by Eric Vall
“Rolly told us you needed a place to sleep,” the gray haired woman said once she did notice us. “Sadly I don’t have a spare bed, but we’ll make things as comfortable as possible for you guys.”
“The four of us will make it work,” Rolly said with a smile.
“I’m glad you guys decided to stick around for the night,” Jenny said. “It’ll help me sleep a little easier.”
“Yeah, I like having you guys close,” Betty said with a small smile. Her eyes were fixed on Rolly as she spoke.
I grinned a little, and shook my head.
“Well, it’s late,” Dan said. “Once I get done laying out stuff for you guys, I think I might turn in too.”
“Probably a good call,” I said. “Your body’s got some healing to do.”
“Yeah, but looks like I’m not alone in that,” Dan said as he nodded to my arm. “One of the soldiers get you?”
“One of their grenades did,” I said.
“Shit, these guys had grenades?” Dan asked with wide eyes.
“Yep, but we have them now,” Tara said.
“You’ll have to tell me about this fight some time,” Dan said as he shook his head. “I bet it was intense."
“Just a little bit,” I said with a smile. “We don’t have time to get into it tonight though.”
“I wouldn’t be able to stay awake long enough to hear it all anyway,” the man said.
A couple minutes later he and Jenny finished making the living room into a simple sleeping space. As soon as they were done Dan excused himself and disappeared into his own room.
“I’m going to head off to bed as well,” Jenny said. Then she walked over and gave me, Tara, and Anna a hug. “Thank you guys again for what you did. I know that things would have been a lot worse for me if you hadn’t come along.”
“It was our pleasure,” Tara said with a broad smile. “Now go get some sleep and try to forget the nightmare that was your day.”
“I think that sounds like a good idea,” she chuckled. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Not too early I hope,” I said.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be getting up until well after sun up,” Jenny said. Then she gave us a wave and retired to her room.
“Well, this was quite the day,” Rolly said as he walked over and sat on the couch.
“It was certainly more exciting than I thought it would be,” Anna said from where she stood by the door.
“I’m glad we came back when we did though,” I said.
“Me too,” Betty agreed as she took a seat next to Rolly.
“Well it’s over now,” Anna said as she slumped to the floor. “Does that mean we get to sleep now?”
“I’m almost asleep already,” Tara said.
I looked over and laughed a little. It seemed the platinum blonde was only half joking. Though everyone in the room seemed to be quickly nodding off as they sat around.
“Sleep is always a good reward for a hard day’s work,” Rolly said.
“Let’s all turn in then,” I said before I let out a large yawn.
“I call the couch,” Tara said.
“Guess that leaves the floor for the rest of us,” I chuckled.
“Oh, he’s not sleeping out here with you guys,” Betty said.
“I’m not?” Rolly asked as he raised an eyebrow and looked at the old woman.
“No, the floor is no place for an older gentleman like yourself,” Betty said. “I’ve got a big bed that you can share with me.”
I looked at Tara, smiled, and tried to hold in a laugh.
Rolly went bright red and suddenly found the floor to be very interesting. “I uh, um... It’s alright if I sleep out here. I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense, you’re sleeping in my room,” Betty said.
“Tav?” Rolly looked at me and raised an eyebrow. He clearly didn’t know what to do.
“Don’t look at me,” I said.
“Oh just go with her,” Tara said as she rolled her eyes. “I bet Betty will feel safer with you close by anyway.”
“I will,” Betty agreed with a nod. She held her hand out for Rolly and looked at him expectantly.
“Alright, if you insist,” the handyman said as he took her hand.
“I do,” she said. Then she pulled him off the couch, and the two made their way to a room at the far end of the farmhouse.
“Well, have fun you two,” Anna laughed as she took his spot on the couch.
“That was unexpected,” I said.
“And so fucking cute,” Tara giggled.
“Yeah, I guess it was,” I said.
“You should have seen them the rest of the day,” Anna said. “Rolly was a perfect gentlemen and waited on her hand and foot.”
“How come you never wait on us, Tav?” Tara asked.
“I think I did a pretty good job of that when we met,” I replied with a smirk.
“Yeah you did,” Anna said.
“Can we sleep now?” Tara asked.
“Yeah,” I chuckled.
Tara slumped to the floor and stripped off her wet clothes before she crawled under the layers of blankets provided.
“I thought you were sleeping on the couch,” I said as I started to blow out the candles.
“Yeah, but you’re going to be on the floor,” she said. “I would rather sleep by you.”
“I’m with her,” Anna said as she too stripped and crawled under the blankets.
“Fair enough,” I said. A minute later the house was dark, and I returned to the living room. Once I got undressed, I sank into the makeshift bed and pulled both of the girls close to me. Tara was already asleep, and Anna’s eyes were barely open.
“Sleep well ladies,” I said quietly. Then I took a deep breath, let out a sleepy sigh, and closed my eyes. Almost instantly I drifted off into a deep sleep.
Chapter 14
I woke the next morning to the smell of fresh coffee and the sizzle of cooking bacon.
“Good morning,” I heard a cheery Tara call out to me.
“We didn’t wake you did we?” Anna asked.
“What time is it?” I asked. Then I popped one eye open and groaned at the light.
Tara sat on the couch in an ill-fitting T-shirt with a coffee cup clutched in both hands. She giggled, shrugged, and sipped at her steaming beverage.
Anna leaned on the couch behind her dressed in the same outfit she had been wearing the day before. She snacked on an apple as she smiled at me.
“I think it's about ten,” Rolly said as he appeared behind the girls. “Betty will have some food ready soon. Care for some coffee?”
“I’d love some,” I said as I sat up. My body ached, and my head was heavy. “I didn’t mean to sleep so late.”
“We all slept late,” Tara said. “I’ve only been up for, like, ten minutes.”
“Yeah, I was only up a little before that,” Anna agreed.
“It’s been a lazy morning for all of us,” Rolly said. “Dan and Jenny haven't even come out of their rooms yet.”
“Breakfast is almost ready,” Betty called out from the kitchen.
“She’s in there cooking up some bacon and eggs,” Rolly said with a grin.
“That sounds amazing,” I said.
“Right?” Tara agreed.
“I hope that you guys all like thick cut bacon,” Betty said as she poked her head into view.
“I didn’t know there was any other kind,” Rolly said. “Let me come help you finish breakfast.” He grinned at me and Tara and then sauntered off to the kitchen.
“Seems like he’s in a good mood,” I chuckled.
“If he were any happier he’d be bursting into spontaneous song,” Tara said.
“I guess he had a good night,” I said.
“Of course he did,” Tara said. “We saved the day and then he got to spend the evening with his crush. Even if nothing happened, that’s a good night.”
“True enough,” I said. “You think any
of our clothes are dry yet?”
“They’re all damp,” Tara said. “That’s why Betty gave me this T-shirt to wear.”
“I’m guessing she doesn’t have much that’ll fit me,” I joked as I pulled my pants over. They had dried off a little overnight, but the heavy fabric still held some moisture from the previous day. They weren’t going to be comfortable, but thankfully I wouldn’t have to wear them long.
“Alright, food’s ready,” Betty called out.
I left my shirt off and threw a blanket around my shoulders before I headed for the table. There were two serving plates full of hot food, and Rolly set a cup of coffee down in front of me as I took a seat. One plate was loaded with more scrambled eggs than I had ever seen in one place, and the other had at least two pounds of bacon piled on top of it.
“Do I smell bacon?” Dan called out.
“Yeah, but you better come grab it while it’s hot,” Betty said.
“This looks really good,” Tara said as she joined us at the table.
“Yeah, I haven't had a breakfast like this for a long time,” Anna said.
“Why thank you,” Betty said with a large smile. “It wasn’t all me though; Rolly helped too.”
“Oh, I didn’t do much,” Rolly muttered.
“Get a room you two,” Jenny teased.
“We already did,” Betty said. “I’m glad to see you awake dear. How’re you going today?”
“I’m okay,” Jenny said as she sat down.
“Anything we can do to help?” Anna asked.
“You guys did plenty,” Jenny said. “All I need now is time to recover.”
“You can have all the time you need,” Betty said. “You take it easy for a while. Dan and I will cover your portion of the chores until you’re feeling better.”
“Thanks, but I think I’d rather just go back to the usual routine,” Jenny said.
“Alright, if that’s what you want,” Betty said. The grey haired woman smiled warmly at her granddaughter and then started to fill plates for all of us.
Dan joined us just as Betty set down the last plate full of food. “Oh man, we haven't had a spread like this for a while.”
“Well it’s been a while since we had a reason to celebrate,” Betty said. “Now tuck in everyone.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. I tore into the plate of food with a ravenous hunger I hadn’t even realized I had. All the food was perfect too. The eggs were buttery and were seasoned with the perfect amount of salt and pepper. The thick slabs of bacon were crispy but not burnt, and the fat was full of smoky flavor. The whole meal seemed to melt in my mouth as I shoveled bite after bite into my maw.
“You know you can breathe between bites, right?” Tara asked with a smirk.
“Sorry,” I muttered as I looked up and wiped my mouth. “It’s just really good.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry for enjoying good food,” Jenny said.
“Yeah, Grandma Betty likes it when people enjoy her cooking,” Dan said.
“It’s hard not to enjoy,” Rolly said.
“Well I’m just glad that you guys like it,” Betty said.
We continued to eat until there was no food left on the table, and then I let out a contented sigh and rubbed my extremely full belly. Part of me wanted to just stay here for the day and relax after all we had done yesterday, but there was still way too much work to be done. I also really wanted to go home and see the rest of my girls again. It had only been a couple days, but after yesterday it felt like an eternity.
“Thank you for the meal,” Tara said.
“It was divine,” Rolly said as he looked at Betty and smiled.
The gray haired woman blushed and laughed quietly.
“It was good, but unfortunately we need to head back to campus,” I said.
“Can’t we stay a little longer?” Rolly asked with a frown.
“Not today,” I said. “There’s still more we need to get done.”
“What do you mean?” Dan asked. “Didn’t you guys take care of all the National Guard?”
“We took care of the convoy, but there are more of them in the area,” I said.
Anna looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. I forgot that she did not know about this yet.
“When were you going to tell us about this?” Dan asked.
“Relax, brother,” Jenny said.
“You’re right, sorry,” Dan said. “Do you guys at least have a plan?”
“Nothing specific yet until we scout out their base,” I said. “My team and I will take care of it though. All I need you guys to do is sit tight and keep calm.”
“We can do that,” Betty said.
“Can we?” Dan asked. “I’m not great at staying calm.”
“Yeah, and it got you messed up,” Jenny said. “Two of them managed to fight off twenty guys, rescue me, and return everything that was stolen all in one day. If Tav says that his team can take care of it, then I’m going to believe him.”
“I guess I didn’t think of it like that,” Dan said with a shrug. “Sorry guys, I know I need to learn to chill out.”
“It’s alright, this is a stressful time for all of us,” I said.
“Yeah, just try to relax,” Tara said. “We have a pretty good track record with this sort of shit.”
We had been doing pretty well these past weeks, but taking out an entrenched and fortified military installation was going to be more difficult than anything we had done thus far. Especially since we didn’t have anything but some rifles, a machine gun, and about a dozen grenades. This was going to take a lot of planning, recon, and more than a bit of luck.
“We’ll certainly do our best,” I said with a nod. “I’m not doing anything without the rest of my team though, and the sooner I get back to them the better.”
“Well, you’re always welcome here,” Betty said as she stood.
Jenny stood as well and started to clear the dishes off the table. “Yeah, if you guys need anything just let us know, and we’ll do our best to try to help.”
“Is it still okay if we take that water tank?” Rolly asked.
“Of course,” Betty chuckled. “We’d give you pretty much anything at this point.”
“That’s kind of you, but we really don’t need a lot right now,” I said. “You guys just stay safe for us while we clear out this latest group of assholes.”
“Well, can I at least help you load up the water tank?” Dan asked.
“If you’re feeling up for it, sure,” I said.
“Yeah, let me show you where it is,” Dan replied as he headed for the backdoor.
I followed him outside, past the pasture, and into a small outbuilding. The large black water tank sat against one wall. It was covered in cobwebs, dust, and old dirt.
“Guess you haven't used this for a while,” I said.
“Guess not,” Dan said. “I kinda just remember it always being here. It’s about time someone put it to use.”
“Think the two of us can lift it?” I asked.
“Only one way to find out,” Dan said.
The two of us each took a side, found a spot to grab it, and pulled hard. There was a tearing noise as we ripped it free of the grass and weeds that had tangled themselves around the bottom of the tank. It was more awkward than heavy, but the two of us managed to make our way across the farm and to the large army cargo truck fairly quickly.
“Thanks for the help,” I said once we got the tank into the truck bed.
“I hope it works out for you,” Dan said with a nod.
“It’ll work nicely,” I said.
The door to the house opened and Tara stepped outside. She was dressed in her outfit from the day before once more, and she ran a brush through her hair. She also had a basket hanging from one arm. I could see some vegetables sticking out of one side. Anna came out after her with her weapon in her arms, and she gave me a wide grin when she saw me looking at her.
“Are you guys ready to go?” I
called out to her.
“Yeah, but you might have to carry Rolly out of here,” Tara said with a grin.
“Is he dragging his feet?” I asked.
“He’s getting in as much time with Betty as he can,” Tara said.
“I’m half tempted to leave him here,” I joked.
“I don’t think he’d complain,” Anna said.
“Unfortunately we still need him,” I said.
“Just make sure he gets to come visit once in a while,” Dan said. “He seems like a good enough guy, and he makes my grandma really happy.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” I chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I couldn’t keep him away from this place if I tried.”
“You want me to try to get him out here?” Tara asked.
“I wouldn’t mind getting a move on, yeah,” I said with a nod.
Tara turned and went back inside.
I jumped into the truck and fished out three kevlar vests. Then I hopped out and handed them over to Dan. “Here, I figure you might like a few of these.”
“Whoa, is this body armor?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s not going to make you invincible, but it might help you feel a little safer,” I said.
“I hope we don’t need to use them, but yeah these are cool,” Dan said.
Rolly, Jenny, and Betty all filed out of the house. Betty hung off of the very smiley handyman and didn’t seem to want to let him go as he headed towards the truck.
“Have a safe trip home,” Jenny said as she waved at us.
“And come back soon,” Betty said with a frown as Rolly pulled away from her.
“Don’t worry, we’ll come back,” Rolly said. He turned once he reached the truck and winked at his grey haired crush.
Betty giggled, blushed, and nodded.
“You guys are so cute,” Tara said with a huge smile.
“They really are,” Jenny agreed.
“You guys better leave before the two of them become inseparable,” Dan said.
“Probably a good idea,” I chuckled and shook my head. “Come on, let’s go.” I hopped into the driver’s seat and started up the engine.
