Chapter 45

While I was musing about the immediate future, Amy (silver cellophane short shift), Phoebe (solid silver panties), Laura and Rochelle (½-sheer white short shifts), and Britney (her ½-sheer white lab coat, opened, her laptop, closed) peeped in the door. This smelled like a delegation. House, Clinic, Academy and NSA, who gets to go first?

“What a surprise, ladies. You look very casually business-like, so who gets to go first?” I laughed. “Am I in trouble? There is this: two more Bakers are in the house. Dazi and Dezi, twins, slightly younger than the Demon Trips. We’re rescuing the city from them. I’m fairly certain they will live here.” I smiled. “You may have to make room in the dorms.”

“The more, the merrier, Sir.” Amy said. “We have plenty of room for sisters of sisters.”

“Good thing, too. We have two more faculty members who want to join our merry band of freewheeling lunacy. Neither Dixie nor Debra know anything about our National Security responsibilities, but wanted to move into Mrs. Ryan’s apartment building before it was filled. Now, both are hoping to get a place in Zephyr North.” Rochelle began. “The lease is expiring at their loft in SoHo and the rent increase is ridiculous. They aren’t real happy with the ‘scene’ down there, either.”

“I think they would be a nice addition to RIA, I have cleared them, security-wise, already. Dixie can work with Karen on future MMTG projects and Debra can be a physical fitness advisor.” I raised an eyebrow. “I see that both seem to be dressed to blend in, but are a quite self-conscious. Given our rules and relaxed apparel habits, can they live in close proximity to us? Will they continue voluntarily or will they feel coerced? And the biggie, will they understand my relationship with my sisters and daughter?”

“Riza says they have a ‘live and let live’ attitude, but are a bit short on the ‘live’ side. Somewhat like Bailey, Faye and the Cymbalines.” Rochelle smiled, “Two more cases of social lives sacrificed for careers.”

“If they stick around, beyond the requirements of RIA, I insist they follow our simple rules and contribute to the maintenance of the house.” I countered, “Now, can the girls live with them? That requires a house vote before I admit strangers into the family. Having apartments in Z-North gives them access to our inner sanctum. Our private lives must remain private. There are Zephyr secrets, Airwear secrets and National Security secrets. None are fodder for gossip.”

“Our original B-H girls like them as people and instructors, Sir. I don’t anticipate a problem from the family, but we’ll see if they survive the night.” She smiled. “The Tanners and their cameras are the first challenge. Those three are a force of nature. On another front, our favorite spook has been busy, too.”

“That sounds ominous, XO. Someone needs to fill me in.” I said. “Laura?”

“Colonel Billings has been matchmaking again, Piper. Marine SSgt. Megan Pantera, Urban Entry Tactician, and Thea Buchanan, Navy CPO, Bomb Tech, are our new replacements.” Laura grinned, “More socially isolated, glass ceiling victims, both have Master’s degrees from Virginia Tech, but don’t play well with senior officers holding them back.”

“Non-commissioned officers, bad attitudes and advanced degrees. Our kind of people. Nice. Degrees in what?”

“Megan’s is Civil Engineering and Thea’s is Chemistry. Skills wasted on the regular military, invaluable here.” Belle chuckled, “They will arrive in the morning with the new five-ton truck. I suspect they will thrive in this free but serious atmosphere. Word is that they respect ability over rank. Extremely good at what they do. Trouble comes when they get passed over for assignments. Never insubordinate exactly, but not eager to do scut work.”

Laura gave the usual details:

((((((Insert Chap45 Chart 1.htm here))))))

Name Age Hgt. Eyes Hair Size Rank MOS Megan Pantera 23 5’10” blue blonde B+ SSgt, USMC, Urban War Thea Buchanan 23 5’08” green brown C CPO, USN, Bomb Tech

“Both grew up in Key West and have the expected distain for standard uniforms and uniformity. They just don’t fit in the normal niches.”

“Sounds like a good fit for us. And we need to fill in the Mike and Norm niche, team-wise. I like. Gonna quarter them primarily at the pier, but rotate them where needed, like everyone else?” I grinned. “The ‘Penny Dreadful’ and the new helicopter could use a third crew member.”

“Haven’t decided yet.” Laura admitted. “But probably. Off hours, they can learn the front office routine at the Clinic or help out at the new pastry shop up at 72nd Street. Both are upper intermediate level in Krav Maga and are expert marksmen. Covert security is a good thing. Learning to make a killer cheese Danish and grape-pecan chicken salad is a bonus.”

“That’s why I’m here. I need one more staff member in the Clinic in addition to either Thea or Megan. Someone we can train up as a nurse and receptionist with triage duties.” Phoebe started, “Not full time, but at least on call. We will soon have over a hundred medical records in the Women’s Clinic alone. Then we have the anticipated normal referral and walk-in business when the doors open next week.”

“Talk to Leah. She wants to enter pre-med in college. Her Mom was a respected thoracic surgeon and the last procedure she performed was a heart transplant at NYU Medical Center.” I answered. “She should be happy to give it a shot. Maggie Riker in Diagnostic Imaging would be a good fit if you can get her qualified.”

“Laura, Phoebe, Rochelle, Amy. Sorry to be this way, but Major Allyn and I have some rather highly classified matters to discuss, both NSA and RIA.” Britney shrugged, “Can we have the room?”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Laura laughed. “If it affects us, we’ll find out later. I have enough to do. Don’t need more.” The four girls left us alone.

“OK, Brit. What’s the big deal?”

“Billings is in a moral bind. Certain candidates running for the vacated seats in Congress are beginning to portray the deposed bad guys as innocent victims of government repression and persecution. He suspects they are next generation rabble-rousers allied with the surviving supporters of Fritz Whitesides and the Reverend Jeremiah Austin.”

“They filed with the election boards mighty quick! Now that I think about it, the voting election days are what, four weeks away?”

“Precisely! Someone was ready before the dust settled.”

“Any action the spook corps takes to circumvent another coup attempt fires up the tinfoil hat and conspiracy fan base, excuse me, electorate. Add those voters to the closet racists and religious ‘enthusiasts’ and it equals trouble if reasonable citizens are too uninspired to go to the polls.” I shrugged sadly, “We can’t let them get elected, even if the majority of the people currently bothering to vote buy into the paranoid insanity, nor can we tamper with the count. That’s worse. Change the conversation, do not ever screw with the mechanics.”