Every Last Mother's Child

by William J. Carty, Jr

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  Crandall’s team stacked up and began to move on the house. They had chosen to stack two doors down from the house just to be sure that Hozenbur wouldn’t spot them. They slowly approached the house waiting for the over watch team to clear them to the next one. Hozenbur had not poked her nose out of the house since Lamile had knocked on her door. They finally got to the front door. Another entry team had worked up to the back door. They would take Hozenbur down if she tried to escape through the back.

  “Do it!” Crandall yelled as they heard a cat screech and cry out, on the other side of the door. Randy battered the door open with the “Key”. As it swung open and Randy got out of the way as the number two man threw a stun grenade into the house. They wouldn‘t collapse the force field containing Lady Wilson until Hozenbur was under the control of the entry team. It would protect Lady Wilson from the effects of the grenades. Seconds after the grenade went off; the team flowed into house yelling, “Police! Down! Police! Down!”

  Lady Wilson had been given a heads up of the entry, had buried herself in her make shift cell’s bath room and waited. She knew they had control of everything; but she wasn’t going to take any chances. She pulled the thin mattress off her bed over her and waited.

  Hozenbur was bewildered. Between her stepping on the cat, that had come out of nowhere, the lights going off, the door flying open and the stun grenade going off she was completely disoriented. She had tripped over the cat and felel as the front door burst open. She saw the grenade just in time to open her mouth and squeeze her eyes tightly closed before it went off. She didn’t have time to recover as her attackers piled onto her. They had her secured in seconds.

  They kept her down until they got Lady Wilson out of the house.

  It all went to hell when they started to get off her. They thought they still had her secure. But Hozenbur was just waiting her time. As the fog cleared and as they stood her up she broke free and went to the back of the house. As she got to the door she pulled a gun Crandall’s team didn’t find and fired into the biopeople. Two died instantly. Another lost an arm. Finally one of the biopeople got a clear shot and fired. Hozenbur was shot through the eye and died instantly.

  “Suspect down!” Randy yelled. “Scene is secure! Medics! I need Medics now! I have two dead and one injured, and Hozenbur’s dead!”

  Lady Wilson was already out of the house in an armored ambulance that had roared up to the house as the entry was made. The medic and Crandall had almost carried her out of the house. They barely allowed her feet to touch the ground as they hustled her into the waiting ambulance. They had gotten her to safety before they tried to stand Hozenbur up. Once inside the ambulance, Crandall called on his communicator, “All units, all units, we have Healer. I say again! We have Healer and she is alive!”

  A landing craft roared to a landing at the fire station, its front ramp already down. Another ambulance roared off it just as the ambulance carrying Lisa got to the fire house. As soon as the other ambulance was clear, the ambulance carrying Lisa roared up onto the ramp. As soon as it was aboard the landing craft, the landing craft made a combat lift with the ramp closing as the Elsy cleared 100 feet.

  “Is she okay,” Mylea had scrambled onto the landing craft while the ambulance loaded onto vessel. She wanted to be one of the first people Lisa saw. She saw Lisa sitting in a web seat on the ambulance looking a little worse for wear; but looking okay, “Are you all right?”

  “I am all right Myl,” Lisa said activating her implant’s communications suite, “Let me call Mike!Now get me a phone and some privacy.”

  “Mike is in route to the Valiant. David’s getting him there. You’re in route to the Valiant.”

  Mylea had gotten word to David when they had found Hozenbur, and were rescuing Lisa.

  “I guess I can wait.” Lisa said, “Who is the team leader?”

  “I am Lady Wilson,” Crandall had been waiting a little ways away from the noble woman letting the medics check the noble lady out.

  “Thank you.” Lisa returned. As they got her onto the ambulance she had heard someone yelling about the casualties, “I am sorry about your team.”

  “Lady Wilson,” Crandall said, “We got you out alive. Every one of my guys had been on Hozenbur’s team at one time or another and had found a way to get off it. They were ready to die to get you out of her hands.”

  The Queen who had scrambled with Mylea onto the landing craft listened to the conversation and knew what she had to do.

  “Mr. Crandall,” Queen Agatha spoke to the bioman, “The Crown will honor the blood price your team paid.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am,” Was all that Crandall could say as the landing craft landed aboard the Valliant. The ramp of the landing craft opened. It had barely touch the deck before Marshal Wilson was scrambling onto the landing craft and then into the ambulance and finally pulling his wife into his Lisa’s arms.

  almost.

  “God I was so afraid that I lost you!” Michael exclaimed hugging her, and kissing her passionately. “I promised you I would never put you in danger, and I couldn’t even protect you!”

  “It’s okay Mike,” Lisa responded, “I’m okay.”

  “I’m never going to let you out of my sight again.” Mike hugged her again. He let go of her and helped her down the ramp of the Life Saver ambulance and the ramp of the landing craft where a nursing team was waiting for her. They had gotten the word that she was not injured.

  “I need a team at the casualty dock!” a chief called, “I have another landing craft coming up with casualties. One of these birds needs to go.”

  “This way Lady Wilson,” A nurse came up and led Lisa to an antigravity chair, “Now don’t argue with me you’re under my care now.”

  “Okay,” Lisa replied and sat down in the chair.

  “Marshal,” the nurse said as they cleared the air lock. “We’re going to examine Lady Wilson. Check her babies, and make sure she’s none the worse for wear. It’ll take an hour, but she’ll be back in your care shortly.”

  Wilson knowing there was nothing he could do nodded and went with his best friend and the Queen to a waiting room to wait for Lisa to be released.

  “Well Lady Wilson,” The nurse practitioner that managed the obstetrics unit spoke to her a few minutes later. “Both children appear to be healthy. From what you said you have a normal gestation period of 9 months. It looks like you will give birth in a month or so. Your ordeal has in no way compromised your health, or that of the children. I would suggest that you speak with a counselor about your ordeal.”

  Lisa was impressed. The nurse practitioner didn’t pamper her, or baby her; but wasn’t brusque or rude. She quickly and professionally examined her, drew some blood, looked at the children, and in general doing one of the most thorough examinations Lisa had ever witnessed. Then she gave her results just as professionally without getting into medical jargon.

  “No one knows anything about assisting you to deliver your children in the IRS,” the nurse continued, “Is there anything significantly different that your midwife should know.”

  “No, child birth is similar to that of a non-bioengineered woman.” Lisa remarked, “It shouldn’t be that bad I have been pregnant before and while labor is no fun, it’s something I can deal with.”

  “Okay then,” The nurse said, “There is no reason to keep you. I am discharging you. Lady Wilson, until the Valiant is pulled out, the com computer has instructions to find me anytime time you call. I’ll come to you if I have to.”

  “Thank you,” Lisa said getting to her feet reaching for the rough gray colored smock that Hozenbur had made her wear. It was what clones in a breeding production complex wore. Hozenbur had done her best to intimidate her and control her.

  “Oh Lady Wilson, your maid sent this up.” She pointed to a small overnight bag. “I’ll leave you now so you can dress.”

  “Thank you,” Lisa said. It was then that Lisa learned that she
wasn’t in a standard examination room but a VIP suite. A few minutes later after a shower and in her own clothes, she left the suite to find her husband waiting for her. The Queen, and the others had left for the nearby VIP lounge. Lisa hugged Mike as fiercely as her pregnant belly would let her. He returned her hug with a passionate kiss.

  “And,” Michael asked when they broke their embrace.

  “Every thing’s okay,” She replied, “The babies weren’t hurt, Hozenbur wasn’t going to hurt me until she was ready. She wanted to kill the babies after they were born and either let me live or kill me hideously. Did they really kill her?”

  “Yes, she’s dead,” Michael answered coldly, “Which is most likely better, she would have made a spectacle. That no one wanted. I don’t think we could have tried her.”

  “Well I can’t say I am unhappy about her passing.” Lisa commented keying up her implant and sending out a query about her mother in law. She found that Joyce was now out of the hospital. Resting in the palace. She read the medical report, and said aloud, “How is Joyce?”

  “She’s okay. About back to her old self,” Mike said, “Ready to go and tackle the estate on Home. Would have been gone; but she wanted to know you were safe.”

  “I see from the records that she recovered fast this time,” Lisa said, “Good time. I guess twenty some odd years does make a difference in medical treatment.”

  When they left the suite’s lobby they found Mylea and the rest of them. Lisa went right up to Mylea and hugged her.

  “Thank you,” Lisa said. Once she got connectivity back with her implant she was slowly; but surely wading through the terabits of information about her kidnapping, and rescue. “You did a very brave thing allowing Lamile to make contact with Hozenbur.”

  “Lisa,” Mylea said quietly, “I would do it again if I had to. We had to get you back! Mostly because as much as this big strong marine thinks he is a manly man, he really needs you around to keep him in line. I tried but damn! He’s a hard case!”

  “Oh yes! He can be bullheaded, stubborn, and generally hard to manage.” Lisa with a wicked smile and glint in her eyes responded, “But ya know, what would I do without him?”

  “I know,” Mylea said, she had seen the bond between her two friends, she didn’t quite understand how it could be so strong without the Aqaut that made her people telepathic and empathic with their lifemate; but it worked for them. In some respects she sometimes thought their bond was stronger than she had with Garth, Lamile’s father.

  The Queen saw the by play between her seniors and didn’t quite understand it. If she had been held captive for nearly three weeks; she wouldn’t be bouncing back as fast as Lisa appeared to be. She would want some very quiet time, and some close friends around to help her cool out. Though, as she thought about it; there was tension between the Wilsons. Mostly from Lord Wilson, as he wondered what was going to happen next? Lisa for all her brave front was not wholly immune from had happened to her. She was just going to deal with it. Which the Queen thought, as they walked to the flight deck, was the best way to handle it, just get on with it. Don’t dwell on it, don’t wallow in it; but acknowledge it had happened and go on.

  Lisa had noticed the qQueen’s steady survey of her and Mike before they had trooped to the landing craft. She knew what was going on in the young woman’s mind. Lisa made a note herself that she would invite the Qqueen to lunch in the next day or so, so they could talk.

  The landing craft landed at the palace, and there was Jill in one of the electric carts that they used on the palace grounds in place of bigger cars.

  “Mom!” She said getting out of the cart running to her step mother, “are you okay!”

  “Yes,” Lisa said returning the girls embrace. “Lamile, Crandall and all of them did their job.”

  “I am so glad you’re back,” Jill hugged her step mother again. She hadn’t realized until her step mother’s abduction how much she needed her step mother.

  “I am glad to be back,” Lisa said. She got into the cart sitting next to Mike, “Get us home Jill.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Jill said getting back into the electric cart and taking the three of them to Residence.

  “How’s Abby,” Lisa asked.

  “She’s okay,” Michael said, “We haven’t told her what’s going on. We thought it best not to until we knew for sure.”

  Lisa was quiet for a while then said, “Sally most likely had some strong opinions about that.”

  “Yes,” Michael said, “but she understood.”

  “Where have I been for a month?” Lisa asked.

  “You were working with a client,” Michael said.

  “I see,” Lisa commented. “You know there is no way we can prevent her from learning about this.”

  “I suspect she knows,” Jill replied, “I saw her seeing a part of a news holo of your abduction.”

  “How did she react,” Lisa asked.

  “She asked if that was you they were talking about,” Jill answered, “I told her I didn’t know.”

  Lisa was deep in thought as they approached the residence. Lisa saw Abby sitting on the steps of the residence with her mother in law. Lisa got out and saw how Abby’s face lit up as the little girl ran to her mother. “You’re safe!”

  “Yes I am safe,” Lisa said.

  “I was so worried,” the little girl said, “Daddy and Jill wouldn’t say anything; but I knew you were in danger.”

  “How did you know that?” Lisa sat down on the steps with her daughter.

  “That woman on the holo said that you were kid…napped,” the girl said hesitantly. The child had been in the study trying to find her holo of Star Pony when she saw Hozenbur’s. She had kept the secret to herself.

  “Oh,” she turned to her family, “I’ll be in a while.”

  “Will you be okay,” Joyce asked her daughter in law as she sat down next to her.

  “In time,” Lisa answered as the girl climbed up on her lap. “In time. Let me be with Abby for a while. I’ll be in, in a while.”

  “Okay,” Michael bent down and kissed his wife on her head and then took Jill and his mother inside.

  “Abby,” Lisa said trying to get her head around what she had to tell her daughter. “Yes I was in terrible danger. But that woman will never hurt any of us again. She was a terribly bad woman who hurt a great many people.”

  “Did dDaddy rescue you?” the child asked.

  “Daddy helped,” Lisa replied, “he, Aunt Mylea, Lamile, and Jill all worked to make sure that I came back to you.”

  The girl was quiet and Lisa wasn’t certain what to say next. They sat on the front porch until the sun set, Abby falling asleep in her mother’s lap. Concerned, Michael came out and saw both of them asleep on the porch. He tried to gently take his sleeping daughter from his wife, trying not to wake her. Of course that didn’t work, she woke up. Michael reached down for his wife with his free hand helped her to her feet. The three of them walked into the house together.