Because it was my day off, I thought yesterday was Friday. Lucky for y’all: here’s one more installment. Everyone wakes up and gets ready for their field trip to the base.

I did begin making some notes for the next big scene. Something has me puzzled: where will the pirates be from? I find the shores of Western Europe impossible to the stone-age barbarians who were invited in. Greenland or Iceland? Civilized but much reduced. My only guess right now is either some group of peoples from Labrador whose homes are now under the ice or perhaps raiders who have a secret base around Long Island? I guess we’ll let Sgt. Alvis explain it next week.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

“Jimmy?”

That used to be me, didn’t it?

“Jimmy, it’s oh-five-thirty.” Someone kissed me.  “You need to get ready for work.  After my cousin comes out of the bathroom, of course.”

Who?  Aurie.  She just climbed over me to the floor.  A door.

“You have no shame, do you, Princess?” An older woman’s voice.  Jansen.

Burns’ eyes flickered to see Colour in a towel at his bathroom door.  Standing next to his bed was Aurie.  Completely naked.

“None.  We don’t need any.” Her left hand waved back at the bed.  “If I didn’t break him, my man will be taking us to the spaceport in just less than an hour.  Be ready.”

For some reason he didn’t understand, Jansen raised her right hand high in the air.

“Yes, General.” She dropped it quickly.  “Crap.  His eyes are open.”

“Fret not.  I’m sure he’s just looking at me.” She turned and bent down, kissing him again.  “Aren’t you, Jimmy?”

“Since when, ouch!” He sat up.  Every muscle hurts!  “Am I your man?”

“Since when I smiled at you at the tavern.  Get up.”

Out of the shower and pulling his clothes on, he smelled eggs and ham from the kitchen.  In the main room, Colour had just put two plates onto the little dining table.  He looked about.

“Where is…?” he began.

“Left a few minutes ago,” Jansen explained.  “Sit.  Eat.  Said there was a Catholic Church around the corner and had to go do something.”

“Star of the Sea?  Sure,” he agreed, sitting opposite her.  “But the priest only comes by once a month or so.  My apologies!  Thank you for breakfast, Colour.”

“And thank you for letting me pass out in your house,” her hand shook a little with the glass of water.  “That was not my proudest moment.”

“Passing out saved you from the worst of your cousin’s shrieking assaults,” he said around the ham.

“That bad?”

“I admit,” he was a little surprised to feel his cheeks hot.  Why am I blushing? “while I don’t have much experience with women, it was the most amazing night of my life.”

He froze again.

“I’m sorry if I just said something about your cousin I should not have, Mrs. Jansen,” Burns said in apology.

“Don’t worry, Jimmy,” Colour smiled, “she’s different.”

“Hey, hey,” Aurie announced, swinging the front door inward, “are y’all ready to go?  Did you get us clearance, Jimmy?”

“Crap,” he said, standing and walking to the old landline phone on the counter between the table and kitchen.  He pressed some buttons while Colour took their plates into the kitchen to rinse off in the sink.

“Morning, Sergeant Alvis,” he said, “how are you?  Fine and I’ll be there in just a few.  One thing, though.  I’ve someone from the NF escorting a Texan.  No, really.  A potential investor, if you can believe it.  Sure.  No, I scrutinized her pretty hard last night…”

Jansen tossed the dishes into the sink and held her head with her hands.

“…and want to show ‘em around the base.  Okay.  Of course we’ll check in with you first.  Very good.  Thanks, Sergeant.”  He hung up.

“So was he in?  At the church?” Jimmy waved at his door.

“Of course He was,” she replied, cutely furrowing her brows.

“I think,” Colour jumped in, “you two just talked right past each other.  Our host meant the priest.”

“Oh!” He had to smile when she bopped the side of her head with her fist.  “Nope.  I let myself in and a moment with Christ.”

“It wasn’t locked?” Burns asked.

“It was.  I said I let myself in.”

“Is there anything,” he sighed, “you cannot do?”

“Lots.  Are we going now?”

“I know you two probably don’t have business casual clothes but may I ask you to leave your guns here?” Jimmy asked.

“Nope,” was Hardt’s quick answer.  “And I don’t think this Alvis person will be surprised.  All Texans carry guns.”

“Then your rucksacks…?”

“Possible,” was the young woman’s concession.  “Let me cull out what I need first.  Give me three minutes.”

Five minutes later had them packed tight on the bench seat of his ancient pickup truck, with Jimmy pointing to the group of buildings just a little further east.  “Used to be the regional hospital.  Now more just an urgent care or aid station.  Anything serious gets evac’d to Halifax by road or helicopter.”

Bouncing down the cracked and rutted two-lane road, first west back into the town, then due south, Burns drove with Jansen in the passenger seat.  Hardt wedged in between them.  She leaned her head onto his shoulder while slowly moving her left hand around his crotch.

“Do you ever stop?” he asked, near exasperation, turning left onto Whitman right after passing Val’s.

“If ordered.  Second Law.  Otherwise, rarely,” she purred.  Colour looked out her window with a shake of her head.

“Speaking of,” Jimmy followed up, “was I still asleep, or did your cousin call you ‘general’ this morning?”

“You were still asleep,” Aurie said with no hesitation.  “The fact that you can walk I regard as a personal failure.”

“The fact that you can, Miss Hardt, is my failure as well!”