Comeuppance Pt. 05-06

Jack left the conference room to seek Janice out; she was entertaining the troops, including Cousin Carl. Jack paused in the dark hallway and listened to his sister trading dirty jokes with the remaining rangers, one of whom looked smitten with the tall, curvy blonde with the foul mouth. He hated to interrupt with her having that much fun, but time mattered.

"Hey, y'all; sounds like you're having fun, but I need to talk to Janice and Carl, and the Captain needs to talk to the rest of you. He and the sheriff are in the big conference room on the right.

"Alfred, Charlie, can you put something together around the time April and Janice were told I was dead? Then we need to talk about their journal; how to fully secure it, and how to make it a trending topic around the world if something happens to them."

Turning to his sister and cousin, he said, "Let's go into the small conference room. We need to view some of the journal and then talk.

"Before we start, Carl," he said while Janice uploaded the one of the USB drives, "I need to ask you to keep an open mind. I don't know for sure what we'll hear from them, but you're probably going to hear things from me you never thought you would, and you may have a few things to say yourself.

"Janice, let's start with your meeting with April in Washington."

To Jack's eternal shame, the words he had refused to let them speak were a mirror reflection of the words he had heard spoken by their abductors/masters eighty minutes ago. Janice's eyes never left Jack's face as he watched them relate the private dinner that led to April becoming a sex slave, and what they remembered of the events that followed that night and the next day.

When that segment was over, Jack signaled to stop the replay. He exchanged stares with his sister for a full minute, then walked the short distance to her chair on his knees. He reached for her hands, which she reluctantly let him hold, and he began his admission.

"I don't deserve what I'm going to ask for, Sister, and I'll understand if you can't give it. I was six kinds of a fool to believe you would set my wife and your best friend up as a sex slave, and I regret every word I said about that. I suspect, when I hear the story I've refused to let you and April tell me, I'll regret a lot more.

"But I condemned you to hell and swore I'd never forgive you for something you didn't do, and something I should have known you would never do. I'm not asking for forgiveness I don't deserve, but I am admitting I was 100% wrong about that, and I promise I'll hear the rest of your story with an open mind - April's too."

Janice fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her brother; she kissed him on the head before gently but firmly chiding him. "I'm still mad about the things you said to April and me, but I've seen the edited versions that piece of shit Kristina used to keep the women and girls in line. Alfred told me he got the crap you watched off Senator Shilt-hole's server.

"Had he let us explain and kept an open mind, maybe we could have helped him see past the manipulated video and audio, but my brother is too damn hardheaded and dichotomous-minded for that, so here we are!"

Janice arose, and pulled on Jack's shoulders. "Come on, get up. There's no need for any more of this! I forgave you when I watched you pulling people out of the ruins of the bedroom while you were bleeding like a stuck pig. April, though - that's another matter!

"She was absolutely certain you'd welcome us home with open arms and you two would resume your fairy tale marriage. She was already naming your kids, because she got her IUD removed as soon as we were freed, and she wasn't going to put off getting pregnant for even another day! I tried to warn her, but you're her prince and she's your princess, so you were meant to live happily ever after!

"Not to dump another load of shit on you right now, but why do you think she won't speak to you or let you see her? There is some vanity involved, but you crushed her and her spirit, and then she got crippled and disfigured trying to help protect you!

"Yeah... no, Bro; I'm afraid groveling on your knees isn't going to sway her! In fact, I doubt anything is. You went from her shining knight to more evil than Madam Kristen, Senator Shilt, and Daniel King in two days! You, your closed mind, and your terrible temper - you destroyed a wonderful and courageous woman!"

****

The sense of urgency pervaded and perverted every hour of their lives as they prepared for whatever onslaught the two 'contractors', now identified as private military and security groups (PMCs) with ties to Russia, have planned. They worked shifts, as 8-12 hour days weren't enough and the sheriff's office had other responsibilities.

Rangers, Airborne, Seals, and other special operators were recruited, fittingly paid with funds liberated from Daniel King and his cohort, who were searching frantically for a nine-figure amount of funds that went missing from offshore accounts. Captain Cross and his team, working in conjunction with cooperating authorities at the local, state, and federal levels, welded together a most unusual private - government response to the dangers posed by the PMCs.

The rationale was that foreign mercenaries, now deemed terrorists by federal authorities, posed a imminent threat to American citizens residing in Cow County, Texas, and surrounding counties.

Jack and Janice acted as arbiters when asked, but otherwise left the planning to the professionals. They, with Carl and their new Delta Cross contact, "Lt. Dan" Wilkins, worked exclusively on meeting April's medical and emotional needs and getting her back to the ranch. Approval had been given for BAMC's top plastic surgeon to address the superficial but disfiguring wounds on her face, neck, arms, and shoulders, and Dr. Scott had completed his work in a single session.

April was swaddled in bandages, but moving more freely and confidently as her cervical and spinal injuries healed and were rehabilitated. In a better world, she would have remained there far longer, but the bounty meant she needed maximum protection and having her with Janice and Jack made more sense than trying to protect her at a different location.

She would not have come back to the ranch, absent Janice's subterfuge and the collaborators at BAMC turning a blind eye to kidnapping. A late visit by her BFF, their evening walk rerouted toward the ambulance entry by cleaning crews, a drink of tainted water from a bottle Janice was carrying, and the sudden appearance of paramedics who scooped her out of Janice's arms and placed her in an ambulance before she could fall. Janice joined them in back, and they left the base.

No one had ever taken the route they took to get from BAMC to Cowtown, but April awoke in her bed at the ranch. That resulted in extreme confusion, then angst, and then an angry tirade when Janice came in to calm her and explain. Carl ventured down, only to be included in the cussing and accusations, but he just stood there and looked concerned until her thunderstorm played out, and joined Janice in explaining why she was there.

"Look at me! Do I look like I'm ready to be out of a hospital? Who is going to tend to my wounds? Who is going to provide my PT and OT? You need to take me back right now, or I'll call the police and charge you with kidnapping! I'm not ready to face anyone looking like this!"

Janice calmly replied, "We have a surgical RN who will be here two hours a day to tend your wounds, and the best physical and occupational therapists in Texas to help you rehab. Doctor Alexander will be check on you twice weekly, and you can see as many or as few people each day as you wish, Princess. Jack set all this up for you. He wants you safe and secure while you finish healing"

It's hard to pout effectively when your face is covered in bandages, but they could see her pursed lips and hear it in her voice. "If Jack is so concerned about me, why hasn't he checked on me for weeks? Or even this morning, in his own house?"

"Because you wouldn't let me near you, or even talk to me, for the last few weeks," he said as he entered the bedroom, obviously having been hanging outside the door. "And I did check on you this morning, several times. I didn't want to be in the bedroom when you woke up because I thought it might upset you to see me, and my... our goal, is to help you heal, not cause you grief and angst."

That visible bottom lip was quivering and those green eyes were lit with anger. Jack hunched his shoulders mentally and waited. "Don't think for a moment that I believe a word you're saying! I didn't believe a word you wrote either, but I DO believe every word you said to me when I first came back here! You despise me, and I hate you just as much! No, I hate you more!"

"April, I've learned a lot since that day. I now regret every word I said to you, and the way I said them. But if being mad at me and hating me helps you get through the day and the rehab, I'll only say that I deserve your anger and hatred, so hate away."

"Oh, I'm not angry with you, Jackson Earl Armstrong - I'm furious! Of all the people I now despise - and there are many - you are at the very top of the list! You abandoned me, and then turned on me!

"I felt terrible about the things that had been done to me, and that I had done so I could protect you and maybe one day come home to you, but when I got back here I learned just what a vindictive, two-faced snake you are!"

"You're right, April, and I promise I'll leave you alone after this. But you're here because there is a five million dollar bounty on you and on Janice, and they don't even know about the autobiography you two have put together. King will add another zero when he finds out! The ranch is now as well protected as anyplace can be, but the rules at Joint Base San Antonio make it impossible to protect you as well there.

"I'll give you a wide berth, and everyone else will too unless you invite them. You'll get the medical care you need, Janice is here, Carl is here, and your friends in law enforcement are here. Other than me being here, it's a perfect setup for you."

She started to respond, but he cut her off. "Sorry to interrupt, but yelling makes your facial wounds bleed and we don't want that pretty face scarred up, so why don't you come down and eat, or Janice will bring your coffee and breakfast back here. Thanks for listening to me, and I hope your recovery continues just as well here."

He turned and exited; April turned toward Janice, ready to pounce, but was told: "He's right; your wounds are bleeding. Let me introduce you to nurse Rawlins, and she can fix you up. When that's over, do you want to eat in the kitchen, or here?"

****

Days grow longer but time passes faster when you're under the gun - literally. They needed every moment to get done the things that must before the attack came, but the sense of urgency, combined with trepidation, meant the long summer days seemed to last forever.

By the summer solstice, the defense systems were in place and had spread well past the fences of the ranch. The city and county had built and maintained an improved runway to serve the business jets of rich landowners and celebrity guests; it was 8000 feet long and 100 feet wide, making it long and strong enough for STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft of any kind... including the A-10 Thunderbolt, better known as The Warthog.

Camouflage tarps and netting had been set up on an abandoned dirt runway at the airport, and hardtop extended from the largest of the circus-tent sized tarps to the concrete runway. They were over a mile from the road and surrounded by brush, so invisible from any roadway, but anyone on an adjoining ranch who spotted them and asked was told it was all part of the 'combined state and federal enhanced drug and human trafficking interdiction efforts.'

That phrasing was used to explain any number of anomalies and abnormalities in Cow County and neighboring counties. "Enhanced interdiction efforts' explained helicopters, a squad of state troopers and rangers living at a motel, overflights by Air National Guard F16s out of NAS Kingsville, the sound of large propeller and jet aircraft landing and taking off in darkness, and the rumble of trucks heading to the Armstrong Ranch in the middle of the night.

The Armstrongs, local law enforcement, and federal and state law enforcement officers were astonished that such efforts were being made to protect a few relatively unimportant citizens, but Captain Cross was not. He gave the same explanation to each and every one of them who expressed that sentiment.

"You've got it all wrong. This isn't about a criminal contract on three civilians; this is a matter of national security. Armed mercenaries belonging to private military companies funded by an enemy nation are planning an armed incursion into our country for the purpose of killing American Citizens. If they are successful, the USA will be seen by other nations as weak, inviting other incursions.

"This" he said, gesturing at the expanse of the ranch where weapons systems are embedded, "is the Department of State, Department of Defense, and Executive Branch drawing a line in the sand. If the PMCs enter sovereign American soil and engage us in battle, every effort will be made to capture or kill every single one! And, what you Armstrongs should appreciate most, to arrest and prosecute any and all responsible parties."

Actually, the Armstrongs would rather kill The King of K Street and his collaborators themselves, and do it in a slow and painful manner. Beyond that, Jack more than the others, doubted Daniel King would ever be arrested; he knew where too many bodies were buried to be taken to court. If they somehow closed in on him, and he learned his arrest was imminent, an amount far exceeding the bounties would be offered for his escape.

Days passed, routines were established, Jack and Carl managed the ranch and business, April and Janice continued their autobiographical video journal when April wasn't rehabbing or being treated, and Delta Cross continued hardening the defense systems.

The citizens of Cowtown noted the influx of law enforcement, paramilitary, and military personnel, deduced that the Armstrong Ranch was in the midst of whatever was going on, and concluded that Janice, April, and Jack were in danger. They debated and discussed among themselves the whys and whos, but not if a stranger was in the same building with them. The WW II rule their grandparents followed, "Loose lips sink ships," was ingrained, and agreements were made regarding how to handle snoopy strangers.

The Sheriff, banker Williams, and his wife might have let a few concerns slip, and might have offered a broad confirmation to a few key people, but the natural wariness of close-knit small towners was the main factor in the increased vigilance.

Days turned into weeks; April's bandages came off, and those allowed to see her assured her only the lightest vestiges of the wounds remained. The PT emphasis slowly turned into an OT emphasis, as she regained the ability to walk naturally, and with more grace of carriage than most other women.

Still, she remained a recluse, seen only rarely when moving from her room to another, or on the way to rehab, or to a workout in the gym. She took her meals at a table set up in the master suite that had become her domain, but seemed to appreciate and enjoy the brief conversations with her server, Chita Garcia.

Due to the large number of persons living or working on the ranch each day and night, Chita (Juanita) and her sister, Cilla (Lucilla), had been hired to cook meals and take care of the kitchen. There is little doubt they saw and heard things they shouldn't have, but their commitment to their job and to the Armstrongs was complete; it never left the car when they arrived at home.

Two months after the day she returned to the ranch, April abandoned her hermitage. For her debut, she chose the first shift of the evening meal, a blue sundress, white sandals, light makeup, and a messy ponytail that exposed her graceful neck and shoulders, and the lack of observable scars.

She walked to the table with confidence and grace, took the open seat beside Janice, and flashed the smile that had charmed men her entire life, leaving a table of befuddled men. "For those of you who don't know her, this is my best friend and sister-in-law, April Armstrong. She's also known as Captain Marvel for her heroism, and her resemblance to Carol Danvers. She's gorgeous, right?"

That drew unanimous agreement and applause.

"Her prolonged recovery is now complete, absent a continuing requirement for physical activity - which isn't bad for someone who had a wall blown on top of them by a RPG, while defending her home! She's an American heroine for her actions, and for having endured captivity by monsters - the same monsters still stalking her, and me, and we do appreciate your efforts to keep us warm.

"I know you will treat her with the respect she is due, but she doesn't know that, so please introduce yourselves before we eat, and take the time to let her get to know you over the course of the next few days."

In a ritual that would be repeated numerous times over the week, each man introduced himself, offered a glimpse of his purpose at the ranch, and promised to visit with her at her convenience. She graciously acknowledged each man by name and handle, if one was offered, and assured him she was looking forward to their conversation.

Having been forewarned, Carl took it all in stride; Jack, however, looked confounded from her entry to her exit after the meal. Not that he hadn't seen this April before; she was the woman he fell in love with, married, took pride in, and planned to raise a family with. But watching her interact with the males, charming one after another while failing to even acknowledge his presence, was as off-putting as not knowing she was fully recovered.

He had buried himself in his work and the preparations, and had kept his promise to stay out of her way, but he hadn't expected her to suddenly emerge looking and acting like this! When she was out of sight, he gave Janice a hard look; she smirked in return, and Carl chuckled. "Something wrong, Cuz? You didn't eat much."

Jack moved his glare to Carl, who laughed in his face. As he turned back toward his sister, Jack noticed that Captain Cross, Lt. Dan, Wash, Red, Alfred, Crock, and Top Kick also wore broad smiles. "She's a fine looking woman, Jack," Lt. Dan commented. "We understand you're divorcing her; mind if the rest of us give it a try?"

"I might not be Army, but I recognize an ambush, so fuck all of you. As to your question, she swears she'll never speak to me again, so give it your best shot."

With that, he got up and walked out the door, to the echoes of loud laughter from the table. He climbed into his pickup, drove the fence line all the way around his property, and then took a ride along the river road. He returned three hours later with a changed attitude and a new plan. It was time to shit or get off the pot; he would watch the now-organized excerpts from King's servers and almost-complete video journal.

As Janice and April remembered odd or seemingly minor things that Rene assured them might be important in prosecution of the perpetrators, they organized the encounter/ event/ observation/ name and added the recollection at the end of the journal. That's what kept it from being complete; but for Jack's purposes, it was finished.

With tangible facts from two sources to consider, he would make the rational decision about his future with April, and confront her with it - whatever it was! Then she could decide her own future, whether with him or someone else. Either way, this bullshit was coming to an end; he could remain in the same house with the injured victim but respect her wishes to stay apart. The April who captivated everyone at the table today? Yeah, that wasn't going to work!