If you think you are in the wrong place, you probably are.
In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.
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‘‘Believing in yourself is not enough. You must impress that belief upon the Universe.’‘
(Monday)
My pain was legendary. Fine, my pain was epic. Okay, my pain was really bad, only exacerbated by a busy weekend. Sunday had started out fine. The girls hadn't minded being cooped up in my place for half of the day. We all worked out in the morning, which Nikita found odd. Then the young ladies explored a 'man pad', which was totally new.
Loraine and Nikita developed a complex relationship. Nikita was martial enough, older and far more worldly. They conflicted over me; Loraine wouldn't accept that she'd never conquer me and Nikita was stymied by the Amazon creed involving men. Europa bonded with Timothy in all kinds of odd ways including the exploration of the world of tattooing.
Aya discovered a new favorite position. I had lain belly-down on the sofa while Nikita gave me a back rub. Right after she was done, Aya climbed on top of me, laid her stomach on my back and relaxed, soaking up my scent and warmth. Only when we got them home did Loraine whisper to me that she'd never seen Aya that calm and at peace for such a continuous amount of time.
That warm fuzzy, along with Nikita being downright sympathetic and attentive for the rest of her stay rolled right into Timothy's and my date Sunday night. That ended up in a 'bizarre unless you are me' frolic late Sunday night. Timothy was a fun time for Nadia, Ulyssa's older sister, then finished up their date by pretending to pass out back at their place.
I'd seen Timothy drink steadily for four hours with barely a buzz. Still, that ended up with Ulyssa, Nadia and I in a three-way until one in the morning. That was when Timothy pretended to wake up and call out my name. The ladies and I wrapped up the sex session quickly and 'us' guys departed because, ya know, we had work in a few hours.
Timothy even changed my bandages again. I gave him a few bills to up our medical supplies. He took a few more from my wallet because he prophesied me being wounded would be a common occurrence. He followed that up by giving me a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek.
‘‘You are a lifesaver, Bro,’‘ he sighed. ‘‘My break-up left me really down and you've restored my faith in life and love. Keep it up.’‘ Then we both went to bed.
I followed that up with an early wake-up call from Katrina telling me to show up thirty minutes early and report to the Medical Division. That led me to biking, one legged, through the city (Nikita and I had retrieved my bike Sunday afternoon) by dawn's early light and reporting to the witchdoctors at Havenstone. Thus my legendary, epic, really bad pain.
The Doctor at Doebridge had practiced traditional Amazon healing methods. The cute chick who escorted me into the Medical Division had actually heard we were in the 21st century. She sat me on a gurney in what passed for a modern Emergency Room and had me take off my pants. Then she asked me if I wanted pain-killers, or a local anesthetic.
‘‘No, I'm a man,’‘ I bragged. I saw the bewilderment in her eyes. Was I saying 'no', or was I claiming to be a weak, frail male? ‘‘It is too late for your people to be nice to me now,’‘ I clarified. ‘‘You are monsters and I accept that, so let's get this over with so we can get back to our jobs.’‘
‘‘What are you talking about?’‘ she tried to be disarming. Could it be she wasn't a full-blooded Amazon?
#To ease my pain, show me your bountiful bosom# I said in Old Kingdom Hittite. The nice, young doctor blinked. She knew of the lingo, but not the speech itself.
‘‘No on the anesthetic,’‘ I sighed. ‘‘Please work professionally and quickly so we may return to our duties, Doctor.’‘
‘‘Of course. I'll be right back,’‘ she nodded then headed off to 'get some supplies'; in other words 'call Security'. They showed up lickety-split, doctor in tow. I recognized one from the Armory. To be polite, I let her know I recalled her.
‘‘Oh, it is the Kindergarten graduate,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘Who is your lesbian playmate?’‘
‘‘Oh goodie,’‘ Kindergarten snarled. ‘‘I get another crack at you.’‘
‘‘Wait,’‘ the buddy cautioned her. ‘‘Shouldn't we investigate the claim that he knows an unknown tongue?’‘ She looked to me. ‘‘Well?’‘
‘‘The Doctor needs to leave the room,’‘ I stated.
‘‘You don't tell us what to do, male,’‘ Kindy snapped.
‘‘Okay, how can you verify I speak your Mother Tongue without violating some protocol if she is still in the room?’‘ I sounded bored. Home-schooled and not in a good way.
‘‘I say we beat it out of you,’‘ Kindy kept being stupid. Come on, like she was going to stumble upon a conspiracy in her lowly position, armed with her limited intellect.
‘‘Bring it, Kitten,’‘ I smirked. ‘‘It's not like I'm going anywhere.’‘ The two security types drew their Tasers. I reclined onto the gurney and folded my arms over my chest.
‘‘Sit up, damn you,’‘ Kindy's partner demanded.
‘‘Why? So when you stun me I fall to the floor? I think I'd rather flop around on the gurney, thank you,’‘ I mused.
Our conversation brought attention. A few women were starting to gather around when one pressed through. I didn't know her, but she had some familiar features.
‘‘Cáel Nyilas, I am Traska Maza, Violet's sister. Come to my side,’‘ she ordered. Okay now, I didn't HAVE to obey that. Once more, a nice lady was giving me an out and I took it.
I swung slowly off the gurney and hobbled to her side.
‘‘Kneel,’‘ and I knelt with a grimace. ‘‘Now what is your problem with our breeding male?’‘ she added the last part in Amazon.
‘‘Wait,’‘ I blurted out. ‘‘I'm no one's breeding male yet!’‘ In Amazon/Hittite. The crowd stirred.
‘‘True and you are making it a truly glorious hunt, but we will take you as our prize in the end, Male,’‘ Traska smiled down at me while petting my hair while speaking in Amazon. Sex.
‘‘He speaks the; Tongue?’‘ the Doctor stammered.
‘‘Of course he does,’‘ Traska nodded. ‘‘Otherwise it would have been quite difficult for him to refuse Hayden breeding rights on Saturday.’‘
‘‘He refused Hayden,’‘ Kindy gawked.
‘‘It is against corporate policy,’‘ I explained. ‘‘Being a good boy is getting the crap kicked out of me as it is. Heaven help me if I actually broke a rule.’‘ They chuckled; psycho bitches.
‘‘Cáel, rise,’‘ so I struggled to my feet. ‘‘Go to the gurney and let the doctor tend to your battle scar,’‘ Traska commanded. As I staggered back from whence I came, the term 'battle scar' resonated to both me and the women.
‘‘This does not settle the crime of him speaking our language,’‘ Kindy kept blathering.
‘‘Did it occur to you to contact Elsa, or Katrina, or even the office of Hayden to gather information on what was going on,’‘ Traska sighed, ‘‘before racing to attack a wounded male in the middle of this vast structure we control? What was he going to do? Hobble over to a hurricane-proof window?’‘
‘‘Even if he managed to somehow break one, he would be throwing himself down four floors to the sidewalk below? Admittedly, if he did accomplish all that and escape, he would be a threat. I'd still want to breed with him for that would be one tough, determined male,’‘ Traska chuckled. She walked off, the guards stood around uselessly and the doctor tended my wounds.
I called Katrina, updating my situation, she called someone else, who probably called someone else, who called off the guards.
‘‘So, who do you think you will be breeding with?’‘ the doctor hinted. Seriously, I could pick up a girl in a war zone. A lonely female doctor in an ER that only treats women wasn't even a contest.
‘‘Actually, no one,’‘ I winked. ‘‘I'm gay. I can't get it up around women.’‘ Recall, I had no pants on and my cockhead had a mind of its own, which didn't bother me. What did bother me was its mind being more dominant than the one on top of my shoulders. The doctor patted my package. My cock was pleading 'we haven't had sex in six hours; we are dying over here'. Lying bastard.
‘‘Oh really,’‘ she teased.
‘‘This is not fair,’‘ I groaned. ‘‘Your ass is so finely sculpted and tight,’‘ I couldn't see most of it because of her lab coat, but hey, ‘‘and your lips look like they could suck a golf ball through a garden hose.’‘ Be careful with the last line. Make sure your target likes fellatio first.
The Doctor pursed her lips and gave me a wink. Was I lining up another prospective Havenstone woman as part of some grand master plan? No. I'm an idiot with an out of control libido. I am always hitting on women. I can't help it, thus my numerous scars and colorful stories.
‘‘I can, you know,’‘ she purred. Golf ball; garden hose; feels so good.
You know you are making an impact on the workplace when this happens: after leaving the doctor, I was taking the elevator up to my floor. The door opened and two women stepped in, suddenly disappointed.
‘‘Oh; you are already dressed,’‘ Brielle sighed. Her companion was equally peeved.
‘‘Arrow wound,’‘ I informed them. ‘‘I had to go to medical. They stripped me there.’‘
‘‘Damn it,’‘ her companion snapped her fingers. ‘‘Maybe we should tag his itinerary?’‘
‘‘I think Katrina would frown on that,’‘ Brielle shook her head.
‘‘Well, can you take off your clothes really quick?’‘ the companion turned to me.
The door opened on my floor.
‘‘Sorry. No. Gotta go to work. Have a nice day now,’‘ I retreated to the safety of the office.
I'm an idiot. On all the desks in the sizable office space housing the heart of Executive Services was a long box; from Nerf. Oh, Sweet God; Buffy was out to make me cry.
How did I know it was Buffy? If Desiree wanted to know something about me, she'd slap me around until I answered. Buffy was far more insidious. She'd spy on me. To give her credit, I had a box as well. I too could get that wonderful feeling that Custer's last trooper felt as the Sioux and Cheyenne closed in. Sure I could shoot back, but it wouldn't do any good.
Katrina had already unboxed her toy. It was loaded, resting on her desk. It was a six shooter.
‘‘Honestly Cáel, is your problem with my native tongue, an inability to tell time, or an unwillingness to follow common sense instructions?’‘ Katrina gave me a warm, maternal look. She was referring to me engaging in strenuous activity in the first 48 hours after having been wounded.
‘‘After this afternoon I do not have any other dates planned so I can take it easy,’‘ I promised.
‘‘As long as you understand that many of us are risking our lives to help you keep yours,’‘ Katrina pointed out. ‘‘What did Elsa want Saturday night?’‘ The look of shame on my face was probably what Katrina expected though not what she wanted to see. ‘‘Tell me,’‘ she groaned.
‘‘Oh; okay; she kissed me once but I stopped her; against policy,’‘ I started.
‘‘Yes?’‘ Katrina muttered. She knew this was bad.
‘‘Oh; then I vigorously sucked and bit on her, while fingering until she arrived; hard,’‘ I confessed. Katrina put her elbow in her desk, forearm uplifted then planted her forehead on her palm.
‘‘By the Goddesses, you could walk blindfolded through a minefield only to trip over a cricket,’‘ Katrina mumbled. Katrina sensed my confusion.
‘‘Elsa's and Rhada's/Madi's families are in a blood feud. They would kill you for looking amorously at the other,’‘ she explained.
‘‘Whoops; I didn't make either one like me,’‘ I pleaded.
‘‘I believe you, Cáel,’‘ Katrina looked up and smiled. ‘‘If I didn't, I would have Desiree toss you down an elevator shaft; from the thirtieth floor.’‘
‘‘It wouldn't work,’‘ I grinned at her. ‘‘I'm part flying squirrel. I've got those little underarm flaps and everything.’‘
‘‘Patagium,’‘ Katrina defined that bit of anatomy for me.
‘‘Stop being smarter than me,’‘ I furrowed my brow. ‘‘It is unattractive in a female.’‘ Wack; Nerf hit. Right then Daphne and Tigger walked in and took in the situation.
‘‘Can we all take shots at Cáel?’‘ Daphne inquired. Oh hell no!
‘‘I'm actually recruiting a Rebel Alliance,’‘ I offered.
‘‘What's in it for us?’‘ Tigger asked.
‘‘Dubious glory, improbable hope, an unfamiliar future and the unique experience of pitting your defiance into the Eye of the Abyss before the End,’‘ I promised in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Does that kind of oratory work on males?’‘ Daphne mused. Violet, Fabiola and Paula swept into Katrina's office.
‘‘What is that?’‘ Fabiola inquired.
‘‘I'm looking for the proper terminology to entice some ladies into a rebel faction,’‘ I replied pleasantly.
‘‘What are we rebelling against?’‘ Paula questioned as Dora hurried in.
‘‘Meeting,’‘ Katrina interjected, calling us 'new hires' to order. I was still doing a lousy job, even on my day off. Everyone else walked on water and was heralded by a chorus of Angels.
‘‘Katrina,’‘ Violet stepped forward. ‘‘What is he doing wrong? With all his utter failings, I figured there would be a fire, wreck, or near fatality by now.’‘
That was unlooked for.
‘‘Employee trainers have found his work to be substandard,’‘ Katrina answered. ‘‘I agree with their reports. Is there anything else?’‘ That meant the discussion was over. The rest received their daily assignments, leaving me alone with Katrina. I stood waiting.
‘‘Cáel, you are wounded. You are not going into the field,’‘ she informed me. ‘‘You will be handling my office affairs and classifying work orders.’‘ What did that mean? Katrina was not forthcoming. It was becoming obvious that I'd need the Long Island Medium to get me through the day.
‘‘And I liked this office too,’‘ I muttered.
‘‘What was that, Cáel?’‘ my boss inquired.
‘‘Don't mind me. I'm only contemplating how I can possibly screw this up,’‘ I shrugged. ‘‘I figure there is electrical wiring that could burst into flames, a sprinkler system spontaneously activating, and several thousand women who I don't know, yet could seriously inconvenience.’‘
‘‘You have great instincts,’‘ Katrina smiled. ‘‘I believe in you.’‘ Helpful; that was not. Despite that, I managed to navigate the order process with some success. Promptly at 8:45, Katrina got up and left the office. Not to the bathroom; gone-gone. She left the door open. That way women in the office could come by and exchange fire with me.
I nearly put a bolt into Trent Grant when he stopped by to see me. His knock saved his Nerf-free status.
‘‘Hello Kale,’‘ he began.
‘‘Cáel,’‘ I sighed. ‘‘Kale is a cabbage; anyway, as you were saying?’‘
‘‘Oh, I wanted to come by and see how you were doing after that; accident,’‘ he said warily.
‘‘That was screwed up,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘She was so worried that she might hit me that her fingers slipped. Trust me, she'll never make that mistake again.’‘
‘‘I can't believe you are not suing Havenstone over this,’‘ Trent smiled back.
‘‘Over this?’‘ I smirked. I stood up and walked around my desk, swallowing my pain and infirmity to put on a convincing act. ‘‘Trent, I've had a girlfriend do more damage over one long, hot night than this scratch.’‘
‘‘You are really okay?’‘ he worried.
‘‘Trent, if someone had really tried to kill me, I would have gone to the cops and we wouldn't be here having this chat,’‘ I assured him. Trent took a deep breath, expelling his doubts with a comfortable lie.
‘‘So; what's with all that?’‘ he motioned to plethora of darts I had stacked up.
I was being shot at far more often than I could return fire. In the minute Trent had been with me, three ladies had peeked in then withdrawn.
‘‘How about you, me and the fellas have after work drinks sometime?’‘ I suggested. Trent almost got snooty then some long slumbering primal instincts kicked in. I was a survivor and he could sense it.
‘‘Sure. Tonight?’‘ he offered.
‘‘I'm working on a hot Brazilian tonight,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘Tomorrow?’‘
‘‘Brazilian? Oh, okay. Tomorrow then,’‘ he nodded. ‘‘You should be careful about dating,’‘ he added. ‘‘We think that is how Khalid screwed up and got transferred.’‘
Those jackasses had known this for how long and not clued me in? Gee thanks guys.
‘‘What do you mean?’‘ I appeared confused. ‘‘I've been getting 'trim' left, right and sideways just not at work. I nailed four ladies this weekend alone; after being shot.’‘
‘‘Aaahhh; good then,’‘ Trent grunted as if gut punched.
‘‘Besides, Khalid wasn't transferred. He volunteered for an experimental top secret program involving social engineering; real cutting edge stuff,’‘ I lied. ‘‘If we do the right thing, an opening might become available for the rest of us.’‘ I am a bastard. ‘‘The Nerf guns are a team building exercise my personal favorite trainer implemented.’‘
‘‘You appear to be getting along well here,’‘ Trent acknowledged. ‘‘I mentioned your name and several women looked at me funny then smiled and pointed you out.’‘ Sigh.
‘‘Trent, you probably won't heed my advice, but here it is anyway,’‘ I said. ‘‘I know you were in a fraternity. Think of yourself as a pledge and every woman in your department as a senior brother and you'll get by okay.’‘
‘‘Come on now,’‘ Trent smiled smugly, ‘‘some of them don't even have a formal education. They use this archaic apprenticeship system.’‘
‘‘Yeah, except you are only starting out in a system they've graduated from,’‘ I gave it one last try. Trent nodded. He was right and I was a hick.
I hoped he got along well with Khalid because he would probably be seeing him soon. Trent waved goodbye and I raced for Katrina's desk; and Nerf gun. I made it back to my station before three ladies came at me. I got two of them, taking only one hit myself then it was back to work. Brian showed up thirty minutes later and Felix stopped by ten minutes after that.
It was the same deal. I gave them the same lie, did my song and dance, gave them my warning they would ignore and finally raided Katrina's bathroom for painkillers. She had this herbal crap which I downed like candy. At 12:10 Buffy arrived. She shot at me but I parried with my reading lamp and then shot back twice, hitting her once.
‘‘Why do you have two guns?’‘ Buffy growled.
‘‘Cause I'm smarter than you,’‘ I snarled back while desperately reloading. Daphne walked in with both a pistol and a large bag of Mexican take-out.
‘‘Die, you reprehensible Pig!’‘ Buffy howled as she popped off two more bolts.
Daphne shot Buffy in the side before Buffy finished. I was in love all over again. Buffy turned to put a dart into Daphne who raced around to my desk.
‘‘I guess this makes me a rebel,’‘ Daphne laughed. She popped off two more shots.
‘‘Sure,’‘ I chuckled. ‘‘Welcome aboard.’‘ Buffy was on the edge of a volcanic eruption.
‘‘Cease-fire while we eat lunch?’‘ I pleaded. Buffy mulled it over; the alternative being storming over to me and administering a pistol-whipping.
‘‘I hate you,’‘ she seethed. She did lower her pistol and walk over to my desk.
‘‘I've missed you,’‘ I responded. She didn't buy it; yet.
‘‘How many whores did you screw his weekend?’‘ Man, she was volatile.
‘‘None. I don't pay for sex,’‘ I sighed. ‘‘I still missed you,’‘ I moaped. Buffy trembled with rage.
‘‘Cáel, be careful,’‘ Daphne whispered. Buffy shot me; in the left thigh. I staggered, clamped my teeth down to stifle my scream and only Daphne's efforts stopped me from keeling over.
‘‘Buffy!’‘ Daphne snapped. ‘‘That was too much. Stop it.’‘
‘‘It is okay, Daphne,’‘ I gasped. ‘‘I've made her angry.’‘ Daphne didn't get it, but I did. Buffy stomped straight into my space and gave that deep jaguar-like growl. ‘‘I liked the Nerf gun idea,’‘ I added. ‘‘That was truly clever.’‘ That got her. Buffy linked her fingers behind her back.
‘‘Thanks,’‘ I whispered then leaned in and rained down little puffs of air all along her neck, ears and face. She especially liked me blowing on her lips. Her mouth opened and her tongue played along her lips as I was only millimeters away. Daphne leaned around me to see what I was doing to make Buffy moan so sensually the way she was.
‘‘We had better eat lunch’‘, I spoke softly into Buffy's ear when I was done. ‘‘Do you forgive me?’‘ Buffy's eyes shown feverishly, yet with pleasure, not anger.
‘‘No. Keep working on it,’‘ Buffy smirked then reached around for her plate of food.
‘‘I swear I will be nicer to you than Buffy is,’‘ Daphne murmured.
‘‘Don't get between me and my prey,’‘ Buffy snarled; then she sneaked an arm around my waist and hugged me. Daphne pulled a seat around to share her meal at my station. Buffy sat in my lap. Not sexual harassment in the least. ‘‘So, are you staying away from other Havenstone women?’‘ Buffy verbally ambushed me in mid-bite.
‘‘Would you please accept my word that this is not a discussion we want to have,’‘ I groaned.
‘‘Who?’‘ Buffy was back to angry.
‘‘Elsa,’‘ Katrina announced as she strolled back into her office. ‘‘Don't ask how, or why, Buffy. It wasn't Cáel's doing.’‘ She was almost to her desk when she froze.
Katrina's body rotated around toward me before flickering to the ground where a lone dart lay.
‘‘Cáel, there is a dart lying at your feet,’‘ she pointed out. Shit. Too God damn smart.
‘‘We'll forgo me lying, you reminding me to trust you and go to my inevitable revelation that Buffy shot me in my wounded thigh,’‘ I sighed.
‘‘Thank you,’‘ Katrina nodded to me. ‘‘Buffy, you can't do this to him. If you screw up again, I'll send you to another department and forbid Cáel from having any further contact with you. Now tell me, what is wrong?’‘
‘‘I; I try to be with other men,’‘ she nearly wept.
‘‘They can't handle my aggression nor engage me mentally the way Cáel does,’‘ she confessed painfully. ‘‘I want to own him so bad it hurts.’‘
‘‘Buffy, you are sitting in his lap,’‘ Katrina coaxed. ‘‘Why don't you try telling him how you feel? He clearly likes you.’‘
‘‘As poorly as you've treated him, I'm a bit surprised he hasn't punched the crap out of you; off the clock, of course,’‘ Katrina admonished her underling.
‘‘I'd kick his ass,’‘ Buffy replied defiantly.
‘‘Tell that to Madi,’‘ Katrina reminded her.
‘‘Very well,’‘ Buffy nodded. Turning in my lap, she added, ‘‘Stop looking at other Havenstone women.’‘
‘‘No,’‘ Katrina preempted me. ‘‘You will not punish him for things beyond his control, Buffy. There is only so much he can do to avoid the other ladies that doesn't get him relocated.’‘
‘‘I still don't like it,’‘ Buffy muttered. ‘‘We should keep him in Executive Services and send people to harass all his outsider female contacts.’‘ Katrina looked down and shook her head.
‘‘This job keeps getting tougher and tougher,’‘ she commented. She was heading back to her desk which pretty much ended the conversation.
After Buffy and Daphne had left, I mulled over a few things.
‘‘Can I bitch about something?’‘ I asked Katrina. I wanted to ask about the other three men.
‘‘No,’‘ she stated. That was that. The rest of the day was the normal office drudgery spiced up with a near-constant exchange of Nerf fire. Katrina never asked for her gun back and no one dared shoot her.
At five o'clock, Katrina released me.
‘‘How did I do today?’‘ I inquired.
‘‘Hmm; let me see; you sent the VP of Banking; Australia's Fiat to an address in the Netherlands,’‘ she reviewed. ‘‘The address also appears to be underwater.’‘
I had to think about that.
‘‘You are making that up,’‘ I accused her. ‘‘I sent the damn thing to Melbourne and you know it.’‘ Katrina gave a heartfelt laughed.
‘‘Do you know why you are the only male getting poor reviews?’‘ she teased. I thought hard.
‘‘No clue,’‘ I shrugged.
‘‘Because you are so bloody diligent,’‘ Katrina grinned. ‘‘I know; some; of your history, Cáel. The more difficult the challenge, the harder you endeavor. The other guys are whiny babies. They don't take criticism well.’‘
‘‘Now that we have that out of the way are you going to start giving me better reviews?’‘ I hoped.
‘‘No,’‘ Katrina chuckled. ‘‘Watching your face as you struggle to figure out what you did wrong really helps me start the day.’‘
‘‘Am I off the clock?’‘ I asked. Katrina nodded. ‘‘Bitch.’‘ Katrina laughed.
I nearly walked into Violet on the way out.
‘‘Did you just call Katrina a bitch?’‘ she whispered.
‘‘Give me a bad work review and I'll call you something worse,’‘ I glared.
‘‘Do you have any idea who she is?’‘ Violet hissed.
‘‘I'll give it a shot,’‘ I shrugged. ‘‘Katrina is the head of the KGB.’‘ I got an uncomprehending stare. ‘‘The Secret Police?’‘ Violet thought that over. Fabiola and Tigger came up.
‘‘Yes, something like that except she has people killed,’‘ Violet explained.
‘‘What are you talking about?’‘ Tigger intruded.
‘‘Look up the KGB on Wiki, ladies,’‘ I smirked. ‘‘It will clarify my understanding of the situation.’‘
‘‘Why are you so insolent?’‘ Fabiola tugged on my arm to stop me from leaving.
‘‘For the same reason you think you are better than me,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘It is in the blood. Actually, I don't mean to be insolent. If I could walk away from this job, I would. Since I can't, I feel it is only fair to make all of you suffer for it.’‘
‘‘If you hate us, why did you offer yourself up to Leona?’‘ Fabiola persisted.
‘‘Because he cares,’‘ Tigger spoke for me.
‘‘He's weak,’‘ Fabiola kept going.
‘‘Seriously,’‘ Daphne caught me off-guard. ‘‘If he's willing to commit so much to a child not his own, think how selflessly he'd safeguard his own.’‘
‘‘You don't believe in fathers,’‘ I regarded the 'new hire' group.
‘‘Things change,’‘ Violet smiled. In 76 days they were going to rip me to pieces. I burned through ten more minutes swapping stories about our day before we made it to the lobby. Yasmin Palhavã was early, so she got to meet the whole crew and they got to meet her.
At this point a small leap of logic could have saved me a heap of pain. I could have asked. The girls could have realized I didn't have a critical piece of information. The moment passed, I signed in Yasmin, my Brazilian MILF, and headed up to the corporate workout facility. The first hurdle; there was no men's changing room.
Yasmin decided it wasn't a big deal. We changed in separate sections and joined up at the entrance to the gym. They also had an Olympic-sized pool; cool.
‘‘What happened to your leg?’‘ she questioned. I had been wearing pants and was now in shorts.
‘‘It was an archery accident,’‘ I supplied a plausible answer. Her nod signified she didn't believe me and would bring this up later. I get wounded a lot.
I was about to swipe my ID at the gym door when it opened and a woman walked into us.
‘‘What?’‘ she gasp in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘My pardon,’‘ I replied in the same language. ‘‘It was not our intent to impede your progress.’‘ She gave us a curious look as I caught the door and held it for Yasmin to enter.
‘‘What lang;’‘ Yasmin got out before the expanse of the exercise facility stole her breath away. See, in normal companies, only a tiny fraction of the workforce uses the in-house gyms. At Havenstone, if a woman wasn't working out on a daily basis, the assumption was that she'd died at her post. Whatever Yasmin said next had to have been in Portuguese.
‘‘What was that?’‘ I inquired.
‘‘Oh, I said this was place is bigger than the village I was born in,’‘ she translated. A small village; maybe a hamlet perhaps. Fortunately, we beat the evening rush so there weren't too many women there yet.
We got some looks from the ladies there. Yasmin didn't notice and I was busy working machines in tandem to her. I had made a good impression with her. She barely concealed her enthusiasm and I got the impression her most current workouts were calisthenics in her home. An hour later, we were feeling the burn, Yasmin clued me in that she had a babysitter until nine, and the place was crowding up.
Yasmin had been shooting glances at the sparring area for some time. Like me, she practiced Brazilian jujutsu. She felt she was growing rusty so we grabbed a corner; really an 8x8 meter area. Since the southwestern space was already taken, we grabbed the northeastern spot. Despite my bum leg, Yasmin and I were having tons of fun. Then shit happened.
‘‘What style is that?’‘ one of the now-substantial crowd of women spectators asked Yasmin; in Old Kingdom Hittite. Before I could translate, Yasmin spoke.
‘‘Excuse me? What was that?’‘ Yasmin responded in English. Every other woman began muttering; in Old Kingdom Hittite. Oh God, I had fucked up somehow.
‘‘I think we should be going,’‘ I urged Yasmin.
‘‘Come on now,’‘ she beamed at me. ‘‘This is the most fun I've had in a long time.’‘ Seeing my reticence, ‘‘Five minutes, please?’‘ I took a deep breath and nodded; I am an idiot. I was looking at that sweaty body, wonderful bust line, and excellent hips and speculating how nice those legs would feel wrapped around my waist instead of listening to my 'Spidey senses'.
Five more minutes and I would have Yasmin barking like a dog before the Sun set. That I might die in the next five minutes was not something my cock was taking into account. Ten seconds later and all my concentration was eaten up simply stopping Yasmin from grappling with me. Even with her refusal to take advantage of my left leg's weakness, she finally got me down on the mat.
Her victorious smile terminated in an instant. Yasmin rolled us over as a foot stomped down in the place we had just vacated. We both sprang up, facing off against an Amazon I wasn't familiar with.
‘‘Take your bitch and leave, you mongrel,’‘ the woman spat in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘What the hell did she say?’‘ Yasmin seethed. The woman smirked, turned and started walking back to the portion of sparring mat she'd come from. I gave her all the consideration she'd have given me; I blindsided her. My fist caught her between the shoulder blades. I followed her down, striking again and again, rapid-fire.
The other Amazon's started to surge forward, but I wasn't done yet. I grabbed my attacker by the shoulder and crotch, heaved her over my head and tossed her at her sparring partner.
‘‘Apology not accepted,’‘ I growled out my contempt in Old Kingdom Hittite.
Yasmin's outrage at my seemingly unwarranted attack, ‘‘Cáel!’‘ was overcome by the sensation of the room closing in on us.
Several women grabbed her. No one taunted, or threatened me. I was a male in their world and I'd put a boot up one of theirs ass.
‘‘Cáel?’‘ Yasmin called to me, now concerned.
‘‘Woman, shut up!’‘ one of the senior looking women snapped in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Yasmin, keep quiet and ask for Katrina,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘I'm afraid I'll have to truncate our date. Putting all these bitches in their place is going to take a while.’‘ It wasn't like they were going to beat me to death any harder. Yasmin started thrashing about, cursing and stomping on feet.
‘‘Stop it,’‘ I insisted. ‘‘They will seriously hurt you.’‘
‘‘I'm not going to let you fight all alone,’‘ she kept trying to break free. I had to keep backing away from her in order to delay me being totally surrounded. Two Amazons slammed Yasmin face first into the mat.
‘‘Oh boy,’‘ I muttered. ‘‘This is going to be a tad harsher than Rhada and Madi.’‘
‘‘Wait,’‘ one of them called out. ‘‘You are that male?’‘ Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘I request a clarification of that question,’‘ I replied. Old Kingdom Hittite.
One turned to another.
‘‘I can't believe we missed this. The male speaks our tongue. It can only be Cáel Nyilas,’‘ she said. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Does this mean you are not going to beat me into the earth?’‘ I hoped. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘No. You launched an unprovoked attack against one of ours. You need to be severely disciplined,’‘ one said. The group nodded their acceptance of the verdict. ‘‘Due to your bravery Saturday, if you kneel your punishment will be swift.’‘ Old Kingdom Hittite.
Poor Yasmin. She had no clue what was going on around her.
‘‘Thank you for your generous offer. I do appreciate it, but I would rather inflict as much harm upon as many of you as possible instead,’‘ I smiled. ‘‘I only humble my body before the Worthy.’‘ Yes, I had insulted them; roughly 250 and counting.
‘‘You are acting above your station,’‘ a familiar voice called out from the back of the pack. Normally, if a man gives a woman an orgasm, she recalls you fondly. In my case, plenty of women whose worlds I'd rocked had tried to kill me afterwards. Elsa's appearance did not signify the arrival of my salvation.
The other women parted and Elsa stepped forward.
‘‘Cáel, I am not going to kill you, or even hurt you badly. I am going to curb your arrogance and remind you of your place in things. Fear not, this will be over quickly,’‘ Elsa sounded pleasant.
‘‘I'll remain scared, thank you very much,’‘ I shrugged. At least we were speaking in English now.
‘‘Spear,’‘ Elsa demanded. Amazons don't play fair. I was hardly surprised.
‘‘Klondike Bar,’‘ I demanded as well. No tasty treat appeared while Elsa got her weapon. Elsa gave me a quizzical look.
‘‘I've got a Zen for some ice cold sugar,’‘ I explained. That earned me a few chuckles.
‘‘Don't hurt his reproductive organ,’‘ someone shouted in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Cáel, if you can give up, please do. I think that woman wants to kill you,’‘ Yasmin pleaded. Elsa wanted some spearing to go on just not the way Yasmin feared.
‘‘You need to stop picking up whatever gutter trash presents itself,’‘ Elsa taunted me.
‘‘She is a guardian of the young, a single mother and a stranger to this country, Elsa,’‘ I stated evenly. ‘‘She is my friend and a guest. Let her leave in peace.’‘
‘‘No more jests?’‘ Elsa chuckled. ‘‘Have I made you angry?’‘
‘‘Angry?’‘ I sneered. ‘‘No, angry would be me finding out you stuff Kleenex in your bra.’‘
‘‘I'm not going to insult your loyalty, prestige, or courage because you've exhibited all three to me already,’‘ I told her. ‘‘My warning remains the same: don't let your pride blind you.’‘
‘‘Fair enough,’‘ she nodded. ‘‘Let's begin.’‘ She thrust forward with her spear. It was an opening move, not an attempt to skewer me.
‘‘Damn it, you cowards,’‘ Yasmin snarled. ‘‘Give him a weapon.’‘ No one did. They didn't care for an outsider's opinion of their bravery. I fought as best I could with my natural talents. Boxing allowed me to take a beating, especially someone in my weight class. Jujutsu helped me fight prone as well as quickly getting back on my feet.
Elsa beat me black and blue. Come on, she had a spear and I had my fists and a wounded leg. The gathering seemed amazed at the drubbing I was soaking up. I really got their attention the third time Elsa relented so that I could stand back up for another dose of pain. She swung the spear around to hit my wound again. I hit the midpoint of the shaft so hard, it shattered.
I tried to follow that up with a punch to the face. Elsa flowed past the blow and landed several punishing jabs to my ribs, knocking me down. This time she put me in a choke hold.
‘‘Give up,’‘ she commanded.
‘‘Never surrender,’‘ I rasped then the world went dark.
(Picking up the Pieces)
I was vaguely aware of a prick to my left leg and the sheer agony of my thigh began to immediately go numb.
‘‘You've ripped out half his damn staples,’‘ a female voice chastised someone else.
‘‘He refused to yield,’‘ Elsa stated. All of that had been Old Kingdom Hittite. I moaned.
‘‘Cáel, how do you feel?’‘ Elsa mocked me.
‘‘Had enough?’‘ I mumbled. ‘‘If so, whose ass do I have to kick next?’‘
‘‘Male, Elsa demolished you,’‘ an Amazon gloated.
‘‘With a spear,’‘ Yasmin countered. Good, she was still close. ‘‘Hand to hand, he would have won even with his bad leg.’‘
That brought forth snorts of derision all around. Oh well.
‘‘How is that first girl I fought doing? Is she okay?’‘ I was putting my thoughts together.
‘‘I'm right here,’‘ she grabbed my jaw and yanked it her way. Then it dawned on me I was lying on my back, on the mat, with multiple ladies kneeling around me.
Yasmin was there, along with Elsa, a medic of some kind, and first chick I'd fought with.
‘‘Is this circumstance between us at an end?’‘ I inquired of her in Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Your insolence remains unbroken, dog,’‘ she seethed. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘What I did does not matter,’‘ I sighed. ‘‘You attacked a guest of an Executive Services personnel and would not apologize, now or then. You and I are not done.’‘
The woman hauled back her fist to hit me. A shot rang out.
‘‘I said 'make way' damn you,’‘ Desiree shouted out from the far side of the crowd. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Watch your;’‘ a woman snapped. Old Kingdom Hittite. BANG! Screaming in pain. BANG! A different scream. ‘‘I swear by all the Goddesses and Ancestors, I have six shots left and they will all be aimed to kill!’‘ Desiree yelled. Old Kingdom Hittite.
Multiple women headed for the weapon racks. Amazons couldn't be accused of cowardice. They did part enough to let Desiree make it to my side next to Elsa.
‘‘Idiot, how have you fucked up this time?’‘ Desiree glared down at me, so I told her. She looked to the first woman I had fought. ‘‘Is this how it happened?’‘ this time on Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘He was in the Pure-blood facility,’‘ she answered. I had figured that out already, just too late to do any good. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘And in your brilliance, you decided that he was purposely picking a fight with you and the over 300 other Amazons here as opposed to him having made an honest mistake;’‘ Desiree let that last bit hang out there. Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘He was in here, no matter what the reason,’‘ my assailant persisted. ‘‘Even Katrina can't save him from this; or you for attacking other full-bloods.’‘ Old Kingdom Hittite. Desiree smirked.
‘‘I am not here under the orders of Katrina, Sabia,’‘ Desiree finally identified my attacker. ‘‘I am here under the orders of Hayden, who has plans to breed with this male.’‘ Old Kingdom Hittite.
‘‘Your willingness to deny her this pleasure will be noted,’‘ Desiree smirked. ‘‘Cáel, did it ever occur to you that there would be separate gyms for the different status groups?’‘ she looked back to me. At this point, Elsa motioned for two members of the security detail to take Yasmin away. All that followed was in Old Kingdom Hittite, the language of the Amazons.
‘‘Initially no. I figured it out right before the shit hit the fan. Not being a bigot, I didn't take into account the bigotry of others,’‘ I sighed. I wasn't working on a fan base directly. I had to walk that fine line between 'highly spirited male' and 'blasphemous intruder'.
‘‘They are not bigots,’‘ Desiree interrupted the dark mutterings. ‘‘They are the Master Race.’‘
‘‘His insolence is infecting you,’‘ Elsa said as she stood.
‘‘That is insulting,’‘ Desiree mocked. ‘‘He inspires me. This is no disease. He is a living example of defiance against all odds. In case any of you missed it that was our genesis as a people.’‘
‘‘He shames me by showing with his own wit and blood that I should only give respect to those who show it to me and I should bow to no other. You had best earn his respect because he will not subject himself to your undeserved pride, numbers be damned,’‘ Desiree declared.
‘‘He angers me with his jokes and cutting commentary. He also angers me for pointing out the sickness in our own ranks. You have become more prideful than competent. His greatest joke is not that he will die for his beliefs, it is that he risks so much out of compassion for us. He will not let our poisoned lineage limp on a few more decades if he cannot aid in our salvation.’‘
'We don't need you, this male, or any of your thoughts, half-blood,' was the general mood of the room.
‘‘Revel in your superiority while being restricted to breeding with inferior males,’‘ Desiree chuckled. ‘‘Again, your condescension is ridiculously absurd.’‘
‘‘I will breed with Cáel and have many fine daughters. You, who can still breed,’‘ Desiree rubbed it in, ‘‘will have daughters who are even less than you. I'm sure my granddaughters will be suitably impressed with your prestige when they read about it in the scrolls.’‘
‘‘We cannot kill you for your abuse, but we can certainly mark you for the offenses,’‘ Elsa smirked.
‘‘Cáel, to my side,’‘ Desiree snapped. I struggled to stand. The medic tried to stop me.
‘‘You will tear your staples if you exert yourself,’‘ the medic told me.
‘‘While my heart still beats, I must answer my Sister's call to battle,’‘ I explained to the woman. She let me struggle to my feet. I did my best to not topple into either Desiree or Elsa.
‘‘He is so wrecked he can barely stand,’‘ one woman joked to another. In a flash, Desiree shot the speaker in the thigh, causing her to scream out and tumble to the ground.
‘‘By all means, jump up and attack me,’‘ Desiree mocked her. ‘‘It took the male seven seconds to regain his feet. I am sure we all await your superior effort.’‘
The woman did stand back up, shrugging off assistance as she did. I doubt she was faster than me though.
‘‘That's nice,’‘ Desiree continued. ‘‘You are a pure-blood. You look to be fit and excellently built. You and Cáel both have a wounded left leg. He has had the ever-living crap beaten out of him, so feel free to attack him when you are ready.’‘
The woman looked to me then back to Desiree.
‘‘What? I need medical attention,’‘ the woman protested.
‘‘Fine. Cáel, attack Blythe (the wounded woman),’‘ Desiree directed.
‘‘Why?’‘ I grunted.
‘‘Because I told you to,’‘ Desiree chuckled. We'd been down this road before.
‘‘Ah; she's wounded and not attacking either of us,’‘ I reason, ‘‘so I'll have to decline.’‘
‘‘There you have it, Morons,’‘ Desiree shouted. ‘‘Had you told Cáel he was doing something wrong, he would have apologized and left.’‘
‘‘Had you told him to sit down and wait for a superior to show up, he would have,’‘ Desiree continued. ‘‘But no, you had to attack him. When he had the temerity to defend himself, you closed in like a pack of jackals and let him get battered into unconsciousness. You were so eager to stomp on a male outside the public view none of you took a moment to think.’‘
‘‘This isn't over between you and me,’‘ Elsa glared at Desiree. A whispered ripple moved through the crowd. Amazons moved aside, opening a large lane from the door to us. Two bodyguards led the way. Desiree quickly pulled out her gun's clip, chambered out the last round and placed her pistol on the mat. All around weapons were put down, not dropped.
Hayden came forward flanked by another bodyguard and a female attendant.
‘‘Cáel, to my side,’‘ she commanded evenly. I weaved to her right side. ‘‘Kneel.’‘ I nearly face-planted I was so overwhelmed by pain.
‘‘Tegan, please tell me what is going on,’‘ Hayden addressed the most senior member present.
The woman stepped forward and gave her own, skewed, version of events.
‘‘I have already misused too much time on this male's behalf,’‘ Hayden mused. ‘‘My only conclusion drawn from all these issues is that I am the Spiritual Leader of a bunch of prejudiced, arrogant, conceited cunts,’‘ she finished angrily.
‘‘Please explain to me how one male barely a month out of a rural, tiny college in the middle of nowhere has bewildered so many of my women?’‘ Hayden scanned the room.
‘‘He attacked me,’‘ Sabia complained.
‘‘Maybe that will teach you to not attack an opponent who has eighteen centimeters and thirty kilograms on you,’‘ Hayden sighed.
‘‘Especially, by your own admission, you knew he and another woman were practicing an intricate martial art you were unfamiliar with,’‘ Hayden appeared strict and maternal. ‘‘Don't give me 'he was a male' either. All complaints concerning the 'New Directive' are to be directed to Katrina, Tessa, or myself.’‘
‘‘We are not a pack of hyenas who lash out wildly, without consideration for our laws,’‘ she declared.
‘‘We must defend ourselves,’‘ Tegan insisted.
‘‘Yes,’‘ Hayden nodded. ‘‘I agree. Your point would be?’‘
‘‘He attacked Sabia,’‘ Tegan pointed out.
‘‘I am well aware of that,’‘ Hayden related patiently. ‘‘Sabia launched an unprovoked attacked, refused to explain herself and didn't take the presence of a guest into account. What would you have done in the same situation?’‘
‘‘He is a man,’‘ Tegan stated.
‘‘He is a man. He is also a Havenstone employee, a servant of Katrina and a part of a program I have initiated,’‘ Hayden kept at it. ‘‘What do you suggest? I instruct the males to stand patiently while you slit their throats? We would rapidly run out of men to recruit.’‘
‘‘In case you have forgotten the discussion that leads to our extinction,’‘ Hayden grew chilly. ‘‘By all means throw yourself off the top of the building. Do not expect me to do the same, or welcome your attempt to murder my offspring with your intransigent. Cáel, how many days is it now?’‘ she teased me.
‘‘76 Hayden,’‘ I responded, ‘‘though I still plan to spend that first night with Buffy.’‘
‘‘Still more afraid of her than me?’‘ Hayden openly joked with me. Cold-ass woman.
‘‘I'm starting to think she's gene-spliced with a lady-jaguar,’‘ I confessed. ‘‘Not only does she make these spooky growling noises, she perches over doors I frequently use.’‘
There was a hush over the room.
‘‘Oh Goddess, Sisters,’‘ Hayden groaned. ‘‘Its levity. He is not being serious; you know, being playful and amusing to lessen the stress of a situation. Cáel, stop trying to get yourself killed. Many of these women could greatly benefit some time with you.’‘
‘‘With, or without weapons?’‘ I looked up. Hayden swatted my hair.
‘‘Bad!’‘ Hayden waggled a finger in my face. ‘‘Bad Male! Bad!’‘ She look to the stunned/amused assembly. ‘‘This is really all it takes.’‘
‘‘He called us unworthy,’‘ another Amazon spoke up.
‘‘And his opinion of you would matter; why?’‘ Hayden looked at the woman.
‘‘He said he would only bow before the Worthy,’‘ another woman persisted. Hayden groaned.
‘‘You really are a problem,’‘ Hayden looked at me with frightening compassion.
‘‘I apologize,’‘ I said obsequiously.
‘‘If you want Cáel to kneel, call Katrina and convince her to make you Cáel's boss. Then he will kneel, follow, leap in front of bullets, punch your enemies, play with your children, or get your lunch. It is what he does and he's done all that before and more. If you want to make him jump, take ten minutes out of your busy lives and use a phone,’‘ Hayden scanned the room.
‘‘Can I return to my dinner, or is there another bout of insanity that I need to deal with?’‘ Hayden pleasantly menaced the room.
‘‘Umm, Hayden,’‘ I asked softly, ‘‘are medical people coming for the three women who were shot.’‘ I got a pat on the head.
‘‘Yes they are. It was very much 'you' to ask. Now stop stressing your wounded leg,’‘ she smiled. ‘‘From what I understand you have slept with three different women in the past 48 hours, plus roughhousing with three children for half a day. For a man who has been wounded as much as you have, I would think you would have more common sense where recovery was concerned.’‘
‘‘I'll endeavor to be less of a problem; for what's that worth,’‘ I grinned. Another swat on the head. Hayden made a brief goodbye to the group then left the room. The looks I was getting told volumes. They hadn't forgiven me for deciding to fight back. That was too much to ask. What I was getting was embarrassment. They had acted stupidly and knew it.
They had been in such a rush to reassert their superiority they had forgotten to engage their brains. In hindsight, what was I going to do? Fight them all? Make a break for it? Had they calmly exerted their authority, I would have acquiesced. I would have clearly embraced that option. Once they enjoined violence, they had backed me into a corner.
At that point, they couldn't win. They didn't have the time to break me and no amount of damage I sustained would change the equation. I knew I was going to get beaten so there was no incentive for me to do anything but fight. I had fought Rhada and Madi after all. Best of all, their irrational actions had been highlighted by their highest official.
There were a few 'he should have submitted'. Those speakers weren't convincing anyone, even themselves. Their tame males would have bowed down. Hell, they wouldn't have been in this position in the first place. With pain and blood, I was starting to make inroads. Amazons didn't have a version of the French Foreign Legion at Camarón, or the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.
Sacrifice was occasionally necessary, but not celebrated. This was not to say giving your life for another wasn't appreciated. It was, yet the emphasis was on killing your enemy before such a deed was inevitable. Vastly outnumbered throughout their history, the lessons they drilled into the next generation was one of killing your enemy swiftly.
Going toe to toe with your foes was a luxury they could not afford. Numbers and ill-fortune could be calamitous. The Amazons in the gym saw nothing wrong with the Elsa having a spear while I had nothing. In the same way, they had no problem with 'how' I attacked Sabia, only that I had attacked her at all.
It had been foolish of Sabia to turn her back on me, not knowing who I was. Had they been in my position, they would have hit her from behind too. What they did value was loyalty, martial valor and respect. Betraying a fellow Amazon was probably a horrific crime to them. Personal grievances were most likely dealt with internally with the declaration of a blood feud.
Martial valor; well, duh. They were Amazons. I was willing to bet every one of the new male recruits had some sort of combative ability. Tessa and Katrina would not want to dump neophytes into this cauldron without some sort of defensive training. Their system of respect was an elaborate structure I had barely pierced.
Prestige/blood purity was important, yet clearly competence counted as well. Hayden, Katrina and Tessa were all scary-smart. The last two were pretty young for their critical positions. Hayden sat atop a pyramid of psychopaths, many who were unhappy with her and her choice on how to save her people. Their restiveness and Hayden's willingness to stay the course was laid out with the encounter with Leona.
Desiree retrieved her pistol, loading it before pulling me to my feet. A woman put a hand on my chest before I made the door.
‘‘You will not always be so lucky,’‘ she warned me.
‘‘Cáel don't,’‘ Desiree cautioned me. I proved I could learn something and said nothing.
‘‘Keep him on a tight leash, Half-blood,’‘ the lady mocked us as we moved around.
‘‘I take it back,’‘ Desiree grunted. ‘‘Have at her.’‘
‘‘Please take into account,’‘ I grinned at my latest tormentor, ‘‘that I have nothing to lose by meeting your challenge while the best you can do is a draw.’‘
‘‘I repeat,’‘ she snarled, ‘‘you will not; ‘‘
‘‘Shove it,’‘ I interrupted her angrily. ‘‘This is not me being lucky. Being lucky would have implied that any of the douches here had two brain cells to rub together. Then you would have realized I made an honest mistake and three of you wouldn't be suffering from gunshot wounds.’‘
The woman's flashed hate to me then glanced to Desiree.
‘‘I'm not going to shoot you,’‘ Desiree yawned. ‘‘He's going to snap your neck like a twig because he's too damn tired to play around with our sensibilities about your perceived value of your life. Have at; ‘‘
I must have looked like death warmed over. She took ten seconds to decide that I was right; the best she could get was a draw. After the beating Elsa had given me, taking me down would have seemed pathetic. Had I won, she would have never lived it down.
‘‘Had enough?’‘ Desiree asked as she helped me limp along.
‘‘You haven't shot me,’‘ I snorted.
‘‘We aren't out the doors yet,’‘ she reminded me.
‘‘Thank you,’‘ I sighed. For not shooting me; for coming to my rescue; for her words to her fellow Amazons; we never clarified my intent.
Outside the doors there were two groups waiting on me; the work crew and Yasmin plus two SD members.
‘‘Ladies,’‘ I addressed the first group. ‘‘A moment's forbearance. I need to take care of this.’‘ I hobbled over to Yasmin who had hurriedly dressed.
‘‘Wow,’‘ I chuckled. ‘‘This has to count as one of the most disastrous first dates in history. I apologize for this unforeseen chaos. I'm kind of surprised you are still here.’‘ I wasn't surprised. Getting your ass kicked in a valiant struggle is only superseded by winning said struggle in the 'getting the girl all hot' category.
‘‘Are you going to be alright?’‘ she stroked my cheek.
‘‘I get $247,000 a year plus a truckload of benefits,’‘ I smiled. ‘‘I also have to deal with a number of colorful characters. Remember, I was shot with an arrow on Saturday.’‘ Yasmin tried to pull me away from Desiree and the two guardians, but they were having none of that.
‘‘These women are some kind crazy cult,’‘ Yasmin whispered in my ear. Less I forget, she was a kick-ass cop back in Brazil.
‘‘I'm not going to insult your intelligence with a denial,’‘ I whispered back.
‘‘Why are you staying?’‘ she looked into my eyes.
‘‘Nothing I could tell you would make sense,’‘ I kissed her. She pulled my head down hard and turned a simple peck into a full blow French kiss. Desiree tapped Yasmin on the shoulder half a minute later.
‘‘Time for you to go,’‘ she told my date.
‘‘Are you leaving soon?’‘ Yasmin asked me.
‘‘No, he's staying here with us for a while,’‘ Desiree answered for me. ‘‘He clearly has difficulty taking care of himself.’‘
‘‘Strange,’‘ Yasmin growled, ‘‘your crowd seems to be the reason he needs to be taken care of in the first place.’‘
Desiree didn't argue. She nodded to the security detail ladies and they took Yasmin away. She shot me back a few worried looks before she rounded the corner to the elevators. The Executive Services group was looking at me. I was totally taken aback by Buffy being hellishly pissed at me. Okay, maybe not.
A senior member named Rosette came to me first. She patted me on the shoulder which made me wince.
‘‘Is there any place on you that doesn't hurt; besides your face?’‘ she inquired.
‘‘I think Elsa avoided hitting his cock and balls too,’‘ Desiree muttered.
‘‘Elsa!’‘ Buffy screeched.
‘‘Yeah,’‘ Desiree kept interrupting me. ‘‘She beat him with a spear before choking him out.’‘
‘‘We have to do something,’‘ Daphne declared. Five of the six new girls were present.
‘‘No!’‘ I insisted. ‘‘I haven't see you ladies fight, but I've seen Elsa and that is not something any of you want a part of.’‘
‘‘You fought her,’‘ Violet stated.
‘‘I didn't pick a fight with her, believe me,’‘ I countered. ‘‘Trust me, she's a cyborg killing machine and you are nothing but a bunch of little girls more accustomed to pillow fights than the sounds of your ribs being broken.’‘ There was a moment of silence.
Trigger came up and gave me a gentle hug.
‘‘You're okay,’‘ she murmured. ‘‘Try not to be such a drama queen.’‘
‘‘No promises. There are plenty of punches and kicks around this wonderful place I haven't walked into yet,’‘ I teased. The rest followed up with physical tenderness and teasing jibs.
In the end, there was only Buffy (Desiree was sitting this encounter out) and she was quivering with lethal passion.
‘‘Did you fucking feel her up this time!’‘ Buffy screamed at me. Teasing and mocking was unwise.
‘‘No Buffy,’‘ I related in a deep, seductive voice.
‘‘What about that whore?’‘ she kept yelling. She was referring to Yasmin. I lowered my head, took a deep breath then looked to Desiree.
‘‘Where am I going?’‘ I requested of her.
‘‘Don't you dare ignore me,’‘ Buffy stepped forward. I stumbled back. Not because I moved, but because Desiree pulled me back and interposed herself between us.
‘‘Buffy think,’‘ Desiree calmed her friend. ‘‘He was working out in the gym with an outside female, not screwing her. He was attacked; twice. Why do you want to hurt him?’‘
‘‘He makes me crazy,’‘ Buffy wailed. ‘‘I; I don't want him to get hurt.’‘ To me, ‘‘Cáel, stop going on dates with other women.’‘
‘‘Buffy, I'm a womanizer and no amount of hoping on either of our parts is going to change that,’‘ I tried to explain. ‘‘I really do like you.’‘
‘‘If I didn't, I would have kept walking after that 'whore' comment. I don't date whores. I date women and one day, if I live long enough, one of them will be you. Until that time, I'm going to roam and since I can't roam in-house, I'm going to do it with other women I meet,’‘ I told her. ‘‘I'm not going to make some promise to you I have no intention of keeping and no amount of fear or pain will change who I am.’‘
‘‘Sleep with me,’‘ Buffy persisted. ‘‘At this rate, you'll be dead before the month ends.’‘
‘‘Everybody makes mistakes,’‘ I grinned. ‘‘Genius is never making the same mistake twice.’‘
‘‘Come on Genius,’‘ Desiree sighed. Buffy wouldn't get out of the way.
‘‘Do you want a totally platonic and workplace acceptable hug?’‘ I offered Buffy.
She nodded and I carefully wrapped my arms around her. She slowly linked her hands over my ass. Buffy took several deep breaths. I could feel her tension bleed off. Elsa coming out of the gym ruined the mood.
‘‘Don't get comfortable,’‘ Elsa mocked Buffy. ‘‘You are not even in the running.’‘
Buffy's grip tightened until I gasped in pain. Elsa chuckled as she went into the locker room. Finally, Desiree broke the hold and forced some space between Buffy and me.
‘‘Don't let her get to you,’‘ Desiree said to Buffy. ‘‘You'll be the one Cáel will be dragging off to a closet at 5:01 pm on Day 84, not her.’‘ Buffy ran her hand over my chest one last time then left.
‘‘You really are her friend,’‘ I mused to Desiree.
‘‘I don't have any friends,’‘ Desiree remarked. Yeah, right. She took me to another basement level, put me into a Spartan one room dwelling with a small bathroom and even smaller shower. Desiree went to get me a plastic wrap for my bandage so I could get clean and some food because I hadn't eaten yet.
She returned with the proscribed items; including a Klondike Bar. She was gone before I could even say 'thank you' or share the joke. Since my body was a mass of pain, I finished my business quickly and lay down on the double bed; the only piece of furniture in the room. Sleep had barely wrapped itself around me when the door opened.
It was Caitlyn, Loraine, Europa and Aya.
‘‘Hey gang,’‘ I sat up. Aya ran up to me. I noticed a tote bag. Loraine and Europa followed a little slower. Caitlyn's approach was sedate and graceful.
‘‘You were hurt again,’‘ Aya protested.
‘‘I fell down some stairs,’‘ I snickered. Aya pouted.
‘‘How many?’‘ Loraine teased.
‘‘Let me think; I started on the twenty-eighth floor and caught a railing around the sixth,’‘ I fabricated.
‘‘I'm glad you live on the third floor,’‘ Europa grinned, ‘‘Otherwise you would kill yourself inside a week.’‘ She was referring to my apartment.
‘‘That's the spirit, Europa,’‘ I applauded her developing sarcasm.
‘‘That's not funny,’‘ Aya frowned. ‘‘It scares me when you get hurt, Cáel.’‘
‘‘It scares me to get hurt, Aya,’‘ I stroked her cheek. ‘‘I'm not all that brave.’‘
‘‘Oh,’‘ chuckled Loraine, ‘‘you tackling me on the sidewalk was a come-on?’‘
‘‘Not really,’‘ I winked. ‘‘I saw a penny and I thought you were trying to beat me to it.’‘ Loraine hauled back to punch me.
‘‘Is there any part of you that doesn't hurt yet?’‘ Loraine asked.
‘‘My pancreas,’‘ I mused. ‘‘I'm pretty sure my pancreas isn't in screaming agony yet.’‘
‘‘You are in screaming agony?’‘ Aya fretted.
‘‘Yeah,’‘ I ruffled her hair. ‘‘I could really use a hug right now.’‘
Aya scrambled on top of me; I bottled up the howl of suffering as she lay on my chest.
‘‘I am here for you now, Cáel,’‘ she sighed. I looked over to Caitlyn to judge her mood. I was behaving myself right into some 'Daddy Time' with her, no doubt. After a bit of time passed, Caitlyn sent Aya to the bathroom to change for bed.
‘‘Is it okay if she stays with you for the night?’‘ Caitlyn whispered once she was gone. She'd already set up Aya for a night visit but was kind enough to give me the chance to break Aya's heart.
‘‘How is she going to get to school tomorrow?’‘ I evaded.
‘‘She's going to take the last four days off,’‘ Caitlyn informed me.
‘‘Do you want her to spend the rest of the week with me?’‘ I tried to stay calm.
‘‘Would you? She is truly happy in your presence, Cáel,’‘ she said. ‘‘Today, even with you not taking her to school, she was calm. Apparently Ms. Reichmann was more distressed by your absence than Aya was.’‘
‘‘Imagine that,’‘ I looked away. ‘‘I would like to think we've established a rapport.’‘
‘‘That must be some rapport,’‘ Loraine giggled. ‘‘She sent you two perfumed letters.’‘ Oh, that would be her and her sister Nadia. I could read between the lines without opening the envelopes. 'Sorry that my sister joined us last night; unless you don't mind' from Ulyssa.
'Sorry for interrupting you and my sister's date; unless you didn't mind,' from Nadia. Basically, they wanted me to date Ulyssa and keep coming by for 'accidental' sex with Nadia in a three-way. I'm a great lover; lousy boyfriend. They were sisters. There was no way sibling jealousy wouldn't destroy this relationship. Of course I'd continue to date them. I'm a pig.
Aya came out, joyously skipping my way. I held up my hand for her to halt.
‘‘Aya?’‘ I began.
‘‘Yes,’‘ she gulped.
‘‘Can I ask you for a favor?’‘ I questioned.
‘‘Okay.’‘ Aya was cautious.
‘‘Aya, I'm going to be pretty much busted for the rest of the week,’‘ I began; she looked crestfallen. ‘‘Could you be my help-mate through Friday?’‘
‘‘If it is okay with Mommy,’‘ she pleaded to her maternal unit.
‘‘We will have to bring you more clothes,’‘ Caitlyn acquiesced.
‘‘Yippee!’‘ Aya ran over and hugged her mother. A quick hug back then Aya was laying on my chest once more. That was pretty much that. I gave each girl a kiss on the cheek. Caitlyn got one on the lips plus a grope on her thigh; oink.
Aya and I had been sound asleep when a subtle disturbance woke me. I looked to my right side and there was Desiree, on her side, eyes open, looking at me.
‘‘Ah;’‘ I muttered.
‘‘This is my room and my bed,’‘ she whispered. Oh, she lived like a monk/cloistered nun.
'Thank you,' I mouthed. She searched out my eyes for sarcasm. Finding none, she nodded and closed her eyes. Her phone buzzing roused me much later. Desiree began to get up. It was 2:30 am.
‘‘Marilynn?’‘ I inquired softly. Desiree nodded.
‘‘Do you want me to come along?’‘ I offered. ‘‘I have an 'in' with the desk sergeant.’‘
‘‘Bring Aya and use crutches,’‘ Desiree instructed. Aya was peeved at the early wakeup until she realized it was 'business'; her first job; and she was all for it. Desiree had brought me some crutches and a fresh change of clothes and toiletries when she'd come in earlier.
A half hour later, Desiree, Aya and me entered the precinct house. On this visit, we received a completely different reception.
‘‘Cáel,’‘ the Desk Sergeant welcomed me. ‘‘Hey, is that one of Saturday's kids?’‘ she motioned to Aya. Desiree held her on her hip because I was on crutches. Aya was nodding off again.
‘‘Yeah, that's Aya Ruger,’‘ I grinned affectionately. ‘‘I since I got so banged up, she decided to help me look after myself the rest of the week. I didn't want to leave her at the room they gave me at work.’‘
‘‘I warned you about those crazy bitches,’‘ Sarge winked. ‘‘I'll send for your regular pick-up.’‘
Marilynn and whomever qualified as party companions for the night were summoned then the Sarge turned back to me.
‘‘Nikita likes you,’‘ she studied me.
‘‘That's bizarre,’‘ I shrugged. ‘‘I had the feeling I'm not the kind of guy she's looking for.’‘
‘‘Oh, she thinks you are screwed up,’‘ the Sarge laughed, ‘‘but she thinks you are sincere and clearly not afraid to be vulnerable.’‘
‘‘Vulnerable?’‘ I wondered.
‘‘You don't see the need for any macho posturing,’‘ she explained. ‘‘Her ex was a controlling bastard that; ‘‘
‘‘I don't need to know, Sergeant,’‘ I interrupted. ‘‘If she wants me to know about the guy, she'll tell me when she's ready.’‘
‘‘That's very New Age of you,’‘ she smirked. This was not a good thing.
‘‘Oh, don't get me wrong,’‘ I grinned all shark-like. ‘‘If he hurts her again, I'm not bring him a 'Get Well' card. I'm bringing a shovel.’‘
‘‘As a police officer, I'll remind you to leave retribution to the authorities,’‘ she smiled back. ‘‘As a Mother, I'll look the other way.’‘
‘‘Wow, he must have royally screwed up worse than I imagined and I have a pretty active imagination,’‘ I snorted.
‘‘Here come your princesses,’‘ the Sarge sighed. Marilynn had two barflies tonight. All three were way passed sloshed. Desiree and I poured them into the back seat then began the laborious process of depositing them in their various domiciles. We were back by 4:30 with a sleeping Aya none the wiser.
To be continued in Part 8
By FinalStand for Literotica.