Chapter 508

The Retreat

It had been nearing late afternoon when they left the prison planet, but at the Retreat it was well after the Matthews’ suppertime. The meal had been eaten and the kitchen cleaned up, but Helen and Charlotte, knowing that the others were due back today, were waiting for them and asked if they had eaten yet.

Diana acknowledged that they hadn’t, and after hugs and kisses, Helen told them to sit while she and Charlotte prepared something. “We appreciate it,” Diana responded, “but we’re tired, and we’ve agreed that all we want is something quick. How about sandwiches?”

“Easy to do,” Charlotte said. A short while later, the meal was over and the kitchen again pristine.

Selina, realizing that the women would want to be alone with their husband, said her goodnights and went to her suite to play with the animals and decide what equipment she would need on 2214.

The Retreat’s AI must have told everyone that Jeff, Diana, Kayla and Selina were home, because just before the group was ready to leave for their suite, the kitchen door opened and the first of several welcomers entered to say hello and join in conversation for a time. Jeff had the distinct impression that Dave was deliberately delaying their ‘reunion,’ to keep Jeff from getting an early start on loving his wives, but he tried to bear up good-naturedly while a grinning brother Alpha teasingly asked for yet another cup of coffee.

Seeing the look on Jeff’s face, Dave came to his feet and slapped Jeff on his shoulder. “Okay. I suppose I am about coffeed out, after all. Welcome back,” he said while heading for the door along with everyone else.

Chuckling, the Prime watched his friends leave. Payback is gonna be a bitch, he thought while grinning.

It was now well past 10:00 P.M., and all the Matthews were ready to get on with their lovemaking. Diana and Arlene, having slept much of last night with Jeff’s cock in their hands, were past ready to have him service them, and the wives who had stayed home had missed his presence, as well as his touch.

Anticipating, Jeff had just brought himself to his feet when the door opened yet again and Kei tentatively entered the kitchen. Seeing the flushed look on many of the wives’ faces, and realizing what it probably meant, she almost bolted, but Diana reached out to grasp her small hand. “What’s wrong?” When Kei just looked at the Clan Queen and Kei’s big brown eyes began to pool with tears, Diana’s instincts came to the fore. Momentarily putting aside her desire for her husband, she pulled the young woman into her arms. “What has that bastard done now?” she quietly asked.

Kei, tired of blubbering as her mother called it, stiffened her back and looked Diana in the eye. “I should have waited until tomorrow. This is not the time. You and your husband have just returned from a trip. Please forgive me for barging in.”

As Kei turned to leave, Jeff reached to take hold of her, gently. “What’s happened?” he quietly demanded.

Kei looked at him for a few seconds, her eyes again beginning to pool with tears that she forced back. “I thought I was prepared for the possibility, but ... my father just phoned. My husband has visited him and they had a ‘conference.’ Father addressed me as a ‘slut.’ His phone call was to inform me personally that he is disowning me, and my name will no longer be recognized or mentioned in his household by anyone. I feared that something of the sort would happen once I told him about the divorce, but, of course, Edi just had to talk to him before I had the chance, and no telling what he told Father. Now, if any of my family talks to me, or ever mentions my name in his presence, or he finds out that they have communicated with me in any way, he has threatened to ostracize them, also.”

“Oh, surely your mother won’t...”

“He will be carefully watching her, and will certainly monitor her calls, as well as my brothers’ and sisters’. I assure you that he is quite serious. If they disobey him, he will ostracize them as well.”

Diana and Jeff glanced at each other before he spoke, “If you manage to communicate with any of them, let them know they will have a home here if he should carry through with his threats.”

“Jeff ... I do not know what to say. I...” After a pause, she hugged and thanked him while blushing profusely. “I never realized my father could be so ... cruel, but there is no telling what Edi has told him,” her voice now determined and growing stronger.

“You need to tell your father the truth,” Helen began, but Kei was shaking her head.

“He would never believe a woman over a man, even if I could, somehow, talk to him again. Besides, I no longer have a family. He would never agree to see me, and I will not put my mother in jeopardy by asking her to try to set up a meeting with him. I should have immediately gone to my father and informed him of the impending divorce, but ... he believes in a husband ‘disciplining’ his wife. My story of woe would have fallen on deaf ears, but still...”

Jeff again pulled her into his arms, but the embrace was not intimate in any way. “Remember, you’re safe here, and I will have a member of our Security force accompany you wherever you go.”

“I will not let Edi frighten me,” she returned, her voice as determined as she could make it. “I do not need...”

“That was not a suggestion,” Jeff responded, the tone of his voice brooking no disagreement. “Understand?”

Kei hesitated. Here was another man dictating to her, but instead of anger, she felt relief because she knew he was trying to protect her. “I understand and will comply,” she quietly responded.

Kei was obviously exhausted as she spoke. “I have not been sleeping well lately and I am particularly tired tonight. I thank all of you for your encouragement, but for now, I am going to my suite and I will attempt to sleep.”

“Good idea,” Jeff agreed, “but have faith that this is going to turn out for the best.” Reaching over, he hugged her, but didn’t allow his chest to come in contact with her breasts. “Sleep well...” he began, but stopped mid-sentence as he turned to his Clan Queen. “Di, I think that it would be better if the two of us accompanied Kei to her suite.”

Diana, having been married to him for seventeen years, recognized the look in his eyes. “Uh, okay. We’ll make sure you have everything you need,” she told Kei as she came to her feet. Grabbing Kei’s hand, Diana walked with her out of the kitchen and turned down the hall with Jeff following.

In her suite, Kei and Diana entered the bedroom while Jeff waited in the living room for Diana’s summons. When she opened the door and motioned for Jeff, he walked over to the bed. Kei had the sheet pulled up to her chin as he smiled down at her and said, “You saw Little One when you were enhanced, and tonight, she’s going to help you again.”

“If I could just sleep,” Kei said a second before the blue beams touched her face from where Jeff cradled Little One in his hands. When Kei was asleep, he put the little alien on his shoulder to return to his back. “She’ll sleep normally and wake after a good rest,” he told his wife.

Diana stood looking down at the sleeping woman. “She needs you in her life,” Diana said as she took her husband’s hand as they turned to leave the suite. Looking up at him while they walked along, she emphasized, “Really in her life.” A little later, she asked, “How could that asshole continue to terrorize her like that? That’s just plain evil. And what will he do next? Put her in the hospital? Scar her face? Kill her? He has threatened all those.”

Jeff sighed. Then, with a voice full of determination, he flatly stated, “It’s time for him to stop. Past time.”

Diana knew her husband. Although he tried to hide the look, she realized what it meant. “Jeff, I don’t want you getting into trouble...” she began, but she saw the determination written on his face. Knowing that trying to change his mind would be useless, she sighed, hugged him and just shut up.

As the two walked toward their suite, Jeff conversed subliminally on his radio with Lieutenant Mayfield.

At the door of their bedroom after Jeff had finished his conversation, the Clan Queen kissed him passionately. “Please be careful.”

“Always,” he answered before putting an arm around his wife and pulling her tightly against him before they went on into the bedroom. His wives, dressed in sexy sleepwear, were not going to be put off, and he was determined to make love to them before he did anything else.

All records would show that no one left the Retreat during the night, nor were there any outside visitors. An untamperable video recording of the drive and gate would also show the same thing – should anyone care.

Ship, invisible, hung above Kei’s old home. A moment later, two men and a woman dressed in the ultimate camouflage, stood invisible on the back deck. After a few seconds, the lock disengaged and the door opened, the alarm strangely remaining silent.

“I’ll be glad to take care of this, Sir,” Lieutenant Mayfield offered yet again.

Kayla just grinned, knowing that Jeff would never allow someone to do his ‘dirty work’ for him.

Through Jeff’s helmet’s short-range radio keyed only to Mayfield’s and Kayla’s helmets, Jeff spoke. “What the bastard needs is killing, but I’m going to refrain from that – I think,” the Prime finished, his voice grim, but determined. “The little shithead seems to think he can do anything to Kei, and she’s just supposed to take it. But he’s gone too far this time. I warned him – twice – and the bastard has ignored me. Now his chickens have come home to roost. Maybe he’ll get the point this time.”

Turning to Mayfield, who appeared on Jeff’s helmet visual, the Prime went on, “The ass went whining to her father and the bastard disowned her, and ... at the same time has forbidden any of the family from communicating with her in any way, or they will be disowned as well. That, after her asshole husband had beaten her on several occasions, not to mention his having openly screwed another woman in Kei’s own office. Now, he’s asking for everything in the divorce, including the damn kitchen sink, I suppose. I don’t give a shit about the money; I’ll replace whatever he takes from her, but he obviously wants to continue humiliating her in any way he can. In addition, it’s obvious that he’s planning to catch her out somewhere and beat her, yet again – or worse – just as he’s said he would. She’s playing by the rules, but rules don’t seem to apply to him – at least in his mind, they don’t.” The Prime’s voice turned grim. “If he wants to step outside the rules, then so be it; we can play the game that way, too. In short, he’s begging for an attitude adjustment, and by damn, I’m just the guy to give it to him.”

Kayla was hard put to keep from giggling as they walked into the bedroom. After Jeff had carefully closed the door, he spoke in a loud voice, “Oh, yeah. Did you know that this house was built by an architect? At her husband’s instigation, this particular room was thoroughly sound insulated. Of course, he forgot that the living room wasn’t insulated when he decided to beat her ass. Odd that he would insulate the bedroom, isn’t it? Perhaps he planned to discipline his wife without her screams bothering the neighbors, hmmm? Maybe he’s already disciplined her in here.”

Edi sat bolt upright as he heard a man’s voice that sounded as if it were very near him, and also knew of some of the things he had done. “What the fuck,” he yelled as he reached for the bedside light, but no matter how many times he pressed the button, the light wouldn’t come on. Still, there was sufficient light coming through the bedroom window from the streetlight outside that he should be able to see anyone in the room.

He lunged for the drawer that contained his gun, but someone – something – grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back onto the bed. A blue light bathed his eyes and he slept, only to awaken in a few minutes to something a lot worse than a hair pulling. During his nap, Little One had initialized the process that would reverse his enhancement.

Twenty excruciating minutes later – in Edi’s view – the screaming was over and there was only whimpering coming from the blood-smeared man on the bed. Truth be told, what had been done to Edi did not endanger his life to any great degree, although he had thought he was going to die and had wished several times that he could. One of the identical and very common knives used was lying on the carpet beside the bed with Edi’s bloody fingerprints all over it. None of the dozens upon dozens of small cuts about his body were bleeding enough to endanger him in any major way, and cotton from a box on the bedside table had been stuffed into his now half-empty scrotum. He certainly thought he was dying, though. On the end table next to the knife and needle-nose pliers lay Edi’s thoroughly smashed ball.

Kayla, using the excuse that a man would generally be averse to touching another man’s cock and balls, had cheerfully volunteered to remove his right ball and flatten it by slamming a thick book down upon it. The book, also covered with his bloody fingerprints, his crushed ball and a pair of bloody needle-nosed pliers used to remove his fingernails and toenails, lay together on the bedside table. Edi now fully understood that he needed to change his ways or his remaining ball would receive like treatment – if he lived through the procedure. To further muddy any investigative waters, none of the cuts were in a place where Edi couldn’t reach himself, even the cuts under his fingernails – the fingernails that were still attached to his fingers, that is. It was suggested that Edi admit to the self-mutilation if asked, and to stick to his story, or there would be a second, and very final visit.

The three – he thought there were three – voices were suddenly gone with only an eerie warbling warning to mend his ways and leave his soon-to-be ex-wife alone. He had also been encouraged to remember that it would require very little to rid the world of his sorry ass, which would happen the next time he did anything other than agree with whatever his ex wanted. And, oh yes, he shouldn’t bother the authorities about this little misunderstanding, or the next time there wouldn’t be enough left to bury.

Edi had already pissed and shit himself as much as his body was capable, so the final threat had only produced a groan of acceptance.

A couple of minutes later, the power came back on and the back door was again locked. There was no sign of forced entry or any evidence that anyone had been in the house other than Edi.

Just before dawn, Colonel Matthews, Lieutenant Mayfield and Lieutenant Kayla Fisher sat in Mayfield’s office drinking coffee. “I shouldn’t have included either of you in that little escapade,” Jeff worried.

“Respectfully, Sir, bullshit. But, I would have gladly cut the bastard’s throat and ended his harassment of Kei. Scum like him just wastes the oxygen he consumes. What the hell has happened to our society that allows a prick like that to do the things to women he does and never suffer any comeback?”

“I agree,” Kayla responded. “Someone should have relieved society of him long ago.”