RoustWriter: Blog

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...After a pause, “Still want to be my wife?” he asked, half-seriously.

“If that was to be a joke, it is not funny,” she said as she stared him eye to eye.

He kissed her for a prolonged time before they finally pulled apart. She leaned against his chest, hugging him to her. “I know you are teasing, but it scares me when you kid or even imply that I won’t be your wife. Remember, please, that Miadax women have never had anything, not even clothes, unless they served to enhance our bodies to the man who wanted to have sex with us at the time. We were not even citizens as you understand the term.”

“I will never intentionally hurt you, but teasing and kidding around is part of me – part of everyone here, to one extent or another. If something hurts your feelings, just remember that the person who said or did the thing had no intention of hurting you. When we all know each other better, there will be less misunderstanding. Okay?”

Adrienné was nodding her head against his chest. “I will learn"...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...Near noon, they stood on the high point of a little rise using their binoculars to view the area ahead of them. “Look there,” Phillip said, pointing.

When he handed Dessie the binoculars and directed her where to look, she stood with the glasses to her eyes for a long moment before saying, “There’s a whole series of waterfalls coming down that smaller section of the mountain. Is that what you wanted me to see?”

“Yeah, the falls, at least the lower ones, are probably another two hours in front of us, and the area is rough, but as you can see, it sure looks nice.”

“Those falls are so pretty. We can bring in food and stay there for a week. Let’s do it, Baby.”

“The area is beautiful, no doubt, and we’re bound to find a decent place to put up our tent, but a week’s supply of food is going to be heavy to bring in. And don’t forget there is a two-day hike in, and the same on the trip back to the castle. A week will require eleven days’ worth of food. That’s a lot to carry in with the rest of the essentials.”...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...The two young women glanced at each other before Arlene continued for them. “Ann and I have given our statements, and according to Sergeant Higgins, so have Adrienné, Islea and Nyala. (Islea and Nyala are the First Officer’s women.) He told us not to discuss what happened with anyone outside the family until he could complete his investigation. Before we could even ask, he said that he could discuss none of his findings until he and his people had finished. He also mentioned that since we are your wives and you are the unit’s Colonel, the investigation would have to be even more thorough, so no one could come back later and claim there was a cover-up.”

Ann smoothly continued for them. “Even though we reminded the Sergeant that everything was recorded on the outside camera system, he just smiled and said that recordings could be altered, but they would be used as corroborative evidence to back up our written statements. He treated us as if we were total strangers, but at the same time, with utmost courtesy. He had several troopers with him, and I’m told that they did the same thing with all of us. He wouldn’t joke with us and even ask if he could refer to us by our first names as if we had never met. Oh, and he and his people recorded everything.”

Arlene inserted, “Once he and the troopers had interviewed all of us – separately, of course – he cautioned us not to discuss what happened with anyone outside the family until the Review Board had made its decision. Heck, when he was done, I wondered if we would be prosecuted or something. Did this happen to you when you came back from missions where you had to fight?”...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...When the Sergeant was out of earshot, a grinning General turned to Jeff, “Colonel, take your women on down to the Retreat and try to get their minds off having just killed a comrade. We all know they had no other choice, but I suspect it will still bother them. I’m sure the Sergeant will send someone to take their statements, although from what I hear from the other pilots, there is no doubt that it’s self-defense.” Then a lot more quietly, “Tell them I said good shooting, and I never did like that asshole,” he finished with a grin.

“Thank you, Sir, but General, this lies at my feet. It’s my fault. I should have known he would do something stupid when I sent him back to his old job because of his insubordinate and pissy attitude.”

“Oh, bullshit,” Whitworth said with a frown. “In addition to all your other talents, you’re supposed to be clairvoyant now? Don’t be stupid, Colonel. Now take your women on home and get them settled down. Of course, we expect that there is a possibility of being shot at or even being killed while on a mission, but we don’t expect our comrades to try to kill us in our own backyard.

“Oh, and one more thing, Colonel. I’m going to be reviewing evaluation reports from Worthington’s former Commander. If there has been a pattern of disrespect toward authority in the past and particularly in his previous job, I will want to know why it wasn’t taken care of, and he was, instead, shipped off to you as ‘one of the best.’”...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...“Ann,” she quietly said as she turned the aviators over to her Second.

“All right. Dump your flight suits for today and tomorrow and get your utilities. Meet in the designated area outside Ship in fifteen with your sidearms and pulse rifles.” After calling the group to Attention, she dismissed them.

“Well, shall we do the same?” Ann asked her partner, but suddenly, it was a moot point because Ship had changed them in an eyeblink, even returning their duty rigs with everything positioned perfectly.

“You’re going to spoil us,” Arlene said with a smile.

“I enjoy it,” Ship returned.

The two young women walked out of Ship’s main hatch and down the ramp. As they neared the area where they were to meet up with the aviators, a voice rang out.

“Get ready to die, Bitches!” Worthington screamed...

Have a goodun;

Roust