Without law 17, p.5
Without Law 17, page 5
“So, when are we leaving tomorrow?” Ben asked as he walked up and clapped me on the shoulder.
“First light,” I told the pilot.
“I saw you making friends with some of the guys over there,” he said with an amused grin. “How’d that go?”
“They think we’re just civilians,” I chuckled and shrugged.
“I hope you told them otherwise,” he said.
“Nah.” I shook my head. “No need to explain myself to them. I’m here to do a job, I don’t care what they think of me. Besides, tomorrow they’ll be under my command.”
“Damn right,” Ben chuckled. “You’d think they would take us more seriously considering the machinery we brought with us.”
Ben gestured to the howitzer, and I nodded.
“You’d think.” I shrugged. “But they’ve been out here a long time together. I didn’t expect them to be welcoming of newcomers.”
Once Anna and Bailey got the fire going, then a few of us gathered around while Tara started to make dinner. Some of the civilians chose to hang out in their tents instead, but the preppers stayed with the girls and I while we discussed the plan for tomorrow.
“I found it on the map,” Paige said after we’d been around the fire for a few minutes. “It shouldn’t be too hard to get to.”
“The Captain said Norfolk was crawling with NK soldiers,” Anna said. “But I didn’t see any when we went through earlier.”
“I didn’t, either,” I agreed. “But they could have been well-hidden, or avoiding the main road.”
“Probably,” Paige agreed. “I’m sure they’ve been keeping an eye on our troops, so they’d know they travel on the main roads.”
“I know they’re waiting for the rest of the troops,” Bailey said. “But why not attack them now? They probably have us outnumbered.”
“It’ll be easier if we’re outnumbered ten to one instead of three to one,” I said. “Besides, small conflicts are dangerous, why risk getting into a fight and getting shot when you could just wait for your buddies to bomb the whole damn place?”
“Fair point.” The blonde nodded.
“We’ll just have to be extra careful on the way over there,” I said.
“We can clear off the trailer,” Johnny, the leader of the preppers, said, then he turned to Ben. “Will it be large enough to carry one of the older planes?”
“Probably not.” Ben shook his head. “I can fly it back, though.”
The Air Force pilot had lost his leg in battle somehow, I’d never asked how, but the metal prosthetic where his shin should have been shone in the firelight, and I was reminded of what he’d already sacrificed for his country.
“I’ll ride with you if there’s room,” Johnny said. “Those things usually sit two, right?”
“Actually,” I said. “I was hoping I could get you all to stay and keep an eye on things here.”
“I think you might need me to get the plane back here,” Ben chuckled.
“Of course,” I laughed. “But I think we should limit how many people go back into the city. If there are other NK soldiers there, I want to be discreet. They don’t need to know that we’ve arrived, they could possibly get a message to their buddies from Boston that the Americans have reinforcements, and that’s the last thing I want. We need the element of surprise here.”
“Good point,” Johnny agreed. “We’ll hold down the fort.”
Tara got dinner going, and the smell was absolutely delicious. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the scent of meat and vegetables filled the air. My stomach growled of its own accord, and my mouth watered in response.
We’d been driving all day, and now it was night time, and I”d barely eaten.
Betty had made us a large breakfast before we left, but we hadn’t eaten much for lunch. The older woman had packed us some extra jerky, muffins, and vegetables for the drive, but I hadn’t been hungry enough to eat any of it.
The excitement of the trip had done me in, and it was all I could focus on while we drove. I wasn’t sure what we were going to find when we got here, but after seeing New York and Washington, I wasn’t very hopeful.
At some point, part of me thought that the trip was about to be a waste. I half expected to get down here and find the troops had already been annihilated long ago.
I had to remind myself that the orders didn’t lie, but the destruction of the surrounding area was enough to put me on edge.
I was glad to see our boys had made it, though there weren’t very many of them left. I knew there were more in the Appalachians holding off more forces, and I didn’t doubt there were others scattered here and there along the eastern coast, too.
The NK troops may have put a large dent in the size of our troops, but they wouldn’t crush our spirits, and they wouldn’t take our country without a fight. Just being here reminded me of that. These men could have left their post at any time with hardly any consequences, but they’d chosen to stay. They weren’t forced to stay under the threat of a dishonorable discharge, they’d stayed because of their own sense of honor and morality, and that was something I had to respect.
I was about to be fighting with true patriots, and that thought made me smile. Almost as much as the smell of Tara’s delicious dinner.
“How much longer?” I asked as I peered into the pot.
“Not much,” the platinum-blonde laughed. “I told you you should have eaten something on the drive here.”
“I wasn’t hungry,” I said, and I reached over and gave her a playful push.
“And now you’re starved,” she teased.
“Right,” I laughed.
“Okay,” Paige said, and she pulled her nose out of the map for a second. “I have three routes we can take to get to the museum.”
“Good call,” I told the brunette. “Do they all meet somewhere?”
“Just after we get off the bridge.” She nodded.
“We’ll go over them first thing before we leave,” I said. “But we’ll look at the area when we get there, too, and see if we want to adjust.”
“Sounds good.” The brunette put her map back into her bag, then she yawned and stretched her feet out toward the flames in front of her. “When’s dinner gonna be ready?”
“Did you not hear the conversation Tav and I literally just had?” Tara chuckled.
“No,” Paige said, and her eyebrows pinched together. “Did he ask when dinner would be ready, too?”
“Oh, my god,” Tara laughed. “Do you hear anything when you’re looking at those maps of yours?”
“Not really,” the brunette admitted with a smile. “I get pretty in the zone.”
“Clearly.” Tara shook her head. “It’ll be ready soon, it just needs to warm up some more.”
We were all quiet for a bit while the fire crackled and the scent of the food in the pot continued to fill the air. The men around the yard were still in their own areas, but I saw a couple of them look up and over at us as if they were trying to figure out where the smell was coming from.
Someone was cooking at their fire as well, and I’d seen their supply of food, so I knew they weren’t going hungry, but just because they had food didn’t mean it tasted good. I knew firsthand how terrible military grub could be when it was meant strictly for sustenance and not for enjoyment.
If they’d been a little nicer, I might have offered for them to join us, but for the time being, I’d let them enjoy their own cooking. Once we all got better acquainted, then I’d ask Tara to cook for them. I wasn’t out to punish anybody, after all, and I figured they could probably use a decent meal at some point.
Most military men I knew weren’t the greatest cooks. We were survivalists by nature, so we knew how to catch fish and grill ‘em up to have a fulfilling dinner, but that didn’t mean it was satisfying.
It wasn’t long before dinner was ready, and I eagerly took the bowl Tara passed to me. The mix of beans, meat, and vegetables hit my mouth and made it water even more. I breathed out a small sigh of relief as I chewed, then I went back for another. It really was good to have someone on the team who knew how to cook.
We all ate in silence, for a while, then I heard someone approach from behind me, and I turned around just as a beautiful dark-haired woman reached her hand out to tap me on the shoulder.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said with a smile, and she pulled her hand back. “Are you Connor?”
“Tav.” I nodded.
“Tav?” she asked.
“Connor Tavish,” I elaborated. “Everyone calls me Tav.”
“Tav it is, then,” she chuckled and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
The woman was absolutely stunning. She was Asian, with clear, slightly tanned skin, dark eyes, and deep brown hair that hung down to her small, perky breasts. Her nose was long and slender, and her full lips were a dark pink color that made them impossible to not stare at. She had round cheeks, and a small, pointed chin, and she smiled at me with a sweet shyness that only served to make my heart rate spike slightly.
She wore a black short-sleeved shirt and blue camo navy pants. The shirt was tight, so I could see the curves of her figure. The pants fit well, too, and there was just something about a woman in uniform that was particularly sexy.
“And what’s your name?” I asked.
“Ensign Minji Park,” the beautiful woman said. “I’m the Korean translator for the captain.”
“Nice to meet you,” I told her, and I held my hand out for her to shake it.
“You as well,” she said, and I got the sense this was more of a business meeting than an informal meet and greet.
“So, Minji,” I said, and my eyebrows furrowed. “Did the captain send you over?”
“Not exactly.” The dark-haired beauty smiled. “I was actually hoping to speak to your translator.”
“Oh.” I nodded and gestured to Paige. “This is Paige, she did the translation of the note.”
“Right,” the brunette agreed, and she quickly swallowed the mouthful of food she had. “I’m not really a translator, though. Did you look it over? Was there something wrong with it?”
“On the contrary,” Minji said, and she walked over toward Paige. “I just wanted to congratulate you on a wonderful job. The Captain explained that you don’t actually speak Korean, so I was impressed to see how well the note was translated.”
Paige’s eyes widened, then a huge grin flashed across her face. “Thank you so much.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Minji said as she sat next to Paige. “How did you manage to translate the note?”
“It wasn’t easy,” Paige scoffed. “And I did have some help. One of the women we left back at camp assisted with the translation.”
“Not only a translation,” the dark-haired woman corrected. “It was a code as well. Another reason I was so impressed with your work.”
“Once we realized it was a code, we nearly gave up,” Paige chuckled. “But it had to be done. We just used a Korean translation book.”
“You did this with only a reference book?” Minji asked, and her eyes widened with surprise.
“It’s all we had.” Paige shrugged slightly.
“That is impressive,” the Korean woman said. “You must be very intelligent.”
“Yeah, yeah, Paige is smart, we know,” Tara joked and rolled her eyes.
“You would know,” Paige said to Minji, and she completely ignored Tara. “I think I remember from the book, doesn’t your name mean highly intelligent?”
“I think the translation is closer to sharp intellect,” Minji chuckled. “But yes, my parents had high aspirations for me.”
“Clearly you succeeded.” Paige smiled. “I’m sure it’s not easy to become a military translator.”
“I had to get a high clearance,” Minji agreed. “But I was raised mostly in the states.”
“When did you get here?” Tara inquired.
“I was ten when my family moved here,” she explained. “My mother had dual citizenship for a long time, and we finally decided to move her permanently. It was quite the change.”
“What was the biggest culture shock you experienced?” Bailey asked, and she leaned forward with excitement.
“Ice cream,” Minji said with a small shake of her head.
“Ice cream?” Anna asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It sounds strange,” she laughed. “But as a ten year old, I was very fond of ice cream.”
“Is American ice cream different from Korean ice cream?” Tara asked.
“Very much so.” Minji nodded. “My favorite ice cream back in Korea was a traditional ice cream called patbingsu. It’s made with shaved ice, condensed milk, and red bean paste. I used to get mine with bananas and raspberries as well.”
“You’re right,” Tara laughed. “That sounds nothing like ice cream.”
“Oh, but it is delicious,” Minji chuckled. “I had to get used to the ice cream here. But I discovered something called Rocky Road, and then I didn’t feel so bad leaving patbingsu behind.”
“Ewwww,” Tara chuckled. “Rocky Road is, like, the worst flavor.”
“You don’t like Rocky Road?” Paige scoffed. “Who even are you?”
“Um, someone with good taste,” the platinum-blonde said with a flip of her ponytail.
“I like Rocky Road, too,” Bailey said quietly.
“Bails!” Tara exclaimed. “Not you, too.”
“You’re not going to like this,” I said.
“No.” Tara looked at me with wide eyes, and she leaned her head backs slightly and whispered. “No, Tav, say it isn’t so.”
“I like Rocky Road,” I chuckled.
“Me, too,” Anna agreed. “I think you’re outnumbered here, Tar.”
“You all are disgusting,” Tara sneered playfully.
“She’s only kidding,” Paige told Minji.
“Yes, I can see you all are very close,” the Korean woman said, and I caught her eye over the fire. She looked down, and I thought I saw a flash of pink in her cheeks before she looked back up at me through her thick, deep brown lashes.
“I’ve barely seen any other women around here,” Anna remarked. “It must be hard being around so many men all the time.”
“It’s not so bad,” she said with a small smile. “I mostly stay in my quarters. The Captain told me you all have a deal, though?”
“That’s right,” I chuckled. “We just have to get a plane by the end of the day tomorrow, then he’ll lend us some of the Navy SEALS to take out the ships in the harbor.”
“That would be exciting.” Minji looked me up and down, and I felt my heart rate jump again under her gaze.
“It will be,” I assured.
“Well.” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and shook her head slightly. “I should let you all finish eating, but I will be in my quarters if anyone needs me.”
“It was good to meet you.” Paige smiled and held her hand out.
“And you as well,” Minji said as she shook the brunette’s hand.
The beautiful Korean woman smiled again, then she looked down and headed back inside.
“So, you gonna hit that?” Tara asked with a raised eyebrow just as I took a bite of stew.
I nearly spat the food out of my mouth at her question, but instead I just made a terrible snorting sound, collected myself, and managed to swallow without too much incident while the girls all giggled like maniacs.
“You okay there, Tav?” Tara laughed.
“Maybe if you weren’t so vulgar he wouldn’t be choking on his food,” Anna commented.
“You nearly killed Tav,” Paige joked.
“I’m fine,” I said, but I hadn’t completely regained my voice yet.
“Damn, I didn’t think my question was going to catch you off guard so much,” Tara giggled.
“I didn’t think you’d be asking me about having sex with another woman half a minute after meeting her,” I chuckled.
“She’s hot as fuck.” Tara shrugged.
“Super hot, and she was definitely eyeing you.” Anna nodded.
“I think Tav might have been eyeing her a little bit, too.” Paige smiled.
“She was really pretty,” Bailey said. “Her lips are yummy looking.”
“She was an attractive woman,” I said. “But we have other things to worry about at the moment.”
“Whatev.” Tara shrugged again. “You don’t have to bang her, but you totally can if you want to.”
The rest of the girls shrugged and nodded, too. Apparently, they were all on board with this.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I chuckled.
After that odd conversation, we all finished eating, and I thought about what the girls had said. It was still incredible to me they were so willing to let another woman into my life, but as Tara had said, they were my main squeezes. It was true, too. They knew they never had anything to worry about. Nobody could ever replace them.
Not only were they my women, but they were the best teammates I’d ever had, and I needed them with me while I took on this mission. I wouldn’t want to do it without them.
After dinner, I headed to the woods to relieve myself, but just as I finished up, I heard something behind me.
I quickly reached for my plasma weapon and spun around.
“Don’t shoot!” a female voice called.
Chapter 5
“Tara?” I asked. “Is that you?”
“Yes,” the platinum-blonde said, and a second later she came into view. She wrinkled her nose as she pushed a branch out of her face and walked toward me.
“Hey,” I laughed. “What are you doing out here?”
“Following you,” she said with a wide smile.
“Is that so?” I chuckled.
“Oh, yeah.” The platinum-blonde walked over and grabbed me by the shirt.
“There any particular reason you were following me?” I asked with a half smile.
“I think you know.” She grinned.
“I’m not sure I do,” I lied. “Why don’t you show me?”
