Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The two decided they had enough of the stale hospital air and Veronica could tell Sabine needed time to process what she was going to tell her friend. She figured it was time to get out of the ER for some air. It was time to change the channel for a few moments. As the two were standing outside by the Ambulance Entrance bullshitting about Sabine’s taste in clothing ranging from Wally World Blue light special to Rodeo Drive with price tag still on when all of sudden Veronica’s hackles went up.
Veronica was not sure what alerted her. Sabine on the other hand, quickly saw the threat approaching that was causing her head to explode with ‘Danger Will Robinson’. Walking towards the door were three people. They didn’t look or act like the standard people needing help that come to the ER. None were looking sick, hurt or anxious as if a loved one was in the ER. They both knew it needed checked out, but they could not be too obvious. After making a plan, Sabine and Veronica followed the three into the ER from a distance.
Inside, two of the guys stayed by the door while the leader went to the desk. He started demanding information. Deloris was flustered. He wasn’t taking ‘no‘ for an answer. He was starting to threaten her with violence if she didn’t tell him what he wanted to know. The panic button to summon the guards was too far her to reach and for the time being she was on her own. Deloris was scared.
The guys at the doors were not worried when they saw a pair of tall, lanky women stumble into the ER entrance. They were even polite enough to open the door for them and comment on ‘assetzz and how they could help them spend them’ all the while making rude gestures and sounds. The blond who was being supported by the brunette stuck her tongue out at the pair while the brunette gave them a snubbing glare.
They continued to stumble toward the desk talking louder as they approached the front desk. They were slurring their words and stumbling as they came forward.
“Hey!...Hey!......my girlfriend needs help! I think they put something in her drink! Hey I think he did!! Wasn’t he at the party? I think he did it? He’s the bastard who slipped something into her dring” The brunette was the boisterous one, the blond was muttering incomprehensibly and hanging off of the brunette They kept moving forward towards the desk.
The guy in front of the desk was momentarily distracted by these two as they kept coming right up to the desk where he was grilling Deloris. When they got to the desk, the brunette leaned forward to the desk, her hands going to the desktop. The blond slid to the floor, her back to the desk.
“You got to help my friend. They put something in her drink! Did you put something in her drink? No, you too ugly. You couldn’t have been at the party. They wouldn’t let you in.”
Before Deloris could say something, the man spun the brunette around to face him.
“Look, bitch! Go sit down. I’m busy here!”
“You can get her number later. No, never mind. She’s out of you league. Leave her alone. My friend needs help.” The scorn and dismissal dripped from her arrogant tone and haughty look. She started to turn back towards the desk.
He couldn’t believe the arrogance of this Bitch! He turned her towards him again and slapped her hard across the side of her face. This was his normal method of dealing with bitches who get out of line. The crack was loud in the room. He was sneering as he started his next statement, anticipating the hurt look and fear to come. What he saw instead confused him.
Her face didn’t change. In fact she didn’t seem to react at all other than stare into his eyes. It was at this point he realized she was at least three to five inches taller and was literally looking down on him. Her eyes were what he noticed next. There was no fear, no intimidation, shoot nothing at all. In this gap of action, everything changed.
The brunette’s hand slammed upward, her long strong fingers grabbing his throat, pushing upward. His air was cut off, he could feel the blood pounding trying to get to his brain. He was back on his heels and trying to reach out to her. He scrambled to grab her, but all he could get to was her arm. Maybe he could shoot her! He clawed at his waist for his pistol. As he pulled it out, she swatted it out of his hand with her free hand, never relinquishing the vice-like grip on his throat. Where were his guys!? Why weren’t they helping? Things were dimming. He couldn’t breathe. Everything went dim.
The guys by the door were surprised at the sudden action at the desk. They saw the confrontation between their boss and the two tramps who came in. They laughed at the smack he gave her. Their eyes went wide when she snapped out an arm, grabbing the boss’s throat. The girl leaning against the desk moved at the same time. She snaked a leg behind the boss’ feet, keeping him from regaining his footing. This didn’t bother them nearly as much as the tiny AR-15 she pulled from her purse and aimed in their direction.
The blond didn’t look drunk or affected in any way now. Gone was the stumbling drunk. She looked quite steady and competent with the small carbine. When she spoke, it was in a smooth measured commanding tone.
“Guys, I forgot my earplugs. I would hate to go deaf since this thing is loud. On your knees, hands up, cross your ankles. Just be patient, and you might live through tonight.”
The brunette hadn’t said a word. She still held the guy by the throat. He had stopped thrashing wildly and was just making feeble movements. The blond spoke again.
“You good?”
The brunette finally looked around. She spoke.
“Deloris, tell me you pushed the button, this asshole is heavy.”
About this time, three armed security guards came in and relieved them of their three guys.
Once the ER was clear Sabine, Veronica and Deloris stood around talking.
“Alright Deloris, out with it. What the hell has been happening around here? Since when do these creeps come into the main trauma hospital trying to intimidate and screw with the staff. Don’t these idiot know you guys have the sharp implements and stuff to put them back together when they are bleeding? Its not normal to attack the hand that feeds you. Are they idiots or just stupid?” Sabine fixed her with an icy glare.
Deloris was a bit taken aback with the glare turned her way. It was not the Sabine she knew. She just watched these two do something right out of the movies. When she first saw them walk in this evening, she thought Sabine out of uniform looked more natural to the image she had in her head from the first time she saw her. She was used to this sort of shift. She saw enough of the Paramedics around when they were not on shift she could make the leap. They always looked more relaxed. This was something different.
She couldn’t help thinking about the two of them coming in the ER door after the gang guys were here. They looked like any other pair of high-class club bimbos fresh from the club on a Saturday night all through the summer. Most of those have tapered off now after the quake but it just looked right, except she recognized their clothes.
When the asshole slapped Sabine, and it was one hell of a blow, Deloris was surprised Sabine didn’t even flinch, wince or change emotion on her face. Actually, that wasn’t true. Sabine did change emotion. She went blank, like a store mannequin. That impossibly long arm shot forward, grabbing the guy’s throat as she pushed him backward by his larynx. He was leaning back, away from her and couldn’t seem to get his feet under him to get away. He didn’t have enough reach to get to her body either.
Deloris had been scared the other two would join in, but evidently Veronica had their full and undivided attention below desk level. Now that the gang guys were gone, these two were standing around joking and laughing for the most part. Who were these two? Really! Who were these two?
Veronica was not sure what alerted her. Sabine on the other hand, quickly saw the threat approaching that was causing her head to explode with ‘Danger Will Robinson’. Walking towards the door were three people. They didn’t look or act like the standard people needing help that come to the ER. None were looking sick, hurt or anxious as if a loved one was in the ER. They both knew it needed checked out, but they could not be too obvious. After making a plan, Sabine and Veronica followed the three into the ER from a distance.
Inside, two of the guys stayed by the door while the leader went to the desk. He started demanding information. Deloris was flustered. He wasn’t taking ‘no‘ for an answer. He was starting to threaten her with violence if she didn’t tell him what he wanted to know. The panic button to summon the guards was too far her to reach and for the time being she was on her own. Deloris was scared.
The guys at the doors were not worried when they saw a pair of tall, lanky women stumble into the ER entrance. They were even polite enough to open the door for them and comment on ‘assetzz and how they could help them spend them’ all the while making rude gestures and sounds. The blond who was being supported by the brunette stuck her tongue out at the pair while the brunette gave them a snubbing glare.
They continued to stumble toward the desk talking louder as they approached the front desk. They were slurring their words and stumbling as they came forward.
“Hey!...Hey!......my girlfriend needs help! I think they put something in her drink! Hey I think he did!! Wasn’t he at the party? I think he did it? He’s the bastard who slipped something into her dring” The brunette was the boisterous one, the blond was muttering incomprehensibly and hanging off of the brunette They kept moving forward towards the desk.
The guy in front of the desk was momentarily distracted by these two as they kept coming right up to the desk where he was grilling Deloris. When they got to the desk, the brunette leaned forward to the desk, her hands going to the desktop. The blond slid to the floor, her back to the desk.
“You got to help my friend. They put something in her drink! Did you put something in her drink? No, you too ugly. You couldn’t have been at the party. They wouldn’t let you in.”
Before Deloris could say something, the man spun the brunette around to face him.
“Look, bitch! Go sit down. I’m busy here!”
“You can get her number later. No, never mind. She’s out of you league. Leave her alone. My friend needs help.” The scorn and dismissal dripped from her arrogant tone and haughty look. She started to turn back towards the desk.
He couldn’t believe the arrogance of this Bitch! He turned her towards him again and slapped her hard across the side of her face. This was his normal method of dealing with bitches who get out of line. The crack was loud in the room. He was sneering as he started his next statement, anticipating the hurt look and fear to come. What he saw instead confused him.
Her face didn’t change. In fact she didn’t seem to react at all other than stare into his eyes. It was at this point he realized she was at least three to five inches taller and was literally looking down on him. Her eyes were what he noticed next. There was no fear, no intimidation, shoot nothing at all. In this gap of action, everything changed.
The brunette’s hand slammed upward, her long strong fingers grabbing his throat, pushing upward. His air was cut off, he could feel the blood pounding trying to get to his brain. He was back on his heels and trying to reach out to her. He scrambled to grab her, but all he could get to was her arm. Maybe he could shoot her! He clawed at his waist for his pistol. As he pulled it out, she swatted it out of his hand with her free hand, never relinquishing the vice-like grip on his throat. Where were his guys!? Why weren’t they helping? Things were dimming. He couldn’t breathe. Everything went dim.
The guys by the door were surprised at the sudden action at the desk. They saw the confrontation between their boss and the two tramps who came in. They laughed at the smack he gave her. Their eyes went wide when she snapped out an arm, grabbing the boss’s throat. The girl leaning against the desk moved at the same time. She snaked a leg behind the boss’ feet, keeping him from regaining his footing. This didn’t bother them nearly as much as the tiny AR-15 she pulled from her purse and aimed in their direction.
The blond didn’t look drunk or affected in any way now. Gone was the stumbling drunk. She looked quite steady and competent with the small carbine. When she spoke, it was in a smooth measured commanding tone.
“Guys, I forgot my earplugs. I would hate to go deaf since this thing is loud. On your knees, hands up, cross your ankles. Just be patient, and you might live through tonight.”
The brunette hadn’t said a word. She still held the guy by the throat. He had stopped thrashing wildly and was just making feeble movements. The blond spoke again.
“You good?”
The brunette finally looked around. She spoke.
“Deloris, tell me you pushed the button, this asshole is heavy.”
About this time, three armed security guards came in and relieved them of their three guys.
Once the ER was clear Sabine, Veronica and Deloris stood around talking.
“Alright Deloris, out with it. What the hell has been happening around here? Since when do these creeps come into the main trauma hospital trying to intimidate and screw with the staff. Don’t these idiot know you guys have the sharp implements and stuff to put them back together when they are bleeding? Its not normal to attack the hand that feeds you. Are they idiots or just stupid?” Sabine fixed her with an icy glare.
Deloris was a bit taken aback with the glare turned her way. It was not the Sabine she knew. She just watched these two do something right out of the movies. When she first saw them walk in this evening, she thought Sabine out of uniform looked more natural to the image she had in her head from the first time she saw her. She was used to this sort of shift. She saw enough of the Paramedics around when they were not on shift she could make the leap. They always looked more relaxed. This was something different.
She couldn’t help thinking about the two of them coming in the ER door after the gang guys were here. They looked like any other pair of high-class club bimbos fresh from the club on a Saturday night all through the summer. Most of those have tapered off now after the quake but it just looked right, except she recognized their clothes.
When the asshole slapped Sabine, and it was one hell of a blow, Deloris was surprised Sabine didn’t even flinch, wince or change emotion on her face. Actually, that wasn’t true. Sabine did change emotion. She went blank, like a store mannequin. That impossibly long arm shot forward, grabbing the guy’s throat as she pushed him backward by his larynx. He was leaning back, away from her and couldn’t seem to get his feet under him to get away. He didn’t have enough reach to get to her body either.
Deloris had been scared the other two would join in, but evidently Veronica had their full and undivided attention below desk level. Now that the gang guys were gone, these two were standing around joking and laughing for the most part. Who were these two? Really! Who were these two?
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very big thank you.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The conversation was disrupted by the fax machine spitting out papers. Deloris went over and retrieved the print out. She glanced at it then handed it to Sabine.
“It’s for you.” Deloris said with a quizzical tone.
Sabine took the sheets, wondering why she was getting a fax, and why here. She scanned it for a few moments, seeing her own name among a list of names. The paragraph at the top didn’t make much sense so she handed over to Veronica.
“Here. Can you translate or decipher this into ‘people’?”
Veronica looked the fax over for a few before commenting.
“It seems like Poppa is getting tricky and doesn’t want to play anymore. This is a list of base members who are now officially listed as augmentees to the base security forces, but the verbiage is squirrely. I know what it really means but it basically is worded to be interpreted as the people on this list are newly appointed federal law enforcement personnel. While technically correct in a very limited fashion, on base, this is made to cover people’s ass off base from initial scrutiny. Short answer, this is a great paper bluff.”
Veronica handed over the fax to Sabine. “Put this in your pocket and carry it with you. If we get hemmed up, or especially if you get into issues with the police without me around, this paper says you are a military cop doing cop stuff, or at least that’s what you were told. If it come to that, sell it as hard and as convincing as you can. It’s a bluff, so bluff hard. On second thought, make a couple of copies. We probably need to give copies to the security force here and copies to the guys in the ambulance when they get arrive. I can make the security here believe it, and we will brief our guys separate”
“If I know my Father, the Colonel, like I do, they are loaded for bear. Hospital security is already wondering what the **** is going on after our little stunt with the gang members. They sure as heck will want answers when a guy is escorted in by Special Ops in full combat gear. The local LEOs have probably been alerted about the incident. I guess my father is preparing for a shit storm or just tired of his troops being hurt. He doesn’t have much patience when it comes to his people getting hurt. I am sure you know this. He will go to hell and back for them.”
Sabine smiled, but it was a cold smile.
“OK, Veronica so next question, since I’m now even more official for off base carry, when do I get my decoder ring and when do I get my pocket machine gun like yours?”
“Whenever you get your housemate to make one for you. I had mine made by a friend I hunt with.”
“By the way what is that thing? I’ve never seen an AR that small.”
Veronica unzipped her bag and pulled out the AR and handed it to Sabine as she explained.
“It started off as an AR pistol, then he added a micro sized PDW type of butt stock. This is what makes it so small. A 20 round mag in it doesn’t stick out as far so it sits ready to go, mag in. If I use the mag up, concealing it is no longer important and I have full size ones for the spares. It gives me more punch than my pistol, and a little farther reach.”
Sabine rolled the thing around in her hands. Looking at the muzzle, it was huge. It looked like you could roll a golf ball down it.
“The hole in the end sure looks intimidating. What caliber is it?”
“Standard 5.56, but the flash and noise attenuator is a big funnel to direct the sound and flash away from me. Yes it’s stupid loud and at night, the flash is as long as your arm.”
She could see Sabine’s next question. “Because I felt severely outgunned and in need when I was running and hiding on my three days of evasion. I said to myself ‘self, you need something small enough to carry with you and not get in the way, and large enough to solve problems better than the 9mm they issue me.’ So, this is the result. I slapped a ‘US Government Property’ inventory sticker on it to shortcut questions of why I’m in possession of a short barreled rifle and am taking it over state lines.”
“How accurate is it?”
“Hundred yards, all day long, and farther than that, I do my Jessie Owens impression if I can is the plan.” Veronica smiled.
Deloris listened to the conversation. It was like listening to two lions at the zoo discuss the best way to cripple and kill a wildebeest. She wasn’t a big fan of guns, and didn’t know what they were talking about but she was happy they were on her side. Again she thought who are these people.
The conversation was cut short again when the ambulance from the base arrived. The trauma team was joined by Sabine and Veronica who briefed the two highly armed and armored guys riding in the ambulance about the earlier incident.
Deloris was a bit startled when the guys showed up with the ambulance. They were wearing uniforms, pistols, body armor and held rifles. She was also a bit relieved having more protection around. The three guys earlier really rattled her.
It was a long night for everyone. Sabine and Veronica waited at the hospital until the Commander, the Sgt. Major and Amber arrived. Veronica started to briefed them on what was going on. The Commander stopped her. He wanted information on Jenson now, the early crap seemed to have been dealt with swiftly and future problems would be handled later. His people were hurt. They were his priority.
Sabine told them Jenson had spent quite a bit of time in surgery, but it was a straight forward shoulder rebuild. His daughter Jennifer’s damage was much more complex. She caught a pair of rounds into the torso. The bullets had managed to hit several of the vital organs. It was touch and go for a while during the surgery. She will need to stay in the ICU for a couple of days to make sure no infections set in. She would also need a lot of home care afterwards.
Sunrise saw Jennifer laying in the surgical ICU, tubes and wires going everywhere. She also had a very stern, well-armed man standing in the room with her. Her father Jonas was moved to the same ICU pod as his daughter. The move was for the benefit of all involved. It would help the little girl not be afraid or at least not as much when she woke up to have her father right beside her. It would help her father to be there to know she was getting better, to hold her hand to comfort her and to be there when she woke up. It was so they could comfort and support each other through this trying time. This made watching and guarding them a little easier.
Later in the day, Sgt Jenson woke up, he was dazed and confused. He saw his daughter with tubes and wires coming out of her. He shouted out for a nurse, not pushing the button, but crying out loudly. At the sound of his anguished cries the Commander, the Sargent Major and Amber followed by a nurse came running in. It took all four of them to get him back to his bed. The nurse wanted to sedate him but the Commander took her aside asking her to wait.
The Commander knew it was his duty to break the news and there was no easy way to do it. He hated this part of being a commander but Jenson was his troop and deserved the truth. As gently as he could he told him the whole story from the carjacking, the death of his wife, the condition of his daughter, how Sabine and Veronica took out the other guys in the ER so he didn’t have to worry about them. Jenson broke down. It was time for Amber to go work. The nurse gave him the sedative.
Shortly afterwards, the Commander and the Sargent Major left to go work mitigation issues.
When the sun rose, it found Paige, Violet, Henrik and Andrea at Paige’s shop. The work was fast and furious. The Sargent Major was there as well for part of the time. He issued the directive from the Commander. All personnel were to be armed at all times with at least pistols. The smaller size of the remaining forces stationed at the base made this possible. Out of the normal population of 250 military and 100 civilians, they were now down to well under seventy-five total permanent party, and those were dwindling quickly.
The Commander decided he was declaring FPCon Delta, or Force Protection condition Delta. He was going to treat the base like a Forward Operating Base, or FOB, just like in Afghanistan or Iraq. The sandbags and inner perimeter wall were going up, the airlock style anti-VBIED gate procedures were being put in place, all in an attempt to mitigate and protect the people.
One of the next things on his list was briefing all the base personnel on these changes as well as having the officer in charge of the base police inform the local Sheriff of the change in base status, the armed personnel and the newly appointed Federal Law Enforcement status of the base populous. The Commander expected big push back from the local authorities. He didn’t care. His stance was if the local law enforcement couldn’t keep his people safe, then the US Marine Corp would.
“It’s for you.” Deloris said with a quizzical tone.
Sabine took the sheets, wondering why she was getting a fax, and why here. She scanned it for a few moments, seeing her own name among a list of names. The paragraph at the top didn’t make much sense so she handed over to Veronica.
“Here. Can you translate or decipher this into ‘people’?”
Veronica looked the fax over for a few before commenting.
“It seems like Poppa is getting tricky and doesn’t want to play anymore. This is a list of base members who are now officially listed as augmentees to the base security forces, but the verbiage is squirrely. I know what it really means but it basically is worded to be interpreted as the people on this list are newly appointed federal law enforcement personnel. While technically correct in a very limited fashion, on base, this is made to cover people’s ass off base from initial scrutiny. Short answer, this is a great paper bluff.”
Veronica handed over the fax to Sabine. “Put this in your pocket and carry it with you. If we get hemmed up, or especially if you get into issues with the police without me around, this paper says you are a military cop doing cop stuff, or at least that’s what you were told. If it come to that, sell it as hard and as convincing as you can. It’s a bluff, so bluff hard. On second thought, make a couple of copies. We probably need to give copies to the security force here and copies to the guys in the ambulance when they get arrive. I can make the security here believe it, and we will brief our guys separate”
“If I know my Father, the Colonel, like I do, they are loaded for bear. Hospital security is already wondering what the **** is going on after our little stunt with the gang members. They sure as heck will want answers when a guy is escorted in by Special Ops in full combat gear. The local LEOs have probably been alerted about the incident. I guess my father is preparing for a shit storm or just tired of his troops being hurt. He doesn’t have much patience when it comes to his people getting hurt. I am sure you know this. He will go to hell and back for them.”
Sabine smiled, but it was a cold smile.
“OK, Veronica so next question, since I’m now even more official for off base carry, when do I get my decoder ring and when do I get my pocket machine gun like yours?”
“Whenever you get your housemate to make one for you. I had mine made by a friend I hunt with.”
“By the way what is that thing? I’ve never seen an AR that small.”
Veronica unzipped her bag and pulled out the AR and handed it to Sabine as she explained.
“It started off as an AR pistol, then he added a micro sized PDW type of butt stock. This is what makes it so small. A 20 round mag in it doesn’t stick out as far so it sits ready to go, mag in. If I use the mag up, concealing it is no longer important and I have full size ones for the spares. It gives me more punch than my pistol, and a little farther reach.”
Sabine rolled the thing around in her hands. Looking at the muzzle, it was huge. It looked like you could roll a golf ball down it.
“The hole in the end sure looks intimidating. What caliber is it?”
“Standard 5.56, but the flash and noise attenuator is a big funnel to direct the sound and flash away from me. Yes it’s stupid loud and at night, the flash is as long as your arm.”
She could see Sabine’s next question. “Because I felt severely outgunned and in need when I was running and hiding on my three days of evasion. I said to myself ‘self, you need something small enough to carry with you and not get in the way, and large enough to solve problems better than the 9mm they issue me.’ So, this is the result. I slapped a ‘US Government Property’ inventory sticker on it to shortcut questions of why I’m in possession of a short barreled rifle and am taking it over state lines.”
“How accurate is it?”
“Hundred yards, all day long, and farther than that, I do my Jessie Owens impression if I can is the plan.” Veronica smiled.
Deloris listened to the conversation. It was like listening to two lions at the zoo discuss the best way to cripple and kill a wildebeest. She wasn’t a big fan of guns, and didn’t know what they were talking about but she was happy they were on her side. Again she thought who are these people.
The conversation was cut short again when the ambulance from the base arrived. The trauma team was joined by Sabine and Veronica who briefed the two highly armed and armored guys riding in the ambulance about the earlier incident.
Deloris was a bit startled when the guys showed up with the ambulance. They were wearing uniforms, pistols, body armor and held rifles. She was also a bit relieved having more protection around. The three guys earlier really rattled her.
It was a long night for everyone. Sabine and Veronica waited at the hospital until the Commander, the Sgt. Major and Amber arrived. Veronica started to briefed them on what was going on. The Commander stopped her. He wanted information on Jenson now, the early crap seemed to have been dealt with swiftly and future problems would be handled later. His people were hurt. They were his priority.
Sabine told them Jenson had spent quite a bit of time in surgery, but it was a straight forward shoulder rebuild. His daughter Jennifer’s damage was much more complex. She caught a pair of rounds into the torso. The bullets had managed to hit several of the vital organs. It was touch and go for a while during the surgery. She will need to stay in the ICU for a couple of days to make sure no infections set in. She would also need a lot of home care afterwards.
Sunrise saw Jennifer laying in the surgical ICU, tubes and wires going everywhere. She also had a very stern, well-armed man standing in the room with her. Her father Jonas was moved to the same ICU pod as his daughter. The move was for the benefit of all involved. It would help the little girl not be afraid or at least not as much when she woke up to have her father right beside her. It would help her father to be there to know she was getting better, to hold her hand to comfort her and to be there when she woke up. It was so they could comfort and support each other through this trying time. This made watching and guarding them a little easier.
Later in the day, Sgt Jenson woke up, he was dazed and confused. He saw his daughter with tubes and wires coming out of her. He shouted out for a nurse, not pushing the button, but crying out loudly. At the sound of his anguished cries the Commander, the Sargent Major and Amber followed by a nurse came running in. It took all four of them to get him back to his bed. The nurse wanted to sedate him but the Commander took her aside asking her to wait.
The Commander knew it was his duty to break the news and there was no easy way to do it. He hated this part of being a commander but Jenson was his troop and deserved the truth. As gently as he could he told him the whole story from the carjacking, the death of his wife, the condition of his daughter, how Sabine and Veronica took out the other guys in the ER so he didn’t have to worry about them. Jenson broke down. It was time for Amber to go work. The nurse gave him the sedative.
Shortly afterwards, the Commander and the Sargent Major left to go work mitigation issues.
When the sun rose, it found Paige, Violet, Henrik and Andrea at Paige’s shop. The work was fast and furious. The Sargent Major was there as well for part of the time. He issued the directive from the Commander. All personnel were to be armed at all times with at least pistols. The smaller size of the remaining forces stationed at the base made this possible. Out of the normal population of 250 military and 100 civilians, they were now down to well under seventy-five total permanent party, and those were dwindling quickly.
The Commander decided he was declaring FPCon Delta, or Force Protection condition Delta. He was going to treat the base like a Forward Operating Base, or FOB, just like in Afghanistan or Iraq. The sandbags and inner perimeter wall were going up, the airlock style anti-VBIED gate procedures were being put in place, all in an attempt to mitigate and protect the people.
One of the next things on his list was briefing all the base personnel on these changes as well as having the officer in charge of the base police inform the local Sheriff of the change in base status, the armed personnel and the newly appointed Federal Law Enforcement status of the base populous. The Commander expected big push back from the local authorities. He didn’t care. His stance was if the local law enforcement couldn’t keep his people safe, then the US Marine Corp would.
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
All firearms are tools with their specific uses. You need to branch out a bit.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
with the way weapons have developed, not firing one ever is like saying you have never driven an automatic transmission because manual transmission cars are good enough
the AR service weapon has dominated the competitions once won by M-14s, which overtook the M-1 Garands, which beat the .........
They are claw hammers, tools to do a job, just like Glocks. Wood and steel is great and feels right, but tools are tools for a reason
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you,in town doctor app. This phone of hubbies hates me
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
understand, if you want to try the platform with bigger bullets to escape the poodle shooter syndrome, look at 458 SOCOM, 50 Beowulf, or 6.8. They all take advantage of the ergonomics but move seriously north in power
Shotgun Willy
Contributing Member
I like the little gun, a lot, and I understand the desire for ammunition availability, but I read that 300 blackout uses all of its powder at about the 9 inch mark. This would help with the noise and concussion some, and give an arguably better projectile while only giving up a couple hundred feet/second. (I lost some hearing to a .223 round out of a short barrel while using substandard earplugs, so I'm a little touchy about the noise and concussion thing.)
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
300 blackout would be a great choice for the little guys. I was addressing the overall concept from the early days of the M-16/ poodle shooter perception by bumping up to the big bores available these days for the AR platform
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Oddly I have never owned any 5.56 in a Varmint rifle but I could see a place for this at my house; well two really, Once my wife got her hands on it, I'd need another one (which is why we both have P365s) so I might as well just get two & be done with it. We have ARs so mag/ammo logistics gets a lot easier.
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
It seems some people can't get past the utilitarian look & feel. I vastly prefer the aesthetics of blued steel & walnut and still own & shoot some, but I reach for my G21 FIRST - 14 rds of .45ACP will deal w/ a lot of issues and there is considerable beauty in a superbly functional design in and of itself, at least for me.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The base personnel were already anxious after hearing the news, rumors and the usual misinformation surrounding the attack of Sgt Jensen and his family. The Commander’s briefing was frenetic as the Sergeant Major and he tried to answer questions on what they planned to do about it. The group was righteously angry at the situation. It was rage building up that something like this could happen in the liberal state of California. Its not like they were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The crowd wanted answers and they seem to have temporarily forgotten they were NCOs and Officers.
“ENOUGH”
As the room fell silent, the Commander at the podium turned thanking the Sergeant Major for his assistance. He made it plain he would do whatever it took to take care of his people as he laid out his manifesto. He offered support for any who wanted to expedite their exit from the base and the area. Next, in addition to all military personnel being armed, any family member over the age of 18 after proper training would be issued a weapon. There are always exceptions, he reminded the crowd. He was open to reasonable suggestions from any personnel. Now was not the time to think and act as if they were at one of those deployed locations.
The assembly was dismissed. It did not take long for the next group to decide they had enough. It was time for them to beat feet and leave. The line to leave was long and each had their own reason for wanting to go. The Colonel kept his promise, helping every one of them through out-processing as quickly and painlessly as possible. The people started to think they were going through a mobility processing line but trusted the Colonel.
In addition to the normal stops the people made during out processing, they were sent to see Henrik at the Central Issue Facility. He gave them a package containing a tent, enough sleeping bags, jackets, and boots for the family. He would throw in a grab from bin 1,2 or 3 playing a game with of pick a card just for fun.
The last thing Henrik provided them was courtesy of the guys at the motor pool. They were given scrounged containers of additional fuel. The commander wanted to give every leaving family as much of an advantage to get to their end destination.
Medical was normal stop but what they received was not. With Sabine and the two mountain medicine instructors pulling pharmacy duty, the departing people received a six-month supply of the meds and both hard copies and a thumb drive with all their medical records. The records were reviewed, copied, prepared with advice as well as the phone number of someone to talk to for filing their VA disability claim and where to go for help.
The last stop was to see the Sergeant Major and the Commander. They made sure they were well armed and wished them well. He hoped and prayed they reached their destinations. Their numbers were dwindling fast.
Paige was preparing to issue the remaining weapons to the military personnel first after which the excess would be issued to civilian who stilled remained behind. She was glad he had made the proviso they must be trained. She did not want her firearms in the hands of the untrained.
She remembered when Jesse gave her first .22. Sitting her down, going through all the parts, and how it worked. He taught her to shoot and she became the best shot he had seen. He went over all the safety rules and told her if he ever caught her breaking one or showing off, she would not sit for months. He meant it and she didn’t. She never mishandled a firearm again.
Although the quantity of active duty decreased, it seemed the number of civilians showing up for pistols was a growing amount. To ensure they were all really who they said they were and old enough, every ID had to checked and cross checked. It was time consuming but it had to be done right and training needed done.
Paige knew it she needed help so she figured to get some “real” instructors. She hijacked Henrik and Silas to help hold the training classes. She could do it herself but since she needed additional range people, why not use the professional instructors to do the talking. The youngest student she had was a 16 year old. She wasn’t sure about this, but it was the commander’s directive and it allowed for some exception. She was actually a good student, better than some of the already trained military people she had taught.
During all of the activity, Paige managed to pulled the rest of the gear for Veronica and Violet. She wanted to make sure they were well taken care of. They had done so much for her, she had to give back. She knew they had the knowledge to take care of themselves so she wanted to make sure they had the tools. Its hard to pay back someone you owe your life to. She had one life but she owed it to more than one person. Life was getting complicated. She gathered what she figured they might like.
The next project was scrounging around the shop for parts for the
micro rifle like Veronica had last night. Sabine had fallen in love with it. As Sabine put it, she was in love and it wasn’t with Andrea. She wanted one and wanted to know if Paige could build one. Paige wasn’t sure if she could make one as small as Veronica’s without the specialized parts but she might be able to get close. Sabine would have to wait and see.
Midweek the Vs announced they were leaving in the morning. No time for a big farewell but promises to return for Christmas were made or the Moms threatened to flatten tires. The girls decided it was best to agree. This left time for one more council at the fire pit as they had come to be known. It was time to talk about what was next after the doors shut for good in spring. They did not want to ruin Christmas with this talk.
News was already bad. The government was fracturing, the supply lines were unstable and nobody really had an idea what they were going to do. The drive to get food was long, the resources are dwindling and jobs were uncertain.
Paige was several glasses in already and floated the idea they might have to leave this area. She mentioned the idea of going up by her Grandfather’s place. The area around his place felt remote but it was all of a half an hour to a decent town and forty-five minutes to the city.
When Paige started this conversation, everyone started thinking about where they would go. Andrea knew she didn’t want to go back south.
Henrik knew he would be better with Paige’s idea than anywhere else he could think of.
Sabine was silent. She knew if she was going to be with her friends, she would go where they needed her. If they fractured and didn’t remain together, she could always leave the country. She had plenty of resources she could tap if she was in Europe but she really didn’t want to leave these guys.
Veronica and Violet didn’t know what they would do. Veronica’s base wasn’t closing and neither was Violet’s, that they knew of. Violet’s schoolhouse was probably going to close however. The consolidation and draw down meant there wouldn’t be that many billets for her MOS.
By the end of the night, Paige had convinced everyone about the viable idea of moving up to her grandfather’s neck of the woods if they left here or Utah. It was not a solid commitment they would do it, it was more an ‘if we leave, that’s where we could go’.
The next day, both Paige and Henrik were still mulling over her idea. The found themselves coming back to it again and again. Henrik started making lists and trying to figure out what they could take vs what they should take. Paige started thinking about vehicle issues with the long drive to her grandfathers. She needed to look at the parts she had laying around. There were mods she would need to do to the Cherokee to make the most of what it could do.
Andrea and Sabine were a little more subdued in their discussion of maybe moving. Sabine didn’t mention she had bought the house. She didn’t want everyone to feel guilty or pressured to stay in a bad situation because she had made a rash decision in hindsight. They started thinking about what they should take if they left. Sabine also started thinking about what to do about the house. If Ivar and Silas were staying, then maybe they could take over the house and watch it.
“ENOUGH”
As the room fell silent, the Commander at the podium turned thanking the Sergeant Major for his assistance. He made it plain he would do whatever it took to take care of his people as he laid out his manifesto. He offered support for any who wanted to expedite their exit from the base and the area. Next, in addition to all military personnel being armed, any family member over the age of 18 after proper training would be issued a weapon. There are always exceptions, he reminded the crowd. He was open to reasonable suggestions from any personnel. Now was not the time to think and act as if they were at one of those deployed locations.
The assembly was dismissed. It did not take long for the next group to decide they had enough. It was time for them to beat feet and leave. The line to leave was long and each had their own reason for wanting to go. The Colonel kept his promise, helping every one of them through out-processing as quickly and painlessly as possible. The people started to think they were going through a mobility processing line but trusted the Colonel.
In addition to the normal stops the people made during out processing, they were sent to see Henrik at the Central Issue Facility. He gave them a package containing a tent, enough sleeping bags, jackets, and boots for the family. He would throw in a grab from bin 1,2 or 3 playing a game with of pick a card just for fun.
The last thing Henrik provided them was courtesy of the guys at the motor pool. They were given scrounged containers of additional fuel. The commander wanted to give every leaving family as much of an advantage to get to their end destination.
Medical was normal stop but what they received was not. With Sabine and the two mountain medicine instructors pulling pharmacy duty, the departing people received a six-month supply of the meds and both hard copies and a thumb drive with all their medical records. The records were reviewed, copied, prepared with advice as well as the phone number of someone to talk to for filing their VA disability claim and where to go for help.
The last stop was to see the Sergeant Major and the Commander. They made sure they were well armed and wished them well. He hoped and prayed they reached their destinations. Their numbers were dwindling fast.
Paige was preparing to issue the remaining weapons to the military personnel first after which the excess would be issued to civilian who stilled remained behind. She was glad he had made the proviso they must be trained. She did not want her firearms in the hands of the untrained.
She remembered when Jesse gave her first .22. Sitting her down, going through all the parts, and how it worked. He taught her to shoot and she became the best shot he had seen. He went over all the safety rules and told her if he ever caught her breaking one or showing off, she would not sit for months. He meant it and she didn’t. She never mishandled a firearm again.
Although the quantity of active duty decreased, it seemed the number of civilians showing up for pistols was a growing amount. To ensure they were all really who they said they were and old enough, every ID had to checked and cross checked. It was time consuming but it had to be done right and training needed done.
Paige knew it she needed help so she figured to get some “real” instructors. She hijacked Henrik and Silas to help hold the training classes. She could do it herself but since she needed additional range people, why not use the professional instructors to do the talking. The youngest student she had was a 16 year old. She wasn’t sure about this, but it was the commander’s directive and it allowed for some exception. She was actually a good student, better than some of the already trained military people she had taught.
During all of the activity, Paige managed to pulled the rest of the gear for Veronica and Violet. She wanted to make sure they were well taken care of. They had done so much for her, she had to give back. She knew they had the knowledge to take care of themselves so she wanted to make sure they had the tools. Its hard to pay back someone you owe your life to. She had one life but she owed it to more than one person. Life was getting complicated. She gathered what she figured they might like.
The next project was scrounging around the shop for parts for the
micro rifle like Veronica had last night. Sabine had fallen in love with it. As Sabine put it, she was in love and it wasn’t with Andrea. She wanted one and wanted to know if Paige could build one. Paige wasn’t sure if she could make one as small as Veronica’s without the specialized parts but she might be able to get close. Sabine would have to wait and see.
Midweek the Vs announced they were leaving in the morning. No time for a big farewell but promises to return for Christmas were made or the Moms threatened to flatten tires. The girls decided it was best to agree. This left time for one more council at the fire pit as they had come to be known. It was time to talk about what was next after the doors shut for good in spring. They did not want to ruin Christmas with this talk.
News was already bad. The government was fracturing, the supply lines were unstable and nobody really had an idea what they were going to do. The drive to get food was long, the resources are dwindling and jobs were uncertain.
Paige was several glasses in already and floated the idea they might have to leave this area. She mentioned the idea of going up by her Grandfather’s place. The area around his place felt remote but it was all of a half an hour to a decent town and forty-five minutes to the city.
When Paige started this conversation, everyone started thinking about where they would go. Andrea knew she didn’t want to go back south.
Henrik knew he would be better with Paige’s idea than anywhere else he could think of.
Sabine was silent. She knew if she was going to be with her friends, she would go where they needed her. If they fractured and didn’t remain together, she could always leave the country. She had plenty of resources she could tap if she was in Europe but she really didn’t want to leave these guys.
Veronica and Violet didn’t know what they would do. Veronica’s base wasn’t closing and neither was Violet’s, that they knew of. Violet’s schoolhouse was probably going to close however. The consolidation and draw down meant there wouldn’t be that many billets for her MOS.
By the end of the night, Paige had convinced everyone about the viable idea of moving up to her grandfather’s neck of the woods if they left here or Utah. It was not a solid commitment they would do it, it was more an ‘if we leave, that’s where we could go’.
The next day, both Paige and Henrik were still mulling over her idea. The found themselves coming back to it again and again. Henrik started making lists and trying to figure out what they could take vs what they should take. Paige started thinking about vehicle issues with the long drive to her grandfathers. She needed to look at the parts she had laying around. There were mods she would need to do to the Cherokee to make the most of what it could do.
Andrea and Sabine were a little more subdued in their discussion of maybe moving. Sabine didn’t mention she had bought the house. She didn’t want everyone to feel guilty or pressured to stay in a bad situation because she had made a rash decision in hindsight. They started thinking about what they should take if they left. Sabine also started thinking about what to do about the house. If Ivar and Silas were staying, then maybe they could take over the house and watch it.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Big thanks 
.
.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The week following Sgt Jenson’s attack was a hectic one for everyone on base. There was plenty of work to do hardening the inner perimeter. If this was not enough to keep every on busy they also had to processing the next wave of departures made more difficult since it included families of personnel TDY.
It seemed everywhere somebody turned around, there was either the Commander or the Sergeant Major standing there. It wasn’t a bad thing they were there. It was just there was entirely too much going on. The Commander wanted to make sure he followed through on his promise to help them as much as possible. He wanted to get problems solved quickly and effectively.
The out processing was going smoothly so it was time to implement the force protection plans. It was decided early on that the possibility of manning a large hardened perimeter was too much for the assets available. Instead, as many functions as possible were going to be geographically consolidated. This ended up with four smaller perimeters.
Priority one was the living quarters, followed by the clinic building. These two would be in use the longest as things drew down. The other two were the supply area and the Special Ops compound, which already had its own separate perimeter fence and guard shack. As things shrank, the idea was to shift as much as possible to the clinic and the Special Ops compound. The small MWR rental was already raided for the travel trailers it had. These were moved within the Special Ops fence line to start building secure sleeping facilities. Field tents were also being prepared for. The few with construction skills left were making the wooden frames for the tents. These would make them more stable and secure in the extreme weather the location experienced in the winter.
One of the last thing to worry about was the livestock. Finally they found some of the soon to be retired military members who wanted to stay with the stock. A return to the cowboy and ranching lifestyle wasn’t something most of them would have even considered six months ago. Now, it seemed the best option to some. The Commander and the Sgt Major were pleased and encouraged it. This fixed one of their bigger worries of how to take proper care of the livestock when the people left.
By the end of the week every was running on fumes and exhausted. The hard work was beginning to show and things were stabilizing again, albeit in smaller numbers. As the numbers fell, the base personnel, already a fairly close group as a small unit can be, got closer and more supportive.
The base was almost running like nothing had happened but it did not feel like being in the U.S.. People returned to they daily work. It was a long week especially for Sabine and Amber.
Sabine was doing a lot of work over at the clinic during this week. They were severely short on medical providers. The two Mountain Medicine Instructors and Sabine filled in. They were doing all the sick call, out-processing physicals, and medical clearance packages for everyone leaving, military and dependents alike.
Sabine still took lunch, however, vanishing for about an hour. The other guys thought she must be napping or something because she sure didn’t come back like she had food. She usually came back quiet and reserved, like she had just woken up and needed another caffeine jolt to get going.
It was one of those weeks it seemed every time someone turned around, there was the Sergeant Major, well everyone except Amber. She was about to call his secretary, if he still had one and make an appointment to see him. She really needed to talk to him. It was not simply a bad week that was bothering her, it was incidents Sabine alluded to during their talks.
Things had slowed down just a little by the end of the week. This was the first night Amber and Silas actually had enough energy to do more than eat and go to bed. Amber got home before Silas preparing drinks and a snack so they could sit and talk.
He was caught off guard when Amber had a bottle of Vodka and Tonic and greeted him with an unexpected comment.
“I hope you have some good duct tape for your crew, Silas.”
“Is that what we calling it tonight?”
After all, they spent very little special time together lately due to their hectic schedules.
Amber gave him a frustrated ‘not right now’ look.
“What am I missing? Is there a problem?” Silas was instantly concerned. Amber didn’t usually ring an alarm bell like that unless it was serious.
“Oh, I don’t know, it could be the powder keg of bodies left here, it could be Paige the assault victim who still hasn’t had time to put her shit into perspective. It’s one thing to have a declared enemy of the country try to kill you on the field of battle. It’s another thing for one of the guys on your side to try to kill you and almost succeed. She’s strong and has a great attitude, but it can still creep up on her if she doesn’t make sure she has worked through it. ”
“Has she been talking to you?”
“Not really. I get it as side elements from Sabine.”
“And how has that been doing or should I not ask?”
“With what I now know, it’s amazing Sabine hasn’t ended up in a multi-state killing spree or sitting catatonic in a psych ward. I wouldn’t blame her one bit either way. Keep her busy. It helps her try to keep things put behind her.”
Silas noticed something when Amber was talking. She had a new piece of jewelry on. He knew she didn’t wear much jewelry and he had given her most of the pieces she had. It was a bit of a tradition. Each of his trips, she got a new piece of jewelry. The longer the trip, the bigger the piece. This wasn’t one from him, but it looked really familiar, and shouldn’t.
“Where did you get the bracelet?” He said, pointing to her wrist.
“Oh, I was going to show this to you next.” She held out her arm, showing the plain thin gold bracelet. It looked like a simple, unadorned bangle. Silas had seen plenty of them before though. He had two of them himself. He just didn’t wear them very often, and only on missions at that.
Amber pulled it off her arm and handed it to him.
“Sabine has one she was wearing. I commented on it. The next day at lunch, she told me she was going to wait until Christmas to give it to me, but sinceI had seen hers already. And then she handed me a small box, complete with bow. In it was this bracelet. At first, I thought she had given me hers, but I saw she was still wearing hers.”
As Amber was describing the incident, Silas was looking at, shoot, he was inspecting, the bracelet. It was really heavy for its size, but it was no surprise to him. He checked both ends of the bracelet. They were slightly rounded and smooth. The inside of one end had a small engraving ‘24k 9999’. He handed it back to Amber.
“So, did Sabine say where or why she had the bracelet?”
“She said she inherited a few from her brother when he died.” Amber was now intrigued by Silas’ shift in tone or attitude. “What is it about this bracelet, Silas?”
“What did her brother do? He was in the military if I remember correctly, but what did he do in the military?”
“OK, Silas, explain.”
“Some of us wear such bracelets when we went places. Places we aren’t supposed to be. They are the emergency money supply. What you have on your arm is an ounce of 24 caret pure gold. Its soft enough you can cut a little bit off one end and spend it, but whole like that, six months ago it would have been about $2500 worth of gold.”
Amber was taken back by such an extravagant gift, and filed away the bit about Silas wearing one. Where was it, and why hadn’t he given her one. She thought a bit more and was nodding her head.
“It kind of makes sense. The value doesn’t matter to her.”
“What do you mean, the value doesn’t matter to her? That’s a lot of money to just be giving away.” Silas was the one confused now. “Didn’t she know what it was worth?”
“I’m sure she did. She’s rich.”
“Rich? Sabine?”
“Yup. Not Richie Ritchie Rich, but yeah. The family she came from, and what she inherited, she is ‘summer home in the Hamptons’ rich.”
“Sabine? The girl who drives that twenty year old SUV and dresses in chain store sweats?”
“Yes, that Sabine. The background info I have seen, she and her brother were not interested in the trappings of that lifestyle. They each got a large inheritance from their grandparents, and Sabine got his when he died.”
“So what about the brother?”
“Older brother. He joined the military, and Sabine followed. He was killed in action, along with his fiancé by an IED attack the first year Sabine was in the service. He left her everything. I guess the bracelets were part of what she got from him.”
Silas figured he would change subjects. He could dig some more info out of the computer if it was working tomorrow.
“How is Jenson and his daughter doing?”
“Horrible, but that is to be expected. Sofia has offered to take the pair of them in. That way she could take care of Jennifer while he was at work. If anyone can help the pair of them get through such a tragedy, it’s Sofia.”
The two of them sat, thinking about their small pool of friends. The talking continued for some time into the night. No duct tonight only eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms. They both needed this more.
It seemed everywhere somebody turned around, there was either the Commander or the Sergeant Major standing there. It wasn’t a bad thing they were there. It was just there was entirely too much going on. The Commander wanted to make sure he followed through on his promise to help them as much as possible. He wanted to get problems solved quickly and effectively.
The out processing was going smoothly so it was time to implement the force protection plans. It was decided early on that the possibility of manning a large hardened perimeter was too much for the assets available. Instead, as many functions as possible were going to be geographically consolidated. This ended up with four smaller perimeters.
Priority one was the living quarters, followed by the clinic building. These two would be in use the longest as things drew down. The other two were the supply area and the Special Ops compound, which already had its own separate perimeter fence and guard shack. As things shrank, the idea was to shift as much as possible to the clinic and the Special Ops compound. The small MWR rental was already raided for the travel trailers it had. These were moved within the Special Ops fence line to start building secure sleeping facilities. Field tents were also being prepared for. The few with construction skills left were making the wooden frames for the tents. These would make them more stable and secure in the extreme weather the location experienced in the winter.
One of the last thing to worry about was the livestock. Finally they found some of the soon to be retired military members who wanted to stay with the stock. A return to the cowboy and ranching lifestyle wasn’t something most of them would have even considered six months ago. Now, it seemed the best option to some. The Commander and the Sgt Major were pleased and encouraged it. This fixed one of their bigger worries of how to take proper care of the livestock when the people left.
By the end of the week every was running on fumes and exhausted. The hard work was beginning to show and things were stabilizing again, albeit in smaller numbers. As the numbers fell, the base personnel, already a fairly close group as a small unit can be, got closer and more supportive.
The base was almost running like nothing had happened but it did not feel like being in the U.S.. People returned to they daily work. It was a long week especially for Sabine and Amber.
Sabine was doing a lot of work over at the clinic during this week. They were severely short on medical providers. The two Mountain Medicine Instructors and Sabine filled in. They were doing all the sick call, out-processing physicals, and medical clearance packages for everyone leaving, military and dependents alike.
Sabine still took lunch, however, vanishing for about an hour. The other guys thought she must be napping or something because she sure didn’t come back like she had food. She usually came back quiet and reserved, like she had just woken up and needed another caffeine jolt to get going.
It was one of those weeks it seemed every time someone turned around, there was the Sergeant Major, well everyone except Amber. She was about to call his secretary, if he still had one and make an appointment to see him. She really needed to talk to him. It was not simply a bad week that was bothering her, it was incidents Sabine alluded to during their talks.
Things had slowed down just a little by the end of the week. This was the first night Amber and Silas actually had enough energy to do more than eat and go to bed. Amber got home before Silas preparing drinks and a snack so they could sit and talk.
He was caught off guard when Amber had a bottle of Vodka and Tonic and greeted him with an unexpected comment.
“I hope you have some good duct tape for your crew, Silas.”
“Is that what we calling it tonight?”
After all, they spent very little special time together lately due to their hectic schedules.
Amber gave him a frustrated ‘not right now’ look.
“What am I missing? Is there a problem?” Silas was instantly concerned. Amber didn’t usually ring an alarm bell like that unless it was serious.
“Oh, I don’t know, it could be the powder keg of bodies left here, it could be Paige the assault victim who still hasn’t had time to put her shit into perspective. It’s one thing to have a declared enemy of the country try to kill you on the field of battle. It’s another thing for one of the guys on your side to try to kill you and almost succeed. She’s strong and has a great attitude, but it can still creep up on her if she doesn’t make sure she has worked through it. ”
“Has she been talking to you?”
“Not really. I get it as side elements from Sabine.”
“And how has that been doing or should I not ask?”
“With what I now know, it’s amazing Sabine hasn’t ended up in a multi-state killing spree or sitting catatonic in a psych ward. I wouldn’t blame her one bit either way. Keep her busy. It helps her try to keep things put behind her.”
Silas noticed something when Amber was talking. She had a new piece of jewelry on. He knew she didn’t wear much jewelry and he had given her most of the pieces she had. It was a bit of a tradition. Each of his trips, she got a new piece of jewelry. The longer the trip, the bigger the piece. This wasn’t one from him, but it looked really familiar, and shouldn’t.
“Where did you get the bracelet?” He said, pointing to her wrist.
“Oh, I was going to show this to you next.” She held out her arm, showing the plain thin gold bracelet. It looked like a simple, unadorned bangle. Silas had seen plenty of them before though. He had two of them himself. He just didn’t wear them very often, and only on missions at that.
Amber pulled it off her arm and handed it to him.
“Sabine has one she was wearing. I commented on it. The next day at lunch, she told me she was going to wait until Christmas to give it to me, but sinceI had seen hers already. And then she handed me a small box, complete with bow. In it was this bracelet. At first, I thought she had given me hers, but I saw she was still wearing hers.”
As Amber was describing the incident, Silas was looking at, shoot, he was inspecting, the bracelet. It was really heavy for its size, but it was no surprise to him. He checked both ends of the bracelet. They were slightly rounded and smooth. The inside of one end had a small engraving ‘24k 9999’. He handed it back to Amber.
“So, did Sabine say where or why she had the bracelet?”
“She said she inherited a few from her brother when he died.” Amber was now intrigued by Silas’ shift in tone or attitude. “What is it about this bracelet, Silas?”
“What did her brother do? He was in the military if I remember correctly, but what did he do in the military?”
“OK, Silas, explain.”
“Some of us wear such bracelets when we went places. Places we aren’t supposed to be. They are the emergency money supply. What you have on your arm is an ounce of 24 caret pure gold. Its soft enough you can cut a little bit off one end and spend it, but whole like that, six months ago it would have been about $2500 worth of gold.”
Amber was taken back by such an extravagant gift, and filed away the bit about Silas wearing one. Where was it, and why hadn’t he given her one. She thought a bit more and was nodding her head.
“It kind of makes sense. The value doesn’t matter to her.”
“What do you mean, the value doesn’t matter to her? That’s a lot of money to just be giving away.” Silas was the one confused now. “Didn’t she know what it was worth?”
“I’m sure she did. She’s rich.”
“Rich? Sabine?”
“Yup. Not Richie Ritchie Rich, but yeah. The family she came from, and what she inherited, she is ‘summer home in the Hamptons’ rich.”
“Sabine? The girl who drives that twenty year old SUV and dresses in chain store sweats?”
“Yes, that Sabine. The background info I have seen, she and her brother were not interested in the trappings of that lifestyle. They each got a large inheritance from their grandparents, and Sabine got his when he died.”
“So what about the brother?”
“Older brother. He joined the military, and Sabine followed. He was killed in action, along with his fiancé by an IED attack the first year Sabine was in the service. He left her everything. I guess the bracelets were part of what she got from him.”
Silas figured he would change subjects. He could dig some more info out of the computer if it was working tomorrow.
“How is Jenson and his daughter doing?”
“Horrible, but that is to be expected. Sofia has offered to take the pair of them in. That way she could take care of Jennifer while he was at work. If anyone can help the pair of them get through such a tragedy, it’s Sofia.”
The two of them sat, thinking about their small pool of friends. The talking continued for some time into the night. No duct tonight only eventually falling asleep in each other’s arms. They both needed this more.
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beaglemama
Contributing Member
thanks for the new material!
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
been a bit swamped and been trying to let my other half do a little edit before I post it, so the process has slowed a bit, but the story keeps building. Part 3 will roll into Part four. Five and Six are a bit fuzzier so far, but in the works as well
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you, I can't do much at a time and reading helps.