Mad Monk's Priory

The driver's side mirror splintered and disappeared, smacking the buck's left rear hip as they passed. Tague slowed and carefully yanked the SUV back onto the black top, then sped up once again, keeping a close eye on the edges of the road.

"That was great, baby," Karen murmured, "Don't ever let me criticize your driving again." Tague laughed, and wished he had recorded that, not just the 9-1-1- conversation. When he glanced at his wife again, once they were on the main highway, Karen was sound asleep.

***Epilogue-- 10 Months later

Tague was watching early season football. Getting to games was a little harder from Portland, and he seldom ventured into the city proper, as crazed as things were, but that was why his office in the northern suburbs was keeping him so busy. Seattle had its share of wackos, to be sure, but the legal system had not been completely overrun. He had warned Matthew it was only a matter of time, and the now senior partner had assured him they and most firms were working on contingencies. He had added that the 'Tague paradigm' was working so well it might be better for the firm if Seattle did just decide all laws were bad. 'We're talking Spokane or Boise... maybe Moscow Idaho. You know, we could do a church of the Lawyers thing.' His friend had teased.

Tague was the intake for clients who were having legal problems that were getting ignored in Portland. Those cases could usually be filed in Seattle, too, and the handful that could not could be filed in the surrounding suburbs. Which meant Tague was keeping busy bringing new business to the firm and taking care of clients locally after they had been recruited. He had already been promised junior partner at his two-year anniversary. He sometimes wondered if things would have been so perfect without the 'Sisterhood.'

He had worried 300 miles was not enough to be safe. Had wondered if he would come home to find his wife gone and a note she had gone back to Pokrovska. She still woke moaning; had nightmares he knew. But she refused to talk about it. She would just turn the conversation around, pointing out things were perfect now. The closest he had gotten had been when they had emptied a bottle of wine the first weekend after, when she had drunkenly apologized for neglecting him and 'comparing him' whatever that meant. She refused to say more, pouting 'I will not betray my Sisters.' He had relented, but it had left him anxious 'the Sisters' still held more sway than he knew.

In any case, her usual answer seemed a pretty accurate description. Dimitri had been arrested. He doubted there would be any jail time, but it had meant there was a good reason for Karen leaving the job. He did not tell her as desperate as hospitals were for physicians, she could probably have told them she did not like the paint color in the bathroom and still gotten a job.

The house had burned. No one asked how he had their things packed, and he had a ready answer for that if they had. Strangely, a prepaid POD had been delivered to Tague's firm's office the week after they had fled. The few belongings that had not been burned to a crisp, along with the things that had been in Karen's locker at work as well as a check for her six-month severance, an impressive insurance check for what they had lost in the fire, and the black Tesla model 3. It was an impressive car and he poached it whenever she would allow it.

Of course, she was making noise that they needed to trade the Escape in for a model Y. He was not going to argue, for good reasons.

He had insisted she be seen at Harborview, explaining to the intake nurse he was concerned she had been roofied. They had found the breakdown products of GHB in her system. That had struck home, and he did not know exactly what the Sisterhod had done during the 'pool party' that day, and had wisely decided never to consider it. That had also been another wedge he could use to break through her impression that the 'Church' was all good things and good for her. Not as good a wedge as Dimitri attacking them, but Tague suspected it had never been 'them' under attack, just him.

All in all, not having a professional sports team nearby was not bad. When he had said that to Matthew his friend had pointed out they had professional basketball, Tague had shrugged, admitting he had been horrible at it in high school and had never really paid any attention to it.

"Honey?" Karen called, pausing in the door to their bedroom, "It's time..." Tague leapt to his feet, seeing her cup her swollen belly with one hand. Apparently, that wild morning sex that had freaked them both out had done the trick. When he asked about the IUD, she went to her purse and held it out, explaining she had found it in the bed after they were done. That was part of why she had gone into the shower. Tague would admit he had no idea how those things tied together, but he had stopped trying to think like his wife or any woman long before.

Because of the drugs he had insisted on an amniocentesis, and with the sample had quietly made sure it had included a paternity test. He loved Karen and the GHB had been proof enough anything that would have happened to her was rape, but after what he had heard and experienced, he simply had to know for sure.

As he rushed to grab the 'go bag' she had prepared weeks before, he mused at the hedging in that report... 'while there are irregularities beyond those statistically expected, the sample is within scientific variance believed indicative of a paternal relation between the infant and the sample provider to 99.3% accuracy.' Tague had been relieved and had promptly destroyed the letter so as not to have Karen ever learn he had been worried.

Seven hours later, Tague was staring at their son through the plexiglass viewing window of the nursery. "Here he is, dad, and with a full head of black hair," the gynecologist had proclaimed triumphantly, handing him the scissors to cut the cord, and then letting him present their child to his wife... the new and radiant mother. He had thought it seemed to take forever. The nurse had insisted that had been a fast delivery. She had not said 'easy,' and Tague took the hint. He had told Karen to rest, explaining he was going to go look in on their child.

"Call our parents," she had whispered on his way out, tell them "Alexander Dimitri is perfect and can't wait to meet them." He had nodded, still amazed at that. He had been shocked when she wanted to name their son after the woman and her son who had very nearly ruined their marriage.

"But they didn't Tag," Karen had said, with a shrug, "They're sad, selfish, power-hungry people... well Alexandra is anyway... I just feel sorry for Dimitri. This way those names will have a strong, happy person to carry them on. And we will always remember how he came to be." It was not what they had ever talked about, but Tague had his wife. Had escaped what had ruined more than two hundred other marriages, so he had not argued. He could always call their son 'AD.'

Back in their private room, the lights had flickered and dimmed the second Tague stepped out. Karen's body was rigid, eyes rolled back, mouth open, a low unending moan escaping... She reveled in the pleasure, a joy she had thought might be gone forever that morning when Tague had taken her and left Pokrovska. That would have pushed her back, she knew, but could not admit to herself. Then she had found out she was pregnant, and the baby had been all that mattered. Only in the delivery room after, the first time Tague had left, had she wondered if she would ever feel such pleasure again. She had blushed, thinking she could not very well tell Tag she wanted him to take her like he had that last night, any more than she could tell him It had removed the IUD while it had been taking her in the swimming pool with Jeff on top of her. It had been nestled in the crotch of her bikini bottoms when she had gone to pull them up.

She had not expected a visit, considering the nurse and doctor both had insisted they should avoid 'any sexually activity for six weeks.' Still moaning, Karen managed to giggle, as well... It did not have the patience for such delays.

"Faithful bride," the red eyes and yellow slash of a mouth appeared as the pleasure he had given her began to ebb, leaving her deliciously tired, "I do not need to penetrate to pleasure."

"Tague's wife... Alexander's mother," Karen whispered, smiling, then added, "And Yours... thank you." She glanced at the door, worried someone would enter. It chuckled.

"You remained true to your vow... You remained true to him, your vassal... and true to me." Karen could not stop the tears as she nodded, relived that It knew. "Without knowing whether you would ever again be... rewarded." She nodded again.

"You said vessel." It tilted what passed for a head, "That night... Tague was a vessel... You were... You both gave me pleasure at once that night." The mouth widened, a smile? And Karen's body twitched, as more pleasure than she had known minutes before overwhelmed her nerve endings, leaving her unable to scream her ecstasy. She was left panting when it ebbed a few seconds later. And then somehow the pleasure redoubled, but she could still hear It.

"And our offspring will conquer." She blinked, puzzled. The spectre hovering beside her chuckled. "Of course, OUR offspring. Protect him. Protect his half-brother when he appears. You will know him. Gregory Yefim," she felt herself nodding, but consciousness was waning. "Be true and I will continue to visit you, because you are mine." Karen's body went slack, and the darkness that had filled the room ebbed to nothing.

"Not fair," she managed, then giggled, "But amazing as always."

"Mine," It repeated and Karen nodded. "You will be happy with the vessel... your vassal... and I." Karen nodded. "Alexander will do great things, along with Gregory Yefim." She had no idea who It meant but had every faith what was said was true. It departed then, or at least disappeared; she could still feel the presence, and took strength in that, eyes heavy after the exertions of the day drifting shut.

"Honey, I..." Tague stopped in the doorway to their room, looking at his beautiful wife in awe, feeling pride in his having saved her from an unknown danger, and relief that their family was whole. She was sleeping peacefully. He smiled, then scolded himself for wondering how long before she would consent to their making their family larger...

CAST

Pokrovska- city

Karen Kennedywife, physician, natural strawberry blonde

Tague 'Tag' Kennedyhusband, lawyerbald (was blonde)

Terri real estate agent

Matthew Parkerjunior partner, Tague's coworker

Sherry ParkerMatthew's wife

Sheila Reednurse at the hospital

Matthew 'Matty' Andersondoc at the hospital, gay

Aaron Nickelhardware store owner

Kevin Fowlerex husband

Brenda Fowlernurse, absorbed into 'Sisterhood'

Brittani Verysphysician assistant at hospital not part of sisterhood. visible tats, brunette

Gregory Yefim Winterstheir oldest child now 21

DimitriWinters youngest child, 18

from Mad Monk's Progeny

Jeff Wintershusband

Alexandra (Alex) Winterswifemaiden name greer

Judith SykesRealtor

SheilaAlex friend

from before MMP1

Anna Parshukova1st owner Winter home

Dimitriher son, Efrimovich, shot/ burned/poisoned; cursed men

Mindy Peters his wife

Tom Shaw, sheriff

Faith Shaw, sheriff's wife

others:

Patty Cooper

Jo Marshall, after Mindy died