Chapter 10: A new victim and, preparing to go home

Joshua sat down the street from Reno High School, and watched the kids come out of summer school. They went by on their way home, as he watched as the young sluts chat with their friends. Some even made out with their punk boyfriends, who wouldn't know what to do with them, even if they got into their pants. He sat there and remembered the last girl he'd grabbed ... Jennifer Taylor. Her long brown hair and hazel eyes were the things that stood out about her. How the fear flashed in her eyes every time he came near her, and how he had to fight her every time he took her. But in the end they all submitted, it just took longer with some. Eventually, she would do anything for him...

"Hey, Buddy! You can't park here."

Joshua jumped as his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his window. Rolling down the window, he looked at the cop standing at his window.

"Sorry, Officer, what did you say?"

"Sorry to startle you, but you can't park here."

Joshua quickly thought up a lie to get rid of the cop.

"I am waiting for a tow, Sir. Car just died on me. I think it is my generator, but I am not sure. I build computers and program them for new owners. Cars are a mystery to me."

"Ok, just make sure you are out of here as soon as possible."

"I will, Officer. Let me call them again right now, and find out."

He picked up his cell phone and called his home phone number, knowing that no one would pick it up.

"Hello, this is Joshua Howard, again. I was wondering when my tow will get here?" He faked as if he is listening, and then said, "You say about thirty more minutes. Ok, thank you."

Clicking the phone closed, he turned back to the police officer.

"They say the tow truck should be here in about thirty minutes."

"Ok, good enough. I will let the principal know how long you'll be here."

The officer walked back to his car and got in, looking once more at the 'disabled' car. He started his patrol car, did a quick U-turn, and pulled up in front of the school. Parking the car, he got out. The principal walked over and the officer let him know that the car was broken down, and the driver was waiting on a tow truck.

Joshua was watching the cop drive off down the road when a movement caught his eye.

He saw three young sluts walking out of the school. Two were ordinary, but the third was a doll. She was wearing a white blouse with a sky blue skirt, her long blond hair hung down to her waist. In her right arm she carried her schoolbooks, and over her left was her purse.

Getting out of the car, he opened the hood, to be in a position to get a better look at the girl. He watched them walk towards him. Reaching in to the engine compartment, he started to fiddle with the generator as they got near the car.

They passed him as he slammed the hood and said, "Hello," as he got back into the car.

"So, Tina, what do you want to do today?"

Startled, Kathleen said 'hello' to the man as they walked by, and then turned back to her best friend to finish her conversation.

The beautiful blond haired girl adjusted the books she was carrying before replying.

"I have to get home because my dad is home for the next two days, before his next flight out. We are having a 'home night', tonight."

Kathleen sighed as she thought of Tina's dad.

"Your dad is so hot looking. I hope I meet someone as dreamy looking as him."

"Kathleen, I cannot believe you just said that about my dad."

"Tina Maria Wayne, don't look so shocked! All your friends think your dad is hot looking." With a giggle she continued, "Besides, I am not dead, just under-aged."

Joshua held a hidden button, and turned the ignition key, and started the car right up. He could not believe his luck! He had her name, now! He did not need to follow so closely to see where she lived.

As the girls turned the corner he put the car in gear and drove until he was at the corner. The girls were about one hundred feet ahead of him so he made the car die and pulled to the side. They continued to walk along the road not knowing a predator that had evil thoughts about one of them, was following.

Suddenly, one said something to the others. She broke off, and went into a brick house, while the others continued along the street. At the end of the block, they turned down another crossroad. He started the car up again, and put it back into gear. He drove past the first girl's house and stopped at the far intersection.

As he turned the corner, he saw the second girl go up another driveway and into what he assumed was her house. Keeping well back from his target, he looked for what would be the perfect spot to grab her.

"Oh, my little Tina, soon you shall be mine. All I need is the right place to grab you, and then you will learn what it is to be a woman when I take you. Then I will teach you obedience and fear. Then you will go on a looong trip, just like all my other sluts."

Tina walked along the road. Her three-inch heals clicked as she carried her books. Her purse hung over her left shoulder. She was looking at a test paper, trying to figure out how she had gotten the wrong answer, when she heard a horn. She looked up and saw a car coming towards her. Looking closer at the car, she realized it was her father's Mitsubishi. She raised her hand and waved, as the car pulled up and the passenger window went down.

"Hi, Honey. Get in. I thought I would take you shopping at the Sunrise Mall for your birthday present."

"Ok, Daddy," she said excitedly as she opened the car door and tossed her books onto the back seat. Setting her purse on the floor of the car, she slid into the bucket seat, and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

As her father put the car in gear, he said to her, "Seat belt, Honey ... and do you know what you want for your birthday?"

Tina clicked the seat belt around her thin body and smoothed out her skirt. "Daddy, I know you don't want me to have one, but I really need a lap top for school. It does not even have to have a modem. I just need it for school work, and stuff."

"Yes, and you know why I don't want you to have one ... but ... no modem ... Hmmm, I promise that I will think about it,"

They passed the brown four-door Buick, and continued down the street, turning onto California Street.

Joshua watched the car pull up to Tina and her wave to the driver.

"God damn it! Who the fuck was that? She kissed him, the little slut. I will teach her for doing shit like that. Do I follow them or just go on home?" Looking up the road, he saw a police cruiser coming towards him. "Shit, it's just not my fuckin' day. I might as well get rid of the other one."

He put the car in gear and continued the way he was going. He quickly drove out of the city and up into the hills.

Ken walked into the gym, and saw the rest going hard at it. Standing there, he watched Ted bench press five hundred pounds for a minute, and he just shook his head. Even his little sister was pressing four hundred pounds. Walking over to the overhead bar he jumped up, grabbed it, and started doing pull ups. Twenty minutes, and six hundred pull ups later, he was not even breathing hard from the work out. He was sweaty, but not winded.

"These new bodies of ours are amazing, Ken," Ted said as he walked up, grabbed another bar, and started doing some pull ups of his own.

Ken dropped down and grabbed a towel.

Wiping the sweat from his eyes he agreed, "I know, I saw you doing the reps, five hundred pounds that must be a record for you."

"Yeah, I used to do about one-seventy but five hundred was amazing. I did go all the way to nine hundred, but that started to hurt after a few minutes. Amy said I should get used to my new body, first. Hey, when do we leave?"

Ken looked at Ted in shock. "Are you joking? Nine hundred pounds! Wow! As for leaving, I was thinking of tomorrow morning. Is that is ok with everyone?" They quickly agreed and all of them walked out of the gym and headed for the showers. "Molly, do you want us to drop you off at your home? Or can you come with us to Reno."

Molly thought on it, and replied, "I think I should go home for a few days, spend some time with my family. Then I'll catch a bus up to Reno, and join you there."

Amy appeared beside them and listened to the conversation.

"There is no need to even think about a bus, Molly. I can have a shuttle fly close to your home and pick you up, and fly you up to Ken's property. As soon as he has shown me a good place to stash a pair of shuttles there, that is. We are doing this in case all of you should need to be here on the ship, in a hurry."

Ken interrupted Amy with a thought of his own, "Amy, has there been any word of that Ranger, on the news?"

Amy scanned the airwave recordings and news service reports for a second before she replied, "Just that he is missing, and was last reported being in the North Rim area. They are conducting an aerial search for his jeep, but are having no luck finding it."

"Good, let's leave it at that. Now, everyone, I want to leave by 5 AM tomorrow morning. We will swing through Vegas, drop Molly off, and then head for home. I figure if we switch drivers as we go, we can be there in about twenty four hours, maybe less."

Molly looked at Ken. "Thank you, Ken, I really appreciate the ride."

Smiling at her he said, "Its no problem. You're a member of the crew and this is what friends are for. If you need us just use your communication chip, and we will find you."

"I know, Ken. You four also be safe. Well, I am going to go take a shower and get some sleep," she said, as she grabbed her towel and tossed it around her head adding, "Good night, all."

They all bade her good night, as she stepped into the transport tube, which took her to the med deck. Molly walked down the hall, and stepped into her quarters. Stripping her clothes off, she walked to the replicator.

"Computer, one beach towel please."

With a burst of light and a low hum, a new towel appeared. Scooping up the towel, she walked into the bathroom. Dropping the towel on the bench, she stepped in and grabbed the bar of soap.

"Water temp, 90 degrees."

The water burst out of the showerheads and she started a long, hot shower.

"Amy, I think I can get about sixty people. They are my family and friends. I want to bring them here, and let them meet you. I have a good friend I know who could use your help. Her name is Jamie O'Neil, she is my cousin, and she is from Las Vegas. At the age of eleven, she was hit by a drunk driver and was critically hurt. She lost the use of both her legs, and the ability to have babies. Can you do anything for her?"

Amy appeared in the large shower unit and faced Molly.

"Yes, I can help her. I will have to see her to know if a complete cure can be effected, though. Do you think she would like to join?"

"I know she would. She has dreamed of being a pilot, ever since I can remember. She still sits in the shade and watches the jets from Nellis Air force base."

Amy thought for a second and saw no reason to exclude her.

"Then set up a meeting for her, and anyone else you think would be a good candidate."

Molly thought of Tim her neighbor.

"Another one is, I think, my neighbor: Gunny-Sergeant Tim Anderson. He lost a leg in Iraq."

"Military people are very good. This is a military ship."

"Then that's what I will do, we need to set up a rendezvous location out in the desert, so we can get the people back here. However, I think we can do it and surprise Ken, when he realizes that he has the makings of a crew."

Amy listened to Molly, and saw a great plan forming in her mind.

"It's a good plan, Molly, but I will need to inform the Captain."

Molly nodded her head, and said, "I understand."

"Then I will let you finish your shower, and say good night."

Molly smiled at her friend and said, "Thanks, Amy, and good night."

Ken kissed Jenny and Tammy good night, and walked into his cabin. Stretching, he walked over to his bed, and started getting undressed. As he was, pulling his shirt over, he heard a slight noise and said.

"Yes, Amy?"

"Sorry to intrude, Captain, but I was talking to Molly. She had an idea and if you approve it, she will start recruiting crew when she gets home. She wants..."

Dropping his shirt, he turned to Amy.

"Do you think it's a good idea?"

Startled by the Kens question she replied.

"Yes, I do, Cap..."

Smiling at Amy, he sat down and removed his boots.

"Then it's approved. I have to trust that my friends will do what is right. With you watching over them I am sure everything will go as planned."

"But, Sir, you should at least hear the plans."

Standing up he unfastens his pants and looked at the beautiful AI.

"I will. But for now, we need crew. I trust Molly to do what is right. Now scoot. I need some sleep."

"Yes, of course, Sir ... and good night, Sir."

Ken smiled at the confusion in Amy's voice.

"When we're alone, Ken will do."

Dropping his shorts, he kicked them across the floor and walked into the shower.

The rest of the group headed towards their rooms, and quickly stripped down and walked into the showers. After about twenty minutes, they were all in bed and sleeping.

The seven hours quickly slipped by. Amy monitored the scanners and watched the helicopters return to their bases. One even checked out the abandoned shack. Nothing would ever be found in there. She had sent her bots into the building, and had removed everything from the entire structure. The bots even stripped the floor out and laid down a new one that looked just like the original. Even Molly's pack was found and brought to the ship, so that no clue was left behind.

The hours slipped by as she watched her new crew sleep. She watched and started sending them pleasant dreams through the nanobots. She knew that times that were coming, that would test them to the bone, and hone them like a razor sharp blade.