Junction Pt. 02

Richard looked at Jace with a knowing smile, "You have already bought these homes."

Jace smiled, "Yes. They just need coloring for the walls, types of marble, and hardwood floors. I heard the ladies talking about Durin-last countertops and they have those in the kitchens and all bathrooms.

No carpeting in the homes, some sound damping tiles in the ceiling fixtures to keep the echoes down. A separate guard station on the other side of the pond with security guards patrolling the grounds. All vetted as I bought into the security company to ensure I could get the best guards available.

Any warranted people come on the grounds; they all have bounty hunter licenses with lethal force authorized. The rules are if one is killed or captured outside the home then they get to split the bounty with all on shift. They make it into the house and their asses are ours. We will split them if that happens.

They are only going to get more desperate, especially when I force them out of those wilds. The presence of the port and facilities makes it too attractive of a property; let me not forget the 3 landing sites for small aircraft in that area now. The force he sent into the Valley has control of the small town of Evergreen just inside the valley and a few miles out.

Short of an army, they are not making any further progress. He has 8 marshals down there as you know. They have been feeding me status updates and I told them to set a perimeter, hold that area. Safeguard those people we have access to. When I get down there an army will have arrived.

I have the military aerial recon and a private company I just put on to run a few additional flights over the area. The military will know of theirs and any contacts those guys have into the military would give them flight schedules; these flights would be outside of the military windows.

I asked for and got the schedule from them. They did not even encrypt the transmission. I have used the secure sat phone for a lot of my discussions. Especially for the new private security company and the construction of the homes."

Helen came over with Rayne, "What are you 2 discussing?"

Richard looked at her, "New homes side-by-side with additional security."

Jace showed her the floor plans including the panic rooms.

She looked over, "That is a lot of money for homes."

Richard looked at her, "You just have to pick out flooring and the colors you want for the home. He already bought them."

Jace looked over, "You are the only family I have and that has put targets on your back. Targets on the backs of my children living with me and those who survive the program. It gives room for sleepovers at grandma's house or if you decided to get your tubes undone to have more children yourself.

You do that let me know. Before you do that, I would call in a favor and get you set-up to be able to keep all of your children going forward until they go for a mandatory evaluation, training, and service. Same thing I did for my soon to be wife. Something for the 2 of you to talk about. I am owed a few favors still.

I took care of this so when you 2 pick up your next life extension you will still be entitled. I had over 11 million DC's in my main account. By the time I am done furnishing the homes and the land through the holding company we are talking another 2 million DC's in that. That counts company investments I have made.

That leaves another 4 million in the holding company. Some of that is earmarked for children coming out of the program; if they survive their 2 years of mandatory service as well. They have years yet to go. 15 children; 5 of whom have 500,000DC's waiting for them if they survive. Another 10 who would have 20,000 DC's each.

If they survive. Those are the ones Sylvia spawned. She left nothing for any of them. The rest of her assets went to some sister she has out there as the only living relative she has according to the news. She was being hounded by the media. She has been making inquiries about Rayne and myself."

---

Regina was desperate now. She got her inheritance from her sister. Including every DC she had and thousands in Ki in storage; 50% of both being taken by each City-State Government, leaving her with only 25% of what she would have gotten directly or half of it through legal channels if they lived in the same City-State.

She also got the private courier a few days before that showed her sister had recorded every conversation the two of them had. Beginning with the last one and discussing their parent's death and consumption. Her own 'confession' into her mate's deaths and involvement with the Royal Family Queen.

She looked at the note, "If I have died know this will be released in less than 90 days. It might be 30, it might be 6 days. Regardless. If my time has come then your days are numbered as long as Jace Rivers and Rayne Cooper live."

She started making inquiries on back-channel communications. She then started getting not so subtle threats from Jace Rivers himself. He monitored her movements through street cameras, lovers, and living children she did not even acknowledge. He had it all and threatened to release it if he found one more communication inquiring on him or Rayne.

She growled out, "Fucking human!"

She shut down inquiries, liquidated some assets that were not obvious, and decided it was best to go completely off the grid as she did not know when her sister's shoe would kick her in the ass. She walked out of her home and did not see the sword from the King's assassin.

Until her head went bouncing down her driveway. It was picked up quickly along with the rest of her body. Her existence all but removed from the province. They found her private holdings of this Jace fellow. They had the recorded files she had received from her sister. The Blue King was curious about this San Angeles asset. While furious with his soon to be deceased wife.

---

Jace looked across at his family. "I sent her a blunt message back with images of her own children and family. I told her to back the fuck off from me. Even ones that were not public records. All inquiries stopped immediately. It will get worse when I go back to work."

Jace threw up images, "The military flyover."

He threw others up, "The private company."

Coop looked at it, "They have 5,000+ troops in there. The military didn't pick them up?"

Jace shook his head, "Double. I would have purged them from the area last time if it were not for a dragon attack. They also have a couple of squads of ogres, a brute squad of giants, and another couple of squads of troll troops in there."

As he brought up the other sites. "I have teleportation now; I have multiple entry points from my time in there. I can already get in behind the lines. I can get dragon support."

Coop looked up, "How are you going to get dragon support?"

Jace brought up another set of images, "At least 4 dragons going back to those 6 caves. Not gold dragons either, at least for 3 of them. This fourth one looks to be another gold. That means if they are returning to their then they are going to trap the fuck out of it. They probably did the last time. Each one went to or came out of a different cave if you will. The first question, is everyone alright with the new homes?"

Rayne threw her arms around him, "Thank you for finding us something secure."

Jace nodded, "More secure than even the Marshal Service can provide."

Richard looked at Helen who sighed out, "Sounds like they will be needed for a while."

Jace nodded, "I bought them through a holding company who will transfer the title over to us when they are completed and furnished in the next 30 days. Secure comms only with them. Marshal Service will sweep for explosives and listening devices before we move in.

Then Richard and I will add our own custom security. Including sweeping the homes ourselves. A few drones over the property to monitor things using a new augmentation crystal you dear lady are going to build. The King has one for detecting magical effects. That is a dragon created crystal and beyond us.

However, we want to look at doing one for air displacement. Something moving through the area even if we cannot see it. This gets into weather magic if you will. Something you have worked with Helen from what we have talked about. This was right up your ally.

We will set a small weather device in the sky that blows a small but constant 4km per hour breeze from over the pond and outward in all directions. Another above the front culdesac. The weather coming in will have to be factored into the search algorithms but we set a constant we should see anything moving into the area.

I also own the lots on the rest of the culdesac this sits in and there are no properties behind us out to the inner security wall. I searched for places and even submitted a few very low-ball offers on some existing homes. They were cased almost immediately. I have 3 sites they are operating out of, from my aerial recon over the city when I put in those lowball offers and tracked them back.

The offers were rejected of course. I mentioned the private drone company. I own that through this holding company and they are contracting for other outside security work. The holding company is owned jointly by the Royal Family and the Minister of Defense."

Richard shook his head, "You would be paranoid if you were not right."

Jace nodded, "Ladies, I want ideas of the day Rayne would like to get married. Plus, I have sent you a file into your room on furniture, flooring, and colors. That way you can get started, just do not order anything. Browse. All of the appliances are ordered and at the site waiting on the flooring.

All top of the line with double ovens and 3 large refrigerators; as well as two freezers in each home. One freezer and refrigerator will be placed in the panic room. They are awaiting the kitchen flooring and walls to be painted for the others. A mini-frig in the master bedrooms and nurseries for drinks or for storing breastmilk."

Jace looked back and forth, "I have no parents. At least none identified. The base egg used in the surrogate was likely collected from various test subjects over the years. I contacted Dr. Anton. The egg used on me was spliced from two different women. Same with the sperm from the men; all donors were dead over 50 years.

I was born with the genetics I have; I never underwent gene therapy after being born. The percentages were too high to have been done without modification in the womb or before implantation according to what little information they provided. Dr' Anton said it was done even before the egg was fertilized.

They could not reproduce me the way I was done in a thousand years. Thousands of others died in these attempts. That explains why they want me kept around. I was the only 1 of 10,000 who survived being born in that project. They then implanted the surrogate mother who did not fit the military and wanted work.

They became surrogates for the program. After so many years they were released and had enough Ki to live out a full measure of life and 1 DC for every child they carried. Enough to live a decent very simple single life, while working at least part-time. The woman who did mine was killed shortly after release in a home invasion.

We can guess who would have done that. Four women were modified initially to match my genetics. One went to the lab as an infant; we know what she did there. One had massive genetics when defects were found and she recycled her for Ki. Those 2 died days apart. One was identified as infertile after the gene therapy and went into the military, died with the juggernaut attack based upon the dates.

The fourth was Jessica and she survived the gene therapy to match my layout and now she is dead. They upped their chances for another female after the one was infertile. They did gene therapy on your daughter, Rachel, to bring her in line for what the bitch wanted, given who her father was. An earlier version of me except you have a family and were conceived more traditionally, she did not get as much of the 874 DNA as Rayne did from you Coop. That part matched mine making her ideal as it involved less manipulation.

As she had 2 males and she did not expect her to be around after them, she did not take one of them to the lab. Instead, there was one previously unidentified daughter in that mix she did take to the lab and removed the birth records from the file she gave me.

A break in her agreement along with the missing death of the other children. Likely why I was paid as was Jessica. Better odds of breeding another lover for herself. That is the extent of my family. I originated in a lab. My best friend, besides the woman I am marrying, is her parents who are 'giving her way' as it were.

I would like to keep it small but in line with what you wanted for a wedding. Richard and I need to talk with the Minister of Defense for a while. You ladies have a lot to look at and talk about now."

The ladies came up and hugged him and left him with Richard. Richard looked over, "She told us she wanted nothing big and fancy or over the top. She wanted to lose the baby weight and the treatments you paid for her helped with that a lot.

She is thankful for that but she would like to lose a few more kilos before that day. Toning up as it were. The gym in this place is helping with that and with your rehab soon, very soon by the looks of your foot."

The Minister of Defense's call finally went through. The Minister of Defense sighed, "Hello Jace, how goes the recovery?"

Jace nodded, "Walking, barely. I have the muscle modification injector working on it. I had to shut that one and the titanium injector off to speed up the growth of the bone. Things you learn after losing a limb and having troll genetics to regrow it. The bones are done now, the titanium is in place, and it is building up muscle mass now. I am still projecting that original 6-month mark. I will be running ops in there within the next 60 days.

I have teleportation now and 5 good ingress points to work from. One is troubling. You've been looking at your military aerial recon of the area?"

The Minister of Defense nodded, "Looks very quiet."

Jace sent him his files, "I contracted through a private firm. One inside your holding company, the one the King and you jointly own. I secretly own that drone company now. Those are from my drones over the area. Ran off schedule from the military flyovers. Look at the last 6 images first before commenting."

The Minister of Defense looked at everything and sighed, "Looks like you are already back to work."

Jace shook his head, "Preparation before any mission. I am doing recon and planning. The mission has not started yet. Officially I am still 4-5 months out. Anyone who looks for me will find or see me in the city or my home. I have my vehicle again; useful for getting the children home. Richard brought it back for me.

He explained who he was and why he was there. It helped with getting the children home. He was teleported out there to get it. Anyone watching that vehicle knows it is back in the city. I removed 3 trackers and attached them to long-distance trucking company vehicles while at the hospital. Let them track those for a while."

The guys laughed.

Jace smiled, "You still have agents in your military, in Avalon to get to my vehicle, and in those caves including another gold dragon out of the 4 images I captured in the last 3 days of flyovers. I am randomizing the times. I have those drones 'happening to fly over that area' headed for the ocean and back.

They go out several miles and look at untapped land out that way. If anyone runs a check on them, they are for potential real-estate developers. Those who are wanting to build summer vacation homes, fishing, and hunting lodges. Those who wanted aerial views to find the best locations for the 'entitled' to find what they need.

Oceanfront, the ocean near streams, Etc. Nothing on them but extra fuel cells to go out that far. Also, extra hidden micro-cameras in each of those fuel cells. While the front looked straight away there were two looking back and two looking down at all times, then four-pointed off to the sides to get better wide-angle shots.

Like those shots into the hangers, they build those out at the landing strips. Including the attack helicopter and troll ground units staging cage if you will. Those silos are empty but they are an excellent place to hide a force of giants now as you see. The dragon's complicate things.

I have another set of flights set to go and they are for the same thing but they are doing animal surveys using infrared at night. To get game populations in the area for the avid sports hunter. They will be carrying an extra set of fuel pods to go even further out.

They will go further inland and then collect the data. They will return later in the evening. Also, more cameras. Infra-red cameras. This will give me pictures of any armored vehicles and other assets they have in the area as they will still be glowing by the time it returns, even under cameo covering. Metal gets hot.

All of that will be streaming on a 50-dragon crystal feed to a private server that I can access through this separate sat phone. The question is when the time comes, who should I coordinate with to deal with the reemerged dragon threats in that area?"

The Minister of Defense looked at everything, "I am trying to figure out why there?"

Jace sighed, "I thought on that and this is likely not the only location this is being done. Each Royal Family needs to evaluate the 'weakest' parts of their borders. By that, I mean the areas where they have no trouble occurring.

Especially if they have sea and air space access. Coastal beaches that could be landed upon with islands further out. These look to be a group of Dragon anarchists. They move into that valley then can take over the Avalon Valley oversight as they have them cut-off from the Royal Family.

Then those elves become their Entitled Race instead of the Royal Family of San Angles. That would be a Blow to the Royal Family. What would we do to our protected race or for them if they are being held hostage or annexed in a behind-the-border attack?

These are power plays to reduce the area different Royal Families are overseeing. You go one province over and you are in Weser Provence, which has mountains on the other side; home to the program and CGR.

You want a kingdom's genetic research activity but you're a Dragon outside the need to know, you now have a method of launching Mastro97A missions on that facility for intel, capture, recon, and destruction if needed. Six months to a year later and you are looking at a new world landscape.

Where 83 City-States become 150 or more. The new players with their own Royal Executive Council of Dragons (RECD) will compete against or force a merger with them. I might be paranoid but I am telling you this is a private army for taking and holding of that valley. They are not completely there yet.

They only have one dock and their ground access from within the Kingdom is cut-off by Marshals they do not want to overrun, yet. They are still building up. When I am ready to go in, I need to know if a Dragon Spec-Ops unit will be used.

I know you will never confirm the existence of any such group, but a dragon military strike team is going to be ready to hit those caves again? I leave that for you to talk over with the Royal Family. If they wish to put that theory; like those 5,000Ki units in the militaries we found, before the RECD."

The Minister of Defense nodded, "Let me know what you find out. I will send an inquiry to the Royal Family."

He ended the call and Jace thought he sounded nervous or upset. He could not tell with a dragon.