He glanced at her and gave her a distracted smile and nod. Melissa was beginning to get more and more nervous.
“Accepted Ambassador. Let’s just keep you two safe and we can worry about everything else later,” he said. There was a rumble and faint weapons fire came from up above.
“Here we go people. Fonte, Cardel, I want you two to barricade the entrance when I go up. Unless you hear from me, or one of your people that you trust, let no one in. Understood?” he asked. They both nodded. Melissa found it a tribute to his command ability that neither had a problem taking orders from him. He looked at them all briefly and then headed out of the cellar.
Just as he was heading up the stairs and out of sight they heard a shot fired quite close. Melissa and Rosanna jumped back with startled cries. The two guys stood in front of them as Captain Lancer fell down the stairs, followed by Sergeant Jones. She held an automatic rifle at her hip and stood at the bottom of the steps, keeping it trained on the captain. He was holding his shoulder and blood was oozing out between his fingers. His face was full of rage as he stared at his former soldier. Melissa felt herself trembling and her heart was thudding in her ears.
“Sorry Captain, but I knew you would bring them down here as soon as danger threatened,” she smiled softly as she looked over at Rosanna and Melissa.
“I got here before you did Ambassador. I knew you would come to this place as soon as you disappeared on me. You were worried about being disgraced, now you have to be dead too. Father would be pleased,” she said tightening her grip on her weapon. Melissa found some courage within her. She stepped in front of the ambassador next to Cardel, who was snarling at the armed woman. Cardel put his arm out to keep her from going further.
“Look, I don’t know why you are doing this Jones. Bitter maybe, washing out. I don’t care. You just said the ambassador had to die. What do you think is going to happen to you? There is no way you will be getting off planet alive even if you kill all of us. You are a dead woman, you walking dumb ass! Has it occurred to you that…” she was cut off.
“You are stalling Assistant Mac. Nothing will stop me from getting revenge for my father and I am glad you will die not knowing. You have disgraced Earth as much as the cowering woman behind you,” she said and her voice had scaled up into what sounded like hysterics. She began raising the gun and they all heard someone shout.
“Have some soup!” A metal pot flew through the air from the stairwell and hit Jones in the back of the head. There was a loud clang and she dropped. Hitting the ground as fast as the pot did. Lenah and Daria walked out of the stair entrance shaking their heads.
“I offered her soup, she is very rude,” Daria said. Melissa felt her knees begin to give way and Cardel quickly put his arm around her to keep her from falling in a faint. It was a close thing.
*****
“So Jones was holding onto that hate for all these years because of her father?” Melissa asked. The captain sighed.
“Yeah. Her old man was on a mission to Eclabar, Rosanna’s first off planet mission. She was credited for stopping a war, and that made her career. Unfortunately, her assistant was doing things he should not have and it was he that had precipitated the hostilities. Rosanna covered it up and it kept Josiah Jones-Stark out of jail, but he lost his career over it. He apparently told his teenage daughter stories and when she got a chance to get on ambassadorial duty she took it. Hoping for a chance at revenge. The whole separatist thing was her way of getting recruits. That all those people, ours and theirs, died over that nonsense is such a waste,” he said sadly.
Melissa knew her friend was feeling guilty that one of his people was behind the whole thing. She poured him some of the Ilona wine.
“It is not your fault Lancer. Everyone acknowledges that. You could not have known. Rosanna did not recognize her and she knew Jones’s father. If you want to worry about something, worry about me! I am out of a job and have no reason to stay on Ilona. What the hell am I going to do? You at least get to stay,” she told him with an intentionally whiney tone to her voice. He smiled slightly and cocked his head at her.
“You don’t have to go anywhere Mac. You have friends here and I am certain finding you something to do will not be hard. Or you could be a lady of leisure. You have several gentlemen who would love to keep you home with them,” he teased her and she blushed slightly.
“He is right you know,” Fonte said coming out to the porch with Cardel. They were followed by Lenah and Daria carrying food.
“I wouldn’t worry about it Melissa. I am still of the opinion that you will be made the next ambassador,” Cardel said. The captain chuckled. He knew as well as she did that would never happen. Not with the way their government worked. They all began eating and she insisted Lenah and Daria join them. Staff members or not, they deserved to have some fun too. She leaned against Cardel as they stood around with plates in their hands, discussing the fallout from two days past.
“So Ambassador Rosanna has taken ship back to the Home Office with Jones, and admitted to all wrong doings recent and past. I expect her career is over. So when do you think they will send another one?” Fonte asked the captain.
“I am told that decision is already made although not who it is. I have been given the opportunity to stay on planet here and continue with guarding the embassy personnel. I discussed it with my people and we all decided to stay. Otherwise our friends died for nothing,” he said and Fonte nodded and patted his shoulder.
Melissa knew Lancer would do well on Ilona. She was trying to enjoy the festivities but her future was still uncertain. Sure, she thought she could stay, in fact she very much wanted to. She just could not fathom being unemployed. She never had been and she only knew how to do one thing. It was the only training she had. She saw Liaison Mistally enter and waved to her. She strode over and stood next to Lancer. Melissa she smiled at the way he looked at her. The woman was good looking to be sure. Bright yellow hair with purple eyes dressed in a purple top that barely restrained her breasts and shorts that covered the same amount of her rear and hips. Her muscular body was tan and she was as tall as the human soldier. Melissa was feeling very native dressed in clothes similar to Mistally’s. She had decided why the hell not. She did have a short skirt over her red shorts, but thought she looked pretty good and her boyfriends seemed to like it too.
“So have I missed anything?” Mistally asked.
“We were discussing how the best bet for Melissa is as the new ambassador. She does not think it will happen. I think the king will want to make that happen,” Lenah said.
“And you would be correct dear Lenah,” said the voice of the king as he walked onto the porch. Melissa froze in shock.
“Unfortunately the Earth Federation Council is not going to do it. It will be thirty days or so before they send another one. They assure me it will happen and our trade people are already in contact with Earth’s. I have another offer for you Melissa. I would imagine you have been worried about your future,” he said with a smile. Everyone got very quiet and it took a moment before she could find her voice.
“Your Majesty?” was all she could come out with.
“I have decided and been advised that I will need another advisor. We are considering several new alliances and embassies and I will need some input from many people. I would like you to be one of them,” he said with a bow. She remembered making a joke to Lancer about being an advisor to the king. She saw him smirk and knew he remembered it.
“An advisor Your Grace?” she asked.
“Indeed. I will need you to also, between now and when your new Earth ambassador arrives, to becoming fully acquainted with Ilona culture to help them have an easier time adjusting. Also, if you would be so inclined, I will need you to go over several files of information on other worlds and customs. It is so you can advise me and mine on good ways to deal with them. I realize it is not the post you are used to,” he gestured around at the villa, “but it is not an uncomfortable place to call ho
me,” he finished. She stood in surprise. Live here in the villa? Advise the king? Stay on Ilona! With the boys! She felt a smile come over her face and her body relax. Cardel chuckled softly and she elbowed him which caused everyone to laugh.
“I would be honored Your Grace. I will do my best to serve your needs,” the king nodded as Lenah handed him a drink.
“That is how Ilona takes care of each other,” he said and raised his glass.
THE END
Bonus Story 32 of 40
Mistress of the Wolves
Mia took a deep breath, taking in the rich pine smell of the Jacksonville National Forest. The sky was painted orange and purple with the coming sunset. It was the bridesmaids’ weekend and Mia had convinced the three other bridesmaids to pack up their scrubs, briefcases, and diaper bags, to put on hiking boots and backpacks. Mia was the only outdoorsy one in the group and though the bride could not make it, as the maid of honor, Mia wanted to show the girls that nature could be just as fun as a strip club. The four women had not even known each other until they drove up to north Florida. The car ride which was basically everyone on her cell phone unless she was driving, made Mia want to push the hike to today. She had to get the women talking.
“Soooo, how’s everyone doing?” Mia asked, pulling her long red hair into a messy bun.
They had walked about a mile uphill, chasing the sunset.
“A mosquito just bit my ass, Mia,” Tatianna said, heaving her backpack on to the campsite ground. Her thin braids were sticking to her sweaty neck and her voluptuous figure was marred with enormous sweat stains.
“I don’t have service, guys,” Linda said, holding up her cellphone to the sky. Linda had two kids and this was the first time her husband, Jeff, had the children all by himself. Most of the seven-hour car ride was Linda explaining to Jeff where things were in the house. Mia could not understand how a couple could be married for five years and only one of them knew where things were in the house.
Carissa, who was usually quiet the entire time, was bringing up the rear, flush faced and angrily wiping her black wispy hair behind her ears.
“We’re here, though,” Mia said, “yay?”
“Where is here? I only see trees,” Tatianna said, spinning around.
“That’s why we have sleeping bags in our packs,” Mia said, shrugging nervously.
“Wait, are we actually sleeping on the ground?” Linda asked, pinning her phone to her ear, “Hang on, girls—Jeff can you hear me? What do you mean you’re looking for the girls? Where are they? Where are you?”
Linda’s voice trailed off as she walked away from the group. Mia shook her head and looked back to Tatianna and Carissa who were looking at Mia like they could stab her. Mia offered a nervous laugh and dropped her pack on the ground in the clearing.
“Mia, what the actual fuck? Are we really sleeping under a tree?” Carissa asked, throwing her pack down.
“I thought you wanted to actually see nature?” Mia asked, shrugging her shoulders, “You know, adventure, fun—girl bonding?”
“We could bond with half-naked, muscular men giving us lap dances, Mia. Like normal a bridesmaids’ weekend. Is this why the bride didn’t come?” Tatianna asked, stepping towards Mia.
“Um, no? I mean yes. I mean no. She had to meet with the caterer over a shrimp cocktail emergency. She just happened to be busy,” Mia said, biting her bottom lip.
Tatianna buried her face in her hands, took a deep breath and looked at Mia. Mia was sure fire and smoke were about to come out of Tatianna and Carissa’s faces.
“Come on, it will be fun,” Mia said, whining and pleading with the women to understand.
Tatianna was a city girl from Miami and was a director at Miami General Hospital. She did not ever leave the city. She moved to Miami from New York for the promotion. And to draw Tatianna to the woods, Mia may have lied and said that they were staying in fancy cabins, and that the sleeping bags were a formality.
“Mia—” Tatianna said, pausing and rubbing her temple, “are we really sleeping outside on the ground for three days?”
Mia pursed her lips, trying to think of a lie, but she was a terrible liar.
“We’re going to die,” Carissa said, throwing her head backward.
“Nooo,” Mia said, trying to ignore the sounds of wolves in the background.
“There are wolves out here?” Carissa asked, shuffling into Tatianna’s shadow.
“No,” Mia said, but the sound of howling sounded like wolves.
“Whatever, can we make a fire or something?” Carissa asked, looking over her shoulders.
“Hey, sorry girls. I’m back. What did I miss?” asked Linda, shoving her phone into the pocket of her cargo shorts.
“We’re sleeping on the ground,” Tatianna said.
“I’m sorry, what?” Linda said, pulling out her phone again.
Mia shook her head, and walked over to a patch of scorched earth and started gathering dry branches for the fire. The other three women were arguing and Tatianna and Carissa were filling in Linda. They sounded like chatty hens. Mia hoped after she got the fire going and they had marshmallows on sticks they would be over it. Mia lit a match, threw it on the dry branches and watched them lap up the fire. The sound of the crackles drew the women and thankfully silenced the cackling hens.
The sun was fully up, but north Florida was not sunny south Florida. It was fifty degrees even with the sun fully up. Mia felt relieved when they all sat around the fire, but her heart sank because she knew it was going to drop into the thirties. By the time the sun went down, it would be freezing and apparently there were wolves.
*****
“I think Jeff lost my kids. I actually think the man I married has no idea where precisely on earth our children are located” Linda said, biting down on a s’more.
Mia stifled a giggle and put more marshmallows on her stick.
“This trip is about us getting to know each other and not worrying about what’s going on at home. No kids or husband talk,” Tatianna said, leaning into the fire.
“I don’t think I know a topic that doesn’t revolve around my ex-husband being an idiot. We’re divorced but his mom is sick so some how I’m still helping,” Carissa said, plopping a graham cracker in her mouth.
“It’s why I never got married. Tatianna Smith is a free bird,” Tatianna said, smirking at Carissa, “Sex is better when you are not obligated to see them again.”
“Jeff and I have sex!” Linda said, looking affronted.
“Doesn’t sound like it,” Mia said with a sheepish smile.
“We just have to be quiet with the twins,” Linda said, her face looking flushed.
“Bob and I have sex. At first it was an accident. His mom had a bad night and Bob lives with her so I stayed the night. Several glasses of wine later his dick was just out. I fell for it and now it’s nonstop. It’s too hard to find a new man when we’re still in each other’s life. Ugh, being in your thirties is so weird. I would never put up with this shit in my twenties,” Carissa said, cupping her face.
“Speaking of twenties, what about you?” Tatianna asked, jutting her chin at Mia.
“Me? God, I’m twenty-seven so I count myself as a thirty-something too,” Mia said, feeling all of the eyes on her.
“Ooooh, twenty-seven so you should know what you like by now. Indulge us, what are the kids doing today?” Carissa said, raising an eyebrow at Mia.
Mia did not know how to answer that. She had not had sex in months, not since she and her ex broke up, and even when they were together it was not that exciting.
“Nothing at the moment, but my ex went through a weird spanking phase. He was watching some sort of weird porn and just sprung it on me,” Mia said, shuddering at the memory.
“I like a good spank,” Tatianna said, grinning wickedly.
“Ew, I’ll pass on that imagery,” Linda said.
“What about…more than one? Isn’t that a thing now?” Carissa asked.
“More than one what?” Mia asked, stoking the fire.
“She means more than one penis,” Tatianna said, “I did it. It was confusing at first. Just arms everywhere, but when you get a groove, it’s fucking amazing.”
Mia’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. She had always been bashful about sex. It was something she did in her relationships because it was expected. It was rarely the mind-shattering experiences she read about and usually after sex, she was just waiting for the guy to go to the bathroom so she could discreetly finish herself.
“I don’t think that would be for me. I’m a big girl and so is Jeff. A big man I mean. We only have a queen bed. It would be madness,” Linda said, shaking her head.
“I’d do it. As weird as it sounds I’d want Bob there because I would need someone whose body I knew. God, this sounds so sad. Even my fantasies involve Bob,” Carissa said, reloading her stick with marshmallows.
Mia did not add in. Not because she had a strong opinion one way or the other, but because she could hear the wolves again. She and her father had gone camping all around the United States and Mia felt well-versed in the American woods. Even though they were sleeping on the ground, this was a campsite and animals rarely came this close to people. To make it worse there was not just one or two wolves calling to each other as before. Mia strained her ears and her stomach tightened. She could hear a whole pack.
“You okay, Mia?” Carissa asked, touching her shoulder.
Mia jumped, snapping back to the conversation.
“Yea…no…I don’t know if it’s a good idea to sleep here,” Mia said, rising from the log she was sitting on.
The other women looked to each other and then over to Mia.
“I mean it, girls. I think we should run,” Mia said, grabbing her pack.
In Time to Love Page 105
