“I had to take my mind off the insane shit you two were doing. Very cool stuff… but absolutely batshit crazy. Charlie, that marsh run was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time and that little ambush you set for Yves was nothing short of brilliant. I knew you were there and still couldn’t spot you in his feed until the very last moment, probably about the same time he felt the first touch by the reaction time.”

Gordy went on to dissect both of their performances but had very little negative to say. “Overall,” He concluded, “I’ve rarely seen the equal of either of you on the ground, never in the water or air. I’d pity the poor bastards you’re after but I have no pity for slavers.”

“Thanks Gordy. We’re gonna do a night run about 0200 and I want you along for that too. Yves and I are gonna catch some sack time and we’ll see you at 0130.” Charlotte lead Yves into the bedroom where they spent a few moments nuzzling before falling asleep in each other’s arms, utterly exhausted.

*** And Now…***

Yves woke to sun streaming into the bedroom and groaned as he moved. Their night run had been unexpectedly brutal and he was feeling the punishment. Charlotte had proven to be even more adept on land in darkness and had taught him a few things about how to move. By the time dawn’s faint light showed he was very nearly able to keep pace with her and much more quietly than before although she did chide him about making more noise than a bull crashing around. They entered the waterlock just after watching the sunrise together, eyes barely out of the water and completely hidden unless you knew how to look for them.

The sunrise together in that way had been oddly and unexpectedly romantic which had his thoughts turning toward the future as he dealt with morning routines and emerged into the sitting room to find Gordy watching a football game.

“Anyone else around?”

The older man looked over at him after the play ended. “Nope. Tina and Mel are over at her place. Mel needed some tools and they both needed some clothes. They’re also setting up a secondary array so I don’t have to rely on outside systems. Charlotte ran down to Edisto to install some new hardware there and get it tied in. Next time we see those control signals we’ll have the bastards to within a few yards.”

“Good. I can tell this is biting at you and Charlotte so there is some past here. This has to do with the people who did those horrible things to her, yes?”

Gordy muted the screen. “More than that Yves. The people responsible for the deaths of my daughter and Tina’s father got away untouched. We wiped out one small group of nasties but their bosses weren’t there or anywhere near and we never could manage to trace it back and find them. We have a good idea who is behind it overall but they are out of our reach, protected by diplomatic immunity and some serious firepower. Even covert teams were out of the question because the governments in question are nominal allies.”

“Blood cries out for blood. I understand this well.” Yves paused for a moment. ”I think I will be very busy trying to keep up with Charlotte and guarding her back though. You saw how she was this morning.”

“Guarding her isn’t your biggest problem.” Yves cocked a questioning eyebrow “She’s a berserker. I’ve seen it in her… if she runs into heavy opposition she’s one of those people who can’t be stopped without killing her and with her armor that will take some pretty serious firepower. She will kill and keep killing until there isn’t anything alive around her that offers hostility… and then she will break.”

Yves was trying to deny the truth of Gordy’s words but he knew it was futile. Both of them had seen comrades succumb to battle-lust and go into rages that clouded everything about them but the instinct to fight and kill.

“What can I do?”

“For most there is someone whose presence can stabilize them enough to keep them from going over the edge or pull them back once they have gone. You are that person for Charlie. Stick close to her, make sure she always knows you’re there… and stay alive. That should be enough.”

Yves sat there lost in thought for a few moments. “Is there no other way to help?”

“The only thing that can help her right now is to slay the demons that torment her and she finally has a chance. I’d be right there with you both if I could and I’ll be there watching your backs as much as I can but in the end its you and her on the ground. Get in, gather intel, destroy, extract. Keep it as businesslike as possible and she’ll stay on an even keel… as even as she gets anyway.”

“Charlie, unstable? I can’t imagine what would make you think that!” Mel’s voice came from the corridor as she stepped out of the comms room. “I mean, aside from the fact that I’ve met more stable nitroglycerine that is. Gordy’s right Yves, you just need to be there for her. You didn’t know her before… um, well before you knew her. There was a part of her even people who had known her literally from birth couldn’t touch but you have. She’s in love with you and it anchors her… you anchor her… in ways nothing else could.”

“That is… I don’t even know what to say. I am happy she feels that way… I have been in love with her for years now and hoping that she would allow herself to love me in return. Only Gordy knew me before I met her but I was not the easiest fellow to know either. If I have helped her she has helped me every bit as much and I am a better man for knowing her.” He thought for a moment “Besides, stability is overrated.”

“Well said young Jedi!” Tina bopped into the room carrying a mass of cabling and dropped it into Yves’ lap “Now be a dear and untangle these for me while I get something on. Charlie left right after we did so she should be back from Edisto in an hour or so and I want to be done by then because you kids are on alert per Charlie. She’s got her weird witchy shit goin on and she thinks it’ll go down tonight or tomorrow night. Either way I want you both as well fed and rested as possible. That means you too Gordy so sit down.”

Gordy stopped halfway out of his seat and lowered himself again before finally rising to his feet and heading off toward a bathroom. Yves decided following orders was the better part of valor and tried to get into the football game although he wasn’t really a fan of either team. Tina handed him a large glass of tea and refilled the one Gordy had been working on before rejoining Mel in the kitchen.

Gordy rejoined him and they managed to rouse some interest in the game while loud banging emanated from the kitchen. They looked at each other, considered for a moment and decided investigating would be a bad idea so focused on the screen. Soon enough the banging stopped and other noises took its place so that decision appeared to have been the correct one.

20 minutes later Charlotte walked into the room and plopped herself down beside Yves after a quick kiss with Mel following behind her, spatula in hand.

“Dammit Charlie, I thought I told you surface effect on the runabouts wasn’t stable enough yet! What the hell is wrong with you woman?!? Just because it can go that fast doesn’t mean it should!”

“Cool your jets girl! I was in a rush to get back home and I felt the need for speed in a pretty severe way so I maxed it. You’ll be glad to know that nasty little flutter eases out above 212 knots and its actually a pretty decent ride although you have to pay attention. That little spot between 200 and 212 is a little beyond squirrely though. I played with it and if you do it right you can run through that spot up and down in under 2 seconds so its workable… but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I’ve got a couple of mods in mind that should help on that front and may serve to massively increase speed and flight envelope. Its something to play with anyway.”

The smaller woman’s temper faded as rapidly as it had appeared. “This is that full flight mod you were talking about?”

“Yep. It’s a minor hull mod with small extensible wing/control surfaces and a bit more power.”

“Let me guess, you’re thinking about adding another engine?” Mel thought for a moment. “That’s a serious weight penalty for the additional thrust. Wouldn’t it be better to just go with a larger engine?”

“Not with the flight envelope we should be able to achieve. The whole thing revolves around additional speed and small lift surfaces being enough to go beyond surface effect and into true flight but that means you need power to set it back down properly. I suppose you could do some sort of crash dive and flare maneuver but even with the additional lifting surfaces it would be… I’d hate to try it. 20% or less chance of surviving it on a good day so yeah… 2 engines but 2 bigger engines!”

“Ok, we’ll work on that once this is over but for now… please keep the damn thing in the water!” Mel was gesturing at her with the spatula.

Charlotte sighed and pouted at her. “You never let me have any fun! Meanie!”

“Yves, talk some sense into her!” Mel’s protest was tossed over her shoulder and only halfhearted as she disappeared into the kitchen knowing full well her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Yves, deciding cowardice was the better part of valor, did no such thing. Instead he reached out to wrap an arm around Charlotte and they watched the football game with Gordy until it was time to go in and eat.

Between them they ate easily twice what the others did and once finished they all watched a show together before Charlotte led him out of the room for the evening. After some exertion on both their parts they fell asleep as dusk stole over the marsh.

Charlotte came to awareness already moving as Yves rolled out of bed on the other side and they ran for the doorway, almost making it before the blaring klaxon stopped. They did not stop with it, piling into the newly designated ops center to find Gordy already beginning to kit up. Noise from further down the corridor told of Mel opening the hatch to the ‘parking lot’ while Tina was busy correlating signals data.

“John’s Island, down toward Kiawah. I’ll send you more info on the boat. Mel says go in 30 seconds.” Tina’s tone was crisp but filled with suppressed excitement as her fingers played over multiple input panels.

Within 2 minutes they had already left the channels and were out into open water where Mel poured on the throttle and had them in surface effect mode very quickly. Yves and Charlotte had already pulled their suits on at that point and were attaching the rest of their gear as they flew. By the time Mel throttled down and they felt the planes enter the water they had already staged the Bats and were ready to clip in while the rear canopy opened.

They gave each other a final visual check, each tugging or slapping bits of the other’s rig as Mel’s voice sounded in their comlink. “Bat deployment in 20 seconds. I have DarkWing and the crows on overwatch and I’ll patch it over to you once you’re in the air. Be advised there is significant phone traffic at the location and at this time sensors tentatively show approximately 30 personnel on location. Retracting canopy now.”

With that warning they both clipped into their aircraft and brought up their systems, both of them deliberately staying out of the airflow until they were comfortable with systems check. Charlotte was the first to step into the wind and snap into high lift configuration but their speed was close to 40 knots and that resulted in her vanishing into the night with a rapid upward jerk. Yves followed suit and soon they were in the air, headed toward the target location at maximum speed.

“Be advised I have more personnel inbound, multiple civilian vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed. Sensors indicate possibly 50 additional hostiles. Recommend slowing approach to observe before contact.” Tina’s voice was even more crisp than it had been earlier.

They pulled up to gain altitude and continued toward the target site at a slower rate, steadily climbing above 500 feet and engaging active noise cancellation to mask the remaining sound their engines emitted as they loitered. Easily visible from this height was a caravan of blacked out utility vehicles running at high speed directly toward their target and as they watched from above the vehicles turned onto the access road and came sliding to a halt in the midst of a small clearing. People piled out of the vehicles, already in the midst of a large and growing firefight.

It took some minutes for the fighting to ease and during that time Charlotte had been interacting with Tina, comparing patterns and finding an answer that made her grin savagely as she turned her attention back to the immediate scene. “Nothing but hostiles here and they’re doing a pretty good job of taking each other out. Looks like fewer than 20 left combat capable out if this little mess and we have multiple bears inbound.”

Yves spoke up. “Recommend abort at this point.”

“”Concur. Base, detail crows for overwatch and LEO assistance. Shift Darkwing to new target, CAP, and send crows to follow as soon as all hostiles apprehended. Mobile, please shift position to provide closest available wet extraction.”

With that she dove to skim just above the forest canopy until they were far enough away to increase throttle. They both climbed and went to maximum power headed further down the coast wondering just what they would find until Tina’s voice broke the silence.

“Target multiple hostiles, count three-eight human, multiple canines. Also multiple noncombatants, appear to be juveniles, count estimated five-seven.”

Charlotte studied the information that came up on her displays critically. “Advise mission alteration. Objective is now rescue of noncombatants. Combatant elimination secondary. Advise LEO location, estimated numbers all categories.”

It was a moment or two before Tina’s voice came back. “LEO ETA two-zero mikes. Crows free, inbound to site.”

Mel’s voice followed “Mobile ETA 5 mikes. Noncombatant extraction not possible due to terrain and capacity limitations.”

Tina cut in again. “2 school buses en route for extraction and reinforcement, ETA one-five mikes. Count one-eight friendlies, possible additional friendlies inbound. Be advised they are aware of your possible presence.”

“My cup runneth over…” Charlotte muttered under her breath.

The images relayed from DarkWing enabled them to plan as they approached. The proximity of the armed hostiles to their prisoners and the overall layout took their previous shock and awe plan completely out of the equation and made stealth the priority for as long as practical. With this in mind Charlotte decided they would come in as silent as possible and drop from the still flying Bats which would continue under remote operation so they would have additional air support available if they needed it.

Gordy worked with them on a plan that should allow them to eliminate around 1/3 of the hostiles before raising an alarm amongst the sentries and planning follow ups to take advantage of aerial support once their presence became known. They had everything in place and ready to go as the two stealthed in with engines almost entirely masked and dropped into a small clearing, rolling to absorb the momentum they had no other way to shed. The Bats ghosted silently on while they gathered themselves and went their separate directions toward opposing edges of the hostile compound.

The entire team was silent as they got to their planned locations and both signaled ready, rising and silently dispatching their chosen target before hiding the body as well as possible and proceeding to the next. In this way they made a little more progress than they had estimated but when discovery came it was hard and fast. Fortunately for their response, it was also very poorly aimed ‘Pray and Spray’ fire and they were untouched but now had to deal with 6 more hostiles outside the walls and another 20 or so inside.

Gordy’s voice came through their coms. “Crash in 4, Gamma-3”

They each sprinted toward the wall, counting on speed to avoid direct fire for the seconds before self- guided rounds found their designated targets and ripped each of the hostiles who had been firing nearly in half so that they were momentarily clear. They used the time to get over the wall and directly into the middle of a chaotic situation where they were able to slip around and eliminate another combatant each before drawing fire from the remaining adults. It was all small arms so no real danger to either of them but there were children huddled in terrified clumps, screaming and crying, others trying to comfort them and still others who had picked up weapons from their fallen captors and were simply firing at anything that moved until they ran dry.

Gordy was servicing targets from above as he could but the scene was not conducive to sniper fire so Charlotte and Yves were mostly on their own. The occasional hit from unpredictable directions caused their armor to momentarily stiffen in spots as it absorbed and distributed the impact but it didn’t significantly impede their movements and they both moved through the madness with deadly efficiency. The sounds of gunfire tapered off and Yves was moving to clear a small pocket of resistance when Charlotte saw one of the men seize a child, followed shortly by another who attempted to hide behind the slight frames of the children.

Without thought she launched herself into a running kick toward one of them and as he moved his head to the side she curled her knee around his neck, snapping it violently while changing her directional momentum to bring her around moving in the direction of the other who had yet to realize his companion was quite dead. He got off a wild shot which missed her as she buried a throwing knife in his throat and rolled away to her feet to find… no resistance. Yves had cleared his area and there were no more armed adults although a few children still held long exhausted weapons in white knuckled grips of desperation.

Before they had a chance to offer help Tina’s voice came over their coms. “Incoming LEO airborne ETA 4 mikes, multiple bogies. Buses ETA 3 mikes. Frying Pan in effect, option pi.”

They glanced at each other then moved to secure weapons and ensure none of the captors would be able to offer resistance but the children, terrified and reacting in all the ways terror brings were avoided entirely. They vanished over the wall and made a great show of crashing inland before they quietly doubled back and around, darkness hiding them as they ran across mudflats interspersed with half solid grassy hummocks and underbrush where land was more solid but their objective now was speed and they focused on that.

More quickly than they thought possible they were scrambling up into Mel’s boat and she had it up on the planes before they managed to get seated, the canopy already halfway closed. By the time they got strapped in the canopy was closed and they were accelerating as quickly as possible, the thrust pressing them back into their seats and side to side as the boat followed its programmed escape course at the highest speed it could manage. Before even leaving the channels they had transitioned to surface effect flight and were making maximum possible speed directly out to sea. Mel was focusing on her craft but Yves and Charlotte were both unable to tear themselves from the scene that played out in their displays, relayed from DarkWing high overhead.

By the time the Law Enforcement aircraft arrived the locals had been there a full minute already and were all in and around the compound. One of them was trying to talk to a young girl who was clutching a weapon the two knew to be empty, trying to convince them they were there to help and having no luck. He moved toward her and jerked backward as the hammer ticked home on an empty chamber, then gathered himself and went to his knees in front of her, unloading his weapon and putting it down. They were frozen like that for an interminable instant before the area was filled with police of every description and the locals all safed their weapons before carefully laying them on the ground.

Once they were sure the situation was under control they flipped that feed away and took their helmets off. Charlotte sat there in the darkened cabin with tears coursing down her face, barely able to contain the unnamed grief that felt like it was ripping her chest apart. Her control was so rigid that she was only able to hear the edges of Yves’ voice as he tried to say something to her and her vision was tunneled directly in front. She wanted to move, to respond to him yet her ability to move, to speak, even to think was simply gone.

Even when the canopy opened and Yves gently unstrapped her then carried her into their bathroom she was unable to react to his kisses and words of love. He gently sat her down against one wall of the shower and adjusted the heads to focus on a spot in the middle, under the waterfall head. He came back over and gently removed her suit, yanking his off with rough haste and carrying her into the riot of hot spray before sitting down, cradling her in his lap as the warmth and his touch finally penetrated her stupor.

Great ragged sobs of long pent grief came tearing out until her voice was ragged and she wasn’t even sure if she was breathing anymore. All the while, Yves held her and comforted her with half heard words and the solid reality of his presence, his love until she eventually fell asleep in his arms with hot water streaming over both of them. Yves sat there for some time longer, grateful that the water hid the signs of his own tears.

Eventually he shut off the water and Charlotte awoke at the touch of cool air on her skin. She looked up at him for a moment in silence before she spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

Yves was dumbfounded. “Sorry for what Cherie?”

“I… I couldn’t keep it together. I’m sorry I was weak, that I broke down like this. I thought I was better than that…”Charlotte was on the verge of tears again.

“Weak? That is the last word I would use. You are ashamed of an emotional reaction after combat? You think crying makes you weak?”

She nodded, unable to speak.

“Some of the best men and women I have ever served with had similar reactions, I do too… It is a part of our humanity. For you, with the trauma that you lived through the simple fact that you were able to move at all, much less in the ways that you did, to perform at a level very few reach until the job is done? That is nothing short of heroic. I do not think you are weak Cherie, I think you are possibly the strongest person I have ever known.”

Yves helped her to her feet and began to dry her with a large bath sheet, while she reciprocated and in a few minutes they were in the bedroom getting dressed before joining the other three in the common area. Gordy had heavy snacks laid out in the kitchen but for the moment none of them were interested in food, choosing to get altered as quickly as possible first. To that end they started out with beer and began to add shots of tequila every few minutes while they each puffed away at a finely carved meerschaum pipe which contained one of Charlotte’s special varieties bred specifically for a giggly high.

It was a good choice, helping to raise the somber mood they all arrived in and allow them to talk about it a little without getting seriously into the emotional baggage. They stayed up to watch the morning news although by that time they were all staggering drunk and laughing at the newscasters as they described the ghostly figures who had eliminated the last of the hostiles. They made their way to bed and just as Charlotte drifted off she herd Yves sigh almost under his breath. “Bona nit amor meu…”

She just managed to murmur the same words back to him in English before she fell asleep. “Goodnight, my love…”

When she awoke it was late afternoon and sunlight was steaming into the room causing dust motes to dance in the streamers of brightness. Yves’ arm was pulling her into him and he was stretched out on his back while she curled around him, her head resting on his chest and one leg thrown over him while the other foot sat gently on top of his. A gentle kiss was her awakening and as they kissed he stroked her in the ways that they had taught each other and they caught fire, making love with the same intensity they had each felt in battle. Afterward they lay together, her head again cushioned on his chest as their breathing slowed.

“Why are you crying?” Yves held a tear he caught from her check on his fingertip before popping it into his mouth. He tasted for a moment, rolling the flavor over his tongue while he thought. “These taste like…happy crying mixed with grief….”

“It is because I love you. It is because I am afraid that you will be taken from me like my parents and my life were…. It is because I don’t know what to feel!” she sobbed quietly. “I killed… so many people and there was nothing in my heart but a thirst for their blood and the desire to protect the children. What is wrong with me…? Her words tapered off into a whining cry and she buried her face in his chest.

Yves held her, his mind racing. “Cherie… There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing that isn’t wrong with me and every other person who has had to take a life. Nothing that isn’t wrong with anyone who has been in the sorts of situations we have both been in, with life and death riding on what we do in that instant. You… We… are what evolution made us, a creature that is really extraordinarily deadly if it needs to be but intelligent and caring enough to hate that necessity. You can choose to reject that truth or you can embrace it as part of the whole of who you are.”

He pulled Charlotte’s chin up until she met his eyes. “I don’t think what you did today was wrong in any way… I was right there with you. You went in there and did what you needed to do to save other people’s children, you did it without hesitation and every single one of those kids is alive because you did that. You didn’t think about the cost to you aside from ensuring it didn’t interfere with the duty you set for yourself. That you break down after such a thing… I would be a little worried if you hadn’t reacted fairly badly.”

Yves drew her to him and kissed her softly, murmuring just inches away with the heat of his breath on her face and lips. “There is nothing wrong with you Cherie. Everything is right with you. Even the ways you are broken speak well of you.”

“I wish I could believe that.” She put her head back down on his chest.

“You don’t have to believe it. I believe for both of us. When we have children I cannot imagine anyone better to take care of them, keep them alive… teach them to be good people. I love you Charlotte and I could not do that if I did not respect you. You know this about me.”

Charlotte lay there for a few more moments enjoying the warmth of his embrace before rolling out of bed. She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and joined Yves in the common area, watching while he began to prepare food. By the time it was ready the other 3 had joined them, all somewhat the worse for wear after the previous night. There was very little conversation while they ate, the emotional freight of their actions coming home to roost in the brightness of the day.

“I’m retiring.” Gordy dropped the words into the silence as they finished eating.

“You? Retire? What brought this on?” Charlotte inquired.

“30 years brought it on. Up or out and there’s no up left for me.” He leaned back and patted his belly. “I’d given some thought to building a little place not too far away from here, that is if you don’t mind. I might have been born a mountain boy but I think this place has gotten into my blood and I’d like to settle here.”

“Of course you’re welcome here. I mean that literally. You are welcome in our home for as long as you wish to stay. If you want to build nearby that’s awesome too. You’ve been family to me for a very long time Gordy and I know you don’t have any other family left. All of us want you to be our family. Please let it happen?” Charlotte was turning on the big sad puppy dog eyes in a serious way with predictable results.

“I can’t imagine how you thought I was going to do anything else. One of these days there are gonna be a bunch of kids running around here and they’ll need a grandpa to keep em from eatin the gators.” Gordy smirked at them.

The moment was interrupted by a proximity alert which they shut down as soon as Tina verified it was Tommy incoming. A few moments later Charlotte was waiting at the dock to tie off and give him a hand out of the boat with Nora leaping up right alongside, tongue lolling to the side in a doggie grin.

“You look like shit. Wannna drink?” He simply nodded and followed her into the house, taking a seat in the common room while she poured him a generous glass of whiskey and a bowl of water for the eager lab.

Tommy drained the glass and held it out for a refill. “Do yawl have any idea of the shitstorm I had to deal with this morning? I had everybody from SLED to the Feds crawling up my ass and the only reason I’m not still neck deep in it is because Homeland took the whole damn thing and black-boxed it.”

“Good. This thing is so far above any of our pay grades its not even stupid and you’re better off out of the loop. I’m assuming you kept my name out of it?” Charlotte cocked an eyebrow at him which was met with a sigh.

“Officially, we don’t know shit. Your name did come up but only when they asked about the material we used for the drain filters… they thought it was brilliant. We played stupid otherwise, not that it was any stretch and they didn’t think any different. The one thing they did leave with us was all those kids… Hopefully we can find their parents or a relative who can take them.”

“What about the kids? Are they all ok?” Charlotte was trying to hold the level of emotion she felt out of her voice and not succeeding. Yves moved around to wrap an arm around her waist in support.

“A little beat up, not much though. They were to be sold as slaves and the buyers don’t like the merchandise abused before they get a chance to do it themselves. Some of those kids are just amazing….” He shook his head, staring into his glass which had emptied itself again. “At least 2 of em are like you Charlie and I’m pretty sure there are a couple of transboys too. I’m worried we won’t be able to find anyone to take them and you know how poorly variant kids fare in the foster system.”

“The answer is yes.” Charlottes tone brooked no argument. “If any of those kids can’t be returned to a loving, nurturing environment we can make sure they have a safe place. Its not just us here, there’s a whole community who will help. You saw what happened once the locals figured out what was going on. First thing they did was load for bear, grab some buses and go in there to rescue those children. You know as well as I do what kind of good people we have here.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry. There’s no shortage of bigoted assholes around here either.” Tommy groused.

“I’d be worried about you if you didn’t worry Tommy. That’s you, always concerned with truth, duty and the welfare of others above your own. At some point you have to take care of yourself you know?”

“How the flyin’ hell am I supposed to take care of myself when I know you’re out there doing shit that can get you killed!? What were you lot thinking?!?”

Charlotte sat on the arm of his chair and hugged him to her side. “I was thinking that I didn’t want to go to the funerals of my friends who would have walked into something so far outside their area of expertise I doubt any of them would have survived. Those kids are peacetime cops Tommy. They aren’t like you and some of the oldtimers that have not just seen but eaten the elephant.”

“I see your point but you guys ran up a kill count over 150 bodies! Wasn’t there some other way?”

“We aren’t the ones responsible for most of that. We watched while two batches of em tore each other to shreds and left some aerial support to help the LEOs when they got there. I won’t say we weren’t happy about it but we didn’t do it. Now the location where you found the kids… I don’t think I should either confirm nor deny our presence.” Charlotte almost winked at him with that last statement.

“Well I don’t think you have to do either thing. Next time pick your blade up.” He pulled Charlotte’s throwing knife out of his sleeve and flipped it to proffer it handle first.

“Thanks Tommy!” Charlotte leaned over and gave him a hug again.

“I don’t even want to know what happened there, I’m just glad you got out before anyone else arrived and that you’re unhurt. Just… lay low for a while, huh?”

“We’ll certainly keep out of sight for a while! Yves and I need a nice long trip to get to know each other better and I figure we’d like a bit of company in the bargain. I wouldn’t worry about us Tommy, I hear Jakarta is a great place this time of year!”

Tommy just buried his head in his hands for a moment. “I don’t even know why I bother trying…”

“Oh please, you just wish you could come along. We’re gonna nail these bastards Tommy, every last one of them. It not just us, there are other teams all over the world dedicated to ending slavery once and for all and we won’t stop until every last slaver is dead.”

Tommy just looked at her in amazement while the others gave nods of agreement.

“Got any room for an old detective past his prime?”

“All you had to do was ask.”

The End… For Now…