Time Never Waits Pt. 10

I looked around and spotted Angela. Nudging her brain, she looked around toward me. I gestured for her to come over.

She grabbed her plate and excused herself from the conversation she'd been having and came over and sat.

"What's up, my love?"

"I'm just feeling a little needy tonight."

"Well, let mama see if she can make it all better."

"You know, I still owe you that vacation i promised you."

She laughed at that. Looking at her swollen belly,

"Do I look like I'm ready to travel?

"Well, no, but I just don't want you to think I'd forgotten about it."

"No, I understand that. You have a lot coming together right now. The beginning of this thing you are creating. I'm here for you. I know my role. I'm thankful for you. For the blessing of this child we made. Speaking of which, your mother and I had a talk the other day. She and I are only just shy of three years apart in age.I'm 35 and she's 38. She was thinking about raising her baby alone."

She got quiet then. But I waited, eating pizza and chasing it with beer.

"I think... No, that's not correct... She pretty much told me she was considering moving on."

"Moving on? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, move on. To a new chapter in life, so to speak."

I shook my head, confused.

"I don't understand."

She just shook her head,

"No, I guess you don't. As smart as you are, you can be a complete lunkhead sometimes."

I'll grant her that point for sure.

"She has a child to raise. A child fathered by her biological son. Not exactly something the general public would find particularly endearing. So, she wants to find a suitable man that would be willing to stand by her doing that."

"Ah, now I see."

"Yes, well, the other day when we were shopping, the manager of the store started flirting with her after he found out she was single. Turns out, he's shooting blanks. Can't father children. His wife, who wants children, flew the coop on him and divorced him a year or so ago."

"So, she finds this man attractive?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's handsome, responsible, all that, and definitely interested in her, soooo."

"Ok, I get it. Now what's the problem?"

"She's afraid of how you'd react to that idea."

"Well, shit. I'd never stand in the way of whatever makes her happy. If that's what she thinks is the best course of action, I'll stand by her one hundred percent."

"I told her that's what you'd think. But she was overthinking it."

"Ok, I'll talk to her about it."

"Thank you, my sweet man. I knew you would back her up."

Virginia made her debut onto the scene then. She was carrying a beer and a slice of pizza. I nodded and she sat, facing Angela.

"I want to fuck your man. He also explained the rules to me. So, to make it clear that I understand the rules, I'm going to begin by acknowledging your position as the dominant female here. I'm going to accomplish this by eating your pussy to your satisfaction. Now, I've never done that before. I've only even thought about it, once, and that was during my sophomore year in college, but I chickened out. But, I've thought this through, and my desire to have him inside me is stronger than my aversion to having pussy in my mouth."

Angela studied her face, weighing her possible responses. She finally settled on one.

"Virginia, I can't think of any solid reason I would expect you to do that right now. I will say this though, the idea of you eating my pussy does make me wet just thinking about it. You are a gorgeous old broad. So, go ahead and wrap your pussy around his cock. If you still feel the same way later, well, you know where to find me."

I just shook my head, not wanting to get involved with that.

Then it happened.

Rifle fire erupted at the gate. It quickly escalated into a full blown fire fight. Gerald came running to me. I was the principal. His primary responsibility. He was flanked by two guards. I was already on the move. I yelled at them,

"Take care of the women!"

I continued my direction and went to the gun vault and retrieved an M1 Garand I had checked out. Then loaded it. Grabbed a pair of bandoliers of ammo. Threw on a pistol belt, loaded a 1911, holstered it and grabbed a handful of spare magazines.

Snatching the radio from its charger on my desk, I turned it on, hearing the calls of my people as the leaders issued orders.

I ran out and through the gate, sprinting across the yard toward the guard house. I saw one of my people down, he wasn't moving. Outside the gate were two black Suburban's.

The guards were pouring fire at them. There were muzzle fashes coming from around the Suburban's.

I made a quick decision. Turning, I sprinted through the darkness and went prone where I had an oblique angle on the attackers. I had counted six muzzle flashes. Ok, so, whoever it was, they asked for this.

I sighted in on the Suburban closest to me and dumped the entire clip into it, picking spots where I figured they were taking cover on the other side. I was rewarded by a scream and a yelp as the rounds ripped through the vehicles and connected.

I slammed in a fresh clip, slapped the bolt home and sighted in on one of the attckers that I'd hit. He was doubled over, grasping his belly. I fired another round into him and he dropped. Another tried the hero move to go get him, but I was still sighted in on the fallen guy. As soon as his would-be rescuer broke cover, I just shifted the muzzle slightly and gave him one through his chest for his troubles. He fell on his face.

The others finally realized they'd been flanked and tried to reposition. I knew two were down, with a possible downed. So, three or four left. I shot the gas tanks on both. I reloaded then waited a moment. The I started popping off rounds at the ground. The sparks ignited the fumes and the area exploded in a blinding flash.

The attackers dropped their weapons and threw their hands up, walking out into the open, going to their knees.

The guards ran out and secured them. I gathered up my brass and went over. A medically trained guard was tending to our wounded man. He'd been hit through the upper shoulder and a glancing blow just above his ear that had knocked him unconcious.

The medic looked up at me and saw the scared look on my face,

"He'll be fine. Flesh wounds. The shoulder was through and through."

Relieved, I handed my rifle and gear to the nearest guards. Then I walked over to the prisoners.

"Get them inside the gate. Those bodies, too. I want them over in the barn so we can have a little talk. The rest of you, get this fire put out and these trucks off the road. Then sweep up their brass."

I went to Gerald who had just showed up with Lorene. She started assisting the medic.

He looked at me,

"Any idea what they were here for?"

"Yep, the gold and the cash. I bet if you go back up the road, you'll find a couple of trucks stashed."

He nodded, then watched his men working. Satisfied, he followed me to the barn. I walked in and looked them over.

"OK, who's in charge of this ragtag little bunch?"

They all looked at the guy at the end on the left.

"Ok then, we have a winner. Help him to his feet and bring him here."

One of the guards got a couple of folding metal chairs hanging on the wall, opened them up and the guy sat down on one.

"Ok, slick, you and I are going to get to know each other really well."

I studied his face carefully.

"So, to dispense with all the typical blustering and hype about all the bad shit I'm going to do, i'll just ask you questions. If I'm satisfied with your answers, you live. Even one small misstep, I'll bury the lot of you alive. Understood?"

He nodded.

"OK, what's the story. Why are you here? What are your orders? I'll give you the chance to save yourself the hassle of being shoved in a wood box and buried alive. You get one chance, better make the most of it. If I even begin to suspect that you are being less than one hundred percent honest, I swear before all that is holy, I will stuff you in a plywood casket and bury you alive in that lake bed out there. Your body will never be found."

"Look, man," he began in earnest, "we're supposed to recover the cash and gold. Then take you all out. It's not us. We're just contractors. We don't have a problem with you."

I nodded,

"OK, final chance to walk away from here. Spill it."

"Please man, if I tell you that, they'll..."

I hit him with a no bullshit set of instructions. The truth. I was tired of fucking around.

He laid it out then. Two men in San Antonio hired them. Paid cash up front. Recover the assets and eliminate any witnesses. He gave up the address, the phone number, just no names. He was never provided that. But he did give a rather comprehensive description of the two men.

"Now, see how easy that was? Why'd you force me to make you tell me? It would have gone so much better for you."

I turned to Gerald.

"Get the chopper. Go pay that address a visit. Call me with what you find. Better yet, take a couple with you, bring them back. I'd love to have a meangful little chat with them."

I looked to another guard.

"There's plywood over at the lodge where the crews are at. Go get enough to make four boxes."

I looked over at the other guards,

"One of y'all help him, please."

Then I walked out, heading back to the gate. Arriving, I saw a guard hosing the blood and residue off the road. Another was inspecting the guard house, making a list of repairs required.

I started circling it. Making calculations. I made mental notes for improvements. Then I went in, gathered my rifle and gear, then headed to the house. I found everybody gathered up in the living room being guarded by two men stationed at the entrance.. Lorene and the medic were in the cabana finishing up the wounded man's treatment. I watched her stitch him up. Appreciating her skill.

I could see my guard was in pain. Not having anything to dull it but tequila. I sent him a small set of instructions that made his brain block the pain. He smiled in relief as it subsided.

He'd need antibiotics as well.

Lorene finished her stitching, flooded the areas, front and back, first with hydrogen peroxide, then with iodine, and bandaged him up neatly.

I looked at the guard and Alice.

"Come with me."

We went to the office and looked up the closest emergency room, got a sack of cash. Then we walked to my truck. I drove to the hospital.

"Lorene, we're going in. I"ll do the greetings, you stand by with him."

I went to the desk, instructed the lady to get the ER doctor here. When he arrived, I hit him up with the necessary instructions. Calling Lorene over,

"Give her whatever she asks you for."

He just nodded. Looking around in confusion.

Lorene retrieved a pad and paper from the receptionist and wrote down a list, then handed it to the doctor. He looked at it, then at me, and left. He returned a while later with a big box of supplies.

"Add that up. The cost."

"I don't know what this stuff costs. I just prescribe it."

I handed him the sack of cash.

"Will that cover the supplies and your trouble?"

He pulled the cash out and looked at it, then nodded.

"Absolutely. And then some."

"OK, can you do me a favor and give him a shot of antibiotics?"

He looked at the guard. Made up his mind,

"Certainly, come with me, please."

We went into an exam room. He sat the guard down.

"Take of your shirt, please."

After he got it off, the doctor looked him over. Got out a thermometer and blood pressure cuff, then took his vitals.

Satisfied with the results, he studied the wounds. Nodding, he moved on with his inspection. Check his eyes, reflexes. Then started asking questions.

"Are you currently taking any medications or supplements, either prescription or over the counter? Any drug or steroid use? Any allergies?"

The guard answered to his satisfaction. He went back to the wounds.

"This is impressive. Nicely done."

Lorene smiled,

"Thank you, doctor."

"This is your work?"

She nodded.

"Hmmm." he grunted.

Then he left, returning with a vial and large pill bottle. He opened a drawer and got out a syringe, drew up liquid and injected it into the guard. He dropped the syringe into a waste receptacle. Handed the bottle to Lorene.

"Make sure he gets these twice daily. If he develops and complications, call me."

He reached in his pocket and took out a card.

"This is my office number."

He wrote on the back,

"My home and pager numbers."

Then handed it to her.

I studied the doctor closely. I sensed abnormal stress. The dark circles under his eyes telling of the lack of sleep. His palor was pale. Probably not eating well. I looked at his ring finger. I could still see the faded pale circle where he once wore a wedding band.

I turned to Lorene.

"Take the supplies and y'all go wait in the truck. I need to speak to the doctor in private."

After they left, I turned my attention back to him.

"Doctor, I can't thank you enough for this. Now, I'd like to ask you some questions."

He sat down on the exam table and looked at me

"How much you make here?"

"$100,000 and no benefits."

"Are you happy? Working here, i mean."

He shrugged,

"Not really, no."

"Married?"

"Recently divorced. My wife took up with the chief of surgery. Left me. I was a surgeon. He got me kicked off the team. I was a trauma surgeon. The stuck me down here. I got a DWI on the day of our final court hearing. Now my tenure here is on probation. I paid the fines and all that bullshit, so my legal shit is behind me. Now, I just get to listen to everybody snickering behind my back. But, I'm too broke to open my own practice. Been blackballed, nobody else will touch me."

"Well, doctor, I have a proposition for you. How about you come to work for me? I'll pay you $200,000 a year. Fund a clinic for you to start a practice. I just need you to be available to me at all times."

He thought a few moments, then seeming to like what he was hearing.

"Tell you what. How about I come for a visit and I'll look things over. I have to admit, I don't know who the hell you are, or how you're doing what you're doing, but I'm pretty sure you're a straight shooter, and why the hell not. I'm all but finished around here anyway."

"Alright then. I've got a ranch out east of town, come on out and I'll show you around."

He got up, held out his hand and I took it.

"I'll be out as soon as this shift is over."

We walked to the desk and I wrote down directions and left.

Driving up to the ranch, I continued my earlier thoughts on the tactical improvements I was going to make on the security situation. I wash't happy with the results of the engagement. We were too exposed.

I headed inside, checked on the women and went and go a drink. Sitting down, I stared at the rippling water in the pool, thinking about the attackers.

What to do with them. Fuck, I don't know. Why do people create these fucking problems? I heard the helicopter fly in and land. Heading out, I looked down at the runway, I saw five men. two dressed in suits with hoods over their heads.

Gerald and his men were taking them to the barn. I headed down there. Arriving, I saw the two men sitting in the chairs, hoods still in place. I motioned for the guard to take them off.

I went and retrieved another chair and sat down. Gerald handed me their wallets and I looked at their identifications, then handed them back. I focused on the men, each in turn, and when I was finished, they were prepped for questioning.

"OK, so, who wants to go first? Let's hear the story about why you sent armed men to my home."

"Because you have the gold and cash and we want it."

"Who else knows about it."

"Nobody. We are the last ones."

"What about the ones you sent before?"

"We removed them from the picture. They're dead."

"I see, so what do I do about you?"

"Look, we want the cash and the gold. But, it's not worth dying for."

"Right, just killing for, huh?"

He shrugged.

"It's a lot of money."

"Yes, it is indeed."

I looked at Gerald. He shrugged.

"Ok, here's what I'm going to do."

I dtripped their brains of any memory of me, the gold, the money, or this ranch.

"Follow my men, they will take you to town. You will sleep on the way. When you wake up, you will have no memory of anything that took place here, or of that money or gold. You will forget it even exists.L

I looked back at Gerald and he issued orders and these men were out of my life entirely.

Enough of this fucking around. After the men escorted the prisoners out, I motioned for Gerald to accompany me back to the guard house.

"Here's what I want to do. We'll install an addition back here. I want tunnels from that to stations along the fence. Then one going to the house. I also want heavy machine guns emplaced in the guard house and those stations. M60's and M2's. We won't be outgunned again."

"Well, boss, you and that Garand sure gave them the screaming shits."

I nodded,

"Yeah, the 30/06 has a way of making a believer out of you."

"Uh huh, and you handled yourself under fire like a pro."

"Just keep it to yourself. I'm just glad none of our men were killed."

"I'm just saying, you dropped those two like a bad habit, that's all."

"OK, get on the upgrades."

"Yes sir."

He took off. I went to the lake bed, got on a back hoe and dug a big hole. Big enough for the two Suburban's and the two bodies. After i was done, I went and hooked the trucks up and drug them to the hole. Went to the barn and rolled the bodies into the bucket. Taking them to the hole, I dumped them in, then pushed the Suburban's in. Then covered them up.

I got on the spray truck and drove over to the hole, and sprayed bentonite over the fresh earth. Stepping back, I surveyed my work. Looks good, I thought. Parked the equipment back where it was before and headed back to the house.

I was hungry when I sat down at my table. Juanita was at the bar. I motioned her over.

"How about a Shiner and a steak?"

"Coming right up, honey."

She got my beer and brought it over. Then started charcoal and went to the kitchen and returned with a thick ribeye and baked tater.

I sipped my beer and leaned back. Mom came out and sat down.

"Angela told you about my plans?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Mom, if that's what you want, then go for it. I'll not stand in your way. You'll have access to money, support, whatever you need or want."

She came around and hugged me, kissing me on the forehead.

"Goodnight, son."

I smiled at her and drained my beer, went to the bar and grabbed another. Lupe was grilling my steak and the smell of burning mesquite and charbroiled beef filled the air. My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled as I took my seat.

The door opened and two guards came in and positioned themselves as Gerald escorted the doctor in. I stood up and greeted him, shaking his hand.

"Have a seat, doctor. Are you hungry? Care for a drink?"

He cast an appreciative look around the courtyard.

"Honestly, that beer and steak are as close to irresistible as it gets."

"How you like it done?"

"Medium rare. All I've had today is an apple somebody gave me on the way by."

I looked at Gerald and the guards,

"You men hungry?"

Gerald nodded,

"I could eat. I know they could, as well."

"What about the guys in the shack?"

"I suppose the could, too. We've been throught it last night. Nobody had time to sit down for a real break."

"You guys gather around."

I hit the intercom,

"All you men in the guard house come to the courtyard, please."

When the four out there got here,

"How y'all like your steaks?"

Orders came in.

"OK. Two rare, four medium rare. Baked taters?"

Nods all around.

I got up and went to Juanita,