Nobody's Hero Pt. 03

Author's Note:

See Pt. 1 for blurb. Also, if you haven't already read Pt's 1 & 2, I strongly recommend doing so before proceeding.

All sensuality (on page or otherwise) takes place between characters who are eighteen or older.

Copyright © 2024 Jake Lazarus

All rights reserved.

This book, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the author (except for the use of brief quotations in a review).

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, businesses, products, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Twenty-Five

"Good afternoon," a smarmy voice declared. "Is there anything I can take out for you?"

"What?" Hugo snapped as his eyes rose to behold a man wearing an ill-fitting suit with a toupee that was so bad that he was forced to immediately look away lest he burst out laughing.

"Who are you shopping for today? Wife?"

"Negative."

"Girlfriend?"

"Um..."

"Maybe a prospective girlfriend? We have lots of great pieces which will really help you stand out. How about a diamond tennis bracelet? I've got a few lovely items which just came in starting at just twenty-two hundred dollars."

"You're joking," Hugo chuckled.

"Not at all. They're a great value, when you consider the cut and clarity. I guarantee she won't forget the fella that gives her this."

"You honestly expect me to buy something that costs more than many families make in a month for a woman just on the hope that she'll go out with me?"

"Tell you what? I'll even give you a guarantee. If she doesn't love it, just return it for seventy-five percent store credit. Wait! Where are you going?"

"What the fuck is wrong with people?" Hugo muttered as he stalked out of the store and back into the swirling vortex of the mall on a midsummer weekend.

He stood staring around helplessly for a moment before a kiosk vender called out to him. "Hey! Buddy! How happy are you with your wireless plan?"

Hugo ignored him and proceeded further into the mall, his eyes scanning constantly for inspiration. He paused outside a lingerie store, his mind a maelstrom of confusion and anxiety, until his eyes settled upon a poster inside the store which looked to be a spitting image of Carrie dressed in nothing but barely-there undergarments. He allowed himself to be drawn in by the store's allure, arguing to himself that it was not outside the realm of possibility that the picture was indeed of the woman he was meant to take to dinner later that evening, considering her time spent as a fashion model.

An older woman accosted him nearly the moment he entered, calling out, "Shopping for a girlfriend? No, check that, fella as handsome as you could never be happy with just one lady."

He turned and looked at her as though she had just announced that she had solved the secret to reversing the aging process and was in fact older than Methuselah. "Why did you say that?" he demanded harshly.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she had been in retail too long to be cowed. "Just look at you. Handsome. Fit. And those hands tell me you're no stranger to hard work. So, tell me, sonny; are you looking for something to be the highlight of a special evening? Or are you more the functional type who wants his ladies to associate him with the soft feeling on their most intimate places?"

"I... I don't know. What do you think?"

"That's a question only you can answer, but answer me this: do you know her size?"

"Which one?"

"Oh, lordy. You are a cad. I know just what to do with you. Follow me."

Hugo started to numbly follow behind, but a buzzing in his pocket stopped him short. He pulled Artoo out and nearly gasped when he saw the 'MISSION BRIEFING' notification. He tapped on it without hesitation and was accosted with staticky snippets of panicked voices shouting for help. Realizing he was making a scene, Hugo lowered Artoo's volume to a whisper and rushed out of the store with the device held against his ear.

"Where?" he grunted as he kicked a fire door open and rushed into the bowels of the mall.

Absent the crush of onlookers, Artoo expanded in size by an order of magnitude and displayed an overlay of a large park near the river. Red icons began appearing on the map as more warnings sounded from his speaker. It was impossible to glean anything but fear from the sporadic messages, but that was more impetus than Hugo needed.

"Get me there! Now!"

The image on Artoo shifted to a blueprint of the building in which he stood, with a red dotted line showing him the quickest path to the roof. He raced through the mostly empty passages, ignoring the occasional shouted demand that he 'get back here'. The sun nearly blinded him when he burst onto the roof, but the dazzling rays were quickly blotted out as a swarm of his tetrahedrons descended from the clouds. They ensconced him in a way which was not uncomfortable, but nonetheless unsettling. He could have maintained a window to the outside world using Artoo, but his training won out and he instead focused on gathering intel for the upcoming confrontation as he was raced to the south.

"What can you tell me?"

'THE DATA SUPPORT NO CONCLUSIONS AT THIS TIME'

"Thanks. Do we have any assets on site yet?"

'T. O. T. 45 SECONDS'

"How long 'til we arrive?"

'E. T. A. 67 SECONDS'

"Perfect. Good any good news?"

'OOYA ALPHA AND OOYA BRAVO WELL CLEAR OF INCIDENT SITE'

"I guess that's something," Hugo sighed. "Text both Faith and Carrie. Let them know I'm looking into... an incident. Tell them to stay away, and that I'll call them when everything's over."

'SENT'

Hugo spent a few moments listening to the message filtering in from the scene, but they gave him no insight beyond instilling a sense of all hell breaking loose. One of the downsides of traveling with his drones was a complete lack of a normal sense of motion. He had enquired with Tristan and Isolde during one of their increasingly infrequent conversations as to whether a force field was involved, but they insisted that there was nothing more complicated at play than a smoothness to the tetrahedron's movements which would be wholly alien when compared to the conveyances which humanity had invented to date.

Without warning, the drones surrounding him scattered, leaving him standing in the midst of a scene straight out of a classic horror movie. Everywhere he looked, people were either screaming as they fled or hunkered down in fear. Above the screams, Hugo could hear an ominous buzzing, like thousands of angry hornets. As he watched, a dark shape dove out of the sky toward a couple who was racing from the scene.

"Is that a fucking drone?" Hugo grunted. He then watched the octagonal object flare within arms' reach of the couple and hover just above them menacingly.

It took only a quick scan above him to reveal that dozens, if not hundreds, of drones of varying sizes filled the skies.

"We need to capture one and figure out what the hell is going on." No sooner had he finished speaking when a trio of tetrahedrons zoomed silently away. As he waited, he said, "You got anything for me yet on causality count?"

'17 NON-CRITICAL INJURIES; 1 CRITICAL INJURY; 0 FATALITIES'

"Really? That's surprising. E. M. S. inbound?"

'E. T. A. 2 MINS'

Further musings were interrupted as a tetrahedron dropped out of the sky right in front of him, coming to a stable hover at his eye level. Hugo reached into his pocket, extracting the case he kept the spherical clusters of drones which could interface with electronic devices. He took one and dropped it onto the apex of the angrily buzzing drone which was held fast by the tetrahedron. Within seconds, the buzzing stopped. Less than a minute later, Artoo was ready to render a verdict.

'THESE DEVICES HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH'

'THEY NO LONGER RESPOND TO THE ORIGINAL CONTROL UNIT'

"Can we jam the signal?"

'NEGATIVE'

"All right. Let's capture and disable the ones we can so the cops can figure out what happened. But take them out if you have to."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

Hugo stood back and watched as his minions fanned out and engaged the admittedly much larger force of malignant drones. It was an unsettling sight for reasons which were not immediately apparent until he realized that both the enemy swarm and his sixteen tetrahedrons seemed to be moving in perfect concert.

"Um... guys? I thought you said there weren't any others like you."

"I can assure you that whatever is guiding those devices is not celestial in origin," Tristan replied smoothly.

"Then how are they acting in perfect unison?" Hugo whispered.

"Come now, dear boy," Isolde murmured sultrily. "Would not even a commercially available personal computer be capable of such a task with the proper modifications?"

"I honestly have no idea," he admitted.

"I suggest focusing on the task at hand," Tristan advised. "There will be plenty of time later to find out what happened."

"Hugo," Isolde whispered in fear. "Look!"

He quickly evaluated his environment. It took only moments to identify that a sinister change had taken place. Where previously the drones had been harassing the parkgoers, they had now become significantly more violent. As he watched, several of the larger enemy drones plummeted toward the ground to scoop up rocks near the river's edge before returning to the sky.

"No!" Hugo screamed as the first of the enemy drones dove toward a group of cowering teenagers.

Seconds before the heavily laden drone crashed into the group, one of Hugo's tetrahedrons slammed into the side of it and knocked it off course enough to miss the group.

"We need to get these people the fuck out of here," he growled. "Artoo, can you get control of the public address system?"

As one of his tetrahedrons broke off from the battle and zoomed toward the stage, Hugo spotted the enemy with which it had been engaged, a larger drone which appeared to have the livery of an internet retail giant, resume its hunt.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Hugo grunted as he watched the drone drop below the trees momentarily, only to reappear with a lawn tool grasped in the, for want of a better term, arms of the drone. The tool was something likely designed for pruning, a curved serrated blade at the end of a long wooden handle. In the grasp of the evil drone, however, it was a terrifying weapon.

Hugo kept his eyes on the drone as it circled, looking for targets. "Artoo, tag that murder bot at eight o'clock and take it the fuck out. And where are we with the P. A.?"

'10 SECONDS'

The wait seemed interminable until one of his tetrahedrons finally engaged the armed enemy drone. Fortunately, the larger size of the adversary combined with the fact that it was weighed down by the weapon left it helpless to prevent the tetrahedron from dropping onto it and depositing a sphere which overrode its control system.

'ACTIVATE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM?'

Hugo tapped yes and then spoke into his phone. "Everyone needs to find cover immediately! A car. A building. Doesn't matter. Just get inside. Now!"

As he spoke, he heard his voice booming from the stage's speakers and he was relieved to see several of the groups of people who had been sheltered amongst trees begin racing toward the parking garage. Scanning his surroundings, Hugo could see that the tide was slowly turning. Unfortunately, it was also obvious that the number of tetrahedrons in the air was dwindling.

"What's happening to our guys?"

'FIVE DRONES DISABLED BY ENEMY KINETIC ATTACKS'

"Make sure they all self-destruct."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

Just as it seemed that the last of the civilians had found cover, Hugo spotted a group of four huddled beneath a park bench. He raced in their direction as he looked around for threats. He was horrified to spot yet another enemy drone which had found a landscaping tool which doubled as an infantry weapon.

"Look out!" he shouted to the belatedly retreating group.

A hasty look around confirmed his fears: none of his forces were in a position to save the foursome. Hugo raced toward the group in the desperate hope to somehow outpace the drone plummeting toward them. The group had come to a halt at his warning and were looking around anxiously, it seemingly being outside the realm of their comprehension to consider that the threat might be above them.

Hugo spread his arms like a revival preacher just before he slammed into the group with the force of a professional linebacker, gathering them together and slamming them to the ground. Before any of them could even think to take a breath, a massive force collided with Hugo's back, knocking him out instantly.

Twenty-Six

"What the hell happened?" a sweet voice demanded in an urgent whisper from what sounded like a great distance. "I thought he couldn't be hurt!"

"I don't know," came a worried reply. "At least he doesn't seem to be seriously injured."

"What about internal injuries, though? These fucking doctors won't tell us shit."

"We should be grateful they're not kicking us out. I'm just trying to reassure myself based on the fact that everyone here seems more confused than worried."

"I guess," the first voice allowed, seeming closer with each passing word. "I just wish he'd wake up."

"I'm awake," Hugo rasped.

"Babe!" Faith yelped in unison with Carrie sobbing, "Hugo!"

Both women surrounded him within seconds, their hands cycling between caressing him reassuringly and yanking back as though fearful of hurting him.

"I'm ok," he sighed. "At least, I think I am."

He took in his surroundings to confirm that he was indeed once again in a hospital room. He was, in fact, not entirely certain it was not the same room in which he had awoken following being shot. He felt interminably weary despite the fact that initial reports from his extremities reported no lasting damage.

"Are you sure?" Carrie asked worriedly as a tear fell down her flawless cheek. "We were so worried."

"Where's Artoo?"

"Here!" Faith squeaked as she fumbled with his phone. She lowered her voice with an embarrassed wince. "He's right here."

He took it with a reassuring smile. "How 'bout it, little buddy. Did I take any damage the nanobots couldn't repair?"

The screen expanded in size to show him a schematic of his body which indicated extensive damage to his upper torso and arms. It was quickly evident that the cloud of nanobots which surrounded him, shrouding him from unwanted observation, had once again acted as something of a force field. This had prevented the spear carried by the drone from piercing his flesh, meaning he had sustained the relatively minor damage of a mild fracture to his shoulder blade and a moderate concussion, along with a massive hematoma which covered most of his back. The image Artoo displayed started to shift, showing the progress of the healing nanobots. They had started with his concussion and then gone to work on his shoulder. Artoo projected they would begin the repairs of the shattered blood vessels in his back early the following morning.

He looked up to see both Faith and Carrie regarding him with fearful expressions. He tried to reach up to comfort them, only to snag the tube for his I. V. on the bedframe, which ripped a hiss of pain from his lips. Both women reached for him at once, their concern spiking in response to his discomfort.

"Sorry," he said softly, but to little apparent effect. He glanced between them a few times before lightly enquiring, "So, how was your day," in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Shitty," Carrie replied. "This great guy nearly got himself killed in an effort to get out of going on a date with me." Hugo's face fell, prompting her to offer him a hint of a grin. "I'm kidding. Mostly."

"I had to do what I could, honey."

"I know," she whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I was just so scared."

"Besides," he continued. "It'll take a hell of a lot more than a swarm of murderous drones to keep me from spending time with you. Both of you."

"And to think you claimed to not have any charm," Faith interjected with a smile.

He felt the first twinges of awkwardness seeping into their conversation, so he retreated using the tried-and-true tactic of changing the subject. "What happened after I got knocked out? Was anyone seriously hurt?"

"Twenty-three people were transported to the hospital along with you," Carrie reported. "Most were just shaken up, but seven were seriously wounded."

"Christ," he gasped. "You've got to get me out of this bed."

"Relax," Faith soothed. "Wally and Delores told us how to find your healing tablets and modified them for skin absorption. We visited each of the victims to check on them and managed to plant a tablet on them without raising too much suspicion. Everyone is expected to make a full recovery."

"Wally and Delores?"

"You did offer to super-charge our phones," Carrie replied with a smirk. "Surely you didn't just think we'd use them to track down the best threesome porn on the internet."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Faith said quickly. "The important thing is that everyone is ok. Or, at least, they will be once you get healed up."

"I'm not sure we can wait around here for that. I'm honestly surprised the jackals haven't descended yet."

Carrie shook her head confidently. "It's true that the incident is all over the news. What's more, you are all over the news. But I think you're going to be just fine this time. They're calling you the Scenic City Savior."

"You're shitting me!"

"The news is filled with eyewitness accounts, babe," Faith continued. "Even with, whatever that thing is that masks you from cameras..."

"The Shroud of Obfuscation," Hugo supplied.

"Fancy!" she declared. "In any case, the news is filled with interviews of park-goers who identify you as the one who saved them."

"What about the internet trolls?"

Carrie replied, "Even that cunt, Maria Hosokawa, who's always posting shit on her channel suggesting you were somehow the mastermind behind these disasters is gushing about what a hero you are. I feel almost dirty agreeing with her."

"I'm no hero," he grumbled. "I'm just a guy who had the means and the will to act."

"Placing you comfortably ahead of ninety-nine percent of humanity. Deny it all you want, babe, but you're certainly my hero."

"Wait until you guys finally go on your date," Faith offered.

"A task apparently easier said than done," Carrie grumped.

Hugo glanced between them, genuinely touched by both the warmth in their gazes and the quiet relief that radiated from them. He had not had any reason to doubt their friendship, or their interest, but he was still unprepared to discover just how much they cared about him. It was at once overwhelming and more deeply comforting than anything he could remember.

Faith interrupted his thoughts. "Now that you're awake... one of us should go pick up some clothes and things."

"You guys don't need to stay," Hugo protested.

"Just like you didn't need to charge into a hive of murder drones to save a bunch of strangers?" Carrie retorted with a severe expression.

"Point taken."

"Rochambeau for who has to leave?" Faith asked with a shrug.

Carrie signaled her assent by holding her fist above Hugo's stomach. They played rock-paper-scissors across Hugo's bed, with Faith losing three out of four rounds.

Faith huffed dramatically. "Dammit!" She glanced between them, her expression warm. "Any requests?"

Carrie shook her head. "You know what I need, babe."

"Wait," Hugo grunted. "I'm not sure where my keys are."

"We've got it covered," Faith murmured as she leaned down and kissed him gently. "Get some rest, okay? Both of you." She left the room, shooting Carrie a playful wink on her way out.

After Faith left, the room fell into an awkward silence. Carrie took a seat in the uncomfortable-looking chair by his bedside while Hugo fidgeted with the controls for his bed.

"You look tired," he whispered, reaching out to take her hand. "I hate that I put you both through this."

Carrie let out a small laugh, though it lacked her usual bite. "Way to make a girl feel beautiful."

"No, I just meant..." Hugo trailed off, searching for words. "You always look beautiful, Carrie. Gorgeous. Exquisite."

"I get it. You think I'm pretty."

"I know you're pretty, honey. But I still think you should get some sleep. If you can."

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "You're the one in the hospital bed, and you're telling me to sleep?"

Hugo managed a weak smile. "As previously discussed, I've been lollygagging here all afternoon and evening. Whereas you..."

Carrie sighed, sinking deeper into the chair beside him. "Watched the guy I really like get skewered by a kamikaze drone wielding a spear?"

Hugo chuckled, though the motion sent a sharp pain through his back. He winced and immediately regretted laughing. "I'm sorry. That must have been... rough."

"Rough doesn't even begin to cover it," Carrie muttered, her arms crossed over her chest. "You have no idea how close we were to tearing this place apart brick by brick before they finally relented and let us see you."

Hugo blinked, surprised by the intensity of her words. "I didn't know.... I mean... thank you."

Carrie favored him with a look that charmed his soul. "What are we going to do with you? You... wonderful, deluded, reckless, insane, perfect specimen of a man. Of course we care about you, Hugo. A lot."

Hugo swallowed, feeling the weight of her words settle over him. He cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "I was, um, actually shopping for you earlier. You and Faith. Before the whole drone thing."

Carrie's beautiful smile lit up the room like the noonday sun. "Oh? What were you going to buy us?"

Hugo shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks flushing. "I... um... well, I was at the mall and..."

"What is it?" she asked mirthfully.

"Did you ever do any lingerie modeling?"

Carrie's eyebrows shot up, and she let out a loud laugh. "You know there are easier ways to see me in my underwear than the internet, right?"

"No! What I meant was..."

"You don't even need to buy me a present. Just be you and you can see whatever you like."

He grinned goofily despite the heat he felt rising to his face. "I'm honored."

"I know," she replied warmly. "That's why I like you. But what's this about seeking out pics of me online?"

"It was at the mall," he argued.

"You especially shouldn't do searches for my modeling work in public. As Faith so indelicately pointed out, I wasn't always safe for work during my former career."

"I could have sworn," he stammered. "I saw a poster. In the lingerie store. Of you. In lingerie."

"Oh!" she enthused. "Why didn't you say so? It's certainly possible. I did a fair amount of that kind of work. I know my tits are nothing to write home about, but I was rather curvy compared to most of my coworkers." He frowned at her self-deprecation, but she pushed ahead before he could interrupt. "So, lingerie shopping?"

"I'm so completely hopeless at this, I genuinely can't believe you're even still talking to me. I literally roamed the mall helplessly for an hour. I only wandered into the lingerie store because I thought I recognized you in the poster."

"Does that mean you're opposed to buying us lingerie?"

"Of course not. I'd buy you anything you desired if I could. But isn't buying someone underwear a little presumptuous? Especially the kind whose only purpose is to be taken off?"

"Perhaps in some cases," she allowed. "But not when you've been given an unequivocal green light. How about I text you our sizes later? Just in case you ever find yourself in the mall again and there isn't a crisis afoot. You can also never go wrong with flowers or chocolate, but steer away from jewelry absent a special occasion."

"Thanks," he said softly. "And thanks for putting up with my uncouth ways."

"You're far more charming than you give yourself credit for, my dear," she whispered sleepily. "In any case, you've mastered the hard part already."

"And what's that?" he whispered.

"Being noble," she murmured as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "And a gentleman. And brave. And loyal. And kind. And honorable." With each sentence, her words grew softer. "It's no wonder we're falling for you."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she sighed as sleep took her.

Hugo, on the other hand, was still very much awake when the nurses came by to check on him an hour later.

Twenty-Seven

"The drones!" Hugo sputtered as he started awake. "Artoo! Tell me all our damaged drones self-destructed!"

"Babe?" Faith asked sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Where's Artoo?"

"He's right here," she replied, holding the device out to him. "What is it?"

Hugo sighed with relief as he saw, 'ALL UNSECURED DRONES SUCCESSFULLY SELF-DESTRUCTED'.

He sank back into the bed and sighed, "Thank God." He then raised his eyes to Faith and said, "Sorry about that. I guess I had a dream about the nanobots falling into the wrong hands."

"Like who?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just know I wouldn't trust anyone not in this room with these abilities."

"There's an implication in that statement, babe."

"I'd trust you both with far more than a bunch of nanobots, honey."

"Even if those nanobots would give someone the power to take over the world?"

"That might be a bit of a stretch."

"Let's see," Faith declared as she started ticking items on her fingers. "You can fly. You can heal from basically anything. You can bend any electronic device to your whim. You can prevent natural disasters and save people from the excesses of modernity. Seems to me like you're well on your way, handsome. Or you would be if you weren't so unfailingly noble."

He smiled uncomfortably, prompting her to rise from her chair and bend over to kiss him unhurriedly.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I like you just the way you are."

"Same," he smiled.

Hugo glanced around as Faith resumed her seat. "Did Carrie head home?"

"Of course not. She's showering in that pitiful excuse for a bathroom. She mentioned, however, that she'd leave the door unlocked in case you wanted to join her."

"You keep doing that."

"What?"

"It's one thing to want Carrie and I to be friendly, to spend time together. But you're seriously, even enthusiastically, advocating that we..."

"You what?"

"Have sex," he sighed.

"Of course. It's going to be great!"

"But we're still going to..."

"Have sex as often as humanly possible? Absolutely!"

"And you're not worried that you'll get jealous? Or that she will?"

"Not even a tiny bit. Just trust me, babe. We've got this all worked out."

"Faith!" Carrie called from the bathroom. "Is anyone else in the room?"

"Just us, babe," Faith called out.

"Christ!" Carrie groaned as she pushed the door open to unleash a cloud of steam into the room. "What a nightmare. I can't believe they honestly think the design of that fucking iron maiden makes falls less likely. I damned near killed myself shaving."

"Good thing our hero's blood pressure checked out," Faith quipped. "Because I think the sight of you wearing that tea towel should come with a warning label."

"This stupid thing is all they had!" Carrie complained, gesturing to the towel she wore which just barely stretched from the tops of her nipples to the apex of her thighs.

She took a seat on the couch which could be converted into a tiny bed, the latter configuration being where both women had managed to sleep the night before while Hugo tossed and turned in his hospital bed. She rifled around in her bag for a moment before extracting a tube of lotion, which she began applying to her, as near as makes no difference, completely exposed legs.

"You know that door doesn't lock, right?" Faith asked, gesturing to the door which led to the hallway.

"Please," Carrie groaned. "It's literally impossible to be a model for more than ten minutes and retain even a shred of modesty. The only reason I'm not sitting here starkers is because I want the first glimpse handsome over there gets at the goods to be in the heat of battle, as it were."

"I love how you two talk like I'm not even here," Hugo grumbled.

"You know we're not making fun of you, right?" Carrie asked with genuine concern. "I don't mind flashing you now, if that's what you'd prefer. Just promise we'll still do the fun part once you're feeling better."

"You're such a tease," Faith announced playfully.

"No, I'm not. The whole reason I offered is so that he doesn't think I'm a tease."

"I could never think that of you," Hugo replied. "And I require no flashing, despite the fact that I find you both incomparable to behold."

"You say the sweetest things," Faith gushed. "Now. Get dressed, babe. Because if a doctor comes in right now with the intent of releasing our hero, he'll take one look at your God-tier legs and forget every thought he's had since puberty."

"What if it's a woman?" Hugo quipped.

"Wouldn't make a damn bit of difference," Faith replied immediately, sending a wink in Carrie's direction.

She dressed quickly, and without departing the room. She simply pulled on a thong and some yoga pants once she finished moisturizing her legs and then dropped a shirt over her head before discarding the towel. Hugo found it very difficult to push the knowledge that she was not wearing a bra from the forefront of his mind, especially considering how evident she made it that she welcomed his glances.

A soft knock on the room's door interrupted his musings. A man entered, dressed in a neatly pressed suit and carrying a sleek black envelope. He smiled politely, though there was something mildly unsettling about his presence.

"Hugo van der Mewre?" the man's greeting was a question, but his manner left no doubt that he knew precisely who Hugo was. "I'm here on behalf of a group of concerned citizens."

"Here it comes?" Hugo groaned.

"What's wrong?" Faith whispered.

"He's still convinced the populace are just waiting until he's out of the hospital to draw and quarter him," Carrie answered sotto voce. "Just hear him out, babe."

"I assure you," the man continued. "My clients mean you no harm. They wish to thank you, in point of fact."

"For what?"

"Why, your recent acts of heroism on behalf of the city, of course."

"Well," Hugo sighed. "Tell them you're welcome, I guess. Good day."

Undeterred, the man placed the envelope on the table above Hugo's lap. "Inside, you'll find the details for an all-expenses-paid trip to an island off the Dominican Republic. It's a token of appreciation for your service to the city."

"Great. I'm sure that'll draw a ton of interest in our fundraising auction at the youth center next month."

"This reward is non-transferrable, Mr. Van der Mewre. Although you are permitted to bring along up to four guests. The time frame for this prize is also non-negotiable. The plane will leave as soon as you arrive tomorrow afternoon. All of the details are in there."

Hugo examined the envelope, feeling a mixture of confusion and suspicion. "I'm not sure I can accept something like this."

The man's smile remained unwavering, but there was an edge to it now, a subtle insistence. "The arrangements have already been made. Your fellow citizens were quite adamant that your countless acts of valor not go unrecognized."

Hugo hesitated, his instincts telling him there was more to this than just a generous gift. "Who are we talking about, exactly?"

"Everything is spelled out in the documents before you. On a personal note, I'd like to extend my thanks for what you did yesterday. My children were at that concert. I shudder to think what might have happened if you hadn't intervened." He took a deep breath, drawing himself up to attention. "Well. On behalf of my clients, I bid you good day."

He left without another word, leaving Hugo and his companions staring at each other in amazement.

"What are you going to do?" Faith asked at once with Carrie asking, "Are you going to go?"

"Probably not," he replied reflexively as he flipped through the pages. "This says four nights!"

"And?" Carrie prompted.

"I could never be away so long. Hell, I've been away from work too long as it is. I've got to rebuild my truck. And repair the bleachers at the youth center. And I'm way behind on the sedan I'm building for..."

"Hugo," Faith interrupted gently."

"Huh?"

"How long since you took a day off work? Not laid up by injury or illness. Not taking leave to help someone else out. Just a day for you."

"Why would I do that?" he asked, the confusion plain on his face. "There's so much to do."

"That would be a never, then?" Carrie asked pointedly. "We both know Derek will give you time off, and Will can certainly get along without you for a few days. I honestly don't see why you would say no."

"How about it being too good to be true," Hugo grumped as he flipped through the contents of the envelope. "People rich enough to pull something like this together didn't get that way by giving away vacations worth fifty grand."

"Likely more than that," Carrie guessed, glancing at the pages Hugo had discarded. "This says you'll be flying private. Even to some place as relatively close as the Dominican Republic, that costs a pretty penny."

"You're making my point for me. What if they're just trying to get me out of town so I won't get in the way of whatever they've got planned next?"

"I get it, babe," Faith soothed. "You're not crazy to be a little suspicious. But think about it. If there was some vast evil conspiracy at play here, then it wouldn't have been a banker with an envelope that showed up here this morning."

Carrie added, "Staying here means you're waiting for the next attack, constantly reacting instead of taking a step back to reflect on everything that's happened. This trip could give you the space you need to think, to plan. You've told us about the different types of nanobots you've cooked up with Tristan and Isolde. Maybe if you can unplug for a bit, you'll think of something new that could make you even more formidable."

Faith leaned in, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "And who knows? Maybe this is exactly what it looks like: the reward you so richly deserve."

Carrie took his hand reassuringly. "Please, Hugo. Please promise you'll go. It would be a crime for you to pass this up."

Hugo looked at her, his mind still swirling with doubts. "You really think it's a good idea?"

She gave him a small smile. "Absolutely. Besides, it's not like you have to go alone, right?"

Hugo shrugged. "I guess. I should invite Jenneke, although I suspect she'd also insist that Vann came along. Also, maybe..."

He was interrupted by the sound of the door opening to admit a woman who by benefit of both outfit and demeanor was quite obviously a doctor. She started the lengthy procedure of examining him, a process which Hugo almost entirely ignored due to the fact that he was overwhelmed with furious self-recrimination.

'How is any human this stupid!' he raged silently. 'They obviously want you to ask them... just fucking do it you moron!'

He found it genuinely remarkable that neither woman had stormed angrily from the room following his fumbling foolishness. Even more amazing was the fact that they both remained, patiently waiting for the doctor to finish as they conversed in the language of whispers and inscrutable expressions.

At long last, Hugo saw an opening when the doctor announced she needed to fetch the nurse, and would return shortly. No sooner had the door closed behind her than Hugo boomed, "Come with me!"

"What?" Carrie asked, her eyes wide.

"Please. Please come with me. On this trip. Both of you." He clenched his jaw in frustration. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry," Faith asked, her voice light.

"Because I didn't ask you sooner."

"You've only known about this trip for, what, less than an hour?"

"But I should have invited you straightaway."

"If only you had some dreadful injury which you'd sustained in the last twenty-four hours to serve as an excuse," Carrie teased. "Then we might forgive you."

"Or perhaps some incredible feat of heroism."

"But only in those extremely unlikely scenarios would we even consider going with our remarkable boyfriend to paradise," Carrie finished.

"Boyfriend?" he asked reflexively. "I mean... yes! Boyfriend."

"In that case..." Faith began.

"We accept," Carrie finished with a dazzling smile.

Twenty-Eight

"Well," Jenneke huffed judgmentally. "Not hard to figure out what she's doing here!"

"What?" Hugo gasped as he looked around the interior of the plane for what had drawn her ire.

"That fucking super model," Jenneke hissed fiercely.

"Carrie?" he grunted, his confusion nearly overwhelming him.

Jenneke glared at him with such fire that he flinched visibly. "I know you likely think I'm kind of a bitch more often than not."

"No, I don't..." Hugo sputtered.

"But I would never," Jenneke continued, undeterred, "Badmouth the first girlfriend you've ever fucking had right in front of her. I mean, honestly Hugo, just how big of an asshole do you think I am?"

"I would never..."

"I wasn't talking about Carrie. I was talking about that walking, talking advertisement for the toxic patriarchy who's preparing the Tom Collins Vann ordered while she was shoving her way-too-perfect tits in his face."

"The flight attendant?"

"Yes, the fucking flight attendant!"

"Why are you so angry?"

"Because," she seethed. "I don't like other women coming on to my fiancé. How would you feel is one of those brain-dead simpletons who star in comic book movies walked in here and started chatting up your admittedly gorgeous girlfriends?"

"She wasn't chatting me up, baby," Vann objected weakly. "And I swear I wasn't looking at her tits."

"I know you weren't," Jenneke soothed as she took his hand. "You did perfectly. Like always. I just wish she'd dial back the seduction. All the men on this plane are quite obviously taken."

"You've got nothing to worry about with this one," Carrie interjected warmly. "He's obviously crazy about you."

"And I love your ring," Faith gushed. "I hate how everyone always assumes it has to be a diamond. Fuck those murderous assholes who run the diamond cartels. And rubies are breathtaking."

"Exactly," Vann concurred.

Jenneke managed to endure the flight attendant delivering their drinks without a cross word or an angry look, but she was obviously relieved when the undeniably attractive woman disappeared back into the nose of the aircraft. She glanced in Carrie's direction and said, "Your boyfriend wasn't exaggerating. You really do put her to shame. I honestly find it harder to believe that you're not still a model." Her eyes then widened alarmingly as she looked in Faith's direction. "I mean, you're both obviously stunning."

"Thank you," Faith replied. "But let's not pretend any of us have suddenly lost the power of sight. You're very beautiful, Jenneke. And I can honestly admit that I consider myself to be reasonably attractive, especially in my companions' eyes. But we both pale in comparison to this magnificent creature. No offense."

"Oh, none taken."

"So," Carrie continued. "How long have you and this handsome gentleman been together?"

Jenneke glanced at Hugo before shyly admitting, "A year and a half. I really am sorry you guys didn't meet sooner, Hugo."

"Your prerogative," he shrugged.

"Don't be like that, Hugo. It's just..." She sighed, glancing at her fiancé as though to gain a measure of strength. "I knew from the jump he was the one. And I didn't want you to scare him away."

"I wouldn't have..."

"Oh really?" Jenneke fired back. "You expect me to believe that after how you treated him in my apartment? You acted like he was a common thug, for Christ's sake."

"I did not," Hugo retorted firmly. "I merely responded to someone who was a stranger, at least to me, in your apartment. You know me better than to assume I'd judge someone based merely on appearance."

"Whoa! I never said you were prejudicial. I wouldn't do that. Ever." She turned to where Faith and Carrie sat together. "Please know, no matter what you might have heard or read about South Africa, that wasn't our family. At least, it wasn't our parents. They brought us here so we wouldn't be raised around that kind of hate. They gave up everything: their families, their future. Because they knew it was the only moral decision."

"We know," Faith replied sincerely. "I know you two have had your... challenges. But Carrie and I see the testament to your incredible parents in every second we spend with Hugo."

"I don't doubt it. The insufferable bastard is just overflowing with nobility, isn't he?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Carrie mused.

Jenneke sighed, her eyes going to the roof of the cabin. "My brother was a superhero long before he was given otherworldly powers. Without hesitation, he took the weight of the world on his shoulders after Father was murdered. Then, after Mother abandoned us, he sacrificed everything for me. Everything."

"She didn't abandon us, Jenneke," Hugo protested weakly.

"Yes. She did."

"It was never proven that she intended..."

"They found three weeks' worth of antidepressants in her stomach, Hugo! She killed herself, and you fucking know it!"

"I'm so sorry," Faith sighed, reaching across to take Jenneke's hand.

"Me too. I barely remember what she was like before Father died. But I definitely remember that Hugo gave up everything after she was gone. For me."

"Of course he did," Faith replied. "What else was he meant to do?"

"Did he tell you he had a full ride to university? He was going to be a mechanical engineer. He should be living in some upscale suburb with a white picket fence and a family by now. Instead, he lives in an apartment so small you have to go outside to change your mind while he works around the clock. All so he can not-so-secretly fund my quote, unquote, grant."

Hugo frowned. "Who told you?"

She glanced at Vann. "How long did it take us to work it out, babe? Twenty minutes? Ten?"

"The fact that the company it purportedly came from doesn't exist in our state was a bit of a tip off," Vann admitted. "The money getting placed directly into her account was also a red flag, as was the fact that the bank wouldn't let her return the money because they said the funding was the result of a cash deposit."

"I'm grateful, Hugo. I'm so, so, grateful."

"But?" he prompted.

"I entered my freshman year of high school already being in such a deep hole with respect to how much I owed you that I couldn't pay you back in ten lifetimes. Then you went and joined the God damned army as soon as I turned eighteen because a recruiter told you that you'd have, as near as makes no difference, zero expenses. So, for an entire fucking decade, you went from one war zone to the next; hating every minute of it but unwilling to consider another alternative because spoiled, entitled, Jenneke just had to go to a private school in Oregon. The fact that I had a scholarship never even entered your calculus. Nor did the fact that I begged you not to do it. I could have just gotten a job, Hugo."

"But then you might have lost your scholarship."

"So, it's perfectly acceptable for you to work around the clock, but poor, fragile Jenneke must focus on her precious art? All while her brother almost literally kills himself to fund her life of lazy excess."

"I never said you were lazy."

"I know," she grumped. "You've never done anything which wasn't completely extraordinary. You're an impossibility, Hugo. A unicorn. And I'm so incredibly grateful that you're my brother."

"So why won't you take my calls."

"Because how do you say thank you to someone who gave up their life for you? How does one properly convey gratitude for something like that? Our language... hell, our psyches, can't even comprehend something that massive. Maybe that's why every time I try, I completely botch it; and we end up arguing. You're my hero, big brother. You always have been. And I swear I'll do better at showing you just how grateful I am. Especially if you stop sending me all your fucking money!"

"You know it makes him happy to help you," Carrie offered softly. "In the hospital, when that guy showed up to tell him about the trip, his first thoughts were to include you."

"Technically," Faith interjected. "His first thoughts were to raffle it off as a fundraiser."

"Typical," Jenneke grumbled. She fell silent for a long moment before adding, "I'm honestly stunned he was willing to invite you two along."

"Hey!" Hugo complained. "I do plenty to screw things up with them all on my own. I don't need you kicking me while I'm down."

"And yet, here they are," Jenneke replied warmly. She regarded Hugo's companions before adding, "Thank you. Thank you for putting a smile on my big brother's face for the first time in longer than I can remember. It makes me so happy that you're here with him. He's been alone for so long."

"We were thrilled to join you," Carrie soothed. "And it makes us so very happy to see you two like this."

"Me too," Jenneke replied. She then glanced down to where Carrie's hand lightly clasped Faith's. "Although, I have to admit that I'm a little confused."

"How so?"

"I'm certainly not asking for gory details. But... how does it work?"

"How does what work?" Faith replied.

"Do you guys just trade off nights?"

"For now," Carrie replied. "Although we also have to contend with the occasional fantastical event, which can certainly place a strain on our social calendar."

"So, how long have you been together?"

Faith glanced in the direction of her petite companion. "Carrie actually met him first, just before the... um... shooting."

"Oh, really?"

"I just pulled into his shop one day when my car was acting up thanks to a torrential downpour," Carrie continued. "It won't surprise you to learn he fixed my car in about two minutes, and that he did it for free."

"Of course," Jenneke chuckled.

"He met Faith a week or so later in the hospital when he realized his nanobots could heal anyone and decided to distribute them amongst the needy like Dr. Robin Hood."

Faith smiled and said, "He introduced Carrie and I a couple weeks later, before any of us had even gone on a date."

"Your handsome brother needed a bit of encouragement to ask my beautiful companion out, even though he was obviously smitten. Something I was all too happy to provide."

"Carrie and Hugo were supposed to have their first date a few days ago, but he was in the hospital after the thing at the concert."

"So, how about you two?" Jenneke asked warmly.

"We had lunch together the day after I coached Hugo through asking her out," Carrie replied. "And it was just instant fireworks between us."

"We couldn't keep our hands off each other," Faith gushed. "I mean... look at her."

The three women continued their easy conversation, but Hugo lost the ability to comprehend their words over the thundering of his heartbeat in his ears.

'Together?' he silently wailed. 'Together!'

He willed his heartrate to lower, to little effect, so he took a healthy swig of his cocktail. The burning in his throat helped calm the panic he was feeling, at least a bit. He looked over at his companions, taking in their obvious shared affection. As he did, random comments, seemingly innocent looks, and apparently more-than-friendly caresses started flitting through his subconscious like a montage from a low-budget sports movie.

'How could I have been so stupid?' he asked himself despondently. 'So many times they tried to tell me, to let me down easy, and I foolishly ignored them every damned time!'

A laugh from Faith reached a sliver of his awareness, causing him to glance up in time for Carrie to rest her head on Faith's shoulder, earning an affectionate kiss to the crown of her head from her beautiful partner.

'I will not fuck this up for them!' Hugo vowed to himself. 'They deserve this!'

He silently excused himself to visit the lavatory, despite there being no biological imperative to do so. He stood in the tiny space, pointedly avoiding his own reflection in the mirror, until he decided that remaining any longer would only increase the awkwardness of the situation. He exited and quietly took a seat a few rows behind where his companions chatted like life-long friends. The flight attendant approached to silently inquire if he wanted anything, but he waved her away to return his attention to the shimmering water far below them.

He was startled from his reverie by a touch on his elbow. He looked around in irritation, expecting to find the flight attendant once again pestering him. His features relaxed at once upon spotting Faith's worried expression as she looked down at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Funny," she replied somberly. "That's what I was going to ask you. Do you mind if I sit?"

"Of course not," he answered, gesturing to the seat beside him.

She regarded him for a long moment before finally saying, "I'm sorry. We should have told you earlier."

"It's fine," he said stiffly.

"Things have just been so crazy lately," she continued. "It never seemed like the right time."

"Like I said, no big deal. I'm very happy for both of you."

"You're sure it doesn't bother you?"

"I'm not a bigot," he snapped.

"I know that," she replied softly. "It's just..."

"It great that you're happy," he interrupted with what he hoped was sincere warmth. "Both of you."

She looked at him with an inscrutable expression for a long moment. "I just didn't want you to think I was cheating on you. That we were cheating on you."

"We weren't dating at the time," he replied stiffly. "I respect your decision. And, like I said, I'm really happy you two found each other."

"Are you... are you jealous?"

"Negative."

"Hugo!" she whispered with a chuckle. "You don't need to be jealous, you dork."

"I'm not," he snapped as he returned his attention to the window. "As I said, I wish you both nothing but happiness."

"Babe," Faith whispered several long moments later. He turned reluctantly, and only after having steeled his features. He found her staring at him with eyes so wide that he could clearly see white around the entirety of her pupils. Her cheeks were wet with tears, causing his empathy to spike.

"What's wrong?"

"You thought," she began, but a sob broke free. She took a deep breath before continuing. "You thought we didn't want you as well? That we'd chose each other over you?"

"I..." he began.

"That we'd come on this trip with you, only to reveal en route that, 'Hey, you know how we kept promising we wanted you, how we both spoke at length about making love to you in paradise? Well, that was actually all just a cruel prank to convince you to take us on vacation so we could repeatedly fuck each other into unconsciousness while leaving you high and dry.' That about where your head's at right now?"

"I never meant to imply any cruelty on either of your parts," he replied weakly. "It's just... what was I supposed to think?"

"That we, Carrie and I, both want us all to be together. Romantically. Intimately. I guess we just figured that you seem to like both of us..." she trailed off, her unspoken question hanging in the air between them.

"I more than like you, honey. Both of you."

"Same," she replied warmly. "And she and I both had the same reaction to each other that we had to you. I guess we just figured that it was fate for us to all be together. It was never, ever, our intention that you spend even a nanosecond thinking that we don't both care about you very, very, much."

"Thank you. That means a lot. It's just..."

"What is it, babe?"

"I don't even know how to be in a relationship with one person. Much less two. Especially when they're the two most warm, thoughtful, and giving people I've ever met... to say nothing of the fact that they're mind-bendingly gorgeous."

"You let us worry about that, babe. You've got the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let your girlfriends handle this part. I swear, we won't lead you astray."

"Girlfriends," he groaned. "I can't even manage to go on a single date with both of you individually without screwing something up."

"Which is why tonight is about you and Carrie," she soothed. "Don't worry, handsome. We have everything planned out. It's going to be so great!"

Twenty-Nine

"Act like you been there before," Hugo muttered to himself as he beheld the breathtaking splendor surrounding him.

"What was that?" Carrie asked, her answer almost swallowed by the crash of waves in the background.

He smirked self-consciously and gestured to their surroundings. "This must seem like old hat to you."

"Not at all," she replied quickly. "If anyone ever pretends to be unmoved by this, then they're either dead or a sociopath."

"Seriously?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, a hint of a frown creasing her features. She waved her arm at the expansive (not to mention completely empty) beach which stretched as far as they could see in either direction, then at the clear, cerulean waters to their north. "It's gorgeous here, babe. The fact that I've visited other places just as beautiful doesn't change that. If anything, it leads me to appreciate it even more."

"So how does this compare to St. Tropez?"

She laced her fingers with his as they resumed their leisurely stroll. "The water is certainly warmer here, and I definitely prefer sand to gravel." She pulled him close, nestling against him appreciatively. "And I absolutely prefer the company. Why do you ask? Is this your way of letting me know you'd prefer it if I was topless? Or nude?"

"I would never say that."

"Of course not," she whispered. "But that doesn't mean it's not your fantasy."

"I thought you weren't ready for that yet."

"I said I wanted the first time you saw my body to be in the heat of the moment," she corrected. "But that was merely a preference. I'd have zero reservations against revealing my body to you, babe. All you need to do is ask."

He looked around awkwardly for a moment before murmuring, "Perhaps we should have our first date first."

She lifted their clasped hands demonstrably. "What do you think this is? I certainly couldn't imagine a better date night than a romantic, intimate walk down a private beach."

"Indeed," he replied with a crooked grin.

She gestured with her free hand at her body which was covered, if indeed that was the term, by a bikini which was little more than three triangles of white fabric, each no larger than a credit card, held together by a few tantalizing ties. "Besides, it's not like you're missing that much."

They walked in silence for a few moments before he said, "So... what do you think the deal is with this place?"

"How do you mean?"

"It seems like all the places nearby were just privately held houses, or estates. I mean, they're extremely opulent mansions likely worth tens of millions, but I didn't get the sense that any of them are resorts. This place is a lot bigger than they are, but I didn't see any signage when we came in."

"Not all resorts feel the need to publicize their existence to their neighbors. Typically, the more expensive, the less they need to advertise. That being said, this place reminds me strongly of the estate the star forward who played with my ex had on Réunion."

"Isn't that near Orlando?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "It's just east of Madagascar."

"I see."

"Hey," she chided gently. "It means nothing that I've been to all those places, and you haven't. Nothing. They were just experiences I had, same as all the insane places you must have gone in the army."

"I'd venture to guess no one was shooting at you when you were in Africa."

"I hate that you had to go through that, Hugo. Even if those events were an inextricable part of the life experience that built the remarkable man before me. I can only hope that there are better days ahead for you."

He smiled down at her before looking around for a moment. "I'm in what may very well be the most beautiful place on earth, with a woman who is unquestionably one of the two my gorgeous humans in history."

"Your point?" she murmured coquettishly as she stepped closer.

"Isn't it, by definition, all downhill from here?"

She shook her head in amazement and sighed, "You truly are a one of one, babe," before releasing his hand and taking a step toward the water.

Hugo watched her go as he muttered, "Idiot! What the hell is wrong with you."

"Do you swim?" Carrie called from the water's edge.

He looked in her direction to find her looking over her shoulder at him, presenting the devastating sight of her, as near as makes no difference, completely nude backside to him. She smiled at him and waved him closer, but the little shake she gave her ass let him know that she knew exactly where his eyes were glued.

"I've been known to swim," he replied as he reached her side, "from time to time."

She grabbed his hand and enthused, "Then let's go!" in advance of scampering into the warm, cerulean water.

He chased after her with gusto, catching her just as the water reached her waist to wrap her in his arms. She gazed up at him breathlessly as the waves crashed against him. He smiled down at her, his heart skipping a beat at the heated look in her eyes as her tongue darted out to whet her lips.

"I want you to kiss me," she announced over the sound of the ocean. "In case you were wondering."

"Yeah," he murmured as he lowered his lips to meet hers. "I wasn't going to screw that up twice."

Any thoughts of their first kiss being one of tender patience ended as she yanked on his unbuttoned linen shirt to lift herself up to meet him. Her tongue invaded his mouth with libidinous urgency as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He gripped her perfect ass to hold her aloft as she cradled his face like a cherished artifact while never giving even a hint that she had any plans of relinquishing his lips. Her moan filled his lungs as she tilted her head to, impossibly, deepen the kiss even further.

Hugo struggled to keep his feet against the surge of the incoming tide, until a particularly energetic wave bowled them over. He released her from their embrace, but kept hold of her hand as they fought to reclaim their footage beneath the surging surf. He popped up to find her chuckling despite her heated gaze.

"Think that's funny, do you?"

"Yeah, I do," she guffawed. "Now get over here and kiss me again, handsome."

"The first one didn't turn you off to my charms?" he quipped as he pulled her close.

"I think you could safely say I am the opposite of turned off," she murmured against his lips. Her hands slid down his body, leaving a trail of sensory overload in their wake. She gripped his manhood through his trunks as she trailed tiny kisses across his lips. "And I'm not the only one who's turned on."

"I'm always turned on around you, Carrie," he whispered. "Always."

"Even on that day at the garage when we met?"

"Every time."

"What about that day at the beach where I got naked for you?"

He quirked an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "Perhaps I need to have a chat with Tristan and Isolde about repairing damage done by concussions, because I certainly would have wanted to remember that."

"You're such a dork," she giggled. "Or did you genuinely not realize I'm talking about today?"

"Oh," he stammered as she tugged the ties for her thong loose in advance of removing it altogether and shoving it in the pocket of his trunks, giving his shaft a squeeze for good measure while she was in the vicinity.

"Do you want to take my top off?" she asked sultrily. "Or shall I?"

He tugged the tie behind her back loose, leaving the tiny triangles to be held in place by nothing beyond their closeness. She leaned back, her joy radiating from her features as he lifted her top over her head to reveal her exquisite breasts. He bent to tease one of her stiff peaks with his tongue as he kneaded the taut flesh of her ass. Her body was a masterpiece of feminine perfection. Her smooth, tanned skin did not show so much as a hint of tan lines. Even her nipples were like something a Renaissance sculptor would have fashioned: smooth peeks which were barely a shade darker than the surrounding skin, terminating in nipples that were tiny perfect nubs just above the swell of her breast.

She tucked her top in his other pocket but kept pushing against his trunks until they slid down enough for his manhood to spring free.

"That's more like it," she sighed as her hand encircled his shaft and gave him a quick pump.

"I think we should make for the shore," he groaned against the pebbled bud of her nipple. "Or we're going to be walking home naked."

"Fine by me," she whispered with a suggestive wink.

Carrie pushed against his chest to encourage him to stand at attention, then rewarded him by lavishing the same praise on his nipples that he had shown hers. She kissed slowly down his chest, her tongue stopping to trace each defined line of his torso. When she reached the waterline, she favored him with a suggestive wink before ducking beneath the waves.

"Good God," he groaned in response to the cool waters of the Caribbean being replaced by the warmth of her mouth as her lips encircled the head of his cock.

He looked down to find that he could clearly see her bobbing beneath the waves as she pleasured him. Her perfectly formed ass floated up to break the surface of the water, prompting him to lean forward to caress her flawless skin. Just as the tips of his fingers found her smooth slit, he felt her release him. He straightened to give her plenty of room to pop up for air.

Carrie arose from the water like a goddess, with a wide smile on her lips and a hungry gleam in her eye. "It's one thing to be told the best man you've ever known is in possession of a world class cock, it's something altogether different to discover that Faith vastly undersold you."

"I'm flattered," he growled. "I'm also a far cry from the most impressive physical specimen here. Honey, you're fucking perfect."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she pleaded.

Hugo picked her up without effort, smiling at the sensation of her legs again wrapping around his waist. Her hand snaked between them to align his shaft with her entrance. He pulled her close, claiming her lips as her slick heat welcomed his intrusion.

"Holy shit you feel amazing," she sighed as their centers met.

She rode him with unbridled enthusiasm, her eager twerking causing her ass to slap against the water as her perfectly sized breasts bounced in his face. He bent to suck one of her nipples between his lips, lathing her pebbled bud with his tongue as she moaned wantonly in his arms.

Like a rogue wave, a panicked thought invaded his consciousness. "Shit! Honey! We forgot the condom."

"No, we didn't," she moaned.

"But..." he protested.

"I talked to Delores about this, babe. Obviously, neither of us have any diseases thanks to your friends. And she's got any birth control pill beat by a comfortable margin. Same for Faith."

"Christ," he groaned. "You're a dream."

"So are you," she whimpered. "Please, Hugo."

"I'm with you, honey."

"Oh, God!" she shouted as her inner walls tightened around his manhood.

She spasmed in his arms as her orgasm consumed her. Her exquisite body shook uncontrollably, sending alluring jiggles across her impeccable breasts. The sight, combined with the comforting embrace of his companion's boundless affection, was more than he could withstand. Hugo slammed his hips home a final time as he joined her in release and his essence flooded her core. It took every measure of his resolve to keep her in his arms as his muscles locked uncontrollably.

She claimed his lips as their mutual pleasure receded, kissing him with an eagerness that transcended lust. He held her close, luxuriating in the impeccable sensation which radiated off her in waves. It was more than fondness, more than compassion, more than affection. The feeling was undefinable, yet wholly unknown for the entirety of his existence. Despite this, he recognized it at once because his feelings mirrored hers perfectly.

"That was incredible," she sighed as she leaned against his broad chest.

"So are you," he repeated happily.

Thirty

"Five times!" Faith bellowed over the distant sound of crashing waves.

"I do not want to hear about it," Jenneke snapped.

"I thought you wanted him to be happy," Carrie retorted.

"I do! But it's one thing to be glad he's found you guys, that you found each other, I mean. But that doesn't mean I want to hear about how many orgasms he had! Hell, if I was talking about the freaky vacation sex Vann and I had last night, Hugo would have to be restrained by a squadron of storm troopers to keep from losing his shit."

"No, I wouldn't," Hugo complained. "Regardless of what you might think; I am not only aware of the fact that you're a grown woman... I'm positively thrilled that you got engaged. As to last night... all I have to say is that I'm happy for you."

"Well..." she drawled. "Ok, then. I'm happy for you too, I guess. All of you. And not, I guess. I'm happy for all of you. Definitely."

"I do believe we've found scientific evidence that awkwardness is hereditary," Carrie teased. "Too bad we don't have cell coverage here for me to contact the Nobel committee."

"Laugh it up," Hugo chortled. "Go ahead and make fun of the immigrants if it makes you feel better."

"You're not immigrants," Vann retorted. "Wasn't that the whole point of your folks leaving Africa before Hugo was born?"

"Children of immigrants, then," Hugo amended.

Jenneke looped her arm through Vann's and the couple pulled ahead, eagerly pointing out one beautiful sight after the next in the paradise which surrounded them. Carrie and Faith followed suit, hooking their arms in Hugo's as they walked across the fairway-quality lawn toward the main house for what was billed as the best brunch in the Caribbean.

"I still can't believe you guys went five times," Faith murmured coquettishly. "The first one looked like more than enough to have knocked me out for a week or two."

"Sounds like someone was watching," Carrie retorted teasingly.

"Oh, please! You were practically begging me to watch, honey. Half the island probably witnessed the eighth natural wonder of the world yesterday."

"And that is?" Hugo prompted with a knowing smile.

"The two most beautiful people on earth making love in one of the most romantic and spectacular locations I could imagine. Honestly, it was like something out of a movie. An X-rated movie, perhaps. But still."

"I wouldn't say X-rated," Carrie countered. "No one above the waterline would have seen penetration. That's totally something you'd see on a prestige streaming show."

"Except for the fact that most people on those shows couldn't act their way out of a paper bag. Whereas you two are obviously in luh... crazy about each other."

"So... uh... did you enjoy the show, babe?" Carrie stammered.

"I might have put on a show of my own. It's a good thing Jenneke and Vann made a beeline for their cabana, or they would have had their retinas fried after they spotted me giving my vibrator a thorough workout on the balcony of what I strenuously hope will be my former cabana."

"One," Carrie replied firmly. "You're also fucking gorgeous, Faith. So, none of your backhanded self-deprecation. I'm very pleased you find me pleasant to look at..."

"Hello?" Faith muttered. "You're a fucking super model."

"I was never a quote, unquote, super model, and you know it. And I'm not any kind of model now, except for you two. My point was that I find you just as pleasant to look at, honey. Both of you. You're exquisite. Beyond compare in every way."

"Says the woman who's rubbed elbows with literal royalty in Monaco," Hugo teased.

"All the more reason you should take me at my word," Carrie fired back with a gleam in her eye. "I've slept with supermodels of both genders, not to mention world-class athletes. And you two have them all beat by a comfortable margin."

Faith blushed as she looked away self-consciously. Hugo wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close enough to plant a kiss just in front of her ear. "You really are so unbelievably beautiful, honey."

"So are you," she murmured as she leaned up to collect a kiss. She then looked over to Carrie and said, "Your previous statement seemed to suggest you had another point?"

"Huh?" Carrie grunted. Her eyes then widened, and she added, "Oh, yeah! That shit about your cabana is now and forever a vestige of our past."

"You're sure?" she asked with unguarded vulnerability.

"Hell yeah!" Carrie enthused. "From now on, it's going to be hot and cold running threesomes, around the clock!"

Hugo appreciated his petite lover's enthusiasm, but he could not help but notice that Faith's smile did not reach her eyes. He slowed to a stop, taking her in with a somber expression. Both women stopped with him, turning back to regard him with, alternatively, apprehension and confusion.

"What is it?" Carrie queried, her eyes bouncing between them.

"Ask her," Hugo replied gently as his gaze turned to Faith. "I can hardly judge you for jumping to conclusions, honey. Not when I did the same thing."

"You guys were just so beautiful together," Faith whispered.

"Just as you were when we were together. You're a dream come true, honey."

Faith looked to Carrie with an unspoken question, prompting the latter to murmur, "I couldn't have said it better myself, babe. The only thing that kept last night from being utterly perfect was the fact that you weren't there."

Faith shrugged self-consciously. "You could have called. I would have come over."

"We thought you were asleep," Hugo offered. "Your lights were off."

"That's because I..."

"What is it?"

"I was sitting in the dark... watching. Pretty pathetic, I know."

"I don't know," Carrie shrugged. "I think it's pretty fucking hot. In fact, I'm going to sit out the first-round tonight. Just so I can watch my two favorite people make love."

"Babe!" Faith yelped. "You don't have to do that!"

"But I want to," Carrie soothed. "Because it'll be amazing. And because I don't ever want you to doubt that we're in this together."

"If we're in it together," Faith began coquettishly. "Then I expect you to be in Hugo's bed. Right by my side."

Carrie grinned dazzlingly and mocked-complained, "If you insist!"

***

"I've got to be honest," Hugo groaned as he pushed back from the table. "I thought it was a bold statement to bill this as the best brunch in the Caribbean."

Jenneke nodded firmly and announced, "But they fucking delivered! Also, I'm never eating again."

"Because of the quality of the food was such that you could never again achieve such heights?" Vann prompted.

"No," she sighed. "Because if I do, you'll never want to have sex with me again because I'll be as wide as I am tall." Her eyes then widened, and she glanced in Hugo's direction before demonstratively looking away and muttering, "Sorry."

"It would take a lot more than that to make me quit you, beautiful," Vann murmured.

"Aww," Carrie gushed. "You guys are the cutest!"

"Speaking of which," Faith enthused. "You never told us when you guys are getting... um... what's going on?"

Hugo looked around worriedly to spot the last of the wait staff, which had outnumbered their fivesome by a comfortable margin, disappear into the kitchen. Just as Hugo started to stand to look around, he heard a distant rumbling which grew in volume with worrying speed. In seconds, the windows of the opulent dining room were rattling.

"Look!" Carrie exclaimed, pointing out the window.

Her companions rushed to the windows to find a sleek helicopter flaring as it came in for a landing on the picturesque lawn between what had been referred to as the 'main house' and the beach.

Artoo buzzed in his pocket with a notification that caused Hugo to snicker, despite the ominous events surrounding them: 'ASSHOLE ALERT'

He saw the truth of his electronic companion's warning when the door of the helicopter opened, and three individuals disembarked. "Oh, great!" he muttered.

"What is it?" Jenneke asked softly.

"I think we just solved the mystery of our mysterious benefactor," he grumbled.

Before he could say more, the double-doors to the dining room were opened by a pair of uniformed staff to admit the newcomers.

"Hugo!" Korben Lundberg boomed as he entered the room in the company a pair of women wearing dresses so revealing Hugo genuinely wondered if they should be more accurately categorized as lingerie, and predatory scowls on their faces. "Long time, no see!"

Hugo moved to stand protectively before his companions as he surreptitiously slid his phone back into his pocket. "Korben."

"What do you think of my little retreat?" Korben asked boisterously as he crossed the room, leaving his escorts behind.

"A bit out of the way," Hugo retorted, unwilling to engage in whatever game Korben was playing.

Korben glanced through the window and said, "Only when you insist on traveling by car. That baby will make the trip from Santo Domingo in less than an hour."

"Congratulations. We're very happy for you." He glanced at Korben's companions, who had caught up and linked their arms through his. "Where's Olivia?"

"Who?"

"The young woman in whose company I left you the last time we spoke."

"Wait... blonde? B-cups? Kinda skinny, but great legs and an ass to die for?"

Hugo glanced reflexively in the direction of his girlfriends before saying, "That's the one. I got the impression she was really into you."

Korben waved a dismissive hand. "She was a certainly a great lay." His eyes fell on first Carrie, and then Faith, before he added, "As you well know. But it turns out she's a needy bitch."

"What are you doing here? Or, considering you already identified this as your place... what are we doing here?"

"I don't feel like you gave my proposal the consideration it deserves," Korben answered easily. "So, I decided to bring you here to show you what I was offering." He once again looked to Hugo's companions, his gaze notably lingering on the way Carrie's very snug, and very short, dress showcased her remarkable body. "To show all of you, in point of fact."

A growl rumbled in Hugo's throat as his muscles tensed, but Carrie stilled his instinct to find out what Korben would look like without the benefit of front teeth with a gentle hand on his arm. She looked to Korben and sultrily asked, "Who are your friends?"

Korben grinned triumphantly, glancing to each side with looks that extended just past the duration acceptable for polite company. "This is Lana and Lena, from New York. They're identical twins."

"I remember now," Carrie declared with a victorious grin. "Didn't you guys get dropped by your representation for posting, shall we say indelicate content on social media?"

"Bitch," the woman to Korben's left muttered.

Carrie turned to Hugo. "Yup. I knew I recognized them. Apparently, they had to flee New York. A warrant was sworn out after they filmed some... content at the top of the Empire State building. I believe the charges were public indecency, filming without proper permits, resisting arrest. Oh, and obviously incest."

"Gross," Faith groaned.

"Those charges were dropped," Korben retorted. "Once the D. A. was made aware of the extenuating circumstances in the case."

"You mean the fact that you made a huge contribution to his campaign?" Carrie fired back. "Everyone knew that dick had been paid off, we just didn't know by who. Congrats, I guess. I'm sure they're worth every penny." She turned back to Faith and added sotto voce, "Those two charge fifty thousand a night. It must be costing him a fortune to fly them out here just to pretend that he's got better looking arm candy than our handsome stud. Tell me, Korben, did you have to pay extra so you could jerk off while you watch them commit acts against nature? Not kink shaming. Just curious. You know, for science."

"Who gives a shit," Korben replied angrily. "I toss a million bucks their way and they'll do whatever I say. Hell, those whores would get gang-banged by the entire kitchen staff with smiles on their faces if I told them to."

"At least they wouldn't have to fuck you," Carrie offered with a wide smile.

Korben's face turned bright red, and he took several deep breaths in an obvious, and challenging, effort to calm himself. At length, he turned back to Hugo and seethed, "Perhaps we could discuss this matter in private?"

"I already told you," Hugo retorted angrily. "I'm not interested in anything you have to say."

"Why the fuck not? I'm prepared to offer more than you can possibly imagine!"

"You already mentioned that. What was it you said last time? Billions?"

"Or more," Korben answered excitedly. "This estate?" He waved around them for emphasis. "It's yours. Title was transferred as soon as you landed. The apartment building where Ms. Pescatore lives and works? It's yours. I considered buying the tenement in which Ms. Burbridge resides but figured you might see that as an insult. The point is, I realized that the mind of an immigrant who grew up in poverty was incapable of comprehending the sheer scope of what I'm offering, so I decided it would be more productive to show you what I'm prepared to do once you share your breakthrough with me."

"Why do you even care?" Hugo challenged. "As you are taking great pains to point out, you've literally got more money than you know what to do with."

"Money is nothing," Korben spat.

"I think your depraved companions would beg to differ," Carrie muttered.

"Your tech transcends money! My technology can grant a man God like clairvoyance, but information alone is worthless without the means to put that information to use. That's where you come in! Your tech gives us the ability to make manifest my genius. Together, we could change history. We'll put an end to the stranglehold corrupt socialists have on power."

"I underestimated you," Hugo replied smoothly. "I knew you were a self-absorbed narcissist consumed by your own delusions."

"Careful, sir," Korben warned.

"But," Hugo continued. "I didn't know you were bug fuck insane."

"How dare you!" Korben seethed.

"My answer is no," Hugo growled as he stepped into Korben's personal space. "And it will remain no. Stay away from us, or you'll find out exactly what my tech is capable of."

"We shall see," Korben announced as he straightened his shirt with an obviously furious jerk. "We'll talk again this evening. The chef is preparing his personal specialty. Kobe Beef and Foie Gras Sliders with White Truffle Aioli."

"Sounds delicious. But we're leaving."

"I think not," Korben retorted as he turned to leave. "I made very much certain none of your tech made the trip to island. Your luggage was thoroughly scanned before you even left Tennessee. You have no way to leave until I've decided our business is concluded. So, as I said, we'll speak again this evening."

Thirty-One

"The fuck with that guy?" Jenneke whispered as the quintet departed the main house.

"Did you hear what he said as he left?" Vann added. "He doesn't seem inclined to let us leave."

"How could he keep us..." Faith began before falling silent. She looked around furtively before lowering her voice and adding, "Did anyone notice guards earlier?"

Hugo cast his gaze about dutifully to confirm what Artoo had already noticed. At least four guards, all carrying rifles and wearing body armor, were in evidence. His dutiful phone had also identified four additional guards spread around the property's perimeter, all of whom had arrived in a pair of S. U. V. s while the quintet had brunch.

"Let's hit the beach," Hugo suggested, perhaps a little too energetically.

"Are you nuts!" Jenneke shouted. "We have to get the fuck out of here!"

"I need you to trust me, Jenneke."

"No! Hugo, I..." she began, but was interrupted as Faith wrapped an arm around her to pull her close.

The latter whispered intensely to the former for several long moments. Hugo could not make out any of his lover's words, but he watched Jenneke's expression transition from incensed, through confused until finally arriving at acceptance. His sister nodded worriedly in Hugo's direction as Vann replaced Faith at her side.

"Shall we?" Hugo asked with feigned enthusiasm.

As they walked toward the water, Hugo spotted two more of the guards, but he was relieved by the lack of surprises in evidence as they approached the crashing waves. He felt a degree of kinship with the younger generation as they made the trek, as the urge to pull out his phone for an update was nearly overwhelming.

"Your restraint is impressive," Isolde observed.

Tristan added. "I struggle to think of even one of your predecessors who would not have ordered hell to be unleashed by this point."

"I think his mates have been an even better influence on him than we could have hoped for."

"Indeed. I'd imagine their well-placed confidence in him only heightens his potency."

"Zip it," Hugo grumbled without moving his lips.

Faith looked at him questioningly but said nothing.

They reached the sand moments later, whereupon the rest of the quintet followed his lead in discarding their shoes and walking toward the surf. As they grew close enough for the water to touch their toes, Hugo silently brought them to a halt.

"I honestly don't know if even this will do the trick," he spoke at just above a whisper, "but I figure this is our best shot at talking without being overheard. Just make sure you keep facing the water."

Jenneke sighed as she pulled Vann close. "I take it then that you don't intend to just see how things go with Korben?"

"Obviously not. We'll be leaving before sundown. Hopefully much sooner."

"How? Dickhead in there owns all the transportation. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed that there's no coverage here."

Hugo quirked an eyebrow in his sister's direction without turning his head. "I know you're not a big purveyor of the news, but you did say you'd caught the highpoints."

"Of course I did. You got tons of incredible toys, Hugo. But perhaps you noticed that we're in a different country right now!"

"You didn't honestly think I'd travel flat footed, did you?"

"What the hell are you talking about? You brought one bag, likely the only suitcase you own. It's just a carry-on."

"Indeed," Hugo agreed. "But that bag was infused with ten thousand nanobots."

"That bag's tiny. Even if you brought nothing but the nanobots, it wouldn't hold that many."

"You forget, even the larger variant of the nanobots is only one one-thousandth of a cubic centimeter. They formed a sparse enough mesh in the walls of my bag that even the most advanced scan wouldn't have picked them up."

"Oh," Jenneke groaned sarcastically. "Great. We've got a thimble full of nanobots. We're saved."

"Don't forget that they multiply," Faith pointed out.

"Indeed," Hugo agreed. "Artoo had them slow their rate of replication overnight, but that still leaves us with more than fifty billion."

Jenneke whistled in amazement, but Vann still had a perplexed look on his face. "I'm sorry. I have no concept of what that means in real terms."

"I've got one-hundred and six tetrahedrons spread around the property. Enough to carry us all to safety, should the need arise."

"So, what are we doing here?"

"Because I don't want that miserable bastard to know any more about our capabilities than absolutely necessary. Make no mistake, we are leaving. But I intend for us to simply leave unceremoniously after our oh-so-ungracious host departs unexpectedly."

"So, what?" Jenneke asked. "We just stand here staring at this beautiful scene until your phone does its thing?"

"Negative. We will not assume this plan will go swimmingly. Everyone needs to be ready to depart at a moment's notice. I also don't want us to separate."

"We should assemble at our cabana," Carrie suggested. "We can turn on a movie to throw them off the scent."

"Good idea," Hugo agreed. He looked to his sister and added, "Is there anything in your cabana you can't live without?"

"I'd really rather not leave my phone behind," she replied after a moment's consideration. "And I know Vann will want his laptop.

"We can work with that. You two hit your place. You can grab whatever will fit in his backpack. That shouldn't arise too much suspicion, especially considering you guys arrived with a suitcase the size of a phone booth."

"We..." Jenneke began.

"Forget it," Hugo interrupted. "I apologize. I know this isn't easy for any of us. And, obviously, I'll replace anything anyone abandons once we get home."

"Hugo," Vann objected. "We can't ask you to do that."

"Later," he snapped. "Get your things as quickly as possible. Then meet us in the cabana. I'll have Artoo start Operation Get the Fuck Out of Here as soon as we rendezvous."

Jenneke and Vann departed to collect their things, but Hugo signaled for Carrie and Faith to remain with him at the edge of the surf. "You two didn't need to do that."

"Do what?" Faith inquired as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I truly appreciate the gesture," he began softly. "But you two needn't defer to me like that."

"We should be offended," Carrie replied gently. "But I suppose you wouldn't be you if you thought any different."

"That wasn't deferral, lover," Faith soothed. "That was trust. And not because you're the man and we're just women, or even because you just so happen to be the one who controls the nanobots."

"They'll respond to your control as well," he interjected. "Through your phones."

"You make my point for me. You trust us with, as Korben called it, God-like power."

"Technically he said that he had what he suggested was omniscience, whatever that means. We merely have the means to give his insanity physical form."

"You still trust us with this power. Is it so difficult to believe that we trust you just as truly?"

"You're sure?"

"With our lives," Carrie murmured. "And our bodies. And our hearts."

"That's quite a lot."

"And you're more than up to the task," Faith whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Now... shall we catch up with your sister and future brother-in-law so we can begin the aforementioned getting the fuck out of here?"

"You two really are incredible," Hugo whispered as they turned to head back inland.

"So are you," Carrie murmured as she planted a kiss on his cheek in advance of taking his arm comfortingly.

Jenneke and Vann reached Hugo's cabana just moments before the trio arrived to meet them. As soon as the door closed behind them, Faith and Carrie disappeared into the bedroom to pack up what they could. As they did, Hugo took a seat and began fiddling with Artoo. He resisted the urge to expand the device's size in deference to his suspicion that they were being surveilled. Instead, he instructed Artoo to extend the Shroud of Obfuscation to encompass itself. He grinned when Artoo informed him that this ability was part of the default configuration for not only itself, but also Faith and Carrie's phones.

He rolled his shoulders as the small measure of relief that flooded him laid bare just how stressed he had been since the moment he spied Korben stepping from the helicopter. He took another calming breath before getting to work.

Artoo gave him an overlay of the entire compound, showing a constellation of dots which represented his drones which were available for deployment in addition to the location of each of the humans on the property. Korben appeared to have taken up residence in another of the cabanas, so Hugo instructed Artoo to reform several tetrahedrons into the minimum viable size, roughly the dimensions of a baseball. He pulled his 'key fob' from his pocket and opened it to reveal a dozen electronic-control spheres, only to experience the mildly unsettling sensation of a group of now mottled grey drones zooming up to him to patiently wait their turn. Upon collecting their payload, each shot from the room as though fired from a cannon, quickly disappearing into the background of the cloudless sky.

'T. O. T. 45 SECONDS'

"Let's make sure we've got at least two drones detailed to each of the guards," Hugo muttered. "And make sure you keep an eye on the staff. How many are there, anyway?"

'23'

'ALL TARGETS UNDER DIRECT SURVEILLANCE'

"Let's not call them targets yet. Just keep an eye on them."

Artoo announced that it had access to Korben's room with a terse, 'TARGET ACQUIRED', in advance of a wealth of data scrolling onto Hugo's screen. His drones had not only managed to plant electronic control spheres on Korben's phone, enhancing the tiny colony Hugo had planted on their first meeting, but also on the Wi-Fi router in Korben's cabana and an absurdly powerful laptop in one of his bags.

While Artoo infiltrated Korben's equipment, Hugo checked in on his companions. Faith and Carrie were seated side by side on the couch, both staring at their own phones under the disconcerting shimmer of the Shroud of Obfuscation while Jenneke and Vann's eyes watched him intently. He desperately wished he could update them, but that would place them all in heightened danger. He made a mental note to ensure that both of their phones were sufficiently upgraded once their current adventure was over.

'ANALYSIS COMPLETE - ONE POTENTIAL CONTACT IDENTIFIED'

"One God damned person this dickhead might trust enough to leave on his word?" Hugo asked in disbelief.

'AFIRMATIVE'

"All right. Analyze their conversation history and pick the most likely topic to get him on that helicopter."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

Hugo was pulled from his focus on Artoo by the sound of Faith's worried, "Babe?"

"What's wrong?"

She appeared about to speak, then thought better of it and started tapping on her phone. Rather than a message appearing, Artoo shifted his perspective at Faith's bidding. Hugo felt his blood boil at the sight of his apparent nemesis, now dressed in basketball shorts and what looked to be a knock-off hockey sweater. As he watched, Artoo shifted the view to another perspective which included Korben's escorts. Both women's garments had been torn and they huddled together with fearful expressions on their faces.

"You stupid cunts!" Korben's snarled from Artoo's speaker. "All you had to do was play the part of the whored-up girlfriends. How hard is that? You're fucking whores. It should be second nature."

"But..." one of them began.

"Shut the fuck up!"

The woman flinched as though she had been struck. Hugo could tell that her hateful expression was barely hanging on in the face of her obvious fear. She held close to her sister while they waited for Korben's tirade to end. Any glimmer of hope they may have held died a cruel death when Korben spoke again.

"Get on the fucking bed," the corpulent man spat. "Since that's all you're good for."

"No," the second woman whimpered. "This wasn't our agreement. Take us home."

"Get this through your thick heads, sluts. We're in a third world fucking country. There's no cell service here, and I control the phones and the internet. Not that the cops would listen to you anyway. They're even easier to buy than pussy. You're stuck here until I say you can leave. So, lose the god-damned clothes and get on the fucking bed. Now!"

"Hugo?" Carrie asked fearfully.

"Artoo," Hugo snapped. "How many assets do we have in place?"

'SIX'

"Do we have any options beyond a kinetic attack?"

'NEGATIVE'

"Fuck! Ok. Take him out."

"Wait!" Carrie yelped. "He hasn't done anything but threaten them yet. No way that'll stick."

"You heard him," Faith replied somberly. "He's bought and paid for the cops down here. And every second Hugo delayed is more trauma those women have to endure."

"So, you're just going to kill him!" Jenneke yelped, she and Vann having taken up position on the couch between Carrie and Faith so they could follow events as they unfolded.

"Much as I'd like to, I'm not prepared to cross that Rubicon yet. Knock him out, Artoo, but don't kill him. Concussions are left up to your discretion."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

As the quintet watched, their P. O. V. lifted from waist level to eye level and accelerated rapidly toward Korben, who was himself advancing menacingly on the bed where his escorts huddled in terror. They had the satisfaction of hearing an all-too-brief strangled shout in advance of the drone slamming into Korben's temple at the speed of a major league fastball.

Thirty-Two

"Take out the guards, Artoo," Hugo growled, "before they realize we've taken their boss off the board, and they start shooting." He then looked up to a quartet of expectant faces. "We need to move. Now."

No one spoke a word of protest. Instead, they leapt to their feet and scooped up the bags they had already prepared. Hugo led them out of the cabana to find a wall of his tetrahedrons awaiting them. As they moved across the pristine lawn, additional drones joined them after completing their mission of taking out the remaining guards. The new arrivals were easy to spot as they each carried an assortment of weaponry which they'd taken from their vanquished foes.

"Dump that shit in the ocean," Hugo grunted as they hustled toward what was, without possibility of doubt, the largest of the compound's cabanas.

They made it to their destination without encountering any resistance, or indeed any sign of humanity whatsoever. The door opened without resistance, thanks to the handy work of a few of the baseball-sized drones who had teamed up to disable the lock. Upon entering, they rushed to the bedroom but found it empty. Without a word, his companions fanned out to search their surroundings.

"Get the fuck away from us!" came a terrified screech from the bathroom.

"We've got to get out of here," Carrie growled.

"No! You're one of them!"

Hugo approached the bathroom, keeping his steps soft. He laid a light touch on Carrie's back, prompting her to look back at him helplessly. He gave her a reassuring nod and then looked over her shoulder. Cowering behind the shower curtain stood Korben's escorts. They looked to have been caught in the midst of hastily dressing as only by combining their outfits could one have been able to assemble a full ensemble.

"We're not going to hurt you," Hugo soothed. "Korben's still unconscious."

"Stay away from us," the bottom-less sister snarled as she brandished what he could only assume to be a taser.

"Listen," Hugo huffed in frustration. "That asshole is going to wake up soon, and we're going to be long gone by that point. Do you really want to still be here?"

His only answer was the angry crackle of electricity in the device she held. He held up his hands in surrender and backed from the room, taking Carrie with him. Upon entering the master bedroom, he found their remaining companions waiting pensively.

"Let me talk to them," Jenneke whispered.

"She's got a weapon," Hugo protested. "I hate to admit it, but I think we're going to have to leave them here."

"Just let me try."

"Jenneke," Hugo warned.

"I'll go with her," Faith offered.

"I don't want to put either of you in danger, honey."

"I know. But I've got that shroud thingee, right?"

"Yeah," Hugo admitted slowly. "But we have no way of knowing if it'll protect you."

"It will," Isolde whispered in his mind. "And both Jenneke and Vann are now similarly protected."

"Thanks," Hugo admitted. "I should have anticipated that sooner."

"Huh?" Faith asked.

"Ok," Hugo conceded by way of answer. "You two see what you can do. But be careful."

Faith quirked an eyebrow at him but said nothing. He resolved to add the matter to his now quite lengthy list of things he needed to discuss with his lovers once they were out of danger. Hugo collected Carrie and Vann with his eyes. Neither seemed willing to allow their lovers out of their sight when danger was afoot, but Hugo's insistent gesturing seemed at last to convince them. As soon as they entered the cabana's kitchen, he laid Artoo on the counter and stretched his display to show that two of the baseball sized drones were stationed near the ceiling of the bathroom.

"Good job, Artoo," Hugo sighed. "Try not to hurt either of those misguided souls. But, if they try anything, don't hesitate to knock them out."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

"We'll give them five minutes to talk some sense into the wonder twins," Hugo announced confidently. "Artoo, can you get any of the cars we saw out front working?"

His trusty device made no answer, but the map of the compound in the corner of its screen showed a few of the blue icons representing his drones break off from their patrol pattern and zoom toward the parking lot. The answer to Hugo's inquiry came all too quickly in the form of a series of images which showed what were, as near as he could tell, the same devices police in urban areas used to immobilize the vehicles of delinquent drivers.

"Oh, you clever bastard," Hugo grunted. "Artoo, any chance you can pick the locks of those damn things?"

"Negative."

"Great. That just leaves..." Hugo fell silent as Jenneke led Korben's escorts into the room, Faith trailing behind holding their designer suitcase. He nodded gratefully at his sister and asked, "We all set?"

"Yeah. I think you could safely say they're more than ready to get the hell out of here."

"Thank you," one of them whispered. "For saving us from him."

"It was a group effort," Hugo deflected. He then glanced across the assembled group. "We've hit a bit of a snag in our escape effort. Seems as though our host might have anticipated this. All the cars are immobilized."

"What about the helicopter?" Vann pointed out.

"Do you know how to fly one?" Hugo retorted good naturedly.

"Well... no," Vann answered slowly. He then gestured towards Artoo and added, "But I thought maybe your little guy right there might have been able to manage it."

"I don't know that he can't. But I want to keep that in our back pocket for now. Even if he could manage it, we'd be completely dependent on that thing's autopilot. All Artoo can do is take over a computer. He can't actually make use of the controls."

"Right. So, where's that leave us?"

By way of answer, Hugo turned back to Artoo. "I need you to set up a search grid to find the keys to that thing, little buddy. Tear this place apart if you have to, but we need to find them immediately. Just reserve a single drone for overwatch, and a half dozen around this cabana for guard detail. Use the rest for the search party."

"Insufficient processing capacity available," came Artoo's flat answer.

"Great!" Hugo seethed.

"Wait," Carrie interrupted. "Can't it split the work up with Wally and Delores?"

"How 'bout it, little buddy? Feel like being a team player?"

"Affirmative."

Faith and Carrie approached, laying their devices on the counter adjacent to Artoo. The trio gasped in surprise as the borders between the devices shimmered briefly in advance of the merged mass of electronics expanding to the size of a T. V. screen. The display showed the blue icons representing his drones buzzing around like angry hornets for a few moments until they formed into an ordered grid which descended on the main house.

Hugo looked around for a moment, only to spot a pair of cameras mounted near the ceiling. He looked back to their combined devices and instructed, "While you're at it, let's drop off a nanobot sphere on anything vaguely electronic. This place is lousy with surveillance, and we don't want to leave any more intel behind than is absolutely necessary."

'PROGRAM RUNNING'

"What about the staff?" Vann asked.

"What about them?" Hugo muttered.

"Aren't we going to help them as well?"

"We're kind of racking up a lot of passengers here. Besides, isn't it more likely that they're at least sympathetic to their boss?"

"I don't think so. Did you see the faces of the stewards when he landed? They're freaking terrified."

Hugo looked to Carrie and Faith, who stood on the opposite side of the counter so they could keep an eye on the Artoo/Wally/Delores collective. They both nodded grimly, recognizing the increased risk but knowing at once that their morals only permitted a single course of action.

He nodded firmly and said, "Ok. Vann and I will go collect the staff and get them ready to go."

"And me," Jenneke added resolutely.

"I can help too, babe," Faith said softly. "Carrie can stay here and keep an eye on things." Her eyes flitted to where the twins sat on the couch watching them with wide eyes.

Hugo spent a long moment trying to think of some way, any possible way, to keep the women out of harm's way. But every strategy which popped into his head stank of hypocrisy. The regrettable, and unavoidable, fact was that his only reason for choosing Vann over any of his other companions was his gender. He nodded his acquiescence and, after both he and Faith collected a brief kiss from Carrie, led the group out of the cabana.

They each headed in a different cardinal direction, a pair of tetrahedrons following dutifully behind them like the world's most capable German Shepherds. Hugo took the far side of the main house, where the kitchen and laundry were located. He was relieved to discover that many of the staff appeared to be none the wiser as to the downing of the property's owner. Hugo managed to convince everyone to assemble in the dining room with the help of a few of the stewards who were bilingual. Jenneke and Vann had just arrived with the last of the staff when he heard a sound he had hoped would stay forever in his past.

"Get down!" he screamed as he raced toward where Faith had just entered the room to approach Jenneke and Vann.

He bowled the trio over with a flying tackle which would have made a strong safety proud as automatic weapons fire laced the side of the main house.

"What the hell?" Jenneke groaned.

"Stay the fuck down," Hugo growled.

"What about them?" Vann asked, looking toward where the staff was milling around anxiously.

Hugo pointed angrily at one of the stewards and shouted, "Tell those people to get on the floor! Those walls won't stop rifle fire."

As if to prove his point, two of the cooks screamed in pain and fell to the floor.

Faith made a move to climb to her feet, forcing Hugo to yank her back down. She glared at him and hissed, "We have to help them."

"I'll do it. You stay here."

"No!" Faith snapped. "You have to get back to Carrie!"

He stared at her for a long minute before growling, "Fine. But you've got to swear to all that's sacred and holy that you'll stay down."

She leaned over and kissed him quickly, but thoroughly. "I just found you, handsome. I have no intention of losing you."

Hugo felt a surge of adrenaline at her words, and it took every measure of his resolve to keep his attention on the emergency at hand, rather than the gorgeous woman looking at him with unrestrained affection.

He pulled the cases of healing strips and pills from his pocket and said, "Here," he whispered as he pushed the cases into her hand and kissed her again. "Be careful. I love you."

He raced across the room, bent at the waist to stay out of sight for anyone outside the building.

"Remind me, if we get out of this, to build some God damned coms."

"It may surprise you to learn that you're not the first one to have that thought," Tristan replied smoothly. "And, if I may make a suggestion, the Shroud of Obfuscation will be unlikely to protect you from gunfire, so perhaps give additional thought to not leaving this building's protection."

"Carrie should be at least as well protected where she is as you are here," Isolde added.

"I have to get to her," Hugo hissed. "She must be terrified."

"Would she not be quite cross if you endanger yourself for what is a purely performative act? Especially considering the likelihood she could get the impression that your true objective is to wrest control of the tactical situation from what I assure you are her quite capable hands."

"Have you ever been in a firefight?" Hugo growled. "Because I'm pretty fucking certain she hasn't. And believe me when I tell you, she's fucking terrified right now. I can't leave her like that."

"But the only way to get to her is across a completely open and featureless field," Isolde retorted fearfully. "The fastest human in history would take twenty seconds to cross that."

By this point, Hugo had reached the exit. He yanked it open as he grunted, "I don't care. I won't leave her alone right now."

"Wait!" Tristan yelped. "What if there was a way to speak with her?"

"How? She's got all the phones!"

"Your watch, dear boy."

"But it isn't a smart watch!"

"It wasn't a smart watch. But the first generation of our offspring have proven most impressive. They simply had to..."

"I don't give a fuck what they did. Just tell me how it works."

"Speak to your watch as you would to your phone," Tristan replied.

"Carrie!" Hugo screamed at his watch. "Tell me you're ok, honey!"

"Hugo! Where are you? The phones say there are two shooters dug in to your south. There were three others, but the drones took them out."

"I'm headed your way."

"No!" Carrie yelped. "Stay where you are. We've almost got the shooters surrounded. We just need a couple more seconds."

As Hugo stood in the doorway to the main house, he heard the sound of automatic gunfire get drowned out by an angry repetitive drumming sound which sounded like a cocaine-addled prog metal drummer during sound check.

"Got 'em," Carrie announced from his watch. "They're still conscious, but the drones have them hemmed in."

Seconds later, the shooting stopped altogether, prompting Carrie to add, "Wait a minute. It looks like they're retreating."

"Can you get their guns, honey?"

"We got their rifles and explosives, but they got away with their sidearms."

"Oh, my God. You're amazing!"

"Thanks, babe," she gushed.

"Listen, can you three make it over to the main house?"

"We're heading out now. Artoo says the search is fifty-nine percent done, but the number of effectives is way down after the firefight."

Hugo stepped outside to see Carrie lead the now positively traumatized twins out of their cabana and toward the main house. He was relieved to spot that a dozen drones zoomed up to form a rotating barrier around them. A few additional drones zoomed up as Hugo rushed in their direction. He resisted the urge to scoop Carrie up bridal-style and whisk her to safety, settling for a brief, emotional embrace.

"I'm so sorry," Hugo whispered in her ear as he hustled them back toward the main house. "I should have never..."

"Babe?" Carrie murmured.

"I just don't know what I would have done if something had happened..."

"Hugo! Why don't we get the fuck out of here, then you can have your well-earned freak out."

Hugo fixed her with a frustrated glare before sighing wearily. "Let's just get inside so our Praetorian guard can get back to work."

Carrie rubbed his chest soothingly before following him inside. As they closed the doors, Hugo heard a worrying sound. He left Carrie with an apologetic glance back in her direction and raced toward the windows. The cacophony outside only grew louder the closer he got and, by the time he arrived at the windows, the helicopter's rotors were nearly up to speed. Hugo watched as two guards struggled to carry Korben's still mostly lifeless form to the chopper. The moment they were on board, the helicopter took off and started heading rapidly toward the ocean.

"Do something!" Jenneke shouted. "He's getting away." Hugo merely continued to stare angrily at the retreating form of his nemesis until his sister yanked his shirt down to get his attention. "Hugo!"

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Stop him!"

Hugo jabbed a finger in the direction of the window. "The only way to stop him... is to shoot him down. Are you ready to murder someone? Because I'm not."

"But he..."

"He, what, Jenneke? He vaguely threatened to keep us here?"

"His guards shot two people, for fuck's sake."

"They did indeed. But I'm not willing to murder the pilot and God knows who else is on that thing to take them out. And I don't think you are either."

"Fuck!" Jenneke groaned. "There must be something we can do."

"Something tells me this won't be the last time we hear from Korben Lundberg. Not by a long shot."

Thirty-Three

"Would you just trust me?" Faith groaned in frustration.

"I hate this plan," Hugo muttered.

"It's either this, or we lay low in the bushes overnight for your little friends to replicate enough of themselves to do it for me," she snapped. "And I, for one, would prefer option one. Especially considering that we're in freaking Florida, which means it's bound to rain fourteen or fifteen times in the next few hours."

"I know," he sighed as he sighed theatrically. "I just hate the idea of you having to go through this."

"You sure it isn't the fact that your girlfriend is going in there to hypnotize that poor kid with her humongous bazongas?" Jenneke quipped.

"You're not helping."

"You don't have to be jealous," Faith soothed sultrily. "The only people who will ever get to play with these sweater puppies are right here."

"Don't you go tempting my fiancé with your majestic boobies," Jenneke grumbled with a grin on her face. "Lord knows I can't compete."

"Oh, hush," Carrie chortled. "You have great tits. Right Vann?"

"Hell yeah!"

"I'll amend my prior statement," Faith soothed. "Hugo and Carrie have carte blanche with respect to my body. Everyone else had better keep their hands and eyes to themselves or my super-powered lovers will make them rue the day."

"We're getting perilously close to T. M. I. here," Jenneke grumbled.

"Says the woman who, just before we began our initial descent into Daytona, farted so loud it scared the stewardess," Carrie snickered.

"I DID NOT!" Jenneke screamed in horror.

"Holy shit!" Carrie cackled. "You should have seen your face just now!"

"I didn't," Jenneke whispered urgently to Vann. "Did I?"

"Of course not," he soothed.

"And, on that note," Faith announced. "I'm going to go implement Operation Jiggle Veil."

Hugo made no further comment, opting instead to take Carrie's hand as they watched Faith adjust each of her generous breasts until her cleavage was literally overflowing, whereupon she marched up to the car rental counter with an exaggerated strut which caused her alluring curves to quiver enticingly.

Carrie nearly burst out laughing at the sight of the clerk's eyes bulging out of his head as Faith leaned over the counter. From their vantage point, it was not hard to spot her placing a sphere of electronics-controlling nanobots on the PC behind the rental counter. Hugo pulled Artoo from his pocket and spent a moment scrolling through the available inventory.

"No vans," he complained.

"How about full-size S. U. V.'s?" Vann queried.

"Nope. Best they've got is an economy sedan. But at least it's new enough that Artoo can interface with some of its driving aids."

Carrie snuggled close to Hugo and murmured, "Sounds perfect to me. Dibs on the backseat."

"I expect you guys to keep your clothes on and hands to yourself if I'm taking a shift behind the wheel," Jenneke announced.

"As far as you know," Carrie quipped.

With Artoo's help, Faith was able to secure an automobile for them with relative ease, and without leaving any breadcrumbs for anyone who might have been attempting to track them electronically. They got on the road shortly after the sun sank behind the world-renowned racetrack to their west. Attempts prior to their departure from the Dominican Republic to find a private plane to return them to their native Chattanooga had been ultimately unsuccessful as the only one being ready to depart had a range of only one-thousand nautical miles. They had briefly toyed with the idea of getting a hotel, but Hugo had been anxious to get back home before Korben could regroup.

As Hugo finished loading their meager belongings into the trunk, he heard the definitive thump of three of the car's doors closing. He stepped to the open driver's door and peeked inside to find the backseat occupied by three women and Vann shrugging at him in advance of saying, "We held a referendum for who gets to drive first, and you won."

"Thanks," Hugo sighed as he sank into the driver's seat and began making the necessary adjustments.

He felt a pair of soft hands rest on his shoulders, followed by Carrie's sultry alto voice murmuring, "You're the only one who didn't sleep on the flight, babe. We have no intention of allowing you to take the graveyard shift."

"That'd be my job," Vann added. "You guys can have your amazing flying machines, and near invulnerability, and God-like control over nearly anything electronic. I'm quite happy with the fact that I can stay awake with little negative affect for at least two days."

"My hero," Jenneke simmered as she leaned up to plant a kiss on Vann's cheek. She sank back into her seat before adding, "He really is incredible. If he's really in a groove with the piece he's working on, he can stay up for days. I have to bring him food and drink every few hours or he'd likely pass out and just keep on creating in the dream world, making the rest of us that much poorer for the amazing art which would be forever marooned on the ethereal plane."

"She's my savior," Vann agreed.

"Not that I'm quibbling with your beautiful sentiment," Hugo spoke as they pulled into the north-bound interstate highway. "But, by the time we get home, you'll both be outfitted just as we are. That includes your phones, and a few goodies I'll give you once they're ready which will help with dispensing healing. Just keep them quiet. I've obviously drawn the attention of some pretty shitty people. I don't need anyone deciding you're the cheat code to getting everything their heart desires."

"Yes, sir!" Jenneke barked with an echo of sarcasm.

"I mean it, Jenneke," Hugo retorted fiercely. "Korben likely won't be the last asshole who's attention I attract. I know you think I'm a glory hunting adrenaline junkie, but that's not what I'm accusing you of... I'm just asking you to be careful."

Things were silent for a moment as Hugo negotiated the challenging task of picking his way through the dangerous blend of terrified septuagenarians and sleepy semi drivers to find the fast lane. He felt the steering wheel wobble slightly and looked down to where Artoo covered much of the center console to find that his trusty device was now fully integrated with the vehicle. Hugo had no doubt that Artoo would be capable of driving autonomously. But, as he had pointed out with the helicopter, that required that he place his trust not only in Artoo, but also in a rental car which had likely been the victim of all manner of abuse from its former renters.

Jenneke broke the silence, her voice shaky. "I'm sorry, Hugo."

"For what?"

"For accusing you of going in search of danger. I always knew it wasn't true. I was just trying to convince you to be more careful. You were the only family I had left, but that was no excuse for trying to manipulate you. I'm proud of you, big brother. I always have been."

"We're all proud of him," Faith added, her hand reaching up to stroke the back of his arm.

Hugo sighed mightily as he tried to shake off the awkwardness he felt at his sister's praise. Eager to change the subject, he said, "I was doing some thinking on the flight."

"Is that why you refused to cuddle up with Carrie and I?" Faith murmured. "We thought perhaps we were just overdue for a shower."

"No!" he yelped. "Never! You two are exquisite without exception. I would never..."

"Oh, my God!" Jenneke chortled. "You're such a dolt."

"I was just trying to figure out..."

"When your partner suggests she might need a shower, or even asks if you think she needs one, she's not asking you if you think she stinks. She's asking if you want to join her. Or them."

"Really?" he asked in genuine confusion.

"Absolutely," Carrie agreed.

Vann said, "Not to change the subject, but I assume your idea for new nanobots relates to the comms issue you were talking about during the battle?"

"It was initially, but apparently Artoo has been quite busy, and my watch is now part of his consciousness. Also, it seems like there's no reason we couldn't do the same thing to garden-variety pair of earbuds."

"So, I'm guessing you want something to deal with runaway helicopters?" Jenneke guessed.

"I'm open to suggestions there. If I'd been quicker on the uptake, there's a chance I could have gotten an electronics-control sphere on board and Artoo could have forced it to land. But, failing that, I can't think of anything else we could have done short of just straight crashing it. Which, as you've likely guessed, would have been well within the capabilities of the tetrahedrons."

"It seems like you've got issues, generally, with projecting non-lethal force," Carrie observed. Then, before Hugo could comment, Jenneke teased, "I thought you'd only been hanging out with my brother for a month or so. How are you already talking like him?"

"Maybe he's just an excellent influence," Carrie replied happily.

"But how would that work?" Faith enquired.

"The electronics-controlling spheres could manage it easy enough for anything with a computer element," Hugo replied, "but that still leaves any older machines and obviously any mammals."

"What if you just reversed the polarity on the healing nanobots?" Carrie suggested. "Not to a lethal level, but such that they could knock someone out without permanently damaging them."

"My thoughts exactly. I spoke with Tristan and Isolde about it during the flight and they're reasonably confident they can create a nanobot designed to interrupt the signals sent by the brain stem. Artoo suggests that we could expect unconsciousness within three seconds of contact with the skin. Anything quicker would almost certainly kill the target."

"Is it true what you said?" Jenneke asked. "About them making the nanobots by..."

"Shagging each other silly and forcing me to listen to every sweaty second?" Hugo complained.

"Doesn't sound so bad," Faith simmered. "Especially if we were making a soundtrack of our own. Perhaps in the aforementioned shower?"

"I'm not listening!" Jenneke yelped.

"Come on! I'm not getting into the squishy details. Just trying to enhance your brother's happiness by pointing out that he needn't endure another night of noisy, frisky roommates by himself."

As she spoke, she reached up to thread her fingers in his hair. Her touch was soon joined by Carrie's hand reaching up to stroke the back of his arm in advance of her murmuring, "Are you certain we need to drive through the night to race back home?"

Hugo glanced up to spot two pairs of adoring eyes watching him with unguarded affection, and not a little lust, from the back seat. "Please believe me when I tell you that your offer is beyond enticing, but we have no way of knowing what that bag of dicks will do next."

Carrie sighed dramatically and rested her head on Faith's shoulder. Faith kissed the crown of her lover's head before murmuring, "It's so unfair." Hugo glanced in their direction again in worry, prompting her to add, "Not your decision, babe. Just the fact that all this shit keeps interrupting us."

"I know, honey," Hugo soothed.

"Y'all will be home in, like, eight hours," Jenneke pointed out. "You'll likely still get some sleep tonight."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Carrie muttered.

"We still have to do a couple more hours after that."

Faith shook her head emphatically. "No, you don't. You guys should stay at my place. and we'll stay at Carrie's."

"What about my place?" Hugo complained.

"I'm shocked there's enough room for you to stay at your place," Jenneke retorted.

"I'll have you know that two adult humans have in fact made use of my apartment in the not too distant past and woke up quite rested. Right, Faith?"

"It was glorious," she replied wistfully. "Both times, even if you were too much of a gentleman to do anything the first time. But any bed I shared with you and/or Carrie, preferably 'and', would be the same."

"I'm not saying we couldn't sleep there, doofus," Jenneke added. "I'm saying I'd never choose to. The only reason Faith put up with it is because you guys love each other."

Hugo's eyes widened alarmingly, and he stared at his sister pleadingly. When her only response was to smile triumphantly at him, he growled in frustration. "Jenneke," he warned. "One of these days..."

For her part, she either failed to notice his reaction, or (more probably), took far too much pleasure from his discomfiture to let the matter drop. "Would you lighten up. It's not like anyone can possibly deny the fact that you love her... that you love both of them. I'm just giving you a little nudge. Ask Vann, I told him I loved him after our first night together. I'm still not entirely certain he didn't think I was crazy."

"I told her I loved her right back," Vann added. "And I meant every word."

"Come on, brother. We were all there in the dining room when you told her you loved her. Just tell them both you love them, Hugo. I promise you won't be disappointed."

"But..." he sputtered.

"It's ok, babe," Faith whispered. "I know it was kind of a tense moment. You can be forgiven if you misspoke."

"I did not misspeak," he declared, perhaps a bit too loud as his eyes flitted around briefly in advance of him jerking the wheel to the right to duck into a rest area at the last moment, much to the chagrin of his fellow motorists.

His passengers yelped briefly in protest, but otherwise said nothing. He found the nearest parking space and screeched to a stop before leaping from the vehicle and jerking the rear door open. He held his hand out to Faith, who accepted it without hesitation despite the questioning look in her gorgeous sapphire eyes. He then handed Carrie out in similar fashion, noting woefully that her gaze was downcast. He gazed in wonder at the pair of women who had come to mean more to him than he would have thought possible prior to his encounter with the self-described angel.

He took Faith's hand, lifting it to his lips. "I swear on all that's sacred and holy that I didn't misspeak Faith," he said with conviction. He then turned to Carrie, taking her hand in a similar fashion. "And I'm sorry I didn't find a way to tell you earlier that I love you just as truly."

Hugo glanced between them, noting with alarm that both of them were weeping openly. His mind went into overdrive, trying to fashion a strategy to assuage how uncomfortable they must feel following his obviously premature and unwelcome admission.

They glanced at each other, and Faith whispered to Carrie, "I love you, babe."

"I love you too," Carrie murmured. "So much."

They moved toward one another with the speed of a tidal wave. Hugo could clearly hear the breath exploding from Carrie's lungs as Faith wrapped her in a tight embrace. Carrie tilted her head to deepen their kiss as Faith held her lover's face with both hands.

Doubt consumed Hugo, with his thoughts warring internally between simply climbing back into the car and giving them some space, and a strategy of all out retreat. Fortunately, a vocal minority of his thoughts successfully lobbied for patience, so he was still holding each of their hands when they turned their adoring gazes in his direction.

Carrie smiled broadly at him and shook her head in disbelief. "What will it take to beat this silly notion out of your head permanently?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can think of one thing," Faith murmured as she made use of where her hand was still clasped with his to pull him closer.

Carrie mirrored her action until they were nestled against each of his sides.

"I love you, Hugo," Carrie whispered in his left ear in unison with Faith's breathy, "I love you so much, babe," in his right.

"Yeah?" he stammered in amazement.

"Abso-fucking-lutely," Carrie declared just before claiming his lips.

Faith rested her head on his shoulder as she watched her lovers with unabashed fascination. Carrie relinquished him after a brief, but passionate kiss, using her index finger to pivot his chin in Faith's direction.

As Faith turned her head up to meet his lips, Jenneke spoke up gleefully. "See? Didn't I tell you everything would be fine?"

Thirty-Four

"What the hell is this world coming to, Artoo?" Hugo sighed wearily as he brought his truck to a stop. "It's almost like the collective population of the world held an election while we were away and voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution to stop making sense."

"Null program," came the emotionless reply from his indefatigable companion.

"How much must Derek have spent getting this old clunker working again while we were away?" Hugo grumbled as he waited for Artoo to shrink back to phone proportions so he could be removed from the dash of the completely repaired conveyance.

"Insufficient data."

"And where the fuck did Korben go?"

"His phone and laptop are currently in a residential building near Santa Cruz, California."

"I meant... why hasn't he made any further aggressive moves?"

"Insufficient data."

"Tell me about it," Hugo groaned as he climbed from the vehicle and scanned his surroundings.

It was late morning in Chattanooga, barely twenty-four hours after they had been involved in a firefight and forced to flee a foreign country. Yet, for all Hugo and his not inconsiderable intelligence gathering assets could determine, nothing was even remotely amiss. Things were, for want of a more elegant phrase, frustratingly normal. He had spent the preceding eight hours since their pre-dawn arrival relentlessly patrolling the city for any sign of Korben's next attack, but he had come up empty handed. Jenneke and Vann had arrived safely in Knoxville a few hours earlier to find it similarly unremarkable, and were getting a bit of rest before their evening classes began.

Hugo regarded the building in front of him with not a small amount of apprehension. He knew Faith and Carrie awaited him in the latter's apartment, and he was loath to wake them from what he hoped was a peaceful slumber after the excitement of the preceding days. This sincere desire stood in stark opposition to repeated hints, suggestions, and promises made constantly over the course of their hours' long drive across three states as to exactly what his lovers had planned for him upon their return. Few things in his life had been harder than walking away from their loving embrace preceding his patrol, but the existential dread he felt based on the certainty that Korben would not let sleeping dogs lie had compelled him to patrol the city until he was ready to drop from fatigue.

As he made his way through the underground parking garage, he made a few tweaks to the patrol patterns Artoo had suggested for the tetrahedrons which now numbered in the hundreds and were spread throughout the city like a company of nearly invisible sentinels. While Hugo would never tempt fate by allowing himself to think, much less speak aloud, his convictions; he suspected it was extremely unlikely that any malignant entity could exist anywhere in the city without his knowledge.

He slumped wearily against the back wall of the elevator as he rode up to Carrie's floor, nearly succumbing to the lure of sleep over the course of the relatively brief ride. The doors to the elevator opened with a piercing tone, earning the soulless conveyance a reproachful glare from its only passenger. He approached the door to her apartment carefully, already making a conscious effort to move as near to silent as possible. A soft click from the door signaled that Artoo had disengaged the lock. He pulled the device from his pocket in advance of opening the door, thoughts of crawling into a warmed bed bringing a smile to his face.

Hugo entered with his head down, focusing on avoiding the suitcases which had littered the entryway when he had departed while simultaneously scanning Artoo's display for a final status check. No sooner had he taken a half-dozen steps into the apartment before his senses began to inform him that all was not in keeping with his expectations. This detached sense of curiosity was obliterated with devastating effect the moment he reached the end of the hall and entered the living room.

A strange whirring sound filled the room momentarily as Artoo, who had slipped from Hugo's suddenly lifeless fingers, arrested its fall just before it crashed into the tile. Not that its master had even a fleeting awareness of the trusty device's heretofore undisclosed ability to move of its own accord. Nor would Hugo have taken notice of anything short of the Apocalypse, not when the alternative was focusing with every fiber of his being on the vision which greeted him.

Hugo's eyes feasted without reservation, or even a hint of self-consciousness, on the sight of Carrie's spectacular derrière, captivatingly bifurcated by a sheer, white thong so tiny it took a second glance to discern if it indeed existed. His gaze widened to take in the sight of Faith's closed eyes, her head tilted to the side as she shared a passionate kiss with her petite lover. Hugo became aware of motion and belatedly realized that Faith was pointing him firmly in the direction of the recliner.

He made his way toward the indicated piece of furniture without tearing his gaze from the alluring vision which had greeted him. As he took a seat, he noted the fact that Faith wore a notably unbuttoned white collared shirt while Carrie had paired her thong with a pink tank top which had been altered nearly out of existence, and thus did not even extend to the lower portion of her breasts.

His lovers' lips separated, and they each glanced briefly in his direction before resuming their kiss. Faith's throaty moan reached his ears as Carrie's hand slipped inside her shirt to slide it off her shoulders and reveal the sheer black bra and lace boy shorts which had been hidden beneath. Caresses soon transitioned to eager groping, and more garments joined Faith's discarded shirt on the floor. Carrie tugged Faith's engorged nipples libidinously as the latter sucked eagerly on the tiny peaks which capped the former's exquisitely sized breasts.

Faith straightened and looked again toward Hugo for a brief moment before her eyes rolled back in her head thanks to the work of Carrie's talented fingers between her thighs.

"Have you decided that the city is safe enough that you can take a few moments to rest and recuperate?" Carrie murmured around Faith's nipple.

"What?" Hugo grunted reflexively; his higher brain functions still thoroughly occupied by the visual feast on display.

"We know you're tired, babe," Faith sighed. "We won't be mad if you feel like you need to get some sleep. But if you're up for it..."

"Fuck sleep," Hugo growled.

"I like the sound of that," Carrie murmured. "Don't you, babe?"

"Like I can think when you're doing that," Faith shivered in response to Carrie's continued attention on her pouty pussy.

Carrie chuckled and said, "Babe... I'm just getting started," before leading Faith over to the couch and gesturing for her to lie against one of the arms. She knelt on the floor and smiled in response to Faith libidinously spreading her thighs. A deep sigh escaped from Faith's lips as Carrie teased her lover's sensitive folds. Carrie's eyes flicked in Hugo's direction before she sank deeper between Faith's thighs. Without conscious thought, he moved his head to better observe the proceedings.

Faith noticed the movement and said, "The view's much better over here, handsome."

He stood as though scalded and approached Faith's side, but she gestured for him to stand at the end of the couch beyond her head. From this vantage point, he saw the extraordinary truth of Faith's statement. Carrie winked at him as she completed a languid lick along Faith's now-smooth pussy, and it was impossible to miss the evidence of Faith's excitement on her lover's chin. With each passing moment, Carrie sank deeper into the apex of Faith's thighs and her perfectly formed ass seemed to rise in response.

His attention was torn from Carrie's ministrations as Faith worked to unfasten his trousers. She made quick work of his belt and zipper, cooing in appreciation as she extracted his fully erect penis.

"Pleasure to again make your acquaintance, Hugh Hubert Humperdinck. I've missed you."

"Am I expected to adopt your name for our handsome lover's remarkable cock," Carrie mumbled around Faith's clit, "just because you were the first to meet him?"

"I thought you met him first," Faith replied before giving the head of the aforementioned appendage a lascivious lick.

"Only the man. Not his perfect penis."

As she spoke, Carrie began licking her way up Faith's body. She paused briefly to give her lover's lovelies the attention they deserved, suckling at each of her pebbled buds until Faith was moaning wantonly around Hugo's manhood. Carrie continued her journey northward with a long, uninterrupted lick which terminated at the root of Hugo's cock.

"Good Lord, that feels incredible," he sighed.

"Considering you're on speaking terms with multiple denizens of heaven," Faith breathed against his balls as Carrie took over fellating him, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Hugo lost the ability to respond as his lover's started sloppily making out around the head of his penis. It was all he could do to remain standing under the combined onslaught of their pleasure-giving mouths and their exquisitely sexy bodies. Both of his lovers continued to tease one another while they worshipped his manhood, with Faith's fingers just being visible above the curve of Carrie's ass as the former noisily finger-fucked the latter in time with lustily grinding her clit against Carrie's thigh.

Carrie released his cock and groaned, "Please, Hugo. Please fuck me."

Faith whispered urgently in Carrie's ear, earning an excited squeal of agreement from her partner. Carrie rose from the couch and rounded the end to claim Hugo's lips while Faith continued to lathe his balls with the flat of her tongue.

Releasing his lips with a whimper of anticipation, Carrie gently pushed Hugo back, gesturing to his shirt. "Lose the rest."

He hurried to remove what remained of his clothing. As hungry gaze fell upon her after sending his shirt flying in the direction of the kitchen, he spied Carrie crawling onto the couch so that she knelt over Faith's smiling face.

"Don't make her wait," Faith sighed, her own pleasure delivered thanks to Carrie's talented tongue.

Needing no further encouragement, Hugo approached and sank into Carrie's welcoming heat.

"Fuck," he grunted at the sensation of Faith's tongue teasing the underside of his shaft as she delivered long, lusty licks which trailed from Carrie's clit to Hugo's balls. "You're both amazing."

His only reply was satisfied moans as the throuple each lost themselves in delivering as much pleasure as humanly possible, regardless of which of their lovers was the recipient. For Hugo's part, he steadily increased the pace of his thrusting in time with the urgent clenching of Carrie's inner walls while he tweaked one of each of his lovers' nipples.

"Keep... going," Carrie stammered. "Just... like that..."

Hugo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest. This had the effect of changing his angle so that his pistoning penis found her G-spot with each thrust, in addition to giving Faith easier access to her clit. Within moments, Hugo felt her wetness surge as her orgasm consumed her. He had no doubt most of the building took notice of her scream of ecstasy as she shuddered in his arms.

He lifted her up and carried her to the chair, kissing her cheek as he placed her on the cushion. She smiled up at him with contented eyes before gesturing toward the couch. Hugo turned to find that Faith had positioned herself on her knees and had turned around so that she was presenting her delightfully rounded ass to him. He took a moment to tease her dripping folds with the head of his cock before plunging into her silken embrace.

"Gods," she breathed. "I missed that."

"So did I, baby. So did I."

Faith lowered herself onto her elbows, improving his angle of penetration and heightening their combined pleasure. Hugo responded by kneading her divinely curved ass with confidence, their inseparable bond informing him without possibility of doubt that she wanted, even needed, for their lovemaking to also be a lustful fucking. Her breasts pillowed alluringly against the cushions of the couch as her delighted grunts filled the room. Hugo let loose a panicked gasp as he felt something unexpected between his knees, but his surprise turned to delight when he realized that Carrie had no other route by which to heighten Faith's pleasure.

"Yes. Yes! YES!" Faith screamed as her orgasm overtook her.

Carrie removed her talented fingers from Faith's clit and rose to claim Hugo's lips. Their kiss was no less passionate for all of the pleasure they had shared thus far. If anything, Hugo's eagerness had grown after witnessing his partners' spectacular orgasms.

"Follow me," Carrie whispered as their lips parted.

She took him by the hand and led him into her bedroom. Under her silent direction, he laid down on his back. She rounded the bed as her gaze grew hungrier. By the time she reached his feet, her look was almost predatory. She climbed onto the bed and made her way up his body, delivering tantalizing kisses along his legs until she reached her prize.

"Holy shit!" he moaned as she unceremoniously took him into her heated mouth, not stopping until the head of his cock had slipped into her throat and her nose was nestled in his meticulously groomed curls.

She winked at him gleefully just before his sight was happily extinguished by Faith crawling onto the bed and climbing astride his face. Her sweet nectar filled his senses as he sank his tongue into her core and her wetness coated his face. He gazed with love and awe past her generous breasts to find her sapphire eyes staring down at him.

"I love you," she whispered down at him.

Hugo's hips bucked at the sensation of Carrie's molten core enveloping his towering manhood. Her hands snaked around Faith's ribs, groping her lover's massive breasts. The sensation of Carrie's eager twerking threatened to bring him quickly to the precipice, but he was desperate to do anything possible to extend what he knew instinctively was an experience he would remember forever. Left with little alternative, thanks to his relatively 'helpless' position, he focused all of his attention on Faith's pleasure. Alternating his efforts on her clit between tantalizingly light licks and eager, sloppy slurping elevated the volume of her moans to deafening levels.

"Wait," she shrieked, rising off his face. "Wait," she repeated, panting. "It's too much."

She laid down on the bed, gulping in lungfuls of air.

Carrie continued her frantic twerking on his cock, leaning down to claim his lips as she neared her release.

"I really do love you, babe," she whispered.

"I love you more," he replied as he lustily caressed her ass.

Carrie's eyes flitted briefly to his side, causing her smile to widen. "Ready for more?" she teased.

Faith sighed and said, "Always."

Carrie crawled toward where Faith was lying on her back, kneeling over Faith's face to kiss her passionately. Hugo rolled to his knees and positioned himself between Faith's thighs as Carrie rose up to offer her clit to Faith's waiting tongue. He thrust into Faith's perfect pussy, his eyes glued to where Faith's tongue lashed Carrie's dripping folds. Each time he slammed his hips home, he was rewarded with the sight of an unbroken tsunami of supple perfection which made its way across each of his lovers' bodies.

The assault of pleasure on his combined senses brought him to the brink with unexpected quickness. Before he could even think to resist the siren song of his orgasm, he instinctively roared his release and erupted into Faith's eager womb. His muscles stopped responding; his hips making minute thrusting movements while his legs spasmed helplessly.

Carrie lowered herself to where he and Faith were joined, licking along her lover's dripping folds before reaching the root of his cock. He gasped at the sensation, prompting her to whisper, "Please. I want to taste you."

Hugo managed to pull his hips back and was rewarded with the sight of the final eruption of his seed painting Carrie's smiling cheek. She yelped happily before capturing his pulsing penis with her lips.

"Fuck,' he groaned as she sucked his sensitive cock deep into her heated mouth.

"Sorry," she murmured upon releasing him. "I couldn't resist."

He sank back on the bed, breathing deeply as he tried to regain his senses. Faith propped herself up on her elbows and watched with a hooded gaze as Carrie licked libidinously along the length of her creamy folds.

"Save some for me?" Faith murmured playfully.

Carrie responded by giving her lover's sloppy pussy a final careful lick before turning and capturing Faith's lips for a kiss that was as memorable for Hugo to witness as it was messy. When they finished carefully cleaning each other up, and the last of his seed had been happily swallowed, they turned in his direction. He kissed each thoroughly in advance of them rising from the bed as one.

They stood, each with their arm around the other, as Carrie rested her head on Faith's shoulder. The latter smirked playfully at him and said, "Sorry for keeping you up even longer."

"I'm not," he replied with a grin. "I literally can't imagine anything I'd prefer doing over spending time with you two."

"Same," Faith murmured as she helped him stand so Carrie could turn down the bed.

"But..." he began.

"What is it?"

"I almost felt bad about interrupting you two. You're just so God damned beautiful together. This isn't a confidence thing, more of just a declaration of immutable fact with respect to your angelic beauty."

"Says the guy who's met an actual angel," Carrie quipped.

"Like I said, that just makes me an unimpeachable witness."

"Not that we don't enjoy each other's company when you're unavoidably detained," Faith admitted. "But did it genuinely not occur to you that Wally and Delores are quite capable of telling us the exact moment you'll walk through our door?"

"So, that was all for my benefit?"

"Like she said," Carrie admitted. "We certainly enjoy each other's company, babe. That's how throuples work. Because we love each other, and we know you could never get jealous... just as I would never, could never, get jealous about you and Faith making love."

"And, as we've established," Faith added, "the only thing that you and Carrie making love makes me feel is serene happiness... and horny."

"My point is," Carrie continued, "while we might have put on a bit of a show for our man, you shouldn't make the mistake of thinking this was any less of a hall of fame bucket list item for us than it was for you."

"It was incredible," he agreed. "I'll never forget this."

"Agreed," Faith murmured as she laid her head on Hugo's chest with a contented sigh.

Carrie mirrored her on Hugo's opposite side before sleepily adding, "That doesn't mean we can't, or won't, do something just as incredible tomorrow."

"I'll drink to that," Hugo agreed with a yawn.

"Sleep well, my love," Faith whispered. "My hero."

Hugo's only response was a gentle snore as sleep finally welcomed him into its embrace.