CH 138

John had a 100 mile stretch of border to watch. So far, that's all that was happening. People would try to sneak over, John's forces would coral them, take them to a border station and walk them back across the border. Instead of arresting them if drugs were found, he had the drugs taken and destroyed and sent the people back. A couple gun toting drug runners thought it would be a good idea to shoot at the Texas troops. Those men were killed and the illegals with them were chased back across.

Using sensors and drone images, it looked like there was a buildup happening. A Mexican town was overrun with armed men, they were gathering boats and arms. It was estimated that 10,000 men had gathered with supplies. This had been happening all along the border. So far, there was no word to act on it. He had artillery aimed at the town, and troops standing by just in case. He also found plasma bolts got rid of any drones that came over to their side of the border.

John then got orders to form strike teams in case they were called for. Since no specifics were given, John made stealth teams to go across the border to sneak in and damage as much as possible the three towns he knew were hiding men and supplies. These would be terminators with explosives to do damage that way, then burn the places down with plasma fire.

Delilah volunteered to lead one of the teams. A Captain Jackson was going to lead another, and a Major Gentry was going to lead the third. John stressed to them stealth and surprise. They had to get in quiet, destroy everything possible, then slip out again.

Delilah built her team with who she knew would be good. She was pleased Joan and Bob had been kicked off their football team. She knew Jackie and Joan were good in a fight, she was thinking Bob would be too. She had already recruited Anne and a dozen terminators. She headed off to go see if Joan and Bob were home.

Driving down to their house, she saw Bob walking along side the road, his head down. She stopped by him. "Hey Bob!" she called.

"Hi Delilah," he said not too enthusiastically.

"What's up? You and Joan have a fight or something?" she asked.

Bob let out a snort. "Not yet, but it's coming."

"That don't sound good. Come sit and tell me about it."

Bob wandered over and got in. He petted the dash. "Hi Christine," he said. He looked at Delilah and said, "I did something I really shouldn't have done..."

.

Joan and Allison returned home to find the girls doing chores. Malinara was sweeping the porch. Upon seeing them, She said, "Robert went for a walk by himself. He wouldn't let us go with him."

"Maybe he wanted some alone time," Allison said. "People do need that from time to time."

"But he's by himself!" Malinara cried.

"I'm sure he's fine," Joan replied. "You don't have to hang onto him every second."

"I'd still feel better if someone was with him," Malinara said in a pout.

"Relax, will you?" Joan asked in a harder tone.

Joan and Allison got inside and dressed to find Delilah drive up with Bob. Joan greeted her mother and a nervous looking Bob.

After Delilah greeted Joan and Allison, she motioned outside. "I need to talk to you three."

"OK," Joan went out on the back porch.

Delilah eyed each of them and said, "This isn't easy. We got a problem that needs to be taken care of."

Bob shifted in place, looking down. "My fault," he said.

"It's not your fault we have trouble on the border," Delilah stated. All three looked at her. "Yeah, there are forces gathering, drug runners and Chinese, that appear to be building up just across the border. By the intel, they are getting ready to push up into the US, specifically Texas, to take over. John wants to hit them first and ruin their planned attack. We need help. I know your football games are screwed at least for a little while. I'd like you three to join my strike team. We go in, rip the place apart and come back."

"Things like that start wars, don't they?" Allison asked.

"They could," Delilah agreed. "The thing is, if we get the word to go, then it's already started. Right now, the politics are getting nastier and nastier. When the bubble breaks, we will need to move. Right now, it could be they decide they are ready to move, or the Mexican Government decides they want help and invite us in. Either way, this one place has to be brought down hard."

"If Dad needs us, we'll go." Joan stated.

"What do we do?" Allison asked.

"For a while it's training. Combat training in stealth and weapons, communications, first aide, all the necessities. Cameron is going to watch the discrimination case against the NFL closely for you. Right now, I got a dozen terminators, Secretary Anne, and Jackie in our group. We get trained up and be ready. You'll be in the Texas guard, Third Division."

"And this is a maybe, or a for sure?" Bob asked.

"We treat it like it's going to happen, we just don't know when," Delilah told him.

Bob nodded. "Yeah, I'm in. If I go, Joan and Allie won't have to."

"No," Allison said with a frown. "If you're going, so am I."

"We all are," Joan stated.

"We all are," Jo said from the doorway.

"No," Bob, Joan and Allison chorused.

Delilah turned to Jo. "All four of you, gather in the living room. We'll talk there."

"Mom, they know nothing about fighting," Joan said.

"They will just get killed," Bob said.

"Delilah they can't handle extreme situations," Allison agreed.

"Bringing them is crazy!" Bob added.

Delilah led them into the living room. All four girls were there with blank faces. Delilah said, "We are going to need things like nurses, messenger and supply runners. People supporting the ones doing the fighting. People guarding our backs. I will be the first to say any of these girls would not last two minutes in a firefight. What they can do is basic support and get the fighters what they need. Support is critical."

"Robert you go, we go with you," Hanna stated.

"You feel you have to prove your loyalty?" Joan asked.

"No, we are loyal to Robert. That is why we need to go." Hanna stated.

Allison let out a dry chuckle. "Like Spartan slaves, you fight for your master."

"We will," Malinara stated.

"You're nuts," Joan told them.

"We will train hard to give everyone the best chance at coming back alive," Delilah stated. "So is everyone in?"

"We are," they all chorused.

"Good, I'll come get you in the morning and take you to our camp." Delilah said. She then sniffed the air and walked over to sniff Malinara, then Jo.

"Ahh, what are you doing?" Hanna asked as she was sniffed.

Delilah grinned. "So, that explains it."

"Explains what?" Bob asked.

"The reason you can't resist them," Delilah stated. "They have very potent Pheromones. They get near you and you can't help reacting to them. Yes, they are human, but a different species. You said you couldn't help yourself, that is why."

"What's this?" Joan asked, eyeing Bob. Bob turned red.

"Bob, did you have sex with any of them?" Allison asked, also eyeing hm unkindly.

"What's wrong with that? We do belong to him," Malinara said. That earned her a red eyed glare from Joan.

"We do, and Robert was real nice to me," Hanna added with a grin.

Joan's death glare shifted to Hanna.

"I don't think we'll all be making it to training camp," Allison said, also glaring at Hanna.

Jo saw Joan and Allison were getting angry. "It's not a big deal!" she cried. "So what if Hanna had a turn?"

"Did you?" Joan asked flatly.

"So?" Jo asked.

Joan took a step towards Jo. Delilah stepped in front of her.

"Everyone hold on before you do something you will regret!" Delilah announced.

"Bob, is there ANYONE you haven't had sex with?" Allison cried.

Dina raised her hand. "Me ..."

"You shut up!" Allison snapped.

"ARRRGH!" Joan roared out and stomped out the front door.

Allison watched Joan walk out, then followed.

"This isn't good," Bob said with a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, Robert, you do have a dilemma on your hands," Delilah told him. "I expect you will keep everyone healthy, somehow. I'll see you all in the morning. Just so you know, Joan has every right to be angry at you."

"She does," Bob agreed. After Delilah left, he looked a the four watching him. "All of you, stay inside." Bracing himself, he went out the front.

.

Joan was pacing back and forth by Allison. At first, Joan ignored him.

"Joan, it's all my fault," he began, and she exploded on him.

"You're god damned right it is!" Joan roared in his face. "And the worst part is all four of them are stuck to you like glue! They are innocent, yet real crafty in their own way. What do we do with them, HUH? I so want to rip their friggin heads off! I can't do that because it wouldn't be right! So what do I do? Leave everything we've made so you can go have your harem? Maybe just ignore the fact you're going to go bang their brains out every time one of them wants to?" Bob backed up as Joan yelled at him. "Let them totally destroy what we have made? I know you brought them back to save them, but are you going to let them ruin everything we got!"

Feeling defeated, Bob said weakly, "Tell me what you want, Joan. I'll do whatever you want."

Joan stomped away from him the turned and stomped back in her anger. "Right now I'd be happy to chop all their fuckin heads off!" Joan growled, "But that's not possible. If I didn't love you so much I'd bash your face in and walk away! I refuse to walk off and let them have at you! You're MINE god Dammit!"

"I am." he said meekly.

"Joan?" Allison asked. "I think we're going to have to find a solution. It's fairly obvious Bob is putty in their hands. I don't think it's his fault, that's just the way he is. The question is, Bob, do you love us?"

"Yes, I do." Bob said sincerely. "I never thought I'd have to deal with something like this."

"Well you do. We do," Joan growled. "Maybe we can figure it out without anyone having to die. But it's not going to be easy."

"I'm telling them no more sex," Bob said firmly.

"That won't do it," Joan stated. "They need to go have their own lives."

Allison let out a snort. "Like that's gonna happen."

.

Inside all the girls were looking out the windows.

"We are making Robert's life hard, aren't we?" Hanna asked.

"We are," Jo conceded.

Malinara crossed her arms over her chest. "Robert will never willingly hurt us. Even though he should kill us to calm his life down. It's up to us to die for him. We go on this mission, and die proudly. Give our lives for him. That is all we can do."

"As least I got to be with him," Hanna said. "I want to give him something to remember me by."

Jo eyed her. "What, like your severed head?"

"Cut our hair off and leave it for him. That won't rot away," Dina suggested.

"Let him cut it off before we begin the battle," Jo said.

They all agreed.

.

Collecting up for dinner, Bob gathered the girls (with Joan watching) and said there would be no more sex. they agreed. In a surprise, Malinara came up to Joan and said, "We will fight beside you when you go. After that, we'll be gone. You won't have to be bothered with us any more." She then quickly walked away.

Joan was relieved, they were going to go off on their own.

Dinner was a tense affair, but not as bad as Bob thought it was going to be. It was just quiet. No screaming and thankfully no fighting. Bed time for this twisted day was just as quiet. Both Joan and Allison snuggled up with Bob to go to sleep. Exhausted from the day, that was when they did too, so they could be up in the morning.

.

In the morning, things seemed almost normal. Bob still walked around on egg shells, but he still got to wash Allison then Joan down in the shower with some light play. They even kissed him, so he knew they weren't terminally mad at him. They even had a quick breakfast. Delilah came in a flatbed truck with stake sides on it to pick them up. She drove over land away from any roads.

The place Delilah stopped was in a depression that had a couple large tents. Delilah drove into one. Towards the back, terminators were gathered with some equipment and an easel with maps on it. Jackie got out of the cab with her mother.

"Come on guys, over here," Delilah called. She gathered everyone by the maps. "This is secret information. The place we're going to is a town ten miles south of the border. Up here, only two miles from the border is a cave that is being used as a supply point. Our Job is to get across the river, undetected, low up this cave, then go to this town and level it. Any civilians have been ran out, there's nothing but drug dealers there, and maybe some Chinese soldiers." She flipped the map up to show a closeup of the town. "Fuel barn, these buildings are ammunition stores, these are barracks. There are 16 buildings here, and they all need to be destroyed. we will be traveling at night on foot, some of you will be carrying the extra ammunition and arms. Primary weapons will be plasma canons, silenced pistols and three sniper rifles." Delilah then held up a black football shaped object that had fins in the back. "This is a hand thrown bomb. We are using these due to there is no noise of launch when it's headed for it's target. It's a 20 pound bomb, which is much more than a hand grenade. It goes off on impact, so be careful with them. Safety pin is on the front. Pull it and throw it."

Delilah then held up a longbow. "This is another weapon, the 80 pound longbow. The arrows have screw on heads, broad head, explosive and field tips to practice with."

"Do we get swords too?" Jackie asked.

"You shouldn't be getting that close to the enemy," Delilah replied. "The bows have string silencers and the broad heads are made to cut through personal armor. Now, we're going to walk a few courses. Then we will begin training. Running, target practice and compass use, then at night with our head gear. We suspect there will be mines, so we're planning for it. Come over here, we'll get everyone kitted up and you will learn your assignment.

.

As Bob suspected, the four slave girls were fitted with body armor and first aide packs. They also carried the food with them. The marching course was long and over rough ground. Here and there on the course were pistol targets to shoot at. They each carried their own target papers to put up, then shoot. There were also obstacles to get trough and over. A partially knocked down fence that looked like border fence, a rail fence, and a chest deep pond. After the walk though, it was a run-though as in make the ten miles as fast as they could together as a group.

It didn't take long for Bob's harem girls to be exhausted. The first day they were so worn out they couldn't move. The next day was all headsets and communications and learning to operate their infrared goggles.

Although it was a strain on them all four girls kept pushing as hard as they could, then collapsing when they were able to. After ten days of torture, they were driven back home to rest for a few days. Returning, they went to a mock up of the town and practiced their attacks and guarding actions with smoke bombs.

Malinara had the receiver that was the 'help' button. She had to know where everyone was going to be, for if someone got hit, there was no calling out for a medic. A sensor was pushed, and the medic had to find them. Malinara and Hanna were the retrieval medics, Jo and Dina were their backups. They trekked miles to find a disabled terminator and found out how heavy they were when they needed to be carried back to base camp. It took all four of them to lift one terminator and take him back to camp.

They were getting set up to go on the march again, and Delilah came over to Joan. "I got a call from Cameron. Although the NFL is sticking to their position, a judge is going to hear the discrimination case next month. Coach Emerson thinks they have a real shot at winning."

"Great! At least something is going good," Joan replied. "We're done for the season though, aren't we?"

"True, but this decision is going to carry a large impact for a long time."

Another two days of training and Dina tripped and fell. She no longer had the strength to stand up. Delilah took her off the roster and had her become the kitchen help while she was here, once she recovered enough strength to stay up on her feet.

Bob heard about Dina basically passing out. When they were done for the day, he visited her cot to give her the news. "Hey Dina, how are you doing?"

Dina cast him a weak smile. "I'm kind of weak, but I'll be back at it tomorrow,"

Bob shook his head. "No Delilah took you off the roster. You gave it a brave effort, Dina, but you're not strong enough. You're staying behind."

Dina's eyes widened, "No! I can't stay behind. I just can't!"

"You are. This is too rough for you. We will have to move fast and be in decent shape when we get to where we're going. I' sorry, but you have to stay behind."

Dina clasped his arm. "Then please, kill me now."

"I'm not going to kill you, you should know that," he said firmly.

"All I have to do is get there," Dina said firmly. "I can die any time after that."

"What?" Bob leaned closer. "Dina, what are you talking about?"

"We're making life too hard for you. We saw that, so we're going to die during that battle. It's better for you that way."

"You plan to go and die during the fight?" he asked.

"It's the only honorable way out for us and you. Robert, I have to go!" Dina insisted.

Bob patted her shoulder. "Rest, I'll be back soon."

Bob went to Delilah's tent and told her what Dina and the others had planned.

Delilah listened then asked, "They are serious about this?"

"They are. Delilah, they plan on sacrificing themselves."

Delilah let out a huff. "Go back and let Dina know she will resume training when she's able. You do realize Bob, none of them are going. They are barely holding on now. You're going to have to deal with them after we get back."

"Yeah, I know."

"If any of them ask, they are all going. Don't let them hear otherwise."

"Right, I'll go tell Dina."

Bob returned to Dina. She'd fallen asleep.

"Robert?" Jo asked, leaning up in her bunk. "Dina has to go with us."

Bob nodded. "Yes, I talked Delilah into it. You're all going, so don't worry."

"Good. Good night, Robert."

"Night, Jo."

.

Dina spent two days recovering. When she was able, Delilah had them go out and set up a camp, complete with Camo. The object was not to be seen for the two days they were out, even if someone walked right by the camp.

On the second day they were out, Delilah gathered everyone else together and made her announcement. "We got our go signal. The Mexican government has asked for help. All Mexican authorities and army are now considered our allies. A moving van is coming, we will all get on and be transported to the border where we will be let off. We launch across the river at 10 PM tomorrow. The moment we secure our objective, we wait for reinforcement from the rest of Third Division. They will be following in the morning. Pack up and get ready to move!"

Bob made sure he had everything, Joan checked his pack and gear, then he checked hers. Allison had her sniper rifle with the silencer on the end. They each had two boxes of ammunition for their guns and 20 arrows with a box of arrowheads.

Jackie had her sniper rifle also, and a sword on her hip.

"Jackie, why did you bring a sword?" Joan asked.

"Just in case." she said, and pulled it out. "It's a straight broadsword, good for stabbing or slashing, and it's balance well so it can also be thrown as a spear." she sheathed it.

"Maybe you'll meet someone to sword fight with," Bob said.

A call of, "The truck's here!" got them all moving.

They went out. Inside the box of the truck was filled with seats. at least the ride was going to be comfortable.

.

It was getting dark their second day in their camp. Jo was watching out with the periscope, Malinara and Dina were taking a nap, Hanna was grabbing an MRE before she took her turn at the evening watch.

Jo stopped scanning and said in a whisper, "Hey, someone's coming. It looks like Allison, she's wearing a uniform!" She watched the uniformed Allison walk up and open the tent flap. "Guys! Up and out! You're done here."

"We go back to the camp now?" Hanna asked.

"No, you go back home. Pack up, and come with me."

"Allison?" Dina asked, bleary eyed.

"No, I'm Cameron. I came to take you home."

"We need to go back to camp," Dina said.

"Yes, that's where the rest of our troop is," Jo agreed.

"They left, so you're going home," Cameron told them.

"They left us?" Malinara cried as she sat up. "We have to find them!"

"We are supposed to go with them," Jo said firmly.

"Sorry, you got left behind so you're going home." Cameron stated.

"But we're suppose to stay by Robert!" Hanna said.

Cameron shook her head. "Robert said for you to go home and wait for him there. That is his orders to you. I'm sure you'll have things to talk about once they get back."

"He can't do that to us!"

"He already did."

Cameron listen to them complain and spit cures as they gathered their gear and too their shelter down. They moved, but they weren't happy.

.

With the recent infrared drone footage from the Mexican side, Delilah's group knew where the guards were. Allison and Jackie found the guards by the river and took them out. The terminators crossed the river, then Joan, Delilah and Bob went over. After everyone else was over, Allison and Jackie crossed the river. They headed for the cave first. On the way Allison and Jackie popped a few guards and a roaming patrol.

Coming upon the cave, the infrared signatures of many were inside. Delilah had Joan and Bob stay back to blow up the cave when the time came and led the rest of her group to the town.

Settling down to wait lying just back from the edge of a mound, Joan laid the two hand bombs down beside her. Bob kept a watch around them.

Quietly, Joan said, "Sorry, it's not your fault."

"What?"

"The fact those girls of yours are so screwed in the head. I see them as mentally deranged and I don' think there's a fix to it."

Bob grinned. "Yeah, I can believe that. Joan you do know you are my most important person."

"I do. I also know they are going to want sex from time to time. It's not easy, but unless I kill them, I'll have to put up with it."

"Joan ..." Bob whispered.

"No. Don't. I've been thinking a lot about it. I just don't want to see it or hear about it." she said in a low hiss. "Motion, off to the left, sixty yards out."

Bob pulled his pistol as Joan did. He saw it too. A man got up and looked around. He walked on a little ways to the right, then got down again.

"Think he heard us?" Bob asked.

"No, he's checking something," Joan whispered back.

A moment later, the man rose back up and walked on a little farther. This time they watched him kneel down and look at something on the ground. He got back up and moved on to another spot and inspected something.

"Perimeter sensors." Bob concluded.

"I'm thinking that too. Won't matter, I can hit the entrance from here. Just make sure he doesn't see me."

"If he's visible, I'll tag him just before you get up to throw."

Bob watched the man move farther to the right, then come towards them. "An outer perimeter?" he wondered quietly.

"Yeah, that would explain the black box to our right. If we hadn't crawled in place, it would have picked us up," Joan agreed.

"He's getting closer," Bob said and aimed at the man.

Over the radio, Delilah called, "Light-em up!"

Bob shot the man square in the chest. The man stumbled back, Bob shot again twice more aiming at his head. The man fell backwards. Joan stood up and threw a hand bomb, then dropped back to the ground. She put it right down into the entrance. They ducked. A thunderous explosion ripped out in a bloom of fire that lit the landscape.

Looking up, Bob saw much of the cave roof was gone, debris was falling everywhere. Fires burned inside the open ground where the cave was. "There had to be a few explosives in there," he noted.

"More than a few. See anyone?"

"If anyone is left, they are hugging the ground. All we have to do now is keep the back trail open."

"Look at the horizon south," Joan said and pointed at the red flashing glow.

"Yeah, their night is ruined," Bob agreed. He searched the area for any movement. "Not seeing anyone nearby."

A bigger flash lit the horizon. The cloud that rose up was big and orange.

The radio announced in Allison's voice, "From the west, caravan of three, heading for the town, looks like armored cars."

"Kill them with plasma."

"Got two, the last one drove off the road behind a mound."

"A group is running out of town to the north! Eleven men."

"On'em."

"Put another bomb down on that warehouse, someone's active in there."

"I see arms in the air. We accepting surrender?"

"No, wipe them out."

"Bob, far to the left!" Joan said and brought out her plasma canon.

Bob looked. A pair of armored cars were heading for the blown up cave. "Back or front one?" he asked.

"I'll get the one in front, aim for the one behind it. Give it a five yard lead."

"On it."

"Shoot!"

The twin plasma bolts raced out Bob hit the front of his vehicle, Joan hit the side of hers. Joan's blew up and tumbled, the front of Bob's blew apart. It rolled over and stopped, burning. He hit it again. This time he got the gas tank. It blew up.

For a while, they watched the fires burn. No one else showed themselves. A helicopter flew by as it was getting lighter out. It flew low and fast, over the cave and banked away.

"Bridging equipment down, troops on their way."

"Dina first," Joan said as they waited for the troops to arrive.

"Dina?" Bob asked.

"Yes, you haven't had her yet so she's most likely feeling left out," Joan explained.

"You know, I never set out to have sex with any of them," Bob said firmly.

"I know." Joan then cracked a grin. "I also know you're a male slut."

Bob stared at her. Joan laughed.

.

Many people from Driftwood had joined the Texas Guard, and with John's thrust into Mexico, most of them were either in Mexico, or close to the border. With many people gone, Cameron took the time to go visit houses she knew had members down on the line. She gave them news items from the Third Division and any personal information she had on members of their household.

One of the people she visited was Carol Tanner. Going to the house, Cameron knocked. Carol opened the door.

"Hi, Cameron, come on it." Carol said.

"How are you doing?" Cameron asked.

"Worried, Have you heard anything from Duncan or Bob?"

Cameron nodded. "I have, good news." They went over and sat on the couch. "Duncan is doing well in the support company. He's officially a nurse, but at the moment, we've only had minor injuries, so he also helped set up three bridges across the Rio Grande. He's far behind the lines. The forward elements of the Third Division have linked up with the Mexican army and are pushing west. Bob's with the spearhead, with Joan and Allie of course in Delilah's terminator company. The last place they went to attack, no one was there. The ones there bugged out to flee west." Cameron then grinned. "From what I know, Joan and Allison have been giving Bob constant hell over that harem of his."

Carol's jaw dropped. "Harem? Bob has a harem?" she asked in a squeak.

Cameron nodded with a smirk. "He does. Remember Bob was kidnapped? While he was away, Bob saved four young women from horrid abuse. He made sure they stayed safe and well, returning, he brought them back. Which was the right thing to do. He made sure no one abuse them again. They have since decided that he is the one for them."

"All of them?" Carol asked, looking pale.

"All four. Malinara, Jo, Dina and Hanna. They have latched onto Bob hard, and long story short, Joan want to kill all four of them. Bob is trying his best to keep them all alive," Cameron explained. "So far they have managed to have their way with Bob, and neither Joan nor Allison is pleased about it, to put it mildly. They have stopped the group showers, and Delilah stopped Joan from killing a couple of them, so it is getting a bit better."

Carol stared at Cameron, then spat, "So Bob is just like his father?"

"No, He hasn't coaxed any of those girls for sex. He just can't resist them when they throw themselves at him. Since they are uneducated and from a different place, just booting them out isn't a solution either. Bob, Joan and Allison have been searching for a solution."

"I feel sorry for Joan," Carol said weakly.

"It can't be easy for her," Cameron agreed. "We think those girls have mental problems. The day Joan ripped into Bob, up one side and down the other, the girls decide they would all join the Texas Guard, then go die in battle so they would no longer be a problem for Bob. Delilah found out about their plan and sent them home."

"They are crazy," Carol stated.

"Yes, they are. And despite being livid over what they do with Bob, Joan knows someone has to take care of them."

Carol let out a dry chuckle. "Your family do find very odd problems to deal with."

"We do. I am very proud of Joan that she hadn't buried them yet."

Carol nodded. "Hearing this, I am also. Can we go see this harem Bob has?"

"Sure. Just keep in mind, they don't act like normal people."