Part 5: Hot Night in the Woods
After the beach barbecue we returned to our cabin and Miss Justine went to the table and started setting up the chess board. She looked over her shoulder and gave me this mischievous smile that melted my soul. "Winner gets oral stimulation from the loser and is in control tonight."
"Really?" I said with a huge smirk in return. "You could just skip the games and get started on me."
With a sexy little strut she walked over to me and put a finger under my chin, her nail pressing slightly into my skin as she made me look her in the eye. Her voice dripped with desire as she spoke. "Don't get smug with me boy, it may be your downfall! I'll even let you have white so you can go first"
This time Miss Justine was putting up a much stronger game. But her queen was pinned down, to move it she would expose herself to a Check. She had tried to distract me several times by running her foot up my leg and by adjusting her bikini top. After I walked my knight into an obvious trap I became more focused.
Suddenly the board shook and pieces fell over. "What the fuck was that?" Justine said as she stood.
We rushed to the door to see a cabin on fire across the grounds. "That was the infirmary!" I started putting on my hiking boots and Miss Justine followed suit.
As we started to cross the camp Miss Justine stopped. "Wait let me get the Retardant Cylinder from our kitchen!"
I grabbed her arm. "That will be no help on someth..." The window of our cabin shattering stopped me mid-sentence
It was real, the damn dream was real! I dragged Miss Justine towards the woods. "Run! Come on!"
"michael what are you doing?" I was running blind because the fire's glow had temporarily robbed me of my night vision. I grabbed her and pulled her aside as we shot past a tree that I had almost not seen. The tree's bark exploded showering us with splinters. "Somebody is shooting at us!"
"I figured that out! Come on Milady run, our lives depend on it!"
Once a good 5 meters into the cover of the woods I turned us sideways and traveled what I believed to be parallel the tree line for about 20 meters before turning back into the woods. Miss Justine did not question my lead.
After running full speed for quite a distance I brought us to a stop. "What is it?" She asked between breaths.
"Assuming it was the same as ours, the trench for Course 5 should be around here somewhere. There it is and the tree to cross it!"
We got over the trench and were exiting the clearing when I heard movement behind us and a cracking sound. It reminded me of the sounds the guns make on the spy movies and I silently urged Miss Justine on.
We hit another clearing, a pole showed against the moonlight. The course's start point!
"Miss Justine go that way and take the trail out to the camp. I'll lead them in the other direction. I'll make enough noise and leave a blatant path."
"No we stay together!"
"Justine trust me. I know if we stay together we will both be dead. If you get back to the camp you can get help. If you stay and we get killed what will become of our children? Worse case this way is just I will die if help does not arrive in time, I am willing to do that for you to live and be there for our children." I pushed her in the direction of the path. "If you ever loved me go now."
She turned to me and hugged me. "Be careful michael, I love you!"
As she left I went to the opposite side of the clearing and pulled down a few young trees, snapping them in half before slowly entering the woods trying to make it look like we both went one way.
---
I followed the path until I got to a point where it crossed another path. I glanced at the side path and saw two arrows on the tree, one pointing down the side path with a 4 on it and one pointing the way I came from with a 5 on it.
As I continued down the path I heard two loud pops. The shooter had stopped using the sound muffler. I could only pray to whatever greater force was out there that they did not mortally wound my michael.
I emerged from the path near the theme cabins. My eyes were immediately drawn to the smoldering remains of the infirmary and the fire-copter dumping water on it from above.
I ran towards it waving my arms and screaming to be heard. Evidently my actions caught some attention as a spotlight on the copter swung over to shine on me.
I came to a stop and shielded my eyes. The light turned away from me but I was still blinded by the after-image. "Justine what's wrong?" I recognized Jessica's voice.
I broke down and started crying while trying to relay my story. Evidently enough was understandable to her. "Was he wearing his GD?" I nodded my head and she turned to Paul. "Get Jocelyn and her people together, call the state police and get them up to date, and then fetch the GPS trackers! Have everyone meet at the obstacle course trail-head." She took me in her arms. "We'll find him."
"What if they killed him?"
"They don't want him dead, if they did they'd have blown up your cabin with you both in it, instead they blew up the infirmary to draw you out." She turned to another male that I did not recognize. "Get everybody else together and do a headcount. I want to know who is not here."
I pulled myself together before everyone else arrived and soon Jessica, paul, and I were moving down the trail with the security staff armed with pistols.
---
By allowing 'our' pursuers to get close enough for me to hear them talk I was able to determine I was being chased by two people. I had not let them get close enough to understand what they said but I could hear two distinct voices, one from each gender. I hoped there had only been two in the first place, which would mean my plan had worked and Miss Justine will have escaped.
Suddenly my blind trek took a bad turn and I tripped, knocking the air out of me as I hit the ground.
I realized they were nearly on top of me by the time I caught my breath. I would not be able to get away without being seen by them.
I had to do something to keep them distracted from the fact I was alone.
I let out a yell of pain. "No Miss Justine keep going, I think I broke my ankle!" I waited a few seconds. "Keep going don't let them get you too!"
The pair thrashed through the underbrush with new enthusiasm. The Female ran past me. "Stay here and get him as mobile as you can!"
The male I knew as todd knelt next to me and felt the ankle I was rubbing. I faked a wince as he touched it.
Then nearby I heard two shots. I smiled inwardly that 'Erin' was making an effort to make me think she had caught up to Miss Justine.
"I do not think its broke, let me help you up and you can try to walk it off. But do not try anything funny." He made a show of his gun.
I made my rise carefully as he kept an arm out for me. As I got to my feet I kicked my knee up the way ben had taught me, at an angle that would crush testicles even in a GD.
I did not get the resistance I anticipated and caught 'todd' full force in his most sensitive bits. He dropped the gun while grasping his injured anatomy as he crumbled to the ground. I scooped up the weapon and threw it in one direction, as I turned and ran in the opposite. If I could put enough ground between us I might make it back to the camp!
"MICHAEL DOWN!"
I responded instantly dropping to my knees almost rolling over as I did, assuming the position I had been drilled to do as a child, my hands behind my back and my head looking at my knees. Silently I cursed myself for responding to the authoritative Female voice that had yelled the command phrase, a phrase that I and every other male in the world had been conditioned to react to instantly and without thought.
I started to stand and found myself staring into the barrel of her pistol. "Now michael, that wasn't very nice to run and leave us all alone. I was going to let you say goodbye to Justine as she was bleeding out back there, but now you will just have to live knowing she died alone because you wanted to escape." She looked behind me. "If you're done rolling around in the leaves, get his arms secured".
My wrists and elbows were bound tightly with a thick and hard plastic band. "He kicked me in the balls! I want payback!"
"Now now george dear, in due time."
"Are you going to kill me too, like you did Miss Justine and the real Erin and todd?"
"Told you they suspected something!"
She spun her head around and looked to george. "Hush!" She returned her attention back to me. "Our employer wants to talk to you, might as well do it before we get her other victim."
"Other victim? You are going after steven too?"
She looked at me with a confused expression as she held an odd looking cellular to her head. "steven, why? Hello, yes Ma'am I have package 2 here, would you like to talk to him now? Say hello michael."
She forced the device to my head "Go to Hell!"
"Well that's not very nice! I thought you were all prim, proper, and docile michael."
I was confused, I expected to hear the voice of Melissa Alphons, former Judge and a Female who has tormented me in so many ways since she had wrongfully convicted me of raping my owner. But this Female I did not readily identify. "Only to Females that deserve it. Who are you?"
"Well the last time we talked I let my feet do my talking"
"Miss Louise! I thought you got sent to prison for five years."
"I was released under house arrest, but I am not allowed unsupervised time with any males."
"What do you want with me?"
"Oh you are a happy coincident! But since you are there you can help make that pompous bitch suffer. What's better than watching your son dying before your very eyes? Watching your son and your favorite employee gasp their last breaths together as they hang from a tree in your front yard!"
Suddenly the pieces fit together. "paul! Your doing this to get back at Doctor Johvon!"
"You are smart for a male. Yes he was my main target. I've heard people that come after you tend to have bad luck, Well I think having you land in my lap will break that cycle. Put Candace back on the line."
"Hey bitch the other bitch wants to talk to you!" I yelled into the handset.
She pulled the phone away and slapped me. "Yes he has developed quite the mouth, it will be taken care of soon. So we will get the agreed upon bonus payment for him... Good.... Yes the camp will be in ruins when we leave, and there will be no way in or out once the bridge a few kilometers down the road is blown up... Yes we will see you soon." She disconnected the call "Now."
I felt a mild discomfort as his foot hit the front of my GD.
"Fuck that hurt, he's wearing his damn Device!"
The woman I now knew as Candace dropped her evil grin and got a scared look on her face. "He's wearing what!?" She grabbed my shoulders. "Why are you wearing the Genital Device? Are they monitoring your GPS?"
"No clue. Unless they know we are missing, why would they be looking for me?"
She gave me a nasty look and then much like Miss Monica had done the other night, she stuffed a rag in my mouth. and tied another around my head keeping the first in place.
"Go find your gun! Meet us back at the car."
---
We had been watching michael's GPS signal and when it had started moving towards the camp we took the trail that led to course 3's start point and moved on an intercept vector from there.
Jocelyn and two armed males went ahead of us, disappearing quickly into the woods.
When we finally caught up to them Erin was using a bound michael as a shield between herself and the security personnel. Jocelyn and Erin were trading ultimatums about lowering the others weapons.
His look of fear turned to one of calm relief as he saw me and then shifted to one of panic as he looked beyond me. I turned to see paul behind me.
I turned back to michael and sent him a questioning glance.
"So you're not surprised to see her. You were a diversion so she could get help, I should have known she wouldn't have left you laying injured. I should shoot you right now!" She started edging around her armed opponents
"So help me if you don't let him go..."
"You'll be dead by the time you get the chance."
michael's face took on a even more dire look. Suddenly paul let out a yelp. I turned to see todd holding a gun to his head.
"Here's how it is going to work If anybody follows us, they're both dead, as will be everybody at camp when our extraction team gets here. We get to the gate and there will be no bloodshed."
Jessica finally decided to talk. "Hold your fire people, lower your guns." She turned to Erin. "Let them go now and you can leave, we won't stop you."
"No they're our insurance, maybe in a few days you can find them safe and sound. I'll be attaching a jammer to their Genital Devices until then too!"
I doubted that if they got away we would ever see our males alive again, one glance from michael and I knew she was lying, but Jessica gave me a shake of her head as I opened my mouth.
Just then Erin tossed something in our directions.
One of the males yelled something about a grenade and tackled Jessica and myself to the ground before there was an explosion.
When we could see the four of them had left our sight.
With a curse Jocelyn pulled out a radio. "This is Straub, they are heading your way. Be advised they are armed and holding michael Solomon and paul Hamlin hostage. I say again they are armed and have hostages."
"Understood we have found some presents from them that we will return. Officials are here and ready."
Jocelyn rubbed her eyes. "Shall we head off to the party?"
---
They moved us a good 30 meters before they stopped to bind and gag paul so he'd be as helpless as me. I was in shock, we had heard the explosion and felt the blast as 'Erin and todd' dragged us away, all those people who were now injured or dead because they were trying to save me, including my lovely Owner. All too soon we had reached the edge of the camp and we were directed toward their Cabin. I could still see people near the remains of the cabin that served as a medical facility. I was sure by now we would be surrounded by people with guns.
"You really fucked up our plans when you ran but it worked out in our favor, now most of the security is still deep in the woods recovering from a stunner blast." She turned toward todd or george, whatever his name was. "Get the car keys and the equipment bag. I've got these two."
So the blast was not life threatening after-all, that was a small relief.
"If either of you try to run I shoot both of you." paul was visibly shaken by the threat.
When the male returned the car's trunk popped open. I was pushed in first with paul shoved in next to me.
There was a long quiet wait until we heard the doors of the vehicle open and the car shift from side to side. When the doors closed the 'key in' buzzer toned when a muffled voice reached my ears.
"Both of you place your hands on the dash now!"
"Back away! One press of this button and this place will be littered with bodies and debris."
"Including your own. Look in the back seat."
"Miss Candace, there are three of our own bombs back there."
There was a gunshot and I heard george screaming.
Eventually the trunk lid opened and we were helped out. When I got my bearings I discovered it was Monica and steven who had helped us out. We were surrounded by State Police Officers and Enforcers. An Officer had george handcuffed over the hood of the car I saw blood on him and he just kept saying they killed her. One of the Officers walked up to Monica. "Get them to the beach and wait with the others. Your male helped a lot finding those devices. When all of them have been disarmed we will send for you all."
When Miss Justine and Doctor Jessica rejoined us they both ran over and took us in their arms.
"I was so scared she killed you all with that thing she tossed. I heard it explode and..."
My love kissed me stopping me mid-ramble. "I know, I thought we were too. Evidently steven found explosives under some of the buildings, that's why we're all here."
"I know Milady. I also heard Candace say the bridge down the road was also wired to be blown up. I informed one of the Officers."
Doctor Jessica pulled us farther from the group. "Did you find out who was behind trying to kidnap you?"
"Yes, but they really came for paul. It was an old patient of Doctor Cherish who went to prison, she wants revenge. Then when they found out about me they tried taking me too for the same reason."
"The same one that attacked you on your first day with Cherish? Oh what was her name? Laurie Samuelson or something."
"Louise is her name. Will I have to testify against her again?"
Jessica put a hand on my shoulder. "Unless you have first-hand knowledge of her involvement it would only be hearsay, but yes you will still have to testify you were told she was involved."
"Well I was not told it was her, I just talked to her on a phone."
"Then it won't be hearsay if she talked to you about it. Make sure you tell the Officers about that call."
Eventually all staff and guests were congregated in the dining hall and Doctor Jessica stood at the front with a young State Police Officer.
"Can I have everyone's attention please. Per the orders of Trooper Morick here, we will be shut down for the duration of the investigation. In the morning anyone not directly involved in tonight's incident will be required to leave after breakfast, staff included. Staff; we are making arrangements with the motels in Endicott for housing. Guests; your fees will be partially refunded by the MCB Education Division. Interviews for some will be started tonight already.
----
I watched on the monitor as michael Solomon sat in one of the three interview rooms of my mobile command unit, he fidgeted nervously. I glanced at the monitors of the other two rooms, one occupied by his Owner Justine, and the other by a male who entered the camp under the identity of todd Flint, a identity stolen from a male who is now dead likely at the hands of this male and the Female he was with.
"Doctor Hamlin told me they tied our Non-Verbal Exam score, and would have beat our time too."
I smiled at my male Simon, unlike most males in police service, mine is average size and always has been in clerical use within the troops I was assigned to. Since my promotion he has served as my personal assistant. "Who did?"
"The Solomons." He glanced out the door's window momentarily. "Ma'am Miss Dani just went past on her way to the interview rooms."
I turned to the monitors again. My Second-in-Command was going to be handling the interviews. I let her have considerable leeway as she had a way of getting major facts with minor info.
I was surprised she had chose to start with Justine Solomon. I watched as the interview began and Justine told of how they had been going to help at the fire when she was suddenly led into the woods by her male and how she had not known why at first until a bullet narrowly missed her, and how he forced her to take the easy way back to camp as he bravely (in her opinion) led whoever was chasing them away. She explained how she got help from the camp and their trek to intercept michael, leading to a confrontation and the taking of paul Hamlin as a hostage by the male posing as todd. She claimed michael had tried to warn her of the threat to paul despite being gagged.
Morick left Justine and entered the room michael was in.
"michael, I am Lieutenant Daniella Morick. I know you have had prior problems with law enforcement. So first off I would like you to know that this interview is being recorded and that you are not in trouble for any of your actions as a participant of the sanctioned activities of this camp. Your Owner is one room over, if you would like her or another Advocate we can get them."
"No Ma'am, I do not believe that will be necessary."
"Fine, let's start with why you led your Owner into the woods?"
"Because I was told to do that when the window broke."
"By whom?"
His hesitation made me believe he had something to hide. I could tell Morick could sense it also. "You will not believe me."
"michael I will believe you. Who gave you that instruction?" She pressed.
He crossed his arms and looked down as he answered. "Lizzie told me."
"Lizzie, is that the name of the Female posing as Erin?"
He looked up in shock. "No Ma'am, Lizzie is the Mother of Miss Justine and I's son. She died last year."
"If she is dead how did she tell you to run?"
"She visited me in my dreams this morning." He looked up to see her face across the table. "I told you that you would not believe me. I wrote about it in my dream journal even."
I turned to my male. "Have Hannon get that please Simon."
"Yes Ma'am."
Morick had pushed onward knowing I would look into this journal. He told his view of how things were as they ran through the woods and how he had been certain that all the fired gunshots had been aimed at his Owner leading to his decision to send her one way as he led them in another. He lamented about how he had tripped which lead to his capture and how he nearly escaped.
Simon returned with the journal. "Ma'am here is the book, and I took the liberty of having one of the technicians review the footage from their cabin this morning, it is on Monitor 7." I looked at it to indeed see michael writing an entry early this morning, and then I read the entry to see it was essentially the same info he relayed to Morick. I flicked the 'OK' light so she would know the part in question was confirmed. I didn't really believe it was anything but a dream, but his story at least is true to that extent, and he believed he had some sort of spiritual intervention
"Excuse me michael, I'll be right back."
The observation room door opened again. "Really, that shit checks out?"
"See for yourself" She watched the video and read the entry. "Almost seems too legit. Are we going to take this at face value?"
"I don't see why not. Did you see the confusion on his face when he woke up."
"Well I'll see if I can trip him up." She said as she left.
She continued the questioning. I was surprised to learn that the kidnappers were initially after Doctor Hamlin's male and not michael. I took note of the name Louise Samuelson as the Female who hired the kidnappers and ran it through the database. When I saw her record, and the medical records of the male she once owned I had no doubt michael and paul were lucky to not end up in her hands.
At the end she reviewed his story, purposely altering some information, including his dream. All of which he corrected with the exact story he had told before. She excused herself and came back into Observation and grabbed the journal, and left again without a word.
Justine jumped as the door opened. "What can you tell me about this?" Morick set the book down in front of Justine
"michael writes his dreams out in it, his employer takes it and reads it once in a while to make sure he is not having any relapses from his personal incidents caused by his working with patients who have experienced similar emotional and physical traumas."
"Read the latest entry."
She rolled her eyes as she read "I thought we got him past this delusion." She reads more. "What the?! He could not have known this! Take me to him now."
Morick gave the camera a wink as she closed the door.
"Who told you?" Justine shouted as she entered.
"Who told me what?"
"You know what, who told you?"
"Miss Justine I do not..."
"Just tell me!" She threw the book down on the table.
"SHUT UP! Give me a chance to find out what you are talking about Justine!" She slapped him. "I hope that made you feel better, like you have been conditioned to."
She raised her hand a second time and he just stared at her. Suddenly she dropped her hand and buried her head in his shoulder. "You're right dear, forgive me please."
"Now calmly, please explain to me what has got you so upset."
"Who told you about the day of mikey's birth, who told you I sat there and cried over lizzie's body?"
"Wait you're mad at that, not about him writing out this crazy story to...?" michael glanced at Morick and gave her a glare. "How dare you look at me li..."
Justine spun on her heels and pointed at Morick. "I'll handle this, it is a personal matter." Morick turned red at being so disrespected but held her tongue as Justine returned her focus on the male. "Please michael dear, who told you?"
"Milady, lizzie told me herself in the dream I had this morning."
"michael those dreams aren't real, you know that."
"Do I? That dream this morning gave me a warning you would be in danger. lizzie told me we had to run into the woods, when to do it, and also to trust in my feelings. I know if I hadn't led you into the woods and then sent you off when I did, you would be dead. So would a lot of other people. If I had not trusted in the dream of her, paul and I would be awaiting our fates as lawn decorations at Doctor Cherish's. Do I believe it is lizzie? Maybe, I do not know. But whatever it was, it has saved you and I tonight, as well as your mother, our children and I in the past." He flipped through the Journal. "Look at this." He pulled a newspaper clipping out.
"I remember that, you decided not to go to the park that day and Mom said that truck went through right where you guys normally are set up." He handed her the book and she read the page. "michael are you saying you wrote this that morning, you knew something bad was going to happen that day in the park because lizzie said so in your dream."
"Do you not believe in me enough to think I went back and wrote this after it happened." He lifted her gaze to his own pained expression. "Because it is either believe me, or call me a liar to my face."
Justine stared at him for a moment before putting a hand to his cheek. "I can see the truth in your eyes my love, and therefore I must believe it too. As illogical and impossible as it seems, the alternative to you really experiencing this... is even less plausible."
"So you're buying this shit?" Morick asked with more than a degree of irritation in her voice.
Justine looked at her. "I feel it with every fiber of my soul that he is telling me the truth, at least how he sees it. Maybe it's a huge coincidence, or maybe there is some greater cosmic force at work using liz's image, or maybe it is that she has come back as repentance for her past, or even out of pure love for us or her son. But whatever it is, it is real to him..." She turned to michael, the corner of her eyes glistened with held back tears. "...and to me too I guess."
Morick was more than a bit upset with herself for letting that interview get away from her. She was so sure michael Solomon was going to cave in and admit his involvement when faced with his Owner. She could not accept she had been wrong. I decided I should take over the interview of the suspect.
He looked at me smugly as I entered. "So who are you?"
"Major Olivia Crowe, New York State Police. And who are you?"
"todd Flint, property of Erin Flint, the innocent Female your people killed."
"MALE WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"
"todd Flint, property of Erin Flint, didn't we just go over this."
Command phrases didn't work, not really surprising as freemales often have broken their training. "Nice try, but the real Erin and todd Flint are in my morgue, DNA confirms both after we restored the secured back ups of their files. So who are you really?" Despite being cuffed to a table that was bolted to the floor, he just smiled at me, so confidant, so mannish. "Well just so you are aware, since your DNA and fingerprints are not on file, and you have no legitimate identicollar or Genital Device signal, other than that of todd Flint, we must assume you are a freemale. Do you know what that means?"
"Oh, please enlighten me." He said with a laugh.
"It means you are not protected by the Humane Laws of Male Control." I gave him the most sadistic smile I had. "Which means I and every other Female here can beat you to within an inch of your life, and then we can begin torturing you, and we will not be breaking any laws and cannot be held accountable."
All color vanished from his face, as had the confidence. "You are serious?" I just held his gaze until he flinched. "My name is george Jessup. Candace Jessup is... was my Owner."
I smiled. "So why are there no records for you or your Owner?"
"We were not brought up in your system. Mother gets orphans, or something, we get paired up and raised together to be Owner and property. Trained together to be a team, to work as hired guns."
"Go on. What kind of work?"
"Mother will have me killed."
"Maybe, but that is only if you survive to leave. Who is this Mother?"
"Mother raised and trained us, she calls us 'The Mother's Brood'."
"What is her real name?"
"I do not know it, I don't think Miss Candace or the other Females even knew it. Is Miss Candace alive?"
"Last I heard yes, but I will be honest they were not confidant. And it is a rural hospital, not exactly a draw for skilled surgeons."
Tears rolled down his face. "I do not know what I will do if she dies, she is the one Female I was taught to trust. About your earlier question; we do whatever Mother's clients want; personal security, kidnapping, planting incriminating evidence, and yes murder for hire."
"Why are you here, why did you kill the Flints?"
"We were hired to kidnap paul Hamlin, turn him over to the client, and destroy the camp so the client had time with her prize. The Flints were people coming here, where Hamlin was, Mother provided us with their information and we pretended to be broken down, we killed them and took their place. We were told other contractors had tried in the past to get him but never managed to be allowed to stay the first night, Mother was sure with our upbringing we could slip through."
"And the Solomons?"
"We recognized them immediately and Miss Candace contacted Mother hoping she could locate a second client interested in them. Mother called back and said the original client wanted to get michael also. Anyone else was expendable."
"Now tell me about tonight's incident."
He proceeded to tell me about them setting off the explosive in the medical facility, and Candace's attempt to assassinate Justine to grab michael. He then told me how they followed the Solomons into the woods when they escaped. He had confirmed every bit of michael's story of the night. He explained how he had saw the security team in the woods and circled in behind them and took paul as a hostage.
"Thank you george it was really an easy interrogation after you learned your status."
"Major Ma'am, what will happen with me?"
"I'm not sure, you may be turned over to the MCB. But they might just wash their hands of you since you're not in their systems, nor likely a good candidate for reconditioning. If you are not sentenced to death, you may get sent off to a freemale prison camp in Nevada or Utah for the rest of your life. I will put in a positive word that after initial reluctance you were quite cooperative."
"And Miss Candace?"
"If she survives she will not be so lucky, you can at least claim you were forced."
I couldn't stand watching his tears over the Female that so callously intended to kill as many people as possible tonight just to cover their crimes, so I left. As I thought more about it I realized in their own way they were both victims of this mysterious 'Mother'. She was the real monster.
I sent the Solomons back to their cabin on my way to the mobile unit's office.
As I sat down Daniella came in and sat across from me. She silently waited for the reprimand she knew was coming and I decided to not let her wait long. "You of all people should have known trying to play the Solomons against one another would fail miserably, they wouldn't be here if that kind of shit would work."
"I'm sorry Liv, I lost my cool and couldn't accept I was wrong. But how are we to believe what michael Solomon has given as his story? It seems so... hokey. I mean really; a ghostly visitor in a dream told him to do it!"
"It does indeed and we'd not be doing our jobs if we flat out believed him. But all their stories line up sufficiently, as does the recorded evidence from three camp's servers so far." I rubbed my forehead as I thought about it. "Tomorrow have someone review all the recorded interactions between the four of them. To satisfy your curiosity see if there is anytime michael is alone with either of these 'Jessup' people. For tonight get some sleep. It is going to be a long day of interviews tomorrow.
---
We had just got back to our cabin to find that someone had boarded up the broken window and cleaned the glass up already.
I took michael by the hand and guided him to the kitchenette table. Wordlessly he took a seat and hung his head.
"We need to talk baby."
"I know Miss..." I put a finger on his lips.
"Please let me say my piece and then you can have yours."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Honey I know what you were about to say, there is no need and I am very proud of you for what you just did back there. You stood up to me when I was wrong, and I need that. I do not want you to leave this man here."
He looked up with confusion in his eyes, I now had his attention and I wanted him to know I meant what I was about to say. "When we go home I want us to continue on the path to being as equal as possible while staying within the confines of the law. I love you for the man you are deep down, buried under all that indoctrination and conditioning. You have always been more than property to me, I hope you know that."
I paused for a breath and he just continued silently eying me.
"I see so many males treated as nothing more than pets at best, or slaves at worst. You are too good for either of those, I cannot go on treating you that way because I'm told it is the only way. I know better, I know your very soul michael. Your kind, gentle soul deserves to be free and have the chance to flourish, not be pounded into submission. Your mind expanded with knowledge, not left hungering for more." I took up his hand in my own. "We both will make mistakes, I know we will, but we will continue to learn from them, as we have here. I want us to be completely open and equal at home. In public we will have to be a bit more traditional and follow the laws, but at home I want you to speak your mind. I don't want you to end up resenting me someday for suppressing you. This afternoon told me you have been on your way to that already and I can't live with that."
"An outburst like earlier, even if deserved, is not appropriate in public, show me you are upset with your expressions so I know I fucked up, and that we will need to talk later about it. But at home I want it all out there, no holding back. Mom and Addie were already on board with my plans before we left. They have an idea what will be coming. They are expecting you to be as vocal with them when they upset you as you will be with me."
I got up from my chair and went down to my knee before him. "michael you are my true love and I can't demand it of you so I will ask you; Please become my true man. Become my equal partner in life for as long as we live."
For the first time in my life I looked in my true love's face and I could not read his thoughts and emotions. He was all over and nowhere at the same time. Abruptly he stood, tipping the chair to the floor. Without a word he turned to the door and walked out.
I just stared after him, unable to conceive that he just walked out on me.
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14.08.14
story continues in New Lessons of Love 6: Decisions
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