Eric said goodbye to John after the two of them dropped off their armor and weapons for a complete check with the R&D Labs.
Nothing had happened during the general’s political meetings, but Jean was paranoid. She would be checking everything for enemy effort, especially nano-spy devices and digital attacks.
It was damned good to be home.
There was a tag on his HUD, and he checked it out and smiled. The boys had come over for the monthly dinner.
He picked up his speed so he would arrive soon after dinner started. Gabrielle wasn’t one to move the time she served dinner, so you had to move your ass to get there on time.
“Meredith,” he subvocalized, “please make sure I make all available transits and open the doors for me.”
“Is this another ‘Operation Get Eric Home Quickly?’”
“Yup,” Eric agreed and amped up his speed. He cut through two parks, and jumped up three floors on one occasion to crawl over a wall. This surprised two lovers, who had thought his shortcut would be a safe place to make out.
“Sorry about that!” Eric told them, smiling before he disappeared.
The young woman looked at her boyfriend, whose mouth was open. “Arthur, who was that?” she asked. He turned to look back to her, a twinkle in his eye.
“You know,” he told her, pulling her closer to him with a smile playing on his lips, “you’ve always said you only had eyes for me.”
“Sure,” she answered. “I’ve said that for two years now.”
“Well,” Arthur nodded toward the hallway where the man had just disappeared, “that was proof you meant what you said.”
She frowned. “I’m not sure if I should hit you or be happy.”
“That was Eric Escobar, one of the Empress’ Bitches, who is married to Gabrielle Nacht, Stephen’s daughter. A close friend of the Empress. I know a couple of women who would jettison their husbands if someone like him were to smile in their direction.”
“Yeah, but he isn’t you.” She leaned in to kiss Arthur harder.
Eric made it home just as Gabrielle set the last side-dishes on the table. She turned and winked at him. “I figured if I made the rice you would walk a little faster.”
Before Eric could say anything John Michael piped up, “Dad, Mom had Meredith show a map of the station with a blip for you.”
Gabrielle turned to her son, eyes narrowing.
Stephen Michael reached over to grab the Spanish rice. “Personally I was hoping you might be a little late so I could have your portion.”
“Keep it up, Steve.” Eric kissed his wife and pulled out his seat at the head of the table, “and I’ll take all of the rice for myself, including,” he picked up his fork and reached to his left, swiping some of the rice his son had just placed on his plate, “all of yours.”
“We have two grown men for sons,” Gabrielle commented as she sat down, “and when the three of you get together to eat it’s like I have three boys again.”
“We are what we are, Mom.” Stephen passed the bowl of rice to his dad. “You should roll with it instead of fighting the inevitable.”
John Michael grabbed a steak before passing the platter to Gabrielle, who passed it to Eric. He turned to his father. “So, did you kill anyone?”
Stephen rolled his eyes.
“We call it an ‘after-action report.’” John elbowed his brother. “You diplomats should learn a trick or two.”
Eric took a steak and made sure he had plenty of rice. Gabrielle’s eyebrow rose at the fourth spoonful, so he placed it back in the bowl. “Nope.”
“Maim?” John Michael asked.
“Nope,” Eric replied.
“So it was quiet at the meeting?” John asked, a little surprised.
“Oh, hell no,” Eric answered before taking a bite.
“That’s what I keep trying to tell All-Testosterone-and-No-Brain-Cells next to me.” Stephen elbowed his brother back. “Diplomacy is chess with major repercussions.”
Eric looked up from eating to see all three looking at him. “What?”
Stephen asked, “So what happened?” The other two nodded their agreement with the question.
“Um.” He scratched his chin. “The General wanted to kill some of the groups by the end. They want to gut the Empire of our military so that ‘we can all be equal.’”
John was talking with his fork. “Why the hell would we do that?”
Stephen answered, “It’s pretty much a requirement, otherwise everyone will continue building their own militaries and eventually someone is going to be bored or need to focus the people elsewhere so they’ll attack. It’s better to try to keep everyone pretty equal.”
John Michael shook his head. “Uncle Lance won’t let that happen.”
Stephen Michael shrugged. “Well, unless he wants another war right now I’m not sure what choice he has.”
Gabrielle replied, “You will find out that you always have options, Stephen.”
Stephen Michael shrugged. “I can’t think of any, and I reviewed the archives with Giles.”
Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed. “He’s doing digital archeology?”
John Michael and Eric glanced at each other and smiled.
Stephen Michael continued, “Not really, but he was grounded for ninety days by Uncle Lance a month ago after he stole one of the unused Pods to check out an area on Yoll.”
John Michael stopped before he stuck his fork in his mouth. “He stole a Pod?”
Stephen Michael replied, “Technically he took it without proper authorization. Since he had his father’s okay, Meredith allowed him to use it.”
Eric was cutting his meat. “How did he get Frank’s permission?”
Gabrielle answered, “Barb said he was vague on one of his questions to his dad, but then told Meredith to parse the recording, so she didn’t question the approval.”
Eric chuckled. “You’d think Meredith would learn.”
Gabrielle shrugged. “Apparently even an AI can be charmed.”
Stephen Michael shook his head. “I’ve heard the women talk. It would take an alien to be safe from that guy’s smile.”
Eric started reaching for the rice again, but stopped when Gabrielle looked at him. “What?”
She shook her head. “Go ahead. I have another bowl in the warmer.”
Stephen turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Go get it. I can see from your dad dumping the rest of the rice on his plate that we will need it.”
“Damn right we’ll need it,” Stephen muttered as he stood up to grab the extra.
Eric put the empty bowl down. “Giles is a good guy, but he has too damned much of his mother and father in the wrong proportions for his own good.”
There was a moment of silence as Stephen Michael retrieved the rice. When he had returned, John Michael said, “So, we had a special assistant in training today.”
Eric noticed his wife’s eyes narrowing before he turned to his son. “Oh? Do I know this person?”
Stephen placed half the bowl of rice on his plate as he spoke. “She’s about a hundred and…” He looked up. “What do you weigh lately, Mom?”
She tapped her finger on the table for a moment before answering, “Enough to kick your ass, my impertinent offspring.”
“You always taught us to be straight talkers,” he replied.
“No,” she answered, “Straight shooters. Apparently I didn’t provide enough motivation for self-preservation when I taught this to you.”
John Michael came to his brother’s defense. “I’d say you gave Uncle John’s daughter a reason to work harder.”
Stephen Michael added, “You know what they say.”
John Michael looked at his brother. “There is nothing bigger than a Grimes’ ego?”
Eric disagreed. “That’s their youth, not their genes.”
John Michael changed his tune. “Okay, that pride cometh before a beatdo
wn by Mom?”
Stephen thought back to all the training his parents had forced on him whether or not he wanted anything to do with martial arts.
And for him, that had been heavy on the “not.”
“That must have been funny.”
John Michael nodded. “Oh, it was. Let me tell you about…”
His mother interrupted, “Let’s not rehash a friend’s embarrassing lesson.”
Stephen Michael asked, “Why not? You always told Aunt BA when you kicked our asses.”
She shook her head. “That was different. That was two close friends chatting, not telling the whole group.”
John Michael seemed a little embarrassed. “Soooo… If someone maybe surreptitiously took a video of the fight and posted it to our squad’s website?”
Gabrielle didn’t miss a beat. “That would be bad, and that person should immediately pull it down.”
A moment later Eric pulled out his tablet. “OUCH!” He squinted. “That had to hurt. Oh, she’s pissed off now.” He shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not going to go well.” There was a loud thump from his tablet’s speaker. He looked up at his wife. “I haven’t seen that move since…” He looked up at the ceiling before returning his gaze to the tablet. “Have you ever done that to me?
She shook her head. “I was using some techniques I played around with in the eighties.”
Eric’s face scrunched up in confusion. “The nineteen-eighties? Which martial art?”
Everyone turned to look at Gabrielle, who cleared her throat and picked up a napkin. “The seventeen-eighties.”
Stephen Michael leaned forward. “How old are you, Mom?”
She shook her head. “Not saying a word. Have you tried asking Grandpa or Uncle Barnabas?”
Stephen Michael made a disgusted face as he stabbed a piece of meat. “Yes, but then Uncle Barnabas erased my memory.”
Eric looked at his son. “He did?”
Stephen Michael scratched the back of his head. “Well, he said he did. How is one supposed to know?”
For a moment everyone focused on eating before Gabrielle spoke again. “Okay, there’s something I need to tell you, and it might not be pleasant.”
Stephen Michael turned to his right and whispered loudly enough for those in the next suite to hear. “Dad, what did you do?”
Eric shrugged. “I haven’t been back long enough, so I don’t think it was me this time.”
Gabrielle’s eyes now had a faint red glow. Stephen Michael pointed at Eric, who was already pointing at his son.
Gabrielle shook her head. “Like father, like son.” She pushed her chair back a bit. “The Empire is changing, and it’s time that we all make decisions for our future. I know that you two are happy with your jobs, and I’m happy for both of you, but I’m thinking that I am ready to spread my wings again.”
John Michael smiled. “Are you going to beat up more people?”
Stephen Michael nodded to his right. “Like Dad?”
Gabrielle patted Eric on the arm. “I like to talk about how I kicked your Dad’s rear in the past, but I know he has been going easy on me for the last thirty years.”
Eric was staring at her, mouth open.
Stephen Michael reached for the rice. “Yeah, Dad, all it takes is watching you and Uncle John go at it to realize you always let Mom off easy.”
John Michael grabbed a bowl of Yollin corn. “Mom always says that because you love her, you can’t hurt her.”
Eric thought a moment. “Well, that’s true.”
John Michael reached for butter. “So tell us again how Mom had to drag you back from the edge of the pyramid when all those Leath were trying to get up the sides?”
Stephen Michael added, “And how Aunt Bethany Anne allowed all the weapons to get crunched when the columns fell?”
Eric chuckled. “Let’s not revisit old history. That was before you were born.”
Stephen Michael shook his head. “Hey, we were there.”
John Michael added, “Just not fully formed.”
Eric pointed his fork at his sons. “Guys, Mom’s important announcement?”
John Michael looked across the table. “Sorry, Mom.”
Gabrielle nodded acceptance before she continued, “I think it’s time I put away my apron.”
John Michael stared at her, surprised. “Holy shit, you ARE going to kick some more ass.”
Gabrielle looked at Stephen Michael, the one who preferred discussion over almost anything else. “Stephen?”
He thought for a moment before answering. “It’s who you are. I can’t change you. The Queen Bitch knows I’ve tried.”
She shook her head. “That isn’t polite, Stephen. Bethany Anne’s name shouldn’t be used as an oath.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you… I mean, I really did go talk it out with Aunt Bethany Anne, and she went all Queen Bitch on me and made me talk to her while she was in that crazy eyes-blazing-red state.”
John Michael looked at his brother with respect. “Bet that was cool.”
He snorted. “Hardly. I think I peed in my pants a little.”
“That takes guts to admit,” John Michael said.
“I know, so keep it to yourself.”
“I got your back, bro.”
Eric interrupted, “So what do you want to do, sweetheart?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve talked it over with Dad and he said he was proud of me and what I’ve done with his grandchildren.
John Michael nodded at his brother. “Even the pacifist?
Stephen Michael didn’t look up. “Realist. Not all people who ask questions first and shoot second, or maybe fifth, are pacifists.”
“Don’t worry, if a firefight happened I’d have you guard my back. I’d aim downrange.”
Stephen Michael ignored his brother and looked at his mom.
“What I’m saying is, Mom’s kitchen and life support services are now closed. You two are officially on your own.”
Eric watched all of this and stayed quiet.
John Michael glanced at his brother. “Bro, I think we just got kicked out.”
Stephen returned the look. “I think we did.”
Eric pushed back from the table. “Not before you do the dishes.”
Stephen Michael worked on his last four mouthfuls. “That will only take two minutes.”
Gabrielle reached under the table to squeeze Eric’s hand. “Then enjoy normalcy for two more minutes. After that it’s ‘fend for yourself’ time.”
John Michael muttered, “Wow, kicked to the curb so fast!”
Stephen asked his brother, “Do you even know what a curb is?”
He winked. “Yes, it’s a place you and I are at the moment.”
Gabrielle turned to Eric. “I blame you for this.”
Eric shrugged. “Each is at the top of his game in his own way. I think we did okay.”
She shook her head and gestured to her sons. “Then why do they each lose fifty IQ points when they are home?”
John Michael answered, “Because we are safe here. Out there is different.”
Stephen Michael agreed, “It’s kind of nice not to have to be ‘on.’”
John Michael spoke. “You have those who are important, but not well known, then you have those who are important in their roles…”
Stephen Michael added, “Then you have those who are the offspring of the Empress’ Bitches…”
John Michael continued his comment, “Not entirely complaining, but it kinda blows sometimes.”
Gabrielle told her son, “Suck it up, buttercup. Your enhancements are a token to help you be better.” She then added. “And survive if someone tries to take you out because of us.”
John Michael pursed his lips. “Yeah, maybe, but my EI won’t talk to me.”
Eric watched his son a moment. “One day you might wish it would shut up.”
9
Planet Devon, Passageway D-771
Baba Yaga strode down th
e second flight of stairs, hearing the steps of the Shrillexian behind her, ignoring the pissant.
She pulled her hood back over her head.
ADAM, have you figured out where Lerr’ek is at the moment?
>>Yes. About to pass through Park Area TT-745.<<
Which is where, in relation to us? she asked. As far as I know, it could be two left turns or half-way across this damned city.
>>About a thirty-minute walk without any foot traffic.<<
How about if I go outside and run?
>>I imagine it would…<
LOOK OUT! TOM yelled.
Baba Yaga was pulled into the Etheric, and she screamed as pain shot through her skull. She recognized the swirling white mist of the dimension as she fell to the ground.
“I’m telling you that flarsyn Witch was right here!” Keitphet yelled in disgust as he stomped down the stairs, the reverberations echoing down the cavern.
Two of his teammates looked around, wondering if maybe she fell down the last flight of stairs and was in some dark corner.
He thumbed the safety on his needler and shoved it into his waistband again. “Tell Jacklorn to get his running-away ass back here. She throws one little sizzling energy globe at his scrawny behind and he bolts.” He snorted. “Some big badass he turned out to be.”
“If she really is the Witch—” his first teammate started. She swallowed the rest of her statement when his Shrillexian eyes turned to her and narrowed.
He hissed as he pointed to where she had been. “I shot her fool head off.” He looked to the right and then over the rails. “Who lets an opponent walk behind them with a loaded weapon?” He shook his head. “The money for bringing in her head makes everything we got going look like slop feed.” He banged his hand down on the rails. “SHIT!”
Baba Yaga heard a voice in her skull.
>>And I’m telling you I was NOT causing her attention to wander. She asked me a question and I was answering it.<<
Pain was lancing through her head. “Would you two,” she moaned, “shut the fuck up? My cranium feels like it is going to split in two!”
Well, technically it almost did, Tom said. What were you thinking, allowing an enemy with a loaded gun behind you? Didn’t Petre’ fix this issue back on Earth?
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 124
