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Chapter -12-

Skittles

Abandoned store in Addis Ababa...

An exasperated James turned his head towards the door. He glared at the sight of Karla, seeing the light blood stains on the side of her face and her ripped blouse. "We're too late," he muttered. "Those guys at the hospital? They were a cleanup squad. The real job went down while we were drawing attention to ourselves on that plane. It's my fault! Now these people, some guy named Joe Pendleton, stole the amber thing. That was the last_artifact! Never mind you going off and fighting the hoard army, Karla, this failure is _my fault."

"I had a feeling," Karla replied, passing through the doorway. "We still have the staff Conner stole."

Rachel, sitting on a nearby table, slid off and approached Karla. She wore a crumble cap, a scarf over her blouse, and wide-bottom jeans. Karla looked her over. "Hey, you've changed. Cute outfit."

"Yeah we do have that staff. It's in Axum. And thanks." Rachel guided the succubus over to the other end of the dirty abandoned store and sat her down on an inflated mattress against the far wall. "Hold still." She fetched a first aid kit and opened the lid, rummaging around for supplies. "Let's get you cleaned up. We're headed to Axum in the morning. Conner's contact, Steven Milford, says these guys are headed north. They're on their way to the Port of Sudan by now. It's up to Conner to get it back, because he's closer than we are."

"Sudan?" asked Loupe. "What's there?" She tilted her head to the side and used her hands to lift her hair and pull it back so that the cut on her forehead was exposed.

Rachel immediately began working on cleaning up the small injury. "Steven is researching it right now; he thinks this Pendleton guy has contacts there that will take him north. They can't fly; all flights are grounded until tomorrow afternoon. This mess is in Conner's hands, now and it's probably not going to be easy."

"Wonderful," replied Karla. "Steven doesn't have my trust, but I don't think he's going to screw us. I have a feeling Aris Falcon did something unforgivable to this guy. People that old know how to hold a serious grudge."

"Yeah? You forget, I have Tamamo's memories. I know exactly who Steven is. Joe Pendleton, though, not so much."

"Yeah, I forgot, babe." Karla grinned a bit. She allowed Rachel to tend to her injuries and kept her head tilted to the side to make things easier. After a moment of silence, Karla added, "Your touch is strikingly soft, Rachel."

Rachel remained silent. She reached into her nearby purse and withdrew a small red bag of Skittles candy. "Here. Eat these. You look hungry."

Karla smirked. "I haven't seen these in a while. Y'know, these are the unofficial candies of lesbianism."

"Stop flirting," Rachel said. She opened the bag and poured a handful of them into Karla's mouth. "Now chew."

James began pacing. "This is our last chance. If Falcon's men get away with the last piece... we're screwed - everyone's screwed. Everything, everybody ... it's ... I have never had to deal with this kind of pressure before. What if another earthquake happens, like in 2025, and millions more die? It would be my fault."

"James," Rachel said with a sigh. "Babe, please."

"And if Conner goes after them, and they get that other artifact from him, then they'll have both. Karla, I told you not to get into that fight. I would've sent you up there to help him, but now you're injured. You're in no condition to go back to Axum and help. You'd wind up getting yourself killed."

"Relax," Karla told him. "They don't know Conner has the last artifact, let alone what it is, remember? Unless, of course, they managed to bug us and they're listening."

"What?" James blinked, incredulous.

"Karla, stop, he's under a lot of stress," Rachel said with a sigh.

"You've adopted some of Tammy's mannerisms, too. I hope you don't adopt her weird need to feel respected, though."

"Karla, if I did, I would have yelled at you earlier, when you ran off."

"Fair enough." Karla shrugged gingerly. "But I was being serious about the bugging thing. Any one of us could have a bugged cell phone or a tracking beacon in our clothes. I suggest that we go out and get all new clothes, just in case. Then we all take a hot shower together."

"Behave," Rachel said in a calm tone. "As you can see I'm wearing new clothes. So is James. Our others were covered in blood."

"Okay," Karla said with a nod. "Good deal. All that's left is for us to get new cellular phones and switch the service over to the new units..." she paused then said, "I'm still down with all of us getting a nice hot shower together, though."

James sighed, visibly annoyed. "I want to get that other thing back from those guys before it gets to Falcon. There's no telling where this group of people are at right now, though ... so it's pointless."

"Yeah. You need to calm down, James. I've never seen you get upset before. It's not very becoming. Conner and Carmen will handle it." Karla cut her gaze back to Rachel. "I have one on my hip, too. There are a few, actually. Should I strip here or?"

James rolled his eyes. "Karla, she is injured, I'm covered in bruises, and you've been shot. And you are still in the mood to flirt?"

Karla shook her head, feigning an exasperated sigh. "Fiiiine. So, then, is there somewhere more private so I can look myself over?"

"There's a bathroom in the back, the sink is cracked at the base. The toilet and bathtub work, though."

Karla quirked a brow at Rachel. "There's a bathtub here?"

"Yeah, I thought it was weird, too." Rachel offered a light shrug. He placed her hands on either side of Karla's face and ran her fingers up, carefully, through the succubus' hair. After a moment, she paused and frowned. "You've got a knot on your head."

"It's still sore," Karla admitted. "So ... same team?" She lifted a hand.

Rachel nodded. "Same team," she replied, taking Karla's hand. The two females offered one another a quick hug.

"Same team?" Karla asked James.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I snapped earlier and I'm sorry I'm being nasty right now." He approached Karla and gently hugged her. "I lost my cool when I saw that knife sticking out of Dawn's thigh." He abruptly corrected himself, "Rachel," then added, "We could have died. And all I could think of ... is that I wish I had your powers, and I felt helpless."

Karla cupped James' face and kissed his cheek, just beneath his right eye. "Listen, babe. You and Rachel saved the day without my powers. And I_wound up _shot ... with my powers. You did good."

"It doesn't matter how well we did," James said. "The whole point is the hijacking was to get all the cops to the airport. It was a ploy. That Pendleton guy set it up as a diversion and stole this last artifact."

"Hang in there, big guy," Karla told him in a sincere tone. "Your nephew is a little shit, and completely disrespectful to me half the time, but he's Topaz Parker's son and he's really a capable kid. If anyone can get that thing back from Pendleton, it's Conner."

Rachel slid an arm around Karla's waist, opposite of the side where her blouse was torn. She stood up slowly, helping Karla back to her feet. "Bathroom's this way," she murmured, keeping one arm around the succubus's torso. She guided Karla into a back room, leaving James alone with an inflatable bed and Kuda.

He shook his head with a huff of frustration then moved over to the empty inflatable mattress. He laid down on it, folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the dark ceiling. He closed his eyes and attempted to meditate. And then he felt something small, soft and warm curl up on his chest.

Kuda settled down on his torso, wrapped his tail around himself and closed his eyes. James sighed, oddly put at ease by the little animal. He reached up and placed a hand on Kuda, gently petting the tiny fox.

X

---

X

Rachel closed the bathroom door and turned back to Karla. "James really was upset that you ran off to fight. No one wants you to get killed, Karla." She sighed softly and took off her favorite crumble cap, tossing it on the sink counter.

"Really?" Karla pushed her blond locks back over her shoulders and offered an inward smile. "After you guys yelled at me, and after putting up with Conner ... I guess I thought you two didn't really care for me."

Rachel shook her head. "No. If you remember, I have Tamamo's memories. I feel like I've known you for a very, very long time. And your father."

"My father? How do you know Azazel?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

Karla laughed. "Well, when you put it like that, it tells me Tamamo slept with my old man. How could I be mad? When I rescue my father, I'll be sure to give him a high-five."

"Heh."

"So how are you and James doing?"

"How do you mean?" asked Rachel.

"Not to pry, but it seems like you guys used to have more chemistry than you do right now."

"It's been weird to even kiss him. It's confusing. I'll get there again ... it's just ... complicated. And it's not him, believe me. He's been great. I haven't had much of a sex drive."

"It's a mental barrier."

Rachel nodded. "Exactly! I haven't wanted to kiss anyone. And once I get past that, I'll have no trouble reciprocating whatever he initiates. I'll get there again, I know it. I love him. But right now, I can't get through this mental barrier. The most we've done is hold hands lately."

"No worries. I understand, sweetheart. I really do. I knew Tamamo well enough, and I'm starting to understand you. So, I feel like I should be able to make sense of what you're going through a little better than James."

"Yeah. Let me get a good look at you again. I don't want to miss anything." Rachel placed a hand on the side of Karla's face and sifted her fingers through the other woman's hair again.

"I'm fine. I heal quickly."

"Yeah? Good for you." Rachel grinned a bit and pushed some of Karla's hair back, from her face. "You've got a cut here ... it's bleeding but it's not really bad. We're going to have to wash this stuff off of you."

"I'll be fine, Rachel. I promise. It will heal before it can become infected."

"Just let me look and don't be so stubborn." Rachel turned her attention to Karla's waist. "You got winged here. Your blouse is bloody. I'll have to send James out in the morning to find you something to wear. Anyway, let's get you cleaned up." Rachel motioned to the bathtub.

Karla's vibrant green eyes flitted over the tub, which was surprisingly clean. "A hot bath ... I can't argue with that." Succubus drew her blouse up and off then folded it and placed it upon the toilet lid. She wiggled out of her skirt and laid it atop of her blouse then placed a hand upon her hip, dabbing a fingernail at where a bullet had grazed her waistline. "It doesn't get much closer than this."

"No kidding." Rachel moved to the tub and turned on the water. She placed a hand beneath the faucet, waiting for it to get hot then she reached down and plugged the drain. "Okay, so ... lucky for you I got soap while I was out, picking up clean clothes." She lifted a hand, pointing to the various lotions and cream rinse bottles lined against the wall on the far end of the tub. "I figure we girls need a little pampering every now and then. You'd be surprised what the locals will just give to you for singlehandedly stopping a flight from crashing." Rachel paused and thought back to the man with the broken neck. She looked away and winced.

"I'm not arguing," replied Karla. "Free stuff is the best." She offered a sidelong grin and asked, "I take it you're comfortable with me bathing in front of you - I didn't want any awkwardness or what-have-you."

"I'm fine with it," replied Rachel. "IF anyone was supposed to feel awkward, I thought it would be you."

"Oh?"

"You're the one getting naked. Then again, you're a succubus, so I guess you have no shame."

Karla shrugged casually and removed her lacy panties then dropped them across the folded skirt and blouse. "So if you have Tamamo's memories, you ever see any other women naked?"

"I was in a relationship with two other kitsune, a male and female. They were academics and wanted children. But neither initiated the romance. They sat in their study, reading and researching frivolous things. Inari asked me to enter into a relationship with them. It was my job, eh ... I mean, it was Tamamo's job to flirt with each, and bring them together, romantically. It turned into a three-way relationship. They were Sinopa's parents."

Karla nodded. "Understandable. There's nothing wrong with dating women, so long as you find one that isn't caddy, selfish and overly emotional."

Rachel shook her head slowly and offered a nervous smile. "So you don't judge me for thinking about women, then? I mean, I'm with James, and I find myself wondering."

Karla nodded with a grin. "I'm bi - we're on the same page, here, Rachel. We're both attractive young ladies in a unique position and far from being fully understood. And neither of us have any use for shame."

"I suppose you're right. There's little point in having shame." Rachel shrugged. She sat down on the closed toilet, watching Karla move into the tub. "I'm surprised James hasn't been all over you. You're stunning regardless of the fact you have a little bit of blood on your face and hip."

Karla relaxed into the hot water. She glanced up at Rachel and chuckled. "Because you'd kill me with the fifty different versions of kung-fu you learned from Tamamo."

"I think you missed the part where I've been in a threeway relationship. At least I remember it that way. It's best we don't get involved like that, though."

"James is a good looking man," Karla admitted aloud.

"Yeah. But he's mine. Not yours. So, hands off. Got it?"

Karla grinned. "There you go. See? You're still your old-self underneath it all."

Rachel grinned back. "Hey ... nice trick. You got me. And maybe you're right. Is it bad that I'm being territorial over him, but I'm still curious what it's like with you?"

Karla shrugged. "We're adults. And who says it has to be anything less than innocent?"

"That's true. And I did get all this great bath lotion stuff. I've been wanting to use it since we got here."

Karla waved her hand and gestured to the rest of the tub. "Well get over here, then. But I don't want to get your only change of clothes wet ... so take'em off and put them with mine to be safe."

Rachel glanced at Karla's body then down and finally back at Karla. "Okay, I suppose so." She removed her shirt, stood up and placed the cloth on the toilet lid with Karla's clothes. She glanced back at the bathroom door, approached it and locked the knob then removed her bra. Her splendid c-cup globes were perky and perfectly round.

Razin brought her hands beneath her breast, rubbing and scratching against her torso. She stretched and unbuttoned her pants, removing both her jeans and a black thong all at once. Fully nude she stepped into the tub and knelt down between Karla's legs. "See? Far from nervous, here. I'm perfectly fine with the difference in our endowment, too. I'm happy with myself."

"You should be," Karla told her. "You're a very attractive girl. If I was James, I'd be all over you until you took me back." She grinned then lifted a hand and patted the other girl's face. "Cutie."

Rachel chuckled softly. "So how does this work?"

"How do you want it to work?"

"I meant, who gets the lotion first?"

Karla grinned and teleported the bottles to the edge of the tub and waggled her brows. "We have a splash fight, like in a cheap porno. Then the pizza guy comes in and ... oh, wait, no, wrong porno. Thumb wrestle?"

"Don't you have telekinesis? There's no way I'd win."

"I could ... apply it to you." Karla feigned an ornery grin.

Rachel glanced back at the locked bathroom door then leaned in forward, moving closer to Karla. She hesitated briefly then leaned a bit and pivoted around so her back was facing the succubus. "Like this, right? God, what am I saying? I have three thousand years of confidence."

"You sure do."

"Oh, what the hell am I getting myself into?" Rachel leaned back, careful not to hurt her thigh. She pressed her spine against Karla's pillow-soft bust and rested her head on the succubus' shoulder. Without another word, Rachel reached up and ran her hands through Karla's hair, pulling her head down so that their lips met.

Karla eased one arm around Rachel's waist while they kissed. After a moment she broke the kiss and asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"I don't know why I want to do this. I feel like I've always been curious, even as Tamamo. Or, ah, I should say Tamamo was curious. Why do you have this effect on me?"

"Maybe it's my 51st century pheromones," Karla said with a grin."

"W-what? What does that mean?"

"It's a Dr. Who joke. Never mind." Karla ran the fingers of her free hand through Rachel's hair and pulled her into another kiss, deeper and more intimate than the last.

Instead of replying vocally, Rachel placed her hand just beneath the water against Karla's inner thighs. Her hand traced its way up the succubus' leg.

Karla considered telling her it was okay if she wanted to stop but she didn't want to break the kiss.

Rachel's fingers teasingly trailed lower, moving sensually against the pink flesh of Karla's soft flower, tickling the submerged petals in a devious fashion.

Karla responded with a gasp and a soft moan. Meanwhile, as if to tease more, Rachel's finger found the creamy entrance sliding slowly within the confines of Karla's smooth, tight chamber. Another gasp and a hiss of pleasure slipped from Karla's parted lips. "Christ that's good, you have a wonderful touch."

Rachel added a second finger and began to move her forearm forward and back in a metrical fashion, her tempo increasing in playful fashion. She wiggled the two fingers against Karla's sensitive flesh within.

"God, right there," murmured Karla, muffled against Rachel's lips. "I hope you'll let me have a taste."

Rachel broke the lip lock and glanced up with a smile. "You're right about the skittles." She pivoted about, turning to face Karla. Her hands reached up, sliding into the succubus' flaxen locks. "Just be careful of my thigh." Hands in Karla's hair, Rachel guided the succubus down to all-fours, between her knees.

"You're sure you won't have regrets later?"

"I probably will," Rachel said. "But right now I can't think of anything else."

"Are you doing this for me, or for you?"

"I know you need this," Rachel said. She leaned to the left, resting her weight on the rim of the tub, with her shoulder against the nozzle. She arched her hips up, pushing her hands beneath her rump to keep her body angled up.

A sly smile spread across Karla's lips. She leaned down, between Rachel's parted knees, and held her breath. Her chin became submerged in the warm bathwater. Her tongue darted out and brushed against Rachel's silky folds, nearly even with the water's surface. She moaned softly against Rachel's body to tease her with vocal vibrations.

Rachel sighed, immediately relaxing from the delightful sensation of the pink tongue tip gliding into her. She drew in a deep breath and released a shuddering breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Karla didn't respond. Instead, she reached her hand along the bottom of the tub and eased three fingers into Rachel's quivering, luscious pussy lips. She moved her fingers inwards, to the first knuckle, then withdrew them to her fingertips and went into another inward stroke.

Rachel began to thrash, wildly turned on by the increase of pace. She arched her hips up, higher, paying no attention to the ache in her thigh. Rachel raised herself up from the waterline.

Karla leaned in, pushing her face forward. Her tongue trailed from Rachel's clitoris, back downwards. The lush, melodic squishing sound of pillaging Rachel's body was as erotic to the ear as her delicious moans of pleasure.

"So much for teasing and edging," Rachel whined softly. Her right hand found Karla's hair again. Her left hand clenched into a fist, using her hand on the bottom of the tub to keep her body raised up from the water.

Rachel suddenly arched her back and ground her hips forward, trying to gasp without making too much noise. Her jaw dropped open and her lower lip quivered. Her eyes opened wide and she clamped down, trying to use her luscious little lips to clasp that pulsing, invading tongue buried within.

Karla drew her head back, long enough to take a deep breath, then continued to press her lips and tongue against Rachel's body, delighted by the taste of Rachel's pleasure.

All at once, Rachel relaxed her body. She sank back into the hot water and placed a hand over the wound on her thigh. She slumped a bit, panting softly. "Not as," she panted, "guilty as I thought I'd feel."

"Mm, good." Karla grinned. "C'mere. Mind my hip."

Rachel turned about and put her head on the Karla's chest, relaxing into the pillow-like bosom. Rachel closed her eyes. "Holy hell ... ding, ding," she tapped the rim of the tub gently and announced, "I'm done."

Karla, exhausted beyond belief from a day of travel, fighting, and over-extending herself, asked, "T ... tapping out so soon?"

"Tsch," remarked Rachel with a sigh of content. "I'm not even going to try to move right yet."

Karla grinned in a somewhat bragging way, "Ha, ha, James ... I got'cher girl; I got'cher girl."

"Once. My curiosity is satisfied."

Karla grinned in response. "So I guess that threeway is out of the question."

A smirk found Rachel's lips. "You will never_get your hands on that man. _Ever. He's mine. You can't have him, you don't even get to look at him. So yes, a threeway is out of the question."

"Had to ask," said the succubus with a caddy grin. In a weary whisper, Karla added, "I suppose we should get dressed and go out there, else he'll suspect something."

In a muffled, semi-conscious tone, Rachel said, "Soon ... just give me a minute ... to enjoy this hot breath." She fled into the depths of unconsciousness.

Karla smiled at the sound of her deep breathing and ran her fingers through Rachel's brunette bangs. "That was unexpected ... but appreciated."

X

X

Ethiopian Boarder... Nightfall...

" Conner, you can't go in there alone." His sister narrowed her eyes and grimaced at him.

The teen replied with a charismatic smile. "I won't, I have you on standby. But we both know I need the logistics help. So, you sit tight and I'll work my magic El-Solo."

"Conner," Carmen grumbled.

"Y'know why? Joe and I have a score to settle. And, because I'm going to walk out of there unscathed. My ego is at stake, here." He grinned at his sister. "He put the family cane right through my gut. I owe him a visit." Conner opened the passenger door. "I'll see you soon..." He lifted a hand to the side of his face, making a gesture that resembled a telephone receiver. "Call me, sis." He grinned and snagged his family cane from the backseat, and then darted across the street.

Conner broke into a hard sprint. He bent his knees and launched himself upwards. The teenager bound off of a dumpster's plastic lid then redirected his momentum. Several feet into the air, he latched onto a drainage pipe and crawled up the side of the building.

He put his feet against the piping and inched upwards - rinse, dry and repeat.

At the top of the pipe he edged himself over the ledge and onto the roof. His phone rang. The teen lifted his finger, touching the button on the receiver half-lodged within his ear. "God it's not nearly as easy as it used to be."

"That's what happens when a goddamn building falls on you and you get impaled with a metal pole," she reminded him. "I'm impressed that you're able to scale a wall again after all that abuse."

"Yeah," he murmured. Conner wedged his tongue in the whole where his molar was nearly gone from that night. "I used to do vertical climbs with my arms alone. That was hard but now it's impossible. Okay. I'm up here and I've found the vent you mentioned would be here. How does it connect?"

"The floor plans at the archive said it's a duct system. One story down it goes into an inverted 'Y' shape. You'll want to break to the right and head down to the next story. You'll get out in a hallway, take the elevator to the second floor then climb back into the vent on the wall. You'll emerge in their bedroom, go through the vent register and find the amber stone thing. Do you have my goggles?"

"Yeah, they're not as heavy as I remember," he murmured from where he lay on the roof.

"You were a kid when you used to run off with them," Carmen said over the line with a chuckle. "Remember, there are several settings. The dial is on the right, next to the lens piece. You've got thermal, night vision, and one similar to an x-ray, and one that creates a wireframe image based on sound. The range is limited on those last two settings.

Conner fished it out of his knapsack, strapped to his back. He put the goggles onto his head and activated them. A familiar phosphorescent green glow illuminated the night sky clearly. "These things are just... awesome."

"Well don't dawdle, the battery only has about two hours' worth of charge right now. Make your way into the vent."

Conner unfastened the vent and began to descend into the ductwork slowly. He whispered over the Bluetooth headset. "Can I ask you something not related to the job?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I found out about mom and dad. But you didn't seem surprised. How long have you known, Carmen?"

"Too long. I grew up knowing. Maybe that's why it doesn't bother me."

"Blah."

"Get your head in the game," she told him. "Your split is coming up. Remember, you're going to the right, down to the next story then out through the vent. It's a return-air register so expect a draft as you get closer to the metal cover."

"No problem. Tamamo said she'll 'reward' me if I get this amber thing. I look forward to getting out of here with this other piece."

"I bet you do," said Carmen with a snort. "By the way, what are we doing with this amber stone thing? We won't need it and we don't want to go taking it to Falcon's place ... that would be stupid, just in case we get killed, because then he'd have all the pieces."

"I'll personally put it into the family vault. He'll never find it." Conner placed his feet on the top of the split then asked, "Which right? If I'm facing west or east?"

"Face east. If you're facing east, it'll be the vent on your right."

Conner carefully eased down the correct side of the split then used the padded palms of his gloved hands to help slow his descent to the next story.

He kicked his body forward, catching the bottom of the register with his feet. It came upwards and he spilled through it. The boy dropped to the ground in a crouch and the vent cover swung back and forth, its edges caught in the frame.

Conner stood up. The vent fell from the frame and landed in his hands. "Nice ... I don't think I could have done that twice if I tried."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, I just impressed myself by being graceful." He put his foot on the wall and hopped up. Conner replaced the vent on the wall. A second hop, along with his fist, ensured it was wedged back into the frame. "The bottom slats are a little bent but ... you can hardly notice it in the dark." He turned about. "Seeing everything in green is really weird," he added, reaching for an elevator call button.

"Conner, wait."

"Hm?"

"The security camera in the elevator - I can see a guy in it. It's grainy, but he has a gun showing in a holster under his arm."

"No sweat. One of Pendleton's bodyguards."

"Keep your head on straight," she said. "God damn, he's cracking his knuckles. I doubt he knows you're there. But get ready just the same; the elevator is stopping on your floor."

"Why can't it just go by my floor? I swear..."

Carmen's tone darkened. "You pressed the 'call' button, remember dumbass?"

"Yeah ... I remember, I remember." Conner put his back up against the wall, adjacent to the elevator doors. "Okay, stand by." He proceeded to hum the intro of the James Bond theme song just loud enough for Carmen to hear it over the phone.

"Oh, good, a bit of pop culture you finally know," she murmured, mostly to herself.

The doors opened.

Conner continued the humming, going into the more exciting part of the theme tune. He put a small chemical pill beneath the tip of the cane and thrust it down into the ground then vaulted around the corner, feet first, into the elevator. The smoke screen emanated from the cane.

His feet connected with the man's torso, knocking him back against the railing on the back wall. It knocked the air out of the man. The guard dropped to his knees but went for his gun.

Conner, from a crouched position, lifted his head sharply, catching the man's jaw. The connection was enough to warrant a groan from the man. He went the rest of the way to the floor.

The doors slid shut and it began to ascend the shaft. The man kicked his legs out, throwing the frail teenager up against the button panel.

Conner dropped to his rump with a grunt. "Ow, my freakin' tailbone." The elevator came to a stop. The "Emergency Stop" button was illuminated. Conner thrust the cane outward, using the arched backside of the hook to strike the man in his neck. The force wasn't enough to break his trachea but was enough to piss the man off.

The guard grabbed Conner's cane and thrust it back. The bottom struck the boy in his shoulder, slamming him back against the wall while Carmen watched on, helplessly, over the security camera. He could hear her getting excited and panicking over the earpiece clipped within his ear. The cane released the last of its smoke screen.

"Conner, touch the button on your goggles, opposite of the power switch! Hit it three times!"

He reached up and hit the button three times and the goggle display changed to thermal. He could see through the smoke and kicked his leg upwards, catching the man in the face from where they both sat on the floor, across from one another.

Conner got up onto his knees then jabbed his hands outwards, striking the man in his torso, just beneath the ribcage.

The teen forced his hands upwards, curled his fingers, just beneath the attacker's bottom ribs, then pulled with all of his might.

A sickening pop, so loud that Carmen heard it over the phone, filled the air.

Conner fell back onto his rump then waved his hand at the smoke in the air. He fumbled quickly through the settings on the goggles until everything became clear.

Conner balled his hands into fists and swung left then right, hitting the man in his face. The lumbering man stood up slowly.

The teen panted, backing up against the closed elevator doors. "Jesus - two black eyes and a dislocated ribcage ... and you're still getting up? Are you serious?" He thrust the cane outwards, striking the man in the crotch.

The guard yelped but still managed to reach forward, catching Conner by his neck. He lifted the boy straight up until Conner's head slammed into the security camera dome mounted in the top. The dome cracked but the camera continued to function normally.

Conner was dropped onto his hip at the man's feet. Falling back on instinct, Conner kicked at the guard's knee.

The towering tall man crumbled but dropped forward, burying his other knee into Conner's gut. The teen grunted but managed to reach his cane up, taking it by either side.

Conner pulled the man's head down with the hood of his cane. His attacker resisted. Parker quickly withdrew the cane, causing the man's head to jerk back rather suddenly. Conner twirled the cane about, brushing the base against the floor and wall of the elevator.

With a grunt, Conner used the end to smack the man just beneath his forehead, between the eyes. Another loud snapping sound caused the boy to wince, expectantly.

The man reached for his face, cupping the spot between his eyes with a loud moan of pain.

Conner drew his hand back, palm facing outwards and fingers curled in. "I am so done with you, pal."

Carmen's voice called out into his ear. "Don't you dare! If you hit his nose like that, you'll kill him, Conner! We don't need to be part of a homicide!"

Conner paused and bit his lower lip. Instead, he thrust his hand down, catching the man in his chest, once again knocking the air out of him.

The teen took the man's gun, dropped the magazine onto the floor then thrust the slide back, ejecting the last round. He turned the gun about and released the slide, catching the man's nose in the ejection port.

The guard attempted to cry out in agony but had no breath with which to shout.

Finally, Conner stood up, watching as the man panicked in an attempt to get the gun from his nose. Conner lifted his cane and brought it down on the man's head. The large, broad-shouldered goon slumped to the ground. The gun fell to the carpeted floor.

Silence.

Conner took a deep breath to compose himself. In a faux accent, Conner said, "Name's Bond. Conner-y Bond," in a Sean Connery-sounding dialect. He took another deep breath. His body relaxed enough to begin slow, deep breathing.

The teen muttered a string of French curse words beneath his breath that Carmen couldn't quite hear. He cleared his throat, sighed, and then turned about, touching the large '2' on the control panel. The 'emergency stop' button went dim.

The elevator began to ascend once more. It stopped on the sixth floor. Conner pushed the man out of the elevator, stuffed him behind a massive indoor potted plant then slipped back into the elevator and took it down to the second floor.

The doors opened and a disheveled Conner Parker stepped off. "That guy was a freakin' brick wall," he groused to Carmen. "What a pain in the ass," he added. "Okay ... I'm on two ... I was supposed to get into the vent, and go through, and into their room, but there is a sign up from the property management. It says that the ductwork on this floor is under repair. Hold tight." Conner touched the side of the goggles until he could vaguely see through the wall. "Damn ... there's no duct beneath the wall, right now. What's plan B?"

"I wish Karla was here."

"What? Why? I got this."

"We could have Karla teleport the stupid thing easily."

"Carmen, I've got this. I can do it. I don't need her."

Silence.

Both siblings sighed in unison.

Silence.

After a moment, Carmen said, "Frontal attack. Pick the lock on the door, walk in there, smack the crap out of anyone that moves, and take the stone. Make sure you get their guns before you leave so they can't shoot you in the back. Pendleton turned out to be more involved than we initially expected. If you can get him alone, well, see if you can't find out what the hell he's doing here."

"It's obvious," Conner said. "He's coming for whatever he can get his hands on. He's obviously working for Falcon - that piece of shit. There's no little plot twists or secret surprises, here."

"Conner, I know who he is. And I know you've got a grudge against him. Are you sure you can keep your head in there?"

"I'm not going to kill him. I want him to tell Falcon that a storm is coming out to sea and it's not going to be pretty."

"But then we lose our stealth advantage."

The teen gritted his teeth in defeat. "Okay, what do you suggest?" He pushed his tongue into his broken tooth.

"Either steal it and disappear without being seen, which may or may not happen if the rest of his goon squad happen to be awake, or, you can always ... uh, well ... you can always break his fingers and his jaw, then he can't tell anyone anything."

Parker deadpanned. "I won't lie, I'd rather throw his ass out the window, first. There's a word for that. I can't remember what it is." With a cracking of his knuckles, Conner headed for the door.

"Defenestration or something, right?"

Conner withdrew his cane again, gave it a twirl, and reached for the hotel room doorknob. "Yup. Karla likes that word." He gritted his teeth and the electronic card-key slot mechanism failed. The knob opened with ease, although a wisp of steam emanated from the nine-volt battery inside the box on the door.

"Conner? There was a lot of crackling and distortion for a second, there ... everything okay?"

He smirked as he flung the door open. "Everything is just fine. Stand by." He walked in like Reno told him, back when they trained together on the island. Like Bogart, casual and as though he belonged there. With confidence and his head held high. Uncle Reno would've been proud to see it. Conner smirked at the group. "Hey, gang. What, you got yourselves a swanky hotel on the boarder and didn't invite me to the party?"

Several men stood up from their seats and Pendleton looked up from his spot in front of a television.

Pendleton Sr. blinked, seeing the teenager wearing the night vision goggles. "Parker? You can't be serious."

"I never told you about this thing I've been practicing. You see, this hotel controls all the lights and power by computer. Standard practice for Hiltons, now." Conner touched the side of the electronic goggles. The lights suddenly went out.

The fluttering distortion in the lenses finally cleared. He flipped over to night vision then asked, "Where the hell is my rock?"

Pendleton stood up and pointed at Conner. "Kill the little prick!" His men withdrew pistols from their clothing. Each one of them attached a silencer as if having rehearsed some sort of choreography.

Quick to talk his way out of the situation, Conner lifted his cane and shouted, "FINE, then you'll NEVER find the other artifact you were looking for!"

"Wait!" Pendleton began to walk towards Conner slowly, by the dim light of the nearby television set. "Okay, kid, you've got my attention. But my patience ... you don't have that."

Conner gritted his teeth so as not to show them any weakness or emotion. "In that building collapse, you killed my partner," he lied. "If you don't want to end up like her then I suggest that we have a little chat about your friend Aris."

Carmen's voice chimed in his ear. "Don't go too far, too fast, Conner! Bringing up Falcon can be dangerous at this point ... And Jesus, if you lie to him and he knows otherwise, you just blew your chance at talking your way through this!"

Conner didn't answer her. Instead, he told Pendleton, "Look, Cuz, I had you dead to rights at your place, and I let you live."

"And you got a free lesson in why not to let your enemy live that day when I dropped a building on your head."

Conner smirked. "I'm not finished. Anyway, I'm not asking for special favors and I'm not looking for anyone other than the guy who hired you. The guy who wants that amber stone. He's got something of mine and I don't like how he's not come out of hiding in quite some time."

Pendleton narrowed his gaze. "Do you think this is some sort of game, kid? My boys have guns trained on your head. These four men will kill you without so much as flinching. What do you know of that man, anyhow, and where is my Egyptian Headdress you stole?"

"I have it at my place. Oh, and the sniper you hired to kill me in Axum? Yeah ... he missed. I hope all your gunmen are better qualified than that guy."

"You're liking this, aren't you?" Pendleton unfolded his arms and began to pace in front of Parker. "You little twerp, you like feeling as though you have power and importance. Do you think I am stupid?" He pivoted on his heel and turned directly towards Conner. "You sniveling little shit, your parents aren't dead. They're just indisposed of at the moment. Hostages are useful as bargaining chips. I know you're looking for your parents, kid. I know you're angry that Falcon has her and I know you have that staff. You want that amber stone? We'll see. One of us will still have it in his possession at the end of this conversation and the other one will be dead."

"We don't have to go down that route," said Conner. "I have no problems letting you live again." He kept his composure, regardless of the excitement that coursed through his body at hearing Pendleton' words about his parents. Several of the gunners snickered at the boy's daring words.

Pendleton turned and began to walk away, heading back towards the television. "Remember how I said I have a short span of patience? It's about to run out."

"I'm here for the amber artifact. I'll be taking what's mine and leaving without any trouble. That is, if you'd like to play this smart."

Carmen groaned over the headset. "I hope you have something to back yourself up in there. You're talking a good game but you don't have someone like Karla to back you up, right now."

Conner cleared his throat loudly and said, "Where is it and I'll let you live. Ten seconds."

"Give me that rod you stole in Axum or you'll die ... five seconds."

"You'll have to force that information out of me. Stop wasting our time. We're both busy gentlemen and time is money. Where is my stone, Pendleton?"

The middle-aged man turned about and half-heartedly waved a hand. "Beat it out of this kid, boys."

All four men approached Conner, guns raised. Parker cleared his throat. "You are making a serious mistake, Joe."

"Kid ... after we beat it out of you, I'll make sure I put in a word to Aris. I'll make sure he kills your mother off - he has plenty of other hostages to use. She was annoying to me and now you're annoying me about her. She needs to die because you couldn't keep your yap shut. Now give me my goddamned staff. Boys, rip him apart until he begs to tell us what we want to know. And keep it down so we don't wake up the other hotel patrons ... no need bringing attention to ourselves."

Conner gritted his teeth and tensed up from the threat. He clenched the shaft of his family cane so tightly that his knuckles almost seemed to bulge. He turned to head towards Pendleton just as one of the men drew back his fist.

The first punch caught Conner in the side of his head. The teenaged boy shouted at the top of his lungs in rage.

The television flickered violently then darkened. A thick, vibrant stream of energy lanced from out of the power supply. The intensely powerful alternating current arced through the air and struck Conner's cane.

The hair on his arms, neck and head stood on end. His eyes glowed and the cane illuminated the room in a soft yellow lighting.

Teeth gritted, he waved a hand at the nearest man. A brilliant flash of lightning burst from his fingertips and struck the man who had just thrown the punch. Sixteen hundred watts came from Conner's body - all that could be given from the wall jack at once.

The electricity fed back out of the cane. It connected with the man, coursing through his body in an instant. The gun in the man's hand began to glow until all the bullets went off at once, causing the man's hand to burst in a spatter of crimson. He cried out in agony. The sanguine residue covered his chest and face.

Another guard grabbed Conner by the neck but all the energy surging through his cane and body was temporarily forced into the attacker's hand. The discharge of raw energy caused the attacker to be thrown clear across the room, disappearing through the drywall and into the hotel bathroom. The attacker curled up into a fetal position on the tile floor.

Conner whirled about, swinging his cane. It connected with the third man. The electrostatic transference of energy caused the man's body to be thrown clear across the room, flipping over the sofa. The cane's follow-through swing caught the fourth man's gun. Upon contact, the weapon became incredibly hot, forcing the man to drop it.

Conner turned about, took the man by his throat then the teenager doubled over, hurling the man into one of the other dazed mercenaries. Pendleton turned about, watching in shock as Conner dispatched all four of his guards.

Conner's eyes narrowed to slits. He glared as if staring straight through the man. "That stone is in this room. I'll find it myself - you're no longer of any use to me ... so there's no point in you leaving here alive."

"Wait!" Pendleton cleared his throat, now seeking to buy himself precious minutes to live.

Two men came in through the hotel room door.

Conner snagged the nearest man by his throat in the hook then shifted his weight, flipping the first goon into the second and abruptly electrocuting both with the current still stored in his cane. It left two men immobilized, one without a hand and the other cradling his burned palm.

Pendleton began to breathe quickly from fear. "You'll never make it through the creature, kid. The creature will rip you apart and eat you alive." He backed away slowly.

"Where's my stone," asked Conner in a calm voice. "I want it." A gun cocked from his left. The barrel touched Conner's left temple. He reached the cane up and touched the metal surface against the metal gun. The barrel turned orange and slumped. Conner kept his gaze on Pendleton. "I'm told I have one hell of a temper ... and I'm seriously about to lose it," he said, repeating what Pendleton said earlier.

"Look man," said the older man in a professional sounding tone. "You got your headdress right?"

"I did."

"And I didn't kill you, I just injured you, right?"

"...Yes."

Pendleton shrugged. "Then I've done nothing to earn your distrust. I'm here doing a job. My job is to get that staff and that stone and give it to Aris. I'm just doing a job. So ... where do we go from here?"

"Yeah?" Parker smirked. "My job is to take that stone, that staff and everything that Dr. Falcon has and what I do from that point on is nobody's business but mine. My job may very well lead to me killing you if you're in my way. So where do we go from here - you tell me."

"Are there any other options?" Pendleton folded his arms, shifted his weight and narrowed his gaze.

"This is the last time I'm going to offer you this card. You're family, so, I pay you to look the other way. You hand me the stone, leave the country, don't return and, when you've done all that, you can also turn a blind eye to whatever you read in the paper about the Atlantic Ocean in a few days."

"You don't have enough to buy my loyalty."

Soft feminine laughter filled Parker's ear from Carmen, who was still listening in on the conversation from his earpiece.

Conner shook his head slowly. "I have enough money to make you volunteer to walk on all fours whenever you're in my presence for the rest of your life. But we've already had this conversation, haven't we? Or was that with your son? I forget. You two are both idiots."

Pendleton went silent. He began a slow pace across the carpet. "That's a dilemma. First of all, I'd need to see proof of this - I'd want that money in cash and in a short amount of time. We could arrange a buy and I could take that money and go underground for a while. My only stipulation is that the purchase price is for the stone and to walk away. It's not to give out Falcon's contact information; if you want to find him, you'll have to do that research yourself, without my help. It's up to you, Parker."

"You still think I'm bluffing so you're not taking me seriously. My other option is that I kill you and your men right now. I've never taken the lives of a group of people but I'm not against it if I'm doing so in defense. Self-preservation goes a long way and I already showed you that I'm temperamental. So what's it going to be?"

"One billion dollars." He drew a nice blazer from a hook and pulled it on then adjusted the lay of the material over himself.

Conner calmly turned to the man who recently held the melted pistol and asked, "What's your price?"

Pendleton quirked a brow. "He's under my payroll. Don't give him anything."

"Hey!" shouted the man still favoring his burnt right hand.

Without blinking an eye, Pendleton lifted a previously hidden weapon and pulled the trigger.

Conner quickly brought his hands to his ears, groaning from the pain of the loud blast. When the ringing in his ears subsided, he could hear Pendleton speaking. "...Everyone in the hotel let alone anyone in the vicinity. We should leave." He tossed the one-shot pistol on the fallen man's chest that now lay on the floor bleeding from a fatal headshot.

"Are you kidding me with that shit right now? That one guy's hand blew clean off and he ran out of here screaming! The Police have been on their way for a while, now. I'm surprised they haven't shown up yet!"

Joe walked to the nightstand, calm once again. "The stone is this way."

Conner leered at the dead man and swallowed in silence.

Pendleton snapped his fingers to get the boy's attention then continued to talk. "I only had one round - I could have used it on you while you were distracted. As you can see, I shot him to simplify things - just the way I like it; no complications and no drama. Listen to me, boy - I am a businessman and I get things done. If someone's life gets between me and my business ... they die. In the end, I come out on top every single time."

"You're disgusting. A billion dollars won't buy you out of the hole you're digging for yourself."

"I'll buy my way out of any holes I get into. Don't worry yourself with that. Lead the way out of here. If you don't follow through, you'll be joining Bill Hotchner, here, on the floor." He offered a swift kick while stepping over the man's dead body then said, "There's nothing magical about a hole - money can solve anything if applied the right way."

"You're wrong," said Conner. "I have it and it doesn't fix my problems. The hole, believe it or not, is magical in a sense. You can spend your entire life climbing up from a hole. When you finally get to the top, one wrong move and you'd be all the way back at the bottom. Don't fall into that sort of thing."

"Shut up kid - this is an opportunity for me. I'm here for financial benefit. I'm about to be either a billion bucks richer or you're about to discover the cure for all your problems - a bullet in between your eyes."

"You're a real class act," Conner groused. "What's to say I don't rip your head off and take that stone from you?" Conner brazenly turned, keeping his back to the man, knowing his greed would keep him from rushing into making any sudden moves. "It's on you right now, after all. I saw it when you were in your jeep, earlier, and I saw it when I walked in through the door."

"Perceptive."

"Yeah, thanks." Conner opened the door for him then continued out of the hotel.

He could hear Carmen speaking into his ear. "What are you doing? This wasn't the plan. You're a thief not an auctioneer. Are you crazy?"

Conner didn't reply to his sister over the line.

Once outside of the hotel, Conner turned to the right, walked down the block and into an alley. "It's not far. We're parked out back, behind the hotel." He purposely stopped walking in the dark, causing Pendleton to bump into him from behind. A dense object could be felt against his left hip. Conner began walking again. At the edge of the alley he said, "I thought you were out of bullets and guns ... not very fair, keeping it hidden beneath your dress jacket."

Pendleton smirked. "Why'd you stop? You wanted to see if I had a gun, huh? Clever boy."

"I stopped to listen," Conner replied. "If someone else is following us, I'll hear their footsteps when I stop. I only heard one other set of footfalls - yours - so we're safe. You just happened to jam the barrel of your other gun into me when you collided. Don't be so paranoid."

"Far from paranoid, Parker."

Conner smiled to himself, keeping Pendleton behind. He lowered his eyes to his hand and the red stone hidden within his fist. He stealthily deposited the stone, stolen during the collision in the alley, and cleared his throat to create a distraction while putting it into a concealed shirt pocket. "My mistake, Pendleton. I think you actually want to shoot me and don't want any money at all."

"If that were the case you'd be bleeding right now. Oh, and if you give me even a penny less than what you promised, I will shoot you. So you better start sweating bullets now, because you'll be riddled with them soon."

"A billion dollars is chump change, Pendleton. My family doesn't even know how much money they have. Oh, wait, we did talk about this before."

"I've just changed my mind and I'm renegotiating the terms of our deal. I want more than a billion dollars, boy."

Conner quirked his brows. "Dude, how are you going to even transport a billion in gold coins? It's going to be rather difficult to get that money off the island in the middle of the South Pacific. Micronesia is a big place and you'll need a big boat that can stay below the radar. Good luck - that's your problem, though, not mine."

Pendleton jabbed the gun against Conner's shoulder. "Guess you'll be bribing people to look the other way, won't you?"

Conner gritted his teeth. "Poke me again with that gun. We'll be amending this oral agreement real fast."

Pendleton, feeling challenged, jammed the gun into Conner's back forcefully, keeping it pressed against the teenager's body.

Parker gritted his teeth, tensed his body, clenched his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes. His body's temperature began to escalate.

"I saw your little trick with your cane. You send a charge into my gun and it'll cook off a round. Then, you'll have a bullet in your body. You don't want to do that, now do you?"

Conner quickly jerked his cane down, snagging Pendleton' leg with the hooked end. Intense energy rushed into the man's lower body, causing his legs to buckle and his body to lock up tightly.

Joe dropped to the ground, temporarily stunned.

Conner pivoted about, put the cane against the man's throat and withdrew the stone with his other hand. "See this? I've had it since you bumped into me a moment ago. This is the part where we go our separate ways. This is also the part where the good Doctor terminates you for screwing up, Joe." He drew his cane back and swung it like a golf club, striking Pendleton in the forehead.

Silence. Golden silence.

Conner placed a finger to his ear and said, "He's down, Carmen. Where do you want to meet?" No reply. "Carmen?" Parker withdrew his phone and frowned. The screen was blank. He checked his earpiece and it appeared to have a dead battery. The small LED indicator wouldn't illuminate. "Crap..." He turned about and hurried out of the alley.

The teen hurried around the corner, across the street and into the next alley. Rather suddenly he felt pain in his head. All at once everything went dark...

X

X

"...You okay?" The voice was fading in and out. "Are you okay? Answer me," it said, fading out once more. "Conner, wake up!" He groaned in reply but his head hurt too much to open his eyes just yet.

"I'm ... I'm here - what happened?"

Her voice was soft but full of concern. "You were struck in the forehead by a wooden baseball bat. You're lucky you have such a hard head - there's no sign of any major trauma and, aside from a knot on your forehead, you should be just fine."

Conner gritted his teeth in pain and rubbed his right temple. He pushed his tongue into the gap where his molar was missing. "Did they steal...?" He brought his other hand to his chest then sighed in relief, feeling the lump in his shirt. "Who was it?" He tried opening his eyes but they were swollen shut. "I feel like crap."

"You look like crap," said Carmen. "We even missed our flight out of town because you wouldn't wake up. I thought about taking you to a hospital but you let that guy live, so he's probably hunting for you right now. What happened to your phone? The battery is worthless in both the phone and your headset."

"I, uh, remember how I can make the cane glow?"

She paused. "Yeah." Her hand felt soft against his cheek.

Conner swallowed then opened only his right eye. "I did that a few times and new stuff happened - I tried it again on Pendleton and after that, I couldn't hear you in my ear anymore. I think I fried my stuff. How are your goggles? Did they get broken when I was hit? Did I fry them?"

"The attack was to your face. The goggles were on your head but they apparently fell downwards - the strap was wrapped around your neck. They were scuffed up, but they're fine. And no, the battery cell is different from the battery used by your cell and your earpiece. Oddly, it's fully charged after your little show. Aren't you going to ask how you wound up with me instead of in Joe's car trunk or something?"

Conner pried open his swollen left eye. "You rescued me?"

"Yeah. You should have seen me, baby brother. You'd have been proud."

"How many?"

"Four - you did a lot of the work."

"I lost my temper. Mom was right, I'm a bastard when I lose my temper." He sat up with another groan and looked around the dark setting. "Where are we?"

"Pendleton's hotel room. I got the key off of him - he was out cold and, last I checked, he was still in that alley, laid out good. Arms all the way out, legs all the way apart, tongue sticking out. It was awesome. Anyhow, we're in the room across from the one Pendleton used. We should go, though."

Conner groaned again, rubbing at his head. He was in serious pain with an intense headache and the inability to blink very well. "Y'know, I've had this tension headache since I went inside that chapel back in Axum."

"While you were laid out in the alley, I picked up your cane and swung it hard. I nail that guy right in his face. That damn thing was too hot to handle, so I wedged it into your belt and dragged you, by your arms, back to the hotel. When we got back here, there were cops all over. I let them wrap up their investigation then took you into an empty room, across from the one that's corded off..."

"Those kinds of investigations take hours, especially involving the dead since Pendleton shot one of his own men..."

"Conner, all that stuff happened last night. You were out for twelve hours. I've been looking up crap on the net to make sure you weren't in a coma. But you were somewhat responsive and, at one point, you even started talking in your sleep so..."

He eased up onto his elbow with a blank stare, then scooted into sitting position. They were on a king-sized bed together. "Remember when I was a kid and I'd crawl into your bed because I watched horror movies on Netflix on my iPad?"

Carmen laughed. "You were six. But you were warm, so I let you. Why do you ask?"

"How the hell did my mother and father hook up? I can't even begin to see myself being with my sister. How could they?"

"Stop thinking about it, Conner. It'll make your brain hurt."

"It already does from this headache."

She smirked. "Look, just be glad they did, or you wouldn't be here."

"Touché, Carmen."

X

X

... The next morning , James sat up and rubbed his eyes. He realized he was on the inflatable mattress alone. James rubbed his eyes a second time then looked around.

Rachel was sitting up, leaning against the shop's counter. Adjacent to her was Karla, hands folded in her lap.

James rolled out of bed, got his knees with a stretch, and moved towards the two women across the room. "Jeeze, why didn't you guys wake me - I'd have given up the bed." He glanced over his shoulder at the now half-deflated air mattress and sighed. "Reno would probably say something like, 'we live in the age of fast computers, hover cars and realistic video games ... but we've still not invented the perfect air mattress.' And he'd be right."

No one replied.

James turned back at the two slumbering girls sitting on the floor. He eyed Karla for a moment then approached Rachel and knelt beside her. "Hey, sunshine. Wake up." He cupped her face and kissed her lips softly.

Rachel opened her eyes and smiled into his lips. She brought her hands up and kissed him back. Then she wrapped her arms around her neck, as if it was to be the last time she'd ever hug him.

James leaned a bit and kissed her forehead then whispered, "How'd you sleep?"

"Really good, actually. There's, uh, something we need to talk about."

James grinned and stood up. "It can wait. No worries. I think we should feed the succubus and send her to meet up with Conner. He might need her help."

"Feed ... the succubus? What do you mean?"

"Reno once said her abilities are tied into her metabolism. So she'll need to eat food if she's going to teleport back across Ethiopia. Let's find some grub, get her fed, and send her on her way."

"Oh, oh right. Sorry. I, uh ... misunderstood. I'm not awake enough to think properly."

"It's fine." James offered her a soft smile. Wake her up, I'm going to take a leak in the back. Then we'll head across the street and get something to eat.

X

X

An hour later...

Rachel glared at the empty spot where Karla slept on the floor at her side last night. "Don't get upset, James ... Karla kissed me."

James eased back onto the deflated air mattress, hand over his stomach from all the food they ate. He shrugged gently. "That was out of the blue - had it on your mind, huh? Look ... Rachel, you've been through a lot. I'm not judging you if that's what you're so worried about. Hopefully it's not; I wouldn't want you to think I'm the judgmental type - I'm not. Is that why you hugged me so tightly earlier?"

"Yeah. I thought it might be the last time."

"You know the one thing that's always perfect in the movies?"

Rachel blinked. "How do you mean?"

"Sex scenes. They're always perfect in the movies. Sometimes fiction is better than reality. And we had the perfect relationship, Rachel. I'm not willing to give that up, it was as close to perfect fiction romance as I could ever hope to have."

"James..."

"I forgive you. Are you ready to move past it?"

"You don't judge me?"

James grinned. "Hell no I don't judge you for kissing a girl. So, I have to ask ... Rachel, we haven't had sex since you changed your name. Since you were possessed. Did you get over the mental block thing? Are we, maybe, going back to, y'know, how it used to be?"

Rachel grinned at him and sauntered into the bathroom. "You're going to want to follow me."

He followed her into the bathroom and she dropped her pants and stepped out of her shoes. "Oh thank Christ."

Rachel grinned. "Get in there. You need one, Jaye."

James laughed, disrobed and stepped into the tub. The shower hissed to life, pointing straight down. He stood under the cold water, unfazed, while it warmed up. "Do you still love me?"

"Yes, of course I still love you." She rubbed her face, so as not to cry. "I'm keeping this ring. But I'm not rushing back into the full-on relationship we used to have - I need to make sure you aren't going to die first but I think it's time to be intimate again. You've earned it after all."

James reached for the shower curtain but paused. There he stood in the shower without a reply. Finally, he did something unexpected, even to himself. He reached forward, took her by the wrists and pulled her into the shower, still dressed.

He pressed his lips against hers. At first she resisted in order to stay dry but, in the end, she gave in and threw her arms around his neck.

James' lips meshed against hers, soft and warm. In return she slanted her mouth against his. They kissed with a shared passion. She cupped either side of his face and he placed his hands upon her hips. She eased her tongue forward until it brushed against his.

The rest of the world melted away for the moment. Hot water ran down their faces and matted their hair down. Neither cared. They embraced one another and continued the intensely delicious joining with the sensuality of an intimate kiss.

Her hands began to roam over his chest, exploring his body. His fingers moved over her blouse, unbuttoning it. He helped draw the shirt from her then dropped it in the corner with a loud 'shlop' sound. He eased his hands around her and fumbled with her bra working the first two clasps undone only to struggle with the last one.

"Master thief, who can tie thirty-seven knots, and you still need help with a bra hook," she teased. Rachel reached back and thumbed the last one open for him with ease. She shrugged it from her arms and dropped it to the bottom of the tub.

His thumbs hooked into the hem of her waistline.

She placed a hand upon his forearm, pushing downwards and he reacted to her guidance by easing the wet, lacey undergarment down her legs. The cloth clung to her knees and she wiggled but they stayed in place. James lifted his left foot, placed it between her thighs then lowered his heel, pushing her panties down to her ankles. She stepped out of the wet fabric then kicked them away and wrapped her arms around him.

Now lost to desire and passion, he placed his hands beneath her rump and lifted her up against the wall. Her legs lifted, easing about him. The hot-blooded pair continued their blissful kissing and tactile exploration of one another while grinding their forms together.

The hot water changed to cold and all at once, both of them scrambled to get out of the rub together. They rushed out of the bathroom and collapsed to the carpet side-by-side, half-laughing.

"So much for perfect story-book romance," he said with a semi-disappointed chuckle.

"Yeah, funny how reality is way harsher than fictional romance. And, uh, thank you, James. That was a really nice kiss. I enjoyed it."

"The kiss was nice, sure." James grinned. "I feel like I'm turning back into a virgin, again, so..."

She grinned at him, pushing wet hair away from her face. "You sure as hell don't kiss like one."

He rubbed his sore left eye then trailed a finger over a cut on his face he received during the hijacking attack. James reached for her hands and grinned at her. "Well thanks, I'm glad you liked it as much as I did. I guess we should dry off."

"Yeah. I guess we're taking a nap in the buff until our clothes dry."

He smiled. "No complaints here." A pause, then, "I sure wish we were in a harlequin romance novel right about now. Heh ... I don't know why things keep coming up, creating situations that are less than perfect or romantic. But I'm going to do my best to set the mood." He thumbed the small motor, inflating the air mattress, then sat down on it.

Rachel grinned, turning her head towards him. Her hair splayed across her face causing her to look rather beautiful. "Maybe we're trapped in some sort of comedy."

"All I know is ... I want you." He offered a tired grin then propped himself up on an elbow. "A lot."

A devious little expression tugged at the corner of her mouth and she moved closer to him, placing a hand upon his chest. "Is that right?" She leaned in closer until her lips gently brushed against his.

James tilted his head, enjoying the kiss. After a moment, he spoke against her lips. "Just so we're clear on one thing. I think it's kinda' hot that you two kissed. I didn't want to say anything at first because I didn't want you to glare at me or smack me ... but I think it's totally awesome."

"I don't ... I enjoyed it at the time but now I feel stupid for having done it. We're supposed to be professionals and now I'm talking about making out with my team - drama is not something we need right now. Besides, like you said before, Karla is married."

"Like you reminded me," he returned, "Karla is a widow."

"Yeah? Well did you know she asked to have a threesome?"

"I can't fault you for saying no to that."

Rachel scoffed. "Yeah, right, babe. You're a guy. You'd love to have it out with both of us at the same time. It's in your genetics. But I told her she's not even allowed to so much as look at you the wrong way. I told her you are mine. And I'm sorry if I'm being weird but, I'm not sorry that you're mine."

"I've never seen a jealous side of you before," James said, adding, "That's hot, too."

Rachel smirked. "I'm not jealous, I'm territorial. Jealousy is when you want something that doesn't belong to you. Being territorial is protecting what's already yours. And, boy, you're mine." She clutched his shirt collar, possessively, and pulled him close. "Now gimmie them lips, boy."

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Next Chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/786750