“Yes?” Celeste purred.
“I think your time’s up,” he told her, any trace of arousal being replaced by an icy abruptness.
“What?!” Celeste blasted as she leapt from her seat.
“Please try your hardest to wrap your sad, tiny little mind around this! My boss would never, under any circumstances, do a Fulsom any favors! Save your shitty attempts at bribery and seduction for those stupid enough to fall for ‘em!” Ronald snapped.
Celeste’s eyes narrowed in hate, “The Von Raben family will not live to regret this mistake!”
Ronald sighed in exasperation, ran a hand though his hair, then said, “Of course they won’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta get ready for work. If you’re stupid enough to get lost on the way to the door, and I got a funny feelin’ you are, just remain calm and wait for help to arrive.”
Celeste stood, sauntered to the front door, and just as she was leaving, she turned and pinned Ronald one final look of disgust. “Don’t act so proud! I know for a fact you wanted to lay a claim in me!” she insisted before slamming the door.
“Sure, if I wanted to catch a fuckin’ venereal disease,” Ronald retorted with a wry smile.
THIRTEEN
A thunderous pounding caused Max to stir from a deep slumber and find Caitlyn sitting up in bed.
“There’s someone at the door, sweetness,” she whispered.
After activating his HUD and clearing away the dozens of missed phone call and visitor alerts the HouseMind had posted there, he checked his Cell’s clock function. With a loud groan, he hauled himself out of bed.
“It’s three in the mornin’,” he grumbled as he grabbed up his scimitar from its stand near the bed. “I’ll be back shortly,” he assured his wife as he left the room.
Caitlyn waited anxiously for her husband’s return, and once he did his grim expression caused her heart to contract in fear.
“Come with me. We don’t have time to dress,” he ordered with a hint of urgency in his voice.
“What’s happened?!” she asked, her fear increasing tenfold.
“There’s been a murder at my father’s house, so he’s ordered me to take you to Bert’s,” he quickly expounded.
Caitlyn was out of bed as quickly as she could manage with her swollen belly, a proud and beautiful testament to her advancing pregnancy. “What about you?!” she asked as she donned her heavy winter coat.
“I gotta report to my father,” Max told her as he shrugged his way into his own coat.
A ten minute ride by Lux-car saw them standing on the snow-dusted porch of the stately Raven governor’s mansion. Despite the frigid cold, Nicolene came out in her housecoat and explained the situation to the worried couple, “It was one of our SIR servants, Linda 2011RV. One of the night guards found her in the garden. She’s been completely dismembered and her vital workings were exposed to corrosives.”
“Blessed Creator, that’s horrible!” Caitlyn shuddered.
“At least it was only her body. Her mind’s safe in the Hub,” Max pointed out.
“Actually, the attacker managed to get a Lobotomy virus into the Hub through Linda’s uplink. It was destroyed in seconds, but it was already too late by then. Linda’s completely gone,” Nicolene revealed, a great sadness overtaking her.
“No!” Caitlyn gasped.
“’Her killer’s days are numbered, then. Who all’s here?” Max asked, rage etched into his features.
“Me, Anna, Ernesto, Angelina, and your brother are here. Michael and Ronald are at the manor house with your father,” Nicolene related.
Max took Caitlyn into his arms, his expression softening somewhat, “Go inside with Mom and try to get some sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Caitlyn smiled, although she was terrified, “Did you know I love you very much?”
“I had a hunch,” Max answered before giving her a kiss. “And it shouldn’t surprise you to hear me say I love you, too,” he told her after the kiss ended.
Caitlyn smiled and gave him one last quick kiss before he released her and hurried to the waiting Lux-car.
#
Once Max was gone, Nicolene escorted Caitlyn inside and upstairs to a vacant bedroom. Caitlyn immediately put herself to bed, but two hours later was still tossing and turning on the unfamiliar mattress. Heaving a frustrated sigh of resignation, she left the room, tiptoed downstairs, and crept into the moonlit living room. She was surprised to find her mother-in-law sitting in an overstuffed armchair.
“Having trouble sleeping, too?” Caitlyn asked as she stretched tiredly before easing herself down on a cushy loveseat.
“Unfortunately. I never could sleep during these stupid things! Too worried about my husband and my boys running around out there with assassins and other enemies hunting for them. And this one’s made all the more troubling by the fact that Linda wasn’t a Veriform employee, making her a victim of coldblooded murder, not corporate warfare,” Nicolene admitted, her voice subdued by worry and grief.
“When I was a little girl, some of the kids I knew used to pretend they were rangers and would have imaginary battles against bad guys like the White Spider or the Imperatoris Victus. Sometimes they’d change it up and do battle as security troopers from Veriform and Liberty. It was an innocent game, something to pass away an empty afternoon, but a good SIR was murdered tonight and my husband is out there with her killer on the loose. I wish reality was more like those games the kids played, where the good guy always wins and nobody gets hurt,” Caitlyn mused.
Nicolene nodded and let a tiny smile play at her lips. “Even in the worst of times, we try to find a silver lining. Years ago, we had an assassination scare. Max was about twelve, and Bert had just married Melissa and had moved into a townhouse like yours. Frederic had us all take shelter there during the scare. Max was too excited to sleep, and because he wasn’t old enough to help Frederic he and some of the security troopers decided to play dominoes in the kitchen. As usual, Max started getting too loud, so Bert came downstairs and scolded him for waking Melissa, and Max got angry with him and decided to get revenge.”
Caitlyn was totally immersed, “What did he do?”
“He started yelling and shouting as if he were still playing dominoes. When Bert came downstairs, he proceeded to pummel him with his pillow. Of course, a massive pillow war broke out, and they woke the entire house up.”
Caitlyn could not help but laugh at the thought of the quiet and dignified Bert participating in such a childish enterprise as a pillow fight.
“My boys,” Nicolene sighed fondly as Caitlyn stifled her laughter.
“Does Bert still talk about Melissa much?” Caitlyn eventually inquired.
“Her death was hard for him, especially since Angelina was so young when it happened. I think he still longs for her and tries to keep himself from dwelling on her absence. He spends hours in the office dealing with all his gubernatorial duties, only to spend nearly all his free time doting on Angelina. It’s wonderful that he cares so much for his daughter, but I’m worried the total stress load’s going to overwhelm him,” Nicolene related.
The sound of a Lux-car coasting to a halt in front of the house prompted both ladies to stand. The front door opened and, moments later, Max trudged into the room. Caitlyn rushed to her husband and hugged him tight. “You’re trembling,” she noticed with worry.
“I’m just tired,” he assured her.
Nicolene came up and latched onto her son’s arm.
“The all clear’s been given; so everyone can go home. Mourning for Linda will begin tomorrow,” Max told her.
Nicolene gave her son a kiss on his cheek, “You go home and get some rest.”
“Will do. I love you, Mom,” Max said.
“And I love you,” she answered warmly.
#
Thoughts of the horrid and violent murder of his father’s SIR servant, the hacking of the Hub, and the fact that the perpetrator of this crime was still at large kept Max wide
awake. The trembling his wife had noticed earlier had nothing to do with exhaustion. The ease with which their enemies had so grievously hurt them and the equal ease with which they had elluded capture instilled in him a deep and potent fear. He was finally drifting off to sleep when the first rays of morning sunlight blazed through his bedroom windows, dragging him back into wakefulness.
He lay in the gloomy light and basked in the warmth radiating from his wife’s body as they lay spooning. As always, he was filled with deep gratitude that she was still willing to share her life with him and treat him so wonderfully. He gently laid a hand on her warm belly and left it there. He felt his love for her skyrocket as he thought of their child growing inside her. He thought for a second thatt he felt the baby move under his hand but felt no further activity, much to his disappointment. One of his favorite activities was lay his hand or cheek on his wife’s belly and “play” with their baby, the two of them laughing and cutting up while their child pummeled him with its spirited little kicks.
A hand slid over Max’s, and Caitlyn spoke softly, “In two months there’ll be a new little Von Raben in our home.”
“I can hardly wait, my love,” Max assured her, “I can hardly wait.”
#
“My son,” Alexander began, “I apologize for waking you at such an early hour, but I’ve vital news, both good and bad, to impart.”
A tousled, shabbily-dressed Richard regarded his father with a humorless stare.
“In regards to the election, your brother’s gained the votes of Governors Wilson, Blackwell, and, much to my surprise, Floyd. We’ve also learned that Governor Von Raben has the votes of Williams, Alvarez, and Bianchi. Since a governor can’t vote for oneself, Stephen will be voting for Governor Von Raben and Governor Von Raben will be voting for Stephen, as was expected.”
“So Stephen and Bert are tied,” Richard observed.
“For now. We’re got to secure Beardsley’s vote, and we may have to take steps to cement the votes of Floyd and Von Raben. They could both be swayed by Von Raben’s miserable fucking father, unless we keep him from doing so. I’m going to have the Spiders deal with both the Floyds and the Von Rabens in one fell swoop and help us secure Beardsley’s vote. This comes with a substantial fee, of course, but it’ll be worth it,” Alexander outlined.
“How much will we be payin’ this time?” Richard grumbled.
“Another four hundred eighty million,” Alexander informed him.
“That’ll bankrupt us!” Richard exclaimed.
“Only if we pay out of our own pockets. Instead, I’m going to halve the luxury pay of all Liberty employees. We’ll blame the Von Rabens and their attacks for the cuts, thereby fueling a hatred of them among our employees, and we’ll use the money saved to pay the Spiders,” Alexander retorted.
“Now that’s a neat trick! And the bad news you mentioned?”
“A short time ago, I received an anonymous, untraceable email instructing me to have our spy in Von Raben Manor commit an act that would send a clear warning to Frederic. I assumed it came from the Spiders, and I proceeded as instructed. Last night, our spy murdered one of the Von Raben house servants. Less than an hour after the act was committed, I received an untraceable call from a genin. It seems we were never told by the Spiders to carry out any act,” Alexander reported.
Richard perked up, “I wrote that email. I figured the only way you’d get anything done was if you thought your precious Spiders were telling you to do it.”
Alexander shot from his seat in a rage, stomped around his desk, and backhanded Richard hard across his face. The man was knocked from his chair and landed jarringly on the floor. He glared up at his father with undisguised outrage and loathing as he stroked his offended cheek.
“What were you thinking?!” Alexander seethed.
“We’re losing precious time, Pater! Each day we refuse to act is another day the Von Rabens use to gain strength! The chance to finally defeat them is slipping from our grasp!” Richard cried in a hurt voice.
Alexander shook his head vehemently, “The Spiders say that security in all of Raven is now tighter than ever before! It could be years before they can act on our behalf!”
Richard stared daggers at his father as he climbed to his feet.
Alexander turned away from his son, “Richard, you are confined to the mansion until further notice, and I’m locking your Cell’s communication functions. The next time something of this nature occurs because of your impudence, you’ll not live to regret it.”
FOURTEEN
“Can’t this stupid thing speed up?!” Max yelled from the back of the Lux-car, “I can’t believe this! Did the city’s entire population decide to come out and use the roads today?! Of course not! They also bussed in every person in a hundred mile radius! All to screw me over!”
“Your rantings won’t get us there any faster,” Bert told his brother.
“My wife’s in labor and you’re worried about my composure?!” Max exclaimed.
“Now arriving at East Chieftown Regional Medical Center,” the Lux-car’s computerized voice announced.
Before the Lux-car had come to a complete stop, Max had sprung from the vehicle and was sprinting towards the hospital. The hospital was a tall building of red brick that had a nanite sign-cloud displaying a stylized image of a white rabbit above the main entrance. Bert hurried after his brother and found him in the lobby, where Anna stood speaking frantically with him, her one-month-old son James cradled in her arms.
“Bert, we gotta hurry! She could start delivering any minute!” Anna called out upon noticing him.
The siblings hurried into the hospital’s interior and before long they arrived at the maternity ward. Max was rushed to a room from which issued cries of pain and the bustle of frantic activity. He burst into the room and was intercepted by a nurse, who helped him into sterile dressings. Caitlyn was laid out in a birthing posture on a hospital bed, her face tight with strain and agony. Max was at her side in an instant, gripping her hand and smoothing her disheveled hair away from her sweaty face. Suddenly, she cried out and squeezed his hand with bone-crunching force as another series of contractions wracked her body.
“Why can’t you use Numb?!” Max inquired, referring to the nanite solution used to deaden pain.
“It’s too late. She was already starting to deliver when she got here, so the doctor decided not to use Numb,” one of the nurses hastily informed him.
“She’s in pain, dammit!” he raged.
“Now sir, if you don’t calm down and tend to your wife, I’ll have you removed,” the nurse forewarned.
“She’s starting to crown!” the obstetrician announced.
“You have to get her to push, sir. The baby’s coming,” a different nurse instructed Max.
“Did you hear, dearest? You gotta push,” Max urged with a calmness he did not feel.
“It hurts so much!” Caitlyn groaned.
Max kissed her forehead. “It’ll be over soon, but you’ve gotta push,” he gently urged.
At the obstetrician’s command, Caitlyn’s pushed hard, letting out a pained cry before collapsing back in exhaustion moments later.
“Good, good! Just one more big push!” the obstetrician assured her.
Caitlyn took a deep breath and let out a pained grunt as she pushed with everything she could muster.
“It’s out!” the obstetrician trumpeted.
A second later, the angry cries of an infant filled the air, causing Max’s breath to catch in his chest.
“It’s a boy, a healthy-looking baby boy!” the obstetrician announced.
Once Max cut the cord, the nurses rushed across the room, cleaned the baby, and cleared fluid from his airways. Max then watched in silent wonder as a tiny, blanket-wrapped bundle was delivered into his wife’s outstretched arms. The cries quickly died down to tiny whimpers and moans as the baby grew warm and comfortable.
“Max, he’s absolutely perfect!” Caitlyn observed tiredly a
s tears coursed down her cheeks.
The baby had a sparse covering of black hair atop his head. His face was sweet and serene with a tiny button nose and cheeks that were slowly become rosy as the pallor of birth left him.
“He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” Max breathed, his eyes hot with his own tears and his hands delicately cradling their son’s little head.
“What’s his name?” a nurse asked.
Caitlyn smiled and kissed the baby’s forehead, “His name’s Del Von Raben.”
Max smiled, “A good, strong name.”
Caitlyn giggled as Del let out a little yawn, and the proud parents sat admiring their son for some time. “Would you like to hold your son?” Caitlyn eventually asked Max.
Max nodded eagerly, and a nurse assisted Caitlyn in handing off the baby. Max watched with breathless anticipation as his son was placed into his waiting arms. At first he felt awkward and even a bit fearful as he cradled his son. The baby was so light and delicate that Max was certain he would hurt him if he made even the slightest error in his cradling technique. But as he stood worrying, he felt the tiny warmth radiating from his son’s body, a warmth that seemed to penetrate his chest and nestle deep into his heart. Max knew right then he would never, ever let the boy go.
“Pleased to meet you, Big Guy!” he greeted, his voice flooded with emotion.
#
When their son had been deemed healthy and Caitlyn had finished resting, Max and Caitlyn invited all their family and friends into her room so that they could spend time with the newest member of the Von Raben family. When they entered the room, they found Max sitting on the bed beside Caitlyn, admiring Del as he slept in his mother’s arms. Once everyone was settled, Del was passed around the room, giving each member of his new family a chance to hold and admire him.
Numerous well-wishers started appearing at the hospital late in the day and, after fighting through a small horde of reporters in the lobby, they were shown into Caitlyn’s room, where they showered gifts and good wishes on the couple and their new baby. It was nearly ten at night when the last of the visitors had departed, leaving Max and Caitlyn alone with their son.
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