Fernando walks the patrol around the hanger, the major sent more men over to deal with the bodies from last night’s battle, sending them to the carrion pit where they would be burned to ashes and later reclaimed to the earth to fertilize the farming fields. Minerva follows him at his side as if she attached herself to him. There was a lot for her to ask but she in looking at the situation decides to keep the conversations to a minimum. He notices her uncomfortable silence.
 
“What’s bothering you?” Fernando asks.
 
“Many things. Things you had said about women, and directly me. Things about women who think she is better than a man and tries to undermine what they – you – have worked for. Of how the world is full of women like that, now wanting a dull and boring life so they go out to get excitement and end up getting hurt and burned by her own actions and then try to blame the man for getting hurt. That she is not willing to take responsibility for her actions. Because of all that she is not worthy of a man’s heart – of any man and his heart. She is not worthy of yours. I am not like that. I was never like that.” Minerva nervously explains.
 
“Tonya is just a slap short of getting her ass delivered to her because of her ‘LOVE’ of Hector for those various reasons I had stated. We at the convoy can only give a stable family life and an education to make better life of what she has now. But it is a boring life and it has to be. But she wants Hector because he can give her excitement and adventure, might even get her shot and killed but she won’t be bored. By then it may be too late as she would be dead – for what? An Adrenaline Rush? I can give her that by letting her run with the dinosaurs of long ago. Oh, but one can argue that Hector has a Big Cock between his legs and that is what she wants. Both you and I know how small that Pinky Dick actually is. But the problem is this – you said that YOU were never like that? Your history with Hector started years ago for the same reasons as it did with Tonya’s history is now. It is until you got burned and then rescued that you escaped him, but went back to him again thinking that he would do you the favor of helping you only for him to turn on you again. So you did not learn the first lesson and needed a second lesson to teach you to stay away from him or else you would have ended up dead along the highway. So do not yell me that you are not like ‘Those Other Women’ because you were and you still are. Why else would you be chasing me to somehow join the convoy? The past 24 hours have been nothing more than Super Adrenaline Rush for you. And that is how it is for this convoy – sometimes we get into good towns, sometimes we have to get into bad towns. This has been one of the worst towns we have been in and believe me, we had to deal with Slave towns led by highway gangs, slavers trying to purge us and airships trying to kill us, yet we managed to survive and beat them and made them work for a better good. General Jastrey leads the men to make that happen. So do not tell me that YOU are not like that. Be honest with yourself before you are honest with me and everyone around you.” Fernando tells her.
 
“That is the most hurtful anyone has ever said to me!” Minerva complains.
 
“I did not ask you to hang around me, and I already helped those who needed help – including you. All your bodies have been restored to a pristine virgin state. But if that is not good enough for you because you do not want the boring and peaceful life I want. It is not about sex, it is not about companionship, it is not about trading favors. This is about building up to have a quiet peaceful life away from the drama, to have things set up so we do not end up starving or be freezing out in the cold or sleep on the wilderness ground and hope something does not come to eat us. Yet you tied to bribe me with sex, you tried to insert yourself into my life. My generosity will only go but so far and I am not accepting of anyone trying to insert themselves into my life. I accept those who are truly willing to do for me as they would for themselves for the peaceful drama-free life I am looking for. You were almost there. Almost. Now you have to start all over again. But since you now know what I want, you will not be so eager to try to get something you want over something you need.” Fernando tells her.
 
Minerva looks at him confused, needing to think about what he said.
 
Fernando throws in, “You can’t get what you want, but you get what you need. You need to think on what those things are and decide what you want versus what you need. I am not going to take you if you are going to cause drama for me and the rest of the convoy. I already have a couple of bitches who are nothing more than drama queens and if they continue with their attitudes, they are going to end up being left behind in some town they never been too and wonder how they are going to get home, because all of us in the convoy, there is no home to return too as they were destroyed in the purge they underwent.”
 
“Then what do you want?” Minerva asks.
 
“Rest, some peace and quiet so I can make up for some lost sleep. But that is not going to happen, so making sure that everyone is alright is what I need, for in everyone being alright, I can at least take it easy.” He tells her.
 
“Oh.” She replies.
 
“You thought I was going to say sex?” He asks of her, throwing in, “Please. Sex is easy. Love is hard. I can get sex from anyone on the convoy or even anyone from town at the right price. I could have gotten it from you, as you were so eager to throw it at me. Though it would be nice to have, it is something I do not want.”  
 
Minerva looks down as they walk about.
 
He throws at her, “Oh, now you have to think about it.” He pauses for a second before stopping them in their tracks, and adds, “You are now like Adam’s Eve, knowing that she #$@!ed up in dragging the both of them out of Eden through her actions. Now what? You need to think your decisions on what you need to do to get what you need once you decide what it is you need. But as for the recent past, you helped a lot of people, even though they were little people – children. If you did not help them, no one else would have. That gives you a lot of ‘brownie points’ as to getting what you need, and right now that is respect from us all. There are other things you need but for now you got respect. Soon to follow is trust, then responsibility and then acceptance into the group. That that can happen very quickly if you do the right things. And we have to wait and see what decisions you will make when it is time for us to leave in whether or not you go with us, take the children with you or stay here with General Jastrey.”
 
“There is so much to think over to decide.” Minerva points out.
 
“The sooner you can decide, the faster things can be done for you, your twin, your friends and the children. But I would not worry about that for now.” Fernando tells her.
 
She sighs, unsure what to think for the moment.
 
“I need to lie down and rest. What do you want to do? Mind you, you got to talk with your friends and deal with the children. Being with me does not excuse you from not you’re your responsibilities.” He tells her.
 
“I need some rest too, it has been a hard time these past many hours.” She tells him.
 
“You need to deal with the children and your adult friends before you do.”He tells her. He begins walks around the hanger again. Making it around again, Fernando walks into the hanger and tells Karl, Marvin and Molly, “I’m heading back to camp. I’ll be back around dinner time to feed you guys.”
 
“See you later and thanks.” Marvin says before the others can reply with virtually the same thing.
 
Fernando gets into the jeep he has been using with Minerva taking the passenger seat. Soon they were driving out of the hanger and down the road. He takes a diversion, making sure that no one was following him. It seems that nobody wanted to the bait. So he continues and drives for the convoy camp and gets there in a few minutes.
 
Once in the camp, Fernando parks the jeep in front of his camper. He tells Minerva to go check on her friends and on her kids. He himself walks to his Teen Guards and talks with the Major herself. Nothing out of the ordinary was said or heard. He goes back to his camper, telling Ichigo to continue working with Ruth and he would be resting in the camper and does not want to be disturbed. He then goes into his camper.
 
To get some air flowing, he pops the top of the camper open. He then partially disrobes and hops onto the bed of the camper. He lies on his back and stares at the ceiling. Even the cats getting on the bed did not seem to get his attention.
 
Some 20 minutes pass when there is a knock on his sliding door. He sits up and steps over to the door sliding it open to whoever it was that was knocking. It is obvious that is was Minerva. He goes back to the bed as she enters the camper and closes the door behind her. Thought she barely had anything on, she takes off her shirt and shirts before climbing onto the bed to be with him. She puts an arm across his chest with her head resting on it.
 
After a moment of silence, she starts with “I’m sorry.”
 
“Sorry for what?” He asks.
 
“What you said about women doing things to not have boring lives, things that are detrimental to the men they are with and to themselves.” She tries to explain, getting lost in her words.
 
“What I expect in a relationship is an absolute. There is no way around it, and if anyone does not like it, then they can leave.” He tells her.
 
“But what about things like Love?” She asks.
 
“Please. Like I stated before – whether to you or to another – ‘There is Sex with love, Sex without Love, and Love without Sex.’ Which one we have is on you, though you are going to be hard pressed to figure out that if we are having sex, whether we are having it with love or not, as most likely I would be doing it to get my jollies off and cut the edge from the stress this ‘job’ has. Don’t think that while you may be thinking we are doing it because of ‘Love,’ I might be pumping my cock in and out of you just to #$@! you and if you get an orgasm from my work before I do, you are definitely going to think one thing when it is the other. We males operate on a different set of rules when it comes to sex and love, and unlike you females, we do not equate sex as love. Animals #$@! all the time – you see them acting out ‘Love’ in their actions? No. They just damn do it, and rarely there is ‘Love’ involved with them.” He explains to her.
 
“But you stated that Wessens are humans. Not animals.” She tries to point out.
 
“When Hector was #$@!ing you, you think he was doing it out of love? Hell no. You were just a source of sexual pleasure for him, a piece of meat he can put his penis into. But in your mind, it had to be Love because... I do not know. I am not female to know. But I do know that as a male – Hector did not act on you out of love. He acted in order to get into your panties. And in that act to get into your panties, he would do and say anything to make you comfortable around him, trust him, and open up to him so he can take what he wants from you. That it not love. You may think it is love, but it is not. Love should not be a price one pays in order to be with another, it should not be paid for with services and favors of a sexual nature.” He explains to her. He then throws in, “But I did those things to and for you, your twin, your family and the children, I am not seeking or demanding any payment in return. In fact, no one here is going to charge you and your group or anyone else we are rescuing because that is our mission. One can say it is done out of love. But it is going to be done, unfortunately some of us are going to get hurt, even killed in our mission but in the end, the mission will be done.”
 
Minerva seems to nod, not wanting to answer verbally. She understands where he is coming from, even though her feelings for him remain unchanged. She wants to put the label of Love on those feelings but he is basically telling her not too and with good reason. She has to think how much is this is a biological need versus an emotional one and even a mental or physical one. Like many before her, Hector has screwed with her mind to confuse her emotions and tying them to physical action to satisfy a need when it should not have. There is not much for her do except to just lie there and try to figure it out. At least with Fernando, she has that chance and not open her legs wide and try to prove it another different physical way.
 
Between the two of them, she slowly goes to sleep first. Fernando wants to sleep but is too exhausted to even try. He just wonders when the next emergency is going to happen. Somehow he manages to swap a pillow for himself without waking her up. He then covers her up with a blanket before going about to put on his clothing. He then check on the cats’ food and water bowl, refreshing them as needed.
 
Making his way to the passenger seat, he leaves through the front door, closing and locking it without slamming it closed. He does a quick walk of the area, talking a bit to those he meets. With things seemingly to be fine, he gets into the confiscated jeep and drives away. He does not have any place to go other than explore other areas. He makes it to the extreme East side of town on the opposite side of the main runway. There were a few technical shops, garages and hanger in selling and servicing various automotive, aircraft and their parts. There were a few flight schools for various crafts ranging from hot-air balloons to military cargo aircraft which were few and far between. He finds the flight school Moon Dog Maddie’s sister owns and runs: Crazy Clara Flying School. He parks the jeep near the door before going in. Built into a hanger, the school has a moderate sized waiting area lobby and a reception desk that blocks a couple of doors behind it, possibly to an office and a classroom, he thought. He walks to the reception desk and waits.
 
A younger woman in her 20s steps out of one of the rooms, sees Fernando waiting by the reception area.
 
“How can I help you?” The woman asks.
 
“Hello, my name is Fernando G, and Moon Dog Maddie sent me here for some flight lessons, she insisted that I see ‘Crazy Clara.’” He explains to her.
 
“Have you flown an aircraft before?” the young woman asks.
 
“I have flown many kinds before – long ago. But that’s beside the point. I would like to get a refresher course and sharpen some old rusty skills.” Fernando explains.
 
“All right then, what would you like to start with?” the young woman asks.
 
“Let’s start with the basics. You have anything with a Glider?” He asks.
 
“We sure do. In fact we got a morning and an afternoon class tomorrow.” The young woman states.
 
“I’ll take the afternoon class.” He tells her.
 
“Since you stated you flown before, how many lessons will you think you need?” She asks.
 
“I would say between three and five.” He tells her. He then asks, “How much will it cost?”
 
“Well, it is $200 for the class and another $300 for actually flying the glider, so $500 per class if you fly afterwards.” She explains.
 
“OK. I’ll pay for three full lessons now and if I have the time, pay for two more afterwards.” He explains as he counts off fifteen $100 gold coins. He sets them up in three piles of five coins and slides them over to her.
 
She takes the coins and gives him some paperwork to fill out and a glider flight manual and the rules of the skies of the area. He hands over the forms that he filled in and she gives him a tear-off section and a receipt for the paid classes. He folds up the papers and pockets them.
 
“Thank you. I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Tomorrow it is!” the young woman replies.
 
Fernando steps outside and to the confiscated jeep. Getting in, he turns the jeep around to head back but along the way he would check out the other merchants. He finds that if Minerva wants to leave with her friends and kids, he can get a large vehicle and trailer from this area to house them, similar to Hondo’s or Moro’s set up. The question is if and when they make their decision. The sooner, the better in his mind.
 
There were other things for sale, long storage food being one of the items, mostly grains like rice, oats and wheat flour. There is even beef jerky, smoked ham, smoked beef, smoked fish (mostly salmon) and dry-salted fish (mostly cod). Another merchant was selling assorted starchy vegetables such as potatoes yams/sweet potatoes, and carrots. Oddly enough, there were more guns and weapons merchants and ‘security protection services’ on this side of the town. Apparently a building with a sign on it saying “Lawmen & Associates” was there but closed. People were stopping by it, looked about its doors and windows and walked away finding that it was closed. Fernando found it funny that threw was a poster on the window advertising jobs with the company saying “Join the Lawmen and Bring Law and Order To The Community!”
 
Fernando gives the building and the poster a good look before driving back to the convoy, parking the confiscated jeep in front of his vehicle. He gets up and walks around for a bit, nothing has changed since he had left, and not seeing Minerva around, he thinks she must be still sleeping in the camper. He thinks that he should go in and take a nap himself. But he is not going to disturb Minerva from her rest. With little to do, Fernando goes into his electric camper and checks on the cats before setting up the front seats as a bed for him to lie on. The cats’ food and water bowls needed a little freshening up but that was it. As soon as he has his bed set up and lied on it, Meeshie got herself and Kitty onto Fernando’s lap, purring ns softly mewing. Apparently Fernando gets more love out from Meeshie than he has ever had from any other human.
 
For the next couple of hours, there was nothing done or said, just another boring day until Minerva got up. She looks around as if something was missing, and then she looks over to the front seats.
 
“What are you doing over there?” She asks.
 
“Letting you sleep.” He answers.
 
“But...” She tries to begin.
 
“I had to step out for a moment and you were sleeping so I let you rest in peace. Then I came back, so as to not wake you up, I set up the bed here for me to rest on. Nothing more.” He tells her.
 
“Oh. Thanks then.” She replies.
 
“You might as well put on your clothes and go out and check with the others to see what is going on.” He tells her.
 
“Alright.” She says in a defeated tone.
 
“Look. Do not think I got out of bed because you’re a Wesson. I had to deal with something outside and did not want to wake you up. In about an hour, I will be asking the Major and Ruth about dinner, and get something together for everyone. Then I will be going to the hanger with some meals to feed those there. In fact, I’ll go out with you as soon as you are ready as I have to speak to them now so they can be ready when the time comes.” He explains.
 
She nods as she gathers her things. It takes her a couple of minutes to put them on. They gather by the sliding door and he opens it to let her step out first. He steps out after her. She goes off to look for her friends and the children while he goes off to see the major. Major Moynihan had already left to talk with Moondog Maddie about preparing meals for the group in the future days and for the troops. He did manage to talk to Lieutenant Benson, handing her a sack of gold and silver coins to go to the Asian restaurant to begin to prepare some vegetable fried rice and separate orders of sautéed vegetables for 40 Wessens and a meat with gravy and vegetables for another 50 people, and to coordinate distribution with Ms Ruth. Lieutenant Benson replies in stating that she would contact the Major to meet at the Asian Restaurant in 30 minutes.
 
Fernando then made his way to Ruth’s camper, knocking on her door. She answers it.
 
“Hi Fernando, how can I help you?” Ruth answers the door.
 
“The Major is negotiating with Moondog Maddie about making breakfast for the group on a regular basis and Lieutenant Benson will meet up with her at the Asian restaurant to order dinner there. They will meet up with you to give out the food to the children, members of the convoy and the troops. In the Dub box there are a couple cans of dry juice powder, it is 2 scoops of powder for every gallon to make juice. You can get the teens or Karl and Marvin to do the shaking of the jugs.” Fernando explains.
 
“Thanks for letting me know.” Ruth says.
 
Fernando then takes out a sack of gold and silver coins to hand her, “Tomorrow, I want you to go with the troops to do some shopping on the far eastern side of the town. There is another bazaar there with fresh fruits and vegetables, and dried grains like oatmeal, rice and flour. I did not see if they had meat, but if they do or have eggs, well, I trust you – get what you can. Though the Major’s men will be with you, get Marvin and/or Karl or the teens to help you with the lifting and take a couple of pull carts with you. Though the meals will be providing by the major’s troops, I would like you to make some meat soup for Hondo. He needs something to heal on and something like soup will be gentle on his stomach.”
 
“For you and Hondo, I’ll get that done.” Ruth says to him.
 
“Thank you.” Fernando tells her, adding “I’ll be around. Save about 5 meat meals and 5 vegetable meals I have to send to Hondo and those with him in the hanger. Take care.”  
 
“Take care.” Ruth replies before Fernando begins to walk away.
 
He walks about for a while before he heads to the jeep he is using for driving about the town in front of his camper and leans against it.

Hector woke up slowly from his medical induced sleep to find the face of the hawk spirit doctor hovering over him. As he looked at him with squinted eyes, trying to regain his senses, the doctor smiled his unsettling smile at him. Hector might have been a spoiled brat but one to easily scare he was not. He frowned angrily at the smiling spirit instead as his mind fought through the haze.
 
 
“Ah, we are finally awake, I see. Welcome back, Señor De La Cruz.” The doctor said almost patronizingly.  
 
 
“Who the #$@! are you?” Hector growled groggily at the being hovering over him.
 
 
“Oh, Forgive me, Señor. I often forget that I am not as famous as I should be. I am Doctor Ferruginous Hawkeye, Master of bionic customization and installations.” He said with a flourished bow.
 
 
He then half turned and gestured towards the two other spirits in the room, “This is my lovely and most capable nurse assistant, Kanin. And this is the muscles and tech wizard of my team, Maikoh.”
 
 
“I do not give a #$@! about your names, I want to know what you are doing here!” Hector growled angrily.
 
 
“To install your bionic hand, of course!” Dr, Hawkeye replied, his voice dripping with fake cheer.  
 
 
Hector looked down as he lifted his arm. A flash of horror danced across his face but was soon cloaked by a mask of rage as he turned to the surgeon.
 
 
“Where the #$@! is my hand?! You said you would get it!!” Hector yelled.
 
 
“I apologize, sir, but I said we would try to get it… Our Lady tried but it was hidden from the sight of her tech.” The surgeon replied in a meek, apologizing tone.  
 
 
Hector slammed his metal hand into the metal side table.
 
 
“This is UNACCEPTABLE!” He roared.
 
 
He lifted his hand again to pound the table angrily again, like a spoiled angry child who did not get their way, but he stopped as he noticed the dent he left in the table. With a quizzical, yet intrigued look, he studied the dent and his new bionic hand. The hand was not just attached to his arm but a light weight metal exoskeleton ran up to and across his shoulder making his arm feel lighter and move faster than it had with his real hand. As he studied it Dr Hawkeye’s grin grew large and he approached nodding and chuckling lightly.
 
 
“Yes… yesss. It can to that and more.” Dr. Hawkeye said with a twinkle in his eye.
 
 
For a spirit he was overly proud of himself and took extra delight when people recognized his handiwork. Though he always wore a smile he was easily offended and if you were not an asset to him and he was offended you did not live long. He did not like Hector one little bit and his outburst earlier did not endear Hector to him any further but he had his uses. The marvel in Hector’s eye, though, at the doctor’s creation did win him points with the spirit doctor, though.
 
 
“It can do more?” Hector asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.  
 
 
Dr. Hawkeye nodded, “Yes, to start, I noticed a rather nasty bruise on your upper arm. What caused that?”
 
 
“That #$@!ing cowboy I have been dealing with shot me in the arm last night! Had I not been more cautious because of my previous dealings with him and that medic I would have lost the whole damned arm!... I had some body armor on under my shirt, though. Damn Gringo Puta thought he hurt Hector bad! I will be ready for them next time, though.” Hector said with a growl at the thought of it all.
 
 
The doctor smiled, “Well, that will not happen again, there at least. I have detachable armor sections that clips onto the exoskeleton. Some can be made for your other arm and chest as well if it is desired, but for now all we have is this with us.”
 
 
He handed Hector a piece of the armor, it flexed in his hands as a piece of rubber.
 
 
“How will this protect me?” He asked incredulously.
 
 
The doctor took it and banged it on the side of the table, leaving a small dent in it where it struck. Hector’s eyes got wide as he took it back form the doctor.
 
 
“It gets ridged with impact, absorbing the shock in the process. The harder the impact the harder it gets, but it does not get brittle either. There is no projectile made by man that can penetrate it!” The doctor said with a smile.
 
 
Hector nodded, “I take it that this material is not man made then either.”
 
 
The doctor’s smile widened, “That is correct. It is composed of a rare element, not found here, and something of my own design and composition.”
 
 
Hector smiled, “I think a complete set of armor would be a good addition to this.”
 
 
“I believe that can be arranged… for a price… But that  we can discuss later.” The doctor said.  
 
 
“Is there more it can do?” Hector asked
 
 
“Of course! You are probably already feeling the increased speed and dexterity due to the exoskeleton bypassing a lot of your nerves to speed up the reaction time but it also adds strength and resilience.. Now, flatten your bionic hand with your thumb up and shake it once.” The doctor said.
 
 
Hector did so and a small derringer popped out of the palm and settled itself just right to be used in his hand. Hector cocked the hammer, eased the hammer back down then flipped the barrels open to check the chambers.
 
 
“I see it is empty. Really Doctor, did you think I would shoot you?” Hector asked, grinning ryely.
 
 
The doctor shrugged, “I am not one to take unnecessary chances.”
 
 
Hector nodded, “Si, but though I have never heard of you I know who you work for. To shoot one, such as you, would not bode will for my existence and Hector likes existing.”
 
 
The doctor nodded, “Yes… I am sure you do. Now, that gun takes either 38 specials or 357 magnum rounds. They are fairly common earth rounds, I am told.  As you see it can be removed for cleaning or replacement fairly easily. To store it back, open you hand again and shake it once more.”
 
 
Hector did so and the pistol snapped back inside his palm.  
 
 
“Now, make a fist, leaving your small finger extended and shake it again.” The doctor said.
 
 
Hector did so and two small dagger blades, approximately four inches long, shot out from the knuckles of his bionic hand.
 
 
“Leaving the small finger out extends them both. Leaving the thumb out just opens the left blade and your pointing finger extended for just the right one. They come with liquid chambers that will wet the blades as the extend out with whatever liquid you insert into the chambers. I suggest a poison in one and a fast-acting tranquilizer in the other.” The doctor said.
 
 
Hector nodded, extended his pinky again and shook his hand to return the blade.  
 
 
“It also has a taser option so when you strike out you shock them as well as hit them, which is activated by this red button under this small access panel.” The doctor said flipping open a small panel at the lower back side of his hand.
 
 
“What do these recessed buttons do?” Hector asked nodding at the blue and orange recessed buttons in the same small panel.
 
 
“Ah yes, these are the last features and should be used carefully. The blue button releases a pain killer in case you are injured. You must use something small to push it, as it is not something you want to get injected with accidentally. Do not use it for minor pains. It is for emergency use only! It can be used three times without refill, but never press it more than once in a twelve-hour period or it could stop your heart. The orange one is for emergency energy. It can be pressed four times without a refill. Never press more than once in a day or it can cause your heart to blow up! It will give you strength, speed, and energy that is completely beyond anything found in nature! If you accidentally hit the blue button twice or the orange button twice, hit the opposite color once. It will not negate the effect nor keep you from hurting yourself, but it may keep you from dying, at least immediately.” Dr. Hawkeye replied, his creepy grin reappearing as he finished speaking.
 
 
Hector swallowed hard and then nodded, “Muchos Gracias, el doctor. This will aid me greatly.”
 
 
Dr Hawkeye chuckled and shook his head, “No thank yous are needed. My work is not done out of charity.”
 
 
“What do I owe you for this, then?” Hector asked warily.
 
 
The doctor shook his head again, “You owe nothing for this as payment has already been promised from another for this service. If you want the full armor, though, we will discuss payment once I have it ready for fitting.”
 
 
Hector’s eyes narrowed a bit as he studied the doctors face for his intentions, but he found himself unable to read this creature like he read others. Something told him that these spirits could not be trusted but he knew he needed more than an edge to take out Hondo, Fernando, and their group. After a moment Hector sighed and nodded.
 
 
“Si. We will talk then.” Hector replied
 
 
Dr Hawkeye grinned his large, eerie grin again and step over to where his assistants and gear was waiting.
 
 
“Until then, Señor De La Cruz!” The doctor replied.
 
 
After he finished speaking he pressed a button on a small remote he pulled from his pocket and a beam of blue light came seemingly out of nowhere and enveloped them. Then in a single bright flash the three spirits and their gear were gone.
 
 
With the spirits gone everyone in the room, including Hector breathed a sigh of relief. Though some tension hung in the air still, as the medical staff knew what a piece of work Hector could be, it was no where near as thick as it had been with the spirits there.
 
 
After a moment one of the nurses came up and checked Hector’s vitals.
 
 
“I am ready to leave.” Hector stated.
 
 
The surgeon looked at the nurse and she nodded once she had completed taking his vitals.
 
 
“One of my staff will show you to your guest suite, but I would advise you to rest for at least a day while your body expels the sedatives we gave you and allows whatever healing medications Dr. Hawkeye gave you to do their work.” The surgeon stated.
 
 
Hector nodded as he sat up and eased himself to his feet. The nurse stood by in case he was shaky but he seemed fine.  
 
 
“Where is my shirt and vest?” He asked
 
 
“The cleaners have them, sir.” The nurse replied.
 
 
He sighed, “Fine, then show me to my room. I want a shower and to get some food!”
 
 
One of the medical technicians showed Hector the way to his room from the medical center. Once there they took a food order and left him be. After they left he sat wearily down on the edge of the bed for a moment before looking around for something to drink. After a couple minutes he stood up and headed over to the dry-bar to pour himself a glass of rum. He poured a hefty amount in a good-sized tumbler and took a drink. He closed his eyes and gave off a contented sigh as the alcohol ran down his throat and started a warming sensation that started in his belly and radiated outward.
 
 
As he stood there enjoying the drink a knock at the door disturbed his moment of peace and relaxation. He growled angrily at the intrusion and marched to the door, half throwing it open. Standing there was one of the Grey Lady’s guards, a wolf wessen of whom worked for him as an informant at times.
 
 
“This had better be important for you to disturb me like this!” Hector growled.
 
 
The wessen nodded, “It is, sir. I need to speak with you privately.”
 
 
Hector sighed and nodded for him to enter. He shut the door behind the guard then turned to him with a frustrated sigh.
 
 
“Well? What is it?” He asked impatiently
 
 
“I have information for you and a gift… The Grey Lady does not intend for you to inherit her position and has setup another to lead instead of you.” The guard said in a low voice.
 
 
Hector’s interest was piqued, “What? I must know more, and… what is this gift you say you have?”
 
 
The guard smiled, “I’ll give you all the details I have, but I’m sure you can get more from our gift… the gift is the one who The Lady wishes to lead… We have her kidnapped, snuck her out, and she's on the way to Chinatown! ”
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
 
Valentine had fallen fast asleep in the recliner, but her sleep was not restful. Horrible dreams of being in pain while being forced to watch her children, Hondo, and Fernando being tortured and killed haunted her sleep. As her dreams played out she was helpless to stop what was happening, as he body seemed to be held down. As the tormentors raised a gun to Hondo’s head and fired it she cried out loud and woke up with a start.
 
 
Even with her mind in a fog from sleep and her body on edge from the nightmare she felt a presence close by, and since she was not sure if it was friend or foe she reached for her pistol, which she did not find and started to panic. As the sleep cleared from her eyes and mind, with the rush of adrenaline she felt, she saw the presence was only that of her younger self. She looked around quickly as her memory started to return and she saw she was in the camper of the younger version of herself and remembered having left her pistol on the couch before sitting on the recliner. She had not intended on falling asleep but realized she must have, which was no surprise as she had not slept well in days.
 
 
She winced in pain as she moved her wounded arm too much and sat back with a sigh as she let the adrenaline flow out of her system.
 
 
“You okay?” Val asked her from where she sat at the dinette.  
 
 
Valentine nodded and sighed, “Yeah… Had a bit of a nightmare and woke up rough.”
 
 
“I figured you had a nightmare… You cried out in your sleep a few times. You were cryin’ and beggin’ for them not to hurt someone at one point. That’s what woke me up. I thought you had settled down or I’d have woken you up. I guess you didn’t. You screamed Hondo’s name before you woke up… Must have been a horrible dream.” She said.
 
 
 “Yeah. I don’t know what it was... I get these dreams that feel way too real and this was one. Some of it was as if I was revistin’ my past faults and seein’ the damage I caused by bein’ so hard and angry… Some was as if I was seein’ the future… it was all bad and I could do nothin’ to stop it.” She said in a soft, sad tone as a shiver ran through her body at the memory of the nightmare she had just witnessed.  
 
 
“You hungry? Esther brought a sandwich and a bowl of soup by. I think some of the folks think I’m here alone still.” She said.
 
 
Valentine nodded, “Let them think that… You eat it. I’ll be fine.”
 
 
Val shook her head, “I just finished my breakfast right before you woke up, so I’m fine.”
 
 
Valentine nodded, “Alright, I’ll take it. Not sure when I’ll get out of here, and once I do, not sure when I’ll eat again so I’d better take advantage of it now.”
 
 
Val nodded and stood up to grab the sandwich from the fridge and the soup from the counter. She handed them both to Valentine and stood there for a moment.
 
 
“The soup warm enough?” She asked
 
 
Valentine took a sip and nodded, “It’s fine.”
 
 
“Need a drink?” Val asked
 
 
Valentine nodded at the whiskey bottle at her side, “I’m fine with this… You after somethin’ or do I just look so bad I’ve got you worried?”
 
 
Val shook her head, “No, nothin’ like that… I just… I’m worried about Hondo… I know you’re worried about your Hondo too. Just didn’t know If we could help each other in some way.”
 
 
Valentine shook her head, “Not sure there is much you can do to help me, unless you know a way for me to sneak out of here, but I’m thinkin’ I might have to wait until your caravan pulls out so I can sneak out in the confusion. As far as helpin’ you goes, I can probably go check on him this evenin’ but you should stay here for now. I don’t think Molly would be happy if you showed back up.”
 
 
“But what if she takes him from me?!” Val asked worriedly.  
 
 
Valentine shook her head, “You worry me at times… No wonder I #$@!ed up so bad since I was… am like you… How about trustin’ him a bit more? My… our anger was not the only thing that hurt him… Our lack of confidence in him and in who we are to him also hurt. If he falls or has fallen for Molly he’ll still come back to you. Can you say he doesn’t deserve to get off and have a nice roll with a woman that is treatin' him as well as she is, especially after what you… we have done to him?”
 
 
Val hung her head and plopped back into the couch.
 
 
“I… I guess he does deserve that… I shouldn’t be hurt or angry over it since I pushed him to it.” She said sadly.
 
 
“You need to not take it so hard. Besides, who said he has or will do anythin’ with her?” Valentine said
 
 
Val looked up quickly, as sparkle of hope showed in her eyes.
 
 
“You think maybe he didn’t?” She asked eagerly.
 
 
Valentine shrugged, “Who knows, really. Knowin’ him, though, and since this is the first time you hurt him badly, I’d say the chances that he’s slipped up and fell into another’s bed, for sexual reasons, is slim. You continue to hurt him or push him away, though, and the chances get better and better that it will happen.”
 
 
“Can I see him tomorrow maybe?” Val asked eagerly.
 
 
Valentine sighed and shrugged, “I don’t know. I’d say let Molly or Fernando be the judge of that.”
 
 
Val hung her head again, “Molly is still angry with me and will keep us apart until he’s strong enough to argue with her, I believe. And Fernando… I’m not sure he’ll talk to me again, let alone forgive me after the horrible things I said to him and how I disrespected him and Macey in front of the camp like that… I screwed up big.”
 
 
Valentine shook her head, “Fernando is a bit of a hard one at times, and he doesn’t forgive so easily, but I think you underestimate how much he does care. He doesn’t care about you just for Hondo’s sake but he cares about you as a friend too. You two are family to him. Now I’ve worn that relationship too thin, and I’m not sure there is any coming back for me, but you still have time to make things right. It will take time to get back to where you were, though. Fernando gives respect the first time and you had earned his trust, but then you betrayed them both. You’re going to have to earn back both the trust as well as the respect as he doesn’t give that freely the second time. I’d say he’s still given you… us… more respect than we deserve, though.”
 
 
Val nodded, “Maybe… It’s not that I think little of him, I just know I screwed up badly.”
 
 
Valentine nodded vigorously as she pulled the cork from the whiskey bottle again, “Yes you did and yes I have! We are good at #$@!in’ things up… I just hope you listen to me and don’t make the mistakes I did… If I could transfer what I’ve learned from my mistakes into your mind I would. I’m going to try to make things right with my family, but as I see it you are my one true chance at redemption. You have to change… you can’t be me, understand? You CAN’T be ME!”
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
Molly and Jewels helped Hondo back to the room as he was too weak to walk there safely himself. Molly worried a bit as he did not protest the help at all and seemed even too withdrawn and tired to even growl about it all. As they approached the room Maggie and Donavan rushed out to meet them. Maggie gasped as she saw how white he was looking again and saw his bandage saturated.
 
 
“You should still be in bed!! What happened!” Maggie asked as she followed them back into the room.
 
 
“We don’t know what happened yet, but I intend to find out!” Molly said angrily as they helped Hondo sit down on the edge of the bed.
 
 
Molly turned to Donavan and pointed to the front of the hanger, “Corporal, if you would, take my place watching the front with Marvin and Karl, please.”
 
 
Donavan looked at Jewel who nodded so he nodded back and hurried out.
 
 
“Want me to join him?” Jewel asked.
 
 
“In a minute, maybe.” Molly said.
 
 
Maggie got busy removing the bandage and gasped again once she had it removed, “Hondo! You popped most of your stitches! I’m going to have to redo them. Molly, can you hand me the med bag?”
 
 
Molly nodded and grabbed the bag, handing it to Maggie.
 
 
“You think he’s strong enough for us to question Tonya here?” Molly asked Maggie at a whisper.
 
 
“I might be hurt an’ exhausted but I’m not deaf.” Hondo complained groggily.
 
 
“This is all my fault, isn’t it?... I shouldn’t have let myself fall asleep!” Maggie said angrily at herself as she tried not to tear up.
 
 
“Don’t blame yourself… I had to, Maggie.” Hondo said to her softly
 
 
Molly shook her head, “It’s not your fault, Maggie. Like he said, don’t blame yourself.”
 
 
Molly turned to Hondo, “You, on the other hand… What were you thinking?! We need you well!”
 
 
Hondo sighed, “I had to.”
 
 
“Had to what?!” Molly asked half angry from worry.
 
 
“Just get Tonya.” He said wearily.
 
 
Molly looked between him and Maggie for a moment before sighing and nodded, “Okay.”
 
 
She turned to Jewel with a nod, “Would you get the troublemaker, please?”
 
 
Jewel nodded and took off to Tonya’s room.  
 
 
Maggie re-cleaned the wound and set to re-stitching it, having most the stitches fixed well before Jewel and Tonya returned. As Hondo sat there and grimaced at the pain he nodded to Molly.
 
 
“Could you hide that hand in a jar? I’m not sure that will help things.” Hondo said with a groan.
 
 
Molly jumped up, grabbed the jar, and stuffed it in the closet, “You’re probably right about that! All we need is for her to blow up again!!”
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
As Jewel entered the room she found the young fox wessen sitting on the bed, her face buried in the shirt that Hondo had been wearing earlier. She looked up at Jewel as she entered, showing her tear stained face and eyes in the process. As she looked up Jewel noticed the girl’s shirt was still unbuttoned as it had been earlier and it made the memory of what she had seen when she entered the room earlier, and been told to stay out, flash back into her mind.
 
 
Jewel smiled at her and put a hand on the chair that was beside the bed.
 
 
“Your name was Tonya, right?” She asked
 
 
Tonya nodded.
 
 
“My name is Jewel… can I sit down?” She asked
 
 
Tonya nodded again, “Sure… Is Papa alright?”
 
 
Jewel nodded hesitantly, “Y..yes… Hondo should be fine… Molly wanted to ask you some questions but first, I thought maybe we should talk.”
 
 
Tonya looked at her questioningly, “Why?”
 
 
Jewel cleared her throat and spoke hesitantly and carefully.
 
 
“Now, I’ve heard a lot of good about Hondo. I… I know he’s done a lot for the people of this camp… saved a lot too… Last night he saved a bunch of us by intercepting that message and he and Molly fought a bunch more of those cold ones, which saved us from a potential second attack… We all owe him for that but… whatever he has done………” She sighed
 
 
“Yes?” Tonya asked not sure where she was going with this.
 
 
“… Whatever he has done for us… or for you… I’m sorry, I’m not sure how to say this.” Jewel said hesitantly, “Listen… I believe wessen are equal with humans. Some were humans before the labs got them and others were born from these wessens which make them still human… just different. I know many people see wessen as lesser and do what they want with them, but that’s not right… you are not a lesser being and do not deserve to be forced to give yourself because of that.” Jewel said
 
 
Tonya nodded, “I know, but why are you telling me this?”
 
 
Jewel sighed, “Whatever Hondo has done for you doesn’t give him the right to take from you of yourself.”
 
 
Tonya looked at her confused for a moment then got wide eyed, “Oh! You think…”
 
 
Jewel grabbed her hand, “It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. I want to help you. If you are scared to say anything you can trust me. I saw you on the bed and him standing over you earlier! If you had to defend yourself I will protect you all the way!”
 
 
Tonya’s face turned red and she looked at the floor, “You… you don’t understand.”
 
 
“I might not, but I’ll try… Just talk to me.” Jewel said.
 
 
Tonya shook her head and puled her hand away, “No… you don’t understand.. it’s all my fault.”
 
 
“No, its not! They make us feel that way at times, but you’re the victim!” Jewel said.
 
 
Tonya’s blush deepened and she turned he head away, “Please… just take me to Molly.”
 
 
“Tonya, I’ll keep you safe! I promise!” Jewel said.
 
 
 “Just take me to Molly…… please.” Tonya whispered, tears falling from her eyes again.
 
 
Jewel sighed and nodded, standing up as she did so.
 
 
“Okay, but I’ll stay there and be ready if you change your mind.” Jewel replied.
 
 
Tonya stood up, still clutching Hondo’s shirt and headed out of the room, in her bare feet, and walked to Hondo’s room with Jewel less than two steps behind. As they entered Maggie was re-bandaging Hondo’s shoulder but stopped to look up at her for a moment before finishing.
 
 
Molly nodded at Jewel and smiled, “Thank you. You can join your partner, if you wish, now.”
 
 
Jewel shook her head, “Respectfully, I wish to stay for a moment.”
 
 
Hondo then shook his head and spoke up, though his voice sounded weak.
 
 
“No… Please leave us while we talk with Tonya.” He said
 
 
Jewel snapped to attention, “Sir! I regret to inform you that I cannot leave at this time and insist on staying for this young woman’s safety!”
 
 
Molly, Maggie, and Hondo looked at each other and her for a second, then back at each other. Hondo looked over at Tonya who appeared utterly embarrassed as was, but she spoke up.
 
 
“Let her stay... please… She needs to know now.” Tonya said softly as she stared at the floor.
 
 
Hondo sighed, “Alright.”
 
 
Jewel relaxed a bit but kept close to Tonya and kept her eyes on the others.
 
 
Molly shook her head before turning to Tonya and speaking.
 
 
“Alright… Tonya, what happened? I could ask Hondo, but I want to hear it from you.” She said.
 
 
Tonya looked at the floor and moved her feet nervously, “Papa, he came in to try to talk to me again… I … I was rude to him and doubted that he was really hurt.”
 
 
“What happened then?” Molly asked
 
 
“He took off his shirt to show me the bandages and told me he was hurt and Hector had lied to me.” She replied pausing again.
 
 
“Then what?” Molly prompted again.
 
 
Tears fell from Tonya’s eyes as she stood there trying not to cry from embarrassment. As she stood there, Jewel stepped forward.
 
 
“She shouldn’t be put through this!” Jewel said angrily.
 
 
Molly looked at her confused, “What are you talking about?”
 
 
Before Jewel could answer Tonya spoke up.
 
 
“No! It’s not what you think! It’s all my fault!” She cried out.
 
 
“What was you fault?” Molly asked.
 
 
“I... I yelled at Papa, even after he told me he loved me! I told him he didn’t and that I knew he just wanted to  #$@! me!! .... I... I took off my clothes and bent over the bed and told him to just get it done!” She cried.
 
 
“You don’t have to say more!” Jewel said.
 
 
“Yes I do!” Tonya cried, “He tore his stitches out because I was being a stupid, stupid brat!”
 
 
“STOP! You did not deserved to be raped because of that!” Jewel yelled.
 
 
Hondo groaned and rubbed his eyes, knowing she saw only enough to think something happened. Molly and Maggie stared at Jewel in disbelief as Tonya cried and shook her head.
 
 
“No he didn’t! I said he didn't love me and then tried to get him to #$@! me to prove he didn’t! Instead of #$@!ing me, he hurt himself spanking me!” She sobbed.
 
 
Jewel froze and turned to her in surprise, “He what?! You mean he didn’t...”  
 
 
Tonya stood there shaking from crying and embarrassment.
 
 
“He tore his stitches spanking me, then ... then held me and explained that if he wanted me sexually he’d have taken me when I offered to be his sex kitten, after he first saved us, instead of asking me to be his daughter.” She said softly through her tears.
 
 
Jewel looked at Molly who shook her head.
 
 
“She really is his daughter?” Jewel asked
 
 
“I adopted her an’ the little girl I rescued from the slavers with her… even though they are adopted they are still my daughters, as if they were my own blood.” Hondo said coldly and firmly, mustering some strength from the anger he felt at her veiled accusations.  
 
 
Jewel turned to Tonya, “Is this all true?”
 
 
Tonya nodded, “It is and I’m so sorry I caused so much trouble… I’m embarrassed for being so stupid and causing all this.”  
 
 
Jewel swallowed hard and nodded, patting Tonya on the shoulder, “It will be alright I’m sure… I… I’ve probably caused enough trouble… I’ll go outside and guard.”
 
 
“That would be a good idea.” Molly said with a growl.
 
 
Jewel nodded and left without saying more, her own face now red from embarrassment.  
 
 
Molly turned back to Tonya after Jewel had left, “Anything else?”
 
 
Tonya shook her head, “No… He hurt himself when he swatted my ass… It still hurts to sit down, but I deserved it… I deserve worse for the trouble I’ve caused him… he doesn’t deserve a bitch like me for a daughter.”
 
 
Molly sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off a forming headache. She turned to Hondo after a moment with a weary sigh.
 
 
“I know you #$@!ing Tonya is bullshit, but I want to hear from you that what Tonya said is true.” Molly said
 
 
Hondo sighed and nodded, “I reckon that’s pretty well what happened.”
 
 
She sighed again, “What the #$@! were you thinking?! You should have been in bed resting! Did she need her ass beat, yeah, but not by you today!”
 
 
Hondo scowled, “I don’t reckon it's your business how I handle my daughter, but after what she said last night I couldn’t rest further without talkin’ to her!”
 
 
“Talking I understand, but you were hurt and you spanked her!” Molly half yelled.
 
 
“What the hell did you want me to do?! She stripped her clothes off, bent over the bed an’ told me to #$@! her an’ get it over with! Walkin’ away would have just drawn it all out! You think I should have #$@!ed her instead?!?” He growled.
 
 
“Maybe! At least you’d not have bled again and set yourself back!” Molly yelled
 
 
Tonya turned beat red again and stared at the floor wide eyed, but said nothing. Maggie sat back in her chair with her head down, holding her robe closed, as Molly and Hondo snapped at each  
other.
 
 
“You know that was never an option! I did what I had to in the moment.” He groused.
 
 
“If you need to work out some frustration, take it out on me then! Use your good arm and hit me! #$@! me! Anything! But don’t hurt yourself anymore! We need you well!!” She yelled with grit teeth.
 
 
Maggie stood up and gently put a hand on Molly’s shoulder, “He needs to rest.”
 
 
Molly turned away angrily, “Fine! Just see he stays here this time!”
 
 
With that she marched angrily out of the room. Tonya, who was still blushing looked at Hondo then out at Molly and back. Hondo sighed and nodded.
 
 
“Go talk to her, but come back. I’d like you to sit with me for a while.” He said.
 
 
She nodded and took off after Molly.
 
 
Maggie shook her head and sighed, “It’s my fault too, you know.”
 
 
Hondo shook his head, “No it’s not. I’d have gone even if you were awake. It was better this way though. I’m sorry I messed up your stitches but gettin’ Tonya to snap out of that anger she was in was worth that an’ more to me.”
 
 
Maggie shook her head, “I know she needs you but so do we all. Don’t do that again… please.”
 
 
He sighed, “I’ll take it easy for now.”
 
 
She looked at him and frowned, “We’d better get those pants off you. You’ll rest better without them.”
 
 
He shook his head, “I’ll keep them on. I got them on but not sure I can get them off right now.”
 
 
“I can help.” She said.
 
 
“You’ve done enough already.” He replied as he saw she was starting to blush.
 
 
“No, I’ll do it.” She insisted as she helped him up, pulled the covers back and helped him back into bed.
 
 
Once he was back she unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off. Being a smaller woman, she had to work at it a bit as he could not help a lot. Just as she got them to start sliding her robe popped open exposing what she had but she continued until she got the jeans off completely. Once the jeans were off she quickly turned away and secured the robe. Hondo noticed how red-faced she was, though, as her face glowing hot enough to almost light a cigar.  
 
 
“You alright?” He asked.
 
 
She nodded vigorously but said nothing. He reached forward with a groan and started to pull the blanket over himself. She heard him groan, though, dropped the jeans, and helped him cover up.  
 
 
“S.s.s.sorry.” she stammered.
 
 
“If you need to get clothes, I’ll promise to stay here.” He said
 
 
She shook her head, “N.n.no… It’s not that. I’m.. I’m not comfortable in my own skin but I’ve had to be naked for the doctors a lot… I hated it but… but I don’t mind you seeing me like I did with them.”
 
 
“Well, I’m flattered that you feel that comfortable ‘round me, after I had ya scared an’ all there, but… why are you so embarrassed, then?” He asked.
 
 
“I…I… well,… you see… It’s just….” She stammered.
 
 
He squinted at her a moment thinking, “Was it me then?”
 
 
She looked away and nodded again.
 
 
“But you said you had to pleasure guys before an’ I can’t imagine all your patients were clothed. Plus, you had to have at least helped last night.” He replied.
 
 
She sighed and nodded, “Last night was an emergency and you were unconscious, like all the patients I had to deal with when they weren’t covered. And, most of those I pleasured… well… it was high stress, they were pretty small compared to you and well… I didn’t like them.”
 
 
Hondo sighed and shook his head, “Maggie… I have a wife.”
 
 
She turned and looked at him wide eyed.
 
 
“No! I.. I didn’t mean like that… I mean I’d be honored if you wanted to share a bed with me like that but I meant more as a friend! Well, friend and protector and I just feel closer to you after all this and it just felt awkward being in the skimpy robe and seeing your… your...” She said, speaking really fast.
 
 
“Maggie, it’s alright... But, if you’re gonna keep on with your medical work to help folks you’ll have to get used to seein’ a few dicks on conscious men.” He said flatly.
 
 
She turned red again and turned away. He chuckled lightly and patted the edge of the bed.
 
 
“Sit down.” He said.
 
 
She sat down and slowly looked at him bashfully.
 
 
“It’s alright, Maggie… Thank you for helpin’ me.” He said seriously.
 
 
She smiled softly and nodded, “I am glad to.”
 
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
 
Tonya followed Molly out to the back of the hanger where she stopped, facing away from her.
 
 
“Molly?” Tonya called to her softly.
 
 
Molly turned to her with an angry look.
 
 
“I should spank you myself for this! Your selfish, stubborn, angry bullshit has hurt him twice!!” She half yelled.
 
 
Tonya hung her head sadly, “Molly, I’m sorry… I never meant for this to happen… I… I lost my way. I’m sorry.”
 
 
“What is with women he has around him! Between you and Val, you two are going to kill him!” She growled angrily.
 
 
“Molly I..” Tonya started to say by Molly cut her off.
 
 
“And I can’t stop it! Just like James! He died and all I could do was watch!” She shouted angrily.
 
 
Her anger dissolved though and she swallowed hard as tears started to fall down her cheeks.
 
 
“Why? Why can all we women do is either destroy our men with our drama or watch them destroy themselves and be unable to stop it? Why??” Molly said sadly.
 
 
Tonya looked down then back up at Molly, “You love Papa, don’t you?”
 
 
Molly nodded, “Yes… but he loves Val… not me… All I can do is watch him get hurt… I can’t stop it nor really be there for him to comfort him.”
 
 
Tonya sighed, “I’m not sure him and Val are going to make it… She hates me now and I know that’s driving a further wedge between them. I don’t know what to do for him either and I only keep making it worse.”
 
 
Molly shook her head and swallowed hard again to try to keep from full on crying, “*sniff* No… I saw her today *sniff*. She… She’s still angry but wanting help now. *sniff* She… she knows she’s broken. *sniff, sniff* Once he sees her like that he’ll never leave her and…*sniff* I think she regrets yelling at you now too.”
 
 
Tonya looked at here with a hopeful look, “Really? She’s getting better?”
 
 
Molly looked down and nodded sadly, “Yes… she even asked for my forgiveness and begged for my help… she even offered to share Hondo with me if he wanted that.”
 
 
“Are you?” Tonya asked.
 
 
“Am I what?” Molly asked
 
 
“Sharing Papa with Val?” Tonya asked
 
 
Molly shook her head, “No! I… I couldn’t share him… not like that. Plus… he wants her… not me.”
 
 
“Molly, I’m sorry… I know it has to hurt.” Tonya said softly.
 
 
Molly shrugged, “It’s alright. I’m glad Val might come around for him… he deserves to have the one he loves… just hurts me that I can’t stop him from getting hurt or help him… Why can’t we women be stable for the men we love? We are always either causing them drama or standing by helpless… We’re never in the middle keeping them from harm and being stable for them… why can’t we??”
 
 
Tonya shook her head sadly, “I don’t know… I don’t want to hurt Papa anymore but…”
 
 
“But what?” Molly asked
 
 
“But I don’t know if everything he said last night is true still.” She said
 
 
“After all this and you still don’t know?! What did he just hurt himself for then?” Molly asked incredulously, bordering on angry.
 
 
“Molly, I know he’s not wanting to use me and that he loves me. I see that all clearly now… But I don’t know that Hector is evil like he thinks!” Tonya exclaimed
 
 
“But Hector was the one who filled your head with those lies about him! And what about what Fernando showed you? You think he’s not to be trusted?!” Molly asked
 
 
Tonya sighed, “I think he cares a lot like Papa does. Maybe not as much as Papa does about Zoey and me, but almost as much… I think he was also angry that I called the girl with him a whore… She did dress kinda trampy but… maybe I would too if I had not been given such good clothes by Papa and Val… I think Uncle Fernando and Papa hate Hector and they believe he is evil… I think Uncle Fernando might have used his magic cane, or whatever it is, to punish me for being mean and to try to get me to think Hector is evil.”
 
 
“But how do you explain Hector filling your head with lies about them?!” Molly asked
 
 
“Hector is a wessen like us… I think all he’s seen of humans is the bad side. I think he’s just trying to protect me and, like Papa and Uncle Fernando hate him, he hates them without knowing them like I do… I … I let myself get caught up in all the hate and got confused… Papa showed me that I was truly loved… I don’t know what to believe about Hector but I want to talk to him again and give him a chance to explain himself… Like I should have done with Papa and Uncle Fernando from the start… Maybe they all hate each other too much to see the truth but I have a lot I have to figure out, myself, before I can try to help them see the good in each other.” Tonya said
 
 
Molly frowned, “But… what if they are right about him?... About Hector?”
 
 
Tonya hung her head, “I… I don’t know. … I’ve thought about that but… I just don’t know.”
 
 
Tonya and Molly talked for a bit longer before Tonya headed back to the room. Tonya tried to get Molly to come back with her but she said she needed to go have a smoke and clear her head. Tonya thought it was odd as she had never seen  Molly smoke before but she had been through a lot the last few days so it was understandable.
 
 
They parted ways and Tonya walked back into the room, where she found Maggie folding Hondo’s jeans and Hondo lying in bed, awake, but looking sleepy. It was then Tonya realized she was still clutching Hondo’s shirt. She handed it to Maggie with an embarrassed grin.
 
 
“Guess I did not realize I still had it.” She said.
 
 
Maggie just smiled at her in an understanding way and took the shirt from her. Tonya then went and pulled a spare chair up beside the bed and took Hondo’s hand in hers.
 
 
“How you doing, Papa?” She asked
 
 
“Just tired mainly… hurt a bit… You gonna leave your shirt unbuttoned all day?” He asked with a weary edge to his voice.
 
 
She looked down at herself and back at him, “I’ll leave it for now, if you don’t mind… I need to remember not to judge some so readily… its too easy to misjudge.”
 
 
“Hmm… Am I suppose to take that as some sort of message?” He asked.
 
 
She shook her head, “No. I’ll tell you about it later. I just have not been treating people well lately, I realized.”
 
 
He nodded and his eyes started to close, “Just cover up if anyone else comes ‘round… alright?”
 
 
She smiled softly and squeezed his hand, “Yes papa. I will.”
 

As Fernando leans against the jeep, he can see more of the General’s men arriving and joining the camp. They are arriving a few at a time with an occasional large vehicle of supplies and housing space with them. Major Moynihan arrives with her men with more supplies from the bazaar, she gets off the jeep to speak to Fernando as her men put away the supplies.
 
“Excuse me Mister Fernando. Would you know what that blimp near the parking area is for?” The Major asks.
 
“It’s a slave transport ship. It is owned by a Mister Giovanni, he owns a Sandbox Strip Bar and Gambling Palace on the other side of the bazaar. Let’s just say they are looking for a new captain as he had a little accident.” Fernando explains.
 
“Slavery’s illegal, we will need to take care of that sooner or later.” The Major points out.
 
“Deal with it as you think needs to be done.” He tells her.
 
“We have men trickling in before we can make a move.” The Major explains.
 
“While that is going on, meet up with Ms Ruth tomorrow after breakfast, check out the bazaar on the extreme east edge of town with her to pick up supplies for the convoy and your men if you like. I checked them out earlier, mostly farmers selling their harvest and wares.” Fernando explains.
 
“We will do that.” The Major agrees.
 
One of the Kharkovchankas owned by  General Jastrey’s men rolls into the parking lot, escorted by 3 jeeps, one supply truck and one troop carrier truck. The men in the troop carrier step out and line up by the major. A Sergeant walks up to the Major with the men standing at attention a few steps away.
 
“Troop 27 reporting for duty, sir!” The sergeant stands at attention by major and salutes.
 
“At ease sarge.” Major Moynihan tells the sergeant. She the looks over the gathering of the troops, telling them, “At ease men.”
 
They all take a relaxed stance upon her order.
 
The Major then turns to the sergeant, “This is Medic Fernando G. he is in charge of this convoy and we follow his advice and warnings. He does a lot of the primary scouting of the area and search for various venues for us to obtain supplies and intel. The other night we were almost over-run by Lizardmen, which he and his people found out about and he personally took care of single handedly. I need you and the men ever alert especially at night as Lizardmen are invisible to infrared night vision equipment. They are also near bullet proof, and only a very sharp honed in blade will cut through their skin. They also have poison claws and teeth which when scratched or bitten, will make one weak and sick, and eventually kill in a few hours. The medic is working on a medicine that will heal one from such poisons, as one of his own people got poisoned and is alive due to his treatment but recovery is slow. Once he perfects the medicine, he will give it to us. There are some individuals you need to know Like Ms Ruth who the cooks and mess workers will be working with to create and distribute meals to the members of the convoy and to us; and Mr. Hondo Sackett who is in a hanger not too far away from here, as there is no external water source, we have a train of men going back and forth all day from the hanger to get water from there and bring it here. When the convoy leaves, we will make deal which will give us the hanger for our needs. We are also working on obtaining an airship or two. There are other issues and ordeals to deal with, and the size of this town will make it difficult. It is moderately populated but reaches out for miles. Plus there a problematic Wessen Town to the South East we will need to take care of once we have gathered our forces together. Orders of the day are: 1) set up the mess tent by the Kharkovchanka, 2) keep your arms at the ready and your blades sharp at all times and 3) join in the troops and fall into guarding the camp and surrounding grasslands and expand the water train with two more jeeps with four men and a couple of 55 gallon drums per jeep. Those guarding the grasslands, beware of the local wildlife, there are some poisonous snakes in the area the locals call ‘Rope Dogs’. If you see a snake in your area – respect it and give it its space and let it go on its way unmolested. If it bites you, you will die from its poison. You got your orders, fall out!”
 
The troop all reply before they gather their things and walk to the rest of the camp troop and join in to fulfill their responsibilities, “Sir, Yes Sir!”
 
A group took a couple of jeeps and joined the water-train while others went to join the guards around the camp. A select group gathered about the Kharkovchanka and set up the tents for the cooking, cleaning and eating of meals and another smaller tent for miscellaneous operations in front of it.
 
“Good to see the men on the ever-ready state.” Fernando mentions.
 
The major nods, “It is the military that has to enforce the laws and maintain the peace. They have to be ready at all times.”  
 
“As they should be.” Fernando replies. He then looks at his watch, “In a couple hours, we need to order the meal from the Asian restaurant in the bazaar and pick it up later to give the out.”
 
“We will see you later, then. I will speak with kitchen police about adding to the meal.” The Major says.
 
“Thank you then.” Fernando tells her before going to the driver’s seat of the Jeep he has taken for his usage and lifts up the cushion to expose its gas tank. He takes the gas cap off and looks inside the tank. It looks like the tank was half empty/full. He puts the gas can cover back on the tank before putting the seat back on the gas tank. Then he looks up, and sees the Major still talking with her men, though they were looking at Fernando and what he was doing. “Everything OK?” He asks.
 
“Well, these new troops are in disbelief that you took on eight Lizardmen.” The Major says.
 
“I’ll explain how I did it, but first, of all these confiscated Lawmen vehicles, what is going to happen to them?” Fernando says and asks.
 
“Well, technically they are yours as you took on the lawmen and taken won. But you handed them over to Lieutenant Benson as she needed them. Do you need them?” The Major asks.
 
“I just need two of them as convoy back up vehicles. And at the hanger there are three more in the area that I need to gather from the battle Hondo had there. Search the area, there might be one or two more in hiding in the grassy areas but three are in plain sight near the hanger. I give them to you and your men as needed, I just need two for my convoy use. ” Fernando explains.
 
“I’ll get my men to search and recover them as they gather water. You select which two you want, they are yours.” The Major explains.
 
“Thank you. I’ll take this one, and select the other later.” Fernando tells the major.
 
“Done. Need any vehicle paint, repairs or modifications on it? I can get my mechanics to work on it for you right away.” The Major asks.
 
“It seems to be running fine, but if they want the practice, they can look over it and tune up it, tighten it up and do what repairs they think it needs during the night when I am not using it. I have not seen any but if I can find a hard or soft top for it, I would want it for those riding in it to have some environmental protection.” Fernando explains.
 
“I think we have some spare hard and soft tops to put on them, I’ll get the motor pool to look them over and do the appropriate modifications and repairs you need, and add some fuel tanks and a reinforced tow hitch you are going to need for your long haul travel. What paint scheme you want on them?” The major explains.
 
“I’ll keep it as military green, just remove these ‘Lawmen’ crap off it. In fact, keep the military green that it is and add the Medic Logo from my camper and Dub Box and put it on the hood and rear side panels of the jeeps.” He tells her.
 
“We’ll get that done on all of them.” The Major replies.
 
“Then again, thanks.” He tells her.
 
“In taking on the Lizardmen like you did, we owe you a debt we can never repay.” The Major points out.
 
“Nobody here owes anybody anything, Major. We are all doing our job.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Then thank you for your great service.” The Major declares.
 
“My pleasure in serving, Major.” Fernando tells her.
 
The Major nod back before she points out, “We’ll meet in two hours for ordering dinner meal.”
 
Fernando looks at his watch and replies, “In two hours it is.”  
 
The major heads off to deal with her men and update the orders to search and recover the jeeps in the hanger area while loading up for water. Fernando goes to the side of his camper. He is about to open the sliding door when Minerva walks up to him from behind the Dub Box trailer. She is there with her twin sister Miniya. He slides open the doors and sits on the step leading into his camper.
 
“How can I help you, ladies?” He asks them.
 
“I decided that we are not leaving.” Miniya tells him.
 
“You agree with this?” He asks.  Minerva.
 
She just nods, holding back the tears of what could have been from what she wanted to become.
 
“Alright then. In a couple days, we will be leaving this mess of a town. Hopefully General Jastrey’s men will be helping you with the children. Furthermore, if you change your mind, you have to the last minute to say so and take action. But those things I and the convoy give to you and the children are yours to keep. If we can get you a place or a building, that is yours too. Work with General Jastrey to get protection. One day I’ll return. Just a matter of when.” He tells them.
 
“Personally, I hope to never see you again.” Miniya tells him.
 
“Why would you say that?” Fernando asks.
 
“You turned this place upside down. You endangered the lives of everyone here. Now you brought over an army and have nearly conquered it into submission. Furthermore I heard you chopped off Hector’s hand? You do not know what hell you have unleashed onto this place.” Miniya tells him.
 
“I cut his hand off because I was not fast enough to take off his head.” He tells Miniya.
 
“You were not fast enough...” Miniya almost mocks him.
 
Minerva jumps in, “Something grabbed Hector and he disappeared in a flash of light. But Fernando got his hand.”
 
“He’s going to hunt you to kill you and probably use us as bait to get you to him.” Miniya tells him.
 
“I will deal with Hector as I see fit, and I will kill him the next time I see him.” Fernando tells her.
 
“That is no guarantee that he will use us to get to you.” Miniya tells him, throwing in “He has brought in Cold Blooded Killers to deal with humans like you who think they are more than capable of taking on a Wessen. We are all going to be dead thanks to you.”
 
“Are you done?” Fernando asks.
 
“No I am not done!” Miniya almost yells at him.
 
“Then you are going to shut up and follow me.” Fernando tells her. He gets up and closes the sliding door of the camper before heading to see Major Moynihan. Minya’s mouth just kept on going as they walked. Fernando asks the Major, “Where are the bodies from last night’s battle?”
 
“Follow me.” The Major tells him. They follow her up to the Kharkovchanka and go inside. In the back of the vehicle a couple of Lizard men were stacked on an examination table, head and body separated by a couple of inches. The rest of the bodies were stacked on the floor with the heads on the shelves above them. Men in lab coats, military medical officers, were examining the bodies. The Major tells the medics to step away from the bodies for a moment.
 
Fernando walks up the examination table and signals Miniya to step with him. He points to the bodies on the table, “Cold Blooded Killers, you mean them?”
 
Miniya looks at the Lizard men on the table with their head separated from the bodies. Fernando points to the others stacked up on the floor and shelves.
 
“How is this possible? Who killed them?” Miniya asks. The Major points to Fernando. Miniya replies “No way.”
 
“Actually, I killed 8 of them who tried to attack this camp last night. Hondo killed the other 4 at the hanger though he may have been bitten and is being treated for poison. Total of 12 Dead Cold blooded Killers.” Fernando tells her.
 
“That is impossible!” Miniya tells him.
 
“Believe what you want to believe in. But the proof is here – 12 dead Cold Blooded Killers. And others are saying that I had a hand in their demise. You do the math and look at the numbers.” Fernando tells her. They stand there looking t the bodies for the moment before he states, “Unless Hector has more Lizardmen in his army to order to another suicide mission, I do not think they are coming back.”
 
Fernando turns away from the table and starts heading to the door.
 
“Where are you going?” Miniya almost demands for an answer.
 
“I got things to do. You already have seen what you need to know.” Fernando tells her before he heads to the door. He then opens the door and steps out of the tank-treaded vehicle onto the outside. He starts walking to his camper, knowing that Miniya and Minerva would be behind him. He opens the camper side door and sits down on the camper step, the hamster Wessen twin girls finally walk up to him.
 
Meeshie and Kitty sat next to Fernando.
 
“You do not walk away from me.” Miniya tells Fernando.
 
“Last I remember, I’m the master, you’re the slave. I won you from Giovanni in case you forgot. Your fate is on my decision despite the fact I give you 100 percent freedom to act and do as you need, you do not question my decisions and in the very least you do as I say when I tell you to do it.” Fernando tells her.
 
“You told Tracey and I ‘Slaves because I won you in a pool game? Please. You might as well go back into that camper and lie down on its bed naked and have me #$@! you every time my dick gets hard. Just because I won you two do not mean I own you both. You two are free to do as you like, but be my slaves. But if you stay, I demand that you do something to earn your keep like cooking, cleaning, preparing the food, shopping, guard duty, and so on with whatever skills you may have we can use. No one sleeps or screws their way to a free meal and a warm bed here. Everyone has a job to do, even the older children here. Now the choice is yours – stay with us as we make our way to Texas and rescue others long the way or you can walk and take your freedom as you please. That [money] I gave you both should last you a few days and maybe get a ticket on a blimp or a truck ride out of here.’ Since you gave us a choice, then we are free.” Miniya tells him.
 
“You miss the point. I said ‘You two are free to do as you like, but be my slaves.’ Meaning, despite the freedoms I give you, if you fall into any trouble, I can get you out of trouble if you say you are my slave. Furthermore Giovanni gave me papers of ownership over you, so legally on paper you are mine. If you leave you need to make you that you leave with those papers on you and to never show them to anyone unless they are legit law en or army men, not those stupid cowboy hat wearing assholes I took care of. So, you decide that you are going to leave the convoy, you better make sure I give you those papers. Until then, despite the freedoms I give you, I tell you to do something, you do it and get it done.” Fernando tells her.
 
“Don’t worry, it will be done.” Minerva tells her.
 
“I do not want to hear that it will be done. I want to see get done.” Fernando tells her.
 
Minerva half-heartedly nods.
 
“Well, Miniya?” Fernando asks.
 
“Well, what?” She asks.
 
“I do not want to hear that it will be done, I want to see get done. Understand that difference.” He tells her.
 
“Yeah, yeah...” Miniya throws back at him.
 
“If you say that you will get something done that needs to be done, and it does not get done, I’m going to be pissed. The work everyone does here insures our safety, wellbeing, supplies and ability to travel while supporting ourselves in this long trip mission we are doing. Now if you are just going to waste our time and do the minimum, then we do not want you even if you want us to help you. Our generosity has its limits.” He tells her.
 
“You seem to have an army, endless money, go anywhere you want and think you own the place. Claiming to be generous to a point goes against all that you say and do.” Miniya tells him.
 
“I am going to ignore that.” He says to her.
 
“You are not going to ignore me.” Miniya tells him.
 
“Alright, if you want to play that game...” Fernando picks up his cane, twisting the crystal with his thumb before pressing it.  He then taps Miniya on the calf of her leg with his cane and they both disappear in a flash of light.
 
Up in a tall tree in an undefined period of time is a bright flash can be seen by those few in attention of it. On a large bough of the tree high above the floor two are on it – one by the trunk of the tree leaning against it, the other sitting a few feet away from him. The one sitting down turns to face the other. In the background, a loud roar is heard, making the one sitting down to jump of their skin.
 
“What was that?!!!” The one sitting down lets out. “And Where Are We?!!”
 
“The only thing that loud around here is Lucy.” The one by the tree trunk says.
 
“Who or what, is Lucy?!!” The one sitting down lets out.
 
“I doubt your little Wessen mind will understand what a Dinosaur is, let alone what a Tyrannosaurus Rex is or the fact that we travelled 65millions years into the past.” The one by the tree trunk explains.
 
“What?!!”  She lets out. The loud roar gets louder, along with thunderous footsteps behind it.
 
“How about you slowly get up and crawl your fuzzy furry ass over here before you fall off and the Troodons get you.” He tells her.
 
She looks around the branch. It would have been possible for her to get up but that meant a possibility slipping off and falling some 30 to 40 ft to the floor below where the Troodons were. They were looking up at them, hoping that dinner would fall on them.
 
“And if I decide to stay here?” She dares to challenge.
 
Something scared the Troodons away, with the loud roar being so loud it was almost like thunder. Then the air around her begins to get hot and humid.
 
She turns around to see a pair of eyes almost as big as her fists looking at her tiny little self, eyes that were behind a pair of flaring nostrils, which were above sharp pointy teeth almost as big as her leg. She just grabs onto the limb of the tree and shakes nervously in place.
 
“Lucy No!” The one by the tree trunk yells out.
 
The T-Rex looks about seeing the other by the tree trunk and side-steps towards him.
 
“Lucy – Friend.” The one by the tree trunk says to it, reaching out and patting its nose.
 
The T-Rex makes a strange loud sound, almost as if it was purring, but sounding like a large truck engine without a muffler. After a moment, he walks up to the one holding the tree trunk and shaking visibly.
 
“Alright Miniya, cut it out with the scared baby routine, she is not going to bite you. Probably swallow you whole, but she will not bite you.” He tells her as he reaches his hand out to her.
 
“What... Is... that...?” Miniya asks nervously.
 
“That is a T-Rex. The apex predator of Planet Earth during the Cretaceous Period some 65million years ago. Consider yourself lucky that these monster animals all died out from an asteroid hitting the planet long ago, or else humans would have never had made it to what they are in the future, and Wessens like you would never have happened.” He explains to her.
 
“But...” She tries to ask.
 
“Let me give you one warning. The amount of power some of us in this convoy has can easily destroy Flight Town  if we so wish it. Whether it is by flood, fire, and sending Lucy and a dozen of her family and friends to do it, it can be done. Also, those like Hector are going to end up here – alone to fend for themselves in this hell hole of a place where most will not make it before night fall. The choice is mine to make. And like I said, my generosity is limited, I will only give so much to anyone who needs help as long as they are willing to help back. Do nothing, pretend to be busy, try to get others to do your job, and the generosity ends. The help will no longer be there for you to have. And if you dare to get on my nerves – this is where you will end up alone. Now get up and follow me.” He tells her.
 
With some help Miniya gets up, through trembling. In a flash of light they end up at the bottom of the tree in front of Lucy the T-Rex. There he starts to walk about, finding a set of foot prints of a boot from modern times. He follows them until they walk to a pile of bones and a few rusty hand guns. Counting the skulls, there were at least six who fought and died here. Small bullets do not penetrate a dinosaur’s scaly skin. Nor does having couple hundred rounds are going to stop any of them.  
 
The cane is raised above his head and crashes upon each of the skulls and bones, pulverizing them into powder, to make Mother Earth easier to recycle them. He then picks up some metal items off the floor, including a mechanical hand, handing it to Miniya.
 
“Who were they?” Miniya asks.
 
“They were somebody who got in my way of the mission and tried to burn our campers. I sent them there as a lesson to not ever #$@! with the like of me ever again.” He tells her. He then turns to face her, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You do not want to end up here. Lucy would be the least of your problems. The Troodons would hunt you down like a wolf pack and surround you before they will you. Now answer me this – you’re my slave or a free person?”
 
“If I say the wrong thing, would you send me to this place alone?” She replies.
 
“We are already here. If anything, we either go home together or one of us goes home alone. So choose your words carefully.” He tells her.
 
“In not wanting to end up here alone, then I will say I am your slave to command and will do anything to satisfy your wants and wishes.” She explains.
 
“Ohhhh... wrong answer.” He tells her.
 
“What?” She almost yells at him.
 
“The answer is, you are a free person, a free woman, to do as you need and please. But you are free as long as you respect me and the others. I give you your life so that you can be respectful and honest with others and with me and those in the convoy helping you. Any sign of disrespect will get you kicked out. Further more you are ‘a slave,’ ‘my slave’ so if anything happens to you like the Lawmen picking you up, I step in to claim you as mine and do what it takes to take you back home to the convoy. But as you being a slave to me, you are not. Do not think you can abuse the respect of those around you, especially me. But you are to do as you are told to the best of your ability and if you need help – ask for it. Nothing else will do.” He tells her.
 
“Then...?” She begins to ask.
 
“Look, if I wanted your fuzzy furry tail, I would have #$@!ed it as soon as I brought into the camper. But as I did not and instead gave you those things that you needed like: food, clothing, and money. Now if you want to return home with a change in attitude we can leave now. Or I can leave you here to dirty dance with the dinosaurs. Which one shall it be?” He tells her.
 
She just looks down at the pile of pulverized bones and thinks that could be her in that mess. But before she can say anything, they both disappear in a bright flash of light. As the light fades, Lucy the T-Rex roars loudly, and the Troodons run about chasing another prey.
 
- To be Continued. -

Raven and Hondo followed Charles inside and upstairs to their room. The room was on the back side, second floor of the hotel, which gave them better exits if something happened. It had a door to the inside hall, a door to the balcony, a roof access hatch, and a trap door that dropped into the laundry room below them. It was setup for only certain special guests, Hondo being one of the few who used the room.  For the area and time, it was a nice room, though. The king sized, four post bed was almost luxurious, the mosquito netting that hung around it functional but also adding a touch of elegance. The furniture was all solid oak, from a time way before the happening, and the rugs were hand-made from India.  It had a couch, two arm chairs, a wooden dry bar, and a couple chairs which sat out on the ivy concealed balcony.  A working fan hung from the ceiling, and it boasted a tiled bathroom with large walk-in shower, working toilet, and dual sink vanity. To many before the happening, it would have seemed quaint and maybe even outdated, but now it was considered the height of luxury in a place like this.  
 
Hondo set his bags by the wardrobe and set on the couch while Charles poured them a couple drinks. Raven set her bags down by the chest-of-drawers.
 
 
“I know what your poison of choice is, mate, but what of the lady?” Charles asked.
 
 
Raven shook her head, “I don’t drink, but thank you.”
 
 
“Don’t drink! Codswallop!” Charles exclaimed in disbelief.
 
 
“She doesn’t, at least hasn’t in a long time.” Hondo replied
 
 
“You sure I can’t talk you into a dram or two?” Charles asked
 
 
She smiled politely and shook her head, “No thank you, Charlie.”
 
 
“How about a cuppa?” He asked
 
 
She shook her head again, “I think I’ll just excuse myself to get a shower.”
 
 
Charles nodded in reply.
 
 
“That’s fine, darlin’. I’ll not be far behind ya.” Hondo replied.
 
 
Raven grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
 
 
Charles turned to Hondo with a questioning look, “Doesn’t drink? If it was anyone else telling me that I’d say you both were off your trolley! Everyone drinks these days, even those bloody protestant sods.”
 
 
Hondo chuckled, “Well, not much good left to stay sober for anymore, though I at times even hafta turn one down to keep sharp.”
 
 
“Don’t be daft, mate. I’ve seen you utterly snockered and still take on five baddies!... but, if you don’t mind me asking, why doesn’t she partake in a pint?” Charles asked
 
 
Hondo frowned, “It’s sort of personal but… *sigh* the spirits captured her about twelve years ago… right after Val an’ I split up…. Raven was tryin’ to release a bunch of secret info to the spirit public on what they have been lied ‘bout… she was found out, somehow… still not sure how. She was a raven spirit back then, an’ yes I know her name was sorta too on point for that. She was considered almost royal lineage, or their version of that. She would have been a high up commander someday if she had not had a conscience… when they captured her they gave her a sentencing that to many is considered worse than death for a spirit.”
 
 
Charles eyes got wide, “You don’t mean…?”
 
 
“You noticed she is a cat spirit now, I reckon.” Hondo replied.
 
 
Charles frowned, “I guess I knew she was of the feline spirit type, from the ears, tail, and all that what, but I had no idea. Only met her that once before when you were here and gone in a day… raven to feline? Bloody hell, that’s no good at all!”
 
 
Hondo nodded, “Because of that she has issues changin’ forms. Drinkin’ makes it worse. That choker helps her control the changes, but she got really drunk once without it an’ got stuck in a half form for three days. She couldn’t speak so I could understand an’ she was scared as hell. That was back before we got together, but I stayed with her through it. I think she’s afraid to drink again because of that. She’ll have a drink if its just her an’ I on occasion, but that’s its.”
 
 
Charles nodded, “I’m sure you being by her side through that brought you two closers, eh?”
 
 
Hondo nodded, “Yeah, we had become close friends a little before that but after that… I’m sure goin’ through that is what sealed the deal, though I fought it for a while.”
 
 
Charles nodded, “You’ve had a bloody rough go of it, mate, the both of you have. Now, the wife will bring up some supper straight away, which I assure you is absolutely scrummy, but I will take my leave as I’m sure you both are completely knackered.”
 
 
Charles stood up and downed his drink. He smacked his lips a few times at it and set the glass on top of the dry bar.  
 
 
“The wife will pick that up when she drops off supper. I’m sure we will have business to discuss tomorrow, but I’m also sure you and your lady wish to sleep it. We will have some breakfast waiting at the door but will leave you be.” Charles replied.
 
 
Hondo grinned, “As intuitive as ever, Charlie. I’ll see you sometime before noon, I reckon.”
 
 
“Cheerio and good evening, then.” Charles said with a nod before turned and leaving.
 
 
Hondo waited for him to go before he stood up. He downed the last of his whiskey then refilled the glass. After he stripped down, separating his gear from his clothes, and headed for the bathroom.
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
Raven shut the door to the bathroom and walked over to the sink. She stared in the mirror at herself for several minutes. Even after all this time, looking at herself was hard at times. She was starting to recognize the reflection, but some days it still did not seem like her. To help herself, when she felt like she did not recognize herself, she imagined Hondo standing over her shoulder with his arms around her. He had done it many times before and the look in his eyes as he looked on her let her know she was loved for who she was.  
 
 
It helped that Hondo like that she purred now, though it freaked her out initially. Only once, though had they made love before she was changed, which was a week before Hondo and Val separated officially. She remembered that time fondly, though she feared Hondo felt some guilt over it due to enjoying her so much when he had a wife but was not allowed to enjoy her. Still, Raven cherished the memory, and though as a feline spirit she felt she was almost able to make better love to him, she longed to feel like her old self while being with him just once more.
 
 
She sighed and shook her head as she knew it was never to be. Even if they would try to switch her back, she was lucky to have made it out as well as she had.  
 
 
She slowly undressed and looked at herself again. Her sleek, nicely curved, and well-toned body was nothing to be ashamed about and was envied by some. She just wished she could see herself through Hondo’s eyes.  
 
 
After standing at the mirror a few seconds long, she sighed, used the toilet, and then stepped into the shower.  She stood there for a bit, letting the warm water caress her sore body, and letting the water washer the dirt, dust, and bad thoughts down the drain.  
 
 
She did not hear the door open or hear his footsteps but she could feel his presence as he entered the room. Just knowing he was there brought a smile to her face and peace to her being. After the sound of water hitting water ended and the toilet was flushed, she heard the curtain opened and close behind her then felt him press himself against her and wrap his arms around her.  
 
 
He ran his hands up and down her firm stomach at first then moved one up to fondle her breasts and tease her now firm and swelling nipples. The other hand went further south, and touched her in places that seemed to send electrical waves of pleasure through her very soul. She moaned softly and his touch and trying to give a little back by grinding her ass against his swelling member.
 
 
He sighed contentedly after a moment and leaned his head down to nuzzle her neck.
 
 
“Hmmmm Oooooh! You always know how to make me feel like a woman should feel.” Raven moaned.
 
 
“I’m glad I can, darlin’… Sorry I had to drag ya through that hell hole.” He said softly in her ear.
 
 
She sighed and rubbed against him, “It’s alright, my love. I don’t mind going anywhere if you are with me.”
 
 
“Sorry Charlie asked some of those things too. I reckon I should have talked to him first.” He said.
 
 
She turned to look him in the eyes and saw the sad, apologetic look on his face.
 
 
“You don’t have to be sorry, my love, honestly. I know I’m a bit insecure still, but you can’t protect me from it always. Things might bother me at times, but just love me and be patient with me and I’ll get through it every time. I … I hate what they did to me and though I want to feel like I once did, feel like myself and feel whole, I would not change what I am as I know you love me as I am… I wish we could have been together more so you could have known me intimately as I once was, but I cannot go back. So, I love that you love who I am now.” She said with a soft smile.
 
 
 She stood up on her tip-toes to kiss him then lowered herself back down and leaned her head into his chest as he gently rubbed her back.
 
 
Hondo sighed, “I know we made love only once before you changed an’ I probably wasn’t in the right mind frame to really have given that time what you deserved it to be, but what they did to you did not change you. It changed your ears, your eyes, and gave you a tail. It changed your sense of smell, changed your night vision, and made you purr. It changed your animal form completely, I understand. But though it ripped your body apart and changed it, it did not change you. You are still Raven. An’ raven or feline spirit, it doesn’t matter. I think that rough patch brought us closer faster, but I believe we’d still be together an’ I’d not be able to love you more or less even if it never happened. I am not in love with the feline or the bird… I’m in love with the woman you are.”
 
 
She looked up at him for a moment and just stared into his face. He could not tell if she was crying or it was just the shower, but she gave him one of those looks that almost made his heart break for her.
 
 
“I love you so much.” She whispered softly after a while.
 
 
He smiled down at her and pulled her more tightly to him.
 
 
“As I do you.” He replied.
 
 
He was about to bend down and kiss her again when a loud banging on the bathroom door was hear.
 
 
“What is it?!” Hondo yelled gruffly.
 
 
“Food on table! You eat soon! It get cold! No good!” An angry oriental woman’s voice in broken English yelled back.
 
 
Hondo knew who that voice belonged to right quick. He sighed and shook his head.
 
 
“Alright. Thank you!” He replied back in a bit friendlier tone.
 
 
“Missy lady with you?” The angry voice questioned.
 
 
“Yeah she is.” Hondo replied.
 
 
He raised his eyebrow questioningly at Raven who shrugged back in reply.
 
 
“No nookie, nookie! Missy lady tired! You wash! You eat! You sleep! No nookie ‘less Missy Lady sleep first!” She yelled through the door.
 
 
“#$@!in’ pushy busy-body!” Hondo growled in a whisper.
 
 
Raven giggled and shook her head.
 
 
“Just agree so she goes away.” She whispered.
 
 
Hondo nodded and yelled back, “Alright. Just helping each other wash then we’ll be out to eat. Our clothes are out there so please, go away!”
 
 
“I go! You no havy missy lady wash your dicky too long! I hear water too long I be back!” She yelled.
 
 
They listened quietly until they heard the room door close before saying anything.
 
 
Hondo sighed and shook her head, “Why Charlie married that woman is beyond me!”
 
 
Raven giggled, “Probably because he’s scared of her and she told him they were getting married!”
 
 
“I don’t reckon I’d see why else he would! We’d better get finished an’ get out. We can fool ‘round in bed after we eat if you want, as I would not doubt that old bat would come in here if she thinks we took too long!”
 
 
“I’m sure she would! I’m definitely up to holding you for a while, but if you’re as tired as I am I’m not sure we’ll get much else done after that.” She replied.
 
 
Hondo nodded as he grabbed the soap from the basket on the wall and started lathering up a washcloth, “I reckon I feel the same. Let’s just get clean so we can get out an’ save ourselves a fight!”
 
 
Raven laughed and grabbed the shampoo. They helped each other wash off, and with the amount of practice they had with that over the year they made quick work of it.  
 
 
They quickly got out, and Raven slipped into a robe that was put in the bathroom for guests. Once she saw that the cost was clear Hondo came out and slipped into a fresh pair of jeans.  They both ate supper quickly, which tasted amazing especially since they had not eaten anything other than food bars and bland jerky in the last several days, and then left the tray outside the door. As Raven pulled back the bedspread Hondo had a quick shot of whiskey before shucking his jeans off. He folded the jeans and laid them on the dresser before climbing into bed with Raven, who had already climbed out of her robe and in between the sheets. He rolled onto his side, facing her, and she curled up against him, with her face in his chest. She did not turn into her feline form this night, either, but it was not for safety means this time. This night she did not change as she wanted to be held, as a woman by the man she loved, while they slept. It did not take them any time at all before they were both sound asleep, and they slept peacefully through the night.
 
 
The next morning Hondo got up at about 6:30 am to take a leak and then he climbed back into bed. It was not that he needed to sleep more, but the feeling of being in the nice bed with the woman he adored was a feeling that did not grow tiresome. Raven woke up about an hour later and after using the restroom, too, she crawled back into bed and played the little spoon to the man she loved. Whether both felt something was off and that their time together might soon come to an end or they just wanted to spend more time together after their narrow escape, neither of them knew, but they took a lazy morning and just lay together in each other’s arms under the sheets.
 
 
At about 9:00 they finally relented, as their stomachs had started to growl at them, so they got up to start the day. Raven threw on the robe again and went into the hall to retrieve their breakfast, as Hondo was not volunteering to step back into his clothes just yet.  
 
 
They ate together on the couch, neither realizing how hungry they really were until they had started to eat. Once done, Hondo dressed, and they went over plans together to figured out the next course of action.  
 
 
The plan they decided on was to hire an airship to transport a cargo container to Chinatown on the Mississippi Inland Sea. In that container would be a bed and supplies, hidden in crates until they were needed. The containers were always scanned for life forms before they were loaded, to prevent wanted criminals from escaping to other countries and to prevent the transport of unauthorized slaves, as foreign slave transports carried an extra taxation charge. Neither of them could be scrutinized as even though the spirits did not control shipping here, most shippers had wanted posters on wanted criminals as catching them brought in extra money, both in bribes from the wanted and bounty money for the wanters. So, the container could not have them in it, but could only have their supplies. To get in they could fake being an inspection team, as Hondo knew Charles could pay off the right inspection team not to show.  Then all they needed was for a distraction outside so they could slip into the container and wait out the airship voyage from there. Hondo knew the container was available, as Charles had showed him them before, so all that was left was to meet with Charles and get the plan in motion.
 
 
Hondo went downstairs and headed for Charles’ office. He saw Chrales at his desk, frowning at some papers in front of him, which was nothing unusual, or so Hondo thought.
 
 
“Mornin’, Charlie.” He said as he entered and sat down in one of the leather wingback chairs in front of the desk.
Charles looked up at him and frowned, “I wish you would have called down first.”
 
 
Hondo’s brow furrowed, “This a bad time or somethin’ wrong?”
 
 
“The second one I’m afraid.” He said in a serious tone as he handed Hondo a piece of paper.
 
 
Hondo read it over quickly and shook his head, “Damn.”
 
 
“It’s serious business, what. They came in this morning offering queens ransom for you. They know you cannot be too far but they are not sure where you are. No picture either, but you’re fairly well known, even on this side of the world.” Charles said
 
 
“Looks like they aren’t sure if I’m alone or not. No description on Raven but the fact that I could be with a woman, human, wessen or spirit, makes us a target together. Damn… Now how am I goin’ to pull this shit off?” Hondo growled
 
 
“You haven’t said what you were about yet, Mate? What’s the plan?” Charles asked
 
 
Hondo frowned, “Not sure it will work, now.”
 
 
“Pish-posh! You’re a right jammy bastard, so I doubt its all to pot yet! Let’s hear it mate.” Charles replied
 
 
Hondo filled him in on how they needed to get back home and regroup as Fernando was missing and he was being hunted. As he laid on his immediate plans Charles nodded but listened in silence as he waited for Hondo to finish. After he had finished, Charles sat back in his chair, and light his pipe as his face took on a thoughtful look. After several minutes he spoke.  
 
 
“It may be a bit dodgy, but its not a damp squib yet. As far as your plan goes, I can make the arrangements. Wednesday after dark the airship ‘The Plump Baroness’ takes off, making the trip to your planned destination stopping only three times. She mainly hauls trade goods from India and the colonies for former China, but I get and send shipments with her on occasion. The crew cannot be trusted with information about you but if they believe it’s normal cargo they will not question it.” Charles said
 
 
“Wednesday night, eh? … What day is it anyway? I’ve lost track.” Hondo asked
 
 
“It’s a Monday, so you would spend two more nights here and two days after today.” Charles said.
 
 
Hondo frowned, “Longer than I like with them lookin’ for me.”
 
 
“That’s why you and your lady have to stay put! They will be looking for you and taking every unknown woman, especially spirit or wessen, in for questioning.” Charles said
 
 
“That’s a long time to stay cooped up, just to be cooped up again in that crate for another four days!” Hondo groused.
 
 
“Three and a half days, rather, but I’m sure you and your lady will come up with some activity to pass the time.” Charles replied, with an almost Cheshire-cat grin.
 
 
Hondo chuckled, “I reckon we can entertain ourselves alright. My big question is, how do we get on that ship to get into the container?”
 
 
Charles smiled, “Easy, mate! You shave your beard, wear an eye-patch, you dress in some clothes, that I will get you, that looks like one of the dock foremen, we dress up your lady as an oriental assistant before you board, we have her scope out the place in her feline form to be sure the bounty hunters are not onboard, I have a street-fight started, and bob’s your uncle, you are both on board and headed back home!”
 
 
Hondo shook his head, “You make it sound so easy, but nothin’ has been that easy lately.”
 
 
“We’ll get it done, mate, that I promise. Once you find The Time Walker again, have him pop in. Tell him I found a few bottles of the old world Green fairie. They don’t make it like that anymore, what.” Charles replied.
 
 
Hondo grinned and nodded, “I’ll tell him.. By the way, you have any bread trimmers? Don’t carry those since I let it grow out.”
 
 
Charles nodded, “I’ll see that some clippers and a shaver are brought up when supper is ready. I would ask you to join us for supper but what with all these bloody gits out looking for you, it would be better if you were scarce of the main rooms for the time being.”
 
 
“That works…. Would you mind callin’ before supper comes up an’ not lettin’ your wife deliver it?” Hondo asked
 
 
Charles chuckled, “I’ll have one of the maids deliver it. She can be a bit of a nosy old wench at times, lord knows. Will you be wanting luncheon?”
 
 
“If you have some cheese an’ fruit that would work for a snack in case we get hungry.” Hondo replied
 
 
“I’ll have the maid deliver a charcutierie tray to your door in two hours so its there for you. I’ll make sure you are not disturbed otherwise.” Charles said.
 
 
“Your maid, can she be trusted, right?” Hondo asked
 
 
Charles nodded, “Millie? Why most indubitably! I bought her at a slave action to save her from being bought by a dockman who only had lust on his mind as he eyed her. He had others before and he should have had his privates cut off and been hung out for the seagulls to peck to death, for what he did to them!...  She is a red-panda wessen, extremely rare, and has part of her memories still from being captured and made, though she doesn’t remember her family, thank God… She escaped from the facility and was captured by bounty hunters after they killed the family that was protecting her. She has no love for the bounty hunters, slavers, or spirits. I took her in, gave her a job, and protect her. The only thing she wants is to live and for the spirits hold on this world to be taken away and their powers stripped. You and The Time Walker are our best hope and she knows it. No amount of money or pain will make her spill the beans.”
 
 
Hondo nodded then stood up, “Alright. Well, I reckon we’ll just stay outta sight for now.”
 
 
Charles nodded, “I’ll get the clothes for you and your lady to you by Wednesday morning at the latest, as well. If you do not hear from me before, I will come and get you three hours before sunset on Wednesday so we can scope things out for the last time and get you on your way.”
 
 
“Sounds good to me. I’ll catch ya later, then.” Hondo said before headed out of the office and back upstairs.
 
 
Back upstairs Raven waited patiently for him, still wearing just the light robe she had on earlier. When he returned he found her reclined on a day-bed on the balcony, soaking up the rays of sun on her pale skin. The ivy grew up special made rungs along the edges of the balcony and grew high enough to block the view into the room while yet being thin enough that one could see out into the back alley and beyond.  
 
 
He closed the door quietly, and stood watching her for several minutes before she noticed him.
 
 
“Oh! I didn’t hear you come back in!” She exclaimed
 
 
He grinned and walked over to her, “You know if you stay out there too long you’ll burn some sensitive parts.”
 
 
She blushed lightly, “You know my kind doesn’t burn like that! I’d like to get a tan and can’t!”
 
 
“I like your pale, porcelain skin.” He replied, which made her grin.
 
 
“We all set, then?” She asked
 
 
“Sort of, but there are some complications.” He said.
 
 
She sat up and looked at him as he explained what was going on and the plan. She frowned at what he had to say but stayed quiet until he was done. When he finished, she sighed and shook her head.
 
 
“I don’t like this at all. Isn’t there another way?” She asked
 
 
“Not unless we risk a teleport again and I’m just not sure how far it will let me go or how bad the feedback from whatever is tryin’ to stop me will zap me this time.” He replied.
 
 
She shook her head, “We can’t chance that. It’s too great a risk… *sigh* I guess we only have that one option, unless we want to try to get into India.”
 
 
He shook his head, “No, the bounty hunters would be waitin’ for us for sure by then. Plus, I have no contacts within twelve days ride an’ it will take at least eight to cross that part of the wastelands. We can’t haul enough fuel for that. Our selves an’ the minimum gear we need only allows for two jerry cans an’ you know that didn’t do a full four days on the way down. It gets worse goin’ east.”
 
 
Raven sighed again, “Then we have to try this way.”
 
 
Hondo nodded, yeah, no two ways ‘bout it.”
 
 
“So, what do we do while we hide and wait?” She asked seriously.
 
 
He leaned back against the balcony doorway and grinned at her as he looked her up and down, “We’ll seein’ as I’m stuck in a room in this warm climate with a woman that looks as good as you do, I reckon I have an idea or three.”
 
 
She blushed again and grinned shyly at first before standing up and walking to him in a sultry manner.
 
 
“Why, Mister Sackett, I do declare! If I didn’t know better I’d say from that look that you intent to ravage me and soil my honor!” She said in mock horror, trying to imitate a southern accent she had seen on one of his old moving picture files.
 
 
He stood up with a grin and pulled her roughly to him, “Miss Raven, we’ll start with ravagin’ an’ honor soilin’, then see what we come up with from there.”
 
 
He pulled her tightly against him and kissed her roughly as she hung her arms around her neck and tried to press her body even more deeply into hers.  
 
 
For the rest of the day they #$@!ed like teenage rabbits, stopping only to nap, eat, or use the restroom. Hondo shaved his beard that night, leaving only a handlebar mustache and trimmed sideburns. It gave Raven a case of the giggles as she had never seen him like that and swore it made him look much younger than he had before. Though she missed his beard tickling her, she did admit she found him more pleasant to kiss without it.  
 
 
The next day was spent pretty well the same, though they started earlier, took a long nap together in the afternoon, and then moved out to the balcony to make tender love in the moonlight, letting the soft evening breezes caress their bodies in the process.  
 
 
Wednesday morning came final and with their breakfast tray came their clothes and the request for their other gear so if could be stowed on the container. Raven gave their bags to the maid, while Hondo showered, and then she joined him once the maid was gone and they continued on as before.
 
 
As the day grew on they took a nap together about 1:00 pm again and woke an hour later, and just laid in each other’s arms for a while. An hour later they decided to get one last shower, as they would be without one for a few days. They showered together, touching each other still as if it had been days since they had been together. They often had this kind of energy together, as their passion never seemed to grow old, but each of them felt as if something was wrong and that holding onto the other was more important than ever before.  
 
 
As they finished up their shower, Hondo got out first and dried off as Raven finished rinsing the conditioner out of her hair. Once done she stepped out to be met by him holding a soft towel out for her, which when she stepped into he wrapped it and his arms around her to pull her in for another kiss. As they kissed there was a loud bang of the front door being thrown open. Hondo instinctively pushed Raven behind him and looked around for his gun, but realized he left it in the other room. He growled and readied himself to launch at whoever came through the door but as the door flew open to his surprise he was met by the wessen house keeper who instantly turned red and looked away. Hondo looked around quickly and the first item he could grab was a hand towel, so he grabbed it and covered his dick and balls with it, as if that was enough to make his decent and not further embarrass the maid. Raven quickly got over her surprise and tried not to laugh as she grabbed him a real towel to cover up with instead as the poor maid still looked rather embarrassed.
 
 
“Sorry, sir, I… I didn’t mean to.. to..” She stammered.
 
 
Hondo took the towel from Raven and wrapped it around him.  
 
 
“Somethin’ wrong, Millie, or you just lookin’ for a peep show?” He asked a bit surlier than he should have.
 
 
“It’s Sir Charles… Please, … come quick!” She asked in a worried tone, as she looked at the floor in embarrassment still.
 
 
Hondo nodded and hurried past her, not carrying about decency, but just dropping his towel to pull on the pants and shirt he was given and grab his gun. Raven took her towel off and threw it aside as she pulled on the robe and secured it around her. Just in time to follow the maid and Hondo out the door and down to the hotel office.
 
 
The maid stood by the door to let Hondo and Raven enter first. The office was in shambles and Charles was not looking much better. His breathing was raspy, his clothes were torn, his face bruised, and he was half covered in blood. He breathed hard as he laid back on the couch with his eyes closed.   On the floor behind his desk lay his wife, dead from her throat being slit.
 
 
Hondo knelt down beside the couch and put his hand on Charles arm, “What happened, old friend? Who did this to you?”
 
 
 He opened the one eye that was not swollen shut and looked at Hondo, “Bloody damned*pant* Russian *pant* bounty hunting bastards!”
 
 
Hondo patted his arm, “You need to stay calm, Charlie.”
 
 
“Stay calm? *pant* How? *pant, pant*… They … *pant* they killed her.” He gasped weakly.
 
 
Hondo sighed, “I know… why? Why did they do this?”
 
 
Charles looked at him for a moment before whispering, “You… *pant* They knew you’d *pant* been here before. *pant*”
 
 
Hondo turned to Raven, “Upstairs on the chest of drawers, that little metal case I keep in my pocket. Get it!”
 
 
Raven nodded and without hesitation took off, headed back upstairs. The maid moved in and knelt down beside Charles, and after a moment she looked up at Hondo with questioning, worried eyes.
 
 
“Will Sir Charles be alright? Please tell me he will!” She begged is a soft, desperate voice.
 
 
Hondo nodded, “He’ll be fine. He just needs rest an’ some medicine I have.”
 
 
Hondo glanced over at his dead wife then back at him, “He’ll need some help too.”
 
 
“I’ll be with him… I owe him my life.” She whispered back.
 
 
“Mate.. *pant* Hondo.. *pant* I…I must tell you.. *pant*” Charles said in a raspy voice, but was interrupted.
 
 
“Just rest, Charlie.” Hondo said.
 
 
Charles grabbed Hondo’s arm and half sat up with a desperate look on his face, “No, *pant*” You..you don’t understand! *pant* I.. I *pant* failed! I.. *pant* told them *pant* you are in town and *pant* going to try to get on that *pant* ship!”
 
 
Hondo’s frown deepened and his jaw’s clenched angrily.  
 
 
“You what?!” Hondo growled
 
 
“I..*pant* I’m sorry.. *pant* … they said they’d not *pant* kill her if *pant* I talked!” He gasped.
 
 
“They killed her anyway!” Hondo growled.
 
 
“N.n.n.not my wife.. *pant, pant*… My daughter! They were holding her *pant* in the other room.” He half gasped, his beat up face pleading with Hondo to understand.
 
 
“Your daughter? Who’s your daughter?” Hondo asked confused, as he thought he said he had no children in the past.
 
 
Charles shakily reached out his hand and grabbed the hand of the wessen maid, Millie, who looked between Hondo and Charles with surprise.
 
 
“This is…*pant* my daughter.” He said weakly.
 
 
About then Raven ran back into the room with the case and handed it to Hondo. He took a shimmering pill from the case and put it into the old man’s mouth.
 
 
“Bite down on this… It will make you better.” Hondo said firmly.
 
 
Charles bit down on the pill and swallowed its bitter contents.
 
 
Millie still looked at them both in disbelief, shaking her head as she spoke, “No… it.. it can’t be true… I’m just some red panda spirit science experiment that you saved! I… I can’t be your daughter!”
 
 
“You *pant are!... *pant*…. I… I was too ashamed to tell you. ..*pant* … I.. I failed to protect you…*pant* your mother and older sister… *pant* I knew it was you the moment I saw you on the sellers stand! *pant, pant*… I thought you were dead… i.. I couldn’t *pant* I couldn’t tell you who I was as I *pant* didn’t deserve to be your father. *pant*” He replied weakly, but with sincerity.  
 
 
“I.. I don’t remember my father… I remember some things but not all. I… I remember my name… my name before they renamed me… I remember what my father called me too… If...if you’re my father…” She asked, pausing as she tried not to cry.
 
 
“You are not Millie…*pant* You are Beatrix… *pant*… I.. I used to call you Bunty.” He replied softly.
 
 
She looked at him in shock before burying her face in his hand and crying, “Oh, father!”
 
 
She cried and he patted her head gently, “I’m so sorry I failed you and .. *pant* was too much a coward to tell you.”
 
 
Hondo shook his head, “Hell of a thing, but you’ll live to discuss this later. Right now, we need to get you to bed.”
 
 
Beatrix lifted up her head and nodded before looking at Hondo. She wiped her eyes and swallowed hard so she could speak.  
 
 
“Can you *sniff* help me get him *sniff* to bed?” She asked, sniffling a bit still from crying.
 
 
Hondo nodded as he stood and as carefully as possible, picked up the old man. Once he had him up he followed her out and to his bedroom where he laid him on the bed.
 
 
“Thank you. I can take care of him from here.” Beatrix replied.
 
 
“Wait! We need to talk!” Charles called out weakly, his breathing already improving.
 
 
“You need to rest while I figure out what to do.” Hondo said.
 
 
“You don’t understand, please.” He whispered.
 
 
Beatrix shrugged when Hondo looked at her. He shook his head and sighed.
 
 
“You know someone who can clean up the office an’ take care of things there?” Hondo asked Beatrix.
 
 
She nodded, “I know of someone.”
 
 
Hondo nodded, “Make the call on that while I talk with Charlie.”
 
 
Beatrix nodded and took off for the kitchen while Hondo pulled up a chair beside Charles. Raven entered slowly when Hondo motioned for her to enter and she came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.
 
 
“Alright, Charles, what else did you tell them?” Hondo asked flatly.
 
 
“It’s what I didn’t tell them. I really botched this, I know, but…*pant*… I did not tell them you were staying here or.. or about her.” He said weakly.
 
 
“Do they think I’m alone?” Hondo asked.
 
 
Charles nodded weakly, “If they bought what I told them they do…*pant* They spared Bunty so they must have… *pant*”
 
 
“Anythin’ else?” Hondo asked.
 
 
“They are looking for you alone… You ..*pant* you might be able to sneak by them still but… *pant* these ones are the worst of their kind! *cough, cough*” Charles said weakly, stopping as a coughing fit hit him.
 
 
Hondo patted his arm after he settled back down, “Just rest, old timer.”
 
 
He grabbed Hondo’s arm and held him back from trying to get up.
 
 
“Stay! Stay and hide! We will get you out later!” the old man gasped
 
 
Hondo took Charles hand off his arm and shook his head, “No, we’ll have to chance it. If I stay an’ they don’t see me they will be back. I have to be seen somehow.”
 
 
“Then let Raven stay! … I will not give her up.” He whispered pleadingly.
 
 
Raven wrapped herself around Hondo’s other arm and shook her head, “No. I’m going with him.”  
 
 
Hondo shrugged, “Sorry, Charlie, we gotta try.”
 
 
Charles nodded after a moment then sighed, “Yes… I suppose it’s not in either of you to hide…*cough, pant* Just please… please try to stay safe.”
 
 
Hondo nodded and stood up as Raven moved and reattached herself to his side.
 
 
“We’ll try. Good luck an’ rest up, old friend.” Hondo replied.
 
 
Charles nodded, then settled back into his bed and fell asleep. As Hondo and Raven left They ran into Beatrix on her way back, who looked at them with worry in her eyes.
 
 
“Is Sir Charles… I mean father alright?” She asked  
 
 
Hondo nodded, “Let him sleep and in a couple days he’ll feel better than he has in years. You find someone to take care of his wife and the mess?”
 
 
“The undertake will be here in an hour… I’ll… I’ll handle clean up. She wasn’t my mother but she treated me well, even if she did yell a lot.” Beatrix replied softly.
 
 
Hondo nodded, “Well, we need to finish dressin’ an’ get out of here before we’re seen an’ bring down more trouble on ya.”
 
 
“Stay safe, Mr. Sackett, and you too Miss Raven.” She replied
 
 
“We will.” Raven replied, smiling softly at the tired, young wessen woman.  
 
 
Beatrix returned then smile before going back into Charles room to check on him. Hondo and Raven continued upstairs together in silence.
 
 
Once upstairs Raven sighed as she walked over to the balcony and looked out.
 
 
“What are we going to do?” She asked.
 
 
“We are gonna get dressed an’ get out of here first. Then you’ll go look over the air ship an’ well figure it out from there!” Hondo replied.
 
 
(to be continued…)

Raven stripped off her robe and threw on the dress Charles had provided for her. It was a local woman workers dress but one of a bit nicer style, as she was supposed to look like a dock inspectors assistant.  
 
 
Most of the dock inspectors, or any goods inspectors in the area, were men, though there were a few women. It was almost a rule of thumb that their assistants were of the opposite sex, unless the inspector’s sexual interest leaned against the norm of nature. Inspectors had a lot of down-time between jobs, so their assistants not only helped with inspections and kept up the books, but also were used as diversions to fill the time voids between inspections. These assistants, though most talked about them as if they were just employees or apprentices in the business, were generally educated slaves bought specifically for the inspectors’ tastes, or indentured servants, sold by themselves for a better life or to get money for their family, or sold by their family to ensure the survival of the family. More often or not it was the girls being sold so that the sons could stay and help with the family businesses, and this was true of human and wessen families both. Most of the time the inspectors were kind and treated their assistants well, even though it was rare to hear of an inspector not using their assistants for sexual gratification as well as work, but there were some who treated their assistants very badly. Either way, people viewed it as a social norm and turned a blind eye to the more abusive types.  
 
 
Along with the dress, Raven was given a straw coolie hat, a pair of ho chi minh sandals, and a worn canvas messengers satchel that contained inspection sheets, note books, some random shipping documents, and pencils.  
 
 
Hondo, already wearing the tan canvas pants and weather worn white pullover shirt, donned a light grey canvas vest, a faded Greek fisherman’s cap, a pair of worn dock-worker’s boots, and an old brown eyepatch. His large horse pistol and 1911 had been to conspicuous, as had his tooled, leather pistol belt, so he was given a canvas pistol belt with plain, worn holster, and an old Webley revolver chambered in .38/200, which was more popular around there due to British influence back before the happening. To complete the ensemble, he was given a handmade dock-workers knife, a worn handmade clipboard, and a complete shipping manifest of The Plump Baroness’ cargo as well.  
 
 
Once ready, they shoved the last couple things they had into Raven’s satchel, which mostly included a few things from their pockets, a pistol for Raven, and some gold and silver coins.  
 
 
Raven turned to him with a serious look, “We ready?”  
 
 
“Almost. We’d better remove this as it might make you stand out too much.” Hondo said removing her choker and putting it into the bag.
 
 
She touched her neck lightly, where the choker had been and frowned slightly.
 
 
“You alright?” Hondo asked.
 
 
She nodded, “Yeah, just so used to it I feel bare without it.”
 
 
He chuckled and shook his head, “Only woman I know who could run ‘round all day in the buff an’ feel fine as long as she has her collar on an’ feel nude fully dressed without it.”
 
 
She gave him an unimpressed look, “You should know the feeling, as you’ve always been pretty attached to wearing that hat!”
 
 
“Now, I take my hat off more often than that… But I have to admit, you wearin’ nothin’ but that collar is pretty damned sexy too.” He said with a grin.
 
 
She blushed, “I wish I was wearing it just for you, but I’m glad you like it on me.”
 
 
He bent down and kissed her quickly then swatted her on the ass.
 
 
“Alright, my little assistant, time to go to work.” He said.
 
 
She followed him out the door and down the back steps that lead into a side alley way that was even less used than the back.
 
 
“You think Charlie and Millie,.. I mean Beatrix, will be fine?” Raven asked
 
 
Hondo nodded and replied softly as they exited the hotel, “Yeah, they should be.”
 
 
Raven sighed, “I feel bad about his wife… That’s our fault, isn’t it?”
 
 
“My fault, probably, but not yours. I’m just not sure that it wouldn’t have happened even if we went to a different port. Sounds like they had a notion I was here an’ expected him to know. I’m afraid that if I wasn’t here for him to tell them ‘bout they would have killed him an’ his daughter too. Makes me worry ‘bout some of my other contacts now. Damn these rotten ruskie bounty hunters an’ their #$@!in’ guild!” Hondo growled.
 
 
“They are the most ruthless people I’ve seen, outside some of my kind. They get a job done but leave only death in their wake.” Raven commented.
 
 
“Guess almost anyone would get that mean livin’ in that frozen wasteland of theirs. Even the mutants won’t go there!” Hondo replied.
 
 
“So, what’s the plan?” Raven asked softly as she followed him out of the alley and into the street.
 
 
“Same as before, for now. We’re gonna walk past the ship first. You play the part of my assistant, so walk a bit behind me not beside me.” He said in a low voice.
 
 
She nodded and fell back a bit, walking behind him and keeping her head low, though watching the whole time. Hondo kept a good pace, and walked with his head high, like he had a purpose, which was not so out of the ordinary for him, as it was for Raven to walk like a lesser being, behind him. It was not the first time they had to do similar, but for some reason it felt different to Raven this time. Something was off and it made her blood almost run cold, though she could not put a finger on it.
 
 
They walked through the street market, that was between the upper town and the docks, though they did not stop to look at any wares. It was a crowded, bustling place during the daytime, which helped them blend in and not been seen as outsiders. They made their way through the crowds easily enough and once through before them lay the docks warehouse district and the docks. Though the docks did not just service water going vessels, it sat along the cost for convenience sake. The pre-happening docks would have been similarly positioned, but with all that had happened they and half the original town were now at the bottom of the bay.  
 
 
The warehouse district was almost as busy, but not with customers looking for wares like the markets. It was full of people, free and slaves, hauling goods, inspectors checking shipments that had come in, merchant representatives, and dock security men, all doing a job to keep goods flowing in and out of the town.  
 
 
Once through the warehouse district the docks came into sight. On the water, huge docks stretched out into the seas, so that large freighters, sailing ships, and fishing vessels could be serviced. A smaller marina was setup for smaller fishing trollies, island hoppers, and private boats as well. On land a network of dry docks and movable ramps were setup to service the blimps, airships, and other hauling craft that might come along.  
 
 
All in all, it was a busy place as it was one of the few in the area that remained neutral enough to where both pro and anti spirit settlements, businesses, and otherwise could ship goods and conduct business exchanges where they would not normally be welcomed in the others regions.  
 
 
It took some walking before Hondo and Raven found The Plump Baroness, but they found it and what they initially saw they did not like. The ship was busy with cargo and such being moved in and out, which was normal, but what bothered them was the Russian bounty hunters which were hanging around. It was a well-known fact that if you saw one there were two more you did not see. They saw five in all from what they could count as they strolled by, trying to look like that were headed somewhere else for work.  
 
 
They had to pass the ship by quite a distance before they found somewhere safe to stop. The stopped behind some empty, stacked crates that stood beside a former repair shop that had been turned into longer term storage for shipping containers and unclaimed goods. The was hardly a soul around this area as several of the buildings had been abandoned for use such as this one was, as many of the repair shops had either upgraded, moved to shops built into and under the dry-docks, or had gone out of business through merger or not being able to compete with some of the other larger establishments. But whatever the reason, they were away from foot traffic, fairly well hidden, and safe for the moment.
 
 
Hondo sat down on a smaller crate and sighed, “We try to board an’ they even get a hint that somethin’s off an’ they will jump… Not sure how we’re gonna do this. Plus, if I’m not seen at least once nearby, they will go back an’ kill Charlie an’ his daughter.”
 
 
“What do we do?” Raven asked worriedly.
 
 
“Well, we need to see if they are guardin’ that container an’ if there are any other aboard.” Hondo replied
 
 
“What would the crate look like?” Raven asked
 
 
“Faded orange, eight foot wide, eight foot high, and fifteen to twenty feet long. Should have a door with a tumbler lock, code 23, 19, 42. It also has painted on it: ‘B’ ‘O’ ‘C’ 333.” Hondo replied.
 
 
Raven looked around to see if they were alone before sighing and nodding, “Alright.”
 
 
She set her canvas satchel down and took off her hat and slipped off her sandals.
 
 
“What are ya doin’?” Hondo asked
 
 
She looked at him and furrowed her brow, “Going to case it out like originally planned. Can you grab my collar?”
 
 
Hondo shook his head, “Now wait! That’s before we knew it was crawlin’ with those ruskie bastard!”
 
 
She glared at him and slipped her dress off over her head.
 
 
“There’s no time to argue! Only I can check it out and we need to know before the diversion is suppose to happen!” She said.
 
 
He looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow, “Why weren’t you wearin’ panties?”
 
 
She sighed gave him a bit of an exasperated look, “Because I knew I had to change and it’s faster to undress and redress without them! Now, you going to help me with my collar or let me stand here naked until someone sees us!”  
 
 
He growled and shook his head, muttering under his breath as he fished the choker out of the bag then reached into his own pocket and pulled out a small pendant with a glowing blue jewel. He held it up to her before sticking it inside a little pocket built on the inside of the choker.
 
 
“I know you didn’t want to get caught with it, but I need you to take it, just in case. It’s ‘bout the only way I’ll be able to sense you with how these bastards are blockin’ me!” He said firmly as he walked up to her and fastened the choker about her neck.
 
 
She grabbed his wrist, once he had finished to keep him from stepping back, and reached up on her toes to kiss him softly on the lips.  She then pulled back and smiled at him softly.
 
 
“I love you.” She said.
 
 
He softened his rigid features, sighed and nodded, “As I do you… Please be careful, Raven. I couldn’t bare losin’ you.”
 
 
She gave him a wide smile, “I’ve not failed to come back yet, have I?”
 
 
She did not give him a chance to replied, she just dropped to her knees and then dropped her hands to the ground. She stretched out her lean, athletic body, thrusting her breast forward and raising her ass almost seductively before arching her back up and almost seemingly curling into herself, once more, as she transformed into her animal form.  
 
 
Once in her cat form she stretched again and shook a bit to get her fur set before looking back at Hondo for just a moment.
 
 
“Be Careful.” He said again, to which she replied with a quick, chattering meow before taking off.
 
 
Hondo watched her until she vanished from sight. He sat back behind the crate and held his arm out, willing his cane to appear in his hand. It appeared like it was supposed to but the blue crystal seemed to crackle and hum as if it too was troubled. He twisted the crystal and pushed down, willing it to show him the Russians and any nearby spirits. As the cane started humming, he started to see where they were in his mind but all at once the faint images disappeared as red sparks seemed to almost jump off the cane and cracked across his fingers and up his hand and arm, causing his muscles to spasm violently and his nearly cry out in pain. As he cleared his mind the cane’s hum faded to barely audible and the crackling red sparks faded from view, leaving his arm half hurting and half numb. He swore under his breath and willed the cane to vanish again. Whatever they were doing to block him, it was getting worse and they had to be close again.
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
Raven weaved her way to the ship, staying close to the edge of the dock and scurrying behind crates and piles of goods and rope whenever possible. She came across a couple feral cats. A smaller male hissed and ran when it saw her and a larger one tried to get frisky and mount her, but a hard swat with some sharp claws to his nose changed his mind. She came across a large rat at one point, who seemed braver than the cats were, and bigger too, but it backed down and went on its way after an intense staring and growling contest.  She was glad she did not have to fight it as she was short on time and there was an odor about him she did not like, as well as a feeling about it that creeped her out.  
 
 
Once at the ship she managed to find an opened port-hole and ascended a pile of crates to try to get to it. The distance between the crates and the window was better than fifteen feet, with a long drop if she did not make it, but she saw no other option at the moment for a fast entrance. She got back on the top crate as far as she could and ran and jumped at the window, finding it a much farther gap than she had guessed previously. Her front claws barely made it to the window ledge, where she held on for dear life. She winced in pain as the weight of her body came down threatened to rip the claws from her paws as she hit. She hung there a moment, panting and pulling herself together before she pulled up with all her might to pull herself inside. She tried to get a grip with her back claws as she climbed into the window, but the surface of the ship had been coated with a hard, clear sealer, not allowing her any bite for her claws. She managed though and once inside, scurried under a bed to hide and catch her breath.  
 
 
She was more so out of breath from fear and the burst of adrenaline she had received instead of physical exhaustion, though it felt almost the same. She looked around after a bit and figured she had climbed into a guest cabin, as it was not in the right place for captain or first mate and definitely too nice for the crew. As she looked around she saw a smaller suitcase that was latched, and on a small writing desk was a notebook and something shiny. She jumped up on the desk chair and put her front paws on the desk to look. The notebook was actually a leather-bound journal, that had a lock on it and the shiny object was a ring, a very familiar looking ring. She had seen one before, she knew, on Valentine’s hand as well as a few others who were close to Hondo, like Zoey before she disappeared. The only thing different about this ring was the crystal was dark. She was not sure what that meant but she left it be, jumped down and carefully made her way into the hall.  
 
 
She heard voices in various areas, mostly on deck, in the hold, or in the galley, but she was able to dart from room to room, and stay in the shadows, unseen, as she made her way to they large crate cargo hold.  
 
 
For a cargo hold, it was not that huge, but it was not the only one on the ship, just the only one setup for containers of this size. Though the Plump Baroness was an air cargo ship, she was not a the largest in the sky and there was definitely larger in the water. She was a midsized ship made to move some larger cargo and twice as much smaller cargo as well as a few passengers over a long distance in a fairly fast speed. It was perfect for traveling merchants who needed to carry wares with them a long distance or make emergency supply runs where the supplies were more than a few small crates or the like. There were faster ships in the sky, but most had only enough cargo space for the passengers’ bags and a few supplies. Though the Plump Baroness couldn’t haul forty-foot shipping crates, it could handle eight to ten fifteen-foot to twenty-foot containers or a varying number of containers and special items.  
Since the large containers and items were loaded first there was no one in this hold, as it was filled and the crew was busy loading smaller items in the other two holds. This made things easy on Raven as she entered and looked around. There were five steel containers in this hold, alone with a large wooden crate, a jeep, four motorcycles, and a troop carrier which was loaded with some smaller crates, boxes, and bags. She walked down the isle past the crates, using her feline night vision to easily see in the darkened hold. She found the orange steel container in the middle of the five and looked at it for a moment before stretching out and returning to her woman-like form. She put her ear to the door and listened and once she was sure no one was in there she turned the tumblers to the right numbers and opened the door. She looked around inside, most of the stuff was still in boxes, except for a bed which was strapped to the ceiling. She did not linger, as she would have time later to look things over, but for now just wanted to make sure it was there and left alone.  
 
 
As she softly closed the door she heard footsteps and voices that were growing in volume and headed her way. Raven looked around in a panic, not feeling that she had enough time to safely change back into her feline form. She saw some smaller crates wedged in beside the shipping containers and saw there was a gap between them and the ceiling. She scurried up the crates and flattened herself against the roof, trying to remain as quiet as possible as they entered. She grimaced at the dust and dirt layer she now lay in, and tried not to inhale any.
 
 
“Damn, that Sackett! I know he has to be close!” The one man hissed.
 
 
He was wearing a trench coat with the collar pulled up and fedora pulled low, but Raven could not see him well beyond that, though his mere presence made her feel a bit uneasy.
 
 
“Ve are vatching whole dock and I have man watching hotel. If he come ve vill find him.” The other one replied sounding almost Russian.
 
 
The second man was wearing a white tank-top and a black jean jacket with the sleeves ripped off, blue jeans, and motorcycle boots. Raven was fairly sure he was one of the Russian bounty hunters but was not one of those they saw earlier.  He seemed almost human, but with a hint of wessen in there, weasel maybe, but she was not sure. Raven watched and listened, trying not to move and breathing as shallowly as she could, as the first man rummaged through the troop transport truck.  
 
 
“Ah, there it is.” He said as he pulled a small box from the truck.
 
 
He opened the box and then pulled something from his pocket, but Raven could not see it well. She crept forward, holding her breath in the process as she stirred up some dust by moving.  
 
 
“So, you plan no work, eh professor?” The second man said snidely.
 
 
“Unfortunately, no, but now we know. It was only a theory that the stone would light up again when in the vicinity of the giver so we could triangulate his position even when he’s not using the cane. I guess with his daughter dead the ring needs to be reactivated and reassigned before it reconnects with him.” The first man said.
 
 
Raven squinted in the dim light and barely made out the ring she had seen on the desk in the room she entered earlier. As he tossed it in the box the light from the room momentarily shown inside the box to show that it had other rings and pendants in it, all with darkened stones.  
 
 
She gasped, involuntarily at the sight, but quickly covered her mouth to try to suppress the noise. The Russian froze and looked around.
 
 
“You hear noise?” He asked warily.
 
 
The first man took off his hat and looked around. Raven’s eyes widened as she saw his face in the dim light. His features, beady red eyes, rounded ears, and pointed nose told her he was either a rat wessen or a rat spirit. She sniffed the air carefully and took in a nose full of dust, which almost caused her to sneeze, but she held her nose to keep it in. Her eyes watered as she contained the sneeze, but the scent in the air was unmistakable and make her almost tremble. The smell was the same as the rat she met outside and seeing him now brought back the memories of when she was changed to a feline spirit. It was him, Professor Renaldo Zucker AKA Professor Z. He was famous in the spirit world for his genius, but if anything was greater than his genius it was his cruelty and the pleasure he derived from the pain inflicted on his subjects. He had overseen her transformation and gloated on how he could have made the process much less painful, but opted to make it hurt even more than necessary.  
 
 
Professor Z shook his head and donned his hat once more, “You’re getting jumpy, Hedeon. Give that over active imagination of yours a rest.”
 
 
Hedeon scowled, “I sure I hear noise.”
 
 
Professor Z sighed and shook his head, “We all makes mistakes…well, all of us except me!”
 
 
He smirked at himself only to get a growl from Hedeon who backed down at one glare from the professor. The professor pulled out another small box and handed it to Hedeon.
 
 
“If he teleports again, this should point you at him with better accuracy, now. It took a while to gather enough data to get it to work, but if he’s not incapacitated this time you will have to move in fast to get him.” Professor Z said.
 
 
“Bah! You say he collapse two or three teleports ago! I think you not as good as you think.” Hedeon replied snidely.
 
 
Professor Z frowned angrily, “I did not say he would! I said if he was like the others the numbers said he would! Obviously, he’s more resilient that the others, which will make breaking him all the more fun.”
 
 
Hedeon snarled, “Heh! If you so smart, why not make gizmo to track, eh?”
 
 
“We have not been able to isolate any steady or continual radiations from the canes of actual time lords. The rings and pendants of their loved ones occasionally give off signals but they are rarely the same. Only the captured and modified devices seem to give off a constant signal. It is a mystery that has the whole team baffled! Rest assured we will find an answer. Some questions take longer to be answered than others, but I assure you I’ve never failed to answer a question yet!” The professor replied, though he lacked the confidence in his reply that he usual had.
 
 
Truth be told the canes still baffled him in many aspects. He knew their core make-up, he knew how to harness their power and translate the needed frequencies from the mind to force them to preform at least basic temporal tasks, but full control and understanding still eluded him. But, he would not let him beat him, even if he had to look to outside help, help that is outside their current time and space.
 
 
The professor strode out of the hold with Hedeon on his heals. Hedeon stopped at the door, though and looked around one more time. He sighed and shrugged after a moment, then closed the door, slamming it in the process.  
 
 
Raven held her sneeze for a couple more minutes, though her eyes were now blurry and her head hurt. She finally let herself sneeze a couple times and then waited to make sure they were not coming back. Once she was sure it was all clear she climbed down and tried to recollect her thoughts. They could not be caught by that monster as she knew the horrors that awaited them. She shook a bit still, as she tried to push the memories from that dreadful day from her mind. It took her a few minutes but she finally recomposed herself and looked around. Half this gear, she expected, belonged to the professor and the Russian bounty hunters. She looked in the truck again and noticed the guild seals of the Russians on some of the boxes and others had serial numbers and markings from the spirits main research lab.  
 
 
She shook her head after a moment and backed away from the truck, wanting to leave no trace that she was there, but as she backed away she noticed dusty imprints on the side of the truck that outlined the breasts and torso of a female figure. She looked down at herself and swore as she noticed she was completely covered in dust and dirt. She looked around and found a rag in a tool box on the jeep and wiped the imprint of her form off the truck before trying to clean herself off. She did not do a very good job of getting it off herself, but she got some off.
 
 
She threw the rag up under the truck and hoped it would not be seen, before trotting over to the door and opening it carefully. She peered around the hall but there was no one in sight. She moved back into the room and knelt down on the floor, once again preforming her sensual stretch that let her change into her animal form.  Once changed she scurried into the hall and headed out.
 
 
Getting out was almost more challenging than getting in, as the port-hole was not an option this time. She tried to find a way out, that would not get her seen, trampled or otherwise, but she was not having much luck. As she made her way around, she managed to sneak into one of the holds that they were loading just as the workers finished unloading one of the crane nets. She jumped on as the net was being lifted out of the hold. She was seen by one of the workers who cussed at her and threw something at her, but fortunately missed.  
 
 
As the net hit the ground she tried to make a hasty exit, but her foot got caught in the net. A rather nasty tempered man kicked her in the side, just as she got free and sent her falling over the edge of the dry-docks where she landed hard on a pile of old rope and rolled to the ground. She laid on the ground for several minutes, panting for air as she tried to breath through the pain. She pulled herself together several minutes later and gingerly stood up, only to fall in her face after her front leg collapsed on her from the pain. She rolled to her good side and tested her front leg out, finding it hurt badly from her rough landing. It did not seem to be a complete break, but from the pain she was sure it was bruised and the bone possibly cracked. She managed to get back up and stand on three feet, though it hurt like hell. She sighed and limped forward, as she tried not to cry out with every step.
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
Hondo got antsy as he waited, swearing under his breath that he had even let her go. He made his cane reappear in his hand, and tried multiple times to check on her. The best he could do was sense her pendant, and from that he knew she was still alive. Beyond that he knew nothing else, other than every time he tried he got a painful shock that seemed to leave him a bit more tired and sore each time. He had thought at first that something was draining energy from him, but the more it happened the more he knew it was just the energy that was being thrown back at him and his body trying to compensate for the pain and damage that was draining him. Though he could only relate the pain to that of an electric shock, it was somehow more than that, though he could not explain what it was exactly.  
 
 
As it got close to dark Hondo paced behind the crates, as he waited. He looked at his pocket watch every ten seconds or so, watching for the time he had allotted himself before trying to teleport her back. As his watched ticked, it seemed to move slower and slower each second, time itself seeming to almost stand still.  
 
 
“Five more minutes… just five more…” He muttered as he put his watch away for the nine-hundredth time.
 
 
About then a soft sound made him turn around. He did not see anything at first but only heard a soft thumping sound that seemed to grow closer by the minute.  Soon a large, long haired black cat limped around the corner and looked up at him with sad eyes and mewed pleadingly. He ran over and dropped to his knees as he immediately recognized her as Raven’s feline form, though she looked dirty and bedraggled. She fell onto her side and lay panting as he knelt beside her.
 
 
“Raven! What happened?! Are you alright?” He asked as he gently put his hand on her head.  
 
 
She purred and mewed softly as if to say she would be alright now.
 
 
“Can you change back?” He asked?
 
 
She shook her head gingerly at him.
 
 
“Damn.” He cussed as he looked around and thought.  
 
 
Knowing not what else to do he summoned the cane again and put his other hand on her. She tried to get up and move away but fell to the ground again, due to pain and exhaustion. She shook her head at him as he put his hand back on her.
 
 
“It’s alright, darlin’. I have no other way to help you. Please, hold still.” He said softly.
 
 
She closed her eyes as he twisted the canes crystal and pressed down on the crystal with his other hand. As he did, a blue light seemed to pulse through him and into her, and out of the cane and thin air, red sparking tendrils hit him and after a couple violent jerks threw him back away from her and to the ground.
 
 
Raven lay there for a second before looking up and seeing Hondo lay on the ground, smoke coming from his clothes as if the sparks had burned them. She panicked at first and hopped up. She winced at the pain but found it to not be as bad as before. She took a deep breath to calm herself then, though it hurt, stretched out and reverted to her human like form. Once changed back, she scrambled over to Hondo and put a hand on his chest as she held her ribs with the other.
 
 
“My love?! Say something!” She said trying not to cry.  
 
 
Hondo coughed and groaned, “Oohhh. That hurt like hell.”
 
 
He sat up and winced a bit as his head felt like he had gone on a seven-day bender and had just come off of it.
 
 
“Are you alright?” She asked in a worried tone.
 
 
He nodded gingerly, “I’ll be fine. Hurt different than teleportin’ for some reason… Just don’t understand what’s happenin’!”
 
 
He looked up at her and saw her bruises and how dirty she was. Her whole body looked like she rolled in dirt, her hair was a mess, she had cuts and scraped on her face and belly, and her upper arm and ribs were starting to bruise.
 
 
“Damn, I didn’t help you at all! What happened? You had me worried sick!” He exclaimed.
 
 
“You did help a lot! Part of the dirt is from having to hide in a dusty area. The rest is from some yard brute with no conscience who kicked me off the dry-dock. Had I not landed on some old rope I’d probably still be lying there, though the fibers cut me up a bit too.” She said.
 
 
He sat up with a groan and pushed himself to his knees to look her over.
 
 
“Where are you hurtin’?” He asked
 
 
“Don’t worry about me, what about you?!” She replied.
 
 
“I asked first!” He growled to cover his worry.
 
 
She sighed, “My... my upper left arm and my ribs mostly, but they were worse before you tried to heal me.”
 
 
He shook his head, “I can’t truly heal with that even when workin’ right. Just accelerate some healin’, surface mostly.”
 
 
He touched her side and she winced and sucked air through her teeth. She had a similar reaction when he touched her arm. He sighed and shook his head.
 
 
“Damn bastard!” He growled, “He got you good. Cracked ribs an’ possibly a cracked humorous, looks like, along with a shit ton of bruises an’ scrapes.”
 
 
He sighed and shook his head, “I should never have let you go.”
 
 
She put a hand on his arm, “No! It had to be done, and its not your fault at all! I learned something important.”
 
 
He sighed and helped her to her feet, then helped her sit on a crate and handed her the dress to cover up with. She mere put it on her lap, as though she was not one to run around nude in public she was also not shy about her body, especially around Hondo.
 
 
“What did you find out?” He asked after a moment.
 
 
“It’s not good. You ever hear of a Professor Z?” She asked.
 
 
He scratched his chin for a moment, “Hmm, you mean Professor R. Zucker maybe?”
 
 
She nodded, “He’s known as Professor Z among the spirits.”
 
 
“Some sort of science whiz, right? Real nasty bastard, I’ve heard.” He replied.
 
 
She look down at the ground and nodded, “He.. he’s the one who.. who oversaw my change and said he made it hurt worse than it had to.”
 
 
“That was him?! #$@!in’ bastard! Where is he?” Hondo growled.
 
 
She grabbed his arm, held it tightly, and looked up at him with pleading eyes, “You don’t understand! He’s the one who’s controlling the Russians! He’s behind the tech that’s stopping you and hurting you! He’s made a tracker to track you when you teleport, and… and…”
 
 
“An’ what?” He asked warily.
 
 
She looked back down and sighed, “He has her ring… Tonya’s.”
 
 
Hondo looked at her in shock, “What?!”
 
 
She nodded, “He… he thought he could use it to track you… though if he got close it would light up or something. It doesn’t work but…”
 
 
Hondo pulled away from her and turned away. He worked his jaw angrily as he stood there in silence. Raven looked up at him in near desperation, thinking that just saying Tonya’s name again made him hate her, as he had asked her never to say the name.
 
 
“If you hate me, I understand but, please, at least listen to me. I still love you, so much!... I’m so sorry.” She said softly.
 
 
He sighed and looked down after a moment, “I don’t hate you, darlin’… I’m just angry… Angry that I failed her… angry that I couldn’t hold onto my wife… angry that the bastard is so close yet I can’t get to him… I’m angry that I feel so helpless, an’… *sigh* … I’m angry that I’ve failed you more than once.”
 
 
“Failed me? How?!” She asked.
 
 
“If I had seen you for who you were from the start maybe, maybe they’d never have taken you… If I had made you let me go with you maybe they’d never have ripped you apart… if I hadn’t let you go today maybe you’d not be hurt… If I had been a better man maybe you’d not question my feelin’s for you.” He replied almost monotone.
 
 
She stood up and walked up to him slowly, still cradling her hurt arm, and leaned against him.
 
 
“You never failed me. Times have been hard, but my doubts are my own and… and I knew the danger when I offered you two my services all those years ago. I hate what I am at times. I know my ability to change helps but I feel like I’ve failed you by not being a human woman.” She said softly.
 
 
He turned to her and lifted her chin so her eyes met his gaze, “Never once since I’ve asked you to be with me, to be mine since Val turned her back on me, have I ever regretted that you were a spirit an’ not human. I love you for you.”
 
 
She smiled, “Then I guess neither of us has really failed… We just have bad days.”
 
 
He grinned and shook his head, “Leave it to you to see it that way.”
 
 
He leaned down and kissed her softly again, though not for too long as he knew she was injured and deep breaths would hurt her. When he pulled back he looked at her for a second then off at the ship and the darkening sky.
 
 
“We hafta figure this out fast as we’re losin’ daylight.” He said
 
 
She nodded, “I know, but what do we do?”
 
 
He looked around for a second then back at her, “Can you change back into your animal form?”
 
 
She thought for a minute then looked up at him, “I think so, but I’m not going to be of much use.”
 
 
“How long did it take you to get there last time?” Hondo asked.
 
 
“Five to eight minutes, I guess.” She replied
 
 
“How long in your current shape?” He asked
 
 
She shrugged, “Pushing it, probably ten.”
 
 
“Well, do you think the distraction, the drunks startin’ a fight on the docks, will move the Russians an’ professor from the ship?” Hondo asked
 
 
She shook her head, “No, they will know something is up. They won’t move unless they see you.”
 
 
“An’ unless they see me Charlie is dead…. Can you get back on the ship in animal form?” He asked.
 
 
“Yes, but I’ll not go without you!” She said firmly.
 
 
“Listen, I need you to! The only chance I have of pullin’ this off is getting’ them to chase me an’ then usin’ you an’ your pendant as a focal point to teleport to! They hafta see me an’ I need you there. Can you do it?” He asked, taking her good hand in his and looking at her seriously.
 
 
She nodded after a moment and looked up at him with sad eyes.
 
 
“Then, I need you to change forms an’ get close right away.” He said still looking into her eyes.
 
 
As tears started to form in her eyes, she pushed past the pain and reached up, kissing him deeply and passionately. She pulled back, after he almost forced her to, and held her side as she panted for air.
 
 
“Please…*pant* Please don’t leave *pant* me alone!” She said.
 
 
He grinned at her and shook his head, “Now, don’t you worry, little lady. I’ll be there with bells on!”
 
 
She smiled and laughed slightly, trying to hide her worry, but the pain in her ribs from laughing took care of that. She breathed through it though and then smiled back up at him.
 
 
“I’ll hold you to that, cowboy.” She said.  
 
 
She started to get to her knees, but it hurt like hell to do it on her own. Hondo caught onto that and helped her get down to the ground. As she knelt with her arms to the ground she turned to him and swallowed.
 
“Now, this is going to hurt.” She said.
 
 
With that she sucked in and held her breath as she stretched and arched herself. Her eyes closed tight shut and her muscles tensed but she managed to change forms, though it was a little slower than normal. Once changed she sat for a moment on her haunches and panted until the pain subsided. Once she had herself back under control she turned and looked at Hondo once again, and meowed at him softly before taking off into the shadows at a fast limp.
 
 
Hondo watched her go until she was out of sight once more and then popped open his watch. The distraction was supposed to start at 9:00pm and it was eight minutes to, according to his watch. He waited for the fight to start, deciding it was best to make his move then, as they would be watching for him to board in the chaos.
 
 
At almost precisely 9:00pm, a couple drunks come staggering down the dock and run into one of the workers, spilling beer on him. After some hostile words and a crowd gathered they started into fighting, with others seeming to come out of the woodwork to join in. As the fight ensued, Hondo started towards them at a brisk walk, still in his disguise. As he got closer he saw that the Russians on board were joined on deck by a rat type spirit, of whom he figured was Professor Z. The one Russian, who appeared vaguely wessen but was hard to tell what type, stood with the professor as they both looked at a screen in a box that was sitting on the railing. They looked around from time to time, even once glancing at Hondo, but they wrote him off at first glance.  
 
 
As Hondo approached several motorcycles headed their way. He figured they were security from the warehouses coming to break up the fight, and at that moment the plan in Hondo’s mind was complete. He stopped right before he got to the ship and stared for a moment, which got the attention of those on board, but not because they thought it was him, but out of curiosity as to why a man was interested in them and not the fight. He turned away and started at a trot towards the approaching motorcycles, throwing off his Greek cap, coat, and eyepatch as he gained speed. He then held his arm out and the cane appeared in his hand.
 
 
“Look! Sackett!” One of the Russians yelled from the deck.  
 
 
As the motorcycles pulled up, Hondo swung his cane at the first security guard he came to and knocked him to the ground. He jumped on the bike and with a quick twist and push of the crystal, his old oilskin hat appeared out of seeming nowhere and into his hand. It zapped him in the process and caused him to groan but he fought through it. He swung the hat on his head, revved the bike, and took off like a shot on it, in the direction he had come from.  
 
 
By this time, he had got all their attention and the Russians were scrambling, all save the professor and the Russian wessen with him, who got a jeep ready that was standing by along with a few other men they held in reserve.  
 
 
As Hondo raced down the docks he looked back long enough to see he was being chased by four dirt bikes, which seemed to be gaining on him.  He leaned forward a bit more and pressed the motorcycle faster, but she did not have a lot left to give as its engine was getting old and tired. He down shifted and skidded around a corner, hoping to lose or delay the four following him. He did not slow them down, unfortunately, but gained two more as he went. He shifted up and rolled all the way back on the throttle as he sped down the docks. Workers and pedestrians jumped out of the way and containers spilled all over as angry voices cussed him and those that followed him. He down shifted again and made a hard-right turn, barely keeping from going over the edge of the docks, as he slid onto a ramp to get down to the ground. The six behind him slid into the turn and this time one did not made it but went off the edge, his bike smashing to the ground and erupting in flames soon after. Hondo pushed the old bike, shifting back up again as he rode down the ramp. He hit the ground hard, so hard it almost threw him off, but he managed to hang on and keep rolling, though he picked up two motorcycles, who now joined in on chasing him.  
 
 
Hondo rode hard, and pushed the bike, trying to get to the road, out of town, and head to the wastelands. As he approached the road a troop transport pulled across it and several soldiers for hire bailed out and aimed rifles at him. He skidded around a corner and shot between two buildings just as the opened fire. They missed him, but he heard the bullets whiz past his head and saw them kick up dirt in the street around him, which made them all too close for comfort. As he raced down the side street he headed towards another road out of town but as he came to it a jeep raced at him, causing him to slide into a turn the other way. The race through town was getting dangerous and he was gaining way too many followers, way too many to count. Another jeep tried to take him out from a side street, but he swerved and was just barely missed. By the time he had come down to his last viable road out of town, as he could not lose them in town with this bike, he swerved onto it and screamed out of town.
 
 
As he traveled the road went down into a large rock canyon, that looked more like a large bomb crater, but if it was, it was from many years ago.  He slid the motorcycle to a stop in the bottom of the canyon as the way through was blocked by what he believed to be that earlier troop transport, that circled around. Eight men with rifles stood in a semi-circle in front of him, all pointing their weapons at him. He turned and looked behind him but the way back was now sealed off as two jeeps, five dirt bikes, and three motorcycles pulled up behind him.  
 
 
He shut the motorcycle off and stepped off of it, with his cane in his hand.
 
 
“Give up, Sackett! There is no win for you!” A man called out with a Russian sounding accent.
 
 
“#$@! off.” He replied flatly.
 
 
“Give up or ve shoot!” The voice called out again.  
 
 
“Go to hell.” He said while twisting the crystal on the cane.
 
 
“Shoot him!” The voice yelled.
 
 
As they raised their guns Hondo took a deep breath and slammed the cane’s tip into the ground as he pushed the crystal down hard. A blue shockwave traveled across the ground, knocked all of them to their feet and shocking several of them. Many yelled out in fear, several cussed, and the rest screamed out in pain from being shocked or having rocks or bikes fall on them. Hondo fell to one knee as red tendrils of what looked like electricity ran up and down his body, causing him to jerk violently and groan in pain. They stopped after a bit and he stayed on his knee panting for air. He heard the groans of men and women around him, which told him that most were alive and he had to act again before they did.
 
 
“Someone get that bastard!” A voice yelled, but it was not one of the Russians.  
 
 
“You get him!” another yelled.
 
 
“Help, I’m stuck!” someone cried.
 
 
“I need a medic!” yelled another
 
 
“You vill pay, Sackett!” someone else yelled angrily.
 
 
Hondo tried to stand but his muscles hurt too bad, as if he had overexerted himself and was dehydrated. He gritted his teeth and twisted the crystal again.
 
 
“Raven, please be in the right place.” He muttered to himself.
 
 
He tensed up and pushed down on the crystal again, and as the people around him looked on, they saw him vanish in a ball of blue light with red sparks.
 
 
 Short of the ship, in an empty dry-dock bay, Hondo reappeared in a flash of red sparking light streaked with blue hues. His body shuttered violently for a moment and then relaxed. He tried to push himself up from kneeling, but he felt too dizzy and weak. He felt his vision fading as he wavered and fell forward barely catching himself with one hand. He swayed and shook as he tried to cling onto consciousness, but it was fading. In the distance he heard voices and saw lights of a vehicle coming his way. He pushed all his conscious thought into making his cane disappear and then everything went dark and he fell on his face in the dirt.  
 
 
A jeep stopped not far from Hondo and three men with rifles jumped out and stood over his body. Another followed them, with a cruel smile on his face.
 
 
“Finally, ve got Sackett!” Hedeon said with glee.
 
 
A fifth figure walked up to join him. His beady red eyes twinkled with delight.
 
 
“And he managed to hide his cane from us. Glorious! I will have so much fun getting it from him!” Professor Zucker replied happily.  
 
 
Hedeon turned to the men and pointed at Hondo’s limp body.
 
 
“Put him in truck! Ve take him to facility now!” He barked.
 
 
The three men slung their rifles over their shoulders and threw Hondo’s body into the back. The professor pulled a small leather back from his pocket and pulled a capped, filled syringe and needle from it. He injected it into Hondo arm and then nodded approvingly.
 
 
“That will keep him out for a while.” He replied with a grin.
 
 
The stowed the syringe away and hopped back into the jeep. Hedeon then started the engine, put the jeep in gear, and roared out of town on the eastern road.  
 
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
 
Raven made her way to the ship as fast as she could, trying to hurry, but her injuries making things slow. As she approached the ship, the fight started and the docks erupted into chaos. She glanced at the port-hole window, but knew she’d never make it in this shape. She crept along further and got close to the gangway, but there were Russians standing there, and she knew she would never get past them. She looked around desperately for a minute, trying to find a different way in.  
 
 
“Look! Sackett!” One of the Russians on deck yelled.  
 
 
She turned to look as she saw him swing on a motorcycle, with his cane in hand, and roar off down the docks. The chaos only got worse from there as a couple of the Russians ran down and grabbed dirk-bikes of their own and raced away, being joined by a couple of more who were not much farther away. But they did not all give chase. She watched as the others, more slowly and methodically grabbed bags and such and headed to a jeep. The larger, possibly wessen, Russian turned to one of his men and spoke.
 
 
“Boris, you and Yana vait for others. You go with ship. Ve vill meet in this Chinatown later.” Hedeon said.
 
 
“Da.” Boris replied.
 
 
Hedeon nodded, grabbed up a bag and threw it in the jeep, while Boris walked off to inform Yana that they were staying.  
 
 
 Raven watched as Hedeon talked to Boris and then made his way to the jeep. None of them seemed to be in a hurry to leave, but they all gathered around the scree they had been watching, waiting for activity. She looked back after a moment and saw Boris had moved away from the gangway. She glanced around hurriedly and then limped quickly up the gangway and into the Plump Baroness. Once inside it was slow going again. Though the fight outside was still on going it was dying down, so the hands were making ready to take off and bustled busily as they moved through the corridors randomly. She moved carefully, as her movements were not as swift and smooth as they had been before.
 
 
It took her several minutes but she finally made her way into the large cargo hold. She looked around warily, but saw and heard no one. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a deep breath and readied herself to change back. As she stretched out and her body started to revert to her human-like form, a pain shot through her chest. She fell to her side and hugged her chest as she tried not to cry out in pain. The pain resided after a moment and she clawed at her choker. She pulled it off and pulled the crystal pendant from its pocket and looked at it in her furry hand. The blue like in the crystal seemed to pulse a bit as red sparks leaps from it then faded. She looked at it for a moment before she noticed her hand was furry. She looked down at herself as a wave of horror swept over her. The shocking pain had kept her from fully changing and now she looked more like an anthropomorphic cat, than she did a woman. Panic filled her body as she looked at herself. It had been a long time since this had happened but Hondo had been there with her. She tried to speak but no words came out, only a raspy meow.  
 
 
As she tried to think the pendant sparked again and she dropped to the floor and cried out as the pain hit her. The spasms of pain run up her arm and through her chest, causing her bad arm and cracked ribs to radiate excruciating pain as her muscles spasmed involuntarily. As it stopped she lay on the floor panting. She looked at the pendent still clutched in her hand and watched as the red sparks faded and the light pulsed. As she watched the blue light got bright then dimmed down until it was almost barely visible. She sat up quickly and stared at it in disbelief. She looked around to make sure he wasn’t there but she saw nothing. The pounding of feet drawing near took her attention away for a moment and she scrambled to the container. It took her three tried to get the tumbler to unlock the door as she was hurrying and her hands shook. She finally got it though, got inside and locked the door behind her just as she heard the door to the room be thrown fully open and men rush in.
 
 
“I don’t see anyone.” A voice said
 
 
“I swear I heard a scream come from here. Sounded like a mix between a woman and an animal!” A second said.
 
 
“And you were too chicken to go look alone?” a third replied
 
 
“You guys would have got someone too! It was haunting and almost unearthly! It sounded like some creature crying out in pain, fear and sorrow!” The second emphasized.
 
 
“You’re nuts!” The third replied.
 
 
“Honest guys! I heard it!” The second replied.
 
 
“You’re just tired and have been away from home too long. Come on, once we take off we’ll grab a drink.” The first said.
 
 
“Alright but… I swear I heard it.” The second said nervously.
 
 
“Come on, ya #$@!ing old woman, and let your imagination rest.” The third said
 
 
“You’re a #$@!ing lousy friend, you know that!” The second responded.
 
 
The door shut and the footsteps faded as Raven leaned against the wall panting and trying not to cry. She looked down at the pendant, which had brightened a little, but was not even half as bright as usual. She got down on the floor and stretched out, trying to change one way or the other. Her arm throbbed and her ribs send waves of pain through her as she tried, but try as she might she could not change back either way. After several tries she fell onto her good side and panted as she stared at the pendant. As she lay there she heard the roar of the engines and felt the jostle of the ship as it started to take off, but Hondo had not shown up. Tears started to flow from her eyes and before long she could not hold it back any longer, and she started to full on sob. If anyone had heard them, they would have known the sound of a heart breaking, as the heart-rending sobs issued forth from her being. How long she sobbed she did not know but sometime in the night she ran out of energy to sob, then out of tears to cry, and before much longer fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.  
 
 
As she fell asleep these questions ran through her mind, “My love, where are you? How did I fail you? How can I survive like this? Please don’t leave me….”
 
 
 
(to be continued… )