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  “Because chivalry,” Todd answered, eyeing his friend, “makes us dead.”

  Michael raised an eyebrow. “Oh, then I definitely want in on this.”

  “Why, you have a death wish?” Dirk asked, amusement coloring his voice.

  “No,” Michael said, his voice going cold. “I just have something against those who would wish a woman dead.”

  Sarah Jennifer looked out over her yard, her dark, vacant yard, and snorted.

  Not one.

  Not one damned man decided to stick with her. Well, except for Jeremiah, Todd, and Dirk. She knew why the guys actually stepped off the property here by the house. It was easier for the other dickless dirtbags to put their tail in between their legs and run away.

  She turned and entered the house. What was done was done. She wasn’t going to change anything by screaming in annoyance when it was her feelings that were hurt, not her concern with dying.

  Her old merc leader, TH, had told her one time, you do what you got to do. Most of the time, it will come out all right. Occasionally? Well sometimes it might come up snake eyes, and you just hope that when you close your eyes a final time, you can be proud of yourself.

  That was over ten years ago. She considered what she had built out here in the Fallen Lands and found it good. She’d helped over a hundred souls through the years and pulled a few out of a bad future. Now, she had three who were willing to walk into purgatory with her.

  She stopped in the kitchen and started the coffee water to boiling on the old pot-bellied wood stove. It helped heat the house and warm the body.

  And hopefully, the soul, when all of this was done.

  “Hellooo the house?” a strange voice called.

  Sarah Jennifer turned towards the door leading outside. She pushed the coffee pot off and walked towards the back of the house, grabbing a rifle on her way.

  It would be stupid not to be careful.

  She took a sidestep into the viewing room beside the door and looked out. In the faint light, she could see her three guys up on their horses, surrounding a tall man in a black trench coat, the light reflecting off his bald head. He was looking at the yard and the apparent lack of activity for such large buildings, the stables mostly empty.

  Bastards had even taken the horses she had provided them.

  With her men behind him, she considered it safe enough. She set the rifle down and walked around to the door, opening it and stepping outside.

  Michael looked around, his lip twitching. He could see the signs that there should be at least another fifteen people minimum here right now.

  All this woman had was the three guys behind him and now, him.

  Seemed like the other side might need to bring another thousand if they wanted a shot at this.

  His cold eyes turned back towards the house when he heard the slight grating of wood on wood. He caught the motion and saw the concealed place she was using to check him out.

  Him and his bald head, he frowned. How very Yul Brynner of himself.

  Fortunately, the bastard nanocytes that had his hair wrong didn’t consider his eyebrows too. He was having enough of a problem dealing with his chrome dome up top. If he didn’t have his eyebrows, he might decide it just wasn’t worth living any longer.

  He snorted, perhaps Bethany Anne was right. Just a little.

  He could be rather vain.

  He could hear her close the viewing door and move around. The main door opened up a second later, and an attractive, slightly older woman stepped out. Her figure cast shadows from the lights around the yard.

  She nodded to the men behind him and then spoke to him.

  “Mister, can I ask why my guys here are bringing you around? I can only trust that these miscreants informed you we expect to be attacked tomorrow?”

  “Blunt,” Michael replied.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a problem with blunt?” His little smirk annoyed her. “Do you?”

  Michael pursed his lips. “I don’t. I doubt you can be blunter than a couple of women I know.” He thumbed at the guys behind him. “And, these men did inform me that there was going to be a little activity here tomorrow.”

  She threw an annoyed glance over at Jeremiah.

  Jeremiah put up his hands. “Hey! I told him the details. He said he wanted to come along.”

  Sarah Jennifer stepped off the porch and started her way towards Michael. “And what details would those be, Jeremiah?”

  Before Jeremiah could answer, Michael replied, “Probably forty, maybe fifty guys coming here to burn down the place, take you whether you like it or not and the expectation they’ll all end up dead.”

  Sarah Jennifer threw a glance at the guys. Dirk leaned forward as he sat on his horse and hissed quietly towards Michael, “Way to go get her pissed off!”

  Sarah Jennifer pointed to the men. “That’s going to be boot washing for all of you, bad attitude!”

  “How about...” Michael interrupted, drawing her ire as he put his hands behind his back, and started circling Sarah Jennifer. He looked her up and down.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, but quickly countered his walk, keeping him ten feet away, and now focused on this stranger.

  He nodded towards her. “You are favoring your left leg, be careful when you announce that.”

  Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “How about I use my supposedly weak right leg and kick your ass with it?”

  “Well, if you’re just going to be angry,” Michael said, his hands still behind his back. “I’d still suggest using your left leg, more power.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What was your suggestion going to be?”

  “I understand from Jeremiah that if I cuss around you, it might be a boot washing if you can best me in a fight?”

  “Or soap in your mouth, but we happen to be out of soap, so maybe horse dung instead?” she said, the thrill of a good fight already loosening up her muscles.

  “Oh, I’m not worried about horse dung ever reaching this mouth,” he told her, his right hand coming around and pointing at his face. “But how about we agree if you can’t take me, then these guys are absolved from any punishment?”

  “You are a cocky one, aren’t you?” she proclaimed. Good, she liked them cocky.

  “No, you mistake confidence for cocky,” he said.

  “What weapons?” she asked. “I see a sword and a couple of pistols if I’m not mistaken.”

  Michael stopped and cocked his head. “You aren’t, but if you want weapons, feel free to go get some.”

  She stopped circling as well. “I always enjoy feeding a cocky person their foot to chew on.”

  “Well…” He reached into his jacket and pulled out the Wakizashi. Her eyes widened a little.

  That was a beautiful piece of work, and it had been taken care of very nicely. She couldn’t spot any dirt on the scabbard, at least not in the dark.

  “Jeremiah?” Michael said, and when he knew he had the man’s attention, he tossed the sword in its scabbard to him. “I’ll expect that back in a moment.”

  “Wow, let me change that to super cocky,” Sarah Jennifer said.

  Michael turned to look at her and smirked. “Oh, I’m just getting started.” At that comment, she raised her own eyebrows in surprise before they narrowed with purpose.

  No one pushed her buttons and got away with it.

  He reached under his jacket and pulled out two pistols. Todd whistled. “These are locked to me, you try to use them? Well, this Boss Childers won’t need to worry about this place as we’ll all be blown to kingdom come. So, if it’s all the same to you, I’m putting these back in the holsters, and you have my word I won’t draw them.” He turned his right pistol and held a small button above the trigger.

  All four heard a click.

  “Turned off,” he said and did the same for the second. “Now both are turned off.”

  “Or on,” Jeremiah said.

  Michael snorted. “So, this whole time I’ve been wi
th you guys, I had my pistols off? I don’t think so, and neither do you.”

  Sarah Jennifer’s eyes narrowed. What kind of technology and guns did this guy have? Was he a plant from Childers?

  He holstered the two pistols, and they heard the snap as he placed the leather back over them in the holster. The guys figured they had him if he played foul, they could take him with enough time to spare.

  “Now, it’s time for you to learn why chivalry was needed in the first place, Sarah Jennifer,” he said. “Because, in my day, a woman understood why attacking a man was a poor idea.”

  The FDG or Force de Guerre never understood why Sarah Jennifer was faster than almost everyone in the group, except TH.

  He knew, but he never shared the reason with anyone.

  All Sarah Jennifer knew was she could kick ass. Men, women, it didn’t matter. She didn’t like being told she was about to be put in her little woman’s place by a smirking man in her own yard.

  But she wasn’t a fool, either.

  She cracked her neck and assumed a position with her right leg behind, only half her body now facing the guy. “Whenever you’re ready to feel my size sevens up your ass,” she said. “Bring it.”

  “Why is it,” Michael asked as he started walking towards her, “that after so long being absent, I have to hear about size seven shoes coming from a female’s mouth again?”

  Chapter Four

  “Boss” Childers’ Town, West of Denver, Colorado (United States Post-Apoc)

  “Have you ever,” Jack Childers asked his second in command as the two of them walked through the small fortified town, “wondered how men dealt with having to turn the other cheek before the apocalypse?”

  The two men topped over six feet tall. But Jack was at least thirty pounds of hard muscle larger than his hatchet man, Russell Wood. They stopped walking and looked around. “Seems to me,” Russell turned away to spit into the dirt, “without that damned bitch for some of the slaves to run to for protection…”

  “Or even giving them ideas,” Jack interrupted.

  “Point, giving them ideas,” Russell agreed. “Life will be a little easier to deal with around here.” Russell nodded towards the mess building. “You going to pop the cork over there?”

  Jack turned around to see where Russell was nodding. “Jacqueline?” he asked as he turned back around to his partner.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “Got to say, you called it on that one. She turned into a real beauty. Might be something to get ready for tomorrow night’s festivities.”

  “Huh,” Jack turned back around and started rubbing his chin. “That might not be a bad idea. Damn, I could go with getting a little pre-victory slash before…” the two men turned towards the front gates when the clanging started.

  It was the signal for visitors, not a danger signal.

  Although visitors could be a danger, as well.

  Russell started walking towards the gate, Jack only half a step behind him. He looked over his shoulder at the Boss. “No rest, or sex, for the wicked, eh?”

  Jack chuckled. “Maybe not tonight, but that wine only gets better with time.”

  They laughed as they approached the gate to find out two men from Sarah Jennifer’s had arrived, wondering if they needed an extra hand or two?

  South of Douglas Mountain, Old Colorado (United States Post-Apoc)

  The fool was walking right at her, not even trying to set up.

  This man was stupid. She would spell it out in capitals for damned sure. What a world class shithead.

  She darted forward, using the strength from her back leg to come at him faster than most anyone she had ever fought before. She tossed a right, a left and then followed it up with an uppercut.

  CRACK!

  Sarah Jennifer hit the dirt to her right and rolled twice before coming up eyes blazing, eyeing the man who had just casually knocked her ass silly. She put up a hand to feel if her burning cheek, and her teeth, were still a part of her body.

  Behind them, Todd leaned towards Dirk. “Did he just block both of her punches, catch her fist and backhand the shit out of her?”

  “Shhh!” Dirk answered in reply, then, “Yeah, I think so. It went so damned fast I’m not sure.”

  Michael turned to face the woman. “Not bad, but it’s going to take a lot more to get those,” he pointed at her feet, “anywhere near my ass.”

  Sarah Jennifer’s eyes narrowed. “You surprised me.”

  “No, you’re cocky,” he replied. “Too much time being top bitch.”

  “Fuck…” She started towards him. “You!”

  “Oh God,” Jeremiah whispered, “She really, really hates to be called a bitch.”

  “Ready for your spanking?” Michael asked her. Her eyes, almost flaming mad, opened wide. Then she ran at him, ready to pound the smirk off his perfect face and make him swallow his damned teeth.

  Using her momentum, she jumped, kicking out at him.

  The pain, when it hit, was intense. He pivoted too fast. He used his left arm to stop her kick cold. Then he hit her in the shin with power she wasn’t expecting. His right arm was out, and he let her momentum carry her right onto his fist, knocking the breath out of her. She damn near bounced off of him to slam into the ground, dirt and dust billowing away as she rolled over painfully a few times, making sure she didn’t get kicked easily.

  She couldn’t breathe in enough at the moment to curse him out. Her shin, however, was cussing the shit out of her.

  “So,” he asked the woman lying on the ground, trying to find enough breath to struggle to get back up, hopping on her left leg due to the pain in her right. “Now we get to the point where you decide if you want to accept reality or allow your pride to put you right back there,” he looked at the ground. “Again.”

  Her eyes darted to the three men on horses, all of them wide eyed at the spectacle.

  “You should always believe,” Michael said in a calm voice, a teaching voice, “there could be someone out there who can take you. Just because you might never have experienced it, doesn’t make the reality an impossibility.”

  Sarah Jennifer, able to breathe again, spit out, “I’ve been bested once, but not by anyone not in the FDG.”

  “So, my lack of pedigree is the problem?” he asked, his eyes questioning. “I was told I had to prove myself to you to be included in teaching what the term chivalry really means.”

  “You, however,” he continued, “need to prove to me that a lady is inside that body for chivalry to have any meaning.” He turned to look around. “Obviously, the original meaning of chivalry is absent.” He turned back towards her. “I’m referring to the more modern version of chivalry including manners, especially to the weaker, or fairer, sex.” He nodded in her direction.

  “And if I tell you to get the fuck off my land?” she asked him.

  Jeremiah heard Todd whispering, “Please don’t do that, oh please oh please oh please oh please don’t do that…”

  “This is your land because of what?” he asked.

  “Hard work, and a willingness to keep it,” she answered.

  “Then you would be a fool to turn away an offer to help,” Michael said. “And I’ve not been accustomed to helping idiots.”

  Sarah Jennifer was trying to figure out the man’s meaning. His abrupt answers took a second for her to parse. “So, you’re saying you would leave because telling you to leave is foolish.”

  “Indeed,” he answered.

  She gritted her teeth. Why the hell couldn’t he just answer ‘yes’ like everyone else? She used her hands to start knocking the dirt and dust off of her clothes. It irritated her to know he didn’t need to dust off at all. “Fair enough.” She jerked her head towards her guys. “I’m too prideful for myself to keep you here, but I’ve been told that as a leader, your pride is what you swallow most.”

  Michael nodded his agreement.

  She turned towards Jeremiah and started walking towards him, calling out over her shoulder, “
You got a last name?” She reached out for Michael’s sword, Jeremiah handed it down to her. She started back towards the man.

  He reached out and accepted the sword, sliding it inside his jacket and connecting it somehow underneath it.

  “Yes,” he replied, his eyes looking out into the dark.

  She put her hand on her waist. “Okay, thanks for making me play twenty questions, what is it?”

  “Nacht.”

  “Good to know,” she said, stepping around him and heading into the house. “Place to sleep is that way.” She pointed towards the crew house.

  None of the men noticed the fear in her eyes as she walked up the stairs to the porch.

  Michael accepted the bowl of stew Jeremiah offered. He deflected their questions about his martial skills and speed.

  “Don’t you think not cleaning boots is enough for tonight?” he answered Todd. “Otherwise, you and I can have a physical discussion where you’re too busy to ask me questions I obviously don’t care to answer.”

  Todd stopped bugging him after that.

  Michael stepped out of the crew house about midnight. A minute later, Jeremiah stepped out behind him.

  “Hey,” Jeremiah said.

  “Good evening, Jeremiah.” he replied.

  “Don’t be too hard on Sarah Jennifer. My family would say ‘she’s good people.’”

  Michael grinned. “Anytime three men are willing to die to protect a woman?” he said, still looking into the night as if he actually saw something in the dark. “The woman is good people.”

  “I’m not sure how much you can help, Michael.” Jeremiah chose to look into the dark as well. Why the hell not? “We need a damned savior for this to go in our favor tomorrow.”

  Michael chuckled, the sound wasn’t peaceful. “I’m not an angel, nor a saint, Jeremiah,” he said. “And certainly not a savior. Someone I love very dearly would tell you I’m just a stubborn, obstinate, pain in her ass.”

  “Where is she?” he asked. “Sorry if you’ve lost her.”