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Quaranteam Down Under: Part 8
Friday, 9 January, 2026
Quaranteam Down Under: Part 8Visitors, violence and a valiant.Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Major Content Warning, Abuse And Serious Violence (Off-screen) Please Be Advised.List of Characters:House Valiant:Rayne Valiant, 28, 6'10, fit and muscular. Scientist, younger brother of the twins and head of Australian Quaranteam Project Research and Development.Stella Andersen, 28, Virologist, Blonde, Blue eyes, slightly curvy. Rayne's first fiancée.Hasumi Saegusa, 27, Doctorate in biochemistry, Black hair, Black eyes. Japanese woman, formerly paralyzed from the knees down. Has been in love with Ray for years.Simone Jennings, 22, 2nd Lieutenant, Black hair, blue eyes, African descent, one of Rayne's dedicated security.Patricia 'Trish' Barclay, 23, Lieutenant, Blonde hair. Slightly aloof, but no less dedicated to the family.House Marshall:Tiberius Marshall, 35, Lieutenant Colonel Australian Army Special Air Services. Black Hair, Grey Eyes. Big teddy bear.Charlotte ‘Lottie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Services, Red hair, long hair, service submissive.Leticia ‘Lettie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Services, Red hair, shoulder length hair, tomboy.House Morgan:Benjamin Morgan, 36, Doctor. Little is known about his background.Grace Lawry, 33, Captain, US Air Force. Tiberius' old friend. Partnered with Benjamin Morgan and the person who involved Ty in the Quaranteam Project.Theresa Miller, 28, Latest addition to House Morgan. Details currently unknown.Others:William 'Bill' Anderson, Colonel. Somewhat stiff, but very capable officer.Jonathan Hoffmann, Lieutenant General. Friend of Tiberius' and the twins' grandfather. Current highest-ranking member of the AUS. military.Barry 'Baz' Davis, Brigadier. Good friend of Tiberius. In charge of personnel at Victoria Barracks.Jaxson Connors, Major, currently under arrest for abuse of authority and attempted murder. Was working with a Sheik to develop the Assassin Variant of DuoHalo.Victoria Whitlock had arrived a few minutes early; just as Rayne was wrapping up his morning workout and she hadn't been able to draw her eyes from his shirtless form. Her core had grown increasingly warm and it had taken every ounce of self-restraint she had to not whine piteously when he had donned the shirt."Did you do any testing on foreign samples?" Rayne's voice brought her back into the moment, and she swallowed hard, drawing her gaze away from the shirt she wanted so desperately to peel back off his body. Rayne didn't fail to notice this, but he tried to keep it from showing in his expression as he waited for her response."Ah. Uh, when we tried it with samples from the library, untouched by pollen, it gave off the result we were told to expect, like I said. If we introduced pollen into the blood before adding serum, nothing new happened. At the moment, we believe the body needs to process the pollen and then have the lymph nodes produce fresh antibodies for it to react the way we're seeing now.""So anywhere from a week to three weeks, age and health depending. Have you tested other antigens?" Rayne's professional curiosity was in full gear now."Of course. Nothing else we've tried so far has triggered the response. Naturally, we haven't exhausted the possibilities, so further testing will be required.""And the increased metabolizing of the serum translates into a faster imprinting cycle?""From what we can see, yes. The serum seems to be accelerated until it reacts with a male's ejaculate, so the imprinting cycle is also shorter, but by a lesser factor, as it seems to return to a more normal speed as the cycle progresses. Approximately 10-12 hours instead of the expected 12-16. 24 hours still appears to be the normal minimum for individuals undergoing a regeneration.""That begs another question. How does this affect the woman's; uh; dosing schedule? Does this change the frequency of re-dosing in any way? If it does, we may need to rely on a lower overall number of partners per man if the cycles are too short.""It doesn't appear to. As I said, the serum's activity seems to normalize after the introduction of the man's semen, but I've been making sure to get data from several of the military Teams currently active, including doing blood draws every day. I have also asked one woman from each Team to restrain herself for as long as possible between doses, so that we can see how it changes her blood work. So far, it appears that after the initial acceleration, there are no lasting effects, but long-term study is absolutely required.""Anything else to note?""For the immediate present, I think that just about covers what we've learned."Ray rubbed at his jaw as he thought. "Keep looking into it, Victoria. I might have to talk to Ty and see if we can get another lab onboard to focus on this, but I'll probably get you to work on it, along with Dr. Abbas. Can you get in touch with her?""Sure thing. I've actually got a lunch date with Layla tomorrow anyway, and I was already going to have plenty to talk about." Victoria blushed, realizing what she had accidentally revealed. Rayne seemed to understand too, because he gave her a look."Well, I guess that's convenient. It also lets us segue into our next topic. I won't be so crass as to ask whether you really want to do this with me. You wouldn't be here otherwise. But I am going to ask if you're ready and really understand everything this entails. There's no going back, after all."Something had shifted in Rayne's head after the visit to the production facility. There was still the sting of guilt towards Stella, but he had learned to push that aside somewhat for the big picture. Ty was right; everyone he partnered with chose to be a part of his family, and his job was to shut up and take responsibility. After all that, it simply wouldn't be right for him to treat them as anything else. So, he wouldn't. It wasn't exactly the same as what Scrappy had. And yet, it was. It had all finally clicked, and now he knew what he was struggling for.Everything was to protect his family.Victoria sat silently for a moment, appraising him. "I've read all the documentation, Rayne. I've spoken with others who are already partnered about their experiences. I'm also onboard with sharing you. As for the regular sex to update our immunity, it'd be a different story entirely if I were a lesbian, but since I do enjoy regular sex with a man, I don't see any problem. Plus, you do come with glowing reviews."He grinned. "So, it's a bit forward of me to ask, but are you bisexual? We've had conversations in the past that have hinted as much, but it was never really something that impacted our relationship, so I never pried."She laughed. "Not in the slightest. I'm just not shy about appreciating a beautiful woman. Like I said, sharing is fine. Sleeping in the same bed as them is fine. Just don't demand that I play with your other girlfriends, and I won't be tempted to bite you."Ray nodded, the smile tugging at his own lips. "Noted. Have you already been given the serum?"Shaking her head, she gave him a gentle smile. "I have not. Knowing how quickly it will react in my body, it would have been foolish to do it so early in the day. And since the imprinting state would disrupt my sleep cycle, I will have it administered at the lab before we return here. I have already asked those in charge to send the dose there for me."It made sense, so Rayne didn't see any need to argue. "You always did take things seriously, Victoria."Her smile turned self-depreciating. "You mean, I have a stick up my ass." Ray started to deny it, but she shook her head, her smile only growing wider and decidedly sultry. "It's alright, Ray. It's nothing I haven't heard before. And I suppose it's true, to an extent. It's just the way I was raised. But maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe I simply need someone to remove that stick and replace it with something more; fun?"Her gaze dropped lower as she licked her lips, and Rayne could feel himself growing even more aroused. Victoria was extremely attractive and she knew it, but the way she had been staring at him had him almost believing the same about himself. Time and again, Ray found himself surprised at how the women at work saw him. Certainly, he was fit, but it wasn't like he was some famous actor or model. As she stood and took a look around the room, he studied her. Victoria was tall, about 6'1" and built like a, for lack of better phrase, Victoria's Secret model. All sensuous curves and grace, with a heaping spoonful of eroticism for good measure. She had the confidence to match, and Ray knew that she'd had no shortage of men vying for her attention. But he couldn't deny it; that confidence and her own obvious attraction did something to him; he couldn't help himself."Is that what you want, Victoria?" Rayne's voice was measured, but the smile was pulling at his lips."Maybe. Maybe it's what I need."What you need is for someone to bend you over their knee and color that ass red. The thought rose, unbidden in his head and he blinked in surprise. Her desire was drawing out something primal in him, but he refrained from saying anything out loud. "I see no problem with the uptight Victoria. But be the version of you that makes you happy. I'll be there to back you up."She let out a laugh and leaned over the desk, stopping just centimeters from Rayne's face. "I've been uptight all my life, and not necessarily of my own volition. I'm a smart woman. I also know I'm attractive. That fact drew all of the attention away from my brains, and made people judge me by my looks. I changed my attitude to prevent myself from being seen as the bimbo. I cut my hair hoping to reduce the attention my looks drew. It worked, somewhat, and fortunately, I grew to like the look. I was genuinely happy when you complimented me on it, Ray.""It was a simple truth, Victoria." Her plump lips were so close; it was taking far more restraint than he liked to not kiss her right then and there.She tutted. "And when are you going to stop addressing me by my full name? It's so; uptight of you. Call me Tori." She punctuated the words with a quick kiss before she turned and sashayed away. She glanced over her shoulder and was pleased to see Rayne's eyes glued to her ass. His eyes flicked upwards as she was rounding the corner and she blew him a kiss."We'll continue this tonight."His grin was almost feral as he echoed the word. "Tonight, Tori."Trish had been waiting just outside the room, so as to give the other two some privacy and nodded at Victoria as she passed. Rayne waited, deep in contemplation as Trish guided Victoria to the lounge and returned, drawing him out of his concentration by sitting on his lap."What's on your mind, hun? Talk through it with me."Rayne shook his head. "That woman brings out something primal in me that I don't really understand.""Primal? What do you mean?""You were listening, right? It was all I could do to not pull her over the desk and bend her over my knees. I don't know how to explain it except that she knocked loose the caveman in my head."Trish laughed, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Sounds like she pushes your buttons. Maybe unintentionally, maybe not. But that's a good thing, hun. Bonding her seems likely to not just get the stick out of her ass, but yours too. Though I admit you've relaxed a lot over the last couple of days.""Yeah, I finally understand what all my efforts are for, and that brings a lot of comfort.""Well, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but make sure you don't stray too far from me or Simone, hun. We got an alert for possible danger after Major Connors' home was burned down last night. We want you in one piece, so we're just being extra cautious."Rayne muttered as she lay her head in the crook of his neck. "As much as my safety might be important, I would be devastated if it comes at the cost of someone important to me, Trish. Please make sure you and Simone are extra careful.""Of course, Ray. Oh, we're not going to the labs until later today, right?""That's right. After lunch, I think. We've been running around the clock, so this is their idea of downtime. Where are the others?""Stella has a couple of meetings that she's been in since seven, so in the other office. Simone and Sumi are in the kitchen. And I took Victoria to the lounge to relax.""So, we have a bit of time before we're needed elsewhere? I know we haven't had much alone time, Trish. Maybe;”"We can make out for a bit, hun, see where we go from there. I haven't done that in years; just snuggling and making out with my guy." She kissed him gently, just a peck really, and smiled as his arms tightened around her. She giggled and squeezed him back, kissing him deeper as they melted together.Hasumi was humming and swaying as she and Simone finished cleaning. Dancing had always been her hobby, or at least it had until the accident had taken that away from her. But the serum had given her a chance to live again and she couldn't keep the smile off her face or the wiggle out of her hips. Her good mood seemed to be infectious, too, as Simone had noticeably more sway to her own hips as she strode purposefully through the kitchen.She bumped Hasumi's hip with her own as she passed, carrying a stack of plates. "You're in a particularly good mood, Sumi. Did something nice happen?""Nothing in particular, Sim. It's just really nice to wake up in my man's arms and realize that I no longer need that damned wheelchair. Sitting in that thing day in and day out was unbearable. But I'm free of it, thanks to Ray and the serum. Now I have my mobility back, wonderful sisters in all of you and the man I've loved for years by my side. I couldn't be happier."The ebony skinned woman couldn't help but agree. She had lost her mother to cancer when she was 16, and it was far too generous to call her sperm donor a deadbeat. Always drunk, never able to keep a job for more than a few weeks, she had been lucky that her inheritance was off limits to him or she would have needed a fire permit to cremate him. Even so, the day she finished Year 12, she left home and signed up for the military. To her, the military was an effective way to stay housed and fed. Even the risk of being deployed somewhere dangerous was acceptable if it meant she didn't have to go back to the drunk. It was there she had met Trish, and through shared experiences in basic and since, they became nearly inseparable. Now, they shared an apartment when they weren't on duty, sisters in all but blood.They had been at their place, working from home that week when they had been ordered to take the Oracle survey. Not knowing what to expect, they did, and it had been one hell of a ride since. Though they discussed the survey and took it together, Simone had been overjoyed to find they had been paired to the same man. Even better, the man had been everything his profile promised and more. Gentle and kind, he was a man with a heart as big as his body. She was head over heels for this man in moments.Her ginger giant.Not to mention Stella and Hasumi, both of whom had welcomed them with open arms. Certainly, Stella had been nervous, but after that day at the production facility, she had opened up to them completely. They had become a family, and Simone found the growing spark in her heart that told her she would fight to the death to protect her little slice of home.Back in the moment, Simone threw her arms around Hasumi and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Me too, babe. I admit I was cautious when I was first sent here; Trish aside, I haven't had people I considered 'family' since my mum passed. But now, having met all of you and learned what that word really means, I wouldn't trade any of you for anything."Releasing Hasumi after another squeeze, Simone continued. "Speaking of family, what do you think about our newest addition? Victoria, right?"The lovely Japanese woman nodded, her short bob bouncing in time with the movement. "Victoria is whip smart and incredibly capable. But if there's one negative thing to say, it's that she's a bit uptight, but I think you'll love her just the same, Sim. She's a level head and a warm heart."The young soldier took this in for a moment, before she nodded, her smile returning. "I'm sure we'll make it work, babe."They finished their cleanup and sat at the table with a pot of tea. It was a big table, and Simone was still surprised at how many rooms Hasumi's home had, but now, she was thankful for the space. Everybody had their own, though they were all currently using the master, and there was still a small home gym and a study, as well as a library which had for the moment been converted into a second study. When she had asked Hasumi about it, she just blushed and said she'd made some good investments early on at the advice of a friend and wanted the space for a big family should she ever find a good guy to marry.As they adjourned to the lounge, Simone felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and stopped to check it. They'd already been warned the previous night of danger, so she was constantly on the watch for new updates and was hoping the situation was resolved.No such luck.Unknown vehicles approaching the residence. Maintain Safe Base Bravo. Attempting to identify. Stand by.Simone frowned at her phone and let out a defeated sigh."Sumi, go ahead to the lounge. I need to go get something from my room."Hasumi stiffened before turning around. She knew what that meant. The only thing Simone had in her room, since she shared the bed with everyone else, was the gun safe. Admittedly, there were also two smaller electronic safes on either side of the master bed now, keyed to each of them, but both soldiers already had their handguns on."Problems?" Her voice was slightly strained, but Simone waved it off."Someone's approaching the house, but the watchers are on it. Just got the order to raise the alert level so we're keeping our gear close. Can you stay with Stella? I'll go let Ray know."As Hasumi turned off and walked down the hall, Simone watched for a moment before her phone buzzed again.Vehicle occupants identified. One Dr. Benjamin Morgan and one of his partners, one Theresa Miller, here to speak to Dr. Valiant. Second vehicle is security personnel. Four armed individuals. Both vehicles currently held at the checkpoint. Proceed?Simone smashed out a reply. Wait one.She turned the corner and stepped into the study, holding back a smile as she saw Trish on Rayne's lap. Both had their pants off, and from what she could see, Ray was nestled deep in her friend, though it appeared they had just finished a round, what with the arch of Trish's back and the satisfied expression on Rayne's face."Sorry to interrupt, you two. Babe, Dr. Morgan is at the checkpoint. He's on his way here."Rayne frowned deeply. Ben Morgan had been hounding him for days now and it was beginning to get on his nerves. "What the hell is he doing here?" And what checkpoint?""Please, baby. You don't think we'd just let you live here with just two of us for security, right? There's an entire exclusion zone set up around this house because we need to keep this family safe. You're literally one of the most important people in Australia right now. And that's not an exaggeration."Simone actually found it quite amusing to see Rayne blush. Especially when he went almost as red as his hair."As for what he's doing here? He's here to see you, so he's probably going to hound you about the variant strain again."Rayne couldn't help the sigh as he let his head fall on to Trish's chest. "Fuck me dead, this bugger is beyond persistent. Sorry Trish, I'll go with Simone to greet him, but in the meantime, can you stow our laptops? These new security measures are an absolute pain. Dr. Morgan won't just try and take them or anything, but Brigadier Davis was insistent."Trish nodded and rose, dressing swiftly while Simone lifted her phone and typed out a response. Send the Doc down. If you can, keep the security back or attach an escort.The response came back only moments later. Copy. We'll send two units to reinforce you."Wait for me a minute babe, I gotta go to the other safe."The raised eyebrow told Simone that he too knew exactly what she was getting, but he got up and followed, nevertheless. "Is that necessary?""They're showing up with armed escort. It's necessary. In fact, I'd really like for you to wear a vest, but we don't have anything but our tac gear on hand, and that's too conspicuous.""Would it help if I carried a gun? I mean, I'm not a bad shot. Two sisters and one of my closest friends being career military does that to a guy.""You might be a good shot, but this is close quarters, and you are a civilian. If you have a gun and the enemy takes it from you, it's one extra gun in their hands. It's a complication we just don't need, babe, so no. No gun for you." She closed the safe, now carrying two assault rifles.Rayne chuckled, raising his hands in defeat. "Fair enough. Alright, let's get this over with so we can get on with our day."As they walked towards the door, Victoria stuck her head out of the lounge. "Do you need the room?"Rayne shrugged. "Yeah, but you're welcome to stay and listen. You're part of this family now, so you have every right to be a part of whatever's happening, but this is just going to be Dr. Morgan asking me to release the research data for the Assassin Variant again. Also, please don't mention the accelerated effects or your findings on the cause of them. This man has been fishing for information outside of official channels, and I'll be damned if I give him anything I don't expressly need to."Victoria looked puzzled. Rayne's consternation was obvious. "That's not like you, Rayne. You're normally good at sharing.""Normally, sure. But we've got orders from Ty, uh Lieutenant Colonel Marshall. Unless he or General Hoffmann give the orders, any info on our research or the variant is under lockdown.""Can't he just petition the military to release it? Why is he going through you?""I don't know. Maybe he thinks he can get me to bend on the topic since he knows Ty won't."Victoria was clearly confused. "How would he know that? This trip is the first time they've ever met, right?""Those two, yes, but from what I know, one of Dr. Morgan's partners is one of Ty's old girlfriends. She's the one who brought him in on the Quaranteam Project to begin with, so she probably told Dr. Morgan what he's like. Plus, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Ty is fucking stubborn."Trish chose that moment to return, retrieving her weapon from Simone and standing beside Rayne's spot on the couch. She'd tied her hair back and while she didn't look nervous, she was clearly annoyed."Whatever the case, can we get it over with so we can go back to fooling around? I don't like being interrupted when I'm with my guy."Rayne turned his head and gave her a consoling smile as Simone walked towards the door. He also wanted this done with, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Something didn't quite add up. While he pondered, he ignored the sound of the door opening and several pairs of feet walking onto the threshold. He could hear muffled conversation and did nothing, but when the exchange became heated, he leapt to his feet, only for Trish to put a hand on his shoulder and push him back down. He was worried, but it quickly became quiet and Simone came back, leading Dr. Morgan and Theresa behind her. Apparently, the escort had been asked to stay outside. As the pair sat, Rayne saw Simone put a Bluetooth earpiece in and stand ready."Dr. Valiant, thank you for seeing me today." Benjamin Morgan looked at him with a blank expression, a far cry from the friendly demeanor he'd had every other time they'd interacted. The man looked strained.Rayne frowned, not in the mood for bullshit. "You say that as if I was expecting you, Dr. Morgan. You didn't make an appointment, nor did you ask if I was ready to receive guests. On top of which, you brought armed guards to my home. Not exactly polite of you."Ben Morgan matched Rayne's frown with one of his own, but continued, unabated. "This is my newest partner, Theresa Miller. She's a systems specialist. I don't believe I've been introduced to the whole of your Team. Would you be so kind?""Dr. Morgan. Firstly, I don't quite understand why you're here. It's early in the day, you made no appointment and there was no forewarning. Second, how did you even get this address? It's not listed as my residence, and no one who knows it would have told you.""Your home is lovely. Would you be so kind as to give us a short tour?" The man's expression was rigidly neutral, but the woman, Theresa, was clearly flustered.Now it was just getting ridiculous. Forget not having a conversation, he was stalling. Rayne looked at Simone, who glanced at her phone and nodded."Just stop. Your people may not see them, but the guards you brought with you are under watch, so it's very unlikely they'll be able to do anything to the house while you stall for time. So why don't you cut to the chase and tell me what you want?"The American seemed taken aback at the complete lack of guile in Rayne's words and faltered. This was not how it was supposed to go. Eventually, he sagged a little and spoke."Dr. Valiant. I'm here to see if you've changed your view on sharing your research with us, as well as to make you an offer."Rayne chuckled darkly. "One I can't refuse? No doctor. I have not changed my view, and nor will I. This was a wasted trip for you, and I apologize for that, but as I said, you didn't call in advance or I would have saved you the trouble. If that's all, then ..”"I genuinely believe that both countries would benefit from having access to this research. There is so much we can learn from it.""There is nothing to be learned from it except that it should not exist. It is a weapon, and one that will remain under lock and key, never to see the light of day.""Dr. Valiant." Morgan began, looking for all the world like a disappointed teacher lecturing a wayward student. "We have asked you again and again to share the data for this so-called 'Assassin Variant' that was developed at the CSL labs. You have refused, citing orders from your military and a number of other excuses. I am asking you one more time if you would freely share the data with us. We will make it worth your while.""No. Unless given direct orders by Lt. Colonel Tiberius Marshall or Lt. General Jonathan Hoffmann, that data remains sealed." He took a breath and ploughed on as Morgan began to speak. "And even if they were to give me orders, it would still be at my discretion as to whether I shared this data. And I will not. It is dangerous and there is no good reason to disclose it. End of discussion."The shorter man just stared at him for a moment before he reached into a manilla envelope he'd been carrying and pulled out a document. "I did not want to resort to this. In my hand is a writ; ordering you to comply and provide the research data. Failure to comply is punishable by heavy fines and imprisonment, so think carefully about how you respond."The frown on Rayne's face only grew deeper as he took and read the document. It was on formal stationery, apparently from the office of the Supreme Court of the United States. The terms were exactly as Ben had described, except that all future research was to be shared with the Americans without question. But while it certainly looked official, Ray also knew that there was no situation under which he was subject to United States Law here in Australia. It had to be fake, so this could only be a poor attempt to coerce him into compliance after trying to convince him had failed. The man must be utterly desperate to try and pass this nonsense with him.Placing the document down on the table in front of him, Rayne spoke just one word. "No."The Americans both looked completely surprised. Theresa, who had been silent until this moment, spoke. "You are stating here, openly, that you are violating a written order to comply from the Supreme Court."Rayne's voice was deathly calm as he continued, his green eyes boring holes in the woman. "I am."Dr. Morgan sighed and shook his head. "Then I am sorry to do this, but the guards with us will now enter the building and place all of you under arrest. You asked why they were here. They are here for this exact reason. Please put down your weapons and get on your knees. Any attempt to resist will be met with for..”He couldn't help himself. Rayne slammed a hand down on the table, eliciting a jump from both Ben and Theresa."Dr. Morgan. Miss Miller." Rayne had to suppress a feral smile at the irony of his tone. It was a perfect match to the one Ben had used only moments ago. "Even if I were cowed by this scrap of paper, which I am clearly not, it holds no meaning here. The last I checked, the Commonwealth of Australia is not a territory of the US, nor are we subject to your laws. To me, this," he slapped the papers in front of him, drawing their eyes to it. "Is nothing more than an ill-conceived attempt to strong arm us into obedience through fear. One that is, I might add, failing miserably. So, for you to come in here and threaten my family with violence, tells me that I no longer need to play nice with you. Any further communication between us will happen only through official channels, if at all. Now, if you would be so kind, please get up and get out!"Dr. Morgan sat there for a moment before he rose, pulling at Theresa's arm as he did."I can only hope you come to your senses before people get hurt, Dr. Valiant. And I am quite certain that things will not be pleasant should you continue to choose poorly."If looks could kill, Rayne's would have left Morgan as a puddle on the floor. Theresa, for her part, tried to reach out and take back the document, but Rayne didn't budge, and she was pulled away. She looked apologetic, and then almost frightful as Simone paused, spoke into her earpiece, then resumed walking before a commotion from the men outside brought them all up short. Dr. Morgan began to turn back towards Rayne, an expression of triumph and maybe a bit of relief, forming on his face, before everything went quiet and Simone spoke."All clear? Good work." She locked eyes with Rayne for a moment before her gaze became predatory and focused on the Americans. "They were preparing to come in the living room window. Unfortunate for them, since the Doctor and Miss Miller would have been first in line if glass and bullets started flying."Rayne's gaze narrowed further and the expression fell from the American's lips as he muttered something under his breath. Theresa must have heard him, because her head snapped towards him and she wrenched her arm free."That's enough, Ben! You need to tell them! You're not getting results and trying to handle it on your own is destroying you!""Shut up! You couldn't possibly understand!""Dr. Valiant, Ben is being threa..”The man rounded on her and raised his hand, prompting a flinch from Theresa, but Rayne leapt over the table and caught it before he could swing his fist downwards."What the fuck is wrong with you? Hitting someone who's just worried about you? She's supposed to be your partner. Your family. Dr. Morgan, I don't know if it's stress or what, but I think you need to reevaluate your priorities here."The man pulled his arm away and pushed at Rayne's chest. "Get your hands off of me! What do you know of my priorities! You, stuck in your little world out here in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, you don't know who you're messing with. There are people in this world who are vicious, ruthless, and utterly merciless, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. I have tried to get you to cooperate. To make this easy and painless, so they won't get involved and; and; but no, you had to be hard-headed."He dropped his head into his hands, his grief palpable. "Now they're going to do it their way, and this will not end well for you or that soldier your people have put in charge. They'll go after him, too. There will be bodies. A sea of blood. People will die. Lots of them. Dr. Valiant, you need to hand over that data before things escalate. Please! They'll kill her!"The room went silent, save for the man's sobs, and Rayne felt a chill go down his spine."Dr. Morgan. Who exactly are 'they' and 'her'? Even if you weren't suddenly dropping new information into this, you're clearly admitting to trying to get the research for a third party. You know I can't hand it over now, even if I had been so inclined. You need to explain yourself."The man's voice became a wail as he leapt forward and grabbed Rayne by the lapels. The chill suffusing Rayne's spine now spread throughout his body as the words registered."That fucking Arab; that Sheikh has my daughter!"As if prompted by the words, the window shattered.The world seemed to slow as the glass of the window sprayed inwards. Rayne could have sworn he saw the blinds shredding into shrapnel as the hail of bullets engulfed the room and the expression of horror on Dr. Morgan's face as the reality of the situation hit him.And the bullets, too.Simone and Trish had started moving a split second before the real volley of fire started and tackled both Ray and Victoria to the ground. Furniture and glass ornaments shattered around him, and he had an incongruous moment of chagrin as he realized that Sumi's furniture was ruined. It was such a strange thought to have at that moment that he focused quite heavily on it.The gunfire ended almost as abruptly as it began, but Rayne barely noticed, too caught up in strange thoughts. But when he heard both of his soldier partners cry out in pain, the moment was broken and his adrenaline kicked in. He wrapped his arms around Simone and rolled, ignoring the shards of glass and splinters of wood as they sliced and stabbed into him."Sim? Are you hit?""I think maybe? Fuck; yes, definitely." She groaned and Rayne's mouth went dry. Pulling an arm from her back, it came away sticky with blood. Not gushing, but bloody, nevertheless. Immediately, he rose to check the wound, finding the gash along her back that had left the blood on his arm. Shallow. Still, he pulled his shirt and tried staunching the wound. Simone groaned at the fresh influx of pain, but she was still conscious and that was a good sign."Fuck! Trish! Tori! Call out! Are you alright?"There were other shouts from outside, but Rayne ignored them until Tori's voice came back. "I'm okay, Rayne, but Trish, she's hurt. There's a lot of blood."Shit! Shit! Shit! "Tori, can you triage it? Stem the bleeding for as long as you can.""I'll do what I can. She's in pain, Rayne."A voice from outside cut in. "This is Sergeant Morris, ADF. The four members of Dr. Morgan's escort who opened fire on the house are dead. All survivors please identify yourselves. Do not attempt to exit the building."Rayne turned again, now facing the window. "This is Dr. Valiant. I have three of my partners plus two Americans here. We need immediate medical assistance! Multiple casualties." He knew Stella and Hasumi would stay hidden now that they'd heard gunfire, so they were safe until he called for them.Boots crunched over the windowsill, and Rayne was relieved to see the fatigues and insignia of an Australian soldier."Ambulances are en route Doc. Are you injured?""No. I'm fine. Trish and Simone are hurt. And I think ..” Rayne finally turned his gaze towards the spot where Ben and Theresa had fallen and regretted it instantly. "Oh God. Make that just my people alive."On the floor lay both of the Americans, but Benjamin Morgan was clearly dead. The gunfire had cut right across his body, splitting him nearly in two and only the fact that Theresa had been partially shielded behind him saved her from instant death. They were both a mess, and it took a moment before it registered that Theresa was still breathing, if only barely."Holy shit, sergeant, she's still alive! Get those ambulances here now!"The soldier did a double-take and started shouting orders. Ray watched as they tried to stem the bleeding but quickly turned his attention back to his family. Theresa was out of his hands.Victoria Barracks, Victoria, Australia, October 28, 2020, 11:35 AMRayne sat in a conference room with both Colonel Anderson and Brigadier Davis, discussing everything they'd learned."It would have been a complete bloodbath if Trish and Simone's training hadn't kicked in. Both dove into action and very much saved our lives."The Sergeant and his squad had later told them that all four of the 'guards' Morgan had brought with him had submachine guns hidden in their jackets and drew them after their captors were distracted by the shouts from inside. As one, three of the 'guards' had fired into the house, while the fourth turned to engage the Australian soldiers outside. That one had died before he could fire, but the rest got off the bursts that cut down the unlucky Americans.Rayne relayed this quietly, but Barry and Bill could see his hand balling into a fist as he ground his teeth. They took a good look at the younger man and could see the bandages on both arms and his face. Ray followed their gazes and shrugged."Glass and some splinters. They shot the window in and smashed everything fragile and then we went rolling around in the shards. I'm fine; It's all superficial damage."Barry had to ask. "How're your girls?""Simone and Trish are both injured. Simone's mostly okay. A bullet grazed her back on the way down. She'll have a scar, but she'll live. As for Trish; the doctor said the bullet went straight through her upper arm. She'll be in a sling for a while, and she's worried about her job. Victoria's rattled, but unhurt, and Stel and Sumi were in another room, so they weren't in the same danger. They're pretty shaken, though.""And the Doctor? And his partner?""Whatever they were mixed up in, they didn't deserve that. Dr. Morgan; they basically cut him in half, Barry. He was gone before his body hit the floor. I; don't know how bad Theresa is. There was a lot of blood."Baz nodded, looking sombre. "Regarding Miss Miller; I'm told she's critical. They pulled two bullets out of her spine, and more ruptured her stomach, kidneys, and spleen. She's a complete fucking mess. At this point, they don't know if she'll even live out the night."Rayne shuddered, knowing that could just as easily have been one of his girls. "He shouldn't have even known where I lived, but he brought those bastards to my door, Barry. They were going to storm the house and either kill or capture us for information. If your people hadn't been there;”Bill Anderson picked up the thought. "And with what he said; it's all but certain the same individuals behind Connors are at work here. Even more so, we still don't know how he got Dr. Valiant's address. It's not exactly public knowledge. They're making bold moves, Barry."Baz nodded, not liking what it was telling him. "Openly, too. Bill, look into it, but give Ty a heads up that he might be in immediate danger. We need to double down on security."There was a knocking at the door and Baz acknowledged it, standing up in alarm as a clearly flustered Grace barreled through, carrying a manilla envelope."Brigadier, I've just got word from home. I need you to detain my partner, Dr. Morgan, immediately! He's compromised, and possibly involved in threat activity."All three men stared at her as though she'd just grown antlers. Eventually, Baz just sighed and gestured to a chair. "Sit down, Captain. I must regretfully inform you that you're too late."Grace ignored the offered seat and just burst into a string of expletives. "Damn it all! Is he still alive? You didn't kill him, did you?""No, Captain. We did not. Our people brought him to the hospital after the goons with him tried to gun down everyone in Dr. Valiant's home. It would appear they didn't know or didn't care that he got caught in the crossfire.""How bad?""Very. He's gone. I; must also inform you that Miss Theresa Miller is in critical condition. At this time, we do not know if she's going to make it. I'm sorry."Grace just sank to the floor and put her face in her hands. "Ben, you son of a bitch; why did you drag Tess into it; why didn't you come to me; we could have helped;”Rayne got up from his chair and came to the woman's side, kneeling and placing an arm around her shoulders as she wept. Rayne didn't know how long it was before she got control of herself, but he could feel the strength within this woman as she shook off the tears and stood, unassisted. "How long ago?""Under two hours. The last hour of which has been spent patching up our people and attempting to save Miss Miller's life.""Is she going to be okay?""I couldn't tell you for certain right now. She's critical, and they're doing what they can, but;”"They made her holier than Swiss cheese. That's what did for Ben too, wasn't it?"Baz just nodded, his expression cracking just a little. "As I said, the goons he brought with him opened fire on the house. They only had a few seconds before they were killed, but it was enough. If it means anything, Dr. Valiant says that it was only because Dr. Morgan was standing in front of Miss Miller that her life was spared."Grace pulled herself into the chair, her shoulders slumped for only a moment before she shook herself and sat up straight. "Brigadier, I need to contact the hospital immediately. They need to hold Ben's body. Do not let them dispose of it.""If it's for an autopsy, we can sort that out and return the body to you with all due care.""No, it's not that. There's a medical procedure we must do within a certain timeframe. I'll explain later, but it's imperative for our, that is, his partners', survival. It has to be done within a day or so of his passing, or all four of us are dead right along with him."Rayne read between the lines immediately. "There's a method to unpair women, isn't there?"Grace nodded. "Not exactly 'unpair', so much as 'reset' the woman into an unpaired state, allowing her to pair with another man. The problem is that it requires the man to be dead, so we're slow balling letting people know. We were supposed to let you know soon, but obviously events have superseded our plans. I'll make a note to have one of the other doctors speak to you about it. But I can put that aside for a few minutes, just please let the hospital know immediately. If they dispose of his body, we genuinely are dead. Just keep him on ice until we get there."Baz nodded and grabbed his phone, making a quick call and passing the instructions on.The American officer took a deep breath and turned towards Rayne. "Dr. Valiant, how about your family? Did your people suffer casualties?"Rayne sat down again as well and faced the woman. Now that they were in the thick of it, he could see why Ty had nothing but praise for her. Despite everything, she had pushed the grief aside to get the job done. It was a valuable trait in a soldier. "Two injuries. Nothing critical or fatal. I took some superficial damage. That's really it.""I'm sorry. That's on us. Our government didn't do as thorough a background check on Ben as they should have. We knew Ben was divorced and that he had a daughter, but he never spoke of her. We, that is, his partners, assumed that they were truly estranged or that he didn't have custody." She gestured to the envelope, which had been forgotten until then. "It was apparently early this morning that he received this. One of Ben's other partners, Antonia, found it while cleaning and when she went to check the contents;” Baz picked it up and dumped the contents onto the table. The first thing they saw was a photo of a young girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old, playing in a park. But as Bill slid the top photo aside, the men all stiffened, eyes wide.The second photo made their blood run cold. Instead of in a park, now the girl was in a stone walled room; in what they could only describe as a cage, and clearly worse for the wear. Huddled in a corner of the already tiny enclosure, she'd clearly been beaten if the bruises were any indication. To one side they could just see the prone figure of an adult woman, presumably the girl's mother, lying in a puddle of some sort that had formed on the stone floor. The photo was grainy, but every person sitting at that table knew blood when they saw it. The woman was clearly beyond help.Rayne's voice was soft as the words crawled their way out of his throat. "Holy shit. No fucking wonder he was so insistent; have they been threatening him since you came here?"She shook her head. "Possibly since before we even left. Probably from the moment they realized that he'd be coming here since he was paired with me.""You're not responsible for that, Captain." Bill muttered as he grabbed the USB drive that had also been in the envelope. Plugging it into a spare laptop, he navigated the menus for a moment before loading one of the videos and turning the screen to face us. "Let's see what's on this."The face that appeared could technically be considered handsome; golden brown skin, chiseled jaw, strong features, if you could ignore the asshole's expression and attitude. The man was going on about 'opportunity' and 'choice' but you could see the woman chained up in the background. It was the woman from the photo. She'd been beaten, abused and probably worse; her head was hanging limply, twitching only when she heard the whimpers from the cage nearby. Bill scanned through the rest quickly, but as he reached the end, he let it play. The man's nasal baritone was like nails on a chalkboard, and every man in the room wanted to punch him."I will not repeat my request again, Dr. Morgan. You will get me that variant, or the research. Cross me, and you will never see your wife or this precious darling of yours again. You have been warned. Do not fail me."There was a moment of silence as the words hung in the air, broken only as Grace's phone began to ring. She looked at it and then the Brigadier, who nodded."Toni? What ..” Her eyes widened as the person on the other end seemed to be in hysterics, and her voice quavered as she spoke. "Oh God. Okay, Toni. Take a deep breath. You need to forward that to me immediately and then go to Mary and stay beside her. Don't let her see it. I'm with the Australian brass; we'll; we'll do something about this from here. I'll be back as soon as I can. We have choices to make."Hanging up, she pulled out her tablet and stared at it for a moment until the telltale ping signaled the incoming email. Just looking at the header caused her to hesitate, but she tapped the screen.She regretted the action immediately, launching up out of her chair and throwing her body towards the wastebasket in the corner. The sound of her heaving was muffled only by the roar of fury as Rayne pulled the tablet to him and saw what had set Grace off.The email contained a single image. A bloody message written on a familiar stone wall,, 'She paid the price for your incompetence.'Below the words was the cage, now empty, save for a large pool of blood.The guilt came crashing down on Rayne like the sky on the shoulders of Atlas, followed by the white-hot anger as what they'd done hit home. Monsters didn't begin to describe them. Both Bill and Barry stared at the image in abject horror, unable to speak. Rayne couldn't help the thoughts that permeated his head. Had he just given Morgan the research; maybe this could have been avoided.The heavy breathing of four people were the only sounds for several minutes after. Eventually, Grace spoke, her voice breaking on her words. "I caused this. They took her because he was connected to me. And now that child, that poor, innocent child;”Bill slapped a hand onto the table, startling everyone. "No! They would have found another avenue if it wasn't him, Captain. Those fucking shitkickers took the option they thought would get results. It's even possible that he was paired with you on purpose. I mean, who's to say Oracle can't be spoofed?"Grace looked startled, but if anyone noticed it, they didn't call it out. Rayne lowered his head onto the table in front of him. More loss. More death. The very existence of this damned virus is more of a plague than the virus itself. "If I had just given him the research; she.""Again, no! Their actions are not a result of yours! You are not to blame! Brigadier, I'm going to get everyone on this. Those fucking animals need to be rooted out and put down." He turned his eyes towards Grace, his military bearing back in full force. "Captain Lawry. You need to call home and get people watching your families. You all need to be open and upfront if someone threatens you. After that, get to the hospital and do what you need to do to protect your people. We'll get them for this. Something like this cannot happen again. We cannot let them get away with it again! Dr. Valiant. Go with her to the hospital and rejoin your family. I'll send you with a double strength escort. One squad will stay with the Captain, the other with you and yours. Captain, your people will be safe here on base, but speak to them first before you go." He stood; his eyes filled with cold determination. "I'm going to get started. I have monsters to hunt."Barry had watched the exchange with sad eyes but waited until Bill had left the room to speak. "The two of you, Captain Lawry, Dr. Valiant. I am recommending you seek therapy after this calms down today. For your whole Team, both of you. Captain, by the sounds of it, this 'Toni', Antonia I presume, saw that image, and if her reaction is anything to go by, she saw the contents of that envelope too. She will need help soonest. I can have the base psych clear time immediately to see her. I'll expect you to avail yourself of her services in the near future as well. You're not in my chain of command, but we both know someone who will be very upset if you're not looked after.Grace nodded, looking worn out. She fished out her phone and began making a phone call, just as the doors burst open again and a pair of crimson whirlwinds came storming through. Lettie threw her arms around Rayne and just hugged him, but Lottie fretted, seeing the bandages."Ray! Colonel Anderson just told us. Are you okay? Is your family okay?""I'm okay, you two. Just some cuts. Simone and Trish took a bit of damage, but it's not serious. The others are unharmed, just shaken. Don't worry. If anything, Captain Lawry here is the one who needs comfort. She lost her partner and may still lose another fellow partner."The twins both turned towards the other woman and she took an involuntary step back. Rayne suppressed a sigh, knowing how intense his sisters could be, but both of them just stepped up and enveloped the shaking woman in a hug.Lettie had her hands around the other woman's shoulders and had pulled her down into her chest. "Grace? Can we call you Grace? I admit we don't know you nearly as well as the big guy does, but he very obviously cares about you a great deal. We're so sorry for your loss. If there's anything we can do. Let us know. I'm sure the big guy will also pitch in wherever he can."The woman was flustered, clearly not knowing how to deal with the situation. "Um, you're Leticia, right? Thank you." She shuddered, suppressing a sob, then gathered herself and continued. "I; I'll probably need to talk to him, and for that matter, you and his other partners, very soon."Lettie nodded but didn't quite seem to understand. "That's no problem, when did you want to do that?""Within the next week." Grace nodded to herself, seemingly thinking out loud now. "I'm probably the closest to my limit, I think, so that should give Mary and Toni enough time to choose; and Tess; if;” Looking up again, she met Lettie's gaze. "Of course, it depends on all of your approvals, but if you ladies and Tiberius are willing, would you be open to me joining your Team?"The twins froze. Neither had heard the conversation from earlier, so the Brigadier spoke up to clarify. "Captain Lawry tells us that they know of a method to 'reset', I believe was the term she used, a woman into an unpaired state. So, women can change partners."Grace frowned, but the Brigadier wasn't technically wrong. "I did also say that it requires the original male partner to be dead. Had; had Ben lived, we wouldn't even be having this conversation yet, since it's not something we want to spread too rapidly, but we were going to let you know soon. From what I know, it's something that we only very recently learned. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. It might sound callous of me, but I've been thinking about my relationship with him a lot over the last few days and I've come to the realization that it was shallow. Admittedly, I thought it was deep, but I think a lot of that was just the 'honeymoon phase' of the relationship. When I went back and actually looked at our interactions, there was no substance to them. It's something I spoke to Tiberius about only yesterday."Rayne gave her a sympathetic look. "Maybe it was because of the pressure he was under? I can't imagine he'd be able to give his all to a new relationship when he was worried about his daughter."Grace looked pained at the thought. "Maybe. I wanted to work on the relationship, but that would be meaningless if he wasn't willing or able. I guess now, I'll never be able to ask which it was. But there are also things that have come to light that make me suspect that I was actually paired with him deliberately. Whether it was something he engineered or if someone else had a hand in it, I don't know. I'll always regret that I'll never be able to ask him."Lettie looked at the woman in her arms. "And yet here you are, asking to be paired to Ty only hours after your partner died. Isn't that a bit cold?"Lettie regretted her words instantly as Grace broke into sobs. "What choice do I have? I've got the Quaranteam serum in my body, so I can't afford to wait. It's already been four days since my last dose. Within a week, I'll start to lose control of myself and need to be dosed. You don't know because you've never seen it. The woman becomes feral, almost quite literally. They need to be dosed, because as much as the man in the relationship is dependent on the women around him for the protection from DuoHalo, the women are dependent on the man's semen to live and maintain their humanity. And now, Ben is gone.""Won't your government step in?""The US Government will either assign someone new here and pair me to them, or I'll get to make a 'choice' from an Oracle list. Given what I suspect, I'd rather choose to tether myself to someone I know already than have a list of names thrown at me again. At least if Tiberius takes me in, I know I'll be okay. Then and only then will I have time to grieve. But asking now means you have time to think about it, and I'll have time to find an alternative if you decide that I don't fit with your dynamic."Lottie gave her sister a look. "We know our guy. He adores you, Grace, even if he would never say it while you had a partner, so I can guarantee that as far as he's concerned, you're in. Just between us, I'm okay with it, because he trusts you, and has only ever sung your praises. But we'll let the others have their say too."Grace smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Charlotte. It means a lot to know he thinks well of me."Lottie pulled her close again, and Grace just let her tears fall. Ben had been an unlucky man in a bad position. He didn't deserve his fate.Rayne interjected. "Lottie, Lettie, we need to call Ty and let him know now. He can think about it, but we also need to tell him that Colonel Anderson said that the attack earlier was likely done by the same people behind that Connors guy. They could be after him, too."Lottie pulled away and nodded, going for her phone. She tapped the button to dial him, but it just kept ringing."That's odd. He's not picking up. I'll try Alice, but I doubt she's got her phone on her."Lettie turned, her arms still around Grace, but her face serious. "Try Zoe. She should have hers."Lottie did, to a similar result. "That's very odd. Should I ring the hospital directly?"Lettie nodded; her mouth drawn into a line. She dialed and this time, someone picked up. But Lottie's relief was short-lived as the person on the other end told her the situation. She could feel the blood draining from her face as she turned to her sister."Lettie, the hospital has a Code Black. Active shooter. Multiple casualties."Grace shuddered and the three women locked gazes as Lottie continued, her voice a whisper."Ty's involved."Chapter 9.Hospital, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia, October 30, 2020, 2:10 PMTy regained consciousness and immediately decided that it was the biggest mistake of his life.His head hurt. His side hurt. His; okay, everything hurt. But he supposed pain was a good sign. It meant he wasn't dead.That said, he was going to find whoever it was that had told him his brain had no pain receptors and put a bullet in him, because that was clearly a fucking lie.Fuck. He let out an involuntary groan and tried to open his eyes, only to find that light had been weaponized in his absence. Blinded and disoriented, he squeezed them shut again, and the groan deepened, eliciting a gasp from his side."Tiberius, chéri. You are awake." The voice was silk personified. He knew that voice; he'd heard it only recently. If only his head didn't feel like it had been kicked by a mob of roos, he might even be able to identify it. "Tiberius? Are you alright?"Finally, it clicked."Béatrice."He could actually hear her smile as she spoke again. "Yes, darling. How are you? I was disappointed when you were unable to come to get me yourself, but I do understand why.""I'd say it's good to see you, but I can't actually see you yet. How long have I been out?" his voice came out rougher than usual, and there was a rustling beside him before the back of the bed began to slowly rise."Two full days, from what I understand, Tiberius. And please, call me Béa. Here, drink."Ty felt the gentle brush of a straw on his lips and latched on, taking a short sip of the cool water. It was heavenly. After a moment, he released the straw and spoke again. "Ok, Béa it is. It's nice to hear your voice in person again. I'm sorry I couldn't make it.""Likewise. You have grown more handsome over the years, Tiberius."He took a deep breath and tried to open his eyes again, with greater success. This time, there was no optical assault, but that might have had something to do with the fact that there was no longer a light shining directly in his eyes. He looked at the woman beside him and drank in the sight. Tall, probably 6', with straight, ash blonde hair and delicious curves, lovely blue eyes nestled behind a pair of glasses balanced on a cute nose. A quintessential French beauty, refined by a few years since they'd last met. "And you look lovely, as always. I assume you've been introduced to the others. Are Zoe and Liz alright?"Béatrice brushed a lock of hair out of her face and smiled. "They are both unhurt. Zoe was beside herself with worry when Talia and I arrived, but Elizabeth was calming her. That young woman has quite the level head. Though apparently, you have made a habit of nearly being murdered? I cannot say that is good for you, chéri."Ty chuckled, feeling it send a small wave of discomfort through his body. "I can quit anytime I want." His expression shifted to all business. "Do you know what happened to the gunmen?"Talia chose that moment to come around the corner, twirling the end of her braid in one hand. She looked tired, and he realized that she must have been running around all of yesterday, maybe even all of the previous night, too."Dead, Tiberius. You got off four shots to center mass in the time it took either of them to fire twice. And unlike them, you did not miss."Ty gave her a look. "This is what it looks like when they miss?"She gave him a small smile but shook her head. "They missed anything vital. The bullets hit you in the stomach, your arm, and your head."Ty's look turned deadpan. "I'm having trouble reconciling the part where my head isn't vital, Talia."Béatrice giggled and Talia's smile blossomed into a laugh. "Clearly, you're not using it, so it mustn't be vital, but at least it's hard. Alice said the bullet that clipped your skull actually deflected off it, or it would have blown past and hit Elizabeth." She sighed and then leaned forwards, kissing him gently. "You worried us, my love. How are you feeling?""My left side hurts somewhat, but my head feels like it's been trampled repeatedly. I guess I have a concussion?""A minor one, probably. There's a small crack in that rock head of yours, but otherwise it's fine. The second bullet found a gap below your ribs and just went through a couple of organs, though fortunately it missed your lungs. They fished it out, stitched you up and there weren't any immediate complications, so all you'll have is another scar. Same for your arm, though that was just a graze. You were incredibly lucky."Ty nodded, wincing as the action brought forth a wave of pain. "Figures. Where are the rest of the ladies?""Zoe was moved to another room. You made a mess of the old one. Elizabeth and Alice are with her, as are a squad of soldiers as guards. They were up most of the first night and all of yesterday, so everyone's getting a bit of extra sleep. Charlotte, Leticia, and Grace Lawry will be here soon. They're just making sure Rayne's and Dr. Morgan's Teams are taken care of."Ty's voice raised in alarm. "What happened? Is everyone there okay?""Dr. Morgan brought some unknown individuals with him and went to visit Rayne yesterday. Those guards turned out to be muscle for the individual behind Jaxson Connors. They attacked Rayne and his Team in their home, causing the death of Dr. Morgan and injuries to several others. No one from Rayne's team is severely injured, but Theresa, one of Dr. Morgan's partners, is at death's door."Ty felt his stomach drop. "How was Morgan connected to this clusterfuck? I thought the son of a bitch behind Connors wanted; oh fuck. He wanted the variant. Grace was actually telling me that Ben was pestering Ray about getting access to the variant."Talia nodded, her expression grave. "There were circumstances. We; we can talk about them later. He definitely had a reason to want it, though it was not official.""I thought it was because the US Government wanted it under the table. Shit, he must have avoided coming to me about it because I'd have been on alert against anyone looking for it. And it wouldn't make sense for them to ask us for it openly, since what we're doing isn't monopolizing it but suppressing it entirely." Ty paused, trying to run the line of thought out, but something else hit him first."Tal, If Benjamin Morgan is dead, what happens to his partners? If he's gone then they can't;”Talia paused, looking at Ty with an unreadable expression. "Grace has revealed that there is in fact a way for a woman to change partners. I believe Rayne is getting the details and learning the procedure."Tiberius felt the knot in his stomach tighten a little. "That would have been fucking nice to know before now. Why were they hiding it?""Well, Grace says it's something they've learned of only recently, and the only reason they're even telling us is because it's become relevant, since it requires the existing male partner to be dead. That's not something they want widely known."The big soldier looked mollified. "Oh. Well, that makes sense. It's a rather unpleasant condition and could invite some pretty unpleasant situations if that tidbit became public. What's their plan?"Béatrice spoke up, patting Talia's shoulder as she spoke. "Chéri, your partners, Zoe, and I, met with Grace last night. She has requested that she be reassigned to you."Ty schooled his expression. He knew he'd take her in if that's what she wanted, but he'd never disregard his partners' opinions on the matter. "I see. And the consensus amongst you ladies was?"Talia shrugged. "Charlotte was convinced that you would be okay with it.""That's not what I asked, Talia. Do you have a problem with it? Do the others?"Sighing, she shook her head. "No, not really; I just wondered what kind of woman would be able to jump between partners so swiftly. It feels cold. Like she doesn't care. Like; Dr. Morgan was just a stopgap for her. Does that mean you are too? Because I could not tolerate that."Ty understood at once. It would seem terribly callous, and in the past, it would have been. But the reality was different. The conditions were different. "She doesn't have the luxury of time, Tal. The documentation makes it perfectly clear that she needs to be dosed at regular intervals, so if she holds off for too long, I can't imagine it has good results for her body. I recall it saying that the longer a woman goes without an encounter, the more her cognitive functions will be impaired. How long after that do their biological functions start to be impaired?"Talia nodded, but her expression told Ty that she wasn't sure she agreed. "The documents said nothing about such things.""They may not know. It's not something that they can easily test. Well, the exact science is beyond me, but until this revelation, the way I understood it was that a woman who loses their partner has little choice but to accept that she'll die. But it turns out that there is another option and Grace is trying to take it. She and I already have an existing friendship, and we know that we're compatible. It might seem callous, but if she's on a timer, then it makes sense. She's taking the steps needed to ensure her well-being. After that, she can take whatever time she needs to process and grieve."The Israeli woman took this in quietly, giving no indication of her inner thoughts. Ty decided this was a positive sign, so he continued. "She's probably also working under the assumption that if we accept her into our family, she'll have the leeway to focus on her fellow partners. You said that one was dying? What's she doing for a new partner? What's happening with the other two?"Béatrice sat herself down on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Ty's arm, being sure to avoid the bandages. "Grace spent most of the day with them, helping them come to terms with the situation. Of the two uninjured women, one wishes to go back to America. The other is fine to be reassigned to someone here. As for the one in hospital, she has not woken yet. Her condition was apparently quite severe. They are considering pulling her Oracle data from the US and running through our system to find a match. If she regains consciousness in time, they will give her the choice. If not; they will go with the highest compatibility. It is a bit heavy-handed, but I think it is a sensible solution.""I don't know that they have many other options, really, but it's not my call to make." Taking a breath and wincing as the wound on his side protested, Ty swung his legs to the opposite side from where Béa was seated and began to rise."What are you doing? You're going to tear open your stitches! You need to rest!" Talia rushed around to his side, trying vainly to push him back. Béatrice made to follow, but Ty held up a hand."What I need is to reassure the others that I'm okay. Zoe especially. With all she's gone through, with everyone she's lost, she needs to see me on my feet. After that, I want us all in Zoe's room to address the issue with Grace. I need to hear everyone's opinions before we make any decisions."To be continued in part 9. Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts, for Literotica.
