Chapter 6

"Quick, upstairs," JJ ordered her daughters with her mind. "Get dressed. Come down if I call."

"Jim," JJ thought. "You work on getting the Chinese ready to dish out. Let me try to take care of him."

Jim had to smile at the way JJ assumed command. He could see the fierce determination in her mind to protect her home and family as she marched toward the door. His smile turned into a grin as he realized that he was included in that family she was protecting.

"Get over it," JJ said in his mind. "You are mine and that is that".

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jim thought back to her. The rush of love and protectiveness from JJ was almost enough to overwhelm him as he watched her disappear into the hallway. The thought brushed across his mind once again that the female was the deadliest of the human species.

"I can believe that," Al said in his mind with a contemplative tone.

Jim was surprised to see the image of a wall around their thoughts.

JJ took a deep breath and let it out slowly before opening the door.

"General Branch!" JJ exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" JJ asked in feigned shock and surprise. "Ah, excuse me sir, come in please."

"Abby, I need to blush as if I were embarrassed," JJ said to her symbiote. JJ could feel herself blush as she held the door open for the general and his aide, or guard.

"Can I help you General?" JJ asked. Then in a hushed voice she said, "I am glad you are here. I didn't know what else to do. Jim Bronson is in the kitchen."

The tall, black haired general looked at JJ with those ice cold blue eyes for a moment. "I know he is here major. I wanted to talk to him and I have a couple of questions for you," General Branch said in a cold, hard voice.

"The best defense is a good offense," Jim said in JJ's mind.

"Good idea," JJ responded to Jim.

"Well I have a bunch of questions for you General," JJ flared but still in a hushed voice. "You ordered me to keep an eye on him General. You said it was imperative for the security of the project. How in the hell am I going to do that if I only see him in four week intervals General? I made sure I caught the same bus back to Phoenix as he did and rode with him. I let him talk me into getting some coffee when we got back to Phoenix and let him take me out to dinner last night," JJ ranted in a stage whisper. "Oh don't worry General. He doesn't suspect I am supposed to watch him. He thinks it was all his idea." JJ hesitated for a moment before continuing and she brought her blush back with more emphasis. "I even let him sleep with me last night General, "JJ said. "With my daughters in the house," she continued with outrage clear in her voice. "When is this assignment going to be over?" JJ demanded.

General branch looked at JJ for a moment. Ignoring JJ's question the General asked, "Did you notice a disturbance in front of your house this morning Major?"

"Do you mean the queers that were watching Bess's house?" JJ asked with sarcasm. "Did they find the jealous wife that hired them?"

"They were not queers and a jealous wife did not hire them," General Branch said in cold clipped tones. "Those were my men that I had assigned to watch Mr. Bronson."

"Well General, if they weren't gay then why were they naked in a van together?" JJ asked with sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Why were they screwing each other General? Don't you have better screening of your personnel than that? Isn't that taking 'Don't ask, Don't tell' just a little too far?" JJ paused for a moment shaking her head before continuing. "If I had known your men were watching him I wouldn't have let him stay here last night. I wouldn't have had to risk my daughters finding out," JJ concluded disgustedly.