[Around 9:00PM: Junk Town 98357, Tear Drop Camper Trailer inside Francisco’s workshop.]
 
For the third time thus far within this passing half hour, Darlene wakes up from Tamara kicking her. She lies curled up on her side in a fetal position only to be disturbed by a kick or otherwise a hit to her back and legs. She sits up and almost yells at Tamara.
 
“TAMARA! What Is Wrong With You?!!” Darlene yells at her.
 
“What The #$@! Darlene?!!” Tamara yells back.
 
“You’re the one kicking me!” Darlene yells at her.
 
“This Bed Is Too Small, And You’re Taking Up Too Much Room!” Tamara shouts back.
 
“This Bed Is Big Enough For A Family To Sleep In, And I Am By The Door! You’re The One Hogging Up All The Space!” Darlene tells her. She throws in “If you move over to your door, you would have room!”
 
“No There Is Not!” Tamara argues back.
 
Darlene sits up and reaches over to turn on the light switch to light up the inside of the camper. She sees Tamara lying on her back on the center of the bed with her arms out and her legs open like that famous Leonardo drawing of Man.
 
“What The #$@! Tamara!!” Darlene shouts at her, “You’re Hogging up All The Space!”
 
“I’m trying to take a nap!” Tamara argues back.
 
“No One Lies Down Like That Unless They Are Getting #$@!ed On The Mine Master’s Bed!” Darlene throws at her.
 
“My bed in my dorm is bigger than this!” Tamara lets out.
 
“You bed is the same size as any other. It is not bigger than any other, only thing is that you have a new fresh mattress replaced every season and we don’t.” Darlene tells her. They look at each other for a moment before Darlene tells her sternly, “Close your legs, put down your arms and lie on your side like any other normal person, and then there will be plenty of room for all of us.”
 
Tamara lets out a sigh before she complies, and then sits up “What do you mean ‘room for all of us?’”
 
“This is Francisco’s get-a-way ride and sleeping box. He and from the looks of it, Maria are the ones set to leave in this place. We are trying to get them to take them with us, and in that, we all will be sleeping here together. This bed is big enough for all of us to sleep together... if somebody does not hog up the space.” Darlene tells her.
 
“I am not sharing this bed with Francisco!!” Tamara tells her.
 
“Then you can leave as this is Francisco’s bed, not yours. And you can go cry to the Mine Master about us escaping. I rather be killed by the Mine Master’s Gun than to live another day giving out water and food to men in the piles who would want to drag me behind the piles and force me to serve them like we all served the Mine Master and then be killed because dead girls don’t snitch on the Pile Men who rape them.” Darlene tells her.
 
Tamara sits there with her jaw dropped.
 
“You’ve been the Mine Master’s favorite for so long, you forgot what it is to be a Water Girl. Well let me refresh your memory... It’s disgusting job, walking through the mud and muck to far away areas of the piles to give the men out there assigned to you food and drink when you find them and along the way have other men, Wessens and mutants look at you with that look to take you and violate you in ways you would not think possible. And while it happens, you are to lie there and enjoy it, because if you scream, you will get a hammer to the head and kill you dead. And even then, when they are done with you and let you go, thinking you are free of their activity, you get a blade to the back, a hammer to the head and your throat slit, your body hidden so it would not be found until the Mine Master does a search for you. That is what you go through as a Water Girl Every Day out there. I was lucky to occasionally get Francisco once in a while, because he keeps an eye on you and tries to protect you from the others. If you had not heard, the other day Nicolaz’s Panty Boys tried to take, rape and kill Maria after serving Francisco his food and drink, and they would have done so if Francisco was not watching over her as she left and he put an end to them taking her. It is only when the Mine Master heard of what happened, is when he went out and killed two of Nicolaz’s Panty Boys. And like Maria, Francisco had saved me from Nicolaz’s Panty Boys from taking, raping and killing me. So I do not care if you go crying to the Mine Master about us running out of here. I rather be dead by the Mine Master’s gun than to do another day of walking the piles where I could be taken, raped and killed.” Darlene explains.
 
There is a pause for a moment Darlene’s words.
 
Darlene continues, “This is Francisco’s bed and we are on it if he lets us, and if he lets us, he is sharing what he has for us to get out of this place. We do not have the right to take what does not belong to us, all we can do is ask for a share, and if we do share, to respect that this belongs to him and we are here by his willing to help us get out of there. And if you do not like that this is his bed which he is going to sleep in with you in it, then you can get out of here. The choice is simple. My choice is to share if it is given and to respect what is given. If he has to sleep here in his bed chamber while I am sleeping here because he allows me to share his bed with him, then so be it. I do not care what you decide, but you better respect that this is his and not yours, you cannot take it from him.”
 
“We’ll see about that.” Tamara tells her.
 
“Here you have the power of on who the Mine Master’s gun is used to kill. Outside of here, you have no power. It is Francisco that will get us out of here, it is Francisco that will get us food to eat, it is Francisco that will do his best to keep us safe and warm. We need to respect him and what he is willing to share with us. If you are not willing to respect him in order to take us out of this place, then you can leave.” Darlene tells her. “The choice is yours. I am a shy quiet girl, but now that I am willing to face death, I am willing to be brave and say what has to be said. And if you do not like what I am saying, then you can leave, tell the Mine Master, have Maria, Francisco and I killed and all this that could be used to escape destroyed so no one else can use it because I would rather die than to face another day here. But this is his escape pod, and Francisco has to sleep in his bed, I hope he would share it with me and anyone else – you and/or Maria. And if he wants me to service him, then I’ll give him what I can offer with my mouth, my pussy and my ass, and that would be a very low price to pay for somebody who just saved your life by taking you out from this dreaded place.”
 
Tamara turns on her side, getting closer to the door before throwing her blankets over her, “I do not want to hear it anymore. I hope he hurries up so we can get out of here.”
 
“Thank you for moving over. Now there is room for everyone.” Darlene says before reaching over to turn off the lights, then turning herself onto her side facing the other door and pulling her blanket over herself.”
 
Tamara does not say a word but she is too filled of them to say something sensible.
 
 
[Flight Town - Convoy Parking Lot, 7-ish PM]
 
Hondo and the Wessen Militia had left over an hour ago, Fernando is in the Dub Box Camper setting up a pull wagon with five pumpkin sized sacks of gold coins, making it over 50 pounds to pull. As he gathers and balances the sacks on the pull cart, General Jastrey steps up to the Dub Box open entrance. She knocks on the door frame to get his attention.
 
Fernando looks up and around, seeing General Jastrey by the door and several of her entourage outside.  
 
“Come inside alone and close the door behind you. Then speak what you have to say.” He tells her.
 
The General though miffed of the situation does as he had told her. She steps into the Dub Box Camper and closes the door behind her.
 
“Can I ask what you are doing?” General Jastrey asks.
 
“I’m setting up the bags of money so that you or the Wessen Militia do not have to spend such resources on a losing game.” Fernando tells her, adding, “One bag for you, one bag for the Wessen Militia, one bag for Hondo, one bag for me, and one bag to back up any one losing heavily.”
 
“We have enough to cover for the game.” General Jastrey says.
 
“There is having enough to enter the game, and there is enough to overwhelm the game that they cannot support the game without giving up everything.” Fernando explains. He adds, “Like this: I see your $50, and raise you $100,000. Since he cannot back up such a bet, he folds.”
 
“That can backfire and you lose your money.” General Jastrey points out.
 
“I expect to lose, so I will only play a few hands, just enough to make Giovanni nervous. But I will back up Hondo’s bets with mine money. That should get Giovanni angry to lose his concentration on his cheating, and show that he is cheating and call him on it. Then we have him, arrest him for cheating and take over his base of operations.” Fernando explains.
 
“Then who collects the winnings in the end?” The General asks.
 
“I collect the winnings and cut it 4 ways to give everyone a fair share.” Fernando explains.
 
“That might cause problems if one wants their actual winnings.” General Jastrey says.
 
“I doubt all four of us would win; we are there to overwhelm him in bets, so 2 or 3 of us will be losing. Furthermore, Giovanni cheats. And his cheating, he will do what he can to win. When one is playing to win, one will be changing the rules so they can win. So when it is over, there will be one money winner, but the property and workers will go to you under the army to control this city. Furthermore, you will be getting his Slave Blimp parked in the Blimp Parking Lot next to the Convoy Parking Lot. So any money won will be divided between the four of us. You, Hondo and I have some mega winning from Fight Town, so doubt we would want all the winnings. The Wessens I predict would lose, so I would be willing to share with all of us for helping us win as a whole as we work together for this goal.” Fernando explains.
 
“Hmmm...” The General says to herself.
 
“Call the Wessens and tell them to be here before 8:30 and only bring themselves, an empty pull-cart and their personal weapons. If they bring guards, have them fully armed but not to bring money as the money will be supplied. I’ll call Hondo to come here around 8:30 and we will all discuss what we will do, and explain about the money. Then we will go, you can bring 20 or so men with you as your guards and have them surround the building from a block away.  Then we go in and kick ass.” Fernando explains.
 
“Then one more thing,” General Jastrey begins to say, “If I am in negotiations with somebody, you are not to disrespect me in front of them.”
 
“Fine. But as you seen, they are not willing to respect such negotiations and had attacked us. Expect another attack to follow tomorrow as they count of what is left of their forces and try again. Not like Hector’s Army of Wessens who tried to take us all down all at once and with 20 to 1 odds against us, we decimated their army though there were some losses on our end. Talk to the Major about the details about it. Any anyone not willing to respect the peace during negotiations, do not deserve any respect themselves.” Fernando tells her.
 
Not willing to continue the conversation, General Jastrey tries to end their meeting, “Meet up at 8:30?”
 
“8:30 at the gate, we meet up for a minute or so, then we walk to Giovanni’s place with our troops to protect us going there and keep the surveying the place while we play the game. Bring an empty pull-cart, and tell the Wessen Militia to do the same, I’ll take care of the money you all need to get in. Then we roll up on Giovanni when we win or catch him on cheating and deal with him accordingly.” Fernando tells her.
 
“I’ll see you then.” General Jastrey says as she reaches for the door.  
 
“Yeah... see you then.” Fernando tells her.
 
General Jastrey opens the door and lets herself out. The door closes behind her without her needing to close it. Fernando goes into his pocket and takes out his tiny Yaesu radio. He calls to Hondo on it. He presses the ‘TALK’ Button on the radio, “Righteous Cowboy, this is the Medic. Come in Righteous Cowboy.”
 
Hondo answers immediately, “I’m here, Medic. What gives?”
 
“Slight change in plans. We will meet at the Parking Lot gate at 8:30PM before we go to Giovanni’s. Just bring yourself, an empty pull cart, your favorite firearms and your Time Lord Cane. The money you are going to gamble on the Poker game will be here. The Wessens Militia and General Jastrey’s men will provide security for us to go there and get back. The winnings will be collected and shared 4 equal ways.” Fernando explains.
 
“Even if I won the most, I have to share?” Hondo asks.
 
“It’s not about winning but taking down Giovanni. In that we will win more than just money, but to keep things level among us, the money will be cut four ways because we all worked for taking him down.” Fernando explains.
 
“I see...” Hondo says.
 
“We’ll discuss it later. But just letting you know. Have Karl and Marvin lead in your absent of the Hanger and the troops guarding it. And make Minerva and Miniya aware that they are to listen to them if things go south, with an escape plan to the basement.” Fernando explains.
 
“That will be done.” Hondo replies, adding, “I’ll see you then.”
 
“See you then...” Fernando replies. He puts away his radio, going back to the job of packing up the bags of gold coins into the pull cart.
 
Looking at his watch, he sees that he has about an hour and a half before plans go into effect.
 
 
[Hondo’s Hanger]
 
Having paid attention to what is going on and what is to transpire next, Miniya acts on her sneaky self to get to Hondo alone one way or another. Knowing that he and others will be going to Giovanni’s for a card game, she knows what to expect. She sees him walking about the place, as if he was inspecting the place. She follows him with her eyes while pretending to keep an eye on others and the children. Once she sees him leaving through the rear of the hanger, she goes after him, meeting him outside.
 
She calls out to him as she almost sneaks up behind him, “Excuse me, Hondo sir...?”
 
Hondo holds himself from flinching, not expecting anybody to be at his rear before taking a second to recompose himself and turns around to see her. “Before I ask wha’ do you want, first, which one are you?”
 
“I’m Miniya.” Miniya answers.
 
“Alrigh’ then, wha’ do you want?” Hondo asks.
 
“I heard you and Fernando playing a poker game at Giovanni’s later tonight?” She asks.
 
“We might be. But you and the others are to stay here and take care of the kids. We do not need any distraction girls messing us up.” Hondo throws at her, knowing her history.
 
“No, I have something for you.” She says as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. She reaches to Hondo to give it to him. “It’s the notes of his marked cards. Hopefully you can learn them quickly.”
 
“Why you givin’ this to me and not Jefe?” Hondo asks as he takes the folded paper.
 
“Fernando is not here, you are. And Giovanni needs to be taken down as he will cheat, and if you call him on his cheating, he will shoot you from under the table. When his other hand disappears under the table, that is when he is going to shoot you.” Miniya tells him. She then adds, “You know how players hold their cards like a fan in their hand? That is how he read the marks on the cards. If you stack them one behind the other and look at the cards one at a time, he hates that because he cannot read the card marks. But if you do that, the distraction girls will be over your shoulders to read your cards and signal to him what you have.”
 
Hondo nods as he takes this information in.
 
She takes a breath before adding, “I don’t like anyone – understand that. But this is a better situation to be in than what Giovanni put us girls through. It is best that you and Fernando take down that fat sick man and his people and put this town on its knees. I have a feeling that only you two can do it, like he did when he saved Tracey and I from being shot in the head by Giovanni. But then it was only him. Now it is him with you and others, you all should be able to take them all down. Also, Giovanni has some extra cards in his sleeves, which he will pull out to make his hand better. Keep an eye out on that when he goes to scratch this wrist that is when he is pulling out an extra card.”
 
Hondo nods some more before he asks.
 
“Besides the distraction girls that will try to distract you during the game, there are armed guards at the door, so if you shoot Giovanni, they might try to kill everybody at the table. And also, Giovanni wears something under his clothes, as I seen others shoot him in the chest and he is still standing and then shoots the other dead.” Miniya explains.
 
“Good to know.” Hondo says as he nods.
 
“Be careful and take that mother#$@!er down.” Miniya tells him before taking a couple backwards steps and quickly goes into the hanger.
 
Hondo opens the folded paper and looks it over, seeing what each marked symbol on the back of the card means. It is going to take some time to learn them all but it can be quickly learned from its simple pattern. It is the combination of the patterns that makes things complex to learn all at once, but quickly learning the basic patterns will make him above the others in catching Giovanni.
 
He folds up the paper and pockets it. After a couple of random thought, he continues on his way looking things over in the hanger area when he should be resting.
 
 
[Convoy Camp at Parking Lot]
 
Jeanette and her entourage return from purchasing various food items to put into Moro’s trailer. It seems that they did not buy much except what could be fed to themselves: some canned foods and fruits, pasta and crackers. Prices of items seem to have risen for no apparent reason and that limited their choices in purchasing though like Fernando, they funding resources is rather unlimited so they could have bought anything despite the prices.
 
After putting the food away, they discussed matters about their vehicles before going from vehicle to vehicle and check on their fuel tank levels, oil, tires and lights – the very basic of things they can check on. Penny, Elsa, Sticky and Chichiro, the two children they were taking care of have been in Hikaru’s camper much of the day, as Chichiro is the oldest and can take care of the other two but she is just 12 years old and is still a child herself despite what her level of mental maturity is. But it is something Fernando is not going to act on as long as he does not know about it.
 
Their talk is more like chickens bickering over left over feed on the ground. They are doing very little to support the camp yet expect to be served like everyone else and as far as Fernando is concerned, as soon as their ‘missing angel’ Gabrielle is found, they are to be disconnected from the group. This is a Spirit Mission that needs to be ended as soon as possible as it is the Spirits that caused all the problems in the first place.  And the only one doing any real work in the group is Mavis as she is doing night-time guard duty with the teens.
 
They could have walked over to Fernando and talked with him all this time, but it seems that the younger Jeanette is following what bits and pieces the elder Jeanette is telling of her historical past, and it not willing to be cooperative with Fernando and the convoy’s needs. Nor is she willing with the idea of the elder Jeanette and elder Fernando being married, meaning that she would have to marry Fernando sometimes in the future. Having them help him during the Fight Town Death Match was worse than pulling teeth, yet they were immediate to collect their winnings after the match.
 
Eventually they go to their vehicles with the two Jeanettes going into the elder Jeanette’s VW Camper bus.
 
 
Fernando goes out of the convoy parking lot and into the merchant area to get a couple of things to eat: A Roast Beef sandwich, and a sweet water drink. He takes them back to his Dub Box Camper Trailer. Making sure all the windows are covered for no one to be able to see from the outside, he sits down on the bench seat of his external camper and has his meal.

Fernando cleans up his Dub Box Camper after his quick meal. Though early, Fernando decides to step out with the pull cart carrying the five bags of gold coins. Once outside, he locks the door to the Dub Box camper. He then walks to the convoy parking lot’s gate and waits with the soldiers there.
 
A green jeep with a couple large black SUVs arrive, signaling that the Wessen Militia has arrived. They are allowed to enter and park their vehicles in the convoy lot. The Jägerbar Major Fredrick Wilson Thompson, aka. Major Fred, steps out of the jeep and walks over to Fernando as his men walk into a nearby tent.
 
“Good evening Fernando!” Major Fred says as he steps up to Fernando with an extended hand while pulling an empty pull cart with the other.  
 
Fernando takes his hand and shakes it “Good evening Fred. How are things in Wessen Town?”
 
“People there are getting used to the idea and untie to work and even fight for what is right by the example you set at that gathering days ago.” Major Fred says.
 
“Good. With you and General Jastrey, this place can become the place that it once was.” Fernando tells him.
 
“We can only hope, until then there is a lot of hard work to do.” Major Fred says.
 
“The great achievements of mankind did not happen by people lying about and being lazy.” Fernando replies.
 
In that Major Fred nods. Coming up onto the Blimp parking area was a dark color Bronco SUV.  It stops at the gate where the guards are and then allowed to go in. It pulls up to left side of Fernando. Hondo sticks his head out of the window.
 
“I’ll see you in a bit, Jefe, after I park this thin’.” Hondo says to them. Fernando nods before Hondo drives off to park his vehicle. In a couple of minutes Hondo returns on foot with an empty pull cart. Hondo then asks, “What else we need to do before we go?”
 
“Gotta wait for General Jastrey and the crew to come out and for us to have our meeting before we go, though I spoke to you and General Jastrey of my plans.” Fernando says.
 
“What was it you spoke with them about?” Major Fred asks.
 
Fernando goes to his pull-cart and pulls out two sacks of gold coins, placing a bag of gold coins into Major Fred’s pull cart and the other bag of gold going into Hondo’s pull cart before he explains, “We are going in to overwhelm the game and make Giovanni lose everything he has. It is not about winning for our selves, it is about winning to take over. So some of us will lose and some of us will win. So when it is over, I take all the winning cash and split it 4 ways with us. Jastrey takes control of Flight Town and give 50% control to Wessen Town and make the two towns as one once again with a Wessen/Human government with the army doing law enforcement.” He pauses for a bit, “We work together or we do not work at all.”
 
Major Fred says, “Sounds good to me.”
 
“Hondo?” Fernando calls to him.
 
“We would be gone after tomorrow but yes, I agree.” Hondo chimes in.
 
Fernando points out, “Giovanni is going to cheat, that is a given. Anyone calling him out, he and his men will try to shoot the caller to kill. And his Distraction Girls would be a distraction which I will take care of. Finally, his food and drinks would be spiked with some drug to mess you up royally, so eat or drink nothing he offers. We will bring in our own.”
 
Major Fred asks, “And if Giovanni complains?”
 
“Giovanni complains – we walk out with our money. He and his men try to stop us from leaving and rob us, Hondo and I will take care of them. Your people and Jastrey’s army will take on those outside before moving in and we take over, and put our people in the positions he and his people had. We end slavery and this Anti-Wessen mentality that reeks about this damn place.” Fernando explains.
 
Major Fred nods.
 
Fernando adds, “As far as I am concerned, we just had our meeting. I already had this talk with General Jastrey, and I think the troops are meeting to have their mission placements assigned. I have to ask, you have a body guard to be with you in the game?”
 
“I can handle things better on my own.” Major Fred says.
 
Hondo nudges Major Fred before taking out a handful of old world money and fans the bills in his hands. He tells Major Fred as he points to the front and back of the paper bills, “Do not hold your cards like this. The back of the cards have marks on them that will tell Giovanni what you have in your hand.” He then stacks the bills in his hand and holds them in his palm, “Instead hold them like this and remember what is in your hand. This way Giovanni cannot see your cards.”
 
“Giovanni will see your cards as they are handed out so you need to be fast to scoop them up as they are dealt. Then it is all of us to distract him during the game.” Fernando says.
 
“Your hamster girl gave me the cheat sheet to the cards.” Hondo says.
 
“Miniya? Well, she’s been out of the loop, so that cheat sheet might be old.” Fernando says.
 
“Knowing how these people think, I seriously doubt Giovanni made a new cheat sheet and then try to remember the new code in such a short time because a distraction girl left his place. He’ll be thinkin’ that we are new comers and won’t know about jack shit. So it is more than likely that he be on the old code.” Hondo refutes back.
 
“Then you will be the fall guy when we start losing.” Fernando says to Hondo. He then turns to Major Fred, handing him a pair of dark glasses, “Try those on. It will keep Giovanni from reading your face about what you have in your cards. If anything, do the opposite – Frown and growl at a good hand, and smile at a bad hand. It will confuse him further.”
 
Major Fred nods before taking the glasses and putting them on. He looks around, continuing to nod.
 
General Jastrey approaches them with a couple of men behind her, one of them being Sergeant Donaldson who is pulling an empty pull-cart. She steps Fernando, Hondo and Major Fred.  
 
“Gentlemen.” General Jastrey says.
 
Fernando nods his head to her, “General.”
 
“So where are we having this meeting?” General Jastrey asks.
 
“I already had my meeting with you, and with them – separately. We are all in agreement about splitting the winnings, what to expect during the game, and how we will win in the end and take over Giovanni’s lair.” Fernando explains.
 
“An asshole like Giovanni will have a stacked deck. You all prepared for that?” Sgt. Donaldson throws in.
 
“We are as prepared as can be, and are aware of the stacked deck.” Fernando points out, adding, “We are going to play to win, and when you play to win, you need to change the rules.”
 
“Anyone has access to their deck’s code?” Sgt. Donaldson asks.
 
“Hondo?” Fernando asks.
 
Hondo takes out the cheat sheet notes paper and hands it over to Sgt. Donaldson. Sgt. Donaldson looks it over, “I know these codes well as I have seen them before.”
 
“Where?” Fernando asks.
 
Sgt. Donaldson pulls out a deck of cards from his pocket, “These Blue back Cards are sold at some slave trading places and stores of ill-repute. If you ain’t looking, you won’t see them.”
 
“Stores of ill-repute?” General Jastrey asks.
 
“Sex shops, Drug marts, whatever is out there. This town has plenty of them.” Fernando points out.
 
“Alright, you and Hondo sit together and back each other up.” Fernando says as he spins the crystal orb on his cane. He then presses on the crystal, a bright flash appears but apparently nothing seems to happen as everything about the knowledge of the codes were places onto the heads of those who is unaware of them that are going into the game, namely Fernando and Major Fred.
 
Fernando steps up to his pull cart and takes a bag of gold coins and places it into the pull cart Sgt. Donaldson has. As he does the transfer of cash, several vehicles roll out of the camp and into the merchant area of town. The group looks at the soldiers leaving, including the members of the Wessen militia. The members of the group then look at each other.
 
Fernando then takes the handle of his pull cart, “Let’s go.”
 
 
The group along with General Jastrey and her personal guard star to walk out of the convoy camp. The walk to Giovanni’s club is not long but time consuming. Beverages and snacks are bought along the way to the club. Knowing that they men are positioning themselves along the rooves and alley ways along the way to Giovanni’s club and surrounding it. They ready themselves for what is to come when needed.
 
Though early, they step up to the main entrance where guards stop them from entering. Fernando steps up to the guards, pointing to the pull carts everyone had. Both General Jastrey and Major Fred make calls to their troops.
 
“A million in gold coin in each bag for tonight’s poker game, as stated by Giovanni. Now I know we are early, but if you do not allow us into the game, you explain to Giovanni why you let $5million in gold coins walk away from his place.” Fernando tells them loud enough for the others to hear. He then turns around to the others, “Let’s go. We can find better places to bet our money.”
 
As Fernando starts to turn around, one for the guards lets out, “Wait. We’ll have to make sure about this game before letting you in.”
 
Fernando looks at the guards sternly, “You got 30 seconds to verify this before we decide to go, and right now you just wasted 10 seconds.”
 
One of the guards pats on the chest of another and points for him to go inside. Fernando stands there in front of the other guards and looks at his watch. The first guard that sent the other guard to investigate the claim steps up to Fernando.
 
“You need to step back.” The guard tells him.
 
“I am hauling over 2million in gold coins. Unless you a hauling over 3million in gold coins, I ain’t moving.” Fernando tells him before drawing his face up from his watch to the guard’s face. “Your pal got 15 seconds before we walk away. Try anything funny, and you’re be dead before you hit the ground.”
 
“Who do you think you are?” The guard tells him.
 
“You do not want to know who I am, as I led my people to take on Hector and his Wessen Army and chased them out of town, went into fight town and defeated the Lich, and have defeated every highway gang on the way over here. That is who I am. Now if you want to test me, you are welcome to try. But I am not paying for your funeral nor will I support your wife and kids. Now go back to your door to guard it and we will respect the line.” Fernando tells him.
 
The guard gives him shove on his shoulder as he says “I smell nothing but shit-*!”
 
It is immediately followed by Fernando sending his boot between his legs and against his balls. The guard crumples to the ground before Fernando kicks him across his face and he spins about a couple times before hitting the floor. Before the other guards at the door can react, they face Fernando and Hondo’s guns to their faces.
 
Fernando looks at the guards at the doors, “Any of you idiots have a problem with us walking in?”
 
They all shake their heads with their hands raised.
 
Fernando says to them “Good.” He then looks at the others in his group, “Let’s go in.”
 
Hondo leads the group to go inside with Fernando going in last to see if the guards are going to do something stupid. They don’t. Once in the club, Fernando takes the lead to take the group into Giovanni’s private game room. Those in the room gasp as the group walks in, with Giovanni putting his gun to the back of the head of a distraction girl with the dead player next to her. More troops arrive to add their numbers to the troops already there.
 
Fernando yells out, “Shoot her and I’ll shoot you, Giovanni!” He has his gun aimed at Giovanni.
 
“What is it with you rescuing those distraction hoes who can’t do their jobs for jack shit!” Giovanni starts waving his gun about.
 
“I brought my friends and 5million in gold coins to play poker. So you either clean up this mess, get rid of the peanut gallery audience, get the distraction girls to wait outside and set up the card table so we can play now or you will see 5million and all your distraction girls walk out of here. The choice is yours to make.” Fernando tells him.
 
Giovanni looks, seeing the group with pull carts with bags of money on them. Fernando can see the greed him Giovanni well up like a fat kid on thanksgiving dinner.
 
“Don’t even think about it – fat boy. I got more than 200 men outside ready to charge in and take this place from you if you try anything stupid.” Fernando tells him.
 
“Anybody who tries anything against me will find themselves dead.” Giovanni says.
 
“Yeah, and what good will that be if you are found dead with us?” Fernando calls his bluff, and then demands “Now, the poker game or 5million in gold walks out.”
 
Giovanni has his shit-eating grin diminish to a scowl as he has never had his bluff called and even challenged before. It seems he has forgotten his billiards game with him just a week prior, as people with weak short term memory will be at a disadvantage of constantly forgetting the outcome of past events. He growls and orders his staff around to clean up the area and change it over to the poker game.
 
It took several minutes to clean up and change the game room from its billiards set up to one more appropriate for a large group card game. A couple more people join in including the Elder Leader of the Wessen Hating Gang. Fernando and the Elder Leader stare at each other for the moment as the game tables are set up. Giovanni notices this interaction between the two before Fernando steps to the distraction girls standing by a far wall. He hands each of them a small sack of gold coins and told them that their services have been paid for and they can leave the room and wait by the bar.
 
“What are you doing?!!” Giovanni yells out loud.
 
“Paying off the Distraction Girls for their services are not needed here.” Fernando tells him.
 
“They Are My Girls! They Do What I Tell Them!” Giovanni yells out loud.
 
Fernando continues to pay the girls, adding as he shows off his gun inside his jacket, “You girls can stay but you are to do nothing but watch. Giovanni threatens to kill any of you, I will kill him myself. Understand what I am telling you?”
 
They all seem to nod in small movements.
 
He replies to them quietly before returning to the table area, “Good.” Standing by the table being assembled, he looks at the seating arrangements and at the number of people lining up to play. If they were playing a 7-card hand, there would not be enough cards for the 7 or 8 people wanting to play. He looks at Giovanni. “What game are we playing?”
 
“You Stoo-pid or something? We be playing poker!” Giovanni says in an angry tone.
 
“What kind of Poker – you idiot buffalo!” Fernando throws at him, “7-card, 5-card, Stud, or Draw?”
 
“Poker is poker!” Giovanni says with a growl.
 
“I have been all over this great land, and there are many ways to play poker. If we are playing 7-card Poker, then there are not enough cards in the deck for the game, as there are 52 cards on a deck and 49 cards will be dealt out if everyone plays. Don’t you know your basic math?” Fernando tells him.
 
“I’m not a bookkeeper to keep count of what I own. I have Pedro for my ac-counting.” Giovanni tells him.
 
“You need to go back to school to learn your simple math.” Fernando tells him. He then signals to his group and have a meeting by the door. They decide for Hondo and Sergeant Donaldson to remain and play while Fernando, General Jastrey and Major Fred to financially back them with their cash allotment and be standing behind them as a show of strength and back up if required. This lowers the number of cards to be dealt out to 35 and 17 left over for the game. It will make card counting a bit tricky but doable, but with the deck supposedly marked, this levels out the playing field.
 
The group goes back to the table, with Hondo and Sergeant Donaldson taking their seats with the others standing behind them.
 
“What is this? You All Are Supposed To Play!” Giovanni yells out.
 
“You do not have enough cards for all of us to play. So we are stepping out and giving them our play for the game. We still going to stand here and watch while our men play the 5million or we walk with our money.” Fernando tells him.
 
Giovanni just grunts as a couple distraction girls puts glasses on the table and fills them with some kind of colored drink. Another places a plate of nuts and finger food on the table by each player’s seats. Hondo and Donaldson were already told not to take to the food or drink as they would be doped, and have their own food and drink to take from.
 
The players take to their seats. As the dealer stands by a seat away from Giovanni, and starts to hand out the hands from the card dealing shoe. From this position, Giovanni can see the marked cards being dealt but it remains to be seen if he remembers who got what cards. As expected they are playing 7-card draw. Hondo and Donaldson stacks the cards in their hands, while Giovanni, the Wessen Hating Biker Gang Elder Leader and some unknown person fans the cards in their hands. The Ante for the game’s hands is $1000.
 
For the first few hands are played cautiously as the players try to read each other out with Hondo and Donaldson keeping an eye open for cheating by Giovanni or anyone else. Winnings in the first five hands go to Giovanni, The Elder Leader, Donaldson and the unknown player- twice. Hondo plays the role of the cool loser for the first few hands.
 
For the next hour, Giovanni seems to be winning for more hands than not even though he should not have in a few; Hondo tossing his hand when he could have called. This makes Giovanni think Hondo is playing a cautious chicken game and boosts his bravado that much more. His mistake as it is a trap Hondo is setting him up for.
 
Though the ante remains the same, bets are getting larger. Another 40 minutes of game play, Hondo gets a full house: 4 - 4s and 3 - Jacks without needing to exchange cards. He puts down the opening bet of $5,000.
 
As cards are being exchanged, Giovanni slips his hand into his sleeve and pulls out a couple of cards from within shuffling them into his hand and then pulling out two unwanted hands and slipping them into his sleeve. He thinks it goes unnoticed but it is caught the many eyes of Fernando’s group. Giovanni thinking he is going to win puts a $5,000 bet and raises another $15,000.
 
The unknown player puts down his hand, “I’m out.”
 
“Too rich for me.” The Elder Leader says as he puts down his cards.
 
Donaldson, having three pairs, puts down $20,000 and raises another $30,000, “I will see that bet and raise ya another 30.”
 
Hondo puts down $50,000 on the table, “I’ll see that bet.”
 
They both look at Giovanni.
 
Hondo throws at him, “$125,000 on the table. Call, Raise or Drop out.”
 
Giovanni scowls before dropping another $50,000 on the table, “Call.”
 
Donaldson puts down 3 pairs, a better than average winning hand. Hondo puts down his cards: 4 - 4s and 3 - Jacks. Everyone looks at Giovanni as Hondo reaches to the pile of cash.
 
“Wait a minute.” Giovanni says as Hondo reaches for the money. He then puts down his hand – a flush of Spades: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. He then laughs “You poor loser.”
 
There are 5 – 4s, 2 of them Spades. Somebody cheated and everybody knows who did. Hondo pretends to sit back to accept the loss but then points to Giovanni.
 
“You cheated!” Hondo yells at points at Giovanni.
 
Trying to cause a delay and set himself to shoot Hondo from under the table, Giovanni shouts “How I cheated!”
 
“There are 5 - 4s when there are only 4 - 4s in a deck! It is either a crooked deck or your got it from your pocket! Either way you cheated!” Hondo points with his left hand but readies his gun under the table with his right.
 
In the couple of seconds of silence, metal can be heard being slid into place. But then in an out of script move, Giovanni gets up and draws his gun to Hondo’s face. As seconds slows down for Hondo and Fernando, Giovanni yells, “Then Maybe You’re The One Who Cheated-*!”
 
Several shots rings out, three of them hitting Giovanni on his forehead, with several others hitting the guards in the room square in their foreheads. The unknown player gets up and puts his pistol to the side of the Elder Leader’s temple. Fernando has one of his pistols aimed at Giovanni, and the other to the doorway. Donaldson and Hondo have their firearms aimed at Giovanni
 
Time returns to normal. Giovanni slowly lists back before he falls on his back against his chair, dead.
 
Fernando puts away his firearm and steps up to Giovanni, searching him and lifts his left arm, pulling out another set of cards from hidden pockets inside his suit jacket sleeve. Shaking his head, he says, “Cheaters never win.”
 
General Jastrey tells the troops to take down the guards of the place and storm the place, keeping some outside to guard the place. Major Fred orders his men to back up Jastrey’s men and to remain outside to guard the area. The fire fight to follow was short and decisive as marksman snipers takes out most of the guards outside and then inside of the club before the infiltration teams go in.
 
Eventually the infiltration teams make their way into the private game room, seeing the situation under control. Fernando points to a wall to his right.
 
“Should be a hidden room there, where some guy named Pedro works as Giovanni’s bookkeeper. You want him alive.” Fernando says as points to the wall.
 
A couple of men ready a flash-bang grenade and step p to the wall, pushing on the panels to open them. As they search for the hidden moving panel, there are two gun shots heard inside. A frantic search for the hidden panel increases the pace of search until it is found. It opened and the men charge in, finding Pedro and some young distraction girl dead with a shot to the head, seeming having sex on his desk before he shot her and then himself in the head. The information is reported to General Jastrey.
 
“Why would he kill himself?” General Jastrey asks.
 
“There may have been crimes that he could be implicated to that he did not want to be arrested for.” Fernando points out.
 
“I would have looked the other way if he would have cooperated with the questioning, all I wanted was answers. I would even let him keep his job as I would need a bookkeeper for this place.” General Jastrey replies.
 
“Worst of all, he did not had to kill the girl.” Fernando throws in.
 
They all look at each other before General Jastrey looks at the unknown player, “Agent Marquis, detain the biker gang leader.”
 
Agent Marquis replies, “With pleasure, Mi’lady.”
 
“Agent?” Fernando asks.
 
“The last time you were in Center Town years ago when my father was General, you trained and placed a group spies in the nearby towns in order to keep the peace. They have been a great asset and we have expanded on that since.” General Jastrey explains.
 
“I see.” Fernando replies. After a pause, he throws in, “After a counting and restoring my cash, I’ll separate out the winnings and divide it up to us four.” He then turns to Hondo as he switches the sack of gold coins to his pull wagon, “Put the winnings into your pull-cart.”
 
Clean up of the club takes several minutes. The Distraction Girls are taken into a large SUV and to the Medical tent of the Army camp.
 
General Jastrey and her personal guards gather, as well as Major Fred and his guards gather about Fernando and Hondo as they gather the room’s winnings. Like they did when they walked into the club, they walk out as a group back to the convoy parking area in the darkness of the night with what few lighted street ways have to give.
 
Fernando walks to his Dub Box trailer with the others following him. Opening the door, he puts his cart inside. Hondo’s pull cart is next before he closes the door. “We’ll talk later about the winnings. What are you going to do about the ladies of the club?” Fernando says and then asks.
 
“I’ll give them a choice of joining the army and be trained so they no longer need to sell themselves or set them free to their devices.” General Jastrey explains.
 
“Major Fred?” Fernando asks.
 
“We’ll be around for now before going home.” Major Fred says.
 
“We need to gather the Merchants and the leaders of Wessen Town to meet and unify this town under a common flag.” Fernando says.
 
“We will get that done, and call a meeting midday.” General Jastrey says.
 
“And the stores of ill-repute?” Hondo asks.
 
“They will get shut down. We do not want that sort of thing openly available to entice young girls to think that they can advance themselves through selling of their sex and other illegal activities.” General Jastrey says.
 
“General, Major – see me before this meeting with the merchants and I’ll have your share of the winnings ready by then.” Fernando says.
 
“Will do. Major, come with me. We got a lot to talk about.” General Jastrey says to Major Fred before they leave.
 
Fernando turns to Hondo, “You alright?”
 
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Hondo says.
 
“You don’t look fine.” Fernando points out.
 
“I did not expect him to get up as he did, that slowed down my reaction to shoot him in the head. I expected him to shoot me from under the table as that Hamster Girl said he would.” Hondo points out.
 
“Well, I slowed down time and you managed to put a round into his head as did I.” Fernando says.
 
“Who put the third shot into his head?” Hondo asks.
 
“Agent Marquis, several seconds after ours.” Fernando points out, “I’ll admit he was fast and I was not expecting him to do as he did. I thought he was some random or somebody Giovanni put in. Never thought Jastrey would put in a spy, let alone have them.”
 
“Yeah.” Hondo replies.
 
After a brief pause, Fernando asks, “You alright to ‘drive home’ or should I teleport you there?”
 
“I’ll be fine. Got a lot on my mind. Nothin’ more.” Hondo says.
 
Fernando goes back into his dub box camper for a second, coming out with a paper bag, “Here.”
 
“What’s this?” Hondo asks.
 
“A sandwich and a couple of beers that was for the game. Take it as a midnight snack.” Fernando says as he closes and locks the door to the Dub Box Camper. He then pulls out his Yaesu radio, “I’ll see you later, and keep in touch. Kiss the girls g’nite for me.”
 
Hondo gives a nod before taking the bag and starts walking to his Bronco SUV.  He slowly pulls away and in a few minutes is pulling up to the hanger, parking the Bronco before going inside.
 
Fernando goes into his Dub Box trailer, knowing that if he went into his camper, he would have problems with the bunny girls that he did not want to deal with.
 
News of Giovanni’s demise starts to spread about Merchant town from word of mouth. Many did not believe it upon hearing it but by morning the printed news has it on its front page.

Valentine stood there eyeing Kiah warily as she approached her, took the bottle from her hand, and set it on the counter. All she had gotten from Kiah so far had been smart-ass comments, cutting jabs, belittling remarks, and burning commentary on what she planned to do to Hondo since he was now ‘available’. This soft, kind tone, and worried look made Valentine suspicious, but she doubted anything could change her mind at the moment.  
 
After Kiah set the bottle down she reached down and started gently rolling up Valentine’s wet dress, all the while speaking soothingly to her.
 
“Now, lets get you out of this cold, wet thing and get you dry and warm, then we can all sit and have a drink.” She said calmly.
 
Valentine could only shiver and nod at the moment. She had not energy or will to do much else. Normally she would find it too awkward and embarrassing to let someone else undress her, let alone some sprite of a woman, not even out of her teens yet, who was still practically a stranger and of whom had mocked her so harshly just hours before.  
 
“April, grab me a nice, dry towel from the bathroom, then get one of those spare quilts from the bed.” Kiah said as she pulled Valentine’s wet dress up over her head.
 
April nodded and hurried to the bathroom as Kiah bent down and used the wet dress to wipe the mud off Valentine’s legs and feet.
 
“You will feel a lot better once your cleaned up, warm, and dry.” Kiah said as she continued to talk soothingly to the shaking, bedraggled, broken woman before her.
 
April soon returned with a towel and once she handed it to Kiah she headed quickly back to the bathroom.
 
“Let’s get you dried off now… See, isn’t that better?” Kiah said as she dried her body, then hair, then used the towel to get the last of the mud off of her.
 
“W.w.why a.a.a.are you d.d.doin’ th.th.this?” Valentine stammered through chattering teeth.
 
“Because you need some care right now.” Kiah replied softly as she threw the towel onto where she dropped the wet dress and took the quilt from April, who had just returned.
 
“B.b.b.but y.you h.h.h.hate m.m.m.me.” Valentine said.
 
Kaih sighed as she unfolded the blanket, wrapped it around Valentine, and lead her to the couch.
 
“April would you get three tumblers from over the sink and pour some whiskey in them for us. Put extra in one glass for Val here, as she needs it to warm up.” Kiah said over her shoulder to her friend, who nodded and headed to the sink without saying a word.
 
April was not sure where this Kiah had come from, but she saw that despite how much it weirded her out, and seemed so out of character for Kiah, that Kiah seemed to know what she was doing.
 
After a moment Kiah turned back to Valentine, but looked down at the couch for a moment, thinking before she looked back up at Valentine, who instead of looking down now, stared at her with curiosity in her eyes as to why she was being helped by her tormentor.
 
“Listen, I am sorry about all I have said. Yes, I like your man and want to do things to him, and have him do things to me, but I should not have been so mean. I don’t hate you, Valentine. I hate to see you throwing away so much good and potential, and I hate to see that man not taken care of by a real woman like you, but I don’t hate you. I actually envy you.” Kiah said softly.
 
“M.m.me? Wh.why?” Valentine asked as she sat down.  
 
“Because your smart, pretty, have a nice place to live, have a good man that would take care of you, and you have purpose here. I’m cute but half of that is just because I’m small and thin. If I had big amazing tits and a rocking ass like you have I’d be able to conquer the world!  And I’ve heard what you can do from talking to Ruth and some of the others. You’re handy with tools, a good fighter, and an excellent cook. I’m not very smart, and I know that. I don’t have a lot going for me, honestly, but you do.” Kiah said.
 
April handed her and Valentine each a glass of whiskey before sitting down in the recliner and watching them quietly.
 
Valentine took a deep drink or her whiskey and started coughing as it burned her throat. She had been so used to her mouth being numb enough from constantly drinking the last few weeks, that she forgot she was sober and needed to take the first couple slow.
 
“You don’t have to drink it all right now, you know? We have all night to polish off that bottle.” Kiah said.
 
Valentine shook her head, “No, I.. I n.n.need to g.go s.s.soon.”
 
“I wish you wouldn’t.” Kiah said.
 
“I d.don’t h.h.have any oth.th.ther options.” Valentine replied, “I’m n.not as sm.sm.smart as they s.s.say n.n.nor as b.b.brave. I’m s.stupid and a w.w.w.weak c.coward… N.not that pr.r.retty either. M.m.m.molly is p.p.p.prettier than I am. H.h.h.e l.l.loves her n.n.now.” She paused to take another drink, the alcohol and quilt warming her slowly and getting rid of the chill over time. “… I h.have no p.p.purpose anym.m.more. I l.l.lost it all. I l.l.l.lost everyth.th.thing. E.e.even m.my g.g.girls.”
 
Kiah sipped on her whiskey and sat quietly for a moment, staring at the floor. She sighed after a bit and looked back up at Valentine.
 
“I don’t believe that. I might have not known you before all this, but I see a lot more to you than that… I know I have been mean to you, it’s a defense mechanism I guess, but I don’t hate you or want to see you throw away your life.” Kiah said.
 
“I f.figured you’d w.want me out of th.th.the way so y.you could try to g.get h.h.him.” Valentine replied quietly as she stared into her drink.
 
Kiah sighed, “I guess I deserve that, but it’s not true. Yes, I want to be with him, but not at the expense of your life. I’ve lost too many people already, seen many girls so much better than me taken from here by someone else’s hand or their own.  I did not figure I would live this long, but I know every day is precious, live is not something to throw away, and every day is precious as we aren’t guaranteed another. Don’t throw your life away.”
 
“I c.can’t h.hurt like this anym.more… I can’t h.h.hurt them anymore… I h.h.have to s.s.stop it all.” She answered quietly.
 
“You have to have something to live for? You don’t want to fight for Hondo? Don’t you love him? Don’t you love you girls?” Kiah asked.
 
Valentine took another deep pull from her glass, draining it most of the way. Her breath caught a bit as the harsh fluid ran down her throat, but the numbness was starting to come back and it was the only thing keeping her from breaking down and sobbing again. She spoke after a moment, but the brokenness that she showed in the tone of her voice cut Kiah to the core, as she realized that she probably had a hand in pushing her to this. She knew she was a lot of things, many of them not good, but she could not let herself be someone who pushed a person over the edge.
 
“I.. I do love h.him, b.b.but he doesn’t l.l.love me anymore. I h.hurt him. H.he won’t talk to me. W.wants to throw me away… w.won’t let me s.see the girls anymore. I m.made Zoey af.f.fraid of me…. It’s.. it’s all m.my fault.” She stammered.
 
“Valentine, what happened tonight? I saw you earlier and you were despondent but not like this. Did he hurt you or something?” Kiah asked seriously.
 
Valentine shook her head, “N.no. H.he told me I h.had to make things r.r.right with F.f.fernando b.b.before hed t.t.talk to me again. I t.tried but he rejected me… Said I just wanted d.drama. That I w.wasn’t sorry... Said I just w.wanted to take Hondo’s stuff… begged him for help… offered my b.body like y.you said. He j.j.just ignored me and continued to tell me how horrible I am… I know I’m horrible! I just want help! I’m so lose and confused anymore! Hondo won’t talk to me n.now and I can’t fix anything! I failed them! I failed the girls, and Hondo, and Fernando, and everyone! I’m useless! *SOB!*”
 
Valentine slumped forward and started to cry again, her whole body shaking as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face into the quilt in shame, trying to hide just how pathetic she knew she was.
 
Kiah scooted right up beside her and rubbed her back gently, “Shhh… It’s okay… Shhh… Let us help. We can talk to Hondo for you.”
 
“He won’t listen! He said n.not until Fernando forgives me and h.he won’t! He’s goin’ to th.throw me away, like the trash I am! I don’t want to be thrown away! I’m sorry! Why doesn’t he believe I’m sorry!” Valentine cried.
 
Kiah sighed, “I know he’s done a lot of good and helped us more than we can every repay, but he’s a real woman hating asshole at times.”
 
“Kiah!” April exclaimed.
 
Kiah scowled, “It’s true! What man turns away women who want to be his, let alone someone who is suppose to be a friend and needs help? Friends before strangers, I thought that was how it goes. Rescued that goat girl, threatens to kick me out for asking questions about him taking in strangers instead of letting Mae, a girl who wants to please him, stay with him, and then threatens Mae because she sticks up for me, and pushes Valentine to a point where she wants to kill herself! It’s not right!”
 
“You were being nosy, pushy, and a bit of a bitch around him.” April retorted quietly.
 
“Maybe he needs someone to stand up to him!” Kiah replied firmly.
 
April pulled her knees up to her chest and sank into the chair.
 
“We’re all gonna get thrown out.” April replied glumly.
 
Kiah sighed, “No… I’ll behave and be nice to him, though I’ll try to keep my distance if I can… You’re right about me. I’ve been too much of a bitch lately, and maybe I’m too nosy. I just… *sigh* I know he saved us but it’s so hard to trust anyone after all we have been through, so yeah, I question things. Maybe I over compensate for how scared I really am by coming off as a nosy bitch… I try not to show it too much but I’m kinda broken too, you know? … Think we all are. Who can live in this world and not be broken?”
 
“Sorry, Kiah. Didn’t mean anything just… just scared to be thrown away again too.” April said.
 
Kiah nodded, “I understand and I’ll try not to cross him again, or ask him questions, or do anything to make him angry. Maybe we aren’t worth a lot, but we have to be worth something, right? All life is worth something.”
 
Kiah sounded sad, and that worried April a bit more as Kiah usually got mad, not sad or serious.
 
“You alright?” April asked.
 
“Yeah… yeah, I’m alright. I’m still alive. All of us are. Death is forever and life is short, but as long as I’m alive I can try to make something of myself, be something for someone, find someone who will hold me and care about me, or maybe help someone stop and think about the time they have left, you know?” Kiah said.
 
“Wish I could give my time away to someone who deserves it.” Valentine replied quietly.
 
“You deserve your time! You can fix things still! We’ll even stay with you and help you if you want. Don’t think Mae wants to be around me anytime soon, so a place to stay where I can give her space would be nice.” Kiah said.
 
 “You have to ask Hondo about stayin’ here. It’s his camper and… and after tonight I won’t need it.” Valentine said before downing the last of her drink and standing up. “I.. I need to go.”
 
“Wait! Didn’t you hear anything I said?? Your life isn’t worth throwing away!” Kiah exclaimed as Valentine walked to the counter, filled her glass again, and down the contents.
 
“I heard you, but you’re wrong ‘bout me. I failed too badly. Lost everythin’. … I.. I can’t be thrown out. I can’t live alone, barin’ this guilt. Fernando said there is a difference between being alone and bein’ lonely. He said he is alone but not lonely…. I’m lonely. I’m lonely, scared, sad, and broken, so broke inside I physically hurt.  My chest hurts so bad, and it’s all because I’m a stupid, stupid woman! Fernando is right. We women mess up so many good things, have ruined so many good men, think we’re so great, but we are not. Other than pleasin’ a man and havin’ babies we aren’t good for much, and most any woman can do that for a man. The man I love doesn’t want me anymore because of the scorn and shame I brought him, so I have nothin’ left to live for and no way to fix me or stop this hurtin’… I.. I can’t live like this.” She said in a soft, trembling voice, the stuttering gone now that she was no longer shivering.  
 
Kiah stood up as Valentine grabbed the pistol again, still trying to keep the quilt around her shoulder. As Kiah moved towards her, Valentine dropped the quilt, cocked the pistol, and put it under her chin.
 
“Please, just leave me alone! I.. I don’t want you to see this, but if you try to stop me I’ll shoot myself now!” Valentine yelled as tears streamed down her face.
 
Kiah put her hands up again and circled wide from Valentine, trying to get between her and the door.
 
“Please just stop and think about it!” Kiah begged.
 
“I have to end this! I.. I will always be a shame to them all if I stay alive and a shame to myself! I have to do this, can’t you see?” Valentine replied in a tone of desperation.
 
Kiah put her hands down and sighed deeply, shaking her head at her.
 
“I don’t believe you want to die. You are scared, hurting, and lost, yes. Things seem dark and hopeless, yes, but everything seems a little more hopeless on a stormy night like this. Please, just wait until morning. If you still want to end yourself tomorrow I’ll not stop you.” Kiah quickly.
 
Valentine shook her head, still holding the gun under her chin, “No, I have to now! I..I can’t change my mind! I can’t fix this! Any of this, don’t you see?? I can only help by killin’ myself so I’m not a burden anymore, so please move or I’ll shoot myself right here!”
 
Kiah looked around quickly, trying to think but she was running out of ideas.
 
“… Listen, please give me a chance…. I couldn’t face anyone of them again if I just let you kill yourself. Not sure I could live with myself if I failed to stop someone again.” Kiah said.
 
“You failed to stop someone before?” April asked, as she sat trembling in the corner, trying not to cry herself, and unsure of what else to say.  
 
April did not have a lot of social skills, but she carried her heart on her sleeve. She had thought Kiah was cold and heartless for a long time, but she was only now realizing she just acted that way from being hurt too often. Even with the fear she felt for Valentine, she felt shame too, for underestimating Kiah. She understood now why Mae had always stood up for Kiah, even when it did not seem like she deserved it. She was fairly sure that Mae knew a lot more about Kiah than any of them did, and maybe they even shared a common hurt, though she could not be sure. The fact that Kiah could surprise her like this, after all this time, told her there was a lot more to the small fiery blonde than she could have ever even guessed at.  
 
Kiah nodded, “I did. My best friend and protector told me goodbye then shot herself. I didn’t understand it then. Another friend tried to do the same thing and I tried to talk her out of it, then she lied that I changed her mind, went into the bathroom and slit her wrists with some broken glass. Found her the next morning. There was a couple others. One other friend, a couple just girls I worked with… They all thought things would get better somehow by killing themselves, or that escaping some reality was worth it. It never was. It never made anything better, and though they escaped the bad times, they missed good times too and left people alone who needed them to be there through their dark times… I told myself I’d never take a way out like that and leave m friends to bare their burdens alone, but… I’m not sure how many more times I can take people calling it quits on me…. Now, please Valentine, please don’t make me lose someone else this way.”
 
Valentine lowered her pistol and stood there for a moment with her eyes closed, letting tears stream out and hit the floor.
 
“… Kiah please, … I .. I’m beggin’ you… just let me go.” Valentine whispered.
 
Kiah sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before answering, “*sigh* … Alright...”
 
“Kiah!” April exclaimed
 
“… on one condition, though.” Kiah continued.
 
Valentine looked up at her, “What condition?”
 
“You out drink us.” Kiah said.
 
“What?” Valentine asked, sounding confused as she did not expect that.
 
“What?! We can’t out drink her!” April exclaimed.
 
“You might not, but I think I can take her. Lot of clients seem to like to #$@! drunk girls. I’ve had all sorts of pills and alcohol shoved down my throat and I learned to do well. Learned to fake being drunk too, so I could escape getting hurt if I had an opportunity…. So, you in, Valentine? Last one standing wins. You out drink us, you go do what you have to. We out drink you, you have to reevaluate your decision tomorrow.” Kiah replied.
 
Valentine sighed and set the pistol on the counter, “Ok, but you have to match me drink for drink and you’re already a drink behind.”
 
She downed the glass she had just filled and refilled it again, before stooping and grabbing the quilt she dropped to the floor.
 
“Two behind.” She said as she pulled it back over her shoulders, covering herself up again.
 
Kiah nor April cared if she ran around in nothing, though had it been warmer they would have stripped down and joined her, as they usually spent most of the warm seasons when in their dorms with nothing on, since they did not get air conditioning. When out of the dorms it was skimpy outfits or pleasuring a customer, which also usually mean no clothes. At the moment, April was more worried about drinking, as she never had much of an alcohol tolerance to begin with, though Kiah seemed pretty confident. In truth Kiah was trying to figure out what to do. She remembered that pill that Fernando gave them, the one that made her a virgin again, and it’s effects worried her. She wondered if it had done that, did it also take away the tolerance she had built up? She would find that out soon, but as they drank she tried to think of an alternate plan.
 
As the drinks flowed and the night went on, the conversation got lighter, there was some laughing even, though it was usually at Kiah’s put on antics. At one-point Kiah had put her tank top on Valentine, which it looked like it was going to burst at the seams on her, April took off her tank-top and put one of Val’s vests, chaps, and boots on, with nothing else, and Kiah turned a couple of Hondo’s bandanas into a loin cloth and was going on about being a monkey person, while April pretended to shoot at her with a banana. After a while, April half collapsed into the recliner again, giggling as she tried to finish off her current drink and Kiah crawled up on the back of the couch behind Valentine and pretended to eat bugs out of her hair until April fell out of her chair and onto the floor laughing. To them everything was funny at the moment, but if anyone else had seen them they would have locked them up in an insane asylum for sure!  
 
After a bit Kiah tried to get down and half fell off the couch in front of Valentine, and tried to stand but was finding it hard. Valentine reached down and tried to pull Kiah to her feet, but she only managed to pull her up and onto her lap. Kiah sat up on Valentine’s lap, after a moment, and looked into her eyes, despite the small grin on her face at the antics, there was still that sad, desperate look there that worried her, and she could tell that though they had all gone drink for drink, Valentine was no where near as drunk as they were.
 
“Ha.. have you eber k.. kissed a girl bah-fore?” Kiah asked as she put an arm around Valentine’s neck, still wearing just her bandana loin cloth.
 
Valentine shook her head, “No ... n.. never.”
 
“You.. you wanna?” Kiah slurred.
 
Valentine blushed and shook her head as she looked away, “N.no thanks.”
 
“You seen two grills kiss bah-fore?” Kiah asked.
 
Valentine shrugged, “I guess I have.”
 
“Well, You can see it again!” Kiah declared as she stood up suddenly.  
 
She almost fell backwards but Valentine put a hand up and steadied her.
 
“th.. th.. thank you my gud lady!” Kiah said as she tried to bow at her and stumbled a bit before catching herself on the arm of the couch.
 
She then righted herself and with several staggering steps made her way to where April lay, still giggling on the floor and pulled her to her feet, using the counter to stead herself.
 
“guh. Guh.. guhet ready for some supper hawt Girl action!” Kiah slured loudly as she pulled April against her and put her nose to Aprils, so they just barely touched.
 
“I’m soo drunk!” Kiah whispered to April.
 
“M.m.me t.too!” April stammered back, trying to whisper, “Wha .. what we g.g.gonna d.do?”  
 
“Just kiss me, she’s watching!” Kiah hissed.  
 
Kiah kissed her firmly, and leaned her over against the counter as she put April in a passionate lip lock.
 
“Wow, that’s uhm … that’s different.” Valentine said, her words slurring just a bit as she blushed and half turned away from them.
 
As Kiah let her up for air, April stared at her wide eyed.
 
“You’re good, buh kinda weird k.. kissing you lie that.” April whispered.
 
“Listen, just go to your chair ah .. and pretend to pass out… Stay until I shake you!” Kiah whispered quickly into her ear quickly before pulling her back up right.
 
Even drunk April thought it was weird that she kissed her like that. Not that it was extremely odd, as some of the girls had practiced on each other before in the dorms, even she had a time or two. Though April had been lucky enough to only have male clients, but those girls unlucky enough to get stuck with women clients from time to time, and according to Kiah the women clients were among the nastier clients they had to service, those girls tended to shy away from any form of girl on girl intimacy, even in play. Kiah had been one of the unlucky ones several times, and had expressed that after those experiences she knew women did not turn her on. But Kiah was a bit of a wild one, and would do almost anything for attention, so she thought it was something to just distract Valentine. But with Kiah’s last words, it all made sense what she was actually up to. Kiah was crafty, that was for sure, and she had used her messing around, along with Valentine’s obvious discomfort with watching them make out, to get a message to her. What Kiah had planned she did not know, but she knew they were losing, and Kiah had a plan to get around that.
 
April nodded then stumbled back to the chair and fell into it, giggling as she landed.
 
“Aye … aye’m soooo drunk! Aye… I think mm gonna sleep.” April said as she laid back a bit and closed her eyes.
 
Kiah looked over at her and was not sure if she had actually passed out or not. If she was just playing she had to give her good credit for acting. As she turned she looked over at Valentine, and could not help but to see the frown on her face. It was almost as if she knew she was winning the drinking contests and yet, she did not want to win.
 
Kiah strode over to the couch, putting a bit more stumble into her step than was really there, though some of it was real. She knew if she drank any more she ran the risk of being able to do nothing, and she could not forgive herself for that. Once as the couch she put a hand on the couch and leaned over Valentine, giving her this seductive look.
 
“So, .. yur .. *hic* your turb now, m’lady?” She asked Valentine, trying to put some extra slur into her words.
 
Valentine grinned slightly and shook her head, “N.. no thanks.”
 
Kiah stood up and gave her a look of mock surprise.
 
“Wha? You don wan some of this hawt, sexy, tight, blonde ape-wo .. woman body?!?!” She asked as she ran her hands down her bare torso, wiggling her hips slowly in the process.
 
Valentine blushed a bit and shook her head, “N.n. thanks. Y.. y.. you are pretty sexy, buh.. but I like guys.”
 
“Not axing you ta m.. marry me.  Ju.. ju ..just ta have some fun ann fool roundah bit!” Kiah replied.
 
Valentine sighed and shook her head, “Sorry… I jess.. jess not sure ‘bout it… ne.. never done it with a woman before.”
 
Kiah nodded as swayed a bit and made her way to the sink to grab the bottle. Once back she filled Valentine’s glass and put a little more in hers before falling back onto the couch beside her, glass in one hand and bottle in the other.  
 
“Thets f.. fine. M.maybe affer a few more betls yahll feel like som fun… Here... “ She said handing Valentine the bottle, “Yah .. yah .. yah-oo pour the next rouwn.”
 
She held her glass up to Valentine and as she went to drink it, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she fell back into the couch and spill the drink down her front.
 
“Kiah?” Valentine called out softy.
 
“Unnghmmm.” Kiah moaned.
 
Valentine frowned and sighed deeply, “*sigh*…. Good night, Kiah.
 
Valentine downed her drink before grabbing Kiah’s glass, standing up slowly, and placing them both in the sink. She sighed again and leaned, unsteadily against the counter.
 
“I’m sorry, Kiah.. please don’t take it personally what I’m doing but… but I almost wish you would have won.” Valentine said quietly.  
 
After a moment she stood back up and walked over the where Kiah lay. She pulled off Kiah’s tank-top, which seemed a bit stretched out now, and laid it on her lap before covering her up with the quilt that was wrapped around her. She grabbed another blanket and covered April with it and then looked at the both before grabbing the bottle off the couch and heading to the counter for the pistol. As she stopped at the counter she looked at her reflection in the window. She had to slip out carefully as is, to keep the guards from stopping and questioning her, but as it was, a glimpse of her in the nude like this and they would hold her somewhere and call Fernando on her. The last thing she wanted was to bother him more. She did not want him to think less of her either, but she was not sure that was possible. She knew that none of it would matter shortly, but she wanted to leave as little guilt on everyone as possible It was all her fault, she had to end it, and she wanted to do it alone. She took a deep pull off the bottle and trudged to the bathroom where she grabbed a bathrobe from the linen closet.  
 
The one she pulled out she looked at and frowned at the memories it held. When he had stayed at her apartment one weekend, she had cut it short so it barely covered her ass and used it to tease Hondo with. The tie string was gone as he tied her to the bed frame at her apartment with it right after, and the knot got so messed up he had to cut it to get her free. She smiled slightly at the memory then tears started to flow as she knew there would be no more like it. She did not really want to die but she did not want to live with these thoughts and memories, and the knowledge that there would be no more all because of her and her actions.  
 
She could not help but wonder if she was just being selfish and further proving Fernando right on how horrible she was. He seemed to think that most were horrible, or so she gathered, but she hoped they weren’t for Hondo or her girls’ sake.  
 
As she walked back to the living room she looked between the girls and sighed.
 
“If Molly can’t make him happy, I hope you two will try. Please try and be good to him, not like I was. He’s a good man and deserves better.” She said softly, before pulling on the bathrobe, sticking the pistol in one of its pockets, grabbing the bottle, and heading towards the door.  
 
Had she paused and looked at them a moment longer, she would have seen a tear roll down Aprils face and Kiah clenching her fists angrily.
 
Valentine took another deep pull from the bottle before turning off all the lights in the camper before opening the door. As she opened the door she let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Though the rain had slowed, it was still fairly steady and the wind was gusty. As the cold rain hit her she shivered a bit, but pushed it off. Though the thought of warmer clothes did come to mind for a moment, she knew she would not be cold for long and did not want to ruin something the girls might could grow into. Though she had some thoughts many were not ration nor had been for day, and the whiskey haze on her mind did little to help.
 
As her eyes adjusted she exited the camper, shutting the door quietly behind her before slipping around the back side. She stayed along the edge of camp, letting the flickers of lightning show her the way out of camp and into a field close by. Once there she headed to a tree that sat at the edge of some brush, and sat down under it. She shivered as the rain ran down her barely covered body, but after a couple more deep pulls from the bottle she barely felt anything at all.
 
She sat robe open, hugging her knees to her chest, and resting a cheek against her knees as she sat there, only lifting her head and moving her arm occasionally to take another pull from the bottle. She did not shiver anymore nor even feel the rain, as she was approaching physical numbness, but not the numbness of the mind that she craved. Try as she might, she could find no way out of this situation. She tried to think of a way out, but try as she may, all she could see was the hurt she caused. As bad as her memories were of that lab, of the pain, cold, fear, and sorrow, of being killed over and over with electric shocks, poisons, drugs, and even them opening her chest with her awake and manually stopping her heart, the mind and soul crushing agony with every artificial heart attack that they gave her just to see how long it took each time for her body to come back to life again, all of that horror was little compared to the devastation she felt within when she saw how she tore apart those she loved and cared for with her words.
 
  Though she was bigger built than April and Kiah, she still was not a large woman. She was built well, though she had looked better before she quit eating and started drinking herself to death, but even had she not lost so much weight the three pints of whiskey left in the bottle, on top of what she had already drank would have been enough to nearly take out a woman her size, had it not been for the tolerance she had been building and the nigh immortality she had. To those who did not know she was nigh immortal, it would have seemed like she was drinking herself to death. She had gone through death several times in that lab and lived, so she knew no amount of alcohol would kill her. She knew there was only one way to end all the hurt, to keep herself from hurting those she loved again or being forced to live apart from them with only their memories and the memories of her failures against them.  
 
After a while and several drinks, she pulled out the pistol and looked at it for a moment. She paused and looked around suddenly swearing she heard a rustling in the brush but not seeing or hearing further, she figured it was either the wind or some poor animal trying to find refuge from the storm. She settled down and stared at the gun again. She had held it a lot of times, in practice and in defense of life, but never in the times she had held it did she think she would use it to take her own life.  
 
Though she knew suicide was wrong she also was not of the belief that it was an unpardonable sin, though her thoughts forced her to think about it. She knew Fernando thought it was an unpardonable sin, but half figured he would not care. He had written her off, and found her unforgivable, as had Hondo. She was not sure anyone cared where her soul went after this, and as much as she did not want damnation, she believed she deserved it.  She crossed her legs and sat back against the tree, laying the gun in her lap, after a bit. It took some doing but she downed the last of the whiskey and threw the bottle into the brush before closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the tree as the alcohol worked on her mind.  
 
As she sat there, lighting flashing in the distance, rain pounding, wind blowing, all she could think about was Hondo, when he and Fernando saved her that day several years ago now, the day they took the girls in, when Zoey asked to call her Mama, Hondo holding her in bed, them making love as he held her so gently, the first time they kissed, and then She purposely changed her thoughts. She remembered the first time he looked at her with that look of hurt and shame, devastation in his eyes when she told him she hated him, the way his shoulders sagged as she rejected him, the horror in Tonya’s eyes at her running her off, the fear in Zoey’s eyes when she yelled at Hondo and tried to scare him with her gun, only to have it go off and wound Molly, the fierce, protective determination in Molly’s eye as she stood between her and Hondo, the anger, disapproval, and then dismissal in Fernando’s eyes, all of it flooded to her in an instant and she let it all in, trying to remember every painful detail. Through the rain, one would not have been able to tell, but the tears flowed from her eyes as she thought. It was almost too much to bear.
 
She looked up at the sky for a moment and called out into the night, in a weak voice.
 
“God, … I.. I don’t know what else to do! Why?... Why didn’t he save me?! … Why didn’t you bring him to save me?!.. I.. I don’t understand! Please!... Please save me now, I… I can’t go on!!... Please!! Why don’t you hear me, God?! Why?!?! …. I’m sorry…. I really am…. Please, just don’t let me hurt anyone anymore…. Please let me die.”  She sobbed into the wet, windy darkness.
 
She waited a moment hoping from some answer from the wind, some finger of the All Mighty to stop her, some savior to stay her hand, but nothing came, nothing was heard, just the wind, rain, and distant thunder.  
 
Her head slumped against her chest as she cried, the whiskey was taking full effect now and her thoughts were even more jumbled and irrational than before. She knew she must end it now or risk passing out.
 
“I’m sorry, my love… I’m sorry I was angry… sorry I failed you and the girls… I’m sorry that I can’t be the woman you need or deserve… Fernando is right… you’re better off without me… all of you are… I can’t fix me…….. I can’t fix us… I don’t deserve forgiveness.” She whispered into the night.
 
She shakily picked up the pistol, cocked the hammer and put it to her head.
 
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered again as she shakily tightened the trigger.
 
“NO!” A voice called out from the darkness as it grabbed for the gun.
 
Valentine felt the gun being pulled away but the heard it go off and then felt a brief pain in her head before darkness overtook her and, somehow, she knew the deed was done. Maria Valentine Sackett was no more.
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,--,-,-,-,
 
 
As the camper door shut Kiah threw off the quilt and scrambled to her feet, grabbing the stretched out white tanktop from her lap and pulled it on as she stumbled over to April and shook her.
 
“April! Common! You better notta passed out on me!” She yelled, slurring only slightly now, as much of it had been an act.
 
“I..I’m ‘wake!” April slurred, hers was not an act at all.
 
“We gotta go follow her!” Kiah exclaimed, “Get up!” She said as she started to the door.
 
“Buh.. buh I hab.. I hab no clothes!” She protested as she looked down at herself in a pair of leather motorcycle chaps, a canvas vest and Val’s boots which were a bit big on her, before looking at Kiah in her stretched out white tank-top, that pretty well fell low enough now that her nipples were barely covered, no shoes, and her white bikini cut panties. “You don have an..an *hic* any on neither!”  
 
Kiah grabbedone of Hondo’s spare old work hats and pulled it on then one of Valentine’s hats from the hat rack and ran over and shoved it on April’s head.
 
“There, clothes! Now come on!” She said as she pulled April to her feet.
 
“Buh it’s cold ann wet! Ann, ann there’s thunber!” April slurred.
 
Kiah growled at her and grabbed a smaller partial bottle of whiskey from the counter and shoved it into Aprils hands, “Sip on that to stay warm! Now, if we lose her and she dies because you are drunk, I’ll… I’ll shove a broom handle up your ass and make you wear it like a tail for a week! Now lets go!”
 
Kiah drug April to the door and outside, not pausing a moment longer than she had to. She looked around frantically but in the light of the flickering lightning she managed to catch the glimpse of foot prints in the mud going around the back of the camper. She moved slowly around the camper and waited for another flash of light. In the next one she saw prints leading away and with the next she barely made out the figure of a woman walking towards the field that was not too far away.
 
“I see her! Let’s go!” Kiah hissed as she pulled April after her.
 
They quickly caught up but kept a distance, pausing at the edge of the field as Valentine sat down under the tree. It took Kiah a few minutes and a couple flashes of lightning to find a path threw the brush, but she found one. They took their time and tried to creep up on her, But April was not walking a straight line, so it took longer than planned, but they got there. The hunkered close by and watched as she drank the bottle down, April putting a hurting on what they had as she tried to stave off the shivers as they sat in the rain.  
 
As the adrenaline wore off Kiah started to notice the cold herself.
 
“Hand me the bottle.” Kiah whispered.
 
“N.no! You’ll drink it all!” April slurred.
 
“I won’t drink it all! I’m cold! Let me have a drink!” Kiah hissed as she tried to take the bottle.
 
“No-ah! It’s my bottle! ..ooph!” April exclaimed as the bottle slipped from her grip and she fell backwards.
 
Kiah jumped on top of her and put a hand over her mouth as she saw Valentine look around. Kiah lied there, holding April still for several minutes until Valentine seemed to sink back into her thoughts, as she stared at the gun, set it down and took another deep drink from the bottle she had.
 
Kiah sighed with relief that they were not caught and took her hand off April’s mouth.
 
“Be quiet!” Kiah hissed.
 
“Buh you stole mah bottle!” April hissed back.
 
Kiah raised an eyebrow at her, “How drunk are you?”
 
April furrowed her eyebrows as she thought a moment before looking back at her, “pah .. pahretty drunk, I think.”
 
Kiah sighed and shook her head before opening the bottle she took from and downing almost all of it.
 
April frowned angrily, “Hey!”
 
“Shh!” Kiah hissed.
 
“Ya ..ya said ya’d not drunk it all!” April hissed back, trying to whisper, as she pouted angrily
 
“That was before I knew how drunk you were! There is a sip left, here. Now stop pouting. You won’t remember this tomorrow probably anyway.” Kiah whispered back.
 
“No reason to drink the last of a girl’s whiskey.” April muttered under her breath.  
 
As they watched Kiah saw Valentine throw her bottle away, so she crept forward. April started to follow, so Kiah tried to motion for her to stay put, but April was too far gone to understand so she gave up and let her follow. As they got close to the tree Kiah heard Valentine speak so she froze, thinking there where found.
 
“God, … I.. I don’t know what else to do! Why?... Why didn’t he save me?! … Why didn’t you bring him to save me?!.. I.. I don’t understand! Please!... Please save me now, I… I can’t go on!!... Please!! Why don’t you hear me, God?! Why?!?! …. I’m sorry…. I really am…. Please, just don’t let me hurt anyone anymore…. Please let me die.”  Valentine sobbed into the darkness.
 
Kiah sighed as she realized they had not been found. As they got up to the tree Valentine spoke into the night again, but at a whisper too quiet for Kiah to hear. Kiahs eyes got wide as Valentine raised her gun to her head. She had hoped that Valentine would either pass out and they would drag her back, or that her words would somehow have make Valentine come to her senses and they could put an arm around her, guide her back to the camper, and they could all crawl under a warm blanket and finally get some sleep. Unfortunately, neither of those were the case and Kiah was not sure what to do.
 
“I’m so sorry.”  
 
The words were at a whisper but Kiah just caught them, as they were spoken Kiah’s eyes got wide and that feeling she had earlier when she saw Valentine standing there with that gun, that feeling of intent and despair, she felt it again but multiplied by a hundred! She had felt this feeling before, and others like it but different and it always meant something was going to happen, this particular one she first felt when her friend killed herself. She did not understand the feeling or know where it came from but she knew now to question it was a mistake. In an instant her heart and breathing spead up and time seemed to slow down. She leapt forward, not knowing what else to do but get around her and grab the gun.  
 
“NO!” She cried out as she leapt.
 
In an instant she half jumped over Valentine, spun, grabbed the gun and pulled it away from Valentine’s head. In horror she realized she was pulling it towards herself, and the realization hit her that if it went off, she instead could die. Something in her did not let that cause her to pause, though. She just closed her eyes and continued to pull it too her. The inevitable boom of the gun and a burning pain in her arm that followed caused her to cry out, let go, and grab at her arm. As she opened her eyes again, panting for air as she stood there, she looked down and to her horror she saw Valentine slumped forward into the mud.
 
“No, no, no, please.. please Val, don’t be dead.” Kiah muttered shakily as she fell to her knees.
 
She looked up briefly to see April standing there with a bottle in her hand and looking kind of dazed. She looked at April then at Valentine again then down at her arm, a flash of lightning showing the red watered dripping down her arm.
 
“I.. I only heard one shot and if.. if I’m hit then… what happened?” She asked as she looked at Valentine then back up at April again.
 
April swayed a but and looked at Kiah kind of sheepishly, “I.. I wazzn sure you’re gonna stop her, so I kinna hit her in the heab wiff my bottle.”
 
Kiah squinted at April, “you what?!”
 
“Sorry.” April slurred.
 
Kiah crawled closer and pulled her hand away from her other arm, using them both to roll Valentine onto her side. Leaving a bloody handprint on her hip in the process. She watched closely in the flickering light and saw Valentine’s chest move as she lay there.
 
“*SIGH* Thank God, she’s alive!” Kiah exclaimed, after sighing with relief.
 
“Ya.. ya hurt b.bad?” April asked
 
“Hmm? Oh! Forgot about that for a moment.” She said as she tried to inspect it.
 
The lightning showed that it was not bad, just a deep cut on the ouside of her forearm, which did not seem to even get into the muscle.
 
“It’s not bad. Had worse.” Kiah said.
 
“M.m.issser Fernanno shoub be able ta heal it.” April slurred.
 
Kiah shook her head, “No, I don’t want him to!”
 
“Why not?” April asked, leaning against the tree to keep from falling over.
 
“I want to keep it! I want it to scar! I want her to see that being stupid and trying to kill yourself hurts more than just you and…” Kiah paused.
 
“Ann wha??” April asked.
 
“Maybe Hondo will feel sorry for me being hurt and see that he owes me for saving her and take me to bed and care for me and put that dick of his inside me! How can he say no to the girl who saved his woman’s life?” Kiah said with a smile.
 
“Di.. din’t they break up ann, if they w.worked it out, wo..wo..wouldn’t he get bacl=k wiff her insteab?” April asked
 
Kiah frowned, “Damn, didn’t think of all that… well, they both owe me then, so I’ll help them work it out, then they will be more greatful and when they see the scar they will remember what I did and she will share him and he will love me for saving her.”
 
April closed one eye as her focus was failing as she looked at her, “I.. I think yur a lill drunk…. Ann shallow.”
 
“I’m not shallow! I… I  … I just don’t know how to get a guy to like me or to tell him I like him.” Kiah said sheepishly.
 
April just stared at her.
 
“What?! It’s not like I learned any dating skills weeding veggetale, beating off my father, scrubbing toilets, or being a bunny girl! I held signs and spread my legs! I don’t know how to get a man like that to notice me! I’m just a dumb blonde who is scared to live in this world alone and want a strong man like him to love me and protect me while I feed him, make him feel good and have his babies to pay him back for it all! Is that so wrong? Huh?” Kiah half shouted.
 
April just stared.
 
“Are you really jusdging me?! After all we’ve been through?? After all I told you I’ve been through?!?!” Kiah yelled defensively.
 
April shook her head slowly as she looked at her still with one eye closed, “N.no. juss.. jus would like things ta stop spin-nin.”
 
Kiah stared at her for a moment realizing that outburst was her own guilt nagging at her as April was just drunk. Her adrenaline was wearing off now and she started to realize how cold and tired she was. She started to shiver as she stood there, and tried to clear her mind enough to figure out what to do. She tried lifting Valentine but found her too heavy aand she knew April would not be any help. After looking arund for a moment she saw the gun laying on the ground and she gingerly picked it up. Though she was not too familiar with them she was pretty sure she had it figured out, so she held it up in the air with one hand, plugged one of her ears with the other and shot it off into the air a couple times. After a moment a couple dogs started barking and two figures started their way at a trott.
 
“Who’s there?!? Answer me!” A male voice called out.
 
Kiah was not sure who he was but she had seen him around camp in the mornings and evenings as he seemed to be on of the teens who guarded at night. The other figure she was not sure who it was, but from the two dogs trotting beside them, she figured it was that teen girl who had the guard dogs that was rumored she was #$@!ing.
 
“Help! Over Here! Please Help!!” Kiah called out.
 
“Who are you??” The voice called out as they slowed and pointed their guns at them.  
 
Kiah dropped the pistol and put her hands up.
 
“We are with the camp! Don’t shoot!” Kiah called out.
 
The two lowered their guns a bit as they approached but stayed wary.
 
“Who are you?” The voice asked again, but in a less harsh tone.
 
“I’m Kiah and this is April. We are two of the bunny girls that were saved and brought to camp! We help sever meals, I know you’ve seen us!” Kiah said quickly.
 
They lowered their guns as the een boy spoke again, “I remember you. What is going on?”
 
“It’s Valentine, Hondo’s woman.” Kiah said pointing to where Valentine lay.
 
The teens rushed over and dropped down beside her.
 
“What happened?! Is she alive?!?” The girl asked as she started to look her over.
 
“She’s alive. She… she got depressed and tried to end it. I.. I managed to stop her from shooting herself and April hit her in the head with a bottle to stop her from fighting… She might have hit her too hard.” Kiah replied.
 
“S.sorry.” April slurred sheepishly.
 
The teen boy turned to the girl with him, “Lisa, go get Fernando. I’ll carry her back to her camper.”
 
Lisa nodded and took off at a sprint.
 
“I heard a shot earlier, that happen here.” The boy asked.
 
Kiah nodded, “Yeah, gun went off when I pulled it away from her.”
 
“Anyone hurt?” He asked.
 
“Kaih wah shot.” April slurred.
 
“You were shot?!” He exclained.
 
She uncovered the wound o her arm, that she found herself holding again, “Just a graze. Burns a little but I’m alright.”
 
At that point April staggard and fell back on her ass, swaying as she sat there.
 
“Is she alright??” He asked worriedly.
 
Kiah sighed, “Yeah, just really really drunk.”
 
April giggled, “uhm sooo #$@!ed up!”
 
Kiah shook her head, “Can you Carry Valentine?”
 
He nodded, “I think so. Can you get her back?”
 
“The lightweight here? No problem.” Kiah said.
 
“I’m s.. s.. same size ez you!” April protested.
 
“You’re an inch shorter and have a smaller ass, though you have the same wasit size and bigger boobs, but I wasn’t talking about any of that! I drank same as you did and am just buzzed!” Kiah said as she pulled April up.
 
April stared at her for a moment then giggled.
 
“What’s funny?” Kiah asked.
 
“Yur.. yur shurt is wet anh ah can see yur boobies through it!” She said pointed at her wet tank-top.
 
“Well, you have no shirt on and your boobs are completely out!” Kiah retorted.
 
April looked down at her chest as the vest was hanging open and exposing her almost fully. She looked back up at Kiah with a serious look and nodded, “Yur right. My boobies are out.”
 
The teen sighed and shook his head, “As much as I would enjoy this conversation in the daylight when it’s not raining, I’d like to get out of the rain and into something dry and Miss Val needs to get looked at before she gets sick or worse!”
 
Kiah nodded, “Little drunky perky tits here and I will follow you.”
 
The teen boy nodded and with a bit of a groan managed to lift Valentine off the ground and get to his feet.
 
“I do have perky tits don’t I?” April asked as Kiah put her arm around her and lead her towards the camper, following the teen boy carrying Valentine closely.
 
Kiah shook her head, “Yeah you do, and you’re going to have a hell of a headache tomorrow too!”
 
-,-,-,-,,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,,-,-,-,-,-,-,,-,-,-,-,-
 
Lisa ran back to the camp and up to Fernando’s camper, her dogs close at her heals.She knocked on the camper door.
 
“Mr. Fernando!... Mr. Fernando wake up, it’s urgent!” She said as she knocked.
 
She paused a moment but heard nothing so she knocked again.
 
“Mr. Fernando, please answer! … Miss Val tried to kill herself!”  
 
A sudden rustling from within was heard and the door popped open as Ichigo wrapped in a bathrobe stuck her head out.
 
“What happened?!” Ichigo asked worriedly.
 
“I need Mr. Fernando!” Lisa said again.
 
“What happened? He’s not in here.” Ichigo said as she opened the door wider as Mae and June tried to look out too, while the wessen girl crawled back to be away from the door.
 
“Miss Val tried to kill herself! Where is Mr Fernando??” Lisa asked again.
 
“Is she alright??” Ichigo asked as she tied the string on her robe.
 
“She’s unconscious but alive. That’s all I know.” Lisa said.
 
“Try the trailer camper. I heard Val talking to him there earlier tonight. He might have stayed there since it got crowded here.” She said, shooting Mae and June an accusing look.
 
“Thanks!” Lisa replied as she trotted to the door of the dub box camper.  
 
Ichigo watched her go over to the dub box before looking at Hondo’s camper. She turned to the others as she pulled on her shoes.
 
“You two stay here! I’m going to go the Hondo’s camper and wait for Val in case Fernando isn’t there!” She instructed the others as she climbed out.
 
“But…” Mae started to argue.
 
“No buts! Stay!” Ichigo growled as before slamming the door and dashing off.
-,-,-,-,-,-,
 
At the dub box camper Lisa banged on the door.
 
“Mr Fernando! It’s Miss Val! She tried to kill herself!”

Lightning flashed off in the distance as Hondo pulled the Bronco up to the hanger and cut the engine, sitting there for a moment before grabbing the bag with the sandwiches and beer in it and stepping out of the rig.  He was not particularly happy about how things went down, though that was just one of the things on his mind.
 
The whole ordeal that night had been far messier than it should have been, and the young distraction girl that had been murdered by the bookkeeper, that was unacceptable and he partially blamed himself. He was losing his touch and slowing down. He knew he had things on his mind, and though he tried to clear it he could not. Though he blamed himself for not thinking clearly or fast enough, he knew his physical state was decaying too. Dying had a way of taking someone’s edge, especially something as invasive and mysterious as whatever infected him. Though he knew there were plenty of illnesses from his time and the present time that he did not know about, but the doctor being baffled gave him little to no hope of surviving. Surviving was not his worry, though. If they made it safely to their destination and he was alive, he would talk to Fernando then, but now he could not burden his friend with his problems, as he was burdened enough as is. What he had to do was try to help as long as he could, though he wondered how much longer that would be. In truth, his shot was fast and only a few could have beaten it, but he felt it was subpar to what he used to be able to do. If it was or not, it was in his mind and that coupled with everything else weighed on him.
 
As he shut the Bronco’s door, the man door to the hanger opened, the Sargent Major stepped out carefully, as a couple other of the wessen soldiers under his command came slowly out of the shadows, fairly sure of who it was due to the vehicle, but still wary until they confirmed.
 
“I see you have returned in one piece, and with good news, I hope.” Sargent major Ellis said, his wolf wessen eyes making out in the dark that it was indeed Hondo.
 
Hondo nodded, “Decent news anyway, though could have been better.”
 
“Better how? You got the bastard, right?” Ellis asked.
 
Hondo nodded, “Yeah, the bastard is dead. Unfortunately, it was a closer call than I would have liked, an’ his bookkeeper killed himself an’ one of the distraction girls that he was screwin’ when we tried to get him.”
 
Ellis frowned, “Damn! That bookie would have had information we could have used to shut others like him down.”
 
Hondo scowled, “To hell with that bastard! The girl was the real loss! Canine wessen of some sort. Not much older than my youngest adopted daughter, from the looks of her. Poor kids deserve better!”
 
Ellis sighed, “Forgive me, of course, but you have to understand, even though I am wessen, I know the harsh realities. Wessens are treated like lesser and no one cares when another one of us dies. I guess I have become numb to it myself. Another dead wessen girl? Must be a Tuesday… Sorry sir, it’s just a reality. I used to care more, but after a while you have to become numb to it or succumb to it. How you do what you do, still care, and not lose your mind, I find amazing, inspiring, and beyond my abilities.”
 
“Sorry, Ellis. I know it has to be rough on you all. Just can’t help but feeling like I could have done more or reacted faster… My own personal hang-ups, I reckon.” Hondo replied.
 
“You’d not be human without a few, though you don’t let them stop you from trying, and that is what matters. Now, … who do I owe a drink to, for putting that bastard out of our misery?” Ellis asked.
 
“Does it matter?” Hondo asked.
 
“It does to us and a great many!” Ellis replied, several of the other soldiers who stood by also nodding in agreement.  
 
“The Medic, you owe him a drink.” Hondo replied, leaving out that he too had shot him practically at the same time.  
 
“Then a drink, no, a whole bottle of his spirit of choice will be his!” Ellis replied.
 
Hondo nodded, “Sounds good. I know he’s partial to a good absinthe, but after all the shit we’ve been through, he’d probably drink straight rot-gut if it was given to him… Now, I need to check on my girls, an’ change clothes, but I’ll be back down shortly.”
 
“You look exhausted, if you don’t mind me saying so, sir. We can handle things tonight so you can sleep.” Ellis replied.
 
“Hondo.” Hondo replied.
 
“Sir?” Ellis asked.
 
“It’s Hondo, just Hondo. Not sir or mister or anything like that.” Hondo said with a sight edge to his voice.
 
“My apologies. I know you said no pleasantries earlier, but it is a force of habit, I guess… You are due more respect than that, though, you do know.” Ellis replied.
 
Hondo shook his head, “Not the way I see it. Besides, I don’t hold to how the military sees things. Titles or pleasantries don’t mean a damn to me. Looking a man in the eyes when talking to him, a firm handshake, following him when he leads, taking him for his word, questioning what he says in private an’ only when it matters, those are the ways of respect. Had plenty of folks call me mister who talked shit behind my back an’ gladly would have sold me out for a dollar, an’ several others that called me by my name or even made up some nickname that maybe even sounded odd or childish, but they listened, spoke well of me, an’ always had my back. Respect isn’t titles or pleasantries, it’s actions.”
 
Ellis raised an eyebrow slightly then sighed and nodded, “*sigh* … I see your point and you are not wrong. Title respects for those of higher ranked or honors is very much drilled into us, though, but I will try to refrain.”
 
“Thanks.” Hondo replied as he turned to leave.
 
“You should get some rest, though.” Ellis replied.
 
“There are some leftover meals in the fridge from supper. Should be enough for your troops. Please eat them so they don’t go bad.” Hondo said, changing the subject as he walked away.
 
“Thank you, sirrr, I mean Hondo.” Ellis called after him.  
 
Hondo did not reply, but just kept walking. If he was seen as being rude, he did not attempt to be. There was a lot on his mind and their conversation was going nowhere, plus he knew he was tired and wanted to sleep but did not trust the army fully still.
 
As he entered the hanger, he found Karl sitting on the couch, reading some book with a rifle across his lap.
 
“Didn’t know you could read.” Hondo said as he approached.
 
“Not a lot of former slaves do, unless you needed to for your work. I was just a lowly wessen pinata, but the master did not care about what we did when not working. One of fight trainers and his mate, the one before they sent me to that wessen training school for a couple years, knew how to read and they made me read as part of my training. They said being able to read handbills, notes left for other fight leaders or masters, billboards, and posters was important as you can harvest information about those you were fighting or maybe would in the future. I was told to play dumb around the humans, though, and to use it as an advantage. MY reading is a bit rusty, unfortunately. Since I’m a free wessen now, and if we live, I’m hoping for a better future, I figured I should try to get batter at it… I need to work on my sums too. Basic math I can do as long as I don’t run out of fingers, but after that I have problems.” HE replied sincerely.
 
“Tryin’ to improve yourself? I’m honestly surprised.” Hondo replied.
 
Karl scowled, “Why, because wessens like me are too stupid to better ourselves?”
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, because you have been either doom an’ gloom, or wallowin’ in self-pity ever since we had to slap you hand for bein’ a self-servine asshole an’ usin’ the women folk.”
 
“If that was a slap on the hand, I’m not sure I’d survive your form of a whipping.” Karl growled, “And I’ve done my job helping protect the cam, since then!”
 
“You have, but you’ve whined about it several times.” Hondo replied.
 
“Just… just fear escaping the life of a slave to die out here and never getting to truly taste living life as it should be.” Karl replied sheepishly.
 
“Understand that, but dyin’ as a man is better than livin’ as a coward.” Hondo countered.
 
“I’m not a coward… I’m a lot of things, a self-serving asshole out to protect number one, yes, but not a coward.” Karl replied with an edge of a growl to his voice.
 
Hondo shook his head, “I didn’t say you are a coward, but understand, grumblin’ ‘bout a situation and whinin’ ‘bout it is seen differently. You want to work on bein’ a man, that’s somethin’ to work on.”
 
Karl frowned, “So, you’re saying I should work on that rather than reading and sums?”
 
“No. Just sayin’ you should add that to your list. You’re doin’ right by tryin’ to be better, but for whatever reason, or for whomever you are doin’ this for, appearances can be important when it means comin’ across as a strong man who can take care of those around him.” Hondo replied.
 
“How do you know I’m doing this for someone?” Karl asked.
 
“Men rarely try to better themselves for themselves. Its generally with someone else in mind.” Hondo replied.
 
“… yeah…. I know I’ve fallen short but being stuck in this place for the last few days has let me spend more time with Terri, Lala, and Lili. They all need someone, Terri the most as she needs someone. Lala and Lili have each other at least, and I’ll help them out if they want me to, but Terri needs me more, I think. Maribelle still treats her like a dumb animal and a pet, and it makes her nervous and even a bit depressed about her possible future, especially if Maribelle leaves at some town and tells her she has to go with. She’s not sure she has the strength of will to tell her no… She deserves better and maybe I can do that for her.” Karl replied.
 
Hondo raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m glad you’re tryin’ to step up to the plate for them but, … isn’t she your cousin?”
 
Karl shrugged, “Not unheard of for cousins to get together, especially with wessens. You hear of siblings, more so half siblings doing it sometimes too, but that is generally frowned on. It’s not like she is my first cousin or anything anyway. She’s like my mother’s father’s older half-brother’s daughter’s son’s kid, or something like that. I can’t remember exactly. As first generation wessen, we had our minds worked on. Most are erased fairly easily and have memories come back over time, if at all. Some are resistant to their mind wiping though. Terri and I were somewhat resistant, though I was more than she was, and she is younger so that might have some to do with it, but even being resistant doesn’t protect all your thoughts, memories, and such. Some things I only partly remember and some things I feel like are at the edge of my mind but I can’t reach them… They tried to mind wipe me twice but it did not take. I’ve heard of some going through the process three or four times and most of them their minds are so broken after they can only do menial task if lucky. I’ve heard of the process killing a few, which is why they usually don’t usually do more than twice unless they have to, as even twice is hell on the mind, trust me. After my second time I was in bed for days with a migraine, could barely talk or understand anyone, and felt like I was going crazy…. They thought they fried my brain at first. Had they tried again they probably would have.”
 
Hondo nodded, “This world is full of horrible shit like that, and that’s why we do what we do, ya know? … What happens between you an’ those gals is between y’all as long as you treat them right. I hear rumors that you hurt them or forced them to do anythin’ …”
 
Karl interrupted, “I won’t hurt them… I can’t stop rumors but I won’t hurt them, and I’m not just saying that as fear what you and Fernando would do to me. As much as I never want to see that huge lizard again, this isn’t for me. It’s for them.”
 
Hondo nodded, “See that it stays that way… now, we got a lot of work to do tomorrow, so you go get some sleep. I’ll keep watch with the soldiers tonight.”
 
Karl cocked his head slightly, “You sure? You look exhausted.”
 
Hondo frowned, “So I’ve been told, but I am sure.”
 
Karl nodded and closed the book, “Alright, I’m not arguing. Some sleep would feel good… I’ll see you in the more then, Master Hondo.”
 
Hondo nodded but said nothing else as Karl grabbed his gun and book and headed upstairs to the couch in the master bedroom shared by him, Terri, Lala, Lili, Marvin, and Maggie.  
 
As he left A loud clap of thunder was heard outside and rain sounded as it hit the outside of the building. A few of the soldiers rushed in and opened the hanger door enough to back the open topped jeeps inside. After that they left again, some holed up in the lean-to out back, some stayed close to the building finding some shelter from the building’s eves, some sat in the one full cab jeep they had and others patrolled in the rain, but none came inside to hide from the weather, taking their duty to guard the hanger much more seriously than the few human soldiers that had been there before them.  
 
Once they were gone and the doors shut again, Hondo sat down for a moment on the couch, sighed and rubbed his eyes. He did feel tired but after all that had happened, he did not feel that he could let his guard down enough to sleep, not right now at least.
 
As he sat there , through the noise ouside, he heard the sound of light footsteps approaching him. Whoever it was stopped in front of him and stood quietly a moment before speaking.
 
“… You get him?” a familiar voice asked after a bit.
 
Hondo looked up to see one of the hamster girls standing there, in just a thin, white t-shirt, that though was a bit big for her, still barely was long enough to cover her ass and clung to her breasts leaving little to the imagination, though they were covered.
 
“What you doin’ up? An’ I’m assumin’ you’re Miniya.” He asked.
 
She nodded, “Yeah, I’m Miniya… couldn’t sleep and couldn’t just lay there so went to the kitchen and made some tea while I waited so I did not disturb the younger ones… did you get him?”
 
Hondo nodded, “Yeah... We got him.
 
Miniya sighed with relief, “*sigh* good… I’m glad.”
 
She walked around him and sat down on the edge of the couch, staring at the floor in front of her as she tried to keep her legs together and the shirt pulled down, though not much stayed hidden for her efforts. Wearing clothes was almost odd to her still and though she felt she was doing her best to stay covered up like Fernando had told her, and it was an improvement, she still wore as little as she could without feeling like she was disobeying orders. It was not that she wanted to show her body off, as she did not even really think about it, though the semi-modesty that was forced on her was starting to sink in as her reactions to stay covered were involuntary.  
 
Had it been even a week before he might have said something, but he really did not care at the moment. Whether she wanted him to see or not, this world had bigger issues than a young wessen woman’s perky tits imprinting on a thin t-shirt and her coochie peak out from underneath it at times. Since she was covered in the day when people were in and out, that’s all he cared about. At after 11:00 pm, with all the soldiers outside at the moment, he did not care.  
 
“… Is he dead?” She asked.
 
Hondo nodded again, “He is.”
 
“Good… There is too much death around here but he deserved it for what he’s done to us and all the lives he has taken.” Miniya replied softly.
 
“Hmm.” Hondo grunted in reply, neither in agreement nor disagreement, but more curious about her change in attitude.
 
He could not help but think of the girl they did not manage to save, though he had no plans of telling her about that. That was a burden she did not need, and was for him and the others who were there to bear alone.
 
“Who shot him?” She asked as she looked up at him.
 
“You’re the second person who’s asked… does it matter?” He asked.
 
“You did.” She replied looking back down at the floor as she spoke.
 
“I didn’t say that.” He replied.
 
“You didn’t need to. If it had been someone else you would have just said who… As much as I hated my time working for that animal but I learned a few things. Reading what is not being said from what is being said, or how people are acting is one thing I did learn. It’s the only reason I lived long enough for Fernando to save my life and get me out of there… I owe him a lot for that.” She said quietly.
 
“He an’ I hit the bastard at ‘bout the same time, so hard tellin’ who actually killed him. A third put on in his head a few seconds after we did, so the bastard would have been dead had I pulled the trigger or not.” Hondo replied a bit gruffly.
 
Miniya sat back a bit more and nodded, “I understand… Thank you.”
 
Hondo shook his head, “Don’t thank me. It needed done and we did it.”
 
“… Then can I apologize?” She asked
 
“For what?” He queried.  
 
“Well, for being hard to deal with and questioning you, first off, but also telling you I don’t like anyone.” She replied.
 
“It’s alright. You don’t have to like any of us; it’s not required. Can’t say as I understand what you went through but seein’ what I did an’ knowin’ what I know, I can understand not likin’ anyone after all that.” He said.
 
“I was maybe being a bit too harsh when I said that. Maybe… maybe I do like you and Fernando both a bit, but … maybe after all that I’m too afraid to trust anyone again… at least for right now. I know because of that I tend to lash out a bit and be harder than I need to be, and I am sorry.” She said softly.
 
Hondo sighed and put a hand gently on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, as he turned to look at her for the first time since she sat down, “After all you have been through, I can understand that. Fernando an’ I can be a bit gruff at times too, but know it’s because we care, an’ are tired an’ angry at all that is happenin’, an’ frustrated with all those we were too late to help… We don’t ask you to like us. All we ask is you listen to us, give us the respect we need from you to help keep everyone safe, an’ try to trust that we mean well.”
 
She pulled away from him after a moment and sighed sadly before looking up at him.
 
“I… I need to be with Fernando for now, no matter what, not only because I owe him and he owns me according to my papers, but also because of my sister. She’s done a lot of good, but can still be a bit naïve at times, especially when it comes to the man she likes… She cares a lot about him, and I have to be his to watch over her. And again, he does own me so… *sigh* … You’re a good man and I thank you again for helping to take down that son of a bitch. I’ll definitely sleep better knowing he is gone and not going to try to drag me back or have me killed for being taken from him... He didn’t have any great love for me nor was I his best, not that he let most live long enough to learn how to be the best, but he did hate losing and reminders of losing. He’d have had me shot, if he could have, just to spite Fernando for winning me from him… I’m so glad it’s over.” She replied as she stared at the floor again, though aware that he was looking her way now.
 
“I’m glad I could help ease your fears, Miniya… You should go get some sleep now. Lot to do tomorrow.” He said.
 
She sighed again and nodded before standing up. As she stood up she tugged on the edge of the t-shirt again, trying to keep herself as covered as possible though it was pretty well impossible with that length of shirt. She blushed a bit as she knew she had flashed him her lady parts, and with him looking her way there was no way he did not see at least a glimpse of her. It was an odd feeling, as a mix of embarrassment, a tinge of desire, and something else she was not sure about crept over her. None of those were feelings she had felt in a long time. She stood there for a moment staring at the floor as she stretched the edge of the t-shirt down, covering herself mostly now, before looking up at him after a moment.
 
“I.. I’m almost sorry that I can’t like you like, especially like my sister likes Mr. Fernando… I’d like to like you that way and have you like me back but… I think I maybe like Mr. Fernando, though he scares me a bit sometimes.. you both do…  I owe him a lot too and … ” She paused.
 
Hondo nodded, “I understand… If you stick ‘round we can maybe be friends someday. For now, just don’t fight us, listen, an’ if he lets you, help Fernando. Understand he has reasons to push women away, so don’t push yourself on him. Just help how you can, don’t give him any drama, an’ be there if he needs you. If you are worried ‘bout your sister, maybe reign her in a bit. He has enough on his plate right now an’ if she pushes too hard he might lash out, though he won’t mean to hurt her. I’m not sure he can like anyone right now either, understand?”
 
Miniya nodded, “I do and maybe… maybe I’m suppose to be with him because of that. Somehow, I know you would be good to me if you wanted me, but maybe he needs me more.”
 
Hondo nodded, “Maybe he does… You’d better get to bed.”
 
She leaned down a bit and kissed his cheek, which surprised him a bit, especially since it came from her.
 
“You’re a good man and a good friend. Thank you… goodnight, Mr. Hondo.” She said softly into his ear before standing back up straight and slowly walking off.
 
He turned at watched her go, feeling that there was more to that spit of a wessen woman than met the eye. He had a feeling that she could be a terror to those who miss use her and a great companion to one who treated her right. For a moment he could not ponder that ‘what ifs’ and ‘what could have beens’, but he pushed those out of his mind. He hoped that Fernando could see the sweeter side of her and that they could help each other somehow. Minerva might have a big heart and be stuck on him more, but he saw that Miniya could be a real strong, smart, and caring companion for his friend. One with probably the lest amount of drama of any of those currently chasing Fernando. He could not help but feel that her time at Giovanni’s had given her more drama than she ever wanted and now, she just wanted rest.  
 
After he was gone he stood up and headed to the girls’ room to check on them. He half hoped they were asleep but when he cracked the door and peaked in, even in the dim light he could see three heads pop up and look his way.
 
“Papa?” Zoey asked sleepily from the larger, double bed she was sharing with Macey that was the lower half of a bunkbed.
 
“Yeah, It’s me. Just was checkin’ to make sure my girls were alright.” He answered softly.
 
“You can come in. We are all awake.” Tonya replied.
 
Zoey, wearing a just a black t-shirt that had to be Valentine’s but it covered her well enough for his liking, sat up quickly and turned on the lamp beside the bed. She hopped off the bed and ran over to him, wrapping him in a hug.
 
“Everything go alright?” Tonya asked as she sat up and dangled her legs off the edge of the top bunk.
 
Hondo glanced at her and almost said something as she had no shirt, and anything further he was not sure about as she had a blanket on her lap, but he decided against it. She did have the most fur of any of the wessen so he did not blame her for sleeping in as little as possible. And since the room was private and he wanted her to be comfortable around him, he acted like he did not even notice.
 
He sighed and nodded, “*sigh* … yeah. I caught the guy who ran the gamblin’ parlor cheatin’ an’… well, the army is cleanin’ things up an’ getting’ all the gals he had checked out now.”
 
Tonya nodded, “I understand. I’m glad you are alright.”
 
“Did you kill him?” Macey asked sleepily from where she lay, wearing a hoodie, panties and sock with a cover sheet pulled across her knees.
 
“That’s not somethin’ you need worry ‘bout, little lady an’ … why are you wearin’ a hoodie an’ socks to bed? It is damp out but not cold, in here especially.” He asked, distracted by her choice of sleepwear in this weather.
 
“Zoey steals the blankets and I get cold after a while!” Macey mumbled grouchily.
 
“I don’t mean to! It.. it just happens…. You talk in your sleep a lot. Even heard you cry in your sleep before.” Zoey said, changing the subject.
 
“So do you and Tonya!” Macey growled as she grabbed some of the blankets and tried to hide from the light.
 
“You havin’ bad dreams, little lady?” Hondo asked.
 
Macey stayed quiet for a bit before peaking her head out and nodding at him, “… yeah.”
 
“I think the only ones who don’t have bad dreams are those who don’t dream.” Tonya said, trying to take the attention away from Macey as she knew she felt embarrassed. “Only good dreams I’ve ever had was after you saved us and.. and those are far too few, unfortunately.”
 
Zoey sighed and nodded in agreement.
 
“I understand, I reckon… If any of you need to talk, I’ll listen. Sorry I’ve not made enough time for any of you lately.” He replied feeling frustrated for neglecting their needs and fears in light of how ragged they had all been ran since Valentine was taken.
 
“Thanks Papa, and .. We understand you are busy. Just… just don’t work yourself too had. We need you still, you know.”  Tonya replied.  
 
He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, “I love you gals, I hope you never question that.”
 
“We love you too papa.” Tonya said.
 
Zoey hugged him again, “So very VERY much!”  
 
Macey sighed and half whispered to herself, though he heard it but just barely, “Yeah… love you, uncle Hondo.”
 
“You need to talk, little lady?” He asked her.
 
She shook her head, “No. I’m fine.”
 
Hondo nodded and let Zoey go so he could knee down on the bed. He leaned over and kissed Macey on the cheek.
 
“That’s from your Dad. He said g’night an’ told me to make sure I gave you that… I know things have been rough lately, an’ you have a lot to learn still, but he does love ya.” He said softly, as he stroked her hair a couple times.
 
She sighed a bit more contentedly this time and seemed to relax.
 
“Thank you, Uncle Hondo. I love you and.. and if you see Daddy again tonight, tell him I love him, please.” She replied softly.
 
He nodded, “Will do.”
 
“Do I get a kiss good night?” Tonya asked.
 
“You gonna hope down so I can?” He asked.
 
She made a face that said she was unsure about something, though he was not yet sure as to why.
 
“Can you stretch up and I’ll lean down?” She asked.
 
He nodded as he got up from the bed and stood on the lower bunks rail, as she leaned down so he could kiss her cheek.
 
“G’night, girl. Get some sleep as everyone’s gonna be busy tomorrow. We need to be ready to move out tomorrow before supper, though we probably won’t leave until after the next breakfast, alright?” He said.
 
She nodded “Understand… Good night, Papa.”  
 
As she laid back down, swung her feet back up and onto the bed, and rolled onto her side, she unintentionally gave him a brief peak at her back side, and he now saw that the blanket on her lap was all that was covering anything, which explained the unsure look on her face.
 
As he climbed back to the floor Zoey  grabbed onto him again.
 
“Can we talk, like you said we would?” She asked softly as she looked up at him hopefully.
 
“It’s getting’ aweful late, Kitten.” He replied hesitantly.
 
“Please papa! You promised!” she said, giving him those sad eyes of hers that he felt was an unfair advantage that she had over him.
 
“Alright. You have your robe?” He asked.
 
She nodded and grabbed it off a chair that sat by the little table in the room.
 
He nodded, “Put it on an’ we’ll go to the kitchen to talk, alright?”  
 
 
(To be continued ….)
 
EDIT: Correction of Miniya Character's name.
-Fernando

Hondo pulled the radio from his pocket but was unsure how to reply. Fernando had called him by name over the radio, which was forbidden in their agreement of radio etiquette, even if it was an emergency. For him to break that rule, a rule he set as #1, it had to be bad, so this was not just Valentine begging for attention; she really had tried to kill herself.
 
 He sat and stared at the it in his hand, at first only half believing the information he heard. As the initial shock started to wear off he clenched his jaw angrily and his grip increased on his radio until the case started to crack, and he started to shake. He set the radio on the bed for a moment so he did not completely destroy it, and instead made a fist with one hand and gripped it with the other as he tried to process. He was livid at the moment but at himself or Valentine or the situation or at whoever brought them here or at whoever had taken Valentine, he was not sure. All he knew was at the moment he was angry. He tried to think, but his mind could not process fast enough to keep up with every thought that ran through his head at the moment, so all his thoughts seemed as static and buzzed in his head like a swarm of mosquitos. His breath quickened as adrenalin started to flow into his system, as his body try to make up for the stress that hit his system.
 
How could she? Why would she? What happened? Was this his fault? These questions and more raced through his mind, but no answers were found.
 
“Hondo? My Love? … Are you alright?” Molly called out to him softly.
 
He looked over at her quickly, shooting her a hard, cold, angry look that frightened her and send a chill to her very core. She had seen him mad before, but it was usually passionate and righteous. This anger was different. If was wild, untamed, vengeful, unfeeling, and uncontrolled. The look on his face was as if he was some wounded, wild beast, backed into a corner, only knowing how to lash out at anything and everything in reach in a desperate last try for escape, and it frightened her.
 
“I.. I.. I’m s.s.sorry.” She stammered hesitantly and quietly, drawing back a bit away from him.
 
“Don’t be.” He said quickly and coldly.
 
“Do .. do you need…” She started to ask carefully but stopped abruptly as he put up his pointer finger at her, signaling for her to be silent.
 
He lowered his hand after a moment and stared at the floor in silence, the only sound the gritting of his teeth as he worked his jaw. After a minute, though what seemed like eternity, he picked the radio up and keyed the mic, pressing the button a little harder than he should have but not enough to break it.
 
“Medic, received your message. Please stay until I arrive. Will want to talk to this Kiah before talkin’ to the bitch. If she is there, please have her stay. Will be there shortly. Out.” Hondo said over the airwaves firmly, slowly, and with no emotion.
 
He pocketed the radio and sighed deeply. His shoulders sagged a bit as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. He was tired.
 
No one said anything for several minutes, the three women each hoping he or one of the other two would break the silence first. With him not saying anything, Nova now hiding in the bathroom again and Mellissa backing away into the shadows again, Molly sighed and took it on herself to try again.
 
“My love?” She asked a bit hesitantly.
 
“Hmm?” He grunted.
 
“Are you going to be alright?” She asked, leaning a bit more towards him again, aching to reach out and comfort him, but almost afraid he would bite.
 
“*sigh* … yeah… I guess.” He whispered.
 
“Can I do anything to help?” She asked with a little more surety that he was not going to attack her.
 
He shook his head, “No… No, I.. I need to go handle this.”
 
He stood up with a bit of a groan after a moment. He felt really old and tried at the moment, and getting older by the moment.
 
“Do.. do you want us to go?” Melissa asked quietly.
 
He shook his head, “No… wait here… I’ll .. I’ll be back in a bit and we can all.. talk.”
 
He looked between the three of them, Molly looking at him with a worried frown, Melissa staring at the floor in the darkness, and nova shyly peaking out from the bathroom, obviously trembling though little of her showed. He snorted after a moment and turned on his heals and walked out the door without saying a word. Once out of the room he looked around quickly, seeing if anyone was around before trotting on down the stairs and marching to the door. At the door he paused and looked over at the dirigible a moment, before turning towards it. He marched up to it and rapped on the hull loudly. Not hearing anything from within he rapped again.
 
“Maria! Get out here NOW!” He bellowed.
 
At this a scurrying sound was heard from within and after a minute or two a half asleep Aburn haired woman in grey cotton panties, and an unbuttoned canvas shirt hurried to the edge with her AR rifle in hand.
 
“Wh.. What’s wrong??” She asked through a sleepy fog.
 
“This pile of shit ready to go??” He asked, a cold edge to his voice.
 
She frowned, “ye.. yeah. Just need to test it… planned to in the morning. Why? You want me gone now or somethin’? I said I’d leave tomorrow!”
 
“Have you ever tried to kill yourself?” He asked quickly.
 
“What???” She asked, confused and worried about where he was going with this.
 
“Have you ever tried to kill yourself?! Suicide?? Hari Kari??!” He asked, growling at having to repeat himself.
 
“N.no… I mean, I’ve felt pretty low before and thought about it, but… As worthless as I feel and as much as I know I’ve #$@!ed up,  I .. I guess I’ve always held out hope I could still help and maybe redeem myself someday, but… I don’t understand… Why is it important right now?” she asked, starting to really worry now.
 
She knew her Hondo was close to hating her and her Fernando would probably never speak to her again for what she did to Raven, and she grieved that she had driven those two away, the two men who mattered most to her, and alienated herself from her children in the process, but she didn’t think even they would want her to kill herself. Fernando might not care if she did, and Hondo maybe would not even try to stop her at this point, but want her to kill herself just was not like them. She was sure this was the younger Hondo too, so he should have nothing against her to that point, unless someone lied to him and made him think his Valentine’s problems were created by her, though she knew they were not. Her mind raced as he just stood there staring at her for a moment without saying a word, and when he finally did speak her mind almost stopped as out of anything she remotely would have expected, that was not it.
 
“Valentine, my Valentine tried to kill herself tonight.” He answered after a minute, in a cold tone.
 
“Wh.. what?!?!” She exclaimed, not knowing how to process it.
 
“Fernando called on the radio. Used my name instead of my handle, so I know it’s bad. If you Hondo and Fernando are anythin’ like us, you know that is one rule he does not break… He said she tried to kill herself an’ someone named Kiah stopped her an’ got hit in the process. It’s all I know.” HE replied.
 
“Kiah?.. I think that was the name of one of those bunny girls he saved. She was kicked out of camp in tech town as Fernando was annoyed with her for constantly making advances at him. She was found dead a night later, but.. but my Hondo or I never had dealin’s with her, at least I know I didn’t. If he did he never told me.” She replied.
 
“I don’t #$@!in’ care about her! It’s you.. I mean Val, my Val that’s the issue!” He growled.
 
“What do you want me to do?! I tried to help her and failed! You didn’t want to mind wipe her without her knowing either, and I’m suppose to leave tomorrow, which I’ll most likely get gunned down by those Russian bounty hunter snipers, which I’m sure will make my Fernando very happy, but then I’ll never have a chance at redeeming myself!!” She exclaimed, a tear coming from her eye as she talked.
 
He just gave her a disgusted look and turned away. As he started to head to the door again she called out.
 
“Wait!”
 
“Why should I?” He asked as he kepted walking.
 
“Please wait! I’m.. I’m sorry!” She called out.
 
He stopped and sighed before turning back towards her and walking half the distance back.
 
He gritted his teeth and growled loudly at her “You know that’s all I wanted, all he wanted?!?! She… you… you both hurt us! Runnin’ away.. tryin’ to kill yourself… sayin’ you hate us.. makin’ our lives miserable.. disrespectin’ us.. humiliatin’ us… why do either of you think we should just forget it, or bare it, or deserve it?!?!? WE DID NOT WRONG YOU!... When I turned to Molly for comfort when you Hondo turned to that.. that…”
 
“Raven.” She said softly.
 
“Yes, Raven women, we still did not wrong either of you! We tried! You.. if you started like we did then we made vows to each other. I broke mine, yeah, but not before you broke yours and drove me away! I came to you.. to her, whichever one! Damn it!!... I came to her and gave her chance after chance to just apologize and tell me what was wrong! I wanted to fix it, even if it was just listenin’ or givin’ her space! But she kept on me an’ hatin’ me!!... I didn’t deserve that… I know she suffered, but so did I! I was beside myself, barely holdin’ together, I.. I wanted to rip the world apart an’ kill every bastard that so much as looked sideways at me! … Jefe an’ the girls, they kept me together.. kept me grounded. Then he put her back together and she still scorned him and me to the whole camp! Do you not understand I was tormented too?? I felt weak an’ afraid too?!? That I didn’t beg the #$@!in’ Almighty to bring your ass back to me, or that you Hondo didn’t do the same?!?!? How can you.. she think that killin’ herself wouldn’t torment me more??? What do you.. what does she want from me??? Tell me!?!?” He almost roared.
 
She looked down the whole time, her eyes closed, as she tried to hold back the tears as she took in his words and emotions. These were all things she had realized, albeit too late, but had never heard uttered from him. Her younger self had done in a month or two what had taken her years to do, driven him to the edge.
 
After a moment she shook her head, “I.. I don’t know… I .. I am sorry… We.. we are stupid, stupid women and we messed up… we got lost. Maybe it was fated to happen, maybe forced to happen, I don’t know, but… I.. her and I both were not as strong as you both thought we were… or we thought we were…. I.. I wish I had an answer for you, but I think only you and her can find it, whether you turn her loose or try to forgive her… If you don’t forgiver her, we understand, at least I do and.. and if she is like me she understands that she is not worth forgiving too. Maybe... Maybe that is why she did it. She did not think about it hurting you, but more about it removing her as an embarrassment and disappointment from all of your lives… I only say that, as it is what I have thought in my dark moments, that removing myself was the only way to help anymore.”
 
“Can’t you see that only makes it worse?? How much harder is it really to just apologize???” He asked incredulously.
 
“You don’t understand.” She said.
 
“I reckon I don’t, but try me!” he exclaimed.
 
She shook her head, “I.. I can’t explain it… Maybe.. maybe we just feel you won’t accept our apology and being rejected would be worse than dyin’ and never knowin’… I don’t know.”
 
He sighed again and shook his head, but did not say anything.
 
“Is.. is there anythin’ I can do to help?”
 
He looked back up at her and shook his head as he started to turn away, “No I think you’ve… “ He paused, “Well, wait… maybe…” He looked back up at her, “Get down here, you’re goin’ with me.”
 
“I need to grab some pants!” She replied.
 
“Get down here now or stay, as I’m leavin’.” He replied as he turned and headed to the door.
 
“Wait! I’m coming!” She replied quickly as she sling the rifle strap over her shoulder and started down the rope ladder in nothing but her panties and the unbuttoned shirt.  
 
He stopped and looked at her as she climbed down. He really had not sized her up physically yet, but she honestly did not look different from his Valentine, other than in the eyes, the way she talked, and how she held herself. IT was the near immortality at work, and though he believed in what Fernando said they did, seeing it like that was almost mind boggling. Had his mind not been on other things, he would have thought about it more, but he was still seeing red, and could think of little else than his Val and what she had done.  
 
He said nothing as she trotted up to him; he just spun on his heals and continued to the door with her trotting behind him.
 
 As they exited the building he barely took notice of the rain, and took no thought of the older Valentine half running barefoot in the mud behind him to keep up. As they walked to the Bronco Sargent Major Ellis climbed out of their one fully cabbed jeep and trotted over to him as he walked to the driver’s side door.
 
“Anything wrong?” Ellis asked.
 
“I have to run into camp to take care of some business.” Hondo replied curtly as he opened the door, but stopped and turned towards him for a moment as he spoke.
 
“Need assistance?” Ellis queried, his curiosity growing due to Hondo’s tone and at the sight of the half-naked redhead with the AR climbing into his passanger’s seat.
 
“It’s personal business. Just keep things safe here. I’ll be back.” Hondo replied quickly as he climbed into the Bronco and nearly slammed the door on Ellis’s face.
 
Ellis stepped back quickly as Hondo started the rig, gunned the engine, and dumped the clutch, sending a spray of mud and gravel flying as the tires spun out on the wet turf and the vehicle lurched into motion.
 
The road back was never great but was definitely more of a mess now due to the rain. It did not slow him down, though the rig slide side to side as he banged through the gears, picking up speed in a reckless sort of way, as he ran the rough, slimy path back towards the camp. Where it usually took 12 to 15 minutes to traverse the trail, he did it in 7 minutes this time, though he probably damaged the road and did not help his suspension or tires out at all in the process. He pulled into camp a bit fast, thankfully because of the rain the guards were all under shelter instead of walking around, so no one was ran over, nor had to dive out of the way, as he gunned in and slid to a stop right outside the camper.  
 
“Wait here.” He said firmly to the older Valentine, who just nodded in response.
 
He shut the engine off and sat there for a moment, letting out another deep sigh before stepping out of the vehicle. He paused a moment before shutting the door and heading to the camper as he almost did not want to admit that this was happening, and he did not know how to handle it.  After he shut the bronco’s door he started slowly to the campers back door and before he was even there it swung open, showing a very unhappy Fernando standing there holding it open for him.  
 
Hondo looked at him a moment, reading his expression, before snorting, setting his jaw and entering the camper. As he entered he saw his Valentine wet, bedraggled, eyes red from crying, and shivering slightly as she sat on the couch with a thin knit blanket pulled over her shoulders and clinging to her wet body. Her wet robe lay on the floor as did one of her vests, her chaps, two pairs of panties and a tank-top. At the dinette sat a lanky blond teen wrapped in a blanket and a bandage on her forearm that barely stuck out from the blanket. A slightly younger, but more endowed brunette teen lay passed out in the recliner, half covered by a blanket and snoring.  
 
 He stood looking for a moment between the two women as Fernando stood beside him, without anyone saying a word. He sighed deeply and shook his head before speaking in a low voice.
 
“What the hell happened?” He growled.
 
“Hondo I’m sorry! I Tried to apologize to Fernando but..” Val blurted out.
 
“She was acting all crazy and talking about ending it and I had to try to stop her!” the blond teen said over top of her.
 
The mix of their voices was just a mess of garbled words to him and made his headache worse.
 
“Shut Up! Both of you!!” He bellowed, causing the teen to shrink back and Valentine to burry her head in her hand again and cry softly.
 
He shook his head before half turing to Fernando, though he could not bring himself to look him in the eye, as he was embarrassed about the whole situation.
 
Hondo spoke hesitantly as he searched for words, “Jefe, .. I’m sorry ‘bout this. I’ll get ride of her or somethin’, but whatever happens she won’t be your problem again.”