accountant
Contributing Member
Thanks for the reminder, FB.
Not being military, I tend to forget these little tidbits.
A.
Not being military, I tend to forget these little tidbits.
A.
Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
First time she has been to this house. The family has been at this base about a year if you reference Part 3
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Amber and Silas’ House
“Hey Dad!” Violet saw her father in the garage when Veronica dropped her off.
“There’s my little Violet!” Silas said as he put down his tools and walked out to greet her.
A big hug later, Silas held her out at arm’s length.
“Damn, girl! You almost squeezed me in half! You been in the gym some recently, I guess. The strawberry blonde looks good on you, too. It’s almost as light as your hair was when you came back from your last deployment.”
“Well, I’ve been working out a bit more since Randel and I broke up.”
“What happened there, anyway? I never heard.” Silas said as he led her into the garage.
“Well, we got along well enough but not enough for a long-distance relationship. He got orders to Rota. We didn’t have any major fights or anything. We are still friends, but as much as we were great friends, we decided it wasn’t the right kind of love.”
Silas thought he could tell she wasn’t that broken up and was being honest about it. It’s too bad. He liked Randel.
“So, what’s the project for this base?” Violet asked as they went into the garage.
Silas usually had one or two projects he would work at each base they were stationed at. One base, he restored a small sail boat. Another base, he would restore antique furniture, some of which they kept and have moved assignment to assignment since. As long as it wasn’t pinball machines again.
When Violet was in junior high school, her father’s project was restoring an old electro-mechanical pinball machine. All the gears, wheels and switches drove him nuts. She didn’t even want to think of the swearing lessons the wiring harness caused.
Violet looked at the stuff scattered all over the garage. An engine on an engine stand stood in one corner alongside some cabinets and appliances. In the middle of the garage was some sort of fiberglass camper shell of some sort. It was sanded and patched in several spots.
“What the hell is this thing?” Violet asked.
“It’s a Chinook camper I’m working on.” Silas said, running a hand down the side where he was sanding when Violet arrived.
“So, you still need the trailer parts to put under it.”
“Nah, this goes on the back of a truck. I haven’t found the right one to put it together with yet.”
“What do you know about campers, dad?” Violet said, fixing him with a skeptical look.
“About as much as I know about rebuilding cars.” Silas grinned at her, his smile widening as her cringe deepened.
“I hope you have someone to backstop you on the vehicle stuff.”
“Yeah, I have one of the motor pool troops who is willing to backcheck the stuff.”
“Going rate still a case of beer?”
“Not this one. She wants a bottle of Patron.”
“She?”
“Yeah, they got this girl, can’t be more than five feet and eighty pounds soaking wet. We in-processed together. She’s scouring the area for the truck we are putting under it.”
“You ought to get one of those big old trucks like the green one Poppa Ivar used to have”
“Hmmm” Silas started thinking about her suggestion. Ivar had an old mid-sixties Power Wagon crew cab he bought at a DRMO Auction many many years ago. It might work. He would have to pitch it to Petra next week.
“So, where’s Momma? Violet shifted topics.
“She had a late appointment. She should be home any moment with pizza from this joint we found. You will love it.”
“What’s so special about the pizza?”
“The guy who owns this place used to live in Bosnia and makes a great wood fired pizza that tastes just like the ones over there. High heat, four minutes cook time.”
“Sounds great!”
Silas led the way into the house and showed Violet around as they waited for her mother to come home.
“Hey Dad!” Violet saw her father in the garage when Veronica dropped her off.
“There’s my little Violet!” Silas said as he put down his tools and walked out to greet her.
A big hug later, Silas held her out at arm’s length.
“Damn, girl! You almost squeezed me in half! You been in the gym some recently, I guess. The strawberry blonde looks good on you, too. It’s almost as light as your hair was when you came back from your last deployment.”
“Well, I’ve been working out a bit more since Randel and I broke up.”
“What happened there, anyway? I never heard.” Silas said as he led her into the garage.
“Well, we got along well enough but not enough for a long-distance relationship. He got orders to Rota. We didn’t have any major fights or anything. We are still friends, but as much as we were great friends, we decided it wasn’t the right kind of love.”
Silas thought he could tell she wasn’t that broken up and was being honest about it. It’s too bad. He liked Randel.
“So, what’s the project for this base?” Violet asked as they went into the garage.
Silas usually had one or two projects he would work at each base they were stationed at. One base, he restored a small sail boat. Another base, he would restore antique furniture, some of which they kept and have moved assignment to assignment since. As long as it wasn’t pinball machines again.
When Violet was in junior high school, her father’s project was restoring an old electro-mechanical pinball machine. All the gears, wheels and switches drove him nuts. She didn’t even want to think of the swearing lessons the wiring harness caused.
Violet looked at the stuff scattered all over the garage. An engine on an engine stand stood in one corner alongside some cabinets and appliances. In the middle of the garage was some sort of fiberglass camper shell of some sort. It was sanded and patched in several spots.
“What the hell is this thing?” Violet asked.
“It’s a Chinook camper I’m working on.” Silas said, running a hand down the side where he was sanding when Violet arrived.
“So, you still need the trailer parts to put under it.”
“Nah, this goes on the back of a truck. I haven’t found the right one to put it together with yet.”
“What do you know about campers, dad?” Violet said, fixing him with a skeptical look.
“About as much as I know about rebuilding cars.” Silas grinned at her, his smile widening as her cringe deepened.
“I hope you have someone to backstop you on the vehicle stuff.”
“Yeah, I have one of the motor pool troops who is willing to backcheck the stuff.”
“Going rate still a case of beer?”
“Not this one. She wants a bottle of Patron.”
“She?”
“Yeah, they got this girl, can’t be more than five feet and eighty pounds soaking wet. We in-processed together. She’s scouring the area for the truck we are putting under it.”
“You ought to get one of those big old trucks like the green one Poppa Ivar used to have”
“Hmmm” Silas started thinking about her suggestion. Ivar had an old mid-sixties Power Wagon crew cab he bought at a DRMO Auction many many years ago. It might work. He would have to pitch it to Petra next week.
“So, where’s Momma? Violet shifted topics.
“She had a late appointment. She should be home any moment with pizza from this joint we found. You will love it.”
“What’s so special about the pizza?”
“The guy who owns this place used to live in Bosnia and makes a great wood fired pizza that tastes just like the ones over there. High heat, four minutes cook time.”
“Sounds great!”
Silas led the way into the house and showed Violet around as they waited for her mother to come home.
Last edited:
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
On the Way to Paige’s
“When are you guys headed back?” Silas asked from the passenger seat.
Violet was driving since she had at least been there once and knew the wat for the most part. She was always good with directions. Give her a map or let her see the route and she could usually replicate it.
Veronica answered from the back seat.
“Probably Tuesday morning. That way we can get together and hang out some. It’s not like they need me at the office anyway.”
“I take it too many bodies and not enough workload?”
“Yeah, after the bulk of the deployments slowed down and we got most our bodies back home, we are twiddling our fingers some.” Veronica said, the implied boredom evident.
“Well, some of what I have to tell these guys also applies to you two as well. We have a bunch of changes potentially coming down the pike.”
“You want to give us the sneak preview?” Violet asked. She knew her dad was worried about some of this stuff. He had even made some notecards last night. She remembered him doing this planning big presentations when she was little.
“Not this time. I want to spool this out in one fell swoop.” Silas said in his work tone.
“When are you guys headed back?” Silas asked from the passenger seat.
Violet was driving since she had at least been there once and knew the wat for the most part. She was always good with directions. Give her a map or let her see the route and she could usually replicate it.
Veronica answered from the back seat.
“Probably Tuesday morning. That way we can get together and hang out some. It’s not like they need me at the office anyway.”
“I take it too many bodies and not enough workload?”
“Yeah, after the bulk of the deployments slowed down and we got most our bodies back home, we are twiddling our fingers some.” Veronica said, the implied boredom evident.
“Well, some of what I have to tell these guys also applies to you two as well. We have a bunch of changes potentially coming down the pike.”
“You want to give us the sneak preview?” Violet asked. She knew her dad was worried about some of this stuff. He had even made some notecards last night. She remembered him doing this planning big presentations when she was little.
“Not this time. I want to spool this out in one fell swoop.” Silas said in his work tone.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
At Paige’s
Silas started towards the door, Veronica and Violet close behind. They were carrying the food for the cook-out. Silas knew people talked better when they were eating and drinking, that’s why when he talked to Violet and Veronica about their upcoming visit, he told them there would be a cook-out on Saturday with Paige and their group.
This led to Veronica going over the top with some hunting. She was bringing fresh game to the cook-out if she had to hit a moose in the parking lot to do it. The results and some beer were in the cooler Violet was carrying in now. Veronica had the rest of the groceries to go with it in a pair of paper bags.
Andrea answered the door and Silas started talking.
“Sorry to spoil your guys Saturday. I figured if I was going to screw it up, I better make up for it. The girls drove down last night and brought some stuff for the grill and we brought everything else for the meal but fire.”
Silas was in the doorway talking. Veronica was right behind him. Bringing up the rear, carrying a heavy cooler, was Violet. She stood there at the back of the line for a moment or two before realizing they were in no hurry to go in. Well, the cooler was heavy and she was going inside to put it down!
“Great! Fine! Wonderful, Dad, you want to get out of my way so I can put this cooler down? It’s getting heavy!” Violet bullied her way past Veronica to set the cooler down just outside the kitchen.
This was Veronica’s first time in the house. She decided Violet knew where to go so she followed her inside and to the kitchen where she set the bags on the counter.
The house was a simple multi-level affair. The small living room just inside the front door led to a small dining room and kitchen. Stairs off to the left led up and down. Looking down and to the left from the dining room showed a big den or lounge area complete with a fireplace and several large sectional pieces.
“This is a great place.” Veronica told Andrea and Sabine in the kitchen. She turned when Silas got Sabine’s attention. And froze. Paige was standing there. At a quick glance she thought she was Violet.
Veronica got used to Violet’s Strawberry blond hair over the past couple of weeks. Now, looking at Paige full on, it wasn’t as much of a match, but out of the corner of her eye, it was startling. Paige carried herself a lot differently than Violet, moved differently.
Both Paige and Violet didn’t attract a lot of attention when they were in a room. Paige’s seemed to be some level of shyness, where Violet’s was from all those years and years of training. She was real economical in her movements. She just seemed to flow as she moved. It was like watching the guys in the park doing Tai Chi, except that was just how Violet moved.
“Hi, I’m Paige.”
“Good to see you awake and mobile. I’m Veronica.” Veronica held out her hand in greeting.
Everyone was talking in the kitchen except Silas and Sabine who went out to the SUV for something else. A few moments later he came in to going the rest in the kitchen, minus Sabine, who was evidently putting something away.
With as crowded as the small kitchen was, the group moved everything outside to the grill.
The cooler Violet carried into the house was now set beside the grill. A heap of charcoal was beginning to burn under Henrik’s careful attention. Drinks were pulled from the cooler and small talk began. Soon, Sabine joined them.
The Sergeant Major pointed at the cooler with his drink. Sabine flipped open the lid. Inside was several large paper bundles and a bunch of drinks; beer, wine, wine coolers, and sodas. Sabine grabbed a wine cooler and joined the group.
Veronica wasn’t drinking today. She was still armed. As a Federal Agent, she could get away with it in California and took full advantage of it. It wasn’t that she expected trouble here at their house. She just didn’t want to leave it anywhere and definitely felt the need for it during their road trip.
Silas was the center of the talking now that Sabine had joined them.
“OK, Now Sabine is here I can start hitting the meat of what I wanted to talk to you guys about, including you two, Fric and Frac.” He pointed at Veronica and Violet with his bottle.
“What I’m telling you, it isn’t official yet. All of it might not come to bear, it might all happen and more. We don’t know. What I am telling you is from a couple guys I know either in or around Congress or at the Pentagon. The west coast events are going to fundamentally change the military. Congress is scrambling for money wherever it can to pour into the west coast disaster. Many in Congress see the military budget as the biggest place to steal it from.”
“With Congress pillaging the military budget, the military is going to do as much as it can to refocus the funds it does have. It will probably not rebuild Pendleton and the other San Diego bases, or at least to the level they once were. The Marine equipment and resources being recovered are being relocated to Twenty-Nine Palms since it is out of the destruction zone. All the functions possible are being moved. I don’t see them ever being moved back. Pendleton will probably become mostly a range and operating area.”
Violet looked at the faces of the others as her Dad laid all of this out. She could see they were blindsided by all of this. For some reason, however, she didn’t feel as surprised as she should have. Whole bases gone, probably a ton of people she knew and were friends with, gone. The whole world felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the change.
Why wasn’t she more upset? Too many years of philosophy or was it all from her upbringing, learning to not fight change, but to, instead, accept and adapt it for your needs going forward? Was she still in the numb stage? She wondered how Veronica was taking all of this. Most of this is all about Navy stuff on the coast.
Violet looked over at Veronica as her dad kept talking. She nodded her head in a beckoning way, over towards the grill. They could work the grill while the others paid more attention. This was a lot about them and their unit, more than it was about the two of them.
Silas kept talking.
“The main functions of the naval bases are being moved to Pearl. The same thing with Bremerton, Kitsap, and Whidbey Island. They were all trashed, and the big question is whether to pour money back into these locations to get back to the status quo, or if we spend half as much, can we increase the same capabilities in a base that is still functioning. Pearl used to handle the level of operations it would have if you pulled what the west coast did a month ago. The Marine amphibious elements will end up on Guam, I figure.”
Everyone just stood there, trying to absorb what they were just told. Silas handed out another round of drinks. He figured to pause a moment for everything he already said to have a chance to be absorbed before he went to the next part he wanted to cover. This next part would be the impact on them, now they had the background into.
He looked over at Violet and Veronica as the drinks were handed out. Veronica was raking the charcoal around to spread out the heat for the meat Violet was seasoning. Veronica saw the look and wondered what was coming next. Silas looked worried.
Once everyone was set, Silas started part two of his talk.
“So, as I was saying, the military is trying every trick in the book to make the most of the money they have left. With the talk of eliminating bases on the west coast by not rebuilding them, there is going to be a drawdown of units and personnel. Some of it is going to be sneaky, too, and not make sense until you look at it like an accountant.”
At the word accountant, Veronica shuddered. She had been in many units hit by budget cuts and draw downs. She knew the havoc it could do, the hardships it can impose. This was how you ended up with planes that couldn’t fly, people you couldn’t train, people getting out you can’t afford to lose and manpower slots you could never fill. Silas had her attention now.
“First, a history lesson. Many years back, the federal government and the military changed the dates people got paid on from the 15th and the last day of the month, to the first and fifteenth. It looks like only one day, but it provided a onetime budgetary windfall. What it did was move one whole two week pay period of salary from one fiscal year to another, freeing up the funds for other uses. Well, they are trying to do some other sneaky things.”
“One of the things they are looking to do is a 15 year retirement. On the face, it doesn’t look like it will save much money, but it moves the payroll over to another category and since the retirement pay is based on the top three years, and fewer will make higher rank, it will end up costing them less. It will also cull overall number of bodies. Not that it will be mandatory, yet, nor are they going to change high year of tenure, yet. Think about most of your coworkers and such. You offer them at the 15 year mark a 50% paycheck and never come back, there will be a lot of takers. They think the civilian world has a lot more to offer. Some are right, others soon find out how good they had it in the military.”
Violet was startled by the thought of a fifteen year retirement. That wasn’t very far away. She had only though about retirement in the abstract before now. She loved her job and didn’t want to necessarily retire real soon. What if they didn’t give her a choice? What would she do? Where would she go? What job would she want to do next? Would she do like many she knew and hang her shingle out in some strip mall and teach cookie cutter black belts to make rent money? That thought didn’t make her happy. She wondered what she would do.
“There is another couple sneakier things in the works as well. One of the biggest things gobbling up resources and money is moving troops around unit to unit, base to base. Well, the rest of the services will be moving to the Air Force model of a minimum of four years’ time on station before you are eligible to PCS to your next station instead of the two to three years we are used to. Fewer moves mean fewer moves to pay for, and units have fewer periods of time with less than their required bodies. Between PCS in, in processing and out processing to leave, you lose about six months of functionality to the unit.”
“That’s the first half, the other half they are talking about, they are going to reset everyone’s time on station clocks to zero regardless of how long they have already been there.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in. “That means, unless you are fresh from MOS school or retiring, where you are at, that’s where you will be for the next four years at least. All of you are over ten years in, so unless you choose to push higher and longer, you are at your retirement base right now.”
Violet had another thought. If this happened only a couple months earlier, she might still be with Randal. He would be locked there for another four years, and they could have seen if it progressed farther. It might have even gone all the way. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her new revelation. She looked over at Veronica. She knew Veronica was having a bunch of conflicting thoughts as well. It was written on her face.
Veronica was thinking about how if this came about before Tim had left, she would be stuck with him there and never been pushed to the final straw to get rid of him. Resetting time on station, if it came to be, would give her a ton of time to enjoy Utah. She wouldn’t have gotten the job at Lackland if they put a freeze on PCS’ anyway so she needed to let that one go. She wasn’t meant to have it.
“So, those of you here, this place will at least draw down to a much smaller base and capability, or close all together. The U.S. will be focusing inward for some time. The days of the military running all over the globe doing diplomacy by presence are done for quite some time. The various schools set up for the expeditionary military operations will wither and maybe go away. It will take years for the base to close down completely, probably, but it will probably happen. If you are over 15 years, they may or may not allow you to re-enlist if they have to move you. That gives you around four or five years to figure out what you want as your next career.”
Everyone was quiet as they thought about the massive paradigm shift they just got dumped on them.
Silas started towards the door, Veronica and Violet close behind. They were carrying the food for the cook-out. Silas knew people talked better when they were eating and drinking, that’s why when he talked to Violet and Veronica about their upcoming visit, he told them there would be a cook-out on Saturday with Paige and their group.
This led to Veronica going over the top with some hunting. She was bringing fresh game to the cook-out if she had to hit a moose in the parking lot to do it. The results and some beer were in the cooler Violet was carrying in now. Veronica had the rest of the groceries to go with it in a pair of paper bags.
Andrea answered the door and Silas started talking.
“Sorry to spoil your guys Saturday. I figured if I was going to screw it up, I better make up for it. The girls drove down last night and brought some stuff for the grill and we brought everything else for the meal but fire.”
Silas was in the doorway talking. Veronica was right behind him. Bringing up the rear, carrying a heavy cooler, was Violet. She stood there at the back of the line for a moment or two before realizing they were in no hurry to go in. Well, the cooler was heavy and she was going inside to put it down!
“Great! Fine! Wonderful, Dad, you want to get out of my way so I can put this cooler down? It’s getting heavy!” Violet bullied her way past Veronica to set the cooler down just outside the kitchen.
This was Veronica’s first time in the house. She decided Violet knew where to go so she followed her inside and to the kitchen where she set the bags on the counter.
The house was a simple multi-level affair. The small living room just inside the front door led to a small dining room and kitchen. Stairs off to the left led up and down. Looking down and to the left from the dining room showed a big den or lounge area complete with a fireplace and several large sectional pieces.
“This is a great place.” Veronica told Andrea and Sabine in the kitchen. She turned when Silas got Sabine’s attention. And froze. Paige was standing there. At a quick glance she thought she was Violet.
Veronica got used to Violet’s Strawberry blond hair over the past couple of weeks. Now, looking at Paige full on, it wasn’t as much of a match, but out of the corner of her eye, it was startling. Paige carried herself a lot differently than Violet, moved differently.
Both Paige and Violet didn’t attract a lot of attention when they were in a room. Paige’s seemed to be some level of shyness, where Violet’s was from all those years and years of training. She was real economical in her movements. She just seemed to flow as she moved. It was like watching the guys in the park doing Tai Chi, except that was just how Violet moved.
“Hi, I’m Paige.”
“Good to see you awake and mobile. I’m Veronica.” Veronica held out her hand in greeting.
Everyone was talking in the kitchen except Silas and Sabine who went out to the SUV for something else. A few moments later he came in to going the rest in the kitchen, minus Sabine, who was evidently putting something away.
With as crowded as the small kitchen was, the group moved everything outside to the grill.
The cooler Violet carried into the house was now set beside the grill. A heap of charcoal was beginning to burn under Henrik’s careful attention. Drinks were pulled from the cooler and small talk began. Soon, Sabine joined them.
The Sergeant Major pointed at the cooler with his drink. Sabine flipped open the lid. Inside was several large paper bundles and a bunch of drinks; beer, wine, wine coolers, and sodas. Sabine grabbed a wine cooler and joined the group.
Veronica wasn’t drinking today. She was still armed. As a Federal Agent, she could get away with it in California and took full advantage of it. It wasn’t that she expected trouble here at their house. She just didn’t want to leave it anywhere and definitely felt the need for it during their road trip.
Silas was the center of the talking now that Sabine had joined them.
“OK, Now Sabine is here I can start hitting the meat of what I wanted to talk to you guys about, including you two, Fric and Frac.” He pointed at Veronica and Violet with his bottle.
“What I’m telling you, it isn’t official yet. All of it might not come to bear, it might all happen and more. We don’t know. What I am telling you is from a couple guys I know either in or around Congress or at the Pentagon. The west coast events are going to fundamentally change the military. Congress is scrambling for money wherever it can to pour into the west coast disaster. Many in Congress see the military budget as the biggest place to steal it from.”
“With Congress pillaging the military budget, the military is going to do as much as it can to refocus the funds it does have. It will probably not rebuild Pendleton and the other San Diego bases, or at least to the level they once were. The Marine equipment and resources being recovered are being relocated to Twenty-Nine Palms since it is out of the destruction zone. All the functions possible are being moved. I don’t see them ever being moved back. Pendleton will probably become mostly a range and operating area.”
Violet looked at the faces of the others as her Dad laid all of this out. She could see they were blindsided by all of this. For some reason, however, she didn’t feel as surprised as she should have. Whole bases gone, probably a ton of people she knew and were friends with, gone. The whole world felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the change.
Why wasn’t she more upset? Too many years of philosophy or was it all from her upbringing, learning to not fight change, but to, instead, accept and adapt it for your needs going forward? Was she still in the numb stage? She wondered how Veronica was taking all of this. Most of this is all about Navy stuff on the coast.
Violet looked over at Veronica as her dad kept talking. She nodded her head in a beckoning way, over towards the grill. They could work the grill while the others paid more attention. This was a lot about them and their unit, more than it was about the two of them.
Silas kept talking.
“The main functions of the naval bases are being moved to Pearl. The same thing with Bremerton, Kitsap, and Whidbey Island. They were all trashed, and the big question is whether to pour money back into these locations to get back to the status quo, or if we spend half as much, can we increase the same capabilities in a base that is still functioning. Pearl used to handle the level of operations it would have if you pulled what the west coast did a month ago. The Marine amphibious elements will end up on Guam, I figure.”
Everyone just stood there, trying to absorb what they were just told. Silas handed out another round of drinks. He figured to pause a moment for everything he already said to have a chance to be absorbed before he went to the next part he wanted to cover. This next part would be the impact on them, now they had the background into.
He looked over at Violet and Veronica as the drinks were handed out. Veronica was raking the charcoal around to spread out the heat for the meat Violet was seasoning. Veronica saw the look and wondered what was coming next. Silas looked worried.
Once everyone was set, Silas started part two of his talk.
“So, as I was saying, the military is trying every trick in the book to make the most of the money they have left. With the talk of eliminating bases on the west coast by not rebuilding them, there is going to be a drawdown of units and personnel. Some of it is going to be sneaky, too, and not make sense until you look at it like an accountant.”
At the word accountant, Veronica shuddered. She had been in many units hit by budget cuts and draw downs. She knew the havoc it could do, the hardships it can impose. This was how you ended up with planes that couldn’t fly, people you couldn’t train, people getting out you can’t afford to lose and manpower slots you could never fill. Silas had her attention now.
“First, a history lesson. Many years back, the federal government and the military changed the dates people got paid on from the 15th and the last day of the month, to the first and fifteenth. It looks like only one day, but it provided a onetime budgetary windfall. What it did was move one whole two week pay period of salary from one fiscal year to another, freeing up the funds for other uses. Well, they are trying to do some other sneaky things.”
“One of the things they are looking to do is a 15 year retirement. On the face, it doesn’t look like it will save much money, but it moves the payroll over to another category and since the retirement pay is based on the top three years, and fewer will make higher rank, it will end up costing them less. It will also cull overall number of bodies. Not that it will be mandatory, yet, nor are they going to change high year of tenure, yet. Think about most of your coworkers and such. You offer them at the 15 year mark a 50% paycheck and never come back, there will be a lot of takers. They think the civilian world has a lot more to offer. Some are right, others soon find out how good they had it in the military.”
Violet was startled by the thought of a fifteen year retirement. That wasn’t very far away. She had only though about retirement in the abstract before now. She loved her job and didn’t want to necessarily retire real soon. What if they didn’t give her a choice? What would she do? Where would she go? What job would she want to do next? Would she do like many she knew and hang her shingle out in some strip mall and teach cookie cutter black belts to make rent money? That thought didn’t make her happy. She wondered what she would do.
“There is another couple sneakier things in the works as well. One of the biggest things gobbling up resources and money is moving troops around unit to unit, base to base. Well, the rest of the services will be moving to the Air Force model of a minimum of four years’ time on station before you are eligible to PCS to your next station instead of the two to three years we are used to. Fewer moves mean fewer moves to pay for, and units have fewer periods of time with less than their required bodies. Between PCS in, in processing and out processing to leave, you lose about six months of functionality to the unit.”
“That’s the first half, the other half they are talking about, they are going to reset everyone’s time on station clocks to zero regardless of how long they have already been there.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in. “That means, unless you are fresh from MOS school or retiring, where you are at, that’s where you will be for the next four years at least. All of you are over ten years in, so unless you choose to push higher and longer, you are at your retirement base right now.”
Violet had another thought. If this happened only a couple months earlier, she might still be with Randal. He would be locked there for another four years, and they could have seen if it progressed farther. It might have even gone all the way. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her new revelation. She looked over at Veronica. She knew Veronica was having a bunch of conflicting thoughts as well. It was written on her face.
Veronica was thinking about how if this came about before Tim had left, she would be stuck with him there and never been pushed to the final straw to get rid of him. Resetting time on station, if it came to be, would give her a ton of time to enjoy Utah. She wouldn’t have gotten the job at Lackland if they put a freeze on PCS’ anyway so she needed to let that one go. She wasn’t meant to have it.
“So, those of you here, this place will at least draw down to a much smaller base and capability, or close all together. The U.S. will be focusing inward for some time. The days of the military running all over the globe doing diplomacy by presence are done for quite some time. The various schools set up for the expeditionary military operations will wither and maybe go away. It will take years for the base to close down completely, probably, but it will probably happen. If you are over 15 years, they may or may not allow you to re-enlist if they have to move you. That gives you around four or five years to figure out what you want as your next career.”
Everyone was quiet as they thought about the massive paradigm shift they just got dumped on them.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Later that Afternoon
The food was great. Simple salad with homemade dressing, baked potato right on the coals, and a marvelous Elk porterhouse steak for everyone. The conversations started up again about mid-way through the meal when everyone slowed down some.
Silas started things off. “Paige, the gym bag over there,” he pointed to the one he carried in from the SUV, “has four new uniforms, plus the one Violet borrowed. They are complete with your new rank so you will be squared away when you return to work Monday.
Sabine spoke up right away. “Sergeant Major, I don’t know if she should be cleared back to duty that soon!”
“Light duty. She has been doing things around the house just as strenuous as she will at work. She isn’t lifting or moving things. I’ll give her some lift and tote manpower, but I need her to start gathering all the pieces I’ve got sealed in the various arms rooms across the facility. She needs it all in one place under her control, and therefore, under me and the commanders control. I think there’s been some shady stuff going on and I want to capture the results in our favor rather than be caught shorthanded. Oh, and since I’m not here and I brought the beer and such, off base, I’m Silas.”
Violet and Veronica could see the four housemates trying to wrap their heads around first-naming the Sergeant Major, but Paige and Sabine were the first to jump to the conclusion BBQing with the Sergeant Major who they will be working with for the next four years is a good thing. They exchanged a knowing glance and nodded their heads.
“I think I’ll skip Silas and keep ‘Dad’” was Violet’s answer. She had seen this before at some of the picnics at their house growing up. The junior enlisted sometimes had a hard time making the shift, but she knew her dad was great at figuring out the ones who could.
Veronica concurred. “Yeah, Dad still for me too.”
They had done this with him since the second grade. Veronica’s father was ‘Papa’ to both of them. It was a close pair of families, with the six of them, (both fathers, mothers and daughters) closer than many individual families were with themselves.
“And you,” Silas pointed at Violet with the beer bottle in his hand, “may as well get comfy at Veronica’s place for the foreseeable future. Not only are you there until depositions about the transport incident happen which can’t take place until he comes out of his coma so he can participate with his defense council, another problem has arose. All military movement, either to or from TDY locations are frozen, unless directly supporting recovery efforts. Other movement is by exception and requires the sign off of the USTRANSCOM Ops cell and I don’t see them doing that for an Instructor at an advanced school, when the advanced school is not holding class for the foreseeable future.”
“Looks like an extended sleepover!” was Veronica’s immediate reply. This was followed by Violet’s.
“Oh, God! I don’t know if my liver can take it!” but there was a big smile on her face. Better to be with her friend while Veronica was working through her divorce than 2000 miles away. The problem was, with the paperwork signed and headed towards Tim, Veronica seemed to want to roll her clock back to who she was before she was married, plus some.
Veronica would drag her down to one of the clubs in Salt Lake for dancing, drinks and such. It was like Veronica was trying to be 22 again. The part she was doubly surprised at was the club she took them too.
It was a lesbian bar. Within a few moments of getting there, Violet picked up on the vibe. Not surprising, since there were zero guys there at all. When she asked Veronica if she was considering changing teams, her reply was no, but she normally came here as a wingman for one of her officemates whose husband was deployed. They could come, dance and have fun. She also didn’t want to be seen dancing with another guy until after Tim signed the papers. She didn’t want to give him a single thing to use against her.
As a once in a while thing, not horrendous. They have been six times in the last two weeks. On top of all the other stress, it was wearing on Violet some.
Silas spoke up again. “Oh, you guys need to start looking at squirreling stuff away personally. Food is going to get expensive for quite some time. The other thing I forgot to tell you, Grizelda and her three sisters are closing in on the gulf coast and eastern seaboard. Grizelda is expected to make CAT 3 or 4 by the time it reaches landfall. The spaghetti maps cannot make up their mind where and how fast she is going, but the worst case is similar to Harvey, slow and shallow. Harvey was a CAT 1 that dumped well over fifty inches of rain on Houston and the surrounding areas. Grizelda will be at least CAT 3.”
“Her sisters will probably slam Florida if we are lucky. If we are unlucky, they will drive up the coast like Sandy. Any one of them would tax the resources for recovery in a normal year. This year, there are no more resources left. Everything is already committed to the West Coast and already headed there. The Florida bases are evacuating deep into the middle of the country. The airlift to do that is being robbed from the west coast operations. Crap sandwich is getting a second helping.”
Veronica thought about all the airlift and humanitarian operations going on around the country. She didn’t know if her unit would be sending people out to help or to backfill. Even if they did, she knew she was kind of stuck for now. Between the Frickel incident and her recent return from a couple other trips, she knew she was low on the list for anything other than on base stuff for a while.
Soon the bad news faded into the night sky and the fire. For the moment they all felt the warmth of the love of good friends. Ones they could count on when things went bad.
The food was great. Simple salad with homemade dressing, baked potato right on the coals, and a marvelous Elk porterhouse steak for everyone. The conversations started up again about mid-way through the meal when everyone slowed down some.
Silas started things off. “Paige, the gym bag over there,” he pointed to the one he carried in from the SUV, “has four new uniforms, plus the one Violet borrowed. They are complete with your new rank so you will be squared away when you return to work Monday.
Sabine spoke up right away. “Sergeant Major, I don’t know if she should be cleared back to duty that soon!”
“Light duty. She has been doing things around the house just as strenuous as she will at work. She isn’t lifting or moving things. I’ll give her some lift and tote manpower, but I need her to start gathering all the pieces I’ve got sealed in the various arms rooms across the facility. She needs it all in one place under her control, and therefore, under me and the commanders control. I think there’s been some shady stuff going on and I want to capture the results in our favor rather than be caught shorthanded. Oh, and since I’m not here and I brought the beer and such, off base, I’m Silas.”
Violet and Veronica could see the four housemates trying to wrap their heads around first-naming the Sergeant Major, but Paige and Sabine were the first to jump to the conclusion BBQing with the Sergeant Major who they will be working with for the next four years is a good thing. They exchanged a knowing glance and nodded their heads.
“I think I’ll skip Silas and keep ‘Dad’” was Violet’s answer. She had seen this before at some of the picnics at their house growing up. The junior enlisted sometimes had a hard time making the shift, but she knew her dad was great at figuring out the ones who could.
Veronica concurred. “Yeah, Dad still for me too.”
They had done this with him since the second grade. Veronica’s father was ‘Papa’ to both of them. It was a close pair of families, with the six of them, (both fathers, mothers and daughters) closer than many individual families were with themselves.
“And you,” Silas pointed at Violet with the beer bottle in his hand, “may as well get comfy at Veronica’s place for the foreseeable future. Not only are you there until depositions about the transport incident happen which can’t take place until he comes out of his coma so he can participate with his defense council, another problem has arose. All military movement, either to or from TDY locations are frozen, unless directly supporting recovery efforts. Other movement is by exception and requires the sign off of the USTRANSCOM Ops cell and I don’t see them doing that for an Instructor at an advanced school, when the advanced school is not holding class for the foreseeable future.”
“Looks like an extended sleepover!” was Veronica’s immediate reply. This was followed by Violet’s.
“Oh, God! I don’t know if my liver can take it!” but there was a big smile on her face. Better to be with her friend while Veronica was working through her divorce than 2000 miles away. The problem was, with the paperwork signed and headed towards Tim, Veronica seemed to want to roll her clock back to who she was before she was married, plus some.
Veronica would drag her down to one of the clubs in Salt Lake for dancing, drinks and such. It was like Veronica was trying to be 22 again. The part she was doubly surprised at was the club she took them too.
It was a lesbian bar. Within a few moments of getting there, Violet picked up on the vibe. Not surprising, since there were zero guys there at all. When she asked Veronica if she was considering changing teams, her reply was no, but she normally came here as a wingman for one of her officemates whose husband was deployed. They could come, dance and have fun. She also didn’t want to be seen dancing with another guy until after Tim signed the papers. She didn’t want to give him a single thing to use against her.
As a once in a while thing, not horrendous. They have been six times in the last two weeks. On top of all the other stress, it was wearing on Violet some.
Silas spoke up again. “Oh, you guys need to start looking at squirreling stuff away personally. Food is going to get expensive for quite some time. The other thing I forgot to tell you, Grizelda and her three sisters are closing in on the gulf coast and eastern seaboard. Grizelda is expected to make CAT 3 or 4 by the time it reaches landfall. The spaghetti maps cannot make up their mind where and how fast she is going, but the worst case is similar to Harvey, slow and shallow. Harvey was a CAT 1 that dumped well over fifty inches of rain on Houston and the surrounding areas. Grizelda will be at least CAT 3.”
“Her sisters will probably slam Florida if we are lucky. If we are unlucky, they will drive up the coast like Sandy. Any one of them would tax the resources for recovery in a normal year. This year, there are no more resources left. Everything is already committed to the West Coast and already headed there. The Florida bases are evacuating deep into the middle of the country. The airlift to do that is being robbed from the west coast operations. Crap sandwich is getting a second helping.”
Veronica thought about all the airlift and humanitarian operations going on around the country. She didn’t know if her unit would be sending people out to help or to backfill. Even if they did, she knew she was kind of stuck for now. Between the Frickel incident and her recent return from a couple other trips, she knew she was low on the list for anything other than on base stuff for a while.
Soon the bad news faded into the night sky and the fire. For the moment they all felt the warmth of the love of good friends. Ones they could count on when things went bad.
Last edited:
RememberGoliad
Veteran Member
Thank you.
Harvey was a Cat 3. Second landfall up near Brazoria was made as a Cat 1. It sat over Refugio County as a Cat 1 for 36 hours while it made up its mind whether to go in or back out (speaking of cats LMAO) and wreaked absolute havoc as it rained at LEAST 3 feet all over the Coastal Bend before moseying on back out into the Gulf as a strong tropical storm to recharge for its second landfall up the coast.
DW and I rode it out in Ingleside, less than 10 miles to the side of its initial landfall, in a 70 year old frame home. It was exciting. ALL NIGHT. Next morning, after dawn, we went to go check on Mom and Sis who rode it out right on the edge of Corpus Christi Bay. It was still blowing >70 mph when we left the house. Winds picked back up Saturday afternoon as it wobbled back towards the coast and finally died down sometime in the night Saturday into Sunday when it got picked up by the norther and carried back out into the gulf. Of course, the norther washed out, leaving Harvey out there with nothing to do, so it spooled back up and took aim at Brazoria. Never seen anything like it.
Of course, the media focuses on the second landfall, and we down the coast were the redheaded stepkids when it came to recovery efforts.
Came to find out later, we were the only ones in the whole subdivision who stayed. It pays to be prepared for shit to hit the fan. We were back to normal ---well, as normal as we could be with no lights or phones--- as soon as the wind laid.
Harvey was a Cat 3. Second landfall up near Brazoria was made as a Cat 1. It sat over Refugio County as a Cat 1 for 36 hours while it made up its mind whether to go in or back out (speaking of cats LMAO) and wreaked absolute havoc as it rained at LEAST 3 feet all over the Coastal Bend before moseying on back out into the Gulf as a strong tropical storm to recharge for its second landfall up the coast.
DW and I rode it out in Ingleside, less than 10 miles to the side of its initial landfall, in a 70 year old frame home. It was exciting. ALL NIGHT. Next morning, after dawn, we went to go check on Mom and Sis who rode it out right on the edge of Corpus Christi Bay. It was still blowing >70 mph when we left the house. Winds picked back up Saturday afternoon as it wobbled back towards the coast and finally died down sometime in the night Saturday into Sunday when it got picked up by the norther and carried back out into the gulf. Of course, the norther washed out, leaving Harvey out there with nothing to do, so it spooled back up and took aim at Brazoria. Never seen anything like it.
Of course, the media focuses on the second landfall, and we down the coast were the redheaded stepkids when it came to recovery efforts.
Came to find out later, we were the only ones in the whole subdivision who stayed. It pays to be prepared for shit to hit the fan. We were back to normal ---well, as normal as we could be with no lights or phones--- as soon as the wind laid.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
In the City, Car Shopping
“Hey, you’re the one who printed off the ‘look for these problems’ sheets. I know the pics looked good but the car was crap and you know it.” Violet said again as they walked towards the SUV.
“Yeah, I know. It just burns me up the 230 was gone before we could get it.” Veronica countered.
The pair were shopping for a sporty little car for her to trade Tim’s monstrous SUV in on. Their original target, a sweet little Mercedes SLK 230 was already sold, so now Veronica had a list of backup ‘targets of opportunity’ to go look at. She was wanting to shop the lower priced ones and work her way up, that way, if she was forced to reimburse Tim for half the value, she would pay less. She figured whatever she got, she would trade straight across, insist on it in fact. The SLK would have been perfect. Their values was at the bottom of the trough right now. It was a clean 1999 model for only seven grand due to the high mileage. She knew the SUV was easily a trade value of forty thousand or more. Veronica would insist on the value of her trade-in be listed as and counted as no more than the full price of whatever she got.
Now their problem was finding the right car, today. Veronica was set on getting it here and driving it home. Violet knew how stubborn Veronica could be and was trying to be helpful and patient.
One place had a SLK 350, but it was trashed, Veronica found she couldn’t fit well in a Miata. The Del Sol fit well, but the engine needed work and the dealer was acting shady when they were talking to him, so they walked.
Violet was cramming the papers in her hand back into the messenger bag as they negotiated the alley to the parking lot where they left the SUV when they heard voices behind them.
“Purses, now” one gruff voice said, close at hand.
“Hand them over and you can go.” Another voice, this one farther away.
Both Veronica and Violet froze. Veronica was trying to figure the best way to distract them long enough to pull her pistol. She was by no means giving them her shoulder bag. Not with what she had in it. She glanced over at Violet just as the close one made a tragic mistake. He pushed the gun into Violet’s back.
Violet stood there when they first spoke. Damn! This is like right out of the training books or movie clips. She had taught this scenario at least a thousand times. The biggest and most demanding variable was how they are armed and where is the gun if they have one, followed by how far away are they?
Violet kept telling people the world’s best roundhouse kick towards the face can be pretty as all hell, but worse than useless if they guy is ten feet away with the gun at waist level. There were at least two of them this time. One close and one far. If she could get her hands on the close one, they had a chance.
Violet felt the gun push into her back right above her waist. He was using it to shove her just a little as he said “Do it now”. So she did.
Veronica saw Violet explode into motion. This was the distraction she needed. She drew her pistol and spun around, stepping sideways, away from Violet as she brought her pistol up. The second guy was distracted aright! He was staring at whatever Violet was doing to his partner. He didn’t even have a weapon out.
Two large wet meaty sounds were followed by a muted gurgling scream from the one Violet had a hold of. The other one started to move his hand towards his waist. Veronica had to stop that,
“Hey asshole!” Veronica said as she held him in her pistol’s sights. “Stop or I stop you!”
He turned towards her, his eyes locked onto her pistol now.
Veronica wasn’t going to take her eyes off of him, but she needed to know what was going on.
“V, we good?” Veronica said, hoping the blubbering and gurgling was the other bad guy and not her best friend.
“Yeah, we’re good. What now?” Violet said. She wasn’t even out of breath Veronica noted.
When Violet felt the gun in her back, she had the answer she needed. Spinning around, capturing a limb, stripping the gun, snapping the elbow and wrist, hammerfist to the nose as she pain controlled him with the broken parts to the ground with him between her and his partner to slow down possible incoming bullets. It played out just like it usually did on the practice mats in all her demos and practice sessions.
Once he was controlled, she looked to Veronica. Just as she suspected, Veronica had the drop on the other guy, who may or may not have wet himself.
“Yeah, we’re good. What now?” Violet figured they were in for a whole day of police interviews.
“Now we have a little chat.” Veronica said, a tight-lipped smirk on her face now.
Veronica gestured with her pistol at the standing thug.
“Get over here next to your buddy. V, kick the gun over here.”
Violet kicked the gun over to Veronica’s feet as the standing thug walked up to his partner on the ground. He was looking down at the shattered nose pouring blood down the front of him, and the arm bent weirdly and cradled with his other arm. He looked up at the two women.
“What are you going to do to us now?” He asked, worry and disbelief in his tone.
Veronica smiled. It was one Violet had seen many times. It wasn’t a friendly one. It was one that said she had a plan and these guys wouldn’t like it in the least.
“Well, first we are going to fix a thing or two. V, this one” She waved the tip of her pistol at the standing one “has a gun in his waistband. Get his gun, cell phone and wallet, get the other guy’s wallet and cell as well.”
Violet looked at Veronica, not sure where this was going, but trusting her friend to have a plan, like she always did. When she had the standing guy’s pistol, spare mag, cell phone and wallet, she gave Veronica a look as if to ask ‘what now?’
“Just drop them in your bag, along with the other guy’s”
Violet looked at her again, but complied.
“Now,” Veronica addressed the standing man. “You were reaching for your gun with your right hand. Hold out your right hand.”
The guy looked worried but he held it out.
“No, out to the side, palm down.” Veronica instructed him. Violet just stood and watched, not sure what Veronica was doing.
The guy followed her instruction. Before anyone realized what she was doing, Veronica pulled an expanding baton from her waist and in one swift move, slammed it down on the back of his outstretched hand.
He started screaming. While he clutched his shattered hand, Violet looked over at Veronica, her eyes wide and asking the question she wouldn’t voice out loud; ‘What the ****, Veronica?’
Veronica tried to calm her friend down with a look and a gesture without breaking the mood she had created with the two would be thieves. She looked away from Violet and back to the two now sitting on the ground clutching their shattered parts.
“Now that I have you two ****tards attention, here is how this is going to go.” She saw they were still looking at each other and their injuries instead of her.
“Listen or do I have to break some more parts to get your attention?” Veronica grinned when they both looked up at her, very worried now.
“So, as I was saying, here’s what’s going to happen. First off, as a word of advice, Federal Marshals tend to frown on getting robbed, especially ones assigned to the local Joint Anti-Gang Task Force. You two need medical attention and I have things to do so I’m going to let you two go over to the hospital and get fixed. I’m keeping your cell phones,” Veronica spun around with a cell phone in her hand and made a face, shooting a selfie with those two in the background and her badge out on its chain around her neck. Before they knew it, she spun back as she kept talking. “And your guns and wallets. You will come over to the station to pick them up and talk with me about this little incident within twenty-four hours. While you are getting fixed at the hospital, I’ll be running you for wants and warrants, plus running your guns. The guns come back stolen or you come back with warrants, it will get a lot worse if you don’t show. If you don’t show, I will drop a whole raid team on your family and all your friends, using you as my confidential informant as the reason why, and tell all the people I scoop up how helpful you are.”
At that last threat, their eyes got big. She had their attention now!
“So, boys, twenty-four-hours from now, you march your happy little asses into the station and ask to speak to Sgt Malloy in the Anti-Gang Joint Task Force. Then I give you your shit back and we talk. Or, I have the guys come scoop you up now, you’re in med while I stop my errands and go make some raids right now in your name. Your choice. Do we understand one another?”
While Veronica was explaining all of this, Violet was watching her, trying to figure out what the play was really about. Was Veronica going to let them go so they could go to the hospital? Did she know this Sgt Malloy in the Anti-Gang Joint Task Force? Where did she know that name from?
Veronica was done waiting for them to acknowledge her question.
“So you boys going to the hospital on your own or do I call them to come get you and bring me my raid jacket so we can get to work?”
The two struggled to their feet and walked quickly away.
“Don’t forget, twenty-four-hours!” Veronica shouted at their backs as they left.
“Hey, you’re the one who printed off the ‘look for these problems’ sheets. I know the pics looked good but the car was crap and you know it.” Violet said again as they walked towards the SUV.
“Yeah, I know. It just burns me up the 230 was gone before we could get it.” Veronica countered.
The pair were shopping for a sporty little car for her to trade Tim’s monstrous SUV in on. Their original target, a sweet little Mercedes SLK 230 was already sold, so now Veronica had a list of backup ‘targets of opportunity’ to go look at. She was wanting to shop the lower priced ones and work her way up, that way, if she was forced to reimburse Tim for half the value, she would pay less. She figured whatever she got, she would trade straight across, insist on it in fact. The SLK would have been perfect. Their values was at the bottom of the trough right now. It was a clean 1999 model for only seven grand due to the high mileage. She knew the SUV was easily a trade value of forty thousand or more. Veronica would insist on the value of her trade-in be listed as and counted as no more than the full price of whatever she got.
Now their problem was finding the right car, today. Veronica was set on getting it here and driving it home. Violet knew how stubborn Veronica could be and was trying to be helpful and patient.
One place had a SLK 350, but it was trashed, Veronica found she couldn’t fit well in a Miata. The Del Sol fit well, but the engine needed work and the dealer was acting shady when they were talking to him, so they walked.
Violet was cramming the papers in her hand back into the messenger bag as they negotiated the alley to the parking lot where they left the SUV when they heard voices behind them.
“Purses, now” one gruff voice said, close at hand.
“Hand them over and you can go.” Another voice, this one farther away.
Both Veronica and Violet froze. Veronica was trying to figure the best way to distract them long enough to pull her pistol. She was by no means giving them her shoulder bag. Not with what she had in it. She glanced over at Violet just as the close one made a tragic mistake. He pushed the gun into Violet’s back.
Violet stood there when they first spoke. Damn! This is like right out of the training books or movie clips. She had taught this scenario at least a thousand times. The biggest and most demanding variable was how they are armed and where is the gun if they have one, followed by how far away are they?
Violet kept telling people the world’s best roundhouse kick towards the face can be pretty as all hell, but worse than useless if they guy is ten feet away with the gun at waist level. There were at least two of them this time. One close and one far. If she could get her hands on the close one, they had a chance.
Violet felt the gun push into her back right above her waist. He was using it to shove her just a little as he said “Do it now”. So she did.
Veronica saw Violet explode into motion. This was the distraction she needed. She drew her pistol and spun around, stepping sideways, away from Violet as she brought her pistol up. The second guy was distracted aright! He was staring at whatever Violet was doing to his partner. He didn’t even have a weapon out.
Two large wet meaty sounds were followed by a muted gurgling scream from the one Violet had a hold of. The other one started to move his hand towards his waist. Veronica had to stop that,
“Hey asshole!” Veronica said as she held him in her pistol’s sights. “Stop or I stop you!”
He turned towards her, his eyes locked onto her pistol now.
Veronica wasn’t going to take her eyes off of him, but she needed to know what was going on.
“V, we good?” Veronica said, hoping the blubbering and gurgling was the other bad guy and not her best friend.
“Yeah, we’re good. What now?” Violet said. She wasn’t even out of breath Veronica noted.
When Violet felt the gun in her back, she had the answer she needed. Spinning around, capturing a limb, stripping the gun, snapping the elbow and wrist, hammerfist to the nose as she pain controlled him with the broken parts to the ground with him between her and his partner to slow down possible incoming bullets. It played out just like it usually did on the practice mats in all her demos and practice sessions.
Once he was controlled, she looked to Veronica. Just as she suspected, Veronica had the drop on the other guy, who may or may not have wet himself.
“Yeah, we’re good. What now?” Violet figured they were in for a whole day of police interviews.
“Now we have a little chat.” Veronica said, a tight-lipped smirk on her face now.
Veronica gestured with her pistol at the standing thug.
“Get over here next to your buddy. V, kick the gun over here.”
Violet kicked the gun over to Veronica’s feet as the standing thug walked up to his partner on the ground. He was looking down at the shattered nose pouring blood down the front of him, and the arm bent weirdly and cradled with his other arm. He looked up at the two women.
“What are you going to do to us now?” He asked, worry and disbelief in his tone.
Veronica smiled. It was one Violet had seen many times. It wasn’t a friendly one. It was one that said she had a plan and these guys wouldn’t like it in the least.
“Well, first we are going to fix a thing or two. V, this one” She waved the tip of her pistol at the standing one “has a gun in his waistband. Get his gun, cell phone and wallet, get the other guy’s wallet and cell as well.”
Violet looked at Veronica, not sure where this was going, but trusting her friend to have a plan, like she always did. When she had the standing guy’s pistol, spare mag, cell phone and wallet, she gave Veronica a look as if to ask ‘what now?’
“Just drop them in your bag, along with the other guy’s”
Violet looked at her again, but complied.
“Now,” Veronica addressed the standing man. “You were reaching for your gun with your right hand. Hold out your right hand.”
The guy looked worried but he held it out.
“No, out to the side, palm down.” Veronica instructed him. Violet just stood and watched, not sure what Veronica was doing.
The guy followed her instruction. Before anyone realized what she was doing, Veronica pulled an expanding baton from her waist and in one swift move, slammed it down on the back of his outstretched hand.
He started screaming. While he clutched his shattered hand, Violet looked over at Veronica, her eyes wide and asking the question she wouldn’t voice out loud; ‘What the ****, Veronica?’
Veronica tried to calm her friend down with a look and a gesture without breaking the mood she had created with the two would be thieves. She looked away from Violet and back to the two now sitting on the ground clutching their shattered parts.
“Now that I have you two ****tards attention, here is how this is going to go.” She saw they were still looking at each other and their injuries instead of her.
“Listen or do I have to break some more parts to get your attention?” Veronica grinned when they both looked up at her, very worried now.
“So, as I was saying, here’s what’s going to happen. First off, as a word of advice, Federal Marshals tend to frown on getting robbed, especially ones assigned to the local Joint Anti-Gang Task Force. You two need medical attention and I have things to do so I’m going to let you two go over to the hospital and get fixed. I’m keeping your cell phones,” Veronica spun around with a cell phone in her hand and made a face, shooting a selfie with those two in the background and her badge out on its chain around her neck. Before they knew it, she spun back as she kept talking. “And your guns and wallets. You will come over to the station to pick them up and talk with me about this little incident within twenty-four hours. While you are getting fixed at the hospital, I’ll be running you for wants and warrants, plus running your guns. The guns come back stolen or you come back with warrants, it will get a lot worse if you don’t show. If you don’t show, I will drop a whole raid team on your family and all your friends, using you as my confidential informant as the reason why, and tell all the people I scoop up how helpful you are.”
At that last threat, their eyes got big. She had their attention now!
“So, boys, twenty-four-hours from now, you march your happy little asses into the station and ask to speak to Sgt Malloy in the Anti-Gang Joint Task Force. Then I give you your shit back and we talk. Or, I have the guys come scoop you up now, you’re in med while I stop my errands and go make some raids right now in your name. Your choice. Do we understand one another?”
While Veronica was explaining all of this, Violet was watching her, trying to figure out what the play was really about. Was Veronica going to let them go so they could go to the hospital? Did she know this Sgt Malloy in the Anti-Gang Joint Task Force? Where did she know that name from?
Veronica was done waiting for them to acknowledge her question.
“So you boys going to the hospital on your own or do I call them to come get you and bring me my raid jacket so we can get to work?”
The two struggled to their feet and walked quickly away.
“Don’t forget, twenty-four-hours!” Veronica shouted at their backs as they left.
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ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
In the Alley
“What the hell, Veronica!” Violet blurted out as soon as their ‘robbers’ were out of sight.
“What?” Veronica looked puzzled by Violet’s question.
“What are the cops going to say when you tell them you let them go?”
“I’m not telling them shit. I’m not calling the cops.” Veronica said in a disgusted tone.
Violet waited a moment. She thought Veronica was kidding, then when she realized she was serious, she waited some more, expecting an explanation to be forthcoming.
“What do you mean, you’re not calling the cops?”
Veronica looked at her friend. She had to think for a moment how to explain her actions, actions she thought were obvious.
“With all the reductions in budgets and manpower for police departments, plus the anti-cop prosecutors, they would have spent a lot more time questioning us than them. We would be charged with assault, battery, and another thousand things they could pile on us. We would be the ones rotting in jail while they were out here by tonight looking for their next score.”
She had Violet’s attention for sure. She kept talking.
“Look, it will take some time for those two to heal up enough to be out robbing people at the very least. They now think there is a Federal Joint Task Force anti-Gang unit here in town, with their names, addresses, phones with all their contacts and guns they may have used for some crimes. They have to look at all their problems like do we warn the rest of the guys, how we explain all the shit about to come down on the area, can I hide the blame, and a bunch of others. Add in the worry of whatever they already have in the system, what’s tied to these guns and what will they get hung with from that.” Veronica chuckled now.
“And then there is the whole problem of getting their ass kicked by a couple of girls. So now they have to figure out what they are going to do. Show up at the police station, then have to explain why they are there, especially when they can’t find Reed or Malloy, or do they take their chances, roll the dice and figure to hide and wait it out.”
“Sounds like you have this all figured out. It also sounds like this isn’t the first time you have pulled this stunt.” Violet said with a disapproving shake of her head.
Violet looked at her bag where the phones, wallets and guns were.
“Oh wise one, what do we do with these?”
Veronica thought a moment then replied.
"We take pictures of their IDs, wipe down everything, then dump the phones and wallets into the next mail box we find.”
“And the guns?”
“When I go in to work tomorrow, I’ll run them in the data base. Not stolen, we keep them. Stolen, we turn them in as found objects. Now, let’s get to the next place. I have a car to buy.” Veronica said with an air of finality to it.
“What the hell, Veronica!” Violet blurted out as soon as their ‘robbers’ were out of sight.
“What?” Veronica looked puzzled by Violet’s question.
“What are the cops going to say when you tell them you let them go?”
“I’m not telling them shit. I’m not calling the cops.” Veronica said in a disgusted tone.
Violet waited a moment. She thought Veronica was kidding, then when she realized she was serious, she waited some more, expecting an explanation to be forthcoming.
“What do you mean, you’re not calling the cops?”
Veronica looked at her friend. She had to think for a moment how to explain her actions, actions she thought were obvious.
“With all the reductions in budgets and manpower for police departments, plus the anti-cop prosecutors, they would have spent a lot more time questioning us than them. We would be charged with assault, battery, and another thousand things they could pile on us. We would be the ones rotting in jail while they were out here by tonight looking for their next score.”
She had Violet’s attention for sure. She kept talking.
“Look, it will take some time for those two to heal up enough to be out robbing people at the very least. They now think there is a Federal Joint Task Force anti-Gang unit here in town, with their names, addresses, phones with all their contacts and guns they may have used for some crimes. They have to look at all their problems like do we warn the rest of the guys, how we explain all the shit about to come down on the area, can I hide the blame, and a bunch of others. Add in the worry of whatever they already have in the system, what’s tied to these guns and what will they get hung with from that.” Veronica chuckled now.
“And then there is the whole problem of getting their ass kicked by a couple of girls. So now they have to figure out what they are going to do. Show up at the police station, then have to explain why they are there, especially when they can’t find Reed or Malloy, or do they take their chances, roll the dice and figure to hide and wait it out.”
“Sounds like you have this all figured out. It also sounds like this isn’t the first time you have pulled this stunt.” Violet said with a disapproving shake of her head.
Violet looked at her bag where the phones, wallets and guns were.
“Oh wise one, what do we do with these?”
Veronica thought a moment then replied.
"We take pictures of their IDs, wipe down everything, then dump the phones and wallets into the next mail box we find.”
“And the guns?”
“When I go in to work tomorrow, I’ll run them in the data base. Not stolen, we keep them. Stolen, we turn them in as found objects. Now, let’s get to the next place. I have a car to buy.” Veronica said with an air of finality to it.
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ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Back on the Hunt
“I’m surprised you didn’t jump on that S2000. What was the issue? You fit. It was a real head turner and hellaquick.” Violet asked from the passenger seat.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure. Cloth top. I will be in Utah for at least four more years if your dad is right. Cloth tops can be cold. Besides, Bron sent a link to something she found on the web that popped up just this afternoon I have to check out before I commit to the S2000.”
“They make an optional hard top.” Violet countered.
“I’m making it a solid number two.” Veronica countered.
“So, what are we going to go see?” Violet asked, again.
“Don’t worry, you’ll love it.” Veronica grinned.
“Hell No! It better not be a 911!” Violet was animated now, and not in a good way.
“Look, it wasn’t my fault!”
“Bullshit! You were driving! You almost got both of us killed!” Violet wasn’t budging on this.
“It wasn’t my fault, I tell you for the thousandth time.” Veronica countered.
Violet fixed her with a withering glare.
“Dear, sweet innocent Veronica. How, pray tell, exactly, was it not your fault! You were the one driving!”
“What sane father gives his seventeen-year-old daughter and her best friend his 911 turbo to go pick up their double dates to the prom? In Germany. Where they had to go on the Autobahn.” Veronica waved her hand in a flourish. “Therefore, not my fault!”
Violet shook her head a moment before looking back at Veronica.
“I said, no 911s”
“I’m surprised you didn’t jump on that S2000. What was the issue? You fit. It was a real head turner and hellaquick.” Violet asked from the passenger seat.
“Yeah, but I’m not sure. Cloth top. I will be in Utah for at least four more years if your dad is right. Cloth tops can be cold. Besides, Bron sent a link to something she found on the web that popped up just this afternoon I have to check out before I commit to the S2000.”
“They make an optional hard top.” Violet countered.
“I’m making it a solid number two.” Veronica countered.
“So, what are we going to go see?” Violet asked, again.
“Don’t worry, you’ll love it.” Veronica grinned.
“Hell No! It better not be a 911!” Violet was animated now, and not in a good way.
“Look, it wasn’t my fault!”
“Bullshit! You were driving! You almost got both of us killed!” Violet wasn’t budging on this.
“It wasn’t my fault, I tell you for the thousandth time.” Veronica countered.
Violet fixed her with a withering glare.
“Dear, sweet innocent Veronica. How, pray tell, exactly, was it not your fault! You were the one driving!”
“What sane father gives his seventeen-year-old daughter and her best friend his 911 turbo to go pick up their double dates to the prom? In Germany. Where they had to go on the Autobahn.” Veronica waved her hand in a flourish. “Therefore, not my fault!”
Violet shook her head a moment before looking back at Veronica.
“I said, no 911s”
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ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Later in a MegaMart Parking Lot
“Look, just pop in, grab four of them if they have them and a couple of shammie if they have the real ones. I’ll circle around. Don’t want to leave this cutie sitting here unattended.” Veronica said as she dropped Violet off at the garden entrance.
Violet had to admit, Veronica made a better choice than the S2000. This had speed, was small and nimble but could carry a decent amount too. They would wring it out some flying through the middle of nowhere on the way back to Veronica’s place.
The main problem was the whole ‘middle of nowhere’ part. They already hit some dead spots where the gas stations were either empty or in two cases burned down or blown up. That was in Tim’s big ass SUV. Now they were in the tiny sports car. Tiny car equals tiny tank and it’s a big desert.
With six hundred miles to go and iffy fuel stops, Violet was in the MegaMart looking for fuel cans. Veronica wanted to take at least four five gallon cans with them before they hit the big empty. They would stop and top off where they could and augment with the cans when they needed to.
There is no way they could fit four normal five gallon cans into the trunk of the S2000, but it shouldn’t be a problem in this thing.
Violet was in luck. She was able to find four, the last four they had. Half a dozen real leather shammies, a couple of the synthetic ones, a jug of wiper fluid and a spray bottle of window cleaner. These all went into her cart. In the check-out line she grabbed an entire box of king-sized Snickers bars.
At the curb, she waited for Veronica to swing around. She watched the small grey shape slide-up out of the isles of cars like a shark appearing in a school of fish or a wolf out of the mist. One minute it was nowhere to be seen, then there it was. Or maybe like one of the German U-Boats of WWII fame. It would be fitting given its heritage.
Violet opened the rear hatch and loaded the purchases while Veronica stayed in the driver’s seat. Thirty seconds later, the cart was empty and the grey wolf disappeared into the forest.
“I have to admit, it was a good thing the SLK was gone, otherwise you wouldn’t have this.” Violet said as they slid towards the outskirts of the city in search of fuel, food and running room.
“This little baby might be a bit hungrier than the SLK would be, but isn’t much bigger and will haul a lot more. Besides, it was time to try a new German brand. It’s easier to spell BMW than Mercedes”
The slate grey BMW Z3 M Coupe disappeared into the distance, a long night’s run ahead.
“Look, just pop in, grab four of them if they have them and a couple of shammie if they have the real ones. I’ll circle around. Don’t want to leave this cutie sitting here unattended.” Veronica said as she dropped Violet off at the garden entrance.
Violet had to admit, Veronica made a better choice than the S2000. This had speed, was small and nimble but could carry a decent amount too. They would wring it out some flying through the middle of nowhere on the way back to Veronica’s place.
The main problem was the whole ‘middle of nowhere’ part. They already hit some dead spots where the gas stations were either empty or in two cases burned down or blown up. That was in Tim’s big ass SUV. Now they were in the tiny sports car. Tiny car equals tiny tank and it’s a big desert.
With six hundred miles to go and iffy fuel stops, Violet was in the MegaMart looking for fuel cans. Veronica wanted to take at least four five gallon cans with them before they hit the big empty. They would stop and top off where they could and augment with the cans when they needed to.
There is no way they could fit four normal five gallon cans into the trunk of the S2000, but it shouldn’t be a problem in this thing.
Violet was in luck. She was able to find four, the last four they had. Half a dozen real leather shammies, a couple of the synthetic ones, a jug of wiper fluid and a spray bottle of window cleaner. These all went into her cart. In the check-out line she grabbed an entire box of king-sized Snickers bars.
At the curb, she waited for Veronica to swing around. She watched the small grey shape slide-up out of the isles of cars like a shark appearing in a school of fish or a wolf out of the mist. One minute it was nowhere to be seen, then there it was. Or maybe like one of the German U-Boats of WWII fame. It would be fitting given its heritage.
Violet opened the rear hatch and loaded the purchases while Veronica stayed in the driver’s seat. Thirty seconds later, the cart was empty and the grey wolf disappeared into the forest.
“I have to admit, it was a good thing the SLK was gone, otherwise you wouldn’t have this.” Violet said as they slid towards the outskirts of the city in search of fuel, food and running room.
“This little baby might be a bit hungrier than the SLK would be, but isn’t much bigger and will haul a lot more. Besides, it was time to try a new German brand. It’s easier to spell BMW than Mercedes”
The slate grey BMW Z3 M Coupe disappeared into the distance, a long night’s run ahead.
Landcruiser
Contributing Member
You gave her a clown shoe, really?
I had the Convertible version of that a few years ago, it was insanely fun to drive and a great roadster for the roadster experience.
But it was also a 20 year old BMW... and although it was fun for a time it also had a plaguing level of small issues that popped up on a regular basis and had minimal amounts of storage room.
I had the Convertible version of that a few years ago, it was insanely fun to drive and a great roadster for the roadster experience.
But it was also a 20 year old BMW... and although it was fun for a time it also had a plaguing level of small issues that popped up on a regular basis and had minimal amounts of storage room.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The coupe or as it’s affectionately known, the clownshoe, has a ton of storage, comparatively
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ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
I also like the darker grey
Lone_Hawk
Resident Spook
It's not the initial investment, it is the upkeep. Exotic cars and woman, the same rule applies!
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Thats why as a plaything works.the upkeep is brutal if it’s your daily driver. As additional plaything, it is easier to budget since it can wait if needed
Veronica already has sufficient transportation. The shoe is a toy.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Nowhere near as much a problem as running out of fuel crossing the desert for them.
accountant
Contributing Member
In terms of additional plaything, are you referring to an additional exotic car or an additional woman?
Asking for a friend.
A.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
A couple weeks later, at Veronica’s
“Look, you ****ing worry me, alright? Hunting, fishing, clubbing and work are all great things, but in moderation. I at least get to rest some sitting here in a holding pattern while you are at work. You’re not twenty anymore! All of this will catch up to you and soon!”
Violet had finally cornered Veronica somewhere she wouldn’t escape from. They were in the garage work area where she was busy skinning a deer or antelope or something she just brought back from a hunt out on the range.
Veronica looked up at her friend, bloody to the elbows, knife in her hand. She started to give a flippant answer when she saw the look in Violet’s eyes. She was really worried about her. That’s only fair, Veronica was worried about herself too and said so.
“I don’t know what’s going on with me either. It should be me worried about you, not the other way around. Your base got flattened by the hurricanes and might not get rebuilt. With the fifteen year retirement in play and the other things our dads are hinting at, you’re the one who could be looking at early retirement, not me. They aren’t closing this place, not with the range and the depot here. Hell, I’ve got room and this place is paid for, so you could always just stay here with me. We are close enough to visit our family pretty much whenever.”
Veronica saw her comment hit the mark. She had sat with Violet and watched the coverage of the massive hurricanes destroying and flattening the east coast. It looked like footage from Katrina, Sandy and Harvey all over again but this time it was all at the same time. Grizelda hit, followed over a two week period by three more, the smallest CAT 3.
Several of the major bases were so devastated by two or three huge hurricanes back to back there was immediate talk of comparisons to Homestead AFB, which wasn’t rebuilt after the last hurricane in a string of years tore apart the recently rebuilt for the third time facilities.
Army and Air Force bases were hit hard, but the Navy and Marine bases on the coast were absolutely hammered. This, combined with the apocalypse on the West Coast left the Navy and Marines looking where to put their remaining resources. With these back to back hits, maybe a quarter of the stateside Navy and Marine resources not well inland were all that remained.
“Hell, V, I don’t even know if they remember I’m out here on temporary duty! Here I am, out here twiddling my thumbs while what’s left of my unit, hell my base, is working their asses off trying to rescue and recover!” Violet lashed out.
“I know, and here I’ve been whining and bitching about my husband woes and acting like a bitch instead of trying to help you.” Veronica conceded.
“That’s not it and you know it! I’m still worried about you because you haven’t stopped moving since I got here. You’re running. We fixed Dad’s problem. We fixed your Tim problem. Hell, we more than fixed both. You have paperwork in hand and it’s done. What are you running for?”
Veronica was used to this kind of verbal tennis. For years they would try to deflect and distract whenever they wanted to change the topic. The problem was, they both knew each other’s tactics. What it turned into was usually working two problems simultaneously, at least on the surface.
Veronica looked down at the bloody table in front of her, at the meat she was working. It felt like a metaphor for her life. Violet was supposed to be the philosophical one. She looked up at Violet, meeting her gaze. In a moment of clarity, honesty and pain, she blurted out.
“Why did I marry him? What’s wrong with me? Was I too stupid to see who he was? Was I so desperate I grabbed the first guy who didn’t run fast enough? Do I just have sucky taste in men?” The words tumbled out and didn’t show signs of slowing.
“When I look in the mirror, I see the women I’ve interviewed or the ones who didn’t survive their choices. The ones who ended up beat or drugged or going to prison because they loved him and he promised to never do it again. I slow down and look in the mirror and it’s like I’m halfway there.” Tears were flowing unchecked and dropping to the table below making circles in the blood on the table.
Violet came around the table. Taking the knife from Veronica’s hand, she set it on the table and wrapped Veronica up in a powerful hug. She knew Veronica was on the verge of sobbing and didn’t know if it would be better or worse if she did break and unload. She knew this was a turning point for Veronica. She finally said it out loud. Violet thought it must be something like this.
Violet knew her own problems could wait. She had a roof over her head, money in her pocket, food in her belly and her best friend with her.
Later, after they both composed themselves and got a couple beers from the fridge out there, they finished wrapping the meat and making the sausage. Outside, the snow lightly fell, making a quiet blanket for the night.
“Look, you ****ing worry me, alright? Hunting, fishing, clubbing and work are all great things, but in moderation. I at least get to rest some sitting here in a holding pattern while you are at work. You’re not twenty anymore! All of this will catch up to you and soon!”
Violet had finally cornered Veronica somewhere she wouldn’t escape from. They were in the garage work area where she was busy skinning a deer or antelope or something she just brought back from a hunt out on the range.
Veronica looked up at her friend, bloody to the elbows, knife in her hand. She started to give a flippant answer when she saw the look in Violet’s eyes. She was really worried about her. That’s only fair, Veronica was worried about herself too and said so.
“I don’t know what’s going on with me either. It should be me worried about you, not the other way around. Your base got flattened by the hurricanes and might not get rebuilt. With the fifteen year retirement in play and the other things our dads are hinting at, you’re the one who could be looking at early retirement, not me. They aren’t closing this place, not with the range and the depot here. Hell, I’ve got room and this place is paid for, so you could always just stay here with me. We are close enough to visit our family pretty much whenever.”
Veronica saw her comment hit the mark. She had sat with Violet and watched the coverage of the massive hurricanes destroying and flattening the east coast. It looked like footage from Katrina, Sandy and Harvey all over again but this time it was all at the same time. Grizelda hit, followed over a two week period by three more, the smallest CAT 3.
Several of the major bases were so devastated by two or three huge hurricanes back to back there was immediate talk of comparisons to Homestead AFB, which wasn’t rebuilt after the last hurricane in a string of years tore apart the recently rebuilt for the third time facilities.
Army and Air Force bases were hit hard, but the Navy and Marine bases on the coast were absolutely hammered. This, combined with the apocalypse on the West Coast left the Navy and Marines looking where to put their remaining resources. With these back to back hits, maybe a quarter of the stateside Navy and Marine resources not well inland were all that remained.
“Hell, V, I don’t even know if they remember I’m out here on temporary duty! Here I am, out here twiddling my thumbs while what’s left of my unit, hell my base, is working their asses off trying to rescue and recover!” Violet lashed out.
“I know, and here I’ve been whining and bitching about my husband woes and acting like a bitch instead of trying to help you.” Veronica conceded.
“That’s not it and you know it! I’m still worried about you because you haven’t stopped moving since I got here. You’re running. We fixed Dad’s problem. We fixed your Tim problem. Hell, we more than fixed both. You have paperwork in hand and it’s done. What are you running for?”
Veronica was used to this kind of verbal tennis. For years they would try to deflect and distract whenever they wanted to change the topic. The problem was, they both knew each other’s tactics. What it turned into was usually working two problems simultaneously, at least on the surface.
Veronica looked down at the bloody table in front of her, at the meat she was working. It felt like a metaphor for her life. Violet was supposed to be the philosophical one. She looked up at Violet, meeting her gaze. In a moment of clarity, honesty and pain, she blurted out.
“Why did I marry him? What’s wrong with me? Was I too stupid to see who he was? Was I so desperate I grabbed the first guy who didn’t run fast enough? Do I just have sucky taste in men?” The words tumbled out and didn’t show signs of slowing.
“When I look in the mirror, I see the women I’ve interviewed or the ones who didn’t survive their choices. The ones who ended up beat or drugged or going to prison because they loved him and he promised to never do it again. I slow down and look in the mirror and it’s like I’m halfway there.” Tears were flowing unchecked and dropping to the table below making circles in the blood on the table.
Violet came around the table. Taking the knife from Veronica’s hand, she set it on the table and wrapped Veronica up in a powerful hug. She knew Veronica was on the verge of sobbing and didn’t know if it would be better or worse if she did break and unload. She knew this was a turning point for Veronica. She finally said it out loud. Violet thought it must be something like this.
Violet knew her own problems could wait. She had a roof over her head, money in her pocket, food in her belly and her best friend with her.
Later, after they both composed themselves and got a couple beers from the fridge out there, they finished wrapping the meat and making the sausage. Outside, the snow lightly fell, making a quiet blanket for the night.