Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2023 23:51:01 +0000 (UTC) From: Samuel Stefanik Subject: Stolen Love. Chapter 43 Hi there! I've been feeling down lately. I'm still not back to normal physically and that's made things more difficult in my head. I've been doubting my ability to tell a story and questioning the quality of this missive. This morning I received a lovely message from Don D. It was encouraging and uplifting. Because of Don's kindness, you lovely reader, get another chapter this week. I hope you enjoy it. And, a great big THANK YOU to Don! Please note, my praise for Don should in no way diminish the thanks I have for any of the rest of you lovely readers who have reached out with support. Don's message reached me when I badly needed it, so I decided to thank him. NOTE: I've actually had second thoughts on the rewrite. What I might do is just tell more stories from different periods in the Church and Shawn saga. Would you be interested in a story from Bem's perspective? Maybe Comet or Andy? Is there a story that you'd like me to tell? Write me and let me know. I make no promises, but I love new ideas. Disclaimer: If you're younger than 18 or find these kinds of stories offensive, please close up now and have a great day! If you are of legal age and are interested, by all means keep going. I'll be glad to have you along for the journey. Please donate to Nifty. This is a great resource for great stories and a useful outlet to authors like me and readers like you. Crown Vic to a Parallel World: Stolen Love The third and final installment of the ongoing adventures of Church Philips 43 What Do You Mean, No? It took several minutes of me chasing Cherry around the street, and almost getting hit by another car that was trying to pass in the opposite direction, before I could settle down enough to put Cherry in possession of the basic facts. Cherry then moved his car to the side of the road and said that he had been making his way home from work when I stepped off the curb in front of him and according to him, scared several years off his life. He said that he lived only a block from where we stood. "What c'n I do?" Cherry asked through his crooked mouth. I noticed with a mental smirk that even when the Cherry wasn't smiling, his mouth remained crooked. I wondered if there was something wrong with it, but I didn't wonder for long. I was too happy to wonder. I'd felt Shawn and he was OK. What's more, I knew where he was, roughly anyway. He was about four miles inland of where we were, as the crow flew. "Drive us there." I begged Cherry. "Please, take us to where he is." Cherry cocked his head and pointed at his car. "It's a two-seater." Vulp drew his phone from his pocket and offered a suggestion. "I'll call, get the bus." He said in his clipped speech. Vulp was completely calm and reasonable as always. I wasn't in the mood for calm or reasonable. "FUCK THAT!" I shouted at everyone equally. "I'm not waiting for that." I eyed Cherry's car just long enough to get an idea. I rounded on Cherry. "Sell me the car." I pleaded. "You c'n have it. It still won't hold ya'." Cherry stated the obvious. I held my hand out to the ginger man with the crooked mouth. "Name your price." Cherry reached for my hand and hesitated before he shook. "Five." He said and let his hand hover in the air a few inches from mine. I closed the gap between us and shook with him. "Five thousand...SOLD!" Cherry grinned like he'd won the lottery. His grin was so wide that the crookedness of his mouth stretched even. I would have wondered what made him so happy, but I didn't care. I dropped Cherry's hand, took the ID from my wallet and initiated a five thousand credit transfer from my mad money. I held the card out to Cherry, with my thumb over the thumbprint thing that would make the money move. Cherry held his ID against mine and they both chimed. The deal was done. Cherry pressed his ID to check the balance. He couldn't believe I'd paid five thousand credits for his old car and said as much. He admitted after the fact that he'd only wanted five hundred. What I didn't know at the time was a brand new two-seat egg only cost one thousand. Even if I had known, I wouldn't have cared. The money meant something to Cherry, but nothing to me, and the car meant something to me, but nothing to him. I didn't bother to tell Cherry that I would have paid fifty thousand, or even five-hundred thousand, if he'd have asked for it. I went over to the car to make it suitable to carry more people. I held my right hand flat with all my fingers together, like the hand was a paddle. I imagined a long blade of white magic projecting from it. When the blade appeared, I used it to lop the roof off the car with one slice. I floated the roof panel into the air with my telekinesis and vaporized it with white magic. When I was done with my modifications, I stepped over the passenger door and into the vehicle. I put my feet in the small gap behind the passenger seat and perched on the sloping rear of the car that extended behind where the back windshield used to be. I patted the seatback in front of me. "Paul, you take the passenger seat, Cherry, you drive. Vulp and Joe, one of you gets to sit next to me and one of you is gonna have to ride my magic." "Fuckin' shit, Harder!" Cherry exclaimed and walked around to the driver's side of what was left of his car. "What'n the shit are ya'?" I clapped my hands impatiently at Cherry and the others who hadn't moved yet. "I'm the guy that just paid five grand for a half a car." I said as a throw-away line. "Come on, goddamnit! Let's go, Go, GO!" Paul moved to the passenger side without comment. He had some trouble getting in because, when I removed the car roof, the upper track for the sliding door went with it. I cut the door from the car with white magic and vaporized it so it would be out of Paul's way. I removed the driver's door the same way and called again for Cherry who seemed rooted in place next to the car. My words got Cherry moving. He slid carefully behind the wheel and waited to see what Vulp and Joe were going to do. Vulp looked like he planned to challenge me, though I wasn't sure why. He came to Cherry's side of the car, with Joe at his back, and commented on my actions. "You're making a spectacle of yourself." He accused me. I sensed Vulp was getting ready to dig his heels in and I panicked. I leapt from the car and ran to plead with him. "PLEASE," I begged, "he's SO CLOSE! I need to feel him. Vulp, PLEASE!" I actually dropped to my knees at the man's feet and begged him like I was Oliver Twist, and I wanted another bowl of gruel. Vulp didn't answer me directly. Instead, he set about rearranging the seats I'd assigned. Vulp got Paul out of the passenger seat of what was left of Cherry's car and escorted him to the sidewalk. He asked Joe to wait with Paul. When they were both safely on the curb, Vulp got into the car and shoved himself hard against Cherry. Vulp patted the little bit of the passenger seat that was left exposed and told me to get in. I put one leg in the car, one ass cheek on the seat, and made a hole in the front fender with white magic to lock my other foot in so I could hold myself in the car with my leg. Vulp explained, with as few words as possible, that he would have Joe and Paul picked up. With that expressed and understood, Vulp told Cherry to drive in the direction I pointed. Cherry, seemingly well-used-to taking orders, set off as directed. As we rode along, Vulp called Neb to explain where we were and what had happened. Vulp told her to gather the troops, pick up Joe and Paul, and converge on our location. He told her that we wouldn't move in without her. I let him think that he was right. It only took a few minutes for us to drive to where I could feel Shawn again. His emotions were an overflowing haywire mix of joy, anticipation, and love when we reconnected. He felt ecstatically happy. I tried to project as much love along our link as I could and felt him do the same. I was still worried, but I didn't want him to know that. I was also encouraged by how happy and alive Shawn felt. I assumed he'd either been left alone, or he had been well treated during his four-plus days of confinement. Either was fine with me, though `left alone' was preferable because that would mean we could walk right in and get him instead of dealing with guards. Cherry steered us slowly around a sweeping bend at the edge of a residential neighborhood. I noticed the normal sidewalk foot traffic stared at us as we passed them. Presumably, three men riding in a hastily chopped-down car was quite an unusual sight for them. I ignored their stares. I felt Shawn getting closer and that was the only thing I cared about. The car rounded the rest of the curve in the road and the building that held Shawn came into view. It was a single story, black-glass office building, on the right side of the road. It stood on its own, set back from the road, in the middle of a deep parking lot. It was a sprawling black box surrounded by scraggly landscaping and the forlorn look of abandonment. A `Domus Properties' sign was posted on its front with the word `Available' in red block letters at the top. There was a bulleted list of building features beneath the bold word. The very first bulleted feature was a rooftop landing pad for aircraft. `Neb and Bem were right!' I thought as I read the sign. "This is it." I pointed at the parking lot entrance. If Cherry had been driving just a little more slowly, I may have jumped out and run to the building. I settled for telling Cherry to "pull in here." Vulp countermanded my order. He told Cherry to `keep going,' and Cherry listened. He piloted us passed the parking lot entrance to my anger and dismay. As we cruised passed the building, I felt Shawn's proximity shift. Instead of getting closer and closer, he started to get further away. The unwelcome change made me mad. "I SAID STOP!" I bitched, mostly into Vulp's right ear. Vulp turned on me, literally. He twisted himself most of the way around in his seat so he could face me squarely. The small, pistol-shaped energy weapon appeared in his left hand. The weapon pointed at my middle. "We are so close." Vulp's low, serious voice scolded me. "Don't lose control now. Don't make me incapacitate you." My eyes darted to the energy weapon, then to the serious tight-lipped expression on Vulp's round face. The situation and Vulp's threat brought to mind the warning Bem had given me right before we left the estate. He'd warned that if I rushed in with no plan, Shawn could wind up dead and it would be my fault. I was ashamed of myself and said as much. "I'm sorry." I admitted. "You're right and I'm sorry. I'll...I promise I'll listen." Vulp nodded one crisp nod and pocketed the energy weapon. He turned his body to face forward again. As I saw Vulp's face in profile, I noticed Cherry's nervous expression just beyond it. Cherry was scared. I could see it in his eyes. He'd seen our exchange and the weapon and wasn't happy about either. Vulp pointed his meaty arm toward the windshield and directed Cherry to drive us around an opposite curve in the road. Cherry did as he was told and guided the car around the curve and behind a slope that shelved down from the edge of the office building's parking lot. The curve doubled back behind the parking lot and dipped down behind a steep bank. The bank served to hide us from view of the building. That part of road also didn't have any houses facing it. The spot was perfect to be out of sight from everyone except a passing car. The area we stopped in was a sort-of a waste of space necessitated by the topography of the land. It was a low spot that was no good for building anything on. It appeared to serve as a natural path for storm water to drain off the road in severe rains. In the distance, separated from the edge of the road by a sidewalk and a spit of sand, was a shallow retention pond, choked with reeds and mostly empty at the start of the hot weather. Cherry parked his car in a sand-dusted wide spot in the road that wouldn't see any traffic under normal circumstances. He hopped out of the car. "I wanna go." He blurted with his eyes lowered away from potential objections. Cherry's voice was nervous to match his manner. He wrung his hands together in front of himself and raised scared eyes around to each of us in turn. His words, normally buoyant and boisterous, were choppy and clipped, his sentences reduced to single thoughts, but his language, for some reason less vernacular. "Keep the car...don't care. Don't wanna...involved. I'll walk." Vulp slid out of the car and moved to place himself between Cherry and his path of escape. "I would like you to stay." Vulp said as he stepped close to Cherry and used his size and his grave manner to intimidate the ginger man. Vulp was shorter than Cherry, but far broader. The muscle that showed through Vulp's net shirt and bulged from his tight shorts, suggested that the paunchy Cherry was no match for the menacing Vulp. There was also the recent reveal of Vulp's energy weapon to reinforce his wishes. Cherry backed down and agreed to stay, but only if he could remain near the car. He had no intention of going near the building. Vulp agreed that would be fine and the episode was settled without incident. When he finished with Cherry, Vulp turned his attention to me. I'd climbed out of the car and stood with my arms folded over my chest in a posture of challenge that I didn't really mean. I lingered on the passenger side, with the car between me and Vulp for no reason other than I just hadn't bothered to walk around the car. While Vulp had been busy dealing with Cherry, I'd had time to think about the situation and had reached the inevitable conclusion that Vulp was right, and I was an asshole. I was actually a little touched that he cared about me and Shawn enough to shoot me. It was a strange thing to feel affection over, but it made the man's feelings as clear to me as a hug might have from other men. Vulp glared at me over the top of the cut down car. I understood his wordless accusation and put my hands up to show my surrender. I apologized a second time. "I was wrong and I'm sorry. You lead and I'll follow." Vulp jerked his head down in a curt nod of acknowledgement and took his phone from his pocket. He called someone, Neb or Cy I assumed, and explained our position. When he ended his call, he moved over to me to provide an update in a low voice. "They will be here within the hour." I checked the time on my phone and felt impatient. I focused on my link with Shawn and knew that he felt impatient as well...and horny. `That's not good.' I thought to myself. Since Shawn had been gone, my imagination had plenty of time to choreograph our reunion. My mind had built up a storybook scene where I was able to rush in, sweep Shawn up in my arms, and we'd immediately have the privacy to fuck each other's brains out. The circumstances of harsh reality were quite a bit different. To my extreme displeasure, I'd discovered that kidnapping recoveries didn't work that way. I'm certain there were many good reasons for that, but no one would have been able to convince me of that at the time. With nothing to do but wait, and in an effort to keep a lid on my spiraling imagination, I cast about for a distraction. I checked my phone again as I hadn't really noticed the time when I looked at it before. The phone told me it was almost seven in the evening. I scanned the sky and noticed the sun would be down soon. I assumed that was a good thing as far as getting Shawn back was concerned. If Vulp was worried about guards, I guessed darkness would be better for us than bright, afternoon sunshine. I opened my mouth to say something to Paul, but quickly realized we'd left him and Joe at the side of the road. I looked forward to seeing him and my brother again, thought it was a strange thing for me to miss Joe all of a sudden. I set those thoughts aside without exploring them and directed my attention elsewhere for distraction. My wandering eyes drifted around our secluded roadside hiding spot and noticed Cherry. He was at the roadside, between the street and the retention pond, seated on the curb. He was still wearing his yellow waiter's livery and had his thick legs arranged in front of him. His body was leaned back, supported on his arms that stretched out behind him, with his hands flat on the shimmering sidewalk pavement. I strolled over to Cherry and lowered myself to sit on the curb at his left side. "Are you alright?" I asked him, worried about what might be going through his head and about the turmoil I may have caused for the man. "No," he answered honestly, "I'm fuckin' scar't." "Why?" "Are ya' kiddin' Harder? Why?" The man sounded incredulous. I supposed that he was. "You show up outta nowh're, tell me all ya's friends is rich and f'mous, and you're lookin' f'r The Beast. `GREAT!' I says ta m'self. `Good f'r Harder.' Then I alm'st kill ya' drivin' home, then you ch'p my car to itty bits, now I'm waitin' for I don't ev'n know. I'm fuckin' scar't. K?" "I'm sorry, Cherry." I apologized and meant it. "With Shawn kidnapped, it's been like someone ripped my heart out of my chest. When I walked in front of your car, it was because I felt him for the first time since Monday. I should have let you go and called Neb to pick us up instead of dragging you into this, but I needed to feel him so badly. I appreciate you selling me your car and driving us here and not freaking out." "What's't about, Harder?" Cherry asked a simple, sensible question. I decided that Cherry deserved an answer and set about giving it to him. I sat with the man with the crooked grin, as the sun went down behind us, and explained everything that I could, given the time we had. It was a nice distraction, both from the situation and from Shawn's horniness...and mine for that matter. When I finished my story, Cherry let out a long, full breath whistle from the corner of his crooked mouth. "Fuck, Harder...I mean...F-UCK! You tellin' me, the great Neb, wit the pr'ttiest voice I evah he'rd, is a special forces bad ass? And these two," he pointed at Vulp and I assumed included Vulp's brother Cy in the mention of `two,' "are too." "Yeah." I admitted and rubbed the back of my neck with the heel of my left hand. "And my niece, Leah, she just graduated from the Protectorate Police Training Academy. She's going to be starting on the force in the fall...her and her sister." Cherry was aghast at the idea. "THAT PR'TTY L'TTLE GIRL?" I leaned in close to him to whisper. "She's a complete bad ass." I copied Cherry's term for Neb. "I've seen her, and her sister, and their boyfriend go toe to toe with Vulp, and his brother, and my brother-in-law Bem, who's also a special forces bad ass." "Wo-o-ow." Cherry exhaled. I stopped talking so Cherry could chew over what I'd told him. He seemed to be gnawing on it like a dog with a rawhide bone. "Harder," Cherry cocked his head toward me with a question on his face, "what's y'ur deal?" I leaned in even closer to Cherry than I had before. "Remember I introduced you to Paul?" I asked. Cherry nodded his head. "And I said he was from another world?" Cherry nodded again. "I'm from where he's from. The Beast kidnapped me from my world to come here and save this world, which I did, eighteen years ago this coming January." Cherry's eyes widened in astonishment until they were big enough for me to see white all the way around the irises. He snapped them shut in a hard blink and smiled his easy, crooked smile. "Aft'r all `at, you fuck wit me?" I leaned into the man again so I could talk directly into his face. "Every word I've said is the complete truth." Cherry absorbed my statement and was in the middle of trying to figure out if I was fucking with him or not when the white glare of a pair of headlights tracked around the sweeping bend. They came from the direction that we'd come from an hour before and turned toward us as the vehicle, a four-seat egg, came into view. It stopped next to Cherry's car and the doors slid open. Neb got out from behind the wheel. Cy jumped out of the driver's side, while Met and Paul climbed out of the back. Neb and Cy were dressed in standard fatigues, black pants and navy-blue t-shirts, while Neb completed her ensemble with the grey overshirt. To my amusement, Neb wore the overshirt like she always did, unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up and the tail tucked into her slacks. Cy went right to his brother and offered him fatigues and boots to change into. Without so much as a modesty-maintaining glance to see if anyone was passing by, Vulp shucked his orange net shirt and white shorts and swapped them for the proffered clothes. He seemed much more comfortable after he'd changed. Neb brought Met over to Cherry and me. "You stay here with him." She ordered Met and indicated Cherry. "Stay off your phone. We'll call you if we need you." She handed Met a pistol-style energy weapon. "It's set to stun. Don't think twice and don't ask questions. If someone comes near you that isn't us, shoot them." Neb shifted her all-business gaze to me. "Come on. There's clothes for you in the car. Get changed and get ready." "Where's Joe?" I asked. I hoped they hadn't left him behind because there wasn't room in the car. "He's coming with the other contingent. GET READY!" Neb insisted. I jumped up and hurried to do as Neb ordered. I felt like I wanted to turn cartwheels toward the car. Things were starting to happen...FINALLY. Shawn's emotions changed from impatient to anticipatory, I assumed in response to mine. I went to the car to get changed and found myself face-to-face with Paul. He unintentionally blocked my access to the door of the vehicle and the clothes that I needed. Paul held his book up, Fidum's Bible, and gushed over it. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SAYS?" He thundered at me, filled with raw excitement. I shushed Paul, reminded him where we were and what we were doing and stepped around him to get at the clothes I needed. Paul apologized but was unable to contain himself. He rattled at me as I changed my clothes. "I realized the story in this book takes place on Earth!" Paul exclaimed in a voice that was an urgent and harsh whisper. "This world and the Earth, they're somehow linked and always have been. The places this story talks about, they're all the same places. I didn't realize it because I'm used to reading about these places, Jerusalem, Galilee, Egyptians and Romans, Bethlehem, all of it, this is The Holy Bible!" Paul waved the book at me. I wanted to be excited for Paul, but I was too distracted to grasp what had him wound up. I tried to ask a question that would keep him talking and portray interest, but that didn't require me to stop what I was doing. I swapped my shirt and unwound the laces of my heels from my calves. "That's a big deal." I said for confirmation. Paul shook the book in my face again. "THIS IS THE BIBLE!" He exclaimed again. He realized he was being overly loud and quieted himself. "This is The Holy Bible as it could have been on Earth without the meddling of committees. The King James Bible is called that because it is the result of a massive effort of compilation and translation of all the accepted books of The Bible. By its very nature, an effort like that colors the original works. This book," Paul held it up for me to see like I needed to be reminded, "is likely the closest thing to the true `revealed word' that it's possible to find while dwelling in a physical body." I peeled my shorts off and traded them for pants. I opened my mouth to respond to Paul when a set of headlights painted me with white light. They preceded the arrival of another four-seat egg car that pulled up and parked near us. Out of the car leapt Andy, Comet, and Joe. I tried to say something to Paul to end the conversation. I tried to find words that wouldn't sound harsh or abrupt. Paul either sensed my trouble, or he'd activated his magic and read my mind. He tucked the book under his arm and nodded his head. "Later, young man. When all this is over, I hope you will have the time for a real discussion on the matter. Until then, I will try to keep a lid on my amazement." I thanked Paul and went back to dressing. Paul retreated to be near the group that had formed around the remains of Cherry's car. As Paul left my side, Joe ran over to me. "Is he OK?" Joe asked with an excited edge in his normally steady voice. Even his manner was excited. He hopped from one foot to the other as he waited for me to answer. "I think so." I told my brother. "He feels excited and...uh...well, he's horny so I assume that means he's not hurt." "I'M SO GLAD!" Joe exclaimed to my complete surprise. To my even greater surprise he hugged me as he celebrated. I was too dumbstruck to return the embrace and Joe broke it off when he realized what he was doing. His normal restraint returned like someone had thrown a blanket on his enthusiasm. Joe took a big step away from me and dropped his eyes to the ground. "I mean...I didn't mean I'm glad he's...I mean Shawn...I didn't mean I was glad that he wanted to...I don't think..." "Thanks, Joe." I said to interrupt my brother's embarrassed stammering. "I didn't think you meant you were glad my husband was horny." "I'm glad he's OK." Joe reiterated. "Thanks." I said again. "Hey...uh...if you stay here, we're gonna have a moment or something gross like that, so why don't you check in with Neb and let me get changed, huh?" "God forbid we have a moment." Joe teased and left to join the others. I finished changing and caught up with the group around Cherry's car. I walked up to stand near Andy, who was also dressed in fatigues for reasons I didn't understand. Comet, who was next to him as always, was dressed the same as earlier. I couldn't make sense out of the outfits or why they were different, but I didn't much try. I was more interested in making things right with my nephew. I wanted to apologize for shouting at him the way I had, but I struggled to find the right words. A simple `I'm sorry,' didn't seem to carry quite the right note of remorse but I was at a loss for what else to say. Andy preempted my apology with one of his own. He threaded his right arm through my left and bumped his hip against mine. "I'm sorry to, Uncle Church." He announced to the side of my face. I realized he'd read my mind, and for once, I was glad of it. "I'm supposed to be the adult here." I replied and was freshly ashamed for mouthing off the way I had. Andy was gracious in the face of my remorse. "Adults make mistakes too." I bumped against him in response. "You're a hell of a great kid, you know that?" "Thanks." Andy said and fell silent when Neb seemed ready to begin. "Andy," Neb's melodious voice sharp and direct, "can you read him from here?" "Yes," Andy released my arm to stand on his own. "I made myself known to him. He's thinking at me. As far as he knows, the building is empty except for him. He's never seen anyone. He woke up alone on what he assumes was Tuesday morning. He's searched every room for a way out or a way to communicate with the outside world, but he's found nothing. "He has access to the entire building, but there's nothing useful inside. Everything was stripped by the last tenant. He has a culinarian, a mattress on the floor, and access to a regular restroom with no shower. He's worried about the state of his hygiene. He very much wants to...ahem...never mind." Some color invaded Andy's face as he finished speaking and I wondered what Shawn very much wanted to do. I could easily assume, but I wondered what naughty details Andy had read from him. I chuckled to myself because it was so `Shawn' to be in the middle of a shit storm but to be worried that he might not be as clean as he'd like to be. Not that Shawn would ever focus on the superficial over the essential, but it was very like him to be concerned about being, `at his best.' "Excellent, Andy." Neb praised with her all-business voice. Her tone made the words sound as if they weren't praise at all. "Do you sense anyone else in the building? Would it help to get a boost from Church to do a thorough scan?" Andy raised his voice to speak firmly and assertively to the group. "The building is well within my range. I do not sense anyone else in the building or nearby. Based on the images in Shawn's mind, the building seems very much like an empty office building. There's no furniture or office equipment or anything. It seems like they dropped him off with the minimum he needed and left him alone. He's bored and lonely, but not threatened." I felt the urge to turn cartwheels again at the news that Shawn hadn't been ill-treated or treated in any way at all. It was just as Bem had said was possible. Imprisoning someone who didn't have physical magic really was as simple as locking them in a secure location and leaving. I felt bad that Shawn had been alone for all that time. At least I'd had the constant support of my loved ones to get me through our separation. Shawn had no one. I vowed to make it up to him. I also had to bite my tongue to keep from asking, `can we go get him NOW,' like an impatient child would ask, `are we there yet,' from the back seat of the family car. Neb seemed to sense my vibrating impatience and addressed her next monologue directly at me. "Updates," she said to premise her words, "Domus is under surveillance by a team answering to the Steward. As soon as we secure Shawn, I will notify the Steward, and the team will take Domus into custody. The Steward has also requested a meeting with Church and Shawn once this is over, to determine the disposition of Shawn's father, Verpa. Until that meeting occurs, at their leisure, Verpa is being confined under house arrest by other members of the Steward's team. "Hannah and Altus are both fine. They have been debriefed and are being housed in the capital on standby, pending Shawn's recovery. The Ecclesia family have been notified about Leah's current condition, and neither Bem nor Mary blame Church for Leah's exhaustion. They are worried, of course, but they have enough faith in Met's abilities as a physician to trust his word that she will be fine with rest." Neb stopped speaking and kept her neutral gaze focused on me. I assumed she had more to say, and I wished she'd just get to it so we could go get Shawn. I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. "What else?" I demanded. "Nothing. I wanted to have my say and get any feedback before we recovered your husband, because I know I won't get your attention afterward." "Fine!" I blurted, with probably more impatience than I had in my tone when I asked Neb `what else.' "Can we go now?" "Soon," Neb soothed, "pay attention while I outline the plan. I'd like to have at least two people in plain clothes, Comitis and Paul, or Paul and Joe, or Comitis and Joe, whoever is willing. I want you to wander to the front of the building and dawdle around the `available' sign." "I'll go." Joe volunteered with ready confidence. "As will I." Paul said. "I want to go too." Comet added with a hint of whine. Neb agreed that three was just as good as two. She paused long enough to hand all three men earpiece communicators. "Stay in contact but act like you're thinking of renting the building. Shine your phone flashlight on the sign and point and talk. Make some noise. You are the distraction. I want anyone who might be watching the building to be focused on you. If anyone approaches, ask them about the building. Be persistent, but don't press. If they tell you to leave, leave and walk in the opposite direction. Keep going until we pick you up. Any objections?" Joe, Paul, and Comet agreed to their role in the plan. All three seemed eager to be helpful, Joe especially. Neb gave me a minute to thank them before she moved on with the rest of the plan. "We, meaning Cy, Vulp, Andy, Church and myself, will approach from the side of the building and move straight to the back. We will move quickly and in a tight group. "Cy will halt at the building corner to secure that edge of the perimeter. Church, Andy, and me will stop farther in, at the point of entry. Vulp will continue on to a point where he can observe potential threats from the other direction. Andy will stay in contact with Shawn the entire time so he can warn us of any internal threats. Church will use his white magic to provide access to the building interior. "I presume Shawn will come to us. If he does not, I alone will go in after him. To those with weapons, if you see anyone that isn't Shawn, shoot them. Once Shawn is secure, Church, Shawn, Andy, and Vulp will return to this spot. They will leave Andy here. They will collect Met in case Shawn needs medical attention and will depart immediately. Vulp knows where to go. Clear?" Several of us indicated that we were clear. Neb acknowledged the replies and went on with the wrap-up of the plan. "I will notify Joe and Paul and Comitis when Shawn is secure, and they will depart on foot, loudly and in the direction I've already indicated. Cy and I will come back here. "We will take Mister Cherry with us and leave. We will pick up Joe and Paul and Comitis as we pass. It will be tight in the car, but manageable for the little distance we need to travel. If no one challenges us, we will deposit Mister Cherry at his residence and will return to the hotel where I will notify the interested parties of our success. Questions?" No one had any questions. Neb handed out communicator earpieces to the rest of us and checked their function. Then she made certain that Andy, Vulp, and Cy were armed. I took it for granted that Neb already had a weapon on her person. She refused to arm Joe, Paul, or Comet. She said that a weapon would only serve to compromise their image as passers-by who were interested in the building. Neb also didn't bother to arm me. I assumed she'd made that decision because my white magic was a weapon on its own. She gave Andy a quick lesson on the use of his energy weapon and showed him that it was set to `stun.' When the boy was as comfortable as he was going to get with a bare few minutes of instruction, Neb paused to collect herself and cast her eyes over the group and the preparations she'd made. Neb's final act, before she announced the commencement of the mission, was to ask me about what was left of Cherry's car. "Can you do something with this?" I waved Cherry over. "Do you need anything from your car?" The stocky ginger reached in to retrieve his work ID which hung from the dashboard on a black shoelace-like string. He pocketed the card and stuffed the string in after it. I made sure that was all he needed. When he said that it was, I vaporized the car with the smallest blast I could manage. I guessed I should have warned Cherry before I did it, because his reaction was over the top. "FUCK, HARDER!" He bellowed when the car disappeared in a flash of white light. Neb shushed Cherry, then had a quick conversation with Met, and told us all to get ready. She dispatched Comet and Paul and Joe on their part of the mission first. She said we would wait until they were in place, gathered around the sign, before we moved in. Joe paused long enough to hug his son and tell him to `be careful,' then he hugged me and gave me the same message. I swallowed my surprise at his words of caution and repeated his message back to him with a hug of my own.