QuaranTeam - Dave in Dallas Ch. 14

This story occurs within the Quaranteam universe developed by Corrupting Power. Guidance, feedback, and suggestions from BreaktheBar, Agathon, and all the chuckleheads in the QT Writer's room contributed to any excellent or at least acceptable segments of this tale.

Hello, and welcome back! If you're a new reader, you're welcome to start here, but things will make so much more sense if you start from the beginning.

Returning readers, as requested in a few comments, we'll start with...

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Cast of Characters

David Belsus -- 46 yo physics & astronomy professor at Eastfield college, a community college in the Dallas area. Prepper, survivalist, has a greenhouse in his backyard and lives in an outer ring suburb. Six foot, fit, short cropped hair.

Lupe Ramos -- 32 yo former financial advisor, Dave's neighbor, got caught out of state when the lockdowns started. She spent two frantic weeks trying to get back to her daughter. Lupe has been in love with Dave for over a year. Long, dark brown hair, medium build, and a lovely smile.

Esme -- 9 yo daughter of Lupe, prone to the occasional snarky comment. Adores Dave.

Becca -- 18yo, Lupe's babysitter, was watching Esme when lockdowns occurred. Her refusal to abandon Esme, as her mother insisted, likely saved Becca's life, since her extended family ignored precautions and died of Duo. Esme, Lupe, and Dave are all Becca has left in the world. Short, medium build, small breasts, with short blond hair and a smile that is shy with strangers and beams with family and friends.

Janice Wheeler -- 33yo, Dave's first partner to arrive, a librarian at Cedar Valley, another community college member of DCCCD. Slender build and medium height, Jance is 3/4 Korean, her paternal grandfather is Anglo. Medium length black hair often pulled back in a bun for work or ponytail at home.

Shawna Cooper -- 36yo, senior meteorologist at WFAA, Master's degree in meteorology from OU, worked at NSSL and spent time as a storm chaser. Whole hog scifi nut, beginning with Start Trek TNG. 5' 10", large breasts, medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, shoulder length black hair styled like a frizzy weeping willow.

Olivia Tyler (Liv) -- 21yo senior studying horticulture at Tarleton State University, near Dallas. Daughter of Carter and Janelle, Dave's best friends since college. Had a well-known crush on Dave throughout her teen years. Since her dad was former SF and a survivalist, Liv is skilled with several firearms as well as bladed weapons. Never failed to take a deer any season she's hunted. 5'10" long, dark brown hair, large breasts, lightly tanned, brown eyes, and a wide smile.

Melanie Ustanich -- 22yo graduate student in IT at Tarleton, Liv's roommate, recently found a passion for cooking. Spent most of her life in foster homes, Liv's parents accepted her like family the first time she went with Liv on Thanksgiving Break. 5'8" medium length auburn hair, green eyes, small mouth with a ready, mischievous smile.

Kareena Agrawal -- 18yo classmate of Becca's. Popular, not always nice. She's taking this radical change in life as an opportunity to improve herself. 5'6", dusky skin, long raven hair, dark brown eyes

Vanessa Worton -- 38yo realtor, assisting with the re-housing project in Dallas. 5'6", medium length bleach blonde hair, blue eyes.

Nicole Lassiter -- 28yo computer security expert, imprinted to Dave the night before the raid. Formerly a high school and college track star, she only recently worked her way to walking independently after a car accident crushed her legs. 5'6", dark skin, dark brown eyes, dark hair in long thin braids that reach down to her ass

Carmen Verratti -- 31yo Dallas police detective, took one class with Dave ten years ago. Carmen informed Dave of the location and prior actions of the men that attacked his home. 5'4", pale skin, raven hair, brown eyes.

******

Ch 14 -- Consequences

October 29, 2020 11:15am

Just before the Blackhawk transitioned to forward flight, Dave's mind finally made the leap beyond events and people in the compound. He pulled out his phone, noticed he still had a few bars, and sent a quick text to Shawna.

-Liv and I are fine. Being taken to Dallas. Think PD or AF want to have a little talk.

After maybe ten seconds, the little dots started bouncing.

Oh, thank God. Listen, Lupe is leading a charge of pissed off ladies that are not happy with you or me right now. They'll be relieved you are ok, but emotions are high. Get back here soon baby. I love you.

And so do they, they're just a bit worried right now.

He lost signal before he could reply.

Thankfully, the Air Force troops let the medics stitch Dave up before they 'talked' with him. One suggested he not get anesthesia. One look from the nurse cut that talk off in a hurry. Dave was fairly certain they were joking anyway. Mostly.

The nurse kept him under observation for half an hour. She advised him to use acetaminophen once the local anesthetic wore off. The nurse was especially careful to emphasize not exceeding the labeled dosage instructions.

The guards escorted him from the hospital, into a sedan. They drove a few blocks to a nondescript looking building that was bustling with activity. The guards walked him into a room containing a table and three chairs. Two of the chairs were on opposite sides of the table, while the third was against one wall. The guards walked him into the room, stepped out, then closed and locked the door.

Dave wandered around the room. Whoever cleaned it did a great job. There wasn't even any dust to tell how often the room was used. It was slightly larger than a purpose-built interrogation room -- well, the ones Hollywood used anyway. No windows anywhere. Examining every detail he could focus on allowed Dave to stretch out his inspection of the room to forty-five minutes. Roughly speaking. The guards had taken away his phone, so he no longer had a way to objectively measure time. By then, his arm was beginning to ache again, either from getting shot, or getting sewn back together. Dave took a seat in the chair that faced the door and rested his arm on the table. Taking the weight off helped. He faced away from the camera in the back corner of the room.

With few other distractions available, Dave studied the surface of the table. Amazingly, it seemed to be a real wood table. Not a terribly expensive wood, he noted, but it was still wood. Thinking back to middle school shop class, it looked a lot like the white pine he'd used to make a cutting board all those years ago. The sanding and finishing were of higher quality than what his fourteen-year-old self produced way back then. Small scuffs and scratches were evident, more so when Dave moved his head to view the surface at oblique angles. No coherent patterns, though. No messages. Not even 'Tom hearts Jane'.

His shoulder was throbbing now. It was beginning to eat into his concentration. To occupy his mind, Dave began sorting through which of his partners would need dosing once he got home. Assuming he went home today. Becca. with her bright young face, was good for four, maybe five days. Reena, her friend, might be needy by Sunday, but should be fine until then. Vanessa was both more recently dosed and older, so she was good for at least a week, week and a half maybe.

Niki. Holy hell. She's probably out of imprinting sleep by now. Waking up into a madhouse and wondering what the hell she signed up for. I better think up some great soothing one-on-one activities to help her settle in with all this crap going on. Too bad I can't invite her along on a run .

Melanie, red-headed computer science grad, would be getting itchy soon, if she wasn't already. Not so much she'd jump him when he came in the door, but that would be partly due to her self-control. Maybe he should have made time for her before he left. This serum shit was not easy to get used to. Well, in some ways, yes, but damn.

The throbbing in his shoulder was growing. Cutting into his thoughts. He really should have better self-control than this.

The door opened. A man and a woman in plain clothes entered, closing the door after them. The man took the chair across from Dave. The woman leaned against the side wall to Dave's left. Both wore professional clothing. The man was clean shaven, his hair short and off his ears. The woman's hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her features were severe. Combined with the bun it looked as if the tie for the bun was pulling the skin of her face back.

Dave canted in his seat slightly to bring the woman solidly in his field of view. She'd parked herself in a place right on the edge of his vision when she came in. The man and woman stared at Dave for over a minute before saying anything.

"So, Mr. Belsus," the man began, "you've been a busy boy. Between yourself and Ms Barnes, you killed thirteen men in less than an hour. For a soldier in combat, that's quite a lot of action. For anyone else, it's alarming."

Without a question being asked, Dave decided not to respond.

"What is your association with Andrew Bilk?"

"Don't know the guy. I only recognize the name because the Air Force Tech Sergeant mentioned it. He's the rich guy the raiders hit last night, right?"

"And that's the only time you've heard his name?"

"Correct."

"No other interactions between your family and Mr. Bilk?" the man pressed.

"Nothing I'm aware of. He's one of those Las Colinas types? Those folks and I don't swim in the same seas."

"Not Las Colinas. One of those 'tucked away' rich neighborhoods in the southern suburbs. That's how the boys from the compound got away so quickly. They were already on the outer edge of the quick reaction force's reach, and they didn't stay long."

The woman against the wall cleared her throat. The man immediately switched topics.

"You say you have no prior involvement with Andrew Bilk?"

"No sir."

"So you didn't hire the Brotherhood to take him out for you?"

"WHAT?! Why the hell would I?" Dave was puzzled and offended and it showed all over his face. No one with any experience in interrogation techniques -- or poker -- could miss the obvious signs of surprise etched in Dave's face.

"You know of no reason why you would want Mr. Bilk dead?"

"Never heard of the guy until this morning when your sergeant mentioned his name at the compound."

Now the woman spoke. "You take satisfaction in his death Mr. Belsus?"

Dave looked at her like she had a screw loose. "The only time I ever saw this guy, he was lying dead against a wall and a nurse was siphoning semen out of his balls." It occurred to Dave that the woman was the senior partner here. He kicked himself for not realizing it earlier. She wasn't learning and observing, she was supervising and lying in wait.

"Indeed," she intoned. "And why was that?"

Dave knew this was a leading question, but figured honesty was the only thing that would get him out of here. It wouldn't be quick, but it would get him out.

"I didn't know she was a nurse until later. I also wasn't quite sure where she stuck the needle. I saw the syringe go from green to purple, and then she stuck the needle into a woman's arm and one of the... Brotherhood?" the man nodded, "... guys imprinted her. I figured it had something to do with the reason the guys at my house had their nuts cut off."

Both the man and the woman looked uncomfortable.

With a stern, judicial sounding tone, the woman spoke to Dave, her eyes attempting to rivet him to his chair. "Mr. Belsus, you will not share with anyone what you saw or what you think you know because of what you saw. Nor will you share anything shared with you by the detective or the nurse. Failure to guard this information will result in severe penalties including confinement. Even after the serum itself is made public, you will not discuss the nature of what you have learned. Am I perfectly clear Mr. Belsus?"

"Yes ma'am, crystal clear."

A pregnant silence hung over the room. Dave fought the urge to look up for a sword dangling by a thread, or a swinging axe slowly dropping with each swing. After more than a minute, the man started asking questions again. He prompted Dave to lead them through every step of his actions since waking up yesterday in the early hours of the morning. Dave did so, his shoulder throbbing more and more until he finally relented and asked for some acetaminophen and a drink. After sharing a look, they acquiesced. The man stepped out for a few seconds and then returned to his chair.

A young airman entered a few minutes later with one of those small hospital paper cups and a bottle of water. Dave quickly downed the pills with a large swig of water. Then a second swig. He was getting dry. Then he continued answering the man's prompts regarding his and Olivia's actions. It took another half hour to finish. Well, sort of finish.

"You skipped over the part about how you knew where to intercept the Brotherhood's convoy, Mr. Belsus." The man continued to stare at Dave, who remained silent. "We already know Detective Verratti is involved in this. Don't bother covering for her. She's been getting her ass chewed since about 8am this morning. She'll be lucky if she still has a job by the end of the day."

Dave just blinked at the man. Outwardly. Inwardly, his mind was racing. What if she hasn't confessed? What if they only have suspicions? If I fess up, then that blows things for her.

Sighing, the man pulled out his phone, scrolled for several seconds, then turned the screen towards Dave as he pushed 'play'. On the screen was Detective Carmen Verratti outlining her conversation with Dave at his house and the text messages while he was on the road.

"Yes, that's how it happened. Olivia and I left the house knowing only that the attackers were somewhere east or southeast of Athens. Verratti texted that the attackers had struck again, and were coming down 287. We got to the junction of 287 and 19 and waited for them. Once they passed, we followed with our lights off. At their compound, we saw them hauling women out of their suburbans -- like I said before -- and that confirmed these were the guys. What I saw through the window sealed that certainty."

"And then you started killing them."

"I didn't fire on anyone until life was endangered. Those first two were going to kill that woman with their cum." Dave was deliberately vulgar in his choice of words here, and it worked. The man sat back in his chair and the woman was unable to control a shiver that ran through her body. "Self-defense includes defending the life of another. Natasha's life was in clear and present danger. Law enforcement or other official responders were at least half an hour away. I removed the threat."

Dave had his eyes locked on the man as he spoke. He held no menace, no glare in his eyes, just a firm certainty that he'd done no wrong and wasn't going to roll over for some witch hunt. Which is what this was beginning to look like. Either that or an anal-retentive version of 'be sure you know everything.' Maybe both. A minute or more passed, and the man broke eye contact with Dave and glanced at his partner. Some form of silent communication passed. Then the man turned to Dave. "Okay, let's go through this again, to make sure we have all the details."

Dave's arm was beginning to throb again. He'd lost track of any sense of time by this point. He wondered if it was getting dark yet. Or already was dark. As the latest interminable run-through of 'all the details, just to be sure' wound down, the man switched topics.

"What do you know about the Oracle system, Mr. Belsus?"

"Oracle? Oh, the survey I filled out? That's all I really know. Fill out the survey. Women fill one out too. Then some program runs the results and says we could be a match. The ladies that were sent to me say they got a page with several matches, and a 'percent match' number for each one. The ones that picked me, came to my house."

"And you haven't had someone in the system steering women to you?"

"No."

"You have several requests in the system. Looks like five out of your nine partners were by request."

"They each reached out to me, asking that I choose them. According to the CDC guy that first came to my house, I had to request them for the system to work. I only asked for women that explicitly wanted me to do so."

"Four of those five are young women. Two college upperclassmen, and two recent high school grads. You tellin' me these four young women have a thing for older men, and specifically you? From where I'm sitting, it looks more like you're a pervert with power."

"Rebecca was my neighbor's long-term babysitter. We got through lockdown together. At a distance, but together. She and Lupe asked for me immediately when the CDC guy came around. Olivia is my goddaughter. Her parents were my best friends since college. She's been... interested in me since she was a teen. Melanie was Olivia's roommate for years. Kareena was a high school classmate of Rebecca's and asked to join our house. I initiated requests within the system, because that's how we were told it worked. I never made such a request without prior prompting from the woman." Throughout, Dave's voice was cold and analytical. Mind-numbing repetitions of what happened when thirteen men were dead was one thing. Pinning a 'pervert' label on him was a whole other matter.

A knock at the door interrupted any response from either inquisitor. Without pause, the door opened, barely. Dave could not see the interloper. The woman came off the wall immediately. On her signal -- a subtle hand signal that Dave nonetheless caught -- the man rose and met her and the visitor. The door closed after a few minutes of whispering. The man and woman kept their heads together, their backs to him, whispering further. The only thing Dave was sure of was that they were not happy with whatever they'd been told. He cleared his throat.

"Am I free to go? I've been here quite a while. I've answered all your questions three times already. I even kept an even keel when you decided to smear me. Unless you're going to charge me, I'd like to leave."

The woman faced him. She wore her displeasure on her face. "We can charge you with murder, Mr. Belsus. We do have several dead bodies in the morgue, all tied to you and your young partner."

"That was self-defense."

"All the witnesses are dead. We only have your word, and the word of your partner. Rather convenient."

"Wrong, Natasha was there. She can testify after she comes out of her imprinting sleep. She's probably matched by now, so it'll take a day. Also, the women in the compound can testify to their conditions."

"But they didn't see any of the shooting."

"They can verify the mentality of those men towards women and how they abused the serum."

The woman deflated. "Fine. We are releasing you Mr. Belsus. You have a date of sorts."

"Excuse me?"

"Ms Larmonov is indeed ready to be imprinted. She has asked for you. The guard outside will take you back to the hospital."

"Larmonov?"

"The woman you rescued, Natasha."

"Oh. Holy hell." Under his breath, he muttered, "Sometimes gratitude can go too far."

The man must have heard him, because he started snickering. Dave rose and walked out. Just as the door closed behind him, he heard the man asking his partner in a not-quite-low-enough voice, "Does this give us anything we can use to get around Jefferson?"

The same young man who brought the water and pills waited just outside.

"Are you my guide?" Dave asked.

"Yessir," the young man replied, then headed off down the corridor at a respectable clip. He remained silent as he made his way to an attached parking garage and an unmarked sedan. He motioned for Dave to take the shotgun seat while opening the driver's door for himself.

"So, any idea what's going on?"

"I've been instructed to take you to the Vaccination Center in the hospital complex. They've repurposed a whole wing for this project. Someone will meet you at the ground floor entrance and guide you further. I'm to return to the command center."

That shut down conversation rather effectively. Especially considering the bored tone in his delivery. The rest of the trip passed in silence. As they entered the hospital district on Harry Hines, Dave had to suppress a chuckle at the contrast of the kind of life-giving care on this end of the boulevard as opposed to the kind of life-giving happening several miles down the same road when one does not take precautions. And only for a price.

Pulling into a circle off Forest Park, Dave noticed Olivia's truck parked in the circle. Probably. Granted, old pickups are not uncommon in Dallas, but the stickers in the back window, and the pattern of scratches on the side of the truck bed looked the same as Liv's. There were two people waiting at the entrance of one wing of the UT Southwestern Medical School complex. One was wearing scrubs -- not a surprise, given the location. The other was somewhat shorter, with black hair, and a small smile. He got out quickly so the young man could get on his way.

"Detective, good to see you again. Does this mean I'm still in trouble?"

"Well, there are folks still pissed at you, but that's not why you're here. I'm here because people are pissed at me." The grin never left her face, presenting Dave with the dichotomous image of 'happy goth'. In response to his querying look, Carmen continued. "That's a story for later. For now, just know that I'm actually happy to be here and you will be as well, soon."

"Oh, that's so much less cryptic. Thank you for clearing that up."

Verratti's face turned radiant as she gave Dave's shoulder a playful shove. The nurse allowed herself a small grin before speaking.

"Mr. Belsus, before we enter, I'm going to have to lay out a few requirements for you. Just inside the outer doors is a rack of isolation suits. You will don one, and then we will proceed to our destination. You will say nothing while in transit. Not one word. Look straight ahead. Do not look to the sides. Once we get to the destination room and close the door, you may speak in whispers, or normal tones, but do not raise your voice for any reason. The detective will remain with you as will your other partner. One of them may step out to inform the staff that your business is completed in that room. Any questions?"

"No ma'am."

All business, the nurse turned on her heel and proceeded inside. Dave cocked an eyebrow at the nurse as he suited up, noting that neither the nurse nor the detective were putting on an isolation suit. She looked on blankly, her look conveying only 'We're waiting'. Once Dave was suited, the trio headed down the hallway. Several yards from the suit rack they waited for an elevator. They rose to the third floor. Just before the doors opened, the nurse stepped ahead of him, saying, "Not. One. Word. Eyes forward."

They turned immediately upon exiting. The left quickly opened up into a waiting area. Several people were seated in the space, though Dave had only his peripheral vision to tell him that. Following her through a few turns, Dave was ushered into a room and came to a halt inside. The door closed behind him as he took in the people in the room. Except for the nurse, he'd met them all before.

Natasha, the woman he'd rescued, stood beyond the halfway point in the room. A controlled nervousness flowed from her. Dave took in her high, perfectly sculpted thin eyebrows that managed to avoid the cartoon arcs that so many did not. Her narrow, elongated nose added a distinctly aristocratic air to her piercing blue eyes and high cheekbones. Her perfectly proportioned mouth was set in a neutral smile, a balance of hope and concern.

Olivia looked at him oddly, until she got a good look at his face through the face plate. She rushed to hug him.

"You can remove the suit," the nurse said from behind him. "Just make sure you put it back on before you step outside this room. I'll be just down the hall. Send one of your partners to get me when you make your decision."

Dave didn't think it was worth the time to correct her that he only had one partner in the room. It seemed... overly pedantic. Besides, he was busy getting the headpiece off so he could kiss the very anxious Livy. The interfering suit part went flying and his sweet Olivia was in his arms, pressing her lips against his and her breasts into his chest. Lips and tongues tangled, familiar, reassuring, reconnecting.

Dave pulled back. "I don't know if I would have been successful without you on overwatch." He paused so her eyes could twinkle in 'I told you so'. "Even so, I'm worried. Liv, I -- "

"Don't start. I went in with my eyes open. Yes, shooting men is different than shooting deer. These men weren't innocent like the deer. If I'd somehow been tricked into shooting an innocent person, yes, I'd have a problem. That's not what happened." She took a breath before continuing. "Now focus. You have duties to attend to." Olivia helped him shrug out of the suit, then stepped to one side.

Dave noted the chair dominating one side of the room. With that design, it must be from a gynecologist's office. Well, he considered it might be used for childbirth, possibly, but the one time he'd observed a birth, they'd used something resembling a reclining tabletop. Dave smiled for a moment. He remembered who he'd seen being born. Then he remembered what had happened to that precious young man. A flood of memories came flying at him, ending with a dry, written notice of his son's death. Dave stumbled, catching himself against a wall, then took an unsteady breath. Three sets of eyes, one light brown, one a deeper brown, and one pair blue as the deep ocean locked on him with concern.

He raised his hand to hold off any approach. "I'm alright. I just... I'm fine, sorry to upset you ladies. Could someone explain why I'm here, please?"

Natasha, dressed in a hospital gown, with paper slippers on her feet, came closer. "David, I have asked to be imprinted to you. Once I expressed my interest, Olivia was brought over to speak with me." She shared a grin. "We have been having a bit of girl-talk about you and the family you have drawn to yourself. I must say, I am even more comfortable with my decision now than before we started."

Dave's eyebrows knitted with concern. "Natasha, there's no expectation on you to do this. You can choose anyone you want."

A soft smile spread across Natasha's face. She lifted a hand to cup his jaw. "Oh David, I cannot possibly pick another. Just as you could not have let those men kill me." She put a finger to his lips to forestall his objections as she collected her thoughts. "You were not on my initial list of twenty. I asked that they compare us. It seems that's not customarily done at the woman's request, but my social status and the situation allowed for the irregularity. Our match number was not high, but I liked what I read in your profile, as well as the attached letters of four of your partners."

"Four?" Dave recalled Jan, Lupe, and Becca mentioning writing letters.

Olivia interjected. "It's been a month since Shawna arrived. Maybe she got her letter in yesterday during her downtime."

"Maybe. Knowing her, she started on her letter as soon as the other three mentioned writing theirs and kept editing it to perfection until all she had to do was hit 'send' when the prompt arrived."

"That does sound like Shawna," Liv replied, nodding her head.

Dave turned his attention back to Natasha. "Sorry for the side-track. You said something about... social status?"

"I spend much of my time organizing or attending charity balls and black-tie fundraisers. I have a few causes I champion. That is how I came to know Drew in the first place. I thought he was a pleasant enough man." Her face darkened again. "He... we ran in the same social circles, attended the same charity galas... I thought I knew him. When he asked for me, I said yes. The Oracle survey even said we were a ninety-eight point five percent match." She paused, clearly troubled. Once I got there, I learned what he was truly like. Each woman bonded to him was merely a trophy. I was the 'older, still fit, blonde'. Peggy was the 'celebrity athlete blonde'. We might as well have had data plates beside our bedroom doors, like animals in a zoo." She took a shuddering breath. Liv reached out to lay a hand on Natasha's wrist.

Olivia attempted to draw her off the painful topic. "Charity balls and black-tie events? Are you an heiress or something?"

"No, dear, I came to the United States with very little. I modeled in my teens and twenties, and like most, I got tossed on the heap shortly before reaching thirty years old. While I was working, I saved my money and I made a lot of connections. By the time I was tossed aside, I had savings and investments that could sustain me indefinitely and connections that would allow me to grow my financial base further while giving me an opportunity to remain relevant in wealthy society as a charitable socialite. In the past decade, someone decided that older women were keeping themselves in shape and still liked showing themselves off, so I have begun modeling again."

"I believe that." Dave blushed as he recalled her exquisite exposed figure from this morning.

Natasha kissed his cheek, then turned his face back to her by means of one gentle finger under his chin. "Do not be embarrassed that you remember seeing me nude. That will forever be one of my happiest moments. I was naked, terrified, about to be murdered, and a man I had never met stepped in to save my life. You were a strong defender, and a perfect gentleman. There is nowhere I want to be but in your arms. I am safe, completely nude in your presence."

Dave exhaled audibly. "You sure about this?" Natasha nodded. "You come across as a very cultured lady, and, to be brutally honest, the most cultured thing in my house is the cheese."

In a corner behind Dave, Carmen busted out laughing. Livy developed a wicked grin.

"Oh, I am so ratting you out to Jan and Shawna."

Dave blanched. "Okay, that's fair." He returned his focus to Natasha. "My instincts are still pre-serum. I should probably take more time before I speak because of that. Every woman that has entered my house made it classier than it was before all of this." He looked pointedly at Liv. "Including Miss Kadiddlehopper there."

Olivia blew him a kiss and bowed.

Natasha kissed Dave gently on the cheek. With tears riming the bottoms of her eyes, she said, "This is what I want to be a part of. This... acceptance, this love bond. Please let me join your family, David."

He still knew very little about her. What he did know was not negative on its own, it just seemed incompatible with the state of his family. Yet, the look in her eyes was pure and honest. Even as he paused before speaking, he knew there was about as much chance he'd turn her down as there was of him kicking a puppy.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime decision, Tasha. Oh, sorry -- "

"No, that is fine. I like the way that sounds." Her grin widened. "It is a signal that I am starting a new life. A life I want, now and forever."

"Okay, then. I should talk with my other partners. Everyone else that joined us took an hour or more to talk with the family, get to know the other ladies before we made things permanent."

Olivia held up her phone. "We did that. Speakerphone on the other end. The Belsus Babes unanimously approve the addition."

Dave narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "No. No, no, no. Please tell me that's something you just made up."

Tasha smiled, a twinkle in her eye while Liv cackled, clapping her hands and leaning halfway out of her chair. Dave continued to stare, as stoically as he could manage. Liv calmed herself, but one look at Dave's face and she burst out laughing again.

"Well, our young friend seems a bit occupied," Tasha said with a gleam in her eye, "so let me just say I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with your other partners. It was a video chat, so I got a chance to see as well as hear them, and vice versa. I must say, I would rather like to be part of such a... heterogenous group. I can say I have at least one quality common to several of your partners." She paused for effect.

Dave waited. After a few moments, he raised an eyebrow.

"I enjoy a good book now and again. I prefer to read poolside, whenever possible, but a nice chair in a quiet room is good too."

Dave chuckled. "Well, that's not a requirement, but you're right, it's a common trait among those close to me." He paused, pensively. "You know, Tasha, we don't go to high society events. We are financially solid, but none of us have ever run with the mansion set."

"The 'mansion set' let me down, David. Please remember, I came from nothing. I became financially secure through work. Not hard labor, but work nonetheless. That work gave me connections among the wealthy. I've used those connections to host fundraisers for a few cherished causes. In return, I've been invited to similar functions hosted by others. I adore being able to help others, David, but it has become exhausting. Lately, I've had to retire home to rest myself from the strain of so many fake people. Oh, not all of them to be sure, but too many." She paused. "David, the society circles I ran in let me down. Oracle let me down. You were there when I most needed someone, anyone. After speaking with your other partners, I would like to be a part of your family. Shawna and Lupe were very welcoming over the phone. It's been a long time since I've cooked or cleaned my own home, but I would gladly pitch in with housework to be with you, to be part of your family."

Dave continued to examine her face. admittedly, he was never the best at discerning hidden intentions, but he saw no deception. What he did see was more than desperation - although that was clearly present. He turned his gaze to Liv. "Who all did you two speak with?"

"Everyone, really. Though she spent the most time with Lupe, Shawna and Jan."

"How'd that go?"

"Everyone was in favor of accepting her."

Dave watched her carefully. This was, after all, a face he'd known for 21 years. "What are you holding back?"

"Nothing with regards to her."

Dave saw the truth of it as she spoke. He took a deep breath. Whatever she held back worried him, but he knew very well when she was lying, and this wasn't it. Once more, he fixed his gaze on Tasha.

"And you're absolutely sure about this?"

She nodded in response, a small, hopeful smile on her face. Her eyes grew watery. "David, you were the only one there when I desperately needed someone." She choked up. "They were going to melt me with their cum. You stopped that. No one else. I only have a life to live because you gave it to me." Noticing the concern on his face, she collected herself quickly and plunged on. "You were there for your own reasons, but you were there . You could have let them go on with their plans and waited until they were satisfied, or waited until you had more time to prepare, but you acted when I needed you and no one else would. Please David, after all that's happened, I don't think I can feel safe anywhere but with you."

Another deep breath. Dave stared at her. The twitches of her facial muscles surely told a tale to someone more discerning. What settled it for Dave was the look in her eyes. Utter desperation made him concerned and protective. Utter trust sapped his will to protest. He reached out a hand to comfort her. "Ok, then. Welcome to the family." He looked around. "So, what next? Do we call for the nurse?"

"I'll take care of it," Carmen said as she slipped out the door. She returned a few minutes later with the nurse. Dave finally noticed her nameplate 'Kittiwake'.

"Both parties have agreed to this reassignment?" Dave and Tasha both nodded. "You both need to understand that as a consequence of reassignment, your 'latency period' will be reduced by a day, possibly two. That may not be much of an issue, given that older women generally have a longer cycle time to start with."

"I was told at the start that I could possibly go two weeks without having an uncontrollable need. My prior partner never put that to the test."

"Right, so now instead of twelve to fourteen days, you're looking at ten or twelve days between encounters as your maximum. That would put you on par with a woman in her thirties."

Tasha looked at Dave. "Are you ok with that?"

"Yes. I've been keeping up pretty well so far. If they keep sending women my way though, I may need to set up a spreadsheet or something." Dave shook his head. "But, you'd be my tenth partner, so surely that's maxed out."

The nurse looked at him, sadly. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You can expect a slowdown as more men are brought into the system and need to reach the minimum number of partners, but you could likely be assigned more partners as the weeks roll by."

A young woman wearing lab whites that appeared to have been crisp sometime in the past few days entered. She held a small rectangular box. On a look from the nurse, she flicked open the lid, revealing a syringe with a distinct purple liquid in it. It was the same purple Dave noted when Parker was reassigning women in the community building. Then she closed the lid again.

"Alright," ordered Nurse Kittiwake, "Ms. Larmonov, I'll need you to hop into the chair. We will restrain you once you are in position. This is necessary because of the effects of the reassignment serum."

"I understand. I was informed of that requirement previously." Tasha spoke as she strode purposely to the chair. She climbed in quickly. The nurse and the lab tech strapped her in. Tasha waved Dave over to her. He approached and stood near her head, taking her hand. She puckered her lips and Dave obliged. They held a slow comfortable kiss until the nurse cleared her throat.

"Mr. Belsus, the straps are for her safety as much as anyone else's. Once injected, she may enter a... feral state. The exact reaction varies. She will need to be imprinted immediately. Nothing fancy. She won't be able to appreciate any special care you might prefer to take, but she will be... energetically aroused. Get yourself to climax, inside of her, as quickly as possible. She'll fall into the normal imprinting sleep. Once she wakes, the two of you can carry on as you choose."

"We'll need to take her home while she's unconscious?" Dave asked.

"That's covered," Carmen interjected. "You'll have the hands and vehicles necessary."

Dave nodded his thanks. He bent down once more, kissing Tasha firmly. Then he stepped back.

Tasha locked eyes with the nurse and nodded. Nurse Kittiwake opened the box that the tech had brought in, removed the syringe, and positioned it at Tasha's arm. One last look for confirmation and the nurse inserted the needle and pushed the plunger.

Tasha surged against the restraints. Her breathing accelerated and her skin flushed. "OOoooooo, David, doit, now David, doit now, now, now, now."

Slightly shocked, but intellectually registering his role in this ritual, Dave walked away from Tasha's head and around to between her legs. He had been studiously avoiding looking at her exposed sex with the paper gown shoved up to her hips and her legs strapped into the chair attachments. Now he had trouble seeing anything but her bucking hips and her engorged and glistening nether lips.

A body pressed up behind him and a hand snaked around to rub his crotch. Olivia's voice purred in his ear. "She's all yours, Dave. She's chosen to spend her life with you." A second hand reached around to unbuckle his belt. "This classy, beautiful lady wants to join your band of sass mouths and get addicted to your cock. Look at her writhing in lust. You know you want her. You know she wants you." The young woman's hands freed his hardened cock and lowered his pants to mid-thigh. Dave took three shuffling steps forward and laid his cock head against Tasha's wet entrance.

"Pleeeaasse, David. OH GOD, please make me yours. I'll fold towels and clean bathrooms, just please keep me, bind me to you. FUCK ME DAVID, PLEASE!"

Dave grasped her hips and drove himself full-length into her soaked passage in one rapid thrust. He must already be leaking pre-cum because Tasha went into a different, and very familiar convulsion before settling into an agitated peace. She looked Dave in the eye, grinning broadly. The hunger in her eyes abated, slightly. "I'm yours now David. No other man may have me. Finish me off. Knock me out with your semen and let me wake up a new woman."

Liv came up behind him again, stroking her fingers of one hand in the shaved area above his shaft and the other hand under Dave's shirt tracing erotic gestures across his chest. Dave pounded away, feeling like a god and a turd for not doing anything for Tasha's enjoyment. His mind knew better, but his instincts chided him anyway. The writhing woman in front of him, and the ministrations of his partner behind him slammed the door on the naysaying part of his brain. Reveling in the feel and view he experienced from a gorgeous lingerie model socialite bucking on his cock and begging to be his forever sent him over the edge and firing rope after rope of cum deep inside her. It had been nearly a full day since he'd ejaculated. Under pre-serum circumstances, that would have been fine. With multiple women bound to him, almost twenty-four hours without release meant a notable backup of waiting man cream bursting out once finally released.

Tasha's body arched to the extent possible within her restraints as she howled a cry of primal satisfaction. Then she collapsed in the chair, utterly spent. "Imprinting, imprinting, imprinting,..."

Dave retracted about an inch of himself before realizing the torrent that would pour from Tasha's vagina if he continued. Just then, a hand appeared with a small towel. He took it and held it in place to staunch the flow and squeegee himself as he pulled out completely. He held the towel in place against her to catch any additional leakage.

A second hand came around from his other side with an additional towel and finished wiping him clean. That's when he realized the hand that delivered the first towel was not Olivia's. Dave's head whipped sharply over his left shoulder. Carmen just looked at him bemusedly and shrugged.

"Uh, I thought you went outside for this. I mean, I've gotten accustomed to one or more of my other partners in the room sometimes, but uh, you're not bound to me, so that's a bit different."

Verratti turned her back. "Is this better?" she asked with an impish tone.

Dave let out a soft grunt, then maneuvered to put himself away and secure his pants. "For now. I don't mean to be rude, detective, but sex is a private thing for me. Not shameful, just very personal."

"I can appreciate that. I'll keep that in mind for the next one."

"Next one?" Dave barely managed to keep his voice down as the nurse instructed.

"Uh, yeah, so, the first lady imprinted by the redneck crew woke up and talked to Natasha," Olivia explained. "Apparently, they had a friendship while they were partnered with the rich guy. After talking with Natasha, she spoke with me. She said she was inclined to ask for you as well, but she wanted to think about it for a bit."

"Well, we should check in with her before we leave then." Dave's tone indicated he'd be just as happy if the next lady changed her mind.

"Oh, I got a text from the nurse while you were busy." Carmen said. "Peggy's ready."

"Peggy?"

"Yes, Peggy Spears. The name might be familiar."

"No, not really."

"Golf."

"Huh? I don't really follow..." An image flashed in Dave's mind of a young lady with respectable golf skills and frequently in the news for her attire and figure. "Oh, shit. That Peggy Spears?!"

With a wolfish grin, Olivia said, "The Dave Belsus Big Titty club gets a new member."

Dave shook his head and looked at the unconscious Tasha, who had just ended her Litany of Bonding. "You see what you're stuck with now?"

"I saw what she got stuck with. Rather nice in my estimation."

Carmen's comment turned Dave a dark shade of red. Olivia laughed and gave the detective a high five. Dave tried to scowl at her, but she smiled sweetly, holding her hands behind her back.

"Let's just go to her room and check in with her," Dave suggested.

"I'll get the nurse," Carmen volunteered.

While she was out, Dave convinced Olivia to help him give Tasha some modesty. The two found the pins locking the leg attachments in their current spread position. With a bit of careful teamwork, the two got her legs together. They pulled the gown as far as it would go, then found a thin hospital blanket to cover her. Kittiwake and Verratti entered as they finished.

"Ms. Larmonov will be safe and comfortable in that chair for now. The detective mentioned that you wish to speak with the other woman who is considering bonding with you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Got a thing for blondes, huh?"

Dave leaned back for a moment, perturbed. "Not particularly. They asked for me, remember? Actually, I kinda have a thing for redheads. Not that Oracle sent any my way. I have one redhead in my family and she asked me to ask for her."

The nurse smirked at him. "Well, regardless, you need to suit up again."

Dave moved to the crumpled suit on the floor. Olivia and Carmen posted up beside him for support and assistance. Their help greatly sped up the process. "Thank you both," he said. He sent a curious, but grateful look towards the detective. She replied with a small, enigmatic grin. Once the headpiece was in place, Dave turned to the nurse and nodded.

"Same rules apply, sir." She waited for Dave to nod in acknowledgment before she turning and heading out the door. The trio followed her a few doors down the corridor before entering an identical room. Except for the woman waiting for him. Dave removed the headpiece to make it easier to talk... and look.

This woman was more pensive in her facial expression. Her broad, rectangular face and generous lips bore a distinctly more WASPish loveliness, in contrast to Tasha's Slavic noble looks. Where Tasha's breasts hinted at their size within the awkward hospital gown, the early thirties woman facing Dave now stretched the gown to its limits. Honestly, a bit past the gown's limits, judging by the way the gown was creeping up her shapely hips. Dave did his best to focus on her eyes.

"Hi," the woman said, "my name is Peggy Spears. My friend Natasha suggested I should consider you as a new partner. I have to say, after hearing from her and from your partner, Olivia, and reading the letters of your other partners, I really like the idea."

"Ah," was all Dave could say. At first anyway. His brain began warring with itself. Time to sound intelligent, or at least competent now. "Yes, the nurse mentioned your interest. I, uh... this whole situation is even weirder than the weirdness of the vaccine." Dave started stripping off the suit, with help from Olivia.

She smiled. "I agree. I just woke up from my imprinting sleep -- my second imprinting sleep -- a few hours ago." Her face darkened, but the supportive sounds of the three women in the room helped drive back the painful memory, for now. "Natasha recommended I speak with Olivia. We had a good conversation. Honestly, seeing your face, your... demeanor. It confirms so much that others have said about you. If you're willing, I would like to partner with you."

A deep breath allowed Dave to temporize before responding. "I'm flattered you would consider me, much less choose me. This vaccine makes relationships rather permanent, the way things were decades ago. That you would want that with me is staggering if even one woman were to make that choice. Knowingly becoming the eleventh woman tied to me is beyond description, even if your friend was the tenth."

Peggy's warm smile helped steady Dave's nerves. "After everything that has happened, staying close to a friend is certainly a factor in my decision. I loved the picture of you and the others formed in the letters of your partners. The way you approached me when you came in, the way you've treated me..." her voice broke. "I want to feel safe. I feel safe with you."

Dave straightened his back, building a small distance between them, while a troubled look spread across his face. "I understand your desire to be safe. You certainly deserve someone that will treat you like a person, not a possession, the way those rednecks did. My question is, am I truly the one you want for that? I have no illusions about being the 'last good man', or anything like that. So, I ask you, are you sure you want me ?"

"You know, you're making me more certain you're the right choice by asking these questions?" She smiled at him, adding a small chuckle when he hung his head. "And no, I'm not a hundred percent certain. Neither is Oracle. It only gave us something in the mid-seventies. According to the worker there, some married couples register that low, or even lower. I think there's good hope for us. Besides, When Drew asked for me, Oracle said I had a ninety-eight point five percent match with him. So, I went to his home with a lot of hope. I was a trophy. Something to be shown off, and fucked. As far as I'm concerned, the Oracle percent means nothing. I have no faith in Oracle."

She waited, her eyes locked on Dave's. "More so, I want this. And I think I can make you happy. Not just in bed." She added quickly when his eyes narrowed in concern. "Some of the things you mentioned as entertainment interests are things I've thought could be fun, I just never tried. And you mentioned you never played golf, and you thought that might be a mistake. Well, I can teach you to play golf."

Dave gave a light snort in response. He let his mind sift through everything he'd heard. It wasn't a lot to make a life-altering decision for his entire family, and for this woman. This very pleasant woman, who was looking at him. She didn't have Tasha's desperation, or at least not to the same degree. Then he looked towards Liv. Her eyes held excitement, and no reservation. He'd rather have the more mature council of Shawna, Lupe, or Jan, but that wasn't available. Olivia may be a kid in several ways, but she isn't a dumb kid. And she'd grown up knowing him. In many ways, she may understand him better than the older women.

"Ms. Spears, um, Peggy, I just want you to understand, I'm not doing this just to.. um, I mean... you're more than just a pair of... uh..."

Peggy laughed, a wide, radiant smile on her face. "God, you're adorable. Yes, I do understand. You've already made that quite clear." Then she leaned closer, her face troubled. "There are... things I used to enjoy... with my boyfriend - when I had one - you know, before all of this, that I... I want to do again... but... I need some time... after... after everything that's happened." She took a shuddering breath.

Dave's voice caught in his throat briefly. "I won't push you for anything you don't want to do, Peggy. That's never been my way."

She smiled broadly, though tears rimmed the bottom of her eyes. She blew out a cleansing breath. "Thank you. I'd hoped you would say that. It was something I thought I was reading between the lines in your profile, and the words of your partners. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't reading too much into it, filling it in with my hopes, you know?" She wiped away her tears that were forming. "I know you'll have bad days, David. I'm not under any illusions of you being a perfect man. But your good days, and your average days, will be better than the average and few good days with Andrew. I'll accept the bad days, so long as a get some good days with you."

Dave grinned wryly. "Don't start singing BIlly Joel on me."

"Billy Joel? Oh! that 80's singer, right? My dad loved him!" When Peggy saw Dave's flinch, she recognized her faux pas. "Um, I mean,... oh shoot. I didn't mean it like that. But I recognize that song. It's actually kinda nice." She paused again, for a moment. "I'm going into this with my eyes wide open Dave. I don't need you to be the best man in the world. I just need you to be good."

Dave merely nodded, not trusting himself to speak, not knowing the right words. Both remained silent, staring at each other. In the stillness, they made their pact. They nodded in unison.

"That's my cue," Carmen said as she grasped the door handle. She slipped out quickly, heading for the nurse's station. While she was out, Dave and Liv began helping Peggy into the chair. The hospital gown covered most of her body. The lower portion kept her sex in shadow. The trio left her covered, but the hem could be slipped upward easily when needed. Carmen returned with the nurse, who carried a small rectangular box.

"Ms. Spears, have you made your decision?" Kittiwake inquired.

Peggy nodded. "Yes ma'am, I have asked David to accept me as a partner."

"And I have accepted her request, Nurse Kittiwake," Dave replied without waiting.

"Very well then, both parties being amenable, let's complete the process."

As with Tasha before, Dave stood near Peggy's head and held her hand as the nurse prepped the injection site and the syringe. Within moments of Kittiwake pushing the plunger, Peggy's eyes rolled to the back of her head. She refocused on Dave in short order, though her pelvis began moving, as if seeking out a joining. Her breathing picked up.

"OOooooooh, David. Wow, this is intense." She panted several breaths. "David, I need you. Please. Now."

Dave leaned down and kissed Peggy on the lips. Once he broke contact, he moved around to a position between her knees. Her heavy breathing, and the way her breasts jostled within her gown had Dave hardening rapidly. His hands on his belt buckle, he looked at Peggy's face. She nodded, urgently, emphatically, her eyes pleading. He quickly went about opening his belt and pants, and getting himself disrobed from his waist to mid-thigh.

Peggy's hips were rolling and her legs strained against her restraints as if she was trying to clutch Dave and draw him in. He stepped forward. As his cockhead touched her labia, Peggy stilled her hips. Dave pushed forward, spearing her throbbing, hot, wet sex until their pelvises met.

"Oh, God, yes. Oh yes. Fuck me, David." Peggy moaned and groaned until her body seized up in one great arc -- as much as possible with her restraints. After her lungs drew a deep breath again, she cried out, "Oh hell yeah. That's good. That's damn good. Now give me the real blast."

Dave grasped Peggy's hand, avoiding the wrist restraint. She immediately clasped him back. Then he began thrusting into her, pounding in search of a quick climax. The whole time, their eyes remained locked together, her look egging him on as he worked to claim her. Dave felt the familiar urge rising and accelerated his thrusting. Peggy's hungry look of recognition pushed him over the top and he fired off spurt after spurt of cum into her waiting chamber. Peggy's body seized in a manner Dave had seen several times now. A manner that Peggy was now experiencing for a third time. That fact, and the reasons, sobered Dave from his post-nut haze instantly. Carmen cleaned up Peggy while Olivia wiped Dave clean and pulled up his pants.

"You know," Dave said as he fastened his pants and buckled his belt, "this is way beyond what can be expected from a guard, detective." The nurse, trained in being unobtrusive at times, had once again slipped out shortly after giving the injection.

"Just helping move things along," Carmen smiled sweetly. "I'm here. I might as well be helpful."

Carmen and Olivia adjusted the leg positions of the chair to give Peggy a bit of modesty, now that the deed was done.

"So, are we clear to leave now?" Dave asked.

"Yes, the instructions I recieved from my superiors were to guide you through checking in with these two and imprinting them if necessary. Then, I was to get you two and your two new partners home.

"Good, we need to get outta here. Liv looks like she's been awake for thirty-six hours. How are we going to transport Tasha and Peggy? The truck doesn't have much horizontal space, except the bed, and I'm not sticking them back there, especially in this weather."

"Speak for yourself, old man. I'm doing just fine."

In reply, Dave stuck out his tongue and wagged his head at Liv. She responded in kind.

"Well," Dave said, "now that we've covered the intellectual part of the evening," both ladies chuckled at his assertion, "how about we come up with a way to move these two ladies?"

******

Who said all consequences must be painful?

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