Chapter 17: The Final Lap

Morning came, but I had no idea what day it was. We breakfasted and set out in the same formation we used to get there. We left the house an hour after the sun rose, and I called Sheriff Naile to let him know that we were on our way.

My next call was to Marshal Pope, who assured me that there appeared to be no Sa'arm activity in our direction. He reminded me, "You know that can change, so all of you listen for your phones. We've been able to set up so that there are phone alerts like you would get for bad weather if we see any headed your way."

We walked; we talked; we sang; we played silly word games. It was more like a pleasure hike than a desperate escape from horror. We enjoyed our charges and their continued enthusiasm, and they seemed to enjoy us.

Long before dark, we found an empty ranch house to settle in for the night. There was food aplenty, and it was well heated and comfortable. There weren't enough bedrooms, so we hauled all the mattresses into the spacious living room and laid them side-by-side and head-to-head. Sleep that night was in a monster puppy pile with me and my ladies in the center. I could think of no better demonstration of the trust these women placed in us again.

I anticipated two days of walking before reaching Valentine. My estimate would have been pretty close, but shortly before noon of the second day, Sheriff Naile called and told us to hold up. There were still no Sa'arm sorties in the offing, so he was sending out a bus to get us. "We'll feed you at the Bunkhouse restaurant, so hold off lunch," he warned us.

The hike, while chilly, had been fun, and the arrival of the bus seemed more like the end of a holiday than the end of a horror story.

Several people stepped down from the bus. Carole's two children called her name and ran to her for hugs.

A young teen boy looked around, and spotting Hannah, ran to her and grabbed both hands. She exclaimed, "Jimmy, I thought you were dead. Thank you so much for the warning call. Come over here, I want you to meet my new family."

She led him to where I and the rest on my ladies were standing. "Jimmy, this is my new husband, Michael, and my sister wives, Rachel and Cathleen. Loves, this is Jimmy - my neighbor who called to warn me about the thugs. He is also the one who got my cherry."

Jimmy gaped, turned bright red, and looked at his feet. To his further astonishment, he was enfolded in a group hug by me and my ladies.

The two remaining passengers stepping down were a tall, rangy man in faded jeans, boots, and a Stetson and a short oriental woman dressed in scrubs. Both also wore a blue bandana. They walked over, and the man held out his hand and said, "I'm Rusty Naile. Glad you finally saw fit to join us. This lady is Sunny Kim. She's a nurse practitioner specializing in assisting rape and assault victims. She'll be working with your charges for the foreseeable future."

Cathleen looked over, startled. "I know you! You interviewed me after the bozo brothers assaulted me and I was fired when I complained." She hugged the new arrival and turned to us. "This is Suni Kim, otherwise known as 'Sunny.' Girlfriend, this is my new family - Michael, Rachel, and Hannah. We're married."

Sunny looked at us, made a slight bow, and said, "You all look very happy together. Many blessings upon you." She inquired, "Is there anyone in your group needing immediate care or attention?"

Cathleen responded that we could best ask when everyone was aboard the bus.

We piled into the bus, Cathleen sitting with Sunny and Hannah with Jimmy. Both pairs conversed excitedly.

Sheriff Naile stood in the front and spoke, "Ladies and gentleman. We are going to take you into Valentine where you will be given an opportunity to eat, rest, and have a complete medical examination. The military has taken over our town. Much of the civilian population has been evacuated or picked up, so it is unlikely that there are many, if any, folks around that you know. We ask that you remain together until we can see to your needs, but feel free to contact anyone that you wish."

He looked over at me. "It is quite likely that you will be offered the chance to be picked up - as a volunteer if you are qualified, or as a concubine if your CAP is too low to volunteer. It would be good if you decide if you wish to be considered before you are confronted with the choice."

Rachel stood and went to the front of the bus. She took my hand, faced the murmuring group, and spoke. "Not so long ago, Michael offered you our protection for as long as you remained with us and desired it. That offer still stands. He also asked you, if circumstances permit, would you wish to be considered as a companion - a concubine - for our partnership. The time is drawing close when you might need to decide."

She paused as the murmuring became louder. "We can't know now everything that means or even implies. We do know you would be required to obey any order or direction given by your sponsor, and that you would be considered property - perhaps even slaves. You would also be required to have children - that means sex. After what you have endured, that may be hard to contemplate."

She looked around. "We would not require you to have sex outside our family, but it may need to happen with anyone within our group. As our property, we would cherish and protect you, but should you violate Confederacy or our rules, we would need to punish you." She took a breath. "Hold your questions until they become relevant, but please think on this."

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Perfect, lover, perfect." We moved down the aisle and took seats behind Hannah, who was still sitting with Jimmy.

"We're going to need at least one more man, aren't we?" Cathleen turned and asked, "I think we should put Jimmy in the pool. Hannah says he's sweet, a gentle lover, and has no one else to turn to." She looked over at Jimmy. "Wadaya think, Jimmy? Wanna tryout for second stud in our harem?"

Jimmy's first blush was pale compared to his current shade of magenta. He stammered, "Well sure, but I'm not into guy-guy stuff, ya know."