punch in some security code or another before waving Stephen to walk ahead of him.
“We’ve been living life and doing a job,” William answered, “but our Empress just kicked me in the ass.”
“And how does that make you feel?” Stephen asked.
“Pretty fucking good, old man.” William chuckled. “Pretty fucking good.”
Team BMW Offices, Two Hours Later
Bobcat, Yelena and Bellatrix were the last three to enter through the security doors. Bobcat was surprised to see that Cheryl Lynn, Tina and Stephen were there with William and Marcus. “Uh oh,” he nodded to his friends, “I’m not the only one who got ‘the talk,’ am I?”
William and Marcus both smiled and shook their heads.
“Since I’ve got permission—” Bobcat started before Yelena cut him off.
“You don’t need permission, but you have my blessing,” she told him. “You need to be who you are for Bethany Anne and your friends. I’m not going anywhere, Bobcat, so stop fretting about me!”
Bobcat reached out and wrapped an arm around Yelena. Then, surprising her he quickly pulled her up, grabbed her legs, and started carrying her.
“Let me down, you goof!” She beat at his chest. “I’ll kick your ass!”
“A good reason not to let you down, I’d say,” Bobcat told her.
She stopped beating him and reached up to grab him around his neck. Using it for leverage, she pulled herself up and whispered in his ear.
He damned near dropped her.
“Hey!” she shrieked, her legs dropping to the ground.
He helped her stand up. “Sorry.” He smiled. “Your offer surprised me.”
“Too much candy?” Tina asked, smiling wickedly.
Yelena smiled. “I promised to try out a new recipe at home.”
“Uh huh.” William grinned. “You don’t have to share what kind of recipe it was.”
She eyed him. “Beer!” she retorted. “We have a book of positions we are still working through for the other kind of recipes.”
William reached over and snagged his tablet. “Kamasutra?”
“No,” Bobcat answered as Yelena looked at Cheryl Lynn with a “what?” facial expression.
“Human or alien recipes?” Marcus asked.
“Alien,” Bobcat answered.
William chuckled. “Lucky bastard.”
There was a sharp whack as Yelena finally caught up to the conversation.
“Hey!” She pointed a finger at him. “That number seven hundred and forty-five was something I’ve been waiting to try for sixty-four positions, so don’t piss me off!”
Bobcat grabbed a bar stool from under the table everyone was sitting at and pulled it out for Yelena. “Why do you think I thought it was safe to answer the way I did?”
She snorted. “Because you are Bobcat, and thank you for the chair.”
Bobcat sat down next to her and glanced around the table. “Ok, Yelena helped me figure out why I have been acting like a mopey dog for the last three months.”
“Because you’re Bobcat?” Marcus asked.
“Because your last four barrels of beer have sucked tiger titties?” William responded.
Bobcat looked at Marcus and answered him first. “No.” He turned to William. “Seriously? My last brew kicked your ass so bad we had to carry you out on a stretcher.”
“Pshaw!” William waved a hand. “I was just trying to make you feel better.”
“Dude,” Bobcat looked at his friend and pointed down the table, “you asked Tina here if she was going to have babies like Gabrielle.”
William turned to Tina, a blush starting to form. “Tell me I didn’t!”
“Ok,” Tina shrugged, “you did
n’t.”
“Oh, thank God.” William was slowly turning toward Bobcat when she shook her head and spoke again.
“But that wouldn’t be the truth.”
Everyone winced when William’s head hit the table. A moment later a slow moan came from him. “Ooooowwwwwww,” he groaned. “That fucking hurrrrrrrrrrt.”
They waited a moment for him to lift his head up. When he didn’t, Cheryl Lynn reached over and patted him on the back. “It’s ok. At least you didn’t ask her to marry you.”
William’s head turned enough that one eye could peek out, straining to look sideways at the woman. “Tell me the truth. My head is already on the table.”
She winked at him. “You didn’t, but it is true that the beer took you out.”
William slowly lifted his head back up from the table. “I wondered how I got back home.”
“Would you like to see the video?” Bobcat asked. William just gave him the fisheye, so Bobcat shrugged. “Just asking.” He took a deep breath and looked at everyone there.
“Ok,” he nodded to Stephen, “I understand you probably went to William to have a talk, right?” Stephen nodded. “Coming from Bethany Anne?” Stephen nodded again. He turned to Tina. “You and your Mom for Marcus?”
Cheryl Lynn turned to her daughter. “Uh, not me.”
Tina smiled. “It was me.” She paused a moment. “Well, except Bethany Anne stopped me last week and asked…”
There was an intake of breath beside Bobcat. He turned to see a look of surprise on Yelena’s face. “Oh. My. God!”
Bobcat slowly nodded. “She got to you too, didn’t she?”
Yelena just nodded.
He turned to everyone there. “She is getting us off our asses again. We’ve been calling it in for too long.”
“So,” William asked as he looked at his two friends. “Who do we trust with All Guns Blazing?”
7
Stephen, William, Marcus, Cheryl Lynn, Tina, and Yelena all turned to stare at Bobcat. His eyes went unfocused for a moment, then he looked at everyone who was staring at him.
“What?” he asked. “I figure we ask Yelena, Cheryl Lynn, Stephen, and Tina to run it,” he answered, a small smile on his face. “After all,” he jerked a thumb in Yelena’s direction, “she can brew as well—”
“Better,” Yelena cut in.
Bobcat ignored her, but his smile gave away that he had heard her. “As I can, or will with a little practice.” He couldn’t ignore the elbow to his ribs. His voice squeaked just a bit. “Apparently that opinion isn’t universal,” he concluded, to general chuckles around the table.
“Why am I included in this?” Cheryl Lynn asked.
“Marketing,” Yelena replied.
Cheryl Lynn turned to Tina. “Was that why you asked me to come?”
Tina shook her head. “Actually, no, but I’ll get to that in a moment because I think it would be awesome if you got involved in All Guns Blazing, Mom.”
Cheryl Lynn’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“It fits with your present job responsibilities very well,” Tina pointed out. “You are supposed to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s heard and felt about the Etheric Empire, and how better to accomplish that than talking with patrons at a popular bar?”
“Like a bartender?” Cheryl Lynn’s eyes opened wide.
“Sure,” Tina continued. “Short skirt, panty hose…”
“I’LL DO NO SUCH THING!” Cheryl Lynn turned on her daughter, then noticed the barely-restrained smile. “Oh!” She pointed a finger at Tina. “I’ll get you for that. You can be wait-staff and wear tiny tight tops!”
Bobcat and William looked at each other, both trying to push back a little way from the table.
“Sorry, I can’t do that,” Tina answered, putting her hands on the table, “but I have another suggestion.”
Yelena looked at Stephen, who winked at her but kept a blank face.
“And what’s that?” Cheryl Lynn asked. “Bouncer?”
“No.” Tina took a deep breath. “Guys,” she looked from Bobcat to William and lastly at Marcus, “I’d like to formally ask to be a part of Team BMW.”
The room got deathly quiet for a moment as the three guys in question searched each other’s eyes for answers.
Bobcat pursed his lips. “So,” he turned to Yelena, “will you take over All Guns Blazing as primary manager and brewmeister?”
“Only if you let me grow it,” Yelena answered. “I don’t want to have only the one bar.”
“Sonofabitch,” William breathed. “Those are some…” Yelena looked at the big man, “ovaries,” he finally got out.
“I’m in, if I get a cut.” Cheryl Lynn told them. “I like a challenge.”
“What,” Stephen asked from her right, “trying to corral Bethany Anne’s antics isn’t enough?”
“Hell,” Cheryl Lynn replied. “I have all my core responses to anything Bethany Anne does as templates. I just pull out the appropriate template, fill in the details, and have ADAM shoot it to the news agencies and my contacts around the systems. We occasionally add some video if we have it, or if we need to give our news a better shot at being seen.” She shrugged. “Frankly, Bethany Anne doesn’t surprise me anymore.”
“Those sound like famous last words,” Yelena whispered. Bobcat nodded just a little in agreement, she saw from the corner of her eye, and she noted the twinkle in Stephen’s eye and his lip upturned just a bit in amusement on her other side.
Marcus was amused. He hadn’t expected Tina to ask to be a part of the team, but frankly they needed a new catalyst in the group. The three of them had been together too long, and could read each other’s minds. They would be better for some new blood, and if anything, he wanted one more voice on the side of reason.
Bobcat smiled and directed his attention across the table. “Stephen?” Bobcat was surprised when he answered something besides, “Not interested.”
“I think I’ll take the occasional bouncer job, among other things,” he agreed, then smiled. “For a cut.”
Bobcat looked at William, who shrugged. “A smaller percentage of something we don’t have is a bigger amount than a third of nothing.”
Bobcat turned to Marcus. “Do the honors?”
Marcus smiled. “Of course.” He turned to his right. “Tina, would you like to join Team BMW in the science area?”
Her whoop of delight had everyone clapping and laughing as she leaned over to give Marcus a hug, then got up to squeeze Bobcat and William.
Stephen looked around the group and wondered, Just how did Bethany Anne make this stuff happen?
And… Hell, did I just agree to be a co-owner in a company again?
He nodded. Bethany Anne needed Team BMW to make stuff happen. The guys needed to know All Guns Blazing and Yelena were going to be ok.
Stephen sighed. Needs must when Bethany Anne was the driver. Later that evening, when everyone agreed to get back together the next day to hammer out details, he realized he felt ten years younger.
It didn’t hurt that Jennifer wanted to be involved as well.
When she didn’t have to ship out with the Guardians, she figured she could bounce with the best of them.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Guardians' Workout Area
Peter walked into the workout area and turned to his right. A few of the teams in the huge area nodded to him before they went back to their activities.
Peter’s hackles went up, and he smiled as he stripped off his normal clothes and put on the workout suit. It was made of a resilient material which stretched if he changed forms.
He was careful to not look toward the front door when Gyada came around the corner, but he was straining with his other senses to hear the change in the heartbeats, to smell the chemicals emitted by the other teams, and to generally see if he could sense a difference.
Not surprisingly, there was one.
Further, Peter could hear the almost-silent whispers as many in the teams stopped wha
t they were doing to see what was happening, and tried to determine who was causing the interruptions and curiosity. When those who made killing their business sensed a threat, it was their nature to scrutinize the newcomer.
What they saw confused them. She wasn’t that tall, and she seemed out of sorts within the large group of people. A little uncomfortable, in fact.
But that didn’t hide her easy grace or the eyes flicking from group to group, registering their existence and moving to the next. Peter could sense when her attention turned to him, and he pivoted to face her and nodded.
“Shun?” Peter called. The Chinese team lead was about thirty yards away working with Zhu and Jian. He waved them over. While Jian would easily have heard his request, Shun and Zhu were upgraded humans, not Weres. They were Jian’s backup when the Were changed to his cat.
The three men bowed to their testing team and started jogging in his direction as Gyada approached.
“Gyada,” Peter nodded to her, “I sincerely appreciate—”
She cut him off with a small upraised hand. “The Empress has spoken, and her Shield Maiden will answer.”
Peter looked at her. “Have you worked out with Bethany Anne much?”
The guys arrived and waited as Peter and Gyada finished their conversation.
“Yes. When I first arrived from Earth, she tested me to see how my control of the beast worked. Then she had me change and tested me as a creature as well.”
“And by tested, you mean…” Peter asked.
“She kicked my ass up and down the floor mats,” Gyada acknowledged. “She wanted to make sure I had control before she put me through reconditioning in the Pod-doc with TOM and ADAM.”
“Ok, just seeing if she worked any differently with you than me,” he told her before he turned toward the guys. “All right, you three are going to work with Gyada and form a team with some new recruits we are looking to bring on board. Make sure we think of everything we can, especially how to strengthen the Guards with minimal Weres.” Peter jerked a thumb behind him. “Kiel will meet you four in the smaller training area in 04-2.”
Peter looked at Gyada. “It’s time to remember your berserker training. We might need it.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 76