Fourth Vector Ch. 07

"I still feel bad for hurting her."

"Do you know what you're going to do?" asked Abigail. "About what she asked you?"

"What do you mean? Whether I'm going to pick her or you after all of this?" he asked with a smile. "I thought the door to you was closed permanently."

Abigail averted her eyes. "She's right, you know. If you do decide to continue with her, we can't keep letting our moments of weakness get the better of us."

"You know I'm not going to do that," said Jack quietly. "Anna and I aren't meant to be together. So what if I pick you?"

Abigail fixed him with a stare for several moments before answering. "I can't answer that, Jack."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"You know why. We've talked about this before," said Abigail.

Jack took a deep breath. "So I'll end up with neither of you. In the end, there's really not much of a choice after all."

Abigail offered him a weary smile. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in this. Between us. I know it's had to have been hard on you."

"Oh, it's been quite hard," said Jack, while looking down to his crotch.

Abigail giggled lightly. "You know what I meant."

He sighed and then nodded. "I don't think I'd do anything different though."

"Oh? Is that right?"

Jack stared back at her. "Definitely. You Wainwright girls are a great time," he added with a smirk.

She swatted at him. "Don't you forget it either. Nobody can fuck you like I can," she said proudly.

"Don't I know it," said Jack with a laugh.

She laughed along with him until they both fell silent a few moments later. Finally, it was Abigail who spoke up again. "Please be safe out there, all right? Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I don't care for you a great deal."

He nodded slowly. "I'll be careful. I don't think it will be all that bad. Zip through the countryside, confront and kill Barak and then take back the treasure. Easy as it sounds."

Abigail giggled. "I don't think it will be quite that easy. But I know you'll be as safe as you can. Plus you'll have Greg and Elektra to help cover your back. Just make sure you come back to me, okay?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean come back to theDestiny?"

She smiled shyly. "I know what I said."

Jack took a deep breath. "You never fail to confuse me. I never know where I stand with you."

Abigail started to laugh. "I think that's part of my charm. Can't make it too easy on you or you might start looking for another officer to flirt with. I turn my back on you for one second and there you are fucking my sister."

Jack laughed along with her. "You're ridiculous."

"I know," she said with a smile.

Abigail raised from her seat and then pressed in close against him. Her lips lingered against his for the longest time before closing the distance for a long kiss. When she finally pulled away, her dark eyes were locked on his. "Be safe and be careful."

"And you as well," he whispered. "You're in charge while I'm off the ships. Take care of the task force, and watch out for the others, okay?"

She smiled. "Of course. But I'm still looking forward to the day that I can hand the duties back to you. Just don't take too long, okay?"

"You got it," said Jack with a grin.

She pulled away from him slowly and fixed her cap against her head. Walking the short distance to the door, she pulled it open and then stopped to look at him one more time. "See you soon, Jack."

"See you soon, Abigail," he replied with one last stare into her dark eyes.

Just like that, she was gone as the door closed firmly behind her. Once he was alone, Jack spent the rest of the day preparing for the trip in front of him. He made sure to get caught up with all the work that was on his desk, and he began to delegate those items that would go to Abigail in his absence.

The biggest item that he had to attend to was his promise to Heron in bringing some of the ship's provisions to the palace for the trip. That mostly included stores of food that they could take with them, items that were light enough for foot travel. Jack had enough provisions for all of them sent up during the afternoon and spent one last night eating aboard the ship in the mess hall before retiring for the evening. Knowing that Heron wanted to get started at first light, he was quick to bed, and after his head hit the pillow, he laid there just awake enough to think about what the morrow might bring.

They had to recover that treasure. He'd done his best convincing his entire task force that this would be an easy journey, and that they'd be able to quickly recover the treasure and get back after the repairs had been finished. The only question was whether it would go as easy as he had said it would be.

*****

"Good morning, gentlemen! Ready to start our little adventure?"

Jack found himself chuckling at the cheery mood of the king as he and Greg crested the grand staircase leading to the palace grounds. It was still early enough in the morning that the sun hadn't yet peaked over the horizon, and the city below them was mostly silent as they slept off the last vestiges of night.

At this height, he could clearly see the harbor laid out below with the three Javan ships anchored in their moorings and sitting peacefully in the waters around them. Jack took a long look at the harbor and the ships of his task force, wondering how long it would be before he gazed upon them again. He took a deep breath after watching them for some time and forcibly squared his shoulders away from them toward the task at hand.

"Morning, Heron," called out Greg from his side. "Those are some fine-looking horses you've secured for us."

He wasn't lying. In front of them were six majestic-looking creatures and almost all uniform in their coloring and size. Each had been fitted with a saddle as well as packs for storage along the way. The beasts danced around slowly in the morning air, awaiting their passengers and the start of the journey.

Heron reached up to pat the mane of the horse in front of him. "Magnificent creatures, aren't they? They weren't cheap either."

"No, they weren't," muttered Nikias.

"Nikias was able to pay the owners for their purchase. I must say that they'll do just fine for the task we have ahead of us," said Heron.

"How long will we be able to use them for? Before we have to give them up?" asked Greg.

"About two days. We should be able to ride hard on the good roads leading out of the city but once we get into the interior, the paths will narrow and become considerably rockier. Once that happens, we'll have to give them up," said Heron.

"I've arranged to have some of your soldiers from a nearby regiment meet us on the road," said Nikias. "We'll be able to give up the beasts from there once the path gets too rocky, and they'll bring them back to the city and their rightful owners."

"Here, Jack. Take this one. She's a strong girl," said Heron, walking to another horse nearby.

Jack crossed the short distance to the animal and calmly used his fingers to nuzzle the side of her face. She pushed in against his fingers, finding the touch comforting.

"She likes you already," said Heron with a smile.

"Do they have names?" asked Jack.

Heron pursed his lips. "Not that I've heard."

"We may have to give them one," said Jack while nuzzling the horse once more. "Especially for all the help they'll be for our mission."

Heron nodded before grinning. "Just try not to get too attached. No sooner will you get to know the animal before we have to give them up!" The king then walked over to another horse nearby. "Greg, this fine animal is yours. If you two want to get your rifles secured, we'll take off soon!"

"I'm only counting four of us though, Heron," said Jack while looking around. "Where are the girls?"

"We're here!" called out a feminine voice from just beyond the western fountain.

Jack turned to watch Vera and Elektra hurrying across the grounds to meet them. Even though they were similar in age, both women couldn't be more different in their upbringings and stations. The princess and the whore. They were even distinguishable by the way their hair flowed behind them as they hustled to join the group—Vera's by her mane of blonde hair and Elektra with her fiery red.

"There you two are," said Heron with a chuckle. "I was beginning to think we might have to leave without you!"

"And miss all the action? Are you crazy?" asked Elektra with a beaming grin.

They loaded the last of their provisions on the horses, and just as the first rays of the sun pierced the horizon, they started to descend down the northern road away from the palace. Almost as soon as they reached the bottom of the hill, Heron turned his horse around to look back at it.

"Still certain you want to knock it all down?" asked Jack teasingly. "It could make a nice home."

Heron smiled. "That it could. But not for me. Too many bad memories. The bulk of the soldiers that will make up the garrison for this town will arrive tomorrow. I've given out orders for them to start tearing it down right away."

Jack's gaze swept over to Vera before returning to the king. "What about the rest of the girls? Vera's friends?"

"All will be taking a ride on Daimanos' old personal yacht back to my capitol," said Heron with a grin. "They'll leave today just behind your ships."

Jack nodded and looked back to the palace, now brightly illuminated by the sun. "Maybe once that palace comes down, the legacy of Daimanos will finally be destroyed."

Heron's gaze turned to him. "We can only hope, Jack. We can only hope."

Once the sun was up, they were able to get the horses to trot over the open road that led out of the city. The northern road followed a leisurely course through the countryside, passing by several rolling hills and quiet farms that had benefited from being close enough to Daimanos to have not been harmed too badly during the war. The six of them set a quick pace through the countryside, especially given that the roads were nearly empty of all people.

At one point, Heron pulled his horse closer to Jack. "This seems so foreign to me. Bizarre, even."

"What's that?"

"These roads used to be teeming with people all the time. Especially being so close to a major city," said the king. "I'm not used to seeing them so devoid of life."

"It seems the war found even this quiet section of the island as well," said Jack. "Despite the relatively good condition of the land here, the effects of the conflict were all-encompassing."

Heron nodded. "We must recover that treasure and help these people rebuild."

When Jack didn't respond, the king turned to look at him. "How are you holding up on that girl? Been awhile since you rode a horse?"

Jack straightened up, already feeling the tightness in his thighs from riding the horse. "It's been a little too long. I may be a bit sore tonight," he said with a grin.

Heron started to laugh. "Well, at least we won't be long on the horses. You may only be sore for two days and then we can walk all the rest of the way there."

"You make that sound so appealing," said Jack sarcastically.

Heron grinned. "It won't be so bad for you tomorrow. Your body will get used to it. I remember the first few times when I learned to ride as a boy. I'd come home so stiff that I could barely move. You'd never think just riding them would affect your body the way it does, but that's the first thing you learn about riding a horse."

In that moment, Jack's horse lunged to the side to avoid a branch on the road below. He clung to the animal a little tighter before looking back to the king. "And what's the second thing?"

Heron gave him a smirk, clearly observing the way he clung to the horse. "Always be prepared for what's in front of you."

With that, the king surged forward in an impressive display of horsemanship and took over the front of their party with Nikias who had been setting their path. Beyond them was Elektra, who was constantly scanning the horizon as she searched for any threats to their mission before trouble could ambush them. Greg followed closely behind her which just left Vera immediately to Jack's rear.

He pulled the reins on the horse to slow the animal down, allowing the blonde-haired woman to catch up to him. Once she did, Vera gave him a slightly terrified look as her horse locked in place besides his.

"First time riding?" asked Jack while raising an eyebrow.

"This is . . . something else!" panted Vera, hanging against the beast for dear life. "How do they ride so fast?" she asked while pointing to the front at the Sorellans.

"They've been doing this for years," said Jack with a smile. "Don't feel like you're not the only one without riding experience. It's been so long for me that it's almost like it's the first time again as well."

Vera smiled weakly. "I'd be happier if I knew this horse would do what I tell it. Sometimes I feel like I might as well not even be holding the reins. No matter what I do, she just does whatever she wants."

"If you stay locked in against mine, that'll make it easier for you," said Jack. "Horses like having a companion to run with."

Vera gave him a friendly smile. "That means you'll be stuck in conversation with me for the rest of the morning."

"I can think of many worse things than that," said Jack with a chuckle.

Vera continued to smile at him before looking away. Over the course of the next few minutes, her gaze kept darting back and forth between him and the road in front of them. It was becoming obvious that she had something on her mind, but whatever it was, she was having a hard time expressing it out loud.

Finally, Jack opened up. "You look like you have something on your mind, Vera."

Vera's gaze quickly dropped back to the road once more. "Am I that easy to read?"

He started to chuckle. "Well, when you keep looking at me, and your mouth keeps opening to say something before you shut it, it's not hard to figure out that something's on your mind."

The woman turned red in the cheeks. "I suppose that doesn't help my cause at all."

"Not at all," agreed Jack. "What's on your mind?"

"I was just curious," started Vera before chewing on her lip. "You know all about me, but I know next to nothing about you. I mean, I know who you are and where you're from. But that's it. I don't know anything about your personal life or your history or your family."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You want to know those things? Why?"

Vera shrugged. "Why not?"

"It just surprises me is all," said Jack quietly. The road in front of them took a large bend as they began to climb a hill. Off to their left was a heavy forested area while their right-hand side was rolling countryside.

"I just feel like we're going to be spending so much time together that I want to get to know you," said Vera finally. "Especially if we're going to be friends."

Jack smirked at her. "You want to be my friend?"

She nodded eagerly.

His smirk relaxed into something much more genuine. "I can do that. Friends it is. Well, as your friend, I give you permission to ask away. Ask me anything you want."

"Tell me about Java, will you? What is your homeland like, Jack? Where did you grow up?" Vera fired off a rapid line of questioning as her horse drifted closer still to his.

"It's not a much different place than Sorella," said Jack while pointing to the sight of nature around them. "The place that I grew up—Lockhaven—was a small port set next to the sea. I grew up surrounded by the ocean, so you can say it's not much of a stretch to figure out why I joined the navy."

"Was it a good place to grow up? Did you have a nice childhood?"

Jack nodded. "I suppose you can say that. We didn't struggle for much, and I had good parents. They were good to my sister and I, which is about as much as you can ask for."

"You have a sister?" asked Vera. "What is she like?"

Jack began to chuckle. "You'd probably like her. Jocelyn is a spirited girl and very smart. What's more is that she's easy to get along with. She has three children of her own and lives with her husband not far from where we grew up."

"Does she look like you too?" asked Vera, gesturing to the color of his hair.

"No, her hair is long and dark," said Jack without expanding into more detail. He could tell by the expression on Vera's face why she was asking, but he was thankful she didn't ask any further questions on it.

"I would like to see this Java someday," she said out of the blue. "You make it sound like a nice place."

Jack smiled. "Any place can sound nice after hearing a few choice words about it. Java is . . . complicated. Now more than ever with the war."

"But the war won't last forever, right? Peace will come back someday."

"Eventually," said Jack. "But the war just started. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, grinding conflict without an easy resolution."

Vera looked over to him. "Still. When the war ends, would you take me to Java with you?"

Jack gave her a confused look. "Why don't you want to return to your home? Back to Galicia? I know there's no family waiting for you there anymore, but you could start fresh and try again, right? Don't you eventually want to go back?"

Vera shook her head. "Start over with what, Jack? Like you said, I don't have anyone there. I'd be going back to bad memories with no solace for the present."

"Things change though, Vera. I know the past may be painful for you now, but it doesn't have to always be that way. What if you meet someone? A man in which to spend a life with?"

Vera's head dropped. "What man would willingly want a former whore?"

Jack reached over to comfort her shoulder. "You're more than your past, Vera. What you were forced to do, you did for survival. I don't think many would fault you for that."

"Still," said Vera with a sniffle. "I'm used goods. Good intentions will count for nothing when they find out my past, regardless of whether I wanted it or not."

"Life has a way of surprising us all, Vera," said Jack quietly. When she didn't respond, they rode in silence for several minutes before Jack tried again. "Besides, I have a feeling this mission will eventually take us to Galicia. You said how much you wanted to come with us. Would you go back if I did?"

Surprisingly, Vera nodded. "I'd go just about anywhere with you, Jack."

He turned his gaze to look at her and locked eyes on the young woman. There was a certain affection behind her eyes, but not of a romantic quality. It was the same kind of look he was used to seeing from Jocelyn when he was younger, a sibling affection over a shared experience. In seeing that look, he felt even more of a brotherly companionship to the young woman, and he vowed to do all that he could to keep her from harm.

"If we do go to Galicia, I'd need your help with where to go," said Jack with a smile. "From what I hear, Galicia is a big place."

"That's easy," said Vera calmly. "We'd start with the capitol city. A place called Kalmar. I've only been there a handful of times, but it is a wonderful city. It's also the home of the Galician Regent."

"Do you know anything about the Regent?" asked Jack. "What kind of man is he?"

Vera shook her head. "The regents are not very public figures. They are nothing like the kings, from what I heard. Most of them stay locked away in their palace attending the business of ruling and that's about it. I'm afraid I couldn't tell you much about the man."

"It's no matter," said Jack with a small smile. "I am interested in seeing your homeland though, Vera. It would be even better if you would help be my guide for when we get there."

Vera nodded her head eagerly. "I'll show you all there is to know about it. Just as long as you don't leave me there!"

"Deal," said Jack with a chuckle. Vera giggled in response and for a brief moment, Jack was greatly enjoying the start of their trip. That is, until Heron yelled back to get their attention.