Don't Cross This Line Read online

  The ex-President pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it, the vitriolic hatred practically oozing from the ear speaker.

  “If it wasn’t for their ability to knock us out,” the present President continued, “I’d already have slapped them in jail and used the law to confiscate their technology. I’ve no idea why they believe they can do a better job protecting the world than those who are already doing it.”

  Biting his tongue, he let the President continue talking until, finally, a question was asked he could answer, “So, are you set to go to Belgium as well?”

  Placing the phone back to his ear, he replied, “Yes. I’m taking David of course.”

  “Good, I’ll have one of the commercial planes pulled from Andrews for you and whoever else needs to go to fly on, since I’m asking this of you. Are you going alone?”

  “Yes, my wife is staying,” he answered.

  “Good, you never know what can go wrong around that woman. She has caused so much trouble in the last three years I can’t being to tell you.”

  No wonder Bethany Anne thought this President was a PITA, he thought as the bitching continued.

  Finally, an interruption occurred and the phone call wound down.

  “Yes,” the ex-President replied, “I understand. We will be on time. Tell Greg hi for me. Right, ok, I’ll tell her as well. Good-bye.”

  Hanging up the phone, he realized he really didn’t miss the office like so many thought he did. He laid his phone back on the desk and turned towards the window. His since of calmness destroyed, he was hoping a few minutes of viewing the scenic picture in his back yard would be enough to calm him back down.

  He frowned, there was one relevant point in that whole discussion. Bethany Anne did have a way of being around trouble. He should perhaps prepare a little better than usual.

  He reached back and grabbed the phone one more time. At least he knew who to call for this favor.

  QBBS Merideth Reynolds

  Bethany Anne looked at the map of New Mexico, with a dark overlay of caverns, “That’s a lot of holes in the ground, Dad.”

  Lance pursed his lips, “You could say that. You could also say it looks a lot like Swiss Cheese,” he grumped, “However, we are dropping some of the more quiet Guardians down to start checking out the caves that seem plausible that their ships used.”

  “Why?” She asked.

  “Why what, check out other caves?” She nodded, “Because we need spaces large enough for our cavalry to go inside. After our first drone got shot down, we’ve been a little more careful. We don’t know everything they have available so we are putting an armored unit in.”

  “Her Majesty’s First Battalion Wechselbalg Armored Units?” Bethany Anne chuckled.

  “Weeeellll,” Lance drew out, “We only have six working Wechselbalg units at the moment,” he scratched his chin, “So, I went to go talk to another crew.”

  “What other crew?” she asked, looking over at her father, “the only crew that has …OH MY GOD!” She exclaimed, “You asked the Yollins?”

  “They are bored. Kind of like a certain ruler I know. If you are willing to drop a year off their service, up front, then Kiel and his team would love to suit up.”

  “I don’t know, Dad. What did Kael-ven say?”

  “He thought it was a splendid idea. The option for the military group to do something besides spar with our people to stay in shape? Plus, get a chance to get in there and mix it up? Yeah, they are chomping at the bit to do it.”

  Lance stayed quiet, letting Bethany Anne think through the options.

  Finally, she said, “What is the catch?”

  “Other than dropping a solar year off of their slavery?” Lance asked, earning him a dark look from his daughter. He chuckled, “Kael-ven wants to go down, as well.”

  “He does?” Bethany Anne asked, “I thought Captains of the ship always stayed…Well, with the ship.”

  “In this case, the Yollin’s are creating a Yollin Mercenary Group, and Kael-Ven is their leader. So, he feels he should at least be down there,” he said as he nodded towards the map.

  “First Yollin Mercenary Group connected to the Etheric Empire?” Bethany Anne said. Then, a wicked smile broke across her face. “I fucking love it!” She pointed to the map, “Imagine the faces on those jackholes when they have mechanized attacks going after them. Yeah, and some of them are obviously not human.”

  “Don’t kick off the party early, I’ll be done with my meetings in Belgium in a few hours, I’m sure. If they don’t spit on me. If they do that, I’ll be out of there even sooner.”

  “I don’t think they will spit on you,” Lance told her.

  “Eh,” she pointed to her head, “I’ll probably feel the desire.”

  Lance moved next to her, “You ok?” he asked. While they were alone in his office, the moment still felt too personal to just blurt out.

  She nodded, then sighted. “It would be easier if those in power back on Earth weren’t such a group of … of…” She tossed out her hand, “names escape me.”

  Lance looked at his daughter, “You aren’t feeling ok, you can’t come up with a suitable name?”

  Bethany Anne gave her father that look. The one daughters have given fathers for generations when he asks something particularly smart. “Yes, I could. I just don’t want to spend the mental energy to suitably call them the words that matter.”

  She waved to the New Mexico map hanging in the air between them, “This looks good. Let’s try not to piss off the U.S. when we do this.”

  ‘Right, their President already wants to string us up.”

  “I told them the last time they harassed my people I’d start harassing theirs.”

  Lance chuckled, “I don’t think they appreciated you grabbing their expensive satellites and moving them to useless orbits.”

  “They claim imminent domain over our property down there? I’ll just grab their shit up here. When they gave it back, they got their satellites back.” She shrugged, “It worked.”

  “It does frustrate the President.”

  “Who can kiss my ass,” Bethany Anne spat out, her eyes blazing, “That inbred skanky tea-bagging titless jizz-dripping fucktard ranting spunk experiment can …” she noticed her dad trying to hold his laughing in. “You Jackass!” the CRACK of her hand slapping his arm reverberated off his office walls.

  Lance was smiling as he rubbed his arm, “Damn, the sacrifice I make to cheer you up.”

  Bethany Anne stepped towards him and gave him a hug, “Thanks Dad.” She leaned back, “Your arm ok?”

  “Hell no,” he grumped, “You slap rather hard. My old frail body…”

  “You ass!” She smiled, “TOM gave me an update on your Pod Doc updates, he says you probably don’t even feel anything by now.”

  “Well,” Lance admitted, dropping his hand, “It might be psychosomatic.”

  “Psychosomatic issues are usually from stress,.” She retorted, “Not my slapping you.”

  “What are you doing, reading the damn medical dictionary?” he asked, “You need to get out more often.”

  Bethany Anne turned towards his door, “I am, I’m going to go meet with World Leaders.”

  She opened the door and was about to step through when Lance said, “Don’t kill any of them.”

  “No promises!” she replied and shut the door.

  Akio knocked on Yuko’s temporary quarters door, “Are you ready to go?”

  Yuko grumped from inside her room. “Akio, this is a goodbye party, how am I supposed to be ready for that?”

  “I would imagine by making sure you are dressed, as a start,” he told her, “We have spoken about this a dozen times, you do not have to make this decision. It is your life, Yuko.”

  “I’ll be out soon, promise,” she told him.

  Inside her room, Yuko was dressed. However, she was laying down on her bed, her eyes closed.

  ADAM, this sucks!

  The parting is, I understan
d, the hardest part amongst friends.

  Yuko sighed, But, you have been there for me ever since the beginning. You remember when you let us join your Revolution?

  Yes, that meant a lot to me.

  Why?

  You did not know who, or what I was. Yet, you joined because the you believed in doing what was right and you have thrown everything you have into helping Bethany Anne.

  She’s my…Dammit ADAM, I’m going to miss you guys so much. She willed herself not to cry. She had already put on her eye makeup.

  Yuko, join the party. Bethany Anne needs to leave quickly and she is waiting to say goodbye.

  WHAT? Yuko bolted out of her bed, grabbing her jacket and jumped towards her door flinging it open and almost ran into Akio. “C’mon!” she told him, grabbing his hand, “the Queen is waiting on me!”

  —

  Yuko, Akio and her team were in the temporary section quarters based in the Docks area. While it was close to the tram to go In-World, they were here temporarily and rarely needed to go inside the base.

  Yuko put on a burst of speed to go through the hallways. Outside of their quarters were a few doors leading to larger rooms for those in the military, which Yuko was surprised to realize she was, to get together outside of the smaller rooms. Then, the entrances were operations offices and HR as well. Finally, it moved to eating locations, regular apartments and then the main demarcation to the docks that the area was named after. Warehouses and locations for ships to arrive and depart happened. Finally, she turned the corner to the pride of the docks.

  All Guns Blazing.

  She slowed down. Fast enough that Akio had to react more quickly than normal to not bump into her.

  He was about to ask her what was wrong when, looking ahead, it was apparent. All Guns Blazing had a long line to get in.

  “That line is going to take forever!” she complained, “How are we going to get to the party in time for me to see Bethany Anne?”

  Akio smiled and put an arm around her shoulders, “Like this, young one.” Walking her forward, Yuko allowed herself to trust Akio and feel safe while still staring at the large crowd they had to go through.

  —

  William was up at the front, handling the crowd that had learned that Bethany Anne was in the club. Anytime she showed up, it was good for business.

  However, it sucked for crowd control.

  William spotted his brother from another mother and stood up putting his hands up in the air, “People!” He got their attention. With a unique All Guns Blazing shirt that said ‘Owner’ on the back, most recognized him, Bobcat and Marcus anytime they were in the club.

  “Folks,” he called out, “Please move aside and allow my brother through,” a few people tried to adjust, but it wasn’t a pretty situation and William’s face just had a disgusted look on it. “Ok, I tried nice.” William pointed to the people, “Remember that in your stories that I tried nice. You get one chance, folks.” William grabbed a small box and stood on it, catching Akio’s eyes and called out, “BITCH BE COMING THROUGH MOTHERFUCKERS, MAKE WAY!” then, in a calmer voice, “Akio, turn up the heat.”

  That’s when the fear hit and people realized and other’s called out, “Queen’s Bitch!” There were a couple of ‘Oh Shit’s’ and a couple fucking move already’. Then, soon enough, the fear abated as Akio, his arm holding Yuko, walked through the middle of the hall and up to William.

  The two fist bumped and Akio escorted Yuko into the club, taking the stairs up to the viewing deck that had two guards who nodded to him.

  William looked out of the people who stood transfixed with the reality of what they had heard before and what they experienced.

  The fear a Queen’s Bitch could bring was beyond explanation.

  William told his bouncer, “Nick, take care of the front, now.” Nick nodded and William turned back to those in front, “Next time, I suggest you make room when I tell you, feel me?”

  William walked back into the club hearing the ‘hell yeah’s we feel you’ behind him.

  —

  “That was an awful feeling,” Yuko told Akio. She chuckled, “I’m glad your my friend.”

  “I’m hundreds of years old, Yuko. Understand when I say I am very glad you call me friend.”

  Yuko put her head against him, “I don’t deserve you guys, you know that?”

  Akio chuckled and pulled his arm down as they made their way up the round staircase, “And that is precisely why you do.”

  This time, Akio was ready for Yuko to stop when she saw how packed the viewing deck was.

  Everyone was waiting for her and Akio to join them and this time, Yuko couldn’t stop the tears from cascading down her face. She put her hand up to her face, trying to catch the tears when Gabrielle suddenly was beside her, wiping them with a cloth.

  “Bethany Anne told me to be ready, but damn girl, you were supposed to make it at least five steps inside the club for me to win.”

  Yuko choke laughed as she took the cloth and dabbed at her eyes. “Who won?”

  “ADAM, that AI silicon sonofabitch,” Gabrielle spat out, “I’m out two ounces of gold, too. Greedy bastard.”

  ADAM? Yuko called out

  YES?

  You bet on me?

  Of course.

  But… Yuko didn’t have anything to say.

  I had to have money, else I couldn’t give you my present. ADAM told her.

  You got me a present?

  Yes. Bethany Anne told me if it was to be from me, then I had to make the money myself to mean the most. So, I’ve been doing that.

  What could you need money for? Yuko asked him. You don’t owe me anything.

  I might not owe you anything, but I wanted to give you something. He told her Now, enjoy the party.

  Yuko took a step into the viewing deck and greeted her friends.

  —

  Akio was talking with Darryl and Scott when he felt her presence. Turning around, he bowed to his Queen. “Got a minute? she asked him.

  “Yes, my Queen.” he replied and she put a hand on his shoulder, “We will be right back,” she told the guys and disappeared.

  “Now that,” Scott told Darryl, “I’d like to figure out how to do.”

  “I understand it takes a certain amount of something you don’t have,” Darryl told his friend.

  “Really?” Scott turned to him, “What?”

  Darryl patted Scott’s shoulder, “Intelligence.”

  —

  Bethany Anne and Akio arrived in one of the Bar’s meeting rooms. They had it locked from both sides, so no one would accidentally venture in while Bethany Anne was transporting back and forth. While she made an effort to look before she arrived, always better to be as safe as possible.

  “Yes, my Queen?” he asked her.