CH37
Serena and Joanne were holding each other while giving soft kisses as the water of the shower cascaded over their bodies. They had awakened and made love to each other for the last hour.
"What happens now?" Joanne asked. Meaning what did they do next? What members of Paladin still existed that they knew about? "I can think of one thing." Serena offered while looking in Joanne's eyes. "You can say yes," she said as Joanne looked at her in confusion. "You can say yes and marry me," Serena told her. Joanne looked at her with shock which quickly turned into crying as her heart started bursting with love. Serena wasn't her life mate and they weren't bonded, however she already knew the chances of that ever happening. Her life mate could be in a little town in South America or living on a small island that she would never go to. All she knew was that she loved Serena with all her heart. Joanne was nodding while she cried and kissed Serena. This lead to them drying each other and ending up back in bed for another hour of making love.
Serena was dressed and down by Sarah as she touched the panel to activate her for the day. "We need a surviving member of Paladin. I need you to search your records and find someone, anyone. We need a lead before we end up in the dark starting from scratch yet again after all of their work," she worried aloud. "There is a possibility of there being one, however they are not in any of my records. How did they know to attack Rick and take his daughter? Who, that likely lives there, knew enough to send Paladin to them?" Sarah responded.
Serena was ready to slap herself silly, how could she be so stupid?
"Sarah, create a flight plan going from here to Richard Rogers' home and download it into the Osprey. We're going to need places to refuel and possibly sleep. Get on it while I load the plane," Serena told her. She ran across Joanne while passing the kitchen on her way to the underground passageway. "Find two more and meet me at the Osprey, we need to load some supplies into it." Serena kept walking; she feared they didn't have much time. Joanne and two others caught up to her just as she was pushing the rolling tool cabinet towards the ramp and into the plane. Joanne ran over and helped her push the heavy cabinet up the ramp.
Extreme Tools EX7612RCBL 76 inch professional roller tool cabinet – blue.
"Grab those four cases of spare parts and secure them and the tool cabinet in the plane," Serena called out as she walked to the armored vests and threw two of them into the plane then moved to the armory room, unlocked it, and went inside.
This room was loaded, though it used to have more, however, they recently used up a lot of the Semtex. Serena pulled two SIG MPX-C submachine guns with sound suppressors, lancer system, translucent polymer magazines and the sigtac reflex sight/combat optic (video), and placed them into an SIG MPX deployment bag. One for each of them. She slung them over her shoulder and lifted up two cases of ammunition, one in each hand and hurried into the plane to drop her heavy load. Serena moved into the cockpit and started her pre-flight check as Joanne poked her head in. "Where are we going and why the supplies?"
"Rick and his little girl were attacked for a reason. It's very likely because Paladin has eyes there, probably because of Hunt and his community. It might be our best and perhaps last lead on Paladin before they kill him while they clean house. So we're flying to Wyoming to find him," Serena informed Joanne as she started up the first engine. "Have you even eaten breakfast?" Joanne asked and watched her shake her head. She turned and pointed. "Breakfast bars, GO! …and water too!" Joanne sat in the co-pilot's seat, her seat, and powered up her engineering screens. Serena had just started the second engine when a box with breakfast bars and bottles of water were dropped near both of them. "Stay safe and check in with us," they're told.
The roof was opened and Serena added power to lift out of their hidden hanger. In this case they weren't hiding so she had to communicate with local control towers and switch frequencies when she was told to, to be handed off to the next tower.
Their first stop was Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport where they got fuel and Serena walked the plane and inspected the engines. The osprey had a 700 mile range with a flight time of three hours. Each three hours of operation usually required six hours of maintenance. However she was in a hurry so she only spent two hours as they waited for a truck and the time it took to fill their tanks.
Their next stop was Rapid City, South Dakota. "Go rent a car and find us a nice hotel room for the night, we're flying out in the morning," Serena told her. "What will you be doing?" Joanne queried. "I'll be right here taking these engines apart. That's why we loaded all the tools and the spare parts," Serena apprised her. "I'll call you when I'm about ready," she assured her.
Joanne rented the first mid-size vehicle she came across and used it to find some of the better hotels to get a room. She was very happy that the others had figured out what was going on and had thrown in a small bag for both of them. She picked one of the first hotels she came across coming up county road 44 that met US16. It was a Residence Inn by Marriot. She selected a one bedroom, took both keys, and went up the elevator to check out the room. It was about 550 square feet of space. A separate one bedroom, it had a fully complete kitchen though she had spotted a bar and grill in the hotel downstairs. She looked up when they closed and made a note of going down thirty minutes before they did to order for both of them and take it to their room. That's what doggie bags were for, right?
Joanne pulled out her phone. "Hi love. We have a room at a Residence Inn. It even has a restaurant in it that I'm going to get us food from and wait for you. A free continental breakfast in the morning, too." Joanne thought she had done good.
"Sounds nice, though if I'm going to eat you're going to need to bring it to me. It looks like I'm going to be here for a while." Serena broke the bad news to her. "OW! DAMN IT!" She put her injured knuckle in her mouth to soothe it with her tongue. "I'm fine, just scraped my knuckle," Serena told her before she could ask. "I'll give you a few hours and then I'm bringing you dinner and will stay to help you," Joanne informed her and then hung up before she could object.
In the end Joanne got them a pepperoni pizza and paid extra for double pepperoni along with 8 BBQ wings that came with celery sticks and ranch dressing for a dip. She took glasses out of their kitchen and bought a 2-liter bottle of out of the reach-in cooler at the front desk then drove back to the airport. She had to walk to their plane, not that she cared, and found the right engine missing its cowling with Serena sitting on the concrete under it with tools and parts all around her.
"I have food," Joanne announced as she got closer, causing Serena to turn to look at her. She couldn't help it, she suddenly doubled over laughing while trying to hold onto their food and drink. Serena's face was a mess. Joanne could easily tell that Serena had used her hand and wiped it across her face because there was a grease smear across her forehead from one side to the other. "Laugh it up fuzzball," Serena grumbled and turned back to the part that was giving her trouble. That only got Joanne to snort and keep laughing.
Joanne sat close to her, placed the food and drink on the ground, and handed her a rag to clean her hands, followed by handing her one of those moist towelettes that came in a single packet to finish cleaning her hands with. "Thanks," she said trying to get as much grease off as possible.
Joanne started with pizza while Serena started with the BBQ wings. "I didn't know I was this hungry," Serena commented, working on her 4th wing while Joanne was still on her first piece of pizza. "That's because all you had for breakfast was a breakfast bar and you wouldn't have eaten that if I didn't take the controls long enough for you to eat it," Joanne countered. She also knew they had skipped lunch.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Serena commented. "And you're never going to have to find out either," Joanne said with her mouth full since she was hungry too. "You're going to outlive me my love. I'm a human and don't have your life span, plus you're younger than I am," Serena pointed out. "Don't even think thoughts like that." Joanne's tears started immediately. Even the idea of losing Serena broke her heart. She scooted over and wrapped an arm around Joanne. "I'm sorry." She meant it too. "Please don't say things like that. I love you," Joanne said, her voice quavering, and wiped her tears. Her father was long since gone, her mother had been murdered. Serena was all she had. "I'll never bring it up again. I promise." Serena leaned in to kiss her cheek. Still they ended up eating in silence 'til it was all gone, including the Dr. Pepper.
"BURRRP!" Joanne slapped a hand over her mouth. "Excuse me," she apologized with her eyes open wide as Serena chuckled at her.
With Joanne's little bit of help, since she didn't know anything about engines, it reduced Serena's time from six hours down to four hours. Eventually Joanne led a tired and messy Serena to their car and up to their rooms where she found a bag with some clothes in it. "Thank god! I owe someone at home for this," Serena said as she began stripping with Joanne since they both needed a shower.
Joanne was waiting in bed when a tired, mostly dry and naked Serena joined her and snuggled in close only to see Joanne to wrinkle her nose. "You still smell like oil and grease." She gave Serena a light push. Serena groaned and rolled out of bed. "I scrub any harder and I'm not going to have any skin left," Serena pouted, as she went back into the shower. She had washed her hair three times now and her body had been scrubbed four times. She was stepping into the bedroom while still rubbing her hair dry with a towel. And she found her naked lover in bed with her arms lifted up inviting her into them.
Neither of them had the energy for sex and were asleep in minutes.
Hours later they were both happy with full stomachs from the free breakfast. Serena was going through her pre-flight check while Joanne was removing the tie downs when a security car drove up and parked. She watched an armed security guard get out and head straight for her. "Can I help you?" Joanne asked him when he got close enough. "If you're military you're at the wrong airport. The Ellsworth Air Force Base is a few miles north of here," he pointed.
"We're not military, this plane is privately owned," Joanne informed him, only to see him look up at the exposed Hellfire missiles, heat seekers, and Sparrow radar guided missiles. "Hollywood, we still have a number of hours of flight ahead of us," Joanne told him. "Ooooooo," he said excitedly. "Well, you have a nice day then and I look forward to seeing this beauty on the big screen," he remarked. "We had some engine trouble or you wouldn't have seen us at all," Joanne pointed out which was a white lie. Serena did have some trouble with one of the engines even if they did come here on purpose. "Thanks for the security check," Joanne told him as she gathered up the tie downs and walked up the ramp pressing the button to close it.
"What did he want?" Serena had watched him approach them. "Just mentioned that the air force base was north of here if we were lost. I told him we were Hollywood and he left us alone," Joanne told her as she sat down and began going over her engineering screens. "Hollywood, huh? Nice one, remind me to kiss you later," Serena said. "You can kiss me anytime, I'm not ashamed that I love you," Joanne replied. "Neither am I, love, neither am I." Serena started the first engine followed moments later by the second. Several minutes later they were airborne, though they would soon drop off the radar and likely be reported as having crashed somewhere, since Serena had no intention of answering their calls about what happened to them.
"How are we doing?" Serena asked since she didn't have the same screens Joanne did. "Ten minutes, minus," she responded as she used the optic telephoto lens to see Rick's house since they were still high enough up. "You're going to have to land several yards away from the house out in the valley. He has a really big playground set in his backyard for his little girl," Joanne advised her.
Five minutes later Serena started her nose dive and her call that she was making an emergency VTOL landing, and ignored what the tower said.
She soon spotted the house and the playset and worked at landing softly several feet past it out in the valley. Rick meanwhile was sitting in the living room working up ideas for his new book with Kate as a CIA agent who had a tag along rookie who was ruggedly handsome and driving her insane. It wasn't until the noise grew loud enough as Serena literally flew over his house at tree top level that it registered in his mind.
"What the hell?" Rick saved his work, got up and went to the wall of windows and looked out. Much to his horror he saw a really big plane with tilting rotors on each wingtip starting to land on his property. It was broad daylight and he couldn't ask Kate to fly out here and be seen doing it. He ran for the stairs shedding clothes as he went. The wall of windows downstairs had plywood covering them after Rick had driven into town to get them, and with Kate's help, hand nailed them in place 'til the glass could be replaced in a few weeks, since the glass had to be shipped in. At least one of the doors was operational and Rick had it open just as he shed the last of his clothes.
He turned into a bear and started running to the plane for all he was worth. He was going to get to them before they got to him this time dammit. Not to mention ripping their precious plane to pieces. His one saving grace was that today was a school day so Alexis wasn't here. Then it hit him. 'Kate, go check on Alexis at school. I think Paladin just landed in my valley!'Rick called out to her. 'I'll be right there, give me a minute,'she replied. 'I can handle them, check on Alexis, please,' he responded. He was almost to the plane as the back ramp that was facing him started coming down. 'Fine.' Kate sounded anything but fine, but at least Alexis would be safe.
Kate had been sitting in the office doing a report about what had happened since she left the office when Rick started talking to her. She gave the excuse that her daughter had been hurt while in school and dashed outside after getting the keys to a standard patrol car.
Rick was watching two unarmed women start walking down the ramp. 'This is going to be too easy,' he thought as he jumped up onto the not quite 100% down ramp and roared at them with the intent of opening them up with a swipe of his paw.
"NO, Mr. RODGERS! We're on your side!" Serena held out her hands in front of her while Joanne retreated a step never having been confronted by a raging giant Kodiak bear before. "We're not Paladin! We fight against them. I'm Serena, I sent Hayley to warn you!" she shouted as Rick walked right up to them ready to give them a swipe of his paw.
'It may be a false alarm, just go get Alexis just in case,' Rick thought to Kate and got a reply.
"Please Rick, we mean you and your little girl no harm. I'm Serena Kaye and this is Joanne Delgado. We work for an organization that's fighting against Paladin. It's why I sent Hayley Blue and her clan to warn you that Paladin was here to take your daughter." Serena was starting to relax since he had stopped. "Are we good? Because we would really like to talk to you," she said and watched as the really big bear that could kill both of them in seconds nod his head. "Can we go inside so you can put some clothes back on so we can talk?" Serena asked him. They watched the bear turn around and start lumbering to the house.
"I never knew Kodiak bears were so big," Joanne commented as she walked down the ramp next to Serena. "He's definitely the biggest I've ever seen in person," Serena agreed and didn't see Rick grin.
Rick made his way upstairs and into his room to get some clothes noticing that the women were picking up the clothes he had stripped out of on his way out to them. Serena collected them and threw them on the sectional upstairs while they both looked around. "Not my style, but I like it," Serena said. Joanne was nodding her head. "A little too woodsy for me but I can appreciate the style and it looks nice. This room is nice and big."
It was now that two big dogs came rushing out of Alexis's bedroom where they had been sleeping. Serena's and Joanne's voices alerted them to intruders. "Oh crap!" Serena looked up as two big Dobermans rushed out of a room, looked down at them, and took off for the stairs. Joanne, however, was working as fast as she could to strip off her clothes so she could shift.
Midas and Maggie were just about to them when Joanne finally made it and shifted into a mountain lion that was bigger than normal size and growled at the dogs. The dogs hit the brakes, showed their teeth, and growled at her. If Alexis had been here they would have jumped into a fight without stopping, but she wasn't and Rick wasn't in sight either. Joanne wasn't interested in a fight either so she just stood there growling back at them. "Good dogs, we're nice. We don't want to cause trouble." Serena held out her empty hands.
"Midas, Maggie, come here," Rick's voice called out getting them and Serena to look up at Rick standing above them dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt while barefoot. Midas and Maggie ran back upstairs where he sent them into Alexis's bedroom and told them to stay.
"So why are you here?" Rick asked once he has made it downstairs. "Is there a place where Joanne can put her clothes back on?" Serena asked as Rick was looking at the mountain lion in his living room. "The kitchen is through there," he gestured. "And there is a half bath at the front door." Serena gathered up Johanna's clothes and Rick watched both of them go to the half bath while only Serena returned. "May I sit?" she asked trying to not look dangerous, since compared to Joanne, she wasn't. At least not without a weapon that was still in her plane she wasn't.
Rick motioned and sat across from her. "I run an organization that has members almost everywhere. They are all shifters of various types depending on the area. My friends and I have been fighting Paladin for a few years at this point. Paladin, in case you didn't know, is an organization that is headed by a person or persons unknown. They used to be run by a woman named Sophia Turner. We're not certain why but she was fired, and by fired I mean she was killed by the organization that she was running. She in turn was replaced by a man named Eric Vaughn," Serena explained.
"The multi-millionaire on the verge of being a billionaire?" Rick asked in surprise. "That's the one. We managed to plant a spy and found out from her that he planned on taking your daughter. I sent Haley and her clan to warn you and try and help you. She informed us what happened here. I'm glad that your daughter is safe," Serena told him just as a now dressed Joanne entered.
Rick had been relaying everything to Kate who had been silent as she listened.
"So why are you here?" he inquired. "We recently gave Paladin a serious blow. In the process we killed two of the council members since we got lucky and they showed up at the same location. At that site we found out the names and addresses of the remaining three members of the council. However before we could get to them, Paladin assassinated them. We think Paladin is cleaning house in the belief that their organization here in the U.S. has been compromised, which it has. We're running out of Paladin members that we know about fast. We're speculating that Paladin has eyes out here since Eric found out about you somehow. We're here to get our hands on him before Paladin can kill him as part of their house cleaning," Serena explained.
"We're hoping you can help us. Do you have an idea as to who it might be or at least a guess?" Joanne spoke for the first time. But just then Rick's laptop started beeping. "There's someone at the border of my property." He got up and went to his laptop to see where the alert is located. "He has perimeter sensors!" Joanne whispered in disbelief to Serena. "It's the entrance to the driveway, likely a car," he told them. 'Kate is that you?' He asked her. 'I have Alexis, I took her out of school. You didn't tell me I was on the clearance list. We're approaching the house,' she replied.
"My mate will be here in a moment," Rick told them as he left the laptop and headed for the front door. "He has a life mate?" Joanne murmured to Serena. That was something they didn't know.