Author's Note: The gen version of this story, "Split Second," written by Erica Michaels, was originally published in the multi-media zine Ouch! #15 and is posted at Blackraptor. My thanks to Erica for allowing me to slash her baby! Warning: Graphic description of male-male sex.
"Vin!" Chris yelled, but it was already too late.
The activity around Larabee slowed in his panic-altered perception, unfolding in painful, too-lucid detail. There was nothing he could do to stop the tragedy already fated to happen.
It was too late… too late. He had lost his lover this time… of that he was sure.
Two days before
7:00 a.m.
Seated at a corner table in his favorite café, Chris looked up from his newspaper, his expression surprised. "Orin," he said. "What're you doing here?"
The older man tossed a thin file folder onto Larabee's table. "I need your help, Chris." He sat down, prepared to wait.
The blond picked up the file and opened it, reading through the contents as quickly as he could. When he was finished, he closed the file and let it drop back onto the tabletop. He shook his head. "I'll need some updated satellite photos of the compound."
"It's being done as we speak," Travis said.
"How fast?"
"Tomorrow," the older man said. "We're afraid it'll be too late if we wait any longer than that. I'd rather it was tonight, but–"
"We might be able to pull it off tonight, but the extra day would be helpful," Chris told him.
"It's your call. But we have to get those women and children out of there – quickly and quietly."
Chris nodded and then sighed and shook his head. "Where the hell do these nuts come from?"
Travis shrugged, his expression tired. "It's getting close to the millennium, Chris. We're probably going to see more and more of this over the next four-hundred some-odd days."
Larabee stood and stepped around the corner of the table. "I'll contact the others and brief them. You get me those satellite photos, and whatever else you can on the local terrain. And let's get a series of power outages started today and tomorrow so they won't notice when we show up tomorrow night."
Travis nodded, stood and left without a goodbye.
Two hours later
"How do we know these women are in any danger?" JD asked after Chris finished briefing them.
"We don't, exactly, but all the signs are there. Wilson Dobson lured in the men first. They're his followers. These women and children had no idea what was coming when they were forced into Dobson's compound the day before yesterday by their husbands, fathers, and brothers."
"This Dobson guy sounds like a real lunatic," Buck offered. "And he honestly thinks that Jesus is tellin' him what to do?"
Chris nodded his agreement with the ladies man's assessment of Dobson's mental state. "So he says. He's cut off all contact with the outside world for these women. And, from the intel Travis passed on, Dobson's been stockpiling weapons for the last several months, not to mention the chemicals that could be used for a mass suicide."
"Jonestown all over again," Josiah said softly, shaking his head. "You'd think we'd learn – eventually."
"Dobson's also been writing to several local and national newspapers over the past month, announcing that Jesus Christ has told him that the world is coming to an end – the day after tomorrow," Chris added.
Ezra's eyebrows rose and the corner of his lips twitched with amusement. "The day after tomorrow? Well, I suppose I should reschedule that massage I've been trying to work in."
The others chuckled.
"I take it we're goin' in t'morrow night?" Vin asked him. "End it fer 'im a day early?"
Larabee nodded, trying not to smile at the comment, or the man who had made it. "We'll go in after two a.m., when they'll be tired and their guard will be down. But we're just going in to get the women and kids out. What these guys decide to do is up to them."
"Non-lethal?" Nathan asked the blond.
"That's the plan," Chris replied. "We don't want to create more martyrs."
"We hope," Josiah replied worriedly. "This sounds a little too much like what happened in Waco for my tastes."
"That's why we're the ones going in, not the regular ATF," Chris said. "The government isn't anxious to end up in another standoff. This won't be another Waco."
"Y' sure these women are gonna want t' be rescued?" Vin asked him.
"One of them was able to smuggle out a note, asking for help," Chris explained. "She said that they're afraid they and their kids are going to be killed. I think they'll cooperate with us."
"What kind of resistance are we lookin' at?" Buck asked. "From the men, I mean."
"Dobson's not going to want to let these women and kids go. He thinks he's setting up a new Eden… How that's supposed to work if they're all dead, I don't know, so don't ask me. Some of his followers are ex-military, but most of them are just working-class locals who bought into his delusion. They're not a well trained force by any stretch of the imagination."
"Score one for our side," JD said with a grin.
"What 'bout the weather?" Vin questioned, already thinking ahead to the assault. "Estes c'n be colder 'n a witch's tit this time 'a year. If we have t' move a bunch 'a little kids very far, they're gonna slow us down."
Chris glanced at Ezra, noting his slightly arched eyebrows over the colorful remark.
Vin followed Larabee's look. "Ah hell, Ez, y' know what I mean."
"True, but your colorful vernacularisms are a never ending source of amusement," the undercover man said.
"Travis is arranging for a bus to meet us just beyond the main gate," Chris cut in before Vin could reply. "They shouldn't have to travel very far, regardless of the weather, but it's a good point. Find out what they're predicting for tomorrow night."
"Might want to have a couple of medics on that bus," Jackson said.
"Some thermoses of hot chocolate, too," Josiah added.
"We need it, we'll get it. Just write it up and get it to me a-s-a-p."
"What's the overall game plan, Chris?" Nathan asked Larabee.
Chris took a deep breath and laid out his general plan of attack, soliciting feedback from each of the others in order to hammer out a final strategy that they were all comfortable with. Several hours later, they were ready to gather their equipment, double-check their intel and current conditions, and go….
Early morning, the day of the assault
And the operation had gone according to plan.
They drove to a deserted spot three miles from the compound and hiked the rest of the way through broken woods and the occasional farm field without incident. Having memorized the layout of Dobson's compound from the high resolution satellite photos, they chose a small wooded rise near the only entrance from which to launch their assault on the compound.
The team lay on the rise, using night-vision gear to peer down on two men standing guard at the gated entrance to the only approach road. The pair of guards, unaware of the seven black-clad operators watching them, were not particularly alert. In fact, they were sitting on folding stools, talking, smoking cigarettes, and drinking from steaming mugs of coffee.
Larabee and the others waited while JD set up a small parabolic mike so they could eavesdrop on the men's conversation.
And what they learned was exactly what they had hoped: they were running on routine. There was no alert out, and no indication that the team's arrival had been detected, or was even anticipated. Evidently Dobson had told the men that Jesus himself had insured their safety.
Larabee reached out and laid his hand on Vin's arm and squeezed. The team's sniper brought up his rifle and fired two tranquilizer darts, striking both men in rapid succession. They slumped over, their coffee mugs slipping from their fingers before they fell off their stools.
Chris tapped Buck on the shoulder and the ladies' man crawled forward. Near the gate he found where the power lines for the compound entered and cut them. The lights that illuminated the grounds around the buildings blinked out. Wilmington opened the gate and then quickly rejoined the others. The team backed off the rise, disappearing like shadows into the darkness of the early morning.
Chris knew Dobson would have generators, but it would take him a while to get them fired up and running, enough time for the team to slip unseen inside the compound. And, with luck, they wouldn't even bother with the generators. Travis had already arranged for several short power outages to occur over the past thirty-six hours, getting Dobson and his people used to the idea of being without power for short periods of time. The local news even covered the problem, blaming a faulty panel at the local power station for the sporadic failures. It was supposed to be fixed overnight, so an early morning blackout should, hopefully, raise no suspicions.
Their intel placed the number of men in the compound at thirty, in addition to Dobson himself. Two were already down. From the satellite photos that had seen, they knew that fifteen of the men would be in their barracks, sleeping, while the other fifteen were scattered around the grounds, standing guard.
Chris keyed his Motorola MX-300 communications unit and said softly, "Okay, follow the plan, keep a running body count going so we know what possible resistance we're looking at."
Buck and JD silently moved off toward the men's sleeping barracks. Vin took another direction, tasked with taking out as many of the remaining thirteen men as he could on his way to a position to cover the women's retreat. Nathan and Josiah would keep the exit secured. Chris and Ezra headed for the women's barracks.
Several minutes later Larabee heard a click in his earpiece, followed by Buck's voice. "Target alpha has been neutralized," he said. The fifteen sleeping men would remain unconscious for several hours, thanks to the gas he and JD had released into the building. "Moving to locate the rovers. We'll converge on the gate in seven minutes. Blue clear."
"Roger Blue," Chris replied.
Another click and Vin said, "Green here. Four tangos down. Movin' into final position."
Chris and Ezra reached the women's barracks, finding two men standing guard. The pair split up. Larabee dropped his man first with a dart from the tranquilizer gun he carried.
Seeing his friend fall, Ezra's target spun, looking for his attacker. The last thing he expected to see was a man dressed in black and wearing black cammo paint on his face. He grabbed for his sidearm, but Ezra was already moving, bringing up his weapon and firing. His dart caught the man in the neck and he dropped to his knees and then collapsed face-first into the short-cut grass.
"Eight and counting," Chris announced over the radio.
"Nine and counting," Buck corrected a moment later.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Vin hunched over, his right eye pressed against the rubber-rimmed eyepiece of his low-light sniper-scope. From his vantage point on the small rise he had a clear view of nearly the entire area inside of Dobson's compound. To his right, along the base of the rise, was a long, low building that the satellite experts had identified as the women's barracks. To the left was a smaller building, the men's meeting house. Directly opposite the rise was a small two-story Victorian house topped by a small satellite antennae – Dobson's house. And next to Dobson's private quarters, another barracks for the men.
He saw Chris and Ezra enter the women's barracks, but he was watching a man moving stealthily toward the building. Vin eased the muzzle of his tranquilizer rifle to the right, the scope crosshairs centering on the magnified image of the guard, who carried a general-purpose machine gun in his hands like he knew how to use it.
Part of Vin's pre-mission preparation had involved going over dozens of satellite photos with calipers and a scale, measuring out ranges. This target was close, as sniping went, at sixty meters. Tanner drew down slightly, since his rifle was sighted at the lowest possible adjustment of eighty meters.
Aim… hold… squeeze…
Vin watched the man stagger, then fall into the grass. "Ten down," he drawled into his lip mike, hoping it was going well for Chris and Ezra. Times like this, it was hard not to let his feeling for Larabee steal away some of his attention, but he fought against it, knowing he could keep the man safest by doing his job the best he possibly could. Still, it was hard.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Inside the building, Chris woke the woman who lay in the first small bed they encountered. The woman gasped, but she did not scream.
"It's all right," he assured her. "We're here to get you and the others out."
"Oh, thank God," the woman breathed, climbing out of bed and moving to wake the two children in the bunk beds next to her.
"Ten," stated Buck's voice into their earpieces. "This is almost too damned easy."
Chris and Ezra quickly moved down the two rows of bunk beds, waking the other women, cautioning them to remain silent while they quickly dressed or pulled on bathrobes and then helped their children prepare. Swiftly the two agents lined the women and kids up in the center of the barracks, between the two rows of beds.
"Hammer is ready to move," Chris announced into his lip mike.
"All clear, Hammer," Vin replied. "Y' can go. All clear t' move. Repeat, all clear t' move. The chariot's in place."
Chris walked over to an older woman who had been helping to keep the others calm, speaking to them in soft, low tones that seemed to soothe their nerves. "Ma'am, I'd like for you to help us make sure these women and children stay together."
She nodded. "I'll do my best."
Larabee raised his voice so the others could hear him. "Ladies, I want you to make sure you keep a tight hold on your children. If anyone gets separated, we might lose them in the dark. Understood?"
Heads nodded and many of the women clutched their children closer to them. A few soft sobs echoed through the large room.
"Ladies, listen carefully, please," Ezra continued his tone confident and calm. "When we go outside I need you to run straight to the gate on this side of the meeting house. That's on this side of the meeting house, all right? Head straight outside the compound, and continue down the road. There will be a bus waiting for you around the first turn. You and your children will be safe there."
Larabee watched the women nod and took a deep breath. This was it. It would be dawn soon and they needed to get moving. Vin said it was clear, but there were still five men unaccounted for.
"Eleven," Josiah's voice announced, his tone deeply satisfied.
Okay, four left. Still, that's enough to cause some damage with the weapons they're supposed to have.
"Ax, what's the situation?" Larabee asked into his lip mike.
"All clear, Hammer," Vin replied. "But it's startin' t' get light."
"Roger that," Chris replied, then looked back to the women. "Let's go, ladies. And remember, don't stop for anything. Clear?"
Heads nodded again.
Ezra opened the door, making a quick check before he waved the women through. He moved with the women at the front of the line, Chris moving out with those at the rear.
Ezra led the women between the barracks and the meeting house – as far away from Dobson's quarters as possible – making a straight line run for the open gate where Josiah and Nathan waited to cover their escape.
"Thirteen," Chris heard Vin say in his earpiece. "Movin' t' my second position – now," he added, letting them know that he was heading down off the rise to cover their retreat from the rear of the column.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Chris wasn't quite sure when he realized what was about to happen. Everything was going so smoothly. Most of the women had already passed through the gate and were running down the road with their children, heading toward the waiting bus. But a few of them were moving slower, burdened by one or two children who couldn't run fast enough to keep up with the others. One in particular, however, was lagging farther and farther behind, slowed by the burden of carrying a small girl with leg braces.
Buck and JD joined them, helping some of the straggling women by grabbing up children and charging with them for safety.
Chris reached for one of the two twins another woman struggled with, but then stopped, barking at her, "Run!"
The woman's eyes flew wide, but she grabbed her children's hands and picked up speed, not looking back.
"Vin!" he yelled, but it was already too late.
The activity around Larabee slowed in his panic-altered perception, unfolding in painful, too-lucid detail. There was nothing he could do to stop the tragedy already fated to happen.
It was too late… too late. He had lost his lover this time… of that he was sure.
The woman with the older girl in braces in her arms stumbled and fell. She climbed right back up, and scooped up the girl, her braced legs flapping wildly as the woman ran. But one of the two remaining militia men stood less than thirty yards away, his rifle moving to target the woman and child. Vin, moving up to protect their rear, saw the man. Chris also knew that the sniper was aware of the second man, Dobson, who had exited his house and was now bringing up an old Colt revolver, aiming at the sniper.
The woman and child were in Larabee's line of fire and, as he lunged for an opening, he saw the choice Vin had to make: Shoot the man aiming at the woman and girl, or shoot the man aiming at the sniper himself.
Dropping his tranquilizer rifle, Vin drew his sidearm, dropping the man with the rifle before he could kill the woman and child. A split-second later Dobson fired.
Chris didn't see his lover fall as he took another step forward, his own sidearm drawn and coming up. He fired on Dobson. The man flew back and fell. Without hesitation, Larabee veered and charged to the fallen sniper. Dropping to his knees beside the man, Chris reached out to check where the man had been shot. There was blood at the side of Tanner's head.
"Vin?" he said, slipping his hand under the sniper's head to try to help him sit up, but as soon as his fingers touched the warm, sticky liquid that coated the man's hair he knew it must be the exit wound. "Oh no… No… Vin?" he managed before his throat tightened too much for more words to escape.
With trembling hands he checked for a pulse and found it, but it was fast and thready. Into the lip mike he barked, "I need an ambulance – now!"
"Chris, what's wrong?" Nathan's voice asked.
"Vin's been hit! Get over here, Nate! Hurry!" His heart was racing, and his blood felt like ice water as it flowed through his veins. He was shaking all over, and he couldn't make it stop. "God, Vin," he whispered thickly, the bile rising up the back of his throat. "This can't be happening… Hang on, okay? Please… Please, Vin, just hang on…"* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The bus rumbled down the road, carrying the women and children to safety, government officials and paramedics riding along with them, taking statements and checking them over to make sure they were unharmed. But Team Seven waited at the gate to the compound, listening to the wail of an ambulance growing louder in the dim pre-dawn light.
Nathan pressed a dressing over the back of Vin's skull, but he was too afraid to probe the wound to see if it had actually penetrated the man's skull. If the bullet had broken through the bone and exited, he didn't want to add any contamination or cause any more damage.
The sniper panted in short, wheezing gasps, and his lips were slowly turning a frightening shade of blue.
"Come on, come on," Nathan urged the ambulance softly under his breath. "Hurry, hurry…"
The vehicle arrived and two paramedics climbed out, jogging over to join them. Within minutes, they had Vin loaded onto a gurney and were rolling him to the rear of the ambulance and loading him inside. Chris climbed into the front of the rig, riding to the hospital with the injured man while the others ran back along the road to their van so they could follow.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
In the ambulance, Chris twisted around in his seat, watching the paramedic working over Vin, remorse rising in his throat like the bile had earlier. He was loosing him. He was watching him slip away, right in front of his eyes.
No… Damn it, Vin, you can't leave me, he thought. I can't do this again. I can't lose you. I just can't.
"Step on it, Mike," the medic with Vin called to his partner. "This guy's pulse is getting erratic back here."
"What does that mean?" Larabee demanded.
"Don't know for sure," the driver said. "But it looked like he took a helluva blow to the head."
The medic with Vin slipped an oxygen mask over the sniper's mouth and started on another set of vital signs. Larabee scooted closer to the edge of his padded seat and leaned over so his mouth was as close to Tanner's ear as possible. "Hang in there, Vin," he said. "You're gonna be just fine. You hear me? You just hang in there, damn it."
"Step on it! I'm losing him, Mike!" the medic called.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
At the hospital, Vin was rushed straight into an ER treatment room. Chris tried to follow, but he was stopped by a young nurse who was clearly intimidated by his uniform, black face and weapons.
"I'm– I'm sorry, sir, but you can't go in there," she said, then swallowed hard. "We need a clean environment."
"Get out of my way," Larabee growled, his voice low and dangerous. Nothing and no one was standing between him and Vin.
A short, older woman stepped up in front of Larabee, her natural red hair liberally streaked with grey. "You're not going in there," she stated matter-of-factly, her jaw jutting out slightly, her head tilting slightly to the side.
Chris pulled up, her words surprising him. "Lady–"
"Doctor," she corrected him, grey eyes narrowing. "Now, you listen to me, young man," she said. "I'm going to go in there to treat that man. And you're going to go wait until I'm done. Wait nice and quiet. Is that perfectly clear?"
"Chris," Buck said, walking up from behind him and resting his hand lightly on Larabee's arm. "Let them do what they have to. They know what they're doing."
"I'd listen to him if I were you," the doctor said, turning away.
Larabee looked at Buck, eyes pleading with the ladies' man to let him disobey the doctor, but he refused. Besides, there was no way they would get past the older woman. The brief image of the doctor, standing on a pioneer cabin porch, holding a shotgun to warn off outlaws or Indians, sprang into Buck's mind.
"There's, uh, a waiting room down that hall to your right," the young nurse said, her gaze locked on the weapons the team still carried.
The doctor paused, her hand on the door to the treatment room. "Stacy, I think these folks might be more comfortable in the physician's lounge. Show them the way?"
"I want to know what's going on!" Chris called to her.
"As soon as we can," the physician agreed, then pushed through the door and was gone.
Chris and the others tromped down the hall behind the petite nurse to a small lounge which was, thankfully, empty. When he dropped into one of the chairs the blond noticed that there were two orderlies standing out in the hallway, watching them.
Great, just what we need, trouble from the freakin' locals. Well, one way or another he would find out what was happening with Vin, and the locals be damned.
He shuddered as a chill snaked down his spine. What if he lost him? What if Vin died in there on that table?
No, he couldn't think about that, couldn't think that way. He had to believe Vin was going to live. He had to. To contemplate life without him… was unthinkable… undoable, a second time… unacceptable.
Fight, Vin, he silently implored the injured man. Please, fight… I need you. More than I even knew.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
In the treatment room, the doctor and several nurses moved around Vin in a flurry of activity. Two of the nurses worked to strip the sniper down while a technician positioned a portable x-ray machine over his head.
"Jesus, this guy's armed to the teeth!" one of the nurses exclaimed, hastily setting aside two side-arms and twice as many combat knives.
"Who do you think he is?" another asked. "One of those militia guys?"
"It doesn't matter who he is," the doctor interrupted them. "We just have to keep him alive."
"Doctor, he's going into V-tach…"* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The steady beat of heavy footsteps captured the teams' attention and they stood as two police officers entered the lounge. The officers glanced nervously at the assortment of weapons lying on one of the sofas in the room.
The older of the two officers said, "I'm afraid that we're going to have to ask you to turn over those weapons. And any others you might be carrying."
"No can do, officer," Chris replied, watching both men tense. "We have the necessary clearances to carry our weapons."
"Yeah? Well, I'd like to see that, G.I. Joe," the younger officer snapped.
"Okay, look," Chris said, trying to hold his temper in check with some effort, "I'm going to reach into my pocket and take out a badge and a business card."
"A business card?" the younger officer echoed somewhat sarcastically.
"There's a name and a number on it. You call it. The man at the other end will explain everything."
The older officer nodded, and Chris carefully reached into one of his shirt pockets and pulled out his ID and the card, which he handed over to the older officer. "You call that number. Talk to AD Orin Travis."
The officer's gaze flickered down to the card and then back to Chris. "ATF? What are you guys doing out here?"
"That's need to know, Sergeant…" Larabee checked the man's name tag. "…Price."
"Let's just say that we have the highest possible clearance," JD added with a somewhat taunting smile at the younger cop, who was about his age.
"Ned, you stay here with these folks, I'll be right back," Sergeant Price said.
The younger officer nodded, but he didn't look very comfortable with the idea.
"Can I get you some coffee, Officer… Ames, is it?" Ezra asked, nodding toward the machine in the corner of the room and smiling solicitously. The effect with his blacked out face was something akin to a shark's grin at a struggling swimmer.
"Uh, no. No, thanks," Ned replied, feeling his knees begin to shake.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Sergeant Price returned a few minutes later, his face beet red. "Ned, come on, let's go."
His partner turned to face him. "Go?"
"Everything all right, Sergeant?" Buck asked, a suppressed smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I talked to AD Travis, and he promptly got the city mayor and the sheriff on the line with me. They both said to leave you people alone, so we're gonna leave you alone, but I think you ought to take those weapons out of here. You're gonna scare the staff and the patients to death decked out like that."
"What would you recommend, Sergeant, that we lock them in the car?" Josiah asked, his tone half-amused, half-challenging.
"Well, no, but you could put them in the trunk of my unit," Price offered. "I'll take them back to the station and you guys can pick them up there when you're ready."
Chris considered the offer for a moment and then nodded. "Buck, JD, round up the weapons and take them out of here. And bring in our gear from the van."
"Will do, Chris," Buck said, heading for the rifles.
JD grinned malevolently at the younger officer, enjoying the terror that flashed across his face, and then stepped over to help Wilmington. "We'll just put them out in the van," he told the officers.
"But you might want to ensure that no one breaks into the vehicle," Ezra added.
"All right," the Sergeant said, shaking his head. Damn feds.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Buck and JD returned a few minutes later, the ladies' man carrying a nearly empty black deployment bag. Chris crossed to the men and took the bag, carrying it to one of the chairs and setting it down. Opening the main compartment, he fished out several towels, tossing them to the others so they could wipe most of the black face-paint off.
That done, they each stripped off their assault vests, Chris loading them back into the bag, along with other gear they carried. When they were stripped down to their uniforms, he zipped the bag closed and dropped it onto the floor beside the chair and sat down.
"Wish we'd hear something," Nathan complained softly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's only been a little over a half-hour," Josiah replied from where he sat at one end of a sofa, his eyes closed as he tried to center himself and dispel the worry that gnawed through his guts. He knew as well as the others that if they lost Vin, they would lose Chris as well. And that, they all knew, would be the end of Team Seven. His attempt to reassure the black man didn't work.
"At least we know he ain't dead," Buck added. "Hell, he's too damned hard-headed for it to be anything really serious… Right?"
The others smiled briefly, but worry quickly snuffed out the brief flash of humor.
"You think we ought to contact Nettie?" JD hesitantly asked Larabee.
"No," Chris replied. "At least not until we have something concrete to tell her."
"Times like this, I'm really glad none of us have kids," JD replied, then shot Larabee an apologetic glance. "Ah hell, I'm sorry, Chris."
The blond nodded. "I know what you meant, JD. It's all right."
"I hear that," Buck echoed, nodding his agreement with the younger man's comment.
Josiah rubbed a hand over his eyes and asked, "What happened, Chris?"
"He had to make a choice," Larabee said softly. "Dobson and the last man came out of nowhere. The guy was aiming for the woman and the little girl with braces. Vin saw him. He saw Dobson, too, who was aiming for Vin."
"And, in typical hero fashion, our intrepid sniper chose to save the woman and her daughter," Ezra summed up, and then sighed heavily. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. But then he knew that no good deed went unpunished.
Chris nodded.
"You've got that right. That young man's a genuine hero," Josiah said quietly.
"And an annoying, stubborn, order-ignoring, pain-in-the-ass," Buck added with a sad smile, "but, yeah, a hero… ya got that right, Josiah."
"I couldn't get a clean shot at Dobson until he'd pulled the trigger," Larabee continued, his tone turning angry.
"That's not your fault, Chris," Josiah told him.
"Maybe not, but tell that to Vin."
"I'm sure he was well aware of the risk when he made the choice," Ezra stated.
"He'll be fine," JD said firmly, but his eyes were too bright and he turned away from the others, staring out the single window in the room.
Nathan nodded and forced a smile, echoing, "Yeah, he'll be fine."
Chris could feel the gazes of the others fall on him, then quickly shift away. They knew about him and Vin. Oh, they probably tried to pretend that they didn't, but he knew they had figured it out – at some level. And, right now, he couldn't give a flying fuck what they knew, or what they thought they knew. All he knew was the man he had fallen in love with was laying in a hospital, with a head wound that had nearly killed him on the trip in, and he didn't know what the hell was going on.
Well, that was going to change. He pushed to his feet and started toward the door, but Buck stepped in front of him just as he started to reach for the knob.
"Chris, you keep interfering and that boy might just die because he can't get the care he needs," Larabee's oldest friend said softly, but his eyes were filled with sorrow and compassion.
The blond stood, his fingers curling into tight fists, but he knew the man was right. Goddamn him, Buck was right.
An hour later
Stripped down and cleaned up, Vin lay, unmoving, on a treatment table. A small rolling table next to the gurney was stacked high with bloody gauze squares.
The doctor took a step back and shook her head. "I'll go talk to his friends," she said.
One of the nurses still present nodded, her expression sympathetic. She was just glad it wasn't her who had to face the six armed men.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Chris paced across the doctor's lounge, then stopped, growling, "That's it, I'm gonna go find out what the hell's going on."
JD spotted the physician first and bounced off the sofa.
"What?" Larabee asked him.
"The doctor," he said, nodding in her direction.
The older woman glanced around the room, taking in the sight of six worried, anxious… commandos? Still in their black uniforms, their faces were at least wiped off, but still shadowed by black paint. But at least their weapons seemed to have disappeared – compliments of Charlie Price, no doubt.
She walked up to Chris and extended her hand. "I'm afraid I didn't have the chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm Maggie McDonnell," she said, "Mr. Tanner's doctor."
"How is he?" Larabee asked her, his concern obvious and genuine.
Maggie gestured to the sofa and sat down, waiting for the others to do the same before she explained, "Mr. Tanner sustained a glancing blow to the side of his head."
"Glancing?" Nathan echoed, his voice hopeful.
Dr. McDonnell nodded. "However, the force of the bullet that grazed him also slammed him to the ground pretty hard. He has a good-sized knot on the back of his skull as well."
"But he'll be okay, right?" JD asked her.
"I think so, but we're going to monitor him closely for the next twenty-four hours, just in case there is any swelling at either injury site. I've also asked our neurologist to check the x-rays and examine him."
Chris stood, saying, "We'd like to see h–"
"No," Maggie interrupted, shaking her head. "Not now."
"But–"
"We think he's out of any immediate danger, but I want him quiet and resting for at least the next six to eight hours. So, why don't all of you go get cleaned up, eat some breakfast, and get some rest. You can check back with me around six tonight."
"But–" Chris began again.
"That's the best you're going to get," the doctor said, interrupting him.
"Come on," Buck said, reaching out to rest his hand on Larabee's shoulder. He flashed Maggie an understanding smile. "Let's go, stud. Junior's in good hands."
Chris hesitated a moment, but then sighed and nodded. "Six o'clock?"
Maggie nodded. "Don't worry. He should be fine. We're just being careful. But if there is any change in his condition, we'll let you know. Just be sure to leave a number at the nurses' station."
Larabee nodded. At this point he'd take whatever he could get.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Taking over a suite at one of the local hotels, Chris and the others quickly showered and changed back into "civilian" clothes. Room service delivered their breakfasts, and the team ate in silence while they watched the local news, which made no mention of their pre-dawn raid, although the anchor said, "Members of Reverend Dobson's church were arrested after it was discovered that they were holding friends and family members in the New Eden Compound against their will. While attempting to arrest Reverend Dobson, he and his Deacon, Alfred Williamson, were killed by police. A spokesman for the sheriff's department stated that Dobson and Williamson were armed with illegal automatic weapons, and that deputies were forced to shoot the two men in order to protect their lives and the lives of innocent bystanders… Coming up next, a wily pig has locals guessing whose garden might be next on the porker's to hit list…"
Chris poked the remote control at the smiling newscaster's face and pushed the power button. The screen blinked to black.
"Looks like the PR guys were on top of this one," Josiah said, shaking his head slightly.
"Don't know if the local sheriff is going to appreciate his people taking the blame," Nathan added.
"At least the press didn't play it up," Buck offered with a shrug.
"Just made it sound like Dobson and his people were a bunch of crazies," JD said, adding, "which they were."
"No argument here," Buck stated, reaching for another buttermilk biscuit from the small basket sitting on the table/cart that had been rolled in for them.
"I think I'll give the hospital a call," Chris said, starting to stand.
Buck reached out and put a restraining hand on his arm, keeping him in his seat. "Dr. McDonnell said she'd call if there was anything to report," he said softly. "He'll be fine."
Chris flashed the ladies' man a half-angry, half-frustrated scowl, but Wilmington took it in stride, asking, "More pancakes?"
"No," Larabee snapped.
"Just a graze," Nathan added, shaking his head slightly. "That man's got more lives than a cat."
"Must've been a helluva choice," JD said quietly, staring at his plate where he had been chasing his own pancakes around in circle, but not really eating them. "I don't know if I could've done the same thing in his place."
"Knowing you're gonna get hit," Nathan added, shaking his head, "that's gotta be the worst. You know what you've got to do, but you're just waiting to finally hear the bullet with your name on it."
"He didn't even think about it," Josiah said softly as he buttered his own biscuit.
"What do you mean?" JD asked the older man.
Chris leaned back in his chair, waiting for his explanation as well.
"Vin's not the kind of man who thinks about what he should do. He just knows what he has to do, and he does it."
"And damn the consequences," Ezra added softly.
Josiah shrugged.
"It's what makes him a good sniper," Buck stated. "Hell, if I had to look a man in the eyes through a scope I don't know if I could off him. Not if he was just sitting down to supper."
"You could, if you had a reason," Chris countered.
"Vin had a reason, too," Josiah said. "He was keeping that woman and her daughter alive. Which is why he ignored the threat to himself," he told Larabee. "He knew he might die, but that wasn't as important as saving that woman and child… And that's why you're mad at him."
The others looked from Josiah to Chris, waiting for an explosion that never came.
After a moment Larabee grinned ruefully and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I was mad."
"Mad?" JD questioned.
"Hell, yes," the blond replied. "I had to watch one of my men, my friend, damn near get himself killed, and that pisses me off."
"Because…?" Buck asked him.
"Because I couldn't do anything to stop it! If I could've covered him, or stopped Dobson from firing–"
"You wanted to be in control, Chris," Josiah explained. "We all do. And this time Vin was. He got to decide what was going to happen, not you."
"Yeah, I guess he did. But when he's out of that hospital bed I'll be in control again, and I'm going to kick his ass for scaring me like that," Chris added testily.
"Now that I'd like to see," Buck said, chuckling.
"My money is on Mr. Tanner," Ezra said.
"What?" Chris cried.
The handsome, dark-haired man grinned. "I've seen Mr. Tanner working out, Mr. Larabee."
"And I haven't been working out?"
Ezra shrugged and Chris looked to the others.
Buck held up his hands and shook his head. "Don't look at me!"
The rest of breakfast passed in a more companionable silence. And, when they were done, the team headed into their rooms to get some much-needed sleep.* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
He knew he was dreaming as he watched the events unfolding around him. He was back in Dobson's compound, Vin getting ready to take out the man who was going to fire on the fleeing woman and her daughter.
Tanner and the others were all moving in slow motion, but he was unable to move at all. It was like he was trapped in ice, and the coldness seeped straight into his heart as he saw Dobson begin to rise his weapon.
"Vin!" he yelled, but there was no sound at all.
He watched the bullet leave Dobson's gun. It reminded him of an angry bumblebee and it was taking a direct path straight to Tanner's head.
"Vin!" he yelled again, louder this time, but it was as silent as before. "No," he whimpered softly as the bullet drew closer, then struck Tanner in the head.
He watched in horror as the younger man's head exploded, shattering into tiny pieces that rushed out, hitting him.
He felt the wet splats as bits and pieces of brain and flesh struck his face, clinging to his skin and soaking into his hair. Vin fell to the ground, most of his skull missing.
"Vin!" he cried, but he still couldn't move, couldn't do anything to help him. "Vin," he moaned and then sobbed. "Ah damn, Vin…"
He jerked awake, sweat pouring off his face, his breath coming in short, tight pants. Reaching up, he wiped the mingled sweat and tears off of his face, almost afraid to look at his hand, in case it was red with blood. But he knew it wouldn't be. He was lying in his bed at the hotel. And Vin was at the hospital.
Rolling his head to the side, he looked across the room to the second bed where Chris lay sleeping. At least he hadn't woken the man and for that he was grateful.
He checked the clock, but it was only a few minutes past one, and he doubted that anyone else would be getting up for at least a few more hours. He rolled over and tried to get comfortable, silently praying that the nightmare didn't return to haunt him, or any of the others, as he drifted back to sleep again. But in one of the other rooms of the suite he thought he might have heard a muffled cry of "Vin!" from one of the others.
The old adage was right after all – cut one and the rest of them bled.
Lose Tanner, and they would lose Larabee and the team as well.
6 p.m.
Dr. Maggie McDonnell reached the information counter exactly thirty seconds ahead of the team. She smiled at the six men, adding, "Well, you clean up rather nicely, if I do say so myself. I almost didn't recognize you."
"How's Vin doing?" Chris asked her.
"Fine, just fine. I don't think we have anything to worry about. If he remains stable, I think we can let him go home the day after tomorrow."
"That long?" Nathan asked her.
"We'd like to keep him for forty-eight hours, just to be safe."
"Can we see him now?" Chris asked the physician, knowing his tone was more plaintive than he would have liked.
Maggie nodded. "He's in ICU, but that's just a precaution. I'm going that way, come on."
They rode the elevator to the third floor and followed Maggie to ICU. She pointed to Vin's room, saying, "One at a time, though, and keep it short."
Without hesitation Chris stalked down the hallway and entered the man's room. Inside, Tanner lay on a narrow bed, the head raised so he was almost sitting up. An IV dripped a clear fluid into the back of his hand, and wires attached him to at least two monitors.
"Hey, Cowboy," Vin said, his words slightly slurred. Near the bed was what was left of Tanner's evening meal.
"Hey, yourself," Chris replied, walking over to stand next to the bed. He took a moment to just savor the sight of the man, alive and awake. Then he reached up and pressed his hand to Vin's cheek, asking, "How're you feeling?"
"Like somebody tried t' pull m' brains out through m' ear," was the colorful reply.
"That bad, huh?"
Vin grunted and Chris leaned forward, brushing a light kiss over the man's lips.
"Well, you'll be going home day after tomorrow – if you behave yourself and get well."
"Just a damn bump on m' head," Tanner grumbled. "Hell, I've had worse." He closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. "The woman–?"
"She and her daughter are fine. You got the guy before he got off the shot."
"Who shot me?"
"Dobson."
Vin grinned. "I heard the news on the TV this morning. Thanks for takin' care 'a that."
"No problem," Larabee assured him, adding, "but next time, you think you can find a little better cover before you save the day?"
"I sure as hell plan on it," was the man's heartfelt reply. "Funny thing, it all happened so fast all I could see was you, looking like y' done bled t' death y' were so pale."
"Yeah, well, watching you get shot sure as hell isn't my idea of a good time," he grumbled, reaching down to squeeze Tanner's shoulder. "You gave me one helluva scare, Vin, and believe me, you're gonna pay for it."
"An' pay, an' pay," Vin mumbled, shaking his head slightly.
Chris grinned. "Look, the guys are out there and they want to say hello. You up for that? And you can say no."
"Sure, send 'em in," Vin said, his eyes blinking open again.
"All right, if you're sure?
Tanner nodded.
"I'll be right back then," Chris said and kissed him again, then headed back into the hall where he found a young blonde woman standing with the others. She turned when Chris approached, her clear blue eyes filled with worry.
"Chris," Buck said, "this is Christine Allen. She's the woman who–"
"Christine," Larabee greeted her, immediately guessing who she was.
"I– I won't ask your names," she said. "But I really wanted to say thank you."
Chris nodded.
"Do you think I…?"
Chris nodded again. "I think he'd like to meet you. How's your daughter?"
"Scared, but fine," the woman replied, a relieved smile lifting the corners of her lips.
"He's right in there," Chris said, pointing to Vin's open door.
She nodded and took several tentative steps toward the door before squaring her shoulders and striding into the room.
"Pretty lady," Buck said softly. "Wonder what she's doing for dinner?"
"She's had enough trauma in her life," Nathan teased the ladies' man, then looked at Chris. "How's he feelin'?"
"Like someone tried to pull his brains out through his ear," Larabee relayed.
The others cringed. "Ouch," JD summed up for the group.
"Yeah," Chris agreed. "But I think he's feeling a little better right about now."
"And you?" Josiah asked the man.
Chris grinned. "Me too. I'm feeling just fine. So, who's next?"* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The time actually passed rather quickly, given the circumstances. Vin moved from ICU to a regular room less than twenty-fours hours after he had been admitted. The new room was considerably larger, and the other members of Team Seven could visit him whenever they wanted, for as long as they wanted. Chris was more grateful than he could say to see the younger man healing, but he had to admit that he missed the privacy of the ICU cubical.
Then, thirty-six hours after Tanner had been injured, Dr. McDonnell told them that she was ready to send Vin home. Travis arranged for the transportation, which picked the sniper up the following morning. Chris rode along with Vin in the private ambulance while the others followed them back to Denver in the tactical van.
Larabee's Ranch
The team made sure Vin was settled into the guest room, then headed back to the federal building where they could pick up their vehicles. Chris went with them, letting Vin get some sleep.
He climbed into his black Dodge Ram and headed back home, stopping along the way to pick up groceries and some takeout barbecue chicken from a small local restaurant that had the best ribs and chicken around.
Reaching the house, he entered quietly and put up the stuff he'd bought. He slipped the chicken into the microwave to be heated up later, then walked softly down to the guest room and checked inside. No Vin.
Frowning, he walked to the bathroom, but that was empty as well. His heart began to beat faster as he paused in the hallway, wondering where Vin might be. Without conscious thought, his feet carried him to his bedroom – the one they had been sharing recently.
And there, in his bed, was Tanner, curled up on his side under the covers, sound asleep. The man's clothes were scattered in a path across the floor to the bed. Chris sighed softly with relief and walked over to the bed. He stripped out of his own clothes and walked over to drop them on the dresser before crossing to the bed and easing in behind his lover.
Vin didn't wake, just murmured softly and shifted closer to Larabee, cuddling up against the man. Chris responded, putting one arm under his head and wrapping the other around Tanner's chest. He closed his eyes and let the comfort of the man's closeness lull him to sleep.
A few hours later
Someone was watching him. He could feel it. He forced his eyes open to narrow slits and peered up to confirm his suspicion.
Yep, there he was, staring at him, an amused expression on his face.
"What?" he grumbled.
"Nothin'," was the softly whispered reply. "Just watchin' y' sleep."
"You're the one who's supposed to be sleeping," Chris chastised him softly. "How does your head feel?"
"Still hurts some, but it ain't too bad," he admitted honestly.
Chris stretched, then reached out and pulled Tanner into his arms so he was lying pressed along the older man's side, his head resting on Larabee's shoulder. "Damn, Vin," he breathed softly, "you scared the shit out of me."
"Sorry," he replied. "Just couldn't let that guy kill 'em."
"I know. I do know, but…" He trailed off, knowing he couldn't tell the man he wished he'd made another choice, because it wasn't true. He just wished the situation had been different, so Vin hadn't had to make the choice in the first place. "Next time we make sure we take out all the potential shooters."
Tanner grinned at that. "Like that idea."
Chris lifted his head and kissed the top of Vin's head.
For his part, Tanner was rubbing his hand lightly over Larabee's chest, pausing occasionally to trace his fingertip in circles around the older man's right nipple, which hardened into a tight peak in response.
But that wasn't the only response Vin was getting. He could see the growing bulge under the covers as well. His hand drifted down, sliding under the covers to find that growing erection. He wrapped his hand around the rapidly swelling shaft and squeezed.
"Mmm," Chris responded, his eyes dropping closed. "You shouldn't be doing that," he said thickly. "You're supposed to be resting for a few more days."
"I am restin'," Tanner mumbled. "Layin' right here restin'." Buthis hand was moving, sliding up and down on the soft flesh that covered the man's increasingly hard cock. He paused when he reached the underside of the flared head, squeezing beneath that ring of sensitive flesh.
Chris groaned lowly and pressed his hips up, wanting to feel that stimulating friction again. But Tanner had other ideas. His thumb rubbed across the spongy head, spreading the first drop of precome over the head while his fingers played lightly under the ridge of flesh, tickling and teasing.
"God," Larabee gasped, his hips pressing up again. Then those same fingers closed around his pulsing shaft again, close to the base, and squeezed hard. "Yes…" he hissed.
Tanner pushed himself up onto his elbow and then leaned over, running the tip of his tongue around Chris' left nipple before his lips closed over the hard bead of flesh and he sucked and nibbled on the sensitive nub.
Larabee groaned, his body undulating under the twin assaults. His arm dropped away from Tanner's body, allowing the younger man to move. And he trailed a line of licks, kisses and nips down Chris' chest.
Vin let go of the man's cock just long enough to push the sheet and blanket out of the way, then grabbed the man's shaft again and held it so he could kiss the tip, his tongue flicking off another drop of precome. That made Larabee gasp and press his hips up.
Vin opened his mouth and let just the flared head of his lover's cock slip into his mouth, his lips closing under the rim and pulling against it while his tongue swirled over the top.
"Oh God," Larabee gasped, pressing up again and trying to slide more of his aching cock into the moist warmth. But Tanner just kept suckling on the head, this time using his teeth to rub along the slippery flesh and to tenderly nibbled at the tip.
Chris jerked and gasped, his hand coming to try and close around his shaft, but Vin slapped it away. He pulled off the head and started to lick along the shaft while he took Larabee's balls into his hands and rolled the man's testicles with his fingers.
"Shit!" the older man barked, his hips thrusting regularly now. Then Tanner was going down on him, the head of his cock mashing against the back of the man's mouth, tongue, lips, teeth and fingers all colluding to push him over the edge and he was shooting into Vin's mouth.
And Vin swallowed every drop he could, a little rolling down Larabee's shaft to pool in his pubic hair.
Larabee finally collapsed back on the bed, panting as his body shook with the fading waves of pleasure that was still breaking over it. "God," he breathed, "what your mouth does to me…"
Vin finally looked up, grinning. "I know how to keep y' happy."
"You sure as hell do," was the half-growled reply as Tanner kept playing with the older man's almost soft cock and his balls.
"Wantcha," Tanner said softly, nuzzling Chris' neck, nipping and sucking at the skin.
"Mmm," Chris replied, rolling over onto his belly.
Vin reached out, opening the small drawer in the nightstand and pulling out a tube of lube. He flipped the top open and squeezed out a small amount onto the tips of his index and middle fingers, then reached down and pressed that into the crack of Larabee's ass, rubbing it up and down over the tight pucker hidden inside. He added a little more, this time poking it inside that ring of muscle and twisting his finger back and forth.
Both men groaned in anticipation.
More lube and Vin sank one finger deep into the heat of his lover's ass. Larabee's legs opened for him, and he slid his finger in and out, stroking the velvet smooth walls of the man's rectum.
A few moments later, he added a second finger, driving them in and out in long slow strokes, pausing now and again to scissor them apart to stretch at the muscles.
Chris moaned, his hips picking up on Tanner's timing. "Vin…"
Tanner licked his lips, added more lube and poked three fingers into the still tight passage. Beneath him, Larabee jerked and ground his cock against the mattress.
Vin repositioned himself between the man's legs, then reached up and grabbed one of the thick pillows. "Lift your hips," he told Chris and he did, the sniper slipping the pillow under his hips.
Then he carefully pulled his fingers out and lubed up his cock, which was hard and leaking. He tossed the lube aside and reached down, grabbing the base of his dick and guiding it to his lover's waiting ass. He pressed past the man's ass cheeks, rubbing his cock up and down along the crack until he found the pulsing sphincter. He pressed against it, the slicked head slipping past the ring of muscle, sliding into the tight heat he craved.
"Oh yeah," he sighed, struggling to keep his hips from jerking, burying himself in deeper.
Chris moaned as well, letting the spreading warmth fill him.
Vin pressed again, gliding in farther. "God, Chris," he gasped, "you feel so good…"
This time Larabee responded, pressing his hips up and forcing Tanner in another inch. The sniper's cock was long and thick and he knew when he man was buried inside of him, his ass would be well and truly full.
And it wasn't long before that was exactly what happened.
Vin paused then, regaining some control over his body. He ground his hips against his lover ass cheeks, pulling them open so he could force himself in that fraction of an inch more. Then he pulled halfway out and sank back in on a single stroke. Chris' body jerked beneath him as his cock slid over that special pleasure point.
"Vin," the man grunted, his own hips trying to pump, but he was crushed against the pillow. Still the play of contracting muscles along his swelling shaft was enough to ignite Vin's own needs and he began to pump in and out of the welcoming tight heat, the pace quickly picking up until he was driving forcefully into Chris.
Vin shifted his hips slightly as he plunged in each time, striking at different angles that varied the play of dancing muscles across his sensitive cock.
Chris jumped and writhed under him, his hips pressing back and jerking forward.
"Close… 'm close," Vin gasped, riding Larabee hard. He reached down, grabbing the man's hips tightly as he thrust wildly. He felt the tingle that began in his balls, spreading out from there to his cock like a weird current of electricity. Then, beneath him, he felt Chris begin to shoot again, the muscles in his ass grabbing at him again and again. That was the last straw.
Tanner's head was thrown back and he grunted, shoving himself into that dancing tight sea of heat and began to come, shooting again and again into his lovers ass, his body jerking shaking with the power of his orgasm.
Then, in a moment that last forever and was yet over too soon, Tanner began to come down from the high. He felt the last load of come pulse and slide down his cock to flow lazily from his cock head. He let out a grunted sigh, his head dropping forward, his chin almost on his chest. Sweat ran down his face, chest and arms. More trickled down his back and where the fronts of his thighs were pressed against Chris' legs.
He panted, his body still caught in the glow of complete release. Looking down, he stared at the point where his body joined Chris', marveling at the way it felt like he was spread out under Larabee's skin, becoming a part of him.
But he also felt himself softening, and Chris was relaxed, too, no longer clinging to him and, before too long, he slipped free without ever having moved.
Once he was free, he moved away, letting Chris pulled the pillow out from under him and rolling over onto his back. Vin crawled up next to him and laid down, sweat making them both slippery.
They lay like that for a long time, just enjoying the closeness, the love that flowed between them without the need for words. Then Tanner's stomach rumbled and Chris chuckled softly.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Mmm," was Tanner's reply. "Guess that appetizer didn't hold me for long."
"I picked up a barbecued chicken…"
"Sounds good."
"Think a shower might be a good idea before we eat."
Vin nodded his agreement. "Gonna need t' change the sheets, too."
"I'll do it after we eat."
"I'll help ya."
"Least you can do," was the mock-stern reply.
Vin reached down and gave Chris' flaccid cock a gentle squeeze.
"Don't even think about it," Larabee warned him, then pulled him closer and turned his head to kiss Tanner's forehead.
Vin grinned up at him. "I'll do more 'n think about it… later."
"Later," Chris agreed. He closed his eyes, basking in the joy of having the man back home, back in his arms. Vin was alive and well, and all was right in his world. Thank God, he thought.
Tanner's stomach rumbled again.
"Come on," Chris said. "Let's get that shower and get that monster in there fed."
They climbed from the bed and headed to the master bath, their fingers twined together.The End
Author's Second Note: This story first appeared in the Mag 7 zine, Seven Card Stud #9, published by Neon RainBow Press, Cinda Gillilan and Jody Norman, editors. When we all decided to post the stories that have appeared in the issues of Seven Card Stud that are more than two years old, we opted to use a generic pen name because, while Erica Michaels and Lorin Zane is the primary authors of this story, they had so much help from the other folks writing for the press that it just made sense to consider the story to be written by the Neon RainBow Press Collective! Resistance was futile. So, thanks to the whole Neon Gang – Dori Adams, Sierra Chaves, Dana Ely, Michelle Fortado, Patricia Grace, Dani Martin, Erica Michaels, Nina Talbot, Kasey Tucker, Rebecca Wright, and Lorin and Mary Fallon Zane. Story lasted edited 3-7-2007. Art by Shiloh (shigal13@excite.com)