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Subject: {ASSM} Crucible! 3/3 (zoo themed, 'heir to the power', rom, 'spy games')
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Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:10:04 -0400
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Crucible! 3/3
---

Helen laughed, then sobered and faced me.  "It's not a leak, if it's
done in the open, from a cold start, right?  Let's get rid of that
'informed source' crap I never liked.  You guys have a style all your
own, so we might as well admit it, then prove it, so when I say you
guys are working on a problem, what I *do* turn loose will be from a
source good enough they can tell people we know what we're doing."

"If nobody bites?"

"Easy.  Tell them how you spotted Jack as a ringer.  Somebody had a
shotgun mic on you when he whimpered.  Already been some speculation
about your past."

I sighed.  "Oh, well.  The world knows I fucked a bitch at least once.
Let's get it out of the way and move on.  That reminds me.  While
Randy is warming up, we'd better let the dogs have a break of their
own."

Helen spoke sternly.  "No more ducking and distraction.  Gang of Four,
is the subject."

Jessica was leaning on the wall and idly scratching Emma, who'd gone
over to greet her.  "I heard.  Mostly, it was my doing, but I wasn't
the one who first called us that, as a joke, later. That happened a
few months before graduation, if I'm remembering it right.  Court?"

"Couldn't tell you.  First time I heard it, was after the results came
back from my placement tests and I was pushed from junior to senior.
That happened after mid term, so 'few months' sounds right."

"Whatever.  Anyway, I'd better tell most of this story, since...  Oh,
Hell.  Helen, once you slow down and have time for yourself, chances
are you're going to wonder who to thank for teaching Jason his moves,
once he's horizontal.  I suppose you can thank me, but ultimately,
you'll have to thank, or blame, Courtney."

She stopped and studied me, so I sighed.  "Yeah.  By the time you got
your hooks in me, I was only 'inexperienced', with human females.  The
hormones were flowing, I was alone, and somehow Ursula and I wound up
screwing each other at least a couple times a day.  It started out as
something that happened when I was crying into her fur, and since it
got to be part of the comfort routine we developed, I learned how to
make love to her.  Guess it worked on you, once you got me to agree to
steal more than a quick feel."

Jason laughed.  "Randy and I had never heard her wail like that.  We
were in awe, at the time.  Later, she convinced us to do the stuff
you'd done, because she was addicted to it from one session."

"You guys never told me that."

"Sounds funny...   No, it's hilarious now, but back then, Randy and I
were jealous and figured if you were that good, we had to get even
better, so we'd have a chance at one of us keeping her for the long
haul, some day."

Helen sighed deeply, and Jason focused on her.  "Problem?"

"I was wondering about the bond amongst you folks.  The school
connection, I knew about.  It's the foursome stuff that makes it all
fit together, isn't it?"

"Yep!"

"Go on, Jessica."

"Back then, I liked my sex fast and with multiple partners.  Two of
them.  The three of us had grown up together, and our games were
usually cops and robber stuff, because we all *knew* we were going to
be cops or better, some day.  Maybe it was because the cops back then
had time to be kid's friends, instead of seeing us as problems to be
solved.  Jason is the only one of us who wound up in a cruiser, and
he'd grown up around dogs, so when Courtney stumbled into being a
serious trainer, and got *his* certifications, it was a natural for
Jason to change direction and learn how to be a handler, instead of
spending a lot of his time writing tickets for out of towners, and
kids with heavy right feet.  He knows all the spots, and mostly just
made sure things were being done safely.

"Once Randy and I got airborne jobs, we'd do flyovers to check on
them.  I was already race certified when we hit the academy, so
sometimes I'd drop by the schools and do exhibitions with a pursuit
special,  I kind of miss those weekends at the track, when I could
give rides, but the insurance shut that down several years ago, and
I'm needed in the air all the time, now, so I can't put myself at risk
any more than I can't avoid.

"Deciding Randy is 'the one' had a lot to do with it, too.  Someday
we'll slow down and have kids, and we want to be complete parents for
them, which means able to run and play, along with all the other
stuff."

"So the three of you were already good friends and fuck buddies when
Courtney showed up?  With all that, I can't figure out what made you
add him to the mix."

"A mix of my boredom, some jealousy because I could tell he was
walking around with 'The Look', a lot more than anyone else I knew,
and... He was a lost soul and I wanted to help.  So did Randy and
Jase, once we realized how fucked up it must be, to be a kid on your
own.  We couldn't relate, of course, but...  He might not admit it,
but he was hurting real bad and cops take care of problems, right?

"So, we pretty much took over his life and made him one of us, when he
wasn't working.  First thing we found out was that the kid really knew
how to party, and he was usually able to carry his weight when it came
to supplies.  Nobody kept track of the money, though.  Things were
tight for all of us, and when we were short one week, we made it up as
soon as we could.  'Band of Brothers' and all that stuff."

Helen studied me, then nodded.  "First implies there was at least a
second, Jessica."

"Those parties were orgies, more often than not, and one afternoon, we
put Randy and Jason in the back seat of my Challenger, I drove us to
the track, then we put Courtney behind the wheel for the first time,
and I made the mistake of egging him on a little.  After a couple laps
to get the feel of the car, he...  I swear to God on a stack of bibles
he grinned for some reason, then did something I've *never* done in my
life, on a track or anywhere else.  The only time his foot came of the
accelerator was when he was shifting, and he never, not once, touched
the brake pedal.  That damn car spent as much time sideways as it did
straight, for that lap, then he backed off, sobered up, and spoke one
sentence. that was something like.  "We're low on fuel, and I hate
walking, or I'd do it again."

I laughed at the memory.  "I thought I said 'Thanks for trusting me',
or something similar, too."

"Might have.  All I remember is Jason and Randy needing to go clean up
after we parked, and me dragging you down so you were on top of me,
and telling you 'Make love to me, this time, you crazy fool!' "

She gazed at me, and we shared the memory, then she turned back to
Helen.  "Want to know what he told me?  "I'm not very experienced, but
I'll try'."

Jason laughed.  "Randy and I were still rinsing out our shorts when
she started wailing.  She shocked the Hell out of us when it kept
going.  We knew what it was, of course, so we laughed it off and got
back in time to see Courtney carefully arranging her clothes.  He
was...  It wasn't a smile or grin, it was sad, and I guess it was
something else, too.  We helped get her comfortable, then we took the
time to clean up the back seat as best we could.  We had the sense to
let Court wake her up to find out if she wanted to wait and drive us
home like usual, or...  Break her vow that nobody would *ever* be
allowed to drive *her* car on the street."

I nodded slightly when Jason looked at me.  "I guess you know what I
did.  I did to Jess, what I usually did with Ursula when we made love.
Surprised the Hell out of me, because I'd been sure none of it would
work.  I was bitter, because I knew I'd never be able to admit how I
learned to...  satisfy a woman."

"The rest of that night?"

I sighed.  "Helen, that was the only time I deliberately lied to these
guys, until I had to find an excuse for not keeping us together while
we all went to the police academy."

I faced Jess.  "I dreamed of being able to tell all of you the truth,
but I never let myself believe it would happen.  Maybe, it was the
best decision after all, because it made us all the 'right people in
the right place', and we all know how rare that stuff is."

Helen shook her head.  "Some people make their own luck.  You've never
really been 'broken up', since it's obvious you've stayed close to
each other."

Jess said it for all of us.  "Something in all of us died when
Courtney walked away that day.  We were still friends, but we haven't
been the Gang of Four, until Jason sent Court to rescue Glenda.  That
was how much we trusted each other, even when we were in school. We're
all goddamn leader types, but on that track, Courtney added a... Flair
and joy that the rest of us lost and could never replace after he
walked away.  Without that, all we've been is cops doing our jobs. We
do it better than everyone else because that's the way we think.
But...  We don't talk very often, about what we lost when the man we
called 'Control', walked away..."

She sighed and came over to kiss me tenderly.  "Nice to be working for
you again, 'Control'.  Going to help a lot, knowing the man sending us
out would rather die for us, or with us, and he's proved it by doing
it already."

Helen had kept silent during our communion, then she coughed to remind
us she was there.  "I hate being practical, but...  The reporter in me
wants to use that, somehow.  You folks must have been pretty well
known at the time, and someone is bound to reminisce in front of a
microphone, fairly soon."

I seemingly ignored her.  "I never stopped loving ALL of you, Jess.  I
had to leave. The print check would have told the world who I really
am, and...  Even then, I was steeped in that silly 'For the good of
all', stuff.  It would have been chaos that destroyed all of us.  Far
better that you hate me for the rest of your life, and lived your
dreams without me, than all of us going down in flames before we had
the chance to find out if we were adults, or kids with fantasies, that
needed to grow up.  You ready to go back to keeping us from getting
carried away?  You'll have help this time around.  Pat. Helen.  My
sister and her husband."

She finally nodded.  "As far as I know, you've never missed a call
when the shit was in the fan and none of us had a clue, except you. If
you think Helen can make it work, as long as you're by her side, I say
let's...  Let her put her foot through the firewall so she can see
what it's like to run *real* fast. First one who hits the brakes, pays
for the party."

"Gang of Five?"

"Seven, at least.  Randy clears it, we'll make Mauler and Emma full
members.  Mauler's a shoe in, after that blood bite he took.  He works
good for Randy, but...  Yeah.  You've got the touch we missed, ya
know?  I hope someone got a good shot of that grin he had when he
looked at you to find out what to do next."

Helen interrupted us.  "That was a grin?  He looked professional, to
me.  Eager, but serious."

Jessica laughed.  "I hope everyone else missed it like you did.  You
must have been focused on his head.  He was grinning with his whole
body.  I made my comment because I'd never seen him get a real bite on
anyone.  It was an eye opener because it made me realize he holds back
when he's doing those training and refresher sessions.  That guy is
one huge party animal when he has a chance to work with a group, and
they're all in protection gear."

Helen smiled, then went on thoughtfully.  "Speaking of party animals,
I think Emma might earn her membership because she's the best canine
actress I've ever met.  Marge and Ethel never did spot her and
'Midnight' as being the same dogs, and they should have, since all
Courtney ever did was change her collar."

Jessica stared at me.  "Emma's *Midnight*?!"

"Yeah.  Association training and lots of prayer."

"That means you're that crazy actor, what's his name?...  Ted, who
comes out here with those...  Fluffs?"

"None other."

"Damn!  That's gotta be the ballsiest thing you've ever done.  I can't
believe we never spotted you.  Pat has to know, right?"

"As soon as we got through Ted's gate, after she convinced me it was
time to run and not look back."

"Really?  Maybe I can find someplace private and twist her arm until
she tells me what the Hell happened."

"Might be easier to watch news reruns.  She's probably bored with
telling the story, by now.  Anyway, I think Helen's idea can be made
to work."

"Then I say let's do it."

She raised her head and focused on Helen.  "Spin it."

Helen's eyebrows shot up.  "Just like that?  I thought Courtney was
'Control'."

"He is.  Spy stuff.  He's the spider in the web who has to make sure
it all fits together, once someone else decides on what should be
done.  Umm...  These three 'sacks of rampaging hormones' had the sense
to put me in charge of being sensible about choosing our adventures."

Her alarm went off and she sighed.  "Realty check.  I gotta go make
sure Randy's functional before I hand his key to him. Safety thing."

Before she headed back to the bed, she opened the door and leaned out
after she dug in her shirt pocket.  "Gary!  Fire in the Hole!  Time to
go back to work!"

Then she under handed the key ring to someone.

I turned around in time to see a man running for the helicopter.  "We
going to have to think about adding him?"

"Nahh...  Good man, but he's not quite crazy enough to fit.  Besides,
someone we trust needs to take over when Randy's new ride shows up,
after he passes the simulator tests."

"New ride?"

"Ethel decided to give him access to an Apache, as an early wedding
gift.  Be right back."

She was met at the doorway.  "I must have been dreaming.  I thought I
heard you tell someone about the only time I've been so scared I shit
myself."

She hugged him.  "It wasn't a dream.  Helen wanted to know more about
the Gang of Four, so she could figure out a way to spin our reunion."

He pulled free and sighed, then came over to look out the window
before he studied me and held out his hand.  "Been hoping this would
happen.  Welcome back.  I'm looking forward to...  Showing off my new
ride to someone who won't need to put on a diaper, first.  I'd say
more, but I'm late for work."

He collected his key from Jessica, left, and we got resettled for the
ride after we took the dogs out for their break.  After that, we
waited.

Helen rechecked her seatbelt, then she shocked us all by shaking her
head and giggling hysterically.before she sobered enough she could
talk to us.

"Glad I was here for all that.  Until now, I was convinced Jason was
the consummate police officer.  Dedicated.  Self confident, but not
arrogant.  A man who knows he knows how to do his job, and he gets on
with it, instead of talking the talk, like too many do.  I've heard
good things about Jessica and Randy, and I wasn't taken by surprise by
anything except that greeting when we loaded up for the ride.

"Mauler's exit should have clued me, but it didn't.  Then there was
the casual camaraderie once Courtney was on the ground.  It was
another hint, but I had other things on my mind, so I'll excuse myself
for missing that clue.  Meeting Ethel and...  Orson was a real eye
opener, of course, then that briefing took up my attention and I've
been focused on what's ahead of us."

She went silent and we were back on the freeway before she spoke
again.

"Sometimes, when I've interviewed military vets who've seen combat,
I've seen something in their eyes that told me I'd never understand
what they were telling me when they talked about a special commander,
NCO, or even a private, who had something...  Magical about them, and
they'd been killed, or transferred, or just gone home when their tour
was over, and after that things weren't the same unless someone else
showed up and suddenly made the magic happen again.

"I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I feel it, and even
if I couldn't feel it in myself, I would have felt the same awe while
I watched it happen in front of me.  Jessica.  Jason.  Even you,
Courtney.  Randy, too.  When we stopped for that break, all of you
looked like you'd been carrying the world on your shoulders, and you
knew you'd keep doing it until the day you died.

"I saw a weariness in all of us, and I'd have matched Jessica's oath
before saying there was no way to end that feeling."

Jessica nodded.  "Without Courtney, we're mere humans, Helen, and we
know it, because we remember the magic we had when we were together,
that made us gods.  Deep down, so deep we seldom admitted it to each
other, and never to Courtney, we've wondered what would have caused
him to just... Abandon us like he did, and give up his own dreams."

Helen let her drive in silence for a few miles, then she spoke gently.
"Now?"

"We've always trusted him with everything, Helen.  Now we know he
trusts us again, the same way we thought he did back then.  All is
forgiven, and the magic has returned."

She worked us around a line of rigs before she laughed and whispered
her next words.  "Carry the world?   Hell, NO!   We're finally gonna
do what we've always dreamed of doing.  We're going to play ping pong
with it--and if we get bored, we'll put the table on wheels and run
backwards while we keep playing!"

Helen laughed with us for awhile, then she sobered and kept her eyes
forward while she spoke to Jason.  "Jason?  Courtney ducked, and I let
him get away with it.  Jessica is driving, and I want us to arrive in
the RV, instead of an ambulance.  I think you can figure out what I'd
like to hear, if you really do trust me the same way you do each
other."

He was silent while he thought about it.  Then...  "Jessica?"

"I was still floating, so the bad stuff is so vague I can't give you
details based on my memories, except the bad stuff was good, too.
And...  Yeah.  Do it."

Jason sighed and we looked at each other.  "Court?"

"Don't remember how I got us all to where I was living at the time,
but I did it.  Then...  Yeah  .  Only solid memory I have is Jess
kissing me in front of you guys and telling me it was time to grab my
books and head for class.  Go."

He finally nodded.  "Helen, Randy and I have tried to piece it
together over the years, because it was obvious that Jess and Court
were totally gone, before we got to his place.  Oh, Court carried his
side of all the joking and other stuff on the way home, but...  He was
a lot different than we were used to, is the best way to put it."

"Moody?"

Jason thought about it, then shook his head.  "Not moody, exactly.  It
was...  It was like he was still on the track and in that zone he'd
been in while he was doing that last lap.  Every movement, every word
he did or said was precise, almost robotic.  There was a program
running in his head, I think, that let him deal with us almost like
normal, but I think the...  Computer, or whatever it is that he uses
when he's doing that analytical stuff, was online and using almost all
of his brain."

He gazed at me, then smiled slightly.  "He'd scared the shit out of us
on the track, but we still trusted him enough to let him get behind
the wheel and drive us home safely.  I swear, that damn car purred for
him in a way it never had for Jess.  For her, it rumbled.  It roared.
She made the damn thing laugh so loud it made us crazy, but that one
time Court drove it on the street, it purred and was the biggest
kitten I've ever seen.

"Sounds crazy, even now, but Randy and I, when we remember it,  joke
about that damn car being like Jessica.  It fell in love with him,
just as quickly as Jess had, and somehow he knew it and treated an all
out race car like it was the family car and he was taking the kids to
the park, or something weird like that."

Then, he looked away and spoke just loud enough we could hear him.  "I
guess it's obvious by now, that we guys are all bi.  You can't avoid
it when you get three hormone driven guys in a pile with a woman like
Jess, who can make you get so lost in the experience, nobody cares
about who does what to whom.  She was always the focus, of course,
because we're primarily het, but that left a lot of room for other
activities, and if it felt right to do it, we did it."

Helen matched his softness.  "Something happened."

"Yeah.  Maybe it's a good thing Jess and Court don't have good
memories of it.  Only details that are important, are that Court never
did anything that hinted that he might not be 'Courtney Smith', and we
never realized that when he wrapped himself around Jess and started
calling her Ursula while he made love to her, he was so zoned he was
doing something he had been doing a long time.

"We knew he was close to Ursula, and pretty much treated her the same
way Jess wrapped herself around one of us when we needed comfort, so
that much wasn't anything new.  He did the same thing with Jess by
then, and it included the fucking, so again, we had no reason to look
for anything more.  

"Damnit, it was obvious he was confused, hurting, and off somewhere he
didn't want to be...

"So we did what we had to do, to help him find his way back.  Randy
and I joined them and...

"Oh, Hell.  Helen, the only way I can say it, is that Court made love
to me and Randy, too, and we fell in love with him, just as intensely
as we were in love with Jess.  We already trusted him with our lives.
It was part of being the Gang of Four.  But that night, we all found
out we trusted each other with our hearts, too.  That was why all four
of us hurt so much when he said he wasn't going to join us.  Maybe,
somewhere so deep we could never admit we knew the truth, we knew he
was walking away because he loved us so much, and he knew he could
never do anything that might expose him as one of the Mills kids.
Maybe he figured someday he'd find a way, and we'd be the Gang,
again."

Jason leaned so he could lightly touch me.  "It's ok, Court.  Good
cops have to know when to look the other way and follow the intent of
the law.  And...  We always knew you wouldn't have done it if you
didn't have a good reason."

Then, he grinned sourly.  "Wish you'd found a better reason than the
one you told us, though.  We bought it, but it never felt like it was
enough to justify the split."

I nodded.  "Yeah, I know.  I was never happy with it, either, and I'd
been working on finding a better one, all along.  Never did.  Still
haven't found a better one.  I wasn't going to hit you guys with it if
I did find it, I just wanted to feel better about blowing it like
that.  Pride's pretty stupid, sometimes.  Thought I could do
better,even when I was using it and watching what it triggered."

Helen shifted and we focused on her.

She finally sighed.  "You folks are damn good at ducking, aren't you?
I just realized that I don't know what reason Courtney used to cause
the split.  Do I get to hear it?"

Jessica took over before we could react.  "The same hotshot who'd have
killed us all, if he made a mistake on the track, and seemed as
fearless as the rest of us, on the day we decided to go sign the
paperwork, balked and said he'd just realized that he didn't think
he'd ever be able to pull the trigger if that was required to solve a
problem, now that he faced the decision for real, instead of always
talking about it.  He...  Didn't want us to be out there and find
ourselves in a situation like that, then find out he really couldn't.
It hurt, but it made sense, too.  None of us knew for certain, of
course, but the rest of us were willing to take that chance, so we
kept going, and signed the paperwork."

"I see what you mean.  Those kinds of doubts don't suddenly appear.
You were all close enough to each other he should have opened up as
soon as he had them, instead of keeping them to himself."

She turned back to me.  "Seems like you would have known you needed to
lay some groundwork."

"Tell me something Helen.  Which is better?  Reverting to my past,
risking getting caught, which would have betrayed my word, and caused
them to never be able to trust me again, while telling a lot of little
lies before I hit them with the big one?  Or waiting, and making it
look like one of those 'it just sank in' lies, so I only had to tell
one big one, then I could hope that when they found out, they'd
understand I did what I had to do, so someday I could forgive myself
enough I could trust them again?"

While Helen thought about it, Jess spoke up.  "Speaking of trust,
there's a short list that I've been told has people on it who know who
all the others are.  I'll assume that's true, so there's a problem
that needs dealing with, right?"

Jason studied her.  "A short list that you know about and I don't?"

"Yeah, Jase.  And none of us who are on it, are authorized to even
hint it exists, but these are pretty special circumstances, so I
decided to push a little."

"No problem, just surprised.  At least nobody lied about it."

She laughed.  "Good point.  Anyway, I guess Court decided to trust me
a little more than he does you and Randy.  Wish I could say it's
because of the shared afterglow and the pillow talk, but the truth is,
I think he just wanted to brag to someone.  That reminds me.  There
hasn't been any of that stuff since a couple months after Pat latched
on to him.  His decision, not mine.  I didn't think he lied to me
about that, and the marriage proved it."

He chuckled.  "You're easy to brag to, Jess.   Got to be real easy,
because you don't use what you know about one of us, to egg the others
into things because their egos take over."

"Never had to.  You guys are too damn 'I gotta be the best at it', for
anyone to experiment by pushing harder than you already push
yourselves."

"You're just as bad."

"I know."

"Yeah.  Takes one to know one."

He turned to me.  "Short list, Court?"

"Yeah.  Real short.  The people who survived the classes know, but I
was someone else when I did it.  Jess is the only one who knows it was
me."

"That's who, not what."

"To go for my Shutzhund certs, I had to help train a dog, and pass the
finals at all levels."

"Yeah, I know about that.  That's one tough set of courses for the dog
and handler.  Saw the certs but didn't know how impressed I should
have been, because I was new to the game and didn't realize what they
meant.  Late, but congrats to you and the dogs you used."

"Dog, Jase.  It's a lot easier when you do it with the same one, so
you are comfortable with each other during the later stages."

"Must have been one hell of a good working dog, when you were done."

"She is.  I used Emma.  She doesn't have the heft Mauler does, but she
makes up for it with her speed and quick reaction times."

"Emma?!  A Lab?  Jess?  Tell me this is a lie as big the one that
broke us up."

"Nope.  Court has to be in a suit before she'll hold back.  Been on
the receiving end.  Know that stuff about someone turning a trained
dog on the handler or owner?  So far, she's the exception to that rule
and there's a trainer out there who had a suit shredded while he was
wearing it, when he tried. 

"She wanted no part of that nonsense, and said so, before Courtney
reacted and called her off.  Saw it happen, because the guy was
*supposed* to send her after me, but he decided to have some fun and
told her to hit Court, instead."

"Yeah?  Hey, Court.  Sounds like you've been shading the truth when
you tell folks a trained dog can be turned."

"Lots.  You think I'm going to admit I own a bitch who so far, can't
be taken and turned on me?  We have better things to do than spend our
time letting all the hotshots try to break that string.  I certainly
don't want to find myself in a position where someone, even jokingly,
suggests it might be because I'm her mate, and not just her
owner/handler.  I already get too many compliments from people who
notice how well we work together, and ask me what my training secret
is."

"You tell us, too, so what's your problem?"

"I'm damn glad you never figured out enough so you didn't need to ask
me that question."

"Mind if I say that sounds nuts, coming from you?"

"Not a bit.

"Thanks..  Ok, it makes sense that the human needs to be the Alpha, so
we have control of the dog's actions..  It made sense when you said
that by doing the training away from home, we put the dogs into a
position of being on territory that clearly isn't their home
territory.  At that point, they usually won't argue when you act like
an Alpha, because we accept it.  What's the gotcha?"

I managed a grin.  "I know a little bit more than the average trainer,
about how to be an Alpha dog."

"That's it?"

"Yep.  Had to learn it so I could talk to my first two wives as
clearly as I communicate with my third one."

"Now, I get it.  Mauler sees everyone in terms of being a pack member
or not. Glen is lower, so he'll take the bite if I tell him to, but
otherwise, as long as she offered, and I didn't object, he was ok with
the hand and blow jobs, but unwilling to preempt my mating right, so
he's refused her, so far.  Umm...  If I was there, and encouraged him,
do you think...  He'd go all the way?"

"Maybe. Only one way to find out."

"Not my decision, anyway.  So... You're so good at acting like a real
dog, they understand you better?"

"Damn close Jase, except for one thing.  I'm not acting  Part of me...
I'm not sure, what the reality is, but it's more than an act, to me
and whichever dog I'm working with.  If they saw me as a human Alpha,
I wouldn't get the enthusiasm I get.  You know, we're all like that.
I'm sure that when you've been around other canine units, someone's
wondered about the difference in Mauler's attitude, compared to their
dogs.  I'm guessing, but maybe...  You ever get to thinking the four
of us were never really a gang?  Maybe we're a pack and the dogs key
on that, somehow."

"Ahhh...  I need to think about that.  I know we were never a
traditional gang, but...  Some other stuff  is starting to make sense
when I look at it like that.  Not us.  It's what I've had happen at
those meets.. Should have mentioned some things, but at the time, the
incidents were quirks, and only worth a quick joke and some teasing.
Most of them happened to everyone else at some point, so it was no big
deal, and weren't we glad we were all good friends?"

"You've told me about the flagging bitches and the dogs who got so
enthused they snorted crotches when they greeted someone."

"Yeah."  He reached and started rubbing between Mauler's ears.  "Guess
who has the most fun letting other handlers tell him he should go for
his handler?  What's stranger, and it's been noticed, is that I seem
to have some sort of gift for convincing other dogs to attack their
own handler, the first few times.  I swear, some of those dogs and
bitches glance at me to see if it's really ok to do such a crazy
thing, when I'm not the handler.  It's like...  It's nuts, Court!  I'm
in the middle when it comes to age and experience.  Some of those
people are on their third or fourth dog, and have far more experience
than I do!  Are you going to sit there, grin, and tell me that I'm the
damn Alpha when we all get together?!"

"I'm not going to grin, but someone has to be the Alpha to the dogs.
Isn't always the person in charge.  What about Mauler?  Do the other
dogs tend to defer to him, socially?"

"Can't tell you that.  We're all usually so busy we don't do much
socialization.  That's true for the people and the dogs."

He thought some more, then decided he needed to study Helen.  "You
back yet?"

"More or less.  I'll have to concede Courtney's points about lying.  A
big lie, under special circumstances is far more palatable than a
bunch of little ones.  Nobody likes to be around someone so cold
bloodedly manipulative they can lie to their closest friends over
time.  Admitting his relationship *might* have worked, but that
couldn't be counted on to keep him out of the academy, without a lot
of awkward questions being asked by the folks who knew you as kids. it
would have meant all four of you agreeing on a lie, then sticking to
it for the rest of your lives.  Worse, you would have all wondered
about each other, and if you could lie to outsiders, were you lying to
each other?  Long run?  Too much stress and again, people would have
noticed.

"Forget telling you he was Charles Mills, and that was why he couldn't
do it.  I can imagine pretty good, but it would take me awhile to get
a decent picture of *that* can of worms after it was opened.

"Wish I could come up with something better, but I don't know enough,
and never will."

I sighed.  "Thanks, Helen.  Don't let all this distract you from your
job, after we get there."

"I don't think it will.  It will probably help me if someone tries to
sandbag me from behind.  Any truth behind the lie?"

"The part about not knowing if I could face someone and pull the
trigger was true.  I already knew I could help plan someone's killing,
but the person we were talking about was always abstract to me,
because I only knew them by reputation, and what everyone around me
felt."

"And you did become a trainer, so eventually you found out you could
'pull the trigger' and know someone could get hurt.  That helps.  I'll
assume anyone who found out, got the same explanation, so the cold
feet will make sense, and so will you eventually discovering you let
your fear hold you back.  Of course that lie is moot, now that the
world knows you are one of the Mills kids."

She shook her head.  "I'll let someone else do the homework and
confront me with what they find out.  Never thought I'd enjoy being on
the defensive.  Pretty strong position when you have all the facts.
Never realized it, because most people tell real lies, instead of
telling the truth, but not all of it, all the time."

I laughed, then sobered and glanced at Jason.  "Emma wouldn't be happy
if you sic Mauler on me, and this isn't the time for them to find out
who's best at doing their jobs, so...  Bear with me and kill me after
the press conference, ok?"

"You're in an odd mood, Court.  You ok?"

"No."

"I'll wait for a better time."

"Thanks."

I sighed and studied the darkness, then I turned back to Helen.  "Part
of my job is to make sure the questions nobody else thinks of, or they
are hesitant to ask, get asked so answers can be found before the shit
hits the fan."

"Glad you're so good at it."

"I'm not glad about that, just now."

"Oh?"

"Tell me something.  Been a lot about us, but nothing about you.
Wasn't too long ago that Heather and I gave you a fifty thousand
retainer to fuck us over.  Part of the agreement involved the words
'count on it'.  You've got more than enough to do me, and Heather was
the one who handed you the money.  You and Jason going to let us see
the knives?"

Jason closed his eyes and groaned, then he whispered 'Oh.  SHIT!'

Helen surprised me by smiling.  "You really are your father's son,
aren't you?  He asked me the same question, using almost the same
words.  There's no knife, because I don't work for either of you
Heather got her money back when I decided I had a better offer from a
competitor of yours, with a slightly different agreement.  Hope you
don't mind me breaking our verbal contract, but I figured I hadn't
spent any of the money yet, and I'd changed my mind during the grace
period before we sat down and hammered out the details, then signed
the paperwork."

"I...  See.  Which competitor, and may I know the changes?  I like to
know what my mistakes are, so I don't repeat them."

"It was my mistake.  I know better than to make sweeping promises, and
this one would have bit me pretty good, later.  That was pointed out
to me, when...  I was told that as long as I used the truth, I'd be
allowed to use my own judgement, and that 'situational ethics' is a
given at this level, so I needed to internalize that and move on."

"I know it wasn't my father, and I don't think Ethel would have said
it that way.  They made a good point.  Anyway, I'll try to remember to
thank them, whenever I meet them."

"You're not going to ask me who it was?"

"Don't need to.  Only two people with that kind of authority, and one
of them...  Has a different understanding than the one the Feds need,
when it comes to 'situational ethics'."

"There's something else."

"Oh?"

"He's been watching the news reports since this started."

"A given."

"I'm cleaning it up, but essentially, he threatened Ethel with his
immediate retirement, followed by him doing everything in his power to
make her the director, if she didn't put you and Jason in charge of
the training for the dogs and handlers.  Part of that...  Discussion
involved something that sounded a lot like 'I don't care if the man
fucks pink elephants, live, on national television.  You make sure you
keep those people alive long enough we can suck everything they know
about dog handling, and working the streets, out of them, before you
even think about putting them in harm's way'."

"Pretty strong mandate, expressed clearly.  I'm going to enjoy working
for him.  Anything else?"

"After he calmed down, he did relent and admit he knew all we could do
is take the best precautions we could, and hope they were enough.
Since we were here, and he was there, it is up to us to find the right
balance between our safety, and transparency."

"No wonder Ethel is so damn confident about getting her way."

Jess interrupted us.  "You folks better wrap it up.  Things changed,
again, and Randy just found out where we're headed."

I nodded.  "I'm done if Helen is."

"Idle chit chat to help me relax.  Jason?"

"Good to go."

Jessica laughed.  "Good!  I should have figured it out on my own.
Helen gets to face the cameras at Wal Mart, since they have the only
parking lot big enough to host this circus."

Helen looked at us and I shrugged.  "Makes sense.  We're careful about
our parks and stuff.  Has good lighting, too.  No shadows to hide in."

"I had that much figured out, thanks."

Jess laughed,  "Ok.  I gotta focus until I get us wherever they want
us."

She hit our exit, and then we were waved through the roadblock.  After
that, it was a straight shot to the parking lot.  Jess pulled in,
turned the direction we were waved, then she gasped and hit the
brakes.  "I never thought I'd see *one*, let alone *two*, of those.
Lettering's flakey, but who cares?  They could be wearing polka dots
and be just as beautiful.  I know where I'm going to be, once I get
rid of you folks."

"What are you?...  I froze briefly, then recovered and finished my
sentence very softly.  "Babbling about.  My...  God...  It's *HER*!
Him, too, but...  Park this thing right here, Jess, and tell Randy I
need the other half of my pit crew, NOW!  I'm going to show you how to
make sure a Maseratti is race prepped, while they remove all those
restraints so she can be free."

I was staring out the windshield and I sighed.  "I'm sorry, My Lady.
You deserved better than what happened.  I'll make it up to you,
somehow.  They should have driven you here, not...  Treated you like
you were some frumpy dowager who needed to be coddled."

Jess shut things down, then she touched me to get my attention.  "Is
that the car I think it is?"

"Yeah.  The Painted Lady was dumped in the river, because when we
spent time together, we usually used her.  Nobody would have bought
it, if it had been Heather's car, Rolling Thunder.  At least they look
like they've been kept up."

I unstrapped and almost ran over Jason when I turned to head for the
door.  "Sorry.  Introduce people to Mauler, if they argue.  Helen?
Hang on to Emma for me, until I'm ready for her.  I want *her* off
that trailer as soon as possible.  She was never meant to be a
passenger."

Before we got to the trailer, Heather met us.  "This one was my call.
I bet dad you'd drop everything once you got a good look.  He figured
you'd grown up and would be able to show some patience.  Now, will you
please move her out of my way?  You know how I feel about being
blocked in."

"Yeah, Sis.  That, I remember.  Pat here somewhere?"

"Yes.  You can pay me your half of the track fees, later.  They're
already waiting for us.  I had to promise we wouldn't do anything more
than drive around it a few times, at a *reasonable* speed."

I finally tore my gaze away and saw her grin, so I matched it.  "Their
reasonable, or ours?"

She sighed.  "Theirs.  I'm a mother now, Courtney.  I want to raise my
kids."

"And I want to have mine.  Ok.  Same ignition code?"

"Yes.  Dad made sure that wasn't changed, for either of them."

"Good.  Umm...  We have the room.  You up to unloading them and then
making sure we've blown the carbon before we load our passengers and
hit the road?"

"Funny you should mention that.  I made it a point to emphasize people
were to be kept away from our babies.  Even a do not cross tape out
there."

"Still an exhibitionist at heart, aren't you?"

"Yep.  Thunder can make me feel that way.  You're no better, right?"

"Of course."

I looked, breathed a sigh of appreciation, then spoke as casually as I
could.  "Come on, guys.  Jase, you'll have plenty of time to get the
chains off.   We'll warn you before we hit the starters.  These guys
tend to belch some flame during a cold start.  Jess, once we're ready,
you can stand at the front of the trailer and give us the sign."

"Be nice if I knew what it is."

Heather giggled while she was digging in her purse.  "I had time to
prepare for this.  Here."

She handed Jess a pair of women's panties and a man's pair of boxers.
"Mine and Daryl's.  He was flown in this afternoon.  Once he saw what
was on the trailer, I didn't have any trouble convincing him to donate
to the cause.  When you're ready for us to back off the trailer, drop
them both at the same time."

"You two are up to something."

"Of course we are, but we won't do it until we're certain the cars
will cooperate with us.  Relax, Jessica.  It will be spectacular, but
safe.  There's a reason those concrete barricades are out there,  I
insisted that we treat this just like we always did when we unloaded
at the track."

"So, if something goes wrong, it will be you two, and only you two,
who pay for it?"

Heather gazed off at something for a few seconds, then she sighed.
"They're fine, Jessica.  Before I loaded them on the trailer a few
weeks ago, I took them to the track and ran five laps in each of them.
From there, they were refueled, checked over while I watched, then I
put them on the trailer and supervised the tie down.  Some of Ethel's
people drove the rig here, and just before they hit the exit, pulled
over and started them, just in case there was a surprise we missed.
Nothing happened, so they were shut down, and the rig was brought in
and parked."

While Jess absorbed that I studied things, then sighed.  "You know
something?  Maybe we should table our fun until it's more appropriate.
Suddenly, I don't feel so enthused.  Lets drop it until Ethel hand
picks a crew to fine tooth everything, before we touch the starters.
What I'd like, is a full disassembly in a place that's secure, and
done by people we can trust."

Heather looked at me, then wrapped an arm around my waist and joined
me in studying our cars.  "A feeling, Bro?"

"Yeah.  Maybe...  Think any of our friends still have pics?"

"Several have them up on Facebook."

"Good.  I'm not sure, but...  All they did was have them cleaned up
and stored?"

"His word on it."

"Then I must be crazy, but I want to make sure."

I looked around.  "The rest of you stay here, just in case...  No.
Jess?  Tell Randy to take the highest res zoom of the right rear
quarter panel that he can get, then tell you what he sees.  I'm
looking for a ding that's about the size of a hardball, above and to
the right of center on the tire."

Heather spoke softly.  "Your lucky dent."

"Yeah.  Next time, warn me before you try to hit one out of the park.
If I hadn't ducked, it would have brained me on the way down."

"I'll never forget that scream of rage when you realized it took a bad
bounce and was headed for your car."

I glanced at her.  "Believe it or not, it wasn't my car I was worried
about.  Ursula was sleeping in the shade, next to that tire.  It was
headed right for her and I was afraid she'd try to catch it.  Luckily,
I guess my scream startled her awake, and she ran without thinking
about it."

"Oh."

"Yeah.  Jess?"

"He can't find a dent, so he's trying to see if there's bondo or signs
of repairs on that side.  Looking for paint mismatches, right now."

"Tell him not to bother.  I don't think those are our cars.  Maybe
they're mockups and someone assumed dad would do a full restoration
instead of a partial."

"Got it.  Any special orders?"

"Yeah.  Cordon the rig and cars, then get an EOD crew we can trust, in
here.  It might be the rig, and something pressure sensitive on the
trailer.  In the meantime, let's take the party somewhere else."

Heather waited for us to finish, then she spoke carefully.  "Brother,
you are seriously paranoid."

"No, Sis.  Jess loves me as much as Pat does, and when she worries
about me like that, I listen, hard, then I back off until all of us
are comfortable again."

I gestured.  "Take a hard look at the lettering.  I can't be certain,
but I think it was done by one person, and they were working from
those facebook images.  Where're the little flourishes you were so
damn fond of I wanted to puke on them, sometimes?  Remember when you
were playing and you came over and did one on mine, and I had to paint
over it?"

She giggled.  "I do.  Painted Ladies wear frilly things, not those
block letters you'd laid out."

"Yeah.  But *my* Lady wasn't going to be one of those.  She was all
business and she wanted the world to know it."

She didn't reply so I turned to watch her face.  "Something wrong?"

"Umm,  Yeah.  Jessica?  Pass the word.to clear the area, and let's get
out of here.  I feel...  exposed."

"You sure?"

"Yes.  Orderly, so nobody goes near the rig.  I'm sure those aren't
our cars.  I hope somebody finds them, someday.  Oh.  Duhhh..."

She reached in her purse and pulled out a radio.  She glanced at me
and shrugged.  "I forgot I had it."

"Umm...  Likewise.  Never remembered to switch to the same freq as
Jess and Randy.  Peaceful, while it lasted."

I switched, thought, then keyed up.  "Sorry, Ramjet.  Forgot I had a
way to bother you.  Wait for Jess, then you guys get up there so
you're out of range of shrapnel, then coordinate the evac.  Anybody
crosses the line, try for a crippling shot.  Ethel is going to need
live bodies."

"Right.  Jess has been updating me in real time.  Move it, girl!  Time
to quit being lazy, and go back to work. Gary's talking to the news
crews, and once we're in the air, we'll get them off the ground one at
a time, while Jess clears the lot and...  Shit.  Hope that store has a
back door.  We have customers all over the place."

"Thanks.  I'll move the RV."

I sighed again, "Ok, folks.  Hope it's all a false alarm, but let's
get out of here.  Sis?  What made you so certain?"

"Don't you remember?  We got so tired of scraping the bodies, we
removed six inches so we had better clearance in the driveways.  Those
are factory spec bodies."

"I'd forgotten about that.  Let's go."

Helen shook her head.  "Well, the world just got to see you two in
action, like I wanted.  I think we can justify putting you on the
payroll, now."

* * *

Pat, Heather, and Daryl, were waiting for us when the circus landed at
the high school parking lot. 

Heather smiled at me.  "Relax.  Daryl and I can handle it.  We've done
so many press conferences they're boring."

"Thanks, you two.  Sorry I've been so hard to catch up with, Daryl."

"No problem.  I know how it is, just never seen it on this scale."

They left, then Pat grabbed my arm and hauled me into the RV while
Jason and Helen joined Heather and her escorts.  We settled and
nuzzled each other for a few minutes before Pat finally pulled away
enough she could watch my face.  "Guess who got to explain the Gang of
Four."

"You?"

"Yes.  Don't worry about it  You owe me an explanation."

"Not surprised. Ask."

"It was easy to figure out how come you were so damn confident you
could out drive anyone they sent after us, after I got a look at those
Maserattis.  I should have remembered Jessica's Challenger, too.  I'll
take the blame for not being nosey enough to ask who made your
'convertible'."

"But?"

"I remember you implying Jessica taught you how to drive the truck."

"She did.  Big difference between one of those, and a pickup. Remember
when she spent that year in the mini pickup division?  I took
advantage of that.  We all did, but I had plenty of reasons to be more
serious about it, and pay more attention when I had the chance to run
on the track."

"Wasn't that after you graduated?"

"Yes."

"Ok.  I was paying attention to other things, like graduation and
boys.  Some parties in there, but we ran in different crowds."

"Satisfied?"

"I suppose so."

Then she laughed and hugged me.  "I was so damn worried about you,
Courtney!  I hope it never happens again."

"I hope so, too.  Any other news?"

"We don't have a fancy RV any more, and...  We still own Marge's, but
we can't live there until they bulldoze the living quarters and we
pick someplace to have our compound built.  We'll have company until
the new building can be occupied."

I sighed.  "Sounds like the two news items are related to each other."

"Somebody wanted us dead.  Someone put an anti tank round into the
front of the RV, then suicided.  We have the body."

"How sure are we that they wanted you and me?  Could have been
cleaning up after Marge, by removing some of her people from the
board."

"I suppose it's possible.  The driver was one of Ethel's crew, that
she trusted quite a bit."

"Pat, that doesn't make sense.  It was being delivered to us.  The
whole damn world must know we couldn't have been in it."

She sighed.  "Warning?  Ok, the truth is, that you and I are at the
top of a long list of possibilities, with nobody thinking they should
put enough confidence in any one of the possibilities being the right
explanation."

"Got it.  Sounds like building the compound, is covering the options."

"Yes."

We snuggled while I thought about it, then I must have stiffened and
she noticed it.   "What's wrong?"

"Anyone brainstorm the idea that the hit on the RV is unrelated to all
this other stuff?"

"Of course.  Nobody seriously thinks your alter ego is a target."

"Did anyone remember that it was seized and disassembled as part of a
drug smuggling bust?  The RV itself might have been the target.  Maybe
someone was making sure some missed evidence wasn't found.  Or, they
were just cleaning up a loose end and didn't care who was in it."

"I don't remember that being discussed.  Everyone agrees it's a pretty
extreme reaction of some sort."

"Point.  We have the remains of the weapon used?"

"Slag.  One of the escorts spotted the smoke and got there in time to
save the body.  My turn, yet?"

"Might as well be."

"This isn't the honeymoon I expected."

"At least we're together."

"True.  I've been busy.  What happened in that parking lot?"

"It was a trap.  Those weren't our cars.  Know what I think, Love?"

"Somebody near the top has been turned?  Ethel?  Your father?"

I winced.  "You?  Me?  Jess?  Randy?  Jason?  Could be anyone."

"I know, Honey."

"Yeah."

"Umm...  I did some shopping before I hit town."

"Oh?"

"Learned it from you.  Wigs, some old clothes, Honda sedan.  That sort
of stuff."

"I can't do it again, Pat.  I gave my word to the gang, and we... No."

"Did I say leave them behind?  Did I say I bought only one car?"

"No, you didn't.  All or none, and that includes Helen, if it's going
to happen."

"Never planned for anything else."

"Wait.  You said the driver was Ethel's.  How'd they shake it loose
from the park?   And...  Why?  I thought we were going to wait for
Mark to show up."

She shook her head.  "Someone is insane.  'Stolen', then recovered in
a traffic stop.  Ethel sent her people to bring it in."

"Someone posed as an agent, to get past the people guarding it,
right?"

"That's the story I got, yes."

"It was both of them.  Had to be  I know dad's style, and this is a
mix of his with someone else's.  I can't convince myself he'd be that
sloppy."

"Wish I didn't follow you.  Ethel and your dad, right?  Loose ends?"

I reached and keyed up.  "You around, Ramjet?"

"Yeah.  Jess and I just got the word about an RV and its driver.  Life
sucks sometimes, doesn't it?"

"Yeah.  You going to mourn privately, or do you have time for a meet?
Be nice to see if we can skull this like we used to, and gain some
sort of control over our lives."

"Control?  Seems like we're nothing but buttons getting pushed.  You
got any beer in there?"

"You off long enough?"

"Yeah.  Rules have me grounded for at least 48 hours, but you knew
that before you called.  Give us time to clue Jason and Helen about
where we're hiding, then we'll be there."

Jason broke in.  "Helen's winding it up.  No more than thirty, then
we'll be there.  Keep things chilled for us, right?"

I laughed over the air.  "You got it.  Guess this means Randy and Jess
can divert?"

"Yeah.  EOD crew checked in.  It was bad, folks,.More than enough shit
to blow the front of the store away.  They're safing it now.  Hey,
Ramjet.  Is that 48, absolute no fly, or just job related?"

"Job related.  Down time to get rid of the stress."

"Got it.  I'm being waved at, so let me let them see my good side,
then Helen and I can take a long break while Ethel makes all her
announcements.  Hope you got room for Mauler in there.  Wouldn't mind
introducing Glen, too.   She needs to see some friendly faces she can
trust, ya know?"

I looked at Pat and she nodded, so I spoke calmly.  "No problem.  See
you folks when."

"Thanks.  Out."

Pat studied me, then she sighed.  "Did I just hear what I think I
heard?"

"Depends.  Surprise me.  Tell me you didn't have that stuff delivered
to Marge's parking lot."

"They were, but they aren't there.  I called in some favors and some
friends of mine collected the titles from me, then went and collected
the cars on their way to a party.  I think you know which house
they're at."

"Anything else?"

"Cash makes its own rules, doesn't it?  Yes, there's something else. I
promised the kids helicopter rides, and hired one to be waiting when
the pilot showed up.  Once he calls his numbers in, they'll give him
the unlock codes for the security system."

"Got it.  I guess we wait."

Randy and Jess showed up, I let them in, and they made no effort to
find something to drink before they settled and looked at us.  Randy
said it.  "It's a trap, Control, has to be.  We go in there and try to
fix it, we're dead."

"Maybe not."

"We're listening."

"We have, essentially, two choices.  We stay and do our best to fix
the problem, or, thanks to Pat, we have a damn good shot at getting
clear before we spend the dime."

Jessica sighed.  "What about your sister and her husband.  They're
hostage to their kids, right?"

"Yeah...  Oh great.  Hang on, let me think...  Maybe...  Is that media
stuff happening outside, under the lights?"

Randy sighed.  "Yeah."

"Good.  Jess.  You got the keys to the bird?"

"Of course.  We're all, over the limit, so Gary called it a night and
got a ride home."

"You're here, that means the bird is, too, right?"

Randy studied me, then he turned to Jess.  "You in?  They could use
some top cover, to help keep the lid on."

She smiled.  "Let's go make sure everyone knows The Gang is reunited."

He nodded.  "We're in."

I keyed up.  "Hey Jase, I know you're probably being a poster child,
but If you can, tell my sister she's invited to the party, and she'll
know when to announce it."

I got back two clicks and I grinned.  "Take Pat with you and put her
in the emergency gear while you're warming up the bird.  I'll take
Emma and go mingle.  Pat.  Be another set of eyes, and don't hesitate
to say something if you spot anything that looks wrong.    Jess.
Randy.  Spotlights.  All of them.  I want Ethel's folks dazzled as
much as possible.  Hit them from behind Heather and Daryl, if you can,
but the important thing is to hit them as soon as you get there.  Do
something silly like placing everyone under arrest.  Use your own
judgement. "

"Where will you be?"

"Where else?  Backing up Helen and Jase."

"Good.  Come on, Pat.  You get the observer's seat."

Pat stood and looked at me, and I nodded.  "Love you.  Go."

"Love you, too."

And they were gone.

I looked at Emma and sighed.  "You ready to go party?"

Her ears perked and I laughed.  "Hang on, then.  I need to make a
phone call."

I dug my phone out and entered a number I'd managed to get, and hit
send.

When a man answered I spoke calmly.  "Sorry to bother you, Sir.  This
is Courtney, and we have a developing situation out here.  We're going
to try and contain it, but we could use some serious backup."

"Can you give the order, if you have to?"

"I can, Sir."

"Your backup is standing by and monitoring your frequency.  When a
bird flies, the whole flock flies."

"Thank you, Sir."

"I'm... Sorry, Charles. He's a good man, and she was one of my best.
Give the order."

"I will."

"I'm on my way."

I sighed, put my phone away, then keyed up.  "No time to explain.  The
man told me to give the order.  Make it clean, Jess.  It's...  It's
not my father."

"Got it.  Get out there, and...  Get ready for chaos, because we're
hot starting."

"I'm gone."

I opened the door.  "Emma!  Heel!  Party time!"

We hit the ground running, and when I glanced at her, she was already
trying to scan everywhere at once.  "Good girl!"

I caught movement and recognized the policewoman who was running
towards us. So I pointed at her.  "Emma, Karen's a friend."

Karen moved to flank me.  "What the fuck are you guys doing?"

"You know I'm federal, now?"

"So the vine was right?"

"Yep.  We're trying to get control of a developing situation.  Can I
depend on you?"

"The Gang is back together?"

"Yeah."

"Got a game plan?"

"Wish I didn't.  I was told to give the order."

"Damn.  Do I get to know who?"

"You'll figure it out."

"Got it.  I'm in."

"Good. When I take my father to the ground, you take down whoever is
closest to his wife.  After that, don't move.  Things are going to
get...  Intense."

"Shit.  The regional director."

"Yep.  You still in?"

"Some good people died, Courtney.  I believe in justice."

"Good enough."

I heard the sound I was waiting for and keyed up.  "When a bird
flies..."

I heard a calm female voice.  "The whole flock flies.  You're covered,
Control."

"Thanks. "

Seconds later I hit my father in the back and rolled us so he landed
on me.  I heard an oof, then Randy was over us and his spotlights hit
the crowd.  I heard a single shot, then he killed the lights.

"Show's over, folks.  I believe Mary Mills has an announcement she'd
like to make.  I suggest you pay attention."

Then a flight of helicopters came in and hit their lights, before a
voice I recognized spoke calmly.over a PA.  "Good work, Control."

I keyed up.  "Thank you, Sir."  

I studied my father.  "Heather figured it out before I did.  I'm...
Sorry.  I was told to give the order, and I agreed with it."

He sighed and shifted so he was off me.  "Help me up, son.  I'm not as
young as I used to be."

I got up, looked for Emma, then spoke to her softly.  "Thanks, girl.
Out.  Party's over.  All friends."

I bent and held out my hand, then braced and pulled when my father
pushed off.

Once he found his balance, he studied the situation.  "Sounded like
you two know each other."

"Only by reputation.  When I called his private number, to let him
know we were going in, he said 'I'm  sorry, Charles. He's a good man,
and she was one of my best.  Give the order.'  Until then, I wasn't
sure if it was one of you, or both of you."

"And if he'd... Clarified the situation differently?"

"My name is Smith, but I'll always be a Mills, Sir.  I would have
given the order."

"Good man.  I know where you are, Jason is comforting Helen, and Randy
must be flying the bird.  That leaves Jessica, right?"

"Yes."

He raised his head and looked at the hovering chopper.  "Tell her she
has my...  Appreciation for her skill, and my condolences.  Also, my
understanding and thanks."

I unclipped my mic and handed it to him.  "Tell her yourself, if you
wish."

He took it, looked at it, me, then lifted it and watched the bird when
he spoke.  "She was a rabid bitch, Jessica.  You made the right
decision.  Thank you."

She used the PA to respond.  "Just doing my job, Sir.  I'm sorry you
and your family were caught in the middle.  If you have no further
need for us, we'd like to land and see how much damage we did to our
bird."

He keyed again.  "I think your escorts will be able to pick up the
pieces for you.  I'll see what I can do to expedite the arrival of
your replacement bird."

"Thank you, sir.  I suspect there will be no hurry."

Randy eased away, and gently resettled in his starting place.  Once
the turbine started slowing I let out the breath I'd been holding and
dad looked at me.  "Worried?"

"Very.  Hot starts are hard on things.  They were lucky."

"I see."

One of the troopships moved to hover over us, then a man rode a sling
down.

He freed himself, waved the bird back into position, then he walked
over to look at Ethel's body.  "I'm sorry, Mrs. Mills.  You gave us no
choice."

Then he walked over to my dad and held out his hand.  "I'm sorry.  She
was one of a kind."

Dad took his hand and nodded.  "That she was.  What happens now?"

"The job is still yours, if you want it."

"I never said I didn't."

"Sorry.  Glad to have you."

They let go of each other's hands and he came over to study me.
"Well?"

"It wasn't easy, it wasn't hard.  It was part of the job, but most
importantly, it was the right thing to do."

"I agree.  Have an opinion on who the interim director should be?"

"Of course."  I turned around, studied my sister, and she nodded, so I
spoke softly.  "Heather, but any of us will serve, if you ask."

"I've heard that an honest person can be bought, if one is willing to
pay their price.  If I were seeking, what would yours be?"

"If you'll excuse me, Sir, my team needs me."

"I see.  Contrary to what many people say about me, I do not fix
things that aren't broken.  When you are ready, your jobs will be
waiting for you."

"Thank you, for all of us."

"You're excused."

"Emma.  Heel!"

He was already turning towards Heather when we walked away without
looking back.

Helen and Jason flanked me, then we walked in silence until Pat met us
outside the RV.

"They're in the back.  I promised you'd join them.  Was that Karen,
who got Helen and Jason clear?"

"Yes."

"We'll have to find a way to thank her.  Jessica's only shot was
through Helen's shoulder, until she was clear."

"I imagine she's already being thanked, but yeah, The Gang of...
However many we are now, owes her, big time.  What about you?"

"Numb.  You?"

"Glad that part of it's over.  Probably won't hit me until I see
Jessica and Randy, and know they're ok.  The bird was dying on the way
down, wasn't it?"

"Yes.  Ramjet did his best to make it sound like an emergency shut
down."

I keyed up.  "Karen.  This is Control."

"Go, Control.  You have an audience."

"Yeah, The world.  Doesn't matter.  Thanks for the assist.  The Gang
couldn't have done it without you.  We don't have medals and ribbons,
but we do offer a full membership plan.  You want it, name your price,
to the man.

"Sir.  I strongly suggest that if she does name a price, you pay it,
then use her wisely.  I'm genuinely sorry, but we need some down time
before we come back and do it again.  How long can we have?"

Karen must have given him her mic because he gave us his answer.  "As
long as you need, wherever you feel it should be."

"Thank you, sir.  We'd appreciate it if someone opened the door for
us.  We'll be in touch."

"Thank you, all of you.  No repercussions.  My...  Word on it.  When
we find her, would you honor us by allowing us to make The Painted
Lady a permanent display in the lobby?"

"A reminder?"

"Yes."

"Do it, no matter how much, or little of her, is recovered.  Closure,
Sir, and because we never leave our own behind."

"Done.  The door will open when you are ready.  No escort service, and
no media."

"Thank you, Sir.  Agent Smith, out."

"Out."

I let go of the mic and gazed at the stars before I lowered my head
and studied each of my companions, before I spoke.

"Let's go surprise some kids at a party, and remind ourselves of the
reasons we're willing to be who we are."

* * *

After we got in, I studied Helen.  "Jessica needs Jase,  Can you let
him go, and still drive this thing?"

"Give him back as soon as you're sure about Jessica?"

"Of course.  Pat?  Limits?"

"None.  I need some time alone, anyway.  But, as soon as he comes out,
I go in.  You need me."

"Yeah.  Ok.  Helen  The other half of my question?"

"Relax.  Class A with most of the specialty certs.  Short version..."
She glanced at Jason before she went on.  "I went under cover at a
driving school. Grapevine said there was at least one instructor who
was raping female trainees before he'd sign off on their paperwork.  I
got raped, twice, but I got my story."

Mauler growled, and she looked down.  "Tell that guy to relax, then,
*you* relax.  It was years ago, and I'm a Hell of a lot tougher than
those teens were."

Jason gentled Mauler, then he hugged Helen.  "Do I get the long
version?"

"Yes.  Go help put Jessica back together.  It was only unauthorized
use of a renewable resource.  Tell Jess about what happened to me.  I
think it will help her, to know she's not alone.  Let her explain it
to you."

"Remember the kid I pulled out of the burning car, and he died in my
arms?  He panicked because of me, Helen.  Could have been anyone, but
I was the one who was there.  I'm not a virgin."

"Sorry.  Do what you have to do."

"Of course."

He was already removing gear when he went past me.  Our eyes met and I
nodded.  "I'll be there."

"I know."

I stripped, then smiled a bit sadly.  "Pat can tell you where."

I turned and after I was through the door, I started to pull it
closed, and I laughed when I was stopped by two dogs who were watching
me expectantly.  "Sorry about that, guys.  Of course you're always
welcome.

I left it open, then went and looked down at the pile.  "Jess? Where?"

"On your back, bottom of the pile, of course.  Then...  Wrap me up,
Court."

"Got it.  Before that happens, we have two new members who insisted
they have access.  Anyone object to their presense?  If so, I'll deal
with it now."

They studied me, studied the dogs, then laughed.before Jessica moved
out of the center of the bed and opened her arms.  "More the merrier.
If they want to...  Help, let them."

I settled, she settled on her back, on my chest, then I wrapped her up
and offered her to Randy and Jason, who settled beside us and did the
best they could to become her blankets while she shivered, then cried
herself to sleep.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing  I was aware of was
Jessica rolling over so she could kiss me gently.  "You there?"

"Coming back.  No nightmares, just a blank."

"I need Randy, and Jase needs Helen.  Karen went in at an angle and
took both of them down.  You'll have to ask Pat about that.  Randy was
focused on keeping us in the air, I was searching for my shot, and
Pat...  I swear to God, she has the same magic you do, because *she*
took over the controls and flew the bird, after Randy shouted an
explanation good enough to get us off the ground, move us into
position, then keep us there, before she had to land us again.  We all
thought we were dead, but we had to do it, because you and Karen were
already in range and getting me my shot."

"You want me to replace Helen?"

"Go."

We kissed again, then I got up and went forward.  I kissed Pat, then
held on to the back of her seat.  "Driver change, Ladies.  Helen? Your
turn in the pile."

She found a place to pull over, then she vacated her seat.  On the way
by she gave me the kind of kiss that was a promise for the future, and
I hugged her before I held her away slightly.  "I'm a married man,
Helen, and my wife is watching."

"So?  She knows about piles of bodies.  So do I."

She touched my face, smiled, then pulled free and joined the others.

I put on my pants and shirt, then sighed.  "Who gets the wheel?"

"I do.  I know the signs, and I've had time to...  Realize I did the
impossible, and start coming to terms with it well enough that I'm
done with the shakes.  But, we're in no hurry, and there are no
cameras, so before we move again, we're going to change the table to a
bed, and we're going to hold each other until we're both ready to
think about something besides what we did."

I nodded.  "You know where the curtains are.  I'll take care of
getting our bed ready."

She stood, then walked over and flipped a switch before she laughed.
"First things, first."

Once we had things ready, I stripped again, helped Pat out of her
clothes, then we settled on the bed and held on to each other.

Once my shakes ended, she kissed me and surprised me.  "I borrowed
your cell phone to make a call.  It was an emergency."

"Oh?"

"Relax.  Not ours.  The bird's.  I had to make sure she wasn't going
to be repaired, or scrapped."

"You must have had a good reason."

"I did.  I made a deal, for all of us.  She gets to be put on display
in the lobby of national headquarters, and we get to keep The Painted
Lady, In ours."

"Thanks."

"Welcome.  I don't remember anyone giving you that number."

"Indirectly, Marge and Ethel gave it to me.  Heather knew I had it."

"How?"

"When we were settled in the living quarters at Marge's, right after
the rest of my family showed up.  Remember when we were talking about
Daryl and I touched the phone and made my comment about using it to
make a call?"

"Yes.  I was wishing she could get in touch with Daryl."

"His number was on it, in plain sight, but all it had was his last
name next to it."

"And you memorized it."

"Yes.  I hoped I wouldn't need it, but after the three of you headed
for the bird, I made a phone call and got some answers, and
reassurance.  I didn't know he would be with the support."

"Orders, too."

"Yeah."

"You feeling better?"

"Some.  You?"

"Good enough to take us the last few miles, so we can call it a day
and see what sort of food is left."

"Let's get dressed, then, you drive."

Pat settled behind the wheel, I took the passenger seat and started
giving Emma the Attention Slut some attention, then we glanced at each
other before Pat sighed.  "We really, really, fucked up when all this
started, didn't we?"

I winced.  "I was wondering if you figured it out.  I'm willing to
blame it on just telling you my life story, so our minds were locked
into that when we ran."

"Sounds good to me.  I'm new to this, so...  I don't know.  If this
had been a movie, or a TV show, I would have booed the script writer,
you know?"

"No argument from me.  There were lots of free minutes when I should
have called that number."

"True.  I can't believe how badly Marge and Ethel fucked up during
that time in Marge's office.  They weren't just on different pages,
they were reading different books, goddamnit!"

I laughed.  "Want to know what should have clued me in?  Marge's frown
when she greeted us.  She's never done that before.  It was like she
was damn surprised to see Ted.  I think we managed to evade a pickup."

Pat laughed.  "Ok.  I'm slower.  I should have figured it out after
Marge told us about the fire and nobody knew if we'd been in the fire
or not, then Ethel told us Ed was looking at accessory to murder
charges.  If nobody could get in to investigate, how the Hell could
they be that definite about it?"

"Yeah.  I finally saw that, too.  It was one of the 'too many
mistakes' I thought Marge had made."

I turned and gazed out the window, then sighed.  "Only way Ethel could
have known, is if she was in on it.  Made it easier to give the order,
because if she knew the bodies were there, she must have known they'd
be there, or been in touch with the people who installed them.  And
Ed...  I can't call him a close friend, but he was a good neighbor."

Pat nodded.  "Was his always being willing to help part of him, or
something he was paid to do?"

"I think it was innate, and someone decided to take advantage of it
and...  Seduce him into other stuff, like blowing my place.  He might
be the best key to unlock all this, that we have left alive."

"Sees all, says little?"

"Yeah."

"Court?  Am I right when I start thinking we don't have the
mastermind?  Sure, we have some big people, and you can't get much
bigger than Ethel, but..."

"Uh huh.  Nightmare, isn't it?  I'm hoping it's not my ego talking
when I say that somehow, I've been a major player in this, without
knowing I was."

She hesitated, then spoke barely above a whisper.  "I'm pretty sure it
isn't your father, and I'd like to think that it can't be your sister,
and she wouldn't have helped your mother.  So, once I eliminate them,
and you, I'm stuck with one man."

"Oh?"

"Sure.  Jack.  If it had been anyone else, the deeper they got in
penetrating the Feds, they would have been able to start making things
go smoother, right?"

"Iffy, Pat.  Communications delay would have got longer."

"Sure, but anybody with some sense would have called a halt or a
pullout if possible, right?"

"True.  Dad admitted that's what he does all the time.  I think I see
where you're headed, finally."

She managed to get her giggles under control, then she sighed.  "We
always assumed it was probably Marge controlling Jack.  Go the other
way and... I think it explains why everyone got real fucking stupid
all of a sudden.  They probably didn't know about each other, and if
they did, they couldn't take the time to slow down and sort out all
the interlocking stuff."

I laughed again.  "What to know something stupid?"

"Sure."

"Only number we have for the FBI is the director's personal one,
unless you remembered to collect some numbers.  Plus, we don't have a
branch office here, so we'd have to go outside the area."

"Idiots, aren't we?  And all of The Gang is with us, so we can't call
any of them to relay a message."

"Heather has dad's number, unless...  Sure!  The new phones.  She had
the time, I bet she preloaded all the numbers she had."

"Hope so. Who are you going to call?"

"If I have his number, dad, of course.  Let's go through the proper
channels and not bother our immediate boss, yet."

I dug, managed to keep my grin reasonable when I opened the contact
list on my phone, then I found the one I wanted and hit send.

"This better be good, whoever you are.  I'm busy."

"Hi, dad.  Might be good, but you get to make that decision as head of
analysis."

"Me?  I missed the memo."

"Logic.  We're here, you're with the new director, I assume, so you
must be more important than we are."

"Holes, but I won't argue, except to mention I think that if we're
using those rules, whoever is nearest to her, is head of department."

I glanced at Pat and she nodded.  "Pat's agreeable.  So am I.
Heather's decision, right?"

"Right.  What's this solution you want to tell me?  You're supposed to
be on vacation."

"Things would look a lot better, if we had a mastermind to explain all
the chaos.  Pat and I agree whoever it is, or was, it can't be Ethel."

"News to me.  I would have put her at the top, based on what I know so
far."

"We have inside info that must have been in her head.  From our
viewpoint, things were salvageable until I took Jack out of the
picture.  He's fairly new to all this, and I think he was operating
independently, or on a real long leash, with plans to someday go back
home and take a shot at you.  You must have known that when you told
him the town was clean and there was nothing to go back to."

"For the sake of argument, what if we look hard at his brothers?"

"You said 'loose end'., not 'loose ends'."

"Anything else?"

"You're probably ahead of us on this one.  I think it should be you
who has the long talk with Ed, since you're my father.  Otherwise, I
can have the talk.  We're not close friends, but we have taken the
time to be more than just neighbors, so I can be the good guy if you
need one."

"No need.  One of the people who terrifies him, is you, because he
knows he repeatedly betrayed your  trust.  He asked me to 'keep
Courtney under control'."

"What did I do, to earn that?"

"What else?  You're a man who gives his word, and means it, every
time.  Plus..."  Dad chortled evilly.  "Somebody left the intercom on
when we told them who gave the order to remove Ethel."

"I was told to do it."

"We know.  It's a given.  Ed, though, doesn't know how it works, but
he does know you're a Mills, and has known it for a couple years..."

He finally came back and I could hear a...  Hunger in his voice that
hadn't been there before.  "I'll.  Be.  Damned.  Ed wasn't mine.  We
didn't have *anybody* of our own here.  Everything came from my normal
contacts, as courtesies.  She *used* me, Bobby.  But, it was because
she was being played by someone else, someone who had to know me
almost as well as you and Heather do."

"Umm...  Dad?  Tell me it wasn't mom."

"It wasn't."

Good.  Who?"

"Jack.  Had to be.  Thanks, son.  That news means a lot to me.  I was
wondering about some things I'd noticed, and now I know where to get
some answers."

"You're welcome.  You going to the top?"

"Of course.  Then I'm going to make sure that everything I mentioned
at the beginning, really did get passed on."

I sighed.  "Word on it?  I don't want to go behind your back."

"Relax.  When things slow down, I'll be having a long chat with the
new regional director, that isn't as job related as I thought it was
going to be.  My word.  Do I have yours, that you and Pat will do the
same?"

"My word that both of us will do our best to get the complete story in
our reports and give verbal reports to Heather and Helen."

Then I laughed, managed to sober, and was still grinning when I spoke.
"Tell Helen one of her comments is coming back to bite her, since I
know she'll be there as the number two."

"Share the joke?"

"When I had her delivered, after we started chatting, she made a
comment about my story sounding like 'True Confessions of a Crime
Boss'.  She or Heather can take it from there."

"Got it.  We done?  I need to get some wheels spinning faster."

"I'm done.  Take care, dad."

"You, too, son."

I hung up and shook my head.  "That was certainly an interesting
conversation."

Pat nodded.  "I agree, but it wasn't as interesting as the next one
will be.  I guess you've been too distracted to pay attention to
what's going on around us.  Take a look, then tell me we're both
seeing the same...  Mirage."

I looked.  Then I sighed.  Then I studied the situation in front of us
before I tried to speak calmly.  "As I recall, we only left one of my
trucks here, and the other one wound up in FBI hands.  I'll grant they
were most likely Ethel's, but no matter who they belonged to, we
should NOT be seeing both of them out here, parked in front of the
house, with 'FBI' logos on them."

"I hoped I was seeing things.  Oh, well.  At least the cars and vans I
bought are here.  Guess everyone fell over, or is out back, because I
don't see anyone."

She started to pull in the driveway, then hit the brakes when a young
woman wearing a dark blue windbreaker ran out of the house and started
waving her arms at us.  "No!  To the side.  Don't block the driveway!"

Pat looked at me.  I shrugged.  "She has a point."

"True."

Pat did what she had to, to move us over, then she shut down and I
sighed with relief.  "This is as good a home as any, right now.  Hey,
you guys!  We're home!"

Jessica was the first to respond.  "We'll be out as soon as we
untangle the bodies and clothing!"

"Got it!  Let's go, Pat."

Emma and Mauler sailed out the door ahead of us, then we stepped down
and walked over to meet Pat's friend.

Pat shook hands, then waved her hand at our trucks.  "Stealing from
the FBI, Lori?"

"We didn't think so.  It's not stealing, to recover a stolen vehicle
and return it to it's original owner, is it?"

"How certain of that story, are you?"

"Umm...  Mind if I take the fifth on that for a few more minutes?"

"As long as we get to hear it, soon, I don't mind."

"Thanks, Pat."

She started reaching into her pocket and I caught a flash of something
on the back of her windbreaker.  "Lori?  Mind turning around so I can
check out your.windbreaker?"

She surprised me by blushing, but she turned around.  "Like it?"

"Ahh...  Maybe.  You must be Ladyhawk?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"So, who, or what, are the 'Fourettes'?  I have a suspicion, but I'd
like it confirmed or denied, and I'm not sure which I prefer right
now."

She turned back and handed me the remote to the garage door before she
sighed and began her explanation.  "Everyone knows about The Gang of
Four, and some of us...  Want to be cops and stuff, but we knew you
guys might get upset if someone else tried to use the name."

"Ok.  Understandable.  Before all this crap fell on us, I don't think
we would have minded.  I like to think we'd have been proud to know
someone else was making it a tradition."

"Thanks, Control.  Anyway, we tried out a lot of names for ourselves,
but...  We wanted one that reminded folks we aren't first, and that
you guys are...  The ones who inspired us the most."

"Thank you, Lori.  We're honored.  Anything more?"

"Yes, Sir!  We'd appreciate it if you'd...  Sponsor us, and let us
race your trucks.  Umm...  We didn't know what to put on the hoods.
'Gang of Four', or 'FBI'?"

"I can see where that would be a tough call.  Got a preference?"

"Not really."

"Good.  Leave the logos and stuff alone, then call yourselves 'The
Fourettes'  You're sponsored.  I want to see no less than the numbers
one and two on them, next year."

She held out her hand.  "Done!"

We shook on it, then she touched my arm lightly.  "Courtney?  We were
watching the live coverage.  Sorry about your cars, you know?"

I slumped.  "Thanks.  I hope...  But if Ethel was smart, they've gone
to the breaker by now."

"Maybe.  We got our own analysts, you know?  She was smart-stupid. You
guys find her control, yet?"

"We did."

"Good!  Bodies all over the living room floor, so you might as well
use that and go through the garage.  Main party is out back, what's
left of it."

I laughed.  "I do know something about how that works.  Sure.  Hope
the noise from the opener doesn't wake anyone up."

I pushed the button, and when I got a good look at the garage, I
froze.  "Impossible!"

I was still frozen when the door finished opening,  I realized someone
was behind the wheel of each of the revealed cars.

They shifted slightly, flame belched from four exhaust pipes, then the
engines settled into a contented rumble and I managed unfreeze and
walk over to touch the hood of The Painted Lady.  
"I'm glad to see you, too, Love.  Welcome home."

I dug out my phone, yet again, and called my sister.

"Director's Office.  Director speaking."

I didn't say anything, just walked over and held the phone next to HER
car.

The reaction wasn't long in coming.  "Thunder?!  Where are you,
Baby?!"

I lifted the phone and spoke casually.  "He's next to The Painted
Lady, in the same garage where we left my second truck.  See you in...
Fifteen or so?"

"On my way!"

She hung up, then I hung mine up and studied Lori.  "Save the
explanation for the media, when they arrive."

She nodded.  "About that question I had?"

"I'll pass and let the regional director make that decision.  Smooth,
Lori.  Those bodies on the living room floor wouldn't happen to be the
kidnappers, would they?"

"We had to put them somewhere, Control."

"True.  If the Fourettes are interested, I'll sign the recommendation
that you be trained as a group.  We'll need staff we can trust.  This
area has been...  Thinned out quite a bit and we'd like to get it
covered as soon as we can."

"All of us?!"

"You must have heard my boss.  I'm only following his policy, as
clearly stated to the media.  "We don't fix what works'."

"We'll work on that problem, Sir.  It shouldn't have been missed."

"Good.  Now, I figure you folks have about ten minutes left to set up
for a full news briefing.  Delegate one person to get us some food,
then the rest is up to you."

"Consider it done.  The food, and a cook, is out back, waiting for
you.  Should we haul the warm bodies out?"

"Helen!  I know you heard that.  Advise these folks, will you?"

"Done!  Ladyhawk!  Out back so we can talk while I eat."

"Yes, Ma'am!"  She flashed me a grin.

"Uh uh.  Hold it, Ladyhawk,   I like to get my surprises one at a
time, instead of all at once.  I think I want this one delivered here,
before the media arrives."

She sighed, then raised her voice.  "Mark!  We got caught.  I'll set
the date later.  Make the delivery here."

"Coming!"

"I gather someone let her ego make her bet more than she should have?"

"Not really.  The bet was the date, not the reason for it.  He wanted
it before we go through whatever academy we got accepted at, I wanted
it after graduation, even if one or both of us didn't make it."

"Good.  We like knowing our people in the field are pragmatic about
life.  And...  To ease your mind, couples will be welcomed, and
encouraged at the local level.  I can't speak for national policy."

"Understood."

I finally remembered I had a wife, and I turned to Pat.  "Any more
surprises?   I've always wondered what you did during the spare time
you had when you weren't at work, or with me and Emma."

"They came to me, because...  The Gang awed them too much."

"So you encouraged them?"

"Of course.  Before you ask, I didn't have anything to do with this.
They make their own decisions about their... 'Spy games'."

"Touch."

Six more people came through the door, then two of them held back
while the others seemed to look us over, then they picked their
targets and moved to stand in front of the one they'd focused on.

After they were in position the one in front of Jessica offered her a
dark blue windbreaker.  "We've been hoping we'd get to give you these,
'Snapshot."

He shook it out, then turned it so she could see the back of it.
"Would you honor me by letting me hold it while you put it on?"

"Turn around."

He did and she nodded slightly.  "I'd be honored, 'One Pull', I hope
you never need to make it."

He turned back.  "So do I Ma'am.  I hope...  I hope I really can do it
when I have to."

Jessica smiled slightly.  "Do you love the rest of your team, and they
love you?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Good.  When you know you have people you love, waiting to put you
back together if you break, it helps.  Or, at least, it helped me."

"Did you break, Ma'am?

"Almost, but it was after we were back together, and all of us were
safe.  I didn't have time to break, until then."

"I...  See, I think.  Thank you, Snapshot."

He held up the windbreaker so all us could see the letters 'FBI' and
the name 'Snapshot' curved above them, then he helped her work her
arms into it and get it settled.  They finished and that must have
been the signal for the girl standing in front of Jason.  She shook
hers out, held it so he could see it, and he nodded and turned around
so she could help him.

After they got it settled, he stood still so we could get a good look,
then turned around and nodded his thanks without saying anything. None
of us were surprised when we'd seen 'The Ghost' on his back.

Randy got the expected 'Ramjet', but then, instead of giving me mine,
the boy in front of Helen offered her a windbreaker.  

She sighed.  "You folks are good, to have dug that out of my past."

I heard a growl and Jason sighed.  "Out, Mauler.  My fault."

He shut up, took a deep breath and let it out.  "So...  That was how
you got it.  Glad I didn't have to embarrass myself by asking in front
of everyone."

He studied the boy.  "Do you know how she got the name, 'Survivor'?"

"I wish I didn't, Sir.  One of them was an uncle of mine.  During his
trial...  We found out one of his first victims was my oldest sister.
She was twelve when he raped her, the first time."

"Sorry.  Thanks.  You have a nick name?"

The kid turned around, Jason smiled slightly, then, after they were
face to face, Jason nodded  " 'Grant's Pass' is pretty long for a
handle, but I know of longer.  Sometimes short ones aren't right. Must
be a story behind it.  Keep it as short as possible.""

"Yeah.  My name is Grant.  About a year ago, I was racing a guy at the
track, and he was in front of me when he lost a tire.  Most  folks
thought it was over for both of us, but...  I knew I was *dead*, Sir,
so I figured I'd make it spectacular, Ya know?"

"I do.  Go on."

"There was a hauler that still had the ramps down, so I hit the left
ramp and...  I don't know how I did it, but I stayed on two wheels
until I got between the other car and the truck.  It was when the
right tires hit the ground I lost control and spun a few times.  Flat
spotted all of them, and blew three.  But, we both walked away without
any scratches, just..."

He shrugged, and Jason looked at me and laughed.  "Been there. Nothing
to be ashamed of.  Sorry I interrupted the two of you."

Grant turned back to Helen and she nodded before she let him help her
get her windbreaker on.

That left me or Pat, and sure enough, the girl in front of Pat
displayed her windbreaker to her.

Pat groaned.  "I knew that would come back to haunt me, someday."

She let herself be helped, and when she turned her back to me I
started laughing when I read 'X-Ray'.  "I'll let you tell it."

"Oh, Thanks.  And thank you, young lady.  I don't need to ask if it
was you and your sister who suggested it, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She looked around and smiled.  "Most of you know the story by now, so
I'll keep it short.  I did a lot of baby sitting when I was in school
and Francis, and her sister Julie were regulars.  They also enjoyed
getting into trouble, but I usually caught them before they got out of
hand.  One night they demanded to know how I did it, so I told then I
was just like Supergirl, and had x-ray vision.

"They ran with it.  I figured it was better than a lot of other nick
names I'd been given, so I let it go."

That left me, so I simply turned around and let myself get helped into
my windbreaker.  Nobody there needed to see it to know what was on it,
so when I faced him again, I shrugged.  "For those who never heard the
story,  'Control' is from and old TV show.  He was the man who sat in
a control room and made sure the agents were coordinated and knew what
was going on that might affect them."

Then I went to attention.  "Gang of Four, only!  Attention!"  I gave
it a beat.  "Salute!"

Then we waited.  Lori figured it out and checked us over, then she
moved in front of us and snapped a salute, held it, then lowered her
hand to her side.  "At ease!"

We relaxed, and she looked up and sighed.  "We're running out of time.
We'll save the bad guys for later.  Post guards and let's get us a
perimeter, then we'll wait.  Go!"

She looked at me.  "Shut them off, or leave them running?"

I sighed.  "Shut them off.  I know you folks have done your best, but
I have no intention of getting in The Painted Lady until she's been
fine toothed by people...  We can trust."

"Sir.  That was an odd look."

"Need to know.  You're on the list, but none of your other people are,
yet."

"Thank you, Sir.  Should we take a walk before the party starts?"

"The RV will be fine, if you're ok with it."

"I am.  One Pull!"

"Yo!"

"Hot seat until I get back!"

"Got it!"

I opened the door, smiled when Emma pushed past us, then let her go in
before I joined her and closed the door.  "We haven't had any
indication the RV is bugged, and as far as we know, if it is, we
probably have the people who would have monitored the bugs.  Assume a
locator that was put there by people we trust."

She dug in a pocket and held out a collection of small devices.  "We
have access to a spectrum analyzer, and we pulled the factory specs
and file photos, then we did a visual on your cars.  We know we
probably missed some stuff, but if we did, it's in places that need
disassembly to get to them."

"Set them on the dog house.  Just because you folks can handle them
safely, it doesn't mean I can."

"Lesson noted.  We did use silicone gloves, and...  We managed to
persuade the kidnappers to remove them from the cars.  Sir, they claim
to be Ethel's, but...  We're aren't buying, completely."

I smiled.  "Feelings are a nice tool to have.  Are you 'Control', for
the Fourettes?  Drop the cadet stuff.  You folks are well past that
and I don't need to be continually impressed."  Call me Courtney, or
Court."

"Thank you, Court.  Yes, I'm our control, and we had several
possibilities for the reason you earned it.  That show was the one we
favored."

"Welcome.  I'm sure there will be an EOD team with the flight.  If you
and your team are willing, and have the tools available, I want you to
take both cars apart, under their supervision, after they approve each
fastener for removal.  Then, you can reverse the process and put them
back together.  My reasoning is simple.  You've handled the cars and
nothing has happened.  We don't know if there are surprises keyed to
any of us."

"Where?"

"In place."

She thought about it, nodded to herself, then came out of her trance.
"Our tools, for the same reason?"

I laughed.  "Only a little.  Mostly, I want this done as quickly as
possible so Heather and I can take them for a farewell spin, before we
store them again."

She winced, recovered, then sighed.  "Anything else?"

"It's only until the new building goes in.  Then, they will be on
display in the lobby.  Be thinking about taking pictures of it all,
and how you want to set up the display.  Narration of their history
would be nice to have."

I did my own sigh.  "No attempts at restoration.  Clean and reassembly
will be ok, as will new gaskets and seals.  Wash and wax will be fine.
I'll see if I can persuade at least one factory engineer to
supervise."

"What about worn bearings and stuff like that?"

"Factory parts only. Mostly, the 'do not touch' applies to the body
and interior.  Those cars earned the right to show their age, and any
scars they have, they earned.  That's especially true of The Lady."

"I understand. If I have to, I will...  Find a way to convince anyone
who supervises us, the wisdom of listening to us when there is a
disagreement.  What about the trucks?"

"Same treatment, but let's send them to school, and do it there.  I'll
sign the titles over as soon as I get duplicates for them."

"The paperwork is waiting for you to sign it, Courtney.  The net never
sleeps."

"Looking to displace us and take over our jobs?"

"Of course."

"Right answer.  Once you finish the academy and any other training you
need, which, I have to admit will be classes I'll be taking along side
you, if you want the position at my right side, it's yours, unless you
think someone else would be a better fit."

Her eyes had gone wide, then she closed them and tilted her head as if
she was looking at something above us before she spoke without moving.
"There are some things about The Gang of Four, that we do not
emulate."

"I understand that.  Would that include the avoidance of personal
decisions some of us had made?"

"Delicately put.  Yes, Sir.  I do not own a dog of any kind.  When
there is time, could you or someone else give us some insight into
your personal lives, and what you each do in the line of work?  Some
things are obvious, but others, we haven't been able to find out."

"No problem.  Things will be changing while we settle into our roles
again, and some of what we do will be changed, or eliminated."

"Thank you."

She brought her head down and opened her eyes.  "None of us have any
secrets that would keep us from serving. My word, for all of us."

I chuckled, and she relaxed.  "Two of us are zoos, and there is one
gay.  All of us are bi with humans."

"Are all of you paired, yet?"

She shrugged.  "Of course."

"Good."

"Court, may I make a personal request, that can be only between us?"

"My word it will stay between us unless you decide to tell someone.  I
can't promise I'll agree to what you ask, but I will consider it."

"We found Jessica's Challenger.  We'd like to buy it, hide it
somewhere and restore it, then present it to her."

"Are you certain it's hers?"

"We matched the vin number and engine number.  It was hers."

I heard a chopper approach and I sighed.  "As soon as I have access to
my money, we'll do it.  If you can find photos, do a restoration to
the way it looked just before she sold it.  Do the best you can, to
match the dings and scratches."

"Got  it."

"Good.  Wish we hadn't run out of time.  Let's go."

"One more question.  When should we give the director and her husband
their windbreakers?"

"When it feels appropriate.  Your call, and if someone objects, refer
them to me."

"Ok."

She went out the door, I smiled at her self assurance, then took the
time to rub Emma's forehead a few times.  "Sorry, girl.  Once we slow
down, I'll make some time for us."

Her tail thumped a few times, I chuckled, the I went out the door.
"Heel, girl."

We met Pat at the front of the RV and she kissed me before she moved
to stand next to me and put her arm around my waist.  "Anything you
can tell me?"

"Ladyhawk agreed to let us use her team to disassemble the cars under
the supervision of an EOD team, then put them back together."

"Is that why she's trying to intercept your sister?"

"Probably.  I told her I don't want anyone except her people to handle
the cars, and that only after our boys have approved it."

"Surprises keyed to each of you?"

"Of course."

"Good.  I'll forgive the hand on the hood.  Keep your distance, or
I'll get Emma to agree that we both need to cut you off."

"I'll be good."

"Teasing.  Anything else?"

"Up to her, mostly.  She does want more background on how and what we
do when we're working as The Gang.  Long term project.  I don't think
it's for deliberately making themselves like us.  More likely it's for
personality matching when we have time to pick our protege's."

"She can attach herself to your hip when you're working.  Otherwise,
you belong to me and Emma."

"All of them are paired.  You can relax.  Couple zoos, one gay, but
they way she said it has me thinking nobody is exclusive, and under
the right conditions, they don't worry about it."

"Good."

We watched Heather stride up the driveway, and when she was opposite
us she paused and looked at me.  "Relax, Bro.  Ladyhawk gave me the
lecture, so I know it's look but not touch until they've been gone
over.  You were lucky."

"Yeah.  I know.  Only a light touch on the hood."

"I wish...  Well, at least I got to drive both of them, and I know I
can only afford a few sedate trips around the track for a photo op,
and to give my kids a ride before we put both cars in storage.
Anything else I need to know?"

"Get the EOD team over here so Ladyhawk can collect some presents for
them.  Tracers, most likely, but since I know she can handle them
safely, she can...  No.  Never mind.  Stuff is sitting on the doghouse
of the RV.  Send the team in."

She sighed and dug out a radio.  "EOD team.  Set up your perimeter,
get everyone clear, then we'll go talk to the media.  Don't bother me
for a few minutes.  I need to commune with a car."

She put it away, then shook her head.  "Stay put, Bro, or start
walking..."

She looked at her car and sighed.  "Sorry, Babe.  I promise Mama will
be back as soon as she knows it's safe."

She turned and looked at me.  "Let me get clear, then you can go back
to the other side of your RV, and join me.  We've been lucky twice.
Let's not go for three."

"Right, Sis."

She got clear, then we joined her and started walking away.

We were a few hundred yards away when her radio went off.  "This is
Number Six!  I need an RF shield box  Size two!"  Everyone else hit
the ground!"

"Emma, down!"

I grabbed Pat and hit the ground, then rolled us until I was between
her and the RV, before I looked and spotted Heather.  "Know something
Sis?"

"That dad's going to want to disassemble Jack himself, if we don't get
there first?"

"That's a given.  I was thinking that if Jack had gotten his
priorities straight and studied the right stuff, he would have given
all of us a real good run."

"Point.  Too bad his only aptitude is for killing."

We waited for a few more minutes, then her radio beeped again.  "It's
safe, folks.  Only CS canisters.  There's more scattered around, but
it all uses a different triggering system.  Somebody get Ladyhawk's
EOD team over here, and we'll show them what to look for.  And will
someone *please* find us a scent dog we can use until ours get here?"

I sighed.  "Sis?  Appreciate it if you tell him 'no', he can wait for
theirs."

"Emma?"

"And Mauler, of course.  They can do the basic stuff, the kind that's
typical for picking up on what the kids around here leave behind.  We
want to keep them around so they can retire because of old age."

Heather studied me, I nodded slightly, then she keyed up.  "Whoever
that was, I'm going to want a damn good justification for not having
one with you.  Request denied."

"Sorry, Ma'am. Nostrils is at home with her puppies.  Because of all
the stuff that went down here, we had to go quite a ways away, before
we could shake one loose that we could trust.  He's on his way, but it
will be a couple hours, even if you expedite him for us."

Her lips twitched, then she keyed up again.  "Sir?  I need a delivery
expedited."

"I have my people looking into it, and they will do what they can.  I
believe these folks will have plenty to keep them busy while they
wait.  By the way, 'Icewater', there's a young lady next to me, who
would appreciate it if you pause long enough for her to make a
personal delivery to you.  She's already made her delivery to your
husband."

"We'll wait here, Sir.  We are in no hurry at the moment."

"She's on her way."

Heather looked at me again and raised her eyebrows.  'I don't remember
signing off on a request for windbreakers."

"A donation that was waiting when we arrived.  As soon as the forms
get here, we'll fill them out and file them with the appropriate
department."

"I can see something blue, from here.  A similar donation?"

"Probably.  I told her to use her own judgement, when picking an
appropriate delivery time."

"No complaints.  At least I'll have some time to decide how I want to
describe that particular party.  I don't see any media crews...  Never
mind.  I see someone decided to go the long way.  Should take them a
few more minutes to arrive.  I don't feel like getting up, just yet.
You folks comfortable?"

I chuckled.  "If Pat's happy, so am I. "

Pat laughed.  "Not exactly what I expected when we became public
figures, but I'll take it.  Is that nick name as in 'icewater in her
veins'?"

"Yes.  That's what it took to beat Courtney on the track, so that's
what I had."  She managed a shrug.  "Looks like we'll never know who's
best, now. We were tied in the points standing in our division, with
one race to go."

Pat laughed again.  "First, I assume?"

"Yes, because there were only two cars in our class and age group."

"I can guess the age group.  The class?"

"Unlimited."

"Too young to compete with the older drivers?"

"It wasn't that.  They kicked us out after the first six months
because nobody else could beat us."

"Oh."

When they were silent long enough I broke in.  "If it matters, I'm
willing to call it a draw, if you are."

"Something happened to your ego.  Just a minute, Ladyhawk.  Go on,
Bro."

"Yeah.  Something happened.  I met a better driver, that's all."

"Happens.  Draw is ok with me.  Done with that sort of stuff."

"Yeah.  That's all I had."

She looked up.  "I see my past finally caught up with me.  Thank you,
Ladyhawk.  I'll wear it because it's a reminder that I should leave
the past in the past, and that I was a very stupid teenager."

"Stupid, Ma'am?"

Yes.  I spent too much time trying to be the best someone else,
instead of becoming the best *me*."

"Oh.  Umm..."

"Relax. I don't mind rolling in the mud to put on a windbreaker.."

"I don't understand?  Isn't it safe?  Everyone else is moving around."

"No, they aren't.  They moved, yes, but that was only so they could be
in the nearest place that was reasonably safe, then they settled to
wait for a more definite all clear."

"I should have waited?"

"No.  It's a judgement call, unless someone has called a total freeze.
You moved away from the danger zone, which is always a good thing to
do, unless you're one of the people that *has* to stay there.  The
problem is, you moved for the wrong reason.  Call it a minor mistake,
this time."

"I'll do better.  The *real* problem is that I brought my personal
life to the job, right?"

"Partly.  You're new to this, and...  People your age shouldn't be
needing to deal with the paranoia that comes with being an agent.  Get
down here, help me get that windbreaker on, then you can explain it to
me."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

She didn't ease down, she dropped as if she'd had her legs removed,
and did it so she was between Heather and the area of risk.

Heather noded slightly, then they worked the windbreaker on before
Heather rolled back and nodded again.  Thank you, Ladyhawk.  Been
practicing that move?"

"Yes, Ma'am.  All of us have.  We use improvised smoke bombs and never
know who has the real remote trigger.  Umm...  Low air pressure, just
enough to blow the smoke out."

"I should have expected that, from people who call themselves the
'Fourettes', and were able to recover Thunder and The Lady.  Anything
else you want to tell me?"

"Before you get upset about me carrying the triggers around like I
did, my team safed them, then put the covers back on.  We found the
specs and diagrams on the net.  We think whoever built them had never
used a soldering iron before, and it was one person, because we could
line them up according to the improvement in technique."

"A message?"

"Yes, Ma'am.  Just because we're younger than you, it doesn't mean
we're amateurs at this.  It's in our blood, and we all know it.  You
see...  Some people made some assumptions.  If they'd bothered to ask
us, we would have shown whoever asked, the pictures and videos we took
when we recovered the cars.  Everything, from the planning to the
action, is documented, Ma'am.  Cell phones can be used for more than
talking or texting."

"I apologize, for what I was thinking, and planning to say next.  I
also need to find out what really happened, don't I?"

"Yes."

"Were the CS canisters also yours?"

"No ma'am.  We created a surprise on each car, but that's not them."

Heather smiled slightly.  "I think I will wait and see if they are
spotted."

She keyed up.  "Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been informed that
The Fourettes feel collectively insulted by our lack of
professionalism.  According to Ladyhawk, there are likely to be
surprises, which is understandable, due to their lack of equipment
similar to ours.

"Number Six!  Talk to me and tell me what you found, and where!"

"Pressure stepped trigger on your bird's landing skid, Ma'am.  The
canisters were in the director's bird.  He's...  Not happy at the
moment...  What?  Excuse me, Ma'am.  One of my people found something
on Rolling Thunder."

Heather raised her eyebrows before she studied Ladyhawk.  "Where?"

"Duct taped to the chassis, and the hoses run past the manifolds, then
out to the wheel wells.  Nothing was disturbed or modified during the
installation.  It was...  A distinctly amateurish job."

"Intentionally?"

"Of course."

"I like it."

Finally he got back to us.  "NoX canisters.  Umm...  Looks like
someone thought these cars needed help...    Shit! Down!  Everybody
hit the deck!"

We heard some shouting, saw smoke boil out of the garage, then things
settled.

About twenty minutes later, we had some answers.  "Six here.  Smoke
bombs in disguise.  The smoke is commercially available to consumers,
for testing smoke detectors.  May I speak with Ladyhawk?"

"You may."

Heather handed the radio over, grinned, then sobered and waited.  

Lori took a deep breath, then keyed up.  "Ladyhawk here, Six.  Go!"

"I believe you said 'collectively insulted', to my local boss?"

"I used politer words, but her summary of my briefing was accurate. Do
you have a problem with that assessment?"

"No, Ma'am.  It was earned.  It will not happen again.  Would you...
Clarify the lesson for us?"

"The triggers I delivered to Courtney had been safed, and we did not
place the CS canisters.  However, the message is a simple one.  Learn
to consult with people who are not your peers.  Sometimes the
knowledge you seek is learned from unusual sources.  Had you asked my
EOD team, they would have turned over narrated videos, along with
pictures detailing every step of the recovery operation.  Included
would have been the same documentation for the training devices we
installed, as a...  Test and reminder.  There is another one on The
Painted Lady.  You may attempt to remove it, or my team will be
honored to display their skills for yours, so you may assist them in
learning what they know they need to know, before they may work along
side you.  I believe you were already aware that just because
something looks amateurish, it may not  *be* amateurish?"

"I see.  Complacency triggered by competence.  The honor will be
mutual.  We will make the attempt, but we'd like your team next to us
so they may warn us if they feel we are about to make a mistake."

"It's up to them."

"I see, again.  Thank you, Ma'am.  Six, out."

"You're welcome, Six.  Ladyhawk, out."

She handed the radio back, then shrugged.  "We also had the factory
specs on your cars with us. along with all the pictures your friends
and... 'Colleagues' had available on their web sites."

"Well done.  I expect your people to be available to brief mine, on
proper use of available resources, prior to giving the go order."

"No problem.  Tell us how many will be there, and we'll send as many
pre-briefing packages as you need."

"I expected no less.  Anything else?"

"Yes.  We think you should isolate the rental helicopter, then have it
gone over.  We strongly suggest you find and detain the person who
delivered it, and the people who took him back."

"Reasons?"

"We had the trucks outside, of course.  There was a lingering fly over
before the landing, which was expected.  The pilot took a series of
pictures, 'for insurance purposes', but did not ask anyone here to
sign paperwork acknowledging they were taken in their presence, and
accurate.  Furthermore, when he had the house, or other items of
interest, including my people, in the background, he tended to linger,
or need to take several exposures due to 'bad lighting'."

"Most importantly, we confirmed that this rental company does not take
pictures on delivery.  They take them before the bird flies, and they
are shown to someone on site, to ensure that they are accurate and any
damage caused by their pilot is documented."

"Your people have it isolated?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She thought about it, then keyed up.  "Ramjet!  You know about the
rental bird?"

"Relax.  All of us know.  After Control did his act of self denial,
and then you walked away, we started asking questions.  The answers we
got back were...  Thorough.  The bird is going to have to wait, but
we've already turned over descriptions and plate numbers, so things
can be looked into.  Um...  They included transcripts of overheard
conversations."

"You have some relevant news?"

"It's already being looked in to."

"I'd like to hear it, please."

"The gist of it was:  'Lazy fuckers.'  'Smart though.  Takes balls to
use innocent kids as your go betweens.  You get enough so we can plan
the hits?'  'Yeah.  Look at that.  Typical kid, these days.  So busy
texting or talking, they don't see what's going on in front of them.'
"Yeah.  Mine are the same way.  Makes our job a lot easier, though.'
'True, true.'  "

Heather and I looked at each other.

I sighed.  "At least one cell still active.  Not surprising,
considering.  Wasn't it nice, how we all isolated ourselves and picked
a wonderful ground zero for them to use, and we can't get off without
leaving ourselves wide open, no matter how we try to get clear?"

She looked around.  "I think I'm feeling exposed.  Can't even decide
who the primary target is.  Could be any of us.  Wish we could get the
director clear.  Oh, well."

She spoke into her radio.  "Regional to National."

"National.  We have us a real situation, don't we?"

"Yes, Sir, we do.  I think we ALL need to ditch our
windbreakers..Let's not make it too easy for them."

"Word given.  The Ghost and a young lady who calls herself Tumbleweed
are already giving us the most likely observation points."

I took a deep breath.  "Sis?  I've been busy.  Where's dad?"

"In one of the choppers that came with us."

"Decent enough.  I'll take what I can get.  I don't want to talk to
him, so maintain silence and hear me out."

"Don't bother.  We're on the same page, because I just got done
hauling him all over the country, with that long delay in your fancy
RV.  Got something that might get us out of this mess?"

"Maybe.  Ladyhawk?  I'm sorry you're in the middle with us, but I'm
also glad you're here, because with your team, we have a chance.  I
need to know if you can speak for your team.  Are you and your people
in?"

"We have a choice?"

"Sure, you know what it is."

"We're in."

"I need One Pull and Tumbleweed.  Can you give the order?"

"I don't know.  I'll know when you ask me."

"Right answer.  Thanks.  Heather, I need your radio."

She tossed it, I caught it, then looked at Ladyhawk.  "You have lots
of people.  Do you trust all of them?"

"I do."

"Good.  I'm cautiously optimistic that because we haven't acted like
we are worried about more than what might be waiting in the cars, that
whoever is listening to us must not have a lot of people out there.
Most of them are with us.  You have a read on that?"

"I wouldn't bet against their best being with the media crews."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that, because that's where I want you
to send all your extras.  Call it 'divide and conquer'."

"We think alike, Control.  Doesn't matter.  We'd do it even if you had
others available and you asked us to."

"Sorry.  Is there enough to send them out with refreshments?"

She thought about it.  "It's a trap, isn't it?  They want The
Survivor, for certain'."

"All of us.  You kill a snake by removing the head."

"Yeah...   Send the EOD teams along to check things, just in case.  A
question?"

"Go."

"As paranoid as you folks are, you accepted the windbreakers without
testing them.  Sloppy, wasn't it?"

I raised my eyebrows.  "You were sloppier."

"We were?"

"Someone else first called us 'The Gang of Four'.  We went along,
because it gave us an edge.  It's called 'never let people know
everything you know'.  It was mostly true, at first."

"I don't get it."

"You will.  Have you noticed that Emma has been off leash all the
time?"

"Of course.  We take that for granted, because you're...  A master dog
trainer."

"I have the impression the other shoe just dropped."

"Kicked me in my ass.  She and Mauler have had time to learn more than
the basics, haven't they?"

"Of course, and any of the Four can handle either of them, at need."

"She or Mauler would have alerted, so you were pretty confident it was
safe to touch your car.  What about the stuff they found?"

"Downwind of us, for one thing, which is why I wasn't worried after
your people came through the back door.  If you'd been serious, you
would have set it up so you came at us from downwind."

"So that's the reason I had the wind at my back when I came out here."

"Yes.  Unfortunately, we can't expect any teams we send out to be that
lucky, so the dogs will stay here.  As a side note, we were pretty
sure there was nothing in the RV, because neither of them alerted."

Heather took over.  "Hopefully, our father hasn't realized we made
that refinement to our thinking.  We've done what we could, to keep
him focused on the fact we are sexually involved with them. After all,
it was the excuse he used to get rid of us, so it must be something he
thinks about a lot."

"That's quite a mistake he made.  Will it be enough to get us out of
this?"

I held the radio up.  "I guess we'll find out.  Be ready for it, give
your orders, then toss it back."

"I'll be ready.  Anything else?"

"We need us some high ground, with lots of cover and a good 360 degree
view.  Find us that, and the best way to get there, so we can send One
Pull and Snapshot out there to make sure it's clear enough we can evac
to it on the ground."

"Shouldn't be a problem.  I'll have them start looking for the best
locations for observers."

"Already?"

"It's been raining, remember?  This is a flood area, and we kind of
wanted to know which way to head."

"My oops.  Anybody have anything to add?"

I got silence, so I keyed up.  "This is Control.  I need to talk to
Snapshot and Ramjet."

"Snapshot to Control.  Go."

"Quite a party those kids had last night.  Shame you two left that
half full bottle of the good stuff in your bird.  I hate it when we
leave something half finished.  Would have been nice to have it here
so we could each have a shot, right?  Anyway, The reason I called, is
that I was wondering if you wanted to have a party, and invite the
Fourettes, once things slow down again?"

"That's a roger, Control.  A party with the Fourettes sounds real
nice, right now.  About that bottle.  Since our old bird is
permanently grounded, Ramjet has already filed a request to borrow a
bird so he can go back and take care of the unfinished business, such
as collecting all our gear, along with that bottle.  I'd hate to let
people think we're sloppy.  We have the approval, he just needs to
pick out a bird."

"Sounds good.  Since you're killing time, if Ladyhawk will let you
have them, you might as well grab One Pull and Tumbleweed so you and
The Ghost can swap stories with them while we wait for Ramjet to take
care of his business."

"That leaves Ramjet by himself, Control."

"If she's here, see if Karen would like a ride.  Call it a special
thanks for being so heads up under fire."

"Message passed.  Mind if I kiss him goodbye?"

"Umm...  I really don't want you to cause anyone heart failure, so...
Be careful how much effort you put into that kiss."

She laughed.  "Hey, Control.  I'm mellow, you know?  Just a thanks,
and a promise for the future."

I chuckled.  "Good.  The next voice you hear will be Ladyhawk's, but
stick around.  I'll probably have something to say after she talks to
her people."

I tossed the radio, she smiled nervously, then managed to speak calmly
and clearly.  "This is Ladyhawk.  One Pull.  Tumbleweed.  Detached for
special duty.  Don't forget to swap contact info so you can keep in
touch later.

"Sandpaper.  Pull your people and see if you can persuade National's
people to take a break with you.  Sandpaper, you stay here, with Eagle
and Coyote.  Everybody else, go grab those leftover Double Deals, and
haul your asses over to the media so you have samples to pass around
while you find out what sort of orders they'll need when we call out
for delivery.  Don't miss anyone.

"I understand we're due to see some flooding because of the storm
moving in, so I want Eagle and Coyote to see what they can do about
making sure we have a way out, to some high ground, if we need it.
Coordinate that with The Ghost and Tumbleweed, since they know all our
alternative routes in this area.

"National?  What would you like on your Double Deal?  Personally, I
like the green sauce, but some folks would rather go with the red."

"National here.   No preference.  I'll take what's offered."

"Got it.  You hear that, team?  Make it a proper mix, and don't anyone
screw up his order.  Go!  I'm giving this back to Control."

She tossed, I grabbed, looked at Heather and sighed before I spoke
tiredly.  "Think the body will be warm, or cooling?"

"Doesn't matter, does it?"

"No.  Had to find out how you felt, Mary."

"Sick.  Betrayed.  What about you, Bobby?"

"Tired, mostly.  Looks like we have a chance of passing our final, so
I guess that's a good thing, but amongst the four of us, it's had some
damn tough questions on it."

"Can't disagree."

I lifted the radio, and spoke as calmly as I could manage.  "This is
Control, for Ramjet and Snapshot."

"This is Snapshot.  Been expecting your call.  Go."

"Figured as much.  Send the first batch of orders out on National's
bird, with two escorts.  Might as well expedite things a little and
scout the route for the delivery people at the same time.  Oh...  I
want my Double Deal so green I can't see what else is on it."

"Understood.  One green Double Deal, expedited delivery.  When it gets
here, I'll deliver it the rest of the way, myself."

"Thanks, Snapshot.  Let us know when we can come in out of the rain."

"Wilco, Control.  Out."

"Out."

I tossed the radio at Ladyhawk.  "Give this back to Regional."

Ladyhawk twisted, and was met with a shaken head.  "Keep it.  Seconds
save lives."

"Yes, Ma'am.  Would it be out of line if I asked some questions?"

"No, as long as you understand you may not get all the answers, or
enjoy the ones you do get."

"A given, Icewater."

"Sorry, Ladyhawk.  I'm afraid my personal life is affecting my job
performance."

"Is that one reason you let Control handle things?"

"The major one, yes."

"I suspected it might be a problem, so I pushed a little, to let you
know there was someone else available, who had some distance from the
problem, and agreed with you on the most effective solution."

"Well done.  It is always more effective to turn a perceived liability
into a hidden asset.  I will not be surprised if we get a delivery
from a certain pizza parlor."

"Be stupid of them.  We only deliver out this way at closing, and when
one of our closing employees lives in the area."

"You the manager?"

"No.  Part time waitress, and delivery driver."

Heather sighed.  "Forgive me.  Perhaps you'd better address your
questions to Control.  I'm too distracted."

She raised the radio and spoke softly.  "This is Ladyhawk.  I need
Crowbar for a special assignment."

"On his way."

"Thanks.  Standing by."

Ladyhawk and I gazed at each other, until I sighed.  "Father was a man
who was used to leading from the shadows.  He will be remembered as a
man who died while leading from the front.  It is the most insulting
death there is, for a Mills, especially when it is delivered by one,
during circumstances that force the one who made the mistake, to hear
his sentence, and not know what mistake he or she made."

"Has it happened before?"

"No.  He will be the first."

Suddenly we heard some distant gunshots, followed by a kid's voice I
didn't recognize, speaking with the kind of dead calm I knew too well.

"Scratch one and two."

Jessica's voice was next.  "Scratch three, four and five.  We're
running free, so maintain radio silence from here on out.  See you at
the next rendezvous."

Ladyhawk studied the radio, then sighed.  "He's going to be a mess, if
he makes it.  Be a lot easier, if he was putting meat on the table,
instead of the slab."

Pat spoke for the first time.  "Tell him he was destroying nuisance
predators, to rebalance the ecology."

"Thanks, X-ray.  I see some things never change."

"Welcome.  How do you feel about what you had to do?"

"Don't know, other than...  Helpless and carried by events, instead of
controlling them."

Daryl chuckled suddenly, which made Heather giggle.  He was still
smiling when he spoke to Lori.  "FYI, Ladyhawk, you guys blew it when
you mentioned the reason for my nickname.  The incident happened, but
Heather was calling me that years before I destroyed the RV we wound
up buying."

"Oh?"

"I got a dick that's curved enough to hit her g-spot on every stroke.
Add my body to the image, and from the side, I look like a crowbar.
She called me that a few times, and we wound up making it a private
joke."

Lori stared at him, started to giggle, managed to stop them, then she
lost it and burst into laughter.

He waited her out, then spoke very gently.  "Feel better?"

"Yeah.  Thanks.  Is it always like this?  The doubts, and feeling like
you missed something that would have let you find a better solution?"

"Only if you're one of the best."

"Oh.  Yeah."

We shared silence until Ramjet's voice came clearly over a PA system.
"On my mark, people...  Mark!"

Three birds wound up to speed, lifted, then leveled out about three
hundred feet above the ground and flew off.  Ramjet spoke again.
"Let's see how far we get."

Lori stared at me.  "Is he?..."

I shook my head.  "No.  They programmed the autopilots, hit the on
switches, and bailed out.  The commo traffic is for our audience."

"This is National.  Looks good.  I expect to have my desk covered in
reports, in the near future."

Ramjet laughed.  "No problem, Sir.  Hope there's a lap desk in my new
bird.  Otherwise mine will probably be late."

"Noted.  I'll put a set of four in."

"Thank you."

"Ok, folks.  Enough chatter.  Looks like we made it.  Maintain radio
silence, and let's go home.  Regional, it's all yours, if something
happens."

The birds were over a nearby rise in the land when three smoke trails
arced upwards and intercepted them.

Heather sighed and took the radio from Lori's hand.  "They were in the
saddle, folks.  Let's see what we can do to take advantage of their
sacrifices."

I looked at Lori soberly.  "You have a good team, with a good
controller, Ladyhawk."

"I'll let them know as soon as I can, Control."

An hour later we heard a panicked voice.  "Shit!  We surrender!  Hold
your fire!  This is command.  Everyone fire a flare so they know we're
serious!"

A solitary flare arced into the air.

Jessica's weary voice was the next one we heard.  "Scratch...  Sorry,
Control.  We lost count.  Objective reached.  Minor scratches and
bruises.  Bodies are tagged for pickup.  We're bunkered and waiting
for pickup, unless you want us to hike back."

I held up my hand and a radio hit it.  

"This is Control.  One bird for a recon. Take the usual precautions."

"This is Flight Leader, to Control.  Negative on that.  I say again,
negative.  We'll make pickup after we sanitize the flight path.  Keep
your heads down, folks.  We got Christmas trees up here.  Tell us who
decorated them, later.  

"Ok, flight.  I never did like the color red.  Let see what this place
looks like in green.  Debark by the numbers, just like we hoped we
wouldn't have to do.  Don't forget to smile for the cameras, on the
way down, then...   Grab your shovels and start shovelling."

"Go!"

The paratroopers unloaded, then the birds came in and looked us over,
before they settled and unloaded the rest of their passengers.

An older man in faded combat fatigues headed our way and stopped to
look us over when he was about twenty feet away.  "Control is easy to
spot.  That leaves Icewater, who has to be the woman behind the young
lady who is watching me...  Like a hawk.

"I hate to ask this, Icewater. but I'd appreciate it if all of you
stay where you are until your screening element arrives."

Then his smile was so fleeting I almost missed it.  "I was told to
expedite a delivery.  Where would you like the package delivered?"

Heather thought about it, then nodded.  "The man who made the request
is, I assume, checking over the civilian equipment.  Take care of
them, first."

"You heard the Lady.  See to it!"

One of the troop ships lifted and headed towards the media.

He watched it for a bit, then spoke softly, and with regret.  "We were
able to ID the body in the middle bird."

I took it.  "Need to know, Sir.  Once upon a time, he was a good man."

"Interesting way to express it.  What do you want us to do with the
body?"

"What I *want* you to do, is leave it where it is, so it will provide
food for the local wildlife."

"That is...  Extreme, Control."

"No.  It is not enough, for the man who was responsible for this...
Bloodbath my sister and I must spend the rest of our lives atoning
for."

"Atone?"

"Yes.  All this was part of a madman's test, to determine if we are
fit to be his heirs.  He was...  Upset with us for choosing a
different path than the one he expected us to take.  Cremate the body
after you have recovered the remains of the birds, and let the wind
deal with his ashes, as it will."

"He died in the service of good.  Will that do, for an epitaph?"

"Yes.  Thank you for understanding the insult so quickly."

"It is a matter of honor, Control.  Anyone who is honorable, would
understand it."

"I see.  Forgive me for not spotting it sooner.  I have been...
Somewhat distracted by recent events."

At that, he turned back and grinned.  "I will keep your secret, and
hope that those you fight do not learn of it."

It was my turn to laugh.  "Thank you.  Advise your pickup crew that
the four they are collecting will be...  Twitchy, at best.  I would
appreciate it if you have your people thoroughly examine the RV, then
secure it and the area, after the four you pick up are allowed to
enter it."

I hugged Pat.  "I'm sorry, Love.  We can rebuild."

"Marge's?"

"Yes."

"Do it."

I looked up and realized he was frowning.  "What was that all about?"

"There is no reason for your flight crews to...  Feel ignored, if a
way can be arranged to let them join in.  Check with the Director, and
tell him I said we will honor the agreed upon price for Marge's All
Nighter, and the land that goes with it.  Your people need the
experience, we need to remove the buildings so we may better consider
all of our options, before we design the complex we intend to build."

He got thoughtful, then smiled at something.  "Yes...  It is routine
to sanitize the buildings when government land is sold to civilians. I
will suggest a method of sanitation that does not waste the taxpayer's
money.  Thank you for pointing out some possibilities we do not
usually consider as viable."

"Part of my job, to see solutions, instead of problems."

"Speaking of jobs, I am reminded of my duty, which is to see that no
further harm befalls you folks.  Let us be satisfied with the damage
caused by a mud bath.  I will see what can be arranged so that we may
continue our conversation in more congenial surroundings."

I chuckled.  "It would happen sooner, if you have some of your people
secure my home while we wait in the RV.

"I'll see to it."

He reached for his microphone.  "Ok.  Time for the screen.  Someone
see to the rest of it, while we deliver these people to the Director."

Emma shifted and raised her head, before she took a few deep sniffs.
When she was done with that, she made no effort to move when she
looked at me.

I keyed up.  "This is Control!  Everybody drop and freeze!"

The Colonel hit the ground before the rest of his people did, then he
rolled and watched me intently.  "Be nice, to know what happened."

"We have...  A problem.  I suggest you have a couple of EOD teams
start here, then work their way upwind, until they find the surprise.
No matter how...  Amateurish it might appear, expect sophistication
and...  Elegance."

"You sound pretty certain."

"Emma is certain.  I suggest you abort the package delivery, or...
Ladyhawk?"

"Toss me the radio."

I did.

"This is Ladyhawk.  I need both EOD teams back here as soon as
possible, and bring the just delivered package with you.  Sandpaper.
We have a potentially explosive situation, upwind of my location.
You're in charge of our people, but not independent.  Flight Leader
will let you know who is in charge."

"Sandpaper here.  Not much in that area, except that abandoned barn.
I...  Strongly suggest it be removed, to make our jobs a little
easier.  I know the owners, and they would be delighted to not have
pay to have the property cleaned up.  Standing by."

He smiled, then nodded.  "My friends call me 'Locked and Loaded', when
they aren't calling me 'The Fuse'."

He touched his mic.  "This is 'The Fuse', and I'm lit, folks.  Bird
Seven.  Target designated.  Do it  I want to see level ground when
you're done."

"Bird Seven.  We'll do our best, Sir.  Some sort of large metal object
in there, so there might be a slight lump in the middle  Will that be
acceptable?"

"Is that object something you need to worry about?"

"Can't tell."

"If you can see it, you can hit it.  Let's see what we're dealing
with."

"Two away!"

There were wooshes, followed by a couple of booms, then a huge boom
when something went up.

"Bird Seven, Sir.  Want us to launch?"

"Lift only, and see what's out there.  Then...  Weed and pest
abatement.  I want a round in every square inch of that property. Mind
the fences.  No need to make the owners replace them."

"Consider it done.  We're gone."

We watched them leave, then he turned back to Ladyhawk.  "Sandpaper is
a good man.  Just earned himself a pretty ribbon.  What do you folks
do to relax?"

She smiled and waved at the surrounding area.  "Run marathons.  We
load up, pick an area, then make our run and note what's around us.
When we're done, we compare our notes with Google Earth, and a couple
other image banks.  Folks like us are never off duty, only... Planning
for our next mission."

His hand touched his forehead, then he brought it down.  "Love to have
you working with me, but...  You're needed as civilians."

"Thank you, Locked and Loaded.  It's been a pleasure meeting you. I'll
let you get back to your job."

His eyebrows went up, then he nodded.  "Likewise, Ladyhawk."

He focused on what he was hearing, then shook his head.  "Sorry won't
do it, Seven.  Looks like you get to learn how to build a block wall."

"No.  Replace and paint is an unacceptable solution."

"Finish doing what you can, to clean the area, then get the skinny
from Sandpaper before you consult with the owners.  We'll be here
awhile, so you'll have time to get the job done, before we go home and
you fill out all the paperwork a screwup generates."

He laughed.  "True."

He looked at us.  "They accidentally chipped a brick.  It will be
taken care of, out of our collective pockets, since I was the one who
ordered them in."

Pat shifted slightly, then spoke.  "And you'll be right there, helping
build that new fence, won't you?"

"Of course.  Man who calls the shots needs to be as good as his
people.  It's a matter of honor, X-ray."

"Never said it wasn't.  I've never heard that the 82nd and the 101st
believed in anything else."

"How?"

"Casual competence, without complacency.  Can't think of any other
branches who have it, and would be allowed to work at home, on short
notice."

He nodded again.  "Usually takes a special school to teach that."

She laughed softly, then gestured at Ladyhawk.  "When I was a
teenager, I was a baby sitter who seemed to get the kids nobody else
could control.  Did what I could, and hoped they'd never find out I
would have rather joined them."

Lori stared at her.  "You wanted to *join* us, when you were raking us
over the coals?!"

"Yes."

"Oh...  Now it all makes sense!  When this is over, I gotta have
Sandpaper check my ass to see how big the bruises are!"

We all laughed, then kept silent while we waited for the all clear.

We didn't get it.

"Bird Seven, to Fuse.  Appreciate it if you designate a couple birds
for interdiction.  Looks like a possible problem headed for the
civilians.

"Bad?"

"Small arms, unless they have a drop in the area."

"Got it.  Three,  Nine, and Twelve.  Go.  Seven, stay where you are,
get them into position, then Nine is Flight Control.

"Ok, boys and girls.  Extend the perimeter to include the civilians,
then get a route cleared so we can get them,  and their hardware out
of the area, after we check all of it.  If that's not feasible, find a
place to bunker with them until we figure out what to do."

He looked at me thoughtfully.  "Pretty competent madman."

I sighed.  "Yeah.  We know."

He thought about it, then flipped a switch. "This is The Fuse.
National, I have a problem."

"National.  Go."

"I'm not on Control's need to know list.  Can that be fixed?"

"Up to Control and Icewater.  I'm goddamn busy, so quit bothering me
with trivia!"

His eyebrows shot up, he thought about it, then he settled on his side
and studied us.

Eventually he raised an eyebrow.  "I sincerely hope he was faking
that.  Well?"

I studied my sister, she sighed, then nodded.  "There's a reason I'm
Icewater, and he's Control.  Bobby has a natural flair for this sort
of intent focus.  I have to work at it, and...  My head's not
completely in the groove right now.  I need some down time after that
six months.  Conditional yes. You deal with it, Control.  Carte
blanche'

"Thanks, Mary."

I ignored the mud and rolled to my back, then I shaded my eyes while I
watched the clouds, and thought about my answer.  "Hey, Fuse?  Anyone
tell you this is the age of transparency?  Can't speak for the other
regions, but this one has a mandate to do our jobs with that in mind.
Heather's number two is an ex investigative reporter, with a mandate
to keep us open and honest.  It's relevant."

"How transparent?"

"Wikileaks transparent.  The guard dog will be using her own judgment
about going public with what she knows.  It's the age of cell phones
with high res cameras, and kids with computers that have more
horsepower than even you folks have.  Operational security is... Moot,
so don't expect you and your people to be the only ones doing
paperwork soon after the operation is over."

"If the kids have it, so do others."

"True.  We got lucky, and the folks in charge of triggering this
bloodbath were old school, who knew the transition had to happen.
That's a minor part of what affected their calls, once they went
active.  Stress made them revert."

"So that's the reason you made the seemingly insane decision to keep
the kids.  Sorry Ladyhawk, but there will be folks who see it that
way.  I don't.  If we like what we see, we take 'em as soon as they
graduate."

"No problem, Locked.  It's an advantage, as far as we're concerned."

Something caught her attention, she studied it, then she spoke
casually.  "You've got a sloppy bird driver out there.  Got a yard
full of animals in their sight picture.  Might generate some bad
feelings later.  Hard to spin it, when a family pet has something
happen to it.  Money can't replace some things."

He looked, then keyed up.  "God DAMNIT, Twelve!  Ten, get your butt
out there yesterday, and take over in Twelve's area.  Twelve, ground
it where you are, as soon as they have that area covered.  Safe your
bird, then take a look around so you can tell Ladyhawk what the fuck
your screwup was!"

"Sir!  No choice.  We have a group that went to ground in there."

"My orders stand.  We do NOT endanger civilians, of ANY species, for
ANY reason.  We took an oath, remember?"

"Understood.  We'll join the next batch of recruits, and start over."

"Good enough."

He sighed and looked at Ladyhawk.  "What's your vision?"

"Twenty-ten, both eyes, uncorrected.  Didn't need it.  I know the
area."

"Thanks for catching my people before they made a mistake that cost
lives."

He sighed again.  "I was due for my refresher, anyway, and it never
hurts to spend some time out of the pressure cooker."

She smiled slightly.  "Got room for seventeen more?  We'd prefer to
participate instead of observe.  Never hurts for the military to
improve their rapport with the civilians who might wind up commanding
them, someday."

"Be nice, to have people in charge who know the book we use.  I'll see
what can be arranged."

"As long as we go through the same course as your people.  No
shortcuts.  We already know we're good.  It's time to find out just
how good that really is, before we let our egos make us do something
stupid, again."

"Again?  You're damn good, from what I've seen."

"Maybe.  Control doesn't think so.  He said I have a good team, and he
was right.  We blew something, he caught us, and now I get to ream
some butt before we start over and rewrite our book, so it doesn't
happen again."

"Mind if I ask?"

"Not a bit.  Until recently, The Gang of Four had six members, not
four.  All of us missed that when we planned a recent operation."

She glanced sideways, then smiled. "X-ray is number seven, as best as
I can figure out.  Been some others added, and I think The Gang is
going to split, if it hasn't already.  Worry about that later."

"Point."

They both refocused on me, so I picked up the thread of my
conversation.  "It's my opinion that we are better off with what has
happened so far, than if we'd waited.  We moved as soon as we were
certain, and I suspect if we hadn't, we would have seen a major
bloodbath at that Wal Mart, last night, and not the death of one
person, followed by this minor dust up out in the middle of nowhere.

"Anyway...  We'll never be certain, now, but I think all this was
triggered by love that started out as the respect between 'honorable
enemies'."

To give myself some time, I keyed up.  "Control, to Snapshot.  How you
doing out there?"

"Better.  Looks interesting in your area.  We have plenty of company,
so we've been doing something about getting ourselves put back
together.  One Pull and Tumbleweed will be coming out under their own
power.  Staggering a little, and glassy eyed, but mostly functional."

"You and The Ghost?"

"Done what we could.  Shakes are over, and...  We're not completely
enthused about going back to work, but we're riding the wave, and
there's no point in getting off until we know we're done for the day.
Call us if you need us, because the way these folks reacted, you folks
are short handed down there, unless there are some nearby reserves.
They didn't break operational security, but...  When you can read body
language, you learn things."

"Got it.  Situation is covered.  Reserves were already here.  Don't
forget to stretch your legs so they don't cramp on you."

"Right, Control.  We got us a nice view, so we'll enjoy it while we
wait.  Standing by."

"Ladyhawk?  How long?"

"Thirty to forty-five minutes, if they take it easy."

"They will.  Their escorts won't let them push unless there's no
choice."

I refocused on my briefing.  "Fuse?"

"You got some pretty high standards, Control."

"I was a fourth generation Mills, and I'm still alive.  They...  Have
a tradition of making sure their children are better than their
parents.  Dad was true to that, anyway.  It will help me live with the
rest of it."

I finally rolled to my side so I could study him.  "National gave the
order, and all he ordered, was that Ethel should die.  I was the one
who designated Snapshot's target and gave the order to kill the woman
I'm pretty certain my father killed his first wife for.  Dad was on
the edge.  I was the one who knew that possibility was there, and
didn't ask for clarification before I pushed.

"  *I* created the madman, Fuse.

"I knew we might wind up facing something like this.  We had plenty of
evidence that he had quite a few cells out here that didn't know about
each other, and could operate fairly independently.  Better this, than
leaving all those people we missed, without someone to set them in
motion, so they'd all wind up in one place, right?"

"Will some of those 'bodies' still be breathing?"

"Yes.  Most of them.  "

He thought some more, then studied Heather.  "Icewater?"

"We travelled all over the country, and usually returned to my area
for breaks, for six months.  The only exception was the week long stop
in a nearby RV park.  I had all the critical pieces long before my
brother did, but only assembled them last night, shortly before he
did.  I agree with Control's assessment that dad killed mom, but even
with the autopsy, we'll probably never know for certain.

"What bothers *me*, is that she knew about how much dad and Ethel
already loved each other.  Did she hang on as long as she did, so she
could let us know with her last words, that she knew, and expected us
to figure him out?  Or were they genuinely felt and she didn't know
the rest?  That's important on a personal level only, so I'll try to
put it behind me as soon as I can.

"Daryl and I went in and distracted both of them, so The Gang could do
what had to be done.  Dad wasn't suicidal, until Ethel was executed.
It was clear it was an execution, and it was clear to all of us who
mattered, that Control had served notice that he was...  No longer a
Mills, but a Smith, with his own ideas about the dynasty he wanted to
found."

"Are you a Mills?"

"No."

When she didn't elaborate, he nodded slightly, then studied me again
before he sighed.  "I'm missing some pieces, and I'm not sure if I
want to find out what they are, now, or when I get the final report
and analysis."

Emma had her head on my side and had been watching all of us after
she'd alerted.  I finally touched her head and rubbed between her
eyes.  "Emma is gang member five, and Mauler is number six.  I'm a
master trainer, and whatever I learned to do, first her mother, then
she, were the dogs I used to learn it.  The only difference between us
is that she's one piece of wall paper short, the one that says she's
qualified to teach what she knows, to others.  They don't make one for
that, so she couldn't add it to her collection.  I don't think she
cares about the paperwork, anyway.  Mauler is younger, and
specialized, so his collection is fairly small, to match what The
Ghost has collected.

"Does that help?"

"Some.  Man like your father would need something pretty serious, to
distract him at the cusp."

Daryl finally contributed.  "While we were waiting for the media to
finish setting up, he finally asked me how Heather and I met.  I told
him."

"Must have been a good story.  We have the time.  Willing to share it
again?"

"I was a canine handler and had a different dog when I met Heather.
During our off hours, I'd wander with him, and do practice searches in
the fields where I knew a lot of drug related activity took place.
Usually, we'd search for paraphernalia that had been abandoned.
Naturally, I would make sure he was rewarded when he found something.
Since I liked to give those rewards as soon as possible, and he knew
where the finish point was for that field, he drug me to it as soon as
I told him we were done for the evening.

"Heather was there, naked, on her hands and knees, and Orson was tied
with her. I apologized for the interruption, then took the plunge and
asked her if she minded company.  She didn't see any point in
objecting, because there was nothing she could have done if I decided
to stay anyway, so I...  Rewarded Tyson and hoped she'd fall in love
with me, because I was already smitten, with both of them 

"The reward was myself.  I'm gay with dogs.  We waited awhile, and got
married about a year later.   That's need to know, and other than the
people who were waiting with us last night, you folks are the first
we've added to the list of people who know the truth about me.

"Gilbert, our current dog, is the one I was handling when we talked it
over and decided I'd better move into a different division and
specialty, so our children would have the same father all their lives.
I drive a desk, these days, and I'm happier because of it."

"Worried about the media knowing?  They were bound to have mics on you
folks."

Daryl smiled at something, then spoke softly.  "Ethel and Charles got
the short form, just as Ramjet launched.  'You asked me how we met. It
was in a weed covered field, and I let my dog fuck me in front her,
while she was tied, before I proposed to her'."

"Be a damned unusual person, to not let that distract them.  She say
yes, right then?"

"Provisionally.  She put the brakes on so we could come down from the
euphoria.  It was during the cooling off period that she told me about
her past, and gave me the chance to...  Abandon the battle without any
loss of honor.

"I didn't.  We've been allies ever since."

He thought about it, then studied Ladyhawk, who shrugged.  "Need to
know, Sir, and we're civilians."

"There is always the draft."

"Your point, Sir.  However, while it would be easy to spin, questions
would still be asked, and there is that...  Transparency lurking in
the background.  I suggest you accept your losses and be satisfied
with what you have been offered.  You did mention we should remain
civilians."

He snorted, managed to control it, then sighed.  "A teenager who
listens when an adult speaks.  I've seen many things today, that I've
never seen before.  I expect there will be more, before this is over."

He suddenly looked focused again.  "Tell me something.  I already know
that if I asked, I would have passengers willing to go aloft with my
people, so they could do some terrain evaluation.  We both know that
your safety, and survival, is moot at this point, but you are
civilians, and that means I cannot put any of you where you would be
most effective.   If we provide the live coverage, do you have people
who could tell us if what they are seeing has changed from the last
time you scouted this area?"

"Are you planning on including Ramjet and Snapshot as your primary
ground observers?"

"Yes."

"Good.  The Ghost hasn't ridden with them, for years, so we can..."
She held up a hand.  "There's something... "

She thought some more, then nodded slightly.  "Sir, if you have the
people to spare, there's a highline crew that seems to be...  Spending
a lot of time in the same general area."

"Where?"

"See those transmission lines about a half mile behind where the media
is clustered?  They've been doing a lot of tower maintenance in that
area for the last several months.  Painting, and other stuff that gets
several people on the towers."

"Say no more."

He reached, keyed, and when he spoke I could hear a...  Hunger in his
voice.  "Ok, flight.  We have some possibles out there.  All of you
still on the ground, and that includes you, Twelve, need to get high
enough you can get a reading on what's around that highline, that's
about a half mile from the media.  I want overlapping scans, starting
from the road, by the numbers.  We're looking for a power crew and
their vehicles.  Anyone you find, detain them.  If they snarl, snarl
louder.  If they try to bite, bite back, but keep them alive."

He sighed.  "You see anything capable of taking out a bird, take the
gloves off and swat it immediately.  Go when all of you are ready,
seconds count."

"Bird One, Sir.  Mind if we change the sweep pattern slightly?  We'd
like to center on the media, and work out from there."

"Sorry about that mistake, Bird One.  It's a fluid situation.  Man who
set this up was...   Almost as good as his kids, at double thinking
his opposite number.  Things change, you change.  Do whatever you
think will keep the most people alive.  That's all I want, right now."

"Sir?!"

He didn't answer, just removed his radio and tossed it to Ladyhawk.
"You don't need me in the middle, screwing things up.  Your team and
mine.  Do what you have to.  Anything goes wrong, I'll take the fall."

She shook her head.  "We'll take the fall."

She settled his radio, then spoke clearly.  "This is Ladyhawk, to all
birds.  You see anything except coyotes, rabbits and scrub, you tell
us what, and you tell us where, using any coordinate system that's
more accurate than 'over there, to my right'.  We don't have radar, so
keep that in mind at all times.  Just let my people know what the
system is, then use it until the operation is over.  If my team can't
confirm it, you deal with it in whatever way you feel will keep those
civilians alive.  Now, get your butts out there before my team and I
decide we don't need your help, and we run past you."

"Yes, Ma'am!  One to Flock!   Move it, move it, MOVE IT!"

He looked at her and she raised her chin, then keyed up her other
radio.  "Eagle!  Coyote!  Sandpaper!  We're support for terrain
verification.  Center on the media and the area between them and those
highlines.  Ramjet and Snapshot, get in there with them and back my
people up after you get here.  I'll get all of you some radios so you
can work with the birds, directly.  No time to explain, so don't
bother me until I say you can."

She switched radios.  "Ladyhawk to ground support, and don't give me
any guff, people.  Who's sitting on their butts, closest to Control's
digs?"

"Squads Nine, Fifteen and Seventeen, Ma'am."

"My people need radios to support your birds.  We've got the best
chance of keeping those civilians, and your birds, alive, so just set
things up and stay out of their way.

"Bird One.  For now, split into three op groups to spread the load
across my people in place.

"All people on this frequency.  Operations traffic only.  If you can't
maintain a ten minute mile in sand and scrub, for at least twenty six
miles, don't try to run and hide from me, because I *will* run you
down and kick your butt all the way back to base.  I also need a squad
to greet and escort my people back to base.  Whoever is on the wrong
side of halfway between us and the civilians, gets to buy dinner for
the people on the right side."

She switched.  "Ladyhawk to all Fourettes and the civilian EOD crew.
Leave the EOD crew with the civilians and return to base immediately,
for terrain verification duties.  You'll have an escort meeting you.
Whoever is on the wrong side of halfway when you meet up, buys dinner
for the winners."

"You want us to fly in formation?"

"No.  Firewall it.  We'll have your laptops ready and waiting when you
get here."

"Got it.  On our way."

She shut up, focused on The Fuse...  And waited.

He finally nodded slightly.  "I won't insult you by asking if you
meant it when you said you'd kick butt.  Usually, that's my job."

"If you think you can do a better job, I will give you both radios,
then apologize in front of a full formation of your people, and the
director, after I explain to Control that I took you at your word."

"Ouch.  Keep the radio."

"Thank you."

"You do know you challenged them?"

"I do.  Are your people good, or 'damn good'?"

"State the challenge, so we can find out, when this ratfuck is sorted
out."

"I have seventeen people, including myself.  A marathon, at the time,
and on the terrain, of your choosing, using seventeen of your own
people.  First team to leave a team member behind, loses.  Both teams
carry their own support, to include water and whatever else they think
they will need.  Medical support in the chase vehicles, and a man lost
due to a medical emergency, doesn't count against either team.  Other
than that, it's a pure run to the finish line.  In case of a tie...
I'll leave it up to you."

"I sense a catch of some sort."

"Perhaps.  We modeled our portable training equipment on what we could
learn about what you use to train your people.  We...  Usually train
on it before we make our run, but sometimes we get bored, and reverse
that order.  Use your best, because they are the only people we want
to compare ourselves to."

"To use a tired phrase, I have a lot of 'damn good people', to choose
from."

"So?  Oh, before I forget, marathons don't traditionally include
anything other than pure running.  If you want to change that, you
may, but please consider the increased risk of injuries or death.  If
you make that decision, we will concede the loss ahead of time, then
do our best to complete the race safely, and with our entire team kept
together.  Before you think of our egos, I will remind you, Sir, that
the oath is to serve.  It does not say how."

"You look like a Prom Queen, and sound like a Drill Instructor's worst
nightmare come to life, backed up by a command presense that made my
number two shut up and soldier, instead of following procedure and
asking me what the chain of command is."

Ladyhawk smiled.  "I've had a few years practice."

"There's more."

She turned white and keyed up.  "Ladyhawk to ALL birds! It's a trap!
Cease forward flight and go high!  Go high, damnit!  Get yourselves
some breathing space!"

"Are you sure?  There's nothing but...  Oh, Jeezus!  Bird One to ALL
Birds.  Weapons free, flock.  Switching to IR.  If it looks like it's
big enough to hold a launcher, plug it.  Watch out for camo'd
installations and personnel.  Twelve, you're closest.  Go find out if
those folks on the boom trucks are feeing suicidal."

She thought briefly, then sighed before she studied Heather. "Somebody
with some authority needs to shut down the media until this is over."

"Toss me my radio."

Once she had it, she spoke into it.  "Regional to National.  We need
the media shut down, and a ground sweep to make sure there's nothing
on the air except our people.  Whoever it is that's out there,
Ladyhawk is certain they're using the media coverage to maintain their
battlefield awareness."

"Relax, Regional.  Runners are already on their way.  One of
Ladyhawk's people remembered a relevant bit of local history and
mentioned it to me."

"Thank you, Sir.  Standing by."

The radio went back to Ladyhawk, then Heather smiled slightly.  "Local
history?"

"Yes, Ma'am.  Forty years ago, this area was nothing but sand and
scrub, so a paramilitary group decided it would be ideal for their
'war games'.  People *think* they put in weapons caches all over, but
nobody knows for certain.  There's an area out there, where they must
have built some sort of base, because people still come across old
bunkers and the occasional missed stockpile.  Lots of craters out
there, because that stuff is destroyed in place, instead of it being
recovered and taken somewhere else so it can be dealt with."

She turned to Fuse.  "We heard about the RV getting blown away with an
anti tank round.  Sorry.  We were thinking in terms of modern
equipment and missed the possible connection.  We even keep our eyes
open when we work in this area and report anything we think might be
related."

She lifted the radio.  "This is Ladyhawk.  Sandpaper, share what we
know about that paramilitary operation.  Flight Leader mentioned a
Christmas tree with red decorations.  Let's find out what we've
missed, and see if they missed anything that we noticed."

"Got it, Ladyhawk.  Should have remembered that detail.  Wish we could
face to face so you can take advantage of our command center."

"You folks need a babysitter, I'll send X-ray to you.  How bad is it,
Sandpaper?"

"Getting better.  We'll see that the ground crews get what we know
about that old stuff, so they can get us some breathing room.  Update
on the barn.  It was an antique howitzer.  No idea where it came from.
Wrong vintage for our paramilitary folks.  They had a preference for
more modern, and man portable equipment.  Something like that doesn't
fit their mindset."

I sighed and she noticed.  "Stand by.  I think Control has something
he wants to tell us."

II looked at Fuse and sighed again.  "There were two of them, Fuse.
Lovingly restored, with plenty of custom made live rounds to feed
them.  Even had practice blanks for parades and other special
occasions.  I was told that they were used to announce when Heather
and I were born.  I'm not military enough to make the call, but I
think I know where the mate is.  I'd like to recover it intact, but...
Live people are more important than a kid's memories of a happier
time."

He gestured at Ladyhawk.  "I understand, I think.   She's in charge
right now."

I moved my head slightly.  "If it's not tucked away somewhere at
Marge's, there's a chance it's somewhere that covers that area.  Marge
and Ethel were too good for those things to have come in without them
spotting them, or knowing in advance they would be brought in.  Have
someone take a look at 'Fort Marge', with that in mind."

"Ladyhawk to Sandpaper.  Control thinks that howitzer has a twin, and
it could be at Fort Marge's.  Find out if we really do think like the
people who do this for a living.  Share our evaluations and let them
make the decisions about how they want to deal with that problem. Tell
Bird One that if he hasn't been supplementing his onboard intel with
real time from the sats, I'm going to turn him over to Locked and
Loaded, *after* I get done with him.  You folks back him up, once he
decides how he wants to handle things."

"Relax, Ladyhawk.   He's using every resource he has access to.
Something about getting tired of surprises, and...  He's pretty
certain he'd rather face a lit fuse, than a stooping hawk, when all
this is over."

"Smart man.  Tell him I'll stamp his application for membership in the
Fourettes, 'approved', if he gets bored with his current job."

There was a pause, then Sandpaper replied.  "His reply was 'With
respect, Ma'am. This square peg knows he's in a square hole.  Besides,
Locked and Loaded lets us take breaks once in awhile.' "

"Got it Sandpaper.  I'll leave you folks alone."

She smiled at something, then spoke softly.  "Smart man.  Now his
people know for certain he's following orders out of respect, and he
trusts me.  Maybe, now, they'll stop humoring a teenager, and do their
jobs right."

She focused on Fuse and there was something in her posture that said
she was very, very angry at something.  He saw it, because he winced
before he spoke.  "I was wondering if you noticed all our mistakes."

"Snapshot and One Pull safed our route to high ground, yet you folks
spotted a lot of other stuff while you were on the way in.  I didn't
put it together until I remembered the paramilitary caches.  If you
were able to spot those, how come your people didn't spot the ones
between the media and the highlines?  Sounds to me like some people
weren't paying attention to their gear, or it was turned off."

Then she pointed at him.  "But you, Sir, were briefed before you came
in, and had to have been told this would NOT be a casual stroll in the
park, because the people you faced were 'mere civilians'.  Sloppiness
begins at the top, Fuse.  I'll grant you my reasoning about the chain
of command is thin, but while the President is your commander in
chief, he answers to the civilians he speaks for.  I am one of those
civilians.  I am NOT pleased with what your attitude towards the
civilians you were ordered to protect, and the job you were given to
perform, has been.  You WILL fix this problem, and you will also see
that your people KNOW you fixed it.  Have I made myself clear?"

"You have, Ma'am."

"Good."

She removed his radio and tossed it back to him.

He studied it, then sighed and keyed up  "This is The Fuse.  I just
got my butt kicked up to my eyebrows,   It was earned, boys and girls.
I fucked up by the numbers, not once, but several times, and it
started before I brought us in.  When then this is over, we're ALL
starting over, and we're going to keep starting over until we get it
right.  I'm...  I'm sorry I let you all down."

He held the radio up and she shook her head.  "Keep it.  They're still
your people to lead, if you want the job."

"About those marathons you folks run?"

"At least once a weekend, we go out as a group and stay together while
we push to at least match our previous best, on any terrain.  When we
arrive, we note our time, take a fifteen minute break, then we deploy
in hostile terrain order and try to beat that time on the return trip.
We're working on beating the outbound times more often than we do now,
which is about one third of the time.  We are not unencumbered.  At
the least, we make sure we are fully independent of outside support.
During the week, we limit ourselves to one way, and take our
schoolwork with us so we can work on it while we run, before we focus
on noting any changes to the landscape.  You have my sincere apologies
for our own lack of professionalism.  One of us should have remembered
our history as soon as we knew where we were headed.  We will work to
improve our ability to return to full alertness after we have been on
down time.

"The best I can do is offer that we corrected our mistakes in time to
prevent the certain loss of more lives, due to *our* lack of
professionalism."

"We, too, will start over, and keep doing that until we get it right."

"You are kind, Ma'am.  While correcting your own mistakes, you also
worked on correcting mine, and those of my people, that followed.
Normally, I would offer you honorary membership in our ranks.  I think
you will understand me when I withhold that, because we are not worthy
of you, and your team.  When we can prove we are, someone will
reconsider making the offer."

He was watching her when he keyed up.  "Flight Leader to Bird One. Got
a free moment?"

"Providing air support to the ground crews.  Six has been dispatched
to go look for that howitzer's twin.  Got some good possibilities for
where it is, and possibly some more modern stuff.  We're in a holding
pattern, so go ahead."

"Ladyhawk thinks you're the only one of us good enough she feels you
might make her team.  I agree.  Battlefield promotion.  Take good care
of our boys and girls.  I'm removing myself from the chain of command
for incompetence under fire."

"Understood, Sir.  Is that incompetence official, or a field decision
due to stress?"

"Official."

"Roger.  Been a pleasure, Sir, and...  We'll miss you.  Please stay
available for consultations."

"Sorry, Bird One.  It's up to you and Ladyhawk, now."

He tossed her the radio, stood, then straightened his shoulders and
headed for where the main group was settled.  "Guess it's time to go
explain myself to the man who trusted me enough to call me in."

We watched until he got there, then Ladyhawk looked at the radio she
held before she sighed deeply and keyed it up.  "This is Ladyhawk.  If
any of you folks think it's easier to be a civilian, than a soldier,
my door is always open.  I found one of you who might make it.  Maybe
I'll find a few more just like him.  If anyone wants to join me when I
pay the price for violating my own orders, feel free to speak up."

"Bird One to Ladyhawk.  Name the place, and when.  We'll be there. ALL
of us."

"I'll let you know, Bird One.  Go back to Sandpaper.  He's my number
two, and the man with the skinny you folks need."

"Roger.  Thanks, Ladyhawk.  Squad Fifteen, the next time someone in
the chain of command tells you to move, you'd better be halfway to
your target by the time they finish speaking.  I know you can do
better than you did, which was get caught with your pants around your
ankles.  Transponders say you were barely started when her people blew
past you as a group, at *their* three quarter mark.  I expect a better
showing the next time you have to protect some civilians."

"Squad Fifteen, to Bird One.  Sorry, sir.  I waited until my squad was
all saddled up, instead of sending anyone who was ready to go.  Won't
happen again."

"Special circumstances, but it's no excuse when you've been claiming
you're the best in the business.  I've been wondering if we'd ever get
run over like we're used to running over everyone else.  Now, we know
how they feel."

"Yes, Sir!  We've been talking about what senior officers do to pay
for their screwups.  Mind if we ask Ladyhawk about that?"

"It's your butt.  If you want to lose it, go ahead."

"Thanks, Bird One.  Ladyhawk?  What does a solid gold bitch do to
herself when she screws up big time?"

"She tells her people to lay out a course, then she puts on a diaper
and runs it alone, with only  her thoughts to keep her company, non
stop.  Her team leapfrogs her, and at every mile marker, one of them
hands her a playing card.  When she gets the joker, she's done, and
considered fit to keep leading them."

"So it's a non stop double marathon?

"Yes."

"How many times, Ma'am?"

"This will be number five."

"I'm command track, Ma'am.  I think I can speak for all of us when I
ask you to consider taking Flight Leader with you.  I'm not asking you
to hold back.  That's not right, and it wouldn't be good for him."

"A collective vote of confidence, and you want me to deliver it?  What
if I disagree?"

"We can't play in your league, yet, Ma'am.  We'd like Flight Leader to
be our boss when we *are* ready to play at that level."

"You're there, you deliver the message.  When he feels he is capable
of doing his job again, I'll be there to see him off, and when it's
over, I want you there to hand him the joker."

"Thank you, Ma'am.  I'll deliver your message after I give him mine.
That's all I had."

"You're welcome, Squad Fifteen.  Anyone else interested in running
personal escort, now that you know?"

"Bird Twelve here."

"Go."

"You knew me as Sagebrush, but I hear most of the folks I knew back
then call me Runaway, now.  Sorry about the earlier screwup.  Anyway,
I guess my grandparents weren't blowing smoke when they bragged about
how much they had squirrelled away out here.  Never seen this area
from the air before, so I didn't recognize it when we came in.  One of
those stories was about nobody ever knowing where it all was, and that
each company was required to build and stock a complete command
bunker.  Way I remember it, there were at least six companies when
they got shut down.  When I left, only one command bunker had been
found and sanitized.  Just thought you and Bird One would like to know
about that."

"Good to see you Sagebrush.  I wondered what had happened to you.
Anyway, Sandpaper has been collecting all the facts and rumors, then
seeing how they fit together.  He's on the civilian frequency if you
need to pass anything on about that.  I know one more was definitely
found, and there was one nobody was sure about.  That means we have at
least nine left, because if I'm remembering it right, Sandpaper is
pretty confident there were the six companies, and they built a
primary and a secondary, with fallbacks between them."

"Yeah, those folks were seriously paranoid, and some of them had lots
of money, and some pretty good contacts for getting what they wanted,
instead of what they had to accept.  You folks wouldn't happen to have
any of the working frequencies for the military radios for that era,
would you?"

She laughed.  "Talk to Sandpaper.  Be sure to tell him what type you
want."

"What I want, is to know what the frequencies my spotter is seeing,
tell us about what's using them.  My spectrum analyzer is seeing
spikes in some military spectrum we don't use.  You copy, Bird One?"

"We copy, and I'll ream butt for my people missing that, later.  We've
been busy. Bird Six found the howitzer, and it looks like it was
parked next to the entrance for one of those command bunkers.  Logic
tells me that each company had their own AoR, but I'm not willing to
bet on that.  So...

"Bird One, to everygodamnbody!  I want solid perimeters around home
base, and the media.  Find a defensible location for your prisoners,
then bunker up and keep your eyes open for a recovery operation, or an
attempt to remove those loose ends you're protecting.

"Bird Twelve.  As soon as someone arrives to take over supervision of
the people you're watching, I want you to head for home base and face
to face with Sandpaper, then all of you can get us some sort of
perimeter for the area we're going to sweep.

"Bird One to the rest of the flock.  Once we have that perimeter,
we're going to scour it clean.  I want to see at least twelve command
bunkers on the new map, but don't let that convince you there can't be
any more.

"National?  I know it's going to be a bitch, but we need people to
close down the roads in and out of whatever area we wind up needing to
sweep.  I would appreciate it if you ask for volunteers to use their
birds to ferry some of my squads to wherever we find something, or
someone of interest.

"I also need some folks to go door to door and check on any people
living in the area while we're in the air giving your people some
cover.  To aid that, on my authority, or National's, I want volunteers
to act as observers in those news choppers.  Tell their pilots they
don't have an option about it.  I'll allow one other person in those,
if anyone wants to find out what it's like to be a war time
correspondent.  We'll tell you when to launch, and where to go.  I
will tolerate reluctance to fly, but I will not accept refusal.  You
remind them we're in a war, and if they want to get out of here to
tell their stories, they're going to have to help us find the people
who want to kill all of us.

"Any questions?"

There was silence.

"Ok.  Twelve.  As soon as you're free, you know what I want.  The rest
of you, form on me, and we'll go take a look at the remains of
Control's home.  We might as well do what we should have done, which
is start where the other side started, and this time, we're going to
do it by the numbers, and get it done right."

One of his people jogged up to us and looked us over, before he handed
us some radios.  "We're sorry, folks, but we can't let you clump
together.  It's risky enough, letting Ladyhawk's people be all in one
place.   Once we find and remove anyone within a mile, who has line of
sight on us, we have a spot picked out where we'll set up some tents,
and then we'll escort you to them.  It's the best we can do, right
now."

Everyone looked at me, so I thought about it, then pointed at the
remains of the barn.  "Somebody set things up so we have a predug
bunker.  If we assume the area inside that fence line is sanitized,
once you have the observers taken care of, let us join you for a brief
hike to our new home.  Since one of those block walls is going to be
replaced, let's tear it down ourselves.  Get my drift?"

"I like it.  I'll be back when we're ready to move out."

Awhile later, we were helped up, and the worst of the mud was wiped
off before we started walking towards the remains of the barn.

Conversations were terse, and limited to the kind of chatter exchanged
between men and women who know they might be in someone's sights.

When we reached the dirt intersection nearest the property, the squad
leader called a halt, then gathered his troops around us before he
spoke.  "Sir?  Mind telling us what you wanted to look for out here?"

"Good man.  Any of you Sherlock Holmes fans?"

"Mr. Doyle is required reading."

"Good.  'Hound of the Baskervilles'.  What did the dog do in the
night?"

He thought, then nodded.  "Nothing, Sir.  How is that relevant?"

"Emma hasn't alerted to any explosives.  That means there aren't any
upwind of us, that have been brought in recently, or are exposed to
the air.  I haven't had access to the more modern stuff, so don't be
thinking that area is one hundred percent clean."

"We understand."

"Good, because it's only part of what worries me.  Correct me if I'm
wrong about this, but when this place was blown off the map, I heard
two small explosions, followed by a third, much larger one."

"Shit!  Where are the rounds for that thing?!  What the Hell *did* get
blown up?"

"Good man.  We're looking for evidence of a path that's been traveled
frequently, sometime within the past two years or so.  Six months is
more likely, but not a given.  If it makes you feel better about our
safety, We'll stay here while you do what you have to do.  I have a
warning.  *Expect* extreme sophistication, backed by a...  Twisted
sort of thinking that loves elegance.  Think in terms of going up
against me, Regional, and Ladyhawk after we've had all the time we
needed, to think this over after reading the book you follow and we'd
thoroughly scouted this area."

"That's...  Nasty, Sir."

"Very.  Just because you get through an area once, don't be thinking
you can do it again, without losing people."

"Then it's forget the driveway, just because they wouldn't want to
hurt any locals or casual tourists.  Still, they must have had a safe
way in and out, for when they wanted to lock and load.  If we assume
they would have blown the walls out, that leaves them with good
coverage of this area.  Wish we knew which way it was pointed.  Those
things were hard to align in a hurry.  War was a lot slower paced back
then..."

"Got something?"

"Not sure.  They had to have a reason for putting it out here.  Could
have been storage, but I'm assuming they were expecting something to
happen in this area.  Plus, there are all those people Snapshot and
One Pull neutralized.  If I assume their placement for you to find was
deliberate, and they knew they could get taken out, that means they
were probably defending something, as well as doing what they could to
keep you bottled up, or delay anyone coming in."

He keyed up.  "Squad Fifteen, to Bird Twelve.  Sorry to bother you,
but we need a full scan of a two mile area, centered on that barn you
blew up.  We have all the civilians and their animals relocated to a
safe area, so anyone left is a hostile.  I'm pretty certain we
destroyed a mockup, and the real one is out there, somewhere.  I think
we walked into a trap  Only reason they didn't try to blow us away
sooner, I think, is because those things are damned hard to align, and
they didn't have preset stakes to cover where the party started."

He gestured.  "Let's get out of here.  I'll let one of you pick a
direction."

I smiled slightly.  "It's easy.  We know we can't stay here, and we
know we can't go back.  Ladyhawk probably knows all the best places to
bunker in the area, so let's head for one of the worst, as long as
it's not towards any houses, but is in the area you folks cleared on
the way in....  Wait a minute.  I need to check on something."

I keyed my radio,  "Control, for Ramjet.  You on the freq?"

"Yeah.  Maybe even the same page of the book, for once.  Go."

"That night is a little vague for me, but didn't the three of us have
a good laugh when you described the idiots who put a couple of
shipping containers in a wash, because they didn't want people
spotting them and cleaning them out of all their worldly goods?"

"Yeah.  We *are* on the same page.  It was about a mile from your
location.  We have some eyes on the roof, and he noticed one of those
containers has its doors facing your direction.  Bird Twelve is on his
way, to get a good look."

"Got it.  Any other directions we have to avoid when we get off ground
zero?"

"Just the usual ones.  Something odd, though, and I've already briefed
Bird Twelve.  At the time, I thought people were being sloppy about
how they set their storage containers, and other outbuildings.  Now,
I'm not so sure.  My gut says we got lucky, and came in from the wrong
direction, and settled in the wrong place.  You didn't have any
alternative locations out here, did you?"

"None.  Brainstorm that as if these people were planning a fighting
retreat, to draw us into the trap they really wanted us to find."

"Got it.  Pick a direction, and we'll know which one it is, and do
what we can to keep you out of trouble."

"Thanks."

I looked around, then grinned.  "My suggestion is that we put
ourselves at right angles to those containers, and wait for Twelve to
join us.  Be nice if we had someone who is sniper rated knock on the
door, to let them know we're in the area."

"And if someone shoots back?"

"They can probably see us no matter where we go.  Did I say shoot from
our location?"

He grinned back.  "You did not.  Ladyhawk?  I need three things.  A
place for my man to camp so they have a bad angle on him when he
knocks on their front door.  A place that gives us decent cover and a
good view of those containers while leaving us a place to duck.
Finally, a fallback location that's reachable from the observation
point and is in sight of the observer at home base, but can't be seen
by anyone who might be in those containers."

"Anything I give you might be pre spotted, and they can drop the walls
or open up some gun ports."

"Those walls move without warning, Bird Twelve is going to raise the
roof.  We've ridden with him a few times, and he and his crew are...
Twitchy and fast off the mark.  I think I know why, now.  Always did
think he had stuff he wasn't sharing, but that's true of a lot of us
when it comes to our past."

"Bird Twelve, to Squad Fifteen.  Hit the dirt!  We're coming in low
and fast.  There's movement at those containers...  Got 'em!  One
away!"

We heard an impact, then the sudden thuds as rounds starting going
off.

Twelve's voice was tired.  "Damn.  I ain't seen nothing like it since
Fourth of July.  Must have hit their ammo bunker  All it was, was a
warning shot to let them know opening those doors the rest of the way
would be a real *big* mistake.  Somebody haul a medivac team in there
after we isolate the containers, and things settle.

"Once around, folks.  I want overlapping deep penetrators about twenty
feet away from those containers.  We'll look for exits when we're
done.

"Control, that antique is one tough gun.  It's bent in a few places,
but looks like it's still usable.  I'll try to keep it in the
condition it is now.  Looks like you folks are going to have a pretty
impressive collection of mementos to put on display somewhere."

"Control to Bird Twelve.  If you have to do it, blow that damn thing
in place.  We got enough innocent, and not so innocent, lives on our
consciences."

"Understood, Control.  I was hoping to stay a virgin, but that's
pretty unlikely, now.  Those containers are shredded and I see...
Pieces of people in the area.  We got us quite a complex out here, so
once we close all the tunnels we've found, that link all those damn
bunkers, we'll call in our tunnel rats and let them dig out any
survivors."

We watched them send a few more penetrators at whatever they'd found
nearby, then he moved off and started working his way across the
valley.

"Bad Penny to Squad Fifteen.  Keep your heads down until I give the
word.  We got us some exits to cover, and some other stuff to do.  Be
awhile.  I'm dropping a relief squad so you folks can use the time to
relax before you go back to base.

"In other news, Bird One has his perimeter, and once they sweep
Control's home area, they'll be working up his valley and starting
those sweeps.  Now, leave me alone until I check in again."

"Got it, Bad Penny.  Good to see you, too."

I frowned, then focused on Heather.  "Didn't you run with a guy who
liked to call himself 'Bad Penny'?"

She nodded slightly. Then she faced the man in charge of our squad.
"God damnit, I'm tired of this shit.  My authority as regional
director.  Sorry to do this to you.  I want you to arrest and strip
that relief squad, then I want you to recall Twelve so he can keep an
eye on Bad Penny and his people.  Do it now!"

He keyed up.  "Fifteen to Twelve.  Get your butt back here, now.  We
got some seriously odd movement out there, and we need some eyes on
it!"

"On our way!"

He looked at his people.  "You heard the lady.  Normal split.  My
people with me, the rest of you stop that relief squad in its tracks.
If they argue, or make a move towards their weapons, blow the sons of
bitches away."

He looked, then motioned for his men to follow him, and they were
gone.

The others looked at each other, then moved to intercept their
targets.

Once they moved I looked at Ladyhawk.  "Closest cover.  You lead."

She looked around to orient herself, then moved away from the
impending action.

We'd just reached the back side of a sand dune when we heard shots.
All of us froze in place, and seconds later we heard other shots, then
the more authoritative sound of a bird's main guns firing.

The firing slowed and stopped, then Twelve spoke.

"Ok, folks.  Will someone tell me what the Hell is going on here,
other than me finding myself shooting at some of my own?"

Heather keyed up.  "Sorry, Twelve.  This one was personal between me
and Bad Penny.  He used to whisper in my ear when I was a teenager,
and when I left him, he swore that if he couldn't have me, nobody
would.  Not sure if he was on his own, or a contingency plan."

"Damn.  Will this shit *ever* stop?"

"Be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah.  Ok, we have the fuel.  Listen up, folks.  I don't care what
fancy plans it screws up.  We're staying here, and anyone in our sight
line who points something at us that looks like something that I think
shouldn't be, is getting blown away, and I no longer care who goes
with them.  The gloves are off, and I now take orders from Ladyhawk,
Regional, or Control, so don't be trying to change my mind, or think
you can send people out here without their permission.

"Bird One, I'm genuinely sorry, but these folks outrank every goddamn
person in the service, and I'm making them my responsibility, because
there ain't a one of our people that I trust, except the ones on my
bird, and Squad Fifteen."

"Bird one, to Bird Twelve.  I understand.  You and Squad Fifteen are
detached for special duty.  We'll work ourselves around you when we're
in your AoR."

Then he surprised us by keying up again.  "Twelve to Ramjet and
Snapshot."

"Ramjet.  Go."

"Think you can find reverse on an Apache?"

"They have wings that spin, and a flight stick.  Shouldn't be a
problem.  What's on your mind?"

"If Control approves it, I'd appreciate it if the two of you find a
bird for yourselves, then put together a care package before you put
it in reverse and make a special delivery.  Welcome to stay, once you
get here.  Control?"

"Control here.  Shit, folks, that's what they want us to do, clump up.
Request denied.  Put the reloads and fuel on the Fourette's trucks,
before you back them halfway.  Drivers can bail out and get the Hell
out of Dodge.  After we see The Ghost and Mauler check it all out,
they can hike out before we have Squad Fifteen send half his people
out to bring the supplies the rest of the way.  After that, we wait
for the flock to finish their sweep, before we decide what to do
next."

"Ramjet to Control.  We'll let you know before we move."

"Control to Twelve.  Thanks for being here.  You think we're safe
enough we can take some naps?"

"Sure, Control.  Appreciate it if you do it in rotation."

"No problem.  Don't call us, we'll call you, unless it hits the fan
again."

I dropped my radio on the ground, then looked at Ladyhawk.  "Get us
off ground zero without anyone except Bird Twelve seeing us."

"What about who's on the roof?"

"If you can't avoid them, let them know you want silence."

"Got it.  Follow me, and keep low."

She took us on a route that twisted and turned, until we were in a
wash.  "Ok.  Risky, but safer than where we were.  Where to?"

"We can't go out the way we came in.  Only thing we can do is stay in
Twelve's AoR, and wait."

"I was afraid of that.  Let's get out of this wash, and find us some
bushes to hide behind.  At least we don't have to worry about watching
above us."

We settled, then I sighed and kissed Pat.  "What are we going to tell
the kids about our honeymoon?"

"What else?  We hiked into the desert, then tried to make them."

I laughed, then touched Emma.  "You're a damn good girl, Emma."

That thought made me look up and around, until I spotted Bird Twelve.
I touched my mouth and made chewing motions, then I tipped my head
back and mimed taking a drink.

Shortly after that Twelve shifted slightly and he spoke easily.  "Bird
Twelve here. Stand by and stay down until I give the word.  Have
something we need to check out.  We need better coverage of those
exits, too."

They dropped and came at us sideways, and about fifty feet out, turned
so their door was facing us, then they dropped a couple large boxes
before they lifted and hovered.  "Sorry.  We had a bad angle on a
tumbleweed that had an odd shadow.  Lots of nothing.  I'll let you
know if any of those exits open.  While we wait, see if there's anyone
alive in that wreckage, and do what you can to save them."

Ladyhawk retrieved our rations, and the first thing I did was let Emma
drink her fill.  "Sorry, girl."

Then we ate and I shared a ration pack with her, before I touched her
lightly.  "Take a break, girl."

She moved just enough so she was completely shaded, then she curled up
and went to sleep while I petted her.

Everyone else did what they had to do, then they settled until it was
me, with Emma on one side and Pat on the other, with her head on my
lap, and Ladyhawk nearby and facing us so we could watch each other's
backs.

She gestured at the unopened box.  "Camo kit.  Looks like it's part of
one of the newer ones that can help against radar when a bird goes
down."

"Let's wait on using it."

"Did what I could, but until the rain washes things out, we can be
tracked."

"Happens, it happens.  Know of any good places to bunker up, between
here and that valley just past Marge's?"

"Same one he called yours?"

"Yeah."

"Not really, and Marge's has line of sight on all of the best ones.
Never thought about that, before."

"Neither did I.  What about in my valley?"

"Yours?"

"I own most of the valley floor.  Wanted a back door that couldn't be
blocked."

"Ah.  Couple places in there, where a bird could land so their back
was protected, and they could cover most of what was in front of them.
Winds can get pretty bad in a storm.  We'd have to land in the open
and hike in."

"Yeah, there is that, isn't there?  Oh, well....  I'll be damned."

I looked up, pointed at the bird, then turned sideways and held my
hand in front of my face and moved my mouth like I was talking, then
hoped they would figure it out.

A couple minutes later I got my answer.  "Bird Twelve, to Squad
Fifteen.  Take my advice, guys. Make sure none of the women you travel
with are the delicate type.  Eyes front and keep an eye on things
while I land and let two of my suddenly delicate feeling crew members
take a powder."

"Squad Fifteen here.  We'll be gentlemen.  Never wise to piss off a
woman when she's going to be at your back and in control of more
firepower than you're packing."

"Thanks. Fifteen.  Keep me advised."

"Will do."

The bird dropped, two women with some serious hardware jumped out,
then it lifted slightly and they worked their way towards us.

They looked us over, then offered us what they held. "Thanks for
giving us a chance to find an excuse to give you something heavier
than sticks.  What's on your mind, Control?"

"I'm tired of being on the defensive, and getting muddy."

"Can't argue with that.  That's part of our job description, not
yours."

"So, how about you folks get smart all of a sudden, and get us some
rolling bunkers that have some serious teeth, and drivers that have
attitudes?  Know anyone like that?  And why the fuck didn't you people
bring them with you?  Even a recruit knows you have to beat feet on
the ground, if you want to keep it after you use all the fancy gear to
clear it.  Bring in enough you can get the civilians clear, then you
folks can get serious, instead of playing this damn hide and seek."

"Shit.  And don't that raise some serious questions?  Worry about it
later.  Small arms in the other box  Space was tight, so we used the
netting to cushion them.  We'll let you folks figure out who gets to
handle the stuff we delivered."

She looked up, motioned, and shortly after that, they were back in
position.  It couldn't have been more than a couple minutes later when
we heard an angry voice.

"Bird Twelve, to Bird One."

"Go."

"God DAMNIT, Sir!  When are we going to realize this is a war, and
quit trying to finesse these folks?  Let's get serious about this, and
call in the rolling bunkers, so we can get the civilians out of here,
then we can all do the jobs we trained to do, and show these people
that if they want to play with mil spec hardware, they're going to
answer to the original owners!  We *need* the armor and infantry here,
because no matter what we do up here, somebody is going to have to
slog in the mud, if we want to *keep* our gains, and *we* don't have
enough people to do it right!"

"It's about time someone developed some brains.  We're coming in. Our
invitations to the party were delayed for some reason.  That's being
looked into.

"Ladyhawk!  Request permission to ask your people for directions.  I
want to deal with people who are *competent* at their jobs, and it's
starting to look like your team and the company you're keeping, is it,
in this lot."

"Sandpaper!  You heard the man!"

"On it!  Standard longitude and latitude follows.  Anticipated hottest
lzs first, so be ready."

He started reeling off coordinates in a measured cadence.  After he
finished, he spoke calmly.  "That's it.  You want our best guesses for
where hostile fire might come from, I can give them to you."

"Thanks, Sandpaper.  We'll coordinate with Bird One and his people,
from here on out.  It's time for you gentlemen and ladies to prepare
for evacuation."

"You're welcome.  We'll be ready when you get here.  I know you're
busy, Sir, but could I bother you for a name?  We have our own reports
to write, and we might as well get started on them, while we ride
out."

His laughter boomed from the radios.  "You Fourettes are damn good
people.  Should be, considering who you decided to pick as your
heroes.  The handle is Rolling Thunder.  I'll be there to shake your
hands, before we deliver you to someplace safe.

"Ok, Bird One.  Let's get serious.  Leave Bird Twelve where he is,
then drop what you're doing and split your birds so you can meet us at
the first six landing zones..."

We heard the thunder of prop engines first, then the sky seemed to be
filled with transport planes and helicopters.  One of the transports
seemed to be coming right at us.

"Big Mama to Bird Twelve  You mind moving towards that wash, about
three hundred feet?  We got us a side wind, and you know how
commanding officers get when the driver scratches the paint on their
ride."

"Sounds like you know from experience.  I'm moving.  Squad Fifteen,
grab your prisoners and get out of Big Mama's way."

We started jogging in the same direction, just to be a little safer.

It seemed like seconds later we were treated to the sight of
parachutes being sucked out of the transport, followed by the ground
shaking thuds of armored vehicles, of assorted shapes and sizes,
hitting the ground.  The trailing troopships came in, hovered, and
suddenly people were running for their vehicles, or headed our way.

I glanced sideways, and looked at Emma, who only had her head up while
she watched what was going on.  "Relax, Emma.  All friends."

She sneezed and lowered her head, then belly crawled over to get some
attention.

"Lazy bitch."

The only answer I got was closed eyes and a thumping tail.

When I looked up, a man was watching us and he was wearing a smile
that was so slight I wondered if it really was one.

"If you folks can break away from the picnic, I have an armored CP
waiting for you.  Which one of you is Ladyhawk?"

She stood and his eyes widened, then they narrowed while he studied
her intently.  "Damn.  I picked the lady next to Control."

He held out his hand and she went and shook it briefly, then let go
and sighed.  "Good to see you, RT.  If the next stop is to pick up my
people, I'll accept your offer.  Otherwise...  I've been away from
them too long, so now that you've got this place reasonably secured,
I'll just jog back to home base and wait for the next bus going my
direction."

"Don't worry, this particular convoy has been assigned to see that you
folks and your teams wind up at the nearest military base, alive.
We'll be dropping me, and picking up your team and all the other
civilians at home base, then...  It's an express ride until you get to
where you're expected."

"Mind if I worry about what might be waiting for us on the way there?"

"Not a bit.  Those troopships will be your top cover, and they have
the same stuff as Bird Twelve."

"Got room for Squad Fifteen, and can you give us Bird Twelve for a
roof over the CP?  They saved our butts twice already, and they all
deserve to take care of us until we're safe."

"Deal."

"Screw the ecology.  If I have to take more than three steps before I
climb aboard, I'm going to have a long chat with the driver."

"Don't move.  If the rest of you folks would get in line behind her,
I'll call your ride over."

We lined up, he studied us, then nodded abruptly and snapped a salute.
He held it, Ladyhawk matched it, and after her arm dropped to her side
he reached for his mic.  "Ladyhawk told me that if you are more than
three steps away from her, she's going to have a long chat with you.
If she has to get out of your way, I think it's a tossup for which one
of us drags you out of your seat.  Go!"

One of the vehicles pulled out of line and rumbled in our direction.
When it stopped, the side door opened, a young man looked over our
heads and scanned things, then he looked at Ladyhawk.  "Appreciate it,
if you and your people climb aboard, Ma'am.  We're pretty exposed."

She nodded, then reached for the grab bar and stepped aboard.

Emma bounced in when it was her turn, and once I was past him, I
turned and nodded my head slightly at the man who had greeted us.

He nodded back, the door was shut, and we were ushered to our seats.so
we could strap ourselves in.

"Next stop, home base."

Eventually we stopped and when nobody moved to open the door, Ladyhawk
turned, raised her eyebrows,  then unstrapped and stood.  "Out of my
way."

"Ma'am?  Protocol says..."

"Did I stutter?  Were there any words you didn't understand?  Are you
going to open that door, or should I?  My future husband is out there,
and I know the risks.  So does he.  If we go out, we're going out
together."

He stepped aside.  She opened the door, then got out and closed it
behind her.

He looked at us.  "What did I just avoid?"

I had been studying him, and finally, I shrugged.  "It depends on how
long you managed to stand up to her.  Considering what we've all been
though, I suspect she would have asked one more time, then ordered me
to have Emma deal with you."

"A Lab?!"

"Emma!" I pointed.  "Watch him!"

She stood, and gunsighted him.

"Move a hand, slowly."

He did, and she rumbled while leaning towards him.  He froze and
looked at me.

"How familiar are you with attack and protection dogs?"

"A little."

"Emma is Shutzhund certified at all levels."

"ALL of them?"

"Yes."

"I have my answer.  Thank you, Sir."

"You're welcome.  Emma, out.  Friend."

She took the final step and nudged his hand.  He flinched, looked at
her, then me.

"She did what she was supposed to do.  Pet her."

He did, then he looked at me again.  "Sir?  Is Ladyhawk afraid of
anything?"

"I just met her today, but yes, I know of one thing she's afraid of."

"Oh?"

"Yes.  She's afraid that someday, she will fail her people, somehow,
again."

"Sir?"

I shook my head slightly.  "Need to know.  Check the grapevine, or,
once we get where we're going, ask her about it."

The intercom went off.  "We got company.  Look sharp."

He spun, snapped to attention, then waited.

The door opened and we heard a familiar voice.  "At ease, son.  You've
been reassigned to Number Five for the duration of the ride.  Ladyhawk
asked for you, and nobody was willing to tell her it doesn't work that
way."

"Sir?  I impressed her?!"

"Go ask her yourself, after I get aboard.  We're waiting on you, now."

"Yes, Sir!"

He came in, the young man went out, and he pulled the door closed and
secured it before he found a seat and settled.  We rode in silence
until we were on the main hiway, then he looked around and sighed.
"They keep getting younger, every time I see them.  Kid looked like
he'd had a death sentence commuted, even though he was guilty.  Is it
something I can know about?"

I smiled a little.  "He got between Ladyhawk and her future husband.
He didn't know that until she clarified the situation, then he stepped
aside so she could open the door and leave."

He nodded.  "Sometimes, you have to ignore the rules."

He raised his voice.  "Talk to me.  I want it straight, and without
the recruit crap."

"We have an agreement.  As long as I haven't warned him, it's safe for
him to open the door.  RT showed her his parade salute before he
called us in.  Funny thing is, she returned it like she expected it
from him, all along.  I had them on the camera and...  Damn, Sir.  I
wish she was ours."

"She is, Jill.  We're working on her turf, and she's one of the people
our Commander In Chief answers to."

"Got it."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"May I ask a question?"

"No need.  The answer is 'I don't know', followed by 'Ladyhawk
believes in me enough she'll be there to send me off, and one of my
former men will hand me the joker when I finish'."

"I missed something, but don't worry about it.  I haven't had time to
work my contacts."

"I'll let you know when you can start feeding the grapevine again."

"Thank you, Sir."

"You're welcome.  FYI, I'm here, because the only other available seat
was in Number Five, and I need some time before I can face Ladyhawk
again.  She made me feel like a raw recruit, and I earned that
reaming, several times over."

"I'll leave you to it, Sir.  All ears with no mouth, until you say
otherwise."

"Jill?"

"Sir?"

"Ladyhawk made her own mistakes.  When she does that, her team gets a
deck of cards and lays out a course  She diapers up, then runs it,
alone, non stop.  Each mile, someone hands her a card.  When they hand
her the joker, they consider her fit to lead them again.  Next time
will be number five."

"You planning on killing yourself, Sir?"

"Part of that 'don't know'."

"Got it.  She has to have a hero, right?"

"Oh, Jill.  You are *so* right.  I've met the man.  Wasn't there for
the main event, but he caught her out, then reamed her with one
sentence."

"One sentence?!"

"They just met today.  Can't tell you when it happened or what it was
about, but he told her she had a good team."

"That's a ream?  I know people who would be in the clouds if they
heard that from someone they respect."

"You missed it, Jill.  She didn't hear the word 'damn', and she knew
who's fault it was."

"So, the run?  Shit.  What's he like?  Got any skinny, in case I meet
him?"

"Calm type.  As analytical as our best tac squads.  Quick at pattern
analysis.  Damn good at reading people, but that makes sense, because
he plays life like a mistake could get him killed.  Funny thing about
him, though.  With all that, he's a family man.  Married, and so madly
in love with his wife, she could ream his butt with a glance, and then
I think they'd laugh, fix the problem, and move on.  Hard man, Jill,
but not a hardcase.  From what I was told after I pulled myself off
the  playing field, his whole team is like that.  Small, tightly knit,
and he's only the field commander.  Someone else decides on their
missions, before he runs them.

"Shit.  It just dropped.  Control.  Has to be, and I've got him back
there while I'm chatting up a commanding officer like we're casual
friends who happened to meet on the street."

"We are friends, Jill.  We can't do our jobs right, without that
rapport.  Book calls it something else, to give the civvies the
impression we're different enough, that we couldn't possibly be like
them, deep down, where it counts."

"Sounds like you're thinking it's time to move up, or out."

"Yes."

"Ok.  I gotta know.  What the fuck did Ladyhawk do to you?  I'll
assume whatever it was you did, you earned the reaming.  She doesn't
strike me as the type to believe in that sort of motivation, unless
she doesn't have a choice."

"Good call.  I'd already turned field command over to her, without
telling my people, when she checked in for a squad to go out and
escort her people back from the media's location."

He leaned and stretched.  

"First words out of her mouth were 'Don't give me any guff', then she
asked who was sitting on their butts.  She got back a list, then told
them to set up the communications between her people and our birds.
After that it got interesting."

"Interesting, Sir?"

"She ordered operational traffic only, on  that frequency, and backed
it up with a challenge, to let them know how serious the situation
was.  Over the common tac freq, she told people that they'd better be
able to maintain a ten minute mile, for twenty six miles, in sand and
scrub, if they wanted a *chance* to run and hide.  Her next words are
engraved on my soul: 'don't try to run and hide from me, because I
*will* run you down and kick your butt all the way back to base.' Then
she switched subjects so fast you'd think she hadn't just told my
people an eighteen year old girl who was still in school, could pretty
much kick our asses when and where she felt like doing it."

"Damn, Sir.  That is seriously hardcase, for a civilian kid.  We don't
take it from raw recruits, and you're telling me your people were
already so impressed, they were taking her orders?"

"Not only taking them, acting on them faster, and with more snap, than
they do for *me*.  But, I guess Squad Fifteen didn't get the message."

"Oh?"

"She ordered a squad out to escort her people back.  Call it about two
miles between the media camp, and home base.  It's relevant.

"After she got home base set up to support our birds, she called her
people and ordered them to leave the FBI's EOD team in place, and head
back.  Something to keep in mind is that she'd already recalled the
EOD teams, but left the rest of her people with the media.  Her man
asked her if she wanted them to come back in formation.  She turned
down the offer, and told them to 'firewall it', because she had a bet
on with whoever met them.  The team on the wrong side of the halfway
point would pay for the party."

"I don't like what I'm thinking.  The squad leader picked, fucked up
by the numbers."

"Yes.  Her people *blew* past Squad Fifteen at *their* three quarter
marker, as a fucking group of thirteen people, which means the stay
behinds had to catch up with the EOD team, after she'd told them ALL
to 'firewall it'.  By then, I was at home base and able to watch it
happen."

"If you were there, there was time for a pretty serious reaming."

"Hard to summarize something that short and... So coldly analytical I
can still feel the chill.  'You were briefed. Sloppiness begins at the
top.  I don't like your attitude towards the civilians you were
ordered to protect, or your attitude about the job.  Fix the problem
*now*, and let your people *know* you fixed it ' Then, the salt hit my
bleeding body: 'Have I made myself clear?' "

"Whooee!  I have icicles forming in here!  What else?

"She knew her reasoning about the chain of command was weak, but she
gave it to me so we both knew we were on the same page of *her* book.

"It was *not* a good feeling to be caught like a raw recruit, and know
I'd earned those words."

"I got snow in here, now."

"She apologized for her and her team's lack off professionalism,
because *they* were slow off the mark with some relevant local
history, I think, then she promised all of them would start over, and
keep starting over, until they got it right.

"To be brutally honest about it, she and her team caught their own
mistakes in time to save lives, AND managed to start fixing what was
wrong with my people, because of MY fucking it up from the git-go.

"My brain finally started working, and I asked her for details about
what they do to relax.  Call it wanting to know the worst.  She...
Gave me what I asked for."

"That...  Sounded like something I've never heard cross your lips,
Sir.  Awe.  It's supposed to go the other way, last I heard."

"Jill, weekdays they load up with their school work, then do it while
they run a marathon. Once they finish the school work, they take notes
about their surroundings.  Those notes pretty much saved our butts
today."

"I'll do the stupid thing.  Weekends?"

"They run at least one double marathon.  Load up with what they think
they'll need.  Push out while trying to beat their best time in any
terrain, note the time, fifteen minute break, then hostile order and
head back.  They beat their time out, about one third of the time.
They're working on improving that percentage.  Don't ask me how they
managed to do it once, let alone as often as they do.  We have
seventeen people who can *probably* beat them heads up  But...  Turn
around, have half of them run backwards and *still* manage to beat
their outbound time without losing anyone?  No.  I don't think we have
seventeen people who can do that.  Our DIs should be shaking in their
boots, by now."

"I have a feeling her people don't cut her any slack when they lay out
that course."

"I don't think the word 'slack' is in their vocabulary, except when
they apply it to someone else."

He sighed.  "Sorry, Jill. I'll introduce you to your passengers, then
I'd appreciate it if you ignore me for the rest of the trip.  I need
to lick my wounds and make some decisions.

"The man with the bitch is Courtney Smith, formerly Charles Robert
Mills the Fourth, and is the mild looking hardcase everyone got to
know as 'Control'.  If you've been following the news, he was the man
on location who followed orders, and ordered Snapshot to execute his
father's second wife, while knowing that execution might create a
madman who would...  Order the situation we were called in to help
sort out.  Before you second guess him, if he hadn't done that, he
thinks the situation could have been much, much worse.  To put that in
perspective, he called this crap out here a 'minor dust up in the
desert'.  I'll let him and the others tell you that story, if they
want to tell it.

"The woman on his right, is Patricia Heathrow Smith, aka 'X-ray', his
wife.  Don't let that glow fool you.  Skinny I have, is that they were
hired as a team, and she's as analytical, and as fast at adapting, as
he is.  I will only point out that she is as muddy as he is, and
Ladyhawk offered to send her in, if her team felt they needed a
babysitter.  I was there for that, and learned the silly-assed
sounding truth behind the private joke.  X-ray used to do babysitting
as a teen, and it wasn't unusual for her to wind up with the
troublemakers.  Ladyhawk was one of them."

"Shit.  Keep going."

"The other couple is the regional FBI director, Heather 'Icewater'
Keller, formerly Mary Louise Mills, and her husband, Daryl 'Crowbar'
Keller.  They have kids and a dog, so make sure they stay alive to
raise them.  If you're thinking she and Control are related, you'd be
right.  Brother and sister

"Those Maserattis you should have noticed in the garage at home base,
belong to Control and Icewater.  Street legal, and they raced them
against each other, on the track, when they were teens.  Their story,
not mine, except I will note they ran in a special class of their own,
because nobody could beat them.

"Folks, the female voice on the intercom is Spec Six Jill.  Jill is
her real name, and it's her handle.  She's a senior CP jockey, and...
Not damn good at it.  She's the best I've met.

"I'm done, Jill.  You want more, talk to them."

Before anyone else could speak up, I leaned forward and touched him to
get his attention.  When he looked up, I nodded.  "When all's said,
every man is entitled to fuck up once in awhile, and I'm sure your men
know that you're as human as they are.  You have some sort of knack
for picking damn good field commanders on the fly.  Be a shame to take
that away from your people.  Seems to me they'd feel a lot better, if
they knew the man behind the desk was someone who never failed them,
when he had to find people good enough to lead them into Hell, when he
couldn't be there.

"One more thing, Fuse.  Jill loves you, and is the type of woman who'd
rather have part of her man, if she can't have all of him, instead of
none.  Besides, I think your people would rest easier if they knew she
was keeping an eye on you 24/7.  Give some serious thought to taking
her with you as more than a senior jockey.  If she's willing, invite
all your people to the wedding."

He turned to Pat and she smiled.  "She's damn good at soothing the
waking nightmares.  Might as well see how she does with the ones that
wake you up in the middle of the night."

He sighed, thought about it, then gazed at the front wall, as if he
could see her.  "Jill?  Are they right?"

"There's a reason I'm still single.  You're it."

"I see.  Thanks, Control, X-ray, for turning my head around so I'm
facing forward again.  I'll add the new skinny to my thinking, while I
sort things out and figure out what my next move should be."

He spun his chair so he was facing the console, then he started
bringing up the systems.

Jill left us in silence for awhile, then she decided to talk to us.
"When he's like that, only the command crew can get through to him.
Been listening to the chatter behind us, and...  Damn, folks.  War
time correspondents in our birds, doing live coverage of a small war?
There's some sort of infection out there, and I'm not talking about
the hostiles, I'm talking about *his* people, and ours have caught it,
or something, because there is absolutely *zero* side chatter, and the
common theme, as best I can tell, is 'You want to explain that to me,
or Ladyhawk?', when someone makes a silly-assed mistake.

"And what's this shit about every single one of his people backing her
up when she runs her 'penance marathon'?  *That* juicy tidbit came
from Number Five!  Do you realize what a fucking logistical nightmare
*that* is going to be?  Only way to do it is going to get *us*
involved!"

"Just to make it worse, Squad Fifteen is back there in Number Seven,
singing, and I do mean real singing, something they're calling 'The
Ballad of The Commander, Ladyhawk, and Bird One'!  These are the same
people her team turned into fools, and they're *proud* to be the
*first* Squad turned into laughing stock by a bunch of kids who are
still in high school!  At least one of the verses taunts
everygoddamnbody, by warning them that if they're smart, they'll make
sure Squad Fifteen is the *only* Squad her team blows away.

"While I'm talking about her and her team, they're working on their
version of an after action debrief, and tossing around things like
'When do you think Bird One, or Bird Twelve, will decide to retire
sideways, and give us rides, or top cover?'  They're discussing
conditions, not dates, and some of them are placing side bets on the
number of hours after the conditions are right, that they will get the
call.

"Eagle and Coyote have links to the top cover, and they're comparing
their notes with real time reports.  Normally, I'd call that time
killing, but after today, and the way they put us where we had to be,
I'm all for it.

"I would have sworn that it would be impossible for a fucking Prom
Queen, from some town in the middle of God's own sandbox, to be
covered in mud, and not only get RT to give her his parade ground
best, *first*, she acted like she was owed nothing less!"

She finally ran down, sighed, and spoke softly.  "Folks, in case some
of you don't know it, the intercoms on these are two way, on full
time, can't be turned off, and have recorders on them.  With that in
mind, I guess I have only one question, right now.  'How the *fuck*
did all this get started?!' "

We looked at each other, then we all started laughing.  When we
sobered a little, I leaned back, stretched, and spoke mildly.  "Well,
Jill, it really begins a lot longer ago, but for our purposes, it all
started when a sixteen year old rich kid, with more hormones than
brains, got drunk and won thirty thousand dollars by fucking his bitch
in front of thirty other rich kids..."
---

End: Crucible! 3/3
End: Crucible!

-- 
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reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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