Chapter 11: The Messenger

The ceremony was fun as Miller put on a robust, dramatic display as he led them through the moment. He proclaimed them 'man and wife' and they kissed, then retired to the bedroom, making love for most of the afternoon and napping late into the night.

They found that Kim-Ly and Miller had settled beside Catalina and Diego, and they refused to retake the bed, insisting that the newlyweds enjoy their wedding night. After making mugs of hot cider, Hitch and Kieu-Linh returned to the bedroom and made love again, Hitch filling Kieu-Linh's mouth with a small, salty load.

Morning found the weather milder, warm sun coaxing the lingering layers of snow to slowly melt, forming a crunch, icy on top. The cows had to be tended, and despite Miller's protests that they should continue to celebrate by relaxing, Hitch and Kieu-Linh trudged to the barn and ensured all was in order, laying out fresh hay and milking those which were ready to produce.

It took several more warm days before the snow was finally reduced to isolated patches in shade or in holes in the soil. With the help of Miller and Kim-Ly, Hitch was able to expose Kieu-Linh to more field exercises, reinforcing previous lessons and adding new considerations.

Hitch was eager to hump back to the bunker, and he and Kieu-Linh set out as soon as it was light on May 12th, they settled into a quick pace to the south.

After nightfall the next day, they arrived earlier than expected thanks to warm weather which had first melted the snow, then partially dried the ground in the most difficult stretches.

A message from Jimmy was waiting for them. "He's coming back in ten days ... Damn. Wonder what's bugging him ... He doesn't leave me any clue why he's trying to get in touch, but I bet this is not a social visit."

"What are we going to do?"

"I want to wait here and talk to him. Jimmy's probably taking some risks coming up here, something important he wants to tell me."

"Alright."

"But ... I'd like you to return on schedule."

"James--" she started, defensively.

"Your parents know when to expect us, they'll worry if we aren't back on time. I don't want you to go, but I think we need to ensure they aren't stressing themselves over us. I think that's only fair..."

Kieu-Linh was quiet then said, "okay. You're right. I'll go back to them in the morning." She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his body from the side. "But I'll come back as soon as I tell them. I can't bear the thought of being away from you for long..."

He started to protest but found that he felt the same way. There was already a pit in his stomach thinking about the nights he'd have to spend without her. He smiled instead, and replied, "I'd like that."

Despite being worn down from the hike, Kieu-Linh rode Hitch for almost an hour, sometimes slipping off to suck her slickness from his cock, eventually settling her asshole over his rigid flesh and coaxing him to ejaculate into her bowels while her hands explored his chest and stomach.

At dawn the next morning, they kissed goodbye, a more difficult moment than Hitch had expected. Before she'd risen from the mattress in the dark to prepare, Kieu-Linh had knelt between his legs and brought him to orgasm with her lips and tongue, a parting gift she'd insisted on giving him.

He watched her disappear up the ridge and was left standing, suddenly feeling unbalanced. His stomach was a knot already. He couldn't help but reflect on how much he had changed, emotionally, over the past year. She hadn't been gone an hour before he felt utterly isolated and alone.

But Hitch steeled himself again, setting out some of the stored supplies, then heading out on the hunt. He saw no deer, but caught one rabbit beside a brook, and added a bundle of mushrooms he found growing on a ragged, fallen tree nearby.

The days passed too slowly. Hitch was bored. He missed Kieu-Linh, and he found, also, that he missed the others. He had come to enjoy the presence of Kim-Ly and Miller, Diego and Catalina. As he sat outside the bunker, three days after Kieu-Linh had departed, he smiled at memories of making love with his young wife, images of watching Diego and Catalina together. He masturbated for the first time in months, spilling his seed on the ground as he relived cumming inside Kieu-Linh's mouth days before.

He grew worried when Kieu-Linh didn't arrive back when he expected. Hitch paced around the bunker on the sixth night around dusk. He stopped to listen, hoping that he'd hear Kieu-Linh's footsteps coming down from the ridge line. Other than the bubbling chirps and tweets and leaves rustling, he heard nothing. He barely slept that night, beginning to worry.

"James?"

He was on his feet in seconds, M9 in his hand without thought. Kieu-Linh had arrived and stood near the entrance to the bunker.

"Linh! I was worried..."

"I know ... I'm sorry. Dad wasn't feeling good, so I stayed around to help out. I knew you would worry, but..."

"No, don't apologize. I'm glad you're alright. What's wrong with your dad?"

"Just feeling sick, just a cold or flu, but he didn't feel up to getting out of bed for a couple of days. He was doing better when I left, though. I came back as soon as I could."

"I know." He let out a relieved breath that felt like it had been held for days. "I really missed you." He hugged her and kissed her chapped lips gently.

"Me too."

Before they broke their embrace, Hitch's cock was rising, and he turned Kieu-Linh around, bent her against the wall of the bunker, and slid into her vagina, fucking her steadily, the teen cumming twice before he pulled out of her and spurted cum against her butt cheek.

The next few days were much easier. They hunted and killed a doe and a small buck, and another rabbit, plenty of meat to have fresh supplies and some to add back to the stores.

The pop and hiss of a trip flare outside the bunker tore Hitch out of a sensual dream about his young wife and into a crouch, sidearm in hand, beside the entrance. He listened carefully.

"Major?" a male voice called out. "It's Jimmy."

Hitch slowed his racing heart with slow breaths, keeping his gun drawn, then stepping out of the bunker and behind the tree near the front. "Jimmy?"

"Yeah ... I'm coming in..."

"Just you?"

"Yes."

"I'll guide you so you don't set off another."

He crept out after letting his eyes fully adjust once the trip flare finally burned out, the intense brightness blinding in the dark. The point of a trip flare was to alert defensive units that the perimeter might have been breached. It popped and burned bright like a thick sparkler, making it easy for machine gunners and riflemen to view the area around the flare. A couple of times, some large game had likely set them off around the bunker, but Hitch had always slept a bit better knowing that he might get a few seconds of notice should it not be an animal approaching.

Hitch found Jimmy crouching near where the flare had discharged. The thin black man was wearing his utility uniform, the camouflage molted greens and browns, the patch with 'Kingman' ragged but still readable on his chest. He still looked like the skinny black kid Hitch had seen last when they broke up the Turtletown Patriots six years before. Jimmy had to be in his late thirties, but Hitch had a hard time not seeing the eager young man he'd served with first along the Colorado.

Jimmy smiled and shook his hand. "Good to see you, Major. It's been a long time."

"Too long, Jimmy. Really good to see you, too." Hitch turned back towards the bunker, "I'll walk you through, let's get in and warm up."

He guided Jimmy to the bunker and paused. "My ... wife is inside. Let me tell her your here." Hitch stepped inside and said evenly, "Linh?"

"Yes?"

"Jimmy's arrived."

"Okay. I'll light a candle ... and pull my pants up..."

Hitch hid a grin as he returned to Jimmy and told him, "come on."

They stepped in and by the spare candlelight, Jimmy looked around the bunker. "Nice. Build this yourself, Major?"

Hitch nodded, "just another foxhole. Well, a lot better than any foxhole I ever had. Damn sure would have been nice more than a few times, right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"This is Kieu-Linh, Linh, my wife, we ... just married a few days ago. This is Jimmy Kingman, I told you a bit about him."

Jimmy reached out his hand and paused, his eyes noticing for the first time Kieu-Linh's youth. The hesitation lasted only a second before he smiled and said, "very nice to meet you, Ma'am."

"Nice to meet you, Jimmy. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You can call me Linh, Jimmy."

"He won't," Hitch chuckled, "he's too polite. His mom and dad raised him tight-laced, I think."

Jimmy grinned, "guilty, Sir."

They sat quickly with cups of hot tea, and Hitch asked, "what's going on, Jimmy? You seem awful eager to talk."

Jimmy nodded, glancing at Kieu-Linh before speaking. "I've heard a rumor that you should hear."

Hitch leaned forward.

"There's this Patriot Brigade out of Denver. Guess they are one of the ones still fighting hard, and they have a pretty solid Free America force behind them. They've been making progress south, together. North California is still up in the air, but there is indication the Imps are giving ground and giving it fast."

"What are you getting at, Jimmy?"

The black man swallowed and looked at Hitch. "The Denver Patriots ... I think your daughter might be leading them."

Hitch started at Jimmy blankly, not comprehending. "What?!"

"I don't know for sure, Major. I don't. But I've heard from a couple of sources that there's this woman named Hitchens running things there."

Hitch didn't believe it. "That could be anyone, there are lots of Hitchens women out there, I'm sure. My daughter died at Chelan."

"She was MIA, but as far as I know, no one ever found her dead, not officially, Major," Jimmy replied. "Like I said, I don't know. But ... I have a couple of buddies that are still in the fight, out west. We've been using our ham's to talk from time to time. They send me some info about The War. One of em, fighting with a company of Free Americans near Las Vegas, said they were engaged just north of the city, and covering their flank were the Denver Patriots. He got hit, not too bad, was back at a field hospital when this woman comes through during a lull in the shooting, looking for one of her soldiers."