The last day of testimony brought in the minor players. Nathaniel half paid attention, as he had studied the reports, but was expected to sit with Apollo and Wash in the front row of the hearing and pretend to have their full attention. His mind started wandering again back to where he left off the day before.
Cayman came out of the bedroom and greeted her sons. She then turned to Gail. "I'm….happy…..you…could…come." Cayman smiled and held her hand out for Gail to take it.
If Gail was shocked she hid it well. "I'm happy you let me come and meet your family. I wanted to meet everyone since our last encounter. Lieutenant Washington wouldn't accept my help in the kitchen and these two," she gestured to Barry and Darrell, "didn't offer to help."
"They….know…..how….to….cook. I…made…them…learn. They're….lazy….here." Cayman sat on the couch next to Nathaniel who still had his eyes closed and appeared to be asleep. Cayman put a hand on his thigh and gave a squeeze.
He covered her hand. "Wrong leg." He opened his eyes and looked for Apollo who was laughing at him. He looked at Cayman. "I know the smell of Wash and you. I thought Apollo took care of your problem?"
"Not….in…..front….of….the…kids." Cayman pulled her hand away.
He smiled. "I already gave them a biology lesson when Apollo didn't come back in fifteen minutes." He grinned wickedly at Apollo.
"Told you, half hour to two, besides it's like having a different woman now."
Cayman struggled to stand and Nathaniel stood to assist her. Walking to her husband, she slapped his arm. "You…want…a…diff..erent…. wo….man,…you… can….leave."
Apollo, with sudden swiftness pulled her into his lap. "I was thinking we should use a surrogate and have another baby."
"What? Are you…..crazy?" She struggled from his grip that he wouldn't let go.
"I noticed you spoke those words pretty normally." He pulled her in for a kiss.
"You got docked fifty thousand for Trey. A second would be double that." Nathaniel couldn't believe Apollo.
"I make enough and Cayman is drawing almost full pay at disability for a Commander. We can do it."
Cayman stopped struggling. "You're …seri…ous?"
"I really did want to talk to you in the bedroom and you distracted me. It would be nice for Trey to have a brother or sister to grow up with. Your boys have each other. Alicia was forced to be alone because her mother and I made the decision to only have one and we were wrong. I want to try."
"We…should….have….this….con…ver….sation….in….the…be droom."
"Since when have I ever wanted to talk in the bedroom." He noticed Alicia had joined them and was sitting next to Nathaniel and his arm was around her shoulders and her hand on his thigh.
"Apollo wants another kid." Nathaniel filled her in.
"I heard." Wash looked at her father and Cayman, who now had her arms around his neck and was looking intently at him.
"Who….will…..sur ro…gate?"
"We'll find someone and I want this with you. I came so close to losing you like I did Jackie. I had Alicia, but would have loved more. I don't want to make the same mistake with you. I want more than Trey with you."
"What…..am…..I…..going….to….do…..with….you." Cayman pulled him in for a kiss.
"I'll take that as we get to have another betting pool." Wash told her stepbrothers.
"Where did you get three chickens?" Gail had never seen so much chicken stacked on a platter.
"There is this guy in our unit, Tom Boylan. He has contacts on anything you want, legal or not. I traded a bottle of 2112 Crown Royal Whiskey from someone who owed me a favor."
"You traded Boylan a bottle of prime whiskey for this?" Nathaniel thought her bartering skills were better than that.
"In part. He owes me two favors of my choice in the future."
"I hope they include good whiskey," Nathaniel grumbled, but dug in to the crispy baked chicken.
Every piece of chicken got eaten along with a large potato salad and baked beans. The two cakes were also mostly consumed. Barry helped Darrell clear the table and wash dishes after Alicia prepared the meal. Gail offered to help and was told no. All were too full to move so sat around the table talking, after putting Trey down to run. Apollo moved the presents from the side bar to in front of Cayman.
The boys returned with coffee and cups for everyone. Cayman sipped her coffee carefully, as her arms were unstable and sometimes sloshed liquids. Her biggest fear was dropping the every growing Trey. The first gift she opened was from Barry. It was a set of arm weight wrist bands and ankle bands.
"In therapy they'll make you wear them," Barry offered his explanation.
"You're…..right. I…was….going…..to…..buy…some, thank…..you." She reached for Darrell's gift.
He gave her an expensive bottle of Chateau Cos d'Estournel, year 2110. "Find someone to share it with, Mom. Maybe the guy who wants eggs from you," Darrell teased her gently.
"Thank….you." She gave it to Apollo, who approved of the gift.
Nathaniel and Alicia's gift was a large box that Apollo had to help lift the lid off due to the lid being wrapped separately. Inside were several new tops and a couple pairs of jeans. Also, in the box was a babydoll of shimmering white with matching panties. Gail ooooed over the nightgown while Apollo said so far it was his favorite present, along with the wine.
"Trey picked the next one," Apollo told her. He repeated at her skeptical look. "He did. I held him up and asked him which one and he chose the one he liked."
Cayman opened a flat package that revealed a blow up exercise ball that she could sit on and work her balance and legs.
"I…needed…one…..of….these….also."
"They had two colors and Trey chose red over the blue, strange kid."
The last was from Apollo. It was fairly small and contained a program for speech exercises and a pair of blue diamond earrings and matching necklace. They were teardrop and dangled off a string of smaller blue diamonds.
"You can thank me later." Apollo took her hand and kissed it.
"Okay," was her only reply.
Wash was sitting next to Nathaniel and he just had to take her hand and kiss it in a mimic of Apollo. Gail watched the display of affection and asked Barry, "How friendly are they?" She pointed across the table where Nathaniel was now kissing Wash.
"They live together in sin." Barry laughed at their expense.
Nathaniel looked at Apollo who shrugged, and back to Barry and his eyes narrowed. Taking Wash's wristband off, he opened it and slipped the rings on her finger under the table and popped his own band off, fished something out and slid it on his finger. "Barry, you have to eat those words." He raised Alicia's and his joined hands above the table.
Barry and Darrell looked and said, "Holy shit," at the same time.
"When?" Barry asked in awe.
"The day before we went to Korea," Wash replied.
"And you didn't invite us?" Darrell looked hurt.
"Let's put it this way; Cayman found out three hours before the ceremony and it was held here by Chris Christiansen in a religious ceremony, not civil, so the government doesn't know."
"I've heard of those." Barry looked at Gail. "This is one of those moments we never mention outside these walls, ever."
"Now I understand the gravity that got you busted." Gail knew it was something big and maybe someday he'd tell her.
"Congratulations," Darrell said to them and Barry and Gail followed suit.
"No more about me not making an honest woman out of your sister or my dedication to her."
He left the next day to spend a week at the fishing dome in Manitoba with Lucas. He considered telling him about his relationship with Wash, but Lucas was acting like his usual self-absorbed character and told his dad again he hated the soldiers that killed his mother, all of them. He didn't come out and tell his father to his face he hated him, but it was obvious by the way he looked at him. Nathaniel was at a loss on how to handle the situation. Maybe he should have gotten the boy help and it might not be too late.
"Lucas, the soldiers didn't kill your mother."
"No, you did." He was filled with anger.
"Look, what happened was nobody's fault. I made the choice to take you two into a war zone. For that I'm guilty, but don't blame the soldiers who gave their lives trying to save you and her or the ones who survived."
"Not a day goes by that I don't miss her." Lucas was once again a child missing his mother.
"I know the feeling. I miss her everyday also." Nathaniel was telling the truth after a fashion. He loved Wash, but loved his dead wife also.
"Is Grandma coming for a visit?" Lucas changed the subject. He didn't like being alone with his father, but his grandmother's presence made the times he had to be with him more bearable.
"I told her to give me a few days alone with you before showing up. For some reason she was more than willing. Don't suppose it's all this camping out in tents in the dome with the stream full of fish waiting for us to catch that she objects to?"
"She prefers trips to civilized places, like I do." Lucas was back to his taciturn self, only speaking when spoken to with a surly reply. It changed when Dotti joined them and he laughed for the first time and showed real affection for her.
Lucas went to bed one night and they sat up away from his tent, talking low in the light of portable lanterns.
"I can't reach him, Dotti." Nathaniel was glum.
"I told you not to separate him from you. He's almost grown and won't come around now. Are you taking him with you?"
"He's working on the portal full time as his graduate thesis. At least his obsession keeps him out of trouble. I don't know who his friends are. I know he has some, but he's silent when I ask."
"Nathaniel, that's normal for his age."
"Oh, I forgot having been that age so long ago. He won't be on the first pilgrimage with me, but the second after he graduates. I'm sure he'll have portal projects keeping him busy for years. I hope building a colony will change is dour attitude. He's all I have and I don't want to lose him."
"That's your fault if he's all you have. Ayani would want you to move on. You gave it a try with that woman in Chicago; why not again?"
"I have feelings for someone I can't have and that's not to be shared with Lucas or anyone." He looked sideways at her to gage her reaction.
"Is she anyone I know and how serious are you?" Dotti was amazed he would open up to her. "You know anything you say to me in confidence will go no further."
He assessed whether or not to tell her. "I have feeling for my second," he confessed.
"Washington? What a beautiful young woman. Does she know?"
"She does and we are…..seeing each other, but it's forbidden, with her being my subordinate and all."
"I'm happy for you, Nathaniel. She's as hard to get information out of as you are. I asked her at your birthday party and she was more enigmatic than you in regards to talking about personal relationships."
"We have to be careful with the entire world watching us."
"Do you get time alone with her?"
"We use her father's house and he covers for us."
"I met them at your birthday party. That is her stepmother, right?"
"Yes and they are a very close knit family."
They spent another three days before he escorted Dotti back to Houston and left Lucas to find his own way to Chicago. He missed Wash and the week separation was longer than when he was on the border of Korea. He didn't get to talk to her much, as he was sharing a tent with Lucas and the boy stayed fairly close in the dome where they hiked and fished. Dotti never said a word to Lucas and caught several fish that caused the men to laugh at her screaming when she would haul one in. She refused to handle it so they had to take turns gutting, scaling and packing in the cooler for the trip home. Lucas ate his fill of fish at the dome and so did Dotti leaving Nathaniel to haul the cooler full of trout, catfish and bass home with him.
As they were landing, he called Apollo to pick him up at the main airport, stating he had a load of fish that needed to be froze and probably in all three homes as freezer space was non-existent with food being too expensive to buy more than a week's supply at a time. They were waiting for luggage to come off the rear of the transport when Apollo and Wash wandered up.
Dotti looked at the young woman with new eyes and watched her address Nathaniel. "Sir," was all she said and stood quietly while her father made a smart assed comment, which Nathaniel responded in kind.
"Nice to see you again, Alicia." Dotti decided to talk to her first.
"Mrs….Dotti." She smiled when Dotti nodded her approval.
"Nathaniel told me about the injuries to your wife, Commander," Dotti addressed Apollo. "I hope she recovers completely. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Apollo knew Dotti from years of interaction with Nathaniel. "Cayman has a speech impairment that makes her self-conscious of talking to anyone, so she's staying at home as much as possible. During the days when I'm at work, if you are in the neighborhood and want to stop by and visit, it would help her not be so lonely."
"Nathaniel said she's not been out of the hospital too long. Is she up to company, or would waiting a few weeks be better?" Dotti didn't want to tire Cayman out with a visit.
Apollo looked at Alicia, so she replied for him. "Cayman tires easily because it takes extra effort to speak and move. On top of that, she's taking care of Trey and he's over eighteen months and running all over now. The trial starts in a couple of weeks and Cayman isn't up to sitting in the hearing all day and it will drive her crazy not knowing each detail. That would be a good time to distract her with a visit, but you're welcome to come anytime. I'm living there and assist in taking care of Cayman, and will until we leave."
"I'd like to visit with you also, if I can impose on you sometime?" Dotti knew Nathaniel was listening to her and didn't let on she knew about their special friendship.
"Let me know when you are coming and I'll make sure to be there." Wash now knew Nathaniel said something to her. Never before did Dotti show interest in talking with her outside their functions.
The luggage arrived and Apollo retrieved Dotti's bag first, taking it to a waiting cab and helped her in.
He got back in time to hear Nathaniel state, "….but she's my mother-in-law and is always asking if I've found someone, so I told her we were seeing each other, that's all. She won't tell Lucas, as he can't handle anything along that line yet. Maybe when he's a man, but not now."
"Okay, but you could have warned me or asked my opinion first. It's not like you can take it back now. If too many people know, soon someone will spill something. We don't know Gail and she might talk."
"Dotti won't. She just wants me to be happy and not alone. Now she can rest easy knowing I'll have you in the past. As for Gail, if Barry doesn't marry her, Darrell will. They both couldn't get close enough to her or didn't you notice?"
"I noticed Barry seemed over me completely and for that I'm grateful. He even teased me like before so we are on track to resume our old relationship." Wash looked to her father who was waiting and listening quietly. She grabbed Nathaniel's backpack while the men grabbed each end of the cooler. At the rover, Apollo opened it. "We'll have fresh meat for a while. You did well, Nathaniel."
Nathaniel reached in and grabbed two frozen bags. "I see Wash has her vehicle so I assume I'm going with her. Are there any plans for tonight?"
"Cayman wants to stay home so I'll cook up a mess of these fish and we'll ring in the New Year quietly and hopefully in bed."
"You have us scheduled for anything?" He asked Wash.
"Our mess is serving a late dinner of pizza so I thought we might mingle with the troops and their families and go to my place afterwards."
Apollo elbowed Nathaniel in the ribs bringing him back to the present.
Nathaniel listened to the testimony. The guard who stunned Covington was on the stand, so Nathaniel leaned over to catch Apollo's muted words. "Your eyes had shut. Didn't want your snoring to compete with the proceedings," Apollo whispered.
Nathaniel reached for his miniplex. 'I was to the place where Wash did unspeakable things to me on New Year's Eve. I won't fall asleep thinking thoughts like those.'
Apollo read the note. 'Bet what Cayman did to me beat anything a younger woman can think up.'
Nathaniel shook his head. 'Not your daughter, she's creative and unpredictable; now let me get back to my fantasy.'
'Crap, now you have me thinking of what Cayman did for me on New Year's Eve and I don't care what you think, she is the best.'
'Did it involve her birthday gift and that expensive bottle of wine? Which I objected to my name being on the box over.'
'Yep, and that's all the need to know you're getting.'
'I though Wash bought it for me and when she announced Cayman, I said you didn't deserve such a gift.'
Wash reached over and gave his thigh a quick tap. She was listening to the testimony even though she read the reports. Hearing it from the people's mouths gave the crime life. She knew Nathaniel and her father were bored.
Nathaniel looked at his miniplex for the time. At least another hour before the judges would break for deliberation. He settled more comfortably in the padded chair and let his mind wander back to where Apollo interrupted.
They ate pizza and mingled for a good two hours from nine to eleven. Wash said goodnight and left alone. He stayed and watched the unit open bottles of Champaign in preparation for a toast and he slipped out on the pretext of using the restroom and forgot to return. He had taken his bike and parked it inside her entryway. Locking up, he went looking for his wife and their first New Year's Eve together. A thought flashed; last year he spent New Year's with Ava. He stopped and looked at Wash's bike, reflecting over the year and the changes it wrought. He went through the toughest year of his life next to the one where he didn't know if Wash was going to live and Ayani died. It started with a mistake and ended eleven months later with a wife.
"I heard you come in." Wash entered from her bedroom.
He looked at her in a babydoll he'd never seen before. Her hair was down and her wedding rings shone in the light emanating behind her. He undid his belt and pulled his ring out and slipped it on. "I was reflecting on my year." He walked to her and pulled her into the bedroom where a soft light was shining so he could look at her shear sparkling medium blue babydoll, that ended just below her breast, leaving her smooth stomach bare, and the matching panties drew his gaze downward. "I don't deserve you, Wash. I deserve to be alone and miserable."
Wash unzipped his leather jacket. "What brought on this self-depreciating?"
He slipped the jacket off and tossed it to a chair. "This has been one of the hardest years of my life and the most rewarding. How I got you to marry me, I'll never know." He stripped his tee-shirt off and gave it a general toss and toed his boots off while his wife undid the button and zipper of his pants. He stripped down and took a quick rinse. Coming back with a towel wrapped around his waist, he found a bottle of expensive Champaign poured in two clear crystal goblets. He looked at the clock and it was almost midnight.
"What should we toast and wish for?"
"I wish for a real honeymoon." Wash ran a finger down his sternum, resulting in tenting under the towel.
"That's already a done deal, wish for something else."
She raised her luminous eyes to his. "I wish all our dreams come true in the past."
"And what dreams would those be?" He took her free hand and kissed it.
"A new home; a family someday and in time my family joining us."
He thought about her wish and clinked his glass to hers. "And I wish those things with Lucas and maybe Dotti joining us also." They sipped a very good Champaign.
"This is good." He went to the bed and pulled the cover back.
"Midnight is seconds away," Wash reminded him.
They set the glasses down and he took her in his arms and they watched the seconds tick to midnight. At one second to midnight his lips found hers. They kissed as the military bells started tolling and didn't break until the last knell dissipated into the night.
Taking the wine to bed, Nathaniel filled her in on his missing week including telling Dotti they were seeing each other, but didn't give Dotti details. Lovemaking was intense after a week apart. Nathaniel fell asleep, his arms holding his wife and the effects of fine wine relaxing him into a pleasant buzz. He must have fallen asleep and was brought back to consciousness by a warm mouth on his rock hard shaft. His hand moved to stroke the silky hair and run his fingers through her straight mane.
"You clean me off?" His tone was soft and husky.
"With Champaign." She moved up and straddled him. This time she controlled the tempo and wouldn't let him find release. Three times she brought him to the edge and the fourth she let him find his release while he fingered her to completion. He fell asleep totally satiated and slept deeply all night.
"We'll break for deliberation," General Collinsworth announced, bringing Nathaniel back into the room from his erotic mental journey. "We'll reconvene in two hours for the verdict."
They entered the house to find Dotti visiting like she said she would. Apollo shed his pistol and opened his dress tunic and carefully hung it on a hook near the door beside the weapon, leaving him in a black tee shirt hanging over the belt of his black dress slacks. Trey ran up and grabbed a leg. Picking him up, Apollo flipped him upside down and held him out with one hand by his ankle and carried him into the living room.
"Licia." Trey screamed for help.
"You want me to tickle you?" Alicia tickled her brother while he laughed and twisted in air.
"No."
"No, you want me to help you?"
"Help me," he mimicked and held his arms out to her.
"Okay, just this once." Alicia took her brother and flipped him upright. She had stopped to take her dress jacket off and like her father and husband sported a black tee shirt under her jacket. She sat Trey down and turned to Cayman and Dotti, who watched the antics with laughter.
"Cayman has been telling me about what happened to her as she was looking at the reports when I barged in uninvited." Dotti addressed Apollo and Alicia, who were diving into the cookies on a plate in the center of the coffee table.
Apollo noticed the fancy stainless coffee server was on a matching tray. He looked at the cups the ladies were using and went to the dining room and pulled out three matching cups and saucers.
Nathaniel entered the dining room from the bathroom and caught him balancing three saucers and cups in his hands while trying to shut the cabinet door. "What's the occasion? And why are we drinking scotch in those?"
"We are joining the ladies for coffee and cookies like civilized people."
"Let me help." Nathaniel took one cup and disappeared to the liquor cabinet. Opening the door he was interested in, he reached for a bottle.
"Take another for me or I'm telling Dotti you're married," Apollo muttered in his ear.
"That's blackmail." Nathaniel snagged a second cup and followed to the living room holding two cups with scotch.
Apollo handed his daughter an empty cup for her coffee and held the other hand out for her to take a saucer with a smirk, as he knew she smelled the scotch in his cup. Turning, he smacked Nathaniel in the chest with a saucer, and growled, "Civilized, remember."
Nathaniel didn't want to be seen sitting so close to Wash, so grabbed another chair leaving an empty spot by her on the couch. Apollo looked at them and sat by Alicia, grabbed another cookie and dunked it in his cup.
Nathaniel zoned in on the plate of cookies. "Those look like my favorite. Did you make them, Dotti?" He got up and took two.
"I haven't made those cookies for you since Ayani. I figured you might like some," Dotti confessed.
"You figured right."
"Give….me…..the….reci…pe…..now…..that….I….have…tim e…to…bake," Cayman requested of Dotti.
"I'll send it to you." Dotti was disappointed in Nathaniel's lack of interest in Alicia in her presence. She wanted to get them alone together and grill them.
"What….are…..you…doing….home…so….soon?" Cayman asked Apollo.
"They're in deliberations and will have the verdicts soon. We have to return shortly." Apollo looked at the clock.
Cayman looked at Dotti. "Want….to…..go…..with…..me…to…hear…..the….verdict? We…..can…..make…..the…men…take….us….for…..food….af ter….wards."
Dotti was impressed by Cayman's warmth in inviting her into her home and treating her like an old friend. She didn't let her handicaps hinder her lifestyle that Dottie could find. When she knocked on the door, apprehensive for barging in, Cayman met her with a large smile and in her stuttering voice asked her in. When she produced the cookies on a pretext that they were Nathaniel's favorite and she was repaying him for inviting her a few weeks ago on that fishing trip so she could spend time with her grandson. Cayman accepted her white lie and made coffee while asking Dotti for help in carrying the service to the living room.
"I'm….still…..un….steady….with..some…..things…and… don't…want….to…spill….it."
"Want me to take Trey to Angie?" Apollo offered.
"Yes." Cayman was glad for a one word response.
Alicia called Angie. "Angie, this is Alicia Washington. You up to taking Trey shortly? Okay, we'll drop him by." She disconnected and looked at Dotti. "Dotti, did you use the public transport?"
"I did."
Alicia looked at Nathaniel. "Take Dotti. I'll go with Dad and Cayman."
He looked at her trying to decipher her intent. "Okay."
The entire room took notice when Cayman Washington entered for the verdict. The room was slowly filling up.
Rosemary Covington got up the courage to approach Cayman. "Commander, I'm so sorry for what my husband did to you." Apollo stood by his wife's side as Nathaniel escorted Dotti and Wash to their seats.
"Did….you…..have…anything…..to…..do…with…..it?" Cayman asked her.
Rosemary looked shocked. "The first I heard was when security showed up to remove all his military items. They told me what he was accused of. At first I didn't believe them, but he told me when I went to see him that he was guilty and used poor judgment. I think the things he did to you and what he was planning to do to Lieutenant Washington is a lot worse than poor judgment. I filed for a divorce and Commander Taylor offered to help me relocate. I'm taking the kids and getting as far from Houston as I can."
"Have you spoken with him after that?" Apollo wanted to know.
"No, my parents are here with me." She pointed to a couple sitting near the back of the room. "Dad said you won't bite if I came and talked to you," she told Cayman.
"I….will…..re…cover….in…..time. Co…ving….ton….fooled…even…..my…..husband."
"That's right." Apollo took over, seeing the strain it was on his wife to talk. "He never telegraphed a psychotic personality. I think events happened to him and instead of rejoicing in you and his children; he focused on the thing that got away. It could have been any woman that dumped him, but it happened to have been my daughter and it could have been in the public way it was done that caused him to seek revenge and harbor a grudge."
"He never told me what happened between them."
"He was a bright and rising officer. I hooked him up with my daughter. They had fun together, but she wasn't as serious about him as he was her. There was a Taylor unit gathering in a restaurant and Cayman and I were present when Michael came in looking for Alicia. In front of her entire unit, she dumped him. And then he insulted her and Taylor beat him up and had him thrown out. He seemed to have gotten over it on the surface and was soon dating you. Apparently he was bidding his time, waiting for revenge on us and my daughter."
"I'm….glad….it…..was…me…and….not…..Al…icia," Cayman added.
"In time it might have been you," Apollo reasoned while looking at Rosemary and she nodded.
"Or one of the kids," she finished.
"You...are...a...victim...like...me." Cayman took Rosemary's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Apollo patted her shoulder as she went to sit with her parents while he took his wife, with all eyes on her, to sit by Dotti.
Townsend and Covington were escorted into the room with several security stationed nearby. General Collinsworth called the room to order. "Lieutenant's Calvin Townsend and Michael Covington, please rise." He waited until they stood. "You are hereby court martialed and stripped of all rank. There is sufficient physical evidence and your own testimonies to convict both of you. Lieutenant Townsend, as instigator, you will serve a life sentence without parole at Lafonte Maximum Security Prison for the remainder of your days, for the crime of attempted murder, plotting murder and bodily injury to a superior officer and violating the oath of uniform. Lieutenant Michael Covington, you are hereby court martialed and stripped of all rank. You are sentenced for your involvement as an accomplice to Calvin Townsend for the crimes of attempted murder, plotting murder and a second crime of attempted murder and bodily injury to a superior officer, plus violating the oath of uniform. You will spend the remainder of your days at Golad Prison in Illinois. There will be no parole for you for the remainder of your days." Collinsworth stopped and looked at the two men, then at Cayman. "Commander Cayman Washington, do you wish to say anything to these men before they are led away to serve their sentences?"
All eyes turned to Cayman and Apollo put an arm around her shoulders in support. Cayman looked at the two men still facing forward. "Look….at…..me." They turned and faced her and she stood and took two steps into the room. "May….future…officers….learn…..from…you. And…I…feel…..bad…..for…..you….and….your…..fam…ilie s. I…..forgive…..you."
Covington looked remorseful, but Townsend's countenance darkened and he scowled at her. Collinsworth ordered them escorted out. They turned and Covington took a final look to his wife and mouth, 'I'm sorry,' as he put one foot in front of the other. Townsend followed, head high and glanced at Commander Whiley, sitting in the section reserved for the Commander's and with incredible speed snatched her from her seat and pulled her pistol. His first shot went into her at point blank range, leaving her gasping and clutching her stomach. He spun the pistol to his next easy target, Cayman Washington. The bullet pierced the forehead and the body fell, deadweight to the floor. Covington broke and ran, but a blow from a massive fist of the first security guard in his path dropped him in his tracks at the side door.
The room was silent and stunned and everyone with a gun had it in their hand. Nathaniel checked Wash and she like him was ready with her weapon in hand. He figured she probably outdrew him. Next, he checked Dotti, who was sitting quite still with her eyes wide in fright, but she told him she was okay when he asked.
It was a surreal slow moment where the eye saw more than the brain could process. Townsend shot Whiley and then with a flick of his wrist and with finger pressing down on the trigger, it was over. The vids confirmed and in slow motion for all who couldn't believe their eyes, Apollo outdrew Townsend's finger, drawing and drilling him with precision in the middle of his forehead directly above and between his eyes and with his backward pistol he had to flip around. The movement was too fast for human eye to follow, but the vids caught it perfectly. He fired and stepped in front of his wife waiting to see if he needed a follow-up bullet. When he saw the hole in Townsend's head, he looked back at Cayman. She was unharmed and peered around his shoulder to look at the scene.
The split second of immobility was over and an ambulance was called while the Commander's gathered around one of their own. Wash pushed through and called for the medical kit she knew was in the room. It got thrust into her hands and she opened it and found the pressure mash dressing and slapped it on, effectively stopping the flow of blood on the outside. She quickly inserted a needle into an arm and got a line of replacement fluid flowing. A hand on her shoulder caused her to look up. It was Nathaniel. "The ambulance is here." He helped her up and she stepped back. The other Commander's had moved out of the way to let the best medic in the room work her magic. There was applause as she moved to Cayman.
"I was so scared he got you." Wash hugged Cayman tightly.
"You don't think I could have gotten him first?" her father sounded peeved.
"Dad, you couldn't have known he was going to do that." Alicia didn't know how her father pulled it off.
"Alicia, you and everyone else froze while I moved. As soon as he made a move to Michelle, I was drawing. You're going to a place where the difference between life and death might be that split second freeze. We'll work on it with you and Nathaniel and your unit if you want."
"What I want right now is food. Watching you kill people makes me hungry, how about you?" Nathaniel stated and turned to Dotti, who had joined them.
"I don't know if I could eat after all this excitement." Dotti knew she was in the company of soldiers and they shook off the killing as another day at the office.
"With me being forced to dress in my monkey suit, I want to go to a fancy place." Nathaniel took her answer as yes.
"I need to clean up so I vote to go home and get out of these clothes into something more comfortable," Wash added her opinion. Everyone looked at her tunic and pants that were bloodstained.
"Wash, Nathaniel, take Dotti with you. We'll be along after we get Trey." Apollo issued his order.
Nathaniel escorted the women inside Apollo's home and went to the liquor cabinet where he poured a sherry for Dotti, which he knew she drank from time to time. "For your nerves," he stated and led her to a chair and disappeared with, "I better change. Be right back." He hoped she didn't notice he went to the same place Wash disappeared to. He found her stripping and grabbing a robe.
"I'm going to rinse off, be right back." She gave him a quick kiss and went down the hall to the bathroom.
He changed his tunic for a nice white shirt with the tails out over his pistol, which he moved to a holster on his belt and went for a scotch before joining Dotti. "Wash is cleaning up and the others should be here any minute. Well, you got a look at the monster who hurt Cayman. He was her Lieutenant and I think being forced to work for a woman drove him over the edge into madness. There are still some men who harbor old fashioned ideas that women are inferior to men."
"And the other man; was he like that also?" Dotti sipped her drink, grateful it was settling her nerves.
"No, he wanted revenge on our family for the beating I gave him and Wash dumping him."
Dotti perked up. "Our family, Nathaniel?"
"Uhh, I've been adopted into the Washington clan so I consider them my other family." Where was Apollo, he thought?
"You could get in with a marriage," Dotti pointed out.
"Maybe someday." He was uncomfortable talking that way around Ayani's mother. It felt in some ways he was unfaithful even though he knew better.
The door opened and Apollo, toting Trey, followed Cayman in. "I'm changing," he stated as soon as he noticed what Nathaniel was wearing.
"Dress….Trey…..like…you," Cayman instructed as she helped herself to sherry and joined Nathaniel and Dotti in the living room.
"I….hope…today…didn't….upset…..you…too…..much." Cayman sat in the closest chair to Dotti.
"It's the first time I've ever seen someone shot," she admitted.
Wash entered, dressed in a dark pair of jeans and pull over sweater with a V-neck. It was cream with darker brown flecks in it. Her dark boots finished her attire. Normally, Nathaniel would jump up and kiss her and tell her how beautiful she looked. He would remember to tell her later.
"Get you anything to drink, Wash?" Nathaniel offered, wanting to get away from any more personal questions.
"No, I'll wait until we get to the restaurant." Wash dashed his hopes of getting away from what he knew was coming.
"Any…time…you…..want…..to….come…..and…visit…you're …welcome." Cayman wanted Dotti to not be upset over today. "I….hope…..today…..isn't…scaring…..you…..off."
Dotti glanced at Nathaniel. "Nathaniel is living here isn't he?" She saw he changed clothes in Alicia's room, although sure she wasn't supposed to notice.
Cayman looked at Nathaniel first, then Alicia who looked uncomfortable. "He….is….with….Alicia."
"Nathaniel, why couldn't you have just come out and said that?" Dotti chastised him.
"You're the mother of my late wife. I feel funny discussing any other woman with you."
"I'm also your friend and I know there will be other women with a man like you." Nathaniel saw Wash smirk at that statement and focused on Dotti. "You were a good husband to my daughter while she was alive. Now, you need to find another woman to love like her." She looked at Wash who remained very quiet. "It's okay for you to love him. He needs a good woman and you're the best I can think of for him. Just don't shut me out. I want to be your friend, Alicia."
"We're ready." Apollo joined them with an identically dressed Trey in his arms.
Dotti took one look and burst out laughing. "Cayman, that is priceless." Apollo had changed his tunic for a black shirt like Nathaniel's with tails out to conceal his weapon that was in his waistband and not low on his hip like earlier. Trey was dressed identically down to his black pants and boots.
"Dotti, ride with us so Nathaniel and Alicia can figure out how to tell you something before dinner is over." Apollo looked threateningly at them.
"No," Nathaniel objected. He was just getting used to his mother-in-law knowing about him and Wash in the same bedroom. He just wasn't ready for anything else. "Lucas can't find out."
"Nathaniel, you know I won't disclose anything you tell me in confidence to Lucas or anyone." Dotti wondered what they were hiding.
"Apollo, I'll tell her in my own way and time." Nathaniel was getting angry at him.
"Have it your way, but if you haven't by the time you've left for the past. Afterwards I will." Apollo informed him and led the way outside.
