Midnight Ep. 049: TIMEBOMB

"Up! Walk like Nick said." Dawn rose to join her slave sister, Will now clutching Dawn's even longer mane guided them to the truck bed. "Get up there." Crawling in the girls rested on their hands and knees facing the cab, ass out. Nick then shut the tailgate on them.

"Joe? Recall me talking cages?"

"Yep."

"I need confinement cages built for the truck bed here. You asked if I had pets. I suppose I do." Joe rolled his eyes. "I need welded hooks here, here, here, here." Nick moved about the bed sides. "Those cages need to fit both slaves but with separate compartments. Barbwire lining around each mesh panel."

"Canopy in case it rains?"

"What do you think?"

"They get wet."

"Smart man. Whores should always be wet." Inspiration struck! "Scratch the cage building I just remembered I know a guy who owes me. You can still weld thick hooks to the bed for tie downs."

"Incoming Nick." Will nodded toward the main road to see, "Hey Joe? Isn't that the red Jaguar we saw at the dealership?"

"I think so. Is that Crimson Merrick driving it? That Jag belonged to an African American gal. Did Nodin buy her a new car? No, Merrick is too cheap to buy his kids anything that expensive."

Pulling up behind Lakshmi, Crimson turned her new ride off and got out. The big black van pulling up behind her sat idle a spell. Nick seeing them stood with arms folded.

"Will? Take Veronica and the Surve girl to your truck. They can finish up in your bed."

"Got it." A swift snatch of Veronica by her hair he pulled her face away from her spicy friend. Telling Lakshmi to join them he took the girls away. Joe seemed intrigued as to who the driver in the van was. The second Opal stepped out he dropped his jaw. Instant recognition.

"She said she owned that, Jag. I'm confused."

Opal marched past Crimson and directly up to Nick and saluted him.

"At ease."

"Wait! You two know one another? Of course, you do."

"Nice haunt, Major."

"Major?" Joe was lost.

"Mister Mustang!" Opal winked at Joe. "Sorry for the deception. I had a job to do."

"I was the job." Crimson stepped up, "Hi, Mister Redmane."

"More Red." Opal chuckled. "Oozes everywhere you look."

"Report or get back in your van." Nick hissed. "Joe? Drive the sluts up to the house. I'll be there shortly." Joe scowled and took his leave, Opal smirking over his reaction.

"My dad is on his way here."

"I know. Easy enough prediction. You look better. Good to see you with color in your face."

"I feel pretty good for almost dying."

"You have a long life ahead of you."

"No leads on Cyber she's gone cold." Opal revealed. "I'm going into Caretaker and getting a hotel room. I need a hot shower and a real sleep. Dyson has her eyes open. My gut says Cyber won't leave her main squeeze here now that they've swapped spit."

"You won't hurt Jasmine... will you, Mister Sanchez?"

"Never my intent. Depends on her Merrick. Walk with me. Let's chat before you father gets here. Obsibian? Rinse that submission crap off of yourself, you're stronger than that."

"Oh, I know! Tigress is in the jungle Major."

"Trademark?"

"You know it."

"I'll give you a tour once you reel in Cyber. Go away, Lieutenant."

"Sir!" Salute and retreat! Crimson trembled hard as Nick motioned her over the bridge. Snakes were everywhere, she just knew it. Maybe it was just seeing the plates on Nick's Raptor as they crossed. HIS looked so very much like HISS.

On the way to the Gladiator Nick noted Samuel Bearpaw digging around the foundation to assist the landscapers. Pausing Crimson, Nick whistled at Sam. "Bring your shovel." Sam reluctantly left his hole and ventured over to Nick and Crimson.

"What do you need?"

"Bury your past. Take your daughter and Midnight to the basement. That hole in the concrete? Make the girls dig down four feet. We'll bury that treasure once and for all."

"I can dig it."

"I said... the girls do the digging. Get them started then leave them be."

"Alright!" He shrugged as Nick led him to the Gladiator. Dropping the gate Nick ordered the ladies out and sent them with Sam. Out of his hair Nick asked Joe to put the Jeep away for the night.

"Where were we?"

"I feel like you're ready to punish me."

"For what? Obeying your father in hiring Cyber to take my money?"

"I didn't know she would do that. Heck, I didn't know he was even a she until yesterday." Nick led her down to the cove to watch the ocean waves. Standing with his back to her, arms folded behind him, Nick nodded.

"If Cyber returns every penny, I'll invite her to work for me. Trust must be established now that it's been tarnished."

"She's afraid, Mister Sanchez."

"She should be. I just saved her life, and yours. She was digging... " He paused to think about the slaves digging the pit in the basement, "...into places that would have alerted the wrong people. My hunter is far better than theirs. Trust me on that. Even your father would have been taken out by learning things so top secret that... you get the idea. Jasmine, you say?"

"Yes! She said she deleted her own existence and assumed a name I gave her. Jasmine Rivers... I mean Riviera. I like her new name."

"You like her, don't you?"

"I think so. I've never had a... girlfriend. Not even a boyfriend really. Sex is all. Daddy always forbids Mikaela and I to get attached."

"You let your father rule your life."

"You rule Midnight and Lillian. Much the same."

"Not even close. They are not my children. They are my possessions."

"Still feels that way with dad. Since mom died, he's had Mikki and I on a leash. Afraid to let us... live."

"I can give you freedom."

"I want that, but it terrifies me. I don't know where to go."

"School. Charleston. I'll pay your tuition in full for four years. Mikaela too if she wants it. And no, I will not allow Cyber... Jasmine to make up false degrees. Earn them on your own."

"That's very nice of you. Why would you do that for us?"

"Because I can."

"Would I have to be like Lillian and Midnight?"

"No. But there would be rules."

"Such as?"

"Another time. The Elders are here." Ticking timebomb!

"What? How do you know?" Lifting his cell, he shared a silent text from Dyson. Sadly, these particular pests walked right through the new security system.

Snakes!

As if Crimson needed anymore venom.

Boo Hiss!